Former Detroit mayor convicted on multiple counts of corruption
DETROIT — Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, once seen as a rising star in Democratic Party politics, was convicted on Monday on two dozen federal charges of corruption and bribery during his seven-year tenure. KilpatrickProsecutors accused Kilpatrick, 42, of widespread corruption, extorting bribes from contractors who wanted to...
Attorney Kevyn Orr is Detroit’s new emergency financial manager
March 15th, 20130 DETROIT — Gov. Rick Snyder has confirmed his determination that a financial emergency exists in the city of Detroit and assigned management of the emergency to the Local Emergency Financial Assistance Loan Board (ELB), pursuant to Public Act 72 of 1990. The ELB named Kevyn Orr as emergency financial manager, effective March 25, in a...WSU receives $272K for cancer detection and diagnosis research
DETROIT — This week the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded Wayne State University two exploratory/developmental grants totaling more than $272,000 for cancer detection and diagnosis research, as well as cancer treatment research. This funding was awarded through the National Cancer Institute, an organization within...12 year old brings 20K to school, gives cash to classmates
TAYLOR — On Monday a 12-year-old girl brought $20,000 in cash to school and started distributing some of the money to classmates, which is how school officials learned about the money, which was found in the girl’s backpack. Police are investigating the incident which occurred at 6th Grade Academy Building here. ...FHS students to compete in pizza contest, winners get $225 prize
DEARBORN — On Mar. 21, 120 students at Fordson High School (FHS) will compete in a cooking contest where they will create unique pizzas. Students will work in small groups under staff supervision to create a pizza from scratch. Pizzas will be voted on based on taste, appearance and creativity. The top eight recipes will advance for...CAIR-MI representing incarcerated Muslim in halal lawsuit
SOUTHFIELD — The Council on American Islamic Relations of Michigan is representing an incarcerated Muslim, who was denied halal food in the St. Clair County Jail. A lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan regarding the incident. CAIR-MI has received numerous complaints about the...New group preserves Iraqi art and culture
STERLING HEIGHTS-A group of writers, poets, painters, sculptors, musicians, singers, academics, activists, and community organizers have established the Mesopotamian Forum for Arts and Culture (MFAC) to promote Iraqi heritage and art within the community. The group supports local artists, and plans on inviting artists from Iraq and...Washington offers three lackluster Mideast initiatives
The Obama administration is currently busy with three Mideast initiatives: reactivation of negotiations with Iran, an offer of “nonlethal” aid to the Syrian opposition and fulfillment of the long awaited president’s first visit to Israel, with short stops in the West Bank and Jordan, starting March 20. Iran and Syria are top...Community pillar Hussein Makled passes; colleagues remember his legacy
DEARBORN — Hussein Makled, 88, one of the founders of the Islamic Center of America (ICA), passed away on Wednesday, March 6, leaving behind a legacy that will remain in the community for years to come. Makled's colleagues say he spent the majority of his life committed to establishing an Islamic center for Dearborn's community...America is shamed that only Rand Paul is talking about drone executions
You could say that a filibuster occurs when a senator drones on and on. The problem with the U.S. Senate was that there were too few senators speaking about drones this week.President Barack Obama's controversial nomination of John Brennan as director of the Central Intelligence Agency was held up Wednesday afternoon by a Senate...Chavez’s legacy
Bertrand Russell once wrote about the American revolutionary Thomas Paine, "He had faults, like other men; but it was for his virtues that he was hated and successfully calumniated." This was certainly true of Hugo Chavez Frias, who was probably more demonized than any democratically elected president in world history. But he was...Breeding anti-U.S. suspicions
A story from northwest Pakistan involves a discrepancy between reality and perception with regard to U.S. drone strikes. Last month two attacks in the tribal belt generated the kind of spreading news that has come to be routinely associated with the drones.A couple of al-Qaeda types are killed, but so are several villagers. The Pakistani...
Arab American among six finalists vying to become HFCC’s next president
March 8th, 20130 DEARBORN — The list of potential candidates hoping to become Henry Ford Community College’s next president has been narrowed down to six finalists. HFCC will invite the six finalists to campus the week of March 18 and March 25 for open forums. Additional details on times and locations for these forums will be available within...Local 22-year-old dies in bedroom,family and friends mourn
DEARBORN — This week Dearborn's community mourns the death of a young Arab American man who was found dead in his bedroom on the morning of March 1. Twenty-two-year-old Tarek Hakkani, who was known to have a sleep apnea disorder, had died in his bedroom several hours before his body was discovered by his mother near his bed side. Tarek...Dearborn woman claims she was fired from Arab owned restaurant because of headscarf
WYANDOTTE — Dearborn resident Summer Shahab is suing her former place of employment, Middle Eastern cuisine restaurant Shish Gardens, located in Wyandotte, for allegedly firing her after she showed up to work one day wearing a headscarf. The owners of the restaurant are of Arab descent, according Shahab and her lawyer Amir I. Makled,......
Dearborn to amend ordinance on “garage living rooms” due to safety issues
March 8th, 20130 DEARBORN — The city will soon be amending an ordinance regarding a current trend that many Arab American residents have been following: using their garage as a family room, sitting area, or bedroom, which the city cites as a zoning violation.While the practice might have been occurring for a while longer, the city began cracking down...
Ficano: county’s administration operates with high ethical standards
March 8th, 20130 DETROIT — Despite the FBI’s investigation into Wayne County that was launched in 2011, and intensified last year, County Executive Robert Ficano called 2012 a year of change and progress during his State of the County Address Monday at the Guardian Building here. A controversial $200,000 severance payment triggered the......
Hundreds attend fundraiser for city council candidate’s campaign
Attorney Tarek Baydoun.DEARBORN-Hundreds of people including elected officials, activists, family, friends and community leaders packed the Bint Jebail Cultural Center here Thursday night for a campaign kickoff and fundraising dinner held by Dearborn City Council candidate Tarek Baydoun. Baydoun discussed the upcoming city council...Comcast’s Internet Essentials Program connects more than 150,000 low-income families — or 600,000 Americans to the Internet
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Comcast Executive Vice President David L. Cohen today announced details about the 2nd Annual Internet Essentials Progress Report, which features key milestones for the program as well as a number of program enhancements and a new award designed to honor top-performing school districts. Internet Essentials...Budget cuts force Detroit Police Department to eliminate gang squads
DETROIT — Budget cuts are forcing the Detroit Police Department to eliminate its gang and tactical squads, and placing them into routine patrol work in an effort to cut costs and put more law enforcement officials on the street. Reverend Jerome Warfield, the chair of the DPD Board of Commissioners said the plan was poorly...New free program at DIA for people with memory loss
DETROIT — The Alzheimer's Association-Greater Michigan Chapter in partnership with the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is pleased to announce a new program at the DIA called Minds on Art (MoA) that will launch early April. The new MoA program allows people to be creative and productive. It brings people living with dementia and......
NAAMA launches volunteer medical mission to Jordan
March 8th, 20130 The National Arab American Medical Association is launching a volunteer medical mission to Jordan to provide medical assistance to displaced Syrian refugees. The mission is being led by NAAMA member and chair of the group’s Syria Liaison Committee, Dr. Humam Akbik, volunteers will be in Jordan from March 22 through March 28, to...Junior wins first place in high school state finals
AURBURN HILLS — Malik Amine, who’s Lebanese, and a junior at Detroit Catholic Central High School won first place in the Michigan High School State Championships which were held at the Palace of Auburn Hills here recently. In addition to the wrestler’s impressive performance in sports, Amine has managed to maintain......
McLaren Cancer Institute offers free cancer screening kits during March
FLINT — During March, Michigan residents could get free at home screening tests for the nation’s third-most diagnosed cancer from McLaren Cancer Institute during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Last year, more than 5,400 people took advantage of McLaren’s free colorectal cancer screening program. The kits are suggested...$6.4M raised by business group for Detroit lighting
DETROIT — According to a report, the Southwest Detroit Business Association has stepped in with $6.4 million to help restore working street lights along a 2.3 mile thoroughfare on the city’s southwest side. The Association started the effort five years ago after learning Detroit officials weren’t planning for the street light work......