Kris Goldsmith is an Army combat Veteran who served in Iraq. As a 19 year-old, he was assigned the task of photographing corpses and documenting mass graves. He developed severe PTSD, and in 2007, as the result of a suicide attempt that caused him to miss redeployment, he was given a less-than-honorable discharge. After years of legal battles, that discharge was upgraded. Kris went on to become an advocate for veterans with “bad paper” discharges, and helped pass crucial legislation that helps t...
Aug 25, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Originally a reporter for the Santa Barbara Independent, Chris Meagher has worked for a number of prominent democrats. Most notably, he served as a communications advisor to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and as the national press secretary during Mayor Pete Buttigeig’s Presidential Campaign. Now as the White House Deputy Press Secretary, he is working to promote President Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ Infrastructure Plan. Split amongst three bills, the plan invests money into traditional infrastructu...
Aug 11, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Anne Nelson is an award-winning war correspondent, playwright, and author. Her newest book, Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right, details the influence of the Council for National Policy, a powerful right-wing political coalition. Find her book here: Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right Learn more about Anne here: anne-nelson.com Follow Anne on Twitter here: @anelson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jul 28, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Master Sergeant Michael ‘Top’ Washington served in the Gulf War, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan between 1988 and 2004, before becoming a firefighter. His son, Mike Jr., followed in his footsteps and joined the Marines. In 2008, Mike Jr. was killed during combat operations in Afghanistan. The loss of his son sent Top into a deep depression, culminating in a moment on a bridge in Tacoma. Top had decided to end his life there, but says he felt his son’s hand pulling him back, saying, “You’re not don...
Jul 14, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Jason Kander, an Army Veteran and former Senate Candidate, talks about his struggle with PTSD and his continuing public service. Jason served as an intel officer in Afghanistan and as Secretary of State of Missouri, before his Senate campaign in 2016 catapulted him onto the national stage. Despite an extremely promising mayoral race in Kansas City, he decided to step away from the public eye and focus on dealing with his PTSD. Now, he serves as the president of the Veteran’s Community Project. C...
Jun 30, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Judge Lina Hidalgo, county executive for Harris County, Texas, talks about changing the system from within and about budgeting through a values lens. Including the city of Houston, Harris County is the third most populous in the country, larger than some states. As the county's chief executive, Lina took early public health measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 and has made great strides to challenge voter suppression in Texas. Learn more about Judge Hidalgo’s work in Harris County at CJO.Harr...
Jun 16, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Elliot Ackerman, Marine combat veteran and bestselling author, talks about writing and about his fears for the future. Elliot’s latest book is 2034: A Novel of the Next World War. The Harper’s story referenced in the episode is “Civil Warning”. Learn more about Elliot’s work at elliotackerman.com and find him on Twitter at @elliotackerman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 02, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Christian Picciolini, a former leader in the American white power movement, talks about his past and his current work in extremism prevention. Christian runs the Free Radicals Project, which is dedicated to extremism prevention and disengagement. His latest book is titled Breaking Hate: Confronting the New Culture of Extremism. Learn more about his work at christianpicciolini.com and learn about the Free Radicals Project at freeradicals.org. Find him on Twitter at @CPicciolini. Learn more about ...
May 19, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Rep. Jason Crow, former Army Ranger and congressman from Colorado’s 6th district, talks about the January 6th insurrection and the importance of truth and accountability. Rep. Crow served as a House impeachment manager during Trump’s first impeachment trial in early 2020. In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection, he has been hailed by his colleagues in Congress as “one of the heroes of that day,” for his actions guiding fellow members to safety. Learn more about Jason’s legislative priorities...
May 05, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Dr. Kathleen Belew talks about the white power movement and the role of veterans in the movement’s history. Dr. Belew is a professor of U.S. history at the University of Chicago, and the nation's foremost expert on the involvement of military veterans in the white power movement. She is the author of Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America. Find Kathleen on Twitter at @kathleen_belew and learn more about her work at kathleenbelew.com. Learn more about your ad choice...
Apr 22, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Jon Soltz, founder of VoteVets, talks about the organization's origins and priorities and what it means to give a voice to veterans. Jon served two tours in Iraq. VoteVets’ PAC helps elect veterans to public office at the federal, state, and local level. Find Jon on Twitter at @jonsoltz and VoteVets at @votevets. Learn more about VoteVets at votevets.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 07, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Content Warning: this episode includes some graphic descriptions of wounds and combat. Dr. Jon Heavey is an emergency room physician on the front lines of the battle against COVID, who began his medical career as a battalion surgeon with the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. Jon is also the Director of Business Development at Cleveland Clinic Innovations and the co-founder of Minuteman Capital. Find Jon on Twitter at @JonHeavey and read his 2012 article “An Unbearable Price” in the Dartmouth Alum...
Mar 24, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Carlos Gauna is an artist, videographer and wildlife advocate. On his YouTube channel, TheMalibuArtist, Carlos shares his drone footage of marine life. His videos have been viewed millions of times and are a powerful tool for public education and advocacy on behalf of these animals. Find Carlos’s videos on YouTube and follow him on Instagram at @themalibuartist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 10, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Dan Barkhuff, former Navy Seal and founder of Veterans for Responsible Leadership, talks about fighting Trumpism and the importance of belonging. Veterans for Responsible Leadership is an organization founded to help fight Trump and to serve as a tribe to compete with the white nationalism of Trumpism. In addition to founding VFRL, Dan Barkhuff is an ex-Navy SEAL, emergency medicine physician, and star of two viral videos from the Lincoln Project: “Betrayed” and “Conservative”. Find Dan on Twitt...
Feb 24, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Steve Schmidt, longtime Republican political strategist and co-founder of The Lincoln Project, comes on Burn the Boats to talk about his work fighting Trump and Trumpism. Steve worked on the campaigns of President George W. Bush and John McCain. He served in the White House as a senior advisor to both President Bush and Vice President Cheney, and was largely responsible for the Supreme Court nominations of Justices Alito and Roberts. Steve formally left the Republican Party in 2018 and co-founde...
Feb 10, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Mike Howard, a veteran in the security and protection field, comes on Burn the Boats to talk about his 22 year career with the CIA and the years he spent as Chief Security Officer at Microsoft. Keep an eye out for Mike’s upcoming book on leadership, out later in 2021, titled “The Art of Ronin Leadership: Strategy, Execution, Sustained Success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 27, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 32
This rerun from July 2020 features former congressman Max Rose and counterterrorism expert Ali Soufan talking about their work addressing the threat of transnational violent white supremacist groups in the United States and across the world. This episode aired long before the events of January 6th, but the conversation was prescient. If we want to stop threats like last week’s violent mob at the Capitol in the future, we need to listen to people like Max and Ali, who know the dangers of white su...
Jan 13, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio talks about the dignity of work, his Senate desk 88, and the role of both fear and hope in politics. A lifelong champion for working families, Senator Brown began his political career as the youngest member of the Ohio House of Representatives. He has served as a US Representative, as Ohio’s Secretary of State, and, since 2007, as a US Senator and one of the only Democrats in Ohio elected to statewide office. Learn more about Senator Brown’s legislative priorities o...
Jan 06, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Ken celebrates the 10th anniversary of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell with Doug Wilson, former Pentagon official who played a key role in the repeal. Doug Wilson is a former Pentagon official, campaign veteran, and foreign policy expert. As Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, he played a key role in the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which was signed into law by President Obama on December 22, 2010. Learn more about Doug in profiles from Politico and the Washington Blade. Read his bio...
Dec 23, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Award-winning author Aida Salazar talks about writing difficult stories for children, raising a new generation of activists, and the intersections of art and activism. Learn more about Aida and her work - writing, art, activism, and more - at aidasalazar.com. Her most recent novel, Land of the Cranes, is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 09, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Jake Wood, veteran and CEO of Team Rubicon, talks about his new memoir, the value of veterans serving in disaster relief, and the power of vulnerability in leaders. Learn more about Jake’s organization Team Rubicon and find them on Twitter at @TeamRubicon. Find Jake himself on Twitter at @JakeWoodTR. His memoir, Once A Warrior: How One Veteran Found a New Mission Closer to Home, is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 25, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Jacqueline Novogratz, founder and CEO of Acumen, talks about the role of markets in working towards a better world and how the kind of work she does has changed in recent years as the rising generation demands sustainability, inclusion, equity, and justice. Jacqueline’s organization, Acumen, is a nonprofit impact investment fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of poverty. Learn more about Acumen on their website and find them on Twitter at @Acumen. Find Jacqueline on T...
Nov 11, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 27
The day after the election, we're airing a rerun on Burn the Boats. Listen to Ken's conversation with Pete Buttigieg from this summer - talking about patriotism, his hopes for the future of our country, and the need for America to rebuild trust. Pete Buttigieg is the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. Learn more about his new PAC at wintheera.com and by watching his Twitter feed at @PeteButtigieg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Nov 04, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Just days before the 2020 election, Ken passes the mic to guest host Esosa Osa, Research and Policy Director for Fair Fight Action. Esosa interviews Sylvia Albert from Common Cause about voting rights and next week's election. Sylvia Albert is the Director of Voting and Elections at Common Cause. Common Cause is a nonpartisan national organization focused on strengthening democracy through litigation, lobbying, and grassroots organizing. Find Common Cause on Twitter at @CommonCause and find Sylv...
Oct 28, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 26
MJ Hegar, Democratic candidate for Senate in Texas, talks about her campaign, what drove her to run in the first place, and the prejudiced responses she sometimes gets to the Purple Heart on her license plate. MJ is an Air Force veteran, author of the memoir Shoot Like a Girl, and one of the only women to ever be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor. Learn more about MJ’s campaign for Texas’s Senate seat at https://mjfortexas.com/. Find her on Twitter at @MJHegar. Learn more about y...
Oct 21, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Rep. Tim Ryan talks politics - Trump, Ohio, and Tim’s current reelection campaign. He also talks about something he wishes all politicians would practice: mindfulness. Tim is a United States Congressman representing Ohio’s 13th district. Learn more about him and his platform at timryan.house.gov. Find him on Twitter at @RepTimRyan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 07, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Representative Cheri Bustos, congresswoman from Illinois and chair of the DCCC, talks about the values that women bring to leadership and about winning as a Democrat in a district that also voted for Trump. Learn more about Rep. Bustos’s legislative priorities on her website. Find her on Twitter at @RepCheri. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 23, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 24
In this bonus episode of Burn the Boats, Sec. Leon Panetta talks about the ultimate tough decision: as Director of the CIA, Panetta oversaw the operation that killed Osama Bin Laden, launching a raid into Pakistan based on uncertain intelligence. He talks about that decision, as well as the current presidential administration and the state of our political landscape. Secretary Leon Panetta is a lifelong public servant, having served in many different roles: US Congressman, Chief of Staff to Pres...
Sep 11, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Anthony Scaramucci talks about his brief tenure as the White House Communications Director and his recent decision to denounce Trump, as well as his journey from working class to Goldman Sachs and the White House. Find Anthony on Twitter at @scaramucci. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 09, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Swati Mylavarapu is a major voice in Silicon Valley who has turned her talents to politics and social change. Pete Buttigieg’s chief investment officer and founder of Incite.org and the Arena, Swati talks to Ken about campaign finance and about diving into politics as a relative outsider. Find Swati on Twitter at @Swatipedia. Incite.org is Swati’s values-based investment fund, made up of Incite Ventures LLC, Incite Labs, and Incite Politics - a three-pronged approach to creating social change. L...
Aug 26, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 22
