Arab American candidate Abbas Alawieh has announced that he’s running to become the next state senator in District 2. The newly drawn district includes Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and parts of Allen Park and Detroit. 

Alawieh says he is running to uplift people’s voices. 

“I want to become a state senator that wields the power of a movement of people that will come together around this campaign to say, hey, District 2 is here to play.  We’re going to show up with our values, with our leverage, with our people power.” 

Alawieh previously worked on Capitol Hill for U.S. Representatives Andy Levin and Rashida Tlaib. He also served as chief of staff to Congresswoman Cori Bush. 

Alawieh also co-founded the Uncommitted National Movement, which aimed to pressure then Presidential candidate Kamala Harris to address U.S. policy on the war in Gaza. 

Additional headlines from Monday, December 15, 2025

Inaugural Rising Voices Artist & Creatives Cohort

The Asian American civic engagement nonprofit Rising Voices has launched a new project. 

The Rising Voices Artist & Creatives Cohort will sponsor four emerging creatives next year. Each artist will receive $2500 and a mentorship to create pieces for a gallery exhibition in July. The theme will be “Revolution, Resistance & Joy.” 

The deadline to submit an application is Feb. 1. Winning artists will be announced in March, with work time between April and June. 

Dearborn bus safety

The City of Dearborn and the Dearborn Public Schools unveiled a new bus safety program today. The program detects and penalizes drivers who illegally pass school buses.

About 40 million drivers in the U.S. illegally pass bus stops annually, leading to 2,200 violations.

School buses in the city will be equipped with “BusPatrol” technology which uses stop-arm enforcement cameras to record violations and report them to the Dearborn Police Department.

The new features are part of an effort to increase traffic patrols and educate the public about how to keep children safe as they’re getting on and off school buses. 

Hospitals make a call on vaccines

Several Michigan hospital systems reportedly plan to disregard federal recommendations and continue giving infants the hepatitis B vaccine. 

A federal advisory panel said earlier this month that doctors should wait to vaccinate babies against hepatitis B unless their mother tested positive for the disease. 

Health experts warn that will lead to an increase in childhood liver disease. Evidence shows giving newborns the vaccine early is safe and has drastically reduced hepatitis B in kids. 

The Detroit Free Press reports that Corewell, Henry Ford, McLaren, Munson and the University of Michigan health systems will continue to give the vaccine to children within the first day after they are born. 

Reporting by Quinn Klinefelter and Pat Batcheller 

Warming centers

The City of Detroit has opened warming centers to help residents escape the bitter cold. City officials say residents can escape the frigid conditions during the day at Detroit’s recreation centers and public library branches. Overnight shelter is also available. 

Those in need should call the Detroit Housing Resource Help Line for assistance at 866-313-2520 or online at detroitmi.gov. 

People can also go to a Detroit police precinct. 

Weather forecasters say the potentially life-threatening sub-zero wind chills are expected to abate later this week. 

Reporting by Quinn Klinefelter

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The City of Detroit is activating warming centers in response to the extreme cold weather forecasted this weekend. The City has also declared a cold weather health emergency and is advising residents to remain safe.

One of the warming centers is the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries on 13130 Woodard Ave. They are opening Friday, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. through Tuesday Dec. 16 at 9 a.m. Residents in need can access the temporary overnight stand by shelter anytime by walking in without any referrals.

You could also call the Detroit Housing Resource Help Line at 866-313-2520 which is operating 24/7 during this health emergency.

For more information on helpline resources, respite locations and other warming centers go to detroitmi.gov.

Additional headlines from Friday, December 12, 2025

Former Michigan coach faces criminal charges

Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore will be arraigned in court Friday on stalking and home invasion charges.

This happened just days after the shocking news of his firing from the Wolverines program over allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

According to prosecutors, he faces charges of home invasion in the third degree, stalking and breaking and entering or entering without breaking.

The judge has agreed to a $25,000 cash surety bond, continuation of mental health treatment and a GPS tether for Moore, making it clear that any contact with the alleged victim would be a violation of the terms of his bail.

Sports

NFL

The Detroit Lions have a reunion with former QB Matthew Stafford as they face the Los Angels Rams. If the Lions win on Sunday they will have a 72% chance of making it to the playoffs. If they lose, their chances drop to 42% according to NFL research. Kickoff is at 4:25 p.m. EST as SoFi Stadium.

NBA

The Pistons face the Atlanta Hawks today at Little Caesars Arena. The hometown heroes are currently number one in the Eastern Conference. 

Tip off for Friday’s game is at 7:00 p.m.

NHL

The Red Wings face the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday Dec. 13 at the United Center. The game starts at 8 p.m.

Chris Webber hosts basketball showcase

And this Saturday, NBA Hall of famer, Detroit native and former Pistons during the 2007 Chris Webber, is hosting his Michigan basketball showcase this weekend.

Basketball fans across the state will gather at the University of Detroit Mercy’s historic Calihan Hall arena to witness the top girls and boys high school teams in Michigan.

The boys event will be on Saturday Dec. 13 at noon and Sunday Dec. 14 at 4:30 p.m. The girls event will be Sunday at noon. For more information go to udmercy.edu.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Detroit rapper Big Sean and music legend Usher are partnering to invest in a new $1 million entertainment production facility for Detroit youth. It will be called the Detroit Entertainment Innovation Incubator and will be located inside the new Boys and Girls Club at Michigan Central.

The program will give young people from the ages of 14 to 24 access to a virtual production studio, special effects lab, creators lounge and more.

Both artists grew up going to Boys and Girls Clubs and are looking to give back with this effort. The new Boys and Girls Club location is slated to officially open with a ribbon cutting ceremony in February according to a statement from representatives.

Additional headlines from Friday, December 5, 2025

Respite centers

As the weather drops, the city is reminding Detroiters in need that there are respite centers available. Recreation centers and public libraries serve as respite centers during their regular operating hours.

Some of the locations open this weekend include the Coleman A young Recreation Center at 2751 Robert Bradby, the Kemeny Recreation Center at 2260 S. Fort and the Bowen Branch of the Detroit Public Library at 3648 Vernor Hwy.

For more locations and more information go to detroitmi.gov.

City seeks sculptor

The city of Detroit is looking for someone to sculpt a second statue of Joe Louis that honors his achievements outside the boxing ring.

Officials already unveiled the first statue celebrating the Brown Bomber’s contributions to golf. He was the first amateur Black golfer to play in a PGA-sanctioned event.

The new statue will pay tribute to his impact on equestrian sports. Louis bought a horse farm in Shelby Township in 1939 and created the nation’s first horse show featuring Black riders and trainers.

Mahmood sues to count disqualified Hamtramck ballots

In Hamtramck mayoral candidate Adam Alharbi was deemed the winner by 11 votes after a recount this week. But the race may not be over yet. Alharbi’s opponent Muith Mahmood filed a lawsuit arguing that the city should count all 37 votes that were disqualified.

The ballots were found improperly stored in the City Clerk’s office and were excluded from the final count after the Wayne County Board of Canvassers deadlocked on the issue.

Former Michigan state elections director Chris Thomas says although there is a security concern about how the ballots were handled Hamtramck residents should not be penalized. “Apparently these envelopes were received, their date, time and date stamped. The signatures were compared and found to be valid. So these voters have been disenfranchised, so there’s no question about that. And the question before the court is, what are you going to do for these voters?”

Another hearing is scheduled to settle the issue.

Sports

NFL

The Lions bounce back from their Thanksgiving loss with a win against the Dallas Cowboys last night with the score of 44-30. The Lions haven’t had back-to-back losses since the 2022 season and now tie the all-time NFL record with 15 Straight wins after a loss.

They look to continue their playoff hopes as they face the Rams on Sunday December 14th.

NBA

The Pistons have back to back matchups as they face the Portland Trail Blazers today at 7:30pm and the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Both games will be at Little Caesars Arena.

NHL

And the Red Wings fell to The Columbus Blue Jackets last night with a 6-5 loss. They hope to bounce back against the Seattle Krakens tomorrow at Climate Pledge Arena. Game starts at 10:00 p.m. EST.

Merry Midtown

Tomorrow the city will be merry with the first ever Merry Midtown event. There will be dining and shopping experiences, Santa sightings, Christmas music, a roaming photo booth and more.

For more information go to citybirddetroit.com.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.