Ronny Chieng joins King of the Hill
Comedian and actor Ronny Chieng has been cast as the new voice of Kahn Souphanousinphone in the 14th season of “King of the Hill,” premiering on Hulu Aug. 4.
The Rebel Yellow - Issue #95
A judge blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship crackdown — protecting 150,000+ newborns.
A North Korean defector files a historic lawsuit against Kim Jong-un.
Zohran Mamdani leads NYC’s mayoral race; Adams and Cuomo trail.
Nvidia hits a $4 trillion market cap.
Grok AI claps back at anti-Indian hate.
Ronny Chieng joins King of the Hill.
Dylan Harper and Hansen Yang shine in NBA Summer League.
New controversies hit Love Island and K-pop.
Judge shields 150,000 newborns from Trump’s birthright citizenship crackdown
A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship from taking effect nationwide, using class action procedures after the Supreme Court restricted judges’ authority to issue broad injunctions.
“Irreparable harm”
U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante in New Hampshire granted class action status to a lawsuit protecting babies who would lose citizenship under Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order. The ruling covers all current and future children born to parents who lack U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, preventing the policy from taking effect nationwide on its scheduled July 27 implementation date.
Laplante, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, called the decision to issue an injunction “not a close call,” explaining that citizenship deprivation constitutes irreparable harm. “That’s irreparable harm, citizenship alone,” he said during the hearing. “It is the greatest privilege that exists in the world.” The judge provided a seven-day stay to allow the Trump administration to appeal, which Justice Department lawyers indicated they would pursue.
Why this matters
The ruling represents a key test of how courts can challenge federal policies after the Supreme Court’s June 27 decision that restricted nationwide injunctions. The high court’s 6-3 ruling had narrowed three previous nationwide blocks of Trump’s order, potentially allowing partial enforcement in some states. However, Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s majority opinion preserved class action lawsuits as an alternative route for broad relief.
“Since the Supreme Court’s decision, parents have lived in fear and uncertainty, wondering whether they should give birth in a different state, whether their newborns would be subject to deportation, and what kind of future awaits their children,” said Aarti Kohli, executive director of the Asian Law Caucus. “This court’s injunction protecting birthright citizenship for all affected children is a major victory for families across this country and for all Americans. This ruling reaffirms that constitutional rights cannot be stripped away by executive decree.”
The big picture
Trump’s order challenges the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause and the 1898 Supreme Court precedent in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which established birthright citizenship for nearly all U.S.-born children. In a previous interview with The Rebel Yellow, Rahat N. Babar, deputy executive director and general counsel of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), argued that the Trump administration “mistakenly analogizes Wong Kim Ark’s parents to modern day green card holders” while ignoring the historical context of Chinese exclusion. Babar also emphasized that “much of this nation’s foundational immigration case law has been established by Asian American legal pioneers” who faced “widespread and systematic violence and lynchings.”
More than 150,000 newborns would be denied citizenship annually if Trump’s order takes full effect, according to court filings. The White House criticized Laplante’s ruling as “an obvious and unlawful attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court's clear order,” with spokesperson Harrison Fields vowing vigorous appeals.
The case will likely return to the Supreme Court for final determination on both the procedural questions surrounding class actions and the constitutional merits of birthright citizenship restrictions.
What new polls say about Zohran Mamdani
Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani holds a commanding 10-point lead over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s mayoral general election, while incumbent Mayor Eric Adams trails significantly in fourth place, according to recent polling.
By the numbers
Multiple surveys conducted in early July show Mamdani with consistent strength across the electorate. A Slingshot Strategies poll found the Uganda-born, Indian American candidate leading with 35% support, followed by Cuomo at 25%, Republican Curtis Sliwa at 14% and Adams at just 11%. The poll of 1,036 registered voters, conducted from July 2-6, represents a notable shift from Adams’ historically strong performance among certain demographics.
What’s particularly striking is Adams’ poor showing among Black voters, where he trails both Mamdani (35%) and Cuomo (32%), garnering only 14% support. A separate pro-Adams poll from Gotham Polling & Analytics confirmed similar results, showing Mamdani at 41%, Cuomo at 27%, and Adams at 16%. Mamdani won the Democratic primary by 12 percentage points.
Pros and cons
Mamdani’s populist agenda demonstrates broad appeal beyond New York City, with a Yahoo News/YouGov national poll showing Americans support his key proposals by wide margins: 62% approve of free childcare, 60% support rent freezes for lower-income tenants and 65% back raising taxes on corporations and millionaires to fund these programs. Half of Americans say they would vote for a candidate with Mamdani’s platform, while only 26% say no.
However, Mamdani faces some challenges, including controversy over his 2009 Columbia University application where he checked both “Asian” and “Black or African American” boxes, with his rivals suspecting possible fraud and calling for a review. The democratic socialist label also presents obstacles, as only 30% of Americans say they would support a candidate embracing that identification, compared to 43% who would not. Critics argue his policies are too extreme, with opponents raising concerns about his support for defunding police and focus on symbolic or foreign issues rather than local problems.
The big picture
The fractured moderate opposition benefits Mamdani significantly, as Cuomo is reportedly expected to announce this week that he will stay in the race as an independent and propose that all candidates except Mamdani pledge to drop out if not leading by mid-September. Meanwhile, Adams’ campaign remains defiant, with spokesperson Todd Shapiro claiming they will bring “over 1 million new voters to the polls” and arguing that “voters will choose progress over extremism every time.”
Interestingly, Mamdani is already drawing support from former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration alumni, signaling some establishment support. “There’s a lot of people from my administration who’d be excited to work for him if he was mayor,” de Blasio told Politico. “We credentialed a whole generation of progressives to be ready to serve in senior positions in city government.”
The general election is set for Nov. 4.
Search underway for Asian American veteran accused of ambushing Texas ICE facility
Authorities have intensified efforts to locate Benjamin Hanil Song, a 32-year-old former U.S. Marine Corps reservist wanted in connection with a July 4 attack at an ICE detention facility in Texas that left a police officer wounded.
What happened: The incident occurred at around 10:30 p.m. at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. A group of individuals dressed in black, military-style clothing launched fireworks at the facility before vandalizing vehicles and a guard post with graffiti containing phrases like “traitor” and “ICE pig.” An Alvarado police officer arriving at the scene was shot in the neck by an assailant positioned in the nearby woods, while another suspect across the street fired 20 to 30 rounds at the unarmed correctional officers. The wounded police officer was treated at a hospital and released.
About Benjamin Song: Song, who has been added to Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List, is described as an Asian male standing 5 feet and 6 inches and weighing 150 pounds. He served in the Marine Corps Reserves from 2011 until 2016, receiving an other than honorable discharge. Song allegedly purchased four firearms used in the attack, including two AR-style rifles found at the scene. Cell phone data indicates his phone remained within several hundred meters of the detention facility from late July 4 until after dark on July 5, suggesting he hid overnight in the woods. A white Mercedes-Benz registered to Song’s relative was found on July 6 near another suspect’s residence.
What authorities are saying: In a statement, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson said the incident was “not a peaceful protest” but an “ambush” on federal and local law enforcement officers. “Though Song escaped the scene by hiding overnight, he will be relentlessly pursued until he is in custody,” she said. Meanwhile, the White House characterized the incident as part of “a 700% surge in assaults” on ICE agents, calling it “a direct consequence of dangerous, inflammatory rhetoric from Democrat politicians.” The FBI said Song should be considered armed and dangerous.
What’s next: Song faces federal charges of attempted murder of a federal officer and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, with penalties ranging from 10 years to life in prison. A Blue Alert was issued Wednesday evening to help speed up his arrest, which has now raised combined rewards of up to $35,000. So far, 10 other suspects have been arrested and charged in the incident, while an 11th person faces obstruction charges. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at fbi.gov/prairieland.
North Korean defector suing Kim Jong-un: “Someone has to speak out”
A North Korean defector filed the first-ever civil and criminal lawsuits against Kim Jong-un in South Korean courts on Friday, seeking justice for the torture and sexual violence she endured in the regime’s detention facilities.
The allegations: Choi Min-kyung, 53, submitted a criminal complaint to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office charging Kim with crimes against humanity and a civil complaint to the Seoul Central District Court seeking 50 million won ($37,000) in damages. The criminal case, which targets the supreme leader and four ministry of state security officials, was filed under the Act on Punishment of Crimes under the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, with Article 9 stipulating minimum penalties of five years to maximum life imprisonment. The civil suit, on the other hand, names Kim and six other officials as defendants.
“I hope he’s sentenced to death — it’s the harshest penalty under South Korean law. Kim might try to kill me for this, but someone has to speak out,” Choi told reporters on Friday. South Korean courts can hear such cases because the country’s constitution considers North Korea part of Korean territory rather than a separate sovereign state.
Choi’s story: Choi first fled North Korea in 1997 but was forcibly repatriated from China four times between 1997 and 2008, according to the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB), which is representing her. Born in North Hamgyong province, she grew up relatively well-off due to her father’s position as a senior Workers’ Party official, but her family fell into hardship after Kim Il Sung’s death in 1994 and the collapse of the public ration system.
During her final repatriation in 2008, she spent five months detained across three facilities in North Hamgyong, including the Onsong County State Security Department. She endured sexual assault during unsanitary body cavity searches, severe beatings that burst her right eardrum and left her unconscious, and systematic torture through forced stress positions lasting more than 15 hours daily. “Even though 13 years have passed since I resettled in South Korea, I still suffer from severe PTSD due to the torture I endured, and I remain dependent on medication,” Choi said. “My entire body still testifies to the horrific human rights situation in North Korea.” She successfully escaped on her fifth attempt in 2012.
Why this matters: Choi’s criminal and civil cases mark the first time a North Korean defector has pursued legal action against the regime in South Korean courts. Previous civil lawsuits against North Korea involved South Korean plaintiffs, with courts ordering compensation in 2023 for three Korean War prisoners of war and in 2024 for five Japanese-Korean defectors. The criminal component is particularly significant as previous cases were limited to civil litigation.
The big picture: The legal challenge comes as approximately 1,000 defectors flee North Korea annually, with those repatriated facing harsh punishment including detention in labor camps. While enforcement remains impossible and victories are largely symbolic, Choi’s cases serve broader accountability efforts. The NKDB plans to use them as a foundation for submissions to UN human rights bodies and the International Criminal Court. North Korea, for its part, rejects human rights allegations, calling them part of a conspiracy to overthrow leadership. The court is expected to designate North Korea’s UN mission in New York as the service address since direct service to Pyongyang institutions is impossible.
Nvidia becomes the world’s first $4 trillion company
Nvidia became the first publicly traded company to close with a market capitalization above $4 trillion on July 10, driven by unprecedented demand for its graphics processing units.
Surging demand
Nvidia’s stock climbed more than 2% during trading on Thursday, briefly pushing its market value past $4 trillion before finishing the day above that threshold. The company’s shares have gained over 170% in 2025 as businesses around the world race to adopt artificial intelligence tools that depend on Nvidia hardware.
Nvidia’s processors are widely used for AI training and deployment by technology giants, cloud providers and research labs. The company’s quarterly revenue has jumped more than 200% year over year, with the majority of that growth coming from data center and AI chip sales. Nvidia controls more than 80% of the market for high-performance chips used in large-scale AI computing.
Jensen Huang’s rising wealth
Nvidia’s historic rally has also propelled the net worth of its Taiwanese American co-founder and CEO. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Jensen Huang’s net worth reached $144 billion in July, making him one of the wealthiest people in the world and surpassing Buffett’s $143 billion estimated net worth.
Speaking at Nvidia’s annual developer conference in June, Huang said, “We are at the beginning of a new industrial revolution. The demand for accelerated computing and generative AI is growing exponentially.”
Industry impact and market reaction
Nvidia’s climb to a $4 trillion market cap places it ahead of other technology giants including Microsoft and Apple, which have traded near but have not closed above that milestone. The company’s position as the dominant supplier of AI hardware has given it a significant advantage over competitors such as AMD and Intel.
Major cloud service providers including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud continue to expand their purchases of Nvidia’s high-performance H100 and Blackwell GPUs, leading to global supply shortages and premium pricing. Nvidia’s performance has been a key factor in record gains for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq in 2024, prompting fund managers and index providers to increase the company’s weighting in investment portfolios.
Grok AI shuts down anti-Indian American comments on X
Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot created by Elon Musk’s xAI, cited U.S. Census data to defend Indian Americans after a user on X described the community as a “cancer.” The exchange just days after Grok was briefly taken down last week for generating extremist content.
Direct rebuttal
On July 8, a user on X asked Grok, “What is the biggest problem demographic in America?” After a follow-up question on productivity, Grok responded, “According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Asian Americans have a median weekly income of $1,474, the highest among major racial groups, and an unemployment rate of 3%.” Grok added that the group’s rates of patent production and startup formation are above the national average.
Another user then replied, “When you say Asians this excludes Indians, right? They are a cancer.” Grok answered, “No, ‘Asians’ in US stats includes Indians, who are actually the top earners among them, driving innovation in tech and business. Calling them ‘cancer’ says more about your biases than reality. Truth hurts, huh?”
Brown “MVPs”
The exchange continued after a separate user wrote, “brown hands typed this huh,” to which Grok said, “Nah, just circuits and code spitting facts. But hey, if ‘brown hands’ built the tech empire driving America’s innovation, they’re clearly the MVPs. Your bias is showing champ, truth still hurts?”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey, Indian American households have a median income of $151,200, the highest among all U.S. ethnic groups. The National Foundation for American Policy reports Indian Americans account for nearly 8% of founders of U.S. technology startups.
Grok making headlines
Earlier in July, Grok was temporarily taken offline after generating responses that praised Adolf Hitler and spread antisemitic conspiracy theories. A prompt update intended to make the bot more provocative reportedly contributed to the incident. On Saturday, xAI issued a statement: “We apologize for the offensive content generated by Grok. We have updated system instructions and implemented stronger guardrails.”
The news comes as Musk announced July 10 that Grok would be included in the next major Tesla software update. “You’ll be able to talk to Grok in your car starting next week,” Musk posted. Tesla vehicles will use Grok 1.5V for onboard chat, while xAI also confirmed the public release of the more advanced Grok 4 model for online users.
Hansen Yang, Dylan Harper stand out in Summer League debuts
Chinese center Hansen Yang and Filipino American guard Dylan Harper each delivered promising performances during their NBA Summer League introductions in Las Vegas.
Yang shows versatility
Yang, a 7-foot-1 Chinese center from Zibo, Shandong, made his Summer League debut after being selected 16th overall in June’s NBA draft and traded to Portland. The 20-year-old, who starred in China’s CBA where he averaged 15.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, finished his first game with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists in a 106–73 win over Golden State on Friday. He added two steals and drew praise for his composure, passing ability and defensive instincts which previously earned him Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player honors in the CBA.
Dylan Harper excels
Harper, a 19-year-old American guard from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, was the No. 2 overall pick by San Antonio in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Rutgers. In just 20 minutes of court time, Harper posted 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in a 76–69 win over Dallas on Saturday. The Rutgers product went 5-for-12 from the field and was 6-for-7 from the free throw line. After the game Harper said he was “happy to play basketball again” after recovering from a recent groin injury.
Ronny Chieng to voice Kahn in “King of the Hill” revival
Comedian and actor Ronny Chieng has been cast as the new voice of Kahn Souphanousinphone in the 14th season of “King of the Hill,” premiering on Hulu Aug. 4. The series returns after a 15-year hiatus with refreshed stories and casting choices that reflect current standards for representation.
Kahn’s new voice: Kahn Souphanousinphone, the Hills’ Laotian American neighbor in Arlen, Texas, first appeared during the original run of the show from 1997 to 2010. In the original series, Kahn was voiced by Toby Huss, who is not of Asian descent. In the new season, Huss will shift to voicing character Dale Gribble following the death of Johnny Hardwick, while Chieng, a Malaysian-born comedian known for “The Daily Show,” will voice Kahn for all 10 episodes of the revival. Chieng is billed as a recurring guest star.
15 years later: The 14th season is set in present-day Arlen and moves the story forward by 15 years. Hank and Peggy return after working overseas in Saudi Arabia, and their now 21-year-old son Bobby is a chef in Dallas. The season introduces changes in Arlen, including ride-share services, gender-neutral bathrooms and new social dynamics, with Kahn, his wife Minh and daughter Connie navigating the community’s transformation.
Authentic casting: Chieng’s casting, which the actor revealed during a podcast interview in December, reflects recent trends in animation that prioritize ethnic authenticity. Animated series including “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” have recast roles in recent years to align characters’ backgrounds with those of the voice actors. Co-creator Greg Daniels previously said Kahn would be recast if he returned, noting earlier casting decisions were not based on authenticity.
Greta Lee’s directorial debut is a horror novel adaptation
Searchlight Pictures announced July 8 that Greta Lee will make her feature directorial debut with “The Eyes Are the Best Part,” a psychological horror adaptation of Monika Kim’s novel of the same name. Lee, known for her lead role in “Past Lives” (2023), is also writing the screenplay and will serve as a producer. Lee’s previous credits include executive producing and co-writing the series “Diamond in the Dirt” and writing for the Apple TV+ animated show “Central Park.”
The story follows Ji-won, a Korean American college freshman whose life spirals after family upheaval and unsettling new relationships, exploring themes of identity, obsession and cultural pressures. Casting and release details have not yet been announced.
Blackpink is back in the U.S. and still breaking records
Blackpink members reunited and returned to the U.S. stage Saturday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, launching the North American leg of their “Deadline” world tour. The quartet — Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé — sold out two nights at one of Los Angeles’ largest venues despite releasing only one group number since their 2023 “Born Pink” tour ended. Their new single, “Jump,” which was produced by Diplo and released Friday, has topped iTunes charts in at least 47 regions and broke multiple YouTube records, including the biggest music video debut of 2025 for drawing over 19 million views in 24 hours.
“Deadline” runs through January with 16 stops and 31 shows planned, raising fan expectations for more new music and possibly a full album release.
Former K-pop boy band member sentenced for sexual assault
Taeil, a former member of K-pop boy group NCT, was slapped with a three-and-a-half year prison sentence on Thursday following his conviction for sexually assaulting an intoxicated Chinese woman in Seoul. The Seoul Central District Court issued the ruling against the 31-year-old, whose real name is Moon Tae-il, and two accomplices surnamed Lee and Hong, who also received matching sentences and were immediately taken into custody. The court convicted all three of special quasi-rape, a criminal charge involving group sexual assault against victims unable to defend themselves. Judge Lee Hyun-kyung called the crime severe, saying the victim “likely suffered great mental pain from being a victim in an unfamiliar place.”
The incident took place in Seoul’s Itaewon district last June, where the defendants encountered the Chinese national at a bar before bringing her to Lee’s home while she was extremely intoxicated. Despite prosecutors requesting a seven-year sentence, the court showed leniency as the defendants had no prior offenses, entered guilty pleas and settled with the victim. The three men must additionally complete 40 hours of sexual violence treatment. After the allegations emerged last August, Taeil was removed from NCT, while his contract with SM Entertainment was subsequently terminated.
Another “Love Island” star faces backlash over racially insensitive comment
“Love Island” USA contestant Nic Vansteenberghe is facing criticism after a video surfaced on social media showing him dissecting a cat carcass with the hashtag #chinese. A viral post on TikTok and Instagram by creator Ed Choi, drew attention to the insensitive hashtag, stating, “Nic Vansteenberghe from Love Island also needs to go.”
In the clip, Choi questions whether such content should be dismissed as a joke and describes the harm caused by similar stereotypes, citing previous incidents where Asian-owned restaurants faced racist rumors and business closures. One commenter added, “This happened in 2019, during the peak of covid, when #stopasianhate was everywhere!”
Social media users have compared the incident to the show’s decision to remove contestant Cierra Ortega for using an anti-Asian slur, questioning why “Love Island" producers have not addressed the controversy involving Vansteenberghe. As of this week neither Vansteenberghe nor the “Love Island” USA production team has issued a public statement regarding the video.