President Trump is visiting Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. Michigan lawmakers are warning him against agreeing to any deals that would allow Chinese electric vehicles into the U.S.

While they are not currently available in the states, President Trump suggested he may be open to allowing them during a visit to the Detroit Economic Club earlier this year. The EVs have become popular, low-cost sellers in Europe and are now available in Canada and Mexico.

Legislation has been introduced in Washington to ban sale of the vehicles. That includes a bill co-sponsored by Democratic Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin and Ohio Republican Bernie Moreno.

Slotkin argues that having those models on U.S. roads driving near military bases and civilian infrastructure could be a security risk.

“Taking all that data, all that video, all that mapping and sending that back,” says Slotkin. “As someone who’s from the Pentagon, that is the exact detailed information an adversarial nation loves to have in their war planning.”

While Slotkin acknowledges that major tech companies, such as Google, are already collecting people’s data, she argues those companies must follow U.S. laws when handling that information.

Another concern is the impact it could have on American manufacturers, who would stand to lose out on sales.

Republican John Moolenaar represents Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District. He warns that one of the factors keeping Chinese vehicle prices down are unethical labor practices in the country.

“Chinese companies use slave labor to undercut the fair wages of hard-working Americans,” says Moolenaar.

Lawmakers say the U.S. can’t compete with the way the Chinese government subsidizes their auto industry. They argue that creates artificially low pricing for Chinese products that  American companies can’t compete with.

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. 

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

President Donald Trump gave a primetime address last night about the war in Iran. He told Americans that nearly all his objectives for the war has been met and that the war would end in the next two to three weeks, but his timeline has shifted before.

This extension of the war could mean the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed during that time. This comes as the price for a gallon of gas in the US rises to $4. The Washington Post even found that there was a 56% increase in Google searches for most fuel-efficient gas cars in the month of March.

For Detroiters looking for cheaper gas prices you can look at the Gas Buddy app. As for today, the app says that the SNK Gas Station on the corner of Michigan Avenue and South Merriman Road in Inkster is $3.29 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel.

According to AAA, the best way to save gas is maintaining good tire pressure, driving at a moderate pace on the highway and avoiding slamming on brakes and accelerating.

Additional headlines from Thursday. April 2

Closings tomorrow 

Tomorrow is Good Friday, a Christian celebration commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. Because of that most City of Detroit offices will be closed. Normal police, fire and water services will be provided.

Also of note tomorrow is the Detroit Tigers home opener, so be aware of street closings. The streets directly around Comerica Park with be closed off. These include Witherell between Adams and Montcalm, and Brush between Madison and Montcalm.

Sports

March Madness

Michigan is in the final four and will be going up against fellow No. 1 seed Arizona. The game will be at 8:49 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

NBA

With a win over the Toronto Raptors yesterday, the Detroit Pistons clinched the division title—something they haven’t done in the last 18 years. And now they only need to win two more games to clinch the No. 1 seed in the East.

They play tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.

NHL

After a tough March, the Red Wings have a smaller chance of making it to the playoffs. According to reports they have a 40% chance as they look to face the Philadelphia Flyers tonight.

Game starts at 7:00 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center

Soccer

Detroit City FC beat the Flint City Bucks yesterday 1-0 in the second round of the US Cup. Their next game is against Rhode Island on April 4 at 4:00 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium.

Animation festival

Detroit’s 11th annual International Festival of Animation is going down on April 4. There will be a 93 minute mix of 19 animated shorts showcasing works from Michigan and international animators.

This event will be held at the historic Senate Theater in Detroit. 

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