The White House is claiming a peace deal with Iran is close, but
The deal on the table looks almost identical to the Obama-era agreement
Trump tore up in 2018. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio
openly told the press that the administration doesn't feel bound by the
War Powers Act, and one Republican congressman from Michigan is
trying to force the issue with a new bill.

We break down what's actually in the proposed Iran deal, why the
legal authority for U.S. military operations is murky at best,
and what new intelligence reports say about Iran's missile stockpiles
and their ability to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.

Topics covered:
- Iran peace talks and what's actually being offered
- How the proposed deal compares to the 2018 Obama deal Trump scrapped
- Rubio says the White House won't follow the War Powers Act
- Rep. Tom Barrett's AUMF bill and what it means
- Iran's missile stockpile is 70-75% intact, not 18% like Trump claimed
- U.S. has burned through nearly half its critical missile stockpiles
- Saudi Arabia suspended U.S. base access, here's why

Subscribe for breakdowns of the news that actually matters.
Full story + more at the Make It Make Sense Substack: The Company They Keep

Promo Code:

The news is chaotic enough — you shouldn't also have to wonder if you're only getting half the story. Ground News shows you how every outlet, left, right, and center, is covering the same event, so you can see the full picture instead of just one side's version of it. Their Blindspot feed even surfaces stories that are being ignored by one side of the political spectrum entirely. Less echo chamber. More clarity.

Go to https://bit.ly/4dvTblK for 40% off their best plan, the Vantage subscription.

Support the show

Follow along on social media

X: @mimsnewspod
Instagram: @mimsnewspod
TikTok: @mimsnewspod
Substack: mimsnewspod.substack.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@MIMSnewspod
Bluesky: Granthermes.bsky.social

Follow Grant:
X: @GrantHermes

Insta: @Grant__Hermes

Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

The president told Congress the Iran war was "terminated." The Secretary of Defense says there's still a ceasefire. Then Trump called it a "mini-war" on camera. So... which is it?

Today, Grant breaks down the War Powers Act deadline that forced Trump's hand, the new "Project Freedom" operation in the Strait of Hormuz, why gas just hit $4.50/gallon nationally, and what the polls say about where Americans actually stand.

⏱ Chapters:
00:00 Intro — Can't get the story straight
01:20 The War Powers Act deadline explained
04:10 What is "Project Freedom" actually?
07:30 Iran fires on US ships — is the ceasefire over?
10:15 $4.50 gas & the economic toll
14:00 What the polls say (and why Trump won't believe them)
17:30 What comes next

📬 Subscribe to the Make It Make Sense Substack for the full Civics Class breakdown on redistricting: How Does Redistricting Work?

🎙️ Make It Make Sense is a daily news explainer with Grant Hermes. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

PROMO CODE:

The news is chaotic enough — you shouldn't also have to wonder if you're only getting half the story. Ground News shows you how every outlet, left, right, and center, is covering the same event, so you can see the full picture instead of just one side's version of it. Their Blindspot feed even surfaces stories that are being ignored by one side of the political spectrum entirely. Less echo chamber. More clarity.

Go to ground.news/mims for 40% off their best plan, the Vantage subscription.

Support the show

Follow along on social media

X: @mimsnewspod
Instagram: @mimsnewspod
TikTok: @mimsnewspod
Substack: mimsnewspod.substack.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@MIMSnewspod
Bluesky: Granthermes.bsky.social

Follow Grant:
X: @GrantHermes

Insta: @Grant__Hermes

Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

It's like Looksmaxxing but for gerrymandering. GERRYMAXXING

The Supreme Court just finished what John Roberts started 45 years ago, gutting the Voting Rights Act. And the political earthquake it's about to cause will be felt in every state, in every race, all the way down to your school board.

In this episode, Grant sits down with Dave Daley, author and senior fellow at FairVote, to break down the Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, what it actually means for Black and Brown voters, and why this could lead to the largest reduction in minority representation in Congress since Reconstruction.

They cover:

• What the Voting Rights Act actually required and what Justice Alito just replaced it with
• Why the new "intent" standard is nearly impossible to meet
• The "Gerrymaxxing" wave that's about to sweep the nation.
• Why competitive elections could drop to single digits out of 435 congressional seats by 2028
• What real fixes exist, and whether any of them are politically possible
• What you can do right now

LINKS:

Dave Daley at Fair Vote

Dave's Books

• Ratfucked
• Unrigged

Support the show

Follow along on social media

X: @mimsnewspod
Instagram: @mimsnewspod
TikTok: @mimsnewspod
Substack: mimsnewspod.substack.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@MIMSnewspod
Bluesky: Granthermes.bsky.social

Follow Grant:
X: @GrantHermes

Insta: @Grant__Hermes

Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

The Supreme Court just gutted the Voting Rights Act. Grant explains what that means for your vote, your district, and the next election. Plus: four massive government deadlines expire TONIGHT, Congress goes on recess, and we learn the truth about six Americans killed at a base in Kuwait with zero protection.

Today's episode breaks down:

• The Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais and why it sets American elections back 45–65 years
• Which Southern states are already redrawing district maps, and what that could mean for 12–14 House seats
• Why Chief Justice John Roberts has been working toward this moment since the Reagan administration
• DHS funding finally passing, what it covers and what it doesn't
• The Farm Bill, FISA/Section 702, and what's still unresolved tonight
• The Iran War Powers Act deadline: midnight tonight, and the House just went on recess
• The $25 billion cost of the Iran war and a Pentagon hearing about six Americans killed at an unprotected base

PROMO CODES:

The news is chaotic enough — you shouldn't also have to wonder if you're only getting half the story. Ground News shows you how every outlet, left, right, and center, is covering the same event, so you can see the full picture instead of just one side's version of it. Their Blindspot feed even surfaces stories that are being ignored by one side of the political spectrum entirely. Less echo chamber. More clarity.

Go to ground.news/mims for 40% off their best plan, the Vantage subscription.

Support the show

Follow along on social media

X: @mimsnewspod
Instagram: @mimsnewspod
TikTok: @mimsnewspod
Substack: mimsnewspod.substack.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@MIMSnewspod
Bluesky: Granthermes.bsky.social

Follow Grant:
X: @GrantHermes

Insta: @Grant__Hermes

Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

Someone tried to assassinate the President at the White House Correspondents' Dinner — and the political fallout may be almost as dangerous than the attack itself.

On Saturday night, 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen traveled from California to Washington D.C. with a shotgun and a handgun — on Amtrak — checked into the hotel where the dinner was being held, and opened fire. Grant breaks down everything we know about the shooter, the security failures that made it possible, and the deeply strange political machine that kicked into gear within hours of the attack.

From the DOJ filing that reads like a Trump social media post, to senators suddenly demanding a taxpayer-funded White House ballroom, to the FCC going after Jimmy Kimmel for jokes he made before the shooting happened.

LINKS:

Politics is a lot right now. Make It Make Sense exists because you deserve clarity, not noise. But it only works with your support. Independent journalism that’s real reporting, not just hot takes, to cut through the chaos. Starting at $5/month.

Make It Make Sense Substack

PROMO CODES:

The news is chaotic enough — you shouldn't also have to wonder if you're only getting half the story. Ground News shows you how every outlet, left, right, and center, is covering the same event, so you can see the full picture instead of just one side's version of it. Their Blindspot feed even surfaces stories that are being ignored by one side of the political spectrum entirely. Less echo chamber. More clarity.

Go to ground.news/mims for 40% off their best plan, the Vantage subscription.

Support the show

Follow along on social media

X: @mimsnewspod
Instagram: @mimsnewspod
TikTok: @mimsnewspod
Substack: mimsnewspod.substack.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@MIMSnewspod
Bluesky: Granthermes.bsky.social

Follow Grant:
X: @GrantHermes

Insta: @Grant__Hermes

Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

Can the U.S. government take away your citizenship? Increasingly, the answer is: they're trying.

This week, Grant sits down with Irina Manta, professor of immigration and national security law at Hofstra University, author, podcaster, and naturalized citizen, to break down the Trump administration's growing push to denaturalize Americans — and what it means for the future of citizenship in this country.

Between 1990 and 2017, only about 305 people lost their citizenship. The current administration wants to denaturalize 385 this year alone. This episode unpacks why, how, and what you can do about it.

LINKS:

Irina Manta

Denaturalization's Missing Limit

Make It Make Sense Substack

PROMO CODES:

The news is chaotic enough — you shouldn't also have to wonder if you're only getting half the story. Ground News shows you how every outlet, left, right, and center, is covering the same event, so you can see the full picture instead of just one side's version of it. Their Blindspot feed even surfaces stories that are being ignored by one side of the political spectrum entirely. Less echo chamber. More clarity.

Go to ground.news/mims for 40% off their best plan, the Vantage subscription.

Support the show

Follow along on social media

X: @mimsnewspod
Instagram: @mimsnewspod
TikTok: @mimsnewspod
Substack: mimsnewspod.substack.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@MIMSnewspod
Bluesky: Granthermes.bsky.social

Follow Grant:
X: @GrantHermes

Insta: @Grant__Hermes

Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

Trump extended the Iran ceasefire indefinitely, which is another way of saying he blinked. Again.

Meanwhile, a new Pentagon assessment says the Strait of Hormuz won't reopen for six months AFTER the war ends, meaning high gas prices through the holidays. Trump's approval has dropped to 33%. Only 23% approve of his handling of the cost of living. And a Fox News poll found Americans now trust Democrats more on the economy, a reversal years in the making.

Plus: Virginia voters approved a new congressional map that would give Democrats a 10-to-1 advantage in the state, and Republicans immediately sued. Grant breaks down what it means for the 2026 midterms and the ongoing gerrymandering war reshaping the House of Representatives right now.

LINKS:

https://mimsnewspod.substack.com/

PROMO CODES:

The news is chaotic enough — you shouldn't also have to wonder if you're only getting half the story. Ground News shows you how every outlet, left, right, and center, is covering the same event, so you can see the full picture instead of just one side's version of it. Their Blindspot feed even surfaces stories that are being ignored by one side of the political spectrum entirely. Less echo chamber. More clarity.

Go to ground.news/mims for 40% off their best plan, the Vantage subscription.

Support the show

Follow along on social media

X: @mimsnewspod
Instagram: @mimsnewspod
TikTok: @mimsnewspod
Substack: mimsnewspod.substack.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@MIMSnewspod
Bluesky: Granthermes.bsky.social

Follow Grant:
X: @GrantHermes

Insta: @Grant__Hermes

Tiktok: Grant_Hermes

Trump got caught lying about Iran agreeing to US demands. The Wall Street Journal published a bombshell account of his erratic behavior behind closed doors. The US broke the ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz days before peace talks. The Secretary of Labor resigned amid scandal. And The Atlantic reported that FBI Director Kash Patel is so frequently drunk that staff had to request breaching equipment to wake him up.

It's a lot. Grant breaks it down.

Subscribe to the Make It Make Sense Substack

PROMO CODE:

The news is chaotic enough — you shouldn't also have to wonder if you're only getting half the story. Ground News shows you how every outlet, left, right, and center, is covering the same event, so you can see the full picture instead of just one side's version of it. Their Blindspot feed even surfaces stories that are being ignored by one side of the political spectrum entirely. Less echo chamber. More clarity.

Go to ground.news/mims for 40% off their best plan, the Vantage subscription.

Support the show

Follow along on social media

X: @mimsnewspod
Instagram: @mimsnewspod
TikTok: @mimsnewspod
Substack: mimsnewspod.substack.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@MIMSnewspod
Bluesky: Granthermes.bsky.social

Follow Grant:
X: @GrantHermes

Insta: @Grant__Hermes

Tiktok: Grant_Hermes