Monkeypox U.S. Asleep at the Wheel in Responding ... Report
There is growing evidence U.S. health officials ignored obvious signs monkeypox would become a health emergency, especially when it came to stockpiling vaccines.
The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services had significant stockpiles of the vaccine but simply didn't have the foresight to bottle it so it could be quickly distributed ... this according to New York Times sources.
And, there's more ... there's a small company in Denmark that manufactures the vaccine worldwide, and the U.S. was so slow in putting in orders to bottle the vaccines ... the company gave hundreds of thousands of does to European countries ... doses that had been initially earmarked for the U.S.
So now, with more than 7,000 reported cases in the U.S. and counting, the government is distributing just over a million doses, yet it will take a minimum of 3 1/2 mil minimum to fight the outbreak. And, it gets worse ... the U.S. has ordered 5.5 million additional doses, but only half a million will be delivered this year, and not until October. The rest won't be delivered until 2023.
Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, was grilled on CNN Friday about the U.S. response, and he struggled to explain why the U.S. was slow in responding.
Dr. Anne Rimoin, a UCLA professor of epidemiology, said on "TMZ Live" Thursday she has been studying monkeypox in Africa for 2 decades and this was a slow-moving train that inevitably would make its way to the U.S., yet officials were asleep at the wheel.
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Elon Musk Feds Drug Tested Me After Blazing with Joe Rogan
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Elon Musk says he fell under a government microscope after smoking weed with Joe Rogan ... claiming the feds randomly drug tested him.
The world's richest man sat down for a podcast Tuesday with the Nelk Boys, recalling the backlash he got from Uncle Sam over what he says was one measly rip from a blunt while on Rogan's show.
Remember, Elon blazed it up with Joe back in September 2018, sparking up on camera while talking about Tesla's plans for an airplane. The video went viral and then Tesla's stock briefly plummeted on the heels of the smoke sesh.
Elon says the federal response was "pretty nutty" ... explaining the problem is ganja is still illegal federally, and because he runs SpaceX -- which holds lucrative government contracts -- the feds tested him for a range of illicit drugs.
It's interesting ... Elon claims the real driving force behind the random drug tests were his SpaceX competitors, who he says pressured the feds to test his urine.
Elon's sit-down with the Nelk Boys featured a hard seltzer, but he won't have to worry about the feds hounding him over alcohol.
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Alyson Hannigan Finds Buyer For 'This Is Us' House ... With $16 Million Price Tag!!!
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Alyson Hannigan can break out the bubbly ... because she finally found a buyer for her home, which was a filming location for NBC's hit show "This Is Us."
Real estate sources tell TMZ ... the "How I Met Your Mother" star accepted an offer Thursday on her 5-bedroom estate, which she listed for $18 million.
The place is 7,605 square feet and it was featured in "This Is Us" as the home Mandy Moore's character, Rebecca, tells Justin Hartley's character, Kevin, to build in memory of Milo Ventimiglia's character, Jack.
Alyson's place was used in multiple flash-forward scenes over the final couple of seasons on the NBC show ... and she's on the record saying she liked having her digs converted into a filming set, because NBC footed the bill for a ton of repairs.
The house is a go-to for Hollywood producers ... it's also been used in "Fun With Dick and Jane," "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" and "Fractured," plus a Hyundai Super Bowl commercial starring Kevin Hart.
The estate sits on 3 acres of land in a gated community in Encino ... and includes a main residence, guest house, home gym and office space. The place is decked out with a pool, tennis court and a vegetable garden.
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The very private property is super green, too -- dotted with palm trees, orange trees, avocado trees, sycamores and succulents ... which can be seen from every room in the house.
Alyson and her husband Alexis Denisof bought the home in 2016 for $7.95M, and last month they reportedly bought a new home in Santa Monica.
Michael LaMontagna of Hilton & Hyland and Alexis LaMontagna of Coldwell Banker held the listing.
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Shannon Sharpe Betting NFL Calls Aaron Rodgers Over Psychedelics ... 'That's Not A Good Look'
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Roger Goodell could be on Aaron Rodgers' Line 1 very soon ... 'cause Shannon Sharpe says he expects the NFL commish to call the Packers star after the QB admitted to using psychedelics earlier this week.
"I'm sure the NFL is probably going to give him a call and say, 'That's not a good look,'" the Hall of Fame tight end said Thursday.
If you missed it, Rodgers said on the most recent episode of the "Aubrey Marcus Podcast" that if he hadn't had a psychedelic experience in South America after ingesting the ayahuasca plant -- which contains DMT -- he might not have won the NFL's MVP award the past two seasons.
Aaron Rodgers Credits Psychedelic Ayahuasca Plant For 'Best Season Of My Career'
Rodgers raved over the plant brew's psychoactive effects ... saying he "had a magical experience" that helped lead him to become a better person and football player.
Sharpe says he has no issues with Rodgers' trip -- though he told us out at LAX he's fairly confident the NFL probably ain't feeling the same way.
"I don't know the NFL is too happy about him taking hallucinogenics," Sharpe said ... before adding, "I'm sure the commissioner is going to reach out and have a conversation with him."
Sharpe says it's unclear to him if the NFL could ultimately punish Rodgers over it all.
But, again, the former Broncos star reiterated he's glad it all worked out for A-Rodge.
"It seems weird to me," he said, "but whatever helps a person become a better person and find his inner self -- I'm cool with it."
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Jordan On MTV's 'The Hills' 'Memba Him?!
American reality television star Jordan Eubanks was just 21 years old when he was cast to be a part of "The Hills" -- MTV's hit reality show, first airing in 2006 and taking place in Los Angeles, California.
Jordan contributed to the series' drama along with narrator and star Lauren Conrad as the fashion student who journeyed from Laguna Beach to Los Angeles, Heidi Montag as Lauren's bubbly bestie and party girl, Spencer Pratt as Heidi's 'bad boy' boyfriend and Whitney Port as Lauren's work buddy at Teen Vogue.
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Kylie Jenner Fires Back Over 'Unsanitary' Lab Photos ... I Would Never Put My Customers at Risk!!!
Kylie Jenner isn't about to let some Internet trolls rain on her cosmetics photo shoot ... calling out one poster in particular who bashed the beauty mogul for what he felt were some unsafe practices.
ICYMI, cosmetic developer Kevin James Bennett went after Kylie for posting a photo of herself in a lab coat while working with products from her beauty line. Bennett said Kylie was not only wrong, but posed a potential risk to her customers because she wasn't wearing gloves, a disposable mask or a hairnet.
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Kylie clearly saw Kevin's post, and put him in check, commenting, " ... this picture is not taken in a manufacturing facility. i would never bypass sanitary protocols and neither would any other celeb or beauty brand owner ... that's completely unacceptable i agree."
Kylie captioned her original post, "in the lab creating new magic for you guys" ... so it's possible that's why Kevin believed she was in a manufacturing facility. However, in her latest comment, she clarified she'd been, "... creating my own fun samples and taking pictures for content ..."
Her parting shot ... "shame on you kevin for spreading false information!!!!"
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Ahmaud Arbery Murderers Judge Upholds Federal Hate Crime Conviction
The 3 men found guilty of Ahmaud Arbery's murder are getting rejected by a federal judge ... who's affirmed their convictions for federal hate crimes.
Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William "Roddy" Bryan had filed motions to set aside the jury's guilty verdict, but on Thursday a federal judge told them there was "more than sufficient evidence" to nail them for the 2020 murder of Ahmaud.
Their federal convictions -- which came down in February -- were for killing Ahmaud based on his race and kidnapping. In denying their motion the judge relied on social media posts from the defendants that negatively compared Black people to white people, generally.
Specifically, the judge pointed out Gregory McMichael had posted, "all these blacks are nothing but trouble; I wish they would all die." ... and made disparaging comments about a Black tenant.
All 3 are still awaiting their sentences in the federal case, but whatever they get is more symbolic than anything after their Georgia murder convictions and sentencing. The McMichaels got life sentences with no parole, and Bryan got a life sentence with the possibility of parole.
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Alex Jones $4.1M In Damages To Sandy Hook Parents ... Jury Decides
Alex Jones' lies are going to cost him $4.1M ... an amount to be paid out to parents who lost their kids during the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary.
The decision, made Thursday by a jury in Austin, TX was for plaintiffs Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, who first requested $150M in compensatory damages when the trial started. Punitive damages will be determined during another trial.
As we reported, Jones -- who essentially said the mass shooting was a hoax -- was grilled during the trial ... during one moment that's now gone viral, an attorney for the parents revealed Jones' own legal team accidentally distributed his text messages, catching Jones in an apparent lie.
WATCH: "Spit your gum out Mr. Jones," Judge tells #AlexJones. He proceeds to tell her he had a tooth pulled and he was "massaging the hole with his tongue", then wants to show the judge. Judge, "Sit down". pic.twitter.com/Ws7ggjo1Uk
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) August 2, 2022 @cathyrusson
Other standout moments included the judge chastising Jones for a number of things, like lying ... and even chewing gum.
In closing statements, the family attorneys said "Speech is free, but lies you have to pay for" -- something that apparently resonated with the jury.
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Monkeypox Crisis Yes, It's in Gay Community Now But WHO Expert Says Brace for Spread
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President Biden's just declared monkeypox a public health emergency, and while it's already having a huge impact on gay communities, it could quickly spread outside that bubble ... according to a doctor on the front lines.
Dr. Anne Rimoin, a UCLA professor of epidemiology, joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" and revealed there's already been a spill-over between communities in the U.S., and that won't stop unless we take appropriate action.
She explains "an infection anywhere can be an infection anywhere" -- meaning, it's time for ALL Americans to draw the line before the virus becomes more prevalent in society, in general.
The World Health Organization's put Dr. Rimoin on its Emergency Committee to tackle the monkeypox crisis, and she says this virus has been a simmering problem for years in Africa ... where she's been doing research since the early 2000s.
She recalls a 2017 outbreak in Nigeria and the symptoms were different from the ones she'd seen prior, showing how it can mutate over time.
In Dr. Rimoin's eyes, we've been making the mistake of not caring because it was outside our borders ... but now, as more than 6,000 people in the country have been diagnosed since mid-May, she's hoping all alarms are finally ringing.
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Ne-Yo Wife Files for Divorce ... Says He Had Kid with Another Woman
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Ne-Yo's wife is putting an end to the couple's marriage ... filing for divorce, and claiming the singer recently fathered a child with another woman.
Crystal Renay -- who married Ne-Yo in February 2016 -- filed divorce docs earlier this week in Atlanta saying the couple's marriage is "irretrievably broken with no hope for reconciliation."
What's most shocking, Smith says that while she and Ne-Yo have three children together of their own -- he recently fathered a child with another woman. Crystal lists the couple's date of separation as July 22, 2022 ... and says she's been taking care of the three kids since the split.
Crystal is asking for primary physical custody of the kids and joint legal custody -- she's also asking for child support and alimony.
Ne-Yo and Crystal have had their ups and downs over the years, she filed for divorce back in 2020 but later withdrew her petition. TMZ broke the story, the two celebrated their love once again in 2022 in Vegas with a "second" wedding.
Something tells us there won't be a third.
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Machine Gun Kelly Tour Bus Vandalized With Homophobic Slur
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2:42 PM PT -- MGK just got on Instagram to address the vandalism, letting whoever did it know they got the "wrong" bus, and making fun of them for staying up til nearly 5 AM to carry out the crime.
Machine Gun Kelly is not getting a warm welcome on his tour stop in Nebraska ... one of his buses was just tagged with graffiti, including a homophobic slur.
As you can see, someone spray-painted both sides of MGK's red tour bus ... with one side reading, "RAP DEVIL F*****." The other has an image of a penis ejaculating along the side of the bus.
MGK is playing a show Thursday at CHI Health Center in Omaha ... and folks who are there say the bus was tagged while it was parked on a curb downtown.
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The rapper's brought at least 4 tour buses to Omaha ... one yellow, one red, one blue and one green ... but it appears only the red bus was tagged.
It's the latest incident on MGK's cross-country tour, where his opener is Willow Smith ... as we reported, a fan fainted in the crowd during Willow's set on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, but she stopped the show until the fan was moved to safety.
Originally Published -- 11:17 AM PT
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Hockey Player Kicks Opponent In Face With Skate ... Cops Investigating
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A hockey player from an adult league in Canada straight-up kicked an opponent in the face with his skate during a mid-game scuffle ... and the incident was so reckless, police now tell TMZ Sports they're investigating it all.
The scary scene happened during an Adult Safe Hockey League game on July 29th at Scotia Barn in Burnaby.
You can see in the video from the arena, two players from opposing teams were fighting each other in the 3rd period ... when, suddenly, one of the guys appeared to intentionally kick the other with the blade of his skate.
The player wearing a #90 jersey immediately fell onto the ice and covered his face. His teammates, meanwhile, went after the kick suspect before refs ultimately intervened. The guy was issued a penalty, and ejected from the game.
The Burnaby Royal Canadian Mounted Police tells us the victim received medical treatment for injuries he suffered from the kick -- adding that they've since launched an investigation.
"Burnaby RCMP is continuing to investigate the circumstances and actions that led to the player’s injuries," the officials said.
"Burnaby RCMP is in possession of video showing one angle of the incident, which has been collected as evidence. Investigators are still in the process of speaking with players and witnesses."
In addition to the ejection, the kick suspect also received an indefinite suspension from the ASHL, which said in a statement, "The conduct and on-ice behaviour depicted in the video in no way aligns with the values of our league and the rules of the game."
"While we acknowledge that the total prevention of incidents like this is not possible, we will continue to ensure that such incidents are treated with appropriate supplemental discipline, including the potential for a player to be permanently expelled from the league."
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Malia Obama All Smiles While Out With Mystery Man ... Date To Museum?!
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Malia Obama is taking in all the sights and attractions L.A. has to offer ... this time joined by a mystery male companion, who's got Malia grinning from ear to ear.
Malia and her pal were spotted on a trip Wednesday to The Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Planned or not -- Malia and her friend sported some similar colors in their outfits -- she wore teal pants and he chose shorts.
Unclear if the pair are just friends or something more ... but both certainly seemed content, sporting big smiles.
Malia's been in L.A. a lot lately, she's previously interned with film studios -- so it's possible she's continuing to work in the biz -- and SoCal is certainly the spot for it.
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Mark Zuckerberg Signed Little League Card Going Up For Auction ... Nothin' Quite Like It!!!
Mark Zuckerberg was apparently a baseball star for a very small part of his life, and a signed piece of that history is hitting the auction block.
The card's being sold at auction by ComicConnect.com in September ... it's allegedly been held by one of Mark's old camp counselors all these years.
Allie Tarantino remembers Mark standing out amongst the rest at Elmwood Day Camp in Westchester, NY back in 1992. Allie had an extensive baseball card collection, so when the 9-year-old kid came up to him with one of his own, he knew it had to get signed.
Since Mark's rise to the top, Allie's used the card as a big talking point in conversations, of course -- he decided to sell it off to help with his kids' college funds.
Collectibles expert Stephen Fishler, says it's tough to value because there's nothing like it --they're opening the bid at $1, but it'll be an unpredictable fight to the top. It will also be auctioned as an NFT.
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Rookie cards seem to be all the rage right now, at least as far as price points go -- one of Lebron James recently sold for a whopping $5.2M!!!
FYI -- Zuck's stats are great, too ... the 48-pound infielder hit 23 of 25 at-bats that season, cleaning up with an impressive .920.
We know who should be taking the plate at the next Meta company baseball game!!!
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Brittney Griner Sentenced To 9 Years In Russian Prison ... Biden Slams Ruling
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8:41 AM PT -- President Joe Biden has just slammed the ruling ... calling the sentence "unacceptable" -- and vowing to do everything in his power to get Griner home soon.
"I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates," Biden said in a statement released by the White House on Thursday.
"My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible."
8:26 AM PT -- Griner has just been sentenced to nine years behind bars in the case. She was also slapped with a 1 million rubles fine (about $16,300). She will have the opportunity to appeal.
In all likelihood, Griner won’t serve the sentence in its entirety. U.S. and Russian officials have been negotiating a prisoner swap that would reportedly include a Russian arms dealer nicknamed "The Merchant of Death."
8:06 AM PT -- A Russian judge just announced Griner has been found guilty of the charges against her. The WNBA superstar's sentencing is expected to be revealed shortly.
Brittney Griner was emotional in Russian court on Thursday ... apologizing for "my mistake that I made," while pleading with the judge to hand down a light sentence.
Griner issued the mea culpa at another hearing in her drug case ... telling the Moscow courtroom she was deeply sorry for inadvertently packing hashish oil in her luggage back in mid-February.
"I want to apologize to my teammates, my club, my fans and the city of [Yekaterinburg] for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them," the WNBA superstar said.
"I want to also apologize to my parents, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury organization back at home, the amazing women of the WNBA, and my amazing spouse back at home."
According to Associated Press reporters on the scene, Griner -- wearing a gray T-shirt and dark pants -- appeared to be very emotional while saying she was sorry.
Griner later urged the judge to take it easy on her when her sentence is eventually handed down ... saying she hopes the ruling "does not end my life.”
Prosecutors, though, reportedly argued in the courtroom Thursday that Griner did intentionally bring the cannabis oil ... and urged the judge to sentence the 31-year-old to 9.5 years behind bars. They also reportedly argued Griner should be hit with a big fine.
The judge is expected to make a ruling in the case as early as Thursday afternoon.
As we reported, Griner pleaded guilty to the drug charges against her last month. She's facing a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars.
U.S. officials, meanwhile, have classified her as wrongfully detained ... and have confirmed they've made Russia a substantial trade offer to ultimately bring her home.
Originally Published -- 7:32 AM PT
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Breonna Taylor Cops Charged in Her Death ... Civil Rights Violations
The U.S. Department of Justice just made a significant move in the investigation into the police raid that resulted in the killing of Breonna Taylor ... charging several officers involved that day and in the events leading up.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced charges Thursday against four former and current Lousiville cops. Charges include unconstitutional use of force, unlawful conspiracies, civil rights offenses and others.
Brett Hankison, a former detective is said to have "willfully used unconstitutionally excessive force ... when he fired his service weapon into Taylor's apartment through a covered window and covered glass door."
Ex-Detective Joshua Jaynes, and Detective Kelly Goodlett and Sergeant Kyle Meany were charged with submitting a false affidavit to search Breonna's apartment and then allegedly put together a "false cover story in an attempt to escape responsibility for their roles in preparing the warrant affidavit that contained false information."
It was back in March 2020 when officers stormed Breonna's apartment in a forced-entry, shooting and killing the emergency room technician.
Hankison had previously been charged in connection with Breonna's death ... but those charges were later dropped.