Author's Posts
State, local prosecutors pledge to not enforce state abortion law if Roe is overturned
May 6th, 20220 A leaked draft decision indicating the Supreme Court is poised to overturn the federal constitutional right to abortions sparked a political firestorm this week. The leaked decision by conservative Justice Samuel Alito and published by Politico prompted abortion rights supporters to hold rallies outside the courthouse and at various...
Democrat Jeff Pepper wins over Republican Ginger Shearer in Tuesday’s special election
May 5th, 20220 DEARBORN — Democrat Jeff Pepper defeated Republican challenger Ginger Shearer for the District 15 State House partial term in Tuesday’s special election, amid low voter turnout and heavy absentee voting. The low overall turnout was consistent with the special primary that preceded Tuesday’s general. Only 9.5 percent of...
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden host Eid al-Fitr reception at the White House
May 5th, 20220 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, May 2, President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden hosted a reception to celebrate Eid al-Fitr at the White House. The reception welcomed Muslim community members from across the country, including from Michigan, like U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) and Wayne County Commissioner Sam...
Report ranks Metro Detroit as worst, most expensive in U.S. for drivers
May 3rd, 20220 DETROIT — A new report asks whether average U.S. workers are really able to afford their commute, given historically high inflation, gas prices and most importantly, the cost of maintaining vehicles. The report by the website Clever, a real estate market and consumer research group, ranked the best and worst metros for driving...
Increasing Arab Americans visibility in research: Alzheimer’s researchers urge community involvement
April 30th, 20220 ANN ARBOR — To cap off Arab American Heritage Month, The Arab American News is highlighting the important work the Michigan Center for Contextual Factors in Alzheimer’s Disease (MCCFAD) at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan continues to do in the community. The center, led by Arab American researchers...
Dearborn City Council passes supplemental to language access resolution to specify Arabic
April 29th, 20220 DEARBORN — An effort to increase language access in Dearborn by its City Council may have taken a positive step forward last week. In a special meeting, the Council passed a supplemental to its earlier resolution to translate election materials, including ballots, for its minority residents. On the insistence of Wayne County Clerk...
Voter turnout could determine fate in May 3 special election between Democrat Jeff Pepper and Republican Ginger Shearer
April 29th, 20220 DEARBORN - Democratic candidate Jeff Pepper will compete against Republican Ginger Shearer in a special election on May 3 to fill out a State House seat vacated by Dearborn Mayor and former State Rep. Abdullah Hammoud through the end of the year. Pepper won the special Democratic primary election in March over Alabas Farhat — 3,590...
Bill seeks to include Mid East and North African category in minority-serving health programs
April 27th, 20220 DEARBORN — U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) and Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) have joined colleagues to introduce a bill that includes people who identify as Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) as a racial and ethnic minority group in the U.S. Public Health Service Act. The MENA population is categorized as White or "other"...Democrat Jeff Pepper to face Republican Ginger Shearer in May 3 special election for State House District 15
April 22nd, 20220 A special general election on May 3 will decide who sits in the State House seat vacated by Dearborn Mayor and former State Rep. Abdullah Hammoud through the end of the year. The race for the 15th House District pits Democrat Jeff Pepper and Republican Ginger Shearer, formerly known as Virginia Polk. Pepper won the special...
BA.2 and its offshoot account for majority of U.S. cases, as travel mask mandate is lifted
April 20th, 20220 With the mutations of Omicron now making up more than 90 percent of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., travelers in the country were suddenly informed that a court order had blocked the Biden administration’s mask mandate on public transportation this week. That ruling from a federal judge on Monday came as COVID-19 infections are...
MI drivers have begun seeing $400 car insurance refunds: Here’s what to know
April 17th, 20220 LANSING — Nearly a third of eligible drivers have already received their $400 auto refund checks from the state’s catastrophic fund surplus, and the rest should expect to receive their refunds by the May 9 deadline. Where does the money come from? The money comes from a surplus in the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association...
Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett appears at Dearborn Council meeting to comment on election translation efforts
April 16th, 20220 DEARBORN - Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett appeared at the Dearborn City Council meeting this week to give her input, in public, to the city’s present language access efforts. The Council passed a resolution in March, brought forth by Councilman Mustapha Hammoud, that sought to ensure ballots and other election materials would be...
Amtrak and TSA agree to screening rail passengers against “terrorist watchlist”, raising civil rights concerns
April 9th, 20220 A new agreement between Amtrak and the TSA to screen passengers against the controversial "terrorist watchlist" — deemed by many as unconstitutional — is raising concerns among civil rights advocates. This week, a report by Hearst Television revealed that the TSA agreed to Amtrak’s request that it screen passengers against...
Ramadan Suhoor Festival kicks off in Dearborn on April 8, after two-year hiatus
April 8th, 20220 DEARBORN — The Ramadan Suhoor Festival is coming to Dearborn’s Fairlane Town Center beginning Friday, April 8, with a slate of dozens of vendors, after a two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival will take place April 8-April 30, Friday and Saturday only, between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. at the Sears parking...
President Biden issues letter celebrating Arab American Heritage Month
April 4th, 20220 WASHINGTON D.C. — President Biden sent out a message commemorating National Arab American Heritage Month over the weekend, reproduced here in full. On Friday, the president tweeted, "The history and story of the Arab American community is deeply woven into the diverse tapestry of America. This National Arab American Heritage......
Organizations call for Ramadan boycott of Israeli dates grown and packaged in illegal settlements
April 1st, 20220 A rights organization is relaunching a Ramadan boycott of Israeli dates grown on illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands, and harvested through abusive treatment of Palestinian workers. American Muslims for Palestine’s (AMP) National Israeli Date Boycott Campaign 2022 is a nationwide boycott of dates produced in Israeli...Secretary of State says Dearborn has authority to expand voting access by translating election materials
April 1st, 20220 DEARBORN — An effort to bring federally guaranteed language access to Dearborn’s multilingual population continues to see resistance. Last week, the Dearborn City Council passed a resolution, brought forth by Councilman Mustapha Hammoud, that sought to ensure ballots and other election materials would be translated into multiple......
DHS creates Customs and Border Protection community relations position for Michigan’s Arab and Muslim Americans
March 30th, 20220 DEARBORN — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has agreed to create a Detroit-based U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) community relations position that will be dedicated to building trust and working with Michigan’s Arab and Muslim American communities, and other impacted communities. The liaison position comes after...
Retiring anchor Huel Perkins speaks on covering the Arab American community: “We are much more alike than we are different”
March 25th, 20220 SOUTHFIELD — After decades as a household fixture in local news media, FOX 2 Detroit anchor Huel Perkins, along with his longtime co-host, Monica Gayle, will be retiring from the station this Friday. News of the retirement came from the anchors themselves last month, in an emotional and heartfelt announcement that provoked local...
Dearborn City Council approves historic resolution requiring translated ballots, election materials
March 25th, 20220 DEARBORN — After some debate, the Dearborn City Council unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday that sought to ensure that ballots and other election materials would be translated into multiple languages, thereby bringing much needed basic U.S. Voting Rights Act (VRA) provisions around language to Dearborn voters. The VRA...
Lebanese judge charges central bank governor with illicit enrichment
March 21st, 20220 BEIRUT — A Lebanese judge charged central bank governor Riad Salameh with illicit enrichment on Monday, adding to the number of graft investigations he already faces. Judge Ghada Aoun told Reuters the case related to the purchase and rental of Paris apartments, including some to the central bank. Salameh denied the charge when......
Sam Hussein takes Metrotech from humble beginnings to a one-of-a-kind autoshop in Dearborn
March 19th, 20220 DEARBORN — Sam Hussein, owner of Metrotech Automotive Group on Michigan Avenue in east Dearborn, has been busy during the state’s painful pothole season. It’s no wonder he is. Managing the 35,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility and a full crew of technicians is no small matter. But what really makes the shop unique is...
Islamic Institute of America holds fundraiser, announces move to major new facilities are in the works
March 18th, 20220 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The Islamic Institute of America (IIOFA) in Dearborn Heights held its fifth annual fundraising dinner at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center last Sunday to a packed audience of state and local officials and the community. The large gathering of more than 800 attendees marked a return to full-scale events in the......
Imam Sadr Foundation USA holds fundraising gala in Dearborn, featuring its president, Rabab Al-Sadr
March 18th, 20220 DEARBORN - The Imam Sadr Foundation (ISF) USA held its 22nd annual event and fundraising gala at the Islamic Center of America on Saturday, March 12. The gathering saw an immense show of support for the organization that has been doing critical social and humanitarian work for Lebanon’s most vulnerable populations for...
Jury finds Farmington Hills youth accused of killing his mother guilty
March 18th, 20220 PONTIAC — On Monday, Muhammad Altantawi, 20, of Farmington Hills was found guilty of killing his mother, five years after he was accused of the crime. After a two-hour deliberation, an Oakland County Circuit Court jury came back with a verdict that could mean life in prison without parole for Altantawi. The trial took time......
