US NATIONAL NEWS
Chick-fil-A Expands True Inspiration Awards, Awarding $6 Million to 56 Nonprofits in 2025
Published
1 year agoon
By
Willie David
ATLANTA, Ga. (FNN) – Chick-fil-A, Inc. has announced a milestone year for its True Inspiration Awards® grant program, awarding a record-breaking $6 million to 56 nonprofits dedicated to creating meaningful community impact. This year’s grants support organizations across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.K., aligning with Chick-fil-A’s commitment to caring for people, communities, food, and the planet.
2025 By the Numbers
- $6 million in grants awarded, with amounts ranging from $30,000 to $350,000.
- 56 nonprofit recipients, including the program’s first U.K.-based grant recipient.
- Over 625,000 votes cast by Chick-fil-A One® Members through the Chick-fil-A App to help select regional recipients.
- Since its inception in 2015, the program has awarded more than 350 grants, totaling $33.8 million and impacting over 500,000 people annually.
S. Truett Cathy Honoree: Old Skool Cafe (San Francisco, Calif.)
The largest grant of $350,000 was awarded to Old Skool Cafe (OSC), a nonprofit supper club run by at-risk youth.
About Old Skool Cafe:
- Provides job training, employment, and leadership opportunities for youth aged 16-22.
- Operates a 1920s-inspired global soul food supper club with live jazz music.
- Plans to use the grant to expand trauma-informed staff training, enhance job readiness programs, and strengthen community partnerships to support at-risk youth in the Bay Area.
“The leadership development, mentorship, and hospitality job training that Old Skool Cafe provides to at-risk youth in San Francisco creates unparalleled opportunities for economic mobility,” said Susanna Choe, local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Serramonte in Daly City, Calif., who nominated OSC. “This generous grant from Chick-fil-A will help Old Skool Cafe continue to transform the lives of underserved young people for years to come.”
The 2025 True Inspiration Awards also introduced a new “Subsidiary Recipients” category, which supports organizations nominated by General Managers from Chick-fil-A’s supply chain operations. This new initiative underscores Chick-fil-A’s dedication to localized impact in communities tied to its global supply chain.
One notable recipient is the U.K.-based Hospitality Action, marking the brand’s expanding philanthropic footprint ahead of its restaurant openings in the United Kingdom in 2025.
Commitment to Caring
“Chick-fil-A is honored to invest in the impactful work of these incredible organizations that are creating meaningful change in their local communities,” said Brent Fielder, Vice President of Global Impact for Chick-fil-A, Inc. “From fighting hunger and providing educational opportunities to fostering environmental stewardship, these nonprofits exemplify what it means to care for others and have a positive influence on the world.”
Key Nonprofit Categories and Recipients
Care for People:
- Special Equestrians (Warrington, Pa.): $200,000
- Travis Manion Foundation (Doylestown, Pa.): $60,000
Care for Communities:
- Sheridan House Family Ministries (Davie, Fla.): $200,000
- Train Up a Child, Inc. (St. Louis, Mo.): $60,000
Care Through Food:
- Center of United Methodist Aid to the Community (Paterson, N.J.): $200,000
- Merced County Food Bank (Merced, Calif.): $60,000
Care for the Planet:
- Out Teach (Washington, D.C.): $200,000
- Ecology Project International (Missoula, Mont.): $75,000
Global Recipients:
- The Happy Givers (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico): $200,000
- Hospitality Action (London, England): $125,000
Since 2015, the True Inspiration Awards program has empowered nonprofits to drive progress in critical areas, including hunger relief, education, and youth leadership. The 2025 program’s historic global reach and funding level reflect Chick-fil-A’s deep commitment to fostering sustainable, localized change across its growing footprint.
For more information, visit Chick-fil-A.com/True-Inspiration-Awards.
J Willie David, III
Florida National News and FNN News Network
news@FloridaNationalNews.com
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Politics
State Rep. Angie Nixon Condemns Deadly ICE Shooting, Calls for Independent Investigation
Published
6 days agoon
July 10, 2026
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Following the fatal shooting of 52-year-old father and construction worker Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Houston, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and Florida State Representative Angie Nixon released the following statement:
Statement from Rep. Angie Nixon
“Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was a father who spent decades building homes and providing for his family. He was fatally shot in the street by an ICE agent operating from an unmarked vehicle. My heart breaks for his wife and three sons.
“Our nation faces a moral choice. We must stop investing billions of taxpayer dollars in an agency that, in my view, terrorizes communities, operates with too little accountability, and often conducts enforcement actions without body cameras or clear identification. Those resources should instead be invested in strengthening our communities and helping families meet their basic needs. I believe ICE should be abolished.
“I stand in full solidarity with Lorenzo’s family in calling for a fully independent and transparent investigation into his death. I also call for the immediate release of his brother and the other individuals who were detained during this incident if they are being held without legal justification.”
Key Points
- Rep. Angie Nixon expressed condolences to the family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
- She called for a fully independent and transparent investigation into the fatal shooting.
- Nixon criticized ICE’s enforcement practices and renewed her call to abolish the agency.
- She urged the release of Lorenzo’s brother and others detained during the incident if their continued detention is not legally justified.
US NATIONAL NEWS
U.S. Expands Sanctions Targeting Iran’s Financial Networks and Regime Financiers
Published
6 days agoon
July 10, 2026
WASHINGTON (FNN NEWS) — The Trump administration announced a new round of sanctions Friday targeting individuals and businesses accused of helping finance Iran’s ruling elite and facilitating international financial transactions on behalf of the Iranian regime.
The sanctions, announced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, target a global financial network that U.S. officials say supports Iran’s Supreme Leader and other senior regime officials.
Global Financial Network Targeted
According to the administration, the sanctions focus on Ali Ansari, a Dubai-based Iranian national accused of managing an extensive network of real estate and commercial holdings across multiple countries on behalf of Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s Supreme Leader, and other regime insiders.
U.S. officials said the network includes assets and business interests in:
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Spain
- Cyprus
- United Arab Emirates
- Other international jurisdictions
The administration alleges the network has been used to help Iranian regime officials maintain access to international financial markets.
Currency Exchange Houses Sanctioned
The Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on three Iran-based currency exchange firms and their associated leadership:
- Mohammad Darbani and Partners
- Lavasani and Partners
- Mohsen Khandan and Partners
The sanctions also extend to the firms’ managing partners and affiliated front companies.
According to the administration, these entities allegedly enabled Iran to obtain foreign currency and conduct international financial transactions despite existing U.S. sanctions.
Administration Cites Maximum Pressure Campaign
The White House said the latest designations are part of President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to increase economic pressure on Iran.
Administration officials said they will continue targeting individuals, businesses and financial institutions—including foreign entities—that facilitate illicit Iranian commerce or assist the regime in evading U.S. sanctions.
The administration maintains that the sanctions are intended to pressure Iran to end what it describes as destabilizing activities in the region and to hold accountable those who enable corruption within the Iranian government.
Authorities Used for Sanctions
The sanctions were imposed under multiple executive authorities, including:
- Executive Order 13902, targeting Iran’s financial and petroleum sectors.
- Executive Order 13876, focusing on Iran’s Supreme Leader and affiliated individuals.
- Executive Order 13224, as amended by Executive Order 13886, which provides counterterrorism sanctions authority.
Treasury officials said the latest designations build upon previous actions by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) targeting Iran’s shadow banking system and currency exchange networks.
US NATIONAL NEWS
White House: Trump Administration Deports Convicted Child Sex Offender After Minnesota Pardon
Published
6 days agoon
July 10, 2026
WASHINGTON (FNN NEWS) — The White House announced Friday that the Trump administration deported a Laotian national convicted of sexually abusing a child after Minnesota officials granted him a pardon.
Conviction and Deportation
According to the White House, Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian national, was convicted in Minnesota of repeatedly sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl. An immigration judge ordered his removal from the United States in 2006.
The White House said Secretary of State Marco Rubio terminated Vang’s legal status, allowing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to carry out his deportation.
White House Criticizes Minnesota Leaders
The administration sharply criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, alleging they attempted to prevent Vang’s deportation by granting him a pardon.
In a statement, the White House accused the two Democratic leaders of placing the interests of a convicted child sex offender ahead of public safety and federal immigration enforcement.
The administration argued the deportation demonstrates President Donald Trump’s commitment to removing noncitizens convicted of serious crimes from the United States.
Administration Statement
The White House said the case underscores the administration’s immigration enforcement priorities.
“Under President Trump, criminal illegal aliens who rape children will be found, arrested, and removed,” the White House said.
The administration also asserted that state actions would not prevent federal immigration authorities from enforcing U.S. immigration law.
Political Dispute
The case has become part of the broader national debate over immigration enforcement and the relationship between state criminal justice decisions and federal immigration authority.
Minnesota officials have not been included in the White House announcement, and any response from Gov. Walz, Attorney General Ellison or their offices was not immediately available.
