You Might Want to Rethink

The Cleveland Indians changing their name will prevent Native Americans from taking their own lives -- this according to leaders in the community, who insist there's a connection.

Suicide is an enormous problem among Native Americans -- it's the 2nd leading cause of death, and is especially dire among the young.

As for why the name of a baseball team affects the suicide rate -- when Native Americans see non-Natives wearing sacred headdresses and mocking their people with mascots, names, antics, etc. -- it screws with their heads in a big way ... so says Prairie Bighorn-Blount, Executive Director of the American Indigenous Business Leaders. This, we're told, profoundly diminishes self-esteem as well as pride, and can create a severe identity crisis.

There's actual, hard proof to back this up ... namely a study of 600 Native Americans, the overwhelming majority saying they were highly offended by pro sports teams using nicknames related to Native Americans.

The groups we spoke with are thrilled Cleveland's changing its name, but they won't be satisfied until other teams follow. They're talkin' to you, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Blackhawks.

Taylor Swift can admit it ... she went too far with plotting and planting "Easter eggs," and that's why she's now debunking another huge fan theory.

The pop star was on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Monday, and they chopped it up about her new surprise album, "Evermore" -- her second drop of 2020 -- and got into the fervent speculation that she's planning to squeeze in one more album before Jan. 1.

Taylor copped to it ... there is nothing else coming out from her on the music front. She tells Jimmy she's exhausted and doesn't have anything else in the tank for this year, but she understands why fans thought there was another one coming.

TS said, yes ... she did leave a hidden word in the cover art for "Folklore" -- it reads "woodvale" -- and that led fans to believe Tay was trying to tell them something. Watch ... she breaks down the hilarious screw-up/misunderstanding.

As we reported ... the fan theory that Taylor named one of her new songs, "Dorothea," after Gigi Hadid's baby was also not true. So yeah, not everything's as it seems with her, y'all.

Taylor Swift did NOT name a song after Gigi Hadid's baby, despite the former's fans thinking she'd revealed the secret with a bunch of clues ... which turn out to just be lyrics.

Sources connected to the supermodel new mom tell TMZ ... no. Gigi and Zayn's baby girl's name isn't Dorothea -- which is a song on Taylor's new album, "Evermore." That was the hot fan theory turned-rumor over the weekend, but we're told Swifties are connecting dots that aren't there.

The theory is long and complicated, but we'll simplify it for you. Basically, people noticed Gigi, an old friend of Taylor's, posted some throwback photos recently of her pregnancy, and mentioned the word "August" in her caption.

"August" also happens to be track #8 on Taylor's album, "Folklore." Fans then made a big leap, and noted track #8 on "Evermore," is "Dorothea."

Sooo ... Gigi's kid must be named Dorothea, right???

Here's where we burst that bubble -- we're here to tell you, our sources say Gigi only mentioned August because that was the month the photo was taken. She gave birth a month later, BTW, and has shown the baby's head, but still won't reveal the name.

Another big reason people thought Taylor was dropping Gigi hints is because she actually did reveal Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively's latest daughter's name through her music -- the girl's name is Betty, and Taylor alluded to that in a track by the same name on "Folklore."

In that case, it was much more obvious what she was doing -- Taylor also mentioned Ryan's other 2 kids' names in the song, so kind of a no-brainer -- but in this case ... we're told there's nothing there as it relates to Gigi and her baby. Fans are just reaching.

While Taylor does have some Easter eggs in her music, no doubt, people have mistakenly gone down nonexistent rabbit holes before ... as we've recently reported. As for Gigi's baby's actual name -- we're not hearing a damn thing other than that it'll come out in time.

The COVID vaccines aren't convincing this guy to put on a face covering and ride out the storm -- instead, he climbed a Costco clothing rack armed with a megaphone and let 'er rip.

This rant heard round the wholesaler went down Sunday in Tustin, CA ... and the guy taking the stand against face masks was greeted with a mix of fist bumps and haters.

During his moment in the spotlight, he spewed dubious claims about the CDC, masks and the virus ... all while standing in the middle of a display full of clothing. Call it his Kirkland Signature pulpit.

Some Costco shoppers showed support, apparently picking and choosing when to listen to science ... since they opted for fist bumps instead of handshakes. Others tried to stop the madness, but most remained focused on their shopping lists.

Seems Costco is a popular place for anti-makers to give their 2 cents -- we've seen similar scenes play out across the country, like this wise guy in Colorado.

People battling addiction or other health issues in need of a strong support system are mostly getting the short end of the stick during the pandemic ... so says Dr. Phil.

We spoke to the good doc Monday on "TMZ Live" and revisited a topic we'd discussed with him and others during the early stages of lockdowns -- the well-being of folks in AA, NA and other support groups as they have to navigate quarantining solo.

Phil was worried about this early on and tells us a lot of those fears have manifested as relapse rates and drug/substance usage is noticeably up throughout the U.S. Basically, Phil says virtual meetings lack a lot of factors that make in-person meetings so effective.

While he does note some upsides to being able to partake in support groups online -- like a greater degree of anonymity, and more options of where to drop in for a meeting -- he says the list of cons outweigh the pros.

Dr. Phil adds ... one of the issues for virtual support groups is Zoom-bombing -- essentially, hackers dropping in on chats they have no place being. That makes many people apprehensive because they can't see everyone in the room.

The Cleveland Indians are reportedly going the way of the Washington Football Team -- they're finally changing their team name, although it's unclear what it will be.

The NYT reports an announcement from the team is expected sometime this week, and the news is they're dropping the "Indians" name -- which they've had since 1915 -- and will start a process of adopting something new.

Thing is ... the report says they'll probably keep their current name for the 2021 season, and officially lose it for 2022 -- all while engaging the public about an appropriate alternative. In the interim, the team is reportedly considering going by the Cleveland Baseball Team.

As for the famous logo of a Native American -- known as Chief Wahoo -- that image was retired a couple years back, and the team adopted a letter "C" as their new official symbol.

The move to drop "Indians" is a long time coming -- similar to how Washington dropped "Redskins" not too long ago. There's been mounting pressure for years from the Native American community, as many found the caricatures/nicknames downright degrading.

Some Cleveland fans love the original name -- but it's clear the team's management and ownership feel it's time to get with the times, and stop exploiting indigenous groups.

Lottie Moss' joke she and her friends are super-spreading COVID-19 -- which they illustrated on camera -- didn't score any laughs, and now she's apologizing.

The model, Kate Moss' younger sister, posted an apology Monday, saying she screwed up by partaking in what she thought was care-free goofing with some of her girlfriends in London. Lottie and co. pretended to make out and openly called themselves super-spreaders.

Naturally, that pissed of a lot of people, who called her out for taking the pandemic lightly.

In her mea culpa post, Lottie said ... "I just wanted to come on here and say I am so sorry for saying I was a super spreader." She explains someone on the live feed made the comment and that she repeated it without thinking, but emphasizes she's not a super-spreader and does not condone anyone spreading a virus as deadly as this one as haphazardly as she did on camera.

She continues, "I was out for dinner with 4 friends 3 of which are in the same household and under the government guidelines - as I live alone - I am allowed a support bubble of 4."

Lottie goes on to sincerely apologize for the insensitive joke, while mentioning that she sometimes forgets she's a public figure who's gotta watch her actions. The 22-year-old model adds, "I am still young and dumb and learning."

A gym owner in New Jersey seems to be daring the governor and local authorities to come at him (bro) -- saying he's gotten over a million bucks in fines for staying open ... something he says he'll continue to do no matter what.

The guy's name is Ian Smith, co-owner of Atilis Gym in Bellmawr -- where he and his partners have been fully opening their doors to the public ... despite state mandates that limit the number of people in gyms and mandatory mask-wearing. He's enforced none of it.

His defiance has been an ongoing saga over the past several months of the pandemic -- but a new video Smith released might as well be a clear line in the sand he's drawing.

Check it out ... it's him in the middle of his packed gym -- where no face coverings can be seen -- and he's going through typed-out cue cards that lay out what's been going on there. He says the gym has over a million dollars in fines ($1.2 mil to be specific) and the township continues to fine him around $15k a day every day he breaks the rules.

Smith also writes that he and his partners have even been arrested for flouting the regulations -- but adds ... he simply doesn't care, and will keep on keepin' on.

He then takes aim at Gov. Phil Murphy ... saying he'll probably see this video and fine him again, but watch -- Smith is calling him out, because he makes it seem like the fines are meaningless and anything short of forcibly locking the place up with chains won't stop him.

It poses a very real and serious question -- how much authority do local governments and state governments have in getting their citizens to comply, and what do you do when even a MILLION DOLLARS isn't enough to sway someone to act right??? It's a tricky predicament.

An Amazon driver making deliveries parked his van in the middle of the road, and then got confronted by people who were held up behind him ... but a key piece of information is missing to direct the outrage here.

Check out this intense clip of an Amazon driver in Virginia getting into an argument with another fella who got out of his own vehicle to tell him to move his car and park it in space along the sidewalk ... and recording part of the encounter at the same time.

The video starts right in the heat of the moment -- the guy filming tells the driver to move his van, or he'll move it for him ... because him parking in the middle of a narrow street has caused a massive traffic jam of several vehicles, who were all trying to get a move on.

The Amazon driver holds his ground, saying he's going to carry out his job duty and deliver the packages at the house right next to them -- and then only after that would he move. He basically says they're gonna have to wait, which pisses off the camera man like no other.

For starters, there's no context or insight to the video as to how long the Amazon driver had been parked out there in the road like that. If it was just a few seconds, then the people who got out to make a fuss about it are clearly in the wrong and overreacting.

If, however, the driver had been perched for a while ... it's reasonable for folks to start getting impatient and demand he move. There's really no way of telling for sure from this.

The bigger question, perhaps, is whether this is in line with the Amazon driver policy -- namely, are they instructed to park in the middle of the road like this, or are they told to try and find a parking space if available to avoid these types of situations?

We've all seen delivery trucks from different shipping companies double park or sometimes just sit in the middle of the road -- but it's unclear if that's the official directive from said companies, or something drivers started doing on their own over the years.

Offset says he is not planning to get vaccinated for coronavirus -- and his reasoning all boils down to trust and fairness.

We spoke to the Migos rapper Saturday in Bev Hills, and straight up asked if he'd take the COVID vaccine ... which is on the verge of being distributed to the first group in the coming days.  He's blunt and to the point -- he's planning on passing.

Offset mentions a viral photo that's been making the rounds ... showing a few people with their faces frozen in a distorted position, with their mouths slightly open.

The photos were supposedly taken of a few volunteers who were inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine.  The online chatter -- these were some of the side effects. The word from Scientists -- the side effects are generally mild, flu-like symptoms.

The FDA DID acknowledge 4 Pfizer volunteers were struck with a bout of Bell's Palsy -- but the government agency notes there was no way to conclusively link the vaccine to the development of their temporary facial paralysis. Still, people got freaked out.

Same goes for Offset -- who tells us that he simply doesn't trust the government (for the most part) and that even Barack Obama being willing to get vaccinated on video isn't enough to sway him. Offset then pivoted to a different train of thought.

Check it out ... he starts talking about how celebs and politicians get special treatment when it comes COVID therapeutics and medical treatment -- and he wouldn't feel right getting vaccinated ASAP knowing there are others just as deserving who get lesser treatment.

He also talks about the fact that the government at large hasn't done enough for the Black community to convince him they have his and his people's best interest at heart. What he touches on here is a huge problem too, BTW -- only 40% or so of the African-American community say they'll take the vaccine, and even less (14%) say they trust it.

That probably stems from several things, not the least of which includes the Tuskegee experiments, in which 600 Black men were shockingly deceived and mistreated.

It's a complex and pervasive issue in the community -- a view people in power are trying to reverse. It's also why Dr. Tony Fauci recently made a point to say the vaccine was developed, in part, by a Black woman.

Snoop Dogg thinks Cardi B needs to rein it in a little when it comes to talking about and showing off her lady parts -- which has a lot of people scratching their heads.

The legendary rapper -- who's no stranger to getting raunchy -- sat down for a virtual interview recently with Central Ave and gave his honest thoughts about Cardi's hit song 'WAP,' which he says is a bit much on the explicit front ... and not a good look.

He says Cardi should "slow down" when discussing her privates, because he feels like a woman's vagina is something that should be cherished and kept secret for whoever's fortunate enough to encounter it. He says he'd like to see more privacy and intimacy, and 'WAP' pretty much epitomizes the exact opposite of that ... in his eyes.

Of course, folks were quick to jump on Snoop and call him out for what seems like hypocrisy -- seeing how he's made a career rapping about women and sex, and sometimes in very explicit terms.

Not to worry, because that irony was not lost on Snoop in his chat -- he acknowledged that if he was a younger man, he'd probably be all about it ... and might even hop on the 'WAP' remix. With that said, he notes that he's just older and sees things differently now.

Snoop mentioned having a daughter changing his perspective on life, but in the same breath ... he says she's "of this generation," so he tries not to flex too much.

Oh, the times ... they are a-changin', Snoop.

What happens in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas for this one -- a guy climbed onto an airplane wing, and bopped his head after a hard fall ... only to be met with handcuffs down below.

This went down Saturday at McCarran Airport, where an Alaska Airlines flight that was set to take off for Portland got an unwelcome visitor that prevented it from taking off. It was this dude, who's said to have come out of nowhere -- but somehow made his way onto the wing.

People were amused at first, snapping photos of the guy as he sat out there awkwardly. Eventually cops were called and tried intercepting the guy -- but it was tricky, as officers had to scale the plane themselves and get out there on the wing with him.

The man did not want to go quietly, as you can see ... he avoided the cops and went out even further on the wing tip. Then, he removed his socks and shoes -- tossing them on the runway -- and proceeded to try and clip what little wing there was left to grab.

Long story short ... it didn't end well for this fella. He lost his grip and then tumbled down to the ground, where he hit his head first and then fell limp like a rag doll. Cops didn't hestitate though -- they pounced on him and threw on the cuffs. Reports say he was arrested.

The Las Vegas Metro Police Department also says they believe the guy hopped over a perimeter fence at McCarran and ran rampant onto the grounds. They said he might have mental issues too.

Ashanti and Keyshia Cole may not face off with a hit-for-hit throw-down after all -- because the former says she's contracted COVID-19 ... but not all hope is lost just yet.

Ashanti announced Saturday that she's got the coronavirus, taking to IG to write ... "Hey y'all I can't believe I'm saying this but I tested positive for COVID-19. I'm ok and not in any pain." Then ... a sliver of hope for fans who were dying to see her on Verzuz.

She says, "I'm actually down to do the verzuz from my house... we're trying to figure it all out!!! No word from Keyshia yet on that front, but if they could salvage the battle and still move forward ... that'd be pretty incredible, as people have been waiting on this for weeks.

Since the announcement that Keyshia and Ashanti would be the next artists to be featured in a Verzuz, the show was getting major pub and attention ... as it might be the most highly-anticipated one to date. Up until now, there haven't been too many females featured on Verzuz -- and the fan base has been clamoring for these two R&B titans to go at it.

Many note that the two women have hits for DAYS, and were eager to see who could crank out more ... and which ones would resonate with people more.

The show was supposed to get started later this evening -- at the moment, it's unclear if it'll get canceled, postponed ... or if it'll proceed. Assuming Ashanti's okay and quarantined in her house, you gotta wonder ... why the hell not???

Joe Biden's wife, Jill Biden, should stop insisting on people calling her "Dr." because her doctorate is meaningless ... so argues a writer, who's getting destroyed over his hot take.

Essayist Joseph Epstein penned a bizarre piece for the Wall Street Journal this weekend that's being called sexist, misogynistic, belittling ... and every other name in the book -- and rightly so, because he publicly asks the future First Lady to "drop the doc."

The op-ed is titled "Is There a Doctor in the White House? Not if You Need an M.D." -- and his opening graph is a doozy (in a bad way). Epstein writes, "Madame First Lady -- Mrs. Biden -- Jill -- kiddo: a bit of advice on what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter. Any chance you might drop the “Dr.” before your name?"

He goes on ... "'Dr. Jill Biden' sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic. Your degree is, I believe, an Ed.D., a doctor of education, earned at the University of Delaware through a dissertation with the unpromising title 'Student Retention at the Community College Level: Meeting Students’ Needs.'"

Then the proverbial dagger ... "A wise man once said that no one should call himself 'Dr.' unless he has delivered a child. Think about it, Dr. Jill, and forthwith drop the doc."

Epstein goes on to lay out a theory that folks who get their PhDs and other doctoral degrees in the humanities or social sciences -- and then tack on the "Dr." before their names in correspondence thereafter -- are considered "bush league" in contemporary university circles ... at least from what he's heard.

Not only that, but JE says getting a doctorate degree these days just isn't as hard as it once was -- and, therefore, isn't nearly as prestigious, despite still being hailed as a high achievement. To him, it's pretty darn easy, especially if it's outside the science realm.

He ends his diatribe by saying, "As for your Ed.D., Madame First Lady, hard-earned though it may have been, please consider stowing it, at least in public, at least for now. Forget the small thrill of being Dr. Jill, and settle for the larger thrill of living for the next four years in the best public housing in the world as First Lady Jill Biden."

Tommy 'Tiny' Lister's condition in the days before his demise was alarming -- but the guy was confident he'd be taken care of by the man upstairs.

Actor/rapper Chris La Vrar tells TMZ ... he was with Tiny Monday at the 'Friday' star's Marina del Rey home, where Tiny was recording a live stream video session with fans and fielding questions for a Q&A. Part of the convo was posted on social media -- and while you can see Tiny was not well here ... Chris says it was much worse up close in-person.

In the video, you see Tiny struggling to speak and breathe ... much like he had during his interview with Brandon Jay. Only difference here is that Tiny kinda nods off at various points, and his energy and focus are low compared to the rest of the chat room.

Good sport that he was, he did his best to engage with fans as best he could -- but Chris tells us that behind the scenes ... Tiny was startling him. He says the man was coughing nonstop, and when Chris asked if he was okay, 'Tiny' told him he was fine.

We're told Chris pressed to see if he felt like he needed to go to a doctor -- as Chris believed he did -- and Tiny responded ... "No, God's got me." Chris let it go.

BTW, as we reported, Tiny apparently contracted COVID 4 months ago, like many suspected -- Chris tells us it was confirmed, but Tiny believed he'd beaten it and gotten past the symptoms. As we can now see, that was not the case. After hanging out with Tiny for a couple hours and subsequently learning of his death days later -- we're told Chris is now concerned he might have COVID and plans to get tested ASAP.

Huge. Scary. Terrifying. Take your pick ... they all apply for the wave you're about to see -- and yet, surfer Peter Mel totally owned this insane wall of water!!!

Surfers flocked this week to Mavericks -- the big wave mecca in Northern California -- for what many of them called the best conditions in years, and this footage backs that up.

No jet ski tow-in for Peter, who fearlessly (we think) paddled in and bombed down a wave witnesses estimated to be at around 50 feet high. You gotta watch how it unfolded -- to an amateur's eye it didn't look good for him halfway through, and "not good" at Mavericks can mean broken bones or worse.

Dude's got a brass pair though, because he positioned himself perfectly for the "ride of the day" ... according to other surfers who watched in amazement.

Peter, an OG at Mavericks, tells TMZ Sports it was the "best feeling" wave he's ever caught in his 29 years surfing there. He says he knew it was something special when he heard cheers from family, friends and fellow surfers.

Let's be honest ... just surviving a wave like that makes it plenty special.

Veteran photog Bo Bridges had a front-row seat for Peter's epic ride, capturing it from start to finish, and check out his office for the day. Watching from a dingy like that looks only slightly safer than surfing the waves.