With war brewing abroad, Michigan is looking at bolstering defenses close to home.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill Wednesday that provides $150 million in state money to support upgrades to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Southeast Michigan. 

Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters spoke to WDET about how the bill will strengthen the National Guard Base and his views on the war with Iran, as well as his upcoming retirement after almost two decades in office.

Peters: We’re looking forward to having that signing and you know this is a key element. We needed to have the state make this investment, $150-plus million dollars. But for your listeners, the really important exciting thing about it is that because of the seed money, we’re going to bring in nearly $800 million from the federal government, so we’re going to have the best Air National Guard base in the country. In fact, I had the general part of the Joint Chiefs say on the record that Selfridge will now be the finest Air National Guard base in the entire country, and I said, ‘thank you, that’s right. It will be.’

McNamara: Explain, for people who don’t really follow it, the strategic importance of Selfridge. 

Peters: It is absolutely strategic for national security, our geographic location, for one,  and when we think about INDOPACOM (Indo-Pacific Command), a lot of the ways to get there is over the Arctic, and so having a base in the northern area is why a lot of the strategic bombers back in the day were in Michigan. We had two major air force bases for that, so it continues to be important.

But from a training aspect, we’re going to have the KC-46, which is the next generation tanker, replacing a very old platform out there, now. They’re going to be around for 40, 50, years. We’re going to have the F-15EX, which is the advanced fighter jet that will be working off that platform, and then most people don’t realize, but in Northern Michigan, when you head up into the Grayling area and over in the Alpena area, we have the largest training area for the military east of the Mississippi. So it’s a very large area, we got aircraft coming in from [all] around. We’ll team up with our aircraft from Selfridge and train, it just puts Michigan in a key location. When people think of national security, we’re going to be one of the places people think about in terms of bases in the United States. 

McNamara: How important is the national defense industry to the economy of southeast Michigan?  

Peters: Incredibly important. It’s getting more important and this helps actually drive that, too. So, there’s the economic driver. You have the driver of the fact the base is there, you have a lot of people there… we may even potentially have some active-duty folks that will be coming into that base as well. So, that’s an economic driver, but it’s really about advanced technology. Where are things going?

When people think of national security, we’re going to be one of the places people think about in terms of bases in the United States. 

Everybody knows we’re the place for manufacturing cars, but the aerospace industry is realizing if you know how to make cars, you can make aerospace components as well. In fact, one area that I’ve been spending a lot of time on now is trying to think of another aircraft squadron we can bring there, and those are called collaborative combat aircraft. Those are not crewed, there’s no person in it, but they’re controlled by an operator somewhere else, and actually those KC-46 tankers, they have capability, not just as a gas tank, they also have command and control capabilities. And you could see them commanding a squadron of collaborative aircraft, and then launching those aircraft forward. That’s another mission I think Selfridge could win, and that would definitely put us at the very cutting edge of advanced aerospace research. 

McNamara: We’re talking about this like it’s the future and eventuality. We’re also at war currently with Iran. What are the impacts on that for the average Michigander? 

Peters: Significant from an economic standpoint. We’re seeing it at the gas pump right now, but that inflation is all through because of energy prices that we’re paying higher prices at the stores and groceries because the Strait of Hormuz is closed, and it’s pretty outrageous that that was not secured at the beginning of this war, it tells me it was rushed, that we needed to secure. Everybody has known that, this is not a secret. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic place.

I served in the Navy. I was in that area. I remember standing on the shores of the United Arab Emirates. You could look across, you could just see a line of tankers going through a very tight area, choke point. The Navy knew how critical it was. They had plans to deal with it, and this is the question I asked. You know, they have plans. You have very detailed plans about how you deal with strategic places like that, but you need to prepare to actually execute that plan before you go to war. That didn’t happen, and in fact, I’ve raised this issue to folks in hearings. 

I’m on the Armed Services Committee. I said, I know you probably had plans. I learned how to do those plans in War College, and yet you had things like mine sweepers, which are essential. Your mine sweepers were in Japan when the war started. If you were prepared, the mine sweepers would have been near the straits, ready to go into action immediately. It takes weeks for them to get over there. That didn’t happen. I’m sure the president was advised by his military advisors that we’re not quite ready to do what you want us to do, and he pulled the trigger, literally pulled the trigger beforehand, and now we’re in a mess. 

McNamara: How do we get out of it? 

Peters: If you look at it from a military perspective, it’s difficult. It’s hard to clear mines unless you have a secure environment. You’re putting navy ships in a very constrained area. It’s a high-risk operation. So, militarily, it’s a lot easier to do that at the outset, the beginning, than trying to come back into it right now. And during this ceasefire, which is really a stalemate, the Iranians have been able to position more of their drone aircraft in the area, they’re going to be leases are public sources, they have more missile capabilities as well, so military, it’s tough, so it’s going to be negotiation, but President Trump put himself with his war of choice in a very difficult situation, and who’s actually paying for it? The American people are. People here in Michigan. We’re paying high prices. Just the war itself has been estimated, just from a military standpoint, so far well over $30 billion, and I think that’s underestimating it. That’s all the taxpayers are paying.

But then look at the impact of the entire global economy, and just our economy here in Michigan. What people are paying, you’ve got a third of the fertilizer goes through the Strait of Hormuz. That’s why food prices are going up dramatically. Farmers are scrambling to try to get fertilizer, and it’s a whole lot more expensive. The ripples through the economy are something that we’re going to be paying for for a long time, and so far, it’s a stalemate.

The nuclear material is still there, even though the president told the country he destroyed everything. Clearly, that wasn’t the case, and that material is still there. And now we have an economic crisis because of the Strait of Hormuz. So that’s where we are. The President created this mess. It’s not going to be easy to get out of it. 

The ripples through the economy are something that we’re going to be paying for for a long time.

McNamara: I mentioned you’ve been in public service for 35 plus years. You’re not yet 70, you’re not running for reelection, are you allowed to do that? 

Peters: Yes, I think so, and it’s a good thing. When I leave here in seven months, it’ll be 18 years in Congress, both in the House and Senate. I believe in what our founders said, that Congress was a place where you would go and serve, and then you go back to your private life, not spend your life in Congress. So, I don’t believe in spending my life in Congress, so I’ll go back to private life. I’m not going to retire, going to still stay very active and be part of public policy, but I don’t need to be in the Senate. I think it’s time to pass the torch to the next generation. 

McNamara: So, this time next year, when it’s time for a motorcycle tour, are you going to have the entourage or is it just going to be you and the road? 

Peters: I am going to have one more entourage this summer, so in August we’re riding. My Harley’s getting ready to go, and we’re going to go to places all around the state, the places that I worked on. But I think… when you ride together, those are long-term friendships. So, I’m sure I’ll still have friends that I can ride with. 

McNamara: What’s your white whale? What’s something that you didn’t get done that you really wanted to during your time in Congress? 

Peters: Well, this has evolved over that time that I’m there, but I think this is the biggest thing that we’ve got to figure out, and that’s how we deal with AI, with what’s happening with artificial intelligence that I’ve been engaged in. 

I’ve engaged in cybersecurity for a long time. I chaired, and now am the ranking member, Homeland Security. So, cybersecurity is a big threat that I’ve been working on for all these years. That threat has just gotten a whole lot bigger with AI. I’m sure many of your listeners know about Mythos, the AI system that Anthropic put out, that could basically attack systems all across the country, make them vulnerable to cyber attack. It is absolutely frightening the power that this technology has. And Mythos is the first, but it’s not the last. And we’re going to see others coming out that we’ve got to stay ahead of, and the whole AI system, we’ve got to be thinking about how do we put guardrails, understand the power of AI to do incredibly wonderful things, but also know that there’s a downside to it, dual use, both from a military perspective and just cultural and economic, it’s going to be incredibly disruptive. How do we work that?

So, I’ve been working through that over the last few years, we got a lot more years to go to try to figure it out, but the problem is time is not on our side, because it’s moving so rapidly that if we don’t have a full court press on this, it’s going to get ahead of us, and it’ll be tough to put any kind of genie back in the bottle. 

McNamara: You said you’re not going to endorse essentially in the primary for your replacement in the Democratic Senate side, so I’m not going to impress you on it, but I’m going to ask you, what are the qualities that are needed, and let people read the tea leaves from there. 

Peters: I don’t know if you read the tea leaves, I think you should just be asking this question of all the candidates. Something that I’ve prided myself on is that I work across the aisle and find common ground, and you know the last three congresses I’ve passed more bills signed into law than any US senator. In fact, I even passed more laws signed into law when Donald Trump, in his second part of his first term. The Center for Effective Lawmaking, that really evaluates us on getting stuff done, which has said I’m the most effective senator. Trump actually signed more of my bills into law than any Republican senator. They said that’s never happened in the 50 years that they’ve been following this, and I think that’s the way you need to govern, especially a purple state like Michigan.

Michigan, we have the broad spectrum of politics and it can swing back and forth, and I’m blessed as a US senator to represent all of Michigan, not just the blue parts of it, the red parts too. And so, you’ve got to figure out ways to work and just solve the problems that we face as a country. And what I’ve seen over the years is that people can’t get out of campaign mode. Campaign mode is about hyper partisanship. I ran the Democratic Senate campaign committee for two cycles. I know what that’s about, and it’s bare fisted, and you got to fight. But once you get elected, you have to govern now, and you have to figure out how do we solve problems that the American people want to see solved. They want to see their democracy actually working to help them each and every day, and if we don’t do that, then we start losing something very special. When I’m in campaigns, I’m campaign Gary, then I turn off the campaign Gary, and now I’m governing Gary. 

I’m not in a campaign right now, so I can totally focus on trying to deal with these big issues like AI and Great Lakes protection and all the other things I care about, but that’s what we’re going to need, someone who’s willing to turn off the partisanship and turn on the problem solving in a common sense way. 

Nearly 2 million Muslims will make the greater pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj, next week.

Imam Steve Mustapha Elturk is President of the Islamic Organization of North America (IONA). He says this year, Hajj is different due to the ongoing war between Iran, the United States and Israel. 

“Many of our congregations are asking, ‘is it safe to go this year?’ It is very safe,” he says.

Elturk says the U.S. bases are far away from the holy cites in Mecca and Medina. 

“Saudi Arabia really does a great job in terms of safety and security. I’ve been going there for a dozen years, and I see it with my own eyes to make sure that the pilgrims are safe and secure,” he shares.

He says the systems have also changed from people booking Hajj travel through an agency to using the Nusuk app, which can be confusing for users.

“Then they offer you the packages. They ask me if I’m going or taking a group. I have not taken a group in the last few years since they launched the Nusuk… ” It’s different,” he reflects.

He says about a half dozen people are going to Hajj from his congregation this year, but he expects that more people are going from nearby suburbs of Detroit.

Elturk says, although he’s not going to Hajj this year, he provides spiritual guidance for his congregants if asked.

“I have had throughout the years, since some from our community who have gone there call me on the phone, say ‘we just finished this. I don’t know what should I do next, or I did this, is this correct?’ And I try to guide them over the phone sometimes at 3 o’clock in the morning because of the time differences,” he explains.

Hajj takes place during the eighth through 13th of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, following a lunar calendar. Pilgrims do specific tasks while they are in Hajj, what Elturk describes as an opportunity for repentance.

“Hajj is all about repentance, and the Prophet said, peace be upon him, ‘whoever performs Hajj, his or her pilgrimage is accepted, returns as the day he or she was born—in other words, sinless,'” he shares.

Pilgrims will perform Hajj from May 25-30.

About 2 million Muslims will perform Hajj, the greater pilgrimage in Saudia Arabia this month. But the U.S. Embassy of Saudia Arabia is asking pilgrims to reconsider their trip due to the ongoing war between Iran and the U.S.

Juber Ahmed, a pharmacist, and his mom Shamima Akther live in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

In January, Ahmed found out he and his mom’s applications to perform Hajj were accepted after months of waiting. He dropped to his knees and performed a prayer of gratitude.

“Honestly, that feeling I still can’t find the words to express. I was in tears, did sajdah as-sukr, and then I hugged my mom, and both of us just were in tears,” he expresses.

Akter is 63 years old. She’s looking forward to going this year while she’s still physically able to make the rigorous journey.

“Alhamdulillah, I’ve been waiting for a long time to go to Hajj with my oldest son. It’s Allah’s will,” she exclaims. 

It’s a dream she’s had for more than 30 years, since her kids were little.

Ahmed and Akther are among a few thousand pilgrims from the United States who will perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Wahid Elfeky is a part of the Aleman Groups USA travel agency in New York, which has been around for 30 years. He says that until 2019, as many as 16,000 people from the United States would make the Hajj each year.

But Saudi Arabia has instituted quotas to prevent overcrowding. He says now the number is closer to 5,000 people. 

Embassy warns travelers, but pilgrimage continues

In April, the U.S. Embassy of Saudi Arabia issued an alert, asking American pilgrims to reconsider going to Hajj due to the ongoing war between Iran and the U.S.

Ahmed sat his mom down and asked her if she wanted to postpone the trip. Akther says she feels a strong conviction to go this year. 

“I told my son, ‘I will go alone. Don’t go, you have two kids.’ My son said, ‘what are you saying, I am going to take you,'” she shares. 

Ahmed says he is still going.

“I know it’s a risk, but I also know that this chance may not come back around,” he says.

Performing the pilgrimage at least once is mandatory for all able-bodied Muslims who can afford the costs of travel.

Imam Steve Mustapha Elturk is the co-chair of the Imams Council of Michigan. He says several people have asked him whether they should still go. He assures them it’s safe and encourages them to go, noting the U.S. military installations in Saudi Arabia are far from the holy sites.

“Definitely there’s nothing going on there in terms of war or missiles or anything of that sort,” he shares.

Faith over fear

In Washington D.C., Sana Imam is preparing to make the hajj later this month. The health policy and communications professional is going with her husband.

“I’m still planning to go because the level of spiritual transformation that is possible to experience at Hajj might not be possible anywhere else for a lot of Muslims,” she explains.

For most Muslims, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Imam says she’s focusing her attention on preparing for the trip.

“I’ve been doing like, 30 minutes on the Stairmaster machine every time I go to the gym, just because Hajj involves miles on foot every day. Spiritually, I’ve been trying to slow down my prayers instead of rushing through them,” she says.

Although she’s concerned about the ongoing war, Imam says she’s leaning on her faith to get through this time of uncertainty.

Hajj is performed between the eighth and the 13th of the Islamic month Dhu al-Hijjah—that’s May 25- May 30. For many American Muslims, the opportunity to go to Hajj outweighs their fear of not going to perform one of the greatest acts of worship in Islam.

High fuel costs are impacting everyone. One industry is being hit particularly hard. 

Truckers are seeing costs skyrocket as diesel costs have risen 41% since the start of America and Israel’s wars with Iran. 

Jim Burg is the President of the James Burg Trucking Company in Warren. He’s been moving steel in the trucking business for decades. While he says costs are rising really fast, at this point, he’s only been modestly impacted by them.

He talks about how he made his start in trucking and what he envisions for the future of the business with The Metro’s Sam Corey.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

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More stories from The Metro

A month ago, gas in Michigan was just under $4 a gallon, and small business owners were already making changes to brace for what was coming.

In the month since, the average price has climbed to nearly five dollars, with some Michigan stations already past it. The squeeze that was just beginning a month ago has settled in. The U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran is in its third month, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and Midwest refineries are down.

For the small businesses that anchor metro Detroit, this is one more strain on top of an already heavy stack. Corner stores and landscapers are absorbing higher fuel costs to stay competitive. Restaurants are closing, and analysts say rising gas prices and declining consumer confidence are likely to accelerate the trend.

All of this comes after months of tariffs, rising healthcare premiums, and an unsettled workforce.

Mark Lee runs The Lee Group, where he consults with small businesses across Southeast Michigan. He spoke with Robyn Vincent on The Metro about what another month of pain at the pump is doing to the businesses he advises. Lee is also hosting his 12th annual Small Business Workshop on May 13 at the Corner Ballpark in Detroit — a free, half-day event for local entrepreneurs and business owners navigating exactly this kind of pressure.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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A group of anti-war protesters gathered at the McNamara Federal Building in downtown Detroit on Tuesday, as a deadline approached for a new wave of bombing in Iran.  The Free Press reports about 50 demonstrators showed up at the event.  

President Trump had threatened to bomb bridges and power plants in Iran, if an agreement to re-open the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t reached by 8 p.m. ET Tuesday night.  

The Pakistani government helped broker a tentative ceasefire for the next two weeks, but it’s unclear what might happen next.  The Strait has not yet been re-opened. 

Additional headlines from Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Gas prices rise again 

Gas prices in metro Detroit rose again overnight, even though there’s a ceasefire in the Iran war. 

 A gallon of regular self-serve averages $3.99 today.  That’s up three cents from Tuesday.  That price is 50 cents per gallon higher than a month ago.  

The average price statewide today is $4.07. 

NAACP calls for Trump to be removed from office 

The NAACP has called for President Trump to be removed from office under the 25^th Amendment to the Constitution.  It’s the first time the civil rights organization has ever made such a declaration.  

The 25^th Amendment allows a president to be removed from office if he or she can no longer carry out the duties of the office, in this case presumably because of physical or mental incapacity. But that’s only if the vice-president and several cabinet members agree to take that action.  

The NAACP says Trump’s erratic statements and actions call his well-being into question.  The President said on Tuesday that a “whole civilization will die” unless his demands were met.  

Detroit Congressional members Rashida Tlaib and Shri Thanedar have also independently called for Trump to be removed from office under the provisions of the 25^th Amendment. 

Black law enforcement officials meet in Detroit 

The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE) is holding a gathering in Detroit this week.  

The 2026 William R. Bracey CEO Symposium will provide training, networking and collaborative opportunities.  The event runs Thursday through Saturday at the MGM Grand in Detroit  

NOBLE has about 4,800 members in 60 chapters across the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Africa. 

Go Blue celebrations continue 

The celebrations continue in Ann Arbor in the aftermath of the University of Michigan’s victory in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. 

The Wolverines beat the University of Connecticut 69 – 63 Monday night to win the national championship – the school’s first since 1989.  

Cheers and jubilation erupted throughout Ann Arbor Monday night.  The team celebrated with fans at an event on campus Tuesday.  A team parade through Ann Arbor has been scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. 

Pistons play in home finale tonight 

The Detroit Pistons play their final home game of the regular season tonight.  The team leads the NBA’s Eastern Conference with a record of 57 wins and 22 losses.  

The Pistons hope to have All-Star Cade Cunningham back in the line up tonight.  He’s listed as questionable for tonight’s game.  Cunningham has missed the last 11 games with a collapsed lung.  

The Pistons play the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena. 

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