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It's a bird, it's a plane ... it's a super crazy sighting of a giant bird carrying what looks like a shark, high above the ocean!!!

This video has the Internet buzzing Thursday -- a large eagle-like bird making off with some large prey ... shot by a drone last week in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Clearly the bird had a successful fishing trip, but everyone's debating what it caught ... to many that's a small shark in the bird's talons. At one point, the sea creature started flopping wildly in an attempt to get free, but the bird's clutches were too strong.

Upon further inspection ... it seems the bird is an osprey -- AKA sea hawk -- which is a fish-eating bird of prey. And, though many believe the raptor is carrying a shark, we've learned that it might be a large Spanish mackerel instead. The fish is common in the waters along the Carolina coast.

Either way, the clip has people thinking it's a sign of the next calamity of 2020 ... because it's exactly how "Sharknado" began.

Even the SYFY channel just tweeted ... "We always knew this day would come. #Sharknado"

It's been real, world.

Mississippi is doing away with the Confederate battle flag that's embedded into their own state flag -- and watching it come down at the Capitol was quite an historic sight.

State troopers pulled the flag down Wednesday in front of the Capitol building in Jackson, proceeding to then fold it up and carry it off into the sunset ... almost like it was a fallen soldier or something. It's not a soldier, it's a giant piece of cloth -- but this was a big deal for a lot of folks down there in the South.

Mississippi's ensign was the last modern American flag that still featured the antiquated confederacy logo ... something that drew renewed ire of late, in the wake a sweeping social justice conversation happening nationally, which is boldly calling out blatant racism.

Welp, local lawmakers listened to their constituents and got the ball rolling this weekend ... first, the House passed a resolution to ditch their pride and glory, which was followed by backing in the Senate, and on Tuesday -- the governor, Tate Reeves, signed it into law.

It's a major move that was 126 years in the making. Mind you, the Civil War was over 150 years ago ... and the South lost. That means the Confederacy and their emblems are NOT part of our official heritage -- or at the very least, not something to proudly flaunt in 2020.

Tons of people have called for the flag to be retired over the decades -- including country star Faith Hill, who recently decried the old flag and demanded an immediate change.

Put that dusty old thing in a museum somewhere and call it a day. Time to get something fresh on the pole to hoist high. The question ... what'll they choose for a design next?

The NJ woman who's been dubbed "Permit Karen" now has protesters marching because she called cops on her black neighbors claiming she'd been assaulted ... something several other neighbors dispute.

The block war started Monday in Montclair, NJ, where the couple -- who shot this video -- say they told Permit Karen to leave their property when she had a meltdown over their right to install a stone patio in their backyard. That's how the woman, whose real name is Susan, earned the handle.

The couple says PK barged onto their property 3 times in 30 minutes, peppering them with questions about permits for the home improvement project ... and when she didn't get her way, they claim she called the cops with false allegations of an assault against her.

After the couple posted the video, a group of local youths organized a protest ... marching up and down the block and chanting outside Susan's home.

Other neighbors on the block, many of whom are white, are also giving Susan hell ... claiming she was trying "to put her black neighbors back in their place" by calling the police.

The couple claims Susan's been harassing them for 2 years, but called this week's incident an example of "white entitlement and black hate embodied."

We reached out to police in Montclair ... no word back, so far.

Stonewall Jackson's going the way of other Confederate leaders -- his statue in Richmond, VA has been toppled, but not by angry protesters ... the city took matters into its own hands.

Richmond's Mayor Levar Stoney ordered the immediate removal Wednesday of the statue honoring the Civil War general for the Confederation. Crews on the city's famed Monument Avenue took down Stonewall following weeks of unrest that saw protesters destroy or vandalize other Confederate statues.

A peaceful crowd gathered to take pics of Stonewall's monument getting the ol' heave-ho.

The Mayor reportedly bypassed a special meeting with the City Council to vote on a resolution calling for the statue's removal -- and just pulled the plug himself. He said it needed to come down as a matter of public safety.

There was concern the statues were a hazard as nationwide protests continued. The statue had been targeted by protesters who'd already the torn down the Jefferson Davis statue.

Jackson -- who wanted VA to remain in the Union but remained loyal when it seceded in April 1861 -- earned his nickname at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861. Legend has it he rushed troops forward to close a gap against a Union attack. A general is reported to have said, "Look, men, there is Jackson standing like a stone wall."

Well, his statue's no longer standing in his home state.

A British journalist reporting live from home got yanked back into the field of family life during her broadcast -- and it's freakin' adorable ... even if the anchor didn't think so.

Sky News' foreign affairs editor, Deborah Haynes, was live on the air Wednesday with presenter Mark Austin -- and they were talking shop about a new law across the pond that'll allow millions of people in Hong Kong to -- y'know what, let's just get to Deborah's cute kid.

Her young son -- who can't be more than 5 -- storms into the room she's doing her live shot from ... and saunters over to bring something of the utmost importance to her attention -- biscuits. Highest priority!!!

Deborah handled the situation as gracefully as she could, excusing herself from the chat for a moment to address her boy's pressing concerns ... namely, if he could have 3 biscuits.

She haggled and gave him the okay for 2 -- but by then, the camera had cut back to Mark in the studio and he was already moving on, seemingly irritated by the interruption. He kept it relatively chill too though, saying that's what happens when reporting amid a lockdown.

Of course, that phenomenon isn't specific to coronavirus or WFH, per se -- and the Brits oughta know that first-hand. This reminds us of another very famous/very funny kid-trusion a few years back that happened live on the BBC, before COVID-19 was running rampant.

American professor Robert Kelly was doing a live shot from home to dish on South Korean policy, when his own two young children sashayed into the room ... only to have his wife fly in after them and yank them out.

'Rona-truthers have infiltrated the Lone Star State -- here's a Texas woman melting down at a 7-Eleven over their mask policy ... only here, she left behind a gross remnant to mark her territory.

The woman is trying to buy a rack of Miller Lite -- but the front counter clerk won't let her check out because she's not wearing a face covering. She starts throwing a tantrum, and it's all downhill from there.

The guy points out the obvious ... she doesn't have a mask. She agrees, flabbergasted that he won't sell her the beer because of it. He stands firm though, saying it's the convenience store's policy to have one on while shopping, and that pisses her off even more.

The woman says the amount of time he's wasting is probably spreading more germs than if he would just let her purchase the booze and be on her way -- and his response is ... buy a mask here. The lady absolutely refuses to do so, starting to proclaim ... well, 'MURICA!!!

In the latter half of the video, the woman continues to escalate the situation ... outright spitting on the counter before storming out. The 7-Eleven guy keeps his cool throughout.

No word on whether this got to the point of getting cops involved, or if things ended here. In any case, it's another example of would-be freedom fighters pushing back with all their might against a simple policy that even some of Trump's closest allies are starting to follow.

The Jay Cutler Chicken Serial Killer Mystery of 2020 is officially SOLVED ... with the ex-NFL QB catching a beastly raccoon in the act!!!

As we previously reported ... Cutler had been dealing with an unknown menace that was ripping the heads off his beloved birds ... and he devoted his retirement life to saving his chickens.

The week-long saga took many twists and turns -- including traps and overnight stakeouts -- with pretty much the entire nation on the edge of its seat to figure out who the hell was offing the chickens.

But, Jay can now FINALLY get some sleep ... 'cause he's officially discovered the culprit -- A DAMN TRASH PANDA!!!

"All is well and happy to report it was a raccoon," Cutler said on IG Wednesday morning. "Which fits the evidence. Chicken heads were ripped off and bodies were left in the chicken yard."

"Gruesome stuff but the reality of the situation. Ladies are now safe and sound. We can all sleep well for a few nights."

So, is this the end of an era and we can all go back to worrying about bigger issues?? Yes ... at least, for now.

"Unfortunately I’m sure this raccoon has some family members."

"While this saga is sadly ending, I’m sure there will be more. Stay tuned..."

Terrifying moment from a pro gamer -- who was struck by ACTUAL LIGHTNING while streaming on Twitch ... and the video is intense.

27-year-old Jaime Bickford -- AKA Karma -- was commenting on a game of "Rocket League" on Sunday night when somehow she was hit by lightning during a storm in her area.

According to Bickford's bio, she lives in the Boston area.

During the stream, you can hear the storm rumbling, followed by Jaime shrieking in pain.

You can hear Jaime drop her controller and she begins to cry in pain.

A short time later ... she got back on the stream and provided an update.

"Sorry guys, I am a little bit upset right now. Lightning, apparently we’re having really bad thunderstorms here."

"Apparently, my house got hit or something and it went through my controller and shocked my hand. I’m completely fine. I’m just kinda ... I got scared and also my hand burns hurt a little bit."

Bickford even posted a photo of the melted controller.

She posted an update the following morning -- saying, "Hands healed up after being iced all last night and were very minor burns, controller is melted near USB connection where I got flashbanged or w/e ."

She added, "And I am COMPLETELY FINE. Thanks for the outpouring of love."

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.

Houston Texans WR Kenny Stills just revealed a new "Black Lives Matter" tattoo on his leg ... part of a bigger piece that tells the story of the Black struggle in America.

The tattoo starts on Kenny's hip and goes all the way down to his ankle -- featuring imagery from the recent BLM protests ... and other important moments in the Civil Rights movement.

Some of the protest signs tatted on Stills include, "Say Their Names" and "Stop Killing Us" ... mixed with iconic images including a protest sign from a school segregation protest.

28-year-old Stills -- one of the NFL players who continued to take a knee during the national anthem in 2019 -- added the new art to a previous tattoo which featured the mug shot of Congressman John Lewis, who was arrested in the 1960s for peacefully protesting segregation.

Below that image is the famous shot of a protester in Memphis holding a sign reading, "I Am A Man." The original photo was taken in 1968 by photographer Steve Schapiro.

The African-American mom who was refused a table at a Baltimore restaurant says she's taking the joint to court, because its apology's coming up short.

Marcia Grant and her 9-year-old son, Dallas, came on 'TMZ Live' Tuesday to announce a forthcoming lawsuit against Atlas Restaurant Group -- the company that controls Ouzo Bay, which discriminated against them over a dress code that wasn't evenly applied ... based on Marcia's video.

You'll recall, Marcia pointed out there was a white kid wearing an almost identical outfit to Dallas' ... but, for some reason, he'd been allowed entry. She told us her son never experienced blatant racism like that, not first-hand.

Dallas told us how the whole experience made him feel, and it's heartbreaking.

Marcia, and her attorney, Donte Mills, explained how Dallas has been affected, and how they're trying to make him understand ... he did nothing wrong.

In that same breath, Donte says it point-blank ... they're moving forward with a lawsuit against Atlas Restaurant Group.

Donte says ARG's apology simply doesn't cut it -- as it fails to fully acknowledge the wrong that was done ... something Marcia echoed to us last week. The writing was on the wall for legal action.

Mr. Mills makes another interesting point here -- saying this situation could've easily gone left if cops were called and things escalated. That's another thing they're trying to make clear with their suit.

Marcia tells us what Dallas is doing now in the aftermath -- and it sounds like he and some friends are planning to speak out about the injustice he suffered.

A woman in Texas launched a racist tirade against her Black boss after he fired her ... repeatedly calling him the n-word on camera.

The racist meltdown unfolded Monday inside the offices of Gibson Arnold & Associates, a staffing agency for the legal industry based in Houston.

Video shows the woman berating a Black manager seated in the middle of a room, calling him a "n****" and "motherf*****" and then trying to use the n-word to make a freestyle rap.

Gibson Arnold & Associates called the incident "horrific" and said ... "the man she is yelling at is one of our valued employees and a leader in our Houston office who was firing her."

The company says the woman was a temporary worker who was escorted out of the building immediately after ranting and making racist comments.

A melee broke out in Arkansas when one restaurant customer felt others were too close for comfort -- but they all got much closer while breaking bottles and punching each other.

This nasty fight went down at the Saltgrass Steak House in Little Rock, and the video shows four grown adults just going at it Saturday night. According to cops, tensions started rising when one patron complained about social distancing.

You can see her -- the complaining someone else had coughed on her.

Here's your scorecard ... based on the police report, obtained by TMZ: the black woman claims the white guy (in the USA shirt) and his friends were not staying 6-feet away from her ... and when she expressed her frustration, they started harassing her.

Now, in the report ... there are differing accounts of who started coughing purposely on people. At any rate, everyone agrees things escalated from there -- and in the video, you see the brawl really exploded when a Black guy at the bar turned around with a bottle or glass ... and smashed another guy in the head.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says our country has finally opened its eyes to racism and police brutality, and all the credit goes to one group ... folks who pounded the pavement.

AOC is in awe over the nationwide protests ... saying anyone who was actually taken aback by what's been going on for YEARS obviously comes from privilege -- but it's great they're finally awakened.

The congresswoman also gave mega props to protesters on the ground, because she says it was THEY who controlled the narrative. And, she says, protesters who spread the word on social media did their part, too.

She also says the very fact so many citizens protested for weeks on end -- and continue to do so to this day -- has put the spotlight on questions that otherwise might've been swept under the rug ... like police budgets, for example, and why they're so much bigger than budgets for education or housing.

AOC ends strong ... telling us voting is crucial, but someone's gotta give people a reason to hit the voting booths before election day too.

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.

Cops in Aurora, CO unleashed pepper spray at Elijah McClain's violin vigil for no good reason and their brutality was unprovoked ... according to a family attorney who saw it all unfold alongside Elijah's sisters.

Mari Newman, a lawyer for Elijah's family, tells TMZ ... she was at Saturday's musical vigil for Elijah -- who died while in custody of Aurora PD last year -- in City Center Park, where police used pepper spray and force to clear the area of protesters, a response she says was brutal, totally uncalled for and outrageous.

Newman, who was at the vigil with Elijah's 2 younger sisters, says protesters were chanting near the police station, but nothing was thrown at cops -- which runs counter to what police say -- and most people were just watching musicians play the violin ... Elijah's favorite instrument.

When police showed up in riot gear, Newman says they unleashed pepper spray, much to everyone's surprise and for no good reason, sending everyone running ... including her and her daughter, plus Elijah's sisters.

Newman says Elijah's sisters were upset and disappointed with the police response ... and she points out there were tons of children in the area when cops resorted to pepper spray.

Eventually, the demonstration was forced into a parking lot, where musicians continued to play violin and protesters broke out in song.