Americans have the right to hear from the leader of BDS movement
April 19th, 20190 I awakened early Wednesday to listen to a voicemail message from Omar Barghouti, a leading member of the Palestinian movement to Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) Israel. In the message, Omar told me that he was at Ben Gurion Airport and despite holding a valid U.S. visa and a boarding pass for his flight to Washington, D.C., the...
State Representative Abdullah Hammoud to receive Distinguished Service Award at HFC commencement ceremony
April 18th, 20190 Dearborn, Mich. — The 2019 Henry Ford College (HFC) Distinguished Service Award will be presented to State Representative Abdullah Hammoud at the afternoon commencement ceremony, Saturday, May 4. The ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, located at 15801 Michigan Ave. in...
U.S. official: Washington will not remove Sudan from terror list while military rules
April 18th, 20190 WASHINGTON - The United States will not remove Sudan from the state sponsor of terrorism list until the country’s leadership and policies change and the military no longer holds power, a U.S. official said on Tuesday. “We will be willing to look at removing Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism if there is...
Trump vetoes congressional resolution to end U.S. support of Saudi-led war on Yemen
April 16th, 20190 WASHINGTON, D.C. —President Trump has vetoed a resolution previously passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives that sought to end U.S. involvement with the Saudi Arabia-led war with Yemen. “This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of...
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement co-founder denied entry by U.S. government
April 12th, 20190 Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israeli financial interests, has been denied entry to the United States after airline staff informed him he wouldn't be flying. Barghouti was at Ben Gurion International Airport on Wednesday when he was told by U.S....
Pardoning Assange would be the first step back toward rule of law
April 12th, 20190 On April 11, the ongoing saga of journalist and transparency activist Julian Assange took a dangerous turn. Ecuador's president, Lenin Moreno, revoked his asylum in that country's London embassy. British police immediately arrested him — supposedly pursuant to his "crime" of jumping bail on an invalid arrest warrant in an investigation...
Trump congratulates Netanyahu: “U.S. with you and Israel all the way!”
April 12th, 20190 WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to congratulate him on his re-election, and Netanyahu said he thanked his ally for “tremendous support for Israel.” Netanyahu tweeted that Trump had called him from Air Force One. The president was on a flight to Texas. Netanyahu...
Stabenow and Peters cosponsor NO BAN act to repeal Muslim ban
April 12th, 20190 WASHINGTON D.C. — Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) cosponsors of the National Origin-Based Anti-discrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act. The bill, introduced on April 10, repeals the three versions of President Trump’s Muslim ban and intends to clarify and strengthen the Immigrant and Nationality...
Abbas family relatives sue Kentucky bars for over-serving drunk driver before fatal crash
April 12th, 20190 NORTHVILLE, MI - Relatives of the Abbas family of Northville filed a wrongful death lawsuit this past Wednesday against two Kentucky bars, saying that they over-served drunk driver Joey Lee Bailey leading to a fatal wrong-way collision this past January 6 that took the lives of all five family members. Following the announcement, The...
Reuters: Egypt withdraws from U.S.-led anti-Iran security initiative
April 12th, 20190 RIYADH/WASHINGTON, DC — Egypt has pulled out of the U.S. effort to forge an “Arab NATO” with key Arab allies, according to four sources familiar with the decision, in a blow to the Trump administration’s strategy to contain Iranian power. Egypt conveyed its decision to the United States and other participants in the proposed...
Two Homeland Security officials resign within days of each other amid DHS overhaul
April 12th, 20190 WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, outgoing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the resignation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Ron Vitiello, just days after her own. Nielsen resigned on Sunday after President Trump declared that he would look for “tougher” candidates to head the...
State Dept. warns Americans of kidnapping risk: Lebanon among other Arab states on the list
April 11th, 20190 WASHINGTON, DC - Due to the increased risk of American citizen abductions, the U.S. State Department has updated its travel advisories for 35 countries, with a new indicator to highlight the risk of kidnapping and hostage taking. Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen and Libya are the Arab states on the list. The...
Muslim soldier suing U.S. Army alleges she was called a terrorist and forced to remove her hijab
April 5th, 20190 A Muslim American soldier named Cesilia Valdovinos has announced she will be suing the United States Army after her command sergeant major allegedly forced her to take off her hijab in front of her colleagues. She also said she was called a terrorist, “ISIS” and that she was “the reason why 9/11 happened” during her service,...
U.S. senators seek details on nuclear power cooperation with Saudi Arabia
April 5th, 20190 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, U.S. senators from both parties asked Energy Secretary Rick Perry for details about recent approvals for companies to share nuclear energy information with Saudi Arabia, with the lawmakers expressing concern about possible development of atomic weapons. Saudi Arabia has engaged in “many deeply...
U.S. House rebukes Trump on Saudi Arabia, backs measure to end Yemen involvement
April 5th, 20190 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution on Thursday that would end all U.S. involvement with the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in the war in Yemen, rebuffing President Trump’s policy of continued support for the kingdom. As the resolution had already passed the Senate, the vote in the Democratic-led......
Four Americans of Lebanese heritage to be honored for achievements at ATFL gala
April 5th, 20190 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Celebrating 30 years of strengthening the American-Lebanese relationship, the American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL) will honor four exceptional American leaders of Lebanese heritage who have made significant contributions in their fields at its annual Gala Awards Night held April 10 at the Fairmont Hotel in...
Rep. Tlaib proposes legislation to block use of consumer credit scores in auto insurance rates
April 4th, 20190 WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) introduced new legislation in Congress that would block insurers from factoring in consumers' credit history to set auto rates. She said credit scores have nothing to do with how people drive, resulting in discrimination against low-income consumers. "It's a new form of...
Historic victory in Chicago as city elects first-ever Black, female mayor
April 4th, 20190 CHICAGO — The third-most populous city in the United States elected its first Black, female mayor on Tuesday, as Lori Lightfoot beat out Toni Preckwinkle, who is also an African American woman. A former U.S. assistant attorney, Lightfoot, 56, will also become the first lesbian mayor in the history of the Windy City. “Together,...
Israeli elections: Bibi channels Trump
April 3rd, 20190 TEL AVIV — As Israel's April 9 elections approaches with a possible indictment on corruption charges, Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu's advisers are channeling President Trump's use of social media to sway the opinions of millions of his social media followers. His young campaign advisers are sending out a steady supply of......
U.S. Census to collect responses in Arabic for first time ever, among 13 other languages
April 3rd, 20190 SUITLAND, MD — Arabic speakers will be allowed to submit responses to the 2020 U.S. Census in their native language for the first time ever, along with speakers of 13 other languages. The federal government announced that it will begin collecting the responses as part of the next head count, along with French, Haitian Creole,...
Political and policy skills are merging
April 2nd, 20190 Here’s a surprise: The skills that can be used to win in politics are increasingly the skills needed to produce good policy. I know. You look at the policy stalemates in Washington and wonder how this could be. The people who arrived there by winning elections haven’t shown much in the way of policy-making prowess. But let me......
Office Depot computer scans gave fake results
April 2nd, 20190 Most of us manage basic computer safety on our own. We keep security software and firewalls up to date and ignore pesky pop-up ads about computer health. Many of us would gladly take advantage of a free computer tune-up from a big-name retailer. We wouldn’t suspect the tune-up might be a tech support scam. But according to a recent...
Presidential candidate Booker reveals shockingly close ties with AIPAC in newly leaked recording
April 1st, 20190 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Presidential candidate Cory Booker has been revealed as a strong supporter of the American-Israel Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as well as controversial anti-BDS legislation, according to a leaked recording obtained by The Intercept. During the recording, which was confirmed by a spokesperson from the Booker......
