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Jamie Lynn Spears has a problem with her Tesla ... one that's cost her family multiple pets -- and she's asking Elon Musk to fix it to avoid future cat-astrophes.

Britney's baby sis paints a pretty horrific picture of what's been happening in her home, claiming her Tesla vehicle is so quiet her cats don't hear it turn on or backing up ... and they end up going from 9 lives to zero.

Jamie spares us the gory details, thankfully, but says it's devastating and tragic for everyone involved. She also suggests it's happened several times, but doesn't say precisely how many felines paid the ultimate price.

She also pitches an idea to Elon on how to improve Teslas and save cat lives. No, JLS isn't an engineer, but she might be on to something here.

Now, Jamie does admit some "user error" is also at fault, which seems appropriate considering it's happened more than once. As you can see in the video, it's made for some difficult heart-to-hearts with her daughter.

As the anniversary of Kobe and Gianna Bryant's deaths approaches, Vanessa's sharing her daily battle to cope with such heartbreaking loss ... and offering some advice.

Vanessa says ... "Grief is a messed up cluster of emotions. One day you're in the moment laughing and the next day you don't feel like being alive."

She then speaks directly to people who understand her pain, adding ... "Find your reason to live. I know it's hard. I look at my daughters and I try to push through that feeling for them."

As you know ... Vanessa's husband and 13-year-old daughter were both killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020 along with 7 others, including the pilot.

From time to time, Vanessa's shared her efforts to pick up the pieces and care for her and Kobe's 3 other girls ... but she's never spoken this openly about her struggle with grief.

It's far from a pizza party, but the National Guard troops stationed in the nation's capital to keep the peace ahead of Inauguration Day are being treated to pizza on the reg ... thanks to thoughtful donors.

A cargo van loaded with stacks of pies was delivered to troops throughout D.C. Friday, from the popular local restaurant We, The Pizza.

The pizza joint tells TMZ ... it launched an initiative Tuesday for people to donate money to provide food for the National Guard, D.C. and Capitol Police and the fire department.

We're told on Thursday this resulted in about 1,500 pizzas being delivered, and the number's at 500 and counting Friday. We, The Pizza says it plans on keeping up the pizza drive through the inauguration.

Members of Congress -- such as Reps. Michael Waltz and Vicky Hartzler -- have been personally involved in handing out the pies in the Capitol Building this week ... to show their support for protecting them.

As we've reported ... members of the National Guard have been called in to boost security in wake of the January 6 Capitol riots, which 20,000 expected to be in D.C. for Joe Biden's inauguration.

Denver Broncos star Von Miller -- the MVP of Super Bowl 50 -- is under criminal investigation in Colorado ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Details of the allegations against the future Hall of Famer are unclear ... a spokesperson for the Parker Police Dept. in Parker, Colo. tells us, "The case is currently under investigation so no information can be released at this time."

"If the investigation determines a crime has occurred, charges will be submitted to the DA's office for their review."

The spokesperson added there is no ballpark timeframe for the conclusion of the probe ... explaining the allegations just came in "recently."

Miller -- who sat out this season after suffering a tendon injury in his lower leg in September -- is still considered one of the most feared defenders in the NFL.

The 31-year-old has piled up 106 career sacks in just 135 games ... and has vowed to come back stronger from his injury in 2021.

Miller would be subject to league discipline if he's found to have violated the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy.

We've reached out to Miller for comment ... but so far, no word back yet.

Story developing ...

President Trump's double impeachment isn't altering some big plans he's already making ... to build and fill his Presidential Library.

As Trump prepares to move out of The White House, several boxes and items were hauled out Thursday ... including a few storage containers marked "Presidential Library Gifts."

The bins are clear, but it's still hard to make out most of what's inside them ... although it looks like a mini baseball bat made the cut.

Presidents rack up gifts from all around the country and world during their time in The White House, and Trump's Republican Presidential predecessor ... George W. Bush houses approximately 43,000 such gifts at his Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas, TX.

Based on the labels on the storage bins ... it appears Trump has a similar idea in mind.

However, even though every POTUS since Hoover has had a Presidential Library, it's no easy project ... and the tale of the Barack Obama Presidential Center is a perfect example. There have been major funding and planning challenges because all the money comes from private sources, and construction was suspended in the Fall. They're hoping to restart sometime this year.

Considering Trump's been impeached twice and has suffered major blows to his business lately, he might face similar challenges. But, we know he's all about having his name on buildings ... so ya gotta think he's gonna try.

Pitbull may need to go by "Dale" Earnhardt, Jr. now ... 'cause the party music legend is now a proud co-owner of a NASCAR racing team!!

The Grammy award winner shared the big news on Friday (which also happens to be his 40th birthday) ... officially announcing his partnership with Team Trackhouse and owner Justin Marks.

As it turns out, Mr. Worldwide says he's been a fan of NASCAR ever since he saw the 1990 flick "Days of Thunder" starring Tom Cruise ... and now he couldn't be more pumped to get in on the action.

"This is a great way to celebrate my 40th bday, so Get Ready! Dale!" Pitbull said on Twitter.

Trackhouse features star driver Daniel Suarez, who gave his new boss a shoutout shortly after the announcement was made.

"Welcome to the family amigo 🤙🏼💪🏼 @pitbull," Suarez said. "Daleeee!!!🔥🔥  Big things are happening."

Pitbull won't just be a mascot owner -- the musician is slated to be in-person to watch his team compete at the Daytona 500 next month.

He's already been active in the racing community ... performing alongside Blake Shelton at Phoenix Raceway back in March.

NASCAR released a statement on the big move, saying, "Pitbull is an iconic talent in the music industry and has tremendous passion for NASCAR racing."

"We look forward to working with him to further engage diverse audiences and introduce new fans to our great sport.”

The insurrectionists who breached the U.S. Capitol absolutely had murder on their minds ... according to federal prosecutors who want one of the most notorious rioters to remain in custody.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds say there's strong evidence supporting that "the intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government."

That disturbing statement refers to the case of Arizona man and so-called "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley -- the bare-chested rioter with animal horns and face paint who stormed into the Capitol.

Prosecutors say an FBI investigation revealed Chansley -- who was photographed standing at Vice President Mike Pence's desk in the Senate chamber -- also left a threatening note for the VP saying, "It’s only a matter of time, justice is coming."

The feds say Chansley's own words support the rioters' intentions were much more nefarious than simply occupying the Capitol Building, and warn that "the insurrection is still in progress."

An unarmed Black man was shot and killed outside of his home in front of his family ... who say they called police to get him psychiatric help, but were told a mental health officer was not available.

Ring video doorbell footage captures the final moments of Patrick Warren's life, when a cop in Killeen, Texas responded to the family's call Sunday. In the video, the officer rings the doorbell and is briefly allowed inside the home, but then says he's going to walk back outside.

Attorney Lee Merritt, who's working with the family, says Warren told the officer to leave. Shortly afterward, Warren is seen walking outside toward the cop while waving his arms erratically. The officer tells him to stop and get on the ground, but Warren refuses.

As his family follows him outside, you can hear the sound of a Taser being deployed on Warren. Then, he gets up and continues to move toward the officer off camera ... who shoots his gun 3 times. A family member screams at the cop, "I told you don't use a gun!"

Warren later died at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center.

Merritt claims the family called the cops seeking a mental health officer when they noticed changes in Warren's behavior, but say they were told they didn't have one ... so they sent a regular police officer.

Kyrie Irving has been hit with yet another fine this season ... this time, the Brooklyn Nets superstar will have to cough up $50,000 for violating the league's health and safety protocols.

As we previously reported, the NBA was investigating video of a maskless Irving attending a private birthday party for his sister earlier this week, which is against the league's COVID-19 policy.

The rule states players cannot attend indoor events exceeding 15 people.

The Association handed down its punishment Friday ... and while KI was hit with the $50k fine, he will also forfeit game checks for the 2 games he missed following the party, which amounts to $816,898, according to insider Bobby Marks.

It's not the first time Irving has had to pull out his wallet this season ... he was fined $25k for refusing to speak to the media.

The latest development adds to the drama-filled season for Irving -- who went MIA on the Nets last week for "personal reasons."

The Vegas strip's shining a little brighter to honor one of its adopted sons ... lighting up the marquees to honor the late Siegfried Fischbacher.

Sin City paid tribute to the legendary magician/tiger tamer Thursday night when virtually every hotel on Las Vegas Blvd. lit up its marquee to bid him farewell. The tribute started at 5 PM ... and you can see Park MGM, Aria and the MGM were among the hotels that took part.

Siegfried and Roy arrived in Vegas in the 1970s and performed at the Stardust Hotel, MGM Grand, New Frontier Hotel.

While Siegfried got top billing at various hotels ... he undoubtedly shined the brightest at the Mirage, where he and his partner, Roy Horn, built a worldwide brand from 1990 until 2003. Before their debut there, the duo described the new show to Steve Wynn as "above and beyond anything anyone had seen in Las Vegas."

Kenneth Field, the producer, told 20/20 that the new show "was probably the most expensive show in the history of the world at the time it was built." A cool $30 million. Siegfried and Roy's show would go on to become the most visited show on the strip.

The United passengers who risked their own health to give aid to a man who had COVID-19 have been compensated for the "inconvenience" ... with vouchers barely worth a round trip anywhere.

Tony Aldapa -- one of the passengers who performed CPR on the COVID-infected man for 45 minutes -- tells TMZ, he got a call from a United rep Thursday thanking him for his assistance during the crisis, and letting him know a $200 electronic travel certificate would be emailed to him.

Tony says the rep didn't mention anything about the man who died having the coronavirus, and the email from United simply says ... "We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced on your recent trip."

Steven Chang also assisted the ill passenger, and likewise ... got a thank you call and a $200 voucher. We're told Chang's wife, who was also on the December 14 flight, did not get a voucher. Neither did a couple other passengers who were on the flight -- Megan Hubbard and Cameron Roberts. So, it seems United is only dishing out travel cash to those directly involved in trying to save the COVID positive passenger.

You'll recall, United said the man claimed he had not been diagnosed with COVID and had no symptoms, but his wife commented during the emergency that he had recently lost his sense of taste and smell and had trouble breathing.

He died at a hospital shortly after an emergency landing in New Orleans, and it was later confirmed he had COVID.

Despite all that, United told us it wasn't their job to notify passengers they may have been exposed to the virus, and instead passed the buck to the CDC.

Aldapa told us it took a full 10 days before he was contacted by the L.A. County Dept. of Public Health ... telling him what he already knew.

A D.C. Metro police officer says he went into "survival mode" after Capitol rioters reached for his gun and yelled, "Kill him with his own gun."

Officer Michael Fanone, a narcotics detective who normally works in plain clothes, says he threw on a uniform to help with backup during the Jan. 6 coup attempt. When the angry mob overtook him, he says he was tased several times in the back of the neck, and thought about using deadly force to get free.

He told CNN he ultimately decided not to, realizing he didn't have enough firepower to take on everyone ... and he didn't want to "give them the justification to kill me."

Instead, he says he tried to appeal to their humanity -- "I just remember yelling out that I have kids. And, it seemed to work." The moment some of the Trump supporters and his partner pulled him away to safety was captured on video.

What's more ... Fanone suffered a minor heart attack because of the ordeal and was taken to a Baltimore medical center to stabilize his heart's rhythm.

Airbnb is blocking and canceling reservations in the D.C. area for Inauguration Day, but supporters and protesters looking for a crash pad have a plan B ... they're flocking to Craigslist.

The online classifieds site is fast becoming the place to go for those looking to sleep somewhere other than a hotel for the Inauguration ... with accommodations ranging from apartments to homes, to vacation properties.

TMZ did some digging and here's what the inauguration rental landscape looks like on Craigslist:

One-bedroom apartments a little over a mile from the Capitol are running $250 per night, but there's a catch ... ya gotta book a minimum of 3 nights. That gets ya a fully furnished pad with a full kitchen that could come in handy due to COVID restrictions at restaurants.

A little further out from the Capitol -- 2.2 miles or a 15-minute drive -- 600-square-foot apartments loaded with amenities are running around $90 a night for 2 people.

One reason for low prices -- low demand, or at least that's what the Biden administration is hoping. They're encouraging people to take in the Inauguration from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Remember, the National Mall, where inauguration crowds typically gather, is now closed to the public due to heightened security.

For those who persist, and are traveling in big groups, nearby Arlington, VA has larger accommodations ... for instance, you can get 3 days in a 4-bedroom, 3-bath home for a total of $1,650. Again, that's a deep discount from the usual price of $4,500. There are also 5-bedroom options in Arlington.

The Washington Football Team may have come up short against the Buccaneers, but superstar Chase Young still got a "W" ... courtesy of his brand new diamond chain!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 2020 #2 overall pick loves his new NFL home so much, he decided to pay tribute with his newest piece of jewelry.

We're told Young hit up Gabriel The Jeweler -- go-to guy for huge names like Odell Beckham, Antonio Brown and more -- for the job ... and the finished product is a one-of-a-kind replica of the WFT's "W" logo in diamond form!!

Gabriel tells us the piece is made of 30 carats of emerald-shaped VVS diamonds ... and another 9 carats of round VVS diamonds.

No word on how much dough the rookie dropped on the piece, but we're told it's valued at $85k.

FWIW -- Young's rookie deal is worth $35 million ... so yeah, the dude can definitely treat himself.

Not a bad way to cap off a stellar first season, rook!!

Before this posing princess was making audiences laugh from her killer comedy sets, she was just another funny female having a fangirl-moment over the New Kids On The Block in the Upper East Side of New York.

This boy band lover got her start in the industry when she advanced to the top four finalists on the hit reality show "Last Comic Standing." After this big break, she pushed the boundaries with her risque comedy and gained huge success for it.

In 2015, she premiered her talents on the big screen by writing and starring in her first feature-length film.

Donald Trump appears totally checked out of D.C. with less than a week remaining in his Presidency ... because Vice President Mike Pence is literally assuming Trump's duties.

The VP sat at the head of the table during a Thursday briefing on the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris ... with Trump noticeably absent from the board room at FEMA headquarters in Washington.

Earlier in the day, the Veep also looked very Command-in-Chief-ish as he, not Trump, greeted and thanked the National Guard troops who've been stationed at the Capitol since the Jan. 6 riot.

Based on appearances, at least, Pence is running the show ... while Trump's got one foot out the door.

As we reported ... the moving process is full steam ahead at the White House, where a bust of Abraham Lincoln was shuffled out a side door at the West Wing.