Health

A group of pigs were pronounced dead for hours as part of a study .... and then, incredibly, scientists got it beating again!

The implications here are staggering for humans ... being able, potentially, to regenerate what is essentially a dead heart and bring people back to life.

Researchers from Yale began pumping synthetic fluids through the bodies of dead pigs, finding their hearts began to faintly beat ...  according to a peer-reviewed study published by Nature.

The team used 2 systems for its test -- the first group of pigs got OrganEx, a device that resembles heart-lung machines ... they also got an experimental mixture of fluids that are supposed to reduce inflammation and provide cellular health.

Some motor function also returned -- the head and neck of some of the dead pigs began to move ... something that shocked everyone. The movements appeared involuntary.

Aaron Rodgers says the secret to his recent NFL dominance is a psychedelic experience in South America ... claiming the ayahuasca plant helped him improve his mental health and have the "best season of my career."

Ayahuasca -- which contains DMT -- has been used socially and medically for centuries ... and some consumers credit the plant brew for spiritual healing.

The Super Bowl champ says it's not a "coincidence" he returned from South America and won his next two MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 ... and is speaking out to change the negative stereotypes around using ayahuasca.

"I think there's so many myths and rumors about it," Rodgers said on the "Aubrey Marcus Podcast."

"The fear around it is, you're going to s*** yourself, it's just a big throw-up fest ... but the negative framework of it is that is the experience, not the deep and meaningful and crazy mind-expanding possibilities and also deep self-love and healing that can happen on the other side."

Rodgers says his intention for the first experience was to find out what pure love feels like ... and it worked.

"I had a magical experience with the sensation of feeling a hundred different hands on my body imparting a blessing of love and forgiveness for myself and gratitude for this life from what seemed to be my ancestors," he added.

38-year-old Rodgers says a previous experience with mushrooms led him to try ayahuasca ... and because he did, he has a new perspective on life.

Aaron Rodgers believes it is possible to make amends with his estranged family one day ... saying he's truly grateful for his upbringing and holds no resentment over how things played out.

The Green Bay Packers superstar had a messy falling out with his parents and two brothers several years ago ... and his separation from the family was famously covered during Jordan's appearance on "The Bachelorette" in 2016, despite the cause of the rift remaining a mystery.

Rodgers is now opening up about where things stand with his fam ... and he says the relationship is not permanently severed.

"I do believe in healing and I believe in the possibility of reconciliation at some point," Rodgers said on the "Aubrey Marcus Podcast" this week. "But, it's a different journey for all of us, and to judge on the outside about what should be or what it should look like, or who's wrong or who's right is just a game I've never wanted to play and still don't want to play."

"The most important thing for me is deep love and gratitude for them, and for the lessons I learned, and for the way I was raised, and hope for the future," he added.

"But, who knows what that future is gonna look like, when it's gonna look like, when time is gonna come."

"But, I have no bitterness in my heart. I have no resentment," Rodgers continued. "I just have deep love and appreciation for the lessons that I learned, and the fact that if I hadn't been raised that way -- all the good and all the frustrating -- there's no way I'd be sitting here today."

While Rodgers had previously stated he spent time "with my folks" for his birthday in 2018, it was reported as recently as January 2022 that he still does not speak with his family.

Rep. Jackie Walorski was killed in a car crash in her home state that claimed the lives of 3 others ... according to police.

The fatal, two-car wreck happened Wednesday afternoon near an intersection in Nappanee, Indiana, and it killed all 3 people riding in the Republican Congresswoman's SUV.

The Elkhart County Sheriff says Walorski was traveling with her district director, Zachery Potts, and her communications director, Emma Thomson, when another car crashed head-on into their vehicle.

The driver of the other car, a 56-year-old woman, was also pronounced dead at the scene. She was the only one in her car.

Rep. Walorski was elected to Congress back in 2012 and her death is already sending shockwaves through Capitol Hill.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he's "shocked and saddened" to hear of Rep. Walorski's tragic death ... remembering her as someone who was "always prepared to work together where there was common ground, always decent and straightforward, and she cared deeply about her work and her constituents."

Rep. Walorski was 58.

Great update from "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan ... the wrestling legend just completed radiation treatment for cancer -- and celebrated by ringing the bell at the facility.

The 68-year-old made the announcement with an IG video -- just weeks after his cancer returned from a previous battle in 2021.

Duggan revealed in May he had to do 8 weeks of radiation treatment ... and as of this week, he's finally done with the grueling process.

"For eight weeks I've been coming by looking at this bell, listening to the other folks come by and ringing the bell and looking forward to it," Duggan said in the video.

"So out of respect, I'm not going to do no big 'hoo' in here, but when we get outside you better believe there's some 'hooing' ... But right now, after eight weeks, here we go, tough guy!"

Duggan also thanked the medical staff, his family, and his fans for holding him down through it all.

"I want to thank my wife and my daughters who stuck with me through all of this, but most of all, I want to thank you folks out there that have been able to share this, and you guys shared your stuff with me."

As we previously reported, Duggan battled cancer in 2021 and needed multiple procedures, including removing his prostate. He was declared cancer-free in December 2021 before it returned in May.

Actress Edie McClurg has been victimized by a self-described longtime friend, who attempted to take her out of state and marry her, despite the fact that she suffers from dementia ... this according to new legal docs.

The docs, obtained by TMZ, state a man named Michael L. Ramos has been living at Edie's L.A. home as the 76-year-old actress battles dementia. According to the docs, Ramos, who is unemployed, has 'finagled' his way into Edie's life and attempted to move her out of California in order to marry her, despite knowing she lacked mental capacity.

Edie, who is under a conservatorship, got protection from a judge -- according to the new docs -- who ordered Ramos to stand down on his alleged marriage plan.

The docs go on to say, Ramos allegedly sexually assaulted Edie's caregiver, and a police report has already been filed with the LAPD.

The docs note Edie and Ramos have never been romantically involved, but the caregiver is fearful he may have been sexually assaulting Edie and -- given her condition -- she may not even realize what was happening.

The judge in the conservatorship case had allowed Ramos to live in Edie's home to provide her with companionship, but the lawyer for the conservatorship is now asking for an order to remove him.

TMZ broke the story ... Edie's family went to court back in 2019 to ask for the conservatorship, claiming she'd been living with a male companion who was verbally abusive and tried to influence the handling of her estate by getting her to sign documents.

Edie has been a staple in Hollywood, appearing in show like "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," and has done voiceover work in movies like "The Little Mermaid," "A Bug's Life," "Cars" and "The Rugrats Movie."

Jon Stewart's passionate pleas for Congress -- especially GOP Senators -- did not fall on deaf ears ... as the Senate reversed field and resoundingly passed a bill to help veterans exposed to burn pits.

The former 'Daily Show' host turned up the heat on Republicans like Senators Ted Cruz and Pat Toomey after the PACT Act was shot down in the Senate last week ... and it looks like Jon's strategy paid off.

Last week's 55-42 defeat of the legislation suddenly became an 86-11 victory Tuesday when the bill was put to a new vote. The GOP tried to pass amendments to address what they claim was a "budget gimmick" Democrats cooked into the bill, but those efforts failed.

Despite that, the Republicans flipped and voted in favor of the PACT Act -- designed to expand healthcare coverage for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins during their service.

Remember ... Jon put GOP leadership on blast after last week's defeat, calling Sen. Toomey "a "f***ing coward."

Toomey and other GOP Senators, like Cruz, said they voted against the bill because they claimed it would create $400 billion in unrelated spending.

Sen. Cruz tried blaming the Democrats when we got him after the "no" vote ... and our clip lit another fire under Stewart.

It didn't take long for him to respond, calling BS on Cruz's claims.

Jon also got into a heated shouting match over the bill Monday just outside Capitol Hill, squaring off with media personality and conservative commentator Jack Posobiec.

Right before all this, Jon was being floated as a serious presidential nominee in 2024 ... an idea JS continues to shoot down -- but it's hard to argue his impassioned, vocal pressure didn't play a role in the Senate turnaround.

One of the Ying Yang Twins says his collapse in the middle of a concert wasn't as bad as it looked ... insisting he's fine and pledging to take better care of himself moving forward.

D-Roc tells TMZ Hip Hop the incident is being blown out of proportion on the internet, characterizing it as just a "bad day." He says he passed out on stage due to dehydration and he's not feeling any lingering health effects.

As we reported ... D-Roc had to be carried away after collapsing 30 minutes into the Ying Yang Twins' set at a fair in Missouri, where they were special guests for headliner Vanilla Ice.

D-Roc says he was complaining about hot weather before the show and the next thing he knew he was waking up on a golf cart next to paramedics.

The rapper says he just needed water, Gatorade and rest ... telling us he's in good enough health to put on more shows and handle his daddy duties.

D-Roc provided some explanation to fans through social media, but still feels the need to set the record straight ... telling us it took less than 24 hours for him to get back to business as usual.

He says folks have been blowing up his phone ever since he made headlines, checking in to make sure he's OK.

Willow Smith stopped her performance after someone in the crowd fainted ... and it's all on video.

The incident just happened during Willow's set at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, where she's opening for Machine Gun Kelly on a tour together, and video shows Willow putting the brakes on her set to make sure the fan is safe.

As you can see (and hear) Willow talks to the crowd and provides some words of encouragement to the injured fan, wishing them a speedy recovery.

Folks who were there say the fan who fainted had to be taken away on a stretcher.

The crowd wasn't upset the show stopped either ... showing love to Willow and thanking her for being accommodating. Folks on social media are also applauding Willow's quick actions.

Jarvis Landry may have grown up close to downtown New Orleans, but the NFL star is still getting used to practicing in the Louisiana heat -- needing a wild, full-body cupping session after his first day in full pads.

Landry -- who spent 3 seasons playing for the LSU Tigers -- posted a shot of his cupping sesh after Monday's practice ... and it looks pretty intense.

In the pic, Landry is laying flat on his stomach, and you can see dozens of cups all over his body -- from his back down to his ankles.

"My First Full Padded Practice Back In This Louisiana Heat," Landry wrote on Instagram. "Nola:1 Juice:0."

FYI, cupping is an ancient practice that is still widely used today ... where a therapist applies special cups to someone's body to create a suction effect.

Cupping can be used for various reasons ... but it's known to help with pain, inflammation, and blood flow.

Juice's full body cupping sesh garnered reactions from some of the guys he used to share a huddle with ... like NFL tight end David Njoku, who wrote, "MY GOD😭😭 MEDIC!!!!!" in the comment section.

Another one of Landry's former teammates, wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, also hit up the comment section, writing, "Ayoooo😂😂😂."

Lil Durk is going to be taking some time off after a scary incident during his set at Lollapalooza left the rapper with injuries to his face.

Durk posted a pic of himself at what appears to be a medical facility Sunday with the caption "Due to the incident that happened at Lollapalooza in Chicago on stage, I'ma take a break & focus on my health. I finished my performance yesterday for my fans. Appreciate y'all."

Durk was midway through performing his verse from Pooh Shiesty's “Back In Blood” record when there was an explosion of smoke super close to him on stage … causing Durk to back up, wiping and covering his face with his shirt.

Ironically or not, he went on to perform his verse off Nardo Wick's "Who Want Smoke??"

It's currently unclear if the explosion was planned, and Durk was just in the wrong position or if the effect happened unplanned.

NFL superstar Joe Burrow isn't going to let an appendix -- or lack, thereof -- keep him from hanging out with his team ... he joined his fellow Bengals on the sidelines during training camp just days after having his pouch removed.

The AFC champ, unfortunately, had to undergo an appendectomy recently ... and will be out several weeks as he recovers from the procedure.

But, #9 made the ultimate effort to be with his teammates on Monday ... pulling up to camp on a scooter to make sure his presence was known.

The signal-caller arrived on the scene in style -- rocking a motored vehicle in slow-mo as he checked out his team getting in a solid workout.

Of course, as we reported last week ... Burrow will be out some time after having his appendix removed, but is expected to be good to go in time for the season.

Nice to see the dude still showing love for his Bengals teammates.

WARNING -- if ya haven't finished your morning Cheerios yet, you might want to do so before clicking here!!!

MMA fighter Blake Perry horrifyingly broke his nose during a match on Sunday -- after taking a brutal knee to the face.

The gruesome injury happened in the first round of Perry's tilt with Marcel McCain at Urijah Faber's A1 Combat event in Stockton, Calif.

As the two were dukin' it out in the opening moments of their fight -- McCain grabbed the back of Perry's head with his arms ... and then drove his knee right into Perry's grill. Video of the strike shows McCain's knee landed flush, and caved in Perry's nose.

Somehow, though, Perry kept fighting despite his face's disfigurement.

But, during the break following the first round ... it became clear Perry shouldn't continue, and doctors ultimately stopped the contest.

No word yet on how Perry is doing today -- but something tells us breathing ain't exactly easy work.

Drake's massive Toronto homecoming has hit a major roadblock, all thanks to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.

Drake took to Instagram Monday to let his fans know he was "truly devastated" the show's getting postponed ... and promised they'll reschedule for the soonest date possible. October World Weekend -- which also was to serve as a Young Money reunion -- was to feature Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne.

In his announcement, Drake also said, "... I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and I love you all I am so sorry for letting you down on our weekend together and the moment I test negative I will give you everything I got onstage (except the Covid)."

Drake had just partied with Nelly Furtado during the OVO event ... with other surprises planned throughout Toronto.

Justin Bieber is back like he never left ... performing for the first time since his serious health scare.

Justin hit the stage in Lucca, Italy Sunday, and he was his old self ... performing his hits shirtless, dancing around the stage -- he brought the house down.

As we reported, Justin was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, a rare virus that caused paralysis in his face, among other issues.

J.B. took a month off, pausing his world tour. He promised fans he'd be back to business at the end of July, and he delivered ... though just barely!

He's scheduled to hit the stage in South America, South Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, again ... before making his way to the U.S.

One of the Ying Yang Twins collapsed at a concert over the weekend, and had to be carried off the stage.

The Twins were performing at a show in Springfield, MO at the Ozark Empire Fair, when 30 minutes into their set, D-Roc just crashed to the floor of the stage. Security rushed up to him and got him off the stage ... presumably for help.

The Ying Yang Twins were special guests at the concert, headlined by Vanilla Ice.

It's unclear what happened to him ... temps were in the 80s so it doesn't seem like heat exhaustion. We don't know if he was taken to the hospital nor do we know his condition.