Coronavirus

There's a huge crowd of COVID-19 vaccinated New Yorkers lining up for free weed on the unofficial marijuana holiday ... and if this doesn't convince people to get the shot, these stoners don't know what will!!!

We got cannabis rights activist Todd Hinden at the "Joints For Jabs" event Tuesday in NYC's Union Square Park, where they're expecting over 2,000 folks to show up for the free ganja giveaway.

Todd says organizers twisted up about 4,000 joints -- he says he rolled a half pound of grass himself -- and as you can see, the line for free bud is stretching around the block!

It's all legal too, thanks to New York's recent recreational marijuana legislation, but if ya wanna spark it up ... ya gotta show proof of vaccination for the hook-up.

A little over 42 percent of New Yorkers have gotten at least one jab, and Todd tell us why the event might help push the vaccination rate even higher.

Patrick Mahomes says he's fully vaccinated ... telling reporters Monday he took the shots in the arm to try to help ensure his newborn baby daughter stays healthy.

"To me, it was more of a personal decision with having a baby girl and knowing that I was going to be around people," the NFL superstar said.

"I wanted to make sure I could do whatever I could to help keep her healthy."

Mahomes and his fiancee, Brittany Matthews, welcomed little Sterling Skye Mahomes back in late February ... and Patrick clearly didn't wrestle too much with the decision to get vaccinated as a new dad.

But, Patrick emphasized the choice to get the shots is "a personal decision for everybody."

"Whatever you believe," the 25-year-old said, "I think you can do whatever that is."

As for how fatherhood is going, Patrick said the last two months have been a whirlwind ... explaining, "I've had to learn a lot there, probably more than I've learned in my entire life 'til now of how to take care of a baby and raise a little baby girl."

Welcome to the Dozens ... starring Barack Obama?!?

He's got jokes! Fat jokes. Gambling jokes. Shaq jokes!! Plus, actual information about the COVID vaccine (no joke!)!!

Obama sat down virtually with Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal as part of ATTN:'s "Roll Up Your Sleeves" special on NBC ... where the goal was to educate the public about some of the misconceptions about the vaccine.

But, before he got down to business ... Obama had a little fun at Shaq and Barkley's expense!

Obama razzed Chuck for his famous gambling habit and joked with Shaq about how the Big Man endorses every business on the planet!

And then came the fat joke ...

Obama congratulated Barkley on his daughter's recent wedding -- and brought up how Charles mentioned how he wanted to slim down for the event.

"You also felt like you need to get in shape because The Hora (the traditional Jewish dance) ... when you're lifting the chair, nobody could do that at your current weight!"

Don't freak out, it was all in good fun -- and Barkley laughed it off.

"I survived the Hora! No one got hurt -- it was the best day of my life!"

As for the vaccine ... here's the gist of what Obama had to say.

-- "A lot of the underlying conditions, things like diabetes, folks who have preexisting conditions ... there is more of that in communities of color than there is generally, which means we're more vulnerable."

-- "A lot of young people think ... 'Even if I get COVID, it's like a bad cold.' But part of what we're seeing now is there is a different strain of the virus that's come over. That's not the dominant variant and it's actually hitting young people harder than the original version."

-- "We don't know the kinds of long terms effects that were having. There's some folks who get it and 6 months later and they're still not feeling quite right."

Obama also brought up how measles used to "kill people all the time" before vaccines.

He also mentioned the Tuskegee experiments and how it has become a reference point for Black people who don't trust the government when it comes to health care.

"The irony is when you know about the Tuskegee experiment, what's going on there is the government withheld treatment that was available for Black men for Syphilis. They didn't give them medicine they needed."

"So, here's a situation where if the medicine is available, we need to take it."

The L.A. Lakers will NOT visit Joe Biden at the White House next week to celebrate their 2019-20 NBA championship -- but it ain't a protest.

Unlike every NBA team during the Trump administration, the Lakers are NOT choosing to skip the Biden visit for political reasons -- it's all about COVID protocols and scheduling conflicts, according to multiple outlets.

The Lakers will be in D.C. to take on the Washington Wizards on April 28th -- and championship teams have historically scheduled the celebratory White House during road trips in the area.

But, it won't happen this time.

However, the Lakers -- including superstar LeBron James -- are open to a future meeting with President Biden ... possibly later or even after the season.

Hey, they're all busy people!

Plus, the NBA has strongly discouraged teams from participating in large public gatherings -- which could be one of the reasons they're pressing pause on the White House visit for now.

During President Trump's term -- zero NBA or WNBA championship teams visited the White House.

The Warriors, Raptors and Lakers were all outspokenly against the visit -- and Trump, in turn, either withdrew his invitation or never extended one.

Same with the WNBA teams and nearly every major college basketball champion with one exception ... the Baylor women's team visited after their 2019 title win.

Miles Teller is nowhere close to predicting the end of the movie theater industry on the heels of ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres announcing they're shutting their doors ... he says theaters will still exist, but it would sure be nice if someone would come to the rescue.

We got the "Top Gun: Maverick" star out Thursday in L.A. and asked about the mega-chains announcing earlier this week they're closing nearly 300 screens ... obviously the result of financial hemorrhaging during the pandemic.

Miles recalled some fond memories at the Cinerama Dome on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood ... where his films "Project X" and "The Spectacular Now" premiered.

Miles thinks ArcLight and the Cinerama could borrow a page from Netflix and find someone who will underwrite the pivot. He has a name in mind, and it's a big one.

'Bachelorette' alum Michael Garofola claims he was on the receiving end of an anti-Semitic attack from a maskless security guard in his own apartment complex ... and now he's suing.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Michael claims his simple plea to a security guard to wear a mask indoors during the pandemic turned into an anti-Semitic diatribe and parking garage beatdown.

In the docs, Michael says he was trying to get to his car back in January when he encountered the maskless security guard. Michael says the guard responded to his request to put on a face-covering by spewing anti-Semitic comments and attacking him.

The season 9 'Bachelorette' alum claims the security guard punched him in the head, slammed him into a wall, pushed and shoved him around and smashed up his iPhone while he tried to record the attack.

In the docs, Michael claims he suffered a ton of injuries in the attack, including cuts to his hand, a torn calf and injuries to his back. He says he's still scarred and is getting physical therapy.

As we first reported ... cops arrested the security guard back in February, charging him with felony battery and felony vandalism.

Michael, who also appeared on "Bachelor in Paradise" and "The Bachelor Winter Games," claims the security guard never should have been hired because the guy's social media is littered with anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. He also claims he had previously notified management the guard wasn't wearing a mask, but believes they didn't take any action.

MG's suing the security guard, his Marina del Rey apartment complex and the guard's employer.

Jayson Tatum says his battle with COVID is STILL ongoing after 3 months ... telling reporters his breathing remains so messed up, he's been forced to use an inhaler before games.

The Boston Celtics superstar was diagnosed with the virus back in early January ... and missed nearly the entire month battling its effects.

The 23-year-old ultimately recovered ... though he said after the Celtics' win over the Trailblazers on Tuesday night that his lungs still have yet to bounce back to 100%.

"It's a process," Tatum said. "It takes a long time. Like, I take an inhaler before the game since I've tested positive."

"This has kind of helped with that and opened up my lungs, and, you know, I never took an inhaler before. So I think that's something different."

The good news? After roughly 12 weeks of fighting it, Tatum says he's closer than ever to getting back to normal.

"I for sure feel better now than I did a month ago," Tatum said.

Tatum's been a monster for Boston this season despite the COVID struggles ... he scored 32 points against Portland on Tuesday to lift the Celtics to a win.

Rachel Bush -- the wife of Buffalo Bills star Jordan Poyer -- just eviscerated the idea of a potential vaccine requirement at Buffalo games next season ... callin' the proposed plan straight-up "bulls***."

Erie County politician Mark Poloncarz announced Tuesday he wants to make it a rule at Bills and Sabres contests in 2021 that in order to attend games in person, ya gotta show proof of a COVID vax.

In his announcement, Poloncarz made it clear it's "the only safe way to have a full house" at the stadiums ... adding, "No Vaccine = No Entry."

Bush -- someone who's made it clear she's NOT getting the vaccine -- went ballistic over the idea ... going as far as to call Poloncarz a "moron" for wanting to implement the county rule.

"If Erie county wants to pull this bull s*** watch and see what happens," Bush said.

She added, "[Poloncarz] does know that you can still contract covid once vaccinated and pass it to others still too right? Buffalo you better speak up before you lose a whole lot."

Bush -- a regular at Bills games prior to the pandemic -- wasn't done there ... she fired off several more tweets defending her position, writing, "I would compare covid to the flu rather than a cold but couldn’t pay me to get the vaccine, especially after having it."

"It was bad. But not bad enough to turn myself into a lab rat for an experimental vaccine."

Bush continued, "So now my daughter is missing ANOTHER year of watching her dad play live in a very short lived career. Not even an option available to her since we already know kids can’t get the covid vaccine. How is that fair or acceptable. It’s not. FL and TX would never."

For the Bills' part, the team said in a statement it will follow Poloncarz's orders if still in place for the season ... explaining, "As we did last year, we will continue to cooperate and comply with all New York state and local government regulations regarding our sporting events."

The Bills are expected to open their season in September.

FYI, the CDC fully supports COVID vaccinations -- explaining on its website, "COVID-19 vaccination works by teaching your immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19, and this protects you from getting sick with COVID-19."

"Being protected from getting sick is important because even though many people with COVID-19 have only a mild illness, others may get a severe illness, have long-term health effects, or even die."

"There is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you, even if you don’t have an increased risk of developing severe complications."

As we previously reported, Russell Wilson and Ciara will be hosting an NBC special this weekend aimed at educating people about COVID vaccinations and debunking unsubstantiated claims.

Luke Bryan's going to miss out on the excitement of "American Idol" going live for the first time this season due to the coronavirus ... but a familiar face will take his place.

The country music star and 'Idol' judge says he tested positive for COVID-19, so he won't be part of Monday night's first live show of the reality singing competition.

Luke says he's doing well and hopes to be back at it soon, but in the meantime ... Paula Abdul is back!!!

The show just announced while Bryan's quarantining and recovering at home, the former judge will be filling in as guest judge alongside Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

It's unclear how long she'll have to hold down the fort in Luke's chair, but as you know ... she has a lot of experience. Paula joined the series in 2002 as one of 3 judges with Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson, and had numerous memorable clashes with Simon.

'Friends' fans tuning in to the upcoming reunion special won't just see some familiar faces, they'll see familiar places too ... including the famous water fountain and original set.

Sources familiar with production tell us the reunion was shot over the span of 3 days at Warner Brothers Studios last week. We've obtained a photo from the lot showing bleachers and equipment set up around the fountain where the show's opening credits were shot.

Our sources say a live audience participated in the reunion, but it appeared they were mostly union extras, COVID screened and hired for the gig.

Production took things inside as well ... using the show's old stage to film parts of the reunion as well.

As for what was discussed in front of the cameras, that still remains a mystery ... but we know all of the show's stars -- Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc -- participated.

In fact, Perry sent 'Friends' fans into a frenzy Saturday when he quickly posted then deleted a photo of himself in a makeup chair with the caption, "Seconds before eating a makeup brush. Not to mention reuniting with my Friends."

An SUV in California is rolling around with "ASN FLU" license plates, and people are enraged ... especially with Asian hate crimes on the rise amid the pandemic.

The SUV also sports a Trump 2020 sticker on the window.

Though the plates seem very 2020 -- given Trump's not-so-subtle attack on Asians by calling COVID "Kung Flu," among other things -- the California DMV says these plates were actually issued in 2006.

It's unclear why the owner wanted these plates or why the DMV approved them, because the application is no longer available. The agency also has no legal ground to revoke the plates, and the owner of the vehicle reportedly is not in any trouble.

DMX has not regained any brain function nearly a week after his overdose, and the family may soon be faced with a tormenting decision ... whether to withdraw life support.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, the battery of tests performed on X Wednesday showed no improvement in brain activity since he was rushed to the hospital after suffering the OD late Friday night. As we reported, he had little brain function after being deprived of oxygen for nearly half an hour.

DMX remains in a coma and, as it was put to us, the test results are "not good." We're told the family has asked X's longtime friend and manager, Steve Rifkind, to fly to New York Friday ... another sign that hope is dwindling.

As we reported, there's been a massive show of support for DMX. Hundreds of people -- including his kids, fiancee and mothers of some of his children -- crowded outside the hospital Monday night for a prayer vigil. We're told only a limited number of family members have been allowed inside the ICU because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Scary situation for Larry Nance, Jr. -- the Cleveland Cavaliers forward reportedly lost nearly 20 POUNDS in just over a week while battling a non-COVID-related illness.

But, luckily, the 28-year-old is starting to show signs of improvement and is "on the mend."

Nance came down with the mystery illness on March 29 while in Utah for a road game ... and hasn't played a minute of basketball since.

The details are now coming out about the hooper's symptoms -- and it's gnarly.

Nance spent the past week and change bedridden and unable to keep food down, according to cleveland.com ... all while getting consistently tested to help determine what he's fighting.

It's NOT COVID-19 ... but it's still unclear what exactly he's dealing with.

The report says Nance has experienced a DRASTIC weight loss in the short amount of time ... losing 20 pounds in a little over a week.

The good news?? Nance is starting to feel better ... and will slowly work on getting back to his reported weight of 245 lbs. and rebuild his stamina.

It's been a tough year for the guy -- Nance also previously missed 12 games while battling a fractured left hand.

Hate needles? Well, an oral coronavirus vaccine in the works could become the best protection against COVID-19 and its mutations ... that's the hope of one of the L.A. Lakers owners, anyway.

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong is the founder of ImmunityBio as well as a Lakers co-owner, and his company is behind the tests being done at a research center in El Segundo, CA to determine if a series of pills can replace injections to inoculate the population.

Researchers are experimenting with healthy volunteers under the age of 55 who haven't had COVID yet ... with some getting shots, some getting capsules and some getting a combo.

Dr. Soon-Shiong says the value of ImmunityBio's vaccine is that it generates "killer T cells" that target the center of the coronavirus, which is less prone to mutation. Current vaccines create antibodies to the spiky part of the virus on the surface.

Though researchers are hopeful the oral T-cell-creating approach may result in greater protection against COVID ... the Lakers co-owner believes capsules and injections working together would be key. Sorry, needle haters.

NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns has received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine ... one week before the anniversary of his mother's tragic coronavirus-related death.

The 25-year-old Minnesota Timberwolves center shared the news on Tuesday ... posting a pic of the moment he took the needle in his left arm, while giving a big thumbs up.

Of course, the Towns family was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic -- KAT's mother, Jacqueline, tested positive in March 2020 and the symptoms were severe. At one point, doctors placed her in a medically induced coma due in hopes of saving her life -- but it didn't work and she passed away on April 13.

Karl and his father, Karl Sr., later contracted the virus ... but both have since fully recovered.

A large number of NBA players have received the vaccine over the past month ... although commish Adam Silver says it is not currently a requirement to play.

KAT previously spoke about how the virus affected his family ... saying, "I pray every day that this nightmare of a virus will subside and I beg everyone to continue to take it seriously by taking all of the necessary precautions."