US NATIONAL NEWS
Reps. Frost and Wilson Call on President Biden to Pardon Civil Rights Leader, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Desmond Meade
Published
3 years agoon
WASHINGTON DC — In a joint letter, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) and Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) are urging President Biden to pardon Nobel Peace Prize nominee and Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) leader Desmond Meade.
“One of the greatest honors of my life was Organizing to help pass Amendment 4, a movement that Desmond Meade started. Desmond’s life’s work is a powerful reminder of the importance of forgiveness and second chances. A civil rights leader, Desmond has created a movement powered by love and compassion. That leaders like Ron DeSantis have chosen to continue to support his disenfranchisement proves that our justice system isn’t centered on rehabilitation but on incarceration,” said Congressman Maxwell Frost. “No one has done more for voting rights in Florida than Desmond, which is why alongside Congresswoman Wilson, I wholeheartedly call on President Biden to do what Governor DeSantis will never be willing and able to do — grant Desmond Meade a Presidential pardon to restore his rights fully.”
“Desmond Meade’s life is a testament to the incredible power of second chances. As a veteran, renowned civil rights leader, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Mr. Meade has devoted his life to restoring the rights of millions who were once incarcerated. His journey and commitment to service are embodied through his advocacy to others and serves as an inspiration and role model, particularly for young men of color who find hope in his story and see Mr. Meade as an example that it is possible to turn their lives around,” said Congresswoman Wilson. “As he has advocated for millions of returning citizens, I am proud to advocate for the pardon of Desmond Meade. Together with Congressman Frost, we urge President Biden to grant Mr. Meade a Presidential pardon, a recognition long overdue for the enduring impact he has made.”
The letter recounts Mr. Meade’s early struggles with the law and his journey to becoming a modern civil rights leader. In 2018, Mr. Meade spearheaded the passage of a landmark constitutional amendment to restore the voting rights of more than one million Floridians with a felony conviction, repealing the state’s 150-year-old Jim Crow-era law. Today, Mr. Meade is credited with the most significant expansion of voting rights in the United States in over 50 years, earning him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, a McArthur Genius Grant, and a mention in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list in 2019.
The full letter is included in this link and below:
May 25, 2023
The Honorable Joseph R. Biden
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Biden:
We urge you to pardon veteran, civil rights leader, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Desmond Meade for his 1985 court-martial conviction and reverse his dishonorable discharge.
Mr. Meade has unequivocally atoned for the 30-year-old offense he committed during his Army service. Moreover, he has transcended his past to become a civil rights leader and a champion for millions of formerly incarcerated people. We wholeheartedly believe that Mr. Meade deserves a second chance.
As an Army servicemember stationed in Hawaii in 1985, Mr. Meade was introduced to drugs and was induced into uncharacteristic behavior to support his habit. As a result, he was imprisoned for three years for grand larceny and dishonorably discharged. After his release, he struggled with substance use disorder and became homeless. Hitting rock bottom, he frequently contemplated suicide. Thankfully, he managed to turn his life around.
Mr. Meade earned undergraduate degrees from Miami Dade College and a Juris Doctorate from Florida International University. Yet, despite this turnaround, he faced barriers to securing his law license, employment, housing, voting access, and more because of his prior convictions. Thus, Mr. Meade committed his life to restoring the rights of formerly incarcerated people.
As the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) leader, Mr. Meade joined forces with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and others to spearhead a landmark constitutional amendment campaign to restore voting rights for more than one million Floridians with a felony conviction: Amendment 4. The herculean effort repealed Florida’s 150-year-old Jim Crow-era law that banned anyone with a felony conviction from voting. It is the most significant expansion of voting rights in the United States in over 50 years. Moreover, Mr. Meade has joined forces with community leaders, CEOs, legislators, entertainers, athletes, entrepreneurs, and celebrities to fight for the re-enfranchisement of millions of returning citizens nationwide. For example, he recently met with Nebraska legislators to advocate for legislation repealing a two-year waiting period, and he worked with groups in Minnesota that recently passed legislation to expand voting rights. Yet, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis refused to restore Mr. Meade’s civil rights multiple times due to his court-martial conviction and dishonorable discharge until overwhelming public support compelled the Governor to do so.
Mr. Meade’s life is a testament to the power of a second chance. His service as a civil rights leader has not gone unnoticed. Time magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2019. The University of Florida’s Bob Graham Center for Public Service selected him as the 2019 Floridian of the Year. In 2021, Mr. Meade was named a McArthur “genius grant” winner for his work on re-enfranchisement. In February 2023, Quaker Peace and Social Witness and the American Friends Service Committee nominated Desmond Meade and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition for a Nobel Peace Prize. In his commencement address to Duke University students, Grammy-winning artist John Legend said, “Duke Class of 2021: I wish you live with Desmond’s kind of love: Love for our neighbors—and for people who feel like they’re a world apart. Love for justice—defined by a spirit of mutuality and community.”
Thank you for your attention and consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
Frederica S. Wilson
Member of Congress
Maxwell Alejandro Frost
Member of Congress
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Politics
State Rep. Angie Nixon Condemns Deadly ICE Shooting, Calls for Independent Investigation
Published
8 hours 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
12 hours 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
13 hours 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.
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