Pat Sajak would like to solve a puzzle ... of why people who can't work or are struggling financially are being told to stay home by media folks who are gainfully employed.
The legendary "Wheel of Fortune" host seems to be siding with out-of-work Americans who have been protesting state shutdowns ... and who've also garnered the support of President Trump.
Sajak took to Twitter -- yes, Pat's a serious tweeter -- to let his opinion be known about the continuous stay-at-home orders to stop the spread of COVID-19.
He said ... "When a disc jockey or a talk show host or a journalist who is being paid to work from his or her home tells people who can’t work, pay bills or pay their rent or mortgage to “Stay home and be careful because we’re all in this together, it’s okay to question the premise."
It's unclear what Sajak believes the answer to the question is ... he might need to buy a vowel or two.
Regardless, Pat's take suggests he's all for reopening the country despite the growing death toll, and it comes on the heels of protests breaking out all across the country.
"Reopen America Now" demonstrators have shown up in major cities in Ohio, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and California in the past month ... and a Long Island protest even caught the attention of the Prez.
Of course, it is understandable why so many people are upset ... as of last week, more than 36 million people in the U.S. have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. It's also resulted in nearly 90,000 deaths in 2 months' time.
So, the real question is ... what's the best way to solve the jobs problem, and not kill thousands of more Americans? Not sure anyone, even Sajak, has a solution for that yet.
The Ahmaud Arbery murder is galvanizing folks around the country to join the fight for social justice ... they're sending money to the NAACP and adding to its ranks.
The NAACP received nearly $100,000 in donations in the week after the murder video surfaced, with contributions rolling in from coast to coast ... according to NAACP spokesman Marc Banks.
We're told the national organization will divide the money between the Georgia NAACP and Ahmaud's family ... and the donations will help the NAACP put boots on the ground in Brunswick to help rebuild and unite the community.
The org says people turn to social justice groups like the NAACP when they see injustice, because they want to get involved.
FEBRUARY 2020
People across Georgia are also becoming more active in the fight for justice ... according to James Woodall, State President of the Georgia NAACP.
We're told the Georgia NAACP has seen an influx in members since Ahmaud was killed ... there were about 10,000 members before the fatal shooting, but that number is rising exponentially.
Woodall tells us lots of people are reaching out to the Georgia NAACP with the aim of having a presence in their communities after seeing what happened to Ahmaud ... he says they want to do more than complain on social media.
Fighting for social justice is no easy task ... Woodall says NAACP members are pulling 10 to 12 hour days and aren't getting paid a dime.
In Brunswick, we're told NAACP members are meeting with the Sheriff's department to make sure there is not a lasting feeling of mistrust within the community, and organizers are helping plan gatherings and rallies, some of which have drawn about 300 protesters.
NAACP members are also working with city and country officials to unite and rebuild the community ... and the work will continue long after news crews ship out.
Those are the numbers that Gilbert Arenas claims won him more than $300,000 last week in the California lottery!!!
$309,694 to be exact.
The former NBA superstar claims he hit all numbers (but missed on the Mega number) to cash in on the 2nd place prize on the May 12 Mega Millions draw.
The Mega Number was 5. Arenas picked 25 -- and had Gilbert gotten that right, he would've won the $248 MILLION grand prize.
The craziest part of the whole story ... Arenas -- who reportedly made more than $140 MILLION in NBA contract money -- says he didn't even buy the ticket himself.
Arenas says he had stopped at a gas station because he was low on fuel while on his way from the usual gas station where he buys his lottery tickets ... when he was approached by a homeless man.
Arenas says the guy initially asked for cash but Arenas told him he was on his way to buy lottery tickets and the man made a deal with Gilbert instead.
"After u WIN hook me up with $20."
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By the time Gilbert got to his usual gas station, the place was closed -- and Gilbert thought he missed his chance to buy a ticket.
But, the next morning, he got a text from the gas station employee who says he played Gilbert's usual numbers for him anyway (figuring that's what Gilbert would want) ... AND THEY WON!!
So, Gilbert says he hooked up the homeless guy with his cut (as promised) ... and calls the whole thing a blessing.
An E.R. doctor, who goes by Dr. Bill, is irate that the federal government is spending millions of dollars on Blue Angels flyovers while medical workers have to wear painters masks and the hungry go without food ... and he says it's all to make President Trump look good.
Dr. Bill didn't say where he works, but he's pissed at the flyovers by the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds, which salute health care workers in various cities.
@Lauren_Pacifico/@dani_caten
The doc says it costs $450k for one Blue Angels flyover and another $450k for the Thunderbirds. The Air Force and Navy pilots have been buzzing various cities, drawing big crowds from below, but Dr. Bill says it's a shameful waste of money.
He holds up a painters mask with contempt, noting they don't provide nearly the protection of the scarcer N-95 masks. He's also ticked off some of the essential services that could be funded in lieu of flyovers.
And, he laid the blame at the President's 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. doorstep, saying this is all a P.R. move by Trump to get re-elected.
Greatness comes at a price, but Michael Jordan greatness? That's more like the cost of a house down payment -- just ask the person who now owns MJ's cleats.
The folks over at Heritage Auctions sold a pair of size 13.5 baseball cleats worn and signed by His Airness when he played for the Chicago White Sox's minor-league affiliate, the Birmingham Barons. The total cost ... a whopping $93,000!!!
MJ signed the cleats in bold silver ink. Legend has it ... the shoes were a gift from Michael to a White Sox announcer. The shoes were then obtained at MLB pitcher Jeff Reardon's Leukemia Charity Golf Tournament in 1995. The shoes come with a handwritten note from Reardon acknowledging the cleats are authentic.
As for the shoes, MJ -- whose first love was actually baseball and not basketball -- wore them during his short-lived campaign to reach the Major Leagues in 1994. You can clearly see the Air Jordan Nike cleats have incredible wear, with dirt and scuffs throughout. The Nike logo inside the heel is nearly worn off.
As we've reported ... tons of MJ memorabilia has hit the auction block, from a game-worn Bulls jersey to a $15k check Jordan signed over to Donald Trump's Indiana casino.
And, to whoever obtained the cleats, we say ... it's definitely the shoes, Money!!!
Jorge Nava wants to get back to what he knows best, cultivating marijuana ... even though he just did hard time for having nearly 300 pounds of green!!!
The "90 Day Fiance" star tells TMZ ... growing ganja has always been his passion, and he wants to return to his roots. Jorge admits it might be tougher to find work in the medicinal marijuana field being a convicted felon in Arizona.
Still, if opportunity knocks, he tells us he'll jump at the chance to make some money ... with the blessing of his parole officer, of course.
Jorge was busted for allegedly trying to sell 293 pounds of weed and served a 2 and a half year prison sentence.
Jorge did use some of his time behind bars for good ... telling us how he was able to shed a whopping 128 pounds, despite some terrible prison food.
He also fills us in on his first meal outta the joint. No word if it was munchies-inspired.
The record just scratched on Eric Prydz's marriage ... his wife wants a divorce.
The famous Swedish DJ's wife, Sofie, filed for divorce on April 27 in L.A. citing irreconcilable differences. Eric and Sofie were married for nearly 5 years and have 2 kids together ... a 9-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son.
They got married on July 17, 2015 and she lists February 20 as the date of separation ... according to docs obtained by TMZ.
Sophie's asking for joint legal and physical custody. As for spousal support, she's asking for it, and wants the court to enforce the terms of their prenup.
Prydz -- who's known as Pryda and Cirez D professionally -- made headlines in March when he claimed the only solution for the coronavirus pandemic was for all healthy people to get it, and suggested staying at home was misguided.
Yeah, he really said that, and got blasted by health workers. Prydz later apologized
He rose to fame with his 2004 single, "Call on Me," and went on to rack up hits with "Proper Education" and "Pjanoo" in 2008. He released his debut studio album, "Opus," in 2016, and won the Electronic Music Awards DJ of the Year in 2017.
Prydz also owns multiple record labels -- Pryda, Pryda Friends and Mouseville Records ... so splitting up assets in the divorce could get interesting.
When Churchill Downs reopens its famous track Saturday, it's going to be safe as hell ... so says top horse trainer Tom Amoss -- who praised CD officials for all their precautionary measures.
"Protocols to get into the race track are extraordinary," Amoss told reporters outside of the facility Friday. "And very, very efficient."
The legendary track was forced to close its doors amid the coronavirus pandemic several weeks ago ... resulting in the postponement of this month's Kentucky Derby.
But, track officials spent weeks developing safety protocol to return horses, jockeys and owners to the facility -- and, finally, spectator-less races will return Saturday.
The list of precautions everyone must go through to make it all happen, however, is lengthy.
There's been stringent testing for nearly everyone involved in the race, personnel cutbacks, mandatory masks and social distancing requirements -- as well as hand sanitizers placed all over.
"I'm disappointed we're not going to have fans," Amoss said. "But, I certainly feel like right now, we're doing all the right things."
Races are set to begin at 1 PM ET ... and, yes, gambling on the action is still available to the public.
9:13 AM PT -- Matt's wife, Kelly, says the couple selling off their home has NOTHING to do with Stafford's football future ... claiming the listing is purely to keep their kids safe from all the water surrounding the home.
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"No speculation is needed," said Kelly, who's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. "We're about to have our fourth child and I, personally, do not want to live on a lake or have a pool with four children under the age of a little over 3."
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Kelly added, selling the house is "super sad," but reiterated, it's necessary for their family's future.
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"It just makes us feel better knowing that there's no real dangers of having tiny ones running around all the bodies of water," she said.
Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford's insane mansion -- featuring the LARGEST infinity pool in Michigan -- is hitting the market with a $6.5 million price tag!
The 1.27-acre home is as baller as it gets -- 5 beds, 7 baths and sits on a peninsula looking over Upper Long Lake, a glass elevator, indoor basketball court with the Pistons' old Silverdome hardwood, walk-in wine cellar, gourmet kitchen, walk-in closets, sauna ... and, oh yeah, the infinity pool.
Seriously, even the marble bathroom sinks are dope.
Listing the Bloomfield Township crib (30 minutes from Detroit) is extremely interesting because it comes fresh off rumors Stafford asked the Lions for a trade ... which he denied Thursday.
"Listen ... I’m here, I want to be here," Stafford told reporters. "I love being a Detroit Lion, I love leading this team."
"It's a slow news month at that point and I’m just happy to be where I am and ready to deal with this off-season the way that it is and try to make the best of the season that I hope happens."
Stafford, his wife, Kelly, and their 3 kids have other homes in California and Georgia ... but it's unclear what his plans are in the Great Lake State.
But, for a guy who's reportedly made more than $200 million in his career ... we're sure he'll find a place.
7:52 AM PT -- 5/15 -- James Harrison is now walking back the comments he made regarding an alleged envelope he received from Mike Tomlin after a ferocious hit back in 2010.
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Harrison adamantly denies Tomlin paid him bounty money for the hit -- but he still doesn't really explain what was in the envelope and why he received in the first place.
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"Wow y'all really comparing what I said to BOUNTYGATE?!?" Harrison said on Instagram on Friday. "Mike T. Has NEVER paid me for hurting someone or TRYING to hurt someone or put a bounty on ANYBODY!"
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Harrison says at the time of the incident, the NFL had implemented massive fines for big hits because "the league had to start pretending like they cared about player safety."
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Harrison says "media people" -- and fans -- "were sending money to me and the team to cover the fine."
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So, is Harrison suggesting the envelope contained money to pay the fine? If so, that's still a huge problem.
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Harrison concluded, "AGAIN AT NO TIME did Mike T. EVER suggest anybody hurt anybody or that they'd be rewarded for anything like that. GTFOH with that BS!!!"
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5:58 AM PT -- 5/15 -- Harrison's agent is now strongly denying James' insinuation ... saying straight-up a payment from Tomlin for the brutal Massaquoi hit "never happened."
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"I would have known that," Bill Parise told the Tribune-Review hours after Harrison made the claim. "It didn’t happen.”
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Meanwhile, New Orleans coach Sean Payton -- who was famously banned 1 YEAR in 2012 for his alleged role in a Saints bounty scheme -- wants to see the NFL investigate the Steelers ... though he's skeptical the league will take it seriously.
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"I would be shocked,” Payton said of a possible league probe into the allegations on 105.7 The Fan on Thursday. “That’ll be something that’s tucked away under the rug at Park Avenue."
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"They’ll look into it briefly. Listen, don’t get me started on that. I lost $6 million in salary, and honestly it was something that I’ll never truly get over because I know how it was handled and how it was run and the reasons behind it. That’s just the truth."
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For his part, Harrison has yet to publicly clarify what he meant by his comments.
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4:42 PM PT -- Steelers president Art Rooney II released a statement on Harrison's claim ... saying, "I am very certain nothing like this ever happened," according to ProFootballTalk.
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"I have no idea why James would make a comment like this but there is simply no basis for believing anything like this."
James Harrison says Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin "handed me an envelope" after one of the most vicious hits of his career ... calling it the "G-est thing" Tomlin ever did.
The hit Harrison is referring to went down against the Cleveland Browns in 2010 ... when he led with his helmet and laid out a defenseless Mohamed Massaquoi.
The hit resulted in a $75,000 fine and Massaquoi left the game with a concussion ... and now, Harrison is sharing his side of the infamous incident.
"Listen, on everything I love, on my daddy’s grave, I hit that man with about 50% of what I had and I just hit him because I wanted him to let loose of the ball," Harrison told Barstool Sports' "Going Deep" podcast.
"If I had knew they was gonna fine me $75,000, I would have tried to kill him."
What Harrison said next could be problematic for Tomlin, who is still the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"And, I ain’t gonna lie to you, when that happened, right? the G-est thing Mike Tomlin ever did, he handed me an envelope after that."
"I ain’t gonna say what, but he handed me an envelope after that."
Remember -- the New Orleans Saints got in HUGE trouble with Bountygate from 2009-2011 ... when players were paid bonuses for injuring opponents.
The insinuation is there was money in the envelope -- but Harrison doesn't confirm or deny that.
He also doesn't say if Tomlin had paid him to carry out the hit ... or if Tomlin was offering to pay the coming NFL fine.
One thing is clear ... the comment is raising A LOT of eyebrows.
We've reached out to the NFL for comment ... so far, no word back.
Rob Manfred says owners could lose $4 BILLION if the MLB is forced to cancel its 2020 season due to coronavirus ... claiming the economic fallout would be "devastating."
"We’re a big business, but we’re a seasonal business and, unfortunately, this crisis began at the low point for us in terms of revenue," the league commish told CNN on Thursday.
"We hadn’t quite started our season yet and if we don’t play a season, the losses for the owners could approach $4 billion."
Manfred says he and his staff are working tirelessly to figure out a way to avoid that possibility ... revealing to Anderson Cooperthat they've come up with an 80-page protocol to keep players safe in a return scenario.
Manfred says the league is eyeing "frequent testing," quarantine plans for those who contract the virus and safety measurements like fan-less games to ensure players' health is the top priority if a comeback happens.
The problem? There's a disagreement right now between MLB owners and players over whether or not players should take a pay cut in a return to the diamond.
Rays ace Blake Snell blasted the notion this week ("For me to take a pay cut is not happening, because the risk is through the roof") and several MLB stars have since backed the 27-year-old.
Phillies outfielderBryce Harpersaid on his Twitch stream Thursday, "He's speaking the truth, bro. I ain't mad at him."
Rockies megastar Nolan Arenado added, per The Athletic, "He made a lot of good points. There are some points he made that were true, that are facts."
Still, Manfred says he's optimistic they can all come to an agreement ... still eyeing "the first half of July" as a possible starting date for the '20 season.
Move over Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart has a brand new costar -- a frontline medical worker who won Kev's All In Challenge sweepstakes, and as a result got a huge surprise.
Kevin shocked the hell outta Henry Law when he jumped into a video conference call to let him know it's time for his close-up!!! Henry won the walk-on role in Kevin's next movie ... and yes, he'll even have a line to deliver.
The exchange between Kevin and Henry -- who called himself the next Ken Jeong -- was pretty hilarious. They've got chemistry!
Henry couldn't be a more deserving winner. First off, he's an anesthesiologist who's been busting his hump on the frontline of the COVID-19 battle. That would've been enough -- but he's also a Philadelphia guy, and a huge 76ers fan ... just like Kevin and All In Challenge founder, Michael Rubin.
Even Wolfgang Puck is not immune to the devastating toll the pandemic is taking on the restaurant biz -- his D.C. eatery is closing for good after 13 years.
The Source By Wolfgang Puck is reportedly closing permanently due to financial challenges brought on by the novel coronavirus. It's an unceremonious end to the modern Asian restaurant that served as the celebrity chef's first foray into the nation's capital.
The Source dished out meals to tourists and locals from its location underneath the Newseum. Their hot pots and izakaya also attracted a power crowd of celebs and politicians.
The restaurant was forced to furlough workers back in March, when the district banned dine-in service to limit the spread of COVID-19. Now, the landlord says there is no path to a successful return under new coronavirus restrictions.
The closure could be a bad omen for other popular restaurants across the country ... especially those in high rent locations. If the pandemic can force one of the world's most famous chefs to shutter his doors, no restaurateur should feel safe.
Don't stick a fork in Wolfgang's D.C. game just yet -- his high-end steakhouse in Georgetown, CUT, is looking forward to fully reopening.
Restaurants are desperately trying to stay afloat during the pandemic ... and that means customers bucking up -- so, welcome to the age of COVID surcharges.
Por ejemplo ... Goog's Pub & Grub in Holland, Michigan recently started implementing its own COVID "tax" of sorts. Owner Brad White tells TMZ ... he's had to add the charge to cover skyrocketing prices for food and restaurant supplies.
White says his joint added an extra 86 cents to all bills to factor in to-go bags, silverware, condiments and styrofoam containers since, at this moment, restaurants in Michigan are limited to delivery and take-out only.
White says the popular burger joint usually pumps out 1,500 burgers a week and before the pandemic hit hard they were paying $50 for a case of beef. The price is now a whopping $96 per case. COVID cases hitting meat factories hard across the country contributed to that.
The public seems to get why the surcharge -- first reported by FOX17-- is necessary. White says most people understand it's necessary to help the restaurant level off costs, but he adds some have accused him of trying to exploit the pandemic to rip off customers.
He says, "That's the furthest thing from the truth" -- and points out he's also had to downsize from 35 employees to 16. He's trying to help out his remaining staff by raising their hourly wage from $6 to $10. Point is, they're scraping by like millions across the country.
Four of the biggest names in pro golf are gearing up for a 2-on-2 skins game in Florida this weekend ... and IT WILL AIR ON LIVE TV!!
YES, PRO GOLF IS BACK ... SORTA!!!
Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson will take on Rickie Fowler and Matt Wolff on Sunday at the legendary Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach ... with all of the winnings going to charity.
Of course, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, there will be social distancing protocols in place ... no caddies and no carts!
The event, called the "TaylorMade Driving Relief" competition -- airing on NBC and The Golf Channel -- will follow the classic "Skins" format.
In other words, each hole is played separately -- with a cash prize for each hole. If there is a tie on a hole, the "skin" is carried over to the next one (and the next and the next and so on) until someone wins.
The first 6 holes will be worth $50,000 each. The next 10 holes will be worth $100,000, the 17th hole will be worth $200,000, and the final hole will be worth $500,000.
Each team will also begin with $500,000.
McIlroy and Johnson will play for the American Nurses Foundation, and Fowler and Wolff will play for the CDC Foundation, according to Golf.com.
Jon Jones says he's dead serious about a fight with Francis Ngannou -- and now he's asking the UFC to "send the deal."
There's been talk about a possible Jones vs. Ngannou match at heavyweight for a while ... but things escalated after Francis destroyed Jairzinho Rozenstruik in just 20 seconds at UFC 249 over the weekend.
The two exchanged some minor trash talk on social media late Wednesday night ... but now Jon says he's done talking, he's ready for action.
"If you guys think I wouldn’t take this fight you’re insane. I have absolutely nothing else to prove as a light heavyweight. I’d love that big money fight right around now. Send the deal."
Jon currently fights at light heavyweight -- but says he's willing to go up for a bigger payday ... and let's be honest, who wouldn't want to see Jones vs. Ngannou?!
In fact, back in October, we asked Francis about a possible Jones brawl ... and he was all about it!
TMZSports.com
"Listen, let's be clear about something. If that's what you want to know, if I would fight Jon Jones if he goes up to heavyweight!? Of course!"
"I would say the same thing as he says -- it's inevitable. If Jon Jones goes to heavyweight. I'm gonna fight him."
