JOHN WAYNE BOBBITT More Appendages Bite The Dust

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John Wayne Bobbitt's toe met the same fate as his penis ... both went on the chopping block.

John -- whose penis was notoriously hacked off by his then-wife Lorena while he was sleeping -- just had another gruesome amputation to his extremities.

JWB tells TMZ ... two toes on his right foot have now been amputated, and the first amputation triggered the second.

John explains he lost his big toe on his right foot last year after a callous formed, and an infection spread to the bone. He says that led to the next little piggy getting chopped off.

JWB tells us his second right toe was amputated last weekend at a hospital in Vegas. He says the toe was fractured because his previously amputated big toe left him with no support on the foot, and as he limped around, the pressure he was putting on the second toe caused it to shift and break.

Making matters worse ... his left foot was in a cast as doctors weighed amputation on that body part, which only added to the strain.

Remember, John says he suffers from neuropathy so he didn't know the toe was fractured until he went to a doctor for a checkup. He says the doc noticed the problems right away and recommended amputation.

John says he's been released from the hospital yet again and now he's got a bandage on his right foot and special shoes so he can walk. He tells us he also uses a knee scooter to get around.

JWB says he's on the mend and is finally feeling healthy ... but he's still got a lot of work to do and he's seeing a podiatrist.

He's been through so much. Still, the first cut is the deepest.

Keyontae Johnson Does 'Gator Chomp' from Hospital Bed ... Thanks for the Prayers!!!

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Another huge milestone in Keyontae Johnson's recovery -- the Univ. of Florida basketball star just did the Gator Chomp from his hospital bed!!

It's been almost a week since Johnson collapsed on the court in a game against Florida State. He was hospitalized in Tallahassee and was eventually transported back to the UF hospital in Gainesville.

Johnson was placed in a medically induced coma after the incident -- but has since woken up and has made tremendous progress in his recovery.

You can see in the new video ... Johnson is talking, smiling and moving his arms (hence the "Chomp"). It's all great to see.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank God," Johnson says.

"I know you all have been sending your prayers out the last few weeks and me and my parents are very grateful for all the prayers that have been going out."

"To all the doctors and medical staff at Tallahassee Memorial and UF Shands, I just want to say thank you for all the support you gave me."

"To my Gator Nation and UF athletic family, I just want to thank you for all the prayers you gave out to me."

Great to see -- and hopefully he'll continue to get better ... and maybe even get back on the court sometime soon.

Johnson is one of the top college basketball players in the country and a legitimate NBA prospect.

Pfizer COVID Vaccine Millions of Doses in a Warehouse ... Nowhere to Send 'Em!!!

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Pfizer says it's sitting on liquid gold -- a warehouse packed with the COVID-19 vaccine -- but it can't get word from the government on where to ship them.

The pharma giant made the shocking revelation in response to allegations it was having issues with production and distribution of its vaccine after successfully shipping the first batch out earlier this week. Nearly 3 million doses have already been sent out, but now Pfizer's pointing a finger at the federal government.

Pfizer says, "We have millions more doses sitting in our warehouse but, as of now, we have not received any shipment instructions for additional doses."

Bizarre, right?

The news comes as Moderna is on the verge of getting the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization, which would put 2 COVID vaccines on the open market.

The more the merrier, obviously, but it doesn't bode well if the government really is having issues coordinating distribution of just one vaccine.

Raiders' Nelson Agholor Suffers Gnarly Dislocated Finger Mid-Game ... But Returns!!!

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Here's Nelson Agholor proving NFL players are still REALLY, REALLY freakin' tough ...

The Las Vegas Raiders receiver gruesomely dislocated his finger mid-game against the Chargers on Thursday ... but the dude barely missed any time over the gnarly injury!!

It all went down in the 3rd quarter of Las Vegas' loss to Los Angeles ... when Agholor dropped a pass and his hands came crashing down to the grass.

You can see in video of the incident, his whole body weight landed on his pinky ... and it looked like the digit snapped in half!!!

Agholor immediately knew something was wrong ... he waved his jacked-up finger to his sideline -- and trainers tended to him right away.

The craziest part about it all, though? HE RETURNED AFTER JUST ONE PLAY!!!

In fact, Agholor went on to record a couple more catches after trainers popped his finger back in place ... and the dude finished the night with a total of 49 receiving yards!

Football, man.

Saints' Drew Brees Returning From Rib, Lung Injuries ... Starting QB on Sunday

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Drew Brees is BACK as the starting QB for the Saints -- just 4 weeks after being diagnosed with 11 broken ribs and a punctured lung!!!

The 41-year-old has missed the past 4 games due to the injuries -- and just this week, head coach Sean Payton suggested it would be another week or so before Brees was back under center.

But ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Friday morning that Brees has been cleared by doctors and will start at QB on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Brees is NOT back to 100%, according to ESPN's Dianna Russini who says Drew is still dealing with soreness but plans on toughing it out.

"I was told that Drew has had a really strong week at practice," Russini said on "Get Up" ... "It started on Monday afternoon with trainers. They didn't expect him to look as good as he did. But they said he's sharp, he's healthy."

As for the soreness, Russini explained it this way -- "It's not so much about the health on the field, it's the next day -- dealing with that soreness."

"And while there is soreness there, [my source] made it very clear Drew is not 100%. He's more in the 85% to 90% range, he's able to handle it ... it's not something that's too overwhelming for Drew Brees."

The Saints are 10-3 and in 1st place in the NFC South -- 2 games ahead of Tom Brady's TB Bucs.

Keyontae Johnson 'Encouraging Signs Of Progress' ... As Recovery Continues

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More great news regarding the recovery of University of Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson who continues to make great progress less than a week after he collapsed on the court.

But, he's awake and was reportedly talking with friends and family members earlier this week.

Remember, Johnson was placed into a medically induced coma after the incident during Saturday's Florida vs. Florida State game in Tallahassee.

Now, UF athletic director Scott Stricklin has another update ... saying, "Keyontae Johnson continues to show truly encouraging signs of progress as he undergoes tests and further evaluation at UF Health."

"He and his family have again expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of love, prayers and well-wishes."

Stricklin also announced the school has postponed the team's next 3 scheduled basketball games in the wake of Keyontae's situation.

"This has been an emotionally taxing time for Keyontae's family, friends and teammates," Stricklin said.

"Our hope is that everyone impacted will take an opportunity to process those emotions and regroup ahead of the start of the new year."

Florida will return to the court on Dec. 30 to take on Vanderbilt.

COVID Vaccine 2nd Dose a Doozy!!! Pfizer Volunteer Describes 'Really Sick' Feeling

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People who are getting the coronavirus vaccine don't know what's coming next -- that 2nd shot could hit like a ton of bricks, according to a guy who volunteered for Pfizer's study.

Eric Gross joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday, and laid out his experience getting both doses of the vaccine during Pfizer's clinical trials. He said the first injection made his arm a little sore -- which we've heard from others this week -- but he says the 2nd shot is a whole different ballgame.

In Eric's experience, it left him feeling sicker than he's ever felt in his life, although not for too long. He has an analogy for his body's reaction -- think sucker punch in the face. Watch the vid, it's a great explanation.

As you know ... healthcare workers in America started getting the first round of vaccinations Monday and folks like Sandra Lindsay, the intensive care nurse who got the first shot in New York, told us so far, so good ... as far as any reactions or side effects.

Eric also talked to us about the story TMZ broke -- that volunteers who got the placebo during the trial pressured Pfizer to let them get the real deal.

He says Pfizer made a big change to their initial rules because, as he puts it, it just wasn't fair to the placebo folks.

Pfizer COVID Vaccine Placebo Patients from Study Can Cut Line To Get Vaccine Early

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Membership has its benefits -- people who participated in Pfizer's vaccine trial, but only got the placebo, now have the chance to get the real vaccine earlier ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Pfizer notified study participants earlier this week about the shift in policy -- giving people who got the placebo the chance to get the shot as early as Friday.

We're told some study participants, who got the placebo, were upset they had put their lives on the line, but were getting no benefit. In fact, Pfizer says 162 placebo patients ended up later coming down with COVID-19. By comparison ... of the participants who got the vaccine, only 8 got infected later.

Pfizer emailed instructions this week to the study group about when they can get the vaccine. As with the general public, healthcare workers and nursing home residents will go first ... as soon as Friday.

Others will get the opportunity in January or February ... about 6 months after they got their second placebo shot.

We're told no one during the study was told whether they'd gotten the placebo or the vaccine -- but they all figured it out pretty easily. Those who got the vaccine felt ill -- a normal reaction to the shot -- while placebo patients were fine.

Hard to argue with these folks getting injected early ... as they stepped up to be human guinea pigs, allowing for the development of a safe vaccine.

NHL's Henrik Lundqvist Won't Play Due To Heart Condition ... Risk Is Too High

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NHL star Henrik Lundqvist will NOT be suiting up for the Washington Capitals this season ... with the goalie revealing he's battling a heart condition that will prevent him from playing.

"It breaks my heart (literally) to share this news: I will not be joining the Capitals this upcoming season," Lundqvist said Thursday.

"After many weeks of tests and conversations with specialists around the country, it's been determined that a heart condition will prevent me from taking the ice."

"Together, we have decided that the risk of playing before remedying my condition is too high, so I will spend the coming months figuring out the best course of action."

Lundqvist -- who joined the Caps on a 1-year deal in October after playing with the New York Rangers from 2005-20 -- said he was excited for his fresh start in D.C. ... but admits "we knew there was only one way to go from here" after his most recent test results.

"I will take the next few weeks to be with my family and I'll be back to share the next steps."

The Caps also released a statement Thursday ... saying, "The Washington Capitals are supportive of Henrik's decision to step away from hockey at this time due to his heart condition."

"Our players' health is of the utmost importance. And we stand behind Henrik's decision."

"We want to wish him and his family all the best moving forward."

Get well soon, King!!

Santa Claus Gets COVID Vaccine ... Can't Be Too Careful!!!

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KEEPIN' SANTA SAFE

Dr. Anthony Fauci says Santa Claus is immune from the coronavirus, but the jolly guy is taking no chances before Christmas -- he just got the COVID-19 vaccine.

Santa came down from the North Pole for an unannounced stop Wednesday at Southern Hills Hospital & Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he got the shot.

As you can see, Santa wasn't exactly keeping it low pro ... rocking his regular work gear for the occasion.

So, why Vegas? It is pretty warm for a guy dressed like this. Well, the hospital's honchos say they reached out to St. Nick out of concern for his health ahead of his globe-trotting on Christmas Eve.

Let's face it ... this guy can't risk taking a sick day on his ONE workday of the year.

Remember, Dr. Fauci said SC has "innate immunity" from COVID-19.

So, yeah ... spoiler alert: This "Santa" is actually the Chief Medical Officer at the hospital who really did get the vaccine -- but it's Vegas, baby. Gotta put on a show!

COVID-19 Vaccine So Far, So Good ... Healthcare Workers Sign Off

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The frontline healthcare workers getting the first batch of coronavirus vaccines in America say things are going smoothly -- no symptoms or side effects, so far.

The first people to get the shot in New York and North Carolina are all telling us the same thing -- it was like a normal tetanus or flu shot and, most importantly, they haven't had any surprises.

Sandra Lindsay, the intensive-care nurse who got the first shot, Monday morning in New York, tells TMZ ... she feels fantastic. It's early, for sure, but just to give you an idea of what you might experience, Sandra says she's had no fever, no muscle aches, no muscle weakness -- and she's trusting the science.

Sarah, who is Black, says she was never apprehensive about getting the vaccine, despite a majority of African-Americans saying they don't trust it and won't get it.

As we reported, Offset conveyed that exact sentiment when we spoke to him about possibly get vaccinated when it's available.

Still, Sandra told us the alternatives -- death or suffering from COVID-19 -- are way worse than getting the shot.

The first person vaccinated Monday in North Carolina, Dr. Katie Passaretti, tells us her vaccination was like other ones she's had in the past. She's only experienced some muscle pain in her upper arm, where the shot was administered ... and she says that's pretty standard.

Like Sandra, Adam Berman works at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center and also got vaccinated Monday. While he understands the skepticism some people have, he's imploring the public to trust scientists ... and get the shot.

Sandra, Adam and Dr. Passaretti also tell us their vaccinated co-workers are also doing great too, with nothing more than some sore arms.

While it's so far so good after the first round, they're still at risk of catching the 'rona -- masks and social distancing still apply -- and they're waiting the prescribed 2 weeks to get the second dose.

UFC's Brandon Moreno Wife Worried About My Balls ... After Wicked Nut Shot

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Don't worry ... Brandon Moreno's nuts are okay!!

This, after the UFC star took a ferocious kick to the gonads from Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 256 -- a shot that was so powerful Moreno was dry heaving in the Octagon.

It's been 4 days since that insane fight between Moreno and Figueiredo -- an instant classic that was judged a majority draw -- and you can see the bruises all over Moreno's face.

So, we had to ask ... how his "twins" were doing after that ferocious low blow, and Brandon filled us in.

“In that moment, it was very painful. Was very, very painful because he throws a really, really hard direct to there. I don't say it was intentional, but man it was a nasty kick directly to my balls," Moreno says.

"I think this the first time when a referee told me if I wanted to rest a little bit, my first time saying, 'Yes, please I need this moment.'"

Naturally, one of the first things Moreno's wife, Shirley, asked about after the fight was her husband's junk.

"My wife asked me the same, 'Hey, you fine?' Like, 'Yeah baby, no problem.'"

There's more ... Moreno says he doesn't feel any sympathy for Figueiredo after learning his opponent was hospitalized until 2 AM on fight day with a bad stomach infection.

"Before the fight, I don't know anything about [Deiveson] being sick. He was in the hospital, but man, in this world of Martial Arts, that is very normal. I had like two fights in the company, I was very sick to my stomach, but I never said nothing because it's my problem."

In fact, Moreno thinks Deiveson is using the medical situation as an excuse for not winning the fight.

"Excuses, I can make excuse with my arm, because to be honest, between the fight, it was very, very painful. Too much pain in my left arm from my shoulder. Excuses. Nothing else matters."

COVID Vaccine Black Woman First to Get it in NY State ... Black Doctor Led Research

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12:09 PM PT -- There's nothing for African-Americans to fear about the vaccination effort, because it wasn't rushed and a Black doctor was at the forefront of research ... so says Dr. Louito Edje.

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ICING ON THE COVID CAKE
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The good doc joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and offered an easy-to-understand analogy about the vaccine process ... telling us why it's like a cake that's been carefully baked for 20 years and just needed the right icing.

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Dr. Edje also points out Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, an African-American scientist, led the team behind the COVID-19 vaccine and even got the shot herself.

The first vaccine in New York was administered Monday -- and the person they chose to give it to speaks volumes about very real concerns regarding safety and mistrust of the government.

The recipient was intensive-care nurse Sandra Lindsay, a Black woman working in healthcare, and she got the shot at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. Before the deed was done, Sandra was hailed for her bravery ... for getting vaccinated in public, and for months of work treating COVID patients on the front lines.

As the doctor, also a woman of color, injected the needle ... Sandra didn't even flinch, and got a big round of applause.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was on standby, watching the inoculation virtually. He noted Sandra didn't make a fuss about it and that the doc who did it -- Dr. Chester --- must have a good touch. Sandra responded that it felt like any other shot or vaccine she's gotten before.

The fact New York decided to publicize the first Pfizer vaccination with 2 women of color shouldn't be lost on folks.

As we've mentioned, and as the federal government has noted too, African-Americans are highly suspicious of this vaccination effort, and many say they won't take it or don't trust it.

There's a myriad of reasons why, but we got an up-close and personal look at that mindset this weekend with none other than Offset ... who told us straight-up he wasn't planning to get the shot.

Originally published -- 8:29 AM PT

Meghan Markle Thank You, COVID-19 Heroes!!! Makes Surprise Appearance

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Meghan Markle's so inspired by stories of compassion she's witnessing through the pandemic, she decided to make a surprise appearance to honor those very heroes.

The Duchess of Sussex made an unscheduled appearance on CNN's 'Heroes' special Sunday night to thank "individuals (who) stood up and made sure the most basic needs of our communities were met. They made sure those around them did not have to suffer in isolation."

It's the first time Meghan has made a public statement since her op-ed in the New York Times last month, revealing she'd suffered a miscarriage in the summer. She and Prince Harry -- who left their royal roles in March -- have kept a low profile since moving to California, but still found ways to help here.

TMZ broke the story ... the couple quietly delivered quality food to needy folks back in April. Then, at the start of the school year, they dished out school supplies to students in need.

Meghan seems especially thankful to those who fed kids in need of a meal in the absence of a school lunch meal. During Sunday night's telecast she said, "When kids’ lunch programs came to a halt, we saw our neighbors make sure that those children received the nutrition they need."

COVID Cure Pfizer Begins Shipping Vaccines ... FedEx and UPS Shun Competition

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These images could foretell the end of the pandemic -- trucks have never looked so awesome!!!

FedEx and UPS trucks rolled out of Pfizer's Kalamazoo, Michigan parking lot, carrying massive amounts of vaccine doses.

Fact is ... FedEx and UPS are competitors, but they've put all that on ice ... speaking of which, the vaccine vials are being kept in sub-freezing temps to maintain their efficacy.

The trucks will be headed to 145 sites that will receive their shipments between Monday and Wednesday. If you've got Xmas presents you're sending by FedEx or UPS ... they are behind all the vaccines in priority ... and thank God for that.

The precious cargo is being guarded by U.S. Marshals, just in case.

There aren't nearly enough vaccines yet to inoculate all Americans ... that will happen sometime in the spring. Problem is, to achieve herd immunity, 70% of Americans must get the shot, but it looks like around 40% aren't going to do it ... at least that's their current thinking -- because of safety issues and mistrust -- and both issues are real and have to be addressed.

Fingers crossed.

Driver Mows Down Protesters I Feared For My Life ... They Screamed 'White Privilege, Bitch!'

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PLOWING THROUGH THE CROWD

The woman who plowed into a half dozen protesters on the streets of New York says she was in fear for her life after protesters screamed, "White privilege, Bitch!" and started pounding on her car.

Kathleen Casillo was driving her BMW with her 29-year-old daughter in NYC Friday when she stopped at a light where protesters were gathered demonstrating against ICE. She says they started banging on her car and pulling the door handles to get inside. She says she feared for her and her daughter's lives, saying images from news reports of drivers being pulled from their cars and beaten flashed before her eyes.

The 52-year-old woman says she floored it in fear, and doesn't even remember hitting anyone.

Hit people she did ... 6 to be exact, who were propelled into the air like rag dolls. All 6 suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Casillo stopped a block from the incident and was arrested for reckless endangerment.