Episodios

  • The Pentagon Papers, Why Nobody Wants Venezuelan Oil, and Answers to Your Questions
    Jan 12 2026
    The story you didn’t know: The Pentagon Papers. Politics Professor Casey Burgat tells us about the government lies, coverup, and the reporters who exposed all of it. Then Sharon talks with economist and Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman about the lies you often hear about immigration and its effects on the economy, why American oil companies actually don’t want Venezuelan oil, and his predictions for the 2026 economy. Plus Sharon answers your most pressing questions: What Happens Now with Venezuela? Was Removing Nicolás Maduro Illegal? Can the US take Greenland by force? If you’d like to submit a question, head to thepreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there. And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join hundreds of thousands of readers who still believe understanding is an act of hope. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson (00:00:00) The Pentagon Papers with Casey Burgat (00:16:55) Interview with Paul Krugman (00:30:48) Q&A To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Más Menos
    51 m
  • Margaret Taylor, From Army Wife to Reluctant First Lady
    Jan 5 2026
    Margaret “Peggy” Taylor was a true pioneer woman, so the White House was never the life she wanted. She spent decades roughing it at remote army posts, surviving war, illness, and devastating loss alongside her soldier husband. When Zachary Taylor became president, Peggy quietly stepped away from Washington society, choosing instead to focus on her faith and family. It’s a reminder that not every First Lady wanted the job. If you’d like to submit a question for Sharon to answer, head to ThePreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there. And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join hundreds of thousands of people who still believe understanding is an act of hope. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Más Menos
    32 m
  • Sarah Polk’s Power Behind the Presidency
    Dec 29 2025
    Sarah Polk was one of the most politically powerful women of her era. From running her husband’s political operation behind the scenes to mastering the art of influence, she knew exactly how power worked. She shaped her husband’s presidency, set social rules in the White House, and proved that ambition didn’t have to be loud to be effective. This is the story of a woman who changed American politics. If you’d like to submit a question for Sharon to answer, head to ThePreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there. And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join hundreds of thousands of people who still believe understanding is an act of hope. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Más Menos
    34 m
  • America’s Most Overlooked First Lady, Anna Harrison
    Dec 22 2025
    America’s shortest presidency produced one of its most overlooked First Ladies. Anna Harrison didn’t even make it to the White House before William Henry Harrison skipped wearing a coat to his inauguration, caught a cold, and died from pneumonia just 31 days later. Shaped by revolution and a New York education, Anna defied expectations, from eloping against her father’s wishes to running school on the Ohio frontier. Her story is a reminder that history is often shaped by the women it overlooks. If you’d like to submit a question for Sharon to answer, head to ThePreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there. And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join hundreds of thousands of people who still believe understanding is an act of hope. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Más Menos
    33 m
  • The Chains We Forge In Life, How Religious Is the US, and Hanukkah at the White House
    Dec 15 2025
    A warning to anyone engaged in demeaning rhetoric: How do you want to be remembered after you’re gone? Like Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, it’s not too late to change. Plus, Sharon is joined by political and data scientist, and stand-up comedian, Andrea Jones-Rooy for a fun discussion about data literacy. You’ll learn how to spot manipulation and political spin in headlines and news stories before they fool you. And then, when did Hanukkah become a tradition in the White House? From the first outdoor menorah lighting, to a fire emergency in the Oval Office, you’ll hear the history of the holiday in the People’s House. If you’d like to submit a question for Sharon to answer, head to ThePreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there. And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join the 350,000 people who still believe understanding is an act of hope. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Más Menos
    47 m
  • How Beavers Built America, The 5 Habits of Hope, And Jackie Kennedy’s Christmas Legacy
    Dec 8 2025
    Before railroads, revolutions, or even the idea of America itself, one animal with a grudge against running water built the foundations of our country. The beaver didn’t just shape rivers — it shaped history, and even sparked a war. Then Sharon talks with psychologist and author Dr. Julia Garcia, whose new book The Five Habits of Hope offers a practical way to find your way back to hope, especially when life feels heavy. Plus, how Jackie Kennedy reinvented Christmas at the White House, and began a tradition that still lives on today. If you’d like to submit a question for Sharon to answer, head to ThePreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there. And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join the 350,000 people who still believe understanding is an act of hope. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Más Menos
    45 m
  • America’s Rising Sun Moment, Why You’re More Powerful Than You Think, And Memorable Moments of White House Holidays
    Dec 1 2025
    Even the Founding Fathers had their doubts about the future of the country, but Benjamin Franklin chose to see its promise. We’ll explain how one chair gave him the answer he was searching for. Plus, Sharon talks with philosopher Alex Madva, co-author of ⁠Somebody Should Do Something⁠, about why so many of us feel powerless, but there’s more common ground in America than we think. So what can we do about it? He’ll tell us. And the history of White House holiday traditions, from Adams to Eisenhower, complete with snow ball fights, Christmas trees with actual lit candles on them, and a terrifying Christmas Eve fire in the West Wing. If you’d like to submit a question for Sharon to answer, head to ⁠ThePreamble.com/podcast⁠ – we’d love to hear from you there. And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ⁠ThePreamble.com⁠ – it’s free! Join the 350,000 people who still believe understanding is an act of hope. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Más Menos
    46 m
  • The Most Chaotic Election in American History Was Saved by an Irish Immigrant, and a Conversation with Congressman James Clyburn
    Nov 24 2025
    Meet the Irish immigrant who used fireplace tongs to fight a member of Congress, was thrown in jail for insulting a president, and ultimately changed the course of American history. Plus, Sharon talks with powerful Democratic Congressman James Clyburn in a wide-ranging conversation that touches on the drama currently happening in the House, his life growing up as a Black child in the south, and why people of color need something other than equality. They discuss his new book, The First Eight, on the eight Black Congressmen who came before him and the gripping parallels between post-Civil War America and today. It’s an interview that’s equal parts history lesson, warning, and inspiration — and even touches on Clyburn’s personal relationship with one of Sharon’s favorite historical figures: Septima Clark. If you’d like to submit a question, head to ThePreamble.com/podcast – we’d love to hear from you there. And be sure to read our weekly magazine at ThePreamble.com – it’s free! Join the 350,000 people who still believe understanding is an act of hope. Credits: Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks Audio Producer: Craig Thompson To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Más Menos
    45 m
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_DT_webcro_1694_expandible_banner_T1