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.

The economy has undergone many drastic changes over the years. If you’re a millennial, change and chaos have been commonplace.

The Great Recession hit in the late aughts, reducing wealth. About ten years later, the pandemic occurred, causing many to stay at home and others to risk their health at work. Inflation deepened during President Joe Biden’s time in office. President Trump enacted tariffs. And now, the U.S. and Israel are at war with Iran. 

It’s hard to gauge all the consequences of this latest shock, but it’s a continuation of one thing: uncertainty. 

Rising gas prices and supply chain disruptions are now among the challenges small businesses must navigate. It might be why over half of small businesses owners in Michigan say they’re making operational changes to prepare for a recession, according to a recent survey. 

Which small businesses are hit hardest by the war in Iran and its disruptions? And, what could make them more resilient in the face of chaos?

Mark Lee is the president and CEO of The Lee Group, where he consults with small businesses across Southeast Michigan. He spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

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Michigan’s 13th Congressional District covers most of the City of Detroit. Since 2021, Shri Thanedar has represented the area. There has been criticism that the largest majority-Black city in the U.S. is not represented by an African American in Congress.

For his part, Thanedar has shrugged off the criticism and brought millions of federal dollars back to the district.

It has not stopped attempts to primary him.

State Representative Donavan McKinney lives in the 13th. He’s a progressive Democrat who—despite some similarities in their stance on issues—says he is to the left of Thanedar.

McKinney recently sat down with WDET’s Russ McNamara and discussed topics that are coming into play for the primary.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Healthcare

Russ McNamara: What’s your plan to fix healthcare?

State Rep. Donavan McKinney: We need Medicare for All. At the end of the day, people can’t afford life’s necessities, including healthcare.

I’m gonna be honest, it’s a damn shame that Republicans are attacking the ACA (Affordable Care Act) and and the wins on that to cover pre-existing conditions.

I have a story I love to talk about my mom in particular. She has a pre-existing condition, brain tumors, fortunately benign, not cancerous. However, she had to undergo emergency brain surgeries, and it wasn’t for the ACA, she would not be covered.

Wealth gap

RM: How do you plan to address the wealth gap? Because healthcare is tied up all in that too.

DM: The wealth gap is huge, and it’s climbing. Right now, I represent currently the poorest House District in Michigan. $14,000 is the median income. And you know, with folks that’s top of mind is the quality of life issues, right?

It’s unaffordable to live a life right now and I’m running to represent, I believe, the top five poorest [congressional] districts in the country. My constituents, the residents that I currently represent and looking forward to represent in the halls of D.C., they’re struggling with everyday bills. Whether it’s health care, auto insurance, whether it’s child care, housing, you know, you name it, gas, groceries, everything. 

And so for me, it’s all about getting the corporate influence out of our politics, and that’s why we’re running on a campaign that’s not taking any corporate PAC money. Sad to say, my opponent is.

Campaign finance

RM: Why make the choice to not take corporate PAC money? You could easily take the corporate PAC money and use that to campaign, but still vote a different way.

DM: I agree with that premise to some degree, but they also have a lot of influence, right? And so for me, the biggest influence that I want as an elected official should be the people that I represent, and so that’s why we’re taking a hard stance.

I introduced legislation in the state legislature last term and earlier this term that takes all corporate monopoly money out of our politics. It’s called Taking Back Our Power.

We’re targeting insurance companies and the big utility companies, because they have a lot of influence in Lansing, but once I get to DC, what we’re looking to do is overturn Citizens United, and we can do that through congressional action and ensuring that the people’s voices are heard.

Billionaires influencing politics

RM: The amount of money that billionaires are funneling into politics right now has gone up exponentially since Citizens United. Fundamentally and ethically, should billionaires exist?

DM: No. Bottom line? Hell no. I’ll talk about my grandfather in particular, who him and his parents, my great grandparents moved fled from the Jim Crow South to Detroit, Michigan. And one of the most interesting things about my grandfather was he worked at Ford Motor Company for 42 years. And guess what? He never missed a day of work. And I was at his retirement party a few years back, and you know, I asked him, I said, ‘granddad, like, how you never missed a day?’ Like, how was that? Because, you know, my generation, other folks, they’ll miss a day at work within 42 years. He said, “I took pride in what I was doing, and I knew that Ford had my back. I knew that the union had my back, but I knew that Ford Motor Company had my best interest at heart.”

If you fast forward to the year 2026, these companies don’t have the best interest of the workers at heart. What’s happening is they care about the bottom line more so than investing in the human capital, and so they’re figuring out ways to either automate folks out of a job. I mean, what’s happening recently with Stellantis, which, to me, will always be known as Chrysler. And to be honest, I’m a Detroiter, and [I see] how they’re funneling opportunities and increasing bonuses for salaried workers, but for not the workers on the line.

That corporate influence has to end. It has to stop. We have to do what’s right on behalf of the working class people. And right now, they don’t feel like their elected officials are doing the best they can for them.

Data centers and AI

RM: How do you feel about data centers?

DM: This is about understanding what’s possible and then also protecting the environmental harms that are happening from data centers across the country. In Michigan, the Democrats under the democratic trifecta, we led something called the Clean Energy and Jobs Act, and so we were able to ensure that protections for rate payers on water as well as for electricity and energy use are protected.

But in other states, and I’m seeing horror stories coming out of Memphis and Georgia. They have weak laws on the state level, but on a federal level, what’s happening is the AI groups, the folks, the mega sites that are trying to come to our communities, they’re influencing our legislators right now in Congress trying to pull back as many environmental protections from the people. And so for me, I cannot in good conscience support data centers if they’re going to continue to do environmental harm on our communities.

Now, if we can get that together alongside community solar and things of that nature, like we already have in place here in our state, then I can get on board. But in reality, this is all about the oligarchs, the corporate class, taking advantage of the people who live in our communities.

RM: So what’s your reaction when you hear that there’s room for a data center out near City Airport on Detroit’s east side?

DM: Just to paint the picture, in Michigan and other places of the country, we’ve already have data centers running. The question is mega sites. These are new to the equation, and so with the mega sites coming in I don’t necessarily support it until they don’t have an environmental justice plan that they follow. Until that all of those needs are met, and the community says no, then I got to rock with my community, with my constituents.

U.S. funding of Israel

RM: In 2024, the Biden Administration and the Kamala Harris campaign refused to change their stance toward funding Israel’s attacks on Palestinians in Gaza. I just want your thoughts on that conflict, because it’s still relevant here now two years on.

DM: Because I’m at the state level, you don’t really deal with foreign policy, but now that I’m running for a Congressional seat, I’m learning more and more about it. Some people might disagree with me when I say this, right now, from the experts, groups that are on the ground every single day, to the United Nations. What’s happening over there is a genocide.

Now, does that excuse what happened on October 7? No, I condemn any type of violence, any type of war, no matter who it is, because a human life is a human life. But I can’t in good conscience at the federal level support sending billions—and sometimes trillions over decades—for bombs and weapons to kill families and children. When literally in my own neighborhood I have to witness and see my neighbors struggling day to day, and we can’t find any type of money for them to have health care, for them to have good parks of recreation, for them to have real mass transit in our communities, access to clean and affordable water.

Every time we talk about progressivism and the things that the community honestly want and American people need, we say we can’t fund it. We say we don’t have the money, but right now, in Iran and different parts of the world, we’re spending over billions of dollars a day, and people are fed up with their entire politics. That’s why they don’t engage. That’s why they’re not involved. So for me, this is deeper than politics. This is deeper than “Oh, you’re pro Jew, you’re pro Palestinian.” I’m pro human life. I’m pro bringing resources back home to my district.

Where should the Democratic Party go next?

RM: Do you think there’s a leadership problem within the Democratic Party?

DM: I think there’s a leadership problem top down. I think if you look at the polling for our current administration, our current president, the numbers are like terrible, but the numbers on the Democratic Party is even lower than Trump’s.

Right now, [the people] don’t see the Democratic Party as the party of the people. I view the party as the party of the people. But right now, what’s happening is Democrats and Republicans are viewed the same when it comes to certain things, and that is literally pleading and doing everything they can for the corporate oligarchs in the corporate class. And right now for working people that are in my district struggling, they’re working two three jobs just to try to scrape by to make ends meet, let alone figuring out ways to thrive and have an disposable income, having health care and a retirement to look forward to. They have nothing, and so right now, they need a party that’s going to step up for them.

That’s why I’m a big believer that the party is going to have to make a choice. You either going to continue to serve the corporate class or you’re going to serve the working people. And that’s why we’re not taking corporate money, and that’s why my opponent is in trouble, because he continues to take corporate PAC money, AIPAC and everything under the sun.

RM: The right for transgender people to exist is under attack from the Trump Administration. What do you plan to do to protect some of the most marginalized people in this country?

DM: At the end of the day, human life is human life. I don’t I don’t care how you see yourself, define yourself at the end of the day, if you are a human being in this country, I will fight for you. So for me, making sure that at the end of the day, trans, Black folks, poor people, formerly incarcerated, our veterans, all of these groups are the most vulnerable populations of our communities, our seniors, our elders and our children— they need somebody that’s going to fight for them.

And so I have nothing better to do but to fight for human rights, no matter how you slice it, no matter where you live, no matter who you love, no no matter your race, your creed, your color, it doesn’t matter. And so yeah, to answer your question: I’m going to fight for every single person, not only in my district, but across the country.

RM: That sounds like some All Lives Matter kind of talk though…

DM: You could call it, All Lives Matter. But in reality, this is just common sense. Like, I’mma be honest Russ—the politics of the day, I have to partake in it, because I’m an elected official. But I like to see myself as a public servant first, and that’s what not only the Democratic party, the Republican Party, everybody in this system has forgotten.

It’s the service to the humans. We’re all humans. We might be different. We might like come from different backgrounds. But the reason why I’m sitting in office right now as a state rep in the district where nobody told me a Black kid can win in Macomb County, the reason why I won every single precinct is because we talked about the real issues, and they understood. They looked at me eye to eye at those doors, and they say, “You know what, I believe in this guy, I know he’s going to fight for me.”

It doesn’t matter what your politics is, I believe in you, and I’m going to fight for you no matter what, and that and that’s all I can do. I will fight for folks all across the congressional district of the mighty 13th.

Calls to abolish ICE

RM: There’s been an increase in the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is attempting to turn a warehouse into a detention center. There’s been a growing movement from the left wing of the Democratic Party to ‘abolish ICE’. Where do you stand on that?

DM: We must abolish ICE as it is right now, because at the end of the day, what’s happening in Romulus is not only in our congressional district, and it impacts people—it impacts folks all across our state.

One of the biggest issues with ICE in particular is that they’re not only targeting what Trump is calling the worst of the worst. No, they’re actually targeting American citizens, and they are known in recent history to not only kill American citizens, but deport American citizens. And I’m born and raised in this country. If you deport me, where the hell are you going to send me? That is my biggest question, and so I can’t in good conscience support this department.

My opponent, sad to say, was one of the one of the few Democrats last summer to thank the department, voted with the Republicans to do so. [He also] voted at least a couple times to increase the department’s budget. [NOTE: The vote thanking ICE also was tied to a measure condemning antisemitism] Because the community has risen up, and I’ve been hitting him hard on it, he decides, because it’s politically favorable to switch his tune and tries to introduce legislation to abolish ICE with no community input.

I introduced legislation last fall, long before we knew ICE was going to be here in Michigan, making sure that everybody has access to due process no matter your immigration status, making sure that ICE agents are unmasked when they conduct business here in our communities, and ensuring that at the end of the day, everybody has access to resources, no matter who you are.

We are a border city. We’re an international crossing. ICE has been terrorizing our communities, especially in southwest Detroit and the surrounding areas, for years now, over a decade.

And so where was he at? Where was my opponent at? We were there every step of the way, fighting back with our community, and we’re going to continue to fight back.

And so I’m proud of—I got to give a shout out to our Attorney General, Dana Nessel. I got to give a shout out to the Mayor Bob McCray and the whole entire Romulus city council, because they came together collectively as one, and they’re fighting against right now. They got a lawsuit right now to slow down a process of ice opening up that detention facility in Romulus.

Michigan basketball fans are celebrating after a good weekend of March Madness.  

The University of Michigan’s men’s team beat Alabama on Friday night to make it to the “Elite Eight.”  The team then turned around and beat Tennessee 95 – 62 Sunday to advance further in the NCAA tournament.  

Michigan takes on Arizona in Indianapolis Saturday night at 8:49 p.m.  Both teams are No.1 seeds. 

Additional headlines for Monday, March 30, 2026

Iran war keeps gas prices high

The U.S. war with Iran continues to keep gas prices high.  AAA Michigan says the average price of a gallon of gasoline is $3.92.  That’s down a penny from last Monday, but it’s still 92 cents higher than a month ago.  

Wayne and Macomb counties have some of the lowest prices in Michigan.  Industry analysts say higher gas prices are driven by higher costs for crude oil.   

Despite the higher prices, AAA says demand for gasoline is rising across the country as spring break season continues. 

Michigan Republicans select state candidates 

Michigan Republicans held their state endorsement convention on Saturday.  Delegates selected candidates for Secretary of State and Attorney General at their meeting in Novi.   

Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini was picked to be the Republican candidate for Secretary of State.   The GOP also endorsed Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd to become its nominee for Attorney General.  

The party says on the convention website that it’s holding its endorsement event early to give candidates more time to raise money and prepare for the general election on Nov. 3.   

Metro Detroiters hold No Kings marches 

Thousands of metro Detroiters attended “No Kings” marches across the region on Saturday, protesting the policies of the Trump administration.  

Marches were held at Clark Park and Grand Circus Park in Detroit, as well as in Ferndale, Livonia, Dearborn and several other locations in the area.  More than 100 events were held across Michigan.   

Severe storms possible 

Metro Detroiters will see temperatures rise to around 70 degrees Tuesday, bringing a chance of strong thunderstorms. 

 The National Weather Service says Metro Detroit has a marginal chance of severe weather tonight.  That’s a level one on a scale of five.  

That risk increases to “slight” Tuesday.  That’s level two out of five.  There’s a chance of winds of 58 mph or higher, one inch hail and tornadoes.  

Storms Tuesday are most likely to occur between 4 p.m. and midnight. Keep up with the weather on 101.9 WDET FM. 

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

There’s a phone call that some people in metro Detroit are dreading right now, one where you find out the place you came from doesn’t exist anymore.

Abbas Alawieh got that call recently. His 91-year-old grandmother’s home in Lebanon was destroyed by the Israeli military. She is displaced, among hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians with nowhere to go. This is not the first time his family has been through this. 

When Alawieh was 15, visiting his grandmother in Lebanon, war broke out with Israel. He spent days in a basement while American-made bombs fell around him. It changed the course of his life and put him on a political path.

Alawieh grew up in Dearborn. He co-founded the Uncommitted movement that mobilized more than 100,000 Michigan voters in the 2024 Democratic primary. 

He is now a candidate for Michigan State Senate in District 2, which covers Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, and parts of Downriver. But he did not sit down with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to talk about his campaign. The Metro invited him because he is experiencing what other families across metro Detroit are living right now — watching war destroy the people and places they love from an American living room.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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About one month ago, Israel and America struck Iran. Now, Israel has enmeshed itself in more violence. 

In Iran, about 1500 people have been killed. Over 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon. Settler violence against Palestinians has been ratcheted up in the West Bank. And, in Israel, as of one week ago, a dozen Israelis had been killed from Iranian air strikes. 

Israel says it is attacking the Iranian regime and Hezbollah in Lebanon to remove existential threats from the region.

In the midst of all this, a man drove a truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. The attacker killed himself before he hurt anyone at the synagogue besides one security officer. He was grieving family that had been killed in Lebanon by Israel.

How are metro Detroit Jews processing this moment? And, what do conversations about domestic and foreign politics look like at this time?

Aaron Bergman is a rabbi at Adat Shalom, a synagogue in Farmington Hills. He spoke about all this with producer Sam Corey.

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Vice President JD Vance made a stop at a robotics manufacturing plant in Auburn Hills this week.  The visit was mainly focused on promoting Republican policies ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

The vice president spent most of time touting the administration’s economic policies, which Vance claims have been good for job growth. The most recent report from the Bureau of Labor statistics shows a loss of 92,000 jobs in February. 

He made little reference to the ongoing war in Iran during his prepared remarks. When asked by reporters about oil prices, Vance acknowledged they are up.

“I will say,” says Vance. “the president said this and I certainly agree with it, this is a temporary blip.”

Vance promised the crowd gasoline costs would come back down once the U.S., quote, “finishes taking care of business” in the Middle East. He did not say when that would be.

It was his first visit to the state since last week’s attack on the Temple Israel synagogue, which took place about 30 minutes away from where the vice president was speaking. Vance says he and the president stand with Michigan’s Jewish community.

“We love you,” says Vance, “and we’re proud of how you’ve handled this particular situation because it is tough.”

The suspect, 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali — a naturalized U-S citizen from Lebanon — took his own life during the attack. Vance praised the work of security guards at Temple Israel.

He reassured the crowd that the U.S. government is constantly monitoring to try to stop such attacks before they happen.

President Donald Trump announced he will hold a press conference around 5:30 p.m. on Monday March 9. The topic of the press conference has not yet been disclosed.

This occurs amid war in Iran, where U.S. and Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of other leaders last week. Strikes have continued, devastating the country and and upending the global market.

Iran announced that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei, will lead the county going forward. Trump, who earlier insisted on having input on Iran’s choice of leader, has expressed disapproval.

Watch NPR’s livestream of the event.

The Metro team has been noticing a chilling effect as we dig for answers and information: some sources who used to talk to us are not picking up. Community members, advocates, and elected officials are going quiet. But silence is only one side of the story. The other side is a deliberate wall of noise.

Washington Post reporters obtained thousands of internal Department of Homeland Security messages and found a taxpayer-funded media operation embedded in immigration raids. Producers were told to flag “cinematic scenes” for the camera. When someone arrested had no criminal record — and nearly 74% in ICE detention don’t, according to government data — officials were told to find something else “newsworthy.”

At the same time, DHS has sent hundreds of administrative subpoenas to Google, Meta, Reddit, and Discord demanding the identities of people who criticize ICE online. 

Maria Hinojosa has spent decades fighting against the silence and the noise. The Pulitzer Prize-winning host of Latino USA and founder of Futuro Media joined Robyn Vincent to talk about the federal government’s information war on immigration.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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The war in Iran — and the regional fallout — is continuing. 

Without Congressional authorization, President Donald Trump and Israel launched strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, and other military leaders of the current regime. And now, over a thousand people have died in this war.  

Iran has retaliated, launching military strikes across the region.

There is no clear path to peace. Neither Israel nor America have signaled that either have much interest in creating stability or democracy in Iran. 

Yesterday, we spoke with a Middle East scholar about what’s happening in Iran, and some of the different perspectives of the 92 million people living there. But there are a lot more voices to consider. What do folks from the diaspora who live in our region make of the situation? 

Layla Saatchi is an assistant Professor of Teaching at Wayne State University. She spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

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Metro Detroiters are paying much more for gasoline than they did a few days ago.  The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in metro Detroit is $3.19 today—that’s up 6 cents from Tuesday, and 21 cents from a week ago.  

The war in Iran has dramatically pushed up the price of crude oil in the days since the U.S. and Israel first bombed Iran on Saturday.  And when the price of crude oil rises, the price of gasoline—which is made from crude oil—also rises.  Gas stations are also starting their annual change to the summer blend of fuel, which is more expensive. 

To save a little extra gas, remember to make sure your tires are at the proper air pressure, accelerate smoothly and avoid jack-rabbit starts and stops.  Take that extra junk out of your trunk so you’re not carrying excess weight and don’t buy premium gasoline unless your vehicle’s manufacturer requires it. 

Additional headlines from Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Whitsett not running for re-election 

State Representative Karen Whitsett says she’s not running for re-election this year.  The Detroit Democrat tells Gongwer News Service that her decision was based on her faith.  

Whitsett has missed several months of service in the State House.  She lost a primary for Detroit City Council last August.  Whitsett had caused political controversy during her term in office, often supporting Republican legislation.  

She says she will not run for any other political office in the future. 

Heidelberg Archives to be stored at Reuther Library 

The Heidelberg Project says it has begun a partnership with the Walter Reuther Library to store its archives.  

A news release says the collection includes planning files, photographs and organizational records among other material.  All of it will be permanently stored at the library, which is located on Wayne State University’s campus.  

The internationally-recognized art installation was founded in Detroit’s McDougall-Hunt neighborhood in 1986 by artist Tyree Guyton. 

Cade Cunningham named Player of the Month 

Detroit Piston Cade Cunningham has been named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month for February.   Cunningham averaged 25.4 points and 9.9 assists per game.  He was the top pick in the 2021 NBA draft. 

Knuckles traded to Houston 

The Detroit Lions traded running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.  

Montgomery became a fan favorite—nicknamed Knuckles—after joining the Lions as a free agent in 2023.  He and Jahmyr Gibbs formed one of the best running back duos in the NFL.  But Montgomery’s productivity dipped last year as Gibbs got more opportunities to run the ball.  

As a result of the trade, Detroit received offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a 2026 fourth-round draft pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick from Houston.  The Lions also freed up more than $3 million in salary cap space. 

The team missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2022.  They finished with a record of nine wins and eight losses. 

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

The war in Iran is contributing to higher fuel prices in the United States.

GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick DeHaan, says prices were already going up before the U.S. and Israel started bombing Iran. He says the prospect of war added to the increases.

“The president had alluded to potentially dealing with Iran before the attacks,” DeHaan says. “So, oil prices had already been working on pricing in the risk of said attack.”

But war was not the only factor.

“Much of the country has already started to transition back toward cleaner, more expensive summer gasoline,” DeHaan says. “Refineries are starting maintenance before the summer driving season.”

He also says demand us rising as students hit the road for spring break and warmer temperatures return.

GasBuddy’s daily price index shows the average price in Michigan before the war was a bit less than $3 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas. By March 4, it had risen to $3.21. 

Michigan prices work differently

DeHaan says daily prices in Michigan don’t go up or down based solely on market factors.

“What happens in Michigan is prices usually make a big jump, then trickle down for a matter of several days until stations have no more room to lower prices,” he says. “Then they jump back up again.”

Commuters aren’t the only ones paying more. Diesel fuel prices are up, too. DeHaan says a drone attack on a large diesel refinery in Saudi Arabia could cause prices to rise more dramatically than that of gasoline.

“It may climb another $0.40 to $0.80 a gallon over the next several weeks,” he says. “That will impact truckers very quickly as stations start to adjust their prices.”

Dire straits? Not yet

DeHaan is also watching the situation in the Persian Gulf, where Iran has threatened attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

“That’s extremely problematic because 20% to 25% of the world’s daily oil supply needs to flow through the strait,” he says. “Until that is solved, oil prices may continue to move higher, along with gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other prices.”

But DeHaan says consumers should not panic. He does not expect historic oil or gasoline prices.

“Americans have seen far more significant spikes and far higher prices before,” he says.

GasBuddy tracks prices at more than 1,700 gas stations in metro Detroit and updates them in real time every five minutes.

The Hamtramck Blowout is a local music institution. It happens every year, (usually), on the first full weekend of March. It’s overwhelming and chaotic, makes you grin and go all wild-eyed; it’s fast, though not really that furious per se, and you have to make peace with the fact that you are not going to see every band that you want to—unless you believe in miracles.

Above all, the Blowout is vital. It nourishes the local music scene, it opens it up to newcomers in a stylishly slapdash way, and it gives everyone a chance to appraise the wide breadth of talent and variety of genres that are consistently percolating across practice spaces and dive bars in this region week to week. It’s had four slightly-to-moderately different iterations over nearly 30 years, but it keeps on going.

Wanna meet the local music ecosystem and dive right in? Blowout is your best opportunity! All that being said, this week on MI Local, I was joined in-studio by the dynamic hip-hop duo known as Passalacqua, comprised of emcees Blaksmith and Mister, who fatefully formed their ongoing project during a live performance at the 2010 Blowout.

On the show, Blaksmith (Brent Smith) and Mister (Bryan Lackner), talked about their interesting origin story, some of the nostalgia they have around their formative years together as collaborative artists, and then teased a bit about their upcoming set this Friday night at Blowout, where they’ll debut some new songs!

Singer-songwriter Michelle Held also joined me in-studio. Held has been on stages before, with a background in theater. She started writing poetry at a young age, inspired by so many verbose musical bards and troubadours such as Bob Dylan, but she actually started playing guitar at a later age—an anecdote she expounds upon during the interview.

You can hear it, and I certainly saw it firsthand, Held is an incredible guitar player, employing the intricate finger-picking style, and you can hear her perform two songs on the show this week, with her accompanying guitarist Mikey Abbasspour. Her voice is aching with emotion, it hits a heartbreaking vibrato, and her words poignantly pluck the heartstrings. Held performed her latest single, “Another Jane,” inspired by Jane Goodall, and an unreleased song, “Unresolved.”

In the third segment, I was joined by the prog-rock duo known as The Last War, with Drew Moore on guitar/vocals and Mile Pardo on drums/percussion, discussing their new EP, Smile, which came out last week. You can see them live, next weekend, at Small’s in Hamtramck.

Drew told us about his relocation from California to Detroit in 2023, where he fatefully met Miles and attained almost instantaneous musical and creative chemistry.

The Last War have released several singles over the last few years, including a slew of covers re-imagining some classics, but “Smile” is essentially their solid debut! Their repartee, on mic, is notably charming, so listen until the end. Plus they performed a live song from the new album, “The Kids,” complete with Pardo on bongos!

Listen to the full episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

The United States has a long history of deciding what Iranians want. Saturday, it happened again.

Without Congressional authorization, President Trump and Israel launched strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader and hundreds of civilians, including as many as 165 children at a girls’ elementary school. Trump says he is giving Iranians a chance at freedom. But 92 million people live in Iran, and reducing them to a single story is something the United States has done before, with devastating consequences.

Saeed Khan, associate professor of Near Eastern Studies at Wayne State University, specializes in the politics and history of the Middle East. He joined Robyn Vincent to discuss the history the U.S. tends to ignore and the costs of reducing Iranians to a single story.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Something is breaking open in Iran — and it’s been building for months. A war, then an uprising, then a massacre, and now a nuclear deal on the table.

Last summer, Israel and the United States bombed Iran’s nuclear sites in a 12-day war. In late December, millions of Iranians took to the streets in the largest protests since the 1979 revolution, driven by economic collapse, a cratering currency, and decades of grievance. The regime responded with what human rights groups are calling the worst government massacre in Iran’s modern history — a crackdown that, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, has killed thousands of protesters. The government imposed a near-total internet blackout, and many families still cannot reach their loved ones.

This week, American and Iranian negotiators sat down in Geneva to try to cut a nuclear deal. Iran’s foreign minister said the two sides reached an understanding on “guiding principles,” though both sides acknowledged significant gaps remain. The talks are mediated by Oman and come as the U.S. deploys two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region.

But here’s what most coverage misses: the millions of Iranians who want this regime gone don’t agree on what should come next.

Saeed Khan, Associate Professor of Near Eastern Studies and Global Studies at Wayne State University and a research fellow at the Center for the Study of Citizenship, joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to break down why what happens inside Iran matters far beyond its borders.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro