Latest news with #Viera
Metro
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Judge eviscerates singer suing Grammy winners for copying song 'played 670 times
A singer attempting to sue Tiësto and Karol G for $50,000,000 for copying their song has been slammed by the judge who dismissed the case. Don't Be Shy was a breakout dance hit from the Columbian singer in 2021, marking the first time she sang in English on a track. The collaboration with Dutch DJ Tiësto charted globally, peaking at number four in the US electronic charts and number one in Mexico. However, songwriter Rene Lorente claimed it infringed upon his song Algo Diferente, released in 2000. A federal judge in Florida has now thrown out the case after ruling he failed to meet basic requirements to proceed with the claim, according to Rolling Stone. For copyright claims, there must be evidence that the defendant directly copied the work, or had access to the material, and there is 'substantial similarity' between the two. Part of the scathing 17-page ruling said Lorente made 'no attempt to offer proof of direct copying', challenging his claims that being on streaming meant they had access. 'Plaintiff points only to [his song's] presence on digital platforms and inclusion in niche albums as proof that Tiësto and Karol G heard his song. No reasonable jury could find access on such a record,' Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga wrote. According to the ruling, the song had been played 670 times on YouTube and streamed 2,718 times on Spotify, as of June 2022. The inability to meet this proof qualifier meant much of the case fell on the testimony of his designated musicologist, former Capitol Records A&R executive Richie Viera. The judge claimed Viera 'declined' to define music terms in the deposition and couldn't say if the song changed from major to minor key. Viera also allegedly declined to explain principles like the 'circle of fifths', which was used in both songs. She added that the report 'misidentifies the chords and keys of each song' and failed to take into account songs released before Lorente's that had similar elements. 'These lapses only reinforce the conclusion that Viera lacks the expertise to perform the kind of comparative analysis his report purports to offer,' she stated. Viera's opinion was said to lack the 'intellectual rigor' to be considered reliable in a court of law. Lorente's lawyer, Patrick Frank, told Rolling Stone he 'respected' the ruling but an appeal is planned for a later date. He added it is 'illustrative of the significantly high barriers to entry' faced by musicians when 'in the unenviable position of having to face off against an industry that has unlimited resources and has no reservation as to dispatching those self-same resources to prevent composers of modest means from asserting their rights.' More Trending Karol G and Tiësto's lead lawyer said the lawsuit had 'no merit' and there was 'no evidence of access'. 'One of the frustrating things that we heard throughout this case from the plaintiff was that [our clients] stole his life legacy, his defining work, but there was no evidence of access,' he shared. 'This was an obscure song that didn't have any traction. There was no commercial success. It was on self-distributed albums. And more importantly, there was existing prior art. 'The alleged similarities were based on a very common music building block, which is the circle of fifths, which has been around literally since Mozart.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Singer Ethel Cain admits she is 'not proud' of disturbing posts after backlash MORE: Grammy-winning star battling cancer fears 'cruel' deportation under new Trump law MORE: Rock frontman addresses 'deafening booing' at Black Sabbath's and Ozzy Osbourne's final concert
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Yahoo
Teens on dirt bikes vandalize Florida golf course, spark safety concerns
The Brief Teens riding electric dirt bikes have been caught on camera damaging a Brevard County golf course. Residents say the bikes are also endangering pedestrians along sidewalks and pathways. Deputies are increasing enforcement, and officials warn the behavior could lead to felony charges. VIERA, Fla. - A group of teens riding high-powered dirt bikes has drawn the attention of law enforcement and frustrated residents after being caught on camera tearing up the turf at Duran Golf Club in Brevard County. What we know Teens riding high-speed electric dirt bikes have been caught on video damaging the turf at Duran Golf Club in Brevard County, prompting public safety and property damage concerns. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office confirmed the riders were seen recklessly operating the vehicles, some capable of reaching 50 mph, across the greens and nearby pedestrian areas. Officials say the issue has grown throughout the summer. What we don't know Authorities have not identified any of the teens involved or whether charges have been filed. It's also unclear if the bikes are registered or if any riders have been cited for violations so far. The backstory Electric dirt bikes have surged in popularity, but their powerful engines and off-road capabilities have clashed with residential safety norms. In Viera, residents say the bikes are frequently spotted on sidewalks and walking paths, endangering pedestrians and damaging community property. Big picture view Neighborhoods in central Brevard County are seeing a shift in public space use, raising questions about enforcement, youth supervision, and e-vehicle regulation. Community leaders and residents alike are expressing growing frustration as safety risks mount. What they're saying Surveillance video shared by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office shows teens recklessly riding across the greens at full speed — a problem that authorities and neighbors say has been escalating throughout the summer. Some electric dirt bikes, like the ones seen in the footage, can reach speeds up to 50 mph. Residents of the Viera area say the teens aren't just confined to the golf course — they're also riding on sidewalks and neighborhood pathways used daily by pedestrians. "There's a safety concern — number one, that they could have an accident," said sheriff's office spokesman Tod Goodyear. "But there's also the issue of criminal mischief." Mary Lewis, a local resident, said the young riders have nearly run her off the sidewalk. "They're just not obeying any rules," she said. "They think they can do whatever they want. And when people confront them, they swear and give you grief. It's really a problem." What's next Though tracking down the bikers has proven difficult in the past, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office says it is now stepping up enforcement. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, and Viera resident Mary Lewis.
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Miami's hottest new bakery is in a parking lot. Get there early if you want to try it
The hottest bakery in Miami isn't located in the hottest part of town. You won't find it in Brickell or Little River. It's not tucked away in a hidden speakeasy in Wynwood. You won't even find it in the bountiful strip malls of Kendall or Westchester, where tiny spots have been known to thrive. Instead, you'll find Ophelia parked beneath a few shady trees in a lot between office buildings on busy South Dixie Highway. You'll also find it on wheels, in a mini RV. The impossibly cute mobile bakery is the creation of chefs Ana De Sa Martins and Juan Viera, both veterans of Jeremy Ford's Michelin-starred Stubborn Seed restaurant in Miami Beach. They opened Ophelia's doors — or rather, its serving windows — just two weeks ago, and already have amassed a passionate customer base eager for the pastries within. 'It's very homey,' Viera says of the RV, which he designed. 'It feels like a dollhouse.' Arrive when the window opens at 8 a.m. if you want a shot at the bakery's most prized items. Take your pick from the day's offerings: banana walnut bread, chocolate babka, cinnamon rolls, classic chocolate chunk cookies or sesame guava cookies. There's even a olive oil lemon cake with blueberries, a specialty De Sa Martins, who grew up in Venezuela, perfected as executive pastry chef at Stubborn Seed that's also served at Ford's restaurant Salt & Ash in the Florida Keys. There are savory options, too, courtesy of Viera: broccoli hot pockets and Calabrian cheese rolls, for example, as well as a gloriously dripping, flavorful, must-have egg and bacon sandwich on an English muffin. You can order a variety of coffees, too. Viera, who grew up in Miami and worked as a chef at Stubborn Seed, says the menu was built on nostalgia. 'I grew up in a house with a single mom and two kids, so breakfast was often an Egg McMuffin,' he says. 'So I love eating an English muffin breakfast sandwich. A lot of things here are nostalgic for us. Like the hot pockets. They remind us of our childhoods growing up.' Opening the bakery was a labor of love for the couple, who met at Stubborn Seed. De Sa Martins had been there since 2020; Viera, who had also worked at The Surf Club in Surfside, was there for two years. Both helped the team open Beauty and the Butcher in Coral Gables (which Ford is no longer associated with). De Sa Martins said that though she learned a lot at the restaurant, she had started to wonder about the future. 'I worked hard for that company,' she says. 'At the same time, I'm 32, and a little voice was telling me 'Why don't you start something of your own?' It felt like it was time to do something.' A torn Achilles tendon that kept Viera off his feet for a couple of months gave him time to consider the idea, too. He felt he had lost his drive for fine dining and started cooking at the now-shuttered Union Beer Store in Little Havana. On her days off, De Sa Martins popped over to help him run food. After one insanely busy night of service, they realized they were enjoying themselves and not feeling burned out. 'We were like, 'This is super fun!' ' Viera says. 'We weren't exhausted. At a fine dining restaurant, after service, you're just beat up. But we were thrilled this was so much fun.' The Union Beer interlude kicked off the search for a brick-and-mortar spot, always a difficult process in Miami's expensive and ever-shifting culinary landscape. The couple was skeptical at the idea of a food truck, but then they landed on the idea to have a vintage RV designed by Viera built instead. 'We weren't sure what to expect, but we were super happy,' Viera says of the outcome. The couple starts work early every morning — De Sa Martins says she gets up at 3 a.m. — to prepare. They make the pastries in a commissary kitchen early in the week and bring them to Ophelia on the days it's open by 7 a.m. What they also didn't expect was immediate popularity. Neighbors out walking their dogs stop by — and return. Cars pull up as well: early morning workout fanatics on their way home from the gym and random drivers who just wondered what was happening in the parking lot. Even more often, customers spotted the bakery on wheels on social media and just had to give it a try. Lines form quickly, especially on the weekends, and sought-after items like the cinnamon rolls sell out quickly. The items are so alluring, many customers are perfectly happy eating breakfast in their cars, even though there's a shaded outdoor table. The crush of business has been disconcerting but welcome. 'I'm glad it happened this way,' De Sa Martins says. 'It's a good problem to have. What business doesn't want to sell everything they make? But we were not prepared. We thought it would be low key, because it's summer, and now we can't keep up with production.' Viera says they're considering limiting the number of cinnamon rolls people can buy — 'People come in with four different orders to deliver to friends, and we're honored they're doing that, but it's not fair for the other people in line.' He says the menu will change seasonally. There's a mango Danish on the horizon, this being mango-mad Miami, and they're playing with the idea of creating a strawberry Zebra Cake with red and blue stripes for the Fourth of July. And, having learned at Stubborn Seed that evolving is key to success, they're already thinking ahead. 'We're starting to think about what the next step is going to be,' De Sa Martins says. 'We're not going to be in a trailer forever.' Ophelia Where: 2140 S. Dixie Highway, Miami Hours: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday-Saturday Updates: @ on Instagram
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Memorial Park Cemetery cleaned up for Memorial Day weekend
The Brief The Memorial Park Cemetery was cleaned up ahead of Memorial Day weekend. Earlier this month, the group cleaned off headstones. Saturday, they returned to the property to plant nearly 500 American flags. TAMPA - Volunteers banded together to clean up and beautify a previously neglected East Tampa cemetery ahead of Memorial Day. Memorial Park Cemetery on E Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd is a predominately African American site for hundreds of veterans and their families. The backstory Some served dating back to World War I. Others served while Jim Crow Laws were in place. Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera said, "I have to think that the people who served during that time who were African American, wanted to gain respect at home for folks like them." The property was in shambles up until last year. Many burial sites were unintelligible. He said, "Having this cemetery the way it was a few years ago was a disgrace to Tampa, it was a disgrace to our values." It was then mistakenly sold in a land auction. "The city of Tampa was preparing to buy it but apparently someone else purchased it so we as a city had to go back and purchase it from that owner," he added. READ: 28th annual Memorial Day Observance ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park & Museum The city has since given the cemetery a historic designation and used ground-penetrating radar to identify gravesites. Viera said upkeep of the cemetery is a top priority for a host of organizations. What they're saying "Every year we come out here, the firefighters, the Cemetery Society, the Veterans Treatment Court Mentors, Vietnam Veterans of America, different organizations and everyday volunteers come out here in Memorial Day month to clean up this cemetery," he added, "As a way of just making sure we honor those American heroes, those who died of natural causes and those killed in action." Earlier this month, the group cleaned off headstones. Saturday, they returned to the property to plant nearly 500 American flags. "People should, Memorial Day Weekend, Memorial Day do something for our fallen soldiers and our Gold Star families," he said, "We're home to a lot of heroes. Pay tribute to those heroes." CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trader Joe's applies for building permit in Melbourne
Melbourne could be getting a Trader Joe's in the future. An application for a building permit has been filed for the grocery store at 2221 Town Center Ave. That's at the Avenue Viera center. There is no known date for when construction would start. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
