The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

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   Number 1: The Candidates Who Rejected Corporate Money Won Anyway w/ End Citizens United's Tiffany Muller

   The 2026 midterms are on track to be the most expensive in American history, $12 billion in ad spending alone, before counting what's sitting in PACs and super PACs. 100 billionaire families are contributing over 20% of total election spending. Most of it is dark money: you don't get to know who donated, why, or what they're asking for in return. Tiffany Muller is the head of End Citizens United, the organization fighting to get corporate money out of elections. She's back on the show for the second time this cycle to break down where things actually stand with 60 days to go. The most surprising finding from this primary season: candidates who pledged to reject corporate PAC money are outperforming candidates who took it. El-Sayed won in Michigan without PAC money. Angela Nixon won in Florida without PAC money, outspent 16 to 1. The data is suggesting that in 2026, the corporate money pledge may actually be a political asset rather than a liability. Then there's the AI ads problem. AI is set to spend $150 million in this election cycle producing political content. In the final stretch before November, voters are already seeing a deepfake of Governor Kathy Hochul doing a walk-and-talk saying things she never said, a James Telerico ad placing him in a dress, and an LBJ-style Daisy ad remake. Minnesota banned AI in political ads. An outside group used an AI likeness of the Democratic candidate there anyway. Only three states have any law on the books at all. And the Supreme Court just issued a new ruling, NRSC versus FEC, that opened even more floodgates for big money. End Citizens United Make It Make Sense Substack CHAPTERS: 0:00 The most expensive midterm in history: $12 billion, dark money, and why Grant sat on this interview 2:05 Tiffany Muller: President of End Citizens United, back for her second appearance this cycle 2:42 Where things actually stand: still on track to shatter every spending record, and then the Supreme Court opened more floodgates 4:10 Michigan at $60 million, North Carolina and Ohio Senate races potentially hitting $1 billion each 5:09 Dark money explained: the shell company chain that makes sure you never find out who's actually paying 6:35 100 billionaire families contribute over 20% of all election spending: what that actually means for your vote 7:40 The corporate money pledge: why candidates rejecting PAC money are winning anyway 10:00 El-Sayed in Michigan, Nixon in Florida: the data from this primary cycle on no-PAC candidates 14:00 The NRSC versus FEC ruling: what the Supreme Court just opened up for big donors 18:00 Can you fix this system? What actual reform looks like and why it's harder than it sounds 22:00 The bipartisan case: this broken system hurts voters on both sides of the aisle 26:00 AI ads in the 2026 midterms: $150 million, deepfakes of real candidates, and only three states with any law 29:00 Kathy Hochul walking and talking. James Telerico in a dress. The LBJ Daisy ad. All AI. All real. 31:25 Minnesota banned AI ads. An outside group used an AI likeness of their candidate anyway. 33:46 What has to happen before November and what Grant will be tracking in 2027 Support the show Follow along on social media SaySo: @GrantHermes X: @GrantHermes Insta: @Grant__Hermes Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

   September 03, 2026·36min
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   Number 2: The Lawyer for the USPS Whistleblower On The Record w/ WhistleblowerAid's David Kligerman

   EDITOR NOTE: This episode was recorded before a federal judge in Massachusetts issued her ruling blocking the mail-in ballot rule. North Carolina and Delaware started sending out mail-in ballots today. Two weeks from now, most other states will follow. And the USPS mail-in ballot rule that a whistleblower says was built to "catastrophically fail" is still being fought over in federal court, with the Trump administration asking the Supreme Court's shadow docket to let it go forward. David Kligerman is the senior vice president and special counsel at WhistleblowerAid.org. He is the lawyer for the USPS whistleblower. This is his first extended on-record conversation about the case, how his client came forward, what they disclosed to Congress, and what happens next. Among the details that have not been widely reported: the whistleblower found their way to Whistleblower Aid through a kind of underground railroad process, listening to a show like this one, reaching out, being passed along through trusted civil society contacts until they arrived at a law firm that could protect them. David says this raises a serious question: how many other people inside the federal government have something to disclose and simply haven't found a safe way out yet. The episode also covers the broader landscape of whistleblowing under this administration: inspector generals gutted and weaponized against the people they're supposed to protect, the Office of Special Counsel neutered, the Merit Systems Protection Board dismembered, federal employment rules being rewritten to put protected positions into at-will categories. And what David thinks changes if Democrats win the House: subpoena authority, the ability to hold hearings, and what he expects will be a far more robust environment for disclosures. If you work inside the federal government and have something to share: WhistleblowerAid.org. Conversations with attorneys are free, anonymous, and fully protected by attorney-client privilege. USPS Whistleblower Disclosure Make It Make Sense Substack: DHS Citizenship List CHAPTERS: 0:00 Ballots go out in North Carolina and Delaware today. Here's why that matters right now. 2:46 Meet David Kligerman: SVP and special counsel at WhistleblowerAid.org, lawyer for the USPS whistleblower 2:58 How the USPS whistleblower found their way to Whistleblower Aid: an underground railroad through civil society 5:00 The bigger question: how many other people inside the government have something to disclose and can't find a safe way out 5:18 Nine months of Whistleblower Aid cases: ICE, Social Security, HUD, and what's still in the pipeline 7:30 The landscape for federal whistleblowers right now: inspector generals weaponized, Special Counsel neutered, MSPB dismembered 9:21 How the USPS whistleblower came forward and what they disclosed to Congress 14:00 What the disclosure actually says: haphazard development, zero failure protocol, court order violated 18:00 Congress is now asking for an investigation: what subpoena authority changes and why it matters 22:00 What David thinks a Democratic House means for whistleblower disclosures: a game changer 24:44 The "cavalry" effect: how the prospect of Congressional oversight is already encouraging more people to come forward 27:10 What you can do right now if you work inside the federal government and have something to share 29:32 WhistleblowerAid.org: free, anonymous, fully protected by attorney-client privilege Support the show Follow along on social media SaySo: @GrantHermes X: @GrantHermes Insta: @Grant__Hermes Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

   September 04, 2026·31min
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3. 3
   Number 3: Trump Calls 75% of Americans Stupid Over AI Data Centers

   A USPS whistleblower, protected by Whistleblower Aid, came forward today with allegations that in order to meet the September 1st deadline for the new mail-in ballot rule, the Postal Service violated a federal court order, developed an untested screening system under what insiders called a "shit show" timeline, and implemented a zero failure protocol that could mean millions of American voters never receive or have their mail-in ballot returned this election cycle. The whistleblower's most alarming claim: "Catastrophic failure would be a feature rather than a bug." The zero failure protocol works like this: if a single ballot in a batch of 5,000 to 10,000 can't be matched, the entire batch gets returned to the state. USPS doesn't fail. The state fails. Except the current mail delivery error rate is 15 to 20%, caused by wet barcodes, bad GPS signal, scanner malfunctions, none of which are fraud. Any of them can trigger the zero failure protocol. The whistleblower also says USPS restarted development work after a federal judge ordered them to stop, and that the Postmaster General lied to Democratic senators in writing in July, saying work was still halted. On the data centers: 75% of Americans oppose building AI data centers in their communities. Bipartisan, coast to coast. The day before Trump called those people stupid, Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, and other AI billionaires launched a super PAC called Building the Future to spend tens of millions backing pro-data center candidates. Trump has millions personally invested in AI data center development companies. Grant explains why this is the most bipartisan political grenade of the midterm cycle, and why Trump just handed Democrats a ready-made corruption campaign issue. Editor's note: Grant meant to say "billion liters of water, not million liters of water" here CHAPTERS: 0:00 Breaking: a USPS whistleblower comes forward with allegations the mail-in ballot system was built to fail 2:00 The Federal Mail Ballot Portal explained: what it was supposed to do and why none of it exists yet 4:00 "A shit show": what USPS officials were saying internally about the development timeline 6:00 The zero failure protocol: how one bad barcode can reject 10,000 ballots at once 8:00 The current mail error rate is 15 to 20%: why zero failure is mathematically impossible 9:30 The court order USPS violated: a federal judge said stop. They didn't. The Postmaster General lied about it. 11:00 "Catastrophic failure would be a feature rather than a bug": the whistleblower's conclusion 12:30 Sponsor break 14:00 75% of Americans oppose AI data centers in their communities: why this is the most bipartisan issue of the midterms 16:00 What data centers actually do to your town: noise, water depletion, rising utility rates, temporary jobs 18:30 Trump's personal investments in AI data center companies: why this is his golden goose 20:00 Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI launch a super PAC the day before Trump calls data center opponents stupid 21:30 Why Trump just handed Democrats their best corruption campaign issue of the cycle 23:00 The GOP midterm convention next week: Trump-a-Palooza and the Heaven's Gate vibes This episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Get in on the Cozy Earth Labor Day Deal! Cozy Earth's bamboo sheets and brushed bamboo pajamas are temperature-regulating, insanely soft, and built for actually sleeping cool. Use code MIMS25 at CozyEarth.com for 30% off — and when you do, you're also supporting the show. Support the show Follow along on social media SaySo: @GrantHermes X: @GrantHermes Insta: @Grant__Hermes Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

   September 01, 2026·21min
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   Number 4: The President's "Human Binky" And His Lawyer

   Natalie Harp. She's a 35-year-old White House staffer who credits Donald Trump, not her doctors, with saving her life from bone cancer. She slept in the women's locker room of Trump's Bedminster golf club during the 2024 campaign to be physically closer to him. She leaves devotional notes in his documents and in his lunch. The Secret Service flagged her as a potential threat to the president. Maggie Haberman called her Trump's "human pacifier." And when Trump hid in the catering cart in Turkey, he brought two people: Pete Hegseth, who makes sense, and Natalie Harp. Senator Jon Ossoff mentioned her at a Georgia rally in a way that clearly implied an affair. Grant explains why that implication was sexist and harmful regardless of political stripe, why the Republican outrage over it is cynical and selective, and what the Harp story actually tells us about what this White House runs on. But first, Todd Blanche's first weekend as official Attorney General. He attended a Republican gubernatorial rally in New York, which is almost certainly against federal law and definitely against the norm of a politically independent DOJ. Then he went on Meet the Press and said the quiet part loud: he doesn't believe in DOJ independence. He said Trump has never asked him to do anything unethical or illegal, which is a lie that Grant documents in detail, including the Comey indictment, the journalist harassment, the slush fund, the IRS immunity deal, and a federal judge referring Blanche for formal discipline for attempting to defraud her court. He also accidentally called Trump his client on live television. Later in the interview, Blanche announced the DOJ is taking its 23 failed voter data lawsuits to the Supreme Court's shadow docket. Grant has been saying this was coming for weeks. Cheers to two Years of Make It Make Sense! Independent journalism only works with your support, so thank you! The price is still $5/month, but that changes August 20th. Subscribe now to lock in $5/month or $50/year! MakeItMakeSense.Substack.com CHAPTERS: 0:00 Todd Blanche's big debut weekend as Attorney General 2:00 The Meet the Press interview: "I'm not into that idea" of DOJ independence 3:30 Why Blanche's claim that Trump never asked him to do anything unethical is a documented lie 5:00 Blanche accidentally calls Trump "my client" on live television 6:00 The 139-year history of DOJ independence and what the White House's own executive order says about it 7:30 The reflecting pool question: "proof is a pesky thing" and the case Blanche wants to revive 8:30 23 failed voter data lawsuits headed to the shadow docket: Grant called this weeks ago 10:00 Sponsor break 11:30 Who is Natalie Harp: bone cancer survivor, OAN anchor, Trump devotee, "human pacifier" 13:00 The notes, the locker room, and being flagged by the Secret Service as a potential threat 15:00 Why she was in the catering cart: the two people Trump took when he thought Air Force One might be attacked 16:30 Senator Ossoff names her at a rally: what he implied, why it was sexist, and why the outrage is selective 18:30 The Fox News Kamala Harris joke the same people cheered: the hypocrisy documented 20:00 What Blanche and Harp have in common: the price and the reward of near-fanatical loyalty to Trump This episode is supported by Klear Protein. It's a clear whey protein you mix with water for a light, refreshing drink. 20g of protein, zero sugar, zero lactose, and no bloat. MIMS listeners get an exclusive 20% off any product, the best deal they offer with the code MIMS25. level up your protein game at klearprotein.com. (I earn a commission when you use my link.) Support the show Follow along on social media SaySo: @GrantHermes X: @GrantHermes Insta: @Grant__Hermes Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

   August 19, 2026·25min
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5. 5
   Number 5: "Authoritarian Projects Don't Like Science." And Other Vaccine Truths

   When the White House announced its new vaccine recommendations this week, Grant knew he needed someone who actually understands what these diseases do to human bodies. Dr. Scott Greer is a professor of public health policy and comparative politics at the University of Michigan, and he joins the show to explain what the new schedule actually means and what the diseases it leaves unprotected against actually look like. The short answer: nothing has changed. There is no new research. The split MMR vaccine Trump described doesn't exist and would take 5 to 10 years to develop. No insurance plans are changing. No pediatrician offices are changing their protocols. The American Academy of Pediatrics is not following the recommendations. But the long-term risk is real. Scott explains what measles, mumps, and rubella actually do. Measles can cause permanent brain damage and is so contagious that if one person in a room has it, 90% of unvaccinated people in that room will get it. Mumps causes inflammation of the testicles in boys, often leading to infertility. Rubella during the first trimester of pregnancy causes severe birth defects including blindness, deafness, heart defects, and intellectual disabilities. These are the diseases we nearly eradicated that are now coming back. Scott and Grant also talk about why authoritarian governments historically reject science, why the timing of this vaccine announcement, right before school starts, is politically significant, and how health is becoming a midterm wedge issue that Democrats may actually be better positioned on than they realize. Dr. Scott Greer at the University of Michigan Just ONE WEEK LEFT to get in on the Make It Make Sense Anniversary subscription deal. Become a paid subscriber at the launch price of $5/mo before August 20th. Make It Make Sense Substack CHAPTERS 0:00 Why Grant brought in an expert: the vaccine announcement needed a doctor, not a journalist 3:13 Dr. Scott Greer: University of Michigan public health and comparative politics professor 3:42 "I wish I were shocked": what Scott's first reaction to the new schedule actually was 4:30 Nothing has actually changed yet: no insurance changes, no pediatrician changes, no new vaccines exist 5:02 The split MMR vaccine Trump described: it doesn't exist and would take 5 to 10 years to develop 6:11 The immune system overload myth: why "too much liquid" isn't how vaccines or immune systems work 7:28 Why MMR was bundled in the first place: fewer trips, faster immunity, less time unprotected 7:54 Spacing out vaccines means longer windows of vulnerability: how this increases spread 9:05 What measles actually does: 90% transmission rate, brain damage, and why it's a "runaway train" right now 12:00 What mumps actually does: inflammation of the testicles and infertility in post-pubescent males 14:00 What rubella actually does during pregnancy: blindness, deafness, heart defects, intellectual disabilities 17:00 The diseases we nearly eradicated: what polio actually looked like in American cities 22:00 Why authoritarian governments historically reject science but love technology 28:00 The timing: why announcing this right before school starts is politically significant 33:00 Health as a midterm wedge issue: how Democrats could use RFK Jr. and MAHA against Republicans 36:00 The bigger picture: what it means when one party stops believing in evidence-based policymaking Support the show Follow along on social media SaySo: @GrantHermes X: @GrantHermes Insta: @Grant__Hermes Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

   August 14, 2026·40min
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