Justin Bieberriding an electric surfboard in a wetsuit just seems to scream ... B-B-B-Bieber and the jets, to us, anyway. Shout-out to Elton John.
The Biebs was spotted out Monday on a jet surfboard zipping around Puslinch Lake in Ontario, Canada, where he's hanging out during this quarantine. Witnesses tell us he surfed the perimeter of the lake and waved hello to neighbors.
We're told the wifey, Hailey, was also hanging out on the dock watching Mr. Bieber enjoy the hell out of his quarantine time while staying at a house near the lake, in isolation, during this pandemic.
In any event ... at least these pics show Justin's like the rest of us trying to enjoy some time outdoors after being holed up inside for weeks now. He's taking part in the famous All In Challenge ... with a chance for him to give one lucky fan a one-on-one concert.
WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy says he personally called WWE and asked for help the day before his recent DWI arrest ... admitting he knew something was wrong and wanted to change.
Remember, 42-year-old Hardy was busted for drunk driving on Oct. 3 ... adding to his history of several alcohol and drug-related arrests throughout his career.
The Charismatic Enigma opened up about his struggles with the "After The Bell" podcast with Corey Graves this week ... revealing how going to inpatient rehab for the first time helped him face his issues head-on.
"I’ve learned so much in recovery ... just little things like one day at a time, just focus on today, not drinking or not drugging and just calling my sponsor every day and talking to another alcoholic man."
Hardy got candid about his conversation with Vince McMahon's org before his DWI, saying, "I called WWE and said, ‘I need help. I need treatment. There’s something wrong with me, with this alcohol thing.'"
Now, Hardy is focused on staying clean and sober ... and hopes that keeps him out of handcuffs.
"There’s something powerful about it when you admit what you are and you can like, own that ... and there’s a huge piece in my heart and my mind knowing that if I never drink again, I’m never going to get into any other trouble."
Hardy says he knows this is his last chance -- in and out of the ring -- and he's going to make the most of it.
Costco is making some big changes in the face of the coronavirus pandemic ... the superstore is requiring anyone walking through its doors to cover their faces.
The new nationwide change goes into effect Monday, and the rules require all members, guests and employees to wear masks or face coverings that cover the mouth and nose at all times while inside the superstore.
Costco says members who do not cover their faces will not be permitted inside its stores. However, the company says the mask policy does not apply to children younger than 2 or people who are unable to wear a mask or face covering due to medical conditions.
Seems many Costco members are already wearing masks ... as you can see at this Costco in Washington D.C. Wednesday, most shoppers are wearing masks and face coverings inside the superstore.
10:47 AM PT -- A famous epidemiologist -- who's on the mend after having coronavirus -- tells TMZ that whatever political or social downside there might be to speaking out and closing down wet markets operating in the states must bow down to the upside ... saving lives.
We spoke to Dr. Michael Saag Wednesday on 'TMZ Live' -- a guy who's renowned for his work in the studies of HIV and AIDS -- and he made it very clear that public health should trump any offense that any group of people -- ethnic or otherwise -- might take if politicians start making moves to regulate, if not fully close, the live animal butcher shops and slaughterhouses we've been highlighting this week ... where animals or hoarded, killed and sold to customers in one place, under incredibly unsanitary conditions.
UPDATE
Dr. Saag says he understands how this might be the norm for certain folks, but when we told him different politicians we've talked to about this seem hesitant to take action ... DS said he gets that too, 'cause they don't wanna come off as xenophobic and upset their constituency and look bad. It's a fine line to walk -- but Saag says the problem is clear.
UPDATE
In his eyes, respecting culture -- something we take pride in here in America -- MUST take a back seat when the public's well-being is at stake, as it is with these U.S.-based wet markets.
UPDATE
Dr. Saag also explains what's on the line here, as he knows first-hand what it's like having COVID-19. Watch ... he says it's nothing like he's ever battled before, and no one wants it if they can help it.
It's becoming more clear by the day that wet markets are NOT just a China problem -- it's an American problem too ... just take a look at these latest clips from Texas and California.
TMZ has gotten a hold of even more graphic videos of two different live animal shops in TX and CA -- where people pick out the animal, have it slaughtered on the spot and then sold to them right then and there -- and you see the mixed-in livestock runs the gamut.
There are pigs in pens, goats and sheep hoarded together ... and, of course, as we've seen in New York and elsewhere -- chicken and rabbits cooped up in cages -- all in the same area within earshot of each other, and all getting butchered.
Ya got pigs hanging from hooks out in the open, chicken beaks, feathers and guts all over the floor and in an exposed trash can -- this while customers (including kids) come in and browse the freezer for whatever cuts of meat they want. It's downright dirty and gross.
As we've been told by the experts, these one-stop-shop slaughterhouses/storefronts can be breeding grounds for disease -- including new viruses, like COVID-19, which supposedly got started at a wet market in China.
We already know of lawmakers in Cali and New York working to get these things shut down, but it's pretty apparent there needs to be federal legislation rolled out to address this. Can't call the kettle black when we're swimming in the freakin' pot.
Golfers in Florida are back on the tee box ... several courses in the state reopened Wednesday -- and people are flocking in droves to the fairways with masks on!!
Parks in Palm Beach County have eased up lockdown rules as the state shows improvement amid the coronavirus pandemic ... and it didn't take long for residents to get their hacks in.
Check out photos from courses in the Miami area just minutes after they opened back up ... a TON of golfers came out to play -- but it's clear, restrictions are still in place.
Staffers sprayed down range balls with disinfectant and wore gloves ... many people kept at least 6 feet from each other ... and nearly everyone had some sort of face covering.
As for the demand to play ... one course official in the area told the Palm Beach Post this week, "I don't think there has been a moment when the phone hasn't had three lines coming in."
More courses in the state are expected to open up next week -- but remember, PLEASE BE SAFE!!!
Irrfan Khan -- Bollywood icon and star of films like "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Life of Pi" -- has died after battling cancer.
The Indian actor died Wednesday in a Mumbai hospital after being admitted to the ICU for a colon infection earlier this week.
His rep says ... "Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him."
Khan revealed in March 2018 that he had been diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine tumor, an abnormal growth that begins in the body's specialized neuroendocrine cells. We're told he'd been getting chemotherapy in London and traveling back and forth to India in recent months.
Khan is one of India's most famous and beloved actors, and has more than 150 Bollywood and Hollywood credits to his name.
He attended the National School of Drama in New Delhi and started his acting career soon after, playing mainly supporting roles for more than a decade. He had his big break in early 2000s, though ... racking up awards for his starring role in the 2003 film, "Haasil."
Irrfan went on to star in other award-winning films such as "Like In A….Metro" before busting onto the international scene in 2008 when he appeared in the Oscar hit, "Slumdog Millionaire."
He then landed a starring role in the acclaimed "Life of Pi," and would go on to appear in movies like "The Amazing Spider-Man," "Jurassic World" and "Inferno."
Sadly, the actor's mother also died last week, but he was unable to attend her funeral due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.
The charisma you brought to everything you did was pure magic. Your talent forged the way for so many in so many avenues.. You inspired so many of us. #IrrfanKhan you will truly be missed. Condolences to the family. pic.twitter.com/vjhd5aoFhc
Did you know ... there are 103 bowling alleys in the State of Georgia?
Did you also know ... most of them are staying CLOSED despite a special order from the Governor allowing them to operate?!
It's true ... and most of the alleys that ARE up and running are getting so few customers, they're struggling to turn a profit.
We called every single B.A. in GA -- and this is what we found.
-- Only 25 alleys in the state are confirmed up and running.
-- Every active alley has social distancing protocols. Most are screening staffers (taking temperatures at the door, etc.) before they can go to work. A few alleys are also screening customers. Almost every alley is spacing out lanes between groups.
-- Several alleys are requiring customers to book lanes in advance and taking payment over the phone to reduce person-to-person interaction.
-- Wondering about bowling shoes?! Most places are having customers request rental shoes over the phone so staff can have them ready when the bowlers arrive. When they're done, the shoes are disinfected by staffers wearing PPE.
Despite the protocols, several staffers from multiple alleys echoed the same point ... business is EXTREMELY slow.
One staffer told us, "It's not profitable, but we're hanging in there."
Some lanes say they're getting customers from other states. Some have said they're catering to frontline medical workers looking to blow off steam, which makes it worth it to keep the doors open.
Karlene Welty of Calhoun Bowling Center says her staff is working their tails off keeping the place safe and clean -- and they're making just enough money to pay their staff, which is why they're staying in business.
The bottom line is this ... if you thought people were going to hit the alleys in droves just because they can, you thought wrong.
And, from what we're gathering, most places are still determining if it's even worth the risk to keep the lanes open until the pandemic is over.
The governor of North Carolina says he's working like crazy with NASCAR and health officials to keep the Coca-Cola 600 Memorial Weekend race on schedule as planned next month ... but without fans in the stands.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced the plan to keep the May 24 race as scheduled ... saying the state has been in contact with NASCAR and the Charlotte Motor Speedway to come up with the safest possible social distancing protocol.
"We believe that unless health conditions go down, we believe we can hold the Coca-Cola 600," Cooper said on Tuesday ... adding NASCAR will make a statement on the decision later this week.
The state of North Carolina has extended the stay-at-home order through May 8 ... but Cooper deemed pro race team shops "essential businesses" to allow them to prepare for the future.
NASCAR has postponed all events since March 13 ... and if this can somehow happen, fans will be VERY happy.
2:30 PM PT -- Pence just explained why he flouted the Mayo Clinic's mask policy saying, "As Vice President of the United States I'm tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus. He added, "And since I don't have the coronavirus, I thought it'd be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel, and look them in the eye and say thank you."
UPDATE
OK, boomer.
Vice President Mike Pence thinks the rules don't apply to him -- he's brazenly ignoring Mayo Clinic policy by not wearing a face covering, even though everyone else is.
Here's the deal ... the VP toured the renowned Minnesota hospital with a large group Tuesday and decided he'd pass on wearing a mask. The medical facility says, as policy, everyone needs to cover their face to guard against transmission of COVID-19.
Everyone around Pence adhered to the policy, so he stood out like a sore thumb. Keep in mind, this is the guy President Trump pegged to run the coronavirus task force. So, it's bad optics, potentially dangerous ... and just rude to his hosts.
The Mayo Clinic even tweeted that it told Pence about the policy mandating all patients, visitors and staff wear face coverings or masks BEFORE the tour of the grounds. That tweet has since been deleted.
While Pence and POTUS have refused to wear masks ... both sides of Congress are following the CDC's guidelines to wear masks when entering essential businesses and health care facilities.
We reached out to Pence's office for comment, but this seems like a move even TV's bumbling "Veep" wouldn't pull.
Doctors in Germany are demanding more personal protective equipment -- to safely fight COVID-19 -- and their plight's getting attention, 'cause they got naked.
These Berlin docs are in ... their birthday suits for a campaign called Blanke Bedenken, which translates to blank/naked concerns. They kept it PG-13, you don't see any of their privates as they posed in unique ways to cover up a bit.
Their message comes across clearly ... they're in need of more gear -- like face masks, gloves and gowns. It's a plea we've heard from doctors, nurses and EMTs here in the U.S. for more than a month. The German doctors say without the critically-needed PPE, they might as well be bare naked on the frontlines.
Even some of the masks they wore in the pics are makeshift, homemade jobs. One of the docs has a sign that reads (in German), "I learned to sew wounds. Why do I now need to know how to sew masks?"
Germany's been credited for managing the pandemic fairly well, with under 200,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and less than 6,000 deaths. That doesn't necessarily mean their doctors have it easy, though.
What do we want? PPE! What should we get?? Dressed ... and also PPE!!!
Folks in New Jersey crowded together to watch an aerial salute to first responders, but some people just don't get it ... because they're not social distancing and not wearing masks!!!
Check out the scene Tuesday at J. Owen Grundy Park in Jersey City for the special flyover ... you can see lots of people standing super close together without covering their faces, while also ignoring signs saying the promenade is closed.
Police were on hand, but folks who were there tell us cops weren't writing any tickets.
The crowds gathered to watch 12 aircraft from the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds soar through the skies above the Hudson River ... a 40-minute salute to the brave men and women battling COVID-19 on the front lines.
It's kinda ironic though ... the joint demonstration is supposed to honor essential workers and first responders, but huddling together and not wearing a mask is the perfect way to NOT honor the heroes fighting the virus.
Some folks were wearing masks and keeping their distance, but not everyone ... and that's an issue.
The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds have another flyover later today over Trenton and Philadelphia ... so hopefully, folks there salute first responders the right way.
12:17 PM PT -- More details are coming out about Alex Smith's recovery from his broken leg ... with the QB saying doctors had to surgically move a piece of his quad into his shin to save his leg.
UPDATE
Smith revealed the procedure to ESPN in a Sept. 2019 interview ... explaining all of his scars on his injured leg in great detail.
"This guy is where they took part of my quad," Smith says ... "And that's what is down here."
UPDATE
Smith also showed where doctors took skin from his thigh to cover up some of the damage caused by his freak 2018 injury ... and, yeah, it's pretty gnarly.
WARNING -- if you can't handle painfully gross injury pictures, please sit this one out.
A new image of Washington Redskins QB Alex Smith's injury from 4 days after his devastating broken leg surgery in 2018 has surfaced ... and it's beyond displeasing.
Of course, Smith has previously stated he's lucky to be alive -- let alone have his right leg -- following the unfortunate in-game incident against the Texans ... as his road to recovery was hindered by infections that required 17 follow-up surgeries.
A picture of Smith's infected leg just days after surgery was aired on ESPN Monday -- as part of a promo for the E:60 documentary, "Project 11," premiering on Friday -- and it shows how bad the infection was.
35-year-old Smith has previously said that he's focused on getting better and maintains the goal of getting back on to the football field ... but understands there are no guarantees.
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The former #1 overall pick has since made a brief return to throwing ... and even made an appearance at Redskins organized team activities in 2019 ... but it would be a miracle to see him suit up in a game again.
Forget the thirst trap -- this packed house party in Chicago featuring a stripper is more like a potential coronavirus trap with all the guests blatantly ignoring quarantine guidelines.
It turns out there was even more reckless behavior going down in Chi-Town over the weekend -- this party seemed to have several dozen guests swarming around a stripper wearing a top, but nothing down below. The partygoers, packed in shoulder-to-shoulder, made it rain on her and even got a little handsy.
That might be great for her bottom line, but not so great for health. The video shows no one was thinking a thing about COVID-19, face coverings or maintaining six feet between each other.
This is clearly a trend -- as we reported, another Windy City house party had more than 1,000 guests... even as the city struggles to flatten the curve, and combat the disproportionate COVID-19 mortality rate in the black community.
As we reported ... Chi-Town officials slapped the owner with fines, and cited her for disorderly conduct -- namely, violating the state's stay-at-home orders.
Meanwhile, the stripper party had the potential to get even bigger. A woman who appears to be the homeowner was on video -- live on Facebook, mind you -- inviting anyone watching to come through.
Unclear if city officials will track her down and fine her ass too.
It sucks even more when you’re going through it during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But, MLB star Trey Mancini says he still feels "lucky" to have so many resources to battle his stage-3 colon cancer.
The 28-year-old Baltimore Orioles slugger opened up about his treatment in The Players' Tribune ... saying he's facing 6 months of chemotherapy, which will keep him out of baseball in 2020.
As we previously reported, Mancini underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his colon back in March ... after doctors discovered it during a colonoscopy.
Of course, the coronavirus pandemic is complicating things -- but Mancini is still maintaining a positive attitude.
"Chemo in the age of COVID-19 is crazy," Mancini says ... "Nobody is allowed to come in with me, and that’s completely fine by me."
"I don’t want anybody else being put at risk -- people that are close to me and that I love, and other people in the hospital. You just never know."
"COVID-19 has spread so quickly. I’m definitely trying to follow all the protocols, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because I don’t want to expose myself to anything, especially before going into chemotherapy."
As for the treatment itself, Mancini says doctors installed a mediport into his chest --explaining, "It’s where they’ll run the drugs into my body during chemotherapy."
Mancini is also praising his Orioles team doctors for flagging an abnormal blood test during a routine physical -- which led to his cancer diagnosis. He considers himself "so lucky" to have had a head start on proper treatment.
"Honestly, I love the Orioles," Mancini added ... "Our team trainers have been so on top of everything. I am so appreciative for them, and also for the Orioles’ front office and ownership. They have treated me like family."
Despite everything he's going through, Mancini says he's "OK," considers himself blessed and can't wait to play baseball again soon.
It's disgusting, inhumane, unsafe and a breeding ground for disease ... yes, another wet market, but this one's not in NYC ... it's in the San Francisco Bay area.
The footage was shot at two different wet/live animal markets -- one in San Fran and another across the Bay in Oakland. Both markets are currently open and fully operational, killing and selling the chickens, rabbits and meat in the same location -- with what seems to be hardly any regulation.
In the clip, you see children walking around and getting very close to the chickens and rabbits CRAMMED in cages. Workers pull the fowl out of the cages for slaughter, and some aren't even wearing gloves. Later in the video, you see severed chicken legs and beaks strewn about the floor ... frankly, it's disgusting and unsanitary.
As we reported ... wet markets are also up and running in New York City, so this is a coast-to-coast issue amid the deadly coronavirus pandemic. The scene in the Bay Area looks very similar to the one in NYC.
And, of course, the footage is reminiscent of the wet markets in China, where some scientists believe the pandemic started. Sure, some reports suggest bats are at the center of the outbreak, but still ... exposing live animals to people in markets like this is NOT healthy.
The good news ... state reps in CA and NY are working on legislation to shut down these types of markets.
Bill Withers died after suffering a cardiopulmonary arrest, which was complicated by COPD and arrhythmia ... according to his death certificate.
According to the doc, obtained by TMZ, the iconic soul singer's immediate cause of death is a cardiopulmonary arrest. The underlying causes are listed as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bradyarrhythmia.
Withers died on March 30 at 10:44 AM at Providence Tarzana Regional Medical Center. The doc also notes he had 49 years in the entertainment biz, and says he was laid to rest at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in L.A.
As we reported, at the time of his death, Bill's family described him as ... "A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other."
Well, that he absolutely did ... with a string of hits including "Lean On Me," "Lovely Day" and "Ain't No Sunshine."
Bill's death came just as people were leaning on the 3-time Grammy Award winner's music ... finding inspiration in quarantine. In particular, there have been spontaneous neighborhood sing-alongs of "Lean On Me" lifting spirits.
