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The Astroworld Festival tragedy has now become an issue of national importance -- because Uncle Sam is stepping in and demanding to know what happened ... and STAT.

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform is requesting that Live Nation -- the main promoter for the event -- come to the table for a conversation about how 10 people ended up dying at the concert ... requesting any and all pertinent info on the colossal failure.

The effort to get to the bottom of this at the congressional level is being headed up by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform and Rep. James Comer, the Ranking Member ... among other members of the committee.

In their open letter, the Representatives write ... "Recent reports raise serious concerns about whether your company took adequate steps to ensure the safety of the 50,000 concertgoers who attended Astroworld Festival."

They add, "For instance, reports indicate that security and medical staff were inexperienced or ill-equipped to deal with mass injuries. Some attendees stated that the placement of barricades made it difficult to escape. Experts have stated that Astroworld Festival organizers failed to heed warning signs."

The House also says there is a disturbing window of time that public officials in Houston have pointed out -- saying they declared the event a mass casualty relatively early into Travis Scott's set, and allegedly told event staff people were going down ... only to have the show go on for several more minutes. The committee members want answers on that, too.

The Oversight Committee notes they're deeply saddened by the loss of life, and are drilling down in hopes of figuring out what went wrong ... and preventing this in the future. They're asking for info to be sent from LN no later than Jan. 7, and even a briefing by Jan. 12.

The Omicron variant is all over the Big Apple, and a new spike in cases has got everyone spooked -- including the folks over at 'SNL' ... who will go without a live audience tonight.

"Saturday Night Live" honchos made the announcement Saturday, just hours before showtime ... with Paul Rudd slated to step in as host, and Charli XCX as musical guest. There were rumors they may nix the show entirely, but they met somewhere in the middle.

The official 'SNL' IG page posted a new message, which reads ... "Due to the recent spike in the Omicron variant and out of an abundance of caution, there will be no live audience for tonight's taping of 'Saturday Night Live' and the show will have limited cast and crew."

The statement goes on to say their show continues to follow all government safety protocols, with rigorous testing in place.

The limited cast and crew line is curious in the wake of a report claiming 4 'SNL' members actually caught the 'rona -- which a production source confirms to TMZ. There were also rumblings that 3 others called in sick out of fear, but we're told that's not accurate.

In any case, it's clear they're working without at least a handful of people tonight -- at this point, it's unclear who's out sick ... or if Paul or Charli are expected to show at this point.

PR was featured in a promo they just put up earlier today, so presumably ... he might still be available. Of course, it's a huge deal -- as this is the last show of the year before they go on a little hiatus ... so it'll be interesting to see how they handle the last-minute changes.

We've reached out to a rep for 'SNL' ... so far, no word back.

Tiger Woods is back to playing pro golf again -- this after his nasty car wreck -- and he's doing alongside none other than his own ... both of whom have some ground to gain.

Round one of the PNC Championship is underway Saturday at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Grande Lakes in Orlando, where TW and Charlie Woods joined forces anew to play in a little father-son competition among other golfers and their kids.

As you can imagine, the fanfare was at an all-time high for the Woods family ... as this marks the first time Tiger has played in an actual tourney of any kind since getting crumpled in his automobile accident in February ... which left his legs shattered.

For Tiger's tee-off, everybody's eyes were on him ... and he hit a pretty decent shot to kick things off, with one guy clearly excited behind him -- shouting, "Welcome back, Big Cat!"

From there, Charlie started getting into his groove as well ... looking like a chip off the old block as he teed off himself with a beautiful drive -- which his dad later sunk with a putt.

From the outset, they were looking pretty good as a team ... but at the moment, they're well behind. As it stands, Team Woods is tied for 13th place as they approach the 11th hole. There's 36 holes total that they'll get through between today and tomorrow, and they're just past the midway point for today's round.

Basically, they're playing from behind right now ... but they have a ways to go before the day's out -- and could easily pull ahead, especially if they play as well as they have been thus far. And, as most everyone knows by now, never count Tiger Woods out.

Bigger picture though -- Tiger is looking fantastic out there ... as is his boy.

It's pretty miraculous to see the guy out here after everything he's been through. He addressed that before hitting the links, writing ... "Although it's been a long and challenging year, I am very excited to close it out by competing in the @PNCchampionship with my son Charlie. I'm playing as a Dad and couldn't be more excited and proud."

As you well know by now, Tiger's been on a long road of recovery since his February crash ... but steadily, he's been rehabbing and getting back onto golf courses. The only question now is ... will he eventually feel good enough to hop back into a solo PGA tournament???

Louisiana Judge Michelle Odinet has been suspended by the state's Supreme Court after a sickening video of her using the n-word went viral earlier this week.

Docs filed Friday read, "hereby is disqualified from exercising judicial functions, without salary, during the pendency of further proceedings in these matters." This means the LA Supreme Court has officially opened an investigation against the disgraced judge ... with the possibility of more action to be taken in the future.

People across the country have called for Odinet's resignation after a video, being played on a home TV screen, shows surveillance footage of a fleeing suspect apprehended by a homeowner after allegedly breaking into a car on the property.

While you can't see any faces, a male voice can be heard saying, "And Mom's yelling n****r, n****r," followed by a female voice, alleged to be Judge Odinet, laughing and saying, "We have a n****r. It's a n****r, like a roach."

The top football recruit in the nation will be suiting up for Deion Sanders' Jackson State Tigers next season ... with Travis Hunter flipping from Florida State to play for the NFL legend's team.

The 5-star cornerback made the move official during national signing day at Collins Hill High in GA on Wednesday ... tossing hats from Georgia, Auburn and FSU -- the school he committed to in March 2020 -- and putting on a JSU Tigers cap!!

Of course, Sanders is a Seminoles legend ... and was rumored to be a candidate for FSU's head coaching spot after Willie Taggart was fired in 2019.

So yeah, this one's gotta sting in Tallahassee.

Hunter spoke about his decision to switch to Jackson State ... saying, "Jerry Rice, Doug Williams, and of course the legend, JSU's own Walter Payton -- Historically Black Colleges and Universities have a rich history in football."

"I want to be part of that history in football. I want to be part of that history, and more, I want to be part of that future."

Hunter says he hopes this move can show other high school recruits that playing for a HBCU isn't a bad thing and "may be everything you want and more."

"I look forward to working with the iconic Deion Sanders, and especially my fellow Tigers."

Of course, Coach Prime is hyped -- saying on Instagram, "When we stick together anything can happen."

O.J. Simpson's parole has ended early ... and, according to his attorney, he's now "a completely free man."

A spokesperson for the Nevada State Police confirmed to TMZ Sports that Simpson was, in fact, discharged from parole earlier this month.

According to the spokesperson, Simpson -- who had been on parole since Oct. 1, 2017 -- was awarded good behavior credits which made him eligible for ending it early.

His parole was initially set to expire on Feb. 9, 2022.

"Mr. Simpson is a completely free man now," the former NFL star's attorney, Malcolm LaVergne, told the Associated Press following the news.

Of course, 74-year-old Simpson had been on parole after he served nine years behind bars following his conviction in his armed robbery case in 2008.

You'll recall, Simpson had been convicted of leading a group of men -- including several who were armed -- into a Las Vegas hotel room in 2007 to steal memorabilia from people he said had previously stolen from him.

O.J. was originally sentenced to 33 years behind bars for the crime.

Simpson has been living in Las Vegas since his release from jail -- golfing often while commenting on NFL games on his Twitter page.

Tory Lanez shouted "Dance bitch, dance!" while firing gunshots at the ground near Megan Thee Stallion's feet, subsequently injuring her ... at least according to testimony from a detective on the case.

LAPD Det. Ryan Stogner took the stand in court Tuesday during a preliminary hearing in Tory's case. The detective says Megan told him Tory was intoxicated during the July 2020 incident.

Det. Stogner went on to say this happened in the Hollywood Hills around 4:30 AM after a party, and a dispute between the artists.

He went on to describe that Tory was standing on the step board of their SUV while Megan was outside of it -- and as soon as Tory fired the shots, she "immediately felt pain to her feet, observed blood, fell to the ground, and then crawled to an adjacent driveway of a residence."

He also said under oath that Megan told him Tory apologized and begged her not to tell, allegedly offering her money to keep her mouth shut because he was on probation. Det. Stogner said, Megan initially explained her injury by claiming she'd stepped on broken glass.

Megan allegedly later admitted she only said it was glass because of the political climate ... she was afraid cops might shoot Tory if she said there was a gun in the car.

What's more ... a recorded phone call was played that Tory made from jail to a woman who was also with Meg when the incident happened. Tory apologizes on the call for something he did because he was too drunk. Tory got pissed in the courtroom, yelling out, "How you gonna tell me what I apologized for?" before his attorney told him to calm down.

The judge heard enough during Tuesday's hearing to move forward with a trial, which is now set to begin on January 13. Tory's facing one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm in a manner that caused great bodily injury, and one count of carrying a concealed, unregistered weapon.

The detective's testimony confirmed something Megan's already said publicly ... that in the wake of George Floyd, she feared cops would shoot Tory if she told them a Black man had a gun and had shot her.

After a 5-year battle, the hundreds of gymnasts who were victims of Larry Nassar's incessant sexual abuse have reached a $380 million agreement to settle their lawsuits against USA Gymnastics and the USA Olympic Committee.

MSU settled with 332 female athletes back in 2018 for $500 million ... and on Monday, USA Gymnastics and the USOPC raised the total amount to $880 million, the highest settlement amount for a single perpetrator in a sexual assault case, according to ESPN.

"This settlement is the result of the bravery of hundreds of survivors who, despite legal obstacles, long odds and the best corporate legal talent money can buy, refused to be silent," the gymnasts' attorney John Manly told the outlet. "The power of their story eventually won the day."

Along with the money, as part of the settlement, USA Gymnastics and the USOPC have vowed to make huge changes within the organizations to ensure the safety and betterment of the athletes.

Some of Team USA's biggest stars have spoken out about Nassar ... including Simone Biles, who claimed his abuse may have triggered her mental health struggles during the 2020 Olympics.

Kim Kardashian has passed the baby bar exam after two years of attempts, moving her one step closer to becoming a real-deal attorney.

Kim certainly didn't hold back her excitement when she made the announcement Monday,  saying, "OMFGGGG I PASSED THE BABY BAR EXAM!!!!"

Kim had previously failed the exam 3 times, but had COVID during one of those attempts, she joked, " ... on the 3rd try w a 104 fever but I’m not making excuses ;)"

The baby bar is the first of two exams needed to be taken to become an attorney in the state of California, Kim mentioned, "I was told by top lawyers that this was a close to impossible journey and harder than the traditional law school route but it was my only option and it feels so so sooooo good to be here and on my way to achieving my goals."

She also thanked Van Jones in her announcement, saying he was the one who pushed her to go to law school.

Finally, Kim gave a shout-out to her late father, Robert, who was a hugely successful attorney in L.A., saying, "I know my dad would be so proud and he would actually be so shocked to know that this is my path now but he would have been my best study partner. I am told he was notorious for making fun of people who didn’t pass on their first attempt like he did, but he would have been my biggest cheerleader!"

Kim took fans along on her journey, showing late-night study sessions and even sharing her failures.

Jeff Bezos did some damage control Saturday night, saying he was "heartbroken" over the tragedy at one of his Amazon plants, where at least 6 people died as a tornado ripped through the facility ... this after being radio silent about the deaths as he celebrated his latest flight into space.

Bezos said on Twitter, "The news from Edwardsville is tragic. We're heartbroken over the loss of our teammates there, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones."

He went on ... "All of Edwardsville should know that the Amazon team is committed to supporting them and will be by their side through this crisis. We extend our fullest gratitude to all the incredible first responders who have worked so tirelessly at the site."

The statement came 24 hours after the tornado struck, and after Bezos had posted a photo on Instagram with the latest crew of his New Shepard rocket, including former NFL champion Michael Strahan.

He spent the morning cheering on the latest group of Blue Origin space travelers. Early Saturday he said, “Happy crew this morning in the training center.”

Bezos was effusive when the capsule came back to earth, bear-hugging Strahan, who made the trip with 4 other passengers. There was no mention of the tragedy before or after the flight, and the celebration did not sit well with lots of folks on social media.

Megan Thee Stallion is now Megan Thee Graduate -- 'cause she just got her diploma ... and the video is something to behold.

The rapper received her Bachelor's Degree Saturday during a graduation ceremony at Texas Southern University -- where she's been studying health administration for a while now ... which all paid off in a climactic walk across the stage, in a traditional cap and gown.

Check out the clip ... MTS definitely made it a moment to remember, posing for selfies and waving at the crowd as her name was read (Megan Pete for official purposes). It was quite surreal, in a good way.

Gotta say, we're impressed. This ain't an honorary degree or anything (something celebs are adorned with all the time). Meg actually buckled down and hit the books -- and has been for years now -- enrolling in the HBCU and working her butt off to achieve undergraduate status.

Word is ... Megan was studying at Prairie View A&M way back in 2013, and transferred to TSU shortly thereafter -- but as her rap career has taken off, she's had to do online classes on and off while navigating her professional life.

It's a lesson for the kids out there -- even as an incredibly famous star, you can still achieve your dreams, especially if it's in higher education -- something Meg has said she's wanted under her belt, with her late mother in mind. Her mom passed a couple years back.

She wrote, "I want y'all to remember that you can do whatever you wanna do and be whoever you wanna be, cause look at me!"

Tornados ripped through Kentucky, Illinois and other states last night ... and the death toll could reach 100 ... and it could even go higher.

The images are horrifying ... one tornado traveled 223 miles, ripping through county after county in Kentucky. Governor Andy Beshear said, "We have deaths in multiple counties. This is one of the toughest nights in Kentucky's history."

And, there was at least one death in Arkansas Friday night, when a tornado ravaged a nursing home, causing the building to collapse.

And, there's this ... workers inside a Kentucky candle factory posted Facebook audio ... showing the sheer terror of the weather event. The workers can be heard sobbing and begging for help ... "Please y'all, give us some help. We are at the candle factory in Mayfield. Please, please. Y'all! Please send us some help. Somebody, please send us some help, we are trapped."

She goes on ... "The wall is stuck on me. Nobody can get to us, y'all, we can't move."

Michael Strahan just went where no news anchor has gone ... to the edge of space!!!

It was a flawless flight after a short hold at 15 minutes. Blue Origin hurled into space with Strahan and 4 other astronauts on board, including Laura Shepard Churchley, the oldest daughter of America's first astronaut, Alan Shepard.

The capsule was atop the New Shepard rocket ... named, of course, after Alan.

When they experienced weightlessness, the astronauts were giddy with excitement ... you can hear the joy as they floated in space.

The New Shepard rocket was originally supposed to take off for the 10-minute flight on Thursday but Bezos gave it the yellow light, due to high wind.

This Blue Origin flight is the third launch with people on board. Astronaut Strahan and others had lots of training before they boarded. The TV host says he went to the Blue Origin facility for a week-and-a-half training prior to today's launch.

If taking a trip to space isn't already a good enough incentive, apparently all passengers get some sort of stipend... and Strahan says he is donating his to The Boys & Girls Club.

Josh Duggar isn't the only person in the family experiencing legal issues, his sister, Jana, has been charged as well ... TMZ has learned.

Jana's been charged with endangering the welfare of a minor, a court clerk confirms to TMZ. The circumstances surrounding the charge are still unknown, but we're told Jana -- the oldest daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle -- was cited on September 9, 2021 ... she'll be back in court next month.

As we reported on Josh, the former "19 Kids and Counting" was charged with one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography ... one of the images was allegedly of a child younger than 12.

Josh was immediately taken into custody, though his legal team says they'll appeal the decision.

Michael Nesmith, singer/guitarist for the famously famous 60s group The Monkees, has died.

His family said, "With infinite Love we announce that Michael Nesmith has passed away this morning in his home, surrounded by family, peacefully of natural causes."

Nesmith was part of the quartet that was manufactured for a TV show about a rock 'n roll group ... and the group exploded with hit after hit ... at one point even rivaling The Beatles.

Among the hits ... "Last Train to Clarksville," "Daydream Believer," "I'm a Believer," "Valerie," and many more.

Mike fought for artistic control of the group ... he wanted them to be a real group, not just one that's made for TV. Point of fact ... initially on the show, they didn't actually play the instruments. He once got into such a heated discussion over this he put his fist through a wall.

Mike once said, "We were kids with our own taste in music and were happier performing songs we liked -- and/or wrote -- than songs that were handed to us."

One of his biggest impacts after the group disbanded ... he helped launch MTV by pitching a show called "PopClips," which evolved into the 24-hour video channel.

His mom famously invented Liquid Paper -- AKA white-out -- which became a cash register for the family.

Now 3 of the 4 Monkees have died. Mike and sole survivor Micky Dolenz performed their final show together last month at the Greek Theatre.

Nesmith was 78.

RIP

Travis Scott is breaking his silence for the first time since Astroworld, insisting he didn't know the severity of what was happening in the crowd, and alleging the person in his ear never expressed an urgency to immediately stop the show.

Travis sat down with Charlamagne tha God for nearly an hour to talk all things about the tragic Houston festival. Travis says he feels a sense of responsibility to figure out what went wrong, but did everything he could with the knowledge he had during the show.

Travis claims his "in-ear" told him to end the show "after the guest" AKA Drake, and that he was never told just how bad things were in the crowd.

At times, Travis was clearly emotional -- especially when talking about the families who lost loved ones -- and even says he's met with some of them privately.

Travis says, "They lost their loved ones, I just always wanna be there for them, I’m gonna fix this problem and make sure this doesn’t happen in the future and be the number one voice for this. We gotta figure it out.”

Charlamagne asked Travis if he felt a sense of responsibility for what happened, and while Travis admits he was the face of the festival, he says he feels his responsibility is now to figure out what went wrong and how to prevent it in the future. In other words, he never takes responsibility, nor does he lay the blame on anyone else.

While he was pressured several times to say who was responsible, TS never gives a straight answer -- mostly preaching a message of future prevention.

He does, however, say as an artist, he and his team focus on the creativity of the show ... not so much the safety and logistics -- something that's handled by promoters.

One safety possibility Travis suggests -- though how exactly it would work is still in the air -- is to equip fan festival wristbands with health and location trackers to pinpoint issues in the crowd.

Travis says he never heard pleas from the crowd, asking him to stop ... and says he's done the best he can during shows in the past -- and even at Astroworld -- to stop the show when he could see someone needed help.

TMZ broke the story ... there was an apparent breakdown in communication from the time Houston Fire Dept declared the concert a "mass casualty event" and the time the show ended. We obtained video showing cops watching and recording the show nearly 30 minutes after the declaration was allegedly made.

Scott was heavily criticized for photos showing him golfing with Mark Wahlberg and Michael Jordan over Thanksgiving. Charlamagne asks Travis why he chose to go, and while he didn't really expand, Travis said Mark and Jordan were good people for him to be around, and it was just a thing for the holiday.