Hijabi Olympic fencer makes history again with namesake Barbie doll
November 18th, 20170 EL SEGUNDO, CA— Mattel, maker of the popular Barbie doll, has un-veiled its first hijabwearing Barbie to honor an American Olympic fencer, as the traditional Islamic headscarf goes mainstream through catwalks, magazine covers and "emoji" Smartphone symbols. Ibtihaj Muhammad made history in Rio last year as the first U.S. Olympian to...
Abuse of prescription drug Gabapentin increasing
November 17th, 20170 DETROIT— Gabapentin is a new prescription drug on the rise, with up to 64 million prescriptions sold in 2016 in the U.S. Also known in the black market as Johnnys, Gabapentin is not an opioid, but patients are using it to get the drowsiness affect and to feed their addiction. This medication is usually prescribed to treat several...
Religious institutions in Metro Detroit take caution after being threatened
November 17th, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The Dearborn Heights Police Department is conducting a joint investigation with the FBI and other local law enforcement agencies after finding threats to houses of worship and an abandoned firearm in a bag. None of the religious institutions threatened are located in Dearborn Heights, but in other cities;...
Dearborn Heights police officer faces charges after fatal crash in Allen Park
November 17th, 20170 Allen Park —Dearborn Heights police officer Larry A. Little, 32, is charged with causing a fatal crash due to reckless driving. The crash happened on January 2 at the intersection of Van Born and Pelham Roads and resulted in the death of Timothy Lee Turner, 59. Little’s first hearing will take place on November 27. Little was...
What could Amazon do for Detroit? Just imagine…
November 17th, 20173 Members of Detroit's Amazon HQ committee tasked with landing the business behemoth make the case for why this matters By Keith A. Owens Amazon announced on October 5 that it is planning to open a second headquarters, to be called Amazon HQ2. Facing steep competition - and some might say steeper odds – a broad list of 59 local and...
#UMDivest resolution passes at University of Michigan
November 17th, 20171 ANN ARBOR — On November 15 at 3 a.m., a historical moment took place at the University of Michigan when the Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) passed a resolution at the Central Student Government (CSG) meeting regarding U of M's investment ties to companies involved in human rights violations. The investigation of...
Dearborn Board of Education holds forums, discusses solutions to overcrowding
November 17th, 20170 DEARBORN — Since the end of last month, the Dearborn Board of Education has been holding community forums that educate and solicit community feedback on three boundary line change proposals— the possible solution to overcrowding in the district's high schools. The forums, which are open to all community members, started on Oct. 24...
State Senate OKs carrying concealed weapons in houses of worship, schools
November 17th, 20173 DEARBORN — Amid a recent spike in threats against places of worship, officials and mosques in Metro Detroit are tightening security and bashing a new gun legislation that passed in the Michigan Senate last week. It was tense at the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday, Nov. 8, when the Senate passed in a 25-12 vote a bill allowing the...
Is 35 mph the right speed for Dearborn’s downtowns?
November 17th, 20170 DEARBORN — "The objective of any speed limit is that it can be reasonable, enforceable and that it assures a maximum limit," according to the Michigan Department of Transportation's website. Although, according to some experts, appealing to pedestrians with a lower speed limit may be more beneficial to society. "Many of the...
University of Michigan CSG passes divestment resolution
November 15th, 20171 ANN ARBOR--The University of Michigan (UM) Central Student Government (CSG) passed a resolution to have the University's Board of Regents form an ad hoc committee to investigate companies that are tied to human rights violations against Palestinians. The meeting began at 7:45pm and the vote took place at almost 3:00am. There was an...
California appeals court lets Trump travel ban go partially into effect
November 13th, 20170 WASHINGTON — A U.S. appeals court in California on Monday let President Trump’s latest travel ban go partially into effect, ruling the government can bar entry of people from six Muslim-majority countries with no connections to the United States. A three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals...
Why did the auto insurance bill proposal receive a death blow?
November 10th, 20171 By Farah Harb The Arab American News – intern LANSING — On Thursday, Nov. 2, legislators in the Republican-led State House defeated proposed legislation to cut auto insurance rates, in a 63-45 vote. The popular misconception about the bill seems to be that if passed, it would have given drivers the option to choose a less...
Simon Shaykhet and WXYZ-TV honored with “Fairness In Media” award
November 10th, 20170 DETROIT— In a world where the news has become corporatized and out of touch, honest and fair reporting is hard to come by, but on November 5, the Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC) presented Simon Shaykhet and WXYZ-TV with the “Fairness In Media” award by at its 31st annual banquet. The MMCC Unity Banquet is held each year...
State Senate approves concealed guns in schools
November 10th, 20170 LANSING— On Wednesday, only a few days after the Texas church shooting, the Republican-led State Senate approved bills that allow licensed gun owners with extra training to legally carry inside schools, churches and other gun-free zones. The bills now go to the GOP-led House. Michigan law states that it is illegal for the...
Protest over Steve Bannon takes place outside Macomb County Republican Party’s unity dinner
November 10th, 20170 WARREN – “Macomb County, let’s be clear, fascists are not welcome here,” a group of about 200 protesters chanted outside a Macomb County Republican Party’s Unity Dinner at Andiamo’s Banquet and Event Center. The event’s keynote speaker was Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist and current Breitbart News......
Student group launches #UMDivest campaign
November 10th, 20170 ANN ARBOR— On November 7, University of Michigan students held their central student government meeting at the campus square, the Diag. At the meeting, more than 250 people stood in support of the UM-Divest resolution and in solidarity with Palestinians. Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) is a campus...
Three sophomores charged in Fordson hazing incident
November 3rd, 20170 DEARBORN ― Three teens have been charged in connection to an assault on another student at Fordson High School. The three teens, sophomores, are charged with one count of assault and battery against a 13-year-old freshman. The freshman was allegedly sitting in the locker room before football practice on Oct. 9 when the......
Roasting Plant coffee shop offers high-end java for a low-end price
November 3rd, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS—“It picks up something from the ocean around it, from the humidity, from the surrounding trees,” said Mohamad Zeitoun, manager of the Roasting Plant coffee shops in Dearborn Heights and Ann Arbor, about the flavor profile of the Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee bean. The Dearborn Heights location opened in June;...New urgent care clinic opens in Dearborn
DEARBORN — A new Urgent Care clinic held its grand opening at the corner of Schaefer and Michigan Ave., inside the already immaculate four-story Masri Clinic, an advanced medical center. The urgent care clinic across the street closed two months ago and Dr. Fatina Masri told The AANews that because the Masri Clinic was getting...
ACC holds 38th annual Civic and Humanitarian Awards gala
November 3rd, 20170 By Farah Harb The Arab American News – intern DETROIT — The Arab American and Chaldean Council held its 38th annual gala under the theme “Promoting Drug-Free Communities” at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center on Oct. 27. The annual ACC gala celebrates the organization’s anniversary and honors individuals...
Community celebrates political strides, weighs challenges at AAPAC’s 20th anniversary gala
November 3rd, 20170 DEARBORN – The Arab American Political Action Committee’s (AAPAC) 20th anniversary gala was a celebration of political successes. Six days before the Nov. 7 municipal elections, Arab Americans packed a large dinner hall at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn and reflected on two decades of achievements and looking forward......
Women’s Convention in Detroit attracts more than 5,000 attendees
November 3rd, 20170 By Afaf Humayun and Stephen Martin DETROIT—“We have no time, there are people counting on us,” said Linda Sarsour in the opening session of the Women’s Convention in Detroit at Cobo Hall on October 27. “People’s literal survival lies in our hands to protect those among us that are the most marginalized.” Sarsour is a...
Dearborn couple charged after child shoots two others in unlicensed daycare
November 3rd, 20170 DEARBORN— A couple has been charged with several counts after their 3-year-old son shot two other toddlers in the face and shoulder on the morning of September 27. Timothy Eubanks, 32, and Samantha Eubanks, 32, are parents to six children. According to police, the couple was running an unlicensed home daycare, located on Harding......
No left turns allowed at three intersections on Michigan Avenue
November 3rd, 20170 Dearborn—Construction of Wagner Place on October 28 has made left turns onto Mason, Monroe and Oakwood prohibited from east or west Michigan Avenue. According to the city of Dearborn, the Wagner Place construction is a project for Ford Motor Company that aims to transform two blocks of old buildings, which are approximately 150,000...
Dearborn Heights diversifies its police force one step at a time
November 3rd, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS— Back in May, The AANews spoke to Dearborn Heights Police Chief Lee Gavin about the lack of Arab American interest in the police force. At the time, Gavin said that they barely apply. "We've had meetings ," he said. "Right now, in all the law enforcement agencies in the area, there are a total lack of......
