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Joe Biden's inauguration will still have some semblance of normalcy when he's taking his oath of office, because there's going to be a crowd out there watching him ... whose seating arrangement is now becoming crystal clear.

Construction for the inauguration stage -- as well as for the surrounding viewing area, as it were -- at the Capitol is in full swing, and on Sunday ... somebody captured a full front-to-back shot of what the layout is looking like thus far, just three days before Jan. 20.

As you can see, there will be butts in those chairs watching JB and Kamala Harris be sworn in ... which are spaced out for social distancing. They only go back so far, taking up just the first patch of grass on the west side of the Capitol. It's unclear if they're planning to set more before Wednesday, but probably not. It's gonna be relatively small crowd.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies laid out the ground rules in December, saying only members of the 117th Congress were allowed to attend and watch in-person ... plus one guest for each member. All in all, that accounts for about 1,000 people.

As you might've heard, the National Mall and surrounding roads/bridges throughout D.C. have been closed ahead of the ceremony ... so you're not likely to see any normies out there trying to watch the festivities. That closure, of course, is because of the Capitol riot ... law enforcement's running a tight ship, so gatherings of any sort probably won't fly.

The way things currently stand, it looks like just members of Congress and other invited guests of Biden and Harris will be there in the flesh to witness the inauguration. The rest of it, including the traditional parade through the streets, will be broadcast virtually.

Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez are also set to perform that day, and it appears they'll also be there in person to put on a show.

Video has just surfaced -- the most dramatic and upsetting by far -- showing the Capitol insurrectionists storming the building as they told cops, "There's a f***ing million of us out there. We are listening to Trump, your boss."

And as they enter the Senate Chamber you hear someone say, "While we're here we must as well set up a government."

The video was shot by New Yorker war correspondent Luke Mogelson, who was covering the "Stop the Steal" rally.

The video is unlike all the others, in that you really see how determined the rioters were to invade the Capitol ... pretty clearly determined to do great harm. As they breach the Chamber, you hear someone say in frustration, "Where the f*** is Nancy." Someone else screams, "Where the f** are they?"

The group at times tries to compliment the cops and other times they attack, screaming, "F*** you police" and "f*** the blue" as they enter the building.

It's clear all members of Congress were at grave risk. You hear someone scream, "Start making a list, put all those names down and start hunting them down one by one." And then someone screams, "Traitors get the guillotine."

Jake Angeli, the "Q Shaman," is anything but chill, as he sits in Pence's chair and screams, "Mike Pence is a f***ing traitor." Angeli tries to act like the leader, chanting, praying, and screaming obscenities. Then he has someone take a photo of him at Pence's desk.

As they peruse Ted Cruz's notebook, someone says, "I think Cruz would want us to do this."

Kamala Harris's achievements are off the charts -- District Attorney, Attorney General, Senator, and soon-to-be Vice President, but thing is -- according to her husband -- she's a normal person who really loves her Chucks!

Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were grilled by Jane Pauley on "Sunday Morning" about her penchant for Converse Chucks. She wore them a lot on the campaign trail and Jane seemed genuinely disappointed Kamala chose something more formal for the interview.

Jane wanted to know when it became a thing, and Harris said this was not just something she started wearing on the campaign or, for that matter, on the cover of Vogue.

She explained Chucks have been part of her life forever. Harris says she loves them because they're super comfortable.

Then Doug piped in, saying Chucks are a marker of who she is, adding when they met Kamala was all about Chucks and jeans.

But then, Doug got in a little trouble by suggesting Kamala has closets full of Chucks. The Veep-Elect squashed that. No Imelda Marcos for her!!!

Doug recently started his official Twitter account as the Second Gentleman.

This is a story of life and death -- two 911 calls a day apart to help a man with a mental disability, two different officers respond, and in the first case the man lives and in the second he's shot dead ... and the proof is in the 2 videos below.

Patrick Warren -- the unarmed Black man who was shot and killed in Texas after having an episode that required de-escalation -- was able to get the help he needed just one day prior to his death ... proving that training makes a world of difference in these situations.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9TH -- Patrick was behaving erratically so a family member called 911 for help. A Mental Health Resource officer with de-escalation training responds, greets Patrick and asks if they could sit on the sofa and talk. The officer listened to Patrick unload his feelings and he began calming down. They continued to talk, and then the officer told Patrick he was concerned about him and maybe it was a good idea to get checked out.

TMZ has obtained new Ring doorbell video from Patrick's family home, showing the officer and Patrick walk calmly to the car. The officer took Patrick to the hospital where doctors examined him and then he went home.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 10TH Another 911 call, but this time no Mental Health Resource officers were available, so police officers showed up. As you have seen from the video, this went the opposite of de-escalation. Patrick failed to follow orders, so he was tased and ultimately shot dead.

Mind you ... the 2,911 calls were for the identical problem with the same person, yet the techniques could not have been more different -- nor could the result.

BTW ... the Mental Health Resource Unit is part of the Police Department. Maybe one solution would be to increase the number of officers in that unit so they would be available whenever such calls come in.

"Teen Mom" star Jenelle Evans says she's regained custody of her son, Jace, but her mom begs to differ.

Jenelle posted a bunch of TikTok videos Saturday, claiming her eldest son is now in her custody. As you probably know, Jenelle's mom, Barbara, has had custody for years.

Jenelle said, "I have custody of Jace. He lives with me now full-time.  My [3] kids are happy, they're healthy. That's all that f***ing matters."

She went on to talk about how "stupid" she was as a young woman and all the mistakes she made, including with men ... but now, she says, things are very different.

Barbara tells TMZ she still has full custody of Jace. She got custody a decade ago when Jace was just a baby, because of Jenelle's erratic behavior. Jenelle has only had visitation rights ever since.

Barbara says Jace has recently been going back and forth between her house and Jenelle's due to the pandemic ... Jace goes to Jenelle's house for 3-4 days at a time, in part just so he has a change of scenery. He'll go over there to do his schoolwork ... then he comes back to Barbara's.

Barbara tells us she called Jenelle after her daughter announced she regained custody, and Barbara says Jenelle told her she "misspoke" and recognized Barbara still had custody.

Betty White is one step closer to a major milestone, and with insurrections, viruses and an economy that's tanked, at least we can all unite in this celebration.

Betty turned 99 today, and she waxed philosophical ... "I can stay up as late as I want without asking permission."

Well, maybe no philosophical, but Betty's awesome!!!

Her plans for today ... feeding a couple ducks that hang at her L.A. home.

As for what's on the menu -- a hot dog and french fries, courtesy of her agent, Jeff Witjas.

ICYMI -- as in the last 80 years -- Betty's show biz career began in 1939.

Most actors and actresses are lucky if they get one gigantic hit during their careers, but after Betty got her first she did not rest. Her role as Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" was epic, and the show was one of the biggest hits in TV history.

And, as you know, she followed that up with "The Golden Girls" ... she played the character Rose for 8 years and 204 episodes.

Betty's fame has endured to this day. One of the great show biz stories is the groundswell that led to her hosting "SNL" back in 2010.

As for where it all began ... Oak Park, Illinois in 1922. She wanted to be a forest ranger but women at the time weren't allowed.

Betty was married to Allen Ludden, the OG "Password" host, from 1963 to his death in 1981.

State capitols aren't the only landmarks authorities fear might become potential targets for violence in the wake of Joe Biden's inauguration ... we're told law enforcement will pay special attention to other landmarks around the U.S.

In New York, we're told there will be heightened security at Trump Tower and other locations linked to the outgoing President ... with additional officers patrolling City Hall in the days leading up to the inauguration. We're told there are no specific threats targeting these buildings, but the NYPD and other agencies aren't taking any chances.

Our sources say in L.A., aside from fortifying government buildings, the LAPD is going to pay special attention to power structures, water treatment plants, communication towers, power grids and the L.A. Zoo. This isn't the first time the zoo got special protection. As for why ... police are concerned people who want to cause trouble would go in and release animals, which would turn the city upside down.

Likewise, Beverly Hills PD sources tell us they're pulling out all the stops in terms of police presence on Inauguration Day. You may recall, Bev Hills was the site of protests and some unrest in the wake of George Floyd's death -- lots of pro and anti-Trump activity.

"Monitoring the situation" is the mantra in San Fran, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami as well ... according to our sources.

Hidden within this eyebrow-raising photo is an actress known for her leading role on an NBC sitcom. The series had its final season last year, but ran for a total of 11 seasons.

Aside from her work on television, this famous female has been in films such as "New Year's Eve," "Hot Pursuit," "The Smurfs" and several others!

She is currently a judge on "America's Got Talent," alongside Heidi Klum, Simon Cowell, and Howie Mandel.

Netflix left a controversial episode from one of MTV's most popular shows on the cutting room floor ... an episode infamous for some severe bullying.

Here's the deal ... the streaming giant just added 2 seasons of MTV's 'Real World/Road Rules Challenge,' but fans will instantly notice something's missing ... some behind-the-scenes clips featuring 3 female cast members going after another female contestant.

The episode was titled "To Hell and Back: Hot Gossip From The Inferno 2" ... and the troubling scene showed Veronica, Rachel and Tina ganging up on Tonya Cooley by snapping nude photos of her while she was sleeping.

They later showed those pics to other houseguests. That episode was the show's finale in 2005, and aired instead of the usual end-of-season reunions.

As for why Netflix cut it? Well, there's the obvious ... 2005 was just a different time, and things that might have been seen as funny or entertaining back then, just don't fly today.

We reached out to Netflix and MTV for an explanation, but neither responded.

Andrew Zimmern says folks in custody need better food options ... even the bare-chested insurrectionist with animal horns and face paint complaining about a lack of organic grub.

We caught up with the 'Bizarre Foods' host this week and talked Jake Angeli, the Capitol attack suspect who complained about not being able to eat in federal custody because there were no organic options meeting his strict diet.

Andrew says Angeli's beef shines a light on an issue he believes runs deep in America ... the food being served in public hospitals, schools and prisons is in desperate need of an upgrade.

While Andrew says Angeli is an "evil, disgusting, human" who should be served nothing but bread and water, he admits it's not fair to single the guy out of his crusade for better prison food for all.

Ralph Macchio's good looks are unbeatable!

Here is a 23-year-old version of "The Karate Kid" star rockin' long locks of hair at a movie premiere in Los Angeles, CA back in 1984 (left). This was the same year the first "Karate Kid" film was released. Its success landed two more films to follow, all starring Macchio.

And, 36 years later ... The actor is now starring in the spin-off television series "Cobra Kai" on Netflix. He was seen charming viewers everywhere with his good looks while on a late-night show just last week (right).

People would fight for looks like this!

The question is...

Latin singer Chesca -- an artist who was supposed to perform at Joe Biden's MLK Day celebration -- just announced she caught the coronavirus ... but the show will still go on, with her in the mix no less.

Chesca took to IG to break the news Saturday, writing in Spanish that she recently attended a recording session at a studio in Miami ... where one of the producers looked sick. She says she asked if it was COVID-related, and he assured it wasn't -- he said he was hungover.

Not the case it turns out ... Chesca says it was COVID all along, because everyone in the studio that day caught the virus. Chesca posted her positive test result, with a caption that reads ... "#F***COVID." Looks like she got a rapid antigen test too.

Chesca tells TMZ ... "Luckily none of us are experiencing bad symptoms and feel ok. We all tested positive as well. I have mild to 0 symptoms and I feel good just a bit of body aches."

She adds, "I feel good and I am doing the performance on my own. They are putting a camera and I’ll be alone." So Chesca's going to perform on Monday, as scheduled.

She is one of more than a dozen speakers and performers set to take center stage Monday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It appears some of the appearances are going to be virtual, while others will be held in person, with CDC guidelines in mind.

Some of the folks who will speak or sing/perform ... Aloe Blacc, Rev. Dr. Bernice King, Martin Luther King III, Rep. Sharice Davids, Rosario Dawson, Andra Day, Yo-Yo Ma, Reverand Al Sharpton, Sean Patrick Thomas, Diane Warren, Lynn Whitfield, and Bebe Winans.

The show will air Monday on Bideninagural.org, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook starting at 8 PM ET.

One of the Capitol rioters who was arrested in the aftermath now has an audacious ask of President Trump ... she's begging for a pardon, saying she was just following his orders.

Texas realtor Jenna Ryan told CBS11 in Dallas she deserves a full pardon by 45 after she was arrested and charged by the FBI this past week during a national roundup of numerous insurrectionists.

Ryan faces 2 charges ... knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. But, according to her, she's been grossly overcharged -- she feels she did nothing wrong.

Check out her full remarks ... kinda surreal hearing her defend her actions by saying the exact opposite of things she said on Jan. 6 as she breached the Capitol. She's blaming Trump for gathering the crowd and rising them up ... and because of that, she says she and all the other charged rioters should be let off the hook.

Ryan doesn't get into the details of her case, but does say she's not the person people have made her out to be online ... a privileged, tone-deaf Trump supporter. We say privileged because she reportedly flew to D.C. on a private jet with friends.

As for tone-deaf ... there are tons of photos and videos of Ryan posing in front of the Capitol and with rioters behind her, acting like she was on vacation or something. She also admits to criminality in videos she posted ... and proudly said she and the mob were there to take back their country.

A Virginia man got busted trying to breach a D.C. checkpoint with a stash of ammo and a couple of guns ... this just a few days before Joe Biden's inauguration.

Wesley Allen Beeler was arrested Friday night after coming across a checkpoint in downtown D.C., where Metro PD officers stopped and questioned him. According to CNN, the guy allegedly tried presenting fake inauguration credentials ... and while searching him, cops found out he was packing.

The outlet reports officers asked if he had any weapons on him, and Beeler allegedly admitted to having a Glock semi-automatic pistol on him. Turns out, he had a lot more than that, according to police ... who say they uncovered a treasure trove of ammo.

In the police report, obtained by TMZ, MPD lists 509 rounds of ammunition for a 9MM handgun -- matching the Glock Beeler allegedly had -- as well as 21 12-gauge shotgun shells and a 17-round magazine, which was loaded in the gun and ready to fire.

Unclear what Beeler told officers he was doing there with his bogus credentials, but in any case ... he was cuffed and hauled off to jail on a slew of weapons charges.

The guy was booked for possession of an unregistered firearm, possession of unregistered ammunition, unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device ... and for breaking the stay-at-home order in town.

A week after the chaos at the Capitol, and it appears bad actors are still trying to infiltrate the area leading up to Wednesday's inauguration.

Kaley Cuoco is mourning the death of her pooch, Norman ... which has left the actress heart-broken, considering how big of a dog lover she is.

The 'Big Bang Theory' star broke the tragic news Saturday, posting two black and white photos of her with her beloved Norman, writing ... "💔 earth shattering deep gut wrenching pain I didn’t know was possible. Norman, you were my entire world for 14 years."

Kaley adds, "Thank you for smiling at me as you left this world, confirming for me once again our language was ours alone. You will always have my heart. 💔"

No word on how exactly her pit bull died, but he was a regular on her IG feed as one of several dogs she appears to own and/or adopts on a semi-regular basis. Kaley has a bunch of photos and videos of her and Norman specifically, where they are often snuggling.

She even made an Instagram page for him at one point, which had thousands of followers. It has since been deactivated.

Kaley rescued Norman when he was around 2, and he had a broken leg at the time ... which she nursed back to full health. She's publicly credited him with inspiring her to be an animal rescuer at large -- KC partnered with Paw Works shortly after taking him in, and she's been deeply involved in rescues, adoptions and fostering in and around L.A. ever since.

Norman's death comes on the heels of another one of Kaley's dogs dying just a few months ago -- a pit bull named Petunia, who she and her husband, Karl, adopted as a senior.

While Kaley's had different dogs under her care at various points over the years, it appears Norman was her rock ... and her day 1, so to speak. So, this one's gotta hurt.

Bow Wow's catching heat for performing at a packed club this weekend, but more than him ... the people who put their lives at risk here who are catching major heat.

The rapper was one of a handful of artists who showed up Friday night to Cle Houston for a bash celebrating club promoter Larry Morrow's birthday ... with some footage from the event leaking online, showing just how packed it got -- packed and mostly unmasked.

Meek Mill and J. Prince Jr. were also there ... neither seemed to be wearing masks.

Anyway, the clip making the rounds captures the audience below the stage, and it's clear there are upwards of 100 people (and probably more) looking on as Bow Wow performed. They were singing the lyrics to his song "Like You" ... before BW jumped in to finish it off.

People were quick to criticize Bow Wow for participating in what appears to be a clearly unsafe event, especially as the pandemic continues to rage and cases surge -- especially there in Houston, which just reported over 24k new positive patients Friday alone.

Along with the criticism came jokes at Bow Wow's expense, with many openly wondering why anyone in their right mind would put their life on the line for ... a Bow Wow show. Even actor Zach Braff got in on the mockery, writing ... "I thought about it and have decided I’m not willing to die for Bow Wow." A lot of other folks felt the same way.

Of course, this comes about a week after he posted a video of himself on a boat with a bunch of ladies, all of whom weren't masked up. Basically, the guy seems to be flouting COVID protocols, and people are taking notice and calling him out.