Following January 6th and the current political climate, some Americans fear there will be a “new Civil War.”  But what does that truly mean? If you are a lover of history, this conversation is one you won’t want to miss. Author Erik Larson joins us to discuss his new book, The Demon of Unrest, which is set shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War. Dive into the mindsets and captivating portrayals of leaders on the brink of a war that eventually killed 750,000 Americans, and injured millions more.

Special thanks to our guest, Erik Larson, for joining us today.

Host: Sharon McMahon

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Production Assistant: Andrea Champoux 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a world of social media fights, keyboard warriors, and misinformation, it’s easy to feel disconnected, even among close friends and family. What if we rethink how we’re communicating to build better relationships and maintain connection? Former White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, joins us to share lessons she’s learned about how to be an effective communicator with any audience, and growing through giving and receiving feedback. Join us for a peek behind the scenes, and practice listening to learn from one another – mistakes and all. 

Special thanks to our guest, Jen Psaki, for joining us today.

Host: Sharon McMahon

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Production Assistant: Andrea Champoux

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine being a Pulitzer Prize winning presidential historian, knowing you had extraordinarily rare primary source material and Presidential memorabilia tucked away in the cellar of your own home… and not opening it for decades? Doris Kearns Goodwin joins us today to share her journey of exploring more than 300 boxes, alongside her husband of 42 years, Richard (Dick) Goodwin, that served as a time capsule of his service in the 1960s. In the relay race of democracy, you never know who will pick up the baton, and continue your work. Together, they have one last great adventure, a chance to reassess key historical figures, and a fresh perspective of the role young people play in the arc of history.

Special thanks to our guest, Doris Kearns Goodwin, for joining us today.

Host: Sharon McMahon

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Production Assistant: Andrea Champoux

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Life in prison wasn’t enough for the Knights of Mary Phagan. They wanted Leo Frank to pay with his life, and they were going to make sure it happened. In Georgia, vigilante justice wasn’t new, but this time was different. This time, it would change the nation. Would the vigilantes actually get away with it? 

Join us for the final episode in this seven-episode series, The Vigilantes.

Special thanks to former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes for his time and contribution to this episode. 

Host/ Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder 

Writers: Amy Watkin, Sharon McMahon

Researched by: Kari Anton, Sharon McMahon, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, Melanie Buck Parks 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georgia’s Governor knew his life was in danger when he made his ruling. Would he commute Leo’s sentence, or let him die by execution?. And just how far would the angry mob go to seek revenge for Mary’s death? The planning had already begun… and it wouldn’t take long for a deal to be made with the prison warden.

Join us for part six of this seven-episode series, The Vigilantes.

Host/ Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder 

Writers: Amy Watkin, Sharon McMahon

Researched by: Kari Anton, Sharon McMahon, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, Melanie Buck Parks 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Appeal after appeal, Leo Frank was running out of options. With a new lawyer joining his defense team – the same lawyer who earlier represented the man who testified against Leo – the tide began to turn. Witnesses were coming forward, a new explanation for the murder note comes to light, and the story is making national news. With only days remaining before the scheduled execution, would time be on his side?

Join us for part five of this seven-episode series, The Vigilantes.

Special Thank You to the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati and the Kenan Research Center in Atlanta for their generous assistance in finding and sharing letters sent to Leo and Lucille Frank, his family, and to the Governors of Georgia, as well as the state legislature.

Host/ Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder 

Writers: Amy Watkin, Sharon McMahon

Researched by: Kari Anton, Sharon McMahon, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, Melanie Buck Parks 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The heat in the Atlanta courtroom was sweltering and unbearable, as the trial against Leo Frank began. A Black man was testifying against a white man, which was nearly unheard of in the Jim Crow south. And the evidence against this man was mounting… A suspect who was at the murder scene, and continued to lie to the police.

Join us for part four of this seven-episode series, The Vigilantes.

Host/ Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder 

Writers: Amy Watkin, Sharon McMahon

Researched by: Kari Anton, Sharon McMahon, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, Melanie Buck Parks 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been 48 hours since Mary Phagan was last seen alive. It’s a media frenzy, and police are feeling the pressure to find the killer. 

There’s a new, sudden interest in the murder notes. Did the killer write them to throw off investigators? 

By the end of this episode, three men would become suspects. And despite dubious evidence and changing stories, one would soon be indicted for Mary’s murder. With a mob looking for vengeance, and sensational newspaper coverage, chances of a fair trial in Atlanta, Georgia were slim. The trial would begin July 28th, 1913, but this story is far from over. Join us for part three of this seven-episode series, The Vigilantes.

Host/ Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder 

Writers: Amy Watkin, Sharon McMahon

Researched by: Kari Anton, Sharon McMahon, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, Melanie Buck Parks 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It should have been a leisurely Saturday off work for 13-year-old Mary Phagan, who was looking forward to celebrating the Confederate Memorial Day holiday. It should have been an easy day for Leo Frank, too, who hoped to leave his job at the factory early to go to the local baseball game with his wife. It should have been a carefree day for 16-year old Grace Hicks, who was enjoying a rare day off, and waiting for her friend to join her at the parade.

It was anything but a beautiful, joyful, restful day. 

Mary Phagan would never make it to the parade. Grace would soon be faced with an unimaginable task. And Leo Frank? Why couldn't the police get in touch with him? What happened in the basement of the pencil factory at that grisly crime scene? And who wrote that strange note? Join us for part two of this seven-episode series, The Vigilantes.

Host/ Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder 

Writers: Amy Watkin, Sharon McMahon

Researched by: Kari Anton, Sharon McMahon, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, Melanie Buck Parks

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is at stake in the upcoming presidential election? From the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, to women’s healthcare, and the economy, many voters aren't excited about a presidential rematch. Some have voiced their opinion by voting “Uncommitted” in the primary, instead of for President Biden.

Our guest today views this election as a choice between stability, and the potential destruction of Democracy. 

She is the first female Vice President of the United States, and today Kamala Harris joins Sharon to give direct answers to some of the tough questions, while on her Reproductive Freedoms Tour. 

Special thanks to our guest, Vice President Kamala Harris, for joining us today. 

Host: Sharon McMahon

Executive Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A shocking murder. A scene so brutal that the first people to find the victim couldn’t even tell what their skin color was. And a case that forever changed both the city, and the state’s legal system. 

It was April 1913, in Atlanta, Georgia, and the city would never be the same. You may wonder why this imperative and dramatic case is not taught in history class, or how the world could have forgotten such a horrific crime that continues to have an impact more than 100 years later. 

Join us for part one of this seven-episode series, and experience just how powerful of a motivator fear can be. 

Host/ Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon

Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder 

Writers: Amy Watkin, Sharon McMahon

Researched by: Kari Anton, Sharon McMahon, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, Melanie Buck Parks 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.