Lebanon: Hariri forms new government, vows bold reforms
January 31st, 20190 BEIRUT - Lebanon formed a new national unity government on Thursday, ending nine months of wrangling, and Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said bold moves were needed without delay to address chronic problems facing the heavily indebted state. This cabinet of Hariri, who has Western backing, includes most parties including the Hezbollah...
Tigers outfielder Mikie Mahtook receives surprise from Arab American National Museum
January 31st, 20190 DEARBORN — While Latin American and other players from ethnic minorities have thrived in Detroit Tigers uniforms, the city's beloved major league baseball franchise hasn't seen many Arab American ballplayers. Current outfielder Mikie Mahtook broke the trend after arriving in 2017, however. He has played in nearly 200 games over the...
James Heath appointed to Corporation Counsel for Wayne County
January 31st, 20190 DETROIT — The Wayne County Board of Commissioners officially approved the appointment of new Corporation Counsel James Heath on Wednesday, January 30. Heath is the successor to Zenna Faraj Elhasan, who is now the lead counsel for the Kresge Foundation. The Department of Corporation Counsel provides legal representation, advice...
Feds used fake Michigan university in elaborate sting operation to identify illegal immigrants
January 30th, 20190 DETROIT — Federal agents have been using a fake university located in Farmington Hills to help find undocumented immigrants allegedly scamming the system to become United States citizens, an unsealed federal indictment said. The sting operations took place from February 2017 until earlier this month, during which undercover agents...
Fresh fruit recalled for possible Listeria
January 30th, 20190 YONKERS, NY - Jac. Vandenberg, Inc. recalled fresh fruit due to Listeria concerns. The corporation in Yonkers, New York, is recalling 1,727 cartons of fresh peaches, 1,207 cartons of fresh nectarines and 365 cartons of fresh plums possibly contaminated with Listeria monocytogenenes. Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal...
Wayne County closes all non-essential service locations due to extreme temperatures
January 30th, 20190 WAYNE COUNTY, MI – Due to the upcoming below-zero temperatures and extreme wind-chill factors, Wayne County offices will close except for essential services. County offices will be closed on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, and Thursday, January 31, 2019. Those with appointments may call and reschedule when offices re-open on Friday,...Gov. Whitmer declares state of emergency, shares list of 8 tips to stay safe during extreme cold
January 29th, 20190 LANSING — Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an order declaring a state of emergency in Michigan on Monday night, helping to address threats to public safety and health related to extremely cold winter temperatures in the next few days. “Keeping Michiganders safe during this stretch of dangerously cold temperatures is our...
Senate advances controversial Combating BDS bill, Michigan senators’ votes split
January 29th, 20190 WASHINGTON — The United States Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill that would give states the power to pass laws banning business with supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel, advancing the bill known as S.1. The final tally was 74-19 in favor of the bill, which also codifies...
Muslim doctors open completely free clinic to serve the poor in Toledo, Ohio area
January 28th, 20190 HOLLAND, OH — A group of Muslim doctors in Holland, Ohio (near Toledo) has opened a new clinic providing free medical services to people of all faiths, the Toledo Blade reported last week. The clinic was founded to serve the local community, providing services for everyone including the 25,000-plus people in Lucas County, Ohio who...
Michigan State House passes budget for Henry Ford College renovation
January 26th, 20190 LANSING— Michigan’s House of Representatives passed a supplemental budget last week to fund an Entrepreneur and Innovation Institute and Technology Building Renovation and Addition Project at Henry Ford College with $6.7 million. “I had the privilege of attending Henry Ford College for years as a dual enrollment student, and...
Suffolk County Police Department mourns loss of Arab American officer
January 26th, 20190 SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY— The Suffolk County Police Department is mourning the loss of officer Fadi Rafeh, who died unexpectedly January 20. Officer Rafeh took the oath of the academy in June 2010 and served the residents of the Fifth Precinct his entire career. He worked first in patrol, primarily in Patchogue and Bellport, and...
Arab American named best salesman in America for Empire Today
January 26th, 20190 HOUSTON – The successes of members of the Arab American community are expanding from the political and the scientific fields to sales and entrepreneurship, among many other areas. Patience and insight guided the vision of Ali Hodroj, a child of the border town of Hunin between Lebanon and Palestine, who was named the best salesman in...
Important tips on staying safe and healthy this winter
January 26th, 20190 Winter can be a hazardous time of year. Frigid temperatures and slick roads can be dangerous. Being prepared will help you and your family remain safe this winter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide a number of winter safety tips to help you prepare for freezing temperatures and prevent injuries and illness....
Banks and credit unions offer government workers loans amid shutdown
January 25th, 20190 A month into the partial government shutdown, tens of thousands of government workers are relying on special programs from banks and credit unions to stay financially solvent. Senior Vice President Tynika Wilson of Navy Federal Credit Union said about 16,000 federal workers – including many workers for the Coast Guard and Department...
Michigan Muslims provide meals, gas and grocery vouchers to federal workers and families
January 25th, 20190 ROYAL OAK, Michigan— The Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC) is providing dinners, grocery vouchers and gas cards to all federal workers who are not being paid in an effort to reduce the difficulties caused by the government shutdown. The MMCC will be kicking off this effort on Friday, Jan. 25 at Detroit Metro Airport by providing......
Arab American elementary student visits Lansing as legislator for the day
January 25th, 20190 LANSING — State Rep. Abdallah Hammoud invited 9-year-old Mahdi Nassrallah to be a legislator for the day at his office and the capitol building in Lansing on Thursday, January 10. Mahdi, a fourth grade student at Haigh Elementary in Dearborn, presented Hammoud with his ideas to help the environment in Michigan, which included wind...
Residential properties in Detroit see values increase
January 25th, 20190 DETROIT — Mayor Mike Duggan announced Tuesday that in 2018 residential property values increased in more than 90 percent of Detroit’s 194 neighborhoods. He said it's a sign that revitalization efforts are impacting more areas of the city. "I always thought that we would see double-digit increases,” Duggan said Tuesday during...
Rashida Tlaib’s tweets accuse right wing media of attacking her sister
January 25th, 20190 WASHINGTON D.C. – On twitter U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) criticized what she characterized as "right-wing media" harassment of her sister on Tuesday. The posts did not name any media outlets or the exact nature of what occurred. In the first post, Tlaib posted a photo of her sister and her sister's children with a...
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans discusses financial turnaround, diversity and infrastructure
January 24th, 20190 DEARBORN — With more than 1.7 million people represented as of 2017, Wayne County is the largest in Michigan, and the man in charge of overseeing it all is Warren Evans. Evans was re-elected to the county's top position in November and has used his platform to focus on a wide variety of tasks ranging from quality of life to......
Michigan ranks dead last in school funding growth, study finds
January 24th, 20190 LANSING — According to a new study the state of Michigan has allocated less than any other state on education spending growth over the past 20 years, in large part because of tax cuts. That was the key takeaway of Michigan State University researchers, who found that school revenue was 82 percent of its 1995 totals, a decline...
Three communities and an auto tycoon: How Henry Ford created modern day Dearborn
January 24th, 20190 DEARBORN — One day in the summer of 1915, Henry Ford and his top lieutenants gathered at a spot near Miller Road and the Rouge River to survey the flat farmland and talk about the future. Ford, whose huge Highland Park plant was producing his world-changing Model T automobile on a revolutionary assembly line by workers earning the......
Three men indicted for alleged $88 million money laundering scheme to Yemen and China
January 24th, 20190 DETROIT — A grand jury from the U.S. Eastern District Court indicted three men for an alleged international, cash-delivery scheme in Metro Detroit that funneled $88 million to recipients in China, Yemen and other countries. Two of the men, Fahd Samaha, 45, and Maged Alsabahi, 29, ran the alleged scheme from 2013 through 2015,...
Community mourns loss of beloved Lebanese American journalist Mohamed Jaber
January 23rd, 20190 DEARBORN — Known for his gregarious personality and ever-present smile, Mohamed Jaber left an indelible impact on the communities in which he lived, from Michigan to his native Lebanon. A family man, award-winning journalist and founder of the local Assabeel magazine, Jaber died this past Monday due to complications from......
