Ellen Degeneres donates $500,000 to Detroit Public Schools
DETROIT – Daytime talk show host Ellen Degeneres surprised Detroit Public Schools with a donation of $500,000 with the help of Lowes and pop superstar Justin Bieber.Degeneres and Bieber presented Spain Elementary-Middle School with the check via a live video feed during her show. The revelations of dangerous conditions at...Property values rise in Dearborn
Dearborn homes near Warren AvenueDEARBORN — The value of residential property rose 6.7 percent in Dearborn from 2015 to 2016 as the city completed a detailed, multi-year reassessment of properties. However, residents will see only a negligible increase in property taxes due to the reassessment."The 6.7 percent increase in assessed...
Dearborn Heights man allegedly supported ISIS, planned to attack a church
February 6th, 20160 Khalil Abu-RayyanDETROIT — A Dearborn Heights man told an undercover FBI agent he planned to attack a church in Detroit and made several violent threats online on behalf of ISIS, according to legal documents.Khalil Abu-Rayyan, 21, was arrested by Detroit Police last October for having marijuana and carrying a gun in his car without a...
Muslim Americans weigh in on Obama’s mosque visit
February 5th, 20160 Obama delivers remarks at the Islamic Society of Baltimore mosque in Catonsville, Maryland Feb. 3DEARBORN — President Obama finally visited an American mosque as president. U.S. Muslim activists praised the president for the speech he delivered at the Islamic Society of Baltimore, but many criticized him for taking seven years before...
Shooting near Masonic Temple disrupts homeless feeding
February 5th, 20160 Volunteers help pass out food for Detroit's homeless - Photo by Nahid AyoubDETROIT — A shootout broke out near the Masonic Temple Theater on Sunday, Jan. 24 while local activists and State Rep. Julie Plawecki were volunteering to feed the homeless. At around 2:30 p.m., volunteers were mingling with homeless friends after passing out...
Fighting over the tab: Is Arab generosity at odds with mainstream culture?
February 5th, 20160 Three local males fight over the check at Mango's Cafe in Dearborn - The Arab American NewsDEARBORN — The waitress brings the check to a table full of Arabs at the La Pita restaurant and chaos erupts. "Someone will automatically snatch the bill out of my hand or they'll snatch it out of each others hands," said Jessica...Abdullah Hammoud announces bid for 15th District state rep. seat
Abdullah Hammoud.DEARBORN — Lifelong Dearborn resident and community member Abdullah Hammoud officially announced his candidacy for state representative in the 15th District this week. Hammoud is one of the few candidates vying to fill the seat of incumbent, term-limited State Rep. George Darany, whose tenure ends this...Detroit Public Schools’ emergency manager to step down
Detroit Public Schools' emergency manager Darnell Earley is stepping down later this month, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder said on Tuesday. Earley, who has drawn criticism from the teachers union and black state lawmakers for the crumbling state of the city's schools, will leave the school district on Feb. 29, the governor said in a...
Michigan emails show officials knew of Flint water disease risk
February 4th, 20160 Emails between high-ranking Michigan state officials show they knew about an uptick in Legionnaires' disease and it could be linked to problems with Flint water long before Governor Rick Snyder said he got information on the outbreak.A spokesman for Snyder rejected the report by the liberal group Progress Michigan on Thursday. Emails...
Scientist says lead exposure in Flint comparable to post-war Iraq
February 4th, 20160 Dr. Mozhgan SavabieasfahaniANN ARBOR — A local scientist who studies birth defects linked to toxins caused by bombs said lead exposure in Flint children is comparable to the pollution in post-war Iraq. Dr. Mozhgan Savabieasfahani, an Ann Arbor-based researcher, praised Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha for exposing the high levels of lead...
Sheikh al-Nimr’s son denounces Wahhabism, U.S. policy and sectarianism
February 4th, 20160 Mohammed al-NimrDEARBORN — Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr has become a symbol for dissent in Saudi Arabia. The Shi'a imam, whose execution on Jan. 2 drew international condemnation, was committed to peaceful activism and global human rights, his son Mohammed al-Nimr said. Al-Nimr, 29, said the family is proud of the sheikh's courage and...
Family of woman fatally shot by Dearborn Police want answers
February 4th, 20160 Wilson's family holds a press conference outside of the Dearborn Police Department.DEARBORN - The family of a 31-year-old Detroit woman who was fatally shot by Dearborn Police last week is saying they want answers. The family of Janet Wilson, held a press conference outside of the Dearborn Police Department on Wednesday, February 3,...Dearborn Police requesting assistance in identifying two Fairlane suspects
DEARBORN - The Dearborn Police Department is requesting the assistance of the public in identifying two suspects who committed two larcenies at the Game Stop located inside Fairlane Town Center. Stolen was approximately $2,000 worth of Xbox and Playstation 4 video games during two separate larcenies.During the incident two male...
FBI announces criminal investigation into Flint water crisis
February 2nd, 20160 The FBI is joining a criminal investigation into lead contaminated drinking water in Flint, Michigan, exploring whether any laws were broken in a crisis that has captured international attention.Federal prosecutors in Michigan were working with an investigative team that included the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S....Dearborn police arrest two for home invasion
DEARBORN — Police arrested two suspects for home invasion on Wednesday, Jan. 27.Dearborn Police responded to a 911 call from an alert resident who reported he had observed two suspicious subjects park in an alley behind a home on Orchard Ave. The two subjects exited the vehicle, pulled hoodies over their heads, and quickly......
Rasmea Odeh supporters launch online solidarity day
On Wednesday, the Rasmea Defense Committee launched a social campaign in support of Rasmea Odeh, the Palestinian American activist who was convicted of immigration fraud. Odeh's supporters say her prosecution was politically motivated and are trying to raise awareness about the case, as the court considers her appeal. Users...State approves $28 million in immediate aid for Flint
Donated water bottlesLANSING — The State House and Senate unanimously voted to pass a supplemental bill package today, which includes $28 million in relief that will aid recovery efforts in Flint. "Thanks to the swift action of the Legislature, this $28 million will provide the immediate resources needed in Flint," Gov. Snyder said.......
Teachers’ union sues Detroit schools, demands removal of emergency manager
DETROIT - The union for Detroit public school teachers sued their district on Thursday demanding immediate removal of a state-appointed emergency manager and a return of local control with a plan to repair its crumbling buildings.Detroit Public Schools are under state oversight and pressured by declining enrollment and heavy pension...State seeks Middle Eastern Commission’s help to reach Flint’s Arab Americans
CMEAA meeting at the Arab American National Museum, Jan. 28DEARBORN — State government is seeking the help of the Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs (CMEAA) to reach out to Arab American residents in Flint. Michael Zimmer, director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), said Lansing is looking to...Detroit pushes back against raising Marathon emissions
The Marathon refinery DETROIT — The city is pushing back against a request by Marathon Petroleum Refinery to increase emissions in Southwest Detroit. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, which is already under fire for its handling of the Flint water crisis, is considering granting Marathon a permit that...
Iraqi American prisoner punished after being punched by guard
January 29th, 20160 Arshad Aljamailawi - Photo by MDOCDETROIT — A guard punched an Iraqi American inmate in the face on a bus during a prisoners' transfer and was suspended for one day only. Inmate Arshad Aljamailawi, who is said to have charged at the officer after he was assaulted and maced, was ordered to 10 days in detention and 30 days of loss of......
Large crowd attends Abbie Bazzi’s kick off campaign for judge
January 29th, 20160 Abbie Bazzi.DEARBORN — Dignitaries and community members packed Byblos Banquet Hall for Attorney Abbie Bazzi’s kick off campaign for 19th District Court Judge in Dearborn on Tuesday, January 26. Bazzi has been a managing attorney at the UAW Ford Legal Services Plan for 17 years out of the nearly 20 years she worked there. Her...Michigan governor names panel to fix Flint’s contaminated water system
Snyder at a press conference. FLINT — On Wednesday, Governor Rick Snyder appointed a group of government officials, health and other experts to implement long-term fixes for Flint's lead-contaminated water system, which has become a national scandal. The 17-member committee would recommend ways to help people exposed to lead, study......
Prescription drug addiction spreading in the community
January 29th, 20160 DEARBORN — This year has been a rough start for many families in the Arab American community, due to the untimely deaths of several young adult men. It seems every few days, social media pages are announcing the disheartening news — another young Arab male has tragically passed away. The majority of the community tends to show an...
Dearborn church calls for building bridges with Muslims
January 29th, 20160 Rev. Fran Hayes in front of the altar - Photos by The Arab American NewsDEARBORN — "God welcomes all, strangers and friends; God's love is strong and it never ends," sang Rev. Fran Hayes of Littlefield Presbyterian Church as she stood in front of the altar. Hayes, pastor of the Dearborn-based church, said her congregation begins most......
