The Arab American News
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The mother of all Arabic dictionaries makes its debut online
December 1st, 20180 WEST BANK — A computer science professor at Birzeit University has built an online tool called Arabic Ontology that is both a comprehensive dictionary of Arabic and a system that will enable the creation of new Arabic-language software, such as better machine translation. Mustafa Jarrar, an associate professor in the department of...
Beloved Arab American activist Don Unis passes away at age 79
November 30th, 20180 DEARBORN - The passing of anyone, let alone a man as beloved to his family and community as Don Unis, is usually a solemn occasion. But even as Unis, 79, lay in a hospital bed with tubes in his nose just weeks before succumbing to a heart condition, his trademark passion, positivity and warmth resonated as strong as ever, upbeat in...
General Motors to close three assembly plants including Hamtramck
November 30th, 20180 DETROIT — General Motors announced Monday it will close three assembly plants by the end of 2019. A total of 1,500 jobs in Hamtramck are at stake at the plant where the Chevrolet Volt and Impala, the Cadillac CT6 and the Buick LaCrosse are made. Those vehicles are to be terminated. GM said it will reduce its North American...
Muslim police recruit settles discrimination lawsuit with city of Memphis
November 30th, 20180 MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A settlement has been reached between a young Muslim man who filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Memphis, Mayor Jim Strickland in his official capacity and the Memphis Police Department Training Academy — but it's unknown what the terms of the settlement are. Tareq Elkhayyat, an Arab American of Palestinian...
FBI: Surge in hate crimes in 2017 the largest since 9/11
November 25th, 20180 WASHINGTON — Hate crimes in the United States in 2017 saw the largest increase — to more than 7,000 — since a period immediately after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, new FBI data said Tuesday. The 2017 data is the latest uniform crime reporting compilation of bias-motivated incidents from more than 16,100 U.S. law...
Mattis: Yemen peace talks likely in early December
November 24th, 20180 WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Wednesday that peace talks between Yemen’s warring parties are likely to take place in early December in Sweden. Western countries are pressing for a ceasefire and renewed peace efforts to end the more than three-year long conflict, which is seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia...
Secretary of State-elect Jocelyn Benson announces transition team
November 24th, 20180 LANSING— Secretary of State-elect Jocelyn Benson has announced her transition committee, which will guide her preparation to assume the role of Michigan’s chief motor vehicle administrator and chief election officer, on January 1. “I am honored that two leaders and mentors I respect and admire, Senator Levin and Commissioner...
Abstain from romaine: U.S., Canada warn of E. coli in lettuce
November 23rd, 20180 On Tuesday, public health officials in the United States and Canada warned against eating romaine lettuce while they investigate an outbreak of E. coli that has sickened 50 people in the two countries, including 13 who were hospitalized. The alerts, issued as millions of Americans plan their Thanksgiving Day menus, covered all forms...
Trump praises Saudi Arabia amid mounting pressure to sanction ally
November 23rd, 20180 WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, President Trump praised Saudi Arabia for helping to lower oil prices as pressure intensified for the U.S. to impose tougher sanctions on its Arab ally over dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. In a tweet, Trump thanked Riyadh for the recent drop in oil prices and called for prices to go...
Study: Suicide rate rising among U.S. workers
November 23rd, 20180 Suicide rates are rising among U.S. workers and the risk may depend partly on the types of jobs people do, government researchers suggest. From 2000 to 2016, the U.S. suicide rate among adults ages 16 to 64 rose 34 percent, from 12.9 deaths for every 100,000 people in the population to 17.3 per 100,000, according to the study by the...
Recreational marijuana expected to be legal Dec. 6, but not commercially available until 2020
November 23rd, 20180 LANSING — Recreational marijuana will become legal in Michigan starting Dec. 6, according to an official with the Secretary of State's Office. Officials in Lansing stated that the State Board of Canvassers will meet Monday, Nov. 26 and the that new law will officially take effect Dec. 6. The law takes 10 days after the election...
Royal Oak says no to marijuana businesses, Dearborn will decide Dec. 4
November 23rd, 20180 ROYAL OAK — The city of Royal Oak has banned recreational marijuana businesses for now, but city leaders reportedly plan to get input from residents to consider such businesses in the future. Michigan voters approved proposal 1, allowing adults 21 and older to use marijuana for recreational purposes, in the Nov. 6 election, but each...
Man arrested after anti-Semitic rant on plane
November 22nd, 20180 ATLANTA — A Delta Air Lines flight on the eve of Thanksgiving was interrupted by a racist rant 30,000 feet in the air. Atlanta police said that passenger David Toaff, 37, shouted remarks that fellow travelers interpreted as anti-Semitic during a flight from Washington, D.C., to Atlanta on Wednesday. "Preliminary information...
House Democrats push to end headwear ban as first Muslim women enter Congress
November 22nd, 20180 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The first two Muslim women elected to Congress will soon be coming to Capitol Hill. And with them could come an end to a 181-year ban on headwear on the House floor. House Democrats are calling for the chamber to change its rules about headwear to allow members to wear religious garb such as hijabs, worn by some...
Iran sticking to nuclear deal, rules out renegotiation with U.S.
November 22nd, 20180 Iran has no intention of renegotiating the 2015 nuclear deal, as demanded by the U.S., Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said. Speaking at an international conference in Rome, Zarif said the Iranian people will endure U.S. sanctions. Iran sticking to nuclear deal, IAEA says, amid new U.S. sanctions Iran is implementing......
The real midterm elections wave wasn’t blue, it was Muslim
November 22nd, 20180 The Muslims are no longer coming—they are here! Well, in reality Muslims have been in America and contributing to it even before the nation was formed, since approximately 15 percent of the slaves from Africa were Muslim. But now Muslim Americans are “here” in a whole new way as a record number won their elections on Nov. 6....
Court orders release of Iraqi detainees, sanctions ICE
November 22nd, 20180 DETROIT — A federal judge ordered the release Tuesday of roughly 100 Iraqi detainees held for more than 16 months, saying the federal government cannot indefinitely detain foreign nationals. U.S. District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith granted two motions filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan in 2017: Release of the......
U.S. deals another blow to Palestinians, merges consulate in east Jerusalem with embassy
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is merging the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem into the new U.S. Embassy there, a move critics say is the latest U.S. slap at the Palestinians and one that could further undermine hopes for a two-state solution. The U.S. Consulate General effectively functioned as a direct point of contact...
Learn how to shut down utility scammers
November 20th, 20180 During the busiest time of your workday, you get an urgent call. It’s the electric company. Pay your late bill now, or they’ll cut off your power. Don't pay. It's a scam. It’s not the utility company on the phone. It’s a scammer trying to trick you into paying them. How can you tell? The caller wants you to pay by wire...
Milwaukee Film Festival explores Arab community fears, hopes and culture
November 20th, 20180 MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — The 10th annual Milwaukee Film Festival hosted a range of motion pictures that celebrated the diversity of the Arab and Muslim communities from October 18 to November 1. Films were selected across a range of topics and groups, ranging from Palestinians to Somali Americans and old-age traditions to new-age...
Dearborn: Trash collection delayed one day for Thanksgiving
November 19th, 20180 DEARBORN – All City of Dearborn buildings will be closed on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 22. The Dearborn Administrative Center, all Dearborn Public Library branches, 19th District Court and the Senior Center will remain closed on Friday, Nov. 23. The Ford Community & Performing Arts Center will reopen on Friday, Nov. 23,......
Nissan to fire Ghosn after arrest for alleged financial misconduct
November 19th, 20180 Nissan Motor Company Chairman Carlos Ghosn was arrested on Monday for alleged financial misconduct and will be fired from the board this week, a dramatic fall for a leader hailed for rescuing the Japanese carmaker from close to bankruptcy. Nissan said an internal investigation, triggered by a tip-off from a whistleblower, had revealed...
Dearborn police found baby next to rifle during traffic stop
November 19th, 20180 DEARBORN — Dearborn police officers were surprised to find a baby sitting next to a rifle in the back seat after pulling over a suspicious vehicle. Four suspects – Brian Williams, 28, Vontez VcGee, 28, Ernest young, 32, and Tamara Hardin, 29, all of Detroit – face multiple firearms-related charges in the case. The incident......
Fewer Arab students head for U.S. to study, report shows
November 19th, 20180 WASHINGTON — Fewer Arab students are choosing to study at universities in the U.S. than in the previous year, according to a report published on Tuesday, while the number of American students going to the Middle East has surged modestly. The Institute of International Education’s 2018 Open Doors report shows that in the last...
Officials urge vaccination after 15 measles cases reported in Michigan
November 18th, 20180 LANSING — Health officials are urging people to get vaccinated against measles and take other precautions after confirming 15 cases in Michigan this year. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services gave an update last Friday, saying it's the highest level the state has seen since 1994 when 26 cases were......
