Author's Posts
As demand for graves rises, cemetery attempts to break contract with Dearborn mosque
June 15th, 20200 DEARBORN — On May 22, the American Moslem Society (AMS) of Dearborn filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court against Woodmere Cemetery for attempting to breach its contract with the mosque. The cemetery is located next to the mosque, on the Detroit side. AMS has hired attorney Steven Cohen of Farmington Hills to represent it...
A deeper look into the new Michigan auto insurance law
June 11th, 20200 LANSING — Michigan’s new auto insurance law will go into effect for policies that issue or renew after July 1. A landmark piece of bi-partisan legislation, the new law aims to bring down the overwhelming costs drivers in Michigan have had to pay to stay insured. Simply put, the law lets drivers choose their level of medical...
Dearborn high schools to hold personalized graduation ceremonies in July
June 11th, 20200 DEARBORN — There’s some good news for Dearborn Public Schools’ students and their parents whose graduation ceremony plans were modified by COVID-19. This week, the district announced graduation events for Fordson, Edsel Ford, Magnet and Dearborn High Schools. The July ceremonies will provide students and their parents a...
June 2020 declared Pride Month in Michigan by proclamation
June 10th, 20200 LANSING — June has been declared Pride Month in Michigan. On Wednesday, Governor Whitmer announced the proclamation, which recognizes the estimated 350,000 Michiganders who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+). The proclamation notes that Michigan’s LGBTQ+ population are an important part of the...
The Mediterranean diet and Alzheimer’s disease: An interview with Dr. Henry Paulson
June 10th, 20200 The Michigan Center for Contextual Factors in Alzheimer’s Disease (MCCFAD) and The Arab American News have partnered to bring our readers this exclusive interview on Mediterranean-style diet and Alzheimer’s disease and dementias. Read our article on MCCFAD and its work here. Henry L. Paulson, M.D., Ph.D., is the Lucile Groff...
New poll shows Michigan voters rank fixing roads and infrastructure as top priority after COVID-19 economic recovery
June 9th, 20200 LANSING — A new poll by EPIC-MRA found that Michiganders overwhelmingly want roads and other infrastructure fixed after the state has recovered economically from COVID-19. Roads and infrastructure were a central theme for the Whitmer administration and the state legislature up until the economic decimation caused by the...
WHO: Coronavirus patients most infectious when they first feel unwell
June 9th, 20200 GENEVA (Reuters) — Studies show people with the coronavirus are most infectious just at the point when they first begin to feel unwell, World Health Organization (WHO) experts said on Tuesday. This feature has made it so hard to control the spread of the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease,...
Kamala Harris introduces police reform bill, but her contradictory criminal justice record still stands
June 8th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new police reform and accountability bill introduced on Monday aims to increase the investigative powers of the regional and federal government in cases of police misconduct. The Justice in Policing Act of 2020 has been introduced by the Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass (D-CA) and House Judiciary...
Arab Americans hold solidarity events for African Americans as protests against police brutality intensify
June 5th, 20200 DEARBORN — Arab Americans participated in several actions in solidarity with African Americans and in demonstrations against police brutality across the country. In Metro Detroit alone, prominent Arab Americans joined other communities in condemning the senseless killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police...
Michigan’s Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission draws more than 6,000 applications
June 4th, 20200 LANSING — The Michigan Department of State (MDOS) processed more than 6,000 applications for the state’s new Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission by June 1, the last day to notarize and submit an application. The application process began in October of last year, when the state outlined the application process. The...
Lebanese singer depicts herself as a Black woman, draws outrage
June 4th, 20201 BEIRUT — Earlier in the week, Tania Saleh, a Lebanese singer and visual artist based out of Beirut, decided to show her support for international protests by photoshopping her face on that of another, presumably Black woman’s, face and posting it on her social media accounts. The image, which may have been well-intentioned, was...
Original complaint shows blatant disregard for Floyd’s life, Chauvin charges now increased
June 3rd, 20200 Minneapolis — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Wednesday that he has increased charges for former police officer Derek Chauvin to second degree murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. Charges of aiding and abetting murder were also announced for the three other officers involved, who have also been...
Hospital visitations to resume in Michigan, with restrictions
June 3rd, 20200 LANSING — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has loosened restrictions on hospital visitations that were imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Whitmer also took back executive orders that temporarily enhanced hospital capacity and waived restrictions on emergency medical services this...
Detroit protest organizer held on felony charges of inciting riot
June 3rd, 20201 DETROIT — Tristan Taylor, an organizer of a group that stood in defiance of Mayor Duggan's city wide 8 p.m. curfew on Tuesday, is being held on felony charges of inciting a riot. Sources close to Taylor learned of the charges after they made inquiries with authorities. No bond has been set as of yet. Taylor and about 100 others...
Arab Americans organize more solidarity and justice events for George Floyd
June 2nd, 20200 DEARBORN — Arab Americans will continue to participate in actions in solidarity with African Americans and in demonstrations against police brutality across the country. In Metro Detroit alone, prominent Arab Americans are joining others to condemn the senseless killing of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer last......
At testimony, Whitmer asks Congress for aid with budget crisis, testing and protection
June 2nd, 20200 WASHINGTON D.C. — At a U.S. House subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Michigan Governor Whitmer joined Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to discuss their states' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Entitled, On the Front Lines: How Governors are Battling the COVID-19 Pandemic, the hearing was...
Whitmer rescinds stay home order, reopens more businesses
June 1st, 20200 LANSING — On Monday, Governor Whitmer signed another executive order, this time rescinding her previous "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order and moving the entire state to phase four of her MI Safe Start Plan. This is big news for businesses in Michigan, like restaurants, though close contact businesses like gyms and hair salons will......
Local protests brings together communities, renews discussion on racism
June 1st, 20200 DETROIT — A full weekend of largely peaceful protests in Detroit against the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police has sparked debates about racism among various communities in Metro Detroit. Over the weekend, several groups brought this topic to light. At rallies, participants have expressed solidarity with African...
Owners of Dearborn dealership sue GM over discriminatory practices
May 29th, 20202 DEARBORN — Tanya and Basam Robin, the Chaldean American owners of the Superior Buick GMC dealership in Dearborn, have a filed a suit against General Motors and GM Financial, accusing the company of unfair and discriminatory practices. The Robins own another dealership under the same name in Battle Creek. The suit, filed in the the...
Divided Dearborn Heights City Council appoints interm treasurer, renews debate
May 29th, 20200 DEARBORN HEIGHTS - This week, the Dearborn Heights City Council, by a vote of 4-2, appointed Zouher Abdel-Hak as interim city treasurer. Abdel-Hak, who owns N.J. Diamonds in Dearborn, will serve as treasurer from June 29 until November 5, when a new treasurer will be elected by city residents. Abdel-Hak will be replacing retiring...
Minneapolis ablaze: Arab American owner of store where George Floyd was killed says he condemns police’s actions
May 29th, 20204 Minneapolis — The city of Minneapolis has been plunged into rioting this week after video of the killing of George Floyd by a police officer circulated widely. Outrage over police brutality culminated into three days of demonstrations that by Thursday night set the city ablaze. Late Thursday, the Third Precinct was broken into......
Court says Michigan barbershop must close, license will stay suspended
May 28th, 20200 LANSING – Karl Manke, the Owosso barber who violated the state’s COVID-19 executive order by remaining open, will be told to cease operations, thanks to a Thursday ruling by the Michigan Court of Appeals. Manke’s license will also remain suspended. Manke made national headlines when he decided, on May 4, to reopen his...
Treasury: Installment payment option available for business taxpayers that have deferred payments
May 28th, 20200 LANSING — The Michigan Department of Treasury announced this week that business taxpayers who have deferred paying their Sales, Use and Withholding (SUW) taxes due to the COVID-19 pandemic can now participate in an installment payment option to satisfy their outstanding tax balance. The state's Treasury Department is now allowing......
Michigan Secretary of State branches to reopen June 1 by appointment only
May 28th, 20200 LANSING — Secretary of State (SOS) branch offices will reopen in Michigan on June 1 by appointment only for essential transactions not available online, the state announced on Thursday. Beginning June 1, all 131 branch offices in Michigan will be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for appointment-only for transactions...
Michigan COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to decline, testing expanded
May 26th, 20200 LANSING — Michigan announced a new online tool that displays data, in graphical form, for COVID-19 cases, deaths and tests by economic region. The state said the website, https://www.mistartmap.info, shows regional trends, providing a snapshot of how much of the virus is in a community and whether it is increasing or......
