Latest news with #Pratt
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Murder on stage in Mosgiel
The Fire Station Theatre in Mosgiel will complete a trio of murder mystery spoofs by Peter Gordon with a production of Death by Fatal Murder, staged over the next two weekends. Directed by Alison Ayers and featuring Matt Brennan as Inspector Pratt, the play continues the chaotic story of the hapless detective as he struggles with another mystery. Pratt's record of crime detection at Bagshot House is not enviable. In his two previous visits the body count mounted disastrously as he looked on, helpless and hopeless. Now he's back and, as usual, chaos reigns supreme. The follow-up to Gordon's plays Murdered to Death, and Secondary Cause of Death, Death by Fatal Murder promises plenty of laughs. The show is staged from July 25-27, and August 1-3, with performances at 7pm, and 2pm Sunday matinees. — APL
Business Insider
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Katherine Schwarzenegger says she hired a coach to teach her how to step-parent Chris Pratt's son
Before Katherine Schwarzenegger married Chris Pratt, she hired a pro to help her prepare to become his son's stepmom. During a joint appearance with Pratt on Tuesday's episode of the " Parenting & You with Dr. Shefali" podcast, Schwarzenegger spoke about family life and what it was like navigating a blended household. Schwarzenegger married the "Jurassic World" actor in 2019 and has two daughters and a son with him. Pratt also shares a son, Jack, 12, with his ex-wife, Anna Faris. "Number one thing I say is get a stepparenting therapist or stepparenting coach, because I got that right when we got engaged, and it's been incredibly helpful for me and also just understanding my role as a stepparent," Schwarzenegger told podcast host and clinical psychologist Shefali Tsabary. The eldest daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver added that her coach was "essential" in helping her learn how to communicate with her stepchild and think of herself as a stepparent. "Because stepparenting, like parenting, has no handbook. Because I have the benefit of being in both roles, stepparenting is extra confusing because you aren't a parent, you're not a nanny, you're not an assistant. You have responsibilities in all of those areas, but you're not either of them. It's a confusing thing to navigate where you fit in," Schwarzenegger said. She also said that every family has a different dynamic, since different people might have different levels of involvement in their stepchild's life. "And when it comes to ego, that definitely pops up for me, for sure, and I always go back to understanding that this isn't about me, it's about the child," she said. But thankfully, they — Schwarzenegger, Pratt, Faris, and Faris' husband Michael Barrett — "co-parent all very well, which is a huge blessing," she said. Pratt, who was also a podcast guest, added that stepparenting reminds him of motion-capture acting, where actors wear specialized suits with sensors to animate digital characters, because stepparents "don't end up getting the credit" they deserve. "If a parent is in there doing the hard work of creating structure for a child and holding children accountable — and it's not a biological child — it can feel thankless. But it's a really, really important job," Pratt said. Schwarzenegger isn't the only Hollywood celebrity who has spoken up about being a stepparent or blending their families. In March, Kate Hudson — who has three kids with three dads — said there are upsides to having big, blended families. "It's like they have so much family. They've got multiple grandmas, multiple grandpas, multiple dads, and moms," Hudson said. On a "Goop" podcast episode in April, Gwyneth Paltrow said that it was tough navigating the stepparent dynamic as it often felt "full of minefields." "If I look back at my mistakes as a stepmother, I should have just treated them both like my kids way faster," Paltrow said. Paltrow has two kids with her ex-husband Chris Martin, whom she divorced in 2016. In 2018, she married Brad Falchuk, who has two kids from his previous marriage. Parenting experts previously told Business Insider about the common mistakes that stepparents make when trying to connect with their stepkids. One mistake is trying to replace the stepchildren's biological parents. "The stepparent isn't the biological parent, and it is OK to acknowledge that," Sarah Epstein, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told BI. "In fact, don't try to compete. Instead, speak directly to the child about their parent and encourage the relationship between the child and parent."
Los Angeles Times
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Conspiracy theories helped nix proposed housing authority to rebuild after L.A. County wildfires
This week, reality TV show star Spencer Pratt posted multiple videos on social media savaging a proposed state bill on wildfire rebuilding. In one, Pratt told his 2 million TikTok followers that he consulted an artificial intelligence engine about Senate Bill 549. He said it told him the legislation would allow L.A. County to buy burned-out lots in Pacific Palisades and convert them to low-income housing, strip away local zoning decisions and push dense reconstruction. He urged people to oppose it. 'I don't even think this is political,' Pratt said. 'This is a common sense post.' None of what Pratt said is in the bill. But over the last week, such misinformation-fueled furor has overwhelmed the conversation in Los Angeles, at the state Capitol and on social media about wildfire recovery. Posts have preyed on fears of neighborhood change, mistrust of government authorities and prejudice against low-income housing to assert, among other things, that the wildfires were set intentionally to raze the Palisades and replace the community with affordable housing. The chatter has unmoored debate over a major rebuilding proposal from L.A. County leaders. Under the plan, a new local authority would be able to buy burned lots, rebuild homes and offer them back at discounted rates to the original owners. The idea is to give property owners struggling to rebuild another option to stay in their communities. There are no changes to any rules that require zoning amendments or approvals for individual housing developments. State Sen. Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica), the author of SB 549, which creates the local authority, said he understands legitimate policy disagreements over the new powers granted in the bill. But those discussions have been overshadowed, he said. 'It's become this total meme among the right-wing blogosphere and, unfortunately, picked up by some lazy-ass journalists that don't bother to read the bill that say this bill seeks to turn the entire Palisades into low-income housing,' Allen said. Some of his own friends who lost homes in the Palisades, Allen said, have been texting him asking why he's trying to force low-income housing into the neighborhood. 'People are saying I want to put a train line in there,' Allen said. 'It's insane.' The frenzy, in part, is due to an issue of timing. Last month, a 20-member expert commission impaneled by L.A. County proposed the local authority as a key recommendation for rebuilding after January's Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed 18,000 homes and other properties. Commission leaders then approached Allen about writing a bill that would allow for its implementation. Allen wanted to do it, but deadlines for introducing new legislation had long passed. Instead, Allen took SB 549, which had nothing to do with wildfire rebuilding but was still alive in the Legislature, and added the rebuilding authority language to it. This is a common legislative procedure used when putting forward ideas late in the year. Allen decided as well to keep the original language in the bill, which called for significant spending on low-income housing in an unrelated financing program. Multiple news articles conflated the two portions of the bill, which added to the alarm. The version of SB 549 with the wildfire rebuilding authority in it had its first hearing in a legislative committee on Wednesday. Allen spent much of the hearing acknowledging the confusion around it. Misinformation over the rebuilding authority was fueled by a separate announcement California Gov. Gavin Newsom made this month. State housing officials carved out $101 million from long-planned funding allocations for low-income housing and dedicated it to building new developments in Los Angeles. The money will be used to subsidize low-income apartment buildings throughout the county with priority given to projects proposed in and around burn zones, that are willing to reserve a portion to fire survivors and are close to breaking ground. The fires exacerbated the region's housing crisis. Higher rents persist in nearby neighborhoods and low-income residents continue to struggle. Newsom cast the announcement as assisting them in regaining their footing. 'Thousands of families — from Pacific Palisades to Altadena to Malibu — are still displaced and we owe it to them to help,' Newsom said when unveiling the spending. Like the proposed rebuilding authority, the funding does not change any zoning or other land-use rules. Any developer who receives the dollars would need separate governmental approval to begin construction. Nevertheless, social media posters took the new money and the proposed new authority and saw a conspiracy. 'Burn it. Buy it. Rebuild it how they want,' said a July 15 post from X user @HustleBitch_, who has nearly 124,000 followers. 'Still think this wasn't planned? Newsom called the situation another example of 'opportunists exploit[ing] this tragedy to stoke fear — and pit communities against each other.' 'Let's be clear: The state is not taking away anyone's property, instituting some sort of mass rezoning or destroying the quality and character of destroyed neighborhoods. Period,' Newsom said in a statement to The Times. 'Anyone claiming otherwise is either misinformed or deliberately lying. That's not just wrong — it's disgraceful.' Not all of the debate about the rebuilding authority is based on false information. Allen and local leaders acknowledged the need for more consensus over its role, especially given the sensitivities around recovery. Still unresolved were the authority's governing structure, and whether it would encompass the Palisades or be limited to Altadena and other unincorporated areas. Pratt lost his Palisades home in the fire and has sued the city, alleging it failed to maintain an adequate water supply and other infrastructure. In social media videos this week, Pratt said he and other residents didn't trust the county with increased power over rebuilding when he believed leaders failed to protect the neighborhood in the first place. 'We're a fire-stricken community, not a policy sandbox,' Pratt said. 'We do not support the county becoming a dominant landowner in the Palisades.' Representatives for Pratt could not be reached for comment. By the end of Wednesday, Allen conceded defeat on SB 549. There were many legitimate hurdles to the bill passing before the Legislature adjourns in mid-September, he said. Notably, a representative for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told the legislative committee that she was opposed to the bill because the city had yet to be convinced of its efficacy. But the misinformation surrounding the bill made it even harder to envision its success, he said. Allen decided to hold the bill and have it reconsidered when the Legislature convenes again in January. 'If we're going to do this, I want the time to do it right,' he said.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Terminal List: Dark Wolf' Teaser: Taylor Kitsch & Chris Pratt Find 'The Only Way Out Is Right Through It'
'When we step on that battlefield we fight for each other.' So begins the first trailer for The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, Prime Video's prequel series starring Taylor Kitsch, Chris Pratt and Tom Hopper. Co-created by The Terminal List author Jack Carr, and Season 1 creator-showrunner David DiGilio, the origin series follows Ben Edwards (Kitsch) throughout his journey from the Navy SEALs to the clandestine side of CIA Special Operations, exploring the darker side of warfare and the human cost that comes with it. Pratt reprises his role as James Reece. More from Deadline 'Clarkson's Farm' Producer Expectation Partners With Plegazoid; Prime Video Yorkshire Ripper Doc; Louis Theroux's Agency Sold; 'Screen Players Film Club' Podcast Launches - Global Briefs 'Étoile' Cast Unpack Feelings About Prime Video Cancellation: "I Thought About Starting A GoFundMe!" 'We Were Liars': Candice King Unpacks The Inevitable "Regression" Of The Sinclair Sisters In Prime Video Series 'I need two shooters for a time sensitive op. I'm offering a chance you a chance to finish what you started, and to keep your brothers from danger,' a voiceover is heard in the trailer. It ends with the ominous 'The only way out is right through it.' Additional cast includes Robert Wisdom as Jed Haverford, Luke Hemsworth as Jules Landry, Dar Salim as Mohammed Farooq, Rona-Lee Shimon as Eliza Perash, Shiraz Tzarfati as Tal Varon and Jared Shaw as Ernest 'Boozer' Vickers. The series is executive produced by Kitsch alongside Pratt through Indivisible Productions, writer and showrunner DiGilio, Carr, Antoine Fuqua and Kat Samick through Hill District Media, former Army Ranger and writer Max Adams, and former Navy SEAL, writer, and technical advisor Jared Shaw, as well as Emmy-winning (Shōgun) pilot director Frederick E.O. Toye. The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and MRC/Civic Center Media.[youtube Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg Everything We Know About 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
We hit 57 in our Raiders countdown to kickoff. Who wore it best and who's wearing it now
We've reached 57 days until the Raiders season opener at Foxboro against the Patriots, With our countdown at 57 days we take a look at who currently dons the number in Silver & Black and who has brought it the most distinction. No. 57 Who's wearing it now: LB Germaine Pratt In the middle of mandatory minicamp in June, the Raiders made a move to help strengthen their linebacking corps. On June 9, the Bengals released Pratt and the Raiders immediately sprung into action to get him in Las Vegas. They flew him out the next day and by June 11, he had signed with the team on a one-year deal. Pratt has been the starting middle linebacker in Cincinnati the past six seasons, so that's where you'd figure the Raiders would want to play him. However, the Raiders also added former Steelers middle linebacker Elandon Roberts this offseason, so it will be interesting to see how they are able to co-exist. Who wore it best: LB Jerry Robinson Robinson spent the first six years of his NFL career in Philadelphia where the former first round pick was twice a second team All Pro and once a Pro Bowlers. The final seven years of his 13-year career he spent with the Raiders, appearing in 97 games and starting 70 from 1986 to 1990.
