You Might Want to Rethink

Silento's so famous he needed to drive 143 MPH to lose 10 cars following him after leaving the club ... at least that's what cops claim the rapper told them when they busted him.

The "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" rapper was arrested Friday around 3 AM in DeKalb, County Georgia after cops claim they clocked his 2020 BMW X3 sports SUV doing 143 MPH on Interstate-85, which is a 65 MPH zone.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops say they observed the car slowing down, changing lanes and swerving before pulling it over. Cops say when they approached the SUV, Silento rolled down the window, handed the cop his driver's license and said, "We ain't do nothing wrong."

The cop begged to differ ... telling the rapper his radar gun clocked him driving at dangerous speeds. Cops say when they asked him why he was driving so fast, Silento pulled the famous card and said "people be following me everywhere I go."

And, get this ... cops say Silento -- who said he'd just left a club where he was promoting his new track, "DXB Money" -- claimed he had the right to drive at those speeds and justified it this way -- "If there is like 10 cars following me, I can do 143 because I am not a regular person."

That answer apparently didn't fly with cops ... who arrested Silento for 1 count of exceeding speed limit, 1 count failure to maintain lane, 1 count of reckless driving and 1 count of improper stopping. He was taken to DeKalb County Jail.

The deadly hornets nest discovered in Washington is no more -- because some badass wildlife experts suited up and got rid of the damn thing ... with some crazy equipment in hand.

A group of scientists and entomologists working for the Washington State Department of Agriculture's Pest Program got up early Saturday morning and headed out to where the nest was recently found at a residential area in Blaine, WA -- right near the Canadian border.

The team was up and at 'em before the sun was even out, and it was all strategic ... they wanted to sneak up on the tree where the murder hornets had burrowed themselves inside and suck them out using some sort of a vacuum, catching the hive by surprise.

There was more to it than just that though -- apparently, they flooded the trunk of the tree with a paralyzing foam, wrapped a good portion of it in plastic to contain them even further ... and then got to the business of sucking them down and in different tubes, which they later showed off to the cameras that were standing by for the mission. It's pretty neat.

The hornets that were killed are said to be going "on ice" for further study -- but rest assured, they're not active anymore and pose no threat. The WSDA deemed the task a success, so it sounds like they got all of those buggers in one shot. Remember, there were dozens spotted entering and exiting the tree ... a hornets nest is said to be able to house up to 200 at a time. That explains the abundance of protective gear ... definitely necessary.

The nest sighting comes a few months after reports of the first Asian murder hornets here in the U.S. sent folks into a panic ... this as coronavirus pandemic was just getting underway. Since then, scientists have done a great job at tracking them -- and now, killing them too.

President Trump's claim wind "kills all the birds" is a bunch of hot air ... according to one of the country's largest bird conservation orgs. which says Trump's the real danger.

Trump raised eyebrows, and drew a laugh from Joe Biden, during Thursday's debate, when he declared wind-powered energy kills birds.

Kevin Fahey, the vice president for the Kern Audubon Society, isn't laughing though ... he says Trump's claim couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, he insists POTUS could care less about birds, because he's done lots of things to threaten their existence.

The organization says the biggest danger to birds is not windmills or wind-powered energy, as Trump would have you believe ... instead, we're told global climate change is the real grim reaper, and the best solutions for that existential threat are solar and wind power.

Kevin thinks Trump's not concerned with bird safety ... he says the comments are more likely about Trump's dislike for an alternative -- nonfossil fuel -- energy sources. Kevin points out Trump's administration has tried to roll back many regulations designed to protect birds, including the 100-year-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Trump's not completely wrong about windmills killing birds, but as with most of POTUS' claims, there's a catch.

Kevin says there have been bird deaths related to wind-power generation, but newer wind turbines are much safer for birds -- they spin slower and are much larger -- and some models are even equipped with bird detection devices that turn off the turbines when birds are in danger.

President Trump's got himself a costar at his latest rally in Florida -- one of his supporters who can't stop flashing what looks like the white power hand symbol in clear view of cameras.

Look closely at the video from Trump's Friday rally at The Villages in Central FL ... the man seated in the crowd over the President's left shoulder repeatedly made the 'ok' symbol ... commonly associated now with the white power movement.

What's more ... the guy flashing it is also wearing a black hat with yellow print, which some folks are claiming matches the logo for the Proud Boys.

As you know ... Trump refused to condemn white supremacy during the first Presidential debate, and instead told the alt-right group Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by."

The guy positioned behind the President certainly wasn't shy about using the hand symbol as he raised it almost every time there was an ovation. POTUS never acknowledged him, and it's possible he never saw the gesture being made.

A JetBlue flight got turbulent before it even took off, as a man went on a racist tirade -- while wearing a Burger King crown -- and then got tossed off the flight.

The wild scene played out earlier this week in Jamaica, as the flight was preparing to depart from Kingston to JFK Airport. According to reports ... the man initially got aggravated when he was told there was no more overhead space for his bag, and began cussing loudly as he walked to his seat.

Then he got into it with a nearby female passenger over seating assignments and then ... total bedlam. In the video, he's loudly accusing the woman of assaulting him, but he's repeatedly hurling the n-word and expletives while he does it.

The disgusting rant went on so long, other passengers got enraged ... and it escalated to violence. While he was being held back by several flight attendants, a male passenger charges and throws a punch. He wasn't alone, as other passengers took physical shots at him during the chaos.

Eventually, Kingston police officers escorted the guy off the plane in handcuffs. It's unclear if he, or any other passenger, was charged with a crime.

We've reached out to JetBlue and Kingston PD, but no word back yet.

Sacha Baron Cohen says it's pretty clear to him what was on Rudy Giuliani's mind during his notorious scene in the 'Borat' sequel ... but urges everyone to judge for themselves.

Borat himself, along with Maria Bakalova -- who plays his daughter, Tutar, in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" -- addressed Rudy's compromising appearance in the movie ... in which he puts a hand in his pants after being duped into a fake interview by Bakalova's character.

Giuliani denies any inappropriate behavior and claims he was simply tucking in his shirt after taking off recording equipment ... but Cohen calls BS.

The actor tells "Good Morning America" ... "If the president’s lawyer found what he did there appropriate behavior then heaven knows what he’s done with other female journalists in hotel rooms."

The movie was released Thursday night, so everyone can judge for themselves.

Bakalova says she's thankful Cohen busted in to save her when things started getting dicey, and he claims he was "quite concerned" during the scene ... and felt the need to protect her.

Registered Democrats are being targeted and threatened by a disinformation campaign ... the question -- who's it supposed to hurt and who's behind it?

An email has gone out to an untold number of Democrats ... supposedly sent by the Proud Boys -- the white supremacist group Trump told to "stand back and stand by."

The email reads, "We are in possession of all your information (email, address, telephone ... everything). You are currently registered as a Democrat and we know this because we have gained access into the entire voting infrastructure. You will vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you. Change your party affiliation to Republican to let us know you received our message and will comply. We will know which candidate you voted for. I would take this seriously if I were you."

What's especially unnerving ... the email has the voter's home address. In other words -- they know where you live.

The Director of National Intelligence came out Wednesday and said Iran and Russia were actively trying to interfere and said it was to hurt Trump. It's puzzling ... the threat is against Democrats. The only way it would hurt Trump is if people recoil because it looks like it's coming from a radical group Trump seems to support.

There's another letter going around to registered Republicans threatening to burn down their homes if Biden wins and Trump doesn't concede. Some think this is actually anti-Biden because the point is scaring Republicans, so they go to the polls and vote for Trump in larger numbers. Whatever the motive, it's clearly threatening.

Bubba Wallace is taking the high road after a famous helmet artist -- who worked with Bubba in the past -- blasted the NASCAR driver on social media for bringing politics to the sport.

The artist is Jason Beam -- one of the top helmet designers in racing. He's worked with stars like Jimmie Johnson to Kyle Busch and more.

Beam's also pretty outspoken -- and when Richard Petty Motorsports announced they have officially named a new driver to take over the #43 car (now that Bubba has left the team), Beam went after Bubba publicly.

"RPM will actually have a wheelman behind the wheel and not a political statement looking for attention," Beam posted on Twitter.

A fan responds to Beam saying -- "So is this your final position? Cuz I remember a lot of flip flopping when you started getting called out by drivers."

That's when things escalated ... big time.

"I never once flip flopped," Beam said ... "F*ck Bubba and F*ck the BLM movement and F*ck anyone who wants to censor opinions and let politics get in the way of business relationships."

"You can quote me all you want, that’s my stance and has been from the get go."

Bubba saw the tweets and decided to respond -- expressing his disappointment with the artist.

"Can usually let the BS roll off but when it’s somebody I’ve met personally and was genuinely excited to have my first few lids painted by him .. hits different."

Bubba then explained why he left Richard Petty Motorsports to join Michael Jordan's new racing team.

"I ultimately left bc I just wanted a different look. No hard feelings just a personal feeling."

Wallace had this final message for Beam -- "Damn dude. Roger that."

As for the new Richard Petty driver -- RPM announced 24-year-old Erik Jones will take over the #43 car.

"Erik is an exceptionally talented driver, and we are excited to have him join our team,” RPM CEO Brian Moffitt said.

"At only 24 years old, Erik is part of NASCAR’s next generation of stars. He has won races at every level in NASCAR he has competed in – including in the NASCAR Cup Series. Erik is a proven winner and we look forward to providing him with the opportunity to add more wins to this already impressive resume."

Breonna Taylor's family attorney says the Louisville cop speaking out has a major advantage to dispute her truth ... and claims the officer's own words reveal a bias against Black people.

Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump came on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to discuss Jonathan Mattingly's claim he, nor his fellow LMPD officers, did anything illegal or racist the night they raided her apartment and shot her dead.

Crump says Mattingly is benefitting greatly from being alive to tell his version of the story ... while poor Breonna can't do the same.

As for Mattingly's insistence the cops knocked and identify themselves as law enforcement -- Crump says Kenneth Walker, Breonna's BF, has stuck to the same story since the beginning ... that they did NOT hear anyone say "police."

There's also the fact that several surrounding neighbors say they didn't hear any knocking or announcing, which Crump also thinks works against Mattingly. For his part, Mattingly says the neighbors not hearing doesn't square with the fact Walker admits he did hear knocking.

Mattingly told GMA nobody wishes more than him there was body camera footage of the raid, but Crump begs to differ. As he put it to us, Breonna's mother, Tamika Palmer, probably would like to see it way more than LMPD ... to prove her daughter was executed.

LSU has banned Odell Beckham from its facilities for the next 2 years for his antics at the 2019 National Championship game ... when the NFL star handed out $2,000 in $100 bills to LSU players.

You remember the video ... Odell -- who played at LSU back in the day -- was going crazy on the field after LSU beat Clemson on Jan. 13, 2020 ... throwing around money like he didn't care.

Guess what ... LSU cared and so does the NCAA -- since it's against the rules to just hand out money to college players like that.

LSU believes the Odell money incident constitutes a Level III violation, according to SI.com.

Remember, LSU initially told the media Odell was handing out fake money that night -- but it turned out to be real.

In fact, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow later confirmed it was real cash during an episode of the Barstool Sports podcast, "Pardon My Take."

LSU says Odell is now banned from all LSU facilities for the next 2 years.

LSU has bigger problems ... they're also accused of several other NCAA violations, which could cost them scholarships and more.

The University has self-imposed penalties -- including the loss of 8 scholarships over the next 2 years -- in the hopes of getting a lighter punishment from the NCAA. We'll see if the strategy works.

The school released a statement Wednesday saying, "LSU has worked proactively and in cooperation with the NCAA to identify and self-report any violations that occurred within our football program."

Odell Beckham has quite the unique perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic ... saying he's developed a "mutual respect" with the virus ... which essentially makes him feel immune.

Really.

Remember, the Cleveland Browns superstar came down with a bug days before Sunday's game against the Steelers ... and many feared it was the 'rona taking over another NFL organization.

Despite testing negative for the virus, OBJ was asked Wednesday if he was scared his illness was COVID-19 at the time ... and the dude made a gem of a statement.

"No, not in an arrogant way," OBJ told reporters. "I don't think COVID can get to me. I don't think it's going to enter this body."

He continued ... "I don't want no parts of it, it don't want no parts of me. I think it's a mutual respect."

A small group of angry adults destroyed "Black Lives Matter" artwork made by kids outside a Portland school, but the children are undeterred.

The 3 women tore down the BLM art hanging in front of The Cottonwood School on Sunday, while one of them -- appearing to be wearing a bulletproof vest -- expressed her disdain for the messaging on the signs.

According to the school ... the woman recording the incident is a community member, and despite her pleas for the 3 women to stop -- or at the very least not steal the kids' signs -- they ripped it all down and took off ... but not before the woman in sunglasses had a freak-out.

The good news -- the video's making the rounds, and members of the Portland community gathered Tuesday to support the students at the K-8 school with brand new signs ... while the students are working on making more of their own.

Cottonwood says that it "stands in solidarity with our Black families. Our goal is to nurture compassionate and confident students who possess the skills needed to confront racism in our community and beyond."

It continues ... "We are committed to fighting systemic racism, especially within our schools and neighborhoods, and we strive to model humility and non-violence for our children."

By the way ... the original artwork hung by the students went up in June. The school says the Oregon State Board of Education recently passed a resolution encouraging districts to support Black students, educators, and community members ... including renewing their commitment to anti-racism.

TikTok star Bryce Hall can't seem to go out to eat anywhere in L.A. without getting into a fight ... this time, he and his crew were involved in an ugly brawl at a Mexican restaurant, but Bryce says it wasn't his fault.

The violence broke out Monday at Cinco Mexican restaurant near LAX, and video shows Bryce and his boys in a huge scuffle with staffers on the outdoor patio.

Sources with direct knowledge of the incident tell TMZ ... Bryce and his buddies were hanging out on the patio before playing golf at a nearby course, and things took a turn for the worse when a server told Bryce and co. to stop vaping.

It's illegal to vape at restaurants in L.A. but we're told Bryce and his boys refused to quit and Bryce allegedly blew smoke in a staffer's face when asked to stop.

Sources say Bryce and his friends were asked to leave and given the check. When their server went inside to run Bryce's credit card, all hell broke loose.

One source says it was Bryce and his buddies who jumped an employee, with Bryce throwing the first punch and continuing to brawl until other staffers broke it up.

Now, Bryce tells us he was vaping, but says he was cordial when the manager asked him to leave. He claims the trouble started when he had to ask to get his credit card back more than 10 times ... and the manager allegedly told him, "No, get the f*** off the property."

Bryce alleges the manager grabbed him and tried to drag him away, sparking the bigger all-out brawl. He claims he only put the guy in a headlock while defending one of his friends. In the end, Bryce says the manager kicked him in the nuts.

One employee claims to have suffered a potentially broken hand and bruised face in the scuffle ... and named Bryce as his attacker in a police report. We're told he wants to press charges.

Bryce and his friends had already left by the time cops arrived. Bryce claims he has witnesses and video to back up his version of events.

As we reported ... Bryce was also throwing haymakers outside Mel's Diner on Sunset last month.

Tory Lanez says he still considers Megan Thee Stallion a friend despite her claim he shot her ... but Meg doesn't sound too friendly.

The rapper proclaimed his innocence for the first time on video Tuesday, hopping on Instagram Live to defend himself against Megan's accusations, and he really raised eyebrows when he said, in his book, they're still pals.

The friendship sounds like news to Meg ... she says Tory is "genuinely crazy."

It's not like they can hang out as friends anymore anyways ... Tory was ordered to stay the hell away from MTS after a hearing on his felony assault charge in connection with the shooting.

Tory's now calling the shooting a "debacle" and says the only people who really know what happened are him and Meg. Seems he's forgetting Meg's friend and his chauffeur were also there when a gun went off during an argument.

A Miami PD officer wearing a pro-Trump face mask at a polling location is facing calls for his suspension ... and he's clearly in hot water with the department.

The cop was wearing the mask -- which said "Trump 2020" and "No More Bulls**t" -- on Tuesday while patrolling a government center that serves as a polling place.

The officer was called out by Miami-Dade County Democratic Party chair Steve Simeonidis. Simeonidis says, "This is city funded voter intimidation" and wants the cop suspended immediately.

Folks in Michigan are panicking and rushing to stock up on guns ... and it's not just 2nd Amendment enthusiasts ... it's all sorts of folks who are scared stiff over the prospect of violence on the heels of the election.

Gun and ammo stores across Michigan are seeing a huge surge in folks trying to buy firearms, and it became all too real when their Governor became the target of a plot to kidnap and possibly kill her. But, the reality is ... tensions have been brewing all year, and around people are arming themselves.

Sue Sizemore, store manager of Recoil Firearms in Taylor, MI, tells TMZ ... her shop is seeing guns fly off the shelves, and they've already sold out of Glocks, AKs, semiautomatic pistols and ARs.

Sizemore says 75% of her customers in the past 2 weeks are first-time gun buyers, and lots of folks are coming in scared Joe Biden's going to restrict the 2nd Amendment and defund police departments in the suburbs if elected.

Meanwhile in Niles, On Sight Armory manager Kyle Giddings tells us firearm sales are higher than at any point over the last 5 years, and the difference he sees is Democrats buying guns.

Giddings, who says his clientele usually skews conservative, tells us customers are scared from what they're seeing on the news -- he says tons of single mothers are coming in looking to buy guns -- and the store's sold out of handguns.

Over at M.R. Guns in Cheboygan, the manager, Ron, tells TMZ ... folks are stocking up on guns and ammo because they're scared a Biden administration could take firearms away. Ron says customers are looking to buy in hopes of a potential grandfather clause under such a scenario.

The demand is so high, Ron tells us M.R. Guns recently had its inventory wiped out. He's still fielding calls daily from interested buyers, but has nothing to sell.

And, at Buck Shots Firearms in Perry, the manager, Bryan, says his store is extra busy because of hunting season and the election. Bryan tells us he's bracing for another sales surge if Biden's elected, based on what customers are saying.

Buck Shots previously saw a run on guns at the start of the pandemic, Bryan says, and he's anticipating folks to stockpile again after election day.

Michigan is not an outlier ... 110,000 Californians have bought guns since March -- that's a huge number.