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Normally idyllic and ritzy Bel-Air looks totally apocalyptic now as a massive brush fire is raging in the hills.

More than 200 L.A. firefighters were on the scene early Wednesday morning near the 405 Freeway as a wildfire scorched at least 50 acres. The brush fire broke out just after midnight in the Sepulveda Pass ... near the famous Getty Center museum.

By 3 AM, L.A. fire officials said they'd made significant progress, although 2 firefighters who helped with the battle were injured and treated at the scene.

There's some relief in sight for firefighters too ... though L.A. temperatures are in the 90s now... they're expected too cool off heading into the weekend.

Still, this Bel-Air blaze is eerily similar to the one that raged out of control back in December 2017. As we reported ... that fire burned just steps away from famous homes and the BILLIONS of dollars worth of art inside the Getty Center.

Washington Redskins head coach Ron Rivera says he will support his players kneeling during the national anthem this season ... this, after star running back Adrian Peterson announced his plan to protest.

"It's their choice, it's their decision and I support it because its in our constitution and that's what our military personnel fought for. For our rights," Rivera told the media on Wednesday.

Coach adds he educated himself on the issue prior to signing Eric Reid (who knelt with Colin Kaepernick while on the 49ers) to the Carolina Panthers in 2018 ... saying he even read the Constitution, Bill of Rights, the Amendments, and the oath of office to get a better understanding.

Rivera says he had an eye-opening conversation with Reid that explained what the protest stood for ... and now he's totally cool with the movement.

It's an important stance -- just last week, Peterson said he's "without a doubt" going to kneel this upcoming season after the death of George Floyd.

Reggie Bush's dissociation with USC is dissolving ... the school is expected to formally end his ban from the program this month after 10 YEARS of exile.

Bush was famously banished from having an affiliation with his alma mater way back in 2010 ... after an NCAA investigation determined the former RB received improper benefits during his time at the school.

As we previously reported, there was a major NCAA rule change recently which basically reduced any major disassociation to a 10-year disassociation.

USC interim athletic director Dave Roberts pointed out that June 2020 would mark the 10-year mark ... and hinted the school would like to bring Bush back.

And now, according to ESPN, that's exactly what's happening -- with the two sides "in the process of finalizing an agreement that would allow [Bush] to be reinstated."

As we previously reported ... after Bush was busted, USC was hit with mega sanctions, including the loss of scholarships and being stripped of its 2004 national championship.

Reggie was also ordered to give back his 2005 Heisman Trophy.

Bush has been very vocal about the ban over the years, lamenting that USC had to pay so harshly for it all.

"It was a horrible feeling, one of the worst feelings in the world," Bush just told The Athletic last month. "It felt like I died when I had to hear that there weren’t gonna be scholarships for kids because of me or because of something connected to me."

"I'm still not over that. It’s just something you learn to live with."

It's unclear how and exactly when SC will re-welcome back Bush ... but former Trojans like LenDale White -- who's been campaigning to get Reggie back for YEARS -- will no doubt be thrilled nonetheless.

Joe Exotic says the prison he's in is shutting him off from the outside world, but officials there say it was nothing personal -- the whole facility was on pause for a bit.

A rep for the Bureau of Prisons -- the federal agency overseeing Joe's new home in Fort Worth, TX -- tells TMZ ... all of their prison institutions went on a national lockdown last week in response to protests and riots breaking out.

While they were on lockdown, BOP says inmates temporarily had limited access to phones and email -- but as of Monday, lockdown's been lifted and everything's pretty much the same as it was before.

In regards to letters Joe claims he hasn't received -- implying prison guards are keeping them from him, including potential mail from his hubby, Dillon -- BOP flat-out denies that. We're told even during lockdown, snail mail was being delivered to inmates like usual.

As we reported ... Joe said Dillon had gone ice cold on him in terms of communication, but Dillon says he'd been sending letters, and is dismayed to hear Joe's not getting them.

Now, BOP refused to comment on Joe's specific living or medical conditions -- which he described as hellish -- for safety and privacy reasons.

Matthew McConaughey's mission to do more to defeat racial injustice led him to an interesting chat with Emmanuel Acho ... where they broke down something referred to as "white allergies."

Matthew told the former NFL linebacker he recently learned of the term ... which he describes as white people's inherent prejudices -- ones they likely don't even realize -- based on their upbringing or history.

The actor suggests these "white allergies" apply to all white people -- even someone like him, who grew up in a diverse setting and has had black friends his whole life. He gives a prime example of one of these allergies too ... and says it SHOULD have been obvious to him.

Matty's eye-opening chat went down on Emmanuel's Instagram talk show, "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man."

BTW, Emmanuel said he's personally been exposed to a lot of "white allergies" -- he listed them off, and explained why they're really racist microaggressions in disguise.

"Gone With the Wind" is gone no more ... HBO Max is bringing back the 1939 classic but it'll do so by adding historical context and denouncing its racist depictions.

The streaming platform made an about-face mere hours after announcing it would temporarily pull the film from its library. The move came after "12 Years a Slave" screenwriter John Ridley published an op-ed Tuesday in the Los Angeles Times calling for HBO Max to remove a film that puts slavery in a positive light, set in the pre-Civil War South.

HBO Max announced late Tuesday night the original film will be brought back "with a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement" of the depictions of slavery.

HBO Max added, "'Gone With The Wind’ is a product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society." When the movie returns, it'll be "presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed."

It's unclear exactly how the streaming service will add "context."

In his op-ed, Ridley wrote the film "romanticizes the Confederacy in a way that continues to give legitimacy to the notion that the secessionist movement was something more, or better, or more noble than what it was — a bloody insurrection to maintain the 'right' to own, sell and buy human beings."

"Gone With the Wind" won 8 Oscars ... including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Hattie McDaniel would become the first Black winner ... Best Supporting Actress for playing Scarlet's house servant, Mammy.

The white man who disgustingly imitated George Floyd's homicide in front of Black Lives Matter protesters is a FedEx employee, and the stunt could cost him his job.

Our sources tell us James DeMarco is one of the men seen in video mocking Floyd's death Monday as protesters marched past him in Franklin Township, NJ ... and he's been suspended from work pending a company investigation.

Honchos at FedEx tell TMZ ... "The behavior depicted in the video, which involved a FedEx employee, is appalling and offensive. The employee in question was immediately removed from all FedEx work duties while our investigation is concluded and all internal procedures are followed."

The shipping giant adds ... "A diverse and inclusive workforce is at the heart of our business, and we stand with those who support justice and equality."

As you can see, the peaceful protesters were flanked by police as they marched past a group of men mocking Floyd's death in front of Trump flags, American flags, a "Thin Blue Line" flag and an "All Lives Matter" sign. The group, which included one man kneeling on another's neck, shouted at protesters.

The footage drew tons of heat on social media and a rebuke from the town's mayor and police chief, who said they were "appalled and saddened by the revolting actions of certain individuals."

One of DeMarco's pals, also in the video, was identified as a South Jersey corrections officer, and the NJ Department of Corrections says he's been benched pending an investigation.

Sugar vs. No Love!?!

UFC rising star Sean O'Malley tells TMZ Sports that's a fight that will "100% happen" -- even if it takes a few years to get there.

Of course, Sean and Cody both fought at UFC 250 on Saturday -- and KO'd their opponents with unbelievable 1-hitter quitters!

They each got a $50k performance bonus -- and now, the hype to get these guys into the Octagon TOGETHER has begun.

"He's a dangerous fight, for sure," O'Malley tells us ... "Anyone that throws a right hand like that is dangerous."

"We'll fight someday. 100% fight someday. He's still pretty young so I think that's gonna be a potential big, BIG fight, that's a big pay-per-view fight here in the next years."

"He keeps winning, I keep winning. That's a big f**king fight."

O'Malley says he's got tons of respect for Garbrandt after he came back from a 3-fight skid to KO Raphael Assuncao ... but he did notice one interesting change about Cody's look.

"Grew his beard out a little bit, try to add maybe a little cushion there and it might have worked -- but I'll slice right through that f**king beard!"

As for Sean's killer KO of Eddie Wineland -- "Sugar" breaks down the punch that ended the fight ... and it's awesome.

Before this bouncing little baby was jumping from television show to television show and ultimately finding her calling as a powerful TV host, she was just another super-cute baby girl growing up in Chicago, Illinois.

While she was just a newborn who had barely opened her eyes in this baby pic ... she gained a clearer view of the world as an actress and Hollywood star.

If you're still having a hard time getting a read on who this adorable infant is, you could always crack open her book, "Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break," to get a sneak peek on who's behind the baby photo.

Crossfit CEO Greg Glassman reportedly told his staff "we're not mourning George Floyd" in the wake of the 46-year-old's tragic death ... this according to Buzzfeed, which says it has the audio proof.

Glassman -- the man credited for creating the super-popular CrossFit fitness routine -- made the comments while on a Zoom call Saturday with employees and affiliate gym owners, according to BuzzFeed

Glassman was reportedly asked about CrossFit's radio silence on the issues raised by Floyd's death -- and his response is shocking.

"Can you tell me why I should mourn for him?" Glassman allegedly said on the call. "Other than that it’s the white thing to do -- other than that, give me another reason."

The call reportedly lasted for over an hour ... with Glassman allegedly repeatedly bashing "Black Lives Matter" protesters, spewing wild conspiracy theories and slamming COVID-19 lockdowns.

"We're not mourning for George Floyd," Glassman reportedly said. "I don't think me or any of my staff are."

In fact, one of the participants allegedly on the call told Buzzfeed, "it turned into a sh*t show, really, where the guy is just -- conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory."

As we previously reported ... Reebok and several of the nation's biggest CrossFit affiliate gyms vowed to sever ties with the fitness org. over the weekend because of Glassman.

The CrossFit founder posted an insensitive tweet about George Floyd on Saturday evening -- purportedly hours after the Zoom call -- which caused tremendous backlash.

Glassman eventually apologized late Sunday for the tweet, saying, in part, "My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake."

George Floyd's brother is pushing for a lasting change to policing in America, which is why he fought off tears while testifying before Congress and implored them ... enough is enough.

Philonise Floyd went before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday on Capitol Hill, and made an emotional plea for Congress to bring an end to police brutality and systemic racism. Philonise's testimony came just one day after he buried his big brother in Houston and 16 days after he was killed while in Minneapolis police custody -- and it was obvious the pain is still fresh for him.

Philonise's plea included asking lawmakers, "Is that what a black man's worth? $20? This is 2020. Enough is enough. The people marching in the streets is telling you 'enough is enough.'" The $20, of course, is a direct reference to cops being called after Floyd allegedly spent a counterfeit $20 bill.

The hearing on Policing Practices and Law Enforcement Accountability came just 2 days after Democrats introduced the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 that would, among other things, prohibit chokeholds, create a registry to track officers with serious misconduct records and eliminate legal protections that currently make it challenging to go after officers in court for using excessive force.

Philonise told lawmakers, George's name stands for something and they "have the opportunity here today to make your names mean something too." Former VP Joe Biden, in a prerecorded message played at Floyd's funeral, said he hopes his death can be a turning point that can help America achieve true equality.

As we've reported ... the ex-cops involved in Floyd's death have been criminally charged. Derek Chauvin is facing second-degree murder for having his knee on George's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Philonise said, "The man who took his life ... [Floyd] still called him 'sir' as he begged for his life."

The other 3 officers -- Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao -- have also been charged with felonies, aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

The manner in which Floyd died triggered protests throughout the country and around the world. Philonise said George changed the world. He also had some parting words for his brother, "I know he's looking down at us now. You changed the world. I hope you found mama and you can rest in peace with power."

The elderly man in Buffalo who was shoved to the ground by an aggressive cop denies any ties to Antifa ... after President Trump suggested he was a member.

Kelly Zarcone -- an attorney for 75-year-old Martin Gugino -- tells TMZ ... POTUS is wrong to think her client is in any way involved with the radical left group, and to suggest otherwise is grossly irresponsible -- especially since the guy just got out of intensive care.

She says, "Martin is out of ICU but still hospitalized and truly needs to rest. Martin has always been a PEACEFUL protestor because he cares about today’s society."

Zarcone adds, Martin "is also a typical Western New Yorker who loves his family. No one from law enforcement has even suggested anything otherwise, so we are at a loss to understand why the President of the United States would make such dark, dangerous, and untrue accusations against him."

Yeah, a lot of people can't explain it -- including several Senators and Congressmen on Capitol Hill, who've refused to comment today about the President's tweet.

If you missed it, Trump openly pondered whether Gugino might've been an Antifa-tied provocateur ... who pretended to fall harder than he was pushed.

An LAPD cop who was caught on video giving a man a beating earlier this year is now going to court ... he's been charged with assault by the District Attorney.

Los Angeles County D.A. Jackie Lacey announced the charge Tuesday against Officer Frank Hernandez -- who video shows pummeled a man with his fists this past April out in Boyle Heights.  As we reported, the officer was responding to a call for trespass. Hernandez now faces one count of felony assault under color of authority.

At the time, Hernandez and his partner encountered the guy after seeing him on a lot he allegedly wasn't supposed to be on -- but after refusing to leave the area entirely on the officers' orders, things got heated ... and eventually, they came to blows.

According to the D.A., Hernandez is accused of repeatedly punching the man over a dozen times over the head, neck and body. The D.A. calls it "a disturbing case of the illegal use of force at the hands of a police officer. In this case, we believe the force was neither legally necessary nor reasonable."

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is reminding Donald Trump exactly who is on whose turf ... and she's ready to stand up to his threats about putting dogs and soldiers on the streets of her city.

The mayor of our nation's capital joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and made it clear ... the President is a guest in her city of 700,000 taxpaying citizens, not the other way around, and he's overstepping his bounds if he thinks he can threaten D.C. with federal muscle.

Mayor Bowser says Trump's bashing of the D.C. police, calling in the military and instructing law enforcement to open fire on peaceful protesters should be alarming to all Americans ... not just those who live in D.C.

She also tells us she's concerned Trump won't accept the 2020 election results if he loses to Joe Biden ... and says Trump's tweets attacking her and protesters are a clear signal the Prez is gung ho on intimidating the masses to bend to his will.

It's a pretty important conversation ... and part of the Mayor's growing feud with Trump. Remember, she's already poked the bear with the massive Black Lives Matter mural outside the White House.

Air Jordan has just conquered another element -- WATER -- 'cause Michael Jordan's Catch 23 boat just caught a 442.3-pound blue marlin in a fishing tourney!!

Jordan is currently dukin' it out in the 62nd Annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in Morehead City, North Carolina this week ... a big-time competition with $3.4 MILLION in prize money.

His Airness has participated in huge fishing comps in the past ... including the White Marlin Open in 2019.

MJ was all smiles when his crew brought in the huge blue marlin on Tuesday ... which is good enough to put them in 5th place for the heaviest marlin (the first place boat reeled in a 494.2-lb fish!!!)

Remember, MJ's Catch 23 ride is a beaut -- it's even got the signature elephant print from his Jordan 3's on the back.

Jordan did a "post-game interview" after getting off the boat ... saying he hopes to get back out on the water and bring back a bigger fish.

The crowd went wild when MJ pulled up to the dock ... and the legend even agreed to sign a few autographs after celebrating the huge catch.

George Floyd's loved ones will pay their final respects in Houston Tuesday ... which has officially been declared George Floyd Day in the area.

Floyd's hometown funeral is the last of four services held for him over the past few days. The ceremony will be held at Fountain of Praise Church -- just like Monday's public viewing -- and then he'll be buried in a grave beside his mother's.

TMZ will be live streaming the event at 11 AM CT. Among those in attendance will be Ahmaud Arbery's mother. As we reported ... Ahmaud's father spoke during Monday's public memorial, along with parents of Eric Garner and Michael Brown.

George's family also spoke and delivered a powerful message, saying they believe if he had known he needed to sacrifice his life to bring the world together ... he would have done it.

Floyd was honored last week in Minneapolis, and then again in his birth state of North Carolina over the weekend.

Of course, George's death has touched millions of people around the world, sparked international protests and demonstrations in his name ... and could lead to an overhaul of policing across the U.S., as evidenced by what's happening with the Minneapolis PD.

The cops involved in his killing have been criminally charged. Derek Chauvin is facing second-degree murder for having his knee on George's neck for nearly 9 minutes. The other 3 officers -- Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao -- have also been charged with felonies, aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

George was killed on May 25. He was 46.

RIP