“Saturday Night Live” mocked HBO’s upcoming “Harry Potter” television series over the weekend for race-swapping the villain, Severus Snape. Paapa Essiedu, a black British actor, is set to play the role, a character described in J.K. Rowling’s books as having pale, yellow skin.  During the “Weekend Update” segment on Saturday’s show, “SNL” cast member Kam Patterson portrayed a black version of Snape and joked about how the character might be perceived.  “Good evening, Mr. Jost — nah, I’m playing. I don’t talk like that, bro. It’s called code-switching. Codio switchio!” Patterson said after being introduced by host Colin Jost. Jost asked how things were going at Hogwarts, inspiring Patterson to reply, “Not great. We got this new kid. His name is Harry Potter, and he’s racist as hell. Harry Potter — or, the Proud Boy Who Lived — spent the whole year telling everybody that the school’s only black teacher was secretly evil.” Jost interjected, “I think he’s just worried because he knows someone’s trying to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone.”  “So somebody stole something, and the number one suspect is Black Snape? They didn’t even look at the white guy in the turban. So offensive. He’s got a wizard on the back of his head,” Patterson shot back. “I’m really sorry that he just jumped to conclusions like that,” Jost said.  Snape replied, “All good. It happens all the time. I showed up at Hogwarts, and on the first day, they looked at me and said, ‘You’re the professor of the Dark Arts.’ I never even studied that! I majored in African Muggle Studies.” “The whole wizarding world is racist,” Patterson went on in the bit. “There’s one other black guy, Kingsley Shacklebolt, a name I’m guessing they got out of the Wu-Tang name generator … why they got to put ‘shackle’ in his name? That’s crazy, man. Shackle? Shackle!” The skit went on, with a reference to Rowling being “problematic.” Essiedu claimed that haters have been out in force since his casting for “Harry Potter” was announced. The British star told The Times last month that he’s been told, “Quit or I’ll murder you.” “It really matters,” he says. “The reality is that if I look at Instagram I will see somebody saying, ‘I’m going to come to your house and kill you.’ …nobody should have to encounter this for doing their job. Many people put their lives on the line in their work. I’m playing a wizard in Harry Potter. And I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t affect me emotionally.” “But the abuse fuels me,” he went on. “And makes me more passionate about making this character my own, because I think of how I felt as a kid. I would imagine myself at Hogwarts on broomsticks, and the idea that a kid like me can see themselves represented in that world? That’s motivation to not be intimidated by someone saying they’d rather I died instead of doing work I’m going to be really proud of.”

CNN guest Nayyera Haq attempted to spin the war as a win for Iran, claiming that the United States was behind when it came to internet memes and propaganda, and arguing that in order to “win,” all Iran had to do was “survive.” Haq — who previously served as a senior State Department adviser under former President Barack Obama — joined a panel discussion on CNN’s “State of the Union,” where she said that the war thus far had been a showcase displaying two areas in which Iran was prevailing over the United States. WATCH: WATCH @scottjenningsKY clowns Obama WH official Nayyera Haq for suggesting Iran’s memes are a capability on par with the Shahed drone. NAYYERA HAQ: I think the irony in all of this is that Iran has shown its capabilities in two ways, where the United States is unfortunately… pic.twitter.com/ob7XuCtbVa — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) April 5, 2026 “I think the irony in all of this is that Iran has shown its capabilities in two ways, where the United States is unfortunately catching up,” Haq began, saying that the first capability was the use of cheap drone technology to carry out attacks — a capability that Iran had honed while providing that technology to Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine. “And the second is the meme war and internet propaganda, which is something actually the Iranians have been known for and influencing. And so they had — for all of our talk on our side of all the people killed in the regime, they have been pushing out through multiple channels around the world, images of the American army generals and military people who have also lost their jobs at this time,” Haq continued. “So, again, the way this looks out in the public is not a United States that is locked and loaded and working in one direction.” Conservative commentator Scott Jennings pushed back then, asking Haq, “Do you think that the Iranians would rather have their entire navy back or their memes?” “Oh, I think the — I think that, no, when we’re talking —” Haq protested. “I mean, come on. We have destroyed 13,000 military targets. And they have memes,” Jennings said. “This is a — the big distinction, is that we’re fighting the war on their land,” Haq pivoted. “So they have a say. If they survive, that’s a win for them. That’s it. So their stakes are so much higher, but they have to do so much less to be able to maintain some kind of credibility.”

In the tradition of serious journalism, The Washington Post on Monday cemented itself in the pantheon of legendary media outlets with this pressing headline: “Do men or women have worse farts? Science has the answer.” Yes, while Americans were watching the immense success of the American military in Iran, the Post elevated the intelligence of its readers with this slop. To make matters more elegant, the Post noted that Monday’s article was an excerpt from a forthcoming article on Tuesday titled, “You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong.” Stop the presses and clear the room, because we finally have the hard-hitting investigative journalism we deserve. “Science has finally settled the age-old debate of whose farts smell worse — men or women,” the Post breathlessly reported. Meet Dr. Michael Levitt, a man who looked at the vast mysteries of human biology and became known to his colleagues as “the King of Farts.” Armed with a gas chromatograph and a dream, Levitt didn’t just study flatulence; he turned it into a high-stakes competitive sport. Levitt’s methodology was pure, unadulterated nightmare fuel. He recruited sixteen “volunteers,” stuffed them with pinto beans, and literally plugged their butts with airtight tubes. But the real MVPs were the “independent judges” whose job description was to huff bags of concentrated rectal exhaust and rank them on a scale of “mild” to “existential crisis.” In 2003, Popular Science called this the worst job in science, which feels like a massive understatement for someone who spent their Tuesday morning sniffing a pinto-bean-powered chemistry set. The earth-shattering results showed women’s farts are more concentrated and toxic, while men favor “quantity over quality,” producing half a cup of gas per toot. The article called this a literal tie in the battle of the bowels. Levitt even took his expertise to NASA, ensuring astronauts don’t asphyxiate on their own internal atmosphere. If you’re gassy on a flight, don’t blame the burrito; blame the Ideal Gas Law (PV=nRT). Physics dictates that as cabin pressure drops, your colon must expand like a vengeful balloon. So, the next time you’re at 30,000 feet, just remember: you aren’t being rude, you’re just a victim of thermodynamics. Science is truly breath … taking. And the Post should really, really be taken as a serious news organization.

President Donald Trump publicly backed California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton on Monday, saying the former Fox News host “has my COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT.”    “Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so!” Trump said. “With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before!” Trump’s endorsement comes as a crowded Democratic field, including Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), and billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer, has raised Republican hopes that California’s “jungle primary” system will result in a split vote, potentially allowing Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, both GOP candidates, to advance to the general election. Under the state’s primary system, all candidates appear on the same ballot, and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election in November regardless of party.  A Democratic “lockout” of the general election appears less likely if Republican voters consolidate behind Hilton following Trump’s endorsement. “I have known and respected Steve Hilton … for many years,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell.” “Gavin Newscum and the Democrats have done an absolutely horrendous job,” he added. “People are fleeing, crime is increasing, and Taxes are the highest of any State in the Country, maybe the World.” Recent polling has generally placed Hilton and Bianco among the top contenders, though some newer surveys suggest a tighter race with several Democrats rising. One Democrat poll last month showed Hilton and Bianco leading the pack at 16% and 14%, respectively, while Swalwell, Porter, and Steyer all had around 10%. Other Democrat candidates include former President Joe Biden’s Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. “This initial survey shows two Republicans in the lead with multiple Democrats trailing behind. These results confirm the possibility – albeit a low one – of Democrats being ‘locked out’ of the General Election,” said California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks. “Most importantly, it’s yet another clear reminder of an undeniable fact – all candidates must honestly assess their viable path to win. I continue to call for them to do so.” California’s primary election is set for June 2, 2026.

This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you. *** The worst part of a new pair of shoes is breaking them in. You basically know you’ll end up with blisters on the back of your feet. It’s going to be great when you get home from work, if you ever do, and flip those bad boys off. Maybe the next time they’ll be comfortable — if you ever muster the will to throw them back on. Let’s face it, these days sneakers can even be considered business casual. Stylish dress shoes just aren’t worth it. That is, unless you take the advice of President Donald Trump. The man turns 80 in just over two months, and he’s still working what sometimes feels like endless days. I assure you, none of it is in sneakers. He never got the memo about them qualifying as business casual, and if he did, he would have used a Truth Social post to fire whoever wrote it. A lot of people wonder: How does he do it? It’s gotta be the shoes. Thanks to some shoe-leather reporting from the Wall Street Journal, Trump’s secret was revealed. It’s a $145 shoe from Florsheim.  Nope, the New York billionaire isn’t sporting $1,090 Guccis. He’s rocking a Wisconsin-based shoe brand founded in 1892. And he loves its shoes so much he insists the top men around him are wearing them too.  At a December meeting with two men who may both be president one day, JD Vance and Marco Rubio, Trump leaned over the desk to alert them both that they had disappointed him. “Marco, JD, you guys have sh*tty shoes,” Trump said before asking their size and outfitting them with Florsheims. He’s reportedly taken to doing it with many men around him, including the wealthy Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.  If it’s good enough for the Cabinet, it’s probably good enough for me. But specifically, what shoe is it?  A visit to the Florsheim website found that nearly all the dress shoes are $145. Trump says you should wear a black shoe. I recently heard Michael Knowles order a Daily Wire employee to do the same. And I know from the Kingsmen you wear Oxfords, not brogues; a man doesn’t need an adorned shoe. So I imagine Trump is outfitting his team with the same black plain-toed Oxford I selected. It came in the mail last week, and let me tell you something: I skipped right past the worst part of a new pair of shoes. On day one, I felt like I’d broken in the leather for years. I put them on at 7:45 in the morning when I laced them up to leave the house, and found them still on my feet after I got all three of my kids to sleep just after 8:00 at night. I’d like to say they were so comfortable I forgot I was wearing them, but that would be a lie. I couldn’t stop thinking about how good my feet felt. And, just like Trump, I couldn’t stop pushing them on my coworkers. I made two men in my office touch the inside of my shoe; at least one made a purchase on the spot. The next morning, he told me he dreamed about the shoes. Once you take them off for inspection, it becomes quite clear what’s going on. The inner lining of the shoe is partially lined with a thick, soft padding. Apparently, it’s a proprietary Florsheim material called Suedetec, which is strategically placed inside the shoe to navigate the usual pitfalls of a new shoe. The certainty that there is no break-in period prompted me to pull the trigger on one of the hardest-to-break-in men’s clothing items: a pair of loafers (still $145) for black-tie occasions. Most people looking for comfort end up wearing Crocs or Uggs. But in Florsheims, you can dress for comfort and still look like a president. Don’t want to look presidential? Fine, how about imitating the greatest pop star of all time (before he lost his mind)? Yes, that’s right. They’re the same shoes Michael Jackson did his moonwalk in. #FlorsheimFriday: Did you know that Michael Jackson taught himself to dance wearing our shoes and sported them for the rest of his career? pic.twitter.com/GWBOb9N2dL — Florsheim Shoes (@FlorsheimShoes) June 16, 2017 Still not your cup of tea? How about wearing the same shoes as the greatest heroes in American history? Perfect, because Florsheim was the principal manufacturer of shoes for the U.S. military in both World War I and II. The company, founded by a Jewish German immigrant in Chicago, had a promotion that for every pair of shoes it sold, it gave a pair to the military.  In my first official product review, I’m happy to put my stamp of approval on the official shoe of the Oval Office.