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Joe Biden just introduced his new running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, and her first speech as a potential VP went off without a hitch ... and sounded as good as one could've hoped for.

Joe and Kamala made their official debut as the faces of the Democratic ticket Wednesday in their first joint press conference out in Wilmington, Delaware. After Joe got through a fairly moving speech himself about why he chose Kamala and what he expected of her ... he let her speak for herself, and boy she did not disappoint.

Check it out ... Kamala was polished, firm and in command of her talking points as she bashed Donald Trump and Mike Pence's failure of leadership ... while at the same time propping up Joe and eloquently explaining what their administration would bring about.

She also discussed her own upbringing from immigrant parents -- one from Jamaica and another from India -- and how that has shaped her own life path and decisions ... leading her to where she is today. Kamala said her parents met during the Civil Rights movement, and used to bring her out to protests in a stroller -- which she said is being reflected again now.

She rattled off the different groups of Americans that she said she hoped to represent and fight for if she and Joe are elected into office come November -- and she made clear what a Biden White House would look like for America ... drawing a stark contrast to Trump's term.

It's the stuff of movies, really, how well this joint presser went -- and if we do say so ourselves, Joe knocked it out of the park with his choice here. She held her own fantastically.

Biden's historic choice makes Harris the first Black woman to join a major party's Presidential ticket -- and she's the first candidate of Jamaican and Asian descent. Her parents were Indian and Jamaican immigrants.

Harris is also only the third woman to be selected to join the ticket as VP for a major party ... behind Alaska's Republican Gov. Sarah Palin and NYC Democratic Rep. Geraldine Ferraro.

As we reported ... it appeared Biden was all but going to pick Harris, when back in July a reporter got a peek at his cheat sheet during a news conference that included Harris' name with the words ... "don't hold grudges." The "grudges" note is in reference to their first debate, where Harris attacked Biden for his stand against school bussing ... something Harris benefited from during her school days.

Harris would go on to endorse Biden in March after she suspended her own presidential campaign. Biden's announcement has already paid dividends, literally.

The UK's first major outdoor concert is offering a glimpse of what's likely to become the norm -- venues sectioned off into small groups, enabling fans to rock without rolling the COVID-19 dice.

Sam Fender performed for 2,500 people at the Virgin Money Unity Arena in Newcastle Tuesday night ... marking what's believed to be the country's first socially distanced entertainment event since coronavirus restrictions began.

Take a look ... the outdoor venue's setup includes 500 separate seating sections with metal barricades, which are for groups of 5 to attend and watch the show.

Tickets reportedly sold out immediately, and photos and videos from Fender's concert show the crowd cheering and singing along ... responsibly from their own sections.

This, of course, is in stark contrast to carefree concertgoers in the U.S. packing venues to see Chase Rice in Tennessee, The Chainsmokers in New York, an EDM party at Lake of the Ozarks and most recently ... to watch Tech N9ne in Missouri and Smash Mouth at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Disturbing scene in Maryland over the weekend ... some scumbags vandalized a high school football field with racist language -- and now, cops say they're on the hunt for the culprits.

The graffiti was sprayed near the 50-yard line at Calvert High School's football stadium in Prince Frederick, MD. ... with the several racist messages including, "F**k n*****s."

Community leaders said in a Facebook post a 15-year-old Black student discovered the vandalism early Sunday morning ... and believe it "may possibly be a response to a picture" of the school's football coach supporting the H.S.'s new Black principal.

Cops say they believe the vandalism was done sometime Saturday night ... with school officials adding other parts of the campus were also broken into and tagged as part of the same incident.

After the graffiti was cleared up, the school spelled out a different message on the field -- "No Hate Here."

"We are sad and angry that these racist messages occurred on school grounds," superintendent Dr. Daniel D. Curry said in a statement. "This racist language hurts the school system and the Calvert County community."

"Calvert County Public Schools promotes an anti-racist environment and denounces hate and discrimination."

Both cops and school officials say they have no leads on suspects at this time ... with a school spokesperson telling TMZ Sports there are no cameras that overlook the football field.

Dak Prescott spoke out Wednesday on the tragic passing of his older brother, Jace ... and the Dallas Cowboys QB said emotionally, "it's tough, obviously."

"He meant a lot to my family, meant a lot to me," the 27-year-old told reporters in his first news conference since Jace's passing. "He's part of the reason I am a quarterback."

"When I was a little kid, he's the reason that I first started throwing the football."

Jace -- one of Dak's two older brothers -- died suddenly at the age of 31 this past April. The family has not publicly revealed the cause of death.

Dak was clearly torn up over the loss. In fact, it took the QB nearly four months to open up about it all publicly ... telling reporters Wednesday he's now making it his life's mission to carry on his brother's legacy.

"It's been a tough year," Dak said. "It's been a tough year for me personally. It's been a tough year for my family. It's been a tough year for this country and this world, obviously. So, it's all been tough."

Dak says he leaned on his Cowboys teammates and his other family members to get him through it all ... adding, "I have a great family to count on, to lean on. Great supporters here, great teammates. Great coaches."

As we previously reported ... Dak and Jace were extremely close -- the two famously filmed a Campbell's Chunky Soup commercial together in 2019, where the QB praised Jace and his other brother for being a great support system.

Andrew Yang is a big fan of Sen. Kamala Harris as a candidate, but more importantly, as a person ... and says they bonded early, when he was a political unknown.

The former presidential candidate joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and heaped tons of praise on Joe Biden's running mate, telling us what separated Kamala from the pack.

Andrew says he first met Kamala early on in the Democratic primaries and they forged an instant bond on a number of non-political issues they have in common.

He added ... there was something else about the VP candidate that really impressed him. Andrew says Kamala was always warm and friendly, which stood out to him because no one knew who the hell he was early in the Democratic primary races.

Andrew says that taught him a lot about his then-opponent's character, which is why he thinks Kamala makes a great veep.

Andrew's ready to go to bat for Biden and Harris at next week's Democratic National Convention, and broke some news about the event.

This could be a bad look for R. Kelly -- 3 of his alleged acquaintances have been charged with harassing witnesses in his criminal case ... but the singer claims he had no involvement.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday Richard Arline, Donnell Russell and Michael Williams were arrested and charged for allegedly intimidating witnesses in the disgraced singer's racketeering case in NYC.

Prosecutors allege Arline -- a self-proclaimed friend of R. Kelly -- offered $500k to an alleged victim in exchange for her to NOT cooperate with prosecutors. Russell -- a self-described manager, advisor and friend of Kelly -- allegedly threatened to reveal sexually explicit pics of an alleged victim and publicly reveal her sexual history if she didn't withdraw her civil suit.

And get this, prosecutors claim Williams -- a relative of someone who once served as Kelly's publicist -- set fire to an SUV parked outside the Florida residence where an alleged victim was staying back in June.

Acting Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Seth D. DuCharme released a statement, saying...“The defendants are separately charged with engaging in multiple crimes that were intended to undermine and subvert the integrity of the criminal justice system and victimize the women who have come forward with serious allegations of criminal conduct against the defendant R. Kelly."

Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, tells TMZ ... his team just learned about these charges against Kelly's so-called "associates." He says, "Without question, Robert Kelly had nothing to do with any of these alleged acts by those charged. He has not attempted to intimidate anyone, or encouraged anyone else to do so. No involvement whatsoever."

Kanye West met with President Trump's son-in-law and White House staffer, Jared Kushner, last week -- the strongest indication yet Trump's administration might be involved in his campaign.

Ye had a private face-to-face with Kushner, a Trump cabinet member, over the weekend in Colorado, where Kanye was vacationing with Kim and the kids following their Caribbean trip ... this according to the NYT.

They report Ivanka was traveling with Jared too, and that Ye flew to Telluride to touch base with them ... sans Kim. The details of the meeting are scant, but the Times says when they asked Ye about it ... he didn't deny chatting, only saying their discussion was about Black empowerment.

He also copped to the meeting publicly on Twitter, writing ... "I’m willing to do a live interview with the New York Time about my meeting with Jared where we discussed Dr Claude Anderson’s book Powernomics."

Of course, it's eyebrow-raising, at minimum, that a Trump aide -- his own family member, no less -- is meeting with Ye at a time of heightened scrutiny around his campaign ... which many people believe is simply a Trump-engineered spoiler attempt to ruin Joe Biden's chances.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have left Los Angeles for greener pastures ... in the lush, super-exclusive city of Montecito ... and the Oprah connection seems undeniable.

Montecito realtors with knowledge tell TMZ, the couple went into escrow in July and the deal closed about a week ago.  We're told they spent around $10 mil, which got them a lot more house than they'd get in L.A.

It seems Oprah may have helped guide their path. We're told she helped put them in contact with Tyler Perry, who let them live in his Beverly Hills estate while they got their SoCal sea legs.

Oprah, who has a massive, incredible estate in Montecito and clearly loves it, has a connection to Harry ... they co-produced a documentary on mental health.

Montecito is a relatively small, quiet community near Santa Barbara. Interest in living there has exploded since the pandemic hit the U.S. Lots of people from L.A., Dallas and New York are picking up and moving there.

Lots of celebs live in Montecito, including Ellen, Scooter Braun, Dick Wolf, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Stewart, Rob Lowe and many others.

As for Meghan and Harry, we're told they bought a secure, gated estate. These properties have plenty of land ... in some cases up to 50 acres, although most of that is hillside. But, the properties have lots of flat land, so Archie can play away.

Jerry Jones says the Cowboys might be backing off his "toe the line" national anthem kneeling policy ... with the Dallas owner telling media members Wednesday he's considering a new rule.

The 77-year-old, who has famously threatened to cut players if they kneel during the pregame song, now says he's going to have an open dialogue with his team over the policy.

Jerry told reporters he's currently trying to find a way that pleases both protesters and staunch flag supporters when it comes to the team's newest anthem kneeling rule.

"Somewhere in between there," Jones said, "as we get together with our team, as we discuss with the team, somewhere in between there is how we're going to handle it."

Jerry says he's been in contact with several powerful people over how the Cowboys should move forward with the policy ... saying both past and current U.S. presidents have shared their feelings with him on the matter.

"I have talked to literally double handfuls of very, very engaged people," Jones said. "I have had input from ex-presidents, I've had input from presidents."

"I've had input from a cross-section of our players, former players and I will continue to have input. This is a very serious matter."

Wendy Williams and Kevin Hunter have tied up another loose end following their divorce ... but didn't make the dough they'd hoped to on the deal.

The ex-couple finally closed on the sale of their New Jersey mansion -- which they called home for years -- after putting it on the market in August 2019.

Though it was originally listed for nearly $2 million, it sold for $1.475 mil ... quite a significant price cut.

Jamie Silverman, who exclusively repped Wendy and her ex-husband in the sale, tells TMZ ... the reason for the price reduction was the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jamie says the buyers are a young family who are very excited about the property -- calling it the home of their dreams -- and are also fans of Wendy's ... so they were stoked when she dropped by to pay them a visit and wish them well.

Along with a sweet deal, the family's getting an awesome place to live ... the pad's 5,700 square feet with 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, including a master suite with huge walk-in closets, plus a marble bath, jacuzzi and steam shower.

A maskless Tennessee State Trooper went on a major power trip, going face-to-face with a man not accused of any crime ... before allegedly tearing away the man's face covering.

Andrew Golden says this went down Monday near the Tennessee State Capitol building as he was recording state troopers who had pulled over a motorist. He says he kept a safe distance away on a public sidewalk before State Trooper Harvey Briggs -- who was not involved in the traffic stop -- threw a fit.

Check out the video ... Briggs, who again is NOT wearing a mask, warns Golden about cursing in front of him. Golden, who kept recording, asked Briggs "why his hand is on his gun" ... and the cop said, "Because that’s the way it always is."

Golden claims Briggs then stepped on his foot -- all without wearing a mask, mind you -- and then, suddenly, ripped Golden's mask off his face. He immediately called out Briggs for it ... and you hear Briggs deny it as he walked away saying, "I'm tired of you people making stuff up."

Tennessee's Dept. of Safety and Homeland Security tells us it's "in the process of reviewing the matter."

Ozuna is moving on up ... to a massive mansion in Miami.

Our real estate sources tell us the "Caramelo" singer is the new owner of a 5-bedroom, 6-bathroom crib in Miami's coveted Coconut Grove neighborhood. We're told Ozuna dropped a cool $5,475,000 for the 7,200-square-foot pad, which is nestled in a lush, half-acre lot littered with palm trees.

The modern mansion is like a mini resort ... it's decked out with a pool, putting green, basketball court and a large outdoor patio. Ozuna's new place also features floor to ceiling windows, a home theater, a chef's kitchen and a summer kitchen.

Ozuna's already taking advantage of the home gym too.

The pad comes furnished, and as you can see in the gallery, there's tons of artwork and paintings throughout.

Ozuna's the second celeb to call this place home ... we're told it used to belong to former NFL linebacker and University of Miami football star Jon Beason.

Lourdes Alatriste of Engel & Völkers Miami held the listing.

Donald Trump was not happy with Bill Maher's show last Friday night, and we're guessing it's because Maher delivered a blistering fake eulogy of 45.

Trump tweeted, "Watched @billmaher last week for the first time in a long time. He's totally SHOT, looks terrible, exhausted, gaunt and weak. If there was ever a good reason for no shutdown, check out this jerk. He never had much going for him, but whatever he did have is missing in action."

Well, check out why Trump's so upset. The eulogy was as brilliant as it was biting.

FACT ... Maher and co. have figured out how to do COVID shows better than anyone else in show biz. The show is shot from his backyard, but they've figured out a way to keep it super lively with hysterical, fake audience reactions, great transitions and super interesting convos.

8/24 is now officially "Kobe Bryant Day" in Orange County!

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to honor the late Lakers legend -- and the measure passed with flying colors.

"During his career, Kobe Bryant’s numbers on his jerseys were 8 and 24, therefore a fitting day to celebrate his legacy would be August 24," the resolution said.

Of course, Kobe lived in Orange County for most of his 20-year career with the L.A. Lakers ... and his family stayed there even after he retired.

Kobe was well-liked around town -- and was seen several times playing the role of Good Samaritan when he spotted car accidents.

So, when Kobe -- along with daughter Gianna and 7 other people -- passed away in a January 26 helicopter crash, officials wanted to make sure to honor his legacy.

"Kobe Bryant was a basketball legend that inspired so many globally to pursue their dreams and taught us that hard work truly pays off," the resolution says.

Officials even spell out how fans can celebrate KBD -- "By engaging in community building, helping young people in need, encouraging aspiring youth to follow their dreams, and living by Bryant's words: 'The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they could be great in whatever they want to do.'"

FYI, Kobe's #8 and #24 jerseys were both retired by the Lakers -- he's the only player in franchise history to have two numbers hanging in the rafters.

A hotel worker in Brazil earned office bragging rights when he not only warded off an insane attacking customer -- he sent the guy running off with his tail between his legs.

The incident reportedly went down in the city of Varginha, and allegedly started because the guest -- who WAS wearing a face mask -- refused to allow a COVID temperature scan as he checked in.

As you can see in the security footage ... the hotel employee's holding the scanner at the beginning, but sets it down before an argument erupts.

It looked like the customer was gonna walk out, but then he stormed back in and violently swung a chain holder at the worker ... then went behind the counter for some hand-to-hand combat. Big mistake!!!

The hotel worker immediately squared up to defend himself against the guest's punches and unloaded a series of blows himself. He even gets the guy to the ground and continues to pummel him, before the guest was able to retreat.

The NBA will allow players to FINALLY bring guests into the Bubble environment in Orlando ... but not EVERYONE will be allowed in.

In fact, the NO ENTRANCE list is the most interesting part!!

First off, the guest list will open up to players beginning after the 1st round of the NBA playoffs (which is approaching fast).

The league sent a memo to teams, obtained by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, laying out the criteria for entrance.

"Four guests per player, but can be exceeded for children," Woj says.

"Guests can travel on team charters following testing. Guests will be allowed to attend games."

There will be strict quarantine protocols for guests before they're allowed inside the bubble ... similar to what the players are already going through.

But, here's where it gets interesting ... the league is clearly trying to prevent players from bringing in random people they meet on social media for booty calls. Aka, no randoms from Tinder!!!

"Any individual the player has not previously met in person or with whom the player has had limited in-person interactions [will not be granted access]."

The league cites a hypothetical example of a person who would NOT be allowed in -- "[someone] known by the player only through social media or an intermediary."

Get it? Seems pretty clear to us!

Woj says other people NOT allowed inside include "agents, trainers, massage/physical therapists, personal chefs and tattoo artists."

Sorry, no new ink inside the bubble!

Once inside, Woj says "Each player is allowed one ticket per playoff game for a guest -- plus an additional admission for a child (32 inches and below)."

Gilbert Arenas recently told us he's been talking to players who are griping about not being able to get booty while inside the bubble.