Former “Jackass” star Steve-O claims he turned down an appearance on Bill Maher’s podcast because the host refused to refrain from smoking marijuana in front of him. The 49-year-old reality star‚ whose real name is Stephen Glover‚ went through a very public battle with addiction and says he’s been sober for 16 years. Glover told guest Patrick Bet-David on a recent episode of his podcast‚ “Wild Ride‚” that drugs were the reason he didn’t appear on Maher’s “Club Random.” “For me‚ I’m a clean and sober guy. It’s very important that I maintain my sobriety‚” Steve-O said‚ per Entertainment Weekly. “It’s approaching 16 years. I am about to be sweet 16. Really‚ there’s nothing that I value more than my sobriety. There’s nothing more that I protect than my recovery. And I found it kind of upsetting when the Bill Maher podcast‚ which I saw you on‚ reached out.” “His thing is‚ he smokes pot the whole time while he interviews people. I said I’d happily go on there‚ but while I’m on‚ out of respect for my sobriety‚ could he refrain from smoking pot. He said no. That’s a deal breaker‚” the reality star added. Glover said he’s never encountered this issue before as a podcast guest. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Mike Tyson’s podcast is called ‘Hotboxin‚’” Steve-O added. “Be real! All of these prolific potheads‚ I’ve been on their shows and it wasn’t so important to them to blow marijuana smoke in my face. But for Bill Maher‚ it was a deal breaker.” The outlet reported that Maher usually smokes marijuana during “Club Random” interviews but did not during a recent discussion with Sheryl Crow that aired on March 24.  While discussing the Israel-Hamas war‚ Maher said‚ “That’s when I need a joint‚ but I will never light one up‚” he said. “But can I hold one?” Crow replied‚ “If I weren’t singing tomorrow‚ I’d say light that bad boy up right now.” “I’ve never not‚” Maher said. “But for you? First of all‚ I would do this standing on my head‚ but it is a little like running a marathon for the first time.”

After his hit documentary “What is a Woman?” shocked the world with a simple question‚ Daily Wire host Matt Walsh is back and performing a new role. On Wednesday‚ DailyWire+ released the official trailer for “JUDGED by Matt Walsh‚” a new arbitration-based reality courtroom comedy hosted by Walsh. The show is an unconventional‚ one-of-a-kind reality courtroom comedy series starring the conservative personality‚ who will hear the actual petty grievances of real-life litigants who bring their cases before Judge Walsh. In “JUDGED‚” Walsh brings his iconic witty quips and deadpan delivery of common sense to those who dare to step into his courtroom. The series will premiere Tuesday‚ April 9‚ at 8:00 p.m. ET‚ with the first episode streaming for free on DailyWire+‚ X‚ and YouTube and the second episode dropping the same night on DailyWire+. New episodes of “JUDGED by Matt Walsh” will drop weekly on Tuesdays‚ exclusively on DailyWire+. BECOME A DAILYWIRE+ MEMBER TO GET ACCESS TO THE FULL ‘JUDGED by Matt Walsh’ SERIES Walsh has become one of the conservative movement’s most influential voices‚ tackling the most important political and cultural issues of the day on “The Matt Walsh Show.” Along with being a powerful voice on the Right‚ Walsh has also pushed states‚ such as his home of Tennessee‚ to pass common-sense laws protecting children from life-altering gender procedures. His calm demeanor‚ no-nonsense opinion‚ and tireless work have made the Daily Wire host a favorite among conservatives. The Daily Wire’s lighthearted foray into the reality courtroom genre follows the smash success of its sports comedy feature “Lady Ballers” in 2023‚ starring Walsh as woke beatnik “Kris‚” and the announcement of its forthcoming adult animated comedy series “Mr. Birchum” from Adam Carolla. “Lady Ballers‚” dubbed “the most triggering comedy of the year‚” took the world by storm – it debuted with an audience score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and quickly became the #1 movie streaming in homes nationwide. Yes‚ this is real. My very own court show premiering on April 9th. I have been given actual legal power to settle real disputes. I am now the highest authority in the land and America’s preeminent legal expert. pic.twitter.com/Tn4Uwkbhc1 — The Honorable Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) April 3‚ 2024

The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee (RNC) reported a March fundraising haul of $65.6 million‚ giving the former president $93.1 million cash on hand as he attempts to catch up to the Biden campaign’s numbers‚ according to POLITICO. While the impressive haul still falls short of the Biden campaign and Democratic National Committee (DNC)‚ it is a welcome sign for Trump’s team as the presumed Republican nominee campaigns around the country‚ preparing for a rematch against President Joe Biden. Trump’s $65 million haul last month is more than the amount his campaign received in March 2020 when he posted $62 million. The Biden campaign has yet to report its fundraising numbers for March‚ but at the end of February‚ the president‚ along with the DNC‚ ended with around $155 million on hand after both Team Biden and the DNC raised $53 million in the month. Biden’s team also reported raising $25 million from a single event last week featuring former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Meanwhile‚ Trump is set to start April with a major fundraising event at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday‚ where his aides expect the campaign to pull in more than $40 million‚ POLITICO reported. Trump’s 2024 war chest and fundraising effort have been hampered by his numerous legal battles‚ which require him to pay millions of dollars in legal fees‚ amounts some political action committees are helping cover when their funds would usually be used to boost Trump’s candidacy. Earlier this week‚ the former president posted a $175 million bond in his New York civil business fraud case — an amount significantly lowered by an appeals court panel. The bond acts as a guarantee of payment if Judge Arthur Engoron’s $464 million judgment is upheld. If Trump ultimately loses his appeal‚ he will still have to pay the full amount of Engoron’s judgment‚ which grows in interest every day‚ Fox News reported. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP While Biden continues to dominate with fundraising‚ Trump boasts a polling lead nationally and in seven major battleground states‚ according to the RealClearPolitics average. A poll released Tuesday from The Wall Street Journal showed Trump ahead of Biden in six of the seven battleground states‚ with Wisconsin being the only exception.

Sunny Hostin said on Wednesday that the United States should stop sending aid to Israel in the ongoing war against the terror group Hamas‚ claiming that if that happened‚ “the war would be over in three days.” Hostin made the remarks during Wednesday’s broadcast of “The View‚” and her apparent suggestion — that the U.S. should step aside and let Hamas win — provoked an immediate rebuttal from liberal cohost Joy Behar. “The United States‚ the U.N. has found‚ is complicit‚” Hostin said of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “That is because the United States sends $3.8 billion worth of aid to Israel‚ and that also includes arming them. Social scientists have found that if the United States stopped providing that aid —” Several of Hostin’s cohosts began talking at once then‚ but she pushed ahead with her point. “—can I just finish this? The war would be over in three days‚” Hostin continued‚ clearly implying that U.S. aid and arms were the only factors preventing Israel from being wiped out‚ and in short order. “You know when the war would be over? If the — Hamas would release the hostages‚” Behar shot back‚ over objections from Hostin. “That’s when the war would be over.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Hostin went on to argue that there were Americans who would vote based on their disappointment in President Joe Biden’s continuing support to Israel‚ adding that she believed Biden was “listening.” WATCH: Staunchly racist and anti-Semitic Sunny Hostin advocates for the U.S. to abandon Israel and give Hamas terrorists the W:"…if the United States stopped providing that aid‚ the war would be over…in 3 days."Behar says the war would end if Hamas released the hostages. pic.twitter.com/sdcTYR0bDf — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) April 3‚ 2024

On Wednesday‚ the Biden administration announced that it was stepping back from a plan to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) following a significant drawdown in recent years. Bloomberg News reported the decision marks a reversal from last month’s announcement to solicit up to 3 million barrels to a Louisiana site in August and September. It also coincides with crude oil prices reaching their highest level in months as geopolitical tensions increase. The Energy Department claimed to be “keeping the taxpayer’s interest at the forefront.” The agency said‚ “We will not award the current solicitations for the Bayou Choctaw SPR site and will solicit available capacity as market conditions allow‚” adding‚ “We will continue to monitor market dynamics.” Started in 1975‚ the SPR is “the world’s largest supply of emergency crude oil … established primarily to reduce the impact of disruptions in supplies of petroleum products and to carry out obligations of the United States under the international energy program‚” according to the Energy Department. The SPR plummeted to its lowest level in decades in 2022 after the Biden administration announced a 180-million-barrel drawdown in an attempt to stabilize global oil markets and combat rising gasoline prices. Recent data showed the SPR at 363.6 million barrels — far below the authorized storage capacity of 714 million barrels — after it topped 600 million barrels as recently as late 2021. U.S. oil futures rose to $85 per barrel for the first time since October on Tuesday‚ which MarketWatch attributed to concerns about a direct conflict between Israel and Iran following a strike in Syria that killed a top Iranian commander. Also mentioned in the report were Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities. The Biden administration has made declarations since late 2022 pledging to work toward repurchasing crude oil for the SPR. Just last week‚ the Energy Department said it purchased 2.8 million barrels for a site in Texas despite the cost being $81 dollars a barrel‚ $2 over the U.S. target price‚ making for a total of 32.3 million barrels of oil brought for the SPR at an average price of $76.98. The news on Wednesday that the agency was backing away from the solicitation for 3 million barrels meant for the Louisiana site in Bayou Choctaw drew fresh criticism. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “It’s pure insanity to watch the Biden Administration cut American oil production and then claim they can’t refill our critical reserve because of the price‚” Daniel Turner‚ founder and executive director for Power The Future‚ said in a statement‚ according to Fox Business. “[President] Joe Biden drained the SPR for political reasons‚ cut our domestic production for his climate agenda‚ and now he’s leaving our critical reserve more vulnerable because he’s incompetent‚” Turner added. “As a result‚ Americans are paying more at the pump‚ more at the grocery store and our SPR is less full during a time of rising turmoil in the Middle East.”

Seattle Public Schools is shutting down its program for gifted and talented students‚ where the majority are white or Asian‚ citing “equity” concerns. The school board voted to scrap its Highly Capable Cohort program in 2020 after a 2018 survey found that only 3.7% of participating students were Hispanic and 1.6% were black. Meanwhile‚ 11.8% were Asian‚ and the majority were white. “Numbers would suggest that within our city … predominantly white children are more gifted than other cultures and races‚ and we know that is absolutely not true‚” Kari Hanson‚ the district’s director of student support services‚ told Parent Map in 2018. “Clearly we’re not identifying our children of color and we need to get down to why‚” Hanson said. The district began phasing out the gifted program in the 2021-22 school year‚ and it will be gone entirely by the 2027-28 school year. Starting next year‚ every school will have a new “more inclusive” Highly Capable Neighborhood School Model. “The program is not going away‚ it’s getting better‚” the school district said in a release. ”It will be more inclusive‚ equitable‚ and culturally sensitive. “In particular‚ students who have been historically excluded will now have the same opportunities for services as every other student and get the support and enrichment they need to grow‚” the district said. Currently‚ the district has three elementary schools‚ five middle schools‚ and three high schools for students in the Highly Capable Cohort program. Under the new program‚ gifted students will not be separated from other students but will remain in the same classroom‚ and teachers will have to develop individualized education plans for each student. Critics argue that the new model puts an unfair burden on teachers who do not have the time or resources to give 20 to 30 students an individualized plan‚ especially since the district is currently facing a $105 million deficit. Some parents also worry that the new model will overlook more advanced students. Minority representation in the Highly Capable Cohort program has improved since 2018. In the 2022-23 school year‚ 8.2% of gifted students were Hispanic‚ and 3.4% were black. The school district is made up of about 14% Hispanic students and 15% black students. Nevertheless‚ it is still replacing the program after years of attacks from critics. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP In 2021‚ Rita Green‚ the education chair of the Seattle Chapter of the NAACP‚ called for the elimination of Seattle’s gifted program. “We want the program just abolished. Period. The Highly Capable Cohort program is fundamentally flawed‚ and it’s inherently racist‚” Green said. The district’s decision also comes amid broader criticism of gifted programs due to equity concerns. In 2021‚ then-New York City Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered the city’s elementary schools to stop testing for giftedness.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appeared to short-circuit during Wednesday’s briefing‚ struggling to come up with an answer when pressed on President Joe Biden’s decision not to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as previously promised. Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy prefaced his question with a reminder that Biden had promised to refill the SPR‚ claiming that he was only draining it to compensate for the spike in gas prices that he had blamed on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. “First‚ the — so‚ you guys started draining the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try and help with ‘the Putin Price Hike’ a few years ago. Said you were going to refill it. But now it doesn’t seem like that’s happening. Why?” Doocy asked. WATCH: DOOCY TIME: “First‚ the — so‚ you guys started draining the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try and help with ‘the Putin Price Hike’ a few years ago. Said You were going to refill it. But now it doesn't seem like that's happening. Why?” KJP: “Well‚ from — I believe the Department… pic.twitter.com/K5v77241lM — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 3‚ 2024 Jean-Pierre delivered a halting response‚ shifting responsibility to the Department of Energy and suggesting that the issue was not so much whether or not it would be refilled‚ but how that would eventually come about. “Well‚ from — I believe the Department of Energy is — is responsible for — for that particular component — is refilling — refilling that‚ so I would refer to the Department of Energy. I know there are certain components to that and how they were going to move forward and refilling — refilling it. Uh — I — they would have had more specifics on that for you‚” she said. Reports broke earlier on Wednesday stating that the Biden administration would not be refilling the SPR as originally planned‚ citing the high cost of oil as a barrier to getting that done. The Department of Energy has canceled its latest tender for crude oil for the replenishment of the strategic petroleum reserve after oil prices moved higher than the DoE is comfortable with. Last month‚ the DoE purchased 2.8 million barrels at a price of $81 per barrel‚ which… pic.twitter.com/PDu7IwP7or — Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) April 3‚ 2024 “We will not award the current solicitations for the Bayou Choctaw SPR site and will solicit available capacity as market conditions allow‚” the Department of Energy said. “We will continue to monitor market dynamics.” Daniel Turner‚ founder and executive director for Power The Future‚ released a statement on the move‚ saying‚ “[President] Joe Biden drained the SPR for political reasons‚ cut our domestic production for his climate agenda‚ and now he’s leaving our critical reserve more vulnerable because he’s incompetent. As a result‚ Americans are paying more at the pump‚ more at the grocery store and our SPR is less full during a time of rising turmoil in the Middle East.”

Adam Sandler and more Hollywood stars reacted on Tuesday to the news that the original cast member of the hit SCTV series comedian Joe Flaherty had died at 82. Flaherty — who played memorable characters on the popular Canadian sketch comedy series in the late 70s and early 80’s before he appeared in movies like “Happy Gilmore” and TV shows like “Freaks and Geeks” — died Monday after a brief illness‚ Flaherty’s daughter Gudrun told the Canadian Press. “Dad was an extraordinary man‚ known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the ’40s and ’50s‚” the daughter’s statement read. “His insights into the golden age of cinema didn’t just shape his professional life; they were also a source of endless fascination for me. In these last few months‚ as he faced his health challenges‚ we had the precious opportunity to watch many of those classic movies together — moments I will forever hold dear.” Joe Flaherty‚ the actor‚ writer and comedian known for his roles on the Canadian sketch comedy series ‘Second City Television’ and ‘Freaks and Geeks‚’ has died at the age of 82‚ his daughter confirms. https://t.co/t7gt5J6E2L — NBC News (@NBCNews) April 3‚ 2024 Shortly after news of his death surfaced‚ stars like Sandler‚ Mark Hamill‚ and more shared tributes to the actor/comedian‚ The Hollywood Reporter noted. “Oh man. Worshiped Joe growing up‚” Sandler wrote on Instagram. “Always had me and my brother laughing. Count Floyd‚ Guy Caballero. Any move he made. He crushed as border guard in ‘Stripes.'” “Couldn’t be more fun to have him heckle me on the golf course‚” he added. “The nicest guy you could know. Genius of a comedian. And a true sweetheart. Perfect combo. Much love to his kids and thanks to Joe for all the greatness he gave us all.” Flaherty’s “Freaks and Geeks” co-star John Francis Daley took to X and wrote‚ “Joe Flaherty made me crack up so hard it ruined takes. My favorite days on set were the ones where we had scenes together. What a lovely guy.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP And “Freaks and Geeks” creator Paul Feig wrote‚ “So sad to hear about dear Joe. He was my TV dad and a true comedy hero. Always happy to tell any story about your favorite SCTV sketch‚ he was just the greatest guy. I will truly miss him and always be grateful to have known him. Rest in comedy‚ Joe.” “Star Wars” legend Mark Hamill shared on social media that‚ “SCTV was easily one of the greatest sketch comedies in the history of television with some of the most brilliant comic actors ever assembled in one show. Thank you Joe Flaherty- your legacy of laughs will last from here to eternity.” While comedian Joe Green wrote that‚ “So sorry to hear about the loss of comedy legend Joe Flaherty today. One of my true heroes from SCTV. Growing up watching him made me think about comedy in a completely different way.” “I was so lucky to get to work with him and spend time with him‚” he added. “In fact he was our first celebrity guest on ‘The Tom Green Show’ and I was so excited to interview him – before we we were on MTV on this clip from a pilot we shot for the CBC in Ottawa Canada in the late 1990’s. Joe was one of the greatest of all time.  My condolences to his friends and family and to all of his fans around the world. Rest in peace Joe.”

Voters in Wisconsin approved two election-related amendments to the State Constitution on Tuesday‚ including one that bans the use of private money for election administration.  The Republican-backed amendments came after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg spent millions backing groups that funded election administration in counties across the country‚ including in Wisconsin‚ during the 2020 election. Critics argued that the massive amount of election funding distributed to non-profit groups‚ known as “Zuckerbucks‚” unfairly benefited Democrat-dominated counties. The initiative to ban private funding‚ Question 1‚ passed with 54% of the vote in favor and nearly 46% against. A section will now be added to the State Constitution that says “private donations and grants may not be applied for‚ accepted‚ expended‚ or used in connection with the conduct of any primary‚ election‚ or referendum‚” The Hill reported.  The second initiative‚ Question 2‚ defined who can administer various aspects of elections. It passed with nearly 59% supporting and 41% opposed. It stipulated that “only election officials designated by law may perform tasks in the conduct of primaries‚ elections‚ and referendums.” Opposition to the two amendments was greatest in the Democratic-heavy counties surrounding Madison and Milwaukee. The amendments were approved as Wisconsin is again expected to be a battleground state for a likely rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in November.  “Victory! Wisconsin has spoken and the message is clear: elections belong to voters‚ not out-of-state billionaires‚” Wisconsin GOP Chairman Brian Schimming said in a statement. “Thanks to the efforts by the Republican Party of Wisconsin and grassroots organizing‚ Wisconsinites have turned the page on Zuckerbucks and secured our elections from dark money donors.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP According to the Foundation for Government Accountability‚ more than $10 million in “Zuckerbucks” was spent in Wisconsin during the 2020 election. The FGA estimated that more than 80% of the funding went to areas Biden won by an average of 37 points.  Jason Snead‚ the executive director of the Honest Elections Project‚ a group that has urged states to ban the use of outside funding for elections‚ praised the move in a statement obtained by The Daily Wire.  “Honest Elections Project Action congratulates Wisconsinites for voting to enshrine a ban on private influence on election administration in their state constitution‚” Snead said. “Private influence schemes such as ZuckBucks in 2020 and ZuckBucks 2.0 in 2024 sow distrust in election outcomes‚ which is why they should be banned in all 50 states. Moneyed interests‚ conservative and liberal alike‚ have no business influencing how elections are administered.”