Episode Description:This week on The Make It Make Sense Podcast, we break down the truth behind tariffs—what they actually are, how they work, and why Trump keeps pretending they’re a flex when they’re really just a fancy tax on us.Davette gives a history lesson that stretches from the Boston Tea Party to Trump’s Twitter tantrums, explains the difference between tariffs and a Value-Added Tax (VAT), and lays out how this mess impacts everything from your groceries to your job. Travis adds in his signature shocked reactions, and together they ask: Who’s really paying for this trade war? (Spoiler: it’s not China.)Links Mentioned in This Episode: • www.myvote.org – Check your voter registration • www.brookings.edu – Search “Tariffs 101” for nonpartisan explainers • https://ustr.gov – U.S. Trade Representative site (yes, it’s real and it matters) • Episode Resistance Brief – Action items from this episode on our InstagramFollow Us + Join the Conversation: • TikTok: @themimspodwdtlee • Instagram: @welcometothemakeitmakesensepod • Email us: themimspod@gmail.comHelp us grow the movement:Like the episode? Smash that like button, leave us a comment, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode that makes actual sense. Your support helps us keep resisting, educating, and exposing the mess.

This week’s Damage Report is brought to you by the letter “O”… as in Oz, outrage, and oh no, what now?!We break down: • Dr. Oz Confirmed: Yes, that Dr. Oz. The wellness huckster turned political appointee. We talk about what this means for public trust, health policy, and the administration’s growing obsession with propaganda over credentials. • Nazi Quote on the House Floor: A member of Congress quoted Hitler — on purpose. We dig into who said it, who challenged it, and what the silence says about our political climate. • The Relationship Ban in China: A new directive bars U.S. citizens in China from dating Chinese nationals. This isn’t just xenophobia—it’s textbook fascism.And of course, we close with “You Can’t Sit Here” — our weekly moment of civic accountability.⸻THE RESISTANCE BRIEF: WHAT YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK 1. CALL YOUR SENATORSDemand accountability for Dr. Oz’s confirmation. We deserve better than quacks in lab coats.www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative 2. FLOOD YOUR SCHOOL BOARDAnd state legislatures with opposition to book bans. Read a passage from a banned book during public comment.pen.org/book-bans 3. SUPPORT CAMPUS PROTESTSStand with students punished for speaking truth. Protect academic freedom.aclu.org | chronicle.com 4. CONTACT THE STATE DEPARTMENTDemand answers on the international relationship directive. This isn’t foreign policy—it’s fascism.www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative 5. TALK TO YOUR PEOPLEShare banned books. Share facts. The more they try to isolate us, the more we need to connect.⸻LISTEN NOWBecause they’re betting on confusion — and we’re here to make it make sense.#TheDamageReport #DrOz #BookBans #CampusProtests #RelationshipBan #MakeItMakeSensePod #ResistanceBrief #YouCantSitHereFollow the pod:TikTok: @themimspodwdtleeInstagram: @welcometothemakeitmakesensepodEnterYou


In this episode, we ask, what does the average citizen do when a group of masked men kidnap someone off the street? The Bystander Effect is alive and well, especially when the government is doing the kidnapping, and the ‘silent observer’ role has never been more on-brand. We’re talking about the shocking rise of government-sanctioned disappearances, and how watching women be attacked in public & doing nothing is as American as apple pie. Why do we, as citizens, fail to act despite our love for heroic films & tv? Is it fear? Laziness? Or are we just too busy scrolling through our feeds to notice? Tune in as we dive into the darker side of the Bystander Effect, break down how dictatorships turn abductions into an Olympic sport, and maybe, just maybe, figure out why we all seem to watch, then look the other way. Spoiler alert: it’s not as funny as it sounds… but we’ll still try to make it one.