Milestones

A career foreign service officer chosen to be US Ambassador to Venezuela during Trump’s first term. A Marine veteran providing humanitarian and medical aid to front-line Ukrainian troops. A Navy veteran leading the national charge to save and protect Afghan allies who served alongside US troops in Afghanistan. An American father and scholar who lived and worked in Gaza. Join Josh and Doug in discussion with four outstanding American citizens whose hopes and frustrations about US engagement in current world hot spots has been shaped not by abstract observations but by their life experiences in these places. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com

2025. A Wicked year of bipartisan assassinations, bookended by an air crash over the Potomac and the desecration of the living national monument to a fallen young president who inspired a nation with a call to “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” But also a year For Good, in which John F Kennedy’s challenge still resonated across the decades for many Americans. Josh and Doug welcome the founders of Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry and the founders of Every Day Action, who are addressing the daily needs of Americans struggling to feed themselves and their families. Take a break from the blaring news headlines and join their conversation on the year-end episode of BoomerLennials This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com

A young TV/film star, a retired government official and a GenZ poet walk into a bar, and — no, wait; not a bar. They’re on a Zoom call marking milestones that converged this year: family milestones, birthday milestones, relationship milestones, career milestones, life milestones. Oh, and podcast milestones, too. Pull up a chair and join Josh, Doug and producer Jon for BoomerLennials. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com

From postwar and post-Cold War universal dominance to China’s rise, Russia’s belligerence and uncertainty on the parts of adversaries and allies alike, America’s roles and directions in international engagement need significant and pro-active re-examination. How to most effectively dealing with an increasing number of autocracies? How to better and more effectively use American power without abandoning fundamental values and ideals? How to engage the support of an American public increasingly disinterested in foreign policy? How to separate the foreign policy lessons worth keeping from Administration policies that seem volatile and unpredictable, often hostile towards traditional allies and sycophantic towards autocratic adversaries? Josh and Doug host former State Department spokesman Ned Price; CNN senior analyst Stephen Collinson and Stimson Center Senior Fellow Emma Ashford. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com

Jews around the world will celebrate Rosh Hashana, the beginning of the Jewish New Year. The recent global rise in anti-Semitism and events in Israel and Gaza have created new and unexpected contexts for Jewish men and women as they focus on annual reflections, religious upbringings and Jewish identities. Josh and Doug - joined by Stanford senior Theo Baker, the youngest-ever winner of the George Polk Award for special achievement in journalism, and J Street founder Jeremy Ben-Ami - host a special Rosh Hashana BoomerLennials discussion of the generational contexts shaping those reflections.For the most thoughtful and insightful commentary and analysis of issues such as those we discuss in our “Shana Tovah” podcast, we strongly recommend subscribing to Jeremy Ben-Ami’s “Word On The Street” on Substack. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com

Not so long ago, the United States was seen by millions around the globe as their aspirational goal – the symbol of freedom, compassion for others, aid and assistance for those who desperately needed it, and a beacon for those who wanted to make a better life for themselves and their families. It has become increasingly clear that that is no longer the case. Does America’s reputation, values and standing matter any more to those in the United States who feel it’s time to turn to more domestic concerns? Can we ever return to the values-based standing America once had in the world? Or has balance now become a zero-sum game? Join Josh and Doug as they welcome to the discussion former USAID Administrator Gayle Smith; former PEN America President Suzanne Nossel; and legendary Hollywood producer Mike Medavoy, whose films have captivated audiences worldwide for more than 50 years. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com

What happens when an industry town loses its industry? America saw it happen with auto manufacturing in Detroit in the 20th century, and now, it appears something similar may be happening to the film and television industry of Los Angeles. Once synonymous with the biz itself, "Hollywood" is rapidly losing its status as the entertainment capital of the world. As film and TV productions flee to cheaper shooting locations, many Angelenos who moved to LA to chase their Hollywood dreams are left wondering if Hollywood is ever coming back to LA. We'll discuss runaway production, tax credits, Trump film tariffs, and everything else Hollywood with two of our favorite people in the biz... actor/writer Tommy Dewey and producer Helen Estabrook. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com

Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the Right, Here I am, Stuck in the Middle with You.These lyrics from the Stealers Wheel ‘70’s hit seem to summarize what an increasing number of Americans feel about our politics today. But is that where disillusioned Americans are? Stuck in the middle? Or looking for alternatives to politics and politicians as channels for change? No Labels’ Holly Page and columnist and screenwriter Matt Bai join BoomerLennials for the discussion.Host: Doug WilsonGuests: Holly Page and Matt BaiProducer: Jonathan Kermah This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com

Pete Buttigieg joins Doug and Josh to discuss his vision for America, his take on the politics of today and the challenges of tomorrow. Together, we'll discuss everything from climate change, school shootings, and AI to the current threats against democratic norms, the economy, and America's institutions of higher learning.Hosts: Doug Wilson and Josh BrenerGuest: Pete ButtigiegProducer: Jonathan Kermah This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The words of Emma Lazarus, mounted on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Lest we forget the faces of immigration – our grandparents, parents, friends and family, who built this country – at a time when immigration has now become miscast as synonymous with fentanyl, Venezuelan gangs and unsecured borders. On today’s episode of BoomerLennials, Josh and Doug welcome Emmy-nominated actor Mamoudou Athie (whose family was granted asylum from Mauritania) and Afghan-American entrepreneur Najlla Habibyar: her harrowing escape from the Taliban following the fall of Afghanistan was cellphone-documented and featured in the New York Times. Two of the Americans building this country now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com