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Spencer Pratt is Karen Bass’ biggest threat in the race for Los Angeles mayor ... at least according to the Bass campaign’s own internal pollster.

An email sent Thursday by Bass campaign advisor Douglas Herman to “Interested Parties” -- including endorsers and supporters -- states that the campaign’s internal pollster, Binder Research, currently shows Pratt in position to make the November runoff.

The letter -- obtained by TMZ -- also takes direct aim at Nithya Raman, the L.A. City Councilmember and progressive who entered the race late and is widely viewed as a key challenger.

Paramedics rushing to the mass shooting in Austin, Texas early Sunday got blocked by a Waymo vehicle ... preventing EMS from rapidly responding to the crime scene to provide aid, according to a new report.

Austin's KXAN-TV reports ... Matthew Turnage ordered a Waymo using his Uber app around 2 AM after he left a club near Buford's Backyard Beer ... where 2 people had just been shot to death and 14 others injured. 

As the Waymo was trying to pick up Turnage and his friends, the self-driving taxi reportedly stopped in the middle of the street, blocking an ambulance and emergency service personnel from getting to Buford's quickly to help the victims.

The Texas mass shooter who killed 2 people and injured 14 others had potential ties to terrorism ... as new footage has emerged showing the horrific aftermath of the attack, according to media reports.

Ndiaga Diagne -- a 53-year-old American citizen born in Senegal -- went on an early Sunday morning shooting rampage at Buford's Backyard Beer Garden in Austin, TX ... leaving a trail of dead and wounded in his wake, police said.

Video surfaced online capturing the chaotic scene after the shooting, with paramedics giving CPR to victims on the ground.

1:11 PM PT -- The NYPD tells TMZ ... cops responded to the 911 call just after 5 PM on Thursday -- and found King unconscious. He was unresponsive, and EMS pronounced him dead at the scene.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is looking into his cause of death.

Eugene Thomas King Jr. -- the convicted bank robber who held a gun to Paula Deen's temple in 1987 -- has been found dead in New York City ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources tell TMZ ... King was found dead Thursday inside his Brooklyn apartment. It's currently unclear what caused his death.

We've reached out to the NYPD, FDNY and the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner for more.

Jeffrey Epstein seemingly used doctors to exercise control over women ... even withholding the money for a woman's acne treatment in one instance.

The New York Times released an exposé which focused on communications between Epstein and doctors -- released by the Department of Justice last month -- which appear to show the convicted pedophile controlling the medical care women in his life were receiving.

Epstein did this in several ways, NYT explains ... from communicating with doctors who gave him final say in decisions he had no right to make to refusing to give over money for treatments.

It's been just over a month since Alex Pretti was shot and killed during a chaotic immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis ... and on what would have been his 38th birthday, his mom is pouring her heart out online.

Pretti's mom shared a touching Instagram tribute Sunday, posting a smiling photo of her son standing in front of a rocky desert landscape. Over the image, she wrote about the pain of losing him, saying when you lose a child, you lose more than just a child ... you lose a piece of your heart and part of your future.

She added his laughter, smile and love will remain with her forever, calling him her "precious boy" who will never fade from her soul.

A routine weekend on Austin's West 6th Street turned into a nightmare early Sunday when gunfire erupted, leaving at least three people dead and dozens injured.

Buford's Backyard Beer Garden was packed near closing time with hundreds of people out for drinks and dancing when a male suspect opened fire just before 2 AM in the entertainment district near the University of Texas. 

Witnesses described an explosion of panic as shots rang out, sending crowds sprinting for cover. Emergency crews flooded the scene within a minute of the first 911 calls. 

The people of Iran are so happy Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed Saturday by a U.S.-Israeli military strike, they're celebrating in the streets around the country.

In a video on social media, scores of Iranians are seen partying in the streets following an overnight airstrike Saturday that killed Khamenei at his compound in downtown Tehran.

Check out the clip ... which shows Iranians dancing, cheering, playing music, honking horns and flashing peace signs in the cities of Karaj, Fuladshahr and Borazjan.

Britney Spears' Iranian American ex-husband Sam Asghari is applauding America for joining forces with Israel and striking Iran Saturday ... even saying he's glad the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead.

The actor and model didn't hold back to photographers as he reflected on the massive military mission launched Saturday ... saying his home country's government being wiping out is "justified."

And he doesn't hesitate to applaud Khamenei's death specifically, saying it was "deserved" and that he deserved a larger punishment than death alone.

Ivanka Trump was snapped walking her children to a synagogue Saturday ... hours after her father launched a devastating attack on Iran with Israel.

Dressed in all black, Ivanka made her first public appearance in months ... joining her family for a synagogue service in Miami, Florida.

In the pics, you can see Ivanka leading her 2 sons, who follow behind on scooters. She keeps a low profile in black shades and a large sunhat with a matching black ribbon around it.

A group at a Washington D.C. restaurant was talking openly in the bar area Friday afternoon about a national secret that was about to literally explode hours later -- the bombing of Iran.

Attorney Mark Geragos was at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab at around 3:00 PM ET, getting something to eat and preparing to do the "2 Angry Men" podcast with Harvey Levin ... from his seat in the bar area.

Just before 3:45, Mark overheard people at the next table in the bar area talking about Iran. There were 4 men sitting at a high-top table, and 2 women were standing next to the table. The men were dressed in business attire ... sports coats and collared shirts. Mark says one of the men said in a voice loud enough for him to clearly hear ... the U.S. was going to bomb Iran "today."

Mark's not sure who these guys were, but Joe's is .2 of a mile from The White House.

1:52 PM PT -- President Donald Trump has announced that Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died in a scathing post on Truth Social.

In his post, he called Khamenei "One of the most evil people in History, adding ... "This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS."

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly died after the United States and Israel joined forces to launch several strikes on the Middle Eastern country Saturday.

Senior Israeli official Behnam Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital the supreme leader has been killed, while criticizing his leadership. Taleblu said ... "Khamenei’s worldview was shaped by his militant anti-Americanism and antisemitism, which first manifested itself in his protests against the Shah of Iran."

CNN and AP are also reporting his death, citing Israeli sources. He was reportedly killed at his compound in Tehran.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump told NBC News ... "We feel that that is a correct story" in regard to the reports. He added that "most" of Iran's senior leadership is "gone."

President Donald Trump authorized a major attack on Iran Saturday, reportedly leaving hundreds dead and even more injured ... but first, he had to dance.

In videos going viral online, Trump is seen dancing during a dinner at Mar-a-Lago to "God Bless the USA" in his trademark stilted jig. But, it wasn't all play. At the end of his dance, he turned to the person filming and said, "We gotta go work. I gotta go to work!"

According to The New York Times, the event was the second of at least 2 fundraisers being held this year for a Trump-supporting super PAC. The first event took place January 31 at Trump National Golf Club near D.C. Both events reportedly cost $1 million to attend.

Don Lemon has had a lot of things to stress about lately, but his 60th birthday isn't one of them ... he told us he's celebrating the milestone with the ultimate way to relax!

The big day isn't until Sunday, but the journalist tells TMZ ... he started the festivities Friday night with a dinner at a friend's house in Beverly Hills. Then, it's on to the NAACP Image Awards tonight, where he's being honored with 4 awards, followed by dinner with husband Tim Malone.

And on the actual day? He tells us it'll be a "spa day in a beach town."

Can't blame the guy for wanting to just kick back. His birthday comes on the heels of him being named in a lawsuit by an alleged parishioner of The Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota for allegedly disrupting a service last month.

Terrifying video shows an explosion on a street in Qatar after a missile fell from the sky Saturday.

Check out the clip ... horrified people scramble to get away as a gigantic metal torpedo-like object crashes down into a street ... and then explodes into a fiery mass.

It's not clear where the explosive came from, though reports indicate Iran has launched missile attacks targeting the U.S.-occupied Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar after the U.S. joined forces with Israel to strike Iran Saturday morning. Qatar's government said it intercepted Iranian strikes.

The United States and Israel have officially attacked Iran ... as President Trump announced the American and Israeli armed forces have begun "major combat missions" on the country.

Trump uploaded a video message online late Friday night, telling the world his objective is to "defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian régime -- a vicious group of very hard, terrible people." 

The prez also said Iran has waged a 47-year campaign of "bloodshed and mass murder" against the United States and its allies. Trump noted he would never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon despite the country's efforts to rebuild its nuclear program after the U.S. destroyed it last summer.

His intentions regarding Iran's weapons are clear, promising ... "We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground."