Coronavirus

The waterworks are in full force at Disneyland, which is looking like the most emotional place on Earth as its gates swing open for the first time since the yearlong coronavirus closure.

The Mouse House is operating at limited capacity Friday, welcoming back Disney fans after shutting down the theme park for an unprecedented 412 days ... and even face masks can't hide the joy folks are feeling.

Lots of tears are flowing on Main Street as masked up cast members usher in the first guests of the COVID era. Disney fans lined up in the wee hours Friday morning, champing at the bit to get back into the park ... and you can see some guests literally ran through the park entrance.

Heck, there were even 2 park goers embracing for a masked kiss, clearly going for the 2021 version of the famous "kissing sailor" from VJ Day in 1945.

Disney honcho Bob Iger was on hand for the big day too ... elbow bumping employees.

It's a much different scene from Disney's first reopening in California back in July, when Downtown Disneyland in Anaheim was a madhouse with virtually no social distancing.

Looks like folks are following Mickey's rules so far ... but Disneyland might need to break out some tissue boxes to go with the new hand sanitizer stations.

Joe Rogan's walking back his COVID-19 comments suggesting young, healthy people don't need to get vaccinated, and he wants to make it clear he's not a doctor, not an anti-vaxxer ... but he IS a "f***ing moron."

The immensely popular podcast host and UFC commentator addressed the backlash he got this week on Thursday's episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," saying ... "I am not an anti-vaxx person. In fact, I said I believe they are safe and I encourage many people to take them."

Rogan explained that he felt if you're a young healthy person, you don't need it -- something widely refuted by experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci -- but Joe now concedes what he said was misguided amid the pandemic.

Joe says ... "Their argument was you need it for other people. That makes more sense, but that's a different argument. That's a different conversation." He later repeated it makes sense to consider other people's health and safety.

He went on to blame media "clickbait" for blowing the whole thing out of proportion, but added ... "I'm not a doctor. I am a f***ing moron. And, I'm a cage-fighting commentator who's a dirty standup comedian ... I'm not a respected source of information even for me."

Kyle Pitts and Mac Jones will have personal spots to chill while they wait to hear their names called at the NFL Draft on Thursday ... with the league hooking up all the prospects and their families with their very own backstage pods!!

... and it's all in the name of COVID-19 awareness!!

Of course, the 2021 draft in Cleveland is going to look a LOT different this year ... with players, families and fans returning to the event after COVID-19 forced the 2020 draft to go totally virtual.

There are some strict protocols in place -- attendees in the stands will have to be FULLY vaccinated ... and any other fans enjoying the festivities will be required to wear masks at all times (except for drinking and eating).

Folks will also have to remain 6 feet apart, which will be no problem for the 12 prospects in town for the big night ... thanks to the backstage pods.

The NFL shared a glimpse of what they look like Thursday morning ... showing off Jones' pod, which includes a widescreen TV, tables and multiple couches.

Remember, the draft usually features all the big names and their families lined up at tables throughout the venue ... but the pandemic is forcing everyone to be as separated as possible.

It looks like a great spot to kick back and relax ... but we're sure there won't be too much partying until AFTER the fellas hear commish Roger Goodell say their names.

FYI, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields will NOT get to have their own dope pods -- they decided to enjoy their big moment elsewhere.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's baby mama flew down to Colombia for a little mommy makeover but it came at a high cost ... in the form of a severe reaction.

69's baby mama, Sara Molina, had gone through a bout of depression from being holed up at her house during the pandemic ... according to her manager. So, she went down to Colombia for a little pick-me-up in the form of a Brazilian butt lift and a 360 liposuction.

Thing is ... after Dr. Humberto Peña performed the 5-hour surgeries over the weekend, Sara, who has Multiple sclerosis, had a severe MS flare-up hours after the surgery ... her entire body was racked with pain.

We're told Sara was given nausea medicine but doctors also removed a pain pump that had been placed under the skin of her abdomen to funnel medication directly to the source of the pain. We're told this helped, but she still has big issues. She can't even lie flat.

Sara now rests in a special recliner and although she's still experiencing pain ... we're told she's recovering at the posh Lluxe Recovery facility in Colombia until mid-May.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker Nancy Pelosi just made history before President Biden's first address to Congress ... celebrating the moment with a super cool elbow bump!!!

It's the first time in our nation's history two women are flanking an American president inside the House Chamber ... and Kamala and Nancy marked the occasion in style.

The mutual respect didn't stop with the iconic elbow bump, Kamala and Nancy also shook hands, even though they aren't supposed to get so close due to coronavirus protocols.

But, hey, this is a huge deal, so it's easy to understand how they could get caught up in the moment.

And, this is super interesting ... the two women who just made history tonight are not only both from Cali, they're both from the Bay Area. As Pelosi said today, there must be something in the water!

Get ready to see the elbow bump in history books one day, but in the meantime, we're sure it will get the meme and GIF treatment.

Just as Tommy "Tiny" Lister's loved ones suspected, he did have COVID-19 at the time of his death ... but the L.A. County Medical Examiner says that's not what caused his death.

According to his autopsy, the "Friday" star died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease ... commonly called heart disease.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the ME also says a nasal swab came back positive for COVID-19 ... and notes Tommy had fluid in his chest when he died. Additionally, he had an enlarged heart with high blood pressure, poor circulation in his legs and coronary artery disease.

TMZ broke the story ... the 62-year-old actor died suddenly last year at his L.A.-area home. Paramedics responded, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Joe Rogan's suggestion that young people don't need to get the vaccine isn't sitting well with Dr. Anthony Fauci, who says that's a totally selfish approach to battling a pandemic.

The Spotify podcaster got a lot of backlash this week for saying folks in their 20s aren't susceptible to serious illness if they get infected ... and adding that he'd tell them not to get vaccinated.

Fauci was on NBC Today and fired back at Rogan's remarks ... saying the guy is simply wrong. He notes that while, yes, younger people aren't as likely to get deathly ill from COVID ... that's not really the point.

He says those people can still contract it -- even without showing symptoms -- and give it to someone else, who might be more prone to getting sick ... and possibly even dying. So, in other words, Fauci says it's a me vs. the world mentality -- and a selfish notion to avoid getting vaccinated just because you think you're healthy and would be fine without it.

JR, meanwhile, doesn't seem to have been down with a lot of the COVID protocols that were rolled out over the last year, and has often questioned the legitimacy of CDC guidelines. He's also entertained conspiracy theories and speculation over COVID ... without any expertise on the matter.

Caleb Farley -- a former Va. Tech star who's expected to be a top 20 pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday -- has tested positive for COVID and has now been barred from the league's official party.

The DB's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, made the announcement in a statement to Pro Football Talk on Wednesday ... saying the 22-year-old is feeling fine, but will now not attend the NFL's in-person draft event in Cleveland this week.

"Caleb Farley tested positive for Covid 19 yesterday on a test administered by the NFL," Rosenhaus said.

"He is totally asymptomatic and feels completely normal. However, he won’t be allowed to attend the draft in Cleveland."

Farley had been just 1 of 13 former college football stars scheduled to be in Ohio for the annual selection process ... so it's obviously a big bummer for the CB.

But, Farley's draft night should still be a memorable one nonetheless -- he's been projected by draft experts to possibly go as high as #9 overall to the Denver Broncos.

Farley -- who opted to sit out the 2020 season over COVID concerns -- played in 23 games in his 2-year career at Virginia Tech, logging six total interceptions.

Kenny Chesney is hoping to get back to performing massive stadium concerts in the near future ... and says he's looking to the NFL to come up with a COVID-conscious blueprint.

"We're watching really closely what the NFL is going to do this year," Chesney told Brett Favre on the Hall of Famer's "Bolling With Favre" podcast this month.

"We're watching really closely to what the NFL does and how many people they allow in there and I think that's going to allow us to see what we're going to do in 2022."

Chesney says he and his band have no plans to tour this summer ... but he's anticipating putting together shows that'll stop at plenty of NFL stadiums in '22.

He explained to Favre that he's going to watch how the NFL handles attendance ... and could potentially mimic the same regulations when he's ready to return to the big stage.

"We all got our fingers crossed that we're going to be able to go with no restrictions -- with a lot of people in there," Chesney says.

Chesney added he's foaming at the mouth to get back to playing, telling Favre, "I can tell you that I have really missed it. I missed the energy."

As for how the conversation with Favre all came about ... it turns out, Brett is actually a HUGE country music fan who's been buds with KC for a long time.

In fact, Favre told a funny Chesney story about how he was once on the singer's tour bus with Vince Vaughn when the thing caught on fire!

Trey Songz will not face criminal charges for his violent altercation with cops at an NFL playoff game ... TMZ has learned.

The Prosecutor's Office for Jackson County, MO tells us they have decided to decline filing charges against the singer, citing insufficient evidence.

We broke the story ... Trey was arrested back in January at a Kansas City Chiefs home playoff game, with video showing what looked like a violent dust-up with a police officer.

The incident started when Songz allegedly refused to wear a mask inside Arrowhead Stadium, despite coronavirus protocols in place at the game.

As we told you, Trey was arrested for trespassing and resisting arrest -- both misdemeanors -- and for assaulting a police officer, a low-grade felony.

The footage police released appeared to show Trey throwing the first punch during his interaction with police, but his camp claimed the officer had it out for him before the brawl. In any event, no charges are being filed in the case.

Jon Taffer says things are looking up after the pandemic decimated Vegas ... but he's not focusing on the world-famous strip, he says it's all about helping the little guys.

The "Bar Rescue" star joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and told us why the smaller joints catering to Sin City locals need his help, and why business that survived coronavirus closures and restrictions could soon cash in big time.

Jon says the upcoming season of "Bar Rescue" is all about Vegas, because the City had one of the country's highest unemployment rates during the height of the pandemic ... with the hospitality industry taking the brunt.

The way Jon sees it ... major hotels and businesses on the strip will be just fine, but the bars targeting locals off the strip are in need of rescuing, and he's ready to get to work.

Lots of folks think of buffets when they think of Vegas, and Jon says those are coming back to life too ... with vaccines playing a key role.

Kim Mulkey kicked off her LSU coaching career by ripping off her COVID mask -- in yet another public statement against COVID regulations.

Mulkey recently left her gig as the head women's basketball coach at Baylor -- where she took the Lady Bears to THREE national championships since taking over the program in 2000.

But, before she left Baylor to take the LSU job, the 58-year-old made headlines for demanding the NCAA should STOP coronavirus testing at both the men's and women's Final 4s in the spirit of ensuring players' availability.

"They need to dump the COVID testing," Mulkey said back in March ... "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?"

The NCAA strongly disagreed with Mulkey -- saying it was important to continue testing all the way through the end of the tournament in hopes of preventing an outbreak.

So, when Mulkey took the podium on Monday to be introduced as LSU's new women's hoops coach ... the first thing she did was rip off her mask in what seems to be another shot at what she considers overbearing COVID protocol.

"Well, I'mma take this damn mask off ... 'cause I have a lot to say."

She then flung the mask off the stage in dramatic fashion.

After that, Mulkey focused on basketball ... saying she came to Baton Rouge to win titles.

Just like most of us over the last year, the White House is leaning on Zoom to conduct meetings and get face time with folks amid the pandemic, but chances are President Biden's Zoomin' is MUCH more expensive than yours.

According to federal docs obtained by TMZ ... the Executive Office of the President has spent a little more than $422,000 on Zoom licensing fees since mid-January, right around the time Biden took office.

That might seem pretty hefty -- especially for those who mostly use Zoom for free or at a low cost to chat with family and friends ... but the licenses needed for the government to use Zoom, at the capacity required for the Prez, really add up.

As you might know ... Biden's been on Zoom a lot lately, including for the current virtual Global Climate Summit with dozens of other world leaders.

POTUS also swore in hundreds of federal appointees and staff via virtual Zoom ceremonies after his inauguration.

DMX's Celebration of Life featured was an emotional event that featured his children, celeb friends, Kanye's Sunday Service Choir and a stern message from Swizz Beats to the people who failed X when he was still alive.

One of the more powerful moments of the entire ceremony came from X's friend Swizz Beats. He shared love to X's family and his late friend ... but didn't hide his anger in seeing some faces in the crowd he knew didn't have X's back when the rapper was alive.

In fact, Swizz says if anything, X's death has taught him the importance of loyalty and keeping good people in his circle.

We're told Kanye and the Yeezy creative team were behind the stage design for the memorial, and Kanye teamed up with Balenciaga to create DMX merch ... with proceeds going to his family.

X's red casket was center stage most of the ceremony and was first accompanied by his widowed fiancee Diseree and their son, Exodus. His other children eventually joined them on stage, and his final wishes of loving Jesus and family were relayed.

Some of X's children even got on the mic and spoke as well ... delivering somber remembrances of their father. One of his younger sons read a eulogy from his phone, fighting back tears ... and his daughter shared an original piece as well.

Nas took the mic at one point as well, with remarks that were brief but impactful -- with him remembering X's rise to fame and how he knew he'd become a musical icon. Nas and X starred in a movie together -- the cult classic 'Belly' from 1998.

There were other notable speakers, including some of the original Ruff Ryders ... Eve, Jadakiss, Styles P,  and Drag-On were just a few to take the mic as well. All of them thanked X for putting them on and paving the way in the biz.

DMX's family is also planning a more private funeral service Sunday, at a church in the NYC area.

UFC superstar Kamaru Usman was hit so hard by COVID following his July 2020 fight with Jorge Masvidal, he drove himself to the emergency room for treatment.

Usman says he was so dehydrated, he peed blood, lost his sense of smell and dropped 17 pounds as a result of the virus ... telling ESPN he was seriously concerned about dying.

The good news ... Usman insists he has recovered and is ready to go for his UFC 261 rematch with Masvidal this weekend.

But, man, the story behind his illness is scary stuff.

Usman told ESPN he started feeling symptoms after he flew from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi to his home in Colorado.

At first, Usman says he felt sick -- and he thought he would beat it easily. But, things escalated quickly.

After five days of symptoms, Usman says he couldn't wait it out anymore and went to a local emergency room for treatment.

Usman was admitted to the hospital, where he tested positive for COVID and was immediately given medicine to help him recover.

Usman tells ESPN his mind went to a dark place, admitting he thought to himself, "Man, I just made all this money and I'm not gonna be able to spend it."

Fortunately, Usman was able to make a complete recovery ... and returned to the octagon in February 2021, where he defeated the #1 welterweight contender, Gilbert Burns.

How's this for an epic summer pool party?!?!

Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel -- two of the best swimmers on the planet -- needed a pool so badly to train for the Olympics during the early goings of the pandemic in 2020 ... they straight-up went to a man's backyard for help!!

The story is pretty wild ... Ledecky and Manuel, who normally get their laps in at Stanford's facilities, found themselves pool-less in March '20 after the school closed due to coronavirus.

The two REALLY needed water, their coach, Greg Meehan, told Yahoo Sports this week ... 'cause the Tokyo Olympics had yet to be postponed, and trials were just weeks away.

"We were scrambling to find any water because the reality was the trials were going to be in about 12, 13, weeks,” said Meehan, who also coaches the Stanford women’s swim team.

"If we get stuck without being in water for a month or six weeks or something, it’s just not going to go well. I had thought a lot about what happens if we don’t find water. I was trying connections everywhere."

Enter Tod Spieker -- a swim legend who was an All-American at UCLA and a backstroker at the 1968 Olympic Trials -- who just so happened to have a great pool to offer up.

Meehan contacted Spieker -- who he knew through mutual friends -- about using the water ... and Tod told him no problem.

So, everyone rolled up to Spieker's house ... and stayed training there for months!

Meehan said the setup was incredible, given the circumstances -- it was equipped with clocks, starting blocks and backstroke flags -- and the two Olympians put in WORK there until their regular facilities opened back up in June.

"It wasn’t three months of the greatest training of their life," Meehan said, "but it was enough to keep the engine running."