A Democratic socialist from the far left has taken an unexpected lead in the Los Angeles mayoral race, surpassing the current mayor, Karen Bass.

Nithya Raman, a City Councilwoman, has surged ahead with 33 percent support in the latest poll, leaving Bass behind at 17 percent in the competition to govern the California city.

Raman has captured public attention with her progressive perspectives on solving Los Angeles’ challenges, including her controversial stance that car manufacturers are at fault for making catalytic converters too easy to steal amidst a rise in car thefts.

Additionally, she recently drew attention for her nonchalant response when questioned about the safety of homeless encampments being set up near schools in the city.

The poll, conducted by the Loyola Marymount University Center for the Study of Los Angeles, also reveals that Bass holds a narrow lead over reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, who has garnered 12 percent support.

Pratt is running as a fervent critic of Bass’s leadership, in particular her handling of the Palisades Fire last year which killed almost 20 people and burned thousands of buildings, including his home. 

Bass’s tenure has been marked by a number of similar missteps, leaving her in danger of becoming the first LA mayor not to win re-election in over 20 years. 

She faces a stacked field of opponents led by Raman, with leftist activist Rae Huang registering close behind Bass at 16 percent support, and tech executive Adam Miller at 13 percent. 

While Bass maintains her lead in other polls, the latest survey shows she is far from safe in her bid to be re-elected when LA voters head to the ballot box in June. 

The latest poll also found that almost 50 percent of LA voters prefer a socialist candidate, leading the polling firm’s director Fernando Guerra to suggest even Bass is not liberal enough for the Blue city. 

Far-left Democratic socialist Nithya Raman has taken a stunning lead over incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in the race to lead the California city

Bass faces becoming the first Los Angeles mayor in over 20 years to lose re-election

Guerra told the LA Times that the poll, which found just eight percent of voters want an ‘establishment’ Democrat, may show Bass is out of touch with her electorate. 

‘Los Angeles is much more progressive than its elected leadership. This poll captures that,’ he said. 

Raman’s lead comes as the City Councilwoman has launched a far-left platform and built a reputation for woke takes on Los Angeles’ issues. 

In 2023, during a surge in automobile thefts across the city, the local lawmaker sparked backlash by voting against banning the unlawful possession of catalytic converters, a valuable car part that is often stolen by auto-thieves. 

Raman said she voted against the ban because she believed car makers were simply making the part too easy to steal.

‘In this case, I think one of the things that infuriates me, is that we have a company — whatever, Toyota — who makes the Prius, that essentially has a device on their cars which is super easy to remove. It’s basically the value of a MacBook, right?’ she said at the time. 

Despite almost 8,000 catalytic converters being stolen in 2022, Raman said her solution was to ‘manufacture a car that actually is not so easy to be stolen.’ 

Nithya was seen on footage in 2023 shrugging her shoulders as she blamed car manufacturers for making their parts too easy to steal during a surge in automobile thefts in Los Angeles

Under Bass’s leadership, homelessness has failed be brought down significantly even as the city poured over $500 million into fixing it

Raman, who is a dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), has also come under scrutiny for her policies on solving Los Angeles’s homeless issues. 

Under Bass’s leadership, homelessness has failed be brought down significantly even as the city poured huge funds into fixing it. 

According to a report from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), homelessness in Los Angeles in 2025 stood at a staggering 67,777 people, down just 141 people despite a reported $516 million being spent.

But when Raman was grilled about how she would solve the crisis at a debate, she drew boos from the crowd. 

She told an audience in 2024 that she did not believe it would make any difference in enforcing laws banning homeless encampments from coming within 500 feet of schools, drawing the ire of the crowd. 

‘I don’t think a kid’s gonna be safer if they are 10 feet or 500 feet away from a school,’ Raman said, as she shrugged her shoulders on stage, reported the California Post. 

She clarified in a statement after her remarks drew backlash: ‘Keeping children safe is so important to me, especially as the mother of 10-year-old twins who walk to school every day.

‘Rather than spending resources to move encampments down the street, where they remain on corridors where children and others walk, my focus has been on building a citywide homelessness response system that works to quickly and safely move people indoors.’ 

The Daily Mail has contacted Raman and Bass’s offices for comment on the latest poll results and the state of the mayoral race.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has raised alarms about recent activities by Russian reconnaissance satellites, which have reportedly captured images of crucial U.S. and allied military installations throughout the Middle East. This development has prompted concerns over potential targeting, especially following Zelenskyy’s return from a critical diplomatic mission to Gulf nations currently under Iranian threat.

Zelenskyy’s comments highlight Ukraine’s expanding involvement in the region, as the country shares intelligence and defense strategies with Middle Eastern allies facing increasing missile and drone attacks from Iran.

In a social media update on March 28, Zelenskyy revealed that he had received information indicating Russian satellites were photographing several strategic locations “in the interests of Iran.” These sites include military bases and essential energy infrastructure scattered across the Gulf region.

“It’s common knowledge that repeated reconnaissance often signals preparations for potential attacks,” Zelenskyy stated.

An image captured by Planet Labs on March 1, 2026, depicts a significant plume of smoke rising over Tehran, Iran, illustrating the heightened tensions in the area.

According to Zelenskyy, the surveillance occurred over several days in late March. On March 24, Russian satellites reportedly captured imagery of the U.S.-U.K. military facility on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The following days included Kuwait International Airport and parts of the Greater Burgan oil field, as well as Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

Additional sites imaged on March 26 included Saudi Arabia’s Shaybah oil and gas field, Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base, and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, one of the largest U.S. military installations in the region.

Some of the locations identified by Zelenskyy, including places in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, have been targeted in recent Iranian attacks, though it remains unclear whether the satellite imagery he described was directly used in those operations.

The warning follows Zelenskyy’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan, where he discussed security cooperation and shared intelligence with regional leaders.

Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, passenger terminal. (U.S. Air Force)

In an interview published Monday by Axios, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had provided Middle Eastern partners with information about Russian support for Iran, including potential targeting assistance.

“I think Russia is supporting Iran directly, 100%,” Zelenskyy told Axios. “The same format of sharing satellite images like they did in the case of Ukraine.”

Map of U.S. military bases Iran could target. (Fox News)

Ksenia Svetlova, an associate fellow at Chatham House, said recent developments point to increased cooperation in that space. “There is more cooperation in everything that has to do with intelligence,” she said, citing reports that Russia has provided Iran with “a target list, basically, through their satellites, American targets, but also air targets in the Gulf.”

Svetlova added that such support enables Russia to assist Iran without deploying troops or equipment.

“They are doing for the Iranians whatever they can without spending money, spending troops, or spending equipment,” she said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual end-of-year press conference in Moscow on Dec. 19, 2024. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)

The White House has not confirmed the intelligence-sharing but said it is not impacting U.S. operations.

“Nothing provided to Iran by any other country is affecting our operational success. The United States military has struck more than 11,000 targets and destroyed more than 150 Iranian naval vessels, leading to their missile attacks and drone attacks decreasing by 90%. The terrorist Iranian regime continues to be crushed by the full might of the most lethal fighting force in the world,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also downplayed concerns about Russia’s role, telling reporters Friday: “There is nothing Russia is doing for Iran that is in any way impeding or affecting our operation or the effectiveness of it.”

Foreign workers look at a tall plume of black smoke ascends following an explosion in the Fujairah industrial zone on March 3, 2026. Iran’s strikes on Gulf neighbors since February 28, following the U.S.-Israeli attack, forced the UAE to shut its airspace, blindsiding travelers who thought they were headed to one of the region’s safest holiday destinations. (Fadel Senna / AFP via Getty Images)

Lt. Gen. Richard Newton (Ret.), a former U.S. Air Force assistant vice chief of staff, said the reports should not come as a surprise.

“The latest reports that Russia provided essential imaging intelligence to the Iranian regime to target a U.S. air base in Saudi Arabia should surprise no one. Putin is our adversary who can’t be trusted.”

“We should avoid a direct conflict with Moscow,” he added, “but there must be consequences for Russia aiding and abetting the Iranian regime that harms American military personnel and our assets.”

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (not pictured) attend a press conference at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in Warsaw, Poland, Jan. 15, 2025. (Aleksandra Szmigiel/Reuters)

Russia has not publicly responded to Zelenskyy’s claims. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Russian government and the Iranian mission to the United Nations for comment and did not receive responses in time for publication.

Carrie Filipetti, executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition and a former senior State Department official, told Fox News Digital the reports reflect a broader and growing threat.

“There is no clearer signal that Russia is a dangerous adversary than the continued reporting that Russia is providing intelligence targeting Americans to a regime currently engaged in combat against the United States,” Filipetti said.

“American service members’ lives are at continued risk because of Putin’s war machine,” she added, warning that Washington must act to “hold the Russian regime accountable and prevent future American deaths.”

U.S. Army soldiers train at al-Asad air base. The base is located in Western Iraq. (Source: U.S. Army )

Zelenskyy has also questioned ongoing discussions about easing sanctions on Russia.

“There must be pressure on the aggressor. And lifting sanctions is certainly not pressure,” he wrote.

Last week, Disneyland Paris unveiled its eagerly awaited World of Frozen area, attracting a throng of young enthusiasts excited to encounter their beloved characters face-to-face.

Situated within Disney Adventure World, the newly rebranded second park at Disneyland Paris, this fresh attraction boasts a musical boat ride that leads visitors to Elsa’s majestic Ice Palace. Guests can also explore a revamped Arendelle Village and engage with characters like Anna, Elsa, Hans, and a life-sized Olaf.

The Olaf animatronic stands around three feet tall, mirroring his stature from the films. Wrapped in fluffy fabric for an authentic ‘snowy’ appearance, he even features the voice of Josh Gad, the actor behind the beloved snowman in the movies.

However, a recent demonstration of Olaf went awry when the animatronic toppled backwards, losing its carrot nose, much to the dismay of onlooking children.

Unlike static figures on theme park rides, Olaf has the ability to move freely and engage with visitors, thanks to advanced AI technology and Disney Imagineering robotics.

But just days after debuting on 29 March at Disneyland Paris, the snowman suffered a hilarious – and very public – malfunction. 

A viral TikTok video posted by @magictourclub captures the moment the high-tech robot collapsed during a live appearance with Prince Hans.

The clip – captioned ‘POV: You waited 30 minutes to see Olaf and then this happens’ – shows a huge crowd of visitors ranging from adults to very young children. 

A TikTok video has captured the moment an animatronic Olaf malfunctioned and crashed to the ground in front of stunned onlookers at Disneyland Paris’ new World of Frozen land this week 

In the clip, the animatronic, which appeared to initially captivate guests with its gestures and dialogue, suddenly seizes up with a wide-eyed expression. 

Within seconds, the robot falls backwards in a stiff motion onto the pavement, leading to panicked screams from guests. 

As Olaf lays motionless, its carrot nose can be seen bouncing away from the scene, before it’s swiftly picked up by a member of staff and reattached.  

The animatronic is then calmly carried away by staff as gasps turn to laughter in the crowd.

The video has drawn hundreds of hilarious responses from viewers, who recommended Olaf be ‘given a cup of coffee’ to keep him awake during interactions. 

One person wrote of the crowd’s reaction: ‘Screaming as if he’s a real person,’ while another commented, ‘He got overworked y’all give him a break’. 

Another said, ‘To be honest this is very Olaf of him,’ while a third added, ‘The parents were sadder than the kids.’ 

A fourth quipped: ‘Olaf realised he had to do this for the rest of his life… then gave up.’ 

The robot can be seen seizing up for a few seconds before falling backwards in a stiff motion onto the pavement. Its detachable carrot nose can also be seen rolling away from the scene  

The recently opened World of Frozen is among many new attractions coming to Disney Adventure World in Disneyland Paris. 

A new Up-themed attraction is set to arrive the resort, making it the first time a Disney park has had a ride based on the heartwarming Pixar film.

Riders will board a flying carousel that will spin in the air, offering a bird’s-eye view of the park, making it feel like you’re floating up in the air, just like Carl and Russell in the film.

Construction on the ride began at the end of 2025, along with a nearby garden inspired by other animated films Tangled and Toy Story.

Disney also revealed its plan to construct a Lion King-themed world.

It’s the first time any Disney park in the world has opened an area dedicated to the much-loved Disney film.

The all-new attraction will blend a spectacular water experience with state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics® technology, making guests feel like they’re in the heart of the Pride Lands, where Simba will await them for an unforgettable adventure complete with iconic songs from the 1994 masterpiece.