The Arab American News Staff
Author's Posts
Harris pivots to convincing Arab American voters of her leadership
August 2nd, 20241 By Joey Cappelletti - Associated Press DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Osama Siblani’s phone won’t stop ringing. Just days after President Biden withdrew his bid for reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination, top officials from both major political parties have been asking the...White House grants deportation reprieve to Lebanese, citing Israel-Hezbollah tensions
August 2nd, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House will offer deportation relief and work permits to an estimated 11,500 Lebanese nationals already in the U.S., due to conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, President Biden said in a memo on Friday. The measure, under an authority known as Deferred Enforced Departure, will allow...Senator Peters introduces bill to reform redress process and improve travel screening practices
July 26th, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced legislation to reform the traveler redress process and improve screening practices at airports and ports of entry that repeatedly affect individuals who may pose no danger to national security. The...Former Crestwood School Board Trustee Nadia Berry awarded resolution
July 19th, 20240 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Former Crestwood School Board Trustee Nadia Berry has been recognized for her service to the community as a trustee for seven and a half years. Berry, who received an honorable resolution from Wayne County Commissioner David Knezek, leaves a lasting imprint on the Crestwood School District. In 2016, she...Secretary Mayorkas announces extension and redesignation of Yemen for Temporary Protected Status
July 13th, 20240 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas recently announced the extension and redesignation of Yemen for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months, from September 4 to March 3, 2026, due to country conditions in Yemen that prevent individuals from safely returning. After consultation with interagency...SMART unveils bus wrap dedicated to Arab American leaders
June 28th, 20240 DETROIT — In honor of Arab American Heritage Month, the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), is unveiling an empowering bus wrap featuring notable Arab American individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields. "Honoring the Arab American community's contributions is essential to...Summer property tax bills to include corrected school levies
June 14th, 20240 DEARBORN —While Dearborn Public Schools is only collecting 2.3352 mills of its recently reapproved operating millage, some property owners in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights will see higher rates this summer after it was discovered that the tax was left off some bills last year. For the 2024-25 tax cycle, the district’s operating...Dearborn Public School Trustee Jim Thorpe appointed to volunteer state board
June 12th, 20240 DEARBORN - Dearborn Public School Trustee Jim Thorpe has been appointed to help govern a statewide organization for school board members. The Michigan Association of School Boards appointed Thorpe to its Board of Governors as a representative for District 8. His fellow trustees on the Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education had...Aetna donates $60,000 to support culturally-informed services for diverse communities in Southeast Michigan
June 4th, 20240 DETROIT — Aetna Better Health of Michigan, a CVS Health® company, announced that Aetna made donations totaling $60,000 to ACCESS (the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services) and Centro Multicultural La Familia to provide culturally-informed services, workshops and resources for under-resourced communities in Southeast...Next Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission virtual town hall meeting to explain proposed Senate maps
June 4th, 20240 WHO: The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) will host another virtual town hall meeting on Thursday, June 6 to provide details about election district maps for the Michigan Senate. WHAT: Commissioners will share insight about how 12 draft maps for Senate districts 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, and 11 were drawn. In...U.S. Customs and Border Protection offers helpful travel tips ahead of Hajj travel
June 4th, 20240 DETROIT – The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Field Operations reminds travelers preparing for their pilgrimage to the Hajj to be aware of important travel tips to help ensure a smooth return into the United States. Travelers should familiarize themselves with current money reporting requirements and be...Progress Michigan opposes DTE Energy rate hike amid persistent power outages
May 31st, 20240 LANSING — On Wednesday, Progress Michigan voiced its firm opposition to the recent proposal by DTE Energy for its nearly half-billion dollar rate increase highlighted in Bridge Michigan. This comes at a time when Michigan already ranks among the top three states for both the frequency and duration of power outages, despite residents...Veteran State Department official resigns: The Biden administration “twisting the facts” on Gaza
May 31st, 20240 A career State Department official has resigned from her post under the Biden administration on Tuesday after disagreeing with a U.S. report that concluded Israel was not impeding on aid flow into Gaza. Stacy Gilbert, who served as the senior civilian-military advisor to the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration......
University of Michigan graduates walk out during commencements protesting for Palestine
May 24th, 20240 ANN ARBOR — Graduates at the University of Michigan walked out during the commencement ceremony, displaying their support for Palestinians. Students at institutions across the nation have engaged in forms of protest on their c0llege campuses over the last several weeks. The protesting graduates wore kaffiyehs and mortarboards and...Former state employee sentenced for using state vehicles for personal use
May 24th, 20240 LANSING – Last Friday, Rufus Chappell, 64, of Farmington Hills, was sentenced before Judge Mariam Bazzi in Wayne County's Third Circuit Court to three years’ probation and restitution in the amount of $47,214.85 to the Unemployment Insurance Agency after a jury found the former state employee guilty of embezzlement in April,......
July 23 is deadline to file to run for the Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education
May 24th, 20240 DEARBORN – Two seats on the Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education are up for election in November. Interested candidates have until July 23 at 4 p.m. to file their paperwork with the Dearborn City Clerk’s Office. Packets with the required paperwork can be picked up at the City Clerk’s Office, 16901 Michigan Ave., or at...Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi honored by International Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Cities Initiative
May 24th, 20240 MONTREAL – The international Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Cities Initiative recently honored Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi as its 2024 U.S. Member of the Year. The award comes in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the organization's mission of promoting access to clean, safe and affordable water for all residents of the...Pro-Palestinian protests and encampments sweep campuses of major universities across the nation
April 26th, 20240 INTIFADA ON CAMPUSES College campuses have become breeding grounds for pro-Palestine protests. Student protesters have continued to set up encampments at their universities and display their support for Palestinians and against Israeli aggressions. Students are also demanding that their universities divest from companies that...Dearborn neighborhood pools to receive major upgrades for the first time in 70 years
April 12th, 20240 DEARBORN – Three city-owned neighborhood pools will undergo major renovations for the first time since their construction in the 1950s. On Tuesday, April 9, the City Council unanimously approved a $5,371,430 contract to overhaul public pools and bathhouses at Ten Eyck, Lapeer and Summer Stephens Parks beginning in May. “With......
Statewide Tornado Drill Scheduled for March 20
March 18th, 20240 LANSING — Governor Whitmer has declared March 17-23 as Michigan’s Severe Weather Awareness Week, and the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD) is calling on residents to act by participating in a voluntary statewide tornado drill at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20. “Last August,...Dearborn Police make arrest in violent home invasion
March 18th, 20240 DEARBORN – On March 17, at approximately 2 p.m., Dearborn Police officers responded to a residence near Southfield Rd and Outer Dr following a reported home invasion and assault. Upon arrival, officers discovered two elderly female residents who had been severely abused and sexually assaulted by an unknown adult male who illegally......
Protesters gather in Hollywood calling for permanent ceasefire outside of Academy Awards
March 15th, 20240 HOLLYWOOD — Protesters in Hollywood filled the streets the night of the Academy Awards, denouncing the United States' funding of the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The protest, near the Dolby Theatre, was organized by various organizations, including the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, Centro CSO, Black Lives Matter LA,...World Food Program executive director says famine in Gaza is approaching; aid urgently needed
March 15th, 20240 The United Nations has condemned Israel's intentional starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, declaring that famine is imminent. Following an unwarranted and violent massacre of Palestinians retrieving flour from aid trucks, the United Nations experts said that “Israel is not respecting its international legal obligations, is not......