The Big Apple doesn't want its residents banging like rabbits during the coronavirus outbreak -- so it's got a set of strict (and graphically specific) guidelines on how to get it on during these contagious times.
The NYC Health Department posted recommendations over the weekend on how folks can have sex, while keeping the risk of catching COVID-19 low. For starters, they say sex with another person probably isn't a good idea right now ... so, they suggest masturbating.
If you are going to have sex with someone else, they have recommendations on who to bang first. The department says if you must, sleep with someone you live with, and try NOT to screw anyone outside the household if you can help. They also say limit the number of partners you're hooking up with ... which probably means no orgies either. Aw, man!
The most graphic suggestions come in the form of rim jobs (anus to mouth contact) and oral sex too. They say don't eat ass right now -- it probably ain't safe -- and if you're gonna get slurped up by a partner ... use a condom or a dental dam to reduce saliva swapping.
The Health Dept. also notes ... if your partner's not feeling well, skip the sex. And, for all the online daters, keep the interaction there for now too. What a time to be alive!
4:18 PM PT -- It's back to the drawing board in D.C. for Congress -- with Senators failing to pass a stimulus package bill with a split vote of 47-47 Sunday ... this after the House already sent a version of the bill along and suspended their session in hopes the Senate could get it done.
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Welp, amid fears of U.S. Representatives having to come back to D.C. to draft up a new bill and take a new vote again ... President Trump offered up a temporary remedy for everyone scared of catching coronavirus. During Sunday's press briefing, he said his administration wouldn't be opposed to let people work from home ... as in vote.
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The question was lobbed to the Prez in the wake of Rand Paul and others quarantining after Paul's coronavirus diagnosis, and DT said it straight up -- he'd be cool with a temporary measure of voting remotely, not necessarily needing bodies in D.C. to do it.
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That would solve the quorum problem for House members, a good amount of whom would have to be back in D.C. otherwise in order to get any official business done.
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Unclear if Trump and his administration would have the final say over this -- it's probably a resolution that'd have to be written in Congress and voted on -- but it doesn't sound like he'd make a big fuss if both houses decided to go this route. Desperate times ...
There is a quiet panic going around behind the scenes at the House of Representatives because some members tell TMZ they sounded a warning 3 weeks ago about the Capitol being unsafe but they weren't heeded ... and now some fear they have the coronavirus.
The members we spoke with -- who only wanted to talk on background -- tell us, about 3 weeks ago when the problems associated with coronavirus started blowing up they began talking about limiting or excluding visitors from the Capitol.
It was an especially busy time, because the House was putting together spending bills and people were flying in from all over the country to lobby members. There were also lots of visitors who came by and interacted with a number of members. We're told the hallways were packed.
One congressman told us, "No one took this seriously. Leaders from both sides initially said they didn't want to panic people. We're told the leaders ultimately consulted the Congressional doctor, but as one congressman said, "He was scared to make a decision because he was afraid he would trigger a national panic."
A congressman we spoke with says he believes he has the virus and is exhibiting mild symptoms and he has self-quarantined. He also says, "I think lots of us [representatives] are going to get it."
The House is currently not in session, but there's a big problem. The Senate is in session and is hopefully going to pass a relief bill soon. The House members have gone home, and the only way they can approve the bill without flying to D.C. is if the vote is unanimous.
If one member wants to vote no on the bill, the traditional solution would be for members to fly to D.C. to cast their votes. But, putting 435 people on airplanes -- especially when there's fear some of the members have or were exposed to the virus -- it's super risky. We're told there's talk of flying 40 at a time or figuring out some way of keeping people away from each other.
No decisions have been made on what to do if the vote is not unanimous.
As for the other chamber ... as we reported, Senator Rand Paul has tested positive and incredibly he was at the Senate gym today swimming. The fact the Senate gym is open when gyms across the country have closed because a gym is a breeding ground for the virus ....well, it's just baffling.
Joshua Tree's campgrounds may be closed -- but people are still visiting in droves during the pandemic ... which is pissing off a lot of the locals, who are shooing the masses away.
The national park closed its gates Saturday to campers and vehicles wanting to pull into their lots for some desert fun -- but because the area is still open to hikers and bikers ... a bunch of Angelenos and others made a mass exodus to the Coachella Valley-area grounds this weekend.
That caused a bit of pandemonium for some of the locals who live right nearby, including 15-year resident Carrie Dagher ... who tells TMZ she's been in full chase-off mode with out-of-town dopes who keep wandering onto her property, apparently thinking it's God's land.
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Not the case, according to Carrie ... who says she's literally confronted and driven about 100 different people who unknowingly crossed her front and back yards while exploring the area. Her property and others can stretch anywhere from 1 to 3 acres, so it's understandable a mistaken trespass might happen here and there. That's not the only problem though.
Carrie also tells us some would-be campers have even tried pitching a tent right in her front yard, which she quickly put a stop to as well. Lawn chairs and picnics have also been attempted on her property -- it seems people either don't know or don't care.
The bigger issue, though, is that because of the massive amount of cars coming to the area -- not to mention all the people they're transporting -- Carrie says these bored city-slickers are actually ruining the land with constant traversing, contaminating the rich soil specifically.
BTW, Joshua Tree is far from the only hiking hot spot people want to get to right now -- the Runyon Canyon trail in the heart of L.A. is also drawing hordes of bodies ... most of whom are NOT maintaining any sense of social distancing as they shuffle past each other.
Snitches (or good citizens, really) have been tagging Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti to notify them of the bizarre scene, in hopes of getting these public places shut down to avoid further spreading of the coronavirus.
Until then though ... it looks like the people are restless!
Escort services are getting crushed by the coronavirus pandemic -- business is drying up, but there's one city that is, so far, immune to the drop-off.
Across the country, most escort services are telling us their clientele is scarce, and the future looks grim with 4 whole states under "stay home" orders. Let's face it, not too many options for places to take a date these days.
One Las Vegas escort service tells us it has zero business right now amid a state-widenon-essential business shutdown. Not to mention, social-distancing -- standing 6 feet away from your date isn't much of a date. As a result, the service is shutting down for 3 to 4 months.
Ditto in NYC, where at least one service is closing down until further notice. In Chicago, we're told biz dropped a whopping 80 percent for one escort service ... and that was before Friday, when the whole state of Illinois shut down.
That's not to say customers aren't willing. We're told some regulars in Chi-town have reached out complaining of boredom. One even promised he'd sanitized his apartment and had a warm meal waiting.
These are desperate, stir-crazy times.
Except in Miami, apparently ... where one escort service tells us it's had NO downturn. We were also told their employees weren't taking precautions due to the virus. Coronavirus, that is.
9:59 AM PT -- 3/22 -- Smart Works has updated its homepage to remove the word "Royal" and "HRH." The magic is officially gone.
Meghan Markle's pivot away from Royal life is in full swing -- 'cause a charity she partners with has dropped any mention of the word when describing her ... except on their homepage, where it probably matters most.
The charity is called Smart Works -- a non-profit org based out of the U.K. that provides professional interviewing clothes to low income women who need it for job interviews. Meghan's been their official patron for a while -- and until now ... has always been referred to as "Our Royal Patron" as well as "Her Royal Highness," or "HRH" for short on their site.
It's true ... if you go and click on Meghan's official bio at Smart Works right now, they have indeed dropped all "Royal" and "Highness" terms in talking about Meg. Going forward, it looks like they're just referring to her as "Our Patron, The Duchess of Sussex." Hey, at least she kept that.
The only problem ... on their homepage, as of Saturday, it looks like they still call her 'Our Royal Patron,' and even 'HRH.' If you click on that, it takes you to the page where they've ditched 'Royal.' Seems somebody fell asleep at the wheel in the digital scrubbing.
That said ... the day they officially split from the Royal Family is March 31, which was announced in their transition statement earlier this year. So, someone's got at least until then to get it fully right over at Smart Works 😅
California has been hit hard by the coronavirus and people have been ordered to mostly stay inside -- but Saturday was one of the most spectacular days of the year, so an unusually large number of people hit the sand, much to the chagrin of Shannen Doherty.
Check out these surreal photos we got of a bunch of Angelenos Sunday who migrated en masse to a beach near Marina Del Rey. It's a pretty wild scene -- especially considering the beaches out here have been relatively dead of late, with bad weather and coronavirus fever.
It's not unexpected. Lots of people are going stir crazy at home, and the CA Governor has made it clear ... going out and exercising, with a proper amount of spacing, is fine. Some beachgoers aren't maintaining much social distancing, which is crucial during these times.
Funny enough, there was even one beach bum out there flying his kite ... while wearing a full motorcycle helmet to cover his noggin. Seems like nothing can keep people away from the beach on a beautiful L.A. day.
Of course, this has echoes of what's been going on in Florida -- where Spring Breakers and others have been flooding the beaches throughout the state to get their fix in, despite the possible ramifications. Gov. DeSantis still hasn't issued the order, although many beaches have been ordered evacuated by local officials.
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DeSantis is being sued for not closing down the beaches ... so it feels like only a matter of time before beach days could be gone. Makes ya wonder if L.A. honchos might do the same. Oh, and BTW ... this is happening all over L.A. County -- including Malibu.
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Shannen Doherty made her opinion about the beachgoers in her neighborhood known loud and clear -- people are STUPID, or so she seems to be indicating.
President Trump said it'd be a good idea for hotels to start closing their doors -- including his own -- but the fact is ... Trump Hotels in America are by and large open for business.
45 was asked about how the shutdowns and closures sweeping the nation's businesses might be affecting his own -- the guy lends his name to several different hotels and restaurants globally -- and he said he was getting hurt like everyone else.
It almost seemed like he wasn't sure -- but took some big guesses, eventually deferring to his sons, who are in charge of the Trump empire while DT's in office.
Still, Trump took a hard stance, telling the press Sunday he actually thought it would be a good idea if his hotels closed to deter people from congregating and cut down on the virus potentially spreading. TMZ called around ... and it doesn't sound like that memo's gotten to his own staff quite yet. Fact is ... some U.S.-based Trump Hotels are still taking bookings.
Of the stateside Trump Hotels where folks can rent a room for Sunday night -- according to the front desk clerks:
-- Trump International Hotel Chicago ... Open for business
-- Trump International Hotel Waikiki -- Open for business
-- Trump Int'l D.C. -- Open
-- Trump Int'l Hotel and Tower Vancouver -- Open
-- Trump National Doral Miami -- Open
Trump hotels in Nevada and New York -- Closed
As for international properties, the hotel in Turnberry, Scotland is open. The hotel in Ireland is not.
Of the places that are still open, most of them are stepping up cleaning and have closed the restaurants, gyms and other amenities. In some cases, in-room dining seems to be the only option.
Mike Huckabee has a solution for the toilet paper shortage being experienced across the country -- wipe up with Mother Nature's own stockpile ... straight from the cornfield!
The former Arkansas governor tweeted out the bizarre advice, saying people should simply turn to the crafty crop for their bathroom needs. He wrote, "Those of us from rural south know how to handle toilet paper shortage."
Those of us from rural south know how to handle toilet paper shortage. Eat more corn on the cob! The corn isn't important, but the cobs are free and work great! (Just don't flush them!) You're welcome!
MH continued, "Eat more corn on the cob! The corn isn't important, but the cobs are free and work great! (Just don't flush them!) You're welcome!" Now, Mike's no farmer ... and isn't said to have grown up on one either. So, proceed with the homemade toiler paper recommendation at your own risk -- hard to tell if there's any truth or science behind it.
We should also say for those not totally up to speed on their produce terms here, Gov. Huckabee's not talking about using the husk (the outer leafy coating covering the corn itself) ... he's referring to what lies beneath. The cob is what the corn kernels grow on ... the so-called "pole," if you will, that's left behind when an ear of corn is shaved down.
According to Mike, the cob makes for a great cleaner-upper on the John 🤷🏽♂️
America and junk food are getting back together after years apart ... and it only took a global pandemic to kick start the reunion.
According to a new Bloomberg report, a massive and noticeable trend is starting to emerge in the buying pattern of panicked U.S.-based shoppers these past few weeks ... who've been flocking to their local grocery stores and grabbing the essentials off the shelves en masse.
Long story short ... the country's giving up kale, and they're going back to Oreos. In other words, keeping up with the health kick is over, people. We're going back to what we know.
There's a number of possible reasons for this outlined in the report, but the biggest seems to be basic shelf life and expiration dates. A lot of the junk food shoppers are pivoting to is simply going to last longer than pretty much any of super/health foods they've gravitated towards of late. Plus, a lot of the old-school snacks are sold in bulk, and are easier to grab and go in these scary times. Another explanation ... we're creatures of habit.
The numbers are there to back up the theory too -- sales for companies like General Mills, Tyson Foods, Campbell Soup, Kraft and Heinz are going through the roof of late. The company behind Spam is also blowing up with a 37% spike, and Oreo maker Mondelez Int'l is also peaking.
The report says chips, cookies, pretzels and popcorn are also making a mega comeback -- and, apparently, cow milk and red meat are as well. Oh, how the healthy have fallen.
President Trumpis getting chewed out by the deaf community, which feels it's getting screwed out of critical info during his daily coronavirus briefings.
Americans stuck at home are relying on the White House for the latest COVID-19 info, but when the Prez holds court with his cabinet members and Dr. Anthony Fauci, one person's missing ... an ASL interpreter.
Stephanie Cawthon of the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes tells TMZ ... members from the deaf and hearing-impaired have fired off some requests to Trump, including the use of a single ASL interpreter when he's at the podium discussing the pandemic. The National Association of the Deaf also sent a letter to the White House.
She says they've gotten no response, so far, and they're frustrated.
In addition to an ASL interpreter at all public health announcements, we're told the deaf and hearing-impaired want improved closed-captioning and better graphics to relay virus updates.
Previously, the President has sporadically used ASL translators during news conferences and the State of The Union. Deaf and hearing-impaired groups tell us it's way more crucial Trump uses one now because so many American lives hang in the balance.
FYI, some governors and mayors have been using ASL interpreters during their coronavirus news conferences -- notably Cali's Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.
We reached out to the White House for comment, but so far ... radio silence.
Purell's hand sanitizer sales have skyrocketed in recent weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic, but it might have to use some of that money for legal fees ... it's been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging its germ-killing claims are BS.
Purell manufacturer, Gojo Industries, was sued last week in Ohio federal court by 4 individuals claiming the Purell packaging flaunts "misleading claims" about the effectiveness of its product.
According to the legal docs ... Purell's front label claims that it "kills 99.99% of illness causing germs" implies that figure is backed by scientific support, but the folks suing say none exists.
Likewise, the suit adds that Purell hand sanitizer claims to help prevent infection and diseases, but there's allegedly "no sound scientific evidence to support the claims."
The lawsuit also mentions a letter sent by the FDA to Gojo in January, which plaintiffs' claim describes Purell as "nothing more than a topical antiseptic," which was not safe and effective in preventing infection.
The class action suit is seeking unspecified damages for any customer who bought the hand sanitizer and relied on its packaging and marketing materials.
L.A. is gonna have a ruff time adjusting to new rules if they wanna hike the famed Runyon Canyon ... like not petting other people's dogs to help stave off the spread of the coronavirus.
Hikers are still allowed to hit up the popular trail but they're being urged to follow 4 simple rules to help stem COVID-19 ... and one of the rules explicitly calls for hikers to NOT pet other people's dogs.
As you can see ... hikers are also abiding by perhaps the most important rule, keeping their distance. Hikers seen going up there earlier this week were spotted practicing the rule throughout.
As you know well by now ... California is in a 24-hour lockdown beginning Friday until further notice as cases in the Golden State continue mounting at an alarming rate. The "Safer-at-Home" order calls for the closure of all shopping centers, indoor malls, playgrounds and non-essential business. It also prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people in enclosed spaces.
Residents, however, are allowed to leave their homes to go on walks and get exercise. Good news for hikers, bad news if they're huuuuuge pooch lovers. Call it a sacrifice.
12:28 PM PT -- Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has done what the Governor wouldn't ... he shut down all beaches in Miami-Dade County as of 9 AM Thursday. That means the party's over on South Beach ... for the foreseeable future.
And, the band played on -- FL Gov. Ron DeSantis is digging in his heels, refusing to close beaches to block huge gatherings during the coronavirus outbreak ... despite alarming new CDC info.
You've seen the images of packed beaches in Clearwater, Panama Beach City and other Gulf Coast locations. Clearly, spring break is marching on, undaunted in the Sunshine State ... and many critics are pointing the finger at Gov. DeSantis.
So far, he's only said the state would enforce CDC's suggestion to keep parties under 10 people -- but anyone with eyes can see, cops are having a tough time getting partying kids to toe that line.
Ironically, the Governor's stance flies in the face of some other CDC data -- the fact they're now seeing more and more patients in their 30s, 40s and 50s suffering severe COVID-19 symptoms ... many in critical care.
We don't know if DeSantis ever watched "Jaws," but sure seems like he's a big fan of Vaughn ... the Amityville Mayor who kept the beaches open for 4th of July.
Evangeline Lilly is going against the grain in a big way ... sending her kids off to gymnastics and having lots of dicey interactions, because she believes the coronavirus scare is not only overblown ... it might even have some sinister tinges to it.
Evangeline just said for her and her fam, it's business as usual. She said, "Just dropped my kids off at gymnastic camp. They all washed their hands before going in. They are playing and laughing."
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It gets even more real ... The actress says she's living with her dad who has stage 4 leukemia. She says, "I am also immune compromised at the moment."
And then, there's this mantra ... "Some people value their lives over freedom, some people value freedom over their lives. We all make our choices."
One thing that she doesn't address .... if anyone in her family contracts the virus and interacts with others, they could spread it to people who might be at risk and, as you know, a number of those people are dying.
She says the virus is really just a "respiratory flu" ... despite just about every doctor saying it's more serious than the flu.
She feels the government has taken too much control over our lives and it's getting too close to Martial Law for comfort.
And then, there's this ... She insinuates there might be something fishy here as the run-up to the 2020 Presidential election ... "There's something every election year."
A mom went to great lengths to pull a bathroom prank on her daughter -- it's nothing new, but with the added element of coronavirus ... it's definitely nastier and, if you ask us, downright cruel.
The prank starts off as all good pranks do ... with a mother sitting on the can with the door wide open. She then asks her daughter to come in and hand her the roll of toilet paper -- a hot commodity these days -- and the good girl obliges.
However, the prankster mom rubs some chocolate on her daughter's hand in the exchange and ... you gotta see her reaction.
"Is that poop?!" has now been replaced with "Is that coronavirus?!"
The poor girl immediately starts crying and rushes to the sink to wash it off while the mom cackles in laughter. To be fair, Mom quickly apologizes and fesses up to the prank ... but it seems like some damage was done.
Australia's most prestigious pro rugby league is combating the coronavirus pandemic ... by appointing a special BALL WASHER to keep things clean on the field.
The problem??? The rest of the players are smothering each other!!
It all went down Thursday in Sydney -- where the North Queensland Cowboys took on the Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium.
Officials in Australia have outlawed public gatherings of more than 500 people -- so the National Rugby League (NRL) decided to push forward with games ... with limited people in attendance.
In total, there were 241 people at the stadium (including the players) so the game was allowed to take place.
Still, a disturbing sight to see the players sweating, breathing and bleeding on each other with the global COVID-19 pandemic in full swing.
After the game, the players were seen hugging family members in the stands -- another big NO-NO according to some health experts.
It's much different in America, where almost every major sports organization is shut down -- including the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and more.
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