Elderly Buffalo Protester $upport, Gifts Pouring In From All Over the World

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Martin Gugino remains hospitalized after that violent shove to the ground from cops in Buffalo -- but at least he's getting showered with love and support.

Gugino's attorney, Kelly Zarcone, tells TMZ ... the 75-year-old has received more than 1,000 messages of support, some even handwritten and delivered by snail mail. Supporters sent gifts too ... like an autographed book from an author, an original painting and some religious jewelry. Someone also made, by hand, a prayer blanket, which we're told is on its way to the hospital.

It's unclear how much Martin will rack up in hospital bills but no doubt it'll be substantial -- he's been in since June 4. Initially, Kelly says Martin didn't authorize any GoFundMe accounts, but Martin's changed his tune since then because Kelly says he now realizes he'll need all the help he can get to cover his medical and recovery costs.

There are now TWO official GoFundMe accounts to help Martin cover his medical expenses -- and, so far, they've amassed $80k in donations.

060420_old_man_shoved_kal_v3 6/4/2020
"HE'S BLEEDING OUT OF HIS EARS!!!"

We're told Martin's reading all the comments on the GoFundMe accounts -- as well as the letters and emails -- which have been very comforting while he continues to recover in the hospital's rehab wing.

As we reported ... he fractured his skull and bled after he was shoved by cops, who were ultimately suspended. That suspension triggered 57 officers resigning from the Emergency Response Team.

The support, of course, is a stark contrast to the death threats Martin received just a little over a week ago. As we reported ... the barrage of threats left Martin feeling unsafe about going home, once he's healthy.

Model Emily Sears Brain Surgery's a Success!!! On the Road to Recovery

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Emily Sears -- a model known for starring in some saucy Carl's Jr. ads -- is recovering from successful brain surgery ... and looking forward to getting her life back after a major health scare.

Emily tells TMZ ... she underwent a craniotomy last week in order for surgeons to remove a cavernoma, a cluster of abnormal blood vessels that was irritating her brain tissue and causing seizures.

The model says she was in a store in L.A. back in April 2019 when she had her first seizure and collapsed, which led to her diagnosis.

Despite trying several medications to deal with the issue, she had at least 5 more seizures before suffering a bad fall near the end of the year ... which is when she decided to schedule brain surgery to remove the cluster.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic delayed her procedure, but she was finally able to have it done last week ... and it was an extremely intricate process.

We're told, Emily's surgery took more than 5 hours because the cavernoma was against the speech area of her brain ... so doctors had to wake her up in the middle of it to test her speech with flashcards, to make sure they didn't remove any vital tissue.

Whoa.

Thankfully, Emily says the surgery was a success -- the whole cluster was removed -- and she's happy and healing and eager to return to normal living.

Get well soon!

Tampa Police Cops Forcibly Separate Kids from Mom in Distress

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062820_tampa_pd_arrest_kal_v2 6/27/20
SEPARATION ANXIETY
UPDATE

4:45 PM PT -- 6/29 -- Cops say they responded to a call of an abandoned car after a citizen attempted to offer assistance to the woman and her kids. Police claim the mother "reportedly became combative" with the good samaritan.

UPDATE

Police say "officers intervened when the mother attempted to walk on the interstate out of concern for the safety of her and her children."

UPDATE

In the end, cops say no one was arrested or injured during the incident.

Tampa cops responded to a call about a woman in distress who was walking in the street with her kids ... and it turned into a gutwrenching scene of the children being ripped away from their mom.

Police got the call of a woman "under severe mental distress." When they arrived in the downtown area, they saw her walking in the road with her 5 barefoot kids.

The way police handled the situation is raising lots of questions ... in particular, whether this was the way to handle and de-escalate the situation.

You see one cop holding the woman against a fence, while one of her daughters stands by her side. Then, another cop held the girl with one hand as he restrains 3 of her brothers who are trying to free their sister from the officer.

Police eventually took the woman to a hospital for a psychological evaluation. They also took the kids to the hospital so they could be near their mom.

This is yet another example of how important it is for police to assess non-violent situations and figure out ways of de-escalating without causing needless trauma, force or worse.

Originally published -- 6/28 8:33 AM

NBA's Larry Sanders Gunning For Comeback 'I Can Definitely Contribute'

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It's been 3 years since Larry Sanders stepped foot on an NBA court ... but the 31-year-old says he's FAR from done -- telling TMZ Sports he wants another shot at getting back in the league.

Remember, Sanders had a solid career with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2010-2015 ... before failed drug tests and battles with mental health kept him out of work.

L.S. briefly had a comeback with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017 ... but reportedly struggled with keeping up with his responsibilities.

We spoke with Sanders about his career ... and he makes it clear he's not ready to hang up the sneaks yet.

"I think with things shifting a bit, me still young, I feel like I'm in the prime stage, I can definitely contribute."

"I would just love to contribute to a team and help them win and give my knowledge, give my defensive presence and just being able to play basketball."

"That's ideal for me. That sounds like heaven."

But, as for what Sanders has been up to OFF the court, he tells us he's working with a spray cannabis company called CLICK ... and says it's perfect for someone with his athletic lifestyle.

Larry Sanders Sub
MINDIN' MY HEALTH

"It's super discrete, super cool and sleek and I just fell in love with it because for me, it's healthier."

"I can use it at all times of the day and it's a great alternative for athletes and health-conscious people."

Trump Campaign Ordered Removal of Distance Signage Video Shows Staff Doing It

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President Trump's campaign staff reportedly told arena staff members to remove social distancing signs before they opened the doors, and there's video showing folks doing just that.

The story was reported by the Washington Post and Billboard -- with the former citing sources familiar with the situation ... and the latter getting one of the venue's main overseers on record. The VP of ASM Global -- the company that manages the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa -- told the magazine that Trump's campaign had, in fact, given the order.

The VP, Doug Thornton, says the campaign instructed them to stop labeling every other seat with "Do Not Sit Here, Please!" stickers, which the arena staff had already done to nearly every row. The place sits 19,000 -- so, at least 9,500 were presumably used.

Tulsa Stickers
Off They come

There was even video captured and posted by WaPo that shows a few men with badges going around and actually removing those stickers. It's shot from a distance, so it's hard to make out what the stickers say, but it seems pretty clear they were the ones in question.

It's unclear if these guys are Trump staffers or arena staffers. In any case, it's a smoking gun.

This is insane, considering the BOK Center was actually trying to do the right thing and take safety precautions ... only to be thwarted by the man's own team come showtime.

Of course, if you saw the rally live -- not to mention the people lining up to get in before doors opened -- you know it was already a 'rona danger zone. Now, the place ended up being mostly empty inside, especially those upper rows. Still, those that were there did pack in like sardines, and now, we appear to know why -- at least partially, anyway.

The Trump campaign did not comment on the sticker removal.

Kings Star Jabari Parker Out Playing Tennis, Mask-Less After COVID Announcement

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Jabari Parker just told the world he'd contracted coronavirus -- and less than 3 days later, the guy doesn't appear to be in isolation ... but rather, he's playing tennis in public.

The Sacramento Kings star was spotted Saturday in Chicago's Longfellow Park, where he was rallying with a buddy on the other end of the net ... all smiles, and without a mask. Mind you, he'd just announced a few days earlier that he had test positive for COVID-19.

It's hard to say what we should make of these photos of him seemingly doing just fine in light of that. On the one hand, it's kind of a bad look -- but also, it might be perfectly understandable ... as we don't know the exact status of his recovery at the moment.

In his statement through the Kings, Jabari said he found out his diagnosis "several days ago," but didn't specify when or how long he's been quarantined in Chi-Town. You'd like to assume he's on the tail end of his 14-day isolation here, but we just don't know.

Another somewhat troubling sign -- sources tell us Jabari was recently seen out at a restaurant there in the Windy City. Again, unclear if he's all better now or still sick.

In any case, we've reached out to his rep for clarification -- so far, no word back.

Trader Joe's Customer Goes Nuts Over Face Masks

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A Trader Joe's was the backdrop for an explosion of anger by a customer who felt it was her right to shop without a face mask.
TRADER KAREN

A Trader Joe's was the backdrop for an explosion of anger by a customer who felt it was her right to shop without a face mask.

The woman came to the San Fernando Valley store Friday wearing a mask ... the manager tells TMZ. At some point, as she was shopping the mask disappeared from her face. She says she has a breathing problem and that's why she took the mask off, but her lungs were filled with anger as her voice billowed through the store.

Either way ... we're told employees approached the woman and asked her to cover her face, but she refused. At that point, she goes insane, suggesting this was some sort of conspiracy by Democrats.

She was ordered to leave the store -- which she did.

BTW ... Los Angeles is having a huge spike in coronavirus cases. Also, you go to a grocery store you have to wear a mask. Period.

'Gilligan's Island' Star Dawn Wells Gets Restraining Order Against Obsessed Fan Manager Claims She Has Dementia

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Dawn Wells -- famously known for playing Mary Ann Summers on the iconic TV show, "Gilligan's Island" -- is now sadly suffering from dementia and needs some court help with an overzealous fan ... according to new legal docs.

Dawn's manager, Leonard Carter, filed legal docs on his client's behalf claiming a man out of Ohio has been harassing the 81-year-old actress with phone calls and letters since March and is trying to take advantage of his celebrity client, who he says suffers from dementia ... this according to legal docs obtained by TMZ.

In docs, Carter claims Frank Bennett has caused Dawn "great mental angst" because he's an "artful manipulator extracting Dawn's personal info" ... like her SSN. Carter claims Bennett's a married man who has professed his love and desire to marry Dawn. Carter insists Dawn's rejected Bennett's advances, but says he won't stop contacting her.

What's more ... Carter says a handful of employees at the assisted living facility where she resides have witnessed Bennett's intensity. Carter claims Bennett's "unstable and could snap and do physical harm." He also claims Bennett told him, "If I am visited by one cop, if I am served with papers, It's game on!"

The judge granted some protection for Dawn ... barring Bennett from coming within 100 yards of her.

UFC's Dan Hooker COVID Made Me Nervous About Fighting in U.S. ... But I Trust UFC

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UFC's Dan Hooker admits he was initially "hesitant" about fighting in Nevada over the weekend due to the looming COVID threat ... but says he trusts Dana White to keep everyone safe.

30-year-old Hooker -- the #5 ranked UFC lightweight -- hails from New Zealand ... where the COVID numbers are incredibly low.

In fact, New Zealand has essentially been unscathed by coronavirus ... with only 1,170 confirmed cases, and 22 deaths.

To compare, the U.S. has more than 2.5 million confirmed cases ... with 126,000 deaths.

Nevada alone has roughly 11 times the number of cases as all of NZ.

"We have no cases actually in New Zealand and then coming over here I was a little bit hesitant to know about the safety precautions," Hooker tells us.

So, Hooker had a serious decision to make when White offered him the chance to fight Dustin Poirier on June 27 to headline UFC Fight Night at the APEX center in Vegas.

Hooker says he was reluctant to fly right into the COVID hornet's nest ... but ultimately he swayed after learning about the UFC's intense screening process.

"I feel comfortable. I've been here for 3 days and soon as we arrived, we got tested. Getting tested again [Friday], we get temperature checks every morning and they got security at every single door making sure that people can't come and go," Hooker says.

"I'm very confident in the precautions that the UFC has in place."

Now, Hooker is focused on Poirier -- the #3 ranked UFC lightweight ... and a win could put Hooker in the mix for a title shot.

FYI, Hooker is on a tear at the moment ... winning 7 of his last 8 fights over guys like Gilbert Burns, Paul Felder and Al Iaquinta.

Arizona Attorney General Knock it Off, Dream City Church!!! Rips Trump Venue for COVID-Free Claim

Published
UPDATE

2:56 PM PT -- CleanAir EXP CEO, Tim Bender, tells TMZ, “We are committed to developing and providing advanced air and surface purification systems for homes and businesses. No air purification system, including ours, can universally prevent coronavirus (including COVID-19) infections."

UPDATE

He continues, "On June 23, we updated our website to further emphasize the coronavirus surrogates used in our laboratory testing and made all lab reports available. We encourage following hygiene guidelines in the manner ordered or suggested by government authorities.”

The Arizona church that hosted President Trump's rally and the company it claimed had tech to kill COVID-19 just got a tongue-lashing from the state's top prosecutor.

Arizona's Attorney General, Mark Brnovich, fired off a cease-and-desist letter to Dream City Church and CleanAir EXP ... telling them they're misrepresenting what CleanAir's technology can actually do -- claiming they haven't shown any scientific proof to back up the claim that it neutralizes 99.9% of viruses that are "COVID-19 surrogates."

Dream City Church
KILLING GERMS

The AG's office says it is "aware of no scientific research or public health authority certifying any kind of air treatment product as a means of preventing COVID-19 infections." As we reported, the Dream City Church bozos, Brendon Zastrow and Pastor Luke Barnett, made a video claiming CleanAir EXP's tech could zap away the virus.

A day later, CleanAir EXP chief strategy officer, Tim Bender, told TMZ ... Zastrow and Barnett went overboard and flat-out exaggerated about CleanAir's product.

The AG also said, "the church was placed on notice that misrepresentations and false promises related to the safety of church facilities may violate the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act."

As we reported ... tons of Trump supporters packed the venue earlier this week, with virtually none of them wearing masks or socially distancing.

Originally Published -- 1:15 PM PT

Face Mask Exempt Card Dept. of Justice Says Don't Buy It!!!

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The U.S. Department of Justice is calling out the "Exempt" cards folks claim allow them to get away with not covering their faces in public ... because the cards are fraudulent.

An alert was issued by the feds Thursday warning of the phony face mask flyers, urging the public to "be aware regarding fraudulent postings, cards, or flyers on the internet regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the use of face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic."

The alert made it clear the cards were not issued by the government and not endorsed by it ... despite the appearance of the Dept. of Justice's seal.

U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin warned ... "Do not be fooled by the chicanery and misappropriation of the DOJ eagle. These cards do not carry the force of law. The 'Freedom to Breathe Agency,' or 'FTBA,' is not a government agency."

We'd like to say, "Yeah, no duh" ... but way too many people on social media seem fooled, as they circulated the cards this week as if they were legit.

The U.S. Attorney adds to check out the ADA website for official and correct info about the American Disabilities Act, and the CDC still encourages the use of facial coverings in public.

Mike Pence isn't concerned about Trump supporters who packed a Phoenix venue earlier this week, with virtually none of them wearing masks or socially distancing.
DOWNPLAYING THE SITUATION

Not that you could tell from VP Mike Pence's latest coronavirus task force briefing.

Willie Cauley-Stein Opting Out of NBA Restart ... Expecting Baby In July

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Family over everything ... including the NBA.

Dallas Mavericks center Willie Cauley-Stein will NOT join his team in the Orlando bubble when the NBA season resumes ... and it's all because he's got a kid on the way.

The 26-year-old -- the 6th overall pick of the 2015 Draft -- has a baby due in July with his partner and clearly doesn't want to miss that experience, according to The Athletic.

Plus, Florida is experiencing a surge in positive COVID-19 tests ... so it also seems Willie doesn't want to put himself in harm's way while preparing to parent a newborn.

Cauley-Stein was only traded to the Mavs back in January -- and has just played in 13 games with Dallas.

The Mavs are the 7th ranked team in the Western Conference playoff standings -- which means they'll be included in the playoffs.

The regular season resumes on July 30 -- but Mavs players will report on July 8. If the Mavs make a run to the Finals, they would be in the bubble environment all the way until October.

Can you really blame Cauley-Stein for his decision?

Boxing Legend Roberto Duran Hospitalized with COVID-19 'No Signs of Serious Damage'

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Roberto Duran -- the boxing legend who famously battled Sugar Ray Leonard in the '80s -- has been hospitalized with COVID-19, his family confirms.

The 69-year-old was admitted to a hospital in Panama City, Panama on Thursday ... but the good news, he seems to be doing okay so far.

"My father's tests have just arrived and confirm that he is positive for COVID-19," Roberto's son, Robin Duran, posted on IG.

"Thank God he is not having symptoms beyond something similar to a cold."

Duran is NOT in intensive care or on a ventilator, according to his son ... but he is still under observation.

Duran's son also notes that his father already had a bad lung due to a 2001 accident in Argentina ... and because of that injury, they can't mess around with coronavirus.

"We just talked to the doctor and he tells us that the lungs are fine and there are no signs of serious damage."

"Let's continue to have faith that everything will turn serious injury well. I keep you informed."

Duran -- who was born in Panama -- was a monster in the ring ... winning titles in 4 different weight classes during his 33-year pro career!!

He retired with 119 fights under his belt ... racking up 103 wins and only 16 losses.

Of course, everyone remembers his fight with Sugar Ray -- Duran won their first bout in 1980 but lost the rematch later that year.

In his loss to Leonard, Duran refused to come off the stool in the 8th-round ... saying, "No Mas" -- which became one of the biggest moments in boxing history.

The two actually became friends after their fighting careers ended.

Duran later went on to become an actor and a singer -- and even had a role in "CSI: NY."