AI “Asian” pop singer
A virtual singer depicted as a young Asian woman named TaTa was unveiled on June 5 as the first act from Stage Zero, an AI-focused entertainment company founded in Los Angeles by Timbaland...
The Rebel Yellow - Issue #83
Sen. Alex Padilla’s forced removal from a DHS briefing in Los Angeles has sparked bipartisan backlash and renewed scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, Zohran Mamdani takes the lead over Andrew Cuomo in NYC’s mayoral race, a Hmong American lawmaker clarifies her immigration story, and a GOP congresswoman faces rebuke over anti-Sikh comments. Also in this issue: tensions rise in the Iran-Israel conflict, Cambodia bans Thai media, Meta recruits Scale AI’s CEO, and Timbaland unveils a virtual Asian pop singer.
Asian American officials blast Senator Padilla’s forced removal from DHS briefing
Asian American lawmakers have expressed outrage over the detention and handcuffing of U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) during a news conference of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles last week.
Catch up
Padilla was taken into custody Thursday after attempting to pose questions about federal immigration enforcement amid escalating tensions surrounding the Trump administration’s deportation operations. Footage shows a Secret Service agent from Noem’s protective detail grabbing Padilla by his jacket and pushing him out of the room as he stated, “I’m Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary.” He was then forced to his knees before being wrestled to the ground and placed in handcuffs in a hallway, with multiple officers restraining him.
The confrontation unfolded after Noem made pointed remarks declaring federal authorities would maintain their presence and expand operations to “liberate” LA from its “socialist” leadership. At CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday, Padilla revealed that military and federal personnel escorted him into the briefing room, directly contradicting DHS claims that he interrupted “without identifying himself.” “They opened the door for me, and they stood next to me while I was listening for the entire time,” Padilla said.
What they’re saying
U.S. Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who questioned Noem on her knowledge of habeas corpus last month, delivered impassioned floor remarks in response to the incident, calling it “a humiliation of this body” and declaring “I have no words to describe just the absurdity of this moment and the dangers to our country and our union.” He also urged colleagues to condemn the incident and “stand united with one voice.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) said Padilla was only doing his job and demanding answers for his constituents. “Actions by federal law enforcement to detain him are shocking,” Meng said, calling for a full investigation alongside Hispanic Caucus colleagues.
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) called the incident “sickening,” declaring “this is what authoritarians do” and warning “none of us is safe from this regime.” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) directly refuted DHS claims, noting that Padilla introduced himself “first thing” in the video and that “there is nothing the Trump Administration won’t lie about.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris also weighed in to defend her Senate successor, saying Padilla “was representing the millions of Californians who are demanding answers to this Administration’s actions in Southern California.” She also slammed his treatment as “a shameful and stunning abuse of power.”
What Padilla is saying
Padilla, who became California’s first Latino senator in 2021, said he was removed while “demanding answers about the Trump administration’s increasingly extreme immigration enforcement actions.” He warned, “If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question … I can only imagine what they are doing to farmworkers, to cooks, to day laborers throughout the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country.”
Congressional leaders are demanding accountability as tensions escalate over Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to California amid ongoing deportation protests.
NYC mayoral poll: Zohran Mamdani gains lead over Andrew Cuomo
New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has overtaken former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a recent poll, leading 35% to 31% in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary set for June 24.
Competitive polling
The Public Policy Polling survey, conducted from June 6-7, was the first public poll to show Mamdani leading Cuomo. White and Asian likely voters, according to Politico, brought Mamdani’s core support, though he also secured over a quarter of Black respondents and about a third of Hispanic participants. Meanwhile, separate Cuomo campaign research reportedly showed the former governor holding a 12-point lead across multiple ballot rounds.
Saturday’s initial early voting session drew more than 30,000 people, twice the 2021 primary’s first-day total.
Asian voting power
State Sen. John Liu’s backing has provided significant momentum for Mamdani’s bid, given Liu’s historic 2010 election as the first Asian American citywide officeholder when he won the comptroller’s race. Liu serves the state’s sole majority-Asian legislative district in northeast Queens, an area containing New York’s most concentrated Chinese population. A May 28 Emerson College poll showed Asian voters split between the candidates, with Mamdani slightly ahead (50.1% to Cuomo’s 49.9%).
Mamdani, who is Indian American, has developed extensive South Asian networks by conducting outreach in community languages. In his 2020 bid for State Assembly, he produced materials in Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Tibetan and Urdu.
About Mamdani
Mamdani, 33, is a Uganda-born immigrant of Indian descent. As an assemblyman, he has won significant legislative victories, including securing more than $450 million in taxi driver debt forgiveness and obtaining $100 million in state funding for enhanced subway service. His mayoral platform focuses on rent stabilization freezes, eliminating bus fares, establishing a community safety department and launching municipal grocery stores financed through an 11.5% corporate tax rate and a 2% levy on million-dollar earners.
One of his strongest endorsements comes from U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who described him as the type of leader Democrats need nationwide. Thursday’s final debate featured sharp exchanges, with Cuomo questioning whether electing the assemblyman would be “reckless and dangerous,” prompting Mamdani’s retort, “I’ve never had to resign in disgrace.”
Ranked-choice voting continues as the primary approaches.
Hmong American lawmaker responds to backlash over her immigration story
Minnesota State Representative Kaohly Vang Her, one of the nation's few Hmong American lawmakers, clarified on Monday that she and her family are U.S. citizens after earlier remarks sparked backlash over her description of their immigration story.
Emotional remarks
During a June 9 debate in the Minnesota House over a proposal to end public health benefits for undocumented immigrants, Her shared a deeply personal account of her family’s journey to the U.S. In a tearful statement, she said her parents manipulated refugee paperwork to escape from Laos after the Vietnam War.
“What my father did was one of our uncles worked for USAID, and because his mother had died, my father, as the one processing the paperwork, put my grandmother down as his mother. So I am illegal in this country. My parents are illegal in this country, and when we were fleeing that situation, never one time did my family say, ‘Let’s look at which state has the greatest welfare and the best benefits because that’s the state we’re going to go to,'” Rep. Her said. “Nobody leaves their country unless they have to leave that country.”
She said her intention was to humanize undocumented immigrants and highlight the complicated realities faced by refugee families. Her grandfather supported the U.S. during the CIA-backed Secret War in Laos. After the U.S. withdrawal, the family fled persecution and resettled in Minnesota when she was a child.
“When lawmakers call people ‘illegal,’ I am that person; my parents are those people,” she added.
Clarification amid scrutiny
Her comments prompted criticism from conservative outlets and Republican lawmakers who called for an investigation into her legal status.
"Rep. Her stated she and her family entered the U.S. illegally,” Minnesota State Senator Eric Pratt, R-Prior Lake wrote on X. “There is no twisting of words… It’s clear she wanted to convey she is an undocumented immigrant impacted by the bill. She opened this door & the House of Representatives needs to investigate her comments immediately."
On Monday, she released a statement clarifying that both she and her parents are U.S. citizens. Her said she became a citizen in junior high and accused critics of twisting her remarks into “anti-immigrant clickbait.”
“I shared a deeply personal story to show that many immigrants don’t fit into neat categories of ‘legal’ or ‘illegal,’” she said. “But to be clear: I am a U.S. citizen. So are my parents.”
Reflecting wider Hmong experience
Born in Laos in 1973, Her arrived in the U.S. at age 4 and grew up in St. Paul. She entered politics after a career in finance and public service, becoming one of several Hmong American legislators elected in Minnesota, home to one of the largest Hmong populations in the country.
Her family’s immigration story mirrors that of many Hmong refugees who fled post–Vietnam War persecution. Thousands escaped to refugee camps in Thailand and later resettled in the U.S. under the Refugee Act of 1980. Some families, she suggested, relied on alternative or improvised methods — including falsifying documents — to reach safety.
GOP congresswoman hit with bipartisan rebuke over anti-Sikh remarks
Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) drew widespread criticism earlier this month after claiming that it was inappropriate for a Sikh religious leader to deliver the opening prayer in Capitol Hill.
Catch up
Giani Surinder Singh, who leads services at the South Jersey Sikh Society, a gurudwara in Vineland, New Jersey, served as the House’s guest chaplain on June 6. In his opening prayer, he included the words, “Almighty God … we call you by many names, sir. But you are one” and “Help us remember that we belong to one family.”
Miller, 65, criticized Singh’s presence in an X post, initially misidentifying him as Muslim. “It’s deeply troubling that a Muslim was allowed to lead prayer in the House of Representatives this morning. This should never have been allowed to happen.” She added, “America was founded as a Christian nation, and I believe our government should reflect that truth, not drift further from it. May God have mercy!” Apparently realizing her mistake, Miller later changed “Muslim” to “Sikh” in the post before removing it entirely.
Bipartisan condemnation
Guest chaplains from various religious backgrounds have long participated in House proceedings, including Muslim leaders who read from the Quran after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers condemned Miller’s comments.
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), chaired by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), issued a statement calling Miller’s comments racist. “Sikhs and Muslims practice two separate and distinct religions, and conflating the two based on how someone looks is not only ignorant but also racist,” the caucus stressed. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries also denounced Miller’s comments, saying, “It’s deeply troubling that such an ignorant and hateful extremist is serving in the United States Congress. That would be you, Mary.”
U.S. Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) said he felt “troubled” by Miller’s remarks. “Throughout the country — and in the Central Valley — Sikh Americans are valued and respected members of our communities, yet they continue to face harassment and discrimination,” he wrote on X. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) pointed out, “A Sikh prayer on the House floor — followed by a Christian prayer one week and a Jewish prayer the next — doesn’t violate the Constitution, offend my Catholic faith or throttle my support for Israel. Live and let live.”
More backlash
Advocacy groups have demanded an apology from Miller, who has not publicly responded to the criticism. Kiran Kaur Gill, executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said the official’s comments were “inexcusable and contrary to the principles our country was founded on” and called for “an immediate apology for her hateful and reprehensible remarks.” Meanwhile, the Sikh Coalition created an online tool allowing people to send pre-written messages to Miller requesting an apology.
How Asian countries risk being drawn into the Iran-Israel conflict
Asian nations face mounting economic and strategic pressures as the escalating Iran-Israel conflict threatens to disrupt global supply chains and force difficult diplomatic choices across the region.
Catch up
The conflict escalated dramatically when Israel struck Iranian nuclear facilities early Friday, resulting in the deaths of senior military commanders. Iranian state media report that the strikes killed Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, along with Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Israeli cities in response, causing 10 fatalities over the weekend, while Israeli counterstrikes have killed 224 Iranians as of Sunday evening. The violence has stretched across three days, sending crude oil futures up as much as 13% after the initial Israeli attack.
Potential involvement
Asia’s main vulnerability stems from possible disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, a roughly 100-mile (161-kilometer) waterway handling at least 26% of global oil shipments, including energy supplies critical to Asian economies. Blockade of this Persian Gulf route could increase congestion at the Strait of Malacca, a critical transit corridor for Middle Eastern crude heading to East Asia. China bears significant risk as Iran’s top oil buyer, importing over three-quarters of Iranian oil exports. Energy consultant Ellen Wald told CNBC that Beijing opposes any oil flow disruption from the Persian Gulf and higher oil prices, warning China would “bring the full weight of their economic power to bear on Iran.”
Cybersecurity concerns also loom, with Iran and Israel having historically conducted digital warfare. Southeast Asia’s weak regulatory framework and infrastructure defenses pose vulnerability to cyber attacks.
What they’re saying
Regional governments criticized the attacks while taking steps to safeguard their nationals. Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya slammed Israel’s military action as “extremely regrettable,” declaring that “peace and stability in the Middle East are of utmost importance to Japan.” Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called the strikes “a grave and reckless act” that seeks to undermine U.S.-Iran negotiations. Chinese Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing “opposes any infringement on Iran's sovereignty” and remains “ready to play a constructive role in easing the situation.”
In Washington, President Donald Trump showed cautious hope, telling journalists he believes there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement but acknowledged that adversaries sometimes must resolve disputes through conflict. In a separate interview, Trump indicated potential U.S. involvement remains possible and expressed openness to Vladimir Putin mediating between the adversaries.
Cambodia bans all Thai movies and TV shows amid border clash
Cambodia has banned all Thai films and television shows and rerouted its internet traffic to avoid Thai networks, escalating a diplomatic standoff following a fatal border clash last month.
Media and infrastructure cutoff: The ban, effective June 13, halts the broadcast of Thai dramas and movies, which have long been staples of Cambodian entertainment. Broadcasters have been told to replace them with Chinese, Korean or local alternatives. Authorities also confirmed that internet and electricity links are being redirected to limit dependence on Thailand.
Border clash reignites dispute: The moves come in response to a May 28 skirmish near Preah Vihear province, where a Cambodian soldier was killed in a disputed area both countries claim. The long-standing dispute over the border surrounding the Preah Vihear temple has persisted for decades, despite past rulings by the International Court of Justice favoring Cambodia.
Political and cultural fallout: Prime Minister Hun Manet described the media and infrastructure shift as a safeguard against mounting pressure from Thai nationalist groups, some of whom have called for cutting utilities to Cambodia. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has denied any such actions, saying Thailand's focus remains on disrupting scam operations near Poipet, not limiting Cambodian access to services.
Diplomatic talks stall: Efforts to de-escalate continued with a June 14 meeting in Phnom Penh between the two countries' border commissions, but talks ended without resolution. Cambodia has submitted the case to the International Court of Justice. “Cambodia chooses a peaceful resolution based on international law through the ICJ mechanism for solving the border dispute,” Hun Manet said.
28-year-old CEO of Scale AI heads to Meta as part of $14 billion deal
Alexandr Wang, co-founder and CEO of Scale AI, told employees Thursday he is stepping down to join Meta Platforms, confirming his exit just days after Meta acquired a 49% stake in the company through a $14.3 billion investment.
Announcing the departure
In a company-wide note, Wang said he will lead Meta’s new “superintelligence” lab, a research unit focused on developing advanced artificial intelligence systems. He described the decision to leave Scale as personally difficult but strategically necessary. “This decision did not come easily,” he wrote. “But the opportunity to build something fundamentally new and important demanded my undivided attention.”
The 28-year-old self-made billionaire, whose estimated net worth is now $3.6 billion, will retain a seat on Scale’s board of directors. Reflecting on the company’s origins, he added, “I started this company right out of freshman year of MIT and never looked back. I wouldn’t change a minute of it.”
Building Scale’s value
Wang founded Scale AI in 2016 with engineer Lucy Guo, who left the company in 2018 following internal disagreements. Although she departed early, Guo retained a significant equity stake and has since become the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire, surpassing Taylor Swift.
Originally built to support businesses developing AI systems, Scale grew by hiring thousands of contract workers to label and clean massive datasets used to train machine learning models.
Meta’s investment values the company at nearly $29 billion and expands its commercial partnership with Scale. Despite Meta’s 49% stake, Scale will continue to operate independently. Jason Droege, the company’s chief strategy officer, has been appointed interim CEO.
Meta’s long-term AI shift
Wang’s departure comes as Meta works to deepen its position in artificial intelligence research. The company has made technical progress with its LLaMA model but continues to trail OpenAI and Google DeepMind in areas such as model performance and core system design.
According to Meta, the new lab will focus on foundational research with longer development timelines. Wang’s appointment signals a shift toward more internal efforts as Meta looks to build beyond its current generative AI tools.
Industry response
Analysts have raised concerns that Meta’s investment could compromise Scale’s neutrality as an infrastructure provider in the AI ecosystem. With Meta now holding a near-half stake, some industry leaders warn the deal could alienate clients who compete with Meta or depend on vendor independence.
Google, reportedly Scale’s largest customer, plans to end its relationship with the company. Analysts say the move could also attract regulatory scrutiny over competition and data access.
Timbaland debuts an AI-generated “Asian” pop singer
A virtual singer depicted as a young Asian woman named TaTa was unveiled on June 5 as the first act from Stage Zero, an AI-focused entertainment company founded in Los Angeles by Grammy-winning producer Timbaland, AI strategist Zayd Portillo and film producer Rocky Mudaliar. The founders say TaTa will release a debut single this year and headline a new genre they call “A-pop,” short for artificial pop.
Production process
Stage Zero records a traditional demo in Timbaland’s studio, uploads the stems to the generative-audio platform Suno, lets the software expand the arrangement and melody, then inserts lyrics written by human songwriters. The producer added that current tools have reduced his production time “from three months to two days.”
Vision for “A-pop”
Mudaliar told Billboard the company wants to build “fully autonomous” virtual performers who can appear in music videos, social-media feeds and even scripted films. “The artists of tomorrow won’t just be human, they’ll be IP, code and robotics,” he said. Timbaland echoed that ambition in a launch statement: “I’m producing systems, stories and stars from scratch … TaTa is the first artist of a new generation.”
Legal and industry pushback
Stage Zero’s workflow depends on Suno, which is fighting a 2024 copyright lawsuit from Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Records that accuses the company of using protected recordings to train its model. At the creative level, producer Young Guru criticized the project on Instagram: “I swear I love you bro but this ain’t it … Human expression can never be reduced to this.” Some online commenters have also questioned why the label’s inaugural act is a digital Asian woman rather than a living Asian performer.
Amy Wang shares update on “Crazy Rich Asians 2”
Screenwriter Amy Wang says the long-awaited sequel to “Crazy Rich Asians” is still in the works, but fans will need to be patient. Speaking with The Direct during the “Slanted” premiere at SXSW in March, Wang offered a rare update on the status of the romantic comedy follow-up.
“As far as I know, it is still going to happen,” she said. “But it’s just that everyone’s taking their time. Everybody wants to make the script perfect and great. And you know, they want the sequel to be better than the past.”
While cast and producers have hinted at development over the years, Wang’s comments mark the most recent confirmation that “Crazy Rich Asians 2” remains active, though no release timeline has been announced.
Live-action “5 Centimeters per Second” unveils first teaser trailer
The first teaser trailer for the live-action adaptation of Makoto Shinkai’s acclaimed anime film “5 Centimeters per Second” has been released, offering fans a first glimpse at the reimagined romantic drama ahead of its Oct. 10 premiere in Japan.
Starring Hokuto Matsumura of SixTONES as Takaki Tōno, the film is directed by Yoshiyuki Okuyama and produced by Spoon, with distribution by Toho. The teaser features the film’s signature cherry blossoms and the emotional distance between childhood friends Takaki and Akari, whose growing separation anchors the story’s three-part narrative.
Originally released as an animated film in 2007, “5 Centimeters per Second” marked one of Shinkai’s early milestones before his global success with “Your Name” (2016). The anime was released in North America on DVD in 2008 and later on Blu-ray in 2022. No international release date has been announced for the live-action version.