You Might Want to Rethink

It's looking increasingly like Donald Trump's Rose Garden event a week ago where he unveiled his Supreme Court nominee was ground zero for what is increasingly looking like a super-spreader COVID event, and ironically, it could sink Trump's SCOTUS nominee.

So far, people attending the event who have tested positive for coronavirus include President Trump, Melania Trump, Senator Mike Lee, Senator Thom Tillis, Kellyanne Conway, Hope Hicks and Univ. of Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins.

As you know, almost no one was wearing masks or social distancing as Judge Amy Coney Barrett was introduced by President Trump.

The problem for Trump ... now 2 Republican Senators must isolate while they recover from the virus. If they're sidelined for Barrett's confirmation vote, the Republicans could fall short of a majority to confirm.

The ripple effect of the event is staggering. A number of people in the West Wing, including Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, were front and center at the event. So far, they've tested negative, but Hicks and others were all over the West Wing last week in close, narrow quarters. Beyond that, Trump went to a fundraiser in New Jersey Thursday with hundreds of people in attendance, and at the time he knew Hicks had tested positive and he had close interactions with her. Now the people at the event are being tested.

MMA legend Tito Ortiz -- who's currently running for political office in Huntington Beach -- says he's convinced COVID-19 is part of a liberal conspiracy to take out older people.

The 45-year-old UFC Hall of Famer -- who's on the ballot for Huntington Beach City Council -- spelled out his theory during an interview with the "I Only Touch Greatness" podcast.

We should say the podcast dropped on Thursday -- presumably before President Trump revealed that he and Melania have tested positive for COVID-19.

Still, here's what Tito said ...

"It's all a political scam," Tito explained ... "I just shake my head about it because there’s been a lot of people who’s lives have been taken away because of it."

Tito says he's convinced COVID was created by man and is being weaponized by the "the left."

"Once again, it's population control by the left," Tito says ... "They’re trying to take out all of the older people who are getting social security and so forth."

Tito insists it's just his opinion -- "I'm not stating as a fact."

He continues about the origins of COVID -- "It was made by a man, it's a man-made virus and people need to understand that facts behind those things."

Tito -- a staunch Trump supporter and wearing a Trump shirt during the interview -- says he hopes POTUS makes China pay for releasing the virus on the world.

Ortiz also said he believes COVID will "go away" after the election on Nov. 3rd.

President Trump is finally saying the words he failed to say at the first presidential debate -- "I condemn all white supremacists."

Trump called in to his friend Sean Hannity's Fox News show Thursday night to talk about his performance at the first debate vs. Joe Biden ... and try to put the Proud Boys controversy to rest.

He said, "Let me be clear again -- I condemn the KKK. I condemn all white supremacists. I condemn the Proud Boys." Trump re-insisted he doesn't know much about the Proud Boys hate group ... but he's against what they do.

This, of course, is in stark contrast to his response 48 hours earlier when debate moderator Chris Wallace asked him to denounce white supremacy. Instead, he told the Proud Boys to "Stand back, and stand by."

On Wednesday, while talking to the press at The White House about the outrage he caused, he denied knowledge of the Proud Boys and again danced around a flat-out denouncement of white supremacy.

Interestingly, when Trump spoke to Hannity it was about 6:30 PM PT -- 90 minutes after we'd learned his aide, Hope Hicks, tested positive for COVID-19, but before his test results were back. He did discuss having to go into quarantine, but only after addressing the debate and white supremacy.

FILE UNDER -- things you should NOT do during a pandemic!

Here's video of Tampa Bay Lightning players completely ignoring COVID-19 guidelines ... passing around the Stanley Cup to fans and allowing them to drink from it.

Yeah, not ideal.

Just hours after the team had its parade to celebrate its championship win over the Dallas Stars -- Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov took Lord Stanley to Tampa streets.

And, in a complete brain fart given the state of the coronavirus, they gathered in crowds of mask-less people ... and poured booze from the top of the trophy into people's mouths.

Obviously, it's a big no-no during pandemic times ... but even if COVID-19 were under control, it's probably not the most sanitary thing to do.

We've reached out to the Lightning over the videos ... but so far, no word back yet.

Meanwhile, it doesn't seem like the Lightning players -- who were all locked away in the NHL bubble throughout their playoff run -- have plans of stopping their party anytime soon.

Killorn got on the mic and shouted out Florida governor Ron DeSantis for opening up bars to allow celebrations to continue.

Love the enthusiasm ... but guys, please be safe!!

President Trump won't denounce white supremacy and he just delivered an ominous message to the Proud Boys ... telling them to "stand by."

Trump made the jaw-dropping remark during the first presidential debate when moderator Chris Wallace and Democratic candidate Joe Biden asked him to denounce white supremacist groups.

POTUS first attacked ANTIFA when debating violent protests in places like Kenosha, WI and Portland, OR before saying to the Proud Boys, "Stand back and stand by."

It's a bizarre and ominous statement to say the least ... because "stand by" sounds a lot like Trump is telling the far-right group that if he loses the election to Biden, he'll get back to them.

Florida man is back -- and this time, he's shooting through his own windshield at another, apparently armed, driver ... all while zipping along the highway.

Marco Mazzetta posted his own dashcam footage showing him and a buddy driving in Orange County, FL, when they encounter an aggressive Nissan 370z driver who pissed off Mazzetta so much he opened fire.

No, he didn't take aim outside his driver-side window, like in the movies ... instead dude literally unloaded through his windshield, and you gotta see how that played out. Shards of glass flying everywhere ... as his poor friend in the passenger seat freaked out.

As for why he fired -- Mazzetta claims the 370z driver was tailgating him hard, so he brake checked him, causing the other driver to bump him from behind, which you see in the video. Eventually, the Nissan speeds around Mazzetta's truck -- and in zoomed-in footage, Mazetta claims you can see the other driver brandishing a gun.

He says that's why he pulled his piece from his waistband and fired a few rounds. It's wild ... but is it justified???

Mazzetta says he was defending himself, claiming that he feared for his life and his friend's when he saw the other driver's gun. It's unclear if the Nissan got hit at all, but Mazzetta says he pulled off the freeway immediately and reported the incident himself.

A couple of Joe Exotic's former zookeepers are as loyal as ever -- recently getting together after years apart ... partly in the name of cheering Carole Baskin's reality TV demise.

Saff Saffery and John Reinke -- who starred in 'Tiger King' and used to care for the cats at Joe's GW Zoo -- met up for the first time in nearly 3 years out in Rockford, IL ... where they're set to star in an ad for Insurance King, opposite 'Diff'rent Strokes' actor Todd Bridges.

While hanging out Monday ahead of Tuesday's shoot, they happened to catch the results of this week's episode of 'Dancing with the Stars' ... including Carole's elimination after surviving a few weeks now. Check out how they reacted to the news -- old rivalries are alive and well!

Yeah, there's no love lost between these once feuding big cat caretakers -- John even sounds a little Joe-ish here by calling CB one of his former boss's fave catchphrases.

As for the commercial they're set to be in, unclear exactly what it'll entail -- but based on the on-camera convo they had with Todd ... sounds like it's written well and should be chock full of laughs. Apparently, Todd's worked with Insurance King before and vouches for 'em.

The Whitney Houston hologram that was supposed to make its debut on "The Voice" years ago has emerged from the shadows new and improved -- the problem is, her estate had NO idea it was happening.

Record producer Scott Storch recently teamed up with Hologram USA -- the same company that created the famous Tupac and Michael Jackson holograms a while back -- to put on a variety show that featured live performances, as well as cameos from icons past.

It was hosted by Scott Storch but producers also beamed in some late stars like Jackie Wilson, Billie Holiday, Pac, Biggie, MJ ... as well as some still-living folks, like Ray J and Chief Keef. Storch and co. released it through a network called FilmOn TV about a week and change ago.

Anyway, one of the holograms to zap onto the screen at one point is Whitney's ... which took people aback, since plans to use her hologram were infamously scrapped in 2016.

You'll recall ... the hologram was supposed to duet with Christina Aguilera on the finale of "The Voice" that year -- a performance from which photos leaked online just days prior -- but Whitney's estate pulled the plug last-minute because they didn't like the hologram's look.

Turns out ... the guy who worked on that hologram -- Alki David -- wasn't done with his Whitney masterpiece. Sources close to Alki tell us he went back and retooled the hologram's image to make sure it was just right and decided to use it for this new Scott Storch show.

We're also told he didn't get the OK from her estate to release it, nor does he feel he needed to -- as it's his work and he feels he had the right to pick up the baton again.

Unfortunately, sources with direct knowledge tell us Whitney's estate sees things differently ... and they're currently weighing their legal options since this was done without permission.

The University of Purdue has suspended 13 student-athletes for throwing an on-campus party that violates the school's new COVID rules.

The bash went down on Saturday night in a residence hall on the Purdue campus in West Lafayette, Indiana ... and once University officials found out about the party, they took action immediately.

All 13 student-athletes -- along with one student who isn't an athlete -- must be OUT of their dorms by Wednesday to begin serving their suspension.

The school says the actions of the students violate the "Protect Purdue Pledge" -- which is basically a new set of rules to minimize the spread of COVID-19 ... wear masks, social distance, wash hands, etc.

The school has not identified the suspended athletes by name -- or even said which sport they play.

In fact, all Purdue has really said is that they're all "out-of-season" athletes -- which means they're not part of a program that competes in the Fall.

The University issued a statement to ESPN saying, "While this is an unfortunate occurrence, we hope it's instructive for all Boilermaker students and reinforces the importance of protecting everyone on campus during this time."

As for the athletes, Purdue is expecting them to appeal -- and officials say they will handle that process "expeditiously."

"Each case will be resolved in a manner that meets the objectives of (1) protecting the health & safety of the campus community and (2) educating students on how to effectively adhere to the Protect Purdue Pledge."

An American in Thailand had the balls to post scathing reviews of a resort -- so the place turned around and went after him in court ... which could now land him behind bars.

According to multiple reports, Wesley Barnes, who works in Thailand, faces up to 2 years of jail time and a fine after Sea View Resort on Koh Chang island filed a complaint with authorities ... claiming he was posting unfair and inaccurate reviews about 'em, including on Tripadvisor.

Apparently, he'd booked a stay in the summer, but had a bad time and ended up beefing with some of the staff over a corkage fee. The resort says it only resorted to legal action because Barnes has posted several bad reviews, even after it reached out to him.

As for what he allegedly wrote ... apparently stuff like, "The staff was not friendly. Nobody could smile. The restaurant manager was very rude and full of himself. He is from the Czech republic. There are other hotels with better-friendlier staff. Avoid this place like it was the Coronavirus!" Another alleged review also likened the hotel working conditions to "modern day slavery."

If that sounds run of the mill to you ... it ain't under Thai defamation laws!

In Thailand, if a company files a complaint against you (like they did here against Barnes) it can get you in serious trouble. Barnes was taken in by immigration police, escorted back to Koh Chang, briefly detained and then released on bail.

Salt Bae is endangering his customers when it comes to COVID-19 -- at least according to Boston authorities, who just shut down his restaurant there.

City officials ordered Nusret Gokce's signature steakhouse shut its doors this weekend after finding the joint was allowing patrons to pack in without social distancing, and not wear masks.

The proof is partly up on the restaurant's own Instagram ... there's at least one clip of people flocking back to the establishment -- which had re-opened about a week ago. Massachusetts had recently announced it would start letting more people dine-in and even stand at the bar for foodservice in groups of 10.

So, what's the smoking gun of alleged wrongdoing that the city's got on Salt Bae and co.? Welp, it might be the video's that got him trending right now ... which looks a little wild.

A TikTok video shows a woman twerking inside what appears to be the lobby of Nusr-Et -- with none other than SB himself recording from afar. On its own, it's a pretty funny clip ... unless you're Boston public health officials.

If you thought people getting hit by dangerously spinning cars would stop a good old-fashioned sideshow ... welp, you're wrong. Exhibit A -- these Seattleites, who really DGAF.

Check out this wild scene that unfolded near the Space Needle Saturday night, where dozens of cars and even more people gathered in some sort of parking lot to burn rubber and send their whips into orbit, with spectators more than eager to gather around and watch.

KOMO News reporter Cole Miller captured a good chunk of the action -- including the moment a red Mustang (or maybe a Nissan 350Z) went flying into the crowd and took out a number of bodies as its donut got out of control. It literally glides into them, and hard.

What's even crazier than that is the fact that the donuts continued -- more cars filled the space and keep on revving ... and strangely, the swaths of people don't really disburse either. It seems like those who were hit might not have been seriously injured, and if they were ... the others wanted to stick around and keep an eye on things. Then, a 2nd hit.

You see another red sports car swerve into a guy and send him flying. Not even that was enough to break up the madness -- what was enough, however, were cops ... who eventually showed up, after wading through the pileup of cars blocking off the key participants.

That sent folks scrambling, but Miller notes it wasn't easy to get out of there. There was a major traffic jam as cops arrived. He also says the sideshow isn't tied to protests happening in town either -- they go down once or twice a month, especially in the summertime.

This is the greatest marriage proposal fail ever ... when a bride gets so excited she hits the gas of her powerboat ... sending her would-be groom flying in the air.

Check out the aspiring groom walking on the back of a boat ... lasering in on the unsuspecting bride-to-be who is on another boat ... separated only by a foot or so.

He pulls out a ring and she's super shocked, exclaiming, "Oh my God!!!"

Now the buzzkill. He leans in for a kiss and she accidentally hits the gas pedal.  Her legs kick up in the air, hitting him as he falls off the boat in hilarious fashion.

We're guessing since she was obliging with the kiss, she said yes.

Being a little too rah-rah backfired immediately on a college football coach calling shots for the Army -- he got headbutted by one of his own players ... who still had their helmet on.

Indeed ... ouch. This went down Saturday when a sideline coach tried congratulating an offensive lineman during a timeout, after the Army Black Knights got on the board against the Cincinnati Bearcats. This is something players often do to each other -- the distinction being ... both parties are usually still wearing helmets.

Unfortunately, this coach and lineman seemed to forget that. Check it out ... coach comes up for some sorta embrace, but the OL must've thought he wanted to go noggin-to-noggin -- 'cause he went head-first into the guy's face, knocking him back and making him stumble.

The coach is visibly disoriented as he tries to regain his composure and others around him make sure he's okay. Frankly, he might have suffered a concussion -- it was a hard hit.

#59 definitely felt bad -- you can see he stuck around too to see if his coach was alright. It's unclear if he was treated for a head injury or not, or if he just shook it off. Either way, it's a very healthy reminder that football can be dangerous ... on and off the field, apparently.

Residents of south-east Texas had more than COVID to worry about this week -- they were just told NOT to use unfiltered water ... if they didn't want their brains to turn to mush.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued a public warning Friday for several communities and cities on the outskirts of Houston, telling them to avoid drinking or using their household tap water, as it had been found to be contaminated with naegleria fowleri.

What the hell is that exactly??? Oh, nothing ... just a brain-eating amoeba that takes its sweet time munching away at your noodle. Just another day in the life of 2020.

In all seriousness ... it's pretty horrifying news. The Commission said 11 municipalities from Lake Jackson to Rosbenburg, Brazoria and tons of other towns in between should avoid drinking tap water, or even using the shower for the time being -- this after the Brazosport Water Authority informed officials that naegleria had been detected in their supply lines.

The one thing they said folks COULD still do safely and without worry ... flushing the toilet.

The good news is that by Saturday, several of those above-mentioned cities had been removed from the list as being at risk, and only Lake Jackson residents were still under the advisory's red alert. According to them, they'd flushed out the amoeba and enough scientific testing had been done to ensure it was gone in all those other areas.

Not to cast doubt, but if we were living in those other cities that were supposedly affected at first -- we might opt for bottled water for a solid minute or two ... just sayin'. Oh, and BTW, signs that the amoeba has infiltrated takes about 5 days on average to show up.

Larissa Lima says she's out of the '90 Day Fiance' universe for good -- but it's not because she wanted to leave ... it sounds like she's accusing the network of giving her the boot.

The Brazilian reality star made the announcement Saturday, which seemed to tie up a rocky week-and-a-half-plus she and her current boyfriend, Eric, have gone through ... ever since she raised a boatload of cash with a camgirl sesh, with a Kylie-esque makeover to show off.

Of course, shortly after that good fortune ... Larissa and Eric tried getting outta Dodge for the Rocky Mountains -- they said they were leaving Las Vegas and moving to Colorado Springs, presumably to start fresh. Their plans for '90 Day' were a bit unclear at the time.

Now, they're crystal clear ... because Larissa says she's out, and supposedly -- it's because TLC, which airs the series as well as its spinoffs, released her from her contract.

Larissa writes, "Dear Friends and Followers, I want to make a statement for you, I am no longer a cast member of the show '90 Day Fiance.'" She goes on to say, "Because of my show with CamSoda, I was released from my contract with TLC by phone the day before ICE arrested me." Larissa says she'll continue producing her own content on her own platforms.

As we reported ... Larissa dropped a small fortune -- upwards of $72k -- for a handful of cosmetic surgeries, all with the goal of looking as close to Kylie Jenner as possible. It would appear the investment paid off -- because we've heard her cam show raked in more than $100k for the one hour it was on. Assuming Larissa received anywhere north of half of that in her agreement with the porn company, she likely made her money back, and maybe some.

That might all be for naught, however, because we also learned ICE might be gunning to deport her after her brief detainment a week ago.