A four-word caption and a short video were all it took for LA-based mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt to go viral, again. “They not like us.” The former reality star has been fundraising like mad in hopes of unseating incumbent Democrat Karen Bass, and with mega exposure like this, some of his supporters are saying he just might do it. In the campaign video, the villain from the MTV reality show “The Hills” films himself outside mansions belonging to Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman. The scene then cuts to a homeless encampment as Pratt narrates, “They don’t have to live in the mess they created. Where YOU live,” he says. They not like us pic.twitter.com/78hducHDUE — Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) April 29, 2026 “This is where I live,” Pratt adds while posing outside a trailer. The mayoral hopeful is openly furious over the city’s handling of the Palisades fire and the aftermath — and blames poor leadership for the conditions that led to the fire happening in the first place. Pratt and his wife lost their home in the fire. “They let my home burn down. I know what the consequences of failed leadership are. That’s why I’m running for mayor. For my sons, and the rest of us Angelenos that want to stop these corrupt politicians from destroying our city. We are gonna get the golden age of Los Angeles back,” he concludes. The former reality star is getting a whole lot of support from a variety of places. According to FOX 11, Jeanie Buss — the controlling owner and governor of the Los Angeles Lakers — donated $1,800 to Pratt’s campaign, the maximum amount permitted by law. X users are loving his new ad, which has 8.1 million views as of Thursday morning. “One of the greatest political ads I’ve seen in a very long time,” one popular reply said. “Down to earth. Clear willingness to work hard. Dichotomy between ‘them’ and ‘us’ is amazing… those who POSTURE, vs those who have to live with the consequences of their posturing. 10/10 no notes.” Last week, Pratt made headlines after he ripped Bass for allowing animal abuse committed by the homeless to continue. If elected, he committed to putting an end to the practice. “Unbelievable levels of evil from the druggies that are left to massacre these poor animals. This ends when I’m mayor,” he promised. Pratt is a first-time candidate facing more than a dozen other contenders in the nonpartisan mayoral primary in June, including Bass, who is seeking re-election. Pratt’s campaign website describes him as “Karen Bass’ worst nightmare.”

A video from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office shows a man and a woman from the Office of Mass Engagement asking people to testify at the rent guideline board hearings. The man, named “Mohammed,” wears a keffiyeh, which is popularly seen as fealty to the Palestinian Arab cause. The video shows them knocking at the door of a home and Mamdani answering, saying, “Tell me more.” New York, let's get organized. In a city of over 8 million, just 400 people showed up to speak at the last Rent Guidelines Board hearing — where decisions about rents are made. We can do better. If we want a city that works for tenants and landlords alike, we need New Yorkers… pic.twitter.com/M6qBtebnu7 — Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) April 29, 2026

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, “The Apprentice” could be making a return to television with a different Trump sitting in the boss’s chair. The outlet spoke with an industry insider who said not only was there talk of a reboot, but also that the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., was being floated as a potential host.  Amazon responded by saying that nothing is currently in development. “Since our acquisition of MGM, we have had preliminary internal discussions about what’s next for ‘The Apprentice’ as a property. The show is not in active development, and any reporting on details of the show or names of potential hosts would be purely speculative,” the company said in a statement, per The Hollywood Reporter. Trump famously hosted the popular reality show for 14 seasons on NBC, from 2004 to 2015. “The Apprentice” documented contestants competing for a job to become his apprentice.  Amazon co-owns rights to the series along with Trump Productions. The media giant has been streaming reruns, which remain popular. The show is also in syndication. “The Apprentice,” starring Trump, who also served as executive producer, was a major hit. It inspired spinoffs like “Celebrity Apprentice” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Martha Stewart, but none of those were nearly as popular.  Trump recently posted on Truth Social about the rating for the show’s first season. “Last Season of my Apprentice Juggernaut!” Trump wrote alongside the April 2004 article titled “’The Apprentice’ Scores Ratings Top for the Season.” Amazon partnered with the Trump family on entertainment projects before. Earlier this year, Amazon released the documentary “Melania,” which offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of the first lady. Critics predicted that it would be a major flop, but it performed shockingly well at the box office considering its genre. The film brought in $7 million on its opening weekend, a huge increase from the projected $2-5 million that was expected. “Melania” currently has one of the largest disparities between critics’ and audience scores on the site, with reviewers giving the film a 10% rating and moviegoers giving it a 99% rating. About 75% of the audience was women aged 55 and older.

The Trump administration is suing the sanctuary state of New Jersey over its recent law banning federal agents from wearing masks. Democratic New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the “Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act” last month, barring federal agents, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, from wearing masks on the job. At the time, the sanctuary governor declared: “We’re not going to tolerate masked roving militias pretending, pretending to be well-trained law enforcement agents.” Now, the Justice Department is taking legal action against the state, arguing that its unmasking law violates the federal government’s power granted by the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday. Additionally, the Trump administration asserted that the mask ban would put agents at risk at a time of heightened threats. “The law creates a Hobson’s Choice for all federal officers: either put themselves at risk by unmasking and providing individual identification, at the cost of officer safety, the safety of their families, and operational effectiveness or face legal consequences by Defendants,” the lawsuit stated. “Federal law enforcement officers have faced a significant increase in doxxing, harassment, and assaults, with antagonists and criminals filming and tracking officers using  individual identifiers such as their faces and badges. This conduct has led to violence and undermined law enforcement operations,” it added. After Sherrill signed the unmasking law, masked ICE agents arrested a twice-deported illegal immigrant who faced domestic violence charges in 2024, according to the Asbury Park Press. At the time, ICE openly admitted that the agents were masked, making “crystal clear” that “we will not abide by this unconstitutional ban.” “Sanctuary politicians attempting to ban our federal law enforcement from wearing masks is despicable and a flagrant attempt to endanger our officers,” an ICE spokesperson said. Sherrill’s office responded, saying she was “prepared to take any necessary measures if ICE continues to violate the law,” “including taking the Trump Administration back to court.” The Justice Department then sent the governor a letter “seeking assurances that the law was not enforceable against federal officers and no officials would  attempt to enforce it,” according to the lawsuit. Days later, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport responded in an email “declaring that the law was constitutional and that federal officers were obligated to comply but refusing to opine on any enforcement actions.” The Justice Department said they were “unsatisfied” and “sought clarity on whether New Jersey would enforce the law given the recent alleged violation,” according to the lawsuit. They also sent another court’s decision that struck down a similar law in California. “To be clear, the Federal Government will not comply with this blatantly unconstitutional law. But the threat of enforcement by Defendants chills individual officers from protecting themselves and performing their duties. The consequences for public safety are severe,” the Department of Justice wrote in the lawsuit.

In a blow to national security and maritime safety, the U.S. Coast Guard is facing an internal crisis as the partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown reaches its 75th day. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday revealed that the funding lapse has become so severe that utility companies are beginning to shut off power, water, and gas at active military installations across the country. During a CBS News interview, Lunday confirmed that “the lights are shutting off” at stations tasked with life-saving missions. In the last several days, Station Channel Islands in California and Station Port Huron in Michigan had their power cut off, while Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii saw its natural gas service interrupted. While the Coast Guard was able to restore these specific services, Lunday warned that the number of shutoffs is expected to rise. These stations operate 24/7, 365 days a year, standing ready to respond to mariners in distress or national security threats. “I think a lot of Americans would be pissed to hear this is happening,” the CBS interviewer posited to the Admiral. “Furious,” Lunday responded. “That’s exactly right.” EXCLUSIVE: Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday tells CBS News’ @NicoleSganga that several Coast Guard stations across the country recently lost power, water or gas. Service has been restored, but he warns more outages could happen as the DHS shutdown continues. More tomorrow… pic.twitter.com/G0k6qtz80h — CBS News (@CBSNews) April 29, 2026 The Coast Guard acts as the nation’s maritime police force. Because they have Title 14 authority, they can board vessels at sea without a warrant to ensure compliance with U.S. laws. Drug Interdiction: They are the lead agency for stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. via the sea, often seizing billions of dollars worth of cocaine and marijuana annually. Migrant Interdiction: They patrol the Caribbean and the Pacific to intercept human trafficking and illegal migration, often rescuing people from unseaworthy vessels. Ports & Waterways Security: They protect 361 U.S. ports from terrorism and ensure that “high interest” vessels (like tankers or cruise ships) are screened before entering. The Coast Guard currently holds the distinction of being the only military branch impacted by the funding stalemate. Because the service falls under the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense, its personnel are caught in a legislative “procedural loop” over immigration enforcement and the SAVE Act. The human cost of the 75-day impasse is mounting: Personnel Hardship: While active-duty members have received intermittent pay through discretionary funding shifts, there is no guarantee of future checks. Families are reportedly relying on interest-free loans from Coast Guard Mutual Assistance to buy groceries. Civilian Crisis: Nearly 10,000 civilian employees went unpaid for nearly two months. One civil servant in Alaska reportedly sold his car to pay rent before emergency funding was briefly released. Operational Decay: Over $200 million in unpaid bills has caused private contractors to cease maintenance on ships and aircraft. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has staunchly refused to bring the bill funding DHS to a vote, as House Republicans are insisting on a funding package that includes strict immigration reforms and the SAVE Act, using the DHS budget as legislative leverage. “We have to move DHA funding because it’s urgent … we are out of money,” Johnson stated. Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Phil Waldron told a House subcommittee that the workforce’s focus is being “dangerously fractured” by financial anxiety. “Their focus is required for dangerous missions,” Waldron said. “That focus is fractured when they’re worried about paying their rent.” As of April 30, 2026, the shutdown remains the longest in DHS history. While the Coast Guard continues to answer distress calls under its “Always Ready” motto, leadership warns that every day of the shutdown creates a 2.5-day recovery backlog, hollowing out the readiness of the nation’s primary maritime shield.