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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is offering a road map to those looking for meaningful change when it comes to real police and education reform ... and it starts with local elections.

We got the Congresswoman on Capitol Hill, and she was clear -- there is only so much that can be done at the federal level. She says people should be laser focused on 2 elections -- the election for their mayor, and for their city councilperson.

AOC's message ... vote local. She says, "Look at what your city council and mayor are saying. They're the ones that hold the key to the castle when it comes to police reform." She's right ... and she offers a prime example going down in her own backyard.

Ocasio-Cortez points to NYC's fiscal budget ... which includes Mayor Bill De Blasio proposing to shift $1 billion from the NYPD's $6 billion budget and earmark it for Summer Youth programs as well as family and social services. A huge chunk will also be diverted to the New York Housing Authority and Parks youth recreation centers.

AOC says there were rumors the City's education budget could face up to $3 billion in cuts ... the number's actually closer to $400 million. Still ... she says it begs the question -- why's it controversial to defund the police but NOT when education gets defunded?

The war between Antonio Brown and his rape accuser is raging on ...

The former NFL All-Pro now claims Britney Taylor is "hiding" from giving a live deposition -- and he's asking a judge to force her to show up in person for the depo ... or, if not, throw out the lawsuit.

But, Taylor's attorney tells TMZ Sports ... that's all a bunch of B.S., saying, "It's not that she's hiding, it's just that Florida's a little infected [with coronavirus] right now."

Here's the deal ... in new court docs, Brown's attorneys say they're trying to get Taylor to sit for a live depo to question her about her allegations that Brown sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions.

In the docs, though, the attorneys say Taylor is only willing to meet with them over Zoom ... something they say they're NOT OK with.

"The nature of her allegations," Browns attorneys say in the docs, "coupled with the fact that she has absolutely no corroboration for her claims mandate that a live deposition of Ms. Taylor be had."

They now want a judge to FORCE Taylor to show up in person -- while following all proper COVID-19 safety guidelines -- or throw out the case.

But, when we spoke with Taylor's attorney, David Haas, he told us the only reason Taylor is refusing to show up in person is because of the global pandemic.

Haas says his client is willing to answer questions but adds "we're just trying to keep her safe."

A ruling on the motion from the judge has yet to come down ... but Haas says he expects it to be denied.

As we previously reported, Taylor -- who met Brown while the two attended Central Michigan -- is suing the NFL player, claiming, among other things, he violently raped her in 2018.

President Woodrow Wilson's name could be removed from an L.A. street, if city leaders and residents decide his racist past is too problematic.

TMZ's learned L.A.'s City Council tackling the issue of renaming streets and removing statues, monuments and other artworks ... and Woodrow Wilson Drive could become a casualty.

L.A. City councilmen Mitch O'Farrell and Curren Price Jr. introduced a motion Tuesday requesting a policy for the removal of art pieces and for a process of renaming city buildings, facilities and streets if the current name has ties to a racist or oppressive past.

The motion was seconded by councilmen Herb Wesson and David Ryu, whose jurisdiction includes Woodrow Wilson Drive. Ryu is open to having discussions with folks in his community about all topics, including renaming that Hollywood Hills street ... according to his spokesperson.

As you know ... statues of historical figures considered racist are being toppled or removed across the globe, and there's a movement to rename streets too.

Wilson's name was recently removed from Princeton University's School of Public Health and International Affairs due to his racist past.

As President, Wilson segregated federal workers in D.C., blocked proposals on racial equality and hosted screenings of the horrifically racist 1915 film, "Birth of a Nation," at the White House. Critics also say he accepted racial segregation in the south as a way of maintaining peace and order.

Before this young man on a mini motorbike was hitting the pavement of Hollywood and riding through life on an easy street as a comedic actor and director, he was just another cool guy hitting the gas on the trails of New Jersey.

It's no surprise that this biker boy is embracing safe motorsports practices because he went on to spend a lot of time around the hospital for nearly 10 years while filming his hilarious doctor comedy.

Don't let this old school style have you seeing red ... hit the gas and try to figure out who's on two wheels.

Nick Cordero -- a veteran leading man on Broadway -- has died after a long battle with COVID-19 -- this according to his wife, Amanda Kloots.

First word of Cordero's passing came Sunday when Sony music exec Tommy Mottola tweeted ... "NICK CORDERO..REST in PEACE our dear brother!!!" He added, "lead actor and star of 'A BRONX TALE MUSICAL'..beautiful sweet man.. amazing talented actor and singer...loving family man ..we pray for you and your family .. @amandakloots."

Tommy finished his thoughts by saying, "..no more pain ..no more sufferin…" Nick's wife, confirmed the news herself on Instagram, writing a lengthy tribute to her husband.

Amanda writes, "God has another angel in heaven now. My darling husband passed away this morning. He was surrounded in love by his family, singing and praying as he gently left this earth."

She continued, "I am in disbelief and hurting everywhere. My heart is broken as I cannot imagine our lives without him. Nick was such a bright light. He was everyone’s friend, loved to listen, help and especially talk. He was an incredible actor and musician. He loved his family and loved being a father and husband. Elvis and I will miss him in everything we do, everyday." Amanda went on to thank Nick's team of doctors as well as his supporters who poured in love and well-wishes during his lengthy battle.

Amanda had publicly shared updates while her husband was fighting for his life ever since contracting the virus in March.

Nick was initially hospitalized thinking he had pneumonia, which was later found to be COVID-19. Since being admitted, he's had several complications with his treatment, including septic shock, lung infections and a leg amputation.

Most recently, he had a procedure done to remove a pace maker, and Amanda said Nick might even need a double lung transplant down the road.

Prior to his diagnosis, Nick was an absolute stud on the big stage, having starred in several big shows like "Bullets over Broadway," for which he got a Tony Award nomination in 2014. He was also in "Waitress," "Rock of Ages," and the musical version of "A Bronx Tale," which earned more nominations and accolades.

Nick also had some on-screen credits, notably playing a cop in the CBS crime drama, "Blue Bloods."

He's survived by Amanda and their one-year-old son, Elvis. Nick was 41.

An Arizona woman says she was sent by President Trump and a conspiracy theory group to take Target to task for selling face masks ... and to flaunt her alleged high-priced watch.

The Internet has dubbed this gal here "QAnon Karen" after she filmed herself going into a Scottsdale-area Target and knocking down all the face masks on display in one of their aisles. She had to talk herself up before doing it, making it sound like a last stand mission.

She rants and about "not doing it" anymore -- which we think means she's not gonna let face masks be sold anymore??? Who the hell knows, but she went to town on the display.

Some staffer eventually comes over and asks her to stop, but she refuses ... incoherently saying they let "everyone else do it," and then questioning if they're trying to stop her because she's a white, blonde woman. But wait, it gets even more cringe-worthy!

'Karen' ponders whether they're hassling her because she has on a "$40,000 Rolex" ... just utter nonsense, but also hilarious. People have noted that Rollies don't usually shop at and/or terrorize Targets -- not really fair, because Targets are awesome. But again, this woman thinks she was sent by higher powers ... those powers being 45 and QAnon, of which she says she's a spokesperson.

Another video showed the aftermath of all this -- it appears cops tracked her down to her home and arrested her, which she also recorded. You gotta watch that mess on your own.

Elon Musk just dipped his toe into the fashion world -- via his car company, Tesla -- and the man might have a new career on his hands ... 'cause his new streetwear sold out.

The Tesla CEO followed through with a promise he made on Twitter the other day after his company's Q2 profit figures outperformed Wall Street's expectations, sending Tesla stock soaring ... much to the chagrin of short sellers who were betting against EM and co.

The guy said he was gonna roll out a line of Tesla short-shorts as a tongue-in-cheek slight at those same short sellers as well as the SEC (with which he's had beef and legal trouble before) ... and lo and behold, he freaking did it this weekend. Then, he broke his own site.

Elon announced the Tesla short-shorts were for sale Sunday on the company's official site, and they were going for the low price of "$69.420." A few minutes after he tweeted it out, their entire line in every size was sold out. He noticed, saying ... "Dang, we broke the website."

Look, we honestly can't tell if this is just a huge PR stunt with no actual fibers behind it -- but on the face of it, this appears to be a real thing Elon and Tesla sold out of almost as quickly as they launched it. The guy's obviously trolling, but he's doing it at new heights.

Khloe Kardashian's 4th of July celebration at her baby daddy's house seems to be proof that an age-old adage holds up even today ... time heals all.

The youngest OG Kardashian sister was spotted heading into Tristan Thompson's L.A. crib Saturday, with her older sister, Kourtney, and even her mom, Kris, in tow. No sign of Kim, Kanye, Kylie or Kendall -- but still, quite the Kardashian get-together if you ask us.

While we know Khloe and Tristan have hung out a lot in recent months -- word is they've been quarantining together since the lockdown -- it's interesting to see the fam coming around to Tristan again ... this, of course, after he got caught cheating a couple years back.

Since then, though, it would appear Khloe and him are giving their relationship a second go ... as they've been super tight lately, and Tristan has more than professed his love for Khloe. Remember, they share a daughter together -- young True -- and it looks like they've been doing more than just co-parenting for a while now.

A BBQ will get you shot at a Del City, Oklahoma Walmart ... that is if you dare to steal one.

It's hard to believe watching the video, but an off-duty officer from a college police department happened to be at the superstore and decided to take the law into his own hands after spotting a customer allegedly making off with a BBQ without paying.

As the customer and the cop get into a scuffle in the parking lot, you see the customer in the driver's seat back up while the cop is close to the vehicle. That's all it took for the officer to fire off 11 rounds.

Remarkably, the customer wasn't killed, but he was taken to a local hospital. It's unclear how many times, if any, he was hit. He is reportedly in stable condition.

As for the cop ... he's a member of the Langston University PD. His department says they are cooperating with the Del City Police Dept. which is investigating.

Christopher Columbus took an involuntary swim Saturday night, after protesters toppled his statue in Baltimore and threw it in the drink.

It seems almost inevitable that Columbus is about to become a scarce sight in this country, given the fact he was an awful man responsible for the rape and murders of countless people.

The Mayor of Baltimore was understanding ... his spokesperson said, "We understand the dynamics that are playing out in Baltimore are part of a national narrative."

President Trump wants anyone who topples a statue prosecuted and put in prison, but the winds of change are now clear. Columbus statues have been either removed or vandalized in Miami, Richmond, St. Paul and Boston.

England has reopened its doors to pubs and restaurants -- on what they're calling "Super Saturday" -- but the government's warnings/threats seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

Check out the scene in the SoHo district of London, where an insane number of people broke loose Saturday from their flats and hit the streets and bars. There's zero social distancing and masks are few and far between.

Here's the thing ... the UK has banned gatherings of more than 6 people and there's a strong recommendation that people stay 2-meters apart. Clearly not the case.

Pubs closed back in March due to the virus and the lockdown. The government has warned if people don't follow the rules the pubs will be the first to get shut down again.

Europe has 280,000 confirmed COVID19 cases and 44,000 deaths.

The government has also allowed hair salons, outdoor gyms, playgrounds, hotels, movie theaters, museums and libraries to reopen.

Two protesters were mowed down by a car early Saturday morning in Seattle, and the driver is now under arrest.

It happened at around 1:30 AM on a stretch of the I-5 that was closed to traffic. A car suddenly barreled down the road, striking 2 people. A 24-year-old person is in critical condition with what troopers said were life-threatening injuries. Another person suffered injuries that were described as serious.

Eyewitnesses told authorities they believed the incident was a "purposeful attack."

The Washington State Patrol took the driver into custody. A spokesperson says it does not appear that impairment was a factor.

Hundreds of young people in SoCal ran for the hills on the 4th of July ... Beverly Hills that is, where they may get 2 cases of Corona -- and only 1 is the beer.

It's a crazy scene that has been repeated all over the country. Partiers packed in like sardines without face masks. There's a lot of drinking and super-close contact ... ideal for the spread of the virus.

Not that they're listening .... but California is experiencing a huge spike in coronavirus cases.  In the last 2 weeks in L.A. County, 28,130 people tested positive and 391 have died.

It's now as clear as can be ... there are lots of people who just don't care if they get the virus or just believe they are impervious to it. Wrong.

Video has surfaced of a violent confrontation at a Dick's Sporting Goods store where a customer was punched and put in a chokehold ... all over a candy bar.

It went down in Toledo, Ohio Thursday. Cops say they received a call from an employee at the store that a customer -- 36-year-old Aaron Buckenmeyer -- had stolen some merchandise.

The video begins with Buckenmeyer and an employee are standing toe-to-toe when the employee delivers a crushing blow that sends Buckenmeyer to the ground.

The employee told cops Buckenmeyer had headbutted him and that's what provoked the punches.

You see Buckenmeyer in a chokehold. The employee claims during the takedown Buckenmeyer was grabbing him by the genitals.

As for Buckenmeyer ... he repeatedly told the employee he had asthma and couldn't breathe.

In the end ... it appears the incident was triggered by a candy bar Buckenmeyer had put in a bag that fell out during the confrontation.

California's nightlife is going back into lockdown amid renewed spikes of coronavirus cases -- something the L.A. bar and club scene might not be able to survive ... TMZ has learned.

If you live in the Golden State, you probably heard about Gov. Gavin Newsom once again ordering the closure of bars and clubs in 19 counties -- including Los Angeles County, where those venues had just started to open back up after months of lockdown.

Newsom also said folks couldn't do indoor dine-in service at restaurants -- so even if a bar serves grub, it's a nonstarter. Fact is ... Newsom had no option. The virus is out of control.

Nevertheless ... it's a big problem for lots of bars and clubs -- especially smaller ones that were ramping up to get back into the game ... only to get shut down for a second time.

John Arakaki, who owns St. Felix -- a couple of stylish bars that have been functioning in the Hollywood area for the past 11 years -- says he quickly went through 60 percent of his government loans on safety training, staff payroll, cleaning the kitchen and everything in between. When he reopened 3 weeks ago, he was able to break even after factoring in all his revenue and expenses. He was hoping to turn the corner during the 4th weekend, but that's not going to happen. He says if he's down for 3 more weeks, survival looks bleak.

Cat & The Fiddle -- a West Hollywood pub -- reopened its doors Monday ... just to have everything shut down again 2 days later. The owner spent 5 to 10 thousand dollars in the past couple weeks on face masks, safety training for their staff, and beer and food inventory.

Heck, even popular Hollywood hot spots like Bootsy Bellows and Poppy -- two popular WeHo clubs -- are on the ropes -- they were ramping up for a big 4th of July, and that's now money down the drain. They say they can survive, but that's a relative term.

Shaun Weiss -- famous for playing Goldberg in "The Mighty Ducks" -- is doing well on his road to recovery following his most recent meth bust ... but he could still use a little help in one area.

Shaun's at a sober living facility in Woodland Hills, where he's staying clean and going to outpatient meetings 5 days a week ... but he could use some new pearly whites, because they're all gone.

His good friend, Drew Gallagher, set up a GoFundMe to help get Shaun a full set of teeth ... and he's trying to raise $25,000 for some much-needed dental work and his ongoing sober-living.

As you can see in this latest pic of Shaun ... he's looking much better and happier. He was having breakfast this week with Drew when the picture was taken ... a meal celebrating 170 days sober.

It's another milestone for Shaun, who finally went to rehab in March after getting out of jail and completed a 90-day program at Quest 2 Recovery in Lancaster.

As we first reported ... Shaun's buddies were desperate to get the troubled child star help before it was too late -- he was dealing with a slew of life-threatening issues and was at one point, living on the streets before January's meth and burglary arrest.

Shaun keeps looking better and better ... so hopefully, he keeps getting the help he needs, including some new teeth.