Michigan restaurant association sues health department
November 18th, 20200 LANSING — A Michigan restaurant advocacy group is one of three plaintiffs that have filed a lawsuit against the state health department over COVID-19 emergency orders. The lawsuit was filed in federal court by the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association and is seeking to overturn restrictions that will impact restaurants and...
FDA allows first rapid test at home; Pfizer to seek clearance for emergency use of vaccines
November 18th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Just as the FDA allowed an emergency use rapid at home COVID test, Pfizer announced that it was just days away from requesting emergency use of a vaccine. The announcement from the Food and Drug Administration to allow for rapid COVID testing at home will require a prescription and can be utilized on an emergency...
Wayne County Board of Canvassers certifies election results after initial deadlock
November 17th, 20200 WAYNE COUNTY — A source at the Michigan Secretary of State has informed The Arab American News that Wayne County has now certified its elections results, after two Republicans on the county's Board of Canvassers changed their earlier decision not to do so. Earlier Tuesday evening, the Wayne County Board of Canvassers was not able...
Residents returning to unemployment urged to reopen previous claims
November 17th, 20200 LANSING — Michigan workers who had returned to work after being on unemployment are urged to reopen their claims online if they are facing temporary unemployment again. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) released this information as the state’s COVID-19 restrictions are set to be tightened during a three week “pause”...
Cases against the “Wolverine Watchmen” continue in court
November 17th, 20200 LANSING — Attorney General Dana Nessel’s prosecution against the eight men facing domestic terrorism charges continued in court Friday with a bond hearing for two of the defendants. The charges against the men were put forward after they were found to be involved in an alleged plot to storm the state’s Capitol building and...
Permanent Injunction granted in lawsuit over CARES Act funding for schools
November 17th, 20200 LANSING — A lawsuit co-led by Attorney General Dana Nessel against U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is officially over. The lawsuit co-led by Nessel and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra was against DeVos and her attempt to divert millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funding from public schools. Judge James Donato...
Attorney General Nessel joins coalition pushing for scientific, medical research funding during COVID-19 pandemic
November 17th, 20200 LANSING — Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general urging scientific, medical research funding. In a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its National Institutes of Health (NIH), the attorneys general urge them to reject recent recommendations made by the Trump...
1,100 pages of Michigan election documents submitted per legally problematic legislative subpoena
November 17th, 20200 LANSING — Another legal challenge to Michigan elections this week meant Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was forced to hand over 1,100 pages of election-related documents due to a wide-ranging legislative subpoena. The subpoena was issued by the Senate and House Oversight committees, as part of an ongoing challenge by the Trump...
Police, other agencies, will enforce new COVID orders if needed
November 16th, 20200 DEARBORN — Michigan will begin its three-week “pause” on Wednesday, targeting in particular indoor gatherings around holidays and indoor dining and bar services to mitigate the sate's intense COVID-19 crisis. This statewide restrictions on certain activities was issued by the state’s Department of Health and Human Services...
85,000 essential workers apply for Futures for Frontliners scholarship
November 14th, 20200 LANSING — Since its launch, more than 80,000 essential workers have applied for the Futures for Frontliners scholarship. The Futures for Frontliners scholarship was an initiative put forward as a means of thanking essential workers and help Michigan meet the “Sixty by 30 goal.” The scholarship provides increased opportunity...
Dearborn Heights City Council passes resolution to allow treasurer to establish separate bank accounts
November 14th, 20200 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The City Council voted to pass a resolution to allow the city treasurer to establish separate bank accounts for restricted and corporate funds. The resolution was put forward by Councilwoman Lisa Hicks-Clayton, who was just elected city treasurer during the Nov. 3 election and comes after Mayor Daniel Paletko...
Schools returning to virtual learning amid spike in COVID-19 cases
November 13th, 20200 LANSING — With COVID cases reaching record daily highs, many schools are experiencing outbreaks and returning to virtual learning as a result. An outbreak is defined by the state as “two or more cases with a link by place and time indicating a shared exposure outside of a household.” The Michigan Department of Health and...
Councilman Perrotta removed as Hamtramck mayor pro tem
November 13th, 20200 HAMTRAMCK — By a 3-2 vote during Tuesday’s Hamtramck City Council meeting, the Council removed member Ian Perrotta from his position as mayor pro tem. Following the vote, Councilman Fadel Al-Marsoumi was appointed the city's new pro tem. The pro temp, or pro tempore, performs mayoral duties in the absence of its mayor, should the...
As COVID-19 cases rise, Gov. Whitmer addresses common mistakes people make, while hospital leaders assess the situation
November 13th, 20200 LANSING — Governor Whitmer held a press conference to address the state’s rising COVID-19 cases as the state is reaching record numbers of new cases daily. “We are in the worst part of this pandemic to date,” she said. “This is the moment medical experts have been warning about and dreading since the beginning of the...
Beaumont Health seeking participants for COVID vaccine study
November 12th, 20200 ROYAL OAK — Researchers at Beaumont Hospital are now enrolling patients in a national study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine, known as AZD1222, is being tested to determine its safety and effectiveness. Beaumont Department of Medicine Chair Dr. Christopher Carpenter said that Beaumont cared for the most patients......
Crestwood School Board votes to censure Trustee Salwa Fawaz for a second time
November 10th, 20200 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Having already censured Trustee Salwa Fawaz in September, the Crestwood School Board has voted to censure her again. The censure was put forward by Trustee Sue Kaminsky and supported by Secretary Nadia Berry, and was a result of comments made during an Oct. 28 meeting. On Oct. 28, the board met to approve...
Dearborn not delaying trash pick up and honors employees on Veteran’s Day; announce DAC reopening
November 10th, 20200 DEARBORN — With Veteran’s Day falling on Wednesday, Nov. 11, most city buildings will be closed in observance of the holiday. Despite most city buildings being closed Wednesday, trash and loose leaf pick up are not suspended for the day. The Dearborn Administrative Center (DAC) and all branches of the Dearborn Public Library......
MDHHS rolls out COVID-19 exposure alert app statewide
November 9th, 20200 LANSING — In an attempt to slow the increasing spread of COVID-19, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) have rolled out a COVID exposure app. The MI COVID Alert app is an anonymous, free and voluntary app originally piloted on Michigan State...
Michigan Judge denies Trump campaign’s requests in election lawsuit, issues opinion
November 6th, 20200 LANSING – Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens issued her opinion today in Trump v Benson, the lawsuit filed by the Trump campaign against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Stephens denied the campaign's request to stop vote counts and processing after she held a hearing and listened to arguments Thursday,...
Muslim orgs say Muslim vote impactful for Biden victory in Michigan, elsewhere
November 6th, 20200 MICHIGAN — Emgage Action, a Muslim civic advocacy organization, said Wednesday that it celebrated a high Muslim American voter turnout in Michigan, and that turnout was instrumental to former Vice President Joe Biden's victory in the state. According to the Emgage analyes, more than 81,000 Muslim American early and absentee votes...
Status quo in Wayne County and State Reps races, newcomers to universities’ boards
November 6th, 20200 DETROIT — With the votes counted from Tuesday’s election, incumbents and newcomers alike have reason to celebrate. A total of 867,409 voted in Wayne County this election season, 312,028 on Election Day and 555,381 by absentee ballots. Democrats garnered 421,596 votes, while Republicans received 143,979. Democratic presidential......
Hamtramck voters reject proposals to eliminate fire and police departments from charter
November 6th, 20200 HAMTRAMCK — A majority of Hamtramck voters said no to two proposals that would eliminate City Charter language that establishes and guarantees a fire and police department, and their chiefs. Proposals 1 and 2 had been hotly contested, dividing much of the city between those who see the departments as having an undue strain on the...
Dearborn Heights mayor requests forensic audit into the treasurer’s office
November 5th, 20200 DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Mayor Daniel Paletko has put forward a request for a forensic audit into the treasurer’s office. In the proposed agenda item put forward by Paletko for the next City Council meeting, he states the audit should be conducted for the last few months that acting treasurer Zouher Abdel-Hak has been in the......
Dearborn and Dearborn Heights election results
November 5th, 20200 COMMUNITY — With election results rolling in nationwide, winners have been announced in local elections in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. In Dearborn, Adel Mozip(14,356 votes), Irene Watts (12,781 votes) and Mary Petlichkoff (12,278 votes) were each elected to the full term seats on the Board of Education, with Patrick...
Trump loses legal battle to stop the count in Michigan
November 5th, 20200 LANSING — The campaign of President Trump lost a legal battle in Michigan, as Trump exceedingly claimed, without evidence, mass voter fraud perpetrated by Democrats in key battleground states following Tuesday’s election. On Thursday, a judge in Michigan tossed out a lawsuit brought by the campaign in hopes of halting vote......
