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Bill Maher, Woody Harrelson sound off on California business climate, say state deserves to be ‘s— on’
Comedian Bill Maher and actor Woody Harrelson unloaded on the state of California over its business climate during Maher’s “Club Random” podcast on Monday.
Maher and Harrelson co-own a cannabis dispensary and lounge in West Hollywood called The Woods. The pair discussed the difficulties of owning a pot shop in the liberal state.
“We’re trying. It’s not easy to make a business work in California,” Maher said as he explained why he decided to record the April 20 episode at the pot store.
Harrelson agreed and added, “California just messes with every business.”
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“I mean, I don’t want to like start this off — why not? Why, just s—ing on California. But California deserves to be s— on for a lot of this kind of stuff. And people know and this is why people flee the state,” Maher continued.
The comedian said it “sucks” to do any kind of business in California, but said the state still treats cannabis like it’s “poison.”
“They treat it like you’re lucky that we allow you to do this, and so we’re going to tax you 35%, which is way more. It’s more than double anything,” Harrelson said.
California has a 15% gross receipts tax on the retail sale of cannabis or any cannabis product. It briefly rose to 19% in 2025, but a bill passed in September brought it back down to 15%.
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However, with other local taxes and the state’s sales tax, the rate can exceed 30%.
Later in the discussion, the pair said business at their store was picking up, and Harrelson hammered the tax rate again.
“But I tell you what, there’s nothing we can do when the government is charging 35%. Like they can’t tax us 35%, it’s not right,” he said.
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California metro areas have seen net losses from businesses and corporations leaving the state, led by the San Francisco Bay Area, with a net loss of 156 headquarters since 2018.
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Newest Steelers receiver Michael Pittman Jr talks possible Aaron Rodgers return: ‘I’m hoping he’s close’
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting on Aaron Rodgers’ 2026 NFL season decision — will he play, or is retirement finally calling for the four-time MVP?
The Steelers and head coach Mike McCarthy, his old leader from their time with the Green Bay Packers, continue to wait patiently, and so is one of the newest in the building: wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
“I’m hoping he’s close,” Pittman told Fox News Digital during a recent interview ahead of his time at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh with Toyota.
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Pittman arrived in Pittsburgh earlier this offseason after the Indianapolis Colts reached a trade with the Steelers to send the seven-year receiver east. As he continues to get acclimated, Pittman is already hearing the question: Is Rodgers coming back?
“I don’t know anything — people think that we know something. Why would Aaron tell me anything?” he said, laughing.
Pittman said he isn’t “worried about it too much” from a personal perspective, given his time in Indianapolis was riddled with quarterback turnover. Throughout his tenure with the Colts, Pittman played for 10 different starting quarterbacks, including Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, and Daniel Jones this past season.
It even got so bad in 2025 following Jones’ injury that he was reunited with Rivers, who was signed in hopes he could help salvage the season.
But while some of those guys are likely heading to the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day, there’s no doubting Rodgers’ Canton hopes and what he brings to a team even if he is turning 43 in December.
“Obviously, Aaron is a great player — look at everything he’s done,” Pittman added. “We would love to have him back. At the end of the day, he has to decide that for himself.”
Rodgers may not be at the Steelers’ start to voluntary offseason program, but he is working out to stay in shape in preparation for the new season if he decides to return. But there has been radio silence between both sides, according to NFL Network, and there is no expectation to hear from him before the first round of the draft begins on Thursday night.
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While Pittman, the Steelers and the rest of the NFL wait to hear from Rodgers, Will Howard, the team’s sixth-round pick in last year’s draft, is the expected starting quarterback for McCarthy’s squad heading into the voluntary workouts.
In the meantime, Pittman will continue to enjoy the sports-crazed city he now calls home.
“Being in Pittsburgh, just the vibe of driving around, everybody is wearing something sports. It’s either the Steelers, the Pirates or the Penguins,” Pittman explained. “Somebody’s wearing some black and gold, which I think is awesome. They love their football there. I mean, Indy loves football, too. I’m not taking anything away from Indy fans, but it’s just the Pittsburgh — everybody knows Pittsburgh for being Pittsburgh. The Steelers, the fans. The town is set on these rivers. The stadium is right there, the scenery. It is something crazy, and I’m excited to be there and be able to play for them.”
IMPACTING LOCAL FLAG FOOTBALL WITH TOYOTA
Pittman is always looking to impact his community, especially being in a new city. Following his role as a coach during Toyota’s Glow Up Classic during Super Bowl week in San Francisco, Pittman is back with the automotive manufacturer for a special NFL Draft flag football training camp featuring Pittsburgh high school girls flag players on the eve of draft night.
Pittman, alongside some NFL Draft prospects and members of the U.S. Women’s National Flag Football team, will be putting on his coach’s hat to help coordinate drills, while giving instruction and mentorship to those girls participating.
And even better, select participants will be chosen to walk the NFL Draft Red Carpet, as they get to experience and witness some of the best young players in football fulfill their dream, like Pittman, of hearing their names called in the NFL Draft.
With new national data from Campus Multimedia and YouGov finding that 70% of teens (12-17) want brands supporting their school community, this is just another example of how Toyota is making an impact in communities all over the country. As an official partner of NFL FLAG league play, which has helped grow the game by reaching over 300,000 youth players nationwide with over $3 million in support, Toyota is also buying all NFL FLAG fall registration kit fees for current players in the Pittsburgh Flag Football League (PFFL) coed youth and high school girls leagues.
“Our main message to these girls is to capture their spotlight, and I just know this is all for them,” Pittman said. “We’re just there to pump them up and anyway we can champion them and just lift them up and let them know we’re here to support girls flag and we want to make it a renowned sport.”
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Repeat offender released early from jail now charged with capital murder of pregnant woman
A repeat offender in Texas released early has been arrested after allegedly murdering a pregnant woman, police confirmed to Fox News Digital Monday.
Kevin Faux, 24, had been wanted on a capital murder charge in the death of 23-year-old Ashanti Allen, who was eight months pregnant when she was reported missing on April 10.
He was arrested without incident by the U.S. Marshals Service New Orleans Office, police said.
Allen, 23, was last seen on April 10 after leaving her Houston home, according to FOX 26.
She was eight months pregnant and experiencing a high-risk pregnancy when she disappeared, police said.
The Houston Police Department said that Faux was the father of Allen’s unborn child.
The 23-year-old woman was found dead on April 16 and police identified Faux as the suspect in her death.
Court records obtained by KHOU-TV show Faux had multiple prior assault-related cases, including a 2019 aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a 2021 misdemeanor assault involving another woman, and two 2025 assault charges involving Allen.
Faux was jailed in September 2025 in connection with the assaults against Allen. In February, he was sentenced to 280 days behind bars.
However, the local outlet reported that he received a “two-for-one” credit, a practice commonly used to manage the jail population, which cut his sentence in half.
Allen’s mother said she never knew about Faux’s history of violence.
“I didn’t know anything about the incidents until she went missing, because if I had known that, he would have never been around my daughter,” she told KHOU-TV.
Allen’s cause of death is not known at this time.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Marshals Service for additional information.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact HPD Homicide at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
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Deadly shooting at historic tourist site leaves one dead, several injured as motive unclear
A Canadian woman was shot and killed Monday, and several others were injured, before a gunman took his own life at Mexico’s popular Teotihuacan pyramids.
Mexican officials said that four people were wounded by gunfire and two others sustained injuries from falls. Among the injured were tourists from Colombia, Russia, and Canada, according to local government reports via The Associated Press.
A firearm, a bladed weapon, and live cartridges were found at the scene, Mexico’s Security Cabinet confirmed on social media.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be thoroughly investigated and that she was in contact with the Canadian Embassy.
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“What happened today in Teotihuacan deeply pains us,” she wrote. “I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families.”
MAJOR DRUG LORD ‘EL MENCHO’ KILLED IN MEXICAN MILITARY OPERATION WITH U.S. INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT
Sheinbaum said she has instructed the Security Cabinet to investigate the events and provide all necessary support to the victims.
“Personnel from the Secretariat of the Interior and the Secretariat of Culture are already heading to the site to provide assistance and accompaniment, along with local authorities,” she said. “I am closely following the situation, and we will continue to provide timely updates through the Security Cabinet.”
The pre-Hispanic city, located just outside Mexico City, was once one of the most significant cultural centers in Mesoamerica.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Canada’s foreign ministry for comment.
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