The Arab American News
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Resilient Neighborhoods: O’Hair Park: From a “terrible waste of land” to a neighborhood treasure
December 30th, 20240 By Jaishree Drepaul For some Detroiters, the houses in their neighborhoods are more than just brick and mortar puzzled together. They're a complex Rubik's Cube of community challenges, historical and current, and of resilience over time. This is especially true for many people living in the city's O'Hair Park neighborhood, where today...
Resilient Neighborhoods: Keeping Detroit homes in the family for future generations
December 30th, 20240 By Sarah Williams Poppy red stairs splash from the white house. Planters of brilliant geraniums hang. A front porch stretches wide to offer shade and swing. It’s a place to call home, all right. In the yard, Jeanine gardens to keep ancestors happy. Digging in the dirt is her least favorite thing, but the generations of women who...
Palestinians sue Biden administration for creating loopholes for Israel on military aid and human rights abuses
December 30th, 20241 The State Department has carved out exceptions for close ally Israel that block a U.S. law restricting foreign military support over human rights abuses, a lawsuit from a group of Palestinians in Gaza and American relatives asserted Tuesday. Former State Department officials and crafters of the 1997 Leahy law were among those advising...
Trump’s picks of pro-Israel “dream team” worry some Arab and Muslim Americans who voted for him
December 13th, 20240 Just weeks after winning several of the nation’s largest Arab-majority cities, President-elect Trump has filled top administration posts with staunch Israel supporters, including an ambassador to Israel who has claimed “there is no such thing as Palestinians.” The selections have prompted mixed reactions among Arab Americans and...
FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign following Trump’s nomination of Patel
December 13th, 20240 WASHINGTON, D. C. – FBI Director Christopher Wray will step down from his post early next year, he said on Wednesday, after President-elect Trump signaled his intent to fire the veteran official and replace him with firebrand Kash Patel. His resignation makes him the second straight FBI director driven...
State Senate approves new extension for unemployment benefits
December 13th, 20240 LANSING – Michigan residents could see their unemployment benefits grow under bills that passed the State Senate on Thursday. The legislation would extend the amount of time someone can claim unemployment benefits to up to 26 weeks in a year. That’s six weeks more than what’s currently available. Over the next three years,...
White House releases U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate
December 13th, 20240 On Thursday, the White House released the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate. The Strategy was developed through a whole-of-government collaboration with a broad range of civil society partners to describe and address the bias, discrimination and threats Muslim and Arab Americans have long faced....
The fall of Assad’s regime leaves Syria at a crossroads, as the people celebrate amid challenges
December 13th, 20240 After more than six decades of Ba'athist rule of Syria, 54 years under the Assad family, and 24 years of Bashar al-Assad’s presidency, the Syrian regime crumbled in a matter of just 11 days. This dramatic turn of events was driven by a rapid advance of armed opposition groups from Idlib to Damascus, supported by Turkey, timed with...
Abu Mohammed al-Golani: The former al Qaeda chief, now leading Syria’s rebels
December 6th, 20240 As the commander of al Qaeda's franchise in the Syrian civil war, Abu Mohammed al-Golani was a shadowy figure who kept out of the public eye, even when his group became the most powerful faction fighting President Bashar al-Assad. Today, he is Syria's most recognizable insurgent, having gradually stepped into the limelight since...
Who is Massad Boulos, Trump’s advisor for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs?
December 6th, 20240 On Sunday, President-elect Trump announced his selection of Lebanese American businessman Massad Boulos as his senior advisor for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. This appointment has garnered significant attention from media outlets both within and outside the United States, including in the Arab world and in Boulos' homeland,...
Detroit’s Mayor Mike Duggan announces run for Michigan governor as independent, abandoning the Democratic Party
December 6th, 20241 In a bold political move on Wednesday, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced his 2026 campaign for governor as an independent candidate. This marks his departure from the Democratic Party, despite his longstanding ties with the party's leadership, including figures in the White House. Departure from the Democratic Party Duggan will...
Amnesty International investigation concludes Israel is committing genocide
December 6th, 20240 “We will look back and say, ‘Why did we not do more earlier?” Amnesty's director tells Zeteo. By Prem Thakker A young Palestinian man walks in the rubble following Israeli airstrikes on Khan Yunis, Gaza, on April 7. File photo Israel is committing...
Escalating offensive in Syria: Strategic advances and geopolitical realignments
December 6th, 20240 On Israel’s timing: Turkey turns against the “de-escalation” agreement as armed groups overrun northern Syria and advance southward The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has described the recent sweeping offensive involving formerly rival factions as a meticulously coordinated and long-prepared operation. This multi-faceted...
Lielle Saad appointed as new director of Dearborn Heights Community and Economic Development Department
November 29th, 20240 DEARBORN HEIGHTS – Mayor Bill Bazzi has announced the appointment of digital marketing specialist Lielle Saad as the new director of the city's Community and Economic Development Department (CEDD). Bazzi expressed optimism about Saad's ability to advance the department in alignment with the city’s goals and the needs of its residents...
Israel and Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon brokered by the U.S. and France, war on Gaza rages
November 29th, 20240 On Wednesday, tens of thousands of displaced Lebanese residents began returning to their homes in Southern Lebanon as a ceasefire was called, halting the fighting between Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah. After a nearly 14 month cross-border fight and Israel's invasion into Lebanon last month, with thousands killed, displaced and......
Dearborn recognized nationally for promoting solar energy in the city
November 22nd, 20240 DEARBORN — In recognition of its efforts to remove barriers to solar energy adoption and educate residents about its benefits, SolSmart, which advocates for solar energy, awarded the city of Dearborn a Bronze National Designation. This honor makes Dearborn the seventh city in Michigan to receive such recognition. “Climate change...
From Dearborn to Washington: Calls to expedite implementation of a national law preventing drunk drivers from operating vehicles
November 22nd, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a push to expedite the implementation of new legislation aimed at preventing drunk drivers from operating vehicles, activist Rana Abbas Taylor from Michigan joined a sit-in alongside members of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and U.S. lawmakers. The group urged swift enforcement of the new law, set to take......
Resilient Neighborhood: Dearborn Mayor Hammoud inaugurates second Peace Park in East Dearborn, with a third under construction
November 22nd, 20240 DEARBORN – In the presence of community leaders and local officials, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud inaugurated the second Peace Park in East Dearborn on Friday, November 15. This park is part of a city project to establish three public parks under the name PEACE Parks, which stands for Parks Equality and Access to Civic...
Trump appoints loyalists to his new administration as his attorney general nominee dropout under pressure
November 22nd, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – President-elect Trump moved quickly after his victory on November 5, to select members of his new administration who will oversee federal departments, agencies and other offices requiring Senate approval. Meanwhile, Trump’s opponents wasted no time in criticizing his selections, leading to the swift withdrawal...
Analysis of election results in Arab American majority cities
November 15th, 20240 • Harris’ losses surpass 20,000 Votes in the three cities compared to Biden’s 2020 results • Trump gains around 6,000 additional votes in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and 2,000 in Hamtramck to what he received in 2020. Dearborn For the first time since 2000, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump won the cities of...
Detroit Mayor Duggan announces he won’t seek re-election, doesn’t disclose future plans
November 15th, 20240 DETROIT – After 12 years of leading the city of Detroit, Mayor Mike Duggan announced during a press conference Wednesday that he will not seek a fourth four-year term in next year’s municipal election. However, he did not specify his future political plans following the conclusion of his term at the end of 2025. Speculation has......
Israeli aggression faces firm resistance in Lebanon and Gaza amid escalation and internal pressures on Netanyahu
November 15th, 20240 The Israeli offensive in Gaza and Lebanon continues to face significant challenges on multiple fronts. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is grappling with an intensifying internal political crisis and a looming corruption trial while the Israeli military faces an emboldened and well-organized resistance on the ground. Military stalemate...
Trump’s promise to deport undocumented immigrants threatens Michigan’s agriculture sector, signals higher prices for fruits and vegetables
November 15th, 20240 The return of former President Trump to the White House in January has raised growing concerns over his plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the United States. Immigration advocates have sounded the alarm, warning of social and economic repercussions across various states, including Michigan. According to the Pew......
Congressional elections: Republicans win additional seat in Michigan, moving toward retaining majority in U.S. House
November 9th, 20240 Alongside the presidential race, elections for all 13 of Michigan’s U.S. Congressional Districts were held Tuesday. The results favored the Republican Party, which increased its share of Michigan seats in the House of Representatives to seven members after Republican candidate Tom Barrett in District 7 (Lansing area) defeated his...
Slotkin’s wins Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat, Republicans flip majority in the Senate
November 9th, 20240 Despite Democrat Elissa Slotkin's victory in Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, the national red wave on Tuesday ran counter to Democratic hopes, as Republicans took over the Senate majority by securing at least four seats in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Montana and West Virginia. Preliminary figures also indicate they may gain an additional......
