The Preamble

What does it mean to be on the right side of history? That was a question today’s guest, Adam Kinzinger, asked himself when he chose to serve on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol. Kinzinger joins Sharon to discuss his experience serving on the committee to defend democracy, and the personal sacrifice tied to prioritizing principals over party. If members of Congress are willing to send men and women to war to sacrifice their lives for our country, why are so few willing to sacrifice their political careers to do what is right? Special thanks to our guest, Adam Kinzinger, for joining us today.Host/Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonGuest: Adam KinzingerAudio Producer: Jenny SnyderProduction Coordinator: Andrea Champoux Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 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

Deep Throat, Operation Gemstone, two valiant reporters, and a secret 30 years in the making. Watergate was not a single scandal, but rather an avalanche of events and co-conspirators, all engaged in corruption to keep President Nixon in office. The stakes were so high that Nixon’s Special Security Advisor, G. Gordon Liddy, lived under fear of being assassinated, and the wife of Nixon’s Campaign Director & Attorney General was drugged and held captive in a hotel room to keep her silent. What was the “smoking gun” that led to the toppling of this enterprise? Was it the tapes Nixon secretly recorded, and the 18-minute gap, that ultimately pushed Nixon to be the first and only President to resign?Writer, Host, and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonAudio Producer: Jenny SnyderWriters and Researchers: Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and Kari AntonProduction Coordinator: Andrea Champoux Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 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

“The week that changed the world.” Was it a chance encounter at the World Tennis Championship in 1971, “Panda diplomacy” between the U.S. and Communist China, or a break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters by a team of 5 burglars, that drastically altered the trajectory of world history? It was around this time that the Women’s Equity Action League also filed one of the farthest reaching Class Action lawsuits, leading to President Nixon signing the Education Act into law. Join us as we talk about the origins of the Watergate scandal, the landslide victory that kept Nixon in office, and the establishment of Title IX. Writer, Host, and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonAudio Producer: Jenny SnyderWriters and Researchers: Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and Kari AntonProduction Coordinator: Andrea Champoux Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 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

Secret Police, CIA operatives, The Pentagon Papers, and The Most Dangerous Man in America. There was a time in the not-so-distant past, when the nightly news changed the game in how Americans felt about the war in Vietnam, the first “television war.” What was more of a shock to some though, was the realization that the American public had been lied to for decades by the U.S. government, spanning four presidential administrations. How did this influence the Watergate scandal? And how did the lavish “gathering of the Century” in Iran, attended by Vice President Agnew, tie into future allegations of broad political corruption?Writer, Host, and Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonAudio Producer: Jenny SnyderWriters and Researchers: Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and Kari AntonProduction Coordinator: Andrea Champoux Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 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

Explore the scandals and secrets of the 1970s in this episode. From the Apollo 13 mission's explosion to the protests and tensions at Kent State University, this podcast delves into the impactful events and challenges of the decade. Discover the personal story of a hitchhiker and the aftermath of legal actions against the Kent State students involved in the shootings. Learn about the survival challenges faced by the Apollo 13 crew and how NASA devised procedures to ensure their safe return.

Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon welcomes back close friend and CEO, Nicole Walters, to share all about her captivating memoir, Nothing Is Missing. The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, Nicole writes about her experience growing up in America through the lens of a different kind of American dream, both in how she was raised, and by forging her own path as a TV personality, motivational speaker, and entrepreneur building a multi-million-dollar business. Nicole talks with humility about not having all the answers, granting grace to ourselves and others, and the learned skill of saying “I don’t know,” when you haven’t learned something yet. Through struggles, obstacles, and falling down only to get back up again, this conversation demonstrates how to show up for ourselves, and mindfully create our lives with confidence and boldness.Special thanks to our guest, Nicole Walters, for joining us today. Host/Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonGuest: Nicole WaltersAudio Producer: Jenny Snyder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 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

Journalist and conspiracy theorist expert, Mike Rothschild, discusses the history of conspiracy theories rooted in anti-Semitism, including the Rothschild family's involvement as bankers to European royalty. The podcast explores the origins of anti-Semitic sentiments, the connection between QAnon and anti-Semitic tropes, and the role of influential figures in shaping public opinion regarding conspiracy theories. It also debunks misconceptions surrounding conspiracy theories involving Jewish space lasers and George Soros.

On today’s episode, Sharon welcomes NPR’s Steve Inskeep, who has written a number of books about history including his newest release, Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America. In a time when it’s common to cancel or cut ties with those we disagree with, what can we learn from Abraham Lincoln about how to disagree fundamentally, while maintaining the relationship? Even when at odds with a dear friend over the issue of slavery,  Lincoln wrote, “If for this you and I must differ, differ we must.” Does Democracy require us to agree to disagree? How can this be applied to the very divided America we see today, to hold the country together?Special thanks to our guest, Steve Inskeep, for joining us today. Host/Executive Producer: Sharon McMahonGuest: Steve InskeepAudio Producer: Jenny Snyder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 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

Well-known reporter Taylor Lorenz discusses the evolution of social media from blogger culture to the uncurated aesthetic of TikTok. She explores the impact of social media on traditional entertainment and entrepreneurship, the love-hate relationship with social media, and the challenges faced by content creators in monetizing their work. The podcast also delves into the shifting paradigm of social media, the importance of shock value and curiosity in YouTube videos, and the desire for authentic connections in online spaces.

Comedian and author Maria Bamford joins and discusses her career, book, and mental health. They explore fundraising benefits, susceptibility to cult-like mentality, and cultural shift towards discussing mental health. They talk about standup comedy challenges and tailoring content to audiences. They express frustration with benefits and discuss the allure of rigid cults. They also touch upon limitations of self-care in abusive situations.