Latest news with #ArabAmerican
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
New Jersey US attorney post: Alina Habba or Desiree Leigh Grace? Justice department clash with federal judges over lawyers in contention
Alina Habba (File photo) vs Desiree Leigh Grace (Image credit: LinkedIn) The New Jersey US attorney's office was in embroiled in confusion and chaos on Tuesday when top Justice Department officials contested federal judges' appointment of a new US attorney. The federal judges dismissed Alina Habba's request to maintain her position and exercised their unusual authority to select Desiree Leigh Grace, an experienced prosecutor whom Habba had previously appointed as her first assistant in March. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a social media statement supporting Habba, announcing that Grace "has just been removed." Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, criticised the judges' actions, suggesting collusion with New Jersey's Democratic senators. Grace received notification of her termination via email on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the situation, according to New York Times. This swift series of events could escalate into another full-blown clash between the Trump administration and federal judiciary. The judges' ruling, following a private vote on Monday, challenged Trump's emphasis on loyalty within the Justice Department. Despite Grace's potential appointment requiring adherence to Washington's Justice officials, Tuesday's response indicated resistance to leadership not directly chosen by the president. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Shop Sale Libas Undo Chief Judge Renée Marie Bumb, a George W. Bush nominee, signed Grace's appointment order. After Grace's dismissal, Bumb's office stated "the court will have no comment." Who is Justice department backed Alina Habba? Grace's career in the Newark office began in 2016, progressing from acting chief of violent crimes in August 2020 to criminal division chief in March 2024. Habba, aged 41, served as one of President Trump's foremost legal allies, representing him in multiple high-profile civil and criminal cases. In 2023, she became counsel to Trump's Save America PAC and subsequently joined his inner circle as 'counsellor to the president.' Born in Summit, New Jersey, Habba graduated from Kent Place School in 2002. She obtained a bachelor's degree from Lehigh University and a law degree from Widener University Commonwealth Law School. Before working with Trump, she specialised in civil litigation and corporate law in private practice. Habba also clerked for Judge Eugene J Codey Jr. at the Civil Division of the Superior Court in Newark and was formerly the managing partner at Habba Madaio & Associates in Bedminster. A mother of three, Habba described herself at the Republican National Convention in July as a 'devout Catholic, a proud first-generation Arab American woman and a feisty Jersey girl.' Who is Federal Judges' choice Desiree Leigh Grace? Desiree Leigh Grace, known as 'Desi' to colleagues, is a seasoned federal prosecutor who joined the US attorney's office for the District of New Jersey in 2016. A graduate of the University of Maryland and Seton Hall Law School, Grace quickly rose through the ranks, leading the violent crimes unit in 2020 and later the criminal division, which she officially headed by March 2024, according to NYT. She has handled major cases involving gang violence and health care fraud and received a standing ovation at a 2024 alumni dinner, underscoring her respect within the legal community. Before joining the government, she clerked for top judges and worked at McCarter & English. In April 2025, Trump-appointed interim US attorney Alina Habba named Grace as her first assistant, a move widely supported within the office.
Politico
4 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
NEA halts bid to cut ties with Jewish organization
With help from Rebecca Carballo NEA BACKS OFF — The National Education Association's top brass shot down their members' bid to block future work with the Anti-Defamation League following criticism from Jewish organizations and renewed conservative scrutiny of the union's congressional charter. — NEA President Becky Pringle, in a lengthy statement issued late Friday, said the union's board of directors and executive committee voted against a proposal members narrowly approved for consideration on July 5 during the union's annual assembly of thousands of local representatives. — 'We consulted with NEA state affiliates and civil rights leaders, including Jewish American and Arab American community leaders, and we also met with ADL leadership,' Pringle said. 'After consideration, it was determined that this proposal would not further NEA's commitment to academic freedom, our membership, or our goals.' — Union delegates had recommended the NEA 'not use, endorse, or publicize any materials from the Anti-Defamation League' such as curricular materials or statistics, while blocking the union from participating in ADL programs or publicizing the organization's professional development offerings. — The proposal to preempt ties with a prominent Jewish advocacy organization highlighted ongoing internal union divisions over the Israel-Gaza war that threatened to disrupt the NEA's planned endorsement of Joe Biden's campaign last year. — 'This resolution was not just an attack on the ADL, but a larger attack against Jewish educators, students, and families,' ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations COO Stephanie Hausner, and Jewish Federations of North America Executive Vice President Shira Hutt said Friday in a joint statement. — 'While teachers' unions have little power to dictate curriculum, divisive campaigns to boycott reputable, centrist Jewish organizations and educators normalize antisemitic isolation, othering, and marginalization of Jewish teachers, students and families in our schools,' they said. — Republican lawmakers further cited the proposal as added fodder for longrunning attempts to strip the NEA of a congressional charter — a type of formal recognition the union has received alongside dozens of other private or quasi-governmental nonprofit organizations. — 'The National Education Association has made it crystal clear it's a partisan organization, and it shouldn't be rewarded with a federal charter that platforms woke gender ideology, antisemitism, and left-wing propaganda,' Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said last week as she introduced the latest Republican bill to erase the NEA's charter. — Pringle responded that 'without equivocation, NEA stands strongly against antisemitism.' But she acknowledged debate over a destructive and prolonged conflict will continue among students, educators, religious leaders and politicians. — 'Not adopting this proposal is in no way an endorsement of the ADL's full body of work,' Pringle said Friday. 'We are calling on the ADL to support the free speech and association rights of all students and educators.' IT'S MONDAY, JULY 21. WELCOME TO WEEKLY EDUCATION. Congressional Republicans really like the 2017 Trump tax cuts. It's why the 'big, beautiful bill' costs so much. Reach out with tips to today's host at jperez@ and also my colleagues Becca Carballo (rcarballo@ Bianca Quilantan (bquilantan@ and Mackenzie Wilkes (mwilkes@ Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Education Department REJECTED — The Education Department will reject nearly a half-million applications from people seeking to make lower payments on their student loans, Becca reports. — The agency will deny 460,000 federal student loan borrowers who selected the lowest monthly option for a payment plan based on their income. They make up about 31 percent of a 1.5 million application backlog for borrowers who are seeking Income-Driven Repayment, one of many options typically available for borrowers having difficulty paying back their loans. — An Education Department spokesperson said the lowest monthly payment option was the SAVE Plan, a Biden-era plan that would cap payments at 5 percent of the borrower's discretionary income for undergraduate loans and 10 percent for graduate loans. It has been blocked by the courts since June 2024. — 'Loan servicers cannot process these applications as SAVE is no longer an option, as it is illegal,' a department spokesperson said. — The agency is introducing two new payment plans and phasing out the matrix of current options as part of President Donald Trump's sweeping reconciliation legislation. His administration has railed against SAVE for being a burden to taxpayers and called for simplifying the loan repayment process as part of a broader strategy to reshape how students borrow and pay back loans. White House CHECK PLEASE — The Trump administration will release some fiscal 2025 funds that help pay for summer and after-school programs today, which could help ease an immediate budget crunch facing local school systems while billions of dollars in additional federal aid are still being withheld by the White House. — An Office of Management and Budget review of the Education Department's 21st Century Community Learning Centers program is complete, according to a senior administration official who said the money — estimated to total approximately $1.3 billion — will be distributed as expected. — Education Department officials said the money will be sent to governments on Monday, according to notices shared with federal and local officials that were obtained by POLITICO. — The department, however, warned states to ensure the money is spent in accordance with existing federal civil rights and anti-discrimination laws — or risk 'appropriate enforcement action.' The agency also intends to review how the program's money is used 'to ensure ongoing compliance,' officials said. — Billions in federal education funding is still being withheld by the White House. Funds devoted to teacher training, migrant student education and other initiatives are under continued scrutiny as part of Trump's broader agenda of scrutinizing matters related to immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. — 'These are the programs that we have some of the gravest concerns with regarding the Education Department,' OMB Director Russ Vought told reporters last week during an event hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. — 'You have a preschool program that doesn't do any preschool funding, all it does is indoctrination of 4-year-olds of [critical race theory],' Vought said. 'You have school improvement programs that are indoctrinating teachers to be cultural revolutionaries in the classroom. So we have concerns with these programs, so they're the ones that we're going to study the most.' — Final decisions related to the billions of dollars in pending federal aid have not yet been made, department officials said on Friday. Two dozen and the District of Columbia states sued the Trump administration last week to challenge the delayed funding. Prominent Republicans are also challenging the administration to release the funds. STUDENT DEBT CHANGE IS COMING — The Education Department is outlining some expected immediate changes to federal student aid programs now that Trump's domestic policy megabill has been signed into law. — Regulations and guidance on other education provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are also expected later this year. Here's what to expect now, according to a Dear Colleague letter issued by the department on Friday. — Changes to income-based repayment: The law removes the requirement for borrowers to demonstrate a partial financial hardship in order to enroll in IBR. — Parent PLUS loan repayment options: Borrowers with a consolidation loan that have already repaid a parent PLUS loan will be able to enroll in an IBR plan when the law is enacted. More information and updates will be posted on — Loan limits for part-time students: The law reduces how much students can borrow if they are not enrolled full time. This reduction will be based on how long the student isn't enrolled full time. The department is currently developing a schedule and will submit it to the public later this year. — Public Service Loan Forgiveness: The Repayment Assistance Plan, which will be implemented no later than July of next year, will be a qualifying plan for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. — Biden-era regs: The department will be undoing changes the Biden administration made to borrower defense and closed school discharge regulations. Read the department's full letter. Report Roundup — Nearly one-third of the nation's K-12 public schools mandate mental health screening for students, according to a newly-published study led by RAND Corporation researchers that suggests there are multiple barriers to mental health screening in schools. Nearly 41 percent of principals surveyed in October 2024 said it was very hard or somewhat hard to ensure that students receive appropriate care, while roughly 38 percent said it was easy or very easy to find adequate care for students. Syllabus — As Harvard and Trump head to court, the government piles on the pressure: The New York Times — George Mason president discriminated against white people after George Floyd protests, Justice Dept. says: The Chronicle of Higher Education — 'Congress swung for the fences on school choice and hit a single': Education Next — 28 bills, Ten Commandments and 1 source: A Christian right 'bill mill': The 74 — Chatbots in the classroom: How AI is reshaping higher education: Financial Times
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Alina Habba net worth: How much does Trump's attorney nominee for New Jersey earns
Source: X/ Alina Habba Alina Habba, a name now closely tied to Donald Trump's post-presidency legal defense, has rapidly risen to national prominence—and with it, her personal and professional profile has expanded significantly. On Tuesday, President Trump officially nominated Habba to serve as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey for the next four years, a move that would remove her interim status and cement her position within one of the most powerful law enforcement offices in the country. Habba's appointment is notable not just for her loyalty to Trump, but for the fact that she had no prosecutorial background prior to this year. Her legal experience lies primarily in civil litigation and corporate law, having managed a small private practice before entering Trump's inner circle. She became a prominent face of Trump's legal team after joining him in 2021, defending him in high-stakes cases such as the E. Jean Carroll defamation suit and New York Attorney General Letitia James' fraud case, both of which led to substantial financial penalties against the former president. Born in Summit, New Jersey, Alina Habba is the daughter of Catholic Iraqi immigrants who fled religious persecution. A graduate of Kent Place School in 2002, she went on to earn a political science degree from Lehigh University before completing her law degree at Widener University Commonwealth Law School in 2010. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo She also clerked for Judge Eugene J. Codey Jr. in Newark's Civil Division of the Superior Court and later became managing partner of Habba Madaio & Associates LLP in Bedminster. Her visibility within Republican circles has only grown. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, she described herself as a 'devout Catholic, a proud first-generation Arab American woman, and a feisty Jersey girl.' Habba now holds the title of counsel to Trump's Save America PAC and has been appointed 'counsellor to the president,' indicating her influential role in Trump's legal and political strategies. Net worth of Alina Habba As her public stature has grown, so too has interest in her financial standing. As of 2024, Alina Habba's net worth is estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million, a figure that reflects her years in private legal practice, her high-profile representation of Donald Trump, and recent political appointments. That number could continue to rise, especially considering that attorneys in the United States earn an average annual salary of nearly $96,000, with those working in high-profile federal or corporate roles often commanding significantly higher compensation. Further, Alina Habba is married to Gregg Reuben, a successful entrepreneur who also commands a substantial income. Reuben, a Harvard Business School graduate, is the CEO of Centerpark, a New York-based parking management company. With more than 25 years of experience in the industry, he has established himself as a leader
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Who is Alina Habba? Trump's nominee for New Jersey's permanent US attorney
President Donald Trump nominates Alina Habba for full term, defends her record, New Jersey awaits Senate confirmation(Source: TOI) New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated his former campaign spokesperson and personal lawyer Alina Habba for a full four year tenure as New Jersey's US attorney. Habba was temporarily appointed to the post in March, who described the decision as 'a great pleasure' and praised her as someone who 'will fight tirelessly to secure a legal system that is both fair and just for the wonderful people of New Jersey.' Habba drew national attention earlier this year when she brought charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, accusing him of trespassing at Delaney Hall, a privately operated federal immigration detention centre in Newark. However, the charges were later dropped. 'After extensive consideration, we have agreed to dismiss Mayor Baraka's misdemeanour charge of trespass for the sake of moving forward,' Habba said in a statement. However, in the same announcement on social media, she revealed that her office had filed charges against New Jersey Representative LaMonica McIver, alleging that she assaulted and impeded law enforcement officers at the same facility. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Stop Eating This — It's Fueling Sugar Spikes Daily Beauty Ideas Read More Undo As her 120-day interim term nears its conclusion, Habba will require Senate confirmation to continue as U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey on a permanent basis. Who is Alina Habba? Alina Habba, 41, has been among Trump's most prominent legal allies in recent years, representing him in several high-profile civil and criminal matters. She became counsel to Trump's Save America PAC in 2023 and later joined his inner circle as 'counsellor to the president.' Born in Summit, New Jersey, Habba graduated from the Kent Place School in 2002. She holds a bachelor's degree from Lehigh University and earned her law degree from Widener University Commonwealth Law School. Prior to her work with Trump, she specialised in civil litigation and corporate law in private practice. She also clerked for Judge Eugene J Codey Jr. at the Civil Division of the Superior Court in Newark and was formerly the managing partner at Habba Madaio & Associates in Bedminster. A mother of three, Habba described herself at the Republican National Convention in July as a 'devout Catholic, a proud first-generation Arab American woman and a feisty Jersey girl.'
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
I Watched the Democrats Lose Muslim Support Last Election. This Gave Me Hope for 2026.
Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. In late May, I joined roughly two dozen Muslim entrepreneurs, community leaders, nonprofit organizers, and student activists around a very large table for a closed‑door strategy meeting with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. There was no other press, no recording. Emgage Action, a leading Muslim American advocacy organization, welcomed me to observe on the condition that before I quoted anyone, I would first get their consent. We were there to discuss the role of Muslims in the Democratic Party. Many in the room had grown convinced that national Democratic leaders prefer the Muslims in their party to stay quiet and fall in line. In 2024 national party leaders all but ignored months of protests in support of Gaza, backed on-campus police crackdowns, then blamed 'disinformation' when Muslim and Arab American voters staged protest abstentions that helped tip Michigan, Minnesota, and key New Jersey counties to Donald Trump. Many in the room saw that sequence as Democrat leadership's agenda coming down to 'Please hold your nose,' and proof the party values Muslim turnout but not Muslim input. Baraka's counter‑thesis was simple: Fight for them, and they'll fight for you. It is the opposite of what Muslim organizers say they experienced from party leaders in 2024, the cycle Democrats lost to Donald Trump. When Baraka arrived in the room where we waited, it was just after 8 a.m. He was tieless, wearing a solid‑black dashiki, and he spoke softly at first, almost cautious. If anyone expected the fiery mayor who had dominated cable news earlier in the week—handcuffed by federal agents and hauled into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement jail—they found a calmer figure instead. Five days before this gathering, Baraka had joined three members of Congress at Delaney Hall, the recently reopened ICE detention center in Newark, the city he governs. They intended a surprise inspection. Video shows agents ordering them off the property; Baraka complied, stepping back onto the public sidewalk. They arrested him anyway. By that evening, supporters from civil‑rights and faith groups, including Muslim organizers, were rallying outside the detention center where he was being held. He was released that night; the trespass charge evaporated in court 10 days later. But even as the Department of Homeland Security dropped the charges against him, it brought new ones against Rep. LaMonica McIver, one of the lawmakers he had been with.* The whole thing had been a jarring experience, and Baraka has been blunt: 'It's just authoritarianism. … These people are committed to this foolishness. They're going to go as far as they can to not look completely ridiculous because what they did was wrong. They had no jurisdiction over there in the first place.' In that closed-door meeting, the questions posed to Baraka circled three themes: affordability, taxes, and Palestine. Two of those topics are par for the course, though the Newark mayor certainly has thoughts on them. On Palestine, Baraka had a real chance to differentiate himself from the rest of the Democratic party. When multiple attendees referenced student sanctions and job losses across industries in response to their stances on Gaza, Baraka replied that Muslims should be able to criticize U.S. or Israeli policy without being labeled unpatriotic or antisemitic. Throughout, he linked those answers to a wider critique of his own party. 'The leadership of the party has been pretty docile and comfortable and have completely isolated their base across the country.' His prescription was the opposite of caution. 'We can't move in a timid fashion. We have to move with force, with courage, with strength, and we have to move together.' The room nodded, but the primary electorate had a different answer when it came to the race for the Democratic candidate for New Jersey governor. Two weeks later Baraka lost decisively to Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Navy pilot turned moderate whose campaign leaned on the county machines, saturated the suburbs with ads about property taxes, and avoided Gaza discourse almost entirely. Sherrill's pitch was electability: She promised to 'keep New Jersey blue' without scaring swing voters in Bergen and Monmouth. Baraka, who came in second, couldn't match her donor network and party support that still decides most downballot races. New Jersey is home to an estimated 320,000 Muslims, about 3.5 percent of residents. In 2021 Phil Murphy won reelection by roughly 85,000 votes. Despite those numbers, many of the Muslim community leaders I spoke to voiced their disapproval of how state and national strategists have long treated them as an afterthought—phoning in Eid greetings, skipping hard policy conversations, and assuming they'll continue to view the Democratic Party as their home regardless of outreach or collaboration. Baraka's strategy was different—he focused on reaching out to them. This, however, seemed to double as a flex to show the problem with complacency: If a bloc this large can be energized in an off-cycle primary, what could it do in a presidential year? Baraka spent one of his last days before the primary courting the population, and I tagged along. When I asked his main objective for the tour, he said he wanted to 'galvanize the Muslim community in New Jersey. If we do that, that will be good.' His theory was straightforward: turn a reliable but under-organized bloc into a decisive one and show national Democrats what they risk when they take that bloc for granted. Baraka's Muslim itinerary tracks almost perfectly with census clusters and past underperformance, like Paterson and North Brunswick. I followed Baraka north to Paterson, home to one of the nation's largest Palestinian communities. The visit was brief. He introduced himself as a candidate for governor in cafés on Main Street and took quick photos with voters. One man called out 'Barakah!'—pronouncing it like the Arabic word for 'blessing'—before snapping a selfie. Another passerby whispered, 'That's the guy Trump arrested.' Where party strategists in 2024 feared alienating moderates, Baraka has spent his state-wide campaign courting voters the party lost. Where operatives believed that Gaza activism endangered swing districts, Baraka has argued that silence costs more. Muslim organizers note that only a few statewide Democrats have held unrestricted Q&A's with them since last cycle. Baraka's willingness to do so anchors his appeal. Baraka's grassroots strategy lost—but it still netted 163,563 votes, enough to lift him surprisingly to second place and to carry New Jersey's most populous county, Essex. Those numbers didn't carry him past Sherrill, yet they did remind operatives that a bloc the size of New Jersey's Muslim population matters to the statewide margin. Now that the governor's race is over, Muslim leaders sound cautiously optimistic. They want movement—on surveillance reform, on ceasefire resolutions, on small-business aid—before they'll call this a realignment. But they also say the door is now open. If statewide Democrats walk through it before 2026, Baraka's unsuccessful bid could mark the start of a voter bloc returning to a party that once counted on it. If they don't, the silence of 2024 might echo again when the presidential race comes calling.
