President Trump's highly touted Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza at Mount Rushmore isn't coming cheap -- it will cost the country well over half a million bucks ... and could cause a spike in coronavirus cases to boot.
The July 3 celebration with be the first at the South Dakota landmark since 2009 due to environmental issues, and Trump's really hyping it up ... while ignoring the COVID-19 related risks of gathering thousands for a fireworks display.
Nevertheless, POTUS and the First Lady Melania will travel to Rushmore Friday to take in the celebration ... which TMZ's learned has a price tag of nearly $600k, if not more.
According to federal procurement docs ... an environmental consulting service called Ero Resources Corporation was paid $138,800 to work on the event. Another consulting company got over $30k for permit review and display inspection, while a protective services business landed nearly $33k to provide security and screening.
But, that's not all ... the docs show nearly $30k spent on National Fire Protection Association code consultation ... and about $3,500 on portable toilets.
Add it all up and that's $234,247, and THEN tack on the $350k paid to a California company called Pyro Spectaculars for the actual fireworks show ... and the total is $584,247.
And, keep in mind ... this doesn't even factor in the scheduled flyover!!!
Also, if you aren't aware ... social distancing won't be enforced at the large gathering -- according to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who worked with Trump to make it happen -- despite the fact COVID cases are on the rise across the U.S.
Gov. Noem says free face masks will be given out to those who want them, but "we won't be social distancing. We're asking them to come, be ready to celebrate, to enjoy the freedoms and the liberties that we have in this country."
America's top doc in the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has some sage words of advice for those who wanna get outta dodge for the long Fourth of July weekend.
We got Dr. Tony on Capitol Hill -- where he was masked and on the move -- and asked what factors make a vacation safe ... and unsafe.
Fauci, as always, makes solid points. It depends on where you live and the COVID rate of infection. Makes sense, because if you live in a spike state and you and your family have been out and about, then maybe think twice about leaving.
The good doc also says you have to look at where you want to go ... what's the level of infection. And, of course, no matter what, masks folks ... and social distancing.
Dr. Charles Sophy -- one of the leading psychiatrists in the country - has a scary outlook on the direction America's heading -- downright terrifying -- but on the bright side ... he thinks we can turn it around.
The famous shrink joined "TMZ Live" Friday, and we wanted to know ... why all the craziness right now?! It seems even the smallest thing sends people into a rage.
Unfortunately, Dr. Sophy thinks it's gonna get worse ... because we're in a perfect storm of chaos.
The way the doc describes it, people are lashing out because they feel contained, caged, and they don't have control of their lives ... due largely in part to COVID-19, but also because of the ever-pronounced divisions in this country.
The question no one can answer -- what will the next 6 months hold? Scary to even ponder.
The face mask controversy is officially everywhere, because even nudist resorts are requiring guests to cover up -- a decision that's chapping some bare asses.
Now, while most nude resort visitors are taking the one piece of clothing rule in stride, there are some naked naysayers shouting down the face mask. Among their gripes ... mask tan lines, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The Solair Recreation League, a clothing-free resort in Connecticut, says it prides itself on a "no tan lines" motto, so it's been a difficult adjustment, and some guests have complained.
But, let's get to the bottom line here ... as posed by the Cypress Cove Nudist Resort in Kissimmee, FL -- "If you’re wearing a face mask, are you really nude?"
Apparently, that's a big hangup for many, who feel it's their right to be completely in the buff if they are at a nudist resort, and there should be no exceptions. You get the point ... face mask face-offs are brewing at nude joints.
WATCH: Saturday night dinner at Saltgrass Steakhouse in Little Rock turned violent after one customer was upset about the lack of social distancing. Hear from someone who saw it all go down tonight on @KARK4News and @FOX16News Warning: profanity is used. pic.twitter.com/wsez397453
Let's hope they don't end with the kind of madness we've already seen around the country -- no one wants to see broken bottles and nudists rolling around in a fight. Right? Okay, maybe that's just us.
Still, most guests are complying for the greater good, and even better news -- their naked bods are getting a greater dose of vitamin D than most ... which scientists have said helps ya fight COVID.
10:36 AM PT -- Vanilla Ice just canceled his performance in Austin ... saying he didn't know the numbers were so crazy in Austin. The rapper said the concert had been booked a long time ago, but with cases spiking in Texas and across the nation, Vanilla Ice says the best thing to do right now is cancel it and keep everyone safe. Good call.
Vanilla Ice is offering fans a warning -- come see my concert at your own risk, cuz it could cost you your life, but the local health department's going even further ... saying stay away from his show.
The "Ice Ice Baby" rapper is set to perform Friday night at Emerald Point Bar & Grill in the popular tourist spot of Lake Travis ... 30 minutes outside of downtown Austin. The concert's being dubbed The Independence Day Throwback Beach Party at a multi-tier outdoor venue that can host as many as 5,000 fans -- but due to social distancing, they're only selling 2,500 tickets.
Fans wanting to buy tix are hit with a warning: “Important notice re COVID-19: Please note any interaction with the general public poses an elevated risk of being exposed to COVID-19 and we cannot guarantee that you will not be exposed while in attendance at the event. The event organizer is solely responsible for the health and safety of this event. We encourage you to follow the organizer’s safety policies, as well as local laws and restrictions.”
That warning isn't cutting it with the Travis County Health Dept. ... whose spokesperson, Jen Samp, tells TMZ ... "This is not wise regardless of who is performing at any gathering right now. The best way to be nostalgic is by protecting your parents and grandparents and staying home."
The "nostalgic line" is a clear shot at Ice's IG post promoting the concert.
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The rapper posted this video over the weekend showing packed concertgoers. He captioned the video, "I can’t wait to get back to this. The 90s were the best. We didn’t have coronavirus, or cell phones, or computers. We had 5.0‘s, blockbuster, Beavis and Butthead, Wayne’s world, Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. And Mortal Kombat is still better than fortnight but we got out of the house, We danced, we invented house parties in the 90s. The last of the great decades."
Samp isn't getting sucked in by all that '90s talk. She's flat-out saying, "Don't go to this concert. If you do go to the concert or anywhere else publicly, wear a mask and socially distance, have sanitizer in your pocket and wash your hands every time you arrive at a new place."
She added the fact people will be drinking booze, means they'll be less aware of their actions ... like touching their faces and forgetting to wash hands.
Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott's recently ordered all bars closed and capped restaurant capacity to 50 percent. The order comes on the heels of the state hitting a new record of cases ... with 8,076 reported Wednesday. Hospitalizations have also reached dangerous levels.
Emerald Point Bar & Grill -- which, BTW, is hosting other music acts the entire weekend -- remains open because technically it's considered a restaurant.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's gonna like this ... all operating gyms in Los Angeles County are now requiring members to wear face coverings and gloves AT ALL TIMES on the property.
Gyms across the city were forced to alert members of the new rules after an announcement by the L.A. County Dept of Public Health Wednesday. Members will now have to wear masks and use gloves as soon as they step foot inside the gym, including while working out.
Effective July 1 until further notice, all patrons and staff of gyms and fitness centers must wear face coverings and gloves. pic.twitter.com/JqtDwGfI8u
It's a huge change ... previously, most gyms in L.A. -- including Equinox -- did NOT require members to wear masks or gloves while overexerting themselves with weights and cardio ... which is crazy, because that's when COVID can most effectively spread.
Equinox members got an email Wednesday night announcing the change ... which came just a day after a scathing undercover report by local news about the lack of masks worn by members ... a report which included trainers who said they were scared to death to go inside the gym.
TMZ broke the story ... Arnold refused to go inside his favorite gym -- Gold's in Venice -- just last month when he learned face coverings weren't required.
Workouts just got even sweatier -- and, hopefully, safer.
The NBA's reboot just got really real ... both LeBron James and Anthony Davis made their returns to Lakers practice Wednesday -- and they look GOOOOOOOOODDDDD!!!
The team announced their superstars' comebacks in a sick highlight video Wednesday night ... showing shirtless Bron getting after it in the weight room and getting buckets on the hardwood.
Davis' jumper looked wet as well ... and the Lakers captioned it all with a subtle, "And we back."
The vid is FINALLY a breath of fresh air for the NBA ... lately, it's been nothing but pessimism toward the restart as COVID-19 cases rise and players continue to question if there should even be a season.
But, LeBron's maintained throughout this offseason that the league SHOULD play ... and as Clippers star Pat Beverleytweeted last month, "If @KingJames said he hooping. We all hooping."
The Lake Show is the prohibitive favorite heading into Orlando's bubble -- King James' squad had the best record in the West before teams suspended operations back in March.
And, after seeing the new clips ... you really ready to bet against LeBron in the return?!
Finally, some good news for Novak Djokovic -- the tennis star and his wife have seemingly beaten COVID-19 ... just 10 days after announcing they tested positive.
The #1 ranked player in the world has been under fire after hosting a tennis tourney in Croatia last month with essentially ZERO social distancing efforts. He also hit the nightclubs with several participants.
Several people involved later tested positive for COVID-19 ... including Novak, his wife and other tennis pros.
But now, Novak's media team says his family is in the clear-- "Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena are negative for COVID-19. That was shown by the results of the PCR tests that both had in Belgrade."
Novak -- who insisted he never displayed coronavirus symptoms -- later apologized for his actions.
"I am extremely sorry for each individual case of infection. I hope that it will not complicate anyone's health situation and that everyone will be fine."
"We organized the tournament at the moment when the virus has weakened, believing that the conditions for hosting the Tour had been met."
Is Marv Albert opting out of the NBA restart in Orlando? YESSS!
The 79-year-old broadcasting legend says it's just too risky to travel to the Walt Disney World bubble environment in Orlando with the pandemic surging -- and therefore will NOT be a part of TNT's on-site coverage.
Albert told the Post he got a call from Turner Sports boss Jeff Zucker about the move -- and even joked about his own age.
"He said to me, 'Maybe this is something you should skip in my age bracket,'" Albert said while joking, "I’d like to point out to you that 79 is the new 78.”
The good news ... Albert WILL contribute to the NBA broadcasts from a remote location -- he just won't be doing the play-by-play from the sidelines.
Of course, this is all contingent on the season actually starting again -- but with the new wave of positive COVID tests sweeping through the league, commish Adam Silver admits there's a chance things could get shut down before the July 31 tip-off date.
Just recently, several players have tested positive -- including DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jabari Parker and more.
Major League Soccer says its players are NOT getting the Fyre Festival treatment inside the Disney bubble -- claiming the players who posted sad sandwich pics are NOT inside the restricted area.
Toronto FC defender Omar Gonzalez posted a pic Tuesday showing an "MLS Is Back" In-Room dining menu which describes some delicious-looking, expensive food options ($65 for lunch!) ... cut next to an unimpressive sando in a brown box.
He tweeted out, "Yummm" ... leading people to believe the widely-touted Disney bubble was looking more like a sham than a glamorous experience.
Omar's teammate Eriq Zavaleta added fuel to the fire by posting another unappetizing sandwich pic. Not a great look.
But, our MLS sources tell us ... those two players are not yet in Orlando -- they're still in Toronto.
The league is unsure who shot the photos -- but reps say the food was served at a quarantine site OUTSIDE the official bubble where players are required to stay for 10 to 12 hours until they are cleared to enter.
There is basic food service at the quarantine site -- like sandwiches, etc -- but since it's essentially a layover spot, the food service isn't as robust.
Once players are allowed into the Walt Disney World bubble environment, it's a completely different story.
We're told players will get "banquet meal" service served in their club meal rooms -- and so far, the feedback on the food has been super positive.
Also, all players will have access to 4 restaurants in the bubble -- including Shula’s Steak House, Todd English Bluezoo, Il Mulino, and Kimonos sushi restaurant.
We're also told, "Players do not pay for meals."
So, yeah ... the travel meal might not be the fanciest food in the world, but MLS insists they're not pulling a Billy McFarland.
D.L. Hughley's got a good idea where he picked up the coronavirus, and even without experiencing any symptoms ... he's pretty sure he passed it on to his radio show staff too.
The comedian tells us he's recovered from COVID-19 and is in the last days of self-quarantine, and while the virus probably contributed to his on-stage collapse last month at a Nashville comedy club ... he says he's remained asymptomatic -- before and after diagnosis.
Unfortunately, as health experts have warned, it seems that's also the reason D.L. spread the virus to his team ... making him a "regular Typhoid Mary," as he put it.
TMZ.com
Hughley says he was in Dallas for a few days -- where COVID precautions were a bit more lax -- but returned to do his radio show on Tuesday, June 16. A few days later ... he had the scary incident at Zanies Comedy Club, and subsequently tested positive for coronavirus.
He tells us everyone he came in contact with on that Tuesday has since tested positive, as well -- except for his daughter -- but it sounds like, so far, everyone's gonna be okay.
Meanwhile, D.L.'s promoting his new book, 'Surrender, White People!' ... which tackles centuries of white supremacy in America -- and ends with a very unique plan for peace. We'll let him explain, but you might wanna look up your closest Magic Johnson Theater.
"If you want the return of college football this year, wear a face covering."
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams is using future Saturday gamedays to try to get Americans to start consistently wearing masks ... saying straight-up if people do it, college football can come back.
Adams made the comments Tuesday ... saying nose-and-mouth coverings are proven to help slow the spread of coronavirus -- and could be the key to football returning in the fall.
"Please, please, please wear a face covering when you go out in public," Adams said. "It is not an inconvenience, it is not a suppression of your freedom. It actually is a vehicle to achieve our goals."
Adams added, "If you want to see North Carolina beat Duke in person this year, wear a face covering."
Clearly, the sports world agrees with the doc ... the Saints issued a mask PSA with Sean Payton this week -- writing with a photoshopped pic of their head coach, "Do your job."
A British journalist reporting live from home got yanked back into the field of family life during her broadcast -- and it's freakin' adorable ... even if the anchor didn't think so.
Sky News' foreign affairs editor, Deborah Haynes, was live on the air Wednesday with presenter Mark Austin -- and they were talking shop about a new law across the pond that'll allow millions of people in Hong Kong to -- y'know what, let's just get to Deborah's cute kid.
Her young son -- who can't be more than 5 -- storms into the room she's doing her live shot from ... and saunters over to bring something of the utmost importance to her attention -- biscuits. Highest priority!!!
Deborah handled the situation as gracefully as she could, excusing herself from the chat for a moment to address her boy's pressing concerns ... namely, if he could have 3 biscuits.
She haggled and gave him the okay for 2 -- but by then, the camera had cut back to Mark in the studio and he was already moving on, seemingly irritated by the interruption. He kept it relatively chill too though, saying that's what happens when reporting amid a lockdown.
Of course, that phenomenon isn't specific to coronavirus or WFH, per se -- and the Brits oughta know that first-hand. This reminds us of another very famous/very funny kid-trusion a few years back that happened live on the BBC, before COVID-19 was running rampant.
American professor Robert Kelly was doing a live shot from home to dish on South Korean policy, when his own two young children sashayed into the room ... only to have his wife fly in after them and yank them out.
Deb's sitter must've been busy with the tea downstairs or something here.
'Rona-truthers have infiltrated the Lone Star State -- here's a Texas woman melting down at a 7-Eleven over their mask policy ... only here, she left behind a gross remnant to mark her territory.
The woman is trying to buy a rack of Miller Lite -- but the front counter clerk won't let her check out because she's not wearing a face covering. She starts throwing a tantrum, and it's all downhill from there.
The guy points out the obvious ... she doesn't have a mask. She agrees, flabbergasted that he won't sell her the beer because of it. He stands firm though, saying it's the convenience store's policy to have one on while shopping, and that pisses her off even more.
The woman says the amount of time he's wasting is probably spreading more germs than if he would just let her purchase the booze and be on her way -- and his response is ... buy a mask here. The lady absolutely refuses to do so, starting to proclaim ... well, 'MURICA!!!
In the latter half of the video, the woman continues to escalate the situation ... outright spitting on the counter before storming out. The 7-Eleven guy keeps his cool throughout.
@ItsRellzWorld/Twitter
No word on whether this got to the point of getting cops involved, or if things ended here. In any case, it's another example of would-be freedom fighters pushing back with all their might against a simple policy that even some of Trump's closest allies are starting to follow.
It's also proving once more ... the mask-less are not getting much shopping done these days.
"Certainly if we had a lot of cases, we are going to stop. You cannot run from this virus."
That's NBA commissioner Adam Silver acknowledging his plan to continue the season in Orlando could hit a huge speed bump if players and staff continue to test positive for COVID.
And, with concern growing, Silver addressed the issues Tuesday during an appearance on 'TIME 100 Talks' ... saying he's still "pretty confident" the season will happen, but nothing is certain.
"We and our players together with their union, look at the data on a daily basis. If there were something to change that was outside of the scope of what we are playing for, certainly, we would revisit our plans."
"We are testing daily," Silver continued ... "We haven't put a precise number on it, but if we were to see a large number of cases and see spread in our community, that would, of course, be a cause to stop as well."
Silver says the league has a team of medical and science experts to help guide them through the pandemic plan.
Still, Silver believes the bubble environment at Walt Disney World in Orlando will still be relatively safe.
"I am absolutely convinced that it will be safer on this campus than off this campus because there aren't many situations that I am aware of where there is mass testing of asymptomatic employees," Silver said.
"In some ways, this is maybe a model for how other industries can ultimately open. But, I am only going to say we will be responsible and watch what is happening, but the biggest indicator will be if we begin to see a spread in our community."
The NBA season is set to tip-off on July 31 -- but some teams are planning to begin travel to Orlando as early as July 7.
For the first time since 1901 ... there will be ZERO Minor League Baseball games played this year ... with the league officially announcing the 2020 season has been scrapped due to coronavirus.
MiLB made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon ... saying, Major League Baseball will not be providing Minor League teams with players for the 2020 season ... officially sticking a fork in any hopes of salvaging some games.
MiLB president Pat O'Conner released a statement on the decision, saying, "These are unprecedented times for our country and our organization as this is the first time in our history that we've had a summer without Minor League Baseball played."
"While this is a sad day for many, this announcement removes the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 season and allows our teams to begin planning for an exciting 2021 season of affordable family entertainment."
Of course, the MLB has finally come up with a 60-game plan to return to the diamond ... and hopes to have Opening Day on July 23-24.
