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NASA's very high hopes for the James Webb Telescope go way beyond those stunning, out-of-this-world images you've seen -- astronaut Mike Massimino says it could literally redefine the universe for us.

Mike joined TMZ live Tuesday, shortly after NASA released even more impressive photos of galaxies and stars forming billions of light-years away from Earth. He says scientists hope the telescope will achieve 2 major goals.

The first is trying to look back into stellar history as far as possible -- about 13.8 billion years ago -- to see the very first light created at the moment of the Big Bang!!! Meaning, it would no longer just be theory.

Mind-blowing, right???

Mike says the J-dub Telescope could also help us find other habitable planets. Now, he says there's no need to pack your bags -- we won't be able to hop on one of Elon Musk's rockets to get there, even IF we find such a planet.

As we've told you, NASA released 4 new shockingly clear space images Tuesday, after unveiling an initial image on Monday ... which the space agency called "the deepest, sharpest infrared image of the universe ever.⁣"

NASA's James Webb Telescope continues to stun our world with images of galaxies and stars from billions of light-years away ... just releasing a new set of pics that look like they're straight out of a sci-fi movie.

On Tuesday, viewers got a look at the Southern Ring planetary nebula (NGC 3132) and its two stars. It's truly incredible how clear and defined the images of the two stars are ... some of the first of their kind.

The new images weren't just a showcase of NGC 3132, though, we also got a look at five galaxies known as Stephan’s Quintet, which NASA describes as, "These colliding galaxies are pulling and stretching each other in a gravitational dance."

The Carina Nebula was Tuesday's "Grand Finale" for the Webb images ... NASA says, "Webb’s new view gives us a rare peek into stars in their earliest, rapid stages of formation. For an individual star, this period only lasts about 50,000 to 100,000 years.⁣⁣"

Of course, Monday's sneak peek from NASA of what is "The deepest, sharpest infrared image of the universe ever.⁣" promised to deliver ... and it certainly already has.

Meek Mill and Jay-Z's Roc Nation are breaking up -- Hov's firm is no longer managing Meek's career after 10 years together.

Meek first linked with Roc Nation management back in 2012, and they nabbed plenty of triumphs and trophies together, collaborating on deals within the music biz.

The bombshell breakup comes shortly after the rapper vented extensively about his label situation with Atlantic Records.

Back in February, Meek lit up Atlantic on Twitter for allegedly dropping the ball on his last album, “Expensive Pain” and apparently ... it’s been downhill ever since.

The Roc unit was instrumental in helping him get out of jail in 2018, naming him a co-head for the social justice non-profit, Reform Alliance and putting him in rooms with tons of important people.

Billboard was first to report Meek's departure from RN.

As for why things soured between the 2 parties -- we're talking to sources on both sides, and we'll update this post as soon as we hear back.

Seattle officials are revealing how a baggage handler was able to steal an Alaska Airlines plane off the tarmac and takeoff ... before dying in a fiery crash.

The Port of Seattle just released the CCTV footage of 29-year-old Richard Russell towing the Alaska Airlines' Q400 Turboprop into position back in 2018 at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport -- oddly no one on the tarmac took notice.

Russell worked at the airport, and other footage shows him calmly walking through security a few hours before he gained access to the plane. He didn't raise any red flags, most likely because he was an employee. Eerily, though, he was wearing a t-shirt that read "The Sky's No Limit."

Shortly after taxiing the plane and taking off, Russell crashed into a remote island in Puget Sound -- not far from the airport -- and a bystander recorded the aftermath, showing billows of smoke after his crash. The FBI eventually ruled the incident a suicide.

A conversation between Russell and air traffic control, first released by The Seattle Times, reveals he wasn't well-versed in the specifics of flying -- they ask him about his altitude and position, which he calls "mumbo jumbo."

San Francisco has a new District Attorney that's promising to clean up the city in terms of drug use and drug crimes -- a problem crystalized with a new viral video that's unsettling.

Check out this clip that was shot and posted this week by an SF resident named Ricci Wynne ... who filmed himself getting off at a bus stop near downtown SF -- around Mission St. and 8th St. -- while a ton of school kids were also disembarking at the same time.

The reason many found this disturbing ... a massive crowd had formed at this particular stop, a majority of whom have been labeled as alleged drug users or homeless. Wynne took in the scene ... and it's not pretty. You can see some of the children wading through what some might characterize as a dangerous area. And yet, they act like it's normal.

Wynne, meanwhile, is sending the kids off with good luck messages ... telling them to be safe, using a juxtaposition to show what sort of environment they're forced to navigate.

He later did an interview with a local CBS news station to explain why he recorded this ... saying he felt anger that the local leaders there have allowed things to get this bad.

Speaking of those leaders, the recently-recalled DA Chesa Boudin has now been replaced by a woman named Brooke Jenkins ... who's touted herself as tough on crime, and who vowed during her introduction ceremony last week to end open-air drug markets with ferocity.

During her speech, she appeared to address this exact incident, saying the city's kids shouldn't have to endure this out in the open. So, a new philosophy change, it seems.

Crazy scene on a Spirit Airlines flight -- the jet catches fire, passengers see and smell smoke and start heading for the exits ... until calm and collected flight attendants tell 'em, "Please remain seated."

The airliner landed Sunday morning at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and a fire started around the landing gear. As you can imagine, once some passengers noticed ... panic set in, and they jumped up to evacuate -- but the crew immediately turned them back.

Multiple flight attendants were on the PA system telling the passengers to get back in their seats, and leave the aisles clear. They said there was no need for evacuation at this time.

Easy for them to say, and they would certainly know better -- but you totally get why the passengers wanted to bolt.

As they say during those safety demonstrations -- while most of us are furiously sending last-second texts instead of paying attention -- always follow crew instructions.

In this case, the Spirit flight attendants were able to maintain calm, and everyone got off the plane safely once it was towed to a gate.

Jon Stewart would make a perfect Democratic presidential nominee in 2024 -- so says a publication knee-deep in political coverage ... but not everyone is so sure it's a good idea.

The one-time 'Daily Show' host was floated as someone who should seriously consider running for the highest office in the land, and as someone we should all consider as a viable contender -- this according to a Politico op-ed that's getting a lot of attention this weekend.

The piece is titled, "If Tucker Runs in 2024, Here's Who the Democrats Need." The article is supplemented by this Twitter caption ... "Joe Biden should run for president in 2024. But if he decides against it for whatever reason, Jon Stewart should run on the Democratic ticket instead. He's exactly the person they need."

The op-ed starts out with exactly that premise -- that JB oughta run, but a moment later ... they float the possibility he doesn't, and then deflect to Stewart as a good replacement.

The whole argument boils down to Jon being well-versed in politics -- even in a comedic setting -- and a great communicator, as we've seen on Capitol Hill and beyond. But, the centerpiece of this hypothetical is Fox News's Tucker Carlson ... who some think might run.

Neither one has gone on record as saying they're interested ... it's all just speculation and innuendo. But, if any of that materializes for one or the other, Politico seems to think these two would be a perfect matchup -- especially since they've faced off before ... a la "Crossfire."

As interesting as it might be to see Stewart throw his hat in the ring, many online are saying ... enough with celebs jumping in, and enough with trying to prop them up as options.

Many say that charisma alone isn't a good enough qualification for politics ... and that applies to both sides, with many pointing out what we just went through with 4 years of Donald Trump -- who, of course, was in showbiz for a long time before crossing over (and winning).

Interestingly enough, we asked Jon about the prospect of another celeb running for office ... and he didn't write it off, but didn't totally endorse it either. Time will tell if he dives in, or if this is yet another example of wishful thinking.

The Las Vegas Raiders just announced they are hiring Sandra Douglass Morgan to be the team's new president ... making her the first Black woman to occupy such a role in NFL history.

"I am thrilled to join you as we embark on one of the most exciting times in the history of our organization," Morgan said in a letter announcing her hire, obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"I look forward to meeting each of you in person over the coming weeks," she added.

Morgan -- an attorney and the former Chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board -- steps into her new role just a few months after the then-team exec. Dan Ventrelle was fired by the organization.

Ventrelle claims the only reason he was let go is because he reported to the NFL that team owner Mark Davis did nothing to address the issue of a hostile work environment.

Morgan joins the Raiders with an extensive résumé -- last year, she served as the vice-chair of the Las Vegas Super Bowl host committee and worked with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The former attorney joins the Raiders after a troubling year for the franchise -- several of the team's biggest stars got into trouble off the field ... and Jon Gruden resigned after he was found to have used offensive language in emails.

Morgan's husband, Don, used to play in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals ... and she's been connected to Vegas since a young age.

"The Raiders have a long legacy of greatness, because of each of you and because of visionaries like Mark’s father, Al," Morgan wrote.

A 2-year-old child was left to fend for himself after both of his parents were killed during Monday's mass shooting at the July 4th parade in Illinois.

37-year-old Kevin McCarthy, and 35-year-old Irina McCarthy, both died after a 21-year-old armed with an assault rifle opened fire on the unsuspecting crowd.

The McCarthy’s son, Aiden, was reportedly separated from his parents and got lost in the chaos.

Apparently, a couple found the young boy in the midst of Monday's mayhem and brought him to the local fire department.

Reports say the 2-year-old was eventually reunited with his grandparents at a hospital.

As we've reported, 7 people have died and at least 30 were injured during Monday’s massacre. The shooter fired off close to 70 rounds.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help support Aiden, who is now without both parents. The creators of the page wrote, "We took him to safety under tragic circumstances, came together to locate his grandparents, and prayed for the safety of his family."

The guy suspected of killing 7 people and injuring dozens of others during a July 4 parade in Highland Park, Illinois, pre-planned the savage attack and dressed in women's clothing to disguise himself in an effort to evade capture ... police announced Tuesday.

During a news conference, Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said Robert Crimo wore his disguise to also cover up his tattoos ... as he squeezed off more than 70 rounds with a legally purchased high-powered rifle. Covelli noted that the death toll had gone up from 6 to 7 murder victims.

After the attack, Crimo allegedly dropped the rifle and fled from the roof of a business, from which he opened fire. During the ensuing chaos, he was able to blend in with the crowd thanks to his disguise, Covelli said.

Crimo then walked to his mother's nearby home and borrowed her Honda, cops said. He led police on a high-speed car chase that ended with him in handcuffs.

Cops believe the 21-year-old Crimo had been planning the attack for several weeks.

Crimo has yet to be charged in the mass shooting, but officials are expected to address that issue later this afternoon.

FBI agents wearing tactical gear and brandishing assault rifles poured out of an armored vehicle Monday and raided the suburban Chicago home of Robert Crimo -- the person of interest in the July 4th mass shooting -- and TMZ obtained exclusive video of the raid.

The scene unfolded around 4:30 PM Monday in Highwood, Illinois -- where Robert Crimo lives with his family -- two hours before the alleged killer was taken into custody by police after a brief car chase. Cops identified Crimo as a "person of interest" in the heinous shootings and recovered a high-powered rifle from the scene.

Video from the raid shows two teams of FBI agents with guns poised ... walking up to the front and side entrances of the house. One of the agents is heard banging on the front door and yelling, "It's The FBI. If you're inside, come out with your hands up."

The other team is seen walking along the side of the house and pointing their guns at the windows, before entering the home through an unlocked door.

Witnesses tell TMZ ... the feds stayed there for several hours taking photos, but it's unclear if they removed evidence from the home or made arrests. Some agents were overheard saying they had viewed "some interesting things."

During the raid, we're told Crimo's father drove up, spoke with the FBI and made a call to his son, leaving a voicemail that the feds wanted to talk to him, the witnesses said.

A significant piece of history is now up for sale ... a letter from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. where he candidly talks about the "n" word and the term "dark skinned American."

MLK wrote the letter January 18, 1966. The recipient was a man named William A. Bennett -- unclear who Bennett is. Dr. King embraced the term "dark skinned" ... saying he used it often as it reflects "both our great heritage and our devotion to a brand of Americanism of the highest order."

Of course, MLK has thoughts about the "n" word, which he says "carries with it a meaning deeply rooted in the debilitating racist caste ordering of our society's slavery epoch and segregation era."

The historical artifact was held in a private collection until recently, and now it's for sale on the Moments In Time site for $95,000.

Travel influencer Jessica Nabongo is the first Black woman to visit every country on this planet ... and her new book shows off some of the most exciting parts of her years-long journey!

We talked to the author on "TMZ Live," and she concedes some places were more welcoming than others ... she's been to more than 190 countries during her journey -- needless to say, she's got her favorites -- and some to which she won't return.

She's been in North Korea, which was an eerie experience ... her Ugandan passport got her in -- the U.S. isn't allowing people to travel to NK.

Pyongyang was weird for her, just because of how normal things felt ... it was nothing like it seems in movies.

Harry Styles is devastated by the mass shooting in Copenhagen, where he was supposed to perform just hours later.

Harry canceled his concert Sunday ... after a gunman opened fire at Field's shopping centre, which is less than 2 football fields in distance away from the venue where Harry was supposed to perform later that night.

Harry said he was feeling utter "devastation" ... "I'm heartbroken along with the people of Copenhagen. I adore this city. The people are so warm and full of love."

He went on ... "I'm devastated for the victims, their families, and everyone hurting. I'm sorry we couldn't be together. Please look after each other. H."

Police say the shooter was a 22-year-old Danish man, and they believe he acted alone. Authorities have not ruled out terrorism.

The gunman entered the mall with a rifle and then began firing randomly at people inside the mall.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem did her best to deflect how she and her state would handle the case of a 10-year-old girl who became pregnant after being raped.

Gov. Noem appeared on CNN Sunday and discussed her state's anti-abortion law, which prohibits such procedures except to save the life of the mother.

The Governor immediately tried to change the subject and talk about how a monster could do such a thing and how people like him needed accountability. CNN's Dana Bash pressed her to get back on topic, and the Governor danced around the subject.

The 10-year-old lives in Ohio, and was 6 weeks and 3 days pregnant ... 3 days too late to get an abortion in that state. She reportedly traveled to Indiana for the procedure.

Bash couldn't pin the Governor down ... she asked, "Because [the] trigger law [in South Dakota] was passed before you became governor, I wanted you to be clear: Will the state of South Dakota going forward force a 10-year-old in that very same situation to have a baby?"

Noem's answer ...  "You know what I think is incredible, Dana, in this tragic story? What’s incredible is that nobody’s talking about the pervert, the horrible and deranged individual, that raped a 10-year-old. What are we doing about those individuals that do this to these children?​"

She added ... "Every single life — every single life is precious."

It seems the Governor is saying the little girl should be forced to give birth ... "What I would say is, I don’t believe a tragic situation should be perpetuated by another tragedy. And so there’s more that we have got to do to make sure that we really are living a life that says every life is precious, especially innocent lives that have been shattered, like that 10-year-old girl."

The state of Texas is in a state of confusion as to what the actual law is over abortion -- made only more dubious by a decision its high court just handed down.

On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court overturned a lower court's ruling from earlier this week giving clinics/docs there the green light to continue carrying out abortions up to the 6-week mark -- allowing women a last-minute chance to get abortions before the state's trigger law goes into effect at the end of July ... which will outlaw most instances of abortion, period.

The reason the lower court even had to weigh in on this now is because pro-choice advocates sued the state after TX AG Ken Paxton effectively tried accelerating the trigger law date to right now ... via a loophole in an ancient Texas law from 1925 as his justification.

The 1925 law and the forthcoming trigger law are separate, but essentially enforce the same thing ... a woman cannot get an abortion in Texas, unless having the baby threatens her life.

Paxton apparently didn't wanna wait until the end of July for the trigger law to go into effect, and publicly declared this week that the old law of nearly 100 years could, in fact, be applied today -- both criminally and civilly -- seeing how it had remained on the books this entire time. Before Roe v. Wade was overturned last week, it had superseded the 1925 law.

After the lower court banned this enforcement through a TRO, he filed an appeal with the TX Supreme Court -- asking them to temporarily lift the ban ... which they did late last night. So, as of right now, that 1925 law is in play in Texas -- although, criminal prosecution for violating it is on hold at the moment, per the court. A hearing on this is set for July 12.

It's a stark reality either way ... any woman who was/is attempting to get an abortion in TX before the trigger law hits is now hamstrung with all these back-and-forth rulings.

Several other states' trigger laws have already materialized ... and when the rest do as well, it's going to be a mess as women travel to neighboring states to get abortions ... at the risk of prosecution. President Biden warned of this just yesterday, saying arrests will happen.

In other words, this is far from over ... and the ramifications are going to be felt for a while, at least until the next couple election cycles -- when would-be elected officials could do something to reverse SCOTUS' decision by codifying abortion rights through legislation.