Normally Podcast: Olympic Gold Pride, Newsom’s “I Can’t Read” Act, and NYC Subway Chaos

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show ("Normally" Podcast)

Episode Title: Olympic Gold Pride, Newsom’s “I Can’t Read” Act, and NYC Subway Chaos
Date: February 24, 2026
Hosts: Mary Katherine Ham & Carol Markowitz
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

---

Overview

In this episode, Mary Katherine Ham and Carol Markowitz deliver their signature blend of news, culture, and unapologetic commentary, focusing on three central topics: the USA's triumphant Olympic hockey golds, Gavin Newsom's questionable authenticity and self-deprecating political tactics, and the persistent dysfunction of New York City's public spaces. The show’s overall theme is a celebration of American resilience, a critique of political phoniness, and exasperation at progressive governance that, in the hosts’ view, neglects normal Americans' needs.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Olympic Gold and American Pride

Segment begins at 04:20

• Historic Wins:
  The U.S. men’s and women’s hockey teams both win gold at the Olympics—the men’s team triumphing for the first time since the 1980s “Miracle on Ice.” Both victories came through dramatic overtime golden goals, beating Canada in each final.

• National Sentiment:
  The hosts revel in the rare moment of national unity, praising the grit and pride of the athletes and how their wins resonate emotionally across the country. Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision to allow early morning alcohol sales for the men’s game is lauded as a “credit where it’s due” move (05:13).

• Cultural Divide:
  Carol and Mary Katherine note that moments of “rah-rah America” are increasingly polarizing, with some leftist commentators finding it complicated to root for Team USA (07:47). The hosts highlight an article from the Huffington Post that empathizes with those struggling to feel patriotic, which they dismiss as out of touch.

• Olympic Lore and Masculinity:
  A powerful story is shared about the men’s team honoring late teammate Johnny Goudreau by including his family in the gold medal celebration, highlighting “the toughness and tenderness together of this team” (08:27). The hosts present this as a model of positive masculinity.

• Memorable Quotes:

  • “That’s what we’re looking for. Oh, and they love America, right?” – Mary Katherine Ham (10:41)
  • “It was such a beautiful display of, frankly, masculinity, like the toughness and tenderness together of this team was amazing.” – Mary Katherine Ham (08:27)

• Notable Audio Clip:
  Jack Hughes, game-winning goal scorer, discusses his pride in representing the USA and the strength of the team’s brotherhood (12:04).

• Fun Facts:

  • The Hughes family’s legacy in hockey, including multi-generational Olympic participation and the Jewish heritage of the Hughes brothers (13:20).
  • The launch of Hughes Brothers Pucks and Pages, a literacy initiative by Jack and Luke Hughes (42:23).

---

2. Gavin Newsom’s “I Can’t Read” Political Persona

Segment begins at 18:49

• Newsom’s Relatability Routine:
  Governor Gavin Newsom tells a crowd he’s "just like you" by referencing a low SAT score and claiming he “can’t read” speeches—an excuse attributed to dyslexia, brought up repeatedly during his memoir tour.

• Host Skepticism:
  Both hosts see Newsom’s self-effacing act as contrived political maneuvering:

  • Mary Katherine suggests he’s constructing a “Biden stutter” style backstory to generate preemptive sympathy or deflect criticism (21:15).
  • Carol cites Chris Rufo, who argues Newsom is a talented, underestimated political operator (20:33), but still calls his shtick “unbelievably fake.”

• Privilege Contradiction:
  The hosts present details about Newsom’s privileged upbringing (New York Times excerpt), highlighting the disconnect between his biography and the blue-collar persona he’s attempting.

  • Mary Katherine: “His father's name is William Alfred Newsom III... so you tell me whether it was hardscrabble out there, right?” (24:02)
  • Carol narrates: “A close friend of his father's was the oil magnate Gordon Getty, who took Mr. Newsom and his sister on a safari in Africa and on a visit to the King and Queen of Spain...” (24:09–24:52)

• Memorable Quotes:

  • “I think what he's doing is... creating a sympathetic excuse, something he overcame... that he can then blame a lot of mistakes on in the future.” – Mary Katherine Ham (21:17)
  • “He is a shape shifter... He can really adjust to the moment.” – Carol Markowitz (27:17)

---

3. Bernie Sanders and the Persistent Problem with Progressive Policy

Segment begins at 28:13

• Policy Substance Lacking:
  Bernie Sanders, when asked why the U.S. has more successful businesses than Europe, defaults to familiar talking points about free health care and cheap college, never addressing the core question (28:13).

• Critique of “Democratic Privilege”:
  The hosts contend that figures like Sanders are never held to the same standard of specificity or scrutiny as conservatives, citing a disastrous 2016 Daily News editorial board interview as an example (28:49).

• Economics and Prosperity:

  • Mary Katherine: “There's a fundamental problem with trying to redistribute wealth when you don't know where wealth comes from. That is a problem for me.” (29:30)
  • The hypothetical imposition of a national billionaire wealth tax is considered impractical, as wealth or capital would simply leave the country.

---

4. NYC Subway Chaos and Progressive Priorities

Segment begins at 35:22

• Viral Subway Story:
  The hosts discuss a viral post describing a homeless woman urinating on a crowded subway car. Social media backlash accused the original poster’s husband of being “soft,” prompting debate over urban tolerance.

• Public Safety vs. Progressive Compassion:

  • Mary Katherine: “The noticing of social unrest is not the problem. The social unrest and the crime are the problem.” (38:03)
  • Carol observes a worrying shift: in the 1980s, no one denied New York’s crime problem, whereas today, acknowledgment itself is condemned (37:03).
  • Criticism of progressive prosecutors and politicians is amplified with an anecdote about a Northern Virginia murder case ending in a lenient plea due to “compassion” for the perpetrator (38:44).

• Deaths from Neglect:
  NYC’s choice not to move homeless encampments resulted in 18 cold-related deaths, a policy the hosts label as dangerous pseudo-compassion (39:53, 41:49).

• Political Impact:
  Hosts cite polls showing Republicans leading on crime and immigration, attributing this to Democrats’ failure to align with mainstream sentiment on safety (40:53).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |:----------:|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------| | 05:33 | “Would you like some alcohol? Let me let you do that without the state coming down upon you.” | Mary Katherine Ham | | 07:47 | “But there is a segment, unfortunately, who find it very complicated to root for America.” | Mary Katherine Ham | | 08:27 | "It was such a beautiful display of, frankly, masculinity, like the toughness and tenderness."| Mary Katherine Ham | | 12:04 | “It’s all about our country right now. I love the USA. I love my teammates...” | Jack Hughes (player) | | 24:02 | “His father’s name is William Alfred Newsom III... hardscrabble out there, right?” | Mary Katherine Ham | | 29:30 | “There’s a fundamental problem with trying to redistribute wealth when you don’t know where wealth comes from.” | Mary Katherine Ham | | 38:03 | “The noticing of crime is not the problem... The crime is the problem.” | Mary Katherine Ham | | 41:49 | “A lot of those people had homes and... because that’s no longer compassionate, these people actually had homes died on the streets of New York City in that cold.” | Carol Markowitz | | 42:23 | “Jack Hughes... is starting the launch of Hughes Brothers Pucks and Pages... to promote literacy among New Jersey’s youth.” | Carol Markowitz |

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Olympic Gold Pride: 04:20 – 17:04
• Gavin Newsom’s “Can’t Read” Persona: 18:49 – 28:01
• Bernie Sanders' Flub & Democratic Privilege: 28:13 – 32:07
• NYC Subway Chaos & Public Disorder: 35:22 – 43:16

---

Tone & Style

The hosts blend sincerity with sarcasm, often poking fun at perceived hypocrisy or performative allyship within left-leaning politics. Their tone is conversational, anecdotal, and laced with dry humor, especially when mocking political theater or media narratives. Despite venting frustrations at “elite” progressive policymakers, they close with affirmations of American resilience and optimism.

---

Closing Note

The episode wraps with a feel-good callback to the triumphant Jack Hughes, his intellectual pursuits off the ice, and the universal truth: “Everyone eventually ends up in Florida” (43:10). The hosts underscore the need for “more of this”—moments of authentic pride, community, and common sense.

---

Transcript

[Podcast Host (Ad Voice)]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. There's a fire inside you you can't ignore. Stand still. Not a chance. You're a lifelong learner who's come this far. Now we are here to help you keep going further. Capella University what can't you do? Visit capella.edu to learn more.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any IDE into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc, SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures who decided beauty ads need this much drama?

[Carol Markowitz]

Elf Cosmetics did their new commercial called Melissa is an absurdly funny telenovela starring Melissa McCarthy, TV doctor Nicholas Gonzalez and iconic telenovela villain Itati Cantoral. But the real star Elf Glow Reviver

[Sponsor Announcer]

lip Oil, Melissa McCarthy fully commits by even rolling the otters with the Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil. It's very funny.

[Sponsor Voice]

Yeah.

[Carol Markowitz]

Watch the full episode of their new elf novella on soyunbano.com well, the holidays

[Mint Mobile Announcer]

have come and gone once again, but if you've forgotten to get that special someone in your life a gift, well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless. So here's the idea. You get it now, you call it an early present for next year.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

What do you have to lose?

[Mint Mobile Announcer]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time

[Mary Katherine Ham]

50% off regular price for new customers. Upfront payment required $45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 month or $180 for 12 month plan taxes and fees.

[Sponsor Voice]

Extra speeds may slow after 50gb per

[Mary Katherine Ham]

month when network is Busy see Terms. Hey, guys. We are back on. Normally the show is normal. It takes for Lind. News gets weird. I am Mary Catherine Cam.

[Carol Markowitz]

And I'm Carol Markowitz. I have to say that there was a security situation at Mar A Lago over the weekend where a man broke through the security perimeter carrying a shotgun and a gas can. Just, you know, why not. Secret Service ordered him to drop his weapon. He instead picked it up and aimed it and then they shot and killed him. And this is not one of our three stories that we'll be covering today. That's insane.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

It is. I was somewhat grimly saying to a friend that next we're going to have people complaining that, like what, is this the kind of country you want to live on? Where a man, a free man, can't wander onto the President's secure perimeter with a shotgun and aim it at some Secret Service guys without getting killed? And it's like, well, yeah, that's, that's actually how this works. And that makes for. I count it as the fourth assassination attempt because I count Iran's ongoing attempts to go after the President as one as well. And I don't think we talk enough about that.

[Carol Markowitz]

We really don't. Yeah, it's crazy. It's just not a big story. It's like, yep, another guy tried to potentially assassinate the President. I mean, the president wasn't there, so I guess that's really why it's a one day story. But nevertheless, if this was happening to Democrats, can you imagine what the New York Times would be doing?

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Yes, there was also an attempt to assassinate or a plot to assassinate Russ Vogt, the head of the OMB last week. That also not a big story. But these pop up all the time. As we always noted, the Kavanaugh assassination attempt, which was very serious post Dobbs leak. That one. Not one we talk about either. So we just like to keep tabs on these things as we go.

[Carol Markowitz]

Right. We're going to keep mentioning it on normally because it matters. It matters. So. All right, let's have some good news to start the show. Usa. Usa. All right, that's all I got. You go.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Yes. The women's and men's hockey teams at the US at the Olympics won gold. The men for the first time in 46 years since the very, very famous miracle on ice, which was not the gold medal match, but when we beat the Russians back in the day and then beat Finland.

[Carol Markowitz]

I haven't gotten to the end of that movie yet.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Spoiler alert. Since the Lake Placid Games. That is the first gold for the men's hockey team. Both women's and men's won their gold medal in overtime with a golden goal. Pretty amazing stuff. The men's game this weekend was on at 8 in the morning. I did notice that Kathy Hochul, she allowed everyone in New York to drink at 8 in the morning for the hockey game. And I thought, you know what? Credit where it's due. I like that move, Kathy.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yep. She's like, how do you do, fellow kids? How about some alcohol?

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Would you like some alcohol? Let me let you do that without the state coming down upon you. Such a wonderful win for the US it was over Canada. Both wins were over Canada. The men's win was over Canada 21 in overtime. And it was so glorious, and they were so happy. And Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal, had had his tooth knocked out with a high stick. Just a couple, like, earlier in the third period. And he's out there with the craggy teeth and bleeding and smiling and so resilient and gritty. And then they all just talked about how proud of America they were and how proud they were to be American. Yeah.

[Carol Markowitz]

It was so nice. It was. He was just so. He was glowing. And the fact that his brother was on the team. Mary Katherine, I just. The whole thing, I thought was so beautiful. And really, we. I. We needed this moment. Although the people that need this moment, the Rah rah America moment, actually won't Rah rah America anyway. So it's kind of neither here nor there, but, like, if this had happened during a Democratic administration where, you know, maybe we were feeling like the country wasn't heading in the right direction, we would still be like, yes.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Oh, I'd be elated.

[Carol Markowitz]

America.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Yeah.

[Carol Markowitz]

We'd be like. And we'd feel maybe like we needed this more than ever at that time. I don't feel like that's what's happening on the other side.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

No, There is this thing where. And actually, the left is sort of confused about it because we like Alyssa Liu, who's the now gold medalist singles women's figure skater. Huge accomplishment.

[Carol Markowitz]

Right?

[Mary Katherine Ham]

She's American. She actually was approached by the CCP to be their propaganda gal. And she and her dad were like, no, no, no, we don't do that. She went the other direction. If the left is like, don't you dumb dumbs know she's woke. Look at her hair. And she has different views from you. I don't care if she's proud of America, if she's proud to Represent us. And she goes out there and does it with verve and joy. I'm here for it. I'm so here for it.

[Carol Markowitz]

That's all it takes. You know, it's. We're really not that complicated. We're like, you love America. We love America.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Love America, too. But there is a segment, unfortunately, who find it very complicated to root for America. There was a piece in the Huffington Post was like, if you have trouble waving the flag for America right now, you're not alone. It's like, I mean, you're. There are too many of you, frankly. But the normies are not worried about this.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah. At all. Right. Yeah.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

It's. They just.

[Carol Markowitz]

I don't know. It's disappointing that we can't be together. I mean, the other part of the win where they brought out the children of their fallen teammate, I don't. Godreau, am I pronouncing that correct?

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Yeah, I can tell this story. This one is close. This one is close to my heart. I think it was such a beautiful display of, frankly, masculinity, like the. The toughness and tenderness together of this team was amazing to see. Johnny Goudreau, who was a NHL player, played at Boston University and then went to the Columbus Blue Jackets is where he played. He and his brother both were tragically killed on a bike ride in August 2024 at the weekend of their. What should have been their sister's wedding. They were killed by an allegedly drunk driver who had road rage, tried to pass somebody and hit them on the side of the road when they were out that weekend. His brother was a hockey player, too. Goudreau would have been on the four nations Face off team that played a year ago against Canada. He would have been on this Olympic team. And those guys refused to forget him. As they were going through this process, they always had a jersey hanging in his locker. And not only did they not forget him, they hoisted the jersey on the ice after they won. They didn't forget his family. And his widow Meredith was there with their. With two of their babies. She had a third one after he died. Seven months after he died. It was Johnny Jr. S birthday on the day they won. He turned two. And two of those players who were teammates of Johnny's, after they took one team photo, skated over to the stands, grabbed two little toddlers, three and three and two year old, and took them to the ice for the team picture.

[Carol Markowitz]

And it was, yeah, I had tears in my eyes.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

I'm about to cry. Yeah, just so beautiful. And they've been there for the past year and a half with this family, raising money for things, making sure that everyone's taken care of, including Matthew's widow as well. Had a son after he passed away. They both had two little boys. They both had a boy each. And it was just really beautiful to see. And I think I wrote about it for Outkick, how we had these arguments about what masculinity looks like. And I think there's a model right there. Like these incredibly tough, resilient guys who are willing to throw haymakers for their country, who are willing to get their teeth knocked out and also can grab a toddler and take care of a family and protect widows and children like that. That's what we're looking for. Oh, and they love America, right?

[Carol Markowitz]

Extra. But men, they're not so bad.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Men. And then they can go out and get drunk in the streets of Milan and do Olympic interviews. Yes.

[Carol Markowitz]

So the other thing going on with the Olympics coverage is that Kash Patel was celebrating with the team and this is causing a controversy. I think it's totally fine. I don't know. I have no problem with an American administration official celebrating with the American team. What do you think?

[Mary Katherine Ham]

I'm medium on it. Looks a little try hard to me. But I'm not going to make a big deal out of anyone having a beer with those guys because I would happily do it if I could.

[Carol Markowitz]

That's the thing, right? It's like if you were in a role where you could go to something like that, would you go? And I'm like, yeah, I'd go. I don't even follow hockey. I would absolutely go have beers with these guys.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

I believe Gretchen Whitmer was at the games too. Like this is something that the, the higher ups do, I think. I think people are free to ask how much of my taxpayer money are you using for that? And are you doing something official? But yes, it's not super high on my list. I saw that the president facetimed into the so awesome. Into the locker room as well. And actually, can we play a little bit of Jack Hughes who had the first pre game interview as he was the game winning goal. Here he is talking about what it means to him.

[Jack Hughes (Olympic Hockey Player)]

It's all about our country right now. I love the usa. I love my teammates. It's unbelievable. The USA hockey brotherhood is so strong and we had so much support from ex players and I'm so proud to be American today.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

This wasn't pro. This was such an incredible game to grind out. I Mean, you're bleeding right through it just looking at you right now. Can you just talk about how difficult this gold medal was to win?

[Jack Hughes (Olympic Hockey Player)]

Unbelievable game by Hellebuck. He was our best player tonight by a mile. Unbelievable game. Unreal game by our team. That's just a ballsy, gutsy win. That's American hockey right there. That's a great Canadian team. But we're usa. We're so proud to be Americans. Tonight was all for the country.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

What does this gold medal mean to USA Hockey?

[Jack Hughes (Olympic Hockey Player)]

It's everything. Like I said, the USA Hockey brotherhood means so much. Look at these guys. We're such a team. We've been together for two weeks. We're such a team. The USA Hockey brotherhood is so strong and we're so proud to win for our country.

[Carol Markowitz]

I love it.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

I love it. It's so beautiful. His brother Quinn scored the overtime goal in the game that got them to the gold medal game. And their mother and is instrumental on both national teams and played on a national team herself. Like, there's some. There's some wild lore.

[Carol Markowitz]

I did not know that.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Okay, Ellen, there's some wild lore on these teams. One of the guys was a third generation gold medal Olympic hockey winner. Like, his great uncle and grandfather were on the 1960 team. His uncle was on the 1980 team, and now he's on this one.

[Carol Markowitz]

Amazing. So cool. Yeah. Also, the Hughes family is apparently Jewish, which is confusing to me, but every single Jew in the universe has posted about this, so they are.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

I saw her. Her maiden name is. Hold on.

[Carol Markowitz]

So wait, Jewish mom, hockey player is what you're telling me here? No way. Come on. Stop it.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Ellen Weinberg Hughes. No. No way.

[Carol Markowitz]

She was a hockey player. That's cr.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

So get on it, Carol. Next gen. I know.

[Carol Markowitz]

I just went ice skating for my daughter's 16th birthday over the weekend. Yeah, I'm not going to be playing hockey anytime soon.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

I made my kids watch Miracle with me this morning.

[Carol Markowitz]

We did it last night.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Sometimes if your kids are. My kids are not super into sports. My older ones, it's like the gene skipped a generation or something. And so I have to be like, there's a Disney movie about sports so we could watch that.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah. So we started it last night. We had to turn it off before it got too late. We're going to continue it tonight. That's why now I know it wasn't an Olympic win.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

I mean. Well, yeah. It's the one that everyone remembers, though. They went on to win the gold medal by beating Finland. And everyone was like, yay, right?

[Carol Markowitz]

We're up to the part where the coach tortures them after their Norway scrimmage. The kids are getting a lot out of it. I'm really enjoying it. I saw that our friend Guy Benson and watched it last night. Both of us took the same picture of our television. I mean, just feels good to be

[Mary Katherine Ham]

American, get into it. It's such a beautiful thing. And all these families, like I said, supporting each other and the stories of brothers and the generations is just lovely to watch.

[Carol Markowitz]

More of this.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

We'll take it.

[Carol Markowitz]

We'll be right back with more on

[CarMax Announcer]

normally so do you want to start shopping for your next car but don't know where to begin? Start at CarMax, where you can shop your way from start to finish. Whether you're shopping for something practical, adventurous or luxurious, CarMax puts you in the driver's seat. And if you want to shop cars that fit your budget, CarMax has your back all the way. Simply grab your phone and get pre qualified from your couch, the dog park, or even on a coffee break. It's quick, easy, and has zero impact on your credit score score. Want to Explore your options? CarMax has plenty of options. In fact, with over 45,000 cars to choose from, CarMax has rides for almost every budget, including more than 25,000 cars priced under $25,000. From browsing online to checking out cars on the lot, you can shop your way at CarMax. Want to get started on the search for your next car? [e-mail] for details and get pre qualified today. Want to drive CarMax?

[Podcast Host (Ad Voice)]

You've never been one to settle, stand down or stand still. You're a lifelong learner, energized by excellence. There's a fire inside you you can't ignore. You've got competition to outrun, momentum to build on, and your own high standards to meet. Stop now. Not a chance. At Capella University, we help you catch what you're chasing because you've always had the drive. Now go earn the degree Capella University. What can't you do? Visit capella.edu to learn more.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work it screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer for your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures [e-mail] disclosures busy work weeks

[Sponsor Voice]

can leave you feeling drained. Prolon's five day fasting mimicking Diet works at the cellular level to rejuvenate you from the inside out, providing real results that include fat focused, sustainable weight loss with no injection needed. NextGen builds on the original Prolong with 100% organic soups and teas, a richer taste and ready to eat meals. Developed at USC's Longevity Institute and backed by top medical centers, Prolon supports biological age reduction, metabolic health, skin appearance, fat loss and energy. Get 15% off plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe at prolonlife.com iheartra that's prolonlife.com iheart

[Carol Markowitz]

we are back on normally where Gavin Newsom is making news because he told a group of people that he is just like them and he meant he's dumb just like them. It's actually not the first time that he's done that where he touted his very low SAT score and he said that he is in this particular segment, he said I'm, I'm like you. I'm a 960 SAT guy. He talked about how you'll never see him reading a speech because he can't read. Yeah, I I just don't buy any of it. I think he is a very skilled politician. I'll just add that a few days ago Ted Cruz called Gavin Newsom historically illiterate and Newsom pretended not to understand what that meant and tweeted Ted Cruz calling a dyslexic person illiterate is a new low even for him. But now being illiterate is something to be proud of and to tell a room full of people that you can't read.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

I that that take on the Ted Cruz hit was so lame and it did indicate that maybe he can't Read or perhaps does not know what historically illiterate means. I think what he's doing here. Okay, so there's one accusation, which is that this is a racial thing. Now, we have looked into this. The crowd that he was speaking to in this event, he is in Atlanta speaking to Democrats, being interviewed by Mayor Andre Dickens, who is a black man. And there is some implication that this is a black crowd and that he's trying to connect with this black crowd by saying, I also can't read, guys. But Carol and I got some intel and some from Chris Ruffo, who I

[Carol Markowitz]

was arguing with about this because he said, I know we're supposed to laugh at Newsom, but he's an impressive talent whose political instincts are vastly superior to the perfect test score nerds who like to think they can outsmart him. You could put up as many IQ charts as you want, but it's a mistake to underestimate Newsom. I completely, fully agree with this. I still want to point and laugh at Newsom for saying stuff like this because it reads so unbelievably fake to me. But Chris Rufo was the one who said it wasn't a black group or a black crowd. That was good to know because the original clip I saw identified it as a black crowd.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Right. And here's the thing. So it's not that mistake. I think instead what he's doing is he is establishing a Biden stutter for himself.

[Carol Markowitz]

That's such a good, good analogy. Yeah.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

And I. I think he's doing it too, obviously. Like, why can everyone can see what you're doing? You've hit it four times in the past week. This is his tour for his memoir, Young man in a Hurry, which is a little wish casting because he ain't young no more. But I think what he's doing is he's creating a sim. A sympathetic excuse, something he overcame as a. As a struggle part of his biography that he can then blame a lot of mistakes on in the future. And he can then turn around on people who notice his mistakes by saying, how dare you notice that I'm dyslexic? A couple things. Yeah. Too obvious for me. He's hit it too many times too hard this week. I get what you're doing. The other one is if you've overcome something, you can't use it as an excuse for your mistakes. You've either. You've either been strong and overcome and struggled, or you have not overcome and you can continue to blame it for everything.

[Carol Markowitz]

Absolutely. Let's Actually roll that clip so people can hear exactly what he said.

[Gavin Newsom (Clip)]

You know, I'm not trying to impress you. I'm just trying to impress upon you. I'm like you. I'm no better than you. You know, I'm a 960sat guy. And, you know, and I'm not trying to offend anyone, you know, trying to act all there if you got 940, but literally a 960 SAT guy. I cannot. You've never seen me read a speech because I cannot read a speech. Maybe the wrong business to be in.

[Carol Markowitz]

And the thing is that he also pretends to be from this hardscrabble background. We have another clip from, I think, I believe it's last year, where he's talking about just, you know, how tough he's had it and how, how he grew up real poor. Here's that clip.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Like the whites here.

[Gavin Newsom (Clip)]

Come on, macaroni and cheese.

[Jack Hughes (Olympic Hockey Player)]

Are you talking about me?

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Yeah.

[Carol Markowitz]

Every day.

[Gavin Newsom (Clip)]

Every day in the backyard, just bouncing the basketball, throwing the ball against the wall until the ball is just like fraying, man. And you. That's it. Whole thing. So just. And, and then, you know, then this student that was shitty students in the back with his head down all of a sudden started throwing the baseball a little faster than everyone else and started, you know, make a few free throws because I was sitting there practicing 500 of them every damn night. And in high school, I look up in the stands, my dad's back up there, okay. And it's like, man. And then he's bringing his friends and you're captain of the team, and you're like, gee, you know, and it just saved me, and it got me into college.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

For context, can I just say his father's name is William Alfred Newsome iii?

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

So you tell me whether it was hardscrabble out there, right?

[Carol Markowitz]

Right. And this is from. I have to read this. This is from a recent fawning New York Times piece where they talk about how handsome he is for most of it. But here is the relevant part. His parents divorce serves as a event, the effects of which he continues to process. In the aftermath of their split, his traumatized young mother worked several jobs to scrape together a middle class life, while his well connected father brought him into a circle of political power brokers and spectacularly wealthy oil heirs. Mr. Newsome emphasizes in his memoir, through various anecdotes, that it was his work ethic that led to success in sports, business and politics. But he does not deny that his father's friends were helpful along the way. Mr. Newsome comes from a long line of figures who built and shaped San Francisco, and his family is so entwined with the power structure that Nancy Pelosi's nieces and nephews were young Gavin's cousins. John Burton, a former congressman who would become one of the state's most powerful politicians, sat in the bleachers to watch Mr. Newsom play basketball in high school. A close friend of his father's was the oil magnate Gordon Getty, who took Mr. Newsom and his sister on a safari in Africa and on a visit to the King and Queen of Spain. Those ties helped Mr. Newsom start a business that grew from a corner wine shop to a collection of wineries, restaurants, and bars, and an Alpine resort. And they nurtured a political career that began when he was appointed as parking commissioner in San Francisco at age 29. I'm sorry, I don't care what you got on the sat. You had a lot of privilege. And in Democratic circles, I have been told that if you have privilege, you need to sit down and let somebody else take your spot. So Gavin Newsom, time to sit down and do that.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

This is the other reason for the disability. He can't get through this as just a rich white guy. So dyslexia is the thing that he must tell us about over and over again to sort of say, like, I've got one thing and one knock against me. No, but I. I just liked you went on safaris with royalty as a. As a teenager in my formative years. Can we also say what a tell it is that his first job was parking commissioner in politics. I am not looking forward to parking commissioner of San Francisco becoming a president of the United States. No, thanks.

[Carol Markowitz]

It's.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Stick with wines, man. Go to French Laundry and leave us alone. I do think if you look at those two clips, he is getting feedback from the crowd. He's getting laughs, he's getting some sympathy. You can count on that being the same with media throughout this adventure.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Although the Atlantic notably broke with the pack and said, hey, his actual record might be a problem, guys, since people keep leaving California, but that's the kind of reception he's going to get in a lot of places. And so we shouldn't discount, Even if you discount some of his skill, which I do, I don't think he's quite as slick as some others think he is or that he thinks he is.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

But if he's gonna work in rooms like that and if the media is gonna be nice to him, he's gonna have quite a boon as he goes through this process.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah, I, I do think he's quite slick. I think that he can be whoever you want him to be. And when he's having a conversation with Charlie Kirk, he's got himself a conservative son and he wants to point that out and all of that. He is a shape shifter. I think he can really adjust to the moment. And he already, he's done stuff like, you know, he's talked about how you can't have biological boys and girls, sports and all that reversed himself shortly thereafter. He'll be back, you know, I think in the general. If he makes it to the general, I think he'll be right back to no boys and girls sports. He can go one way or the other. And you're right, the media is going to be giving him a pass. So it's not going to matter what he says, as it normally doesn't for Democrats.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Yeah. He really needs what is all Democrats kryptonite, which is a follow up question. Right. Like you need to be like, so what'd you do about the boys and the girls sports? Yeah, anything.

[Carol Markowitz]

That's it. Yep. Yep. Our other story today is Bernie. Bernie Sanders was asked a follow up question and it did not go that great for him. So he was asked, why is the US more successful? Why do we have more successful businesses than Europe? And he is just incapable of providing anything that looks like an answer. He goes back to his stump speech and talks about how Europe has free healthcare and college is inexpensive. Never answers the question. And I love this. There was Bernie sat down with the New York Daily News, which is a New York City paper that does lean left. He sat down with their editorial board in 2016 and they ever so gently just skewered him because he was incapable of answering any follow up questions at all. They were like, he wanted to break up the big banks. They were like, how? He had never considered it. He had never even thought to like step two, you know, break up the banks how? No, I don't know. And this is, you know, like we always talk about Democratic privilege. They don't have to know anything. They don't have to have any actual policy ideas. They just have to be in the group, in the club.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Yeah. And there's a fundamental problem with trying to redistribute wealth when you don't know where wealth comes from. That is a problem for me. And there are way too many people in this country. I joke on X all the time. I have a picture of someone handing another person a copy of Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell. Like Bernie here. Here is a copy of a book you should look into because the invisible hand of the free market is so miraculous that in fact, it does feel like magic. And you don't know how you get all the prosperity that you are offered every day literally on your doorstep in this country. And not knowing that leads you to think that it does magically manifest that you can cut off and take as much from Jeff Bezos as you want with no downstream effects at all. He won't leave.

[Carol Markowitz]

He'll just stay there and let you take it.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Well, and now their new thing is, I think Bernie said, well, what we need is just a national billionaire's tax so they can't flee it and go anywhere. It's like, okay, well, eventually you just won't have those businesses you won't have people creating because there isn't the same incentive to take a bunch of risk to create. And you don't know that because you've never taken one risk. You are Bernie Sanders, who has enriched yourself only in government positions for the entirety of your life, harping on the rest of the people who are doing that work and that that disconnect will sink. Sink a lot of prosperity in this country.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah, they just, he never is capable of thinking through what, where his proposals are going to go. It's just going to magically be okay. And, you know, the line actually was, he said, you know, we need a national wealth tax. They going to go Saudi Arabia. Like, yeah. Other countries are going to say, hey, rich people, we won't bother you here. It doesn't have to be Saudi Arabia. It could be lots of other places.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

If the, if the Chicago Bears could propose leaving Chicago, then American billionaires can leave America. Like, you should not assume that or their wealth just can't. Do not assume that. They will just sit here and do the things you want them doing because you've imagined that they'll do that for any price. They won't. Sometimes.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah. Democratic privilege, man. Wish we had some, you know, I

[Mary Katherine Ham]

know it'd be nice. Make my job easier.

[Carol Markowitz]

It would be nice. We'll be right back with more on normally and the debate over whether it's okay to urinate in the subway car. I don't know. We'll have to break that down and find out.

[CarMax Announcer]

So do you want to start shopping for your next car?

[Carol Markowitz]

But.

[CarMax Announcer]

But don't know where to begin? Start at CarMax, where you can shop your way from start to finish, whether you're shopping for something practical, adventurous or luxurious. CarMax puts you in the driver's seat. And if you want to shop cars that fit your budget, CarMax has your back all the way. Simply grab your phone and get pre qualified from your couch, the dog park, or even on a coffee break. It's quick, easy and has zero impact on your credit score. Want to Explore your options? CarMax has plenty of options. In fact, with over 45,000 cars to choose from, CarMax has rides for almost every budget, including more than 25,000 cars priced under $25,000. From browsing online to checking out cars on the lot, you can shop your way at CarMax. Want to get started on the search for your next car? [e-mail] for details and get pre qualified today. Want to drive CarMax?

[Podcast Host (Ad Voice)]

You've never been one to settle, stand down or stand still. You're a lifelong learner, energized by excellence. There's a fire inside you you can't ignore. You've got competition to outrun, momentum to build on, and your own high standards to meet. Stop now. Not a chance. At Capella University we help you catch what you're chasing because you've always had the drive. Now go earn the degree. Capella University what can't you do? Visit capella.edu to learn more.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It also starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures busy

[Sponsor Voice]

work weeks can leave you feeling drained prolon's five day fasting mimicking diet works at the cellular level to rejuvenate you from the inside out, providing real results that include fat focused, sustainable weight loss with no injection needed. NextGen builds on the original Prolon with 100% organic soups and teas, a richer taste and ready to eat meals. Developed at USC's Longevity Institute and backed by top medical centers, Prolon supports biological age reduction, metabolic health, skin appearance, fat loss and energy. Get 15% off plus a forty dollar bonus gift when you subscribe at prolonlife.com iheartra that's prolonlife.com iheart

[Carol Markowitz]

we are back on normally where a debate is raging over whether urinating in a subway car is a big deal. And I do mean it's raging. The account Daniella127 She's a really wonderful person. I've met her in real life, she tweeted My husband was on a crowded train yesterday when a homeless woman got on, pulled down her pants and peed all over the train in front of everyone. He hasn't stopped talking about it for the past 24 plus hours. It is the single most traumatizing thing that happened to him in New York City. Now a lot of people are like, that's pretty lucky.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

That's also bad.

[Carol Markowitz]

I get that because I've had men masturbate in front of me on the New York City subway. So I get that a woman peeing is less traumatizing than that, but that's still pretty freaking traumatizing.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

And well, and the viral response to this is I've been on the subway with homeless people that peed, screamed all sorts of stuff. It was mildly uncomfortable, but truly didn't impact my day in any way. Maybe your husband needs to toughen up. And a lot, to be fair, a lot of centrist Democrats types were pushing back on this like, we're done with this argument. Normal people will not listen to this argument because the idea that you with your family as a, as a cost of riding the public transportation you're already paying for via taxes and fares is that you have to watch people have mental breakdowns and maybe be violently accosted.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah, no thanks.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

No. If you tell people, oh, you're just a wuss if you don't like that, that's not a winning message.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah, I, I've been saying this about New York for a while in that I grew up in New York when it was very dangerous in the 80s and it was extremely high crime and it was not a great place to be. But what I think is different about this current moment in New York is that Nobody in the 80s was like, crime is not that bad. And that is what has concerned me about New York's trajectory over the last few years. It isn't that things are getting progressively worse there, which is bad in and of itself, but it's this reaction of if you say anything about it, you're the bad person. And we talked about this a few weeks ago with the David Sedaris piece about getting bit by a dog and how, you know, Trump or no, and how it read to people as pro Trump if you complained about being bit by a homeless person's dog and his joke was like, the only way that he can get sympathy is if he pretended the dog was named Trumper. And, you know, and this is crazy. It's crazy.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

The noticing of crime is not the problem. The noticing of social unrest is not the problem. The social unrest and the crime are the problem. And over and over and over again in governance, Democrats put the needs and the wants of those committing the social unrest and the crime.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yep.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Above those who are affected by the social unrest and the crime. I've got a great example from this week in Northern Virginia, where our Soros funded liberal prosecutor Steve Descano took a bogus insanity plea from a murderer, a confessed murderer with a written plan entitled the Plan.

[Carol Markowitz]

Oh, yeah.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Which he then took to a couple's house, murdered the husband while lying in his bed, shot him 10 times execution style with his children in the house. And because our prosecutor's office really is out of practice for prosecuting, they take far more insanity pleas than the average prosecutor's office. And even though this was a slam dunk case with all sorts of admissions and forensics and everything, they go, let's just send him to a mental health facility. We'll deal with it later.

[Carol Markowitz]

Yeah.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

And like, he will be up for release from a mental health facility frequently soon.

[Carol Markowitz]

Right.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

And this happens over and over and over again because that guy is put above the victim's family, period, and the rest of the people who will be threatened by him.

[Carol Markowitz]

Right. And that's the thing. It's that the Democrats can't get their leftist flank in line on stuff like this. They did. You're right. There was a change. There was a. Definitely a shift in tone. If this had happened, this conversation in 2021, the Democrats would have largely all raised their hands and been like, peeing on the subway is good, actually, because they did stuff like that.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Toughens you up.

[Carol Markowitz]

They Lead seasons.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

The subway. Yes.

[Carol Markowitz]

Right, right. And you're racist if you don't think so. So I'm glad there's that shift. But they have to enforce that what ends up happening is that this compassion that they all want to give these crazy people, it doesn't hurt. It doesn't just hurt the regular people on the subway, it actually hurts the mentally ill as well. As we pointed out on the show, I think it was 18 total people died in the cold because Mamdani, Mayor Mamdani of New York City decided not to clear homeless encampments because he was trying to be compassionate. How is it compassionate to let people die in the freezing cold on the street? Like, it's not. And they think they're the good guys. So Democrats need to figure out a way to really get the leftists on board with some kinds of positions of sanity. Otherwise, like, it just. It's going to continue to head in this direction because it was heading in this direction until the American people woke up.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Well, and this is why to this day, I saw some polling from just this weekend where on major issues like crime, immigration still, and the direction of the country, Republicans lead Democrats by one or two points. Now, that doesn't mean that's going to save them from the midterms. I don't think it will. But the fact that Democrats lost that much ground, and even at this point in Trump's administration, with the media completely lined up against it. Yeah, they still can't get over those numbers, I think, is indicative of how far gone they are. And a couple of people tweeting sensibly from the left on X is not going to be enough to put them back in a normal place.

[Carol Markowitz]

Right. You're going to have to just say out loud, letting homeless people freeze to death is not good policy.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

And, well, we've got a blizzard coming up in New York, so we'll, I guess we'll test that notion and we'll see if he'll be clearing them. Now, I do think somewhere in the middle there they were, like, maybe fewer deaths is what we should be doing.

[Carol Markowitz]

You know, actually a funny. Not funny, I shouldn't say it's funny, but a point that I haven't seen anybody make about the 18 homeless deaths is that a lot of those people had homes and they were, you know, people with drug or alcohol problems who, you know, it's what we used to have the drunk tank for. And because that's no longer compassionate. It's no longer compassionate to take somebody who's inebriated off the streets. These people who actually had homes died on the streets of New York City in that cold. It's awful.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Methinks that if there were a Republican mayor who had made that decision, we'd hear more about that.

[Carol Markowitz]

But yeah, absolutely. You know, I don't want to end us on a bummer, so I'm gonna take us back to the first segment. And we forgot to mention that Jack Hughes, first of all, he's a big reader. He brought the Odyssey to read at the Olympics. But he is also starting the launch of Hughes Brothers Pucks and Pages with his brother Luke. It's a designed to promote literacy among New Jersey's youth. I mean, could this guy be more designed in a lab for the normally podcast?

[Mary Katherine Ham]

It's true. He's the best. We love it so much. And those guys. This is a great story for you, Carol. They were supposed to fly back to New York, but because of the blizzard, they won't be partying in New York. No, no. They're going from Milan to Miami.

[Carol Markowitz]

I love it.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Everyone eventually ends up in Florida. They're gonna have a fantastic time there.

[Carol Markowitz]

All right, that's the high note we needed to leave this on. Thank you for listening to us on Normally. Normally airs Tuesdays and Thursdays and you can subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts. Get in touch with us@ normallythepodmail.com thanks for listening. And when things get weird at Normally,

[Podcast Host (Ad Voice)]

There's a fire inside you you can't ignore. Stand still. Not a chance.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

Chance.

[Podcast Host (Ad Voice)]

You're a lifelong learner who's come this far. Now we're here to help you keep going further. Capella University. What can't you do? Visit Capella. Edu to learn more.

[Mint Mobile Announcer]

Well, the holidays have come and gone once again, but if you've forgotten to get that special someone in your life a gift, well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless. So here's the idea. You get it now. You call it an early present for next year.

[Mary Katherine Ham]

What do you have to lose?

[Mint Mobile Announcer]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time,

[Mary Katherine Ham]

50% off regular price for new customers. Upfront payment required. $45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 months or $180 for 12 month. Plan taxes and fees.

[Sponsor Voice]

Extra speeds may slow after 50 gigabytes

[Mary Katherine Ham]

per month when network is busy, see

[Carol Markowitz]

terms after busy days and full schedules, it's the quiet moments that matter most. Pura's well Being collection brings intentional fragrance into your home, helping everyday life feel lighter, softer and more enjoyable. No routines, no overwhelm. Just scent that supports how you want to feel. It's a simple way to reset right where you are. Explore the well Being collection [e-mail] moods

[Bethenny Frankel]

this is bethenny Frankel from Just Be with Bethenny Frankel. Let me be blunt. Most dog food is junk. It just is. And I'm not feeding junk to Biggie and Smalls. That is why they eat junk food. Just food for dogs. It's real, 100% human grade food with ingredients I actually recognize. Not mystery pellets pretending to be healthy. And once I switched, the difference was obvious. Better digestion, better skin, more energy. Dogs who actually feel good instead of just surviving dinner. Here's the thing. You care about quality. You make an intentional choice to be healthy. So why are you gambling with your dog's health? So let's think about our furry babies. Go to justfoodfordogs.com right now and get 50% off your first box. No code. Just try it. Because once you see the difference, you're not going back.

[Podcast Host (Ad Voice)]

This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.