> New York state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi will challenge Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, a powerful House Democrat who controls the party’s campaign purse strings, for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 17th District primary. > The move, reported on Monday by the New York Times, marks an escalation in the Left’s feud with Maloney, who angered progressives last week by announcing a run for a left-wing Democrat’s seat. Biaggi, a progressive lawmaker in the state, is expected to jump into the race formally on Tuesday.