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Elections
Adam Hollier drops secretary of state bid, enters State Senate District 3 race
DETROIT — Adam Hollier, a Democrat and U.S. Army paratrooper, announced he is suspending his campaign for Michigan secretary of state and pivoting to a run for State Senate District 3, a seat that spans Hamtramck, Highland Park and Detroit’s...
Opinions
War without strategy: Why a U.S. strike on Iran would backfire
A U.S. military attack on Iran would not restore deterrence or strengthen American credibility. Instead, it would confirm a deeper failure: relying on force instead of strategy. After more than 20 years of wars labeled as necessary and manageable,...
Local
Veteran Arab American community leader Ismael Ahmed dies at 79, leaving a five-decade legacy of service in Metro Detroit
DETROIT — The Arab American community in Metro Detroit is mourning the loss of veteran community and political leader Ismael (Ish) Ahmed, who passed away at age 79 after a distinguished career spanning nearly five decades devoted to immigrant...
Opinions
On the menu: How the middle powers sacrificed Gaza to save themselves
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney sounded more like a populist leader than a former central banker during his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 20. Bemoaning the "fading" of the rules-based order, Carney delivered a...
U.S.A
Former U.S. Rep. Lee H. Hamilton, a respected foreign policy maker, dies at 94
Former U.S. Representative Lee H. Hamilton, a former Democratic member of Congress from Indiana and a widely respected authority on U.S. foreign policy whose column appeared regularly in The Arab American News for more than a decade, passed away...
Community
Veteran political and community activist Ismael (Ish) Ahmed dies at 79
The Arab American community in metro Detroit is mourning the loss of veteran political and community activist Ismael (Ish) Ahmed, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 79, following a lifetime dedicated to immigrant rights, social justice and...
Elections
Wealthy businessman Perry Johnson Joins Michigan governor’s race, pledges $9 million early spending push
BIRMINGHAM — Wealthy businessman Perry Johnson has joined a growing field of Republican candidates seeking Michigan’s governorship, pledging to spend heavily on a campaign centered on eliminating the state income tax, fixing schools and making...
Community
Lebanese General Security Chief Hassan Choucair visits local community, speaks on Lebanon’s challenges and reforms, praises diaspora support
DEARBORN — On the sidelines of his participation in a security conference in Las Vegas, Lebanese Director General of General Security Major General Hassan Ezzat Choucair made a point of visiting the Lebanese community in the Detroit area on...
Local
Former Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib appointed senior advisor at AmeriCorps after his ambassadorship nomination stalled in U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, former Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib —whose nomination as U.S. ambassador to Kuwait had encountered broad opposition in the United States Senate in October — officially began a new federal role in Washington,...
Opinions
Trump’s “Board of Peace” and the reinvention of American power in Gaza and beyond
The history of American power is, in many ways, the history of reinventing rules, or designing new ones, to fit U.S. strategic interests. This may sound harsh, but it is a necessary realization, particularly in light of President Trump’s latest...
Community
Hamtramck City Council appoints Hussein Farhat as interim police chief
HAMTRAMCK — During its regular meeting on Tuesday, a majority of the Hamtramck City Council voted to appoint veteran law enforcement officer Hussein Farhat as the city’s interim police chief, following extensive discussions between the city...
Health
Setting the standard in healthcare law and compliance: Hassan Abdallah’s leadership approach
As healthcare organizations manage expanding volumes of sensitive patient information and rely more heavily on digital platforms, compliance and privacy leadership has shifted from a supporting role to a strategic one. For Hassan Abdallah, vice...
Elections
Former U.S. Attorney Mark Totten suspends campaign for state attorney general
LANSING — Former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced Tuesday that he is suspending his campaign to become Michigan’s next attorney general, citing a lack of momentum following key labor union...
Local
Governor Whitmer mourns the death of her father, credits career path to his encouragement
Governor Whitmer's father, Richard Whitmer, died on Monday night, according to a statement from her office. "My beloved father passed away last night," Whitmer said. "He held a lot of impressive positions in his long life. He led major...
Crime
Dearborn man sentenced to 25–40 years for years-long child sexual abuse in Macomb County
A Dearborn man convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting a child in Macomb County over several years has been sentenced to decades in prison. Elie Otayek, 43, was sentenced Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, to 25 to 40 years behind bars following his...
Palestine
Trump’s Board of Peace is dividing countries in Europe and the Middle East
Divisions emerged Wednesday over U.S. President Trump’s Board of Peace as its ambitions have grown beyond Gaza, with some Western European countries declining to join, others remaining noncommittal and a group of Muslim countries agreeing to sign...
Palestine
People in Gaza dig through garbage for things to burn to keep warm, a far cry from Trump’s vision
Desperate Palestinians at a garbage dump in a Gaza neighborhood dug with their bare hands for plastic items to burn to fend off the cold and damp winter in the enclave, battered by two years of the Israeli war on the Strip. The scene in the...
Local
Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun sworn in, vows new era of services, safety and lasting flood solutions
DEARBORN HEIGHTS— During an official inauguration ceremony held Saturday, January 17 at the Crestwood High School auditorium, and attended by a large crowd of officials and community leaders, newly elected Mayor Mo Baydoun pledged to launch a new...
Business
Michigan Governor Whitmer’s Davos trip courts investors abroad
DAVOS — In her fifth international trip within a year, Governor Whitmer participated in events at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where the Democratic governor joined “world leaders” to “tell Michigan’s story” on a range...
Local
Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin elected vice chair of Michigan Law Enforcement Standards Commission
DEARBORN — Continuing his distinguished career in law enforcement, Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin has been elected vice chair of the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) for 2026, becoming the first Muslim American to hold...
Opinions
Trump’s authoritarian dream is crumbling and America is paying the price
By Mohamad Ozeir This week marked the first anniversary of President Trump’s return to the White House for a second term, after a forced four-year interruption. That comeback was loaded — during those loud and turbulent years — with...
Opinions
Trump’s military assault on Venezuela may not end well
President Trump might be popping corks, toasting “one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history.” Celebrations, however, are premature. In reality, the assault on...
Crime
Syrian American pleads guilty to Social Security fraud after collecting benefits for mother living in Syria
DETROIT — A Syrian American man formerly of Dearborn has admitted to stealing nearly $190,000 in federal funds by continuing to collect Social Security benefits on behalf of his mother, despite the fact that she has been living in Syria for years,...
Local
Michigan legislature approves statewide ban on student smartphone use during class time
LANSING — Seeking to reduce student distractions and improve academic performance, the Michigan legislature has approved a statewide ban on the use of smartphones during instructional hours in all schools across the state, with limited exceptions...
Community
The Arab American News marks issue 2084, celebrating 41 years as the voice of Arab Americans in North America
Forty-one years ago, issue “zero” of The Arab American News was published on January 23, 1985, marking the start of a long journey in what is often called “the profession of troubles.” The burdens and challenges of this demanding field were...
Lebanon
Israeli strikes kill two, wound 19 in Southern Lebanon, as ceasefire violations mount
On Wednesday, at least two people were killed and 19 others wounded, including journalists, in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, marking a new violation of a ceasefire agreement in effect since November 2024. Lebanon’s state news agency NNA...
Local