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It's now official ... Cam Newton is THE starter in New England!!!

The Pats announced the move in a team meeting Thursday ... finally crowning a successor to Tom Brady.

Of course, it's not exactly shocking -- even if Cam had to wait to sign with the team until June ... he's a former MVP and the rest of the Pats QB roster, well, isn't.

The Patriots also announced Newton is a 2020 team captain -- alongside RB James White, center David Andrews, safety Devin McCourty, corner Jason McCourty, linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, DL Lawrence Guy and special teamer Matthew Slater.

Newton comes at pretty good value for the Pats now ... he's one of the lowest-paid starting QBs in the league -- slated to earn just $1.75 mil this season.

Newton has said repeatedly this summer he's on a mission to prove he's still elite after several injury-plagued down seasons ... even saying back in July he's "about to motherf***in' ROAR!"

Seems he's already got the stamp of approval from his top wideout ... 'cause just a few days ago, Julian Edelman said the two were like Batman and Superman now.

A chemistry class expecting instructions from their professor instead got a very special message from his T.A. instead ... the one and only, Snoop Dogg.

Dr. Benny is the sharply-dressed teacher of Chem 60 at Los Angeles Pierce College, and on the first day of visual learning, he enlisted the rapper to send a very important message to his students ... read the syllabus!!

As for why, Snoop tells the class ... "The more you know, the further you go." Dr. Benny approves.

If first impressions are everything, you gotta think these college kids will be more inspired than ever to learn about elements and compounds.

Wanna bet the Chicago Cubs will crush the Pirates? You'll soon be able to make that bet ... RIGHT AT WRIGLEY FIELD!

The Cubs announced a multiyear partnership with DraftKings on Thursday -- which includes plans for an in-person sports book at the ballpark.

The book would either be located inside the stadium or in the Wrigleyville-area right outside -- they're still hammering out the details.

No timeline has been set -- but it's obvious both sides are trying to fast track the process.

The book will include betting windows and self-serve kiosks -- it sounds like something similar to what you would see at a horse racing track.

And yes, sports gambling is legal in Illinois.

Matt Kalish -- co-founder and president of DraftKings -- says he sees the sportsbook as a hybrid gambling center/bar where fans can grab a beer while plunking down bets.

"It might be the Cubs to win, maybe a few props like first home run, then stroll into the game at 6:45, sit down, sweat my bets and cheer on the Cubs," Kalish said (via ESPN).

"Then, after the game I can stop back at the DraftKings book, relax with my friends, get some food and drink and think about the next day's game, maybe put in a few more tickets."

The little girls who had to use a Taco Bell's Wi-Fi for school have been blessed with thousands of dollars in donations -- money that'll be put to good use ... TMZ has learned.

Jackie Lopez, the woman running the GoFundMe page soliciting funds for the family in the viral photo, raised $142k-plus thus far ... and a good chunk of that will go toward the children's education.

Lopez says the girls' mom, Juana, plans on starting a college fund for her three kids -- two of whom were seen sitting outside of a Taco Bell with their laptops and notepads. The third child is only a year old, but Juana's focusing on the long play.

Juana also wants to use some of the money for therapy for her kids. She says the family's been in and out homelessness and it's likely had an effect on the kids, so she wants her daughters to talk to a professional.

Juana's now looking to buy a mobile home in Salinas. On top of that, Lopez says Juana will upgrade the ice cream cart she uses for work ... one of many things she does to earn a living.

You'll recall ... the photo of Juana's two girls caused quite a stir. Elected officials said it was emblematic of the digital divide in minority communities, and clearly folks were concerned.

Teresa Giudice is taking another major step in closing the book on her life with estranged husband Joe ... she's put their mansion on the market.

"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star's looking to unload their Montville home for $2.5 million. This is the home featured on the show, where they raised their family for years before going to jail for fraud in 2015.

As you know ... Teresa and Joe separated in December after 20 years of marriage, following his release from prison and deportation to Italy. He's got his own pad over there, and now she's looking for a fresh start somewhere with their 4 daughters.

Sources close to Teresa tell us the plan is to stay in Northern Jersey, but it's still bittersweet, especially for the kids who are leaving their childhood home.

The 6-bedroom palazzo Giudice is 10,000 square feet with a banquet-sized dining hall, soaring ceilings, fancy staircase, a pool and enough garage space for everyone in the family to park their ride.

Michelle Pais, one of Jersey's top real estate agents, is handling the sale. Interestingly, there were rumors Michelle might join the "Housewives" cast ... but we're told she only filmed a few scenes.

NFL legend Jerome Bettis says Alvin Kamara should ABSOLUTELY hold out from Saints camp to get a contract extension ... saying the N.O. RB needs to get paid before it's too late.

Kamara had reportedly sat out a few days of camp already this summer over his unhappiness with his contract ... but he returned to practice this week even though he's yet to get a new deal.

Bettis, speaking on the "In My Bag" podcast Wednesday, says he believes that's a mistake ... adding Kamara should hold out to try to get the money he deserves ASAP!!!

"I think Alvin Kamara has put enough work in with that organization for them to know what he's capable of," Bettis says.

"So, I think definitely he needs to hold out because a running back only has a certain amount of carries in his body and once those carries get to that number, that's it."

25-year-old Kamara is still playing out his rookie contract ... which is scheduled to pay him just $2.1 million this season -- which is over $15 MILLION less than what top RBs like Christian McCaffrey and Ezekiel Elliott are set to make in 2020.

Kamara -- who piled up 1,330 total yards and 6 touchdowns last season despite injuries -- is reportedly seeking a new contract worth right around Zeke and McCaffrey's -- and Bettis clearly thinks the RB's worth that.

And, Bettis is advising Kamara to sit out to get it ... because he says if Kamara's not careful, the dude's big workload could begin to hurt him.

"It's not about years, it's about carries," Bettis says, "I think he has to be very conscious of that. And, yeah, if I was him, I probably would [hold out]."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have their new calling after quitting their British royal day jobs -- and it's similar to her old one ... they're big-time Hollywood producers!!!

Harry and Meghan announced their new careers Wednesday, 6 months after leaving the royal fam and settling in California, they're going to make content for Netflix.

The Duke and Duchess inked a multiyear deal with the streaming service, and the still-unnamed production company they founded will get a bunch of Netflix dough to make movies, scripted shows, documentaries, docu-series and children's programming.

Forget the royal family, Harry and Meghan have found their own global platform in Tinseltown. Netflix has tons of reach, with 193 million subscribers across the globe.

Harry and Meghan will mostly be working behind the cameras, but they might appear on screen in documentaries. Meghan's also open to voice-over work -- as we know from her Disney project last year -- but she's made it clear she doesn't plan to get back into acting. At least, that's her plan for now.

The NBA just hit Marcus Morris with a $35,000 fine for that hard foul on Luka Doncic during Game 6 of the playoff series between the Clippers and Mavs.

Morris and Doncic had been going after each other for the entire series -- things were chippy -- but things came to a head in the 1st quarter of Game 6 when Marcus hit Luka in the face while Doncic was going up for a layup.

A scuffle ensued. The players had to be separated. Morris was ejected from the game.

Now, to make matters worse for Morris ... he's gotta come out of pocket to the tune of $35k for "recklessly striking" Doncic, according to the NBA.

"The amount of the fine was based in part on the fact that Morris has been disciplined on several prior occasions for physical altercations on the court," the NBA said.

Later in the game, a rattled Doncic lost his cool over a foul call -- and threw the ball at the feet of one of the refs.

Doncic argued that he didn't intend to hit the ref -- just bad luck.

The NBA has fined Doncic over that incident to the tune of $15,000.

The Clippers ended up winning the game and the clinching the series, sending Doncic and the Mavs out of the NBA Bubble.

It may be the offseason for Ben Simmons, but the NBA superstar is getting right back into competition mode ... taking part in a HUGE Call of Duty tournament backed by FaZe Clan.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Simmons -- who recently invested in FaZe Clan -- is part of a celeb-packed lineup for the "Twitch Rivals: FaZe Face-Off Ft. Warzone" event going down on September 17.

Simmons -- AKA "FaZe Simmo" will join big names like Marshmello, Slim Jxmmi, Carnage, Lil Durk, Bulls star Zach LaVine and USWNT Allie Long in the Call of Duty competition, which is the first event from FaZe Clan's new series with the Twitch Rivals streaming service.

The competition will also feature FaZe Clan regulars like FaZe Apex, FaZe Rug, NICKMERCS, FaZe Temperrr, and FaZe SWAGG ... as well as a bunch of other well-known streamers.

The event will consist of up to 20 teams of 4 players ... who will compete for a prize pool of $75,000!

It's been a big year for FaZe Clan ... the org. just wrapped up tournament for the game Valorant -- which was viewed online more than 5.2 MILLION times!

Oh yeah, and Bronny James just joined the squad!!!

The tributes to Chadwick Boseman keep pouring in, and the latest honor for the late "Black Panther" star is all about education.

Walter Mayfield, principal at T. L. Hanna High School in South Carolina where the actor attended, tells TMZ ... they're forming the Chadwick Boseman Memorial Scholarship for a yearly honor to a deserving student.

Mayfield says the goal is to create a sustainable scholarship for years to come, and the school is aiming to raise $100k toward that end. The principal says a bunch of people have already reached out about contributing in Chadwick's honor -- without even publicizing the idea yet -- so they're off to a good start.

We're told the school is trying to work with Boseman's family on the plan -- Mayfield feels it's essential they be involved to help formulate criteria for the award.

Chadwick's former H.S. basketball coach, Wayne Jones, is pushing for the school to retire the number he used to wear -- 32 -- in his memory.

He tells us the cinematic superhero was an all-around solid player on the court who played 4 years on the varsity squad ... and could do a little bit of everything. T. L. Hanna has never retired a number before, but Principal Mayfield says this is the time to consider it.

If the Boseman scholarship gets up and running, it will be the second one in honor of a T. L. Hanna legend ... the first is James "Radio" Kennedy. His scholarship goes to a student pursuing a career in special ed.

As we told you ... Chadwick's South Carolina hometown is also set to honor him soon.

Tyler Perry's got something else to take ownership of ... he's now a billionaire!!!

Tyler's net worth just jumped and made him the newest official member of the 3-comma club, according to a new Forbes report detailing his rise from being "poor as hell" to rich and powerful.

The numbers are in ... here's a breakdown of how Forbes is calculating Tyler's milestone net worth:

-- $320 million for his entire library of movies, TV shows, plays, etc., as he owns 100% of the content he's created

-- $300 million in cash and investments

-- $280 million for Tyler Perry Studios, which sits on 330 acres in Georgia

-- $60 million for his equity stake in BET+, the streaming service that debuted last year.

-- $40 million in homes and toys

Add it all up ... and that's a cool $1 billion. Not bad for a guy who once slept in his car.

Harvey Levin interviewed Tyler back in 2017 for the show, "OBJECTified," and Perry explained how he believed in betting on himself and why he relishes commercial success in addition to artistic success.

Kanye West spared no expense putting on his Sunday Service ... he claims it cost a whopping $50 MILLION to pull it off!!!

Ye recently sat down with Nick Cannon for a segment on Nick's podcast, "Cannon's Class," and they started talking dollar figures, with Kanye boasting he's richer than Donald Trump.

Kanye says he burned through a ton of cash on his Sunday Service in 2019 ... with the $50 million being spread around for choir uniforms, flights, operas and all the other operating expenses that went with it.

At first glance, that number sounds way overblown.

However, remember ... Sunday Service traveled around the country last year, with stops at Coachella, Skid Row in Los Angeles, Houston, Howard University in D.C., the family home in Calabasas, his ranch in Wyoming, The Forum in Inglewood, Louisiana, Chicago, Ohio, Joel Olsteen's Lakewood Church and even Jamaica.

There were construction costs too ... for the Sunday Service on Easter at Coachella, bulldozers moved tons of earth to make a huge hill for the performance.

Ye says the cash was taken out of funds set aside for marketing his Yeezy shoes ... Kanye says he didn't need to spend all the marketing dough on the kicks -- Yeezy's sell themselves, he says -- so instead he used it to put on Sunday Service.

$50 million ... that's a lot of holy bread.

If you wanna live like a 2-time Super Bowl MVP, here's your chance -- Eli Manning put his New Jersey mansion on the market for $5.25 million!!!

Of course, the retired NY Giants signal-caller no longer has to commute to MetLife Stadium for work, so he's parting ways with his 9,000-square-foot home ... and the crib is NICE!!!

The mansion was built in 1904 and renovated by Manning in 2015 -- and it comes with 6 bedrooms, 5 full baths and 4 half baths, 8 fireplaces, a huge marbled-out gourmet kitchen and a home gym.

The crib sits on 1.1. acres with an in-ground pool in the backyard -- and you better believe it's got a heated pool for those cold NJ winters.

Oh, and inside the pool house is a GOLF SIMULATOR for you to work on that swing. The place also has a huge wine cellar that can hold up to 750 bottles ... so you'll basically have your own Top Golf location!!

The property -- listed by Hallee Dangler of Prominent Properties SIR -- hit the market recently and can be yours for $5.25 million.

Singer Charli XCX is giving up her 1920s English Tudor-style crib ... and someone can scoop it up for a pretty good deal in the Hollywood Hills.

The "Boom Clap" singer -- who also collaborated with Iggy Azalea on "Fancy" -- put her place on the market for a cool $3,650,000. The tri-level crib has 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and tons of charm thanks to floor-to-ceiling diamond-paned windows, hand-carved dark wood doors and beams ... plus 3 brick fireplaces.

The whole home is 4,423 square feet with a pretty sick master suite ... featuring canted ceilings and a chic chandelier. Fan of speakeasy style? Check out the large lower level with its own entrance and movie theater.

There's lots of outdoor space too. Take the party outside to the expansive deck where there's a hot tub and surrounding gardens.

Another insanely rare trading card could crack the $2 MILLION mark at auction ... and no, it's neither MJ nor LeBron.

It's an ultra-rare signed Giannis Antetokounmpo basketball card that features a piece of a game-worn jersey from the Greek Freak's rookie season.

The card was originally pulled out of a pack of Panini America's 2013-14 high-end "National Treasures" line ... and features the NBA "Logoman" patch from one of Giannis' rookie jerseys.

It's a 1-of-1 card -- so, it's super rare -- but the fact it was graded a MINT 9 by the Beckett Grading Service makes it even more desirable for hardcore collectors.

Even better ... the signature on the card received a perfect "10" grading from the Beckett autograph evaluators as well.

Again, the high-grading number makes a HUGE difference for collectors at the high-end level.

The person who initially pulled the card from a pack years ago sold it to another collector -- and after changing hands a few times, it's now hitting the auction block over at Goldin Auctions, where they believe there's a strong chance it could break the record for most expensive basketball card ever sold.

Of course, a rare (and similar) LeBron James' 2003-2004 Upper Deck rookie card is currently the G.O.A.T. piece when it comes to basketball cards ... it famously sold for $1.8 MIL last month.

The LeBron card was NOT a 1-of-1 -- there were 23 of those made ... and Bron has bragged that he has a few sitting around at his home.

The rare-card market is ON FIRE right now -- a Topps 2009 Superfractor Mike Trout card just sold at auction for $3.93 mil ... the most expensive sports trading card to ever sell on the open market.

As for Giannis, the bidding began at $250k on Monday -- and after a flurry of quick bids, it's already about to crack the $500,000 mark!!!

Ken Goldin, who runs Goldin Auctions, says he wouldn't be surprised if it cracked $2 mil by the time the bidding ends on Sept. 20th.

Remember when everyone said the trading card market was dead?!

Jack Harlow takes care of his own -- and by that, we mean he's willing to spend an arm and leg to ice out his entourage, and make it look like they just walked off with the Lombardi Trophy.

The Louisville rapper -- who performed at the VMAs Sunday -- was flaunting a set of 8 rings he and his crew (AKA, Private Garden) were rocking around town ahead of and during the show. They're like championship rings -- NBA or NFL-esque -- and they look pretty sweet.

Turns out, they're more than just nice looking ... they're completely loaded with precious stones that ended up costing well over a hundred grand. Teamwork makes the dream work!

Celebrity jeweler Alex Moss -- who commissioned the custom pieces for Jack and co. -- tells TMZ the rings altogether are valued at about $110k, and that's because they're laced with VVS diamonds and 14k gold, with each ring weighing in at 55 grams.

We're told the rings have the Private Garden members' names etched in plus their 502 area code. Of course, Jack's ring is slightly more blinged-out -- he is the leader, after all.

Alex tells us he met Jack a couple years ago in the studio when he was first coming up, but just got hit up for this job a few months ago.