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The chaos erupting in L.A. is less about politics and more about a serious leadership problem, according to a Texas congressman.

Rep. Wesley Hunt didn't hold back on "TMZ Live" Tuesday -- telling us the federal government had to deploy 700 Marines and thousands of National Guard troops to restore order in the City of Angels ... because it's all about protecting American streets from looking like a war zone.

Wesley makes it clear to us this isn't about red vs. blue states -- it’s about who's actually leading with backbone, and in his eyes, Texas is setting the bar.

06/10 10:28 AM PT -- Roll out the pink carpet ... Skyh Black and KJ Smith revealed they're having a girl at the 2025 BET Awards!!!

"All the Queen's Men" actor Skyh Black says he was in the dark about his wife KJ Smith's fertility issues ... and things stayed that way until they saw those two little blue lines on the stick.

His wife refused to believe the doctor's expertise!!!

TMZ caught up with Skyh outside the Waymakers Men’s Summit last week ... and he's a few months out from putting a nice blue or pink bow on his fairy tale romance.

Tragedy in Nashville -- an elderly woman was hit and killed by a truck this weekend ... and we have learned the driver was country singer Conner Smith.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Conner was behind the wheel of a Chevy Silverado heading north on 3rd Ave when 77-year-old Dorothy Dobbins was crossing the street Sunday -- and that’s when tragedy struck.

We're told Dobbins, a local resident, was in a marked crosswalk around 7:30 PM when she was hit. She was rushed to Vanderbilt Medical Center ... but sadly didn’t make it.

Jermaine Dupri is set to crank up the heat when it comes to the R&B sector, but he can't believe his ears regarding Timbaland's robotic moves!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the So So Def founder on Friday, still dripping with the ink from the new deal he signed with his protégé and HYBE America CEO Scooter Braun.

JD is pushing Drake's former OVO R&B act dvsn to the forefront as his flagship artist ... there are plenty of opportunities for them to create a splash to get the R&B music popping again, and he's exploring all of them!!!

The National Guard has descended on Los Angeles under President Trump's orders to respond to violent protests against ICE immigration raids ... and TMZ has learned what troops are currently authorized to do amid the chaos.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ … troops deployed in L.A. are operating under the "standard rule for use of force" -- and that means de-escalation is the primary focus and goal.

We're told troops are authorized to use force ONLY in self-defense ... and deadly force is NOT authorized.

11:47 AM PT -- The temporary restraining order Taylor filed has been granted.

Taylor Swift says an ex-convict keeps showing up at her house uninvited, falsely claiming she's the mother of his child ... and she says he even changed the address on his driver's license to her Los Angeles residence.

The pop star beelined it to court Friday and filed for a temporary restraining order against a 45-year-old man named Brian Jason Wagner ... who he claims has been harassing her for years, starting when he was incarcerated.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Taylor claims Wagner showed up at her L.A. estate on consecutive days in May, asking to see her and telling her security team he was there to check on a friend ... which Taylor says is a bunch of baloney.

Brittany Furlan and Tommy Lee haven't always had a fairytale romance -- she even confessed to turning to ChatGPT when things got lonely. But now that they’re back on, a sexpert tells TMZ Brittany can keep using A.I. -- this time with the famous drummer -- to spice things up in the bedroom and beyond!

Psychotherapist and sex guru Vanessa Marin says Brittany’s not alone -- tons of people are turning to ChatGPT for a little extra connection ... and there’s zero shame in the game.

In fact, she’s all for couples jumping on the A.I. bandwagon... claiming it could bring them closer than ever.

The young fan who got ragdolled by security for rushing Lionel Messi late last month also got a tongue-lashing from cops, TMZ Sports has learned.

Check out Fort Lauderdale Police Department body camera footage we obtained this week ... just after Ramsey Khatri was thrown out of Inter Miami Stadium on May 25 for getting too close to Messi at a youth soccer event -- police chastised him for the boneheaded move.

One of the responding officers at first wondered why the 18-year-old even tried to get near the footballer ... before he laid into him for dialing 911 afterward to report how security had manhandled him.

Ben Cleveland's estranged wife is adamant she did not cheat on the NFL player ... calling his adultery allegations "knowingly false."

The Baltimore Ravens lineman initially made the claims against Kaitlyn Terrell Cleveland when he filed to divorce her in February ... but in a response she submitted to the court on Thursday, she called B.S. on the claims.

She stated she "vehemently" denies them ... and added they were "made in bad faith."

When one door closes, another opens ... and that's exactly the case for Manny Pacquiao -- 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he's leaving his political career behind him for good ahead of his big boxing comeback.

The eight-division boxing champ served as a senator of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 ... and followed up by running for the president spot, but lost by a wide margin.

Nearly four years after his last fight, the 46-year-old is making his return to boxing against Mario Barrios on July 19 in Las Vegas ... so we asked Pacquiao if he planned to follow a similar route by going back to politics in the future.

College basketball phenom Cooper Flagg is expected to go No. 1 in the 2025 NBA Draft ... and one guy who knows what that's like has some solid advice for the former Duke star -- Hall of Fame inductee Dwight Howard!!

TMZ Sports caught up with the 6'10" center ahead of the June 25th event at the Barclays Center ... and we asked what words of wisdom he'd give Flagg, since he was also the first pick in 2004.

"Just go hoop, enjoy the games," the 39-year-old said. "Don't let the politics take away the passion ... and have fun."

Former WWE Superstar Cora Jade tells TMZ Sports a big weight has been lifted off her shoulders after getting released from the promotion ... and while she says she's going to take the foreseeable future one day at a time, she did have a lot of nice things to say about rival company AEW.

Jade -- also known as Elayna Black -- sat down with "TMZ Sports" TV show cohost Mojo Muhtadi this week ... in the convo, she admitted she anticipated losing her "dream job" for a few weeks before it actually happened.

While there's certainly some sadness about the breakup, she's equally as excited for the opportunities that are now on the table -- like working with other wrestling promotions, as well as her OnlyFans and YouTube endeavors.

Diddy's asking the judge in his case for a mistrial again ... accusing prosecutors of presenting testimony they knew -- or should've known -- was false.

The rapper and mogul's legal team filed the letter Saturday morning ... and, the reasons for their request are related to testimony about the alleged incident where Bryana Bongolan -- a friend of Cassie's and fashion designer -- says Diddy held her over the edge of a balcony, 17 stories in the air.

Diddy's lawyers say prosecutors presented untrue testimony when Cassie testified about the incident because she said she actually saw Diddy holding Bryana over the balcony's edge.

Bow Wow's letting haters' jabs melt off him like the pounds he recently lost ... saying the people trying to body shame him aren't going to affect his mood.

We caught up with the rapper at LAX Friday ... and, we asked him if people are still in his comments disrespecting him for putting a few pounds on.

ICYMI ... Bow Wow fired back at people on Instagram Live recently saying, “They call me fat. Y’all don’t understand how this feels. Y’all been playing with me too long.”

Ben Crump's picked his side in the Elon Musk and Donald Trump beef ... but, he's not backing a personality, he says he's backing the better idea -- and, he doesn't want the "One Big Beautiful Bill" to pass through the Senate.

We caught up with the civil rights activist and attorney at WayMaker Men's Summit -- a part of BET weekend -- and asked him about the fight between POTUS and his former advisor ... and, he doesn't directly say he's on Elon's side -- but, he does think this spending bill is terrible.

Crump rips the bill for making cuts to Medicaid -- the medical assistance program for people with lower incomes.

It's been more than a year since Vince McMahon stepped down from his roles in WWE and TKO over allegations of sexual assault ... and while he's a rare sight out in public these days -- his son, Shane, tells TMZ Sports he's doing "really well."

We caught up with the 55-year-old out in L.A. this week ... and asked him how his old man is holding up behind the scenes.

"He's enjoying life," he said. "Getting a little bit of rest in there."