May 20th, 20200LANSING — Earlier this week, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Robert Gordon signed an emergency order allowing for civil fines of up to $1,000 for violations of various COVID-19 executive orders for businesses that operate under licenses.
The new order reinforces Governor Whitmer’s various...
May 19th, 20200DEARBORN — The Arab American News has received a letter from an inmate in a Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) facility, describing the conditions in his prison and prisons in the state's system at large. The COVID-19 pandemic poses a further challenge for prisoners and has added a layer of risk to their day-to-day existence...
May 19th, 20200DEARBORN — For those in need of food during this economically trying time, the Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC) will be holding a COVID-19 food drive on Wednesday, May 20, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., in which food baskets will be distributed to families.
This "Pandemic Assistance Program" will be launched at the Muslim American...
May 19th, 20200DEARBORN — Many in the state may have heard of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. Michiganders voted to create the commission in 2018 to give citizens exclusive power over the drawing of district boundaries for the Michigan Senate and House, and the U.S. Congress, every 10 years.
This means that 13...
May 19th, 20200DETROIT — Starting Wednesday, drive-through testing at Detroit's State Fairgrounds is now available to any and all Detroit residents, even those not showing COVID-19 symptoms. The city's Health Department Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair announced the change on Monday.
There is no charge for the COVID-19 test and residents...
May 18th, 20200LANSING — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Service (MDHHS) and Governor Whitmer’s office announced today more state-wide funding through a federal low-income energy assistance program. Michigan has now been awarded $35 million in funding on top of the $162 million already secured by the state.
The funds go towards...
May 18th, 20200
LANSING — On Monday, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-92, allowing for the reopening of retail businesses, office work that cannot be done remotely and restaurants and bars with limited seating in two Michigan regions. The two regions are both in the northern part of the state—specifically, MERC regions six and...
May 17th, 20201WYANDOTTE — Wyandotte's city government announced the passing of Wyandotte Mayor Joe Peterson today.
"The city of Wyandotte is deeply saddened to announce the passing of our mayor, Joe Peterson," the city government posted on its Facebook page. "Mayor Peterson served the city in numerous capacities for many years and his love for...
May 17th, 20200WASHINGTON, D.C. – $315 million in federal funds will be awarded to the state of Michigan to expand its coronavirus testing operations, Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) announced this week. Peters and Stabenow were able to secure the funding as part of a $25 billion testing package for Michigan they fought to be...
May 15th, 20200LANSING - During a Friday new conference, Governor Whitmer today announced the creation of the Return to Learning Advisory Council via Executive Order 2020-88, formalizing a process for determining how schools may be able to reopen in the fall.
The panel – which will be comprised of students, parents, frontline educators,...
May 15th, 20200ROYAL OAK — The Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC) is organizing a televised celebration marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan on May 24 at 10 a.m., to be aired on the station WMYT, TV 20 Detroit (found on all local cable networks). This event will also be live-streamed on multiple social media platforms.
In accordance...
May 14th, 20200
LANSING — Governor Whitmer has temporarily extended protections for tenants and mobile home owners from being evicted from their homes during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The new order, signed Executive Order 2020-85, is effective until June 11.
“It’s critical Michiganders can self-quarantine and continue...
May 13th, 20200LANSING — Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced today some remarkable numbers. $5.62 billion in unemployment benefits have been paid to 1,374,751 workers since March 15, with a further total number of 1,717,555 claimants having applied for state and federal benefits.
The UIA marks March 15 as the “onset of the...
May 12th, 20200GENEVA — The World Health Organization’s Tedros Adhanom said on Monday that governments considering reopening their economies should have a plan to deal with a resurgence of COVID-19 cases. Adhanom, the director-general of the WHO, said that those countries gearing up to ease economic restrictions should consider whether the...
May 9th, 20200DETROIT— The reality of the global health crisis has brought with it a grave and unprecedented economic crisis in a few short months. In the U.S., state and federal bureaucracies, unemployment agencies and research institutes scramble to understand the breadth and magnitude of the effects of economic closures on both workers and...
May 7th, 20200DETROIT – The 1,000-bed TCF Center field hospital in the city's downtown is no longer caring for COVID-19 patients and is "officially closed down," Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Thursday.
At most, the care center inside the convention center cared for about 15 to 20 patients at any given time, the mayor said during an afternoon...
May 7th, 20200LANSING — On Thursday, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-77 to extend Michigan’s "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order to May 28. The governor’s order will allow manufacturing workers, including those at Michigan’s Big Three auto companies, to resume work on Monday, May 11 as part of her MI Safe Start Plan.
“This is...
May 6th, 20200
LANSING — On Wednesday, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-76, expediting the unemployment benefits process during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The most significant takeaway from this development: The state will now only look at an unemployed individual's most recent job separation, which is the cause of the...
May 6th, 20200While there have been multiple reports of Asian giant hornets attacking beehives in Washington, it will be years before they spread to the Midwest according to a board certified entomologist.
Dubbed “Murder Hornets” by researchers, the species has a venomous sting that can kill a human if they are stung several times.
The hornets...
May 4th, 20200LANSING — Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Robert Gordon issued an Emergency Order today that shortens the time frame hospitals and funeral directors have to contact individuals with authority over disposition of the body of a deceased individual and the amount of time that individual has to make a...
May 4th, 20200DEARBORN — Dearborn Public Schools has officially postponed high school graduations scheduled for early June and early college ceremonies set for May.
“As we continue to see encouraging signs that social distancing and other preventative measures ordered by the governor are making a difference in slowing the spread of COVID-19,...
May 1st, 20200
LANSING - Today, at a press conference with members from health care industry, business, and labor, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-70 as part of her "MI Safe Start" plan. The executive order will allow the May 7 resumption of some types of work that present a very low risk of infection, including construction,...
April 30th, 20201LANSING — On Thursday, after the Republican-controlled Michigan legislature all but declared victory in their battle to reopen the economy and effectively end Governor Whitmer’s emergency powers, Whitmer took swift and decisive action by signing four new executive orders to continue fighting COVID-19 and the save lives of...
April 30th, 20200LANSING — State officials are urging Michiganders to be look for help if they’re struggling to pay their utility bills by reaching out to their energy providers and seeking financial assistance if they’ve lost a job or their income has dropped amid the coronavirus pandemic.
State leaders encourage anyone facing financial...
April 29th, 20200LANSING — While the U.S. Department of Justice seeks probes into the constitutionality of lock-down orders in various states, including Michigan, Lansing announced on Wednesday a Michigan Court of Claims ruling that sided with Governor Whitmer, holding that the current “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order did not infringe upon...
April 29th, 20200
LANSING — On Wednesday, Governor Whitmer announced a series of initiatives to help Michigan workers and their families during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including the "Futures for Frontliners” program to provide a tuition-free pathway to college or a technical certificate to essential workers who don’t have a...
April 27th, 20200LANSING — On Monday, Governor Whitmer signaled her broad and long-term plan for the gradual reopening of the state’s economy. Strict isolation and shutdown measures have thus far proven markedly successful, as hospitals and county health department report plateauing numbers of COVID-19 related cases in Michigan.
Whitmer was...
April 23rd, 20200LANSING - The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has released tallies for benefits given out to unemployed workers in Michigan as a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak in the state. The UIA said it has provided an estimated 820,000 unemployed Michigan workers $1.37 billion in benefits, an unprecedented number. The agency...
