Health

"Hosting? Plan a super spread." That's the tone-deaf holiday advertisement that's got an East Coast supermarket chain bending over backward to say sorry for its brain fart.

Giant Food ran the full-page ad in its own magazine, slapping the slogan in bold letters in front of a backdrop of grub synonymous with sharing ... including a shrimp cocktail platter, fruit tart and a cheeseboard.

The advertisement is encouraging folks to host holiday parties and entertain guests with foods that are easy to get your hands on and share -- but it's doing so using a phrase synonymous with COVID-19 outbreaks ... and as the virus is surging around the country. Basically, a horrible time for a "super spread."

As you know, health and government officials across the country are discouraging folks from getting together for large gatherings with Thanksgiving and the holidays fast approaching ... warning against potential super-spreader events.

The supermarket chain -- which has stores in Delaware, Maryland Virginia and D.C. -- should have known better ... after all, they're operating in Joe Biden and Dr. Fauci's backyards ... and now it's apologizing.

Santa Claus will still be at malls across America this year, but children will have to tell them what they want from 6-feet away and behind a pane of plexiglass. Great. Bah humbug.

As is tradition, Saint Nick is being brought back to malls as a holiday attraction, but he'll be a little less jolly ... courtesy of the coronavirus pandemic. Mall Santas this year come with a slew of COVID precautions for his sake and for the families visiting him.

Kids may be required to get a temperature check before approaching Kris Kingle's chair ... and there won't be any sitting on his lap in 2020. So much for that precious shot of little Tommy crying!

Instead, kids will have to deliver their Christmas lists from a socially distanced location -- like behind a transparent barrier like at this Bass Pro Shop in Bridgeport, CT -- and maybe while wearing a mask too.

As for getting a photo with Santa ... it will still be allowed from a safe distance, and everyone may still be required to put masks on, even though it covers up those cheerful smiles.

Of course, all of the rules will vary from state to state and city to city. Fact is, some malls might be shut down altogether due to surging COVID cases.

Bad news for the New York Giants -- kicker Graham Gano has just tested positive for COVID-19 ... hours after signing a big extension with the team.

The G-Men announced the test results on Tuesday ... and while they did not name Gano directly, multiple reports confirm it is the 33-year-old leg.

"Last night, we were notified that a player tested positive for COVID-19," the team said. "The player was immediately self-isolated, and the contact tracing process was initiated."

The Giants say 2 staff members were sent home after being identified as close contacts ... and the team facility will remain open for the time being.

It's a huge bummer for Gano -- the guy has been damn-near perfect this season -- making 21-22 of his field goals ... and all 16 of his extra-point attempts.

The Pro Bowl kicker was rewarded for his success on Sunday ... signing a 3-year, $14 million extension to stay in NY through 2023.

Some good news for Nick Foles -- initial tests show he did not suffer a broken hip on Monday night, despite being carted off the field.

The Chicago Bears QB took a serious shot from Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo during the final minutes of the 4th quarter while trying to put together a game-winning drive.

31-year-old Foles landed hard on his right hip and was obviously in serious pain. He was eventually carted off the field and there was real concern he suffered a season-ending injury.

But, good news by way of NFL Network's Mike Garafolo who says initial tests on Nick's hip are "extremely positive."

"There was no sign of a break in the hip," Garafolo said Tuesday morning on "Good Morning Football."

"The immediate fear was that there was a fracture in the hip, but tests taken at the stadium did not reveal a fracture. So, that is really good news for Nick Foles, at least initially."

Garafolo said Foles will continue to undergo tests, but right now there's hope he can return to face the Packers on Nov. 29 -- following the team's bye week.

As for the other Bears QB, Mitch Trubisky -- he's still recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 8.

Bears coach Matt Nagy says he's unsure if Mitch will be ready to go by Week 12 against Green Bay.

"I don't know yet about Mitch. I think there's a possibility, but I don't know that for sure," Nagy said Monday night.

"I think it's going to be day-by-day. I don't know if he knows that. So, we'll just keep an eye on that. Obviously, with Nick's status, we'll have to see where that's at as we go."

Any other year, these images wouldn't be a big deal -- people taking turns swiggin' from the Stanley Cup on a Florida beach.

But, we're in a FREAKIN' PANDEMIC -- with numbers surging in FL -- which is why a victory celebration over the weekend is now a major cause for concern.

The party took place at the famous Don CeSar hotel at St. Pete Beach (22 miles from Tampa International Airport) -- where a Tampa Bay Lightning asst. coach got to spend his 1 day with the trophy after the team won the 2020 championship.

The Tampa Bay Lightning tell us the coach who had the trophy that day is Jeff Halpern -- a former NHL player who spent 14 seasons in the league before joining the Lightning as an assistant.

You'd think Halpern would've learned after the backlash from a previous Stanley Cup celebration back in September -- when players passed the trophy around to random fans so everyone could take a drink.

This time ... we're told 44-year-old Halpern hosted a private celebration on the beach with family members and friends. Witnesses say there were about 50 people at the bash and at least 3 different people sipped from Lord Stanley's Cup.

Again, it happens ALL THE TIME in non-pandemic years -- but with COVID numbers on the rise, passersby tell us they were shocked at what they were watching ... because it did not appear anyone was making an effort to clean out and disinfect the Cup between drinks.

FYI, The Florida Dept. of Health reported more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases on Sunday -- the largest increase in months -- along with 29 resident deaths.

So far, the FDH says there have been more than 885k total COVID-19 cases in Florida since the pandemic began -- with more than 17k deaths.

Drew Brees is hurting like hell today ... medical tests on the New Orleans Saints QB reportedly revealed he's dealing with multiple rib fractures and a collapsed lung.

The 41-year-old was forced to leave Sunday's win over the 49ers after he took a huge hit in the 2nd quarter ... and ESPN's Ed Werder says X-rays Monday showed the dude's ribs are jacked up.

Brees suffered 2 fractured ribs and a collapsed lung thanks to the hard tackle by Kentavius Street, Werder reports.

Werder added doctors also discovered Brees had 3 other fractured ribs from a hit he took against Tampa Bay on Nov. 8.

Unclear how long Brees will need to fully heal ... but it's apparent the quarterback won't be under center any time in the near future.

Which means ... is it Jameis Winston time now in New Orleans?

Winston filled in for Brees after the future Hall of Famer left Sunday's game ... and he played OK, completing six of his 10 passes for 63 yards.

The Saints could also turn to gadget QB/TE/RB Taysom Hill to be their signal-caller in Brees' stead.

COVID-19 is about to get tag-teamed -- a second vaccine is on the way, and Moderna says this one has an even higher success rate than the first.

On the heels of Pfizer's announcement it has a coronavirus vaccine more than 90% effective in preventing COVID infections, Moderna's apparently one-upping it ... claiming to have one that boasts a 94.5% success rate.

The pharmaceutical giant released its early data Monday, which Dr. Anthony Fauci calls "as good as it gets."

Fauci says vaccinations could begin as early as the second half of December for high-risk groups, and be available for the rest of the public starting in late April.

Moderna's vaccine trial included 30,000 study participants -- 15k of which were given the vaccine, and 15k were given a saline placebo.

Among the placebo subjects, 90 of them developed COVID-19 over several months, and 11 of those patients got a severe case.

Among those given the vaccine, only 5 got COVID and none were severely ill. Moderna says its vaccine did not have any serious side effects, but a small percentage of people experienced symptoms such as body aches and headaches.

The incredibly high efficacy -- for Moderna and Pfizer's vaccines -- is great news ... the stock market is soaring. However, think about this ... a reported 30 percent of Americans don't trust a vaccine, and won't take it. So, it's plausible some people will pick their social circles based on who does get vaccinated. Just a thought.

Moderna plans on applying for FDA authorization later this month after more it gathers more safety data.

A gas pipeline went up in flames this week along a Mexican highway that killed at least 6 people ... and video of the incident is absolutely horrendous.

It went down Monday in the Mexican city of Jala, right on the edge of a mountain bordering the Tepic-Guadalajara Highway between Chapalilla and Ixtlan del Rio. It's unclear what set off the explosion, but it was big enough to stop a bunch of drivers dead in their tracks.

One video circulating right now shows a couple guys running toward what appears to have been an initial discharge that caused traffic to come to a screeching halt. As they approach, an even bigger explosion goes off ... sending a massive fireball into the air and everyone running for their lives.

Another angle shows the aftermath from a further distance, and it becomes clear pretty quickly just how massive this thing was. There's plumes of black smoke emanating from every which way as the flames rage. It's a terrifying sight, to say the least.

There are different reports on the official body count -- we're seeing estimates from 6 to 14 thus far, plus several other injuries and word of missing people as well. There's also extensive damage to numerous cars that were caught up in the explosion.

Check out this shot of the aftermath -- an entire vehicle is lodged into the side of the charred mountain, and car parts are scattered about everywhere. Pieces of the concrete barrier were blown to smithereens ... demonstrating the ferocity of the impact.

Usain Bolt says Cristiano Ronaldo would "for sure" beat him in a foot race if the two decided to hit the track ... and yeah, he's dead serious.

The 8-time gold medalist was doing an interview with Spanish news outlet Marca over the weekend ... when he was asked straight-up -- who wins in a race RIGHT NOW??

"For sure Cristiano Ronaldo," the 34-year-old Jamaican legend says. "For me, he works out every day. He's a super athlete, you know what I mean?"

"He's always on top of his game. He works hard, he's focused. So right now, I definitely think he's faster than me."

With all due respect, Mr. Bolt -- WHAT ARE YOU SMOKIN'!?!?!

Sure, Bolt hasn't raced professionally since retiring in 2017 ... he's the fastest human being of all time. He crushed opponents easily for the majority of his career.

Also, back in 2009 Bolt was clocked at 27.8 mph -- the fastest recorded time in human history!!

Don't get us wrong, Ronaldo is a beast, too -- but he's just not in Usain's league when it comes to running in a straight line.

35-year-old Ronaldo was reportedly clocked at 21 mph during the 2018 World Cup, which is still fast ... but that's still 6 mph slower than UB's top speed.

Even if Bolt has gorged on donuts and milkshakes since his retirement (which he hasn't), we'd still bet on Bolt just from the muscle memory alone.

Also, Ronaldo just had COVID, which certainly doesn't help his chances.

Bottom line ... it's Bolt all day -- unless Ronaldo got a 35-yard head start AND Usain had to run backward.

Sinbad's recovering from a recent stroke ... according to his family.

The veteran comedian's family said ... "While he is beginning his road to recovery, we are faithful and optimistic that he will bring laughter into our hearts soon."

The 64-year-old Sinbad is known for his stand-up work and starring in sitcoms like "A Different World" and "The Sinbad Show," along with a string of '90s comedy films like "Jingle All the Way" and "First Kid."

Sinbad's loved ones say in a statement to the AP, he's "a light source of love and joy for many generations," and add ... "Our family thanks you in advance for your love and support and ask for continued prayers for his healing. We also ask that you please respect our privacy during this time."

Retired MLB star Jim Edmonds is pissed at his estranged wife for being reckless with COVID -- he claims her partying and jet-setting ways put his family in danger.

Jim's estranged wife, "Real Housewives of Orange County" alum Meghan King, says she's isolating after testing positive for COVID-19. Jim's rep, Steve Honig, tells TMZ ... Jim thinks Meghan has a lot of explaining to do because she attended a major Halloween event in St. Louis before jetting down to Miami, where she continued to party.

So, he says Jim's hardly surprised she announced she tested positive ... but he is pissed.

Videos and pictures from the Halloween bash show Meghan rubbing elbows with tons of people, the vast majority of whom are not wearing masks.

And, photos from Meghan's trip to Miami again show her with lots of maskless folks. She says she loves feeding her "wanderlust spirit" ... even in a pandemic.

A source close to the situation claims Meghan came over to Jim's house after her Miami trip to pick up their kids ... after allegedly being exposed to the virus. The source claims Meghan was hugging and kissing the kids, putting not only their children at risk, but also Jim's girlfriend.

Our source claims Meghan's lying about the timing of everything to make it seem like her reckless partying has nothing to do with her positive COVID diagnosis.

We're told after Meghan went public with her diagnosis Sunday, Jim reached out to her directly and expressed disappointment with her lack of responsibility.

Incredible honor for Laurent Duvernay-Tardif ... the NFL player who opted out of the 2020 season to help on the frontlines in the battle against COVID just had his PPE enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The HOF made the announcement this weekend ... saying the offensive lineman's mask, face shield, scrubs and lab coat will now be on display for all to see at the museum in Canton, Ohio.

As we previously reported, Duvernay-Tardif -- who earned his doctorate in 2018 -- chose to leave football this season in order to use his medical training to help those affected by coronavirus.

In a statement explaining his decision ... the 29-year-old said, "I cannot allow myself to potentially transmit the virus in our communities simply to play the sport that I love. If I am to take risks, I will do it caring for patients."

It was a big deal for Duvernay-Tardif ... he was projected to be a key player on the Chiefs this season after he started for K.C. in their Super Bowl win over the 49ers last February.

Duvernay-Tardif has reportedly been working on the frontlines in his hometown of Quebec since announcing his opt-out in July.

Elon Musk was spectacularly triumphant Sunday over the historic SpaceX launch, but that didn't stop critics from slapping a 2020 label on him -- "Space Karen," and it all has to do with coronavirus.

Dr. Emma Bell tore into Musk after he groused that his COVID tests were, as he put it, "extremely bogus." As we reported, Elon wrote Friday, "Something extremely bogus is going on. Was tested for covid four times today. Two tests came back negative, two came back positive. Same machine, same test, same nurse."

That criticism didn't sit well with Dr. Bell -- who by the way, is a PhD -- who said, Rapid antigen tests trade sensitivity for speed. They return a result in [less than] 30 minutes, but can only detect COVID-19 when you're absolutely riddled with it. What's bogus is that Space Karen didn't read up on the test before complaining to his millions of followers."

Thing is ... Elon's right about the accuracy of the test -- it's dicey. Apparently, Dr. Bell thinks Elon's creating doubt over testing, which is a bad thing. On the other hand, it's Elon's opinion the test is bogus because he says it lacks reliability.

New York could really use the COVID vaccine Trump's threatening to withhold ... the Big Apple's still seeing unsanitary practices in wet markets, and it's on video.

The latest gross-out spectacle was on full display in Queens, where folks with the animal rights nonprofit, NYCLASS, caught a glimpse of what's still going on in our domestic one-stop-shop slaughterhouses and live animal factories.

In the gnarly footage, you see an unattended dumpster absolutely overflowing with trash bags, which appear to be packed to the gills with cut-up animal parts ... you can see a severed chicken head in a bag at the top of the heap as the dumpster sits out in the open on a sidewalk.

Not only that ... check out the blood leaking from the dumpster and flowing into the street, filling up cracks in the pavement like a mini river and puddling up.

We're told the dumpster is outside the same wet market where a similar scene was filmed back in May, so it seems like nothing has changed.

NYC and the rest of the country are dealing with another COVID wave, so it's pretty harrowing to see these unsanitary conditions still in practice.

It goes without saying, this is a massive public health risk 8 months into the pandemic.

We've seen several of these wet market operations from coast to coast, like this stomach-turning scene in California.

Trump likes to talk about red states and blue states ... well remember, wet markets are also operating in ruby-red Texas.

Ya gotta wonder why these issues aren't being talked about on a national level ... this is supposedly how COVID got started in the first place, right? Seems most politicians don't wanna get near this, for whatever reason. So, the question is, why?

NYCLASS executive director Edita Birnkrant says she constantly files complaints with regulators and contacts politicians and health officials, but nothing ever happens.

Jeremih is fighting for his life, battling COVID-19 -- he's currently hospitalized in the ICU and the prognosis is bleak ... sources tell TMZ.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the R&B singer is being treated at a hospital for COVID-19. It's unclear how long he's been admitted, or how long he's had the virus ... but he is not doing well.

Word that he was seriously ill started percolating online Saturday -- with rappers like 50 Cent, Chance the Rapper, producer Hitmaka and others asking for prayers on Jeremih's behalf, but not necessarily saying what exactly was wrong with him at first.

Fitty was the only one who gave a bit more insight, claiming it was COVID-related -- while also saying Jeremih was hospitalized in his native city of Chicago.

50 wrote, "pray for my boy Jeremih he’s not doing good this covid s*** is real." He added, "he's in ICU in Chicago."

Chance also touched on the seriousness of the situation, writing ... "Please if you can take a second to pray for my friend Jeremih, he is like a brother to me and he’s ill right now. I believe in the healing power of Jesus so if you can for me please please say a prayer over him."

Amazing news from Demario Davis -- the Saints linebacker says his 1-year-old daughter is cancer free after being diagnosed with a rare eye disease earlier this year.

Carly-Faith Davis was diagnosed back in May with Retinoblastoma -- a disease that caused a tumor to form behind her left eye which required the eye to be surgically removed.

Carly-Faith -- who now has a custom prosthetic eye -- has recovered well and tests show the cancerous threat is gone!

TMZ Sports spoke with the 31-year-old about his daughter's recovery ... and Demario says his family is truly blessed.

"I'm a person that just never try to take anything for granted and to know what she's been through, even to the point of having to lose her eye, but her body is free of cancer," Davis tells us.

Demario says his youngest has maintained her joyful personality despite her challenging journey ... and even danced and cheered the Saints' most recent win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

"We're able to use her story and bring awareness to a lot of families that probably wouldn't of known about it if it wasn't for us going through it."

Davis says he is grateful for the doctors and resources his family was able to use during treatment ... and hopes their story will help others going through similar challenges.

"So, we're just anxious as parents to see if God is gonna take her eye what is He gonna restore her with, what is He gonna give her because we know He's not just gonna take something without giving a double portion back."

"It's exciting! That just seeing that video is just a reminder of so many blessings that we have around us."