The Arab American News
Author's Posts
U.S. Election Day unfolds smoothly, so far defying fears of disruption
November 3rd, 20200 DETROIT/ATLANTA — Americans by the millions waited patiently to cast ballots at libraries, schools and arenas across the country on Tuesday, in an orderly show of civic duty that belied the deep tensions of one of the most polarizing presidential campaigns in U.S. history. The face masks worn by many voters and the sight of...
Polarized electorate, mail-in ballots could spark post-election legal “fight of our lives”
November 2nd, 20200 WILMINGTON, DEL — U.S. Election Day on Tuesday has all the ingredients for a drawn-out court battle over its outcome: A highly polarized electorate, a record number of mail-in ballots and some Supreme Court justices who appear ready to step in if there is a closely contested presidential race. The only missing element that would...
Poll shows Arab American voters favor Biden in 2020 presidential election
October 31st, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — A poll conducted by the Arab American Institute (AAI) in Washington, D.C. shows that Arab American voters prefer Joe Biden over incumbent Donald Trump for the upcoming Nov. 3 presidential election. The Yalla Vote Tracking Poll, released earlier this week, shows that a majority of likely Arab American voters...
Our endorsements: Vote for Biden, but hold him responsible
October 30th, 20200 Donald Trump has given Arab Americans no real choice in this election. Since the launch of his political career in 2015, he has denigrated and harmed Arabs and Muslims at every turn. He said, "Islam hates us." He proposed a "complete and total shutdown" on Muslims entering the country. Then, in his first week in office, he signed an...
MDHHS reduces max gathering for indoor weddings, parties to 50 people
October 29th, 20200 LANSING — Due to rising COVID-19 cases in the state, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Resources (MDHHS) has revised and extended its epidemic order. Now, the agency has reduced the maximum size of indoor gatherings such as weddings, parties and banquets, which occur in nonresidential settings without fixed seating, from...
Record-breaking early voting in U.S. election tops 80 million
October 29th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 80 million Americans have cast ballots in the U.S. presidential election, according to a tally on Thursday from the U.S. Elections Project at the University of Florida, setting the stage for the highest participation rate in more than a century. The record-breaking pace, more than 58 percent of the total...
Exclusive: Q&A with Kamala Harris ahead of election
October 28th, 20200 DEARBORN — Democratic vice presidential nominee and California Senator Kamala Harris visited Metro Detroit last Sunday, making a notable, unannounced stop in Dearborn to grab dinner at the Khalaf Grill. The visit by Joe Biden's running mate was just one of several visits by both prominent Democratic and Republican candidates in the...
In Beirut port, all of Lebanon’s ills are laid bare
October 28th, 20200 BEIRUT — The first of many warnings about a deadly cargo in Beirut’s port came in February 2014, about three months after its arrival. It was made by Colonel Joseph Skaf, described by his family as a diligent customs official. Skaf, then the head of the anti-narcotics and money laundering division, informed the customs authority...
Viability of Arab American candidates, like Brian Mosallam, shows importance of the Arab vote
October 27th, 20200 MICHIGAN — Michigan could be the most important swing state in the country. And the Arab American vote could make the difference. Though Metro Detroit has its large concentration, Arab Americans have been an integral part of the historic and cultural fabric of the entire country. More so, Arab Americans enjoy a variety of...
Grants available for Michigan teachers, support staff, for additional time and costs during COVID closures
October 27th, 20200 LANSING — On Tuesday, Governor Whitmer and State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks announced that eligible Michigan teachers and support staff who worked additional time and incurred additional costs during the 2019-2020 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic can receive a grant through two new grant programs. Eligible teachers can...
“Baptism by fire” for newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Barrett
October 27th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Newly confirmed conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett faces a barrage of politically fraught cases in her first days on the job, as the court weighs election disputes and prepares to hear a challenge to the Obamacare healthcare law. On Monday, the Republican-controlled Senate pushed through...
Tlaib, AOC, Omar and Pressley call for international investigation into DHS human rights abuses
October 26th, 20200 WASHINGTON D.C. — On Monday, U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) sent a letter to calling for an international investigation into ongoing alleged human rights abuses by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The letter was sent to United...
U.S. early voting tops 60 million as historic pace continues
October 26th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 60 million Americans have cast ballots in the U.S. presidential election with eight days to go, a record-breaking pace that could lead to the highest voter turnout in over a century, according to data from the U.S. Elections Project on Monday. The tally is the latest sign of intense interest in the...
Israeli delegation travels to Sudan to discuss normalization, Sudanese PM ready for ties with Israel
October 23rd, 20200 KHARTOUM – On Thursday, Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok indicated he was ready to proceed with normalizing relations with Israel once a yet-to-be-formed transitional parliament has approved the step, two Sudanese government sources told Reuters. The comments are the clearest sign that Hamdok, under pressure from the United...
Trump and Biden clash sharply over pandemic in less chaotic final debate
October 23rd, 20200 NASHVILLE – President Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden offered sharply contrasting views on the still-raging coronavirus pandemic at Thursday’s final presidential debate, seeking to persuade the few remaining undecided voters 12 days before the Nov. 3 election. Trump, a Republican, adopted a more restrained tone than he did......
Senator Sanders endorses Brian Mosallam for MSU trustee
October 22nd, 20200 LANSING — Michigan State University (MSU) Trustee Brian Mosallam has been endorsed by progressive Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for his 2020 re-election bid. Mosallam has been on the Board of Trustees since January 2013. He announced his reelection campaign in June, saying that he had decided to run after “careful...
Trump rejoices as Senate panel approves Barrett while Democrats boycott
October 22nd, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, the Republican-led U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved President Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to a lifetime Supreme Court seat despite a Democratic boycott, clearing the way for a final Senate confirmation vote planned for Monday. By a 12-0 vote, the panel approved Barrett with......
Lawsuit stops Trump cuts to SNAP food assistance for 700,000 unemployed Americans
October 22nd, 20200 LANSING – Attorney General Dana Nessel announced on Thursday that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has permanently blocked an effort by the Trump administration to revoke Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility for more than 700,000 unemployed Americans. A lawsuit filed in January by...
Parents not found for 545 children separated at U.S.-Mexico border
October 21st, 20200 NEW YORK — Lawyers and non-profit organizations seeking to reunite immigrant families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border by the Trump administration have not been able to locate the parents of 545 children so far. A federal judge ordered thousands of families separated at the border in 2017 and 2018 to be reunited after a 2018...
Pelosi aide: U.S. coronavirus aid talks moving closer to deal
October 20th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House and Democrats in the U.S. Congress moved closer to agreement on a new coronavirus relief package on Tuesday as President Trump said he was willing to accept a large aid bill despite opposition from his own Republican Party. With just two weeks to go until the U.S. presidential election, Trump...
Free COVID-19 testing in Lincoln Park this weekend
October 20th, 20200 LINCOLN PARK — The Wayne County Public Health Division, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, will host free drive-through COVID-19 testing Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lincoln Park Middle School on 2800 Lafayette Street in Lincoln Park. Tests will be administered by Michigan......
Wall Street climbs on optimism over stimulus deal talks
October 19th, 20201 NEW YORK — Wall Street’s main indexes inched higher at the open on Monday on hopes of a coronavirus vaccine by the year-end, while investors were also encouraged by signs an agreement in Washington on a fiscal package could be reached soon. Last week the White House proposed a $1.8 trillion stimulus package, but House Speaker Nancy...
Yemen’s warring parties start prisoner swap, raising peace prospects
October 17th, 20200 SANAA – On Thursday, planes carrying prisoners exchanged by the warring parties in Yemen took off from three airports in an operation to return about 1,000 men home and help build the trust to enable fresh talks to end a devastating war. The Saudi-led military coalition and Yemen’s Houthi movement agreed last month in Switzerland to......
“An evening of unity” with a fascist criminal is shameful
October 16th, 20201 This Sunday, Michigan's top elected officials will be addressing and attending the virtual event, "An evening of unity", sponsored by Yeshiva Beth Yehuda, the self-described "oldest and largest Jewish educational institution in Michigan." Governor Whitmer, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Senator Gary Peters, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan...
Not all is lost after Census count stops, civil rights advocates say
October 16th, 20200 After a Supreme Court ruling this week allowed the Department of Commerce to stop Census enumeration efforts by Friday, Oct. 16, advocates point to other pending rulings and to the Nov. 3 elections as important determinants of what happens with the data that has been collected by the Census Bureau. Arturo Vargas, executive director of......
