Former AOC staffer to primary Pelosi as yearslong feud continues
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s former chief of staff is launching a primary challenge against Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Saikat Chakrabarti said the Democratic Party needs new leadership.
When Chakrabarti worked on Capitol Hill for Ocasio-Cortez in 2019, he was loathed by lawmakers and staff alike.
Challenging Pelosi’s legacy and funding streams will be a difficult feat.
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The former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y., is launching a primary campaign against Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. In his announcement, Saikat Chakrabarti said that the Democratic Party needs new leadership and that Pelosi should not be elected to a 21st term.
“I respect what Nancy Pelosi has accomplished in her career, but we are living in a totally different America than the one she knew when she entered politics 45 years ago,” Chakrabarti wrote on X. “After Trump’s victory, Pelosi said the Democrats don’t need to change. I disagree.”
What was the staffer like on Capitol Hill?
When Chakrabarti worked on Capitol Hill for Ocasio-Cortez in 2019, he was loathed by lawmakers and staff alike. He once picked a fight with Pelosi on Twitter, soon after she was elected speaker.
He doubted whether she was really a “legislative mastermind” and said freshman members like Ocasio-Cortez were more strategic. Chakrabarti also said Pelosi was “outmaneuvered” by Republicans.
Why did Chakrabarti decide to run, and what are his chances?
While Chakrabarti struck a respectful tone with Pelosi in his announcement, he made it clear he believes Americans had it better when she started her career than they do now.
“When Nancy Pelosi was first elected to Congress, you could buy a home on a single income. A summer job could pay for college. Republicans believed in climate change and respected election results,” Chakrabarti wrote. “Now, the things that defined the American Dream — being able to afford health care, education, a home, and raise a family — are impossible for most people.”
He also mentioned the inside-the-Beltway political fight between Ocasio-Cortez and Pelosi that has continued since 2019.
“When Democrats were about to appoint their star communicator — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — to chair the powerful Oversight committee to hold Trump and his cronies accountable, Pelosi personally intervened to block it,” Chakrabarti wrote.
Challenging a politician with Pelosi’s legacy will not be an easy feat; her bank account is another matter. Pelosi has more than $2 million cash-on-hand in her campaign account, and she has a fundraising prowess that’s matched by few others.
After all, being the speaker means you are the chief fundraiser for your party. Chakrabarti is reportedly a millionaire and may be able to self-finance part of his campaign.
Banned Chinese dance group probed by feds after human trafficking claims
A Chinese dance group, banned by the Chinese government, is under a criminal investigation in the U.S. Shen Yun, the group, is accused of human trafficking, visa fraud and labor issues.
The group has denied the allegations and said it holds onto passports for safekeeping.
Shen Yun is currently on a world tour while the investigation is ongoing.
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An anti-communist Chinese dance group based in New York is under criminal investigation for possible visa fraud and labor issues. This inquiry comes as the company already faces accusations of human trafficking.
Shen Yun, run by the Falun Gong religious movement, promotes an anti-communist message and is banned by the Chinese government.
What led to the current federal investigation?
The New York Times reported last year, that the group exploited young performers by making them work long hours and paying them little to nothing.
A former performer also filed a lawsuit in November 2024 accusing the company of trafficking vulnerable children to work for less than minimum wage and exploiting the dancers through threats and public shaming to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.
Now, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and federal prosecutors in Manhattan are looking into the company’s labor practices. That includes its working and living conditions and whether performers were directed to smuggle cash into the U.S. when returning from overseas.
Several performers interviewed as part of the investigation also said they could not come and go freely from the group’s guarded compound and their passports were confiscated when they joined.
How is Shen Yun responding?
The group said it holds onto the student’s passports for safekeeping but they “always return the passports when requested.”
Shen Yun also said state and federal laws do not apply to their student performers because they are receiving a learning opportunity and they don’t consider them working employees.
The group’s headquarters includes a boarding school and college where performers can live and study.
Also part of the investigation is whether the group’s leaders arranged romantic relationships for its performers.
The Times reported in August 2024 that Yun’s leaders tried to set up foreign students with American students for visa purposes.
A representative for Shen Yun said the company intends to cooperate fully with the investigation.
Trump bans transgender athletes from women’s sports
President Donald Trump signs an executive order prohibiting transgender women and girls from competing in female sports, claiming the war on women’s sports is over. And the State Department claims Panama is willing to waive fees on American ships using the Panama Canal, despite the Panamanian government saying otherwise. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
Trump bans transgender athletes from women’s, girls’ sports
President Donald Trump followed through on another campaign promise Wednesday, Feb. 5. He signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
“With this executive order, the war on women’s sports is over,” Trump said.
He added, “This will effectively end the attack on female athletes at public K-12 schools and virtually all U.S. colleges and universities. I don’t think we missed anything, but if we do, we’ll make it up very quickly with an order.”
The order rolls back Biden administration guidance on Title IX, a civil rights law that prevents sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal funding
“We're putting every school receiving taxpayer dollars on notice that if you let men take over women's sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding.” –President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/MUd6FAetWr
The current measure, dubbed “No Men in Women’s Sports,” is the fourth executive order Trump has signed involving transgender people since taking office just over two weeks ago. Critics said the order addresses a problem that simply is not there.
“First of all, the numbers, they don’t exist,” said activist and former professional cyclist Kristen Worley. “Understand that there’s 0.01% gender variant people living in our society as a whole, so it’s a very tiny, tiny group of people that he’s actually targeting, and certainly the numbers in terms of gender performance are filled with inaccuracies as well.”
However, supporters of the order pointed to a trans swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania and a trans volleyball player at San Jose State as examples of men who transitioned to women and then dominated women’s sports.
The executive order also stipulates that the Trump administration will work with sports governing bodies, including the International Olympic Committee, to ensure that guidance is followed in noneducational settings.
Democratic senators protest Vought’s nomination with overnight speech marathon
Democratic senators held the floor overnight Wednesday into Thursday to protest Russell Vought’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget.
Republicans have the majority in the Senate, so they have consistently confirmed Trump’s nominees, even without Democratic approval. Vought was set to be confirmed for the job Wednesday night, but Democrats vowed to slow the process dramatically.
Democrats have warned about Vought’s ties to Project 2025, a conservative push to reshape the federal government. Trump has denied following its guidelines.
We're holding the Senate floor all night to fight back against Trump’s nomination of Russell Vought.
America saw how bad OMB’s illegal, incompetent funding freeze was.
We want Americans to hear EVERY HOUR how bad the dangers are that he poses to their daily lives as OMB head. pic.twitter.com/ksJ2VG7nJX
Things came to a head after the OMB released a memo last week freezing federal funding. While the memo was rescinded not long after, Democrats said it was a warning sign for how Vought, who at least one Democratic senator has called Trump’s “most dangerous nominee,” would run the office, which plays a key role in enacting the president’s agenda.
Senate Democrats began what they said would be a 30-hour protest Wednesday afternoon. Despite the protest, the full Senate will vote to confirm Vought as budget director Thursday evening.
Vought previously held this position during Trump’s first term. Republican Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota said he has a good working relationship with Vought and expects it to continue.
Panama denies US claim government vessels can transit canal for free
Hours after the State Department announced that American ships would be allowed to sail through the Panama Canal for free, Panama said that was not true.
In a post on Wednesday, the State Department said Secretary Marco Rubio had agreed with Panamanian leadership to allow the move, saving the federal government millions of dollars a year. Rubio had visited Panama this week.
The Panama Canal Authority said it sets the tolls and other fees for crossing the canal and “has not made any adjustments to them.” The authority added that it is open to dialogue with the U.S.
Before taking office, Trump demanded that Panamanian authorities either lower fees for American ships using the Panama Canal or return its control to the U.S.
‘Sanctuary city’ mayors to testify before House committee
“Sanctuary city” mayors will testify before House lawmakers in an upcoming hearing on immigration policies, according to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky.
Comer launched a probe into sanctuary policies, which allow a jurisdiction to limit its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement officials when it comes to the Trump crackdown on illegal immigration. Mayors in major cities such as Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia have said they will not help.
This comes as newly confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi hit the ground running on her first day in office Wednesday, ordering a pause in federal funding from the Justice Department for sanctuary cities. Straight Arrow News reporter Lauren Taylor has the details here.
The mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City, among others, will appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on March 5 to discuss sanctuary policies.
New bird flu variation found in US dairy cattle
Testers have discovered a second bird flu variation in American dairy cows for the first time.
The Department of Agriculture announced the new strain on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Until recently, all dairy herd detections in the U.S. had been infected with a form of bird flu known as B3.13.
This new version, D1.1, was previously detected only in wild birds and poultry, but has now spread to cows.
It’s also the strain that’s been linked to a deadly human case in Louisiana last year after the victim was exposed to infected birds.
Humans infected with D1.1 have experienced more severe symptoms than those with the previous bird flu strain. However, the CDC said the risk to the general public remains low, and there is no evidence of the spread of D1.1 from human to human.
AI ‘digitally unrolls’ 2,000-year-old scrolls burned in Vesuvius eruption
Using artificial intelligence, X-rays and CT scans, researchers have deciphered some words on an ancient scroll burned by lava from Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
The rolled-up papyrus scrolls were found in a mansion in Herculaneum, an ancient town near Pompeii, in the mid-1700s. Researchers attempted to unfurl them for more than two centuries to see what was inside and what they said.
The few scrolls they could open contained philosophical writing in ancient Greek. Others were so severely damaged by the lava that they were illegible — until now.
On Wednesday, specialists at Oxford University in London announced a significant breakthrough. Technicians used a massive machine called a synchrotron to create a powerful X-ray beam that could look inside a fragile scroll without damaging it. The Oxford scholars are now continuing to decipher the text on this scroll.
American woman stranded in Pakistan after failed online romance goes viral
An American woman, Onijah Andrew Robinson, traveled to Pakistan to marry a man she met online. However, she was left stranded after he abandoned her, and his family refused to approve of their relationship.
Robinson gained viral attention by making bizarre demands to the Pakistani government, including financial compensation and citizenship, which she shared through press conferences and social media.
After weeks of uncertainty, Robinson has reportedly agreed to return to the United States, though her exact status remains unclear.
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An American woman has gone viral after getting stranded in Pakistan due to a failed online romance. She flew across the world to marry a man she met online, but things did not go as planned.
Onijah Andrew Robinson, 33, is a mother from New York. She believed she had found love with 19-year-old Nidal Ahmed Memon, whom she met online. She traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, expecting to marry him. But after she arrived, his family refused to approve of their relationship.
Memon abandoned Robinson, leaving her stranded in Karachi. Her visa later expired, but she refused to leave the country. Instead, she camped outside Memon’s empty family home and started making demands to the Pakistani government.
Bizarre demands go viral
Robinson quickly gained attention after holding press conferences and making bold requests. She initially demanded $20,000 upfront and $5,000 to $10,000 per week while she stayed in Pakistan. However, her requests kept changing.
At one point, she asked the government for $100,000. She also claimed she wanted Pakistani citizenship and planned to invest in real estate. Her unusual behavior led to viral social media videos, with many questioning her motives.
In another viral moment, Robinson made an even stranger demand.
“I want these houses built up correctly, and I want pools in the backyard,” she said in an interview with AAJ TV.
Family speaks out
As Robinson’s viral fame grew, a man claiming to be her son spoke out. According to The Independent, Jeremiah Robinson told local media that his mother has bipolar disorder. He also confirmed that she was never legally married to Memon.
Despite her marriage claims, her son said the relationship was not legitimate. He also stated that he and his family had been trying to get her back home.
Robinson agrees to return to the U.S.
After weeks of uncertainty, a local Pakistani media outlet reported that Robinson had been taken to a welfare center. She has also reportedly agreed to fly back to the United States.
However, as of now, her exact status remains unclear.
Downed tree limbs and power outages are very possible.
Forecasters predict more than 94 million people will be affected by an incoming winter storm, which will likely include ice and snow. AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham says a clash of warm, humid air and cold, arctic air will result in a myriad of impactful weather.
Buckingham is forecasting 1 to 3 inches of snow, from eastern Montana into northern Michigan, on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Also, 3 to 6 inches of snow are expected in the northern section of North Dakota and on to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Some localized areas might see up to 10 inches of the white stuff.
A narrow band of snow is also expected to develop across Pennsylvania on Wednesday, in advance of the ice. There will further be snow along the Pennsylvania to Maryland state line.
Which areas will get hit the hardest?
A quarter of an inch of ice, or more, could occur on the I-80 and I-94 corridors in various states on Wednesday, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. AccuWeather also says significant ice storm impacts are expected from the central Appalachians, through northern Pennsylvania and into southern New York.
What are some of the hazards?
Travel conditions are expected to be dangerous in several cities, including Harrisburg, Scranton, State College and Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as well as Binghamton, New York and Cumberland, Maryland. Downed tree limbs and power outages are possible.
AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter says road closures are also possible, which would impact businesses and the supply chain. The I-95 corridor from Washington to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and upstate New York is expected to get a shorter period of icing before conditions switch over to rain. Most of New England will also see a few inches of snow.
What about the rest of the week?
Colder air and gusty winds on the backside of the storm could make it difficult to restore power and treat icy roads.
La. grand jury indicts NY doctor over alleged illegal abortion pill prescription
A Louisiana grand jury indicted Dr. Margaret Carpenter, a New York doctor, for allegedly prescribing abortion pills online to a Louisiana minor. The child’s mother also faces charges.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill vows to hold those breaking abortion laws accountable.
Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul opposes the extradition of Carpenter, citing the state’s shield laws.
A Louisiana grand jury has indicted a New York doctor for allegedly prescribing mifepristone online to a patient in the Bayou State. The pill that terminates a pregnancy of less than 70 days. Louisiana has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.
According to Louisiana prosecutors, a mother in the state ordered the pill for her daughter, who is a minor.
“The young child was told by the mother that she had to take the pill or else, and the child took the pill,” District Attorney Tony Clayton said.
Dr. Margaret Carpenter and her company, Nightingale Medical — along with the child’s mother — are charged with criminal abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs, which is a felony in Louisiana.
Clayton said Friday, Jan. 31, that the mother was arrested and booked into jail, but she has since bonded out.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill posted to X on Friday, “It is illegal to send abortion pills into this state, and it’s illegal to coerce another into having an abortion. I have said it before, and I will say it again: We will hold individuals accountable for breaking the law.”
The state of New York has shield laws in place. Those laws protect doctors who prescribe abortion pills using telehealth for patients in states that ban the procedure.
In a Facebook video Friday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would not allow Louisiana to extradite Dr. Carpenter to face the charges.
“And I want to also say this: This is exactly what we feared,” Hochul said in the video. “Republicans are fighting to have a national abortion ban that’ll deny reproductive freedom to women not just in our state, but all across America. We must stand firm and fight this, and I’ll do everything I can to protect this doctor and allow her to continue the work that she’s doing that is so essential.”
In a separate lawsuit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is also suing Dr. Carpenter. He argues she unlawfully provided abortion drugs to Texas residents.
New York Democrats could keep a Republican congressional seat vacant
New York Democrats may alter the state’s special election schedule. A delay would keep a Republican congressional seat vacant.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is leaving to become U.N. ambassador, which will leave House Republicans with a 217-215 majority.
If Stefanik resigns this week, New York law says the election to replace her should be in early May, Democrats could try to wait until the end of June.
New York Democrats are considering altering the schedule for special elections in the state to keep a Republican congressional seat vacant. Lawmakers could introduce a bill as soon as the week of Feb. 2 and use their supermajorities in the state Senate and Assembly to quickly send it to Gov. Kathy Hochul, D.
New York law sets a clear timeline for a special congressional election. It must take place within 80 days of a resignation.
Rep. Elise Stefanik is in the final step of her Senate confirmation to be the United Nations ambassador. Once she leaves, the Republican majority in the House of Representatives will be 217-215. That means the GOP won’t be able to lose a single vote to pass legislation on their own because a tie fails.
Stefanik won reelection in November with 62% of the vote and her conservative district in the state’s northeast corner is sure to stay in Republican hands. If she is confirmed and resigns this week, New York would have to hold a special election to replace her by May 1.
New York Democrats are considering multiple options. They could try to delay the special election until June 24 when the state is holding a primary. They could argue it will save money and resources. It would also be in line with state law that says if a vacancy occurs within three months of a general election, they do not hold a special election.
The governor’s office told the Capitol Press Room in a statement, “Governor Hochul believes it’s critical to increase voter turnout and reduce the cost of election administration and she would support legislation that achieves that goal.”
Republicans are already down two members due to the resignations of Reps. Mike Waltz and Matt Gaetz, who are both from Florida. The special election to replace them is April 1 and the seats will likely remain in Republican hands. While that will give Republicans a cushion, they’ll still want Stefanik’s position filled as soon as possible.
Rangers get Vancouver center J.T. Miller in blockbuster NHL trade
A blockbuster NHL trade Friday night, Jan. 31, puts an end to the Vancouver Canucks month-long saga involving their best player. Center J.T. Miller is on his way to the New York Rangers –– the team that drafted him back in 2011.
In the deal, the Rangers get a premier two-way center they desperately need after falling out of the playoff race. Miller was drafted by the Rangers back in 2011 and spent his first six seasons in New York. The Rangers also get a pair of minor-league prospects in the deal.
The Canucks get 25-year-old Czech center Filip Chytil in return, along with rookie defenseman Victor Mancini and a first-round pick in this summer’s NHL entry draft.
The 31-year-old Miller was in his sixth season in Vancouver and two years into a seven-year, $56 million contract. He had to waive his no-trade clause for Friday’s deal to happen.
He did that because it was clear things were not working out in Vancouver, as rumors of a rift between Miller and the team’s other top center, Elias Pettersson, would not subside. General Manager Patrik Allvin addressed the month-long drama just 10 days ago.
“It’s very unfortunate –– I feel bad for a lot of players when you’re reading some rumors out there,” said Allvin. “I’m proud of the guys that they’re capable of blocking a lot of noises out and just go out and play. We want to create an environment where they feel safe and trusted.”
That meant moving Miller, who scored a career-high 37 goals and had 103 points last season, as the Canucks won the Pacific Division.
It’s been a tough go for him in 2024-25. He took a 10-game leave of absence for personal reasons and has just nine goals and 35 points. Miller will make his Rangers debut –– for the second time –– Saturday afternoon, Feb. 1, in Boston against the Bruins.
NYC mother sues social media platforms over deadly subway surfing trend
It’s been almost two years since a New York mother lost her 15-year-old son to a social media trend. Now she’s calling for social media platforms to be held accountable for their influence on kids and for his death.
Norma Nazario is suing Meta, ByteDance and TikTok in New York’s Supreme Court, claiming the companies contributed to her son Zackery’s death when he decided to subway surf on a Brooklyn train. She said his decision was influenced by what he saw on social media.
What is Nazario’s argument against the social media companies?
Nazario’s attorney argued the more teens scroll through these platforms, the more the algorithm changes, filling their feeds with posts they never sought out. The lawsuit claims some content actively encourages dangerous behaviors, like subway surfing, which ultimately led to Zackery’s death.
“They know that their products are addicting kids. They know their products are resulting in highly dangerous activities,” said Matthew Bergman, Nazario’s attorney.
Inside a Manhattan courtroom, lawyers representing the companies argued the lawsuit should be dismissed, citing an executive order granting them immunity from civil liability.
Under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, online service providers are generally not held responsible for content created and shared by users. However, the Department of Justice has argued the 30-year-old law, which was established in the early days of the internet, needs to be updated to reflect today’s evolving technology.
Why is Naziro also suing the MTA?
Nazario also said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which oversees New York City’s transit system, shares responsibility for Zackery’s death. She claims the agency shares part of the blame for allowing subway surfing to persist as an ongoing issue, especially on the city’s iconic number 7 train.
According to the NYPD, six people died from subway surfing in 2024 alone. Of those six, only one was not a child. That’s an increase of 20% from the year Zackery died.
In 2023, New York City launched a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of subway surfing. The initiative includes increasing arrests for those attempting the dangerous activity and efforts to educate students about the risks involved.
As the case moves forward, Nazario now awaits a decision from the judge. The next hearing is scheduled for February.
NYPD commissioner announces 3-part plan to make subway riders feel safe
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced a three-part transit plan during her State of the NYPD Address on Thursday, Jan. 30. The plan aims to make subway riders feel safer.
Tisch shared that overall index crime was down in 2024. It includes a 3.6% decrease in murders, a 2.3% drop in robberies and a 5.7% decline in burglaries. NYPD statistics also showed a 17% reduction in crime in January 2025.
Part one of the commissioner’s plan is already in action: the redeployment of 200 officers to subway trains and platforms.
“Two months ago, I re-examined our existing transit deployment and found entirely too many cops were posted at subway entrances, mezzanines, and turnstiles, and not enough were on the trains and the platforms where 78% of transit crime actually occurs,” Tisch said.
Despite the decline in crime statistics, Tisch acknowledged that many New Yorkers do not feel safe. She said having more officers on subway trains will allow them to address issues as they arise.
“The idea behind this initiative, frankly, is to not only make our riders safer but also to make them feel safer,” Tisch said.
Part two focuses on expanding mental health training and matching services with enforcement when necessary to address the need for care during mental health crises.
“Our subway trains and platforms are not homeless shelters. They are not psychiatric hospitals. And as a city, we have a moral duty to provide services to people who need them,” Tisch said.
Part three of the plan calls for creating a Quality-of-Life Division within the police department. It aims to address low-level quality-of-life crimes such as public urination, aggressive panhandling, unruly street vending and abandonment of vehicles.
“These smaller crimes make people in the community feel unsafe and can lead to bigger issues and crimes,” Tisch said.
Tisch noted that the logistics of each phase are still being finalized, and the initiatives will continue to roll out and be refined over the coming months.