The Preamble

This episode was recorded before Border Patrol agents shot and killed Twin Cities nurse Alex Pretti.

What happens when the people enforcing the law no longer seem bound by it? Our contributor Elise Labott reports on ICE’s expansive recruitment campaign and training program. Sharon is then joined by MN Representative Angie Craig to discuss the escalating situation in Minnesota and what Congress may, or may not, do in response. Plus, do ICE agents have absolute immunity, as JD Vance claims? Our guest, former DOJ attorney Liz Oyer says absolutely not. 

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) What’s Drawing Recruits to ICE?

(00:15:52) What is Congress Doing About ICE?

(00:31:18) Do ICE Agents Have Absolute Immunity?

The War on Drugs is being used to justify U.S. military actions, including a covert operation in Venezuela, but is that going to have an effect on the opioid crisis? Sharon is joined by Beth Macy, author of the bestselling book Dopesick, for a powerful conversation about her new release, Paper Girl, and the addiction, poverty, and deep political divides plaguing communities. Plus, Sharon breaks down the viral video claiming daycare fraud in Minneapolis, walking through what the video alleges, and what investigators have actually found. 

Since the recording of this episode, the Minnesota Attorney General has charged health care owner Mohamed Abdirashid Omarxeyd with 8 felonies for allegedly using his Health Services agency to steal $3.2 million from the Minnesota Medical Assistance (Medicaid) program.

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 U.S. War on Drugs and Interview with Beth Macy

(00:22:29) Viral Claims of Fraud at Minnesota Daycares

(00:30:47) What Fraud Has Been Found In Minnesota

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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