NFL Commish Roger Goodell 'I Encourage' Teams To Sign Kaepernick ... 'I Welcome It'

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Roger Goodell says he wants Colin Kaepernick to get a chance to play again ... with the NFL commish putting his stamp of approval on bringing the QB back in the league.

Remember, Goodell recently admitted the league was wrong in how it handled the national anthem protests in 2016, but fell short of addressing Kap -- who hasn't played in the NFL since kneeling -- by name.

Goodell revealed his stance on Kap during ESPN's "The Return Of Sports" special Monday night ... saying, "If he wants to resume his career in the NFL, then obviously it's gonna take a team to make that decision."

"But, I welcome that, support a club making that decision, and encourage them to do that."

Goodell even says he'd like to work together with Kap on fixing social justice issues if he doesn't want to return to the field. However, we're told Kap very much wants to play in 2020.

"If his efforts are not on the field but continuing to work in this space, we welcome him to that table and to help us, guide us, help us make better decisions about the kinds of things that need to be done in the communities," Goodell said.

"We have invited him in before, and we want to make sure that everybody's welcome at that table, and trying to help us deal with some very complex, difficult issues, that have been around for a long time."

As we previously reported, Kap has been training nonstop in hopes of getting another shot in the NFL ... and Pete Carroll even said a team is interested.

Story developing ...

George Floyd Killing 911 Dispatcher Concerned About Cops on Scene ... Something 'Looks Different'

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Seeing live footage of George Floyd's arrest alarmed a 911 dispatcher enough, she called a police supervisor to respond to the scene ... this according to newly released audio.

In phone recordings between the 911 dispatcher and a Minneapolis police supervisor, you hear the dispatcher openly question if the officers needed to use the kind of force she'd seen as she watched live body cam footage from the scene.

The dispatcher says to the supervisor, "You can call me a snitch if you want to but we have the cameras up ... I don't know if they had to use force or not, but they got something out of the back of the squad [car], and all of them sat on this man, so I don't know if they needed you or not, but they haven't said anything to me yet."

The supervisor responds, "Yeah, they haven't said anything yet ... just a takedown, which doesn't count, but I'll find out."

The dispatcher replies, "No problem, we don't get to ever see it so when we see it we're just like, well, that looks a little different, but …" and the conversation ends.

It's unclear if the police supervisor responded to the scene before Floyd was loaded into an ambulance. However, no supervisors were there when Floyd was being killed on camera.

Minneapolis Police 5/25/20
EXCESSIVE FORCE

As you know ... the fatal incident started with a 911 call about Floyd allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill, and escalated to accused-murderer Derek Chauvin pinning his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes as he slowly died in front of shocked bystanders recording footage.

Chauvin is now facing murder and manslaughter charges, and the other 3 officers present during the arrest were also fired and criminally charged.

SoCal 'Karen' Cops Still Searching for Her ... Alleged Victims Want Justice

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Karen in Torrance 6/10/20
WE DO NOT WANT YOU HERE!!!

Police are still on the hunt for the SoCal "Karen" who went on 2 racist tirades -- and it's possible she'll face charges when she's found ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops have been unable to locate the woman -- who's been identified as 56-year-old Lena Hernandez -- since she was involved in multiple verbal attacks last week.

We're told officers checked her most recently listed address but she was no longer living there, so they're hoping the public can help them track her down.

Torrance Karen Part 2 6/10/20
KAREN STRIKES AGAIN

As we reported ... the woman's racist rants just outside L.A. triggered police reports for criminal threats by 2 different people.

Torrance PD later announced Hernandez has allegedly been involved in at least 3 racial incidents in which criminal reports were taken. During one incident in October, cops say she allegedly harassed a custodian and physically assaulted a Good Samaritan.

Our sources tell us all 3 alleged victims have asked that Hernandez be prosecuted. We're told her case has been kicked over to the City Attorney's Office to determine whether or not to file charges.

Of course, they still have to find her as well.

Rayshard Brooks Family Attorney Says ... 'It Didn't Have to End That Way'

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UPDATE

11:20 AM PT -- Chris Stewart, the family attorney, hopped on "TMZ Live" and is adamant the way this all unfolded didn't have to end this way. He said, "For it to go to that level, it just wasn't justified." Stewart said he -- along with the Brooks family -- support law enforcement when they do the right thing but he added, "This really shook me."

UPDATE

9:06 AM PT -- Rayshard's family just wrapped up their press conference, and it was incredibly emotional and heartfelt -- with the lasting message being ... we need change.

UPDATE

A few of his cousins came to the mic, and one of them said point-blank that their trust with the police force is utterly broken. She went on to say that the only way to properly heal from this is a conviction -- even though she acknowledged even that wouldn't bring him back.

UPDATE
UPDATE

She also said what a lot of people in the black community have been expressing for weeks now ... "We're tired, guys. And, we're frustrated, but mostly we're heartbroken."

UPDATE

Eventually ... Rayshard's widow, Tomika Miller, stepped up and spoke alongside her and Rayshard's 3 young children -- and she thanked everyone for the outpouring of support. More than that though, she begged any protesters to demonstrate peacefully ... as she wants her deceased husband's name to live on in a positive light.

UPDATE

Last but not least, the family attorney, L. Chris Stewart, made some poignant remarks ... bringing up the fact that some stray bullets had actually struck another vehicle which had a family inside. He called the officer's decision to open fire in a packed parking lot reckless.

UPDATE

He also pointed out, when a bunch of white Americans were recently protesting coronavirus regulations and demanding change, the black community supported them ... as it's their right to do so. He questioned why so many people now find these protests unacceptable.

UPDATE

Stewart did mention one silver lining thus far ... Tyler Perry connected with the fam, and is covering their expenses for Rayshard's funeral. Not at all surprising that he stepped in here.

Rayshard Brooks' family members are talking about his killing in public for the first time since he was gunned down Friday night ... and we're streaming their remarks live.

The Brooks family is coming to the podium in Atlanta, where they'll discuss losing their loved one needlessly and senselessly at the hands of 2 police officers ... one of whom opened fire on Rayshard, shooting him twice in the back, as he attempted to flee arrest in a Wendy's parking lot.

In the body cam footage, you see Rayshard was cooperative with the officers after they found him sleeping in his car. He explained he'd just come from a relative's birthday party where he admitted to having a drink or two ... which led to field sobriety testing, and the cops attempting to arrest him.

Rayshard was begging the officers to let him go and allow him to walk home, which was no more than a few blocks away. The cops refused though, and insisted on taking him in.

As we reported, while wrestling with the officers, Rayshard took one of their tasers -- a non-lethal weapon -- and seemed to point it at them while running away. That's when the cop open fired 3 times. The autopsy results show he was struck twice in the back, and the medical examiner ruled it a homicide.

Atlanta's mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, decried the killing ... and accepted the resignation of the APD Chief of Police in response. One of the officers involved in the shooting, Garrett Rolfe, has been fired ... the other cop was placed on administrative leave.

Originally Published -- 8:41 AM PT

Bhad Bhabie Skai J. Drops Restraining Order ... No Need to Extend It

Published

Bhad Bhabie has one less legal issue on her hands while she's in rehab -- because one of her foes, Skai Jackson, is tearing up her restraining order.

The former Disney star just filed to have the order against Bhabie dismissed, and we're told a judge has signed off on it ... so it's official. There's no question ... this move comes as a direct result of Danielle seeking treatment.

Skai tells TMZ ... "Because Danielle stopped threatening me after the Court ordered her to do so, and now that she's made the decision to work on herself through rehab and therapy, I’m pleased that I don’t need to extend my restraining order." Now, she left a window for herself ... because Skai's dismissal was granted without prejudice, meaning she can refile if things heat up again.

Bhad Bhabie went on IG this week to call out 17-year-old actress Skai Jackson, whom she's recently started beefing with. The latest salvo ... an apparent death threat, with BB -- AKA Danielle Bregoli -- saying, Feb. 2020
"I'LL KILL YOU!"

On that point, Skai adds, “If she goes back to her old ways, of course, we’ll have to change that, but I hope and believe that it won’t be necessary. I think it’s great that Danielle is getting the help she feels she needs. I wish her nothing but the best on her road to recovery."

You'll recall ... Skai got the restraining order against Bhabie in February after a squabble over NBA YoungBoy turned nasty.

BB was ordered to back off and stay away from Skai -- but in light of her recent pivot toward a road of recovery ... it appears that's no longer an issue. Happy ending for all.

Treach My Film's a Must-See, Even for Cops ... This is a Humanity Issue

Published

Treach believes his new movie about police brutality and tensions between cops and communities can provide common ground for everyone ... and even be used as a training tool in the future.

The Naughty by Nature rapper and actor joined "TMZ Live" Monday to break down his new crime drama with Ice-T, "Equal Standard," which he claims will provide an unbiased perspective on some of the policing issues plaguing our country.

Treach says the point of the movie is to show all sides of the story when it comes to tragic incidents like police shootings ... and delve into the reasons why these things keep happening.

The rapper says it's not as black-and-white as ya think, and insists the movie is not about cop-bashing either. Instead, it aims to get to the root of a problem that Americans have been protesting about since George Floyd was killed.

He makes it pretty clear, though ... this is something he wants the world to see -- regardless of race or political leanings -- because we're dealing with a crisis of humanity right now, and it's gonna take everyone to fix it.

"Equal Standard" is available now on VOD.

Brian Austin Green On the Rebound??? Lunchin' with Courtney Stodden

Published

Brian Austin Green's finally got a response to his estranged wife, Megan Fox, starring in Machine Gun Kelly's music video ... a date with Courtney Stodden.

Brian and Courtney were spotted together Saturday grabbing lunch from a Mexican joint near L.A. and looked like a pretty rockin' couple -- him in a Pink Floyd shirt and her in a leopard print dress.

Now to be fair, there's no indication there's anything romantic going on between them, but the sighting's still interesting ... and they're both single and ready to mingle, as far as we know.

As you may know ... Brian and Megan's on-again, off-again relationship status is currently set to off. Their marriage has been notably turbulent for years, but there were major signs they're on the rocks last month when we got photos of Fox hanging out with MGK.

Brian later revealed Megan told him she wanted to separate months ago after returning home from shooting a film in another country ... which costars MGK.

The '90210' actor suggested divorce was imminent and difficult for him to accept, but also said he was glad Megan was honest with him ... and he wasn't upset she's with MGK, who he referred to as a good guy.

Shortly after that, Fox starred in MGK's steamy new music vid for "My Bloody Valentine" ... which seemed to signify she and her hubby were officially donezo.

So, door's open for Stodden ... who officially became single just months ago herself.

Ray J, Princess Love Sued I Found Your Dog ... Now Pay Up!!!

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Ray J and Princess Love are pinching pennies when it comes to their once lost, but now found pooch ... this according to a new lawsuit.

The estranged couple is being sued by Eddie Macione, who claims he found their lost dog, Boogati, but hasn't seen a dime of the $20,000 reward he says they were offering.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Macione claims he found the pup wandering Woodland Hills in early April 2019 with no identification tags. Macione says he cared for the dog for weeks until he saw our story about Ray J and Princess dangling $20K for Boogati's return, no questions asked. The next day he says he called the number listed on the reward postings and returned the pooch.

In the docs, Macione says Ray J and Princess have refused to fork over any dough and are using their fame to "frighten" him from pursuing the reward. The lawsuit doesn't specify what they allegedly did to scare Macione.

Now, the guy's going after Ray and Princess for the full $20,000 plus damages.

We reached out to Ray J ... so far, no word back.

Supreme Court Rules Employers Can't Discriminate Against LGBTQ+

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The Supreme Court just handed a massive win for the LGBTQ+ community ... after ruling federal law protects gay and transgender people from workplace discrimination.

The Justices announced the landmark ruling Monday morning, and it's really significant. The court ruled the 1964 Civil Rights Act -- which prohibits discrimination, among other things, based on race, sex, national origin -- also applies to sexual orientation and gender discrimination.

What's more ... the vote was 6-3, and Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump appointee, wrote the majority opinion.

Gorsuch wrote ... "Today, we must decide whether an employer can fire someone simply for being homosexual or transgender. The answer is clear. An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids."

Translation -- by prohibiting sex discrimination, the law also covers sexual orientation.

The Supreme Court combined 2 cases ... a man in Clayton County, GA who claimed he was fired as a social worker after he became more open about being gay, and a man fired as a skydiving instructor.

The transgender case involved Aimee Stephens, who was fired after telling the owners at the funeral home she worked at about her gender transition. She died in May.

The Trump administration sided with employers, despite the fact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission decided in 2015 gay and transgender individuals were federally protected. This has been a hot-button issue for years because many lower courts have held that sexual orientation discrimination and gender identity discrimination are not included in the protections under the Civil Rights Act.

Now, the justices have ruled that these types of discrimination ARE sex discrimination, so gay and transgender people are protected.

Just last week the Trump administration announced it would erase protections for transgender patients seeking medical care, by narrowing the legal definition of sex discrimination so as not to include transgender people -- a big departure from the Obama administration. Unclear at this point if the SCOTUS ruling would torpedo Trump's effort.

The Supreme Court's ruling comes just 1 day after thousands held rallies in L.A. and New York calling for LGBTQ+ rights and racial justice. Protesters painted a huge sign in Hollywood that read "All Black Lives Matter" before it was removed early Monday morning.

Rayshard Brooks Shot in Back Autopsy Results Revealed

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082322_rayshard_brooks-kal JUNE 2020
MOMENTS BEFORE
UPDATE

5:55 AM PT -- 6/15 -- Rayshard Brooks' autopsy results have just been released ... officials are saying his cause of death is 2 gunshot wounds to the back.

UPDATE

The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office says Rayshard suffered organ damage and blood loss from the gunshot wounds. It also sounds like this is now being investigated as a homicide by prosecutors.

UPDATE

4:42 PM PT -- The Fulton County D.A. says ... "Today, members of my staff had the unfortunate duty of witnessing the autopsy of Mr. Brooks as part of our continued investigation." He goes on, "Because this is a homicide investigation, there are several technical requirements that must be met before we are able to reach a decision. That includes the confirmation of the ballistics involved and obtaining a preliminary report from the Medical Examiner."

The Atlanta PD has released body cam video showing the interaction between Rayshard Brooks and cops in a Wendy's parking lot moments before Brooks was shot and killed.

The conversation between Brooks and Officer Garrett Rolfe starts out cordial. Rolfe suspects Brooks had been drinking and driving, although when cops came on scene Brooks was not driving ... he had fallen asleep in his car.

Rolfe is trying to get Brooks to admit he had been drinking and driving, pressing him to take a field sobriety test. Brooks says he had a few drinks during his daughter's birthday party, but that was it.

Brooks makes it clear ... he doesn't want trouble and agreed to leave his car behind and walk home. Rolfe clearly views that comment as a confession Brooks is unable to drive.

Eventually, Brooks takes the test and the officer tries to handcuff him, and that's when a struggle ensues.

Again, Brooks was able to grab one of the officer's tasers and run, so the officers knew a man accused of a non-violent misdemeanor was running away from them with a NON-LETHAL weapon, yet Brooks was shot 3 times.

The family lawyer is indignant the cops waited more than 2 minutes to even check on Brooks once he was down.

Officer Garrett Rolfe was fired and Devin Brosnan, whose body cam footage it is, has been placed on administrative leave.

Originally Published -- 6/14 7:21 AM PT

Hollywood Pride/BLM Rallies Cars Plow Through Protesters

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Car Hit Protestor Main
NO REMORSE

At least 2 L.A. drivers were NOT down to go around protesters marching for Black Lives Matter and Pride -- instead, they went right through them, hitting pedestrians.

Two different cars were seen driving through demonstrators Sunday. First up, some maniac in a BMW SUV on Hollywood Blvd ... who came in kinda hot and then slowed as he or she approached a crowd blocking the road. However, they refused to come to a complete stop, or even attempt to go around ... and rammed right through at least 2 marchers.

One victim was dragged along on top of the hood before getting thrown off, and another man was knocked down. The psycho sped off and got away, but it sounds like someone caught the license plate, and we're told police are searching for the driver.

Car Goes Through Protest Sub
STOPPING FOR NOTHING

Meanwhile, in WeHo ... there was another driver who didn't quite do the ramming that the Hollywood lunatic above got away with. But still, she crept through protesters blocking her path, and they let her know they weren't too pleased with her impeding.

Looks like one of her windows was smashed out in the mayhem, and it also seems like people were vigilant in eyeballing her plates too.

Common & Tiffany Haddish Take Relationship to the Streets ... Join 'All Black Lives Matter' Protest

Published

Tiffany Haddish and Common are way past virtual dating -- they're out and about together now ... protesting in the real world.

The comedian and the rapper joined tens of thousands of people Sunday in L.A. for the All Black Lives Matter march, which started in front of Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theater and ended in WeHo.

Tiffany was seen with a white "Fed Up" shirt, while Common wore a black t-shirt with Rosa Parks' face. Both had face coverings too ... keeping things COVID-safe.

The socially conscious date came 2 days after Tiff made an emotional speech at another rally ... talking about the fear she's felt when getting pulled over, and worrying that family members might not make it home if they have run-ins with police.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Common and Tiff have been rumored to be in a relationship since the early days of stay-at-home orders when they were using Bumble to go on virtual dates. Later, Haddish reportedly revealed they'd taken another step and were self-isolating together.

Whether they're official or not ... the 2 were officially on board with joining the BLM cause Sunday, which was in solidarity with the black LGBTQ+ community.

Megan Thee Stallion and several other celebs also attended the event.

National Parks Service Drop $100k+ for COVID Safety ... Open for Summer Biz!!!

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Anyone ready to park their asses at a National Park can rest assured ... their tax dollars will be hard at work protecting them from COVID-19.

That's right ... the National Park Service is doing everything it can to make sure visitors have what they need at their disposal to stem the spread of the coronavirus. TMZ got just over $100k in receipts to show how the NPS prepped to get some of its most popular parks retrofitted.

According to federal docs ... the agency spent the money on new cleaning supplies, porta-potties, hand washing stations and, get this, even self-cleaning garbage cans!!! We know these expenses are related to the pandemic because they're categorized under "National Interest Item - Covid 19 2020."

These docs were all filed within the last couple of weeks as national parks begin to open again. According to docs, Yellowstone National Park alone received $48,421 for portable toilets and wash station rentals. Here's how some other parks used the money:

- Lake Mead: $31,536 on pin pads/barcode scanners
- Mount Rushmore: $7,680 on portable toilet needs
- Alaska Regional National Park Office: $8,677 cleaning and sanitizing mountain cans
- Arizona's Agate Bridge: $5,948 funding due to social distancing for landscaping

Weekend warriors ... time to load up that SUV and get rollin'.

NASCAR's Ray Ciccarelli My Family's Been 'Attacked & Abused' ... Over Confederate Flag Post

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"My wife, my family have been attacked and abused on social media. It’s just heartbreaking.”

That's the reaction NASCAR truck series driver Ray Ciccarelli says he's received since he threatened to quit over the sport's confederate flag ban ... and now, he just wants it to all stop.

The 50-year-old gave a lengthy interview to TobyChristie.com shortly after his infamous Facebook post ... saying he believes all of his comments were "misconstrued."

Specifically, Ray says he does NOT necessarily support the confederate flag ... he just supports people being allowed to fly whatever flag they want at races.

"In no way shape or form was I defending the Confederate flag," he said. "Everything I was saying was the fact that I understand both sides' feelings toward the flag."

"My viewpoint, all I was trying to say is how do you take [the flag] from one group and help support the group that it offends and then what do you do to the group that you took it from? Now, they get outraged."

Ray says his comments on kneeling during the national anthem were also twisted a bit ... saying he has NO issue with protestors there as well.

Ciccarelli claims he just has a problem with NASCAR implementing rules on both matters "out of left field."

"I had seen the news thing come through referring to, NASCAR now allows you to kneel during the anthem, It just irritated me some,” Ciccarelli said. “I believe in standing for the national anthem, and I believe that if you want to kneel during the anthem, you should kneel."

"It just kind of triggered me, because we’re being told you can’t kneel, now you can kneel. It just set me off."

Ciccarelli says he's hopeful his clarification on his comments will get critics off his back, saying, "This was a very educational learning experience."

He also added he's "TBA" on whether or not he'll go through with his quitting threat now.

Black Lives Matter Protest Signs Take Over Mundo Entero

Published

It's official ... the Black Lives Matter movement is a global phenomenon.

Protests have erupted all over the world with people taking to the streets with signs highlighting the BLM movement following the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. It's incredible, tbh ... seeing people all over the world calling for justice and equality.

Check out the pics ... you'll see hundreds of people gathered in Madrid, Spain protesting racism. Over in Porto, Portugal, a peaceful demonstration was held against racism and xenophobia. South Koreans also rallied behind the US of A's BLM movement.

Again, these are incredible images that expand far and wide ... from Rio De Janeiro and Barking, England to Milan, Italy ... where one person held a sign with the drawing of an alien that read, "I see humans but no humanity."

It should be noted ... President Trump a few weeks ago said Minnesota was "a laughing stock all over the world" after protests erupted there and across the country.

Seriously ... what in the world is he talking about? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯