Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) are pressing New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to explain why New York City public schools are using curriculum and instructional materials funded by Qatar and what they describe as “malign domestic actors.” The GOP lawmakers argue that the New York City Department of Education has refused to release materials related to the September 11 attacks and the October 7 Hamas massacre, leaving Hochul as the only authority able to compel transparency.

“The [NYC] DOE has refused to provide copies of teaching materials that twist the narratives of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks and the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, 2023, in Israel,” Stefanik and Comer wrote in a letter obtained by the New York Post.

The lawmakers zeroed in on $1 million from Qatar Foundation International flowing to P.S. 261 in Cobble Hill and P.S./I.S. 30 in Bay Ridge, as well as on materials from Bridging Cultures, run by Dr. Debbie Almontaser, who is also the head of the Muslim Community Network (MCN). Stefanik and Comer allege MCN has a history of downplaying Islamist violence, opposing funding for the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum, and vilifying anyone highlighting radical Islam’s role in the attacks. Bridging Cultures has conducted workshops on the Hamas attacks, which the lawmakers say “erases Israeli suffering.” Combined, MCN and Bridging Cultures have collected at least $14.7 million from New York City since 2014.

“The NYC DOE partnered with Bridging Cultures to train teachers on how to speak to students about 10/7, the war in Gaza, and the anti-Israel protest movement,” Stefanik and Comer said.

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Stefanik and Comer demanded that Hochul provide contracts, copies of the curriculum, and explanations for these partnerships. Hochul’s office dismissed the letter, saying Stefanik “misunderstand[s] how New York’s education system and mayoral control operate.”

The row escalates Stefanik’s attack line against Hochul ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial race. She has also slammed Hochul for supporting incoming NYC Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who endorsed Palestinian activist Aber Kawas for the State Assembly.

“Kathy Hochul endorsed Mamdani and now owns his latest public endorsement of radical activist Aber Kawas for New York State Assembly, a proud terrorist sympathizer and denigrator of the United States,” Stefanik said in a statement. “Kawas notoriously blamed America for 9/11 that claimed the lives of thousands of New Yorkers, citing the United States’ ‘system of capitalism,’ ‘racism,’ ‘white supremacy,’ and ‘Islamophobia’ as justification for the terrorist attacks that killed New Yorkers. It is clear that Mamdani owns and controls the Worst Governor in America, Kathy Hochul, as she cowardly remains silent on the anti-American and antisemitic filth spewed by the incoming Mayor and his endorsed candidates. Kathy Hochul must condemn Mamdani’s endorsement of Kawas immediately.”

Workers on the set of “The Gun on Second Street,” a film that had Sean Penn and California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell listed as executive producers, walked off in protest while attempting to negotiate a union contract.

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) claimed that a “majority” of the crew, about 40 people, left the set in West Virginia, per The Hollywood Reporter. IATSE reported that the striking crew members were seeking set wages, health benefits, and pensions, but had, up to that point, “been misclassified as 1099 independent contractors rather than employees.”

“Every production, regardless of budget or political connections, must respect the rights of the people who make film and television possible,” IATSE international president Matthew Loeb said. “The Alliance is prepared to support this crew as they take collective action to secure safe working conditions, fair compensation, proper classification and a voice on the job.”

The move apparently prompted Penn’s Projected Picture Works and its partners to remove their names from the film.

The film’s producers released a statement disputing these allegations. “We have compensated our production crew well for their time,” the producers said. “However, we will not attempt to resolve our differences with the union through the press. Therefore, we have no further comment.”

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Swalwell added in a statement that he had no involvement in the business decisions, THR noted, and threatened to remove his name from the project. 

“I am a lifelong supporter of labor,” the congressman added. “While I am prohibited by Congressional ethics rules from participating in the negotiations between production and labor, I joined the film expecting labor standards would be adhered to. I urge the production team to seek a fair outcome for the crew. Should that not be achieved, I will remove my name from the film’s screen credits.”

“The Gun on Second Street” is being pitched as “an allegory of the gun crisis in the United States.” The film, written and directed by Rohit Karn Batra (“Line of Descent”), follows two police officers in Pittsburgh. Drama ensues when one of them accidentally kills the other while responding to a domestic violence call. He leaves the force, only to fall in love with his deceased partner’s widow years later.