RIP

Law enforcement officers bid a final goodbye to a Missouri State Highway Patrol K-9 officer after the doggo was diagnosed with a terminal illness ... and the video is super emotional.

The solemn sendoff for good boy Cuba happened recently in Springfield, MO ... with officers and friends from across Missouri joining state troopers in patting Cuba's head one last time before the K-9's partner, Trooper Zeller, took him on his final walk.

The crime fighting Cuba was previously diagnosed with terminal cancer, which was discovered during a visit to the University of Missouri for a hernia operation.

The K-9 has since been put down at the Animal Care Clinic in Branson, but remember ... all dogs go to heaven.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says ... "Cuba spent his lifetime in service to Missouri, and he will be missed."

Machine Gun Kelly planned to celebrate big-time Sunday ... but instead, he announced the passing of his father.

The rapper made the announcement Sunday on social media saying he had initially planned to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of his fourth album, "Hotel Diablo," which he released on July 5, 2019. MGK said, "That album was everything I wanted to say and I know it's close to my fans, but my father took his last breath this morning, and I've never felt a pain this deep in my life."

And, with that being said, the rapper said he's putting his phone down to mourn his father's passing.

MGK's friends responded to the news with outpouring support. Blink-182's Travis Barker, with whom MGK recently collaborated, wrote, "Send all the love in the world to you right now brother." Hailee Steinfeld also sent well wishes.

Bonnie Pointer of The Pointer Sisters died after going into cardiac arrest ... TMZ has learned.

The Grammy-winning Motown artist's cause of death is listed as cardiopulmonary arrest ... this according to her death certificate obtained by TMZ. Bonnie -- real name Patricia Eva Pointer -- died on June 8 at 3:37 AM. The doc lists her as divorced, and an entertainer in the music industry for 50 years.

According to the doc ... there were other underlying issues she'd been battling for about a decade, including liver disease.

TMZ broke the story ... Bonnie, one of the OGs of the wildly popular group of sisters in the '70s, died earlier this month. Her sister, Anita, told us, "It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of The Pointer Sisters that my sister, Bonnie died this morning. Our family is devastated, on behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time.”

Bonnie's best known for her cover of "Heaven Must Have Sent You," which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard's Hot 100 chart. She earned a Grammy for Best Vocal by a Duo or Group in the country category for their hit, "Fairytale."

Pop Smoke's closest friends are getting iced out before his debut album drops ... with some custom jewelry honoring the slain rapper.

Pop's inner circle reached out to New York City's Benny The Jeweler for some special commemorative bling ... according to our sources, and it was just in time for Friday's posthumous release. Ya gotta see what @bennydajeweler cooked up in Pop's honor.

Check out the 5 "Woo Star" pendants for the guys over at Forever Smoke Entertainment ... the record label founded by Pop's brother, Mike Dee, along with Ace Makaveli, Eazy, Stacks and Hunter.

There's a rose gold pendant and 4 yellow gold pendants ... and they're covered with 20 karats of VS diamonds, retailing at a cool $18,000 each. We're told the bling represents rising above adversity, as well as shooting for the stars, and aiming for the moon -- the title of the album.

Pop's girlfriend, Alyssa Danielle, is also getting some special jewelry from Benny ... an insane custom piece featuring Smoke's face surrounded by diamonds. We're told it's still in the works, and the finished product will be super colorful.

The sad news is Benny was working on a couple pieces for Pop himself before the rapper was fatally shot in February in a home invasion.

Remember, fans demanded a do-over of the cover art Virgil Abloh designed for "Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon," and they're getting their wish.

Sad news in the feline world -- Rubble, believed to be the world's oldest cat, has gone to kitty heaven ... and his owner is heartbroken.

The fluffy orange-and-white Maine Coon was gifted to Michele Heritage of England on her 20th birthday, and he was her beloved pet every day after that ... for 31 long and happy years.

That's approximately the same as 150 in human years!!!

Rubble became the world's oldest cat in May 2019 when he reached his 31st bday, but Michele revealed he died before making it to 32. He had no specific health issues, but according to his owner he became very thin and simply passed from old age.

Michele credits his long life to the fact that she never had children but pampered him like he was her kid.

Rubble beat the oldest living cat record previously held by Scooter, a Siamese cat in Texas, who was named the record breaker at the age of 30 by the Guinness Book of World Records before he died in 2016.

The oldest cat of all time according to the record books is Creme Puff ... who died in 2005 at the whopping age of 38.

Michele says she never went the Guinness Book route with Rubble, though, because it wasn't of interest and she just wanted to spend time with him as he grew older.

RIP, Rubble.

Hugh Downs -- a broadcasting legend with 60 years experience on "Today," "20/20" and 'The Tonight Show' -- has died.

Hugh died Wednesday at his home in Scottsdale, AZ ... according to his family, who released a statement Friday, saying his passing is not related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hugh was one of TV's most familiar faces during his incredibly long and successful run as a broadcaster ... he co-anchored NBC's "Today" show from 1962 to 1971 and is most remembered for his 21 years as Barbara Walters' co-host on ABC's "20/20."

Downs was also known for his signature sign-off during his time at "20/20" ... ending the nightly program with this gem, "We're in touch, so you be in touch."

Hugh was on the tube for so long, at one point he held the record for most hours spent in front of a TV camera with a whopping 15,188 ... a long-standing record eventually topped by Regis Philbin.

While Hugh officially retired from "20/20" way back in 1999, he lent his smooth voice to a number of TV specials and documentary films during the 2000s.

Hugh was born in Akron, Ohio and he got his broadcasting start on radio in Detroit and Chicago before moving to TV in 1949 as an announcer on a classic children's puppet show called, "Kukla, Fran and Ollie."

Downs also served as the announcer for one of the earliest versions of NBC's "Tonight Show," working alongside Jack Paar in the late 1950s and early '60s.

He even launched one of the most popular daytime shows in the 1960s, "Concentration," a memory-matching game he hosted for over a decade.

Downs worked for PBS too, for much of the 1990s he was the host of the network's "Live From Lincoln Center" broadcasts.

Hugh was 99.

RIP

The NBA's most popular video game is honoring Kobe Bryant in a BIG way ... making him a cover athlete for the 2021 edition of the game.

Officials at NBA 2K made the announcement Thursday ... revealing two pieces of art -- one for current-gen consoles and one for next-gen consoles -- for cover options for the 2K21 game.

In a statement released by the company ... they say they wanted to pay tribute to the Lakers legend for the legacy he left after he tragically passed in a helicopter crash back in January.

"Kobe Bryant holds a special place in the heart of every basketball fan," the statement said. "Someone who truly left everything on the court, where his achievements range from legendary to seemingly impossible."

The game with Kobe on the cover has been dubbed the "Mamba Forever Edition" ... and officials say the version will come with special features, including unique Kobe gear for virtual avatars.

"The Mamba Forever Edition celebrates Kobe's lifelong pursuit of victory and legacy and immortalizes him with two unique custom covers honoring the span of his career," officials added.

"For the current generation version of the game, Kobe is shown wearing #8 -- from his days as a bold and brash rookie. In the next-generation cover art, he is shown wearing #24, the number he played his final game in: his iconic 60-point performance."

There are two other cover options for the 2021 version of the game ... one features Trailblazers star Damian Lillard, while the other has Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson.

The game is scheduled to be released in September.

Cops in Aurora, CO targeted Elijah McClain's violin vigil to make an example out of nonviolent musicians ... so says a famous violinist who saw it all play out.

Lee England Jr. -- who Michael Jordan calls "the Michael Jordan of the violin" -- tells TMZ ... Aurora police made a calculated decision to disrupt the vigil because they knew they had easy targets at a peaceful protest full of musicians and children.

Lee was one of the musicians who trekked to Aurora to pay respects to Elijah, who died last year while in custody of Aurora PD. Elijah was a big fan of the violin, which is why his Saturday night vigil was serenaded by violinists, who played on even after police showed up in riot gear and unleashed pepper spray.

Lee says the sad outcome of the violin vigil inspired him and other musicians to host a private performance for Elijah's entire family after police ended the protest.

Garrett Rolfe -- the fired Atlanta PD officer charged with felony murder for the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks -- might be released from jail Tuesday ... TMZ's live streaming his bond hearing.

Rolfe has been holed up at the Gwinnett County Jail in Georgia since his arrest, but will be appearing virtually at the Fulton County courthouse Tuesday to ask the judge to be let him out on bond. The hearing's scheduled for 11 AM PT.

According to legal docs ... Rolfe is asking to be granted a "reasonable bond" for a few reasons. First, he claims he's a "longstanding, law-abiding" citizen, and says he poses no threat to the public or potential witnesses.

Next, Rolfe claims there is "significant evidence that proves he was legally justified in using deadly force in this case." In the docs, Rolfe argues that Brooks committed multiple felonies "in resisting lawful arrest" -- including firing the TASER at him -- and Brooks' actions justified Rolfe's use of deadly force "if he reasonably believed that Mr. Brooks possessed a deadly weapon."

He claims the Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard "has declared that a TASER is a deadly weapon under Georgia law."

Finally, Rolfe argues he should be granted bond so he has an opportunity to help his lawyers prepare for the case, adding the D.A. "made several important factual misstatements to the public."

Rolfe's legal team is also expected to present character witnesses to testify that the former officer is a good man and will not present a flight risk. Some experts predict the judge will grant some sort of bond ... but at a steep price.

As we've reported ... Brooks was shot by Rolfe on the evening of June 12 during a chase in a Wendy's parking lot. Brooks had been speaking with Rolfe, along with officer Devin Brosnan, before Rolfe tried to arrest him and a struggle ensued.

Video of the incident shows Brooks had obtained one of the officers' Tasers and was attempting to flee following a failed breathalyzer test, and that's when Rolfe opened fire on him ... shooting him twice in the back.

Fulton County D.A. Howard announced 11 charges against Rolfe, including felony murder and multiple acts of aggravated assault.

While announcing the charges, Howard said Rolfe kicked Brooks while he lay dying, and added he doesn't believe Rolfe feared for his life ... noting that Rayshard had been cordial and cooperative for more than 41 minutes before he was fatally shot.

Brosnan's also been charged for his role in the incident -- with aggravated assault and failure to render timely aid ... something he and his lawyer have denied.

DeSean Jackson is once again using his cleats to send a message -- this time, he's paying tribute to Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

The Philadelphia Eagles WR has a history of expressing himself through custom artwork on his kicks -- and this time, he went back to SolesBySir to take on police brutality.

"I stand on what’s right," Jackson says ... "Let’s not get caught up in the false impulsive message behind #BLM We just want fair rights!"

He added, "400 plus years .... The time is now #ahmaudarbery #breonnataylor."

Of course, Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police after they executed a no-knock warrant on the WRONG apartment in Kentucky back in March. Taylor was in bed during the incident and was shot 8 times. None of the 3 officers involved in the shooting have been charged with a crime.

Ahmaud Arbery was chased down and killed by 2 white men in Georgia back in February -- while 3rd man watched and recorded the incident. After a public outcry, all 3 men were charged with felony murder in what some people are calling a modern-day lynching.

On both sets of cleats, DeSean included an image of the victims -- adding the word, "Enough" on the Arbery pair.

Jackson has previously gone to SolesBySir for tributes to people like George Floyd, Rodney King and Muhammad Ali.

Carl Reiner, one of the most prolific entertainers in the history of show business has died ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Reiner died Monday night at his Beverly Hills home.  We're told his family was with him when he passed.

Reiner was a producer. He was also a director. He was also an actor. He was also a Grammy winner. He won 9 Emmys in over 7 decades. He has more than 400 credits.

Where to begin? Well, for all you youngins' ... you may have caught Carl in "Toy Story 4."

For most people ... they remember Carl best for "The Dick Van Dyke Show," which he created and starred in. Carl played the role of a very temperamental comedian -- Alan Brady -- who terrorized Dick Van Dyke's character and the other writers. Oh, and there was this new actress Carl cast for Dick's wife -- Mary Tyler Moore.

Carl made a best-selling album with Mel Brooks called "The 2000 Year Old Man" which earned a Grammy nomination and sparked his writing career.

There were other smash hits, including directing "Oh God" with George Burns and "The Jerk" with Steve Martin. He worked with Martin on several movies, including "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid," "Man with Two Brains" and "All of Me."

Reiner appeared in a bunch of TV shows and movies, including "The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming," and "Enter Laughing."

The directing credits are endless -- "Summer Rental" with John Candy, "Summer School" with Mark Harmon, "That Old Feeling" with Bette Midler and "Sibling Rivalry" with Kirstie Alley and Carrie Fisher.

Carl appeared on lots of hit TV shows, including "Two and a Half Men," "Hot in Cleveland" and "House." He was also in "Ocean's 11" and "Ocean's Thirteen."

We last talked to him in 2013, leaving "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Reiner received the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor back in 2000.

Did we mention one of his three kids is Rob Reiner? Definitely like father like son.

Carl's wife, Estelle, whom he married in 1943, died in 2008.

Carl was 98.

RIP

Pop Smoke's fans have spoken -- loudly and clearly -- the cover art designed by Virgil Abloh for the rapper's posthumous album is trash ... so a change is coming.

Pop's highly anticipated album, "Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon" is set to release July 3, but when the cover art was revealed Monday ... it was widely ridiculed and roasted, and fans immediately demanded a do-over.

Among the most common complaints about the cover ... the lazy Photoshop job, along with using a photo of Smoke that's the first one that comes up on Google images.

In his defense, when Abloh posted the artwork he said he'd just finished it and explained ... "this album cover was one of like 5 things we talked about. he mentioned his story felt like the metaphor of a rose & thorns growing from concrete of his hood in Canarsie, Brooklyn."

Fans weren't buying it though. Even 50 Cent -- a mentor to the late hip-hop star -- called out Abloh.

Fif tweeted ... "Hey Virgil we need new album art, they ain’t going for this bulls**t. Love ya work let’s get to it. Steven i told you this s**t was eww let’s get it right!"

That Steven is Pop's manager, Steven Victor, who's already made it clear that Abloh's art will be redone before the album is released.

Victor says Pop -- who was on the rise when he was fatally shot in February in a home invasion -- would listen to his fans and make a change ... so that's what they're going to do.

It's unclear if Abloh will get another crack at it or if the cover art will be done by someone else, but ya gotta think ... anything new will be an improvement.

The man known as the Golden State Killer will finally admit to the horrific crimes he committed in the '70s and '80s ... including 13 first-degree murder charges he's facing.

Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. is appearing in a makeshift courtroom Monday -- onstage in a ballroom at Cal State Sacramento -- where he will plead guilty to the 13 counts of murder and 13 counts of kidnapping for purposes of robbery.

DeAngelo's also expected to admit guilt to 62 other rapes and abductions during the plea hearing ... crimes for which the statute of limitations expired long ago.

Sacramento County Deputy D.A. Amy Holliday says prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty and expect DeAngelo to be sentenced to life without parole.

The 74-year-old former police officer's guilty plea comes after decades of mystery over the rapes and killings at his hands, which took place between 1973 and 1986.

DeAngelo's trail of terror led to monikers like the "Visalia Ransacker," "East Area Rapist," "Original Night Stalker" and finally, the "Golden State Killer," and left "communities terrified for years" ... according to prosecutor Thien Ho at Monday's hearing.

After more than a 40-year hunt, DeAngelo was arrested on April 24, 2018 after being ID'd by crime-scene DNA.

The slayings of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks have law enforcement agencies getting proactive about recording their officers in the field by adding body cams ... TMZ has learned.

We spoke to a few of the companies supplying body cameras to law enforcement, and both tell us they've had an influx of inquiries over the past month. Nick Hamner of 10-8 Video in Tennessee, tells us his business has seen more than a 70 percent increase this month in calls from law enforcement agencies looking for specs and pricing.

Hamner says 10-8 serves mostly middle and smaller sized police and sheriff's departments ... meaning less than 200 officers. From what he's heard, he says most of them are preemptively scouting, because they're expecting body cams to be mandated ... whether it be by cities, states, or even from the feds.

Likewise, Will Walker of PatrolEyes out of Michigan -- which outfits a couple hundred U.S. police agencies, and over a dozen overseas -- tells us the recent spike in body cam interest mirrors what they got in 2014 ... after Michael Brown was fatally shot by a cop.

That rush for body cams was evident by 2016, when, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly half of all U.S. law enforcement agencies had slapped body cams on their officers and deputies.

Walker says the latest increased sales aren't just for law enforcement, though. Other customers include process servers, tow truck drivers and sometimes even parties in a bad divorce.

Special moment from Lil Wayne on Sunday night -- he perfumed his 2009 track, "Kobe Bryant" ... with new lyrics to honor Mamba and Gianna.

It all went down at the BET Awards -- where Wayne debuted a new music video for the song, performing in front of the screen with Kobe's name on it.

The original lyrics already painted Kobe as a legend:

"He the greatest on the court ...
And I'm the greatest on the verse.
Goin' for the 4th ring like it was his 1st...
Gotta get the gleam. Do it for Kareem ...
2-4 so nice. My flow is so mean."

But, in the wake of recent events, Weezy updated the track to acknowledge the passing of Kobe and Gianna.

"Two fingers for the Mambacita. I’m screamin’ 'Black Mamba matters.'"

He continued ... "Heart goes out to Vanessa and the whole Black Mamba family."

"G-O-A-T like Kobe Bean, rest in power and hope for peace.”

Vanessa acknowledged it on her IG page -- calling the performance a "beautiful tribute."

Kobe, Gianna and 7 others passed away in a helicopter crash on January 26. He was 41. She was only 13.

Milton Glaser, a super famous graphic designer who created one of the most iconic campaigns for a city has died on his 91st birthday.

Glaser was embedded in pop culture in the '60's and '70's. In '67 he fashioned a poster of Bob Dylan with wildly-colored hair and it sold millions. But, his biggest splash came with the “I ❤️ NY” logo, which it seems was subsequently printed on about a trillion t-shirts.

Glaser's wife, Shirley, said the cause of death was a stroke and renal failure.

Glaser was big in commercial art, which went hand-in-hand with advertising. He was considered one of the boldest artists in his field -- swinging for the fences with radical and colorful designs. One of the boldest ... he created art for a 1968 Olivetti typewriter ad. He used a piece of 15th century art featuring a grieving dog and strategically placed an Olivetti at the feet of the dead nymph the dog was mourning.

As for the “I ❤️ NY” campaign ... it was launched in 1977 to promote tourism when New York really needed it, and it was a sensation. What's amazing ... he sketched the image on the back of an envelope with a red crayon while sitting in the back of a cab. The logo helped define the Big Apple.

And, check out his modesty ... he told The Village Voice back in 2011 ... “I’m flabbergasted by what happened to this little, simple nothing of an idea."

After 911, Glaser modified the design to ... “I ❤️ NY More Than Ever,” but this time the heart had a bruise.

And, there's this great quote ... “I’m a person who deals with visual material whatever it is — architecture, an object, a set of plates, wallpaper — right now I’m doing T-shirts.”