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Alex Trebek dug deep into his pockets again to help a homeless shelter get a new facility off the ground -- more than doubling his previous donation for a very similar cause.

Ken Craft -- founder of Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission -- tells TMZ ... Alex handed over $500k of his own money to help Hope of the Valley with a brand new homeless shelter they're aiming to get built over the next year or so in the San Fernando Valley.

This new initiative is mega -- they're calling it Hope Central -- and we're told it'll be a 50,000-square-foot facility that'll house homeless seniors in the area. The team is currently scouting properties and will break ground in 2021 -- now, with much more ease thanks to Alex.

Now, bear in mind ... AT's latest donation comes on the heels of another generous move -- giving Hope of the Valley a $100k donation for another facility it's working on in North Hollywood.

We got pics of Alex and his wife, Jean, taking a stroll around the construction site Tuesday and touring the facility, which has a whole wing named after them. Specifically, the largest room in that building, the Alex and Jean Trebek Multi-Purpose Room, where people will eat and chill.

At some point in the day, Trebek and co. also toured another facility HOTV is building in Van Nuys -- and somewhere along the way, they were also seen hitting up a Home Depot nearby.

As for this latest donation, Ken tells us it brought him to tears. He also says the Trebeks told him they hoped it would spur others to donate/help out the homeless crisis.

Apparently, Alex and Jean feel society tends to write off people suffering from homelessness as nothing but drunks and addicts. They clearly don't feel that's the case though.

Rep. Karen Bass is worried Americans will forget about police reform if another major event captures headlines, and she's encouraging the public to keep the pressure on politicians.

The U.S. Congresswoman for California's 37th District joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live," to talk about the police reform bill and the uphill battle to get it through the Republican-controlled Senate.

Bass said she fully expects the bill to get held up in Senate, and fears those delay tactics will kill the momentum created in recent weeks by Americans protesting for and demanding an overhaul of police departments.

The way the Congresswoman sees it ... the public has a very short attention span and if a hurricane or other major event goes down, she's afraid police reform will be knocked off the news cycle.

That's why she's imploring peaceful protests to continue nationwide -- she believes that's the only way lawmakers will act. And, if you're wondering what happens if the protests let up ... Bass says just look at what happened after the L.A. riots in response to the Rodney King verdicts.

When the Minneapolis City Council vowed to disband its police department, everyone wondered how they'd fill the void -- well, a group called the Minnesota Freedom Riders might play a huge part.

During the immediate unrest after George Floyd was killed, citizen patrols organized across the city as trust in the police force plummeted. This included the Freedom Riders, who describe themselves as a group of individuals who banded together for a common cause -- protecting their community.

A spokesperson for the group of 45 volunteers tells TMZ ... they rotate patrolling northern Minneapolis. The men, mostly African-American, are licensed to openly carry handguns and/or assault rifles, and have regular weekly meetings to discuss their operation. We're told each patrolman's hours vary on the needs of their community.

And, so far ... there's a lot of positive info to report about the Freedom Riders' initiative.

For starters ... the Minneapolis PD has been receptive to it. We're told the Riders communicate with cops on a daily basis to share intel on community dealings and advise on what the police should handle.

On the flip side ... we're told the PD asks the group to assist on more neighborly matters requiring more trust -- like speaking with community members concerned about white supremacy groups -- along with handling "lesser crimes."

As the group puts it ... the Freedom Riders are NOT looking to replace the police -- they want to continue working as partners.

The group has also proven successful in thwarting violence in the recent weeks of unrest. During the riots, the Riders were able to prevent looting and structure fires in all of northern Minneapolis. They say their presence has also resulted in a reduction in street and gun violence.

Along with having police support, the Riders also have the support of the Minneapolis NAACP ... whose President Leslie Redmond tells us, "I'm working in an individual capacity to help start this separate entity."

She's launched a GoFundMe -- which has raised $20k so far -- to support the group's efforts in the community. We're told the money goes toward equipment, training, insurance, furthering education for the patrolmen and events for kids in the community.

As you may know, Minneapolis public schools and the University of Minnesota have cut ties with the Minneapolis PD, so there's a major void that needs to be filled with the "community-based safety" suggested by the City Council.

Kodak Black is pissed at Walmart -- claiming the megastore is letting someone sell a knockoff version of one of his famous chains, and he's threatening a lawsuit if it doesn't stop -- but the retail giant is putting the blame on third-party sellers.

Here's the deal ... Walmart is getting dragged online because its website features a cheap chain that looks nearly identical to the Sniper Gang bling Kodak usually rocks.

Kodak’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... "We have been aware of the situation and have prepared a cease and desist letter to Walmart and the seller on the Walmart website."

The rapper's legal team adds ... "If Walmart refuses to recognize that the seller is not a licensed authorized dealer of Sniper Gang products, we will be proceeding with a lawsuit against both Walmart and the unauthorized seller."

Kodak is currently serving a 46-month prison sentence for gun possession.

Kodak's protege, Jackboy, has also called out Walmart for selling the Sniper Gang chains ... and he too is threatening legal action.

It appears the company has gotten wind of Kodak's anger, they tell us they're taking steps to remove the knockoffs and the chains are strictly from a third-party seller.

Brody Jenner has a new girlfriend ... she's Louis Tomlinson's baby mama, and he's already introduced her to his ex, and gotten 2 thumbs up.

Briana Jungwirth is Brody's new girl, and they had a date night Saturday at Nobu in Malibu, but it was kind of a group thing ... Brody's ex, Kaitlynn Carter, tagged along with a few other friends in tow as well.

Our sources tell us the dinner was anything but awkward. We're told Brody and Kaitlynn are still very close, they are co-parenting dogs after all, and BJ really wanted Kaitlynn's approval on his new GF, which he got.

We're told Briana seemed cool with meeting a slice of Brody's past, and she totally understood the dog situation and the fact Brody and Kaitlynn will remain in the same circles. In August, the exes are scheduled to resume filming "The Hills" together.

From Brody's point of view, we're told he wanted to introduce Briana to Kaitlynn so she'd be comfortable with a situation that is anything but standard for exes.

Fortunately for all parties, the women got along and Briana even talked about her son with the former One Direction heartthrob.

In fact, we're told when Briana brought up her son, Freddie, at the dinner table, she mentioned he'd already met Brody. So, the budding relationship already sounds serious.

In 2024 ... 39-year-old Adrian Peterson will STILL be running over defenders?!?!

The future Hall of Famer says he believes that's entirely possible ... telling TMZ Sports he's gunning to play FOUR more years in the NFL!!

"Man, why not four more years?" AD says. "Why not?!"

Of course, Peterson has never made it a secret he wants to play a whole lot longer than most running backs ever do ... but four more years is a big goal even for him.

Remember, back after the 2018 season, Peterson told us he only wanted to go "maybe two or three more years."

But, when we spoke with the Redskins star tailback over the weekend, he made it clear he wants to carry the rock until he physically can't anymore.

"I don't want to ever be in a position where I look back and say, 'Man, I should have played two more years,'" Peterson says. "'I should of played another year.' I want to enjoy it."

As for why, Adrian says he wants a Super Bowl ring badly ... but Peterson is only about 4,000 yards away from breaking Emmitt Smith's all-time rushing mark.

Seems with four more years of carries ... Emmitt might need to start sweating now??

Malcolm Gladwell says the George Floyd killing is a tipping point for changing police culture in America ... but the solutions won't be simple, they will be long and hard.

"The Tipping Point" and "Outliers" author joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and explained why simple solutions won't be enough to change the way police work is conducted in this country. He agrees, as many have said, Floyd's death was the catalyst Americans needed to stand up against police brutality -- but he warns fixing the problem won't be as easy as firing cops or reducing their budgets.

Malcolm also says it's not enough for good cops to simply step in when they see bad cops doing something wrong. Changing the "chain of command" culture is a theme he addressed in "Outliers" with a brilliant look at Korean airline pilots and what caused a series of crashes.

MG -- who just debuted a new season of his "Revisionist History" podcast -- says tackling policing issues will require a much harder look at deep cultural questions.

He reminded us there are 18,000 police departments across the country ... and in order to fix police culture on the whole, ya gotta visit each department and work with officers to help them be better at their jobs.

Al Sharpton wants SWIFT justice in the NASCAR noose investigation -- and if they don't produce answers quickly, he's ready to take action.

"If we don't hear something soon, NASCAR can expect a visit from me -- and I won't be coming to drive a car," Sharpton tells TMZ Sports.

Al is really upset ... he's pissed that somebody put a noose in Bubba Wallace's garage at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Sunday -- and he's also pissed cops haven't identified the culprit publicly yet.

Long story short, Sharpton believes the investigation needs to be a top priority with NASCAR and law enforcement because "people need to know they will be held accountable."

As we previously reported, NASCAR says it's working with authorities -- and the FBI is now involved.

The big question ... shouldn't there be surveillance video of a suspect?? Why hasn't video been released yet?

Al wants answers. Now.

Sharpton also says the noose isn't just a symbol of hate -- it's a threat of violence and should be treated as such.

"A rope represents a threat to human life and that person ought to be found out and dealt with by the authorities," Sharpton says.

"To hang a noose, which is a symbol of lynching and killing somebody because of the color their skin, shows real hatred and real bigotry."

"And by doing it they confirmed the very reason why we're marching all over the country. Rather than a condemnation, it's a confirmation of why we need to keep marching."

George Floyd's death has not only sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and racism, it's also fueled donations to charities and organizations ... especially The Bail Project.

Joseph Pate -- spokesperson for the national nonprofit, which pays bail for people in need -- tells TMZ ... it has received more than $15 million from nearly 200,000 donors in the weeks since Floyd was killed by Minneapolis PD officers.

Other sources close to the organization tell us the support -- financially and otherwise -- has been pouring in from all over the world, including people looking to do volunteer work.

Several celebrities have also been chipping in big time. We're told the band, Wallows, held a fundraiser Saturday where they raised nearly $11k for The Bail Project from roughly 900 donations.

On top of all this ... Nicki Minaj announced a portion of the proceeds from her "Trollz" collab with 6ix9ine will also be going to the org soon. Lil Baby's splitting money from his track, "The Bigger Picture," to Bail Project and a couple other causes related to the Black Lives Matter movement, as well.

The Bail Project has paid $26 million in bail for nearly 11,000 low-income people since 2018, and $11 mil of that has already been recycled to pay new bails.

Luke Bryan wouldn't let the pandemic stop him from making an amazing wish come true for a young fan with cerebral palsy ... and her reaction will melt your heart.

Luke sent a special, personalized video to Emma Lookatch, brightening her day with a loving message and telling her he's hopeful they can meet in person when the coronavirus pandemic subsides.

Emma's a huge Luke Bryan fan, and the good folks over at Kids Wish Network -- a charity that grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses -- had arranged for her to meet Luke on the set of "American Idol," a meeting that was dashed by the COVID-19 outbreak.

While he couldn't meet Emma in person this time, Luke recorded a special greeting and sent it to her and her parents ... and ya gotta see Emma's reaction as she watches the message on a brand new iPad and Beats by Dre headphones.

Lil Yachty got into a scary car wreck in Atlanta after his car and Mother Nature clashed ... which left his sweet ride totaled, but he's gonna be okay.

The rapper was driving on Georgia State Route 400 Monday during some nasty rain and spun out, smashing into a barrier along the shoulder. Our sources say there was a lot of standing water on the road, causing the sports car to hydroplane.

Yachty lost control and you can see how the impact destroyed his car.

Seems bad -- and it is -- but fortunately for him ... we're told Yachty was able to walk away relatively unscathed, with only minor injuries to his arm.

Emergency crews responded to the scene. It's unclear if Yachty went to a hospital for treatment. As for his whip ... there's no treating it, we're told it's totaled.

Time to get that insurance rep on the phone.

Mega-producer Mustard just came up with one helluva remix ... not only delivering free meals to those in need, but making sure they're healthy meals.

The hitmaker hopped on "TMZ Live" Monday to talk about his latest venture ... teaming up with his pal, YG, to buy up 7 L.A.-based Fishbone Seafood restaurants. But, the partnership doesn't end there. The L.A.-native ballers also partnered with Postmates to give back to their community ... delivering $100k worth of free food to L.A. residents and community organizations.

Check out the video and the pics ... Mustard said he wanted to lead by example and give back to his community, never forgetting his roots. The producer says he's not doing this for the praise. Far from it. It's about showing kids that those who make it out have a responsibility to give back.

Mustard -- who BTW, earned the stage name because his first name is Dijon (as in Dijon mustard, get it?) -- is also looking much different these days. Dude tells us being locked up in quarantine is what triggered the transformation ... with an assist from one of his camera guys.

A woman who says she was treated like an animal after getting arrested at a protest in the wake of George Floyd's death, is taking legal action against the LAPD and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department over an alleged night of terror while in confinement.

Laura Montilla just sued the City of L.A., Police Chief Michel Moore and other L.A. law enforcement officials ... claiming she and a bunch of other peaceful BLM protesters were wrangled up like cattle earlier this month by cops who showed no humanity.

In her docs, obtained by TMZ, Montilla claims a bunch of officers in riot gear prevented her and others from leaving a June 1 protest when a 5 PM curfew went into effect. She claims they pounced on protesters and arrested them.

She goes on to say they were all thrown on buses and detained for several hours without food or medical attention. Montilla also says cops never told them where they were and claims they never read her Miranda rights.

It gets worse ... Montilla says some people were having panic attacks and pissing themselves on the bus, but the police ignored them ... and even allegedly tried drowning out their cries by blasting loud heavy metal music. She also says cops "aggressively touched and groped her body by patting their hands aggressively on her vagina and breasts in four separate instances."

Montilla also claims her zip ties were on so tight, she lost feeling in her right hand and had bruises and abrasions for days after her arrest.

Once the cops were ready to cut people loose, Montilla says they dumped all these protesters in the middle of a Westwood neighborhood in the middle of the night, but provided no safe way home or access to communication ... she says they were left to fend for themselves.

Karen is canceled ... at least when it comes to baby names.

The name, which has become a slang term for an overly demanding or entitled middle-aged white woman, is fast becoming the way of the pet rock -- extinct -- because parents know the name's become toxic.

Honchos at Babynames.com tell TMZ ... none of their millions of website users have added the name Karen to their favorite name lists in the past year, and over the past decade, they've seen a 75% decrease in popularity.

Karen is trending in the world of baby names, we're told, but for all the wrong reasons ... babynames.com says it's seen a 10-fold increase in searches for the meaning behind the name, but expectant parents are running for the hills ... no Karen's in their baby reveals.

The moniker was originally a Danish form of the name Katherine, meaning pure, but that reference is now dated and irrelevant. We're told Karen was most popular from 1938 to 1968, but it's seen a steep decline in the past two years, as more and more examples of "Karens" flood social media.

Joey Chestnut is BUMMED there won't be fans at this year's Nathan's Hot Dog Contest, but there's a huge silver lining ... Jaws says the conditions are ripe for a NEW WORLD RECORD!!

Chestnut -- the greatest competitive eater of all time and 12-time Nathan's champ -- currently holds the record for most dogs devoured in 10 minutes ... 74 in 2018's contest.

But, Joey tells TMZ Sports come July 4 -- thanks to the competition being moved indoors without fans 'cause of COVID-19 -- he's primed for a record-shattering performance.

"There's a little bit of a bonus 'cause we're gonna be eating in air conditioning and they're less eaters, so they're making less hot dogs so they might taste better," Chestnut says.

"There's a good chance that we might have better conditions for a world record and I'ma be pushing for it."

FYI, the hugely famous contest usually takes place on NYC's Coney Island. New York City in July = insane heat and humidity ... making it difficult to scarf down pounds of meat.

But, with the changes, Joey's confident he will set a new record ... but how many more wieners can a human possibly scarf down in only 10 minutes?

"I'm breaking the record this 4th of July! This is gonna be a weird 4th of July, but I'ma make it memorable. My record 74, 75 just sounds like a good number but we'll see," Chestnut tells us.

"If I'm feeling it, if I'm in the perfect rhythm, 77 is doable."