Burn the Boats

Andrew Towne, endurance athlete and principal with the Boston Consulting Group, has climbed the tallest mountain on every continent - including Mount Everest, and rowed the Drake Passage with the Discovery Channel series The Impossible Row. He talks about climbing Mount Everest and rowing the Drake Passage and about the smaller challenges he takes on to help make the world a better place.Watch Andrew and his crew row the Drake Passage on Discovery’s The Impossible Row. You can also learn about the organization he traveled abroad with as a student and now serves on the board for, Youth for Understanding, at yfu.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode of Burn the Boats, Gen. Stanley McChrystal reflects on his formerly-beloved painting of Robert E. Lee and his perspective on Confederate symbols. The Atlantic op-ed that Ken reads from in this episode is titled “At 63, I Threw Away My Prized Portrait of Robert E. Lee”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pete Buttigieg, former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, talks about his campaign and the choice to end it, patriotism and hopes for the future of our country, and the need for America to rebuild trust.Learn more about Pete’s new PAC at wintheera.com and by watching his Twitter feed at @PeteButtigieg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

US Representative Max Rose and counterterrorism expert Ali Soufan talk about the work they’re doing to address the threat of transnational violent white supremacist groups in the United States and across the world.Max is a Congressman representing New York’s 11th district, which includes all of Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn. Find him on Twitter at @RepMaxRose.A former FBI agent, Ali is now the Chairman and CEO of The Soufan Group, a global intelligence and security consultancy. Find Ali on Twitter at @Ali_H_Soufan.In this episode, Ken references an op-ed co-authored by Max and Ali this February. Read “We Once Fought Jihadists. Now We Battle White Supremacists.” on the New York Times website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Longwell, publisher of the Bulwark and co-founder of Republicans for the Rule of Law, talks about being a staunchly “Never Trump” Republican and about what the future of her party looks like.Sarah is the publisher of the Bulwark, co-founder of Republicans for the Rule of Law, past board chair of the Log Cabin Republicans, and CEO of DC-based communications firm Longwell Partners. You can follow Sarah on Twitter at @SarahLongwell25. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This rerun in honor of Pride month features a conversation with Gina Ortiz Jones, Democratic candidate for Congress in Texas’s 23rd district, about the challenges of being a gay service member under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, as well as her difficult race to represent her district.Gina Ortiz Jones is an Air Force veteran, intelligence officer, and candidate for US Representative in Texas’s 23rd congressional district. Learn more on Gina's website and find her on Twitter at @GinaOrtizJones and on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fred Guttenberg, gun safety advocate whose daughter Jaime was killed at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, talks about how the loss of his daughter drives him, what changes must be made to ensure safer gun laws, and what draws Americans to firearms in the first place.Fred’s organization is called Orange Ribbons for Jaime and you can find them on Twitter at @Ribbons4Jaime . You can find Fred himself on Twitter at @fred_guttenberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mansoor Shams, founder of MuslimMarine.org, talks about both his good and bad experiences as a Muslim in the US Marine Corps, about patriotism in today’s America, and about making his life’s mission opening the minds of others.Mansoor is a veteran, speaker, leader, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. You can learn more about his work at MuslimMarine.org and follow him on Twitter at @MansoorTShams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien talks about the current news landscape, what success means in journalism, and her flexibility and optimism in seizing new opportunities.Soledad is the CEO of Starfish Media Group and host of Matter of Fact, airing Sundays on the Hearst network. You can learn more about her work at soledadobrienproductions.com and follow her on Twitter at @SoledadOBrien. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy McGrath, candidate for the US Senate seat in Kentucky, talks about the state of the Senate under her opponent Mitch McConnell, about her experiences campaigning in such a high-profile race, and about how her days as a fighter pilot informed her approach to leadership and patriotism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices