Today’s stories open with Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who’s pressing the war secretary over sacked journalists and a carrier crew that spent nine months at sea. Rep. Grace Meng has three bills of her own aimed at ICE, awaiting movement as arrests climb in her Queens district. The same enforcement system appears in Massachusetts, where court filings allege a man used it against the family he had rented from. All this heads into an election year that just got tighter, with two more Senate seats rated toss-ups.
Overseas, China sentenced Evergrande founder Hui Ka-yan, once Asia’s richest man, to life in prison. Alex Eala has been moving the opposite direction, into a singles ranking no Southeast Asian woman has reached. Then, Lea Salonga turned a question about women’s bodies back on the men asking it. And Leslie Caoili, a strongwoman who lost both hands and both legs, is preparing to come home.
Featured
Duckworth blasts Hegseth over press firings, USS Lincoln crew’s ordeal
The Pentagon issued separation notices to two Stars and Stripes journalists, citing insubordination after they publicly criticized Defense Department interference. Duckworth answered on social media … and she was just getting started.
The first Thai American senator has a second complaint against the same secretary. The USS Abraham Lincoln left San Diego in November on a deployment first scheduled to end in May. However, it only turned for home last week.
What else we’re tracking
As ICE arrests surge in Queens, this is how Grace Meng fights them in Congress
Corona and East Elmhurst are among the Queens neighborhoods with the most ICE arrests in New York City, and hundreds reportedly rallied against those this month. Meng, who represents them, has answered ahead with critical legislation.
He posed as his Chinese ex-roommate to vote, then reported him to immigration authorities
Court filings allege a Chinese national registered to vote under the name of the man he had rented from. Months earlier, he had allegedly filed immigration paperwork in that man’s name and his wife’s, and by June, the couple were in removal proceedings.
Senate control now a toss-up as Trump’s approval hits new lows
A new analysis moved Iowa and Texas to toss-ups, bringing the number of Senate battlegrounds to six. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s approval stands at 33%. Can Democrats gain enough seats to reclaim the chamber?
Once Asia’s richest man, Evergrande founder Hui Ka-yan gets life in prison
A Shenzhen court convicted the Evergrande founder of eight crimes in a first-instance judgment, ordered all his personal property confiscated and stripped his political rights for life. Courts sentenced 56 other defendants, and his two sons were among those convicted.
Tennis rising star Alex Eala breaks a Southeast Asian tennis record untouched for 24 years
No Southeast Asian woman had ever been ranked higher than No. 19 in women’s singles, a mark last held in 2002. But Alex Eala, 21, now sits at No. 18 after a fourth-round run at Wimbledon and a first WTA Tour title in Washington that took her past Naomi Osaka and the defending champion.
Lea Salonga has a question for men who body-shame women: ‘Why are you fat?’
Lea Salonga reshared a post that turns body-shaming questions back on men, drawing mixed reactions. She said she faced weekly weigh-ins during “Miss Saigon.” Now, she is set to become the first Filipina honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
After losing all 4 limbs during a medical emergency, this California strongwoman is preparing to return home
A May 1 checkup her husband called routine found a tear in Leslie Caoili’s aorta. Surgery repaired it, but weeks later surgeons amputated both hands, and she lost both legs as well. Months before, she had written that she qualified for two national strongwoman competitions.
Why read Issue #250?
Read Issue #250 for two important reasons. First, there’s the political reporting, which is the part that changes what happens to people. As the stories show, enforcement policy doesn’t just happen after random announcements, but out of committee schedules, procedural rules, paperwork requirements and more.
The rest of the issue earns its place for a different reason. It shows what people are building while the slow work grinds in the background. We believe that’s worth knowing if you long to see a picture of Asian American life not organized entirely around threat.
Support independent Asian diaspora journalism. Become a paid subscriber to read the full stories and help sustain The Rebel Yellow.
The Rebel Yellow is supported in part by funding from The Asian American Foundation (TAAF). Funders do not influence story selection, reporting, or editorial decisions. All editorial content is independently produced by The Rebel Yellow team.