Latest news with #REFORM
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fat Joe, Jadakiss, REFORM Alliance, And Sei Less Host Father's Day Lunch For Families Impacted By Criminal Justice System
Father's Day, for many dads, means getting a new pair of socks or thoughtful text messages from family members. Fat Joe and Jadakiss partnered with REFORM Alliance and popular New York City restaurant Sei Less this week to provide an unforgettable experience for those paternal figures who needed love and appreciation the most. Seventy fathers, along with their spouses and kids, gathered in a private room at the restaurant on Wednesday afternoon (June 11) to be treated to the exquisite asian fusion menu that has made Sei Less a must-go for New Yorkers and beyond. These particular dads, though, were those who had been adversely impacted by the criminal justice system and were in the process of reconnecting with their families and society. Joe and Jada shared opening words of encouragement, greeted everyone in the room, took selfies, and even checked out some of the attendees' music. It was good vibes all around — with fantastic food to match. 'Working with Fat Joe, Jadakiss, and REFORM to celebrate these fathers at Sei Less was truly special,' Sei Less owner Dara Mirjahangiry said of the occasion. 'Ahead of Father's Day, we really wanted to shine a light on these fathers who have been impacted by the criminal justice system and support their re-entry journey with compassion. It was a powerful way to bond through culture, community and cuisine.' Fat Joe and Jadakiss spoke with invited media members before the event about the importance of hosting these fathers, based on what they see happening in the world and their individual experiences with their fathers. Though the two have long committed to impacting their community, they know the work is far from done. 'My father showed me the importance of family,' Joe said. 'Supporting our brothers, supporting our sisters. He never gave up on nobody in our family. The guy always had a party. He always brought my stepbrothers, my stepsisters. He always made us one unit and made sure nobody left out nobody.' Jada advised fathers in the room, and beyond, to focus on readjusting and not trying to make up for time they missed while in jail. 'I would say just give yourself some time,' he began. 'Being a family member and a friend of a lot of dudes that did bids, [whether] federal, state, or what have you, sometimes you want to rush to get the time back. Just take it easy and let the game come to you, as far as your kids, as far as getting back to the bag, as far as finding your niche in society. Just take your time so you don't end up rewinding the time the wrong way.' It's been an exciting time for the two rappers as they recently launched their podcast Joe And Jada, which The LOX member told us had been in the works long before they finally got behind the microphones. While the show covers a myriad of topics within entertainment, they equally value the power their voices hold in inspiring those who feel hopeless based on the current political climate of the United States, even at the expense of business opportunities. 'I think we motivate people, and we try to affect as much change as we can, but politics itself, I went all the way to standing next to Kamala Harris,' Fat Joe said. 'I lost money. I don't want to turn this into a controversial thing. When I did that, when I went out there like that, I lost million dollar deals from people who's like, 'Yo Joe, we ain't know you felt like that. I can't do business with you no more.' This is a f**king fact. 'That's why the importance of events like today is that you got guys like us co-signing these dads and letting them know that we with them, and we stand with them because they need that moral support. A lot of times in life, men, children, whatever they need people that they respect [got] to co-sign what they're doing in a positive way because it's just so much negative out there to get involved with.' Jadakiss echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the work must begin on a much smaller scale than people often think. 'It starts with self,' he said. 'We come from a society that blames and points fingers. It's not too many full-parent homes. There's a lot of single-parent households. But if you got some good people or you got some good will and belief, start with yourself and try to start to trickle down after that. We ain't going to do nothing as a people until individually we start living correctly.' More from The LOX Are "The Wildest" In Red Bull Freestyle Ahead Of New Project Mario And Jadakiss To Headline All About Us Festival This Juneteenth In N.J. Jadakiss Reflects On The Lox, Dipset 'Verzuz' Battle: "I Was Out Of My Mind"


The Sun
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
In surprise victory, UK's Labour wins Scottish by-election after racism row
LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party won a surprise victory on Friday in a fiercely fought by-election for the Scottish parliament, while support for the right-wing Reform UK party surged in a contest tainted by a row over racism. After one of the most bitter election campaigns in Scotland, Labour won the seat of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse from the Scottish National Party after it became vacant following the death of a Scottish government minister. The result provides some relief for Starmer, whose party has suffered a steep fall in support since its landslide victory in a British parliamentary election last year after it raised taxes, cut welfare benefits and got into a row over donations. Voters rallied around Labour in the closely watched contest after Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, repeatedly referred to the ethnicity of the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who is of Pakistani heritage, drawing criticism from the other parties. The Labour candidate Davy Russell won 31.6% of votes in the election for the Scottish parliament, which has devolved powers over issues such as health and education. The SNP won 29.4% votes and Reform finished third with 26.1% votes. The betting odds had predicted a comfortable victory for the SNP with Labour pushed into third place behind Reform. Russell told his supporters in the area southeast of Glasgow that his victory had 'sent a message to Farage and his mob, the poison of Reform isn't us, it isn't Scotland and we don't want your division here'. REFORM SURGE But a recent rise in support for Reform - which has overtaken Labour in opinion polls as the most popular party in Britain - suggests it is making inroads in Scotland as well as England, a year before the Scottish parliament elections are held. John Curtice, Britain's most respected pollster, said although Labour had won an unexpected victory, the main takeaway from the result was the increase in support for Reform after the party won only 0.2% of the vote at the last election for the Scottish parliament in 2021. Starmer may hope that the victory will ease Labour lawmakers' anxiety but the party's share of the vote is down compared with recent elections, Curtice said. 'There is nothing in this result that suggests that Labour have turned around the reverse in the polls,' he said. The support for Reform in Scotland is particularly surprising because the party's brand of low tax, anti-immigration, anti-EU politics, has often been more associated with English nationalism. Farage visited Scotland on Monday, days after a row over an online video put out by his party that falsely claimed Sarwar had said he would 'prioritise' the Pakistani community. Labour branded the advert 'blatantly racist' and SNP leader John Swinney urged voters to reject Reform's 'gutter politics'. Farage responded by accusing Sarwar of introducing sectarianism into Scottish politics.


The Sun
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Labour wins Scottish seat as Reform UK surges in polls
LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party won a surprise victory on Friday in a fiercely fought by-election for the Scottish parliament, while support for the right-wing Reform UK party surged in a contest tainted by a row over racism. After one of the most bitter election campaigns in Scotland, Labour won the seat of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse from the Scottish National Party after it became vacant following the death of a Scottish government minister. The result provides some relief for Starmer, whose party has suffered a steep fall in support since its landslide victory in a British parliamentary election last year after it raised taxes, cut welfare benefits and got into a row over donations. Voters rallied around Labour in the closely watched contest after Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, repeatedly referred to the ethnicity of the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who is of Pakistani heritage, drawing criticism from the other parties. The Labour candidate Davy Russell won 31.6% of votes in the election for the Scottish parliament, which has devolved powers over issues such as health and education. The SNP won 29.4% votes and Reform finished third with 26.1% votes. The betting odds had predicted a comfortable victory for the SNP with Labour pushed into third place behind Reform. Russell told his supporters in the area southeast of Glasgow that his victory had 'sent a message to Farage and his mob, the poison of Reform isn't us, it isn't Scotland and we don't want your division here'. REFORM SURGE But a recent rise in support for Reform - which has overtaken Labour in opinion polls as the most popular party in Britain - suggests it is making inroads in Scotland as well as England, a year before the Scottish parliament elections are held. John Curtice, Britain's most respected pollster, said although Labour had won an unexpected victory, the main takeaway from the result was the increase in support for Reform after the party won only 0.2% of the vote at the last election for the Scottish parliament in 2021. Starmer may hope that the victory will ease Labour lawmakers' anxiety but the party's share of the vote is down compared with recent elections, Curtice said. 'There is nothing in this result that suggests that Labour have turned around the reverse in the polls,' he said. The support for Reform in Scotland is particularly surprising because the party's brand of low tax, anti-immigration, anti-EU politics, has often been more associated with English nationalism. Farage visited Scotland on Monday, days after a row over an online video put out by his party that falsely claimed Sarwar had said he would 'prioritise' the Pakistani community. Labour branded the advert 'blatantly racist' and SNP leader John Swinney urged voters to reject Reform's 'gutter politics'. Farage responded by accusing Sarwar of introducing sectarianism into Scottish politics.


Scottish Sun
05-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Reform chairman QUITS & says helping Farage become PM is ‘not a good use of my time'
Insiders said that the chairman had felt 'shafted' into running the party's DOGE efficiency unit WALKS OUT Reform chairman QUITS & says helping Farage become PM is 'not a good use of my time' REFORM was plunged into a chaotic civil war last night after its chairman Zia Yusuf announced he's quitting the party. Mr Yusuf announced on social media that after 11 months in the job 'I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time'. Advertisement 2 Reform chairman Zia Yusuf announced he's quitting the party Credit: PA Insiders said that the chairman had felt 'shafted' into running the party's DOGE efficiency unit, aimed at slashing waste in local authorities. He also earlier on Thursday clashed with Reform's newest MP, Sarah Pochin, over the idea of a burqa ban. Mr Yusuf said: 'Eleven months ago I became Chairman of Reform. 'I've worked full time as a volunteer to take the party from 14 to 30 per cent, quadrupled its membership and delivered historic electoral results. Advertisement Read More REFORMER REGRET I was excited to get Aldi's pilates machine but 1 issue has me returning it 'I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.' Mr Yusuf was seen as a rising star in the party and close ally of Nigel Farage. While not an MP, the entrepreneur fronted several of the parties press conferences. He worked as chairman in a voluntary capacity. Advertisement This comes after Farage earlier this week blasted "net stupid zero" for obliterating the UK's oil industry, ahead of a showdown Scottish by-election on tomorrow. The Reform chief drew battle lines against the SNP as he warned Scotland is "literally de-industrialising before our eyes". In Aberdeen Mr Farage slammed the nats, led by First Minister John Swinney, for sacrificing an entire industry and thousands of jobs at the alter of green diktats. He claimed neighbouring Norway is "laughing" as it watches ministers import Scandinavian fossil fuels while dismantling local industry. Advertisement Against the shouts of protesters, at a posh fish and chips restaurant the Reform leader said: "We can con ourselves as much as we like. "There will be more coal burned this year than ever before in the history of human kind. The same applies to oil and gas. 'Even the most adren proponent of net zero has to accept the world will still be using oil and gas up until 2050 and beyond. 'And yet we've decided to sacrifice this industry as a consensus around Net Zero has emerged.' Advertisement Mr Farage added that the fight to save oil and gas is "almost the next Brexit". He said: 'Believe me, the scales are falling from the eyes of the public when it comes to Net Zero. "They realise we are putting upon ourselves a massive cost, let alone the opportunity cost of what we're missing... 'When we closed down refineries.. and steelworks... all we're doing is exporting the emissions of CO2 with the goods then being shipped back to us. Advertisement 'The public are waking up to this." It comes ahead of a Hoylrood by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse on Thursday, described by Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice as an "absolute cat fight" with the SNP and Labour. Mr Farage acknowledged it would be an "earthquake" level shock if Reform's candidate wins the seat. But activists have reported being surprised at levels of support on the doorstep. Advertisement Mr Farage insisted the Reform "can replicate success in Scotland". 2 He said: "I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time' Credit: AFP More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Advertisement Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.


Black America Web
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Chips For Change: REFORM Alliance Announces Return Of Casino Night & Gala W/ The Weeknd As Headline Performer
Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty Today (May 19th), we got some big news from REFORM Alliance! The national advocacy organization announced the official return of its star-studded Casino Night and Gala event. Co-hosted by board members Michael Rubin, Meek Mill, and Shawn 'JAY-Z' Carter, this year's gala will return on Saturday, September 13th in Atlantic City. This year's REFORM Casino Night & Gala will feature a special headlining performance by Grammy Award-winning artist The Weeknd and once again will feature a high-stakes $1 million blackjack tournament. The event aims to raise crucial funds to fuel REFORM's mission of transforming the probation and parole system in the U.S. The inaugural event in 2023 smashed expectations, raising over $24 million and drawing an A-list crowd including Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, Tom Brady, Kevin Hart, Matthew McConaughey, Lil Baby, and more. Since its founding in 2019, REFORM has become a national leader in criminal justice reform. Inspired by Meek Mill's own experiences with the probation system, the organization is focused on advancing bipartisan legislation, evidence-based policy, and grassroots partnerships. To date, REFORM has helped pass 21 bipartisan bills across 12 states, creating pathways for 850,000+ people to exit the justice system. All proceeds from this year's gala will directly benefit REFORM's continued work to provide opportunity, support reentry, and reduce recidivism for millions of Americans impacted by the system. A stable job is one of the most effective ways to break cycles of recidivism – REFORM is actively connecting justice-involved individuals with opportunities and support to help people succeed. Salute to the REFORM team for continuing to make a difference. We can't wait to see how this year's event turns out. Check out some photos from the first Casino Night and Gala below! Chips For Change: REFORM Alliance Announces Return Of Casino Night & Gala W/ The Weeknd As Headline Performer was originally published on Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Source:Getty Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE