Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of “apartheid” crimes against Palestinians
April 27th, 20210 NEW YORK — On Tuesday, an international rights watchdog accused Israel of pursuing policies of apartheid and persecution against Palestinians — and against its own Arab minority — that amount to crimes against humanity. New York-based Human Rights Watch published a 213-page report, which it said was not aimed at comparing...
U.S. lifts outdoor mask guidelines for fully vaccinated people
April 27th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — With more than half of all adults in the U.S. now having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the U.S. government is allowing fully vaccinated people to safely engage in outdoor activities like walking and gathering without wearing masks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data...
Dingell, Tlaib introduce Arab American Heritage Month resolution in U.S. House
April 26th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) and Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn), introduced a resolution honoring Arab American Heritage Month, a celebration held in April to recognize the incredible contributions Arab Americans have made in the country. "As a strong, proud and unapologetically Arab American...
Report shows Muslim advocacy group received more than 6,000 complaints in past year
April 26th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has released a report detailing nationwide incidents of civil rights complaints by Muslim Americans that the group received over the past year. The 2021 report is named Resilience in the Face of Hate. The country’s “largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy...
New U.S. census data will show which states gain or lose House seats
April 26th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, the U.S. Census Bureau will release the data that determines whether states gain or lose congressional seats and Electoral College votes, setting the stage for a pitched battle over redistricting that could reshape political power in Washington for a decade. Under the U.S. Constitution, the 435 seats...
U.S. ends J&J COVID-19 vaccine pause; shots to resume immediately
April 24th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. can immediately resume use of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine, top health regulators said on Friday, ending a 10-day pause to investigate its link to extremely rare but potentially deadly blood clots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug...
Prosecutors expect at least 100 more arrests for U.S. Capitol riot
April 23rd, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Justice Department expects to charge at least 100 more people for taking part in the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, signaling prosecutors are far from finished investigating an attack that a judge on Thursday called an act of terrorism. "Over 400 individuals have been charged in connection with the...
Senate overwhelmingly passes bill to target hate crimes against Asian Americans
April 22nd, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill that targets hate crimes directed towards Asian Americans on Thursday. The legislation comes amid an increase in discrimination and violence against Asian communities in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officially titled the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, the...
House passes NO BAN act, seeking to limit presidential ability to impose discriminatory travel bans
April 21st, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, the U.S. House passed the NO BAN act, or H.R. 1333, which would limit presidents’ authority to suspend or restrict people from entering the country. The act also prohibits religious discrimination in various immigration-related decisions, such as whether to issue an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa,...
Derek Chauvin found guilty of all charges in the death of George Floyd
April 20th, 20210 MINNEAPOLIS — Former police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of all charges in the death of George Floyd last May. The 12 jurors found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death on May 25. Floyd died after Chauvin had knelt on his neck...
U.S. continues vaccinations at “accelerated pace”, but cases, hospitalization still up
April 20th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Though increased vaccination efforts in the U.S. continue giving hope, some parts of the county are still in the grip of COVID-19 surges, hospitalizations and deaths. Public health officials say there are several factors for the continuing surge, even though COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to Americans’...
Metro Detroit Arab community struggles to assess COVID impact due to “White” census classification
April 17th, 20210 Since Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency last March, Dr. Zafar Shamoon, chief of emergency services at Beaumont Hospital-Dearborn, has witnessed first-hand the precariously rising cases of COVID-19 in the community. “Dearborn has been hit very hard," Shamoon told The Arab American News. "This is one of the busiest, if...
Officer charged with second-degree manslaughter in Daunte Wright killing
April 14th, 20210 BROOKLYN CENTER, MN — The police officer who authorities say shot and killed Daunte Wright after a traffic stop has been arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter. The officer, Kim Potter, resigned earlier this week and is now being charged in the shooting death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright. At the time of the...
Biden announces plan to end America’s 20-year military presence in Afghanistan
April 14th, 20210 WASHINGTON D.C. — In an address to the nation on Wednesday, President Biden announced his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11. "It is time to end America’s longest war," he said. "It is time for American troops to come home." By doing so, this will end America’s military involvement in the country on...
CDC advisers delay decision on J&J vaccine pause
April 14th, 20210 Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) met Wednesday to review blood clot cases among people who received the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine. But the committee of experts declined to vote on whether use of the vaccine should resume, meaning the "pause" on the vaccine's use will remain at......
Michigan “pauses” J&J COVID vaccine over clot reports, CDC and FDA recommendations
April 13th, 20210 WASHINGTON D.C. — In a joint statement, the CDC and FDA announced the recommendation of a “pause” on using the single-dose Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine. The agencies are investigating unusual blood clots in six women that occurred from six to 13 days after being vaccinated. The clots occurred in veins...
Dr. Maya Hammoud elected at-large member of NBME Executive Board
April 10th, 20210 Dr. Maya Hammoud has been elected as an at-large member of the National Board of Medical Examiners' Executive Board. Hammoud, originally from Dearborn, has chaired the NBME’s International Foundations of Medicine® (IFOM®) Committee since 2016 and currently serves on the International Oversight Committee. The NBME is a leading...
Cases surge in Michigan, but Biden administration reluctant to increase vaccines
April 8th, 20210 With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise to dangerous levels, Michigan officials have asked the Biden administration to increase supplies of life-savings vaccines, though a positive response has not come from the White House. On Thursday alone, Michigan recorded 7,819 new cases, pushing officials, including U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell...
U.S. restores assistance for Palestinians, to provide $235 million in aid
April 8th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C./WEST BANK — On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced it would provide $235 million in U.S. aid to the Palestinians, restarting funding for the United Nations agency supporting refugees and restoring other assistance cut off by former President Trump. The package, including humanitarian, economic and......
Dingell calls on Biden administration to press Saudi Arabia to end Yemeni blockade
April 6th, 20210 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) joined Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) in leading 76 of their congressional colleagues to call for the Biden administration to publicly increase pressure on Saudi Arabia to lift the blockade on Yemen immediately, unilaterally and...
Activists stage hunger strike, rally in D.C. against the war on Yemen
April 6th, 20210 - From contributor Laura Albast Activists from the Yemeni Liberation Movement (YLM) and other organizations held a rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. They carried banners calling for an end to the U.S.-backed Saudi blockade on the embattled country. The five Michigan natives leading the action staged a......
Iran, world powers to discuss U.S. return to nuclear deal, compliance
April 3rd, 20210 PARIS – Officials from Iran, China, Russia, France, Germany and Britain met virtually on Friday to discuss a possible return of the United States to the 2015 nuclear deal, the European Union said in a statement on Thursday. The Biden administration has been seeking to engage Iran in talks about both sides resuming compliance with the...Appeals court rules “terror watchlist” doesn’t violate constitutional rights
April 2nd, 20210 A panel of appeals court judges ruled this week that the “terror watchlist” does not violate the constitutional rights of American citizens, even if they are not notified or allowed to defend themselves against the government’s underlying reason for adding their names to the list. The legal news website Law & Crime reported......
