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Spencer Pratt accuses LA Times journalist of ‘phone-stalking’ his family as mayoral campaign gains steam

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Spencer Pratt lashed out at the Los Angeles Times and a rival mayoral candidate, accusing a reporter of harassing his family and trying to expose where his children live as his campaign gains traction in the polls.

Pratt alleged the reporting crossed a line, accusing a Los Angeles Times journalist of reaching out to his wife, sister, mother and even a restaurant he frequents to track down details about his family. He claimed this all happened after he passed Los Angeles city councilmember Nithya Raman in a recent poll.

“Creepy LA Times ‘journalist’ has been phone-stalking & harassing my sister, my wife, my MOM, and even my favorite burrito restaurant trying to dox where my kids sleep and go to school, all because I pulled ahead of Nithya Raman in the polls, and she sent her lapdog to do her dirty work,” Pratt wrote on X.

“That’s what they call ‘journalism’ at the LA Times, folks!” he added. “They’re scared of our campaign. We’re gonna take back our city, and they know they can’t stop us.”

SPENCER PRATT ANNOUNCES LA MAYOR RUN ON ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF PALISADES FIRE THAT DESTROYED HIS HOME

Pratt, who gained fame with Heidi Montag on “The Hills,” shared a lengthy video claiming he has the “winning message” and that Raman is “panicking.” The reality TV star also took aim at the Los Angeles Times for writing a story titled, “Spencer Pratt’s move to Santa Barbara County after his Palisades house burned raises eligibility questions in L.A. mayor’s race.”

“They want to try to write a hit piece about me, about my residency, because I’ve had my family sheltered up in my dad’s rental home in [Santa Barbara] and they want to attack me for not living in the Palisades while running for mayor?” he said. “Hey, brain surgeon! My house burned down. You guys let my entire neighborhood burn down, remember? The burned out lot I own in the Palisades is still my legal residence where we are trying to rebuild in the face of Karen Basura (Bass) and Nithya Raman and our broken city leadership putting up every hurdle imaginable to make it harder and harder for us to rebuild.”

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“Don’t forget. I made the choice to run for mayor three months ago,” he added. “You see schemers like Raman and Basura (Bass) and their media sickos can’t fathom that I didn’t have some grand scheme to run for mayor like these slimy career politicians. I didn’t plan any of this. I wasn’t thinking, ‘I really need to make sure I stay in the zip code in case I run for mayor.’ I was just trying to find the safest place to go where I could try and give my kids the most normal life that I could after these clowns nearly destroyed our life as we knew it.

A Los Angeles Times spokesperson told Fox News Digital: “The Times learned that Mr. Pratt was living in Carpinteria, and contacted him and those around him for comment. We stand by our story and the reporting of our journalists.”

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Pratt, who lost his home in the deadly 2025 Palisades wildfire, announced he was running for mayor on Jan. 7.

Pratt told the crowd at a fire anniversary event that “this just isn’t a campaign, this is a mission. And we are going to expose the system.” The event, called “They Let Us Burn!,” was a rally critical of state and local government’s handling of the Jan. 7 wildfire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

In the aftermath of the fire, Pratt emerged as an outspoken critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, and said they failed to prevent the blaze. He has since sued the city of Los Angeles. The complaint blames Los Angeles and its municipal water department for the water issues that hampered firefighting efforts and says it ultimately led to the damage to their properties.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Dinghy route taken by missing American woman and jailed husband recreated as details of disappearance emerge

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GREAT ABACO ISLAND, Bahamas — As more details emerge about Brian Hooker’s final moments with his wife before she disappeared into the sea, Fox News Digital recreated the route Brian and his wife Lynette took moments before disaster struck.

Mo Monestime, who has spent 15 years chartering boats in the Great Abaco Island area, guided the excursion through the tropical Bahamian waters. He first exited a small harbor across from the Abaco Inn, where the Hookers had drinks before attempting to return to their boat. 

The route calls for a turn southwest after clearing the harbor, and followed by a short ride between the western coastline of Elbow Cay and the eastern coastline of Lubbers Quarters. That was the route the Hookers attempted to take at around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. 

LYNETTE HOOKER MISSING IN BAHAMAS: TIMELINE OF MICHIGAN WOMAN’S DISAPPEARANCE, HUSBAND’S ARREST

According to digital maps reportedly drawn by Brian and sent to his friends, the Hookers’ return trip ended abruptly near the southwestern turn, about halfway through the ride to their anchored yacht, which sat in a popular channel used by tourists and locals alike. 

The water surrounding the cays is clear enough to see to the bottom and sometimes as shallow as only four feet, Monestime said. At high tide, he estimated the water rises to about 10 feet. 

The small channel between the two cays is rife with activity, as boaters motor through, anchor, and maneuver their dinghies in and out of shallow waters. Nearby is Tahiti Beach, along with a large sandbar that features a floating bar when weather conditions allow.

The ride from the harbor to the popular anchoring spot took only about four minutes. 

But wind gusts may have created choppy waters before Brian said his wife fell overboard, separating the pair.

In a recording of a phone call Brian made to a friend on April 7 obtained by CBS, Brian gave the most detailed account yet about what he says is an accident that led to Lynette’s disappearance. 

“She basically just bounced off the dinghy in the middle of a little blow, like 20-something knot winds that popped up,” he said on the call, adding that he and his wife were not wearing life jackets. 

BOATYARD EMPLOYEE FOUND ‘EXHAUSTED’ MISSING AMERICAN’S HUSBAND WHEN HE WASHED ASHORE AFTER NIGHT ADRIFT

“It was sun down, and the sun set like basically 10 minutes after she fell over,” he said. “The dinghy key went over with he because it wasn’t clipped to anything or anybody, and she had the spare dinghy key in her dry bag, which was with her.” 

Brian continued, saying the wind rapidly blew the couple apart and that he thinks Lynette tried to swim back to the yacht, which he said was about 1,000 yards or so from where the incident occurred. 

“I yelled to her that I lost an oar, and then I threw the anchor out, anchored the dinghy, and just, yeah, I yelled. I couldn’t see her anymore because the moon had not risen yet,” he said. 

Later, he said he threw a flotation cushion toward Lynette right after she went into the water, but he couldn’t tell whether she was able to grab it. He said he yelled for her for about an hour. 

“By the time I got the anchor set, I was probably a quarter to a half a mile away from her, and I decided that I had to go get help,” he said, “but I could not get to the island, so I paddled.”

“And it was a cascade of failures, and it’s something I’m never going to forgive myself for,” he said. “We stayed to long, we left too dark, all kinds of s—. No life jackets. I f—ing threw the dinghy out last— the anchor out last — instead of first. Can’t really explain it, you know?” 

MISSING AMERICAN WOMAN’S HUSBAND HAD ‘SPOTTY’ CELL SERVICE DURING 8-HOUR TREK TO REPORT DISAPPEARANCE: TELECOM BOSS

Eventually, Brian claims, he washed ashore about four miles northeast of where the incident reportedly occurred, on a beach covered with jagged rocks, adjacent to a boat repair and storage facility called Marsh Harbor Boatyard. There, he was met by a security guard who eventually called the police. 

Brian was arrested at around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, four days after the incident. 

He is currently being held in jail in Freeport, a separate Bahamian island, while police continue to investigate Lynette’s disappearance. Bahamian law allows a 48-hour initial hold time before filing charges against a suspect, which can be extended under certain circumstances. The first deadline for his release was Friday night, but his detention was extended by 72 hours. He is expected to be released or charged with a crime by Monday night. 

Lynette’s fate remains uncertain, but local authorities have announced that their investigation has shifted to a recovery effort. 

Butler said Brian has been cooperating with authorities and “categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing.” 

Brian has maintained throughout the investigation that he is innocent of any criminal wrongdoing, and issued a statement on Wednesday mourning his wife’s disappearance. 

“I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas. Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus,” he said on Facebook.

“Not being found, that’s the mystery,” Monestime told Fox News Digital. 

“It is very hard to disappear, because, again, we’re so close to land,” Monestime told Fox News Digital. “So if you do fall overboard [and] drown, somebody will see you the next day. Again, we can see bottom, you know? I’ll be driving the boat, I will see stingrays, I will see turtles, so I would see a human body. Somebody would see something. Somebody would say something, like, ‘Hey, we just saw something strange in the water.'”

Monestime said drownings happen occasionally near Elbow Cay, but then reiterated that victims are recovered quickly. 

“Again, you could see land all the way, the whole time,” he said. “Even if you fall overboard in pitch dark, you still could see the lights from the shore.”

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NYC mayor touts ‘socialist’ wins in first 100 days alongside Bernie Sanders

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked his first 100 days in office Sunday alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, a democratic socialist, touting what he described as sweeping achievements driven by government intervention.

Mamdani cited key wins, including securing $1.2 billion for universal child care, advancing plans for five publicly owned grocery stores, pursuing legal action against landlords, and boosting investment in services such as sanitation and infrastructure.

In a reference to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her critique that socialists “eventually run out of other people’s money,” Mamdani defended his administration’s approach.

“I have thought often of the Margaret Thatcher’s quote, the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money,” he said. “If anything, my friends, it seems that you eventually need a socialist to clean up the mess,”

AOC, MAMDANI URGE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT PARENTS TO SIGN KIDS UP FOR FREE PRE-K

Sanders also praised the mayor’s agenda, calling it an inspiration for strengthening communities.

“This is the first time I was ever introduced by someone who talked proudly about democratic socialism,” Sanders said. “And it feels great.”

Mamdani highlighted additional policy priorities during his first three months in office. 

To address rising food costs, he proposed opening five publicly owned, affordable grocery stores — one in each borough — by the end of his first term, a proposal critics say represents a departure from free-market principles. Critics say the plan departs from free-market principles. He added that the first location is expected to open next year.  

MAMDANI CLARIFIES NYC WON’T CHECK IMMIGRATION STATUS FOR UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE ENROLLEES

The mayor also pointed to universal  child care as a major early win, though critics say the program relies on heavy taxation and could disrupt existing private daycare providers. Mamdani noted the initiative was fulfilled by his eighth day in office through a $1.2 billion partnership with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The administration has intensified enforcement in the housing sector, with Mamdani saying it issued more than 195,000 violations against landlords and secured more than $34 million in settlements, judgments , and repairs for tenants.

With murders at record lows, officials said the city has removed more than 1,000 guns from the streets and established its first Office of Community Safety to address gun violence and mental health.

In addition, city workers also have filled more than 102,000 potholes in 100 days and are on track to repave more than 1,000 lane miles of streets by the end of the fiscal year.

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Heidi Klum unrecognizable in dramatic Coachella disguise as ‘Techno Hexen’

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Heidi Klum loves a theme.

The supermodel looked barely recognizable as she frolicked around the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival over the weekend in Indio, Calif.

Klum, 52, smiled widely as she raised arms while walking the grounds at the Empire Polo Field wearing a jet black wig with mirrored sunglasses over her eyes.

“Coachella day 2 ‘Techno Hexen,'” the “Germany’s Next Topmodel” host wrote with a social media clip shared Saturday.

SABRINA CARPENTER COMMANDS COACHELLA WITH SEE-THROUGH BODYSUIT AND A-LIST SURPRISES

Klum sported a sheer white gown with layers of fabric cascading down her chest and tucked into the back of a lacy pair of bottoms.

She slung a black leather bag across her shoulder and trekked through the dusty venue wearing fishnets with black-and-white leather cowboy boots.

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The mother-of-four made an equally impressive fashion statement the night before to kick off the festival.

JUSTIN BIEBER’S $10M COACHELLA COMEBACK DRAWS BACKLASH AFTER HE PLAYS YOUTUBE VIDEOS DURING HIS SET

Dressed in a white cut-out bodysuit with oversized jeans and a white beanie to match, Klum danced to a Disclosure song on social media before catching the DJ’s closing set on the Outdoor stage.

The Victoria’s Secret angel was in good company throughout the star-studded weekend.

Katy Perry and boyfriend Justin Trudeau are quite literally heating things up in the desert.

KATY PERRY SHARES PDA-FILLED COACHELLA PHOTOS WITH BOYFRIEND JUSTIN TRUDEAU DURING WEEKEND FESTIVAL

In a series of photos posted on the pop star’s Instagram, Perry and Trudeau put their budding romance on full display at Coachella.

In one snapshot, the duo walked hand-in-hand throughout the fairgrounds, and in another, Perry cozied up to Trudeau as the pair enjoyed a snack break.

They later caught Justin Bieber‘s return after a years-long hiatus.

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The 32-year-old singer — who was reportedly paid $10 million for his return — took the stage for a headlining performance, only to be met with a wave of criticism from online trolls.

For the first half of the set, Bieber focused on his latest tracks from “Swag” and “Swag ll” before diving into a YouTube-heavy track list.

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“Tonight is such a special night,” Bieber told the crowd while sitting on a stool behind a table that held his laptop. “I feel like we gotta take you guys on a bit of a journey. Do you guys remember this song?”

Bieber played hit songs like “Baby,” “Never Say Never” and “Beauty and the Beat” on YouTube, while singing along to the music videos playing in the background.

At one point, Katy Perry poked fun at the moments in between YouTube searches. “Thank God he has Premium,” the Grammy nominee, 41, said in a video posted to her Instagram. “I don’t want to see no ads.”

Fox News Digital’s Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.

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