Black lives should always matter: Delinking social justice from seasonal U.S. politics
October 10th, 20200 After viewing the first U.S. presidential debate on Sept. 29, one is left with no doubt about the degenerating political discourse among America’s ruling elites. Following the debate between President Trump and the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, most analyses focused mainly on the personal insults and name-calling,...
Biden receives major endorsement from Mid East experts, former ambassadors
October 8th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has gained a prominent endorsement from several diplomatic and policy experts on the Middle East. A substantial list of former ambassadors to Middle East and North African (MENA) nations, foreign policy advisors and Middle East affairs experts have signed on to a letter,...
Trump, positive for COVID-19, says won’t participate in virtual debate
October 8th, 20200 WASHINGTON (REUTERS) — President Trump said on Thursday he would not participate in a virtual debate, throwing into doubt the second presidential debate between Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, scheduled for Oct. 15. His words came moments after the commission that oversees the debates said the event would be conducted...
Trump plays down COVID-19, ends relief negotiations with Dems
October 6th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — After being treated for COVID-19 himself, President Trump downplayed the virus over social media and announced he was breaking off talks with Democrats on an economic aid package that could provide relief to millions of Americans in a pandemic-hit economy. Trump was discharged from Walter Reed National Medical...
More than 4 million Americans have already voted, suggesting record turnout
October 6th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. (REUTERS) — Americans are rushing to cast ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 election at an unprecedented pace, early voting numbers show, indicating a possible record turnout for the showdown between President Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. With four weeks to go before Election Day, more than 4 million...
New poll shows increased Muslim political engagement; similarities with Americans along racial lines
October 4th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) published its fifth annual poll, analyzing attitudes and policy preferences on issues concerning American Muslims across faith and non-faith groups. The American Muslim Poll 2020: Amid Pandemic and Protest covers important issues such as Muslim...
Worries behind the scenes at White House after Trump COVID diagnosis
October 3rd, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. - White House officials sought to project an air of business as usual on Friday despite President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis, but aides privately expressed concern about the presidential election and showed signs of rising worry about the coronavirus. “The business of government continues,” economic adviser...
Abdul El-Sayed has a message about President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis
October 2nd, 20200 Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has a message about President Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis. Trump announced he and his wife Melania are positive for COVID-19 early Friday morning on Twitter. Donald Trump has the best healthcare in the world as he faces COVID-19. But we should remember this right now, he’s trying to take away health care entirely...
House passes updated Heroes Act, Dingell-led priorities included in bill
October 2nd, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in support of updated legislation to address the continued COVID-19 public health crisis and provide desperately needed support for struggling families and essential workers. The package includes funds for testing and tracing measures, support for frontline...
Donald and Melania Trump test positive for COVID-19
October 2nd, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. (REUTERS) – On Friday, President Trump said that he and his wife, Melania, had tested positive for COVID-19 and were going into quarantine, upending the race for the White House. “We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” the president said in a late...
Supreme Court to hear case of American Muslims placed on no-fly list for refusing to spy
October 1st, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, October 6, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m, the United States Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the case of Tanvir v. Tanzin. Tanvir v. Tanzin is a lawsuit filed on behalf of American Muslim men who were added to the no-fly list by the FBI in retaliation for refusing to spy on their religious...
U.S. intelligence reports warn of extremist threat around election
September 29th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. (REUTERS) — U.S. security officials are warning that violent domestic extremists pose a threat to the presidential election next month, amid what one official called a “witch’s brew” of rising political tensions, civil unrest and foreign disinformation campaigns. FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security...
Scams flourish while economic desperation rises amid pandemic
September 27th, 20200 With the rise in unemployment and general economic insecurity brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state authorities have been tracking increased instances of consumer scams. Adding to an already tragic situation, scammers prey on the desperation of those whose means of living are halted by mass economic shut-downs all...
As Trump names his next Supreme Court nominee, focus shifts toward Senate
September 26th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. (REUTERS) — On Saturday, President Trump plans to name conservative appellate judge Amy Coney Barrett as his third U.S. Supreme Court appointment, setting off a scramble in the Republican-led Senate to confirm her before Election Day in 5-1/2 weeks. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made confirming...
Anti-racism protests in Louisville resume amid tensions over Breonna Taylor ruling
September 25th, 20200 LOUISVILLE (REUTERS) — Louisville braced for a second night of unrest on Thursday after two policemen were shot and wounded during protests over a grand jury’s decision not to bring homicide charges against any of the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor. Police Chief Robert Schroeder, whose department has been......
Whitmer and NY Governor Cuomo call for congressional investigation into Trump’s pandemic response
September 24th, 20200 LANSING — Governor Whitmer has joined New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in calling for a Congressional oversight investigation into the Trump administration’s politicization of the U.S. government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pair say the administration has impeded the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The...
How do Democrats and Republicans differ on Palestine and Israel?
September 23rd, 20200 The polarized nature of American politics often makes it difficult to address fundamental differences between the country’s two main political rivals, Republicans and Democrats. As each side is intent on discrediting the other at every opportunity, unbiased information regarding the two parties’ actual stances on internal and......
Kentucky grand jury finds use of force in Breonna Taylor’s death justified
September 23rd, 20200 LOUISVILLE (REUTERS) — Two White police officers who fired into the apartment of Breonna Taylor, a Black medical worker, will face no charges for her death because their use of force was justified, but a third will be charged with the wanton endangerment of her neighbors, the state attorney general said on Wednesday. Attorney...
Young Arab American gets fired after stopping purse snatcher who stole from elderly woman
September 22nd, 20200 VERMONT — Amir Shedyak, 20, a four-year employee of an Essex supermarket, stopped a thief who was stealing a woman’s purse. His reward: Being fired by his employer. Shedyak is a volunteer firefighter and was once the Hannaford Supermarket’s employee-of-the-month. He was beginning his shift when a man approached him and said an...
U.S. surpasses grim milestone of 200,000 COVID-19 deaths
September 22nd, 20200 (REUTERS) — The death toll from the spread of the coronavirus in the United States exceeded 200,000 on Tuesday, by the far the highest number of any nation. The United States, on a weekly average, is now losing about 800 lives each day to the virus, according to a Reuters tally. That is down from a peak of 2,806 daily deaths...
Trump says he will announce U.S. Supreme Court nominee Friday or Saturday
September 21st, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump said on Monday he is looking at four or five jurists to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court and he will announce his nominee on Friday or Saturday. Trump pushed ahead with plans for his third U.S. Supreme Court nomination, which would cement a 6-3 conservative majority,......
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passes away at 87
September 18th, 20200 WASHINGTON DC — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Friday at 87-years-old from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer, the Supreme Court announced. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said in a statement that she will always be remembered. “Our nation has lost a jurist of historic stature,” he said. “We at the...
Local activists react to U.S backed normalization treaties struck between UAE, Bahrain and Israel
September 18th, 20200 DEARBORN — So-called “peace agreements” between two Arab countries, the UAE and Bahrain, with Israel were signed on Tuesday, in a ceremony at the White House hosted by President Trump. The normalization efforts between governments of the two Arab countries and Israel carried little consent from the people of those nations and......
Former model accuses Donald Trump of sexual assault
September 17th, 20200 WASHINGTON DC — Amy Dorris, a former model, has come forward to accuse President Trump of sexual assault. The encounter reportedly happened at the 1997 U.S. Open tennis tournament on Sept. 5, 1997 in New York. Dorris alleged that Trump accosted her outside the bathroom in his VIP box at the event. Dorris, who was 24 years...
Twitter places warning label on Trump tweet about voting by mail
September 17th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. (REUTERS) — On Thursday, Twitter Inc placed a warning label on a tweet by President Trump, saying his post included potentially misleading information about the mail-in voting process. “Because of the new and unprecedented massive amount of unsolicited ballots which will be sent to 'voters', or wherever, this year,......
