The Preamble

We’ve heard it before: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But what did the Founders mean by “the pursuit of happiness,” and how do virtue and moral philosophy shape our understanding of this unalienable right? Sharon is joined by Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, to explore these questions, as well as to dive deeper into the history and meaning of the pursuit of life-long virtue. Learn how six of the Framers and Founders – flaws and all – embody different virtues, and consider the importance of electing leaders who will be virtuous and uphold the principles of Democracy.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Ever feel like choosing between the "lesser of two evils" in the voting booth? Many Americans don’t feel represented by major candidates and worry a third-party vote is wasted. If you're frustrated with the two-party system, you're not alone. What if it didn’t have to be that way? Sharon is joined by law professor and author Max Stearns, to hear about another option: a Parliamentary Democracy. What would this look like, and how might Americans benefit by reimagining Democracy? 

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Imagine if you could ask someone anything you wanted about their finances. On What We Spend, people from across the country and across the financial spectrum are opening their wallets—and their lives—to tell you everything: what they make, what they want, and—for one week—what they spend.

When did the political parties change sides? Is America a democracy, or a constitutional republic? Sharon welcomes back political historian, author, and Professor Heather Cox Richardson to discuss her book “Democracy Awakening.” Taking a different approach to this book from her previous work, Heather answers some of the big picture questions, once and for all, relating directly to America’s current standing as a democracy.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

How can you tell if your news source is reliable? In this episode, Sharon talks with Vanessa Otero, founder of Ad Fontes Media and creator of the Media Bias Chart, about how to better evaluate the reliability of your news. They explore the difference between fact-based journalism and misinformation, and why so much of our news falls somewhere in the middle.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

You may not be familiar with their names, but William and Ellen Craft were a determined enslaved couple who made their escape through disguise and performance, and in their success, defied the limitations of gender and race. Sharon talks with Ilyon Woo, author of “Master Slave Husband Wife,” which beautifully depicts their epic journey from slavery to freedom.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

We hear the word “reform” tossed around a lot when it comes to education, but what does it actually mean? And how does school segregation—both past and present—continue to shape our classrooms today? Sharon sits down with Dr. Bettina Love, a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, and author of “Punished for Dreaming.” From chronic underfunding and the overemphasis on standardized tests to teacher burnout and the devaluing of educators, it’s clear the system is struggling. So, where do we go from here?

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Go to https://ground.news/interesting for an objective, data-driven way to read the news. Save 50% on the Ground News unlimited access Vantage plan with my link.

We have a tendency to regard many of our U.S. Presidents as heroes, illuminating the ways in which they shaped our nation for the good, that we often gloss over their missteps. Historians piece together facts and details to fill in the gaps of the bigger picture, but how often are our interpretations colored by our own lived experiences and perceptions? Sharon speaks with presidential historian Alexis Coe, who talks about her goal as a historian to tell the whole story. Listen in to learn some fun–and maybe not so fun–facts about our first president, George Washington.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Go to https://ground.news/interesting for an objective, data-driven way to read the news. Save 50% on the Ground News unlimited access Vantage plan with my link.

We're excited to bring you a beautiful episode of The Moth, The Rest is History.  In this hour, Henny Lewin, a young Jewish girl, is smuggled out of a Lithuanian ghetto during WWII, Musician Frank Almond makes a historic discovery, and Sivad Johnson takes us behind the scenes of the Detroit Fire Department.

On Tuesdays and Fridays, The Moth’s podcast feed presents episodes of the Peabody-Award Winning Moth Radio Hour and original episodes of The Moth Podcast. Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. 

Lady Bird, a whip-smart Southern woman, met Lyndon Johnson in Austin, Texas where he proposed to her at the end of their first date (she said no!). Eventually, the pair married and moved to Washington DC. Today, Sharon talks with author Julia Sweig about her newest book, Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight. The research and writing took Julia over six years, as she meticulously poured over the details of not only Lady Bird’s life, but also the 1960s era and the state of the nation at the time. Discover her real first name, the complexities of her marriage to LBJ, her relationship with the Kennedys, environmentalism, and her propensity to document the details of her life.

Credits:

Host and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

Go to https://ground.news/interesting for an objective, data-driven way to read the news. Save 50% on the Ground News unlimited access Vantage plan with my link.