Coronavirus

The NFL Alumni association was paid a whopping $3,500,000 by the CDC to promote the COVID-19 vaccine, TMZ Sports has learned.

U.S. Federal Procurement docs show the CDC and the NFL Alumni assoc. signed the multi-million dollar deal at the beginning of May.

The total value of the contract is listed at $3.5 mil ... with the money earmarked for "NFL Alumni (NFLA) Health COVID-19 Vaccination Community Outreach and Education Project."

FYI, the NFL Alumni was founded in 1967 by a group of retired football players. The organization's current president is former NY Giants lineman, Bart Oates.

The NFL Alumni's website features pro-COVID-19 vax testimonials from former NFL stars like Franco Harris, Rod Woodson and Harry Carson, amongst others.

The site also has a "Vaccination Tracker" and a link to access vax locations.

The group is a separate entity from the NFL ... though you must have played or coached in the league to be a member.

Prior to awarding the windfall of cash, the CDC issued a Notice of Intent, announcing the grant.

"The [CDC] intends to award a sole source firm fixed price purchase order to The NFL Alumni Association (NFLA). The overall purpose of this contract is to facilitate collaboration among NFL Alumni and federal state and local public health officials as well as other local leaders to address vaccine hesitancy through communication and engagement with communities less likely to get vaccinated."

The notice continues ... "The CDC Vaccine Task Force will work directly with the NFLA to promote community-level and national COVID-19 education outreach and vaccination acceptance."

The agreement with former players is interesting, because many current players and coaches are pissed about the NFL's new COVID vax rules

The league has threatened to take away players' game checks and even force forfeitures if unvaccinated players cause COVID outbreaks.

29-year-old superstar WR DeAndre Hopkins tweeted his frustrations with the rules, even hinting at contemplating retirement. Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Rick Dennison was even reassigned after refusing to get the shot.

Congresswoman Cori Bush spent the night sleeping on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to protest the end of the COVID eviction moratorium.

We got the Rep from Missouri Saturday morning after she spent a night with several other members of Congress -- Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar -- to highlight the impending struggle of millions of people who will be evicted from their homes unless Congress extends the eviction moratorium.

Bush, who was once homeless herself, is frustrated Congress has just taken a 7-week recess without voting to extend renters' protection.  Democrats tried and failed Friday to extend the law, so it's a certainty that the law will expire today.

Bush made a personal plea to her fellow members, saying she's been evicted 3 times in her life along with her 2 children. She says she lived in a car and tried conveying the harsh realities of living without a roof over your head.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone want to buy a beloved Colorado restaurant featured in "South Park," but it's still just a pipedream ... because we're told Casa Bonita is NOT for sale.

Here's the deal ... the "South Park" creators made it pretty well known this week they want to buy the Mexican restaurant they often shout out in their sitcom, in part because the real Casa Bonita has remained shuttered since the outset of the pandemic.

But, as flattering as their desire to buy Casa Bonita might be, honchos at the restaurant's parent company, Summit Family Restaurant Inc., tell TMZ ... they're not interested in selling, despite filing for bankruptcy.

Since the bankruptcy filing, we're told tons of people have reached out to Summit about purchasing Casa Bonita -- but Trey and Matt weren't among them.

We're told the decision-makers at Summit plan to reopen Casa Bonita ASAP once the current bankruptcy process wraps, with the goal being to get folks back to work in the next month. Summit's owned Casa Bonita for 25 years.

The New Orleans Saints are doing their part to try to get people vaccinated as COVID cases are surging in Louisiana ... trading signed jerseys for shots at their training camp Friday.

N.O. officials made the vaccines available to fans at their practice facility in Metairie ... and encouraged people to show up by giving away autographed Michael Thomas and Cameron Jordan swag.

And, while they limited the cool gear to just the first 15 people who got the shots, the gesture is a powerful one ... considering how bad COVID is hitting the state at the moment.

More than 20,000 people have tested positive for the virus in Louisiana in the last week ... making it arguably the nation's biggest COVID hotspot area.

Of course, Sean Payton knows all too well the effects of the virus ... the Saints head man was the first big NFLer to test positive for COVID in 2020, and battled fever and chills in his bout with it.

Sharon Stone is taking a stand, demanding vaccinations on the set of a new project ... but as a result, she says she's "being threatened" with losing that job.

Sharon isn't naming names yet, but says it's a show shooting in Atlanta, which she calls "a good job" she really wants to do. However, she's insisting on the same precautions Sean Penn recently did for one of his sets. The difference is ... Sharon says she might get cut.

Stone is running for an actors' union position ... a seat on SAG-AFTRA's national board of directors, and according to Deadline she laid out the COVID testing nightmare in a campaign video. In another campaign vid she reveals a health insurance nightmare that's prompted her to run -- "I lost my vested insurance after 43 years in the business because of Covid. I was $13 short and, you know, I don’t really think that that is reasonable for any of us.”

As for the COVID testing -- Stone reportedly blames the Producers Guild of America for not guaranteeing everyone working on her potential show is vaccinated. It's a very personal issue for Sharon.

As we've reported, her family has been ravaged by COVID-19. Last year she tearfully revealed her grandmother and godmother both died in the pandemic. Her sister and sister's husband, Bruce, also battled the coronavirus, but survived.

"Top Gun: Maverick" star Lewis Pullman has a weak stomach ... a plausible explanation/justification for puking his guts out while filming his flight scenes.

We got the actor arriving at LAX Thursday and it seemed like an appropriate place to talk about his fear of heights. It certainly raises the question ... why on earth did he take on the role of Bob the pilot trainee for the T.G. sequel?

Lewis concedes .... at first, he didn't think the film was for him. But, he was later inspired by one Tom Cruise and his fearlessness when filming some of the baddest scenes on the planet.

Nevertheless, Lewis says his stomach could only take so much. And, he couldn't help but hurl, over and over ... and over.

UFC superstar Amanda Nunes has tested positive for COVID-19 ... and her fight against Julianna Pena next weekend at UFC 265 is off.

The UFC is planning to reschedule the title fight once Amanda is 100% healthy.

Nunes and Pena were scheduled to be the co-main event of the August 7 event ... on a card that also features a highly anticipated heavyweight matchup pitting Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane against each other.

The events going down at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX.

It's a matchup 31-year-old Pena -- who has wins over Cat Zingano and Jessica Eye -- has been champing at the bit for ... previously telling us she was the GOAT's "kryptonite."

Interesting to note, back in June 2020, Amanda -- who's currently on a 12-fight win streak -- speculated she may have battled COVID ... saying she experienced all of the traditional symptoms, and was in bed for several days.

Nunes says her wife, UFC contender Nina Nunes, was so sick they took her to the hospital.

No word yet on whether the UFC will replace Nunes-Pena with another fight.

Story developing ...

Those who are unvaccinated and want to continue working at Netflix, Facebook or Google in the near future better roll up their sleeves ... and get the jab, 'cause it'll be mandatory.

The news that all 3 media behemoths would be requiring COVID vaccines for in-office/on-set work came down Wednesday. Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, reportedly sent an email to employees, saying they were delaying their full office return to October 18, due to the recent Delta spikes.

He also noted, however, that anyone coming back to work in the office after that would have to be inoculated, and show proof. It's unclear if Google will continue to let employees work from home part-time -- something they said they'd allow back in December ... with workers required to come in at least 3 days a week once things were totally back to normal.

Facebook came out and said they'd be doing the same soon -- confirming that employees looking to come work at U.S. offices going forward would need to prove they've gotten a shot ... while also offering a small concession for those who don't get vaxxed, saying medical and/or other reasons will be considered and evaluated as they navigate a way forward.

Netflix implemented something similar this week as well. They reportedly told their in-house production teams and partners that folks working in "Zone A" -- which encompasses actors and those in close proximity to them -- would be required to be vaxxed up.

They seem to be the first studio to draw a hard line in the sand on this issue -- and other studios may follow suit now that they've taken this uncertain first step.

Netflix's regular employees, meanwhile, have by and large been WFH during the pandemic -- something their CEO, Reed Hastings, has suggested he hates ... and wants to put an end to as soon as a majority of his workforce is vaccinated. He called WFH a "pure negative."

Rick Dennison will remain with the Vikings despite his COVID vaccine refusal ... though the team has announced he's been reassigned to a different role in the org.

The longtime NFL assistant coach had reportedly parted ways with Minnesota last week due to his decision to not get the shots.

Per NFL rules this season, if a coach isn't vaccinated -- he or she cannot have direct contact with players in meeting rooms and on the field, and therefore simply cannot effectively do the job of being an assistant coach.

ESPN had reported Friday that meant Dennison -- who was the team's offensive line coach -- was OUT.

But, the Vikings said Tuesday they've found a compromise with the coach ... moving him to a new senior offensive advisor role.

The team confirmed Phil Rauscher will step into Dennison's old offensive line coach spot.

"I'm not going to talk about Rick Dennison's medical situation," Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told reporters Tuesday. "I just know that Rick Dennison is an important part of this staff."

Spielman added the team is "excited" to still have Dennison on board ... though he declined to comment on what the 63-year-old's new role actually entails.

"The only people who are not vaccinated are just a**holes."

Charles Barkley is taking a strong stance on the COVID-19 vaccine ... saying the NBA -- as well as all other pro sports leagues -- should make it a requirement in order to compete.

As we previously reported, the NFL announced a policy that will penalize teams with potential fines and forfeited games if an unvaccinated player causes a coronavirus outbreak ... guidelines that had superstar DeAndre Hopkins tweeting about contemplating retirement.

The 58-year-old Hall of Famer says the virus is too serious to give people an option.

"Can you imagine if one of these guys that are not vaccinated, if they get one of these players’ kids, wives, girlfriends, moms and dads sick and they die over some unnecessary conspiracy bull****?," Barkley said, according to CNBC. "I think that would be tragic."

Chuck says players need to treat their careers like those with regular day jobs ... and there will be things they don't always want to do, but have to.

"There’s s*** you can’t do at work and there’s s*** that you have to do at work," Barkley added.

'X-Men' star Alexandra Shipp is praising Sean Penn to the skies, saying she's down with his demand that no one be allowed on a movie set who is not vaccinated.

We got Alexandra at LAX Friday and asked about Sean refusing to set foot on any set where unvaccinated people are allowed in. She thinks Sean's a hero and is saving lives.

Sean has said he won't return to the set of his new production, "Gaslit," until the entire crew gets the shot. The movie is modern day version of Watergate ... Sean plays Attorney General John Mitchell, who played a pivotal role in the scandal.

Penn represents a growing number of people who are sick of the unvaccinated calling the shots. It's become infuriating for some that mask and other mandates have been imposed on the vaccinated because of those unwilling to get a COVID shot.

France has an interesting solution ... anyone who isn't vaccinated by September won't be forced to get a shot, but they'll be barred from restaurants, concerts and sporting events.

A snow leopard at the San Diego Zoo has COVID ... and zoo officials are worried about an outbreak among the cats.

A 9-year-old snow leopard named Ramil caught the attention of zoo staff Thursday, after noticing the cat had a cough and runny nose. The COVID test came back positive, confirmed by 2 labs.

They're doing another test, but the staff expects the result to be the same -- positive.

Here's the problem ... Ramil shared an enclosure with 3 other cats -- a female snow leopard and 2 Amur leopards, all of which have been exposed to COVID. So, the 3 big cats are in quarantine now, although real talk -- they're always in quarantine. In this case it means the public won't be able to go near.

Fortunately, Ramil's symptoms haven't gotten worse. Zoo staff is mystified as to how the cat caught the virus. Zoo keepers must wear masks if they're not vaccinated. Eight gorillas caught COVID in January, though none were symptomatic.

Scientists have known for months that cats can contract COVID. Most cases are not serious, but snow leopards are fast dwindling in population. Estimates put the number of wild snow leopards at 4,000 to 6,500.

Morgan Wallen explaining on 'GMA' his rationale behind using the n-word is gibberish ... so says the NAACP Nashville chapter president.

Sheryl Guinn tells TMZ ... she believes Morgan's sit-down with Michael Strahan is the result of Morgan being sorry not for what he said but for getting caught using the racial slur. She says it's a travesty Morgan never thought about the meaning behind the hateful word.

What's more ... Sheryl says his white privilege was on full display for never caring to learn the hurt that word causes. And, she's is dismayed by Morgan trying to contextualize the word ... saying he used it in a "playful" way.

Sheryl does believe Morgan can turn things around ... and she has a punch list.

According to Sheryl ... Morgan can make amends by addressing serious issues, like inequality. Morgan broached the subject a bit when he told Strahan "it would seem" country music has a race problem ... though he hasn't thought about it too much.

Sheryl says he can start in his hometown of Nashville ... where Morgan is hugely influential.

The NAACP honcho says while Morgan's at it, he should encourage his community to get vaccinated. Less than 40% of Nashville got the shot ... and it's devastating marginalized communities.

Dr. Ashish Jha believes COVID vaccinated people are getting unnecessarily punished with mask mandates ... purely because of diehard anti-vaxxers -- and it could make push come to shove.

Brown University's Public Health School Dean joined "TMZ Live" Friday to discuss L.A. County's reinstated COVID-19 mask rule, which requires even fully vaxxed folks to mask up indoors.

Dr. Jha says the new mandate doesn't jibe with science -- as he points out, an office full of vaccinated people don't need masks ... even indoors.

However, as the Delta variant continues to spread among the unvaccinated -- and more than 97 percent of people hospitalized for COVID are unvaccinated -- experts also agree masks remain a wise precaution for everyone in certain settings.

So, therein lies the issue ... anyone who wants to wear a mask can wear one, but making it a requirement for everyone removes the incentive for the unvaccinated to get the shot.

Dr. Jha says the bottom line is people should get vaccinated because the Delta variant is no joke, and because it's the ONLY way to truly put the pandemic behind us.

NFL coach Rick Dennison is now no longer a member of the Minnesota Vikings staff ... and it's reportedly all 'cause the guy refused to take the COVID vaccine.

Dennison, according to ESPN, recently affirmed his decision to not get the shots ... and with the NFL rules making it nearly impossible for coaches to coach without them, he's now OUT in Minnesota.

The 63-year-old had been the Vikings' offensive line coach and run game coordinator ... working with the team since 2019.

If you weren't aware, the NFL made it mandatory this offseason for all Tier 1 staffers -- which includes coaches -- to get the vaccine in order to have direct contact with players in meeting rooms and on the field.

The league did allow exceptions -- saying valid medical or religious reasons would be considered -- but it's clear Dennison did not meet those standards.

ESPN reports Phil Rauscher, who was the team's assistant offensive line coach, will now fill for Dennison in 2021.

Dennison -- who's coached in the NFL since 1995 and helped Dalvin Cook blossom into one of the league's best rushers -- is believed to be the first NFL coach to leave his team over the league's vaccine rules.

The Vikings, meanwhile, are set to begin training camp next week and kick off their season in September.

Story developing ...

DeAndre Hopkins' days in the NFL could be coming to a close ... at least that's according to the wide receiver himself, who says the league's new COVID vaccine stance has him pondering retirement.

The NFL announced Thursday it will potentially punish teams with forfeits and loss of game checks if virus outbreaks among unvaccinated players cause unfixable scheduling issues.

Hopkins clearly HATES the idea of that ... and dropped a bombshell on his social media page hours after the league's announcement, saying he might now look into retirement.

"Never thought I would say this," the Arizona Cardinals superstar said in a since-deleted tweet.

"But being put in a position to hurt my team because I don’t want to partake in the vaccine is making me question my future in the @Nfl."

The league has NOT made COVID vaccines mandatory for its players ... but it's clear, it wants all of its employees to get the shot.

In addition to Thursday's new policy, the league has also placed heavy restrictions on players who have yet to get the vaccine.

Some of those regulations include, among many other things, daily COVID testing, mask requirements and travel restrictions.

According to commissioner Roger Goodell ... about one quarter of the league's players are still not at least partially vaccinated.