Coronavirus

At last!!! It looks like a COVID vaccine is on the horizon that will change the world.

Pfizer just released incredible data -- preliminary though it is -- showing they've developed a vaccine that is MORE THAN 90% EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS. That level of protection matches the effectiveness of the measles vaccine, which has effectively wiped out that disease.

Scientists were warning a vaccine might only be 55% effective ... maybe slightly higher, but we hadn't heard percentages like this before in the various trials.

The stock market reacted in spectacular fashion ... futures are up 1500 points, and it makes sense -- the pandemic has wiped out our economy, and this is the light at the end of the tunnel.

Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer's CEO, called the results a "great day for science and humanity."

The vaccine requires 2 doses, and the protection kicks in 28 days after the initial dose.

As for the size of the trial ... pretty impressive. There were 43,538 participants, and of those, there were 94 confirmed COVID infections.

Pfizer says by year's end it should have enough doses to immunize 15 million to 20 million people.

The Operation Warp Speed folks have promised Pfizer nearly $2 billion to deliver 100 million doses to Americans free of charge.

President Trump's eldest son has his tinfoil hat on Monday morning -- he thinks the promising COVID vaccine news coming out right after the election is more than coincidence ... he's insinuating the drug company held its findings back till after the election so Trump wouldn't get a bounce and possibly win as a result.

Donald Trump Jr.'s response to Pfizer developing a coronavirus vaccine that may be more than 90 percent effective ... "Nothing nefarious about the timing of this at all right?"

The President repeatedly claimed during the lead up to the election that a vaccine would be announced before voting day. On top of that, Trump touted Pfizer as a company with great promise in finding a vaccine. So his son is suggesting the findings were available but held back.

For his part, President Trump took a different approach to Pfizer's vaccine results by tweeting -- in all caps -- "STOCK MARKET UP BIG, VACCINE COMING SOON. REPORT 90% EFFECTIVE. SUCH GREAT NEWS!"

President-elect Biden says he was informed of the vaccine development Sunday night and says, "I congratulate the brilliant women and men who helped produce this breakthrough and to give us such cause for hope."

A pandemic like no other ...

Golf star Sergio Garcia has tested positive for coronavirus -- and has withdrawn from The Masters tournament in Augusta, which is set to kick off on Thursday.

Garcia is one of the top golfers in the world and famously won The Masters back in 2017.

The 40-year-old revealed the news on social media ... saying he got tested over the weekend after experiencing symptoms.

"On Saturday night after driving back from the Houston Open, I started feeling a bit of a sore throat and a cough," Garcia said.

"The symptoms stayed with me on Sunday morning so I decided to get tested for Covid-19 and so did my wife Angela. Thankfully she tested negative, but I didn’t."

"After 21 years of not missing a Major Championship, I will sadly miss The Masters this week."

"The important thing is that my family and I are feeling good. We’ll come back stronger and give the green jacket a go next April."

This bizarre weather report is pretty shocking ... as the meteorologist goes after California Governor Gavin Newsom, referring to him as a king who is ruining Thanksgiving, and that's just for starters.

Mark Mathis, the weather dude from KUSI in San Diego, has some major beef over turkey, accusing the Governor of acting like a king for daring to impose guidelines on how to stay safe during a COVID Thanksgiving.

Mathis, among other things, says Newsom is urging everyone to regularly sanitize bathrooms, but says the Guv's "throne" is only for him.

He went as far as suggesting Newsom worships Lucifer and not God.

It's ridiculous, but also telling that there's so much contempt for COVID precautions as America breaks some awful records ... on Friday alone there were 25,000 new cases.

Justin Turner is breaking his silence about the COVID debacle during Game 6 of the World Series -- saying he's apologized to his teammates for "failing to appreciate" the dangers of the virus.

MLB has also wrapped up its investigation into Turner -- and is admitting the league could have handled the situation better.

The Dodgers star 3rd baseman was pulled from Game 6 in the 7th inning right when MLB and Dodgers officials learned a recent COVID test of his turned up positive.

But, Turner returned to the field with his wife Kourtney after the game ended to partake in the victory celebration with teammates, coaches and others.

At the time, MLB blamed Turner for not following COVID protocol -- claiming he "emphatically refused to comply" with official orders.

Now, Turner is speaking out in a statement saying ... "I will not make excuses for my conduct but I will describe my state of mind."

"Winning the World Series was my lifelong dream and the culmination of everything I worked for in my career."

"After waiting in the isolation room while my teammates celebrated on the field, I asked whether I was permitted to return to Sheffield with my wife in order to take a photograph."

"I assumed at that point that few people were left on the field. I was under the impression that team officials did not object to my returning to the field for a picture with my wife."

"However, what was intended to be a photo, capturing the two of us, turned into several greetings and photos where I briefly and unwisely removed my mask."

"In hindsight, I should have waited until the field was clear of others to take that photo with my wife."

"I sincerely apologize to everyone on the field for failing to appreciate the risks of returning to the field. I have spoken with almost every teammate, coach, and staff member and my intentions were never to make anyone uncomfortable or put anyone at further risk."

MLB commish Rob Manfred is also speaking out -- saying MLB has concluded its investigation into the COVID incident and feel they could have handled it better.

Manfred essentially says Turner deserves some blame for the incident -- but not all of the blame.

"Mr. Turner has publicly recognized that his conduct was wrong and has expressed remorse for that conduct," Manfred says in a statement.

Manfred says there were multiple "miscommunications" in the insanity following the game and MLB could have done a better job communicating the protocol to Turner.

"In retrospect, a security person should have been assigned to monitor Mr. Turner when he was asked to isolate, and Mr. Turner should have been transported from the stadium to the hotel more promptly."

It seems MLB will NOT punish Turner for the incident.

Spider-Man's not taking any chances ... he's got a mask on over his mask, and he's encouraging everyone else to follow his lead.

Tom Holland just whipped up a frenzy on social media with his latest post -- not only is he promoting responsible behavior amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic ... but he provided a first look at his character in 'Spider-Man 3.'

Holland's photo shows Spidey in an action pose, in front of a blue screen, wearing a medical facemask over his suit. Tom says ... "Wear a mask, I'm wearing two..."

The pic's also notable for another reason -- it's got diehard fans of the film franchise clamoring to find out who that is standing next to Spider-Man.

Holland and his costars -- including Zendaya and Jacob Batalon -- began filming the upcoming sequel in Georgia this week ... though plot details of the Marvel movie have been kept under wraps.

The NFL just dropped the hammer on the Las Vegas Raiders for repeatedly violating COVID-19 protocols ... stripping the team of a draft pick and levying huge fines.

The league made the moves Thursday, according to multiple reports ... taking away Vegas' 6th-round pick in the 2021 draft and fining the team $500,000.

Head coach Jon Gruden was also hit with an additional $150K fine.

As for the rules the Raiders violated ... ESPN's Adam Schefter says there were several, including Gruden continually dropping his mask on the sideline.

The NFL, per Schefter, also punished the Raiders for players not properly wearing face coverings at a Darren Waller fundraiser event in September.

Schefter added the Raiders also allowed an unauthorized guest into their locker room earlier this season -- a big no-no in pandemic times.

Of course, this ain't the first time the Raiders were punished for violating coronavirus protocols ... back in Sept., Gruden and the team were fined for the coach not properly wearing a face-covering during games.

In October, Raiders players were hit with fines for the mask violations at Waller's event as well.

Another day, another COVID scare in the NFL ... this time, it's the Houston Texans closing its team facility after a player has tested positive.

"We were informed last night that a Texans player has tested positive for COVID-19," the team said in a statement on Thursday morning.

"In consultation with the NFL and medical experts, we have made the decision to close the facility and conduct all operations virtually today."

The player has NOT been identified by the team -- there are reports it's a linebacker.

The noted the player in question "immediately self-isolated and contact tracing has begun."

"We will follow the NFL’s intensive protocols and guidance regarding the team’s operations. The health and safety of our team, as well as our entire staff, are of highest priority."

The Texans are slated to play the Jacksonville Jaguars this weekend. So far, that game is still scheduled to be played as planned.

The San Francisco 49ers are the latest team to shut down their facility due to COVID-19 ... just one day before they're supposed to take the field for "Thursday Night Football."

The news broke minutes ago ... with ESPN's Adam Schefter saying Niners wide receiver Kendrick Bourne tested positive for coronavirus one day before their game against the Green Bay Packers.

The decision to shut down the team's facility was made as a "precaution," per the report ... and the organization will now go through the process of contact tracing to prevent further spread.

The report comes on the heels of the Pack's own COVID-19 nightmare -- running back AJ Dillon tested positive earlier this week ... and linebacker Kamal Martin and running back Jamaal Williams were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list after being deemed close contacts.

The NFL has yet to comment on the status of 'TNF' ... but it's not looking great.

The NBA is one vote away from starting the upcoming season on Dec. 22 ... with owners and players reportedly set to approve the proposed 72-game plan on Thursday.

The decision to start the season before Christmas Day will save the league between $500 million and $1 BILLION, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The NBPA will meet to officially agree on the quick turnaround -- remember, the Los Angeles Lakers just won the 2020 championship on Oct. 12 after the league initially delayed the season due to COVID-19. back in March.

As of right now, the 2020 NBA Draft is set to go down Nov. 18 ... with training camps opening up Dec. 1.

The White House's coronavirus crisis last month is sparking a serious sanitizing mission ... and feds are spending thousands to keep the place virus-free going forward.

Regardless of who wins the Presidential election -- as we know, that's still very much up in the air -- a cleaning crew is going to be spraying down the place with a disinfectant mist.

According to federal financial docs, obtained by TMZ, the Public Building Service agency's dropping nearly $29,000 on the cleaning service in the East and West Wing "due to Covid at the White House."

Coincidentally, the cleaning contract started on Election Day and runs through November 2, 2021.

As you know ... President Trump tested positive for COVID-19 in early October about a week after a large ceremony at the Rose Garden to announce his new Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.

Along with the Prez, several other members of his staff and guests at the event also contracted the virus, and Trump was hospitalized for a few days before returning to the White House -- maskless, of course.

Bill Belichick believes the 2020 NFL season is a "joke" because of the toll the COVID pandemic has taken on the league ... at least, that's what ex-Pats lineman Matt Light thinks.

The retired Super Bowl champ says he's convinced Belichick doesn't give a DAMN about New England's horrible 2-5 record ... arguing that with all of the canceled practices, missed training camp, mandatory quarantines and rescheduled games, no one is taking the 2020 season seriously anyway.

"This is not the game of football we all know," Light said Tuesday on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show."

"It’s something other than that. Bill recognized it early on. I firmly believe that."

The Patriots look pretty terrible right now -- and would be last in the AFC East if not for the NY Jets being a complete dumpster fire.

Light -- who played under BB from 2001 to 2011 -- says he's convinced Belichick is focusing on building a better team for the future when "we can play for a real championship, with real players getting after it, fully prepared, getting ready to go."

"5 years from now, when we look back on this season, are we going to be talking about it?" Light asked.

Denver Broncos president John Elway has tested positive for COVID-19, the team confirms ... the latest in a string of positive tests within the organization.

"John immediately left UCHealth Training Center [Broncos practice facility] on Monday morning after experiencing minor symptoms that he quickly brought to the attention of our medical staff," the team said in a statement.

The 60-year-old NFL legend is one of two Broncos execs who tested positive Tuesday morning -- the other is Broncos' CEO, Joe Ellis.

"After not feeling 100% on Sunday morning, Joe promptly reported his symptoms to our medical team and watched Sunday's game at home as a precaution," the team added.

"He continued to work from home on Monday before receiving a positive test result this morning."

Both execs are NOT at the team facility at the moment and are following the NFL's COVID protocol.

"Other than mild symptoms, both Joe and John are doing well. They will continue to work from home in self-isolation and participate in virtual meetings while their health is monitored."

60-year-old Elway and 61-year-old Ellis both believe they contracted the virus OUTSIDE the team facility.

"There were minimal close contacts identified for each (no players or coaches), and those individuals have been notified."

The team has been dealing with COVID issues over the past week -- with offensive lineman Graham Glasgow testing positive on Friday, leading the team to cancel practice that day.

Another big potential COVID problem for the NFL ... Ravens star Marlon Humphrey tested positive for the virus Monday after playing in 100% of Baltimore's defensive snaps vs. the Steelers on Sunday.

Humphrey announced the positive test Monday morning ... saying in a tweet, "I got the Rona hopefully I’ll be back healthy soon."

Of course, the test results now pose a massive issue for the league ... 'cause they could signal an impending outbreak.

According to multiple reports, the 24-year-old cornerback took his COVID test prior to the Steelers game ... but did NOT get the results back in time to keep him off the field.

So, Humphrey played ... and not only put his team at risk of exposure ... but the entire Steelers offense as well.

In fact, Pittsburgh tight end Eric Ebron tweeted about his worry over catching Humphrey's virus ... posting a photo of the two from the game and saying, "this was not 6ft."

The Steelers said in a statement none of their Sunday tests came back positive ... so they'll now wait to see if anyone contracted it during the game. Pittsburgh is set to play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Meanwhile, a similar situation played out in Green Bay ... Packers running back AJ Dillon tested positive for coronavirus Monday morning after playing several snaps against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

President Trump gave his Florida rally crowd what they wanted -- a strong suggestion he's going to send Dr. Anthony Fauci packing after the election.

Trump was addressing his supporters in Opa-locka shortly after midnight when he began talking about COVID-19 ... specifically, repeating his misleading claim that the country is "rounding the turn" on the pandemic as cases and deaths surge.

This prompted the crowd to break out in a "Fire Fauci!" chant, to which the Prez implied he's already planning to ax America's leading infectious disease expert.

Trump said ... "Don't tell anybody, but let me wait until a little bit after the election ... I appreciate the advice." The crowd loved it.

The President added that Fauci's a good guy but has been wrong about a lot, something he's repeated as they've openly feuded in the media over the last months.

Trump recently said the country is tired of listening to "Fauci and these idiots." If he wins, seems likely Trump would take that as a sign most of the country agrees with him.

There was no Quarantine 15 for Cristiano Ronaldo ...

The Juventus striker returned to the pitch Sunday after spending nearly 4 weeks in isolation battling COVID-19 -- and proved he's STILL JACKED!

35-year-old CR7 initially tested positive around October 13 while training with the Portugal national team. He was sent to his palatial estate to ride out the virus.

He finally tested NEGATIVE on Friday, and was allowed to rejoin Juventus on Sunday as they took on Spezia at Dino Manuzzi Stadium in Italy.

First chance Ronaldo got to remove his shirt, he did -- showing his bout with the 'rona has ZERO impact on his insane bod.

Good god, man ... have a carb once in a while.

Of course, Ronaldo was rocking his signature undies during his little strip tease ... because he's ripped and business savvy!!!

As for the game, Ronaldo entered the match while it was a 1-1 tie ... then scored 2 goals in a 20-minute span. Yeah, dude's back.

Juventus went on to win, 4-1 ... and Ronaldo's abs are clearly the MVP.

Welcome back!!