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Billy McFarland -- notorious cofounder of the Fyre Festival -- is joining the list of prisoners demanding a release due to the coronavirus, and believes Tekashi 6ix9ine's already set the precedent.

Billy's lawyers sent a letter to the judge requesting he be granted "compassionate release," citing several reasons ... including a COVID-19 outbreak at his prison, preexisting health conditions, and the fact he's a nonviolent offender.

According to the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the Elkton federal prison in Ohio, where McFarland is serving his sentence is experiencing a severe number of COVID-19 cases and has been called a "breeding ground for the virus" by Congressman Bill Johnson.

There have currently been 36 inmates and 26 staff members who have tested positive at Elkton -- 4 prisoners have died -- and Billy's lawyers claim the situation's even worse.

According to the letter ... McFarland is also an at-risk inmate due to his preexisting health conditions, which allegedly include asthma as a teenager, severe allergies and "heart issues since his early 20s."

Billy's legal team also cites the recent release of rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine -- who they refer to as a "former gang member who pleaded guilty to an array of charges including weapons possession, armed robbery and dealing fentanyl and heroin" -- to support their argument.

As we reported, a New York judge released 6ix9ine to home confinement due to his coronavirus concerns and his asthma .... just like McFarland.

Billy's an "ideal candidate for compassionate release," according to the letter, and his team claims he was already on track for possible home confinement release in 2021. He was originally sentenced to serve his wire-fraud sentence until August 2023.

While Tekashi was successful, others have failed. Both R. Kelly and YNW Melly struck out with judges in their attempts for compassionate release.

The Bureau of Prisons has reported at least 446 federal inmates and 248 staff members have tested positive for the virus, with 14 deaths nationwide.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is already brainstorming ways to get the NBA back in business -- but says equipping his players with masks is NOT the answer.

"If a player thinks they need a mask in order to play, we're probably trying to play too early," Cuban said on "TMZ Live" ... "There's too much uncertainty."

"I think maybe players will discuss it, Maybe a player will try it and then they'll realize how difficult it is and it won't happen in an actual game."

Of course, Cuban was recently tapped by President Donald Trump to be an advisor on how to reopen sports in the U.S.

Cuban says he's excited about the opportunity -- and hopes he can work well with POTUS and other leaders to come up with a safe and sustainable solution.

He also talked about fan safety at future sporting events -- and told us some of his high-tech ideas to help fans stay protected against COVID-19 and other illnesses when they do allow spectators back in the buildings.

And, get this ... Cuban also says he's been experimenting with some quarantine-safe sports ideas in his home ... including BUBBLE SOCCER!! Remember, from "Shark Tank?!"

"We're gonna blow up some bubble soccer balls and let my son and my daughters and their friends each have one because it's social distancing by definition," Cuban says.

"They're gonna take 'em in the backyard and let 'em just beat the hell out of each other with these bubble balls. Maybe we'll have a bubble ball league!

"That will be the first sport to come back!"

Eight seniors in Florida caught the coronavirus from what they believe was their regularly scheduled poker games, and within weeks ... 3 of them were dead.

The tragic story comes out of South Florida, where 94-year-old Marcy Friedman, 84-year-old Beverly Glass and 86-year-old Fred Sands passed away recently after their entire group of poker pals came down with COVID-19.

BTW, Beverly and Fred were a couple, and they reportedly died in the same room -- he went first ... and she passed a few days later.

The survivors say they suspect their meet-ups are what triggered the mass infections, as one of them had a bad cough and was sniffling during their final poker game -- though no one thought much of it at the time. Their last game was just outside Miami on March 12.

Shortly afterward, all the other retirees tested positive for coronavirus, with several needing to be hospitalized, including the above-mentioned trio. Harriet Molko -- who survived despite spending nine days in the hospital herself -- says she thought she'd die.

The craziest part of the story -- first reported by the South Florida SunSentinel -- is that many of the retirees were apparently still hitting casinos before and after the group's final game.

Jon Taffer has a good idea what your favorite restaurant is going to look like when the pandemic smoke clears, and says the new key to culinary success won't be taste.

The "Bar Rescue" star joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and outlined some of the sweeping changes he sees coming to restaurants whenever shelter-in-place restrictions are lifted.

Jon's confident people won't be shy about eating at restaurants or going to bars, because Americans want to socialize and support local businesses. He says what will change is what customers value -- and many will prioritize trust over taste.

The way Jon sees it, people are gonna go to the restaurant they trust to keep them safe, and not necessarily the one with the best food.

And, when Americans do start eating inside restaurants again, Jon says customers are gonna be confronted with lots and lots of changes ... involving capacity, spacing and all-new safety precautions. Let's just say the staff at your fave steakhouse might look more like medical pros.

While experts say the restaurant industry has already lost $255 BILLION due to the outbreak, and 1 in 5 restaurants could close permanently ... Jon says it's not all doom and gloom.

Good ... restaurants and their customers could use a side of positivity!!!

This was bound to happen -- several stands have popped up across L.A. selling COVID-19 protective gear ... but for once, vendors are NOT fearing getting shut down by cops.

We're told one stand in particular just off Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood is selling black masks ($10), masks with designs ($5), face coverings ($20), 10-pack gloves ($5) and boxes of gloves ($20) and bodysuits ($20). The vendor at this stand tells us her dad owns a medical supply company and he gave her a stash to sell.

This is just one example of the several stands setting up shop across town. Those who shop are also encouraged to practice social distancing ... like in the sign posted at the shop on Sunset Blvd. It's no coincidence why there have been more and more stands like this popping up ... since L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered residents last week that they must wear masks or other types of face-coverings when inside grocery stores and other essential businesses.

Now, normally when these stands pop up they're usually shut down when cops roll up asking to see a permit. LAPD sources, however, tell TMZ ... they're largely letting vendors handle their business. But, there are exceptions.

We're told cops will interfere if there are large crowds, price gouging and those sorts of things. In short, cops understand the items being sold are really necessary right now and these stands provide a cheap and incredibly quick alternative. An easy search for these items on Amazon shows orders not being fulfilled until at least late April to early May.

But, good luck trying to sell these items in Bev Hills. We're told anyone selling them there will need a peddler's permit. Either way, the town for the rich and famous has been a ghost town as of late.

Tons of luxury stores in the 90201 have not only closed shop ... they've emptied out their merch to avoid being victims of looting. Some shops even boarded up their storefront. Saint Laurent, Cartier and Louis Vuitton are just some of the stores that got out of dodge.

Dr. Deborah Birx is in the hall of fame -- the Bobblehead Hall of Fame -- and like Dr. Fauci before her ... her plastic likeness will raise funds for protective gear for medical workers.

Bobbleheads for Birx -- the coronavirus response coordinator for the White House task force -- went on pre-sale Wednesday for $25, and 5 bucks from each sale will be donated to the American Hospital Association's Protect the Heroes campaign ... according to National Bobblehead HOF and Museum co-founder Phil Sklar.

Sklar says ... "Bobbleheads are the ultimate honor, and we think Dr. Birx deserves it, given what she has done and continues to do for our country and the world in the battle against COVID-19."

Birx's figurine features her wearing one of her signatures scarves, which have garnered a fan following -- one Instagram account has more than 17,000 followers. The bobbleheads are expected to ship in July.

Joaquin Phoenix is joining the chorus of people advocating for some prisoners to be released in order to prevent a coronavirus outbreak among the incarcerated.

The "Joker" star's specifically calling for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to grant clemency to NY inmates, saying ... "The spread of coronavirus in prisons threatens the health and safety of all of us."

Phoenix adds that prisoners are unable to practice proper social distancing or maintain good hygiene, putting them at greater risk of infection, and says ... "No one deserves to die in prison from COVID-19."

It's unclear exactly what category of prisoner the actor's suggesting be released -- his message was delivered by the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign -- but Cuomo's office say they're already working on it.

Secretary to the Governor, Melissa DeRosa, tells TMZ ... a process has begun to release inmates "with 90 days or less remaining on their sentence who are 55 years of age or older, and whose underlying crime was not a violent felony or a sex offense."

This sounds similar to the "compassionate release" of qualifying prisoners Van Jones has been pushing for amid the pandemic ... meaning low-level and non-violent offenders.

Of course, many prisons across the country are already seeing high rates of coronavirus infection. Interestingly, one prison with ZERO cases is the supermax in Colorado that houses the most notorious criminals like El Chapo and the Unabomber.

Great news, sports fans ... Dr. Anthony Fauci is throwing out a way to bring back sports in America -- and it seems feasible!

"There's a way of doing that [bringing sports back]," Fauci said during a Snapchat interview.

Here's the plan ...

"Nobody comes to the stadium. Put them in big hotels, wherever you want to play. Keep them very well surveilled ... have them tested like every week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family and just let them play the season out."

On a personal note, Fauci says he would LOVE to get sports back again -- he's a big baseball fan who loves the Washington Nationals.

"People say, 'Well you cant play without spectators.' I think you'll probably get enough buy-in from people who are dying to see a baseball game, particularly me!"

MLB has floated an idea that seems similar to Fauci's plan -- moving the players to Arizona and having them play in empty stadiums there.

Chippendales is making their fans' wildest fantasies come true -- you can finally bring home one of their exotic dancers!!!

The male revue is offering a new virtual experience called "Chippendales@Home" ... and the streaming parties allow party people to hang out with Chippendales dancers from the comfort of their own homes.

The virtual experience is a 30-minute party with at least 2 Chippendales dancers and you can chat, flirt, play games and most importantly -- give or receive a virtual lap dance!!!

The new service streams from platforms such as ZOOM, House Party, FaceTime or Google Hangout -- and Chippendales says it's way easier to get to know their performers in such an intimate group setting.

They're also offering FREE virtual parties for health care workers and first responders -- a well-deserved treat for them. Additionally, if you bought a ticket to a Chippendales show postponed by the pandemic ... you can also get a free party.

As we reported ... Chippendales has been going the digital route to keep clients entertained during shelter-in-place orders, with in-home workout tutorials.

But, now it's expanding, and the virtual lap dance sounds way more fun!!!

Tom Brady just offered up an INSANE package for COVID-19 relief efforts that includes his first-ever Buccaneers jersey ... and he's challenging Roger Goodell to one-up his donation!

TB12 on Wednesday officially joined the #AllIn movement -- a fundraiser started by 76ers partner Michael Rubin aimed at giving away amazing prizes in exchange for coronavirus donations -- and what Tom is offering up is pretty crazy.

The new Tampa Bay QB says the winner of his charity auction will score a trip to Florida for his first game as a Buccaneer and receive the FULL VIP treatment at Raymond James Stadium.

Tom also says the lucky auction winner will get his first Bucs jersey, his game-worn cleats from the day AND dinner with the GOAT after the game!!!

The starting bid for the once-in-a-lifetime experience? $50,000 -- and it seems like it's going up in a hurry!!

As for who Brady challenged to join him in the charity efforts ... he picked out his wife, Gisele, his buddy, Drake -- and, interestingly, NFL commish Goodell.

Of course, Brady and Goodell haven't had the best relationship over the years ... Roger famously suspended him FOUR GAMES back in 2015 for allegedly deflating footballs.

But, is this an olive branch from Tom??