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Black Sheriff Overcomes Bigotry

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “They don’t like that I have come in here and excelled at this job,” stated Gregory Tony, who became the first Black sheriff in the history of Broward County, Florida. Tony began his law enforcement career in 2005 with the Coral Springs Police Department, where he served on the SWAT team for five years and rose to the rank of sergeant. He also worked in narcotics investigation, burglary apprehension, street intelligence, and field force.

Published

6 years ago

April 17, 2020

Oakland Post

The Broward County branch of the International Union of Police Associations has sought a no-confidence vote on Tony just one week after the sheriff took union president Jeff Bell to task for using politics to try and destroy morale in the department.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

It’s been just over one year that Gregory Tony became the first Black sheriff in the history of Broward County, Florida.

And, as one might expect, Tony’s job is made all the more difficult because even in the 21st century, it’s quite the challenge for many to accept a Black man in charge of the sheriff’s office.

“I came into this organization last year, appointed by the governor, and I didn’t have time to prepare a roll-out strategy, and I had to fix so many problems,” said Tony, a 2002 criminology graduate of Florida State University. Tony also holds a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Nova Southeastern University, and he’s worked as an adjunct professor for more than eight years.

All of that experience has prepared Tony to deal with at least one union president who has found fault with everything from Tony’s handling of rogue deputies, securing personal protection equipment for county personnel during the coronavirus pandemic, and his promotion of employees who have worked in the department for years but had previously gone unnoticed.

“They don’t like that I have come in here and excelled at this job,” stated Tony, who began his law enforcement career in 2005 with the Coral Springs Police Department, where he served on the SWAT team for five years and rose to the rank of sergeant. He also worked in narcotics investigation, burglary apprehension, street intelligence, and field force.

“I’ve raised $1 million in my political committee, which shows that this community is rallying behind me. I’m focused because this is much bigger than me. It took 105 years to get a Black man in office. If I fail, they will never let another Black person in this office,” he said.

Broward County has about 3,180 of Florida’s 21,400 coronavirus cases, and Tony has ensured first responders were well-equipped.

Tony explained that all deputies have PPE, and if they require any extra PPE during a shift, it is provided accordingly.

Under Tony’s guidance, Broward dispatchers are asking a series of questions to identify possible COVID-19 cases before deputies arrived on the scene.

That information is relayed to first responders so that they can use the appropriate PPE gear for the call. Additionally, BSO’s civilian staffers are working from home when practical and possible.

All employees are screened before entering any BSO facility, and work areas are being cleaned on an enhanced schedule.

“I want to assure you that the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) has enough Personal Protective Equipment to do our job. At BSO, we are constantly monitoring and replenishing our resources so that we continue to have the necessary PPE for the duration of the pandemic,” Tony stated.

“We are committed to holding ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism and accountability, and that has not changed with the coronavirus health crisis. We all have a sworn duty to protect the public, and that starts with making sure that all our deputies are healthy and safe to serve.”

When the pandemic began, the sheriff’s department had access to about 4,000 masks. Still, despite the difficulty in acquiring masks and other protective equipment, Tony opened the budget to ensure the acquisition of more than 115,000 masks.

From February 1 through April 6, Tony’s office issued 25,263 N95 masks and 44,773 surgical masks and more than 4,100 bottles of hand sanitizer.

“We must set the record straight. We are experiencing a global health crisis that is redefining how we do everything at every human level. This is not a time to spread misinformation and unfounded rumors to create a division for political and personal agendas,” Tony stated, in a clear rebuke of union members questioning his authority.

“It is despicable that a few individuals are using the death of one of our veteran deputies for political gain. My command staff and I believe in transparency on all levels and are here to answer your questions,” he concluded.

Despite the discord, some of Tony’s actions during the pandemic have included:
BSO has spent an additional $1.3 million securing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) so that agency personnel will have PPE throughout the pandemic.
All employees are screened before entering a BSO facility and at the beginning of each work shift.
BSO has moved many services to online or telephone, and all visitors to BSO facilities are screened before allowed entrance.
BSO implemented remote work capabilities for non-response personnel, unless operationally necessary for staff to work on-site.
BSO is emphasizing social distancing, personal hygiene, and cleaning work areas frequently.
BSO has temporarily limited non-emergency law enforcement functions so long as it doesn’t significantly impact operations.
BSO is not serving evictions until further notice from the court.
In each district, sergeants prioritize calls to determine if a deputy’s physical response is required (i.e., violent and emergency calls only) and have instituted Telephone Response Units to handle non-emergency calls for service, including traffic crashes, delayed thefts, noise complaints, fraud, nonviolent offenses, etc.

Meanwhile, the Broward branch of the International Union of Police Associations has sought a no-confidence vote on Tony just one week after the sheriff took union president Jeff Bell to task for using politics to try and destroy morale in the department.

The union president claims Tony lied about his career, exaggerated his experience as a law enforcement officer, and that he has fired deputies without due process.

“They said I wasn’t an adjunct professor. I had them pull my personnel file, and it shows that I’ve been an adjunct professor for eight years,” Tony stated.

“They said I was wrong when I broke open a window to rescue a woman who was about to be killed.”

Tony suspended Bell, who is now seeking reinstatement and an order preventing Tony from punishing a union president.

Tony said it’s all part of what makes his job tough and why he won’t quit.

When he took over the job, the sheriff’s office had been under heavy criticism for its response to the 2018 Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Tony fired four of those officers for not following guidelines, and he went against standard recommendations and put together a more diverse review board to look at deputy-involved incidents.

“We had to change things,” Tony stated.

“These actions were reasonable and necessary. We had 17 kids die in the school, and we had to hold them accountable. We had a deputy slam a Black man’s head into the ground, and I terminated him. I suspended a deputy for choke-slamming an 85-pound White girl for no reason. I mean it took 105 years to hit the reset button.”

Tony also has hired the first Black woman as the number 2 in command of the department and of the more than 400 promotions in the department under Tony, half have been women with the majority being African American.

“The union president is vindictive. I have given the agency best raise in 25 years, and the union didn’t have to negotiate it,” Tony stated.

“I promote from within. We have the most Black and Brown staff there is, and that scares people.”

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

admin

Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

admin

A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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