Coronavirus Texas Tech Student Bragging About COVID Infection ... Resigns from Sorority

UPDATE

10:05 AM PT -- 9/11 -- The woman who partied and bragged about having COVID-19 apparently belonged to the university's Alpha Phi sorority ... or at least she used to, 'cause a spokesperson for the sorority tells TMZ the student has resigned. The spokesperson said, "The behavior in that video is appalling. When chapter leadership learned of this member's behavior, the chapter immediately initiated judicial proceedings. The member has since chosen to resign outright."

UPDATE

The sorority says it will fully cooperate with university officials and will do all it can to support contact tracing to protect the other students. The sorority will also ensure those who were exposed are immediately quarantined. The spokesperson added, "We expect our members to do their part to minimize the spread of the coronavirus, and behavior like this will not be tolerated."

Colleges are having serious problems with the coronavirus -- Texas Tech says it's investigating a viral video showing a young woman at a house party flippantly admitting she has COVID-19.

In the video, which is spreading on social media, the woman says people at the shindig keep asking her if she has coronavirus and her response is alarming ... "Yes, I f**king have COVID, the whole f**king world has COVID."

The young lady then turns the camera around to show everyone drinking and partying near her without face coverings and suggests "all of these people have COVID."

The university's dean of students says they received a report and are aware of the video, and it's being investigated.

It's unclear if the woman in the video actually has COVID-19 or if she is enrolled at TTU. The Twitter account that posted the clip says some of the party people are Tech students.

Texas Tech says it has 612 active coronavirus cases as of Wednesday, including 571 cases involving students, and university president Lawrence Schovanec attributed the rise in positive cases to off-campus parties and social gatherings.

Didn't we all see this coming?!?

Originally Published -- 9/10 11:57 AM PT

Pet Abuse CEO Drags, Chokes, Slaps His Dog!!! Employer Launches Investigation

AUGUST 2020
THE HORRIBLE ABUSE
SWNS
UPDATE

6:28 AM PT -- Previte's own father, who happens to be his boss, finds the video troubling. TMZ spoke with Frank Previte -- founder and Executive Chairman of EBI Consulting -- and he says the company has launched an investigation and disciplinary action might be taken against Jeffrey.

UPDATE

Frank says he's already spoken to his son, but wouldn't reveal details of the conversation.

This jerk of a dog owner, who happens to be a CEO, went off on his pet inside his condo building, and the attack was all caught on surveillance video.

Jeffrey Previte, CEO of an environmental consulting firm in L.A., seemed to lose his mind as he snapped on the dog last month in a hallway of his Santa Monica building. The disturbing video shows Previte entering from a parking garage, and when the dog starts to pee ... Previte suddenly yanks it by the collar, then drags it outside before slapping and choking it.

The poor animal didn't retaliate against its owner's cruel behavior.

One of the building's front desk attendants heard the dog crying, and decided to review the surveillance footage. He told the Daily Mail, which first reported the story, he was horrified by what he saw ... and told Previte he would report the incident to management.

For his part, Previte says he doesn't think he did anything wrong, and certainly not anything illegal -- but he also claims the attendant who busted him tried to get money from him in exchange for keeping it quiet.

The attendant claims his manager didn't take his report about Previte seriously. However, building management told Daily Mail, "The apparent conduct of the unit owner was abhorrent and completely unacceptable. Building management stands behind our employee and we took swift action including contacting animal control and directing the resident to cease all contact with our employee."

Originally Published -- 4:30 AM PT

Disabled Rider Scolded by Jerk on Park Trail ... You're Breaking the Rules!!!

SHOW ME THE RULES
Facebook/ Tom Morris

An angry cyclist went off on a fellow rider when he spotted him using a motorized vehicle on a park trail, but mind you, that fellow rider is a disabled man using specialized equipment!!!

You have to see the cyclist's reaction to that crucial piece of information because it's just unbelievable. Once the berating started, the poor guy seemed baffled at why he was being verbally attacked. The pissed-off cyclist said e-bikes aren't allowed on the trail ... forcing the man to explain he can't walk and he's riding on handicap equipment.

The response he got is infuriating, and so is what the woman with the cyclist said. She actually remarked the disabled man "should have led with" the fact he can't walk. Here's the thing ... HE DID!!!

The angry cyclist finally allowed the rider to pass ... but didn't stop ranting.

BE KIND
Facebook/ Tom Morris

On a more positive note, the victim of that rant shared a message in response to the reaction his video's been getting since he posted it. He says he doesn't want the 2 bicyclists to be vilified -- and instead, hopes it teaches people to have more compassion, empathy and kindness.

Talk about going high when they go low.

Beirut Port Huge Fire Forces Panicked Fleeing Month After Deadly Blast

UP IN FLAMES
AP

No one in Beirut is taking a chance this time -- a massive fire is burning again in the city's port, immediately triggering large-scale evacuations ... coming just 5 weeks after that deadly explosion rocked the city.

The Lebanese army reportedly ordered the area evacuated Thursday and major roads leading to the port have been shut down after a huge fire engulfed what officials believe to be a tire warehouse. Although authorities said this blaze would NOT trigger another explosion, people aren't buying it, and video shows hundreds running like hell to get out of the area.

8/4/20
THE ENORMOUS BLAST

A reporter tweeted a video showing thick, black smoke filling the air and said, "Some of these buildings still don't have windows after the #BeirutBlast a month ago and now they are being engulfed by (likely poisonous) black smoke."

Just over a month ago, in this very same area of the port, 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate had been sitting unsecured for 6 years in a warehouse and exploded. The blast obliterated Beirut and killed more than 190 people and injured nearly 7,000 others.

The images that came following the deadly blast were horrific ... including video of a bride taking wedding pics and video moments before the blast.

Joe Exotic's Tiger Team Lands with Thick Pardon Request ... Delivering to Trump Today!!!

9/10/20
PARDON THE TIGER KING
TMZ.com

Joe Exotic's team has great timing -- or awful, depending on your perspective -- as they're handing his pardon request to President Trump on a day when there's A LOT going on in the Oval Office.

The Tiger Team leader, Eric Love, flew into D.C. Wednesday night with Joe's lawyers, packing a 257-page document he calls 4 months worth of hard work ... and he tells us it fully proves Joe's innocent.

As Eric says, this is the team's second major attempt to grab the President's attention ... but this time around they have more than a huge bus to persuade him to pardon Joe, and are even more optimistic about their pitch.

We asked him if going to the White House as the President's embroiled in controversy over his recorded convos with Bob Woodward was a good idea.  Eric thinks this timing could work in Joe's favor, and Trump's too.

As we first told you, Joe's 257-page case argues various reasons why he should be pardoned from his 22-year murder-for-hire sentence ... including a claim that he was sexually assaulted behind bars.

Love apparently has an in at the White House to deliver the goods, and he tells us Joe is so focused on the mission, he's even moved past hating on his rival Carole Baskin ... and wishes her well on "Dancing with the Stars."

That alone might demonstrate Joe's a changed man ... but that's for Trump to decide.

'KUWTK' Ending Family Decided It Was Time ... Better Branding On Social Media Accounts

"Keeping Up with the Kardashians" started as a savvy biz move and it's going out as one too -- the primary reason it's ending is all about extending the family empire.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... there are a number of reasons Kim, Kris and co. decided to close this chapter of their lives, but a major one had to do with the Kardashian brand getting way more play on social media outlets and through their personal businesses than on TV.

Fact is, the Kardashians used their series as a platform to plug themselves, their products, their businesses and anything else they saw fit to help them grow. But, as time went on and more people ditched cable TV ... the appeal of staying on the airwaves diminished.

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Frankly, our sources say social media has largely replaced what 'Keeping Up' once provided. And, that's easy to see in the numbers -- each of the Kardashian sisters has millions upon millions of followers, so their reach there far outweighs anyone still tuning in to E!.

Of course, we're told ratings played into the decision too -- yes, the numbers were down, but we're told that's also been chalked up to people watching in different ways these days, including streaming.

Despite reports they pulled the plug over money -- namely, that Kris allegedly sought upwards of $40 mil per season for a handful of more years -- we're told the actual reasons are much less cutthroat. It was just time to move on, and chase opportunities elsewhere.

Kim -- who is not-so-arguably the face of the show -- has also become busy over the years taking care of her kids, businesses and, most recently, privately working through the struggles in her marriage ... which included Kanye's mental health issues.

We're told not one person or incident specifically ended the show.

Speaking of moving on, our sources say the Kardashian clan is planning to stay off-camera for a while and enjoy themselves, while reassessing what might be next for them as a unit.

Keep your eyes peeled ... sounds like they're far from done making a splash in the entertainment world.

Univ. of Michigan-Dearborn Sorry About the Segregation ... In Student Virtual Cafes

The University of Michigan-Dearborn is apologizing for its "virtual cafes" that appeared to hearken back to the days of "Whites Only" signs in America ... claiming it was a serious snafu and it regrets the error.

Here's what happened -- the university's Center for Social Justice & Inclusion hosted a Zoom session Tuesday called a "Non-POC Cafe" for students who don't identify as people of color to "gather and to discuss their experience" living as non-POC in the world.

At the same time, it also hosted a virtual cafe for Black, Indigenous and POC students from marginalized communities to gather on Zoom to do the same thing.

Naturally, people were outraged and called UM-Dearborn out for allowing apparent segregation on campus, or at the very least ... promoting exclusionary virtual events without thinking of the repercussions.

The college is owning up to it and apologizing now, saying the way it described the virtual events was "not clear and not reflective of the university’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion."

As for the thought-process behind the dual "cafes," UM-Dearborn claims it meant well ... but simply missed the mark in its delivery.

It says ... "The original intent was to provide students from marginalized communities a space that allowed for them to exist freely without having to normalize their lives and experiences, while also providing students that do not identify as persons of color the opportunity to deepen their understanding of race and racism without harming or relying on students of color to educate them."

Each session had a staff member as a facilitator and we're told a total of 8 students participated.

The school's making it clear that these virtual events are open to all members of UM-Dearborn campus community ... so maybe attendance -- and reception -- will improve next time.

Masshole Knockout Trumper Clashes w/ BLM Protester ... Left Laid Out on Ground

FLYING FISTS

More clashing between apparent Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters -- and, per usual, more of the former being left on their asses after taking a whooping.

This fistfight went down Friday at a demonstration in Pittsfield, MA -- where BLM protesters were facing off with what appear to be Trump supporters ... which led to these two fellas going at it. You see the one dude in red -- who seems to have stumbled out of the Trump crowd -- start to square up with the younger guy in a BLM-emblazoned shirt.

They throw a few punches, which mostly miss at first, but eventually ... the more spry of the two lands a hit that takes the Trump-er down, and hard. He hits the pavement and lays motionless on the ground as the other guy walks away. Looks like a clean knockout.

Pittsfield PD tells us they're investigating this further, adding an off-duty cop who was nearby arrived on the scene quickly. The man who took the punch was more or less okay.

We're told he was taken to a hospital with minor injures -- per reports, he was supposedly alert and conscious at the time. The police haven't yet made any arrests.

We've been seeing these scuffles all over the country lately, and it looks like they ain't slowing down anytime soon.

Snake vs. 'Snake' Python Bites Man's Penis ... While He Sat on Toilet!!!

An 18-year-old man in Thailand is going to think long and hard the next time he needs to sit on the can ... after a 4-foot long snake chomped onto his penis!!!

Siraphop Masukarat went through the ordeal Tuesday night in a town outside Bangkok, Thailand ... moments after he sat down on the toilet. He says he suddenly felt tremendous pain as the non-venomous python took a bite of his python.

Not shockingly, Siraphop jumped up and ran for his life with his pants around his ankles -- and luckily, the snake let go, but it left a seriously bloody mess.

DANGER DOWN THE DRAIN
Newsflare

The young man said as soon as the snake let go, blood sprayed everywhere. His mom tried to calm him until paramedics arrived, and took him to a hospital. He needed 3 stitches on the tip of his ... dear God ... you get the picture.

Back at the house, animal handlers were called in to retrieve the snake, which was still in the toilet. It was captured and released ... sorta like poor Siraphop.

So, remember ... don't sleep outside to avoid snakes climbing down your throat and always check the toilet bowl to avoid this poor Thai man's fate. Unless you're the "Snakes on a Plane" guy and throw all caution to the wind.

Jelly Belly Founder Starts Wonka-Like Treasure Hunt ... Co. Clarifies Affiliation

THE CANDY MAN CAN
TMZ.com
UPDATE

10:08 AM PT -- 9/9 -- Jelly Belly is officially drawing a line in the sand between themselves and David Klein, who's offering up a candy factory as the grand prize for a Wonka-like contest.

UPDATE

The company says, "Due to confusion in the marketplace, Jelly Belly Candy Company would like to take this opportunity to clear up the misconception that it is involved with a contest that purportedly offers a candy factory as its grand prize."

UPDATE

JB goes on to say that the business is family owned and operated, and that Klein simply came up with the name "Jelly Belly" years ago, among other marketing ideas. He hasn't been involved with the company since at least the '80s. Take note, treasure hunters.

The guy who helped invent Jelly Belly jelly beans is going full Gene Wilder in these dark times -- promising to give one lucky person their own candy factory if they play his game.

David Klein has kicked off a Willy Wonka-esque treasure hunt that's open to anyone in these 50 states, and he's got the ultimate grand prize ... a professional shop to churn out treats.

Klein explained some of the parameters of the contest Tuesday on "TMZ Live" where he also said that whoever wins the whole enchilada -- one of his actual operating candy factories -- will also get candy-making lessons in a university setting ... plus, his own expertise in running the biz.

There's one catch ... in order to play, ya gotta pay $50 and you're automatically entered into the ultimate factory lottery. As for the hunt itself, yes, there is a "gold ticket" component involved, and if you find it in your state ... you'll win $5,000 guaranteed.

The details are probably best explained by DK himself from the site he launched just for this new venture.

As for why he's doing it, Dave says it's his way of helping people get their minds off all the turmoil in the country.

Sure, we'll take a little sugar high for now. Why not?!

Originally Published -- 9/8/20 11:37 AM PT

'Golden Girls' All-Star Black Cast Reboot Table Read ... With BEST Theme Remix, Ever!!!

It's one thing to bring back "The Golden Girls" for a reboot with superstars Regina King, Tracee Ellis Ross, Sanaa Lathan and Alfre Woodard -- but the table read event went over the top with its version of "Thank You for Being a Friend."

The first episode of "Zoom Where it Happens" aired last night and featured the award-winning cast doing a live table read of the 'GG' episode entitled "Flu" -- and the women got an awesome intro from Aaron Scott.

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The viral video sensation added some serious soul to the show's classic theme song that you really gotta see and hear.

Aaron's gospel-tinged remix went viral back in 2016, and it was popularized again recently by TikTok. It obviously struck a note with the producers of the 'Golden Girls' reboot.

The new event was presented to "raise awareness, intention, and activation around voting rights." Mission accomplished, we're guessing, because fans raved about the show ... and are already clamoring for another episode.

When, and if they do, we know who'll be doing the theme.

Trayvon Martin & Ahmaud Arbery Families Thank Naomi Osaka ... For U.S. Open Tributes

Powerful videos from the families of Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin -- who thanked Naomi Osaka for her COVID mask tributes at the U.S. Open.

Osaka has been wearing a different name of a violence victim on her face coverings every day of the tournament in NYC ... hoping to bring awareness to Breonna Taylor, Arbery, Martin and others.

And, after her match on Tuesday -- ESPN surprised her with thank you video messages from the families of two of her mask honorees.

In the first, Martin's mom, Sybrina Fulton, praised the 22-year-old tennis player for her tributes ... saying, "We thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

In the second, Arbery's father, Marcus Arbery Sr., added ... "I just want to tell you thank you for the support on my family. And God bless you for what you're doing."

Osaka initially kept her cool on the set while the videos played ... but she admits she broke down in private after viewing them again.

"I often wonder if what I’m doing is resonating and reaching as many people as I hope," Osaka said. "That being said, I tried to hold it in on set but after watching these back I cried so much."

"The strength and the character both of these parents have is beyond me. Love you both, thank you."

In total, Osaka has displayed five masks tributes at the U.S. Open this week ... featuring the names of Taylor, Arbery, Martin, George Floyd and Elijah McClain.

She says she still has others planned for the rest of the tournament as well.

As we previously reported ... Osaka has been one of the most outspoken athletes when it comes to the fight for social justice -- she famously boycotted a match at a tournament 2 weeks ago in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting.

Travis Scott McBUMRUSH ... Mayhem at Mickey D's

8/8/2020
McMOBBED

Travis Scott made a McDonald's look like one of his concerts ... he got mobbed by a huge throng of fans waiting in line to get his new fast food combo meal.

The rapper stopped by a Mickey D's in Downey, CA Tuesday to celebrate the release of the Travis Scott Meal, and ya gotta see the video -- people went absolutely bonkers.

Travis left his red sports car and grabbed a McDonald's employee's shirt on his way over to the huge line of people, but folks broke past the barricades and swarmed ... sending TS running for cover.

In a split second, social distancing and mask-wearing went out the window ... and all Travis did was show up and show love.

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Maybe Cactus Jack's combo meal can calm these folks down ... it comes with a Quarter Pounder with cheese topped with bacon and lettuce, plus medium fries with barbecue dipping sauce and a Sprite.

BTW ... Travis is the first celeb to get his name on a McDonald's meal since Michael Jordan and the McJordan burger way back in 1992 ... no wonder fans are making such a big fuss.

American Airlines Bans Woman After 'Mask Nazi' Note ... NO FLIGHTS FOR YOU!!!

A woman had the audacity to call an American Airlines flight attendant a "mask nazi" -- and several other choice phrases -- after she was asked to properly wear her face mask, and now she's been banned for life.

American Airlines banned the passenger after she handed the note to the flight attendant while deplaning. She was pissed about the flight attendant asking her to wear her face mask over her nose. That simple request was apparently too much for her and prompted her to scrawl an angry note on the "WASTE" bag in her seat pocket.

The note reads, in part, "You mean s**t in life. You are nothing but a glorified maid who needs to jump down off her high horse and learn how to speak to ppl. Nobody cares about your stupid seat policies or your nose issues. We pay your salary and your attitude is unnecessary."

The angry passenger added, "The very fact that we have to listen & kowtow to a nobody who does s**t except collect our trash and serve crappy food makes me absolutely ill. You are a mask nazi and a 4 eyed c**t and if it wasn’t for this job, you would be cleaning motel rooms for $2 tips and meth."

There's a lot more in the note ... check it out. The woman signed it, "a person who hates your guts." Super clever.

The incident apparently went down last week, and an American Airlines spokesperson tells TMZ it's investigating the offensive and derogatory note. The airline says it's already suspended the customer's ability to travel on its planes.

The spokesperson says, "Our flight attendants are professionals who play a critical role in ensuring the health and safety of our passengers, and we will not tolerate mistreatment of them."

Sin City Swinging Fight Breaks Out on the Strip ... Alleged Racist Shows Tat

KNOCKED OUT IN VEGAS
Jaycantseewell / Twitter

An alleged racist who flashed a provocative tattoo to a group of Latino men paid for it dearly within seconds ... getting the beat-down of his life.

Check out this brawl that went down in Vegas after a white man came face-to-face with a group of guys, one of whom accuses him of being a racist. It's unclear what exactly sparked the confrontation or the racism allegation ... but it looks like whatever was on his chest did it.

In any case, the fight is pretty crazy ... you see the white guy in question lift up his shirt to show off the ink on his chest -- hard to make out exactly what it says. It definitely offended the guys he was facing off against, 'cause one of them says, "You a racist, motherf***er?!"

That's when the punches start flying, and there even seems to be a very young man who gets in on the action to defending the white guy -- but he paid the price too, getting tossed down and punched.

In the end the white guy and his ally appeared to be laid out cold.

We've reached out to LVMPD to see if officers responded to this -- but on the face of it, this appears to be a simple case of ... someone talking smack and getting whooped on in public.

Vegas, baby.

Elderly 'Karen' Mad & Racist Over Sidewalk Chalk ... Husband Can't Get Her to Leave!!!

TOO MUCH TO HANDLE

Being a "Karen" has no expiration date, because an old woman proved she could play the role with the best worst of them when she freaked out over kids using sidewalk chalk and made a racist comment toward their father.

The unlucky dad shared video of his contentious encounter with the angry lady and her husband, which seems to have gone down this weekend in California.

It starts with elderly "Karen" -- who has barged into the father's garage -- shouting "You son of a bitch!" at him after he tells the couple to report him to the homeowner's association where they live.

Sounds like she must be pissed about something egregious right? Nope ... turns out, it's all over the guy's children using sidewalk chalk on what he says is a public street within their complex.

Regardless, the old woman -- sounds like her real name is Caroline -- is incensed ... so much that her husband can't get her to walk away without further incident.

That's too bad, because the "Karen" decides to make a racist comment about the dad having "slanted eyes" and questions whether he really lives there and is married to the mother of the kids.

After another couple minutes of jawing at the father and threatening to make his kids clean up the chalk, the guy insists they get the hell out of his garage ... but "Karen" gets in one last kick.

The man claims he finally had to brandish a knife to get the husband to escort his old lady out.

He also claims there are no rules with his HOA about sidewalk chalk.

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