Getting Hammered®

Reports of plague near a Siberian lab spark questions about Russian transparency. French riots, German espionage allegations, and Iranian propaganda targeting America’s midterms add to the international intrigue. Michelle Tafoya shakes up Minnesota’s Senate race, while bizarre campaign ads steal the spotlight. The conversation also turns to a thwarted flight attack, anti-Semitism controversies, and whether iced coffee can sabotage a job interview.

Midterm panic collides with polling, fundraising, electoral maps, and cross-pressured voters. The discussion turns to a foiled terror plot in Britain, a fiery television rant, Iran’s economic and military troubles, and disputed sexual assault allegations at Cornell. It closes with an uproar over masks, pronouns, and a lesbian bar’s attempt to set its own rules.

Because she can't stop thinking about Nikole Hannah-Jones, Mary Katharine Ham interviews Maud Maron, NYC public-school parent and former head of the Manhattan School Board. She has been at odds with NHJ on school policy for the 10 years of her activism and walks us through exactly what the NYT writer advocated for and how it hurt other children's educations in her city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Katharine Ham and Vic Matus talk about the sad story of Nikole Hannah-Jones' daughter's education and all the lessons it did not teach her mother. They discuss the UN General Assembly meeting and all Trump has on his plate, plus his love for Mamdani and the State Dinner for Xi. In other ideological insanity news, Spanberger is still not moderate, an unsettling number of Democrats polled are okay with military coups... for democracy, and are Vic and I tracking our kids? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI alarmism, regulatory capture, and John Ossoff’s proposed government response take center stage. The conversation also tackles Trump’s $5,000 election dividend, the RNC’s midterm strategy, immigration and assimilation debates, Germany’s populist backlash, and the fading appeal of brunch culture.

Mary Katharine Ham and Victorino Matus talk about the socialist gathering over the weekend and all the loony things they said while wearing their masks, and whether the loony things matter. They also do a long commemoration of 9/11, the inspiring stories of heroism, personal stories, and what the attack and response would look like if it happened today. Also, what the heck is happening in Seattle, and how should one react when his wife gets her hair cut? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A college drop-off sparks stories about parenting, diners, and a jalapeño disaster. The conversation turns to Michigan politics, Abdul El-Sayed’s controversial alliances, Jewish safety, and the Democratic Party’s internal fight. They tackle Seattle teachers’ salaries, higher education’s enrollment crunch, Southern universities’ COVID-era advantage, Canada trade tensions, Dolly Parton’s appeal, and Michelle Obama’s provocative parenting comments.

Jenna Lee of SmartHERNews joins Mary Katharine Ham this week and the two talk about Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer. Fresh out of a slightly unhinged, emotional carline kid pick-up in her Dolly shirt, MK pays tribute to the icon, legend, and downright funny lady who moved us in so many ways. Jenna talks about the make-up advice she got from the lady herself (!) while MK reminisces on a tip she got from another country music star. They talk about their favorite Dolly songs, especially the ones that got them through tough times. Also, huge shoutout to Dollywood. You should all visit! What a lady. What a life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They gripe about over-the-top dorm renovations and the chaos of college move-in. A 1,000-mile family road trip, audiobooks and singalongs get a nostalgic mention. They parse falling violent crime rates, dropping prescription drug prices, and long naval deployments. Political primaries, woke 1.0 backlash, and a high-profile academic scandal also make news. A teen lifeguard’s White House visit lightens the tone.

Mary Katharine Ham and Vic Matus discuss new revelations about Dr. Anthony Fauci's concerns about the COVID vaccine causing miscarriages in the first trimester, as MKH reminisces about the immense social pressure and shaming pregnant women faced for declining the shot, as she did in early 2021. They also talk about AOC's egg-freezing journey (recorded before news broke that she broke up with her fiance), and how it's a soft presidential announcement, then we join her as she laughs off "Woke 1" without taking any accountability. They discuss Megan Romer's DSA disarray, and the excuses being made for Jason Arday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices