Latest news with #Perez
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez sued by daughter
Desiree Perez, CEO and cofounder of Roc Nation, is facing serious legal allegations from her daughter, Demoree Hadley, who has filed a lawsuit claiming Perez used unlawful methods to have her falsely detained under Florida's Baker Act and Marchman Act. The report, originally published by NBC6 South Florida, outlines accusations that Perez manipulated the system using her influence and resources. According to the lawsuit, Hadley alleges she was institutionalized in mental health facilities for two weeks without clear justification. She submitted medical documentation and body camera footage that allegedly shows a mobile crisis unit instructing her to enter a gray pickup truck. A doctor later evaluated Hadley, referencing family statements—including those from Perez and an aunt—that claimed she had attempted an overdose the previous night. Hadley's lawsuit further accuses Perez of leveraging her wealth and status to interfere in her marriage to Javon Hadley, alleging that Perez fabricated domestic violence claims to separate the couple. In response, Perez had previously filed her own lawsuit against Javon, alleging he had abused Hadley for years. Both Hadley and her husband deny these claims. Hilton Napoleon II, the attorney representing Hadley, stated, 'I haven't seen anything in my entire 20 years of practicing law that is so clear that someone did something wrong.' He also referenced an 11-page memorandum from the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office that reportedly criticized Perez's accusations as false and unsupported by evidence. Hadley was released from the last of her mental health detentions in April after Perez dismissed the case. The legal battle continues to unfold, highlighting a complex and deeply personal conflict within a high-profile family.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
With time running out, Florida's GOP-led Legislature forges budget deal
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida legislative leaders said late Friday they have forged a budget deal that will guarantee $2.25 billion shifted into tax cuts and reserves while also establishing a path for legislators to avoid a potential shutdown of state government this summer. The agreement does not include a permanent reduction in the overall sales tax rate, which at one point had been a top priority of state House Speaker Daniel Perez but had come under fire by Gov. Ron DeSantis amid a bitter feud between Sunshine State Republicans. The deal announced late Friday by Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton is on top-line level spending levels that will be used to hammer out a final budget in June. In a memo to senators, Albritton said the plan is for lawmakers to start budget conference meetings Tuesday, with the goal to work over the next two weeks and vote out the budget no later than June 16. 'The framework set forth in these allocations provides for a fiscally responsible, balanced budget that reduces state spending, lowers per capital spending, and reduces the growth of state bureaucracy,' Albritton wrote. Albritton and Perez have been at odds for weeks over the size and scale of potential tax cuts, as well as a disagreement on how much spending should be authorized in the coming year. Perez had maintained that the Republican-controlled Legislature and DeSantis had spent too much the last several years. The state House and Senate on Friday evening did not release all the details of the proposed deal, including the amount of state tax dollars that will be allocated to specific areas such as the environment, health care and education. A spokesperson for Albritton said those numbers would be released Monday. But the agreement calls for the Legislature to reduce 'recurring revenue' by $2.25 billion including the elimination of sales tax charged on commercial leases and what is being billed as 'permanent sales tax exemptions targeted toward Florida families.' This was not explained further, but Albritton earlier in the year had proposed the permanent elimination of sales taxes on clothing and shoes valued at less than $75. The $2.25 billion, however, also includes $750 million for the state's main budget reserve while also setting aside $250 million a year to pay off outstanding debt — another top priority for DeSantis. Legislative leaders also announced that they would ask voters to increase the size of the Budget Stabilization Fund mandated in the state constitution. The fund is currently capped at 10 percent of the net revenue collected for the state's main budget account. Lawmakers want voters to increase the amount authorized for the fund to 25 percent and to require the state to set aside $750 million a year until that cap is reached. The proposed amendment would go on the November 2026 ballot. Perez and Albritton have promised to keep $1.5 billion in reserves over the next two years before the ballot measure goes before voters. During their regular 60-day session, the state House and Senate initially pushed out starkly different spending plans that had a $4.4 billion spending gap as the House proposed a massive $5 billion permanent reduction in the state's sales taxes. The session was supposed to end earlier in early May, but lawmakers were forced to extend it beyond the normal 60 days due to their budget disagreement. On what was supposed to be the final day of the session, Albritton and Perez said they had agreed to slash taxes by $2.8 billion, including a permanent reduction in the state sales tax rate. But that deal blew up after DeSantis threatened to veto the sales tax plan, saying it would undermine efforts to cut property taxes the governor has been championing. Albritton earlier this month stated in a memo that many senators were also concerned about the impacts of such a large cut. Perez reacted harshly, saying Albritton had broken his promise.
Politico
16 hours ago
- Business
- Politico
With time running out, Florida's GOP-led Legislature forges budget deal
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida legislative leaders said late Friday they have forged a budget deal that will guarantee $2.25 billion shifted into tax cuts and reserves while also establishing a path for legislators to avoid a potential shutdown of state government this summer. The agreement does not include a permanent reduction in the overall sales tax rate, which at one point had been a top priority of state House Speaker Daniel Perez but had come under fire by Gov. Ron DeSantis amid a bitter feud between Sunshine State Republicans. The deal announced late Friday by Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton is on top-line level spending levels that will be used to hammer out a final budget in June. In a memo to senators, Albritton said the plan is for lawmakers to start budget conference meetings Tuesday, with the goal to work over the next two weeks and vote out the budget no later than June 16. 'The framework set forth in these allocations provides for a fiscally responsible, balanced budget that reduces state spending, lowers per capital spending, and reduces the growth of state bureaucracy,' Albritton wrote. Albritton and Perez have been at odds for weeks over the size and scale of potential tax cuts, as well as a disagreement on how much spending should be authorized in the coming year. Perez had maintained that the Republican-controlled Legislature and DeSantis had spent too much the last several years. The state House and Senate on Friday evening did not release all the details of the proposed deal, including the amount of state tax dollars that will be allocated to specific areas such as the environment, health care and education. A spokesperson for Albritton said those numbers would be released Monday. But the agreement calls for the Legislature to reduce 'recurring revenue' by $2.25 billion including the elimination of sales tax charged on commercial leases and what is being billed as 'permanent sales tax exemptions targeted toward Florida families.' This was not explained further, but Albritton earlier in the year had proposed the permanent elimination of sales taxes on clothing and shoes valued at less than $75. The $2.25 billion, however, also includes $750 million for the state's main budget reserve while also setting aside $250 million a year to pay off outstanding debt — another top priority for DeSantis. Legislative leaders also announced that they would ask voters to increase the size of the Budget Stabilization Fund mandated in the state constitution. The fund is currently capped at 10 percent of the net revenue collected for the state's main budget account. Lawmakers want voters to increase the amount authorized for the fund to 25 percent and to require the state to set aside $750 million a year until that cap is reached. The proposed amendment would go on the November 2026 ballot. Perez and Albritton have promised to keep $1.5 billion in reserves over the next two years before the ballot measure goes before voters. During their regular 60-day session, the state House and Senate initially pushed out starkly different spending plans that had a $4.4 billion spending gap as the House proposed a massive $5 billion permanent reduction in the state's sales taxes. The session was supposed to end earlier in early May, but lawmakers were forced to extend it beyond the normal 60 days due to their budget disagreement. On what was supposed to be the final day of the session, Albritton and Perez said they had agreed to slash taxes by $2.8 billion, including a permanent reduction in the state sales tax rate. But that deal blew up after DeSantis threatened to veto the sales tax plan, saying it would undermine efforts to cut property taxes the governor has been championing. Albritton earlier this month stated in a memo that many senators were also concerned about the impacts of such a large cut. Perez reacted harshly, saying Albritton had broken his promise.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
ICE bail funds in Pa. help undocumented immigrants fight deportations
Activists protest the agenda of President Donald Trump during a rally near the water tower on the Magnificent Mile on Jan. 25, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by) In his six years helping run the Casa San José Bail Fund, Guillermo Perez says lately, he has been attending more ICE bail hearings and helping getting more undocumented immigrants out of detention than ever. 'People are scared right now, immigrants are being attacked like never before,' said Perez, an immigration activist and retired Steelworkers union organizer. In late April, ICE raided a popular Mexican restaurant in Beaver County, 1942 Tequilas and Tacos. Eight employees were detained, one of several that activists say have been happening in Pittsburgh at laundromats, apartment buildings, and even school bus stops. The latest raids in the region were in Braddock and Wilkinsburg in the final days of May. For activists like Perez, each raid put them into a scramble to figure out how they could assist immigrants and their families affected. One way is through the Casa San José Bail Fund, which he helped found. The fund is helping to ease fears by getting immigrants out of detention and giving them legal resources to fight deportations. Founded during the first Trump Administration in 2019, the Casa San José Bail Fund has raised more than $200,000 from people in the Pittsburgh area. Unlike criminal bonds, bond seekers only have to post 10% of the bond cost, which many families can't afford. Since its inception, it's made 61 loans to various families and helped protect dozens of families from deportation. Across Pennsylvania, two other ICE bail funds have emerged to help immigrants in detention. In Lancaster, where 42% of the population is Latino according to the U.S. Census Bureau the Parish Resource Center maintains the Immigration Bond and Advocacy Network. In Philadelphia, the New Sanctuary Movement maintains the Community Fund for Bond and Legal Support. Unlike the Casa San José ICE bail fund, which raises all of its money locally, both funds are part of the National Bail Fund Network. The network also helps in providing bail funds for American citizens jailed on criminal charges. 'They connect different bond funds,' says Peter Pedemonti of the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia. 'So if we might not have all the money, we could connect with a fund in Massachusetts or somewhere else to pull money together.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Pedemonti says that there is a growing nationwide movement aimed at getting more immigrants out of ICE detention. 'At a time where there's been a daily assault on immigrant families, both on the ground with ICE agents and also from the White House with policy coming out. I think it is, it is really important to have that, like that concrete small action and that concrete action of liberation,,' says Pedemonti. 'It's a small victory for one family.' Studies have shown that immigrants who can get out of immigration detention are far less likely to be deported. Some fleeing violence can seek asylum and other venues to achieve legal status successfully. The process can often take years, but some immigrants have found legal ways to stay in the United States. However, those who stay in detention are sometimes subject to isolation and conditions, which advocates have often described as inhuman and unsanitary. 'What they do is they put tremendous pressure on people to just go ahead and sign away their rights to due process,' said Perez. 'They just use incarceration as a way of pressuring people to self-deport'. The fund works with a network of immigration attorneys to review the circumstances of each case and assess the likelihood that a bond could be successful. 'If we assess that they do have a possible path for why they should be allowed to legally stay in the United States, then we go ahead and try to get them legal representation so that they can see if they're eligible to get a bond,' said Perez. Unlike traditional bail funds, Casa San José does not charge interest and allows families to repay the bail over the years. The funds are then reused to help other immigrants get bail. Perez says it has helped mobilize immigrants around Pittsburgh to become politically active in groups like Casa San José. 'Rather than just handing somebody money and wishing them best of luck, we want them to continue to be involved (with) Casa San José, to be involved in helping other people in the community who are being impacted by deportations as well,' said Perez. 'So the goal of the bond fund is not only obviously (to) get people out of detention, but also to try to convey that the community is stronger when we support each other'. Some donors sign up to give the fund $20 a month, but the bulk of the money comes from several large fundraisers. A variety of community groups in Pittsburgh are holding these types of events to support its efforts. In late March, Temple Sinai was packed with over 100 Jewish activists who showed up for the 'De-ICE Ball.' 'There's nothing like when the Jewish community shows up. You guys are no joke,' said Monica Ruiz, the director of Casa San José, to a clapping crowd of Jewish activists. The event raised more than $18,000. 'I'm shocked at how many people showed up,' said Harry Hochheiser, one of the organizers. Hochheiser is a member of the Dor Hadash Synagogue. In 2018, one of their congregation's members, Dr. Jerry Rabonwitz, was killed when a shooter killed 11 Jews who attended three different congregations located in the Tree of Life Synagogue complex, just a few blocks from Temple Sinai. The Oct. 27, 2018, attack is the deadliest attack against Jews in American history. The shooter said that he murdered them because their congregations were fundraising to help immigrants through the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. 'I think to some extent, that's faded from people's memories a little bit, even here, but it's definitely in the back of my mind,' Hochheiser said. Hochheiser said Jews, though, are largely motivated to help immigrants due to their own history of persecution. He pointed out the fundraiser was taking place right around the 86th anniversary of the United States turning away the SS St. Louis, which was carrying over 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler. They were denied entry to the United States and 254 of the passengers would later be killed in the Holocaust when they were returned to Europe. 'It's knowing your history, and it's looking back to think, 'Hey, you know what, what was it like for my grandparents,'' he said. 'I can't imagine being turned back or turned away.' At a time when many activists say that they feel helpless in stopping the Trump administration's deportation efforts, organizers say giving to the Casa San José Bail fund gives them a tangible way to help people. 'I think particularly at this moment, there are a lot of people who are just looking to do something,' said Hochheiser. Mike Elk is a freelance reporter based in Pittsburgh. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Eater
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
4 Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Los Angeles: May 30
Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: 'Where should I eat?' Here now are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here's our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town. For Oaxacan food and margaritas: Sabores Oaxaqueños Eighth Street mainstay Sabores Oaxaqueños continues to be one of Los Angeles's best destinations for Oaxacan specialties like tlayudas, mole, and alambres, but beyond the food, it's also really fun. Plenty of restaurants can turn out consistent dishes, but Sabores Oaxaqueños also understands the vibe that its customers are looking for. The colorful interior is lively even when not entirely full, as frozen margaritas and tortas emerge from the kitchen and land on floral-tablecloth-topped tables. The restaurant is open literally all day, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., which makes it easy to swing by for a breakfast of huevos rancheros or a late dinner. And while the Koreatown location has the same parking issues as any other restaurant in the neighborhood, Sabores Oaxaqueños also operates a second location at the edge of Hollywood. 3337 1/2 W. Eighth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90005 . — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a relaxing pre-theater snack in Downtown LA: Abernethy's Chef Adolfo Perez of Cilantro Mexican Grill spent a career learning various cuisines and dishes from the Cheesecake Factory before striking out on his own restaurant, a gas station establishment with some of the San Fernando Valley's best burritos. Perez began a residency at Downtown LA restaurant Abernethy's in late April, serving crowd-pleasing Mexican American dishes like surf-and-turf fajitas, barbacoa taquitos topped with ancho chile ranch, and achiote-marinated roast chicken. Abernethy's occupies prime pre-theater dining real estate at Downtown's Music Center, and Perez's food works as a delightful snack prior to the area's high-quality shows. The tables on the patio are especially desirable, with views of City Hall down the hill and the iconic John Ferraro/LADWP building surrounded by a faux lake. It's on late afternoons like this, when the breezes turn from chilly to pleasantly warm, that summer has finally arrived in Los Angeles. 220 N. Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a breakfast sandwich that beats them all: Calabama Los Angeles fell in love with Cara Haltiwanger's inventive pop-up in 2020, where she dropped breakfast sandwiches from a fire escape with a bright red bucket. Calabama was one of those local sensations that brought some joy for everyone in lockdown at a time when social distancing was at an all-time high. Haltiwanger made her pop-up permanent in late 2024, where she opened the same concept (without the bucket drop) in Hollywood, serving breakfast sandwiches layered with bacon, egg, cheese, grilled onions, and avocado. She still makes that spicy-sweet sandwich dipping sauce, along with other staples from her Alabama childhood, including sweet tea, buttermilk biscuits, and a Southern staple: pimento cheese. The cheery stand is located on Santa Monica Boulevard, slightly east of Highland. Calabama is impossible to miss; look for a compact, free-standing white building near the sidewalk with an egg-yolk-colored awning. They even serve coffee and dog biscuits. 6751 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90038 — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For an unimpeachable Japanese-style omelet: RVR Go to RVR in Venice on a weekend morning when you feel particularly patient. All good things are ultimately worth the wait, including (or especially) its tamagoyaki omelet, an ovular spiral of luminous golden eggs that is sliced and crowned with shaved Comté, chives, and cracked black pepper. The omelet is so well-constructed that more than one passerby stopped while I was eating it — in front of the window for a peak Abbot Kinney view — to admire its form. The right and only move is to get the refreshing red gem lettuce salad (spotted with crisp Brussels sprouts and doused in an aged black vinaigrette) to alternate bites. If you're into something sweeter, however, the mochi beignets and black sesame pancakes seemed to be popular on other tables. Not-too-sweet teas over ice or the pour-over coffee complete the picture. 1305 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager Related The 38 Essential Restaurants in Los Angeles Sign up for our newsletter.
