GameStop Robinhood to Allow 'Limited Buys' ... After Trading Halt

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4:03 PM PT -- Robinhood says it will resume allowing trading Friday for GameStop, AMC, BlackBerry and the other securities it blocked Thursday ... but "limited buys" only.

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Robinhood adds that it will "continue to monitor the situation and may make adjustments as needed."

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In an email sent to customers Thursday evening, the financial services company acknowledges, "It's been a tough day" ... while saying its decision to temporarily halt trading was "made to best continue serving you, and was not an easy one to make."

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Robinhood goes on to explain that its decision "was not made on the direction of any market maker we route to or other market participants."

The GameStop stock battle between retail investors and hedge fund managers has resulted in Robinhood unlisting the stock and several others ... and people are pissed.

As of Thursday morning ... Robinhood customers can no longer buy Gamestop stock on the free-trading app, thereby blocking members of the WallStreetBets forum on Reddit. Of course, that group of investors sparked the resurgence of GameStop's stock.

It also aimed to do the same for AMC, Nokia, BlackBerry, Naked Brands and a few other stocks ... but Robinhood's unlisted those too!

In making the move, Robinhood emailed customers warning of "the current volatile market conditions." The notice stated, "It’s as important as ever to be an informed investor," and included links to its investment resources.

Of course, this has infuriated customers who believe this is market manipulation favoring the hedge funds that have shorted stocks like GameStop... and hurting retail investors who are backing them.

As one person on Twitter put it ... "The free market is only free until rich people lose money."

As we reported, GameStop's stock price has surged to $350 this week -- after starting the year at $19 -- thanks to the backing of retail investors encouraged by the WallStreetBets group.

By Robinhood blocking trading on Thursday, the general feeling among the public is that the financial services company is siding with the hedge fund people on Wall Street ... and screwing over the little guy.

This could get ugly.

Originally published -- 6:48 AM PT

Deshaun Watson Requests Trade From Texans ... Despite Team's New Head Coach Hire

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David Culley can NOT save the Texans' relationship with Deshaun Watson ... 'cause despite Houston agreeing to hire the new head coach, the team's superstar still wants out.

The quarterback made it clear this month, according to multiple reports ... officially demanding a trade from the org. just a few months after signing a 4-year, $156 MILLION contract extension with the team.

And, because of a no-trade clause in his deal, Watson will now get to pick where he's shipped off to if Houston's brass ultimately relents to his demands.

The issues between the 25-year-old and the Texans are well-documented at this point ... Watson wanted a big say in the team's GM and head coach hires -- and he reportedly got none of it.

In fact, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday that Watson hasn't even spoken to new Texans GM Nick Caserio since his hiring earlier this month.

Shannon Sharpe, meanwhile, said on FS1's "Undisputed" on Thursday that Watson is "willing to play hardball" in order to get out of Houston.

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IT'S OVER!!!

Of course, the ramifications of a trade for both the Texans and the rest of the NFL are massive ... Watson is one of the game's brightest stars -- and giving him away would cripple the Texans' org. for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, a trade to a team like the NY Jets or Chicago Bears could suddenly vault them into Super Bowl contention.

The Texans were a disappointing 4-12 this season after shipping superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals back in March.

Tacoma, Washington Cop Runs Over Pedestrians ... Caught On Video

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VIOLENT CLASH

A police officer gunned his SUV into a crowd in Tacoma, Washington Saturday night, running over at least one person ... and it was all caught on video.

There were about 100 people in a street blocking an intersection ... some were in cars doing donuts and allegedly street racing. Cops were called to the scene.

The crowd surrounded one of the police SUV's and began pounding on the windows and kicking the sides of the vehicle. The PD said in a statement the officer feared for his safety ... "the officer drove forward striking one individual and may have impacted others" as he tried to get out of the "unsafe position."

As the officer guns it, you see the SUV run over someone laying in the street. Someone who watched screamed, "Oh my God, oh my God."

At least one person was taken to the hospital. That person's condition is unknown.

The incident is under investigation.

Dwayne Haskins Signs With Steelers ... Picks Symbolic Jersey Number

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New year, new team, new number ... new Dwayne Haskins??

The former first-round pick just inked a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers ... in hopes of resurrecting his NFL career.

Remember, the Washington Football Team cut Haskins after several team-related issues during the season ... including COVID-19 protocol violations and attending a stripper-filled party, which he later apologized for.

The 23-year-old is getting a fresh start in the Steel City ... with the former Ohio State star officially signing on the dotted line to presumably serve as Ben Roethlisberger's backup.

Haskins addressed the move on Thursday ... sharing several edited photos of the signal-caller in his new Black and Gold threads with a #3 jersey.

Haskins -- who wore #7 with the WFT -- explained the new digit, saying, "3 in the Bible stands for restoration and eternal life. Let’s work 🙏"

Haskins has played in just 16 games since entering the league in 2019 ... throwing for a little over 2,800 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

If DH was, in fact, brought on to be Big Ben's successor, he'll have HUGE shoes to fill -- after all, the dude's a 2-time Super Bowl champ!!

Dustin Diamond 1st Chemo Round Done ... For Stage 4 Small Cell Carcinoma

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Dustin Diamond has completed his first round of chemo after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer ... according to his team.

The "Saved by the Bell" star is still in the hospital and is doing everything he can to deal with his diagnosis ... which his team tells TMZ is stage 4 small cell carcinoma.

This is commonly referred to as advanced lung cancer, but in Dustin's case ... we're told the cancer started elsewhere in his body and metastasized in his lungs. His next round of chemo is being scheduled soon.

His team says he will also begin physical therapy, and adds that Dustin is keeping a positive outlook and is looking forward to spending more time with his girlfriend. We're told he's also enjoying playing his bass guitar (learning songs by Tool and Foo Fighters) and video games ... and making videos for his fans on social media.

We broke the story ... Diamond, best known for playing Screech on the hit '90s sitcom, was hospitalized earlier this month in Florida after feeling pain all over his body and a general sense of unease.

From the get-go, there was concern he had cancer due to his family history, and sadly ... that concern became a scary reality.

Dustin's team says he's been receiving a bunch of fan mail wishing him well, and will be getting it to him at the hospital to lift his spirits soon.

Get well, Screech!

Donald Trump Supporters Show Up in Singles ... At Several State Capitols

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Donald Trump is no longer president, but his supporters still turned up at state capitols across the country to protest President Biden's inauguration ... a handful of them anyway.

It appears that in at least a few states -- Maine, New York, Utah and Arizona -- only a lone supporter of 45 arrived at the government building to express their right to peacefully protest.

In New Hampshire ... those numbers were doubled, maybe tripled.

A man named Mark Leggiero was the solo Trumper out in front of the New York State Capitol. According to reports he drove 45 minutes for the demonstration and expected a few thousand others. So, he's disappointed.

As we've reported ... the authorities have been warning of the potential for big turnouts and violence by far-right groups gathering at state capitols ever since the U.S. Capitol attack on January 6.

It seems like all of the concern and heightened security measures did enough to thwart such gatherings and instead, pro-Trump protests remained peaceful ... and very, very small.

Jake Paul I'm Getting Back In The Ring ... See You April 17!!!

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STAY TUNED!!!
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3:25 PM PT -- It appears Paul misspoke ... 'cause he's now promoting April 17 as the date for the big event.

Jake Paul is officially getting back in the ring ... and his opponent is none other than ...

We don't know yet.

24-year-old Paul (2-0) is fresh off his impressive bout against Nate Robinson back in November ... knocking out the ex-NBA star in the 2nd round on the massively successful Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. card.

Paul teased a HUGE announcement leading up to Wednesday ... which ended up being the fight date -- April 10.

Jake says Snoop Dogg will be back on the mic for the event ... and is hoping to make the biggest Pay-Per-View ever.

The YouTube superstar-turned-fighter has been trash-talking guys like Conor McGregor, Bellator fighter Dillon Danis, ex-UFC star Ben Askren and more in recent weeks.

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SIGN THE CONTRACT

In fact, Paul made a wild video calling out McGregor back in December ... offering $50 million to make the fight happen.

But, Paul isn't ready to spill the beans on who he'll be lining up against come April ... saying he's giving Conor one last chance to sign on for the fight before he moves on to someone else.

Jake even posted vid of a banner flying across Miami on Wednesday ... which read, "Conor McGregor is scared of Jake Paul."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Triller's first event had huge names like Wiz Khalifa, Snoop, French Montana and more ... so it's safe to say it'll be another crazy party this time around.

Originally Published -- 12:42 PM PT

Donald Trump So Long, D.C. ... But I'll Be Back (One Day)!!!

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5:57 AM PT -- Donald Trump just made his last speech as President, and the key takeaway is ... he promises to return to the spotlight, somehow.

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DT and Melania both addressed the crowd at Joint Base Andrews -- the First Lady's remarks were very brief, but Trump took a little longer to reminisce. He touted what he considers his administration's greatest achievements -- including work they did for vets, stabilizing the economy (even amid a pandemic), fast-tracking the vaccine rollout, creating the Space Force and of course ... tax cuts.

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Trump says he can proudly say that he and his team "left it all on the field," adding that when they're all in Florida soon -- they won't have to look at each other and wonder, "what if?" He said he was proud of the job he'd done, explaining it'd been an honor to serve.

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Trump actually wished the Biden-Harris administration luck, saying they had the foundation to do something great. But, then came a more ominous note from DT ... he said that he WOULD be back in some form, basically promising that we hadn't seen the last of him.

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He told the crowd to "have a good life" ... and that they'd be seeing him soon. As he and Melania left the stage, the Village People's "YMCA" played for the last time as Trump said farewell to his family members and WH staff. They got onto AF1, and did a final wave.

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DOIN' IT MY WAY
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He also gave us one last reminder he's all about TV production with the picture perfect timing of AF1 going wheels up as "My Way" ended.

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And thus ... the Trump presidency comes to an end.

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5:33 AM PT -- One of Trump's faves is blaring at Joint Base Andrews ... "Gloria" is playing so loudly on the PA system, as Marine One lands, that reporters there are getting drowned out. The man does love his disco era tunes.

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He and Melania are addressing a crowd of about a couple hundred people gathered at the base.

Donald Trump is departing the White House for the final time as President, en route to a send-off party he requested as he leaves behind a tumultuous legacy that will certainly be ... remembered.

DT is about to board the Marine One chopper early Wednesday morning on the South Lawn, where a few of White House staffers are standing by to say deuces to POTUS for good. He'll be on his way to Joint Base Andrews -- just outside of D.C., where he's putting on a farewell ceremony for himself.

Invites for the event were sent out to Trump's remaining allies, but details for what exactly is in store were hazy. The buzz has been 45's looking for a major military-style parade, before he boards Air Force One. We'll see if he gets it, and who shows up ... it's slated to begin at 8 AM ET.

One person who won't be attending for certain is his Vice President Mike Pence. He's said he will who be at Joe Biden's inauguration ... presumably representing the administration. This is the first time in over a century that an outgoing Prez has blown off the Inauguration Day transfer of power.

In any case, once his farewell gala is done, Trump's flying south for the winter -- and beyond -- to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

His decision to bolt outta D.C, at the crack of dawn isn't all that surprising considering the hot political (and possibly legal) water Trump's found himself in during these final weeks in office.

Of course, he's already been impeached for inciting the Jan. 6 riot and storming of the Capitol -- and could face a Senate trial.

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"SHOW STRENGTH AND BE STRONG"

The Senate could convict him, and also vote to bar him from holding any federal office again -- due to his historic double impeachment -- which would upend any potential Presidential run, which he's suggested he might do.

Needless to say, this is most likely not the last we'll see of Trump ... impeachment aside, there's wide speculation he could face criminal charges for the riot, business dealings in NY state and even Hollywood punishment from the SAG-AFTRA union.

Plus, he's talked about possibly starting his own news network. We guess the only place you won't see him, as of now, is Twitter.

We suppose there's nothing left to say except, goodbye 45. Yes, his own catchphrase comes to mind too, but we'll spare you. 👋🏽.

Originally Published -- 4:55 AM PT

Joe Biden Denied Government Aircraft ... Flying Private to D.C. Inauguration

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2:07 PM PT -- The Bidens have touched down in D.C., and even though Joe got snubbed from getting a government plane ride to his new job ... his private flight provided an amusing moment, thanks to the pilot.

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Watch closely ... the guy busts out his phone to capture the historic moment as his First Family of passengers deboard. We don't know what the pilot's name is, but judging by the smile on his face ... we're gonna guess it's Stan.

Donald Trump's pettiness apparently knows no bounds, because Joe Biden isn't getting what Trump himself got ... a government aircraft taking him to D.C. for his inauguration.

Biden just boarded a private jet for the short flight to Washington. Protocol has been for the incoming President to get the courtesy of a military aircraft. Aside from the fact this tradition is rooted in the transfer of power, it's gotta be safer, with all the bells and whistles that come with it.

FYI ... Donald Trump was afforded this courtesy when he flew to Washington on January 19, 2017, the day before he was inaugurated.

This is one in a series of protocol breaks. Among the others ...

-- Trump hasn't called Biden to congratulate him on winning the election

-- Trump has not invited Biden to the White House

-- Trump has offered tepid cooperation in the transition, making it much harder for Biden and his team to prepare for the ascendency to power.

-- Trump will not greet Biden on January 20th for tea at the White House before Biden heads to the Capitol

-- Trump will not attend Biden's inauguration

One more tradition ... an outgoing President leaves a note for the incoming President in the Oval Office. Trump was effusive about the note Obama left him. Joe Biden ... don't hold your breath.

Originally published -- 11:45 AM PT

UNLV Officially Cans 'Hey Reb!' Mascot ... But Keeping 'Rebels' Nickname

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"Hey Reb!" is officially no more ... UNLV has punted the mascot forever -- but the school is still keeping its "Rebels" nickname.

University president Keith Whitfield made the announcement in a letter to the UNLV community on Tuesday ... saying the cartoon character with Confederate ties will be retired for good.

Whitfield said the school currently has no plans to replace the mascot with a new one.

Of course, the decision isn't too surprising ... given the school just removed a famous on-campus statue of "Hey Reb!" back in June.

UNLV hoops legend Isaiah "J.R." Rider praised the decision at the time, telling TMZ Sports, "I think it's the right thing to do personally."

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THE RIGHT THING TO DO

As for the school's nickname, however ... Whitfield says the university has no plans to drop the "Rebels" moniker from its teams and programs.

"Personally, I have always viewed the term 'Rebels' as a strong, nationally recognized brand synonymous with UNLV," Whitfield said in the letter. "I believe the word 'rebel' represents an attitude or spirit."

"It captures the essence of an iconic city that is unconventional and celebrates its independence, tenacity, and resiliency. Rebels have a purpose or motivation for a greater cause and are not afraid to take risks to make incredible things happen."

Whitfield added, "As UNLV continues to rise as a top public research university, we must do so in a way that represents all of our students, staff, faculty, alumni, and supporters."

Capitol Rioter 'Traitors Get Shot' ... Alleged Threat to His Kids

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A Capitol rioter from Texas threatened to shoot his own children if they snitched on him to the feds ... at least according to the FBI.

According to his wife, Guy Reffitt told his son and daughter, "If you turn me in, you're a traitor and you know what happens to traitors ... traitors get shot" ... and it's all spelled out in an affidavit signed by FBI special agent Thomas Ryan.

In the affidavit, obtained by TMZ, the FBI agent says Reffitt was seen in restricted areas of the Capitol during the riots. Reffitt's accused of unlawful entry and obstruction of justice.

Reffitt's alleged threats didn't stop there, according to the feds ... he told his daughter he would "put a bullet" through her phone if she told friends her dad was at the Capitol.

Images of Reffitt from the insurrection show what appears to be a camera on his helmet, and the FBI says he admitted to his son he "stormed the Capitol" and told his family he had to scrub his Go-Pro footage from Jan. 6 because the FBI was on to him.

The guy's wife told the feds he's a member of a right-wing militia group, the Three Percenters, adding she didn't believe he would follow through with his alleged threats and was more disturbed by his extreme rhetoric.

The feds say Reffitt told agents he was at the Capitol but didn't go inside the building.

2021 Inauguration Smoke Seen Near the Capitol ... Rehearsal Hits Pause to Evacuate

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Staging preparations for Joe Biden's inauguration were interrupted Monday morning when smoke billowed up nearby ... prompting a lockdown of Capitol Hill.

As multiple groups were meeting to practice for the festivities on Wednesday, smoke was seen rising up behind the Capitol Building ... forcing an evacuation.

According to reports ... Capitol Hill staffers received a message warning of an "external security threat" prior to the dress rehearsal for the inauguration.

Everyone was ordered back inside and instructed to stay away from windows and doors and seek cover if outside.

The good news -- the D.C. Fire Dept. located the fire and put it out ... and nobody was hurt. Our sources say the fire was started at a homeless encampment and is no longer viewed as any sort of threat.

Of course, there is a very strong security presence everywhere in the area -- bolstered by some 20,000 National Guard troops -- and the brief evacuation is a sign of the high alert that remains since the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

Seems all is well now though ... check out the U.S. Marine Band earlier today warming up its horn section.

Iced Earth's Jon Schaffer Arrested Over Capitol Allegedly Used Bear Spray on Cops

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7:14 AM PT -- 1/18 -- So, here's the smoking gun in Jon Schaffer's case ... or smoking can, we should say -- according to federal prosecutors anyway. The DOJ has released photos that it says shows Jon holding a can of bear spray, and they've circled where they see it.

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Hard to make out at first glance, but apparently ... this is what was allegedly used on Capitol Police by the rocker.

Jon Schaffer -- the founder of heavy metal group Iced Earth -- is now in federal custody, and as it turns out, he was one of the more hardcore rioters who raided the Capitol ... according to the FBI, anyway.

The feds say Schaffer turned himself in Sunday in Indiana, where he faces six charges in connection to the Capitol insurrection ... including engaging in an act of physical violence in a Capitol building, violent entry and disorderly conduct in a capitol building, among others.

There's also this ... the FBI say, "Schaffer was allegedly among rioters who sprayed Capitol police with 'bear spray.'" You might've seen some of that going on Jan. 6 -- members of the Trump crowd were getting hosed with pepper spray, but were dishing it right back.

One such individual who was caught on camera unloading his bear spray nozzle has been dubbed #BearSprayMan, but it doesn't appear to be Schaffer in the video. In any case, law enforcement believes he used some on the Capitol police at some point.

As we reported ... Schaffer was named as one of the rioters shortly after the chaos in D.C., and he was one of the many wanted individuals on the FBI's list. The guy didn't exactly try hiding his presence either ... even leading up to the Jan. 6 storming, he'd been in and around different protests, voicing his support for Trump as part of the #StopTheSteal crowd.

And, on the day itself, he was photographed all over the place too ... with his face fully revealed.

As for Iced Earth, they put out a statement a couple weeks ago ... but didn't mention Jon by name. What they did say ... "We absolutely DO NOT condone nor do we support riots or the acts of violence that the rioters were involved in on January 6th at the US Capitol building. We hope that all those involved that day are brought to justice to be investigated and answer for their actions."

Interestingly enough, they didn't include a photo of Jon in their collage art for that IG post.

Originally Published -- 1/17 6:18 PM PT

Dr. Dre Back in the studio After Hospital Release

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Dr. Dre is back home, and back to doing what he does best in the wake of being released from the hospital ... making music, and looking healthy doing it.

Five-time, Grammy-winning producer Focus posted a photo Saturday of him, Dre and a bunch of other creatives hanging out in what appears to be a recording studio. Dre is front and center, giving a slight smirk, and everyone around him seems to be in high spirits too.

Focus writes, "𝗠𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗕𝗿𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱!!! We Working... I TOOK THE PIC SO IM HERE!!!" That seems to confirm what we've been hearing about Dre's condition -- that he's recovering nicely, and seems to be out of the woods, as far as immediate danger.

Ice-T said as much himself, taking to Twitter on Friday to let his followers know he'd Facetimed with Dre, and that the guy was back home, "safe" and "looking good."

As we reported, Dre was released Friday ... this after nearly a week in the ICU. Doctors had kept him there out of an abundance of caution following his brain aneurysm, in case he suffered another health scare that required immediate medical attention.

Still, we were told Dre's family had been told he didn't appear to be in mortal danger for the time being, and this photo confirms that. He is, however, receiving round-the-clock care from health professionals while he continues to get up to speed at home. And, doctors are still trying to figure out what caused the aneurysm.

Biden's Inauguration Audience Seating Arrangement Revealed ... Spread Out, Congress!!!

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SETTIN' THE STAGE

Joe Biden's inauguration will still have some semblance of normalcy when he's taking his oath of office, because there's going to be a crowd out there watching him ... whose seating arrangement is now becoming crystal clear.

Construction for the inauguration stage -- as well as for the surrounding viewing area, as it were -- at the Capitol is in full swing, and on Sunday ... somebody captured a full front-to-back shot of what the layout is looking like thus far, just three days before Jan. 20.

As you can see, there will be butts in those chairs watching JB and Kamala Harris be sworn in ... which are spaced out for social distancing. They only go back so far, taking up just the first patch of grass on the west side of the Capitol. It's unclear if they're planning to set more before Wednesday, but probably not. It's gonna be relatively small crowd.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies laid out the ground rules in December, saying only members of the 117th Congress were allowed to attend and watch in-person ... plus one guest for each member. All in all, that accounts for about 1,000 people.

As you might've heard, the National Mall and surrounding roads/bridges throughout D.C. have been closed ahead of the ceremony ... so you're not likely to see any normies out there trying to watch the festivities. That closure, of course, is because of the Capitol riot ... law enforcement's running a tight ship, so gatherings of any sort probably won't fly.

The way things currently stand, it looks like just members of Congress and other invited guests of Biden and Harris will be there in the flesh to witness the inauguration. The rest of it, including the traditional parade through the streets, will be broadcast virtually.

Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez are also set to perform that day, and it appears they'll also be there in person to put on a show.

The decision to let any of this go on in-person in any capacity is interesting ... showing that democratic traditions don't die, even in a pandemic. Seems like it'll be safe enough though.

Capitol Insurrection New, Dramatic Video ... 'We are Listening to Trump'

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Video has just surfaced -- the most dramatic and upsetting by far -- showing the Capitol insurrectionists storming the building as they told cops, "There's a f***ing million of us out there. We are listening to Trump, your boss."

And as they enter the Senate Chamber you hear someone say, "While we're here we must as well set up a government."

The video was shot by New Yorker war correspondent Luke Mogelson, who was covering the "Stop the Steal" rally.

The video is unlike all the others, in that you really see how determined the rioters were to invade the Capitol ... pretty clearly determined to do great harm. As they breach the Chamber, you hear someone say in frustration, "Where the f*** is Nancy." Someone else screams, "Where the f** are they?"

The group at times tries to compliment the cops and other times they attack, screaming, "F*** you police" and "f*** the blue" as they enter the building.

It's clear all members of Congress were at grave risk. You hear someone scream, "Start making a list, put all those names down and start hunting them down one by one." And then someone screams, "Traitors get the guillotine."

Jake Angeli, the "Q Shaman," is anything but chill, as he sits in Pence's chair and screams, "Mike Pence is a f***ing traitor." Angeli tries to act like the leader, chanting, praying, and screaming obscenities. Then he has someone take a photo of him at Pence's desk.

As they peruse Ted Cruz's notebook, someone says, "I think Cruz would want us to do this."

Like we said ... the most dramatic and upsetting video so far.