Interrupted by Matt Jones – Episode 32: "It's The News"

Air Date: March 4, 2026
Host: Matt Jones
Co-hosts: Drew Franklin, Billy

Episode Overview

In this lively, fast-moving episode, Matt Jones and co-hosts Drew Franklin and Billy return to their recurring “news” format, breaking down the week’s most headline-generating stories—and whatever else is trending or amusing on the internet. Mixing wit, skepticism, and candid “everyman” takes, the trio covers everything from war in Iran to midterm primaries, college sports funding, missing persons, the Jim Carrey clone conspiracy, and even the surprising political hopes of the ShamWow guy. The result is a comprehensive, entertaining view of America’s cultural, political, and sports landscape as of early March 2026.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Operation "Epic Fury": U.S. and Israel at War with Iran

[04:24 - 15:36]

• Main Points:

  • The U.S. and Israel have launched coordinated attacks on Iran, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury" ([04:24]).
  • Strikes included military bases, nuclear sites, and reportedly led to the death of Iran's supreme leader. In retaliation, Iran attacked several countries; 6 U.S. troops have died, some from Kentucky.
  • President Trump says operation may last 4–5 weeks, with potential to extend ([05:34]).
  • Ambiguity about whether this is officially a "war," with politics muddying the label.

• Matt's Take:
  “No one should have any sympathy for the Iranian leadership... But one thing history has shown us is that going to war in the Middle East has never really worked... you can dominate a country, but unless you know the answer to what's next... we're still in Afghanistan... So I think this is a terrible decision.” ([06:03 - 07:47])

• Panel Skepticism:

  • Public opposition: "The last I saw, 60% of people are against it." ([07:47])
  • Media spin and circular justification—Matt lampoons the shifting justifications from leaders like Rubio and Lindsey Graham ([09:25 - 10:35]).
  • Consensus among the hosts: It’s an unpopular war with confused messaging and unknown long-term consequences.
  • Drew raises oil politics; Matt counters the oil consequences will hit Europe and denies it’s primarily about oil ([11:14]).

• Underlying Themes:

  • The enduring dilemma of “regime change” without clear follow-through.
  • Increasing public and generational skepticism toward US military intervention: “I'm getting the run around on why we're in this war... Let me support or not support it based on the actual reasons, not for reasons I don't know." – Drew ([16:08]).

2. The 2026 Midterm Primaries: Texas, Runoff Elections, and ShamWow Candidates

[22:49 - 34:37]

• Main Points:

  • Highlights from Texas: Republican Senate primary heads to a runoff as no one passed 50%. On the Democratic side, James Talarico defeats Jasmine Crockett ([23:11]).
  • Matt praises Talarico’s blend of faith and politics, likening his rise to a favorite underground band “blowing up” ([23:29]).
  • Discussion about runoff elections—initially created in the South with racist intent, but Matt believes they now improve democracy by requiring a true majority ([25:09 - 27:52]).
  • The powers and pitfalls of ballot nicknames: The ShamWow guy (Vince Offer) runs for office, tries to get his infomercial persona on the ballot; the hosts debate nicknames as a tool for candidate recognition ([29:16 - 32:52]).

• Quotes:

  • “If you were on the ShamWow infomercials, like, we need to know that was you.” – Matt ([31:06])
  • "You should be able to give your opponent a nickname... but you each get to give each other one nickname." – Billy ([32:52])

• Other Tidbits:

  • Former MLB player Mark Teixeira wins GOP nomination for Congress, sparking jokes about pro athletes dominating the congressional baseball game and what that means for political matchups ([34:37 - 37:19]).

3. The Clinton–Epstein Deposition: Congressional Spectacles

[39:30 - 44:43]

• Main Points:
  • Congressional panel releases hours of deposition footage with Bill and Hillary Clinton regarding Jeffrey Epstein ([39:30]).
  • Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert leaks a photo from inside the closed hearing, breaking protocol ([40:19]).
  • The hosts note Clinton’s experience at skirting controversy and veteran political “lying,” with Matt wryly observing, "The Clintons are professional liars. Say no hobby. Like, if there's a hall of fame of lying, Bill Clinton is a first ballot inductee..." ([41:36])
  • Bill Clinton found too happy when shown old photos, especially those with a hot tub ([42:14]), to which Billy adds: “Maybe don’t smile that much. I’ll just tell you not to smile like that.” ([42:23])

4. Holding Parents Responsible in School Shooting Cases

[47:37 - 53:17]

• Main Points:
  • Colin Gray, father of school shooter Colt Gray, convicted for purchasing son a rifle despite FBI warnings; faces second degree murder and negligent homicide charges.
  • The hosts support parental liability in egregious negligence cases.
    “Parents have to have some responsibility... if you do it and this happens. I think you have to face the consequences also.” – Billy ([50:45])
  • Broader debate on gun culture, responsible storage, and absurdity of gifting assault weapons to youth.

5. Missing Persons: Savannah Guthrie’s Mother Disappearance

[56:34 - 59:21]

• Main Points:
  • Ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie, with no breakthroughs after a month despite technological surveillance.
  • Hosts express genuine surprise and concern over inability to track suspects in a world awash with cameras and digital footprints:
    “I thought they could find anyone in just a matter of days that they needed to find. So this one's really got me puzzled...” – Billy ([57:27])

6. Jim Carrey “Clone” Conspiracies

[59:28 - 64:33]

• Main Points:
  • Jim Carrey appears at French Caesar Awards looking markedly different, sparking online cloning and impersonator rumors ([59:28]).
  • Panel debunk: It’s likely bad plastic surgery and aging, not sci-fi-level replacement.
    “I just think he got a horrible, horrible plastic surgery job. And it’s so bad that the Internet thinks that there’s a new Jim Carrey walking around.” – Billy ([61:58])
  • Recap of Carrey’s career arc and pop-culture legacy, with Matt’s favorites: “Eternal Sunshine, Truman Show, Man on the Moon—pretty amazing three movie set.” ([64:05])

7. College Sports Funding Crisis and NIL

[65:22 - 73:19]

• Main Points:
  • University of Louisville publishes a letter warning that college athletics' financial model is “unsustainable,” calling for Congressional intervention, national NIL rules, and spending caps ([65:22]).
  • Matt, after seeing the letter's author is friend Larry Benz (OVW owner), softens but notes the real issue is that smaller programs want SEC/Big Ten schools to share revenue—an “American League East vs. Central” analogy ([68:24]).
  • The hosts agree the funding gap is real but question whether overspending and self-inflicted wounds are at play:
    “Feels like a counter is just spend 155 [million]. No one made you spend the extra $12 million.” – Matt ([69:34])
  • Broader discussion: Is the “greater good” having top players keep their value, or institutions pooling profits for less prominent sports?
    “...the supporters of capitalism tend to be the biggest people in favor of socialism in sports.” – Matt ([72:16])

8. Daylight Savings Debate: Should It Stay or Go?

[73:22 - 77:18]

• Main Points:
  • Daylight Savings Time approaches; Congress mulls a “Daylight Act” to create a permanent 30-minute time shift as compromise ([73:22]).
  • The hosts are split or indifferent, with Matt comically neutral:
    “I’ll take an opinion on a lot of things, but on this I will defer to Donald Trump—to the sun. Whatever the sun wants to do.” ([77:16])

9. Dictionary.com’s “Winter Word Drop”

[77:19 - 81:27]

• Main Points:
  • 1500 new words added, including “Swifty,” “Beehive,” “Trekkie,” “glamazon,” “frame mogged,” and more ([77:30]).
  • Matt and Billy lament linguistic drift and bemoan modern slang:
    “We’re just getting dumber with our words... now we’re just frame moggin and Jane Iten.” – Billy ([79:19])
  • Nostalgia for old newspapers and how future generations will struggle for meaningful memorabilia in the digital age ([81:00]).

10. On-the-Fly News: Stephen A. Smith vs. The Pelicans’ Social Media

[83:16 - 87:09]

• Main Points:
  • The crew lets Twitter or whatever is trending decide their 10th story, landing on Stephen A. Smith’s beef with the New Orleans Pelicans after they mock his basketball stats ([83:16]).
  • Stephen A. declares himself more popular than any Pelican—a claim the hosts skewer.
    “I'm more popular than Walker Horn. What does that say?” – Matt ([85:50])
  • Speculation on sports personalities entering politics: “Stephen A. didn’t run. Bruce Pearl didn’t run. Paul Finebaum didn’t run. Now, Mark Teixeira... ShamWow guy.” – Matt ([86:14])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On War in Iran: “We learned with Iraq... you can dominate a country, but unless you know the answer to what’s next... we may be there through eternity, we're not there as much as we were. But... I think this is a terrible decision.” – Matt ([06:03])
• On Ballot Nicknames: “If you were on the ShamWow infomercials, like, we need to know that was you.” – Matt ([31:06])
• On the Clinton Deposition: “The Clintons are professional liars. Say no hobby. Like, if there's a hall of fame of lying, Bill Clinton is a first ballot inductee...” – Matt ([41:36])
• On Parental Liability: “Parents have to have some responsibility in their kids’ upbringing... if you do it and this happens. I think you have to face the consequences also.” – Billy ([50:45])
• On Jim Carrey’s Appearance: “I think my man just got some terrible plastic surgery.” – Billy ([61:01])
• On College Sports Socialism: “The supporters of capitalism tend to be the biggest people in favor of the socialism in sports.” – Matt ([72:16])
• On Daylight Saving Time: “I’ll take an opinion on a lot of things, but on this I will defer to Donald Trump—to the sun. Whatever the sun wants to do.” – Matt ([77:16])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro and banter: [01:55 - 02:52]
• Epic Fury/Iran War Discussion: [04:24 - 15:36]
• Texas Primaries, Runoffs, Nicknames: [23:06 - 34:37]
• Clinton/Epstein Congressional Deposition: [39:30 - 44:43]
• Parental Responsibility in School Shootings: [47:37 - 53:17]
• Savannah Guthrie’s Missing Mother: [56:34 - 59:21]
• Jim Carrey “Clone” Theories: [59:28 - 64:33]
• College Sports NIL/Finance: [65:22 - 73:19]
• Daylight Saving Time Debate: [73:22 - 77:18]
• New Dictionary Words: [77:19 - 81:27]
• Stephen A. Smith vs. Pelicans’ Social Team: [83:16 - 87:09]

Overall Tone & Style

Catchy, irreverent, and conversational with frequent cultural references, self-deprecating humor, and skepticism about the “official story” in politics and media. The panel constantly balances personal anecdote, audience surrogacy (“young podcasty American male”), historical perspective, and Kentucky flavor.

For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode serves as a lively primer on current affairs from war zones abroad to ballot shenanigans at home, spiced with offbeat news, sports jokes, and unapologetic realtalk about the absurdities of politics, media, and American life in 2026. The hosts’ accessible but well-informed banter makes even heavy topics approachable—and always leaves room for the “newsworthy” intrigue of the moment, whether it’s the stare of a wrestle-heel principal, the fate of Jim Carrey’s cheeks, or the latest social media squabble between sports TV blowhards and pro teams. If you want opinionated Kentucky-flavored news with range, wit, and little patience for B.S., Episode 32 delivers.