Coronavirus

North Korea's Olympic dreams are dead -- the country has pulled out of the Tokyo Games claiming the threat of COVID is simply too dangerous for its athletes.

Officials broke the news on a state-run website ... explaining the decision to bail on the Games was made during a March 25 conference call involving leaders of the country's Olympic Committee.

Here's the statement (translated by Google):

"The Olympic Committee of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea decided not to participate in the 32nd Olympic Games on the proposal of the members to protect our athletes from the global public health crisis caused by the vicious virus infectious disease."

North Korea still has to file the formal paperwork -- the International Olympic Committee says it hasn't received an "official" notice of withdrawal from the games.

Unclear how many athletes will be affected by the decision -- but North Korea only sent 22 competitors to the 2018 Games in South Korea.

As for Tokyo, city officials have repeatedly said they're implementing all sorts of COVID protocols to ensure the highest levels of safety at the event, which is scheduled to begin in July.

MLB fans in Texas pretended like it was 2019 on Monday ... packing into the Rangers' stadium to see a game with absolutely no regard for social distancing.

The scenes from Globe Life Field are WILD ... there's hardly an empty chair in the 40,000-seat stadium -- and people wearing masks over their noses and mouths are few and far between.

In fact, it straight-up looks like nobody in the stadium has any worry that a global pandemic is still raging onward.

Of course, we knew this was coming ... the Rangers announced last month they would not put a limit on attendance for Opening Day against the Blue Jays -- something President Joe Biden blasted the team for.

"I think it's a mistake," POTUS said to ESPN last week. "They should listen to Dr. Fauci, the scientists and the experts. But, I think it's not responsible."

The Rangers have said repeatedly Monday will be a one-time-only event ... with team president of baseball operations Jon Daniels saying he believes there will be no more sell-outs following Monday's action.

"I think after Opening Day, reality is we're not going to be at full capacity, I doubt it," Daniels said.

The Rangers have insisted they'll enforce a mask policy -- only allowing fans to drop the face coverings to eat or drink.

The Easter bunny's back at the White House after a 1-year hiatus ... albeit with a different look this year, but, hey, something's better than nothing.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden brought out the Easter bunny Monday during a White House ceremony to commemorate the holiday. They took the opportunity to also urge Americans to get vaccinated.

It's pretty cool considering the bunny did NOT make an appearance last year due to the pandemic. It's also the second consecutive year the annual White House Easter Egg Roll -- which draws tons of kids and has been hosted on the South Lawn almost every year since 1878 -- was canceled due to the outbreak.

But now, Peter Cottontail and Co. are getting back in the biz ... the bunnies have hopped back to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

A Canadian pastor quite literally exorcised the local police from his building after they apparently tried breaking up his church service over COVID rules ... and the video is wild.

Check out this clip that Artur Pawlowski posted Sunday, live from a church in Calgary ... where he seemed to be holding a service in observance of Passover, which ends the same day as Easter this year. His video picks up with him confronting several cops, along with what appears to be a municipal worker accompanying them ... and things get heated fast.

He calls them "Nazis" and part of the "Gestapo" repeatedly, telling them they're not welcome there and that if they wanna try shutting something down, to come back with a warrant.

The police and the worker appear to pushback at first, trying to explain the situation -- looks like someone might've called in to complain about the number of people inside -- but Pawlowski was having none of it ... screaming at them in a rage and giving 'em the boot.

Eventually, Calgary PD caved ... and they left the premises as Pawlowski followed them out, with his congregation in tow. He said he couldn't believe the cops would come and make a stink on the holiest of days for his religion, which appears to be some form of Christianity.

Now, some are praising Pawlowski for standing up to them ... calling him a "hero." However, others point out that if he was, indeed, breaking regulations by hosting too many people ... that's not cool. Calgary has a 15% in-person capacity limit right now for worship.

Mariah Carey ended her COVID vaccine excursion on a high note -- literally.

America's diva rolled up her sleeve in NYC Saturday to get her first dose, but it wasn't without some trepidation. The "Emotions" singer had 2 of them -- excitement and nervousness, as the camera rolled for the money shot.

As the doctor sticks the needle in her arm, she belts out her signature, glass-breaking screech ... 2 times, no less!!!

It was all in fun, we think, and Mariah encouraged everyone to follow suit and shoot up.

Mariah is curious about the absence of blood, ending with this proclamation, "See, I've proven my point. I am actually a vampire."

Jerry Seinfeld looked like a man who was cooped up for a year Friday night as he christened the coming-out-of-the-pandemic Gotham Comedy Club in NYC, and the audience "exploded!"

Jerry stopped to talk on his way home, saying the energy inside was so intense he felt like he had gotten electrocuted.

It's kinda funny ... Jerry said -- believably -- he worried he might have forgotten to do stand up it had been so long, but turns out it was just like riding a bike, or in Jerry's case, playing tennis.

And, the most interesting comment came when someone asked how comedy has changed in the last year amid cancel culture. He shot back ... "Comedy never changes. It's funny or it's not."

He makes a solid point -- comedy uplifts people and lets them shelve their problems for a few hours, and mental health may be our biggest challenge coming out of COVID.

Jerry: "We're all good, everyone's good. New York is going to come back. I've been in LA, I've been in Florida. There's a lot of great places in this country but no place feels like this place. And, people who think they will get used to not living here ... real New Yorkers will realize it doesn't work. Only New York is New York."

Jerry, a die-hard New Yorker who railed on a comedy club owner last fall for declaring New York dead, said anyone who bailed on the City is now filled with regret.

"Big Ang" star Linda Torres is dead after contracting the coronavirus.

Big Ang's sister, Janine Detore, tells TMZ ... Linda died Thursday at Staten Island University Hospital, not long after learning she had COVID-19.

We're told Linda, who also had a few cameos on "Mob Wives," was placed on a ventilator after doctors diagnosed her with the deadly virus, but it wasn't enough to help her pull through.

Linda had underlying medical conditions making her more at risk for a fatal case of COVID-19 -- besides her age, we're told she had breast cancer, and recently had surgery to implant a chemo port.

We're told Linda's daughters were taking care of her after the surgery, and when she developed a fever they took her back to the hospital thinking the chemo port was getting infected, and that's when Linda tested positive for COVID.

It's been 5 years since Big Ang passed after battling throat cancer.

Linda's family and friends were keeping the faith, and remained hopeful to the end that she could beat the virus.

She was 67.

Ex-NFL WR Kenbrell Thompkins -- who famously caught TDs from Tom Brady in 2013 -- is now facing over 10 years in prison after he allegedly committed identity theft and fraud.

Federal prosecutors in court docs say the 32-year-old former Jets, Raiders and Patriots wideout stole identities to illegally obtain cash that was intended for people who were financially reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.

In the docs, prosecutors say Thompkins used personal information from multiple people to apply for financial aid in California in Aug. 2020.

Investigators claim when the requests were granted, Thompkins was sent the money in the form of debit cards. Prosecutors claim they then caught the ex-NFL player on surveillance video using them to withdraw cash at Florida Bank of America locations.

Investigators say in total, Thompkins' "scheme involves approximately $300,000 in California unemployment insurance funds credited to the fraudulent debit cards." Of the $300K, investigators claim Thompkins withdrew around $230,000.

Court records show Thompkins has been hit with 1 charge of use of one or more unauthorized access devices and 2 charges of aggravated identity theft.

If convicted on all counts, Thompkins is facing over 10 years behind bars.

Thompkins broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with New England in 2013 ... and he had a solid rookie year, tallying 32 catches for 466 yards and 4 TDs.

President Joe Biden just blasted the Texas Rangers for not limiting capacity at their stadium this year ... saying the decision could lead to a big spread of the coronavirus.

"I think it's a mistake," Biden told ESPN on Wednesday night. "They should listen to Dr. Fauci, the scientists and the experts. But, I think it's not responsible."

While Texas will require its fans to wear face coverings when in the stands at Rangers games this season ... the team says there won't be attempts to put a cap on the number of people that can attend.

And, with Globe Life Field having a capacity of more than 40,000 ... Biden clearly has concerns it could become a COVID-19 breeding ground.

For their part, the Rangers -- whose home-opener is scheduled for Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays -- have insisted protocols will prevent the games from being super-spreader events.

Texas is currently the only team in the MLB without a fan limit ... most of the rest of the league is at less than 50% capacity, with Boston and Washington limiting their seating to just 12% of the stadium.

As for MLB and the vaccine ... Biden sent a strong message to players, coaches, staffers and fans Wednesday -- urging everyone to get the shot.

"I would say I'm President of the United States and I got vaccinated," Biden said. "I don't have an unimportant job. Would I take the vaccine if I thought it was going to hurt me?"

There's more ... Biden also said he would support MLB execs if they chose to move the All-Star Game out of Georgia this year in wake of the state's governor's decision to sign a polarizing voting bill.

The prospective new law would put several tight restrictions on voters ... and opponents to it have argued it could hurt the voting opportunities for minorities.

"This is Jim Crow on steroids what they're doing in Georgia and 40 other states," Biden said. "What's it all about? Imagine passing a law saying you cannot provide water or food for someone standing in line to vote. Can't do that? Come on."

"Or you're going to close the polling place at 5 o'clock when people just get off? This is all about keeping working folks that I grew up with from being able to vote."

Biden also, once again, threw his support behind closing the pay gap between men and women in sports ... reiterating, "I just don't think it's right. I don't think it's fair."

Roman Reigns opted out of WrestleMania last year over COVID concerns, but with Mania only days away -- and fans set to partially fill the venue -- the WWE Superstar tells TMZ Sports he's NOT worried about his safety.

WrestleMania 37 -- goin' down April 10 and 11 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa -- is always a huge deal ... but it's even bigger this year cause WWE's allowing 25k fans back in the building each night for the first time in over a year.

We straight-up asked Roman if he believes WWE is doing enough to keep him, his fellow wrestlers and the fans safe.

His answer ... yes, Vince McMahon and his team are bending over backward to ensure the event goes off without a hitch.

"I think our safety precautions are second to none," Roman says.

"We'll have the pods to create the social distancing, masks will be required. We'll be giving out masks for those who are forgetful. We'll have, I believe, cashless concessions, so we're gonna create an opportunity where everybody's gonna be as safe as they could be."

Remember, Roman -- who battled and beat leukemia -- bowed out of WM 36 last April ... at the time telling us he didn't want to risk exposing his newborn baby to coronavirus.

But, things have changed, and Reigns says WWE's doing everything they can to keep everyone healthy, while also allowing passionate wrestling fans a chance to let loose.

The coronavirus pandemic's actually helping Baltimore curb violent crimes, thanks to a change in policy ... according to the city's top prosecutor.

Marilyn Mosby, the State's Attorney for the city of Baltimore, joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and told us how an experimental approach to limiting the spread of the virus is paying big dividends.

Under Mosby, Baltimore stopped prosecuting low-level offenses like drug possession and prostitution when the pandemic first hit ... and ever since, she says violent crime is down a whopping 20 percent.

Marilyn tells us there are other benefits, like fewer folks entering the criminal justice system and less crowded jails, and that's why Baltimore is making the changes permanent.

Now, the city's blazing a new trail ... Baltimore's partnering with a local behavioral health service to help folks in need seek treatment, instead of placing them in handcuffs.

Here's a comically awful take from Baylor women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey ...

The 58-year-old said Monday night she thinks the NCAA should STOP coronavirus testing at both the men's and women's Final 4s this month ... all to ensure players' availability.

Yeah, it's bad.

Mulkey dropped the terrible opinion unprompted following her team's 69-67 loss to UConn ... explaining she believes players playing in the championship games is more important than the idea of preventing the spread of COVID.

"I don't think my words will matter," said Mulkey, who's an NCAA coaching legend. "But after the games today and tomorrow, there's four teams left, I think, on the men's side and the women's side."

"They need to dump the COVID testing. Wouldn't it be a shame to keep COVID testing and then you got kids that test positive or something and they don't get to play in the Final Four?"

Players, coaches and staffers at both the men's and women's tournaments this year have been COVID tested daily ... with only one tournament game -- the men's VCU vs. Oregon game -- canceled over the testing.

But, Mulkey believes the NCAA shouldn't even risk the chance of a positive test affecting the final games of the tournaments ... continuing, "You just need to forget the COVID tests and get the four teams playing in each Final Four and go battle it out."

The craziest part about the statement ... Mulkey actually contracted coronavirus last year and seemed to clearly understand the dangers of it, telling reporters a short time after she recovered, "COVID is real. I've had it -- come talk to me some time."

The men's Final 4 action is set to begin Saturday. The women's meanwhile is slated to tip-off on Friday.

You wouldn't know COVID is out of control in Europe and, in particular, Spain, looking at this concert Saturday night with thousands of folks packed into a concert hall.

To be specific ... 5,000 fans showed up in Barcelona for the biggest commercial event in all of Europe since the pandemic exploded more than a year ago.

The fans came to see Love of Lesbian, and there were some precautions, as in masks. As for social distancing ... not so much. Concertgoers did get tested Saturday AM. The way it worked ... if they tested negative, they got a code on their cellphones which they then presented at the door.

The event had the seal of approval from Spanish Health authorities, along with folks from the Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation.

COVID has just ruined yet another sports team's season ... Michigan men's ice hockey officials said Friday the squad will have to pull out of the NCAA Tournament over positive tests.

The school made the announcement in a lengthy statement ... explaining the team had multiple positive results within U-M's Tier I testing group.

"I'm devastated for these players," Wolverines head coach Mel Pearson said. "These student-athletes have done a wonderful job all year of making sacrifices to get to this point of the year."

"It's unfortunate. I don't completely understand the final decision but I have to respect it."

Michigan -- the tournament's #2 seed -- was set to face two-time defending national champion Minnesota Duluth on Friday ... but the game has now been ruled a no contest.

As a result, Minnesota Duluth will now automatically advance to the quarterfinals ... where it'll play the winner of North Dakota vs. American International.

Bring on the picks and leave the masks ... the NFL says if teams' draft war rooms next month feature fully vaccinated individuals, it will lax COVID policies and not require face coverings.

The league made the announcement to its clubs in a one-page memo Thursday ... explaining teams can have quasi-normal draft day procedures if all participating members can prove they've taken the COVID vaccine.

NFL officials say draft-night changes for vaccinated teams' war rooms include no mask requirement and flexible physical and social distancing rules.

The league also says it will allow both eating and drinking as well.

But, there will be some precautions for the draft weekend -- which is set to kick off April 29 -- even for those vaccinated teams.

The league says fully vaccinated rooms are to be capped off at 10 staffers.

If not vaccinated, teams will have to adhere to strict COVID policies ... with masks, social distancing and a cap of 20 per room.

GAME ON, FLAME ON ... right?!

The Olympic torch relay has resumed in Japan on Thursday -- 1 year after that stupid pandemic put the 2020 Games on ice.

Remember, the flame was initially lit in Greece back in March 2020 -- but when COVID exploded, event organizers put a halt to the traditional torch relay and decided to keep the flame burning in a secure location in Japan.

But, now that the world is slowly opening back up (mostly thanks to the vaccine), the Olympic fire is going back on on the road.

Event organizers hosted a small, intimate torch ceremony in Fukushima -- where a handful of musicians and dancers performed in front of roughly 150 people who were all following social-distancing protocols.

That's when Japanese soccer star Azusa Iwashimizu -- who starred for Japan in the 2011 Women's World Cup -- took the torch and began the new relay, which will end in Tokyo in July.

Officials say 10,000 people will participate in the 4-month torch relay-- followed by an opening ceremony event at Japan National Stadium.