Make It Make Sense

Epizody

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  Did DEI break colleges? 28.07.2026 37min

  Can America reject racial preferences without ignoring racial inequality? In this episode of “Make It Make Sense,” Carine Hajjar talks with economist and author Glenn Loury about race, opportunity and ideological diversity in American life. They discuss the decline of the Black Lives Matter era, affirmative action after the Supreme Court’s ruling, why more Black men have supported Donald Trump, the political backlash facing higher education and whether government pressure on universities threatens academic freedom.
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  How can California be saved? Ask Steve Hilton. 24.07.2026 29min

  Can California afford to keep going in the same direction? In this episode of “Make It Make Sense,” Kate Andrews talks with gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton about his campaign to overhaul the state’s government and economy. They discuss California’s high cost of living, his proposal to make the first $150,000 of income tax-free, whether frustrated Democratic voters could support a Republican, the proper role of government in regulating AI, and what California can learn from the United Kingdom.
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  Newsom has pushed California to a tipping point 23.07.2026 35min

  Is the United States turning into the Golden State? In this episode of “Make It Make Sense,” Kate Andrews talks with historian Victor Davis Hanson about the political and cultural shifts reshaping America. They discuss Christopher Nolan’s take on “The Odyssey,” the war with Iran, Gavin Newsom’s record in California, and whether democratic socialism is a genuine grassroots movement or a project driven by urban elites.
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  Why have political double standards gotten worse? 21.07.2026 32min

  Are double standards becoming the norm in American politics? In this episode of “Make It Make Sense,” Carine Hajjar and Brad Palumbo, an independent journalist and YouTube creator, break down the growing fractures on both the left and the right. They discuss recent Senate races involving Graham Platner and Abdul El-Sayed; the controversy surrounding Ken Paxton in Texas; and how media echo chambers, viral clips and conspiracy theories are pushing the country further apart.
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  Why doesn’t Europe have AC? 17.07.2026 31min

  Is AC a luxury or a necessity? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," Cato Institute research fellow Chelsea Follett joins James Hohmann to discuss Europe's cultural and regulatory resistance to air conditioning. The conversation explores the dangers of modern "degrowthism" and climate fatalism, contrasting them with a solutions-oriented, pro-technology mindset.
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  Does the right have a cancel culture problem? 16.07.2026 34min

  Is higher education too powerful to ignore? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," Jason Willick sits down with Greg Lukianoff, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, to unpack the escalating war over campus free expression, Title IX and the Trump administration's tactics targeting Harvard. They also dive into the psychology of modern censorship and peer into the future of AI, warning why elite control over algorithmic outputs might be the ultimate threat to human knowledge.
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  Why are marriage rates falling? 15.07.2026 26min

  Why are young adults increasingly rejecting marriage despite clear data showing it leads to greater happiness and financial success? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," Kate Andrews and Carine Hajjar sit down with Brad Wilcox, sociology professor at the University of Virginia and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for Family Studies. They break down the modern "marriage paradox" and debunk the mainstream media's anti-family narrative, explaining why married mothers and fathers report significantly higher levels of meaning, stability and prosperity. The conversation also explores how young men and women can navigate the modern dating scene, the controversial tradwife movement, and the real-world consequences of casual hookup culture.
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  Social Media Is Making Girls Unhappy | Freya India 10.07.2026 33min

  In this episode of “Make It Make Sense,” Kate Andrews sits down with Freya India, author of "Girls: Generation Z and the Commodification of Everything." They explore the challenges of coming of age in a chronically online era, discussing how constant digital access affects mental health and self-image among young women.
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  Is the president too powerful? A constitutional scholar weighs in. 09.07.2026 34min

  How did Congress become weaker and what does that mean for U.S. government today? In this episode of “Make It Make Sense,” host Damir Marusic talks with American Enterprise Institute scholar Yuval Levin about Congress’s decline, recent Supreme Court decisions and how technology and polarization are reshaping American politics.
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  Inside Ukraine’s fight to survive 02.07.2026 33min

  Is there an end in sight for the Russia-Ukraine war? In this episode of “Make It Make Sense,” Kate Andrews asks Damir Marusic and Dominic Pino what they saw on the ground in Ukraine. They also discuss how Kyiv is employing drone warfare, why Vladimir Putin has resisted a peace deal and what it would take to bring Russia back to the negotiating table.
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  Is this the Democratic tea party? | Liam Donovan 30.06.2026 36min

  Is the Democratic Party having its tea party moment? In this episode of “Make It Make Sense,” James Hohmann talks with Liam Donovan, political strategist and a president at Targeted Victory, about the rise of Democratic populism, its effects on the midterms and how it compares to the rise of Trumpism.
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  Who is winning the AI battle? 25.06.2026 26min

  Whoever controls artificial intelligence will win the 21st century. In this episode of “Make It Make Sense,” James Hohmann talks with Kyle Chan, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution, about the AI race between the United States and China, how Beijing is deploying the technology and whether fears of a Chinese AGI takeover are just hype.
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  Did Trump achieve his goals in Iran? 23.06.2026 34min

  What would a new Iran deal mean for the United States? In this episode of “Make It Make Sense,” Carine Hajjar sits down with Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Iran program. They discuss whether a new agreement would strengthen or appease the Iranian regime, how Lebanon factors into the negotiations and what the ultimate costs and benefits could be for the U.S
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  What happens next in Iran? 16.06.2026 24min

  What is the state of Iranian society following years of extreme tension? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," Opinion Editor Adam O'Neal sits down with Jason Rezaian, The Washington Post's director of press freedom initiatives, to examine the devastating impact of conflict on Iran's citizens and why the promise of liberation remains unfulfilled.
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  Why Gen Z hates capitalism 15.06.2026 30min

  Has Gen Z completely given up on capitalism — and America? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," James Hohmann sits down with columnist and “Reasonably Optimistic” host Megan McArdle to explore why young voters are turning to socialism and how politicians like Zohran Mamdani are capitalizing on their angst.
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  Did Trump make America’s 250th about himself? 12.06.2026 27min

  As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary next month, has a bipartisan celebration of independence become a casualty of political division? On this Episode of "Make It Make Sense," host Kate Andrews joins James Hohmann and Damir Marusic to break down how America’s upcoming milestone has transformed into a polarizing event. The guests examine the friction between competing "America 250" and "Freedom 250" initiatives, the impact of the presidency on national unity, and whether citizens can still find shared civic pride in local traditions despite the toxic political climate in Washington.
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  Are Graham Platner's scandals helping him? 09.06.2026 21min

  Are Graham Platner's controversies actually helping him in the Maine Senate race? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," Kate Andrews talks with Carine Hajjar about Platner's rise, his refusal to drop out amid multiple scandals, and why Democrats are still standing behind him.
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  D.C. has a ‘teen takeover’ problem 08.06.2026 30min

  ‘Teen takeovers’ are becoming a defining issue in the D.C. mayoral race. In this episode of “Make It Make Sense,” James Hohmann and Rob Gebelhoff break down where the candidates stand on crime and policing, how they may approach the National Guard in D.C., and whether they’ll work with or against President Donald Trump.
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  Was Trump’s ‘weaponization fund’ doomed from the start? 05.06.2026 37min

  Was President Donald Trump's "Anti-Weaponization Fund" doomed to fail from the start? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," Kate Andrews, Jason Willick and Damir Marusic discuss the rise and fall of the $1.776 billion fund while exploring whether "lawfare" has fundamentally changed the ideal of an apolitical justice system.
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  Did Trump win the late-night comedy battle? 03.06.2026 28min

  Did President Donald Trump kill late-night television shows, or did comedy podcasts simply beat them at their own game? In this episode of "Make It Make Sense," James Hohmann, Carine Hajjar and Damir Marusic explore the massive cultural shift in comedy during the Trump era.