Coronavirus

It seems every doctor or scientist from Dr. Fauci on down is URGING people NOT to celebrate Thanksgiving, but based on our unscientific survey, folks don't seem to be listening.

We called around the country to various supermarket chains ... and turkey sales are pretty much the same they were last year, and in some cases, even more birds are going to have their gooses cooked.

-- Star Market in Boston has sold roughly the same number of turkeys as last year. And, get this ... they sold 30% more large turkeys this year, at least so far.

-- Stop & Shop in New York City has sold out all of its smaller birds -- we're talking 900 turkeys. The larger turkeys are not flying off the shelves. This could be a good sign that people aren't planning super-large gatherings.

-- Wegmans in Princeton, New Jersey has also seen an increase in smaller turkeys over last year. Again, maybe a sign of smaller gatherings.

-- Jewel-Osco market in Chicago is seeing the same number of turkeys sold this year as last, but small turkeys seem to be selling faster than larger ones.

-- Hy-Ve market in Minneapolis again says they're selling the same number of turkeys this year as last.

-- Giant Eagle Supermarket in Pittsburgh is also seeing the same number sold this year as last.

-- Kroger Fresh Fare in Dallas has seen a 20% increase in turkey sales this year as compared to last. They've actually sold out and are waiting for another shipment of 1,000 birds.

-- Whole Foods in New Orleans is seeing the same sales this year as last.

-- Publix in Atlanta has sold more turkeys -- both big and small -- this year compared to last.

-- Ralphs in Los Angeles is seeing the same rate of turkey sales this year as last.  They're almost sold out of small turkeys but larger birds are also selling well.

-- Albertsons in Kingston, Washington has seen an increase in smaller turkeys. The larger turkeys are not selling well.

-- Smart & Final in Phoenix is seeing an increase in turkey sales -- both big and small -- over last year. They fill their shelves with 8 cases of turkeys at a time and they sell out in just 4 hours.

Matt Stafford's wife is apologizing once again for unloading on government officials for imposing more lockdowns during the pandemic ... saying of her rant, "I couldn't have said it any worse."

If you missed it ... Kelly Stafford -- who's been married to the Detroit Lions star QB since 2015 -- went ballistic last week over Michigan's latest COVID restrictions.

In her tirade, which she posted on her social media page, Kelly said the new lockdown rules imposed by governor, Gretchen Whitmer, felt like a "dictatorship" ... and she pled with officials to just open everything back up.

"I understand there’s a pandemic, and I understand it’s very scary. I’m scared of it, too. If you are at risk, do not leave your house until there’s a vaccine," Stafford said.

"But, shutting down all these small businesses, things that people have worked their life for, shutting them down again is not the answer. Because they will not make it."

Kelly's comments were met with immediate backlash ... and it grew so loud, the 31-year-old apologized just hours later.

And, on Monday, Kelly felt the need to backpedal off her comments yet again ... saying sorry in a lengthy post on her Instagram.

"I know where my heart was, but no matter, it should have never been said," Kelly wrote. "I was feeling frustrated and emotional..And in that moment, I said the wrong thing."

"In doing so, I overlooked so many important people that wake up every day to help all of us. Those in our hospitals -- doctors and nurses -- who are tired and scared, but put all of that to the side and continue to be relentless in fighting this pandemic every day. And the families who are watching their loved ones fight or the families who have a loved one who has lost the fight -- I truly am sorry."

Kelly continued, "I directed my frustration to the wrong thing. I used a word that made it political, when this is, in the end, about people. I do worry about people losing their businesses/livelihood and employees being laid off..not knowing how they are gonna get by but this on a grand-scale, is about the health and safety of everyone. Our family will do our part to help others through this and, as always, do what is recommended to keep people safe."

Dabo Swinney is FURIOUS Florida State canceled its game with Clemson on Saturday ... saying straight-up he thinks the Seminoles used coronavirus as an excuse to back out.

"This game was not canceled because of COVID," the Tigers head coach said Sunday. "COVID was just an excuse to cancel the game."

If you missed it, Florida State and Clemson were scheduled to kick off Saturday ... when it was revealed a Tigers player -- who had made the trip with the team to Tallahassee, FL for the game -- had tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.

Dabo says the team followed all the proper protocols and believed, despite the test, no one else was affected by the virus and the game should've still gone on.

But, FSU officials, citing the health and safety of their players, decided it was best to NOT play ... and canceled the matchup.

Dabo, speaking in-depth about the decision on Sunday, absolutely railroaded the school for the choice ... insinuating the 'Noles (a HUGE underdog in the game) simply just didn't want to play Clemson.

"The standard to cancel a game was not met," Dabo said. "A guy testing positive on a Friday does not cancel a game."

The coach continued, "We offered to test again. Play Saturday night. Sunday. Monday. And it was declined. We met the standard to play, and we should've played."

The ACC is trying to figure out a way to reschedule the game ... but Dabo made it clear if FSU doesn't reimburse the Tigers for travel expenses -- which were reportedly in the $300,000 range -- he ain't playin' it.

"To me, the Florida State administration forfeited the game," Swinney said. "And if they want to play Clemson, in my opinion, they need to come to Clemson or they need to pay for all expenses."

"Other than that, there's no reason for us to play them. We were there, we were ready and we met the standards."

Bad Bunny fans now know why he didn't perform at the American Music Awards ... he's got the 'Rona.

The reggaeton superstar was originally scheduled to perform Sunday night at the AMAs, but he was MIA ... and fans started speculating COVID-19 may have been the reason why. Their suspicions were confirmed Monday by Bad Bunny's people.

There's never a good time to catch the coronavirus, but this was particularly bad for Bad Bunny -- he was supposed to perform "Dakiti" -- his #1 hit with Jhay Cortez -- for the first time.

It wasn't all bad news for Bad Bunny. He still did part of the show virtually from his L.A. crib -- as he announced the winner for Favorite Female Artist in the Latin category, which went to Becky G.

One of President Trump's supporters is facing criminal charges after being caught on tape coughing on someone without a mask on -- and it happened on 45's own turf, no less.

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ ... 61-year-old Raymond Deskins has been charged with misdemeanor simple assault and was released on a summons -- this after somebody got a citizen's warrant from a country magistrate.

All of that follows what was captured on video Saturday at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, VA -- just outside of D.C. -- when a man, believed to be Deskins, was seen arguing with a protester ... and then forcefully coughing on her.

In the clip, the man isn't wearing a face mask or covering of any kind ... and he seems to do the exaggerated coughing/blowing in the woman's direction after she makes a fuss about him being too close to her and expressing COVID concerns.

At first, LCSO told us since cops weren't on the scene and didn't see this first-hand -- and because the video didn't quite capture everything unfold in its entirety -- their hands were tied as far as arresting anyone after both parties claimed assault.

So, as a temporary fix, we're told the man and woman in the video were instructed to run to court and get a warrant themselves ... apparently, only the woman followed through thus far. It's unclear what spurred Deskins' assault claim.

Two noteworthy things about this -- this appears to be one of the rare instances of somebody coughing on another person on purpose (outside of a law enforcement officer, which we've seen) and getting rung up on charges for it. It hardly happens.

A bunch of free-spirited sex revelers had their good time cut short by cops in the Big Apple -- an interesting contrast to another attempted New York bust gone bad.

The NYC Sheriff's Office busted in and broke up an underground swingers club early Sunday morning in Queens ... which is said to have been hosting upwards of 80 people -- a big no-no under Gov. Cuomo's new 10-person-or-less rule.

Sure enough, there was a rager going down -- music was blasting and people were mingling and sipping on booze, which the Sheriff's Office says was being illegally served. Oh, and there were some people making whoopee too ... all together.

The cops say they found three couples having sex in a small room -- apparently, this swinger joint -- which goes by Caligula, of all names -- has services for that if you're looking to get busy. The Sheriff's Office even snapped a shot of one of those rooms, plus a price sheet going over rates, and what looks like a box of condoms!

All in all, two organizers and one patron were charged with misdemeanors -- and the place was cleared out. The NYP reports that the manager was hit with lots of fines ... which amounted to about $16,000 for violating emergency measures issued by the state. The guy reportedly also got dinged for booze infractions.

This is almost a complete 180 from what went down in neighboring Buffalo just the night prior -- when Sheriff's deputies and county health workers tried barging in on a packed business meeting to shut it down, only to get chased off by the mob.

Folks struggling with the pandemic and all of its fallout got a big break Saturday, with celebs and others pitching in to help feed those in need.

The Feed Your City Event is 10-events strong, and it was held in numerous U.S. cities.  Among them ... Compton, where Dr. Dre, music industry icon Tony Draper and retired NBA star Ricky Davis sponsored the event in Compton.

The event is timed around Thanksgiving, where people could get free groceries including, of course, turkeys. This year the giveaway includes PP supplies.

The event was COVID-safe, with a one-lane drive-thru and another line for walk-ups.  Everyone socially distanced and masks were plentiful.

Also involved in organizing the event ... Compton Mayor Aja Brown, Power 106 and 93.5 KDAY.

David Spade must be struggling, because he's apparently auditioning for the job of TMZ photog ... and he's so good he may get a callback!!!

David put his cellphone to questionable use Saturday, when he interviewed a squirrel about the pandemic. The critter was very tight-lipped -- probably because his mouth was filled with nuts. Nevertheless, David peppered it with questions ... some of them questionable.

Note to David ... it's okay to ask the squirrel about lockdowns, but asking the rodent to talk smack on Fauci -- well, that crosses the line.

David persists, but the squirrel isn't having it and scampers off into the field.

Light at the end of the tunnel!!! Maybe. Because there's now a plan to vaccinate like crazy and get this country back to something that resembles normal by May, 2021.

Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientific advisor to Operation Warp Speed, told Jake Tapper Sunday on CNN, the drug companies -- notably Pfizer and Moderna -- are ready to ship out millions of doses of their vaccines as early as December 11, the day after anticipated FDA approval.

Dr. Slaoui went on to say 20 million doses would be shipped out in December, and 30 million a month thereafter. When you do the math, by May ... around half the country would be vaccinated and the good Doc thinks that opens the door to a restoration of normal life.

The problem ... May could be the sunset month for the vaccine, since half the country seems opposed to getting the shot. Nonetheless, if the vaccines do indeed provide 95% protection from the virus -- and especially if you choose the people with whom you interact face-to-face based on their inoculation status ... there would be reason to feel relatively safe from COVID.

Two Oxford scientists have skewered Facebook, claiming the company is engaged in anti-democratic censorship by flagging their article on mask-wearing "false information."

Professor Carl Heneghan and Dr. Tom Jefferson authored a paper called, "Landmark Danish Study Shows Face Masks Have No Significant Effect." They based the article on a study done in Denmark in which 6,000 folks were divided into 2 groups -- half wearing masks outside their homes and half not wearing masks. According to the study, the infection rate for mask-wearers was 1.8%. The rate for those who didn't wear masks was 2.1%.

The study called the results "inconclusive," but the 2 Oxford doctors went further, saying, " ... it seems that any effect masks have on preventing the spread of the disease in the community is small." That was enough for Facebook to step in and call BS, slapping a warning on the article and adding that it was "checked by independent fact-checkers."

Professor Heneghan railed on Facebook, saying, "I'm aware this is happening to others -- what has happened to academic freedom and freedom of speech. There is nothing in this article that is 'false.'"

Dr. Jefferson told the Daily Mail, "It is censorship and it is one of the reasons we face a global meltdown of free thinking and science."

On the scientific front, the study did not address what appears to be an indisputable fact ... that masks do reduce the spread of COVID-laced droplets and that's just common sense ... if someone who is infected wears a mask it's harder for the droplets to escape into the air.

A large group of biz owners in Erie County, NY called the local authorities' bluff when they tried shutting down their get-together ... and sent Johnny Law packing.

This went down Friday night at a CrossFit gym called Athletes Unleashed in Orchard Park -- not too far away from Buffalo -- where upwards of 100 local businessmen and women congregated to discuss how to navigate the state's new COVID-19 guidelines ... which again are limiting hours, customers and access in NY.

While these folks were having their meeting -- with most people not wearing masks -- Erie County Sheriff's Deputies and Health Dept. officials made their way inside and attempted to disperse the crowd ... saying they were in violation of Gov. Cuomo's new 10-person-or-less rule for public gatherings.

What happened next is nothing short of shocking ... the crowd actually stood their ground and demanded the cops and county workers beat it -- which they did.

They were chased off in dramatic fashion, with the angry mob chanting "Get out!" and "We will not comply!" as they followed the Sheriff's deputies and others out into the parking lot and all the way back to their vehicles ... like dogs with their tail between their legs. It's cringe-worthy to see -- the cops pretty much folded.

Jeremih is gonna be alright -- at least that's what his family is signaling after revealing he's out of the ICU and on his way to recovering after coming down with COVID-19.

The R&B singer's family tells TMZ ... Jeremih has been transferred out of the ICU he was being treated at last week and is now going to spend the rest of his recovery in a regular hospital setting, where the "true healing" is set to begin.

We're also told the fam thanks everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this health scare -- there was no shortage of people sending good vibes his way ... including a ton of artists he's collaborated with over the years, like 50 Cent and others.

The update is fantastic news, as it appeared Jeremih's health was going downhill and fast last weekend, when we learned he was on a ventilator after having been admitted for intensive care. The prognosis sounded quite grim, but now ... it's almost like a 180.

It's unclear if Jeremih still has the virus -- or how long he's even had it ... but the fact he's being treated normally now seems to mean the guy will be okay after all.

Anyone looking to get schooled in sarcasm, irony or satire ... check out Brian Williams going full Jonathan Swift on President Trump's COVID response, and Geraldo's praise for the Prez.

The MSNBC anchor ended his broadcast Friday night by mocking Geraldo Rivera over-praising Trump's handling of the virus on 'FOX & Friends' ... which Brian then proceeded to piggy-back on and take it to a whole new level of ass-kissing.

If you take BW at his word here, it sounds like he's completely on Trump's side -- but, as his remarks go on ... it becomes clear he's doing nothing but making fun of the Prez, because everything he's saying isn't true. Watch for yourself, it's a riot.

Brian says it's possible we aren't giving Trump enough credit for his FDR-like commitment to eradicating the virus and the relief efforts he's fast-tracked to help people struggling. He also asks where would we be without Trump's constant lecturing to the American people that masks are crucial and must be worn.

Then comes the full farce ... Brian goes on to compare what Trump Steaks did for the hungry, what Trump Water did the for thirsty, and what Trump University did for the uneducated -- comparing all that to what Trump did here with 'rona.

It's not exactly following President Trump's musings about drinking bleach, but it's in the ballpark ... 7 people are dead after drinking hand sanitizer ... because they ran out of booze.

It happened in Russia, where 9 people were apparently partying, and when the alcohol ran dry, they pulled out an antidote for coronavirus. But, these folks weren't interested in cleaning their hands ... they wanted a swig or 2.

The victims ranged in age from 28 to 69. Two more victims are in the ICU, in a coma.

The Russian government warned its citizens not to drink the sanitizer, which is manufactured inside the country.

Myles Garrett will NOT play for the Browns on Sunday ... the team's superstar has been placed on the COVID-19/reserve list after he was sent home earlier this week with an illness.

Garrett reported he did not feel well on Wednesday and was ordered to go home just in case he had coronavirus.

While the team did not specifically say Garrett had tested positive ... the dots appeared to connect when Cleveland officials made the roster move announcement Friday.

"This morning the Cleveland Browns were informed that a player has tested positive for COVID-19," the team said in a statement. "Contact tracing has been conducted and the individual has self-isolated."

"He has not been in the facility all week and zero high-risk contacts have been identified."

The Browns are still scheduled to practice Friday for their upcoming game against the Philadelphia Eagles ... and it does not appear the matchup is in jeopardy of being canceled or postponed at the moment.

Obviously, though, losing Garrett will be a big blow ... the 24-year-old has been arguably the best defender in football this year, logging 9.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles.

Cleveland is no stranger to coronavirus this season ... star quarterback Baker Mayfield was placed on the reserve list during the team's bye week this month after he reportedly had contact with a COVID-positive Browns staffer.

The QB has since come off of the list, and played last week against the Texans. He's expected to start again Sunday against the Eagles.

Well, this seemed inevitable ... Donald Trump Jr. has contracted the coronavirus.

President Trump's son reportedly tested positive for the potentially deadly virus earlier this week and has been quarantining at a private location. According to Bloomberg, which first reported the news, DTJ is following all medically recommended COVID-19 guidelines.

The news comes just weeks after Jr. was seen without a mask at a Trump rally in Georgia. The vast majority of people who attended that rally were also not wearing masks. He's the latest in a long line of Trump family members to get infected with the 'rona. As you very well know by now ... POTUS also was infected as was the First Lady Melania Trump and her son, Barron. DTJ's girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, also tested positive last month.