Coronavirus

Dr. Anthony Fauci is set to retire from his position as one of the country's top Docs ... but will see his duties through 'til the end of the year.

The director of the NIAID broke the news Monday with a lengthy statement. He says, in part, "I am announcing today that I will be stepping down from the positions of Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden."

He adds, "I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career." It's unclear what Fauci plans to do next.

Fauci goes on to say what an honor it's been to serve in his role for the past 38 years, not to mention his other 15 years of service at the NIAID before he was a honcho. He's graceful in his statement, writing ... "I have worked with -- and learned from -- countless talented and dedicated people in my own laboratory, at NIAID, at NIH and beyond. To them I express my biding respect and gratitude."

Fauci's career is quite storied ... he has served under multiple presidents, including Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Dubya, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and, of course, JB.

Along the way, Dr. Fauci has helped Americans combat major viruses that have plagued society in the 20th and 21st centuries -- including instrumental research and work in regards to the Ebola and Zika viruses ... not to mention the swine flu pandemic, the bird flu scare and other widespread infectious disease occurrences that hit the world over the decades.

His contributions to HIV/AIDS research can't be overstated ... Fauci was in the trenches in the '80s, and he has said much of his work is defined by that period. Dr. Fauci helped develop treatments -- although the rollout and discussion of it all were heavily criticized at the time.

Frankly, he's been a lightning rod for years now ... often bearing the brunt of widespread outrage and condemnation when it comes to the federal government's response to health-related outbreaks. That was, perhaps, most crystalized of late ... during COVID-19 pandemic.

Many will recall ... Fauci was often battling against his own boss, DT, when it came to discussing the coronavirus -- he wanted people to be cautious and get vaccinated, while Trump usually pushed for the opposite ... making for some heated public clashes.

Still, he stayed the course through it all ... and always maintained his composure. Fauci hasn't always been right from the get-go, but he did always pivot when more information surfaced and updated his recommendations as such. That much nobody can deny.

As WWE prepares to celebrate the 1200th episode of "Smackdown," Drew McIntyre tells TMZ Sports he's obsessed with beating Roman Reigns in two weeks at "WWE Clash at the Castle" ... 'cause he has to finally win it all in front of fans!!

McIntyre and Reigns are set to meet face-to-face in the ring Friday night on a historic edition of "Smackdown" -- one of WWE's three flagship programs -- and the former two-time WWE champ isn't backing down from Reigns, whose held both titles for over 700 days!!

"I'm looking to raise those titles and Roman has been on this incredible run. But the truth is, it's been 700 days," Drew said. "He's not here as often as he used to be. I do believe titles need to be represented every single week. He's not able to do that these days."

McIntyre -- a native of Scotland -- told us a victory at 'Clash at the Castle,' which will be held in Wales for the first time in over 30 years, would mean the world to him since his first two title runs came with limited or no fans.

"I am very proud of the fact I was champion during that difficult time," McIntyre said. "I'm glad I was the champ setting the example. As a kid, I had the dream of main-eventing WrestleMania, lifting the title in the main event and I did that."

"But I also imagined there being tens of thousands of screaming people there," Drew said. "Which there wasn't."

"I would like to have some live fans in attendance for that third reign and I have the biggest opportunity of my life to do that in the UK, in the heart of Wales, against Roman. This is something I couldn't have envisioned as a kid because it didn't exist."

McIntyre -- who beat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36 to win his first-ever WWE title during the height of the pandemic -- knows defeating Reigns will be a tall task, but, ultimately, the Scottish native thinks a victory near his home turf is what's best for business.

"I think that titles need to be represented every single week and on the shows and in the live events and the appearances," McIntyre said. "And I want to be that man to represent the company on the highest level."

Travis Barker is the latest celeb to catch COVID -- a diagnosis that comes just two months after he was hospitalized for a serious case of pancreatitis -- but he's doing his best to keep his spirits up.

Travis broke the news on Instagram Thursday, with a caption that reads, "Covid sucks🤬 I'd rather be playing drums." He was recently on tour with his buddy MGK, and posted some BTS footage a couple days before his announcement ... so it's possible he caught the disease on the road.

Unclear when exactly Travis tested positive, we saw him out earlier this week in L.A. hitting a studio.

Of course, the diagnosis comes two months after his hospitalization. TMZ broke the story, the drummer had a colonoscopy that triggered pancreatitis in June, Travis told folks on social media he had a polyp removed in a sensitive area, which "damaged a critical pancreatic drainage tube" and led to the medical emergency.

Christine Quinn is giving a big thumbs down to returning to "Selling Sunset" ... instead focusing her attention on her other ventures.

Production sources tell TMZ Christine will not be featured in seasons 6 and 7 of the Netflix show, which recently began production. We're told it was a mutual decision between Christine, Netflix and the production company.

Our Christine sources tell us she recently signed with IMG Models, and is already booking modeling and appearance gigs at various fashion events.

Christine is also heavily involved with RealOpen, her brokerage that allows you to buy/sell real estate through crypto currency with her husband Christian.

Christine has definitely had her fair share of drama with "SS" producers and her costars over the last few months, skipping the show's reunion after claiming she tested positive for COVID. TMZ broke the story, Christine was spotted on a commercial shoot just days after allegedly testing positive ... at a time when she should've been in quarantine.

She also bashed the show on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, saying producers manipulate and intimidate the cast to create more drama. She also claimed the show's executive producer told her "to go fall down the stairs" and "kill" herself after she was honest about a scene from the show during an interview.

We got Christine's now former co-star Emma Hernan outside The Oppenheim Group office Wednesday, and while she isn't calling Christine's leave a win, she admits the show's got a bunch of heavy hitters as it is.

First Lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID ... catching the virus just a couple of weeks after her husband caught it.

Her Communications Director released a statement Tuesday, saying she developed "cold-like symptoms" Monday evening, hours after originally testing negative during her normal cadence.

It continues, "She tested negative again on a rapid antigen test, but a PCR test came back positive."

First Lady Biden is double-vaxxed and got boosted twice -- she's also been prescribed some Paxlovid, a pill that was granted an emergency use authorization by the FDA to combat the virus.

She'll remain isolated at a spot in South Carolina until she tests negative 2 consecutive times -- she was spotted riding a bike along the beach with President Biden Sunday while on vacation in SC.

Aaron Rodgers wanted no parts of crass jokes about COVID-19, vaccines, and the deaths associated with the virus ... shutting down the attempts at humor in a hurry this week.

Rodgers appeared on Monday's episode of Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" -- and he was having a blast with the hosts of the show, Big Cat and PFT Commenter ... but the Packers star got serious quickly when the quips turned toward coronavirus-related deaths.

As Rodgers was speaking about the backlash he received for going public with his vaccine stance last year -- PFT joked, "How many people do you think you killed? What's your count?"

Big Cat added on, "How many grandmothers? Let's just do grandmothers."

Rodgers, who had been in a very playful mood the entire interview leading up to that point, said sternly, "I mean, I know you guys are f***ing around, but I don't find that part funny."

"I really don't," he added.

The trio changed topics moments later -- and the guys went on to laugh and joke with each other for another half an hour or so on the show.

There didn't appear to be any further awkward moments between the guys, and all three took a pic together following the conclusion of the interview.

The 38-year-old has been willing to discuss his thoughts on COVID and the vaccines repeatedly throughout the last 12 months ... and has said that while he's not anti-vax, he doesn't feel like anyone should have to be forced to take the shots.

Drake just dropped the video for “Sticky” from his new album “Honestly, Nevermind” and it’s clear he used his recent Euro vacation to double the video’s scenic locations!!!

Directed by Theo Skudra, the lush visual navigates through parts of Drake at sea in St. Tropez, Michael Rubin’s 4th of July bash and other expensive frolics throughout the galaxy.

Lil Baby and Future can also be spotted living it up … and Drake found a rainy rooftop to test out his new coat from his Nocta Nike line.

Drizzy also proved there was no cap in his rap when it came to namedropping the late Virgil Abloh … stunting inside the off-road Maybach designed by the Off-White creator in collaboration with Mercedes.

Young Thug and YSL also get a shoutout as they fight their ongoing case.

Speaking of fighting, Drake is currently battling COVID-19, so the wave of memories in this video should induce a swift recovery!

Drake's massive Toronto homecoming has hit a major roadblock, all thanks to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.

Drake took to Instagram Monday to let his fans know he was "truly devastated" the show's getting postponed ... and promised they'll reschedule for the soonest date possible. October World Weekend -- which also was to serve as a Young Money reunion -- was to feature Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne.

In his announcement, Drake also said, "... I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and I love you all I am so sorry for letting you down on our weekend together and the moment I test negative I will give you everything I got onstage (except the Covid)."

Drake had just partied with Nelly Furtado during the OVO event ... with other surprises planned throughout Toronto.

Britney Spears claims her sister Jamie Lynn was having meetings with their dad during COVID while the rest of the world was on lockdown ... but we're told that's not the case at all.

Sources close to Jamie Lynn tell TMZ she wasn't parading around with her dad in 2020 -- instead, she was stuck at home like everyone else, and believes Britney got her story completely wrong ...  saying the proof is clear as day.

Britney posted a photo Sunday of Jamie Lynn and Jamie as supposed evidence of their pandemic meetings, along with a lengthy caption ... but we're told the pic in question was in 2019, before the lockdown.

At the time of the photo, JL was just getting back into work after having her second daughter, Ivey, the year before ... she had intro meetings with a few streaming services and Jamie dropped her off on the way to the airport.

We're told he didn't attend the meeting with her, and the picture was taken when she was staying in Britney's guest room during the trip ... which is why Jamie Lynn's confused as to how her big sis forgot that.

As a result, we're told JL wishes Britney would leave her out of future posts -- believing this is just a blatant lie to make her look bad. BTW, Brit has since taken down the entire post.

President Joe Biden is experiencing firsthand the COVID wave, because he caught the 'Rona like millions of others.

According to The White House, Biden is experiencing "very mild symptoms."

He has been out in recent days stumping this week in front of big crowds, fighting for climate change laws. After his speech Wednesday, he mingled maskless with a bunch of people, also mostly unmasked.

The White House Biden is fully vaccinated and twice boosted, he is taking Paxlovid, which treats the symptoms of the virus.

The White House says Biden will isolate at The White House, but he will continue working. He will stay in isolation until he tests negative.

The White House Medical Unit is contacting folks who came in close contact with the President.

Biden was recently in Saudi Arabia, where The White House announced he would fist-bump, rather than shake hands, in an effort to avoid COVID. However, after taking heat for a fist-bump with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he seemingly switched to shaking hands with other leaders.

Biden's last test for COVID was Tuesday, when he tested negative.

The COVID-19 drama isn't behind Novak Djokovic just yet ... tennis officials confirmed the legendary player will NOT compete in the upcoming Grand Slam, the U.S. Open, unless he gets vaccinated.

The 35-year-old Serbian tennis star -- who isn't vaxxed against the virus -- will not be on the court in Flushing Meadows, Queens ... because the United States doesn't currently allow unvaccinated, non-citizens to enter the country.

There was hope amongst tennis fans that something might be done to allow Novak to play ... but on Wednesday officials squashed that idea.

"The US Open does not have a vaccination mandate in place for players, but it will respect the US government’s position regarding travel into the country for unvaccinated non-US citizens,” the Open announced.

Djokovic, a three-time U.S. Open champ, was also banned from the Australian Open for the same reason.

That story became one of the biggest and most polarizing in the sports world.

Technically, Djokovic still has time to get the jab ... the tourney doesn't kick off until August 29.

But, in the immediate aftermath of his victory over Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon (his 7th win), Novak reiterated his vax stance for anyone wondering if he had a change of heart with the Open looming.

"I'm not vaccinated, and I'm not planning to get vaccinated," Djokovic said, according to ESPN.

Djokovic, however, remained optimistic that the policy in the USA on the COVID vaccine could change ahead of the tourney.

Unfortunately for ND, that doesn't seem like it's going to happen ... and it's a big blow for Novak because he's just one Grand Slam title behind Rafael Nadal for the all-time lead.

FYI, 36-year-old Rafa has 22. Novak 21. 40-year-old Roger Federer 20.

Despite having a career year filled with an NBA championship and an All-Star appearance, Golden State Warriors hooper Andrew Wiggins says he wishes he hadn't gotten the COVID-19 vaccine ... saying, "It wasn't my choice."

The 27-year-old forward was honest about getting the jab in order to play in 2021-22 in an interview with FanSided ... admitting, "I still wish I didn't get [vaccinated], to be honest with you."

Remember, Wiggins was at risk of missing a number of Warriors games this season due to local COVID-19 protocols ... and reluctantly caved in and got the vaccine in order to play.

While Wiggins is thrilled with his experience during his breakout year, he's still clearly peeved about the position he was in.

"I did it and I was an All-Star this year and champion, so that was the good part, just not missing out on the year, the best year of my career," Wiggins added. "But for my body, I just don't like putting all that stuff in my body, so I didn't like that and I didn't like that it wasn't my choice."

"I didn't like that it was either get this or don't play."

Wiggins averaged 18 points and 8 rebounds for the Dubs in the Finals this season ... helping Golden State win yet another title, and the first of his career.

Bret Michaels is currently being treated in a Nashville hospital ... a medical emergency that occurred just before he was set to get on stage with Poison.

The band is part of a massive stadium tour with Def Leppard, Motley Crue and Joan Jett. Audience members claim members from Poison got on stage Thursday night and let the crowd know Bret had to go to the hospital for a bad reaction to medication.

As a result, the other band members announced they wouldn't be able to perform their set.

Obviously, some fans were upset, going to Twitter to express their disappointment. One fan wrote, "Came all the way from KC to watch poison. Bret Michaels was admitted to hospital. No poison in Nashville."

Unclear how long Michaels will be sidelined, the tour continues with a date Saturday in Florida and Sunday in Mississippi.

Get well soon!!!

Meadow Walker, the daughter of the late Paul Walker, has weighed in on the overturning of Roe v. Wade with her own personal story.

The 23-year-old revealed she had an abortion in 2020, just as the COVID pandemic began to rage.

Meadow said ... "Today marks a huge setback in history- a profound injustice to women across the United States. There are countless women who have struggled with making the decision to have an abortion. I too have battled with the choice but in 2020, when the world was collapsing during the pandemic, I sought an abortion."

She believes the decision should be "private and personal."

Meadow made it clear, her decision wasn't easy ... "I was lucky enough to have a great doctor who supported me through the debilitating process- with their help, I am able to be the happy and healthy person I am today."

That was the past, but Meadow says the future looks bleak ... "Now, knowing even more women won't have the opportunity to seek safe termination and choose their bodies first is absolutely heartbreaking. In a world that constantly marginalizes females, this feels like the biggest assault of them all."

Stars like Rita Moreno say she knows all too well what it was like to seek an abortion before it became a Constitutional right in 1973. She told Variety she became pregnant with Marlon Brando's baby. She says he demanded she gets an abortion and found a doctor who would do it for $500. The doctor botched the procedure -- it was incomplete -- and she bled profusely and almost died.

Doc Antle wants to be released from custody as he awaits trial in his federal money laundering case -- and when it comes to his rationale, he's throwing everything at the wall ... hoping something sticks.

The "Tiger King" star's legal team filed new docs, obtained by TMZ, asking a judge to allow him to post bond because he says he has a slew of health issues ... including atrial fibrillation and high blood pressure, which make it risky for him to be behind bars due to COVID.

He says the coronavirus would exacerbate his heart and circulation problems, and if that's not good enough for the judge -- Doc also cites his sleep apnea, torn rotator cuff, torn meniscus, dislocated collar bone and significant discomfort from old fractures suffered in a car wreck ... years ago. Yeah, he's totally falling apart, if ya buy what he's selling.

But, wait there's more, judge!

Antle insists his elderly mother, who has dementia, is scheduled to be back under his care soon -- and then, there are the animals.

He says his Myrtle Beach Safari resort is liable to fall into a state of disarray without his leadership. So, for all of the above reasons he's asking the judge to let him out on bond.

While Doc points out he's had a clean criminal record, prior to this, prosecutors say he's a flight risk because he has the resources to make a clean getaway.

As you know, Doc is facing money laundering charges ... and, if convicted, he could be locked up for a long time. He's denied the accusations.

Dr. Anthony Fauci has contracted COVID-19 -- but like many people who have gotten their shots -- he's expected to come out the other side just fine.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, for which Fauci serves as top dog, made the announcement Wednesday, saying Doc had tested positive during a rapid antigen test ... and as a result, was sent home to recover. He'll be back to work when he's negative.

The NIH agency notes he's experiencing mild symptoms, and attributes that to the fact he's fully vaccinated and has also received two booster shots.

Also of note ... Fauci has not been in close contact with President Biden of late, so says NIAID, or any other top government official for that matter. So it seems JB and co. are in the clear on his end -- good news, especially since they've already had close calls.

Several people in Biden's cabinet have caught the virus in recent months -- including former Press Secretary Jen Psaki, and even Vice President Kamala Harris ... ditto for her hubby. Of course, there've been some high-profile Congress members who've gotten sick too.