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Taylor Swift is lending a much-needed hand to a couple of mothers struggling financially due to the coronavirus pandemic ... just in time for the holidays.

The singer donated $13,000 apiece to 2 moms who have fallen on hard times, and whose stories were featured in a recent article about the millions of Americans who are unemployed, or behind on their rent and utilities.

The women -- Nikki Cornwell from Nashville and Shelbie Selewski from Michigan -- both received a generous donation from Taylor on their GoFundMe pages ... along with a personal note of encouragement.

Taylor wrote to Nikki ... "I read about you in the Washington Post and thought it was really brave of you to share your story. I'm so sorry for everything you've had to go through this year and wanted to send you this gift, from one Nashville girl to another."

Shelbie's message says ... "I'm sending you this gift after reading about you in the Washington Post. No one should have to feel the kind of stress that's been put on you. I hope you and your beautiful family have a great holiday season."

Both women have suffered both medical and financial hardships this year and say they are in danger of being kicked out of their homes if they don't catch up on bills.

Sadly, there are millions more in the U.S. who are also in dire straits, and without another government stimulus for support ... are feeling helpless.

Ann Marie -- who's been arrested and is facing charges in the shooting of her male friend -- was screaming and pleading for help on the phone before emergency responders arrived.

The R&B singer's obviously overcome with emotions on the 911 call -- obtained by TMZ -- but it doesn't shed much light on what happened in the Atlanta hotel room where the incident took place.

At one point, Marie tells the dispatcher it was an accident and explains she reached for a towel and implies that led to her friend accidentally getting shot. Amid her screaming and crying, she's also heard saying, "I love you" to the shooting victim, 24-year-old Jonathon Wright.

After several minutes, police and emergency workers show up and tend to Wright, and it sounds like they are dealing with a scary situation ... as they're heard trying to keep him awake and alert.

As we reported ... cops say they got a call to the InterContinental in Buckhead on December 1 and came upon the grisly scene. The police report says Marie was frantic in a hotel room while Wright laid on the floor with a bullet entry wound in his forehead with an exit wound in his left temple.

Cops say the singer was emotional, but not crying on the scene. She allegedly told officers a gun had fallen off a table and went off, shooting Wright in the head.

Isaac Wright Jr. -- who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life in prison -- is now running for Mayor of NYC, and says he'd welcome Kim Kardashian's counsel in overhauling the city's justice system.

Isaac joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday and said there's no question about it ... Kim K's platform and her influential power would be a huge boost, not only for his campaign ... but for his goals if he wins next year's election.

His incredible life up to this point is already famous -- wrongfully convicted on drug charges in 1991, Isaac was sentenced to life in prison ... but studied as a paralegal while inside and proved his innocence in 1996. His story is the inspiration for the 50 Cent produced show, "For Life" on ABC.

Kim K and Wright are kinda on the same team already ... fighting for criminal justice reform and prisoner's rights. Isaac helped overturn 20 wrongful convictions, along with his own, just as Kim's successfully helped several inmates get clemency or overturned convictions.

Isaac acknowledges Kim's not only getting it done due to her celebrity -- he says she gets in the trenches ... and says that's the kind of people he wants working with him once he's elected.

One thing the coronavirus pandemic won't dramatically change is President-elect Biden's inauguration ceremony -- although there will be a few COVID safety measures in place ... TMZ has learned.

A rep from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies -- which oversees the swearing-in process -- tells TMZ, the team is still planning to hold the big event in-person ... not virtually.

We're told the JCCIC is going to require masks and social distancing for everyone sitting on the dais with Biden -- which you'd expect -- but the Committee is also considering imposing mandatory testing for anyone who will be in the Prez-elect's immediate vicinity.

The stage construction is in full swing and, at this point, a pivot to a virtual ceremony or one significantly scaled back on head count is not in the works. However, a lot can change between now and January 20, as far as the pandemic's concerned.

We're told the congressional committee is still weighing how to go about ticketing, hoping to make it safe, but also inclusive.

Now, as far as the folks who wanna gather on the National Mall and watch the inauguration -- the District of Columbia has already laid out ground rules. It's requiring masks and distancing ... which most likely will translate to a limited capacity.

Outside of the Inauguration, DC already has pretty strict regulations for out-of-town travelers ... including negative tests, and a 14-day quarantine if you're coming from certain states.

Regarding the parade that usually follows the swearing-in, we're told that falls on the city as well. The D.C. Mayor's Office tells us they are planning for a parade as well the other inauguration traditions.

Olivia Jade's facing the music for her family's involvement in the college admissions scandal, claiming it opened her eyes to her privileged life ... and she's aiming to do better now.

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli's youngest daughter got in the hot seat for a "Red Table Talk" with Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Jada's mom, Adrienne Banfield-Jones, and the biggest takeaway from the interview ... Olivia was so blind to her white privilege, she didn't even realize what her parents did was wrong ... at first, anyway.

The popular YouTube influencer tells the women she's embarrassed and even calls herself the "poster child for white privilege."

Olivia admits she thought what her parents did to help her get into school was perfectly normal -- something all families like hers did -- and she was confused when they got in trouble.

Though she defends her parents' intentions and insists they're good people ... Olivia says she did realize something was amiss when news of her resume came out. However, she claims she was unaware of the illegal dealings of Rick Singer, who she says she trusted as a professional college counselor.

As for her parents ... it's pretty evident Olivia harbors no ill-will toward them, but says she hasn't been able to talk to them since they began serving their prison sentences ... due to COVID restrictions.

She does believe they deserve a second chance -- same goes for herself -- and to prove they are contrite.

As we first told you ... Olivia's sit-down also included a tense moment where Adrienne confronted her over her family's involvement in the college bribery scandal, asking her if she understood why people like her would be so upset.

Olivia said she did, but added she came on the show to learn more ... and admitted her parents used their means to help her gain an unfair advantage.

As you know ... Lori and Mossimo took plea deals for their roles in the admissions scandal, and are both currently serving short prison sentences.

Olivia's parents helped get her and her older sister, Isabella, accepted into USC by paying Singer $500,000. The scheme also included creating a bogus resume for Olivia making it look like she was a competitive rower aiming for a spot on USC's crew team.

Lori was sentenced to 2 months behind bars after pleading guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Mossimo got 5 months for pleading guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and 1 count of honest services wire and mail fraud.

Diplo is firing right back at a woman accusing him of revenge porn, now seeking a restraining order of his own ... claiming this woman's the one who's posting his nudes everywhere.

The DJ just filed court docs Tuesday asking a judge to sign a TRO to stop an old fling of his, dead in her tracks after he claims she's been posting explicit photos and videos of the two of them having sex ... while also incessantly harassing both him and his family.

In his paperwork ... Diplo claims they met in 2018, and started exchanging dirty photos and videos with each other -- content Diplo says he expected her to keep private. He says they also had sex a few different times.

At some point in 2020, Diplo says his relationship with her soured, and that's when she allegedly started surfacing explicit images of both him, him and her as well as videos of him and other women that he says he sent her ... none of which he signed off on.

Diplo claims she posted some nudes of him on her Instagram account, and then started sending dirty videos and photos directly to past partners of his -- including to his baby mamas. He also alleges she's been stalking and harassing him nonstop -- and wants a judge to put an end to it with an official court order, forcing her to halt her embarrassing leaks.

We should note ... the woman was granted a temporary restraining order against Diplo last month, in which she alleged similar things regarding revenge porn and harassment.

Mass coronavirus vaccination efforts are underway in England, and some guy named William Shakespeare was one of the first to get it ... which has to be some sorta good sign, right?

The 81-year-old man -- yes, that's really his name -- got a shot of the newly approved coronavirus vaccine Tuesday. Bill got the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at University Hospital Coventry ... which happens to be about 20 miles from Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of the OG Shakespeare.

As amusing as his name is ... ol' Shakespeare will only hold the title of first man to get the COVID-19 vaccine (outside of clinical trials) -- but the first person to get it is actually 90-year-old Margaret Keenan ... who kicked off the country's largest-ever immunization program.

The grandmother received a round of applause Tuesday morning from the nurses and medical staff at the university hospital as she returned to her ward after receiving the shot.

Of course, with the internet being what it is ... clever folks began to ask -- If Keenan was vaccine patient 1A, would that make Shakespeare 2B or not 2B?

As we've reported ... trial results in America are very encouraging as well, and vaccinations are set to begin soon, once the FDA approval process is done.

The final numbers are in and Nipsey Hussle's estate is worth a little over $4 million ... TMZ has learned.

The late rapper's estate filed legal docs documenting the estate's final inventory appraisal ... which puts the estate value at $4,169,088.57. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, a big chunk of Nipsey's net worth comes from his trademark portfolio, shares of companies he owned as well as personal items ... like gold necklaces and Rolexes.

For example ... he owned a 25% share of stock in The Marathon Clothing worth $271k and a 100% interest in All Money In No Money Out Inc. worth just over $2 million. His trademark portfolio -- which includes his name, voice, signature, photograph or likeness on or in products, merchandise or goods -- is worth $913,000.

Chuck Yeager, the pilot known as "the fastest man alive" for being first to break the sound barrier, has died.

Chuck's wife, Victoria, says he passed Monday night after "an incredible life well lived." She says he will be known as "America’s greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever."

According to John Nicoletti, Yeager's friend and ground crew chief, Chuck had several health challenges in recent years and had a fall that led to further complications. Nicoletti says he died at an L.A. hospital, though he lived in Northern Cal.

Yeager broke the sound barrier in October 1947 when he tested the X-1 jet ... though the public didn't know about it until the following year. His incredible feat came after he became a WWII hero as a fighter pilot stationed in England.

During the course of the war, he flew 64 missions and shot down 13 German planes ... and was shot down once himself over France in 1944, but evaded capture.

Yeager returned to America in 1945 and married his first wife, Glennis, for whom he named several of his planes ... including his famous sound-barrier-breaking X-1, Glamorous Glennis.

Yeager's spectacular achievement went down over Rogers Dry Lake in Southern California. The X-1 reached Mach 1.06 or 700 mph, making him the first man to travel faster than the speed of sound and earning him the title of "Fastest Man Alive."

Yeager would go on to continue breaking records and performing in airshows, and his legacy was captured in Tom Wolfe's book "The Right Stuff," which became the 1983 hit movie.

Chuck was also a valued adviser for the government and aerospace industry and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Ronald Reagan in 1985.

Twelve years later, at age 74, he commemorated the 50th anniversary of his historic X-1 flight by flying in an F-15 Eagle.

Yeager was 97.

The L.A. restaurant owner who called it a "slap in the face" her place is shut down -- while a film set operates next door -- might be back in biz soon ... thanks to an outpouring of support.

Employees at the Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill in Sherman Oaks tell TMZ ... awareness of the restaurant's struggle has skyrocketed and led to an influx of donations. ICYMI ... owner Angela Marsden called out Governor Newsom and L.A. Mayor Garcetti for apparent double standards with COVID-19 restrictions.

Pineapple Hill's GoFundMe has currently raised about $150,000, and we're told because of the generosity, there's a strong chance it will be able to reopen for takeout soon ... allowing employees to earn a much-needed paycheck again.

While celebs like Maria Shriver have encouraged people to donate, we're told others like Ricky Schroder, Todd Hoffman (Wheels from "Meatballs") and Maria's son, Patrick Schwarzenegger, have also hit up the restaurant directly, offering to help in any way possible.

As for the restaurant's newfound fame ... employees tell us it's a team effort right now to keep spreading the word about why small businesses need to be allowed to operate outdoors. Some of the workers are even helping Marsden schedule media interviews to do so.

Pineapple Grill tells us it did get some backlash from people who thought they were doing a disservice to the entertainment workers who were being employed on the film set. It wants to clarify it has no problem with that, and it supports all those who were working on the set of NBC's "Good Girls" that day.

Cops in Georgia are searching for this maniac who stabbed a teenage Dunkin' Donuts worker -- on video -- because the joint didn't have the flavor he wanted.

This went down over the weekend in Union City, GA where a drive-thru customer got irate the Dunkin' had run out of his favorite donut. Union City PD tells TMZ ... the guy left, but returned a short time later and went inside to start arguing with the employee.

You can see from the video, things got violent quickly ... as the suspect started flailing away with a knife ... stabbing the 17-year-old worker twice -- once in the left forearm and the upper arm.

The suspect fled before cops arrived ... bolting in a red Audi with a female passenger. Police are still looking for him, and asking for the public's help.

Here it is -- some of the first clear, up-close video of Donald Trump's golf swing ... and it's, uh, something!!!

Golf pro P.J. Cowan -- who's a swing coach for players of all ages -- shared the footage of a round with #45 this week ... showing off a perfect view of one of POTUS' drives.

You can see in the clip ... Donald PIPES the golf ball -- which is kind of surprising, given the uneasiness of his swing.

The 74-year-old has a little jerky motion in his backswing ... but to his credit, the guy is still able to square up the clubface and drive it a mile.

"My man Mr DT," Cowan wrote along with the video. "Textbook."

Trump and most of those who have golfed with him recently have talked glowingly about his game ... with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham saying over the summer that Donald shot a 74 in one of the rounds they played.

FYI -- a 74 is REALLY good ... some pros don't even hit that mark on a regular basis!

"He beat me like a drum!" Graham said at the time.

Then again, others who have played with Trump in the past have sworn he's a cheat on the course ... with Barack Obama recently saying of DT, "There’s sometimes problems with the scoring. And whether he’s keeping track of his strokes."

R&B Singer Ann Marie has been arrested in connection to a hotel shooting that sent a man to the hospital after getting shot in the head.

The story is wild ... cops in Atlanta say they got a call to the InterContinental in Buckhead on December 1 and came upon a grisly scene in a hotel room. According to the report -- obtained by TMZ -- Ann Marie was hysterical while a male friend of hers laid on the floor with a bullet wound in the center of his forehead and exit wound out his left temple area.

The report says the male friend, 24-year-old Jonathon Wright, had lost a lot of blood but was somewhat conscious and able to answer some questions. Cops say while Ann Marie was hysterical, she did not produce any tears ... and was naked under a white bathrobe.

Ann Marie told officers at the scene that the gun had fallen off a table and went off, striking Wright in the head.

Cops say they found 2 shell casings inside the hotel room and 2 projectiles. The report states there was also a bullet hole in the door jam and another in a cabinet.

Wright was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

Here's some actual breaking news .... breakdancing is now an Olympic sport.

Well, it will be at the 2024 Games in Paris!

The International Olympic Committee says the Olympic competition will feature 16 b-boy and 16 b-girls from around the world competing in 1-on-1 battles.

The top finishers get real Olympic medals -- gold, silver and bronze.

The head of the World DanceSport Federation called the announcement "historic" ... "not only for b-boys and b-girls but for all dancers around the world."

WDSF president Shawn Tay added ... "It was a true team effort to get to this moment and we will redouble our efforts in the lead-up to the Olympic Games to make sure the breaking competition at Paris 2024 will be unforgettable."

The news isn't going over great with everyone -- Australian squash legend Michelle Martin says it's a "mockery" that breakdancing is an Olympic sport while squash is not.

“You just look at the whole thing and you just go ‘Where’s the Olympics going?’ I know some people say breakdancing’s a sport but ... I don’t understand,” Martin told the AAP.

“The Olympics was all about a score, or it was a running race. There was a definitive answer and results to sports. You bring in all these judging things and it just gets so corrupt and so out of control. I just don’t get it anymore.”

The IOC also announced skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing will also be included at the 2024 Games -- 3 sports that were supposed to debut at Tokyo 2020.

One of the many depressing consequences of the coronavirus pandemic is it seems to be greatly reducing the number of toys donated to kids in need ... but first responders in L.A. are stepping up, again, to meet the challenge.

TMZ's learned from sources close to L.A. police and firefighters ... donations are down as much as 50 percent compared to last year at some donation locations, and less than normal across the board.

Part of the reason, we're told, is that the law enforcement agencies have not been able to hold their big annual toy drives in-person due to COVID-19 restrictions. On top of that, there's less awareness of toy drives due to people being stuck at home ... and finally, many people simply can't afford to donate because they've lost their jobs.

The good news -- many people who are able to give are doing so, and various police departments and L.A. County Fire are promoting the option of online donating. CHP is also utilizing TEXT TOYS 76278 to help bridge their toy donation gap this year. We're told several cops and firefighters are also reaching into their own pockets to help make up the difference.

Our sources say the L.A. police and fire workers are devising plans to properly disinfect all the toys and use contactless delivery to get them to kids.

Rick Ross says he's been exactly where millions of Americans are today -- avoiding doctor visits due to lack of healthcare -- which is why he's backing an affordable new option.

Da Boss and healthcare vet/entrepreneur Tommy Duncan joined us on "TMZ Live" to discuss their telehealth app, Jetdoc ... and reveal why the music mogul jumped into healthcare. Rick told us part of it is personal, and part of is addressing what's become an obvious need.

As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic forced clinics/hospitals to pivot and rethink how doctors can treat and diagnose patients during lockdowns. As a result, nearly 25 million people used a telehealth service between March and October, and the vast majority of them were satisfied with the service.

Enter Rick Ross and Tommy, who've both coped with serious health issues -- Rick's battled seizures, and Tommy suffered a stroke at just 30 years old. Still, the rapper says he knows all too well that people who don't have access to health insurance avoid getting medical care ... and he wants to change that.

The duo told us Jetdoc, available for download on Google Play and the App Store, is incredibly reasonable at just $20 for the first virtual urgent care visit or $10 a month for an unlimited membership.