Nick Meyer
Author's Posts
Feds’ immigration sting lands local Palestinian student and others in detention
February 1st, 20191 CALHOUN COUNTY, MI — Palestinian student and Dearborn Heights resident Najilaa Karim Musarsa was locked in a federal detention unit here as of Thursday night, awaiting her fate as one of about 130 students nationwide who have been detained and are now facing possible deportation. The detainments are the result of a controversial...
Thousands sign petition to recall Nike shoes that appear to have “Allah” written on soles
February 1st, 20190 The Nike shoe and sports apparel company is being asked to recall an Air Max sneaker that appears to include the symbol for God, or Allah, written in Arabic on the sole. The controversy gained national attention after Saqia Noreen started a petition on Change.org calling for the brand to remove the Air Max 270 trainers from its...
Bipartisan lawmakers seek end to U.S. support for Saudi military action in Yemen
February 1st, 20190 WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is expected to seek an end to U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, a report from Reuters said, with a greater chance of success than a similar attempt that passed the Senate in December. The measure is being led by Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah, Democratic Senator...
Now the freeze is over, dramatic warmup raises the risk of floods
February 1st, 20190 LANSING — Governors in three states, including Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, declared state of emergencies this week as record low temperatures and three cold-related deaths were recorded in southeast Michigan, with more deaths expected, according to authorities. Wisconsin and Illinois also issued declarations, as Chicago...
Tigers outfielder Mikie Mahtook receives surprise from Arab American National Museum
January 31st, 20190 DEARBORN — While Latin American and other players from ethnic minorities have thrived in Detroit Tigers uniforms, the city's beloved major league baseball franchise hasn't seen many Arab American ballplayers. Current outfielder Mikie Mahtook broke the trend after arriving in 2017, however. He has played in nearly 200 games over the...
James Heath appointed to Corporation Counsel for Wayne County
January 31st, 20190 DETROIT — The Wayne County Board of Commissioners officially approved the appointment of new Corporation Counsel James Heath on Wednesday, January 30. Heath is the successor to Zenna Faraj Elhasan, who is now the lead counsel for the Kresge Foundation. The Department of Corporation Counsel provides legal representation, advice...
Feds used fake Michigan university in elaborate sting operation to identify illegal immigrants
January 30th, 20190 DETROIT — Federal agents have been using a fake university located in Farmington Hills to help find undocumented immigrants allegedly scamming the system to become United States citizens, an unsealed federal indictment said. The sting operations took place from February 2017 until earlier this month, during which undercover agents...
Concerned with waning support, Democrats are forming a new pro-Israel lobbying group
January 30th, 20190 WASHINGTON, D.C. —Former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm and former Clinton administration housing secretary Henry Cisneros are among a group of Democrats planning to create a new pro-Israel political action committee later this year, in hopes of turning the tide of waning support from young progressives. The number of Democrats...
Gov. Whitmer declares state of emergency, shares list of 8 tips to stay safe during extreme cold
January 29th, 20190 LANSING — Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an order declaring a state of emergency in Michigan on Monday night, helping to address threats to public safety and health related to extremely cold winter temperatures in the next few days. “Keeping Michiganders safe during this stretch of dangerously cold temperatures is our...
Senate advances controversial Combating BDS bill, Michigan senators’ votes split
January 29th, 20190 WASHINGTON — The United States Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill that would give states the power to pass laws banning business with supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel, advancing the bill known as S.1. The final tally was 74-19 in favor of the bill, which also codifies...
Muslim doctors open completely free clinic to serve the poor in Toledo, Ohio area
January 28th, 20190 HOLLAND, OH — A group of Muslim doctors in Holland, Ohio (near Toledo) has opened a new clinic providing free medical services to people of all faiths, the Toledo Blade reported last week. The clinic was founded to serve the local community, providing services for everyone including the 25,000-plus people in Lucas County, Ohio who...
Thousands of Gulf Arabs fleeing their homelands to escape repression, fear of violence
January 28th, 20190 TORONTO — Saudi Arabian teenager Rahaf Muhammad's fleeing her native country over alleged family abuse and arrival here has shed light on a growing trend of Gulf Arabs leaving the region, as highlighted in a recent report from The Economist. Thousands of other Saudis have been quietly leaving the kingdom, which is one of the most...
Jewish couple kicked off flight for “body odor” accuses American Airlines of racial discrimination
January 26th, 20190 MIAMI — A Jewish American couple returning home from Miami to Detroit was kicked off an American Airlines flight for alleged “body odour” on January 23, prompting one man to accuse the airlines of religious discrimination. Yossi Adler, his wife Jennie, and their 19-month-old daughter were kicked off after staff told them other...
President Trump reaches deal to end shutdown, threatens another if wall is not built
January 25th, 20190 WASHINGTON —After 35 days, the United States government shutdown of 2018-2019 has finally come to a halt, for the next three weeks at least. The announcement was made by President Trump on Friday, ending the record-setting shutdown and allowing government employees to head back to work. Trump said that the new legislation will...
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans discusses financial turnaround, diversity and infrastructure
January 24th, 20190 DEARBORN — With more than 1.7 million people represented as of 2017, Wayne County is the largest in Michigan, and the man in charge of overseeing it all is Warren Evans. Evans was re-elected to the county's top position in November and has used his platform to focus on a wide variety of tasks ranging from quality of life to......
California Democrat Kamala Harris declares candidacy for president
January 24th, 20190 WASHINGTON — In what is becoming a highly diverse field, California Democratic Senator Kamala Harris declared her candidacy for president on Monday, entering on the Martin Luther King Day federal holiday. Harris, who became the second African American woman to serve in the United States Senate, declared her candidacy in the same...
Michigan ranks dead last in school funding growth, study finds
January 24th, 20190 LANSING — According to a new study the state of Michigan has allocated less than any other state on education spending growth over the past 20 years, in large part because of tax cuts. That was the key takeaway of Michigan State University researchers, who found that school revenue was 82 percent of its 1995 totals, a decline......
Three men indicted for alleged $88 million money laundering scheme to Yemen and China
January 24th, 20190 DETROIT — A grand jury from the U.S. Eastern District Court indicted three men for an alleged international, cash-delivery scheme in Metro Detroit that funneled $88 million to recipients in China, Yemen and other countries. Two of the men, Fahd Samaha, 45, and Maged Alsabahi, 29, ran the alleged scheme from 2013 through 2015,...
American diplomats given 72 hours to leave Venezuela after Maduro breaks off relations with the U.S.
January 24th, 20190 CARACAS, VENEZUELA — Venezuelan socialist leader Nicolas Maduro has reportedly declared that the country is breaking relations with the United States. Maduro, who became president in 2013 and whose continuing tenure is now in dispute, has given American diplomats 72 hours to leave Venezuela, according to a report from...
Community mourns loss of beloved Lebanese American journalist Mohamed Jaber
January 23rd, 20190 DEARBORN — Known for his gregarious personality and ever-present smile, Mohamed Jaber left an indelible impact on the communities in which he lived, from Michigan to his native Lebanon. A family man, award-winning journalist and founder of the local Assabeel magazine, Jaber died this past Monday due to complications from...
Local Arab American man files lawsuit alleging illegal police raid on business, home
January 23rd, 20190 DETROIT — Dearborn resident Ray Fayad has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court's Eastern District, accusing police officers of targeting him because he's Arab American and illegally raiding his business and seizing his property. Fayad filed the lawsuit in December, naming the cities of Highland Park, Ecorse and Hamtramck as......
Library of Congress acquires treasure trove of 19th century documents written in Arabic by Muslim slave
January 22nd, 20190 WASHINGTON, D.C. —The United States Library of Congress announced its acquisition of an extraordinary set of documents last week belonging to Omar ibn Said, who wrote what is believed to be the only surviving slave narrative of its kind in 1831. Also known as “Morro” or “Uncle Moreau” as a slave, he had been enslaved for...
Lack of sleep tied to increased risk of heart disease in new study
January 21st, 20190 Those people who sleep less than six hours per night may be more likely to develop heart disease, a new study out of Spain has suggested. Nearly 4,000 bank employees were studied via activity trackers as part of the research, which found that those who slept less than six hours a night were 27 percent more likely have......
Texas Rep. tries to block Rashida Tlaib’s “dangerous” congressional visit to Palestine
January 19th, 20190 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Texas Rep. Brian Babin has issued a warning about Detroit congresswoman Rashida Tlaib's planned trip to Palestine, calling it “both ill-conceived and inconsistent with our national values.” Tlaib is planning the trip as a response to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) trip, which is aimed...
Chad Newton appointed CEO of Detroit Metro Airport
January 18th, 20190 ROMULUS — Army veteran and former Wayne County deputy sheriff Chad Newton was elected chief executive officer of the Wayne County Airport on Wednesday, bringing with him a security background and a focus on diversity hiring. Newton previously served as VP of public safety at the airport and was appointed to his current post in......
