Who is Nithya Raman? Kerala-born urban planner aiming to become Los Angeles mayor

Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang has agreed to plead guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China, admitting she published pro-Beijing propaganda through a local news website under direct orders from Chinese government officials.Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, California, has agreed to plead guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the Chinese governmentEileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, California, has agreed to plead guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the Chinese government, federal prosecutors announced Monday, marking one of the most striking cases of local political infiltration by a foreign power in recent American history.Eileen Wang Charged: What the Federal Case RevealsEileen Wang, 58, who served as mayor of Arcadia, a city of approximately 53,000 residents located around 13 miles northeast of Los Angeles, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison after agreeing to plead guilty to one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Wang resigned from her position on the Arcadia City Council on Monday, the same day the charges were made public.Wang was first elected to the five-person city council in November 2022, with the mayoral role assigned on a rotating basis from among council members. Court documents unsealed Monday allege that her conduct as a foreign agent preceded her time in office.What Eileen Wang Admitted to Doing for BeijingAccording to her plea agreement, Wang and a colleague, Yaoning "Mike" Sun, worked on behalf of officials for the People's Republic of China from late 2020 through 2022, promoting pro-Beijing propaganda within the United States. The pair operated a news website called US News Center, which was aimed at the Chinese American community in Southern California.Federal prosecutors allege that Wang used the platform to publish pro-China content under direct instruction from Chinese government officials, including an essay explicitly denying genocide and forced labour in the Xinjiang region. Wang and Sun are said to have received and executed directives from government officials to post this content without notifying the US government as required by law.FBI's Warning to Foreign Agents Operating in the USThe Federal Bureau of Investigation was unambiguous in its assessment of the case. Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, said in a statement: “By her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government. Let this serve as a clear warning: individuals who act on behalf of foreign governments to influence our democracy will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice.”Wang is expected to enter her formal plea in a federal court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks, according to the US attorney's office in Los Angeles.Yaoning Sun and the Broader Propaganda NetworkWang was not operating alone. Sun, who also served as the treasurer for Wang's 2022 election campaign according to campaign filings, pleaded guilty to the same charge in October 2024 and is currently serving a four-year prison sentence.Wang is also alleged to have communicated with John Chen, another individual who pleaded guilty to acting as an agent for the Chinese government and was subsequently sentenced to 20 months in prison. The overlapping network of guilty pleas suggests a coordinated effort to embed pro-Beijing influence within Chinese American media and local civic institutions.Arcadia City Officials Distance Themselves from Wang's ConductCity manager Dominic Lazzaretto moved quickly to separate the municipality from the case. In a news release, Lazzaretto stated: "We want to be clear: this investigation concerns individual conduct, and the charges are for conduct that ceased after Ms. Wang was sworn into office in December 2022." He confirmed that no city finances or staff were involved in Wang's activities.Why the Arcadia Case Matters Beyond Local PoliticsArcad

Karen Bass shared a video of Magic Johnson’s endorsement on social media, where the former Los Angeles Lakers star praised her leadership on homelessness and public safety.“She’s doing a tremendous job. Mayor Bass has to have a second term and I’m excited to say that,” Magic Johnson said. (File Photo by Luiza Moraes / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)Basketball icon Magic Johnson publicly endorsed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday (May 11), backing the Democrat’s bid for a second term in the closely watched mayoral race.Bass shared a video of Johnson’s endorsement on social media, where the former Los Angeles Lakers star praised her leadership on homelessness and public safety.“She’s doing a tremendous job. Mayor Bass has to have a second term and I’m excited to say that,” Johnson said.“Listen, you took on a tough job here and you’ve done a fabulous job and all of us appreciate your effort and what you’re doing and we look forward to helping you continue your mission and the things that you have in store — your vision for the city,” he added.Split emerges between Johnson and Lakers owner Jeanie BussJohnson’s endorsement also highlighted a political split with longtime Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who reportedly backed Republican candidate Spencer Pratt in the race.The differing endorsements have drawn attention because of Johnson’s long association with the Lakers organization and Buss family.Johnson said his decades-long friendship with Bass played a key role in his support, alongside what he described as progress on reducing homelessness and lowering homicide rates in Los Angeles.Wildfire response remains major issue in raceWhile Johnson praised Bass’ leadership, he did not address criticism surrounding her handling of the devastating 2025 wildfires that killed at least a dozen people and caused billions of dollars in damage across Los Angeles County.Pratt has repeatedly targeted Bass over the city’s emergency response to the fires, particularly the destruction in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood.Bass faced scrutiny because she was attending the inauguration of Ghana’s new president when the wildfire crisis intensified.The disaster has become one of the defining issues in the campaign, with displaced residents continuing to struggle through complex rebuilding and recovery processes months later.Spencer Pratt campaigns on frustration with city governmentFormer MTV reality television personality Spencer Pratt officially launched his mayoral campaign earlier this year, positioning himself as a conservative outsider focused on government dysfunction and public frustration.“The system in Los Angeles isn’t struggling,” Pratt said while announcing his campaign in January. “It’s fundamentally broken.”Pratt’s campaign began exactly one year after his home was destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire.Although Republicans face steep odds in heavily Democratic Los Angeles, Pratt has tapped into broader voter frustration over homelessness, public safety, wildfire preparedness and rising living costs.Nithya Raman emerges as major challengerBass is also facing pressure from the political left through City Council member Nithya Raman, a progressive Democrat who has gained momentum in recent months.Raman has focused heavily on housing policy, urban planning and governance reforms during the campaign.During recent debates, Bass and Raman clashed over homelessness policy, affordable housing construction, police funding and disaster preparedness ahead of the 2028 Olympics.Bass defended her homelessness initiative, saying the program helped move thousands of people from encampments into temporary and permanent housing.She credited the effort with reducing street homelessness by 17.5%.Raman, however, criticized the initiative as too expensive and argued the city needs broader structural reforms.Tight race ahead of primary voteEarly voting is already underway ahead of the June primary election.Polling sugg