Free Republic

Undeterred by the shocking, last-minute cancellation of the city’s annual Pride Festival, Long Beach’s Pride Parade roared forward Sunday.

New Vegas betting odds heavily favor former Biden Cabinet official Xavier Becerra in California’s crowded governor’s race — and it’s not even close. Prediction market Polymarket currently gives Becerra a commanding 52% chance of winning the 2026 gubernatorial contest, far outpacing his nearest rival, billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer, who trails at around 32%. The sharp divide underscores just how dramatically Becerra has surged from early uncertainty to become the race’s dominant frontrunner.

Hundreds of Iranian-Americans gathered in Los Angeles on Saturday to voice support for the attacks against Iran’s ruling regime a week after US-Israeli airstrike killed the supreme leader. Demonstrators rallied near the federal building in Westwood on Saturday, chanting for the return of democracy to authoritarian Tehran. Many praised former President Donald Trump and called the moment a long-awaited turning point for the Iranian people. Waving flags and sharing stories of exile, protesters said the conflict is not a war but a chance to end the Islamic Republic’s grip on power. Mars, who was born in Shiraz in south central...

The designers behind Hollywood’s grandest stage pulled back the curtain on their green-themed inspiration for the Oscars dais. The stage for the 98th Academy Awards show resembles a garden courtyard, with overhanging tree branches and other floral touches meant to provide a feeling of zen. “There is an unsettled nature around the climate right now, and there’s just something very calming about being surrounded by architecture, but having this space for trees to grow,” Oscars production designer Alana Billingsley told Vanity Fair of the stage’s theme. The stage for the 98th Academy Awards show resembles a garden courtyard, with overhanging...