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Chapter 1: Why are oil prices spiking and what role does Trump play?
Oil prices spike as President Trump ratchets up control of the Hormuz Strait. Top lawmakers seek a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell. And the DOJ reclassifies marijuana. I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Thursday, April 23rd, and this is Evening Wire.
President Trump has stepped up efforts to control the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. and Iran standoff continues.
Chapter 2: What are the latest developments regarding Ghislaine Maxwell's pardon?
Here with the latest is Daily Wire contributor Tim Pearce.
The president said on Thursday that he has ordered the U.S. Navy to shoot and kill any Iranian boats caught mining the Strait while naval minesweepers work to clear mines already placed.
Chapter 3: How is the DOJ reclassifying marijuana and what does it mean?
Meanwhile, the president took credit after Iran called off the executions of eight women. White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt explained on Fox News.
He has received direct word from the Iranian regime, or what's left of it, that their lives are going to be spared. And that comes as a result of President Trump asking them directly not to kill these young, beautiful women who certainly deserve a chance to continue living their lives freely and peacefully.
According to the president, four of the women will be released immediately and four will receive sentences of one month in prison. For its part, Iranian state media pushed back on Trump and claimed that none of the eight women were ever slated for execution. President Trump's pick to head the U.S. Navy, John Phelan, unexpectedly stepped down on Wednesday.
The Pentagon announced his exit in a brief statement and said his departure was effective immediately. This comes at a critical time for the Navy with the blockade and raises questions about the cause.
Chapter 4: What actions is Trump taking in the Strait of Hormuz?
Just a day before, Phelan gave a speech at a naval conference in D.C. and laid out his agenda for the future. He'll be replaced by Undersecretary Hung Kau, a 25-year Navy veteran and former U.S. Senate candidate from Virginia.
Oil prices have spiked over the past two days as President Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran. The international benchmark Brent crude surged over $100 a barrel on Wednesday and remained high through this afternoon, while the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate stayed slightly lower at over $90 a barrel.
Trump extended a ceasefire with Iran earlier this week because of dysfunction inside the Iranian regime. The president kept in place a blockade on Iran's shipping that has strangled its economy and increased pressure on oil prices, especially in countries like China that rely on Iranian oil.
Behind closed doors, some top Republicans are reportedly seeking a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell. Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell has the details.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said on Wednesday that some lawmakers on the committee are in favor of a pardon for Jeffrey Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for Maxwell answering questions on her and Epstein's sex trafficking scheme.
Maxwell appeared for a virtual deposition before the committee in February but pled the fifth and said she would only testify if she were granted clemency. Comer did not name any of his colleagues who have voiced support for pardoning Maxwell, but he clarified that he is opposed to the idea, stating, quote, I think it looks bad.
Honestly, other than Epstein, the worst person in this whole investigation is Maxwell.
After the notorious Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017, the Southern Poverty Law Center was outraged at PayPal. The SPLC called the payment processor the banking system for white nationalism. Because of SPLC pressure, PayPal cut off dozens of accounts linked to the rally.
But the Justice Department says that at the time of the white nationalist rally, the SPLC was secretly paying one of the event's organizers. On Tuesday, the DOJ accused the SPLC of spending millions to fund the type of hate that it raised fortunes to fight.
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Chapter 5: What are the implications of Trump's ceasefire with Iran on oil prices?
The blonde, quote, MAGA Jennifer Lawrence character built a following across Facebook, Instagram, and OnlyFans competitor FanView. Using Google's Gemini chatbot, Sam said he targeted a conservative audience, claiming it suggested the niche could be especially loyal and profitable.
He tailored posts accordingly, depicting Emily as a gun-loving, Coors Light-drinking nurse, and the accounts drew 3 to 10 million views per post. Sam said, quote, I was basically doing nothing, and it just flooded with money. The accounts have since been taken down, but Sam said he didn't see it as scamming, arguing followers might have engaged anyway because they, quote, like the sentiment.
Those are your Drive Home updates this evening. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And in case you missed it earlier today, we covered some major stories, including the legal roadblock hitting Virginia Democrats' redistricting attempt, the bombshell indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Middle Eastern countries pressuring Iran to return to the negotiating table.
Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.