'Price is Right' producer defends show after Bob Barker allegations

Roger Dobkowitz, a longtime producer on"The Price is Right,"is speaking out after a recent documentary series featured allegations against hostBob Barker.

Dobkowitz, who had a 36-season run on the Daytime Emmy-winning show from 1972 to 2008, weighed in on E!'s"Dirty Rotten Scandals,"a show that pulls back the curtain on classic television series through behind-the-scenes exposés.

The series' two-part segment on "The Price is Right," which aired on March 18, included allegations from several of the game show's former models, whodescribed a culture of sexual harassmentthat pervaded production during the show's early years.

In a March 29Facebook post, Dobkowitz said he initially "avoided commenting" on the docuseries because he "didn't want to add any social traction to such an obvious 'hit piece.'"

'Price is Right' allegations:Game show models allege harassment during Bob Barker era

"The 'documentary' should just quietly disappear into the bottom of a TV equivalent of a waste basket along with all the other forgotten so-called 'exposés,'" Dobkowitz, 80, continued. "There are some people in this world who will happily exaggerate and create falsehoods in order to justify a personal hateful vendetta against a person in order to draw attention to themselves."

USA TODAY has reached out to Dobkowitz and the E! network for comment.

Former 'Price is Right' producer says Bob Barker accusers are not 'brave'

Holly Hallstrom, who was a "Barker's Beauties" model from 1977 to 1995,alleged on "Dirty Rotten Scandals"that Barker often silenced women who complained about incidents of sexual harassment on set.

"If anyone had gone to Bob because Bob was in charge of the show and said, 'I have a problem. I have a complaint.' He would have told her to get over it or look for a new job," said Hallstrom, who also accused the game show host of having an affair with fellow model Dian Parkinson.

Barker, who retired as "Price of Right" host in 2007, died in 2023.

"Making the situation worse is the fact that the accused is deceased, and therefore, making it impossible for the accused to defend himself," Dobkowitz wrote on Facebook. "The adjective 'brave' should never be used in reference to a person attacking a dead person."

Barker faced his fair share of legal troubles during his stint on the iconic game show. In 1994, Parkinson filed an $8 million sexual harassment lawsuit, though Barker denied the charges, and Parkinson withdrew the suit a year later.

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It's hard to say goodbye, but fans of these TV shows will have to do just that in 2026. From fantasy epics like Starz's "Outlander" (starring Sam Heughan, left, and Caitriona Balfe, pictured) to talk shows like "The Kelly Clarkson Show" and "Late Night With Stephen Colbert," these 20 shows are ending this year.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jeff Daniels, left, and Stephen Colbert on CBS's "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." The show is set to end in May 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Homelander (Antony Starr, left) and Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) in "The Boys." The Prime Video comic book adaptation will conclude with the fifth and final season.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jeremy Renner, left, as Mike McLusky and Edie Falco as Nina Hobbs in "Mayor of Kingstown." The show will end with its fifth season.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> CBS's "The Neighborhood" will end at Season 8.

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" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> David Tennant (as Crowley) and Michael Sheen (Aziraphale) in "Good Omens." The Prime Video series will return for a 90-minute concluding film in 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Netflix's fantasy juggernaut "The Witcher" will have one final season in 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Andie MacDowell in "The Way Home" on Hallmark, which has a fourth and final season in 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Netflix teen drama "Outer Banks" will end after a fifth season this year.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Wanda Sykes speaks to Sherri Shepherd on "Sherri." It's another talk show taking a final bow in 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Showtime's long-running drama "The Chi" will have one last hurrah in Season 8 this year.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Netflix's celebrated "Queer Eye" has its 10th and final season of makeovers in 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> After a dramatic third season, Hulu's twisty "Tell Me Lies" announced its ending.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Wanda Sykes' Netflix sitcom "The Upshaws" is ending after a Part 7 on the streaming service.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kiawentiio as Katara, Gordon Cormier as Aang and Ian Ousley as Sokka in "Avatar: The Last Airbender." The adaptation of the Nickelodeon animated series will end after its 2026 third season.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> The teens of "Yellowjackets" will say goodbye to the Wilderness after 2026's fourth season.

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Say it isn't so! These TV shows are ending in 2026

It's hard to say goodbye, but fans of these TV shows will have to do just that in 2026. From fantasy epics like Starz's "Outlander" (starring Sam Heughan, left, andCaitriona Balfe, pictured) to talk shows like "The Kelly Clarkson Show" and "Late Night With Stephen Colbert," these 20 shows are ending this year.

Barker later sued Hallstrom for libel and slander after she told news outlets that she was fired because she gained weight through medication. He eventually dropped the lawsuit 48 hours before trial, and Hallstrom later countersued him for wrongful termination and malicious prosecution.

"Most people in society and individuals move on with their lives, especially after courtrooms have settled disputes and they are closed," Dobkowitz continued. "When someone feels the compulsion to constantly bring it up for another 30 years is a sign that something could be wrong with their capacity to reason maturely."

'Price is Right' producer Roger Dobkowitz says game show was a 'happy place'

Dobkowitz isn't the only one standing by Barker and "The Price is Right."

In a March 18 statement to USA TODAY, Barker's longtime representative, Roger Neal, denied any allegations of sexual misconduct against Barker or the show.

"Barker was and is beloved, and people to this day love him," Neal said at the time.  "He was part of the fabric of American pop culture. He was the greatest MC in TV history. I was honored to have represented him."

Dobkowitz echoed the sentiment in his Facebook post, saying the game show was a "happy place."

"Our working environment was the envy of other shows," Dobkowitz wrote. "Staff rarely quit…the dozens of women who were in our repertoire of models came back year after year, happy to be on our show."

He added, "The only unhappy people, as would be found in any company, were the ones that didn't get the raise they wanted, the ones that didn't get the promotion they thought they deserved and the ones that were terminated for not doing their job."

Dobkowitz joined the production staff of "The Price is Right" in 1972 and became a producer in 1984. During his decadeslong tenure, he created 18 of the show's pricing games and won five Daytime Emmy Awards.

"Someday, when I write my book, (if anyone still cares by then), my 36 years of observations with Bob, the models and the staff will clear up lots of misconceptions and dismiss many wrongful accusations," Dobkowitz concluded. "I was there for 36 years. I was on that stage."

Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Price is Right' producer defends show after Bob Barker documentary

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April 04, 2026

'Price is Right' producer defends show after Bob Barker allegations

Roger Dobkowitz, a longtime producer on"The Price is Right,"is speaking out after a recent documentary series f...

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Mike Rowe doubles down after blasting Kimmel’s ‘tone-deaf’ plumber jokes

After being scorned on social media, "Dirty Jobs" television show veteran Mike Rowe doubled down on his criticism ofJimmy Kimmel's "tone deaf" monologues mocking new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin for being a former plumber.

Rowe said he had not noticed hispost about late-night host Kimmel"belittling plumbers" had gone viral, because he had been too busy working.

"I want to apologize for not responding to any of the 22 thousand comments my last post inspired," he wrote. "I've been filming all week and just noticed my observations about Jimmy Kimmel and a former plumber namedMarkwayne Mullinhave gone viral."

Rowe said that Kimmel's digs at Mullin for being a former plumber are evidence of "longstanding stigmas and stereotypes" against blue-collar skilled trade workers as "uneducated, one-dimensional workers who never made it to college."

Late-night Host Jimmy Kimmel Shows Up To 'No Kings' Protest With Kids, Holds 'Enough Already' Sign

"I did not suggest – even remotely - that a plumber was inherently qualified to hold a cabinet position," he wrote on X. "What I said was that being a plumber should not disqualify a person from holding such a position."

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Kimmel, a regular critic of theTrump administration, was recently criticized as elitist for using Mullin's prior experience as a plumbing business owner as evidence that he is unqualified to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

"Trump's got a whole new generation of thinkers lined up, including his newly confirmed secretary ofHomeland Security, Markwayne 'Chuck Mike Bruce Dave' Melon — Mullin. Maybe Melon's better," Kimmel said on air March 24. "He's the now former senator of Oklahoma. Before he was elected to the Senate, Markwayne Mullin was a low-level MMA fighter and a plumber. That's right. We have a plumber protecting us from terrorism now. It worked for Super Mario. Why not Markwayne?"

He continued, "But honestly — I mean, if Trump is going to keep picking these unqualified people to run the department, why not have more fun with it? I mean, next time, instead of Markwayne, how about Lil Wayne for Homeland Security? At least we can get a concert out of it, right?"

Kimmel later doubled down, saying, "I'm not upset that the head of Homeland Security used to be a plumber. I'm upset that he isn't still a plumber."

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Jimmy Kimmel Refuses To Back Down After Mocking Secretary Mullin Over Plumbing Background

Rowe had ripped late-night host Kimmel for the dig, saying he took offense at the "suggestion that skilled workers should never evolve into something new."

He asked if Mullin's career progression from plumbing business owner to Congress and then to a top Cabinet official is "not the embodiment of the American Dream?"

On Friday, he wrote that stereotypes reinforced by jokes like Kimmel's are contributing to a critical shortage of American skilled laborers.

"Reasonable people can disagree as to what is funny and what isn't. Frankly, I couldn't care less. What I do care about," he wrote, "is the extraordinary shortage of plumbers and electricians our country is facing, and the longstanding stigmas and stereotypes that continue to discourage people from considering a lucrative career in the skilled trades."

"Jimmy's joke – and his audience's reaction to it," wrote Rowe, "is proof positive that those stigmas and stereotypes are alive and well."

Jimmy Kimmel's Trump, Melania Digs At Oscars 'Fell Flat' With Critics

Digging even deeper, Rowe asked, "What do their credentials and diplomas have to do with their actual competency? Are we not already surrounded by a legion of perfectly qualified experts who don't know what the hell they're doing?"

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"Jimmy is entitled to his opinion, along with anyone else who believes that Mullin is unqualified to lead the DHS," he wrote on X. "The Constitution, however, says otherwise, and so does the Senate."

Rowe, who runs a nonprofit promoting skilled labor careers called the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, concluded by encouraging people to launch a career in the skilled trades, saying, "Who knows? Could be the first step on your road to President."

Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for Kimmel for comment.

Original article source:Mike Rowe doubles down after blasting Kimmel's 'tone-deaf' plumber jokes

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April 04, 2026

Mike Rowe doubles down after blasting Kimmel’s ‘tone-deaf’ plumber jokes

After being scorned on social media, "Dirty Jobs" television show veteran Mike Rowe doubled down on his critici...

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Trump administration asks appeals court to pause order halting White House ballroom construction

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is arguing that a judge's order to halt construction of a$400 million ballroomcreates a security risk for President Donald Trump as it asks a federal appeals courtto pause the ruling.

Trump White House Ballroom

In a motion filed Friday, National Park Service lawyers say that the federal judge's order to suspend construction of the new facility is "threatening grave national-security harms to the White House, the President and his family, and the President's staff."

"Time is of the essence!" the lawyers write, citing materials that will be installed to make a "heavily fortified" facility. The ballroom construction also includes bomb shelters, military installations and a medical facility, according to the filing. The ballroom is part ofPresident Donald Trump'splans to quickly remake Washington.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington on Tuesday ordered the temporary pause of the construction project that has included demolishing the East Wing of the White House. He concluded that unless Congress approves the project, the preservationist group suing to stop it is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims because "no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have."

The judge suspended enforcement of his order for 14 days acknowledging that the administration would appeal his decision.

Leon's ruling and the appeal come the same week akey agency taskedwith approving construction on federal property in the Washington region gave final approval to the project.

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In his ruling Leon, who was nominated by Republican President George W. Bush, suspended enforcement of his order recognizing that "halting an ongoing construction project may raise logistical issues."

Leon also addressed national security in his ruling, saying that he reviewed information that the government privately submitted to him and concluded that halting construction wouldn't jeopardize national security. He exempted any construction work that is necessary for the safety and security of the White House from the scope of the injunction.

Trump lashed out at the ruling, but also noted that it would allow work on underground bunkers and other security measures around the White House grounds to continue — even though those will be paid for by taxpayers. Trump has pledged that he, along with private donors, will cover the costs for the ballroom construction.

But the National Park Service argues in its motion that the president has "complete authority to renovate the White House" and the current state of the grounds, which is an open construction site, make it harder to protect the White House.

"Canvas tents, which are necessary without a ballroom, are significantly more vulnerable to missiles, drones, and other threats than a hardened national security facility," the motion says.

The Trump administration is asking the appeals court to make a decision on its request by Friday. It also asked that the 14-day suspension of Leon's order be extended by another two weeks so that the case can be taken to the Supreme Court.

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April 04, 2026

Trump administration asks appeals court to pause order halting White House ballroom construction

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is arguing that a judge's order to halt construction of a$400 million ball...

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Traveling Soon? Here Are The Maps You Need

This Easter weekend, rain and thunderstorms have been ongoing. After impacting an area from the Midwest to the Southern Plains Saturday, the line of storms will spread to the East Coast on Easter Sunday.

Travel Problems Over The Next Few Days

This could lead to delays at the major East Coast hubs on Easter Sunday.

A quick moving system will bring light snowfall to the Great Lakes on Monday and will shift to the interior Northeast by Tuesday.

Another system will move into the Great Lakes Wednesday. A separate system will begin to impact Northern California Wednesday as well.

If you're heading south in the days ahead, keep in mind that the trees are in full swing. Pollen sufferers will want to account for that in any outdoor plans. You can see how far north the pollen has gotten in maps at the end of this article.

Current Weather

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Current Winds At Cruising Altitude

Flyers will generally travel faster eastward with the jet stream and slower flying westward against strong headwinds in the jet stream. The jet stream is shown by the ribbons of faster moving air shaded in purple, pinks and whites on the map below.

Current Temperatures

Near-Term Forecast On The Roads

Current Weather Alerts

Forecast Weather

Below are the forecast conditions and high temperatures over the next six days.

Rain And Snow Forecast

Health

Here are a few maps to help keep you aware of current threats outside of storm systems that could impact your mind or body.

Current Tree Pollen

Current Grass Pollen

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April 04, 2026

Traveling Soon? Here Are The Maps You Need

This Easter weekend, rain and thunderstorms have been ongoing. After impacting an area from the Midwest to the Souther...

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Blake Lively reacts to dismissal of most claims against Justin Baldoni

Blake Livelyhas responded to a federal judge's decision to dismiss 10 of 13 claims she brought against her "It Ends With Us" director and co-starJustin Baldoni.

On April 2, Judge Lewis Liman in New York mostly granted — and in part denied — Baldoni and his codefendants'motion for summary judgment, a bid to avert atrial set to begin May 18. Only three of Lively's 13 claims — including breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation — against Baldoni may proceed to trial.

On her Instagram story April 3, the "Gossip Girl" alum thanked the court for allowing the "heart of my case to be presented to a jury" at the May 18 hearing. She said she appreciated the opportunity to "finally" tell her story in full.

"The last thing I wanted in my life was a lawsuit, but I brought this case because of the pervasive RETALIATION I faced, and continue to, for privately and professionally asking for a safe working environment for myself and others," she wrote. "I hope the Court's decision shows others that, as unfathomably painful as it is, you can speak up."

In late 2024,Lively filed a California complaintalleging sexual harassment and retaliation by Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath, which was followed bya lawsuit filed in New York federal courtand was the start of the ongoing legal battle. She also alleged that Baldoni and Heath participated in a retaliatory "social manipulation" smear campaign against her.

Lively urged the public to not dismiss the legal battle as a "digital soap opera" and condemned coverage casting the suit as "Celebrity Drama." She said sensationalism is irresponsible and aims to "keep you from seeing yourselves in my story."

"The physical pain from digital violence is very real. It is abuse. And it's everywhere. Not just in the news, but in your communities and schools," she continued.

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Blake Lively's lawyer responds toJustin Baldoni's attorney's remarks

Mike Gottlieb, Lively's attorney, responded to the Baldoni attorney, Bryan Freedman, whotold TMZon Friday, April 3, that the defendants were not afraid of showing the truth and that "Neither Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath nor any of the other defendants have engaged in the sexual harassment of Blake Lively."

In a statement also shared on Lively's Instagram story, Gottlieb said Freedman does not understand the court's "actual ruling." He said Liman's ruling that her state and federal harassment claims could not go to trial was due to "legal issues rather than an endorsement of the defendants' conduct."

"What the Court actually decided yesterday is that Blake Lively provided evidence to go to trial on her core claims: that she spoke out against what she believed was sexual harassment on the set, and suffered retaliation that harmed her reputation as a result," Gottlieb wrote.

Baldoni's attorneys, Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach, said in a statement to USA TODAY that they look forward to the trial and that, "We're very pleased the Court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and every claim brought against the individual defendants: Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel."

"These were very serious allegations, and we are grateful to the Court for its careful review of the facts, law and voluminous evidence that was provided," the statement reads.

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Blake Lively reacts to dismissal of most claims against Justin Baldoni

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April 04, 2026

Blake Lively reacts to dismissal of most claims against Justin Baldoni

Blake Livelyhas responded to a federal judge's decision to dismiss 10 of 13 claims she brought against her "It E...

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