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Dr. Anthony Fauci isn't being railroaded like alleged Communist sympathizers during the Joe McCarthy era ... so says Rep. Nancy Mace.

The Congresswoman from South Carolina joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to discuss the ongoing hearings ... and she pushed back on Harvey Levin's argument that this is just Red Scare McCarthyism 2.0.

Rep. Mace strongly disagrees ... saying Senator McCarthy targeted innocent people in different groups to destroy them -- whereas Congress is investigating a man who really did some serious damage.

Nolan Wells' father says one of the young men calling himself Nolan's "best friend" is no friend at all ... 'cause he doesn't even recognize the kid.

Elmore Wonsley appeared on NewsNation's "Cuomo" Wednesday night, where Chris Cuomo asked whether he knew Tracestin Shepherd, who appeared on "The Officer Tatum Show" and was presented as one of Nolan's best friends.

Elmore says Tracestin wasn't a friend of Nolan's as far as he's concerned, summing it up like this ... "Just because you parked your vehicle in someone's yard doesn't mean that they have to know you."

The Michigan murder-suicide not only saw the shooting deaths of two parents and six children, but also the gruesome deaths of a bunch of pets who were found inside the family's "house of horror" ... TMZ has learned.

Ottawa County Sheriff's Office Captain Jake Sparks tells TMZ ... after police and firefighters responded to the Karolkiewicz house on July 24, they found at least 3 dead dogs and one dead cat inside the home. The pets all died from smoke or fire, and there may have been more pets who perished.

Sparks also said the bodies of Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, and his wife, Amanda “Mandy” Karolkiewicz, 39, were discovered in their bedroom. The couple's 4 sons and twin daughters -- ranging in age from 5 to 11 -- were found in their bedrooms as well.

Don't tug on Superman's cape ... unless he stole some stuff outta your boat ... in that case, call the cops and have him arrested ... like a recent bust down in Florida.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office ... a Florida man was recently popped for allegedly stealing power tools from someone's boat cabin ... and the dude was dressed like the Man of Steel when the cuffs were slapped on.

In police body camera footage from the arrest, deputies confront James Tidwell before he could switch back into his Clark Ketamine alter ego ... and the dude straight up says he helped himself to several items from a stranger's boat.

The OnlyFans model who is on the receiving end of a cease-and-desist letter from Nolan Wells' friend has a message for him ... bring it on!!!

Kymbra Li just responded to Bart Edmiston Jr.'s legal threat ... and pretty much laughed in his face.

The way Kymbra sees it, a potential lawsuit from Nolan's friend is only going to boost her profile ... and he's not going to squeeze any money out of her.

Ben Crump says his team has hired some of the nation's top audio engineers to review the full Sea Tow call from the day Nolan Wells disappeared ... as the family's fight for answers continues.

Crump provided an update on Nolan's case Thursday at the National Urban League Conference ... announcing his team obtained the audio from officials and will have experts comb through the entire recording. He said they are also consulting oceanic engineering experts to determine whether the tides line up with Nolan's body being found near the same location where he was reportedly left.

Nolan's mother, Christine Wonsley, became emotional while describing the pain of going 27 days without talking to or hugging her son ... begging anyone with information to come forward so the family can finally rest.

Bryan Kohberger handwrote his plea to withdraw his guilty plea … as he makes move to toss his life sentence for the murders at the University of Idaho, TMZ has learned.  

TMZ obtained the petition filed by Kohberger, who is currently locked up in an Idaho prison serving a sentence of life without parole, claiming his trial lawyers were “ineffective.” 

In the paperwork, Kohberger alleged he entered his plea in the case “not knowingly or voluntarily” because “he was induced by unkept promises.” 

Nolan Wells' friend Bart Edmiston Jr. is putting his new attorney to work ... and the first order of business appears to be a legal threat against an OnlyFans model who is yapping about the investigation.

Bart's lawyer, Russell Latino, fired off a cease and desist letter to social media personality Kymbra Li Wednesday ... claiming she's been pushing false and defamatory statements about Bart on her social media channels.

In the five-page legal threat, obtained by TMZ, Latino claims Li is falsely claiming Bart helped cause Nolan's death and participated in a cover-up.

A Rhode Island man whose birth was formally declared a "miracle" by Pope Leo XIV has been arrested in connection with a double shooting.

Tyquan Johnson, 19, is accused of shooting two people ... and he was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force at a Virginia home Wednesday morning, the Newport Police Department announced.

Police say Johnson shot two people in Newport, Rhode Island on July 19 and fled to Virginia.

The two people he allegedly shot suffered non-life-threatening injuries. A second person is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting, but Newport police did not identify them.

Ian Diaz from "A Toxic Love Story" has remarried since framing his ex in a cyberstalking hoax ... tying the knot with an old girlfriend, TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Ian tell TMZ ... Ian had dated a woman named Amy before he dated Michelle Hadley and married Angela Connell Diaz, and they got hitched before the cyber scandal unfolded.

Our sources tell us Ian and Amy secretly married in 2020 ... before he was sentenced to prison. We're also told Ian's fathered children with Amy ... although it's unclear if that happened when they dated initially or since they got married.

A popular Wisconsin brewery promising free beer when President Donald Trump dies is fighting to stay open as the state plans to revoke its alcohol permit ... and the owner says he's a political target!!!

The Minocqua Brewing Company says the Wisconsin Department of Revenue is planning to shut it down by August 4 ... according to a newsletter published by owner Kirk Bangstad, a vocal Trump critic.

Bangstad -- who often shares anti-Trump sentiments on social media and touts the brewery as "the state's most progressive brewery" -- claims the government is trying to make an example out of him because of his political views.

The brewery owner says ... "They'll have to pry me out of my taprooms before I stop selling beer to thirsty progressives who come to visit us."

The trial for Lindsay Clancy -- the Massachusetts mother accused of brutally murdering her three young children -- continued Thursday with multiple first responders testifying to the horror they came upon.

Multiple paramedics took the stand ... and described finding the three dead young children in ghastly detail ... and described their efforts to revive the victims.

Opening statements were Monday in a horrific case ... and Clancy's ex-husband Patrick took the stand, and he defended her ... which he continued to do on the second day.

A man in Arkansas was killed last week after his car hit a portable toilet during a freak accident.

Ronald Langley was driving along Interstate 49 in Bentonville, AR, on the afternoon of July 24, along with a truck carrying two portable toilets, according to the Arkansas Department of Public Safety.

One of the toilets suddenly tumbled off the truck into the roadway -- and Langley's Honda struck it, police said. As a result, cops say, Langley suffered fatal injuries, although it was unclear how the injuries were sustained.

The ex-wife of Jeremiah "Shawn" Duffey, who is accused of fatally shooting Sara Gilson before taking his own life, says there will be no funeral for him ... telling TMZ his own children decided he didn't deserve one.

Stephanie Ramsay tells TMZ ... under Oklahoma law, Shawn's children were considered his next of kin and were responsible for making decisions after his death ... revealing to us they ultimately chose not to hold a funeral due to his actions, including his child sexual abuse allegations.

Instead, Stephanie tells us Shawn will be cremated, and his ashes will be placed in a family plot at a funeral home.

Journalist Brandon Tatum says he had no prior relationship with Mississippi Chancery Court Judge Ashlee Cole or Warren Hudson's family before they reached out ... pushing back on claims he was chosen because of an existing connection.

The "Officer Tatum Show" host sat down with "TMZ In the Know" to discuss Nolan Wells' death and addressed speculation Cole sought him out because his conservative politics made him a friendly platform for Warren's family.

Tatum says he'd never spoken with Cole before she contacted him, adding it's only natural for a parent trying to tell a loved one's story to choose someone they trust to present it fairly. He compared it to Nolan's mom, Christine Wonsley, turning to attorney Ben Crump to advocate for her family after her son's death.