
Getting Hammered
It's not easy keeping up with the news—especially when you're a parent. Mary Katharine Ham and Vic Matus know that well. And while they can't get your kids to school on time (and without ketchup in their hair—ask Mary Katharine about that one), they can break down the news you need to know. Put the kids to bed, pour yourself a drink, and join us twice a week for Getting Hammered.
Latest episodes

May 20, 2022 • 43min
Swing and a Mis(information)
The Department of Homeland Security paused its misinformation board after videos surface of Nina Jankowicz, the woman they tapped to lead the group, discussing topics she believed were misinformation—like the Hunter Biden laptop story. Netflix tells woke employees to kick rocks if they can't work on content with which they disagree, the New York Times gives us a great "So It Can Be Told" segment, and Mary Katharine gives a shoutout to a heroic dog.Times
00:12 - Segment: Welcome to the Show
10:54 - Segment: The News You Need to Know
10:58 - The Department of Homeland Security’s Disinformation Board collapses after Nina Jankowicz’s odd internet videos surface
19:57 - Segment: Now It Can Be Told
20:00 - The New York Times reports on declining enrollment in public schools
28:18 - Netflix tells woke employees to leave if they can’t work on shows with which they disagree
36:38 - Belgian Malinois saves its owner from a mountain lion attack

May 18, 2022 • 46min
Good Faith
You know, how teachers unions kept schools closed for more than a year? Or how some on the left cast aside free speech in the face of a tragedy? Mary Katharine and Vic know it's all in good faith....Times
00:12 - Segment: Welcome to the Show
15:56 - Segment: The News You Need to Know
16:03 - Coronavirus lockdowns continue in Shanghai
21:58 - House holds a hearing on UFO sightings
28:56 - Russia miscalculates Ukraine invasion; Finland, Sweden, Switzerland consider joining NATO
32:04 - Mass shootings over the weekend kill ten in Buffalo, one in Southern California
40:04 - Pennsylvania faces their primary election

May 13, 2022 • 44min
Bottle Half Full
While baby formula supplies grow scarce, and the White House isn't quite sure what to do about it, Mary Katharine and Vic are still looking at the bottle half full (for now). White House press secretary Jen Psaki encourages protests targeting Supreme Court Justices, Whoopi Goldberg says Trump should be back on Twitter, and rising tides on the shores of Lake Mead may reveal the Las Vegas mob's secrets.Times
00:12 - Segment: Welcome to the Show
14:08 - Segment: The News You Need to Know
14:13 - The White House encourages pro-abortion protests outside of Supreme Court Justices homes
15:30 - Segment: You Love To Hear It
15:33 - Senator Dick Durbin (D., Illinois) calls pro-abortion protests targeting Supreme Court Justices reprehensible
20:27 - Parents concerned over national baby formula shortage
29:03 - The View’s Whoopi Goldberg says Twitter should give Donald Trump his account back
33:19 - Rising shorelines of Lake Mead reveal corpses, raise questions over desert crimes
40:02 - Segment: Uncancelled
40:05 - Owner of Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike accused of tweeting a dirty joke about Vice President Kamala Harris
LinkLindquist Family's GoFundMe

May 11, 2022 • 34min
House Call
Supreme Court Justices who voted in favor of abortion restrictions get a house call they didn’t ask for from dozens of rowdy pro-choice protestors. While the Boston’s mask mandate dropped two months ago, Boston Public Schools continues to require students to mask up. An update on Ukraine, and Alabama murderer manhunt draws to a close, and Mary Katharine gets a funny "fact check."Times
00:12 - Segment: Welcome to the Show
06:08 - Segment: The News You Need to Know
06:16 - Pro-choice protestors target Supreme Court justices at their residences
18:04 - Boston schools continue to require students to mask up, two months after the city drops indoor mask mandates
23:50 - An update on Ukraine
28:39 - Alabama murderer manhunt comes to a close

May 6, 2022 • 44min
Bad Actors
From the Department of Homeland Security’s new disinformation board to maskless White House Correspondents’ Dinner guests catching Covid—after years of berating others for failing to wear masks—to the New York Times taking a baseless swing at Elon Musk, Mary Katharine and Vic are blasting bad actors today.Times
00:12 - Segment: Welcome to the Show
07:24 - Segment: The News You Need to Know
07:30 - Segment: Now It Can Be Told
07:45 - David Leonhardt of the New York Times reports—after two years—how virtual learning has failed America’s students
18:10 - American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten is unsure of who’s responsible for the learning and mental health crises caused by… virtual learning…
25:31 - The New York Times takes a big ol' swing at Elon Musk (who brought his sweet mother to the Met Gala!)
32:36 - A follow-up on the "super spreader" White House Correspondents’ Dinner
38:09 - Senators pepper Department of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas with questions about his newly tapped head of disinformation, Nina Jankowicz
LinkGet involved with the Travis Manion Foundation

May 4, 2022 • 50min
A Supreme Leak
We've been living in "unprecedented times" for the past two years. And Politico's latest scoop on the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson decision is no exception. Mary Katharine and Vic unpack the story, and what the decision means for trust in the nation's highest court, abortion laws, and the midterm. President Joe Biden laughs at his failing economy during the White House Correspondents' Dinner, an update on midterm polling, and a steakhouse chef earns the honor of a lifetime.Times
00:12 - Segment: Welcome to the Show
07:33 - Segment: The News You Need to Know
07:39 - Politico scoops the Supreme Court’s decision on the Dobbs v. Jackson case, which could overturn Roe v. Wade
28:29 - President Joe Biden laughs off comedian Trevor Noah’s jabs at the state of the country
37:59 - Update on pre-midterm elections polling
42:46 - Longtime Longhorn Steakhouse employee Gayle Dudley wins a “rare” honor for grilling a million steaks
LinksPolitico’s scoop on the Supreme Court’s forthcoming decision on Dobbs v. Jackson

Apr 29, 2022 • 49min
Fauci Flip-Flops
To nobody’s surprise what so ever, Dr. Anthony Fauci flip-flops on where we are in the pandemic... again. We’re staying up to date on Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, and more importantly, the outcries from those who fear they’ll lose their ability to dictate what Twitter users can read and share. Finally, Mary Katharine and Vic reveal the “spirit” of 2022 (psst... we're talking alcohol). Times
00:12 - Segment: Welcome to the Show
12:14 - Segment: The News You Need to Know
12:20 - Segment: You Love to Hear It
12:25 - Dr. Fauci says the pandemic “phase” is over
22:40 - Fox News’ Brett Baier asks Pete Buttigieg about conflicting federal pandemic masking guidance versus his personal masking decisions
27:15 - Twitter monitors crumble as Elon Musk takes over the platform
41:20 - Jägermeister is the spirit of 2022, apparently

Apr 27, 2022 • 59min
Musk (Officially) Owns the Libs
And the crowd goes wild! Billionaire Elon Musk buys Twitter, and the libs are up in arms. Mary Katharine talks about her appearance on the Real Time with Bill Maher, American officials visit war-torn Ukraine, and new midterm forecasts give Republicans a(nother) reason to smile. Times
00:12 - Segment: Introduction
21:50 - Segment: The News You Need to Know
22:19 - Elon Musk sends Twitterverse into a spiral after purchasing the platform for $44 billion
41:43 - American officials visit Ukraine
43:55 - Crystal Ball forecasts bode well for Republicans
48:59 - Actor Chris Pratt response to calls for cancellation
LinksSupercut of Mary Katharine on Bill Maher, courtesy of the Washington Free Beacon’s Thaleigha RampersadCaitlin Flanagan’s work in The AtlanticAlison Rosen's Your New Best Friend podcast

Apr 22, 2022 • 43min
Performance Art
From continuing to mask while traveling to Vice President Kamala Harris’s awe-inspiring speech on space to actors duking it out in court, Mary Katharine and Vic are talking all about performance art. Times
00:12 - Segment: Welcome to the Show
08:05 - Segment: The News You Need to Know
08:28 - An update on travel mask mandates
15:48 - Segment: You Love to Hear It
15:54 - MSNBC contributor Symone Sanders concedes some points about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s pandemic health guideline decisions
17:26 - Florida considers removing special carveouts for the Disney Corporation, following their opposition to the Parents’ Rights Bill
21:45 - Capitol building evacuated over “air threat…” which just so happened to be the Army parachuting into Nationals Stadium for military appreciation day…
24:30 - Segment: Kamala Fan Club
26:03 - Actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard duke it out in court over defamation case
39:39 - JLo’s new engagement ring looks eerily familiar to Mary Katharine…

Apr 20, 2022 • 44min
Flyin' High
...Without a mask! A federal judge overrules the CDC's travel mask mandates, much to Mary Katharine and Vic's delight, and the White House's dismay. The Bidens roll into the annual Easter Egg Roll, touting Democrats' eggcellent work to provide top-quality education to America's kids this year (insert eye roll here). Finally, Mary Katharine answers a listener's inquiry about Fairfax County Public Schools' search for a new superintendent.Times
00:12 - Segment: Welcome to the Show
11:48 - Segment: The News You Need to Know
12:05 - Segment: Getting Hammered Investigates
12:18 - Federal judge overruled the Center for Disease Control’s travel mask guidance
29:55 - Donna Brazile says Democrats to run on the “roaring” economy, Republicans on the “fumes” of 2020
31:26 - The White House hosts its annual Easter Egg Roll, where First Lady Jill Biden touts Democrats’ education strategy during the pandemic, and President Biden has some interesting comments on Afghanistan
37:39 - Reason magazine piece on what we lost during the pandemic
39:43 - Listener inquiry: Fairfax County Public School’s superintendent search
LinksPeter Suderman piece in Reason magazine
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