Wyandotte Mayor Joe Peterson passes away
May 17th, 20201 WYANDOTTE — Wyandotte's city government announced the passing of Wyandotte Mayor Joe Peterson today. "The city of Wyandotte is deeply saddened to announce the passing of our mayor, Joe Peterson," the city government posted on its Facebook page. "Mayor Peterson served the city in numerous capacities for many years and his love for...
Stabenow, Peters announce $315 million in funding to expand COVID-19 testing in Michigan
May 17th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. – $315 million in federal funds will be awarded to the state of Michigan to expand its coronavirus testing operations, Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) announced this week. Peters and Stabenow were able to secure the funding as part of a $25 billion testing package for Michigan they fought to be...
Michigan restaurants push Whitmer for May 29 reopening, lay out roadmap of potential guidelines
May 17th, 20200 LANSING — Large numbers of Michigan restaurants and bars are hoping to reopen for dine-in service on May 29, according to a proposed “roadmap” to reopening released earlier this month by the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association. Instances of harm from the COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavius have continued to...
Home inspections resume in Dearborn, tall grass enforcement to begin May 18
May 16th, 20200 DEARBORN — The city of Dearborn will begin enforcing violations of the tall grass ordinance starting on Monday, May 18, according to a news release from the city's website. “Overgrown grass is not only an eyesore to neighbors, but can provide a refuge for a number of pests,” the release states. “Residents are asked to maintain...
Whitmer announces process to chart path for the safe reopening of schools
May 15th, 20200 LANSING - During a Friday new conference, Governor Whitmer today announced the creation of the Return to Learning Advisory Council via Executive Order 2020-88, formalizing a process for determining how schools may be able to reopen in the fall. The panel – which will be comprised of students, parents, frontline educators,...
A selfless man: Community pays tribute to beloved business owner Abdelfattah Abdrabbo
May 15th, 20200 CANTON — Many were saddened to hear of the passing of beloved business owner Abdelfattah Abdrabbo, who succumbed to COVID-19 on April 27 at the age of 65. Besides running the successful Sunrise Import and Export in Detroit, Abdrabbo was known for his charity work, selflessness and generosity. Abdrabbo was ill for four weeks with...
Michigan Muslims organize televised celebration of Eid al-Fitr
May 15th, 20200 ROYAL OAK — The Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC) is organizing a televised celebration marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan on May 24 at 10 a.m., to be aired on the station WMYT, TV 20 Detroit (found on all local cable networks). This event will also be live-streamed on multiple social media platforms. In accordance...
A subdued protest in Lansing, no arrests made or citations given
May 15th, 20200 LANSING — The state’s Capitol saw another day of protests against Governor Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order. Protesters, many armed, gathered on the Capitol grounds early on a rainy Thursday. The state legislature was not in session and so the Capitol Building itself was closed for business. The protests were...
Governor Whitmer extends executive order temporarily suspending evictions till June 11
May 14th, 20200 LANSING — Governor Whitmer has temporarily extended protections for tenants and mobile home owners from being evicted from their homes during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The new order, signed Executive Order 2020-85, is effective until June 11. “It’s critical Michiganders can self-quarantine and continue...
Dingell announces more than $1 million is going to the University of Michigan for coronavirus rapid response research
May 13th, 20200 ANN ARBOR — U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) announced today more than $1 million in funding to support rapid response research on the coronavirus. The funding is part of the CARES Act passed by Congress in March. As of May 10, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued 10 CARES Act-funded awards...
Regional partnership awards relief grants to 60 Dearborn small businesses in response to COVID-19
May 13th, 20200 DEARBORN — Sixty small businesses in the city of Dearborn have been selected to receive stimulus grants to help provide working capital amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Grants upwards of $5,000 will be distributed by ACCESS this week and are aimed to support those businesses most often left out of major city, state and federal relief...
$5.62 billion in unemployment total benefits paid to Michigan workers, state employees take further cuts
May 13th, 20200 LANSING — Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced today some remarkable numbers. $5.62 billion in unemployment benefits have been paid to 1,374,751 workers since March 15, with a further total number of 1,717,555 claimants having applied for state and federal benefits. The UIA marks March 15 as the “onset of the...
Dingell announces $159 million in coronavirus funding for local hospitals
May 12th, 20200 DEARBORN — On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) announced that six hospitals in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District received $159 million in grants from the CARES Act passed by Congress in March. The money will be used to support hospitals and health systems on the frontlines that provided inpatient care for 100 or...
WHO says governments should prepare for new infections that may follow reopening of the economy
May 12th, 20200 GENEVA — The World Health Organization’s Tedros Adhanom said on Monday that governments considering reopening their economies should have a plan to deal with a resurgence of COVID-19 cases. Adhanom, the director-general of the WHO, said that those countries gearing up to ease economic restrictions should consider whether the...
Former Democratic State Senator Morris Hood III dies of COVID-19
May 12th, 20200 DETROIT — Detroit Democrat and former State Senator Morris Hood III passed away on Tuesday after a long battle with COVID-19, just short of his 55th birthday. Colleagues and friends grieved the death of the long-time Democratic political figure. Hood represented the Third District encompassing northwest Detroit, Dearborn and......
Changes in the bankruptcy code offer a lifeline to struggling businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic
May 11th, 20200 Almost all countries around the world are forced to adopt dramatic measures to slow down the COVID 19 pandemic. With social distancing in place by public health departments, we are all part of the fight to combat this pandemic. These measures have severely impacted the global economy in various ways. Small businesses will suffer the...
Abraham Aiyash, running for state rep., wants to continue the late Isaac Robinson’s work
May 9th, 20201 HAMTRAMCK - Yemeni American community activist Abraham Aiyash officially announced his candidacy for District Four state representative this week, the seat formerly occupied by the late Isaac Robinson. Robinson, a popular political figure in his district, passed away tragically in March due to a suspected COVID-19......
Undocumented workers remain vital part of the economy, yet lose out on COVID-19 protections
May 9th, 20200 DETROIT— The reality of the global health crisis has brought with it a grave and unprecedented economic crisis in a few short months. In the U.S., state and federal bureaucracies, unemployment agencies and research institutes scramble to understand the breadth and magnitude of the effects of economic closures on both workers and...
AG Nessel says firearms can be legally forbidden in state’s Capitol building
May 8th, 20200 LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has sent a letter to the Michigan State Capitol Commission confirming that the Commission has the legal authority to prohibit the presence of firearms in the state Capitol, if it chooses to do so. The AG says that authority is consistent with the current state of the law regarding...
Ilhan Omar’s signature is more than disappointing, it’s shameful
May 8th, 20202 This week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, urging him to increase "diplomatic action by the United States to renew the expiring United Nations arms embargo against Iran and United Nations travel restrictions on those Iranian individuals involved...
Biden names former impeachment manager Val Demings among potential VP picks
May 7th, 20200 ORLANDO, FLA — Former Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday that U.S. Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) was on his list of potential running mates, adding that he has just begun the process. “She is one of a group of close to a dozen really qualified and talented women who are on the list,” Biden told WFTV in Orlando. The interview......
Detroit’s TCF Center field hospital is “officially closed down”
May 7th, 20200 DETROIT – The 1,000-bed TCF Center field hospital in the city's downtown is no longer caring for COVID-19 patients and is "officially closed down," Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Thursday. At most, the care center inside the convention center cared for about 15 to 20 patients at any given time, the mayor said during an afternoon...
“Stay Home” order extended to May 28, manufacturing reopens as part of Safe Start Plan
May 7th, 20200 LANSING — On Thursday, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-77 to extend Michigan’s "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order to May 28. The governor’s order will allow manufacturing workers, including those at Michigan’s Big Three auto companies, to resume work on Monday, May 11 as part of her MI Safe Start Plan. “This is......
Massive new “Rooseveltian” coronavirus response bill could be voted on next week, Pelosi says
May 7th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi laid out broad outlines of the next massive coronavirus-response bill Democrats are expected to seek, with votes possible as soon as next week. The bill's major components will include additional aid to state and local governments, more money for coronavirus...
Whitmer signs executive order speeding up unemployment process
May 6th, 20200 LANSING — On Wednesday, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-76, expediting the unemployment benefits process during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The most significant takeaway from this development: The state will now only look at an unemployed individual's most recent job separation, which is the cause of the......
