Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Global Glare: U.S. Elections Through the Eyes of International Journalists Nov 02, 2024

In a world in which elections are shaping the future of more than half the planet’s population, 2024 stands out as a pivotal year for global democracy. But how do international journalists see America’s electoral landscape, and why does it matter so deeply to their home countries?

Join an insightful conversation, hosted by Commonwealth Club World Affairs and the World Press Institute, featuring journalists from Brazil, Bulgaria, Finland, India, Italy, Kosovo, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa and Ukraine. They’ll draw on their experiences covering their own national elections to offer fresh perspectives on U.S. politics.

This discussion will explore common themes in election reporting across borders, highlighting the lessons learned from home that shape their views of American democracy. These journalists will also shed light on how U.S. elections reverberate globally, influencing political trends and media coverage in their own countries. At a time when democracy is at a crossroads, join us for an international look at how the world views America’s most defining political event.

World Press Institute was founded in 1961. WPI has been the premier organization in the United States providing international journalists with the opportunity to broadly investigate the country—its values, traditions of a free press, institutions, customs, regions, and peoples. WPI now has more than 600 alumni from 100 different countries around the globe.

Organizer: Frank Price

An International Relations Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

Presented by Commonwealth Club World Affairs and the World Press Institute.

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CLIMATE ONE REWIND: Artificial Intelligence, Real Climate Impacts Nov 01, 2024

Artificial intelligence can do some pretty amazing things, including for the climate. AI can help optimize the electric grid, make heating and cooling buildings more efficient, and pinpoint exactly where greenhouse gas emissions are coming from all around the world.

On the other hand, the energy use of AI is massive and growing. A recent study estimates that in just a few years, the extra energy needed will equal whole countries the size of Sweden or Argentina. How do we make sure the benefits of AI outweigh its energy costs?

Guests:

Karen Hao, Contributing Writer, The Atlantic

Gavin McCormick, Cofounder and Executive Director, WattTime; Cofounder, Climate TRACE

Priya Donti, Assistant Professor, MIT; Co-founder and Chair of Climate Change AI

Amy McGovern, Professor of Computer Science, University of Oklahoma

🎟️ Join Climate One live in San Francisco on December 9 for our celebration of 2024 Schneider Award Winner Leah Stokes! Tickets are on sale now.

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

This episode originally aired on April 19, 2024.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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The 2024 Election and the AANHPI Vote Oct 31, 2024

According to APIA Vote and TargetSmart, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders have had the largest increase in voter registration of any racial group in the country from January to June, compared to the same time back in 2020. This statistic alone is enough to expect AANHPI voters to have an impact on this year's election—whether local, statewide or federal.

Join us for a conversation to understand the issues that are important to AANHPI voters as they cast their votes, some for the very first time, in this election.

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Educating During Turbulent Times Oct 29, 2024

Schools throughout the country have been roiled by unrest as they have struggled to navigate the passions and provocations ignited by political controversies at home and violent conflicts around the world. Confronted with protests, accusations of impropriety, and increased scrutiny of their methods and motives, school officials have contended with questions about how best to prioritize freedom of expression and allow access to a wide array of knowledge and opinions, while ensuring student safety and fostering trust and respect.

Now, as we begin a new academic year with an acrimonious election season in full swing and violence continuing around the globe, many educators are understandably concerned about their responsibilities, their rights and the risks involved in teaching during such a turbulent time. But some also see this as a unique opportunity to reinforce the core tenets of education in a democracy by transcending fear and using real-world conflict to directly involve students in the hard work of learning how to think critically, act ethically, and exist in community with people whose values and opinions may differ from their own.

How should we respond? Don’t miss this important conversation, as our panel of deeply experienced educators explores the impact on youth, society, and ourselves when we do—and do not—allow young people to grapple with the complexities of controversial issues as a part of their education.

We especially invite educators and students to join us. Please come early to enjoy a reception before the program, with complimentary wine, soft drinks and light snacks.

This program is part of the annual Back-to-School series from Creating Citizens, the civics education initiative at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.

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A Nature Positive San Francisco Future: What's Good SF! Series Oct 28, 2024

Join us for the third installment of the "What's Good, SF!” series as we delve into the future of San Francisco and how sustainability, biodiversity and access to nature can help us flourish. From navigating climate change to improving public health, how we shape and integrate our natural world is critical—holding immense potential to support our people, places and ecosystems.

A thought-provoking discussion will bring together visionary civic leaders who are reimagining how our city can evolve to become a thriving, eco-friendly metropolis. From brand new partner collaborations like Reimagining SF to ambitions for accessible nature woven into our urban fabric, discover the plans and aspirations for nature’s place in the revitalization of San Francisco.

Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation on how San Francisco can lead the way in creating a sustainable, vibrant, and inclusive future for the whole city.

"What's Good, SF!” is a compelling series delving into the post-pandemic revitalization of San Francisco. Through three insightful programs, the series navigates the city's landscape of opportunity and challenge. Join us as we uncover the stories of resilience, adaptation and transformation that define San Francisco's journey toward a new, vibrant and sustainable future.

Part 1: Future of Downtown

Part 2: People Power & Service

This program is generously supported Levi Strauss & Co.

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'Hollywoodgate' Film Screening and Q&A Oct 26, 2024

Not since the fall of Saigon has a U.S. evacuation proven so devastating and controversial as the one that ended U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. The documentary Hollywoodgate picks up where the rest of the world left off, in the immediate aftermath of the United States’ chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Days after the last U.S. plane leaves Afghan soil, the Taliban—now in control of the country—enter an American base in Kabul called Hollywood Gate, reputed to have been a secret CIA station. There they find a portion of the more than $7 billion in sophisticated American weaponry left in the country: numerous small arms and munitions, jet fighters, Black Hawk helicopters, and other military equipment. Much of it is damaged, but the base is also equipped with many of the parts needed to fix it.

Director Ibrahim Nash’at’s unprecedented and audacious Hollywoodgate bears witness as the new head of Afghanistan’s air force, Mawlawi Mansour—a Taliban whose father was killed by the Americans—orders his soldiers to inventory everything and repair all they can. The men go to work restoring the weaponry and training themselves to use it. Among them is Mukhtar—a former Taliban fighter now aiming to build a high-ranking military career—who dreams of avenging the war.

Following the screening of Hollywoodgate, we’ll have a Q&A with director Ibrahim Nash’at and producer Shane Boris.

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CLIMATE ONE REWIND: What More Can I Do? Oct 25, 2024

If you’re a climate-conscious person, you likely already know some of the main ways you can reduce your contribution to greenhouse gasses: buy less, eat less meat, ride your bike. But there are other, less obvious methods we don’t always think of: voting, having climate conversations, engaging with your local government, changing where your money is invested. And while our role as individuals does matter, we’re more powerful when we work together in collective action.

Guests:

Jon Foley, Executive Director, Project Drawdown

Eliza Nemser, Executive Director, Climate Changemakers

This episode also features excerpts from Cory Booker, Anna Lappé, Frances Moore Lappé, Saul Griffith, Monique Figueiredo, Jonathan Chapman, Jennifer Anderson, Tanya Gulliver Garcia, Vernon Walker, Abrar Anwar, Slater Jewell-Kemker, Kyle Gracey and Alec Loorz.

🎟️ Join Climate One live in San Francisco on December 9 for our celebration of 2024 Schneider Award Winner Leah Stokes! Tickets are on sale now.

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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"Michael Mina: My Egypt, Cooking From My Roots Oct 23, 2024

Join us for a lively conversation with a lauded chef operating at the top of his game, triumphantly returning to his roots and sharing a lifetime of recipes that capture the flavor and energy of Egypt.

Growing up in a Middle Eastern household gave Michael Mina an innate understanding of how to cook with spice and use acidity to amp up flavors. But when he started working in restaurants, Mina went out of his way to cook everything but the Egyptian food he had grown up with. His family had left Cairo for the United States when he was two years old, and he felt the need to assimilate to thrive.

Decades later, after making his name as a technique-driven California chef and opening dozens of acclaimed restaurants, Mina looked back to what got him excited to cook in the first place: dishes like his mom’s ta’ameya, or Egyptian falafel, and tables heavy with dips and spreads at family barbecues. Thus began years of travel back to Egypt and a new story in his cuisine.

He’ll draw on stories from his new book My Egypt, taking us to contemporary Cairo and Alexandria to share the foundations of Egyptian cooking and hospitality, from the traditional breakfast of ful medames to the streetside meal of baladi bread stuffed with spiced hawawshi.

Hungry to learn more? Join us in-person or online.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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"Charging Forward: Lithium Valley, Electric Vehicles and a Just Future Oct 23, 2024

California’s Salton Sea region is home to some of the worst environmental health conditions in the country. Recently, however, it has also become ground zero in the new “lithium gold rush”—the race to power the rapidly expanding electric vehicle and renewable energy storage market. The immense quantities of lithium lurking beneath the surface have led to predictions that the region could provide a third of global demand. But who will benefit from the development of this precious resource?

Join us as Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor, authors of the new book Charging Forward, show that the questions raised by Lithium Valley lie at the heart of the “green transition.” They weave together movement politics, federal policy, and autoworker struggles, stressing that getting the lithium out from under the earth is just a first step: the real question is whether the region and the nation will get out from under what they say has been the environmental degradation, labor exploitation, and racial injustice that have been as much a part of the landscape as the Salton Sea itself.

What happens in Lithium Valley, the authors argue, will not stay there. This tiny patch of California is a microcosm of the broad climate challenges we face; Benner and Pastor argue that understanding Lithium Valley today is the key to grasping the future of our economy and our planet.

About the Speakers

Chris Benner is the director of the Institute for Social Transformation and the Everett Program for Technology and Social Change at UC Santa Cruz, where he is also the Dorothy E. Everett Chair in Global Information and Social Entrepreneurship and a professor of environmental studies and sociology. He has co-authored five books with Manuel Pastor, including Equity, Growth, and Community: What the Nation Can Learn From America’s Metro Areas and Solidarity Economics: Why Mutuality and Movements Matter. He lives in Santa Cruz, California.

Manuel Pastor is the director of the Equity Research Institute at the University of Southern California, where he is also a distinguished professor of sociology and American studies and ethnicity. He is the inaugural holder of the Turpanjian Chair in Civil Society and Social Change. He has co-authored five books with Chris Benner, including Charging Forward: Lithium Valley, Electric Vehicles, and a Just Future. Pastor is also the author of State of Resistance: What California’s Dizzying Descent and Remarkable Resurgence Mean for America’s Future. He lives in Los Angeles.

Organizer: Andrew Dudley

A People & Nature Member-led Forum program. Forums and chapters at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of Commonwealth Club World Affairs, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Paola Ramos: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America Oct 23, 2024

Democrats have historically relied on the Latino vote, but recent elections have called that loyalty into question. In fact, despite his vociferous anti-immigrant rhetoric and controversial border policies, Trump won a higher percentage of the Latino vote in 2020 than he did in 2016. Now, journalist Paola Ramos pulls back the curtain on these voters, traveling around the country to uncover what motivates them to vote for and support issues that many liberals believe are at odds with their self-interest.

From underdog GOP candidates, January 6th insurrectionists, evangelical pastors and culture war crusaders, Ramos met people aiming to influence this rightward shift. Ramos explores how tribalism, traditionalism, and political trauma within the Latino community has been weaponized to radicalize and convert voters who, like many of their white counterparts, are fearful of losing their place in American society.

She met Monica de la Cruz, a Republican congresswoman from the Rio Grande Valley who won on a platform centered on finishing “what Donald Trump started” and pushing the Great Replacement Theory; David Ortiz, a Mexican man who refers to himself as a Spaniard and opposed the removal of a statue of a Spanish conquistador in New Mexico; Luis Cabrera, an evangelical pastor pushing to “Make America Godly Again;” Anthony Aguero, an independent journalist turned border vigilante; and countless other individuals and communities that make up the rising conservative Latino population.

Join us in-person or online to hear from an award-winning journalist who will share her deeply reported exploration of how one of America's most powerful and misunderstood electorates may come to define the future of American politics.

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"October Surprise": What Could Derail Harris and Trump? Oct 18, 2024

We're entering the final days of the 2024 presidential election, but a lot can change in a few weeks.

Historically, several presidential contests have been upended in October. Coined the "October Surprise," for decades candidates have been tested at the finish line... and many have faltered.

In 2016, the "Comey Letter" damaged Hillary Clinton's favorability, and in 2020, Hunter Biden's discovered laptop threatened to derail Joe Biden. In both of these elections, Donald Trump was trailing in the polls-as he is now with Kamala Harris-so could a last-second surprise ensure victory for Trump?

On Tuesday, October 15, join us for a panel conversation about the final weeks of the 2024 presidential election, and what our political experts expect to see on election day, November 5.

We'll hear from Rachel Bitecofer, political scientist, pollster, and election forecaster turned political strategist; Jonathan M. Metzl, professor of sociology and psychiatry and the director of the Department of Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University; and Tara Setmayer, cofounder and chief executive officer of The Seneca Project, who will join Ray Suarez to discuss the state of the race.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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CLIMATE ONE: How To Dance With China Oct 18, 2024

In the last two decades, China has made big commitments to renewable energy — and it’s delivered. Last year, China installed more solar panels than the U.S. has in its history.

Solar panel exports increased 38%, and lower prices have all but killed solar manufacturing in the U.S. and EU. Chinese company BYD recently surpassed Tesla as the world's largest EV maker — with cars at just a fraction of the cost. This has leaders in the West fretting about competition, but isn’t this good news for the planet? How do we balance competition with global climate progress?

Guests:

Emily Feng, International Correspondent, NPR

Alex Wang, Professor, UCLA School of Law; Co-Director; Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment

James Sallee, Professor, Resource Economics, University of California, Berkeley

🎟️ Join Climate One live in San Francisco on December 9 for our celebration of 2024 Schneider Award Winner Leah Stokes! Tickets are on sale now.

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Women in the Workplace: The Path Ahead Oct 17, 2024

Don’t miss our "Women in the Workplace" 10-year anniversary panel event, celebrating a decade of progress and the path ahead. Join us as we reflect on women's gains and setbacks across industries and look forward to new opportunities.

Against a backdrop of pivotal social moments over the past decade, including the #MeToo movement and the historic candidacy of the first major party presidential female nominee, how is the pursuit for equitable workplace policies, the talent pipeline, equal representation and pay parity advancing? Jumping off from the 2024 benchmark annual report on "Women in the Workplace" by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org, this conversation will explore the latest developments in the diverse experiences of women in workplaces across the United States. Moving beyond corporate diversity rhetoric, our panel of leaders will analyze real-world data and share authentic experiences to lay bare the reality from the C-suite to the first rungs of the career ladder.

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Nate Silver: On the Edge Oct 16, 2024

Professional risk takers—poker players and hedge fund managers, crypto true-believers and blue-chip art collectors—can teach us a lot about navigating the uncertainty of the 21st century, says statistician and analyst Nate Silver. He embedded himself within the worlds of Doyle Brunson, Peter Thiel, Sam Bankman-Fried, Sam Altman and many others and now comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to share insight into a range of issues that affect everyone, from the frontiers of finance to the future of AI.

In his bestselling book The Signal and the Noise, Silver showed how forecasting would define the age of Big Data. Now, in his riveting new book On the Edge, Silver investigates "The River"—those whose mastery of risk allows them to shape and dominate so much of modern life. The River has increasing amounts of wealth and power in our society, and understanding their mindset—including the flaws in their thinking—is key to understanding what drives technology and the global economy today.

There are certain commonalities in this otherwise diverse group: high tolerance for risk; appreciation of uncertainty; affinity for numbers; skill at de-coupling; self-reliance and a distrust of the conventional wisdom. For these people, complexity is baked in, and the work is how to navigate it, without going beyond the pale.

Join us in-person or online as Silver takes you behind the scenes from casinos to venture capital firms to the FTX inner sanctum to meetings of the effective altruism movement

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Polling and the 2024 Election Oct 15, 2024

Join us as marketing research expert and political pollster Josh Libresco returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to provide us with insights into political polls and how they successfully — and sometimes not so successfully — predict American elections.

Libresco will explain how political polling has changed in 2024 to account for both the changing profile of American voters and the increasing challenges of getting people to agree to be interviewed. He will also review where we stand as Election Day 2024 approaches — both for the presidential race and for important statewide races in California.

Organizer: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Former US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross: Risks and Rewards Oct 14, 2024

Before being named President Trump’s secretary of commerce in 2017, Wilbur Ross had already earned a reputation as the “King of Bankruptcy” over his 55-year career on Wall Street. Often working on high-profile bankruptcies such as Pan Am and Texaco, Ross helped restructure more than $400 billion in assets, and was named among Bloomberg’s 50 most influential people in global finance. After coming to Washington, Ross faced equally tough challenges, yet survived in his post for all four years.

Now Ross shares the story of how he got to the top and stayed there, as he relates in his new book Risks and Returns: Creating Success in Business and Life. He rose from humble beginnings in North Bergen, New Jersey, applied simple principles with strict discipline, and ultimately Ross’s strategies and dealmaking skills led to relationships with King Charles, Warren Buffett, Carl Icahn, the Rothschild family, Steve Wynn, Lakshmi Mittal, Mike Milken, and many other famous personalities. Ross will also share his experiences with President Trump in the Oval Office.

So whether you’re interested in Ross’s experiences as John Lennon’s neighbor in the legendary Dakota apartment building, celebrating with Sir Richard Branson on his private island, or his tumultuous time in Washington, come hear a candid reflection of a life lived at the pinnacle of Wall Street, New York, and Palm Beach society, and the Trump administration.

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CLIMATE ONE: What if We Get It Right? with Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Bill McKibben and Abigail Dillen Oct 11, 2024

In the face of hurricanes, wildfires, droughts and other fossil fueled disasters, it’s easy to feel hopeless about the future of the climate. But marine biologist, and co-founder of The All We Can Save Project, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson asks us instead to focus on the question, “What if we get it right?”

Johnson’s new book, also titled “What If We Get It Right?” features such climate luminaries as Third Act Founder Bill McKibben and Earthjustice PresidentAbigail Dillen, whom we also feature in this week’s episode. In their different ways, they have all been at the forefront of enacting solutions at the nexus of science, policy and justice.

Guests:

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Marine Biologist; Co-founder, The All We Can Save Project

Bill McKibben, Author, Educator, Environmentalist

Abigail Dillen, President, Earthjustice

🎟️ Join Climate One live in San Francisco on December 9 for our celebration of 2024 Schneider Award Winner Leah Stokes! Tickets are on sale now.

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Yuval Noah Harari and Aza Raskin: The Making and Unmaking of Humanity Oct 10, 2024

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The Handmaid's Tale: Opera of Searing Contemporary Resonance Oct 05, 2024

In this whirlwind 2024 political election year, public affairs issues include gender considerations, reproductive rights and governing boundaries.

The central concept of "The Handmaid's Tale" opera is based on Margaret Atwood's dystopian-themed 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale—that women are subordinate to men, must take on domestic and subservient roles including ritualized rape. Female worth is tied to becoming mothers. No reading, No owning property, No Careers Allowed. The theocratic extremist government is anti dissidents, academics, and "gender traitors."

Discussion about Handmaid's Tale themes—this projected fictional situation of the United States in a "not too distant future year"—is amazingly relevant in consideration of the hot button issues of American public affairs during fall 2024.

General Director Matthew Shilvock writes: “San Francisco Opera continues its second century with a season that demonstrates the potential of opera to connect to the most fundamental aspects of our humanity . . . through works of searing contemporary resonance like The Handmaid’s Tale."

Organizer: Anne W. Smith

An Arts Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

In Association with San Francisco Opera.

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CLIMATE ONE: No Justice Without Climate Justice Oct 04, 2024

Before Justin J. Pearson became a national voice for common sense gun regulation, he was a strong advocate for climate and environmental justice, having worked to defeat a multi-billion-dollar crude oil pipeline that could have poisoned Memphis’s drinking water and taken land from South Memphis residents.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb is working to make climate a top priority in his traditionally fossil fuel-friendly city. From his first press conference where he discussed making Cleveland a “15-minute city,” to his current push to electrify municipal fleets and decarbonize the city “block by block,” Bibb is leading his city to advance climate solutions and close the racial wealth gap.

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Arlie Russell Hochschild: Stolen Pride and the Rise of the Right Oct 02, 2024

What’s the “pride paradox”?

For all the efforts to understand the state of American politics and the blue/red divide, people have often ignored what economic and cultural loss can do to pride. Arlie Russell Hochschild argues that Donald Trump has turned lost pride into stolen pride and shame into blame, and that the result of his rhetorical alchemy has been to weaponize that shame and introduce a potent blend of anger and often violent rhetoric—undermining democracy and highlighting revenge.

Hochschild’s research for her book Stolen Pride drew her to Pikeville, Kentucky, in the heart of Appalachia, within the whitest and second-poorest congressional district in the nation, where its residents faced the perfect storm. The city was reeling: coal jobs had left, crushing poverty arrived, and a deadly drug crisis struck the region more powerfully than anywhere else in the nation. Although Pikeville had been in the political center 30 years ago, by 2016, 80 percent of the district’s population voted for Donald Trump.

Hochschild focuses on a group at the center of the shifting political landscape: blue-collar men. She had long conversations over six years with mayors and felons, clerks and shopkeepers, road workers and teachers, ex-coal miners, and recovering addicts. In some of the voices she listens to, Hochschild hears an alternative to the inchoate anger, as she and her subjects imagine a way we might build bridges and move forward.

Organizer: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Talmage Boston: How the Best Did It Sep 30, 2024

Join us to hear Talmage Boston’s explanations of how the leadership traits of America’s eight greatest presidents could (or at least should) be implemented by our current political leaders.

Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Reagan are Boston’s choices for his reflections on successful political leadership, generating unusual insights due to his merger of history with leadership lessons for our time.

Organizer: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Sergeant Nyaradzo Auxilia Hoto: Protecting Africa’s Wilderness, "Sergeant Nyaradzo Auxilia Hoto: Protecting Africa’s Wilderness, with a Powerful All-Female Ranger Force Sep 30, 2024

Sergeant Nyaradzo Auxilia Hoto grew up in Huyo village, in Nyamakate, located in Zimbabwe’s mighty Zambezi Valley. From an early age, she dreamed of having a positive impact on her region and its wildlife. Previously she served as a commander of the all-women anti-poaching Akashinga Rangers that operates under Akashinga—an innovative nature conservation organization based in Africa that delivers resilient nature conservation programs of global significance through community-driven partnerships. Today Nyaradzo (a graduate from Chinhoyi University of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in wildlife, ecology and conservation) sits as a biodiversity supervisor focused on research and data analysis collected by Akashinga Rangers, who are executing everyday patrols, to evaluate and maintain wildlife and vegetation. Her interests are centered on wildlife conservation, ecology and sustainability, protecting her region’s natural heritage for her young daughters and for generations to come.

Join us as Sergeant Nyaradzo shares her experience with Akashinga, her goals for her own conservation and climate action, and her passion for advancing women leaders in conservation.

Organizer: Andrew Dudley

A People & Nature Member-led Forum program. Forums and chapters at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of Commonwealth Club World Affairs, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Revitalizing SF Through the Arts: What Does That Look Like? Sep 27, 2024

The use of art gained momentum during the 20th century with major movements such as the City Beautiful movement and the New Deal, which sought to beautify and revitalize urban areas through public art installations and other creative initiatives.

Today, art continues to play a critical role, especially with its potential to engage and inspire residents, attract tourists, and boost economic growth. How can the arts with all its potentials revitalize our San Francisco?

Panelists will discuss the ways in which the arts can revive the city and serve as a model for other cities to follow.

Organizer: Robert Melton

An Arts Member-led Forum program. Forums and chapters at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of Commonwealth Club World Affairs, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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CLIMATE ONE: Jane Goodall: Celebrating 90 Sep 27, 2024

Environmental icon Jane Goodall is celebrating 90 years of life, and she’s not backing off of her passionate commitment to nature. The indefatigable Goodall is now focused on three intertwined crises: biodiversity loss, climate change, and environmental inequity. She has one important message for her audiences around the world: vote like your children’s lives depend on it — because they do.

Jane Goodall is joined by Rhett Butler, founder of Mongabay, a nonprofit media organization that delivers news and inspiration from nature's frontline via a network of more than 900 journalists in about 80 countries.

Guests:

Jane Goodall, Ethologist, conservationist

Rhett Butler, Founder, Mongabay

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Week to Week Political Roundtable: September 19, 2024 Sep 25, 2024

About a month and a half before Election Day, and even less time than that before the first votes begin to be cast, join us live for a roundup of the latest political news on the local, state and national levels.

Join us for our latest election season Week to Week political roundtable. Enjoy and learn as our panel of political experts explains what happened and what to expect, and answers your questions.

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Joseph Stiglitz: Economics and the Good Society Sep 24, 2024

One of the world’s leading economists joins us to offer a compelling new vision of personal and economic freedom.

Many Americans believe this nation was born from the conviction that people must be free. But since the middle of the last century, that idea has been co-opted. Forces on the political right have justified exploitation by cloaking it in the rhetoric of freedom, leading to pharmaceutical companies freely overcharging for medication, a Big Tech free from oversight, politicians free to incite rebellion, corporations free to pollute, and more.

How did we get here? Whose freedom are we―and should we―be thinking about?

In his new book The Road to Freedom, Nobel Prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz dissects America’s current economic system and the political ideology that created it, laying bare what he identifies as their twinned failure. He says that “free” and unfettered markets have only succeeded in delivering a series of crises: the financial crisis, the opioid crisis, and the crisis of inequality. While a small portion of the population has amassed considerable wealth, wages for most people have stagnated. Free and unfettered markets have exploited consumers, workers, and the environment alike. Such failures have fed populist movements that believe being free means abandoning any obligations citizens have to one another. As they grow in strength, Stiglitz warns that these movements now pose a real threat to true economic and political freedom.

As an economic advisor to presidents and as chief economist at the World Bank, Stiglitz has witnessed these profound changes firsthand. He argues the failures follow from the elites’ unshakeable dedication to “the neoliberal experiment.” Explicitly taking on giants such as Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman, Stiglitz says accepted ideas about our political and economic life are really just twisted visions that tear at the social fabric while they enrich the very few.

Stiglitz posits what he says is a deeper, more humane way to assess freedoms―one that considers with care what to do when one person’s freedom conflicts with another’s. He says we must reimagine our existing economic and legal systems and embrace forms of collective action, including regulation and investment, if we are to create an innovative society in which everyone can flourish.

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CLIMATE ONE REWIND – Wardrobe Malfunction: The Climate Impact of Clothing Sep 20, 2024

What we wear defines us in so many ways. But in recent decades we’ve moved away from long-lasting, quality pieces in favor of disposable fast fashion, with major consequences for our climate and environment. From mechanized farming and pesticides to grow fiber crops, to energy for manufacturing and transportation, fossil fuels are embedded in the clothing industry at every step of the process. Companies large and small are working against this trend, with some setting lofty goals for reducing carbon emissions and water use.

But achieving those goals is hard. So what are the solutions? Buy less? Design new fibers and materials? Thrifting and repurposing existing clothing? New business models? How can we make low-impact clothing?

Guests:

Aja Barber, Author, “Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change and Consumerism”

Jason Kibbey, Former CEO, Sustainable Apparel Coalition; Former President, Worldly

Molly Morse, CEO, Mango Materials

Jonathan Chapman, Professor, Carnegie Mellon University School of Design

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Don Lemon: My Search for God in America Sep 19, 2024

Journalist Don Lemon says he always had a complicated relationship with God. He cherished the Southern Black church he was raised in, but struggled with the fundamentalist rejection of his right to exist as a gay man—one who wanted to marry his longtime love in a church wedding with all the traditional trimmings. In his work as a reporter, moreover, he saw his fellow Americans losing faith in a higher power, in institutions, and in each other.

Setting out to understand the place that religion has in our lives today, Lemon turned a journalistic eye on ancient stories and found connections that sparked memories, conversations, and chance encounters. Then, suddenly, his world unraveled: In a blaze of inglorious headlines, Don was ousted from his high-profile network news job and tasked with redefining his role in the shifting media landscape. But through a year of personal changes and professional whiplash, he kept his “eyes on the prize” and ultimately found what he was seeking: grace, within himself and in this nation we call home.

Rich with humor and Louisiana realness, his new book I Once Was Lost is a prayer for a country that reflects the multifaceted image of God and a clarion call to those who believe in our common humanity enough to fight for it. Join us for an online-only talk with Don Lemon about faith and how tribulations can make us stronger, as individuals and as a nation.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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Cass Sunstein: Campus Free Speech Sep 17, 2024

Free speech is indispensable on college campuses: allowing varied views and frank exchanges of opinion is a core component of the educational enterprise and the pursuit of truth. But, says renowned legal scholar Cass R. Sunstein, free speech does not mean a free-for-all. The First Amendment prohibits “abridging the freedom of speech,” yet laws against perjury or bribery, for example, are still constitutional. In the same way, valuing freedom of speech does not stop a university from regulating speech when doing so is necessary for its educational mission. So where is the dividing line? How can we distinguish reasonable restrictions from impermissible infringement?

Join us for a special online-only program in which Sunstein will provide a pragmatic, no-nonsense explainer, taking us through a wide range of scenarios involving students, professors and administrators. He says it’s consistent with the First Amendment to punish students who shout down a speaker, but not those who chant offensive slogans; why a professor cannot be fired for writing a politically charged op-ed, yet a university might legitimately consider an applicant’s political views when deciding whether to hire her. He explains why private universities are not legally bound by the First Amendment yet should, in most cases, look to follow it. And he addresses the thorny question of whether a university should officially take sides on public issues or deliberately keep the institution outside the fray.

He'll draw on the work he put into his new book Campus Free Speech: A Pocket Guide and will provide a concise guide to resolving free-speech dilemmas at colleges and universities.

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s Future of Democracy Series, supported by Betsy and Roy Eisenhardt.

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Banking on Purpose: A Fireside Chat with Darrel Hackett, President & CEO, BMO Bank N.A. Sep 16, 2024

Join us for a fireside chat with Darrel Hackett, BMO Bank’s president and CEO.

In 2023, BMO completed the $16 billion acquisition of San Francisco-based Bank of the West, doubling its U.S. footprint. Under Hackett's leadership, BMO is now a top 10 U.S. bank with significant growth ambitions.

In contrast to recent high-profile corporate departures from the Bay Area, BMO has boldly entered the market with this major acquisition and a $16 billion commitment for community giving and lending in California. BMO is driven by a single purpose—to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life—and is committed to making progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society. In conversation with ABC 7 Anchor Dan Ashley, Hackett will share more about BMO’s headline-making growth and purpose-driven corporate leadership, as well as the bank’s future in the Bay Area and beyond.

This program is generously supported by BMO.

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The Connection Between Autoimmunity and Trauma Sep 14, 2024

Approximately one in three Americans has autoimmunity, according to our speaker, Dr. Sara Szal Gottfried, M.D. Conventional medicine falls short when it comes to both diagnosing and treating autoimmune conditions. In The Autoimmune Cure, by Dr. Gottfried, there is hope for the tens of millions of people who suffer from autoimmune disease. Dr. Gottfried explains the connection between trauma and autoimmunity, and has created a powerful program designed to break the vicious cycle of autoimmune disease, reset your immune system, and restore your health.

About the Speakers

Dr. Sara Szal Gottfried, M.D., is a physician, researcher, author, and educator. She graduated from Harvard Medical School and MIT, and completed residency at UCSF, but is more likely to prescribe a continuous glucose monitor and personalized nutrition plan than the latest pharmaceutical. Dr. Gottfried is an international keynote speaker and the author of four New York Times bestselling books about hormones, nutrition and health. She is clinical assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University, and director of precision medicine at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health. Her focus is at the interface of mental and physical health, N-of-1 trial design, personalized molecular profiling, use of wearables, and how to leverage these tools to improve health outcomes.

Dr. Brad Jacobs, M.D., M.P.H., A.B.O.I.M., is a recognized leader in conscious leadership, personal transformation and precision medicine. He is a Stanford-trained physician board-certified in internal medicine and integrative medicine and was the endowed professor and founding medical director of the University of California at San Francisco Osher Center for Integrative Medicine.

Organizer: Patty James

A Nutrition, Food & Wellness Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Daniel Levitin: Music as Medicine Sep 13, 2024

What are the deep connections between music and healing?

Music is one of humanity’s oldest medicines. From the Far East to the Ottoman Empire, Europe to Africa and the pre-colonial Americas, many cultures have developed their own rich traditions for using sound and rhythm to ease suffering, promote healing, and calm the mind.

Join us as neuroscientist and New York Times best-selling author Daniel J. Levitin shares some of the findings he put in his latest book, I Heard There Was a Secret Chord, in which he explores the curative powers of music, showing us how and why it is one of the most potent therapies today. He examines the results of numerous studies on music and the brain, demonstrating how music can contribute to the treatment of a host of ailments, from neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, to cognitive injury, depression and pain.

Levitin is not your typical scientist—he is also an award-winning musician and composer, and through lively interviews with some of today’s most celebrated musicians, from Sting to Kent Nagano and Mari Kodama, he shares their observations as to why music might be an effective therapy, in addition to plumbing scientific case studies, music theory, and music history.

Come learn about the critical role music has played in human biology.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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CLIMATE ONE: Turning Election Anxiety Into Action Sep 13, 2024

The U.S. is gearing up for a presidential election between a climate advocate and a climate denier. Scientists have given humanity a deadline to drastically reduce the use of fossil fuels if we want a habitable Earth. While there has been some progress, it’s not anywhere nearly enough, and the consequences of our failure to address our fossil fuel addiction is becoming more and more obvious. All of which generates lots of anxiety about the election’s outcome.

So what are some ways we can address that anxiety? Can that worry be put to good use?

Guests:

Lise Van Susteren, General and forensic psychiatrist; Author

Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President & CEO, Hip Hop Caucus

David Hogg, Gun control activist; Cofounder, March for Our Lives, Leaders We Deserve

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

🎟️ Climate One has three incredible live shows on the horizon! Join us for conversations featuring Jane Goodall, Justin J. Pearson, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Bill McKibben, and Abigail Dillen. Tickets are on sale now.

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Dan Morain: Making History with Kamala Harris Sep 12, 2024

Kamala Harris is going toe-to-toe with Donald Trump in a high-stakes race for the presidency. Though she has served as vice president for four years, many Americans don’t know a lot about her. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we know her from her days as San Francisco district attorney and then California attorney general and senator. But perhaps no observer knows her as well as journalist Dan Morain, whose biography of Harris—Kamala’s Way—gives insight into her history in the Bay Area. And Morain returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to talk about Harris on the cusp of making history on the national stage.

There’s very little that’s conventional about Kamala Harris, and yet her personal story also represents many Americans. She grew up the eldest daughter of a single mother, a no-nonsense cancer researcher who emigrated from India at the age of 19 in search of a better education. She and her husband, an accomplished economist from Jamaica, split up when Kamala was only five. The Kamala Harris the public knows today is tough, smart, quick-witted, and demanding. She’s a prosecutor—her one-liners are legendary—but she’s more reticent when it comes to sharing much about herself, even in her memoirs. Fortunately, former Los Angeles Times reporter Dan Morain has been there from the start.

Join us in-person in San Francisco or online to learn more about the person who might well be America’s first female president, its first southeast Asian president, and its second Black president.

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People Power & Service Transforming the City: What's Good SF! Summer Series Sep 11, 2024

Join us for our second installment of a new series of lively discussion on the future of San Francisco. Featuring leaders in community, service and volunteerism. "People Power & Service" will explore the opportunities for the people of San Francisco to play an active role in the next chapter of our city and the impact that neighbors leading local change can have. Hear strategy and on-the-ground learnings from Josh Fryday, California’s chief service officer, Jess Blackshaw, founder of the Bay Area’s innovative Y Core young professional service program, and Dean Fealk, author and researcher on changemakers and service.

By harnessing the collective energy and dedication of community members, we can breathe new life into urban spaces, foster stronger connections, and address critical social needs. Learn how grassroots efforts are leading sustainable change, driving economic growth, social cohesion, and a renewed sense of pride in San Francisco. Join us in imagining the role of volunteerism in building the vibrant and resilient city of the future.

UP NEXT. . .

Part 3, coming soon: "A Thriving, Natural City," how should we shape a sustainable San Francisco future?

See Part 1: "The Future of Downtown"

"What's Good, SF!” is a compelling series delving into the post-pandemic revitalization of San Francisco. Through three insightful programs, the series navigates the city's landscape of opportunity and challenge. Join us as we uncover the stories of resilience, adaptation and transformation that define San Francisco's journey toward a new, vibrant and sustainable future.

This program is generously supported Levi Strauss & Co.

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Mary Trump: Family Ties and Lies Sep 09, 2024

Everyone knows her name.

Mary Trump grew up in a family divided by its patriarch’s relentless drive for money and power. The daughter of Freddy Trump—the highly accomplished, dashing eldest son of wealthy real estate developer Fred Trump—and Linda Clapp—a flight attendant from a working-class family—Mary lived in the shadow of Freddy’s humiliation at the hands of his father.

Fred Trump embodied the ethos of the zero-sum game and among his five children: there could only be one winner. That was supposed to be Freddy, his namesake, but Fred found him wanting―too sensitive, too kind, too interested in pursuits beyond the realm of the real estate empire he was meant to inherit. In Donald, Fred found a kindred spirit, a “killer,” who would stop at nothing to get his own way.

Even after Freddy’s short-lived career as a professional pilot for TWA came to an end, he never stopped trying to gain his father’s approval. Finally, at the age of 42, he succumbed to Fred’s lethal contempt and died alone in an emergency room, with no family by his side.

Mary Trump returns to the Club for a special online-only talk about the issues raised in her new memoir Who Could Ever Love You, in which she pulls back the curtains on what she calls the twisted family whose patriarch ignored, froze out, and eventually destroyed his own. Freddy Trump’s decline into alcoholism and illness, along with Linda’s suffering after their divorce, left Mary dangerously vulnerable as a very young girl. Inadequately and only conditionally loved, there were no adults in her life except for the father she loved but lost before she could know him; and a mother abandoned by her ex-husband’s rich and powerful family who demanded her loyalty but left her with nothing.

She says that cold, selfish cruelty has come to define the Trump family thanks in large part to her uncle, whose ambition has divided the nation and much of the world.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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H.R. McMaster: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House Sep 07, 2024

For 13 turbulent and consequential months, H.R. McMaster served as President Donald Trump’s national security advisor. McMaster entered an administration beset by conflict and the hyper partisanship of American politics. Join us as McMaster shares his stories of helping an unpredictable president drive necessary shifts in U.S. foreign policy at a critical moment in history.

He says that while all administrations are subject to backstabbing and infighting, some of Trump’s more unscrupulous political advisors were determined to undermine McMaster and others to advance their narrow agendas. Hear about Cabinet officials who, deeply disturbed by Trump’s language and behavior, prioritized controlling the president over collaborating to provide the president with options. McMaster offers a frank and fresh assessment of the achievements and failures of his tenure as national security advisor and the challenging task of maintaining one’s bearings and focus on the mission in a hectic and malicious environment.

Determined to transcend the war within the administration and focus on national security priorities, McMaster forged coalitions in Washington and internationally to help Trump advance U.S. interests. Trump’s character and personality helped him make tough decisions, but sometimes prevented him from sticking to them, says McMaster. And now with the 2024 election on the horizon, hear McMaster highlight the crucial importance of competence in foreign policy, and make plain the need for leaders who possess the character and intellect to guide the United States in a tumultuous world.

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CLIMATE ONE: Cheaper, Faster, Better: Tom Steyer on Winning the Climate War Sep 06, 2024

Tom Steyer rose to public prominence as the billionaire investor and climate organizer who ran for president in the 2020 election on a climate-first platform. While he didn’t secure the Democratic nomination, his dedication to supporting and advancing climate solutions has remained steadfast.

In his new book, “Cheaper, Better, Faster: How We’ll Win the Climate War,” Steyer argues that we are in a defining moment: we face the daunting, existential threat of climate change. And yet, with this great challenge comes a great opportunity for innovation, global leadership and economic growth. But can capitalism, the system that helped create and exacerbate the climate crisis, be the system that fixes climate chaos?

Guests:

Tom Steyer, Co-Executive Chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions, Investor, Author

Naomi Oreskes, Professor of the History of Science, Harvard

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

🎟️ Climate One has three incredible live shows on the horizon! Join us for conversations featuring Jane Goodall, Justin J. Pearson, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Bill McKibben, and Abigail Dillen. Tickets are on sale now.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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CLIMATE ONE: Military Power: Balancing Security and Climate Threats Aug 30, 2024

The U.S. military is one of the world’s largest consumers of fossil fuels. And its carbon pollution is equally huge. At the same time, climate disruption is already amplifying crises and conflicts around the world — making climate change, in the words of one military expert, “a threat multiplier.”

The Department of Defense has been making moves to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. The Air Force has recently invested in electric aircraft, and several bases are tapping into geothermal energy — capturing heat from deep underground. Others are building their own microgrids — islands of electricity that can run on clean sources. This week we explore how the U.S. military is trying to balance global security with climate threats.

This episode also features a reported story by NPR’s Quil Lawrence, originally broadcast on NPR’s All Things Considered on October 2, 2023.

Guests:

Sherri Goodman, Secretary General, International Military Council on Climate & Security

Neta C. Crawford, Montague Burton Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford

📞 With the presidential election just a few months away, many of us are experiencing increased anxiety and uncertainty. If you're finding it challenging to manage your stress or are looking for support during this tense time, we want to hear from you. We’re inviting you to call in with your questions for our expert therapist, who will provide insights and practical advice on how to cope that may be shared in an upcoming episode.

Call ‪(650) 382-3869 to leave us a voicemail ‬and let us know what you’re feeling. Thanks for sharing!

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

🎟️ Climate One has three incredible live shows on the horizon! Join us for conversations featuring Jane Goodall, Justin J. Pearson, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Bill McKibben, and Abigail Dillen. Tickets are on sale now.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Erwin Chemerinsky: No Democracy Lasts Forever Aug 28, 2024

Has the U.S. Constitution become a threat to American democracy? Does it need to be dramatically changed or replaced if secession is to be avoided?

Join us as Erwin Chemerinsky returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to share his deeply troubled thoughts of the Constitution’s inherent flaws. The dean of the UC Berkeley law school came to the sobering conclusion that our nearly 250-year-old founding document is responsible for the crisis now facing American democracy.

Chemerinsky points out that just 15 of the 11,848 amendments proposed since 1789 have passed, and he contends that the very nature of our polarization results from the Constitution’s “bad bones,” which have created a government that no longer works or has the confidence of the public. Yet he says political Armageddon can still be avoided if a new constitutional convention is empowered to replace the Constitution of 1787, much as the Founding Fathers replaced the outdated Articles of Confederation. And if that’s not possible? He has an even more radical proposal: That Americans must give serious thought to forms of secession―including a United States structured like the European Union―based on a recognition that what divides us as a country is, in fact, greater than what unites us.

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Melissa Jacoby with Sen. Elizabeth Warren: How Our Bankruptcy System Makes America More Unequal Aug 26, 2024

Bankruptcy is the busiest federal court in America. In theory, bankruptcy in America exists to cancel or restructure debts for people and companies that have way too many debts—a safety valve designed to provide a mechanism for restarting lives and businesses when things go wrong financially.

Legal scholar Melissa B. Jacoby argues that bankruptcy has also become an escape hatch for powerful individuals, corporations, and governments, contributing in unseen and poorly understood ways to race, gender, and class inequality in America. When cities go bankrupt, for example, police unions enjoy added leverage while police brutality victims are denied a seat at the negotiating table; the system is more forgiving of civil rights abuses than of the parking tickets disproportionately distributed in African American neighborhoods. Across a broad range of crucial issues, Jacoby reveals the hidden mechanisms by which bankruptcy impacts everything from sexual harassment to health care, police violence to employment discrimination, and the opioid crisis to gun violence.

Join us for a special online-only program with Professor Jacoby in conversation with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

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Anne Applebaum: Autocracy, Inc. Aug 24, 2024

People think they know what an autocratic state looks like: There is an all-powerful leader at the top; he controls the police; the police threaten the people with violence; there are evil collaborators, and maybe some brave dissidents.

But in the 21st century, that bears little resemblance to reality. Nowadays, autocracies are underpinned not by one dictator, but by sophisticated networks composed of kleptocratic financial structures, surveillance technologies, and professional propagandists, all of which operate across multiple regimes, from China to Russia to Iran. Corrupt companies in one country do business with corrupt companies in another. The police in one country can arm and train the police in another, and propagandists share resources and themes, pounding home the same messages about the weakness of democracy and the evil of America.

So what can be done?

Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times bestselling author Anne Applebaum says that international condemnation and economic sanctions cannot move the autocrats. Even popular opposition movements, from Venezuela to Hong Kong to Moscow, don't stand a chance. The members of “Autocracy, Inc.,” as she dubs the movement, aren't linked by a unifying ideology, like communism, but rather a common desire for power, wealth, and impunity.

Applebaum joins us for a special online program to share her urgent call for the world’s democracies to fundamentally reorient their policies to fight a new kind of threat.

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CLIMATE ONE: What’s a Climate-Conscious Republican to Do? Aug 23, 2024

The leaders at the top of the Republican Party want the U.S. to double down on carbon-intensive oil and gas — and avoid reckoning with the damage they cause. As temperatures continue to rise, a majority of young Republican voters say clinging to that stance could spell trouble for the sustainability of the GOP.

And yet, conservatives aren’t a monolith when it comes to climate. A small wing of the party is warming up to the idea of climate action. The question is: Can those Republicans, who take climate seriously, move the needle on bipartisan climate action?

Guests:

Emma Dumain, Reporter, E&E News

Heather Reams, President, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions

Mariannette Miller-Meeks, U.S. Representative (R-IA 1st District) and Chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus

Danielle Butcher Franz, CEO, American Conservation Coalition

📞 With the presidential election just a few months away, many of us are experiencing increased anxiety and uncertainty. If you're finding it challenging to manage your stress or are looking for support during this tense time, we want to hear from you. We’re inviting you to call in with your questions for our expert therapist, who will provide insights and practical advice on how to cope that may be shared in an upcoming episode.

Call ‪(650) 382-3869 to leave us a voicemail ‬and let us know what you’re feeling. Thanks for sharing!

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

🎟️ Climate One has four upcoming live shows, featuring Tom Steyer, Jane Goodall, Justin J. Pearson, and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Tickets are on sale now.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Alzheimer's, ALS, "Alzheimer's, ALS, Parkinson's—There's Hope Aug 22, 2024

Dr. Paul Alan Cox is an American ethnobotanist whose scientific research focuses on discovering new medicines by studying patterns of wellness and illness among Indigenous peoples.

Chosen by Time magazine as one of 11 Heroes of Medicine, Dr. Cox leads a remarkable team of world-class scientists. Their objective is singular: to improve patient outcomes for individuals suffering from Alzheimer's, ALS and Parkinson's disease—known collectively as "tangle diseases."

His team has sought to discover how to stop protein tangles in the brain. This has led to new ways to prevent, diagnose, and slow the progression of these debilitating diseases.

Join us for this fascinating deep dive into a hopeful new look at tangle diseases.

MLF Organizer: Robert Lee Kilpatrick

A Health & Medicine Member-led Forum program. Forums and Chapters at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Mike Madrid: The Latino Century Aug 20, 2024

In 2020, Latinos became the second largest ethnic voting group in the United States. They make up the largest plurality of residents in the most populous states in the union, as well as the fastest-growing segment of the most important swing states in the U.S. Electoral College. Fitting neither the stereotype of the aggrieved minority voter nor the traditional assimilating immigrant group, Latinos are challenging both political parties' notions of race, religious beliefs, economic success, and the American dream. Given their exploding numbers—and their growing ability to determine the fate of local, state, and national elections—many people would think the two major political parties would understand Latino voters. After all, their emergence on the national scene is not a new phenomenon. But the parties still don’t.

Mike Madrid, veteran political consultant and author of the new book The Latino Century: How America's Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy, says that Republicans, not because of their best efforts but rather despite them, are just beginning to see a movement of Latinos toward the GOP. Democrats, for the moment, still win a commanding share of the Latino vote, but that share is dwindling fast. Madrid draws on 30 years of research and campaign experience at some of the highest levels on both sides of the aisle to address what might be the most critical questions of our time: Will the rise of Latino voters continue to foment the hyper-partisan and explosive tribalism of our age, or will they usher in a new pluralism that advances the arc of social progress? How and why are both political parties so uniquely unprepared for the coming wave of Latino votes? And what must each party do to win those votes?

The answers will shape our democracy for years to come.

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With President Biden Out of the Race . . . What to Expect at the DNC Aug 19, 2024

President Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race on July 21, and in the few weeks since, Vice President Kamala Harris has garnered enough delegates to become the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. During the Democratic National Convention in a couple of weeks, the party will feature its new challenger to Donald Trump.

For months, Biden had trailed Trump in the polls, but Harris has since rallied the hopes of Democratic Party voters. Now the 2024 presidential election is a toss-up, and there are signs that Harris' momentum is upending the race.

On August 12, please join us for a conversation about what to expect at the 2024 DNC, and how the introduction of Harris's running mate, Tim Walz, may impact the contest for the battleground states.

Stuart Stevens, former chief Republican strategist and author of Conspiracy to End America, will join Ray Suarez to discuss the state of the race, and make predictions for the final 90 days of the 2024 presidential election.

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CLIMATE ONE: What the FERC Is Going on With the Electric Grid Aug 16, 2024

The nation’s electric grid needs to be expanded and made more reliable for our future energy demands and climate forecasts. The way we’ve built transmission in the past — regionally siloed with short term planning — is now suffering from reliability and capacity issues and won’t work for the next century.

The Department of Energy is drafting plans for national transmission corridors to help speed new construction. It’s also handing out funds to build new lines and upgrade existing infrastructure to increase capacity.

Meanwhile, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently passed a rule requiring utilities to work together and take a longer view on planning their transmission needs. But it will still take years to accomplish these changes.

Can we build a robust national transmission system that serves our decarbonized future at the speed we need?

Guests:

Shelley Welton, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Law and Energy Policy, University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law and the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy

Maria Robinson, Director, Grid Deployment Office, Department of Energy

Danielle Fidler, Senior Attorney, Clean Energy Program, Earthjustice

Pat Wood, CEO, Hunt Energy

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

🎟️ Climate One has four upcoming live shows, featuring Tom Steyer, Jane Goodall, Justin J. Pearson, and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Tickets are on sale now.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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John Sullivan: Midnight in Moscow Aug 15, 2024

For weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, John J. Sullivan, the U.S. ambassador in Moscow, was warning that it would happen. When troops finally crossed the border, he was woken in the middle of the night with a prearranged code. The signal was even more bracing than the February cold: it meant that Sullivan needed to collect his bodyguards and get to the embassy as soon as possible. The war had begun, and the world would never be the same.

Sullivan has laid down his story in his new book Midnight in Moscow, in which he leads readers into the offices of the U.S. embassy and the halls of the Kremlin during this climactic period—among the most dangerous since World War II. He shows how the Putin regime repeatedly lied about its intentions to invade Ukraine in the weeks leading up to the attack, while also devoting huge numbers of personnel and vast resources to undermining the U.S. diplomatic mission in Russia. And he explains how, when Putin ultimately gave the order to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, he proved that Russia was not just at war with its neighbor: it was also at war, in a very real sense, with the United States, and with everything that it represents. But while Putin decided how this conflict started, its ending will be shaped by us.

Join us for an online-only talk with Ambassador Sullivan as he shares his unique perspective on a pivotal moment in world history, how our relationship with Russia has deteriorated, where it’s headed, and how far we should be prepared to go in standing up to the menace in Moscow.

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CLIMATE ONE: Unions You Wouldn't Expect Bargaining for Climate Action Aug 09, 2024

Last year was the hottest in recorded history, and this summer, much of the United States has already experienced record-shattering heat waves. That leaves millions of workers risking their health and possibly even their lives while on the job. And the danger is not limited to those who work outdoors. Warehouses, restaurants, and other indoor spaces are heating up. Most jobs lack heat protection from the federal or state government, but the same groups that brought us the 40-hour work week, child labor laws, and the weekend are now fighting for new worker protections.

Unions across the country — from Texas UPS drivers to the Chicago Teachers Union — are negotiating to keep their workers protected from the effects of the climate crisis. Some are even going one step further and negotiating for their employers to cut the carbon pollution that’s adding to global heating. How has the climate crisis spurred union action?

Guests:

Terri Gerstein, Director, The Labor Initiative, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University

Stacy Davis Gates, President, Chicago Teachers Union

Anita Seth, President, UNITE HERE Local 8

Emily Minkus, Member, UNITE HERE Local 8

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

🎟️ We've added yet another event to our stacked fall calendar. This program will feature Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson in conversation with Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen and Co-Host Greg Dalton. Tickets are on sale now.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Way Forward: A Conversation about Race, "New Solutions & the Way Forward: A Conversation about Race, Equity & Economic Justice Aug 07, 2024

Join author Jeffrey Fuhrer , whose 27 years of experience at the Boston Fed informed his breakthrough expose about how false narratives about racism and meritocracy broke our economy. He argues that systemic racism continues to produce vastly disparate outcomes, and that our brand of capitalism doesn't reduce disparities.

Jeffrey will be joined in conversation by Akilah Monifa, a trained lawyer and law professor, who's published many op-eds. She is the former director of public affairs and communications for CBS television and radio stations in San Francisco. She is now a retired Black lesbian mother and grandmother, and is the founder of BlackHistoryEveryDay.com.

MLF Organizer: Ian McCuaig

A Social Impact Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

Main image detail from The Myth That Made Us book cover; speaker photos courtesy the speakers.

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Week to Week: Kamala Harris Enters the Ring Aug 06, 2024

In about a week’s time, the election changed—bigly, you might say. An assassination attempt, a huge court victory for former President Trump, the Republican National Convention, President Biden ends his reelection campaign, and Vice President Harris grabs the baton. It’s a whole new ballgame, and we’ll tackle those developments and more in our next political roundtable. Join us for a mid-summer dive into politics in this high-stakes election year.

As usual with Week to Week, our panelists will discuss the latest political developments in an informed, civil (and fun) manner. And come early before the program for our social hour for some wine and light bites and an opportunity to talk with other Club members and friends.

See other upcoming Week to Week political roundtables, as well as audio and video of past Week to Week programs.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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President Nixon Film Screening: The Movement and the "Madman" Aug 05, 2024

Join us to celebrate the 50th anniversary of August 8, 1974, the day President Richard Nixon resigned, and to remember an era in which there were still stark limits to what presidents could do and keep a straight face.

Stephen Talbot will screen his film, The Movement and the "Madman", which debuted in 2023 on the PBS series "American Experience." Talbot’s 82-minute film tells the story of how two major anti-Vietnam War protests in the fall of 1969 pressured President Nixon to cancel what he privately called his "madman" plans for a major escalation of the war, including the possibility of his threatening to use nuclear weapons.

After Talbot’s film is screened, he will answer questions about both the history of that time and his artistry making documentary films. Those who took part in the 1969 protests in the Bay Area are especially welcome to join the discussion, which will also include Talbot’s perspective on the relevance of Nixon’s resignation to our current international political situations―where threatening to use nuclear weapons no longer seems to cause irreparable shame and dishonor.

MLF Organizer: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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The Untold Story of John Muir, Indigenous Peoples, "The Untold Story of John Muir, Indigenous Peoples, and the American Wilderness Aug 04, 2024

John Muir is widely and rightly lauded as the nature mystic who added wilderness to the United States’ vision of itself, largely through the system of national parks and wild areas his writings and public advocacy helped create. Critics say that vision, however, came at a cost: the conquest and dispossession of the tribal peoples who had inhabited and managed those same lands, in many cases for millennia. Muir argued for the preservation of wild sanctuaries that would offer spiritual enlightenment to the conquerors, not to the conquered Indigenous peoples who had once lived there. “Somehow,” he wrote, “they seemed to have no right place in the landscape.”

Cast Out of Eden tells this neglected part of Muir’s story—from Lowland Scotland and the Wisconsin frontier to the Sierra Nevada’s granite heights and Alaska’s glacial fjords—and his take on the tribal nations he encountered and embrace of an ethos that forced those tribes from their homelands. Although Muir questioned and worked against Euro-Americans’ distrust of wild spaces and deep-seated desire to tame and exploit them, his view excluded Native Americans as fallen peoples who stained the wilderness’s pristine sanctity. Fortunately, in a transformation that a resurrected and updated Muir might approve, this long-standing injustice is beginning to be undone, as Indigenous nations and the federal government work together to ensure that quintessentially American lands from Bears Ears to Yosemite serve all Americans equally.

MLF Organizer: Andrew Dudley

A People & Nature Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Thrillers, "Thrillers, Tech and Ethics in a Rapidly Changing World Aug 03, 2024

Frank Price will moderate a conversation between Gregg Hurwitz and Kevin Compton, both experts in "Thrillers, Tech, and Ethics in a Rapidly Changing World." Join us for a fast-paced discussion with plenty of twists to keep you on your toes.

Gregg Hurwitz is a New York Times #1 internationally bestselling author of 24 thrillers, including the Orphan X series. His novels have won numerous literary awards and have been published in 33 languages. Hurwitz currently serves as the co-president of International Thriller Writers (ITW). Additionally, he’s written screenplays and television scripts for many of the major studios and networks, comics for AWA (including the critically acclaimed anthology NewThink), DC, and Marvel, and poetry. Currently, Hurwitz is actively working against polarization in politics and culture. To that end, he's penned op eds for The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Bulwark and others, and has produced several hundred commercials, which have received more than 100 million views on digital TV platforms. He also helped write the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup.

Kevin Compton is a co‐founder of Radar Partners in Palo Alto, CA, a private investment partnership focused on venture capital and multi-asset investing. Previously, Compton was a partner with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, one of Silicon Valley’s most successful high technology venture capital firms for almost 20 years. Compton and his partners invested in many of the most powerful and high profile start‐ups over the past 30 years, including Google, Sun Microsystems, Intuit, Netscape and Amazon. The Forbes “Midas Touch” ranking of top investors has named Kevin as one of the top private investors in the world on numerous occasions, ranking him in the top 10 three times.

MLF Organizer: Frank Price

An International Relations Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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CLIMATE ONE: Thirst Trap: When Big Cities Run Dry Aug 02, 2024

This week we take a trip to Mexico, a petrostate that just elected climate scientist Claudia Sheinbaum as its next president. She’s also the former mayor of Mexico City, the largest city in North America, which has been going through a major water crisis due to climate change. It’s at risk of running out of water — and it has been for a long time. In fact, much of the country is coping with drought and heat waves exacerbated by climate change.

Christine Colvin, a hydrogeologist with WWF International, was in Cape Town, South Africa, at the height of a recent megadrought. The city was approaching Day Zero, when it would not be able to supply water to residents. Colvin says that of all the ways climate disruption impacts our lives, the most critical may be to our relationship with water.

"If the climate crisis is a shark, then water are its teeth. This is the thing that’s really going to bite us first and hardest."

Guests:

Oscar Ocampo, Coordinator for Energy and Environment, Mexican Institute of Competitiveness

Christine Colvin, Water Policy Lead, WWF International

Climate One has three exciting live shows on the calendar, featuring live conversations with Tom Steyer, Jane Goodall, and Justin Pearson. Tickets are on sale now.

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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CLIMATE ONE: Going for Green at the Paris Games Jul 26, 2024

The Summer Olympic Games are here! That means more than 300 events, ten thousandathletes and millions of spectatorscoming to watch. And the athletes are not the only ones with an Olympian task; the organizers of the Paris Games pledged to make their event emit only half of the carbon pollution of the 2012 London Games.

In order to make that happen, they are trying to do more — by doing less. Instead of building huge new structures, they’ve renovated a number of existing venues and installed a lot of temporary structures that can be used elsewhere in the future. And that’s just one example. So what can we learn from the Paris Games that can transcend the big event and lead to broader emissions reductions?

Guests:

Martin Müller, Professor of Geography and Sustainability, University of Lausanne

Henry Grabar, Journalist, Author of “Paved Paradise, How Parking Explains the World”

Oluseyi Smith, Two-time Olympian, Renewable Energy Engineer, Founder, Racing to Zero

Angel Hsu, Director, Data-Driven EnviroLab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

☎️ Do you work outdoors, in a kitchen or a warehouse or at another workplace where you are feeling the heat? Have rising temperatures impacted the way you do your job? We want to hear your story.

Leave us a voicemail at ‪(650) 382-3869‬ and let us know how climate change is affecting you on the job, and we may use it in an upcoming episode. Thanks for sharing!

🎟️ Climate One has three live shows scheduled this August and September. Tickets are on sale now!

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Foto-Diásporas Jul 22, 2024

The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California and The Consulate of Colombia in San Francisco are pleased to invite you to the inauguration of the photographic exhibition Foto-Diásporas, a traveling exhibition making its debut in San Francisco. The exhibition is a research and creative project about Colombians' forced cross-border migration.

Through the eyes and voices of 15 Colombian men and women, Foto-Diásporas uses the power of participatory photography to make visible the experiences of forcibly displaced Colombians living in the United States and their demands for recognition and reparation. This exhibition pays tribute to the victims from the past armed conflict and honoring their resilience, courage and hope.

In our panel discussion, victims of forced migration will share their story. Program speaker Sonia Marina Pereira Portilla is the general consul of the Consulate of Colombia in San Francisco. The event includes Colombian food and refreshments, and music will be presented by Afro-Colombian group, Marimba del Litoral – Música del Pacifico.

The event will be hosted by Ambassador Sonia Marina Pereira Portilla, consul general of Colombia, alongside Saday Osorio Córdoba, the Consulate's social advisor, human rights advocate, and director/founder of the Nativa Foundation.

MLF ORGANIZER: Robert Melton

An Arts Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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CLIMATE ONE: What’s at Stake in November Jul 21, 2024

This November, voters may have the rare opportunity to choose based on the records of two administrations that have each already had one turn at the helm. Regardless of who ends up at the top of the Democratic ticket, when it comes to climate in particular, a lot is at stake.

As Biden’s presidency winds down, the administration has been enacting numerous climate initiatives on top of his already robust climate wins, like new guidance on permitting and a new solar program. Meanwhile, former President Trump has promised to “drill, baby, drill” on day one, and roll back as much of Biden’s landmark climate legislation as possible.

This week, we take a look back at how both administrations handled climate issues, the effects of those choices and what they promise to do if given another term in the White House.

Guests:

Nathaniel Stinnett, Founder and Executive Director, Environmental Voter Project

Emma Shortis,Senior Researcher, International & Security Affairs Program, Australia Institute; Adjunct Senior Fellow, RMIT University

Coral Davenport,Energy and Environmental Policy Reporter, New York Times

☎️ Do you work outdoors, in a kitchen or a warehouse or at another workplace where you are feeling the heat? Have rising temperatures impacted the way you do your job? We want to hear your story.

Please leave us a voicemail at ‪(650) 382-3869‬ and let us know how climate change is affecting you on the job, and we may use it in an upcoming episode. Thanks for sharing!

🎫 Tickets for upcoming live Climate One shows are on sale now.

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Tor Kenward: Reflections of a Vintner and Wine Tasting Jul 21, 2024

Join us for a special program in which vintner Tor Kenward shares a lifetime of great wines, famous friends, deep knowledge and insider insights.

Kenward will draw from his book Reflections of a Vintner, which recounts the lessons learned, relationships forged and observations made from an insider’s nearly 50-year journey through the burgeoning wine industry in Napa Valley. From the mid-seventies, when there were fewer than 50 wineries, to the present, with more than 800, Kenward shares his recollections as the region became a world-class wine destination. Kenward also has great stories about his friendships with legends of the modern American food and wine scene, including Julia Child, André Tchelistcheff, Andy Beckstoffer, and Robert Mondavi, among others.

Kenward’s hard work as a vintner was acknowledged and celebrated at the October 2021 Judgment of Napa, held 45 years after the historic Judgement of Paris. The TOR Cabernet was judged to be number one, outscoring legendary Bordeaux châteaux, Napa Valley, and international peers by leading critics and sommeliers. TOR wines, coveted by connoisseurs worldwide, received seven perfect 100-point ratings from leading critics for their 2018 Napa Valley wines.

How does he do it? An iconic winemaker, Kenward has written, taught and lectured on wine most of his adult life. What he is most often asked about are not facts or numbers about his wines, but the stories behind them. These are stories of inspiration and wisdom that shaped his journey. With Kenward’s impressive connection to Napa Valley and his legacy of creating inimitable wines, he has entertaining insights into an often intimidating and complex but highly enjoyable world.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Raj Shah and Christopher Kirchhoff: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War Jul 20, 2024

In an era when America’s chief rival, China, has ordered that all commercial firms within its borders make their research and technology available for military exploitation, strengthening the relationship between Washington and Silicon Valley is an urgent necessity, argue Raj Shah and Christopher Kirchhoff.

They come to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to offer an inside look at an elite unit within the Pentagon—the Defense Innovation Unit, also known as Unit X—whose mission is to bring Silicon Valley’s cutting-edge technology to America’s military. Shah is a technology entrepreneur, venture capitalist and former director of the Defense Innovation Unit; Kirchhoff is the former director of strategic planning for the National Security Council under President Obama and is the co-creator of the Defense Innovation Unit.

Until recently, the Pentagon was known for its uncomfortable relationship with Silicon Valley and for slow-moving processes that acted as a brake on innovation. Unit X was specifically designed as a bridge to Valley technologists that would accelerate bringing state of the art software and hardware to the battle space. Given authority to cut through red tape and function almost as a venture capital firm, Shah, Kirchhoff, and others in the Unit who came after were tasked particularly with meeting immediate military needs with technology from Valley startups rather than from so-called “primes”—behemoth companies like Lockheed, Raytheon, and Boeing.

A vast and largely unseen transformation of how war is fought as profound as the invention of gunpowder or advent of the nuclear age is occurring. Flying cars that can land like helicopters, artificial intelligence-powered drones that can fly into buildings and map their interiors, microsatellites that can see through clouds and monitor rogue missile sites—all these and more are becoming part of America’s DIU-fast-tracked arsenal.

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Advancing the Science: The Latest in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Research Jul 18, 2024

Alzheimer’s is a global health problem, with nearly 7 million people living with the disease in the United States alone. Tremendous gains have been made in the understanding of the science and basic biology underlying Alzheimer’s and other dementias. These advances are leading to great strides in strategies for prevention, detection, diagnostics and therapeutic interventions.

The Alzheimer’s Association is a global leader in research, mobilizing the field to advance the vision of a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. This presentation will include: Highlights in Early Detection and Diagnosis, Latest Advances in Clinical Trials, Treatments and Lifestyle Interventions, Risk Reduction, and Alzheimer’s Association initiatives and how you can get involved.

About the Speaker

Claire Day has been on the staff of the Alzheimer’s Association since 2001. She is the chief program officer at the Northern California and Northern Nevada Chapter and as such oversees all care and support operations and research initiatives. Day is a clinical social worker and in 2018 was appointed the Chapter Lead for the U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Interventions to Reduce Risk in partnership with UC Davis. This is a two-year clinical trial to evaluate whether lifestyle interventions that simultaneously target multiple risk factors protect cognitive function in older adults at increased risk for cognitive decline.

MLF ORGANIZER: Patrick O'Reilly

A Psychology Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Cultivating Creativity for Your Future Jul 17, 2024

Why cultivate creativity? Along with helping us at work and at home, another key reason is to navigate ambiguity and to build a "future-ready mindstate" that can surf the waves of an increasingly chaotic world.

Intense, creative play is what helps create powerful childhood friendships, along with rituals and mechanisms for thriving during a transition to a new environment. For children, it's the transition to adulthood; for adults, it's living in a rapidly changing society in which tools like artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and big data challenge our imagination, our limits and the status quo.

Stanford faculty Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter, along with Google's Creative Skills for Innovation Lab founder Frederik G. Pferdt, have published two inter-related books on applying creativity and design to manage our futures. They're going to lead us in some simple (and playful!) exercises to help us learn some foundational design and creativity skills that might also help us steer our way through a world in flux.

Join us while we re-awakening our ability to be amazed and to be imaginative with the assistance of the top creativity trainers in the world!

MLF ORGANIZER: Eric Siegel

A Personal Growth Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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We Are Home: Who Decides Who Is an “American”? Jul 16, 2024

Immigrants to America have always faced resistance, and have always—over time—assimilated and become vital parts of America. This is a process as old as the nation itself, and it can't be stopped, no matter how many—or how few—new immigrants arrive every year.

Leading into November, many people believe we’re in a particularly fraught political moment where “America First'' is threatening their security, and heating up the 2024 presidential election. So what does it mean to be an immigrant in the 21st century? And who decides who is “American” enough?

“On Shifting Ground” host Ray Suarez has criss-crossed the country to speak to new Americans from all corners of the globe, and to record their stories for his new book. Join us for a special conversation, as Suarez shares what he learned while reporting and writing We Are Home: Becoming American in the 21st Century.

He will be in conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, founder and president of Define American, and veteran journalist Shereen Marisol Meraji, assistant professor at UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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Arthur Goldwag: The Politics of Fear Jul 15, 2024

Some of the conspiracy theories now gripping American politics contend that Joe Biden was executed and replaced by a clone and that John F. Kennedy, Jr., faked his death and will one day return to slay Trump’s enemies. But who is susceptible to them, and what makes them so politically potent?

Investigating the historical roots of our peculiar brand of political paranoia, Arthur Goldwag joins us for a special online-only program to make sense of the senseless and, in so doing, uncover three uncomfortable truths: that it is older than Trumpism and will outlast it; that theocratic authoritarianism is as hardwired in our American heritage as the principles of the Enlightenment; and that the fear that our system is “rigged” is not altogether unfounded. He explored these matters in his surprising and critical examination of America’s paranoid style in his book The Politics of Fear, which sheds new light on the age-old question: What exactly are we so afraid of?

Don’t miss this exploration of the bizarre and dangerous conspiracies that have roiled America over the past decade and captured the minds of so many Americans.

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Brody Mullins: The Secret History of How Big Money Took Over Big Government Jul 14, 2024

On K Street, a few blocks from the White House, you’ll find the offices of some of the most powerful people in Washington. In the 1970s, the city’s center of gravity began to shift away from elected officials in big marble buildings to a handful of savvy, handsomely paid operators who didn’t answer to any fixed constituency.

The cigar-chomping son of a powerful Congressman, an illustrious political fixer with a weakness for modern art, a Watergate-era dirty trickster, the city’s favorite cocktail party host—these were the sorts of people who now ran Washington. Investigative journalist Brody Mullins, working with Luke Mullins, says that over four decades, these lobbyists would chart new ways to turn their clients’ cash into political leverage, abandoning favor-trading in smoke-filled rooms for increasingly sophisticated tactics like “shadow lobbying,” where underground campaigns sparked seemingly organic public outcries to pressure lawmakers into taking actions that would ultimately benefit corporate interests rather than the common good. With billions of dollars at play, these lobbying dynasties enshrined in Washington a pro-business consensus that would guide the country’s political leaders—Democrats and Republicans alike—allowing companies to flourish even as ordinary Americans faced stagnant wages, astronomical drug prices, unsafe home loans and digital monopolies. A good lobbyist could kill even a piece of legislation supported by the president, both houses of Congress, and a majority of Americans.

Yet, nothing lasts forever. Amidst a populist backlash to the soaring inequality these lobbyists helped usher in, this Washington alliance suddenly began to unravel. The Mullins say that while new ways for corporations to control the federal government would emerge, the men who’d once built K Street found themselves under legal scrutiny and on the verge of financial collapse. One had his namesake firm ripped away by his own colleagues. Another watched his business shut down altogether. One went to prison. And one was found dead behind the 18th green of an exclusive golf club, with a bottle of $1,500 wine at his feet and a bullet in his head.

Join us to hear Brody Mullins sketch a dazzling portrait of 50 years of corporate influence in Washington, as laid out in the Mullins’ new book The Wolves of K Street. They trace the rise of the modern lobbying industry through the three dynasties—one Republican, two Democratic—that they say have enabled corporate interests to infiltrate American politics and undermine our democracy.

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2nd Annual San Francisco Pride Human Rights Summit (Afternoon) Jul 13, 2024

Join us in downtown San Francisco for the second annual summit on some of the hottest topics facing the LGBTQIA+ communities.

Robyn Adams, Remembering Nex Benedict

Moderated by: Oliver Elias Tinoco, a queer, undocumented, community youth advocate hailing from South San Francisco by way of Guanajuato, Mexico,

Ewan Barker Plummer, chair of the San Francisco Youth Commission, which advises the Mayor and Board of Supervisors on all issues impacting young San Franciscans.
Daniel Trujillo is 16 years old and loves drawing, playing guitar, bass, and drums, building Lego, and playing in the Tucson Jazz Institute. Daniel recently helped plan a national action in Washington, D.C., called Trans Prom, a creative action by and for trans youth.
Connie Murphy is a trans psychology student and community organizer. She works in youth advocacy and creates environments where queer youths can thrive, most recently organizing LYRIC’s Lavender Ball.
Nano Luksanacom, upcoming senior, Lowell High School
Dr. April Silas, LGBTQIA+ AC
Bia Vieira, CEO, Women’s Foundation California
Roger Doughty, Horizons Foundation
Schuyler Bailar, first openly transgender athlete to compete on an NCAA Division 1 men's team
Suzanne Ford
Michelle Meow

This program is supported by SF Pride.

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2nd Annual San Francisco Pride Human Rights Summit Jul 13, 2024

Join us in downtown San Francisco for the second annual summit on some of the hottest topics facing the LGBTQIA+ communities.

Welcome by San Francisco Human Rights Commission Director Sheryl Davis
Suzanne Ford and Nguyen Pham of SF Pride
California vs Hate, Chhaya Malik, deputy director for dispute resolution, California Civil Rights Department

Morning Keynote:

Honey Mahogany, performer, small business owner and activist
Moderator: Michelle Meow
Lenny Emson (Kyiv Pride)
Charlene Liu (Shanghai Pride)
Nicolas Rodriguez (PRIDE SV - Marcha Por la Diversidad en El Salvador)
Natalie Thompson (Interpride co-president, World Pride DC 2025)

This program is supported by SF Pride.

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CLIMATE ONE: Local Climate Heroes with Project Drawdown Jul 12, 2024

There are climate heroes everywhere among us, but few get the public attention they deserve. Matt Scott, director of storytelling and engagement at Project Drawdown, has been shining a light on the work of such people in cities across the country in his documentary short series “Drawdown’s Neighborhood.”

In Atlanta, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, the San Francisco Bay Area and more, Scott lifts up underrepresented voices of those working directly in their communities on climate issues. This week, we feature some of those voices.

Guests:

Matt Scott, Director of Storytelling & Engagement, Project Drawdown

Grace Anderson, Founder, The Lupine Collaborative

Ashia Ajani, Storyteller, Climate Justice Educator, Mycelium Youth Network

📞 Do you work outside, in a kitchen, in a warehouse, or at other place where you’re feeling the heat? How have rising temperatures impacted the way you work? We want to hear your story. Leave us a voicemail at ‪(650) 382-3869‬ and let us know how climate change is affecting you on the job, and we may use it in an upcoming episode. Thanks for sharing!

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

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How Earth Came Alive! With Ferris Jabr Jul 09, 2024

We, and all living things, are more than inhabitants of Earth—we are Earth! Life and its environment have coevolved for billions of years, transforming a lump of orbiting rock into a cosmic oasis that supports and is shaped by life.. . .

Join acclaimed science writer Ferris Jabr as he reveals a radical new vision of Earth where lush forests spew water, pollen and bacteria to summon rain; giant animals engineer the very landscapes they roam; microscopic plankton, some as glittering as carved jewels, remake the air and sea; and humans alter more layers of the planet in less time than any other species, pushing Earth into a crisis.

Jabr will draw on the work in his new book Becoming Earth, which delves into the hidden workings of our planet and its many lifeforms and invites us to reexamine our place in it. What we do next will determine what kind of Earth our descendants inherit for millennia to come . . .

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Nonprofit Oversight in San Francisco Jul 08, 2024

Some San Francisco nonprofits with city contracts have recently come under fire for their business practices and outcomes. With the city's $1.7 billion portfolio of nonprofit services, a lot is at stake in efforts to maximize return on investment, and produce durable outcomes.

Come listen to an informed dialog between Laura Marshall, citywide nonprofit policy manager at the independent San Francisco Controller’s Office, and Kevin Fagan, seasoned reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle, as we seek to better understand how nonprofit oversight in San Francisco actually works.

About the Speakers

Laura Marshall is the citywide nonprofit policy manager at the San Francisco Controller’s Office, After early work in San Francisco’s nonprofit sector and gaining a Masters in social work at San Francisco State University, Laura quickly identified local government as her preferred venue for helping to improve the lives of the city’s most vulnerable residents. She has worked for the City and County of San Francisco since 2007. Laura’s current role with the San Francisco Controller’s Office allows her to manage a portfolio of projects and initiatives designed to increase the effectiveness of government with a focus on social service programs and the City’s $1.7 billion portfolio of nonprofit services. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Smith College.

Kevin Fagan is a longtime, award-winning reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle, specializing in homelessness, enterprise news-feature writing, breaking news and crime. He has ridden the rails with modern-day hobos, witnessed seven prison executions, and covered disasters ranging from the Sept. 11 terror attacks at Ground Zero to California’s devastating wildfires. Homelessness remains a core focus of his, close to his heart as a journalist who cares passionately about the human condition.

MLF ORGANIZER

Ian McCuaig

A Social Impact Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program contains explicit language.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Six People Who’ve Changed Jobs for Climate Jul 05, 2024

One of the most common questions people ask about climate is: what can I do? Since time is one of our most valuable resources — and we spend so much of our time at work — changing jobs may be the most effective individual climate action a person can take. Those changes could be big or small: Leaving the oil and gas industry for geothermal, or helping to bring down the emissions where you already work.

The truth is, almost any job can be a climate job. But how do people actually make the transition from dirty jobs to clean? What do climate positive job transitions really entail?

Guests:

Caroline Dennett, Director, CLOUT Ltd

Arvind Ravikumar, Co-Director, Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab, University of Texas, Austin

Jennifer Anderson, Carbon Removal Geologist, Charm Industrial

Emma McConville, Development Geoscience Lead at Fervo Energy

Nathanael Johnson, Electrician

📞 Do you work outside, or in a kitchen, a warehouse, or other place where you’re feeling the heat? How have rising temperatures impacted the way you work? We want to hear your story.

Please leave us a voicemail at ‪(650) 382-3869‬ and let us know how climate change is affecting you on the job. We may use it in an upcoming episode. Thanks for sharing!

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

For complete show notes, visit our website.

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The Unforgettable San José Earthquakes: Momentous Stories On and Off the Field Jul 03, 2024

Join us ahead of the San José Earthquakes' epic alumni player-attended California Classico game at Stanford University for an in-depth discussion with Gary Singh, a lifelong fan of the team, as he celebrates the legendary history of the Quakes in his new book, The Unforgettable San Jose Earthquakes: Momentous Stories On & Off the Field.

When the San José Earthquakes first started playing soccer in 1974, no one imagined how their efforts would reverberate 50 years later. The Quakes and their fans have overcome a multitude of issues in the last five decades, including leagues collapsing, attempted rebrandings, local apathy, political indifference and even a franchise relocation, yet they never gave up. While players like Johnny Moore, Chris Wondolowski and Landon Donovan have come and gone—along with coaches, general managers and owners—the multigenerational family this San José team created over the last half century stands as strong as ever.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Mary C. Daly: President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Jul 02, 2024

Mary C. Daly leads the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and will deliver remarks on monetary policy and the economy followed by Q&A. In 2024, Dr. Daly became a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee, the monetary policymaking body of the Federal Reserve System.

Dr. Daly assumed leadership of the San Francisco Fed in October 2018, building on a distinguished career at the Bank that began in 1996. Starting as an economist specializing in labor market dynamics and economic inequality, she has since served as research advisor, vice president and head of macroeconomics, senior vice president and assistant director of research, and executive vice president and director of research.

In Partnership with The San Francisco Press Club.

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Mo Rocca and the Roctogenarians Jul 01, 2024

Eighty has been the new 60 for about 20 years now. In fact, there have always been late-in-life achievers, those who declined to go into decline just because they were eligible for Social Security. Journalist, humorist, and history buff Mo Rocca teamed up with Jonathan Greenberg to introduce us to the people past and present who peaked when they could have been puttering—breaking out as writers, selling out concert halls, attempting to set land-speed records—and in the case of one 90-year-old tortoise, becoming a first-time father. (Take that, Al Pacino!)

Popular “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent and frequent “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” panelist Rocca, author of the bestselling Mobituaries, comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs in San Francisco to share inspiring stories that celebrate the triumphs of people who made their biggest marks late in life.

His new book, Roctogenarians, is a collection of entertaining and unexpected profiles of these unretired titans—some long gone (a cancer-stricken Henri Matisse, who began work on his celebrated cut-outs when he could no longer paint), some very much still living (Rita Moreno, the EGOT who’s still got it). The amazing cast of characters also includes Mary Church Terrell, who at 86 helped lead sit-ins at segregated Washington, D.C., lunch counters in the 1950s, and Carol Channing, who married the love of her life at 82. Then there’s Peter Mark Roget, who began working on his thesaurus in his twenties and completed it at 73 (because sometimes finding the right word takes time.)

With all due respect to the Golden Girls, some people will never be content sitting out on the lanai. (P.S., actor Estelle Getty was 62 when she got her big break. And yes, she’s in the book.)

Don’t miss this inspiring and entertaining evening.

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Nicholas Kristof: On Chasing Hope, A Reporter's Life Jun 30, 2024

Nicholas Kristof has worked almost nonstop for The New York Times as a reporter, foreign correspondent, bureau chief, and now columnist. Join us as he returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs and recounts the event-filled path from a small-town farm in Oregon to every corner of the world.

Kristof, a Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author, has reported from Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, as well as India, Africa and Europe. In the process, he has witnessed and written about century-defining events such as the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, the Yemeni civil war, the Darfur genocide in Sudan, and the wave of addiction and despair that swept through his hometown and a broad swath of working-class America.

Kristof will introduce us to some of the extraordinary people he has met, such as the dissident whom he helped escape from China and a Catholic nun who browbeat a warlord into releasing schoolgirls he had kidnapped. These are the people, the heroes, who have allowed Kristof to remain optimistic even as he witnesses the worst of humanity.

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MSNBC's Ali Velshi: A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy Jun 29, 2024

Small acts of courage matter—and sometimes they change the world. Our history books are filled with the stories of those who fought for democracy and freedom against all odds, from Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. These iconic struggles for social change illustrate the importance of engagement and activism and offer a template for the battles we are fighting today. But using the right words is often easier than taking action; action can be hard, and costly.

More than a century ago, MSNBC host Ali Velshi’s great-grandfather sent his seven-year-old son to live at Tolstoy Farm, Gandhi’s ashram in South Africa. This difficult decision would change the trajectory of his family history forever. From childhood, Velshi’s grandfather was imbued with an ethos of public service and social justice, and a belief in absolute equality among all people―ideals that his children carried forward as they escaped apartheid, emigrating to Kenya and ultimately Canada and the United States.

In Small Acts of Courage, Velshi taps into 125 years of family history to advocate for social justice as a living, breathing experience―a way of life more than an ideology. Join us in-person or online to hear him relate the stories of regular people who made a lasting commitment to fight for change, even when success seemed impossible. Learn how we can breathe new life into the principles of pluralistic democracy.

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CLIMATE ONE: Crude Awakening: Why Ecuador Voted to Stop Drilling in the Amazon Jun 28, 2024

As countries around the world become more serious about reducing carbon emissions to meet international targets, many are still approving new oil and gas projects, committing us to increased global warming. Yet an increasing number of countries are taking a stand to leave those future emissions in the ground, even at the expense of their own profits.

Last year, Ecuadorians voted to halt the development of new oil wells in the Yasuní National Park in the Amazon, keeping around 726 million barrels of oil underground. Meanwhile, Costa Rica and Denmark have created the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance to facilitate the managed phase-out of oil and gas production. And a group of at least 13 countries — including many island nations — but also notable oil and gas-rich countries like Colombia — are calling for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty as a complement to the Paris Agreement. Can more nations set aside valuable profits from fossil fuel resources in favor of our collective desire for a livable climate?

This episode also features a story on Yasuní National Park produced by Mateo Schimpf and reported by Kimberley Brown.

Guests:

Tzeporah Berman, Chair, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty

Kevin Koenig, Climate, Energy, and Extractive Industry Director, Amazon Watch

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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James Rhee and Yul Kwon: Reimagining Leadership and the Social Compact Jun 27, 2024

Join Commonwealth Club World Affairs and Council for Korean Americans for an inspirational and thought-provoking fireside conversation with James Rhee, the acclaimed CEO, investor and national bestselling author of red helicopter – a parable for our times. Rhee is one of the top thought leaders and innovators in leadership, change, and entrepreneurship—his TED Talk and interview with Brené Brown about his shocking and transformative tenure as the CEO of Ashley Stewart, a business with deep roots in the African American community, have captured the imagination of millions.

Rhee is changing hearts and minds about the role of kindness and math in our society, including the workplace. For his efforts, he earned an unprecedented appointment at Howard University, where he serves as the Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship. Rhee also holds appointments at MIT Sloan School of Management and Duke Law School. He was elected to serve in the inaugural class of Ashoka E-to-E Fellows and was recently honored as the recipient of 2023 Council of Korean Americans Trailblazer. He continues to serve on the boards of Xponance and JP Morgan Chase Advancing Black Pathways.

In conversation with Yul Kwon, CKA board member and vice president of product management at Google, Rhee will discuss the themes and predictions underlying his book, which made its debut as USA Today’s #7 overall book across all formats and channels. He will also discuss red helicopter’s rapid global expansion (the Korean translation will be finished later this year) and the adaptation of the operating system into music, curricula, and film.

This program is presented in partnership with the Council of Korean Americans.

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"AfroSolo Theatre Company’s ""Standing Tall"": A Celebration of Black Resilience Jun 26, 2024

Join us live for an informative, inspiring and uplifting special event!

Juneteenth (June 19) is the federal holiday (beginning in 2021) commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Honoring Juneteenth, join us for “Standing Tall": A Celebration of Black Resilience Through Solo Performances presented by The AfroSolo Theatre Company. "Standing Tall” is an evening of performances with theater, dance, music and historical-based content that delve into the extraordinary resilience of Black men, navigating the challenges and triumphs unique to the Black male experience.

Hosted by Mistress of Ceremony Monetta White, executive director and CEO of the Museum of the African Diaspora (MOAD).

AfroSolo Theatre Company is committed to amplifying Black voices and narratives through solo performances, creating transformative experiences that resonate across diverse audiences.

Featured PerformancesAlgerion "KTG" Bryant II premieres "Standing Tall," a dance work reflecting the communal power of art and personal resilience.

Peter Fitzsimmons presents a narrative and slide presentation, delving into the glorious history of San Francisco's Fillmore District, the Harlem of the West.

Ranzel Merritt performs "Supreme: Tribute to John Coltrane," captivating audiences with his saxophone skills and musical prowess.

Marcus J. Paige performs "There Is No Hatred Here," a solo work exploring the Civil Rights Movement through seven compelling characters.

MLF ORGANIZER

Dr. Anne W. Smith

An Arts Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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Losing My Religion: NPR’s Sarah McCammon on EXvangelicals in Trump's America Jun 25, 2024

Despite his many alleged improprieties, no group has been more intensely and closely aligned with Donald Trump than white evangelical Christians—some even going so far as to elevate him to the status of "savior." Yet, just as Trump fractured political norms, his presidency has splintered white evangelical families with a reactionary movement of people leaving the church: EXvangelicals.

Drawing on her own personal religious journey, NPR reporter Sarah McCammon is a guide to understanding the immense support for Trump among white evangelical Christians, the backlash among former believers, and what this tells us about a divided America and the culture wars.

After spending her early adult life striving to make sense of an unraveling worldview, by her 30s, she found herself face-to-face with it once again as she covered the Trump campaign for NPR, where she witnessed first-hand the power and influence that evangelical Christian beliefs held on the political right. Growing up in a deeply evangelical family in the Midwest in the ‘80s and ‘90s, McCammon was strictly taught to fear God, obey him, and not question the faith. Persistently worried that her gay grandfather would go to hell unless she could reach him, or that her Muslim friend would need to be converted, McCammon was a rule-follower and—most of the time—a true believer. But through it all, she was increasingly plagued by fears and deep questions as the belief system she'd been carefully taught clashed with her expanding understanding of the outside world.

Part memoir, part investigative journalism, McCammon’s The Exvangelicals is the first definitive book to explore the cultural, social and political impact of the post-evangelical movement.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Renée DiResta: The Invisible Rulers Turning Lies Into Reality Jun 23, 2024

Just what is the machinery that powers hugely influential propaganda? How does it work? Who’s behind it? And what can people do about it?

Renée DiResta, a writer and former researcher with Stanford’s Internet Observatory, comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to share her research into the way power and influence have been profoundly transformed, how a virtual rumor mill of niche propagandists increasingly shapes public opinion. She says that while propagandists position themselves as trustworthy Davids, their reach, influence, and economics make them classic Goliaths—invisible rulers who create bespoke realities to revolutionize politics, culture, and society. Their work is driven by a simple maxim: if you make it trend, you make it true.

By revealing the machinery and dynamics of the interplay between influencers, algorithms, and online crowds, DiResta vividly illustrates the way propagandists deliberately undermine belief in the fundamental legitimacy of institutions that make society work. This alternate system for shaping public opinion, unexamined until now, is rewriting the relationship between the people and their government in profound ways. It has become a force so shockingly effective that its destructive power can seem limitless. Scientific proof is often powerless in front of it. Democratic validity is bulldozed by it. Leaders are humiliated by it.

But they need not be. Join us as DiResta not only predicts the consequences of these online propagandists but offers ways for leaders to rapidly adapt and fight back.

NOTE: This Podcast contains Explicit content.

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CLIMATE ONE: Climate Policy Wonk Turned Indie Pop Star: AJR’s Adam Met Jun 21, 2024

Adam Met is a behind-the-scenes climate policy powerhouse. He also happens to be the bass player in the award winning indie pop group AJR. During Met’s time away from touring the world and rocking the bass in front of thousands of fans, he and the team at Planet Reimagined, the thought and action tank Met founded, set out on a cross country listening tour in order to better understand how to create bipartisan climate policy.

What they came up with is a plan to help renewable energy projects get built on land that has already been approved for fossil fuel projects, thus cutting down on the time and red tape required to get the projects up and running. Met also works with organizations like REVERB to help decarbonize the concert experience.

Guests:

Adam Met, Founder, Planet Reimagined, Bass Player, AJR

Lara Seaver, Director of Projects, REVERB

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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India’s Search for Major Power Status Jun 20, 2024

In 2022, India surpassed the United Kingdom as the fifth largest economy in the world. Since the 1990s, a series of U.S. presidents and secretaries of state have acclaimed India as a rising major power that deserves to be recognized as a lead actor in the international arena.

T.V. Paul, an international relations professor at McGill University, explores in his new book The Unfinished Quest the key motivations driving Indian leaders to enhance India's global status and power, but also on the many constraints that have hindered its progress. Paul's analysis of India's quest for status also sheds important light for understanding the China-India rivalry, as well as India's relative position in the broader Indo-Pacific theater.

Join us for a special online-only program to hear Paul’s sweeping account of India's uneven rise in the global system. Whether India can be a "swing power" able to mitigate China's aggressive rise depends on its relative power position in that theater and its own evolution as an inclusive, tolerant democracy that can develop and utilize its most priced asset, the demographic dividend, says Paul.

MLF ORGANIZER

Dr. Kalidip Choudhury, Ph.D.

An Asia-Pacific Affairs Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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Burned Out? This Is The Way Out! Jun 19, 2024

Is hustling and grinding to “do it all” doing you in? Are you feeling fried and frayed, with a short fuse, low energy, and troubled sleep? Can't remember what you used to enjoy? But quitting your job doesn't feel like an option, and who has the energy and time to learn new coping skills or plan an escape? You’re not alone. Burnout is the modern epidemic, with an estimated 82 percent of American employees at risk in 2024.

That's why the Club chose Cara Houser, who was a high-performing executive running major real estate development projects while raising two kids, to talk about real burnout solutions for real people. In her first career, Houser spent 20 years learning how to thrive in the 24/7, always-on real estate development business. Her teams produced more than 3,000 homes in the San Francisco Bay Area, creating over $1.5 billion in value. Trying to be everything to everyone (except herself), she hit the wall and burned out, badly.

Houser has now spent years focusing on what can be done to help people in burnout. She constructed a practical and inspiring guidebook that works for people who are so burned out that they don't have the emotional, physical, or financial resilience to follow the usual Internet tips of "relax, learn yoga, go for a run, brainstorm your ideal job."

That's what makes her approach so refreshing and useful. It meets you where you are: with barely enough energy to get through the day and zero interest in adding more expensive "self-care" to your overflowing to-do list. Houser says her realistic, no-fluff roadmap guides you step by step out of burnout and into creating a vibrant, joyful, fulfilling life.

Did you know that one of the ingredients for healing from burnout is enlivening experiences and supportive connections? Join us for an engaging, interactive program, with Cara Houser. You’ll leave feeling energized, inspired, resourced, and ready to chart a new course that lights you up. The world needs your spark, and your time to shine is now.

MLF ORGANIZER: Eric Siegel

A Personal Growth Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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Autonomous Vehicles and the City 2024 Jun 15, 2024

Join us for an afternoon focused on automation and innovation for public good.

Autonomous vehicles have the potential to revolutionize transportation in our cities, offering increased accessibility and efficiency in our urban transport systems. The 8th Autonomous Vehicles and the City symposium at The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California will feature global discussions from senior executives and experts across the AV industry and the public sector. From integrating automation and AI within public transit systems to optimizing resources like curbs and city rights-of-way for autonomous vehicle operations to reduce vehicle miles traveled, the conference will touch on the variety of ways AV platforms are being used to serve diverse populations and help global cities meet climate goals.

Speakers and Moderators

Dr. William (Billy) Riggs, Professor, University of San Francisco; Director, Autonomous Vehicles & the City Initiative

Dr. Otgontsetseg Erhemjamts, Dean, School of Management, University of San Francisco

Sharon Giovinazzo, CEO, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired San Francisco

Mollie Cohen D'Agostino, Executive Director, Mobility Science, Automation and Inclusion Center (MoSAIC) at UC Davis

Arielle Fleisher, Policy Development and Research Manager at Waymo

Brook Dubose, Associate Principal and Cities, Planning & Design Leader at Arup

Dr. Henriette Cornet, Professor, University of San Francisco; Strategic Mobility Consultant

Tim Haile, Executive Director, Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA)

Dr. James Fishelson, Executive Director, PATH at UC Berkeley

Dr. Sven Beiker, Managing Director, Silicon Valley Mobility; Lecturer, Stanford University

Ron Thaniel, Senior Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Zoox

Dr. Michael Goldman, Professor, University of San Francisco; Associate Dean of Graduate Programs

Hosted by the University of San Francisco School of Management. In partnership with The Commonwealth Club of California

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CLIMATE ONE: Adulting in Turbulent Times Jun 14, 2024

Acting like a responsible adult can be challenging at the best of times. Add dealing with climate chaos to the mix, and keeping it all together can feel like an outright miracle.

Let’s start by acknowledging that all does not feel fine in the world at the present moment. But living through extreme intensity isn’t a completely unique experience. Generations before us have endured existential crises of unimaginable magnitudes.

So how do we navigate this period of uncertainty — regardless of our age? And what tools can we use to build resilience in the midst of what feels like a lot?

Guests:

Emily Raboteau, Author, “Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against ‘The Apocalypse’”

Ana Alanis, Founder, Hungry for Climate Action

Andrew Bryant, Co-Director, North Seattle Therapy & Counseling

Join Climate One and Project Drawdown's Matt Scott live in San Francisco on June 25!

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Alcatraz: The Last Escape Jun 11, 2024

It is an enduring mystery whether Frank Morris, and brothers John and Clarence Anglin, escaped from Alcatraz prison on June 11, 1962. It is widely believed that they succumbed to the waters of San Francisco Bay, though no trace of the men has ever been found―only their makeshift raft. In this reexamination of the escape and its aftermath, Ken Widner presents compelling evidence that his two Anglin uncles did in fact survive and eventually made their way to Brazil, where they married and had children―evidence which corroborates the stories he heard about his uncles while growing up.

Widner and Mike Lynch make a strong case for the Anglin brothers’ survival using official government documents showing how mobster Mickey Cohen may have been involved in their escape, revealing letters from fellow inmate Whitey Bulger, and recorded testimony from the person who facilitated their escape to Brazil. In addition, there is a 1975 photograph of the brothers in Brazil which has overcome all challenges to its authenticity by skeptics.

Join us for a fascinating deep-dive into Bay Area history.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola Story Jun 09, 2024

Francis Ford Coppola is one of American films’ most dramatic director-dreamers, and his most transformative dream has been American Zoetrope, the production company he founded in San Francisco when he was only 30 years old―years before his gargantuan successes. Through Zoetrope’s experimental, communal utopia, Coppola attempted to reimagine the entire pursuit of moviemaking. Now, more than 50 years later, despite myriad setbacks, Coppola’s dream persists, as demonstrated by the culmination of his utopian ideals: the anticipated release in 2024 of his decades-in-the-making film Megalopolis.

As Sam Wasson makes clear, the story of Zoetrope includes the story of Coppola’s wife Eleanor, and of their children, whose personal lives are as inseparable from their artistic passions as Coppola's is. Wasson also charts the divergent paths of Coppola and his cofounder and onetime apprentice, George Lucas, and of their very different visions of art and commerce. And of course Wasson weighs in on the making of one of the greatest quixotic masterpieces ever attempted, Apocalypse Now, and on what Coppola found in the jungles of the Philippines when he walked the razor’s edge.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Kenneth Walsh: The Architects of Toxic Politics in America Jun 08, 2024

How did politics become so poisonous in America? Journalist Kenneth Walsh articulates the unique character of the current political moment, and the forces that have created it, by comparing and contrasting the Trump and Biden presidencies with administrations of the past.

Walsh also profiles some of the key political “attack dogs” who have shaped the modern landscape: the campaign strategists, activists, and media figures who have played outsized roles in political campaigns. Drawing on his long career as a journalist specializing in presidential coverage, Walsh argues that due to the complex, often conflicting nature of American government, the angriest, most decisive voices can command media, voter, and legislative attention and thereby maintain and consolidate their power. This results in frustration, alienation, and cynicism, and ultimately a diminishment of voter participation that can reinforce this vicious cycle and lead to electoral disaster.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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CLIMATE ONE: Rekindling Our Relationship With Wildfire Jun 07, 2024

Summer means peak wildfire season. And recently, we’ve seen some of the most destructive wildfires in recorded history. For years the message around fire has been: no fire is good.

But increasingly, we’re starting to fight fire with fire. Prescribed burns may help prevent large, catastrophic wildfires. While using fire as a tool to manage the forest may be a relatively new concept to some, Indigenous communities have used fire to manage their environment for thousands of years. Is it time to rethink our relationship with wildfire?

Guests:

Susan Prichard, Fire Ecologist, University of Washington School of Environmental and Forest Sciences

Ana Alanis, Founder, Hungry for Climate Action

Nick Mott, Multimedia journalist

Frank Kanawha Lake, Research Ecologist and Tribal Liaison, USDA Forest Service

This episode was supported by the Resources Legacy Fund.

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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The Future of Health Care Is Unfolding—and Nursing and Public Health Are Leading the Way Jun 04, 2024

Evidence indicates that while health-care spending in the United States is the highest in the world, people in the United States experience the worst health outcomes of any high-income nation overall. Americans are more likely to die younger, and from avoidable causes, than residents of peer countries. The U.S health-care system is characterized by fragmented organization and financing, inadequate access to care, rising health-care costs and inefficient use of resources, high utilization of medical technology, inconsistent quality and pervasive inequity, and limited public health infrastructure. The overall emphasis is on providing care during illness rather than developing and maintaining health.

Nursing and public health are working to change this by educating a workforce dedicated to developing and supporting health for individuals, families, communities, and populations, by concentrating on physical, mental, and spiritual health and the environments where people live, work and play.

And don't miss our post-program reception.

MLF ORGANIZER

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

A Health & Medicine Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is generously supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Support provided by USF School of Nursing and Health Professions.

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Sal Khan: How AI Will Revolutionize Education Jun 03, 2024

Whether we like it or not, the AI revolution is coming to education. The founder of Khan Academy returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs for a first look at how the artificial intelligence revolution will affect education, its implications for parenting, and how we can best harness its power for good.

Khan will draw on his work in his new book Brave New Words to explore how artificial intelligence and GPT technology will transform learning, and he’ll offer a road map for teachers, parents, and students to navigate this exciting (and sometimes intimidating) new world.

A pioneer in the field of education technology, Khan examines the ins and outs of these cutting-edge tools and how they will revolutionize the way we learn and teach. He says AI can personalize learning by adapting to each student’s individual pace and style, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, and offering tailored support and feedback to complement traditional classroom instruction. Khan emphasizes that embracing AI in education is not about replacing human interaction but enhancing it with customized and accessible learning tools that encourage creative problem-solving skills and prepare students for an increasingly digital world.

But Khan’s message is not just about technology—it’s about what this technology means for our society, and the practical implications for administrators, guidance counselors, and hiring managers who can harness the power of AI in education and the workplace. Hear about the ethical and social implications of AI and GPT, with thoughtful insights into how we can use these tools to build a more accessible education system for students around the world.

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CLIMATE ONE: You Gonna Finish That? Saving Good Food from Going Bad May 31, 2024

Globally, one-third of food produced every year is wasted. That’s enough to feed about 2 billion people — twice the number of people who are undernourished. The global food system also accounts for a whopping one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. These two problems — waste and emissions — are intricately linked: Climate disruption exacerbates food insecurity. And industrial food production contributes to the climate crisis. When food is wasted, it’s also a waste of land, water and energy.

In this episode, we talk with experts about how to fix the broken system and hear from some of the people on the ground recovering food before it goes to waste. How can we address both climate and food insecurity at the same time?

Guests:

Dawn King, Senior Lecturer, Brown University

Lisa Moon, CEO, The Global FoodBanking Network

Norma Alonso, ABACO, Cooperation Manager

James Leyson, Managing Director for Global Impact and Operations, Scholars of Sustenance

This episode also features a news story produced by Harvest Public Media contributor Peter Medlin, a reporter with WNIJ Northern Public Radio.

It's time for our annual spring appeal! At Climate One, we believe in the power of open conversations to drive positive change. Through our thought-provoking discussions and interviews, we strive not only to raise awareness of climate issues and solutions, but to also empower individuals — like each of our valued listeners — to take tangible steps toward a more sustainable future.

You can show your support for Climate One by contributing to our spring fundraising campaign.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Jen Psaki with Dan Pfeiffer: Lessons from the White House May 29, 2024

Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki knows it’s the follow-up questions that can be the most difficult to handle. When she was asked “Why do wars start?” by one of her children, she carefully explained and then got a follow up: “Have you ever seen a unicorn?”

Not many White House press secretaries capture the nation’s interest the way Jen Psaki did. Refreshingly candid and clear, Psaki quickly became known for her ability to break through the noise and successfully deliver her message. Since leaving the White House, Psaki’s star has continued to rise. She launched a highly rated show on MSNBC and was so successful that in just six months she was given an additional primetime Monday slot, ahead of Rachel Maddow.

Psaki comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to discuss the issues raised in her new book Say More. In it, Psaki explains her straightforward approach to communication, walking people through difficult conversations as well as moments where humor saves the day—whether it is with preschoolers, partners or presidents. She addresses the best ways to give and receive feedback, how to connect with your audience, how to listen actively, and much more.

She’ll be in conversation with another veteran of the high-stakes world of White House communications, President Obama’s White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer.

Don’t miss this chance to hear the lessons learned behind the most famous podium in the world.

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'My Octopus Teacher''s Craig Foster: Finding the Wild in a Tame World May 28, 2024

“An important book that will transform how we think about being human. . . . that will inspire hope.”—Jane Goodall

Many people in today’s world seek to reclaim the soul-deepening wildness that grounds them and energizes them when so much of the modern world seems designed to tame them. In his thrilling memoir of a life spent exploring the most incredible places on Earth—from the Great African Seaforest to the crocodile lairs of the Okavango Delta—Craig Foster reveals how people can attend to the earthly beauty around them and deepen their love for all living things, whether they make their homes in the country, the city or anywhere in between.

Foster will draw on the work he put into his new book, Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World. In it, he explores his struggles to remain present to life when a disconnection from nature and the demands of his professional life begin to deaden his senses. And his own reliance on nature’s rejuvenating spiritual power is put to the test when catastrophe strikes close to home

Foster is one of the world’s leading natural history filmmakers and won the 2021 Academy Award for Best Documentary for My Octopus Teacher.

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Nellie Bowles: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History May 26, 2024

When the revolution comes . . . what next?

As a Hillary voter, New York Times reporter, and frequenter of her local gay bars, Nellie Bowles fit right in with her San Francisco neighbors and friends—until she started questioning whether the progressive movement she knew and loved was actually helping people. When her colleagues suggested that asking such questions meant she was “on the wrong side of history,” Bowles did what any reporter worth her salt would do: she started investigating for herself. The answers she found were stranger—and funnier—than she expected.

In her new book Morning After the Revolution, Bowles gives readers a front-row seat to the absurd drama of a political movement gone mad. With irreverent accounts of attending a multi-day course on “The Toxic Trends of Whiteness,” following the social justice activists who run “Abolitionist Entertainment LLC,” and trying to please The New York Times’s “disinformation czar,” she deftly exposes the more comic excesses of a movement that went from a sideshow to the very center of American life.

Join us as Bowles shares her funny and painfully insightful look at “a moment of collective psychosis preserved in amber.”

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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15th Annual Mineta National Transportation Policy Summit—Beyond the Pump: Rethinking Transportation Funding Without the Fuel Tax May 25, 2024

While the climate benefits from booming electric vehicle sales, the nation’s transportation system faces an unfortunate predicament: less gasoline and diesel purchased means dwindling fuel tax revenue. Fuel tax revenue provides a core funding source for operating, maintaining, and improving transportation systems, so policymakers must find a replacement as soon as possible.

This event explores such options as mileage fees, higher annual vehicle fees, or abandoning the user-pay principle and relying on general fund revenue.

This program is supported by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University.

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CLIMATE ONE: Staycation: All I Ever Wanted May 24, 2024

Summer is coming soon, and for many that means vacation. While traveling far and wide can be an amazing experience, the carbon cost of traveling is significant. But what if we could rekindle a sense of awe in our own neighborhoods?

After years of extreme expeditions all over the world, adventurer Alastair Humphreys spent a year exploring the detailed local map around his home. His new book “Local” is an ode to slowing down, as well as a rallying cry to protect the wild places on our doorstep.

This episode also features field reporting from Producers Austin Colón and Megan Biscieglia.

Guest:

Alastair Humphreys, Author, adventurer

It's time for our annual spring appeal! At Climate One, we believe in the power of open conversations to drive positive change. Through our thought-provoking discussions and interviews, we strive not only to raise awareness of climate issues and solutions, but to also empower individuals — like each of our valued listeners — to take tangible steps toward a more sustainable future.

You can show your support for Climate One by contributing to our spring fundraising campaign.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate Vanguard: Youth-Powered Litigation at Our Children's Trust May 23, 2024

Our Children’s Trust (OCT) was founded in 2010 on the idea that courts are vital to democracy and empowered to protect our children and the planet. Without a stable climate system, every natural resource we rely upon to exercise our basic human rights—life, liberty, home, happiness—is under threat.

In this conversation, you'll hear from Mat dos Santos, OCT's co-executive director, and two youth plaintiffs about how Our Children's Trust is changing the conversation around climate by activating the courts in the face of political gridlock. Last year, OCT represented 169 young plaintiffs globally in landmark cases such as Juliana v. U.S. and Held v. State of Montana—the first cases, worldwide, to recognize the right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life, and to enshrine science-based protections for children’s fundamental rights into law. On June 1, 2022, 14 youth in Hawai'i filed a constitutional climate lawsuit against the State of Hawai'i claiming that their operation of a transportation system that results in high levels of greenhouse gas emissions violates their state constitutional rights, causing them significant harm and impacting their ability to “live healthful lives in Hawai'i now and into the future.” The youth seek to ensure the Hawai'i Department of Transportation steps up to meet the state legislature’s goal to decarbonize Hawai'is economy and achieve a zero emissions economy by 2045.

In coordination with more than 50 prominent scientists, including Nobel Prize laureates, OCT also presented legal and scientific analyses on climate change impacts to various international and regional tribunals, including the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child, U.N. Special Rapporteur for Human Rights and the Environment, U.N. Special Rapporteur in the Field of Cultural Rights, European Court of Human Rights, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

MLF ORGANIZER

Andrew Dudley

A People & Nature Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Karen Valby and Karlya Shelton-Benjamin: The Swans of Harlem May 22, 2024

Learn about the forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas and their 50-year sisterhood, a legacy unknown—until now.

At the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Lydia Abarca was a Black prima ballerina with a major international dance company—the Dance Theatre of Harlem, a troupe of women and men who became each other’s chosen family. She was the first Black company ballerina on the cover of Dance magazine, an Essence cover star; she was cast in The Wiz and in a Bob Fosse production on Broadway. She performed in some of ballet’s most iconic works with other trailblazing ballerinas, including the young women who became her closest friends—founding Dance Theatre of Harlem members Gayle McKinney-Griffith and Sheila Rohan, as well as first-generation dancers Karlya Shelton and Marcia Sells.

These Swans of Harlem performed for the Queen of England, Mick Jagger, and Stevie Wonder, on the same bill as Josephine Baker, at the White House, and beyond. But decades later there was almost no record of their groundbreaking history to be found.

Out of a sisterhood that had grown even deeper with the years, these Swans joined forces again—to share their story with the world.

Join us for a lively discussion revealing the glamour and grit of professional ballet, a riveting account of five extraordinarily accomplished women, a celebration of both their historic careers and the sustaining, grounding power of female friendship—and a window into the robust history of Black ballet, hidden for too long.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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Sarah Thornton with Michael Lewis: Myths and Misconceptions About Breasts May 22, 2024

An innovative investigation of the five strange worlds that worship women’s chests.

After years of biopsies, sociologist and bestselling author Sarah Thornton made the difficult decision to have a double mastectomy. But, after her reconstructive surgery, she was perplexed: What had she lost? And gained? An experienced sleuth, she resolved to venture behind the scenes to uncover the social and cultural significance of breasts.

Join us in person or online as Thornton talks with Michael Lewis and draws on what she learned from latest book, which excavates the diverse truths of mammary glands from the strip club to the operating room, from the nation’s oldest human milk bank to the fit rooms of bra designers. Thornton has insights from plastic surgeons, lactation consultants, body-positive witches, lingerie models, and “free the nipple” activists to explore the status of breasts as emblems of femininity. She examines how women’s chests have become a billion-dollar business, as well as a stage for debates about race, class, gender and desire.

Blending sociology, reportage, and personal narrative with refreshing optimism and wit, Thornton has one overriding ambition―to liberate breasts from what she says are centuries of patriarchal prejudice.

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Sean Carroll: Exploring Quanta and Fields May 21, 2024

Ready for an adventure into the “bare stuff of reality”?

Join us for a special online program when theoretical physicist Sean Carroll returns to the Club on the occasion of the publication of his new book Quanta and Fields, the second book of his internationally acclaimed series The Biggest Ideas in the Universe. Quantum field theory is how modern physics describes nature at its most profound level. Starting with the basics of quantum mechanics itself, Carroll explains measurement and entanglement before explaining how the world is really made of fields.

Why is matter solid? Why is there antimatter? Where do the sizes of atoms come from? And why are the predictions of quantum field theory so spectacularly successful? Carroll explains fundamental ideas like spin, symmetry, Feynman diagrams, and the Higgs mechanism are explained.

Sean Carroll is creating a new approach to sharing physics with a broad audience, one that goes beyond analogies to show how physicists really think. He cuts to the bare mathematical essence of our most profound theories, explaining every step in a uniquely accessible way.

In association with Wonderfest.

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Natalie Foster with Darrick Hamilton: The Guarantee May 20, 2024

Can you imagine an America where housing, health care, a college education, dignified work, family care, an inheritance, and an income floor are not only attainable by all but guaranteed, by our government, for everyone? But isn’t this pie-in-the-sky thinking? Not by a long shot, according to Natalie Foster, co-founder of the Economic Security Project. She says our current economic system is chock full of government-backed guarantees, from bailouts to bankruptcy protection, to keep the private sector in business. So why can’t the same be true for the rest of us?

Her vision for a new American Guarantee is rooted in real-life experiences, collaborations with some of today’s most important activists and visionaries, and a concrete sense of the policies that are possible—and ready to implement—in 21st-century America.

Natalie Foster joins with Dr. Darrick Hamilton, economics professor at The New School for Social Research, to discuss shifting the debate about our shared economic system.

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Batya Ungar-Sargo: The Working Class and the American Dream May 18, 2024

Who is the American working class? Do they still have a fair shot at the American Dream? What do they think about their chances to secure the hallmarks of a middle-class life?

Newsweek’s Batya Ungar-Sargon visited states across the nation to speak with members of the American working-class fighting tooth and nail to survive. In her new book Second Class, working-class Americans of all races, political orientations, and occupations share their stories—cleaning ladies, health care aides, police officers, truck drivers, fast food workers, electricians, and more. In their own words, these working-class Americans told Ungar-Sargon the struggles and triumphs of their increasingly precarious lives, as well as what policies they think would improve them. Ungar-Sargon’s reporting and research on America’s emergent class divide reveals people for whom the most basic elements of a secure and stable life are increasingly out of reach for those without a college education.

She says America has broken its contract with its laboring class. So, how do we get back to the American Dream? How do we once again become the land of opportunity, the promised land where hard work and commitment to family are enough to protect you from poverty? Ungar-Sargon says all it would take is for those in power to once again respect the dignity of work—and the American worker.

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CLIMATE ONE: Fighting Fossil Fuels in the Courts and on the Ballot May 17, 2024

At age 9, Nalleli Cobo, suffering headaches, heart palpitations, nosebleeds, and body spasms, became an activist, driven to fighting to close the local oil well responsible for her ailments. In 2022, at age 20, she won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for her work shutting down toxic wells throughout the Los Angeles region. The same year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law prohibiting such neighborhood wells. Then Big Oil bankrolled a referendum on the matter for the November 2024 ballot, putting the restrictions Cobo fought so hard for on hold.

Also in California, State Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against five of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, along with the lobbying organization American Petroleum Institute, for willfully misleading the public about climate change. This week we explore two methods of challenging fossil fuels: in the courts and on the ballot.

Guests:

Nalleli Cobo, Cofounder, People Not Pozos

Rob Bonta, California Attorney General

It's time for our annual spring appeal! At Climate One, we believe in the power of open conversations to drive positive change. Through our thought-provoking discussions and interviews, we strive not only to raise awareness of climate issues and solutions, but to also empower individuals — like each of our valued listeners — to take tangible steps toward a more sustainable future.

You can show your support for Climate One by contributing to our spring fundraising campaign.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ari Berman: Minority Rule and Resisting the Right-Wing Attack on Democracy May 15, 2024

“The will of the people,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1801, “is the only legitimate foundation of any government.” But that foundation is crumbling.

Join us as journalist Ari Berman describes what he calls a decades-long effort by reactionary white conservatives to undermine democracy and entrench their power―and the movement to stop them.

The mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, represented an extreme form of the central danger facing American democracy today: a blatant disregard for the will of the majority. But this crisis didn’t begin or end with Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Through voter suppression, election subversion, gerrymandering, dark money, the takeover of the courts, and the whitewashing of history, Berman says reactionary white conservatives have strategically entrenched power in the face of a massive demographic and political shift. He has followed these efforts, chronicling how a wide range of antidemocratic tactics interact with profound structural inequalities in institutions like the Electoral College, the Senate, and the Supreme Court to threaten the survival of representative government in America.

Some counter-majoritarian measures were deliberately built into the Constitution, but Berman says they have metastasized to a degree that the Founding Fathers could never have anticipated, undermining the very notion of “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Don’t miss his talk on the long history of the conflict between white supremacy and multiracial democracy that has reached a fever pitch today―while also telling the inspiring story of resistance to these regressive efforts.

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CLIMATE ONE: Big Plastic: The New Big Oil May 10, 2024

Plastics are everywhere. And while we’ve known for a long time that plastics and our environment aren’t a good mix, it's becoming apparent that they’re massive climate polluters too. The production of plastics alone produces about 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. After what is often a single use, the resulting waste continues releasing the greenhouse gasses ethylene and methane as it breaks apart.

Yet, as petrochemical companies pay lip service ending fuel production, they are pouring resources into plastics production. How do we wrap up our reliance on plastics?

Guests:

Diane Wilson, Founder and Director, San Antonio Bay Waterkeeper

Jane Patton, U.S. Fossil Economy Campaign Manager, Center for International Environmental Law

Susannah Scott, Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara

Alexis Jackson, Ocean Policy and Plastics Lead, California Chapter, The Nature Conservancy

It's time for our annual spring appeal! At Climate One, we believe in the power of open conversations to drive positive change. Through our thought-provoking discussions and interviews, we strive not only to raise awareness of climate issues and solutions, but to also empower individuals — like each of our valued listeners — to take tangible steps toward a more sustainable future.

You can show your support for Climate One by contributing to our spring fundraising campaign.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Week to Week Political Roundtable: February 22, 2024 May 08, 2024

As usual with Week to Week, our panelists will discuss the latest political developments in an informed, civil (and fun) manner.

See other upcoming Week to Week political roundtables, as well as audio and video of past Week to Week programs.

This program contains EXPLICIT content.

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Philippines–U.S. Relations: Evolving Opportunities and Challenges May 07, 2024

The Philippines has traditionally been seen as a gateway to Southeast Asia and a strong ally of the United States in the Pacific. The country’s natural beauty and endowment have attracted many to its shores but have brought opportunities and challenges to the nation as well.

Learn about its continued march toward economic development and as an archipelagic nation in a sea of warring interests, as we engage Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer in a discussion.

MLF ORGANIZER: Kalidip Choudhury

An Asia-Pacific Affairs Member-led Forum program. Forums and chapters at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Jonathan Haidt with Tristan Harris: The Anxious Generation and the Epidemic of Childhood Mental Illness May 06, 2024

After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on most measures. Why?

In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt says the “play-based childhood” began to decline in the 1980s, and it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the “phone-based childhood” in the early 2010s. He presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this “great rewiring of childhood” has interfered with children’s social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences for themselves, their families, and their societies.

Most important, Haidt offers a clear call to action. Join us as he describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood.

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Youth Talk: Are We Too Polarized to Govern? The Importance of Working Across Political Divides May 05, 2024

How can young voters navigate a divided political landscape? Should we be afraid of this upcoming election cycle? Is our democracy falling apart? How can we save it?

The events of January 6, 2021, epitomized the destructive effects of extreme polarization in politics. As we move into our next election cycle, where the two leading presidential candidates are once again Joe Biden and Donald Trump, many young voters are facing—and fearing—existential questions about our democracy, in what experts say is the United States’s most divided political landscape ever.

“Are We Too Polarized to Govern?” presents accomplished Gen Z leaders who are working to foster bipartisan solutions to the toxic polarization that is causing so much anxiety for young people. The program will be led by UC Berkeley Political Science Professor Darren Zook and will feature Alia Braley, Cal Ph,D, candidate and author of the recent article, “Why Voters Who Support Democracy Participate in Democratic Backsliding”; Alexandra Leal Silva, associate at California Common Cause and host of the podcast “Democracy Is”; and Saanvi Arora, UC Berkeley student and director at the Youth Power Project. Panelists will discuss how and why we can exist and communicate in a diverse civil society and explore ways that young people can use their power to overcome political divides to strengthen and rebuild our democracy for the next generation.

This event is part of the Creating Citizens Speaker Series at UC Berkeley, a partnership between Commonwealth Club World Affairs, the Associated Students of the University of California Vote Coalition, and the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement. The series gives UC Berkeley students and community members opportunities to listen to and ask questions of leading minds in politics, media and education as they learn how to become better, more involved citizens. We look forward to welcoming community members and students from around the Bay Area to participate in this riveting conversation and to join us for future programs in the Creating Citizens Speaker Series.

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s civics education initiative, Creating Citizens.

This program contains EXPLICIT content.

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Annie Jacobsen - Nuclear War May 04, 2024

Would you even have time to duck and cover?

There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in a matter of hours: nuclear war. And one of the triggers for that war would be a nuclear missile inbound toward the United States.

Every generation, a journalist has looked deep into the heart of the nuclear military establishment: the technologies, the safeguards, the plans, and the risks. These investigations are vital to how we understand the world we really live in—where one nuclear missile will beget one in return, and where the choreography of the world’s end requires massive decisions made on seconds’ notice with information that is only as good as the intelligence we have.

In her new book Nuclear War: A Scenario, Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen explores this ticking-clock scenario, based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, have been privy to the response plans, and have been responsible for those decisions should they have needed to be made.

Join us as Jacobsen returns for a new Club program examining the handful of minutes after a nuclear missile launch.

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CLIMATE ONE: When California Dreams Hit Political Reality May 03, 2024

The Golden State has staked much of its reputation on its green credentials, with state leaders touting its role on the leading edge of global and national climate progress. But California is falling behind in meeting its ambitious emission targets, and has been criticized for over-relying on emerging clean energy technologies that may not bear out.

At the same time, the state is at increasing risk from severe wildfires, epic floods and other impacts worsened by burning fossil fuels. What can the nation learn from California’s attempts to mitigate climate disruption?

Guests:

Scott Wiener, California State Senator

Nancy Skinner, California State Senator

Liane Randolph, Chair, California Air Resources Board

Mari Rose Taruc, Energy Justice Director, California Environmental Justice Alliance

Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor, California

Jennifer Barrera, President & CEO, California Chamber of Commerce

It's time for our annual spring appeal! At Climate One, we believe in the power of open conversations to drive positive change. Through our thought-provoking discussions and interviews, we strive not only to raise awareness of climate issues and solutions, but to also empower individuals — like each of our valued listeners — to take tangible steps toward a more sustainable future.

You can show your support for Climate One by contributing to our spring fundraising campaign.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Excessive Punishment: How the Justice System Creates Mass Incarceration May 03, 2024

How can we reimagine the justice system to support restoration instead of retribution?

Our panelists believe the American criminal justice system cannot reduce its dependence on mass incarceration until we confront our impulse to punish in ways that are excessive, often wildly disproportionate to the harm caused. Instead, our panel will explore the transformative power of second chances, including those who have benefited from them—and those who advocate to ensure our system provides them.

Prompting this discussion is the publication of a series of essays, Excessive Punishment: How the Justice System Creates Mass Incarceration, that trace how a maze of local, state and federal agencies have contributed to mass incarceration and deterred attempts at reform.

Kevin McCracken from The Last Mile, Michael Mendoza, and Ken Oliver from the Checkr Foundation will join L.B. Eisen from the Brennan Center for Justice and retired Judge LaDoris Cordell for a thoughtful conversation on the second chances their organizations are providing and efforts to reform the existing criminal justice system.

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Justice Stephen Breyer: Reading the Constitution May 02, 2024

What is a textualist, and why does that judicial philosophy dominate the current U.S. Supreme Court?

Join us for a special online event as recently retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer gives us his provocative analysis that deconstructs the textualist philosophy of the current Supreme Court’s supermajority and makes his case for a better way to interpret the Constitution. Textualists claim that the right way to interpret the Constitution and statutes is to read the text carefully and examine the language as it was understood at the time the documents were written.

This, however, is not Justice Breyer’s philosophy, nor has it been the traditional way to interpret the Constitution since the time of Chief Justice John Marshall. Justice Breyer recalls Marshall’s exhortation that the Constitution must be a workable set of principles to be interpreted by subsequent generations. Most important in interpreting law, says Breyer, is to understand the purposes of statutes as well as the consequences of deciding a case one way or another. He illustrates these principles by examining some of the most important cases in the nation’s history, among them the Dobbs and Bruen decisions from 2022 that he argues were wrongly decided and have led to harmful results for our country.

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David Sanger: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West May 01, 2024

Three decades after the end of the Cold War, the United States finds itself in a volatile rivalry with the other two great nuclear powers—Xi Jinping’s China and Vladimir Putin’s Russia—in a world far more complex and dangerous than that of half a century ago.

New Cold Wars—the latest from the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author David E. Sanger—is a fast-paced account of America’s plunge into simultaneous confrontations with two very different adversaries. For years, the United States was confident that the newly democratic Russia and increasingly wealthy China could be lured into a Western-led order that promised prosperity and relative peace—so long as they agreed to Washington’s terms. By the time America emerged from the age of terrorism, it was clear that this had been a fantasy.

Sanger says now the three powers are engaged in a high stakes struggle for military, economic, political, and technological supremacy, with nations around the world pressured to take sides. Yet all three are discovering that they are maneuvering for influence in a far more turbulent world than they imagined.

Based on an array of interviews with top officials from five presidential administrations, U.S. intelligence agencies, foreign governments, and tech companies, Sanger confronts the era’s critical questions: Will the mistakes Putin made in his invasion of Ukraine prove his undoing and will he reach for his nuclear arsenal—or will the West’s famously short attention span signal Kyiv’s doom? Will Xi invade Taiwan? Will both men deepen their partnership to undercut America’s dominance? And can a politically dysfunctional America still lead the world?

From the battlefields of Ukraine—where trench warfare and cyberwarfare are interwoven—to the Taiwan headquarters where the world’s most advanced computer chips are produced and on to tense debates in the White House Situation Room, Sanger will explain America’s return to superpower conflict, the choices that lie ahead, and what is at stake for the United States and the world.

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Antonio López: Civic Leader, Poet, and Mayor of East Palo Alto Apr 30, 2024

In the early 1990s East Palo Alto was referred to as the “murder capital” of the United States. Thirty years later, the city has its youngest-ever mayor and has undergone a complete transformation, with zero homicides recorded in 2023. Mayor Antonio López believes that civics education and the energy of young people are keys to the continued growth of his city.

Mayor López, in conversation with Commonwealth Club World Affairs’ own Issabella Romo, talks about the role of a mayor, his path into politics, and how being a poet has shaped his leadership style. Mayor López talks to students about upcoming elections, the importance of civic discussion, and why young people matter in a democracy.

This program is part of the Commonwealth Club World Affairs’ civics education initiative, Creating Citizens.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Building a Better Battery Supply Chain with JB Straubel and Aimee Boulanger Apr 26, 2024

Batteries are a critical part of the transition away from fossil fuels. From electric vehicles to grid scale storage for wind and solar, demand for batteries is expected to grow 500% by 2030. In order to meet that demand, we’re going to need a lot more batteries.

And while companies like JB Straubel’s Redwood Materials are building capacity for recycling, for now that means a lot more mining. With the battery supply chain only growing more critical as the electric vehicle market matures, we’re revisiting this critical episode from last summer exploring how to build a battery supply chain that meets demand while reducing harm.

Guests:

JB Straubel, Founder and CEO, Redwood Materials

Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director, Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Support Climate One for just $5/month.

For complete show notes, visit our website.

This episode was underwritten by ClimateWorks.

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Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action Apr 22, 2024

Scientists have known for decades that climate change is an existential crisis. For just as long, critics say there has been a complete failure of our institutions to rise to the challenge. Governments have struggled to meet even modest goals. Fossil fuel interests maintain a stranglehold on political and economic power. Even though we have seen growing concern from everyday people, civil society has succeeded only in pressuring decisionmakers to adopt watered-down policies. All the while, the climate crisis worsens. Is there any hope of achieving the necessary systemic change?

Dana R. Fisher argues that there is a realistic path forward for climate action―but only through mass mobilization that responds to the growing severity and frequency of disastrous events. Spurred by the lack of progress, climate activism has become increasingly confrontational. Fisher examines the radical flank of the climate movement: its emergence and growth, its use of direct action, and how it might evolve as the climate crisis worsens. She considers when and how activism is most successful, identifying the importance of creating community, capitalizing on shocking moments, and cultivating resilience. Join us as Fisher offers timely insights on how activist social movements can take power back from deeply entrenched interests and create transformative climate action.

About the Speaker

Dana Fisher is director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity and a professor in the School of International Service at American University. Her previous books include Activism Inc.: How the Outsourcing of Grassroots Campaigns Is Strangling Progressive Politics in America and American Resistance: From the Women’s March to the Blue Wave. Her work has been profiled in the Washington Post, New York Magazine, and Wired. She has appeared on ABC Nightline, Morning Joe, PBS Newshour, CNN, and on various programs on NPR, the CBC, and the BBC. She has published works in The American Prospect, The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, The Nation, Business Insider, and at the Brookings Institution.

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Special Southeast Asian New Year Celebration Apr 20, 2024

We're honoring Southeast Asian thought leaders this year and will be having conversations with folks about their experiences and contributions as Southeast Asian artist and talent.

This program includes a traditional senior blessing ceremony, performances, and a reception featuring Thai, Cambodian, Lao and Burmese food.

About the Speakers

Neo-soul singer Bochan (Bochan Huy) is a Cambodian American artist based in Oakland, California. Born in Cambodia, her musical stylings and influence is a culmination of her experience as both a refugee and diaspora raised in the melting pot of the Bay Area. Bochan grew up singing in her father’s Cambodian American bands. Honoring traditional style and stepping bravely away, she ushers in a new musical age.

KP, also known as Khetphet Phagnasay, is a Lao-American actor, director, producer, and stuntman. He has worked on various projects, including the acclaimed Netflix series "Dahmer; Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," where he portrayed Sounthone, the father of a 14-year-old Laotian victim. He also shared a scene opposite Michelle Yeoh in The Brothers Sun.He has also been involved in films such as "God is an Astronaut," "Demon Fighter," "Street of Hope," and "Hollywood Road Trip," among others. He grew up in Oswego, Illinois, then moved to Waianae, Hawaii, before settling in Clovis/Fresno, California. He obtained his B.A. in Theatre Arts from California State University, Fresno, and pursued further education in Asian Theatre, focusing on acting, at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. KP has also traveled to Japan, Taiwan, and mainland China as a performer.

Kevin Tancharoen is a director, writer, producer, and choreographer. His feature directing credits include Glee: The 3D Concert Movie for Fox and Fame for MGM. Tancharoen has directed multiple episodes of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., HBO Max’s Warrior, The Flash, 12 Monkeys, Titans, Amazon’s Prison Break event series and Mortal Kombat: Legacy. He most recently directed on "The Mandalorian" spin-off "The Book of Boba Fett" for Lucasfilm as well as directing and executive producing Thai Cave Rescue, a limited series at Netflix from Jon M. Chu and SKG. Prior to his film and TV directing career, he directed Britney Spears' "Onyx Hotel" tour, choreographing her "Me Against the Music" video; remixed projects for Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, and Tyrese; and contributed creatively to Britney Spears' "Dream Within a Dream Tour" and *NSYNC's "Pop Odyssey Tour.”

Our thanks for the generous support of The Bamboo Organization for making this program possible.

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CLIMATE ONE: Artificial Intelligence, Real Climate Impacts Apr 19, 2024

Artificial intelligence can do some pretty amazing things, including for the climate. AI can help optimize the electric grid, make heating and cooling buildings more efficient, and pinpoint exactly where greenhouse gas emissions are coming from all around the world.

On the other hand, the energy use of AI is massive and growing. A recent study estimates that in just a few years, the extra energy needed will equal whole countries the size of Sweden or Argentina. How do we make sure the benefits of AI outweigh its energy costs?

Guests

Karen Hao, Contributing Writer, The Atlantic

Gavin McCormick, Cofounder and Executive Director, WattTime; Cofounder, Climate TRACE

Priya Donti, Assistant Professor, MIT; Co-founder and Chair of Climate Change AI

Amy McGovern, Professor of Computer Science, University of Oklahoma

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord.

Join today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Susannah Fox: Rebel Health Apr 18, 2024

Anyone who has fallen off the conveyer belt of mainstream health care and into the shadowy corners of illness knows what a dark place it is to land. Where is the infrastructure, the information, the guidance? What should you do next? Susannah Fox draws on 20 years of tracking the expert networks of patients, survivors, and caregivers who have come of age between the cracks of the health-care system to offer a way forward. Covering everything from diabetes to ALS to Moebius Syndrome to chronic disease management, Fox taps into the wisdom of these individuals, learns their ways, and fuels the rebel alliance that is building up our collective capacity for better health.

Join us for a special online-only talk as Fox discusses the issues raised in her new book Rebel Health, an action-oriented and radically hopeful field guide to the underground, patient-led revolution for better health and health care.

Fox says the next wave of health innovation will come from the front lines of this patient-led revolution. Fox identifies and describes four archetypes of this revolution: seekers, networkers, solvers and champions. She has collected tips, such as picking a proxy to help you navigate the relevant online communities or learning how to pitch new ideas to investors and partners or new treatments to the FDA. On a systemic level, this “rebel health” movement is a competitive advantage for businesses, governments and organizations to understand and leverage the power of connection among patients, survivors and caregivers.

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Overlooked Histories of the Bay and Beyond Apr 16, 2024

Think you know the Bay Area? Our past is so much more diverse, more heartbreaking, and more inspiring than anything we are taught in school.

Join us as we explore some of these histories with Heather Bourbeau, Gary Kamiya, and Liam O’Donoghue, three locals who are deepening our understanding of and relationship to this place we call home.

Heather Bourbeau is an award-winning author whose latest poetry collection, Monarch, explores overlooked histories of the U.S. West where she was raised—California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Gary Kamiya is an award-winning journalist of “Portals of the Past” that ran for more than 10 years in the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner.

Liam O’Donoghue is an award-winning journalist and hosts the “East Bay Yesterday” podcast.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Jonathan Vigliotti: Stories from the Front Lines of Climate Change in Small-Town America Apr 15, 2024

From massive forest fires in California to hurricanes in Louisiana, receding coastlines in Massachusetts and devastated fisheries in Alaska, the climate catastrophe is already here.

Discussion of the climate crisis has always suffered from a problem of abstraction. Data points and warnings of an overheated future struggle to break through the noise of everyday life. Deniers often portray climate solutions as inconvenient, expensive and unnecessary. Many politicians, focused always on their next election, do not yet see climate as a winning issue in the short run, so they don’t take any action at all. But climate change, and its devastating consequences, has kept apace whether we want to pay attention or not.

CBS News national correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti has seen that crisis unfold for himself, spending nearly two decades reporting across the United States (and the world) documenting the people, communities, landmarks, and traditions we’ve already surrendered. Vigliotti shares with urgency and personal touch the story of an America on the brink.

In his new book, Before It’s Gone, Vigliotti traces his travels across the country, taking him to the frontlines of climate disaster and revealing the genuine impacts of climate change that countless Americans have already been forced to confront. This is the story of America, and Americans, on the edge, and a powerful argument that radical action on climate change with a respect for its people and traditions is not only possible, but also the only way to preserve what we love.

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Larry Baer, San Francisco Giants CEO: Betting Big on the City Apr 14, 2024

Is the future of San Francisco on the line right now? Since COVID hit, San Francisco has repeatedly made headlines across the world for the challenges the city faces. The pandemic, remote work, downtown retail woes and the perception of rising crime have all contributed to a “doom loop” narrative. In response, city boosters have acknowledged our city’s “boom and bust” cycles and looked forward to the city rising again.

Join Larry Baer, president and CEO of the San Francisco Giants, in conversation with NBC Bay Area’s Raj Mathai to explore how San Francisco’s business community is responding and how they propose to ensure the city’s best days are still ahead. As co-chair of Advance SF, Baer spearheads a group of business leaders born, raised and living in San Francisco, just like him, who are betting big on the city’s future.

From his work in the 1990s to keep the Giants in San Francisco to the Giants current role investing in and building Mission Rock, a new mixed-used neighborhood next to Oracle Park, Baer has been at the nexus of sports, business and innovation in the city for decades. And, of course, he will look ahead to the 2024 MLB season as it gets underway and we ask: Should we be betting big on the Giants?

A fourth-generation San Franciscan, Baer has gained a national reputation as one of professional sports visionaries leading the San Francisco Giants. Baer joined the team in 1992 as the executive vice president after he and Peter Magowan led the effort to assemble a new ownership group that kept the Giants in the city. A limited partner and board member of the ownership group, Baer was named CEO on January 1, 2012. In his first year as president and CEO, the Giants won their second World Series Championship in three years. In 2014, the Giants won their third World Series title in five years. Baer is responsible for the overall day-to-day operations of the organization and serves as a key strategist and negotiator of the club’s major transactions.

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Fareed Zakaria: Age of Revolutions Apr 13, 2024

What can we learn about the polarized and unstable world in which we live by exploring the revolutions―past and present―that define our age?

Populist rage, ideological fracture, economic and technological shocks, war, and an international system studded with catastrophic risk―the early decades of the 21st century might be one of the most revolutionary periods in modern history. But it is not the first. Humans have lived, and thrived, through more than one great realignment. What are these revolutions, and how can they help us to understand our fraught world?

CNN host and bestselling author Fareed Zakaria has investigated the eras and movements that have shaken norms while shaping the modern world. He says three such periods hold profound lessons for today. First, in the 17th-century Netherlands, a fascinating series of transformations made that tiny land the richest in the world―and created politics as we know it today. Next, the French Revolution, an explosive era that devoured its ideological children and left a bloody legacy that haunts us today. Finally, the mother of all revolutions, the Industrial Revolution, which catapulted Great Britain and the United States to global dominance and created the modern world.

Zakaria, author of the new book Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present, probes four present-day revolutions: globalization, technology, identity, and geopolitics. For all their benefits, the globalization and technology revolutions have produced profound disruptions and pervasive anxiety and our identity. And increasingly, identity is the battlefield on which the 21st century’s polarized politics are fought. All this is set against a geopolitical revolution as great as the one that catapulted the United States to world power in the late nineteenth century. Now we are entering a world in which the United States is no longer the dominant power. As they find themselves at the nexus of four seismic revolutions, people can easily imagine a dark future. But Zakaria says pessimism is premature. If we act wisely, he says, the liberal international order can be revived, and populism relegated to the ash heap of history.

As few public intellectuals can, Zakaria combines intellectual range, deep historical insight, and uncanny prescience to once again reframe and illuminate our turbulent present. Don’t miss his return to Commonwealth Club World Affairs.

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Perlmutter, Campbell and MacCoun on Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense Apr 12, 2024

Join a Nobel Laureate physicist, a psychologist and a philosopher for a conversation about the tools and frameworks that scientists have developed to keep from fooling themselves, to chart a course through the profusion of possibilities, to better understand the world, and to make intelligent decisions. These trust-building techniques, which the authors call Third Millennium Thinking, can be used to tackle problems both big and small.

Ironically, the deluge of information over the internet has made it even harder to distinguish the revelatory from the contradictory. How do we make health decisions in the face of conflicting medical advice? Does that article on GMOs even show what the authors claim? How should we navigate our next Thanksgiving discussion with our in-laws, who follow completely different experts on climate?

Based on a popular UC Berkeley course, Third Millennium Thinking offers a novel approach for making sense of the nonsense by thinking critically, making sound decisions, and solving problems—individually and collectively—using scientists’ tricks of the trade.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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CLIMATE ONE: Nearly 2 Years In… Is the Inflation Reduction Act Delivering Yet? Apr 12, 2024

In August 2022, Congress passed the biggest piece of climate legislation in our nation’s history: The Inflation Reduction Act, which put $400 billion into boosting the transition to a clean energy economy over the next ten years. The IRA has spurred companies to announce nearly $110 billion of investment in new factories to build EVs, batteries and renewable energy facilities. That’s driving investments, reshoring of manufacturing, and real change.

This week we check in on the impact of the IRA in the last 18 months. What impact has the IRA really had on US emissions so far? Has the IRA distributed money to fulfill its climate justice initiatives?

Guests:

Trevor Houser, Partner, Rhodium Group

Danny Kennedy, CEO, New Energy Nexus

Bineshi Albert, Former Co-Executive Director, Climate Justice Alliance

This piece also includes a reported feature from Emily Jones of WABE in Atlanta and Grist.

Climate One will be celebrating SF Climate Week with a series of programs featuring California and the San Francisco Bay Area’s leading voices in policy, climate justice, and business.

The week will showcase interviews with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Senators Nancy Skinner and Scott Wiener, and California Environmental Justice Association’s Energy Justice Director Mari Rose Taruc, among others, about the challenges and opportunities facing the nation’s innovation capital when it comes to addressing climate change.

On Tuesday, Climate One will also be hosting an Action Lounge, where attendees will be able to join local climate and environmental organizations, apply for green jobs, and receive guidance from climate career coaches. See you there!

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord.

Join today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Kara Swisher with Reid Hoffman: Silicon Valley's Burn Book Apr 11, 2024

While tech titans bragged they would “move fast and break things,” Kara Swisher was moving faster and breaking news.

She has been a fixture of the tech revolution, and her consistent scoops led Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg to once say: “It is a constant joke in the Valley when people write memos for them to say, ‘I hope Kara never sees this.’”

Now Swisher returns to talk about her new book, which is part memoir, part history and, most of all, a necessary recounting of tech’s most powerful players. She might know more inside tales than anyone else in Silicon Valley, and she’ll share the inside story of the Valley and the biggest boom in wealth creation in the history of the world.

Despite tech’s many pitfalls, Swisher remains optimistic about its potential to help solve problems and not just create them. She calls upon the industry to make better, more thoughtful choices, even as a new set of powerful AI tools are poised to change the world yet again.

Hear more from the chronicler of the high-tech revolution.

Note: This podcast contains explicit language.

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Chip Conley: Age Is Irrelevant Apr 10, 2024

Chip Conley’s "modern elder movement" leads us to ask how life can get better with age.

Join us for a conversation about tools to adjust our attitudes and perspectives. Drawing from his new book, Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age, Conley will seek to motivate us to think differently. We will learn about his practices such as building your own “birds of a feather” community, stepping off the treadmill, letting go of what no longer serves you and the freedom that it brings.

Chip Conley is on a midlife mission. After disrupting the hospitality industry, first as the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second largest operator of boutique hotels in the United States, and then as Airbnb’s head of global hospitality and strategy, leading a worldwide revolution in travel, Conley co-founded MEA (Modern Elder Academy) in January 2018 in Baja California, Mexico.

MLF ORGANIZER

Elizabeth Carney

A Business & Leadership Member-led Forum program. Forums and chapters at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club World Affairs, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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What Do I Say? Condolences for Every Occasion Apr 10, 2024

What do we say to a grieving friend? So often we either freeze and do nothing or blurt a common condolence and come away wondering if we’ve been of any real help.

Join Dana Lacy Amarisa, author of the engaging and insightful book, Condolences Pocket Guide: What to Say and Not to Say to Grievers, in her unique presentation that reveals the source of the gap between what we say and what sad folks need—and the steps for bridging that gap.

Drawing from her personal journey of loss and two decades of studying condolences, Amarisa will guide us through her unique and refreshing three-step approach to offering true help to those who are grieving. Through anecdotes and practical tips, learn the four types of condolences to avoid, discover those in your life who might be experiencing misunderstood losses, and come away with the skills and confidence to offer genuine consolation to a grieving friend.

Dr. Nate Hinerman's unique approaches to research and treatment intermingle both the philosophical and psychological in human suffering, dying, loss, grief, depression, and anxiety. It is just this compassionate, therapeutic rapport and involvement with individuals and community-based education that he brings to the engaging discussion segment of this presentation.

MLF ORGANIZER

Denise Michaud

A Grownups Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of Commonwealth Club World Affairs, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Humanities West Presents In Search of Marcel Proust Apr 09, 2024

Humanities West completes its 2023–24 season by searching for the real Marcel Proust―featuring Adam Gopnik, who will give our first Vance E. Carney Memorial Lecture. Gopnik has been writing for The New Yorker for more than three decades and has often riffed poetic on Proust. From the September 17, 1990 issue: “. . . watching our building go co-op has been . . . a lot like the experience of reading Proust. You begin hopefully, you dream of new vistas of pleasure opening up before you, you think that your friends will think better of you for having done it . . . and then you get bogged down and the whole thing seems to go on forever.”

From the June 14, 1999 issue: “As late as the nineteen-fifties, when most Americans already took it for granted that he was among the greatest of modern writers, a lot of people in France saw Proust as a slightly secondary figure―the way we might have seen a long-winded Scott Fitzgerald, or a Truman Capote who actually got his book written. In the past twenty-five years, though, all that has changed, and Proust has taken his deserved place among the French as at once the most magnanimous and the most exquisite of their novelists . . .”

From the March 30, 2015 issue: “Everybody tries to climb Mt. Proust, though many a stiff body is found on the lower slopes, with the other readers stepping over it gingerly.” And from the May 3, 2021 issue: “If Proust, for Updike in the God-haunted nineteen-fifties, was the last Christian poet, we may see him now in more secular terms, as a writer who, perversely, sought serenity not in detachment and self-removal but in attachment and reattachment—a monk within a metropolitan monastery. 'Be here now' is the mystic’s insistence. 'Don’t be here now' is Proust’s material motto: be there then, again. Enjoy, emote, repeat, remember: there are worse designs for living.”

Joshua Landy has also been writing and thinking about and teaching Proust for decades. He will explore several Proustian questions: How can we feel at home in the world? How can we find genuine connection with other human beings? How can we find enchantment in a world without God? Does an artist’s life shed light on her work? What can we know about reality, other people, and ourselves? When is not knowing better than knowing? Who are we really, deep down? And why does it matter to read about all this in a novel?

Dora Zhang will focus on the famous Proust observation that "the only true voyage . . . would not be to visit new lands but to possess other eyes, to see the world with the eyes of another." In Proust’s novel the camera provides a crucial means for the narrator to step outside his habitual gaze and to possess other eyes, to look anew on familiar scenes and to see hidden truths therein. Zhang will explore this theme of estranging our vision by highlighting the role of photography in In Search of Lost Time.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

In association with Humanities West, the Stanford Humanities Center, and the Townsend Center for the Humanities at UC Berkeley.

This program contains EXPLICIT content.

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Oakland Forum: Ceasefire Oakland—A Plan for Public Safety Apr 09, 2024

Join us for a conversation about reducing violence in Oakland and how we can all work together to keep each other safe.

Pastor Billy Dixon leads At Thy Word Ministries and is co-chair of the Board of Directors of Faith in Action East Bay. He is an Oakland native and the son of a pastor. Dixon joined the U.S. Navy before becoming a correctional officer for 28 years. Later he attended seminary at Southwest Bible College, and in 2010 he took over the church his father had founded, At Thy Word Ministries.

Dr. Holly Joshi is the City of Oakland's chief of violence prevention. She has vast leadership experience and a track record of successfully implementing evidence-based, violence prevention and intervention strategies. Prior to taking on leadership of the Department of Violence Prevention (DVP), Dr. Joshi served as senior director at GLIDE, a nationally recognized center for social justice, dedicated to fighting systemic injustices, creating pathways out of poverty and crisis, and transforming lives. At GLIDE she led the Center for Social Justice, a department focused on improving housing access, community health and safety, and gender and racial equity.

Taking on the leadership of the DVP is a homecoming for Dr. Joshi who worked for the city from 2001–2015, holding diverse investigative and leadership roles within the Oakland Police Department, including child exploitation unit supervisor, Internal Affairs Division investigator, crime reduction team investigator, public information officer, and chief of staff. In this work she was widely recognized for her expertise in gender-based violence, commitment to progressive policing, and collaborative relationships across the city.

Captain Frederick Shavies is the acting captain of Ceasefire. He is an 18-year veteran with the Oakland Police Department and a graduate of the 283rd FBI National Academy. Captain Shavies is an Oakland native who is passionate about reducing violence in his community.

See more Michelle Meow Show programs at The Commonwealth Club of California.

Produced in partnership with Fluid 510.

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CLIMATE ONE: Elizabeth Kolbert on Hope, Despair, and Everything In Between Apr 05, 2024

Even before Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” brought climate change to the mainstream, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalistElizabeth Kolbert was on the beat. Her reporting in the early 2000s culminated in her book “Field Notes from a Catastrophe,” which sounded the alarm on the causes and effects of global warming.

Nearly 20 years later, Kolbert is still bringing the climate story to the public with her new book “H Is for Hope: Climate Change from A to Z.” The book is told in bite size vignettes that paint a picture of our climate present, what the future may hold and where there may be space for hope.

Guests:

Elizabeth Kolbert, Journalist and Author

Molly Wood, Climate Solutions Investor and Podcaster

Sister True Dedication, Zen Buddhist Nun

Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., CEO, Hip Hop Caucus

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord.

Join today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

Elizabeth Kolbert headshot copyright Elizabeth Kolbert

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Global Demographics Behind the Headlines Mar 31, 2024

Please join us as Dr. Adele Hayutin takes us on a world tour of population change and its dramatic consequences.

Her talk will offer many surprises and insights, such as

China’s dramatic demographic plunge
Africa’s population explosion
Where declining birth rates lead to shrinking workforces
Where aging populations strain economic wellbeing
Why immigration is key to ensuring continued economic growth
How increasing women’s participation in the workforce will be critical globally

Drawing on her recent book, New Landscapes of Population Change: A Demographic World Tour, Dr. Hayutin will explore the divergent changes ahead for the world, its subregions, and individual countries, and she will demonstrate the urgent need for strategies that address these momentous shifts. She will examine global population dynamics and illuminate how these forces will combine over the next few decades in ways that threaten economic security and political stability, offering us a window on the future.

About the Speaker

Adele Hayutin, an Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, is a business economist specializing in comparative international demographics. Building on her experience in business and academia, Dr. Hayutin has developed an innovative comparative perspective that highlights surprising demographic differences across countries and illustrates the unprecedented speed and impacts of critical changes. Her recent book, New Landscapes of Population Change: A Demographic World Tour, illuminates the divergent changes ahead for the world.

Dr. Hayutin was previously director of demographic analysis at the Stanford University Center on Longevity and chief economist at the Fremont Group. Hayutin received a BA from Wellesley College and holds an MPP and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California,Berkeley.

MLF ORGANIZER: Frank Price

An International Relations Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics.

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Caroline Paul: How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age Mar 31, 2024

Why slow down as you get older?

Caroline Paul has always filled her life with adventure: From mountain biking in the Bolivian Andes to pitching a tent, mid-blizzard, on Denali, she has never been a stranger to the exhilaration the outdoors can hold. Yet through it all, she has long wondered, Why aren’t women, like men, encouraged to keep adventuring into old age?

Now she is sharing her quest to understand not just how to live a dynamic life in a changing body, but why she says we must. She dives deep into the current research on aging and highlights the results with the stories of women like 93-year-old hiker Dot Fisher-Smith, 80-year-old scuba diver Louise Wholey, 52-year-old BASE jumper Shawn Brokemond, 64-year-old birdwatcher Virginia Rose, and the many septuagenarian Wave Chasers who boogie board together in the San Diego surf. These women aren’t experts. But their experiences and the scientific studies that back them up offer important insight into our own physical and emotional health as we age, showing that growing older is no reason for women to sell themselves short. She’s chronicled it all in her new book Tough Broad, a high-spirited call for women to embrace the outdoors, not back away from it, in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond.

Bring your taste for adventure and hear this New York Times-bestselling author share her funny, inspiring, deeply researched exploration into the science and psychology of the outdoors and our place in it as we age.

MLF ORGANIZER: Denise Michaud

A Grownups Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of Commonwealth Club World Affairs, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Chris Dixon: Building the Next Era of the Internet Mar 30, 2024

Is it time for a vision of a better internet with a playbook to build the future?

The internet of today is a far cry from its early promise of a decentralized, democratic network of innovation, connection and freedom. In the past decade, it has fallen almost entirely under the control of a very small group of companies like Apple, Google and Facebook. In Read Write Own, tech visionary Chris Dixon argues that the dream of an open network for fostering creativity and entrepreneurship doesn’t have to die and can, in fact, be saved with blockchain networks. He separates this movement, which aims to provide a solid foundation for everything from social networks to artificial intelligence to virtual worlds, from cryptocurrency speculation—a distinction he calls “the computer vs. the casino.”

With lucid and compelling prose—drawing from a 25-year career in the software industry—Dixon shows how the internet has undergone three distinct eras, bringing us to the critical moment we’re in today. The first was the “read” era, in which early networks democratized information. In the “read-write” era, corporate networks democratized publishing. We are now in the midst of the “read-write-own” era, sometimes called web3, in which blockchain networks are granting power and economic benefits to communities of users, not just corporations.

Join us to hear Dixon share his message for internet users, business leaders, creators, entrepreneurs—anyone who wants to understand where we’ve been and where we’re going.

Dixon founded and leads a16z crypto, a division of the firm that he has grown from $300 million in 2018 to more than $7 billion of committed capital dedicated to investing in crypto and web3 technologies.

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CLIMATE ONE: Rising Temperatures, Rising Prices: How Climate Drives Inflation Mar 29, 2024

Climate change means extreme weather, shifting landscapes, and generally more instability. More and more, you can feel the impacts of climate disruption in your wallets. Drought is pushing up the cost of candy and leading to shipping delays in the Panama Canal.

Globally, researchers say climate could add one percent to inflation every year until 2035. The costs of car insurance, health insurance and property insurance are rising. And whether it’s tea in the morning or wine in the evening, disrupted climate patterns and extreme weather are making certain foods more expensive.

This week, we unpack how climate change drives inflation.

Guests:

Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Chair of Economics and Government, London School of Economics

Jeremy Porter, Head of Climate Implications Research, First Street Foundation

Avery Ellfeldt, Reporter, E&E News

Lea Borkenhagen, Senior Vice President, EDF+Business

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By joining Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and even periodic engagements with Climate One staff. Join today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Jonna Mendez: Unmasking My Life in the CIA Mar 28, 2024

When Jonna Hiestand Mendez first joined the CIA, she still needed her husband’s permission to open a bank account or shut off the gas to their apartment. Hired as a convenience to her CIA officer husband’s career, she began by performing secretarial duties for the agency.

But she didn’t stay in the secretarial pool. Mendez's talent for espionage was clear, and she soon took on bigger and more significant roles at the CIA. She lived under cover and served tours of duty all over the globe, as well as at CIA headquarters. She confronted dangerous situations that called on her spy training: coming face to face with a rogue jihadi who had brought down an American plane, and helping steal a top-secret encryption machine from a Soviet embassy, among other high stakes situations. She became an international spy and ultimately the chief of disguise at the CIA’s Office of Technical Service—a kind of female American version of James Bond's famous "Q."

Now, the bestselling co-author of The Moscow Rules and Argo tells her riveting, courageous story of being a female spy at the CIA and battling against the prevailing culture of sexism at the time, all while undertaking dangerous missions for America’s safety during the height of the Cold War.

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Guy Kawasaki: How to Make a Difference Mar 27, 2024

Prepare to be inspired and empowered by the one and only Guy Kawasaki! Former chief evangelist for Apple, rejuvenator of the Macintosh cult, and executive fellow of the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, Guy is truly revered for his wisdom—and he's also one of the friendliest people in Silicon Valley.

Based on hundreds of interviews, Guy's new book, Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference, is a practical how-to-do-it guide about constructing a life that matters and that reflects our best selves. As Guy explains, it's not just about building a foundation of knowledge and relationships, then finding a worthwhile goal. It's also about how to "move beyond Eureka!" to sell ideas, lead a team, and inspire others. Don't miss this opportunity to learn all of these crucial skills!

MLF ORGANIZER: Eric Siegel

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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Ambassador of Cuba, Lianys Torres Rivera, on Embargo and Engagement Mar 26, 2024

Fraught relations between neighbors are not unique. But with the stakes elevated on the international stage, and separated by just 90 miles, the United States and Cuba showcase one of the most strained and enduring neighborhood disputes. In the region where the Cold War almost turned nuclear-hot, is there any way to contend with a complicated history and still make nice?

Join Commonwealth Club World Affairs for an unprecedented evening as we welcome the Cuban ambassador to the United States on her first visit to the West Coast. In our exclusive public program, Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera, will shed light on one of our closest yet most controversial and closed-off neighbors: the Republic of Cuba.

Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera will share a perspective from Havana: What is the story behind record-breaking recent Cuban migration to the United States? Is there any hope for moving beyond the U.S. embargo of Cuba—now in its seventh decade and controversially expanded in the 1990s to sanction worldwide companies trading with the island? More than 30 years on since the fall of the Soviet Union—but in an era of rising geopolitical tensions—what can a relationship between the leader of the free world and our closest Communist neighbor look like?

As ambassador to the United States, and a key negotiator in the bilateral discussions on bolstering U.S. engagement with Cuba during the Obama administration, Ambassador Torres Rivera will share insight into the process of renewing relations, the backsliding that followed and where we stand now. Hear how the U.S.-Cuba relationship could evolve as we look ahead to this pivotal election year in the United States and explore if California-Cuba collaborations could ignite. Come prepared with your questions for this very rare opportunity to speak directly with Cuba’s highest official in the United States.

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Byron Tau: The U.S. Surveillance State's Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government Mar 25, 2024

“That evening, I was given a glimpse inside a hidden world. . . . An entirely new kind of surveillance program—one designed to track everyone.”

Hear a tale of strange bedfellows—the U.S. government, data brokers, tech companies and advertisers—involved in shaping the surveillance state and privacy.

For the past five years—ever since a chance encounter at a dinner party—journalist Byron Tau has been piecing together a secret story: how the whole of the internet and every digital device in the world became a mechanism of intelligence, surveillance, and monitoring.

Most people are somewhat aware that our modern world is awash in surveillance. But Tau says the true potential of our phones, computers, homes, credit cards, and even the tires underneath our cars to reveal our habits and behavior would astonish most citizens. All of this surveillance has produced an extraordinary amount of valuable data about every one of us. That data is for sale—and the biggest customer is the U.S. government.

In the years after 9/11, the U.S. government, working with scores of anonymous companies, many scattered across bland Northern Virginia suburbs, built a foreign and domestic surveillance apparatus of breathtaking scope—one that can peer into the lives of nearly everyone on the planet. This cottage industry of data brokers and government bureaucrats has one directive—“get everything you can”—and the result is a world in which defense contractors have marketing subsidiaries and marketing companies have defense contractor subsidiaries. And the public knows virtually nothing about it.

Reporter Byron Tau joins us for a special online-only talk to tell you—and probably the government—what he has learned.

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Tali Sharot and Cass Sunstein: The Power of Noticing What Was Already There Mar 24, 2024

Neuroscience professor Tali Sharot and Harvard law professor (and presidential advisor) Cass R. Sunstein have investigated why people stop noticing both the great and not-so-great things around them and how to “dishabituate” at the office, in the bedroom, at the store, on social media, and in the voting booth.

Have you ever noticed that what is thrilling on Monday tends to become boring on Friday? Even exciting relationships, stimulating jobs, and breathtaking works of art can lose their sparkle after a while. Sharot and Sunstein say that many people stop noticing what is most wonderful in their own lives. They also stop noticing what is terrible. They get used to dirty air. They stay in abusive relationships. People grow to accept authoritarianism and take foolish risks. They become unconcerned by their own misconduct, blind to inequality, and are more liable to believe misinformation than ever before.

But what if we could find a way to see everything anew? What if you could regain sensitivity, not only to the great things in your life, but also to the terrible things you stopped noticing and so don’t try to change?

For fans of Thinking Fast and Slow and The Power of Habit, Sharot and Sunstein offer a new study of how disrupting our well-worn routines, both good and bad, can rejuvenate our days and reset our brains to allow us to live happier and more fulfilling lives. Join us for a talk with Sharot and Sunstein about their work, based on decades of research in the psychological and biological sciences, and how they say it illuminates how people can reignite the sparks of joy, innovate, and recognize where improvements urgently need to be made.

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CNN's Jim Sciutto: Russia, China, and the Next World War Mar 23, 2024

A new global competition is taking place, and CNN Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto draws on his reporting from the front lines of political hotspots and warzones across the globe to explain history unfolding in front of us.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was the beginning of the beginning. Three decades later, Jim Sciutto said on CNN’s air as the Ukraine war began, that we are living in a “1939 moment.” The global order as we have long known it is now gone. Great powers are reinvigorated and determined to assert dominance on the world stage. As it escalates, this new order will affect everyone across the globe. Peace has been shattered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but in reality, this affects every corner of our world—from Helsinki to Beijing, from Australia to the North Pole. This is a battle with many fronts: on the Arctic floor, in the oceans and across the skies, and in cyberspace.

Sciutto argues that we are witnessing the return of great power conflict, “a definitive break between the post–Cold War era and an entirely new and uncertain one.” The world order that marked the last 30 years is shifting, and Sciutto will explain the realities of this new post–post–Cold War era, the increasingly aligned Russian and Chinese governments, and the flashpoint of a new, global nuclear arms race. He poses a question: that as we consider uncertain outcomes, we ask whether the West and Russia and China can prevent a new world war.

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CLIMATE ONE: Climate Migration: Should I Stay or Should I Go? Mar 22, 2024

The places that most people call home are coming under increasing threat from climate change. From rising seas and more frequent floods to stronger hurricanes and cyclones, to more devastating droughts and wildfires, the most habitable parts of our world are becoming far less so. Over time, our cities will be forced to transform — and hundreds of millions will have to move.

People who have the means are already starting to relocate to places that market themselves as climate-proof. But not everyone will be able to leave. And many won’t want to. How do we handle the next great waves of migration?

Guests:

Abrahm Lustgarten, author, “On the Move: The Overheating Earth and the Uprooting of America”

Sonia Shah, author, “The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move

This episode also features reported pieces by MPR reporter Dan Kraker on “Climate Proof Duluth” and KUOW Public Radio in Seattle reporter John Ryan on “How a Northwest tribe is escaping a rising ocean.”

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By joining Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and even periodic engagements with Climate One staff. Join today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Seeing It All: Changing the World One Photo at a Time Mar 22, 2024

Neuroscientist, writer and stage director Indre Viskontas will be joined by world-renowned photographer Jo-Anne McArthur and co-founder of the BigPicture photography competition and exhibit curator Rhonda Rubinstein for a conversation about the power of images to change how we see the world, raise awareness about the most urgent environmental issues, and spark action. This event will also feature the work of McArthur and other photographers in Seeing It All: Women Photographers Expose Our Planet, the latest publication from BigPicture and the California Academy of Sciences.

Written by Rubinstein, Seeing It All features more than 125 photos by female BigPicture award recipients and jurors, whose incredible images illustrate the extraordinary complexity of the natural world and expose how we—humans, animals, nature—are living together now. Featuring a foreword by renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle and essays by Indre Viskontas and Rebecca Solnit, this important book presents new perspectives of rarely seen animals, places, and conservation around the world.

MLF ORGANIZER: Anne W. Smith

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Rick Hasen: A Real Right to Vote Mar 21, 2024

Throughout history, many Americans have been disenfranchised or faced needless barriers to voting. Part of the blame falls on the Constitution, which does not contain an affirmative right to vote. The U.S. Supreme Court failed to protect voting rights and limited Congress’s ability to do so. That’s why some are saying that the time has come for voters to take action and push for an amendment to the Constitution that would guarantee this right for all.

Drawing on troubling stories of state attempts to disenfranchise military voters, women, African Americans, students, former felons, Native Americans, and others, UCLA law professor Richard Hasen argues that American democracy can and should do better in assuring that all eligible voters can cast a meaningful vote that will be fairly counted. He says a constitutional right to vote can deescalate voting wars between political parties that lead to endless rounds of litigation and undermine voter confidence in elections, and can safeguard democracy against dangerous attempts at election subversion like the one we witnessed in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.

The path to a constitutional amendment is undoubtedly hard, especially in these polarized times. Join us as Hasen explains what’s in it for conservatives who have resisted voting reform and reveals how the pursuit of an amendment can yield tangible dividends for democracy long before ratification.

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Jerry Kaplan: What You Need to Know About Generative AI Mar 16, 2024

Have we finally discovered the holy grail of artificial intelligence (AI)—machines that match or exceed human intelligence?

Advances in generative AI (GAI) have created a new class of computer systems that exhibit astonishing proficiency on a wide variety of tasks with superhuman performance, producing novel text, images, music, and software by analyzing enormous collections of digitized information. Soon, these systems will provide expert medical care; offer legal advice; draft documents; write computer programs; tutor our children; and generate music and art. These advances will accelerate progress in science, art, and human knowledge, but they will also bring new dangers.

Which industries and professions will thrive—and which will wither? What risks and dangers will it pose? How can we ensure that these systems respect our ethical principles? Will the benefits be broadly distributed or accrue to a lucky few? How will GAI alter our political systems and international conflicts? And are we merely a stepping stone to a new form of nonbiological life, or are we just getting better at building useful gadgets?

Join us for a provocative talk by Jerry Kaplan, author of Generative Artificial Intelligence: What Everyone Needs to Know, as he addresses these pressing questions.

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CLIMATE ONE: Talk Isn’t Cheap: The Power of Conversation Mar 15, 2024

As heat waves, storms, droughts and wildfires continue to worsen, talking can seem like a seriously insufficient climate solution. It’s fair to ask: Are we just engaged in blah, blah, blah?

Too often, talking is one sided – more of a lecture aimed at conveying information or solely stating one's own point of view. And yet, when done right, real conversations and true listening can help us find common ground, which can then lead to collective action and change. So how do we make those conversations really count? In this week’s episode, we delve into some of our most insightful interviews, looking for the answer.

Guests:

Katharine Hayhoe, Chief Scientist, The Nature Conservancy

Meera Subramanian, Journalist

Faith Kearns, Scientist, California Institute for Water Resources; Author, “Getting to the Heart of Science Communications”

Anand Giridharadas, Author, “The Persuaders”

Chloe Maxmin, Co-Executive Director, Dirt Road Organizing

John Cook, Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

📞 Have you moved within the United States for climate-related reasons? Tell us about it!

For the chance to have your climate migration story shared on Climate One, give us a call at 650 382-3869. Please keep your voicemail under two minutes and include your name and contact information so we know how to reach you if we decide to feature your story.

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By joining Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and even periodic engagements with Climate One staff. Join today for just $5/month.

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The Risk It Takes to Bloom: A Discussion with Author Raquel Willis and Bia Vieira Mar 14, 2024

In the wake of the release of author and activist Raquel Willis's debut memoir, The Risk it Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation, join us for a live discussion of what collective liberation means with Bia Vieira, CEO of the Women's Foundation California.

About the Speakers

Raquel Willis is an award-winning author, activist, and media strategist dedicated to Black transgender liberation. She has held groundbreaking posts, including director of communications for Ms. Foundation for Women, executive editor of Out Magazine, and national organizer for the Transgender Law Center. She co-founded Transgender Week of Visibility and Action and currently serves as an executive producer for iHeartMedia's "Outspoken," president of the Solutions Not Punishments Collaborative’s executive board, and a WNBA Social Justice Council member. Her debut memoir, The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation, was released in late 2023 by St.Martin’s Press.

Bia Vieira is CEO of Women’s Foundation California, where she leads the foundation’s work to advance gender, racial and economic justice. She has served the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors for more than 20 years, including senior-level positions at the Philadelphia Community Foundation and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. Originally from Brazil, she is a longtime activist in women’s, LGBTQI, Latine, immigrant, and arts and culture issues. Fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese, Bia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and anthropology and a Master’s Degree in literature and linguistics, both from Temple University. She is a recognized expert on culture change and gender, racial, and economic justice issues and is a frequent commentator on the power of women’s philanthropy. Bia resides with her partner in Oakland, CA.

See more Michelle Meow Show programs at The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California.

Presented by The Michelle Meow Show and Inforum at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.

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George Hammond: Who Are We? Mar 12, 2024

Who are we? Good question. But difficult to answer definitively. Still, it is a question that is philosophically fruitful to ask, because the flip side of the question (who aren’t we?) has several clear answers that narrow the search for an answer to the main question.

One example: It might be emotionally hard to accept, but it seems highly unlikely that we are the center of the universe, even though we all experience the totality of our lives through one perspective—our own—which has clearly made it very easy for almost all of us to fall for this illusion.

That is one reason Monday Night Philosophy returns to the Commonwealth Club (this time on a Tuesday) to re-ask these age-old questions, to analyze the most popular of their age-old answers, and to present the logic that points to a different answer to the ancient question: Who are we?

This rational perspective also makes it perfectly understandable why we experience the emotions we do, why we dream, why we’ve told ourselves these stories, how we try to egg ourselves on with them, why we have scared ourselves silly with them, and even how they explain away for us our otherwise embarrassing attraction to cruelty.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

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Richard Schwartz: Berkeley 1900―Daily Life at the Turn of the Century Mar 11, 2024

Local historian Richard Schwartz returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to captivate you once again with his characteristic blend of serious history, fascinating images, and “telling details” stories. Schwartz shares eyewitness accounts and unique views of Berkeley from more than 120 years ago, which show how profoundly the landscape, culture, economy and social values of modern Berkeley have been shaped by what came before. Berkeley 1900 is his definitive account of a pivotal time in the life of one of America's most beloved cities.

Join us to see how much has changed, and how much hasn’t, over almost 125 years.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

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Barbara McQuade: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America Mar 09, 2024

The epidemic of disinformation and misinformation sweeping through our society is like the weather: Everyone complains about it, but no one does anything about it. Now Barbara McQuade is changing that, offering solutions for countering disinformation and maintaining the rule of law.

MSNBC's legal expert breaks down the ways disinformation has become a tool to drive voters to extremes, disempower our legal structures, and consolidate power in the hands of the few. Americans are strategically being pushed apart by disinformation—the deliberate spreading of lies disguised as truth—and it comes at us from all sides: opportunists on the far right, Russian misinformed social media influencers, and others. It's endangering our democracy and causing havoc in our electoral system, schools, hospitals, workplaces, and in our Capitol. Advances in technology including rapid developments in artificial intelligence threaten to make the problems even worse by amplifying false claims and manufacturing credibility.

Legal scholar and analyst McQuade will join us to explain how to identify the ways disinformation is seeping into all facets of our society and how we can fight against it. She examines what she calls the "authoritarian playbook"—a history of disinformation from Mussolini and Hitler to Bolsonaro and Trump—and chronicles the ways in which authoritarians have used disinformation to seize and retain power. She reviews disinformation tactics, such as demonizing the other, seducing with nostalgia, silencing critics, muzzling the media, condemning the courts, and stoking violence, and she explains why they work.

Is America particularly vulnerable to disinformation? Does it exploit our First Amendment Freedoms? What can be done to fight it and its effects?

Don't miss this timely exploration of one of the most important forces in the world today.

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CLIMATE ONE: How Activism Can Win Bigger and Faster with Kumi Naidoo Mar 08, 2024

Kumi Naidoo is a world renowned activist and climate leader. Before going on to lead Greenpeace International then Amnesty International, Naidoo was a 15 year old anti-apartheid activist in South Africa. The boycotts he organized led to him being a target of the Security Police. He fled South Africa and lived in exile in the UK.

As a climate activist, Naidoo has been arrested for scaling oil rigs, has negotiated with heads of state, and rubbed shoulders with the most powerful people at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Now he’s a visiting scholar at Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, where he’s focusing on how activism can win bigger and faster.

Guests:

Kumi Naidoo, Human Rights and Environmental Justice Activist

Alex Ajose Nixon, Spoken Word Poet

Mystic, Hip Hop Artist and Educator

Dana R. Fisher, Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland

Tamara Toles O’Laughlin, President and CEO, Environmental Grantmakers Association

📞 Have you moved within the United States for climate-related reasons? Tell us about it!

For the chance to have your climate migration story shared on Climate One, give us a call at 650 382-3869. Please keep your voicemail under two minutes and include your name and contact information so we know how to reach you if we decide to feature your story.

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By joining Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and even periodic engagements with Climate One staff. Join today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Michael Gerhardt: The Laws of Presidential Impeachment Mar 08, 2024

President Joe Biden is being threatened with impeachment by the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives. His predecessor, Donald Trump, was twice impeached by a Democratic-led House. Three presidents earlier, Bill Clinton was impeached. No president has ever been removed from office as the result of an impeachment, but it continues to be a high-profile way to go after the president of the United States.

But what exactly is impeachment? Why is it included in the U.S. Constitution? How does the process work?

Constitutional scholar Michael Gerhardt offers a comprehensive, nonpartisan, and up-to-date explanation of the Constitution’s various mechanisms for holding presidents accountable for misdeeds real and imagined. He is the author of the new book The Law of Presidential Impeachment, which draws on a lifetime of scholarly research, as well as Gerhardt’s unique experience as a witness and consultant in the impeachment trials of Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.

Join us as Gerhardt offers new perspectives on impeachment, arguing that it cannot be properly understood in a vacuum, but must instead be viewed in the context of its coordination with such other mechanisms as criminal prosecutions, censure, elections, congressional oversight, and the Fourteenth and Twenty-Fifth Amendments.

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Charles Duhigg: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection Mar 07, 2024

Come inside a jury room as one juror leads a starkly divided room to consensus. Join a young CIA officer as he recruits a reluctant foreign agent. And sit with an accomplished surgeon as he tries, and fails, to convince yet another cancer patient to opt for the less risky course of treatment. In his new book Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg blends deep research and storytelling skills to show how people can learn to identify and leverage the hidden layers that lurk beneath every conversation.

Duhigg says communication is a superpower, and the best communicators understand that whenever we speak, we’re actually participating in one of three conversations: practical (What’s this really about?), emotional (How do we feel?), and social (Who are we?). If you don’t know what kind of conversation you’re having, you’re unlikely to connect. "Supercommunicators" know the importance of recognizing—and then matching—each kind of conversation, and how to hear the complex emotions, subtle negotiations, and deeply held beliefs that color so much of what we say and how we listen. He says that our experiences, our values, our emotional lives—and how we see ourselves and others—shape every discussion, from who will pick up the kids to how we want to be treated at work. Learn why some people are able to make themselves heard, and to hear others, so clearly.

From the writers’ room of "The Big Bang Theory" to the couches of leading marriage counselors, Duhigg will show how to recognize these three conversations—and teach the tips and skills needed to navigate them more successfully.

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Mayor London Breed: The State of San Francisco Mar 06, 2024

San Francisco Mayor London Breed returns to The Commonwealth Club World Affairs for a state-of-the-city program, taking stock of the city’s present and looking forward to its future. What can the city do to spur downtown revival? How can it reduce the problems of fentanyl, homelessness, and crime?

She’ll also share her thoughts on ballot measures facing voters in the March elections, including Proposition C (making it easier to convert office properties into housing), Proposition E (expanding the ability of police to pursue suspects), Proposition F (identifying and requiring treatment for drug abuse disorder among people receiving cash assistance).

Breed, elected in 2018, is the city’s 45th mayor and its first Black woman mayor. She was born and raised in San Francisco. Before she became mayor, Breed served as a member and president of the city’s Board of Supervisors.

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'Island in Between': Taiwan Film Screening and Discussion Mar 05, 2024

The rural Taiwanese outer islands of Kinmen sit merely 2 miles off the coast of China. Kinmen attracts tourists for its remains from the 1949 Chinese Civil War. It also marks the frontline for Taiwan in its escalating tension with China.

Filmmaker S. Leo Chiang weaves lyrical vignettes of tourist visits and local life with his own narrative as someone negotiating ambivalent personal bonds to Taiwan, China, and the United States. Island in Between explores the uneasy peace in these islands, and contemplates Taiwan's uncertain future. The film was recently nominated for an Academy Award in the documentary short category.

See more Michelle Meow Show programs at The Commonwealth Club of California.

This program contains EXPLICIT CONTENT.

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Oakland Forum: How Leaders Are Building Communities in Oakland Mar 04, 2024

Join us for a new Commonwealth Club experience as we launch the first of our new series of Oakland Forums, taking place at Fluid 510 in downtown Oakland.

In our inaugural program, we're featuring Oakland leaders discussing building community in this time of serious challenges facing Oakland and other big cities.

About the Speakers

Darin Balaban is a self-taught visual artist with a focus on painting, multimedia pieces, and large-scale murals. He is considered to be part of the new-wave "post-vandalism" movement, which blurs the line between street art tropes and contemporary abstraction. Balaban's art practice has led him to exhibit in multiple galleries and lead large-scale projects domestically.

Shirley Gee is a managing partner at Angel Plus, LLC, a trusted validation firm of later stage, start-up corporations in anticipation of capitalization. Gee is an active Accredited Investor; chair of the Life Science Committee; a member of Technology Transfer Committee; and team lead for due diligence specializing in life science, medical devices, IOT, clean technology and renewal and alternative energy.

Joe Hawkins is a noted Oakland-based community organizer, LGBTQ advocate, nonprofit executive, event producer, and social entrepreneur. Hawkins first came to national prominence as one of the first gay men to ever appear as a guest on the iconic Oprah Winfrey talk show during the early 90's, defending his right to parent his son as an out gay man. He is a co-founder and former co-chair of Oakland Pride and was voted Grand Marshall of both the San Francisco and Oakland Pride Parades. He worked as a founding program member and CEO of OpNet Community Ventures, one of America's first high-tech training programs, launched in 1995, for low income youth and youth of color in San Francisco. Hawkins was regional director for Innovative Housing, a shared housing nonprofit for low-income families and individuals in Marin County. He worked as the director of administration at AIDS Project of the East Bay (APEB), served on the Ryan White Planning Council and was a founding organizer of the East Bay AIDS Walk. In 2017, Joe co-founded and is the CEO of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center.

See more Michelle Meow Show programs at The Commonwealth Club of California.

Produced in partnership with Fluid 510.

THIS PROGRAM CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENT.

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On the Road to Freedom: Through the Eyes of Young Leaders Mar 03, 2024

Join Club Travel and Cinnamongirl, Inc. to hear a fresh and vibrant conversation between three amazing young people—two scholars and their mentor—who traveled on the Club’s trip “On the Road to Freedom: Understanding the Civil Rights Movement” in October 2023. The group spent time in Jackson, Little Rock, Memphis, Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery.

Hear about key events and people involved in the movement, and what it means for these young women in terms of what is happening today, their vision for the future, and for themselves.

In partnership with Cinnamongirl Inc.

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Paul Belonick: Restraint, Conflict, and the Fall of the Roman Republic Mar 01, 2024

Strongly held values can stabilize a society. They can also splinter it. Paul Belonick explores the moral paradoxes of republican Rome and describes how aristocrats engaged in "performative politics," aggressively seeking self-advancement with a competitiveness that fueled the expansion of an empire. At the same time, Roman orators and authors emphasized the need for self-control, moderation and temperance. Scholars have long suggested that this moral obsession with self-control was merely a social marker of aristocratic status, but Belonick argues that the Roman focus on self-control was responsible for solidifying their peculiarly competitive, semi-formal government.

As conflicts arose in Rome over how to apply these cultural values to novel circumstances, competitors saw each other as desecrating republican principles and therefore as targets to be eradicated. Belonick presents a fresh perspective on the republic’s collapse, by illustrating both sides of this Roman paradox: how values of self-control legitimized the Romans' competition and supported their fluid social structure and political institutions—but then tore the Republic apart.

Join us, at a time when almost no one even mentions restraint, to rediscover how the values associated with restraint can both stabilize and de-stabilize political systems.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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CLIMATE ONE: What More Can I Do? Mar 01, 2024

If you’re a climate-conscious person, you likely already know some of the main ways you can reduce your contribution to greenhouse gasses: buy less, eat less meat, ride your bike.

But there are other, less obvious methods we don’t always think of: voting, having climate conversations, engaging with your local government, changing where your money is invested. And while our role as individuals does matter, we’re more powerful when we work together in collective action.

Guests:

Jon Foley, Executive Director, Project Drawdown

Eliza Nemser, Executive Director, Climate Changemakers

This episode also features excerpts from Cory Booker, Anna Lappé, Frances Moore Lappé, Saul Griffith, Monique Figueiredo, Jonathan Chapman, Jennifer Anderson, Tanya Gulliver Garcia, Vernon Walker, Abrar Anwar, Slater Jewell-Kemker, Kyle Gracey and Alec Loorz.

📞 Have you moved within the United States for climate-related reasons? Tell us about it!

For the chance to have your climate migration story shared on Climate One, give us a call at 650 382-3869. Please keep your voicemail under two minutes and include your name and contact information so we know how to reach you if we decide to feature your story.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Week to Week Political Roundtable: February 22 Feb 27, 2024

It's the 12th anniversary of the Week to Week political roundtable! Come celebrate with us.

The courts are issuing rulings on presidential contenders and ballots; primaries and caucuses are underway, Congress just completed one of its least productive years in history, San Francisco is voting on mayors and propositions—how will we ever think of anything to talk about on this program?

As usual with Week to Week, our panelists will discuss the latest political developments in an informed, civil (and fun) manner.

Join us for a whole new year of lively political discussion at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California.

See other upcoming Week to Week political roundtables, as well as audio and video of past Week to Week programs.

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The Pursuit of Happiness: Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center Feb 26, 2024

What did “the pursuit of happiness” mean to our nation’s founders and how did that famous phrase become the foundation of our democracy?

The Declaration of Independence identifies “the pursuit of happiness” as one of our unalienable rights, along with life and liberty. In a new book, National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen profiles six of the most influential founders—Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton—to show what pursuing happiness meant in their lives.

By reading the classical Greek and Roman moral philosophers who inspired the Founders, Rosen uncovers how they understood the pursuit of happiness as a quest for being good, not feeling good—the pursuit of lifelong virtue, not short-term pleasure. Among those virtues were the habits of industry, temperance, moderation and sincerity, which the Founders viewed as part of a daily struggle for self-improvement, character development and calm self-mastery. They believed that political self-government required personal self-government. For all six Founders, the pursuit of virtue was incompatible with the enslavement of African Americans—though the Virginians betrayed their own principles on that issue.

Join us as Rosen not only elucidates the meaning of the Declaration’s famous phrase, but also takes us on a revelatory journey into the minds of the Founders, providing a deep, rich and fresh understanding of the foundation of our democracy.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Future of SF: Town Hall + March Election Roundup Feb 25, 2024

Come join WE SF and Commonwealth Club World Affairs for a one-of-a-kind, high-energy town hall presentation plus discussion, the likes of which San Francisco hasn’t recently seen!

Not only will we present a nonpartisan multimedia breakdown of each of the ballot measures and candidates on the March 2024 election ballot, but we will have many of the city’s top elected officials, leaders, and key stakeholders on both sides of the aisle on hand to present the “pros” and “cons” of each issue. The event schedule is as follows:.The event combines WE San Francisco’s unique ability to inspire civic engagement and explain complex issues, with the “big ideas” thought leadership of Commonwealth Club World Affairs, the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum whose mission is to bring people together to connect, learn and act on issues that impact our community.

Presenters include:

Matt Dorsey, member, San Francisco Board of Supervisors (District 6)
Joel Engardio, member, San Francisco Board of Supervisors (District 4)
Ahsha Safai, member, San Francisco Board of Supervisors (District 11)
And many more!.

The result is a celebration of San Francisco’s future, but one that is grounded in the realities of the present and what we can individually and collectively do to enable a better tomorrow.

Co-hosted with WE SF. This program is part of the Guggenhime Speakers Series, sponsored by the The Stanley S. Langendorf Foundation.

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Gretchen Sisson with Sen. Laphonza Butler: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood Feb 24, 2024

Abortion and adoption are twinned in the minds of many Americans who have endured the never-ending heated debates over abortion. Now, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, sociologist Dr. Gretchen Sisson releases the results of her decade-long study of adoption, revealing what she says is the grief of American mothers for whom the choice to parent was never real.

Adoption has long been viewed as a beloved institution for building families, as well as mutually agreed common ground in the abortion debate. But little attention has been paid to the lives of mothers who relinquish infants for private adoption. For her book Relinquished, Sisson draws upon hundreds of interviews with mothers who placed their children for domestic adoption. She finds their voices to be powerful and heartrending, deserving to be heard.

Join us for a timely and provocative look at the flip side of the fight over abortion, adoption, rights and the American family.

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CLIMATE ONE: Geothermal: So Hot Right Now Feb 23, 2024

When most people hear the phrase renewable energy, they imagine fields full of solar panels or giant spinning wind turbines. But another source may be heating up: geothermal. Twenty years ago it was thought that geothermal could provide at most 10% of any given area’s electricity, and only in very limited regions. There were also environmental concerns about depleting groundwater.

But new technological advances may have unlocked the potential for scalable geothermal energy just about anywhere. And in a bit of irony, those technological advances came from the oil and gas industry.

Guests:

Amanda Kolker, Laboratory Program Manager for Geoscience and Geothermal Technologies, NREL

Jamie Beard, founder of Project InnerSpace

Lauren McLean, Mayor of Boise

Contributing Producer: David Condos

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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"The Sugar ""Fix"": The Addiction and the Treatment Feb 21, 2024

Dr. Robert Lustig and Dr. Nicole Avena will have a conversation about sugar, based on many years of scientific and clinical experience.

They will begin with a brief history of the evolution of sugar in our food environment and move on to where we are today regarding types of sugar and sweeteners, as well as the pervasiveness of these in our food supply. Questions explored will include: How do various types of sugar and sweeteners affect your brain and body systems? Is moderation possible when evidence suggests sugar may be "addictive"? What are the options if you want something sweet? You will have an opportunity to ask questions and will gain valuable insights to help you understand sugar and reduce your intake if need be.

Dr. Nicole Avena is an associate professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and a visiting professor of health psychology at Princeton University. She is a research neuroscientist and expert in the fields of nutrition, diet and addiction, with a special focus on nutrition during early life and pregnancy, and women’s health. She has done groundbreaking work developing models to characterize food addiction and the dangers of excess sugar intake.

Robert H. Lustig, M.D., M.S.L. is emeritus professor of pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, and member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies, at UCSF. Dr. Lustig is a neuroendocrinologist, with expertise in metabolism, obesity, and nutrition. He is one of the leaders of the current “anti-sugar” movement that is changing the food industry. He has dedicated his retirement from clinical medicine to helping fix the food supply any way he can, to reduce human suffering and to salvage the environment.

MLF ORGANIZER: Patty James

A Nutrition, Food & Wellness Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Paul Starobin: The Fight for a Better Russia Feb 20, 2024

Russia’s future lies outside of Russia.

That’s the verdict offered by Paul Starobin, a veteran analyst of Russia. Since Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, some 1 million Russians have fled the country and gone into exile. Motivated by opposition to the war, by guilt for their country’s deeds, by personal hatred for the czar-like Putin, and by a vision of a better Russia shorn of autocracy, the exiles have mounted an organized resistance to Putin’s rule.

Starobin says that the resistance includes followers of the imprisoned Putin opponent Alexi Navalny, dissident Russian Orthodox priests, and journalists feeding Russians back home the kind of coverage that is censored by Kremlin-controlled media. Most aggressively, some exiles are actively aiding the Ukrainian fight against Russia’s armed forces in hopes of hastening Russia’s defeat and Putin’s demise.

Starobin traveled to places like Armenia and Georgia to meet with exiles and had conversations with prominent figures throughout Europe and America, as he took measure of this rebellion—and its potential to fix a nation plagued by revanchist imperial dreams.

He reported his findings in his new book Putin’s Exiles, and he’ll tell you what he found and what might be coming next for Russia. Join us for a special online-only program that goes beyond pro-Putin propaganda and the tightly controlled narrative inside the country, and looks outside its borders to the diaspora of Russian exiles, who are imagining and fighting for the future of their country.

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'20 Days in Mariupol' Film Screening Feb 19, 2024

Join us for a special discussion with filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov.

20 Days in Mariupol, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film, presents a visceral, first-person view of the early days of Russia’s invasion of the city of Mariupol, Ukraine. An Associated Press team of Ukrainian journalists is trapped in the besieged city, where they struggle to continue their work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. As the only international reporters who remain in the city, they capture what later become defining images of the war: dying children, mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and more.

This is the first feature film from Chernov, who spent nearly a decade covering international conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, for The Associated Press. The film draws on Chernov’s daily news dispatches and personal footage of his own country at war. It offers a vivid, harrowing account of civilians caught in the siege, as well as a window into what it’s like to report from a conflict zone, and the impact of such journalism around the globe.

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CLIMATE ONE: Let’s Talk Dirty to Clean Energy Feb 16, 2024

As fossil fuels are phased out, shuttered coal plants, contaminated landfills, and abandoned mine lands across the U.S. are finding new life as renewable energy projects. More than 23 states have 100% clean energy goals, and in order to reach those goals, some states are starting to convert what was once considered “dirty” into “clean” energy generation.

But what happens to the infrastructure, workers, and community after a coal plant shuts down? And as billions are dispersed through policies like the Inflation Reduction Act, what is being done to ensure that the same communities who have been historically left behind are included in the energy transition?

Guests:

Mary Anne Hitt, Senior Director, Climate Imperative

Thomas Ramey, Commercial Home Evaluator, Solar Holler

Nick Mullins, Energy Systems Technology Instructor, Tri-County Technical Center and Former Coal Miner

Delmar Gillus, COO, Elevate

This episode also features a reported piece by Jordan Gass-Pooré.

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By joining Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and even periodic engagements with Climate One staff. Join today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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TED's Chris Anderson: Infectious Generosity Feb 15, 2024

Let’s face it: Recent years have been tough on optimists. Hopes that the Internet might bring people together have been crushed by the ills of social media. Is there a way back?

Bestselling author, media pioneer and TED curator Chris Anderson returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to explore one of humankind’s defining but overlooked impulses, and how we can super-charge its potential to build a hopeful future. Anderson believes it’s within our grasp to turn outrage back into optimism. He says it all comes down to reimagining one of the most fundamental human virtues: generosity. What if generosity could become infectious generosity?

Consider how a London barber began offering haircuts to people experiencing homelessness—and catalyzed a movement; how two anonymous donors gave $10,000 each to two hundred strangers and discovered that most recipients wanted to “pay it forward” with their own generous acts; and how TED itself transformed from a niche annual summit into a global source of ideas by giving away talks online.

In telling these inspiring stories, Anderson offers a playbook for how to embark on our own generous acts—whether gifts of money, time, talent, connection, or kindness—and to prime them, thanks to the Internet, to have self-replicating, even world-changing, impact.

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2024 Economic Forecast: Inflation, Election Bonanza, and the Global Economy Play Feb 14, 2024

from 2024 Economic Forecast: Inflation, Election Bonanza, and the Global Economy held on February 8, 2024

The Walter E. Hoadley Annual Economic Forecast, presented by Bank of America.

The United States heads into 2024 with an economy that is strong but is widely believed to be underperforming. With inflation tamped down to normal rates, unemployment at record lows, and continued strong job growth and corporate profits, why aren’t American consumers and business leaders more bullish about the state of the economy?

Join us for the economic talk of the year: our annual economic forecast. Our expert panel—including Lanhee Chen of the Hoover Institution, Mauro F. Guillén of the Wharton School, Nancy Wallace of Berkeley Haas, Jared Woodard of Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research, and The Washington Post's Adam Lashinsky—will give you the insight you need to better understand the trends, policies, dangers and opportunities that lie ahead for your business and your wallet in 2024.

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Norm Mineta Statue Unveiling Public Reception Feb 12, 2024

At 10 a.m. on January 25, 2024, a statue was unveiled at San Jose Mineta International Airport honoring Norm Mineta. Speakers at the event extolled Mineta's leadership and legacy; his pathbreaking role as the first Asian American mayor of a large U.S. city, influential member of Congress, first Asian American presidential cabinet member, and so much more.

You can learn more about Mineta, his life and his accomplishments, in this article from NPR.

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Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder Feb 10, 2024

What is “destructive friction”? Bestselling authors Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao say that every organization is plagued by destructive friction; yet some forms of friction are incredibly useful, and leaders who attempt to improve workplace efficiency often make things even worse.

Join us as Sutton and Rao teach people how to become “friction fixers.”

Sutton and Rao say skilled friction fixers think and act like trustees of others’ time. They provide friction forensics to help readers identify where to avert and repair bad organizational friction and where to maintain and inject good friction. Then their help pyramid shows how friction fixers do their work, from reframing friction troubles they can’t fix right now, so they feel less threatening, to designing and repairing organizations. Sutton and Rao dig into the causes and solutions for five of the most common and damaging friction troubles: oblivious leaders, addition sickness, broken connections, jargon monoxide, and fast and frenzied people and teams.

Sound familiar? Sutton and Rao are here to help. Don’t miss their appearance at Commonwealth Club World Affairs, where they will give lessons for leading your own friction project; the power of civility, caring, and love for propelling designs and repairs; and embracing the mess that is an inevitable part of the process.

This program contains EXPLICIT CONTENT.

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CLIMATE ONE: Busted: The Newest Emission Cheaters Feb 09, 2024

A settlement for the largest civil penalty resulting from the Clean Air Act has just been reached. The EPA, DOJ and the State of California have agreed to a $1.7 billion fine for engine maker Cummins Inc. The fine is the result of Cummins being caught using “defeat devices” to fool emissions testers into thinking the engines pollute less than they really do.

Does that sound familiar? It’s exactly what Volkwsagen was caught doing nearly 10 years ago. VW and Cummins aren’t the only ones; it’s an industry wide problem. So how do we stop the deception? What have we learned since the infamous VW “Dieselgate” scandal?

Guests:

Rachel Muncrief, Acting Executive Director, ICCT

Hector De La Torre, Member, California Air Resources Board

Margo Oge, Former Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, U.S. EPA

Alberto Ayala, Executive Director, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By joining Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and even periodic engagements with Climate One staff. Join today for just $5/month.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Silicon Valley Reads 2024: A Greener Tomorrow Starts Today Feb 08, 2024

Silicon Valley Reads celebrates its 21st year with Lily Brooks-Dalton, Favianna Rodriguez, Alexandria Villaseñor, and Heather White.

Our featured authors and book contributors will focus on environmental sustainability and explore the challenges and opportunities of creating a more sustainable future, not only in Santa Clara County but worldwide.

They will share more about their work and efforts to create awareness and meaningful change for the future.

Hosted by Santa Clara County Library District, Santa Clara County Office of Education, San José Public Library, and DeAnza College.

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Dr. Jen Gunter: The Science, Medicine and Mythology of Menstruation Feb 06, 2024

Dr. Jen Gunter, called "the world's most famous and outspoken gynecologist” by The Guardian, returns to The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco to apply her myth-busting, no-nonsense approach to discussing menstruation.

Why do people menstruate? The endometrium’s (the uterine lining’s) fascinating connection to the immune system. The impact of stress, vaccines, and health on the menstrual cycle. Menstrual migraines, PMS, and period diarrhea. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Fibroids and other causes of heavy bleeding. Endometriosis and the latest treatments. Legitimate menstrual products, and the facts behind toxic shock syndrome.

Despite its significance, most education about menstruation focuses either on increasing the chances of pregnancy or preventing it. And while both are important for many people, Gunter believes that people deserve to know more about their bodies than just what happens regarding reproduction. At a time when charlatans, politicians and social media are succeeding in propagating damaging misinformation with real and devastating consequences, Gunter presents a practical, empowering guide to what’s typical, what’s concerning and when to seek care—shared with her trademark expertise and frank, fearless wit.

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Roger Rapoport: Searching for Patty Hearst Feb 05, 2024

Fifty years ago, on February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, and that story, covered thoroughly by a young journalist named Roger Rapoport, quickly became one of the most bizarre and polarizing crimes of an already unsettled time. Now Rapoport has written a novel to explore alternative theories of the crime and to delve into the complex psychology of many of the key actors in the drama. Using the techniques of fiction, Rapoport gives voice to much of the story that fell outside of the bounds of journalistic coverage.

With a wry sensibility and insider knowledge, gained through access to the elite and secretive world of the Hearst family and many other behind-the-scenes players, Rapoport goes beyond the tabloid headlines to attempt to answer such questions as: Why did Patty participate in the kidnapping of a high school student just hours before six of the SLA kidnappers were killed in a firefight with the LAPD? Did celebrity coroner Thomas Noguchi mishandle the autopsies of six SLA victims? Why did Patty’s lawyers dump her fiancé Steve Weed as a key witness at her trial at the last minute?

Join us to test the theory that fiction can offer insights into the truth that reporting can’t, and refresh your recollection of the story of Patty Hearst’s kidnapping and the totally unexpected twists and turns that story took which carved it into the American psyche.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Election 2024: An Evening with The Bulwark Feb 04, 2024

Join The Bulwark for an evening of politics and laughs among friends. Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, and Jonathan V. Last, founders of The Bulwark and hosts of “The Next Level” podcast, bring their signature style of banter to the stage for an evening of sharp political insights, lots of laughs . . . and maybe even a few tears.

With the U.S. electorate hurtling toward a rematch of Biden v. Trump, the gang will react to the Iowa caucuses and the state of the GOP race, Biden’s State of the Union, the latest polling and other pressing events of the day.

At An Evening with The Bulwark you can expect a fun night with a community built on good faith where we tell you what we really think.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Plan to stick around after the show to meet fellow attendees and the gang from The Bulwark.

About the Speakers

Tim Miller is The Bulwark’s writer-at-large, an MSNBC political analyst and the author of the New York Times best seller Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell. He was previously political director for Republican Voters Against Trump and communications director for Jeb Bush 2016.

Sarah Longwell is the publisher of The Bulwark and host of “The Focus Group” podcast. She is president and CEO of Longwell Partners in Washington, D.C., and co-founder with Bill Kristol of the organizations Defending Democracy Together and the Republican Accountability Project. A long-time Republican strategist and former national board chair of the Log Cabin Republicans, her recent DDT projects are Republican Voters Against Trump and Republicans for the Rule of Law.

Jonathan V. Last is the editor of The Bulwark, where he writes the daily “Triad” newsletters. He hosts “The Secret Podcast” with Sarah and “The Next Level” podcast. He is the author of What to Expect When No One Is Expecting and the editor of The Dadly Virtues: Adventures from the Worst Job You'll Ever Love.

This program contains explicit content.

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Innovative Patient-Centered Care for Cancer Feb 03, 2024

The current system of cancer care is not built to optimize for patients, according to our speakers. Clinical trials optimize for sponsor outcomes. Hospitals and clinics optimize for payer reimbursement. Translational research optimizes for publication impact. Electronic health records are optimized for billing efficiency.

Join us in-person or online as Katie Coleman (cancer survivor, founder of the Chromophobe and Oncocytic Tumor Alliance and team member at the Rare Cancer Research Foundation) and Rare Cancer Research Foundation President Marshall Thompson advocate for a better way.

Putting the patient at the center of the cancer research and care ecosystem requires new tools and capabilities. Patients are uniquely positioned—as both ultimate source and beneficiary of all cancer-related samples, data, and findings—to power a change in the way we approach oncology innovation in the clinic and in the laboratory. The first steps toward a patient-centered oncology research, collaboration and clinical exploration program are possible today, and RCRF is building toward a future that empowers all cancer patients to participate in and benefit from the promises of modern personalized medicine.

About the Speakers

Katie Coleman is a devoted and innovative software engineer whose experiences navigating an ultra-rare kidney cancer profoundly shaped her career and purpose. Her passion lies not only in finding solutions that improve that patient experience but also in leveraging her technical expertise to translate these solutions to reality in ways that provide patients opportunities to enable research and medical advances. As the product engineering lead at RCRF, Coleman's role transcends typical engineering boundaries. She marries her technical expertise with a personal commitment to advocacy, striving to propel research and improve outcomes for those battling rare cancers. Coleman is founder of the Chromophobe and Oncocytic Tumor Alliance.

Marshall Thompson is a multi-disciplinary scientist, software engineer, and business leader with a strong interest in applying cutting-edge software practices to genomic-scale biological problems. Thompson completed his undergraduate studies at the University of New Mexico, where he earned degrees in biology and computer science. Marshall went on to earn a doctorate in genetics and genomics from Duke University. Thompson has a wealth of experience in the software and business industry, with skills in software architecture and development, consulting, product development, technical marketing, sales engineering, support, and support management.

MLF ORGANIZER: Gerald Anthony Harris

A Technology & Society Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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CLIMATE ONE REWIND: Jane Fonda: A Lifetime of Activism Feb 02, 2024

Jane Fonda has spent the last several decades fighting for Indigenous peoples' rights, economic justice, LGBTQ rights, peace, gender equality and more. Now, she is devoting herself to the climate emergency, beginning with Fire Drill Fridays, the national movement to protest government inaction on climate change she started in October 2019.

Through the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, she is focused on defeating political allies of the fossil fuel industry. At 85, Fonda continues to fight for the most vulnerable among us, consistently pointing out the intersection between the myriad of causes. What keeps the iconic Jane Fonda going strong? Revisit our discussion with this activist icon today.

Guest

Jane Fonda, actor, activist

Support Climate One by going ad-free! Subscribe to our Patreon for just $5/month to get all future episodes free of ads, as well as opportunities to engage with Climate One staff and fellow listeners for episode discussions and live event streams.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Simon Shuster: Volodymyr Zelensky and the Invasion that Shook the World Feb 01, 2024

A comedic actor becomes president of a country on the brink of war. When a brutal invasion by Russia surprises the world, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky creates even more surprise—by quickly showing himself to be an inspiring wartime leader of his country as it fights off the much larger forces of Russia.

Time correspondent Simon Shuster was given unprecedented access to President Zelensky and his team, and comes to San Francisco to report about the president's evolution from a slapstick actor to a symbol of resilience, revealing how he managed to rally the world's democracies behind his cause. From President Zelensky's days in a nuclear bunker in the opening weeks of the invasion to his military's crucial victories, Shuster offers an in-depth and up-close picture of the invasion as experienced by its number-one target and improbable hero.

Join us in-person to hear about leadership, human fallibility and triumph, and the attempt to change the course of history.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Livingston Taylor & The Sword of Damocles Jan 31, 2024

The story of the Sword of Damocles, often associated with the imminent peril of those in power, also speaks to the ever-present balance of joy and responsibility and the universal human condition of mortality. Livingston Taylor's journey as an artist offers a profound narrative of the complexities and paradoxes of a creative life. On the surface, his life may appear charmed, marked by artistic freedom and the allure of fame. Beneath this lies a relentless journey of self-discovery, discipline, and the constant navigation of artistic challenges. Like Damocles, who discovered the weight of the king's crown was far heavier than he had imagined, Livingston has also experienced the pressures and demands that accompany a life dedicated to art. While growing up in a family of very talented individuals, including his brother James Taylor, Livingston's career reflects the trials that come with it and is a testament to his resilience and dedication to carving out his own unique and successful identity in the music industry. His journey highlights that behind every seemingly effortless display of talent and success lies a backdrop of hard work, sacrifice, and personal battles.

Join us as Livingston integrates his songs in a live performance in between conversations about his life story, which, when mirrored against the tale of the Sword of Damocles, is a powerful reminder that the creative path is as much about embracing the joys and rewards as it is about enduring struggles and uncertainties. It underscores the importance of cherishing one's journey, with all its ups and downs, in pursuing artistic fulfillment and personal expression. Light reception with beer, wine, and snacks included after the program.

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Year of the Dragon: A Celebration of Chinese Culture and Cuisine Jan 30, 2024

Join us for a celebration of Chinese culture and cuisine and look forward to the Year of the Dragon!

Come celebrate with us with traditional Chinese food and alcohol as we transition from the Year of the Rabbit to the Year of the Dragon. What does the new year bring to the People's Republic of China?

We will talk to Consulate General Zhang Jianmin from the People’s Republic of China, who will present his views on China’s role in California, the United States and the recent APEC conference. Afterward, all attendees are invited to sample regional Chinese cuisine and alcohol sponsored by the Chinese consulate.

MLF ORGANIZER: Dr. Kalidip Choudhury

An Asia Pacific Affairs Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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"Ukraine Firsthand: Resistance, Resolve, Recovery Jan 29, 2024

Don’t miss this rare chance—right here in the Bay Area—to hear directly from Ukrainian heroes at the forefront of rebuilding their nation while under attack. Go beyond the headlines to truly understand how life in Ukraine changed after the brutal and unrelenting Russian invasion that began almost two years ago. Discover how the whole-of-nation response has unfolded: driving back Russian forces while steeling national resolve and overcoming the war’s destruction.

Join us for personal insight as we host a distinguished Ukrainian delegation of parliament members, governing officials, civic leaders and cultural heritage experts. Hear the mayor of Irpin’s experience of devastating attacks as retaliation for halting Russia’s advance on Kyiv. Learn about Kharkiv, a city just 20 miles from the Russian border, where its citizens are rebuilding while on the frontlines of entrenched war in eastern Ukraine. Discover the inspiring story of Dobrobat, a volunteer builders’ brigade, leading the civil response to rapid response repair. Our resilient and inspiring guests will share their experiences and strategies for mending and rebuilding physical infrastructure, entire communities and cultural heritage vital to national identity.

Stick around after the program to mingle with the community and enjoy delicious local cuisine from Leleka, a San Francisco-based family-run restaurant serving Ukrainian food with a modern twist.

Co-presented by the Center for Innovation.

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Tony Platt with Erwin Chemerinsky: The Scandal of Cal Jan 28, 2024

American institutions of higher education have long been the targets of critical books from the right, arguing they have betrayed their fundamental educational role. Now from the left comes a book that takes the author's own institution, the University of California, Berkeley, to task for what he says is its culpability in some of the cruelest chapters of U.S. history.

UC Berkeley, popularly known as Cal, is famous worldwide as a hotbed of left-wing activism and academics. But Tony Platt, who has taught at Berkeley as well as Cal State, Sacramento, says that UC Berkeley hasn't owned up to its roots in "plunder, warfare, and the promotion of white supremacy." He takes it to task for involvement in the eugenics movement, hoarding of Indigenous remains, and its "complicity with the military-industrial complex and its incubation of unprecedented violence through the Manhattan Project."

In this era in which many institutions, educational and otherwise, are reckoning with their histories, join us as Dr. Tony Platt talks with Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of Cal's law school, about his call for the institution to deal honestly with its controversial past.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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For Richer, Not Poorer: Richard Kahlenberg on How NIMBYISM Hurts the Working Class Jan 27, 2024

While the United States officially denounces prejudice based on race and gender, it has fostered the growth of another form of prejudice: class and income discrimination. Through state-sponsored government policies, millions of working-class Americans have opportunities blocked by exclusionary "snob zoning," making housing unaffordable, frustrating the goals of the Civil Rights Movement, and locking in inequality in our urban and suburban landscapes.

Through poignant accounts of families caught in the web of new redlining, Richard Kahlenberg, in his new book Excluded, brings to life the human consequences of these policies, revealing how economic segregation extends its tendrils into every aspect of life. Access to transportation, employment opportunities, health care, and quality education hang in the balance, disproportionately favoring the affluent.

Kahlenberg will explain the hidden mechanisms that perpetuate America's housing crisis, underscoring the profound impact of where one lives. He'll shed light on a shocking paradox—that the most restrictive zoning flourishes in politically liberal cities, where progressive racial views should hold sway.

It's a compelling indictment of America's housing policy, revealing the intricate web of social engineering that perpetuates segregation by economic class. Join us in unlocking the hidden truths behind America's housing crisis as Kahlenberg explains our problems and offers hope for change.

NOTES

This program has 2 types of tickets available: In-person and online-only. Please pre-register to receive a link to the live-stream event.

If you have symptoms of illness (coughing, fever, etc.), we ask that you either stay home or wear a mask. Our front desk has complimentary masks for members and guests who would like one.

The Commonwealth Club of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming.

All in-person attendees will receive a copy of Excluded compliments of the Ken & Jaclyn Broad Family Fund.

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CLIMATE ONE: Indigenous Perspectives: What Makes a Just Transition? Jan 26, 2024

We often talk about a “just transition” from dirty to clean energy as if the term means the same thing to everyone. Indigenous people have seen their resources extracted and exploited to further the wealth of others for centuries. Now renewable energy is looking to expand to Indigenous land.

How can renewable energy help Tribes leapfrog the twentieth century technologies that put them at the end of the line for corporate-controlled electricity? How can we, as Chéri Smith, Founder of the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, says, “make sure that Tribes are not only having a seat at the table, but they're building the table and inviting everyone else to it?”

Guests:

Chéri Smith, President & CEO, Founder at Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy

Steven Wadsworth, Vice Chairman, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe

Raylene Whitford, Founder, Canative Energy

Maui Solomon, Executive Chairman,Moriaori Imi Settlement Trust

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

This episode was produced in collaboration with On Shifting Ground with Ray Suarez, featuring Suarez as a guest host. Additionally, Sarah Howard provides field reporting.

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Humanities West Presents Shakespeare’s First Folio’s 400th Anniversary Jan 24, 2024

On November 8, 1623, just seven years after Shakespeare’s death, his plays were collected and published in what is now known as The First Folio. It is surmised that half his plays might have been lost if the First Folio had not been created when it was, and Humanities West is celebrating not losing that much literary gold with a 400th anniversary program on Shakespeare’s cultural contributions.

Roland Greene will speak on "The First Folio as Cultural Engine." If the Folio had not been published, we would have been left without several famous plays, but also without many other cultural influences that still resonate centuries later. Shakespeare’s plays continue to have such a strong effect on our world today that it is hard to imagine our culture without them. But imagine that; Professor Greene will.

Kip Cranna will speak on "Shakespeare in Song: Operas Inspired by the Bard." Shakespeare has been the source of more operas than any other writer. Generations of composers have brought his dramas to musical life in fascinating ways in a vast variety of styles. Cranna will explore some of these intriguing page-to-stage transformations using video examples (with subtitles) that will take you on a brief literary tour of Shakespearean operas. To quote the Bard, “If music be the food of love, sing on till I am fill'd with joy!”

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

In association with Humanities West and the Stanford Humanities Center.

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Week to Week Political Roundtable: The Race Is On Jan 22, 2024

It's the beginning of the season of caucuses and primaries, as we get ready to pick our next president. And that's just one of the many things we'll be tracking all year, starting with this kickoff program.

As usual with Week to Week, our panelists will discuss the latest political developments in an informed, civil (and fun) manner. And come early before the program for our social hour for some wine and light bites and an opportunity to talk with other Club members and friends.

Join us for a whole new year of lively political discussion at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California.

See other upcoming Week to Week political roundtables, as well as audio and video of past Week to Week programs.

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Fergus Bordewich: President Grant’s War Against the Ku Klux Klan Jan 21, 2024

The Ku Klux Klan rose from the ashes of the Civil War. At its peak in the early 1870s, the Klan had tens of thousands of members, many of them landowners, lawmen, doctors, journalists, and churchmen, as well as future governors and congressmen. The Klan’s mission was to obliterate the democratic power of newly emancipated Black Americans and their white allies, often by the most horrific means imaginable.

To repel the tidal wave of violence, President Ulysses S. Grant waged a two-term battle against both armed Southern enemies of Reconstruction and Northern politicians seduced by visions of postwar reconciliation. In his new book Klan War: Ulysses S. Grant and the Battle to Save Reconstruction, historian Fergus Bordewich transports us to the hamlets of the former Confederate States and to the marble corridors of Congress, where an unsung generation of Black leaders tried to hold onto Reconstruction-era political gains, and where senators such as Carl Schurz from Missouri, and the ruthless former slave trader and Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest, worked to eliminate the rights of Black Americans in the name of political “reform.”

Join us for a special online-only program as Bordewich shares the stunning history of the first national anti-terrorist campaign waged on American soil, as Ulysses S. Grant wielded the power of the federal government to dismantle the KKK. It is also a bracing reminder of the bloody, Reconstruction-era roots of current battles to protect the ballot box and to undercut resurgent white supremacist ideologies.

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Arlan Hamilton: Getting Your First Million Jan 20, 2024

Drawing on her personal journey from economic hardships to financial prosperity, Arlan Hamilton shares her conviction that wealth is not just about affluence, but more important, it's about options. The freedom to chase dreams, take bold leaps, and transform one's life trajectory.

Arlan Hamilton has defied the odds, garnering respect and recognition for her entrepreneurial spirit and financial acumen. In her new book, Your First Million, Hamilton provides an insightful guide for those aspiring to chart a similar path. She provides actionable strategies for achieving entrepreneurial success and emphasizes the importance of entrepreneurs reinvesting in their neighborhoods. She passionately believes by altering the landscape of decision-makers and innovators, we can not only better individual lives but also usher in societal change on a grand scale.

Join us as Arlan Hamilton, a source of inspiration to many in the world of entrepreneurship, shares her invaluable insights on achieving financial empowerment and catalyzing change—and maybe discover how you, too, can forge a legacy of prosperity and impact.

See more Michelle Meow Show programs at The Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Wardrobe Malfunction: The Climate Impact of Clothing Jan 19, 2024

What we wear defines us in so many ways. But in recent decades we’ve moved away from long-lasting, quality pieces in favor of disposable fast fashion, with major consequences for our climate and environment. From mechanized farming and pesticides to grow fiber crops, to energy for manufacturing and transportation, fossil fuels are embedded in the clothing industry at every step of the process.

Companies large and small are working against this trend, with some setting lofty goals for reducing carbon emissions and water use. But achieving those goals is hard. So what are the solutions? Buy less? Design new fibers and materials? Thrifting and repurposing existing clothing? New business models? How can we make low-impact clothing?

Guests:

Aja Barber, Author, “Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change and Consumerism”

Jason Kibbey, President and Founder, Worldly

Molly Morse, CEO, Mango Materials

Jonathan Chapman, Professor, Carnegie Mellon University School of Design

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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The Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Jan 15, 2024

In the famous photograph taken of the balcony of Memphis's Lorraine Motel just moments after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., one man is kneeling down beside King, trying to staunch the blood from his fatal head wound with a borrowed towel. That man, Marrell McCollough, was a representative of the Invaders, an activist group that was in talks with King in the days leading up to the murder. But he was also an undercover Memphis police officer reporting on the activities of the Invaders, which was thought to be possibly dangerous and potentially violent.

When Seletzky found out that her father had been secretly working for the white power structure as a spy, it was so far from her understanding of what it meant to be Black in America, of everything she eventually devoted her life and career to, that she set out to learn what she could about her father’s life, his actions and his motivations. But with that decision came risks. What would she uncover about her father, who went on to a career at the CIA, and did she want to bear the weight of knowing?

Join us for this intimate and heartbreaking story of a Black undercover police officer who witnessed the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and a daughter's quest for the truth about her father.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of Commonwealth Club World Affairs, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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John Judis: Where Have All the Democrats Gone? Jan 14, 2024

Distinguished political analyst John Judis returns to The Commonwealth Club to share his wake-up call for Democrats, who he feels have lost sight of their core principles, endangering their own political future. For decades, American politics has been plagued by a breakdown between the Democratic and Republican parties, in which victory has inevitably led to defeat and vice versa. Judis says both parties have lost sight of the people at the center of the American electorate, leading to polarization and paralysis. In their book Where Have All the Democrats Gone? The Soul of the Party in the Age of Extremes, Judis and co-author Ruy Teixeira reveal the tectonic changes shaping the country’s current political landscape that many pundits and political scientists have missed.

Judis says that the Democratic Party, once the preserve of small towns as well as big cities, of the industrial working class and the newly immigrated, has abandoned and even actively alienated many of those voters. He issues a clarion call for common sense and common ground, revealing the transformation of American politics and providing his critique of where the Democrats have gone awry and how they can avoid political disaster in the days and years ahead.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundatio

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Cutting Edge: Women with Alzheimer's Is on the Rise! Hope Is Here! Jan 13, 2024

In this presentation, Dr. Bredesen will provide you steps and tools to minimize and prevent Alzheimer's in your own environment.

Did you know that more women get Alzheimer's than breast cancer?

Do you know the steps to take to protect yourself and your loved ones?

Did you know 65% of adults with Alzheimer's are women and 60% of caregivers are women?

Did you know15+% of women in the US will get Alzheimer's?.

Did you know noticeable symptoms can take 20 years to appear.?

Do you know what the symptoms are?

Exclusive for Commonwealth Club Members: Post-program Conversation with Speaker

After the first part of the program, members are invited to please join us for an intimate private conversation with Dr. Bredesen on Zoom. Club members who register will receive two links—one for the program itself and one for the private members-only post-program conversation with Dr. Bredesen. During that program, members can pose their own questions and delve more deeply into the topic.

To become a member, for as little as $10 a month and have full access to all of our programming and podcasts.

Join here.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Bredesen graduated from Caltech and received his MD from Duke. He served as resident and chief resident in neurology at UCSF, then was a postdoctoral fellow with Nobel laureate Prof. Stanley Prusiner. He was founding president of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. He is respected worldwide as the first to publish his groundbreaking work on the reversal of cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Bredesen authored three New York Times best sellers, and is currently a professor at UCLA.

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CLIMATE ONE: Pairing Scientists with Community Advocates Jan 12, 2024

The climate crisis can feel distant — like it’s someone else’s problem — until your town is flooded, your home is damaged by storms, or you're struggling to pay electricity bills as the summers get hotter. Figuring out the specifics of how a region is vulnerable to climate impacts can be the difference between adaptation or disaster, especially for communities that don’t have a lot of climate or environmental expertise among their members.

Community science — defined as communities and scientists working together to address climate and environmental threats — can protect local communities before disaster strikes.

Guests:

Natasha Udu-gama, Director, Thriving Earth Exchange

Daniel Wildcat, Professor, Haskell Indian Nations University; Rising Voices Steering Committee

Angela M. Chalk, Executive Director, Healthy Community Services

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

This episode was produced in collaboration with the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and features a segment from Contributing Producer Graycen Wheeler.

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"API Women, Non-binary Filmmakers: Telling Our Own Stories Jan 09, 2024

Join host Michelle Meow as our panel discusses the contributions women and non-binary filmmakers have made in film, talking with Liz Sargent, Julia Gouw, and Michelle Sugihara of CAPE (the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment).

See more Michelle Meow Show programs at The Commonwealth Club of California.

This program is generously supported by Nielsen, Alaska Airlines, Julia S. Gouw and Priscilla S Y Lim.

Julia S. Gouw

Priscilla S Y Lim

Our partners for this program:

Community Partners:

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Youth Activists 15 Years Later Jan 05, 2024

From the climate movement’s earliest days, young people have been at the forefront of activism. But the first major international climate conferences took place 30 years ago. The first cohort of youth activists are now adults, some with children of their own. The emotional cost of seeing so little payoff for years spent fighting can be agonizing at any age, but perhaps more so for young people who put so much of themselves into the effort.

Many youth activists burned out along the way, frustrated by participating in actions that rarely led to meaningful and lasting change. How do former youth activists now view the work of their younger selves? And what advice do they have for the next generation?

Guests:

Alec Loorz, Writer, Photographer, former youth climate activist

Slater Jewell-Kemker, Director, “Youth Unstoppable;” former youth climate activist

Victoria Loorz, Founder, Center for Wild Spirituality; Author, “Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us into the Sacred”

Abrar Anwar, Chief Technology Officer, Rebel Force Tech Solutions; former youth climate activist

Kyle Gracey, Strategy Consultant, Future Matters; former youth climate activist

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Jason Rantz: What's Killing America Jan 03, 2024

Seattle-based conservative radio host and commentator Jason Rantz is a rising star on the right, making frequent appearances on Fox News and "The Ben Shapiro Show." Join us in-person for his first appearance at The Commonwealth Club, where he'll discuss his claims that left-wing policies and "woke" Democrats are ruining America's biggest cities and threatening to spread that ruin to the rest of the country.

Taking aim at "crime, drug addiction, homelessness, left-wing school indoctrination, so-called inclusive housing policies, and outrageous taxes," Rantz says the effects of left-wing policies "always spread, which should alarm Americans regardless of their political leanings."

Hear him for yourself at The Commonwealth Club.

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FOX's Bret Baier: To Rescue the Constitution Jan 01, 2024

Fox News Channel Chief Political Correspondent Bret Baier returns for a Club program exploring the critical role George Washington played in securing the future of the United States.

Baier, author of the new biography To Rescue the Constitution: George Washington and the Fragile American Experiment, focuses on Washington's return from retirement to lead the Constitutional Convention and establish the foundation of American governance.

George Washington rescued the nation and the Constitution three times: first by winning the Revolutionary War, second by presiding over the Constitutional Convention and ushering the Constitution through a fractious ratification process, and third by leading the nation as president in its first years. There is no doubt, says Baier, that the struggling new nation needed to be rescued.

After the victorious war, the states were no more than a loosely knit and contentious confederation, and they were in constant conflict. Setting aside his plan to retire to Mount Vernon, Washington agreed to be a delegate at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. There he was unanimously elected president of the convention. After successfully bringing the Constitution into being, Washington then sacrificed any hope of returning to private life by accepting the election to be the nation’s first president.

Washington was not known for brilliant oratory or prose, but his quiet, steady leadership gave life to the Constitution by showing how it should be enacted.

Join us as Baier explores the dramatic moments when Washington’s leadership brought the nation from the brink of collapse. He says early America was grittier and far more divided than it is often portrayed—one we can see reflected in today’s political conflicts.

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Is U.S. National Security In Jeopardy? Dec 31, 2023

Just Completed: Global Threat Assessment — U.S. Strategic Posture Commissioners’ Report

In October, the U.S. Congressional Strategic Posture Commission released its final report, “America’s Strategic Posture.” The bipartisan group of 12 former officials, appointed by Congress, assessed the international threats facing the United States, reviewing U.S. defense strategy and force structure, including nuclear weapons.

The report concludes that the United States now faces unprecedented threats, from authoritarian regimes that are building up their military forces and behaving aggressively towards their neighbors. Major concerns include the Chinese program to add 1,000 strategic nuclear weapons to their arsenal, Russian behavior in Ukraine and mutual support between Russia and China. The commissioners call for an “all of government” U.S. effort to combat these threats.

What are the greatest threats faced by the United States? How should they be addressed? What does this mean for the U.S. nuclear posture, for our alliances, for defense spending and for arms control and other approaches to reducing risk? What will be the impact of the report? Will its recommendations be implemented?

Join four of the commissioners, including Commission Chair Dr. Madelyn Creedon, and the vice chair, former Arizona Senator Jon Kyle, plus Ambassador Rose Gottemoeller and Dr. Gloria Duffy, for a review and discussion of their year-long evaluation and final report.

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Brian Stelter: The Epic Saga of Fox News and the Battle for American Democracy Dec 30, 2023

In the wake of Fox News' historic $787 million legal settlement with Dominion, investigative journalist Brian Stelter takes a look at how the conservative channel handles truth and misinformation—and its influence on elections.

Stelter, bestselling author of Hoax, an inside look at Fox News, promises an even more revealing take on the channel and how it does business. From panic among its anchors to the handling of misinformation, Stelter goes behind the scenes to show how what ended up on the air got there. With the lawsuits dragging the network’s secrets into the light—such as Tucker Carlson’s passionate hatred for Donald Trump and Sean Hannity’s contempt for his own colleagues—the future of the network, and the Republican Party, hangs in the balance.

Join us for a special online-only talk with Stelter about one of the biggest forces in the news industry today, and how it uses its power in ways that impact us all.

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CLIMATE ONE REWIND: Just a Walk or Bike Ride Away: The 15-Minute City Dec 29, 2023

Can you imagine if everything you needed in your everyday life was just a walk or bike ride away? That’s the goal of the 15-minute city, a new name for an old idea. Reducing the need for cars cuts emissions and gets autos off of the roads, which is a boon for safety, air quality and the climate.

But, as is often the case, good ideas become a lot more difficult when you have to implement them in real places, with real people, who don’t always share the enthusiasm for the idea. What will it take to make compact, walkable cities a reality in the U.S., where the car is king?

Guests:

Beth Osborne, Director, Transportation for America

David Miller, Former Mayor of Toronto

Justin Bibb, Mayor of Cleveland

Henry Grabar, Author of Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

📞 Call us at (650) 382-3869 to share your clothing story for a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode!

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"Redemptive Dreams: Engaging Kevin Starr's California Past, Present, and Future Dec 28, 2023

When historian and California state librarian Kevin Starr passed away in 2017, he left behind a legacy of historiography and storytelling that was unrivaled, including his mammoth California Dream series. Former Governor Jerry Brown said that Starr "chronicled the history of California as no one else. He captured the spirit of our state and brought to life the characters and personalities that made the California story. His vision, like California itself, was bigger than life."

Now a group of academics is taking a new look at Starr and his works, including the largely unexplored role of his Catholic faith on how he interpreted California and its history, as well as reinterpreting his works in light of new trends in academia. Jason Sexton, the editor and Russell Jeung and Peter Richardson, two contributors to the new book Redemptive Dreams: Engaging Kevin Starr's California will take Club audiences through some of the challenges involved in interpreting Starr's work and his impact on our understanding of California's past, present and future, and what they mean for Starr's view of the California dream.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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The Day After Tomorrow in Palestine-Israel: A Tale of Two Peace Activists Dec 28, 2023

This is a special episode of On shifting Ground is made available from the Club's newly merged sister organization, World Affairs of Northern California. We're thrilled to now offer thousands of podcast episodes on important current events, critical global issues and the inside scoop from thought-leaders located around the world on our three podcast channels. Each of our media departments also distributes radio programs heard across the country each week.

World Affairs

Climate One

The Commonwealth Club of California

About this episode:

As the war on Gaza continues with no end in sight, two peace activists – one Palestinian and one Israeli – are already charting a non-violent path forward. Ray Suarez sits down with Luxembourg Peace Prize laureates, Ali Abu Awwad, founding leader of the Taghyeer (Change) Palestinian National Nonviolence movement, and Dr. Gershon Baskin, the Middle East director of the International Communities Organization, to learn why they maintain hope for a peaceful, two-state solution.

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Say “Good Night” to Insomnia Dec 27, 2023

If you have trouble sleeping, you’re not alone: 50–70 million people in the United States struggle with ongoing sleep disorders. What many of us don’t realize is that poor sleep can impact your health in many ways.

Insomnia is defined as a lack of sleep and includes common symptoms like trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up frequently. Multiple factors can cause insomnia, yet many people don’t yet realize how wearable technology can give them insights into their sleep. Lifestyle factors such as proper nutrition and exercise are imperative as well to obtain a good night's sleep.

This lecture will describe optimal sleep and discuss the relationship between sleep and alcohol, depression and weight gain. Eric Pifer, M.D., will explain how new technology collects sleep measurements at home and uses it with integrative therapies to promote restorative sleep. Find out how to optimize sleep through wearable tech that can measure sleep quality, physical activity, and heart rate variability. Use data collected to create, develop and track sleep goals.

About the Speaker

Eric Pifer, M.D., is a board-certified physician in internal medicine, and he serves as the medical director of San Francisco Concierge Medicine at Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation. His passion for the highest quality clinical care led him to become a clinical educator and assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and a two-time chief medical officer who developed a wide variety of innovative programs for cancer, heart disease, women’s health, and brain wellness. Dr. Pifer is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Drexel University of Medicine.

MLF ORGANIZER: Patty James

A Nutrition, Food, & Wellness Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Takashi Murakami: Unfamiliar People—Swelling of Monsterized Human Ego Dec 26, 2023

Join Rob Mintz, chief curator at the Asian Art Museum, and Laura Allen, the museum's Senior Curator of Japanese Art for an engaging conversation about Murakami's blockbuster exhibition Unfamiliar People: The Swelling of Monsterized Human Ego. The show, four years in the making, takes anime and manga to new heights. This is Takashi Murakami's first solo exhibition in San Francisco. The exhibit is not only a commentary on our society, it's a nuanced examination of human behavior within an extraordinary artistic framework.

Laura Allen has known Murakami since the Fall of 2019, when she visited the artist in his Tokyo studio. Together with Rob Mintz, she'll provide insight into Murakami's personality, both as an artist as well as a social scientist. She'll also talk about her collaboration with Murakami; discuss the many pitfalls she encountered along the way as well as what finally convinced him to create this extraordinary exhibit and display it at the Asian Art Museum.

About the Speaker Dr. Laura W. Allen is senior curator of Japanese art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. After receiving a doctorate in Japanese art history at UC Berkeley, Dr. Allen spent more than two decades teaching, consulting, and publishing on Japanese art before joining the Asian Art Museum staff in 2012. Since then, she has overseen an ambitious program of exhibitions, including two very different shows opening in the fall of 2023, Takashi Murakami: Unfamiliar People – Swelling of Monsterized Human Ego and The Heart of Zen.

Dr. Robert Mintz is the chief curator at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. He oversees the curatorial research program and guides the growth and preservation of the museum’s art collections. Mintz is a specialist in Japanese art history with a keen interest in painting. With degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Washington, he has spent his career working in public art museums trying to make the arts of Asia accessible and inspirational to the widest possible range of audiences.

Main image: Bacon: Scream, 2019, by Takashi Murakami (Japanese, b. 1962). Acrylic, gold leaf, and platinum leaf on canvas mounted on aluminum frame. Collection of D.K., courtesy of the artist and Perrotin. © 2019 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

MLF ORGANIZER: Jim Brown

An Asia Pacific Affairs Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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John King: San Francisco’s Ferry Building and the Reinvention of American Cities Dec 24, 2023

Conceived in the Gilded Age, the Ferry Building opened in 1898 as San Francisco’s portal to the world―the terminus of the transcontinental railway and a showcase of civic ambition. In silent films and World’s Fair postcards, nothing said “San Francisco” more than its soaring clocktower. But as architectural critic John King reminds us, the rise of the automobile and double-deck freeways severed the city from its beloved structure.

King recounts the rise and fall and rebirth of the Ferry Building, introducing the colorful figures who fought to preserve its character, and the city’s soul, from architect Arthur Page Brown and legendary columnist Herb Caen to poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Senator Dianne Feinstein. A microcosm of the changing American waterfront, the saga of the Ferry Building explores the tensions of tourism and development―and the threat that the expected sea level rise poses to a landmark that in the 21st century remains as vital as ever.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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The World in a Wineglass: Talk and Wine Tasting Dec 22, 2023

Mass produced. Industrially farmed. Corporate owned. Ordinary. To Food & Wine editor Ray Isle, those words describe much of today's wine. He says the way that a wine is made, and who made it, can make a huge difference when you drink it—and that information matters much more than knowing it scored 90 points in some competition. Or that it tastes like blueberries. Or it has "hints of violets and black pepper."

Isle aims to help readers choose more delicious, interesting and environmentally friendly wines without breaking the bank. He examined several hundred independently owned wineries around the world, from France to Oregon to southern Chile, and says that a glass of wine can express the place it comes from and capture the essence of the person who made it. He focuses on wines people can afford, rather than $500 rarities, and he'll help you learn where and how to find the most interesting bottles available today.

In this special December program, join us for a discussion with Isle followed by a delicious—and interesting—wine tasting.

Wine tasting featuring:

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CLIMATE ONE: Ben Santer: 2023 Schneider Award Winner Dec 22, 2023

Ben Santer has spent decades researching and identifying the human fingerprints on the climate system changes we’re now all seeing. He was lead author on the historic 1995 conclusion of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which proclaimed that “the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate.” That was the first time the IPCC authoritatively stated humans are causing climate change.

At the time, Stephen Schneider told Ben Santer that the sentence he wrote would change the world. Santer’s foundational work also laid the groundwork for the expanding field of attribution science, which enables activists and lawyers to ascribe proportionate blame to specific polluters in lawsuits demanding damages for climate-disrupting emissions. Climate One is delighted to present the 2023 Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication to atmospheric scientist Ben Santer.

Guests:

Ben Santer, Fowler Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Woods Hole; Visiting Researcher, UCLA

Kassie Siegel, Director, Climate Law Institute, Center for Biological Diversity

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

📞 Call us at (650) 382-3869 to share your clothing story for a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode!

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Jonathan Karl: Donald Trump and the End of the GOP Dec 21, 2023

In 1964, Ronald Reagan told Americans it was “a time for choosing.” Sixty years later, Republicans have their own choice to make: Are they tired of winning?

Perhaps no one has changed the Republican Party in the modern era as much as Ronald Reagan and one of his successors in office, Donald Trump. But Trump's post-presidency has been as filled with controversy and chaos as his time in the White House.

Journalist Jonathan Karl has known Trump since his days as a New York Post reporter in the 1990s, and he covered every day of Trump's administration as ABC News's chief White House correspondent. Now he follows up his bestselling book Betrayal with Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party. Karl tracks Trump's improbable journey from defeated former president to the dominant force, yet again, in the Republican Party.

Karl says that from his exile in Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump has become more extreme, vengeful and divorced from reality than he was on January 6, 2021. His meddling damaged the GOP’s electoral prospects for a third consecutive election in 2022. His legal troubles are mounting. Yet he’s re-emerged as the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Join us for this special online-only program when Karl details the former president’s quest for retribution and provides a glimpse at what the GOP would be signing up for if it once again chooses him as its standard bearer.

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Sam Lebovic: The Espionage Act and the Rise of America’s Secrecy Regime Dec 20, 2023

Sam Lebovic demonstrates how The Espionage Act, passed in 1917 to punish the critics of American participation in World War I, gave rise over time to a vast American security state designed to keep its citizens in the dark. When Americans began to balk at the act’s restrictions on political dissidents and the press, the government turned its focus toward keeping its own secrets under wraps. The resulting system for classifying information is shrouded in secrecy, absurdly cautious, and staggeringly costly, preventing ordinary Americans from learning what their country is doing in their name, both at home and abroad.

Shedding new light on the bloated governmental security apparatus that’s weighing our democracy down, Lebovic sets out in detail the history of America’s ever-increasing drift toward secrecy—and the staggering human and political costs that has had on our society.

Join us online for an in-depth look at this far-reaching law.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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"Year-End Michelle Meow Special, Featuring 'The Golden Screen' Dec 18, 2023

It's that time of year again when we gather together to remember the year that was, share expectations for the year ahead, and celebrate. We'll start our evening with Michelle Meow interviewing the two Jeffs—Jeff Yang, author of the new book The Golden Screen: The Movies That Made Asian America (which features a foreword by Michelle Yeoh and an afterword by Jon M. Chu), and Jeff Chang, author and editor of numerous books, including the forthcoming Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America. After that, we'll head to our beautiful second-floor lounge for some food, drink, music and togetherness.

Reserve your ticket early and join us in-person for our once-a-year tradition at The Commonwealth Club's bayfront home!

See more Michelle Meow Show programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: This Year in Climate: 2023 Dec 15, 2023

It’s been a year of weather extremes — again. But there’s also been cause for renewed hope about our climate future. On the heels of this year’s international climate conference held in the oil-rich Middle East, Climate One hosts Greg Dalton and Ariana Brocious review major climate stories of the year, both lows and highs.

This special episode features excerpts from some of Climate One’s most surprising, moving and compelling interviews of 2023, including conversations with luminaries Rev. Lennox Yearwood and Rebecca Solnit, White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, climate activist Nalleli Cobo and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.

A previous version of this episode incorrectly stated that the COP28 agreement includes a transition from fossil fuels this decade. While the deal calls for the transition to happen in “a just, orderly and equitable manner,” it does not include a timeframe. We regret the error.

Guests:

Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., CEO, Hip Hop Caucus

Kathy Baughman-McLeod, Director, Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center; Senior VP, Atlantic Council

Ali Zaidi, White House Climate Advisor

Jane Fonda, Activist, Actor

Nalleli Cobo, Cofounder, People Not Pozos

Ralph Chami, Assistant Director, Western Hemisphere Division, Institute for Capacity Development, IMF

Bernie Krause, Soundscape Ecologist

Paolo Bacigalupi, author

John Curtis, U.S. Representative (R-UT)

Cory Booker, United States Senator, New Jersey

Rebecca Solnit, Writer, Historian, Activist

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

📞 Call us at (650) 382-3869 to share your clothing story for a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode!

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Thailand and LGBTQ Rights: Michelle Meow Interviews Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin Dec 14, 2023

The new government of Thailand's prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, has pledged to be a leader on LGBTQ rights. What are their plans? To find out, "Michelle Meow Show" producer and host Michelle Meow met with Prime Minister Thavisin when he was in San Francisco for meetings this fall of APEC.

See more Michelle Meow Show programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California.

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Dr. Joy Buolamwini and Sam Altman: Unmasking the Future of AI Dec 13, 2023

To many of us, it might seem like recent developments in artificial intelligence emerged out of nowhere to pose unprecedented threats to humanity. But to Dr. Joy Buolamwini, a trailblazer in AI research, this moment has been a long time in the making. Dr. Buolamwini has spent decades pondering the many implications of an AI-powered world—all the potential benefits, detriments, and injustices.

But Dr. Buolamwini hasn’t simply explored the potential for harm by AI; she has researched and identified real-world AI harm that has already been done by some of the world’s largest tech companies. In graduate school, she led groundbreaking research at MIT’s Future Factory that exposed widespread racial and gender bias in AI services from tech giants like Microsoft, IBM, and Apple. In her upcoming book, Unmasking AI, Dr. Buolamwini takes readers through the remarkable journey of how she uncovered what she calls “the coded gaze”—the evidence of encoded discrimination and exclusion in tech products—and how she galvanized the movement to prevent AI harms by founding the Algorithmic Justice League.

Dr. Buolamwini has educated President Biden's administration and international leaders at the World Economic Forum and the United Nations on the importance of rectifying algorithmic harms. Her work has been featured in Time, The New York Times, and the Netflix documentary Coded Bias. Now, she shares her story with us.

Join us to hear from a pioneer of algorithmic justice as talks with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Wall Street Journal technology journalist Deepa Seetharaman, explaining Buolamwini's belief that computers are reflections of both the aspirations and the limitations of the people who create them.

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Ethan Scheiner: Freedom to Win Dec 12, 2023

During the height of the Cold War, a group of small-town young men would lead their underdog hockey team from the little country of Czechoslovakia against the mighty Soviet Union, the juggernaut in their sport and the superpower in their neighborhood. As they battled on the ice, the young players would keep their people’s quest for freedom alive, and forge a way to fight back against the authoritarian forces that sought to crush them.

Join us as University of California, Davis, political science professor Ethan Scheiner, whose research focused on the intersection of politics and sports, discusses what he found out while researching and writing his new book Freedom to Win: A Cold War Story of the Courageous Hockey Team That Fought the Soviets for the Soul of Its People—and Olympic Gold.

From the sudden invasion of Czechoslovakia by an armada of tanks and 500,000 Warsaw Pact soldiers, to a hockey victory over the Soviets that inspired half a million furious citizens to take to the streets in an attempt to destroy all representations that they could find of their occupiers, Scheiner tells a story that ranges from iconic moments in history to courageous individual stories. At the heart of the tale is the Holíks, a Czechoslovak family whose resistance to the Communists embodied the deepest desires of the people of their country. Faced with life under the cruel and arbitrary regime that had stolen their family butcher shop, the Holík boys became national hockey icons and inspirations to their people.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters With Schuyler Bailar Dec 11, 2023

One of the most controversial topics today is the issue of gender and the related matters of identity, language and law.

Schuyler Bailar's story of becoming the first openly transgender athlete to compete on an NCAA Division 1 team in any sport appeared everywhere from "60 Minutes" to "The Ellen Show" to The Washington Post. In an effort to explain the issues surrounding gender identity and how it's discussed, Bailar has written He/She/They. His approach is to use storytelling and the art of conversation to give us the fundamental language and context of gender so that we can meet people where they are and pave the way to understanding, acceptance, and inclusion.

Join us for an in-depth talk about the issues driving laws in dozens of states and being discussed across the country.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Jennifer Burns: Milton Friedman’s Life and Legacy Dec 08, 2023

Milton Friedman and John Maynard Keynes were the most influential economists of the 20th century in capitalist countries. But it was Friedman’s work that was instrumental in the definitive turn toward free markets that defined the 1980s, as his defenses of freedom and capitalism resonated with audiences around the world. So it’s no wonder that the final decades of the last century have sometimes been called “the Age of Friedman”—or that some analysts have sought to hold him responsible for both the rising prosperity and the social ills of recent decades.

Jennifer Burns, in Milton Friedman: The Last Conservative, the first full biography to employ archival sources, tells Friedman’s extraordinary story with the nuance it deserves. She provides lucid and lively context for his groundbreaking work on everything from why dentists earn less than doctors, to the vital importance of the money supply, to inflation and the limits of government planning and stimulus.

She traces Friedman’s longstanding collaborations with women, including the economist Anna Schwartz, as well as his complex relationships with political and economic leaders, such as Federal Reserve Chair Arthur Burns and Treasury Secretary George Shultz. Burns also details Friedman’s direct interventions in policymaking at the highest levels. But most important, Burns explores his key role in creating a new economic vision and a modern American conservatism.

Join us for an important discussion with Jennifer Burns about America’s first neoliberal—and perhaps its last big conservative.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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CLIMATE ONE: Reporting from COP28: The People at the Heart of It All Dec 08, 2023

This week, we’re reporting from Dubai, where the 28th UN climate change conference (COP28) is now underway. Ever since the Paris Agreement was signed at COP21, the central issue has remained the same: How do the nations of the world keep global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels? This year marks the first “global stocktake,” where the data on how well we’re collectively doing on meeting the Paris targets are front and center. Across the board, countries are failing. How much will this harsh dose of reality affect the negotiations? Perhaps more importantly, how does what happens at these international summits affect the people most at risk for flooding and extreme heat? Guests: Claire Stockwell, Senior Climate Policy Analyst, Climate Analytics Nisreen Elsaim, Sudanese Climate Activist; Former Chair, UN Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group Abigael Kima, Host and Producer, Hali Hewa Podcast Chautuileo Tranamil, Co-Founder, Indigenous Liberation and Aralez Myrna Cunningham, Chair, Guiding Committee, Pawanka Fund For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Fei-Fei Li: Exploring the AI Revolution Dec 07, 2023

Where did AI come from? Who created it, why, and where can it lead?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly developing into a world-changer, affecting every industry and being used by hundreds of millions of people—even when they're unaware they're interacting with an artificial intelligence. And we're only at the early stages of AI's growth.

Join us for an in-depth talk with Dr. Fei-Fei Li, whom Wired called "one of a tiny group of scientists―a group perhaps small enough to fit around a kitchen table―who are responsible for AI’s recent remarkable advances.” Dr. Li came to America as an immigrant, enduring a shift from Chinese middle class to American poverty. But a tough upbringing did not stop her from becoming a leading mind in the next big technological development.

Fei-Fei’s adolescent knack for physics endured and positioned her to make a crucial contribution to the breakthrough we now call AI, placing her at the center of a global transformation. Over the last decades, her work has brought her face-to-face with the extraordinary possibilities―and the extraordinary dangers―of the technology she loves. Known as the creator of ImageNet, a key catalyst of modern artificial intelligence, Dr. Li has spent more than two decades at the forefront of the field.

Her work has brought her face-to-face with the extraordinary possibilities―and the extraordinary dangers―of the technology she loves.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about a breakthrough science and one of the breakthrough scientists who is making it happen.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Kevin Adler: Ending Homelessness in America Dec 06, 2023

As cities across the country grapple with a persistent homelessness crisis, a leading advocate offers a compassionate look at the problem, the people, and the possible solutions—including what you can do to help.

Kevin Adler returns to The Commonwealth Club to provide an urgent look at homelessness in America, showing us what we lose—in ourselves and as a society—when we choose to walk past and ignore our neighbors in shelters, insecure housing, or on the streets.

Adler is the co-author of When We Walk By, which argues that we have sacrificed our humanity by ignoring, downplaying, and refusing to address the homelessness problem. The authors offer an evidence-based people-first approach and community-driven solutions, and they lay out some practical steps that individuals can take to address homelessness.

Kevin Adler is an award-winning social entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, and author. Since 2014, he has served as the founder and CEO of Miracle Messages, a nonprofit organization that helps people experiencing homelessness rebuild their social support systems and financial security, primarily through family reunifications, a phone buddy program, and basic income pilots.

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Thomas Heatherwick: Humanize Dec 05, 2023

From one of the world’s most innovative designers comes a fiercely passionate manifesto on why so many places have become miserable and boring and how we can make them better for everyone. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear directly from the author, Thomas Heatherwick, in conversation with Enrique Landa, developer of Power Station. Together, they will explore how to bring more beauty and humanity to our built environment.

Drawing on 30 years’ experience in making memorable objects and buildings, Heatherwick offers both an informed critique of the inhumanity in most of today’s contemporary building design, and a rousing call for action. Humanize visits landmarks and cityscapes around the world to articulate how places can either sap the life out of us or nourish our senses and our psyche. Design is not superficial: it has an impact on economics, climate change, our mental and physical wellbeing—even the peace and cohesion of our societies.

This event is presented by Heatherwick Studio in association with The Commonwealth Club.

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Alexandra Hudson: The Soul of Civility Dec 04, 2023

From classical philosophers like Epictetus, to great 20th century thinkers like Martin Luther King Jr., to her own experience working in the federal government during a particularly politically fraught era, Alexandra Hudson examines how civility―a respect for the personhood and dignity of others―transcends political disagreements. Respecting someone means valuing them enough to tell them when you think they are wrong.

It’s easy to look at the divided state of the world and blame our leaders, the media, or our education system. Hudson says that instead, we should focus on what we can control: ourselves. She argues that includes living tolerantly with others despite deep differences, but still rigorously protesting wrongs and debating issues rather than silencing disagreements. Since a robust public discourse is essential to a truly civil society, and since respecting others means telling hard truths, if enough of us decide to change ourselves, we might be able to change the world we live in too. And that is the difference between politeness―a superficial appearance of good manners―and true civility.

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Bruce Cain: Under Fire and Under Water in the American West Dec 02, 2023

Extreme weather in the wake of climate change, causing wildfires, drought and flooding, threatens to turn the American West into a region hostile to human habitation—a “Great American Desert” as early U.S. explorers once mislabeled it. Bruce Cain suggests that the unique complex of politics, technology and logistics that once won the West must be rethought and reconfigured to win it anew in the face of these accelerating threats.

These challenges are complicated by the region’s history, the deliberate fractiousness of the American political system, and the idiosyncrasies of human behavior. Cain analyzes how, in spite of coastal flooding and spreading wildfires, people continue to move into, and even rebuild in, risky areas, how local communities are slow to take protective measures, and how individual beliefs, past adaptation practices and infrastructure, and complex governing arrangements across jurisdictions combine to flout real progress. Driving this analysis is Cain’s conviction that understanding the habits and politics that lead to procrastination and obstruction is critical to finding solutions and making necessary adaptations to the changing climate.

In his new book Under Fire and Under Water, Cain offers a detailed look at the rising stakes and urgency of the various interconnected issues. Join us in-person to hear Cain lay out the rethinking and reengineering that will allow people to live sustainably in the American West—even under the conditions caused by future global warming.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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CLIMATE ONE: On the Ground at COP28: What’s at Stake with the Global Stocktake? Dec 01, 2023

The 28th annual Conference of the Parties, COP28, opens this week in Dubai. For the 28th time, the nations of the world have gathered to see what progress they can make on addressing the increasingly global climate crisis. It’s fair to wonder why, after three decades, we still haven’t taken the collective action necessary. And it’s equally fair to wonder why diplomats continue to bother with what Greta Thunberg famously called “blah, blah, blah.”

This year’s COP marks the first “Global Stocktake,” an assessment of how the nations of the world are doing compared to the emissions-cutting commitments they made in Paris. The answer? Not well. And with COP28 being hosted by a major oil and gas producing nation and led by an industry executive, what hope is there for progress?

Guests:

Daniel Esty, Professor of Environmental Law & Policy, Yale Law School

Ben Stockton, Investigative Reporter

Aisha Khan, Chief Executive, Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change

This episode features a segment from Contributing Reporter Rabiya Jaffrey.

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

📞 Call us at (650) 382-3869 to share your clothing story for a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode!

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George Musser: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe Through Human Consciousness and AI Nov 30, 2023

The whole goal of physics is to explain what we observe. For centuries, physicists believed that observations yielded faithful representations of what is out there. But when they began to study the subatomic realm, they found that observation often interferes with what is being observed―that the act of seeing changes what we see. The same may also be true about cosmology: our view of the universe may be inevitably distorted by observation bias. And so whether they’re studying subatomic particles or galaxies, physicists might need to first explain consciousness. Searching to answer that question, George Musser turned to neuroscientists and philosophers of the mind.

Neuroscientists have built up ever-better understandings of the structure of the brain. Musser asks whether that could help physicists better understand the levels of self-organization they observe in other systems. At the same time, physicists are trying to explain how particles organize themselves into the objects we perceive around us. So Musser also has asked whether those discoveries could help explain how neurons produce our conscious experiences.

Join us for a special online-only program in which Musser tackles the potential interconnections between quantum mechanics, cosmology, human consciousness and artificial intelligence, providing a revelatory exploration of how a "theory of everything" may very well depend upon our understanding of the human mind.

NOTES

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Celebrating 50 Years of Ms. Magazine Nov 29, 2023

For more than five decades, Ms. magazine has been a beacon of feminist ideas, sparking conversations and setting the stage for transformative discussions on women's rights, equality and empowerment. As the first magazine to feature prominent American women demanding the repeal of laws that criminalized abortion, explain and advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment, rate presidential candidates on women’s issues, feature domestic violence and sexual harassment on its cover, and commission and publish a national study on date rape, the voice of Ms. has shaped modern day feminism and many contemporary issues.

Join us in a celebration of Ms. at The Commonwealth Club as our featured speakers Katherine Spillar (Ms. executive editor), Dr. Sophia Yen (CEO and co-founder of Pandia Health), Hon. Betty Yee (former California state controller), and Aimee Allison (founder and president of She the People) explore the voices that have shaped feminism and continue to shape our world.

About the Speakers

Aimee Allison is the founder and president of She the People, a national organization that elevates the voice and power of women of color as leaders of a new political and cultural era. She organized and moderated the nation’s first presidential forum for women of color in 2019.

Katherine (Kathy) Spillar is the executive editor of Ms. and editor of and contributor to 50 Years of Ms: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine that Ignited a Revolution. She is also the executive director of Feminist Majority Foundation and Feminist Majority, national organizations working for women’s equality, empowerment and nonviolence; one of the founders, she has been a driving force in executing the organizations’ diverse programs securing women’s rights both domestically and globally since its inception in 1987.

Hon. Betty Yee has served as the female vice chair of the California Democratic Party since May 2021 and also recently served as California state controller from 2015 to 2023. She has 35 years of experience in state and local finance and tax policy.

Sophia Yen, M.D., M.P.H. is the CEO and co-founder of birth control delivery service Pandia Health and has a passion for making women’s lives easier, preventing unplanned pregnancies, and educating women about Periods Optional. She also serves as a clinical associate professor at Stanford Medical School in the Department of Pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent Medicine.

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Youth Talk: The Influence of Environmental Activism on Gen Z Voting Nov 25, 2023

“The Influence of Environmental Activism on Gen Z Voting” unites four environmental leaders from a variety of backgrounds for a thought-provoking discussion about environmental activism and civic engagement. Representing the voices of student activists as well as professional environmentalists, our speakers will explore the movement’s impact on voting and youth turnout in recent elections and discuss the strength of environmental activism as a form of civic engagement. Accomplished leaders in their own right, panelists will share their personal journeys and provide key takeaways from the intersection of environmentalism and politics, to inspire the next generation of voters and citizen leaders.

This event is part of the Creating Citizens Speaker Series at UC Berkeley, a partnership between The Commonwealth Club, the Associated Students of the University of California Vote Coalition, and the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement. The series gives UC Berkeley students and community members opportunities to listen to and ask questions of leading minds in politics, media and education as they learn how to become better, more involved citizens.

We look forward to welcoming community members and students from around the Bay Area to participate in this riveting conversation and to join us for future programs in the Creating Citizens Speaker Series.

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s civics education

initiative, Creating Citizens.

Produced in partnership with the EAVP Vote Coalition.

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CLIMATE ONE REFRESH: Another Look at Bridging the Great American Divide Nov 24, 2023

Most Americans support climate action, but you wouldn’t know it from Congress or the courts – or from most of the media. People on both the left and the right experience the same devastating floods, the same life-threatening heatwaves and the same catastrophic wildfires. Yet individuals tend to socialize within insulated political tribes, operate in completely different information bubbles and see the problems and solutions through different lenses. How can we learn to bridge ideological divides, develop trust, and find the common ground needed to rebuild respectful civil discourse?

Guests:

John Curtis, U.S. Rep., Utah (R)

Joan Blades, Co-founder, LivingRoomConversations.org

John Gable, Co-founder, AllSides.com

For show notes and related links, visit Climate One's website.

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Dr. Carla Hayden: Inside the Library of Congress Nov 22, 2023

When the Library of Congress (LoC) was authorized in 1800, its first collection consisted of 740 books and three maps. Today, located on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. Housing about 173 million items and employing more than 3,000 employees, the LoC is led by Dr. Carla Hayden, the first woman and first Black librarian of Congress. She assumed her position on September 14, 2016. and is only the 14th person to hold this position in 221 years.

Serving as the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and housing the U.S. Copyright Office, the LoC gets direct appropriations from Congress to fund its work. But it also receives gifts and private donations that support a broad range of activities by the library, including hundreds of projects that have been supported by the James Madison Council's philanthropic members.

Find out about this important national institution, how it works, why it receives hundreds of thousands of in-person visitors and more than 150 million online visitors a year, and the role it plays in a knowledge-based society. Join us for an inside look at the nation's library.

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Democracy at the Local Level Nov 21, 2023

What do two of the youngest city councilmembers in California have in common? Both believe that young people belong in politics. Creating Citizens, The Commonwealth Club’s education initiative, is excited to host Oakland Councilmember Janani Ramachandran and South San Francisco Councilmember James Coleman as they talk with high school students about the role of young people in civic life.

Both city councilmembers, born and raised in the communities they now serve, find themselves as the youngest members of their respective city councils. As they work to empower their communities, they find they must constantly navigate a much older political ecosystem that isn’t always the most welcoming to young faces.

The councilmembers will be joined in conversation with Dr. Stephen Morris. Dr. Morris, the CEO and co-founder of the Civic Education Center, has spent more than 20 years working in education. Together, they will discuss local government and how everyone, from politicians to students, can work with people with whom they disagree.

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David Brooks: How to Know a Person Nov 20, 2023

“There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.”

—David Brooks

Really knowing another person is not something people seem to do well. All around us are people who feel invisible, unseen, misunderstood. David Brooks set out to help people do better, posing questions that are essential: If you want to know a person, what kind of attention should you cast on them? What kind of conversations should you have? What parts of a person’s story should you pay attention to?

Brooks draws from the fields of psychology and neuroscience and from the worlds of theater, philosophy, history, and education to present a welcoming, hopeful, integrated approach to human connection. He brings that message to The Commonwealth Club, to help people become more understanding and considerate toward others, and to find the joy that comes from being seen. Along the way he offers a possible remedy for a society that is riven by fragmentation, hostility and misperception.

How can we look somebody in the eye and see something large in them, and in turn, see something larger in ourselves? To find out, join us in Silicon Valley as David Brooks explains.

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After APEC: What's China's Role in California's Green Transition? Nov 18, 2023

As government officials, diplomats and business leaders from across the Asia-Pacific converge in San Francisco for APEC 2023 Leaders Week, the question on everyone’s lips is: What next for the U.S.-China relationship? Amid the climate crisis, which necessitates urgent energy transition, how do the two largest economies work together against the backdrop of geopolitical tension? Where does California—the world’s fifth largest economy, a green energy leader and oriented toward Asia across the Pacific—fit in?

Governor Gavin Newsom’s October trip to China underscored the critical relationship between the Golden State and China. California has many trade, technology development, and business relationships with China related to clean energy. At the same time, the United States is broadly looking to reduce reliance on China for products, talent and innovations through many policy incentives for local content and domestic manufacturing and broader policy efforts. How will this trend of localization play out in California, and what does this mean for California to meet its ambitious climate and clean energy targets?

As APEC dialogues unfold, join us to analyze the degree of linkages between China and California in low-carbon energy and the implications for policy at the state, federal and multilateral levels.

Co-presented by UC San Diego's 21st Century China Center & Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California.

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The Role of Higher Education in Preserving American Values Nov 17, 2023

Colleges and universities across the country are the scenes of controversy these days, with students, faculty, lawmakers and donors all seemingly locked in high-volume debate over campus rights, free speech, human rights and international conflicts.

Almost every institution of higher education touts its ability to set its graduates on a course for successful careers in their desired fields. Also high on the list of their brags are the cultural life and sports teams on campus. But colleges and universities have also played important roles in the curation and development of values in our society. Whether they are religious or secular institutions, public or private, their graduates go out into the world not only armed with job skills and networks of friends but also having been exposed to values instruction in many ways.

Sometimes our colleges and universities are out of step with the rest of the country in terms of the nation's values; other times, they preserve and deepen values that most Americans hold dear.

Just what is the role of these institutions when it comes to American values—in teaching, in challenging, in deepening those values? What exactly are the American values at issue here? Who's succeeding, and what still needs to be done? Join us for a special program addressing these important issues.

This program is part of our American Values Series, underwritten by Taube Philanthropies.

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CLIMATE ONE: Six People Who’ve Changed Jobs for Climate Nov 17, 2023

One of the most common questions people ask about climate is: what can I do? Since time is one of our most valuable resources – and we spend so much of our time at work – changing jobs may be the most effective individual climate action a person can take. Those changes could be big or small: Leaving the oil and gas industry for geothermal, or helping to bring down the emissions where you already work. The truth is, almost any job can be a climate job. But how do people actually make the transition from dirty jobs to clean? What do climate positive job transitions really entail?

Guests:

Caroline Dennett, Director, CLOUT Ltd

Arvind Ravikumar, Co-Director, Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab, University of Texas, Austin

Jennifer Anderson, Carbon Removal Geologist, Charm Industrial

Emma McConville, Development Geoscience Lead at Fervo Energy

Nathanael Johnson, Electrician

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Seen and Unseen: The Stories Behind the Pictures of Japanese American Incarceration Nov 16, 2023

A Special Program for Families

家族向け特別プログラム

“This is what we did. How did it happen? How could we?” – Dorothea Lange

「これが私たちがやったことです。なぜこのようなことが起きたのか？なぜこのようなことができたのか？」―ラング·ドロティア

Fueled by racist fears and wartime hysteria, the U.S. government incarcerated more than 120,000 Japanese Americans from 1942 to 1945, many of them families with children. Allowed to bring only what they could carry, the internees were removed from their homes and forced to live under armed guard in makeshift camps, treated with suspicion and hostility; imprisoned without evidence of any crime. Inflated claims of national security risks justified these actions and carefully curated images hid the truth; even today, the story is not well known.

人種差別的な恐れと戦時のヒステリ-に駆られて、1942年から1945年までに、アメリカ政府は12万人以上の日系アメリカ人を収容しました。その多くは子供を含む家族でした。彼らは手にもてるものしか持参できず、自宅から引き離され、武装警備の下で仮設キャンプで生活するよう強制されました。彼らは疑念と敵意をもって扱われ、犯罪の証拠もないのに収監されました。国家安全保障のリスクの主張がこれらの行動を正当化し、慎重に作られたイメージにより真実が隠されました。今日に至るまで、この事実はあまりよく知られていません。

In her new book for young readers, Elizabeth Partridge examines the reality of life in Manzanar, a camp in the California desert. Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams’s Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration offers three photographers’ perspectives on the incarceration and illuminates the stories behind their pictures. And it invites us to consider: How could such a gross violation of civil liberties happen in a nation founded on principles of equality and justice for all? Could it happen again?

若い読者向けの新作、エリザベス・パーテリッジはカリフォルニア砂漠のマンザナー収容所での生活の現実を調査しています。『Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration』は、この収容とその写真の裏にある真実の話を明らかにし、3人の写真家の視点を提供します。そして、私たちに問いかけます：平等と正義の原則に基づく国で、なぜこんなひどい市民権の侵害が起こったのか？それは再び起こる可能性があるのでしょうか？

Bring your family for a conversation with Elizabeth Partridge, who will share how she created her book and why it is so important for all of us to talk about this bitter chapter in American history when the country did not live up to its democratic ideals. Tickets include admission to the Japanese American Museum of San José, which provides a historical forum that stimulates present-day discussions on civil liberties, race relations, discrimination, and American identity.

あなたの家族も一緒に、エリザベス・パーテリッジとの対話の場にご参加ください。彼女は自分の本をどのように創り上げたか、そしてなぜこの苦々しいアメリカの歴史の章について話すことが非常に重要であるかを語ります。チケットにはサンノゼ日系アメリカ博物館への入場料が含まれています。この博物館は市民権、人種関係、差別、アメリカのアイデンティティに関する現代の議論を刺激する歴史的な施設になります。

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s civics education initiative,

Creating Citizens.

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Democracy Awakening Heather Cox Richardson Nov 15, 2023

We've all been through a lot in the past five years, but it's difficult to figure out what it all means, and how it applies to our shared existence in this democratic experiment. Heather Cox Richardson aims to remedy that.

As a historian she has been examining and explaining modern events aided by her deep understanding of history and insight into the forces working for and against democracy. In her new book Democracy Awakening, Heather Cox Richardson looks at the state of American democracy and the forces that have been driving it toward authoritarianism. In whose interest is the obfuscation of history? Who benefits if Americans are turned off or prevented from taking part in democratic acts? Who and what can help change things and rededicate this country to its founding ideals?

Join us in person as she explains how we got to this perilous point, what our history tells us about ourselves, and what the future of democracy can be.

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Mark Shaw: The 60th Anniversary of JFK’s Assassination—A Retrospective Nov 14, 2023

On November 22, 1963, the visual images of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, arguably the most significant crime in modern day history, were seared into the permanent memories of many who were then young adults, teens or children and have continued through the ages for those who have become obsessed with the president’s death. Sixty years later, the yearning for better answers to the questions why and how continues to produce many absurd new speculations and theories to explain his death.

Any detailed review of the evidence in the Warren Commission Report raises so many valid questions that ever since it was issued it has been attacked and undermined, both rationally and irrationally. But in recent years, Mark Shaw says clear answers have emerged through the eyes of Dorothy Kilgallen, the most credible journalist to cover the assassination, in fact, the only one who interviewed Jack Ruby at his 1964 trial.

Based on her investigation, and his research, bestselling author Mark Shaw (The Reporter Who Knew Too Much), whose lectures about his six books touching on the assassination have attracted millions of YouTube views, returns to The Commonwealth Club of California to review what we know and what we don’t know. By doing so, the likely range of what really happened is in clearer focus, and the collateral damage to American politics and to luminaries like Kilgallen, Marilyn Monroe and Robert Kennedy are no longer obscured by distortions of history regarding those remembered images.

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

More about Mr. Shaw—the author of nearly 30 books whose body of work is being archived by his alma mater, Purdue University—may be learned at www.markshawbooks.com.

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Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott: The Canceling of the American Mind Nov 12, 2023

Cancel culture—the term and the practice—has left its mark on American culture, business, academia and society at all levels over the past few years. Was it inevitable? Is it permanent? Or is it, as authors Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott argue, a dysfunctional part of how Americans battle for power, status and dominance? They say it is just a symptom of a much larger problem: the use of cheap rhetorical tactics to "win" arguments without actually winning arguments.

Drawing on data and research on the phenomenon of cancel culture and how it works, along with many examples of how both the left and the right use it to silence their enemies, Lukianoff and Schlott have concrete steps to offer that they say can reclaim a free speech culture in every realm.

Lukianoff and Schlott, authors of the bestselling Coddling of the American Mind, return with their new book The Canceling of the American Mind. Join us to hear their description of cancel culture and their prescription for curing it.

NOTES

All in-person attendees will receive a copy of The Canceling of the American Mind compliments of the Ken & Jaclyn Broad Family Fund.

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CLIMATE ONE: Putting It All on the Line with Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr. and Jacqueline Patterson Nov 10, 2023

Climate affects everyone, but not equally. Those affected first and worst are often the same communities that suffer from housing and income inequality, and climate and societal injustice. Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr. has made striving for social, economic, and climate justice his lifelong pursuit. Rising to prominence in the Hip Hop community, Yearwood brought like-minded artists and creatives together to advocate for justice with the Hip Hop Caucus by harnessing the power of film, podcasts and comedy.

We discuss the role of his faith, his partnership with billionaire Michael Bloomberg, and the underlying belief in our human ability to keep improving that drives his activism.

Guests:

Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., CEO, Hip Hop Caucus

Jacqueline Patterson, Executive Director, Chisholm Legacy Project

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Omar Ibn Said: Remembering His Name, Retelling His Story Nov 07, 2023

The Arts Member-led Forum and San Francisco Opera’s Department of Diversity, Equity and Community invite you to a powerful and thought-provoking panel discussion. As home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States, the Bay Area might have special interest in the 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner for music, Omar, by Grammy Award-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens and composer Michael Abels.The production runs November 5–21 at the War Memorial Opera House.

A true story of an astonishing journey enshrined in a 200-year-old autobiography of enslaved Islamic scholar Omar Ibn Said in the Carolinas, who publicly records his story in Arabic—evidencing the act of writing as the preservation of identity.

Omar is a sweeping canvas of text, Christian and Islamic faith, profoundly realized in Kaneza Schaal’s transcendent production embodying the horrors of the “Middle Passage,” prison life, plantation traumas and creative human spirit.

MLF ORGANIZER: Anne W. Smith

An Arts Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Kip Thorne and Lia Halloran: Exploring the Warped Side of Our Universe Nov 06, 2023

Take a walk on the warped side with this in-person program featuring stars in their respective fields.

The new book The Warped Side of Our Universe is the result of the collaboration of Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne and award-winning artist Lia Halloran. It brings to vivid life the wonders and wildness of our universe’s “Warped Side”―objects and phenomena made from warped space and time, from colliding black holes and collapsing wormholes to twisting space vortices and down-cascading time. Through poetic verse and otherworldly paintings, the scientist and the artist explicate Thorne’s and his colleagues’ astrophysical discoveries and speculations, with an epic narrative that asks: How did the universe begin? Can anything travel backward in time? And what weird and marvelous phenomena inhabit the "warped side"?

In their book, Thorne and Halloran take readers on an Odyssean voyage using epic verse and more than 100 pulsating paintings to shed light on time travel, black holes, gravitational waves and the birth of the universe. Join us in-person to hear them share tales of the warped side.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

In Association with Wonderfest.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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How to Protect Yourself from Cybercrime Nov 05, 2023

We constantly hear about cybercrime in the news, but do you have the knowledge to protect yourself from it?

In this talk, information security expert Dr. Carrie Gates will cover the clues that can alert you to something being a scam, along with some of the common types of attacks, such as phishing, smishing and vishing.

Dr. Gates joined Bank of America in October 2018 as a senior vice president in global information security. She has established a research program, working in partnership with universities, to pursue longer-term, higher-risk research in the security space that has the potential to improve the bank’s security posture. Her current portfolio includes broad investigations into audio deep fakes, misinformation, smishing, and adversarial machine learning.

Previously, Gates has worked at a start-up as a distinguished engineer for both Dell and CA Technologies, and with CERT at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to starting her research career, she was the systems manager for the Faculty of Computer Science at Dalhousie University in Canada. She has more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and has been awarded more than 20 patents in the computer and network security field.

MLF ORGANIZER

Gerald Anthony Harris

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Week to Week Political Roundtable: October 31, 2023 Nov 04, 2023

Join us in-person for a Halloween edition of our political discussion series.

At Week to Week, we're dedicated to the lively and informed discussion of politics—with a good sense of humor—as a platform for healthy involvement in the issues that drive our society. The Commonwealth Club's Week to Week Political Roundtable and social hour, now in its 12th year, will take a look at the politics of the day—the issues, the people, and the trends affecting our political world.

See other upcoming Week to Week political roundtables, as well as audio and video of past Week to Week programs.

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Humanities West Presents Edgar Allan Poe: Myths, Mysteries and Misconceptions Nov 03, 2023

The popular image of Edgar Allan Poe is that of a sickly, gloomy, dour fellow obsessed with all things eerie and terrifying. Tragically, both for his personal life and because it reinforced this literary myth, Poe died on October 7, 1849, at just forty, in a painful, utterly bizarre manner that would not have been out of place in one of his own tales of terror. The literary effect of his untimely death was also compounded by the mystery of what happened to him, during the three days he went missing, before he was found delirious on the streets of Baltimore, wearing ill-fitting clothes that were not his own. There has been a staggering amount of speculation about the cause of his death, from rabies and syphilis to suicide, alcoholism, and even murder. But many of these theories are based on the caricature we have come to associate with Poe: the gloomy-eyed grandfather of Goth, hunched over a writing desk with a raven perched on one shoulder, drunkenly scribbling his masterpieces. By debunking the myths of how he lived, we intend to come closer to understanding the real Poe.

Poe scholar Amy Branam Armiento will discuss select works by the master of the macabre. She will explain the temptations and dangers of linking Poe to his insane narrators and grief-stricken speakers as well as cover some examples of how he incorporated contemporary events into his poems and tales. Drawing upon her scholarship on Poe and women, Armiento will also elucidate the roles women have played in inspiring his writing, restoring his reputation, and sustaining his literary legacy for more than 200 years.

Mark Dawidziak will discuss how the grotesque stereotypes about Poe have little basis in fact, and will undercut the many myths and misconceptions that have obscured the versatile, prolific and dedicated artist responsible for such classic works as "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Purloined Letter," "The Raven" and "Annabel Lee." Dawidziak also will examine how Poe’s death, under haunting circumstances that reflect the mystery and horror genres that he took to new heights, has been one of the key factors keeping him alive in the 21st century as one of the best-read and most-recognized American writers.

MLF ORGANIZER

Jolene Huey.

NOTES

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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CLIMATE ONE: Rebecca Solnit on Why It’s Not Too Late Nov 03, 2023

Writer, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit has been examining hope and the unpredictability of change for over 20 years. In 2023 she co-edited an anthology called, “It’s Not Too Late,” which serves as a guidebook for changing the climate narrative from despair to possibility. How can we find hope on a warming planet?

Guests:

Rebecca Solnit, Writer, Historian, Activist

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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How to Get Dirty and Dark Money Out of Democracy with Drew Sullivan and Paul Radu Nov 02, 2023

The last five decades have seen the dramatic globalization of organized crime and corruption, now totaling trillions of dollars every year. Using the latest technology and the help of a “criminal services industry” — corrupt bankers, lawyers, accountants—criminal networks and the world’s most corrupt officials easily loot, launder, and hide stolen money for future use. This stolen, hidden money pours into the political process in the United States and countries around the world to advance agendas that do not serve voters, betraying the very premise of democracy.

To fight this, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project co-founders Drew Sullivan and Paul Radu built a global network of investigative journalists that work just like the criminals do—collaborating across borders and using innovative technology.

Pulling from their two decades of follow-the-money investigative reporting, Sullivan and Radu will share how they’ve uncovered global dark money flows and how to institute effective solutions that track, expose, and curb this illicit finance that is so damaging to society.

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Whose Country Is It Anyway? Featuring Miko Marks and Tookta Topline Nov 01, 2023

“Country music is the people’s music. It just speaks about real life and about truth and it tells things how they really are.” —Faith Hill

Miko Marks and Tookta Topline are two women who have both embraced and recoiled from the major music scenes in Nashville and Thailand before finding their true voices in San Francisco. Join us for a night of musical performance and conversation about how race and sexuality challenge what we think about country music. Revel in their musical talent while exploring each of their journeys as immensely talented musicians who don’t fit the industry mold.

This immersive experience will make use of The Commonwealth Club as an intimate, limited-capacity music venue for one night only! Delicious bites and drinks will be served as you mingle and engage directly with our artists.

About the Artists

Miko deftly blends country, blues, southern rock and even gospel to create a sound and experience that has literally brought every audience to its feet. Miko’s life as a Black woman in country and roots music is only a small part of the story. After living what seems to be multiple lives over, Miko has finally come into the life she was born to live—one of truth, authenticity, vulnerability, joy and honesty. Recent EPs include: "Our Country," described by The Wall Street Journal as a “genre and industry-defying mission”; "Race Records," which shined a light on the arbitrary divisions forced upon artists and audiences in the early days of music marketing in the 1940s; and the critically-acclaimed "Feel Like Going Home." Miko debuted at the renowned country music venue the Grand Ole Opry in 2022.

Tookta is a famous Thai Molam (folk, country) singer. She started singing at the tender age of 12 years old. Her sound and genre is specific to the Isaan region of Thailand. She has performed for an audience of over 100,000 on Mother’s Day for Thailand’s Queen. In addition to a successful career as a Molam singer, Tookta has also performed as a popular stand up comedian. Tookta’s latest release elevates the music style to expand beyond traditional narrative themes, inspired by LGBTQ+ activists and their own lived experience and has been embraced by millions pursuing a more inclusive Thailand during a tumultuous political period this year.

NOTES

Produced by The Commonwealth Club of California, World Affairs, and Michelle Meow.

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Stuart Stevens: The Conspiracy to End America Oct 31, 2023

Will 2024 be America's last free and fair election?

That ominous warning comes from Stuart Stevens, a former chief Republican strategist whose clients included President George W. Bush; Senators Chuck Grassley, Dick Lugar and Dan Coats; and Governors Haley Barbour, John Kyl, Bill Weld and many others. He says the GOP is dragging our country toward autocracy, and the party is no longer a "normal" political party in the American tradition. Rather, he says it is an autocratic movement masquerading as a political party.

As the Republican party changed, Stevens exited his role in one of the country's most influential political strategy firms and joined the Lincoln Project, where he is currently an advisor.

Stevens wrote about his fear for the country in his provocative new book, The Conspiracy to End America. In it, he reviews the elements that are necessary for democracies to slide into autocracy, and he examines each of these forces on the modern American right and how they are working together.

Are these the last days of the old republic? Or can there be a renewed commitment to democratic governance? Don't miss this talk as Stevens flashes a blinking red distress alert as well as a rallying cry to beat back this threat.

Note: This podcast contains explicit language.

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Oldest San Francisco/Secret California Oct 31, 2023

Think you know San Francisco and the rest of California? Think again. Two new books, Oldest San Francisco, and Secret California: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure, will inspire you to seek out spots even locals will be surprised to learn about and inspired to visit.

Oldest San Francisco, by Alec Scott, draws a picture of the sudden city that exploded in the Gold Rush. It tells the stories of the longtime institutions that have made the City by the Bay distinctive, visiting the oldest: bakery (Boudin), bike shop (American Cyclery). and brewery (Anchor, whose struggle to survive will be discussed). Scott speaks of civic fabrics―the oldest blue jeans and first rainbow flag―and even the oldest public affairs forum in the country (yes, The Commonwealth Club). Together the stories distill the ebullient, entrepreneurial spirit of San Francisco.

Secret California: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure, by Ruth Carlson, invites you to enter a live fairytale with aerial dancers, opera singers and a huge rabbit, to visit The Institute of Abnormal Arts―if you dare―and to watch silent movies in the East Bay theater where Charlie Chaplin premiered The Tramp. She sniffed out the country's only perfume museum, discovered an ancient society's crypt, and visited a second city underneath the state's capital.

Don't miss this enjoyable evening, which will include a trivia contest, selected readings from the authors’ books, and an audience Q&A. Everyone will leave with a deeper appreciation of what makes San Francisco San Francisco.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

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Making Big Bets with Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah Oct 30, 2023

Throughout his career, Rajiv J. Shah has tackled some of the world’s most intractable challenges head on. At the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Shah played an integral role in the colossal effort to vaccinate 900 million children. At the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under President Obama, he led the U.S. response to the Haiti earthquake and the West African Ebola pandemic, served on the National Security Council, and elevated the role of development as part of our nation’s foreign policy. Now, as president of the Rockefeller Foundation, Shah oversees the global institution in its mission to promote the well-being of humanity around the world.

His approach to tackling some of the biggest humanitarian efforts of the 21st century? A "big bets" philosophy—the idea that seeking ambitious solutions rather than making incremental improvements can attract the unlikely partners with the power and know-how to achieve results.

His debut book, Big Bets, offers a masterclass in approaching challenges—regardless of magnitude—through decision-making, leadership and, of course, a willingness to make bets.

Come hear Shah as he illuminates his "big bets" philosophy on creating transformational and lasting change—in our own lives and well beyond.

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CLIMATE ONE: Is This a Joke? Comedy and Climate Communication Oct 27, 2023

Laughter can be good medicine, but when is it okay to laugh at something as deadly serious as the climate crisis? Jokes help us remember information that otherwise might not be retained. A snappy punchline can be a powerful way to get a message through to an audience. Comedy can also be a way for performers and audiences alike to cope with a shared societal problem, like climate or social justice. Humor has a way of slipping through our perceived biases and giving us a new way of looking at challenges. How can we all learn to use humor both as a coping tool and a tool for change?

Guests:

Rollie Williams, Comedian, Host, Climate Town

Caty Borum, Provost Assoc. Professor, American University

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Jim Al-Khalili: The Joy of Science Oct 25, 2023

It's a challenge to make the best decisions in a world that is unpredictable and full of contradictions. Help is now available in the form of advice from quantum physicist Jim Al-Khalili, who shares 8 lessons from the heart of science that he says can help people get the most out of life.

As he writes in The Joy of Science, Al-Khalili invites people to engage with the world as scientists have been trained to do. The scientific method has served mankind well in its quest to see things as they really are. Underpinning the scientific method are core principles that can be deployed outside of the laboratory too, in our own lives. Knowing the nature of truth and uncertainty, the role of doubt, the pros and cons of simplification, the value of guarding against bias, the importance of evidence-based thinking and more—Al-Khalili says these are all deeply relevant to everyday lives.

Jim Al-Khalili is distinguished professor of theoretical physics at the University of Surrey and is one of Britain’s best-known science communicators. His other books include The World According to Physics, Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed, and Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology.

MLF ORGANIZER: Gerald Harris

A Technology & Society Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

In Association with Wonderfest.

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CNN's Jake Tapper: All the Demons Are Here Oct 25, 2023

As CNN’s anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper is one of the most respected journalists in news today. He is also a best-selling author, and his heart-pounding new thriller All the Demons Are Here takes us back to the 1970s, with two unforgettable characters encountering many of the real-life figures and events that defined one of the wildest and most dangerous decades in American history.

Hear more about his latest work and his take on the current political landscape.

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Matthew Davenport: The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 Oct 21, 2023

At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck San Francisco, catching most of the city asleep. For approximately one minute, shockwaves buckled streets, shattered water mains, collapsed buildings, crushed hundreds of residents to death and trapped many alive. For the next three days, fires ignited and nearly destroyed what was then the largest city in the American West.

Join us in-person as Matthew Davenport describes the massive devastation and combines history and science to tell the dramatic true story of one of the greatest disasters in American history.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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CLIMATE ONE: Community Resilience: Knowing Your Neighbor Could Save Your Life Oct 20, 2023

Disasters caused by burning fossil fuels are becoming more frequent, and in the aftermath of hurricanes, floods and wildfires, federal and state responses are often slow or insufficient. There is a growing body of research showing that neighborhood ties can be the difference between life and death: Socially connected neighbors are less likely to die from excessive heat or other extreme weather events. Community-based action, like mutual aid, can bring resources to people overlooked by overburdened governments. What tools can a community use to prepare for fossil fueled disasters?

Guests:

Tanya Gulliver Garcia, Director of learning and partnerships, Center for Disaster Philanthropy

Chenier “Klie” Kliebert, Executive Director, Imagine Water Works

Amee Raval, Research and Policy Director, Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)

Justin Hollander, Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy Planning, Tufts University

Reverend Vernon K. Walker, Climate Justice Program Director, Clean Water Action

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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It’s Not Just the Genome—AI Can Transform Primary Care Oct 16, 2023

Join us for the 13th annual Lundberg Institute Lecture, featuring Bob Matthews of MediSync discussing the advances artificial intelligence is making in health care.

AI’s advances into various health-care fields have recently burst into public consciousness—generating excitement, concern and confusion among lay and professional observers. AI has already been relied upon in genomic medicine and in the automated analysis of diagnostic studies, but ChatGPT and Bard have liberated imaginations to consider many more potential applications. The task at hand, though, is determining whether those liberated imaginations are being realistic or unrealistic.

Medical news tends to focus on the newest and most technically glitzy innovations. even though they sometimes perform less well than advertised. Matthews will explore the immediate opportunities AI has for affecting the care of the most prevalent and important medical conditions, like chronic diseases, as that could quickly influence both the quality and the total cost of such care for the largest number of patients.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

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Suneel Gupta: Everyday Dharma Oct 14, 2023

Bestselling author and popular speaker Suneel Gupta knows what it's like to fail and to succeed. He's done both, and he says the key to creating a balanced, joyous life that integrates ambition, work and well-being is to find your dharma—your inner calling.

He says we’ve been conditioned, from an early age, to believe that one day we’ll reach a moment of “arrival.” But no matter how much we achieve or acquire we still don’t feel as satisfied or as fulfilled as we thought we would be. Exhausted, we become burned out and cynical, questioning the purpose of it all.

An expert on happiness and work, Gupta argues that for too long we have compartmentalized work and well-being and ignored the fact that both are essential for sustained success. We’ve assumed that outer success leads to inner well-being, despite history showing us otherwise.

In his latest book, Everyday Dharma, Gupta weaves personal stories, history, science, Eastern philosophy, and Western modalities in this prescriptive book.

Gupta, a visiting scholar at Harvard Medical School, will share his ideas for empowering people to let go of anxiety, follow their ambitions, produce their life’s work, and experience true joy.

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CLIMATE ONE: Ken Burns, Rosalyn LaPier and The American Buffalo Oct 13, 2023

For thousands of years, the American buffalo evolved alongside Indigenous people who relied on them for food and shelter, and, in exchange for killing them, revered the animal. For millennia, this totemic animal lived in symbiotic relationship with grasslands throughout North America, then – in less than 100 years – new settlers and hunters brought their numbers from 30 million to the mere hundreds, while in the same era glorifying them as our iconic national animal. It’s a classic and cautionary tale of our ability to destroy the natural world – and potentially, to bring it back.

Guests:

Ken Burns, Director, The American Buffalo

Rosalyn LaPier, Indigenous environmental historian and ethnobotanist

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Empty Spaces and Hybrid Places: The Pandemic's Lasting Impact on Real Estate Oct 11, 2023

The past three years of the pandemic and the widespread practice of working from home have had a huge impact on our cities, businesses, individuals, and real estate of all types around the world. What will the future look like when considering long-term trends in population, employment, office attendance, housing prices, and other factors?

Join us for a special presentation featuring the results of a new McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) report, "Empty spaces and hybrid places: The pandemic’s lasting impact on real estate." MGI Director Jonathan Woetzel will take the lead in a discussion of the report's findings and implications, such as the ripple effects of hybrid work on the way we live, work, and shop; the resulting impact on demand for office, residential, and retail space in cities; and how urban stakeholders can adapt to the new reality. He will be joined by Peter Calthorpe, urban design and planning principal at HDR.

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Franklin Foer: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future Oct 09, 2023

When Joe Biden took his oath of office, the trajectory of his presidency—and the fate of our nation—remained unknown. Thousands of Americans were still sick with COVID, former presidents and first ladies sat masked on the balcony of the Capitol building—while Biden’s predecessor was notably absent. Just two weeks prior, the same building was under siege by a group of insurrectionists who sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election. On top of it all, suffering from the many unforeseen consequences of the pandemic, the American economy faced a looming economic crisis.

As a staff writer for The Atlantic, Franklin Foer had exclusive access to Biden and his inner circle. Foer revisits the challenging and consequential formative years of the Biden presidency from an insider’s perspective in his forthcoming book, The Last Politician.

Join us for a conversation with one of our nation’s leading political journalists as we cover topics ranging from the withdrawal of the last troops from Afghanistan, to the war in Ukraine, to covering politics at a time when the stability of American democracy remains imperiled.

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CLIMATE ONE: Rep. Ro Khanna on AI, Misinformation and Holding Big Oil Accountable Oct 06, 2023

Congressman Ro Khanna has made a name for himself as a pragmatic progressive and critic of Big Oil. He grilled oil company CEOs under oath and helped negotiate with Senator Joe Manchin to keep climate policy in the Inflation Reduction Act, the biggest piece of climate legislation ever passed in the United States.

Despite being one of the more progressive voters in Congress, Khanna has a reputation for coalition building; he got more bills passed than any other Democrat during the previous administration. Now that Republicans control the House of Representatives and are looking to claw back climate provisions of the IRA, what levers can he still pull to address the climate crisis?

Guest:

Ro Khanna, U.S. Congressman

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

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Kashmir Hill: Clearview AI, Facial Recognition Technology, and Threats to Our Privacy Oct 04, 2023

Are you one in a million? One in a billion? What if an app could pick you out of a crowd based on your face alone?

New York Times tech reporter Kashmir Hill was skeptical when she got a tip about a mysterious app called Clearview AI that claimed it could, with 99 percent accuracy, identify anyone based on just one snapshot of their face. The app could supposedly scan a face and, in just seconds, surface every detail of a person’s online life: their name, social media profiles, friends and family members, home address, and photos that they might not have even known existed. If it was everything it claimed to be, it would be the ultimate surveillance tool, and it would open the door to everything from stalking to totalitarian state control. Could it be true?

Hill tracked the improbable rise of Clearview AI and its astounding collection of billions of faces from the internet. Google and Facebook decided that a tool to identify strangers was too radical to release, but Clearview forged ahead, sharing the app with private investors, pitching it to businesses, and offering it to thousands of law enforcement agencies around the world.

Join us for a surprising look at the rise of a technological superpower and an urgent warning that, in the absence of vigilance and government regulation, Clearview AI is one of many new technologies that challenge what Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once called “the right to be let alone.”

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Amy Schneider: In the Form of a Question Oct 02, 2023

Who is the most successful woman ever to compete on "Jeopardy"?

Amy Schneider’s impressive 40-game winning streak was accompanied by an even greater prize—the joy of being herself on national television and blazing a trail for openly queer and transgender people around the world.

Her new memoir, In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life explores some of the innumerable topics that have fascinated Amy throughout her life—books and music, Tarot and astrology, popular culture and computers, sex and relationships—but they all share the same purpose: to illustrate, and celebrate, the results of a lifetime spent asking, why?

Join Amy as she returns to The Commonwealth Club and shares her singular journey that led to becoming an unlikely icon and hero to millions.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

See more Michelle Meow Show programs at The Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Jane Fonda: A Lifetime of Activism Sep 29, 2023

Jane Fonda has spent the last several decades fighting for Indigenous peoples' rights, economic justice, LGBTQ rights, peace, gender equality and more. Now, she is devoting herself to the climate emergency, beginning with Fire Drill Fridays, the national movement to protest government inaction on climate change she started in October 2019.

Now, through the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, she is focused on defeating political allies of the fossil fuel industry. At 85, Fonda continues to fight for the most vulnerable among us, consistently pointing out the intersection between the myriad of causes. What keeps the iconic Jane Fonda going strong?

Guest:

Jane Fonda, actor, activist

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/audio/jane-fonda-lifetime-activism

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100 Years to Thrive: Designing Longer and Wealthier Lives Sep 25, 2023

Feel like you are always running out of time? What would you do differently with an extra 25 years of longevity to build a fulfilled life?

Please join us for a conversation on making the most of our increased longevity and designing lives with greater well-being, meaning and purpose. Dr. Laura Carstensen and Mark T. Johnsen will touch on the multiple facets of building a wealthier life with increased life spans.

Health—align health spans to life spans: One-hundred-year lives are quickly becoming commonplace, but healthy long lives require us to consider what we should be doing at all life stages to promote well-being.

Career—working more flexible years to provide well-being beyond just financial stability: Having a fulfilling career helps give us a sense of purpose but can also be taxing on us in this fast-paced world, particularly when we have so many obligations to our families, friends and communities. How should we be thinking of education and work in order to foster meaningful and healthy career spans?

Building Financial Stability—assessing the risks and rewards of a 100-year life span: Supporting 100-year lives requires creative and flexible roadmaps at all stages of life from early education for children and teaching financial literacy at an early age to re-thinking the safety nets of Medicare and Social Security.

Family and Friends—multigenerational families and communities: The energy and curiosity of youth combined with wisdom and life experiences of older generations creates opportunities for families, friends and workplaces to reap the benefits of age diversity.

Life Transitions—opportunities to reset: One-hundred-year lives can present multiple transitions, such as retirement, birth of a child, divorce, death of a loved one, and provide us with lifelong learning opportunities and ways to discover and pave a new path, course-correct, and find purpose.

MLF ORGANIZER

Denise Michaud

NOTES

A Grownups Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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CLIMATE ONE: Naomi Klein and Carolyn Beeler: Covering Big Ideas and Personal Stories Sep 22, 2023

The climate crisis can be difficult to cover in a way that most people can relate to. The mechanism of harm goes from a person's gas car or stove to the Earth's atmosphere and back again in the form of floods and fires. That's why true stories of individuals and families experiencing the fallout of the climate crisis can be so impactful. They help us relate to each other on a more direct level, the way humans naturally do: person to person. Covering Climate Now Journalism Award winners Naomi Klein and Carolyn Beeler bring those stories to light.

This episode was produced in collaboration with Covering Climate Now.

Guests:

Carolyn Beeler, Environment Reporter, Editor, The World

Naomi Klein, author, social activist

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/audio/naomi-klein-and-carolyn-beeler-covering-big-ideas-and-personal-stories

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Bringing Back the Bay Lights with Ben Davis Sep 21, 2023

The Bay Lights by artist Leo Villareal first went live on March 5, 2013. Exactly one decade later, the beloved artwork went dark. Ben Davis is the driving force behind The Bay Lights and the effort to bring the artwork back with twice the number of LEDs in a radically accessible new configuration. With the project 75 percent funded—and $2.5 million more needed to proceed—Davis will reveal what's next for the historic effort: organizational vulnerability.

Davis is the founder and leader of Illuminate, the art nonprofit behind many of San Francisco's large-scale and iconic public artworks, including lighting The Pink Triangle on Twin Peaks, activation of the Golden Mile on JFK Promenade, the Summer of Love lighting on the Conservatory of Flowers, Grace Light in Grace Cathedral, the revival of the Golden Gate Bandshell, and the series of giant laser art installations across San Francisco this summer.

Davis will also talk about his vision for San Francisco as the City of Awe.

The program talk will be followed by a reception and live music by "KAVIN" on the rooftop. In-kind food donations provided by local SF Hot Cookies and Casa Sanchez.

Community partner: Beyond The Fog Radio

MLF ORGANIZER

Robert Melton

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CLIMATE ONE: The Nuclear Option Sep 15, 2023

Fourteen years after receiving its permit, the nation’s first new nuclear reactors in decades just fired up in Georgia. Massive, traditional nuclear reactors like this have faced so many cost overruns and construction delays that the investment market for them all but vanished. Despite a handful of recent technical breakthroughs in fusion power, its promise of virtually limitless power remains just a promise. But could a new wave of small, modular fission reactors bring new carbon-free power onto the market faster and cheaper (and safer?) than traditional nuclear plants in time to help the world decarbonize?

Guests:

Melissa Lott, Senior Research Scholar and the Senior Director of Research at the Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University

Jacopo Buongiorno, TEPCO Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, MIT

Allison MacFarlane, Director of the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia; Former Chair, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/audio/nuclear-option

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Civics Across the Curriculum: Educating for Democracy Sep 11, 2023

In recent years, political and social turbulence have given rise to a new urgency around civics education in the United States. Civic leaders, educators and politicians across the ideological spectrum claim that reviving civics in schools will compensate for decades of neglect and ensure the future of our fragile democracy. But more civics learning doesn’t necessarily mean better civics learning. Even when civics is taught, it is typically relegated to history-social science classes, isolating it from core subjects and offering students limited support to help them understand and act on the real-world issues they see and experience in their everyday lives.

"Civics Across the Curriculum" brings together a panel of educators whose teaching and research offer new possibilities for making civics education relevant and impactful. Rather than treating it as a discrete content area, they use disciplines as varied as math, literature and gender studies to help students investigate and reason about complex civic issues. And they demonstrate that practices such as inquiry, respectful discourse and action projects can be incorporated into every class, infusing a democratic sensibility into all facets of school life and helping students practice the skills they need to engage with meaning and purpose in our diverse society.

As we welcome the new school year, we invite you to join us for an inspiring discussion about one of the highest priorities in education today: preparing young people to uphold our constitutional democracy, now and in the future.

Please come early to enjoy a reception before the program, with complimentary wine, soft drinks, and light snacks.

Dr. Garcia will sign copies of his new book, Civics for the World to Come, after the program.

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s civics education initiative, Creating Citizens.

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Robert Wachter and Katie Hafner: Creating the Science, Covering the Science Sep 10, 2023

Join us for a discussion with journalist Katie Hafner, who covers scientific advances, especially those by women, and her husband, Dr. Robert Wachter of UCSF, who is on the forefront of the digital transformation of health care and has been influential in advancing public understanding of the COVID crisis. Dr. Wachter coined the term “hospitalist” in 1996 and has overseen that medical specialty, the fastest growing specialty in modern medical history. His tweets on COVID-19 have been a trusted source of information on the clinical, public health, and policy issues surrounding the pandemic, garnering more than 500 million views.

Hafner and Wachter are at the center of advancing public understanding of science and health care through various media. We will discuss Hafner’s popular "Lost Women of Science" podcast, her groundbreaking nonfiction books, and her recent switch to fiction with The Boys. We’ll also discuss Dr. Wachter’s perspective on COVID—including lessons learned—as we enter a new phase of the pandemic, how health care will be transformed by digital tools like ChatGPT, and how to communicate about science in the face of uncertainty, political polarization, and misinformation. In addition, they’ll discuss the experience of working and writing together as a married couple, particularly when the pandemic forced them—like so many couples—into the same bubble.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

In Association with Wonderfest.

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CLIMATE ONE: Rethinking Economic Growth, Wealth, and Health Sep 08, 2023

Since the industrial revolution, the global north has seen massive economic growth. Yet that growth has been linked to increasing greenhouse gas emissions. We also live on a planet with finite resources, so it's hard to believe that we can continue to consume resources and release emissions and not sail right past our collective climate goals. That’s why some people are starting to rethink perpetual economic growth as the best measure of a healthy economy. But what would an economy focused on metrics other than growth look like?

Guests:

Anuna De Wever, Climate and Social Justice activist

Leigh Phillips, journalist and author of Austerity Ecology & The Collapse-Porn Addicts

Marieke van Doorninck, Director, Kennisland, former Deputy Mayor, Amsterdam

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/audio/rethinking-economic-growth-wealth-and-health

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Avi Loeb's Search for Extraterrestrial Life Sep 07, 2023

Famed astronomer Avi Loeb returns to The Commonwealth Club to answer some of the biggest questions facing humankind: How do we prepare ourselves for interaction with interstellar extraterrestrial life? And can our species itself become interstellar?

Loeb, the longest-serving chair of Harvard's Astronomy Department, shook the scientific community when he theorized that our solar system had been visited by a piece of advanced alien technology from a distant star. The object, dubbed 'Oumuamua, sparked worldwide discussions and arguments, and Loeb was at the center of it all.

Now, in his new book Interstellar, Loeb builds on that original idea and asks, What's next? He gives a call to arms that reimagines the idea of contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. Dismantling our science-fiction-fueled visions of a human and alien life encounter, he provides a blueprint for how such an interaction might actually occur, resetting our cultural understanding and expectation of what it means to identify an extraterrestrial object. From awe-inspiring searches for extraterrestrial technology, to the heated debate of the existence of unidentified aerial phenomena, Loeb provides a thrilling, front-row view of the monumental progress in science and technology currently preparing us for contact. He also lays out the profound implications of becoming—or not becoming—interstellar; in an urgent, eloquent appeal for more proactive engagement with the world beyond ours, he contends why we must seek out other life forms, and in the process, choose who and what we are within the universe.

Tens of thousands of people have viewed Dr. Loeb's 2022 Commonwealth Club program. Don't miss his return engagement as he raises some of the most important questions facing us as humans and argues that scientific curiosity is the key to our survival.

NOTES

In association with the Club's Humanities Forum and Wonderfest.

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Week to Week Political Roundtable: August 30, 2023 Sep 03, 2023

Summer's over and fall is about to begin. Come on out to our beautiful headquarters on San Francisco's waterfront for an end-of-summer Week to Week political roundtable!

At Week to Week, we're dedicated to the lively and informed discussion of politics—with a good sense of humor—as a platform for healthy involvement in the issues that drive our society. The Commonwealth Club's Week to Week Political Roundtable and social hour, now in its 12th year, will take a look at the politics of the day—the issues, the people, and the trends affecting our political world.

Come early before the program and enjoy some wine and snacks with others, then grab a seat in the auditorium to hear our panel of political experts discuss the latest developments with knowledge, civility and humor.

NOTES

See other upcoming Week to Week political roundtables, as well as audio and video of past Week to Week programs.

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Mauro F. Guillén: Perennials and the Megatrends Creating a Postgenerational Society Sep 02, 2023

In today’s world, the acceleration of megatrends—increasing longevity and the explosion of technology, among many others—is transforming life as we know it.

Leading sociologist and business economist Mauro F. Guillénexplains that a new postgenerational workforce known as “perennials”—individuals who are not pitted against each other either by their age or experience—will level the playing field so everyone has a chance at living a rewarding life.

He argues that outmoded terms like Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z have long been used to pigeonhole us into rigid categories and life stages that artificially prevent people from reaching their full potential.

Join us as Guillén reveals how this generational revolution will impact young people just entering the workforce as well as those who are living and working longer.

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CLIMATE ONE: Fairytales and Fear: Stories Of Our Future Sep 01, 2023

Stories are the way we remember, the way we share knowledge, the way we play out possible outcomes. Climate fiction imagines dark or bright futures depending on how we address the climate crisis. And there’s a healthy debate about what kind of stories move more people to act: dark tales of a scary climate future or positive versions of a greener, more just world. “I think that if you want to create change in a democratic society, people have to believe that there is actually a threat,” says author Paolo Bacigalupi.

Telling inclusive fictional stories of climate realities can also help us process the disruptions our world is experiencing, explore avenues for solutions, and become inspired to take our own form of action.

Guests:

Paolo Bacigalupi, author, “The Water Knife”

Denise Baden, Green Stories Project; Professor of Sustainable Business at the University of Southampton; author, “Habitat Man”

Tory Stephens, Climate Fiction Creative Manager, Grist

This episode also features an excerpt of the audio recording of “The Cloud Weaver’s Song,” written by Saul Tanpepper and recorded by Curio.

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/audio/fairytales-and-fear-stories-our-future

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Andrew Fraknoi: Two Eclipses of the Sun Aug 31, 2023

Two eclipses of the sun are coming to North America during the 2023–24 school year—an annular (“ring of fire”) eclipse on October 14, 2023 and a total eclipse on April 8, 2024. People in two narrow paths will have the full eclipse experience each time. Everyone else (an estimated 500 million people, including all of us in the Bay Area) will see a nice partial eclipse, where the moon covers a good part of the sun.

Dr. Andrew Fraknoi will describe how eclipses come to be (and why they are total only on Earth), what scientists learn during eclipses, exactly when and where the eclipses of 2023 and 2024 will be best visible, and how to observe the eclipses and the sun safely.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

In Association with Wonderfest.

Everyone who attends this program in person will receive a free pair of safe-viewing glasses for the eclipse (which enable you to look at the sun without eye damage), courtesy of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Fraknoi photo courtesy the speaker' eclipse images from NASA.

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CLIMATE ONE: The Road to Zero Emissions Trucking Aug 25, 2023

As the build out of infrastructure for electric passenger vehicles gets underway, another segment of transportation is just starting down the road to electrification: heavy duty trucks. It’s one of the hard-to-decarbonize parts of our economy. Right now, nearly all long-haul trucks run on fossil fuels. And if we continue with business as usual, freight will become the highest-emitting part of the transportation sector by 2050. That’s why seven states, led by California, have mandated that an increasing number of zero-emission trucks be sold between now and 2035. What does the road to zero emissions trucking look like?

Guests:

Ray Minjares, Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program Director, International Council on Clean Transportation

Mike Roeth, Executive Director, North American Council for Freight Efficiency

Chris Shimoda, Senior Vice President, California Trucking Association

Adam Browning, Executive VP, Forum Mobility

Rudy Diaz, CEO, Hight Logistics

This episode features a freelance piece from Emily Cohenin Wyoming on trucker views on EVs

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/audio/road-zero-emissions-trucking

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Telling Trans Stories with Shakina Aug 23, 2023

Michelle Meow will sit down with American actress and transgender activist Shakina, to discuss the current state and future of the transgender arts and how we can uplift and support their community.

Join us for this free program in Palo Alto!

This program is part of a collaboration with TheatreWorks New Works Festival: Songs and Stories with Shakina. Please visit https://theatreworks.org/new-works/nwf/shakina/to find out more about how to participate in other events after this program has concluded.

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California, A Slave State Aug 20, 2023

By looking west to California, Jean Pfaelzer shifts our understanding of slavery as a North-South struggle and focuses on how those who were enslaved in California fought, fled, and resisted human bondage. In unyielding research and vivid interviews, Pfaelzer exposes how California's appetite for slavery persists today in the trafficking in human beings who are lured by promises of jobs but who instead are imprisoned in sweatshops or remote marijuana fields, or are sold as nannies or sex workers.

Pfaelzer relates the history of slavery in California across its entire spectrum, from indentured Native American ranch hands in the Spanish missions, children sent to Indian boarding schools, Black miners, kidnapped Chinese prostitutes, and convict laborers to the victims of modern human trafficking, and she argues that California owes its origins and sunny prosperity to slavery. Spanish invaders captured Indigenous people to build and farm the chain of Catholic missions. Russian otter hunters shipped Alaskan Natives down to the California coast—the first slaves to be transported to California. The Russians also launched the Pacific slave trade with China. Southern plantation slaves were marched across the plains to help their owners mine during the Gold Rush. San Quentin Prison was the incubator for California’s carceral state. Kidnapped Chinese girls were sold to caged brothels in early San Francisco. And Indian boarding schools supplied farms and hotels with unfree child workers.

Pfaelzer's provocative history of slavery in California could rewrite people's understanding of the settling of the West, and redefine the actual paths to eventual freedom for many Americans.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

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Legislating Hate: The Legislative Assault on Transgender and LGBTQ+ Americans Aug 19, 2023

With unprecedented numbers of anti-trans and anti-LBTQ+ bills being presented in state legislatures across the country, Tiffany Woods says it is critical that we stand up and fight for trans, nonbinary, and LGBTQ+ people now more than ever. In 2023, more than 500 anti-trans bills have been introduced in 36 states across the country, rolling back decades of progress on trans rights fueled by transphobia, deliberate misinformation, discrimination, and misplaced fear under the false guise of “protecting children, girls and women.”

These bills by GOP lawmakers across the country have been focused on prohibiting trans health care for youth, and at least 10 states have already passed such bans. Proposed bills range from gender-affirming care bans, bans on transgender youth participating in sports, bills that bar trans people from using bathrooms that correspond to their gender, and LGBTQ school censorship on what schools can say about LGBTQ people, to drag bans and bans on name and pronoun changes on government-issued documents.

Trans youth, who have been the primary focus of anti-trans legislation this year, are experiencing a mental health crisis: A 2022 survey by the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention group focused on LGBTQ youth, found that 86 percent of trans or nonbinary youth reported negative effects on their mental health stemming from the political debate around trans issues, and nearly half had seriously considered suicide in the past year. We will highlight the worst of these legislative attacks and the collective efforts to fight back from communities impacted and the states protecting trans and LGBTQ rights.

About the Speaker

Tiffany Woods is a nationally awarded LGBTQ+ leader and chair emeritus of the California Democratic Party LGBTQ Caucus, the first trans woman elected a caucus co-chair, and a member the Democratic National Committee’s Transgender Advisory Committee. In 2020, she was honored by the California Legislature’s LGBTQ Caucus as a 2020 Pride Honoree. She has 21 years experience in public health with expertise in HIIV prevention and trans health and is currently serving as the first state transgender health manager at the Office of AIDS, Prevention Branch, California Department of Public Health, where her primary responsibility is the development and coordination of departmental and statewide programs and trainings focused on gender and trans health education, with a focus on statewide coordination of HIV prevention services related to the health and well-being of transgender individuals in California.

This program contains explicit content.

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CLIMATE ONE: Navigating Science and Feelings on a Destabilized Planet Aug 18, 2023

This year is shaping up to be the hottest year in 125,000 years. It may also be the coolest year a child born today will ever see. In “The Quickening,” science writer Elizabeth Rush documents her journey to Antarctica’s infamous “doomsday” glacier as she contemplates what it would mean for her to have a child at this time of radical change. In “Humanity’s Moment,” IPCC climate scientist Joëlle Gergis wrestles with their own questions of how we can all find enough hope to restore our relationships with ourselves, each other and the environment.

Guests:

Elizabeth Rush, Author, “The Quickening: Creation and Community at the Ends of the Earth”

Joëlle Gergis, IPCC Climate Scientist, author, “Humanity’s Moment: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope”

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/audio/navigating-science-and-feelings-destabilized-planet

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Barbara Lee: Road to the Senate 2024 Aug 16, 2023

Nationally, Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee is perhaps best known for being the only member of Congress to vote against war authorization after the Sept. 11 attacks, a decision that led to death threats and hate mail. But her willingness to take tough, progressive stands has endeared her to East Bay voters—who have re-elected her 13 times—and liberal Democrats across the country.

Now, Lee is running to fill retiring California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat. “We have to ease the burden on the middle class. We have to find a solution to poverty and homelessness. We have to take on the climate crisis. And we have to stop these MAGA extremists who think they can control people’s bodies and dismantle our democracy,” she said when announcing her candidacy. If she succeeds, Lee would be the sole Black female senator and only the third in U.S. history.

Lee returns to The Commonwealth Club as part of our “Race to the Senate 2024” series of candidate forums. Come meet the candidate in person before you cast your vote for California’s next U.S. senator.

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WEEK TO WEEK POLITICAL ROUNDTABLE: AUGUST 2, Week to Week Political Roundtable: 2023 Kickoff Aug 13, 2023

Come on out for an in-person summertime Week to Week political roundtable.

At Week to Week, we're dedicated to the lively and informed discussion of politics—with a good sense of humor—as a platform for healthy involvement in the issues that drive our society. The Commonwealth Club's Week to Week Political Roundtable and social hour, now in its 12th year, will take a look at the politics of the day—the issues, the people, and the trends affecting our political world.

Join us to hear our panel of political experts discuss the latest developments with knowledge, civility and humor.

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Gad Saad: The Truth About Happiness and Leading the Good Life Aug 12, 2023

Concordia University Professor of Marketing Dr. Gad Saad is not afraid to make people unhappy, if it makes them rethink their assumptions. For years, he has worn the mantle of the "anti-woke professor" and has shared his thoughts everywhere from Psychology Today to "The Joe Rogan Experience" to "The Saad Truth" on YouTube.

Now he wants to make people happy, and he's sharing his 8 secrets for leading the good life.

In this provocative and surprising new book, The Saad Truth about Happiness, Dr. Saad roams through scientific studies, culls the wisdom of ancient philosophy and religion, and draws on his extraordinary personal experience as a refugee from war-torn Lebanon turned academic celebrity. He shares secrets about resilience, purpose, moderation and more—including what you can learn from your dog about happiness.

Hear more from Dr. Saad, who has become a "de facto global therapist" to an ever-growing audience of hundreds of thousands of people.

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CLIMATE ONE: Just a Walk or Bike Ride Away: The 15-Minute City Aug 11, 2023

Can you imagine if everything you needed in your everyday life was just a walk or bike ride away? That’s the goal of the 15-minute City, a new name for an old idea. Reducing the need for cars cuts emissions and gets autos off of the roads, which is a boon for safety, air quality and the climate. But, as is often the case, good ideas become a lot more difficult when you have to implement them in real places, with real people, who don’t always share the enthusiasm for the idea. What will it take to make compact, walkable cities a reality in the U.S., where the car is king?

Guests:

Beth Osborne, Director, Transportation for America

David Miller, Former Mayor of Toronto

Justin Bibb, Mayor of Cleveland

Henry Grabar, Author of Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org

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Jeff Goodell: The Heat Will Kill You First Aug 10, 2023

“When heat comes, it’s invisible. It doesn’t bend tree branches or blow hair across your face to let you know it’s arrived. . . . The sun feels like the barrel of a gun pointed at you.”

The world is waking up to a new reality: wildfires are now seasonal in California, the Northeast is getting less and less snow each winter, and the ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctica are melting fast. Heat is the first-order threat that drives all other impacts of the climate crisis. As the temperature rises, it is revealing fault lines in our governments, our politics, our economy and our values. Journalist Jeff Goodall says the basic science is not complicated: Stop burning fossil fuels tomorrow, and the global temperature will stop rising tomorrow. Stop burning fossil fuels in 50 years, and the temperature will keep rising for 50 years, making parts of our planet virtually uninhabitable. The hotter it gets, the deeper and wider our fault lines will open.

Goodell's book The Heat Will Kill You First is about the extreme ways in which our planet is already changing. It is about why spring is coming a few weeks earlier and fall is coming a few weeks later—and the impact that will have on everything from our food supply to disease outbreaks. It is about what will happen to our lives and our communities when typical summer days in Chicago or Boston go from 90 degrees Fahrenheit to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. A heatwave, Goodell explains, is a predatory event, one that culls the most vulnerable people; but that is changing—as heatwaves become more intense and more common, they will become more democratic.

As an award-winning journalist who has been at the forefront of environmental journalism for decades, Goodell might be his most provocative yet, explaining how extreme heat will dramatically change the world as we know it.

This program contains explicit content.

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Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen: Your Brain on Art Aug 09, 2023

Many people think of the arts as entertainment, but Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen believe activities such as painting, dancing, expressive writing, etc. are more essential to our daily lives than we realize. They say the science of neuroaesthetics has the power to transform traditional medicine and build healthier communities.

Ross and Magsamen offer compelling research that shows how engaging in an art project for as little as 45 minutes can reduce stress and participating in just one art experience per month can extend your life by 10 years.

Learn more about a significant cultural shift in which arts can deliver accessible and proven solutions for the well-being of everyone.

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Dr. Aomawa Shields: Life on Other Planets Aug 08, 2023

Is anybody else out there? As a child, Aomawa Shields was always looking at the sky and dreaming of becoming an astronaut. Now an astronomer and astrobiologist at the top of her field, Dr. Shields studies the universe outside our Solar System, researching and uncovering the planets circling distant stars with just the right conditions that could support life.

In order to ultimately achieve her life-long dream Dr. Shields had to overcome discouragement from others, self-doubt, and uncertainty that she belonged. Her complex journey included a period where she left the field and pursued acting professionally.

Hear more as Dr. Shields reflects on her life as an astronomer, classically trained actor, and Black woman in STEM. Additionally, she is the founder and director of Rising Stargirls, a program dedicated to encouraging girls of all colors and backgrounds to learn, explore, and discover the universe using theater, writing and visual art.

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CLIMATE ONE: Youth Activists 15 Years Later Aug 04, 2023

From the climate movement’s earliest days, young people have been at the forefront of activism. But the first major international climate conferences took place 30 years ago. The first cohort of youth activists are now adults, some with children of their own. The emotional cost of seeing so little payoff for years spent fighting can be agonizing at any age, but perhaps more so for young people who put so much of themselves into the effort. Many youth activists burned out along the way, frustrated by participating in actions that rarely led to meaningful and lasting change. How do former youth activists now view the work of their younger selves? And what advice do they have for the next generation?

Guests:

Alec Loorz, Writer, Photographer, former youth climate activist

Slater Jewell-Kemker, Director, “Youth Unstoppable;” former youth climate activist

Victoria Loorz, Founder, Center for Wild Spirituality; Author, “Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us into the Sacred”

Abrar Anwar, Chief Technology Officer, Rebel Force Tech Solutions; former youth climate activist

Kyle Gracey, Strategy Consultant, Future Matters; former youth climate activist

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Roar Like A Tiger: The 5 Key Elements of the T.I.G.E.R. Protocol Aug 03, 2023

In this interactive program, Harvard-trained physician Dr. Akil Palanisamy will present the T.I.G.E.R. Protocol. Based on the latest science and research, he says the T.I.G.E.R. Protocol addresses the five key drivers of autoimmune and all other chronic diseases, including toxins, the gut microbiome, and diet.

Dr. Palanisamy will teach you holistic strategies incorporating diet, lifestyle and supplement recommendations he says will help you optimize your immune system, reduce inflammation, and feel better than ever before. He will shed light on the epidemic of autoimmune disease, the fastest growing category of disease right now, and discuss how you can prevent and heal these conditions.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patty James

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Jeff Jarvis: The Age of Print and the Internet Aug 02, 2023

As a technology, print at its birth was as disruptive as the digital migration of today. Now, as the internet ushers us past print culture, Jeff Jarvis offers an overview of important lessons from the era we leave behind.

Jarvis traces the epoch of print from its fateful beginnings to our digital present. He tracks Western industrialized print to its origins; explores its invention, spread, and evolution; as well as the bureaucracy and censorship that followed. Additionally print gave rise to the idea of the mass—mass media, mass market, mass culture, mass politics, and so on—that came to dominate the public sphere.

Hear more about this complex and compelling history of technology and power and the lasting impact it has today.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

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Sex and Relationships in the Post-Pandemic Digital Age Aug 01, 2023

Sex. Friendship. Love . . . . How have the pandemic and digital life changed these? What has been lost? What will slowly return? And what changes have actually been good for us?

Above all, what can we do to thrive in this new environment? What works well for meeting new people, for maintaining close relationships, and—yes—for finding romance and love in this new world of post-pandemic and digital life?

For more than 75 years, the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University has been a trusted source for scientific knowledge and research on critical issues in sexuality and relationships. They are the American pioneers in studies of human sexual behavior since issuing the groundbreaking Kinsey Reports in 1948 and 1953, and continuing to this day.

Today, we are fortunate that Dr. Justin Garcia, executive director of the Kinsey Institute and scientific advisor to Match.com, can visit with us to discuss what he has learned about this new environment, answer our questions, and help guide us onto a successful path.

Let's explore this brave new world of digital life together in this online discussion.

MLF ORGANIZER

Eric Siegel

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SEA Filmmaker Showcase: Screening and Discussion Jul 31, 2023

And our moderator, Toni Wang, is a Shanghai-born independent artist and producer whose background spans IT/consulting, web management, and music. She is a co-host for SEA Creatives, a collective of Southeast Asian filmmakers and artists in Los Angeles and an advocate for AAPI representation in media. In addition to several feature film projects in development, she has helped to produce a handful of short films as well as the indie feature A Great Divide, starring Ken Jeong, which opened the 2023 Bentonville Film Festival. Learn more at toniwang.com.

The Films and Filmmakers

Apartment 605 (length 7:02): Miké is interrupted by the loud sound of the apartment buzzer. Over the course of a conversation with a stranger separated by the building's intercom, we learn of the connection they have with the owner of the apartment, Miké's estranged father.

Full Service (length 10:01): When an Indonesian woman is invited to her cousin's engagement party, she decides to hire an escort to keep her aunties, and their persistent questions about her dating life, off her back.

Astonishing Little Feet (length 8:58): Afong Moy, the first documented Chinese woman to come to the United States, realizes the men who separated her from her family only have interest in profiting off the peculiarities of her bound feet.

Soul Food (length 21:28): A mother and daughter must reconcile the love and hurt in their relationship before time runs out in a place between our world and the next.

This program contains explicit content.

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Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Joel Christian Gill: Stamped from the Beginning - A Graphic History Jul 30, 2023

Racism has persisted throughout history—but so have antiracist efforts to dismantle it.

Award-winning historian Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and comic artist Joel Christian Gill reveal how understanding and improving the world cannot happen without identifying and facing some of the ugly forces that shape it.

Stamped from the Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas in America is an educational and comprehensive look at how people can learn from the past to work toward a most equitable and antiracist future.

NOTE: This program contains explicit content.

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Adam Schiff: Road to the Senate 2024 Jul 29, 2023

Congressman Adam Schiff gained national prominence for his role as the lead prosecutor in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial. Now, the Los Angeles Democrat is running for the U.S. Senate seat for California long held by Dianne Feinstein, who will not seek re-election.

A former chair of the House Intelligence Committee and member of the select committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, Schiff says that Californians “need a fighter in the U.S. Senate who has been at the center of the struggle for our democracy and our economy.” He has also pledged to make the environment a centerpiece of his campaign.

Schiff returns to The Commonwealth Club as part of our “Race to the Senate 2024” series of candidate forums. Come meet the candidate in person before you cast your vote for California’s next U.S. senator.

This program contains explicit language.

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CLIMATE ONE: Building a Better Battery Supply Chain with JB Straubel and Aimee Boulanger Jul 28, 2023

Batteries are a critical part of the transition away from fossil fuels. From electric vehicles to grid scale storage for wind and solar, demand for batteries is expected to grow 500% by 2030. In order to meet that demand, we’re going to need a lot more batteries. And while companies like JB Straubel’s Redwood Materials are building capacity for recycling, for now that means a lot more mining. How do we build a battery supply chain that meets demand and reduces harm?

This episode is underwritten by ClimateWorks.

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Sen. Amy Klobuchar: The Joy of Politics Jul 27, 2023

During the past few years, as our country has faced unprecedented challenges, Senator Klobuchar has been in the room where it happens—at the debate podium during one of the most critical presidential elections in U.S. history and in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, when insurrectionists stormed the building.

Additionally, during this time Sen. Klobuchar faced personal difficulties, including her husband’s battle with COVID-19, her own cancer diagnosis, and her father’s death.

In her new book The Joy of Politics, Sen. Klobuchar reflects on these past few years and what continues to drive her to live with improbable joy and resilience. She also reveals what it’s really like working in Washington DC and her concerns about the state of American democracy.

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Social Impact Strategies: Jacob Harold's 'The Toolbox' and Why It Matters Jul 26, 2023

Jacob Harold, author of The Toolbox: Strategies for Crafting Social Impact, tells us that “there are no easy solutions. Instead there are tools.” Jacob’s book is an essential guide for anyone trying to improve our world. In it, Harold offers clarity and inspiration to leaders at all levels. Beautifully designed and executed, The Toolbox features 36 diagrams, 22 stories, 17 poems, nine tools, five equations, and one goal: a better world.

Joining us for a one-hour fireside chat to dig through The Toolbox is Steven LaFrance, founder of Learning for Action, who will engage Harold in discussion about how The Toolbox can be applied to benefit nonprofits—and other organizations—you care about.

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UCSF's Monica Gandhi: Navigating a Post-Pandemic World Jul 26, 2023

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, UCSF's Dr. Monica Gandhi became one of the most prominent public health experts in the country. National and local political leaders, health professionals and media often turned to Dr. Gandhi for her thoughts and recommendations on how to handle the constantly shifting dynamics and demands of the pandemic.

Dr. Gandhi has now put her thoughts together into a new book, Endemic, which aims at reckoning with the country's present condition: comprehending and living with a new respiratory disease and how to face the coming variants and next pandemic with reason, science, understanding, courage and compassion. With her trademark straight talk and honesty, Dr. Gandhi discusses where we have been, where we find ourselves now, and how we ought to manage the virus in the coming years.

Dr. Gandhi's book couldn't be better timed, as the world must learn to live with a virus that has become “endemic." As Dr. Gandhi notes, our current moment requires a shift in both mindset and policy. She lays out a 10-point plan that she says will serve to best guide us today and into our future; she offers a guide for many still confused by inconsistent mandates and policies.

Please join us for a conversation with one of the Bay Area's top public health leaders about a virus we will be dealing with the rest of our lives.

NOTES

Dr. Gandhi was honored along with her UCSF colleagues for their work on the pandemic at the Commonwealth Club's 2021 Distinguished Citizen's Gala.

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The Young Hubert Humphrey: Fighter for Civil Rights Jul 24, 2023

This July is the 75th anniversary of the critical 1948 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, during which Hubert Humphrey, then the mayor of Minneapolis, gave a stirring and surprisingly successful speech asking the Democratic Party to commit itself to civil rights and to ending segregation. This caused the southern Dixiecrats to walk out and to run Strom Thurman for president—in order to teach the Democrats a lesson. But Truman's upset win over Dewey, caused in no small part by a surge of support from Black voters in northern cities, taught the Democrats a totally different lesson, and set the stage for Truman's desegregation of the military. That led to Brown v. Board of Education and the Montgomery bus boycotts of the 1950s, and to the civil rights legislation that LBJ, with the help of his Vice President Hubert Humphrey, pushed through Congress in the 1960s.

Freedman presents a revisionist and riveting look at the American politician whom history has judged a loser because his vice presidency ended in disgrace during the Vietnam War, partially due to the chaos surrounding the also contentious 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago—after which Humphrey lost to Richard Nixon.

Yet Humphrey played a key leadership role in the greatest social movement of the 20th century. Freedman explores Humphrey’s early life, from a remote, all-white hamlet in South Dakota to the political heights of Minnesota, as he tackles its notorious racism and anti-Semitism and solidifies his role as a national champion of multiracial democracy. His allies in that struggle include a Black newspaper publisher, a Jewish attorney, and a professor who had fled Nazi Germany. His adversaries are the white supremacists, Christian Nationalists, and America Firsters of mid-century America—one of whom tried to assassinate him.

Celebrating one of the often overlooked landmarks of civil rights history, Freedman illuminates the early life and enduring legacy of the man who helped bring it about.

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Thomas Byrne Edsall: American Democracy at the Crossroads Jul 23, 2023

As Donald Trump seeks the presidency again, one of the country's most insightful political observers wonders whether American politics has already passed the point of no return in terms of its divided politics and culture and decayed social order.

New York Times columnist Thomas Byrne Edsall, author of the new book The Point of No Return: American Democracy at the Crossroads, fears the country might be headed over a cliff and argues that the 2016 election of Donald Trump was the most serious threat to the American political system since the Civil War.

As the country prepares for another election with Trump, Edsall documents how the Trump years of 2016–2020 negatively impacted the country, in his opinion. He explains the demographic shifts that helped make Trump’s election possible, and describes the racial and ethnic conflict, culture wars, rural/urban divide, diverging economies of red and blue states, and the transformation of both the Republican and Democratic parties that have left our politics in a state of permanent hostility.

As the country prepares for the 2024 election, can the country step back from the brink? Edsall isn't so sure. Please join us as the the prominent columnist explains why and what might be ahead for the United States.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Anand Giridharadas: Persuaders in a Hot and Polarized World Jul 21, 2023

In a democracy, meaningful change often requires adapting views and building coalitions. Some believe finding common ground and building rapport is the best way to change minds. Others believe activism and protests are key to raising awareness. Increasingly, however, the acts of listening and persuasion are left out, as each side is convinced that the other is unmovable.

Anand Giridharadas is a journalist, columnist, on-air political analyst, and author. His latest book, “The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy,”explores how the tactics of persuasion can help strengthen democracy and foster positive societal change.

Guests:

Anand Giridharadas, Journalist, Author, “The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy”

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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The World According to Willie Brown Jul 19, 2023

Recently, CNN wanted to find out, “What Happened to San Francisco?” They called Willie Brown. As two-term mayor of San Francisco and legendary speaker of the California State Assembly, he is still the go-to guy in California politics, government and civic life.

With the national media spotlight on the Bay Area as San Francisco faces twin crises of homelessness and drug addiction, Mayor Brown returns to The Commonwealth Club to give us the lowdown. He will separate hype from reality and talk about what local leaders can do to address the city's multiple challenges. A strong advocate for health equity, his focus is on ways to ensure access to quality health care regardless of income or background. He’ll also share his take on state and national politics as well as on the country’s growing polarization.

Join us for Willie Brown’s annual conversation with The Commonwealth Club.

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14th Annual Mineta National Transportation Policy Summit—Getting to Zero Deaths on Our Roadways: Is the IIJA up to the Challenge? Jul 14, 2023

The United States faces a public health crisis on its roads. In 2021 alone, almost 43,000 people died in traffic crashes and millions more suffered serious injuries. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg calls the situation a preventable crisis—one for which we must take responsibility by recognizing that human lives are not a price to pay for modernity. New funding available through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides a significant opportunity to reduce crashes through infrastructure redesign.

Join the Mineta Transportation Institute and a panel of national experts to discuss the role of infrastructure redesign in achieving a national goal of zero traffic fatalities.

NOTES

This program is supported by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University.

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CLIMATE ONE: Green Energy / Red States Jul 14, 2023

Billions of dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act have started flowing into renewable energy projects and manufacturing. That’s bringing jobs and revenue back to the country and to some areas abandoned by the oil, coal and gas industries. Despite the massive investments in their districts, some Republican politicians aren’t fans of the green energy companies moving into their backyards and are doing everything they can to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act – putting them at odds with their constituents. How do we advance the clean energy transition when it’s seen as a partisan issue?

Guests:

Emma Dumain, Reporter, E&E News

Heather Reams, President, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions

Terry Weickum, Mayor, Rawlins WY

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El Ultîmo Sueño De Frida Y Diego: Iconic Artists For Fashion, Art And Opera Jul 08, 2023

El Ultímo Sueño de Frida y Diego (2022) by local composer Gabriela Lena Frank is the first-ever San Francisco Opera production by a female composer, and the first ever in Spanish (libretto by Nilo Cruz).The opera tells the story of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera reliving their tumultuous love for 24 hours on El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) through their paintings, embracing the passion they shared and the pain they inflicted upon one other.

Artists Kahlo and Rivera were and are icons of Mexican arts and culture, magic and realism. This Commonwealth Club panel will focus on the impact of their artistic motivation, clothing, design and the famed murals across the Americas. Their fashion and lifestyles have continued to inspire many in the arts world today, including the costumes in El Ultímo Sueño de Frida y Diego, the incredible co-commissioned production of San Francisco Opera you can see on stage from June 13–30, 2023.

MLF ORGANIZER

Anne W. Smith and Robert Melton

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CLIMATE ONE: Law and Oil: Taking Climate Offenders to Court Jul 07, 2023

The last several years have seen a big increase in the number of lawsuits focused on the climate crisis. Some lawsuits challenge governments for their support for fossil fuels and for their failure to take climate action, while other cases target the fossil fuel companies themselves for knowingly misleading the world about the climate disrupting impacts of burning their products. Some of these cases seek monetary damages, others seek to hold governments accountable to their emissions reduction pledges. As more of these cases get their time in court, how powerful can litigation be in forcing action around the climate emergency?

Guests:

Delta Merner, Lead Scientist, Science Hub for Climate Litigation, Union of Concerned Scientists

Korey Silverman-Roati, Senior Fellow, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School

Lucy Maxwell, Co-Director, Climate Litigation Network, Urgenda Foundation

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Jennifer Pahlka: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age Jul 06, 2023

Government at all levels has limped into the digital age, widening the gap between the policy outcomes we intend and what we get.

Jennifer Pahlka served as President Barack Obama’s former deputy chief technology officer. Join us for an in-depth talk as she offers a bold reexamination of how our government operates and the improvements that she says need to be made to end bureaucratic dysfunction.

It’s not more money or more tech we need; Pahlka calls for "recoding" American government to reclaim it for the people it is supposed to serve.

NOTES

This program is presented in collaboration with the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future.

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CLIMATE ONE: Peter Gleick on Water Poverty, Conflict, and a Hope for the Future Jun 30, 2023

No elemental force has done more to shape life on this planet than water, from originating the earliest forms of life, to sculpting our landscapes, to determining patterns of human civilization. Humans have tried to control water for thousands of years, and access to this precious resource has caused conflict and also unlikely partnerships. In an era defined by climate disruption, the control, access, and quality of water will continue to determine our ability to survive and thrive. How can we ensure a future where clean water exists for all who need it – including the ecosystems we depend on – and navigate the challenges of too little or too much?

Guests:

Peter Gleick, co-founder, The Pacific Institute; author, “The Three Ages of Water”

Contributor: Luke Runyon, Managing Editor & Reporter, Colorado River Basin, KUNC Radio

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Rachel Nuwer: Understanding MDMA Jun 28, 2023

Few drugs in history have generated as much controversy as MDMA—or held as much promise, according to some. Once vilified as a Schedule I substance that would supposedly eat holes in users’ brains, MDMA (also known as Molly or Ecstasy) is now being hailed as a therapeutic agent that could transform the field of mental health and outpace psilocybin and ketamine as the first psychedelic approved for widespread clinical use.

Award-winning science journalist Rachel Nuwer separates fact from fantasy, hope from hype, in the drug’s contested history and still-evolving future. Hear more as Nuwer explains the cultural and scientific upheaval that is rewriting our understanding of our brains, our selves, and the space between.

This program contains EXPLICIT content.

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Latest Developments in Alzheimer's and the AAPI, LGBTQIA+ Communities Jun 26, 2023

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia. It begins with mild memory loss and progresses to more severe effects, in some cases leading to the loss of the ability to carry on a conversation or respond to the surrounding environment. According to the CDC, in 2020, 5.8 million Americans were living with Alzheimer's; the number of people living with the disease doubles every five years beyond the age of 65; and as many as 14 million people in the United States are projected to have Alzheimer's by the year 2060.

The disease and its impact can be experienced in different ways in different communities.

Join us live as television host Michelle Meow leads a discussion with health experts and Alzheimer's advocates. They'll discuss Alzheimer's awareness, caregiving and the API stigma, filial piety, a personal caregiving story, LGBTQ caregiving and family dynamics, early detection, and brain health.

This is a free event—your chance to learn more about this disease affecting millions of people.

NOTES

The Michelle Meow Show thanks Kaiser Permanente for its support of independent LGBTQ media producers.

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GREG KING: RACISTS, "Greg King: Racists, Radicals and Real Estate in the California Redwoods Jun 23, 2023

Every year millions of tourists from around the world come to California to see our famous redwoods. Yet few understand how unlikely it is that these last groves of giant trees still stand at all. Activist Greg King examines how investors and a growing U.S. economy drove the timber industry to cut down the giant redwoods on all but four percent of the original 2-million-acre redwood ecosystem.

The land grab began in 1849, when a “green gold rush” of migrants came to exploit the legendary redwoods that grew along the Russian River. Several generations later, in 1987, Greg King discovered and named Headwaters Forest—at 3,000 acres the largest ancient redwood habitat remaining outside of parks—and then led the movement to save this grove. After a decade of one of the most dramatic and violent environmental campaigns in U.S. history, the state and federal governments finally protected Headwaters Forest in 1999.

The Ghost Forest explores the mystery of what it was about this unique Northern California forest that was both so spectacular and yet so enticing as fuel for economic growth that it inspired a life-and-death struggle. Few but loggers and surveyors ever saw such magnificent trees, ancient sentinels that, like ghosts, have informed Greg King’s understanding of the world, and have inspired him to tell the story of their discovery and their exploitation, and to protect them against those determined to cut them down.

MLF ORGANIZER

Andrew Dudley

NOTES

A People & Nature Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program contains EXPLICIT content.

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CLIMATE ONE: Cory Booker: Taking on Big Ag & Going Big on Climate Jun 23, 2023

Our food and agricultural systems are helping fuel the climate emergency. But climate isn’t the only harm; these systems also impact local economies, human dignity, and animal welfare. The upcoming Farm Bill presents an opportunity to infuse more climate-smart practices in American agriculture, which accounts for about 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. But doing so involves confronting industrial practices that focus on short-term gains and commodity subsidies that have deep support in both parties.

Senator Cory Booker has a plan to address our broken food system. He introduced legislation that would challenge large industrial beef and pork packagers and tilt the balance of power in our industrial agriculture system, giving family farmers, ranchers, and workers a better deal. But what chance do these elements have of passage? And what other options are there for decreasing the concentration of power in Big Ag?

Guest:

Cory Booker, United States Senator, New Jersey

Contributor: Elizabeth Rembert

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Shiva’s Many Dances: The Tandava Nritya Jun 22, 2023

Robert Del Bonta will share how Shiva’s Many Dances and the celebrated ‘Nataraja’ pose is a culmination of how the ultimate depiction of Shiva’s essence evolves over time in a dynamic conception among the Hindu trinity of gods (the Trimürti).

Del Bonta creates an engaging aspect of one of the Hindu trinity gods, reflecting on how the iconic image of Shiva Nataraja the "Lord of Dance" illustrates a creative and destructive power over eons of time. Shiva’s nature as both male and female is also a constant theme. Shiva manifests many other forms suggestive of power and mythological stories of dance or in prayers. It's but a tiny introduction to a major dance visualization heritage.

Teacher and curator Dr. Robert Del Bonta's work has been presented in exhibition venues such as San Francisco's Asian Art Museum, Berkeley Art Museum, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Mills College, Notre Dame de Namur University, Art Passages in San Francisco and New York City, Portland Museum of Art and the New Orleans Museum of Art. He has lectured widely at museums and institutions in the United States, and published numerous articles and exhibition catalogue contributions on South Asian art with thematic focus largely on Indian art of the Jainas.

MLF ORGANIZER

Anne W. Smith and George Hammond

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Leah and Richard Rothstein: Challenging Segregation and the Color of Law Jun 21, 2023

Six years ago, Richard Rothstein’s important book, Color of Law, made a powerful case that direct and indirect government action and policies at the federal, state and local levels had caused segregation and the resulting social problems throughout the United States. The book was a best seller and significantly influenced discussions of the systemic impact of segregated communities on a range of outcomes in education, health and workforce participation. It stands as one of the most important recent books on residential segregation published in the past few decades.

What that book did not do was provide enough solutions for citizens to pursue to address the legacy of state-sanctioned segregation. In their new book, Just Action How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law, Rothstein and housing policy expert Leah Rothstein provide a blueprint on how to address segregation for concerned citizens and community leaders. The new book describes dozens of tangible strategies the Rothsteins say readers and supporters can undertake in their own communities to make their commitment real and create tangible change that might finally challenge residential segregation and help address the legacy of America's profoundly unconstitutional past.

The Rothsteins provide a tool kit for activism and advocacy, with myriad real-life examples from communities, groups and individuals that have confronted segregation-related challenges from legal, real estate, banking, and commercial development standpoints. They also counter misconceptions about the consequences of integration and make their case for closing the wealth gap that has made homeownership unaffordable for many middle-class Americans, particularly African-Americans.

Please join us for a critical conversation about how people can be empowered to address the legacy of state-sanctioned segregation.

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Sarafina El-Badry Nance: Discovering the Cosmos Jun 21, 2023

As a child, Sarafina El-Badry Nance spent nearly every evening with her father gazing up at the flickering stars and pondering what secrets the night sky held. The daughter of an American father and Egyptian mother, Sarafina dreamed of becoming an astronomer. But it wasn’t long before she was told, both explicitly and implicitly, that girls just weren’t cut out for math and science.

In a field that sees few women and women of color, Sarafina reflects on the obstacles that she faced to pursue her passion for the cosmos.

Join us for an in-depth talk with astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Saket Soni on the People Who Make Disaster Recovery Possible Jun 16, 2023

Who cleans up and rebuilds our communities after floods, fires, and hurricanes? COVID redefined America's definition of “essential workers,” but many who help communities recover from climate disasters remain underpaid and overlooked.

In 2006, labor organizer Saket Soni got an anonymous call from an Indian migrant worker in Mississippi who had scraped together $20,000 to apply for the “opportunity” to rebuild oil rigs after Hurricane Katrina. The caller was only one of hundreds lured into Gulf Coast labor camps, surrounded by barbed wire, and watched by armed guards. Since then, the frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters has only increased – and disaster recovery has become big business. How are the lives of people displaced by disasters intertwined with those helping to rebuild?

Guests:

Saket Soni, Founder and Director, Resilience Force

Daniel Castellanos, Director Of Workforce Engagement, Resilience Force

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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CLIMATE ONE: Killer Heat: Confronting Disproportionate Impacts on Women and Girls Jun 09, 2023

Extreme heat kills more people per year than any other climate disaster. It preys on the poor, exacerbates racial inequalities, and there is a growing body of evidence that shows women and girls are increasingly susceptible to heat-health effects. Globally, women and girls represent 80% of climate refugees. They are more likely to be displaced, suffer violence and die in natural disasters. As temperatures rise, children’s test scores decrease, gender violence increases, and miscarriage rates go up. But preventing heat deaths is possible. From Europe to Africa, Chief Heat Officers throughout the world are implementing projects to make cities more climate-adaptive.

Guests:

Kathy Baughman McLeod, Director, Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center; Senior VP, Atlantic Council

Eleni Myrivili, Global Chief Heat Officer, UN Habitat

Eugenia Kargbo, Chief Heat Officer, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Freelance piece from Hellen Kabahukya on mud wattle construction in Uganda

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Bay Area Women Filmmakers Tell All Jun 08, 2023

Please join us for clips and conversation with three award-winning Bay Area women documentary filmmakers.

These women are changing the way we see our world through their important work. They will share their process of making the films, choosing, and developing their subjects as we view a clip from each of their latest films. They will also discuss the challenges they have faced as women in the industry and in getting their films funded and distributed.

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Illyanna Maisonet: Diasporican Jun 07, 2023

Food is more than just sustenance or nourishment. Food brings us together and connects us to family, history, migration and beyond. Perhaps no one understands this better than food columnist Illyanna Maisonet, who has spent years documenting her family’s Puerto Rican recipes and preserving the island’s disappearing foodways through rigorous research.

Maisonet was the first Puerto Rican food columnist in the continental United States. Her San Francisco Chronicle column, “Cocina Boricua,” was dedicated to safeguarding traditional Puerto Rican recipes and exploring food throughout the Puerto Rican diaspora.

Maisonet’s cookbook, Diasporican, provides a visual record of Puerto Rican food, ingredients and techniques. She shares deeply personal recipes—some even passed down from her grandmother and mother—that trace the island’s flavor traditions to the Taino, Spanish, African, and even United States’ cultures that created it. Shaped by geography, immigration and colonization, these dishes reflect the ingenuity and diversity of their people.

Join as we celebrate and learn more about the essence of Puerto Rican culture and cuisine.

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PAKISTAN AND INDIA: COMMON ORIGINS, "Pakistan and India: Common Origins, Divergent Trajectories. Why? Jun 06, 2023

In a time of existential crisis, Pakistanis continue to believe that infusing the right "Islamic" spirit into the population will somehow see it through. Critics say that experience shows otherwise.

Pakistanis—both religiously orthodox and liberal—believe that the founder of Pakistan had a game plan for the state after it came into being in 1947. There was none.

Nationalist Hindus imagine India was populated in ancient times by a Hindu nation whereas nationalist Muslims tie Pakistan's origin with pre-existing Muslim identity and the first Muslim invader arriving on Indian soil. Historical evidence refutes both.

The author will discuss these and other myths that are widely held in Pakistan as well as in India.

Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy earned his Ph.D. in nuclear physics from MIT and is also a prominent anti-nuclear activist. His earlier book was Confronting the Bomb: Pakistani and Indian Scientists Speak Out. As an advocate for science and reason in Islam, his first book was Islam and Science: Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle for Rationality, which included a foreword by the physics Nobel Prize winner Abdus Salam.

As a science popularizer, Hoodbhoy received the UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize. Earlier he had received the Burton Award for Electronics and the Abdus Salam Prize for Mathematics. He is also a recipient of the Joseph A. Burton Award from the American Physical Society, is a sponsor of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and was included among the top 100 global thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine in 2011. Hoodbhoy’s newest project is The Black Hole, a community center in Islamabad for nurturing science, art, and culture. It houses an auditorium for speakers who would otherwise go unheard, a library, and a science lab for children.

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David Ambroz: A Fostering Success Story Jun 05, 2023

David Ambroz is a living testament to the power of hope, strength and perseverance in overcoming some of life’s greatest challenges.

Ambroz’s childhood was a harrowing tumult of poverty, homelessness and hunger as he, his siblings, and his mentally ill, abusive mother survived on the streets of New York. His subsequent experience in the foster system as a young gay man was similarly marked by neglect and abuse until he finally found stability.

In his recent memoir, A Place Called Home, Ambroz vividly describes his story of survival and ultimately life success. Today, Ambroz is a law school graduate, a leading advocate for child welfare, and a national voice for improved foster care and homelessness policies. He is a head of Community Engagement (Southern California & Western U.S. Region) at Amazon, and has been recognized by former President Obama as an American Champion of Change.

Please join us for a conversation with an inspirational person who is using his lived experience to help build a more humane and compassionate nation, and how you can too.

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Stephen Vladeck: Behind the Closed Doors of the U.S. Supreme Court Jun 03, 2023

Lawyer, author, professor and Supreme Court expert Stephen Vladeck—author of the new book The Shadow Docket—exposes the Court’s increasing reliance on secretive judicial processes that permit typically public hearings and discussions to occur behind closed doors. Having argued multiple cases before the Supreme Court himself, Vladeck explains how the Court’s expanded use of the “shadow docket” has enabled cryptic late-night rulings that leave the public without explanation for decisions affecting everything from immigration to COVID vaccine mandates.

A University of Texas law professor and CNN’s lead Supreme Court analyst, Vladeck joins us to talk about the important issues raised in his book as well as the biggest cases facing the Court this term.

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CLIMATE ONE: Bringing Biodiversity Back from the Breaking Point Jun 02, 2023

Land use, pollution and the climate crisis are driving what may be the largest mass extinction event since the dinosaurs. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that the planet has seen an average 68% drop in mammal, bird, fish, reptile and amphibian populations since 1970. In order to help address species collapse, over 190countries – signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Biodiversity – recently agreed to an ambitious new plan, called 30x30, which aims to conserve 30% of the world’s land and waters by 2030. Will the framework be enough to bring biodiversity back from the breaking point?

This episode is supported in part by Resources Legacy Fund.

Guests:

Tanya Sanerib, International Legal Director, Center for Biological Diversity

Ian Urbina, Director and Founder, The Outlaw Ocean Project

Jennifer Tauli Corpuz, Managing Director of Policy, Nia Tero

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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How to Boost U.S. Productivity in the AI Era May 30, 2023

Recent advances in artificial intelligence are raising hopes of a U.S. productivity boom by automating mundane tasks, improving decision-making, and opening up new business models and opportunities. At the same time, many workers are skeptical, fearing that the new tools may make them obsolete. What impact will AI have on businesses and employees in the long and short term? And how can we be more productive while also ensuring that the benefits will be distributed equally?

A new report by the McKinsey Global Institute, "Rekindling Productivity for a New Era," sheds light on these questions. The study examines which sectors and geographic regions, such as California, have been the most innovative and productive, and what it took to achieve that success. "To unlock value from truly new technology, firms must reconfigure how they work, often over sustained periods, as they tinker with processes and workers adapt their skills," the report finds.

The study also argues that maintaining the status quo is not an option. U.S. productivity has been lagging since 2005, averaging 1.4 percent a year, compared to the post-World War II average of 2.2 percent. Bringing productivity up to its historical average could add an additional $10 trillion to the U.S. GDP over the next 10 years, amounting to an extra $15,200 per U.S. household.

We'll talk with McKinsey's Olivia White about how to fix the U.S. productivity engine in a way that benefits everyone.

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Simon Johnson: The History of Technology and Prosperity May 28, 2023

In the 21st century, technology dominates all aspects of our lives. With the advent of artificial intelligence, some believe we are at a critical moment with our ability to control the very technology that humans built. And the decisions we make now will likely shape our society's progress on a range of variables in the future.

According to economist and global thinker Simon Johnson, a thousand years of historical and contemporary evidence makes one thing clear: societal progress for all depends on the choices we make about technology.

In his new book Power and Progress: Our 1000-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, Johnson explores the history and economics of major technological transformations up to and including the latest developments in artificial Intelligence. He finds that new ways of organizing production and communication can either serve the narrow interests of the elite or become the foundation for widespread prosperity for society.

Johnson demonstrates that the path of technology was once—and may again be—brought under control if we make the right choices. The tremendous computing advances of the last half century can become empowering and democratizing tools, but not if all major decisions remain in the hands of a few tech leaders, which characterizes much of the world of technology today.

Will this change, and what is our role? Hear more as Johnson addresses these critical questions about the power of technology and its influence on societal progress.

NOTES

This program is generously supported by the Jackson Square Partners Foundation.

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CLIMATE ONE: Naomi Oreskes, David Gelles and The Myth of Free Markets May 26, 2023

Many on the left say that the growing climate crisis is the inevitable result of unbridled capitalism – industries seeking profits above all else. In “The Big Myth,” Naomi Oreskes (who brought us “Merchants of Doubt”) points to a concerted effort from American business groups to propagate the myth that only markets free of government regulation can generate prosperity and protect political freedom.

“If we actually had appropriate regulations, appropriate rules of the road, we wouldn't be in this position of having to beg corporate leaders not to destroy the planet,” Oreskes says.

This myth has grown so pervasive that American citizens now put more faith in CEOs than in religious leaders, according to David Gelles, author of “The Man Who Broke Capitalism.” What should be done to change the narrative?

Guests:

Naomi Oreskes, Professor of the History of Science, Harvard

David Gelles, Reporter, The New York Times

Kate Khatib, Co-Director, Seed Commons

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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What Would You Do with an Extra 10 Years of Healthy Life? May 23, 2023

Please join The Commonwealth Club for an evening with the leaders of the Buck Institute, one of the country's leading research organizations on aging. We'll hear from the leader of the Buck Institute on "Healthspan," then enjoy an in-person wine and cheese reception.

"Healthspan" is the period of life in which an individual is healthy and free from chronic disease. Interventions that promote healthy aging, such as diet and exercise, can help increase healthspan and reduce the burden of age-related diseases. Dr. Eric Verdin will discuss his efforts and those of his colleagues at the Buck Institute in helping to advance our understanding of aging and develop new strategies for promoting healthy aging and extending healthspan.

Eric Verdin, MD, is the president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, a pioneering biomedical research institute dedicated to aging and age-related disease. A native of Belgium, Dr. Verdin received his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Liege and completed additional clinical and research training at Harvard Medical School. He has held faculty positions at the University of Brussels, the National Institutes of Health, and the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. Dr. Verdin is also currently a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. In 2016 Dr. Verdin established his laboratory at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging to study the relationship between aging and the immune system. He is an elected member of several scientific organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the Association of American Physicians. He also serves on the advisory council of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health.

There will be a post-program reception for all attendees.

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(Not) Crazy Rich Asians: Asian Philanthropy for the Greater Good May 22, 2023

Forbes magazine now reports there are more billionaires in China than in any other country in the world. Many of them, joined by grassroots donors as well, are interested in making a positive difference in their own countries, the Asia-Pacific region, and elsewhere in the world.

Many of them partner with, and benefit from, the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS), headquartered in Hong Kong and helmed by Dr. Ruth A. Shapiro. The Centre conducts policy research, applied research, commissioned research and convening. In collaboration with its extensive network of local partners and support from Asian philanthropists across 18 Asian economies, CAPS generates evidence-based insights into how individuals, companies and governments can best address social challenges. What are those insights, and what progress is being made to best address the social challenges?

Join Dr. Shapiro and fundraising consultant Ruyi Lu for an inspired conversation about recent trends in Asian philanthropy, the differences and similarities between Asian and American philanthropy, and how they converge to produce a greater good for all.

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The Uncertain Future of Nuclear Deterrence May 19, 2023

Nuclear deterrence has been a cornerstone of U.S. defense since the end of World War II, seeking to protect the country’s security and that of its allies by threatening unacceptable damage to any country that might attack with nuclear weapons or by other means. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has been able to focus on reducing the role and number of nuclear weapons and strengthening nonproliferation. But now big changes are again afoot in the global context . . . will Russia’s current modernization of its nuclear arsenal and China’s buildup of strategic nuclear forces threaten the viability of the U.S. nuclear deterrent, including the extended deterrence the United States provides to its allies? Is arms control still possible?

China has historically maintained a “minimum” strategic nuclear deterrent but is now engaged in an unprecedented build up and diversification of its nuclear arsenal; a decade from now, it will match if not surpass the United States in deployed weapons. Russia is also upgrading its nuclear weapons, and in February “suspended” its adherence to the New START arms control treaty, which limits U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons to 1,550 deployed warheads each.

What are China’s and Russia’s objectives in accelerating their nuclear weapons programs? How do their nuclear policies relate to their grand strategies and other military activities, such as the war in Ukraine for Russia, and the Chinese buildup of naval forces in the Pacific, and to their perceptions or misperceptions of United States activities? What are the implications for U.S. and world security? To maintain deterrence, will the United States be compelled to match the nuclear arsenals of both Russia and China? What do U.S. allies want and need from the United States and what can they contribute to deterrence?

What are the prospects for arms control, or other strategies to place limits on this potential new nuclear arms race? Do new technologies, such as those for homeland missile defense, offer some escape from the dilemmas of nuclear deterrence?

About the Speakers

Brad Roberts is the director of the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he recently chaired a study group on China’s emergence as a second nuclear peer of the United States. Prior to this position, he was deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and missile defense policy. Dr. Roberts was also a consulting professor at Stanford University and William Perry Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation.

Thomas Fingar is a Shorenstein APARC Fellow in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. From 2005 through 2008, he served as the first deputy director of national intelligence for analysis and, concurrently, as chairman of the National Intelligence Council. Dr. Fingar served previously as assistant secretary of the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research.

SPEAKERS

Thomas Fingar

Shorenstein APARC Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University.

Brad Roberts

Director, Center for Global Security Research, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Dr. Gloria Duffy

Ph.D., President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 15th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Two Heroes Challenging the Powerful May 19, 2023

Making the necessary changes to address climate disruption will take massive collective action. But sometimes, a single individual can make an extraordinary difference. At age nine, Nalleli Cobo, suffering headaches, heart palpitations, nosebleeds, and body spasms, became an activist, driven to fighting to shut down the local oil well responsible for her ailments. Separately, Marjan Minnesma brought a historic lawsuit holding the Dutch government accountable for its failure to protect its citizens from climate change. For these activists, addressing climate disruption isn’t just about preventing future harm, it’s about instigating change now.

Guests:

Nalleli Cobo, Cofounder, People Not Pozos

Marjan Minnesma, Founder, Urgenda Foundation

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Chasten Buttigieg: I Have Something to Tell You May 18, 2023

"Told with candor and grace, this is a joyous reminder to be kind to yourself." —Actor and author Kai Penn on I Have Something to Tell You

Today, Chasten Buttigieg is readily known by his unusual last name as the husband of former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. But as a child, growing up in a rural, conservative Michigan town, he knew he was unusual for another reason: He was gay.

He kept that part of himself hidden for a long, painful time, but with the support of his loved ones, he eventually came out and learned the rewards of being true to himself. Finding acceptance and self-love can seem like a tremendous challenge, but it's never impossible. With honesty, courage and warmth, Chasten uses the young adult adaptation of his memoir to relay his experience about growing up in America and embracing his identity, while inspiring young people across the country to do the same.

Join us live and in-person in San Francisco as Chasten Buttigieg discusses his life and the issues raised in his book I Have Something to Tell You—For Young Adults.

Chasten Gleeman Buttigieg grew up in Traverse City, Michigan. He is a teacher and advocate, and lives with his husband Pete, their two children, and their two rescue dogs. This is his second book.

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Tennessee Representative Justin Jones May 17, 2023

Justin Jones is an activist and community organizer in Nashville representing Tennessee's 52nd district. This April, Jones made national headlines and sparked debate on race, representation and activism after he was expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives for leading a gun control protest on the House floor. Just four days after his expulsion, the Metropolitan Nashville Council unanimously voted to reinstate Jones to his seat.

Please join us on the UC Berkeley campus for a conversation between Representative Jones and Angela Glover Blackwell, founder of PolicyLink and Professor of Practice at the Goldman School of Public Policy. Presented in partnership with the Associated Students of the University of California Vote Coalition, the Goldman School, and the Fisk University Alumni Association, this promises to be a powerful and wide-ranging discussion about activism, gun violence, race and democracy.

This event is part of the Creating Citizens Speaker Series at UC Berkeley, a partnership between The Commonwealth Club, the ASUC Vote Coalition, and the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement. The series gives UC Berkeley students and community members opportunities to listen to and ask questions of leading minds in politics, media and education as they learn how to become better, more involved citizens.

SPEAKERS

Justin Jones

Tennessee State Representative (D-Nashville)

Angela Glover Blackwell

Founder, PolicyLink—Moderator

This program was recorded via video conference on May 12th, 2023 at The University of California Berkeley by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Amy Westervelt on Drilling, Denial and Disinformation May 12, 2023

Amy Westervelt has made a career out of exploring the underbelly of the oil industry through complex and compelling storytelling. Through her investigative series Drilled, including her latest season Light Sweet Crude, focused on the new wave of oil colonialism, Westervelt dives deep into the true crimes of the fossil fuel industry’s biggest players, including their misinformation and PR campaigns about the climate emergency, their unfair dealing and record of environmental disasters. Her narrative podcasts shine a light on stories oil companies would rather keep in the dark, and on those individuals who try to hold them accountable.

Guest:

Amy Westervelt, Investigative Journalist; Executive Producer, Critical Frequency Podcast Network

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Kevin Kelly: The Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier May 11, 2023

Kevin Kelly co-founded Wired magazine in 1993 and served as its executive editor for its first seven years. Prior to that, he helped launch The Well, a pioneering online service in 1985, and was publisher and editor of an offshoot of The Whole Earth Catalog. He co-chairs the board of the Long Now Foundation, a membership organization that champions long-term thinking and responsibility to future generations. In these endeavors and more, Kelly has become an icon to early generations of technology workers. But, as a futurist, he is also interested in sharing his wisdom with younger generations just entering the workforce.

On his 68th birthday, Kelly wrote down for his young adult children some things he had learned about relationships, business, and life that he wished he had known earlier. To his surprise, he had more to say than he thought, so he continued composing these short passages of guidance until he had more than 400 of them. He has now compiled these inspirational concepts into a book, Excellent Advice for Living.

Kelly’s bits of advice cover a broad range of subject matter, and each statement is meant to be a memorable prompt for an action one could take. Many of them are about right living, good conduct, and civility. There is advice on setting ambitious goals, forgiveness and gratitude, taking responsibility for mistakes, optimizing generosity, and cultivating awareness, compassion and creativity.

While his book is aimed primarily at young people, and in particular at young professionals, it's message could speak to anyone at any stage of life. Please join as a Bay Area trendsetter shares wise, practical and optimistic life advice—something all of us could us right now.

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We Players: Adventures With Alice May 10, 2023

Ava Roy and We Players return to The Commonwealth Club to show highlights from their new adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, which is being performed in Golden Gate Park from April 27 to the end of May.

Roy will share clips and shots of their late April performances, and will also share how fond she is of both creatively adapting Alice and the interplay of logic and illogic in the looking-glass world we find ourselves in. She will also explain how We Players survived to tell the tale of being shut down in 2020 in the midst of rehearsals for an earlier adaptation of Alice—when the COVID pandemic struck.

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Dr. Carol Ward: The Future of the Past with New Technology and Ancient Fossils May 09, 2023

Cutting-edge technology is revolutionizing human origins research and changing the way we understand our uniquely human traits. In this lecture, Gordon P. Getty Award laureate Dr. Carol Ward will guide us through the process of finding fossils and using modern approaches to unlock their secrets.

Dr. Ward specializes in studying the evolution of apes and early hominins, with a focus on the fossil record from East and South Africa, primarily Kenya. She co-leads the West Turkana Paleo Project, a paleontological fieldwork project in Kenya that aims to find fossil evidence of early hominins and their environments.

Dr. Ward will be receiving The Leakey Foundation's Gordon P. Getty Award for her multidisciplinary research that significantly advances science related to human origins, evolution, behavior and survival.

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Seizing Opportunities to Ascend: An AAPI Heritage Month Special Event May 08, 2023

"Seizing Opportunities to Ascend" is an event designed to celebrate and empower individuals of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage.

This event features keynote speakers Michelle MiJung Kim and Kathy Fang, who have both achieved great success in their respective fields; prominent AAPI journalist and media personality Michelle Meow will moderate the event. They will share their experiences and insights on how to seize opportunities and rise to the top. They will provide practical strategies for personal and professional advancement, kicking off AAPI Heritage Month by focusing on learning, empowerment, celebrating diversity, and allyship.

Join us for this inspiring conversation and then join us for food, wine and community.

About the Speakers

Kathy Fang was born and raised in San Francisco, where she grew up in the kitchen of her family's popular restaurant, House of Nanking, before she opened Fang Restaurant with her father in 2009, where she is co-owner and chef. She stars in the Food Network series "Chef Dynasty: House of Fang." She has also appeared on "Beat Bobby Flay," "Cutthroat Kitchen," "Guy's Grocery Games" and is a two-time "Chopped" champion. In 2020, she published the Easy Asian cookbook. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California and studied at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School Los Angeles.

Michelle MiJung Kim is a queer Korean American immigrant woman writer, speaker and activist. She is the award-winning author of The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change and co-founder of Awaken. She has been a lifelong social justice activist and currently serves on the board of Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality. Her work has appeared on world-renowned platforms such as Harvard Business Review and The New York Times, and she was named LinkedIn’s Top Voice in Racial Equity and Medium’s Top Writer in Diversity. She lives in Oakland, California.

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Saving the City: Remaking the American Metropolis May 05, 2023

Join us for a preview of Saving the City, an upcoming documentary series that highlights successful and unsuccessful examples of urban development throughout the United States and Canada in an effort to create better places. The opening two episodes, which look at how we have gone about remaking cities from the City Beautiful movement at the turn of the 19th century until today to provide context for the rest of the series, are expected to be released this Fall. The focus is on downtowns and nearby neighborhoods, the most visible and visited parts of our cities.

After watching Saving the City, you will never look at cities the same way again.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Ron Blatman

Executive Producer, Saving the City

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 25th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Get Up, Stand Up: What Actions Move the Needle? May 05, 2023

From the Boston Tea Party to the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter, activists have long sought to bring pressing issues into the public consciousness. Climate activism is no different. This past Earth Day spawned a new ripple of climate activism. Activists protested at the headquarters of BlackRock in New York City, smeared paint on the casing around an Edgar Degas statue and even tried to block the entrance of the White House Correspondents dinner in DC. But that’s not the only style of activism that’s happening. Some are working from within big institutions to effect change. So what actions really move the needle?

Guests:

Dana Fisher, Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland

Rose Abramoff, Earth Scientist and Climate Activist

Ilana Cohen, Lead Organizer, Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Week to Week Political Roundtable: April 24, 2023 May 04, 2023

At Week to Week, we're dedicated to the lively and informed discussion of politics—with a good sense of humor—as a platform for healthy involvement in the issues that drive our society. The Commonwealth Club's Week to Week Political Roundtable and social hour, now in its 12th year, will take a look at the politics of the day—the issues, the people, the trends affecting our political world.

SPEAKERS

Joe Garofoli

Senior Political Writer, San Francisco Chronicle; Host, “It’s All Political on Fifth and Mission” Podcast; Twitter: @joegarofoli

Marisa Lagos

Politics Correspondent, KQED News

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 24th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Lessons from the Covid War May 04, 2023

As the formal COVID-19 emergency comes to an end nationally and locally, a growing number of reports and investigative bodies are beginning to explore what went wrong and right with the country’s response to the COVID crisis. One of the most important is the COVID Crisis Group (CCG), a team of 34 experts and scholars that has tried to lay the groundwork for a National Commission on the Covid Pandemic. It is led by Phillip Zelikow, who was the executive director of the 9/11 Commission.

With no national commission in sight, in late April, the CCG will release its first major investigative report, "Lessons from the Covid War," a nonpartisan and plainspoken look at the key choices made during the pandemic, what worked, what didn’t and what we could do better next time. The comprehensive investigative report tells the story of how America’s scientific knowledge has far outpaced the country’s ability to apply it in a crisis. The report shows how Americans can come together, learn hard truths, build on what worked, and prepare for global emergencies to come.

Several high-profile local contributors to the report will speak on their new report and what else needs to be done to understand one of the greatest domestic crises the United States has faced in decades. These include Dr. Charity Dean, CEO, founder, and chairman of The Public Health Company; Dr. Robert Rodriguez, professor of clinical emergency medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital; Dr. David A. Relman, Thomas C. and Joan M. Merigan Professor in Medicine, and professor of microbiology & immunology, and senior fellow of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University; and our moderator, Dr. Emily Silverman, internal medicine physician and assistant volunteer professor of medicine, UCSF, and creator of The Nocturnists.

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How a Changing Climate Is Altering the Way We Drink Apr 30, 2023

Climate change is set to transform global agriculture, causing problems like flooding and new pests in some areas, while extending growing seasons in others. And the wine industry is no exception. Look no further than Napa and Sonoma, where vineyards are grappling with drought and wildfires. Meanwhile, bubbly makers in southern England are looking to benefit from the rising temperatures.

Join us as Brian Freedman, author of the new book Crushed, looks at what global warming could mean for your favorite bottle of wine. He’ll be joined in conversation by winemakers from Larkmead, Iron Horse, and Kutch wineries, who will share firsthand experiences of how they are adapting to climate change. Join us for the conversation on the future of wine, and for a special wine tasting curated by our speakers.

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CLIMATE ONE: Lights, Camera, Inaction: Where is Climate’s Starring Role? Apr 28, 2023

Hollywood has been slow to include climate in its stories. Executives fear it won’t sell – that it’s too overwhelming or depressing. Apple TV+ has just released the series Extrapolations, which revolves entirely around the climate crisis. But it’s an outlier. We ask writer, producer and director Scott Z. Burns – who also worked on the films Contagion and Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth – and Anna Jane Joyner of the climate story consultancy Good Energy about why climate doesn’t play a more prominent role in scripted entertainment.

Guests:

Scott Z. Burns, Writer, Director, Producer

Anna Jane Joyner, Founder and CEO, Good Energy

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Youth Talk: Passing the Torch Apr 21, 2023

“Passing the Torch” will unite two current California leaders with two students who are positioned to be future leaders, for a thought-provoking conversation about identity, age and citizenship in an ever-changing California. This event will feature the vice chair of the California Democratic Party, Betty Yee, and interim executive director of Emerge California, Libby Schaaf, plus two incredible UC Berkeley student activists, Issabella Romo, a Latina organizer fighting back against attempts to silence minority communities in Florida, and Owen Knapper Jr., an African American activist working to make higher education more accessible to BIPOC and nontraditional students. The speakers will dive into how their backgrounds shaped them into the leaders they are today and their thoughts on the future of California, and the discussion will provide space for advice to flow both ways from this intergenerational panel.

This event is part of the Creating Citizens Speaker Series at UC Berkeley, a partnership between The Commonwealth Club, the Associated Students of the University of California Vote Coalition, and the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement. The series gives UC Berkeley students and community members opportunities to listen to and ask questions of leading minds in politics, media and education as they learn how to become better, more involved citizens.

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s civics education initiative, Creating Citizens.

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CLIMATE ONE: Missed Connections: Modernizing Our Multiple Grids Apr 21, 2023

Thousands of renewable energy projects are ready to be built and start producing fossil-free power, but they’re stuck in a long limbo for one essential piece of the puzzle: getting connected to the grid. A slow and inefficient federal permitting process and insufficient transmission capability are prohibiting renewable energy projects from going online. To make matters even more difficult, the U.S. lacks a centralized grid. That means adding layers of complexity to an already slow process. The Biden administration is focused on streamlining the permitting process, boosting funding and helping navigate this new energy future. What will it take to modernize our multiple grids?

Guests:

Pat Wood III, CEO, Hunt Energy Network

Jennifer Gardner, Vice Chair, Western Energy Imbalance Market

José Zayas, Executive Vice President of Policy and Programs, American Council on Renewable Energy

L. Michelle Moore, CEO, Groundswell

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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California Considers: Discussing Big, Bold Ideas for the State’s Future Apr 20, 2023

A sample of Californians was asked to react to transformative policy reforms for the future. Hear what they had to say and what it could mean for you and our state.

California 100, in partnership with Stanford University's Deliberative Democracy Lab (DDL), housed at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, and the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, embarked on an effort to ask Californians directly to react to big, bold policy proposals that could dramatically transform the state’s trajectory in the years and decades ahead.

Using previous Deliberative Polls® conducted by Stanford DDL as inspiration, “California Considers: Policy Deliberations for Our Long Term Success” was designed to center the experiences and perspectives of real Californians from every walk of life to test how significant changes in policy might improve the quality of life for all residents. Participants were given a pre-survey, participated in deliberations with one another, then asked for their final opinions about various policy ideas. These results will be released in tandem with this discussion.

Please join us for an important discussion on California's future.

NOTES

The program is supported by California 100.

SPEAKERS

Angela Glover Blackwell

Founder in Residence, PolicyLink

Maria Echaveste

President and CEO, Opportunity Institute

Lenny Mendonca

Former Chief Economic and Business Advisor, the State of California; Member, Board of Governors, The Commonwealth Club of California

Karthick Ramakrishnan

Executive Director, California 100; Professor, Public Policy, University of California, Riverside—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 14th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Morra Aarons-Mele with Jose Antonio Vargas: How to Thrive as an Anxious Achiever Apr 19, 2023

Anxiety disorders are among the most common forms of mental illness in the world, and anxiety can have debilitating effects in our work and in our lives.

Podcast host and self-proclaimed "anxious achiever" Morra Aarons-Mele has made it her mission to normalize anxiety and leadership. She argues that anxiety is built into the very nature of leadership and should be harnessed into a force for good.

Hear more on figuring out your own anxiety profile and how to turn stress and worries into a source of strength for yourself and those around you.

This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Morra Aarons-Mele

Host, "The Anxious Achiever" Podcast; Author, The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower; Twitter @morraam

In Conversation with Jose Antonio Vargas

Founder, Define American; Twitter @joseiswriting

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 12th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Michael Milken: Faster Cures and The Future of Health Apr 18, 2023

Known worldwide as a legendary financier, philanthropist, medical research innovator and public health advocate, Michael Milken will detail his inspiring crusade to accelerate cures and treatments so more people around the world can live longer, healthier and more meaningful lives.

Milken believes a multitude of health advancements are within reach, including slowing the aging process, cleaning early-stage cancers, eliminating many birth defects through gene editing, and multiple virus protection by a single vaccine.

Hear more as Milken shares what he believes the future of health will look like.

NOTES

This program is generously supported by the Jackson Square Partners Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Michael Milken

Co Founder, The Milken Family Foundation; Chairman, The Milken Institute; Author, Faster Cures: Accelerating the Future of Health

In Conversation with Lanhee Chen

David and Diane Steffy Fellow in American Public Policy Studies, Hoover Institution; Twitter @lanheechen

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 14th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Richard Haass: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens Apr 17, 2023

Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass discusses his new book The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens, in which he argues that the very idea of citizenship must be revised and expanded.

Haass introduces 10 obligations that are essential for healing our divisions and safeguarding the country’s future. Through an expert blend of civics, history and political analysis, this book illuminates how Americans can rediscover and recover the attitudes and behaviors that have contributed so much to this country’s success over the centuries.

A Discussion with Michael Krasny

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CLIMATE ONE: Bitcoin Uses a Ton of Energy — On Purpose. Is it Worth It? Apr 14, 2023

Studies estimate that global bitcoin mining uses more electricity than most countries, and that bitcoin mining may be responsible for about 65 megatons of carbon dioxide a year, comparable with the emissions of Greece. Some bitcoin operations are bringing old coal plants back on line, even as lobbyists for the bitcoin mining industry argue that mining operations can have a positive impact on the climate by creating more demand for carbon-free power. But even if all of the power were derived from green sources, is bitcoin mining really the best use of renewable electricity?

This episode features a report by multimedia journalist Lily Jamali of the public radio program Marketplace, who takes us inside a crypto mining facility in upstate New York.

Guests:

Rolf Skar, Senior Advisor, Greenpeace USA

Brittany Kaiser, Chair of the Board, Gryphon Digital Mining

Thomas Cmar, Senior Attorney, Earthjustice

Freelance news feature by Lily Jamali of Marketplace

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Women in the Workplace: 'The Great Breakup' and How Companies Can Support Women Leaders Apr 13, 2023

The pandemic changed the workplace, possibly forever. And, in a time when the war for talent is critical, the stakes are even higher. Now in its eighth year, the latest benchmark annual report on "Women in the Workplace" by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org finds that we are in the middle of “The Great Breakup.” Women managers are leaving their corporate jobs at the highest rate in years—and at a much higher rate than men. Women executives say they are seeking more flexibility, better opportunities for advancement, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Join us to hear from women leaders about what they are seeing firsthand, and why corporations need to prioritize employee well-being to better retain female talent. If companies don’t take action, they won’t just lose their women leaders; they could risk losing the next generation of women leaders, too.

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How Religion Shaped the Western World Apr 12, 2023

The crisis of faith inspired by Nebuchadnezzar having dragged most of the Jewish political and religious leaders to Babylon six centuries before Jesus had a major impact on the West, as it reshaped ideas about God, life after death, and the end of the world that have been culturally influential ever since. Kohanski delves in detail into how the chaotic political era from Alexander the Great to the Maccabees and the Romans, and how ideas derived from Plato, the Dead Sea Scrolls and the apocalyptic Book of Daniel, ended up focusing half of humanity on monotheistic attempts to answer our fundamental questions about life. But not without paying a high price for our efforts.

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CNN's Joan Biskupic: Inside the Supreme Court Apr 11, 2023

CNN Senior Supreme Court Analyst Joan Biskupic takes us inside one of the most devastating and consequential periods in modern Supreme Court history.

She details how the court’s seismic shift to the right has resulted in controversial decisions, including its reversal of Roe v. Wade and examines other recent cases where rights are being stripped away for some and expanded for others.

Biskupic has covered the Supreme Court for 25 years and has built a reputation as one of the country’s most astute legal observers. She assesses what the ensuing impact and repercussions will be from these decisions for generations to come.

SPEAKERS

Joan Biskupic

Senior Supreme Court Analyst, CNN; Author, Nine Black Robes: Inside the Supreme Court’s Drive to the Right and Its Historic Consequences; Twitter @JoanBiskupic

In Conversation with Melissa Caen

Host, "Get Out the Bet" Podcast; Political Analyst; Attorney

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 10th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Freada Kapor Klein and Mitch Kapor: Closing the Equity Gap Apr 10, 2023

Despite economic headwinds and job cuts, companies backed by venture capital—including many in the Bay Area—drive the U.S. economy, accounting for hundreds of billions of dollars in sales and profits. However, most of this wealth winds up enriching entrenched investors and favored private interests, further widening economic inequality. Two well-known technology investors and entrepreneurs, Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor Klein, have committed their lives to doing things differently and finding ways to close these equity gaps.

As they explain in their new book, Closing the Equity Gap: Creating Wealth and Fostering Justice in Startup Investing, Kapor and Kapor Klein build on their work at the Oakland-based Kapor Center and Kapor Capital, two institutions that invest in seed-stage tech startups focused on closing gaps of access, opportunity and outcome for low-income communities and communities of color.

They share their core beliefs that all companies must make a positive impact. They share stories behind some of the most remarkable companies ever launched, and they argue that the standard investment model doesn’t work, explain how it can be fixed, and say what the future could look like if more investors joined them. Come hear about their new roadmap for investing in tech companies that defy assumptions from Silicon Valley to Wall Street, and their belief that entrepreneurs who overcome obstacles in life are a far better predictor of long-term success than the schools they attend or investment dollars raised from friends and family.

Together, the Kapors have launched close to 200 companies, invested in impactful and profitable companies whose services or products close opportunity gaps for communities of color and low-income communities, and shown that their approach can also provide strong investment returns and growth.

Join us as Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor Klein share how they’ve "done well by doing good" and how you can, too.

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Global South Transgender Day of Visibility–San Francisco Apr 08, 2023

Every March 31, Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is celebrated around the world. It is an annual occasion in which the achievements and contributions of the transgender community to society and the world at large are honored. For this year's TDOV, we're celebrating by spotlighting perspectives, experiences, and thought leadership of Global South transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary immigrants and asylum refugees with a panel discussion plus a network power hour at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco!

This event is presented by The Center for Immigrant Protection-ParivarBayArea, The LGBT Asylum Project and The Alwan Foundation in partnership with El/La Para Trans Latinas and The Office of Transgender Initiatives.

With the onslaught of legislative attacks across the country against the transgender community, how do we reconcile the urgent need to protect and safeguard transgender immigrants and refugees during a period of heightened anti-trans hate? How can the United States protect transgender immigrants and refugees of the Global South when it fails to protect transgender Americans? How can we learn from the experiences of Global South transgender immigrants to better understand the importance of protecting the transgender community at-large?

Moderator

Michelle Meow has been a radio personality in San Francisco and four other markets nationally for more than seven years, where she continues to be a voice for the LGBTQ community. Meow is a true journalist with an edgy vibe (think hip and funny Lesbian version of Anderson Cooper, minus the gray hair). Throughout her radio career, Meow has interviewed notable personalities such as Margaret Cho, Sarah Palin, Gavin Newsom, Janice Dickinson, and Jennifer Beals. Her entertaining yet knowledgeable approach to all things LGBTQ make her a memorable personality and a force to be reckoned with in every market she lands in.

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The Age of Scientific Wellness: The Future of Medicine Is Personalized, Predictive, Data-Rich and in Your Hands Apr 07, 2023

Taking us to the cutting edge of the new frontier of medicine, a visionary biotechnologist and a pathbreaking researcher show how we can optimize our health in ways that were previously unimaginable. They say we are on the cusp of a major transformation in health care—yet few people know it. At top hospitals and a few innovative health-tech startups, scientists are working closely with patients to dramatically extend their "healthspan"—the number of healthy years before disease sets in.

Using information gleaned from our blood and genes and tapping into the data revolution made possible by AI, doctors can catch the onset of disease years before symptoms arise, revolutionizing prevention. Current applications have shown startling results: diabetes reversed, cancers eliminated, Alzheimer's avoided, autoimmune conditions kept at bay. This is not a future fantasy: it is already happening, but only for a few patients and at high cost. Proponents say it is time to make this gold standard of care more widely available.

MLF ORGANIZER

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

SPEAKERS

Leroy Hood

M.D., Ph.D., Founder and CEO, Phenome Health; Co-founder, The Institute for Systems Biology; Recipient, the Kyoto Prize, the Lasker Award, the Heinz Award, and the National Medal of Science

Nathan Price

Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Thorne HealthTech; Professor, The Institute for Systems Biology; Recipient, Grace A. Goldsmith Award

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

Ph.D., Chief Strategic Development Officer, Phenome Health; Visiting Academic, Oxford Martin School Research Institute, University of Oxford; Chair, Health & Medicine Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 5th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Two Voices on Climate That Will Surprise You Apr 07, 2023

It’s easy to write off people outside our own ideological bubbles, even when we may have many goals in common. But as the effects of the climate crisis become more apparent, we need leaders from all political and industrial perspectives to work together. In the U.S., climate is a polarizing issue where it’s too easy to assume that one side is working to reduce emissions and the other side is defending the status quo. But that’s only a caricature of reality. There are people from many ideological backgrounds trying to address the climate crisis. So how can common ground be found between environmentalists on the left and Republicans on the right? And what does an EV-driving member of the ConocoPhillips board have to say about reducing emissions?

Guests:

John Curtis, U.S. Representative (R-UT)

Arjun Murti, Partner, Veriten; Director, ConocoPhillips board

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Beyond ChatGPT: Stuart Russell on the Risks and Rewards of A.I. Apr 06, 2023

OpenAI’s question-and-answer chatbot ChatGPT has shaken up Silicon Valley and is already disrupting a wide range of fields and industries, including education. But the potential risks of this new era of artificial intelligence go far beyond students cheating on their term papers. Even OpenAI’s founder warns that “the question of whose values we align these systems to will be one of the most important debates society ever has."

How will artificial intelligence impact your job and life? And is society ready? We talk with UC Berkeley computer science professor and A.I. expert Stuart Russell about those questions and more.

SPEAKERS

Stuart Russell

Professor of Computer Science, Director of the Kavli Center for Ethics, Science, and the Public, and Director of the Center for Human-Compatible AI, University of California, Berkeley; Author, Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control

Jerry Kaplan

Adjunct Lecturer in Computer Science, Stanford University—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 3rd 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A New Horizon of Opportunity: Canada in the Indo-Pacific Apr 05, 2023

The Indo-Pacific is rapidly becoming the global center of economic dynamism and strategic challenge. Encompassing 40 economies, more than 4 billion people and more than one-third of all economic activity worldwide—what happens in the region will play a critical role in shaping the future of the international order.

Recognizing the importance of the Indo-Pacific region to global peace and prosperity and Canada’s national interests, the government of Canada released in November 2022 its own long-anticipated Indo-Pacific Strategy. This long-term plan includes ambitious, interconnected objectives to promote peace, resilience and security; expand trade, investment and supply chain resilience; invest in and connect people; and build a sustainable and green future.

As a Pacific nation, Canada shares 25,000 kilometers (more than 15,000 miles) of Pacific coastline, robust trading relationships with economies across the region, deep people-to-people ties and a rich history of cultural exchange. Through its Indo-Pacific Strategy, funded by an initial investment of $2.3 billion over five years, Canada will work to further deepen relationships with regional partners that have been built through decades of government, private sector, security and civil society cooperation, and advance Canada’s overarching priority to be an active, engaged and reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific.

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion examining the role and significance of Canada’s enhanced engagement in building a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Indo-Pacific region. Rana Sarkar, Canada’s consul general in San Francisco, and Yves Tiberghien, professor of political science, Konwakai Chair in Japanese Research, and director of the Center for Japanese Research at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, will hold a fireside chat exploring this new horizon of opportunity, as well as the importance of the Bay Area as an international cultural, commercial and financial hub and vital gateway to the Indo-Pacific region.

MLF ORGANIZER

Ian McCuaig

NOTES

An Asia-Pacific Affairs Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

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Our Fusion Future—Lawrence Livermore Director Kim Budil Apr 04, 2023

In late 2022, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory made a long-sought breakthrough, achieving self-sustaining “fusion ignition” for the first time and generating breakeven energy. Supporters see fusion as a game changer for production of unlimited clean energy that can help to address climate change globally.

Please join us for a conversation with Dr. Kimberly Budil, director of Lawrence Livermore, about the significance of this achievement. Dr. Budil is the 13th director of Lawrence Livermore. A physicist, she is an expert on high-power, ultra-fast lasers. She has held previous positions at the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy. She is the first woman to serve as LLNL director, and is one of the leading female scientists in the United States.

We look forward to seeing you for an inspiring evening with one of the Bay Area’s key scientific leaders, discussing where Lawrence Livermore's fusion research could lead and how long it might take to positively impact our energy future.

SPEAKERS

Kim Budil

Director, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Katie Hafner

Journalist; Host and Co-Executive Producer, "Lost Women of Science"—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 27th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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American Diplomacy in Crisis: How to Fix it? Apr 04, 2023

The United States Foreign Service is confronting one of the most profound crises in its history. At a time of pandemic, recession and mounting global challenges, our nation’s career diplomats find themselves without the support, funding, training and leadership they need to represent the American people effectively overseas and in Washington, D.C., according to Ambassadors Marc Grossman and Marcie Ries and a team of career diplomats working on the American Diplomacy Project.

To successfully navigate the Ukraine conflict, the largest war in Europe since World War II, skilled American diplomacy is critical. If we’re going to deal with very difficult competitors, including adversarial countries like China and Russia, we’re going to need skilled diplomats at the table, in our embassies and consulates. To do this, we must transform not only the mission and culture of the Foreign Service, but also the education and training of diplomats to meet these urgent needs around the world.

Please join these two respected diplomats, Ambassadors Grossman and Ries, to talk about how to reimagine and lift up the Foreign Service to take on the twin challenges of fast-moving international events and rapid technological change. They offer clear blueprints for action to fix American diplomacy.

Marcie B. Ries is a retired ambassador with more than 35 years of diplomatic experience in Europe, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. She is a three-time chief of mission, serving as head of the U.S. mission in Kosovo (2003–2004), United States ambassador to Albania (2004–2007) and, most recently as United States ambassador to Bulgaria (2012–2015).

Ambassador Marc Grossman served as the under secretary of state for political affairs, the State Department's third ranking official, until his retirement in 2005 after 29 years in the U.S. Foreign Service. As under secretary, he helped marshal diplomatic support for the international response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. He also managed U.S. policies in the Balkans and Colombia and promoted a key expansion of the NATO alliance. As assistant secretary for European affairs, he helped direct NATO's military campaign in Kosovo and an earlier round of NATO expansion. Ambassador Grossman was the U.S. ambassador to Turkey 1994–1997.

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A Conversation with California Secretary of State Shirley Weber Mar 31, 2023

What drew a career educator, on the verge of retirement, into state politics? Creating Citizens, The Commonwealth Club’s education initiative, has invited California Secretary of State Shirley Weber to talk with high school students about why their voice matters and how to become civically engaged at a young age.

After 40 years as a professor at San Diego State University, Shirley Weber was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to become California’s 31st secretary of state. Secretary Weber is California’s first Black secretary of state and only the fifth African American to serve as a state constitutional officer in California’s 170-year history.

Secretary Weber, in conversation with KQED’s Annelise Finney, will discuss the duties and responsibilities of a secretary of state, the importance of voting, and the importance of civil discourse. She will also explore the power that young people have in the democratic process—wether they realize it or not.

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CLIMATE ONE: White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi on Willow and Biden’s Climate Agenda Mar 31, 2023

Biden’s policy wins have secured vast amounts of funding for the energy transition, and that money is just beginning to flow, with new programs becoming available to everyday Americans. With hundreds of billions tagged for chip and battery plants, climate smart agriculture, rail, modernizing the electric grid, and tax incentives for citizens to run their homes and cars on electricity, ensuring these dollars and programs have real impact is now the name of the game.

White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi plays a leading role in coordinating the implementation of the biggest investments in clean energy the U.S. has ever made. This week he joins us to discuss the complicated maze of industrial policy intended to create a more just economy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Guest:

Ali Zaidi, White House National Climate Advisor

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Transforming the Arts: What's New in the Bay Area Mar 30, 2023

Join the conversation with the new San Francisco Ballet leadership duo: Artistic Director Tamara Rojo and Executive Director Danielle St. Germain; founder and director of San Francisco Philharmonic Jessica Bejarano; and President of Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art Priscilla Otani. Learn more about what's new and exciting in the art world and what these women's visions are for their artistic futures within their respective organizations.

What are the most relevant accomplishments, challenges and urgent matters to tackle to make arts leadership equal and accessible? What is the state of the arts in terms of equity and diversity?

At 6 p.m.—The festivities continue with a social hour and a wine tasting with women-led wineries from California. Meet the women behind some of the most-awarded wine labels and taste some signature bottles.

NOTES

In partnership with Women's March San Francisco and Northern California Women's Caucus for Arts.

This program is proudly supported by FLG Partners.

Participating wineries: Ceja Vineyards and Theopolis Vineyards.

Rojo and St. Germain photos courtesy SFBallet by Chris Hardy.

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An Evening with Rebecca Solnit: An Energizing Case for Hope About the Climate Mar 27, 2023

Called “the voice of the resistance” by The New York Times, writer, historian and activist Rebecca Solnit, the author of 20 books on feminism, western and indigenous history, popular power, social change and insurrection, hope and disaster, and most recently Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility, will discuss her view that the future will be decided by whether we act in the present—and she says we must act—to counter institutional inertia, fossil fuel interests, and political obstinacy.

Guided by her typical clear-eyed wisdom, Rebecca Solnit will lead our audience from discouragement to possibilities, from climate despair to climate hope. Solnit will be joined by co-editor and climate activist Thelma Young Lutunatabua and native Fijian Fenton Lutunatabua (participating virtually), calling on us to rise to the moment with the benefit of indigenous wisdom and by telling new stories.

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From Chief Justice to PPIC President: Tani Cantil-Sakauye's New Challenge Mar 27, 2023

Seeking to improve public policy in California, in 1993 a group led by Hewlett-Packard co-founder Bill Hewlett created the Public Policy Institute of California to do independent, nonpartisan research in the public interest. PPIC produces high-quality data to inform leaders and the public, and conducts nationally recognized polls on the preferences and opinions of California voters.

Now PPIC welcomes former Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court Tani Cantil-Sakauye as its third president and CEO. Cantil-Sakauye has had a distinguished legal and judicial career, supporting bail reform and decriminalizing minor traffic offenses, improving funding for courts and the bar, and championing education on civil discourse for students. She made history when she became the first person of color, first Asian-Filipina American and the second woman to serve as California’s chief justice.

She is now poised to impact the Golden State through her leadership of PPIC, which focuses on the economy, the environment, education, health, the safety net and criminal justice.

How will Justice Cantil-Sakauye make the transition from her role as a Supreme Court chief justice to being a leader in research and polling, and what are her vision and priorities for PPIC and California?

Please join us for this unique opportunity to visit with our former chief justice.

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UFW's Romero: Why Farm Workers Suffer and How They Can Bring About Change Mar 24, 2023

The January mass shooting in Half Moon Bay brought to light the intolerable conditions in which farmworkers often still live and work. Almost 40 years after Cesar Chavez’s renowned 1984 Commonwealth Club speech, his successor as president of the United Farm Workers Union, Teresa Romero, joins us to discuss the hardships and exploitation agricultural laborers face. She will address the progress achieved by the United Farm Workers Union, and the important work that remains to be done to improve their work and living conditions.

The first Latina and first immigrant woman to become president of a national union in the United States, in 2018 Teresa Romero became only the third president of the United Farm Workers since Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta founded the union in 1962. Rising through the ranks of the UFW after arriving in this country without speaking English, she is proud of both her U.S. citizenship and her Mexican and Zapotecan heritage.

Most recently, Romero led farm workers in a campaign—including a grueling 24-day, 335-mile march up the Central Valley to Sacramento in the searing heat of summer—that last year convinced Governor Newsom to sign a UFW-backed law making it easier for farm workers to vote in union elections free from abuse and intimidation.

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Princess Mabel van Oranje Is on a Mission to End Child Marriage Mar 24, 2023

Join us for a conversation with Mabel van Oranje, human rights activist and serial entrepreneur for social change, for a reflection on the global challenges facing women and girls, and the solutions that are possible.

Mabel has dedicated her career to ending the practice of child marriage, which impacts 12 million girls every year. That’s a girl every 3 seconds. Her latest venture is VOW for Girls, which invests in the power, voice and choice of girls whose futures are at risk. In this interactive Q&A, Mabel will discuss her journey and share her vision for a world in which every girl can determine her own future.

SPEAKERS

Mabel van Oranje

Princess Mabel van Oranje of the Netherlands; Serial Entrepreneur for Social Change; Founder and Chair, VOW for Girls

Randy Newcomb

Senior Advisor, The Omidyar Group—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 22nd, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Yes, Happiness and Climate Action Can Go Together Mar 24, 2023

Our brains have evolved over millions of years to deal with immediate and direct challenges, but they’re not so great at processing large existential threats, like the climate crisis. Understanding why people behave the way they do could be a critical step in bringing about more meaningful climate action. Despite having the technical ability we need to stay under 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming, we’re on a path to surpass that number by the early 2030s. Yet doom and gloom framing can drive people away from even thinking about the climate crisis. How can we use our understanding of behavior to incorporate happiness into meaningful climate action?

Guests:

Ann-Christine Duhaime, Pediatric Neurosurgeon, Author of Minding the Climate: How Neuroscience Can Help Solve Our Environmental Crisis

Jiaying Zhao, Associate Professor, University of British Columbia

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Week to Week Political Roundtable: Ides of March Eve Special Edition Mar 23, 2023

When a nation's politics get wild and its democratic standards frayed, things can go bad quickly. Just ask Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator who met his fate 2,067 years ago on the Ides of March.

At Week to Week, we're dedicated to the lively and informed discussion of politics—with a healthy sense of humor—as a platform for healthy involvement in the issues that drive our society. The Commonwealth Club's Week to Week Political Roundtable and social hour, now in its 12th year, will take a look at the politics of the day on the eve of the Ides of March 2023—the issues, the people, the trends affecting our political world.

This Program Contains Explicit Language.

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IBM’s Ginni Rometty: Using Good Power to Reinvent Careers, Companies, and Communities Mar 21, 2023

Ginni Rometty spent nearly 40 years at IBM and was the first woman to become the company's CEO before retiring in 2020. Under her leadership the iconic company reinvented 50 percent of its portfolio, built a $25 billion hybrid cloud business, and expanded in AI and quantum computing.

Rometty reveals the personal hurdles, high-stake decisions, and groundbreaking milestones that defined her life and shaped her leadership philosophy. Over the years Rometty learned how leadership and big ideas can drive meaningful change in the world—a concept she calls “good power.”

Join us as she reflects on how “good power” evolved from her days as a manager to becoming IBM’s CEO and the lasting principles in both her work and life.

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Arlie and Adam Hochschild: Reflections on Activism, Ideals and Writing Mar 19, 2023

Two prolific writers—individually admired, respected and award-winning in their own areas of research—have been married to each other since 1965. Join us to discuss with Arlie and Adam Hochschild the global political and social issues they have investigated, and the major changes in American culture they have witnessed, as we roam through two lifetimes of caring and creative writing in their pursuit of understanding the patterns of history and culture more clearly—with the mutual goal of developing a more humane civilization.

This Program Contains EXPLICIT Language.

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CLIMATE ONE: A Global Just Transition — For Whom? Mar 17, 2023

According to the United Nations Development Program, 54 countries, accounting for half the world’s population, face such critical debt burdens that they simply cannot finance climate adaptation and mitigation on their own. Most of these same countries are in the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world, setting them up for compounding disasters. At the same time, every nation on earth is being asked to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels – which enabled the richest countries to develop their economies. So how can those in the developing world make the transition to a clean energy economy while centering economic justice?

This episode is a collaboration with Foreign Policy’s Heat of The Moment podcast.

Guests:

Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO, World Resources Institute

Featuring stories from Amy Booth and Elna Schütz for Heat of The Moment podcast

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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A Flavorful Approach to Good Health Mar 17, 2023

There are endless opinions on the best way to eat for optimal health. Physician, chef and cookbook author Linda Shiue, M.D., will share her inclusive approach to choosing and preparing foods to promote health. With her unique background combining medicine and culinary, Dr. Shiue is emphatic that food can and should be a source of both pleasure and health, as well as a means of connecting to culture. She will be reviewing the best evidence-based diets and sharing the latest research on the health benefits of spices.

Linda Shiue, MD, is a physician, director of culinary medicine and lifestyle medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco, professionally trained chef and author of the award-winning cookbook, Spicebox Kitchen: Eat Well and Be Healthy with Globally Inspired, Vegetable-Forward Recipes. She serves on the boards of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank and Meals on Wheels of San Francisco.

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MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan: The Art Of Debating Mar 13, 2023

MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan is an award-winning journalist who has interviewed everyone from Edward Snowden to former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. Throughout his career, Hasan hasn’t been one to avoid arguments but relishes them as the lifeblood of democracy and the only surefire way to dispel misinformation and uncover the truth.

Join us as Hasan reflects on his career as a journalist, anchor and interviewer, and offers tips on how to overcome the arguments and debates that engulf our lives daily.

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George Hammond: The Revitalization of Ancient Greek Philosophy Mar 10, 2023

Monday Night Philosophy at The Commonwealth Club celebrates its 14th anniversary by revealing how 20th century scientific knowledge was used to revitalize the power of Pythagorean insights and Platonic ideals. Using ancient Greek principles that promote clear conceptual reasoning, Hammond spent his 20s reorganizing the concepts we all use into a more coherent whole, generating both philosophical wisdom about the patterns in our personalities and perhaps even a better scientific understanding of the universe as well.

Just as it did 2,500 years ago, focusing on the existence of the continuum of change and on the unchanging principles inherent in it reveals a cosmos of order rather than an impenetrable chaos. Surprisingly, the same thing can also be said about uncovering the patterns of order in our own individual―and admittedly apparently chaotic—personalities.

Join George Hammond on his 70th birthday as he explains why he expects this civilizing force to get a big boost in the near future, and why he continues to focus on clarifying first principles first—and then setting them loose in the world.

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CLIMATE ONE: Stop, Listen, What’s that Sound? Mar 10, 2023

Every place we inhabit has its own tapestry of sound, whether you’re hiking through the woods or sitting in a cafe with a friend. And not only are sounds a part of our sensory experience, but they can give us vital information about the health of our ecosystems. As the planet warms and we lose biodiversity, those sounds are changing. The natural world isn’t the only space where the soundscape is changing. Electrifying everything will have a direct effect on the sound of urban centers. What will cities sound like in the future? Will we listen to the messages our world is sending us, or will we tune them out?

Guests:

Bernie Krause, Soundscape Ecologist

Dan Hill, Director, Melbourne School of Design

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Sathnam Sanghera with John Oliver: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain Mar 08, 2023

The United States prides itself for its maverick soul, but Sathnam Sanghera says it inherited the ambition, brutality and thinking of its empire roots. Sanghera reveals the hidden legacies and modern realities of the British empire and makes the case that to understand America, we must first understand British imperialism.

He says the pernicious legacy of imperialism is rooted in our everyday lives yet remains shockingly obscured from view. Sanghera offers a sobering appraisal of Britain and America’s political histories to help us move forward to a more just future.

SPEAKERS

Sathnam Sanghera

Author, Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain; Twitter @Sathnam

In Conversation with John Oliver

Host, "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver"; Twitter @iamjohnoliver

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 6th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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THE NEW GREAT GAME: INDIA, "The New Great Game: India, Pakistan and the Search for Enduring Peace Mar 06, 2023

President Bill Clinton once called the border between India and Pakistan the most dangerous place on Earth. The two countries have been at war with each other on four separate occasions with numerous skirmishes in between. In 1948, 1965 and 1999 war was fought over Kashmir, and in 1971 it was over East Pakistan, later Bangladesh. There have been numerous peace talks, but in some cases the talks seem to have exacerbated the conflict.

Complicating the issues has been access to Middle East oil. The Chinese have embarked on a great road-building effort to bypass the Malacca Straits—through which they get their oil supplies and which can be bottled up by the U.S. Navy in times of conflict—by reviving the old Silk Routes to Asia and beyond. Part of this old Silk Route makes its way through Kashmir and into the Pakistani port of Gwadar, on the Persian Gulf. This also helps China keep India, a potential rival in Asia, on the defensive. Kashmir, containing both the headwaters of the great rivers of South Asia as well as the trade routes linking China to the Gulf, is key. Pakistan sees Kashmir as central to its identity and with China’s support, sees little advantage in seeking peace. India, with its nationalist government, will see any flexibility on its part as a sign of weakness. And the United States is determined to contain China any way it can.

Meanwhile the search for enduring peace between these two countries continues.

Helping us understand the various sides of the issues and the conditions required for peace are two former ambassadors and two journalists, all of whom have been, at one stage or another, involved with the peace process.

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Art and Culture Presents Glory and Honor: A Black History Celebration Mar 04, 2023

Experience an amazing, uplifting and exhilarating program presented by AfroSolo Theatre Company, a sanctuary for Black arts, culture, intellect and entertainment founded by Thomas Robert Simpson.

Our event emcee will be Dr. Brenda Wade, psychologist, television expert, speaker and author.

The performance line-up includes an exciting mix of talented performing artists. African drumming by three master drummers, one being a two-time Grammy winner; a mini concert featuring harpist Destiny Muhammad and soprano Jeannine Anderson performing Black spirituals and classical music, a poetry reading by Devorah Major, San Francisco's first Black poet laureate, and a performance by Brian Freeman about the life of William Leidesdorff, one of San Francisco's leading entrepreneurs.

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Bozoma Saint John: My Story of Love, Loss, and Survival Mar 03, 2023

Bozoma Saint John is no stranger to adversity, and when her husband Peter died of cancer, she made one big decision: to live life urgently.

In her book The Urgent Life, she shares the highs and lows from her personal life and what she learned from these tragedies to build a life worth living even in times of darkness and brokenness.

She offers a hopeful message about coping with loss and grief and how to live life to the fullest.

Bozoma Saint John is an American businesswoman who started her career at Spike Lee’s advertising agency and has gone on to work at Pepsi, Apple Music, Uber, Endeavor, and most recently was the global chief marketing officer at Netflix.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Bozoma Saint John

Author, The Urgent Life: My Story of Love, Loss, and Survival; Twitter @badassboz

In conversation with Gary Vaynerchuk

Entrepreneur; Chairman, VaynerX; CEO, VaynerMedia; Creator and CEO, VeeFriends; Twitter @garyvee

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 23rd, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Has Hydrogen’s Moment Finally Arrived? Mar 03, 2023

Not long ago, it was said that “hydrogen is the fuel of the future - and always will be.” Now, with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law tagging $9.5 billion for developing a domestic hydrogen economy, this simplest of all elements is increasingly being discussed as a viable pathway for long-distance trucking, shipping, and hard-to-decarbonize industries like cement and steel. But how clean is clean hydrogen, really? And what will it take to make green hydrogen a cost-competitive option in applications like manufacturing, transportation, and grid-scale energy storage?

Guests:

Julio Friedmann, Chief Scientist, Carbon Direct

Sunita Satyapal, Director, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, DOE

Alan Krupnick, Senior Fellow, Resources for the Future

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Paul R. Ehrlich's Life: A Journey Through Science and Politics Mar 01, 2023

A renowned scientist and environmental advocate looks back on a life that has straddled the worlds of science and politics.

Acclaimed as a public scientist and as a spokesperson on pressing environmental and equity issues, Paul R. Ehrlich reflects on his life, from his love affair with his wife Anne, to his scientific research, public advocacy, and concern for global issues. Interweaving the range of his experiences—as an airplane pilot, a desegregationist, a proud parent—Ehrlich’s offers valuable insights on pressing issues such as biodiversity loss, overpopulation, depletion of resources, and deterioration of the environment. A lifelong advocate for women’s reproductive rights, Ehrlich also helped to debunk scientific bias associating skin color and intelligence and warned some 50 years ago about a possible pandemic and the likely ecological consequences of a nuclear war.

His new book Life: A Journey Through Science and Politics, focuses on the human predicament, including problems of governance and democracy in the 21st century, and insight into the ecological and evolutionary science of our day. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding global change, our planet’s wonders, and a scientific approach to the present existential threats to civilization.

Paul Ehrlich is the Bing Professor of Population Studies, Emeritus, and president of the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford University. He has carried out field, laboratory and theoretical research on the dynamics and genetics of insect populations, the evolutionary interactions of plants and herbivores, the behavioral ecology of birds and reef fishes, the effects of crowding on human beings, human cultural evolution, and health problems related to industrialization. He is author and co-author of more than 1,100 scientific papers and articles and more than 40 books. Ehrlich is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society and a Foreign Member of the Royal Society. Among his many other honors is the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Crafoord Prize. He has appeared on more than 1,000 TV and radio programs and was a correspondent for NBC News.

This Program Contains Explicit Language.

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Humanities West Presents Pythagoras to Plato: The Ancient Greek Revolution in Human Thought Mar 01, 2023

Numbers and mathematics were in use long before Pythagoras was born in the mid-sixth century BC, but few if any suspected that beyond practical use these were keys to unlock doorways to vast hidden knowledge. The discovery made by Pythagoras or his earliest followers—that there is pattern and order hidden behind the apparent variety and confusion of nature and that it is possible to understand it through numbers—was one of the most profound and significant discoveries in the history of human thought.

Humanities West highlights this fundamental shift by focusing on that initial jolt of intellectual energy, even though most of the details have been lost or distorted, and on three exemplars of the Pythagorean emphasis on math and on logic: Philolaus, Archytas and Plato.

The Pythagorean intellectual revolution spread by these early pioneers progressed until the advances in math and in detailed observation reached a critical mass, causing one scientific revolution after another—accomplished by scientists such as Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Bacon, Descartes, Newton, Einstein and Heisenberg, who were all influenced by Pythagorean ideas (including the idea of not trusting traditional explanations―even Pythagorean ones).

We know very little about the man Pythagoras and the philosophy he lived by and taught, but the revolutionary influence on human thinking of one great insight, carried forward by such geniuses as Philolaus, Archytas and Plato, has shaped our world ever since. Humanity has only rarely crossed such a threshold.

Kitty Ferguson will speak on "What Do We Really Know about Pythagoras?"; Edward Frenkel will speak on "From Pythagoras to Plato: Philolaus and Archytas"; Joshua Landy will speak on "Plato’s Use of Irony: How does Plato Really Teach us?"

NOTES

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

In association with Humanities West.

SPEAKERS

Kitty Ferguson

Author, The Music of Pythagoras: How an Ancient Brotherhood Cracked the Code of the Universe and Lit the Path from Antiquity to Outer Space, and Pythagoras: His Lives and the Legacy of a Rational Universe

Edward Frenkel

Professor of Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley; Author, Love and Math

Joshua Landy

Andrew B. Hammond Professor of French, Professor of Comparative Literature, co-director of the Literature and Philosophy Initiative, Stanford University; Co-Host, "Philosophy Talk"

George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 24th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Barbara Rae-Venter: Unmasking the Golden State Killer and Solving Other Cold Cases Feb 28, 2023

For 12 years, the Golden State Killer terrorized California, and then mysteriously seemed to disappear. Forty-three years after his crime spree began, Barbara Rae-Venter received an unexpected call from a cold-case investigator taking one last shot at the case before he retired. Intrigued by the challenge, it took Rae-Venter just 63 days to crack the case and identify the serial rapist and murderer.

In her new book I Know Who You Are, Rae-Venter reveals how she went from a retiree researching her family history to hunting for this notorious serial killer. Through her relentless curiosity, she became one of the nation’s leading authorities on investigative genetic genealogy, the most dazzling new crime-fighting weapon to appear in decades.

Hear how she approaches trying to solve cold cases and explains how her methods have changed the course of criminal investigations forever.

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Stoicism as a Philosophy for Life Feb 28, 2023

What, exactly, is a philosophy of life? Who needs it, and why? Noted philosopher Massimo Pigliucci will discuss these questions with us by focusing on one of the most influential philosophies of antiquity, stoicism. That philosophy, which underlies much of modern personal growth teaching, is experiencing a comeback in the 21st century for the simple reasons that it resonates with fundamentals of the human condition, and that it works in practice. As Dr. Pigliucci says, "Stoicism isn’t about feats of indifference, but about enduring pain without being overwhelmed, while enjoying pleasures without losing our heads."

We will see how stoicism can offer a compass to navigate life, to set priorities for what is important, and to become better citizens of the world.

Bring your questions to the streaming chat for what will be an enlightening discussion!

MLF ORGANIZER

John Fiegel

SPEAKERS

Prof. Massimo Pigliucci

Ph.D., K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy, City College of New York; Author; Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science; Fellow, Committee for Skeptical Inquiry

John Fiegel

Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 16th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Shannon O'Neil On The Future Of U.S. Competitiveness Feb 27, 2023

Shannon K. O’Neil, the Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins us to discuss the issues raised in her new book The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter.

Dr. O’Neil will talk about how regionalization, not globalization, has been the biggest economic trend of the last 40 years, and why the United States should embrace deepening regional ties to succeed in an increasingly connected and competitive world.

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Danny Glover and Gus Newport: Why We Aspire to the Beloved Community Play Feb 24, 2023

Join us for a lively and inspiring evening with longtime friends and fellow activists Danny Glover and Gus Newport. The Rev. Dr. Dorsey Blake will moderate. The three men will share stories from organizing communities for more than 50 years and why they are dedicated to the development of what Martin Luther King, Jr., called The Beloved Community. The three men are dedicated to community development and human rights, topics that have never been more relevant as safety, public health, asset development, and education continue to be priorities in our communities.

This will be a special evening of storytelling for people of all ages. You don't want to miss it!

Glover and Newport were both raised by working class parents who were active in labor unions and in their communities. Because of their parents' and grandparents' strong influences, they became involved in civil rights and community support as well as anti-apartheid and other international peace and human rights organizations.

About the Speakers

Danny Glover is an award-winning actor, starring in many well-known films such as The Color Purple and the first Lethal Weapon. He has also gained respect for his wide-reaching community activism and philanthropic efforts, with a particular emphasis on advocacy for economic justice, and access to health care and education programs in the United States and Africa. Internationally, Glover has served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Program from 1998–2004, focusing on issues of poverty, disease, and economic development in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and serves as a UNICEF ambassador. With a degree in economics, his first job out of college was with the Berkeley planning department. His next job was with Model Cities for San Francisco. He has traveled worldwide seeking peace and understanding.

Eugene “Gus” Newport is a social justice activist, grassroots leader, community and economic development consultant, and has worked for several foundations and served on the faculties of MIT, Yale, UC Santa Cruz, U Mass Boston, and Portland State. He was the two-term mayor of Berkeley, CA (1979–1986). During his tenure he served on the advisory board of the U.S. Conference on Apartheid and the Committee on The Question of Palestine. He served as the American representative as vice president on the World Peace Council.

Dorsey Odell Blake has served as presiding minister of The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples (San Francisco) since 1994. Fellowship Church was founded in 1944 as the nation’s first intentionally interracial, interfaith congregation by Dr. Howard Thurman and Dr. Alfred Fisk. Dr. Blake has extensive field ministry experience with interfaith groups addressing justice and peace issues. Recently, Dr. Blake was the keynote speaker at the Nineteenth Annual Daoist Gathering and served as chaplain for the Institute for Religion and Science.

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CLIMATE ONE: Housing Density as a Climate Lever with Scott Wiener Feb 24, 2023

The lack of affordable housing in the U.S. has contributed to a homelessness crisis and has forced people to move farther away from urban centers. Inevitably, that increases car travel and emissions. One solution is to increase density in areas where jobs and infrastructure exist to accommodate more people. But some aren’t comfortable with the idea of their neighborhoods growing, and building multi-story apartments in urban cores usually costs more per square foot than one or two-story houses where land is cheaper. So how do we address both the need for affordable housing and the climate crisis?

Guests:

Scott Wiener, California State Senator

Jennifer Hernandez, Partner, Holland & Knight

Ben Bartlett, Berkeley Vice Mayor

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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SFPD Homicide Inspector Frank Falzon: 5-HENRY-7 Feb 22, 2023

Frank Falzon investigated more than 300 murder cases during his 22-year career as a San Francisco homicide inspector using the radio call sign 5-Henry-7. The number 5 designated the Inspectors Bureau, Henry stood in for Homicide, and Falzon was inspector number 7. Working with San Francisco Chronicle reporter Duffy Jennings, Falzon’s new memoir highlights his high-profile cases and the backstory of how his youth, his father’s death at a young age, and his early years as a patrolman shaped his career.

The Summer of Love and the heyday of the Haight-Ashbury flower power scene in the late 1960s mutated over the next two decades into a city under siege by serial killers, radical underground extremists, antiestablishment groups, gangs, and drug wars. Falzon investigated the Zebra murders of random white victims by extremist Black Muslims, Chol Soo Lee and the Chinatown gang murder, and the execution-style killing of prison reformer Popeye Jackson.

Falzon was the lead inspector in the November 1978 assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in City Hall by former city supervisor and former cop Dan White, whom Falzon had known since they were children. And in 1985 Falzon and his partner were the first to identify Richard Ramirez as the Night Stalker serial killer, resulting in his capture within 48 hours. Ramirez had murdered, raped, tortured, and terrorized dozens of people in Southern California and San Francisco for months.

Join Inspector Falzon and Duffy Jennings to discover the real detective work that went on behind the scenes back then ― and which has been reflected in so many articles, books and movies since then.

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The Cultural Relevance Of Food Feb 20, 2023

Food is often used as a means of retaining cultural identity and heritage. Learning about cuisines from various cultures allows us to understand others. With understanding can come acceptance and appreciation.

This program brings together Bay Area chefs from various heritages. Soul food Chef Geoff Davis from Burdell, Mexican Chefs Enrique Soriano and Jazmin from Cocina del Corazon, and Indigenous Chefs Louis Trevino and Vincent Medina from Café Ohlone.

They will each tell their stories of their rich cultural heritage, explain the ingredients they use and why, and discuss other aspects of what they do. It’s going to be a fascinating evening!

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Week To Week Political Roundtable: February 14, 2023 Feb 18, 2023

Come out and celebrate the beginning of the 12th year of The Commonwealth Club's Week to Week Political Roundtable and social hour, which debuted this month 11 years ago.

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CLIMATE ONE: Climate Smart Agriculture with Secretary Tom Vilsack Feb 17, 2023

Agriculture is responsible for around 11% of U.S. carbon emissions. And yet soil holds the potential for massive carbon sequestration. Conventional agriculture focuses more on crop productivity than soil health, relying on pesticides, fertilizer, and other practices that contribute to climate-changing emissions rather than reduce them. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack advocates for a federal initiative focused on supporting “climate smart” agriculture for commodity crops that comprise the bulk of what’s grown on American farms: corn, soybeans, wheat. Meanwhile, the restaurateur behind Zero Foodprint is working to create change from table to farm, by crowdsourcing funds from customers to support regenerative farming practices directly.

Guests:

Tom Vilsack, Secretary, US Department of Agriculture

Jeremy Martin, Senior Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists

Anthony Myint, Executive Director, Zero Foodprint

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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American Spying Trends After World War II: Transparency to Opacity to Total Secrecy Feb 15, 2023

Before the Second World War, transparent government was a proud tradition in the United States. After the war, the power to decide what could be kept secret proved too tempting to give up. Since then, we have radically departed from that open tradition, allowing intelligence agencies, black sites, and secret laboratories to grow unchecked. Officials insist that only secrecy can keep us safe, but its true costs have gone unacknowledged for too long.

Using the latest techniques in data science, Matthew Connelly analyzes a vast trove of state secrets to unearth not only what the government really does not want us to know, but why. Culling this research and carefully studying a series of pivotal moments in recent history from Pearl Harbor to drone warfare, Connelly sheds light on the drivers of state secrecy—especially incompetence and criminality—and how the relentless accumulation of secrets makes it impossible to protect truly vital information.

Connelly elucidates the power of secrecy, the greed it enables, the negligence it protects, and the losses we sustain as citizens when our leaders cannot be held to account. His crucial examination of the self-defeating nature of secrecy and the dire state of our nation’s archives is a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving the past so that we may secure our future.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Matthew Connelly

Professor of International and Global History, Columbia University; Author, The Declassification Engine: What History Reveals About America’s Top Secrets

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 9th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Does Technology Development Need a Soul? Feb 14, 2023

Natalie Zeituny is a reality cosmologist and consciousness architect, clairvoyant, energy healer, mystic, generator of ensoulment and international speaker. She is dedicated to innovative applications of reality models that facilitate personal, social, and planetary transformation. As an information systems architect in 2002 she founded NZ Consulting, a management-consulting firm that has successfully advised corporations such as Apple, Yahoo and Safeway on how to meet corporate goals with technology solutions. As the founder of the Conscious Business Center, she is currently engaged in the creation of consciousness research ventures around the world.

She will be interviewed by Gerald Harris, chair of the Technology & Society Member-led Forum. They will cover her life story as well as her ideas about helping technologists direct their efforts toward the use and commercialization of technology for the enhancement of human potential and benefits for all of mankind.

MLF ORGANIZER

Gerald Anthony Harris

SPEAKERS

Natalie Zeituny

Author, Ensoulment, Discover Your Soul's DNA and Ensoulment, The Future of Reality

In Conversation with Gerald Anthony Harris

Chair, Technology & Society Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 8th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Creating Citizens Field Trip Series: #1, Not Too Young Feb 13, 2023

Creating Citizens Field Trip Series: #1, Not Too Young

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CLIMATE ONE: What We’re Watching in Climate Now Feb 10, 2023

2022 was a banner year for climate – both in terms of climate-fueled disaster and historic federal investments in clean energy, electric vehicles and home electrification. The questions now: How will the programs be implemented ? How will the money be spent – and who will benefit? This week, we examine the coming trends in raw material prices, the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, new investments in clean tech, tighter rules on pollution and western water negotiations.

Guests:

Felicia Marcus, Visiting Fellow, Stanford University

Nat Bullard, Senior Contributor, Bloomberg NEF, Bloomberg Green

Catherine Coleman Flowers, Vice Chair, White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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How to Best Age in Place: Creating a Safe and Delightful Home Feb 09, 2023

Our homes are one of the most important contributors to a healthy aging experience. We are all so used to adapting to our environments. We make do with standards even though we all have different bodies and habits. That is easier when we are young, but in older age our homes should fit us like a glove. In this presentation, architect Susi Stadler, executive director of the Bay Area nonprofit At Home With Growing Older, and Candiece Milford, board president of At Home With Growing Older, will present a new perspective on age-friendly design and offer concrete ideas for living better at home.

At Home With Growing Older is a nonprofit organization in the San Francisco Bay Area that seeks to improve the experience of aging by providing programming in support of the continued growth, connection and well-being of older adults. A wide variety of interdisciplinary forums and workshops inspire and empower individuals to prepare for, and adapt to, the changes of growing older, as well as to re-envision what it means to age well in their own homes and communities.

About the Speakers

Susi Stadler is an architect and social entrepreneur focused on shifting the perspective on aging, and she is an advocate for imaginative and human-centered design solutions for the later phases of life. For the past 20 years, an important emphasis of her architecture work has been to provide sustainable design solutions for the complex needs of aging that allow people to age with safety and delight, at home and in the world. Her most recent architecture project was the interior design for the Wallis Annenberg GenSpace in Los Angeles. Susanne speaks and writes regularly on the subject of age-friendly environments.

Candiece Milford has been in the field of retirement living for 17 years as a marketing director both at The Sequoias San Francisco and currently at Rhoda Goldman Plaza, a residence for people who are experiencing issues of aging and memory. She has previously spoken at The Commonwealth Club several times through the Grownups Forum on retirement living options both in the Bay Area and innovative housing solutions across the country. Having been a member of the At Home With Growing Older board for the past 6 years, she currently serves as board president.

MLF ORGANIZER

Denise M. Michaud

SPEAKERS

Candiece Milford

Board President, At Home With Growing Older

Susanne Stadler

MBA, M.Arch, Principal, Stadler & Architecture; Executive Director, Co-Founder, At Home With Growing Older

Denise M. Michaud

Chair Grownups Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 7th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Navigating A Turbulent Economy: Annual Economic Forecast 2023 Feb 07, 2023

High inflation, rising interest rates, sweeping tech layoffs, a crypto meltdown. The recent economic news has been less than encouraging, leading the International Monetary Fund to warn of “storm clouds” descending on the global economy. At the same time, GDP in the United States grew to more than $20 trillion in 2022. The Bay Area, largely thanks to tech, had the fastest growing economy in the United States, with GDP increasing 4.8 percent. The United States is at or near full employment. What does it all mean for workers, investors, and Americans’ pocketbooks? What impact are the Fed’s actions having?

Michael Boskin of Stanford’s Hoover Institution, former chair of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors, will share his insights into the U.S. economy, productivity, the evolution of work and impact of tech, and whether we will tip into a recession. UC Berkeley’s Maurice Obstfeld, former chief economist at the IMF, will assess the ongoing impact of the war in Ukraine, China’s COVID woes, and other trends shaping the global economy.

Join us for The Commonwealth Club’s annual Walter E. Hoadley Bank of America economic forecast.This event is underwritten by Bank of America.

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Philip Taubman On George P. Shultz: The Life And Legacy Of A Great Statesman Feb 06, 2023

When former Secretary of State George Shultz turned 100, he published a piece in the Washington Post on what he had learned over his long career. “Trust is the coin of the realm,” he wrote. “If it is present, anything is possible. If it is absent, nothing is possible.” Three U.S. presidents put their trust in Shultz’s abilities, including Ronald Reagan, who tasked him to improve Cold War relations with the Soviet Union. Shultz, who died in 2021, also achieved success in the corporate world and in academia, serving as head of San Francisco’s Bechtel Corp. and as a distinguished fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution.

A new biography, In the Nation’s Service, offers an inside look at Shultz’s legacy, from his work on Middle East peace to later efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons. Author Philip Taubman, longtime New York Times editor and reporter in Washington and Moscow, draws on Shultz’s personal papers to shed new light on how he helped shape U.S. foreign policy, and how his style of conservatism has all but vanished from today’s Republican Party.

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CLIMATE ONE: Saket Soni on the People Who Make Disaster Recovery Possible Feb 03, 2023

Who cleans up and rebuilds our communities after floods, fires, and hurricanes? COVID redefined America's definition of “essential workers,” but many who help communities recover from climate disasters remain underpaid and overlooked.

In 2006, labor organizer Saket Soni got an anonymous call from an Indian migrant worker in Mississippi who had scraped together $20,000 to apply for the “opportunity” to rebuild oil rigs after Hurricane Katrina. The caller was only one of hundreds lured into Gulf Coast labor camps, surrounded by barbed wire, and watched by armed guards. Since then, the frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters has only increased – and disaster recovery has become big business. How are the lives of people displaced by disasters intertwined with those helping to rebuild?

Guests:

Saket Soni, Founder and Director, Resilience Force

Daniel Castellanos, Director Of Workforce Engagement, Resilience Force

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Debbie Chinn's 'Dancing in Their Light: A Daughter's Unfinished Memoir' Feb 02, 2023

Debbie Chinn's primary professional and volunteer career focus on philanthropic work—to heal our society and bridge our cultural differences—was seeded via a 13-generation saga across continents.

Dancing in Their Light: A Daughter's Unfinished Memoir is a biographical conversation program exploring the research that bought forth her family’s experiences assimilating in the United States. It is a specifically Chinese American immigration compilation that skillfully weaves together stories of the Chinn family restaurant, "The House of Mah Jong," and the distinct personality of a golden age of Polynesian floor shows ubiquitous in the 1960s on Long Island.

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Uncovering Brutality, Cover-Up and Corruption in Oakland Feb 01, 2023

The killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the mass protests that followed opened many Americans’ eyes to cases of police brutality and misconduct. But two decades earlier, a civil rights lawsuit against Oakland police brought some of the same issues into focus. The suit alleged that a band of rogue veteran police officers known as "The Riders" beat, kidnapped and planted drugs on Oakland residents. A 2003 settlement led to federal monitoring of the Oakland Police Department, which continues to this day.

In their new book The Riders Come Out at Night, journalists Ali Winston and Darwin BondGraham explore the history of policing in Oakland, the fallout from the trial, and why some promised reforms have failed.

Join us to hear about their reporting and what it reveals about policing in the Bay Area and the United States.

SPEAKERS

Ali Winston

Independent Reporter; Co-author, The Riders Come Out at Night

Darwin BondGraham

Reporter; Co-author, The Riders Come Out at Night

Otis R. Taylor Jr

Managing Editor, KQED News

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 25th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Congresswoman Jackie Speier: The Exit Interview Jan 31, 2023

Congresswoman Jackie Speier chose to close out her congressional career at the end of 2022 and did not seek another term. Her departure from Congress brings to an end a Bay Area political career that spans more than 40 years in elected office. She represented California's 14th District in the House of Representatives—which includes San Mateo County and a portion of San Francisco County—from 2008 through 2022. Before serving in Congress, Speier was a California State Assembly member and California state senator; she started her career on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

Speier is returning to The Commonwealth Club to discuss her historic career, one that was launched after her near-death experience in Jonestown, Guyana in 1978 when she and her boss, Congressman Leo Ryan, were shot on the tarmac during the People's Temple mass murder suicide. Congressman Ryan did not survive, while Speier recovered and went on to devote her career to public service. In Congress, Speier was known as a fierce advocate for women's rights, including pressing for laws addressing reproductive rights and sexual harassment and assault, including in the military. She served on the Oversight and Reform as well as Intelligence and Armed Services committees during her time in Congress.

Please join us for a special event with a Bay Area political legend as she discusses her career as well as the changes she sees ahead for the institution she just departed and for the Democratic Party.

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Ed Larson: Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of Our Nation Jan 28, 2023

Pulitzer Prize-winner Ed Larson returns to The Commonwealth Club with a revealing look at how the twin strands of liberty and slavery were joined in the nation’s founding. New attention from historians and journalists has been raising pointed questions: Was the American revolution waged to preserve slavery? Was the Constitution a pact with slavery, or was it a landmark in the antislavery movement? Leaders who called for American liberty are scrutinized for enslaving Black people themselves, such as George Washington’s consistent refusal to recognize the freedom of those who escaped his Mount Vernon plantation.

Larson insightfully synthesizes these issues in his new history of the founding that fully includes Black Americans in the Revolutionary protests, the war, and the debates over slavery and freedom that followed. With slavery thriving in Britain’s Caribbean empire and practiced in all of the American colonies, the independence movement’s calls for liberty proved far too narrow — though some Black observers and others made their full implications clear. In the war, both sides employed strategies to draw needed support from free and enslaved Blacks, whose responses varied by local conditions. But by the time of the Constitutional Convention, a widening sectional divide shaped the fateful compromises over slavery that would prove disastrous in the coming decades.

Larson delivers poignant moments that deepen our understanding: We witness New York’s tumultuous welcome of Washington as liberator through the eyes of Daniel Payne, a Black man who had escaped enslavement at Mount Vernon two years before. Indeed, it is the voices of Black Americans that prove the most convincing of all on the urgency of liberty.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Edward Larson

University Professor of History, and Darling Chair in Law, Pepperdine University; Author, American Inheritance: Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of a Nation, 1765-1795

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 24th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Blue Carbon: Sinking it in The Sea Jan 27, 2023

When most of us think about using nature to remove carbon dioxide from the air, we think of trees. Yet blue carbon, a new name for storing carbon dioxide in coastal and marine ecosystems where it can no longer trap heat in our atmosphere, may have even greater potential. Salt marshes and mangroves have carbon-capturing capacity that may surpass that of terrestrial forests. Seagrasses, for example, currently cover less than 0.2% of the ocean floor, but store about 10% of the carbon buried in the oceans each year. How can natural, ocean-based solutions benefit both the planet and the people who live in and depend on coastal ecosystems?

Guests:

Ralph Chami, Assistant Director, Western Hemisphere Division, Institute for Capacity Development, IMF

Emily Pidgeon, Vice President, Ocean Science And Innovation, Conservation International

Irina Fedorenko-Aula, Founder, Co-CEO, Vlinder

Isabella Masinde, CEO, Umita

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org

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With Honor and Integrity: Transgender Troops Tell Their Stories Jan 27, 2023

On January 25, 2021, in one of his first acts as president, Joe Biden reversed the Trump administration’s widely condemned ban on transgender people in the military. In With Honor and Integrity, Máel Embser-Herbert and Bree Fram introduce us to the brave individuals who are on the front lines of this issue, assembling a powerful, accessible and heartfelt collection of first-hand accounts from transgender military personnel in the United States.

Their eye-opening accounts show us what it is like to serve in the military as a transgender person. From a religious affairs specialist in the Army National Guard, to a petty officer first class in the Navy, to a veteran of the Marine Corps who became “the real me” at age 49, these accounts are personal, engaging, and refreshingly honest. They describe their experiences from before and during President Trump’s ban―what barriers they face at work, why they do or don’t choose to serve openly, and how their colleagues have treated them. Fram, a lieutenant colonel who is serving openly as a transgender woman in the U.S. Space Force and has advocated for open-service policies, shares her experience in the aftermath of Trump’s announcement of the ban on Twitter.

At a time when LGBTQ rights are under siege, and the opportunity to serve continues to be challenged, join us for an online program with Embser-Herbert and Fram as they provide an inspiring look at the past, present and future of transgender military service.

SPEAKERS

Máel Embser-Herbert

Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Hamline University; U.S. Army Veteran; Author, Camouflage Isn’t Only for Combat: Gender, Sexuality, and Women in the Military and The U.S. Military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy: A Reference Handbook; Co-editor, With Honor and Integrity: Transgender Troops in Their Own Words

Bree Fram

Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Space Force; President, SPART*A; Co-editor, With Honor and Integrity: Transgender Troops in Their Own Words

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 19th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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No Straight Lines: How Queer Comics Artists Changed Their World Jan 25, 2023

From Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Vivian Kleiman (Color Adjustment) comes an in-depth look at the evolution of queer comics, starting in the 1970s when LGBTQ+ stories were not a part of the popular culture. Through the careers of five scrappy and pioneering cartoonists who depicted everything from the AIDS crisis to “coming out” to same-sex marriage, Kleiman's new film No Straight Lines captures the beginnings of queer comics, from its origins as an underground art form to its progression into a social movement, culminating with its long-awaited mainstream acceptance into comic books, newspaper strips, and graphic novels.

No Straight Lines premieres on the PBS documentary series "Independent Lens" January 23, 2023, at 10 p.m. EST (check local listings). The film will also be available to stream on the PBS Video app.

Join us for a conversation with filmmaker Vivian Kleiman and cartoonists Jennifer Camper and Justin Hall.

Note: This is a discussion of the film; it is not a screening.

SPEAKERS

Jennifer Camper

Cartoonist, Rude Girls and Dangerous Women, SubGURLZ; Editor, Juicy Mother anthologies; Founding Director, Queers & Comics Conference

Justin Hall

Creator, True Travel Tales, Hard to Swallow, Theater of Terror: Revenge of the Queers, and No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics; Producer, No Straight Lines; Chair, MFA in Comics Program, California College of the Arts

Vivian Kleiman

Director and Producer, No Straight Lines

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 18th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Brian Wong: The Tao of Alibaba Jan 25, 2023

If you took the economic might of Amazon, and added the penetration of Facebook, the ubiquity of Google, and the cultural significance of YouTube, you might have something starting to resemble Alibaba.

Commonly mischaracterized as a kind of Chinese eBay for businesses, Alibaba and its interlinked network of products and services have exploded into global markets, disrupting conventional businesses, and creating previously unimaginable opportunities for millions of small businesses worldwide.

Brian Wong, a long-time executive and former special assistant to Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, details the company’s unique culture and “tai chi” management principles that has propelled its global success.

Hear more about the “secret sauce” behind the company’s distinctive business philosophy.

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Week To Week Political Roundtable: 2023 Kickoff Jan 23, 2023

Join us for our first Week to Week political roundtable for the new year, as we look at the impact of the November 2022 election, the relationship between the Biden administration and Congress, plus local and state political news.

As always, our panelists will share their expertise with civility and good humor.

And come early to enjoy our pre-program members social (open to all attendees) with some wine and snacks.

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How Low-Wage Work Traps Women and Girls in Poverty Jan 22, 2023

The pandemic put into stark relief the undue burden faced by working poor women in America. Many were laid off or had to quit for COVID-related reasons, such as school closures. Often, they struggled in low-paid jobs as essential workers, while facing greater demands at home.

But even in the best of times, women in low-wage industries must cope with daunting challenges. In their new book Getting Me Cheap, sociologists Lisa Dodson and Amanda Freeman argue that the conveniences many Americans enjoy—things such as grocery delivery and nanny care—are made possible by the sacrifices of these women. The book reveals how discrimination, unpredictable work schedules, and lack of affordable childcare trap women in poverty and make “work-life balance” impossible.

Join us as we hear from Dodson and Freeman about their research and possible solutions.

SPEAKERS

Lisa Dodson

Research Professor Emerita, Boston College; Co-author, Getting Me Cheap: How Low Wage Work Traps Women and Girls in Poverty

Amanda Freeman

Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Hartford; Writer and Researcher of Motherhood and Work; Co-author, Getting Me Cheap: How Low Wage Work Traps Women and Girls in Poverty

Saru Jayaraman

President, One Fair Wage; Director, Food Labor Research Center, University of California, Berkeley

Bernice Yeung

Managing Editor, The Investigative Reporting Program, University of California, Berkeley

This program contains EXPLICIT language

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 19th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Dr. Elissa Epel and Nobel Laureate Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn: Stress, Resilience, and Healthy Aging Jan 21, 2023

Does stress really age us? Everyone experiences different levels of stress from family, friends, work, or just uncertainty in the world. And while we can’t avoid living with stress, we can learn how to embrace it and transform it.

Stress scientist Dr. Elissa Epel and Nobel Prize winner Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn will discuss the latest science on how we age and the role of stress and well-being. They will also address what we can do to improve mental health and slow aging.

Hear more on how to develop a more robust mindset and “stress better.”

SPEAKERS

Elissa Epel

Ph.D., Director of the Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center, University of California San Francisco; Co-author, The Telomere Effect; Author, The Stress Prescription: Seven Days to More Joy and Ease

In Conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn

Nobel Laureate, Morris Herzstein Professor of Biology and Physiology, University of California San Francisco; Co-author, The Telomere Effect

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 17th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Activism, Art and Environmental Justice Jan 20, 2023

Art can inspire community and conversation, provide fresh insights into understanding history, and cultivate connection. It can challenge your worldview and shift perspectives. This week we discuss how art and activism can work together to elevate some of the vast inequities that exist between those who benefit from fossil fuel energy and resource extraction and those who suffer its impacts.

Guests:

Ladonna Williams, Program Director, All Positives Possible

Doug Harris, documentary filmmaker

Christine Abadilla Fogarty, Associate Director, Global Museum at San Francisco State University

Sofía Córdova, multimedia artist and musician

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Getting Justice Right: The Business Case for Second Chance Hiring Jan 19, 2023

Jeff Korzenik will be in conversation with Ken Oliver, the executive director of San Francisco-based Checkr Foundation. Oliver leads one of the country’s most important initiatives for encouraging second chance/fair chance hiring within technology and other industries. With perspective gained from his own experience incarcerated in the California prison system, Oliver will question Korzenik on the origins on the business perspective on people involved in the justice system, the barriers to employment faced by returning citizens, and why he believes business is a critical partner to a more just world. The conversation will rely heavily on real-world examples or success and the necessary investments employers must make for fair chance hiring to succeed in business terms.

Jeffrey Korzenik is the author of Untapped Talent: How Second Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community (HarperCollins Leadership, April 2021). The chief investment strategist for one of the country’s largest commercial banks, Korzenik is an unlikely advocate for those with a criminal record. From speaking engagements to his regular appearances on CNBC, Bloomberg and Fox Business News, and in his articles in Harvard Business Review, the Stanford Social Innovation Review and numerous regional outlets, Korzenik argues that offering career opportunities to those overlooked because of a mistake in the past are our single best solution to our labor shortage. Such second chance/fair chance hiring, in his view, not only strengthens the economy, but offers a critical path to safer and healthier communities. In 2020, Korzenik was elected to membership in the Council on Criminal Justice in recognition of his work on the intersection of the labor force and the justice system. Korzenik is a graduate of Princeton University and has served on numerous nonprofit boards.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patrick O'Reilly

SPEAKERS

Jeffrey Korzenik

Author, Untapped Talent: How Second Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community

Ken Oliver

Executive Director, Checkr Foundation

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Carter Center's Alexander And Packard's Lindborg: Combating Threats To Democracy Jan 17, 2023

Democracy is under siege—in the United States and around the globe. Efforts to undermine democracy erode human rights, destabilize governments, and exacerbate global health crises.

Join Nancy Lindborg, president and CEO of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander for a conversation about the evolving threats to democracy—and a new framework for action to mitigate the risks.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Coping with Climate through Music Jan 13, 2023

Music and social movements have historically gone hand in hand. Folk music played a unifying role for the labor movements in the United States. Music was central to the protests against the Vietnam War and in favor of Civil Rights. As more people become aware of the climate crisis, music is starting to reflect that. But there is still no one song or artist inspiring climate action the way music catalyzed other movements. Why aren’t more musical artists raising the alarm over the growing climate catastrophe? And for the artists who are, how do they express the anxiety and grief that they and their listeners are experiencing?

Guests:

Tamara Lindeman, Musician, The Weather Station

Jayson Greene, Contributing Editor, Pitchfork

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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'Navalny' Documentary Film Screening And Discussion Jan 12, 2023

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last reported in November that he had been placed in permanent solitary confinement in the Russian penal colony where he is serving an 11-year sentence. This is just the latest attempt to silence the longtime anti-corruption activist and foe of Vladimir Putin.

Navalny was famously hospitalized in 2020 after being poisoned by a Russian-developed nerve agent. The gripping 2022 documentary Navalny chronicles his efforts to investigate his own poisoning . . . with shocking results. One of Navalny’s allies has called the film “life insurance” for the jailed opposition leader, since it is keeping him and his cause in the public consciousness.

Join us for a screening and discussion with the director of Navalny, which made the shortlist for the 2023 Academy Award for Best Documentary.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Molly Wood on Tech, Money and Survival Jan 06, 2023

After a 20-year career as a tech reporter for CNET, the New York Times, and the public radio program Marketplace, Molly Wood has come to see the climate crisis as an engineering problem requiring an acceleration of investment. And so, after producing the acclaimed climate podcast “How We Survive” for Marketplace, she left that program to begin a new career in venture capital. What are the limits of media in changing human behavior? And what is the role of capital in addressing the climate crisis, even while considering that capitalism itself may be incompatible with survival?

Guests:

Molly Wood, Climate Solutions Investor, Podcaster

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CLIMATE ONE: Revisiting The Enablers: The Firms Behind Fossil Fuel Falsehoods Dec 30, 2022

For years, fossil fuel companies have claimed to support climate science and policy. Many have recently pledged to hit net zero emissions by midcentury. Yet behind the scenes, they fight those very same policies through industry associations, shadow groups, and lobbying – all while spending vast sums on advertising and PR campaigns touting their climate commitments. This week we focus on the PR and consultancy firms helping fossil fuel companies delay the transition to clean energy while claiming they are on the side of climate protection.

Guests:

Michael Forsythe, Reporter, New York Times

Dr. Benjamin Franta, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Climate Litigation Lab, Oxford Sustainable Law Programme.

Jamie Henn, Founder and Director, Fossil Free Media

Christine Arena, former Executive Vice President, Edelman; Founder, Generous Films

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Addressing HIV/Aids, PREP And STI After The Pandemic Dec 24, 2022

In what we hope is the late phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we'll take a look at other long-running issues relating to health care, healthy living, and access to care for the LGBTQ+ community. Our expert panelists for this discussion are leaders in the efforts to reach LGBTQ+ people, informing them and connecting them to appropriate health care services.

About the Speakers

Dr. Monica Ghandi, M.D., M.P.H., was a recipient of The Commonwealth Club's Distinguished Citizens Award in 2021. She is an infectious diseases doctor, professor of medicine and associate chief in the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is also the director of the UCSF Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) and the medical director of the HIV Clinic ("Ward 86") at San Francisco General Hospital.

Craig Rouskey is the co-founder and CEO of Renegade.bio. Rouskey was also a co-founder and CSO at Pando Nutrition, an animal nutrition company. At Avant Immunotherapeutics, he worked on vaccine projects against avian influenza (H5N1) and anthrax. He co-founded the Gonorrhea Eradication Team (GET) and served as principal scientist for the Immunity Project, creating an open source vaccine against HIV. Rouskey has also served as a scientist in the Antibody Therapy Group at Novartis and in product development with the Next Generation Sequencing group at Thermofisher.

Antwan Matthews, BS, serves as director of youth programs at Code Tenderloin and is a consultant. A leader in the community, he previously served as a LINCS Navigator with the San Francisco Department of Public Health. He has been an advocate on many issues connected to the National AIDS Memorial, having served on its board of directors and being a recipient of the Pedro Zamora Youth Scholarship. His work includes being a sexual and reproductive health advocate who cares deeply about the physical, emotional, and psychological health of individuals globally, especially the Black community. His career includes working at Glide and Peer HEALTH Educators. His work today continues around supporting, educating, advising, teaching, and healing people receiving health care impacted by the history of medical abuse inflicted on communities of color. Antwan uses his voice to raise issues about health and social justice. You can read some of his work here.

Dr. Alexis Petra, M.D. is the founder and CEO of TransClinique. Petra was a practicing emergency medicine physician for more than 10 years prior to founding TransClinique. In 2019, she was named one of Phoenix magazine’s Top Doctors in the Valley. Dr. Petra is board-certified in emergency medicine and licensed in more than 30 states. She is a member in good standing with WPATH. Petra has been personally and professionally involved in the transgender and non-binary community for more than 20 years. She founded TransClinique in April 2020 to give back to and create a safe space for members of the community to receive care. She provides hormone replacement therapy (HRT), letters of referral, and trans life coaching across the country through telemedicine. As a trans woman herself, Alexis understands the unique needs that members of this community have and knows firsthand both the hardships and rewards of the journey. Learn more at her website.

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CLIMATE ONE: This Year in Climate Dec 23, 2022

Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine sent shockwaves through global energy markets, destabilized international food security, and continues to keep the world wondering whether the war will accelerate the transition to clean energy or lead to renewed dependence on fossil fuels. Climate One hosts Greg Dalton and Ariana Brocious review the top climate stories of the year, from the war’s global impacts, to the passage and signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, to the recent international climate summit in Egypt. This special episode features excerpts from some of Climate One’s most profound interviews of 2022, including conversations with such luminaries as Jamie Raskin, Wanjira Mathai, and Anand Giridharadas.

Guests:

Roman Zinchenko, Co-founder, Greencubator

Amy Myers Jaffe, Director of NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab

Gina McCarthy, Former White House Climate Advisor, Former EPA Administrator

Jamie Raskin, U.S. Representative, Maryland’s 8th Congressional District

Anand Giridharadas, Author, The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy

Chloe Maxmin, Maine State Senator

Wanjira Mathai, Vice President and Regional Director for Africa, World Resources Institute

David Munene, Programs Manager, Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa

Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, Reporter, The Guardian; Host of An Impossible Choice podcast

David Wallace-Wells, Columnist, New York Times Magazine; Author of The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming

Gavin McCormick, Co-founder, Climate TRACE

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Hon. M. Margaret Mckeown: The Environmental Legacy Of Justice William O. Douglas Dec 21, 2022

An undeniable giant in the legal world, U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas’s enduring legacy was his advocacy for the environment.

He emerged as a true citizen justice through his speeches and articles warning against environmental dangers like logging, highway construction, and pollution. Justice Douglas’ actions were admired by conservation groups but often raised ethical dilemmas among his colleagues at the Supreme Court.

Judge M. Margaret McKeown offers an insightful look at the lasting contributions that Justice Douglas made to both the physical environment and environmental law and how his work lives on today.

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Libby Schaaf And Sam Liccardo On The Future Of The Bay Area Dec 18, 2022

When Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and San José Mayor Sam Liccardo took office in 2015, they knew they would be grappling with issues such as homelessness, a widening income gap, and concerns over gun violence and police reform. They couldn’t have predicted they’d also be dealing with the deadliest pandemic in U.S. history.

As Mayors Schaaf and Liccardo both prepare to leave office, we’ll talk with them about their legacies, the future of Bay Area cities, and how leaders can prepare for the unexpected.

(EXPLICIT)

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Addressing Youth Mental Health: An Equitable Path Forward Dec 16, 2022

Join us for an end-of-year discussion with youth activists about mental health.

We'll discuss how youth mental heath experiences can lead to mental health advocacy, specifically state-level advocacy and philanthropic funding. Only 2 percent of philanthropic dollars currently goes toward mental health funding, and many youth advocates are calling for more equitable use of philanthropic contributions in mental health initiatives. We'll also discuss how many youth have personal experiences with mental health that fuels their current passions.

So reserve your free tickets now for this important program. Following the discussion, we'll have a reception on our beautiful rooftop deck with food and art.

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CLIMATE ONE: Stefan Rahmstorf: 2022 Schneider Award Winner Dec 16, 2022

Every year, Climate One grants an award in memory of pioneering climate scientist Steve Schneider, who fiercely took on the denial machine from the 1970s until his death in 2010. This year's recipient is German physicist and ocean expert Dr. Stefan Rahmstorf. Dr. Rahmstorf says we’re running toward a cliff in a fog. What can science tell us where that cliff is – and how to avoid it?

In a time of oceanic changes happening at an unprecedented pace, Dr. Rahmstorf exemplifies the rare combination of superb scientist and powerful communicator. He works to convey the impact of climate disruption on ocean currents, sea level rise, and increasing extreme weather events fueled by warmer oceans.

We also talk with past Schneider Award winner Ayana Elizabeth Johnson about the need for broader inclusion among climate leaders. What can the study of past ice ages tell us about our climate future? And what should be the role of scientists in the public sphere?

Guests:

Stefan Rahmstorf, Co-Head of Research, Department on Earth System Analysis of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK); Professor of Physics of the Oceans, University of Potsdam

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist, writer

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Mark Millstein, Ph.D.: The Age-Proof Brain Dec 14, 2022

As American society ages, there is growing concern and interest about the causes of mental decline and how to slow it. However, serious mental decline is not an inevitable part of the aging process, according to popular scientist Dr. Marc Millstein. According to him, people can boost short- and long-term brain health and significantly lower the risk of dementia if the right steps are taken now.

In his new book, The Age-Proof Brain, Dr. Milstein reveals his secrets to improving brain function, which he says lie in the brain’s surprising connection with the rest of the body. Debunking common misinformation, the book offers science-driven strategies focused on improving memory and productivity, increasing energy and boosting your mood, reducing the risk of anxiety and depression, and preventing nongenetic Alzheimer’s and dementia. Dr. Millstein believes that small changes can make a big difference right away.

Please join us for an important program that can provide tools people need to ensure a happy and healthier future.

MLF ORGANIZER

Robbie Kilpatrick

SPEAKERS

Mark Millstein

Scientist; Researcher; Author, The Age-Proof Brain: New Strategies to Improve Memory, Protect Immunity, and Fight Off Dementia

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

Ph.D., Chief Strategic Development Officer, Phenome Health; Chair, Health and Medicine Member-Led Forum—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 12th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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On the Road to a World Without Depression Dec 13, 2022

Although there are many effective treatments for depression, rates of depression are not going down. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine have recommended that we implement currently known effective preventive interventions for depression to reduce the number of new cases.

This talk will present a personal 50-year path committed to preventing mental disorders and influencing major health-science institutions to implement practices to prevent depression; examples of the types of prevention interventions currently available, with illustrations of the methods that have been found most useful (so that lay persons in a broad audience can envision what can be done to prevent clinical depression); a focus on preventing depression during pregnancy and postpartum, the benefit to the mother and to the baby, and how the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended that pregnant persons at risk for depression be provided with preventive interventions that have been shown to be effective—and how doing this can have lifetime impact on the health of the babies; how digital tools can be harnessed to reach as many people as possible with these interventions, making it possible to “think globally, act locally and share globally.”

Given that we can now prevent half the cases of clinical depression, what needs to be done to prevent the other half? Bottom Line: The health sciences have made major progress in terms of learning how to prevent depression. We now need to act by putting these methods into practice and reduce much of the suffering due to depression.

About the Speaker

Ricardo F. Muñoz, Ph.D., emigrated from Perú at age 10. He obtained his B.A. from Stanford in 1972 and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Oregon in 1977. He was named distinguished professor of clinical psychology at Palo Alto University in 2012, where he is the founding director of i4Health, the Institute for International Internet Interventions for Health (i4health.paloaltou.edu). He is professor of psychology, emeritus, at the School of Medicine of the University of California, San Francisco, based at San Francisco General Hospital, where he taught and did clinical work and research for 35 years, and adjunct clinical professor at Stanford University. Muñoz has served on three U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Consensus Committees on prevention of mental disorders. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “for distinguished contributions towards the prevention of major depression and the development of Internet interventions to improve mental health worldwide.”

SPEAKERS

Ricardo F. Muñoz

Ph.D., Founding Director, i4Health; Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco

Patrick O'Reilly

Ph.D., Chair, Psychology Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 8th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Inside Perspective on the San Francisco Waterfront and Its Impact Beyond the Bay Area Dec 10, 2022

Join us for a conversation with Elaine Forbes, the Port of San Francisco's executive director. Forbes will shed light on Port strategy and managing the 7.5. miles of San Francisco's waterfront, and its impact on the economic vitality of the Bay Area and beyond.

About the Speaker

Elaine Forbes is the executive director of the Port of San Francisco. She is a passionate champion and advocate for the San Francisco waterfront. An innovative and compassionate leader, she has provided a steady hand at the helm during a period of great change and a global pandemic. Mayor Edwin M. Lee appointed Director Forbes in 2016.

Forbes is leading the Port and public through a waterfront renaissance. Central to her work is ensuring that all new developments on the waterfront align with key Port objectives of economic recovery, equity, and resilience. Due to her leadership, neighborhood communities at Pier 70, Mission Rock, and 88 Broadway provide more open space, new affordable homes, and robust climate change measures to ensure the new developments will serve future generations. She secured a $425 million bond from San Francisco voters, and additional resources from agencies, to create a safer and more resilient Embarcadero. As the guardian of the public’s historic resources and open space, she is addressing the capital deferred maintenance of the historic Embarcadero piers.

Deeply committed to an open and accessible waterfront, Forbes has expanded open space and bay access for the public. She has overseen the addition of several acres of open space, creating more public access to nature and the bay. One of the signature park openings is Crane Cove Park, a seven-acre southern bayfront park that contributes to and expands the Port’s necklace of public open spaces along San Francisco’s iconic waterfront.

MLF ORGANIZER

Linda Calhoun

SPEAKERS

Elaine Forbes

Executive Director, Port of San Francisco

Linda Calhoun

Chair, International Relations Member-led Forum—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 15th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Andrew Weiss: Who Is Vladimir Putin Dec 09, 2022

Who is Vladimir Putin?

In the West’s collective imagination, Putin is a deceitful cartoon villain, constantly plotting to destroy his enemies not only in Ukraine but around the world. But how did a mid-level KGB officer become one of the most powerful leaders in Russian history?

In a unique graphic novel format, Russian expert Andrew Weiss chronicles Putin's political rise and reveals the truth behind the persona that Putin has spent his career cultivating. Weiss offers a compelling look at the myths surrounding Putin as a take-no-prisoners political mastermind and exposes who is really behind the façade.

Andrew Weiss is the James Family Chair and vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he oversees research in Washington and Moscow on Russia and Eurasia. He previously served as director for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian Affairs on the National Security Council staff and was a member of the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush.

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CLIMATE ONE: Green Buildings: Cooking Without Gas Dec 09, 2022

It’s become common for homeowners to install solar panels to provide themselves with emission-free electricity. But increasingly more attention is being paid to decarbonizing things inside the home – the machines that heat and cool water and air, dry our clothes and cook our food. The Inflation Reduction Act includes many ways for homeowners and renters to start to electrify their lives. And in some places, builders are developing highly efficient, all electric homes from the get-go. What more is needed to make our buildings greener and get away from fossil fuels?

Guests:

Mark Chambers, Sr. Director Building Emissions & Community Resilience, White House Council on Environmental Quality

Bruce Nilles, Executive Director, Climate Imperative

Contributing Producer: Cody Short, WBHM

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Astronomer Andrew Fraknoi: 50 Years Since Our First Step Dec 08, 2022

What Do We Know About the Moon?

July 20, 2019 is the 50th anniversary of humanity’s first steps on the surface of the moon. In that time, the Apollo missions, a fleet of robotic probes and observations from Earth have taught us a lot about Earth’s surprising satellite. In this nontechnical talk, Andrew Fraknoi, who is sometimes called the Bay Area’s public astronomer, will look at the past, present and future of the moon, including its violent origins, the mystery of the frozen water we have found at its poles and its long-term future as it moves farther and farther away from us. Illustrated with beautiful images taken from orbit and on the surface, his talk will make the moon come alive as an eerie world next door, as a changing object in our skies, and as a possible future destination for humanity and its ambitions. Come find out how the achievements of the Apollo program fit into the bigger picture of our involvement with our only natural satellite.

Fraknoi recently retired as the chair of the astronomy department at Foothill College and now teaches noncredit astronomy courses for seniors at the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Francisco State. He also served as the executive director of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for 14 years and was named the California professor of the year in 2007. Fraknoi appears regularly on local and national radio, explaining astronomical developments in everyday language. The International Astronomical Union has named Asteroid 4859 after Fraknoi in honor of his contributions to the public understanding of science.

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Julia Morgan Dec 08, 2022

Julia Morgan was a lifelong trailblazer. She was the first woman admitted to study architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and the first licensed to practice architecture in California. Born in San Francisco and trained in Paris, she developed a distinctive aesthetic that now defines certain regions of California. But only in the last 20 years has her contribution to architecture been fully recognized and celebrated. In 2014, the American Institute of Architects posthumously awarded her its Gold Medal; she is the first female recipient. Victoria Kastner has spent years compiling photographs, interviews, letters, drawings, and diaries—including material never published before—to create a comprehensive portrait of this amazing woman.

Of Julia Morgan’s remarkable 700 creations, from hotels to churches to private homes, the most iconic is Hearst Castle. She spent 30 years constructing this opulent estate on the California coast for the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, forging a lifelong friendship and creative partnership with him. Together they built a spectacular and perhaps unequalled residence that once hosted the biggest stars of Hollywood's golden age, and that now welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

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Indivisible: Daniel Webster And The Birth Of American Nationalism Dec 08, 2022

When the United States was founded in 1776, its citizens didn’t think of themselves as “Americans.” They were New Yorkers or Virginians or Pennsylvanians. It was decades later that the seeds of American nationalism—identifying with one’s own nation and supporting its broader interests—began to take root. But what kind of nationalism should Americans embrace? The state-focused and racist nationalism of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson? Or the belief that the U.S. Constitution made all Americans one nation, indivisible, which Daniel Webster and others espoused?

Paul tells the fascinating story of how Webster, a young Dartmouth graduate and New Hampshire attorney, rose to political prominence by capturing the national imagination through his powerful oratory and unwavering belief in the United States. In his speeches—on the floors of the House and the Senate, in court, and as secretary of state—Webster argued that the Constitution was not a compact made by states but an expression of the will of all Americans. As the greatest orator of his age, Webster saw his speeches and writings published widely, and his stirring rhetoric convinced Americans to see themselves differently, as a nation bound together by a government of laws, not parochial interests. As these ideas took root, they influenced future leaders, among them Abraham Lincoln, who drew on them to hold the nation together during the Civil War.

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Myths And Facts Of Healthy Aging Dec 08, 2022

Dr. Mehrdad Ayati has identified eight critical challenges that currently face the aging population. Join Us at the Club for a discussion on healthy aging and Dr. Ayati’s proposed solutions to these critical challenges.

Topics will include global aging trends and demographics, over medications, inappropriate use of vitamins and supplements to stay young, promoting healthy aging rather than just a diagnostic system, and lack of training in health care. Plus, what are the lessons that we have learned from the pandemic? How will it affect the future of our aging population?

Dr Ayati is well-known nationally and internationally in the field of geriatric medicine, as a physician, speaker, author, and an educator. As the medical advisor to the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, he raises awareness and provides advice on aging and challenges faced by the aging population in the United States. Dr. Ayati is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of General Medicine, Open Access, and co-author of Paths to Healthy Aging. He is currently a member of the Ethnogeriatric and Quality & Policy Performance Committees of the American Geriatrics Society. He also serves as a community health advisor for Alzheimer's Association, Northern California, and Nevada Chapter.

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Peter Zeihan: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization Dec 08, 2022

Was 2019 the last great year for the world economy? For generations, everything has been getting faster, better and cheaper. Complex, innovative industries were created to satisfy consumers, but are we at the brink of not being able to sustain ongoing demand?

Geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan asserts it is only a matter of time before major changes will start to unfold that will affect how we manufacture goods, grow food and produce energy. Additionally, the list of countries able to sustain this model is much smaller than you might think.

Zeihan issues an urgent call to avoid what he sees as a catastrophic ending and maps out what the “next” world will look like.

NOTES

This program is supported by the Ken & Jaclyn Broad Family Fund.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

SPEAKERS

Peter Zeihan

Author, The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization; Twitter @PeterZeihan

Quentin Hardy

Head of Editorial, Google Cloud

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 2nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Humanities West Presents Leonardo The Scientist-Artist Dec 08, 2022

Five centuries after his death, Leonardo Da Vinci is attracting more attention for his art, his science and his mechanical inventiveness than ever. Humanities West celebrates his continuing cultural contributions with an encore presentation of "Leonardo’s Legacy," our February 2019 program, again featuring Martin Kemp, a world-renowned Leonardo scholar, who will treat us this time to his latest research on Leonardo’s study of the science of optics and how that study influenced his artistic creations. And Deborah Loft will reprise her popular lecture, "Leonardo's Artistic Legacy: Homage and Irony," which looks at the visual elements that make his work distinctive, and follows his significance through time to our contemporary culture.

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Russ Feingold and Peter Prindiville: The Constitution in Jeopardy Dec 07, 2022

Over the last two decades, a fringe plan to call a convention under the Constitution's amendment mechanism—the nation's first ever—has inched through statehouses. Delegates, like those in Philadelphia two centuries ago, would exercise nearly unlimited authority to draft changes to our fundamental law, potentially altering anything from voting and free speech to regulatory and foreign policy powers. Such a watershed moment would present great danger, and for some, great power.

Russ Feingold and Peter Prindiville examine the nature of such constitutional changes in modern life and ask the urgent question about what American democracy is—and should be.

SPEAKERS

Russ Feingold

Former U.S. Senator (D-Wisconsin); President, American Constitution Society; Co-author, The Constitution in Jeopardy: An Unprecedented Effort to Rewrite Our Fundamental Law and What We Can Do About It; Twitter @russfeindgold

Peter Prindiville

Non-resident Fellow, Stanford Constitutional Law Center; Co-Author, The Constitution in Jeopardy: An Unprecedented Effort to Rewrite Our Fundamental Law and What We Can Do About It; Twitter @prindivillean

Melissa Caen

Attorney; Political Analyst—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 30th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mark Shaw: Fighting For Justice For Marilyn Monroe, JFK And Dorothy Kilgallen Dec 07, 2022

Best-selling author Mark Shaw, who has become a magnet for crowdsourced information about Marilyn Monroe, JFK and prominent journalist Dorothy Kilgallen ever since his lectures went viral on YouTube, returns to The Commonwealth Club to share new research about the cover-ups that followed those three celebrities’ deaths. Revealed for the first time in his latest book, Fighting for Justice, is evidence from a still-living legislative aide to a Warren Commission member never identified before that the inner workings of the commission involved “internal corruption,” and that commission members felt pressure from President Johnson, Chief Justice Earl Warren, and J. Edgar Hoover to support the “Oswald Alone” theory. Shaw also argues that that commission member was likely the one who surreptitiously passed Jack Ruby’s testimony to journalist Dorothy Kilgallen prior to its release date—triggering an FBI inquiry.

Join us to hear Shaw describe what a “rat’s nest” Marilyn fell into when she fell in love with Frank Sinatra, and to hear how important the almost unknown 18-month investigation into JFK’s assassination by Kilgallen would have been had all her research papers not disappeared when she mysteriously died. Continuing his quest for the truth about the deaths of Dorothy and Marilyn, Shaw adds new evidence to the pile, using first-hand accounts that he says make it clearer than ever that the official explanations for those deaths are not credible.

MLF ORGANIZER

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Misty Copeland: What I've Learned from My Mentor Raven Wilkinson Dec 06, 2022

In 2015, Misty Copeland made history and changed the dance world forever when she became the first African-American female principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. But as she will tell you, achievements like this never happen in a void. Behind her and supporting her rise was her mentor, Raven Wilkinson.

A trailblazer in the world of ballet, Wilkinson fought to be taken seriously as a Black ballerina in the 1950s and '60s. During this time Wilkinson faced overt and casual racism, hostile crowds, and death threats for having the audacity to dance ballet.

Copeland honors the unheralded contributions made by women like Wilkinson who helped pave the way so she could pursue her dream career.

She will also share more about her own journey, struggles with racism and exclusion, and intergenerational friendship and mentorship with Wilkinson.

NOTES

This program is generously supported by the Applied Materials Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Misty Copeland

Principal Dancer, American Ballet Theatre; Author, The Wind at My Back: Resilience, Grace, and Other Gifts from My Mentor, Raven Wilkinson; Twitter @mistyonpointe

In conversation with Mina Kim

Host, “Forum” on KQED; Twitter @mkimreporter

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 16th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Katherine Corcoran: A Murder, a Coverup, and the True Cost of Silencing the Press Dec 03, 2022

In 2012, Regina Martínez, a prominent journalist reporting on political corruption and abuse in Mexico, was found brutally murdered in her bathroom. This tragic act of violence sent a clear message: No journalist in Mexico was safe. Troubled by this news, Katherine Corcoran, then leading the Associated Press coverage of Mexico, traveled to Veracruz to uncover the truth about Martínez’s death.

Now Corcoran reveals what she learned during her investigation and recounts her own experiences battling cover-ups, narco-officials, red tape and even threats.

Hear more about this harrowing story as well as the ongoing dangers that journalists encounter everyday around the world.

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Katherine Corcoran

Former Associated Press Bureau Chief for Mexico and Central America; Author, In the Mouth of the Wolf: A Murder, a Cover-Up, and the True Cost of Silencing the Press

Janine Zacharia

Carlos Kelly McClatchy Lecturer, Department of Communication, Stanford University

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: What’s in My Air? Dec 02, 2022

Over a 20-year period, methane is 80 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Yet those responsible for releasing methane into the atmosphere often don’t even know how much they themselves are emitting. And methane is only one of many harmful air pollutants that result from our dependence on burning fossil fuels.

Now, research coalitions, citizen scientists and activists are using a slate of new tools to detect and report emissions. They’re also using many of the same tools to shine a light on exactly how and where other deadly fossil fuel pollutants, like nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, are affecting community health. Such data could become a critical tool for regulation, leading to greater emissions reductions.

Guests:

Davida Herzl, Co-founder and CEO, Aclima

Kendra Pinto, Four Corners Indigenous Community Field Advocate, Earthworks

Gavin McCormick, Co-founder, Climate TRACE

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Career Lessons From 100 Successful Women With Sara Holtz Dec 02, 2022

Sara Holtz, a former Fortune 500 vice president, is the author of Advice to My Younger Me: Career Lessons from 100 Successful Women and the host of the highly rated podcast "Advice to My Younger Me." She has interviewed hundreds of successful women about what they wish they had known earlier in their careers, has coached thousands, and has received the American Bar Association’s prestigious Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award in recognition of the impact that her work has had on helping women succeed.

We'll start the program with an overview of the main lessons Holtz has learned from her interviews about the critical steps to career success. Too many women (and men) expect that all they need to do is work hard on assigned tasks and they will be rewarded for their good work with raises and promotions. But that's a bit unrealistic; Holtz says that succeeding at your career requires taking responsibility for how it unfolds, understanding the unwritten rules in your workplace, nurturing and leveraging your career relationships, and taking smart risks.

After a brief presentation by Holtz, the in-person participants will break into small groups to discuss some common career challenges before regrouping for further discussion. There will also be a post-event reception with wine and cheese for more discussion and networking, along with a book signing.

Although this program will be available on live stream, come to the Club for the full experience that includes small groups, meet Sara and your peers, and maybe even have dinner afterward at a nearby restaurant!

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Bill Keller and Lenore Anderson: The Future Of Prisons, Public Safety, and Protecting Victims Rights Dec 02, 2022

Does mass incarceration make our communities safer? How can we better protect victim rights? What happens inside of prisons? Those are important questions that Lenore Anderson and Bill Keller address in their new books In Their Names and What's Prison For?

Anderson argues that the powerful myth that mass incarceration benefits victims obscures recognition of what most victims actually need to address their trauma. Based on her national reform advocacy work and time as the former chief of policy at the San Francisco District Attorney’s office and former director of public safety for the Oakland mayor, she offers her solutions on how we can close the gap between our public safety systems and crime survivors.

Keller looks at our broken criminal justice system and shares what happens inside prisons and jails, where nearly 2 million Americans are held. He takes us inside to meet men and woman who are making efforts to return back to society and talks about his own experience helping educate inmates at Sing Sing as well as other programs around the country.

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April Ryan: The Resilience and Power of Black Women Dec 02, 2022

From the beginning of the nation to today, Black women have transformed their pain into progress and have been at the frontlines of many of the nation’s political, social and economic struggles.

In her new book Black Women Will Save the World, April Ryan celebrates the tenacity, power and impact that Black women have had across America. She highlights trailblazing “sheroes” ranging from political leaders like Vice President Kamala Harris and Rep. Maxine Waters, activists like Brittany Packnett Cunningham, and artists like Regina King who fight for fairness and justice.

Ryan also chronicles her own journey from working-class Baltimore to the elite echelons of journalism and speaks candidly about the hurdles she faced in becoming one of the most well-connected members of the Washington press corps.

Ryan notes we are at a moment unlike any other in our nation’s history where we need to acknowledge the presence and unrivaled contributions of Black women. Hear more about how they continue to lead and drive change in our country.

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

April Ryan

White House Correspondent, The Grio; Political Analyst, CNN; Author, Black Women Will Save the World: An Anthem; Twitter @AprilDRyan

In Conversation with Sheryl Davis

Executive Director, San Francisco Human Rights Commission

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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"Stranger at the Gate" Film Screening and Discussion Dec 02, 2022

After 25 years of service, U.S. Marine Mac McKinney returned home to Indiana filled with an all-consuming rage and hatred toward the people he had been fighting against overseas.

Still fueled by his desire to fight for his country, McKinney makes a violent plan to bomb the local mosque. But when he comes face to face with the community of Afghan refugees and others of Muslim faith, his plan and life take an unexpected turn.

This documentary film explores the dynamics of patriotism, humanity and redemption. Following the film screening will be a panel discussion with Director Joshua Seftel, Bibi Bahrami and Mac McKinney.

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W. Kamau Bell and Kate Schatz: Do the Work! An Antiracist Guide Dec 02, 2022

Overwhelmed by racial injustice? Outraged by the news? Shocked by ugly events in American history?

If you find yourself asking “what can I do?”—W. Kamau Bell and Kate Schatz have an answer: Do the Work!

Bell and Schatz confront urgent issues on race and identity in America with sharp humor and interactive activities. They challenge us to have hard conversations, think critically, and act effectively about white privilege and Black disenfranchisement.

Hear more as Bell and Schatz offer a unique, hands-on understanding of systemic racism and, more important, how people can dismantle it.

*This podcast contains explicit language

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David Rothkopf: The Untold Story of the American Resistance to Save Our Country Dec 01, 2022

When federal employees start working for the U.S. Government, each person takes an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.” During the Trump administration, some employees surprisingly found themselves fighting their own commander-in-chief, creating a resistance movement within the government that created tensions throughout the executive branch and various federal agencies.

Political affairs analyst David Rothkopf chronicles the unprecedented role many in the government felt they were forced to play during this tumultuous time and the consequences they faced for their actions.

Rothkopf focuses on the experiences of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and his brother Yevgeny, Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, Fiona Hill, and others who felt they needed to speak out publicly to protect our country. These once-obscure federal bureaucrats rose to national prominence by choosing to fight for what they believed, and Rothkopf believes their stories of resistance need to be told to truly understand what was really at stake for our country.

SPEAKERS

David Rothkopf

Podcast Host; Visiting Professor, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University; Author, American Resistance: The Inside Story of How the Deep State Saved the Nation; Twitter @djrothkopf

Michael Krasny

Host, "Grey Matter with Michael Krasny"; Former Host, "KQED Forum"—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 10th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Bradley Hope: Inside the Secret Mission to Overthrow the North Korean Regime Nov 30, 2022

How did an Ivy League activist become a global fugitive?

Journalist Bradley Hope chronicles the heart-pounding tale of Adrian Hong, a self-taught operative who tried to bring down the North Korean regime.

In addition to helping asylum-seeking North Koreans escape across the border, Hong and his secret organization Cheollima Civil Defense (later named Free Joseon), began tracking the North Korean government’s activities and its volatile third-generation ruler, Kim Jong-un.

Hear more about the high-stakes events that led Hong to become one of the world’s most unlikely fugitives.

SPEAKERS

Bradley Hope

Co-founder, Project Brazen; Author, The Rebel and the Kingdom: The True Story of the Secret Mission to Overthrow the North Korean Regime

Quentin Hardy

Head of Editorial, Google Cloud—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 8th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Cutting Edge: Treating Depression Safely and Successfully Nov 30, 2022

We are living through a transformative time in mental health research. There is overwhelming demand for new and safe ways of addressing various states of depression. Dr. Nolan Williams and Stanford University are leaders in cutting-edge research that is generating worldwide attention.

Attend this fascinating program to learn what is currently being done in research settings as well as the breakthrough technology that is in the process of being developed so it can be in every medical setting and available to people who need treatment and support.

At Stanford, Dr. William’s Brain Stimulation Lab developed a now-FDA-cleared, personalized, accelerated neuromodulation treatment known as Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy (SAINT). The innovative SAINT approach is having a very positive impact on the treatment of severe depression. In a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, high doses of magnetic brain stimulation, given on an accelerated timeline and individually targeted, brought rapid remission to 79 percent of trial participants with severe depression compared to people in the sham treatment arm, where 13 percent of the people entered remission.

The SAINT approach provides a novel form of rapid-acting, non-invasive, individually targeted neuromodulation that uses electromagnetic pulses to relieve symptoms of treatment-resistant depression. For the first time, advanced tools for processing MRI-based images of the brain are used to steer a specialized, high-dose pattern of magnetic pulses to induce neurons to fire. The stimulation modifies activity in brain networks related to depression, changing the brain’s circuitry to more effectively treat major depression.

SAINT has additionally been studied in open-label studies. Overall, the therapy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder, with approximately 80–90 percent of patients achieving remission of depression symptoms following the five-day treatment protocol.

Dr. Williams has been interviewed extensively by the media and has appeared on programs such as "CBS News Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley," "The Today show" on NBC, and on NPR, discussing the benefits of SAINT for relieving symptoms of treatment-resistant depression.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Nolan Williams

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Director of the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab, Stanford University

Adrea Brier

CNHP, CLC, Integrative Cancer Consultant and Advocate—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 8th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Muppets in Moscow Nov 30, 2022

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, against a backdrop of massive cultural shifts, violence and political upheaval, Natasha Lance Rogoff took on the challenge of creating a program that had never existed before, Ulitsa Sezam, a Russian version of Sesame Street. This new children’s television program, produced by a Russian-American team, was designed to introduce children into the world of learning in a very joyful way.

What started as an attempt to entertain and educate millions of children across the former U.S.S.R., encouraging tolerance and inclusion, spiraled into the astonishing true story of culture clashes shaping all aspects of production. On the set, the production team navigated conflicts about topics like diversity, class, and even the notion of encouraging children’s optimism about the future. Meanwhile, off the set, there were car bombings, assassinations of the show’s top broadcast partners, and hostile takeovers of the production studios.

Muppets in Moscow is as much about the work that went into the show and how rewarding it was to bring such a popular American program to the former U.S.S.R., as it is about navigating the Russian television landscape in the 1990s and stretching the limits of freedom of expression in a society unaccustomed to such freedoms.

While Ulitsa Sezam ended in 2007 along with many other independently produced programs shut down by Putin’s government, a generation of Russian children grew up watching it. The show’s history offers a valuable perspective of Russia and its people that remains relevant today. Join us as Natasha Lance Rogoff sheds light on the core values and beliefs that shaped Russia during this tumultuous period and the clashes that continue to play out today between Putin’s Russia and the West.

SPEAKERS

Natasha Lance Rogoff

Journalist; Television Producer; Filmmaker; Author, Muppets in Moscow

Leslie Dixon

Screenwriter; Film Producer—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 17th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Yvon Chouinard: Giving It All Away Nov 25, 2022

Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard made headlines recently when he announced that he and his family had transferred their $3 billion stake in the storied outdoor gear company to a special purpose trust and nonprofit that would give away $100 million a year, specifically to environmental causes. Patagonia has a long history of donating at least one percent of its profits – and 100% of profits made on Black Friday – to grassroots environmental non-profits. Yet even with this massive gift, and Laurene Powell Jobs’ own recent $3.5 billion pledge, climate philanthropy still only accounts for a small fraction of all charitable giving. This Thanksgiving weekend, we look back to our 2016 interview with Yvon Chouinard and bring the story up to date with Inside Philanthropy’s Michael Kavate.

Guests:

Yvon Chouinard, Founder, Patagonia

Michael Kavate, Staff Writer, Inside Philanthropy

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Aric Prather: How to Get a Good Night's Sleep Nov 21, 2022

We all need sleep to survive. It is essential to our physical and mental wellbeing and just as important as food, water and oxygen. So why do so many of us struggle to get a good night’s rest?

Dr. Aric Prather runs one of the world’s most successful sleep clinics and shares effective techniques that he uses to help his own patients achieve healing and restorative sleep.

Hear more about this powerful plan to improve your quality of sleep in just seven days.

NOTES

The Commonwealth Club is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our online programming.

SPEAKERS

Aric A. Prather

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco; Author, The Sleep Prescription: Seven Days to Unlocking Your Best Rest

Mark Zitter

Founder, Zetema Project; Member, Commonwealth Club of California Board of Governors—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 7th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Humanities West Presents Ramses the Great Nov 20, 2022

Ramses the Great ruled Egypt more than 3,200 years ago, but he made sure we would still be talking about him today. He ruled for 67 years, probably starting on May 31st (III Season of the Harvest, day 27 to ancient Egyptians) in 1279 BC. He soon set about creating a new capital city in the Nile delta, where he had chariot, weapon and shield factories built. Not long thereafter he defeated the Sherden pirates who were seriously harassing sea traders in the Mediterranean, and “won” the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites in the largest chariot battle ever fought. He also had enormous temples, obelisks and statues erected all over the New Kingdom, and ordered lots of gold objects.

Dozens of those objects are on display until February 12 at the de Young Museum in a state-of-the-art exhibit featuring the greatest collection of Ramses objects and Egyptian jewelry ever to travel to the United States. Along with colossal royal sculpture, the exhibit highlights recently discovered animal mummies and treasures from the royal tombs of Dahshur and Tanis. Visitors can also immerse themselves in multimedia productions that re-create moments from Ramses’s life or take a virtual tour of Abu Simbel and Nefertari’s tomb. The de Young’s ancient art curator, Renée Dreyfus, will share with us the stories of some of these art objects and how the de Young organized this outstanding and rare exhibit.

Egyptologist Rita Lucarelli will explain the evolution of the funerary beliefs of ancient Egyptian society from their origins in prehistory to the time of Ramses. She will draw on her scholarly work on the Book of the Dead to discuss the magical texts found in royal and elite tombs and how they compare to the "personal piety" or "popular religion" of the Ramesside period, about which there are many sources to draw upon from that well-documented society.

Among those documents is the earliest known peace treaty in world history—between Ramses II and Hattušili III, the Hittite king. It was recorded in two versions―one in Egyptian hieroglyphs and the other in Hittite using a cuneiform script. The two versions are nearly identical, but in the Hittite version the Egyptians are the ones who sue for peace, while in the Egyptian version the Hittites are the ones who sue for peace. Some things never change.

SPEAKERS

Renée Dreyfus

George and Judy Marcus Distinguished Curator, Curator in Charge, Ancient Art, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, de Young / Legion of Honor

Rita Lucarelli

Associate Professor of Egyptology, Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, University of California, Berkeley; Faculty Curator of Egyptology, Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley; Fellow, Digital Humanities in Berkeley

George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 4th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Susan L. Shirk: Uncovering China's Past, Present and Future Nov 19, 2022

For decades, China’s ascension to power was promised to be peaceful, with the nation’s leaders adopting a restrained approach to foreign policy and reassuring the outside world of their non-combative intentions. What changed?

Susan L. Shirk provides a sobering, behind-the-scenes account of China’s transformation from fragile superpower to global heavyweight—threatening Taiwan, tightening its grip on Hong Kong, and openly challenging the United States for economic and military dominance.

Hear more about China’s future and what that could mean for the United States and the rest of the world.

SPEAKERS

Susan L. Shirk

Research Professor and Chair of the 21st Century China Center, The School of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California, San Diego; Author, Overreach: How China Derailed Its Peaceful Rise

Jane Perlez

Foreign Correspondent and Former Beijing Bureau Chief, The New York Times—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Senator Sheldon Whitehouse: Dark Money, The Supreme Court, and What Comes Next Nov 19, 2022

As a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse reveals how special interest groups are using “dark money” to influence and control our courts.

In 2020, Sen. Whitehouse raised these alarming concerns during the Amy Coney Barrett hearing. He asserts that a group consisting of billionaires and corporations are using their wealth and power to back appointees and nominees that will advance a right-wing agenda and policies.

Hear more about these growing implications and what this ultimately means for the future of our country.

SPEAKERS

Sheldon Whitehouse

U.S. Senator (D-RI); Author, The Scheme: How the Right Wing Used Dark Money to Capture the Supreme Court; Twitter @SenWhitehouse

In Conversation with Melissa Caen

Political Analyst; Attorney

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 7th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: In Person at COP27: Funding the Global Energy Transition Nov 18, 2022

Climate One has been at this year's UN climate summit, COP27, where one of the issues at the forefront of the conversation has been “loss and damage” – the idea that rich countries who have historically emitted the vast majority of climate-disrupting pollution should have to pay for the resulting suffering borne by those least responsible for the problem. At the same time, the whole world needs to drastically reduce its emissions and transition to clean energy – and that costs money, too.

When even wealthy countries struggle to meet self imposed goals to cut down on carbon pollution, how can developing countries, who are already suffering the effects of the climate crisis, fund their own moves to clean energy?

Guests:

Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, UN Climate Change High-Level Champions’ Special Advisor, Africa Director

Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, Council on Energy, Environment and Water

Alastair Marsh, Reporter, Bloomberg

Johnson Cerda, DGM Global

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Steve Phillips: How We Can Secure a Multiracial Democracy Nov 17, 2022

As America faces another election as a deeply divided country, Steve Phillips has strong views on what the United States needs to do to strengthen its multiracial democracy. For Phillips, understanding why the country is so divided requires recognizing that many of our divisions are historic in nature, resulting in a contest between democracy and white supremacy that is still left unresolved after the Civil War.

In his new book, How We Win the Civil War, Phillips pulls no punches on what he thinks the country must do to bridge its divides, particularly around issues related to race. Phillips advocates for increasing voter participation, ending what he says are racist immigration policies, and reviving the Great Society programs of the 1960s—all of them geared toward strengthening a new multiracial democracy and ridding our politics of white supremacy.

Join us for a powerful conversation on race, history, politics and finally overcoming our divisions.

SPEAKERS

Steve Phillips

Podcast Host, Founder, "Democracy in Color"; Author, How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good; Twitter @StevePtweets

In Conversation with Angela Glover Blackwell

Founder in Residence, PolicyLink

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Leslie Absher: Spy Daughter, Queer Girl Nov 16, 2022

For Leslie Absher, secrecy is just another member of the family. Throughout childhood, her father's shadowy government job was ill-defined, her mother's mental health stayed off limits—even her queer identity remained hidden from her family and unacknowledged by Leslie herself.

In Spy Daughter, Queer Girl, Absher pursues the truth: of her family, her identity, and her father's role in Greece's CIA-backed junta. As a guide, Absher brings readers to the shade of plane trees in Greece, to queer discos in Boston, and to tense diner meals with her aging CIA father. As a memoirist, Absher renders a lifetime of hazy, shapeshifting truths in high-definition vibrance.

Infused with a journalist's tenacity and a daughter's open heart, this book recounts a decades' long process of discovery and the reason why the facts should matter to us all.

About the SpeakerLeslie Absher is a journalist and personal essay writer. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, Salon, Ms., Greek Reporter, and San Francisco magazine. Her father joined the CIA when she was a baby and shortly after her family moved to Athens, Greece. Just in time for a coup. She spent years trying to learn what her Cold War father's role was in that event. Her memoir Spy Daughter, Queer Girl is about growing up with a spy and the cost of keeping secrets.She received a master's in education from Harvard, taught G.E.D. to high school dropouts, and currently teaches study skills and writing to middle school and high school students. She lives in Oakland with her comic book writer/artist wife.www.leslieabsher.com

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Leslie Absher

Journalist; Author, Spy Daughter, Queer Girl; Twitter @leslieabsher

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Can We Eat Our Way Out of Climate Change? Nov 16, 2022

Providing nutritious, safe and affordable food in the face of the Earth’s changing climate is an urgent global challenge. How can we produce enough food for everyone at the same time as improving our relationship with our environment? And can what we eat contribute to a more sustainable future for communities on the West Coast, across North America and around the world?

Join the conversation with Peter Dhillon, chairman of Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., and Steve Banwart, dean for global development at the University of Leeds, as they explore how we begin to tackle the tensions between climate change and food supply.

They’ll discuss how fostering closer collaboration and partnership between researchers, food producers, policymakers, communities and businesses worldwide will help us find pathways toward a radically different global food system—one that works with nature and adapts to our changing climate. They’ll also delve into how we challenge assumptions to break new ground in developing climate-smart, socially just solutions that will create a positive future for our people and planet.

As the first Canadian chairman of Ocean Spray, Peter Dhillon has experienced first hand what it takes to build a global plant-based cooperative that remains closely connected to first nation, indigenous and immigrant communities. As chair of the the British Columbia Food Security Task Force, he was also instrumental in providing recommendations to the Canadian government on agricultural development needed in the province, which relies heavily on imported produce from California.

Professor Steve Banwart is the dean for global development at the University of Leeds, and also the director of the Global Food and Environment Institute, which brings together leading scientists, engineers and social scientists working with universities, alumni, farmers and citizens around the world to find new solutions to enhance the future habitability of our planet.

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Autonomous Vehicles and the City 2022 Nov 15, 2022

What are the issues and opportunities for cities as autonomous vehicles hit the road? How can we plan for and accommodate new forms of transport and smart city infrastructure that serves the public good?

Join us on November 7 as a part of the 6th international Autonomous Vehicles and the City symposium. We will feature international discussions on the different ways that new platforms are being used to serve diverse populations and help global cities meet climate goals.

Join conversations with leaders from the following organizations and more: Motional, Nissan, Aurora, Smartcar, San Francisco County Transportation Authority, Cruise, Zoox, and Populus.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 7th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Over My Dead Body: A Lively Tour of Famous American Cemeteries Nov 12, 2022

Join us to explore the history of how, where and why we bury our dead. Melville will take us on a lively, wide-ranging tour of the history of famous American cemeteries—places that have mirrored passing eras but have also shaped them. Cemeteries gave birth to landscape architecture and famous parks, as well as influenced architectural styles. They’ve inspired and motivated some of our greatest poets and authors—Emerson, Whitman, Dickinson. They’ve also been used as political tools to shift the country’s discourse and as important symbols of the United States's ambition and geographical reach. But cemeteries are changing and starting to fade away in the 21st century. Burying embalmed bodies is incredibly toxic, and although cremations are now even more popular than burials, they’re not great for the environment either.

A summer job cutting grass at his hometown cemetery inspired Melville to explore every issue surrounding cemeteries—history, sustainability, land use, and more—but above all to think about what it really means to memorialize the lives of those we love.

SPEAKERS

Greg Melville

Journalist; Magazine Editor; Navy Veteran; English and Writing Teacher, United States Naval Academy; Author, Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 2nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: On the Ground at COP27: Tallying Payments and Progress Nov 11, 2022

The 27th UN convention on climate change, known as COP27, is now underway in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. When Climate One spoke with Egyptian Ambassador Wael Aboulmagd in October, he argued that progress at this year’s summit would be more rapid than in past years, because this year, the focus is on implementation rather than negotiation. And for the first time, loss and damage — what richer nations owe poorer ones for the climate impacts their emissions have caused — is on the agenda. How will these issues play out during the conference? Are countries increasing their ambition as promised, and keeping the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees alive? Climate One brings us interviews with those on the ground pushing for meaningful change in Egypt.

Guests:

Preety Bhandari, Senior Advisor, Global Climate Program and the Finance Center, World Resources Institute

Claire Stockwell, Senior Climate Policy Analyst, Climate Analytics

David Munene, Programs Manager, Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Grubhub Founder Mike Evans: A Startup Journey and What Came Next Nov 10, 2022

During the depths of the pandemic, one of the most important companies in America was Grubhub. The online food delivery service was a lifesaver for residents sheltering in place and for restaurants struggling to make revenue. But where did this company come from? The story of how Grubhub was founded and what its founder, Mike Evans, learned along the way is a story important for anyone who cares about our new tech economy, particularly in the Bay Area, and what it is doing to those who start these companies.

In his new memoir, Hangry: A Startup Journey, Evans reveals the inside story of how a pizza craving turned into a hobby, and then became a business that ultimately grew into a multi-billion dollar behemoth that changed the way we eat across the country. Evans story is an interesting one with lessons for entrepreneurs of all kinds. He learned on the fly as he grew a massive business from his apartment. Along the way, he worked 80-hour weeks, almost lost his marriage, raised hundreds of millions of dollars, and even merged with another company.Then Evans surprised everyone by walking away from it all to bike across the country in search of life balance.

Please join us as Evans takes us on a funny journey about starting and growing a company that changed the fabric of our lives and what he learned about business, himself and the world along the way.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Mike Evans

Founder, Grubhub; Author, Hangry: A Startup Journey

Vikrum Aiyer

Member, Inforum Advisory Board; Former Vice President of Public Policy, Postmates—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 2nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Future of Downtown San Francisco Nov 09, 2022

After two and a half years of struggle, San Francisco's downtown stands at a crossroads. Employees have increasingly returned to offices—with overall attendance at offices reaching 50 percent on some days—streets are busier, tourism is increasing, and corporations have returned to hosting major events and attending conventions in and around the Moscone Center. Yet is it enough to return San Francisco's financial center to the heights of the activity it experienced pre-pandemic? This program will seek to answer these questions and explore what city leaders are doing to enliven and boost activity in San Francisco's downtown core.

In its first program on this important topic, The Commonwealth Club has invited key San Francisco stakeholders with a direct stake in addressing the problems to discuss practical and tangible solutions to continue to bring downtown San Francisco back to life. The program will look at the Downtown SF Partnership's new public realm plan, the efforts of San Francisco's Office of Economic and Workforce Development on the issue, and possible local and state legislative responses to the crisis.

Will these efforts be enough to help return people to downtown, and boost large and small businesses that continue to struggle? Please join us for an important conversation on the future of downtown San Francisco.

The moderator, Kevin Truong, is a reporter at the San Francisco Standard covering small business policy and the economic recovery.

SPEAKERS

Laura Crescimano

Co-Founder and Principal, Sitelab

Wade Rose

President, Advance SF

Robbie Silver

Executive Director, San Francisco Downtown Community Benefit District (Downtown SF Partnership)

Kate Sofis

Executive Director, Office of Economic and Workforce Development

Kevin Truong

Reporter, San Francisco Standard

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 1st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Michael Shermer: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational Nov 08, 2022

Long a fringe part of the American political landscape, conspiracy theories are now mainstream: 147 members of Congress voted in favor of objections to the 2020 presidential election based on an unproven theory about a rigged electoral process promoted, in part, by followers of the mysterious QAnon community, itself a network of believers of a wide-ranging conspiracy involving pedophilia among elected officials and other civic and business leaders. But these are only the latest examples of a long history of conspiracies that have gained adherents in society. In his timely new book, Conspiracy, Michael Shermer, founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, discusses what makes conspiracies so appealing to segments of the population.

Shermer finds that conspiracy theories cut across gender, age, race, income, education level, occupational status―and even political affiliation. One reason that people believe these conspiracies, Shermer argues, is that enough of them are real that we should be constructively conspiratorial: elections have been rigged, medical professionals have intentionally harmed patients in their care, your government does lie to you, and, tragically, some adults do conspire to sexually abuse children. But Shermer reveals that other factors are also in play: anxiety and a sense of loss of control play a role in conspiratorial cognition patterns, as do certain personality traits.

Join us for Dr. Shermer's discussion in our continuing series on false narratives. It is for anyone concerned about the future direction of American politics, as well as anyone who has watched friends or family fall into patterns of conspiratorial thinking.

MLF ORGANIZER

Eric Siegel

SPEAKERS

Michael Shermer

Publisher, Skeptic Magazine; Executive Director, The Skeptics Society; Author, Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational

Eric Siegel

Chair, Personal Growth Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 1st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Rana Foroohar: The Path to Prosperity in a Post-Global World Nov 05, 2022

Financial Times columnist and CNN global economic analyst Rana Foroohar offers a deep look at the vulnerabilities of globalization. She makes the case that the reign of globalization as we’ve known it is over and the rise of local, regional and homegrown business is now at hand.

She says that for decades, the neoliberal economic philosophy of prioritizing efficiency over resilience and profits over local prosperity has produced massive inequality, persistent economic insecurity, and distrust in our institutions. Place-based economics and a wave of technological innovations now make it possible to keep operations, investment and wealth closer to home, wherever that may be.

With the pendulum of history swinging back, Foroohar explores both the challenges and the possibilities of this new era, and how she says it can usher in a more equitable and prosperous future.

NOTES

This program is generously supported by the Jackson Square Partners Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Rana Foroohar

Global Business Columnist and Associate Editor, Financial Times; Global Economic Analyst, CNN; Author, Homecoming: The Path to Prosperity in a Post-Global World; Twitter @RanaForoohar

In Conversation with Kirk Hanson

Senior Fellow and Former Executive Director, The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University; Member, The Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley Advisory Council

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 24th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Nouriel Roubini: Megathreats Nov 04, 2022

In the 1970s, the United States faced stagflation: high rates of inflation combined with stagnant employment and growth. Global economist Nouriel Roubini predicts we are heading toward another Great Stagflation that will be difficult to recover from.

Is it too late to avoid this economic catastrophe? Financial and geopolitical certainties that we once took for granted have disappeared, and Roubini says we are now facing a period of severe instability, conflict and chaos. He offers a sobering analysis of 10 "megathreats" that are interconnected, immense in scale, and bearing down on us.

Hear more as Roubini predicts what is likely to unfold if we don’t reverse course and act now.

SPEAKERS

Nouriel Roubini

Professor of Economics, New York University’s Stern School of Business; Author, MegaThreats: Ten Dangerous Trends That Imperil Our Future, And How to Survive Them; Twitter @Nouriel

In Conversation with Barry Eichengreen

George C. Pardee and Helen N. Pardee Professor of Economics and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 18th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Kamala Harris and Gina McCarthy: Views From The Inside Nov 04, 2022

It’s been a big year for U.S. climate policy. Three major pieces of legislation: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act have all become law, ushering in the largest commitment of federal money toward the climate crisis to date. In a bipartisan vote, the Senate also finally ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which will help phase out some of the most potent greenhouse gasses. Gina McCarthy has helped shepherd these achievements in her former role as White House Climate Advisor, and joins us to discuss her time leading climate action under President Biden.

We also feature a special interview about the Biden administration’s climate priorities between Vice President Kamala Harris and the hosts of the podcast A Matter of Degrees, Katharine Wilkinson and Leah Stokes.

Guests:

Kamala Harris, Vice President, United States

Gina McCarthy, former U.S. White House National Climate Advisor, former U.S. EPA Administrator

Guest Hosts:

Katharine Wilkinson, Co-host, A Matter of Degrees, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The All We Can Save Project

Leah Stokes, Co-host, A Matter of Degrees, Associate Professor of Environmental Politics, UC Santa Barbara

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Proposition D and the Future of Housing in San Francisco Nov 02, 2022

This November, San Francisco voters are being asked to vote on a number of ballot measures, local and statewide. One of those local measures is Proposition D, which aims to spur the development of affordable housing in a city that was recognized by the state government as having "the longest timelines in the state for advancing housing projects, . . . among the highest housing and construction costs, and [the state] has received more complaints about San Francisco than any other local jurisdiction."

To discuss Proposition D and its plan for removing bureaucratic roadblocks, we'll hear from Maureen Sedonaen, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, and State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco).

Join us in-person or online for a timely program to help you decide what choices you want to make when you fill out your ballot.

NOTES

See more Michelle Meow Show programs at The Commonwealth Club of California.

SPEAKERS

Maureen Sedonaen

CEO, Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco

Scott Wiener

State Senator (D-San Francisco)

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California; Former Senior Editor, Affordable Housing Finance and Apartment Finance Today Magazines—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 18th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Secret Role of the Japanese Americans Who Fought in the Pacific in World War II Nov 01, 2022

In his new book Bridge to the Sun coming out on September 27, 2022, Bruce Henderson, master storyteller, historian and New York Times best-selling author, tells a gripping true tale of the courage of the Japanese-American U.S. Army soldiers who fought in the Pacific theater, while many of their families back home in America were incarcerated behind barbed wire in camps by the U.S. government. Their contribution is one of the last, great untold stories of World War II, kept hidden for decades. The story of the larger, all-Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team soldiers who were sent to fight in Europe has been covered in many books and media.

After Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. military was desperate to find Americans who spoke Japanese to serve in the secret Military Intelligence Service (MIS) in the Pacific war. They soon turned to the Nisei—first-generation U.S. citizens whose parents were immigrants from Japan. Eager to prove their loyalty to America, several thousand Nisei—many volunteering from the camps in which they were incarcerated—were selected by the Army for top-secret training, then were rushed to the Pacific theater. Highly valued as expert translators and interrogators, these Japanese American soldiers operated in elite intelligence teams alongside Army infantrymen and Marines on the front lines of the Pacific war, from Iwo Jima to Burma, from the Solomons to Okinawa.

Henderson reveals, in riveting detail, the harrowing untold story of the Nisei and their major contributions in the war of the Pacific, through six Japanese American soldiers. After the war, these soldiers became translators and interrogators for war crime trials, and later helped to rebuild Japan as a modern democracy and a pivotal U.S. ally.

SPEAKERS

Bruce Henderson

Author, Bridge to the Sun

In conversation with Garrett Hongo

Poet; Writer

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 17th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Erwin Chemerinsky: The Changing Role of the U.S. Supreme Court Oct 29, 2022

With the recent appointments of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, the balance on the U.S. Supreme Court has shifted fundamentally toward the conservatives, and a series of precedent-breaking decisions issued during the 2022 session confirms it. The implications of the Dodd decision alone are far reaching for individual rights, not to mention those cases that focus on the government’s ability to regulate policy in areas like immigration, the environment, the separation of church and state, and gun safety. In many respects, the court majority's ideological shift to an originalist approach to constitutional interpretation has upset the balance of power and redrawn the traditional lines separating the three branches of government in our democracy.

As the court opens its fall session, Dean Chemerinsky will discuss the new justices and these recent decisions as well as upcoming cases before the court which address critical issues like affirmative action and the independence of state legislatures. He will shed light on how the changing role of the Supreme Court might affect the future of our democracy.

He will also discuss Chemerinsky’s new book, Worse than Nothing: The Dangerous Fallacy of Originalism.

NOTES

This program is part of an ongoing series on the Future of Democracy.

SPEAKERS

Erwin Chemerinsky

Dean, University of California Berkeley School of Law

Roy Eisenhardt

Lecturer, University of California Berkeley School of Law—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 13th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ruha Benjamin: Viral Justice Oct 28, 2022

Ruha Benjamin has been called one of the country's most insightful scholars on issues related to race, technology and justice. In her new book, Viral Justice, Benjamin explores—in a very personal way—two social issues that have received extensive attention over the past two years: police violence and the pandemic of COVID-19. For Prof. Benjamin, these two issues existed in tandem for a reason: they are both public health crises that festered and continue to fester because they are both built on unjust systems.

Benjamin examines the converging plagues of COVID-19 and police violence, mapping the multiple routes through which racism gets under the skin. Recounting her personal experiences and those of her family, Benjamin illuminates the devastating impact of the chronic stress of racism, the trauma caused by mass imprisonment, and the vast inequities of our nation’s health-care system. As she channels her own life story, she also offers a passionate, inspiring, and practical vision of how seemingly minor decisions and habits could spread virally and have exponentially positive effects.

Join us as Professor Benjamin re-envisions the significance of individual actions and explains how we can build a more just world―one small change at a time.

About the SpeakersRuha Benjamin is a professor of African American studies at Princeton University, founding director of the Ida B. Wells JUST Data Lab, and author of three books, Viral Justice (2022), Race After Technology (2019), and People’s Science (2013), and editor of Captivating Technology (2019). She graduated from Spelman College with a BA in Sociology & Anthropology and received her MA and PhD degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Shabnam Koirala-Azad is the first female dean of the USF School of Education, and in 2018 was recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in the Bay Area. For more than a decade as a faculty member in the School of Education and as department chair for the Department of International and Multicultural Education, she added a strong global education component to the curriculum and co-founded the first degree program in Human Rights Education in the United States. As a leader, she is nationally recognized for her ability to infuse principles of justice and equity in her leadership practices.

MLF ORGANIZER

Gerald Harris

NOTES

A Technology & Society Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

In association with Inforum.

SPEAKERS

Introduction by Gerald Harris

Chair, Technology & Society Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California

Ruha Benjamin

Professor of African American Studies, Princeton University; Director, Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab; Author, Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want

Shabnam Koirala-Azad

Dean, University of San Francisco School of Education—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Anand Giridharadas: Persuaders in a Hot and Polarized World Oct 28, 2022

In a democracy, meaningful change often requires adapting views and building coalitions. Some believe finding common ground and building rapport is the best way to change minds. Others believe activism and protests are key to raising awareness. Increasingly, however, the acts of listening and persuasion are left out, as each side is convinced that the other is unmovable.

Anand Giridharadas is a journalist, columnist, on-air political analyst, and author. His latest book, The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy, explores how the tactics of persuasion can help strengthen democracy and foster positive societal change.

Guests:

Anand Giridharadas, Journalist, Author, The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Reza Aslan with Ray Suarez Oct 27, 2022

Reza Aslan is a leading expert in world religions and his bestselling books have touched on a range of issues related to history, extremism and spirituality. His latest work, An American Martyr in Persia, challenges us to look at how seriously we take our ideals of constitutional democracy and whose freedom do we support.

Aslan illuminates these issues by exploring the real-story of Howard Baskerville, a 22-year-old Christian missionary from South Dakota who traveled to Persia (modern-day Iran) in 1907 for a two-year stint teaching English and preaching the gospel. Baskerville arrived in the midst of a democratic revolution led by a group of brilliant young firebrands committed to transforming their country into a fully self-determining, constitutional monarchy, one with free elections and an independent parliament. In death, Baskerville became a martyr who spurred the revolutionaries to remove the shah from power, signing a new constitution and rebuilding parliament in Tehran.

At this critical time when many people are questioning it, Aslan's new work offers a powerful parable about the universal ideals of democracy―and to what degree Americans are willing to support those ideals in a foreign land, Iran, a country frequently demonized and misunderstood in the West.

Aslan along with Ray Suarez will explore how one person can still make a difference when freedom is at stake.

NOTES

In association with World Affairs.

SPEAKERS

Reza Aslan

Author, An American Martyr in Persia: The Epic Life and Tragic Death of Howard Baskerville; Twitter @rezaaslan

In Conversation with Ray Suarez

Host, "World Affairs" on KQED

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 24th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Maggie Haberman: Politics, Donald Trump and the Breaking of America Oct 26, 2022

Who is Donald Trump? In her highly anticipated new book, Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America, the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman chronicles his life from his rise in New York City to the White House.

Join us as Haberman discusses what she learned during interviews with hundreds of sources as well as numerous interviews over the years with Donald Trump himself, a man she says is both a complicated and often contradictory historical figure who pushed American democracy to the brink.

This is an important political event you won’t want to miss.

SPEAKERS

Maggie Haberman

Senior Political Reporter, The New York Times; Author, Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America; Twitter @maggieNYT

(Haberman will be participating remotely)

In Conversation with Tim Miller

Writer-at-large, The Bulwark; Author, Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell; Twitter @timodc

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 18th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Humankindness and Health Justice: Social Justice as a Form of Health Justice Oct 25, 2022

Over the last several years, the COVID-19 global pandemic has helped illustrate to the nation that we are only as healthy as those who are most vulnerable among us. Disparities impacting a person’s health ultimately also impact the health of our larger society. Many of these disparities have deeply rooted causes that stem from unjust policies and programs across the country. This session in our Humankindness and Health Justice series will focus on social justice as a form of health justice, addressing these deeply rooted issues and beliefs that created downstream impacts on the health of our communities.

Join us for a conversation on ways to start identifying and ending challenges that foster disparities in our communities. The conversation will feature the Honorable Willie L. Brown, Jr. former California assembly speaker, mayor of San Francisco, and long-time social justice advocate. Also joining in on the conversation is Dawn Porter, award-winning and Emmy-nominated social justice documentarian. Moderating the discussion will be Janet Reilly, co-founder and board president of Clinic by the Bay, a free, volunteer-powered health clinic for the working uninsured in San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

NOTES

This program is part of the Humankindness & Health Justice series, generously underwritten by CommonSpirit Health Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Willie L. Brown, Jr.

Former California Assembly Speaker, Mayor of San Francisco

Dawn Porter

Emmy-Nominated Social Justice Advocate

Janet Reilly

Co-Founder and Board President, Clinic by the Bay

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Adam Hochschild: American Midnight Oct 24, 2022

Adam Hochschild returns to The Commonwealth Club with his revelatory new account of a pivotal but neglected period in American history: World War I and its stormy aftermath, when bloodshed and repression on the home front nearly doomed American democracy.

The nation was on the brink. Angry mobs burned Black churches to the ground and chased down pacifists and immigrants. Well over a thousand men and women were jailed solely for what they had written or said, even in private. An astonishing 250,000 people joined a nationwide vigilante group—sponsored by the Department of Justice.

This was America during and after the Great War: a brief but appalling era blighted by torture, censorship, and killings. Hochschild brings to life this troubled period, which stretched from 1917 to 1921, through the interwoven tales of some well-known characters, like the sphinxlike Woodrow Wilson and the ambitious young bureaucrat J. Edgar Hoover, and of other less-familiar characters, like the fiery antiwar advocate Kate Richards O’Hare and the outspoken Leo Wendell, a labor radical who was frequently arrested and wholly trusted by his comrades—but who was in fact Hoover’s star undercover agent.

A groundbreaking work of narrative history, American Midnight recalls these horrifying yet inspiring four years, when some brave Americans strove to keep their fractured country democratic, while ruthless others stimulated toxic currents of racism, nativism, red-baiting and contempt for the rule of law—poisons that all feel ominously familiar today.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Adam Hochschild

Historian; Lecturer, Graduate School of Journalism, University of California Berkeley; Author, American Midnight: The Great War, A Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 13th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Fishbowls, Fentanyl Test Strips, Patient Navigators: One Hospital's Team-Based Response to the Overdose Epidemic Oct 23, 2022

Last year, drug-related overdoses killed more people than COVID-19 in San Francisco, and Mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency in the Tenderloin. Fentanyl and COVID-19 have only fueled our overdose crisis. While addressing this might seem overwhelming, we can respond in practical and evidence-based ways.

Come learn how we can address this crisis with solutions that might surprise you from San Francisco General Hospital's Addiction Care Team director. How can M&Ms help stem the crisis? What is a patient navigator? How do we change the experience of people who use drugs in the hospital? Dr. Marlene Martin will address these issues.

Our speaker, Dr. Marlene Martin, M.D., is an associate professor of clinical medicine at UCSF and a hospitalist at San Francisco General Hospital. Dr. Martin is the director of addiction initiatives for the UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence and founded and directs the Addiction Care Team (ACT), an interprofessional consultation service that provides compassionate person-centered care focused on harm reduction, evidence-based treatment, and linkage to care for emergency department and hospitalized patients with unhealthy substance use. Dr. Martin is passionate about improving health-care systems and reducing inequities for people with substance use disorders and Latinx individuals through innovation and interprofessional collaborations, including community partnerships.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patrick O'Reilly

SPEAKERS

Marlene Martin

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, UCSF; Hospitalist, San Francisco General Hospital; Director of Addiction Initiatives, UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence; Founder and Director, Addiction Care Team (ACT)

Patrick O'Reilly

Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist; Assistant Clinical Professor, UC San Francisco; Chair, Member-Led Psychology Forum—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on October 11th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Not too Old for That! Oct 22, 2022

Women are breaking through the tired and hurtful stereotypes of aging to better reflect who they are, how they live, and what they want as they age.

Who hasn't heard the stereotypes about women of a "certain age?" That's the age when women become invisible, irrelevant, undesirable, asexual, unhinged, dried-up, hormonal messes. It's when women quickly slide into fragility and become forgetful, passive, weak, feeble, debilitated, disabled, dependent and depressed. Or so the story goes. Not only are those outdated narratives sexist and ageist, they are also damaging to women's physical, emotional, financial, romantic and sexual health. It's time to change them.

In Not too Old for That, Vicki Larson helps change the narrative about being a woman at midlife and older. She questions what we've been told aging would be like and encourages us to instead ask ourselves, What do we want it to be like? And how can we get there? She says the key is to be curious, open-minded, and intentional about the ways we are becoming our future selves. We have an opportunity to create new narratives of aging as a woman, ones that value women at all stages of life, not just youth, and it starts with us.

Once the stereotypes that have held women back are broken down, she says women can move past them and rather than feel helpless as the years add up, they can discover and tap into just how much agency they have. She believes that not only will her approach help to create a less ageist, less sexist, more-inclusive future, it will release our daughters and all young women from a similar future.

About the SpeakerVicki Larson is a longtime award-winning editor, writer and columnist at the Marin Independent Journal. She is author of Not Too Old for That: How Women are Changing the Story of Aging and co-author of The New I Do: Reshaping Marriage for Skeptics, Realists and Rebels, named a Best Book of 2014 by PopSugar. A resident of Marin County, her writing can be found in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Aeon and AARP's The Ethel, among other publications.

MLF ORGANIZER

Denise Michaud

NOTES

A Grownups Member-Led Forum (MLF) program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

SPEAKERS

Vicki Larson

Journalist; Author

Eric Siegel

Chair, Personal Growth Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live on October11th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jessi Hempel: The Family Outing Oct 21, 2022

Join us for an online conversation with the author of a striking and remarkable literary memoir about one family’s transformation, with almost all of them embracing their queer identities. It might sound like a sitcom plot, but for Jessi Hempel, it's a true story.

Jessi Hempel was raised in a picture-perfect, middle-class American family. But the truth was far from perfect. Her lawyer-father was constantly away from home, traveling for work, while her stay-at-home mother became increasingly lonely and erratic. Growing up, Jessi and her two siblings struggled to make sense of their family, their world, their changing bodies, and the emotional turmoil each was experiencing.

By the time Jessi reached adulthood, everyone in her family had come out: Jessi as gay, her sister as bisexual, her father as gay, her brother as transgender, and her mother as a survivor of a traumatic experience with an alleged serial killer. Yet coming out was just the beginning, starting a chain reaction of other personal revelations and reckonings that caused each of them to question their place in the world in new and ultimately liberating ways.

Don't miss this timely talk.

About the SpeakerJessi Hempel is a senior editor at large at LinkedIn and host of the Webby-nominated podcast "Hello Monday." For almost 20 years, she has been writing and editing features and cover stories about the most important people and companies in technology. Most recently, she was the head of editorial for Backchannel and a senior writer at Wired. Earlier in her career, she was a senior writer for Fortune, where she co-chaired Fortune’s Aspen tech conference. Before that, Hempel wrote for BusinessWeek, and Time Asia. She has appeared on CNN, PBS, MSNBC, Fox, and CNBC, addressing the culture and business of technology. Hempel is a graduate of Brown University and received a Master’s in Journalism from U.C. Berkeley. She lives in Brooklyn.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Jessi Hempel

Author, The Family Outing; Twitter @jessiwrites

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 13th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Two Hemispheres, One Story: Reporting on Rising Seas Oct 21, 2022

Twenty of the world’s richest countries – mostly in the Global North – are responsible for 80 percent of the carbon pollution that’s driving extreme weather and supercharging natural disasters. Yet poorer countries in the Global South are experiencing climate-induced disasters first and worst. Wealthier and whiter countries in the Global North are being hit by climate disruption as well, but they also have more resources to adapt. We talk with two award-winning journalists, one from each hemisphere, about covering climate change in their part of the world and bridging the disconnect that exists between North and South.

Guests:

Lauren Sommer, Reporter, NPR

Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, Reporter for The Guardian, Host of An Impossible Choice.

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Chris Miller: Chip War and the Battle Between the United States and China Oct 21, 2022

From microwaves to missiles, smartphones to the stock market, our world is increasingly dependent on microchip technology. According to Chris Miller, microchips are the new oil, a critical resource that defines the current state of military, economic and geopolitical power. At the heart of the decades-long battle over control of this technology are the United States and China, two superpowers engaging in a war that puts America’s economic prosperity at risk.

In Chip War, Miller provides a comprehensive analysis of the semiconductor chip and its impact on national security and international economics. Tracing the global history of microchips, he recounts the fascinating events that enabled the United States to perfect the chip design, and the role that faster chips played in America’s Cold War victory over the Soviet Union. As Miller reveals, the United States once dominated advancements in microchips, but now, China is investing billions into a chip-building initiative to bridge the gap, leading to a power competition that will define the world’s geopolitical future.

Join us as Miller explains the high stakes history of the computer chip and ongoing battle between the United States and China that is shaping the modern world.

NOTES

In association with the Asia Pacific Affairs member-led forum.

This program is generously supported by the Jackson Square Partners Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Chris Miller

Author, The Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology

In Conversation with Niall Ferguson

Milbank Family Senior Fellow, the Hoover Institution, Stanford University; Senior Faculty Fellow, the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 16th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Brewster Kahle: Public Libraries and American Democracy Oct 20, 2022

Since 18th century and pre-Constitution America, libraries have been a public space, a central repository where books could be borrowed, read and returned—a long defended democratic ideal of the public library. The nonprofit Internet Archive, founded in 1996, was built to be both the library of the Internet and the library on the Internet—a grand repository of knowledge. Its mission: universal access to all knowledge through the networked reach of the Internet, which allows the Archive to serve as a local library for users with a browser anywhere.

During the global COVID pandemic closures of public libraries and schools in 2020, the Internet Archive created the

National Emergency Library to provide digitized books to students and the public. This changed the one book/one person model of lending. Subsequent lawsuits and responses have led to current federal court cases, led by major publishers, contending that controlled digital lending means “willful mass copyright infringement.” Countersuits filed and championed by the Archive propose that such an argument presents “obstacles to the free flow of information” and the guarantee of pubic library lending access.To explore these issues, join us for a conversation with Brewster Kahle, the founder and digital librarian of the Internet Archive, which now preserves more than 99 unique petabytes of data—the books, web pages, music, television and software of our cultural heritage, working with more than 950 library and university partners to create a digital library accessible to all. Kahle created the Internet's first publishing system, called the Wide Area Information Server, later selling the company to AOL. He also co-founded Alexa Internet, which helps catalog the web; he sold it to Amazon.com. The Archive's Wayback machine is one of the most popular Internet websites.

MLF ORGANIZER

Anne W. Smith

SPEAKERS

Brewster Kahle

Founder and Digital Librarian, Internet Archive; Twitter @brewster_kahle

Anne W. Smith

Co-Chair, Arts Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 6th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jeffrey Dahmer and the Deadly Legacy of Race and Homophobia Oct 19, 2022

The new Netflix miniseries Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is one of the streaming service's most popular hits all around the world, telling the horrific story of the serial killer who preyed upon young men from 1978 to 1991.

Join us for a discussion of how racism and xenophobia played a role in the Jeffrey Dahmer case. Some of his victims might be alive today if police had listened to Glenda Cleveland, the neighbor who tried to warn police about Dahmer. We'll also explore representation, authenticity, and why it matters in telling traumatic stories.

About the SpeakersNicole Childress: Nicole was with her cousin Sandra Smith, who is the daughter of the late Glenda Cleveland, when they found one of Jeffery Dahmer's victims. They called police—who then returned the victim back to Dahmer. Childress, a.k.a. Cola Styles, is the CEO of Beauty Intellect and the author of Cola Styles: The Good, Bad & Ugly. She calls herself a true expert on faith, hair, hair composition, hair maintenance and creativity. She is the proud mother of three kids and grandmother of eight. She says "passions, patience, and knowing GOD, has kept me sane in my journey of good, bad and ugly."

Khetphet (KEM-pet) Phagnasay (Pah-YAH-sy) goes by the nickname KP; he is a Lao-American actor, director, producer and stuntman who has a recurring role as Sounthone Sinthasomphone, father of a victim, in the Netflix Dahmer series. He has also worked on God is an Astronaut, Demon Fighter, Street of Hope, Hollywood Road Trip, and many more productions. He has an extensive experience on stage portraying the king in The king and I, Song Liliang in M.Butterfly, Puck in Midsummer Night, Dr. Sun Yet Sen in Sun Yat Sen: The Mouth of a Dragon, and other roles. He has travelled oversea to Japan, Taiwan, and mainland China as a performer. KP was born in Laos in 1971came to the United States as a refugee in 1980s, as the result of the Vietnam War conflict. He grew up in Oswego, Ilinois, and then Waianae, Hawai'i, before settling in Clovis/Fresno, California. He earned his B.A. in Theatre Arts from California State University, Fresno, and continued his higher education in Asian theatre focusing on acting from University of Hawaii, Manoa.

SPEAKERS

Nicole Childress

a.k.a. Cola Styles, CEO, Beauty Intellect; Author, Cola Styles: The Good, Bad & Ugly

KP Phagnasay

Actor, Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix); Director; Producer; Stuntman

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 6th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Poland at the Border of Putin's War Against Ukraine and the West Oct 19, 2022

Poland is rapidly becoming the linchpin of the Western effort todefend Ukraine and deter Russia. The Polish-Ukrainian border, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February, is a hub of activity. With refugees from Ukraine flowing back and forth and military equipment being transferred in to help the Ukrainian war effort along with aid for Ukraine's people, Poland has taken a leadership role in Europe and the West, stepping up to both welcome its neighbors and help defend them against Russia's aggression.

As the war drags on into fall, The Commonwealth Club of California is honored to welcome His Excellency Marek Magierowski, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to the United States, to discuss the current situation on Poland's border with Ukraine and the strategic considerations for Poland, the EU, and the NATO alliance. Ambassador Magierowski was appointed to Washington, D.C., in November 2021 after previously serving as Poland's ambassador to Israel and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as undersecretary of state for economic cooperation with the Americas and Asia.

NOTES

Sponsored by Taube Philanthropies.

SPEAKERS

Marek Magierowski

Ambassador of Poland to the United States

Abraham D. Sofaer

George P. Shultz Distinguished Scholar and Senior Fellow, The Hoover Institution

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via Live on October 6th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Humanities West Presents Mozart's Music Oct 18, 2022

Humanities West presents a performance, and an elucidation, of Mozart’s String Quintet in G minor, K. 516, composed in Vienna in 1787. It is widely considered to be among Mozart's greatest and most tragic works. But the Quintet is not only “tragic”; it is a “tragedy” in the mode of the ancient Greeks: the enactment of the story of a hero who meets a catastrophic fate.

Mozart scholar Steve Machtinger will demonstrate how Mozart imbued the work with musical symbols that convey its tragic narrative. The program will include a live performance by the Hatzfeld Quintet of all four movements of Mozart’s String Quintet in G minor.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Steve Machtinger

Attorney; Violist; Independent Mozart Scholar

Musical performance by the Hatzfeld Quintet: Monika Gruber and Emanuela Nikiforova, Violins; Steve Machtinger and Jennifer Sills, Violas; and Louella Hasbun, Cello

George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on September 23rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Youth Talk: Your Vote, Your Voice Oct 14, 2022

Young people's voices are an integral part of our democracy. Yet Gen Z and Millennial voters consistently turn out at lower rates than older generations. To inspire youth civic engagement, the Associated Students of the University of California Vote Coalition, Berkeley Women in Politics, and The Commonwealth Club have proudly launched a first-of-its kind partnership: the Creating Citizens Speaker Series at UC Berkeley. This speaker series will give UC Berkeley students and community members the opportunity to listen to and ask questions of leading minds in politics, media and education as they learn how to become better, more involved citizens. As the home of decades of activism and civic engagement, Berkeley is the perfect environment for this dialogue to occur.

Our inaugural program will feature California Attorney General Rob Bonta, plus a panel of impressive political thinkers discussing the importance of voting and civic engagement, particularly in 2022. Accomplished individuals from across the political spectrum, our speakers will come together to inspire the next generation of voters and citizen leaders. Together, they will take attendees on a journey through our electoral process and provide key takeaways from their experiences in politics.

We look forward to welcoming community members and students from around the Bay Area to participate in this riveting conversation and to join us for future programs in the Creating Citizens Speaker Series.

SPEAKERS

Rob Bonta

Attorney General of the State of California

Duf Sundheim

Member, U.S. Federal Court’s Advance Mediation Practice Group; former Chair, California Republican Party

Lisa García Bedolla

Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, Dean of the Graduate Division, and Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley

Alex Edgar

Director, University of California, Berkeley ASUC Vote Coalition

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on October 4th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Bonus COP27 Preview: Egyptian Ambassador Wael Aboulmagd Oct 14, 2022

The Paris Agreement requires every country to declare their own nationally determined contributions, or NDCs, for reducing emissions. Last year at COP26 in Glasgow, it became clear that even the updated targets would – at best – limit warming to 2.4°C, almost a full degree above the 1.5° goal. But even more important than goals or promises is how every country turns policy into reality. This year’s COP27, hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt, is being framed as “the implementation COP,” where the stated goal is to move from negotiations to action. In this special episode, Climate One Host Greg Dalton speaks one-on-one with Egyptian Ambassador and Special Representative of the COP27 President, Wael Aboulmagd, about how Egypt plans to close the gap between promises and implementation.

Guest:

Wael Aboulmagd, Egyptian Ambassador, Special Representative of the COP27 President

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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CLIMATE ONE: Countdown to COP27: Feeling the Heat Oct 14, 2022

For decades, scientists and activists have called for action to slow the pace of global warming. The political process has struggled and largely failed to keep up with the growing climate crisis. But through annual summits known as the United Nations Conference of the Parties, or COP, countries have finally started to commit to reducing their emissions. At last year’s climate summit, nations that make up about two thirds of the global economy committed to reducing emissions enough to try to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees celsius.

At this year’s 27th COP in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, central questions will focus on how to pay for climate adaptation and mitigation. And, since the world’s 20 biggest economies are responsible for 80% of all climate disrupting emissions, how much money do those nations owe poorer countries suffering from a problem they didn’t create?

Guests:

Jonathan Pershing, Former Special Envoy for Climate Change, U.S. Department of State

Omnia El Omrani, COP 27 Youth Envoy

Ambassador Wael Aboulmagd, Special Representative of the COP27 President

Contributing Producer: Rabiya Jaffery

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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Steve Case: Entrepreneurs and the New American Dream Oct 13, 2022

For visionary businessman and AOL founder Steve Case, great entrepreneurs can be found anywhere and can thrive with the proper support and investment. At a time when America's economy is undergoing fundamental shifts on several fronts, entrepreneurs are obviously essential to America's future. Back in 2014, Case helped the country prepare for this moment with the launch of Rise of the Rest, an effort to inspire entrepreneurs across the country to build successful startups.

Case reviews the impact of his effort, and how communities large and small nationwide are reinventing the American landscape. Case explores entrepreneurial efforts in 43 cities across the country, where individuals from all walks of life are building groundbreaking companies, renewing communities, and creating new jobs. Through these inspirational, close-up stories, Case uncovers a path toward a more innovative and inclusive America.

Join us as Case explains how startup communities can bring people together around a shared future and redefine the American dream at this critical moment in the country's history.

SPEAKERS

Steve Case

Chairman and CEO, Revolution; Author, The Rise of the Rest: How Entrepreneurs in Surprising Places are Building the New American Dream; Twitter @SteveCase

In Conversation with Lenny Mendonca

Former Chief Economic and Business Advisor, State of California; Twitter @Lenny_Mendonca

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 4th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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COOL: Women Leaders Reversing Global Warming Oct 12, 2022

Women and girls all over the world are using intelligence, creativity, energy, and courage to help stop global warming. Paola Gianturco and her 12-year-old granddaughter Avery Sangster set out to chronicle their stories, interviewing and photographing women politicians, corporate executives, scholars, heads of grassroots groups, and presidents of organizations that are all dedicated to combating global warming. These women leaders are based in 10 countries: the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Tanzania, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, and Hong Kong.

Learn more about what women around the world are doing through the book co-authored by this granddaughter-grandmother team, COOL: Women Leaders Reversing Global Warming. Tackling global warming takes all ages. Paola, Avery and the leaders in their book demonstrate that when the generations listen to one another, change is possible. We invite young people and adults to come, learn together, and be inspired to take action in your own communities.

SPEAKERS

Paola Gianturco

Author; Photographer

Avery Sangster

6th Grade Student; Co-author

Carla Thorson

Vice President of Programs, The Commonwealth Club of California

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 29th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Experiencing Democracy: Creating a Civic Culture in School Oct 11, 2022

Today’s students have grown up in a political culture of polarization that has exacerbated public distrust. In this environment, how can educators teach young people to engage with controversial issues in such a way that schools do not become partisan institutions?

Diana Hess and Paula McAvoy propose that teachers should not shy away from political controversy. Instead, they should see their job as helping students develop the skills and dispositions of deliberation by practicing speaking and listening with civility, backing up ideas with evidence and information, and considering how one’s own views affect others. Further, because classrooms are “unusual political spaces” in which young people hone their political and social identities, Hess and McAvoy argue that students deserve the opportunity to puzzle about the issues they are inheriting in a way that models good thinking and reasoning. It is these experiences that best prepare future citizens to answer the vital question, “How should we live together?” Teaching these habits of political friendship upholds the civic ideal of our democracy and offers hope that over time, goodwill can transform a distrustful political sphere.

This back-to-school event is for everyone who is concerned about democracy and the preservation of open discussion in education; teachers are especially encouraged to attend. It will take place online and in person; we will welcome our speakers virtually and moderator Milton Reynolds will join a live audience in our building on The Embarcadero.

NOTES

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 27th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Joan Donovan and Emily Dreyfuss: Meme Wars Oct 10, 2022

Just how dangerous are memes? The power of memes has grown and is now a weapon used to push disinformation, spread ideologies, and deepen partisanship. They are fueling a cultural war that continues to accelerate and intensify.

Joan Donovan and Emily Dreyfuss recount how “Stop the Steal” went from online to real life. They reveal startling secrets from the digital war rooms and the troubling developments led by conspiracists and extremists to upend our country’s democracy.

As the battle continues, learn more about what could be at stake for the future of our country

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Joan Donovan

Research Director, Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center; Co-author, Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America

Emily Dreyfuss

Journalist; Co-author, Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America

In Conversation with Lauren Goode

Senior Editor, Wired

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live on October 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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How We Can Reduce the Power of False Narratives Oct 09, 2022

In this third part of our series on conspiracy theories and other false narratives, we'll look at actions society can take to defend itself. We'll focus on what journalists and educators can do, what technology companies can do, and what government and individuals can do.

Our speaker, Dr. Samuel Woolley, will discuss media literacy, technologies for quick detection and management of false narratives, the role of governmental regulation, and actions we can take as individuals.

MLF ORGANIZER

Eric Siegel

SPEAKERS

Dr. Samuel Woolley

Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Propaganda Research Lab, University of Texas-Austin; Author, The Reality Game: How the Next Wave of Technology Will Break the Truth, Computational Propaganda, and numerous academic and popular articles

Eric Siegel

Chair, Personal Growth Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 29th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Brian Dahle: Republican Candidate for California Governor Oct 08, 2022

California State Senator Brian Dahle is the Republican candidate for governor. He is making his first visit to The Commonwealth Club to discuss his proposals and plans for leading the largest state in the country.

A longtime advocate of building a better business climate in California, Brian Dahle was the California Chamber of Commerce’s top-rated senator for pro-business votes in 2021 and has a 100 percent rating from the National Federation of Independent Business. He was chosen by his peers in 2017 to be the Assembly Republican leader, leading the caucus until after the 2018 elections, when he stepped down as leader to run in a special election to fill a vacant seat in the 1st Senate District. Before joining the legislature, Dahle served on the Lassen County Board of Supervisors for 16 years.

Please join us as Senator Dahle explains his commitment to California and his plans to address a range of key state issues, including cost of living, crime, homelessness, water, education, energy independence, wildfires, housing, drugs and more.

SPEAKERS

Brian Dahle

State Senator (R-District 1); Republican Candidate for California Governor

Melissa Caen

Political Journalist; Attorney

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded on September 22nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Susan Rogers: What the Music You Love Says About You Oct 07, 2022

Why do you fall in love with some music, and not with other music? And why do those you love sometimes fall in love with music you don't?

Susan Rogers, a record-producer–turned–brain-scientist, explains why, taking us on a journey into the science and the soul of music that reveals why your favorite songs move you. Rogers also shares her personal story—she began as an audio tech in Los Angeles, broke through as Prince’s chief engineer for Purple Rain, and then continued to create other number 1 hits to become one of the most successful female record producers ever.

Rogers, currently a professor of cognitive neuroscience, raises musical self-awareness. She explains that we each possess a unique “listener profile” based on our brain’s natural response to the seven key dimensions of a song. Are you someone who prefers lyrics or melody? Do you like music “above the neck” (intellectually stimulating), or “below the neck” (instinctual and rhythmic)? Whether your taste is esoteric or mainstream, Rogers will guide you to recognize your own musical personality and to describe your own unique taste. Like most of us, Rogers is not a musician, but demonstrates how all of us can be musical simply by being active, passionate listeners.

Rogers also will take us behind the scenes of record-making, using her insider status to illuminate the music of Prince, Frank Sinatra, Kanye West, Lana Del Rey and many other artists. She shares records that changed her life, contrasts them with those that appeal to others, and encourages you to think about the records that define your own identity. Join us and then refresh your playlists, deepen your connection to your favorite artists, and change the way you listen to music.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond and Anne W. Smith

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Susan Rogers

Director, Berklee Music Perception and Cognition Laboratory; Record Producer; Author, This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You

In Conversation with John Boland

President Emeritus, KQED; Vice Chair, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live on October 5th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Political Climate: The Midterm Forecast Oct 07, 2022

With the US midterm elections looming, the window for enacting meaningful climate policy may be closing. November’s elections will determine which party controls Congress, and that will have far reaching implications for the planet. Historically, the midterms have been bad news for the party in control of the White House, but the Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act may have changed that calculus. Where do voters stand going into the midterms, and how does climate factor into their decisions?

Guests:

Nathaniel Stinnett, Founder & Executive Director, Environmental Voter Project

Chelsea Henderson, Director of Editorial Content, RepublicEN

Jean Chemnick, Climate Reporter, E&E News

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Director James Burrows: Man of a Thousand Stories Oct 07, 2022

It would be difficult to overstate the influence on American television of director James Burrows. Co-creator of Cheers, he also directed 237 of the long-running show's 275 episodes. He directed every episode of Will & Grace, the groundbreaking show that turned gay characters and storylines into must-see TV. He also directed 75 episodes of Taxi, 32 episodes of Frasier, 15 episodes of Friends, and multiple episodes of Phyllis, The Bob Newhart Show, NewsRadio, and many others.

His sitcom work all began with an episode of another pathbreaking series, The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the early 1970s. Altogether, he has directed more than 1,000 episodes of American comedy television. In his new memoir, Directed by James Burrows, he's sharing stories from his legendary career working on the most successful and influential sitcoms of the past half century.

Join us for this online program to hear how James Burrows shaped popular, high-quality comedy TV in America.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

James Burrows

Director; Co-creator, Cheers; Author, Directed by James Burrows

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 27th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Max Fisher: Social Media and the Havoc on Our Minds Oct 05, 2022

Do we really understand the reach and impact that social media has on our lives? We all have a vague sense that social media can be bad for our minds, for our children, and for our democracies. Yet that doesn't stop us from constantly using it.

New York Times investigative reporter Max Fisher looks at how Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social networks drive everyday users to extreme opinions and, increasingly, extreme actions.

Fisher tracks the evolution of free speech to hate speech and its spillover into violence—that first festered in far-off locales to their dark culmination in America during the pandemic, the 2020 election, and the Capitol insurrection. He also addresses the cultural shift in which people are polarized not by beliefs based on facts, but by misinformation, outrage and fear.

Hear more about the influence that social media has and how it isn’t just changing our lives, but the world.

SPEAKERS

Max Fisher

International Reporter and Columnist, The New York Times; Author, The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World; Twitter @Max_Fisher

In conversation with DJ Patil

Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist; Member, The Commonwealth Club of California Board of Governors; Twitter @dpatil

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 22nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jann Wenner: The Rolling Stone Generation Oct 04, 2022

Jann Wenner has had an outsized impact on Bay Area history, music, popular culture and the world of magazines.

In 1967, with the founding of Rolling Stone magazine in San Francisco, Wenner not only created the "bible of the counterculture," he helped catalyze a generation of young people into a force that would go on to transform the politics and lifestyles of much of the country. In his deeply personal new memoir, Like a Rolling Stone, Wenner vividly describes an epoch of cultural change that swept America and beyond, and the role his magazine played in it. His book goes on to explore not only his own work, but the lives of Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Bono and Bruce Springsteen. He also discusses the role he played in the careers of Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe and Annie Leibovitz.

After leaving San Francisco for New York, Wenner's journey took him to the Oval Office with groundbreaking interviews with Bill Clinton and Barak Obama, leaders to whom Wenner's publication gave its historic, full-throated backing. Wenner also had his magazine focus on the Dalai Lama, Greta Thunberg, and others he felt should be seen and heard in the pages of Rolling Stone, because of their potential impact on American culture. It is not surprising that many have called him "the greatest magazine editor of his generation."

Please join us as Wenner makes a rare visit to The Commonwealth Club to discuss his life and the impact he has made on America.

NOTES

This program is generously supported by Relevant Wealth.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Jann Wenner

Founder, Rolling Stone Magazine; Member, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Paul Liberatore

Music Columnist, Marin Independent Journal

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded on September 21st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Michelle Wilde Anderson: Reimagining Wealth Equity in America Oct 02, 2022

Decades of cuts to local government amidst rising concentrations of poverty have wreaked havoc on communities left behind by the modern economy. Some of these discarded places are rural. Others are big cities, small cities, or historic suburbs. Some vote blue, others red. Mostly, their governments are just broke. Stanford Law School Professor Michelle Wilde Anderson says that 40 years after the anti-tax revolution began protecting wealthy taxpayers and their cities, high-poverty cities and counties have run out of services to cut, properties to sell, bills to defer, and risky loans to take.

In The Fight to Save the Town, Anderson traveled to four blue-collar communities that are poor, broke, and progressing—Stockton, California; Josephine County, Oregon; Lawrence, Massachusetts; and Detroit, Michigan. She shares how networks of local leaders and residents are coming together to face this crisis head on and working toward innovative solutions to deal with pressing issues, including gun violence, housing and unemployment.

Hear more about the fight to save our communities at the local level and create wealth equity for all.

SPEAKERS

Michelle Wilde Anderson

Professor of Property, Local Government, and Environment Justice, Stanford Law School; Author, The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded America

In Conversation with Pamela Karlan

Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law and a Founder and Co-director of the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, Stanford Law School.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Peter Baker and Susan Glasser: The Donald Trump White House Years Oct 01, 2022

From its chaotic beginning to the violent finale, the Trump presidency was filled with moments ranging from the unthinkable to the deadly serious. That has continued until these past several weeks, and the man at the center of all of this could announce he is running for president again. That makes understanding his presidency even more important today.

Veteran journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser chart the ambitious and lasting history of the Trump presidency, drawing on unprecedented access to key players from President Trump himself to cabinet officers, military generals, and more. Based on these exclusive interviews, Baker and Glasser reveal moments both tense and comical, from how close the United States got to nuclear war with North Korea to whether Trump asked Japan’s prime minister to nominate him for a Nobel Prize. They also explore the moral choices confronting those around Trump—how they justified working for him and where they drew their lines.

Join us as Peter Baker and Susan Glasser return to the Club to discuss Donald Trump's presidency and what a second term could mean for the country.

SPEAKERS

Peter Baker

Chief White House Correspondent, The New York Times; Co-author, The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021; Twitter @peterbakernyt

Susan Glasser

Staff Writer, The New Yorker; Co-author, The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021; Twitter @sbg1

In Conversation with Adam Lashinsky

Journalist; Author; Twitter @adamlashinsky

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on September 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Who Is Cleopatra? Sep 30, 2022

From 41BC to September 2022,the persona of Cleopatra has been modeled as an archetype of female power and beauty. Yet—as with most tellings of history—her story has been mostly written by men who never knew her.

Providing another context, in concurrence with John Adams’ Antony and Cleopatra premiere, San Francisco Opera’s Diversity, Equity and Community department presents a panel of women arts leaders to ask and answer: In the struggle for equal rights, who is Cleopatra? [mis]judged, [mis]treated and [mis]portrayed?

Join us as our Women in Arts panel forcefully addresses these questions. Moderated by singer and stage director Erin Neff, the panel includes Antony and Cleopatra’s Director Elkhanah Pulitzer, and African-American Shakespeare Company Founder and Executive Director Sherri Young, along with other noted Bay Area female art makers and historians.

MLF ORGANIZER

Anne W. Smith

SPEAKERS

Rita Lucarelli

Associate Professor of Egyptology, University of California, Berkeley

Elkhanah Pulitzer

Director, Antony and Cleopatra 2022, San Francisco Opera

Sherri Young

Founder and Executive Director, African-American Shakespeare Company

Erin Neff

Speaker; Singer; Stage Director; Voice Instructor—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Risky Business: Underinsured Against Climate Disaster Sep 30, 2022

In recent years, hundreds of thousands of people in high-risk disaster areas across the US have been dropped from their insurance policies, leaving them both physically and financially vulnerable. At the same time, premiums have sky-rocketed, making insuring homes and businesses out of reach for many. And federal insurance and relief programs have come under scrutiny for payouts that contribute to inequality.

The insurance industry wasn’t set up to account for climate change, which is increasing the frequency, scale and severity of disaster claims. From flooding in Appalachia to fires in the Pacific Northwest to hurricanes wreaking havoc from Puerto Rico to Nova Scotia, we’ve seen frequent and fierce weather take lives and devastate communities. As more people and property face loss due to extreme weather events, who will pay to protect and rebuild communities? And what policies are being constructed to help the insurance industry stay afloat?

Guests:

Junia Howell, Urban Sociologist, University of Illinois Chicago

Simon Young, Senior Director, Climate and Resilience Hub, Willis Towers Watson

Carolyn Kousky, Associate Vice President for Economics and Policy, Environmental Defense Fund; author of Understanding Disaster Insurance: New Tools for a More Resilient Future

Umair Irfan, Climate and Covid Reporter, VOX

Eric Letvin, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Mitigation, FEMA

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Sean Carroll: Understanding Space, Time and Motion Sep 29, 2022

Physics offers deep insights into the workings of the universe that many find mysterious, complex and confusing.

Theoretical physicist and "Mindscape" podcast host Sean Carroll breaks down some of the most mind-boggling concepts in his newest book The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion.

Join us for an online discussion to learn more about the wonders of modern physics and the multidimensional landscape it covers—from black holes to quantum mechanics and more.

NOTES

In association with Wonderfest.

SPEAKERS

Sean Carroll

Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy, John Hopkins University; Fractal Faculty and External Professor, Santa Fe Institute; Host, "Mindscape" Podcast; Author, The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion; Twitter @seanmcarroll

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mark Bergen with Shishir Mehrotra and Emily Chang: Inside YouTube’s Chaotic Rise to World Domination Sep 28, 2022

What’s the last video you watched on YouTube? Across the world, people view more than a billion hours of video on YouTube every day. This digital platform created the attention economy that forever changed how we consume information and entertainment.

Everyone knows YouTube. And yet virtually no one knows how it really works.

Mark Bergen’s Like, Comment, Subscribe reveals the inside story of YouTube’s revolutionary technology and business model. Bergen offers a deep account of how the company upended media, culture, industry and democracy and unleashed an addiction machine that forever changed the world.

SPEAKERS

Mark Bergen

Technology Journalist; Author, Like, Comment, Subscribe: Inside YouTube's Chaotic Rise to World Domination; Twitter @mhbergen

Emily Chang

Host, Bloomberg Technology and Studio 1.0; Twitter @emilychangtv

Shishir Mehrotra

Co-founder and CEO, Coda

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Iuliia Mendel: President Zelenskyy, Ukraine's Battle for Democracy, and What It Means for the Rest of the World Sep 27, 2022

When Iuliia Mendel got the call telling her she had been hired to work for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, she had no idea what was to come.

Mendel had a front row seat to many of the key events and meetings between President Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, and other European leaders preceding the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. She saw firsthand President Zelenskyy’s efforts to transform Ukraine into a vibrant and prosperous European democracy.

As the war in Ukraine continues, Mendel shares what’s at stake not only for her homeland but the rest of the world.

NOTES

This is an online-only program; pre-register to receive a link to the live-stream event.

Copies of The Fight of Our Lives are available for purchase at checkout (U.S. domestic shipping only).

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Iuliia Mendel

Former Press Secretary and Spokesperson for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (2019-2021); Author, The Fight of Our Lives: My Time with Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s Battle for Democracy, and What It Means for the World; Twitter @IuliiaMendel

In Conversation with Steven Pifer

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine; Fellow, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 17th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Monkeypox: The Response and What's Next Sep 26, 2022

In May 2022, an outbreak of monkeypox, a viral disease, was confirmed. It quickly spread from the United Kingdom to many countries around the world. Everyone is able to contract monkeypox, but its most rapid spread so far has been through men who have sex with men with new or multiple partners.

How has the LGBTQ community responded? What is the current state of the disease's spread? What treatments are available? What medical or behavioral measures can be taken for prevention of infection? What might happen next—and what's being done to prepare for it?

Join us for an important discussion with experts to break down the truth about the community response to monkeypox, as well as preparation for the future.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Erica Pan

M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P., California State Epidemiologist, Deputy Director, Center for Infectious Diseases; Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of California, San Francisco

Dr. David Rodriguez

M.D., Professor of Emergency Medicine and Associate Chair of Research, Department of Emergency Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine

Craig Rouskey

MSc., Co-founder and CEO, Renegade.bio

Tyler TerMeer

CEO, San Francisco AIDS Foundation

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Josh Chin and Liza Lin: China and the Era of Digital Surveillance Sep 25, 2022

An alarming new reality is emerging in China, where a new kind of political control is being waged through the optimization of technology. Journalists Josh Chin and Liza Lin describe the journey through the new world China is building within its borders, and beyond. They reveal a future that is already underway―a new society engineered around the power of data and digital surveillance.

Hear more about what could be at stake for the rest of the world.

SPEAKERS

Josh Chin

Deputy Bureau Chief in China, The Wall Street Journal; Co-Author, Surveillance State: Inside China's Quest to Launch a New Era of Social Control; Twitter @joshchin

Liza Lin

China Correspondent, The Wall Street Journal; Co-Author, Surveillance State: Inside China's Quest to Launch a New Era of Social Control; Twitter @lizalinwsj

In Conversation with Jiayang Fan

Staff Writer, The New Yorker; Author, Motherland (forthcoming); Twitter @JiayangFan

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric—and What It Means for America's Power Grid Sep 24, 2022

Author Katherine Blunt provides what is being called a "revelatory, urgent narrative with national implications," exploring the decline of California’s largest utility company that led to countless wildfires—including the one that destroyed the town of Paradise—and the human cost of infrastructure failure

Pacific Gas and Electric was a legacy company built by innovators and visionaries, establishing California as a desirable home and economic powerhouse. In California Burning, Wall Street Journal reporter and Pulitzer finalist Katherine Blunt examines how that legacy fell apart—unraveling a long history of deadly failures in which PG&E endangered millions of Northern Californians, through criminal neglect of its infrastructure. She says that as PG&E prioritized profits and politics, power lines went unchecked—until a rusted hook purchased for 56 cents in 1921 split in two, sparking the deadliest wildfire in California history.

Beginning with PG&E’s public reckoning after the Paradise fire, Blunt chronicles the evolution of PG&E’s shareholder base, from innovators who built some of California's first long-distance power lines to aggressive investors keen on reaping dividends. Following key players through pivotal decisions and legal battles, California Burning reveals the forces Blunt says shaped the plight of PG&E: deregulation and market-gaming led by Enron Corp., an unyielding push for renewable energy, and a swift increase in wildfire risk throughout the West, while regulators and lawmakers pushed their own agendas.

MLF ORGANIZER

Andrew Dudley

NOTES

SPEAKERS

Katherine Blunt

Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; Finalist, 2020 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting; Recipient, Gerald Loeb Award

Andrew Dudley

Co-Host and Producer, Earth Live; Chair, People & Nature Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

We are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live on September 12th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Senator Patrick Leahy: My Life in Politics Sep 23, 2022

From post-Watergate reforms, to the fall of the Soviet Union, the impeachment of Bill Clinton, 9/11 and the Iraq War, the Great Recession, the two Trump impeachment trials, and the January 6 insurrection, Senator Patrick Leahy has been at the heart of the discussion of the country's politics and direction for nearly half a century. In his memoir, The Road Taken, Senator Leahy gives a first-hand reflection of the historic events during his tenure.

Senator Leahy is the longest-serving U.S. senator and was first elected in 1974. He has held numerous committee appointments, including some of the most powerful in the Senate, including chair of Appropriations and a member of the Judiciary and Rules Committees. In the second Trump impeachment, Leahy became the first U.S. senator to preside over an impeachment trial.

Leahy gives the full narrative of his historic political career—from meeting Presidents Obama and Biden while they were still freshman legislators, to leading the way on Supreme Court nominations, to his cameos in five Batman movies. He also reflects on his time in Vermont and his passion for photography

Please join us for an intimate discussion with one of the country's most tenured lawmakers.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Senator Patrick Leahy

(D-VT), President Pro Tempore, U.S. Senate; Author, The Road Taken: A Memoir; Twitter @SenatorLeahy

In Conversation with Melissa Caen

Political Analyst; Attorney

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: The Inflation Reduction Act Passed. Now What? Sep 23, 2022

In August, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. The IRA allocates around $370 billion over ten years to invest in renewable energy, make EVs more affordable, address climate inequities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help mitigate the climate crisis.

But like any law, the way the money is doled out matters, and the law’s implementation will ultimately determine its success. Some of the IRA money moves through state governments, including some that are outright hostile to the law. Consumers will have access to a suite of rebates and credits designed to electrify their lives, if they can get the necessary support to take advantage of them. How can government agencies, companies, investors and individuals take the law from words on a page to real functioning programs?

Guests:

Carla Frisch, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Policy for the U.S. Department of Energy

Ryan Panchadsaram, Advisor to the Chairman at Kleiner Perkins

Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, Berkeley Law

Dan Bowerson, Senior Director, Energy & Environment, Alliance for Automotive Innovation

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How to Decide Which Medical and Health Information You Should Trust Sep 21, 2022

Fake news? Alternative facts? Overly hyped "breakthroughs"? Irreproducible scientific research results? Preprints? Gaslighting the medical literature? What to do?

Finding and trusting the best published primary medical literature is the answer. Our speakers for the 12th Annual Lundberg Institute Lecture at The Commonwealth Club, JAMA Editor in Chief Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo and BMJ Editor in Chief Kamran Abbasi, are among the premier guardians of that literature. Hear their advice, and then ask them your own questions about whom and what to trust—especially now when deciding which medical information is trustworthy has become so crucial and so confusing.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Kamran Abbasi

M.D., Editor in Chief, BMJ (the British Medical Journal); Honorary Visiting Professor, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College, London; Fellow, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and Royal College of Physicians of London

Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo

M.D., Editor in Chief, JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association); the Lee Goldman, M.D., Endowed Professor of Medicine, and Chair, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCSF School of Medicine

George Lundberg

M.D., Editor in Chief, Cancer Commons; Editor at Large, Medscape; Executive Adviser, Cureus; Clinical Professor of Pathology, Northwestern University; President and Chair, The Lundberg Institute

George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 12th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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That Is Not Your Mind! Sep 21, 2022

Author of That Is Not Your Mind: Zen Reflections on the Surangama Sutra, Robert Rosenbaum explores that question by taking forum participants on a magical journey through the Surangama Sutra based in a context of Zen practice.

Like the arts world, Surangama sutra is a springboard for exploring sensory experiences—sight, sound ,taste, smell, touch and the Buddhist “sixth sense” of mind or cognition. Rosenbaum presents witty, authentic and refreshing contemporary insights from neuroscience and psychology and anecdotes from his decades of teaching experience. Among arts-related insights shared is an appreciation for “musics of the mind" to intersect with ancient/perennial Buddhist wisdom and everyday human yearning.

MLF ORGANIZER

Anne W. Smith

SPEAKERS

Robert Rosenbaum

Ph.D., American Zen Teacher; Author, That Is Not Your Mind

Anne W. Smith

Ph.D., Co-Chair, Arts Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 8th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Valerie Biden Owens: Family, Faith and Responsibility Sep 20, 2022

Join us for a conversation about family, faith and responsibility, with Valerie Biden Owens and Dr. Gloria Duffy. Valerie Biden Owens is Biden Institute chair at the University of Delaware, campaign manager, political strategist, and New York Times best-selling author of Growing Up Biden.

Welcome remarks will be delivered by Paul J. Fitzgerald, S. J., president of the University of San Francisco, with introductions by Charles M. Collins, president emeritus of YMCA of San Francisco.

NOTES

This program is presented in partnership with the University of San Francisco.

SPEAKERS

Valerie Biden Owens

Chair, Biden Institute, University of Delaware

Welcome by Paul J. Fitzgerald

S. J., President, University of San Francisco

Introductions by Charles M. Collins

President Emeritus, YMCA of San Francisco

Dr. Gloria Duffy

President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

We are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded on September 12th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Kermit Roosevelt III: The Nation That Never Was Sep 17, 2022

Is today’s America really the one the Founding Fathers envisioned? That is the question constitutional scholar Kermit Roosevelt asks, tracing the majority of American political sentiments from the modern day not back as far as the Revolution, but to the Reconstruction era.

Kermit Roosevelt is a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the great-great grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt. He is an expert in constitutional law, national security, conflicts of law and civil liberties. His work has been published in the Virginia Law Review, the Michigan Law Review, and the Columbia Law Review and he is the author of two historical novels examining themes of equality and civil liberty.

In his latest book, The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America’s Story, Roosevelt argues that America in the modern day is not the ideological descendant of the era of the Founding Fathers but that of Reconstruction and Abraham Lincoln. Examining the writings, history and political thought of America’s first century, he explains that many of the country’s core political beliefs, especially equality, originated in the Reconstruction era not as a return to the Founder’s vision but as a rejection of it.

Join us as Roosevelt rethinks how American history is viewed, and how the ideas underpinning the country have shifted in the past two centuries—and along with it, what it means to be American itself.

SPEAKERS

Kermit Roosevelt III

David Berger Professor for the Administration of Justice, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School; Author, The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America’s Story

In Conversation with David Spencer

Founder, SenSpa; Member, Commonwealth Club of California Board of Governors

We are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on September 8th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Molly Wood on Tech, Money and Survival Sep 16, 2022

After a 20-year career as a tech reporter for CNET, the New York Times, and the public radio program Marketplace, Molly Wood has come to see the climate crisis as an engineering problem requiring an acceleration of investment. And so, after producing the acclaimed climate podcast “How We Survive” for Marketplace, she recently left that program to begin a new career in venture capital. Now, in conversation with Climate One Host Greg Dalton, Molly Wood explores the limits of media in changing human behavior and the role of capital in addressing the climate crisis, even while considering that capitalism itself may be incompatible with survival.

Guests:

Molly Wood, Investor, Podcaster

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Queer and Trans People in the AAPI Movement Sep 16, 2022

When people talk about the many attacks on Asian and Pacific Islander (API) people, they usually don’t talk about gay or queer people. These attacks have been going on for a long time, and seemingly nobody pays attention to it.

This special panel will highlight how these attacks are affecting the queer Asian community and how this silent violence is impacting their lives and the lives of their loved ones. It will also remove the veil of shame and secrecy around queerness that is experienced by many in the Asian diaspora.

NOTES

Thank you to our promotional partner, Openhouse Leadership Council on Queerness, Race, and Privilege.

SPEAKERS

Cecilia Chung

Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Evaluation, Transgender Law Center; Health Commissioner, San Francisco; Founding Producer, Trans March

Anjali Rimi

President and Co-founder, Parivar Bay Area; Member, Trans Advisory Committee, Office of Transgender Initiatives, San Francisco Mayor's Office

Morningstar Vancil

Activist; Artist; Co-founder, ForS/mWoC

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

We are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on February 8th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Join Us at the Club: Celebrating the Oyster! Sep 15, 2022

Oysters are one of humanity’s oldest foods and have great historical significance and current-day importance. For John Finger, founding partner and CEO of Hog Island Oyster Company, the shellfish are not only a vocation but a way of life. Finger is a marine biologist who has helped Hog Island become one of the premier producers of certified sustainable shellfish in the country. And Finger's work at Hog Island has never been more important.

Today, health, science, technology and climate change all combine to elevate the importance of the oyster and oyster farming to society. The marine equivalent of the canary in the coal mine, oysters are giving scientists a better understanding of rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification, and signaling the need for new scientific and technological solutions, if these and other shellfish are to thrive into the future.

There has never been a better time to return to The Commonwealth Club! Come join this special member-led forum event with John Finger to talk about the importance of oysters in the 21st century.

MLF ORGANIZER

Robbie Kilpatrick

SPEAKERS

John Finger

Founding Partner and CEO, Hog Island Oyster Company

Robbie Kilpatrick

Member, Board of Governors, The Commonwealth Club of California; Chair, Health and Medicine Member-Ledw

We are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live on September 7th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Saving Freud Sep 13, 2022

In March 1938, German soldiers, under Hitler's orders, crossed the border and absorbed Austria into the Third Reich. Anticipating these events, many Jews had fled Austria, but the most famous Austrian Jew remained in Vienna, where he had lived since early childhood. Sigmund Freud was 81 years old, ill with cancer, and still unconvinced that his life was in danger.

But those close to Freud thought otherwise and began a coordinated effort to persuade Freud to leave Vienna before it was too late. The persuaders included Freud’s devoted youngest daughter Anna, his personal doctor, a Welsh physician, an American ambassador, and Napoleon’s great-grandniece.

Join us as Andrew Nagorski shares how this remarkable collection of people succeeded in coaxing Freud out of his deep state of denial, allowing them both to extricate Freud and his family from Austria and to arrange for Freud to live out the remaining 16 months of his life in freedom in London.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics.

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Andrew Nagorski

Former Bureau Chief (Hong Kong, Moscow, Rome, Bonn, Warsaw, and Berlin), Newsweek; Author, Saving Freud: The Rescuers Who Brought Him to Freedom

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

We are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 7th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Congressman David Cicilline: Fighting for Democracy Matters Sep 10, 2022

Over the past two years, Rhode Island congressman David N. Cicilline has become an outspoken voice on some of the most critical issues facing the country and the Bay Area, including regulating and reining in big social media companies, reducing gun violence, and promoting economic development. As chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, Rep. Cicilline is leading efforts to promote equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Thrust into the national spotlight during the second impeachment of President Trump, Cicilline is increasingly concerned about America's democracy and the threats to it from within the country and on Capitol Hill itself. He believes in an extensive response that spans both citizen opposition and potent political reforms, including an end to the Senate filibuster, discarding the Electoral College, expanding the Supreme Court, and requiring that justices adhere to a code of ethics. He outlines some of these thoughts in his new book, House on Fire: Fighting for Democracy in the Age of Political Arson. In it, Cicilline spares no one from criticism as he argues for a politics that produces results and warns that without it, America could slip into being a country we no longer recognize.

Please join us to hear a rising force in Democratic politics on fighting for what matters.

SPEAKERS

Rep. David N. Cicilline

(D–RI 1st District), Member, U.S. House of Representatives; Author, House on Fire: Fighting for Democracy in the Age of Political Arson; Twitter @RepCicilline

In Conversation with Mark Follman

National Affairs Editor, Mother Jones; Twitter @markfollman

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on September 7th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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My Friend Is a Science Denier—What Can I Do? Sep 09, 2022

In this second part of our series on conspiracy theories and other false narratives, we'll look at practical actions we can take and tools we can use to have fruitful discussions with friends and family who have been misled.

There are ways that we can help untangle the snare of a mind-gripping false narrative. They're usually not easy, and they're usually not fast, but they can work in most cases. To help us learn how, Dr. Lee McIntyre, author of How to Talk to a Science Denier, will provide detailed recommendations for countering science denial and other false narratives in one-on-one discussions with friends and family. And be sure to look for the next event in this series, which will discuss actions society can take to defend itself.

MLF ORGANIZER

Eric Siegel

SPEAKERS

Lee McIntyre

Ph.D., Research Fellow, Center for Philosophy and History of Science, Boston University, Former Executive Director, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University; Author, How To Talk To A Science Denier and Post-Truth

Eric Siegel

Chair, Personal Growth Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 6th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: No Going Back: EVs and Clean Tech Tipping Points with Albert Cheung Sep 09, 2022

In the tech world, there’s a common belief that once a new device hits 5% market penetration, it rapidly goes from a niche to mass adoption. According to Bloomberg, the US has just passed that critical 5% tipping point for new EV purchases. Norway, an oil-rich country, was first to hit that 5% mark in 2013 and today boasts a stunning 86% of new cars being fully electric. Now California is driving the US along a similar road away from gasoline and diesel by passing a new law that will only allow emission free vehicles to be sold by 2035. Even with that California law, how confident can we be that all new American cars will be running clean? What does the 5% tipping point mean for other clean tech adoption?

Guests:

Albert Cheung, Head of Global Analysis, BloombergNEF

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Why Have False Beliefs and Conspiracy Theories Become so Powerful? Sep 06, 2022

Why does a lie travel around the world while the truth is still lacing up its boots? In all areas, not just politics, science, and medicine, outrageous or fascinating false information outpaces truth, which is often more nuanced. False narratives pose a real danger to democracy, to our health, and to society. This series will discuss the reasons for that destructive state of affairs and what we can do about it, as individuals and as a society.

In this first part of our series, Dr. Joe Pierre, health sciences clinical professor at UCLA and specialist in delusional thinking and conspiracy theories, will discuss the age-old psychological reasons that conspiracy theories and other false narratives have been successful throughout human history. He will also look at how false narratives have been noticeably empowered and accelerated during the past few years by COVID isolation and modern technologies, among other factors.

Also look for the next events in this series, which will use the insights from this event to discuss how we can reach out to a friend who has become ensnared in a conspiracy theory, and actions we can take as individuals and as a society.MLF ORGANIZER

Eric Siegel

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Joe Pierre

M.D., Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. Author; Expert Witness; Legal Consultant

Eric Siegel

Chair, Personal Growth Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live on September 1st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Bridging The Great American Divide Sep 02, 2022

Most Americans support climate action, but you wouldn’t know it from Congress or the courts – or from most of the media. People on both the left and the right experience the same devastating floods, the same life-threatening heatwaves and the same catastrophic wildfires. Yet individuals tend to socialize within insulated political tribes, operate in completely different information bubbles and see the problems and solutions through different lenses. How can we learn to bridge ideological divides, develop trust, and find the common ground needed to rebuild respectful civil discourse?

Guests:

Chloe Maxmin, Maine State Senator

Joan Blades, Co-founder, LivingRoomConversations.org

John Gables, Co-founder, AllSides.com

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Gods of Want: Author K-Ming Chang Show editorially warning Aug 31, 2022

Join us online for a discussion and reading of Gods of Want: Stories, with author K-Ming Chang. Chang's new book features fictional short stories of a Taiwanese American family exploring displacement, queerness and more.

Chang is a Kundiman fellow, a Lambda Literary Award finalist, and a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree. She is also the author of the novel Bestiary, which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the PEN/Faulker Award, and the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Chang has taught classes for Kundiman, Catapult, Lambda Literary Writers’ Retreat, Miami Book Fair, Pacific Northwest College of the Arts’ Low-Residency MFA Program, Kweli International Literary Festival, Literary Arts at Featherstone, Sevilla Writers House, Flash Fiction Festival (Literary Cleveland), Ellipses Writing, Vassar College Critical Ethnic Studies Conference, Youth Empowerment Program at MinKwon, and elsewhere.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

K-Ming Chang

Author, Gods of Want: Stories and Bestiary

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Week to Week: Fall Election 2022 Aug 26, 2022

With less than three months before the November election (and even less time before people start mailing in their ballots), come out to the Club for a lively political discussion of the big issues and key races in the fall contest for Congress.

Will Republicans capture both houses of Congress? Or will Democrats hold onto the Senate? What are the issues that will drive people to the polls, the candidates in key races, and the voter trends that will determine the outcome?

Find out with lively and informed commentary from our panelists. We'll also take a look at significant races in California and the Bay Area.

SPEAKERS

Mark Z. Barabak

Political Columnist, Los Angeles Times; Twitter @markzbarabak

Dr. Larry Gerston

Political Science Professor Emeritus, San Jose State University; NBC Bay Area Political Analyst; Author, California's Recall Election of Gavin Newsom: COVID-19 and the Test of Leadership; Twitter @lgerston

Carla Marinucci

Political Journalist; Twitter @cmarinucci

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 24th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Ukraine and the Middle East: Climate Action in Conflict Zones Aug 26, 2022

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused horrific damage and casualties, in spite of Ukraine’s remarkable efforts to defend itself. The conflict has disrupted energy markets, grain shipments and is still destabilizing the global economy. All of this has shoved climate further down the list of international priorities, as has happened so many times before.

Yet within conflict zones, many brave individuals and organizations work every day to stave off the even greater threat of climate catastrophe. We talk with climate activists in Ukraine and the Middle East about the realities of operating environmental organizations in conflict zones, and how to balance immediate needs with working toward a better future.

Guests:

Roman Zinchenko, Co-Founder, Greencubator

Nada Majdalani, Palestine Director, EcoPeace Middle East

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Free Chol Soo Lee: The Effort to Right a Legal Wrong Show editorially warningPlay Aug 24, 2022

In the early 1970s, a 20-year-old Korean immigrant named Chol Soo Lee was convicted of a Chinatown gang murder. Sentenced to life, he spent years fighting to survive, until investigative journalist K.W. Lee took a special interest in his case, igniting an unprecedented social justice movement that would unite Asian Americans and inspire a new generation of activists.

Nearly five decades later, the new documentary Free Chol Soo Lee examines this largely unknown yet important history, presenting an intimate portrait of the complex man at its center and serving as an urgent reminder of his legacy.

Join us for a free online conversation with Julie Ha and Eugene Yi, the co-directors of Free Chol Soo Lee.

SPEAKERS

Julie Ha

Co-director, Free Chol Soo Lee

Eugene Yi

Co-director, Free Chol Soo Lee

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 18th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Moiya McTier: Understanding the Milky Way Aug 23, 2022

The Milky Way—its hundred billion stars, supermassive black holes and countless unsolved mysteries—is as intriguing as it is colossal. And for astrophysicist Dr. Moiya McTier, merely studying it is not enough, as she combines myth and science into a whimsical, fanciful and fascinating “autobiography” of our home galaxy.

Dr. McTier holds a Ph.D. in astronomy from Columbia University and studies astrophysics as well as folklore and mythology at Harvard University. In her latest book, The Milky Way, McTier takes on the role of the titular galaxy and delivers a “juicy tell all” of its formation, growth, history and relationship with its surrounding galaxies. Sharing fascinating tales ranging from out intergalactic rivals to the time the Milky Way was once in love, McTier breaks down advanced astronomy into playful, simple and easily understood chunks.

Join us, as Dr. Moiya McTier shares the never-before-told personal story of the colossal place we call home, and helps us understand better the universe around us.

MLF ORGANIZER

Gerald Harris

SPEAKERS

Dr. Moiya McTier

Ph.D., Astrophysicist; Folklorist; Author, The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy; Twitter @GoAstroMo

Gerald Harris

President, Quantum Planning Group; Chair, Technology & Society Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Funny and Disabled: An Evening of Comedy and Conversation Aug 19, 2022

More than one in four adults in the United States has a disability. And yet: Do you know how to be a true ally to someone, maybe yourself, with a disability? Have you felt awkward around people with a disability and not known what to say and do? Have you wanted to tell your friend how you understand yourself as a disabled person, but not known how to tell your story?

Fret not! Here comes Nina G., the stuttering standup comic to lighten up a heavy subject! Nina stutters and has learning disabilities. She also has a doctorate in psychology and is the author of multiple books on stand-up comedy as well as disability, invisible or not. Through humor and comedy, she will show us what it means to "laugh at disability" from an insider perspective. (When is it OK to laugh at people with disabilities? When they are holding a microphone and telling jokes!)

We'll practice our new skills, have a laugh-filled evening, and hopefully return home a little lighter, and a lot more enlightened. We'll deepen our understanding of what disability means, how to be an ally, and how to self-advocate. And maybe we can get her to tell us some stories about stand-up history.

About the SpeakerNina G., the "stuttering standup comic," is the author of Stutterer Interrupted: The Comedian Who Almost Didn’t Happen, Bay Area Stand-Up Comedy: A Humorous History, and Once Upon an Accommodation: A Book About Learning Disabilities. She has been featured on NPR, BBC, and Psychology Today, and has consulted for the Fortune 500 and many universities. She has also performed with Dave Chappelle and Mort Sahl.

MLF ORGANIZER

Eric Siegel

SPEAKERS

Nina G.

"Stuttering Standup Comic"; Author, Stutterer Interrupted: The Comedian Who Almost Didn’t Happen, Bay Area Stand-Up Comedy: A Humorous History, and Once Upon an Accommodation: A Book About Learning Disabilities.

Eric Siegel

Chair, Personal Growth Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live on August 16th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Will Sustainable Aviation Ever Take Off? Aug 19, 2022

For those of us who love to travel, climate guilt weighs heavily. Civil aviation accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and that number is going up. But while electrifying cars and trucks is already well underway, flying planes on anything other than liquid fuels remains devilishly difficult. Despite that difficulty, there are options. Sustainable aviation fuels, or SAFs, hold the most promise, as they can theoretically drop right into existing engines and infrastructure. Beyond that, a number of startups are tinkering with electric battery-powered aircraft, as well as hydrogen-powered electric planes. But how sustainable are these options, and are they really ready for prime time?

Guests:

Fred Ghatala, Director of Carbon & Sustainability, Advanced Biofuels Canada

Stephanie Searle, Fuels Program Director, ICCT

Scott Cary, Project Manager, NREL

Christina Beckman, Co-creator, Tomorrow’s Air; Vice President, Adventure Travel Trade Association

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Jason Kander with Congressman Adam Schiff: Politics, Progress and PTSD Aug 18, 2022

Before Jason Kander served as the Missouri secretary of state, he served as an Army intelligence officer who spent time stationed in Afghanistan. Later in 2017, President Obama, in his final Oval Office interview, was asked who gave him hope for the future of the country, and Jason Kander was the first name he mentioned. Suddenly, Kander was a national figure. As observers assumed he was preparing a run for the presidency, Kander announced a bid for mayor of Kansas City instead and was headed for a landslide victory. But after 11 years of battling PTSD from his service in Afghanistan, Jason was seized by depression and suicidal thoughts. He dropped out of the mayor’s race and out of public life. And finally, he sought help.

In his brutally honest second memoir, following his New York Times best-selling debut Outside the Wire, Kander shares his most painful moments with PTSD. In Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD, readers follow Kander through his struggles with undiagnosed illness during a presidential bid, his challenging treatment and ultimately his process of healing. The story gives hope to so many of people and teaches them how sometimes walking away from the chance of a lifetime can be the greatest decision of all.

Kander will be joined by U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff for a powerful and candid conversation about his battle with PTSD, and the courage to take it on. In Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD, readers follow Kander through his struggles with undiagnosed illness during a presidential bid, his challenging treatment and ultimately his process of healing. The story gives hope to so many of people and teaches them how sometimes walking away from the chance of a lifetime can be the greatest decision of all.

Kander will be joined by U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff for a powerful and candid conversation about his battle with PTSD, and the courage to take it on.

SPEAKERS

Jason Kander

President, Veterans Community Project; Host, "Majority 54" Podcast;; Author, Invisible Storm: A Soldier's Memoir of Politics and PTSD; Twitter @jasonkander

In Conversation with Adam Schiff

U.S. Representative (D-CA)

This program contains EXPLICIT language

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CLIMATE ONE: The Inflation Reduction Act: What’s in the Sausage? Aug 10, 2022

For nearly six decades, the US government passed no comprehensive climate legislation. Now that’s changed. The Inflation Reduction Act contains approximately $370 billion of investments in clean energy and climate solutions. But not everyone is happy. To get through the Senate, the bill offered carrots to entrenched fossil fuel interests, along with investments in renewable power. Many in disadvantaged communities, who so often bear the brunt of climate-induced disasters, feel they’ve been left out yet again.

Guests:

Chelsea Henderson, Director of Editorial Content, RepublicEn

Sam Ricketts, Co-Founder, Evergreen Action

Ozawa Bineshi Albert, Co-Executive Director, Climate Justice Alliance

Somini Sengupta, International Climate Reporter & Anchor, Climate Forward Newsletter, New York Times

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Building Safe Spaces with GAPA Runway and LGBTQIA+ Leaders Aug 10, 2022

Join us for an online discussion of LGBTQIA+ spaces and making changes to accommodate diverse and growing communities. We will also cover GAPA Runway—a night of fashion, glamour and entertainment celebrating the artistry, talents and humanity of the QTAPI community—and how iconic LGBTQIA+ events continue to support and provide services to our community.

Show editorially warning

About the SpeakerEmmett Chen-Ran graduated from Yale in 2020, where he did a lot of theatre production and occasionally attended computer science classes. Emmett joined the GBLTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance as its first trans board member in late 2020 and started producing GAPA Runway, and after two years of Covid-induced delays, he's finally seeing his work come to fruition in the first in-person Runway since 2019. He is passionate about building inclusive community spaces that welcome people of all stripes, spearheading GAPA Runway's transformation from a binary gendered competition into a category-less genderqueer bonanza. A man of many pursuits, Emmett has published a Tiny Love Story in the New York Times, recently did his first solo performance in a St. Patrick's Day show at Martuni's, serves on the boards of Frameline and Oaklash, and oil paints recreationally.

SPEAKERS

Emmett Chen-Ran

Production Director, GAPA; Board Member, Frameline; Board Member, Oaklash

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 4th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Psychiatry and Its Discontents Aug 08, 2022

Written by one of the world’s most distinguished historians of psychiatry, Psychiatry and Its Discontents provides a wide-ranging and critical perspective on the profession that dominates the treatment of mental illness. Andrew Scull traces the rise of the field, the midcentury hegemony of psychoanalytic methods, and the paradigm’s decline with the ascendance of biological and pharmaceutical approaches to mental illness.

Scull's historical sweep is broad, ranging from the age of the asylum to the rise of psychopharmacology and the dubious triumphs of “community care.” The essays in Psychiatry and Its Discontents provide a vivid and compelling portrait of the recurring crises of legitimacy experienced by “mad-doctors,” as psychiatrists were once called, and illustrates the impact of psychiatry’s ideas and interventions on the lives of those afflicted with mental illness.

About the Speaker

Dr. Andrew Scull was educated at Oxford, Princeton and University College London; he is the author of more than a dozen books on mental illness and is widely regarded as one of the world's leading historians of psychiatry. Currently a distinguished research professor of sociology and science studies, he has also held faculty positions at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania, and has been the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the American Council of Learned Societies, among others. His work has been translated into 200 languages, and his most recent book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in history. A past president of the Society for the Social History of Medicine, he has appeared on television and radio on multiple occasions in North America, Europe and Australia.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patrick O'Reilly

SPEAKERS

Dr. Andrew Scull

Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology and Science Studies, University of California San Diego

Patrick O'Reilly

Ph.D., Chair, Psychology Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on August 2nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Climbing, Conservation and Capitalism Aug 05, 2022

Rick Ridgeway estimates he’s spent about five years of his life sleeping in tents, often in the world’s most remote places alongside fellow outdoor adventure luminaries. Ridgeway worked for Patagonia for 15 years and was behind the company’s infamous “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad campaign, which paradoxically advocated sustainability and increased sales.

Outdoor companies like Patagonia may push for sustainability, but they largely still present a mostly white, wealthy experience with nature, which can be off-putting for people of color. “You know if you can't see yourself in those spaces then it’s hard to feel invited or welcome in that movement,” says writer and social justice facilitator Amanda Machado.

What is the role of corporations in conservation? And how can the outdoor industry help make nature more safe, accessible and welcoming for all?

Guests:

Rick Ridgeway, former Vice President of Public Engagement, Patagonia

Amanda Machado, writer and social justice facilitator

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Humankindness and Health Justice Series: The Intersection of Mental Health and Equity Aug 03, 2022

COVID-19 illustrated to the nation the need to address disparities that exist in our communities, especially as they relate to mental health. These disparities are chronic, with intergenerational health impacts that also affect employment and create socioeconomic racial inequities. The direct result of all these inequities is that people of color die at a rate 3.6 times higher than that of the overall general population. Eliminating persistent disparities and stigma in mental health will require correcting the systemic barriers created over generations.

Join us for a conversation on ways to overcome these barriers at the intersection of mental health and equity with the Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy, former congressman from Rhode Island and one of the world’s leading voices on mental health and addiction, and Paul Rains, system senior vice president for behavioral health for CommonSpirit Health and president at St Joseph’s Behavioral Health Center in Stockton, California. Leading the discussion will be Janet Reilly, co-founder and board president of Clinic by the Bay, a free, volunteer-powered health clinic for the working uninsured in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties.

NOTES

This program is part of the Humankindness & Health Justice series, generously underwritten by CommonSpirit Health Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Hon. Patrick Kennedy

Former U.S. Representative (D-RI) and Founder of The Kennedy Forum

Paul Rains

Senior Vice President of Behavioral Health, CommonSpirit Health; President, St. Joseph’s Behavioral Health Center

Janet Reilly

Co-founder and Board President, Clinic by the Bay

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 27th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Human Rights Foundation and Justice in Syria Show editorially warningPlay Aug 02, 2022

Roberto González will discuss the important work the Human Rights Foundation has done since its inception in 2005, including its project Defund Dictators Too. The HRF is a nonprofit that defends and promotes freedom and justice throughout the world. He will likely include the recent Oslo Freedom Forum. Malaak Jamal will concentrate on HRF's 2022 report, "Framing Justice in Syria."

Roberto González is an attorney admitted to practice in the State of New York. He graduated cum laude from Rafael Landívar University, where he earned a Bachelor of Laws degree. He also holds a master’s degree in International Law and Justice from Fordham University School of Law. As a part of HRF’s Center for Law and Democracy, González’s research focuses on comparative constitutional law and international law. Malaak Jamal oversees HRF research and analyzes political regimes in countries under authoritarian rule. She received her M.A. in diplomacy and international relations from Seton Hall University, with specializations in human rights, international law, post-conflict state reconstruction and sustainability. Malaak has a minor in Middle Eastern studies at the American University in Dubai. Malaak’s opinions have been featured in Time, The Washington Post ,CNN, and other media outlets.

MLF ORGANIZER

Celia Menczel

SPEAKERS

Roberto González

Chief Advocacy Officer, Human Rights Foundation

Malaak Jamal

Director, Policy and Research, Human Rights Foundation

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 21st 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Larry Baer: The San Francisco Giants' 2022 Season Jul 29, 2022

As the San Francisco Giants gear up after the All-Star break, what can we expect from this team in 2022? It is the 140th season for the franchise in Major League Baseball, its 65th year in San Francisco, and its 23rd at Oracle Park. This is also the third season under manager Gabe Kapler, and perhaps more important, the first season since 2008 without longtime catcher Buster Posey, who retired in November.

With three World Series titles in the last 12 years, and last year’s all- time franchise record of 107 winning games and the National League West title, can the Giants make another run for the pennant this year? Who better to ask than Larry Baer, president and CEO of the SF Giants franchise?

A fourth-generation San Franciscan, Larry Baer has gained a national reputation as one of professional sports’ leading visionaries. Baer joined the team in 1992 as the executive vice president after he and Peter Magowan led the effort to assemble a new ownership group that kept the Giants in San Francisco. A limited partner and board member of the ownership group, Baer was named CEO on January 1, 2012. In his first year as president and CEO, the Giants won their second World Series Championship in three years. In 2014, the Giants won their third World Series title in five years. Baer is responsible for the overall day-to-day operations of the organization and serves as a key strategist and negotiator of the club’s major transactions.

Join us at The Commonwealth Club to hear firsthand from Larry Baer on how the Giants are doing this season and what we can hope to see from the team in the second half of the season.

SPEAKERS

Larry Baer

President and CEO, San Francisco Giants

Raj Mathai

Anchor, NBC Bay Area KNTV—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Patti Poppe: Reinventing Utilities During a Climate Emergency Jul 29, 2022

As the CEO of the California utility giant PG&E, Patti Poppe is charged with navigating the company through massive wildfires, disrupted energy markets, and lingering public distrust of the utility. The company is undergrounding 10,000 miles of electric lines, working with GM and Ford on incorporating power from electric vehicles into homes and the grid, deploying batteries at large power plants, and pushing to change net metering rates that pay homeowners for electricity generated on their roofs. How can utilities like PG&E reinvent themselves and modernize the electric grid to deliver renewable power when their own systems are threatened by catastrophic climate change?

Guests:

Patricia Poppe, CEO, PG&E

Katherine Blunt, Reporter, Wall Street Journal

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Katie Hafner, Author of ""The Boys"" Jul 28, 2022

Katie Hafner is a technology, health care, and society journalist who wrote on staff for The New York Times for 10 years and remains a frequent contributor. She has also worked at Newsweek and BusinessWeek and has written for many major publications, including The Washington Post and Oprah Magazine. She is the author of five previous works of nonfiction covering a range of topics, including the origins of the Internet, computer hackers, German reunification, and the pianist Glenn Gould.

Hafner’s first novel, The Boys, writes a charming narrative about love and the yearning for connection. The story follows Ethan Fawcett, an introvert who marries the vivacious Barb. One day Barb brings home two young brothers, Tommy and Sam, for them to foster, and when the pandemic hits, Ethan becomes obsessed with providing a perfect life for the boys. The introduction of the boys into their household drives a wedge between Ethan and Barb. Ethan decides to take the boys on a biking trip in Italy on a misguided quest for love and connection, and expectedly discovers what it will take to repair his marriage.

Join us to as Katie Hafner takes us through her reflections on loneliness and community.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Katie Hafner

Journalist; Host and Co-Executive Producer, "Lost Women of Science" Podcast; Author, The Boys

Carol Edgarian

Co Founder, Narrative; Author, Vera—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 18th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mark Leibovich: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission Jul 27, 2022

The Republican Party used to stand for individualism, and according to journalist and author Mark Leibovich, it now largely answers to the whims of one man: former president Donald Trump. Tracing Trump’s ascent to the top of a party that in the early months of his candidacy viewed him with contempt, Leibovich brings answers to the massive question of “what happened?”

Mark Leibovich is an award-winning journalist and writer for The Atlantic. Called the “reigning master of the political profile” by Washingtonian magazine and named one of “Washington's 25 Most Powerful, Least Famous People” by The New Republic, Leibovich has decades of journalistic experience, including previously writing for The New York Times for 15 years.

In his latest book Thank You For Your Servitude, Leibovich retells how figures like Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham went from vocal Trump critics to loyal soldiers. With shocking honesty from some of Trump’s biggest supporters admitting they are “in on the joke,” Leibovich uses interviews, news media and an incisive, brutally honest investigation to tell how Trump remade the GOP in his own image—and how far his politicians are willing to go to stay relevant.

Join us, as Leibovich recounts the transformation of the American political right, and how it gave hints of the events we see unfold today.

SPEAKERS

Mark Leibovich

Staff Writer, The Atlantic; Former Chief National Correspondent, The New York Times Magazine; Author, Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission; Twitter @MarkLeibovich

In Conversation with Tim Miller

Writer-at-large, The Bulwark; Political Analyst, MSNBC; Host, "Not My Party" on Snapchat; Communications Director, Jeb Bush 2016; Author, Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell; Twitter @timodc

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Malcolm Nance: Behind the Ideology of the Trump Insurgency Jul 25, 2022

In the post-2020 world, Americans, having faced the controversies of the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection, may be tempted to do their best to forget these events and move on — yet to bestselling author Malcolm Nance, this is the worst thing they can do. As the country is experiencing a sharp rise in radicalism and hostility toward democracy, Nance argues that it is more important than ever to be actively confronting the rise of a new threat to democracy from within.

Malcolm Nance is a leading expert in counter-terrorism studies, as well as an intelligence analyst, cryptologist, former senior chief petty officer in the United States Navy and founding executive director of the New York-based think tank Terror Asymmetrics Project on Strategy, Tactics and Radical Ideologies. Nance has written at length on the dangers posed by major terrorist groups, such as ISIS and al-Qaeda.

In his latest book, They Want to Kill Americans, Nance explains how conspiracy theories, white privilege and increasing hostility toward democracy has contributed to the rise of what he calls a “Trump Insurgency in the U.S.,” or TITUS. Having forewarned of divisions in America turning into fractures in our country months before the January 6 insurrection, Nance warns that the rising generational threat may rival the Islamic State or al-Qaeda, and that immediate action is necessary to address this growing unrest before it is too late.

Join us as Nance explains how such a destructive force has sprung up in our own backyard, and what can be done to quell its growth.

SPEAKERS

Malcolm Nance

Retired Intelligence Officer; Author, They Want to Kill Americans: The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency

In Conversation with Pat Thurston

Host, “The Pat Thurston Show,” KGO-AM

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Craig McNamara: Because Our Fathers Lied Jul 23, 2022

The Greatest Generation, having faced the Great Depression and fought World War II with a clear goal and responsible leadership, ended up enduring a generational divide with their Baby Boom children, because their continuing trust in American political leadership did not erode as quickly as their children’s did during the 1960s. The Vietnam War’s lies, deaths, destruction and deteriorated goals, arriving at the same time as political assassinations and the ongoing cultural violence in reaction to a seemingly simple plea for racial equality, undermined many a family’s intergenerational communications.

Prior to serving as secretary of defense in JFK’s cabinet of “the best and the brightest,” Robert McNamara was a skilled executive who had helped turn around the Ford Motor Company. Craig, his youngest child and only son, came of age in the political tumult and upheaval of the late 1960s and took part in anti-war demonstrations in direct conflict with his father’s policies. Then he traveled by motorcycle across Central and South America to learn the art of agriculture so that he could make “an honest living”.

Because Our Fathers Lied tells the story of a father and son at a pivotal period in American history. Join us to discuss the issues of the 1960s all over again with someone who lived the generational conflict more intimately than almost anyone else.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Craig McNamara

Founder and President, Center for Land-Based Learning; Owner, Sierra Orchards; Author, Because Our Fathers Lied: A Memoir of Truth and Family, from Vietnam to Today

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ian Morris: Geography Is Destiny Jul 22, 2022

Ian Morris returns to The Commonwealth Club for an online discussion of his latest research into the deep history of the human race. In the wake of Brexit, Morris now tackles the 8 millennia history of Britain's relationship to Europe as that relationship keeps changing in the context of a continually globalizing world.

When Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, the 48 percent who wanted to stay and the 52 percent who wanted to go each accused the other of stupidity, fraud and treason. But the Brexit debate merely reran a script written 8,000 years earlier, when rising seas physically separated the British Isles from the European continent.

Morris describes how technology and organization have steadily enlarged Britain's arena, and how its people have turned this to their advantage. For the first 7,500 years, the British were never more than bit players at the western edge of a European stage, struggling to find a role among bigger, richer and more sophisticated continental rivals. By A.D. 1500, however, new kinds of ships and governments had turned the European stage into an Atlantic one. With the English Channel now functioning as a barrier, England transformed the British Isles into a United Kingdom that created a worldwide empire. Since 1900, however, Britain has been overshadowed by American, European and Chinese actors. But Morris says that in trying to find its new place in a global economy, Britain has been looking in all the wrong places. The great question for the 21st century is not what to do about Brussels, but what to do about Beijing.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Ian Morris

The Jean and Rebecca Willard Professor of Classics and Professor in History, Stanford University; Author, Geography is Destiny—Britain's Place in the World: A 10,000 Year History

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Turning Down the Heat: Decarbonizing Cement and Steel Jul 22, 2022

Along with aviation, the construction industry is one of the hardest to decarbonize sectors in the global economy. Cement and steel production together are responsible for about 15% of global CO2 emissions. But look around our modern world and it’s hard to imagine doing without these materials. Carbon-negative cement has been talked about for years, and innovations in steel production show promise as well, but is either technology ready for primetime? And what about replacing these materials with engineered wood, which could also store carbon for decades?

Guests:

John Fernández, Professor of Architecture, MIT

Chathurika Gamage, Manager, Climate Aligned Industries, RMI

Radhika Lalit, Chief Strategy Officer, RMI

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Mary Ziegler: How the Anti-Abortion Movement Remade America Jul 20, 2022

UC Davis Professor of Law Mary Ziegler is one of the world’s leading authorities on the U.S. abortion wars and the history of reproductive rights in this country. Since the leak of a draft of a Supreme Court majority opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade and the guaranteed right to an abortion, Ziegler has been one of the most sought-after experts on this issue.

Ziegler's timely new book Dollars for Life: the Antiabortion Movement and the Fall of the Republican Establishment, explores how the antiabortion movement remade the Republican Party and led to this current historic moment. She traces how the anti-abortion movement helped to revolutionize the rules of money in U.S. politics and persuaded conservative voters to focus on the federal courts. Ziegler offers a surprising new view of the slow drift to extremes in American politics and says it had everything to do with the strange intersection of right-to-life politics and campaign spending. Her previous books have explored the legal history of Roe v. Wade and the role of privacy rights in the abortion debate.

At a historic time that might mark a turnaround in abortion rights, The Commonwealth Club is pleased to host a true expert on the topic and this historic moment. You won't want to miss this important conversation.

SPEAKERS

Mary Ziegler

Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law; Author, Dollars for Life: the Antiabortion Movement and the Fall of the Republican Establishment

Vikrum Aiyer

Member, Inforum Advisory Board—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 13th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Daniel Byman: The Global Rise of White Supremacist Terrorism Jul 19, 2022

The recent white supremacist shooting in Buffalo that targeted African-Americans renewed attention to the global rise in white nationalistic terrorism. The shooting in Buffalo, which has brought domestic terrorism charges to the alleged assailant, included a digital manifesto that copied and mirrored previous manifestos—infused with racism and anti-Semitism—that accompanied previous terrorist shootings in New Zealand, Norway and the United States. The increasing numbers of these incidents and their similarities are signs of a growing but diffuse white power movement that is alarming terrorism experts globally. One of those most concerned is Dr. Daniel Byman, an author, professor and leading global counter-terrorism expert.

Byman's new book Spreading Hate: The Global Rise of White Supremacist Terrorism draws upon vast amounts of research and years of experiencing analyzing the spread of the global phenomenon of white supremacy and white power. Explaining that after 9/11 pushed white supremacist terrorism to a secondary category of concern of security authorities, Bymam says this allowed the movement to spread, grow and influence followers around the world. He warns that in addition to undermining faith in Western democracy, worsening political tensions and wildly spreading conspiracies across social media, this movement will continue to grow and metastasize without authoritative action to stop it. He calls for a new era of international intelligence cooperation, crackdowns on technology companies and aggressive global law enforcement to reduce the urgent threat from this decentralized and often poorly understood movement.

Join us as Dr. Byman explains the historical rise of the white power movement, and what steps can be taken to reducing this increasingly lethal global threat.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 13th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Alice Waters: We Are What We Eat Jul 15, 2022

Alice Waters is a true Bay Area icon and one of the most influential chefs of her generation.

A long-time food activist, Waters first opened Bay Area local restaurant Chez Panisse in 1971 with the intention of feeding people good food during a time of political turmoil. Customers responded positively to the restaurant and its focus on locally sourced organic ingredients, delectable hand-made dishes, and wonderfully mastered hospitality.

In pioneering a revolutionary approach to food preparation and service, Waters determined that the rise of fast food, frozen meals, and prepackaged ingredients were increasingly overshadowing the human qualities of eating and cooking. In her recent book We Are What We Eat, Waters urges us to take up the mantle of slow food culture. She writes this book as a declaration of action against fast food values and a working theory about what we can do to change the course.

From years of working with regional farmers, Waters learned about the dangers of pesticides; the plight of fieldworkers; and the social, economic and environmental threats posed by industrial farming and food distribution. Thus she says every decision we make about what we put in our mouths affects our bodies and the world at large. By eating in a “slow way,” the philosophy at the core of her life’s work, Waters says we can be empowered to prioritize and nurture a different kind of culture, one that champions values such as biodiversity, seasonality, stewardship and pleasure in work.

Join us as Alice Waters teaches us how to change our relationship with food to unlock a radical reconsideration of how each of us cooks and eats.

SPEAKERS

Alice Waters

Chef; Founder and Owner, Chez Panisse; Author, We Are What We Eat: A Slow Food Manifesto; Twitter@AliceWaters

In Conversation with William Rosenzweig

Faculty Co-Chair, Berkeley Haas Center for Responsible Business

Program Chair: Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez

CEO, La Cocina; Member, The Commonwealth Club of California Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded on July 12th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: On The Run: Voluntary and Forced Climate Migration Jul 15, 2022

The climate crisis is a growing driver of human migration, exacerbating the misery of already struggling communities. According to the UN Refugee Agency, climate change typically creates internal displacement within countries before it pushes people across national borders. While much of this displacement is involuntary, many with wealth and foresight are able to move before they personally feel the most devastating effects. How well are governments prepared to handle an influx of people driven from their homes – and support those who are left behind?

Guests:

Abrahm Lustgarten, Senior Reporter at ProPublica

Colette Pichon Battle, Esq., Co-Executive Director, Taproot Earth

Kayly Ober, Senior Advocate and Program Manager, Climate Displacement Program, Refugees International

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Tim Miller: Inside the New Republican Party Jul 14, 2022

From 2000 to 2022, one thing is certain: What it means to be Republican has changed. To former Republican political consultant Tim Miller, the GOP started down a path to disaster in the early 2000s. Lack of strategic decision making within the Republican Party at that time set the stage for Donald Trump to take over the party Miller once loved. He now seeks to answer a simple question: “Why did normal people go along with the worst of Trumpism?”

Tim Miller is an author, activist and consultant who has held many positions within Republican campaigns. He has served as co-founder and political director for the advocacy group Republican Voters Against Trump and director of communications for Jed Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign. During his time in the Republican Party, he served in a variety of positions, including co-founder and executive director of the opposition research firm America Rising and “forensic analyst” for Mitt Romney’s failed 2012 presidential campaign.

In his new book Why We Did It, Miller cuts through the past two decades of political shifts, compromises and decisions made by the GOP that he says set it on a collision course with Trumpism and led to the events of January 6. Giving an honest look at his own work in the Republican Party, Miller uses raw interviews, forgotten history and personal accounts in a biting, darkly satirical retelling of the transformation of the GOP, leading up to his eventual departure from the party in November 2020.

Join us as Miller recounts the roadmap of how we got here, and what the story of one of the greatest party shifts in American history can tell us about the future of the nation.

SPEAKERS

Tim Miller

Writer-at-large, The Bulwark; Political Analyst, MSNBC; Host, "Not My Party" on Snapchat; Communications Director, Jeb Bush 2016; Author, Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell; Twitter @timodc

In Conversation with Dan Pfeiffer

Co-host, "Pod Save America"; Author, Battling the Big Lie: How Fox, Facebook, and the MAGA Media Are Destroying America; Twitter @danpfeiffer

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded on July 11th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Addressing Humanitarian Crisis Prevention and Response Jul 12, 2022

In a special online program live from Thailand, Matcha Phorn-In will join us for a discussion focused on how vulnerable populations who are "invisible" are impacted by racism, homophobia, transphobia, and gender inequities.

Matcha Phorn-In is a lesbian, feminist human rights defender, passionately committed to building peoples' movements to advance human rights and justice. She has 15 years of experiences working to empower youth and people from the most marginalized communities, including LGBTQ, Indigenous, ethnic minorities, young women and girls, the stateless, undocumented refugees, and more.

She is the founder and executive director of the Aangsan Anakot Yawachon Development Project. Matcha Phorn-In has also served as president of the board of directors of APWLD (Asia-Pacific Forum on Weomen, Law and Development), a member of the board of directors for Internation Femily Equality Day, and president of the board of directors for ILGA ASIA Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Matcha Phorn-In

Executive Director, Sangsan Anakot Yaowachon

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 7th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Firefight: How to Live in the Pyrocene Jul 08, 2022

We’re on track for yet another summer of record wildfires in the western U.S., endangering lives, displacing communities, and sending unhealthy smoke across the nation.

The science is clear: human-caused climate change is making lands more conducive to burning, and we are increasingly living in flammable landscapes. Forest experts say there are tools to help reduce the risk of catastrophic fires, keep forests alive as valuable carbon sinks and make communities more resilient to megafires. But we may also have to become accustomed to more fire – and smoke – in our lives.

How can we better live with fire, including using it as a tool, rather than always fighting it?

This week, we also take a deep dive into the recent Supreme Court case West Virginia v. EPA with Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of Berkeley Law.

Guests:

Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, Berkeley Law

Stephen Pyne, author, The Pyrocene: How We Created an Age of Fire, and What Happens Next

Susan Husari, member of the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection

Chad T. Hanson, author, Smokescreen: Debunking Wildfire Myths to Save Our Forests and Our Climate

Jaime Lowe, author, Breathing Fire: Female Inmate Firefighters on the Front Lines of California’s Wildfires

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Climate Change, Our Youths, and Mental Health Jul 07, 2022

Join us for an in-depth discussion focused on the latest Youth Climate Survey by Blue Shield on how climate change is affecting the mental health of our youth community.

We'll be talking with David W. Bond, who is the director of behavioral health at Blue Shield of California—Promise Health Plan, where he leads initiatives to restore, sustain and enhance the behavioral health and well being of the state's Medi-Cal and Medicare beneficiaries; Joel Castro, a recent San Diego high school graduate and activist; and Maya Gomez, a Whitney High School incoming senior and a student representative for the Mind Out Loud program.

Join us for this timely talk!

NOTES

This program is generously supported by Blue Shield of California.

SPEAKERS

Introduction by Antoinette Mayer

Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship, Blue Shield of California

David W. Bond

Director of Behavioral Health, Blue Shield of California—Promise Health Plan; Licensed Clinical Social Worker; Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress

Joel Castro

Incoming Freshman, University of California, Berkeley; President, Cesar Chavez Service Club

Maya Gomez

Student Representative, Mind Out Loud; Incoming Senior, Whitney High School

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 27th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Sacred Mountains of the World Jul 06, 2022

From the Andes to the Himalayas, mountains have an extraordinary power to evoke a sense of the sacred. In the overwhelming wonder and awe that these dramatic features of the landscape awaken, people experience something of deeper significance that imbues their lives with meaning and vitality.

Drawing on his extensive research and personal experience as a scholar and climber, Edwin Bernbaum takes us on a fascinating journey exploring the role of mountains in the mythologies, religions, history, literature and art of cultures around the world. He delves deeply into the spiritual dimensions of mountaineering and the implications of sacred mountains for environmental and cultural preservation; he also shows how the contemplation of sacred mountains can transform everyday life, even in cities far from the peaks themselves.

Join us for an online talk with Edwin Bernbaum.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Edwin Bernbaum

Mountaineer; Scholar of Comparative Religion and Mythology; Author, Sacred Mountains of the World

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 28th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Climate and Community: National Service as the Solution, with AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith Jul 05, 2022

Service is fundamental to who we are as Americans and how we meet our local and national challenges. For nearly 30 years, AmeriCorps has connected people of all ages and backgrounds together to tackle the country's most pressing problems. Today, from fighting the pandemic and responding to disasters, to boosting student success and tackling climate change, national service is seen as a proven solution that can unite Americans in strengthening their communities.

AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith knows firsthand how service can transform lives and communities. Born into poverty, Smith was nurtured by a group of mentors and coaches who lifted his sights to what was possible and instilled an insatiable appetite for service and civic engagement. He has dedicated his career to social justice and public service in underserved communities. Nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December 2021, Smith leads AmeriCorps in engaging more than 250,000 Americans in results-driven service at 40,000 locations across the country.

On his first trip to the West Coast since taking the agency’s helm, Smith will address this unprecedented moment of need and opportunity and how AmeriCorps works with nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, and the private sector to increase the impact of service and build a more just and equitable future for us all. Please join us for an important and uplifting conversation.

SPEAKERS

Michael D. Smith

CEO, AmeriCorps

Josh Fryday

Chief Service Officer, State of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 29th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Lucy Cooke: The Queens of the Animal Kingdom Jul 02, 2022

Since Darwin, evolutionary biology has been “all about the boys,” with the males of the species being the drivers of change and females simply passively devoted to them, zoologist Lucy Cooke argues. Rather than conforming with this male-dominated view of a male-dominated field, Cooke instead seeks to humorously reinvent the narrative—and show just how fierce, dangerous and hilarious the queens of the animal kingdom can be.

Lucy Cooke is a British zoologist and an author, director and television producer. She is a graduate of the University of Oxford, where she was tutored by Richard Dawkins. A trailblazer in the field of evolutionary biology, Cooke’s works have included multiple BBC films and documentaries and has published numerous books on various members of the animal kingdom.

In her latest book, Bitch: On the Female of the Species, Cooke gives a new look at the females of the species—from same-sex albatross couples raising chicks, to murderous mother meerkats and the titanic battle of the sexes waged by ducks. In her words, “This isn’t your grandfather’s evolutionary biology,” dispelling myths and showing just how ravishing the kingdom’s queens can be.

Join us live in San Francisco as Cooke breaks down the gender stereotypes of zoology, and provides striking accounts that prove females can be just as dynamic as any male.

SPEAKERS

Lucy Cooke

Zoologist; Author, Bitch: On the Female of the Species; Twitter @mslucycooke

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 21st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ambassador Chantale Wong: Global Economic Development, Rights and Equity Jul 01, 2022

In February 2022, Chantale Wong was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in an overwhelming and bipartisan vote to serve as U.S. director of the Asian Development Bank, making her the first openly lesbian Senate-confirmed ambassador in U.S. history.

The Asian Development Bank was founded in the mid-1960s as a financial institution focused on fostering economic growth and cooperation in one of the poorest regions of the world. Based in Manila, The Philippines, ADB commits tens of billions of dollars to projects throughout the region.

Join us for an online discussion with Ambassador Wong, who will be joining us from Manila to discuss the role of ADB as well as the impact of U.S. economic policies on gender equity, LGBTQIA rights and the environment.

SPEAKERS

Chantale Wong

United States Director, Asian Development Bank; Twitter @chantalew

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 22nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Wanjira Mathai on Sustainable Development and the Power of Women Jul 01, 2022

Africa is responsible for only less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet its people are already suffering some of the world’s most devastating climate impacts. For Wanjira Mathai, Regional Director for Africa and Vice President at the World Resources Institute, and the daughter of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, this raises a central moral question: When those most affected are those least responsible, how can those most responsible address that injustice?

Guest:

Wanjira Mathai, Vice President and Regional Director for Africa, World Resources Institute

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Abortion Rights in America: The Future of Roe V. Wade and Women’s Rights Jun 30, 2022

On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision on abortion rights (in Dobbs v. Mississippi) that overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that has provided federal protections and defined a woman’s right to abortion since 1973. After decades of whittling away at Roe's protections, a majority of the court's justices have upended it, letting individual states decide their own approaches to reproductive rights. With this decision, some 22 states are expected to quickly make abortion all but illegal, while California will likely remain one of the few where full abortion rights are guaranteed. Women in other states across the country might lose access to reproductive care overnight or find services even more severely restricted. In California, women’s health-care providers and women’s rights organizations are gearing up for a massive influx of people seeking care and assistance, while some are already exploring how the state can become a sanctuary for women in search of reproductive health care. California's approach to protecting abortion rights will be one of the most watched in the country.

To mark this critical moment in the history of women’s rights and to explore the role that California could play in a post-Roe environment, The Commonwealth Club of California is joining with Women's March San Francisco for a special gathering including conversation, networking and learning

The gathering, produced in partnership with Women’s March San Francisco and with support from The California Wellness Foundation,

SPEAKERS

Sylvia Ghazarian

Executive Director, Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project (participating via Zoom)

Gilda Gonzales

CEO, Planned Parenthood Northern California

Buffy Wicks

California State Assemblymember (District 15)

Imani Rupert-Gordon

Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 28th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Katy Tur: Rough Draft Jun 29, 2022

A career in television journalism can be fraught with burnout, impostor syndrome and publicly aired stumbles. Especially in one of the craziest news eras America has ever seen, it is almost impossible to remain calm among the fury of stories to follow and the demanding and roles and responsibilities of the news industry.

MSNBC anchor and New York Times bestselling author Katy Tur knows precisely what difficulties come from a life chasing news stories. Though she gained popularity covering then-candidate Donald Trump in 2015 and 2016, her newest release Rough Draft details the early years of her life as the daughter of two groundbreaking helicopter journalists in Los Angeles leading up to her own breakout career as a reporter. She explores the gift and curse of family legacy and for the first time, opens up about her complicated relationship with her parents. She also takes readers behind the desk to reveal what it is like to report during a time of massive chaos, disinformation and extremism, and she shares how she navigated the unprecedented and embraced the moment.

Join INFORUM live in San Francisco for an intimate conversation with MSNBC's Katy Tur as she brings us inside her riveting life in TV news.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Katy Tur

Anchor, MSNBC Live; Author, Rough Draft: A Memoir; Twitter @KatyTurNBC

In Conversation with Marisa Lagos

Correspondent for California Politics and Government, KQED; Twitter @mlagos

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 17th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Behold! The Performing Arts Prevail Jun 28, 2022

Anne W. Smith, the Commonwealth Club's Arts Member-led Forum chair, will moderate a discussion relative to restorative performing arts ideas and values, lingering pandemic issues and new implications for artist and audiences.

Sean Fenton, the “new kid on the block”, is executive director for the arts community service organization Theatre Bay Area. He will spotlight new approaches and thinking ideologies of large and small companies, including why passion is central to leveraging pathways through equity, diversity and inclusion as theatre’s strongest future. Phillippa Cole, senior director of artistic planning at San Francisco Symphony, will share the emerging impact of Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen’s sparks of innovation underneath his galvanizing leadership model of collaborating artist partners. Is this how the symphony will—as Partner Julia Bullock so aptly wrote—“unpick the institutional tangle?" Why will Davies Hall’s collaborative space message prevail? And Carma Zisman, executive director of ODC/Dance, which was founded 50 years ago by Artistic Director Brenda Way, will talk about how ODC committed to 52-week full-time contracts for their dancers. It’s a very radical move in the contemporary dance world that grounds ODC's 50th anniversary the impact of EDI issues, and the professional dance world's positioning right now.

Join us for an enlightening conversation. We must try!

About the Speakers

Phillippa Cole is the senior director of artistic planning at San Francisco Symphony. She was previously the associate director of artistic planning for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, producing at London’s Almeida Theatre, casting administrator of the English National Opera, and agent with Askonas Holt artist management company focusing on conductors, singers, and stage directors, including Michael Tilson Thomas , Magdalena Kozena and Sir Simon Rattle. She served as the Center’s Performance panel chair at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Sean Fenton has been active in the professional Bay Area theatre community for more than two decades. He has worked as an actor, musician, director and administrator. He as performed at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, San Francisco Playhouse, Crowded Fire Theater, 42nd Street Moon, and Ferocious Lotus Theatre Company, among others. Backstage, he’s been a leader at Bay Area Children’s Theatre and Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre, and he has developed audience research services at Wolf Brown’s Intrinsic Impact program.

Before taking the helm at ODC/Dance five years ago, Carma Zisman served as director of institutional advancement at The Walt Disney Family Museum. Previously she was the vice president of development at the World Affairs Council of Northern California, and development director of the College of Liberal & Creative Arts at San Francisco State University.

SPEAKERS

Phillippa Cole

Senior Director of Artistic Planning, San Francisco Symphony

Sean Fenton

Executive Director, Theatre Bay Area

Carma Zisman

Executive Director, ODC/Dance

Dr. Anne W. Smith

Co-chair, Commonwealth Club Arts Member-led Forum

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 21st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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George P. Shultz, Exploring the Legacy of an Extraordinary American Statesman Jun 26, 2022

The Ronald Reagan Institute Shultz Lecture Series was originally conceived to honor Secretary Shultz on the anniversary of his 100th birthday; to celebrate and introduce more people to his incredible achievements and leadership in service to the United States and the world. This inaugural Shultz Lecture brings together three leading scholars to discuss the legacy of Secretary George P. Shultz: the man, the statesman, and a cherished friend and mentor to many.

The George P. Shultz Lecture Series is a collaboration spearheaded by Taube Philanthropies in partnership with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute. Two lectures will be held in 2022, with the West Coast lecture taking place at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco in June, and the East Coast lecture being held at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington, D.C. , later this year.

NOTES

The George P. Shultz Lecture Series is generously underwritten by Taube Philanthropies.

Presented by The Commonwealth Club in partnership with the Ronald Reagan Institute

SPEAKERS

Welcome by Dr. Gloria Duffy

President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California

Dr. Condoleezza Rice

66th U.S. Secretary of State; The Tad and Dianne Taube Director of the Hoover Institution (Participating via video)

Frances Tilney Burke

George P. Shultz Fellow, The Ronald Reagan Institute

Kiron K. Skinner

Incoming Taube Professor for International Relations and Politics, Pepperdine University School of Public Policy

Philip Taubman

Lecturer, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University; Former New York Times Washington and Moscow Bureau Chief

Roger Zakheim

Director, The Ronald Reagan Institute—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 15th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Who Killed Jane Stanford? Jun 25, 2022

Penetrating the fog of the coverup surrounding the murder of Stanford University's cofounder, historian Richard White deftly sifts through the evidence and reconstructs the full story. In 1885 Jane Stanford and her husband, Leland Stanford, co-founded Stanford University in memory of their deceased son. After Leland's death in 1893, Jane steered the university and its policies into eccentricity and controversy for more than a decade. When she died in 1905, her vast fortune was still the university’s lifeline.

To foreclose challenges to her bequests, Stanford's president and his allies insisted it was death by natural causes. But it was a murder, by strychnine poisoning, and the culprit walked. Against a backdrop of San Francisco’s machine politics, corrupt policing, tong wars, and heated newspaper rivalries, White’s search for the murderer will draw you into Stanford’s imperious household and the tumultuous politics at the university. And he reveals that, although several suspects had both motive and opportunity, only one had the means.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Richard White

Margaret Byrne Professor Emeritus, Stanford University; Author, Who Killed Jane Stanford?: A Gilded Age Tale of Murder, Deceit, Spirits, and the Birth of a University

In Conversation With George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 16th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Crisis at the Border: Helping Ukrainian Refugees Show editorially warningPlay Jun 24, 2022

As we mark World Refugee Day, an international day to honor refugees, we invite you to celebrate the strength and courage of all those forced to flee their homes in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in February . Multiple organizations and individuals are lending their support to the estimated 6.8 million refugees from Ukraine who have fled to Poland, Romania and throughout the European Union. In addition, there are an estimated 8 million people displaced within the country, all of whom are seeking shelter and safety. After more than three months of war, this refugee crisis continues unabated, and even if a peace agreement were signed tomorrow, this conflict-driven mass migration will continue to impact millions, not only in Europe but also around the globe. How can we plan to support the Ukrainian community throughout the crisis and after the war ends as they return, resettle and rebuild?

Join this conversation with leaders from two of the many organizations working with displaced Ukrainian families and learn firsthand about the situation today facing refugees from the war in Ukraine. Ostap Korkuna is co-chairman of Nova Ukraine, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine and raising awareness about Ukraine in the United States as well as in the rest of the world. Joy Sisisky is CEO of the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund here in the Bay Area. She recently spent time traveling to the border between Ukraine and Poland to stand witness at this monumental time in history, provide relief, and welcome Ukrainian Jewish families at the start of their very long journeys.

What is being done to assist the mostly women and children forced to flee their homes, and what can you do to help?

SPEAKERS

Ostap Korkuna

Co-Chairman, Nova Ukraine

Joy Sisisky

CEO and Chief Philanthropy Officer, Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund

Steven Saum

Editor, WorldView Magazine—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live on June 21st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Rebuilding for Climate: Successful City Strategies Jun 24, 2022

83% of people in the United States live in urban areas. And these days that’s where important climate progress is happening. Cities all over the country and globe are experimenting with climate resilience projects specific to their local environments and challenges. In many cases, these projects also look to address historic injustices and provide more equitable models for transportation, housing, green space, and more. This week, we feature stories from a few different cities around the country working to address climate challenges.

Guests:

Tamika L. Butler, Founder + Principal, Tamika L. Butler Consulting, LLC

Donnel Baird, Founder, BlocPower

J. Morgan Grove, Research Scientist and Team Leader, US Forest Service

Contributing Producer: Aubrey Calaway

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Break the Bias with Linda Yvette Chávez Jun 23, 2022

Linda Yvette Chávez is a self-proclaimed “wholesome chola next door making chilaquiles out of chaos” and moreover, a Xicana woman making history.

In the world of entertainment, she is an unrivaled powerhouse who is the co-creator, co-showrunner and executive producer of Netflix’s hit series "Gentefied" (now in its second season).

Through her creative ventures, Chávez has made it her mission to tell authentic Latinx stories and increase representation, not just in actors but through narratives and settings. The bold success of these efforts has won her critical acclaim and praise from audiences and writer’s rooms alike.

Named by Glamour magazine as “one of the top Latinas changing the game of representation in television,” Chávez will share her personal journey about breaking the bias and how she is inspiring future generations.

SPEAKERS

Linda Yvette Chávez

Co-Creator, Co-Showrunner, and Executive Producer, Netflix’s "Gentefied"; Twitter @lindayvette

In Conversation with Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

This program is generously supported by the Applied Materials Foundation’s Generation Girl® initiative, inspiring girls to pursue their dreams.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 16th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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How the National Science Foundation Supports and Translates Innovation Jun 22, 2022

This program will give background on how technology research, innovation and transformation occurs from discoveries and research supported by the National Science Foundation.

The National Science Foundations supports deep, early and foundational research across a wide range of fields and is funded by the American taxpayer. However, bringing those discoveries and technologies into use in the marketplace demands connections with universities, venture investors, entrepreneurs and start-ups.

Join us for a program that will explain this process and how people can connect with the various programs the NSF provides.

MLF ORGANIZER

Gerald Harris

SPEAKERS

Dr. Ben Schrag

Program Director and Policy Liaison, NSF Translation, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer

Gerald Harris

President, Quantum Planning Group; Chair, Technology & Society Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Dan Pfeiffer: Battling the Big Lie Jun 21, 2022

"Pod Save America" co-host Dan Pfeiffer argues that democracy relies on a shared understanding of reality—and with misinformation and fake news saturating the American political right, this shared understanding is in peril. Hobbling America’s ability to rationally deal with threats like the COVID pandemic and climate change, Pfeiffer argues that something must be done about right wing media—and fast.

Dan Pfeiffer is an author, political commentator and former senior advisor to President Obama. An outspoken critic of the American political right and a longtime Obama aide, Pfeiffer is a regular contributor to CNN and co-hosts "Pod Save America" with Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor.

In his latest book, Battling the Big Lie, Pfeiffer unpacks the history of how disinformation became the bread and butter of right-wing political media, and how lies like QAnon and the “stolen election” thrived off of polarization and became supported by millions of Americans and even members of Congress. Laying down guides to spot fake news, fact check dubious stories and address the conspiracy theory believers in one’s own life, Pfeiffer offers essential help in navigating what he says is a political movement waging war on the very idea of objective truth.

Join us in San Francisco as Pfeiffer navigates a labyrinth of deception and political desperation, and lays out steps for how we can all battle the rise of misinformation in America.

SPEAKERS

Dan Pfeiffer

Co-host, "Pod Save America"; Author, Battling the Big Lie: How Fox, Facebook, and the MAGA Media Are Destroying America

In Conversation with Clara Jeffery

Editor in Chief, Mother Jones

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on June 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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James Kirchick: The Hidden History of Gay Washington Jun 17, 2022

For decades, the specter of homosexuality haunted Washington. The mere suggestion that a person might be gay destroyed reputations, ended careers and ruined lives. At the height of the Cold War, fear of homosexuality became intertwined with the growing threat of international communism, leading to a purge of gay men and lesbians from the federal government. In the fevered atmosphere of political Washington, the secret “too loathsome to mention” held enormous, terrifying power.

Utilizing thousands of pages of declassified documents, interviews with more than 100 people, and material unearthed from presidential libraries and archives around the country, James Kirchick's Secret City is a chronicle of American politics like no other. Beginning with the tragic story of Sumner Welles, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s brilliant diplomatic advisor and the man at the center of “the greatest national scandal since the existence of the United States,” Kirchick illuminates how homosexuality shaped each successive presidential administration through the end of the 20th century. Cultural and political anxiety over gay people sparked a decades-long witch hunt, impacting everything from the rivalry between the CIA and the FBI to the ascent of Joseph McCarthy, the struggle for Black civil rights, and the rise of the conservative movement. Among other revelations, Kirchick tells of the World War II–era gay spymaster who pioneered seduction as a tool of American espionage, the devoted aide whom Lyndon Johnson treated as a son yet abandoned once his homosexuality was discovered, and how allegations of a “homosexual ring” controlling Ronald Reagan nearly derailed his 1980 election victory.

Join us for a talk with author James Kirchick and the story that could transform our understanding of American history.

About the Speaker

James Kirchickhas written about human rights, politics and culture from around the world. A columnist for Tablet magazine, a contributing writer to Air Mail, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, he is the author of The End of Europe: Dictators, Demagogues, and the Coming Dark Age. Kirchick’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The New York Review of Books, and the Times Literary Supplement. A graduate of Yale with degrees in history and political science, he resides in Washington, D.C.

NOTES

See more Michelle Meow Show programs at The Commonwealth Club of California.

SPEAKERS

James Kirchick

Journalist; Author, Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington; Twitter @jkirchick

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 13th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Climate Miseducation Jun 17, 2022

Climate change science isn’t taught accurately — or equally — across the country. Investigative reporter Katie Worth dug into textbooks and talked with dozens of children and teachers to find out why. In her book, Miseducation: How Climate is Taught in America, Worth unpacks the influence of the fossil fuel industry, state legislatures and school boards on school curricula in their effort to spread confusion and misinformation about the climate crisis.

Some organizations skip the textbook battle entirely and try to reach children directly through assemblies and social media. How do teachers navigate these dynamics in the classroom? How can we ensure our children are learning to be engaged, educated and climate-aware citizens?

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Katie Worth, investigative journalist, author, Miseducation: How Climate is Taught in America

Lea Dotson, Campaigner, Action for the Climate Emergency

Ann Reid, Executive Director, National Center for Science Education

Ben Graves, former science teacher in Delta County, CO

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Building a Future of Black and Asian Coalition Jun 16, 2022

The past couple years has brought to the forefront discrimination and violence against America's Black and Asian communities. The George Floyd killing ignited a social and political upheaval that is still working through the country; and the COVID-19 pandemic spawned numerous violent attacks on Asian Americans. How can these two communities support themselves and each other? How can they deal with issues of mistrust or prejudice among their own members? And what can they accomplish when they join forces to create a better society for all?

Join us in-person for a special program exploring the need for and examples of coalition and cooperation between the Asian and Black communities in neighborhoods where there might have been conflicts in the past.

Following the program enjoy some live entertainment and refreshments at our reception on the Club's rooftop terrace.

Our panel includes Renard Monroe, founder and executive director of Youth 1st, a year-round after-school and summer program located in San Francisco's District 11, and president and a founding member of Invest Black, a community collaboration of Black-led organizations and supporters; Jon Osaki, who since 1996 has served as executive director of the Japanese Community Youth Council, one of San Francisco's most successful youth organizations, annually serving more than 6,000 children and youth from all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds; Shakirah Simley, a writer, seasoned organizer and community development and policy strategist with more than 15 years experience in social justice, gender and racial equity efforts who is the executive director of the Booker T. Washington Community Service Center, on of San Francisco's oldest Black-led and -serving community organizations; and Sarah Wan, executive director of the Community Youth Center and a member of Mayor London Breed's Commission on the Environment and the co-chair for API Council.

Our co-moderators will be Derick Brown, senior director for the Leo T. McCarthy Center at the University of San Francisco, where he works to continue and enhance the tradition of inspiring USF students to serve others and pursue successful careers in public service; and Michelle Meow, the longtime producer and host of "The Michelle Meow Show" and a member of The Commonwealth Club's Board of Governors.

SPEAKERS

Renard Monroe

Founder and Executive Director, Youth 1st; President and a Founding Member, Invest Black

Jon Osaki

Executive Director, Japanese Community Youth Council

Shakirah Simley

Writer; Community Development and Policy Strategist; Executive Director, Booker T. Washington Community Service Center

Sarah Wan

Executive Director, Community Youth Center; Member, Mayor's Commission on the Environment; Co-chair, API Council

Derick Brown

Senior Director, The Leo T. McCarthy Center, University of San Francisco—Co-moderator

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 7th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mapping the Route to Equitable Road User Charges: The 13th Annual Mineta National Transportation Policy Summit Jun 15, 2022

The accelerating transition to electric vehicles brings new urgency to discussions about how to replace fuel taxes with other broad-based, reliable sources of transportation revenue. From Wyoming to Delaware to California, more and more state legislatures are considering mileage fees, regions like the San Francisco Bay Area are considering expanded tolling, and New York City is within reach of adopting a congestion pricing proposal.

Overlaying these discussions is a persistent call to consider the equity of any new charges on drivers. How will the charges impact low-income drivers? Does payment require access to banking tools that are not universally available?

This event will explore proposals, including fee rates that vary by driver income, vehicle characteristics, or time and place, and equity-centered policies for responding to nonpayment of tolls or other fees.

NOTES

This program is supported by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University.

SPEAKERS

Featured Speaker: U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio

Member, U.S. House of Representatives (D-MA); Chair, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for the 117th Congress

Fireside Chat with Karen Philbrick

Ph.D., Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute

Keynote Speaker: Polly Trottenberg

Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation

Q&A Moderator: Jeff Morales

Managing Principal, InfraStrategies, LLC

Asha Weinstein Agrawal

Ph.D., Director, MTI National Transportation Finance Center

James Corless

Executive Director, Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG)

Reema Griffith

Executive Director, Washington State Transportation Commission

Hasan Ikhrata

Executive Director, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)

Stephanie Wiggins

Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro)—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Keith Boykin: The Politics of a Darkening America Jun 13, 2022

After the events that took place over the course of 2020, America remains more divided than ever. When faced with a global health crisis and widespread cries for racial justice, leadership crumbled and the Republican Party suffered defeat in the 2020 election. According to Keith Boykin, Republican leaders have responded with inciting white Americans in a last-ditch race against time to stop the rise of a new majority.

Keith Boykin, CNN political commentator and New York Times best-selling author, has been at the center of this broader conversation of race and politics for three decades. He has seen America fail time and time again from its negligence in making a long-overdue reckoning with a shameful history of racialized violence.

His new book Race Against Time: The Politics of a Darkening America discusses what he says is the dwindling white majority's resentment toward the emerging multiracial tide; this animosity toward change and social progress has created a political stalemate initiated by the GOP. He argues that now is the time to make substantial steps toward justice not just by making Black lives matter but by making Black lives equal.

Join Keith Boykin in a conversation about race, politics and the fight for equality.

SPEAKERS

Keith Boykin

Political Commentator, CNN; Author, Race Against Time: The Politics of a Darkening America; Twitter @keithboykin

In Conversation with Brian Watt

News Anchor, KQED

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 7th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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91st Annual California Book Awards Jun 11, 2022

Join us for a celebration of the winners of the 91st annual California Book Awards!

Since 1931, the California Book Awards have honored the exceptional literary merit of California writers and publishers. Each year a select jury considers hundreds of books from around the state in search of the very best in literary achievement. Over its 90 years, the California Book Awards have honored the writers who have come to define California to the world. Among them are John Steinbeck, Wallace Stegner, MFK Fisher, Thom Gunn, Richard Rodriquez, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Joan Didion, Ishmael Reed, and Amy Tan. Recent award winners include Hector Tobar, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Susan Orlean, Rachel Kushner, Rachel Khong, Tommy Orange, Morgan Parker and Steph Cha.

This year’s winners include:

GOLD MEDALS

FICTION

The Archer, Shruti Swamy, Algonquin Books, an imprint of Workman Publishing, Hachette Book Group

FIRST FICTION

Skinship, Yoon Choi, Alfred A. Knopf

NONFICTION

Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire, Lizzie Johnson, Crown

JUVENILE

Wishes, Mượn Thị Văn and Victo Ngai, Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc

YOUNG ADULT

Home Is Not a Country, Safia Elhillo, Make Me a World

POETRY

Refractive Africa, Will Alexander, New Directions

CALIFORNIANA

Everything Now: Lessons from the City-State of Los Angeles, Rosecrans Baldwin, MCD, an imprint of Farrer, Straus & Giroux

CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLISHING

A Rebel’s Outcry, Naomi Hirahara, Little Tokyo Historical Society

SILVER MEDALS

FICTION

The Committed, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Grove Atlantic

FIRST FICTION

City of a Thousand Gates, Rebecca Sacks, Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

NONFICTION

Light on Fire: The Art and Life of Sam Francis, Gabrielle Selz, University of California Press

SPEAKERS

Peter Fish

California Book Awards Jury Chair

Sarah Rosenthal

California Book Awards Juror

Rosalind Chang

California Book Awards Juror

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 6th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Robert Baer: Putin, Russia and the Hunt for a KGB Spy Jun 10, 2022

The CIA beginning in the early 1980s made a series of stunning arrests—three high-profile Russian spies, Aldrich Ames, Edward Lee Howard, and Robert Hanssen, were uncovered as some of the most damaging leaks the agency had ever seen. Yet, as told by former CIA officer Robert Baer, the investigation for a “fourth man” ensued shortly after, and now relates the never-before-told story about the hunt for what may very well be the greatest traitor in American history.

Robert Baer is a New York Times bestselling author and former CIA case officer with 21 years of service. He is the intelligence columnist for Time, intelligence and security analyst for CNN, and his works have appeared in The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. Baer’s book See No Evil was the basis for the acclaimed film Syriana, and he was the co-host for the History Channel series Hunting Hitler.

In his latest book, The Fourth Man, Baer recounts a thrilling tale of hunting a so-called “super mole” who was believed to have more destructive power than their three predecessors combined. Three women, leading experts in counterintelligence, led the team as they poured through their own ranks, finding loose threads, smoking guns and rumors that the traitor was nothing more than a Russian trick to break the CIA apart. And, at the height of their intellectual duel and legendary game of cat-and-mouse, the shocking conclusion to their investigation would shake American Intelligence to its core.

Join us, as Baer retells the thrilling hunt for a KGB spy at the top ranks of the CIA, with all its twists and turns—and its implications for the future of America, Russia and the rise of Vladimir Putin.

SPEAKERS

Robert Baer

Former CIA Operative; Intelligence Analyst, CNN; Author, The Fourth Man: The Hunt for a KGB Spy at the Top of the CIA and the Rise of Putin's Russia

In Conversation with Adam Lashinsky

Contributor, Business Insider; Twitter @adamlashinsky

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 1st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Digging Deep into the Next Farm Bill Jun 10, 2022

Roughly every five years, the U.S. designs and implements a new farm bill, which sets federal policy on agriculture across a huge swath of programs, including subsidies, food assistance, land practices and more. As the discussion around what to include in the 2023 farm bill intensifies, many are pushing for climate mitigation and adaptation measures to be a primary focus of the legislation. Then there’s equity. Since the 1930s, the Federal Government has supported farmers with subsidies, credit, and crop insurance. Yet historically, Black, Indigenous, and other farmers of color have been excluded from these benefits. Can we make progress on equity and climate today that we couldn’t in the past?

Guests:

Chuck Conner, President and CEO, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives

Scott Faber, Senior VP, Government Affairs, EWG

Jonathan Coppess, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois

John W. Boyd, Jr., President, National Black Farmers Association

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Angela Garbes and Jenny Odell: Essential Labor, Mothering as Social Change Jun 09, 2022

Angela Garbes, the acclaimed author of Like a Mother, reflects on the state of caregiving in America. In her new book Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change, Garbes explores assumptions about care, work and deservedness, offering a deeply personal and rigorously reported look at what mothering is and can be. She places mothering in a global context to critically examine her perspectives of the complicated relationship to care work as a first-generation Filipino-American. Despite the mentally and physically demanding work mothers must endure in the absence of a social safety net to support them, she reframes caregiving as an opportunity to find meaning, to nurture a more profound sense of self, pleasure and belonging.

Join Angela Garbes and Jenny Odell for a powerful conversation on mothering as social change and how the act of caregiving offers the potential to create a more equitable society.

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Angela Garbes

Author, Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change; Twitter

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@agarbes

In Conversation with Jenny Odell

Multi Disciplinary Artist; Writer; Twitter @the_jennitaur

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 1st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Sheng Thao and Connie Wun: Today's AAPI Women Show editorially warning Jun 06, 2022

An APA Heritage Month special: Join us for an online panel discussion with two AAPI women touching on the lived experiences of being an AAPI woman today. They'll cover a wide range of issues, including the mental health impact of issues such as racism, gender violence, and oppression.

Show editorially warning

About the SpeakersOakland City Council President Pro Tem Sheng Thao grew up in poverty, the 7th of 10 kids. Her parents met in a refugee camp in Thailand after each fled their home country of Laos and the genocide against the Hmong people. Thao’s parents immigrated to America, settling in Stockton, where they would make a living farming vegetables. It was here Thao was born. She left home at the age of 17. When her son Ben was 10 months old, Thao got a job at Merritt College and also started taking classes. And, with the help of welfare and a Head Start program for Ben, she put herself through school. She became class valedictorian, then transferred to UC Berkeley, where she co-founded a food access program for low-income students and graduated with a degree in legal studies. She eventually ran for Oakland's City Council District 4 and won, becoming the first Hmong-American woman Councilmember in California history. She’s currently Council president pro tem and chairs the Rules and Legislation Committee. Thao received the 2021 Powerful Women of the Bay Award for her work on behalf of Oakland’s diverse neighborhoods, and has been honored by the Alameda Labor Council for her record of delivering for working families. Thao is also president of the League of California Cities API Caucus, and has served on boards for the Redwood Heights Association and Oakland Asian Cultural Center. She is an Oakland mayoral candidate.

Connie Wun, Ph.D., is the executive director and co-founder AAPI Women Lead. As a part of her work in ending racial and gender-based violence, she leads national research projects on race, gender, and violence. Wun is a 2020 Soros Justice Fellow, a former National Science Foundation fellow, and a recipient of numerous awards, including the 2021 California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Excellence in Civil Rights award and 2021 Gold House A100 award. Her research has been published in academic journals, anthologies, and online platforms. She is also a former high school teacher, college educator, sex worker, and sexual assault counselor.

SPEAKERS

Sheng Thao

Oakland City Council President Pro Tem

Connie Wun

Ph.D., Executive Director and Co-founder, AAPI Women Lead

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health Jun 03, 2022

America faces a mental health crisis. Problems with mental health care preceded the pandemic, but over the past two years we've seen these problems grow into a crisis as young people were more likely to die from deaths of despair than from COVID-19.

This presentation describes the path to solve this mental health crisis. Dr. Tom Insel says part of the solution involves fixing the care system—moving from a crisis-driven sick-care system to a comprehensive, continuous health-care system. Innovative technology will be part of this fix. So will innovative policy. But mental health is about more than mental health care. Insel says the path to mental health requires a focus on recovery defined by the 3 P's: people, place and purpose.

Join us as Insel urges that we reframe our approach to mental illness, recognizing that the problem is medical but the solutions are social, environmental and political.

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About the SpeakerTom lnsel, M.D., a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, has been a national leader in mental health research, policy and technology. From 2002–2015, Dr. Insel served as director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). More recently, he led the Mental Health Team at Verily (2015–2017); co-founded Mindstrong Health (2017–2019), a start-up building tools for people with serious mental illness; and served as a special advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom (2019), helping on behavioral health issues. In 2020, he co-founded Humanest Care, a therapeutic online community for recovery. He currently serves on the boards of Foundation for NIH, Fountain House, Schaeffer Center for Health Policy, and the Steinberg Institute (chairing it from 2019–2022), as well as being an advisor to several mental health start-ups (including Alto Neuroscience, Cerebral, Compass Pathways, Owl Insights, Koa Health, Valera Health). He is the author of Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health (Penguin Random House, 2022). With journalist co-founders, he recently launched

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MindSite News, a nonprofit digital publication focused on mental health issues. Dr. Insel is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has received numerous national and international awards including honorary degrees in the U.S. and Europe. More info at

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his website.MLF ORGANIZER

Patrick O'Reilly

SPEAKERS

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Tom lnsel

M.D., Psychiatrist; Neuroscientist; Author, Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health

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Patrick O'Reilly

Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist; Assistant Clinical Professor, UC San Francisco; Chair, Member-Led Psychology Forum—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 31st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Disrupted Energy Markets: Fossil Revival or Renewable Opportunity? Jun 03, 2022

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other economic pressures disrupt global energy markets, even insiders are scrambling to make sense of this moment. Ahead of the midterm elections, the Biden administration has signaled it wants more oil and gas now to ease the pain of surging fuel prices while maintaining support for cutting carbon emissions. Oil and gas aren’t the only commodities affected by market chaos. The supply chain, including for clean energy technology, has also been disrupted. How are surging fossil fuel prices, changes in policy, and supply chain turmoil affecting US climate goals?

Guests:

Kate Larsen, Partner, Rhodium Group

David M. Turk, Deputy Secretary, US Department of Energy

Justin Guay, Director, Global Climate Strategy, Sunrise Project

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Kwame Onwuachi: Recipes From a Young Black Chef Jun 02, 2022

Kwame Onwuachi holds countless, monumental accolades. From being the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef of the year to being dubbed “the most important chef in America” by the San Francisco Chronicle, Onwuachi is an expert restaurateur and chef. Moreover he joyously seeks to flaunt the diversity of American food by bringing to life the dishes of his own America. In his forthcoming book My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef, Kwame brings the nation and world together, both in his stories and on the plate.

More than 125 recipes accompany Onwuachi’s personal tales and connections to the dishes, creating an intimate cookbook that celebrates the people and flavors of the African Diaspora. The globe-spanning recipes include sumptuous fares such as Trinidadian callaloo and shrimp étouffé. Considering My America opens with a “Spice Blends” section, we readily forecast many flavorsome, powerhouse meals to come.

At Inforum, Kwame Onwuachi will elucidate and familiarize us with the flavors that comprise his America. Alongside these, we’ll get first-hand accounts of the stories that brought these dishes to his table. You will leave hungry for more and know just where to find it.

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Food Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Kwame Onwuachi

Chef; Author, My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef

In Conversation with Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Democrats and Rural Voters: How to Rebuild Trust Jun 01, 2022

Rural voters.

For the past several years, the voting behaviors, interests, cultures and beliefs of those who live far outside cities have been an obsession for many in the media as well as politicians and political strategists in both parties. Rural voters clearly played a role in the election of former President Trump in 2016, and they are expected to play an outsized role in the 2022 and 2024 elections as American continues to divide into "red" and "blue" areas. The general belief is that Democrats have lost rural voters to Republicans for the foreseeable future. For Maine State Senator Chloe Maxmin, a progressive politician, nothing could be farther from the truth.

As the youngest person ever elected to the Maine senate, Maxmin won successful elections in rural red districts that few thought could be won by a Democrat. She and her campaign manager, Canyon Woodward, saw how, in their view, the Democratic Party has focused for too long on the interests of elite leaders and big donors, forcing the party to abandon the concerns of rural America—jeopardizing, they say, progress on climate justice, racial equity, economic justice and more. In their new book, Dirt Road Revival, Maxmin and Woodward look at how rural American has been left behind and lay out a long-term vision for Democrats to rebuild trust and win campaigns in rural America. Their book shows how progressive values can be translated into a rural context, moving beyond the failed strategies of establishment consultants and utilizing grassroots-movement organizing strategies to effectively engage rural voters.

Maxmin and Woodward will discuss how they believe Democrats can change their current course and win in districts in every area of the country. Please join us for this unique conversation.

SPEAKERS

Chloe Maxmin

Maine State Senator (District 13); Co-Author, Dirt Road Revival: How to Rebuild Rural Politics and Why Our Future Depends On It

Canyon Woodward

Political Strategist; Co-Author, Dirt Road Revival: How to Rebuild Rural Politics and Why Our Future Depends On It

Vikrum Aiyer

Member, Inforum Advisory Board; Former Obama White House Senior Advisor—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 18th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Robert Kuttner: FDR's Legacy and President Biden's New Deal Opportunity May 31, 2022

When President Joe Biden took office, the problems the new president faced were similar to the challenges faced by another U.S. president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt: decreasing opportunity for the average American, disproportionate power of the mega-wealthy, and a starkly divided political system. To help address these issues nearly a century ago, FDR launched The New Deal, forever changing American society. To longtime political analyst Robert Kuttner, the similarities between 2022 and 1932 means President Biden has a similar opportunity to transform the country through major public investments.

In his latest book, Going Big, Kuttner draws on the striking similarities between the circumstances of FDR and Biden, including the major crossroads of American politics that marked both their terms. With democratic backsliding, deep partisan divides and the ever-growing power of corporate interests, Kuttner says President Biden’s vision for the future will have critical implications for the future of the country—and, just like the New Deal, an army of opposition determined to maintain the status quo.

Join us, as Kuttner explains what is at stake for America in 2022 and the opportunity President Biden has at this unprecedented time in the nation’s history.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Robert Kuttner

Co-Founder and Co-Editor, The American Prospect; Ida and Meyer Kirstein Chair, Brandeis University; Author, Going Big: FDR's Legacy, Biden's New Deal, and the Struggle to Save Democracy

In Conversation with Arlie Hochschild

Professor Emerita of Sociology, University of California Berkeley

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 31st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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San Francisco Decides: The District Attorney Recall Election Show editorially warning May 30, 2022

As San Francisco decides whether or not to recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin on June 7, join us for a nonpartisan forum to hear from both sides on this important choice. Boudin was elected in 2019 on a progressive platform of decarceration and criminal justice reform. While many applaud these efforts, doubts about the effectiveness of Boudin’s policies, coupled with highly-publicized crimes, have dogged Boudin’s office (and city leadership at-large). Increasing fears of disorder in the city and questions about the district attorney’s job performance have led to San Francisco’s second recall election this year.

To break down the Boudin recall, The Commonwealth Club has invited two leading voices with opposing views on this important election.

Lara Bazelon is a professor of law and the director of the Criminal Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinical Programs at the University of San Francisco School of Law. Her writings on the justice system and its shortcomings have appeared in The Atlantic and The New York Times, and she’s been a vocal supporter of the district attorney.

Brooke Jenkins served as assistant district attorney under Boudin until October 2021. She agrees with Boudin’s central tenet that the criminal justice system is racist and needs reform, but she left the office due to what she saw as a prioritization of politics over outcomes and the needs of crime victims and their families. She supports his recall.

SPEAKERS

Lara Bazelon

Professor of Law and Director of Criminal Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinical Programs, University of San Francisco

Brooke Jenkins

Former Assistant District Attorney of San Francisco

Melissa Caen

Attorney; Political Analyst—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 17th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future May 29, 2022

Can democracy, as we know it, ever work again? This is the question that New York Times political journalists Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns asks after examining the 2020 election and the first year of Joe Biden’s presidency, and going behind the scenes of this 18-month crisis in American democracy.

In their latest book, This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future, Martin and Burns give the account of the events that led to and from the 2020 presidential election in stunning detail. Walking through the coronavirus pandemic, the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol and the political brinkmanship of Biden’s first year in office, Martin and Burns provide in-the-room descriptions of Trump’s assault on the election, the behind the scenes story of how Kamala Harris became Biden’s vice presidential pick, and how the two-party electoral system was strained to its limit.

Join us, as Martin and Burns provide never-before-seen descriptions of the events behind one of American democracy’s most infamous hours.

SPEAKERS

Alexander Burns

National Political Correspondent, The New York Times; Political Analyst, CNN; Co-Author, This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future; Twitter @alexburnsNYT

Jonathan Martin

National Political Correspondent, The New York Times; Political Analyst, CNN; Co-Author, This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future; Twitter @jmartNYT

In Conversation with Willie Brown

Former Mayor of San Francisco

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 17th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Let’s Talk Solutions: The Future of Bay Area Housing May 28, 2022

We must solve our housing crisis if we are going to build a Bay Area where people of all races and backgrounds can thrive in safe, affordable, and vibrant communities. From homelessness to innovative regional approaches and new zoning flexibilities, the Bay Area has a new set of housing tools that can help us accelerate our efforts. The current inequalities and issues are rooted in policies and practices that we collectively have the power to change.

Join The Commonwealth Club of California and the San Francisco Foundation to learn from a powerful panel of leaders. What makes them optimistic about the future and what will it take to build a better Bay Area? Speakers include: Fred Blackwell, San Francisco Foundation CEO; Tomiquia Moss, All Home CEO and founder; Cindy Chavez, Santa Clara County supervisor, and Dan Sawislak, executive director of Resources for Community Development.

NOTES

This program is supported by the San Francisco Foundation's Bay Area Leads Fund donors.

SPEAKERS

Cindy Chavez

Santa Clara County Supervisor

Tomiquia Moss

All Home, CEO & Founder

Dan Sawislak

Executive Director of Resources for Community Development

Fred Blackwell

CEO, San Francisco Foundation—Moderator

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Bill Gates: How to Prevent the Next Pandemic May 27, 2022

Though the COVID-19 pandemic isn't over, it is heading into a new phase, particularly in Western countries such as the United States and throughout Europe. Increasingly, citizens want a return to normal, with fewer restrictions, and are showing willingness to find ways to live with and manage the virus. As government leaders around the world strive to transition their countries to this new normal, they are also starting to talk about what happens next and how we can prevent another pandemic from once again killing millions of people and devastating the global economy. But given the controversies around fighting COVID-19, is this even possible?

Bill Gates believes the answer is yes.

In his new book, How to Prevent the Next Pandemic, Gates lays out what he believes the world can learn from COVID-19 and what can be done to ward off another disaster like it. Relying on the knowledge of the world's foremost experts and his own experience combating fatal diseases with the Gates Foundation, his new book shows us how the nations of the world, working in conjunction with one another and with the private sector, can stop future outbreaks and ultimately save lives.

Join us for an in-depth discussion on what the world can and must do to prevent the next pandemic.

SPEAKERS

Bill Gates

Co-chair, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Author, How to Prevent the Next Pandemic; Twitter @BillGates

In Conversation with DJ Patil

Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @dpatil

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 16th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Indigenous Insights on Healing Land and Sky May 27, 2022

According to the World Bank, land managed by Indigenous peoples is associated with lower rates of deforestation, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and better biodiversity protection. But in many places, Indigenous people have been displaced from their ancestral lands through outright theft, land grabs, violence and war — sacrificing both indigenous livelihoods and the traditional knowledge that has protected their lands for centuries.

Still, across the U.S. we can find examples of land access, stewardship and ownership being restored to Indigenous people – and more efforts being made to involve tribal nations in conservation and climate resilience.

“Climate change isn't just about protecting the natural world; it’s also about protecting our culture and who we are because we've resisted against so many colonial forces for so long,” says Julia Fay Bernal, director of the Pueblo Action Alliance.

Guests:

Jessica Hernandez, author, Fresh Banana Leaves

Priscilla Hunter, Board Chairwoman, Intertribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council

Sam Hodder, President and CEO, Save the Redwoods League

Julia Fay Bernal, Director, Pueblo Action Alliance

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Housing, Race and Homelessness: Ending Poverty in the Bay Area Show editorially warning May 26, 2022

Ending poverty in the Bay Area will require innovation, partnership, and pro-active, anti-racist strategies. Join us as we come together to outline how we can build a future where everyone has a stable home that enables us to pursue our dreams, raise our families, and build the lives we want to live. In this virtual “fireside chat,” we’ll hear from a variety of voices across the movement to end poverty in the Bay Area, including former Stockton mayor and founder of End Poverty in California (EPIC) Michael Tubbs and All Home CEO Tomiquia Moss, as we explore the ways that housing instability is interconnected with racial inequality, poverty and homelessness.

This virtual event in honor of Affordable Housing Month in May will begin with a chat with former mayor of Stockton Michael Tubbs, moderated by Tomiquia Moss, outlining his five-point platform for ending poverty in California. Then a panel discussion with representatives from broad cross-sector partners will take the conversation from principles and concepts to action items and concrete next steps.

NOTES

This program is convened by the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH) and co-hosted in partnership with Silicon Valley @ Home, East Bay Housing Organizations, Housing Leadership Council, Generation Housing, the Council of Community Housing Organizations, United Way Bay Area, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI).

SPEAKERS

Cathy Eberhardt

Vice Chair, Oakland Mayor’s Commission on Persons with Disabilities

Melissa Jones

Executive Director, Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative

Michael Tubbs

Founder, End Poverty in California

Courtney Welch

Emeryville City Councilmember

Tomiquia Moss

Founder and CEO, All Home

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 23rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Marc Lamont Hill and Todd Brewster: Technology, Social Media and the Fight for Racial Justice May 25, 2022

In recent years, an influx of racially motivated attacks against people of color in local communities has made national headlines: and the cases of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have sparked international conversations. In today’s age, exposure to racial injustice is more accessible than ever with the rise of video recording and the intimacy of technology. The power to spread information globally, all with the touch of a button, is reshaping the civil rights movement and pushing social justice forward.

Marc Lamont Hill and Todd Brewster are both award-winning journalists and bestselling authors who reveal the common thread between these harrowing incidents. They recognize that technology has irrevocably changed our conversations about race and, in many instances, tipped the levers of power in favor of the historically disadvantaged.

In their newest book, Seen and Unseen: Technology, Social Media, and the Fight for Racial Justice, Hill and Brewster draw on the increasing role of media in the racial justice movement to discover why it took the horrifying footage of the murder of George Floyd—despite a wealth of video evidence of previous police brutality—to trigger outrage. The book is a riveting exploration of how the power of visual media has shifted the narrative on race over the last few years and reignited the fight toward justice.

Join us as co-authors Marc Lamont Hill and Todd Brewster explore the powerful role technology plays as a driver of history, identity, and racial consciousness.

SPEAKERS

Marc Lamont Hill

Host, "BET News" and "Black News Tonight"; Steve Charles Chair in Media, Cities, and Solutions, Temple University; Co-Author, Seen and Unseen: Technology, Social Media, and the Fight for Racial Justice; Twitter @marclamonthill

Todd Brewster

Journalist; Historian; Co-Author, Seen and Unseen: Technology, Social Media, and the Fight for Racial Justice; Twitter @ToddBrewster

In Conversation with LaDoris Cordell

Judge (Ret); Author, Her Honor: My Life on the Bench . . . What Works, What's Broken, and How to Change It

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 11th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Francis Fukuyama: Liberalism and Its Discontents Show editorially warning May 24, 2022

When noted political scientist Francis Fukuyama predicted the "end of history," it seemed that the Western form of traditional classical liberalism and democracy—rule of law, equal treatment, individualism, and political freedom—was on the march in countries around the world, and that a new political order would be established around the globe. However, as the Russian attack on Ukraine shows, the battle between autocracy and classic liberalism will continue to shape global relations in the present and the future, and as history it will tell the story of this complicated period in world history.

In his latest book Liberalism and Its Discontents, Fukuyama explains the troubled history of the American realization of classical liberalism here in the United States, and the challenges from both sides of the political spectrum arising in recent decades. With the right demanding economic freedom above all else, and the left making its core ideal the elevation of identity above the universality of humanity, Fukuyama argues that both approaches miss the mark in grasping classical liberalism, and the consequences can be disastrous both at home and around the world.

At this critical time, Fukuyama proposes a bold new defense of classical liberalism, and explains that failing to do so will continue to fragment America’s civil society, and will influence global pushback on democracy itself.

Join us as Fukuyama engages in a critical and timely discussion on classical liberalism, why it remains one of the most influential political ideologies of the past millennium, and why battles around it will determine the path of the 21st century for the United States and the world.

NOTES

This program is presented in collaboration with the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future

SPEAKERS

Francis Fukuyama

Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow, Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; Author, Liberalism and Its Discontents; Twitter @FukuyamaFrancis

Tim Miller

Founder, Light Fuse Communications; Contributor, The Bulwark; Communications Director, Jeb Bush 2016; Author, Why We Did It (Forthcoming); Twitter @timodc—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 16th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Annual Innovate for Good Conference May 22, 2022

After a 2-year hiatus, The Commonwealth Club and the University of San Francisco's School of Management are pleased to reinstate the Innovate for Good annual conference, an event where the intersection of business and social good takes center stage. Join us this year as we address the climate crisis.

In an increasingly digital and global economy, our cities and organizations are at a unique inflection point, where the most pressing issue of our time is how we sustain our planet. As was seen during proceedings in Glasgow at COP 26, public and private entities need to urgently accelerate innovations in energy, clean tech, fintech, and technology in order to address climate change in a way that is both economically viable and socially just.

How are businesses finding new ways to innovate for good in this reality? How are companies and governments partnering to innovate and deliver more sustainable solutions that balance human and environmental values?

The Innovate for Good conference is an annual symposium that brings together founders, CEOs, investors, academics, and nonprofit and government leaders who are taking action to shape a more sustainable and just world.

SPEAKERS

Yasmin Eichmann, Former COO of Nest Renew / Director of Energy Product Planning & Operations at Google

Allie Detrio, Chief Strategist of Reimagine Power

Rob Grant, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Social Impact at Cruise

Peter Light, CEO of Lumen Energy

Kate Reimer, Vice President Technology at Redaptive

Vipul Vyas, Cleantech Founder and USF Faculty member

Ravi Mikkelsen, CEO of Atmos Financial

Cathryn Peirce, Co-Founder and CEO at Carbon Zero

James Richards, CEO of Evergrow

Zach Stein, Cofounder of Carbon Collective

Alex Wright-Gladstein, Founder and CEO of Sphere

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 29th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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From D.C. to Silicon Valley to Hollywood: Leadership Lessons We Learned Along the Way May 21, 2022

In celebration of APA Heritage Month, join us for this special roundtable gathering, in which former Facebook vice president and Ancestry CEO Deb Liu, U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland, and New York Times best-selling author and filmmaker Abigail Hing Wen will share their remarkable journeys to the top of their respective fields in Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C., and Hollywood. Learn what the journeys of these three Asian American women to leadership roles in business, politics and pop culture can teach us about diversity and leadership in today’s America.

Drawing on their diverse experiences, the trio will explore what it means to be leading change from the inside during this critical time in our nation’s history. Hear their stories of perseverance and of how these powerful women now view their roles and responsibilities as leaders for the next generation.

SPEAKERS

Deb Liu

President and CEO, Ancestry; Author, Take Back Your Power: Ten New Rules for Women at Work (forthcoming); Twitter @debliu_

Marilyn Strickland

U.S. Representative (D-WA, District 10); Twitter @RepStricklandWA

Abigail Hing Wen

Filmmaker; Author, Loveboat, Taipei and Loveboat Reunion; Tech Executive; Twitter @abigailhingwen

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV, KPIX TV, and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 13th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Coping with Climate through Music May 20, 2022

Music and social movements have historically gone hand in hand. Folk music played a unifying role for the labor movements in the United States. Music was central to the protests against the Vietnam War and in favor of Civil Rights. As more people become aware of the climate crisis, music is starting to reflect that. But there is still no one song or artist inspiring climate action the way music catalyzed other movements. Why aren’t more musical artists raising the alarm over the growing climate catastrophe? And for the artists who are, how do they express the anxiety and grief that they and their listeners are experiencing?

Guests:

Tamara Lindeman, Musician, The Weather Station

Jayson Greene, Contributing Editor, Pitchfork

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Inclusion: How Hawaii Protected its Japanese Americans from Mass Incarceration after Pearl Harbor May 20, 2022

Following Japanʻs attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States removed 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry from their homes on the West Coast and incarcerated them in remote camps. In Hawai`i, fewer than 2,000 people among the 160,000 were incarcerated. The question is, why not en masse? If people of Japanese ancestry were actually a security threat, as alleged, their large and concentrated numbers and proximity to strategic installations were a reason for removal from Hawai`i. Thus far, historians have only generalized that they made up over one-third of the population and were vital to the economy.

In his new book, Inclusion, How Hawai’i Protected Japanese Americans from Mass Internment, Transformed Itself, and Changed America, author Tom Coffman has written a meticulously researched history of the remarkable individuals from across ethnic groups and civilian, police, FBI and military institutions who came together to spare Hawai`iʻs Japanese community from mass removal and enable their sons to serve America heroically in World War II, inspired by American ideals of democracy and equality. The community, working from the ground up, won the battle for “inclusion” against the exclusionary policies of President Franklin Roosevelt, the U.S. Navy, various generals and the anti-Japanese elements of the press. With a post-war epilogue, it provides a window into the inclusive, multi-ethnic culture of todayʻs Hawai`i.

SPEAKERS

Tom Coffman

Author, Inclusion

In conversation with Robert Handa

Reporter, NBC Bay Area News

Welcome by Dr. Mary G.F. Bitterman

President, The Bernard Osher Foundation; Member of the Board of Governors, Commonwealth Club of California

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 11th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ukraine's Patriotism, Putin's Brutality and World Empathy May 19, 2022

In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, great attention has been focused on a part of the world at the nexus of national and ethnic concern. On April 3, Rabbi Daniel Stein and Margalit Ir visited Krakow, Poland, to help Ukrainian refugees. In this special Commonwealth Club program, they will discuss their experience.

Ir, who is the child of Holocaust survivors, emigrated from Israel, which like many other countries has welcomed Ukrainian refugees. Celia Menczel, who sits on the elected council of the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, will talk about her family and about Vladimir Putin's autobiography First Person: An Astonishingly Frank Self-Portrait by Russia's President, which was recently mentioned in The Economist.

MLF ORGANIZER

Celia Menczel

SPEAKERS

Margalit Ir

Chair, Repair the World Committee, Congregation B'nai Shalom

Celia Menczel

Chair, Middle East Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California

Rabbi Daniel Stein

Rabbi, Congregation B'nai Shalom—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 10th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Inside Design with Tony Fadell May 18, 2022

Tech gadgets surround us each day, and to entrepreneur and innovator Tony Fadell, each of them has a fascinating story, full of determination and ingenuity, of how they came to be. Having led the teams that developed the iPod, iPhone and Nest Learning Thermostat and drawing from 30 years of experience in the field, Fadell believes that anyone can learn how to be a better business leader by examining the hidden stories behind the devices that make up our lives.

Tony Fadell is an engineer, inventor and author who was responsible for co-designing three of Time magazine’s “50 most influential gadgets of all time.” Having decades of experience at Silicon Valley giants such as Apple and Google, Fadell has authored more than 300 patents and invested in or advised at several hundred start-up companies.

In his latest book, Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making, Fadell retells chapters of his journey from a designer to an executive, using them as case studies to illustrate effective leadership and problem solving in a competitive environment. Fadell provides a captivating, fast-paced encyclopedia of business strategy.

Join us live as Fadell retells the surprising stories behind many of our most familiar products, and the wisdom they have to share.

SPEAKERS

Tony Fadell

Co-inventor, the iPod and iPhone; Founder of Nest Labs; Principal at Future Shape LLC; Author, Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Work; Twitter @tfadell

In Conversation with John Markoff

Former Technology Reporter, The New York Times, Writer-in-Residence, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence; Author, Whole Earth: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand; Twitter @markoff

Note: This program contains some EXPLICIT language

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Dr. Mary Lamia and Michael Krasny: Understanding Grief May 17, 2022

The loss of a loved one can be overwhelming. Grief can impact us tremendously, both mentally and physically. How do we endure grief? Can we simply forget, or "get over it?"

In her new book, Marin County clinical psychologist Dr. Mary Lamia explains the science behind bereavement, from emotion to the persistence of memory, and shows people how to understand and adapt to death as a part of life. The book aims to expand our understanding of bereavement, placing it in alignment with how emotions work. Using numerous case examples and personal vignettes, Dr. Lamia's latest work helps people recognize the ways in which emotions are connected to memories and influence our experiences of loss. Dr. Lamia demonstrates how negative emotional responses experienced in grief often follow experiences with positive emotional memories.

Please join us for a powerful conversation on understanding and overcoming grief.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patrick O'Reilly

SPEAKERS

Dr. Mary Lamia

Clinical Psychologist; Professor, Wright Institute; Author, Grief Isn't Something to Get Over: Finding a Home for Memories and Emotions After Losing a Loved One

Michael Krasny

Former Host, "Forum," KQED

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 101th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CNN’s John Avlon May 15, 2022

Join us at The Commonwealth Club for a conversation with CNN's John Avlon about Abraham Lincoln’s plan to secure a just and lasting peace after the Civil War. The implementation of Lincoln's vision was cut short by his assassin, but Lincoln's hopes still inspired future American presidents—and Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. General Lucius Clay, the architect of the post-WWII German occupation, explained that his decisions were guided by thinking what “kind of occupation would the South have had if Abraham Lincoln had lived.”

As the tide of the Civil War finally turned in the spring of 1865, Abraham Lincoln visited the troops on the front lines, seeing combat up close, meeting liberated slaves, and comforting wounded soldiers, both Union and Confederate. The power of Lincoln’s personal example was enhanced by his use of humor, logic and scripture to depolarize bitter debates. Balancing moral courage with moderation, Lincoln believed that decency could be the most practical form of politics, but he also understood that people are more inclined to listen to reason when it is presented from a position of strength. Ulysses S. Grant’s famously generous terms of surrender to General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox that April were a direct expression of Lincoln's belief that a soft peace should follow a hard war.

Avlon shows how Lincoln’s character informed his commitment to unconditional surrender followed by a magnanimous peace. Even during the Civil War, when he was surrounded by reactionaries and radicals, Lincoln refused to back down from his belief that there is more that unites us than divides us. But he also understood that peace needs to be waged with as much intensity as war—an understanding that Avlon says remains relevant today, for both our domestic and our foreign policies.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

John Avlon

Senior Political Analyst and Anchor, CNN; Author, Lincoln and the Fight for Peace

In Conversation with John Boland

President Emeritus, KQED; Vice Chair, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 5th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Joel Simon and Robert Mahoney: The Infodemic May 14, 2022

As COVID-19 spread around the world, so did government censorship. The Infodemic lays bare not just the use of old-fashioned censorship, but also how “censorship through noise” enhances the traditional means of state control (such as jailing critics and restricting the flow of information) by using a flood of misinformation to overwhelm the public with lies and half-truths.

Joel Simon and Robert Mahoney, who have been defending press freedom and journalists’ rights worldwide for many years as the directors of the Committee to Protect Journalists, chart the onslaught of COVID censorship—beginning in China, but spreading through Iran, Russia, India, Egypt, Brazil, and even the White House. Increased surveillance in the name of public health, the collapse of public trust in institutions, and the demise of local news reporting all contributed to make it easier for governments to hijack the flow of information. Using vivid characters and behind-the-scenes accounts, Simon and Mahoney show how, under the cover of a global pandemic, governments have undermined freedom and taken ever more authoritarian control—a new political order that may be one of the legacies of this disease.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Robert Mahoney

Deputy Executive Director, the Committee to Protect Journalists; Co-Author, The Infodemic: How Censorship and Lies Made the World Sicker and Less Free

Joel Simon

Fellow, the Tow Center for Digital Journalism, Columbia Journalism School; Co-Author, The Infodemic: How Censorship and Lies Made the World Sicker and Less Free

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 5th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Paul Holes: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases May 13, 2022

Paul Holes takes us through his memories of a storied career as a cold case investigator and provides an insider account of some of the most notorious cases in contemporary American history, including the hunt for the Golden State Killer, Laci Peterson’s murder, and Jaycee Dugard’s kidnapping. This is also a revelatory profile of a complex man and what makes him tick: the drive to find closure for victims and their loved ones, the inability to walk away from a challenge—even at the expense of his own happiness.

Holes opens up the most intimate scenes of his life: his moments of self-doubt and the impact that detective work has had on his marriage. This is a story about the gritty truth of crime-solving when there are no flashbulbs and “case closed” headlines. It is the story of a man and his commitment to cases and people who might otherwise have been forgotten.

Come meet Paul Holes and go behind the scenes of an expert cold case investigator.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Paul Holes

Retired Cold Case Investigator; Author, Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases; Twitter @PaulHoles

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 5th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Russ Feingold on Biodiversity, Climate and The Courts May 13, 2022

Russ Feingold became a household name co-authoring the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, more commonly known as McCain-Feingold. It’s the only major piece of campaign finance reform legislation passed into law in decades. Today he is using his experience navigating the levers of power to tackle alarming biodiversity loss and the worsening climate crisis. Feingold believes, “The threats posed to people from the destruction of nature are just as serious as those posed by climate change.”

Guests:

Russ Feingold, President of the American Constitution Society, former Senator from Wisconsin

Jean Su, Energy Justice Director and Senior Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity

Dan Farber, Professor of Law, Faculty Director, Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, University of California, Berkeley

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Yascha Mounk: The Fate of Diverse Decomcracies May 12, 2022

With the attack on Ukraine well underway, political thinker Yascha Mounk recently admitted in The Atlantic that, “We stand at the beginning of a new era of naked power politics.” The Russian invasion is not simply an assault on a neighboring country motivated by strained ethnic relations or security concerns, but it is an assault on the democratic values and political system espoused by Ukraine. It is the latest setback in a “democratic recession” now entering its 16th consecutive year, according to Freedom House. “In 2021, the number of countries moving away from democracy once again exceeded the number of countries moving toward it by a big margin.” Why is this happening and what can be done to reverse this global trend?

Yascha Mounk argues that democracy has long struggled to embody both equality and diversity, and despite the challenges past and present facing democratic institutions, he believes that with ambition and vision, there is still reason to be hopeful.

Yascha Mounk is a German-American political scientist, author, and associate professor of practice at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. His works have appeared in The New York Times, Politico and the Journal of Democracy. His works have included assessments of American democracy, the dangers of nationalism and ethnic relations in democratic settings.

In The Great Experiment, Mounk argues that the struggle of free countries to be both diverse and equal in their political systems is the greatest experiment of our time and essential to the continuation of democracy. While this feat is unprecedented, he contends, understanding the past and underlying conditions that have led to division and social injustices is critical to avoiding them in the future, and he writes that we should have genuine hope in humanity’s ability to accomplish it.

Join us as Mounk explores the long and complicated history between democracy, equality and diversity, and explains that with a bold vision as our guiding light, we can harmoniously celebrate our differences without letting them divide us.

SPEAKERS

Yascha Mounk

Founder, Persuasion; Professor of the Practice of International Affairs, Johns Hopkins University; Contributing Editor, The Atlantic; Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Author, The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure; Twitter @Yascha_Mounk

In Conversation with Steven Saum

Editor, WorldView Magazine

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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LGBTQIA Ukraine, with Anya Zoledziowski of Vice World News May 11, 2022

Journalist Anya Zoledziowski joins us for an inside look at the struggle of LGBTQ people in Ukraine as that country struggles with the Russian invasion. She has reported on a group of Gen Z students who are working around the clock to smuggle HIV and gender-affirming medications to people who desperately need it and are stuck in Ukraine. Russian forces have targeted civilian health care infrastructure as part of their invasion, but so far these students have managed to coordinate five deliveries into Ukraine with dozens of boxes of HIV medication and hormones for trans people.

Don't miss this online talk about helping the struggling population of Ukraine.

About the Speaker

Anya Zoledziowski is an award-winning staff reporter at Vice World News. Her reporting focuses on a wide range of social justice issues, including Indigenous affairs, race, politics, sex worker rights, and the disproportionate harm experienced by racialized communities in the climate crisis. She graduated from the University of British Columbia Master of Journalism program in 2018, and has since won multiple awards for her investigative reporting delving into hate crimes targeting Indigenous women at the hands of transient workers who move into “man camps,” temporary housing units near resource extraction sites. She also won the CAJ Reconciliation Award in 2021 for her Indigenous affairs reporting. Prior to working at Vice, she was with CBC, the now-defunct StarMetro Calgary, and many freelance assignments.

SPEAKERS

Anya Zoledziowski

Staff Reporter, Vice World News; Twitter @anyazoledz

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 5th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Dr. Deborah Birx: The Untold Story of Fighting COVID-19 May 10, 2022

During the early days of the political and medical panic of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Deborah Birx was at the center of the storm. Appointed as the White House coronavirus response coordinator despite heavy distrust from the inner circles of the Trump administration, Dr. Birx, a seasoned diplomat, physician and political administrator, found herself facing the greatest public health crisis in a generation, with a mercurial and unpredictable president who made implementing an coordinated and consistent government response a daily challenge. She also amassed critics outside the White House as the pandemic grew.

In her new book Silent Invasion, Dr. Birx recounts how she balanced skepticism from the West Wing, bitter partisanship and media speculation with delivering the fastest vaccine ever created, reform of the public health system and the power of public health interventions in slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Giving a candid look at how the pandemic developed and her role in convincing President Trump to see the danger COVID posed to the country, Dr. Birx gives a sobering and comprehensive view of the ongoing pandemic, and provides advice on how to prevent another pandemic from tearing apart American society.

Join us as Dr. Birx retells her frantic battle to reform a broken federal response to the pandemic into one that could protect American lives, and gives a look to the future of the ongoing battle against COVID-19.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Deborah Birx

Former White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator and Coronavirus Task Force Member; Senior Fellow, The Bush Institute; Author, Silent Invasion: The Untold Story of the Trump Administration, Covid-19, and Preventing the Next Pandemic Before It's Too Late

Mark Zitter

Chair, The Zetema Project; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Charles Booker: The Young Democrats and the Fight for America's Future May 10, 2022

Going from a childhood in the impoverished Louisville West End to being the youngest black lawmaker in Kentucky, success stories like State Rep. Charles Booker’s continue to cross political divides to inspire a nation. Facing poverty, systemic injustice and a strongly Republican political establishment, many lessons can be learned from Booker’s determination and strength to rise to the Kentucky legislature.

Charles Booker represented part of Louisville in Kentucky’s House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021, winning the Democratic primary against six other candidates. Having grown up facing poverty, hunger and the loss of family members from gun violence, Booker’s journey to public office saw him complete law school despite financial struggles, receiving an unlikely appointment to the Fish and Wildlife Commission, and then win a competitive election for a seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives and go on to run to represent Kentucky in the United States Senate.

In his new book, From the Hood to the Holler: A Story of Separate Worlds, Shared Dreams, and the Fight for America's Future, Booker unpacks his unlikely journey to give commentary on social and economic systemic injustice and a vision of how to provide racial equity to America’s least fortunate members. He contends that as tensions and divisions grow, these interventions are not only effective, but urgently needed.

Join us as Booker tells a tale of grit, determination and hope in the darkest of circumstances, and sheds light on how we can make a brighter future for all.

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Terry Crews: My Journey to True Power May 09, 2022

Terry Crews has likely graced your screen at some point; his bodybuilder physique and charismatic humor are hard to miss. Seemingly nothing could stop the Flint, Michigan-born, NFL player turned actor as he landed gig after gig and won accolades along the way.

But under the facade of perfection, Crews was struggling. For all that he sought to control—relationships, his image of toughness, masculinity, his experiences with racism—nothing could hold it all together, leading into a downward, destructive spiral.

Since then, Crews has reckoned with his insecurities and past, garnering a newfound respect for true toughness rather than the exterior austerity he once paraded. His new book, Tough, shares the never-before-told story of his journey through feigned confidence to the new highs of true, conscientious toughness.

At INFORUM, Crews will recount the trials endured while battling cultural norms and societal demands, and further the resounding victories of surmounting these mountains—challenging the system that he says demands men be outwardly tough while leaving them inwardly weak.

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Terry Crews

Actor; Host; Author, Tough: My Journey To True Power; Twitter @terrycrews

In Conversation with Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

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Matthew Continetti: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism May 08, 2022

The election of Donald J. Trump in 2016 and the years that followed have brought significant changes to the Republican Party and, for many, what it means to be conservative. These shifts have been in process for many years, but the Trump presidency brought these significant changes to the center of America's political system. In short, from the start of the Reagan Revolution in 1980 to Trump's on-going role in the Republican Party today, the right is undergoing a massive transformation. Where this process leads will impact the shape of America's political system for decades to come, and is of interest to all across the political spectrum.

For Matthew Continetti, to know where American conservatism is going one must know where it’s been, and this 40 -year shift clouds the history of the conservative movement and its struggles within. In Continetti’s latest book, The Right, he describes how the conservative movement began as networks of intellectuals growing a vision for a more perfect government that eventually came under pressure from populist forces. To him, within conservatism there have been two opposing forces, one pulling closer to the center and one toward the fringe, and that these patterns both continue to the present day and explain the shifts of the movement between these two extremes.

Join us as Continetti lays out the long history of one of America’s largest political ideologies, and shows that by understanding the past, we can better understand American conservatism’s future.

SPEAKERS

Matthew Continetti

Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Founding Editor, The Washington Free Beacon,; Author, The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism; Twitter: @continetti

George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on Mayhttps://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/archive/podcast/matthew-continetti-hundred-year-war-american-conservatism 2nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Recent Brain Research on the Rejuvenating Power of Sleep May 07, 2022

Join us to discuss the most recent brain research confirming the indispensable value of the "downstate" (sleep)—the key to cellular rejuvenation—and how to use the downstate to maximize your physical and mental vitality. Most people are worn down by the daily grind, but the body is designed to alleviate its effects. Brain research continues to accumulate ever more detail about why the downstate is so indispensable to our mental and physical health.

Mednick's Sleep and Cognition Lab studies the role sleep plays in forming our long-term memories, regulating our emotions, keeping our cardiovascular system functioning properly, and helping older adults stay alert and more agile. The downstate is an integral part of all the physiological, cognitive and emotional processes that allow us to stay as strong as possible. So why do we often ignore it during our stressful, nonstop lives, when respecting the downstate would mean a longer, healthier life?

Mednick's answer encompasses all the most up-to-date findings from autonomic, sleep, circadian rhythms, exercise physiology, and nutrition research. She won't tell you to stop working so hard. The sweet smell of ambition in the morning is not the enemy. Rather, she explains how we can handle any reasonable amount of stress as long as we replenish ourselves on a daily basis—and so indefinitely delay burning out.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Sara Mednick

Professor of Psychology, University of California, Irvine; Director, Sleep and Cognition Lab; Author, The Power of the Downstate: Recharge Your Life Using Your Body's Own Restorative Systems

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 26th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Week to Week Political Roundtable: May 2, 2022 May 06, 2022

The Week to Week Political Roundtable and Social Hour is 10 years old! Kick off your May with our latest political discussion at the Club.

Come early and enjoy our member social with some wine and light bites, and mingle with other interested and interesting people. Then join us in the auditorium as our panel discusses the latest political news with insight, civility, and a healthy dash of humor. We'll wrap it all up with our Week to Week News Quiz.

SPEAKERS

Marisa Lagos

Correspondent for California Politics and Government, KQED; Twitter @mlagos

C.W. Nevius

Columnist, The Press-Democrat; Author, "A Letter from San Francisco" Newsletter; Twitter @cwnevius

Dan Schnur

Professor, University of California–Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies, Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Public Policy, and the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communications; Host, "Politics in the Time of Coronavirus" Webinar; Twitter @danschnur

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 2nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Big Money: Investment Managers Driving Corporate Action May 06, 2022

More than half of Americans are invested in the stock market, either directly or through their retirement funds, but individual investors rarely think about how their money is actually being put to use. And even if they decide to take a stand and divest from fossil fuels, that may not translate into a single molecule less carbon being released into the atmosphere. On the other hand, large institutional investors - like those that manage individuals’ retirement funds - can wield huge influence over the companies in their portfolios. So how are asset managers accounting for climate risk? And how can they drive corporate leaders to be more accountable for their emissions today, and cut emissions tomorrow?

This episode was supported in part by The ClimateWorks Foundation.

Guests:

Cynthia McHale, Senior Director, Ceres

Dylan Tanner, Executive Director, Influence Map

Shane Khan, Head of Research, JUST Capital

Yasmin Dahya Bilger, Head of ETFs, Engine No. 1

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Chinatown Museum Reopens: Experience New Exhibits in Virtual Reality May 05, 2022

The Chinese Historical Society of America collects, preserves and illuminates the history of Chinese in America by serving as a center for research, scholarship and learning to inspire a greater appreciation for, and knowledge of, their collective experience through exhibitions, public programs and any other means for reaching the widest audience.

CHSA promotes the contributions and legacy of the Chinese in America through its exhibitions, publications, and educational and public programs in the museum and learning center. It is housed in the landmark Julia Morgan-designed Chinatown YWCA building at 965 Clay Street in San Francisco.

Since February of last year, CHSA has been led by Justin Charles Hoover, a visionary Chinese American museum professional who is breathing new life into the old museum building—and outside its walls, too.

In this multi-media presentation, Justin Hoover will provide in-person and virtual attendees with a virtual tour of the museum and its traditional exhibits, as well as a virtual tour of its upcoming exhibit, “We Are Bruce Lee,” celebrating the life and many contributions of film legend Bruce Lee. This exciting exhibit will occupy the entire museum space.

Join us and get a taste of what a 21st century museum can look like!

SPEAKERS

Justin Hoover

Executive Director, Chinese Historical Society of America

Betty Yu

Reporter, KPIX—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 29th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Filmmaker Débora Souza Silva: Black Mothers Love and Resist May 04, 2022

Débora Souza Silva is a Black Afro-Brazilian journalist and filmmaker. Her work has been featured on PBS, BBC, and elsewhere, and she is the recipient of the Les Payne Founder's Award from the National Association of Black Journalists, the 2021 Creative Capital Award, and a New York Times Institute fellowship. Her work examines systemic racism and inequality.

Don't miss this online discussion of her feature-length film Black Mothers Love and Resist. It examines the Mothers of the Movement, a growing national network of Black mothers whose children have been attacked by police. The film follows two mothers—Angela Williams and Wanda Johnson—and the cycle of courage and care that Black mothers have cultivated to protect themselves and their families.

Also joining us will be Wanda Johnson, a mother, activist and speaker, with a long history of community organizing and speaking to equity. When her son Oscar Grant III was killed by an Oakland BART transit officer on January 1, 2009, she embarked on a journey to turn that pain into purpose. Since then, Wanda has become an amplified voice for mothers and organizers. Wanda is also CEO of the Oscar Grant Foundation and licensed and ordained as a minister.

Note: This program is an interview about the film and its subjects; it is not a film screening.

NOTES

See more Michelle Meow Show programs at The Commonwealth Club of California.

SPEAKERS

Wanda Johnson

CEO, The Oscar Grant Foundation; Activist; Ordained Minister

Débora Souza Silva

Director and Producer, Black Mothers Love and Resist

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 21st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Star Chef Matt Horn: On West Coast Barbecue and the Future of Hospitality May 03, 2022

Chef Matt Horn has quickly become one of the most noted chefs in the Bay Area and, increasingly, the country.

Since opening his namesake restaurant, Horn Barbecue, in West Oakland in late 2020 the California native has been named a Food and Wine Best New Chef in 2021, won a coveted spot in the Michelin food guide, had his unique "California-style" barbeque featured in major newspapers around the country, and currently is a finalist for a James Beard Foundation award for Best New Restaurant in America, one of only two California restaurants to make this coveted cut. On top of that, Horn just opened his second restaurant (a fried chicken restaurant), with much more planned for his growing food empire.

In his new cookbook, Horn Barbecue: Recipes and Techniques from a Master of the Art of BBQ, Matt Horn tells his own inspiring story of how he learned to make BBQ and open a restaurant, and about how his journey echoes and continues the historic lineage of African American barbecue in the United States—an engaging yet often unknown history. His cookbook also has recipes and tips for those who want to try his recipes and classic "low and slow" method at home.

After the talk, guests will enjoy some of Horn's famous BBQ in a fun, post-program reception. Food included in ticket price.

Please join us for a special evening with one of the Bay Area's rising chefs.

Horn will be interviewed by Bay Area food scene veteran, Cecilia Phillips. Phillips has worked under several celebrity chefs and has served as a food tour guide for many years in San Francisco. She began her journalism career as a reporter at KIEM in Eureka, California, and upon relocating to the Bay Area joined KQED as an intern. She then moved into the role of coordinating producer and on-camera reporter for the flagship KQED broadcast show, Check, Please! Bay Area. Within the program, she produces a special series called "Cecilia Tries It," where she scours the Bay Area in search of off-the-beaten-path spots for exciting, culturally diverse culinary experiences that fans can’t miss.

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Matt Horn

Founder & CEO, Horn Hospitality Group; Author, Horn Barbecue: Recipes and Techniques from a Master of the Art of BBQ

Cecilia Phillips

Coordinating Producer and On-Camera Reporter, Check, Please! Bay Area—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live in San Francisco on April 21st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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JFK: Incomparable Grace May 02, 2022

Nearly 60 years after his death, John F. Kennedy still holds an outsize place in the American imagination. Baby Boomers certainly remember his dazzling presence as president, but his brief time in office was marked by more than just style and elegance. His presidency is a story of a fledgling leader forced to meet severe challenges, and to rise above his early missteps to lead his nation into a new and more hopeful era.

Kennedy entered office inexperienced but alluring, his reputation more given by an enamored public than earned through achievement. Presidential historian Mark Updegrove details the setbacks of JFK’s first months: the botched Bay of Pigs invasion, his disastrous summit with Soviet Premier Khrushchev, and his mismanaged approach to the Civil Rights Movement. But soon the young president proved that behind the glamour was a leader of uncommon fortitude and vision. A humbled Kennedy conceded his mistakes and—important for our times—drew lessons from his failures that he used to right wrongs and move forward, radiating greater possibility as he coolly faced a steady stream of crises before his tragic end.

Join us as Updegrove reexamines the dramatic, consequential White House years of a flawed but gifted leader, whose brief but transformative tenure has too often been obscured by the Camelot myth that engulfed JFK after his assassination.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Mark Updegrove

President and CEO, Lyndon B. Johnson Foundation; Presidential Historian, ABC News; Author, Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency

In Conversation with Dan Ashley

Co Anchor, ABC 7 News; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @DanAshleyABC7

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Dr. Louann Brizendine: The Female Brain in Midlife and Beyond May 01, 2022

Women widely perceive aging as a change worthy of fear and resistance. But what if approaching the second half of life is actually more of a celebration?

Researcher, clinician and UCSF professor Dr. Louann Brizendine dives deep into the workings of the brain and finds that women can discover their best selves in their later stages of life with the right prescriptive advice. Since she published her studies centered on women’s brain function in 2006, she has received an overwhelming response from the scientific community.

Her latest research contains a profound understanding of the nature of the female brain and unlocks new potential for women to understand and optimize the powerful changes their brain undergoes in midlife.

MLF ORGANIZER

Denise Michaud

SPEAKERS

Dr. Louann Brizendine

M.D., Lynne and Marc Benioff Endowed Chair in Clinical Psychiatry. University of California San Francisco; Founder, Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic, UCSF; Author, The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife

In Conversation with Katie Hafner

Journalist; Host and Co-Executive Producer, "Lost Women of Science" Podcast; Author, The Boys (forthcoming); Twitter@katiehafner

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Benjamin Franklin's Last Bet Apr 30, 2022

Benjamin Franklin was not exactly a gambling man. But he wagered 2,000 pounds, at the end of his illustrious life, on the survival of the United States. Franklin's bet was that, if the trustees of his legacy funds lent it out over the next 200 years to Boston and Philadelphia tradesmen to jump-start their careers, the U.S. economy would flourish. Each loan was to be repaid with interest over 10 years, and if all went according to Franklin’s inventive scheme, the accrued final payout in 1991 would prove to be a windfall.

Meyer traces the evolution of these twin funds as they age alongside America itself, bankrolling woodworkers and silversmiths, trade schools and space races. Franklin’s wager on this early version of microfinancing was misused, neglected, and contested—but never wholly extinguished. With charm and inquisitive flair, Meyer shows how Franklin’s stake in the “leather-apron” class remains in play to this day, and offers an inspiring blueprint for prosperity in our modern era of growing wealth disparity and social divisions.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

Michael Meyer

Professor of English, University of Pittsburgh; Author, Benjamin Franklin's Last Bet

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Civil Dialogue in Partisan Times Apr 29, 2022

In a day and age where politics can take any form from protesting to posting, it can be hard for students to navigate the many, often divisive political situations they find themselves in. Though politics are certainly an important part of our curriculums, learning how to discuss politics civilly has not been. Now, many organizations are stepping up to fill this gap. In doing so, they are providing students and future generations alike with the tools necessary to navigate a polarized political scene while also paving a path to minimize the partisan division altogether.

This student-led program will empower students to face political conversations head on, with both confidence and courtesy. Coming from diverse perspectives, the speakers will model the very conversations they seek to instigate and will guide students in how to build the bridges we so desperately need.

Program lead Raquel Kunugi is a graduating senior in political science at the University of California Berkeley and an Education intern at The Commonwealth Club. Hailing from a rural, conservative town and a politically purple family, and now attending a famously liberal school, she has experienced the range of political beliefs and has made friends all along the political spectrum. She hopes this program will empower her fellow students to challenge themselves by challenging the growing norm of polarization.

NOTES

Creating Citizens, The Commonwealth Club’s K-12 civics education initiative, is supported by the Koret Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Justine Lee

Executive Director, Living Room Conversations

John Wood, Jr.

National Ambassador, Braver Angels

Alice Siu

Associate Director, Center for Deliberative Democracy, Stanford University—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Dismantling White Supremacy to Address the Climate Crisis Apr 29, 2022

A fundamental injustice of the climate crisis is that those who have contributed to it least are already bearing the brunt of the impacts, and that will continue as global temperatures rise. Like many other environmental and societal challenges, we can’t make real progress if certain groups are left behind. How might a new model for working together to solve interconnected crises, by tracing the origins of ecofeminism, environmental justice and other movements that center the voices and experiences of Black, Indigenous and people of color, work?

Guests:

Leah Thomas, author, Founder, The Intersectional Environmentalist

Hop Hopkins, Director of Organizational Transformation, The Sierra Club

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Rep. Ro Khanna: Digital Opportunity for All Apr 28, 2022

Information technology has fundamentally changed the daily lives of Americans - crunching years of data in seconds and automating seemingly infinitely complex tasks. Yet, as congressman Ro Khanna warns, technological progress has great power to either hurt or heal the country—creating division and furthering inequality if left unchecked, or creating opportunity and healing fractures if carefully directed. It is by keeping an eye on the least fortunate while channeling digital innovation, he argues, that we can create positive change.

In his latest book, Dignity in the Digital Age, congressman Khanna explains how democratic access to technology can strengthen every sector of the economy, create more inclusive communities and mend a fractured country. Using “progressive capitalism” to create jobs and opportunities for all Americans, especially the least fortunate, he gives a blueprint of how to direct the future of the tech industry to be a powerful agent for positive change.

Congressman Ro Khanna has represented California's Silicon Valley in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2016 and serves as chair of the House Oversight Subcommittee on the Environment. Before his time in Congress, he served as the deputy assistant secretary of the Department of Commerce in the Obama administration and has taught economics and law at Stanford University. In the House of Representatives, Rep. Khanna has been a leading voice for tech equality, climate change accountability and the social responsibility of corporations.

Join us, as Rep. Khanna explains how the digital revolution got us to where we are now—and explains where it can take us from here at this critical time in American history.

SPEAKERS

Ro Khanna

U.S. Representative (D-CA, District 17); Author, Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us; Twitter @RepRoKhanna

Ahmad Thomas

President & CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Justin Gest, Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Molly Ball: America at a Time of Demographic Change Apr 27, 2022

Demographic changes at both the national and local levels continue to have tremendous impacts on America's political system. As diversity in the United States continues to flourish, the United States is evolving into a true multi-racial society. Yet the country remains deeply divided. What roles are demographic changes and a backlash to those shifts playing in shaping America's civic life? Leading demographer and political commentator Justin Gest believes he has some answers to these questions as the country 's citizens continue to grapple with what happens to the country when there is no longer a majority demographic group.

In his new pathbreaking book Majority Minority, Dr. Gest uses the case studies of six societies that have undergone the majority-minority transition to reveal insights as to the role of government in tempering nationalist sentiment and allowing diversity to flourish. He argues that the state and politicians can be powerful actors to help groups integrate and form a common identity for the benefit of all, while still respecting and celebrating the differences between them. Supplementing his analysis with surveys, studies and careful analysis of trends in the United States, Gest explains that the coming years will be formative in how diversity lives on in America, and how our society can gracefully transition into a majority-minority country.

The 2022 elections and, of course, the 2024 presidential election will be shaped by the impact of America's demographic changes. To help put these issues into context, Gest has invited former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and political journalist Molly Ball to discuss his new book and the critical moment in which the United States finds itself as its future as a cohesive multiracial democracy is regularly called into question.

Please join us for an important discussion on how we got here, what it means, and where we can go to remain an inclusive society for all Americans, regardless of origin.

SPEAKERS

Justin Gest

Associate Professor of Policy and Government, George Mason University’s Schar School; Author, Majority Minority

Antonio Villaraigosa

Former Mayor, City of Los Angeles

Molly Ball

National Political Correspondent, Time

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Please Scream Inside Your Heart: Breaking News and Nervous Breakdowns in the Year that Wouldn't End Apr 26, 2022

The witty, insightful, and entertaining Dave Pell will discuss his book Please Scream Inside Your Heart, a real-time ride through the maddening hell that was the 2020 news cycle, when turmoil and media mania stretched America's sanity, democracy and toilet paper. Pell, who describes himself as the internet’s managing editor, will discuss how our media consumption got out of hand, what makes lies spread faster than truth, and why his Holocaust-surviving parents found 2020 America to be all-too familiar.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Dave Pell

Journalist; "Internet's Managing Editor"; Publisher, Next Draft Newsletter; Author, Please Scream Inside Your Heart: Breaking News and Nervous Breakdowns in the Year that Wouldn't End

In Conversation with DJ Patil

Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 18th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Will Hurd: American Reboot Apr 26, 2022

In a time in U.S. history marked by polarization and partisan gridlock, Americans are looking for answers. For former Republican congressman and CIA officer Will Hurd, these questions need answering—fast. As the country faces new challenges and it becomes increasingly difficult for Washington to act amid political divides, Hurd proposes a guide to “reboot” the system and mobilize the country to meet the changes ahead.

Called “the future of the GOP” by Politico and “the Most Interesting Man in Congress” by the Daily Dot in 2017, Will Hurd is a former clandestine CIA Officer with 9 years of service history and a three-times elected congressional representative from Texas’s 23rd District. In Congress, Hurd held multiple committee appointments during his tenure, utilizing his expertise in technology, cybersecurity and national security as a leading Republican voice for bipartisanship.

In his new book, American Reboot: An Idealist's Guide to Getting Big Things Done, Hurd grounds his analysis of the American political system in “pragmatic realism,” offering solutions to a crisis-rocked country based on American values. In it, Hurd walks through the challenges presented by rising income inequality, unprecedented technological changes, dishonest elected officials, the Republican Party’s ailing vision for the future and the shifting balance of global power. There, drawing from personal experience and professional expertise, he draws a path forward amid these uncertainties to a more unified, efficient and equitable America.

Join us as Hurd presents a playbook for America to boldly advance through the challenges ahead and into a new era of bipartisanship, inclusivity and democracy.

SPEAKERS

Will Hurd

Former U.S. Representative (TX-23); Author, American Reboot: An Idealist's Guide to Getting Big Things Done

Melissa Caen

Attorney; Political Analyst—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 18th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Robin Roberts: "Good Morning America" Anchor Apr 25, 2022

Over the last 16 years, as an esteemed anchor of "Good Morning America," Robin Roberts has helped millions of people across the country celebrate each new morning. She has sought to bring a bit of positivity into each day, even in the most trying of times. In doing so, she has enthralled the nation with her grace and humility.

Now, in her new book Brighter by the Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams, Roberts provides a guide to instilling hope and optimism into people’s lives to infuse every day with positivity and encouragement. She shares with readers the guidance and profound insight she’s received, along with her own hard-won wisdom that has helped her find the good in the world and usher in light—even on the darkest days. Roberts shares a journey through her lived eye-opening experiences, drawing on the advice and knowledge she’s picked up along the way to teach readers how to feed the mind, spirit and soul and practice optimism—a skill that requires time and dedication.

Join us as Robin Roberts shares her prescription for how to unlock a new mindset to live brighter by the day.

SPEAKERS

Robin Roberts

Anchor, "Good Morning America"; Author, Brighter by the Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams

Kumasi Aaron

Anchor, ABC7 News Bay Area Morning; Twitter@KumasiABC7—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 15th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Treva Lindsey: Violence, Black Women and the Struggle for Justice Apr 24, 2022

Treva Lindsey is a rising and vibrant voice on gender and racial issues, particularly the portrayal of Black women in the media, news and popular culture. A professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Ohio State, Lindsey has written prominent and much-discussed pieces after the recent police-involved deaths of Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland and Ma’Khia Bryant.

In her new book America, Goddam: Violence, Black Women and the Struggle for Justice, Lindsey takes a deep look into what she considers the violent oppression experienced by Black women and girls in the United States, and that how they are treated is a distinct form of devaluing Black life. Her book touches upon her own sexual assault by a police officer at 17 to underscore and personalize her belief that Black women and girls are subjected to historic abuses and are traditionally told they must suffer silently. Lindsey's book—named after the Nina Simone protest song—is a demand for justice for Black women and girls who are often overlooked in discussions about racial justice. For Lindsey, the discussion on gender and race is one that is essential for true racial justice.

Join us for a powerful conversation.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Treva Lindsey

Assoc. Professor, Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department, Ohio State University; Founder, Transformative Black Feminism(s) Initiative; Author, America, Goddam: Violence, Black Women, and the Struggle for Justice; Twitter @divafeminist

In Conversation with Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

Co Founder, The Sadie Collective; Author, The Black Agenda: Bold Solutions for a Broken System; Twitter @itsafronomics

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 13th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Inclusivity in Civics - Twitter Space Apr 23, 2022

We hosted our first Twitter Space discussing inclusivity in civics education and how youth can learn more about the power they hold in our democracy.

@CWCxEDU

Special thanks to

Amber Coleman-Mortley - @MomOfAllCapes

For joining us for this amazing conversation!!! Make sure to check out her education blog, http://MomOfAllCapes.com and her podcast @LetsK12Better

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Fire and Flood: A People’s History of Climate Change, from 1979 to the Present Apr 22, 2022

Join us for an online talk with environmental journalist Eugene Linden.

In his new book, Fire and Flood, Linden examines the role of business interests in muddying messages from scientists and derailing attempts to galvanize the public. He tells a story of big monied interests doing what they do to protect short-term profits against longer-term threats. One of the through-lines of the book is the insurance industry’s response to climate change, which for a long time was painfully slow, but recently has pivoted quite dramatically. Florida and California are seeing the housing insurance sector retreat from entire regions because of the unmanageable risks of fire and flood—some believe that the housing markets in parts of those two states are another bad season or two away from collapse. In a larger sense, big business, which for so long has been a woeful headwind to needed change, is waking up to the need to act very quickly now, as the long term has become the near term with terrifying speed.

Eugene Linden is an award-winning journalist and author on science, nature and the environment. He is the author of nine books of non-fiction and one novel. His previous book on climate change, Winds of Change, explored the connection between climate change and the rise and fall of civilizations and was awarded the Grantham Prize Special Award of Merit. For many years, Linden wrote about nature and global environmental issues for Time, where he garnered several awards, including the American Geophysical Union’s Walter Sullivan Award.

MLF ORGANIZER

Andrew Dudley

SPEAKERS

Eugene Linden

Journalist; Author, Fire and Flood

In Conversation with Andrew Dudley

President and CEO, Earth; Co-Host and Producer, "Earth Live"; Chair, People & Nature Member-Led Forum

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mary Roach: Packing for Mars for Kids Apr 21, 2022

Mary Roach is back again and witty as ever in the young readers adaption of her best-selling book Packing for Mars. From the awe-inspiring and curiously gross details, Roach unpacks the facts about space.

A beloved authority on all things science, Mary Roach provides a humorous, accessible, exciting and perfect resource for students and curious minds alike.

SPEAKERS

Mary Roach

Author, Packing for Mars for Kids

In Conversation with Kara Platoni

U.S. Science Editor, Wired.com; Twitter @KaraPlatoni

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 12th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Climate & Democracy with Jamie Raskin, Heather McGhee and Rebecca Willis Apr 21, 2022

Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) took the national spotlight as the lead manager for the second impeachment trial of the former president. As a member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, he has grilled fossil fuel executives on the industry’s long history of intentionally misleading the public. And as a constitutional law professor, he has offered deep insight into the connections between an informed citizenry and a robust democracy.

At a time when many Americans doubt Congress’s ability to get anything done, what are the government’s strongest levers for climate action? And what are the connections between climate and democracy?

This story is part of ‘Climate & Democracy,’ a series from the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now.

Guests:

Jamie Raskin, U.S. Representative, Maryland’s 8th Congressional District

Heather McGhee, Board Chair, Color of Change; author, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together

Rebecca Willis, Professor, Lancaster University; author, Too Hot to Handle? The Democratic Challenge of Climate Change

Visit our website for show notes.

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How I Built This with Guy Raz Apr 20, 2022

Few have dominated the podcast arena like Guy Raz. Raz co-created National Public Radio’s "How I Built This," "Wow in the World" and "TED Radio Hour." From program intern to podcast virtuoso, Raz has worked in many capacities at the broadcast media organization with highly successful results—his podcasts garner more than 19 million downloads per month. It’s no surprise why, as his programs welcome thought-provoking guests in a format that combines narrative storytelling with insightful advice.

In his new book, How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs, Raz shares highlights and lessons from the more than 100 entrepreneurs he’s interviewed as host for "How I Built This." From planning a timeline for corporate development to making a good idea profitable, Raz has insights galore to share at INFORUM from more than four years’ worth of episodes.

We’re pleased that Guy Raz will be joined onstage by Tony Xu. Xu is the CEO and co-founder of DoorDash, a technology company passionate about transforming local businesses and dedicated to enabling new ways of working, earning and living. Born in China, Xu came to America with his parents and grew up working in his mom’s restaurant. Xu was a guest on “How I Built This” in November 2018, and prior to co-founding DoorDash in 2013, he worked in the product department at Square, led special projects for the CEO and CFO at eBay, and began his career at McKinsey & Co.

SPEAKERS

Guy Raz

Host, “How I Built This” and “Wow in the World,” NPR; Host, “Wisdom From the Top” Podcast; Author, How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs; Twitter @guyraz

In Conversation with Tony Xu

Co-Founder and CEO, DoorDash; Twitter @t_xu

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live in San Francisco on April 11th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Future of Trans Health Care Apr 19, 2022

Join us for the first in a series looking at the latest in transgender health care. A dynamic panel of doctors and experts in the field of trans and nonbinary medical and health care will explain the latest developments in the field.

This first program in the series will address the future of trans health care, current advancements in care and accessibility, and best practices in serving trans and nonbinary community members today and in the future. This launch event will also include a reception following the program.

Future programs will cover a wide range of issues facing trans health care, including the ongoing attacks on trans children and families, policy advancements, mental health and wellness, and more.

This launch event will also include a special rooftop reception following the program, featuring DJ NICO and local drag superstars Mary Vice, King MeatFlap and Kypper Snacks—plus fabulous local drinks and appetizers.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Christi Butler

M.D., Assistant Professor and Urologic Surgeon, University of California, San Francisco

Dr. Ellie Zara Ley

M.D., Plastic Surgeon, The Gender Confirmation Center

Dr. Alexis Petra

M.D., Founder and CEO. TransClinique

Dr. Heidi Wittenberg

M.D., Medical Director, Gender Institute, and Chief of Surgery, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital; Director of MoZaic Care, Inc.

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live in San Francisco on April 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Erika Moritsugu and Krystal Ka’ai: Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Asian American Community Apr 16, 2022

Here is an unparalleled opportunity to hear directly from the White House. Please join Erika Moritsugu, deputy assistant to the president and AANHPI senior liaison in the White House, and Krystal Ka'ai, executive director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, as they share information about resources available to Americans as we recover from the COVID pandemic.

Topics to be discussed will include: federal resources to address anti-Asian hate crimes and the AA and NHPI community's feeling of not being safe; and resources from federal, state and local partners. Moritsugu and Ka'ai will offer practical information about what help is available, how to access the resources, and who can help you and your family, your business or your organization.

SPEAKERS

Krystal Ka'ai

Executive Director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Erika Moritsugu

Deputy Assistant to the President and AANHPI Senior Liaison in the White House

Julian Chang

Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mark Follman: Stopping Mass Shootings in America Apr 15, 2022

The rising incidence of mass shootings confronts the nation with an unrelenting public safety emergency. The assumed responsibility for these devastating attacks falls on failures to address the mental health crisis or enact policy to restrict access to weapons. In addition, critics say media sensationalism exacerbates the social and cultural upheaval surrounding the aftermath. However, redirection of our focus from misguided blame to the emerging field of behavioral threat assessment might provide the remedy to an enduring epidemic.

In his new book Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America, San Francisco-based award-winning journalist and editor Mark Follman details the discovery of a breakthrough in threat prevention. He identifies the "warning behaviors" that signal a mass shooter and provides an insider account of the search for a revolutionary method for thwarting deadly attacks. Through interviews with threat assessment practitioners, defendants in insanity cases, and victims of attacks, Follman creates an insightful and comprehensive narrative of the story toward progress.

Join us as Follman takes us deeper into his 8-year project and how behavioral threat assessment is forging the race to stop planned acts of violence ahead.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Mark Follman

National Affairs Editor, Mother Jones; Author, Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America; Twitter @markfollman

In Conversation with Monika Bauerlein

CEO, Mother Jones

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Breaking Down Climate Misinformation with Amy Westervelt and John Cook Apr 15, 2022

Fossil fuel companies and others have spent decades casting doubt on climate science to allow them to continue to profit. As documented by climate communication expert John Cook and others, these strategies have taken many forms: deny, dismiss, delay, deflect; and they have evolved over time. They’ve also included a concerted effort to recast political speech, banned and regulated in some contexts, as protected free speech, giving corporations more leeway in broadcasting their messages.

In a special collaboration with Amy Westervelt of Drilled, we trace the origins of this free speech argument and break down the tactics used to spread misinformation.

Guests:

Amy Westervelt, journalist, Founder and Executive Producer, Drilled, Critical Frequency Podcast Network

John Cook, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Climate Change Communication Research Hub, Monash University

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E.J. Dionne Jr. and Miles Rapoport: The Case for Universal Voting Apr 14, 2022

Voting has been a hot topic of discussion in election years, as have been the barriers many Americans face when trying to participate in elections. According to E.J. Dionne Jr. and Miles Rapoport, it is time for the United States to take a major leap forward and recognize voting as both a fundamental civil right and a solemn civic duty required of every eligible U.S. citizen.

Americans are required to pay taxes, serve on juries, get their kids vaccinated, get driver’s licenses, and sometimes go to war for their country. So why not ask—or require—every American to vote?

In 100% Democracy, E.J. Dionne Jr. and Miles Rapoport argue that universal participation in our elections should be a cornerstone of our system. It would be the surest way to protect against voter suppression and the active disenfranchisement of a large share of our citizens. And it would create a system true to the Declaration of Independence’s aspirations by calling for a government based on the consent of all of the governed.

Join us as E.J. Dionne Jr. and Miles Rapoport discuss their 100% Democracy along with offering their insight on all things voting in the United States.

SPEAKERS

E.J. Dionne, Jr.

Columnist, The Washington Post; Co-Author, 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting

Miles Rapoport

Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School; Co-Author, 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting

In Conversation with Melissa Caen

Political Analyst; Attorney

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live in San Francisco on April 5th, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Arthur C. Brooks: Finding Success, Happiness and Purpose Later in Life Apr 13, 2022

The question of how to be happy in mid-life consumes many adults as they age. For Arthur C. Brooks, the former president of the American Enterprise Institute and the author of 11 books, the search for true life success after age 50 became an opportunity for a personal life transformation that he believes others can be inspired by and follow.

In his new book, From Strength to Strength, Brooks describes embarking on a seven-year journey to discover how to transform his future from one of disappointment over waning abilities into an opportunity for progress. The result for him? A practical roadmap for the rest of his life. Brooks's journey starts with the somewhat mistaken assumption that the more successful we are, the less susceptible we become to the sense of professional and social irrelevance that often accompanies aging. Brooks soon finds the truth is that the greater our achievements and our attachment to them, the more we notice our decline, and the more painful it is when it occurs.

Brooks's unique outlook draws on social science, philosophy, biography, theology, and eastern wisdom, as well as dozens of interviews with everyday men and women. In it, Brooks shows us that true life success is well within our reach. By refocusing on certain priorities and habits that anyone can learn, such as deep wisdom, detachment from empty rewards, connection and service to others, and spiritual progress, we can set ourselves up for increased happiness.

Please join us for a discussion about how you, too, can go from strength to strength.

MLF ORGANIZER

Denise Michaud

NOTES

MLF: Grownups

SPEAKERS

Arthur Brooks

Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School; Author, From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life

In Conversation with Tully Friedman

Co-Founder, FFL Partners and Hellman & Friedman

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live in San Francisco on April 4th, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Caring for Aging Parents: Challenges, Choices and Lessons Learned Apr 13, 2022

Dave Iverson was a 59-year-old KQED broadcast journalist and filmmaker when he decided to do something he’d never imagined. He moved back into his childhood home when his 95-year-old mom could no longer care for herself. Dave’s new memoir Winter Stars: An Elderly Mother, An Aging Son and Life’s Final Journey is the story of their 10-year caregiving journey, lasting until his mother’s passing at the age of 105. It’s a book Michael J. Fox calls “A gift—a modern classic of frontier literature documenting the uncertain journey into the country of caregiving.”

In this special Commonwealth Club presentation, KQED’s Scott Shafer will interview Dave about his new book and our growing eldercare crisis. Someone turns 65 every eight seconds in this country, and the pandemic’s ongoing toll on nursing home residents has prompted more people to consider caring for an aging parent at home. Yet what lies ahead when someone makes that choice?

Join Scott Shafer and Dave Iverson for an intimate, unvarnished conversation about the challenges, choices and unexpected rewards of caring for someone during life’s final journey.

Our moderator will be award-winning journalist Scott Shafer. Shafer is senior editor of the California Politics and Government Desk at KQED, where he leads the politics team’s coverage of the state. He is also co-host of the weekly radio program and podcast series "Political Breakdown." Shafer has covered stories for National Public Radio programs, including "All Things Considered," "Morning Edition," "Weekend Edition Saturday" and "Weekend Edition Sunday." He collaborated on and hosted "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown," an eight-part series about the life and political career of the former California governor. He previously hosted "The California Report."

MLF ORGANIZER

Denise Michaud

NOTES

MLF: Grownups

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Dave Iverson

Writer; Documentary Film Producer and Director; Retired Broadcast Journalist; Author, Winter Stars: An Elderly Mother, An Aging Son and Life’s Final Journey

In Conversation with Scott Shafer

Senior Editor, Politics and Government Desk, KQED; Co-Host, "Political Breakdown" Podcast

This program was recorded live in San Francisco on March 31st, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Art of the Fair Deal: Securing Space for the Arts in San Francisco Apr 12, 2022

How can small nonprofit art organizations afford the cost of living in the Bay Area? Innovators in the field have been working for nearly a decade to solve this problem.

Join CounterPulse’s Julie Phelps and CAST’s Moy Eng at The Commonwealth Club for a conversation moderated by Michelle Meow. As CounterPulse poises itself to buy its building in the Tenderloin from CAST later this year, learn how they’ve worked together in piloting a new real estate model that could be applied throughout the city and around the world to keep artists and creatives rooted in their communities amidst economic upheaval.

SPEAKERS

Moy Eng

CEO, Community Arts Stabilization Trust

Julie Phelps

Artistic and Executive Director, CounterPulse

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live in San Francisco on March 31st, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jane McGonigal: How to See the Future Coming Apr 10, 2022

In the fickle age of COVID-19, it is harder than ever to have assuredness, and confidence. A solution? "Radical imagination"—and with it the power to transform our present and see our future. Game-designer turned author Jane McGonical, wants to give people the key to unlock their imagination potential and in doing so design their own futures with limitless possibilities and creative certainty.

In her newest book, Imaginable, McGonigal coaxes audiences to dive into the unimaginable as a way to problem solve, future-plan, and find transformative fulfillment. She uses psychological research to embolden readers and make real the possibilities that are unfathomable—but not for long.

At INFORUM, the renowned future forecaster will invite audiences into her mind and lay out the daring vision necessary to give life to a book about imagination. McGonigal answers the age-old question, “How do we learn to feel at peace with the unknown?” and teaches how mental, imagination training can reduce anxiety and boost tenacity.

SPEAKERS

Jane McGonigal

Future Forecaster; Game Designer; Author, Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything—Even Things that Seem Impossible Today; Twitter Twitter @avantgame

In Conversation with Roy Bahat

Head, Bloomberg Beta; Twitter @roybahat

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 30th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Can We Get Clean Energy Without Dirty Mines? Apr 09, 2022

Global sales of electric vehicles more than doubled in 2021. Projections for this year are for another huge gain as more automakers introduce more models with increasing range. This is all good news for transitioning to a clean energy economy. But sourcing the materials needed for clean energy might not be so clean. Mining is the leading industrial polluter in the U.S., but the climate crisis demands a transition to technologies that require raw materials to be extracted. How can the world get the minerals it needs to mitigate the climate crisis without creating other ecological disasters in the process?

Guests:

Morgan Bazilian, Director, Payne Institute, Colorado School of Mines

Payal Sampat, Mining Program Director, Earthworks

Maureen Penjueli, Coordinator, Pacific Network on Globalisation

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The Art of Disability Culture Apr 09, 2022

Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and small signs of progress here and there, artists with disabilities still face discrimination and prejudice in the arts arena. Disability culture is still marginalized, and access features are not always offered as standard practice in exhibitions.

Join us as we tease out some of these issues and why they matter, with an accessible introduction to disability culture and a dynamic conversation between photographers Nolan Trowe and Anthony Tusler. We’ll consider how representation and visibility is integral to their work, and how their work also advocates for a more radically inclusive and accessible arts and culture landscape.

MLF ORGANIZER

Robert Melton

NOTES

MLF: Arts

SPEAKERS

Nolan Ryan Trowe

Photographer; Writer, Focuses on Stories Around Disability

Anthony Tusler

Writer; Photographer; Consultant; Trainer; Advocate on Disability Issues

Fran Osborne

Museum Consultant; Specialist in Accessible Exhibitions; Independent Curator and Lecturer, Museum Studies Program at San Francisco State University—Moderator

Robert Melton

Freelance Curator; Community Events Arts Organizer; Co-Chair, Arts Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 29th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Humankindness and Health Justice: Creating a More Equitable World Apr 08, 2022

Health justice is one of the most important yet complicated issues facing American society. Environmental factors, policies and even systems create societal disparities that affect a person's ability to achieve their best possible health.

To ensure justice and equity in health, advocates say the country needs to address community-specific disparities, dismantle systems, and end policies that drive poor health outcomes. One way to start this important justice work is to dramatically increase access to education and overall literacy. Efforts such as addressing the increasing economic fragmentation of education, divisions of income along racial lines, and providing pathways to financial literacy serve as a foundational element in the overall health justice work ahead. Failure to address this separation and fragmentation could make health justice for our nation an elusive goal.

To address this often-overlooked connection between financial literacy and health justice, The Commonwealth Club of California and CommonSpirit Health are pleased to bring together Mellody Hobson, a highly prominent financial executive who is president and co-CEO of Ariel Investments and chair of the board of directors of Starbucks Corporation, and Lloyd Dean, CommonSpirit Health CEO and a nationally recognized leader in health care and and recognized voice for health justice.

Please join us for this rare conversation between two leading voices in health care and business about addressing health justice.

NOTES

This program is part of the Humankindness & Health Justice series, generously underwritten by CommonSpirit Health Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Mellody Hobson

President and co-CEO, Ariel Investments; Chair of the Board of Directors, Starbucks Corporation

Lloyd Dean

CEO, CommonSpirit Health—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 30th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Alan Dershowitz on the Human Rights Tragedy in Ukraine Apr 07, 2022

The Ukrainian people are paying a high price for the massive and costly resistance they are putting up to Russian aggression. Refugees fleeing Ukraine already number in excess of 2 million and counting. Many are Ukrainian Jews. Those who are unable to leave or are engaged in the fight to slow the advance of Russian forces are subject to increasingly indiscriminate bombing and the threat of using more extreme military weaponry. Reports of targeting and killing civilians, including the bombing of hospitals and schools, raise serious questions about human rights violations and war crimes.

We invite acclaimed attorney, civil liberties defender and constitutional scholar Alan Dershowitz to discuss the actions of Russian forces in Ukraine and the potential case against Russia’s military leaders and in particular President Vladimir Putin. Are there legal avenues to pursue in the International Criminal Court or other international bodies, and how might such cases be brought?

What other avenues might we explore to tackle this human rights tragedy unfolding on multiple fronts? At this critical moment, Ukraine’s President Zelensky is standing up and defending his country and his people. Professor Dershowitz recently has made the case that Zelensky should be recognized immediately on the international stage for his commitment. As an emeritus professor of public law, Dershowitz will be nominating President Zelensky for this year's Nobel Peace Prize and urging the Committee to award it now. As Rabbi Hillel once said: "If not now, when?”

Please join Alan Dershowitz, New York Times bestselling author and Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law Emeritus at Harvard Law School, in conversation with Dan Ashley, news anchor at ABC7 KGO Bay Area, about Ukraine as well as other key civil liberties and human rights issues.

SPEAKERS

Alan Dershowitz

Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law Emeritus, Harvard Law School

In Conversation with Dan Ashley

News Anchor/Reporter, ABC7 News, KGO-TV Bay Area

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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George Hammond: More Confidence than You Can Imagine Apr 06, 2022

It is hard for most of us to even imagine the confidence Socrates had. Or that Alexander or Mozart had. Much less live it. It is much easier, though, for us to imagine a top saleswoman’s confidence, even if we are inclined to blame it all on her over-praising mother. But there are patterns in the emotion we call confidence that make it clear this is not an unsolvable mystery—patterns that explain both the ephemeral confidence that leads to sales success and the seemingly unshakeable confidence that leads to political, military, artistic, scientific and intellectual high-end achievements.

But even when the elements of this emotion are parsed (it is caused by perceiving oneself as virtuous), it is still not immediately obvious how to achieve it in daily life, due to the subtleties of both the process of perceiving oneself and the definition of virtue (using the ancient understanding of virtue as strength or skillfulness). George Hammond will clarify those subtleties so that you can shift how you perceive yourself sufficiently to immediately feel more confident. And to understand how to keep that trend going by shedding the habitual thinking patterns that usually undermine confidence—until you have developed more confidence than you can currently imagine.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 30th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Rick Hasen: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics Apr 06, 2022

Misinformation and disinformation, both domestic and international, have become global issues that are impacting elections and other aspects of geopolitics. These issues have become tremendously important in the United States, and as the country enters another election year, understanding the impact of these issues, and the role of technology and social media, is critical to a functioning democracy.

In this election year, with control of Congress at stake, what can be done consistent with the First Amendment to ensure that American voters can make informed election decisions and hold free elections amid a flood of virally spread disinformation and the collapse of local news reporting? How should American society counter the actions of people who use social media to undermine U.S. elections? What can we do to minimize disinformation campaigns aimed at suppressing voter turnout?

Elections expert Richard Hasen has some answers. In his new book Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics—and How to Cure It, Hasen provides a practical road map for controlling disinformation, embracing free speech, saving American elections, and protecting democracy. He provides insight into the current debates over free speech, censorship and Big Tech’s responsibilities.

Please join us for a discussion about ways to ensure Americans have access to the reliable information on which democracy depends.

SPEAKERS

Rick Hasen

Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science, University of California-Irvine; Author, Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics—and How to Cure It

In Conversation with Erwin Chemerinsky

Dean, University of California Berkeley Law School

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 29th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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States of Liberation: Gay Men in Cold War Germany Apr 05, 2022

After the fall of Nazi Germany and the onset of the Cold War, gay men in the now-divided Germany underwent a historic change in their status and visibility and influence.

George Mason University history professor Samuel Clowes Huneke joins us to talk about this time of momentous transition. It's the subject of his first book, States of Liberation, which traces the paths of gay men in East and West Germany from the violent aftermath of the Second World War to the thundering nightclubs of present-day Berlin. Following a captivating cast of characters, from gay spies and Nazi scientists to queer politicians and secret police bureaucrats, Dr. Huneke tells the remarkable story of how the two German states persecuted gay men—and how those men slowly, over the course of decades, won new rights and created new opportunities for themselves in the heart of Cold War Europe. Relying on untapped archives in Germany and the United States as well as oral histories with witnesses and survivors, Huneke reveals that communist East Germany was in many ways far more progressive on queer issues than democratic West Germany.

Join us for an online discussion about the history of gender, sexual history, the law, and politics.

SPEAKERS

Samuel Clowes Huneke

Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Modern German History, George Mason University; Author, States of Liberation: Gay Men between Dictatorship and Democracy in Cold War Germany

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 24th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A Conversation with Chairman of the National Governors Association Asa Hutchinson Apr 04, 2022

The Commonwealth Club is pleased to welcome Asa Hutchinson, Republican governor of the state of Arkansas, and the current chair of the National Governors Association (NGA).

Governor Hutchinson will discuss the critical role he has played in workforce training, infrastructure and new economy jobs not only in his state, but also across the country, leading the bipartisan National Governors Association. The NGA works alongside governors in their efforts to restore public health and continue a robust, sustainable economic recovery. When he became chairman of the NGA last year, Hutchinson pledged “to build on the areas where Republicans and Democrats agree and work to remove the obstacles in Washington where we can.” As chairman, Hutchinson has focused on K–12 computer science education, promoting his state’s best practices, in addition to engaging other governors on their strategies for success, to help increase computer science literacy needed for the jobs of the future.

A dedicated public servant, Governor Hutchinson was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. In 1996, he won the first of three successive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his third term in Congress, President George W. Bush appointed him director of the Drug Enforcement Administration and later as an undersecretary in the newly created Department of Homeland Security.

His experience has established him as a national resource for his expertise on trade, energy, national security, and education. The governor has been invited to the White House several times to join discussions about health care, Medicaid and education issues.

The governor is the former co-chair of the Council of Governors and the former chairman of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, Southern States Energy Board, and the Southern Regional Education Board.

SPEAKERS

Asa Hutchinson

Governor of Arkansas; Chairman, National Governors Association

Scott McGrew

News Anchor, NBC Bay Area

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live In San Francisco March 28th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Solar Flare-ups Apr 01, 2022

Earlier this year, California regulators were set to propose significant changes to the incentives that drive rooftop solar installations. After widespread opposition from industry and climate advocates, the California Public Utilities Commission paused the effort. The issue centers on how much rooftop solar customers pay to use the grid and what rewards they get for selling their excess power.

But California is far from the only state where net metering is a hotly contested issue. While utility-scale projects may offer more bang for the buck in some contexts, rooftop solar offers distributed generation and a tool for resilience. This week, we explore the debate between rooftop and utility-scale solar.

Guests:

Adam Browning, Co-Founder and Executive Director Emeritus, Vote Solar

Bernadette Del Chiaro, Executive Director, California Solar and Storage Association

Tom Beach, Principal Consultant, Crossborder Energy

Emily Sanford Fisher, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Sr. Vice President, Clean Energy, Edison Electric Institute

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A.J. Baime: White Lies Mar 31, 2022

Bestselling author AJ Baime returns to The Commonwealth Club to discuss his biography of Walter F. White, a civil rights leader who often passed for white in order to investigate racist murders. White led a double life: one as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance and the NAACP in the early 20th century, the other as a white newspaperman who covered lynching crimes in the Deep South at the height of racial violence.

Born mixed race, with very fair skin and straight hair, White was able to “pass” for white. He leveraged this ambiguity as a reporter, bringing to light the darkest crimes in America and helping to plant the seeds of the Civil Rights Movement. He was simultaneously a second-class citizen subject to Jim Crow laws at home and a widely respected professional with full access to the white world at work. His life was fraught with internal and external conflict—much like the story of race in America. Starting out as an obscure activist, White became a prominent civil rights leader, but until now a character study of White’s life and career in all its complexity has never been told.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

SPEAKERS

A.J. Baime

Author, White Lies: The Double Life of Walter F. White and America’s Darkest Secret

In Conversation with Sheryl Davis

Executive Director, San Francisco Human Rights Commission

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 28th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Oded Galor: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality Mar 30, 2022

Join us to discuss with economist Oded Galor his grand unifying theory to explain human flourishing and economic inequality. In a captivating journey from the dawn of human existence to the present, Galor offers an intriguing solution to two of humanity’s great mysteries. Why are humans the only species to have escaped (quite recently) the subsistence trap, allowing us to enjoy a standard of living that vastly exceeds all others? And why have we progressed so unequally around the world, resulting in the great disparities between nations that exist today?

Immense in scope and packed with interesting connections, Galor explains how technology, population size, and adaptation led to a stunning “phase change” in human history a mere 200 years ago. But by tracing that same journey back in time and peeling away the layers of influence—colonialism, political institutions, societal structure, culture—he also arrives at an explanation of inequality's ultimate cause: those ancestral populations that enjoyed fruitful geographical characteristics and rich diversity were set on the path to prosperity, while those that lacked it were disadvantaged in ways still influential today.

As we face ecological crises across the globe, Galor concludes that gender equality, investment in education, and balancing diversity with social cohesion are the keys not only to our species’ thriving, but to its survival.

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Oded Galor

Herbert H. Goldberger Professor of Economics, Brown University; Founder, Unified Growth Theory; Author, The Journey of Humanity: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality

In Conversation With George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 24th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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John Markoff: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand Mar 30, 2022

Iconic counterculture icon Stewart Brand has been at the center of many of the social and cultural movements launched and nurtured in the Bay Area. Whether it be early computing, the Merry Pranksters and the hippies, the generation-defining Whole Earth Catalog, or the environmental movement, Brand has been at the center of them all. Yet many outside these movements only know him because Apple founder Steve Jobs quoted Brand's famous mantra—stay hungry, stay foolish—in a famous Stanford University commencement speech. Legendary science and technology writer John Markoff hopes to elevate an understanding of Brand's impact on our world.

In his new book, Whole Earth: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand, Markoff provides the first serious biography of Brand, his impact and his many contradictions. A blond-haired WASP with a modest family inheritance, Brand went to Exeter and Stanford and was an army veteran, but in California in the 1960s he became an artist and a photographer in the thick of the LSD revolution. While tripping on acid on the roof of his building, he envisioned how valuable it would be for humans to see a photograph of the planet they shared from space, an image that in the end landed on the cover of his Whole Earth Catalog, the defining publication of the counterculture. He married a Native American woman and was committed to protecting indigenous culture, which connected to a broader environmentalist mission that has been a through line of his life. He also was early to the promise of the computer revolution—nurtured in the pages and community of the Whole Earth Catalog—and helped define it for the wider world.

Please join us as Markoff discusses Brand's influential and remarkable California life and the impact he has had on millions of people.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

John Markoff

Writer-in-Residence, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence; Author, Whole Earth: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand

Paul Saffo

Futurist; Consulting Associate Professor, Stanford University

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 24th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Lily Geismer: How Democrats Failed to Solve Inequality Play Mar 29, 2022

Despite controlling two of the three branches of government in Washington, the Democratic Party is struggling with its identity and the policies it should emphasize, particularly when it comes to reducing inequality and poverty at a time of deep divisions in the United States.

For decades, the Republican Party has been known as the party of the rich: arguing for "business-friendly" policies like deregulation and tax cuts. But as our national and global economy confronts a crisis of inequality, some, like increasingly visible political historian Lily Geismer, question whether the Democrats are willing or able to take political risks to pursue policies that would help address or reduce poverty.

In her powerful new book Left Behind: The Democrats' Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality, Geismer shows how she feels the Democratic Party of the 80s and 90s—particularly during the height of the Clinton Administration years—furthered policy ideas that centered on helping the poor without asking the rich to make any sacrifices: "Doing well by doing good" was a popular theme. Social enterprise and micro-lending became big businesses, and private programs to promote democracy and equality abroad grew trendy. But as social programs in the private sector boomed, the structure of the government in the United States began to weaken, according to Geismer, contributing to a crisis that has now fully arrived. And the Democratic Party is divided about how to respond, leaving the poor without a true champion, and the public unsure where one of the country's two major parties stands on inequality.

Please join us for an important discussion about poverty, the Democratic Party politics that make it harder to address, and where we can go from here.

SPEAKERS

Lily Geismer

Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, Claremont McKenna College; Author, Left Behind: The Democrats' Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality

In Conversation with Dan Pfeiffer

Co-Host, "Pod Save America"; Author, Batting the Big Life: How Fox, Facebook, and the MAGA Media Are Destroying America (forthcoming); Twitter @danpfeiffer

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 23rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Marie Yovanovitch: Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Mar 29, 2022

With war-ravaged Ukraine in the headlines every day, it’s more important than ever to hear from those with firsthand experience and an understanding of the complexities of the battle being waged there. Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch not only served as U.S. ambassador to Kyiv from 2016–2019 but also has intimate family connections to the region as the child of survivors of the Nazi and Soviet regimes.

Yovanovitch is a diplomat and author with more than three decades of service in the State Department, having served as ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Ukraine, as well as senior advisor to the under secretary of state for political affairs. She is a diplomat in residence at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and was a target of a 2019 smear campaign from supporters of the former president during the Trump-Ukraine controversy. She would go on to be a key witness during the public hearings of the ensuing impeachment trial. Her life is a testimony to the importance of transparency, accountability and integrity in government.

In her new memoir, Lessons From the Edge, Yovanovitch reclaims her own narrative and recounts her childhood, immigration to the United States and journey up the ranks of the State Department. Coming from a family that faced poverty, violence and totalitarianism, she warns of the dangers corruption and democratic backsliding pose to our free society.

Join us as Yovanovitch offers her perspective on the current situation unfolding in Ukraine, and tells her inspiring story of strength, bravery and honesty in the face of controversy, reminding us of how precious democracy really is.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Marie Yovanovitch

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine; Author Lessons From the Edge: A Memoir

In Conversation with Olga Oliker

Director, Europe and Central Asia Program, International Crisis Group

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 28th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Coping with COVID and Climate Fatigue Mar 25, 2022

Since March 2020, the global community has grappled with an unprecedented pandemic. At first, most people were willing to do what it takes to keep themselves and others safe. Two years in, pretty much everyone feels exhausted by the effort and by the general anxiety of living with COVID. The global community simultaneously faces an even greater existential threat: climate change. For those fighting to stave off this slower-moving catastrophe, fatigue is a familiar feeling. What have we learned from two years of COVID disruption that can inform how we deal with climate fatigue?

Guests:

David Wallace-Wells, Editor-At-Large, New York Magazine

Britt Wray, Human and Planetary Health Fellow, Stanford University

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Neda Toloui-Semnani—They Said They Wanted Revolution: The Memoir of My Iranian Parents Mar 24, 2022

Neda Toloui-Semnani is the daughter of Iranian revolutionaries, activists, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Her parents left the United States in 1979 to join the revolution in Iran—a decision that changed the course of Neda’s life. She experienced profound personal loss due to her parents’ choices and conflict over whether these decisions that impacted her life were worthy costs of the revolution that took place.

In her new book, They Said They Wanted Revolution, Toloui-Semnani, an Emmy-award-winning writer and producer, looks back at her family’s tragic experience with the Iranian Revolution. She pieces together the past in search of familial identity as the child of two risk-taking political activists. She untangles decades of history to discover her family’s legacy during her journey of self-discovery.

Join us for a moving program that explores the costs of righteous activism across generations, and how the Iranian Revolution continues to impact the United States and Iran even decades later.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Neda Toloui-Semnani

Senior Writer, Vice News Tonight; Author, They Said They Wanted Revolution: A Memoir of My Parents

Sasha Khokha

Host, "The California Report," KQED—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 23rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Reshma Saujani: Confronting the "Big Lie" of Corporate Feminism Mar 23, 2022

Women have been sold a mistruth—roll up your sleeves, smash the glass ceiling, and you too can have it all. Critics say the unspoken realities in this agreement are that many women must also do the majority of household work, childcare, and bear the burden of keeping this endless task list running in their minds. However, the inequity in unpaid work isn’t news to anyone. It is well-rooted and widespread, benefiting a system that has always been designed for the benefit of men.

Flash to 2021, when women left or were pushed out of the workforce en masse resulting in the lowest proportion of women in the labor force since the late 1980s. This downturn was matched by a decline in women’s mental health and financial independence.

Author, activist and lawyer Reshma Saujani is calling on corporations and their leaders to make vital changes to this toxic and worsening situation. Her rallying call: It’s time to pay up. Her forthcoming book Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work outlines her four-step action plan to realize this change and serves as a field guide for women, empowering them to demand what they deserve.

Join us at INFORUM welcoming Saujani as she paints a picture of the future she sees for women.

This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Reshma Saujani

Founder, Girls Who Code and the Marshall Plan for Mom; Author, Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It's Different Than You Think)

Ina Fried

Chief Technology Correspondent, Axios—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 22nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jeff Yang, Phil Yu and Philip Wang: Rise—A Pop History of Asian America Mar 22, 2022

When the Hart-Celler Act passed in 1965, opening up U.S. immigration to non-Europeans, it ushered in a whole new era. But even to the first generation of Asian Americans born in the United States after that milestone, it would have been impossible to imagine that sushi and boba would one day be beloved by millions, that a Korean boy band named BTS would be the biggest musical act in the world, that one of the most acclaimed and popular movies of 2018 would be Crazy Rich Asians, or that we would have an Asian American vice president. And that’s not even mentioning the creators, performers, entrepreneurs, execs and influencers who've been making all this happen, behind the scenes and on the screen; or the activists and representatives continuing to fight for equity, building coalitions and defiantly holding space for our voices and concerns. And still: Asian America is just getting started.

Join us for a special program featuring the talented authors of Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now. The timing is great for this intimate, eye-opening and frequently hilarious guided tour through the pop-cultural touchstones and sociopolitical shifts of the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and beyond. Jeff Yang, Phil Yu and Philip Wang chronicle how we arrived at today’s unprecedented diversity of Asian American cultural representation through engaging, interactive infographics (including a step-by-step guide to a night out in K-Town, an atlas that unearths historic Asian American landmarks, a handy “Appreciation or Appropriation?” flowchart, and visual celebrations of both our "founding fathers and mothers" and the nostalgia-inducing personalities of each decade), plus illustrations and graphic essays from major AAPI artists, exclusive roundtables with Asian American cultural icons, and more, anchored by extended insider narratives of each decade by the three co-authors. They provide an informative, lively and inclusive celebration of shared experiences and singular moments, and all the different ways in which we have chosen to come together.

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Jeff Yang

Writer; Editor; Co-Author, Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now

Phil Yu

Founder and Editor, Angry Asian Man; ; Co-Author, Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now

Philip Wang

Co-founder, Wong Fu Productions; Co-Author, Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 21st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A History of Wiretapping in the United States Mar 18, 2022

Our privacy was not first invaded by J. Edgar Hoover. They’ve been listening in for far longer than that. Wiretapping is nearly as old as electronic communications. Telegraph operators intercepted enemy messages during the Civil War. Law enforcement agencies were listening to private telephone calls as early as 1895. Communications firms have assisted government eavesdropping programs since the early 20th century―and they have spied on their own customers, too. Such breaches of privacy once provoked outrage, but today most Americans have resigned themselves to constant electronic monitoring. How did we get from there to here?

Hochman explores the origins of wiretapping in military campaigns and criminal confidence games, and tracks the use of telephone taps in the U.S. government’s wars on alcohol, communism, terrorism, and crime. At the same time that high-profile eavesdropping scandals fueled public debates about national security, crime control, and the rights and liberties of individuals, wiretapping became a routine surveillance tactic for private businesses and police agencies alike. Hochman traces the long and surprising history of wiretapping and electronic eavesdropping in the United States, and also explains how earlier generations of Americans confronted these threats to our privacy―threats that seem more urgent now than ever.

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Brian Hochman

Director of American Studies and Associate Professor of English, Georgetown University; Author, The Listeners: A History of Wiretapping in the United States

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 17th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Playing With Fire: Russia, Ukraine and the Geopolitics of Energy Mar 18, 2022

The IPCC released its latest report the same day as the U.S. Supreme Court heard the most environmentally significant case in a decade, all while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has rattled global energy markets. It’s a lot to take in all at once.

Will the disruption of methane gas supplies to Europe give it the extra push it needs to decarbonize, or will some countries always be beholden to untrustworthy partners for the resources they need? What other options exist to power our economies more sustainably in the short and long term?

Guests:

Amy Myers Jaffe, Managing Director, Climate Policy Lab, Tufts University

Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, Berkeley Law

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Chocolate and the Future Mar 17, 2022

The distinguished panel of expert participants represent many of the different facets of the chocolate industry. They will discuss where the industry is today and how it can move into the future as a more ecological, labor friendly, and equitable industry.

NOTES

MLF: International Relations

SPEAKERS

Bill Guyton

Founder and CEO, World Cocoa Foundation; Senior Advisor, Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA)

Sam Mawutor

Senior Advisor on the Cocoa Campaign, Mighty Earth

Tim McCollum

Founder and CEO of Beyond Good

Frank Price

Vice Present, Northern California Peace Corps Association; Shriver Circle Member, National Peace Corps Association; Vice Chair, International Relations Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 15th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Rep. Jamie Raskin: Trauma, Truth and the Trials of American Democracy Mar 16, 2022

The January 6 attack on Congress as it met to certify Joe Biden's presidential victory is a day that will live on in infamy, yet for Maryland congressman Jamie Raskin, this was just the next in a sequence of tragic events that changed his life forever. Having lost his son to suicide only days before, and days later leading the ensuing impeachment effort against Trump, Rep. Raskin’s 45-day journey at the start of 2021 is an inspiring epic of strength, tragedy and determination.

In his new memoir, Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy, Raskin recounts that after the tragic loss of his son Tommy, it was Tommy’s values and vision for the country that provided him inspiration to not only weather the challenges of January 6 but to lead the ensuing impeachment trial of Donald Trump for inciting insurrection. Facing division and the tremors of a nation rocked to its core, Rep. Raskin and his nine-member team were able to lead the most bipartisan impeachment trial ever conducted.

Rep. Raskin has served as an elected official in Maryland since 2007 and represented its 8th Congressional District since 2017. A professor of constitutional law at American University Washington College of Law, chair of the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and co-chair of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, Raskin has been a leading voice in Congress for executive accountability and electoral integrity.

Please join us as congressman Raskin recounts his moving story of balancing tragic personal loss and appalling political violence simultaneously, and how he found hope to press on in his darkest moment to continue fighting for American democracy.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

SPEAKERS

Jamie Raskin

U.S. Representative (D-MD, 8th District); Author, Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trails of American Democracy; Twitter @RepRaskin

Welcome by: Jim Steyer

Founder, Common Sense Media

Marisa Lagos

Correspondent for California Politics and Government, KQED; Twitter @mlagos—Moderator

This program was recorded live in San Francisco on March 13th, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Dr. Albert Bourla: Pfizer Chairman and CEO Mar 15, 2022

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, one truth continues to be proven time and time again: the vaccine is saving lives, and to Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla, it was the product of one of the most incredible private sector achievements in history. Mobilizing the corporation amid some of the most strenuous conditions experienced in modern times, he had a front row seat to see the years-long process of developing a vaccine played out in nine months in a riveting story of innovation, determination and ingenuity.

Dr. Albert Bourla is chairman and chief executive officer of Pfizer Inc., and was named the top pharmaceutical CEO in America by Institutional Investor in 2020. A Greek immigrant, former veterinarian and child of Holocaust survivors, Dr. Bourla became the head of Pfizer in 2019 and transformed the corporation just before it was put to the test by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his book Moonshot: Inside Pfizer's Nine-Month Race to Make the Impossible Possible, Dr. Bourla describes how the corporation met the unimaginable challenges and pressures to rapidly develop a vaccine using the core values of courage, excellence, equity and joy. Detailing the leadership strategies and innovations he used to guide Pfizer in making unprecedentedly rapid scientific breakthroughs, Dr. Bourla describes the epic journey of their “moonshot.” Facing political, economic and social crises, he explains it wasn’t luck but methodical preparation, strong leadership and a clear vision that brought the vaccine forward, and shares the lessons in management and leadership that he learned.

Join us as Dr. Bourla recounts the unimaginable adversity facing the developers of one of the most impactful medical inventions in recent history, and the ingenuity and wisdom that led them to success.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Albert Bourla

Chairman and CEO, Pfizer; Author, Moonshoot: Inside Pfizer's Nine-Month Race to Make the Impossible Possible; Twitter @AlbertBourla

In Conversation with Raj Mathai

Anchor, NBC Bay Area; Twitter@rajmathai

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jimmy Soni: The Inside Story of PayPal Mar 11, 2022

How much do we know about the apps that we use daily? In the case of PayPal, relatively few know the early story of the now-behemoth. Its precarious origins—coming about in the limitless, tumultuous late 1990s and early 2000s meant it was far from a shoo-in. It faced staunch competition, never-before-seen levels of internet fraud, and internal friction that could’ve ruined its path to success.

Nowadays, PayPal is a household name. Its founders are among the best-known names in the tech industry: Peter Thiel, Elon Musk and Max Levchin, among others. Jimmy Soni’s book The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley, details not only the meteoric rise of the company and its founders, but all that came before and made it possible. With privileged access to the internal materials of the company’s early days, Soni paints a picture of what brought together these tech giants and how they dared to dream of cashless currency when few others dared.

Jimmy Soni holds the answer to why this idea, out of the many it rivaled, won against the odds. Soni will bring to life the story of PayPal, highlighting not just the prominent founders but the unsung heroes that built the brick-by-brick success the company now touts.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Jimmy Soni

Author, The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley

In Conversation with Katherine Boyle

General Partner, a16z

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 9th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Turning Air into Stone: Tech-Based Carbon Removal Mar 11, 2022

It has been 3 million years since there’s been this much CO2 in the atmosphere. Even if we stop all burning of fossil fuels today, humans have already emitted enough CO2 that we’ll continue experiencing extreme weather events for years to come. Not only do we need to stop emitting greenhouse gasses, but according to the IPCC, we also need to accelerate the removal of CO2. With forests burning faster than we can grow them, nature-based solutions may not be enough. What role might tech-based solutions play? Can they be implemented in a just, equitable way that does not give license for fossil fuel interests to continue business as usual?

Guests:

Marcius Extavour, VP, Energy & Climate, XPRIZE

Angela Anderson, Director of Industrial Innovation and Carbon Removal at World Resources Institute

Rachel Glennerster, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Chicago

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Laura Shin: Inside the First Cryptocurrency Craze Mar 10, 2022

Today, most people are familiar with the fascinating world of cryptocurrency, though some of us are more familiar than others. Many people only hear about it in the news and across social media platforms, while some individuals stake their livelihoods on investments in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. According to crypto journalist Laura Shin, the total value of crypto assets today is just shy of $2 trillion. But that’s far from the most interesting aspect of an increasingly prevalent crypto fever.

Shin—"Unchained Podcast" host — will do more than explore the backgrounds of these uniquely decentralized currencies. She’ll hone in on Ethereum, the crypto network whose success has ignited the fire surrounding today’s cryptocurrencies, and the figures who made Ethereum’s success possible. From a child prodigy to a Goldman Sachs exec, the story of Ethereum’s rise is unlike that of any other—and Laura Shin, who previously served as Forbes’ first mainstream reporter of crypto assets, is just the person you’ll want to hear tell it.

SPEAKERS

Laura Shin

Host, "Unchained" Podcast; Author, The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Cryptocurrency Craze; Twitter @laurashin

In Conversation with Kate Clark

Reporter, The Information

This program was recorded live inn San Francisco on March 8th, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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California's Inconvenient Truths Mar 09, 2022

Join us in-person and online for a thought-provoking program with author and activist David Crane, as he walks through the surprising statistics and lesser-known history behind California’s state government and how the public can help to elevate the quality of that government.

California’s state government spends more than $300 billion of state and federal funds every year on public education, health, safety, courts, employment security, homelessness and other services that Crane contends rarely produces satisfactory outcomes for residents. He says thatspending per pupil more than doubled over the last decade, yet pupil performance barely changed; spending on Medi-Cal doubled, yet hospital profit margins improved more than public health; and millions of desperate residents were kept waiting for unemployment checks during the pandemic. Crane also argues that the state occasionally enacts policies that favor political cronies at the expense of employment, and as such, the state’s current unemployment rate exceeds the national unemployment rate by more than 60 percent.

David Crane is an author, activist, professor and president of Govern for California, a network of political action committees that supports California lawmakers who serve the general interest. Formerly a special advisor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and member of the University of California Board of Regents, Crane has written extensively about state governments, political reform, resistance to special interests and recovering the excellence with which California was once governed.

NOTES

This program is supported by the Ken & Jaclyn Broad Family Fund.

David Crane

President, Govern for California; Lecturer in Public Policy, Stanford University

Bill Whalen

Virginia Hobbs Carpenter Distinguished Policy Fellow in Journalism, and Research Fellow; Hoover Institution, Stanford University—Moderator

This program was recorded live in San Francisco on February 7th, 2021 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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San Francisco Opera: Reemergence to Centennial Mar 08, 2022

For Matthew Shilvock, general director of San Francisco Opera, being a part of last year's reemergence of the Opera onstage at the War Memorial Building, was to "experience the world in hyperreality" and reclaim the magic of nightly "emotional synergy with 3,000 strangers."

He will present the newly announced centennial roster; 2022 is "a celebratory season full of bold possibility, of new productions, new operas"—including Asian artists' reimagining of Madam Butterfly's notorious stereotypes that "honors the culture it represents and challenges its shortcomings."

We will be, Shilvock believes, "part of something quite extraordinary" as we turn the page on a second century and reclaim the bold ideals on which San Francisco Opera was founded.'"

MLF ORGANIZER

Dr. Anne W. Smith

NOTES

MLF: Arts

SPEAKERS

Matthew Shilvock

General Director, San Francisco Opera

Anne W. Smith

Co-Chair, Arts Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 2nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ray Dalio: Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order Mar 08, 2022

Today’s economy is painted by headlines as hectic, turbulent and uncertain—reports of massive debt, fluctuating interest rates, and widespread money printing abound. Yet to legendary investor and acclaimed financial innovator Ray Dalio, this is all part of a pattern—one that has been occurring repeatedly throughout the past 500 years of global economic history.

Ray Dalio is the founder, co-chief investment officer, and chairman for Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund by assets, as well as a leading expert in investment philosophy, corporate management and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Principles.

In his latest book, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order, Dalio provides insights from more than half a century of studying the history of the world economy and its ties to the rising and falling of great powers—and how they fit into a “Big Cycle” that has persisted and is at work in the present day. His findings are that the times ahead will be unlike any we've faced in our lifetime, and he gives practical advice on how to prepare for what’s next.

Join us as Dalio walks through 5 centuries of economic conditions, political shifts and major shifts in the wealth and power of nations, highlighting hidden patterns and providing insight to safely navigate the times to come.

NOTES

This program is generously supported by the Jackson Square Partners Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Ray Dalio

Founder, Co-Chief Investment Officer and Chairman, Bridgewater Associates; Author, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail; Twitter @RayDalio

In Conversation with Michael Moritz

Partner, Sequoia Capital

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ukraine Under Siege: What's Next Mar 04, 2022

As Russian forces advance into Ukraine from the north, south and east and lay siege to Kyiv and other major cities, join The Commonwealth Club for an in-depth briefing on the current situation and what may happen in the coming days or weeks. What led Russian President Putin to resort to a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and will the Ukrainians be able to hold back the forces arrayed against them? What is Putin’s endgame, and what are the risks to the NATO alliance and neighboring states if the conflict were to escalate?

The battle currently unfolding within Ukraine’s borders is the largest military action in Europe since the end of World War II, and the ensuing refugee crisis from the growing exodus of Ukrainians into neighboring Poland and Romania threatens to destabilize Europe and the NATO alliance, and draw in other nations. It is not only a threat of conventional war, but there are also increasing risks of cyberwarfare, threats to the global economy and the potential of nuclear escalation.

In the midst of this evolving crisis, we turn to the experts. Steven Pifer served as ambassador to Ukraine and is a seasoned policy analyst of Russia and Ukraine. Rose Gottemoeller is an expert on the NATO alliance as well as nuclear threats. Gloria Duffy served as deputy assistant secretary of defense, and is an expert in arms control and U.S.-Russian and U.S.-Ukrainian relations. Moderating the conversation will be Carla Thorson, the new vice president of programs at the Commonwealth Club who worked previously as a Russian and East European analyst at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the RAND Corporation.

NOTES

In association with World Affairs.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Gloria Duffy

Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense; President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California

Rose Gottemoeller

Former Deputy Secretary General, NATO; Lecturer, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University

Steven Pifer

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine; Fellow, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University

Dr. Carla Thorson

Former Russian Analyst, RFE/RL and RAND Corporation; Vice President of Programs, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Peat, Kelp and Trees: Nature-Based Carbon Capture Mar 04, 2022

Humans must dramatically rein in greenhouse gas emissions in order to slow the planetary warming caused by centuries of fossil fuel combustion. But even if we accomplish that through major reforms to our power supply, food systems, industrial industries and more, we still need to remove huge amounts of carbon already in the atmosphere to stave off the worst impacts of climate disruption. This is no easy task. We need to explore every option – both nature-based solutions and tech solutions. In a two-part series, we look at both categories. First up, the natural mechanisms for carbon capture and storage, from forests to peat bogs to kelp beds.

Guests:

Ugbaad Kosar, Deputy Director of Policy, Carbon180

Edward Struzik, author, Swamplands: Tundra Beavers, Quaking Bogs and the Improbable World of Peat

Bren Smith, Co-Executive Director and Owner, Thimble Island Ocean Farm

Benjamin Preston, Senior Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation

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Elie Mystal: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution Mar 03, 2022

Elie Mystal is no stranger to telling people the truth and how it is. As a commentator and lawyer, Mystal is familiar with law and the power that comes with knowing how to use your words in a powerful way. In his first book, Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, he does just that.

He offers an easily digestible argument primer, offered so that progressives like him can tell the Republicans in their lives why they might be wrong. Mystal brings his trademark humor, snark, and legal expertise to topics as crucial to our politics as gerrymandering and voter suppression, and argues legal concepts such as the right to privacy and substantive due process are under threat from the conservative courts.

Join us as Elie Mystal makes his case with humor and a sharp sense of humor.

SPEAKERS

Elie Mystal

Justice Correspondent, The Nation; Author, Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution; Twitter @ElieNYC

In Conversation with Melissa Murray

Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law, NYU School of Law; Co-host, "Strict Scrutiny" Podcast; Twitter @ProfMMurray

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 1st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Sports: The State of Play—Equity and Inclusion on and off the Field Mar 03, 2022

Women’s History Month at The Commonwealth Club kicks off early, with an exciting and multifaceted event

What is the state of sports in terms of equity and diversity? What are the most relevant accomplishments, challenges and urgent matters to tackle to make sports equal and accessible? Host and LGBTQ leader Michelle Meow will lead a special discussion featuring prominent local sports leaders. Co-presented with Michelle Meow Show.

SPEAKERS

Christina Kahrl

Sports Editor, San Francisco Chronicle

Hannah Gordon

Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, San Francisco 49ers (Participating Remotely)

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Wajahat Ali with Krista Tippett Mar 02, 2022

Wajahat Ali is an acclaimed journalist and lawyer whose writings cover the intersection of social justice, politics and race. His first book, Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American, details his Bay Area upbringing, his early career as a lawyer, and how he become one of the foremost and funniest public intellectuals in America as a middle-aged dad.

Ali tackles the dangers of Islamophobia, white supremacy and chocolate hummus, peppering personal stories with astute insights into national security, immigration and pop culture. Join him and Krista Tippett, host of the acclaimed “On Being” program, to learn how we can all help cultivate a more compassionate, inclusive and delicious America.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Wajahat Ali

Columnist, The Daily Beast; Author, Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American

In Conversation with Krista Tippett

Host, "On Being"

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Biden's Promise: Black Women's Historic SCOTUS Moment Mar 02, 2022

In January, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Beyer announced his retirement from the high court. This set the stage for the fulfillment of a historic promise President Biden made on the 2020 campaign trail to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court.

Please join us for a candid conversation between Black women political and justice leaders as we deep-dive into what led us to this moment, how this nomination reflects the progress of our community and what it means to the African American community.

SPEAKERS

Aimee Allison

Founder, She the People

Diana Becton

Contra Costa County District Attorney

LaDoris Cordell

(Ret) Judge; Author, Her Honor

Jotoka Eaddy

Founder, #WinWithBlackWomen

Carolyn Wysinger

Education Coordinator, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Abortion Rights in America: The Future of Roe V. Wade and Women’s Rights Mar 01, 2022

For years, abortion advocates have raised alarm bells on the risk of abortion rights being taken away. Today, that possibility has arrived.

A tidal wave of anti-abortion bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the country and the fate of Roe v. Wade will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court mid-year.

At this pivotal moment, the leaders from Planned Parenthood and NARAL will speak at this special INFORUM virtual event offering their thoughts on how we got here and what the future holds.

NOTES

Presented by INFORUM.

In association with the Psychology MLF.

SPEAKERS

Alexis McGill Johnson

President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund; Twitter @alexismcgill

Mini Timmaraju

President, NARAL Pro-Choice America; Twitter @mintimm

Marisa Lagos

Correspondent for California Politics and Government, KQED; Twitter @mlagos—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 23rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Avi Loeb: Intelligent Life Beyond Earth Mar 01, 2022

Are we alone? Avi Loeb, Harvard’s top astronomer, doesn’t seem to think so. He believes that our solar system was recently visited by advanced alien technology from a distant star. In 2017, scientists in Hawaii observed an object soaring through the sky, moving too fast along a strange orbit for Loeb to conclude that it was a regular asteroid. Instead, he suggested the object could be a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilization.

In his new book, Extraterrestrial, Loeb takes readers inside the thrilling story of the first interstellar visitor to be spotted in our solar system. He outlines his controversial theory and its profound implications: for science, religion and the future of our species and planet. Loeb challenges readers to aim for the stars—and to think critically about what’s out there, no matter how strange it seems.

Join us as Avi Loeb takes us through a sky-bounding and mind-blowing journey of the wonders of space and what could be out there.

SPEAKERS

Avi Loeb

Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science and Former Chair, Harvard University's Department of Astronomy; Author, Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth

In Conversation with Brian Hackney

Anchor and Meteorologist, CBS5/KPIX

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 22nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Heather McGhee: What Racism Costs Everyone Feb 28, 2022

What does racism cost us? Tying together economics and deeply personal stories from across the United States that convey the cost of a broken system, political strategist Heather McGhee roots out the racist policies and politics that she says plague the finances and lives of Americans. In her debut book The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, she makes her case: racism and a flawed zero-sum structure are at the root of all our dysfunctions.

Traversing across the country, McGhee shares both the big picture and individual tales of the cost of playing the zero-sum game. McGhee brings people of all races and creeds to share their accounts of lost homes and lost dreams, owing to the mentality that some must lose for others to win. Indeed, in a system where education is a private commodity and incomes for many Americans have remained stagnant, she says winning is not an option.

Yet, there is reason for hope. In combat against this system, McGhee has seen sparks of a “Solidarity Dividend” that transcends racism and demands a win for all. McGhee will set out her vision for a future that moves beyond the zero-sum and into radical compassion to the benefit of all.

SPEAKERS

Heather McGhee

Chair of the Board, Color of Change; Author, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together; Twitter @hmcghee

In Conversation with Lara Bazelon

Professor of Law and Director of Criminal Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinical Programs, University of San Francisco

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Shaka Senghor: A Father's Invitation to Love, Honesty and Freedom Feb 25, 2022

Fatherhood is far from a one-dimensional experience—often, aspects of our identity such as race and other influential circumstances have influenced how we end up having and raising our children. Shaka Senghor, the New York Times bestselling author of Writing My Wrongs, can attest strongly to this fact: While Senghor's first son was raised during his time in prison, his second was born following his release. These contrasting experiences have not only taught Senghor the nuanced meanings of fatherhood in light of varying tribulations, but lessons that he wished he could’ve known throughout his life’s journey—both as a father and a son.

In his new book, Letters to the Sons of Society, Senghor translates wisdom about the meaning of manhood into yet another masterful work of text. He will do the same at INFORUM, conflating his book’s lessons about mental health, healing and masculinity into a must-have conversation designed to leave all men—fathers, sons and beyond—in a much better position to cultivate positive relationships with one another as their lives move forward.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Shaka Senghor

Author, Letters to the Sons of Society: A Father's Invitation to Love, Honesty, and Freedom

In Conversation with LaDoris Cordell

Judge (Ret); Author, Her Honor: My Life on the Bench . . . What Works, What's Broken, and How to Change It

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 17th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Cow Poop and Compost: Digesting the Methane Menace Feb 25, 2022

In a 20-year time frame, methane is 80 times more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide. Nationally, 37% of methane emissions come from cows. 17% of all US methane emissions come from food waste rotting in landfills. More than 100 countries, including the US, signed The Global Methane Pledge, promising to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030.

In California, a new law went into effect directly addressing the state’s methane emissions from organic waste and dairy farms. The law targets a 40% reduction in the same time frame. That’s ambitious. What effect will this law have on industrial agriculture, and the general population?

Guests:

Neil Edgar, Executive Director, California Compost Coalition

J Jordan, Policy Coordinator,Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability

Michael Boccadoro, Executive Director, Dairy Cares

Monique Figueiredo, Chief Executive Officer / Founder / Co-Owner, Compostable LA

Allen Williams, Understanding Ag

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Black Women Lead: Stories From the Bay Area Feb 25, 2022

As we celebrate Black History Month, we honor the leadership of Black women from the Bay Area, including congresswoman Barbara Lee and Vice President Kamala Harris. Today, a historic number of Black women are serving on school boards, transit agencies, and city councils—and blazing the trail for the next generation of diverse civic leaders in this region. What’s more, an impressive cohort of Bay Area Black women are running for local and statewide office in the upcoming midterm elections.

Join the San Francisco Foundation and The Commonwealth Club of California to learn about the leadership journeys of Black women from the Bay Area who are either serving in or running for public office. Speakers include BART Board Director Lateefah Simon, Emeryville City Councilmember Courtney Welch, California Assembly District 20 candidate Jennifer Esteen, and Oakland mayoral candidate Allyssa Victory.

NOTES

This program is made possible by San Francisco Foundation's Bay Area Leads donors.

SPEAKERS

Jennifer Esteen

California Assembly District 20 Candidate; Trustee, Alameda Health System

Lateefah Simon

Board Director, BART

Allyssa Victory

Oakland Mayoral Candidate; Staff Attorney, Criminal Justice Program, ACLU of Northern California

Courtney Cecelia Welch

Emeryville City Councilwoman; Director of Policy and Communications, Bay Area Community Land Trust

Brandi Howard

Chief of Staff, San Francisco Foundation—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 17th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Amy Zegart: Spies, Lies and Algorithms Feb 24, 2022

Amy Zegart is one of America’s leading intelligence experts, but she recognizes that few people understand the world of spying, at a time when it has never been more ubiquitous, particularly using technology. She hopes to change this situation.

In Spies, Lies, and Algorithms, Zegart separates fact from fiction on spying and offers an account of the past, present and future of American espionage as it faces a revolution driven by digital technology. Zegart explores the history of U.S. espionage, from George Washington’s Revolutionary War spies to today’s spy satellites; examines how fictional spies are influencing real officials; gives an overview of intelligence basics and life inside America’s intelligence agencies; explains the deadly cognitive biases that can mislead analysts; and explores the complicated issues of traitors, covert action and congressional oversight. Zegart also provides an important description of how technology is empowering new enemies and opportunities, and creating powerful new players, in espionage—including private citizens using their home computers and sophisticated technology available by a click.

Zegart will discuss these topics and more when she returns to The Commonwealth Club.

Please join us for an important conversation on a critical national security subject that many discuss, but few understand.

SPEAKERS

Amy Zegart

Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; Morris Arnold and Nona Jean Cox Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; Author, Spies, Lies and Algorithms

Quentin Hardy

Head of Editorial, Google Cloud

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 16th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Michael Dine: This Way to the Universe Feb 22, 2022

Professor Michael Dine is renowned in his field of physics. Dine is widely recognized as having made profound contributions to our understanding of matter, time, the Big Bang, and even what might have come before it, and he wants to share it with people like you.

His new book This Way to the Universe touches on many emotional, critical points in his extraordinary career while presenting mind-bending physics, such as his answer to the dark matter and dark energy mysteries, as well as the ideas that explain why our universe consists of something rather than nothing. Dine helps to celebrate the astounding, ongoing scientific investigations that have revealed the nature of reality at its smallest, at its largest, and at the scale of our daily lives.

Join us as Professor Michael Dine takes us through the exciting world of physics.

SPEAKERS

Michael Dine

Professor of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz; Author, This Way to the Universe: A Theoretical Physicist's Journey to the Edge of Reality

In Conversation with Adam Becker

Astrophysicist; Science Writer, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Author, What is Real? The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics; Twitter @FreelanceAstro

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 16th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Economic State of Latinos in America Feb 18, 2022

In a new report, McKinsey & Company finds that Latinos increasingly embody the American Dream----from starting more businesses, seeing higher rates of intergenerational mobility, and achieving a larger share of skilled and higher-paid occupations in the past 10 years when compared to previous decades. Yet America’s contribution to that dream is uneven, according to the new McKinsey report, "The Economic State of Latinos in America: The American Dream Deferred."

The new McKinsey report finds that Latinos born in the United States enjoy higher wages and intergenerational mobility than foreign-born Latinos—suggesting Latinos may overcome the hurdles to full participation in their adopted country over time. Yet both US- and foreign-born Latinos remain far from equal with non-Latino white Americans. Latino Americans make just 73 cents for every dollar earned by white Americans. They face discrimination when it comes to securing financing to start and scale businesses. Latinos struggle with access to food, housing and other essentials. And their level of household wealth—which directly affects their ability to accumulate and pass on wealth from generation to generation—is just one-fifth that of white Americans. Furthermore, the pandemic continues to have a disproportionate impact on Latinos.

McKinsey says there’s no doubt Latinos are slowly being more fully integrated into the U.S. economy. Yet there’s also no doubt there’s a long way to go, especially for first-generation Latino immigrants. Please join us as we discuss this important report with two of its authors and other prominent Latinos, and focus on the opportunity we have to make the U.S. economy more robust for everyone.

NOTES

This important community program is made free to the public thanks to McKinsey & Co.

SPEAKERS

Jacqueline Martinez Garcel

CEO, Latino Community Foundation

Bismarck Lepe

President and CEO, Wizeline

Lucy Pérez

Senior Partner, McKinsey & Co.

Bernardo Sichel

Partner, McKinsey & Co.

Damian Trujillo

Reporter, NBC Bay Area—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The History of Free Speech from Socrates to Social Media Feb 18, 2022

Hailed as the “first freedom,” free speech is one of the bedrocks of democracy. But it is a challenging principle, subject to erosion in times of fear and upheaval. Today, both in democracies and in authoritarian states around the world, it appears to be on the retreat.

Jacob Mchangama traces the fascinating legal, political and cultural history of this idea by telling stories of free speech’s many defenders—from the ancient Athenian orator Demosthenes and the ninth-century freethinker al-Rāzī, to the anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells and modern-day digital activists. Mchangama describes how the free exchange of ideas underlies all intellectual achievement and has enabled the advancement of both freedom and equality worldwide. Yet the desire to restrict speech is also a constant, and he explores how even its champions can sometimes be led down an authoritarian, restrictive path when the rise of new and contrarian voices challenge power and privilege of all stripes.

Mchangama's Free Speech demonstrates how much we have gained from this principle—and how much we stand to lose without it.

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Jacob Mchangama

Founder and Executive Director, Justitia (Danish think tank); Host, "Clear and Present Danger: A History of Free Speech" Podcast; Author, Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 16th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Our Greatest Unintended Experiment Feb 18, 2022

For years, scientists, activists, and politicians have tried to warn the world of the potential catastrophic consequences of dumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere: Think of An Inconvenient Truth in 2006. Or NASA scientist James Hansens’ testimony before the U.S. Senate in 1988, in which he said that “the greenhouse effect has been detected and it is changing our climate now.” Or go all the way back to 1856, when Eunice Newton Foote first warned the world that an atmosphere heavy with carbon dioxide could send global temperatures soaring.

Writer and climate campaigner Alice Bell lays out the history of evolving climate science and our forays into different energy technologies in Our Biggest Experiment: An Epic History of the Climate Crisis. Despite our current emissions trajectory, Bell says there’s still reason to hope: “We have been left a lot of opportunities and we still have got some time to seize them.”

Guests:

Alice Bell, climate campaigner, author, Our Biggest Experiment: An Epic History of the Climate Crisis

Meera Subramanian, environmental journalist

Katerina Gonzales, climate scientist

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Catherine and Tobias Wolff: Imagination, Creativity and Beyond Feb 17, 2022

When our imaginations speculate about the afterlife that most of us believe in, they are probably less effective (as Sir Thomas Browne pointed out) than two infants still in the womb trying to describe our far more mundane adult human reality. But as Catherine Wolff demonstrates in Beyond, that does not stop us from trying. Over and over again. Autobiographical storytelling is a similar act of our imaginations’ desire to understand reality by editing it vigorously.

Join us to discuss how we think about the beyond with Catherine Wolff, and with her husband Tobias Wolff, a master of that autobiographical art. We will delve into the overlapping boundaries of our imaginations, our creativity, our dreams, and what comes next. If anything.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Catherine Wolff

Former Director, the Arrupe Center for Community-Based Learning, Santa Clara University; Author, Beyond: How Humankind Thinks About Heaven

Tobias Wolff

Ward W. and Priscilla B. Woods Professor, Emeritus, Department of English, Stanford University; Author, This Boy’s Life and In Pharoah’s Army

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 15th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Immigrants: One Quarter of the Nation Feb 17, 2022

Nearly 86 million Americans are immigrants themselves or the children of immigrants. Though many authors have looked at how America changes immigrants, Nancy Foner focuses more on how immigrants have changed America. She reminds us that immigration has long had an important influence on American culture.

Today the advantages of immigration continue: rejuvenating our urban centers as well as some rural communities, strengthening the economy, fueling the growth of old industries, spurring the formation of new ones, and refining how Americans perceive race, all while playing a pivotal role in reshaping electoral politics and party alignments. Immigrants affect virtually every facet of American culture, from the music we dance to and the food we eat to the films we watch and the books we read.

The impact of immigrants over the past half century has become so much a part of everyday life in America that we sometimes fail to see it. Foner makes sure we don't forget all the positive ways in which immigrants continue to change our country.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Nancy Foner

Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York; Author, One Quarter of the Nation: Immigration and the Transformation of America

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 15th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Humanities West Presents Shah Jahan's Taj Mahal Feb 17, 2022

The most famous and most beautiful tomb in the world was born in the broken heart of Shah Jahan, when his wife Mumtaz Mahal died at 38 giving birth to their 14th child. The riches of the Mughal Empire were poured into this testament to his grief and to his love, as thousands of artisans labored between 1632 and 1643 to construct it, along with multiple other projects, including gardens, palaces and mosques. The expenditure was immense, even by today’s standards. The Taj Mahal and these other marble monuments were intended to serve the deceased and the living as well as the future of the Mughal house. Shah Jahan ruled until 1658, when he became seriously ill and was overthrown by his sons, each wishing to succeed him. He spent the last years of his life imprisoned and as disheartened as King Lear.

Join Humanities West in person at The Commonwealth Club, or via live stream, to gain a deeper understanding of the Mughal dynasty that created the Taj Mahal and what went into the construction of one of the most visited architectural wonders in the world—which never fails to impress visitors, no matter how high their expectations were. Fortunately, unlike the Egyptian pyramids, we actually know from Mughal records how and why the Taj Mahal was constructed. The story of the Taj Mahal is indelibly intertwined with the story of Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal Emperor, who ruled a vast empire on the Indian subcontinent from 1628–1658. His many architectural achievements, in addition to the Taj Mahal, were made possible because of his extraordinary wealth.

Catherine Asher will focus on the artistic achievement itself: how the Taj Mahal became reality from its inception to its completion, with attention to its remarkable artistic details. She will set this achievement in the context of that time—the previous Mughal artistic developments that had led to the training of so many skilled craftsmen who built not only the Taj Mahal but also the Red Fort and Jama Masjid in Delhi, the Moti Masjid in Agra, and the renovation of Agra Fort (and much more). All this was accomplished during Shah Jahan’s reign. Throughout her discussion she will interweave the Mughals' concept of state with architectural construction.

Note: Both speakers will be participating remotely.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Catherine Asher

Professor Emerita, Department of Art History, University of Minnesota, Specialist in Indian, Muslim and Mughal Dynasty art and architecture; Author, The Architecture of Mughal India

George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 11th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Michael Schur with Nick Offerman: How to Be Perfect Feb 16, 2022

What do "Parks and Recreation" and "The Office" have in common with books that explore philosophical theories like deontology, ubuntu, utilitarianism and more?

They’ve all been written by Michael Schur, a television producer and character actor whose mind has made way for the creation of some of today’s most popular shows—including "The Good Place," "Parks and Recreation," and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." In his new book, How to Be Perfect, Schur shares yet another one of his masterful creations. He explores some of history’s most influential philosophical concepts and gives them various applications, from matters of conversation-starting to problem-solving.

At INFORUM, Schur and Nick Offerman—best known for playing Ron Swanson in “Parks and Recreation”—will enlighten us with a new and relatable framework to learn about philosophy and ethics. They’ll tackle large questions—such as, “Can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people?”—in a manner that can be both wise and refreshing everyone. While Schur and Offerman’s discussion of How To Be Perfect might not actually leave us with all the answers necessary to eradicate our imperfections, it will leave us with knowledge that could allows us to become even better people.

SPEAKERS

Michael Schur

Creator, "The Good Place"; Co-creator, "Parks and Recreation" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"; Author, How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question

In Conversation with Nick Offerman

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

Actor; Author; Humorist; Woodworker

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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She's Got All the Answers: Jeopardy Champion Amy Schneider Feb 15, 2022

"I lost to Amy Schneider, but now I want her to keep winning. I want her to keep breaking records. I'm rooting for her with my whole heart. And as cheesy as it sounds, being a part of Amy's winning streak—even as someone she defeated—is an honor." —"Jeopardy!" contestant Andrea Asuaje

Amy Schneider has been breaking records and earned more than $1 million as a contestant on the brainy quiz show "Jeopardy!" She's an engineering manager based in Oakland, California, as well as a transgender woman who has described her identity as "important, but also relatively minor."

There's nothing minor about her historic run on one of the most respected game shows in the country, and she's having a major impact on attitudes about the trans community.

Come meet Amy Schneider live, in-person, at The Commonwealth Club or watch online as we ask her a few questions of our own.

Before the program, join us in the Hormel Lounge for coffee and treats provided by TransClinique.

NOTES

Thanks to TransClinique for providing coffee and treats for our pre-program reception in the Hormel Loung. TransClinique is a trans-owned and operated gender-affirming virtual clinic that was founded to serve trans and non-binary communities across the country by offering accessible telemedicine and on-demand HRT shipped right to your door.

SPEAKERS

Amy Schneider

Contestant, "Jeopardy!"; Engineering Manager; Twitter @Jeopardamy

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded on February 10th, 2021 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Imani Perry: On the American South Feb 15, 2022

The American South has always carved out a unique role in the American civic psyche. Even those who have never lived there can rattle off a list of signifiers from the area: the Civil War, Gone with the Wind, the Ku Klux Klan, plantations, football, barbecue, Jim Crow, slavery. Yet the South is far more complex than much of the country tends to acknowledge, even moreso with an in-migration of people from around the country over the past two decades.

In her new book, South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation, Princeton University Professor Imani Perry delves into the true character of the region and shows that the very meaning of America is inextricably linked with the South, and that the country's understanding of its history and culture, particularly as it relates to African-Americans, is the key to understanding the nation as a whole. Perry's book explores a range of personalities and stories from the South, from immigrant communities, contemporary artists, exploitative opportunists, enslaved peoples, unsung heroes, her own ancestors, and her lived experiences.

Please join us for illuminating conversation that will center the American South as critical to understanding the future of the United States.

NOTES

This program contains EXPLICIT language

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Imani Perry

Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies, Princeton University; Author, South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation

In Conversation with Deesha Philyaw

Author, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

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Kenny Werner: Becoming the Instrument Feb 11, 2022

When we hear music, we often experience how the physical flirts with the spiritual in profound and moving ways. Werner contends that this confluence is possible not only in music, but also in your daily personal and work life, and it's easier than you think.

In Becoming the Instrument, Werner shares insights and anecdotes from his 40 years of studying, performing and teaching music, including a guide for accessing the spiritual in our everyday existence and applying it to the pursuits we love. Werner shows us how to lift our daily performances to their highest level by being spontaneous, fearless, joyful and disciplined.

Whatever you are trying to master, Werner says the key is learning how to slip into "the space," the place beyond the conscious mind that allows us to effortlessly embody whatever we are doing. Entering this sort of flow state might seem esoteric and difficult to achieve, but his easy exercises will allow you to access and achieve mastery, because "mastery is not perfection, or even virtuosity. It is giving oneself love, forgiving one's mistakes, and not allowing earthly evidence to diminish one's view of one's self as a drop in the Ocean of Perfection."

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Kenny Werner

Pianist and Composer; Artistic Director, Effortless Mastery Institute, Berklee College of Music; Author, Becoming the Instrument: Lessons on Self-Mastery from Music to Life

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Meet the State Assembly Candidates for District 17 Feb 11, 2022

It's one of the most-watched California elections this season.

Meet all four candidates seeking to succeed David Chiu representing District 17 in the California State Assembly. David Campos, Matt Haney, Bilal Mahmood and Thea Selby will make their cases to be sent to Sacramento, and we'll ask your questions.

About the Speakers

David Campos has served as a San Francisco deputy city attorney, eventually serving as the general counsel for the city's school system. He also served as a San Francisco police commissioner, a supervisor representing District 9 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, deputy county executive for the County of Santa Clara and as San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s chief of staff. In that role, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the office, before taking leave during this final stretch of the campaign.

Matt Haney is a San Francisco supervisor who has also served as San Francisco Board of Education president, nonprofit founder, advocate, organizer, pro bono tenant attorney, and state legislative aide. He currently represents downtown San Francisco on the Board of Supervisors and serves as the chair of the Budget and Finance Committee. Prior to his election to the Board of Supervisors, Haney was elected twice to the San Francisco Board of Education.

Bilal Mahmood is a civil servant and entrepreneur with experience in both the public and private sectors. He has a background as a neuroscientist, created a microlending nonprofit to help people lift themselves out of poverty, served as a policy analyst in the Obama administration, and helped restaurant workers in San Francisco offset lost wages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thea Selby has been a small business owner for more than 20 years. She is the co-founder of the Lower Haight Merchant and Neighbor Association, served seven years on the City College Board of Trustees, and co-founded Voices for Public Transportation.

SPEAKERS

David Campos

Former Supervisor, San Francisco; Deputy County Executive, County of Santa Clara; Former Chief of Staff, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin

Matt Haney

Supervisor, San Francisco

Bilal Mahmood

Former Policy Analyst, Obama Administration; Entrepreneur

Thea Selby

Co-Founder, Lower Haight Merchant and Neighbor Association; Business Owner

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: The Enablers: The Firms Behind Fossil Fuel Falsehoods Feb 11, 2022

For years, fossil fuel companies have claimed to support climate science and policy. Many have recently pledged to hit net zero emissions by midcentury. Yet behind the scenes they fight those very same policies through industry associations, shadow groups, and lobbying – all while spending vast sums on advertising and PR campaigns touting their climate commitments. This week we focus on the PR and law firms helping fossil fuel companies delay the transition to clean energy while claiming they are on the side of climate protection.

Guests:

Benjamin Franta, PhD candidate in History of Science, Stanford University.

Jamie Henn, founder and director, Fossil Free Media

Kathryn Lundstrom, sustainability editor, Adweek

Christine Arena, former Executive Vice President, Edelman; founder, Generous Films

Michaela Anang, law student, UC Davis

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Amartya Sen: Home in the World Feb 09, 2022

“Home” has been many places for Amartya Sen: from Dhaka, in modern Bangladesh, where he grew up; to Calcutta, where he studied economics; to Cambridge, England, where he taught and worked with other influential economists. With characteristic moral clarity, Sen reflects on the cataclysmic events that tore his world asunder, from the Japanese assault on Burma and India to the Bengal famine of 1943, the struggle for Indian independence, and the outbreak of toxic nationalism that accompanied the end of British rule. Still, Sen remains a fearless optimist, continuing even now to work on breaking down barriers between different ethnic groups.

Home in the World encompasses penetrating ideas, fascinating people and unusual places, reflecting an empathy for all of humanity that is undeterred by distance and time due to Sen's being at home in the world—anywhere in the world.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by The Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Amartya Sen

Nobel Laureate, Economics (1998); Professor of Economics and Philosophy, Harvard University; former Master of Trinity College, Cambridge University; Author, Home in the World: A Memoir

George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 1st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Bank of America Walter E. Hoadley Annual Economic Forecast Feb 09, 2022

The Commonwealth Club’s Bank of America Walter E. Hoadley Economic Forecast will be held on February 4, at noon. It will feature a macroeconomic update from Stanford University's Michael Boskin, a former chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, and a focused look at inflation from leaders facing the issue on-the-ground in California, including the head of the second largest port in America, as well as the CEO of a global supply chain company.

The forecast comes as the COVID-19 pandemic stretches into its second full year, and the U.S. economy is in a murky and confusing state. Growth has returned, yet it has been accompanied by historically high inflation that is impacting many sectors of the economy.

Global supply chains have been strongly influenced by unpredictability in both virus waves and labor force participation, and planning for everything from inventory management to labor force participation continues to be in flux. Our annual forecast will focus on what this unpredictability will mean for the economy as a whole, particularly around inflation, and what it means for the American economy, American consumers and American investors in 2022.

Join us for this important discussion.

NOTES

This event is underwritten by Bank of America.

SPEAKERS

Michael Boskin

Ph.D., Professor of Economics and Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; Chair, President George H.W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisors

Sarah Bohn

Vice President and John and Louise Bryson Chair in Policy Research and Senior Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California

Dr. Noel Hacegaba

Deputy Executive Director, Port of Long Beach, California

Hannah Kain

President & CEO, ALOM Technologies

Mary Huss

President and Publisher, San Francisco Business Times; Member, Board of Governors, Commonwealth Club—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 4th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Should We Have Children in a Climate Emergency? Feb 04, 2022

The climate crisis seems to be unfolding faster than ever before — with catastrophic floods, winter wildfires, and last summer’s killer heat. It’s becoming increasingly hard to mentally set climate aside as a future problem — it is here, real in our present moment.

How do we grapple with the weight of these changes, and process our fear for what is coming for us, and for the next generation? And how do those emotions affect our decisions about whether or not to have children, who in many ways represent an embodied version of our hope for the future?

Guests:

Daniel Sherrell, Author, Warmth, Coming of Age at the End of Our World

Seb Gould, physics teacher

Irène Mathieu, pediatrician and poet

Virginie Le Masson, co-director of the Centre for Gender and Disaster at University College London

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Ian Urbina, Director of The Outlaw Ocean Project Feb 02, 2022

There are few remaining frontiers on our planet. But perhaps the wildest, and least understood, are the world’s oceans: too big to police, and under no clear international authority, these immense regions of treacherous water play host to rampant criminality and exploitation.

Join us for a conversation with Ian Urbana, director of The Outlaw Ocean Project, a nonprofit journalism organization based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on environmental and human rights concerns at sea globally.

MLF ORGANIZER

Andrew Dudley

NOTES

MLF: People & Nature

SPEAKERS

Ian Urbina

Director, The Outlaw Ocean Project

Andrew Dudley

Co-Host and Producer, Earth Live; Chair, People & Nature Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 1st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Silicon Valley Reads 2022: The Power of Kindness, Resilience and Hope Feb 02, 2022

Valarie Kaur, Reyna Grande, and Richard Lui offer their unique perspectives about how the power of kindness, resilience and hope can move us forward as a community.

Kaur will discuss how "revolutionary love" can heal our world; Lui will share his experience of how compassion impacts individuals and our community; and Grande will reflect on her own journey crossing the US-Mexico border as a child and the resilience she developed during her life.

Each of their stories and experiences provides hope for our collective future and inspiration to become better people in the world.

NOTES

In partnership with Santa Clara County Office of Education, Santa Clara County Library District, and San Jose Public Library.

SPEAKERS

Reyna Grande

Author, A Dream Called Home: A Memoir

Valarie Kaur

Founder, Revolutionary Love Project; Author, See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love

Richard Lui

Journalist, MSNBC/NBC News; Author, Enough About Me: The Unexpected Power of Selflessness

In Conversation with Sal Pizarro

Columnist, Mercury News

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 27th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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NBC's Jacob Ward: How Technology Shapes Our Thinking and Decisions Feb 02, 2022

For nearly five years, NBC News technology correspondent Jacob Ward has reported on the unanticipated consequences of science and technology on our lives. His new book, The Loop: How Technology is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back, builds on this work by exploring the ways artificial intelligence is beginning to curate our choices for us, and how capitalism packages those choices for our unconscious acceptance. The consequences for individuals and our society from this unseen "loop" are tremendous, and growing every day.

Artificial intelligence is changing the world as we know it. But the real danger isn't some movie-style robot that's going to enslave us; it's actually our own brains that are being re-shaped by technology, according to Ward. He explores how our brains are constantly making decisions using shortcuts, biases, and hidden processes using technology built to reinforce those very same processes. In short, he says it is a feedback loop—that magnifies our worst instincts so that we have fewer choices, leading to a potentially dangerous future.

At this important talk, Ward will discuss how our brains make decisions and how artificial intelligence in such areas of policing, entertainment, parenting, the military and more are shaped by algorithms, and then how patterns of behaviors are shaped further by those very algorithms, creating patterns that organize and manipulate our lives., often without us even knowing it. Please join us as we question the on-going impact of the machines that humans created.

SPEAKERS

Jacob Ward

Technology Correspondent, NBC News; Author, The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back

DJ Patil

Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 27th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Writing with Fire: Dalit Women Deliver the News Feb 02, 2022

Join us for a screening of Writing With Fire followed by a discussion with the filmmakers about their film and the topics raised in it.

Into India's cluttered male-dominated news landscape comes Khabar Lahariya (Waves of News), India's only newspaper run by Dalit ("low caste") women. Armed with smartphones, Chief Reporter Meera and her journalists break traditions, be it on the frontlines of India's biggest issues or within the confines of their homes, redefining what it means to be powerful.

Join us for a conversation with Suchmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas, the filmmakers behind the documentary Writing With Fire. They will be joining us from India. Learn how they chronicled the astonishing determination of these local reporters—who empowered each other and held responsible the unjust. Reaching new audiences through their growing platform, the women of Khabar Lahariya redefine what it means to be powerful.

SPEAKERS

Sushmit Ghosh

Director and Cinematographer, Writing With Fire; Co-founder, Black Ticket Films

Rintu Thomas

Director and Producer, Writing With Fire; 2021 Logan Elevate Grantee

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 27th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Senator Amy Klobuchar on Antitrust Jan 28, 2022

Antitrust enforcement is one of the most pressing issues facing America today. Google reportedly controls 90 percent of the search engine market, and Big Pharma has hiked drug prices up, making health care almost impossible to access for many.

Senator Amy Klobuchar is leading the charge against monopolies. As Minnesota's senior senator, she has been a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights.

Antitrust: Taking on Monopoly Power from the Gilded Age to the Digital Age draws from her experience in the Senate, along with history, to give readers a comprehensive view of how monopolies have changed over the years and how the government has adapted to it. Senator Klobuchar explores today's Big Pharma and what she calls its price-gouging, tech, television, content, and agriculture communities and how a marketplace with few players can hurt consumer prices and stifle innovation.

Join us as Senator Amy Klobuchar talks about the fascinating history of the antitrust movement, shows us what led to the present moment, and offers achievable solutions to prevent monopolies, promote business competition, and encourage innovation.

SPEAKERS

Amy Klobuchar

U.S Senator (D-MN); Author, Antitrust: Taking on Monopoly Power from the Gilded Age to the Digital Age; Twitter @amyklobuchar

In Conversation with Sheera Frenkel

Technology Reporter, The New York Times; Co-Author, An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination; Twitter @sheeraf

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 26th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Eve Rodsky: Reclaim Your Creative Life Jan 28, 2022

Eve Rodsky knows more than a thing or two about relationship building, goal setting, and time management. In her newest book, Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World, Rodsky offers an in-depth look at how to identify and prioritize time for activities that will cultivate and unleash creativity in your life.

Rodsky reveals what researchers already know: Creativity is not optional but essential—though most of us do need to remind ourselves how (and where) to find it.

At INFORUM, she will bring her new book to life with how-to advice and big-picture thinking to reclaim your own “unicorn space.”

NOTE: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Eve Rodsky

Author, Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World;Twitter @eve_rodksy

In Conversation with Minda Harts

CEO, The Memo LLC; Professor, NYU Wagner; Host, "Secure the Seat" Podcast; Author, The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know To Secure a Seat At the Table; Twitter @MindaHarts

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: State of the Unions: Navigating Job Creation and Destruction Jan 28, 2022

With expanding electrical infrastructure and some jurisdictions beginning to ban gas appliances in new construction, the transition to a clean energy economy is already happening. Understandably, labor unions that represent workers tied to the fossil fuel infrastructure are digging in their heels. While recognizing that climate change is a threat, the Laborers’ International Union of North America and the Utility Workers Union of America are skeptical of promises of a just transition, saying green jobs are typically non-union and pay far less. So how can we transition to a low-carbon economy while protecting good-paying jobs?

Guests:

Austin Keyser, Assistant to the International President for Government Affairs at International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

Yvette Pena-O'Sullivan, Executive Director, Office of the General President, LiUNA

Lee Anderson, Director of Government Affairs, Utility Workers Union of America

Carol Zabin, Director, Green Economy Program, UC Berkeley Labor Center

Norman Rogers, Second Vice President of United Steelworkers, California

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Michael Shellenberger: How Progressives Threaten Cities Jan 27, 2022

As 2021 came to a close, questions about crime and homelessness in San Francisco dominated headlines locally and nationally. In addition to high-profile smash-and-grab robberies in San Francisco's Union Square and malls outside the city, the publication of Michael Shellenberger's new book, San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities, also drew attention to increasing disorder on San Francisco's streets; the book and its arguments received attention across the political spectrum from media around the World.

A Bay Area resident for more than 30 years, Shellenberger says progressive policies are, in good part, the reason for homelessness and crime in San Francisco (and similar cities on the West Coast). From homeless encampments to open-air drug markets and retail robberies, he says progressive leaders have gone beyond merely tolerating these issues and now actively enable them through specific public policy choices by urban lawmakers and district attorneys. Shellenberger believes that urban problems such as homelessness and drug dealing aren't primarily from a lack of housing, money for social programs or other "root causes." Instead, he feels the real problem is an ideology that designates some people, by identity or experience, as victims entitled to destructive behaviors and a hands-off approach to law enforcement that coddles them. The result, he says, is an undermining of the values that make cities, and civilization itself, possible.

Please join us as Shellenberger makes one of his first local public appearances to discuss his controversial book and the new crime policies launched in San Francisco.

NOTES

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

This program is supported by the Ken & Jaclyn Broad Family Fund. Complimentary copies of Shellenberger’s San Fransicko will be available to in-person attendees thanks to their support.

SPEAKERS

Michael Shellenberger

Founder and President, Environmental Progress; Author, San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities

Melissa Caen

Political Analyst; Attorney—Moderator

This program was recorded on January 24th, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Civics Education as a National Security Priority Jan 26, 2022

With deep political divides dominating America's civic culture and affecting how the United States is viewed abroad, civics education is increasingly being seen as a national security issue. Improving K–12 students’ understanding of America’s civic structures—from the Constitution to voting, to clarity about our national security institutions and how they operate within the rule of law—is being seen by national leaders as a way to strengthen the role of the United States in the world, and to protect the country’s national interests. Similar to the push for STEM education funding to address America’s global role in science and technology, many officials now support expanded funding for civics and history education as a way to improve student learning about their civic responsibilities in our participatory democracy.

Please join us as we discuss civics education and its role in boosting national resilience at this critical time in American history.

NOTES

The program is part of the Commonwealth Club's Creating Citizens initiative.

Suzanne Spaulding

Senior Adviser, Homeland Security, International Security Program

Millie Solomon

President, The Hastings Center

Shawn Healy

Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy, iCivics—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 24th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ann Burgess with Steven Constantine: My Quest to Decipher Criminal Minds Jan 26, 2022

In yet another case of reality trumping its popularization as entertainment, Ann Burgess tells the vivid story of her role in the creation of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit (very thinly veiled on the long-running "Criminal Minds" series as its Behavioral Analysis Unit)—a role that transformed the way the FBI studies, profiles, and catches serial killers.

With reported cases of sexual assault and homicide rising in the 1970s and 1980s, the FBI created a specialized team—the “Mindhunters”—to track down America's most dangerous criminals. Dr. Burgess's pioneering research on sexual assault and trauma soon caught their attention, and steered her right into the middle of a chilling serial murder investigation in Nebraska. Over the next two decades she helped identify, interview and track down dozens of notoriously violent offenders, including Ed Kemper ("The Co-Ed Killer"), Dennis Rader ("BTK"), Henry Wallace ("The Taco Bell Strangler"), and Jon Barry Simonis ("The Ski-Mask Rapist"). As one of the first women trailblazers at the FBI, Burgess knew she was expected to crack under pressure—to recoil in horror. But she was determined to protect potential victims at any cost.

Burgess provides deep insights into the minds of deranged criminals, and of their victims, and paints a revealing portrait of the FBI on the brink of a seismic scientific and cultural reckoning. She also directly confronts the age-old question that plagues every criminal justice system: “What drives someone to kill, and how can we stop them?”

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Ann Burgess

Professor, Boston College Connell School of Nursing; Forensic and Psychiatric Nurse; Worked with the FBI for over two decades; Author, A Killer By Design: Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind

Steven Constantine

Co-Author, A Killer By Design: Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind

In conversation with George Hammond

Author,

Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Filmmaker Nanfu Wang: COVID Outbreaks and Outrages Jan 25, 2022

In her new documentary In the Same Breath, director Nanfu Wang recounts the origin and spread of the novel coronavirus from the earliest days of the outbreak in Wuhan to its rampage across the United States. In a deeply personal approach, Wang, who was born in China and now lives in the United States, explores the parallel campaigns of misinformation waged by leadership and the devastating impact on citizens of both countries. Emotional first-hand accounts and startling, on-the-ground footage weave a revelatory picture of cover-ups and misinformation while also highlighting the strength and resilience of the health-care workers, activists and family members who risked everything to communicate the truth.

Note: This is a discussion about the documentary; this is not a screening of the film. In the Same Breath is currently available on HBO Max.

Join us for an online conversation with Nanfu Wang.

SPEAKERS

Nanfu Wang

Director, In the Same Breath and One Child Nation

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Climate Change, Technology and Innovation: Views from Korea and Japan Jan 25, 2022

Korea and Japan are two of the most technologically advanced countries on the planet. In September 2021, the Korean National Assembly passed legislation mandating carbon neutrality by 2050, becoming the 14th country to legislate commitments to reduce carbon emissions. Earlier in May 2021, Japan’s parliament passed an amendment to Japan’s framework climate law to legally enshrine the goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 previously announced by its prime minister.

What are their policies for achieving their goals? How will technology and innovations help achieve their goals?

Join us to hear experts from Korea and Japan discuss these important subjects as the world addresses ways to meet their climate change targets.

MLF ORGANIZER: Lillian Nakagawa

SPEAKERS

Dr. Sung Woo Kim

Head of the Private Environment & Energy Research Institute, Kim & Chang, Seoul, Korea; member of the Carbon Neutrality Committee under the Presidential Office of the Republic of Korea

Dr. Kenji Yamaji

President, Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (in Tokyo, Japan)

Dr. Stephanie A. Siehr

Professor, Environmental and Energy Programs, University of San Francisco; Affiliate, China Energy Group, Energy Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory—Moderator

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Healthy Society Series: The Brain Plasticity Revolution and an Impending Rebirth of Psychiatric and Neurologic Medicine Jan 25, 2022

Strategies for rapidly and inexpensively identifying neurological/psychiatric weakness and distortion—combined with genomics and increasingly more sophisticated chemical analyses of blood and other body fluids—now provide us with simple, scalable strategies for delineating specific aspects of preclinical stages of neurological and psychiatric disorders. In parallel, we have an increasing understanding of how to engage the plastic brain in ways that reverse those weaknesses and distortions on a path to neurological normalcy. The word for broadly achieving such renormalization is prevention—or in already diagnosed patients, cure—two goals that up to now have rarely been achieved in brain-targeted medicine. This scientific explosion foretells a rapid transformation from a treatment-based to prevention-based brain medicine era.

Dr. Michael Merzenich is an emeritus UCSF professor who is broadly recognized for his seminal research in the science of neuroplasticity, and for his team’s efforts to translate this research into improvements in brain performance and organic brain health in normal and in variously struggling child and adult populations. He also led a UCSF team that developed the modern cochlear implant. Merzenich has published several hundred papers in prestigious scientific journals; been awarded nearly 70 U.S. patents; with UCSF’s permission, co-founded 3 companies focused on the translation of this research for human benefit; and has received many international prizes and awards for his teams’ ground-breaking research.

MLF ORGANIZER: Robert Lee Kilpatrick

SPEAKERS

Dr. Michael Merzenich

Ph.D., Professor (Emeritus), UCSF; CSO, Posit Science

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

Ph.D., Chair, Health & Medicine Member-Led Forum—Moderator

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Rev. Al Sharpton: Untold Stories of the Social Justice Movement Jan 21, 2022

The year 2020 was one of galvanizing unrest, finally bringing to mainstream attention countless racial and social injustices that have plagued American society for centuries. Many activists have become prominent figures in the historical struggle for equal rights, but not nearly enough of them have gotten this attention. During his virtual visit, the Reverend Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader and politician, will join us to tell their stories.

In his new book, Righteous Troublemakers: Untold Stories of the Social Justice Movement in America, Sharpton delves into the everyday lives of extraordinary activists from the past and present. Further, he provides personal details from the frontlines of 2020’s heightened racial activism—offering his readers a nuanced account of the stories many could only follow from device screens. At INFORUM, Sharpton will leave his audience inspired to drive change in the name of truth and justice.

SPEAKERS

Al Sharpton

Host, MSNBC's "PoliticsNation"; Baptist Minister; Author, Righteous Troublemakers: Untold Stories of the Social Justice Movement in America

In Conversation with Sheryl Davis

Executive Director, San Francisco Human Rights Commission

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 19th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Corporate Net Zero Pledges: Ambitious or Empty Promises? Jan 21, 2022

Corporate pledges of reaching net zero carbon emissions have quickly become commonplace. Critics argue that such pledges are mere greenwashing, and even if pledges are fulfilled, the balance sheets usually utilize carbon offsets, which can be of questionable quality and accountability. Proponents of corporate net zero pledges say we’ll never get to net zero emissions without corporate action, and pledges represent legitimate ramping up of ambition and commitment. How can consumers, investors and policy leaders distinguish between stalling and increased ambition? Can third party auditors hold companies accountable?

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Christopher Leonard: How the Federal Reserve Broke the American Economy Jan 20, 2022

The gap between the rich and the poor has grown dramatically, stock prices are trading far above what many consider justified by actual corporate profits, corporate debt in America is at an all-time high, and this debt is being traded by big banks on Wall Street, leaving them vulnerable—just as they were during the mortgage boom. Middle-class wages have barely budged in a decade, and consumers are buried under credit card debt, car loan debt, and student debt. If you asked most people what forces led to today’s unprecedented income inequality and financial crashes, no one would say the Federal Reserve. However, Christopher Leonard is here to tell you otherwise.

In his new book, The Lords of Easy Money, Leonard goes into shocking detail about how quantitative easing is imperiling the American economy through the story of the one man who tried to warn us. He says this will be the first inside story of how we really got here—and why we face a frightening future.

Join us as Christopher Leonard takes us through the world of the Federal Reserve, and why you should be alarmed.

SPEAKERS

Christopher Leonard

Business Reporter; Author, The Lords of Easy Money: How the Federal Reserve Broke the American Economy

In Conversation with Lenny Mendonca

Former Chief Economic and Business Advisor, State of California; Director Emeritus, McKinsey & Company

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Youth Mental Health Crisis: What's Next? Jan 19, 2022

According to a very recent report from the U.S. Surgeon General, "the challenges today’s generation of young people face are unprecedented and uniquely hard to navigate. And the effect these challenges have had on their mental health is devastating." The Surgeon General suggests that, as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and start recovering and rebuilding, we have an opportunity to approach the mental health of our children and youth with a more comprehensive, more fulfilling and more inclusive vision.

NOTES

This program is part of our series on mental health, dedicated in memory of Nancy Friend Pritzker, with support from the John Pritzker Family Fund.

SPEAKERS

Saun Toy Trotter

Director, School-Based Services, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland

Nicole Bush

Associate Professor, Psychiatry, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences; Lisa and John Pritzker Distinguished Professor of Developmental and Behavioral Health

William Martinez

Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences

Petra Steinbuchel

Director, Psychiatry, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland

Rani Sindledecker

8th-Grade student

Katie Albright

CEO, Safe & Sound

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 13th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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David Bodanis: The Power of Decency in a World Gone Mean Jan 19, 2022

Join us to hear David Bodanis make a fresh, detail-rich argument that the most productive way to lead is to be fair to others. Conventional wisdom is that "nice guys finish last," but maybe that just means that too many nice guys are too conventional. And it probably does not mean that one has to be a bully, schooled in Machiavellian tactics, to succeed.

The Art of Fairness reveals how it was fairness, applied with skill, that led the Empire State Building to be constructed in barely a year. And how the same techniques transformed a quiet English debutante into an acclaimed guerrilla fighter. In 10 vivid profiles featuring pilots, presidents, and even the producer of "Game of Thrones," Bodanis demonstrates that the path to greatness doesn't require crushing displays of power or a tyrannical ego. With surprising insights from across history, including the downfall of the very man who popularized the phrase “nice guys finish last,” Bodanis charts a refreshing and sustainable approach to cultivating integrity and influence.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

David Bodanis

Author, The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Gone Mean

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

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Homer: The Very Idea Jan 18, 2022

Join us to discuss with James Porter our ongoing fascination with Homer—the man and the myth. The poet of the Iliad and the Odyssey was revered as a cultural icon in antiquity and remains millennia later a figure of lasting influence. But his identity is shrouded in questions about who he was, when he lived and whether he was an actual person, a myth or merely a shared idea. Whatever his source, Homer is a cultural invention nearly as distinctive and important as the poems attributed to him.

Porter follows the cultural history of the idea of the great poet and of the obsession that is reborn every time Homer is reimagined. Offering novel readings of texts and objects, the idea of Homer is elucidated from its origins to its most recent imaginings in literature, criticism, philosophy, visual art and classical archaeology. Porter explores the many sources of Homer’s mystique and their cultural impact, starting with the first recorded mentions of his name in ancient Greece.

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

James Porter

Irving Stone Professor of Literature, University of California, Berkeley; Author, Homer: The Very Idea

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 13th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Daniel Sokatch: Talking about Israel Jan 18, 2022

The conflict between Israelis and the Palestinians is one of the most complex and controversial disputes in the world today. It is a complicated conflict that plays a role in the foreign affairs of many countries around the world, including the United States. Yet many issues related to the conflict are misunderstood by people and groups across the political spectrum, sometimes intentionally, sometimes from just a lack of knowledge.

Daniel Sokatch, the head of the New Israel Fund—an organization dedicated to equality and democracy for all Israelis, not just Jews—is often asked to explain these issues as part of his job. In his new book, Can We Talk About Israel? A Guide for the Curious, Confused, and Conflicted, Sokatch offers his own primer on Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The book provides the long story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and gives basic explanations for the centuries-long conflict. Sokatch also attempts to explain why Israel (and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) inspires such extreme feelings—why it seems as if Israel is the answer to "what is wrong with the world" for half the people in it, and "what is right with the world" for the other half.

As Sokatch asks in his book, is there any other topic about which so many intelligent, educated and sophisticated people express such strongly and passionately held convictions, and about which they actually know so little? This program will offer some background on this often misunderstood and complicated topic.

SPEAKERS

Daniel Sokatch

CEO, New Israel Fund; Author, Can We Talk About Israel? A Guide for the Curious, Confused, and Conflicted

Daniel Handler

Writer; Musician; a.k.a. Lemony Snicket—Moderator

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An Evening with Kal Penn and Huma Abedin Jan 18, 2022

Kal Penn and Huma Abedin had vastly different journeys into the world of American politics. As a collegiate-level White House intern during Hillary Clinton’s time as the first lady, Abedin never predicted she’d go on to witness some of the most crucial moments in America’s modern political history; including Clinton’s watershed nomination as the first female candidate for president. Penn, too, has both witnessed and shaped political history as a liaison for the Obama administration—something that he, a prominent Hollywood actor who’d experienced countless discriminations in the entertainment industry, never saw coming.

While their foray into politics were poles apart, Abedin and Penn do share a similar vision of the American Dream molded by their immigrant families. In their own professional endeavors—from Penn’s shift to politics to Abedin’s powerful tenure as Hillary Clinton’s right-hand woman—they’ve done more than just manifest this dream. Instead, they’ve disrupted it’s very core.

Together at INFORUM, Huma Abedin and Kal Penn will bring to life the remarkable experiences they’ve detailed in their new memoirs, Both/And and You Can’t Be Serious, respectively. In doing so, they will provide the audience with more than just powerful insights toward the meaning of the American Dream—instead, they’ll challenge its “one size fits all” narrative in order to reconstruct its meaning for a more inclusive future.

SPEAKERS

Huma Abedin

Former Vice Chairperson, Hillary Clinton 2016 Presidential Campaign; Author, Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds

Kal Penn

Actor; Former Principal Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; Author, You Can’t Be Serious

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mark Bowden and Matthew Teague: Inside Trump's Attempted Election Steal Jan 14, 2022

The story of January 6, 2021 is one that will go down in the history books. In the 64 days between November 3 and January 6, President Donald Trump and his allies fought to reverse the outcome of the vote. Focusing on six states—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—Trump’s supporters claimed widespread voter fraud. In The Steal: The Attempt to Overturn the 2020 Election and the People Who Stopped It, veteran journalists Mark Bowden and Matthew Teague offer a week-by-week, state-by-state account of the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Working with a team of researchers and reporters, Bowden and Teague uncover never-before-told accounts from the election officials fighting to do their jobs amid outlandish claims and threats to themselves, their colleagues and their families. They provide an engaging, in-depth report on what happened during those crucial nine weeks and a portrait of the heroic individuals who did their duty and stood firm against the unprecedented, sustained attack on our election system to ensure that every legal vote was counted and the will of the people prevailed.

Join us as Mark Bowden and Matthew Teague discuss their research and offer their thoughts and commentary on the events leading up to January 6.

SPEAKERS

Mark Bowden

Contributing Writer, The Atlantic; Co-author, The Steal: The Attempt to Overturn the 2020 Election and the People Who Stopped It

Matthew Teague

Contributor, National Geographic, The Atlantic, and Esquire; Executive Producer, "Our Friend"; Co-author, The Steal: The Attempt to Overturn the 2020 Election and the People Who Stopped It

In Conversation with John Boland

President Emeritus, KQED Public Media; Vice Chair, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 12th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Should Nature Have Rights? Jan 14, 2022

If corporations can be legal persons, why can’t Mother Earth?

In 2017, New Zealand granted the Whanganui River the full legal rights of a person. India granted full legal rights to the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, and recognized that the Himalayan Glaciers have a right to exist. In 2019, the city of Toledo passed the Lake Erie Bill of Rights with 61 percent of the vote, but then a year later, a federal judge struck it down.

As Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, an attorney who represented Lake Erie, explains, the problem stems from a 500-year history of Western property law. Our legal system grants rights to property owners, but not to property itself.

“If we’re treating ecosystems as property, then ultimately, we as property owners have the right to destroy our property and that fundamentally has to change,” Schromen-Wawrin says.

Rebecca Tsosie, a law professor focused on Federal Indian law and Indigenous peoples’ human rights, says there are other rights frameworks to consider. “If we go into Indigenous epistemology, many times it’s a relational universe that comes with mutual responsibility.”

Guests:

Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, attorney, formerly with the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund

Rebecca Tsosie, Regents Professor of Law at the University of Arizona; Co-Chair, Indigenous Peoples’ Law and Policy Program

Carol Van Strum, author of A Bitter Fog, activist

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Grief Vampire: Operation Onion Ring Jan 13, 2022

The February 2019 New York Times Magazine reported on Susan Gerbic and her team's successful work exposing psychic medium Thomas John in a sting called Operation Pizza Roll. Throughout the pandemic Gerbic's team (Guerilla Skeptics) researched and exposed multiple mediums operating on Zoom using hot and cold reading to appear to be in communication with the dead; this series of reports was called Operation Lemon Meringue.

In April 2021, medium Thomas John scheduled an 8-person Spirit Circle for children ages 5–12, charging $400 per reading. After trying unsuccessfully to get the Spirit Circle cancelled, the Guerilla Skeptics decided to attend and report back on the event. Susan will be discussing what happened in Operation Onion Ring and how they say they once again caught "grief vampire" Thomas John.

For more information on the work the Guerilla Skeptics have done concerning various "grief vampires," visit their website.

About the Speaker

Affectionately called the Wikipediatrician, Susan Gerbic is the founder of Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW) and the Monterey County Skeptics, and is a self-proclaimed skeptical junkie. A Skeptical Inquirer contributor Gerbic is a fellow of CSI and winner of the James Randi Foundation award for 2017. In 2018, Susan founded and manages About Time, a nonprofit organization focusing on scientific skepticism and activism. While her particular focus has been “Grief Vampires” (psychics), her activism encompasses all areas of skepticism. You can find out more at AboutTimeProject.org.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patrick O'Reilly

NOTES

MLF: Psychology

SPEAKERS

Susan Gerbic

Founder, Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW); Founder, Monterey County Skeptics; Founder and Manager, About Time

Patrick O'Reilly

Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist; Chair, Psychology Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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ADL's Jonathan Greenblatt: Fighting Hate Now Jan 12, 2022

With a significant increase in hate crimes on the streets of America's cities as well as a rise in online hate, America finds itself on a terrifying path, one that could hardly be imagined just several years ago. Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt's current mission is making sure that what has happened in our lifetimes in Europe, the Middle East and Asia does not happen here.

In his new book, It Could Happen Here: Why America Is Tipping from Hate to the Unthinkable—And How We Can Stop It, Greenblatt demonstrates how antisemitism, racism, and other insidious forms of intolerance can destroy a society, taking root as quiet prejudices but mutating over time into horrific acts of brutality. His book sounds an alarm, warning that this age-old trend is gathering momentum in the United States—and that violence on an even larger, more catastrophic scale could be around the corner if we don't change our direction.

Greenblatt believes a more positive future can awaits us and that society doesn't have to succumb to hatred. Drawing on ADL’s decades of experience in fighting hate through investigative research, education programs, and legislative victories, as well as his own personal story and his background in business and government, Greenblatt offers a bracing primer on how we—as individuals, as organizations, and as a society—can strike back against hate.

Please join us for an important conversation with a national leader on the frontlines of fighting prejudice.

SPEAKERS

Jonathan Greenblatt

CEO, Anti-Defamation League; Author, It Could Happen Here: Why America Is Tipping from Hate to the Unthinkable—And How We Can Stop It

Roger McNamee

Silicon Valley Investor, Author, Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Barton Gellman: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State Jan 11, 2022

The threat to American democracy and the U.S. electoral system did not end when the U.S. Capitol building was cleared and the presidential vote was certified on January 6, 2021. In fact, because of actions taken in states around the country throughout 2021, the threat today is as serious as it was one year ago, according to one prominent writer.

In his new and troubling cover story article for The Atlantic's January/February 2022 issue, journalist Barton Gellman explains that the collapse of America's democratic principles and underpinnings is already underway and that the country is close—closer than most ever thought possible—to losing not only the country's constitutional democracy, but what’s left of America's shared understanding of civic reality.

Gellman's new article, “January 6 Was Practice,” builds on an article he wrote before the 2020 election for The Atlantic. That piece, “The Election That Could Break America," focused on the ways that then-President Trump was weakening the norms and structures of American democracy. In many ways, Gellman predicated what would happen on January 6, 2021. What he could not predict is that though the system held one year ago, former President Trump and his supporters would continue their attack on America's electoral system by enacting restrictive new voting laws, removing nonpartisan election administrators in key states, and shifting how elections are administered at the state levels. He says what the country may find in 2024 is that what happened in 2021 was, indeed, just a practice run toward the end of American democracy as it is known, in favor of autocracy.

Please join us for a special conversation with Gellman on the one-year anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack, and hear why he is more concerned than ever about the future of America democracy, and what he sees as the very real threats to the country's constitutional order.

SPEAKERS

Barton Gellman

Investigative Reporter; Writer, The Washington Post; Author, Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State

Roy Eisenhardt

Lecturer, University of California Berkeley School of Law—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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January 6 and the Insurrection: A Week to Week Political Roundtable Special Jan 07, 2022

Exactly 12 months after a riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, we are going to take a look at what January 6 wrought, how it has affected the first year of Joe Biden's presidency, and what are the prospects for another violent attempt to overturn a democratic election.

SPEAKERS

Melissa Caen

Political Analyst; Attorney

Francis Fukuyama

Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow, Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law; Director, Ford Dorsey Masters in International Policy, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University; Twitter @FukuyamaFrancis

Tim Miller

Founder, Light Fuse Communications; Contributor, The Bulwark; Communications Director, Jeb Bush 2016; Founder, America Rising; Twitter @timodc

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 6th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: John Doerr And Ryan Panchadsaram: An Action Plan For Solving Our Climate Crisis Now Jan 07, 2022

Beyond his position as chairman of the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, John Doerr rose to global prominence in the business world with his popularization of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), which he promoted in his best-selling book, Measure What Matters. Could the same set of management tools be applied to preventing the growing climate crisis? In Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now, John Doerr and Kleiner Perkins advisor Ryan Panchadsaram argue that it can.

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

John Doerr, Chairman, Kleiner Perkins

Ryan Panchadsaram, Advisor, Kleiner Perkins

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Annual Michelle Meow Year-End Celebration: Highlighting the Contributions of the LGBTQ+ AAPI Community Jan 04, 2022

It's almost 2022, and it's time to gather together #IRL for our annual year-end Michelle Meow celebration.

Join us for a celebration of another successful year of "The Michelle Meow Show" at The Commonwealth Club of California. Enjoy some great speakers, food and wine, artwork and fun.

SPEAKERS

César Cadabes

Performance Artist; HIV/AIDS Activist; Advisory Board Member, Castro LGBTQ Cultural District

Jacqueline Chiang

Artist

Anjali Rimi

President and Co-Founder, Parivar; Board Member, The LGBT Asylum Project and San Francisco Pride; Rans Advisory Committee Member, Office of Transgender Initiatives, San Francisco Mayor's Office

Michelle Mijung Kim

Author, The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change

Denise Huynh

Owner, Tay Ho

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Naomi Oreskes: The Schneider Award Dec 30, 2021

Each year, Climate One gives an award to a natural or social scientist for excellence in science communication. This year’s recipient of the Stephen H. Schneider Award is marine biologist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, co-founder of the Urban Ocean Lab and co-creator of the All We Can Save project.

“What gets me out of bed in the morning, what makes this work of communicating about climate science and policy so important, is that we have such a huge spectrum of possible futures available to us. And which one we get depends on what we do,” Johnson says.

This episode also features past award winner and noted climate historian Naomi Oreskes discussing sexism in the sciences and the ongoing disinformation campaigns perpetrated by fossil fuel companies.

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist, writer

Naomi Oreskes, Professor, History of Science, Harvard University

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CLIMATE ONE: Managed Retreat: When Climate Hits Home Dec 23, 2021

Southeastern Virginia currently experiences the fastest rate of sea level rise on the Atlantic seaboard, and that’s only projected to accelerate. For many neighborhoods, it’s not a question of if they will go underwater, but when. On the west coast, between $8 billion and $10 billion of existing property in California is likely to be underwater by 2050, with an additional $6 billion to $10 billion at risk during high tides. Increasingly, local and regional governments are considering – and starting – buyouts of flood-prone properties.

How will we manage the homes, farms, naval bases and infrastructure destined to go under water? How do federal and private insurance programs hamper or help moves away from climate-disrupted regions? And what are the equity issues with managed retreat?

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Sam Turken, reporter, “At A Crossroads” series for WHRO

Amy Chester, Managing Director, Rebuild By Design

Kia Javanmardian, Senior Partner, McKinsey and Company

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Social Justice: Surviving and Thriving Amid the Pandemic Dec 21, 2021

As we begin to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we look forward to a discussion with long-time San Francisco Bay Area community leaders. These community leaders are leading community-based organizations that are spearheading the way regarding social justice and uplifting our diverse communities.

Join us in-person or online as we discuss how they are helping people survive and thrive, even during a worldwide health crisis. Learn more about them and the amazing community work they have continued to do throughout the pandemic, as well as how others can support and uplift our own communities.

After the program, please enjoy some light bites and drinks courtesy of the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good at the University of San Francisco

In partnership with the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good at the University of San Francisco. The McCarthy Center is dedicated to inspiring and preparing students at USF to pursue lives and careers of ethical public service. It supports programs, curriculum and research that inform public policy and nurture purposeful lives.

SPEAKERS

Rudy Corpuz Jr.

Founder and Executive Director, United Playaz

Susana Rojas

Executive Director, Calle 24 Latino Cultural District

Jacqueline Flin

Executive Director, APRI

James Spingola

Member, Juvenile Probation Commission of the City and County of San Francisco

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Adachi Project Shares Voices ""From Inside"" County Jail Dec 21, 2021

In the second Commonwealth Club showcase of The Adachi Project, members of the San Francisco Public Defender's Office and its partners from Even/Odd Films and Compound will present their short film "From Inside" to amplify the voices and experiences of people who were inside San Francisco County Jail during the early days of the pandemic.

The Young Women's Freedom Center will also join the discussion about the trial delays that are keeping hundreds of people in jail past their deadlines, the ongoing conditions in the jails, and the impact that the prolonged pandemic is having on the accused, their families and justice in San Francisco.

SPEAKERS

Julia Arroyo

Managing Director, Young Women’s Freedom Center

Santhosh Daniel

Founding Partner, The Adachi Project; Writer; Producer; Creative Communications Strategist; Founder, Compound; Co-Founder, First Kitchen Media

Mohammad Gorjestani

Founding Partner, The Adachi Project; Filmmaker; Creative Director; Founder, Even/Odd

Carolyn Ji Jong Goossen

San Francisco Policy Director, San Francisco Public Defender’s Office

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 13th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: This Year in Climate Dec 17, 2021

A recent poll shows that in 2021, for the first time, a majority of Americans personally felt the effects of climate change. But has that growing awareness translated into action?

This week, Climate One hosts Greg Dalton and Ariana Brocious review the top climate stories of the year – from Joe Biden’s climate agenda to the extreme weather events so many experienced, to the recent international climate summit in Glasgow, to the passage and signing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. This special episode features excerpts from some of Climate One’s most profound interviews of 2021, including conversations with such luminaries as Jay Inslee, Mark Carney, and Katharine Hayhoe.

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Kathy Baughman-McLeod, Senior Vice President and Director, Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center

Jay Inslee, Governor, State of Washington

Carla Frisch, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Policy, U.S. Department of Energy

Sasha Mackler, Executive Director, The Energy Project, Bipartisan Policy Center

Beth Osborne, Director, Transportation for America

Rich Thau, Moderator, The Swing Voter Project

Jiang Lin, Adjunct Professor, University of California Berkeley

Albert Cheung, Head of Global Analysis, Bloomberg New Energy Finance

Amanda Machado, Writer and Social Justice Facilitator

Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance

Katharine Hayhoe, Climate Scientist

Sister True Dedication, Thich Nhat Hanh student

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Bridging the Digital Divide Dec 16, 2021

Despite California’s leadership role in the technology industry, the digital divide continues to impact many Golden State communities as it has since the rise of the internet over two decades ago. While some progress has been made on the issue over the past decade, the digital divide continues to separate the haves and have-nots, and many people still do not understand the magnitude of the problem, particularly as it relates to the availability of high-speed internet access in low-income households and rural areas.

Although the divide has long been troubling, the issue became particularly dire during the pandemic. Throughout 2020, the impact of the digital divide on the educational system, in particular, became more glaringly obvious. As schools shifted to an online learning format, many students struggled—not just academically, but also due to the lack of broadband access to the internet at home and/or to a suitable device. In addition,. the digital divide also impacted basic activities of daily living for adults, such as grocery shopping, or telehealth doctor appointments. Those without high-speed access suffered more than those with this access.

Funding for digital inclusion efforts have been included in recent federal and state legislative efforts, including the recent infrastructure package signed by President Biden. What is the view from the ground on the digital divide, including grassroots efforts to address this issue? What else can be done to address this ongoing problem in a region where the computer industry was born? This program will look at these topics with several California leaders working on the issue.

NOTES

This program is supported by AT&T.

SPEAKERS

Lorena Chavez

Director of Government Affairs and Advocacy, Digital Equity Coalition; Trustee, East Side Union High School District Trustee

Evan Marwell

Founder and CEO, EducationSuperHighway

Jessica Denson

Director, Communications, Connected Nation, Inc.—Moderator

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Small Town to Drag Race Crown: An Evening with Alaska Dec 15, 2021

As one of the most prominent drag performers today, Alaska is no stranger to fame. But Alaska’s story is more than her success as both a runner-up and winner in two different seasons of "RuPaul’s Drag Race," as well as her high-profile relationship and the equally public breakup that ended it. In her new book—My Name’s Yours, What’s Alaska?—Alaska goes beneath her glamorous surface to reveal a never-before told account of her unique life story. From humble beginnings as a small-town kid studying at theater school to her larger-than-life vibrance as one of drag’s most influential stars, Alaska’s perseverance over her struggles regarding the expression and discovery of her queerness is an inspiring story for the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond.

At INFORUM, Alaska will bring the journey detailed in her new visual memoir to life. In doing so, she will provide motivation and representation for those belonging to communities who are too often unheard and underrepresented in the media and in popular culture. Whether you’re a die-hard RuPaul fan or an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community looking to hear more of their important stories, Alaska’s discussion here at INFORUM is sure to leave you with new understandings of what it means to embrace your identity and let it thrive.

NOTE: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

SPEAKERS

Alaska

Season two winner, "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars"; Author, My Name’s Yours, What’s Alaska?: A Memoir

In Conversation with Honey Mahogany

Chair, San Francisco Democratic Party; Co-Founder, Compton's Transgender Cultural District; Season Five Contestant, “RuPaul's Drag Race”

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 13th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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China’s Greater Bay Area and Ours: Can We Collaborate? Dec 14, 2021

China is rapidly connecting Hong Kong, Macao and nine cities in Guangdong Province into a regional finance, technology, manufacturing and tourism hub of 86 million people. Over the next decade, this Greater Bay Area (GBA) will mature into a global showcase for China’s economic model, “One Country-Two Systems” integration, and Belt and Road development strategy.

GBA hopes to partner with comparable regions worldwide, including the San Francisco Bay Area, in areas such as clean energy, health care, mobility and fintech. A new report by the Bay Area Council and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council assesses the commercial opportunities and political obstacles amid U.S.-China tensions. Join the sponsors of the report for a deeper dive into the report's findings.

About the Speakers

Sean Randolph is senior director of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, where he served as president & CEO from 1998-2015, and manages its science affiliate the Bay Area Science and Innovation Consortium (BASIC). Randolph previously served as director of international trade for the state of California, and prior to that as international director general of the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC), a 1,000-member Asia-Pacific business organization. His professional career includes extensive experience in the U.S. Government, where he served on congressional staffs, on the White House staff, and in senior positions at the departments of State and Energy. Dr. Randolph holds a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center, a Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts and Harvard Universities), a B.S.F.S. from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, and studied at the London School of Economics.

Louis Chan is principal economist for the Global Research Team of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. As the head of the Global Research Team, Louis provides leadership and direction for research on market developments in the Americas and Europe. To provide a macro view for SMEs to formulate export strategies, Louis and his team monitor and evaluate the performance, changing trends and competitiveness of Hong Kong’s trading, manufacturing and service sector, at the industry-specific levels. To facilitate SMEs’ sales efforts, they also keep a close eye on the emerging business opportunities, consumption and sourcing trends, as well as regulatory changes in the Americas, Europe and Central Asia.

Moderator Scott Rozelle holds the Helen Farnsworth Endowed Professorship at Stanford University and is senior fellow and professor in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Dr. Rozelle's research focuses on the economics of poverty—with an emphasis on the economics of education and health. Dr. Rozelle is the co-director of the Rural Education Action Project and is an adjunct professor in 8 Chinese universities. In 2008, Dr. Rozelle was awarded the Friendship Award—the highest honor that can be endowed on a foreign citizen—by Premiere Wen Jiabao.

MLF ORGANIZER

Lillian Nakagawa

NOTES

MLF: Asia-Pacific Affairs

SPEAKERS

Louis Chan

Principal Economist (Global Research Team), Hong Kong Trade Development Council

Sean Randolph

Senior Director, Bay Area Council Economic Institute

Scott Rozelle

Helen Farnsworth Professor, Stanford University, and Senior Fellow and Professor, the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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David Cay Johnston: The Big Cheat Dec 10, 2021

The Trump family is one of the most talked about families in the United States. Donald Trump's presidency elevated that and helped put them on an international stage that brought the family to the forefront of the world. Over the last half decade, journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner David Cay Johnston has provided the American people with fascinating insight into the financial world of one of America's most influential families.

Johnston talks about the financial life of the Trump Family in his new piece of work, The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself and His Family. This new book details the aspects of the Trump family's finances during the four years Donald Trump spent in office, leaving no details out, to give you the complete picture.

Join us as David Cay Johnston offers an inside look into the financial world of the Trump family.

SPEAKERS

David Cay Johnston

Co-Founder, DCReport.org; Author, The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself and His Family; Twitter @DavidCayJ

In Conversation with Mitch Jeserich

Host, "Letters and Politics," KPFA Radio

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Fee for All: How Judges Are Raiding the Assets of Older Adults and Lining the Pockets of Conservatorship Attorneys Dec 10, 2021

This forum will explain how the assets of seniors and people with disabilities are often drained in order to pay the fees of a variety of attorneys in probate conservatorship proceedings.

With vague or nonexistent rules and a lack of accountability, judges are making ad hoc and often arbitrary orders requiring conservatees and proposed conservatees to pay unreasonable or excessive legal fees. Not only are they required to pay the fees of lawyers appointed to represent them, they are forced to pay the fees of lawyers representing other parties in the case: petitioner, temporary conservator, guardian ad litem, objector, public guardian, or permanent conservator.

Judges in conservatorship cases are supposed to be conserving the assets of adults who find themselves entangled in these proceedings. Courts know how to conserve assets when they want to or are required to. For example, there are strict procurement rules to follow when courts plan to spend money from the judicial branch budget. Specific guidelines must be followed. Competitive bidding is often required. But the culture of conservation does not exist when judges are spending the money of elderly and often vulnerable adults. The attorneys who are supposed to defend these adults in conservatorship proceedings are often silent when their colleagues in the probate bar are seeking to have the conservatee pay for their fees.

The panelists in this forum will explain how they witnessed or experienced this “fee for all” depleting the assets of a conservatee. The moderator will explain how the Funding and Fees Project of Spectrum Institute plans to tackle this problem with a thorough study of what has been happening in local courts throughout the state. The project will issue a report and recommendations on how to tame this asset-eating beast. The forum will encourage viewers to make a donation to Spectrum Institute to help fund the research and report. The report will document how the current “fee for all” is unconstitutional and will propose specific new protections to preserve the assets of conservatees just as judges protect judicial assets and budgets. What’s good for judges should be good for conservatees: real protection and asset preservation. The report will also urge attorneys for conservatees to raise more objections to fees and file appeals

MLF ORGANIZER

Denise Michaud

NOTES

MLF: Grownups

SPEAKERS

Roz Alexander-Kasparik

Was only allowed to be conservator for her fiancé David Rector after the court depleted David’s assets with payments of fees to the conservator and attorney

Sharon Holmes

Saw Theresa Jankowski suffer “legalized extortion” when lawyers wanted hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees in exchange for a dismissal of her conservatorship case

Dr. Gloria Duffy

CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California; published “Courts should not be a vehicle for elder financial abuse” based on experience with her mother’s conservatorship

Evan Nelson

Attorney; saw Catherine Dubro’s assets being drained when at one point the five attorneys were being paid from her estate, while Catherine herself had no attorney

Debra Bookout

Lead attorney of the Guardianship advocacy program, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada; they do not charge fees to clients and they challenge unreasonable fees from other attorneys

Thomas F. Coleman

Legal Director, Spectrum Institute; leads a team studying the “Fee for All” problem in conservatorships and will write a report with major reform proposals—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Climate Miseducation Dec 10, 2021

Climate change science isn’t taught accurately — or equally — across the country. Investigative reporter Katie Worth dug into textbooks and talked with dozens of children and teachers to find out why. In her book, Miseducation: How Climate is Taught in America, Worth unpacks the influence of the fossil fuel industry, state legislatures and school boards on school curricula in their effort to spread confusion and misinformation about the climate crisis.

Some organizations skip the textbook battle entirely and try to reach children directly through assemblies and social media. How do teachers navigate these dynamics in the classroom? How can we ensure our children are learning to be engaged, educated and climate-aware citizens?

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Katie Worth, investigative journalist, author, Miseducation: How Climate is Taught in America

Lea Dotson, Campaigner, Action for the Climate Emergency

Ann Reid, Executive Director, National Center for Science Education

Ben Graves, former science teacher in Delta County, CO

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The Democratization of Clinical Trials Dec 09, 2021

Clinical trials represent the primary means to test new drugs before they become approved by the FDA for sale and marketing as a standard of care. The purpose of these trials is to test the safety and efficacy of new drugs and their combinations. Clinical trials must be performed with the highest ethical standards and must include geographically, genetically and socio-economically diverse populations. Trials provide completely free care for all participants, ensuring that any patient can participate.

However, the vast majority of cutting-edge trials are performed in elite academic tertiary care centers, requiring patients not living in the immediate vicinity to undergo burdensome travel and long stays away from home. The Guardian Research Network was developed to address these issues by bringing novel trials to community health systems where most patients are treated, effectively democratizing clinical trial access. A new digital approach was developed to consenting patients, and collecting and reporting clinical data, and a network was formed using centralized approaches to save time and expense. Real-world data is used to submit comparator control arms to the FDA to support rapid drug approvals.

Timothy J. Yeatman, M.D. is an adjunct professor of surgery at the University of Utah, where he has an active National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded laboratory, and he is a member of the Cell Response and Regulation Program of the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI). He has spent the past two and a half years directing the development of an integrated cancer program for Intermountain Healthcare and its 24 hospitals, and coordinating collaborations with the University of Utah and HCI. He recently joined Phenome Health as its chief clinical officer in charge of identifying and accruing 1million participants in the Beyond the Human Genome Project (BHG).

MLF ORGANIZER

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Dr. Timothy J. Yeatman

M.D., Adjunct Professor of Surgery, University of Utah; Chief Clinical Officer, Phenome Health;

Dr. Robert Lee Kilpatrick

Ph.D., Chair, Health & Medicine Member-Led Forum—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 7th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Taste Makers—Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food Dec 09, 2021

Join us to learn more about America’s modern culinary history told through the lives of seven pathbreaking chefs and food writers.

Who’s really behind America’s appetite for foods from around the globe? Award-winning author Mayukh Sen has produced a group biography about seven extraordinary women, all immigrants, who left an indelible mark on the way Americans eat today. His book Taste Makers stretches from World War II to the present, with absorbing and deeply researched portraits of figures including Mexican-born Elena Zelayeta, a blind chef; Marcella Hazan, the deity of Italian cuisine; and Norma Shirley, a champion of Jamaican dishes.

Mayukh Sen―a queer, brown child of immigrants―reconstructs the lives of these women in vivid and empathetic detail, daring to ask why some were famous in their own time, but not in ours, and why others shine brightly even today. Weaving together histories of food, immigration and gender, Sen challenges the way people look at what’s on their plate―and the women whose labor, overlooked for so long, makes those meals possible. He'll be joined on our virtual stage by Alicia Kennedy, author of the popular newsletter "From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy" and a forthcoming book on eating ethnically.

SPEAKERS

Reem Assil

Chef; Owner, Reem’s California and Reem’s California Mission

Alicia Kennedy

Writer; Author, "From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy" Newsletter; Twitter @aliciakennedy

Mayukh Sen

Author, Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America: Twitter @senatormayukh

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 2nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Around the World in 80 Books Dec 07, 2021

Take an illuminating literary voyage around the globe, without any Covid restrictions to hamper your travels, using classic and modern works that are in conversation with one another and with the world around them. David Damrosch explores how our idea of the world has been shaped by 80 exceptional books, following an itinerary from London to Venice, Tehran and points beyond, via authors from Woolf and Dante to Nobel Prize–winners Orhan Pamuk, Wole Soyinka, Mo Yan, and Olga Tokarczuk.

To chart the expansive landscape of world literature today, Damrosch explores how writers live in two very different worlds: the world of their personal experience and the world of books that have enabled great writers to give shape and meaning to their lives. In his literary cartography, Damrosch includes compelling contemporary works as well as perennial classics, hard-bitten crime fiction as well as haunting works of fantasy, and the formative tales that introduce us as children to the world we’re entering. Taken together, these 80 books offer us fresh perspectives on enduring problems, from the social consequences of epidemics to the rising inequality that Thomas More designed Utopia to combat, as well as the patriarchal structures against which many heroines have to struggle—from the work of Murasaki Shikibu a millennium ago to Margaret Atwood today.

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

David Damrosch

Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Comparative Literature, and Chair of Comparative Literature Department, Harvard University; Director, Harvard’s Institute for World Literature; Author, Around the World in 80 Books

George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 2nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The New Peace Corps: An interview with the Acting Director Dec 07, 2021

In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Peace Corps returned more than 7,000 volunteers to the United States from the countries around the world where they were based.

There have been many discussions and conferences advocating for changes in the structure, mission, and goals of the Peace Corps as it celebrates the 60th year since its founding by President John F. Kennedy. The Peace Corps is passionate about working to strengthen the impact of its mission both at home and abroad as well as promoting diversity and inclusion to enhance the relativity and substance of its work.

The Peace Corps, a government agency, is headed by Carol Spahn, the acting director. Currently, the mission of the Peace Corps is to promote world peace and friendship through community-based development and cross cultural understanding through three important core goals: building local capacity, sharing America with the world, and bringing the world back home.

Glenn Blumhorst is the president of the National Peace Corps Association ,which is a mission-driven social impact non-government organization that encourages and celebrates lifelong commitment to Peace Corps ideals and assists the Peace Corps.

Please join us as we discuss what the future of the Peace Corps will look like.

SPEAKERS

Carol Spahn

Acting Director, Peace Corps

Glenn Blumhorst

President, National Peace Corps Association

Frank Price

Vice Chair, Commonwealth Club International Relations Member-Led Forum—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 2nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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(Re)Filling Those Seats: California Theatre Challenges Dec 03, 2021

Brad Erickson, departing long-time Theatre Bay Area executive director, introduces top new Bay Area artistic leaders. They will challenge each other and viewers about repertory, risks, delights and post-COVID theatre-making.

What's changed in the theatre producing community? What will (re)fill those seats?

MLF ORGANIZER

Anne W. Smith

NOTES

MLF: Arts

In Association with Theatre Bay Area.

SPEAKERS

Sean San Jose

Artistic Director, Magic Theatre

Johanna Pfaelzer

Artistic Director, Berkeley Repertory Theater

Khalia Davis

Artistic Director, Bay Area Children's Theatre

Tim Bond

Artistic Director, Theatreworks

Brad Erickson

Executive Director, Theatre Bay Area

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Artists, San Quentin and San Francisco Opera’s 'Fidelio' Dec 03, 2021

During the current production of San Francisco Opera's Fidelio (October 14–30, 2021) at San Francisco's recently reopened War Memorial Opera House, there is an arts display about struggle and liberation. As part of the opera's ancillary events, the display relates to the Arts in Corrections programs with prisoners at San Quentin.

Moderator Cole Thomason-Redus will share exhibit and production visuals at the meeting. Cole is educational content curator in the Department of Diversity, Equity and Community at San Francisco Opera.

Artist Carol Newborg has said that the role of art in prison to help people heal and change confirms for her the necessity of art to life. For the past decade she has been the organizer of exhibitions and public panels and readings at the William James Association.

San Francisco Opera singer Erin Neff is dedicated to advocating for incarcerated women in the California prison system.

MLF ORGANIZER

Anne W. Smith

NOTES

MLF: Arts

In association with San Francisco Opera.

SPEAKERS

Erin Neff

Singer; Stage Director; Voice Instructor; Advocate for incarcerated women

Carol Newborg

Artist; Exhibition and Public Panels/Readings Organizer, William James Association

Cole Thomason-Redus

Educational Content Curator, Department of Diversity, Equity & Community, San Francisco Opera—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: What the Infrastructure Deal Means for Climate Dec 03, 2021

President Biden recently signed the biggest piece of climate legislation in U.S. history into law. To be sure, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act got pared down significantly from what was first put on the table, but the final measure still contains five times more money for projects aimed at mitigating the climate crisis than the best legislation the Obama administration could get through. What did it take to get 19 Republican senators (not to mention Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema) to vote with the Democrats? And with the states being given great latitude over how to spend the money, will the billions available for highways negate any positive climate impacts?

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Carla Frisch, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Policy, U.S. Department of Energy

Sasha Mackler, Executive Director, The Energy Project, Bipartisan Policy Center

Beth Osborne, Director, Transportation for America

Michael Grunwald, journalist, author, The New New Deal

Support our work: climateone.org/donate

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Climate + Justice: Young Activists Speak Out Dec 02, 2021

As the devastating effects of climate change take hold around the world, young people are demanding action from global leaders and, increasingly, taking action themselves. Ask a teenager or young adult which issues they think are most pressing in the world today, and climate will often top the list.

One of the goals of our Creating Citizens initiative is to provide a forum for youth to meet and learn from peers and civic leaders about the complex and often controversial issues that are important to them. So it is with special pride that we present a panel of young climate activists discussing their own work and the power of youth to address the climate crisis and issues of racial and social injustice around the world.

SPEAKERS

Samir Chowdhury

Founder and Executive Director, Youth Climate Action Team, Inc.

Vanessa Nakate

Author, A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis

Zaria Romero

Climate Generation Delegate, COP26; Junior, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Darren Zook

Professor, Global Studies and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on December 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Linda Greenhouse: The Supreme Court at the Brink Dec 02, 2021

Over the past four years, the United States Supreme Court has seen drastic changes to its members, from the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg to the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett. At the end of the 2019–20 term, followers of the Supreme Court noted that a new "center" of the court was holding under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts. By the end of the 2020–21 term, much about the nation's highest court had changed, reflecting a conservative supermajority enabled by jurors nominated by President Donald Trump. Many observers of the court expect these shifts to continue and deepen, making this past year a critical pivot point in the history of the Supreme Court, and American politics as a whole.

In her new book, Linda Greenhouse, a Pulitizer Prize winner and one of the best-known chroniclers of the Supreme Court of her generation, explores the end of the 2020–21 term for the court, the changes that have occurred in the past year, and what the future holds for the court in these increasingly partisan times. Greenhouse covers everything from the death of Justice Ginsburg to the rise of Justice Comey Barrett, from the pandemic to the disputed 2020 election, putting the happenings around the Supreme Court at the center of the country's partisan political disputes.

Please join us for an important conversation on the U.S. Supreme Court and its increasing role in American society with a writer who knows the court and its politics as well as anyone in America.

SPEAKERS

Linda Greenhouse

Contributing Op-Ed Writer, The New York Times; Clinical Lecturer in Law, Senior Research Scholar in Law, Yale Law School; Author, Justice on the Brink

In Conversation with Lara Bazelon

Professor of Law and Director of Criminal Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinical Programs, University of San Francisco

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jonathan Karl with Martha Raddatz: The Final Act of the Trump Show Nov 30, 2021

Veteran journalist Jonathan Karl has known and covered Donald J. Trump longer than any other White House reporter. And during that time, he has been praised, taunted and branded an enemy of the people by President Trump himself.

So possibly nobody is in a better position to tell the story of the shocking final chapter of the Trump show than Karl. In his new book Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show, Karl takes us behind the scenes of some of the darkest days in American history and shares what happened during the final weeks of the Trump presidency, the aftermath that followed, and what it means for the future of the Republican Party.

SPEAKERS

Jonathan Karl

Chief White House Correspondent and Chief Washington Correspondent, ABC News; Author, Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show; Twitter @jonkarl

In Conversation with Martha Raddatz

ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent and Co-Anchor of “This Week with George Stephanopoulos”; Twitter @MarthaRaddatz

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND Finding the Heart to Talk About Climate Nov 26, 2021

Ever have a difficult conversation about climate? Pretty much everyone has. Knowing all the facts and figures only goes so far when talking to someone who just doesn’t agree. So how do we break through the barriers? Scientists trained to present information in a one-way lecture format face a particular challenge: they first need to unlearn old habits.

“Everybody's trying to figure out ‘how do we move past this idea that just arming people with facts will lead to a better world,’ right, because we’ve just seen that that’s absolutely not true,” says Faith Kearns, author of Getting to the Heart of Science Communication.

Kearns argues that we all need to move from an “information deficit” model of communication – where it’s assumed that the audience simply needs more information – to a relational model, where the science communicator does as much listening as talking in order to first find empathy and common ground.

Guests:

Faith Kearns, author, Getting to the Heart of Science Communication

Katerina Gonzales, doctoral research fellow, Stanford University

Support our work: climateone.org/donate

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Michael Eric Dyson: Entertaining Race Nov 23, 2021

For more than 30 years, Michael Eric Dyson has played a prominent role in the nation as a public intellectual, university professor, cultural critic, social activist and ordained Baptist minister. He has presented a rich and resourceful set of ideas about American history and culture. Now, for the first time, he brings together the various components of his multihued identity and eclectic pursuits.

Entertaining Race: Performing Blackness in America dives into how Black people were forced to entertain white people in slavery, have been forced to entertain the idea of race from the start, and must find entertaining ways to make race an object of national conversation.

Most of this work will be new to readers, a fresh light for many of his long-time fans, and an inspiring introduction for newcomers. Join us as Michael Eric Dyson takes us through his new work, and offers insight into the role of African American culture in American culture.

SPEAKERS

Michael Eric Dyson

Distinguished University Professor of African American & Diaspora Studies, College of Arts & Science, and of Ethics & Society, Divinity School, and NEH Centennial Chair at Vanderbilt University; Author, Entertaining Race: Performing Blackness in America

In Conversation with Lauren Sanders

Journalist

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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QTAPIs: The Personal and the Political Nov 23, 2021

Welcome to Hearts and Minds—A QTAPI Community Conversation Series, Session Three: FTAPIs—The Personal and the Political.

Join us for an intergenerational panel discussion of QTAPI (queer and trans Asian Pacific Islander) people discussing and sharing stories of their personal involvement in politics and community organizing.

The Asian and the Pacific Islander communities are not monoliths unto themselves, so no program can possibly speak to the breadth of diversity and uniqueness in those communities. But we will explore certain moments in the panelists' own personal histories and lived experiences as they reflect on questions such as: What got them involved in API and/or LGBTQ issues? Was there a specific moment that moved you to become involved? Who were your mentors? How has your involvement changed from when you started? What is the most rewarding aspect of this work? And more.

SPEAKERS

James Coleman

Member, South San Francisco City Council

Valli Kalei Kanuha

Ph.D., Teaching Professor and Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, University of Washington

Sammie Ablaza Wills

Community Organizer; Outgoing Executive Director, APIENC

Willy Wilkinson

M.P.H., Writer; Public Health Consultant; Cultural Competency Trainer; Author, Born on the Edge of Race and Gender: A Voice for Cultural Competency

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly: Monetary Policy in Uncertain Times Nov 23, 2021

Mary C. Daly is the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She returns to The Commonwealth Club for a much-anticipated discussion on how to approach monetary policy amidst the uncertainty of an economy still struggling to overcome the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since taking office in October 2018, Dr. Daly has committed to making the San Francisco Fed a more community-engaged bank that is transparent and responsive to the people it serves. She works to connect economic principles to real-world concerns and concentrates on monetary policy, labor economics, and increasing diversity within the economics field. Dr. Daly began her career with the San Francisco Fed in 1996 as an economist specializing in labor market dynamics and economic inequality. She went on to become the bank’s executive vice president and director of research. She currently serves on advisory boards for the Center for First-generation Student Success and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She has also served on the advisory boards of the Congressional Budget Office, the Social Security Administration, the Office of Rehabilitation Research and Training, the Institute of Medicine, and the Library of Congress.

Dr. Daly earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, a master’s degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Ph.D. from Syracuse University. She also completed a National Institute of Aging post-doctoral fellowship at Northwestern University. A native of Ballwin, Missouri, Dr. Daly now lives in Oakland, California, with her wife Shelly.

SPEAKERS

Mary C. Daly

President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Lenny Mendonca

Former Chief Economic and Business Advisor, Director of the Office of Business and Economic Development, State of California; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Maryles Casto: My Journey from the Clouds to Silicon Valley CEO Nov 22, 2021

In her new book, A Hole in the Clouds, Maryles Casto shares how, as part of the dramatic economic growth of Silicon Valley, she built her travel business from a $1,500 startup to a $200 million company, serving the needs of the tech industry. She describes how advice from key industry pioneers—such as Intel’s Andy Grove and Robert Noyce and V.C.s William Bowes and Irwin Federman—contributed to her perspective on business, and offers invaluable lessons on her strategies that helped the business to thrive despite being in an industry threatened by extinction. She describes how her business success then led her to champion community and cultural organizations.

When Maryles Casto left her family’s sugar plantation in the Philippines in 1959 and moved to the United States as a new bride, she brought with her a love for travel and the stellar customer-service experience she’d gained as a flight attendant for Philippine Airlines. She never imagined she’d be building a business from scratch in an unfamiliar country. But when her husband went back to school, she needed to find a job. She founded Casto Travel soon after, a company she ran for more than four decades.

Join us as Maryles Casto discusses the true story of how she transformed her life from unemployed flight attendant into the CEO of one of the most successful travel companies in the country, and of the many interesting characters she has met along the way!

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Maryles Casto

Chairman and CEO, MVC Solutions; Author, A Hole in the Clouds: From Flight Attendant to Silicon Valley CEO

In Conversation with Dr. Gloria Duffy

President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 15th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Taking Stock of COP26 Nov 19, 2021

In 2015, delegates from 196 nations entered into the legally binding treaty on climate change known as the Paris Agreement, which set a goal of limiting global warming to “well below 2 and preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.” Yet in August of this year, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a new assessment report that starkly illustrated the world’s collective failure to meet that target. Delegates from across the globe have just met in Glasgow for the international climate summit known as COP26, with the hope of strengthening commitments to keep emissions targets at that 1.5 degree level.

After two weeks of negotiations, presentations and protests in Glasgow, COP26 is a wrap. This week we discuss what was achieved - and what wasn’t - at the summit.

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Vanessa Nakate, Ugandan climate activist

Jiang Lin, Adjunct Professor, University of California Berkeley

Albert Cheung, Head of Global Analysis, Bloomberg New Energy Finance

Support our work: climateone.org/donate

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The Sharaka Project and the Abraham Accords Nov 18, 2021

Our distinguished, diverse panel will discuss the Abraham Accords, which began a new era of cooperation between the broader Middle East region and Israel, and inspired the development of entities such as the Sharaka Project. (Sharaka means "partnership" in Arabic.).

The project was founded by young leaders in order to turn the vision of people-to-people peace into a reality and encourage citizen diplomacy. Sharaka is currently located in Bahrain, Israel, The UAE, the United States and soon will open in Morocco. The panelists will also share their personal stories and cultures that inspire them.

MLF ORGANIZER

Celia Menczel

NOTES

MLF: Middle East

SPEAKERS

Omar Al Busaidi

CEO, Sharaka USA, Fulbright Scholar

Hayvi Bouzo

Journalist; Washington, D.C., Bureau chief, The Orient News

Dan Feferman

Director of Communications and Global Affairs, Sharaka; Fellow, The Jewish People Policy Institute

Chama Mechtaly

Artist; Founder and CEO, Moors and Saints

Banafsheh Keynoush

Ph.D., Vice-Chair, Commonwealth Club Middle East Member-Led Forum—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Roots of Peace in Afghanistan Nov 18, 2021

For more than 25 years, Heidi Kuhn, at the helm of Roots of Peace, has been dedicated to cultivating peace and to helping rebuild war-torn countries by turning the scourge of land-mined areas into profitable agricultural land.

For example, in Afghanistan, a country 80-percent dependent on an agricultural economy, her esteemed charity has removed millions of landmines and planted millions of trees and vines, which greatly benefits countless Afghan farmers and their families.

Kuhn will also discuss her recent efforts to help her female employees emigrate and how after the ending of America's "forever" war and despite the unexpected, rapid Taliban takeover, Roots of Peace continues in Afghanistan.

MLF ORGANIZER

Celia Menczel

NOTES

MLF: Middle East, International Relations

SPEAKERS

Heidi Kuhn

Humanitarian; Founder and CEO, Roots of Peace

Atta Arghandiwal

Former Refugee; Author Lost Decency: The Untold Afghan Story

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Black Farming: Food Justice and Land Stewardship Nov 17, 2021

Black communities have a long and complicated relationship with American soil. The ongoing call to address systemic racism, patterns of abuse, violence and dispossession have brought back to the mainstream the conversation of BIPOC communities' historical connections to land.

What are the connections between this history and current "food apartheid" (food deserts)? How is the Black farming movement connected to changes in larger food systems and the growth of worker cooperatives? How are people incorporating environmental sustainability into their work? And what can we learn from both the rich history of resistance and current strategies to inform how we resource a world where all people have access to healthy, fresh and locally sourced food?

Join the San Francisco Foundation and The Commonwealth Club of California as Doria Robinson, executive director of Urban Tilth, and Andrea Talley, worker-owner of the Mandela Grocery Cooperative, explore multiple issues and interconnections that surround farming and food access for BIPOC communities. In conversation with Natalie Baszile, noted author of Queen Sugar and We Are Each Other’s Harvest.

SPEAKERS

Doria Robinson

Executive Director, Urban Tilth

Andrea Talley

Worker-Owner, Mandela Grocery Cooperative

Natalie Baszile

Author, Queen Sugar and We Are Each Other's Harvest: Celebrating African American Farmers, Land, and Legacy

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Alec Ross: The Raging 2020s and the Fight for Our Future Nov 16, 2021

Corporate America and our government both hold the power to shape our daily lives. However, Alex Ross says recently there seems to be a blur between big business and Congress in the “new Gilded Age”. Private companies have become as powerful as countries, leading many to wonder about the implications for everyday people.

In the face of unprecedented global change, New York Times bestselling author Alec Ross proposes a new social contract to restore the balance of power between government, citizens and business in The Raging 2020s: Companies, Countries, People—and the Fight for Our Future.Through interviews with the world’s most influential thinkers and stories of corporate activism and malfeasance, government failure and renewal, and innovative economic and political models, Ross proposes a new social contract―one that resets the equilibrium between corporations, the governing, and the governed.

Join us as Alec Ross takes us through the changing landscape of the relationship between big business, government and people.

SPEAKERS

Alec Ross

Distinguished Visiting Professor, The University of Bologna Business School; Former Senior Advisor for Innovation to the U.S. Secretary of State; Author, The Raging 2020s: Companies, Countries, People—and the Fight for Our Future

In Conversation with DJ Patil

Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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John McWhorter: The Limits of Antiracism Nov 16, 2021

Since the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, Americans have been engaged in a vast discussion on the state of race in America. Like many topics in the country, the issue has become a divisive, tense debate about how the country faces its racist past, the meaning of systemic racism, the role of critical race theory in K–12 schools and universities, and what it means to be "anti-racist" during this challenging moment in American civic life.

Renowned linguist and award-winning writer John McWhorter feels this debate and discussion has been dominated by a "woke mob" that subscribes to theories that are illogical, unreachable and, ultimately, racist in their impact, however unintentional those effects may be. In his book Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America, McWhorter argues that an "illiberal neoracism," disguised as antiracism, is hurting Black communities and weakening the American social fabric.

In Woke Racism, McWhorter reveals the workings of this new progressive approach toward race, from the original sin of “white privilege” to the weaponization of cancel culture to ban heretics. His book sets out to show how efforts that claim to “dismantle racist structures” are actually harming his fellow Black Americans by infantilizing Black people, setting Black students up for failure, and passing policies that disproportionately damage Black communities. Some may call it “antiracism,” but to McWhorter, it features a racial essentialism that’s barely distinguishable from racist arguments of the past.

Please join us for an important discussion on the limits of antiracism with an increasingly visible writer who has a different roadmap to justice that he believes will help, not hurt, Black America.

SPEAKERS

John McWhorter

Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University; Author, Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America

Debra J. Saunders

Fellow, Chapman Center for Citizen Leadership; Columnist, Creators Syndicate—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 2nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Sam Quinones: America in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth Nov 12, 2021

In 2015, renowned writer Sam Quinones woke up many Americans to the dangers of the opioid epidemic with his award-winning book Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic. In his new book, The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth, Quinones follows up Dreamland with an exploration of the terrifying next stages of the opioid epidemic, and the stories of individuals and communities that have fought back.

Quinones was among the first journalists to capture the true danger presented by synthetic drugs. In fentanyl, traffickers landed a painkiller a hundred times more powerful than morphine, and laced it into cocaine, meth, and counterfeit pills, causing tens of thousands of deaths—at the same time as Mexican traffickers made methamphetamine cheaper and more potent than ever. Combined, these new synthetic drugs wrecked communities across the country, particularly rural areas, led to a surge of mental illness concerns, and fed a growing homelessness problem throughout the United States. Quinones explores these issues and more.

At a time of great despair because of multiple drug epidemics, Quinones also finds sources of hope, in communities fighting back against rampant synthetic drug issues and helping individuals repair their lives. Quinones concludes that the nation has forsaken “what has made America great” and that “when drug traffickers act like corporations and corporations like drug traffickers, our best defense, perhaps our only defense, lies in bolstering community.”

Please join us for an important conversation on one of the country's most challenging problems, and what we all can do to rise to the challenge.

SPEAKERS

Sam Quinones

Journalist; Author, The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth

April Dembosky

Health Correspondent, KQED—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 4th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jay Caspian Kang: The Loneliest Americans Nov 12, 2021

Join us for a conversation with Jay Caspian Kang, who draws on a combination of family history and original reporting to explore—and reimagine—Asian American identity in a Black and white world.

In 1965, a new immigration law lifted a century of restrictions against Asian immigrants to the United States. Nobody, including the lawmakers who passed the bill, expected it to transform the country’s demographics. But over the next four decades, millions arrived, including Jay Caspian Kang’s parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

The Loneliest Americans is the unforgettable story of Kang and his family as they move from a housing project in Cambridge to an idyllic college town in the South and eventually to the West Coast. Their story unfolds against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding Asian America, as millions more immigrants, many of them working-class or undocumented, stream into the country. At the same time, upwardly mobile urban professionals have struggled to reconcile their parents’ assimilationist goals with membership in a multicultural elite—all while trying to carve out a new kind of belonging for their own children.

Kang recognizes this existential loneliness in himself and in other Asian Americans who try to locate themselves in what he calls the country’s racial binary. There are the businessmen turning Flushing into a center of immigrant wealth; the casualties of the Los Angeles riots; the impoverished parents in New York City who believe that admission to the city’s exam schools is the only way out; the men’s right’s activists on Reddit ranting about intermarriage; and the handful of protesters who show up at Black Lives Matter rallies holding “Yellow Peril Supports Black Power” signs. Kang ties these various strands together amid a wave of anti-Asian violence and he adds his call for a new form of immigrant solidarity—one rooted not in bubble tea and elite college admissions but in the struggles of refugees and the working class.

About the Speaker

Jay Caspian Kang is a writer-at-large for The New York Times Magazine. His other work has appeared in The New York Review of Books and The New Yorker, and on "This American Life" and "Vice," where he worked as an Emmy-nominated correspondent. He is the author of the novel The Dead Do Not Improve, which The Boston Globe called “an extremely smart, funny debut, with moments of haunting beauty.”

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Jay Caspian Kang

Writer-at-Large, The New York Times Magazine; Author, The Loneliest Americans

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 4th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Dr. Sandro Galea: Preventing the Next Health Crisis Nov 12, 2021

Within months of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, public health systems in the United States (and around the world) were stretched to the brink of destruction. The virus infected millions, killed hundreds of thousands, and effectively made the country stand still. Nineteen months later, the pandemic continues. Yet America was already in poor health before COVID-19 appeared. The country's failure to address many issues—marginalization and socioeconomic inequality among them—left the United States vulnerable to COVID-19 and the ensuing global health crisis it became.

Sandro Galea's new book, The Contagion Next Time, describes the foundational forces shaping health in our society and how we can strengthen them to prevent the next outbreak from becoming a pandemic. Had the country tackled these challenges 20 years ago, after the outbreak of SARS, perhaps COVID-19 could have been quickly contained. Instead, we allowed our systems to deteriorate. Galea, as he did in his previous book, Well, challenges all of us to tackle the deep-rooted obstacles preventing us from becoming a truly vibrant and equitable nation, and reminds us at this critical time that a country's health is a public good worth protecting as much as the country's physical infrastructure.

Please join us for this important public health conversation.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Sandro Galea

Dean and Robert A. Knox Professor, Boston University School of Public Health

Mark Zitter

Chair, The Zetema Project—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 4th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Climbing, Conservation and Capitalism Nov 12, 2021

Rick Ridgeway estimates he’s spent about five years of his life sleeping in tents, often in the world’s most remote places alongside fellow outdoor adventure luminaries. Ridgeway worked for Patagonia for 15 years and was behind the company’s infamous “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad campaign, which paradoxically advocated sustainability and increased sales.

Outdoor companies like Patagonia may push for sustainability, but they largely still present a mostly white, wealthy experience with nature, which can be off-putting for people of color. “You know if you can't see yourself in those spaces then it’s hard to feel invited or welcome in that movement,” says writer and social justice facilitator Amanda Machado.

What is the role of corporations in conservation? And how can the outdoor industry help make nature more safe, accessible and welcoming for all?

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Rick Ridgeway, former Vice President of Public Engagement, Patagonia

Amanda Machado, writer and social justice facilitator

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Groundbreaking Innovations in Mental Health at UCSF Nov 10, 2021

Building upon decades of work, the field of psychiatry stands at the precipice of a new era as advancements in neuroscience and population health are being successfully applied to the treatment of mental health disorders. From personalized brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression to the use of technology to bring care to historically underserved groups, a wave of innovations is revolutionizing how mental health care is delivered in the Bay Area and around the globe.

A panel of clinical and research experts from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences will discuss their efforts to transform our understanding and treatment of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, eating disorders, autism and substance use disorders.

Part of The Commonwealth Club’s series on mental health, dedicated in memory of Nancy Friend Pritzker, with support from the John Pritzker Family Fund.

SPEAKERS

Christopher Bartley

M.D., Ph.D., Adjunct Instructor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF; Hannah H. Grey Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Andrew Moses Lee

M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Adjunct professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF

Katherine Scangos

M.D., Ph.D., Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF

Fumi Mitsuishi

M.D., M.S., Health sciences associate clinical professor, UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Director, Citywide Case Management, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Department of Psychiatry

Andrew Krystal

M.D., M.S., Ray and Dagmar Dolby Distinguished Professor, Vice Chair, Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Professor in residence, UCSF Department of Neurology. Director, UCSF Dolby Family Center for Mood Disorders—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 5th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Risk with General Stanley McChrystal Nov 10, 2021

From his first day at West Point to his years of deployment in Afghanistan, retired four-star U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal is no stranger to the deadly risks of combat. Throughout his illustrious career and efforts helping business leaders navigate a global pandemic, General McChrystal has seen how individuals and organizations have failed to mitigate risk by focusing solely on the probability of something happening as opposed to the interface by which it can be managed.

In his new book, Risk: A User’s Guide, McChrystal and co-author Anna Butrico offer a battle-tested system for detecting and responding to risk. This book offers an alternative way of maintaining a healthy "risk immune system" that involves monitoring 10 different dimensions of control the authors say can be adjusted at any time to effectively anticipate, identify, analyze and act upon the ever-present possibility that things will not go as planned.

Join us as General McChrystal reveals an entirely new way to understand risk and master the unknown.

SPEAKERS

General Stanley McChrystal

Retired Army General; Author, Risk: A User’s Guide; Twitter @StanMcChrystal

In Conversation with Dan Ashley

Co-Anchor, ABC 7 News; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @DanAshleyABC7

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Diana Campoamor: A Latine Vision for a New American Democracy Nov 09, 2021

There is no version of America’s past, present or future that does not involve the Latinx community. As the second-largest ethnic group, the Latinx community has played a fundamental role in shaping our culture, our elections and our society. And yet, as Nuestra America Fund (NAF) founder Diana Campoamor argues, time and time again this community is undermined, their contributions are pushed to the wayside, and their voices are consistently hushed.

Campoamor’s book, If We Want to Win: A Latine Vision for a New American Democracy, is a pushback against such silencing. Twenty Latinx visionaries from diverse causes come together in its pages to share their stories of growth, resilience and revolution. With a diversity of knowledge ranging from environmental justice to philanthropy, these stories cover a wealth of lived experiences. From this they mastermind a future in which harmful stereotypes are replaced with nuanced understandings of the community's diversity and their accurate portrayal sets the tone for a more representative and just democracy.

At INFORUM, Campoamor will be in conversation with a panel of experts to recount their own stories of growing up in the Latinx community and validate the experiences of the community at large. With this shared wisdom on their side, they will reiterate the bounty to come from a more just future in which the Latinx community is accredited, vindicated, and cherished.

SPEAKERS

Diana Campoamor

Founder, Nuestra America Fund (NAF); Editor, If We Want to Win: A Latine Vision for a New American Democracy

Ana Marie Argilagos

President and CEO, Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP)

Alexandra Aquino-Fike

Vice President of Development, East Bay Community Foundation

Chris Cardona

Senior Program Officer for Philanthropy, Ford Foundation—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 3rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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ReGeneration with Paul Hawken Nov 09, 2021

ReGeneration has two meanings: It refers to regenerating life on earth, and it refers to a new generation of humans coming together to reverse global warming.

Join Paul Hawken as he demonstrates, through his new work, a response to the urgency of the warming crisis with optimism and joy. You will come away with your own sense of purpose and next actions for renewal.

SPEAKERS

Paul Hawken

Environmentalist; Author, Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation

Elizabeth Carney

Entrepreneur; Chair, Business and Leadership Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on November 3rd, 2021 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The COVID Labyrinth: Where Are We In It and How Do We Escape? Nov 05, 2021

Join us for a medical panel discussion about where we are in the COVID pandemic. What progress has been made? What failures have contributed most to making recovery so complicated? How do we, and should we, accelerate the vaccination programs in other countries? Do we have a realistic exit strategy? Or will we be living with COVID for the foreseeable future? And does that mean that the distrust in medical authorities and governments that the pandemic has exacerbated will prove to be a socially intractable problem for decades to come?

The 11th Annual Lundberg Institute Lecture will once again deal with the major medical issue of our time, asking the questions that need to be answered if we are to find our way forward successfully. Join us in person in San Francisco, or by livestream, to ask your questions too.

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Dr. Leana Wen

M.D., Emergency Physician; Visiting Prof. of Health Policy & Mgmt., Milken School of Public Health, George Washington U.; Fmr. Commissioner of Health, Baltimore City; TED MED Speaker; Author, Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health

Dr. George Lundberg

M.D., Editor in Chief, Cancer Commons; Editor at Large, Medscape; Executive Adviser, Cureus; Clinical Professor of Pathology, Northwestern University; President and Chair, The Lundberg Institute

Dr. Susan Levenstein

M.D., Primary Care Internist; Blogger, "Stethoscope On Rome"; Author, Dottoressa: An American Doctor in Rome

George Hammond

Author, Conversations with Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Sebastian Junger: Freedom Nov 05, 2021

Sebastian Junger returns, in person, to The Commonwealth Club to discuss the ideas in his latest book, Freedom. Throughout history, he says, humans have been driven by the quest for two cherished ideals: community and freedom. The two don’t coexist easily. We value individuality and self-reliance, yet are utterly dependent on community for our most basic needs. Junger examines that tension—which lies at the heart of what it means to be human.

For much of a year, Junger and three friends—a conflict photographer and two Afghan War vets—walked the railroad lines of the East Coast. It was an experiment in personal autonomy, but also in interdependence. Dodging railroad cops, sleeping under bridges, cooking over fires, and drinking from creeks and rivers, the four men forged a unique reliance on one another.

Junger weaves his account of this journey together with related digressions on primatology and boxing strategy, the history of labor strikes and Apache raiders, the role of women in resistance movements, and the brutal reality of life on the Pennsylvania frontier. Written in exquisite, razor-sharp prose, Freedom is a nuanced examination of the primary desire that defines us.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Sebastian Junger

Author; Co-Director, Restrepo; Contributing Editor, Vanity Fair; Author, Freedom

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Geoengineering: Who Should Control Our Atmosphere? Nov 05, 2021

According to the latest IPCC Assessment Report, we’re currently on course for at least 3°C (5.4°F) of warming by 2100 even if all of the voluntary Paris Agreement emissions pledges are fulfilled. Clearly the world needs to do more to reduce emissions. But what if that’s still not enough?

Solar geoengineering – such as putting sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere to reduce the amount of the sun’s heat from reaching the earth – could be one tool to slow warming temporarily. But it has become so politically fraught that even research into the subject is contentious. Who decides who should control our atmosphere? And what global governance structures should be put in place before any experimentation begins?

This program is generously underwritten in part by the Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation.

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Janos Pasztor, Executive Director, Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative, former Assistant Secretary General, United Nations

Sheila Jasanoff, Professor of science and technology studies, Harvard Kennedy School

Albert Lin, Professor, University of California Davis School of Law

David Keith, Professor of applied physics and public policy, Harvard

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Alyssa Milano: Sorry Not Sorry Nov 04, 2021

Alyssa Milano’s renowned career is characterized by one success after another. If you don’t know her from one of her many TV or movie roles since her debut at age seven, then it's undoubtedly her activism in politics and the #MeToo movement that has put her on the radar. Milano’s life — being raised in the limelight of celebrity and being in the rooms others dream of — has given her unmatched insight into parts unknown. At the same time Milano is a wife, a mother of two (plus many animals), and has strived to maintain a sense of normalcy despite her powerful, star-turned-humanitarian persona. From within this unique well of knowledge comes Milano’s new book Sorry Not Sorry, a series of both unimaginable and wildly relatable tales from a life’s worth of playing many roles, including herself.

At INFORUM, Milano will give an insider peek into the head that wears many hats — sharing relationship advice, tales borne from stardom, and a generous dose of humor. Sincere, striking and welcomingly blunt, Milano’s stories are sure to charm time and time again.

SPEAKERS

Alyssa Milano

Actor; Activist; Author, Sorry Not Sorry

Amber Tamblyn

Actor; Director; Author; Founder & Global Leadership Board Member, Time's Up

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 28th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Her Honor: LaDoris Hazzard Cordell Nov 04, 2021

There is only one room that bears witness to marriages, divorces, adoptions, and criminal proceedings—the courtroom. Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell has sat in this room and dedicated nearly five decades of her life to putting justice back into the justice system. As the first African American female judge to serve on the Superior Court in northern California and a trailblazer in many other respects, her years on the bench have put her, in the most literal terms, front and center to the societal microcosm that is the courtroom.

In her debut book Her Honor: My Life on the Bench . . . What Works, What's Broken, and How to Change It, Judge Cordell gives an inside look into a judge's chamber. She shares real stories of the trials and tribulations involved in making life-changing, sometimes life-or-death decisions. Further, she presents hard-earned knowledge on the cracks in the system and how we can repair them with institutional accountability and equitable reconfigurations.

At INFORUM Judge Cordell will detail a career that has been steadfast and powerful in its advancement of LGBTQ+ rights, police accountability, and elevating of BIPOC communities. She will draw on stories both heartwarming and painful to shed light on the good and bad in a system that she says should, must, and will serve all.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

LaDoris Cordell

Judge (Ret); Author, Her Honor: My Life on the Bench...What Works, What's Broken, and How to Change It

In Conversation with Lara Bazelon

Professor of Law and Director of Criminal Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinical Programs, University of San Francisco

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live in San Francisco on October 27th, 2021 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Money and the Perils of Dementia Nov 04, 2021

Many families don’t expect that dementia will be a factor in financial decisions, but it is more common than we think. The challenge is that people can start having trouble managing their finances years before being diagnosed with dementia. Our expert panel delves into this subject so you will recognize when a loved one's capacity is declining and what to do about it.

They will explain a dementia diagnosis, the implications of this condition on our planning abilities, and suggestions on how to create an advance directive with this outcome in mind.

They will also discuss how families can navigate their financial matters, with their advisors, if faced with the unexpected issues of dementia. They will share some examples of the best practices of individuals and families who successfully prepare for the possibility of dementia, and share some pitfalls of not planning ahead for this increasingly common experience. The concept of having or losing the capacity for financial decision-making is vague to most people. Yet it is understandable when you know the legal components of financial capacity.

The concept of preparing for a loss of capacity can be a scary thing to face. Yet it can be comforting to learn the definite ways to manage your financial affairs, so they can be handled in your best interests and in line with your values and expectations.

SPEAKERS

Catherine A. Madison

M.D., Founding Director, Ray Dolby Brain Health Center, California Pacific Medical Center

Gretchen Hollstein

CFP, Senior Wealth Advisor and Managing Director, Litman Gregory Wealth Management

Natalie Oh

CLU, Insurance Professional, Taran Insurance Advisory

Denise Michaud

Chair, Grownups Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 27th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Keisha N. Blain: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America Nov 03, 2021

Dubbed the social justice manifesto, Until I Am Free, by author Keisha N. Blain, is a unique opportunity to hear about life from the perspective of a working, impoverished and disabled Black woman. Blain, an award-winning historian, details the life and accomplishments of Fannie Lou Hamer, a civil rights activist too often forgotten in the narrative of racial justice. Defying the layers of marginalization that threatened to hush her powerful words, Hamer is held by Blain in the same esteem as her contemporaries Rosa Parks and MLK. Through Blain, Hamer’s message is given new life in an age where the same issues remain pertinent.

At INFORUM Blain will peel back the layers of Fannie Lou Hamer—layers that ostensibly would have taken power away from her but instead became the very source from which she drew it. This conversation will be moderated by Aimee Allison, founder and president of She the People.

SPEAKERS

Keisha N. Blain

Ph.D., Historian; Associate Professor of History, University of Pittsburgh; President, African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS); Author, Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America

Aimee Allison

Founder and President, She the People—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Bryant Terry's Black Food Nov 03, 2021

With dazzling illustrations, sumptuous recipes, and its own curated playlist, Bryant Terry’s sixth book, Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora, is a feast for the senses. Terry, a renowned vegan culinary innovator, returns to dive into the depth and breadth of Black foodways spanning nations and time.

Black Food celebrates both the creations and creators, pairing heartwarming stories of generational traditions with the soul-filling foods at the center of them. From tropical Afro-Caribbean dishes like jerk chicken to beloved Nigerian jollof rice and further on to southern sweet potato pie, this book is an ode to the African diaspora’s influence on food and culture.

At INFORUM, Bryant Terry will share the stories, people, places and ingredients that make Black food the diverse and divine cuisine it is today.

SPEAKERS

Bryant Terry

Chef; Author, Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora

Anjali Menon

Vice President, IfOnly; Member, INFORUM Advisory Board

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 20th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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One Fair Wage, with Saru Jayaraman Nov 03, 2021

As president of One Fair Wage and director of the Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley, Saru Jayaraman has fought for a reimagining of tipped industries. She argues that at just $2.13 an hour, what tipped-wage workers are paid is unlivable on its own and that, unsurprisingly, the people in these jobs are often society's most vulnerable: undocumented, BIPOC, and women workers who already make cents on the dollar of their white male counterparts. In place of the 30-year-old subminimum wage, Jayaraman has worked tirelessly to realize a fair living wage for these essential workers. In the wake of COVID-19, she says it is more obvious than ever that changes need to be made if we want to keep everyone’s head above water.

Jayaraman’s message is unwavering—our drivers, delivery workers, servers and nail technicians deserve to have a livelihood. At INFORUM and alongside service industry experts Chef Dominique Crenn and Angela Glover Blackwell, Jayaraman will lay out what changes need to be made and how we can achieve a fair, livable wage for everyone in our communities.

SPEAKERS

Angela Glover Blackwell

Founder in Residence, PolicyLink; Host, "Radical Imagination" Podcast

Dominique Crenn

Chef and Owner, Atelier Crenn

Saru Jayaraman

President, One Fair Wage; Co-Founder, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United; Director, Food Labor Research Ctr., UC Berkeley; Author, Behind the Kitchen Door, Forked: A New Standard for American Dining, & One Fair Wage: Ending Subminimum Pay in America

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor: This Is Ear Hustle Nov 02, 2021

Some might say that Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods were destined to meet. Poor, a professor of photography at CSU Sacramento, was volunteering with the Prison University Project at San Quentin State Prison when she met Woods, who was serving a 31-year-to-life sentence. The two bonded over a love of storytelling and with no formal experience, began a podcast together where they showcase the realities of life in prison while detailing the path of their fateful friendship. Their upcoming book, This Is Ear Hustle, shares its name with their well-received podcast, which has gone on to become a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize and is in its seventh season. The book avoids the overtly political and instead delves into the richness of humanity found even behind the bars of the prison system. With candor, the authors showcase the unlikely inspiration found in stories of the incarcerated.

At INFORUM Earlonne Woods—whose sentence was commuted in 2018—and Nigel Poor will take our stage in downtown San Francisco to help our audiences become “ear hustlers'' themselves, eavesdropping on the tales of resilience, forgiveness and the lives that exist behind some of America’s most well-guarded doors.

This program will be moderated by Piper Kerman, author of The New York Times bestseller Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Nigel Poor

Visual Artist; Co-Creator and Co-Host, "Ear Hustle" Podcast; Co-Author, This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life

Earlonne Woods

Co-Creator and Co-Host, "Ear Hustle" Podcast; Co-Author, This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life

Piper Kerman

Author, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Humanities West Presents Dante’s Divine and Comic 700th Anniversary Nov 02, 2021

Many nations have a national poet, whose poetry helps carve out their own unique cultural niche in human civilization. Italy has enjoyed many literary geniuses for over two millennia, but still looks to one man the most: Dante. Like major poets in other cultures, Dante’s influence on the Italian language can hardly be overstated. The Divine Comedy was the first major work of literature to leave Latin behind in favor of Italian, and it remains the world standard of poetic excellence. Dante’s fertile imagination also inspired artists, writers and theologians, making him almost as influential about the afterlife as he is linguistically.

Join Humanities West in person at The Commonwealth Club, or via livestream, to celebrate the 700th Anniversary of Dante’s death—which ironically occurred not that many months after he completed his speculations about post-death possibilities—with a two-hour, three-lecture Dante feast:

• Timothy Hampton on "Dante After Dante: the Forms of Memory." Though there were many "in the know" about the achievement of Dante's great poem during his lifetime, his vast influence on Italian poetry and world literature was uneven in the centuries following his death. In some areas of artistic creation—for example, in the painting of Botticelli—Dante was powerfully present. In other areas (poetry, philosophy, literary criticism) his influence was definite, but diffuse and oblique. This lecture will speak about the ways in which Dante's work did and didn't shape Italian and European culture in the early modern period.
• Kip Cranna on "Dante at the Opera: From the Divine Comedy to a Comic Puccini Delight." In "The Inferno," part one of The Divine Comedy, Dante introduces the condemned sinner Gianni Schicchi, consigned to the Eighth Circle of Hell along with others guilty of fraud. His crime: impersonating the deceased Buoso Donati to falsify Buoso's will for his own benefit. Dante personally knew the Donatis (he was married to one), and therein lies an intriguing tale of medieval Florentine society. The story of this fraudulent will and the legend surrounding it became the inspiration for the famed composer Giacomo Puccini's only comic opera. After outlining the Dante-Puccini connection, San Francisco Opera's Dramaturg Emeritus Kip Cranna will present brief video highlights from the opera Gianni Schicchi, including the ever-popular aria "O mio babbino caro."
• Marisa Galvez on "Dante Before Dante Become Dante." In retrospect it almost seems like Dante invented Italian literary culture, but he arrived on the Italian literary scene as a love poet—an admirer of courtly love and the troubadour traditions which had begun a century earlier in Occitania, and had spread to Italy, Spain and then most of Europe. Dante defined the troubadour lyrics as rhetorical, musical and poetical fiction — which is also a good description of The Divine Comedy.

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

SPEAKERS

Kip Cranna

Dramaturg Emeritus, San Francisco Opera

Marisa Galvez

Professor of French and Italian, and by Courtesy, of German Studies and Comparative Literature; Faculty Director, Structured Liberal Education, Stanford University

Timothy Hampton

Aldo Scaglione and Marie M. Burns Distinguished Professor of French and Comparative Literature; Director, Doreen B. Townsend Center for the Humanities, University of California, Berkeley

George Hammond

—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 22nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to President Biden: Challenges and Opportunities Facing Asian Americans Nov 02, 2021

Join this important discussion to learn how the White House is forming critical partnerships across sectors to fight anti-Asian hate crimes, moving forward the administration's Build Back Better Agenda to rebuild the economy, and ensuring the advancement of the Asian American/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities. Attendees will have the opportunity to identify issues the AA/NHPI communities may want to prioritize and ask questions.

Erika Moritsugu was appointed in April by President Biden to serve as deputy assistant to the president and AA/NHPI senior liaison. She engages with AA and NHPI communities and leaders on issues such as advancing safety, justice, inclusion, and opportunity through a whole-of-government approach to racial justice.

She previously served in the Obama administration as assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental relations at the Department of Housing and Urban Development under Secretary Julián Castro and was the first-ever Senate deputy legislative director at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. On Capitol Hill, she served as senior representative of Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. She also worked for Senator Daniel K. Akaka of Hawai‘i and at the Senate Democratic Policy Committee under Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

In the nonprofit sector, Moritsugu managed two teams at the National Partnership for Women & Families for economic justice and congressional relations, advancing workforce and health policies through a gender equity and race equity lens. She also led the Government Relations, Advocacy and Community Engagement team at the Anti-Defamation League.

Moritsugu attended Brandeis University, the College of William and Mary, and George Washington University Law School.

She will be in conversation with Dion Lim, anchor/reporter for ABC 7 Television News in San Francisco.

NOTES

In partnership with SFCAUSE (Community Alliance for Unity, Safety & Education) , San Francisco.

SPEAKERS

Erika Moritsugu

Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander White House Senior Liaison

In Conversation with Dion Lim

Anchor/Reporter, ABC 7 News in San Francisco

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Fritjof Capra: Patterns of Connection Oct 29, 2021

Join us for a virtual conversation with Fritjof Capra to discuss the evolution of his thought. In the late 1950s Capra read the work of Werner Heisenberg, a founder of quantum mechanics, and quickly intuited connections between the discoveries of quantum physics and the traditions of Eastern philosophy. The result was his bestselling book, The Tao of Physics. His synthesis, which dispensed with the mechanistic worldview of Descartes and Newton in favor of a systemic, ecological one, has provided him with a different perspective on the life sciences, ecology and environmental policy.

Six decades later, Fritjof Capra remains at the crossroads of physics, spirituality, environmentalism and systems theory. Organized thematically and chronologically, the essays in Patterns of Connection document his revolutionary and far-reaching intellectual journey.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Fritjof Capra

Author, Patterns of Connection

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 21st 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Electrify Everything Oct 29, 2021

Fully electrifying our homes, cars and industries could cut the amount of total energy we need by half, says Saul Griffith, an entrepreneur, inventor and author of Electrify: An Optimist’s Playbook for Our Clean Energy Future. This electric revolution would mean significantly scaling up our solar, wind and battery storage and reorienting the electric grid – but could also mean “thousands of dollars in savings in every household, every year.”

President Biden wants half the cars sold in the US to be electric by 2030. And automakers are increasingly putting money and marketing muscle behind EVs. When Ford announced its all-electric F-150, it sent a powerful jolt through the transportation industry. Pre-orders for the F-150 Lightning surpassed 100,000 within three days, signalling that EVs are no longer just for kale-eating coastal elites.

Note: Ford Motor Co. is among Climate One’s sponsors. This program was underwritten in part by ClimateWorks Foundation.

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Saul Griffith, author, Electrify: An Optimist Playbook for Our Clean Energy Future

Cynthia Williams, Global Director, Sustainability, Homologation and Compliance, Ford Motor Co.

Sara Baldwin, Director of Electrification Policy, Energy Innovation

Josh Nassar, Legislative Director, United Auto Workers

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Equity and Justice in the Development of Cities Oct 28, 2021

Our speakers, Rev. Norman Fong and Rev. James McCray, will discuss their direct hands-on experience in working to address the issue of equity and justice in community development, especially around building affordable housing, engaging community members for advocacy and support, and the broader issues of economic development connected to jobs and small business support. They will reflect on how these issue exist in San Francisco and in cities around the country.

Join us for a timely discussion on equity and justice in the development of cities.

About the Speakers

Rev. Norman Fong has worked full-time in the nonprofit arena in San Francisco Chinatown for more than 3 decades. He has served as a pastor, the deputy director of programs at Chinatown Community Development Center, and now as executive director of Chinatown CDC. Besides being an ordained Presbyterian minister, Fong is the co-founder of the Jest Jammin Band, which has been playing classic soul/R&B/Motown music for 45 years.

Dr. James McCray, Jr., is semi-retired after 38 years of service in local churches and to their surrounding community, and now joyously living as a son, husband, father and grandfather in his beloved San Francisco. He says he is joyful first for the blessing of being a “cancer survivor.” Joyful also, because of the marriage to Gail Jackson McCray, a practicing attorney in our city. In the last 10 years, a surprising new venture has come along—the development of affordable housing through the building of a locally based community development corporation, as executive director of Tabernacle Community Development Corporation (TCDC).

MLF ORGANIZER

Gerald Harris

NOTES

MLF: Technology & Society

SPEAKERS

Rev. Norman Fong

Former Executive Director, Chinatown Community Development Center, focused on addressing the issues poverty, housing and small businesses in Chinatown

Rev. James McCray

Executive Director, Tabernacle Community Development Corp., a developer of affordable housing in San Francisco with a focus on slowing the city's out-migration of African Americans

Gerald Harris

President, Quantum Planning Group; Chair, Technology & Science Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 21st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A Conversation with Bret Baier Oct 28, 2021

Brought to us by Fox News Chief Political Anchor Bret Baier, To Rescue the Republic is an epic history of Ulysses S. Grant—spanning from the battlefields of the Civil War to the violent turmoil of Reconstruction to the forgotten electoral crisis that nearly fractured a reunited nation.

Desperate for bold leadership in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln turned to Ulysses S. Grant, appointing him lieutenant general of the Union Army, precipitating their victory within a year. Four years later, as president of the United States, Grant rose to the challenge of Reconstruction by advancing its agenda and aggressively countering the Klu Klux Klan.

When the contested presidential election of 1876 produced no clear victory, it was Grant who forged the painful compromise that saved the fragile nation, but tragically pushed the Civil Rights movement even further down the road. In this book, Baier dramatically reveals Grant’s palpable and essential influence on the United States as it suffered through a severe period of internal division.

Join us as Bret Baier brings contemporary resonance and fresh detail to the life of one of America’s most legendary leaders.

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Bret Baier

Chief Political Anchor for Fox News Channel, Anchor and Executive Editor, "Special Report with Bret Baier"; Author, To Rescue the Republic: Ulysses S. Grant, the Fragile Union, and the Crisis of 1876

Melissa Caen

Attorney; Political Analyst—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 20th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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David Wessel: How Washington Works in the New Gilded Age Oct 28, 2021

When a Silicon Valley entrepreneur developed a tax break intended as a way to incentivize the rich to invest in underserved communities, the idea was pushed into law with little scrutiny or fine-tuning and few safeguards against abuse. With an unbeatable pair of high-profile sponsors and deft political marketing, the Opportunity Zone became an unnoticed part of the 2017 Trump tax bill.

In his new book Only the Rich Can Play: How Washington Works in the New Gilded Age, bestselling author David Wessel follows the money—starting from this Opportunity Zone initiative—to see who profited from the plan that was supposed to spur development of blighted areas and help people out of poverty. His findings? The Las Vegas Strip, the Portland (Oregon) Ritz-Carlton, and the Mall of America. In other words, lucrative areas where the wealthy can place their money profitably and avoid capital gains taxes.

Wessel provides vivid portraits of the proselytizers, political influencers, consultants, real estate dealmakers and individual money-seekers looking to take advantage of this opportunity. He looks at the cities in which the Opportunity Zone initiatives have failed, as well as a few where they have succeeded, and offers a lesson on how a better-designed program might have helped more left-behind places.

Join us as David Wessel, offers an in-depth analysis of the bill he faults with keeping the rich richer—revealing the gritty reality of a system tilted in favor of a few while leaving many out in the cold.

SPEAKERS

David Wessel

Senior Fellow and Director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, Brookings Institution; Author, Only the Rich Can Play: How Washington Works in the New Gilded Age; Twitter @davidmwessel

In Conversation with Lenny Mendonca

Former Chief Economic and Business Advisor, State of California; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 19th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mildred Harnack: American Grad Student/Berlin Resistance Leader Oct 28, 2021

Mildred Harnack, born and raised in Milwaukee, was a Ph.D. candidate studying in Berlin in 1932 when the Nazis began their rise to power. Donner describes how her great-great-aunt Mildred began holding secret meetings in her apartment. Her small band of political activists grew into the largest underground resistance group in Berlin by 1940. Harnack recruited working-class Germans, helped Jews escape, plotted acts of sabotage, and collaborated on leaflets that denounced Adolf Hitler and called for revolution. At night her co-conspirators would slip those leaflets into mailboxes, public restrooms and phone booths.

When World War II began, Harnack became a spy, providing top-secret intelligence to the Allies. On the eve of her planned escape to Sweden, she was arrested by the Gestapo. A Nazi military court sentenced her to six years at a prison camp, but Hitler personally overruled that sentence and ordered her execution. On February 16, 1943, Mildred Harnack, the only known American member of the German resistance, was guillotined.

Donner draws on extensive archival research in Germany, Russia, England, and the United States, as well as on newly uncovered documents in her family's archive, to tell Harnack's story. She has woven those letters, diary entries, notes smuggled out of a Berlin prison, survivors’ testimony, and a trove of declassified intelligence documents into an epic story of moral courage.

SPEAKERS

Rebecca Donner

Author, All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days: The True Story of the American Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler

In Conversation With George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 7th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Charles Blow: A Black Power Manifesto Oct 28, 2021

Violence against Black people—both physical and psychological—has seemed only to increase in recent years, culminating in the historic pandemic and protests in the summer of 2020. “After centuries of waiting for white majorities to overturn white supremacy,” Charles Blow writes, “ it seems to me that it has fallen to Black people to do it themselves.”

A New York Times op-ed columnist, Blow felt compelled to write a new story for Black Americans, one that involves a succinct, counterintuitive and impassioned correction to the myths that have for too long governed our thinking about race and geography in America. The Devil You Know is a grand exhortation to generations of a people, proposing nothing short of the most audacious power play by Black people in the history of this country.

Join us as Charles Blow offers a road map to true and lasting freedom.

SPEAKERS

Charles Blow

Op-Ed Columnist, The New York Times; Author, The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto; Twitter @CharlesMBlow

In Conversation with Melissa Murray

Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law, NYU School of Law; Co-host, "Strict Scrutiny" Podcast; Twitter @ProfMMurray

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 19th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Destination Health: The Private Sector’s Role in Ending the COVID-19 Pandemic Oct 27, 2021

As the devastating effects and tragic loss of life from COVID-19 persist 18 months after the global pandemic began, the world is desperate to end this public health crisis.

As businesses across industries are rolling out varying degrees of vaccine, testing, and masking mandates, President Biden announced the requirement for federal workers, medium and large employers, and health-care staff to be vaccinated. Working together and partnering with government and community leaders, the private sector plays a role in helping to close the vaccination gap in our workforce and communities.

What can the business community do to stop this pandemic? What is the private sector’s role in helping keep our communities safe? How are organizations responding to local, state and federal mandates? What processes are working and not working? What will it take to return to a strong and stable economy? Join a panel of business leaders across industries discussing opportunities to address this public health crisis and how we can work together to end it.

NOTES

This program is generously supported by our partner Kaiser Permanente.

SPEAKERS

Greg A. Adams

Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Kaiser Permanente

Brett Hart

President, United Airlines

Molly Moon Neitzel

CEO, Molly Moon Homemade Ice Cream

Stephen Parodi

Executive Vice President, The Permanente Federation; National Infectious Disease Leader, Kaiser Permanente

Jim Wunderman

President and CEO, Bay Area Council

Raj Mathai

News Anchor, NBC Bay Area—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Joe Weisberg: Do We Have Russia Upside Down? Oct 26, 2021

Join us for a conversation with Joe Weisberg, who makes the case in his new book, Russia Upside Down, that America's foreign policy toward Russia is failing, and we'll never fix it unless we rethink our entire relationship. Weisberg came of age in America in the 1970s and '80s as a Cold Warrior. He studied Russian in Leningrad, and then joined the CIA—just in time to watch the Soviet Union collapse.

Less than a decade later, though, a new Cold War broke out. Russia had changed in many of the ways that America hoped it might. It had become more capitalist, more religious, more open to Western ideas. But U.S. sanctions crippled Russia's economy, and Russia's internet-based retaliations have exacerbated our own political problems. Weisberg says the old paradigm—America, the free capitalist good guys, fighting Russia, the repressive communist bad guys—simply doesn't apply anymore. But we've continued to act as if it does.

Weisberg asks hard questions about our foreign policy and attempts to understand what Russia truly wants. He concludes that we are fighting an enemy with whom we have few if any serious conflicts of interest, we are fighting this unnecessary war with ineffective and dangerous tools, and our approach is not working anyway. With our own political system in peril, and continually being buffeted by Russian attacks, he argues that we need a new framework. Urgently. Weisberg makes it clear what the stakes are and lays out the foundation for a new American foreign policy for dealing with Russia.

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Joe Weisberg

Television Writer; Creator, "The Americans"; Former CIA Officer; Author, Russia Upside Down

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 21st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Bitcoin in the Middle East Oct 22, 2021

Today's speakers, who are human rights activists as well as being business-oriented, will discuss why Bitcoin matters, especially in the Middle East region.

Alex Gladstein, vice president of strategy for the Oslo Freedom Forum, has connected many dissidents and civil society groups with business leaders, philanthropists, policymakers and artists, to promote free and open societies. He has shared his views at MIT, Stanford, BBC, the European Parliament, the U.S. State Department, and other venues. He is the singularity expert at Singularity University and advises Blockchain Capital.

Fadi Elsalameen, who was born in Hebron, is a critic of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority and has received death threats for his pro-democracy and anti-corruption work. He is a graduate of Seeds of Peace, a successful businessperson, and has also shared his views at many leading institutions, including The Commonwealth Club of California.

SPEAKERS

Fadi Elsalameen

M.S., International Relations and Economics; Adjunct Senior Fellow, American Security Project

Alex Gladstein

Chief Strategy Officer, Human Rights Foundation; Co-Author, The Little Bitcoin Book

Jonathan Curiel

Author—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Susan Orlean: On Animals Oct 22, 2021

Celebrated writer Susan Orlean visits The Commonwealth Club for the first time to discuss her new book, On Animals, a collection from her lifetime of musings, mediations and in-depth profiles about animals.

Orlean, a staff writer for The New Yorker, is fresh off her last best-selling book, The Library Book, about the Los Angeles Public Library, which won numerous awards. Her new collection focuses on a range of creatures—the household pets we dote on, the animals we raise to end up as meat on our plates, the creatures who could eat us for dinner, and the various tamed and untamed animals we share our planet with that are central to human life. Since the age of six, Orlean has been fascinated by stories about animals, and her new book brings forward a lifetime of writing about cross-species connections.

How humans interact with animals has preoccupied philosophers, poets and naturalists for ages. Come hear one of America's most gifted writers discuss why she is so passionate and curious about the subject.

SPEAKERS

Susan Orlean

Staff Writer, The New Yorker; Author, On Animals

Julia Flynn Siler

Journalist; Author, The White Devil's Daughters

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: What’s on Tap at COP26 in Glasgow Oct 22, 2021

People around the world have been experiencing unprecedented extreme weather events – raging wildfires, killer heatwaves and catastrophic floods. In August, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a new Assessment Report, which UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called “code red for humanity,” adding that alarm bells are deafening and the evidence is irrefutable.

Against this backdrop, delegates from across the globe are set to convene for the international climate summit known as COP26, where they’re expected to hammer out commitments to reduce carbon emissions in hopes of avoiding the worst impacts of climate disruption. Six years on from the Paris agreement, is there finally enough urgency to turn ambition and promises into action?

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Kate Larsen, Director, International Energy & Climate, Rhodium Group

Albert Cheung, Head of Global Analysis, Bloomberg NEF

Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Climate Justice Activist, Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines

Carlon Zackhras, Marshall Islands youth climate activist

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The 'Pronoun Provision' and LGBTQ Seniors Oct 21, 2021

Is intentional misgendering a crime? Should it be? How does it affect the person who is the subject of the treatment? In July 2021, a California district court struck down a provision of the LGBTQ Long-term Care Facility Residents' Bill of Rights that banned nursing home staff from "willfully and repeatedly" misgendering or using the wrong name to refer to a resident when they've been clearly informed of the preferred name or pronoun.

That provision, known as the "pronoun provision," was ruled to be an infringement on free speech, with one of the judges writing that "misgendering may be disrespectful, discourteous and insulting, and used in an inartful way to express an ideological disagreement with another person's expressed gender identity," but the First Amendment "does not protect only speech that inoffensively and artfully articulates a person's point of view."

Advocates for LGBTQ seniors, and especially for transgender and gender nonconforming seniors, have called the decision alarming. Openhouse, a San Francisco-based LGBT senior housing, community and services organization, states "Misgendering can be harmful to a resident, particularly as it relates to feelings of safety, acceptance and isolation."

California State Senator Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) said "It’s never OK to intentionally and repeatedly misgender a transgender person. This isn’t a matter of political opinion; it’s straight-up harassment."

Join us for a live-stream discussion among advocates and professionals working with transgender and nonconforming seniors about the impact of the ruling and proposals for what to do next.

SPEAKERS

Eric Carlson

Directing Attorney, Justice in Aging; Author, Long-Term Care Advocacy and 25 Common Nursing Home Problems — and How to Resolve Them

Richelle Slota

Author, Stray Son and Captive Market: Commercial Kidnapping Stories from Nigeria

Dr. Kathleen Sullivan

Ph.D.; Executive Director, Openhouse

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Andrew Yang: Forward Oct 21, 2021

Dubbed the “most surprising” candidate, Andrew Yang made waves with a rousing 2020 presidential campaign. With his newfound platform, he advanced the prevalence of progressive concepts such as the Universal Basic Income (UBI), bringing them into mainstream discussion. A year later, Yang is more adamant than ever that the need for change is urgent and that we can rely on no one else other than ourselves to bring it to fruition.

In his upcoming book Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy, Yang emphasizes once more the cumulative and mounting pressures like job automation that already threaten what he argues is an antiquated system. He says that only daring measures can bring us back from the brink of becoming a failed democracy.

At INFORUM, Andrew Yang will once more lay out his vision for an American future that is modern, sustainable and serves its constituents. Hoping to defy creeping stagnation, he extends a call to action to every American citizen. The message? "Now or never."

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

SPEAKERS

Andrew Yang

Entrepreneur; Political candidate; Author, Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy

Vikrum Aiyer

Deputy Director, ACLU National Political Advocacy Department; Member, INFORUM Advisory Board—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 13th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Fiona Hill: Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century Oct 21, 2021

Before Fiona Hill became a celebrated foreign policy expert and key witness in the 2019 impeachment trial of then-President Donald Trump, she was a coal-miner's daughter from northern England in a town where the last of the coal mines had closed. Her father urged her to get out, saying “There is nothing for you here, pet.”

Hill went on to study in Moscow and at Harvard and served under three United States presidents. But in both Russia and the United States, she saw troubling reflections of her hometown and similar populist impulses. Her new book, There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century, draws on her own journey out of poverty and her unique perspective as a policymaker to warn that America is on the brink of socioeconomic collapse and an authoritarian swing that could rival modern Russia.

In her powerful and deeply personal account, Hill reveals why expanding opportunity for desperate and forgotten Americans is the only long-term hope for our democracy. Join us as she reflects on her own experience and expertise to analyze the future of American democracy.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Fiona Hill

Former Senior Director for Europe and Russia, National Security Council; Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Author, There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century

In Conversation with Ellen Nakashima

National Security Reporter, The Washington Post

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 12th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Rationality, with Steven Pinker Oct 20, 2021

In his new book Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters, popular psychologist and author Steven Pinker explores the concept of collective rationality in society. Today, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding, yet we continue to produce fake news, medical quackery and conspiracy theories. Pinker explains this by rejecting the cynical cliché that humans are simply irrational, arguing instead that the rational pursuit of self-interest, sectarian solidarity, and uplifting mythology can add up to crippling irrationality in a society.

Over time, humans have discovered the laws of nature, lengthened and enriched our lives, and set out the benchmarks for rationality itself. But despite our sensible thinking in the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives, he says we often fail to take advantage of the reasoning we’ve discovered over the millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, correlation and causation, and optimal ways to update beliefs and commit to choices individually and with others.

Pinker asserts that a society that is collectively rational depends on objectivity and truth—and that this kind of thinking leads to better individual choices and is the ultimate driver of social justice and moral progress.

Join Steven Pinker and Lara Bazelon as they delve into his new book and reveal how today’s society, in all its complexity, is formed by our collective human nature.

The Commonwealth Club thanks the Ken & Jackie Broad Family Fund for its partnership.

SPEAKERS

Steven Pinker

Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University; Author, Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters; Twitter @sapinker

In Conversation with Lara Bazelon

Professor of Law and Director of Criminal Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinical Programs, University of San Francisco

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 12th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Which Comes First, Overeating or Obesity? Carbohydrates, Insulin and Metabolic Health Oct 20, 2021

Standard treatment for obesity, based on a law of physics, assumes that all calories are alike, and that to lose weight one must simply “eat less and move more.” However, this prescription rarely works over the long term. According to the Carbohydrate-Insulin Model of obesity, the metabolic condition of fat cells plays a key role in determining body weight. High intakes of processed carbohydrate raise insulin levels and program fat cells to store too many calories, leaving too few for the rest of the body. Consequently, hunger increases, and metabolic rate slows in the body’s attempt to conserve energy. From this perspective, calorie-restricted, low-fat diets amount to symptomatic treatment, destined to fail for most people. Instead, a dietary strategy aiming to lower insulin secretion promises to increase the effectiveness of long-term weight management and chronic disease prevention.

David S. Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., is an endocrinologist and researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital, professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. For more than 25 years, Dr. Ludwig has studied the effects of dietary composition on metabolism, body weight and risk for chronic disease—with a special focus on low glycemic index, low carbohydrate and ketogenic diets. Described as an “obesity warrior” by Time magazine, Dr. Ludwig has fought for fundamental policy changes to improve the food environment. He has authored more than 200 scientific articles and presently serves as an editor at the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and The BMJ. Dr. Ludwig is author of the number-one New York Times bestseller Always Hungry? Conquer Cravings, Retrain Your Fat Cells, and Lose Weight Permanently.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patty James

SPEAKERS

David S. Ludwig

M.D., Ph.D., Endocrinologist and Researcher, Boston Children’s Hospital; Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Professor of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health

Patty James

M.S., N.C. Nutritionist; Chef; Author—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 12th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Celebrate National Coming Out Day with Pixar's 'Out' Oct 19, 2021

Monday, October 11 is 2021 National Coming Out Day. Join us for a screening of the Pixar short film Out plus fascinating conversation with a talented Pixar animator who directed Out and the filmmaker who produced Out.

About the Speakers

Steven Clay Hunter joined Pixar Animation Studios in 1997 and has worked as an animator on a number of Pixar’s most beloved films, including A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2 and Finding Nemo. He was an animation supervisor on The Incredibles, WALL•E and Brave. Recently, he helped bring to life the characters Hank from Finding Dory (for which he won the 2013 VES award) and Duke Caboom from Toy Story 4.

Most recently, Hunter made his directorial debut with the SparkShort Out on Disney+, which was shortlisted for an Oscar Nomination this past year. In addition, Out is nominated for a GLADD award. Prior to coming to Pixar, Hunter worked for Walt Disney Animation on many projects, including Fantasia 2000 and Hercules. He first learned computer animation at Industrial Light & Magic on Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Max Sachar is a San Francisco-based filmmaker and film producer, and for the past 15 years he has worked at Pixar Animation Studios on critically acclaimed short & feature films, including Coco, Incredibles 2, Wall-E, Toy Story 3, and Lou. Most recently, Sachar produced Pixar’s 2020 Academy Award Shortlisted film Out (written and directed by Steven Clay Hunter). As producer, he worked creatively with the director to help navigate the story and visual development, while also focusing on casting, staffing all art and technical teams, and making strategic decisions around the schedule and budget.

In addition to his work at Pixar, Max is a co-director and cinematographer for Concept o4 films, where he has helped created several award winning dance films. During what’s left of his free time, Max spends as much time in the outdoors with his fiancé and 2 pups, and roaming the streets of his hometown, San Francisco, camera in hand.

SPEAKERS

Steven Clay Hunter

Director, Out, Pixar; Animator, Pixar Animation Studios; Twitter @BubbleOfThunder

Max Sachar

Filmmaker, Pixar Animation Studios; Producer, Out; Co-Director and Cinematographer, Concept o4 Films

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Rep. Adam Schiff: Midnight in Washington Oct 19, 2021

From the congressman who led the first impeachment of President Trump, Adam Schiff’s Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could delivers a vital inside account of American democracy in its darkest hour.

Prior to the 2016 election, congressman Schiff had been sounding the alarm over the threat posed by a global resurgence of autocracy. As he led the probe into Trump’s Russia- and Ukraine-related abuses of presidential power, he came to the conclusion that the biggest threat to American democracy came from within—arguing that Trump’s presidency has so weakened our institutions and compromised the Republican Party that the danger will remain for years to come. From being a prosecutor to a congressman known for bipartisanship to a liberal lighting rod and archenemy of the president, Adam Schiff tracks his own path to meeting the crisis he argues is severely imperiling America: the dangerous appeal of authoritarianism.

Join us as congressman Adam Schiff deepens our understanding of authoritarianism in the Trump administration and warns that, even after his defeat, the unleashed forces of autocracy remain as potent as ever.

SPEAKERS

Adam Schiff

U.S. Representative (D-CA); Author, Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could

In Conversation with Marisa Lagos

Correspondent for California Politics and Government, KQED; Twitter @mlagos

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World Oct 19, 2021

Making sense of sound is one of the hardest jobs our brains must do. Our hearing is always on. We can't close our ears the way we close our eyes. And yet we are quite adept at ignoring sounds that are unimportant. Nina Kraus explores what is going on in our brains when we hear a word, a chord, a meow, or a screech, and examines the partnership of sound and brain, showing how the processing of sound drives many of the brain's core functions. Our hearing brain interacts with what we know, with our emotions, with how we think, with our movements, and with all our other senses. Auditory neurons make calculations at one-thousandth of a second. Hearing is the fastest of our senses.

Sound also plays an unrecognized role in both healthy and hurting brains. Kraus explores the power of music for healing as well as the destructive power of noise on the nervous system. She traces what happens in the brain when we speak another language, have a language disorder, experience rhythm, listen to birdsong, or suffer a concussion.

Join us as Kraus explores how our deep engagement with sound leaves a fundamental imprint on who we are.

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Nina Kraus

Hugh Knowles Professor of Neurobiology, Communication Sciences, and Otolaryngology, Northwestern University; Author, Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 7th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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John Lithgow: A Confederacy of Dumptys Oct 19, 2021

John Lithgow’s acclaimed acting career has seen him star in shows like “3rd Rock from the Sun” and “The Crown” and films such as Bombshell and The World According to Garp.

In his newest collection of satirical poems and illustrations, Lithgow expertly tracks the dark and lyrical stories of 25 “American Scoundrels.”

Join us as award-winning actor, author and illustrator John Lithgow presents the stories of both long-forgotten figures and the bad actors of today.

SPEAKERS

John Lithgow

Actor; Author and Illustrator, A Confederacy of Dumptys: Portraits of American Scoundrels in Verse

Melissa Caen

Attorney; Political Analyst—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 7th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ryan Hampton: Big Pharma, Bankruptcy and Injustice Oct 15, 2021

In September 2019, Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, filed for bankruptcy to protect itself from 2,600 lawsuits for its role in fueling the U.S. overdose crisis. Author and activist Ryan Hampton served as the co-chair of the official creditors committee that acted as a watchdog during the process—one of only four victims to act as representatives of big insurance companies, hospitals, and pharmacies.

Though Hampton originally believed that holding Purdue to account would be enough to right the scales of justice, he soon came to learn that, no matter what the media said, Purdue did not do this alone. Hampton argues they were in fact aided and abetted by the very systems that were supposed to protect Americans.

Unsettled: How the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Failed the Victims of the American Overdose Crisis is Ryan Hampton’s look into what happened behind closed doors—the story of a broken system that failed to protect people over profits, and let millions of lives be destroyed by the opioid crisis. From Purdue’s bankruptcy proceedings to the company’s eventual restructuring and the evasion of true accountability, Unsettled is also the untold story of how a group of determined ordinary people tried to see justice done against the odds and in the face of brutal opposition from powerful institutions.

Join us for Ryan Hampton’s inside account of Purdue Pharma’s role in the overdose crisis—and for a chilling exposé of those who circumvented justice.

SPEAKERS

Ryan Hampton

Addiction Recovery Advocate; Author, Unsettled: How the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Failed the Victims of the American Overdose Crisis; Twitter @RyanForRecovery

In Conversation with Beth Macy

Journalist; Author

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Lessons from Concurrent Pandemics of COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS Oct 15, 2021

Join us for an important intergenerational conversation with LGBTQ Asians and Pacific Islanders and their allies. Our panelists will share QTAPI stories and experiences of the dual pandemics of HIV/AIDS and COVID-19; their histories as Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States; their past and current roles in community organizing and the political process; as well as other issues that are part of the current cultural and political shifts and relevant to the experiences of QTAPI individuals.

Meet the Speakers

Ignatius Bau was the HIV prevention program coordinator at the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum in the mid-1990s, and served as a member of the President's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and advisory groups about HIV/AIDS for the federal Office of Minority Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institutes for Health. He also has served on the board of directors for the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance Community HIV Project, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, National Minority AIDS Project, and Funders for LGBTQ Issues.

Cecilia Chung is the senior director of strategic initiatives and evaluation at Transgender Law Center, a health commissioner of San Francisco and an internationally recognized civil rights leader in the LGBT and HIV community. Chung has served as the co-chair of GNP+ and is currently a member of the WHO Advisory Council of Women Living with HIV.

Vince Crisostomo is a gay Chamorro (Pacific Islander) long-term HIV/AIDS survivor who believes in the healing power of community and has dedicated more than 30 years to HIV/AIDS activism and LGBTQ communities. He is passionate about bringing health care to all and social justice equity to people of every sexual identity, HIV status, gender, race and age. Crisostomo is SFAF’s director of aging services and previously managed the Elizabeth Taylor 50 Plus Network for long-term HIV survivors. He co-chaired the HIV & Aging Work Group and was an active member of the Mayor’s Long-Term Care Coordinating Council. Crisostomo has led a number of grassroots HIV advocacy and LGBTQ organizations in the United States and overseas. He was executive director of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Regional Networks on HIV/AIDS, founded the Pacific Island Jurisdiction AIDS Action Group, and served as a United Nations NGO delegate for the Asia Pacific. In 2019, having won the popular vote, he was community grand marshall for San Francisco Pride. In July 2021, he was appointed to the San Francisco Human Rights Commission’s LGBTQI+ Advisory Committee.

NOTES

This is a free program; any voluntary donations made during registration will support the production of our online programs.

A complimentary lunch will be provided before the program for in-person attendees.

The Commonwealth Club thanks Gilead Sciences, Inc. for its generous support of The Michelle Meow Show.

Program presented in partnership with GAPA Theatre, The Connection at the San Francisco Community Health Center, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and The Commonwealth Club of California.

This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

SPEAKERS

Ignatius Bau

Former HIV Prevention Program Coordinator, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum; Former Member, President's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS

Cecilia Chung

Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Evaluation, Transgender Law Center; Health Commissioner, San Francisco

Vince Crisostomo

Director of Aging Services, San Francisco AIDS Foundation

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Host and Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Sarah Stein Greenberg and Laura Holson: Creative Acts for Curious People Oct 15, 2021

The great creatives throughout history have been those who can ignite their own fire of innovation and ambition, but what is the flint that brings these sparks of creativity to life? And in a time of great uncertainty, why does creativity matter more than ever? As executive director of Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (commonly referred to as the d.school), Sarah Stein Greenberg is an accomplice to dazzling ingenuity. In her debut book, Creative Acts for Curious People, Stein Greenberg taps into her close ties with bold thinkers and confident doers, providing readers with the ultimate mechanisms to get creative juices flowing. Straight from the cognitive toolkits of Google’s chief evangelist or renowned choreographers, Stein Greenberg lays out practices for mindful observation, intuitive connecting and much much more. The more than 80 exercises, while lighthearted, require a thoughtfulness and intentionality meant to give readers their very own eureka moment.

At INFORUM, Sarah Stein Greenberg will piece together the puzzle that is design. She shares not only tools but anecdotes and personal experiences in which she illustrates the roadmap that shows how to revitalize curiosity and in turn putting that curiosity into action. This conversation will be moderated by Laura Holson of The New York Times.

SPEAKERS

Sarah Stein Greenberg

Executive Director, Stanford d.school; Author, Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Way

Laura Holson

Writer, The New York Times

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Zen and Coping with Climate Oct 15, 2021

How do we manage our own anxiety around an uncertain climate future – let alone help our children work through their feelings and fears? In his latest book, Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet, internationally renowned Zen Master and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hahn argues that addressing the intersection of ecological destruction, rising inequality, racial injustice, and the lasting impacts of a devastating pandemic requires us to strengthen our clarity, compassion, and courage to act.

“The power of zen and the power of mindfulness is that it roots us in the present moment so we can be alert to what is going on, we can be responsive, we can be the master of our mind and awareness in any given situation,” including climate disruption, says Sister True Dedication, contributor and editor of Thich Nhat Hahn’s book.

Psychotherapist Leslie Davenport, author of All the Feelings Under the Sun: How to Deal With Climate Change, provides thoughtful, practical exercises to help young readers process their feelings about climate change.

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Sister True Dedication, Zen Buddhist nun, editor of Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Zen and the Art of Saving The Planet

Leslie Davenport, author, Emotional Resiliency in the Era of Climate Change; All the Feelings Under the Sun: How to Deal With Climate Change

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After One Hundred Winters: America's Stolen Lands Oct 13, 2021

After One Hundred Winters confronts the harsh truth that the United States has thrived on land violently taken away from Indigenous people. Settler historian Margaret Jacobs asks what reconciliation might mean in light of this haunted history. She argues that we have much to gain by learning from our history instead of denying it, even as she lays out the brutal legacy of systemic racial injustice to Indigenous people.

Jacobs also explains how early attempts at reconciliation were only successful in further robbing tribal nations of their already reduced land holdings and forcing their children into abusive boarding schools. True reconciliation, she insists, can only emerge through Indigenous leadership and sustained relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people rooted in specific places and histories. In the absence of an official apology and a federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a movement for transformative reconciliation is unofficially underway that puts Indigenous land rights, sovereignty, and values at the forefront. With historical sensitivity and an eye to the future, Jacobs urges people to face the past and learn from it, and once they have done so, to redress past abuses.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Margaret Jacobs

Professor of History and Director, The Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Author, After One Hundred Winters: In Search of Reconciliation on America's Stolen Lands

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D.: The COVID-19 Pandemic and What Comes Next Oct 13, 2021

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., has been one of the most visible commentators on the public health crisis. His insights and writings have helped shaped some of the country's understanding of the public health impacts of the pandemic since early in 2020. As the country continues to battle the pandemic—especially the emergent delta variant of the coronavirus—Gottlieb will visit the Club for the first time to discuss his new book, Uncontrolled Spread: Why COVID-19 Crushed Us and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic.

Gottlieb's new book outlines how the United States must prepare for future pandemics by learning from the mistakes made handling the COVID-19 outbreak, which has caused one of the greatest public health tragedies in American history. Gottlieb outlines his efforts in the early 2000s to develop a “Pandemic Influenza Plan” to ready the United States for the threat of a global pandemic, and how short the country came up when it was time to mount an effective response to the novel coronavirus. Further, Gottlieb identifies the early reasons why the United States was so underprepared for the pandemic, from failing to enlist the private sector in large-scale manufacturing of testing supplies and medical equipment to resolutely sticking to the narrative that COVID would go away on its own.

As the United States heads into a critically important fall and winter that will determine whether we will finally end the pandemic, Gottlieb's book comes at a critical time. Please join us for a timely talk with a true expert on the pandemic about what we have learned so far, and what we must do to succeed in the months and years ahead.

SPEAKERS

Scott Gottlieb

M.D., Former Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration; Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Author, Uncontrolled Spread: Why COVID-19 Crushed Us and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic

Mark Zitter

Chair, The Zetema Project; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 5th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Dashed Dreams: The Tokyo Olympics, Sex Testing and Biology Oct 13, 2021

Leading up to the recent Tokyo Olympics. athletes Annet Negesa of Uganda and Maximila Imali of Kenya both had their Olympic dreams crushed because of rules set by the track and field global governing body, World Athletics. They are just two—of many—elite women athletes who have been told their natural testosterone levels, if not lowered through medication or surgery, disqualify them from competition at the highest levels of sport.

Join us for an in-depth conversation about intersex biology and the history of sex testing in women’s athletics ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

About the Speaker

In February 2021, Eliza Anyangwe became the editor of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing gender inequality project. She began her career working for nongovernmental organizations Action Against Hunger and then the Pesticide Action Network, where she was Organic Cotton Officer, but has spent more than a decade in media, working for The Guardian, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and most recently The Correspondent, where she was managing editor. The Guardian Opinion series she commissioned and wrote for, a "Week in Africa," was longlisted for a One World Media award.

In 2016, Eliza founded The Nzinga Effect, a media project focused on telling the stories of African and Afro-descendant women, and delivered that work through partnerships with organizations such as The Serpentine Galleries and The British Council. In 2018 she was awarded a development reporting grant by the European Journalism Centre to tell stories about the African women breaking taboos and carving out space to talk about sex and sexuality.

Eliza has written for The Independent, Financial Times, Al Jazeera and Open Democracy; has appeared on broadcast programs, including "Newsnight," "BBC World Service," PRI’s "The World," and the podcast "Our Body Politic"; and has spoken at events, among them SXSW, D&AD Festival, The Google News Initiative Summit, the International Journalism Festival, Africa Utopia, The Web We Want Festival and the Next Einstein Forum. Eliza is a contributing author to Africa’s Media Image in the 21st Century, published by Routledge.

SPEAKERS

Eliza Anyangwe

Journalist; Editor, As Equals, CNN Gender Inequality Project; Twitter @elizatalks; Instagram @Elizatookthis

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 4th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A Tribute to Sally Gearhart Oct 12, 2021

On July 14, 2021, lesbian feminist Sally Miller Gearhart passed away at the age of 90. In 1973, she had become the first out lesbian to obtain a tenure-track faculty position when she was hired by San Francisco State University, where she helped establish one of the country's first women and gender study programs. In her long life, she was a teacher, feminist, science fiction writer and political activist.

Join us for a special program in tribute to her; we will also reveal exclusive clips from a documentary now in production on Sally Gearhart's life. A complimentary lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Deborah Craig

Documentary Director and Producer, including "A Great Ride" and Sally

Jörg Fockele

Filmmaker, Executive Producer and Television Director/Producer, including "Queer Eye," Sally

Melanie Nathan

Executive Director, African Human Rights Coalition

Ondine Rarey

Filmmaker; Writer and Editor, including A Portrait of Female Desperation and Sally

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Judy Chicago: Retrospective—Her Life, Her Art, Her Activism Oct 12, 2021

Please join us for a lively and intimate discussion on the Judy Chicago: Retrospective exhibit, which is currently showing at San Francisco’s de Young Museum. The discussion is presented by the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco Docent Victoria Kirby. Adding to the conversation will be Debra Reabock, a Bay Area visual artist and photo philanthropist.

Judy Chicago is a trailblazer and leader of the feminist art moment. Kirby's talk will explore Chicago’s full body of works, from her early forays into minimalism to her current work that addresses mortality and environmental issues.

Judy Chicago: A Retrospective is organized on the heels of the 40th anniversary of the first showing of The Dinner Party in San Francisco and in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the women’s right to vote in the United States. How fitting a tribute to an artist who has spent a lifetime fighting for social justice and female expression. The discussion will be followed by Q&A. Have your questions ready.

NOTES

MLF: Arts

MLF ORGANIZER Robert Melton

SPEAKERS

Victoria Kirby

Docent, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco

Debra Reabock

Visual Artists; Photo Philanthropist

Robert Melton

Co-chair, Arts Member-Led Forum; Curator, Farmer Gallery—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 28th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Kai-Fu Lee: Our AI Future Oct 12, 2021

Within the next two decades, Kai-Fu Lee says, artificial intelligence will become the defining development of the 21st century, making aspects of daily human life today virtually unrecognizable. AI will revolutionize medicine and education through human-machine symbioses. It will challenge the social and economic order by creating brand-new forms of communication and generating unprecedented wealth. AI is at its tipping point, and if our society doesn’t prepare for both the exciting and possibly perilous pathways ahead, we will lose the ability to control our collective future.

In their new book AI 2041, Kai-Fu Lee, bestselling author and former president of Google China, teams up with Chen Qiufan to create an image of what a world with artificial intelligence will look like in 20 years. In 10 gripping short stories, the authors introduce readers to an array of eye-opening concepts, such as the rogue scientist in Munich who uses AI technologies in a revenge plot that endangers the world. Or the teenage girl in Mumbai who rebels when AI’s crunching of big data gets in the way of romance. Through these stories, Lee and Qiufan draw on the ominous possibilities of autonomous weapons and human bias in smart technology as well as the incredible liberating power of artificial intelligence and its unprecedented ability to strengthen societal connections.

Kai-Fu Lee is the CEO of Beijing-based Sinovation Ventures and the co-chair of the Artificial Intelligence Council at the World Economic Forum. Formerly the president of Google China, Lee was also a senior executive at Microsoft, SGI and Apple.

Join us as Kai-Fu Lee delves into the intriguing future of artificial intelligence.

SPEAKERS

Kai-Fu Lee

Ph.D., CEO, Sinovation Ventures; Co-author, AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future

In Conversation with Rumman Chowdhury

Ph.D., CEO and Founder, Parity AI

n response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 28th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Stanford's Rob Reich, Mehran Sahami and Jeremy Weinstein: Where Big Tech Went Wrong Oct 11, 2021

In the era of big tech, groundbreaking technological innovation has given rise to an increasingly efficient and methodical society. But these advances are not without consequence, as unbounded technological growth demands control over how we work, think, consume and communicate. Our panelists say too many have accepted biased algorithms, job-displacing robots, and surveillance-based capitalism as an inexorable cost of innovation, giving a powerful few the reins over our evolving society. Technologists, the venture capitalists who fund them, and the politicians who allow for this unregulated growth have stepped into the seat of power, often prioritizing technological optimization and efficiency over fundamental human values.

System Error, authored by three Stanford professors, offers an alternative to this dystopian vision of a world controlled by big tech. Armed with the combined knowledge of philosopher Rob Reich, a leading thinker at the intersection of technology and ethics, political scientist and former Obama staffer Jeremy Weinstein, as well as the director of Stanford’s undergraduate computer science program Mehran Sahami, System Error reveals how big tech can be held to account for the power it wields over our society.

Join us as professors Reich, Weinstein and Sahami uncover the gripping reality of big tech and explain how we can chart a new path forward to control technology before it controls us.

About the Speakers

Rob Reich is the director of Stanford University’s Center for Ethics in Society; co-director of the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, and associate director of its new Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence; and co-author of System Error:Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot.

Mehran Sahami is aprofessor of computer science at Stanford University; former senior research scientist at Google; and co-author of System Error:Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot.

Jeremy M. Weinstein is a professor of political science at Stanford University; former deputy to the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and former director for development and democracy on the White House National Security Council staff during the Obama Administration; and co-author of System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot.

SPEAKERS

Rob Reich

Director, Stanford University’s Center for Ethics in Society; Co-author, System Error:Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot

Mehran Sahami

Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University; Co-author, System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot

Jeremy M. Weinstein

Professor of Political Science, Stanford University; Co-author, System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot

Levi Sumagaysay

Tech Reporter, MarketWatch—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 27th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Peril, with Robert Costa Oct 08, 2021

The transition from President Donald J. Trump to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is one of the most tumultuous periods in recent American history. Robert Costa and his co-author Bob Woodward have taken on the task of documenting the transition in a never-before-seen way in their new book, Peril.

With material ranging from secret orders to transcripts of phone conversations from the Trump and Biden White House, the 2020 campaign, and more, Peril is the story about changes, a first inside look into Biden’s presidency, and the unique challenges that face the new administration.

Join Costa he as analyzes this intense period in history as well as the overall landscape of American politics in 2021.

SPEAKERS

Robert Costa

National Political Reporter, The Washington Post; Co-Author, Peril

In Conversation with Scott Shafer

Senior Editor, KQED’s Politics and Government Desk; Twitter @scottshafer

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 7th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Firefight: How to Live in the Pyrocene Oct 08, 2021

We’ve experienced yet another summer of record wildfires in the western U.S., endangering lives, displacing communities, and sending unhealthy smoke across the nation.

The science is clear: human-caused climate change is making lands more conducive to burning, and we are increasingly living in flammable landscapes. Forest experts say there are tools to help reduce the risk of catastrophic fires, keep forests alive as valuable carbon sinks and make communities more resilient to megafires. But we may also have to become accustomed to more fire – and smoke – in our lives.

How can we better live with fire, including using it as a tool, rather than always fighting it?

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Stephen Pyne, author, The Pyrocene: How We Created an Age of Fire, and What Happens Next

Susan Husari, member of the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection

Chad T. Hanson, author, Smokescreen: Debunking Wildfire Myths to Save Our Forests and Our Climate

Jaime Lowe, author, Breathing Fire: Female Inmate Firefighters on the Front Lines of California’s Wildfires

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Top Tech Trends: Highlighting Entrepreneurship and Innovation Oct 07, 2021

The best venture capitalists look around corners, and at Top Tech Trends, some of the best VCs will share what they see.

The event will be highlighted by a lively panel discussion with investors from Bessemer, Greylock, HSBC Ventures and Mayfield offering their top picks for below-the-radar trends. We'll also hear from one of the most provocative tech investors in the business: Cathie Wood of Ark Invest, with her 1 million Twitter followers and bullish views on the future of technology.

NOTES

In partnership with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation's California Center for Innovation.

SPEAKERS

Ore Adeyemi

Managing Director and Global Head, HSBC Invest

Navin Chaddha

Managing Director, Mayfield

Byron Deeter

Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners

Sarah Guo

General Partner, Greylock

Cathie Wood

CEO/Chief Investment Officer, ARK Invest

Candy Cheng

Senior Correspondent, Insider—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 29th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Of Fear and Strangers: A History of Xenophobia Oct 07, 2021

What has caused the recent international resurgence of xenophobia? Looking for clues, psychiatrist and historian George Makari started out in search of the idea’s origins. He discovered that while the fear and hatred of strangers may be ancient, the notion of a dangerous bias called "xenophobia" arose not that long ago.

Coined by late-nineteenth-century doctors and political commentators, and popularized by an eccentric stenographer, xenophobia emerged as a popular cultural concept alongside Western nationalism, colonialism, mass migration, and genocide. Makari chronicles the concept’s rise, from its popularization and perverse misuse to its spread as an ethical principle in the wake of the Holocaust, and then on to its sudden reappearance in the twenty-first century. He investigates xenophobia’s evolution through writers like Joseph Conrad, Albert Camus and Richard Wright, and innovators like Walter Lippmann, Sigmund Freud, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Frantz Fanon. Weaving together history, philosophy and psychology, Makari also offers insights into related ideas such as the conditioned response, the stereotype, projection, the authoritarian personality, the other, and institutional bias.

Makari offers a unifying paradigm for comprehending more clearly how xenophobia, other irrational anxieties and contests over identity sweep through cultures and lead to the dangerous divisions so prevalent today.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

George Makari

Director, DeWitt Wallace Institute; Professor of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College; Author, Of Fear and Strangers: A History of Xenophobia

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 29th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Wake Up: Michelle Mijung Kim on the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change Oct 07, 2021

The Black Lives Matter and Stop AAPI Hate movements, among others, have brought international attention to widespread social injustices that have been ignored by society for far too long. As a result, many individuals have been inspired to make positive changes toward a safer and more inclusive world. But pursuing equity and justice can be a complex and confusing undertaking. Good intentions do not necessarily lead to good outcomes. Inspiration can easily be derailed by feelings of confusion, the trap of performative allyship, and misguided attempts to take action. When it comes to helping instead of harming, the hardest part can often be figuring out where to begin.

Michelle MiJung Kim will unpack hot button issues—cancel culture, inclusive language, representation, and more—in a way that is accessible to people regardless of their current understanding of inclusive practices.

Join us for an in-depth conversation Michelle MiJung Kim, followed by a book signing for her new tome, The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change.

SPEAKERS

Michelle Mijung Kim

Author, The Wake Up; Co-founder and CEO, Awaken

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 28th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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George Dobbins' Exit Interview Oct 07, 2021

What is the secret sauce behind The Commonwealth Club’s 500-plus annual programs? George Dobbins has led the Club’s programming effort for more than 22 years, responsible for the production of more than 9,000 forums. Sadly for the Club, he will retire on September 30, 2021.

Dobbins has seen all the trends in public issues and public debate over the past two decades. He has dealt with myriad politicians, kings, princes, scientists and celebrities, recently ranging from Dr. Anthony Fauci to Rep. Liz Cheney. He has handled it all with diplomacy, tact and inspired leadership. Please join us on September 28 at 12:30 p.m., in-person at the Club or online, as Club CEO Gloria Duffy debriefs George Dobbins on his role of the past 22 years, and he tells a few behind-the-scenes stories that will both keep us laughing and underline the wisdom and care with which he has handled his important position.

SPEAKERS

George Dobbins

Vice President of Programs, The Commonwealth Club of California

In Conversation with Dr. Gloria Duffy

President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 28th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Max Chafkin: Peter Thiel and the Pursuit of Power in Silicon Valley Oct 06, 2021

Over the past two decades, no industry has had a greater impact on the world than the tech industry, born and bred in California's Silicon Valley. And perhaps few individuals have done more to shape Silicon Valley than the enigmatic tech investor and entrepreneur, Peter Thiel. The billionaire venture capitalist and tech leader has been a behind-the-scenes operator influencing the tech industry and countless aspects of our contemporary way of life, from the technologies we use every day to the delicate power balance between Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Washington, particularly during the Trump administration. But despite his power, no public figure might be quite so mysterious as Thiel.

In the first major biography of Thiel, reporter Max Chafkin traces the trajectory of Thiel's singular life and worldview, from his upbringing as the child of immigrant parents and years at Stanford as a burgeoning conservative thinker to his founding of PayPal and Palantir, early investments in Facebook and SpaceX, and relationships with fellow tech titans Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Eric Schmidt. Chafkin's book, The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power, explores the extent to which Thiel has sought to have influence far beyond California's tech industry, including funding the lawsuit that destroyed the blog Gawker and supporting conservative political candidates, including Donald Trump in 2016.

To understand Silicon Valley and its impact, particularly on American political and civic life, an understanding of Thiel is a critical piece of the puzzle. Please join us for an important discussion on this critical player in the tech industry and American life. The discussion will be led by Brad Stone, best known for chronicling another enigmatic tech mogul, Amazon's Jeff Bezos.

SPEAKERS

Max Chafkin

Features Editor and Technology Reporter, Bloomberg Businessweek; Author, The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power

Brad Stone

Senior Executive Editor, Global Technology, Bloomberg News; Author, Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 27th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Freedomville: A 21st-Century Slave Revolt in India Oct 06, 2021

A celebrated revolution brought freedom to a group of enslaved people in northern India. Or did it?

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Laura Murphy, who will join us live from the United Kingdom to talk about the fascinating story of Freedomville, a town founded by slaves in India.

Millions of people today are still enslaved, and nearly 8 million of them live in India, more than anywhere else. Murphy reveals the story of a small group of enslaved villagers in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh who founded their own town of Azad Nagar―Freedomville―after staging a rebellion against their slaveholders. International organizations championed it as a non-violent "silent revolution" that inspired other villagers to fight for their own freedom. But Murphy, a leading scholar of contemporary global slavery who spent years researching and teaching about Freedomville, found that there was something troubling about Azad Nagar's success.

Freedomville's enormous struggle to gain and maintain liberty shows us how realistic radical change is, and how a global construction boom is deepening and broadening the alienation of impoverished people around the world.

About the Speaker

Laura T. Murphy is professor of human rights and contemporary slavery at the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK. She is the author of The New Slave Narrative: The Battle over Representations of Contemporary Slavery, Survivors of Slavery: Modern-Day Slave Narratives and Metaphor and the Slave Trade in Western African Literature. Her work has been funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the British Academy, the National Humanities Center, and the Department of Justice.

SPEAKERS

Laura Murphy

Professor of Human Rights and Contemporary Slavery, Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University (UK); Author, Freedomville: The Story of a 21st-Century Slave Revolt; Twitter @LauraTMurphy

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 23rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mary Trump: The Reckoning Oct 05, 2021

With her first book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man, trained clinical psychologist Mary L. Trump focused a spotlight on their family's complex history to explain how her uncle became a historically disruptive national figure. The book was a international bestseller, appearing in the midst of a heated presidential election and providing deep insight into the nation's 45th president.

Now in The Reckoning: Our Nation's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal, Mary Trump examines America's national trauma, rooted in our history but dramatically exacerbated by the impact of current events and the Trump administration's divisive policies. She says that our failure to acknowledge this, let alone root it out, has allowed it to metastasize. Whether the trauma manifests itself in rising levels of rage and hatred, or hopelessness and apathy, the stress of living in a country people feel they no longer recognize has affected millions. It’s a collective PTSD that a new leader alone cannot fix.

Mary Trump explores how our current trauma is the logical outcome of the stories we tell ourselves, the myths we embrace, and the lies we perpetuate. Trauma shapes us in ways we may not be aware of, and will always do so unless we face what has happened to us, what we’ve done to ourselves, what we’ve done to each other. She says an enormous amount of healing must be done to rebuild our faith in leadership, and our hope for this nation, and it starts with the reckoning.

Mary L. Trump holds a Ph.D. from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University, and has taught graduate courses in trauma, psychopathology and developmental psychology.

SPEAKERS

Mary Trump

Psychologist; Author, The Reckoning

In Conversation with Molly Jong-Fast

Editor at Large, The Daily Beast

Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker

Journalists; Authors

In Conversation with Yamiche Alcindor

Host, "Washington Week," PBS

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mary Roach's Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law Oct 05, 2021

Mary Roach wants to let us in on a secret: The greatest number of repeat criminal offenders are outside, all around us, and you’ve probably even seen some today—animals. It has only been three centuries since animals had to stand trial for their misconduct, in a court of law, with legal representation. Yes, really.

In her newest book, Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law, the science enthusiast turned writer deep-dives into human-animal conflict. As human land consumption creeps further into the natural habitats of these so-called troublemakers, it becomes more pressing to realize a symbiotic coexistence. The question becomes: Who is in the wrong, animals living according to their instincts or the humans that increasingly police them? To answer this question, Roach trots the globe from the Himalayas to Vatican City making friends with rats and foes with a macaque. Ultimately she reaches the conclusion that there is true, untamed hope for working with rather than against our critter counterparts.

At INFORUM Roach will regale us with stories as wild as they are true, such as her foray into rat-bait taste testing. Further she will serve as our safari-guide in the conversation of how to bring outdoor and indoor worlds together safely and justly at a time when this work is needed most. This conversation is moderated by Kara Platoni, Wired's science editor

SPEAKERS

Mary Roach

Author, Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law

Kara Platoni

Science Editor, Wired—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 21st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Katharine Hayhoe on Hope and Healing Oct 01, 2021

Despite her identity as an evangelical, climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe doesn't accept global warming on faith; she crunches the data, analyzes the models, and helps engineers, city managers and ecologists quantify the impacts. In her new book, Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, Hayhoe argues that when it comes to changing hearts and minds, facts are only one part of the equation.

“The biggest problem we have is not the people who willfully decide to reject 200 years of basic science,” she says. “The bigger problem is the number of people who say, ‘it's real’ but they don’t think it matters to them.”

Hayhoe says we need to find shared values with others to drive conversations and collective action on climate disruption.

Guest:

Katharine Hayhoe, climate scientist and chief scientist, The Nature Conservancy; author, Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World

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“Asian for All”—How to Be a 21st Century Museum Sep 29, 2021

The mass movements of summer 2020 brought together millions and compelled museums across the country to confront their own legacies with urgency and openness. Director of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco Jay Xu will share how the museum navigated these challenges while endeavoring to transform the 55-year-old museum into a 21st century experience accessible and welcoming to all.

Through an ever-growing contemporary art collection, investment in accessible digital technologies, a new pavilion helping to reenergize Civic Center, and an expansive look at what it means to be a culturally specific museum during a surge in anti-Asian racism, Xu will talk about his team’s efforts to inspire and connect audiences from around the world—with art as well as with each other. The discussion will be moderated by Deborah Clearwaters, director of education and interpretation at the Asian Art Museum.

NOTES

MLF: Asia-Pacific Affairs

SPEAKERS

Dr. Jay Xu

Barbara Bass Bakar Director & CEO, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Deborah Clearwaters

Director of Education and Interpretation, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco—Moderator

Introduction by Jim Brown

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A New Era of Experiential Medicine: From Video Games to Psychedelics Sep 28, 2021

A fundamental challenge of our health-care system is the enhancement of cognition for millions of people who suffer from psychiatric and neurological conditions. Despite 70 years of global effort in attempting to identify molecules deliverable as pills to accomplish this goal, we have largely failed to deliver truly effective, accessible and low-side-effect treatments for cognitive impairments associated with medical conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD and dementia.

It is important to be aware that for thousands of years we humans have been creating experiences to enhance the quality of our lives and support our mental health. However, this approach has largely been marginalized as “alternative” and has not been embraced within the core of mainstream medicine. Dr. Adam Gazzaley will describe his mission to develop and validate experiences as medicine by integrating neuroscience-guided design, invention and experimentation. In this talk, he will discuss his invention of a closed-loop video game that has now become the first FDA-cleared video game for any medical condition, and the first digital treatment for ADHD. He will share how the next generation of experiential medicine will incorporate advances in artificial intelligence, sensory immersion, virtual reality, multimodal physiological recordings and noninvasive electrical brain stimulation. He will conclude with a deep dive into his newest undertakings to explore the intricacies and possibilities of one of man’s oldest experiential medicines—psychedelics.

Dr. Adam Gazzaley obtained an M.D. and Ph.D. in neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, completed neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania and postdoctoral training in cognitive neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley. He is currently the David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco and the founder and executive director of Neuroscape, a translational neuroscience center at UCSF engaged in technology creation and scientific research.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patty James

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Dr. Adam Gazzaley

M.D., Ph.D., David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco; Founder and Executive Director, Neuroscape

Patty James

M.S., N.C. Nutritionist; Chef; Author—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 22nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A Conversation with Peter Coyote Sep 28, 2021

Peter Coyote has acted in more than 130 films (including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Cross Creek, Jagged Edge,Patch Adams, Erin Brockovich, and Hemingway & Gellhorn), is an Emmy Award-winning narrator of more than 200 documentaries (including, for Ken Burns, The West, The National Parks, Prohibition, The Dust Bowl, The Roosevelts, The Vietnam War, The Mayo Clinic, and Country Music), and is a political activist, singer/songwriter and a Buddhist priest.

He has also penned two memoirs. He is the author of the new book of poetry, Tongue of a Crow, and a forthcoming December book, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Meet Buddha: Masks, Meditation, and Improvised Play to Induce Liberated States, in which he "reveals how to use masks, meditation, and improvisation to free yourself from overthinking, self-doubt, and fixed ideas of who you think you are."

Join a fascinating conversation with Peter Coyote about his amazing life, career, and the lessons he's learned along the way.

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Peter Coyote

Actor; Political Activist; Author, Tongue of a Crow and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Meet Buddha: Masks, Meditation, and Improvised Play to Induce Liberated States (forthcoming)

In conversation with John Boland

President Emeritus, KQED; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 2st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Innovative Connection: Mexico and Silicon Valley Sep 28, 2021

When Americans think about Mexico, many things may come to mind—complexities around immigration, perhaps, or travel involving beaches and food. Technology and innovation are probably not on that list, but increasingly a new reality is taking hold across Mexico: a growing technology and innovation sector with strong links to Silicon Valley and Bay Area investors, entrepreneurs and companies.

Mexico’s young venture capital industry is growing rapidly. From $55 million in 2010, annual investment has grown to more than $1 billion. Softbank’s $5 billion Innovation Fund, created several years ago to invest in Latin America, was a turning point that put Mexico on the global venture map. Now the country boasts unicorns and fast-growing startups. More are on the way, supported by universities, accelerators and by large tech and startup conferences in cities such as Guadalajara and Monterrey.

The roots of Mexico’s economic and cultural ties with the Bay Area run exceptionally deep, dating to Spain’s settlement of California during the 1700s. Linked by history, culture and family, the two economies have grown in parallel but on very different paths. A turning point came in 1994 with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which stimulated a wave of investment in manufacturing by U.S. and California companies in Mexico. More recently, a small but rapidly growing technology and innovation revolution has been taking place south of the border.

Please join us to learn more about the growing ties between Silicon Valley and the Bay Area and Mexico's growing technology and innovation sectors.

This program is based on the new Bay Area Council Economic Institute report, "Southern Connection: Innovation Clusters in Mexico and the Bridge to Silicon Valley."

SPEAKERS

Remedios Gómez Arnau

Cónsul General, Consulado General de México en San Francisco

Andy Tsao

Managing Director, Silicon Valley Bank

Lynne Bairstow

Managing Partner, MITA Ventures

Maritza Diaz

CEO, ITJuana

Sean Randolph

Senior Director, Bay Area Economic Institute--Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 21st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Afghan Tragedy Sep 28, 2021

Our distinguished panelists will give an overview of the present situation in Afghanistan following U.S. withdrawal and how quickly the Taliban took power. They will also explore how we might help our Afghan allies and others fleeing to the United States.

Humaira Ghilzai, who instituted the Sister City relationship between Hayward, CA and Ghazni, Afghanistan, is a dedicated woman's advocate and Afghan cultural advisor. She will talk about how we might help Afghan women threatened with the loss of rights and freedoms. Ami Dodson is a JFCS East Bay volunteer services manager who has been helping to to resettle Afghan refugees in the SF Bay Area. JCSF works with HIAS, a global Jewish nonprofit, which protects and assists refugees of all faiths and ethnicities. Steve Miska was a White House director for Iraq on the National Security Council, and during combat tours, he led a team that created an underground railroad from Baghdad to the United States for military interpreters.

MLF ORGANIZER

Celia Menczel

NOTES

MLF: Middle East

SPEAKERS

Ami Dodson

JFCS East Bay (Jewish Family and Community Services)

Humaira Ghilzai

Co-founder, Afghan Friends Network

Steve Miska

Colonel (ret.), U.S. Army; Author, Baghdad Underground Railroad

Atta Arghandiwal

Former Refugee; Humanitarian; Author, Lost Decency: The Untold Afghan Story—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 20th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Fear of a Black Universe Sep 27, 2021

Join us for a conversation with cosmologist Stephon Alexander, who argues that great physics requires one to think outside the mainstream—to improvise and to rely on intuition. His approach has led him to three principles that shape all theories of the universe: the principle of invariance, the quantum principle, and the principle of emergence.

Alexander uses these three principles to explore some of physics' greatest mysteries, from what happened before the Big Bang to how the universe makes consciousness possible. Drawing on his experience as a Black physicist, Alexander makes a powerful case for diversifying our scientific communities because—after successfully incorporating a piece of life-changing advice that, in order to discover real physics, he needed to stop memorizing and start taking risks—Alexander has concluded that making further progress in physics probably requires embracing the excluded, listening to the unheard, and being unafraid of being wrong.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Stephon Alexander

Professor of Physics, Brown University; Jazz Musician; Author, Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Preparing for Disasters We Don’t Want to Think About Sep 24, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed structural weaknesses and inequities that existed long before 2020. Like COVID-19, climate change is another “threat multiplier,” with the power to disrupt many of our social systems.

In her new book, The Fight for Climate After COVID-19, Alice Hill says we need to adapt our thinking and our policies to combat the ever-increasing threat of climate change. Especially when we see more compound disasters – like a wildfire followed by a mudslide.

“We need to come together to understand the risks, understand the vulnerabilities and then start making decisions with the support and the aid of the federal government to have better outcomes,” Hill says.

What changes can we make now to better prepare for future risks and climate disasters?

Guests:

Alice Hill, author, The Fight for Climate After COVID-19, Senior Fellow for Climate Change Policy, Council on Foreign Relations

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Thomas P. Bostick, Former Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Francis Suarez, Mayor of Miami

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Matthew Rettenmund: Chronicler of 'Boy Culture' Sep 22, 2021

Now making appearances on the film festival circuit, "Boy Culture: The Series" is a follow-up to the 2006's Boy Culture—the movie of the novel by the same name first published in the mid-1990s. In six brand-new 15-minute episodes, the series tells the story of X, portrayed by Derek Magyar, his roommate Andrew (Darryl Stephens), and their struggles.

Join us for an exclusive conversation with Matthew Rettenmund, author of the book and the series, for a look at tackling controversial topics, filmmaking during a pandemic, his career as an LGBTQ author, crowdfunding a budget, and much more.

Besides Boy Culture, Rettenmund is the author of Encyclopedia Madonnica, Blind Items: A (Love) Story and MLVC 60. He has forgotten more information about Madonna than most of us will ever know. He was also the founder and longtime editor of Popstar! magazine, and he blogs regularly at boyculture.com.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

SPEAKERS

Matthew Rettenmund

Author, Boy Culture, Blind Items & Encyclopedia Madonnica 20; Blogger, Boyculture.com; Twitter @mattrett

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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George Will: American Happiness and Discontents Sep 22, 2021

Pulitzer Prize-winner George F. Will has been one of this country’s leading columnists since 1974 and, as The Wall Street Journal once called him, “perhaps the most powerful journalist in America.” In his new collection titled American Happiness and Discontents: The Unruly Torrent, 2008–2020, Will offers an in-depth account of a remarkably chaotic 13 years in our nation’s experience through his analysis of an impressively vast array of topics.

In this stirring examination, George Will reveals the ways in which expertise, reason and manners are continually under attack in our institutions, courts, political arenas and social venues. Will covers topics including his perspective on American socialists, anti-capitalist conservatives, drug policy, the criminal justice system, climatology and the coronavirus.

Join us as we delve into this stunning account of American politics and culture from one of the preeminent columnists and intellectuals of our time.

SPEAKERS

George F. Will

Columnist, The Washington Post; Author, American Happiness and Discontents: The Unruly Torrent, 2008-2020

In Conversation with Jonathan V. Last

Editor, The Bulwark

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Director Barry Sonnenfeld: Tales from a Neurotic Filmmaker Sep 22, 2021

Film and television director Barry Sonnenfeld has outrageous and hilarious stories to tell—from his idiosyncratic upbringing in New York City to his breaking into film as a cinematographer with the Coen brothers to his unexpected career as the director behind such huge film franchises as The Addams Family and Men in Black and beloved work such as Get Shorty, Pushing Daises and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Barry Sonnenfeld's philosophy is, "Regret the Past. Fear the Present. Dread the Future." Will Smith once joked that he wanted to take Sonnenfeld to Philadelphia public schools and say, "If this guy could end up as a successful film director on big budget films, anyone can."

Come for an engaging conversation that will inspire anyone who thinks they can't succeed in life because of a rough beginning.

SPEAKERS

Barry Sonnenfeld

Director, Men in Black, Addams Family, Get Shorty; Author, Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother: Memoirs of a Neurotic Filmmaker

In Conversation with John Boland

President Emeritus, KQED; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 21st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Harvard Law Professor Randall Kennedy: Race Relations in America Sep 21, 2021

In his new book Say It Loud, acclaimed Harvard Law Professor Randall Kennedy chronicles his reactions over the past quarter-century to arguments, events and people that have compelled him to put pen to paper.

Three beliefs that are sometimes in tension with one another infuse these pages. First, Professor Kennedy says a massive amount of cruel racial injustice continues to beset the United States, an ugly reality that Kennedy says has become alarmingly obvious with the ascendancy of Donald J. Trump and the various political, cultural and social pathologies that he and many of his followers display and reinforce. Second, Kennedy observes there is much about which to be inspired when surveying the African American journey from slavery to freedom to engagement in practically every aspect of life in the United States. Third, he says an openness to complexity, paradox and irony should attend any serious investigation of human affairs.

Join a compelling conversation with this acclaimed legal scholar and public intellectual about what the past 25 years tell us about the future of race relations in America.

SPEAKERS

Randall Kennedy

Michael R. Klein Professor, Harvard Law School; Author, Say It Loud

In Conversation with Sheryl Davis

Executive Director, San Francisco Human Rights Commission

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 15th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Survival of the City, with Edward Glaeser and David Cutler Sep 21, 2021

Prior to the COVID–19 pandemic, many cities, particularly in the United States, were experiencing somewhat of a renaissance. Population was increasing, abandoned areas were being redeveloped into walkable neighborhoods, crime was dropping, and public spaces were engaging both a new generation of citizens and an older cohort who had moved to cities for the first time. In many ways, cities were fulfilling the vision of renowned urban economist Edward Glaeser as places that were the healthiest, greenest and richest (in both cultural and economic terms) places to live, and as areas that were rich in creativity and innovation.

The 18 months since March 2020 have tremendously challenged this rosy view of cities, and today cities like San Francisco stand at an unexpected crossroads. During the global coronavirus crisis, cities grew silent as many office workers worked from home—if they could work at all. The normal forms of socializing ground to a halt. Theaters and restaurants were quiet, and cultural arts organizations scaled back public programming. Things were supposed to return to normal for cities this fall, but the delta variant of the coronavirus has raised new questions about urban life: How permanent are these changes? Advances in digital technology mean that many people can opt out of city life as never before. Will they? Are we on the brink of an unexpected, post-urban world?

In their new book, Glaeser and his Harvard colleague David Cutler explore the future of cities. Though they believe city life will survive overall, individual cities face terrible risks, and a wave of urban failure could pose a threat not only to urban residents of particular cities but to all of those who rely on them. Glaeser and Cutler examine the evolution that is under way and describe the possible urban futures that lie before us: What will distinguish the cities that will flourish once again from the ones that won’t? The authors discuss San Francisco in the book and how COVID-19 allowed for wealthy citizens to flee the city in search of more space to do remote work.

Please join us for an important conversation on the future of cities, and what it means for the future of the country.

SPEAKERS

Edward Glaeser

Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, Harvard University; Co-author, Survival of the City: Living and Thriving in an Age of Isolation

David Cutler

Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics, Harvard University. Co-author, Survival of the City: Living and Thriving in an Age of Isolation

Alicia John-Baptiste

President and CEO, SPUR—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Lasting Impact of Tiny Habits. No Willpower Needed Sep 21, 2021

Transforming your life can be easier than you think. In his New York Times best selling book, Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything, a world-renowned expert on habit formation shares his groundbreaking methods for the first time in print.

A behavior scientist at Stanford University, BJ Fogg combines his academic research with his massive real-world experience (he has personally coached more than 40,000 people) to create a book full of new insights about how he says behavior really works. With true stories and concise examples, Fogg shares his systematic approach to design for lasting change using his simple and effective methods, including his trademarked Tiny Habits Method. No willpower required. You might be pleasantly surprised to learn about a major theme in this book: People change best by feeling good, not by feeling bad.

In this talk, Fogg will explain how to tap into the precise emotion that will build new habits and ultimately transform your life. A lively speaker and an award-winning teacher, Fogg’s playful approach will surprise you—in the best way. You’ll discover why this landmark book is on so many reading lists.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patty James

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Dr. BJ Fogg

Ph.D., Behavior Scientist; Director of Research and innovation, Behavior Design Lab, Stanford University

Patty James

Chair, Health & Medicine Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Chris Wallace: The Hunt for Osama bin Laden Sep 20, 2021

On August 27, 2010, three CIA officers met with then-CIA Director Leon Panetta. Their secret session revealed a courier with deep Al Qaeda ties who had been tracked to a three-story, heavily protected fortress at the end of a dead end street in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Without ever having to say the name bin Laden, there exists a mutual understanding that finally, after nearly a decade, they may have just found the world’s most wanted man.

In Countdown bin Laden, celebrated journalist and anchor of "Fox News Sunday" Chris Wallace delivers a thrilling account of the final 8 months of intelligence gathering, national security strategizing, and meticulous military planning that leads to the climactic mission when SEAL Team Six closes in on its target. Wallace reveals new information collected from in-depth interviews with more than a dozen central figures—including Leon Panetta, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and the special operator who killed bin Laden. Personal accounts from families who fell victim to 9/11 and relatives of SEAL Team Six are brought to life in Wallace’s narrative, published on the 20th anniversary of the most consequential terrorist attack in American history.

Join us as Chris Wallace brings us fresh reporting about the race to apprehend and bring to justice the architect of 9/11.

SPEAKERS

Chris Wallace

Anchor, "Fox News Sunday"; Author, Countdown bin Laden: The Untold Story of the 247-Day Hunt to Bring the Mastermind of 9/11 to Justice

In Conversation with Kirk Hanson

Senior Fellow and Former Executive Director, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Thomas Wright: Pandemic Politics and the End of the Old International Order Sep 20, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has killed millions, infected hundreds of millions, and laid bare the deep vulnerabilities and inequalities of our interconnected world. The ensuing economic collapse was the worst since the Great Depression, undoing more than two decades of progress in reducing extreme poverty. Tensions between the United States and China boiled over, and the worldwide contest between democracy and authoritarianism deepened. At a time when this global crisis required a truly collective response, international cooperation had almost entirely broken down, with key world leaders hardly on speaking terms.

In Thomas Wright and Colin Kahl’s Aftershocks: Pandemic Politics and the End of the Old International Order, the two national security experts offer a definitive account of the global impact of COVID-19, the political shock waves it will have on the United States, and myriad ways in which the crisis exposed the limitations of the old world order. This comprehensive account of the year 2020 draws on interviews with officials around the world and extensive research to tell the story of how nationalism and major power rivalries constrained the response to the worst pandemic in a century.

Co-author Thomas Wright is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. He has written several extensively researched pieces analyzing Donald Trump’s foreign policy.

Join us as Thomas Wright delves into his latest analysis of one of the strangest and most consequential years on record.

SPEAKERS

Thomas Wright

Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Co-author, Aftershocks: Pandemic Politics and the End of the Old International Order

In Conversation with Edward Luce

Associate Editor, Financial Times

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 13th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Secret Body: How the New Science of the Human Body Is Changing the Way We Live Sep 20, 2021

In a revolutionary new vision of human biology and the scientific breakthroughs that will transform our lives. Professor Daniel M. Davis shows how radical new possibilities are becoming realities thanks to the visionary efforts of scientists who are revealing the invisible and secret universe within each of us.

Focusing on six important frontiers, Davis describes what we are learning about cells, the development of the fetus, the body's immune system, the brain, the microbiome, and the genome — areas of human biology that are usually understood in isolation. Bringing them together, Davis offers a new vision of the human body as a biological wonder of dizzying complexity and possibility.

SPEAKERS

Daniel M. Davis

Ph.D., Professor of Immunology, University of Manchester (UK); Author, The Secret Body. How the New Science of The Human Body Is Changing the Way We Live; The Beautiful Cure and The Compatibility Gene

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

Ph.D., Chair, Health & Medicine Member-Led Forum, Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Diet for a Threatened Planet Sep 17, 2021

This September marks the 50th anniversary of the seminal work Diet for a Small Planet, in which Frances Moore Lappé argued that cattle constitute “a protein factory in reverse.” Lappé’s book inspired countless people to adopt vegetarian diets for environmental reasons.

But in the last 50 years the industrial food systems in America have only grown bigger and more concentrated, and – as the Lappés would argue – more powerful. Together with her daughter Anna Lappé, author of Diet for a Hot Planet, the two now focus on the intersections between democracy, environment, food, and justice.

“It's really important that we understand that in order to change our food environment, we need to really work to get money out of politics, and we really need to work on how to take on that kind of consolidated power in the industry,” Anna Lappé says.

Guests:

Frances Moore Lappé, author, Diet for a Small Planet

Anna Lappé, author, Diet for a Hot Planet

Analena Hope Hassberg, Associate Professor, Ethnic and Women's Studies Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Ruth Richardson, Executive Director, Global Alliance for the Future of Food

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Drug Use, the Pandemic, and LGBTQ People Sep 16, 2021

COVID-19 has disrupted many of our lives, with impacts ranging from job loss to housing changes, physical health issues to mental health challenges. At the same time, drug use has increased since the pandemic first struck and has deeply affected many LGBTQ people.

Join us for an important discussion on the impact of drugs and the search for healthy ways of coping with the pandemic and life's other challenges.

SPEAKERS

Kristen Marshall

Associate Director of San Francisco Programs, National Harm Reduction Coalition

Wayne Rafus

Manager of Contingency Management, 6th Street Harm Reduction Center

Sister Roma

Member, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence; Entertainer; Activist

Juniper Yun

Artist, Director of Cultural Affairs, The Transgender District in San Francisco

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Craig Whitlock: Inside the War in Afghanistan Sep 16, 2021

Unlike the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan had near-unanimous public support at the time. Their goals were straightforward: defeat Al-Qaeda and prevent a repeat of 9/11. But after the Taliban was ousted from power, U.S. officials lost sight of their original objectives as the military became mired in an unwinnable guerrilla conflict in a country it did not understand.

Washington Post reporter Craig Whitlock brings us The Afghanistan Papers, which, similarly to the Pentagon Papers after Vietnam, contains startling revelations from people who played a direct role in the war, certain to change the public’s understanding of the conflict. From leaders in the White House and Pentagon to soldiers and aid workers on the front lines, many are candidly admitting that the U.S. government’s strategies were a mess, that the nation-building project was a colossal failure, and that drugs and corruption gained a stronghold over their allies in the Afghan government. Whitlock’s account is based on interviews with more than 1,000 people who knew that the U.S. government was presenting a distorted, and sometimes entirely fabricated, version of the facts on the ground—all upheld by three presidents unwilling to admit failure.

Join us for this timely event with Craig Whitlock as he reveals the alarming truth behind the longest war in American history, forcing us to reckon with what went so horribly wrong in Afghanistan.

SPEAKERS

Craig Whitlock

Investigative Reporter, The Washington Post; Author The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War

In Conversation with Mitch Jeserich

Host, "Letters and Politics," KPFA Radio

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Renewal: From Crisis to Transformation with Anne-Marie Slaughter Sep 15, 2021

Americans today face a deeply divided nation beset with political dysfunction. It is here in the United States where identity is questioned, equality is fought for, and history is debated. How can we face the past and simultaneously envision a new future? In her new book Renewal, lawyer and foreign policy analyst Anne-Marie Slaughter encourages self-reflection and growth to change the way individuals and institutions lead and learn.

Slaughter’s years of government service, particularly as the former director of policy planning for the U.S. Department of State, has prepared her for understanding how identity and values shape the crisis America now faces. Through personal reflections and insights on the latest research in the social sciences, Slaughter will explain how to understand how our country must accept its past, renew, and face the future. Renewal highlights a story of crisis and change that can help us find renewed honesty and purpose in our personal and political lives.

Join us as Anne-Marie Slaughter offers honesty and hope in this essential reading for change makers of tomorrow.

SPEAKERS

Anne-Marie Slaughter

CEO, New America; Author, Renewal: From Crisis to Transformation in Our Lives, Work, and Politics

In Conversation with Lenny Mendonca

Former Chief Economic and Business Advisor, State of California; Director Emeritus, McKinsey & Company

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The 20th Anniversary of 9/11 and the Homeland Today: With Janet Napolitano, Anthony Romero and Amy Zegart Sep 15, 2021

As the country reflects on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, join us for a special 90-minute conversation focused on the state of homeland security today and looking ahead. Homeland security is a term that has evolved over the past two decades since the deadly terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. At first, it was a subject primarily focused on protecting the country from international terrorism, including Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda, then ISIS, as well as affiliated terrorist organizations. Over the past several years and culminating on January 6 earlier this year, the phrase has also expanded to include domestic extremism and threats from within the United States.

A high-level panel featuring former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napoliano, ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow and cybersecurity expert Dr. Amy Zegart will discuss a range of issues related to homeland security, including civil liberties and technology. The program will explore our changing understanding of homeland security, what we have learned about keeping the country safe over the past 20 years, and what the trade-offs have been for the country’s citizens and the country itself.

SPEAKERS

Janet Napolitano

Professor of Public Policy, Director of the Center for Security in Politics, and Former President, University of California; U.S Homeland Security Secretary Under President Obama; Former Governor, Arizona

Anthony Romero

Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union

Amy Zegart

Sr. Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; Morris Arnold & Nona Jean Cox Sr. Fellow, Hoover Institution; Professor, by courtesy, of Political Science, Stanford University; Author, Spies, Lies, and Algorithms (forthcoming)

Dina Temple-Raston

Senior Correspondent, The Record by Recorded Future; Former National Security & Investigations Correspondent, National Public Radio—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Future of California Tourism in Challenging Times Sep 15, 2021

Travel and tourism make up one of California’s most important and powerful industries. Every day before the pandemic of 2020, travelers injected hundreds of millions of dollars into communities across the Golden State, infusing hundreds of billions of dollars into the state’s economy. In 2019, this spending generated $12.2 billion in local and state tax revenue and supported 1.2 million jobs for Californians.

That all changed when the pandemic spread in March 2020, and the tourism industry largely shut down, hitting cities like San Francisco particularly hard. The industry recovery began to take shape earlier in 2021. However, just as the pandemic was receding and the tourism economy was starting to recover, the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus has again negatively impacted the tourism economy, slowing chances of a full recovery any time soon and raising questions about the future of the industry and, most important, the workers who rely on it for employment. These issues are particularly challenging in the Bay Area, as it is significantly impacted by shifts in tourism to San Francisco.

As one of the most challenging periods in the state's tourism history continues, we are pleased to be joined by two of the state's top tourism leaders, as well as tourism workers directly impacted by the changes brought about by the pandemic, to discuss the future of the industry in the fifth-largest economy in the world, The discussion will touch upon why the tourism economy is so important to the California economy, why travel and tourism is so significant to all Californians, and what we all can do to support the industry and its workers during this challenging time.

NOTES

This program is funded by a grant from The California Wellness Foundation (Cal Wellness). The foundation’s mission is to improve the health of Californians. Cal Wellness is dedicated to promoting equity through advocacy and access.

SPEAKERS

Caroline Beteta

President & CEO, Visit California

Joe D'Alessandro

President and CEO, SF Travel

Daniela Puccinelli

Director of Event Management, The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square

Spud Hilton

Former Travel Editor, San Francisco Chronicle; Editor, Where Traveler Magazine, San Francisco Bay Area Edition

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Water and Civilization: Resilience and Collapse Sep 10, 2021

Water is essential for life, and throughout history we have sought to control and make use of it. As Giulio Boccaletti explores in his new book, Water: A Biography, that relationship with water has underpinned human civilization, forming an integral part of society, government and land use systems. But despite its essential nature, access to water has never been equal or entirely fair.

Climate disruption will further destabilize the systems we’ve built to control water in our environment – even as it remains a public good without fair and equal public access. What can 10,000 years of history teach us about how we should handle water in our current and future climate?

Guests:

Giulio Boccaletti, Author, Water: A Biography

Sara Aminzadeh, Vice President of Partnerships, U.S. Water Alliance

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Extraction: Art on the Edge of the Abyss Sep 09, 2021

Extraction: Art on the Edge of the Abyss is a special project of the Codex Foundation. Extraction is a multimedia, multi-venue, cross-border art intervention focused on the suicidal consumption of the planet’s natural resources, which the artists say is the most pressing environmental issue of our time, encompassing all others, including climate change.

Extraction is an international "art ruckus" for 2021! Peter Koch's intervention includes a multimedia focus on dual aspects of Northern California and his native state of Montana and the impact of Extraction.

The project is culminating in a constellation of nearly 50 overlapping exhibitions, performances, installations, site-specific work, land art, street art, publications, poetry readings and cross-media events throughout 2021 and beyond.

NOTES

MLF: Arts

SPEAKERS

Peter Koch

Peter Koch Printers

Sam Pelts

Coordinator, Extraction Project

Dr. Anne W. Smith

Co-Chair, Arts Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 31st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Economic State of Black America Sep 09, 2021

As with many aspects of American life, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted BIPOC communities. For Black businesses, this meant closing their doors and for Black workers, either being laid off or made to work in unsafe conditions. In a system where Black workers are proportionally overrepresented in low-wage work and sharply underrepresented in executive positions, this negative impact is exacerbated. However discouraging this reality is, it serves as a call to action to close the wide, possibly widening, racial gap.

At INFORUM, a panel of experts on the economic state of Black America will provide insight on what a path to equal and just recovery looks like, expanding upon research by McKinsey & Company. Further, juxtaposing the current reality with the prosperity offered by a better future, they will drive home the need to make change, and do so quickly.

SPEAKERS

Shelley Stewart III

Partner, McKinsey & Company; Co-author, "The economic state of Black America: What is and what could be"

Michael Chui

Partner, McKinsey Global Institute; Co-author, "The economic state of Black America: What is and what could be"

Dr. Kristen E. Broady

Ph.D., Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, The Brookings Institution

Jeffery Wallace

CEO and President, LeadersUp

Jennifer Ablan

U.S. Assistant Managing Editor, Financial Times—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 27th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Engaging and Empowering Returned Peace Corps Women Sep 09, 2021

Join us as we discover and learn how these four dynamic returned women Peace Corps volunteers crafted their careers to become important leaders. We will also find out what hurdles they had to overcome and how they became influential and creative leaders. Their stories are valuable for all to hear, and we can all learn from their experiences.

Lisa Curtis is the founder and CEO of Kuli Kuli, the leading brand pioneering the sustainably sourced superfood moringa. Kuli Kuli works with farmers in the developing world to access the nutritional power and economic opportunities of moringa. Curtis began working on Kuli Kuli while serving in the Peace Corps in Niger and has grown it into a multi-million dollar social enterprise. Previously, Lisa wrote political briefings for President Obama in the White House, served as a United Nations Environment Programme Youth Advisor, and worked at an impact investment firm in India.

The moderator for today's program is Frank Price, the vice president of the Northern California Peace Corps Association and Shriver Circle Member of the National Peace Corps Association. Price served in the Peace Corps in Côte d'Ivoire. He is currently president of the Stewardship of the Commons Foundation

MLF ORGANIZER

Frank Price

NOTES

MLF: International Relations

SPEAKERS

Lisa Curtis

Founder & CEO of Kuli Kuli; Served in Niger

Karen DeWitt

Journalist; Digital Newsroom Director, School of Global Journalism and Communication, Morgan State University; Served in Ethiopia

Nalini Elkins

CEO and Founder of Inside Products, Inc.; Served in Togo

Rahama Wright

Founder and CEO of Shea Yeleen Health and Beauty; Served in Ghana

Frank Price

Vice President, Northern California Peace Corps Association; Shriver Circle Member, National Peace Corps Association; Served in Côte d'Ivoire

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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U.C. Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky: The Supreme Court and Racist Policing Sep 08, 2021

U.C. Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky is one of the country's most respected constitutional scholars. In his new book Presumed Guilty, he says that the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the perpetuation of racist policing by presuming that suspects, especially people of color, are guilty before being charged.

Dean Chemerinsky argues that the fact that police are nine times more likely to kill Black men than other Americans is no accident but rather the result of an elaborate body of doctrines. He says the pro-defendant Warren Court was a only brief historical aberration and that this more liberal era ended with Nixon’s presidency and the ascendance of conservative justices, whose rulings have permitted stops and frisks, limited suits to reform police departments, and even abetted the use of chokeholds.

Come hear Dean Chemerinsky's thoughts on necessary steps to create a more robust court system that will enhance civil rights.

SPEAKERS

Erwin Chemerinsky

Dean, University of California, Berkeley, Law School; Author, Presumed Guilty: How the Supreme Court Empowered the Police and Subverted Civil Rights

In conversation with Brian Watt

KQED News Anchor

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Kevin Adler and Dr. Gloria Duffy: Steps Everyone Can Take to End Homelessness Sep 03, 2021

“Everyone’s someone’s somebody.” That’s the tagline of Miracle Messages, a nonprofit organization tackling homelessness by rekindling relationships and reconstructing support systems.

Inspired by his Uncle Mark, CEO Kevin Adler launched Miracle Messages in 2014. Growing up, Kevin watched his beloved and loyal uncle, who suffered from schizophrenia, battle homelessness on-and-off for 30 years. When Mark passed away at the age of 50, Kevin’s family ensured that Mark’s life would never be forgotten within their own family. However, Kevin realized that while his uncle was lucky to have a family to remember and support him, thousands of others living on the streets were not connected to their family members or friends.

Kevin and Miracle Messages volunteers offer homeless individuals a chance to reconnect with their family members and friends. Through Miracle Message’s reunion service, they have helped reunite over 425 people experiencing homelessness with support systems from which they have been separated, sometimes for decades. Dozens of reunions have resulted in individuals moving off the streets. Miracle Messages’ buddy system has also connected members of the homeless population with volunteers who offer companionship and support through calls and text messages. They provide cell phones so homeless individuals can stay in touch, and are experimenting on a small scale with universal basic income for those who are homeless.

Our CEO, Dr. Gloria Duffy, will join Kevin for a conversation addressing how homelessness can be addressed on the individual and familial level. This topic is deeply personal for Gloria, as it is for Kevin, since a family member of hers has battled homelessness. Over the past 15 years, Gloria and her family have developed a system that supports her relative with a home and other basic needs.

Please join us as Kevin and Gloria reimagine how we fight homelessness, and learn how Miracle Messages has reunited hundreds of families.

SPEAKERS

Kevin F. Adler

Founder and CEO, Miracle Messages; Social Entrepreneur; Sociologist

In Conversation with Dr. Gloria Duffy

President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Commonwealth Club Week in Review for September 3, 2021 Sep 03, 2021

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.

We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.

If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.

Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.

Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening!

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CLIMATE ONE: The Fight Over Pipelines Sep 03, 2021

Hundreds of people have been arrested in Minnesota in ongoing protests against Line 3, a pipeline that will move Canadian tar sands oil, and which could be operational as soon as this month.

Pipeline advocates, like Mike Fernandez of Enbridge (Line 3’s builder), argue that as long as people are still using oil, we need a way to transport it — and pipelines are the safest, least carbon-intensive means of doing so. Opponents, like Sierra Club’s Kelly Sheehan Martin, argue that oil companies bolster markets for oil and gas as a way to justify continued profits from building pipelines and extracting oil. Sheehan Martin argues that to seriously address the climate crisis, we need to keep the oil in the ground, and listen to the voices of those worried about harm to waterways and tribal lands.

Why have oil pipelines become such a point of contention in the environmental movement? And what can all sides agree on to work toward the same less-carbon-reliant future?

Guests:

Mike Fernandez, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability, Enbridge

Daniel Raimi, Fellow, Resources for the Future

Kelly Sheehan Martin, Senior Director of Energy Campaigns, Sierra Club

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Made by the Bay: Imagining Our Next Chapter Sep 02, 2021

"I Love New York." "Keep Portland Weird." "Virginia Is For Lovers." "Don’t Mess with Texas." We all know them. We all say them—but how do we sum up the Bay Area?

The Bay offers the world culture, diversity, natural beauty, innovation and commitment to progress. Yet the Bay wrestles with persistent housing challenges and news stories about the “Bay Area exodus.” Layer on the COVID-19 pandemic, and it's no surprise that regional pride and confidence in the Bay Area is taking a hit. But this moment of unprecedented crisis can be a turning point for the Bay Area.

Join a panel of Bay Area locals and legends who will discuss how The Bay shaped who they have become, why they call this region home, and different solutions to rebuilding and strengthening the Bay Area. This panel will wrestle with how we can not only recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, but create the vibrant, equitable region that we all aspire to live in.

NOTES

In partnership with Tipping Point Community.

SPEAKERS

Sam Cobbs

CEO, Tipping Point Community

Heather Knight

Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle

Ned Segal

Chief Financial Officer, Twitter

Lenny Mendonca

Former Chief Economic and Business Advisor, State of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People Sep 01, 2021

Have you gotten the feeling that this pandemic has also been spreading an epidemic of irrationality? From insisting that climate change is a hoax to believing that vaccinations cause autism, many are willing to reject outright even a solid scientific consensus. And though it may be somewhat amusing to hear COVID-19 being blamed on 5G networks, chemtrails or Bill Gates's insatiable greed, the amusement stops when bad thinking leads to bad acting, such as the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.

Nadler and Shapiro argue that the best antidotes for such bad thinking and acting are the insights and practical skills of philosophy. Their engaging tour through the basic principles of logic, argument, evidence and probability can make anyone a more reasonable and responsible citizen. They also demonstrate how you can spot and avoid flawed arguments and unreliable information; determine whether evidence supports or contradicts an idea; distinguish between merely believing something and knowing it; and much more. In doing so, they reveal how epistemology (which addresses the nature of belief and knowledge) and ethics (the study of moral principles for governing behavior) can reduce bad thinking and bad acting. Ironically, it turns out that the millennia-old advice to know thyself, to aim at leading a good, rational and examined life, remains just as relevant today—that is, if you personally desire to overcome the current version of our seemingly endless human predicament.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Steven Nadler

William H. Hay II Professor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Director, Institute for Research in the Humanities; Co-Author, When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People

Lawrence Shapiro

Professor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Co-Author, When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations with Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on September 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Britney Spears and the Conservatorship Con Sep 01, 2021

A conservatorship, also known as a guardianship in most states, is the court-ordered assignment of the responsibility for care and the conservation of the estate of an incapacitated person to a third party. The probate court system, where these orders originate in California, has been highlighted in the media for decades for dysfunction that can provide a safe haven for predatory and parasitic attorneys.

Too often, vulnerable adults under the “protection of the court” are not protected. Unscrupulous conservators and guardians protected by influential attorneys neglect and exploit the very people they claim to safeguard.

The Britney Spears case exposed to the world what thousands of people nationwide each year are experiencing; the deceitful side of conservatorship.

Meet four dedicated activists who are counseling victims and their loved ones, and demanding state and federal reforms to prevent abuse. They will speak about who the victims are and how estate trafficking and fraudulent adult guardianships and conservatorships occur. They will also explain important steps you can take to protect yourself or a loved one.

What is needed for California and federal legislation to reform the system? Our experts will explore how the #FreeBritney movement will likely end.

MLF ORGANIZER

Denise Michaud

NOTES

MLF: Grownups

SPEAKERS

Rick Black

Executive Director, CEAR (Charlotte, NC)

Thomas Coleman

Attorney; Executive Director and Founder, Spectrum Institute (Palm Springs, CA)

Lisa MacCarley

Attorney; Founder, Bettys Hope

Leanne Simmons

Human Rights Advocate; Entertainment Industry Professional; Co-manager, @FreeBritneyLA

Dr. Gloria Duffy

President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Journey Beyond Fear to Ignite Your Passion and Build Your Success Aug 31, 2021

Join John Hagel III and Alison Levine as they share their fear-busting methods for combating today’s uncertainty. Digital business disruption, the emergence of epidemics, and engaging social movements are changing the world before our eyes. Our panel will share their experiences in negotiating extreme environments.

Levine led the American Women’s Everest Expedition, and Hagel is engaged in rapidly changing business environments as a business strategist. They will show us how to manage risk more fully in our own lives. Their methods and experiences can inspire us to become more confident in following our own dreams to succeed.

Following our program, we will have a rooftop reception and book signing.

MLF ORGANIZER

Elizabeth Carney

NOTES

MLF: Business & Leadership

SPEAKERS

John Hagel III

Business Strategist and Founder, Deloitte's Center for the Edge; Entrepreneur; Author, Journey Beyond Fear

Alison Levine

Team Captain, first American Women's Everest Expedition; Speaker; Author, On the Edge

Elizabeth Carney

Entrepreneur; Chair, Business and Leadership Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jasmyne Cannick: The Case of Ed Buck Aug 31, 2021

At a press conference following the conviction of wealthy socialite Ed Buck last month, journalist and political strategist Jasmyne Cannick said, "Ed Buck is going to pay for the crimes he committed, not just to their loved ones but to an entire community of Black men here."

Buck was once well regarded in the West Hollywood LGBTQ community and a prominent Democratic Party fundraiser. But his conviction on nine charges, including involvement in the deaths of Gemmel Moore and Timothy Dean, maintaining a drug den, distributing methamphetamines and solicitation of prostitutes, ended that. It's a sordid story that might never have come to light—or to court—without the persistence of journalists such as Cannick to bring justice to the victims.

Join us for an exclusive talk with Cannick.

About the Speaker

Jasmyne Cannick founded Justice for Gemmel and All of Ed Buck’s Victims to extend her advocacy for the survivors and victims of Ed Buck beyond her journalism, leveraging both her political acumen and her community relationships.

She is the co-founder of My Hood Votes along with Compton rapper Eric “Eazy-E” Wright’s son Lil E, a voter registration initiative focused on Los Angeles County’s roughest neighborhoods. Cannick is a proud co-founder of the National Black Justice Coalition, the nation’s largest and oldest Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization. She is a former co-chair of the National Stonewall Democrats Black Caucus. She currently sits on the board of the Los Angeles African American Women’s Political Action Committee and the Black Alliance for Justice Immigration (BAJI) Political Action Committee. In 2020, she won a seat on the Los Angeles County Democratic Party's County Central Committee, representing the 53rd Assembly District.

SPEAKERS

Jasmyne Cannick

Journalist; Political Strategist

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Bright Galaxies, Dark Matter Aug 31, 2021

Join us to discover how astronomer Vera Rubin's persistence, after her work was initially dismissed, finally convinced the scientific community that dark matter might exist. It is now taken for granted that the universe is mostly dark, made up of particles that are undetectable even by our most powerful telescopes. This discovery of the possible existence of dark matter signaled a Copernican-like revolution in astronomy: not only are we no longer the center of the universe, but even the stuff we’re made of appears to be insignificant. By showing that some astronomical objects seem to exaggerate gravity’s grip, Rubin played a pivotal role in this discovery.

Yeager tells the story of Rubin’s childhood fascination with stars, and her scientific education at Vassar and Cornell. She became a rarity, a woman in science, and her findings were equally incredible to her colleagues. Since some observatories still restricted women from using their large telescopes, Rubin was unable to collect her own data until a decade after she had earned her Ph.D. But in 1993 she received the National Medal of Science for her groundbreaking work. She’s also been memorialized with a ridge on Mars, an asteroid, a galaxy, and most recently the Vera C. Rubin Observatory—the first national observatory named after a woman.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

Ashley Jean Yeager

Associate News Editor, Science News; Author, Bright Galaxies, Dark Matter, and Beyond: The Life of Astronomer Vera Rubin

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Choose Possibility with Sukhinder Singh Cassidy Aug 30, 2021

Paralyzed by indecision? Sukhinder Singh Cassidy’s debut book Choose Possibility: Take Risks and Thrive (Even When You Fail) is a new view on risk, proposing that we take rather than avoid risk and enjoy the opportunities that come along with it. In it, the Silicon Valley mogul makes easy math of the choices that we make each day that can put us on the path to success. She argues that it is not one big decision that cements our future, but the million small ones that open up doors, enabling us to see success through. With not one but three successful companies under her belt, Cassidy maintains that she is no stranger to mistakes. But in the face of pitfalls and misfires, what has set her apart and launched her success is her ability to adapt, overcome and grow from such setbacks.

At INFORUM Sukhinder Singh Cassidy will crunch the numbers of risk, reveal the “seven myths of success”, all while guiding us on how to take the first step and all the ones that follow—making risk synonymous with opportunity rather than fear.

SPEAKERS

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy

Founder & Chairman, theBoardlist; Board Member, Upstart; Author, Choose Possibility: How to Master Risk and Thrive

Suzanne St. John-Crane

CEO, American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Paradise: Inside California's Deadliest Wildfire Aug 30, 2021

In November 2018, Paradise, California suffered through the nation's deadliest wildfire in a century. The Camp Fire leveled the mountain town, killing 85 people and destroying more than 18,000 structures. At the time, reporter Lizzie Johnson was a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Her definitive firsthand accounts of the fire and its wreckage helped tell the vivid story of this massive disaster.

Three years later, Johnson's new book, Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire, provides a detailed overview of the fire that destroyed Paradise, examines what went wrong and suggests ways to avert future tragedies as the climate crisis unfolds and California's drought worsens. Drawing on years of on-the-ground reporting and reams of public records, including 911 calls and testimony from a grand jury investigation, Johnson provides a minute-by-minute account of the Camp Fire, following residents and first responders as they fight to save themselves and their town.

As California enters what is usually the toughest part of its fire season during a historically dry year, please join us in a timely look back at the tragedy of Paradise, California, what is being done to bring that city back, and what we all need to be aware of regarding the increasing dangers from wildfires in our "new normal."

SPEAKERS

Lizzie Johnson

Staff Writer, The Washington Post; Author, Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive An American Wildfire

In Conversation with Elizabeth Weil

Reporter, ProPublica

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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How to Raise Civically Engaged Children Aug 27, 2021

This special family event will feature a multigenerational panel of adult civic leaders and educators talking together with their children about practices and opportunities for engaging young people in civic life.

Increasingly, youth have been speaking up about the importance of having parents and teachers who model civic engagement and encourage them to get involved in their communities. But how can we get our kids involved in ways that are both meaningful and rewarding? How can families engage in civic work together? What can kids do on their own, and how do they want adults to support them?

A lifetime of civic engagement begins in youth. We encourage you to watch this special program with your family.

This program is presented by Creating Citizens, an education initiative of The Commonwealth Club.

About the Speakers

Amber Coleman-Mortley’s passion is focused on elevating diverse voices and perspectives in the civic education space, working with students, educators and parent communities for more equitable outcomes. She holds a B.A. in African American Studies from Oberlin College and an M.A. from American University in Media Entrepreneurship. Coleman-Mortley is a former decorated college athlete, former educator and athletic coach. She covers civics, K–12 education and family life at MomOfAllCapes and on her podcast with her daughters, "Lets K12 Better." She has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Smithsonian magazine, and a variety of other broadcast, podcast and online media outlets.

Suzanne Ford is a fierce activist working toward equal rights for the trans community. She is employed as a regional sales manager at Revere Packaging, being named by Plastics News as one of the Women Breaking the Mold in the Packaging Industry in 2017. Ford serves as president of the Spahr Center in Marin County and as a board member and vice president of SF Pride. She also works on the board at Trans Heartline. Ford lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her wife Beverly and son Daniel. She is available to speak to groups or employers about trans issues and her experience facing the world as a trans woman.

Lateefah Simon is a nationally recognized advocate for civil rights and racial justice in Oakland and the Bay Area. She has been the president of Akonadi Foundation since 2016. That same year—driven by Oscar Grant's death—she was elected to the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board of Directors and served as its president. Since 2015, Simon also has served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the California State University, the nation's largest public university system, and state officials often turn to her for strategic advice on policy matters related to racial justice. Simon spearheaded San Francisco's first reentry anti-recidivism youth services division under then-District Attorney Kamala Harris' leadership. Simon received the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Award in 2003, making her the youngest woman to receive the award —in recognition of her work as executive director of the Young Women's Freedom Center.

SPEAKERS

Amber Coleman-Mortley

Host, "Let's K12 Better" Podcast

Suzanne Ford

Activist; President, Spahr Center

Lateefah Simon

President, Akonadi Foundation

Kimberly Ellis

Director, San Francisco Department on the Status of Women—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Should We Have Children in a Climate Emergency? Aug 27, 2021

Listener Advisory: This episode contains some content related to a suicide. If you or someone you love is thinking about suicide, the National 24-hour Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.

This summer, the climate crisis seems to be unfolding faster than ever before — with catastrophic floods, huge wildfires, and killer heat. It’s becoming increasingly hard to mentally set climate aside as a future problem — it is here, real in our present moment.

How do we grapple with the weight of these changes, and process our fear for what is coming for us, and for the next generation? And how do those emotions affect our decisions about whether or not to have children, who in many ways represent an embodied version of our hope for the future?

Guests:

Daniel Sherrell, Author, Warmth, Coming of Age at the End of Our World

Seb Gould, physics teacher

Irène Mathieu, pediatrician and poet

Virginie Le Masson, co-director of the Centre for Gender and Disaster at University College London

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Nudge with Richard Thaler Aug 26, 2021

Since the 2008 publication of the global bestseller Nudge, co-authored by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, the word “nudge” has entered the vocabulary of many businesspeople, policymakers, engaged citizens and consumers everywhere. It has taught us how to use thoughtful “choice architecture”—a concept the authors invented—to help us make better decisions for ourselves, our families and our society.

"Nudging" is a simple change that alters people’s behavior in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives. It’s the option to opt out of your company’s 401k retirement program as opposed to opting in, or the placement of fruits and vegetables at eye level in grocery stores to encourage healthier eating.

In 2021, the authors have rewritten the book from cover to cover, building Nudge: The Final Edition out of the last dozen years’ worth of new research, insight, and experience. The book touches on a wide variety of issues we face in our daily lives—COVID-19, personal finance, home mortgages, climate change and more.

Co-author and economist Richard Thaler is the professor of Behavioral Science and Economics at the University of Chicago and, in 2017, won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to the field of behavioral economics. Join us as Thaler reveals the power of understanding decision-making in modern society, existing in the gap between economics and psychology.

SPEAKERS

Richard Thaler

Charles R. Walgreen Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics University of Chicago Booth School of Business; Co-Author, Nudge: The Final Edition; Twitter @R_Thaler

In Conversation with Kirk Hanson

Senior Fellow and Former Executive Director, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University; Twitter @kirkohanson

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Violence Against the AAPI Community and Rising Above the Hate Aug 25, 2021

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, discrimination, verbal assaults, and physical violence against members of the AAPI community have skyrocketed, disproportionately harming vulnerable members of the community, including women, youth and elders. This racism takes its toll. Please join us to learn what you can do to help combat anti-Asian racism in everyday living and support the AAPI community.

Topics will include: understanding the problem of racism; practical, actionable steps to disrupt racism and overcome unconscious biases; and ways to create a safe space to speak up against racism.

NOTES

MLF: Psychology

SPEAKERS

Dr. Tam Nguyen

Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist; Director of Ambulatory and Addiction Care, Sutter Health

Dr. Sarah Nguyen

M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles; Associate Director, Integrative Psychiatry Clinic

Dr. Jennifer Tran

D.O., Family Medicine Doctor, Palo Alto Medical Foundation

Dr. Uyen-Khanh Quang-Dang

M.D., Geriatric Psychiatrist, Palo Alto Medical Foundation; Member, APA Foundation Board of Directors

Dr. Patrick O'Reilly

Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist; Chair, Psychology Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 5th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jimmy Carter's Presidential Legacy: A Conversation with Pulitzer Prize Winning Historian Kai Bird Aug 25, 2021

Historian and journalist Kai Bird's new book, The Outlier, is being acclaimed as a definitive account of President Jimmy Carter's presidency, including how President Carter’s often-controversial policies and initiatives appear in historical perspective.

Carter assisted Bird in his research, giving him exclusive access to the private papers of Charles Kirbo, Carter’s longtime personal lawyer and political adviser, as well as to the unpublished diaries of Carter White House aides Langdon Butler, Tim Kraft and Jerome Doolittle. Bird points out that as president, Jimmy Carter was not merely an outsider: he was an outlier. He was the only president in a century to grow up in the heart of the Deep South, and his born-again Christianity made him the most openly religious president in memory. Bird says this outlier brought to the White House a rare mix of humility, candor and unnerving self-confidence that neither Washington nor America was ready to embrace.

Bird traces the arc of Carter’s administration, from his aggressive domestic agenda to his controversial foreign policy record, taking readers inside the Oval Office and through Carter’s battles with both a political establishment and a Washington press corps that proved as adversarial as any foreign power. Mr. Bird shows how issues still hotly debated today—from national health care to growing inequality and racism to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—burned at the heart of Carter’s America, and consumed a president who found a moral duty in solving them.

Bird won the Pulitzer Prize for biography for American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. His work includes critical writings on the Vietnam War, Hiroshima, nuclear weapons, the Cold War, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the CIA.

Now, join a fascinating conversation with Kai Bird about this highly regarded American leader whose presidential legacy Mr. Bird says has been deeply misunderstood.

SPEAKERS

Kai Bird

Executive Director and Distinguished Lecturer, City University of New York Leon Levy Center for Biography; Pulitzer Prize Winning Historian and Journalist; Author, The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter

In Conversation with Dr. Gloria Duffy

President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Clinton

Program Chair: Dr. Mary Bitterman

President, Bernard Osher Foundation; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Spencer Ackerman: The 9/11 Era and the Destabilizing of America Aug 24, 2021

9/11 transformed American political and cultural life. Post-9/11 Americans were hyper-concerned with national security, public safety and the War on Terror. Now, looking back at the years of contention between the United States and terrorist organizations, journalists like Spencer Ackerman believe the military campaign set the stage for authoritarianism to rise in the United States. As a national security editor for The Guardian, Ackerman was part of the team that won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for public service journalism for their reporting on Edward Snowden's surveillance revelations. Now, he’s looking to understand the endless conflict known as the War on Terror in his new book, Reign of Terror.

After 9/11, policies threatening the safety of Muslims and immigrants turned the War on Terror into a cultural and tribal struggle. It bolstered nativism and inspired bipartisanship. It paved the way for authoritarian leaders to rise to power and exploit sectors of political strength. By analyzing the decisions of Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, Ackerman sets an argument for how the war became a broader and bitter culture struggle allowing demagogues to emerge.

Join us as Spencer Ackerman couples together journalism and history to transform how Americans understand national security policies and their detrimental impact on political life.

SPEAKERS

Spencer Ackerman

Contributing Editor, The Daily Beast; Author, Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump

In Conversation with Melissa Caen

Attorney; Author; Political Analyst

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Newsom Recall: A Week to Week Political Roundtable Special Aug 24, 2021

In the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid a widespread shutdown of economic and social life, a little-watched effort to recall California Governor Gavin Newsom suddenly got traction, easily gaining the number of signatures needed to trigger a special election that could remove him from office.

Join us for a special edition of the Club's Week to Week Political Roundtable, as we focus on the high-stakes gubernatorial recall election. How did it come to this? Who is behind the recall? Who is running to replace Newsom? How has Newsom responded? Just how does a recall election happen? We'll dig into all of that and more with our panelists who are experts in state politics.

SPEAKERS

Carla Marinucci

Senior Writer, Politico California Playbook; Twitter @cmarinucci

Scott Shafer

Senior Editor, KQED's Politics and Government Desk; Twitter @scottshafer

Dan Schnur

Professor, University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Communications; Professor, University of California Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies; Host, "Politics in the Time of Coronavirus" Webinar; Twitter @danschnur

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 23rd 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A conversation with the President of the National Peace Corps Association Aug 21, 2021

In 2020, The Peace Corps recalled every volunteer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that moment, the National Peace Corps Association, a 501(c)(3) enterprise, has held many town hall meetings, advocacy meetings, consultations with congressional representatives and senators, and more to help bring back into the field a Peace Corps that is stronger, more responsive to social needs, more diverse and more robust. While NPCA is not a government agency, it has worked tirelessly with the Peace Corps, a government agency, to help launch a new vision. NPCA President Glenn Blumhorst will discuss the future of this important agency and how it will be better and more important than before.

Blumhorst is the president and CEO of the National Peace Corps Association, an enterprise at the center of a community of more than 180 grassroots affiliate groups and 235,000 individuals who share the Peace Corps experience. Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., NPCA’s mission is “to champion lifelong commitment to Peace Corps ideals.” During his tenure, Blumhorst has led NPCA’s historic transformation from a dues-based alumni association to a community-driven social impact organization.

He also served as country representative and chief of party on several major USAID-funded projects throughout Central and South America.

Blumhorst launched his career by serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala from 1988 to 1991. He holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is the 2018 recipient of the prestigious University of Missouri Faculty-Alumni Award.

SPEAKERS

Glenn Blumhorst

President and CEO, National Peace Corps Association

Frank Price

Moderator, International Relations MLF Co-Chair

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 4th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Josh Mitchell: Inside the Student Loan Debt Trap Aug 20, 2021

Americans owe more than $1.5 trillion in student loan debt, almost $700 billion more than the total U.S. credit card debt. Student loans have proved to be one of the most pressing problems young Americans face, and critics say the college industry is in part to blame. Originally, well-intentioned government reforms for college access quickly turned into reckless lending and runaway tuition. Easy access to loans allowed colleges to raise tuition to soaring levels. Even the private banks that fronted the money made huge profits on interest. Together, everyone in this business formed an exploitative system that relies on students failing to pay back their debt.

In his new book The Debt Trap: How Student Loans Became a National Catastrophe, Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Mitchell uncovers the broken student loan system that was created, and then exploited, by loan company Sallie Mae and the United States Congress. He explains what he says are the ill-advised decisions made that drove Americans into massive debt and continue to wreak havoc today.

SPEAKERS

Josh Mitchell

Economy and Higher Education Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; Author, The Debt Trap: How Student Loans Became a National Catastrophe

In Conversation with Bethany McLean

Contributing Editor, Vanity Fair

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Dr. Paula Stone Williams: As a Woman Aug 20, 2021

Christian. Pastor. Transgender. Join us to hear from Dr. Paula Stone Williams about her experience journeying from male to female and from despair to joy.

As a father of three, married to a wonderful woman and holding several prominent jobs within the Christian community, Dr. Paula Stone Williams made the life-changing decision to physically transition from male to female at the age of sixty. Almost instantly, her power and influence in the evangelical world disappeared and her family had to grapple with intense feelings of loss and confusion.

Feeling utterly alone and at a loss after being expelled from the evangelical churches she had once spearheaded, Paula struggled to create a new safe space for herself where she could reconcile her faith, her identity, and her desire to be a leader. Much to her surprise, the key to her new career as a woman came with a deeper awareness of the inequities she had overlooked before her transition. Where her opinions were once celebrated and amplified, now she found herself sidelined and ignored. New questions emerged. Why are women’s opinions devalued in favor of men’s? Why does love and intimacy feel so different? And was it possible to find a new spirituality in her own image?

In her book As a Woman, Paula pulled back the curtain on her transition journey and shed light on the gendered landscape that impacts many in the LGBTQ+ community. Williams shares her lived experience of both genders and offers a truly unique perspective on the universal struggle to understand what it means to be male, female, and simply, human.

SPEAKERS

Paula Stone Williams

Pastor, Left Hand Church (Longmont, CO); Author, As a Woman

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 12th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Which Way Are Swing Voters Swinging on Climate? Aug 20, 2021

In early August, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report unequivocally connecting global warming and extreme weather to human-driven greenhouse gas emissions, and warning of much more dramatic climate futures if we don’t change course soon.

Since the 2020 election, Rich Thau’s Swing Voter Project has been querying those who shifted from Trump in 2016 to Biden in 2020 about a range of issues. How will their views affect the 2022 midterms and the 2024 election? Where does climate rate on their list of issues? And does the accelerating climate crisis matter enough to affect their votes?

Guests:

Rich Thau, Moderator, The Swing Voter Project; Co-founder and President, Engagious

Andrew Freedman, Climate and Energy Reporter, Axios

Venkatachalam “Ram” Ramaswamy, Director of NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory

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The Cult of We: The WeWork Story Aug 19, 2021

WeWork revolutionized working spaces. By investing in commercial real estate and converting property into flexible shared workspaces, WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann was set to transform the way people get work done. The company offered more than shared space, investing in education and housing initiatives through its WeGrow schools and WeLive residences. Israeli businessman Adam Neumann was on track to become the world’s first trillionaire, but the company soon found itself burning through money with a last hope attempt through a Hail Mary IPO.

From the minds of Wall Street Journal reporters Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell, The Cult of We uncovers the wins, hiccups, and turmoil of tech startups. Eliot Brown has spent his career covering startups, venture capital, commercial real estate and economic development. Similarly, Maureen Farrell focuses on the role of initial public offerings and capital markets in creating a successful business. Together, Brown and Farrell delve into the case of WeWork founder Adam Neumann to better understand how startups can revolutionize the world and what happens when they fail to do so.

Join us as Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell, along with program moderator Charles Duhigg, uncover the gripping reality of tech startup culture.

SPEAKERS

Eliot Brown

Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; Co-author, The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion; Twitter @eliotwb

Maureen Farrell

Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; Co-author, The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion; Twitter @maureenmfarrell

In Conversation with Charles Duhigg

Contributor, The New Yorker; Author, Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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90th Annual California Book Awards Aug 19, 2021

Since 1931, the California Book Awards have honored the exceptional literary merit of California writers and publishers. Each year a select jury considers hundreds of books from around the state in search of the very best in literary achievement. Over its 90 years, the California Book Awards have honored the writers who have come to define California to the world. Among them are John Steinbeck, Wallace Stegner, MFK Fisher, Thom Gunn, Richard Rodriquez, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Joan Didion, Ishmael Reed, and Amy Tan. Recent award winners include Hector Tobar, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Susan Orlean, Rachel Kushner, Rachel Khong, Tommy Orange, Morgan Parker and Steph Cha.

This year’s winners include:

GOLD MEDALS

FICTION

A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth, Daniel Mason, Little, Brown and Company

FIRST FICTION

How Much of These Hills Is Gold, C Pam Zhang, Riverhead Books

NONFICTION

South to Freedom: Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to the Civil War, Alice L. Baumgartner, Basic Books

JUVENILE

Efrén Divided, Ernesto Cisneros, Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

YOUNG ADULT

Private Lessons, Cynthia Salaysay, Candlewick Press

POETRY

Quiet Orient Riot, Nathalie Khankan, Omnidawn

CALIFORNIANA

California Exposures: Envisioning Myth and History, Richard White, with photos by Jesse Amble White, W.W. Norton & Company

CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLISHING

A Natural History of the Anza-Borrego Region, Marie Simovich and Mike Wells, Sunbelt Publications

SILVER MEDALS

FICTION

Interior Chinatown, Charles Yu, Pantheon/Vintage

NONFICTION

Golden Gates: The Housing Crisis and a Reckoning for the American Dream, Conor Dougherty, Penguin Press

YOUNG ADULT

The Black Kids, Christina Hammonds Reed, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

SPEAKERS

Julia Flynn Siler

Juror, California Book Awards—Moderator

Peter Fish

Jury Chair, California Book Awards—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Courtney Martin: Learning In Public Aug 19, 2021

Courtney E. Martin is an author, organizer and entrepreneur known for provocative writing and for helping found important content-based organizations that help tell the story of America's diverse future. She is the co-founder of the Solutions Journalism Network and FRESH Speakers Bureau, and often works with organizations—TED, the Aspen Institute, The Obama Foundation, and The Sundance Institute—on how to make impactful, story-rich social change.

Her newest book, Learning in Public: Lessons for a Racially Divided America from My Daughter's School, explores her own story about finding the right school for her daughter in Oakland. While many of the white families in her gentrifying neighborhood largely avoided the majority-Black, poorly-rated school near her home, she chose differently. Moving beyond hashtags and yard signs as a way to make a difference, Courtney discovered that her local public school, the foundation of our fragile democracy, was a powerful place to dig deeper to change the country, herself and her family.

Martin examines her own fears, assumptions and conversations with other parents as they navigate choosing what school is right for their child. The book provides a vivid portrait of integration’s virtues and complexities, and yes, the palpable joy of trying to live differently in a country re-making itself around racial issues.

Please join us for an important conversation on education, integration and how the schools we choose for our kids can shape the world we live in and the world we want.

** Note: This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

SPEAKERS

Courtney Martin

Co-founder, Solutions Journalism Network and FRESH Speakers Bureau; Editor, "Examined Family" Newsletter; Author, Learning in Public: Lessons for a Racially Divided America from My Daughter's School

Ashley McBride

Education Equity Reporter, The Oaklandside--Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via live stream video conference on August 3rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Alexander Vindman: Here, Right Matters Aug 19, 2021

On Thursday morning, July 25, 2019, then-President Donald Trump made a congratulatory phone call to Ukraine’s newly elected President Volodymyr Zelensky. In the months that followed, the true nature of that conversation would be revealed to the American public due to the moral stance of one man: Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman. Faced with a moment of truth for his nation, Vindman felt duty-bound to report it up the chain of command that the president of the United States had extorted a foreign ally to damage a political challenger at home. Now, for the first time, Alexander Vindman is telling his story of how he ended up at the center of a firestorm for his decision to report the infamous phone call that led to the presidential impeachment.

As an immigrant raised by a father who fled the Soviet Union in pursuit of a better life for his children, Vindman had to learn how to build a life from scratch and take big risks to achieve important goals. In his new book, Here, Right Matters, he discusses how, in the face of sure-fire career derailment and intense public scrutiny, he put it all on the line to protect American democracy.

Join us for Alexander Vindman’s passionate and candid account of his family, his career and his exposure of what he considered a grave abuse of power.

SPEAKERS

Alexander Vindman

Former Director for European Affairs, United States National Security Council; Author, Here, Right Matters: An American Story

In Conversation with Tim Miller

Writer-at-Large, The Bulwark; Political Analyst, MSNBC; Twitter @Timodc

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A Conversation with Congresswoman Liz Cheney Aug 18, 2021

Liz Cheney serves as Wyoming’s lone member of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was first elected in 2016, on a platform of restoring America’s strength and power in the world, and pursuing conservative solutions to create jobs, cut taxes and regulation as well as expand America’s energy, mining and agriculture industries.

She made national headlines earlier this year when she voted to impeach President Trump, saying he "provoked" the January 6 Capitol attack. She has also vowed to fight to keep President Trump out of office if he runs again and has challenged all assertions by Trump and his supporters that the 2020 election was fraudulent and stolen. This led to her removal as chair of the House Republican Conference, the third-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives. She was also recently appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to serve on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. In a Washington Postopinion column published this past May, Rep. Cheney wrote, “the Republican Party is at a turning point, and Republicans must decide whether we are going to choose truth and fidelity to the Constitution. . . .History is watching. Our children are watching. We must be brave enough to defend the basic principles that underpin and protect our freedom and our democratic process. I am committed to doing that, no matter what the short-term political consequences might be."

Join us for a rare in-person and online conversation with congresswoman Cheney about the outlook for American democracy.

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s Future of Democracy Series, supported by Betsy and Roy Eisenhardt.

SPEAKERS

Liz Cheney

U.S. Congressional Representative (R-Wyoming)

In Conversation with Dan Ashley

Anchor, ABC 7 News, San Francisco Bay Area; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Anne Nelson: Inside the Radical Right's Shadow Network Aug 18, 2021

Established in 1981, the Council for National Policy has been the leading organization for wealthy, conservative decision makers to consolidate their power. This little-known coalition of elites is the strategic nerve center for fundraising money and mobilizing voters behind the scenes. Critics say that with its membership private and meetings held at an undisclosed location, the Council for National Policy has successfully made game plans and decisions steering the Republican Party in a process virtually unknown to the public. Award-winning author and media analyst Anne Nelson, however, is looking to demystify the elaborate organization.

In her new book Shadow Network, Nelson uncovers the key fundamentalists, oligarchs and allies that comprise the powerhouse of the Council for National Policy. She reveals stories about the Koch brothers, radical right-wing organizations, the decline of local journalism, the race for digital engagement, and the fight over the information war. As a research scholar at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, Nelson has focused her work on the role of digital media in aiding underserved populations through health, education and culture. Now, in a time of stark and growing threats to our most valued institutions and democratic freedoms, Nelson looks to illuminate the clouded history behind the political coalition.

Join us as Anne Nelson uncovers the conservative process that plays a significant role in shaping political outcomes today.

SPEAKERS

Anne Nelson

Journalist, Author, Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right

In Conversation with Kirk Hanson

Senior Fellow and Former Executive Director, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jeffrey Kluger: Holdout Aug 18, 2021

Join us for a conversation between Jeffrey Kluger and astronaut Nicole Stott about Kluger's new novel Holdout, which tells the story of a principled astronaut who has to make a spilt-second decision to try to seek justice in the only place she knows how—the International Space Station. Watch life meet art, as Stott brings her experience to bear on Kluger's imagination.

Kluger's plot centers around Walli Beckwith, a model astronaut who graduated at the top of her class from the Naval Academy, had a successful career flying fighter jets, and has spent more than 300 days in space. So when she refuses to leave her post aboard the International Space Station following an accident that forces her fellow astronauts to evacuate, her American and Russian colleagues are mystified. For Walli, her decision is all too clear and terrifying to worry about ruining her career. She is stuck in a race against time to save a part of the world that has been forgotten, plus the life of the person she loves most. She will go to any length necessary, using the only tool she has, to accomplish what she knows is right.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Jeffrey Kluger

Editor at Large, Time Magazine; Emmy Award-Winner, "A Year in Space" Web Series; Film Consultant and Actor, Apollo 13; Author, Holdout

In Conversation with Nicole Stott

NASA Astronaut, Including more than 100 days Aboard the International Space Station; Aquanaut; Founder, Space for Art Foundation

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 5th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jeremy Lent: The Web of Meaning Aug 18, 2021

Jeremy Lent returns to The Commonwealth Club to discuss the ideas in his new book, which weaves together the latest scientific findings with age-old philosophical insights to show how some of our most ingrained beliefs about human nature and the world are mistaken.

Who am I? Why am I? How should I live? These are some of the oldest questions humans have grappled with. Our modern, high-tech society, having grown up in Darwins' shadow, assumes that humans are hardwired for selfishness, that we are separate from nature and so can exploit it, that we do best when left alone to pursue our own individual goals.

Lent argues that the latest scientific research begs to differ, and that those ingrained but faulty beliefs—which got started in the 17th century and have since been updated with ideas like the “selfish gene”—underlie the environmental and social unraveling now threatening our very survival. Lent not only challenges outmoded beliefs, he also invites us to consider a new way of thinking about ourselves and the world that is both intellectually sound and spiritually vibrant. He weaves together the latest research in neuroscience and evolutionary biology with Buddhist, Taoist, and Indigenous wisdom, and shows how these seemingly disparate streams of thought are not only eminently compatible, but are the key to facing the existential problems of the 21st century.

SPEAKERS

Jeremy Lent

Founder and President, The Liology Institute; Author, The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Adam Serwer: The Cruelty Is the Point Aug 18, 2021

The Atlantic's Adam Serwer's unique approach to writing—combining political analysis of current events with a strong grasp of the historical antecedents that made those events possible—made him an indispensable writer during the Trump years, particularly for those who disagreed with the politics and approach to governance taken by the 45th president of the United States. Serwer coined the phase "the cruelty is the point" to describe how the Trump administration had made cruelty not merely an unfortunate byproduct of its efforts but the central theme of the MAGA approach toward governance and American civic life.

Serwer's new book—a collection of new and old essays—explores the the Trump presidency, the volatile powers it harnessed, and the continuing impact it has on the country's politics and the Republican Party. With his unique approach, Serwer chronicles the Trump administration not as an aberration but as an outgrowth of the inequalities the United States was founded on. He charts he ideological and structural currents behind Trump’s rise and why he remains so potent today.

The new essays and previously published works in this book explore white nationalism, myths about migration, the political power of police unions, and the many faces of anti-Semitism. For all the issues he examines, cruelty is the glue, the binding agent of a movement fueled by fear and exclusion. Serwer argues that rather than pretending these four years didn’t happen or dismissing them as a brief moment of madness, we must face what made them possible.

Please join us for an important conversation on the legacy of the Trump administration and why Serwer believes we must continue to understand its role in American political life.

SPEAKERS

Adam Serwer

Staff Writer, The Atlantic; Author, The Cruelty Is the Point: The Past, Present and Future of Trump's America

In Conversation with Errin Haines

Editor at Large, Founding Mother, The 19th; Contributor, MSNBC

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 20th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CNN's Peter Bergen: The Rise, Fall, and Impact of Osama Bin Laden Aug 18, 2021

As we approach the 20th anniversary of 9/11, what is the lasting influence of Osama bin Laden? CNN national security analyst and New America Vice President for Global Studies Peter Bergen has been called the world's leading expert on bin Laden. In his new book, The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden, Bergen provides the first reevaluation of the man responsible for precipitating America’s long wars with al-Qaeda and its descendants, capturing bin Laden in all the dimensions of his life: as a family man, as a zealot, as a battlefield commander, as a terrorist leader, and as a fugitive.

Thanks to exclusive interviews with family members and associates, and documents unearthed only recently, Bergen’s portrait of bin Laden reveals for the first time who he really was and why he continues to inspire a new generation of jihadists.

Join a fascinating conversation about the man who set the course of American foreign policy for the 21st century and whose ideological heirs the U.S. continues to battle today.

SPEAKERS

Peter Bergen

Journalist; Documentary Producer; CNN National Security Analyst; Vice president for Global studies & Fellow, New America; Author, The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden

In Conversation with Brian Fishman

Director, Counterterrorism and Dangerous Organizations, Facebook; Former Researcher, New America; Former Director of Research, Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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India, COVID-19 and the Transgender Community Aug 17, 2021

Worldwide attention turned to India recently following widespread reports about the devastating toll the COVID-19 pandemic was taking there. Join us for a discussion of India, COVID-19, and how the transgender community mobilized globally to save lives.

Our special guest are with Parivar: Celebrating 3 years of ParivarBayArea, the only trans-led South Asian queer trans organization in America. Learn of the struggles, erasure faced by South Asian Queer Trans intersectionality and in continuing to build critical programming, including COVID relief efforts globally.

SPEAKERS

Rachana Mudraboyina

Chair, #SITAL (SaveIndianTransALLINDIALives) Project; Director, Human Rights Law Network

Anjali Rimi

Founder and President, Parivar Bay Area

Devesh Radhakrishnan

Member, Parivar's Advisory Committee; Facilitator, Roobaroo

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, The Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 5th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination Aug 17, 2021

Flawed. Furtive. Facebook. In the nearly two decades of the social media platform’s existence, it has both soared into worldwide popularity and plummeted into the depths of conspiracy peddling and hate-mongering. Is this the fate of any globally devoured site, or is it due to miscalculations in programming, or is it the consequence of decisions made at the top by the site’s infamous leaders?

Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang, authors of the book An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination, argue that Facebook is doing exactly what it was created to do. From abusing user data and empowering political corruption to creating echo chambers of misinformation, they say Facebook is in the midst of a reckoning—and Frenkel and Kang are in front row seats. Their work, built on intimate connections to the industry and insiders, is a call for accountability from the site’s two mogul leaders who have time and time again shown their willingness to turn a blind eye.

At INFORUM Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang will disentangle the many narratives that shroud Facebook and its leaders in mystery. By unpacking the years of manipulation they say Facebook has baked into its platform, they argue that there’s no time like the present to understand the pitfalls the behemoth succumbed to and to prevent history from repeating itself.

SPEAKERS

Sheera Frenkel

Cybersecurity Correspondent, The New York Times; Co-author, An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination

Cecilia Kang

Technology and Regulatory Policy Correspondent, The New York Times; Co-author, An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination

Emily Chang

Anchor and Executive Producer, Bloomberg Technology; Author, Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys' Club of Silicon Valley

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 4th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Pixar Co-Founder Alvy Ray Smith: The History of the Pixel Aug 15, 2021

The pixel, the smallest element of a picture, has, with little fanfare, helped push forward the digital revolution to new heights over the past 2 decades. Today, nearly every picture in the world is composed of pixels—cell phone pictures, app interfaces, Mars Rover transmissions, book illustrations, video games—and these digital images drive our understanding of the world around us. But where did pixels come from, and why are they so important? Alvy Ray Smith, the co-founder of Pixar, has a some answers to these increasingly important questions.

In his his timely book A Biography of the Pixel, Ray Smith notes that the pixel is the organizing principle of most modern media. Smith's story of the pixel's development—which touches upon technology, entertainment, business and history—begins with Fourier waves, proceeds through Turing machines and ends with the first digital movies from Pixar.

For anyone who has watched a video on a cell phone, played a video game, or streamed a television show or movie at home, this important discussion with one of digital media's pioneers who made it all possible is not to be missed.

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House Select Committee Member Zoe Lofgren: A Conversation About the January 6th Attack Aug 13, 2021

Join an important discussion with this veteran congresswoman about her role on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack and its potential impact, as well as the state of the country and our democracy, the possibilities for bipartisan legislation, and how to handle such crucial issues as the pandemic variants, the economy, gun violence and immigration.

Zoe Lofgren has been a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1995, representing the 19th District of California, encompassing San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley. She currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee, and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee and is a former law professor.

Representative Lofgren has most recently been appointed to the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol and has said her goal is to "uncover the truth, protect our democracy, and ensure that such an attack will never happen again.”

SPEAKERS

Zoe Lofgren

U.S. Representative, California's 19th Congressional District

Dr. Gloria Duffy

President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderato

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 4th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: 30x30: This Land Is Whose Land? Aug 13, 2021

In October 2020, California Gov. Newsom announced a plan to protect 30% of his state by 2030. In 2021, the Biden Administration announced its own 30x30 plan, later dubbed America the Beautiful. With 12% of the U.S. already under some form of protection, where will the other 18% come from? In states like Nebraska, nearly all the land is in private hands — and the owners are worried.

With increased focus on the climate crisis, it’s easy to think we have enough to worry about without considering species other than our own. But the natural world provides critical resources that counteract the damaging impacts of climate change and sustain all life — including human life. About one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction. How much land does nature need to survive?

Guests:

Paula Ehrlich, CEO, E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation

Woody Lee, Executive Director, Utah Diné Bikéyah

Jennifer Norris, Deputy Secretary for Biodiversity and Habitat, California Natural Resources Agency

Catherine Semcer, Research Fellow, Property and Environment Research Center

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Sheriff Joe Arpaio vs. the Latino Activists Who Took Him Down Aug 12, 2021

Journalists Terry Greene Sterling and Jude Joffe-Block spent years chronicling the human consequences of Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s relentless immigration enforcement in Maricopa County, Arizona. In Driving While Brown, they tell the tale of two opposing movements that redefined Arizona’s political landscape—the restrictionist cause embraced by Arpaio and the Latino-led resistance that rose up against it.

Sterling and Joffe-Block reported on Arpaio, his supporters, and his adversaries, including Lydia Guzman, who gathered evidence for a racial-profiling lawsuit that took surprising turns. Guzman joined a coalition determined to stop Arpaio, reform unconstitutional policing, and fight for Latino civil rights. In the process, Arpaio transformed from "America’s Toughest Sheriff," who forced inmates to wear pink underwear, into the nation’s most feared immigration enforcer who ended up receiving President Donald Trump’s first pardon.

Join us for an online discussion with the two authors and their investigative reporting, which provided critical insights into the planning and community organizing that helped transform Arizona from a conservative stronghold into a battleground state.

SPEAKERS

Terry Greene Sterling

Affiliated Faculty and Writer-in-Residence, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Arizona State University; Author, Illegal; Co-Author, Driving While Brown: Sheriff Joe Arpaio Versus the Latino Resistance

Jude Joffe-Block

Reporter; Co-Author, Driving While Brown: Sheriff Joe Arpaio Versus the Latino Resistance

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 29th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ending Child Marriage in Nepal Aug 12, 2021

Every two seconds a girl is married against her will.

COVID-19 exacerbated this already massive problem, reversing many gains that had been made in the past decade as schools closed and millions of girls lost their one chance at freedom—an education.

Join us for a conversation with three women working to end child marriage. Through their stories, you will hear more about the critical importance of girls’ freedom for families and communities worldwide, and what you can do to help end this unjust and inequitable practice.

About the Speakers

Sangeeta Lama is an independent Nepali journalist with more than 20 years’ experience in the field. Sangeeta has provided invaluable support to international publications such as National Geographic and The New York Times and has collaborated with Stephanie Sinclair / Too Young to Wed to support families in Kagati village since 2006. She is a board member of Working Women Journalists, an organization committed to strengthening the capacity of female journalists and the role of women in Nepali media. She is the senior vice chair of Sankalpa-Women’s Alliance for Peace Justice and Democracy, an organization committed to strengthening women's rights in Nepal.

Stephanie Sinclair is the founding executive director of Too Young to Wed, a nonprofit dedicated to abolishing child marriage. Stephanie is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist known for gaining unique access to the most sensitive gender and human rights issues around the world; she regularly publishes in esteemed outlets, including National Geographic and The New York Times Magazine.

Olga Murray is the founder and honorary president of the Nepal Youth Foundation. Born in 1925 in Transylvania, Murray immigrated with her parents and in 1954, became one of the first women to graduate with a law degree from George Washington University. During her 37-year tenure at the California Supreme Court, Murray helped write important decisions in the areas of civil rights, women’s rights and environmental policy. In 1990, she founded the Nepal Youth Foundation to help provide health, shelter, education, and freedom to children and families in Nepal.

Lori Barra is the executive director of The Isabel Allende Foundation, a private family foundation, whose mission is to invest in the power of women and girls to secure reproductive rights, economic independence and freedom from violence. Prior to leading the foundation, Lori designed books and magazines in New York and Tokyo and worked for Apple as an art director.

Renee Saedi has a deep-rooted passion for social justice, especially human rights and equity for women and girls. She currently serves as the Champions for Equality program manager at Global Fund for Women, where she has worked for more than 9 years. As a feminist fund, Global Fund for Women strengthens gender justice movements to shift power, privilege, and perception and create meaningful change by offering flexible support to a diverse group of partners—more than 5,000 groups across 175 countries so far.

MLF ORGANIZER: Ian McCuaig

SPEAKERS

Lori Barra

Executive Director, Isabel Allende Foundation

Sangeeta Lama

Journalist; Board Member, Working Women Journalists; Senior Vice Chair, Sankalpa-Women’s Alliance for Peace Justice and Democracy

Olga Murray

Founder and Honorary President, Nepal Youth Foundation

Stephanie Sinclair

Founding Director, Too Young to Wed

Renee Saedi

Champions for Equality Program Manager, Global Fund for Women—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 28th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Tim Higgins: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century Aug 11, 2021

Elon Musk is one of the most influential and controversial tech icons in Silicon Valley. He has talked about forward-thinking projects like mind-uploading and space travel, but by far his most bold and effective vision led to Tesla and the creation of a widely available and affordable electric vehicle. Before Tesla was founded in the early 2000s, electric cars were considered novelties. But as many cars were gas guzzlers, there was a great need for a more sustainable mode of transportation.

Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century explores the Tesla phenomenon. Tim Higgins traces its history of a hellish first 15 years, attacks by rivals, pressure from investors and surprises by whistleblowers. As a Wall Street Journal tech and auto reporter, Higgins had a front-row seat for all the drama. He spent almost a decade reporting on the car business from Detroit before he moved to San Francisco and focused his writing more on Apple, Tesla and other tech companies.

Power Play is Tesla’s story of power, recklessness, struggle and triumph coming together to change the future. Join us as Tim Higgins discusses Tesla’s rise and what it means for a tech-driven future.

SPEAKERS

Tim Higgins

Automotive and Technology Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; Author Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century

In Conversation with Joanna Stern

Senior Personal Technology Columnist, The Wall Street Journal

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 4th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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David Pogue and Wei-Tai Kwok: How to Prepare for Climate Change Aug 11, 2021

You might not realize it, but we’re already living through the beginnings of climate chaos. In Arizona, laborers now start their day at 3 a.m., because it’s too hot to work past noon. Chinese investors are snapping up real estate in Canada. Millennials have evacuation plans. Moguls are building bunkers. Retirees in Miami are moving inland.

In How to Prepare for Climate Change, bestselling self-help author David Pogue offers deeply researched advice for how the rest of us should start to ready ourselves for the years ahead. Pogue will walk you through what to grow, what to eat, how to build, how to insure, where to invest, how to prepare your children and pets, and even where to consider relocating when the time comes. (He says two areas of the country, in particular, have the requisite cool temperatures, good hospitals, reliable access to water, and resilient infrastructure to serve as climate havens in the years ahead.) He also provides wise tips for managing your anxiety, as well as action plans for riding out every climate catastrophe, from superstorms and wildfires to ticks and epidemics.

Join Pogue and renewable energy expert Wei-Tai Kwok for a look at their practical ways to make smart choices for the upheaval ahead.

SPEAKERS

David Pogue

Correspondent, "CBS Sunday Morning"; Author, How to Prepare for Climate Change: A Practical Guide to Surviving the Chaos

Wei-Tai Kwok

Climate Leader, The Climate Reality Project

Ahmad Thomas

President & CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 3rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Don’t Let It Get You Down, with Savala Nolan Aug 11, 2021

If “caught in the middle” was a tightrope, Savala Nolan would be a well-seasoned expert at walking it. The lawyer, speaker, and author has learned to navigate the tedious limbo that is being mixed-race, changing economic status, and a fluctuating body painfully affected by diet culture. In her debut book, Don’t Let It Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender, and the Body, Nolan shares nostalgic, sometimes painful anecdotes from her life that illustrate the resilience and lessons learned from a life lived not in black nor white but in that somewhere in-between. Twelve poignant reflections unravel how injustice lurks around every corner and has done so for generations. But, with such wrong-doing, so too grows defiance, justice, and people like Savala Nolan who relentlessly resist by living with authenticity.

Now in her fifth year at the Henderson Center for Social Justice, Nolan holds the title of executive director. She teaches law students and activists about the paramount topics of implicit bias and systemic racism—guiding the minds of tomorrow on how to mend the cracks in our system. At INFORUM, we will become Savala Nolan’s students, learning what authenticity looks like when existing between two distant opposites—many times over.

SPEAKERS

Savala Nolan

Writer; Executive Director, Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, University of California, Berkeley; Author, Don't Let It Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender, and the Body

Christy Harrison

MPH, RD, CEDRD, Host, "Food Psych" Podcast; Author, Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating—Moderator

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 29th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Celebrating QTAPI Pride with AAPI Leaders and Elders Aug 10, 2021

If there is one thing people have learned over the past 16 months, it is the importance and power of community. Join us for a special conversation with AAPI leaders and elders about anti-Asian racism, homophobia, transphobia, and their life-long activism and advocacy.

And come early before the program to enjoy a lunch courtesy of What the Cluck Thai Chicken and Rice.

Meet the Speakers

Gil Mangaoang was born in San Francisco, California on March 22, 1947. He is the fourth of seven generations in his family to be born in the United States. Through more than four decades he has been active in the fight for social justice and equality in the United States and the Philippines. His memoirs also include his coming out story as a Filipino American gay man.

Jasmine Gee has volunteered at film festivals (International, Frameline), music venues (Davies Symphony, Herbst Theater), and street fairs (Folsom, Castro); has worked as an advocate and activist for LGBTQ organizations; served in leadership positions in on the GAPA AdvisoryBoard and the Trans March; is a musician (a clarinetist and a singer in 3 choral groups); contributing author of Transascestors, Volume 1; and is an elder, with Felicia Elizondo, Tamara Ching.

Crystal Jang loves being considered a QTAPI “Auntie.” Jang is a third generation San Franciscan and fourth generation Chinese American,. Having discovered she was attracted to girls at the age of 13, Jang has spend the last 6 decades dedicated to pushing the boundaries of API-queer visibility and activism. As a QTAPI elder, Crystal’s current focus is on fostering intergenerational relationships to sustain and strengthen the QTAPI community. She is a co-founder of OASIS (Older Sisters in Solidarity), APIQWTC (Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women & Trans Community, and the RED Envelope Giving Circle. Jang is happiest when she is causing “good trouble.”

Randy Kikukawa has been active in the LGBTQ+ community for more than 40 years and is currently music director of the GAPA (GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance) Men’s Chorus and managing director of the Golden Gate Men’s Chorus. Both choruses are members of the Gay & Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA Choruses).

Kitty Tsui is a writer and an activist, a multi-hyphenate lesbian elder. Her groundbreaking book, Words of a Woman Who Breathes Fire, is the first book by a Chinese American lesbian. Her second, Breathless: Erotica, won the Firecracker Alternative Book Award. She has been included in more than 80 anthologies worldwide. Her work has been translated into German, Japanese and Italian. In 2018, her alma mater, San Francisco State University, inducted her into the Alumni Hall of Fame. The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center commissioned her as one of 12 API queer poets to be honored for a poem/video for the digital exhibition, “A Day in the Life of Queer Asian Pacific American.” She is the subject of Nice Chinese Don’t: Kitty Tsui, directed by award-winning filmmaker, Jennifer Abod.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Jasmine Gee

Advocate; Activist; Musician

Crystal Jang

Co-Founder, OASIS (Older Sisters in Solidarity), RED Envelope Giving Circle, and APQWTC (Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women & Trans Community)

Randy Kikukawa

Music Director, GAPA (GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance) Men’s Chorus; Managing Director, Golden Gate Men’s Chorus

Gil Mangaoang

Social Justice and Equality Activist; Author

Kitty Tsui

Writer; Activist; Author, Words of a Woman Who Breathes Fire

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Belarus Pro-Democracy Leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: Belarus and the Future Aug 10, 2021

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is the leader of Belarusian democratic forces, who numerous independent observers say beat the autocratic president Alexander Lukashenko in a presidential election on August 9, 2020. She stepped into the race after her husband was arrested for his presidential aspirations. Mr. Lukashenko has publicly dismissed her as a “housewife,” сlaiming that a woman can't become president.

After her forced exile, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya inspired unprecedented peaceful protests around Belarus, some of which numbered hundreds of thousands of people. She has visited more than 20 countries gathering support for a democratic Belarus and continues to advocate for the release of more than 500 political prisoners and peaceful changes through a free and fair election. In the past year, more than 35,000 people have been detained in Belarus, according to the United Nations. Tens of thousands of Belarusians have fled abroad.

Ms.Tsikhanouskaya has become a symbol of peaceful struggle for democracy and female leadership. On July 27, President Joe Biden met with Tsihanouskaya, and he issued a statement that "The United States stands with the people of Belarus in their quest for democracy and universal human rights." In 2020, Lithuanian President Nauseda and Norwegian MPs nominated her for the Nobel Peace Prize. She is included in Bloomberg's TOP-50 Most Influential People, Financial Times' Top 12 Most Influential Women, and Politico's Top 28 Most Influential Europeans.

In meetings with Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Emmanuel Macron, President Ursula von der Leyen, President Charles Michel, and other world leaders, she has emphasized the need for a braver response to the actions of the Belarusian dictatorship.This week, she has been in the United States, where she met with Secretary of State Tony Blinken as well as others in the U.S. government. Given the level of repressions against citizens and with Moscow supporting Lukashenko, Tsikhanouskaya is using the primary tool available to her in exile: Western support. She has sought more comprehensive sanctions on Belarus’s elites and businesses, to show them that it is “becoming more costly for them to support Lukashenko.”

Join a rare conversation with this outspoken advocate for democratic reforms and hear her thoughts on parallels between her struggles and challenges currently facing Americans.

SPEAKERS

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Leader, Belarus Pro-Democracy Movement

In Conversation with Dr. Gloria Duffy

President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Clinton

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 29th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old Aug 09, 2021

Aging—not cancer or heart disease—is the world’s leading cause of death and suffering. In spite of this, we accept the aging process as inevitable. We come to terms with the fact that our bodies and minds will begin to deteriorate and our risk of disease will rise as we get older.

Aging is so deeply ingrained in the human experience that we never stop to ask: is it necessary?

Scientists, on the other hand, know that aging is not a biological inevitability. Dr. Andrew Steele's new book Ageless introduces us to the cutting-edge research that is paving the way for a revolution in medicine. It takes us inside the laboratories where scientists are studying every aspect of the body: DNA, mitochondria, stem cells, the immune system, even ‘aging genes’ that have helped animals enjoy a tenfold increase in lifespan—and which could, in the not too distant future, lead to treatments that could forestall our own bodies’ decline.

Steele will explain how understanding the scientific implications of aging could lead to the greatest revolution in the history of medicine—one that has the potential to improve billions of lives, save trillions of dollars, and transform the human condition.

MLF ORGANIZER:Robert Lee Kilpatrick

SPEAKERS

Dr. Andrew Steele

Ph.D.; Author, Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old

Dr. Robert Lee Kilpatrick

Ph.D., Chair, Health & Medicine Member-Led Forum—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 15th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Jay Inslee, BP and Washington’s Climate Story Aug 06, 2021

In Washington State, voters defeated initiatives to put a price on carbon ― twice. Governor Jay Inslee himself then lost his personal bid for the White House. Yet his bold ideas have proven staying power. The state legislature recently passed a carbon cap and invest bill that will reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 95 percent by 2050.

“We’ve got to wake up every morning figuring out ‘how can I disrupt the status quo.’ Because the status quo is deadly, it’s fatal, it will destroy economies and the biology that we exist on,” Inlsee says.

Even big oil, which spent tens of missions to defeat the 2018 carbon pricing proposal, seems to be changing its tune, with BP now supporting a price on carbon.

How might Washington State be a bellwether for Washington DC?

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Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker: Inside Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year Aug 04, 2021

The year 2020 brought with it a nation riddled with grief as the United States descended into a raging pandemic, steep economic downfall, and unsettling political instability. As half a million perished and millions were left jobless from coronavirus, what was really going on inside the White House? And who was influencing Donald Trump as he refused to concede power after an election he had clearly lost?

Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker answer these questions for the American people in I Alone Can Fix It, a gripping exposé of an administration sabotaging its own country. Their sources were in the room as Trump and the key players around him—doctors, generals, senior advisors and family members—continued to prioritize the interests of the president over that of the country. These witnesses saw firsthand Trump’s desire to deploy military force against protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death. They saw his refusal to take coronavirus seriously, even to the point of allowing himself and those around him to be infected. They, along with the rest of the world, saw him spur on what would become the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol building.

With unparalleled access, Rucker and Leonnig delve into exactly who they say enabled—and who foiled—the president as he desperately held onto his fleeting presidency in his final year in office. Join us as Leonnig and Rucker reveal the inner workings of the 2020 Trump White House.

SPEAKERS

Carol Leonnig

Investigative Reporter, The Washington Post; Co-author, I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year; Twitter @CarolLeonnig (Participating Virtually)

Philip Rucker

White House Bureau Chief, The Washington Post; Co-author, I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year; Twitter @PhilipRucker (Participating Virtually)

In Conversation with Yamiche Alcindor

Host, "Washington Week," PBS; Twitter @Yamiche (Participating Virtually)

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Right to Vote at Age 18: Gen Z and the Fight Against Voter Suppression Aug 04, 2021

July 1 marks 50 years since the ratification of the 26th Amendment. The lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18 had lasting impacts on the political and cultural landscapes of the 1970s, but even now youth organizing and social activism have a massive influence on American elections, policies and progress.

In honor of this historic anniversary, join our panel of youth organizers leading the fight against youth voter suppression and to learn how the 26th Amendment might help provide contemporary solutions.

SPEAKERS

Thandiwe Abdullah

Co-Founder, Black Lives Matter Youth Vanguard

Alex Edgar

Voting Rights Activist; University of California, Berkeley, Freshman Class of 2025

Divyansh Kaushik

Ph.D. student, Carnegie Mellon University; President, Carnegie Mellon University Graduate Student Assembly; Advisory Board Member, Students Learn Students Vote

Rainesford Stauffer

Freelance Writer; Author, An Ordinary Age—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Kabir McNeely: Bullying and the LGBTQ High School Student Aug 03, 2021

School's out for the summer, but come fall, most students will be returning to in-person classrooms across the country. For some students, every day in school is another day of possible bullying by their peers.

Join us for a discussion with a young award-winning filmmaker and actor on the impacts of peer bullying through the lens of LGBTQIA+ high school students.

Kabir McNeely is an award-winning American actor who grew up in San Francisco. He has drawn international interest through his uniquely expressive and direct acting style. He began his acting career in 2015 when he played a supporting role in Ruth, a student short film. Since then, he has trained extensively with the American Conservatory Theater, where he also performed in their annual main stage production of A Christmas Carol in 2016 and in Urinetown: The Musical. In 2020, he wrote and directed the award-winning short film Blue Girl, in which he also appeared in. Throughout 2021, McNeely has had a steady stream of supporting roles in short films such as Family Story, Blue Girl 2025 and Pink Purple and Blue. He also gave an award-nominated lead performance in the short film Keith.

SPEAKERS

Kabir McNeely

Actor; Writer; Director; Twitter @kabirmcn

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 21st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Carol Anderson: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America Aug 02, 2021

The Constitution clearly states that Americans have the right to keep and bear arms, an argument often used to dispute proposed gun control legislation. However, historian Carol Anderson says that deeper analysis of the formation of the Second Amendment reveals ulterior, racialized motives to keep Black people powerless and oppressed. In her new book The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America, Anderson uncovers the history behind the Second Amendment and argues that it was designed to keep African Americans vulnerable and subdued.

As a professor of African American Studies at Atlanta's Emory University, Anderson’s research primarily focuses on how racial inequality affects the processes and outcomes of policymaking. In early America, slaves were prohibited from owning, carrying or using a firearm. She says this sentiment remains today as measures to expand and curtail gun ownership are aimed to keep the Black community neutralized and punished. In an era when many are reexamining government policy through a racial lens, Anderson sheds new light on another mysterious dimension of anti-Blackness in the United States.

Join us in conversation with Carol Anderson to understand the connection between Blackness, gun ownership and racial equality.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Carol Anderson

Ph.D., Charles Howard Candler Professor of African American Studies, Emory University; Author, The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America

In Conversation with Melissa Murray

Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law, NYU School of Law; Co-host, "Strict Scrutiny" Podcast

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 21st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Vandana Shiva and the Hubris of Manipulating Nature Jul 30, 2021

From clearing land for pasture to building dams, humans have long changed the face of the Earth. But Indian eco-feminist Vandana Shiva is highly critical of how we’ve changed our relationship with the land through industrial monocrop agriculture. She firmly opposes genetically modified crops, and has called seed patents “bio-piracy.”But it’s not just the technology she’s critical of.

“I’m critical of the world view of arrogance. The worldview that came with colonialism, the mechanistic mindset of the conquering man being the creator of the earth and creator of the wealth,” Shiva says.

Shiva argues for a renewed focus on biodiversity and regenerative agriculture to help solve the climate crisis.

Guests:

Vandana Shiva, director of the Foundation for Science, Technology & Ecology

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Michael Bender with Maggie Haberman: The Inside Story of How Donald Trump Lost Jul 29, 2021

Frankly, We Did Win This Election, authored by The Wall Street Journal’s senior White House reporter Michael Bender, reveals a deeply reported account of Donald J. Trump’s final year as president of the United States—from his first impeachment in January 2020 to his second almost exactly a year later.

Bender chronicles Trump and his campaign team as they struggle through an epic convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ensuing economic collapse, and the civil rights upheaval that unraveled their reelection strategy. Bender’s refined sourcing brings readers within the walls of the White House for the inside story of how Trump lost, drawing a straight line from his presidency to his defeat and ultimately to the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol building.

Bender joined The Wall Street Journal in 2016 and has since published more than 1,100 stories about Trump. He has been recognized for his coverage, receiving both the Gerald R. Ford Foundation Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency in 2019 as well as the National Press Club award for political analysis in 2020.

Join Bender and moderator Maggie Haberman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist from The New York Times, as they go into the exclusive details of how Donald J. Trump lost the 2020 election.

Note: This Program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Michael Bender

Senior White House Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; Author, Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost; Twitter @MichaelCBender

In Conversation with Maggie Haberman

White House Correspondent, The New York Times; Twitter @maggieNYT

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 21st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Julie K. Brown: The Jeffrey Epstein Story Jul 29, 2021

The depths of the Jeffrey Epstein story may never have been known without the work of Florida investigative reporter Julie K. Brown. A reporter for the Miami Herald, Brown and her explosive reporting for the Herald helped bring Epstein to justice (before his death) while exposing the powerful people and broken system that protected him.

For many years, billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's penchant for teenage girls was an open secret in the high society of Palm Beach, Florida and Manhattan. Charged in 2008 with soliciting prostitution from minors, Epstein was treated with what critics called unheard-of leniency at the time. The media virtually ignored the failures of the criminal justice system, and Epstein's friends and business partners brushed the allegations aside. But when in 2017 the U.S. attorney who approved Epstein's plea deal, Alexander Acosta, was chosen by President Trump as labor secretary, Brown was compelled to ask questions that other journalists weren't.

Despite her editor's skepticism that she could add a new dimension to a known story, Brown determined that her goal would be to track down the victims themselves. Poring over thousands of redacted court documents, traveling across the country and chasing down information in difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances, Brown tracked down dozens of Epstein's victims, now young women struggling to reclaim their lives after the trauma and shame they had endured.

Brown's resulting three-part series in the Miami Herald was one of the most explosive news stories of the decade, revealing how Epstein ran a global sex trafficking pyramid scheme with impunity for years, targeting vulnerable teens, often from fractured homes, and then turning them into recruiters. The outrage led to Epstein's arrest, the disappearance and eventual arrest of his closest accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and the resignation of Acosta. The financier's mysterious suicide in a New York City jail cell prompted wild speculation about the secrets he took to the grave—and whether his death was intentional or the result of foul play.

Brown's new book, Perversion of Justice, builds on her original award-winning series, showing the power of truth, the value of local journalism and the tenacity of one woman in the face of the deep-seated corruption of powerful men. Julie Brown joins us virtually to discuss her role in the Epstein story and what it means for the media and the country.

SPEAKERS

Julie K. Brown

Investigative Reporter, Miami Herald; Author, Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story; (Participating Virtually)

Robert Rosenthal

Board Member, Center for Investigative Reporting—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 22nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Prison Truth: The San Quentin News Story Jul 29, 2021

Professor William Drummond has had an impressive career as an educator and award-winning journalist. This includes stints at The (Louisville) Courier-Journal, where he covered the civil rights movement, and the Los Angeles Times, where he was a local reporter, then bureau chief in New Delhi and Jerusalem and later a Washington correspondent. Drummond was appointed a White House Fellow in 1976 by President Gerald Ford, worked briefly for Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and eventually became associate press secretary to President Jimmy Carter. In 1977 he joined National Public Radio and became the founding editor of "Morning Edition."

In 1983, he joined the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, where in addition to teaching students, Drummond twice taught an introductory journalism course pro bono under auspices of the Prison University Project for dozens of inmates at San Quentin Prison.

He and moderator Robert Rosenthal, who has visited inmates at San Quentin many times with a program called Guiding Rage into Power and also has had a remarkable career in journalism, will discuss how the prisoner-run newspaper San Quentin News was recalled to life under an enlightened warden and newspaper veterans, including Drummond. They will also discuss how the COVID crisis affected prisoners and prison staff.

Drummond told the story of the San Quentin News in his book Prison Truth, revealing how the project helped transform the prison from a "living hell" into an environment to foster positive change in the inmates' lives. One reviewer wrote, "Prison Truth illustrates the power of prison media to eventually humanize the experiences of people inside penitentiary walls and to forge alliances with social justice networks seeking reform."

Join us for this important discussion.

MLF ORGANIZER

Celia Menczel

NOTES

MLF: Middle East

SPEAKERS

William Drummond

Professor of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley; Author, Prison Truth

Robert Rosenthal

Board Member: Center for Investigative Reporting

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 22nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Joe Keohane: The Power of Strangers Jul 27, 2021

Why don’t we talk to strangers? What happens when we do? Joe Keohane argues that, if we do, it affects everything from our own health and well-being to the rise and fall of nations. In our cities, even before the pandemic, we stood on silent buses and subway cars, barely acknowledging one another, even as rates of loneliness skyrocketed. Online, we retreat into ideological silos reinforced by algorithms designed to serve us only familiar ideas. In our politics, we are increasingly consumed by the fear of people we’ve never met. But what if strangers—so often blamed for our most pressing political, social, and personal problems—are actually the solution?

Keohane takes us on a journey to discover what happens when we bridge the distance between us and people we don’t know. And he finds that, while we are wired to sometimes fear, distrust and even hate strangers, people and societies that have learned to connect with strangers benefit immensely. Digging into a growing body of cutting-edge research on the surprising social and psychological benefits that come from talking to strangers, Keohane shows that even passing interactions can enhance empathy, happiness and cognitive development; ease loneliness and isolation; and root us in the world, deepening our sense of belonging and revealing that talking to strangers isn’t just a way to live. It’s a way to thrive.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Joe Keohane

Journalist; Author, The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 21st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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What Is Trauma-Informed Care? Jul 27, 2021

Trauma-informed care understands and considers the pervasive nature of trauma and promotes environments of healing and recovery rather than practices and services that may inadvertently re-traumatize.

Dr. Darla Dixon is a licensed psychologist currently working as a trauma-informed care coordinator for the California Department of State Hospitals. She has also had the privilege of being socialized by the wraparound program early in her career where she learned and experienced the impact of being trauma-informed.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patrick O'Reilly

NOTES

MLF: Psychology

SPEAKERS

Dr. Darla Dixon

Psychologist; Trauma-Informed Care Coordinator, California Department of State Hospitals

Patrick O'Reilly

Clinical Psychologist; Chair Commonwealth Club Psychology Member-Led Forum—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Love Has Made Them One: Exploring the Romance of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears Jul 27, 2021

Composer Benjamin Britten, a central figure of 20th-century British music (Peter Grimes, The Turn of the Screw, Ceremony of Carols) and renowned tenor Peter Pears were together from 1939 until Britten’s death in 1976. During Britten’s lifetime, neither spoke publicly about their relationship or sexuality—homosexuality in England was illegal until its partial decriminalization in 1967.

San Francisco-born and -based arts educator, performer, composer and conductor Cole Thomason-Redus presents an illuminating 21st century perspective on their musical partnership and private life. Cole is educational content curator in the Department of Diversity, Equity & Community at San Francisco Opera, where he is host of the weekly online series "Opera Aficionado." Cole has also been director of education for Chanticleer, curator of classical music at Apple, Inc., and classical music analyst for the Music Genome Project at Pandora Media, Inc.

MLF ORGANIZER

Dr. Anne W. Smith

NOTES

MLF: Arts

SPEAKERS

Cole Thomason-Redus

Educational Content Curator, Department of Diversity, Equity & Community, San Francisco Opera; Host, "Opera Aficionado"; Upper DivisioDirector, Marin Girls Chorus; Associate Conductor, National Children's Chorus

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 29th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: How a Manufactured Car Culture Blocks Transit Jul 23, 2021

The United States is famous for its car culture. But a hundred years ago, pedestrians didn’t want cars to take over the streets — and it took decades of pressure and lobbying by car companies to make them feel otherwise. Today, traffic jams, maintenance and pollution make cars more like the cigarette no one wants to quit. Urban areas have grown up and spread out along ever widening highways with parking spaces required for each new building, further entrenching the car into our lives and choking cities with smog.

Public transit holds tremendous possibilities for reducing our transportation emissions while better moving people through cities. But there’s a lot to overcome when trying to change the mobility model in most American cities, starting with the lack of good public transit and the high costs of construction. How can we make good public transportation work in America?

Guests:

Peter Norton, associate professor of history at the University of Virginia;

author of Fighting Traffic and Autonorama

Eric Goldwyn, assistant professor at the NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management;

co-founder of the Transit Costs Project

Amanda Eaken, director of transportation for the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge at the Natural Resources Defense Council

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Nonprofit Local News: Civic Journalism and America's Future Jul 21, 2021

The pandemic has hurt many industries throughout the United States. For local news media, the COVID-19 public health emergency was nearly catastrophic. Already threatened with economic demise because of the rise of digital advertising and how consumers use free social media tools to consume news, the pandemic put further financial stresses on local news outlets by impacting advertising from shuttered restaurants, bars and small businesses. All of this came at a time, of course, when local news—with information on the immediate impact of the public health emergency, among other topics—was more important than ever.

However, despite the strong challenges for local news outlets, the future may not be so bleak for the industry. Why? A growing number of nonprofit news media ventures are seeking to fill the void for quality local news efforts. Across the country, citizens are increasingly getting local news from new digital ventures focused on a specific region or city. Perhaps most important, philanthropists and major foundations are investing in these new efforts, increasing the chance for sustainability and impact and creating a new future for local news, even at this challenging time.

This program will introduce viewers to two nonprofit efforts—MLK50 (covering the intersection of poverty, power and policy in Memphis), and Cityside (with the Bay Area outlets Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside)—as well as to the co-founder of a new venture philanthropy nonprofit, the American Journalism Project, created to make local sites more financially sustainable.

Please join us for an important conversation on the future of local news and why the future may be in a new generation of nonprofit news outlets. Wendi C. Thomas and John Thornton will participate virtually; Lance Knobel and David Cohn will be on-stage.

SPEAKERS:

Lance Knobel, CEO, CItyside

Wendi C. Thomas, Editor and Publisher, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism (Participating Virtually)

John Thornton, Founder Texas Tribune; Co-Founder American Journalism Project (Participating Virtually)

David Cohn, Senior Director, Advance Local; Cofounder of Subtext—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been hosting our live programming via YouTube live stream. We are slowly reopen our building to programs with live guests and live audiences. This hybrid-program was recorded with participants in both our auditorium and via video conference on July 15th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

NOTE: This podcast may contain explicit language.

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GABRIELLE KORN: EVERYBODY ELSE IS PERFECT Jul 20, 2021

What happens when a young lesbian editor-in-chief explores her role, the pressures she feels from gender expectations in society, and the challenges one would face in the media world when you don't fit it? Find out in this timely program.

Gabrielle Korn is a journalist, digital media expert, and the former editor-in-chief of Nylon Media, an international lifestyle publication focused on emerging culture. Under her editorial leadership, Nylon became a fully digital brand with an ever-growing audience and original, politically-driven, thought-provoking beauty, fashion, music, and entertainment content. She spent three years working on Nylon’s digital presence before her promotion to editor-in-chief, working across platforms and growing traffic. Prior to that, she was an editor at Refinery29, overseeing beauty content during a period of explosive traffic growth and working to expand the brand’s concept of what beauty means to the millennial reader. She graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2011 with a concentration in feminist/queer theory and writing. She lives in Brooklyn.

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The New Normal: Emotions As We Emerge From the Pandemic with Lucy Kalanithi and Jessi Gold Jul 19, 2021

After a year of so much hardship and isolation, how do we readjust to a “new normal”? Join Dr. Jessi Gold and Dr. Lucy Kalanithi, host of the new podcast "Gravity," for a deep dive into the varied emotions many of us are currently feeling as the country reopens post-pandemic.

From Zoom fatigue to unprocessed mental health challenges—including grief and trauma—there are countless underlying effects of COVID-19 still left unspoken.

This program will be an open and safe space to bring those conversations, questions, and fears to the surface.

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The Hidden Palace: A tale of the Golem and the Jinni Jul 19, 2021

Helene Wecker will discuss The Hidden Palace, her long-anticipated sequel to her fascinating, debut novel, The Golem and the Jinni , a magical yet historical tale about immigrant New York. The combination of Arabic and Jewish mythology made the novel particularly intriguing to many readers. The Golem and the Jinni was an Amazon Editor Top 20 Pick and received numerous awards, including the Amazon Spotlight Debut, Indie Next Pick, Entertainment Weekly, Audible books, Kirkus Reviews, and others.

A Midwest native, Wecker holds a B.A. in English from Carleton College and an M.F.A. in fiction writing from Columbia University. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband and children.

NOTES

MLF: Middle East

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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: A Feminist Climate Renaissance Jul 16, 2021

Pathways for reducing carbon emissions include electrifying transportation and replacing fossil fuels with wind and solar power. But in this time of national reckoning on racial and economic disparities, there is growing support for a more holistic approach. This view holds that the climate crisis won’t be resolved until we first address the systemic imbalances that have fueled it – racism, capitalism, white supremacy and patriarchy. In their recent book, All We Can Save: Truth, Courage and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, co-editors Katharine Wilkinson and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson bring together the voices of women artists, writers and change-makers who are at the forefront of climate action.

“The work that we’re doing is instigating or nurturing a feminist climate renaissance,” says Johnson, “which is what we feel the climate movement so desperately needs right now.”

Guests:

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist

Katharine Wilkinson, Vice President, Project Drawdown

Co-editors, All We Can Save:Truth, Courage and Solutions for the Climate Crisis (One World, 2020)

Christine Nieves Rodriguez, Co-founder and President, Emerge Puerto Rico.

Sherri Mitchell, author, Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change (North Atlantic Books, 2018)

Heather McTeer Toney, National Field Director, Moms Clean Air Force

Jainey Bavishi, Director, Mayor's Office of Resiliency, New York City

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Craig Melvin: Learning to Be a Son and a Father Jul 13, 2021

Involved, caring fathers make a lasting impact on their children's lives. On his "Today Show" “Dads Got This!” series, Craig Melvin explores the inspiring stories of fathers across the nation who are dedicated to making a difference in their kids’ lives. He’s covered fathers who are frontline workers, raising their children alone, and working with children with learning and physical disabilities. Now, in his new book Pops, Craig Melvin investigates his own relationship with his father and how it influences the way he chooses to pursue fatherhood.

Addiction, transformation and redemption are the honest truths at the core of Melvin’s story. Craig’s father, Lawrence, was distant and often absent due to work obligations and alcohol addiction, but a fiercely loving mother made sure their family stayed together. In his book, Melvin reveals what makes an inspiring, proactive father as seen through the people in his life—uncles, teachers, mentors—and how their examples set a standard for his own fatherhood journey.

A story of journey, understanding and reconciliation, Craig Melvin is exploring the honest truths of fatherhood. Join us as Melvin discusses the joys and challenges of being a father.

SPEAKERS

Craig Melvin

Cohost, NBC’s "Today Show"; Author, Pops: Learning to Be a Son and a Father; Twitter @craigmelvin

Brian Watt

News Anchor, KQED—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 12th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Mark Carney, Fatih Birol and the Narrow Path to Net Zero Jul 09, 2021

When we think of action on climate change, we usually think of what individuals can do, what governments can do, and maybe what businesses can do. But what about the broader economic levers that affect behaviors?

Can we get companies to walk away from billions of dollars they’ve already invested in a fossil fuel-based economy? Insurers are on the front lines of climate disruption; it’s their business to put a price on risk. So how can the financial and insurance sectors create better-aligned incentives for companies, businesses and even governments to get on the ever-narrowing path to net zero carbon emissions before it’s too late?

Guests:

Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency

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TikTok Star Nick Cho: Your Korean Dad Jul 08, 2021

Join us for a talk with Nick Cho, known as "Your Korean Dad" on TikTok, where he has attracted more than 2.7 million followers.

Nick Cho was born in Seoul, Korea in 1973. He immigrated to the United States in 1975 with his father and mother, eventually settling in the Washington, D.C., suburbs in Northern Virginia, where he and his younger sister, Jennifer, grew up.

After a number of different jobs including car sales, music teacher, and assistant to a radio producer for a nationally syndicated comedy radio show, in 2002 he opened a small coffee shop in the nation's capital called "murky coffee." It quickly became renown throughout the country as one of the pioneering cafes for what would be called "third wave coffee."

He moved with his wife and partner Trish to San Francisco in 2010, starting a new coffee company with her called Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters. Both Nick and Trish would split time between running the coffee company and traveling the world, being invited as leading industry experts to speak and teach at various venues and events throughout the coffee world.

Nick started on TikTok in late 2019, and started posting videos as what would be known as "Your Korean Dad" in April of 2020. His audience has been growing rapidly ever since. Nick has two teenaged daughters.

Get yourself set for a great July 4 holiday weekend with an engaging, feel-good program with Your Korean Dad.

SPEAKERS

Nick Cho

Star, "Your Korean Dad," TikTok; Co-Founder, Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters; Twitter @NickCho; TikTok @yourkoreandad

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club; Not Cool Enough to Be on TikTok—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Opulence of Blackness: Melonie and Melorra Green Elevate Black Artists Jul 07, 2021

Since coming to San Francisco in 2000, twin sisters Melonie and Melorra Green have established themselves as leaders and mentors to countless Bay Area artists.

Melonie Green and Melorra Green are the co-executive directors of the African American Art & Culture Complex (AAACC) located in San Francisco’s Fillmore/Western Addition neighborhood. Born and raised in Memphis and with speech communication and theatre degrees from Tennessee State University, the twins moved to San Francisco in 2000 to study filmmaking at the Academy of Art University. During their first two decades in the San Francisco Bay Area as young Black queer women, they started their enormous artistic legacy, producing more than 80 exhibitions and 100 public events with their brand of collaboration, creativity, culture and community.

They have curated galleries, including the explosive exhibition “The Black Woman is God” at both the African American Art & Culture Complex and SOMArts Cultural Center, “Don’t Shoot: An Opus of the Opulence of Blackness” at MOAD, the AfroSolo “Black Matters” visual arts exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library, and the art in the District 5 Board of Supervisors office for eight years, including under the leadership of now-Mayor London Breed. They have mentored, assisted and influenced thousands of Bay Area artists through public programs and events such as the Fillmore Art Walk, San Francisco Independent Artists’ Week, their weekly radio show on KPOO 89.5 FM, and the 2020 street mural paintings of Black Lives Matter and Trans Lives Matter from Civic Center to the Castro. Under their leadership, AAACC was named Gucci Changemakers 2021, one of 15 organizations in the country. They continue to elevate their promise to inspire and empower Black people to tell their stories and uphold their truths.

Join us for a Pride Month talk with the 2021 San Francisco Pride Community Grand Marshalls about the power of art.

NOTES

This program is generously underwritten by Gilead Sciences Inc.

SPEAKERS

Melonie Green

Co-Executive Director, African American Art & Culture Complex

Melorra Green

Co-Executive Director, African American Art & Culture Complex

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jonathan Rauch: A Defense of Truth Jul 07, 2021

Over the past several years, the United States has seemingly become a country divided by facts, "alternative facts," fake news, conspiracy theories and a “cancel culture” fueled by information and disinformation circulating on various social media platforms. Yet while the debate over truth seems to have reached a fevered and dangerous pitch since the disputed presidential election, this battle of what constitutes a factual idea is nothing new, according to well-known political scholar and writer Jonathan Rauch.

In Rauch's new book The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth, a senior fellow in the Brookings Institution's Governance Studies program and a contributing writer to The Atlantic makes an impassioned defense of truth for a country often divided, and he notes that the war on reality has existed in the United States since its founding. Rauch's new book is an ambitious investigation into many of the country's biggest social disputes, from rampant lying, propaganda and disinformation; online outrage culture, and trolling, to cancel/callout culture, campus safe spaces, postmodernism and grievance studies; as well as attacks on science and expertise. Rauch weaves these many threads into a larger theory of what is being attacked and, importantly, how to defend it.

Anyone following today's most divisive political disputes won't want to miss this important conversation about the importance of reason in an age of illiberalism.

SPEAKERS

Jonathan Rauch

Senior Fellow, Governance Studies Program, Brookings Institution; Author, The Constitution of Knowledge: In Defense of Truth

Bruce E. Cain

Spence and Cleone Eccles Family Director, The Bill Lane Center for American West; Charles Louis Ducommun Professor in Humanities and Sciences, Professor of Political Science, Stanford University

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 29th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Secretary Ban Ki-moon: Uniting Nations in a Divided World Jul 06, 2021

The United Nations is built on principles of peacekeeping and human rights, and where leaders work to create a sustainable, equitable world. UN leaders, however, are always meeting challenges in their work; as human problems become more complex, so does the work of the organization.

Ban Ki-moon knows these issues firsthand. He served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations from 2007–2016, and he took strong positions on global warming, peacekeeping and human rights. In his new book Resolved: Uniting Nations in a Divided World, Ban Ki-moon recounts his own experiences in a war-torn nation, the lifesaving generosity from the United Nations, and the challenges he faced as a diplomat in the intergovernmental institution.

Even when facing resistance, he bravely steered the United Nations through a volatile period that included the Arab Spring, nuclear pursuits in Iran and North Korea, the Ebola epidemic, and brutal new conflicts in Central Africa. He describes his role as “the most impossible job on Earth”—but with a strong belief in collective action and global transformation, he persevered.

Join us as Ban Ki-moon candidly assesses the integral parts of the United Nations and offers a bracing analysis of what lies ahead.

SPEAKERS

Ban Ki-moon

Secretary-General of the United Nations (2007-2016); Author, Resolved: Uniting Nations in a Divided World

In Conversation with Mina Kim

Host, “Forum” on KQED; Twitter @mkimreporter

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 22nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Andy Slavitt: Inside the Doomed U.S. Coronavirus Response Jul 06, 2021

Health-care expert Andy Slavitt has spent his career advocating for the American people through affordable and accessible health care. In 2015, he was nominated by President Barack Obama to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In early 2020, when COVID-19 infections began to appear across the United States, Slavitt was one of the first critics of President Donald Trump’s lack of response to the oncoming pandemic. His new book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response, provides a definitive inside account of the United States' failed response to the pandemic.

Slavitt describes the fateful decisions that were made in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus and the failures of political leaders to keep Americans healthy. The story he tells is one of a country where bad leadership, political and cultural fractures, and an unwillingness to sustain sacrifice created a complex problem that proved near-impossible to resolve.

Join us as leading health-care advisor Andy Slavitt describes what went wrong in America’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and puts forth the solutions that will prevent us from repeating the situation.

SPEAKERS

Andy Slavitt

Former White House Senior Advisor for COVID Response; Host, “In the Bubble” Podcast; Author, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response; Twitter @ASlavitt

In Conversation with Dr. Atul Gawande

Endocrine Surgeon, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Professor, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Twitter @Atul_Gawande

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 22nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ending America's Forever War Jul 02, 2021

In light of President Joe Biden's controversial announcement of his intention to end America's "never ending war" on the 20th anniversary of the 9/ll attacks, our distinguished panel will discuss the past, present and possible promise and complications of ending our longest war in a most troubled region.

One of the most concerning results could be ending hard-won women's rights and opportunities. Atta Arghandiwal was an Afghan refugee , a U.S. banker. a consultant in Afghanistan and dedicated to helping refugees there and everywhere. Humaira Ghilzai, a writer, speaker and women’s advocate, co-founded the Afghan Friends Network and instituted the Sister City relationship between Hayward, CA and Ghazni, Afghanistan.

MLF ORGANIZER

Celia Menczel

NOTES

MLF: Middle East

Speakers

Atta Arghandiwal

Humanitarian; Author, The Self-Sufficient Global Citizen

Humaira Ghilzai

Writer; Speaker; Women’s Advocate; Co-Founder, Afghan Friends Network

Banafsheh Keynoush

Ph.D., Vice Chair, Commonwealth Club Middle East Member-Led Forum—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 22nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Clearing the Air on Carbon Offsets Jul 02, 2021

For over two decades, carbon offset programs have promised individuals and businesses that they can reduce their overall carbon footprint by paying someone else to reduce their carbon emissions. Yet many programs have been plagued by scandal – like shady accounting and paying forest owners not to cut down trees they weren’t planning to log anyway.

A new nonprofit called Climate Vault wants to buy emissions permits from regulated markets and lock them away so other polluters can’t buy and use them. Will this finally be an approach that works? Or are all carbon offset programs just smoke and mirrors?

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LGBTQ Youth Mental Health: Resilience and Recovery from a Pandemic Jun 29, 2021

Join us for a discussion of LGBTQIA issues and the impacts on the mental health of our youth who navigated their ways through a global pandemic while fighting for civil rights at the same time.

Meet the Speakers

David W. Bond is a licensed clinical social worker and board-certified expert in traumatic stress. He is the director of behavioral health at Blue Shield of California, where he leads initiatives to restore, sustain and enhance the behavioral health and wellbeing of California’s Medi-Cal and Medicare beneficiaries. Before joining Blue Shield, he served as vice president of programs at The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. He also previously served as manager of youth development programs at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. For 12 years, David was a practicing psychotherapist specializing in children and trauma. He has taught and lectured widely on topics of physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, suicide prevention, clinical and policy considerations for LGBTQ communities, access to care and program evaluation.

T. Drake-Smith, aka YSD, is an artist, activist and actor. By day, she is known as T. Drake-Smith—alias Shorty the Youth Coordinator at the Oakland LGBTQ Center. By night, she’s an entertainer you may have seen on "The Lipstick Series," "Sister Hood fo Hip Hop" on Oxygen and in a KTVU sports commercial. Her latest TV roles are on “13 Reasons Why” & "Lipstick Series." YSD is currently working on music and has been performing professionally since 2010. Young Shorty Doowop's song "Let Em Hate” featuring Slim 400 is currently playing on 106.1 KMEL. She has opened up for Big Freedia, Jadakiss, Young M.A, Dej Loaf, Soulja Boy, Iamsu!, Jennifer Holiday, Jim Jones, Trina, Remy Ma and others, and has performed at San Francisco Pride, Atlanta Pride, in Seattle, Sweetheat Miami, New York, LA and London. Her new album “Night & Day” is available on all digital platforms. You can catch her on the new reality show “Studs of LA” and as a host on Lipstick Television.

Juan Acosta is an award winning LGBTQ+ mental health advocate who serves on national committees, speaks at conferences and festivals, and is a New York Times bestselling author for a book co-authored with Lady Gaga, Channel Kindness. He drafted a historic LGBTQ+ proclamation for his hometown of Woodland, CA. He currently serves as one of the regional managers for the CalHOPE Warm Line. Acosta's awards include the Governor & First Lady Service Award, The Presidential Service Award, the NAMI Rising Star Award, and the Steinberg Institute Mental Health Champion 2021.

SPEAKERS

David W. Bond

Licensed Clinical Social Worker; Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Streass; Director of Behavioral Health, Blue Shield of California

T. Drake-Smith, aka YSD

Artist; Activist; Actor; Youth Coordinator, Oakland LGBTQ Center

Juan Acosta

LGBTQ+ Mental Health Advocate; Co-Author, Channel Kindness

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 21st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue Jun 29, 2021

This July 4, the country will be emerging from the pandemic to celebrate the most patriotic of holidays with friends and family. At The Commonwealth Club, just days before the holiday, we'll be re-opening our doors and cracking open our grills in a special event that celebrates an iconic American food: barbecue! We’ll explore this rich and historic food, particularly the essential role that African Americans have played in the development of the cuisine. Audiences can watch either online or join us in-person!

Adrian Miller, author of, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue, will kick off our event with stories of Black perseverance, culinary innovation, and entrepreneurship in the world of barbecue. His work illustrates that despite cultural marginalization, African Americans have enriched a now-embraced barbecue culture tied strongly to summer holidays and recounts how Black barbecuers, pitmasters and restaurateurs are coming into their own after having helped develop this American cuisine, incorporating techniques first pioneered by Native Americans. Miller is also featured in the new Netflix special "High on the Hog," about African-American food history.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Justin Phillips will interview Miller in the Taube Family Auditorium at our headquarters on the Embarcadero.

SPEAKERS

Adrian Miller

Writer; Certified Barbecue Judge; Attorney; Author, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue

In Conversation with Justin Phillips

Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle

Welcome by Brenda Wright

Senior Vice President & Director of Community Relations (West Region), Wells Fargo & Co.; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 28th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Queer Bible, with Author Jack Guinness Jun 25, 2021

Gus Kenworthy writes about Adam Rippon. Graham Norton writes about Armistead Maupin. Tan France does the honors for "Queer Eye," as Mae Martin does for Tim Curry and Elton John does for Divine. Those contributions—and many more—are included in the new book The Queer Bible, an illustrated collection of essays featuring today's queer heroes writing about their queer heroes.

Jack Guinness, who edited and contributed an essay to the book, joins us for a look at the LGBTQ community and the individuals who shaped its history.

SPEAKERS

Jack Guinness

Editor, The Queer Bible; Contributing Editor, British GQ; Twitter @Jackguinness

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Islamic Activist Daisy Khan with Sara Abbasi: Understanding Modern Muslim Women Jun 25, 2021

Daisy Khan has devoted much of her life to fighting Islamophobia, increasing public understanding of Islam and breaking down barriers between Muslims and other faiths. Ms. Khan served for 18 years as executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, where she was hailed as a bridge builder for promoting cultural and religious harmony through intra-faith programs such as Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow and inter-faith arts programs. To combat anti-Muslim bias, she created the "Today, I am a Muslim Too" rally involving 100 interfaith organizations.

She has also worked to modernize the role of women within Islam. Khan founded The Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE) with the express goal of peace building, gender equality and human dignity. She says that women's leadership is essential to solving societal issues, and that the WISE Shura Council is creating a crucial space for activism that contributes to Muslim women’s struggle for justice. The council issues informed and religiously grounded opinions on controversial issues of particular relevance to Muslim women in their personal, familial and societal lives. By advocating a constructive conception of women’s status, rights and responsibilities, Khan says these opinions function as legitimate alternatives to oppressive religious arguments.

Ms. Khan's awards and honors include: the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award, Edinburgh Peace Award, and the Interfaith Center’s Award for Promoting Peace. She's been listed among Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People and was ranked among the “Top Ten Women Faith leaders” by The Huffington Post. Khan plans to follow her 2018 memoir, Born with Wings, with two forthcoming books: 30 Rights of Muslim Women and WISE UP White Supremacy.

Come for an important conversation with Daisy Khan about Islam and the advancement of Muslim women.

SPEAKERS

Daisy Khan

Founder, Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE); Co-Founder & Former Exec. Director, American Society of Muslim Advancement (ASMA) ; Author, Born With Wings

In Conversation with Sara Abbasi

Philanthropist; Provider of Endowment, Sohaib and Sara Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, Stanford University

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Extreme Heat: The Silent Killer Jun 25, 2021

Extreme heat causes more deaths than any other weather-related hazard in the U.S., wreaking quiet havoc on the health and economic well-being of billions of people across the world. But it’s rarely given the same billing or resources as other, more dramatic, natural disasters. Because of racist and discriminatory housing and development practices, extreme heat also disproportionately impacts poorer and minority communities.

Recognizing a growing need for local responses to a global problem, the mayors of Miami-Dade, Athens, Greece and Freetown, Sierra Leone recently announced they are appointing the world’s first Chief Heat Officers. How can we prepare for and address the impacts of extreme heat?

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George Packer: America in Crisis and Renewal Jun 25, 2021

The year 2020 brought out the best and the worst of the American people. The year shocked us as we experienced a ruthless pandemic, an inept government response, polarizing protests and an election defaced by conspiracy theories. According to popular American journalist George Packer, these events did not come out of nowhere; they were symptoms of the hazardous conditions directly beneath the surface of the American dream. In his new book Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal, Packer traces the roots of these issues that he says have drastically changed the normative way of American life.

Packer investigates what he calls the four different Americas citizens live in: a "Free America" that encourages individuality and corporate submission, a "Smart America" that represents the technological and professional elite, a "Real America" that constitutes the white Christian nationalism of the midlands, and a "Just America" that delineates identity groups that suffer from marginalization. Packer believes that none of these Americas are conducive to achieving an ideal nation. With a background in U.S. foreign policy and American history, Packer uses his knowledge to find a common American identity that prioritizes equality for all and national renewal.

Join us as George Packer and moderator Anne-Marie Slaughter envision a better, more equitable American future.

George Packer

Staff Writer, The Atlantic; Author, Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal

In Conversation with Anne-Marie Slaughter

CEO, New America

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 15th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Theodore Johnson: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America Jun 23, 2021

Join us for a virtual discussion with Theodore Johnson, who begins his book When the Stars Begin to Fall by declaring that “Racism is an existential threat to America.” Johnson argues that our society's continuing racism not only contradicts the American Promise enshrined in our Constitution that all men and women are inherently equal, but also continues to corrode our society after a quarter of a millennium. If we cannot overcome it, he says, the United States may continue as a geopolitical powerhouse, but it will fail to make good on the promise that made America unique on Earth, and gave hope to the oppressed throughout the world.

Johnson makes a compelling case for a pathway to the national solidarity necessary to mitigate racism. Weaving memories of his own family’s multi-generational experiences with racism, alongside strands of history, Johnson posits that a blueprint for national solidarity can be found in the exceptional citizenship long practiced in Black America. Understanding that racism is a structural crime of the state, he argues that overcoming it requires us to recognize that a color-conscious society―not a color-blind one―is the true fulfillment of the American Promise. Fueled by his ultimate faith in the American project, grounded in his family’s longstanding optimism and his own military service, he offers an urgent call to undertake the process of overcoming what has long seemed intractable.

SPEAKERS

Theodore Johnson

Sr. Fellow, Brennan Center for Justice; Former Commander, U.S. Navy; White House Fellow, Obama Admin.; Speechwriter, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Author, When the Stars Begin to Fall: Overcoming Racism & Renewing the Promise of America

Sheryl Davis

Executive Director, San Francisco Human Rights Commission—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 15th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ben Rhodes: After the Fall Jun 22, 2021

After the Cold War, America sought to protect as many democracies as possible and stamp out any threat of authoritarianism around the world. Now, 30 years after the breakup of the Soviet Union, political scientists have observed a global rise in authoritarian governments—even in America itself. After the 2016 election of President Donald Trump, Ben Rhodes, a former White House aide and close confidant to President Barack Obama, sought to discover why nations have been opting for populism and tyranny over democracy.

In his new book After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made, Rhodes documents his three years of world travel, speaking with politicians, activists, and dissidents confronting the same nationalism that has been tearing America apart. He says the acceptance of unrestricted capitalism after the Cold War, post-9/11 nationalism, mania for technology and media, and modern racism that Americans refuse to confront have all contributed to our nation’s faltering under authoritarian leadership.

With experience managing international conflict, Rhodes is an exemplary scholar in considering the global condition of humanity and how we can once again turn to democracy and equity. Join us for a look at where America has gone wrong and how essential it is to fight for what America is supposed to be.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Ben Rhodes

Former Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama; Author, After the Fall: Being American in the World We’ve Made; Twitter @brhodes

In Conversation with Jennifer Palmieri

Former White House Communications Director; Co-Host, "The Circus" on Showtime; Author, She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independent from a Man’s World; Twitter @jmpalmieri

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Electrifying the Transportation Future: 12th Annual Mineta National Transportation Finance Summit Jun 22, 2021

Transportation policymakers face two overlapping, once-in-a-generation opportunities: electrifying the nation’s vehicle fleet and re-establishing a stable source of federal and state revenue for transportation.

As states and the Biden administration begin a push to rapidly electrify the U.S. fleet for climate reasons, policymakers are under increasing pressure to rethink how states and the federal government fund transportation infrastructure and services. For decades, motor fuel taxes have generated the majority of state and federal funds spent on transportation, even if recently these taxes have been losing their purchasing power. However, a shift to electric vehicles will require a new transportation funding model.

The speakers will discuss the challenges and opportunities with such options as mileage fees, carbon taxes, higher vehicle registration fees, or a shift entirely away from user-generated revenue.

This program is supported by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University.

SPEAKERS

Special Guest, The Honorable Pete Buttigieg

U.S. Secretary of Transportation

Karen Philbrick

Ph.D., Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute—Program Emcee

Opening Remarks: U.S. Senator Alex Padilla

U.S. Senator (D-CA); Former California Secretary of State

Keynote: Toks Omishakin

Director, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

Event Moderator: Therese McMillan

Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)

Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Ph.D.

Director, MTI National Transportation Finance Center

Carl Guardino

Executive Vice President, Government Affairs and Policy, Bloom Energy

Carlos Braceras, P.E.

Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation

Dan Sperling, Ph.D.

Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Davis

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Nancy Jo Sales: My Secret Life in the Dating App Inferno Jun 21, 2021

Dating in the digital age has never been more complicated. Nancy Jo Sales, a New York Times-bestselling author and journalist, found herself at the center of the addictive and corporate world of online dating after she downloaded Tinder. She wasn’t alone; in a 2015 Vanity Fair article, Sales shared stories from millennials who use dating apps on a near-constant basis, transforming physical attraction into a “free-market economy” that facilitates quick and often temporary attachments. She later directed and released the 2018 HBO documentary Swiped: Hooking Up in the Digital Age, a study of how the algorithms of big tech impact govern our dating lives even if companies claim their addictive effects are incidental.

In her new book, Nothing Personal: My Secret Life in the Dating App Inferno, Sales critiques the dating app industry for its calculated ability to warp our senses of self. At INFORUM, she will share her personal experiences and broader observations on how we can and should cope with our deepening relationship to the technology that purportedly brings us closer to that special someone.

SPEAKERS

Nancy Jo Sales

Journalist, Vanity Fair; Author, Nothing Personal: My Secret Life in the Dating App Inferno

Myisha Battle

Sex and Dating Coach; Founder, Sex for Life, LLC

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A Conversation with Jake Tapper Jun 21, 2021

CNN’s Jake Tapper is one of the most respected people in news today. As CNN’s chief Washington anchor and co-host of “State of the Union,” Tapper has sat down with presidents, covered inaugurations, and continues to interview senators, dignitaries and newsmakers week in and week out.

In his new novel The Devil May Dance, Tapper continues the story started in his previous bestseller, The Hellfire Club. Taking us into the world of political stars Charlie and Margaret Marder, Tapper re-creates the world of the 1960s, complete with backroom deals and secret societies. In this new journey, they befriend dazzling celebrities like Frank Sinatra and must learn to deal with sinister forces from Hollywood’s stages and the newly founded Church of Scientology.

Jake Tapper has covered historical political events such as the inauguration of President Barack Obama and the death of Osama bin Laden. His work has won him several awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story and the Edward R. Murrow Award.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Jake Tapper

Anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent, CNN; Author, The Devil May Dance

In Conversation with Clara Jeffery

Editor in Chief, Mother Jones; Twitter@ClaraJeffery

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Shepard Fairey, Mystic and the Power of Art Jun 17, 2021

From activism to political campaigns to corporate advertising, the power of music and images is undeniable. So how can the arts inspire and advance the climate conversation?

For more than three decades, Shepard Fairey’s work has provoked thought and controversy in the art and political spheres. Now, with a public weary of climate charts and apocalyptic images of melting glaciers and emaciated polar bears, we explore how the arts can provoke a more productive conversation with Fairey and Grammy-nominated hip hop artist Mystic.

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Collateral Damage: Connecting the Deaths of Marilyn Monroe, JFK and Dorothy Kilgallen Jun 16, 2021

Best-selling author Mark Shaw returns to The Commonwealth Club to discuss his latest book, Collateral Damage, in his ongoing investigative research into the connections between the mysterious deaths of motion picture screen siren Marilyn Monroe, President John F. Kennedy, and "What’s My Line?" TV star and crack investigative reporter Dorothy Kilgallen.

Shaw argues that if Robert Kennedy had been prosecuted for what Shaw calls his complicity in the death of Marilyn Monroe in 1962, his campaign against Mafia leaders as attorney general would have been sidetracked, and so there would have been no reason for Bobby’s Mafia enemies to assassinate his brother JFK in 1963. There would also have been no reason for them to kill media icon Dorothy Kilgallen, since it was her explosive investigation into JFK’s death that led to the famous reporter’s death in 1965.

Hear the details of Shaw's latest research, and send in your questions during the live-stream discussion.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Mark Shaw

Author, Collateral Damage: The Mysterious Deaths of Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Kilgallen and the Ties that Bind them to Robert Kennedy and the JFK Assassination

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Guidance for LGBTQI Children in the AAPI Community Jun 16, 2021

In response to high risks of suicide, substance abuse, depression and victimization among LGBTQ adolescents, new emphasis is being placed upon the role that family support plays in reducing LGBTQ children's risks and strengthening their families. in May, the Family Acceptance Project (FAP) at San Francisco State University released a series of eight new Asian-language posters to share critical information from FAP’s peer-reviewed studies and family support work to help prevent suicide and other serious health risks and to promote well-being for AAPI LGBTQ children and youth.

Join us for a conversation with FAP's director and two parents of AAPI LGBTQI children.

About the Speakers

Marsha Aizumi is an author, speaker, educator and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. She serves on the PFLAG National Board and is co-founder and former president of PFLAG San Gabriel Valley Asian Pacific Islander. She and her son, Aiden, have spoken to more than 250 organizations, corporations and universities around the United States, and Marsha has spoken in China and Japan. She helped to develop the Family Acceptance Project Asian language posters. Marsha and her son, Aiden, co-wrote, Two Spirits, One Heart, a memoir that chronicles her journey with her transgender son from shame, sadness, and fear to pride, joy, gratitude, and hope.

Clara Lee is a proud Korean mother of a bisexual/queer son with trans experience. She is the founder of the API Rainbow Parents of PFLAG NYC chapter, which supports LGBTQ individuals and families of Asian heritage, fosters intergenerational dialogue, and addresses culture-specific needs of the Asian and Pacific Islander community. Lee also serves on the board of PFLAG NYC and is a co-founder of Korean American Rainbow Parents, a network of Korean parents and family with LGBTQ loved ones.

Caitlin Ryan, Ph.D., ACSW, is a clinical social worker, educator and researcher who has worked on LGBTQ health and mental health for more than 40 years and whose work on LGBTQ health has shaped policy and practice for LGBTQ and gender diverse children and youth. She directs the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University—a research, education, intervention and policy project—that helps ethnically, racially and religiously diverse families to support their LGBTQ children. Dr. Ryan and her team conducted the first research on LGBTQ youth and families and developed the first evidence-based family support model that helps families and caregivers to decrease rejection and health risks and to increase family acceptance to promote well-being for LGBTQ children and youth. This includes developing research-based guidance resources, including FAP’s multilingual Healthy Futures posters and “Best Practice” resources for suicide prevention with LGBTQ youth.

SPEAKERS

Marsha Aizumi

Co-founder and Former President, PFLAG San Gabriel Valley Asian Pacific Islander; Co-Author, Two Spirits, One Heart; Speaker; Advocate

Clara Lee

Founder, API Rainbow Parents of PFLAG NYC Chapter; Co-founder, Korean American Rainbow Parents

Caitlin Ryan

Ph.D., ACSW, Clinical Social Worker; Educator; Researcher; Director, Family Acceptance Project, San Francisco State University

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Annette Gordon-Reed: On Juneteenth Jun 15, 2021

President Abraham Lincoln announced the end of slavery in 1862, but it wasn’t until two and a half years later on June 19, 1865, that the news finally reached enslaved people in Texas.

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Texas native Annette Gordon-Reed chronicles the country’s long road to Juneteenth, recounting both its origins in Texas and the enormous hardships that African Americans have endured from Reconstruction through Jim Crow and beyond.

Her new book On Juneteenth provides the context and reminder that the fight for equality is still ongoing in our country.

SPEAKERS

Annette Gordon-Reed

Carl M. Loeb University Professor, Harvard University; Author, On Juneteenth; Twitter @agordonreed

In conversation with Judge LaDoris Cordell

(Ret); Twitter @judgecordell

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Healthy Society Series: Nobody's Normal—The History, Culture, Stigma and Future of Mental Health Jun 15, 2021

The way people conceptualize mental illness, and how they talk about it, differs around the world. A new book—Nobody's Normal, by George Washington University Professor of Anthropology Roy Richard Grinker—examines the ways in which culture and historical contexts have shaped our beliefs, stigma and social norms around mental health.

In conversation with journalist and Divergent Mind author Jenara Nerenberg, Grinker will share what families, doctors, and everyday people can do to create a more welcoming and accepting society. Through his research in Africa, Asia and the United States, and with stories from hunter gatherers to family physicians, there are lessons to be learned that challenge the very notion of "normal" to begin with.

Grinker is also the editor-in-chief of Anthropological Quarterly and the author of Unstrange Minds.

MLF ORGANIZER

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Roy Richard Grinker

Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology, George Washington University; Editor-in-Chief, Anthropological Quarterly; Author, Nobody's Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness

In Conversation with Jenara Nerenberg

Author, Divergent Mind; Journalist, University of California, Berkeley; Founder, The Neurodiversity Project

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Healthy Society Series: Health Equity 101. Transforming the Health of Our Nation Jun 11, 2021

The global COVID-19 pandemic has revealed more clearly the huge health and health-care disparities between groups that are closely linked with social, economic and/or environmental disadvantage. Disparities occur across many dimensions, including race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, location, gender, disability status, and sexual orientation—what are termed social determinants of health. Many disparities in health are rooted in inequities in the opportunities and resources needed to be as healthy as possible.

The term health equity is used widely by professionals to talk about how to eliminate such disparities, but there is no common understanding of what it means. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care.”

This program will explore how the concept of health equity can help us to understand how to create a society that supports health for all people, and in so doing transforms the health of our nation.

MLF ORGANIZER

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Anand Shah

M.D., M.S., Vice President of Social Health, Kaiser Permanente

Noha Aboelata

M.D., Founder and CEO, Roots Community Health Center

Cyrell Roberson

M.A., Ph.D. Candidate in School Psychology, University of California, Berkeley; Founder, Jubily, Inc.

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

Ph.D., Chair, Health and Medicine Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California; President and CEO, Health Innovation for People, Inc.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Clint Smith with Brittany Packnett Cunningham: Reckoning with Slavery's History Jun 11, 2021

Understanding the tragic issue of slavery and its ongoing historical impact on the country has been a critical part of America's recent reckoning on race. The Atlantic's Clint Smith has been one of the country's leading writers on this essential but complex topic for the past several years. In one of the most anticipated books of the year, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, Smith explores how slavery has been central in shaping our nation's collective history and ourselves.

In Smith's first work of nonfiction, the author takes readers through a national tour of monuments and landmarks—those that are honest about the past and those that are not. In this unique way, Smith explores the legacy of slavery and its vivid imprint on centuries of American history. He describes Confederate Army cemeteries, former plantations, modern-day prisons, and other historical sites, showing how our past continually connects with the present, and helping us understand how slavery is remembered and misremembered—and why it matters to all Americans today.

In this conversation, Smith will be joined by Brittany Packnett Cunningham, a young emerging leader at the intersection of culture, justice and policy. Brittany serves as an NBC News and MSNBC contributor and host of "Undistracted," an intersectional news and justice podcast. Brittany is the founder and principal of Love & Power Works, a full-service social impact and equity agency.

Please join us for this critically important conversation on history, memory and how it connects with the present.

SPEAKERS

Clint Smith

Staff Writer, The Atlantic; Author, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

Brittany Packnett Cunningham

Contributor, NBC News and MSNBC—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 3rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Colorado River Reckoning: Drought, Climate and Equal Access Jun 11, 2021

The Colorado River supplies water to more than 40 million people across seven states. Lake Mead has fallen to its lowest level since it was filled in the 1930s, which could trigger the first stage of real water cutbacks.

For years, “much of the discussion in the Colorado River Basin has been who gets the next drop,” says journalist Luke Runyon. “The conversation very recently has shifted to who has to use less.”

In the midst of long-term drought, warming temperatures and decreasing runoff, water managers are gearing up for the next round of negotiations to divvy up the Colorado River’s supply in the future. Tribal water users are hoping to have a bigger say in those basin-wide negotiations, and to finally correct an historic injustice by ensuring universal access to clean water for tribes.

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Dr. Jen Gunter with Samantha Bee: The Menopause Manifesto Play Jun 10, 2021

Dr. Jen Gunter, the outspoken and digitally savvy Bay Area doctor who has been called "the world's most famous gynecologist" returns to The Commonwealth Club for what should be a fun discussion on her new book, The Menopause Manifesto, with television comedian Samantha Bee.

Dr. Gunter, who has made waves with her fierce advocacy of women's health, saw great success with her previous book, The Vagina Bible. The Menopause Manifesto takes on stubborn myths and misunderstandings about menopause in Dr. Gunter's traditional fashion: hard facts, real science, fascinating historical perspective, expert advice, and strong doses of humor. As the book notes, the only thing predictable about menopause is its unpredictability. Factor in widespread misinformation, misogyny, a lack of research, and the culture of shame around women's bodies, and it's no wonder women are unsure what to expect during the menopause transition and beyond. Dr. Gunter believes women (and men) should be educated on what's to come with menopause years in advance of it happening rather than the current practice of leaving people on their own with bothersome symptoms and too much conflicting information.

Join us for what is sure to be a frank, funny, and unique discussion!

About the Speakers

Dr. Jen Gunter is an internationally bestselling author, obstetrician, and gynecologist with more than three decades of experience as a vulvar and vaginal diseases expert. Her New York Times and USA Today bestselling book, The Vagina Bible, has been translated into 19 languages, and The Guardian calls her "the world's most famous—and outspoken—gynecologist." The recipient of the 2020 NAMS Media Award from The North American Menopause Society, she is a columnist for The New York Times and the star of "Jensplaining," a CBC video series that highlights the impact of medical misinformation on women.

Samantha Bee is the host of the Emmy Award-winning "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee," the first late-night satire show hosted by a woman. Previously, she was the longest-serving correspondent on "The Daily Show," and she served as co-creator and executive producer of "The Detour." She is the author of the essay collection I Know I Am, But What Are You? and has been featured in Time 100: The Most Influential People. Recently, Bee and "Full Frontal" launched the successful #MailedIt campaign to help save the United States Postal Service and also launched a podcast titled "Full Release."

In association with INFORUM and Marin Conversations.

This program is part of our Marin Conversations series, spotlighting the thought-leadership of the North Bay, and is presented with support from Relevant Wealth Advisors.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Jen Gunter

M.D., OB/GYN and Pain Medicine Specialist; Author, The Menopause Manifesto; Twitter @DrJenGunter

Samantha Bee

Comedian; Host, "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee," TBS; Twitter @iamsambee

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 2nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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START Treaty Negotiator Rose Gottemoeller: How to Deal with Russia Jun 09, 2021

One of President Biden’s first acts in office was to extend the New START Treaty with Russia. Concluded in 2010, the treaty cut the strategic nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia in half. It was set to expire on February 5, 2021, and is now in force for another five years. That treaty—which is holding back a new nuclear arms race between the United States and Russia—was negotiated by Rose Gottemoeller, former U.S. under secretary of state and former deputy secretary general of NATO.

But now, what comes next—in arms control and in dealing with Russia? Fueled by petro-rubles, a stronger economy has enabled the Russians to fund a decade of investments in high-tech nuclear and conventional weapons, including cybermeasures targeting the internal information systems of the United States and other countries. How should the United States respond to those threats, and to possible new opportunities for cooperation with Russia? What dangers, and opportunities, are presented by flash-points like the recent Russian military presence on the Ukrainian border?

What was it like to negotiate a major nuclear arms control treaty with the Russians, to get Presidents Obama and Medvedev to agree to it, and then negotiate its ratification through the U.S. Senate, at one of the most deeply partisan times in American history? Importantly, how did Republicans and Democrats come together to ratify a treaty to safeguard the future of all Americans?

Please join our CEO, Dr. Gloria Duffy, for a conversation with Rose Gottemoeller, on the eve of the first summit meeting between Presidents Biden and Putin. Deputy Secretary General Gottemoeller and Dr. Duffy have worked together on a number of occasions, including on dismantling weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet countries during the Clinton administration.

SPEAKERS

Rose Gottemoeller

Distinguished Lecturer, Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute; Research Fellow, Hoover Institution; Former Deputy Secretary General, NATO; Former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control; Author, Negotiating the New START Treaty

In Conversation with Dr. Gloria Duffy

President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Clinton

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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What Do Otto Warburg, Nazis, Cancer and Diet Have in Common? Jun 08, 2021

The Nobel laureate Otto Warburg was widely regarded in his day as one of the most important biochemists of the 20th century. As a Jewish homosexual living openly with his male partner, Warburg represented all that the Third Reich abhorred. Yet Hitler and his top advisors dreaded cancer, and protected Warburg in the hope that he could cure it.

Apple demonstrates how Warburg's midcentury work may well hold the secret to why cancer became so common in the modern world and how we can reverse the trend.

A tale of scientific discovery, personal peril, and the race to end a disastrous disease, Ravenous would be the stuff of the most inventive fiction were it not, in fact, true.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patty James

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Sam Apple

Faculty Member, Johns Hopkins University; Writer; Author, Ravenous: Otto Warburg, The Nazis, and the Search for the Cancer-Diet Connection

Patty James

M.S., N.C. Nutritionist; Chef; Author—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Gary Kamiya, Kimberly Reyes and Daniel Handler: Reflections of San Francisco Jun 04, 2021

Over the last few decades, San Francisco has experienced radical changes with the influence of Silicon Valley, tech companies and more. Countless articles, blogs and even movies have tried to capture the complex nature of what San Francisco has become, a place millions of people have loved to call home, and yet are compelled to consider leaving.

In the new book The End of the Golden Gate, 25 acclaimed writers take on the eternal question: "Should I stay or should I go?" Subjects include: the tech-industry invasion and the evolution, gentrification, and radical cost of living that has transformed San Francisco's most beloved neighborhoods; the lasting imprint of the 1960s counterculture movement; and the fight to preserve the art, music and other creative movements that make San Francisco forever the city of love.

Come hear the compelling thoughts of three of the book's contributors: journalist and historian Gary Kamiya; poet, essayist and cultural critic Kimberly Reyes; and writer and musician Daniel Handler, also well known as Lemony Snicket.

A percentage of the book proceeds will be given to charities that help those in the bay experiencing homelessness.

SPEAKERS

Gary Kamiya

Journalist; Historian; Contributor, The End of the Golden Gate

Kimberly Reyes

Poet; Essayist; Cultural Critic; Contributor, The End of the Golden Gate

Daniel Handler

Writer; Musician; A.K.A. Lemony Snicket: Contributor, The End of the Golden Gate

In Conversation with Heather Knight

Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 27th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Heino Falcke: Black Holes, the Universe, and Us Jun 04, 2021

Join us for a virtual discussion, live-streamed direct from Berlin, Germany, with Heino Falcke, the German astrophysicist, about his research into the nature of black holes. His new book A Light in the Darkness is the story of how the first photographic evidence of black holes was achieved by Falcke in April 2019, and what its significance for humanity might be. Falcke wrestles with the ways in which black holes force us to confront the boundary where human life ends and the celestial begins. He also ponders why black holes are so difficult for most of us to understand, comparing that to our inability to envisage our own inevitable death.

Black holes develop when a massive star dies, and its matter is condensed. That extreme amount of mass contained in a small space generates a gigantic amount of gravitational force, allowing the black hole to suck up everything that comes near, including light. These astronomical wonders are the subject of intense scientific and philosophical theorizing—the journey to a black hole might even be a journey to the end of time itself. Which is why Falcke regards black holes as exquisite representations of fear, death—and, surprisingly, the divine.

Empirical and profound, Falcke examines both the physical nature and the spiritual meaning of black holes, which he calls “the epitome of merciless destruction.”

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Heino Falcke

Professor, Radio Astronomy and Astroparticle Physics, Radboud University Nijmegen; Winner, 2011 Spinoza Prize; Author, A Light in the Darkness: Black Holes, the Universe, and Us

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 27th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The History and Relevance of Ethnic Studies in a Diverse America Jun 04, 2021

In 1968, San Francisco made history when, as a result of the student strike at San Francisco State University, the country’s first ethnic studies department was born. Over the years, community advocates have continued to find inadequacies in educational programs for students, citing a lack of inclusion of instructional materials for the teaching of history and culture regarding diverse population demographics. They also believe the learning and understanding of diverse cultures will help foster understanding and mutual respect between and among people from different ethnic backgrounds.

Join us for an in-depth discussion with panelists who will discuss their personal stories about the origins of ethnic studies and their individual advocacy within the movement. Learn how and why they have devoted their efforts to advocate for the programs and hear their visions about how ethnic studies can shape our society’s future.

This is one of an occasional series sharing perspectives on the subject of ethnic studies.

NOTES

Presented in association with the APA Heritage Foundation.

This program is made free thanks to the generous support of Gilead Sciences, Inc..

SPEAKERS

Ana De Almeida Amaral

Student Activist, Stanford University; Advocate, National Equity Project

Artnelson Concordia

Educator; Coordinator, Santa Barbara Unified School District Ethnic Studies Program; Founding Teacher, San Francisco Unified School District Ethic Studies Program

Dr. Taunya Jaco

6th Grade ELA/Social Studies Teacher, San Jose; Board of Directors Member, National Education Association; Secretary, NEA Black Caucus; Chair, Civil Rights in Education Committee, California Teachers Association's State Council

Dr. Theresa Montaño

Teacher, CSUN; Former Board Director and President, National Council for Higher Education

Dr. Samia Shoman

Advocate, Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Coalition; Manager of English Learner and Adacemic Support Programs, San Mateo Union High School District; Co-Coordinator, Teach Palestine, Middle East Children Alliance

Iza McGawley

Student Activist, UC Santa Cruz; Co-Founder, Ethnic Studies Program, High Tech High

Dr. Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales

Professor, College of Ethnic Studies, San Francisco State University—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 29th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Niall Ferguson: The Politics of Catastrophe Jun 04, 2021

Disasters are inherently inevitable in life. We cannot predict the next earthquake, wildfire, financial crisis, war or pandemic, but we can predict how to handle each situation better. Unexpected calamities have happened all throughout human history, yet even in the 21st century we are ill-prepared to recover from them. In the new book Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe, popular historian Niall Ferguson explores the reasoning behind this phenomena and offers solutions on how to handle unforeseen circumstances of mass misfortune.

Ferguson has spent his academic career lecturing on the international, financial, and economic history of British and American imperialism. In his new book, Ferguson uses centuries of knowledge to understand the complex pathologies at work that make societies fail in the face of disaster. He offers the lesson he says the West urgently needs to learn if we want to handle the next crisis better and avoid the ultimate doom of irreversible decline.

Join us as Niall Ferguson offers an explanation of disaster response and strategies to make us better at handling the next catastrophe we will inevitably face.

SPEAKERS

Niall Ferguson

Milbank Family Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Author, Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe; Twitter @nfergus

In Conversation with Maya Jasanoff

Coolidge Professor of History, Harvard University

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on June 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Finding the Heart to Talk About Climate Jun 04, 2021

Ever have a difficult conversation about climate? Pretty much everyone has. Knowing all the facts and figures only goes so far when talking to someone who just doesn’t agree. So how do we break through the barriers? Scientists trained to present information in a one-way lecture format face a particular challenge: they first need to unlearn old habits.

“Everybody's trying to figure out ‘how do we move past this idea that just arming people with facts will lead to a better world,’ right, because we’ve just seen that that’s absolutely not true,” says Faith Kearns, author of Getting to the Heart of Science Communication.

Kearns argues that we all need to move from an “information deficit” model of communication – where it’s assumed that the audience simply needs more information – to a relational model, where the science communicator does as much listening as talking in order to first find empathy and common ground.

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Asian Americans: Learning from the Past to Change the Future Jun 03, 2021

As attacks on Asian Americans repeatedly make the news, there is also a bigger story to tell: What the challenges of the future are, and how Asian Americans will help America be more competitive in this brave new world.

Join this insightful discussion with prominent Asian American leaders not only about the history of Asian Americans in the United States, but about what Asian Americans are contributing today, and what all Americans should think about doing as we fight together against modern stereotypes and broken systems, and face current and future challenges.

In association with The Committee of 100, Northern California.

SPEAKERS

Daniel Chao

Ph.D., Board Chair, 1990 Institute; Member, Committee of 100; Former Senior Vice President, TerraPower, LLC; Former Chairman, Bechtel, China

Dennis Wu

Chair, Asia Pacific Islander American Public Affairs, San Francisco; Managing Partner, WuHoover & Co., CPA Advisory Firm; Retired Partner, Deloitte; Past Chair, Commonwealth Club's Board of Governors

In Conversation with Evelyn Dilsaver

Chair, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Black, API and Trans Solidarity Roundtable Jun 03, 2021

In 2021, as we begin to emerge from the global COVID-19 pandemic, the country continues to grapple with well-publicized incidents of police violence against Black Americans, a wave of anti-API discrimination and violence, and spreading political and other attacks on the transgender, gender nonconforming and intersex communities.

In response to these harrowing realities, The Commonwealth Club and The Transgender District of San Francisco bring together a roundtable of thought leaders from across the nation to speak openly about their unique experiences regarding race and gender identity, in hopes that this summit can provide context, connection and solidarity between three communities that are far too often pitted against each other.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Andy Marra

Korean American Trans Woman Activist; Executive Director, Transgender Legal Defense Fund

Oluchi Omeoga

Transmasculine Advocate and Co-Director of BLMP (Black LGBT Migrants Project)

Diamond Stylz

Transgender Activist; Host, "Marsha's Plate" Podcast; Executive Director, Black Trans Women Inc. (Houston, Texas)

Juniper Yun

Korean-American Artist; Program Associate, The Transgender District

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Brad Stone: How Jeff Bezos Built the Amazon Empire Jun 02, 2021

Bloomberg's Brad Stone is one of the country's leading experts on the global commerce company Amazon. His bestselling book from a decade ago, The Everything Store, gave one of the most detailed pictures of Amazon’s unprecedented growth and its billionaire founder, Jeff Bezos. His coverage in Bloomberg Businessweek has helped shaped our understanding of the internet giant.

Since Stone's first book on Amazon was published, the company has expanded to become the most valuable internet company and one of the globe's largest retailers. Its workforce has quintupled in size and its valuation has soared to well over $1 trillion dollars. The company's holdings also include Whole Foods, Prime Video, and Amazon’s cloud computing unit, AWS, which powers many of the country's largest websites. Throughout the pandemic, Amazon became a lifeline for many people and small businesses around the world for home supplies, cleaning products and PPE. Bezos also has a personal ownership of The Washington Post, expanding the Amazon owner's impact.

In Stone's new book, Amazon Unbound, the author presents another deeply reported narrative of how a retail upstart became one of the most powerful and feared entities in the global economy. Stone also looks at the evolution of Bezos himself from a geeky start-up guy to leading one of the globe's most influential companies.

Please join us for this important event to better understand one of the private sector giants that is shaping modern life, and the company's enigmatic leader who is shaping that vision.

SPEAKERS

Brad Stone

Senior Executive Editor, Global Technology, Bloomberg News; Author, Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire

In Conversation with Sarah Frier

Technology Reporter, Bloomberg; Author, No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jane Harman: Confronting Our National Security Problems Jun 02, 2021

Former congresswoman Jane Harman says America has used the same tactics to solve defense and intelligence issues since the end of the Cold War. She says many of these strategies haven't worked and that the United States has become too self-satisfied as the lone superpower of global politics. Harman further says that many nations no longer defer to America as they once did. In her new book Insanity Defense, Harman chronicles how the United States has failed to confront some of the toughest national security policy issues and discusses what that bodes for our national security.

Harman has gained the expertise to discuss security and public policy issues. During her nine terms in Congress, she served on all major security committees, including six years on Armed Services and eight years on Intelligence. She is currently a distinguished fellow and president emerita of the Wilson Center, the nation’s key nonpartisan policy forum for independent research to tackle global issues. Through her work, Harman says she witnessed the unravelling of American politics in her various roles as legislator, exhorter, enabler, dissident and, eventually, outside advisor and commentator.

Hear Jane Harman's unabashed thoughts on achievable solutions to bring us to a safer future.

SPEAKERS

Jane Harman

Distinguished Fellow and President Emerita, Wilson Center; Author, Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security Problems Makes Us Less Safe

Melissa Caen

Moderator -Political and legal analyst for CBS San Francisco KPIX

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Stanford's Robert Pearl: The Toxic Culture of Medicine Jun 02, 2021

The COVID-19 global pandemic has shined a bright light on our medical system unlike perhaps any other time in this country's history. For more than a year now, we have seen how the daily work of making important, even life-and-death decisions is frequently made harder by factors and variables outside the control of an individual doctor and patient. Meanwhile, even before the pandemic, hospitals and medical offices faced tremendous budget problems, and big pharmaceutical and insurance companies continued to shape the delivery of medical care in all corners of the country; the pandemic only exacerbated these trends.

In a new book, Uncaring, Dr. Robert Pearl—former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group and a Stanford professor—shows how all these stresses have led to a toxic culture in medicine, particularly for physicians. He says doctors resist change, leading to important clerical mistakes. They don't offer equal treatment to all patients. Their competitive work ethic leads to burnout and bad decisions. All these mistakes, he warns, can be and frequently are matters of life and death.

As we emerge from the pandemic and engage in a public debate about the appropriate role of government, technology, big pharmaceutical and insurance companies in our health-care system, Pearl believes we have paid little attention to what it actually feels like to be a doctor. If we want to improve medical outcomes for doctors and patients alike, Pearl believes we need to start seeing health-care professionals as the real and flawed human beings they actually are, and real issues they face every day in their professional lives.

We look forward to welcoming Dr. Pearl back to The Commonwealth Club for an important conversation on how we can have a safer and healthier health-care system.

Moderator Julie Kliger is the digital health transformation leader of the Health Solutions practice at FTI Consulting. She has expertise working with health-care delivery systems, platform-telehealth and bio/med-tech companies to design, optimize and implement new approaches to care delivery, with the goal of improving quality, value and experience of care. Kliger currently serves as a member of the board of directors for a $3 billion health system and chairs the Enterprise-Wide Committee on Quality, Safety and Patient Experience, and is vice chair of the Executive Compensation Committee. The views expressed by the moderator are not necessarily the views of FTI Consulting, Inc., its management, its subsidiaries, its affiliates or its other professionals.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Robert Pearl

M.D., Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine; Author, Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors and Patients

Julie Kliger

MPA, BSN, Senior Managing Director, Health Solutions, FTI Consulting—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Building an Inclusive Recovery Across the Bay Area Jun 01, 2021

In the Bay Area, as elsewhere, the coronavirus and its economic fallout have hit hardest the very same people who were on the economic margins before the pandemic, including Black, Latinx, low-wage workers, and immigrant communities (especially undocumented workers). For our region to recover, and thrive, racial equity must be at the forefront of our recovery efforts.

In this program, San Francisco Foundation CEO Fred Blackwell will lead a conversation on the central role that racial equity must play in the Bay Area's recovery from COVID-19 for our region to recover and thrive. We'll review key data findings from the Bay Area Equity Atlas on how COVID-19 has impacted different racial and ethnic communities in our region, presented by Senior Associate Jamila Henderson of PolicyLink. Experts and advocates Chris Iglesias of Unity Council and Tomiquia Moss of All Home will help us make meaning of the data and share their perspectives on what is needed to ensure an equitable recovery for all people in the Bay Area, regardless of their race or where they live.

NOTES

This program is made possible by San Francisco Foundation's Bay Area Leads donors.

SPEAKERS

Jamila Henderson

Senior Associate, PolicyLink

Chris Iglesias

CEO, The Unity Council

Tomiquia Moss

Founder and CEO, All Home

Fred Blackwell

CEO, The San Francisco Foundation—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 18th th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Powerful Civics Education: It's Everyone's Responsibility Jun 01, 2021

Over the past several years, questions about the stability of America's democratic system have been raised by experts in many fields, from across the political spectrum. After years of polarization, the United States has become highly divided, and there is a widespread loss of confidence in our very form of government and civic order. A movement for a renewed focus on civics and history education has arisen to address these concerns.

Earlier this year, with the launch of the Educating for American Democracy (EAD) initiative, the country has its first significant comprehensive roadmap that states, local school districts, educators and organizations such as the Club can use to transform the teaching of history and civics to meet the needs of America in the 21st century. One of EAD's most significant features is that it recognizes that powerful and effective civics education is everyone's responsibility, not just civics and social studies teachers, and not just schools themselves. It asserts that we need all sectors of society working to together to educate students about American civics and history.

This program will speak with several leaders who specifically do not represent traditional social studies, civics or American history teachers about why they believe it is their responsibility to be part of the comprehensive civics education solution. Each has played a role in the development of the important EAD effort. We'll hear from the head of the organization that represents English teachers, the head of an organization that represents all rural schools, and a civics education specialist at a presidential library.

This program will also help the Club commemorate the one-year anniversary of the launch of its own civics education effort. In response to the same concerns that drove the development of EAD, The Commonwealth Club recognized that it, as a major civic forum, could play a more significant role in having a citizenry and electorate better appreciate the U.S. form of government and its civic ideals. Our timing could not have been better, as 2020 served as a siren call for the need for improved civics education. The Club launched its civics education efforts on May 11, 2020, when we thought the global pandemic would be the biggest challenge facing our country. Then, after the killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, the country faced massive social protests focused on policing and America's long history of racial discrimination. The year ended with a disputed presidential election that culminated in a violent storming of the U.S. Capitol on the day Congress convened to certify the presidential vote. (The Club hosted a program on American history education that ended just as the crowd broke into the U.S. Capitol). We then reflected on the siege of the U.S. Capitol and its implications for civics education in a program days after the presidential inauguration.

As the Club commemorates the first anniversary of its civics education efforts, please join us in an important conversation that urges all of us to be part of addressing America's civics crisis.

SPEAKERS

Allen Pratt

Ed.D., Executive Director, National Rural Education Association

Emily Kirkpatrick

Executive Director, National Council of Teachers of English

Janet Tran

Director of The Center for Civics, Education, and Opportunity; Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute

Emma Humphries

Chief Education Officer, iCivics—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Anti-Asian Hate: What You Need to Know Jun 01, 2021

The stories are horrifying and heart-breaking. An 84-year-old Thai immigrant in San Francisco died after being violently shoved to the ground during his morning walk. In Oakland, a 91-year-old senior was shoved to the pavement from behind. An 89-year-old Chinese woman was slapped and set on fire by two people in Brooklyn, New York. A stranger on the New York subway slashed a 61-year-old Filipino American passenger's face with a box cutter. The only Asian American lawmaker in the Kansas legislature says he was physically threatened in a bar by a patron who accused him of carrying the coronavirus.

The advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate says it has received more than 2,800 nationwide reports of hate incidents directed at Asian Americans since the pandemic began. More than 6 million Asian Americans live in California, by far the most in any U.S. state. Of those reports, 1,226 incidents took place in California, and 708 in the Bay Area alone. The majority of incidents in the Bay Area—292—took place in San Francisco, followed by San Jose (58) and Oakland (55). Last week, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly (94 to 1) approved bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening federal efforts to address hate crimes directed at Asian Americans.

What should all of us know about these hate crimes and the steps we each can take to prevent them? Join KQED's Mina Kim; David Mineta, noted mental health advocate and son of former congressman and Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta (who was in a Japanese-American internment camp during World War II); business leader Anna Mok; Muhammed Chaudhry, president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Silicon Valley; and moderator Michelle Meow for a compelling discussion of next steps, based on their personal and professional perspectives.

Muhammed Chaudhry

Managing Partner, MAC Capital Partners; President, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Silicon Valley

Mina Kim

Host, "Forum," KQED

David Mineta

President and CEO, Momentum for Mental Health

Anna Mok

President and Co-Founder, Ascend; Partner, Deloitte and Touche, LLP; Board Member and Former Board Chair, The Commonwealth Club of California

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 19th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Deadly Legacy: The Vietnam War's Unexploded Ordnances Jun 01, 2021

Join us for an exploration of a side of the Vietnam War that is little known in the United States. Learn about the unexploded ordnances left behind after the United States withdrew from the war, and hear about the "Secret War" in which people from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam fought alongside American troops.

Meet the Speakers

Sera Koulabdara serves as executive director of Legacies of War, the only international educational and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Legacies of War is working to address the impact of conflict in Laos during the Vietnam War-era, including removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and survivor assistance. Prior to this role, Sera was a long-time volunteer and served on Legacies’ board for four years in multiple leadership positions, including vice chair. Under Sera’s leadership, U.S. funding for UXO clearance in Laos reached $40 million for 2021—the highest level in history—and the Legacies of War Recognition and UXO Removal Act was introduced by Senator Tammy Baldwin. If approved, this historic bill will recognize the people of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam who fought alongside American troops during the Vietnam War and authorizes landmark funding of $100 million for five years divided among the three countries of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Khao Insixiengmay is a former Royal Lao Army Colonel who received military training in Laos, France and in the United States. He was recruited by the CIA and fought in Military Region 3 for six years, and fought all over Laos.

David Phommavong is a father, husband and son of a Secret War veteran, the late Keosond Phommavong of SGU Scorpion Unit. He is the co founder of Laotian American National Voice (LAN-V), co-chair of LAN-V Secret War Veteran’s Benefit, and Lao Global Heritage Alliance Board of Director. Phommavong is an advocate and a community activist. He and his wife have a private charity, Nourish Lao Children, through which they provide financial and educational support to impoverished children in Lao PDR.

Thomas Leo Briggs is retired from the U.S. federal government after 32 years of service. He spent three years in the U.S. Army with one year in Vietnam as a military police platoon leader, three years in the Drug Enforcement Administration as a special agent, and 26 years in the CIA as an operations officer. He entered duty with the CIA in 1969. His first assignment was as a special operations case officer in Laos from 1970 to 1972. During that assignment, he directed all small team special operations in Military Region IV in southern Laos. He published a book in 2009, Cash on Delivery: CIA Special Operations During the Secret War in Laos, which describes his experiences fighting the Secret War in cooperation with the Royal Lao Government against the North Vietnamese Army invaders of the Kingdom of Laos.

SPEAKERS

Sera Koulabdara

Executive Director, Legacies of War

Khao Insixiengmay

Former Royal Lao Army Colonel

David Phommavong

Co-Founder, Laotian American National Voice (LAN-V); Co-Chair, LAN-V Secret War Veteran's Benefit; Member, Lao Global Heritage Alliance Board of Directors

Thomas Leo Briggs

Former Operations Officer, CIA; Former Special Agent, Drug Enforcement Administration; Former Military Police Platoon Leader, U.S. Army

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, The Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 20th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Celebrate Lao/Thai/Cambodian New Year 2021 May 31, 2021

We'll begin our program sharing war stories from Lao veterans who fought in the secret war. We'll also discuss AB1393, an effort to include Lao history and cultural studies in CA's K-12 curriculum, starting a fish sauce business, and "nung pee"—Lao horror films with the only female film director in Laos.

The evening will end with a special performance by Lookthung/Morlam Esan singer Tookta.

Meet the Speakers

Lao Secret War Veterans:

David Phommavong is a father, husband and the son of a Secret War veteran, the late Keoson Phommavong of SGU Scorpion Unit. Co Founder of Laotian American National Voice (LAN-V), Co Chair of LAN-V Secret War Veteran’s Benefit, and Lao Global Heritage Alliance Board of Director. David is an advocate and a community activist. David and his wife have a private charity Nourish Lao Children where they provide financial / educational support to impoverished children in Lao PDR.

Chantho Vorasarn, former Royal LAO Armed Forces Major (1972), 11 year POW (1975-1986) after US pull out from VN and communist took over Laos. Fled to to Thailand in 1986 and resettled in the USA in August 1987 (St.Petersburg, FL). Retired High School Teacher in 2013 and presently residing in Pinellas Park Florida as Chairman of the Board of Director of the LAO Arts and Cultural Foundation of Florida, Inc. and Associate Director of the United Royal LAO Armed Forces & Special Guerrillas Units Veterans, Inc. (URLAF&SGU). Vice Chair of Laotian American National Voice, Secret War Veteran’s Benefits Subcommittee.

Medd Rattana married two children, three grand children. Residence,Dallas Texas. Retired from Insurance & Financial services. Graduated, Saint-Cyr (French Military Academy). Ex Royal Lao Army Major. Infantry battalion and GM(brigade) commander. Liaison Officer @ US Allied Officer’s Training School. Graduate: Us Army Airborne-Ranger Course. Advanced Artillery’s Officers School. Current Chairman,BD Lao American Senior Mutual Assistance,Inc. Past chairman BD Wat Lao Siri Buddhavas of Dallas. Vice Chair of Laotian American National Voice, Secret War Veteran’s Benefits Subcommittee.

Khambang Sibounheaung joined the Royal Army in 1960. In 1961 he was recruited into the Secret War, where he was wounded twice, captured and spent 8 months in hard prison 1964. He immigrated to USA in December 1975, where he spent 4 years teaching World Cultural, worked 15 Years worked for Metro Government in Nashville as Court Officer, spent 11 Years With Tennessee Military Department as LTC TNSG As a Battalions Commander, and 5 years with NUSC as Major General. He was promoted to Lieutenant General in 2013 By Admiral Carlos Martinez. He is a member of the RLA Committees since 2006.

Additional Speakers

Alex Sirivath - Founder & CEO of Sirivath Corporation (Ninja Foods)

Bobbie Oudinarath - Founding member and the Communications Director for Lao Advocacy Organization of San Diego (LAOSD)

Tookta - Musician

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Promising Immunotherapies for Cancer: From the Blacklist to the Nobel Prize May 28, 2021

Dr. Ralph Moss details the origin of cancer immunotherapy and how it disappeared for almost 100 years. Recently, it has been rediscovered and has become one of the most widely used cancer treatments. Inducing fever with compounds of killed viruses, immunotherapy triggers the human immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells. Immunotherapy generally provides a higher quality of life during treatment, while being less harmful than most conventional cancer treatments available today.

Ralph Moss, Ph.D., has been writing about alternative and complementary cancer treatments since the 1970s. At the National Institutes of Health, he co-founded what became the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. He has produced 4 films, 12 books, a podcast, and 38 diagnosis-based "Moss Reports" for cancer.

MLF ORGANIZER

Adrea Brier

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Ralph Moss

Ph.D., Co-founder, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health; Author; Filmmaker

Adrea Brier

CHNP, CLC, Vice Chair, Health and Medicine Member-Led Forum; International Integrative Epigenetic Cancer Consultant and Life Coach—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Carol Leonnig: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service May 28, 2021

One of the final things Abraham Lincoln did on the day of his death was approve legislation that created what would become the Secret Service. Originally created to suppress counterfeit currency, the Secret Service has since become the primary agency to protect prominent politicians and their families. Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, the Secret Service was whipped into shape. The agency transformed into a proud, elite unit that would redeem themselves again two decades later by successfully thwarting an assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan.

Now, in the 21st century, the Secret Service is better defined by its failure to avert break-ins at the White House, armed gunmen firing at government buildings, a massive prostitution scandal in Cartagena, and many other instances of negligence. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carol Leonnig has been covering the Secret Service since 2000, and her new book, Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service, exposes the triumphs and failures of the Secret Service, documenting a broken agency in desperate need of reform. Through interviews with whistleblowers, current agents and former agents, Leonnig reveals what she says is the Secret Service’s toxic work culture, outdated training techniques and deep resentment among the ranks with the agency's leadership.

Join us as Carol Leonnig unmasks the rise and fall of the Secret Service, and puts out a much-needed call for the agency’s improvement and action.

SPEAKERS

Carol Leonnig

Investigative Reporter, The Washington Post; Author, Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service

In Conversation with Marisa Lagos

Correspondent for California Politics and Government, KQED; Twitter @mlagos

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 20th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Should Nature Have Rights? May 28, 2021

If corporations can be legal persons, why can’t Mother Earth?

In 2017, New Zealand granted the Whanganui River the full legal rights of a person. India also recently granted full legal rights to the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, and recognized that the Himalayan Glaciers have a right to exist. In 2019, the city of Toledo passed the Lake Erie Bill of Rights with 61 percent of the vote, but then a year later, a federal judge struck it down.

As Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, an attorney who represented Lake Erie, explains, the problem stems from a 500-year history of Western property law. Our legal system grants rights to property owners, but not to property itself.

“If we’re treating ecosystems as property, then ultimately, we as property owners have the right to destroy our property and that fundamentally has to change,” Schromen-Wawrin says.

Rebecca Tsosie, a law professor focused on Federal Indian law and Indigenous peoples’ human rights, says there are other rights frameworks to consider. “If we go into Indigenous epistemology, many times it’s a relational universe that comes with mutual responsibility.”

Guests:

Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, attorney at Shearwater Law, Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund

Rebecca Tsosie, Regents Professor of Law at the University of Arizona, Indigenous Peoples’ Law and Policy Program

Carol Van Strum, author of A Bitter Fog, activist

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Framers: Human Advantage in an Age of Technology and Turmoil Play May 27, 2021

Join us for a virtual discussion with the three co-authors of Framers, which focuses on the essential tool that can enable humanity to find its way through the challenges of pandemics, populism, AI, ISIS, wealth inequity, climate change, and other worldwide problems that threaten our current civilizations. To frame is to make a mental model that enables us to see patterns, predict how things will unfold, and make sense of new situations. Frames guide the decisions we make and the results we obtain. Science has long focused on traits like memory and reasoning, but has often ignored framing. But with computers becoming better and better at those cognitive tasks, framing stands out as a critical function—and one only humans can do.

Illustrating their case with compelling examples and the latest research, Cukier, Mayer-Schönberger and de Véricourt examine: why advice to “think outside the box” is useless; why the Wright brothers, with no formal physics training, were the first to fly; what enabled the 1976 Israeli hostage rescue at Entebbe to succeed; and how the #MeToo twitter hashtag reframed the perception of sexual assault. They also show why framing Covid-19 as equivalent to a seasonal flu failed, and how modeling it on SARS succeeded in New Zealand. Framers shows how framing is not just a way to improve how we make decisions in an era of algorithms, but is also an ever more crucial tool in a time of societal upheaval and machine prosperity.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Kenneth Cukier

Journalist, The Economist; Host, "Babbage" Tech Podcast; Co-Author, Framers

Viktor Mayer-Schönberger

Professor, Internet Governance and Regulation, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford; Member, Digital Council, Tech Advisors to German Government; Co-Author, Framers

Francis de Véricourt

Professor, Management Science, and Director, Center for Decisions, Models and Data, ESMT Berlin; Co-Author, Framers

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 20th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Michael Smith: The East Bay Sanctuary Covenant May 26, 2021

The East Bay Sanctuary was organized in 1982 to assist refugees fleeing the terrible violence in the Northern Triangle of Central America. While refugees from El Salvador and Honduras were fleeing, mainly political persecution, the vast majority of Guatemalan refugees were Maya, fleeing persecution on account of their race. More than 200,000 Maya fled into Mexico at the height of the violence, and many eventually made their way to the United States, crossing the southern border without papers. Currently there are around 5,000 Mam Maya living in the East Bay, and thousands more working in the fields of the Central Valley of California, the forests in Washington, the meat packing plants in Iowa and Nebraska, the blueberry fields in Michigan, and the fields in many states in the Deep South.

Through the years the sanctuary has assisted thousands of indigenous Guatemalans and currently has 5 attorneys and 9 paralegals on staff, as well as numerous volunteer attorneys, law students and undergrads. This summer, sanctuary is predicted to win its 4,000th asylum case.

Michael Smith is the director of the Refugee Rights Program at the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant in Berkeley, CA. His background is in anthropology and archaeology, and he worked for many years on a project in Nicaragua for the National Museum. In 1984, he began work at East Bay Sanctuary and has been at sanctuary ever since. He has received awards from Helen Bamber and the Dalai Lama for his work in refugees and from Berkeley Law for his work with law students.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patrick O'Reilly

SPEAKERS

Michael Smith

Director, Refugee Rights Program, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 19th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Healthy Society Series: The Science of Wellness—and You May 25, 2021

Many critics and patients agree: The American health-care system is broken. They say the quality is poor, the cost is high and the system has a dominant disease-care orientation. "I would like to tell you that 21st century medicine should be about wellness and how we can get there," says Dr. Leroy Hood. "I have a vision of a data-driven health-care system where we can follow the health trajectory of each individual throughout their lifetime to optimize their wellness and healthy aging, while avoiding transitions to chronic diseases.

Leroy Hood, M.D., Ph.D., is a recipient of the National Medal of Science, co-founder of the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), and senior vice president and and chief science officer at Providence St. Joseph Health. Dr. Hood has played a role in founding 15 biotech companies, including Amgen, Applied Biosystems, Arrivale and Nanostring. In addition to having received 18 honorary degrees from prestigious universities in the United States and abroad, Dr. Hood has published more than 850 peer-reviewed articles and currently holds 36 patents.

Join us for a conversation about what you can do to begin practicing a new vision of 21st century medicine with a wellness orientation.

MLF ORGANIZER: Robert Lee Kilpatrick

SPEAKERS

Leroy Hood

M.D., Ph.D., Co-Founder, Institute for Systems Biology; Senior Vice President and and Chief Science Officer, Providence St. Joseph Health

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

Ph.D., Chair, Health and Medicine Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 19th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Lara Bazelon with Piper Kerman: A Good Mother May 25, 2021

Two new mothers, a murder, and a question about crime: in her new thrilling debut novel A Good Mother, law professor Lara Bazelon examines the intricacies of motherhood, the legal system, and moral obligation. As a writer, attorney and mother herself, Lara Bazelon writes about crime, love, work and family with a voice that wonders what is right and fair for all.

When a soldier is found dead at a U.S. Army base, there is no doubt that his wife, Luz, is to blame. But was it an act of self-defense? An attempt to save her infant daughter? Or the cold-blooded murder of an innocent man? Public defender and new mother Abby strives to keep Luz out of prison, sympathizing with the struggles of parenthood. When new evidence emerges and the trial turns toward an outcome no one expects, Abby and Luz must answer the riveting question: What does it mean to be a good mother?

Join us as Lara Bazelon illustrates the answers to motherhood through a discussion of A Good Mother. She'll be joined in conversation by Piper Kerman, author of the hit bestseller Orange Is the New Black. Kerman's book served as the source material for the eponymous hit Netflix series.

NOTES

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Lara Bazelon

Professor of Law and Director of Criminal Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinical Programs, University of San Francisco; Author, A Good Mother: A Novel

In Conversation with Piper Kerman

Author, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Commonwealth Club Week in Review for May 21, 2021 May 23, 2021

John Judis: The Politics of Our Time May 21, 2021

Distinguished political analyst John Judis returns to The Commonwealth Club for a timely discussion on the major political issues that have shaped America's tumultuous last decade and can be seen around the world.

Over the past five years, Judis has written three books—The Populist Explosion in 2016, The Nationalist Revival in 2018, and The Socialist Awakening in 2020—that have charted the rise of unexpected political movements in the United States and Europe that have grown in impact in the wake of the Great Recession, the conflict with al-Qaeda and ISIS, and encroaching climate change. These three books have all been updated and combined into a new volume that expands Judis's focus to include the Trump presidency and the response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. This new book, The Politics of Our Times, is an important guide to understanding the significant currents and emotions that have transformed the world and influenced political parties and politicians on both the Right and Left.

As the United States and Europe look to emerge from the global pandemic, understanding the major political trends that help guide our civic discussion are critical. Please join us for this important conversation.

SPEAKERS

John Judis

Editor-at-Large, Talking Points Memo; Author, The Politics of Our Time

George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Music: Comfort and Joy May 21, 2021

Scott Foglesong says this program will be coverage of a potpourri (talk and music) of "pieces that have a particular gift of providing comfort and making us happy. Of course that’s quite subjective, and I’ll be selecting stuff that makes me happy. But my tastes aren’t particularly esoteric, and with any luck there will be something in here for everybody. What can make a piece of music a source of comfort? And maybe a bit about what doesn’t do that as a rule."

Foglesong is a pianist, musician, teacher, writer, cat-lover, music history devotée, occasional computer geek and sometime programmer. He is the chair of the Department of Musicianship and Music Theory at San Francisco Conservatory of Music; a member of the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, and The Fromm Institute of the University of San Francisco; a contributing writer and lecturer at the San Francisco Symphony. Professor Foglesong was formally educated at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and the San Francisco Conservatory, but he says his "informal education continues everywhere, without cease."

NOTES

MLF: Arts

SPEAKERS

Scott Foglesong

Chair, Department of Musicianship and Music Theory, San Francisco Conservatory of Music; Faculty, UC Berkeley, The Fromm Institute, USF; Contributing Writer and Lecturer, San Francisco Symphony

Carol Fleming

Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Chair, Commonwealth Club Member-Led Forums

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Hot Cities, Methane Leakers and the Catholic Church May 21, 2021

Mapping has emerged as a powerful tool for helping humans combat climate disruption. Technology for measuring the totality of global carbon emissions, for example, is highly refined: we know that half of all the carbon pollution humans have dumped into the sky has happened in just the last three decades. But understanding the specific sources of those emissions at the scale of factories or communities has been more elusive.

Riley Duren, CEO of Carbon Mapper, has said, “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.” Carbon Mapper, a public-private partnership that includes universities and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and is backed by philanthropists, uses satellites to pinpoint super emitters of both CO2 and methane in real time with the goal of reducing emissions.

But this isn’t the only technology that may point the way toward a better understanding of climate threats and potential solutions. The Catholic Church, for example, holds vast tracts of land across the globe. But until Molly Burhans came on the scene, the Vatican had no real understanding of what they own. Burhans founded her nonprofit mapping organization Goodlands to provide the Church with the tools to use their landholdings to address issues ranging from erosion and biodiversity loss to climate migration.

On the local level, Ariane Middel’s research uses a human-sized mobile weather station to look at variations in actual heat on the ground, chronicling how small differences in landscape and urban design can add up to major differences in heat impacts experienced by those who live and work in various built environments.

Guests:

Molly Burhans, Founder / Executive Director, GoodLands

Riley Duren, CEO, Carbon Mapper

Ariane Middel, Senior Sustainability Scientist, Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation

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Gerston, Saunders and Schnur: The Week to Week Political Roundtable May 21, 2021

After the rollercoaster eyes-glued-to-Twitter ride of the Trump years, the nation is now in the Biden-Harris era. Joe Biden came to office promising a return to normalcy as he tackled the country's problems, even as he offered up something in dramatic contrast to his predecessor: He would make policy while being boring.

Has he delivered? Is it an improvement, or does the job of the presidency require a bigger-than-normal personality?

Join us for a five-month check-in on the Biden presidency, as well as a look at other big political issues, such as the reopening of cities and states from the pandemic, the recall effort against Governor Gavin Newsom, and more.

SPEAKERS

Larry Gerston

Ph.D., Political Analyst, NBC Bay Area; Professor Emeritus of Political Science, San Jose State University; Twitter @lgerston

Debra J. Saunders

Fellow, Discovery Institute; Weekly Columnist, Distributed by Creators Syndicate; Twitter @debrajsaunders

Dan Schnur

Professor, University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Communications; Professor, University of California Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies; Host, "Politics in the Time of Coronavirus" Webinar; Twitter @danschnur

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 19th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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U.S. Native History and Building Relationships for Effective Climate Work May 20, 2021

In a special program co-presented with the Climate Reality Project Bay Area Chapter, join us for an up-close and personal talk with Jim Warne of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Nation about the history of Native Americans and the work of building relationships with native communities to produce effective climate progress. The multitalented Warne is a motivational speaker, president of Warrior Society Development, WSD Productions; the community engagement & diversity director for the USD Center for Disabilities Oyata' Circle; and creator of the award-winning documentary "7th Generation" and the NFL Social Justice Series' "Oyate' un Ito'wapi–Pictures of My People," which was featured on Fox.

In Warne's own words:

"In talking to people from other countries, I have found that Asians and Europeans know more about our Indian history than Americans do. . . . In America, we get one narrow and uniform tribal perspective when there are over 550 tribes here that are recognized and 200 languages still today.

"It's important to have an understanding that some of the history that has been taught may not be correct, and in many cases it's not even addressed. . . . It's an ignorance by design, but how could we expect our non-Indian brothers to know when they're not being taught? If we taught the truth from the beginning we wouldn't be dealing with the ignorance and intolerance we're dealing with today."

NOTES

Co-presented by the Climate Reality Project Bay Area Chapter.

SPEAKERS

Jim Warne

President, Warrior Society Development, WSD Productions; Community Engagement & Diversity Director, USD Center for Disabilities, Oyata' Circle; Creator, "7th Generation" and "Oyate' un Ito'wapi–Pictures of My People"

Jill Sherman-Warne

Director, Native American Environmental Protection Coalition

Alma Soongi Beck

Climate Justice Co-Chair, Climate Reality Project Bay Area Chapter—Introduction

Sarah Diefendorf

Director, Environmental Finance Center West, Earth Island Institute—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Conversations with Distinguished Citizens: Honoring UCSF's Mental Health Innovations May 19, 2021

Join us for this special program in The Commonwealth Club's series recognizing recipients of The Club's Distinguished Citizen Award. Tonight's honorees are committed to the improvement of mental health in the Bay Area and the nation.

This program will particularly honor the work of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), for its innovation in mental health, and will salute UCSF Health Executive Council Member John Pritzker; Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department Chair Dr. Matthew State; Neurological Surgery Chair Dr. Edward Chang; and Dr. Lisa Fortuna, chief of psychiatry and vice-chair at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital/UCSF.

John Pritzker is chairman of the John Pritzker Family Fund and is well known for his commitment to mental health, serving on the Executive Council of UCSF Health and supporting The Commonwealth Club’s speaker series on mental health, dedicated in memory of his sister, Nancy Friend Pritzker. Mr. Pritzker is also a significant supporter of UCSF's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, in particular the department's research, faculty, clinical care and training.

He is passionate about reducing stigma, and to ensuring the availability and accessibility of mental health care. His charitable work on this issue has been aimed at supporting efforts to reduce mental health stigma at the individual, community and systems levels.

Come for this tribute to the renowned UCSF Medical Center and its groundbreaking work in advancing mental health for all.

SPEAKERS

John Pritzker

Chairman, John Pritzker Family Fund; Member, UCSF Health Executive Council

Matthew W. State

M.D., Ph.D., Oberndorf Family Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry; Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF; President, Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital and Clinics; Executive Director, UCSF Child, Teen and Family Center

Edward Chang

M.D., Joan and Sanford I. Weill Chair, Department of Neurological Surgery, Jeanne Robertson Distinguished Professor, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco

Lisa Fortuna

M.D., MPH, Chief of Psychiatry and Vice-Chair, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital/UCSF

Michael Krasny

Retired Host, KQED "Forum"—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 13th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Russell Poldrack: Why Our Brains Make Habits Stick May 19, 2021

Irregular sleep schedules, smoking cigarettes, skipping meals, procrastination: common bad habits and vices can seem nearly impossible to break. “Quick fixes” to ending unhealthy cycles are rarely backed by scientific evidence, making the process of retraining your brain more difficult and frustrating. Neuroscientist Russell Poldrack, however, conjectures that the brain is a habit-building machine, and to curb unwanted behaviors, we must use evidence-based strategies to build healthy habits. In his new book Hard to Break, Poldrack offers an explanation of how habits are built in the brain, why they are so hard to break, and how evidence-based strategies might help us curb bad behaviors.

Russell Poldrack is a professor of psychology at Stanford University whose research has focused on learning and memory, neuroinformatics and data sharing, and decision-making processes. He has gained recognition from the American Psychological Association and the Organization for Human Brain Mapping for his stellar research in the field. In his new book, Poldrack reveals how we can make the changes we desire, and why we should have greater empathy with ourselves and others who struggle to do so.

Join us as Russell Poldrack gives us scientific tools for curbing bad habits and living a healthier lifestyle

SPEAKERS

Dr. Russell Poldrack

Ph.D., Albert Ray Lang Professor of Psychology, Stanford University; Author, Hard to Break: Why Our Brains Make Habits Stick

In Conversation with Dr. Daniel Levitin

Founding Dean of Arts and Humanities, Minerva Schools at the Keck Graduate Institute; Author, Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 13th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne: Universities in the Post-COVID World May 19, 2021

Join us for a timely conversation with Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne on how the pandemic has catalyzed change in higher education and how universities can help define new ways of working together to solve our great challenges.

The pandemic has magnified our social and economic challenges. As we move into a post-COVID world, President Tessier-Lavigne believes that universities can further apply the foundational knowledge within their walls to make greater and more effective contributions beyond them. He contends that higher education can amplify its contributions across many fields, at the same time as universities champion fundamental research, increase access for students from all backgrounds, and reinforce the importance of a broad liberal education.

Pioneering neuroscientist, biotechnology entrepreneur and academic leader, Marc Tessier-Lavigne became Stanford University’s 11th president in 2016. At Stanford, he has championed a model for a purposeful university that accelerates the application of knowledge to tackle the world’s great problems, and anchors research and education in ethics and civic responsibility.

SPEAKERS

Marc Tessier-Lavigne

Ph.D., President, Stanford University

In Conversation with Mary Cranston

Retired Partner and Former Chair, Pillsbury Law Firm; Past Trustee, Stanford University; Past Chair, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 12th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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America's Rural Opportunity May 18, 2021

The economic opportunities available to citizens in rural America have become an issue of increasing national interest and focus. Since the 2016 presidential election, policymakers and politicians from across the political spectrum have tried to understand the unique economic and workforce needs of rural communities and workers at this critical time in American history.

Throughout the pandemic, many rural areas have seen an influx of urban residents in search of cheaper real estate and new ways of remote working. Recent federal legislation to address the economic fallout from the pandemic has also focused on directing new resources to rural areas. In short, there is, perhaps, a once-in--a-generation opportunity to address some of the gaps that exist between rural America and metropolitan areas. How will rural America seize this moment, and what do leaders and policymakers need to understand about rural America at this important time?

This discussion will focus on what policymakers, philanthropists and politicians must get right at this moment to aggressively implement innovative solutions to help build geographically inclusive growth that includes rural areas. This includes addressing key issues around high-speed internet access and other digital solutions, identifying emerging growth industries in rural areas, and training the workforce of tomorrow for these opportunities. We will hear directly from the head of a foundation committed to this work, the leader of a national nonprofit that has received major media attention for focusing on closing the rural opportunity gap, and a California congressman who, despite representing Silicon Valley in Washington, is dedicated to addressing rural economic issues.

Please join us for a critical conversation about how rural areas can grow innovation economies for the 21st Century.

SPEAKERS

Matt Dunne

Founder and Executive Director, Center on Rural Innovation

Katy Knight

President and Executive Director, Siegel Family Endowment

Ro Khanna

U.S. Representative (D-CA 17)

Ray Suarez

Co-host, “WorldAffairs” Radio Program and Podcast; Washington Reporter, Euronews

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Iran's Regional Dynamics in the Near East: A Piecemeal Approach May 17, 2021

Dr. Keynoush, who earned her Ph.D. from Tufts University, has conducted research in the Near East for 2 decades. She has contributed to the Commonwealth Club's Member-led Middle East Forum, as has Jonathan Curiel, today's moderator, a journalist and author. They will talk about about her latest book, Iran's Interregional Dynamics in the Near East, about how Iran was less successful in expanding regional influence than assumed, why opportunities to engage with Iran have been squandered, Pope Francis' recent visit to Iraq and his meeting with Iranian-born cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani,and the complex relations between Iran and other states in the Near East, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and others.

MLF ORGANIZER: Celia Menczel

SPEAKERS

Banafsheh Keynoush

Ph.D., International Law and Diplomacy; Author, Saudi Arabia and Iran: Friends or Foes

Jonathan Curiel

Journalist; Author—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Commonwealth Club Week in Review for May 14, 2021 May 16, 2021

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.

We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.

If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.

Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.

Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening!

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Economist Dambisa Moyo: Improving Corporate Accountability May 14, 2021

Corporations and their boards are under great pressure these days. Scandals and malpractice at companies like Theranos, WeWork, and Uber have raised questions among regulators, shareholders and the public about the quality of corporate governance. Renowned global economist and veteran board director Dambisa Moyo argues that corporations need boards that are more transparent, more knowledgeable, more diverse and more deeply involved in setting the strategic course of the companies they lead.

Come hear Dr. Moyo's insights on corporate ethics and necessary steps to insure that companies benefit employees, shareholders, and society at large.

SPEAKERS

Dambisa Moyo

Global Economist; Contributor, The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times; One of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World; Author, How Boards Work: And How They Can Work Better in a Chaotic World

In Conversation with Jonathan Rosenberg

Former Senior Vice President, Google; Manager Adviser, Alphabet; Twitter @jjrosenberg

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 12th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition and Modern Medicine May 14, 2021

Food processing isn’t listed on the nutrition facts food label. The label tells you what’s in the food. Critics say this is mostly irrelevant—what you really need to know is what’s been done to the food, and no label tells you that. In this program, Dr. Robert Lustig will expllain nutrition and food science. He says that essentially, all you need to know are two precepts, six words total: 1) protect the liver, 2) feed the gut. Those foods that satisfy both precepts he deems to be healthy; those that do neither are poison, and those that do one or the other are bad (but less bad)—no matter what the USDA and FDA allow to be stated on the package. Only items that meet both of Lustig's criteria qualify as real food—i.e., that hasn’t been stripped of its beneficial properties and sprinkled with toxins that will hasten our demise.

Dr. Robert H. Lustig is professor emeritus of pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco. He specializes in the field of neuroendocrinology, with an emphasis on the regulation of energy balance by the central nervous system. His research and clinical practice has focused on childhood obesity and diabetes. Lustig holds a Bachelor’s in Science from MIT, a Doctorate in Medicine from Cornell University Medical College, and a Master’s of Studies in Law from U.C. Hastings College of the Law. Lustig has fostered a global discussion of metabolic health and nutrition, exposing some of the leading myths that underlie the current pandemic of diet-related disease. He believes the food business, by pushing processed food loaded with sugar, has hacked our bodies and minds to pursue pleasure instead of happiness; fostering today’s epidemics of addiction and depression. Yet by focusing on real food, he says we can beat the odds against sugar, processed food, obesity and disease.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patty James

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Robert H. Lustig

M.D., M.S.L., Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, University of California, San Francisco; Author, Metabolical

Patty James

M.S., N.C. Nutritionist; Chef; Author—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Journey of a Former Coal Miner May 14, 2021

What motivates the activists? Grassroots activism can take many forms, from protests to letter-writing to citizen science to community organizing. But these often more local forms of activism can get short shrift compared to the more powerful, national players in climate and environmental movements.

Nick Mullins, a former fifth-generation coal miner, grew up seeing multiple generations of his family endure hardships created by our nation’s demand for cheap coal. In search of decent pay, he became a miner himself – but he eventually left the industry in search of justice for his mountain communities.

James Coleman started his career as a teenage climate activist before becoming the youngest elected public official in California in over 100 years. San Francisco activist Marie Harrison fought against environmental contamination of her community by the U.S. Navy and a fossil-fuel-burning power plant – and now her daughter, Arieann Harrison, has picked up her mantle to continue pushing for environmental justice.

Mullins, Coleman, and dozens of activists featured in Audrea Lim’s book The World We Need, Stories and Lessons from America’s Unsung Environmental Movement represent just a fraction of those motivated to take action on climate.

“The thing about grassroots activism, actually, apart from the stereotype is that it’s really just people in a community who see a problem and then they get together on their own and try to find a solution to it,” says Audrea Lim.

What can grassroots activists do that national organizations can’t? And what can their stories and experiences teach us?

Guests:

Nick Mullins, former fifth-generation coal miner, blogger, Thoughts of a Coal Miner

Audrea Lim, Journalist & Editor, The World We Need, Stories and Lessons from America’s Unsung Environmental Movement

James Coleman, City Councilor, South San Francisco

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Katy Milkman with Charles Duhigg: The Science of Change May 12, 2021

Cycles are hard to break. Once you get into the habit of eating badly, not exercising, or procrastinating, finding purpose and success can seem like an insurmountable goal. No matter how many books you read, podcasts you listen to, or YouTube how-to videos you watch, you're still not where you want to be. But maybe there’s still hope. Award-winning Wharton professor and "Choiceology" podcast host Katy Milkman understands the blockages she says are preventing you from making change. She has spent her career studying behavior change, and she offers a new strategy for breaking bad habits to make personal change.

In her new book How to Change, Milkman suggests new solutions for getting where you want to be. Backed by case studies, personal narratives and innovative research, Milkman encourages readers to focus on timing, turn temptation into assets, and give others advice to help people achieve more and meet success. Turning an uphill battle into a downhill one is the key to success, and Katy Milkman is here to show how it can be done.

Join us as Katy Milkman offers an indispensable, research-based approach for designing your life and achieving your goals, once and for all.

SPEAKERS

Katy Milkman

James G. Dinan Professor, The Wharton School; Author, How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

In Conversation with Charles Duhigg

Contributor, The New Yorker; Author, Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk: A Deep Dive into Race Relations May 12, 2021

Join us for an in-depth dialogue about race relations and turning words into action.

Our panelists will explore changing the narratives about critical issues in the deeper layers of race relations. What does "stand together” mean and what are some of the roadblocks? How can communities preach beyond the choir and impact interactions in our daily lives?

This timely deep-dive discussion promises to be thought provoking—don’t miss it.

NOTES

Presented in association with the APA Heritage Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Alicia Garza

Principal, Black Futures Lab; Strategy & Partnerships Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance; Co-creator, #BlackLivesMatter and the Black Lives Matter Global Network; Co-founder, Supermajority; Twitter @AliciaGarza

Hala Hijazi

Commissioner, San Francisco Human Rights Commission; Member, Board of Directors, San Francisco Interfaith Council; Co-director, Truman National Security Project San Francisco Chapter

Jon Osaki

Executive Director, Japanese Community Youth Council; Filmmaker, Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066

Dr. Jennifer Kim-Anh Tran

Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies, CSU East Bay; Executive Director, Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Let's Talk About Hard Things with Anna Sale May 12, 2021

There’s always a conversation no one wants to have, whether it's about a tricky financial situation, failing relationships or the often-avoided topic of aging. As the host of the WNYC podcast "Death, Sex and Money," Anna Sale invites people to talk precisely and openly about these uncomfortable topics in a larger effort to foster solidarity and connection with one another. In her new book Let’s Talk About Hard Things, Sale highlights five themes to explain how and why we should conduct these fraught conversations: death, sex, money, family and identity. When we shed the expectations of “polite conversation,” she argues, we can have important and life-changing dialogues.

At INFORUM, Sale will elaborate on the complexities and advantages of talking, as her book title suggests, about hard things. This conversation will be moderated by Lori Gottlieb, author of the New York Times best-seller Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.

SPEAKERS

Anna Sale

Podcast Host, "Death, Sex & Money"; Author, Let's Talk About Hard Things

Lori Gottlieb

Writer; Psychotherapist; Author, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 5th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Roadmap Home 2030: Affordable Housing Solutions for California May 12, 2021

This month, Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration reported a quarter of a million Californians experiencing homelessness requested help in 2020—numbers that skyrocketed from previous estimates in some Bay Area counties. The Golden State is lauded for its job opportunities and diverse population, but it’s also the state with some of the highest housing and transportation costs in the nation. Now, Californians are demanding change, and a cross-sectional group of affordable housing and homelessness advocates created Roadmap Home 2030, a definitive plan to end homelessness and create affordable homes for all over the next 10 years.

Housing California, the California Housing Partnership, and dozens of experts and advocates identified 57 policy solutions to create affordable homes, protect low-income renters, end homelessness and ensure racial equity. With their detailed plan of creative solutions, coupled with dedicated leadership, this ambitious group believes a better California is doable. The wealth gap and a shortage of affordable homes in the state prohibits Californians from building healthy and fulfilling lives. With considerable energy and influence, this coalition of housing advocates are seeking to make bold, structural change to create an equitable future where everyone has a safe place to live.

Join our expert panel for a conversation about equity, change and the fight to dramatically shift the landscape on affordable housing and homelessness in the Golden State.

About the Speakers

Ruby Bolaria-Shifrin is director of housing affordability for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI). As part of CZI’s commitment to ensuring access to safe, stable and affordable housing, she works with community leaders, advocates, researchers, policymakers and investors to help more people find housing that meets their needs.

As one of San Francisco’s voices in Sacramento, Assemblymember David Chiu is an outspoken advocate for housing reform and equity. He currently chairs the California State Assembly’s Committee on Housing and Community Development.

With more than 20 years of leadership and work in the field, Tomiquia Moss brings expertise in the issues of housing, public policy and community development. She is the founder and chief executive of All Home, a Bay Area-focused nonprofit. Prior to All Home, Tomiquia served as chief of staff for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and as executive director for the HOPE SF initiative under the late San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.

A native Angeleno, Tunua Thrash-Ntuk is the executive director of Los Angeles Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LA LISC). She is a seasoned community and economic development practitioner of more than 15 years, with both nonprofit and private sector experiences. Her strengths range from community advocacy to asset and real estate development around neighborhood revitalization.

SPEAKERS

Ruby Bolaria-Shifrin

Director of Housing Affordability, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

David Chiu

California State Assemblymember, 17th District

Tomiquia Moss

Founder and Chief Executive, All Home

Tunua Thrash-Ntuk

Executive Director, Los Angeles Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LA LISC)

Molly Solomon

Reporter for Housing Affordability, KQED Public Media—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 27th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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AAPI Women Leaders Building Coalition and Community May 11, 2021

Join us for a special Zoom discussion featuring AAPI women leaders exploring the topic of building coalition and community.

About the Speakers

Bo Thao-Urabe is a practice-based possibilian who focuses on creating community-centered, asset-based solutions and transforming practices so that there is meaningful change for those most impacted by systemic inequities. Having immigrated to the United States as a refugee child after the Secret War in Laos, Bo’s lived experiences have continuously shaped how she creates to ensure communities can fully participate in, contribute to, and shape our democracy. Her extensive leadership experiences include building and leading local, national, and global efforts.

Leanna Louie is born in Toisan China, in February 1972, Immigrated to SF USA in 1979 with family at age 7. Grew up and educated in SFUSD public schools, Spring Valley ES, Marine MS, Mission HS. Joined the US Army at 18 upon graduation from high school. Served 5 years active duty enlisted, trained in general medical and pharmacology at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Stationed in Germany 1991-1993 at the 97th General Hospital. Next duty station was Fort Lewis, Washington at the Madigan Army Medical Center Outpatient Pharmacy 1993-1995. Completed an AA in Technology at Pierce College, Washington. Was recommended by Company Commander for Officer School. Attended Pacific Lutheran University, majored in Chinese Studies, minored in History, and trained in ROTC. Upon graduation in 1998, was commissioned 2LT and received further Officer Training at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Then was stationed at Seoul, Korea 1999-2000. Returned to U.S. and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington at the 29th Signal Battalion where I ended my military service in January 2001. Did a short stint at SF City Hall as a Legislative Aide. Then proceeded to work for the City of Sacramento in 2002-2012 in a few different Departments including the Neighborhood Services Department as Resource Coordinator, Solid Waste Department as Administrative Analyst, and Fire Department as Administrative Analyst. Moved to San Francisco and became a business partner at Melody Café Organic Mediterranean Cuisine 2013-2018. Started in Glim Super Alkaline High pH Water Cleaner business in January 2018. Glim is now available in over 25 locations in the greater SF Bay Area, Sacramento, and Los Angeles.

Nikki Calma aka Tita Aida, is a familiar name to the Bay Area communities for the past twenty years. She is a tireless and proud transgender community leader in the Asian & Pacific islander LGBTQI community and also in the greater LGBTQI of the Bay Area. Her grassroots activism and community advocacy started in the 90’s.

Nikki has been recognized by many communities and organizations including the GAPA George Choy Community Award, KQED’s Pride Unsung Hero Award, Transgender Law Center Vanguard Award, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center’s Grassroots Award, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club/Bill Krauss HIV/AIDS Activism Award, SF Pride’s Teddy Witherington Pride Award and the most recently, the Cheryl Courtney- Evans Award at the 1st Torch Awards during the 1st National Trans March in Washington, DC. This recognition comes at a perfect time to commemorate her twenty-five years of activism and advocacy.

SPEAKERS

Tita Aida

Director, San Francisco Community Health Center

Leanna Louie

Founder, United Peace Collective

Bo Thao-Urabe

Executive Director, Coalition of Asian American Leaders

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Beyond the Screen: Race and Diversity in Hollywood May 11, 2021

People from BIPOC communities face a myriad of challenges in the entertainment industry, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. From on-screen talent and actors to production crews, publicity teams, talent management, writing and film criticism, marginalized groups often remain underrepresented in all aspects of an industry that has major influence on American culture. Despite evidence that shows addressing these racial inequities could reap an additional $10 billion in annual revenue, efforts by the industry to create parity continue to be inadequate.

Join a panel of experts on race in Hollywood at INFORUM, where they will discuss the harsh realities that most people of color face in entertainment, as well as steps toward industry-wide changes meant to increase representation and provide space for a new and diverse generation of creatives.

NOTES

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

This important community program is made free to the public thanks to McKinsey & Co.

SPEAKERS

Linda Yvette Chávez

Filmmaker; Film and Television Writer; Co-creator, Co-showrunner, Executive Producer, Netflix’s "Gentefied"

Franklin Leonard

Founder, The Black List

Sheldon Lyn

Partner, McKinsey & Co.; Co-Author, Black Representation in Film and TV: The Challenges and Impact of Increasing Diversity

Rebecca Sun

Senior Editor, Diversity and Inclusion, The Hollywood Reporter—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 4th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Inside the Adachi Project May 07, 2021

Join us for an inside look at The Adachi Project, a first-of-its-kind storytelling initiative that spotlights powerful stories and unseen perspectives of the U.S. criminal legal system via compelling documentary film, video and photojournalism.

Following an introduction to The Adachi Project by Mano Raju and Santhosh Daniel, we'll view one of the films from the project and feature a discussion with the people involved.

SPEAKERS

Santhosh Daniel

Founding Partner, The Adachi Project; Founder, Compound; Co-Founder, First Kitchen Media

Mohammad Gorjestani

Founding Partner, The Adachi Project; Filmmaker and Creative Director

Carolyn Ji Jong Goossen

San Francisco Policy Director, San Francisco Public Defender’s Office; Leading Member, The Adachi Project

William M. Palmer II (Tariq)

Criminal Justice Advocate; Committee Member, San Francisco Reentry Sentencing Commission, Direct Services; Co-Leader, Subcommittee on Legislation, Policy & Practices; Communications Fellow, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children; CEO, Life After Next

Hadi Razzaq

Managing Attorney, San Francisco Public Defender’s Office; Core Member, The Adachi Project

Mano Raju

Public Defender, City and County of San Francisco

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 23rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A Conversation with Cindy McCain May 07, 2021

"My husband, John McCain, never viewed himself as larger than life—but he was. He had more tenacity and resolve than anybody I ever met. Being with him didn’t hold me back—it gave me flight, a courage I never would have felt on my own." —Cindy McCain

John McCain was a respected six-term senator from Arizona, Navy hero, and dedicated family man. No one knew him better than his wife of 38 years, Cindy McCain.

She said, “My husband John lived by a code: country first. We are Republicans, yes, but Americans foremost. . . ." Last year she made the bold decision to cross party lines and endorse Joe Biden for president.

In her new book Stronger, she reveals her own successes and challenges and how Sen. McCain inspired her to fight for family, honor and country.

Join an inspirational conversation with Cindy McCain about her life and her husband's lasting legacy.

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s Series on Ethics and Accountability, generously underwritten by The Travers Family Foundation.

Thanks to the support of the Bernard Osher Foundation, this program is also part of our Good Lit series

SPEAKERS

Cindy McCain

Author, Stronger: Courage, Hope, and Humor in My Life with John McCain; Twitter @cindymccain

In Conversation with Dan Ashley

Anchor, ABC7 KGO-TV and Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter: @DanAshleyABC7

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 5th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Commonwealth Club Week in Review for May 7, 2021 May 07, 2021

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.

We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.

If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.

Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.

Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening!

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The Illusion of Evidence-Based Medicine: Distorted Science in the Age of Big Pharma May 07, 2021

Financial interests distort the truths of evidence-based medicine, says Dr. Leemon B. McHenry. By revealing previously confidential documents released in litigation, Dr. McHenry exposes the role that pharmaceutical marketing has in the construction of medical literature, conference presentations and continuing medical education. The marketing spin is designed to be indistinguishable from the genuine science, he says, thus seriously misleading our medical professionals and the public.

Leemon B. McHenry, Ph.D. specializes in medical ethics and philosophy of science. He is a legal research consultant, and is a professor emeritus at California State University in Northridge. He is the co-author of The Illusion of Evidence-Based Medicine: Exposing the Crisis of Credibility in Clinical Research.

MLF ORGANIZER

Adrea Brier

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Leemon B. McHenry

Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, California State University, Northridge; Co-Author, The Illusion of Evidence-Based Medicine: Exposing the Crisis of Credibility in Clinical Research

Adrea Brier

CHNP, CLC, Vice Chair, Health and Medicine Member-Led Forum; International Integrative Epigenetic Cancer Consultant; Life Coach—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on May 4th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Climate Stories We Tell Ourselves May 07, 2021

How do our identities and values shape the way we listen to others’ climate experience? Author Nathaniel Rich and journalist Meera Subramanian cover the hopes, fears, and middle-of-the-night concerns affecting the people living closest to climate change.

In Georgia, farmers were convinced that climate is a political issue — until too-warm winters began upending the Peach State’s prized crop. In a wealthy Los Angeles suburb, an invisible methane gas leak caused outrage and hysteria for local residents concerned about personal health and property values — but not the climate.

“I think we've all gotten really used to telling our stories, putting them out there in the world, and it sometimes feels like maybe not so many people are actually listening to them,” Subramanian says. “And so I think sometimes showing up as a journalist and just being all ears can feel kind of profound.”

Guests:

Nathaniel Rich, Author, Losing Earth; Second Nature

Meera Subramanian, Environmental Journalist

Have you ever had a difficult conversation about climate? A disagreement, perhaps, or coming to terms with a new reality? We’d like to hear your stories. Please call (650) 382-3869 and leave us a voicemail about your toughest climate conversation. Or drop us a line at climateone@gmail.com. We may use your story in an upcoming episode.

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Making Waves: Protecting Nature and Culture in Micronesia May 05, 2021

Climate change threatens the very existence of many small island nations. Sea-level rise, weather extremes and coral reef destruction caused by warming waters have driven untold destruction and outmigration, with some communities fleeing—literally—to higher ground.

Fighting for their collective survival, three small Pacific Island nations and two U.S. territories spanning over 2 million square miles of ocean launched the Micronesia Challenge in the mid-2000s to protect critical land and marine ecosystems by 2020—reducing human impact that imperils reefs, coastlines and mountains. A strategic partner since the Challenge’s founding, The Nature Conservancy is working across Micronesia as this initiative launches bold new 2030 targets for people and nature.

SPEAKERS

Kate Brown

Executive Director, Global Island Partnership

Willy Kostka

Executive Director, Micronesia Conservation Trust

Trina Leberer

Director, Pacific Regional Partnerships, The Nature Conservancy

Ben Doherty

Pacific EditorThe Guardian—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 29th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Reimagining Public Safety May 05, 2021

Amid nationwide reckoning with racial justice and calls to reimagine policing in America's cities, Oakland has moved ahead with plans to change its public safety funding and performance.

The Defund OPD campaign was launched by the Anti Policy Terror Project five years ago. Join us for a discussion with two leaders in the effort to change the criminal justice system.

About the Speakers

Cat Brooks is an activist, performer, politician and speaker or who has served as the communications director for Coaching Corps, as executive director of Youth Together and executive director of the National Lawyers Guild. Brooks is the co-founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP) whose mission is to rapidly respond to and ultimately eradicate what it calls state violence in communities of color. With APTP, she shepherded the development of a “first responders” process, which provides resources and training for a rapid community-based response to police violence. She also helped negotiate the passage of AB392, AB 931 and SB 1421 and has organized with local housing advocates to bring Proposition 10 (Repeal Costa Hawkins) to the ballot in November. n late 2018, Cat was the runner up in the Oakland mayoral race. Brooks currently serves as the executive director of the Justice Teams Network, a network of grassroots activists providing rapid response and healing justice in response to all forms of state violence across California. In addition, she is touring her one-woman show, Tasha, about the in-custody murder of Natasha McKenna in the Fairfax County Jail. She lives in West Oakland with her daughter.

Born and raised in Natick, MA, James Burch grew up with the direct impacts of a punitive carceral system within his immediate family; all three of his siblings have been entangled in the criminal justice system for their entire lives. To address this, James became a lawyer after attending Yale University and Georgetown Law School. Upon moving to the Bay Area, James became an active member of the Anti Police-Terror Project, eventually becoming the director of policy and a member of the Black Leadership Team. Burch now works as the policy director for the Justice Teams Network (JTN), a statewide coalition working to end state violence in California. James is also the current president of the National Lawyers Guild of the Bay Area.

SPEAKERS

Cat Brooks

Activist; Politician; Performer

James Burch

Lawyer; Activist

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 29th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Progress Toward Middle East Peace May 04, 2021

Elsalameen, a prominent activist, social media analyst, political commentator and public speaker will discuss Arab-Israeli progress toward Middle East peace with Jonathan Curiel, journalist and author. As a known critic of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and of Hamas, Elsalameen will also discuss how President Abbas's "reign has been marred by corruption," etc. (Elsalameen recently accused Fatah’s military wing of sending him death threats for his pro-democracy and anti-corruption work.)

Born in Hebron, Elsalameen is an adjunct senior fellow at the American Security Project, which was created to develop an American national security vision and strategy for the 21st century. He is also a successful businessman with working experience in the United States, the Middle East, and Africa, a graduate of Seeds of Peace and of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) program.

MLF ORGANIZER

Celia Menczel

NOTES

MLF: Middle East

SPEAKERS

Fadi Elsalameen

MS, International Relations and Economics, John Hopkins University (SAIS)

Jonathan Curiel

Journalist; Author—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 29th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Commonwealth Club Week in Review for April 30, 2021 May 01, 2021

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.

We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.

If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.

Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.

Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dream First, Details Later with Ellen Bennett and Angela Duckworth May 01, 2021

"I love, love, love this book! The true story of a true heroine for our times—bold, brash and entirely honest about the downs and ups of making dreams come true."

—Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit

Have you ever had a glimmer of an idea for a new company, project or product but were convinced you didn’t have the tools to get started? Ellen Marie Bennett, CEO of Hedley & Bennett, may have a concise but powerful piece of advice for you: “You got this! Dream first, details later.”

At 24, Bennett was a line cook at Providence, a two Michelin-starred Los Angeles restaurant. As she explored the culinary world and sharpened her skills, she also noticed the poorly designed aprons and shirts kitchen staff were required to wear. She decided to use her experience as a chef (in other words, not as a manufacturer but as a person who actually wore these uniforms) and leveraged this into a multi-million dollar apparel company. Her premium chef aprons and kitchen gear are worn by several of the best chefs and home cooks around the world.

Join Bennett at INFORUM and in conversation with author and Character Lab CEO Angela Duckworth, to learn how “fake it ‘till you make it” is actually a practical and effective business strategy, and how making your dreams a reality is as simple as just going for it.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Ellen Bennett

Founder and CEO, Hedley & Bennett; Author, Dream First, Details Later: How to Quit Overthinking and Make It Happen!

Angela Duckworth

Founder and CEO, Character Lab

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 28th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Larry Krasner: Justice, Power and Progressive Prosecutors Apr 30, 2021

The United States is the world’s leader in incarceration. “Tough on crime” attitudes in the 1980s have shaped the policies that criminalize more people in the United States now than ever before. With this carceral approach, the United States must deal with consequences such as overcrowding, prison violence and unnecessary fiscal burdens. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has spent 30 years learning about America’s carceral system as a civil rights and criminal defense lawyer, and his goal is to transform the system from the inside out.

When he first launched his campaign for district attorney of Philadelphia, progressive Krasner seemed unlikely to win the seat so long-held by “tough on crime” attorneys who helped turn Philly into a city with one of the highest rates of incarceration in the country. But with perseverance to create a radical reform plan, Krasner won the DA election by a margin of nearly 50 percent. In his new book For the People, Krasner takes readers on his lifelong journey through election precincts and courtrooms all the way up to his swearing-in ceremony to see how what he calls our system of injustice was built and how we might dismantle it.

Join us as Larry Krasner asks us to confront the ills of the criminal justice system and pioneers one of the most important civil rights movements of our time.

SPEAKERS

Larry Krasner

District Attorney, Philadelphia; Author, For the People: A Story of Justice and Power

In Conversation with Lateefah Simon

President, Akonadi Foundation; Member, BART Board of Directors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 28th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Distorted Democracy and the “Zero-Sum Game” Apr 30, 2021

In the US, we’ve become accustomed to climate – like nearly everything else – being politicized. Even when potential solutions might benefit everyone, a zero-sum mentality has taken hold where there’s an “us” and a “them” and progress for them comes at the expense of us. “Racism in our politics and policymaking is distorting our ability to respond to big problems and to advance collective solutions,” says political strategist Heather McGhee. But does it have to be this way? Can we look to the UK and elsewhere for a different model? Is it even possible to make the whole planet a winner?

Guests:

Heather McGhee, Political Strategist & Author, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together

Rebecca Willis, Researcher & Author, Too Hot to Handle? The Democratic Challenge of Climate Change

We have been nominated for a Webby!

Please give us your vote as the Best Science and Education Limited Series in the 25th Annual People's Voice Award below:

https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/limited-series-specials/science-education

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Jasmin Darznik: The Bohemians Apr 29, 2021

The New York Times best-selling Bay Area author Jasmin Darznik returns to The Commonwealth Club to discuss her much-anticipated new novel, The Bohemians, a book that imagines the friendship between photographer Dorothea Lange and her Chinese American assistant in 1920s San Francisco.

Darznick's new book captures a glittering and gritty 1920s San Francisco, with a cast of interesting characters, including cameos from such legendary historic figures as Frida Kahlo, Ansel Adams and D.H. Lawrence. The novel is a vivid and absorbing portrait of the past; it also connects with our complicated present, as anti-immigration sentiment, anti-Asian violence, corrupt politicians and a devastating pandemic bring tumult to San Francisco. The book is perfect for anyone who cares about San Francisco history, especially those captivated by Lange's photography. Darznik will be in discussion with Bay Area author Julia Flynn Siler.

Jasmin Darznik's debut novel, Song of a Captive Bird, was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice book and a Los Angeles Times bestseller. Darznik is also the author of The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother’s Hidden Life. Her books have been published in 17 countries and her essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times, among others.

SPEAKERS

Jasmin Darznik

Novelist; Professor; Author, The Bohemians

Julia Flynn Siler

Journalist; Author, The White Devil's Daughters

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 13th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Healthy Society Series: Our Threatened Human Fertility. Causes, Consequences, and Solutions Apr 28, 2021

In 2017, Dr. Shanna Swan published an internationally acclaimed landmark study that sparked great concern about declining human fertility. Join us as this award-winning scientist and reproductive epidemiologist outlines steps individuals and society can take to prevent further impairment by everyday chemicals, which she says are severely impacting our reproductive health and imperiling the future of human and planetary health.

Shanna H. Swan, Ph.D., is a leading. environmental and reproductive epidemiologist and professor of environmental medicine and public health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has published more than 200 scientific papers, appeared on numerous media outlets, and published a recent book titled, Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race.

MLF ORGANIZER

Adrea Brier

SPEAKERS

Shanna H. Swan

Ph.D., Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Adrea Brier

CHNP, CLC, Vice Chair, Health and Medicine Member-Led Forum; International Integrative Epigenetic Cancer Consultant and Life Coach—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 27th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Former CDC Chief Dr. Tom Frieden: Personal Freedom Versus the Pandemic Apr 28, 2021

The pandemic has raised significant issues of concern for a democratic society, including that of balancing personal freedom against the greater good. How should this issue be most appropriately addressed during a time of pandemic or national emergency? How well is America actually equipped to handle this kind of crisis and how can we best reconcile the protection of individual rights with the need for a national uniformity of effort?

Dr. Frieden is a physician trained in internal medicine, infectious diseases, public health, and epidemiology. He began his public health career in New York City confronting the largest outbreak of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis to occur in the United States. He was then assigned to India, on loan from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he helped scale up a program for effective tuberculosis diagnosis, treatment and monitoring. Asked to return to New York City to become Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s health commissioner, he directed efforts to reduce smoking and other leading causes of death that increased life expectancy by 3 years. As director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Frieden oversaw the work that helped end the 2014 West Africa Ebola epidemic. He now leads Resolve to Save Lives, a $225 million, 5-year initiative of Vital Strategies, working with countries to prevent 100 million deaths and to make the world safer from epidemics. He is also senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Join this important conversation about protecting the rights and health of Americans.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Tom Frieden

M.D., M.P.H., Director, Centers for Disease Control Under President Obama; Health Commissioner, City of New York under Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Current President and CEO, Resolve to Save Lives

In Conversation with Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal

M.D., Editor in Chief, Kaiser Health News; Former Health Correspondent, New York Times; Author, An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 22nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Hollywood and the Mainstreaming of Anti-Asian Racism Apr 28, 2021

Amid an outcry over anti-Asian violence and harassment, filmmaker and writer Bee Vang turns the spotlight in Hollywood and its role in promulgating anti-Asian ideas.

The son of immigrants, Hmong-American actor and activist Vang starred as Thao Vang Lor in Clint Eastwood's 2008 film Gran Torino and has appeared in "Modern Family" and Comisery. He has performed in independent films and on stage at Brown University, where he received a 2016 liberal arts degree in international politics, media and cultural studies. Vang worked at MSNBC with "The Rachel Maddow Show," at The Economist and at a research institute at Columbia University. After several years working as a print journalist, nonfiction writer and policy researcher, he recently moved to Los Angeles to devote himself to acting, filmmaking and other creative pursuits.

SPEAKERS

Bee Vang

Actor; Journalist, The Economist and "The Rachel Maddow Show"; Policy Researcher

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 22nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Marlon Peterson: Incarceration, Redemption, and an Abolitionist's Freedom Song Apr 27, 2021

Everything we were taught to believe about crime, justice, race, and gender needs to be criticized, says Marlon Peterson: We need to recenter humanity in accountability measures; we must allow room for various identities in criminal justice discourse. Formerly incarcerated author and activist Marlon Peterson is one of the many vanguards in changing the world we live in, and he documents it all in his new memoir Bird Uncaged.

Born and raised by Trinidadian parents in Brooklyn, NY, Peterson spent his childhood adjacent to ongoing city violence while simultaneously preaching the good word alongside his father, a devout Jehovah's Witness. His parents immigrated to the United States to achieve the long-desired American Dream, and Peterson too believed it was possible. But in the aftermath of physical and sexual trauma, Peterson made a series of choices that led to his participation in a robbery that resulted in two murders, granting him 10 years in prison at the age of 19. Spending his twenties incarcerated, Peterson completed his Associates Degree in Criminal Justice with Honors and immersed himself in anti-violence activism, education and prison abolition. In Bird Uncaged, Peterson exposes the brutality of incarceration and the hollowness of the American Dream. He encourages us all to reveal and break from the many cages — both physical and metaphorical — created and maintained by American society.

Join us as Marlon Peterson envisions a new world that focuses on healing instead of punishment, an end to mass incarceration, and a new vision of justice.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Marlon Peterson

Host, "Decarcerated" Podcast; Author, Bird Uncaged: An Abolitionist's Freedom Song

In Conversation with Jamilah King

Host, "The Mother Jones Podcast"; Race and Justice Reporter, Mother Jones

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 21st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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How the Pandemic Triggered an Extreme Episode of Alopecia Areata Apr 26, 2021

In more than a decade as a broadcaster and public figure, Michelle Meow has interviewed politicians, activists, medical experts, authors, sports heroes, actors, musicians and more. Millions have seen or heard her broadcasts of San Francisco Pride, as well as her weekly television show and daily podcast. She has discussed everything from LGBTQ equality to racism to adoption. Now she will discuss something different: Herself.

As 2020 wound down, Meow experienced a surprise. She began to lose her hair, handfuls by the minute. After nearly a year of stress from the pandemic, tense political environment, economic uncertainty, and more, she had developed a condition known as alopecia areata, resulting in hair loss. In this special edition of "The Michelle Meow Show," she will discuss her experience—the impact on her mental health, navigating the health-care system during a pandemic, learning about alopecia, buying a wig and the eventual decision to go public with her condition and go bald.

Join us as we turn the tables and interview this veteran interviewer for a can't-miss exploration of mental and physical health in a time of crisis.

SPEAKERS

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow

In Conversation with John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Commonwealth Club Week in Review for April 23, 2021 Apr 24, 2021

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.

We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.

If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.

Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.

Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening!

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Former U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner Apr 23, 2021

John Boehner spent nearly 25 years in Congress and served as the 53rd speaker of the House. During his time, his responsibility and decision making to preserve the American Dream was driven by the values of economic freedom and individual liberty.

When he announced his resignation, President Obama called to tell the outgoing speaker that he'd miss him. "Mr. President," Boehner replied, "yes you will." In his new memoir, On the House, Boehner recounts his experiences and shares what he learned from his years of public service.

Join us as former House Speaker John Boehner talks honestly about his colorful tales from the halls of power to broaden our perception of Washington’s political landscape.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

John Boehner

Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Former Representative (R-Ohio 8th District); Author, On the House: A Washington Memoir; Twitter @SpeakerBoehner

In Conversation with Melissa Caen

Attorney; Author; Political Analyst

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 20th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, with Julie Lythcott-Haims Apr 23, 2021

What does it mean to be a “real adult”? As a former dean of freshmen at Stanford University and the New York Times-bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult and Real American, author Lythcott-Haims has spent her career helping young adults pursue their goals. In her new book Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, Lythcott-Haims provides compassionate and practical guidance on how to navigate the wonders and challenges of adult life, from finding a fulfilling career to gaining the confidence to understand what’s most important.

Join Lythcott-Haims at INFORUM to discuss how becoming an adult might seem scary, but the process can be exciting and rewarding.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Julie Lythcott-Haims

Author, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult

Darnell Moore

Author, No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 20th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Noah Griffin: A Flashback to Old-Time Popular Radio Shows Apr 23, 2021

Please join us for a Tuesday morning inspirational talk on old-time radio programs by Noah Griffin, a native San Franciscan, former television talk show host and former radio broadcast host for WJIB in Boston, and KFOG and KGO in San Francisco. Griffin's connection with radio stems back to when as a 6-year-old in 1952 he was given his first Hopalong Cassidy radio.

His presentation will be energizing and fascinating as he talks about the best and most popular of old-time radio shows of their day, from live nightclub shows to soap operas, detective and mystery shows, family sitcoms, and westerns. “Can you remember yours?”

The program is followed by Q and A.

MLF ORGANIZER: Robert Melton

SPEAKERS

Noah Griffin

Former Television Talk Show Host; Former Radio Broadcast Host, WJIB, KFOG, KGO

Robert Melton

Co-Chair, Commonwealth Club Arts Member-Led Forum; Curator, Farmer's Gallery, Commonwealth Club—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 13th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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How a Republican Supreme Court Is Reshaping America Apr 22, 2021

Despite its historic role in American life, the U.S. Supreme Court has served a surprisingly impactful policymaking role in the United States over the past decade. Starting in 2011, when Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives, until this March, Congress enacted hardly any major legislation outside of the tax law President Trump signed in 2017. In the same period, the Supreme Court dismantled much of America's campaign finance law, severely weakened the Voting Rights Act, permitted states to opt-out of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion, weakened laws protecting against age discrimination and sexual and racial harassment, and held that every state must permit same-sex couples to marry. This powerful, unelected body, now controlled by six Republican presidential appointees, sat at the center of American political life, a trend that will likely continue, with profound impacts on the country's political system and civic life.

Ian Millhiser, Vox's Supreme Court correspondent, tells the story of what is likely to come from the Supreme Court in the coming years, particularly around significant divisive issues such as abortion and affirmative action. Equally important, Millhiser also explores the arcane decisions that the Court can use to fundamentally reshape America, transforming it into something he believes is far less democratic by attacking voting rights, dismantling the federal administrative state, ignoring the separation of church and state, and putting corporations above the law.

Millhiser's new book, The Agenda, exposes a radically altered Supreme Court whose powers extend far beyond transforming any individual right. Please join us for an important conversation on the future of perhaps the most important institution in America life: the Supreme Court.

About the Speaker

Ian Millhiser is a senior correspondent at Vox, where he focuses on the Supreme Court, the Constitution, and the decline of liberal democracy in the United States. Before joining Vox, he was a columnist at ThinkProgress. He is the author of Injustices: The Supreme Court's History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted, published in 2015, and his writings have appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Nation, American Prospect and the Yale Law & Policy Review. He received his J.D. from Duke University and clerked for judge Eric L. Clay of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

SPEAKERS

Ian Millhiser

Supreme Court Correspondent, Vox; Author, The Agenda: How a Republican Supreme Court Is Reshaping America;Twitter @imillhiser

Melissa Murray

Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law Faculty Director, Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Network, New York University

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 7th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Sabine Hossenfelder: Lost in Math Apr 22, 2021

Join us for a virtual discussion with Sabine Hossenfelder, live-streamed direct from Frankfurt, Germany, about her concern that theoretical physicists have failed to make any major breakthroughs for more than four decades because they are obsessed with the goal that an accurate theory must be beautiful—at least to mathematicians.

Hossenfelder argues that when this belief in beauty becomes too dogmatic, it conflicts with scientific objectivity, and so may be interfering with our ability to understand black holes or why relativity theory and quantum mechanics have issues with each other. It may also be encouraging the pursuit of untestable string theory and supersymmetry explanations beyond what is scientifically useful (but which is still mathematically intriguing).

Hear why Hossenfelder is insisting, to the generation of theoreticians that preceded her, that progress will probably not be made until they conclude that physics isn’t math. It’s choosing the right math.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Sabine Hossenfelder

Research Fellow, Superfluid Dark Matter Group, Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies; Blogger, "Backreaction"; Author, Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 20th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Dr. John Torres: Guide to Surviving Everything Apr 22, 2021

Dr. John Torres has spent his career fielding medical emergencies at home in the ER and abroad on humanitarian trips to Central and South America. As a U.S. Air Force veteran, he has been on the front lines of varying medical crises. As NBC News’ senior medical correspondent, he has spent the last year covering the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dubbed “Dr. Disaster,” Torres has all the knowledge of best practices in an emergency, and his new book Dr. Disaster’s Guide to Surviving Everything provides a need-to-know guide on disaster preparedness.

From avalanches and blackouts to pandemics and wildfires, Dr. Torres shares hacks and tips that could save your life or the life of someone around you. He tells you must-know practices such as the best place to sit on an airplane, how to start a fire with household items, and the first thing you should do every time you enter a shopping mall.

SPEAKERS

Dr. John Torres

Senior Medical Correspondent, NBC News/MSNBC; Author, Dr. Disaster’s Guide to Surviving Everything: Essential Advice for Any Situation Life Throws Your Way

In Conversation with Lenny Mendonca

Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 14th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Living with Climate Disruption Apr 22, 2021

The impacts of climate change may come fast or slow. A wildfire amplified by drought may rip through a town in a matter of hours, or rising seas may take years to destroy a neighborhood. Health impacts may show up in months, or take the form of devastating cancer rates that rise over a decade. Regardless of speed or intensity, the climate emergency will impact us all. How do we live alongside climate disruption?

This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.

We have been nominated for a Webby!

Please give us your vote as the Best Science and Education Limited Series in the 25th Annual People's Voice Award below:

https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/limited-series-specials/science-education

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Dr. Michio Kaku: The God Equation Apr 21, 2021

When Isaac Newton established the laws of motion in 1687, he created a foundation of understanding that still guides physicists to scientific discoveries today. As studies evolve, scientists get closer to understanding the deepest mysteries of space and time. Once physicists can successfully combine theories of relativity and quantum mechanics, all forces in the universe will be recognized and tied into one. Physicist Michio Kaku seeks to document this epic journey of uniting theories of space in his new book The God Equation.

Dr. Kaku, once mentored by theoretical physicist Edward Teller, graduated summa cum laude and first in his physics class from Harvard University. Now, Dr. Kaku strives to continue Einstein’s search for a “theory of everything,” seeking to popularize science and unify the four fundamental forces of the universe—the strong force, the weak force, gravity and electromagnetism.

Join us as Michio Kaku talks about physics pioneers looking to understand the complexity of the universe.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Michio Kaku

Professor of Theoretical Physics, City College of New York; Author The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything; Twitter @michiokaku

Kara Platoni

Science Editor, Science, Wired.com—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Alice Gu: The Rags to Riches Story of the Donut King Apr 21, 2021

The real-life tale of Ted Ngoy, "the Donut King," is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption. It's the rags to riches story of a refugee escaping Cambodia, arriving in America in 1975 and building an unlikely multi-million-dollar empire baking America's favorite pastry, the donut. He sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming refugees and helped them get on their feet teaching them the ways of the donut business.

His life has been turned into the documentary The Donut King by award-winning filmmaker Alice Gu. A Los Angeles native, Gu began her career as a director of photography, working with renowned directors Werner Herzog, Stacy Peralta, and Rory Kennedy, among others. Her commercial clients for print and live action include TBWA/ Chiat Day, Media Arts Lab, Deutsche, Edelman, Berlin Cameron, Cole & Weber, Pereira & O’Dell, Doremus, Publicis, Beats by Dre, Laird Hamilton, ESPN, FIFA, NFL, NHL, NBA, the WSL, Apple, Peta, and the American Humane Association. Take Every Wave: the Life of Laird Hamilton made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017, a documentary film directed by Academy Award nominated director, Rory Kennedy, and lensed by Alice Gu.

The Donut King is Alice’s feature directorial debut; it was slated to premiere in the canceled 2020 SXSW film festival. Despite the cancellation, the film won the Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Documentary Storytelling, as well as the One in a Million Award at the canceled 2020 Sun Valley Film Festival and the Grand Jury Prize at the Bentonville Film Festival. A feature-length documentary about the rise and fall of a Cambodian refugee turned donut tycoon, The Donut King is executive produced by Academy Award-winners Ridley Scott and Freida Lee Mock.

Join us for a discussion with Alice Gu.

SPEAKERS

Alice Gu

Filmmaker, The Donut King and Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Islam's Diverse History of Ideas Apr 20, 2021

Join us for a virtual discussion with Mustafa Akyol, who takes us on a fascinating journey into Islam's diverse history of ideas, and argues that the next "Islamic Enlightenment" may be on the horizon.

Akyol diagnoses “the crisis of Islam” in the modern world and offers a way forward. Diving deeply into Islamic theology, and also sharing lessons from his own life story, he says Muslims lost the universalism that made them a great civilization in their earlier centuries. He demonstrates how values often associated with the Western Enlightenment―freedom, reason, tolerance and an appreciation of science―had Islamic ancestors that were cast aside, for political reasons, in favor of more dogmatic views. Akyol borrows lost visions from medieval Muslim thinkers, such as Ibn Rushd (aka Averroes), to show how they shared a strikingly modern worldview on a range of sensitive issues: human rights, equality for women, freedom of religion, or freedom from religion.

While frankly acknowledging the problems in the world of Islam today, Akyol offers a clear and hopeful vision for its future.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Mustafa Akyol

Senior Fellow, Cato Institute; Contributing Opinion Writer, The New York Times; Author, Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom and Tolerance

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Amanda Tyler with Soledad O'Brien: The Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg Apr 19, 2021

Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent her decades in public service advocating for guaranteed rights and protections of all people. She transformed the legislative landscape by pioneering conversations on American freedom with a particular focus on gender equality. In the new book Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue, UC Berkeley law school professor Amanda Tyler celebrates the life work of RBG to tell the story of Justice Ginsburg's unwavering commitment to the achievement of "a more perfect Union." With a research focus in the Supreme Court, legal history and civil procedure, Tyler encapsulates the life of RBG and what we can learn from her experiences in politics.

Drawing from personal conversations and additional materials on Justice Ginsburg’s life, Tyler dives into her notable briefs and oral arguments, last speeches and favorite opinions, along with the statements that she read from the bench in her most important cases. She emphasizes Ginsburg’s pursuit for constitutional interpretation that defends all people based on humanity rather than status—a mission she said all politicians should strive to follow. Dubbed “The Notorious RBG,” her tireless work in the government will have a lasting impact on our nation’s political culture.

Join us as professor Amanda Tyler and award winning journalist Soledad O’Brien commemorate the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and tell us what we can learn from the late justice’s life work.

SPEAKERS

Amanda Tyler

Shannon Cecil Turner Professor of Law, University of California Berkeley School of Law; Author, Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue: A Life’s Work Fighting for a More Perfect Union

In Conversation with Soledad O’Brien

Journalist

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 15th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein: The Disordered Cosmos Apr 16, 2021

Theoretical physicist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein wants to share the wonders of the universe with people who might think they are inaccessible. As a professor at the University of New Hampshire in theoretical physics and women’s studies, Prescod-Weinstein teaches and studies the outer reaches of scientific understanding and seeks to make complex concepts understandable. In her new book The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred, Prescod-Weinstein provides a unique chronicle of the physics of our cosmos through the lens of the Star Trek universe.

Join Prescod-Weinstein at INFORUM to learn about the universe from her perspective, formed by Black feminism and a view of our cosmos as, despite its intricacies, accessible to all.

SPEAKERS

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physics and Core Faculty Member in Women’s Studies, University of New Hampshire; Author, The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey Into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred

Raja GuhaThakurta

Ph.D., Professor/Astronomer & Department Chair, Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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I Hear You: Talking and Listening to People with Alzheimer’s Apr 16, 2021

Join us for a far-reaching conversation with co-authors Dr. Jane Mahakian and Alyson Kuhn about their practical guide for caregivers and the rest of us. Learning to communicate with someone with dementia is an enormous first step toward making that person’s life easier and richer in the moment. The more of us who want to talk and listen to people with dementia, the less “socially disappeared” they will be.

Dr. Mahakian and Kuhn will share several of the book’s vignettes, giving us glimpses into the realm of forgetfulness and demonstrating ways to connect with someone with dementia. They will also share reader responses to I Hear You, which are diverse, touching and thoughtful.

The co-authors met in 2003, when it became prudent to move Caroline, Kuhn’s mother, from her home of 50 years—before her dementia posed serious risks to her physical and social well-being. Dr. Mahakian masterminded the successful move, and Kuhn’s extensive email exchanges with Dr. Mahakian over several years formed the basis for the I Hear You writing partnership.

MLF ORGANIZER

Denise Michaud

NOTES

MLF: Grownups

SPEAKERS

Jane Mahakian

Gerontologist; Author, I Hear You

Alyson Kuhn

Freelance Writer and Editor; Co-author, I Hear You

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Climate One: Billionaire Wilderness Apr 16, 2021

For many of us, the story of the American wilderness begins when Europeans arrived on these shores and began conquering it. The wide open spaces of the American West loom large in our country’s mythology. But what often gets written out is the history and culture of those native societies who were here to begin with - and whose relationship to this land is very different. And while one-percenters have contributed generously to preserve and protect the pristine wilderness they love, the people who work for them are often struggling, working two or three jobs. How are public and private land interests competing in the American West? Can conservation and recreation coalesce in a way that is inclusive of all communities?

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Cass Sunstein: Liars, Deception and Free Speech Apr 15, 2021

There have always been officials in the political arena who lie to appease their constituents and undermine their opponents. In recent years, lying and falsehoods have only worsened. All over the world, people circulate and amplify damaging lies through social media platforms that influence the masses. These untruths serve to plant seeds of doubt in everyday citizens, citizens who can no longer tell what’s real and what’s fake. In his new book Liars: Falsehoods and Free Speech in an Age of Deception, legal scholar and Harvard professor Cass Sunstein seeks to understand society’s role in regulating lies and falsehoods without threatening the right to freedom of speech.

Generally, he says society must allow lies to circulate to some extent; the government cannot make unbiased judgements about what counts as "fake news.” Still, public officials and private institutions, such as Facebook and Twitter, have the responsibility to regulate the kinds of falsehoods that endanger health, safety and the capacity of the public to govern itself. Sunstein says that as of now, we are allowing far too many lies that both threaten public health and undermine the foundations of democracy itself.

Join us for a conversation with Cass Sunstein as he discusses the tactics used by powerful figures to spread lies, and shows how the government and private institutions can control false information.

SPEAKERS

Cass Sunstein

Robert Walmsley University Professor, Harvard University; Author, Liars: Falsehoods and Free Speech in an Age of Deception

In Conversation with Kirk Hanson

Senior Fellow and Former Executive Director, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Brooke Baldwin: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power Apr 15, 2021

Women in male-dominated industries face a wide-range of sexist and misogynist obstacles that bring moral and societal dilemmas to the forefront. In these industries, CNN's Brooke Baldwin says that women-led “huddles” are necessary to provide young women in the workplace with the necessary support, inspiration, and strength to succeed. These all-girl learning and work environments ensure that self-care, skill-building, and intersectionality are prioritized to uplift other women. According to Baldwin, trailblazing women have been doing this for generations to break glass ceilings and pave new paths for women everywhere. In her new book Huddle: How Women Unlock their Collective Power, Baldwin explores this group phenomenon and what it means for gender equality and female empowerment.

Through Huddle, Baldwin investigates the periods of “huddle” droughts, the benefits of participating in all-women spaces, and her own input from personal experiences growing up in the South and climbing the ladder of a male-dominated industry. To Baldwin, anything is possible for women in a huddle: success in the workplace, effective grassroots change, confidence in girlhood, and a better physical and mental health profile in adulthood.

Join us as Brooke Baldwin and CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota explore the rewards of women-led spaces for mental health, workplace assistance and overall wellness.

SPEAKERS:

Brooke Baldwin, Anchor, CNN; Author, Huddle: How Women Unlock their Collective Power; Twitter @BrookeBaldwin

In Conversation with Alisyn Camerota, Anchor, New Day on CNN

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National Poetry Month Apr 14, 2021

Monday Night Philosophy celebrates National Poetry Month (in partial atonement for a few harsh words about poetry in Plato's Republic) by virtually welcoming acclaimed poet Phillis Levin, the author of five books of poetry, to San Francisco. Since its inauguration in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with poets, publishers, booksellers, libraries and schools celebrating poetry’s vital place in our culture.

Join Phillis Levin, and poet-lawyer Paul Gupta, for a dive into the pleasures of poetry and for readings from each of their own works. We will also hear from some of the Bay Area's student poets, and then from all of you. Instead of the usual Q&A, livestream audience members can either ask the poets a question using the chat room or send us one of their own poems for us to read. Given our time constraints, if you are an epic poet, remember that brevity is the soul of wit.

MLF: Humanities

MLF: Organizer: George Hammond

SPEAKERS:

Phillis Levin

Professor of English and Poet-in-Residence, Hofstra University; Editor, The Penguin Book of the Sonnet; Author, Mr. Memory & Other Poems

Paul Gupta

Cybersecurity and IP Litigation Attorney; Author, “Holding Lady Liberty’s Hand,” Headcount's Voter Registration Poem

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Commonwealth Club Week in Review for April 9, 2021 Apr 10, 2021

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.

We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.

If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.

Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.

Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening!

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Ty McCormick with James Fallows: Beyond the Sand and Sea Apr 09, 2021

Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya is home to more than 200,000 Somali refugees. Of these 200,000 people, 56 percent are children. These young boys and girls growing up in the world's largest refugee camp must resist recruitment into extremist groups, avoid brutality from security forces, and forego dangerous job opportunities. Asad Hussein, a Somali refugee born and raised in Dadaab, found resistance in donated novels written by American immigrants and through communication with his sister Maryan, who already found sanctuary in Arizona. Through stories of happenstance, long odds, impossibly good luck, and uncommon generosity, Hussein would eventually overcome tireless obstacles, reunite his family in the United States, and win a scholarship to study literature at Princeton University.

In his new book Beyond the Sand and Sea, American foreign correspondent Ty McCormick reports on Asad Hussein and his family over a three-year period to gain a better understanding of refugee life and place in America. The story of Asad, Maryan, and their family’s escape from Dadaab Refugee Camp is just one of many. This timeless narrative uncovers the perseverance of refugees everywhere, and exposes the broken refugee resettlement system that has kept thousands of families in permanent exile.

Join us as Ty McCormick speaks on his experiences with Asad Hussein and his family to give readers a better understanding of refugee life and belonging in the world.

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Suneel Gupta with DJ Patil: Convincing Others to Back Your Dreams Apr 09, 2021

Entrepreneur Suneel Gupta argues that it's more important than ever to be "backable," to get the support we need for re-entering the workforce, changing life direction after quarantine, and navigating a very different social scene. Gupta, who comes from a family of highly backable people—including his mother, Damyanti Hingorani, the first woman engineer for Ford Motor Company, and his brother Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN—will also share advice for how we can all find support, based on his own backing of such companies as Impossible Foods, Airbnb, 23&Me and SpaceX. He will further reveal secrets of success from producers of Oscar-winning films, members of Congress, military leaders, culinary stars, venture capitalists, founders of unicorn-status startups, and executives at iconic companies such as Lego, Method and Pixar.

Gupta says he went from being afraid to speak inside a room to running for public office. He went from being rejected by every major investor he pitched to raising millions of dollars of funding from the same investors that backed Google, Uber, and Airbnb. Come hear the advice and amazing personal story of a man who struggled to find his voice and now, among his other achievements, also serves as the emissary for Gross National Happiness between the United States and the Kingdom of Bhutan.

SPEAKERS

Suneel Gupta

J.D. M.B.A., Lecture on Innovation, Harvard University; Author, Backable: The Surprising Truth Behind What Makes People Take a Chance on You

DJ Patil

Ph.D., Former U.S. Chief Technology Officer; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ethan Russell: Rock and Roll Photography Apr 08, 2021

Ethan Russell is a multi-Grammy nominated photographer and director, and was the tour photographer for The Rolling Stones on the 69 Let it Bleed tour. Russell was almost literally on the last chopper out of the Sixties when he was airlifted with The Rolling Stones from Altamont in the far East Bay of San Francisco.

These moments and many more fill the pages of Russell's recently released career retrospective Best Seat in the House, a 200+ page coffee table photography book. The beautiful book includes rare and iconic images of The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, The Doors, The Eagles, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, James Taylor, Steve Winwood and many, many more.

Russell's photographs are about history----his own, that of his subjects, and the music industry. Russell's photographs show us rock and roll as it grows into a bigger and bigger business through the increased number of managers and handlers. It is a story of particular relevance to San Francisco—and to anyone who cares about rock and roll.

Please join us for an intimate conversation and special interactive presentation with Russell. If you like rock and roll or photography, it's a program you don't want to miss.

About the Speaker

Ethan Russell was born on November 26, 1945, in Mount Kisco, New York, and moved to San Francisco in the early 1950s. The multiple Grammy-nominated photographer, author, and director is the only photographer to have shot album covers for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. Just a boy from California, Russell was barely established when he took his first pictures of Mick Jagger; he became one of the foremost rock photographers in the world only a few years later. A pioneer in music video, he is an award-winning creative director and the author of three previous books: Dear Mr. Fantasy, Let It Bleed: The Rolling Stones 1969 U.S. Tour, and Ethan Russell: An American Story.

Note: This program contains Explicit Language

SPEAKERS

Ethan Russell

Photographer; Author, Best Seat in the House

Paul Liberatore

Correspondent/Columnist, Marin Independent Journal

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Shankar Vedantam: Useful Delusions Apr 08, 2021

Celebrate April Fool's Day by joining us for a virtual discussion with Shankar Vendantam about how useful fooling ourselves can actually be. It is of course clear that self-deception does terrible harm to ourselves, to our communities and to the planet. But if it is so irretrievably bad for us, why is it so ubiquitous?

Paradoxically, Vedantam argues that self-deception also plays a vital role in our successes and our well-being. Most of us are at least vaguely aware that the lies we tell ourselves lubricate our daily interactions with our friends, lovers and co-workers. But those lies can also explain why some people live longer than others, why some couples remain in love and others don’t, and why some nations hold together while others splinter. Drawing on new insights in psychology, neuroscience and philosophy, Vendantam comes to the fascinating conclusion that, if we were just honest about our lies, we might begin to understand ourselves, and our human lives, much better.

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Shankar Vedantam

Host, "Hidden Brain" Podcast and Public Radio Show; Co-Author, Useful Delusions

In Conversation with Dacher Keltner

Ph.D, Founding Director, Greater Good Science Center; Professor of Psychology, University of California Berkeley; Host, "The Science of Happiness" Podcast

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Michael Pritchard: There’s No “I” in Team Apr 07, 2021

San Francisco-based Michael Pritchard travels America teaching the art of learning through laughter and play. He has done voices for many characters on television and in movies and cartoons. A first-prize winner in comedy and counseling, Michael will use humor and humanitarian observations from his decades of working in the education and justice fields to talk (and laugh) about building compassion and community.

About the Speaker

Michael Pritchard began his career on both the comedy stage and as a juvenile counselor in San Francisco’s Youth Guidance Center. In 1980, Michael Pritchard won first place in the San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition as well as winning the prestigious California Probation Officer of the Year. Drawing from his counseling background, Michael Pritchard began using humor to inspire, teach communication skills, anger management, diversity, conflict resolution and overcoming burnout and stress. In recognition for his award winning work in social emotional education and promoting nonviolence with youth, Michael Pritchard was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Hartwick University.

MLF ORGANIZER

Anne W. Smith

NOTES

MLF: Arts

SPEAKERS

Michael Pritchard

Comedian

Carol Fleming

Principal, The Sound of Your Voice—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on April 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Politics of Immigration in Modern America Apr 07, 2021

Discussions on immigration policy often focus on building and tearing down walls, keeping people out of the country, and maintaining law and order. Debates over the social contract and the rights of citizens versus noncitizens shape our understanding of immigration and influence the extent to which protections are provided for immigrants. In her new book The Walls Within, historian Sarah Coleman seeks to shift discourse on immigration politics away from the security of international borders and toward domestic policy and its effect on civil rights.

Drawing on new materials from past presidential administrations, immigration groups and civil rights organizations, Coleman examines who is entitled to the American dream, and how such dreams can be subverted for those already calling the country home. She shows that immigration politics is not just about building walls, but about employer sanctions, access to schools, welfare and the role of local authorities in implementing policies.

Join us as Sarah Coleman dives deep into the politics of immigration control and its implications for the idea of citizenship for all.

SPEAKERS

Sarah Coleman

Assistant Professor of History, Texas State University; Author, The Walls Within: The Politics of Immigration in Modern America

In Conversation with Marshall Fitz

Managing Director of Immigration, Emerson Collective

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 31st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Jamal Greene: How Rights Went Wrong in America Apr 07, 2021

America prides itself on freedom and guaranteed rights for all its citizens, but has the explosion of rights resulted in a partisan divide among its citizens?

You have the right to remain silent and the right to free speech. The right to worship, and to doubt. The right to be free from discrimination, and to hate. These rights were not written at the founding of our country, but rather an afterthought of our country’s founding fathers. It wasn't until the racial strife resulting from the Civil War and missteps by the Supreme Court that rights gained a great deal of controversy. This controversy has falsely led many Americans to believe that awarding rights to one group means denying rights to others.

Columbia professor and constitutional law expert Jamal Greene seeks to understand this phenomenon in his new book How Rights Went Wrong: Why Our Obsession with Rights Is Tearing America Apart. Greene says that in order to prevent society from complete division, we must recouple rights for all with justice for all.

Join us as Greene grounds us in the foundations of our country and envisions a future of equity and guaranteed rights for every American.

NOTES

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s Future of Democracy Series, supported by Betsy and Roy Eisenhardt.

SPEAKERS

Jamal Greene

Dwight Professor of Law, Columbia Law School; Author, How Rights Went Wrong: Why Our Obsession with Rights Is Tearing America Apart

Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell

(Ret.), Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 31st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Sherry Turkle and Tiffany Shlain: Empathy in the Technology Age Apr 06, 2021

American life is dominated by machines: our computers, our televisions, our phones. This has been especially true over the past year as technology kept us connected—to our jobs, our friends, our families, even our doctors. But, as the country sees the light at the end of the tunnel of the pandemic, what now? What has our reliance on technology done to us for not only the past year, but for the past decade (or longer)?

Two authors, Sherry Turkle and Tiffany Shlain, will use the occasion of the publications of Turkle's new book (The Empathy Diaries: A Memoir) and the paperback version of Shlain's book (24/6: Giving up Screens One Day a Week to Get More Time, Creativity, and Connection) to have an intimate and timely discussion on the urgent need to reclaim humanity and empathy in this technological age.

Turke's latest book illuminates our present search for authentic connection in a time of uncharted challenges. Her book ties together her coming-of-age and her pathbreaking research on technology, empathy and ethics. Growing up in postwar Brooklyn, Turkle searched for clues to her identity in a house filled with mysteries. She mastered the codes that governed her mother’s secretive life. She learned never to ask about her absent scientist father—and never to use his name, her name. Before empathy became a way to find connection, it was her strategy for survival.

Shlain's book recounts the efforts she and her family have made to gain more time, productivity, connection and presence in their lives by giving up screens for one day a week. Her book takes readers on a thought-provoking and entertaining journey through time and technology, introducing a strategy for flourishing in our 24/7 world. Drawn from the ancient ritual of Shabbat, she says that living 24/6 can work for anyone from any background. With humor and wisdom, Shlain shares her story, offering the accessible lessons she has learned and providing a blueprint for how to do it yourself.

Please join for this special event about the critical need to reclaim our lives from technology.

SPEAKERS

Sherry Turkle

Author, The Empathy Diaries: A Memoir

Tiffany Shlain

Author, 24/6: Giving up Screens One Day a Week to Get More Time, Creativity, and Connection

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mark Bittman: Animal, Vegetable, Junk Apr 06, 2021

A century ago, food was industrialized. Since then, new styles of agriculture and food production have written a new chapter of human history, one that’s driving both climate change and global health crises. Best-selling food authority Mark Bittman will offer a panoramic view of the story and explain how we can rescue ourselves from the modern wrong turn.

Mark Bittman has been a leading voice in global food culture and policy for more than three decades. Born in New York City in 1950, Bittman began writing professionally in 1978. After five years as a general assignment reporter, he turned all of his attention to food. His first cookbook, Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking, was published in 1994 and remains in print; since then he has written or co-written thirty others, including the How to Cook Everything series.

Bittman was a distinguished fellow at the University of California, Berkeley and a fellow at the Union of Concerned Scientists; he remains a fellow at Yale and is now on the faculty of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. He has received six James Beard Awards, four IACP Awards, and numerous other honors. He is also the editor-in-chief of "The Mark Bittman Project," a newsletter and website focusing on all aspects of food, from political to delicious. His most recent book is his history of food and humanity, Animal, Vegetable, Junk.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patty James

NOTES

MLF:Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Mark Bittman

Fellow, Yale University; Faculty Member, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University; Winner of 6 James Beard Awards; Editor-in-Chief, "The Mark Bittman Project"; Author, Animal, Vegetable, Junk

Patty James

M.S., N.C. Nutritionist; Chef; Author—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Commonwealth Club Week in Review for April 2, 2021 Apr 03, 2021

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.

We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.

If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.

Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.

Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening!

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Mary Marcy and Lande Ajose: The Future of Higher Education Apr 02, 2021

Before the challenges of 2020, most of higher education was already facing intense demographic, financial and cultural pressures. Now, with the likelihood of some online learning remaining part of college curriculum even post-pandemic, what does the future hold for higher education? What questions should students and families be asking institutions as they prepare to return to campus in the fall? Will higher education as we once knew it return, or has the pandemic fundamentally changed how students will experience college? Join us for this engaging conversation between two seasoned experts on the rapidly changing state of higher education, and how colleges are preparing to meet the needs of students for generations to come.

Dr. Marcy is the ninth president of Dominican University of California, serving since 2011. Her research focuses on higher education innovation and transformation. She has published and presented extensively on issues of leadership, strategy and diversity. She holds a doctorate and master's degree in politics from the University of Oxford.

As California Governor Gavin Newsom's senior policy advisor for higher education, Dr. Ajose is responsible for developing and shaping the governor’s higher education policy agenda, which is focused on protecting college affordability, preserving college access and increasing system efficiency to meet the state’s need for a skilled and educated workforce. Most recently she led the Governor's Recovery with Equity task force. She holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Mary Marcy

Ph.D., President, Dominican University of California; Board Member, Commonwealth Club; Author, The Small College Imperative: Models for Sustainable Futures

In Conversation with Dr. Lande Ajose

Ph.D., Senior Policy Advisor for Higher Education to Governor Gavin Newsom

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Cult-like Behavior in Extreme Trump Followers Apr 02, 2021

In a recent article on The Daily Beast, Dr. Steven Hassan refers to the cult leaders’ “playbook” and lists some of the mind-control strategies employed by former President Donald Trump: These include his grandiose claims, his practice of sowing confusion, his demand for absolute loyalty, his tendency to lie and create alternative "facts" and realities, his shunning and belittling of critics and ex-believers, and his cultivating an "us versus them" mindset. Of all these tactics, the "us versus them" mindset is probably one of the most effective. He says that from the moment you are recruited into a cult, you are made to feel special, part of an "inside" group in opposition to unenlightened, unbelieving, dangerous "outsiders."

Join us for an intriguing talk with Dr. Hassan on cult-like behavior in the political world.

Steven Hassan, Ph.D., is a mental health professional who has been helping people leave destructive cults since 1976 after he was deprogrammed from Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church. He is the author of four books Combating Cult Mind Control: The Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults; Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves; Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Thoughts & Beliefs; and The Cult of Trump: A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patrick O'Reilly

NOTES

MLF: Psychology

SPEAKERS

Steven Hassan

Ph.D., Author, The Cult of Trump: A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control

Patrick O'Reilly

Chair, Psychology Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 30th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Climate One: Entrepreneurs Creating an Inclusive Economy Apr 02, 2021

Guests:

Sandra Kwak, CEO and Founder, 10Power

Donnel Baird, CEO, BlocPower

Andreas Karelas, Author, Climate Courage: How Tackling Climate Change Can Build Community, Transform the Economy, and Bridge the Political Divide in America

Summary: As the spring of 2021 arrives, it would be hard to design a more challenging — or more promising — moment for implementing climate solutions. Americans are reeling from an economic shutdown that’s pushed many out of the workforce, and widened the gap between the wealthy and the poor. In this brave new post-Covid world, can President Biden step up where Obama couldn’t?

“I'm delighted about what I'm seeing from the Biden-Harris team,” notes Donnel Baird, CEO of BlocPower. “Climate justice and racial equality are wedded together alongside employment, alongside public health and working our way out of these kinds of four simultaneous crises we’re dealing with.” From big tech to clean energy, what are the opportunities for scaling new solutions — and where do inequity and politics continue to set us back?

Related links:

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Rob Kenner and Davey D: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle Mar 31, 2021

Nipsey Hussle lived a life full of passion for his craft and compassion for his community. As a prolific rapper and artist, Nipsey strove for excellence in his work without forgetting Crenshaw, Los Angeles, the neighborhood he grew up in and sought to lift out of poverty. In his new book The Marathon Don’t Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle, music journalist Rob Kenner studies Nipsey’s life in exacting detail, sharing interviews from friends and family that reveal unknown information about Nipsey’s goals and mission. While Nipsey’s tragic passing deprived the world of his future success, Kenner emphasizes the influence Nipsey already held at his young age.

Join Rob Kenner at INFORUM to learn more about Nipsey’s life and his legacy, which will have an impact long beyond his lifetime. This conversation is moderated by Dave “Davey D” Cook, a hip hop historian and professor at San Francisco State University.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

SPEAKERS

Rob Kenner

Founding editor, Vibe Magazine; Author, The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle

Davey D

Hip-hop historian; Professor, Department of Africana Studies, San Francisco State University

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Matthew Lacombe: The NRA, Gun Owners and Politics Mar 31, 2021

The National Rifle Association is widely considered to be one of the most influential—and arguably most controversial—interest groups in America. In its infancy, the NRA operated as a nonpartisan organization for gun owners to learn firearm safety, practice marksmanship and shoot for recreation. The organization has expanded into a political powerhouse since then. Despite existing in an era where mass shootings and other gun-related deaths provoke public outcry, the NRA still manages to exert its power and consistently defeat proposals for gun restrictions.

In his new book Firepower, political researcher Matthew Lacombe seeks to understand how the NRA came to be this powerful. Drawing on nearly a century of archives and records, Lacombe discovers that the NRA has fashioned a distinct pro-gun worldview among its supporters to influence their political actions and mobilize them when necessary. He says the NRA has used its large, unified and active base to secure an alliance with the Republican Party and ensure its political objectives are advanced. Lacombe sheds new light on how the NRA has grown powerful by mobilizing average Americans, and how it uses its GOP alliance to shape the national agenda and maintain political power.

Join us as Matthew Lacombe discusses Firepower and reveals how the NRA has turned its once-nonpartisan membership into modern political pawns.

SPEAKERS

Matthew Lacombe

Assistant Professor of Political Science, Columbia University; Author, Firepower: How the NRA Turned Gun Owners into a Political Force

In Conversation with John Boland

President Emeritus, KQED Public Media; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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One Year Later: COVID Tracking Project and the Power of Data with Alexis Madrigal Mar 30, 2021

In February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we know it in the United States, journalists Alexis Madrigal and Erin Kissane of The Atlantic started the COVID Tracking Project. The project was an effort to provide comprehensive data and to pressure public health agencies to publish better metrics regarding the spread of COVID-19. While the founders only anticipated that the project would last a few weeks until the government began to keep more accurate numbers, the project will officially cease collecting data on March 7, exactly one year after it started.

Join Alexis Madrigal at INFORUM to learn more about how the project has functioned in the past year, the staff’s experiences working with government officials, and what lessons Madrigal has to impart as our society begins to envision a post-pandemic world.

SPEAKERS

Alexis Madrigal

Staff Writer, The Atlantic; Founder, The COVID Tracking Project

In Conversation with DJ Patil

Ph.D., Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist; Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A Healthy Society Series: 10,000 a Day Turn 65 in America. The Rise of Family Caregivers of the Elderly Mar 30, 2021

The U.S. population is aging. The number of Americans aged 65 and older will more than double over the next 40 years, reaching 80 million in 2040. The group most often needing help with basic personal care, adults ages 85 and older, will nearly quadruple between 2000 and 2040.

Aging in place will be an option for many people, which means staying in the comfort of your own home, rather than moving into a retirement or long-term care facility. Most of the care provided to older adults in this country comes from families, friends and neighbors. In fact, by 2030, it is projected that half of the families in the United States will be involved in caring for an older adult.

While home-based care is less expensive than institutional care, few of the 45 million family caregivers in the United States are trained or paid to provide this complex care. In California, the economic value of family care was put at $63 trillion in 2017. This vast labor force could be tapped for future success, including better health outcomes, less demand on the health-care system, and reduced costs. But optimizing the home-based caregiver system requires a systematic approach, which will be discussed by our panel of experts.

MLF ORGANIZER

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Theresa (Terri) Harvath

Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FGSA, Professor and Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives, Family Caregiving Institute, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis

Susan C. Reinhard

Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Senior Vice President and Director, AARP Public Policy Institute; Chief Strategist, Center to Champion Nursing in America and Family Caregiving Initiatives

Jonathan Davis

Founder and CEO, Trualta

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Silenced No More: Can a New Law Change How NDAs Silence the Abused? Mar 29, 2021

When Ifeoma Ozoma and a colleague resigned from the policy team at Pinterest last year and went public with their claims of discrimination, racism and retaliation at the social media giant, they helped fuel an ongoing examination of the corporate cultures in Silicon Valley and elsewhere that often reveal racial disparities that belie companies' public statements of gender and racial equity. Ozoma found herself being "doxed" — her personal information shared online by her opponents — and unsupported by the company's executives. Now she is working on an initiative that could help employees reporting discrimination get around often-stifling NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) they have signed.

Join us for a conversation with Ozoma about her initiative and the experience of herself and many others in the corporate world.

Ozoma is the founder and principal of Earthseed, a consulting firm advising individuals, organizations and companies on the issues of tech accountability, public policy, health misinformation and related communications. She is a tech policy expert with experience leading global public policy partnerships, public policy related content safety development, and U.S. federal, state and international policymaker engagement at Pinterest, Facebook, and Google.

Ozoma's health misinformation initiatives have been lauded by the World Health Organization, The Washington Post’s editorial board, and The New York Times. Ozoma is on the First Draft, Inc., board of directors. She is also a member of the Brookings Institution’s Transatlantic Working Group on Disinformation and The Washington Post's Technology 202 Network.

Projects Ozoma has taken on include: leading legislation with California State Senator Connie Leyva to allow every individual in California to share information about discrimination they have faced on the job, even after signing an NDA; leading research and an initiative funded by Omidyar Network that will provide tech whistleblowers with needed resources; serving as a juror on the Google News Initiative COVID-19 Vaccine Counter-Misinformation Open Fund; advising a UN agency on coronavirus vaccine messaging and vaccine misinformation management; serving on the Selection Committee of the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public’s Award for Excellence; and advising large nonprofit organizations on addressing misinformation and engagement with large tech platforms.

NOTES

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See more upcoming and past Michelle Meow Shows at The Commonwealth Club.

SPEAKERS

Ifeoma Ozoma

Founder and Principal, Earthseed

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Commonwealth Club Week in Review for March 26, 2021 Mar 28, 2021

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.

We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.

If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.

Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.

Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening!

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Kim Scott: Just Work Mar 26, 2021

Too often, people are told to be professional and maintain traditional order in workplace settings, but this often leaves employees abandoning their humanity as soon as they step into the company building. As workplaces diversify, leaders are challenged to create a safe, justice-oriented working environment that simultaneously promotes creative individuality and traditional business models.

Enter Kim Scott, author of the new book Just Work, looking to transform the modern workplace. She seeks to encourage leaders to create more just workplaces and establish new norms of collaboration and respect. With experience advising at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter and other tech companies, Scott shares her knowledge and power for confronting modern workplace challenges, and offers a new solution.

Join us as Kim Scott reimagines workplace settings to create more just and humane company environments

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 23rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Don Lemon with Valerie Jarrett Mar 26, 2021

For too long, Americans have treated racism as a disease of the past. Now, it’s more than obvious that symptoms of intolerance and discrimination still linger today. Many are fatigued fighting for racial equality and attempting to solve a centuries-old problem, begging the urgent question: How can we end American racism in our lifetimes?

CNN anchor Don Lemon seeks an answer. In his new book This Is the Fire, Lemon examines America’s systemic flaws that prevent equality for all. As America’s only Black prime-time anchor, Lemon has achieved mass popularity from his thoughtful and nuanced takes on modern racism. In his book, he shares his vulnerable experiences growing up in the shadows of segregation and his adult confrontations with scholars and politicians alike. In doing so, Lemon offers a searing and poetic plea to America: we must resist racism every day, and we must resist it with love.

Join us as Don Lemon and Valerie Jarrett, President Barack Obama’s most trusted friend and advisor, imagine a better, more equal future for all Americans.

SPEAKERS

Don Lemon

Anchor, "CNN Tonight with Don Lemon"; Author, This Is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism; Twitter @donlemon

In Conversation with Valerie Jarrett

Former Senior Adviser to President Barack Obama; Twitter@ValerieJarrett

n response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 19th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Weird Winters Mar 26, 2021

Warmer, shorter winters may sound like an impact of climate change that would inspire more joy than despair. But rising temperatures and decreasing snowpack won’t just transform water supplies and species ranges. It will also disrupt a multi-billion dollar winter sport industry, including the jobs and local economies associated with them.

“If we're not able to ski or snowboard anymore,” says Mario Molina, CEO of Protect Our Winters, “the least of our concerns will be the activities that we participate in.” So how are winter sports enthusiasts and others preparing to weather the storm?

Speakers:

Elizabeth Burakowski, Assistant Professor, Earth Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire

Kit DesLauriers, National Geographic Explorer; Skimountaineer

Geraldine Link, Director of Public Policy, National Ski Areas Association

Mario Molina, CEO, Protect our Winters

Related Links:

Protect Our Winters

Higher Love: Climbing and Skiing the Seven Summits

National Ski Areas Association

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Walter Isaacson: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of Humans Mar 25, 2021

Jennifer Doudna has changed the life-science field. In 1987, she and her collaborators created CRISPR, an easy-to-use tool that can edit DNA, and opened a brave new world of medical miracles. Conversely, the invention of CRISPR raised many moral questions. With the device, scientists can now detect and destroy DNA, hypothetically making humans less susceptible to viruses, preventing depression, enhancing individual height or muscles or IQ.

In his new book The Code Breaker, famed biographer Walter Isaacson follows Doudna from when she first learned what “the double helix” is all the way to her winning the 2020 Nobel Prize. Driven by a passion to understand how nature works and to turn discoveries into inventions, Doudna has become a leader in the scientific field, often wrestling with the moral issues that arise from her discovery.

Join us as Walter Isaacson traces a thrilling detective tale that involves the most profound wonders of nature, from the origins of life to the future of our species.

NOTES

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Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

This program is done in association with Wonderfest.

SPEAKERS

Walter Isaacson

Professor of History, Tulane University, Former CEO, Aspen Institute, Author, The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race

In Conversation with Kishore Hari

Strategic Partnerships, Science Communications and Engagement, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Celebrating Women's History Month: Women Leaders and the Future of Politics Mar 25, 2021

Join us for a discussion of women in politics, paths to success, making a difference, and how female leaders are shaping the future.

Meet the Speakers

Malia M. Cohen serves as a member of the California State Board of Equalization (BOE), California’s elected tax commission. She was elected to the BOE in November 2018, served as Chair in 2019, and is the first African-American woman to serve on the Board. As the BOE Board Member for District 2, she represents 10 million constituents living in all or parts of 23 counties extending from Del Norte County in the north to Santa Barbara County in the south. In January 2019, her BOE Board Member colleagues unanimously selected her to serve as Chair of the Board. A strong advocate for social justice and inclusion, Board Member Cohen pledges to ensure that the views of all who come before the Board of Equalization are considered carefully, with respect, civility, and courtesy.

Fiona Ma, CPA, is California’s 34th state treasurer. She was elected on November 6, 2018 with more votes (7,825,587) than any other candidate for treasurer in the state's history. She is the first woman of color and the first female Certified Public Accountant (CPA) elected to the position. Ma was a member of the State Assembly from 2006–2012, serving as speaker pro tempore from 2010–2012. Prior to serving as speaker pro tempore, she was Assembly majority whip and built coalitions during a state budget crisis to pass groundbreaking legislation that protected public education and the environment while also expanding access to health care.

Stefanie G. Roumeliotes, a native to the San Francisco Bay Area, has parlayed her passions for supporting political candidates and causes, and enhancing the welfare of others, into a highly productive career as a seasoned strategist and fundraiser in the political and non-profit arenas. Recognized nationally as a leader in her field, Stefanie has established an admirable reputation for handling each enterprise she manages with expertise and success. In 2004, Stefanie founded SGR Consulting, of which she is CEO.

SPEAKERS

Malia M. Cohen

Member, California State Board of Equalization; Former Member, San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Fiona Ma

CPA, Treasurer, State of California; Former Member, San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Stefanie G. Roumeliotes

Founder and CEO, SGR Consulting; Northwestern Finance Director, Hillary Clinton 2008 Presidential Campaign

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Silicon Valley Reads: Connecting with Nature in a Pandemic Mar 24, 2021

What has the impact of the pandemic been on the environment? What happens when there is a confluence of climate change, racial tensions and a pandemic?

Yarnold and Mackenzie will discuss the ways we can be more connected to the environment during this time with special guest Tiwari.

In Partnership with Santa Clara County Office of Education, Santa Clara County Library District, and San Jose Public Library.

SPEAKERS

David Yarnold

President, National Audubon Society

Andrea Mackenzie

General Manager, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority

Vayun Tiwari

Youth Winner of the 2020 National Audubon Society’s National Photography Award

Sal Pizarro

Columnist, Mercury News—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Looking Ahead: The Future of the Bay Area's Innovation Economy Mar 24, 2021

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of shelter-in-place orders in the Bay Area, life for millions has changed drastically throughout the region. Among the most significant changes to date has been in the innovation and tech economy, which has super-charged the region's employment and housing markets. Over the past year, many of the region's top companies have announced new work-from-home policies that will outlast the pandemic. Meanwhile, many start up companies have folded and many tech employees have left the city itself, if not the region.

The Bay Area tech and innovation economy has gone through challenges before, but is this time different? And what will these changes mean for the region's economy. Please join us for the first of several conversations on the future of the economy of San Francisco after the COVID-19 pandemic.

SPEAKERS

Jennifer Stojkovic

Executive Director, sf.citi

Ahmad Thomas

CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group

Sean Randolph

Senior Director, Bay Area Economic Institute—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Help from Abroad: China-based Donors and International Partners Help U.S. Hospitals Fight COVID-19 Mar 23, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused myriad changes, but one of special significance has been the little-publicized flow of aid to the United States from China-based Americans, Chinese organizations and citizens, and even the Chinese government itself. This has taken the form of donations of personal protective equipment (PPE), cash and valuable services. Diverse organizations such as MedShare International, Flexport.org and the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai have entered into agreements and partnerships to benefit U.S.-based hospitals, such as San Francisco’s own Chinese Hospital.

Join us for a discussion with representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai), Chinese Hospital, Flexport.org, MedShare International and San Francisco State University; the program will be moderated by KPIX's Betty Yu.

Meet the Speakers

David Basmajian is senior advisor for public affairs at Takeda Pharmaceuticals and served as a member of the Board of Governors at the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. David was instrumental in bringing overseas support from China to many nonprofit organizations in the United States, including Chinese Hospital.

Jason Chernock serves as director of programs and partnerships for MedShare. He focuses on building partnerships with the health-care industry to advance MedShare’s mission and oversees the organization’s national gift-in-kind strategy. Jason joined MedShare in 2014.

Dave Hartman is an operations manager at Flexport.org, which expedites free shipping of health-care and disaster relief supplies for nonprofit organizations engaged in humanitarian response work. He previously worked on a disaster response team with Save the Children, deploying to emergencies in Iraq, Liberia, Nepal and Jordan.

Eric Talbert teaches at San Francisco State University in the Nonprofit Management Program. He also has more than 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience with a focus on advancing human rights locally and globally. In his former role at MedShare, Eric drew together nonprofit health-care organizations with much-needed PPE, free shipping via Flexport, as well as import assistance.

Dr. Jian Zhang has been CEO of Chinese Hospital since 2017. Her service throughout the Chinese Hospital system began in 1996. Among numerous awards and certifications, Dr. Zhang is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. In 2021 she was named a Distinguished Woman of the Year for the State of California by Assemblymember David Chiu.

Betty Yu joined KPIX 5 in November 2013 as a general assignment reporter. A Bay Area native, Betty graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with degrees in political science and rhetoric. She also has a Master of Science degree in journalism from Columbia University.

MLF ORGANIZER

Ian McCuaig and Lillian Nakagawa

NOTES

MLF: Asia-Pacific Affairs

SPEAKERS

David Basmajian

Senior Advisor for Public Affairs, Takeda Pharmaceuticals

ason Chernock

Director of Programs and Partnerships, MedShare

Eric Talbert

San Francisco State University, Nonprofit Management Program

Dave Hartman

Senior Operations Associate, Flexport.org

Dr. Jian Zhang

CEO, Chinese Hospital

Betty Yu

Reporter, KPIX—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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London Breed and Shamann Walton: Bolstering the African American Community Mar 23, 2021

African Americans currently make up 5 percent of San Francisco's population but also comprise nearly 40 percent of its homeless residents. African Americans are also reported to have the city's highest mortality rates and lowest median household incomes, along with a disproportionately high percentage of police use-of-force incidents.

To improve these conditions, based on recommendations from a community engagement process led by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton have proposed a budget that will enact "transformative change" and spur investment in the AfrIcan-American community. The budget will redirect $120 million from law enforcement agencies and into programs that support the city’s Black community. These funds would go toward initiatives expanding mental health and wellness and reducing homelessness in the Black community; supporting education, youth development and economic opportunities; and developing a plan to replace police officers with social workers as the main responders to noncriminal calls involving the homeless and mentally ill.

Join an important discussion about the current state and future of San Francisco's African-American community.

Held in association with INFORUM.

SPEAKERS

London Breed

Mayor of San Francisco

Shamann Walton

President, San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Fred Blackwell

CEO, The San Francisco Foundation—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 5th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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19th Century New Orleans' Free Black Brotherhood Mar 23, 2021

Join us for a virtual discussion with Fatima Shaik about New Orleans' vibrant and singular French-speaking Creole culture.

Statistics show that for the first four decades of the 19th century, almost half of the city’s Black people were free. This compares to only 14 percent nationwide prior to 1865. In the face of an oppressive white society, though, members of the Société d'Economie et d'Assistance Mutuelle built a community and held it together throughout the era of slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow terrorism. Shaik reconstructs the Economy Hall culture by following Ludger Boguille, and his family and friends, through landmark events—from the Haitian Revolution to the birth of jazz—that helped shape New Orleans and the United States.

Based on a century's worth of handwritten journals, which Shaik's father rescued from a trash hauler's pickup truck, the story that emerges from those journals' pages reveals one of the most important multiethnic, intellectual communities in the U.S. South: educators, world-traveling merchants, soldiers, tradesmen, and poets. Although Louisiana law classified them as men of color, Negroes, or Blacks, the Economie brothers rejected these racial distinctions, and their implied racism and colorism, to fight for suffrage and education rights for all.

Shaik, a direct descendant of an Economy Hall member, has constructed a meticulously detailed narrative of New Orleans' unique history.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Fatima Shaik

Author, Economy Hall: The Hidden History of a Free, Black Brotherhood

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Addressing Anti-Asian Violence Mar 22, 2021

Anti-Asian crimes have spiked since the pandemic started, with more than 3,000 incidents occurring all across the country. What is behind this increase in hate crimes, what is being done about it, and what still needs to be done to stop it?

Join us for a discussion with three Asian American leaders about addressing anti-Asian violence in America.

Nikki Fortunato Bas is president of the Oakland City Council and represents District 2, one of the most diverse districts in the city. Since taking office in 2019, she led the passage of the strongest COVID-19 eviction moratorium in the state of California and a COVID-19 grocery worker hazard pay $5 wage bonus covering 2,000 workers in Oakland’s largest grocery stores.

Russell Jeung is a professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University. In 2020, Dr. Jeung launched Stop AAPI Hate, a project of Chinese for Affirmative Action, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, and San Francisco State Asian American Studies. It tracks COVID-19 related discrimination in order to develop community resources and policy interventions to fight racism.

Michelle Kim is a queer immigrant Korean American woman writer, speaker and entrepreneur challenging the status quo in tech and beyond. She is the CEO of Awaken, a leading provider of interactive equity and inclusion education programs facilitated by majority BIPOC educators, where she has consulted hundreds of organizations and top executives from Fortune 500, tech giants, nonprofits and government agencies to spark change.

NOTES

The Commonwealth Club thanks Gilead Sciences, Inc. for its generous support of The Michelle Meow Show.

The Michelle Meow Show thanks Kaiser Permanente for its support of independent LGBTQ media producers.

SPEAKERS

Nikki Fortunato Bas

President, Oakland City Council

Russell Jeung

Professor of Asian American Studies, San Francisco State University; Author, Family Sacrifices: The Worldviews and Ethics of Chinese Americans

Michelle Kim

CEO, Awaken; Author,The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change (Forthcoming)

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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When Words Aren’t Enough: The Visual Climate Story Mar 20, 2021

Guests:

Céline Cousteau, Explorer and Filmmaker

Davis Guggenheim, Director, An Inconvenient Truth; Founder, Concordia Studio

Cristina Mittermeier, National Geographic Photographer; Co-Founder, SeaLegacy

While IPCC risk assessments and emission projections can help us understand climate change, they don’t exactly inspire the imagination or provoke a personal response to the crisis. But a growing league of storytellers is using photographs, films and the human experience to breathe life into the cerebral science of climate change and conservation. So how can films, photographs, and the human experience convey the urgency of the climate story?

“15 years ago we needed to convince people that it was real,” notes director and producer Davis Guggenheim, “and then we need to convince people that humans are causing it. And then you want to convince people that this is the most urgent story of our time.”

Guggenheim’s documentaries include He Named Me Malala, Waiting for Superman, and a certain Academy award-winning film with former Vice-President Al Gore. Over the years he’s learned that good climate storytelling requires a delicate balance between a compelling character and a path to action.

“We always thought the An Inconvenient Truth was a redemption story about a politician who lost an election,” he says, “and it was his mission in life to tell this truth that he knew.”

Sometimes the compelling character in a climate narrative is the filmmaker herself. In Tribes on the Edge, a new documentary that explores the threats to the land, rights, and health of the Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley in the Brazilian Amazon,explorer and filmmaker Céline Cousteau reluctantly made herself part of the story.

“I did place myself in front of the camera so that I would create a bridge,” Cousteau says, “so that the audience would follow me as somebody perhaps more familiar, more accessible, the neighbor, and follow me into this adventure.”

Other visual artists, like photographer Cristina Mittermeier, try to let the images speak for themselves.

“I don't like photographing indigenous people as if they were encapsulated in the past in a romanticized way that no longer exist,” she says, “they live and walk amongst us and they look like us.”

Whatever their methods, these storytellers share a goal of trying to create a more equitable relationship with nature through images and sound.

“Do not ever forget that one of your main focus and goals is to shift consciousness,” explains Céline Cousteau, “and you may never know exactly what your films or stories have done, but you need to believe in what you're doing.”

RELATED LINKS:

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Commonwealth Club Week in Review for March 19, 2021 Mar 20, 2021

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.

We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.

If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.

Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.

Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening!

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Tim Shriver and Simon Sinek: The Call to Unite Mar 19, 2021

As the world concludes a a full year under the COVID-19 pandemic, many people and communities around the globe have felt a sense of doom and unrest. In the United States particularly, political and social divisions fueled a sense of societal darkness and sadness. However, there are signs of hope, particularly among a group of prominent spiritual and religious leaders, poets and thinkers, singers and writers brought together by Tim Shriver, longtime chairman of the Special Olympics.

At the start of 2020, despite the challenging times, Shriver saw an opportunity for those hungry for community to answer a call to heal, a call to hope, a call to unite. He asked monks and nuns, artists and activists, nurses and doctors, ex-presidents and ex-cons to come together to share messages of inspiration, transformation and love. The result? His new book, The Call to Unite—featuring stories and insights from Bishop TD Jakes, Elizabeth Gilbert, Van Jones, Amy Grant, Dr. Rheeda Walker, Pastor Rick Warren, Rev. Jacqui Lewis, Jewel, Deepak Chopra and many others—offers readers a book of wisdom to turn to in hard times. It is filled with prayers, poems, spiritual insights and lessons to live by that will stand the test of time.

In this conversation, Shriver and inspirational author Simon Sinek will offer those seeking affirmation, solace and inspiration guidance for finding the light at this challenging time. Please join us for a special program about coming together so we can we be our happiest—and our best.

SPEAKERS

Tim Shriver

Founder, UNITE; Chair, Special Olympics; Author, The Call to Unite: Voices of Hope and Awakening

Simon Sinek

Author, Start with Why—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Vaccination Equity: The Need to Protect All Communities Mar 19, 2021

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, equity issues have shaped our understanding of the pandemic and its disparate impacts. Since early 2020, African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus, shining a light on a range of socio-eonomic issues and disparities in housing, employment and access to public health services. Now, as the Bay Area begins to slowly re-open with the increasing availability of vaccines, the region is facing challenges in ensuring that vaccination rollout efforts are equitable.

Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, has been a significant voice on COVID equity issues regionally and nationally throughout the pandemic. She is currently working to ensure that shots reach not only the most impacted communities, but that leaders address what caused the stark pandemic inequities to begin with.

Please join us for an important conversation on the road ahead for vaccination equity, and the race to ensure all communities are protected in the weeks and months ahead.

NOTES

This important community program is made free to the public thanks to Salesforce.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo

Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco

Paula Goldman

Vice President, Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer, Salesforce—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Healthy Society Series: The National Campaign to Vaccinate America Mar 19, 2021

Dr. Choucair will describe the Biden administration's national vaccination campaign to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

The challenges ahead are enormous, but Dr Choucair is known as an innovator, and his previous work has set him up to handle this project. He is used to planning for large numbers of people. Prior to joining the administration, Dr. Choucair served as senior vice president and chief health officer at Kaiser Permanente. He oversaw the organization’s efforts focused on addressing the social health of its 12.2 million members and the 68 million people who live in the communities it serves. This work included the creation of the nation’s largest social health network to meet the housing, food and transportation needs of its members. He also managed Kaiser Permanente’s community health portfolio, including $3.4 billion dedicated to supporting medical financial assistance and charitable care as well as grants and community health initiatives. Before his time at Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Choucair was the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health for five years before serving as senior vice president of Safety Net and Community Health at Trinity Health. He has been named by Modern Healthcare as one of the 50 Most Influential Health Executives in the U.S., one of the Most Influential People in Healthcare and as one of the Top 25 Innovators in Healthcare.

MLF ORGANIZER

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Bechara Choucair

M.D., Vaccinations Coordinator, White House COVID Response Team

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

Ph.D., Chair, Health and Medicine MLF; General Advisor, Berkeley SkyDeck incubator and Accelerator; Advisor, Columbia University Master of Science Program in Bioethics; CEO, Health Innovation for People, Inc. (HIP)—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mine!—How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives Mar 18, 2021

Join us for a virtual discussion with law professors Michael Heller and James Salzman to discuss the hidden set of rules that reveals how things become "mine"—the favorite word of every two-year-old.

As adults, of course, the idea of ownership feels natural, whether we are buying a cup of coffee or a house. But who controls the space behind your airplane seat: your reclining self or the squished laptop user seated behind you? And why is plagiarism wrong, but it's okay to knock-off a recipe or a dress design? After a snowstorm, why does a chair in the street hold your parking space in Chicago, but in New York you lose both the space and the chair?

Heller and Salzman explain these puzzles and many more using six simple stories that almost everyone uses to claim almost everything. And although choosing which story to use is often based on our most obvious legal rights, we can always pick a different story to use. This is true not just for airplane seats, but also for battles over digital privacy, climate change and wealth inequality. As Heller and Salzman demonstrate with stories that are eye-opening, mind-bending and sometimes infuriating, ownership is always up for grabs.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Michael Heller

Lawrence A. Wien Professor of Real Estate Law, Columbia Law School; Co-Author, Mine!: How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives

James Salzman

Donald Bren Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, with Joint Appointments at the UCLA School of Law and the UCSB Bren School of the Environment; Co-Author, Mine!: How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives

In Conversation with George Hammond

Attorney; Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Orville Schell and Winston Lord: A Novel Approach to China Mar 18, 2021

In his debut novel, renowned China expert Orville Schell delves into the complexities of people whose lives have been historically upended by the tumult of political change, the pain of migration, and the separations of the Cold War that made it impossible to live in both worlds.

In moving from non-fiction to fiction, Schell's sweeping historical novel takes us on a journey from the rise of Mao Zedong in 1949 to the Tiananmen Square uprising in 1989, as a classical musician and his son are swept away by a relentless series of devastating events. Through their lives, we follow the fault line between the United States and China—a divide that at times has been narrow and easily crossed, while at other times perilously wide. At a time when the U.S.-China divide is once again widening, Schell’s fictional characters speak volumes about the agonies of separation that may yet again become a reality.

Join a unique discussion on U.S.-China relations (focusing on culture, music, religion and art as well as policy) with Schell and his longtime friend Ambassador Winston Lord, who served as Henry Kissinger’s main aide on his game-changing trip to China with President Richard Nixon in 1972 and subsequently became U.S. ambassador to China under President Reagan.

Part of our Good Lit Series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Winston Lord

Former U.S. Ambassador to China; Former President, Council on Foreign Relations

Orville Schell

Arthur Ross Director, Center on U.S.-China Relations, Asia Society; Former Professor and Dean, University of California, Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism; Author, My Old Home: A Novel of Exile

In conversation with James Fallows

National Correspondent, The Atlantic

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Andy Slavitt on the Pandemic Endgame: Looking Back and Looking Ahead Mar 18, 2021

On March 16, 2020, the leaders of the Bay Area announced a regional stay-at-home order that transformed life for millions in the Bay Area. At the time, it was one of the largest and most visible public actions taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Other regions soon followed. Exactly one year later, the Bay Area, California and United States are finally emerging from a public health crisis that has led to over 500,00 deaths and transformed life throughout the country. With vaccine supply increasing, the end of the pandemic is finally in sight.

Andy Slavitt, the new White House senior advisor on COVID-19, has been at the center of the fight against the pandemic since early 2020. Last year, he informally advised leading Republicans as well as Democrats across the country on effective strategies against COVOD-19. Early on, Slavitt teamed with former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb to propose a $46.5 billion plan for COVID-19 contact tracing and isolation and was lead author of an early open letter entitled “Stay Home, Save Lives” signed by 16 top Republican and Democratic figures. His impact and influence was felt by millions of people across the county.

Today, Slavitt is helping lead the new Biden administration's COVID-19 response efforts. As new variants of the virus continue to spread across the United States and some states reopen as the drop in cases plateaus, the Biden administration is working to increase the production and delivery of vaccines, create new places for people to get vaccinated, and address vaccine hesitancy in diverse communities. Slavitt is at the center of all these discussions.

Please join us for a discussion with one of the country’s savviest health professionals as we reflect on what we have learned over the past year and what it will take to finally return life to normal in the Bay Area, California and the United States as a whole.

SPEAKERS

Andy Slavitt

Senior Advisor, White House COVID-19 Response Team

Mark Zitter

Chair, The Zetema Project; Member, The Commonwealth Club of California Board of Governors—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Silicon Valley Reads: Always Home with Fanny Singer and Alice Waters Mar 16, 2021

In Always Home: A Daughter’s Recipes and Stories, Fanny Singer, daughter of food icon and activist Alice Waters, chronicles her unique world of food, wine and travel. Singer shares the story of her own culinary coming of age and reveals the dynamic relationship between a mother and daughter through connecting, recipes and, cooking.

SPEAKERS

Fanny Singer

Author, Always Home: A Daughter’s Recipes & Stories

Alice Waters

Chef, Chez Panisse

Carolyn Jung

Food Writer; Author, East Bay Cooks—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Mental Health and Communities of Color: From Stigma to Solutions Mar 16, 2021

Experts widely report that mental health treatment in Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) communities is severely lacking. Cultural differences and misunderstandings lead to diagnostic problems and hesitancy to seek treatment. The National Alliance on Mental Illness found that Black adults are more likely to report persistent symptoms of emotional distress than white adults, yet only one in three Black Americans who needs support gets it. Latinx, Asian and Indigenous people similarly have poor access to quality mental health services. BIPOC youth are more likely to end up in the criminal justice system, with their needs untreated. And the age of COVID has amplified the depth of these disparities and the ongoing systematic inequities for people of color.

How can medical professionals, government and the private sector work together in this challenging time to improve conditions and treatment as well as eliminate stigma for those needing care? UCSF Psychiatry Chief Dr. Lisa Fortuna will moderate and address solutions. San Francisco Human Rights Commission Director Sheryl Davis will focus on the impact of COVID-19 and racism across different populations. Stanford University psychiatrist Dr. Rona Hu will discuss treatment needs in Asian, Black and LGBTQ populations. YMCA President Emeritus Chuck Collins will provide community context based on his work with varied populations over the years. And youth activist Nicole Elmore will discuss her personal experiences.

Join this compelling conversation featuring health, community and human rights perspectives.

NOTES

Part of The Commonwealth Club’s series on mental health, dedicated in memory of Nancy Friend Pritzker, with support from the John Pritzker Family Fund.

SPEAKERS

Chuck Collins

President Emeritus, YMCA, San Francisco

Sheryl Davis

Executive Director, San Francisco Human Rights Commission.

Nicole Elmore

Community Youth Activist; Program Assistant, Opportunities for All (Mayor London Breed’s Youth Initiative for Workforce Development, Partnered with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission)

Dr. Rona Hu

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine; Founder, Stanford Mental Health for Asians Research and Treatment (SMHART) Clinic

Dr. Lisa Fortuna

M.D., Chief of Psychiatry Department, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Commonwealth Club Week in Review for March 12, 2021 Mar 15, 2021

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.

We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.

If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.

Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.

Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening!

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The Political Reality of Climate Action Mar 15, 2021

True to his campaign promise, President Biden dove right into the climate crisis on Day One, signing a stack of executive orders that signaled his determination. But how effective are they?

“Executive orders, I think, are often very splashy when they're introduced, and they get a lot of attention,” notes Axios reporter Ben Gemen. “I think the better way to look at an executive order is sort of firing a starting gun for an extraordinarily long race.” But while he faces certain blowback from Republicans in Congress, there are signs that when it comes to conservative thought, the wind may be changing.

What can the Biden Administration accomplish using existing authority? How much will conservatives and businesses step in and step up on climate?

Guests:

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), Chair of House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis

Rich Powell, Executive Director, ClearPath

Ben Geman, Energy Reporter, Axios

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Liftoff: Inside the Historic Flights that Launched Elon Musk's SpaceX Mar 13, 2021

Hear the dramatic inside story of the first four historic flights that launched SpaceX—and Elon Musk—from a shaky startup into the world's leading-edge rocket company.

In 2006, SpaceX—a brand-new venture with fewer than 200 employees—rolled its first, single-engine rocket onto a launch pad at Kwajalein Atoll. After a groundbreaking launch from the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the Falcon 1 rocket designed by Elon Musk’s engineers rose into the air for approximately 30 seconds. Then its engine flamed out, and the rocket crashed back into the ocean.

In 2007, SpaceX undertook a second launch. This time, the rocket rose far into space, but just before reaching orbit it spun out of control. Confident of success in 2008, Musk and his team launched their third rocket with several paying customers. The first stage executed perfectly, but instead of falling away, it thudded into the second stage. Another failure. Elon Musk had only budgeted for three attempts when he founded SpaceX.

Out of money and with a single Falcon 1 rocket left in its factory, SpaceX decided to try one last, dramatic launch. Over eight weeks, engineers worked furiously to prepare this final rocket. The fate of Musk’s venture mirrored the trajectory of this slender, single-engine rocket aimed toward the skies. If it crashed and burned, so would SpaceX. In September 2008, SpaceX’s last chance for success lifted off . . . and accelerated like a dream, soaring into orbit flawlessly.

That success would launch a miraculous decade for the company, in which SpaceX grew from building a single-engine rocket to one with a staggering 27 engines; created two different spacecraft; and mastered reusable-rocket descents using mobile drone ships on the open seas. It marked a level of production and achievement that has not been seen since the space race of the 1960s.

But these achievements would not have been possible without SpaceX’s first four flight tests. Drawing on unparalleled access and exclusive interviews with dozens of former and current employees—engineers, designers, mechanics and executives, including Elon Musk—Eric Berger tells the complete story of this foundational generation that transformed SpaceX into the world’s leading space company.

MLF ORGANIZER

Gerald Harris

NOTES

MLF: Technology & Society

SPEAKERS

Eric Berger

Author, Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days that Launched SpaceX

In Conversation with Alison van Diggelen

Host, “Fresh Dialogues” and Contributor, BBC

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Norma Kamali: Age with Power Mar 12, 2021

At 75, Norma Kamali looks—and acts—nearly half her age. Join us for a conversation with Kamali, who will share her lessons on authentic beauty, timeless style, career-building, fitness and health through personal stories, worldly insight, and actionable advice designed to help women of every age create their happiest, healthiest, most successful and fulfilling lives.

The secret, she writes in her first book I Am Invincible, is learning to age with power: Embracing a healthy lifestyle and looking forward to every milestone and the changes they bring, with the realization that reaching one’s potential has no date. Manifesto, memoir and essential guide, her book is informed by 50 years of Kamali’s twists, turns, triumphs and failures experienced while finding the courage and conviction to race after her dreams and never look back.

Kamali feels that we are empowered when we are our best selves. Sleep, a healthy diet and exercise are life’s universal solutions for a healthy life. The outcome is a great, authentic you.

MLF ORGANIZER

Denise M. Michaud

NOTES

MLF: Grownups

SPEAKERS

Norma Kamali

Fashion Designer; Author, I Am Invincible

Denise Michaud

Chair, Grownups Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Carl Zimmer: What It Means to Be Alive Mar 12, 2021

Life is everywhere. From birds in the sky to bushes on the ground to the humans who surround our everyday lives. We assume life is easily identifiable, yet as scientists learn more about the living world, they find life to be a difficult word to define. In his new book Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive, acclaimed scientific author Carl Zimmer seeks to answer one of biology’s greatest questions: What is life? The question hangs over some of society’s most charged conflicts—whether a fertilized egg is a living person, for example, and when we ought to declare a person legally dead.

Life’s Edge explores lab experiments attempting to create life, poses questions of what life is like in our grand universe, and offers insight into scientific developments shaping the way we understand living beings. Charting the obsession with Dr. Frankenstein's monster and how Coleridge came to believe the whole universe was alive, Zimmer leads us all the way into the labs and minds of researchers working on engineering life from the ground up.

Join us as Carl Zimmer explores life and investigates why scientists have struggled to define the boundaries of the word.

SPEAKERS

Carl Zimmer

Columnist, The New York Times; Author, Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive

In Conversation with Rachel Becker

Environment Reporter, CalMatters

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Healthy Society Series: The Health Benefits of Vitamin D and Solar UVB Mar 11, 2021

This program will feature four vitamin D researchers who will discuss the evidence they generated and/or collected showing that vitamin D has important health benefits.

Carole Baggerly, CEO of GrassrootsHealth.net, will outline the findings of health outcomes of more than 10,000 participants in their studies who take vitamin D supplements, measure their vitamin D levels every six months, and report any health changes. She will also discuss the evidence that vitamin D reduces risk of COVID-19. Dr. Carol L. Wagner will present results from studies of high-dose vitamin D supplementation of pregnant and nursing women, such as significantly reduced risk of preterm delivery. Professor Joan M. Lappe will discuss her clinical trials on vitamin D and calcium on prevention of cancer. William B. Grant, Ph.D., director of the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center in San Francisco, will moderate the discussion.

MLF ORGANIZER

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Carole A. Baggerly

Founder and Director, Grassrootshealth.net

Carol L. Wagner

M.D., Professor, Pediatrics Department, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina

Joan M. Lappe

Ph.D., R.N., Professor and Associate Dean, College of Nursing Research, Creighton University

William B. Grant

Ph.D., Founder and Director, Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center; Vitamin D Researcher

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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George Hammond: Intelligent Desiring Mar 11, 2021

Monday Night Philosophy asks (on a Tuesday afternoon): What are we doing here? And answers: We are pursuing desires — because we are pursuing happiness, and happiness results from fulfilling a desire. But since unhappiness results whenever we don’t fulfill a desire, and since that happens so often, individual life is sometimes seen as a perilous journey, a valley of tears, or even a worthless endeavor, to be escaped via the nothingness of Nirvana, or by retreating to Heaven, or by merging with Oneness.

So what’s wrong with this picture? Just as right after a divorce, when it is common to forget all about the fun and enjoyment which came before, we lack perspective. We forget our judgment is untrustworthy in despair. So let’s step back, as philosophers love to do, and see how much more intelligently we could 1) pick which desires to pursue before we pursue them, 2) pick which motives to favor, and which to discard (because our motives are our deeper desires), 3) sort out our conflicting desires so we don’t face certain unhappiness, and 4) make contingent any desires that are dependent for their fulfillment on sources outside our control. And then see how much more happiness, and how much less unhappiness, we would experience.

Because the only way to get everything you want in life is to be very clever about what you want.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

George Hammond

Author, Rational Idealism

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Educating for American Democracy Mar 10, 2021

A healthy constitutional democracy requires a citizenry that has the knowledge, skills and desire to participate in it. The United States is incredibly polarized, and we now have a citizenry and electorate that are poorly trained to meet the modern challenges we are facing. One major reason? The country has disinvested in history and civic education. For example, at the federal level, we spend approximately $50 per student per year on STEM fields and approximately 5 cents per student per year on civics.

A lack of consensus about the substance of history and civics education—what and how to teach—has been a major obstacle to maintaining excellence in history and civics education in recent decades. In response to this critical moment, The Commonwealth Club is pleased to support a new effort, Educating for American Democracy, a significant new initiative to provide tools to make civics and history a priority so we as a country can rebuild our civic strength. This education-based special program will focus on this new effort with three participants who participated in the development of the project.

Educating for American Democracy is an unprecedented, cross-ideological effort to provide guidance for excellence in civic and history education for all K–12 students—and to enhance the way in which the subjects are taught in schools so they generate prepared, informed and engaged citizens. The project was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the U.S. Department of Education through a grant to iCivics, Harvard University, Tufts University and Arizona State University.

A national network of more than 300 scholars, educators and practitioners from ideologically and demographically diverse backgrounds have collaborated to create a roadmap and accompanying documents that provide suggested educational strategies and content for history and civics at every grade level—along with strategies for implementation in schools—so every state and district can fit the needs of their own, different communities. States and local school districts can use the roadmap to transform the way they teach civics and history so it meets the needs of today’s diverse 21st century K–12 student body.

The roadmap is not a national curriculum, nor is it a mandate. It is a series of guidelines that states and districts may opt to use. It is committed to providing instructional strategies and content for all learners to ensure that excellent history and civic learning opportunities are delivered equitably throughout the country.

Last year, at the beginning of the pandemic, The Commonwealth Club launched its own civics education effort, Creating Citizens, with founding support from the Koret Foundation. This program is part of that growing effort.

NOTES

Part of The Commonwealth Club's Creating Citizens initiative.

SPEAKERS

Paul Carrese

Founding Director, School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, Arizona State University

Michelle Herczog

Coordinator III, History-Social Science, Los Angeles County Office of Education

Kent McGuire

Program Director, Education, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Emma Humphries

Ph.D., Chief Education Officer, iCivics; Deputy Director, CivXNow—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 5th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Temperature Check: Science, Texas, and Climate Chaos Mar 10, 2021

Just two months into 2021, deadly winter temperatures left millions of Texans without water and power. Meanwhile, California is preparing for another year of intense drought, and Wall Street millionaires are moving their remote work to Florida, ground zero for flooding and sea-level rise.

“We think about the Earth as a system,” says Marshall Shepherd, director of Atmospheric Sciences Program at the University of Georgia, “so we can't understand climate change unless we understand changes in the Arctic, or in the ocean circulations, or in the biosphere, and so forth.”

“Hope or waiting and seeing is no longer a valid risk mitigation strategy."

Guests:

Katharine Mach, Associate Professor, Marine Ecosystems and Society, University of Miami

Marshall Shepherd, Director, Atmospheric Sciences, University of Georgia

For complete show notes, visit our website.

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Jonathan Cohn: The Battle for Obamacare and Universal Coverage Mar 09, 2021

Expanding health-care coverage has been a long, tumultuous process in the United States, but at its core, citizens want one thing: affordable, accessible health care. In 2010, the federal government passed the Affordable Care Act, the most expansive piece of legislation advocating for health-care accessibility since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. This policy, however, continues to divide the public as leaders from both political parties envision two conflicting futures for a nationalized health-care system.

In his new book, The Ten Year War: Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage, HuffPost correspondent Jonathan Cohn offers a compelling history of how Obamacare came to be, why it looks like it does, and what it’s meant for average Americans. For decades, political leaders have debated what’s wrong with our current health-care system and what should be done to fix it. Drawing from interviews, diaries, emails and memos, Cohn takes readers through the history of health-care reform and the dysfunction those changes have left in their wake.

Join us for a comprehensive look at one of the most impactful and controversial pieces of legislation in the past few decades.

SPEAKERS

Jonathan Cohn

Senior National Correspondent, HuffPost; Author, The Ten Year War: Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage

In Conversation with Anthony Wright

Executive Director, Health Access California

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 4th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The State of Extremism in America Mar 09, 2021

What is the status of extremism in America? Are there more extremists or are they more emboldened? Why is it happening now and what can be done?

The Anti-Defamation League is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to stop the defamation of the Jewish people, and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is a global leader in exposing extremism and delivering anti-bias education, and is a leading organization in training law enforcement. ADL is the first call when acts of antisemitism occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.

MLF ORGANIZER

Patrick O'Reilly

NOTES

MLF: Psychology

SPEAKERS

Seth Brysk

Central Pacific Regional Director (Northern California, Utah, and Hawai'i), Anti-Defamation League; Former Regional Director (Los Angeles), AJC

Patrick O'Reilly

Psychology MLF Chair

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 2nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Commonwealth Club Week in Review for March 5, 2021 Mar 06, 2021

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.

We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.

If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.

Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.

Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening!

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The Other American Dream: How a Gay Immigrant Fought to Live His Truth and Found Success Mar 05, 2021

"I grew up in a place where I was not meant to exist—a place where my identity as a gay male was contrary to Middle Eastern culture, standards and faith. I grew up in a home filled with dysfunction and strife. I carried the weight of all of that on my shoulders, . . . but if you carry a weight constantly, eventually you become stronger." —Harma Hartouni

Harma Hartouni was born into an Armenian Orthodox Christian family in Los Angeles, but when he was 1 month old, his family moved to Iran, where he was raised. While there, he was involved in an accident, breaking both legs and requiring a 12-month recovery. When he moved back to Los Angeles, he came out as a gay man. Today, he is a self-made entrepreneur, owner of a real estate company with hundreds of agents and more than $1 billion in sales volume in 2019. He is married and lives in Los Angeles with his husband (an executive at Disney), three children, three dogs and two turtles.

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Hartouni to discuss his life, troubles and perseverance, and success, which he reveals in his new book Getting Back Up: A Story of Resilience, Self-Acceptance and Success.

NOTES

Thank you to Pacific Fertility Center for its support of The Michelle Meow Show.

SPEAKERS

Harma Hartouni

Entrepreneur; Author, Getting Back Up: A Story of Resilience, Self-Acceptance and Success

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 4th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America's Founders Mar 05, 2021

Join us for a virtual conversation with Dennis Rasmussen to discuss the surprising story of how George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson each came to despair for the future of the nation they had created.

Although Americans tend to venerate the Constitution and the republican government that the founders created, the founders themselves were far less confident in what they had wrought, particularly by the end of their lives. Many eventually concluded that America’s constitutional experiment was an utter failure that was unlikely to last beyond their own generation. Rasmussen argues that the founders’ pessimism had a variety of sources: Washington despaired because of the rise of partisanship, Hamilton because he felt that the federal government was too weak, Adams because he believed that the people lacked civic virtue, and Jefferson because of sectional divisions laid bare by the spread of slavery. The one major founder who retained his faith in America’s constitutional order to the end was James Madison, and Rasmussen explores why Madison remained relatively optimistic when so many of his compatriots did not.

As much as Americans today may worry about their country’s future, the founders faced even graver problems and harbored even deeper misgivings. And yet we are still here, having recently survived yet another attempted assault on our political institutions. Join us to find out some of the reasons why.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Dennis Rasmussen

Professor of Political Science, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University; Author, Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America's Founders

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 3rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Dr. Euan Ashley: The Genome Odyssey Mar 04, 2021

Thanks to developments in genetic medicine, for the first time we have the ability to predict our genetic future, to diagnose and prevent disease before it begins, and to decode what it really means to be human. Since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, the possibilities for genetic medicine have only grown. But what does the human genome and genome sequencing mean for citizens today, and what will it mean for health care over the next several decades?

In his new book, The Genome Odyssey, Dr. Euan Ashley answers some of the questions by detailing the medicine and science behind genome sequencing, introducing a dynamic group of researchers and medical investigators who hunt for genetic answers, and bringing forward pioneering patients who open up their lives to the medical community during their search for diagnoses and cures for inherited diseases. Ashley describes how he led the team that was the first to analyze and interpret a complete human genome, how they broke genome speed records to diagnose and treat a newborn baby girl whose heart stopped five times on the first day of her life, and how they found a boy with tumors growing inside his heart and traced the cause to a missing piece of his genome.

Dr. Ashley and his team, and a small number of others around the country, are currently working to expand the boundaries of our medical capabilities and to envision a future where genome sequencing is available for all, and where medicine can be tailored to treat specific diseases before they show symptoms and to decode pathogens like viruses at the genomic level.

Please join us as Dr. Euan Ashley talks about revolutionizing health care and the future of medicine by continuing to unlock the secrets of the human genome.

About the Speaker

Euan Ashley is a professor of medicine and genetics at Stanford University. He was born in Scotland and graduated from the University of Glasgow. He attended Oxford University, completing a Ph.D. there before moving to Stanford University, where he trained in cardiology. He joined the Stanford faculty, where he led the team that carried out the first medical interpretation of a human genome. Ashley has received awards from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. He was recognized by the Obama White House and received the Medal of Honor from the American Heart Association. His articles have appeared in the many journals, including Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, The Journal of the American Medical Association, Nature and Cell. He appears regularly on local and national radio and TV. He is the founder of three companies and advisor to several Silicon Valley companies.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Euan Ashley

Professor of Medicine and Genetics, Stanford University; Author, The Genome Odyssey

In Conversation with Anne Wojcicki

CEO and Co-Founder, 23andMe

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 3rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Case for Keto Mar 03, 2021

Based on 20 years of investigative reporting and interviews with 100 practicing physicians who embrace the keto lifestyle as the best prescription for their patients' health, Gary Taubes puts the ketogenic diet movement in the necessary historical and scientific perspective. He makes clear the vital misconceptions in how we've come to think about obesity and diet (no, he says, people do not become fat simply because they eat too much; hormones play the critical role) and uses the collected clinical experience of the medical community to provide essential practical advice. Taubes sets out to revolutionize how we think about eating healthy, and what foods we can and can't eat to prevent and reverse obesity and diabetes.

Gary Taubes is an investigative science and health journalist, the author of The Case for Keto, The Case Against Sugar, Why We Get Fat and Good Calories, Bad Calories. Taubes is a former staff writer for Discover and correspondent for the journal Science. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic and Esquire, and has been included in numerous "Best of" anthologies, including The Best of the Best American Science Writing (2010). He has received three Science in Society Journalism Awards from the National Association of Science Writers. He is the recipient of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Investigator Award in Health Policy Research, as well as cofounder and president of the nonprofit Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSI). He lives in Oakland, CA, with his wife, author Sloane Tanen, and their two children.

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

SPEAKERS

Gary Taubes

Investigative Science and Health Journalist; Author, The Case for Keto

Patty James

M.S., N.C. Nutritionist; Chef; Author—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 2nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Building an Anti-Racist Classroom Mar 03, 2021

Of the many inequities brought to light by COVID-19, the disparities that BIPOC students face in the American education system have proven to be the most complex. Creating an inclusive and anti-racist educational experience that helps students achieve their full potential is made even more difficult in the virtual classroom.

To provide their expertise on equitable education, four education leaders will speak at INFORUM on the challenges and opportunities offered by online schooling. They are Dr. Shawn Ginwright, professor of Africana Studies at San Francisco State University; Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammel, superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District; Dr. Natalee Kēhaulani Bauer, assistant adjunct professor of race, gender and sexuality studies at Mills College; and moderator Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the Wright Institute Clinical Program.

Join three Bay Area education experts at INFORUM and with the Club’s education initiative, Creating Citizens, to learn more about teachers’ vital role in the construction of an anti-racist future.

NOTES

This conversation is presented in partnership with Generation Thrive, the Golden State Warriors' new game-changing, a first-of-its-kind nonprofit hub that supports the effectiveness of Bay Area academic-focused nonprofits and schools through education and wellness support.

SPEAKERS

Natalee Kēhaulani Bauer

Ph.D, Assistant Adjunct Professor of Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Mills College

Shawn Ginwright

Ph.D, Professor of Africana Studies, San Francisco State University; Author

Kyla Johnson-Trammel

Ph.D, Superintendent, Oakland Unified School District

Allison Briscoe-Smith

Ph.D., Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, The Wright Institute Clinical Program—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Fnnch and the Honey Bears: Street Art for All Mar 02, 2021

If you have walked, biked, or driven around San Francisco during the pandemic, you have most likely seen them: multi-colored illustrations of honey bears painted onto the boards covering closed shops and other businesses. Did you know that masks bearing (forgive the word) the honey bear have raised more than $125,000 for local restaurants to prepare meals for people in need?

Now is your opportunity to meet fnnch, the elusive artist behind the honey bear. Wearing a mask—he likes to keep his identity secret—fnnch will join us for a lively discussion about public art, the pandemic, and touching others.

fnnch (pronounced like the bird) believes art is for everyone. He says only about 5 percent of a city’s residents and visitors tour its modern art museums; street art and murals are art for the other 95 percent, inspiring and engaging them with the arts. fnnch creates street art and murals using multi-layered stencils and spray paint. He calls his work “contemporary pop art,” depicting objects from nature and everyday life. Over time his work has gained a strong following on social media and has been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

His art can be found in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, St. Louis, Tel Aviv and Hong Kong.

NOTES

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Daughters of Kobani: Kurdish Women Warriors Against Islamic State Mar 01, 2021

Find out what Hillary and Chelsea Clinton liked so much about The Daughters of Kobani—so much that they acquired the book's TV rights for their new production company, HiddenLight.

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, the New York Times best-selling author of Ashley's War and other books, is an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and partner at Shield AI, a tech company focused on national security. Lemmon—who regularly appears on CNN, PBS, MSNBC,NPR, etc.—will discuss her latest book, based on years of on-the-ground reporting. The Daughters of Kobani, A Story of Rebellion, Courage and Justice, tells the extraordinary story of the Kurdish heroines who fought on the front lines alongside U.S. forces and helped defeat Islamic State in Syria.

NOTES

MLF: Middle East

SPEAKERS

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Journalist; Adjunct Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Author, The Daughters of Kobani, Ashley's War and The Dressmaker of Khair Khana; Twitter @gaylelemmon

Eddy Simonian

Vice Chair, Middle East Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 23rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at '60 Minutes' Feb 26, 2021

Award-winning writer and producer Ira Rosen reveals the intimate, untold stories of his decades at America’s most iconic news show. When he joined the "60 Minutes" team in June 1980, he knew he had reached the heights of TV journalism, and while there he helped break some of the most important stories in TV news history. Behind closed doors, though, was a war room of clashing producers, anchors, and the inimitable Mike Wallace.

With surprising humor, charm, and an eye for colorful detail, Rosen delivers an authoritative account of the unforgettable personalities that battled for prestige, credit and the desire to scoop everyone else in the game. As Mike Wallace’s top producer, Rosen reveals the interview secrets that made Wallace’s work legendary, and the flaring temper that made him infamous. Rosen also shares his experiences as senior producer of "ABC News Primetime Live" and of "20/20", exposing the competitive environment among colleagues like Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters, and the power plays among correspondents like Chris Wallace, Anderson Cooper, and Chris Cuomo.

Join us for a master class on how TV news is made.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Ira Rosen

Former Producer, "60 Minutes"; Author, Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 25th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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John Kerry, Gina McCarthy and Biden’s Climate Team Feb 26, 2021

“The long-term energy future of America is not going to be written in fossil fuels,” declared John Kerry last April. President Biden recently appointed the former Secretary of State to a top position in his climate cabinet - United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.

Joe Biden did not start his campaign as the “climate candidate.” But as he starts his second month as president, he is looking at everything through a climate lens – from jobs and infrastructure to international diplomacy, public health and social justice.

“He really is a person who was engaged somewhat in climate, but I don't think it was as yet sort of ingrained into him,” said former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “Well, it is now!”

McCarthy and Kerry are just two of the climate leaders that President Joe Biden has tapped to put his ambitious climate plan into action. In this program, we revisit conversations with these and other Climate One guests from the past year that have been named to prominent roles in the Biden-Harris administration.

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Marc Lamont Hill and Mitchell Plitnick: The Limits of Progressive Politics Feb 26, 2021

American liberals find unity on domestic issues such as immigration, racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQ rights and other topics. When these issues are extended to other nations, however, unity is disrupted. In their new book Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics, scholar and political commentator Marc Lamont Hill and Middle East expert Mitchell Plitnick explore liberal indifference to the Israel-Palestine conflict and its contributions to the rise of authoritarianism.

Except for Palestine argues that progressives and liberals must extend their core principles of equality and anti-exploitation to what they call the oppression of Palestinians. They say that U.S. policy has made peace hard to achieve in the Middle Eastern region, but Hill and Plitnick are strong believers that agreement is plausible if the political concerns of both Israelis and Palestinians are taken into account. Hill and Plitnick provide a timely proposal by examining multiple dimensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conversation, encouraging political leaders and citizens alike to align their beliefs and politics with their values.

Join us as Marc Lamont Hill and Mitchell Plitnick make a bold call for the American Left to align their beliefs and policies to all corners of the world.

SPEAKERS

Marc Lamont Hill

Professor and the Steve Charles Chair in Media Cities and Solutions, Temple University; Host, "UpFront" on Al Jazeera English; Co-author, Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics

Mitchell Plitnick

President, ReThinking Foreign Policy; Co-author, Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics

In Conversation with Lara Bazelon

Professor of Law and Director of Criminal Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinical Programs, University of San Francisco

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 24th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Man Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard Feb 25, 2021

After World War II, a newly affluent United States searched for its own gourmet culture. In James Beard, whose larger-than-life presence would rule over kitchens and dinner tables for the next 35 years, America found its culinary maestro. How did this secretly queer failed opera singer from the epicurean backwater of Oregon become America’s first food celebrity? John Birdsall tells the tale in his new book The Man Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard, bringing to life a towering figure, a man who still represents the best in eating and yet has never been fully understood—until now.

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Birdsall, who will look beyond the public image of the celebrated cean of American cooking to find a man who battled depression, self-doubt, loneliness, and the complex rules of the closet to become a beloved household name synonymous with fine cooking and the good life. Producing nearly two dozen cookbooks in his lifetime, Beard was staunchly unfussy and proudly anti-elitist, embracing the elegance and pleasures of pure, local food and “humble, everyday cooking that aims for simplicity, honors flavor over dubious thrift, and achieves perfection using fine ingredients.” His influence on American food culture cannot be overstated: he was the definitive source of knowledge and inspiration for American home cooks in the 20th century, and the inspiration for a new generation of restaurant chefs in the 1970s, including Larry Forgione, Jeremiah Tower, and Alice Waters.

Our special guest, John Birdsall, is himself a two-time James Beard Award-winning author, a former food critic and a longtime restaurant cook. He co-authored (with James Syhabout) the cookbook Hawker Fare.

SPEAKERS

John Birdsall

Author, The Man Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard; Former Food Critic; Restaurant Cook; Co-Author, Hawker Fare; Twitter @John_Birdsall

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 23rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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AgeMarch/AgeMagnificent: Everyone at Every Age Is Age Magnificent Feb 24, 2021

Join this historic evening! Hollywood’s famed Melissa Rivers will host Barbara Rose Brooker, San Francisco native, author and founder of the first televised, virtual global AgeMarch/AgeMagnificent movement production in history, which will air on March 27, 2021.

Barbara and Melissa, opposite ages, will discuss their feelings about ageism in our anti-age culture. Barbara will talk about why and how in 2010, she founded AgeMarch, and her vision to promote a pro-age culture where people of all ages, race, genders, sexual orientations, will not be defined by age.

The AgeMarch has evolved into a current Hollywood production and a world -wide movement. Barbara will talk about the gift of age at every age, dating, mating, careers, health. All of it.

Melissa Rivers is an award-winning fashion and pop-culture host, a reality-TV star, an actress, and executive producer. She’s the New York Times bestselling author of multiple books, an accomplished speaker and lecturer, and a dedicated and vocal philanthropist and advocate. But Rivers is perhaps best known as a creator of the modern “Red Carpet” event brand through her many interviews and appearances as a co-host on the E! Television and TV Guide networks, including the globally recognized and iconic "Fashion Police."

Barbara Rose Brooker, MA, is a native San Franciscan, columnist, teacher, and author of 12 novels. Her latest novel Love, Sometimes, is being considered for a TV series. She has been on "The Today Show," Andy Cohen, "Inside Edition," "Extra," CBS, KRON TV and ABC. Her latest book Night Songs will be released in 2021. Her podcast The Rant is live on YouTube and global.

Julie Stern is one of the most highly regarded and sought-after television executives in the world. Her extensive roles include executive producer, strategist, executive consultant, chief of staff and network executive. Forbes magazine recently named Stern “A Profile of Leadership, Humanity, Humility and Hard Work.” And, for good reason. Her impressive resume includes serving as senior vice president of production for OWN, Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as vice president of production for Lifetime Entertainment, where she oversaw all unscripted programming, development and finance, which included oversight of the Emmy Award-winning hit series "Project Runway." From respected roles at NBCUniversal, ABC, CBS, FOX and most global network and cable entertainment companies, to most recently Reese Witherspoon’s "Hello Sunshine," Stern continues to bring her passion for creating unique and groundbreaking programming.

MLF ORGANIZER

Denise Michaud

NOTES

MLF: Grownups

SPEAKERS

Melissa Rivers

TV Red Carpet Host; Actor; Author

Barbara Rose Brooker

Columnist; Teacher; Author, Love, Sometimes and Night Songs; Host, "The Rant" Podcast

Julie Stern

Executive Producer, AGEMARCH

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 23rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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A Citizen's Guide to Medicare for All Feb 24, 2021

Research shows that as many as 70 percent of Americans want the government to provide universal health-care coverage, yet the idea of affordable health care continues to be a complex, partisan issue. Accessibility is pertinent. Every American interacts with the health-care system at some point in their lives, and improper access is the difference between life and death.

In their new book Medicare for All: A Citizen's Guide, physicians and health-care reform activists Abdul El-Sayed and Micah Johnson look to go beyond partisan talking points to offer a feasible health-care solution. Health care is quite complex, but they say that the solution is simple: affordable, accessible medicine for all. The authors create a no-nonsense guide to health-care accessibility, prioritizing the health of all Americans in our advanced society.

A citizen’s guide to America’s most debated policy, Medicare for All offers a short, realistic roadmap to creating a health-care system for all. Join us as Abdul El-Sayed and Micah Johnson envision a hopeful and accessible future for all Americans.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 22nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali with Bari Weiss: Islam, Immigration and Women's Rights Feb 23, 2021

Somali-born Dutch-American politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali has long been an advocate for Islamic reform. As a former Muslim herself, she has publicly denounced forced marriage, honor violence, and female genital mutilation. In her newest book, Prey, Hirsi Ali is asking a new tough question: Is the rise of sexual assault cases in Europe correlated with the mass arrival of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries?

As a refugee herself, Hirsi Ali knows first-hand the struggles of integration and assimilation that are necessary in immigrating to a new nation. Rather than restricting immigration, Hirsi Ali is calling for Europeans to reform their broken system that allows young men to bring sexual violence and marginalization of women from the Muslim world into Europe. This violence isn’t a figment of alt-right propaganda, Hirsi Ali insists, even if neo-Nazis exaggerate it. She says it’s a real problem that Europe—and the world—cannot continue to ignore.

Join us as Ayaan Hirsi Ali and journalist Bari Weiss describe her research in Prey and imagines a new future that protects and advances the rights of women around the world.

SPEAKERS

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Human Rights Activist; Research Fellow, Hoover Institution; Author, Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women's Rights

In Conversation with Bari Weiss

Journalist and Former Op-ed Staff Editor, The New York Times

Gloria Duffy

President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California—Program Chair

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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President Biden's First 30 Days: A Week to Week Special Feb 22, 2021

Join us at the end of President Joe Biden's first month in the Oval Office, as we take stock of the early days of the Biden-Harris administration. We'll look at the people, policies, controversies, victories and defeats as Biden moves quickly to enact his agenda for the pandemic, the economy, national security, and racial justice.

Our panelists will also examine the big political news here in California, too, where the state struggles with the coronavirus and the governor faces a renewed recall effort.

SPEAKERS

Bob Butler

Reporter, KCBS Radio; Broadcast Vice President, SAG-AFTRA; Lead, EIJ Student Newsroom 2020

Carla Marinucci

Senior Writer, Politico California Playbook; Twitter @cmarinucci

C.W. Nevius

Columnist, Santa Rose Press Democrat; Author, CW's Newsletter; Former Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle; Twitter @cwnevius

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-host

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 19th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Want Me, with Tracy Clark-Flory and Peggy Orenstein Feb 19, 2021

As a journalist on the “sex beat,” Tracy Clark-Flory is intimate with the complexities of how sex is understood in societal discourse. At once a source of abashment, fascination and liberation, sex culture can send conflicting messages—sex and love are intensely personal topics yet dictated by societal rules, leaving people to struggle to understand their own needs within what they are told is “appropriate.” In her new book Want Me: A Sex Writer’s Journey into the Heart of Desire, Tracy contextualizes her own experiences reporting on sex with personal anecdotes and expert research.

Join Clark-Flory at INFORUM for this special Valentine's Day program to learn more about life as a journalist, the ins and outs of writing about sex and the feminist revisions of society’s expectations for women. This conversation will be moderated by Peggy Orenstein, author of The New York Times bestsellers Girls & Sex, Cinderella Ate My Daughter and Waiting for Daisy, a memoir.

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

SPEAKERS

Tracy Clark-Flory

Senior Staff Writer, Jezebel; Author, Want Me: A Sex Writer's Journey into the Heart of Desire

Peggy Orenstein

Author, Girls & Sex—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Climate Narratives with Jeff Biggers, Elizabeth Kolbert and Kim Stanley Robinson Feb 19, 2021

In the past decade, narratives of a dystopian climate future have helped connect people with heroes in worlds decimated by climate disruption and industrial expansion. In today’s real-world, scientists are looking to geoengineering and other human innovations to preserve the wellbeing of life on Earth. “What we’re missing is a way to galvanize people to support policies that are actually gonna change,” says Jeff Biggers, founder of The Climate Narrative Project.

So how can climate storytelling help us reckon with our changing environment? Do we need a new climate narrative to help us understand and solve the climate emergency?

Guests:

Jeff Biggers, Founder, The Climate Narrative Project

Elizabeth Kolbert, Staff Writer, The New Yorker

Kim Stanley Robinson, Science Fiction Author

Related Links:

Climate Narrative Project

Resistance: Reclaiming an American Tradition

The Ministry for the Future

Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future

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Dan Morain: Kamala's Way Feb 18, 2021

Join us for a virtual conversation with Dan Morain to discuss his recent biography of our new vice president.

Kamala Harris grew up as the older daughter of her mother, a cancer researcher who had emigrated from India when she was 19, and of her father, an economist from Jamaica, who split up with her mother when Kamala was five. Kamala Harris is known as tough, smart, quick-witted, and demanding. She’s a former prosecutor, after all. But she’s also known as reticent when it comes to sharing much about herself, even in her memoirs. Morain fills in the gaps. He has been covering Harris right from the start of her political career—working for the Alameda County District Attorney’s office, where she handled homicides and child molestation cases. Morain also covers her publicly acknowledged relationship with Assembly Speaker Willie Brown when she was 29, which significantly expanded her political network. Morain will take you through Harris’s years as the San Francisco District Attorney, her early support for Barack Obama, her tenure as California's Attorney General, and her election to the U.S. Senate. Morain also analyzes both her failure as a presidential candidate and her success in campaigning for the vice presidential spot on the Biden ticket.

He paints a vivid picture of her values and priorities, the kind of people she brings into her orbit, the sorts of problems she’s good at solving, and the missteps, risks and bold moves she’s made on her way to the top.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

Dan Morain

Former Reporter, The Los Angeles Times; Former Editor, The Sacramento Bee; Author, Kamala's Way: An American Life

In Conversation with Carla Marinucci

Senior Writer, Politico California Playbook

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Ethan Zuckerman with Kara Swisher: The American Trust Crisis Feb 17, 2021

Worldwide, a loss of faith in government institutions has encouraged citizens of democracy to look for pathways outside of politics to make tangible change. This mistrust of “the system” has spread throughout other social organizations as well; press, corporations, digital platforms are questioned for their ability to hold us together. Now, people are searching for productive outlets to have their voice heard and make positive change.

Ethan Zuckerman, founder of the Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure, is offering a solution. In his new book Mistrust, Zuckerman uses research from political scientists, legal theorists, and activists in the streets to understand why many people started to doubt social institutions and the implications it poses for an uncertain future. He analyzes the relationship he says the public should have with existing institutions and the various ways we can reach a collective goal of an advanced democracy.

Join us as Zuckerman encourages citizens of democracy to use this sentiment of disbelief to fuel their participation in civic life and create an equitable society.

SPEAKERS

Ethan Zuckerman

Founder, Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Author, Mistrust: Why Losing Faith in Institutions Provides the Tools to Transform Them

In Conversation with Kara Swisher

Contributing Opinion Writer and Host of "Sway," The New York Times

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Healthy Society Series: COVID-19 Vaccines—What We Know and What We Don't Know Feb 17, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2019, has had significantly negative consequences for individuals, families and communities around the world, with huge economic and political effects. Short-term strategies have involved sheltering in place and social distancing, rigorous and frequent hand washing, and the disciplined use of masks. We now have reached a stage in the pandemic when vaccines are bring rolled out in the United States and globally, initially for “at risk” populations.

There is much confusion arising from conflicting information about the new vaccines. There are questions related to what we know about the vaccines (and how we know it), and what we don’t know (and how and when we will know more). To address these questions, two leading virologists will be in conversation with the chair of the Health and Medicine Forum at The Commonwealth Club of California. Dr. Melanie Ott and Dr. Warner Greene from Gladstone Institutes talk with Dr. Robert Lee Kilpatrick, to help the public understand COVID-19 vaccine options better.

Meet the Speakers

Melanie Ott, M.D., Ph.D., has been the director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology since 2020, and a senior investigator at Gladstone Institutes. She is also a professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, she pivoted the focus of her team to work on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Ott is a member of the Association of American Physicians, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. She is also an expert contributor to the COVID Collaborative, a bipartisan group of national experts and institutions that helps shape state and local efforts against the pandemic.

Warner Greene, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of the The Michael Hulton—Gladstone Center for HIV Cure Research, senior investigator, and Nick and Sue Hellmann Distinguished Professor of Translational Medicine at Gladstone Institutes. He is the founding and emeritus director of Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology. Greene is also professor of medicine, microbiology and of immunology at UCSF. He is also a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and a fellow of the American Academy Arts and Sciences. He also serves as co-director of the UCSF-Gladstone Center for AIDS Research, and he has served as councilor and president of the Association of American Physicians.

Robert Lee Kilpatrick, Ph.D., is the chair of the Health and Medicine Member-Led Forum at The Commonwealth Club of California, general advisor to Berkeley SkyDeck incubator and accelerator, advisor to the Columbia University Master of Science Program in Bioethics, and CEO of Health Innovation for People, Inc. (HIP).

MLF ORGANIZER

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

NOTES

MLF: Health & Medicine

In association with Gladstone Institutes.

SPEAKERS

Warner Greene

M.D., Ph.D., Director, Gladstone Center for HIV Cure Research; Senior Investigator and Nick and Sue Hellmann Distinguished Professor of Translational Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and of Immunology, UCSF

Melanie Ott

M.D., Ph.D., Director, Gladstone Institute of Virology; Senior Investigator, Gladstone Institutes; Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Robert Lee Kilpatrick

Ph.D. Chair, Health and Medicine MLF; General Advisor, Berkeley SkyDeck incubator and Accelerator; Advisor, Columbia University Master of Science Program in Bioethics; CEO, Health Innovation for People, Inc. (HIP)

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Steve Kettmann, Anthony Scaramucci, Cynthia Tucker: Life After Trump Feb 16, 2021

Steve Kettmann, editor of the new book Now What? The Voters Have Spoken—Essays on Life After Trump, asks in the book's forward, "How do we try to rebuild a society that helps people think for themselves a little more often? How do we encourage each other—and ourselves—to understand our neighbors a little better?"

The book features essays from a variety of voices including noted African American journalist Cynthia Tucker and Trump ally turned critic Anthony Scaramucci, who along with Mr. Kettman, join us for this discussion.

What's next for America and what are the possibilities for the country moving forward? Join us for a compelling conversation.

SPEAKERS

Steve Kettmann

Co Founder, Wellstone Center in the Redwoods; Former Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle and Wired; Editor, Now What? The Voters Have Spoken—Essays on Life After Trump

Anthony Scaramucci

Former Trump White House Communications Director; Founder, SkyBridge Capital; Contributor, Now What? The Voters Have Spoken—Essays on Life After Trump

Cynthia Tucker

Pulitzer Prize Winning Syndicated Columnist; Journalist-in-Residence, University of South Alabama; Contributor, Now What? The Voters Have Spoken—Essays on Life After Trump

In Conversation with Roy Eisenhardt

Lecturer, U.C. Berkeley Law School

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Stanford's Larry Diamond: Necessary Electoral Reforms to Keep Our Democracy Feb 12, 2021

Hoover Institution Senior Fellow and Stanford University Political Science Professor Larry Diamond is a renowned expert on democracy around the world. In late November of last year, he penned a New York Times essay that said, "The vulnerability of our democracy today doesn’t come in the form that many feared when Donald Trump was elected in 2016. The good news is that two of the three pillars of American democracy—liberty and the rule of law—endure, even if they have been battered. But the third pillar—free and fair elections—is under far more direct threat than my fellow democracy experts predicted."

Dr. Diamond went on to predict that President Trump "might pressure the Republican legislatures in battleground states, like Pennsylvania and Florida, to award him their state’s electors, even if the formal vote-counting machinery ultimately declares a Biden victory in the state. . . . [S]uch a scenario would be far more dire and polarizing than even the Bush v. Gore nightmare of 2000, with an incumbent president threatening fire and brimstone if the election were not handed to him, while signaling violent right-wing extremists to 'stand by' but perhaps no longer 'stand down.' "

Dr. Diamond says our democratic electoral system, unlike others in the world, "has no comparable standing authority to investigate national-level corruption, and Congress largely investigates and punishes itself." He says that newer democracies have also taken measures to depoliticize their equivalent of a supreme court, including term limits and a broader consensus on court nominees. But, says Dr. Diamond, none of this occurred to America's founders, and while "throughout most of our history, America’s democratic norms have been strong enough and the outcomes have been clear enough to avoid catastrophic conflict over a national election," that might not be true anymore.

Come for an important discussion on what changes may be needed in America's institutions in order to preserve our Democracy.

This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s Future of Democracy Series, supported by Betsy and Roy Eisenhardt.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream.

This program was recorded via video conference on February 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The Great American Lie with Jennifer Siebel Newsom Feb 12, 2021

The American Dream is the notion that every person is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, regardless of their circumstances at birth. But the reality is that for many Americans, social and economic opportunity are unattainable due to societal structures that block access to resources.

The Great American Lie examines the roots of systemic inequality through a unique gender lens. With America facing widening economic disparities, political polarization, and stagnant social mobility, the film takes audiences on an empathy journey, inspiring a path forward. Presented in collaboration with The Representation Project, this program brings filmmaker, advocate and thought leader Jennifer Siebel Newsom into conversation with a panel of student filmmakers whose work shines a youth lens on social justice and gender equity issues.

SPEAKERS

Angelica Rubio

Student, 12th grade, Merced, CA

Samira Barragan

Student, 11th grade, Santa Fe Springs, CA

TreNisha Shearer

Student, 12th grade, Portland, OR

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

Filmmaker—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 3rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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CLIMATE ONE: Killer Combination: Climate, Health and Poverty Feb 11, 2021

Experts have warned us that COVID-19 is just one example of climate change-related diseases on the rise. And while climate disruption, environmental health and the current pandemic may seem like three distinct problems, to those in the health and environmental justice field, that’s not the case.

"All of them are connected," says Adrienne Hollis of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "And the underlying cause is systemic racism."

"If you want to address pandemics, and you want to address climate change, you’ve got to focus on equity," agrees Aaron Bernstein of the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. "And the solution, and the great news in some ways, is that these actions you need to take are one and the same."

How are heat, lack of sanitation, and other environmental issues killing Americans in underserved communities? A conversation on what happens when climate, health, and poverty converge.

Guests:

Catherine Coleman Flowers, Founder, Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice; Author, Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret (The New Press, 2020)

Adrienne Hollis, Senior Climate Justice and Health Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists

Aaron Bernstein, Interim Director, Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health

For complete show notes, visit our website.

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Humor, Seriously with Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas Feb 10, 2021

We enjoy comedy as entertainment—but would we appreciate a zinger during a company meeting? In their new book Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life, Dr. Jennifer Aaker, a professor at Stanford Business School, and Naomi Bagdonas, a lecturer in management at Stanford, argue that using humor in supposedly serious situations can cultivate creativity, forge stronger relationships and strengthen one’s confidence. Jennifer and Naomi provide a theoretical overview of the benefits of comedy, consulting business leaders, comedians and behavioral scientists to learn more about how being funny “is money.”

Join Jennifer and Naomi at INFORUM to learn more about the benefits of humor in and out of the workplace. This conversation is moderated by comedian and artist Dhaya Lakshminarayanan.

SPEAKERS

Jennifer Aaker

Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business; Co-Author, Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life

Naomi Bagdonas

Lecturer, Stanford Graduate School of Business; Co-Author, Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life

Dhaya Lakshminarayanan

Comedian—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 2nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Walter Mosley: Blood Grove Feb 10, 2021

Walter Mosley, the author of more than 60 critically acclaimed books, is one of the most admired writers in America. The Commonwealth Club is pleased to welcome Mosley for the first time for a discussion on this new book, Blood Grove, and his long career in writing and the arts. just as America continues its reckoning on race relations.

Last year marked the 30th anniversary of Mosley's legendary Easy Rawlins series, as well as Mosley’s three decade-long exploration of racial inequality, political corruption and the pursuit of justice. In early February, Mosley's infamous detective, Rawlins, is back in Blood Grove, the 15th entry in the mystery series. Readers around the world have followed Easy Rawlins, an unlicensed private investigator turned detective always willing to do what it takes to get things done, in books translated into more than 25 different languages. Mosley's1990 debut novel, Devil in a Blue Dress, was the first in the bestselling mystery series featuring Rawlins and launched Mosley into literary prominence.

Mosley, who was just awarded the National Book Foundation's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, and the first Black man to win the honor in its 32-year history, has been astutely and profoundly engaging with the politics of race, the realities of being Black in America, and elegantly pushing the boundaries of genre fiction throughout his storied career. Mosley’s books have won numerous awards, including, but not limited to, an Edgar Award for Down the River Unto the Sea, an O. Henry Award, The Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award, a Grammy, several NAACP Image awards, and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2020, he was named the recipient of the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement from the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

This program contains EXPLICIT language

SPEAKERS

Walter Mosley

Author, Blood Grove

Brian Watt

News Anchor, KQED—Moderator

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His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life Feb 10, 2021

Join us for a virtual conversation with Jonathan Alter, author of the first full-length biography of Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States and Nobel Prize–winning humanitarian. Alter paints an intimate and surprising portrait of a complex figure with a piercing intelligence, prickly intensity, and biting wit beneath the patented smile.

Growing up in the Jim Crow South, Carter essentially lived in three centuries: his early life on the farm without electricity or running water might as well have been in the 19th; his presidency put him at the center of the 20th; and his efforts on conflict resolution and global health set him on the cutting edge of the 21st.

Drawing on fresh archives and five years of extensive access to Carter and his family, Alter traces how he evolved from a timid, bookish child—raised mostly by a black woman farmhand—into an ambitious naval nuclear engineer writing passionate, never-before-published love letters from sea to his wife and full partner, Rosalynn; a peanut farmer and civic leader whose guilt over staying silent during the Civil Rights Movement helped power his quest for racial justice; an obscure, born-again governor whose brilliant 1976 presidential campaign demolished the racist wing of the Democratic Party; a stubborn outsider who failed politically amid a bad economy and the seizure of American hostages in Iran, but succeeded in engineering peace between Israel and Egypt, advancing environmentalism, moving the government from tokenism to diversity, internationalizing human rights, and normalizing relations with China. After leaving office, Carter worked to eradicate diseases, taught Sunday school, and built houses for the poor into his mid-90s.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Jonathan Alter

Historian; Columnist; Documentary Filmmaker; Political Analyst, MSNBC; Former Senior Editor, Newsweek; Author, His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

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America and Iran Feb 10, 2021

Dr. John Ghazvinian, executive director of the University of Pennsylvania's Middle East Center, was born in Iran, raised in London and Los Angeles, and earned his doctorate from Oxford University. Dr. Banafsheh Keynoush earned her doctorate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, is a renowned Middle East expert and is a frequent contributor to Middle East Forum events. They will discuss his fascinating new book, which traces the complex relations between America and Iran since the 18th Century, when the Persian Empire greatly admired Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams and an America seen, by Iranians, as an ideal to emulate for their own government. They will also discuss how the two countries that once had heartfelt admiration for each other became such committed enemies.

Ghazvinian will also lead us "through the 4 seasons of U.S./Iran relations: the spring of mutual fascination; the summer of early interactions, the autumn of close strategic ties, the long dark winter of mutual hatred "and why "it didn't have to turn out this way."

SPEAKERS

John Ghazvinian

Ph.D., Author, America and Iran: A History 1720 to the Present

Banafsheh Keynoush

Ph.D., Editor, Interregional Dynamics in the Middle East—Moderator

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Chad Sanders: Black Magic Feb 09, 2021

"I remember the day I realized I couldn’t play a white guy as well as a white guy. It felt like a death sentence for my career.”—Chad Sanders

When Chad Sanders landed his first job in lily-white Silicon Valley, he quickly realized that to be successful at work meant playing a certain social game. Each meeting was drenched in white slang and the privileged talk of international travel or a folk concert in San Francisco, which led Chad to realize that he could only be successful if he emulated whiteness.

So Sanders changed. He changed his wardrobe, his behavior, his speech—everything that connected him with his Black identity. And while he finally felt included, he felt awful. Carrying the unbearable weight of his imposter syndrome—the constant burden of not being true to himself—left Sanders exhausted and ashamed. Instead, he decided to give up the charade. He reverted back to methods he learned at the dinner table, or at the Black Baptist church where he’d been raised, or the concrete basketball courts. And it paid off. Sanders began to land more exciting projects and eventually got promoted. He earned the respect of his colleagues and clients. Accounting for this turnaround, Sanders believes, was something he calls Black Magic, namely: resilience, creativity, and perseverance, forged in his experience navigating America as a Black man. Black Magic has emboldened his every step since. Leading him to wonder: was he alone in this discovery? Were there others who felt the same?

In Black Magic, Sanders tells his own story while also interviewing other Black leaders, scientists, artists, business people, parents, innovators, and champions, to get their take on Black magic. This revelatory book uncovers Black experiences in predominantly white environments while demonstrating the importance of staying true to yourself.

Chad Sanders is a New York City-based writer. His screenwriting career began when he wrote for ABC Freeform’s Grownish in 2018. Previously, Chad worked at Google in the YouTube and People Operations divisions and as a tech entrepreneur. He has since written and cowritten forthcoming TV series and feature films with collaborators Spike Lee, Morgan Freeman and Will Packer. Chad’s op-ed pieces have appeared in The New York Times and Teen Vogue.

NOTES

Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

Our thanks to Marcus Bookstore in Oakland for fulfilling book orders.

SPEAKERS

Chad Sanders

Author, Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned from Trauma and Triumph; Writer, The New York Times; Twitter @Chad_Sand

Michelle Meow

Producer and Host, “The Michelle Meow Show”; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-Host

John Zipperer

Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

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CLIMATE ONE: This Moment in Climate with Michael Mann & Leah Stokes Feb 06, 2021

With a new pro-science, pro-climate action administration in the White House, there are more pathways — and far greater political will — than ever before for the clean energy transition. The question is now less about what can be done to act on climate, and more about how soon.

“We have the best opportunity in more than a decade now to see federal climate action through legislation,” says Leah Stokes from UC Santa Barbara. So how quickly can a new administration turn around a gutted EPA, myriad environmental law rollbacks, and a legacy of climate denial from fossil fuel companies?

Guests:

Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science, Penn State University

Leah Stokes, Assistant Professor of Political Science, UC Santa Barbara

The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet

Short Circuiting Policy: Interest Groups and the Battle Over Clean Energy and Climate Policy in the American States

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Anna Malaika Tubbs: The Mothers of the Civil Rights Movement Feb 06, 2021

Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin pioneered equality through their common virtues of faith and resilience. They changed the minds of many Americans through their ability to assess community knowledge and make it accessible to the masses. These men were not born with this innate ability to lead; they were shaped by their surroundings and upbringing to fight for social justice. Much has been written about Baldwin, Dr. King, and Malcolm X, but virtually nothing has been said about the extraordinary women who raised them to be the leaders they became. Join us in conversation with Anna Malaika Tubbs as she celebrates Black motherhood in her new book, The Three Mothers. Baldwin's mother Berdis, King's mother Alberta, and Malcolm X’s mother Louise raised their sons with the hope of helping them to survive in a society that would deny their humanity from the very beginning. Louise’s reminders of the family’s activist roots, Berdis’ encouragement of creative writing, and Alberta’s concentration on faith were integral to each of the men’s outlook on life. The Black mothers who raised America’s most pivotal heroes each represent a piece of history left untold and a celebration of Black motherhood long overdue.

SPEAKERS

Anna Malaika Tubbs

Author, The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation

Valerie Coleman Morris

Emmy Award-Winning Journalist—Moderator

Copies of The Three Mothers are available for purchase at checkout (U.S. domestic shipping only); our thanks to Marcus Books in Oakland for fulfilling book orders

In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, this program was recorded via online livestream by the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco, CA, on February 3, 2021.

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Julia Gillard and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: Women and Leadership Feb 06, 2021

Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin pioneered equality through their common virtues of faith and resilience. They changed the minds of many Americans through their ability to assess community knowledge and make it accessible to the masses. These men were not born with this innate ability to lead; they were shaped by their surroundings and upbringing to fight for social justice. Much has been written about Baldwin, Dr. King, and Malcolm X, but virtually nothing has been said about the extraordinary women who raised them to be the leaders they became. Join us in conversation with Anna Malaika Tubbs as she celebrates Black motherhood in her new book, The Three Mothers. Baldwin's mother Berdis, King's mother Alberta, and Malcolm X’s mother Louise raised their sons with the hope of helping them to survive in a society that would deny their humanity from the very beginning. Louise’s reminders of the family’s activist roots, Berdis’ encouragement of creative writing, and Alberta’s concentration on faith were integral to each of the men’s outlook on life. The Black mothers who raised America’s most pivotal heroes each represent a piece of history left untold and a celebration of Black motherhood long overdue.

SPEAKERS

Julia Gillard

Former Prime Minister of Australia; Co-author, Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Former Finance Minister of Nigeria, Co-author, Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons

In Conversation with Jennifer Palmieri

Former White House Communications Director; Co-host, “The Circus” on Showtime; Author, She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independence from a Man’s World

In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, this program was recorded via online livestream by the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco, CA, on February 2, 2021.

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Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells Feb 06, 2021

To discourage the inclusion of Ida B. Wells in the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, the FBI wrote that she “has addressed meetings of colored people and endeavored to impress upon them that they are a downtrodden race and that now is the time for them to demand and secure their proper position in the world. She is a very effective speaker and her influence among the colored race is well recognized . . . she is considered . . . one of the most dangerous negro agitators.”

Complimenting her own story of self-discovery and activism, Michelle Duster brings to life her great-grandmother’s lifelong dedication to the fight for racial justice. Wells' courageous and passionate organizing was appreciated by her allies Frederick Douglass, W.E.B Du Bois, and Harriet Tubman, who together presented a serious threat to the status quo. Duster’s extensive research on Well’s life and career reveals Ida’s journey from ferocious teen to pioneering journalist to anti-lynching crusader, relayed in the delicate and introspective voice of a family member. Duster connects the historical dots to show how Wells’ actions a century ago echo through the movements happening in the streets today. Indeed, people might not be able to fully comprehend the achievements of people like Rosa Parks and Colin Kaepernick without understanding the outstanding work of Ida B. Wells.

SPEAKERS

Michelle Duster

Adjunct Professor, Creative Writing, Columbia College Chicago; Author, Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells

In Conversation with LaDoris Cordell

Judge (ret.); Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond

MLF: Humanities

Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

Our thanks to Marcus Bookstore in Oakland for fulfilling book orders

In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, this program was recorded via online livestream by the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco, CA, on February 2, 2021.

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Los Hermanos: Film Screening and Discussion Feb 04, 2021

Virtuoso Afro-Cuban-born brothers—American violinist Ilmar and Cuban pianist Aldo— live on opposite sides of a geopolitical chasm half a century wide. Los Hermanos/The Brothers tracks their parallel lives, poignant reunion, and electrifying first performances across the United States, in a nuanced, often startling view of estranged nations through the lens of music and family. In Cuba art is central to national identity. The island of 11 million people has outsized influence in dance and music worldwide. Artists are some of Cuba's most salient ambassadors, with a history of crossing divides that seem intractable to political leaders. The Gavilán brothers’ dynamic and visually compelling story gives a unique and personal perspective on the evolving relationship between the United States and Cuba. Featuring a genre-bending score composed by Cuban Aldo Lopez-Gavilan performed with his American brother, Ilmar, and with guest appearances by maestro Joshua Bell and the Grammy-winning Harlem Quartet. Join us for a screening of the new documentary Los Hermanos/The Brothers followed by a discussion about the unique elements of Cuban music, the Cuban musical diaspora, representation and equity in the arts (in particular classical music), and the power of the cultural and artistic connections between Cuba and the United States.

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Frank Figliuzzi: The FBI Way Feb 03, 2021

As a special agent in the FBI, Frank Figliuzzi spent his 25-year career working in populous areas such as San Francisco, Miami, Cleveland and Washington, D.C., investigating crime and protecting American rights. In 2011, Figliuzzi was appointed assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division by then-director Robert Mueller. His years of experience—both in agent and executive positions—can help shed light on the bureau’s training practices that unlock individual and organizational excellence. In his new book, The FBI Way, Figliuzzi reveals necessary values that make an effective member of the FBI, including performance, integrity and conduct. Stories by Figliuzzi demonstrate how the FBI maintains a rigorous implementation of its core values throughout the organization to ensure accountability and effectiveness. Figliuzzi has condensed the bureau’s process of protecting its core values into what he calls “The Seven C’s”: code, conservancy, clarity, consequences, compassion, credibility and consistency. With these values, he says the FBI is able to instill and preserve its values against all internal and external threats. Join us as Frank Figliuzzi shares the patterns of success he has observed throughout his career that can be broadly applied to business, management and personal development.

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CLIMATE ONE: Varying Degrees: Climate Change in the American Mind Feb 03, 2021

A decade ago, a nationwide survey showed that only around twelve percent of Americans were seriously concerned about climate change. Today, public perceptions have changed. “The alarmed are between a quarter and 30% of the public,” says Edward Maibach. “That makes them the largest single segment of Americans…as their name implies, they’re alarmed about climate change.” How does understanding the perceptions of a broadly concerned public enable our leaders to create lasting change? How do climate concerns break down across political, economic, and regional divides? A conversation with Anthony Leiserowitz and Edward Maibach, recipients of the tenth annual Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication. At a time when understanding climate perceptions has never been more important, Dr. Leiserowitz and Dr. Maibach have exemplified the ability to be both scientists and powerful communicators through their work on the public’s understanding of climate change, including the seminal Global Warming’s Six Americas project.

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Silicon Valley Reads Kickoff: Together—Connecting and Finding Comfort Feb 03, 2021

COVID-19 upended the world at the beginning of 2020, and life as we know it was forever altered. As we adjust to the changes, many of us are valuing, more than ever, our relationships. Our connections with each other and with things that provide comfort help give us a sense of security in a world that sometimes feels out of control. This year, Silicon Valley Reads will be centered on the theme of “Connecting”—the universal human ability to build resilience by looking for people, places and things that provide comfort and joy during tough times. Dr. Sara Cody, Dr. James Doty and Usha Srinivasan will be part of the 2021 kickoff event and discuss their perspectives on ways in which each of us and our community can find comfort and connection through difficult times. NOTES This is a free, online-only program; pre-register to receive a link to the live-stream event. In Partnership with: Santa Clara County Office of Education, Santa Clara County Library District, San Jose Public Library. Special performance by the Cupertino High School Capella Choir and virtual “Sources of Solace” art show by the Euphrat Museum of Art

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A Salute to KQED's Michael Krasny Feb 03, 2021

After 28 years, renowned KQED radio host Michael Krasny, host of the popular "Forum" program, has announced that he will retire following his "Forum" broadcast on February 12, 2021, marking the exact anniversary of his first program in 1993. Krasny has interviewed some of the most prominent newsmakers and political and cultural figures of the past half century, including Maya Angelou, William F. Buckley, President Jimmy Carter, Cesar Chavez, Noam Chomsky, Francis Ford Coppola, Jerry Garcia, Allen Ginsberg, Werner Herzog, John McCain, Toni Morrison, President Barack Obama, Camille Paglia, Rosa Parks, Nancy Pelosi, Sean Penn, Salman Rushdie, Carl Sagan, Bernie Sanders, Patti Smith, Charlize Theron, Wayne Thiebaud, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, David Foster Wallace, Gene Wilder and George Will. Krasny’s storied broadcasting career began auspiciously in the late 1970s as host of a weekly program on KTIM FM, a small Marin County rock station. He later moved to ABC in 1983, where he worked in both radio (KGO AM) and on local television. He is professor of English at San Francisco State University and has also taught at Stanford University, the University of San Francisco and the University of California, San Francisco, as well as in the Fulbright International Institutes. Join us for a special salute to Michael Krasny, and don't miss your chance to turn the tables and ask your own questions of this highly regarded interviewer.

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Black and White: The Double Standard in the Capitol Hill Siege Feb 02, 2021

The world watched in horror as members of the alt-right stormed Capitol Hill in an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. What we also witnessed was a stark and irrefutable difference between the way law enforcement reacted to the siege in comparison to the violent force often used at Black Lives Matter marches and other peaceful protests involving marginalized communities. What is the relationship between the police, white supremacy and the American right to protest? How does our country define “terrorism,” both culturally and in the eyes of the law? And, importantly, what can we learn from the Capitol attacks to help BIPOC organizers continue their fight against injustice in 2021 and beyond? Join us at INFORUM with noted activist Alicia Garza and Representative for California's 13th congressional district Barbara Lee, where we will explore this historic moment and what this all means for communities of color in a post-Trump America.

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Streaming Fiction with Charles Yu and Jess Walter Feb 02, 2021

Best-selling authors Charles Yu and Jess Walter will talk about writing fiction that manages to be both poignant and funny at a time of great change. They will also share the inspiration behind their new stories, published exclusively by Scribd Originals. Yu’s The Only Living Girl on Earth is an unexpected and delightfully absurd vision of life on Earth a thousand years in the future. In this story, Yu expresses his unique brand of cosmic humanism and offers above all, hope. Walter’s Town & Country describes a son’s greatest act of tolerance and acceptance in a world that hasn’t always shown him the same. It’s a story, as only Walter could write, about all the ways we cannot help but love each other even when we do not, and maybe cannot, understand each other. In Partnership with Scribd Originals.

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Mai Khoi and the Art of Creative Dissent Jan 29, 2021

She's been called Vietnam's Lady Gaga—a talented, outspoken artist promoting freedom of expression. Join us for an online discussion with an artist who has crafted creative ways to promote freedom. Mai Khoi is a Vietnamese artist and activist. At the age of 12 she wrote her first song and joined her father's wedding band the same year. She rose to stardom in 2010 after winning the Vietnam Television song and album of the year awards. Several years later she became increasingly uncomfortable having to submit her work to government censors and started the avant-garde dissident trio Mai Khoi Chém Gió. Working at the interface of art and activism Mai Khoi has developed her most unique art form to date. Her new sound is an emotionally charged fusion of free jazz and ethnic Vietnamese music, with her most political, yet personal, song lyrics ever. Today she leads efforts to promote freedom of artistic expression in Vietnam, for which she was awarded the Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent. Her activism has, however, come at a high price. She has had her concerts raided, been evicted from her house, and been detained and interrogated by the police. Mai Khoi is artist in residence at SHIM NYC and an Artist Protection Fund fellow. NOTES In partnership with the Vietnamese American Roundtable

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Gershom Gorenberg: War of Shadows Jan 28, 2021

Gershom Gorenberg joins us live from Jerusalem to discuss the topic of his latest book, War of Shadows: Codebreakers, Spies, and the Secret Struggle to Drive the Nazis from the Middle East, with Robert Rosenthal, a former Middle East/Africa journalist and former editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer and managing editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. At the center of Gorenberg's exciting intrigue—which has lessons for today's intelligence and cybersecurity—are the code breakers at Bletchley Park, who helped solve the Enigma cipher and foiled Rommel's bid to to conquer the Middle East. Gorenberg, a columnist for The Washington Post, has written for The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The New York Review of Books, Haaretz, and other media outlets. He teaches a workshop on writing history at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. MLF ORGANIZER Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East

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Tyler Stovall: White Freedom Jan 27, 2021

Dr. Tyler Stovall's White Freedom explores the intertwined histories of racism and freedom in France and the United States, the two leading nations that have claimed liberty as the heart of their national identities. Stovall examines how French and American thinkers defined freedom in racial terms and conceived of liberty as an aspect and privilege of whiteness. He also discusses how the Statue of Liberty―a gift from France to the United States and perhaps the most famous symbol of freedom on Earth―promised both freedom and whiteness to European immigrants. The era of the Enlightenment, which gave rise to our modern conceptions of freedom and democracy, was also the height of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. America, founded on the principle of liberty, was also built on African slavery, Native American genocide, and systematic racial discrimination. Stovall traces the complex relationship between freedom and race from the Age of Revolution to today, challenging the notion that racism is somehow a paradox or contradiction within the democratic tradition, and demonstrating how white identity is intrinsic to Western ideas about liberty. Throughout the history of modern Western liberal democracy, freedom has long been white freedom. Stovall provides an important perspective on the inherent racism behind our most cherished beliefs about freedom, liberty, and human rights. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Michael Boskin and Laura Tyson: Bank of America Annual Economic Forecast Jan 27, 2021

With the Biden administration taking office, COVID rampant, vaccine disbursement beginning, and businesses and individual Americans reeling from financial burdens, what is the outlook for the economy in 2021? Join us for a lively and important discussion on where the U.S. and global economies are headed and what should be done to keep them on track. Michael J. Boskin is T. M. Friedman Professor of Economics and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He served as chairman of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) from 1989 to 1993. The independent Council for Excellence in Government rated Dr. Boskin’s CEA one of the five most respected agencies (out of 100) in the federal government. He chaired the highly influential blue-ribbon Commission on the Consumer Price Index, whose report has transformed the way government statistical agencies around the world measure inflation, GDP and productivity. Laura D’Andrea Tyson is an influential scholar of economics and public policy and an expert on trade and competitiveness who has also served as a presidential adviser. She is a distinguished professor of the Graduate School at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. She also chairs the Board of Trustees at UC Berkeley’s Blum Center for Developing Economies, which aims to develop solutions to global poverty. She is the former faculty director of the Berkeley Haas Institute for Business and Social Impact, which she launched in 2013. She served as interim dean of the Haas School from July to December 2018, and served previously as dean from 1998 to 2001. Dr. Tyson was a member of President Clinton’s cabinet between 1993 and 1996. She served as chair of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers from 1993 to 1995 and as director of the White House National Economic Council from 1995 to 1996. She was the first woman to serve in those positions. This event is underwritten by Bank of America.

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NBA’s Kevin Love: Championing Mental Health for Everyone Jan 27, 2021

On the surface, it would appear that the Cleveland Cavaliers' star forward Kevin Love has much success in his life. He is a five-time All-Star and won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016.He was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. national team at the 2012 Summer Olympics. But Kevin Love has also suffered from depression and anxiety for years. He was one of the first NBA players to openly discuss mental health challenges. He first made headlines in March 2018, when he admitted that he had suffered a panic attack during a game that year. He subsequently said that he had always viewed talking about mental health as a “form of weakness that could derail my success in sports.” Yet he has gone on to talk about how he has changed his attitude toward mental health, believing that sharing helps others. In 2018, he established the Kevin Love Fund to provide tools and help for people to improve their physical and emotional well-being, with the goal of assisting more than a billion people over the next 5 years. Come for a candid and heartfelt conversation with Kevin Love about how depression impacts not only high performers but a wide range of people across age groups and professions, especially during the COVID-era, and what can be done to create more support for those in need.

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After the Capitol Siege: The Need for Civics Education Jan 27, 2021

Just two weeks after the Capitol attack that resulted in five deaths, delayed the official counting of the Electoral College votes, and led to the second impeachment of a president of the United States for the first time in American history, a new president has been inaugurated in a Washington, D.C. that was on near lockdown due to the threat of domestic terrorism. Education leaders, civic advocates and public officials recognize that one of the most important ways the country can respond to this challenging moment is through an embrace of civics education, along with a significant boost in efforts that enable all U.S. citizens to understand the civic structures of the country, as well as the roles and responsibilities of its citizens and its elected officials. Just days after the Capitol attack, the Washington, D.C.-based The Hill published a powerful editorial about the urgent need for a renewed push for civics education. In it, Lauren Leader and Mark K. Updegrove noted, . . . Like the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that pulled the U.S. directly into World War II, the siege on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by a violent mob will be remembered as a “day which will live in infamy.” Much will be written about the circumstances that led to the desecration of the Capitol….but as we move forward, it’s just as urgent to consider how we can build the foundations of a more unified nation with a deeper common understanding of what it really means to be American. . . . Part of the answer lies in civics education." Please join us for a special program as Leader and Updegrove are joined by the heads of iCivics, Louise Dube, and Generation Citizen, Elizabeth Clay Roy, to discuss why an urgent call to action for civics education is so important for the country. NOTES The program is part of The Commonwealth Club's "Creating Citizens" initiative, created with generous support from the Koret Foundation and others.

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A Healthy Society Series: Communicating Science (in a Science-Skeptical World) Jan 26, 2021

As a driver of global health, prosperity and planetary sustainability, science pervades all realms of human activity. The COVID pandemic of the past year and the prospect of its eventual resolution have put science (and scientists) at the forefront of an international cultural conversation. Yet communicating facts and credible research is a tricky task in a world awash in social media, anti-scientific agendas, political forces and biases of every kind. MLF ORGANIZER Robert Lee Kilpatrick NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

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Making the Case: A Unique Portrait of a Supreme Court Justice Jan 26, 2021

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told filmmaker Jennifer Callahan, "If I left the house without a bag, I’d go right back inside to get it." In "Making the Case," the late justice shares her thoughts—not on the law, but on daily objects from her own life, on some of her handbags. The film enables the viewer to get to know the great RBG in a most relatable way. Join us for an unexpected look into the thinking of a legal legend. Please note: This is not a screening of the short film "Making the Case."

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Rep. Eric Swalwell: The Siege on Capitol Hill Jan 25, 2021

Since the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill, Representative Eric Swalwell has been outspoken about the action he believes Congress should take to curb further assaults on our democracy, emphasizing the need for the president’s resignation or impeachment. The representative from California’s 15th district does not shy away from voicing his opinion on the important issues, and in this time of great uncertainty, Rep. Swalwell maintains his support for direct action against those who perpetrated the attack on himself and fellow members of Congress. As the House of Representative introduces articles of impeachment against President Trump, join Rep. Swalwell at INFORUM to hear about what it was like inside Capitol Hill on January 6, his hopes for the Biden administration, and what he expects for a post-Trump political landscape.

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Journalist Annie Jacobsen: Biometrics and the Surveillance State Jan 25, 2021

Journalist Annie Jacobsen is well known for her best sellers The Pentagon's Brain, Area 51 and Operation Paperclip. In her latest book, First Platoon, she investigates "warfare, good and evil in the age of biometrics, the technology that would allow the government to identify anyone, anywhere, at any time." Come for a discussion about the Pentagon's abilities to utilize iris scans, fingerprint scans, voice patterning, detection by odor, gait, and more to track human patterns, as well as the ethical questions raised by what Ms. Jacobsen calls "a burgeoning surveillance state." This is a story that starts off close and goes very big. The initial part of the story might sound familiar at first: It is about a platoon of mostly 19-year-old boys sent to Afghanistan, and an experience that ends abruptly in catastrophe. Their part of the story folds into the next: Inexorably linked to those soldiers and never comprehensively reported before is the U.S. Department of Defense’s quest to build the world’s most powerful biometrics database, with the power to identify, monitor, catalogue, and police people all over the world. Based on hundreds of formerly classified documents, FOIA requests, and exclusive interviews, First Platoon is an investigative exposé by a master chronicler of government secrets. Jacobsen reveals a post–9/11 Pentagon whose identification machines have grown more capable than the humans who must make sense of them. She says it's a Pentagon so powerful it can cover up its own internal mistakes in pursuit of endless wars; and people are at its mercy, in the last moments before a fundamental change so complete it might be impossible to take back. Annie Jacobsen is the author of the Pulitzer Prize–finalist in history The Pentagon’s Brain, the New York Times bestsellers Area 51 and Operation Paperclip, and other books. She was a contributing editor at the Los Angeles Times Magazine. A graduate of Princeton University, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.

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The New Corporation: Creating an Economic System That Works for All Jan 22, 2021

How do we find our way to a society focused on the common good instead of greed and selfishness? Does our “socially responsible” corporation structure allow us to have other values besides profit? Our panel—Joel Bakan, Jennifer Abbot, Elizabeth Davis and Kevin McGarry—will guide us to examine these issues. Joel Bakan’s book “the New Corporation” and Jennifer Abbot and Joel’s film by the same name, calls out what they call the corporate takeover of society. From gatherings of corporate elites in Davos, to climate change and spiraling inequality, the rise of authoritarian leaders to COVID and racial injustice, our panel of media activists and academics looks at corporations’ devastating power and the systemic changes required. Countering this is a groundswell of resistance worldwide as people take to the streets in pursuit of justice and the planet’s future. The members of our panel examine how a “just recovery” means addressing the three crises: climate, COVID and capitalism. The panel will look beyond the old corporate mentality and guide people toward a reimagining of democracy, collective action, structural equality and how people can get involved. MLF ORGANIZER Elizabeth Carney NOTES MLF: Business & Leadership

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CLIMATE ONE: Fast, Fair and Clean: The New Energy Transition Jan 22, 2021

Hopes and expectations are high for President Biden’s first weeks in office. His recovery plans promise to take on COVID-19, a battered economy, and a rapid clean energy transition in a way that doesn’t leave communities behind. But Navajo Nation, which until recently was home to the largest coal-fired power plant in the U.S., has been left out of economic and energy plans for a long time. “The community that has been the provider is the one that has the most homes that don't have access to electricity,” notes Wahleah Johns, Co-Founder and Director of Native Renewables. Can the incoming administration improve energy access for all Americans while phasing out fossil fuels?

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Operation Moonglow Jan 20, 2021

Discover the political history behind the Apollo program. Ever since July 1969, Neil Armstrong's first step on the Moon has represented the pinnacle of American space exploration and a grand scientific achievement. Yet Teasel Muir-Harmony argues its primary purpose wasn't advancing science. Rather, it was part of a political strategy to build a global coalition of "freedom" against "tyranny." Starting with JFK's 1961 decision to send astronauts to the Moon, Project Apollo was central to American foreign policy. From that perspective, the critical event did not just take place on the lunar surface; it took place in homes, public squares, palaces, and schools around the world, as Apollo captured global attention like never before. In the Moon landing's afterglow, the Apollo astronauts and President Richard Nixon traveled the world to amplify the sense of participation and global unity shared by the billions who had followed the flight. Drawing on a rich array of untapped archives and firsthand interviews with Apollo astronauts, Muir-Harmony paints a riveting picture of the intersection of spaceflight, geopolitics, propaganda, and diplomacy during the Cold War. NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Run to Win: EMILY's List President Stephanie Schriock Jan 19, 2021

As the president of the Democratic political action committee EMILY’s List since 2010, Stephanie Schriock has led the charge to elect female Democratic candidates across America. In the 2018 midterm elections, under Schriock’s leadership, EMILY’s List ran female candidates who flipped enough seats to win a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives. In her new book with Christina Reynolds, Run to Win: Lessons in Leadership for Women Changing the World, Schriock provides guidance for women looking to break into male-dominated spaces, whether that be in politics or otherwise. Join Schriock at INFORUM to learn more about how women can become changemakers in their communities, whether it's at the local, state or federal level.

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Pandemic19: Behind the Scenes with Frontline Doctors Jan 19, 2021

Learn about the making of a timely new documentary that reveals a side of the coronavirus pandemic often unseen by most people. Pandemic19 is a short documentary film that captures the story of three doctors in the United States fighting COVID-19 from pre-to-post surge, told through their own reflective, humanizing voices, while the chaos of the pandemic spreads outside the frame of their video confessions. Pandemic19 sidesteps the salacious news headlines by focusing on the personal video journals of three doctors as they prepare for the “calm before the storm” and share their direct experiences with COVID-19 patients. As the days unfold, the doctors check-in and record their changing impressions: fears, hopes, challenges, and triumphs—laying bare their unfiltered and subjective feelings. Join us for a conversation with Dr. Virginia Brady and Pandemic19 directors Yung Chang and Annie Katsure Rollins.

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CLIMATE ONE: Biden’s Climate Opportunity (Part 2) Jan 17, 2021

Incoming President Biden faces an unimaginable set of challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, a gutted economy and a nation reeling from the recent capital attack. With all of that and more on his plate, what of Biden’s plans to fight climate change? “This President-elect has shown that he is absolutely committed to addressing the issue of climate,” says former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman. “Because it affects everything.” Advancing a bipartisan climate agenda will be a hard sell. But in his nearly four decades in the Senate, Biden has made friends and earned respect from his Republican peers. “That isn’t gonna fix everything, of course not,” admits former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. But if you start with that...there are enough Republicans in the Senate who will respond to that.”

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Representative Jackie Speier: How Damaged Is Our Democracy? Jan 14, 2021

Rep. Jackie Speier has survived violence twice. Once in 1978, when she was a young aide to Rep. Leo Ryan and was shot and left for dead on the tarmac of an airport in Guyana after her boss was murdered trying to help members of the People’s Temple cult escape. And again last week, when she was in the House chamber in the U.S. Capitol when it was attacked. Join Rep. Speier and retired Santa Clara County Judge LaDoris Cordell for a timely and frank behind-the-scenes look at the attack on the U.S. Capitol and its implications. What is the state of the country and of American democracy following the events of the past week? What will America look like after January 20? Can the divisions in the country be healed? Congresswoman Speier has served in Congress since 2008. California’s 14th Congressional District stretches from San Francisco through San Mateo County to East Palo Alto. Representative Speier serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. She is also co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence, and the Gunviolence Prevention Task Force. Don't miss this opportunity to ask questions of this long-time lawmaker at a crucial point in history.

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CLIMATE ONE: Talk Green, Play Dirty: Corporate America’s Mixed Record Jan 14, 2021

Questioning science, funding vocal climate denial groups, and encouraging the focus on personal carbon footprints are corporate America’s preferred tools for shifting the responsibility for action on climate from industry to the individual. “Companies that are very much pro-climate action, that are acting in their own operations, are mostly silent on public policy,” says Bill Weihl, former Sustainability Director at Facebook. But with more workers holding their employers accountable and the start of a departure from shareholder-first capitalism, is the role of the corporation shifting?

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Making Conversation Jan 13, 2021

Join us for a virtual conversation about the art of conversation with Fred Dust. Conversations are one of our most fundamental means of communicating with each other. At their best, they are unconstrained, authentic and open—two or more people sharing thoughts and ideas in ways that bridge our individual experiences to achieve a common goal. At their worst, they foster misunderstanding and frustration, and obscure our real intentions. How often do you walk away from a conversation feeling really heard? That it moved the people in it forward in some important way? If not very often, you’re not alone. After years of trying to broker communications between colleagues and clients, Dust redesigned his art of conversation by using intention and purpose, but remaining artful and playful. In this discussion, he codifies what he learned and outlines the commitment, creative listening, clarity, and context required to be more deliberate and purposeful in making conversations work. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Ashes to Ashes: Two Artists Addressing Racial Injustice in America Jan 13, 2021

In a time of racial reckoning, a new film looks at a very personal attempt to address racial injustices in this country. Ashes to Ashes is an endearing portrait of Winfred Rembert, an avid Star Wars fan and master leather-work artist who survived an attempted lynching in 1967. This moving short documentary showcases the incredible friendship he has forged with Dr. Shirley Jackson Whitaker, as she creates and establishes an interactive art exhibit to memorialize the more than 4,000 African Americans who were lynched during the Jim Crow era. Join us for a discussion with Dr. Whitaker, Winifred Rembert, and the film's director, Taylor Rees.

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QAnon: What Happens Now? Jan 12, 2021

To many observers, QAnon is, for lack of a better word, dangerous. They say it is dangerous to our political life, because it spreads disinformation which makes it more difficult for citizens to make informed decisions about who to vote for and what policies to support; it is also dangerous to the mental health of people who buy into the conspiracy theories, because it creates a cult-like environment, one in which people stop thinking for themselves and instead hero-worship President Donald Trump; finally, it is dangerous to the physical welfare of non-QAnon followers, because members of QAnon have been linked to violence. Matthew Rozsa is a staff writer at Salon, where he has covered everything from politics and economics to science and culture. Prior to his career at Salon, Mr. Rozsa worked for a number of media outlets, including Mic, Quartz, The Daily Dot, The Good Men Project and MSNBC. He graduated from Bard College with a B.A. in history and from Rutgers University-Newark with an M.A. in history. He is currently studying for a Ph.D. in history at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. MLF ORGANIZER Patrick O'Reilly NOTES MLF: Psychology

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Chef Marcus Samuelsson Jan 07, 2021

Summers for the Tsegie-Samuelsson family were spent in Smögen, Sweden catching crayfish, lobsters and mackerel to serve with local and fresh ingredients at the dinner table. These meals were influenced by Ethiopian cuisine, creating an East African culinary experience with Swedish ingredients. These artistic and cultural influences continue to play a pivotal role in Marcus Samuelsson's cooking. Chef Marcus Samuelsson, author of the new book The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food, takes us into a deeper journey of food, culture, and origin to appreciate the complexity of Black culinary arts. The deliciousness of modern Black cooking is only enhanced by chefs’ reclamation of Black culinary traditions, a collective desire to fight implicit bias, and an ability to energize young, creative cooks. Black meals are often categorized under the monolithic label of “soul food,” but Samuelsson reminds us that soul food flavors have influences tracing back to the African continent, the Caribbean, all over the United States, and beyond. The Rise is more than a cookbook, and has been called a stunning work of breadth and beauty. It’s the celebration of a culinary movement. NOTES Part of our Food Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Co-presented by INFORUM. Our thanks to Marcus Bookstore in Oakland for fulfilling book orders.

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The Future of American History Education: What Now? Jan 07, 2021

As the Trump presidency comes to an end, many questions have been raised about its impact and legacy on a range of policy issues and priorities for the country. The future of American history education, particularly for K–12 students, is one area where the impact could be felt for years. Responding to recent controversies such as The New York Times’s "1619 Project" and widespread calls to remove Confederate monuments, President Trump issued an executive order establishing a new “1776 Commission” to promote “patriotic education” in schools. Whether or not the Biden administration continues the commission, the focus on what should be taught about America’s founding and heritage, how constitutional issues and historical topics such as slavery should be conveyed to students, and how to teach the full and complex story of our constitutional democracy will remain a significant educational debate for years to come. This program will look at the state of this debate from a range of perspectives and discuss the future of American history education. The program will be held on January 6, the historic constitutional day when the U.S. Congress officially counts the electoral votes from the presidential election.

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Once More Unto the Breach: The Week to Week Political Roundtable Kicks Off 2021 Jan 06, 2021

Join us for the first Week to Week political roundtable of 2021, as we gather online for a program on the same day that Georgia holds its runoff election for two crucial U.S. Senate seats. We'll discuss the Georgia race, plus the incoming administration, the outgoing administration, the latest from Sacramento and elsewhere with our usual mix of expert insight and a dose of good-natured humor.

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Dr. Jessica Zitter: Film Screening and Discussion, ""Caregiver: A Love Story"" Jan 06, 2021

Dr. Jessica Zitter is a national advocate for transforming the way people die in America. She is Harvard- and UCSF-trained to practice the unusual combination of critical and palliative care medicine and works as an attending physician at a public hospital in Oakland. Join us for a special one-hour program featuring "Caregiver: A Love Story," Dr. Zitter's new short documentary about the family caregiver burden. More than one in five Americans care for a loved one in need, and are facing serious physical, financial, and emotional consequences. The COVID-19 pandemic has given us all a window into this rising public health crisis, as increasing numbers of people suddenly became caregivers and those who were already doing this work become increasingly isolated and overwhelmed. After the 24-minute film, we will be joined by Dr. Zitter, co-director and producer of the film, for a discussion and Q&A facilitated by Mark Zitter. We will learn more about the issue of family caregiver burden, and get taken "behind-the-scenes” to learn how this unlikely film was made. About the Film When Bambi Fass was dying from metastatic melanoma, she realized that being at home with her husband Rick was her biggest priority. Once hospice services came on board, Bambi's quality of life dramatically improved. But as the viewer watches the rising stresses placed on her husband Rick, another story emerged—the burden placed on the family caregiver. Filmed in Oakland, "Caregiver: A Love Story," follows the last 9 weeks of Bambi’s life at home, focusing on the challenges Rick faces as he leaves his job to become her primary caregiver, a role for which he has no experience and little support. He juggles the day-to-day demands of providing care for Bambi and his two-year-old granddaughter, suffers financial losses, and becomes fatigued, sick and lonely, all while losing the woman he loves. The film won best documentary short at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.

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CLIMATE ONE: Biden’s Climate Opportunity (Part 1) Jan 05, 2021

President-elect Joe Biden says he will infuse climate change into every corner of his agenda. That’s becoming evident looking at his emerging team. "You're already seeing signs from the nominees and the people they’re choosing that climate is going to be a part of every single agency," says Christy Goldfuss, Senior Vice President for Energy and Environment Policy at the Center for American Progress. But it will take more than staff buy-in to get the country to net-zero emissions. When he’s sworn in on January 20th, Biden will likely be facing a Republican-led Senate that opposes his climate goals. He’s announced an ambitious plan designed to achieve a one-hundred-percent clean economy and net-zero emissions by 2050, and is assembling a team of heavy hitters to get the job done. But he faces criticism from both sides. Republicans claim his plan is too expensive. Sunrise Movement and other progressives accuse him of not being ambitious enough. Join us for a discussion about the Biden climate agenda -- what he hopes to accomplish and what he can get done, with or without congressional support.

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CLIMATE ONE: Mary Nichols: A Climate Champion’s Legacy Jan 05, 2021

Mary Nichols is not a household name, but she arguably has done more than any other public official to reduce America's carbon pollution. As she puts it, “I took on the one topic that everybody agreed was really important, but they didn't know what to do about, and that was air pollution,” Nichols first served as chair of California's Air Resources Board, or the Air Board, from 1979 to 1983 in Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown's first term. When she returned to the job, almost 25 years later under a Republican governor, the board had evolved into a much more powerful and important player, in what had become an urgent struggle against climate change. The Board played a crucial role, for example, in exposing the Volkswagen “Dieselgate” scandal. “The Air Resources Board and our engineers are the ones who uncovered the fraud and figured out how it actually worked,” she recalls, “and we immediately brought in the Federal Environmental Protection Agency and in turn, the Department of Justice.” More recently, Nichols has been busy battling the Trump administration’s attempt to water down California’s fuel economy rules -- which often become national standards because of that state’s big car market. “It's about the merits, it’s about getting the results and the environmental benefits,” Nichols says, “but it's also about protecting California's right to set standards because that has been time and time again the one tool that we the people as a whole have had to really force progress on the part of the industry.”

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The Virtual View from Tokyo: Shin Ushijima Dec 23, 2020

Join us virtually to discuss with Shin Ushijima, Japan’s best-selling legal thriller author and influential corporate counselor, the nuances of cultural shifts in Japan, the political ramifications of Japan’s response to COVID-19, the effects of China’s rising influence in Asia, the threat to Japan of North Korea’s military misadventurousness, and the institutional changes he would like to see in corporate governance in order to strengthen Japan’s international businesses. Ushijima will also share how he managed to write several novels, and non-fiction corporate advice books, while running one of Tokyo’s premier law firms.

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Sadhguru: Mark Twain and Vedanta at The Commonwealth Club Dec 22, 2020

Join us virtually for the kind of philosophical conversation Shankara would have enjoyed, the kind captured in the best of the Upanishads, as we explore with Sadhguru the ideas that have intrigued the yogis of India for millennia, and which have seeped into Western culture in bits and pieces through the curiosity of authors such as Emerson, Thoreau, Maugham and Hesse, and from a stream of famous Indian teachers who traveled to the West to share these ideas. We will start our conversation with Mark Twain, because in Hannibal, MO, during Sadhguru’s recent motorcycle tour of America, he said that when he was growing up “Moby Dick and Huck Finn kind of lived in my head for some time. Nobody else really occupied my mind much.” So we will discuss the ancient two-way literary and intellectual highway between India and the West, and then see how much more transcendental the conversation gets after that. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Swami Beyondananda UNMASKED Dec 22, 2020

“Here is the great paradox of Cosmic Comic Consciousness: The world is in serious condition, and yet there is definitely something funny going on.” Swami Beyondananda, whose favorite yoga pose is tongue-in-cheek (and occasionally foot-in-mouth) is bringing his comedy disguised as wisdom—or is it wisdom disguised as comedy—to The Commonwealth Club. If you’ve never been to The Commonwealth Club, this is your opportunity to not be there again—this is a virtual event! Seriously and humorously, in these way-too-serious times, this is the perfect opportunity to take humor more seriously and seriousness more humorously. Noted author Marianne Williamson has called the Swami “the Mark Twain of our times,” and as such Swami has a “one-twack mind”—that’s the laugh twack. And he has one “loco motive”—to keep you laughing till the sacred cows come home. Now the Swami is not one of those gurus who expects people to accept his teachings without questioning. If you have an answerable question for the Swami, the Swami will have a questionable answer for you. As the Swami tells us, there are two kinds of people in the world—the kind who divide people into two kinds and the kind who don’t. If you’re part of the former group, there are two other kinds of people in the world. The ones who love to laugh, and the ones who need to. If you fit either category, come laugh with (or at, he doesn’t care) the Swami. And invite your friends, because when it comes to laughter, the more the merrier. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Keep the Seat: Who Should Succeed Senator Kamala Harris? Dec 19, 2020

When Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris assumes her new office in January, she will leave a safe Democratic U.S. Senate seat in one of the bluest states in the country. The parlor game has begun of trying to figure out who Governor Gavin Newsom will appoint to replace Harris in the Senate. Should he choose a woman? Man? Asian-American? African-American? Latinx? European-American? LGBTQ? Rich? Poor? The Coalition of Black Women, composed of hundreds of Black women and organizations, hopes to influence the governor to replace Harris with another female African-American. Join us for a conversation with coalition supporters and Black women leaders who are emphasizing the need for diversity in our nation's leaders, pointing to the deficit in the representation of women and African-Americans in the U.S. Senate.

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Special Online Holiday Party! Dec 18, 2020

It’s been in a challenging year, so we want to end the year on a high note (literally) with a very special virtual holiday party! We are thrilled to join with our friends at the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) to celebrate a Bay Area tradition: "A Christmas Carol." This year, for the first time in its 44-year history, the Bay Area’s favorite holiday theater performance comes to life as a fantastical immersive audio event—"A Christmas Carol: On Air." The Club’s annual holiday party will take you behind the scenes of the world premiere of this timeless story of optimism and humbugs, memories and redemptions, spooky presents and hopeful futures. During the party, we’ll hear from A.C.T.’s TONY Award-winning artistic director, Pam MacKinnon, "A Christmas Carol On Air" Director Peter J. Kuo, and A.C.T. Audio Engineer Jake Rodriguez about this year’s virtual effort and how they created this entirely new experience. We’ll even hear a special excerpt from this year’s all-audio performance. Please join us for this special event to kick off the holiday season . . .

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Breakthroughs in Light Medicine: Treating Dementias and Pain Dec 17, 2020

This presentation will introduce what light medicine is, how it works, and review the medical literature as well as their extensive clinical experience in treating neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injuries, strokes, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease, peripheral neuropathies, as well as nearly all painful conditions. Proponents say that the beauty of this safe and cost-effective technology is that it is available today and results are usually seen in just one or two 15- to 30-minute treatments. Len Saputo, M.D., is board certified in internal medicine and has pioneered the development of an integrative, holistic, person-centered, preventative health-care model called Health Medicine. He founded the Health Medicine Forum and has 20 years of experience working with light therapy and more than 50 years practicing medicine. Maurice Bales is an electrical engineer who holds the first U.S. patent and FDA clearance for a light machine. He was awarded five grants from NASA while working on the space shuttle, and has been employed by UC Berkeley to mentor Ph.D. students in fusion physics for two decades. MLF ORGANIZER Robert Lee Kilpatrick NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

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Destination Health: Driving Equity in Health Care Dec 17, 2020

As our country faces the worst economic downturn in a century due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans are experiencing financial strain, leading to food insecurity and rising homelessness. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by both the coronavirus and the resulting economic crisis, creating multiple barriers to health. The health-care industry has long recognized the awful truth that race and economic status are linked and both are social predictors of health. The difference in life expectancy between the richest 1 percent and poorest 1 percent of Americans is about 12 years, and between Black and white people there is a 4-year gap on average, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, research shows that underrepresented populations tend to receive lower quality of care and experience greater morbidity and mortality from various chronic diseases. The renewed focus on race amid the COVID-19 pandemic and protests over societal bias provide an opportunity for structural change. In the United States, we spend more on health care and less on the social services that support healthier communities than most industrialized nations. Today’s pandemic continues to highlight how this mismatch in spending is driving some of our poor health-care outcomes. The potential for a significant rise in homelessness, food insecurity and other social issues amid COVID-19 will have drastic effects on health. We already know, for example, that chronic homelessness can cut 27 years from a person’s life. We cannot keep people healthy if they cannot keep a roof over their head and food on the table. Our country’s health-care system is already facing a massive challenge as it cares for those infected with the coronavirus. How can we address the physical, psychological, economic and social impacts of inequity and systematic racism to foster more equitable and healthier communities? Join a panel of experts as we explore opportunities to drive health equity.

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COVID-19 Vaccines and Returning to Normalcy Dec 17, 2020

Amid dire news of increasing COVID-19 deaths and strict lockdowns this winter, we see vaccines being approved in record time. How and when will these vaccines be rolled out to hundreds of millions of Americans? Who will be offered them first, and when will the rest of us gain access? Will we take them when offered—and if not, will they be mandated? As these vaccines are dosed in unprecedented volumes here and around the world, how fast can they slow the spread of the coronavirus? Most of all, when can we get back to the activities we’ve been missing? Will vaccines ever allow life to return to normal? In the Club's final COVID program of the year, two experts will tell us what to expect, and when.

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Making History with Sarah McBride: Special Annual Michelle Meow Year-End Program Dec 16, 2020

At times it seemed that 2020 would never end, but here comes December, right on schedule, and we're holding our annual "Michelle Meow Show" year-end special. We'll relive a bit of the past year, we'll have some celebrity video cameos, and our featured speaker for the night is Sarah McBride, whom Delaware voters elected in November as the nation's first transgender state senator. McBride's career is steeped in politics. She worked on campaigns, including Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden's 2010 campaign and Governor Jack Markell's 2008 race. In 2012, she interned at the White House, becoming the first transgender woman to work there in any role. In 2016, she became the first openly transgender person to speak at a national party convention when she addressed the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Join us for fun program of looking back and forward, as we celebrate the end of this momentous year and we consider what's in store in 2021.

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Surviving the Silence: Screening and Discussion on the 10th Anniversary of the DADT Repeal Dec 15, 2020

Years before Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Colonel Patsy Thompson was forced to expel Army hero Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer for being a lesbian. What no one knew was that Thompson was as well. The way Thompson handled the military trial, however, led to Cammermeyer’s re-instatement via federal court and eventual change in military policy. While Cammermeyer’s memoir was adapted as a 1995 television movie by Barbra Streisand, Thompson’s story remained a secret . . . until now. Join us for a screening of the new documentary Surviving the Silence followed by a discussion with the principals involved. In addition to revealing history, Surviving the Silence explores Thompson’s life with now-wife Barbara Brass. They candidly share how they wrestled with heartwrenching choices in public and in private, hiding their relationship, and struggling to protect their love while preserving Patsy's career—and, how they emerged to become vibrant activists later in life.

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Take Out Girl: The Cost of Survival Dec 11, 2020

Join us for a conversation with the director and the stars of the new indie drama Take Out Girl. Writer, director, actor, cinematographer and creator Hisonni Mustafa Johnson is a rising star in the film world, garnering accolades and nominations for his television pilots (Fight Night Legacy, Olympia and Grayson: Earth One). Hedy Wong is an actress and writer known for Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks, Chinatown Squad, and the new Take Out Girl. And Alex Pham—better known by his stage name $tupid Young—is a Cambodian-American rapper, lyricist, entrepreneur and actor, who portrays an LAPD officer in Take Out Girl. His YouTube channel has garnered 34 million views; he also runs his own label, Afficials, which he founded in 2017. Johnson, Wong and Young will join us to discuss Asian-American experiences, diaspora, race relations, violence, and poverty. They will be in conversation with "Michelle Meow Show" co-hosts Michelle Meow and John Zipperer. NOTES: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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David Kennedy: The Future of Democracy in America Dec 11, 2020

David Kennedy is one of America’s preeminent historians, having been awarded both the Pulitzer and Bancroft Prizes, among others. His scholarship is notable for its integration of economic and cultural analysis with social and political history, and for its attention to the concept of the American national character. Professor Kennedy is the inaugural speaker in the Club’s new series, The Future of Democracy. This series will explore challenges and threats to democracy in the United States, drawing on historical evidence and relating it to the current political and social landscape. Come for an engaging discussion of America’s past and current leaders and what they may portend for the direction of the country. NOTES This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s Future of Democracy Series, supported by Betsy and Roy Eisenhardt.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Refugees Dec 09, 2020

Our distinguished panel will discuss how beleaguered nonprofits are struggling to deal with the increased challenges for desperate refugees and aid workers in the Middle East and elsewhere during the COVID-19 crisis. Dr. Niveen Rizkalla will present findings from her timely research with an emphasis on Syrian refugees and aid workers in Lebanon. Amanda Lane will share the importance of small grass-roots organizations, like the Collateral Repair Project that she directs and which mostly works with Syrian, Iraqi and Kurdish refugees in Jordan. They will both discuss how dedicated NGOs, aid workers and volunteers are striving to nimbly solve basic human needs—physical and psycho-social—in the face of disease, violence, fear and other challenges. MLF ORGANIZER Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East

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Michael Eric Dyson with Angela Rye: Reckoning with Race in America Dec 08, 2020

From Hurricane Katrina’s racial impacts to Jay Z’s hip hop politics, Michael Eric Dyson has uplifted race-related academia through his analysis on a diverse array of Black cultural topics. Dyson began his lengthy academic career at Knoxville College at 21 years-old after having worked in factories in Detroit, Michigan, to support his family. He later went on to receive his Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University and teach at distinguished college institutions such as Brown and Columbia before his current position as a professor of sociology at Georgetown University. In his new book Long Time Coming, Dyson examines how the death of George Floyd jump-started a social movement that has been brewing for more than 400 years. With each chapter dedicated to a Black martyr, Dyson builds upon the anti-Black cultural and social forces throughout history that have led to the subjugation of Black people in the current day. Ending with a poignant plea for hope, Dyson points the way to social redemption. Dyson provides a guide to help America finally reckon with race. Join Michael Eric Dyson in conversation with CNN’s Angela Rye as they both offer ways to finally address and grapple with systemic racism and racial tensions in the United States. NOTES Co-presented by INFORUM. Our thanks to Marcus Bookstore in Oakland for fulfilling book orders.

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A Conversation with Speaker Nancy Pelosi Dec 08, 2020

As the United States grapples with COVID and an economy in crisis, and with President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris about to take office, here's a special opportunity to hear from and submit your questions to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the direction of the country, plans for the new Congress and the possibilities for breaking gridlock in Washington and the country in general. What does the future hold for a stimulus package, policing and race relations, health care, and the environment? What will America look like one year from now? Speaker Pelosi is in her third term as the 52nd Speaker of the House of Representatives and is the first woman to serve in this role. She has represented San Francisco in Congress for 33 years. Join us for a rare visit with this iconic political leader.

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Adrian Tam: Out and Proud vs. Proud Boys Dec 05, 2020

"There was a time when people like me could not win." —Adrian Tam Becoming the only gay Asian-American member of the Hawai'i House would be a significant achievement for any 28-year-old. Adrian Lam not only achieved that, but he did it by defeating the leader of the state chapter of the far-Right Proud Boys. Tam will join us from Hawai'i to discuss his successful campaign—which he won with 63 percent of the vote in November's election—and his plans as a newly minted representative of the people. Representative Adrian Tam was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the proud graduate of Kalani High School, and received his bachelor's from Pennsylvania State University. Upon graduating, Tam became a licensed real estate agent. In 2016, he worked as a temporary hire at the Hawai'i State House of Representatives before moving to the Hawai'i State Senate to work for Senator Stanley Chang from 2017– 2020. In 2020, Tam launched a successful campaign for the Hawai'i State House of Representatives. Tam is currently the representative for Hawai'i State House, District 22 serving Waikiki and Ala Moana.

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John Brennan: Inside the CIA and the Fight for Intelligence Dec 04, 2020

John Brennan, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, has spent years making quick decisions on complex issues to protect the national security of the United States. With 25 years of experience in intelligence, Brennan has served as a Near East and South Asian security analyst, as the CEO of The Analysis Corporation, and as the assistant to the president for homeland security under the Obama Administration. Brennan is often applauded for his strong integrity when it comes to security issues, going as far to criticize President Trump on several occasions before his security clearance was ultimately revoked. In his new book Undaunted: My Fight Against America’s Enemies, at Home and Abroad, Brennan describes his life from a young CIA recruit to the crucial moments that have shaped American history, including the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the assassination of Osama bin Laden, and the Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. He demystifies the inner workings of the CIA and highlights the selfless work of the people involved in national security. Brennan offers a rare and insightful look at the concealed world of national security, the intelligence profession and Washington’s chaotic political environment. He also offers a portrait of a man striving for integrity—for himself, for the CIA and for his country. Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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CLIMATE ONE: Breaking Through: A Year of Climate Conversations Dec 04, 2020

“Unprecedented” is one of the most overused words of 2020, but it reflects the superstorm of disruption brought on by an overlapping pandemic, racial justice awakening, and presidential election. For the first time ever, climate change galvanized a record number of voters to elect Joe Biden to the Presidency. How has the focus on climate shifted in a year shaped by multiple social and economic crises? Join us for a look back on a year of climate conversations like no other.

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Saving Freedom with MSNBC's Joe Scarborough Dec 04, 2020

On March 12, 1947, President Harry Truman delivered an address before Congress announcing a policy of Soviet containment that would later be known as the Truman Doctrine. This was just the beginning of a global movement against communist attempts at power that changed U.S. foreign procedure and policy. In his new book, Saving Freedom: Truman, the Cold War, and the Fight for Western Civilization, Scarborough documents the hard work of the U.S. government in containing the spread of communism around the world. The historical account focuses a particular spotlight on President Truman and his ability to rally Republicans and Democrats behind one of America’s most dramatic foreign policy shifts. Join us as Scarborough tells the story of a president’s ability to protect democracy not only in the United States, but around the world. Joe Scarborough is the co-host of “Morning Joe” on MSNBC. He is a former Republican congressman from Florida and also writes for The Washington Post. Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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The Myth of Chinese Capitalism Dec 04, 2020

As discussed in his new book The Myth of Chinese Capitalism, Dexter "Tiff" Roberts will describe how surging income inequality, an unfair social welfare system, and rising social tensions block China’s continued economic rise, with implications for companies and countries around the world. He will discuss how China is struggling to leave behind its "Factory to the World" growth model, and include its hundreds of millions of left-behind migrant workers into a more innovative, consumption-driven economy. The conversation will also focus on how these internal challenges could well further complicate the already troubled relationship between China, the United States, and the world. Dexter Roberts is an award-winning writer and speaker who previously spent more than two decades as China bureau chief and Asia news editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, reporting from all of China’s provinces and regions, as well as Taiwan, Mongolia and North Korea. He now serves as an adjunct instructor in political science and a Mansfield Fellow at the University of Montana and as a nonresident senior fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Asia Security Initiative. He has launched a China newsletter called "Trade War"; his book The Myth of Chinese Capitalism: the Worker, the Factory and the Future of the World was published in March 2020. Mei Fong is an award-winning communicator and writer. As a Wall Street Journal China correspondent, she won multiple awards, including a shared Pulitzer Prize for international reporting. Her first book, on China’s one-child policy, was critically acclaimed and winner of a non-fiction award by the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Her efforts led to her being named a Top 50 influencer on U.S.-China relations by Foreign Policy magazine. She has appeared on CNN, CBS and ABC, and her writings have been published in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and The Guardian. She is a graduate from the National University of Singapore and holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University.

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Alicia Garza: The Purpose of Power Dec 03, 2020

Activist Alicia Garza started a movement that changed how we think about race. One of the pioneers behind the phrase #BlackLivesMatter, Alicia co-founded the Black Lives Matter Network in 2013 and remains a seminal leader in the effort to organize for racial justice. In her new book, The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart, Garza relays details and lessons from her life working as a community organizer. Garza argues for a new outlook in community organizing in which social movements are more accommodating and understanding of burgeoning activists. Join her at INFORUM to learn more about what it takes to effectively mobilize people around the issues that matter the most, from climate justice to voter suppression. NOTES This program is generously underwritten by the Blue Shield of California Foundation.

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7-1/2 Lessons About the Brain Dec 03, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with Lisa Feldman Barrett to explore fundamental questions, like why we even have a brain and what that means for all of us. When we think about the larger issues in our own society, and for humanity as a species, we don't often focus on the role science plays in our understanding of these issues. But even when not explicitly involved in the discussion, the assumptions of scientific thought influence how we think about almost everything. Feldman Barrett takes us on a scientific journey, in 7-1/2 steps, full of intrigue and adventure, inviting you to think about important topics such as: Are we rational creatures? If rationality is not the absence of emotion, what is it? Why does loneliness make people physically sick? Why do we create societies that grant individual rights and freedoms in spite of the human nervous system having evolved to be biologically dependent on other humans? What does this mean for notions of hate speech or free speech? For democracy? And most essentially, what kind of person do you want to be? This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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José Andrés and Sean Penn: A Conversation on Giving Back Dec 02, 2020

Noted chef José Andrés and actor/activist Sean Penn are of course each well regarded for their respective talents. But in recent years, they have worked both individually and together to provide philanthropic assistance to those in need. Join us for a program that will salute these efforts and discuss what we all can do to help others during this challenging time. Chef Andres' World Central Kitchen has served nearly 25 million meals throughout the United States, Spain and beyond in response to the COVID pandemic. By feeding health-care workers across the country with meals prepared at restaurants that would have otherwise remained closed due to stay-at-home orders, he has provided laid-off restaurant workers jobs during the pandemic. His organization also served more than 3.6 million meals to the people of Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, and in 2018, he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Mr. Penn's CORE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and strengthening communities affected by or vulnerable to crisis around the world, including in Haiti, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the United States. CORE is currently committed to an integrated approach for the COVID-19 relief effort across the United States, which is inclusive of streamlined testing with results returned within 48 hours, comprehensive and timely contact tracing programs, supported quarantine and isolation services that provide shelter, food and wage replacement. The organization has been operating free COVID-19 testing sites across the United States since March, with a focus on serving vulnerable and underserved communities, targeting low-income groups, communities of color, first responders and essential workers. At the end of this program, Chef Andrés will be presented with the John Steinbeck Award "In the Souls of the People." This award is given to writers, artists, thinkers and activists whose work captures Steinbeck’s empathy, commitment to democratic values, and belief in the dignity of people who by circumstance are pushed to the fringes. The phrase “in the souls of the people” comes from Chapter 25 of The Grapes of Wrath. Chef Andres has cited John Steinbeck as a motivator for his work, also quoting The Grapes of Wrath: "Whenever there is a fight, so hungry people may eat, I will be there.'" Mr. Penn is a past recipient of the Steinbeck Award, and other recipients include Bruce Springsteen, Arthur Miller, Joan Baez, Dolores Huerta, Michael Moore, Ken Burns and Rachel Maddow. Come for this important program about giving back. NOTES In partnership with the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies, San Jose State University. A portion of the program's proceeds will go to the Steinbeck Center, and a portion of the proceeds from Chef Andrés' book We Fed an Island will go to the Chef Relief Network of World Central Kitchen.

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Conversations with Distinguished Citizens: Lauren Dachs and The S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation Dec 01, 2020

Join us for this special program in The Commonwealth Club's series recognizing recipients of the Club's 2020 Distinguished Citizens Award. This program honors Lauren (Laurie) Dachs and her colleagues at the S. D. Bechtel Jr., Foundation. The Foundation, based in San Francisco, was established in 1957 by Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr., as a reflection of his personal commitment to ensuring a prosperous California. To this day, Mr. Bechtel remains involved with the foundation as chair of its board, and his daughter, Laurie Dachs, serves as president. The foundation is a grant-making organization that "invests in preparing California’s children and youth to contribute to the state’s economy and communities, and in advancing management of California’s water and land resources.” In 2009 the foundation made a pivotal decision to spend down its assets in a defined period of time. The foundation will sunset at the end of 2020. The Commonwealth Club is pleased to honor the foundation's myriad achievements. Joya Banerjee joined the Bechtel Foundation in 2009, and she oversees the foundation’s Environment Program. She works with the Environment team to advance water management and land stewardship in California, with a particular focus on advancing integrated solutions, building field capacity, and developing new partnerships. Prior to joining the foundation, Ms. Banerjee was an attorney at Latham & Watkins and worked for the City of New York, first with the Mayor’s Office of Operations and later with the Economic Development Division of the Law Department. Banerjee graduated from the University of Southern California and received a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School. She currently serves on a range of advisory boards; she is a board member for the newly formed state California Water Data Consortium and the San Francisco-based 826 Valencia. Arron Jiron joined the Bechtel Foundation in 2012 and is the associate program director for the Education Program. He leads the team’s grant making in education policy and advocacy, with an overall focus on supporting California’s implementation of new math and science standards and on expanding civic learning, character development, and environmental literacy to improve the quality of student learning in and out of school. Before joining the foundation, for six years, Mr. Jiron served as program officer at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, where he led grant making for policy, advocacy and systems building to advance early education and youth development programs. Prior to that, he was the development director for a state intermediary that improves access and quality of youth development programs in California. Mr. Jiron started his career at a community action agency in Nebraska, where he led the creation of the Youth Opportunities Center, a comprehensive education division for low-income youth and young adults. There, he co-developed a nationally recognized restorative justice project for youth in the juvenile justice system, launched a YouthBuild program, and designed a regional workforce development system for adults.

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CLIMATE ONE: Last Call for Gasoline Nov 30, 2020

Is this the end of the road for the internal combustion engine? California isn’t the first major economy to ban gas-powered cars and trucks, and it won’t be the last. Fifteen countries, including some of the world’s top auto markets, have announced plans to phase out gas-powered engines as a step toward a 100% zero-emission vehicle future. It’s a bold move, but a critical one for climate. Transportation emits more greenhouse gas than any other sector of the US economy, and 15% of all global emissions come from road transport. What does this mean for drivers, for automakers, for infrastructure and for businesses that depend on a gas-powered economy? Can we get to a zero-emission future quickly enough?

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Trans Month Talks: Trans Wellness, Equity and Health Nov 24, 2020

In honor of Transgender Awareness Month, join a dynamic post-election discussion with trans leaders and advocates on the fight for trans rights. The event also includes an important discussion on trans health equity and wellness in the time of COVID and beyond. Trans and gender nonconforming communities—especially trans communities of color—continue to be disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with increased needs for inclusive and community-led services and solutions. Kicking off with remarks by San Francisco Mayor London Breed, our host and panelists include Akira Jackson, Aria Sa’id, Nicole Santamaria, Clair Farley, Maceo Persson, Michelle Meow, and more. Get information and learn how to support essential community services, including housing, mutual aid programs, employment, and more. Learn how people can improve trans health care, testing and mental health services in a time of COVID. Learn strategies to address the increased anti-trans violence and systemic racism in our communities. Find out how allies can get involved and support trans rights. Come learn how you can take action and get involved during Trans Month and beyond. NOTE: This program contains EXPLICIT language

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Niles Francis, 18-Year-Old Election Forecaster Nov 20, 2020

Few 18-year-olds have thousands of Twitter followers, unless they're actors or boy band stars. But Georgia teenager Niles Francis' 21,500 Twitter followers—including many established political journalists, analysts and strategists—follow him because of his expertise at analyzing voting trends and data. A regular contributor to Decision Desk HQ, Francis has earned praise for his insight and skill. Atlanta Journal-Constitution political reporter Greg Bluestein praised Francis in Jewish Insider, saying he has "quickly made a mark on Georgia politics with his quick wit and incisive analysis. Most people are stunned to discover he’s a teenager and not a grizzled veteran politico—a testament to his remarkable political aptitude.” Join us for a live conversation with the Atlanta-based political wunderkind about analyzing votes, trends, and just what he makes of the rare double-run off elections for U.S. senators in his home state of Georgia.

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The Nagorno-Karabakh Dilemma Nov 20, 2020

Our distinguished panel will discuss the history of the conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan to gain control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory within Azerbaijan mainly populated by Armenians. The influence that Russia, Turkey, America, Iran, etc. have in the dispute and the specter of a regional war will also be discussed. MLF ORGANIZER Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East

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The Founders' First Principles: Learning from the Greeks and Romans Nov 19, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Ricks to discuss four founding fathers, their educations and, in particular, their devotion to the ancient Greek and Roman classics—and how that influence would shape their ideals and the new American nation. Ricks, provoked by the 2016 presidential election, awoke the next morning wondering what kind of nation we had now. He decided to go back and read the philosophy and literature that shaped the founders’ thinking, and the letters they wrote to each other debating classics like The Iliad, Plutarch’s Lives, and the works of Xenophon, Epicurus, Aristotle, Cato and Cicero. Ricks creates fresh portraits of the presidents we thought we knew by showing that Washington absorbed the classics mainly from the elite culture of his day, Adams from the laws and rhetoric of Rome, Jefferson from classical philosophy, especially Epicureanism, and Madison from his years studying the ancient world like a political scientist. First Principles follows these four from their youth on, as they grapple with questions of independence, and forming and keeping a new nation. But Ricks not only interprets the effect of the ancient world on each president, and how that shaped our constitution and government, he also offers us a startling contrast with our leaders today, reinforcing the currently overlooked idea that learning from history is more socially productive than canceling it. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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Entrepreneur John Hope Bryant: American Opportunity Is Still Alive Nov 18, 2020

John Hope Bryant says American opportunity is not dead. In his new book, Mr. Bryant outlines the mindset and practices that he says will allow all of us to achieve the American Dream, no matter what our current circumstances. He discusses his own rise from humble beginnings, and argues that individually, we can change our mindset from survivor to thriver to winner, and move beyond just getting by or being financially independent to becoming wildly successful. Mr. Bryant is a prominent thought leader on financial inclusion, economic empowerment and financial dignity. His Operation HOPE, Inc.is the largest nonprofit, best-in-class provider of financial literacy and economic empowerment services in the United States for youth and adults. Bryant is also founder and principal of The Promise Homes Company, the largest minority-controlled owner of single-family rental homes in the United States. He has been listed as one of Time magazine’s “50 Leaders for the Future." The last five United States presidents have recognized Bryant's work, and he has served as an advisor to the last three sitting U.S. presidents from both political parties. He is responsible for financial literacy becoming the policy of the U.S. federal government. Bryant has received Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award, the John Sherman Award for Excellence in Financial Education from the U.S. Treasury, and The Commonwealth Club's Distinguished Citizen Award. Come for an inspirational discussion with real world advice for achieving financial security. This program is generously underwritten by First Republic Bank

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George Shultz, James Timbie, Adele Hayutin: The Emerging New World Nov 18, 2020

Join us for a rare conversation with renowned statesman George Shultz, former long-time State Department official James Timbie and economist Adele Hayutin about opportunities facing the United States and the world at this unique point in history. In their new book, Hinge of History, our speakers say that the world is at an inflection point. They argue that with advancing technologies, great demographic changes, and governance in disarray, a new world is emerging and it is still possible to make positive changes. They present concrete proposals for the United States to lead the way in addressing such issues as immigration, K–12 education, updating the social safety net, maintaining economic productivity, protecting democratic processes, and improving national security. Come for a discussion about how to foster international cooperation, constructive engagement, and strong governance and ultimately create a better future.

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The Future of the Peace Corps Nov 17, 2020

What is the role of the Peace Corps? Where is the Peace Corps going in the future? What are some of the changes envisaged? How does the National Peace Corps Association connect and work with Peace Corps? Join us for an in-depth conversation with two leaders of this unique movement. Peace Corps Director Jody K. Olsen was sworn into office as the 20th director of the Peace Corps in March 2018. Olsen began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer, serving in Tunisia 1966–1968. She has since served the agency in numerous leadership positions. Prior to returning to the Peace Corps in 2018, Olsen was a visiting professor at the University of Maryland-Baltimore School of Social Work and director of the University's Center for Global Education Initiatives. Throughout her career, Olsen has championed the expansion of service, learning and international opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds. Glenn Blumhorst is president and CEO of National Peace Corps Association (NPCA), a 501(c)(3) enterprise at the center of a community of more than 180 grassroots affiliate groups and 235,000 individuals who share the Peace Corps experience. Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., NPCA’s mission is “to champion lifelong commitment to Peace Corps ideals.” Blumhorst launched his career by serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala from 1988 to 1991. He holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in agriculture, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia. MLF ORGANIZER Frank Price NOTES MLF: International Relations

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Come Discover the Allure and Mystique of Frida Kahlo Nov 17, 2020

Please join us for an exclusive and comprehensive docent art talk by Kathryn Zupsic on the exhibit "Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving," currently showing at the de Young Museum. We'll take a close look at some of Kahlo's personal items, photographs and paintings that reveal the many ways the artist constructed her identity. The talk will be followed by Q&A, so bring your questions as we decipher the world of Frida. MLF ORGANIZER Robert Melton NOTES MLF: Arts

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CLIMATE ONE: Cropped Out: Land, Race and Climate Nov 16, 2020

Harvest season is especially hard this year, as the pandemic strains farmers and food systems, highlighting a deeply divided and often unjust America. Black farmers are no strangers to the intersection of these challenges, as structural racism in the food system makes it increasingly challenging for non-white farmers to own and profit from land. Is small-scale, regenerative agriculture the solution to climate disruption? How have years of redlining and discriminatory real estate policies shaped land ownership in the US? How is climate gentrification shaping access to land?

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Catching the Wind: Edward Kennedy and the Liberal Hour Nov 13, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with Neal Gabler, award-winning author and film critic, to discuss volume one of his new biography of Ted Kennedy—an immersive journey through the life of a complicated man and a sweeping history of the fall of liberalism. Gabler pursues the Ted Kennedy seldom seen beneath the well-known images of the reckless hedonist who rode his father’s fortune and his brothers’ coattails to a Senate seat at the age of 30, and finds a man both racked by and driven by insecurity. Considered by his contemporaries as the least of the Kennedys, his childhood was filled with numerous humiliations, including self-inflicted ones, all the while being pressured to rise to his brothers’ level. Kennedy entered the Senate to low expectations—a show horse, not a workhorse. But he drew upon his “ninth-child’s talent” of deference to and comity with his Senate elders to become an influential legislator. Using his brothers’ moral authority, Kennedy became a moving force during the great “liberal hour” that saw the passage of the anti-poverty program and the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. Then, after the deaths of John and Robert and the election of Richard Nixon, Kennedy became the leading voice of liberalism, challenging Nixon to keep the American promise to the marginalized, and provoking Nixonian terror of a Kennedy restoration. Gabler also chronicles how the fatal accident on Chappaquiddick Island in 1969 dealt a serious blow not just to Kennedy's political career but to liberalism itself. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond

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How to Avoid Busting Up Your Furniture and Your Relationships During COVID-19 Nov 13, 2020

Months and months in a sweet little bubble, with stresses and chaos on the outside, but warmth and safety on the inside . . . doesn't that sound great? But if this idyllic situation isn't yours right now, don't worry! Neuroscience and emotional resilience specialists Dr. Rick Hanson, psychologist and New York Times best-selling author, and Forrest Hanson, host of the "Being Well" podcast, will teach us some techniques to head off the isolation craziness. They've agreed to stay for a longer Q&A than usual, so if your relationship is turning into "for better or for worse, but not for lunch," or even if you're simply finding it difficult to keep your temper or your balance, be sure to join us. Just write your questions on the video's chat box during the talk, and we will forward them to Rick and Forrest anonymously for their answers. Our previous discussions about anxiety and depression used a similar format, and they were extremely successful. There were great questions that received excellent practical answers, so be sure to attend and ask those questions! Remember, thousands of people will download the podcast afterwards; the answer you get may lighten the day for hundreds of subsequent listeners. MLF ORGANIZER Eric Siegel NOTES MLF: Personal Growth

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Conversations with Distinguished Citizens: Rod Diridon, Sr. Nov 13, 2020

Join us for this special program in The Commonwealth Club's series recognizing recipients of The Club's 2020 Distinguished Citizens Award. This program honors Rod Diridon, Sr., a staunch transportation and environmental advocate for most of his life. As The San Jose Mercury News observed, "Along the way to having a passenger station named in his honor that has become the catalyst for the next iteration of San Jose’s downtown, he chaired the first campaign in California for a sales tax for transit, helped create the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and organized the joint powers boards for rail construction projects. He has chaired dozens of charitable nonprofit organizations dealing with issues in transportation, the environment, parks, local history and journalism." From 1993 to 2014, Mr. Diridon served as executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute, a transportation policy research center created in 1991 by Congress. He is known as the father of modern transit service in Silicon Valley and has chaired more than 100 international, national, state and local programs, most related to transit and the environment. He frequently provides legislative testimony on sustainability. Mr. Diridon was appointed in 2001 and 2005 by Governors Davis and Schwarzenegger, respectively, to the California High Speed Rail Authority Board, of which he is chair emeritus. He’s past chair of the American Public Transportation Association, was elected chair of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association’s Board, and served for 6 years as North American vice chair of the International Transit Association in Brussels. His political career began in 1971 as the youngest person ever elected to the Saratoga City Council. He retired in 1995 because of term limits after completing five terms on and six times chairing both the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and Transit Board. He’s the only person to chair the San Francisco Bay Area's (119 cities, 27 transit agencies, and 9 counties) three regional governments: The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Air Quality Management District, and the Association of Bay Area Governments. He chaired nine successful rail system development project boards. In 1995 the region’s main train station was renamed the “San Jose Diridon Station” upon his retirement. Mr. Diridon is now focused on combating climate change by convening the Rotary Climate Action Council. Conversing with Mr. Diridon will be Nuria Fernandez, a 35-year veteran of the transportation industry. In addition to her role with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, she serves as chair of the American Public Transportation Association. Come for a salute to one of the country's most highly regarded transportation leaders and an engaging conversation about the future of transit, especially in a time of pandemics, fires, hurricanes and floods. Bring your questions as well.

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Planet Money's Jacob Goldstein: The True (and Wild) Story of Money Nov 12, 2020

Join us in conversation with Jacob Goldstein, co-host of the NPR show “Planet Money,” as he talks with Molly Wood from “Marketplace Tech” about the irreverent concept of money and its evolution over time. In his new book, Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing, Goldstein illustrates the use of money and how it has been an important factor in society for thousands of years. But what is money? Goldstein asserts that the concept of money only works because we as a globe have all collectively agreed to believe in it. He provides a detailed history of money from the rise of coins in ancient Greece to the emergence of shadow banking in the 21st century. The book follows the stories of the fringe leaders who first saw money as a viable system to exchange goods. The various thinkers presented in the book quickly learned that money is nothing more than a concept, only solidified by the choices we make. He says that these choices we decide on affect who gets more money and who gets less, who gets to take risks when times are good, and who gets screwed when things go bad. Join us to learn the story of the choices that gave us money as we know it today.

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Women in the Workplace 2020 Nov 11, 2020

2020 is a year unlike any other in modern history. Of the many sectors of human life turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, the American workplace has been particularly affected. The lines between work and home are blurred more than ever before, and the uncertainty many industries face have overwhelmed employees and their plans for the future. What do these shifts in workplace culture mean for women and other underrepresented groups, especially those traditionally affected by wage gaps, stagnant career mobility and discrimination? The sixth annual “Women in the Workplace” report, composed by McKinsey & Co. in partnership with LeanIn.org, explores a completely new corporate environment that women must trek. The data set this year reflects contributions from 317 companies that participated in the study and more than 40,000 people surveyed on their workplace experiences. Join a panel of experts at INFORUM, where they will discuss the unique results of this year’s survey and how corporations can seek solutions for intractable problems like gender bias and the wage gap in the journey to innovate work-from-home culture. Though the pandemic presents new challenges, this conversation will offer a way forward for companies through a time that could fundamentally shift the way we work and live.

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LGBTQI Leaders: Where Do We Go from Here? A Post-Election Discussion Nov 10, 2020

In late October, as the long presidential campaign wound down to its denouement, President Donald Trump's daughter Tiffany appeared at a Florida rally to proclaim her father as the most pro-LGBTQ president ever. But instead of helping the president with LGBTQI voters, the event caused many people to reflect on the president's policies that they say have targeted members of the community by removing legal protections. Join us this Thursday at noon, two days after Election Day. Our expert panel will discuss the political situation facing LGBTQI people after one of the most important elections of modern times. What will the president do in the next 4 years? Will the more-conservative U.S. Supreme Court expand religious exemptions at the expense of LGBTQI rights? How did LGBTQI candidates — and LGBTQI-ally candidates — do in this election? What should priorities be in 2021 and beyond? Don't miss this special edition of "The Michelle Meow Show" at The Commonwealth Club.

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Meet New University of California President Dr. Michael V. Drake Nov 10, 2020

Dr. Michael V. Drake, M.D., was appointed as the 21st president of the University of California this past summer. He oversees UC’s world-renowned system of 10 campuses, five medical centers, three nationally affiliated labs, more than 280,000 students and 230,000 faculty and staff. Dr. Drake previously served as president of The Ohio State University from 2014 through June 2020. Prior to his six years at OSU, he served in several roles at the University of California, including nine years as chancellor of UC Irvine and five years as the systemwide vice president for health affairs. Dr. Drake received his A.B. from Stanford University, his M.D. and residency from UCSF, and his fellowship training in ophthalmology at UCSF and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He subsequently spent more than two decades on the faculty of the UCSF School of Medicine, ultimately as the Steven P. Shearing Professor of Ophthalmology. During his years as chancellor at UC Irvine, the campus rose to join the top 10 public universities in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list and was ranked by Times Higher Education as the No. 1 university in the U.S. under 50 years old. During his tenure at the campus, the four-year graduation rate increased by more than 18 percent, while undergraduate enrollment and diversity increased significantly. Dr. Drake is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has received the UCSF School of Medicine’s Clinical Teaching Award and the University of California Presidential Medal in recognition of exemplary service. Join this prominent academic leader the day after the election for a timely discussion of the challenges facing higher education during a global pandemic and societal unrest. NOTES This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Series on Ethics and Accountability, underwritten by The Travers Family Foundation.

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CLIMATE ONE: The 2020 Election: Anxiety and Incrementalism Nov 06, 2020

The 2020 campaign season has finally come to a close. And days after November 3rd has passed, the country is still reeling. About seventy percent of Americans - Democrats, Independents and Republicans - say the election caused a significant amount of anxiety and stress in their lives. That’s up from fifty percent four years ago. How should we process those difficult emotions surrounding the election? Climate psychologist Renée Lertzman recommends practicing self-awareness and self-care. “It’s very important for us each to know what our own thresholds are,” she says. “So knowing when it's time to sort of disengage and to take care of ourselves. To do what we need to do to restore our sense of being grounded, of being connected, of being in balance. So definitely, it’s a balancing act.”

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Sh*t, Actually With Lindy West Nov 06, 2020

It’s natural to feel protective of our favorite movies—they can inform the way we see the world, introduce us to complex themes, or remind us of a simpler time (like before we knew what racism and sexism were). Writer Lindy West argues, however, that liking a movie doesn’t always mean that it’s actually good. In her new book Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema, West uses her trademark wit to test the durability of 23 iconic movies and ask herself the important question: “How’d they hold up?” Join West as she returns to INFORUM to discuss the joys and challenges of re-watching your favorite pieces of cinema and to teach us how to be critical of the trash we love. Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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Discrimination in Special Education Nov 06, 2020

SPEAKERS

Malhar Shah
Attorney, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund; Former Family Law Staff Attorney, National Center for lesbian Rights

Janet Sinhbandith
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA); Behavior Specialist, Castro Valley Unified School District; CEO, Positive Support Services, LLC

Kristy Woerz
Retired Special Education Teacher, Program Specialist, and Trainer to District Staff, Castro Valley Unified School District

Michelle Meow
Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and TuneIn; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-Host

John Zipperer
Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host

In response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, this program took place and was recorded live via video conference, for an online audience only, and was live-streamed by The Commonwealth Club of California from San Francisco on October 29th, 2020.

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Paola Ramos: Finding Latinx Nov 05, 2020

America’s Latinx population is diverse, complex and has plenty of untold stories to share. Paola Ramos, a correspondent for Vice and former deputy director of Hispanic media for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, has spent the past 2 years exploring the changing nature of Latinx identity. In her first book, Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity, Paola presents a travelogue with stories from Latinx community members across America that will move, empower and enrage you. Join Paola at INFORUM, where she will talk about the intense field research that went into writing Finding Latinx and how her personal experiences informed her work. Be sure to tune in for what will be a fascinating discussion of the contemporary Latinx community. NOTES Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

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Abe Nov 05, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with award-winning historian David Reynolds to discuss his new biography of Abraham Lincoln, which also illuminates the riotous tumult of American life in the decades before the Civil War. It was a country growing up and being pulled apart at the same time, with a democratic popular culture that reflected the country's contradictions. From New England Puritan stock on his father's side and Virginia Cavalier gentry on his mother's, Lincoln was linked by blood to the central conflict of the age, and was aided by his genius for striking a balance between opposing forces. Lacking formal schooling but with an unquenchable thirst for self-improvement, Lincoln had a talent for wrestling and bawdy jokes that made him popular with his peers, but also had an appetite for poetry and prodigious gifts for memorization that set him apart throughout his childhood, and in his years as a lawyer and a politician. No one can transcend the limitations of his time, and Lincoln was no exception. But Lincoln did, at each stage of his life, arrive at a broader view of things than all but his most enlightened peers. As a politician, he moved too slowly for some and too swiftly for many, but he always pushed toward justice while keeping the whole nation in mind. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Election Aftermath: A Week to Week Political Roundtable Nov 04, 2020

Join us for a special post-election Week to Week political roundtable. Less than a day after polls closed, will we know the victor in the race for the White House? What about control of the U.S. Senate and House? Our panelists will discuss the results of the election, covering significant local, state and national results. Whatever the outcome, there will be many important impacts on our country, so we'll have a panel of informed political experts to dissect it all and help you make sense of one of the wildest years in recent American political life.

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CLIMATE ONE: Power Shift: Jamie Margolin and Dorceta Taylor Nov 02, 2020

What is the role of power in deciding the fate of a planet? 2020 has seen a reckoning with various forms of power embedded in racial, gender, and generational identities. As we think about a transfer of U.S. presidential power, what can we learn about how other types of power are shaping our climate and our future?

“It is precisely for people when they vote to not just think of the vote as voting for health or voting for schools or libraries, but to start connecting the dots,” says Dorceta Taylor, an original leader of the environmental justice movement. “That's another dimension of power.”

Guests:

Dorceta Taylor, Professor, Professor of Environmental Justice, Yale School for the Environment

Jamie Margolin, Co-Executive Director, Zero Hour; Author, Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It

This program was recorded via video on October 26, 2020 and September 15, 2020.

Visit our website for full show notes.

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Shellye Archambeau with Robin Washington: Creating Success on Your Own Terms Oct 30, 2020

Shellye Archambeau is a well-respected business leader, former tech CEO, and sought-after advisor. She is also a black woman who has taken risks throughout her career and blazed new trails in a predominantly white male-driven industry. Through her journey, Archambeau says she discovered that ambition alone is not enough and offers a blueprint with key takeaways and actions to increase the odds of achieving personal and professional success. Join us for this candid conversation as Archambeau shares her personal story and the best ways to create success on your own terms.

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Nicholas Christakis with Dr. Vivek Murthy: The Enduring Impact of Coronavirus Oct 30, 2020

Nicholas Christakis is a physician and sociologist at Yale University who explores the ancient origins and modern implications of human nature. Christakis’ research focuses on the social, mathematical and biological rules that form social networks as well as the implications of human connection that influences thoughts, feelings and behaviors. In his new book Apollo’s Arrow, Christakis explores the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in America and the implications that will follow in the coming years. Christakis uses a range of disciplines to unpack the effects of a modern pandemic, including historical epidemics, contemporary analyses and trailblazing scientific research. The coronavirus pandemic and the epidemics that have come before it, though mostly unknown territory to those alive today, is fundamental to the human biological experience. Join Christakis and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy for a conversation about adaptation, survival and the rapid change we’ve undergone in 2020.

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Maria Bartiromo and James Freeman: Reviving America's Economy Oct 30, 2020

Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo and The Wall Street Journal's James Freeman say that America needs an economic revival after the coronavirus shutdowns and argue that the playbook that resulted in "the greatest job market in history" can now put Americans back to work. Bartiromo and Freeman say that President Trump's cutting of red tape and slashing business tax rates spurred corporate investment that led to record numbers of U.S. job openings, and they say these policies will once again lead to prosperity. Maria Bartiromo is a two-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, who was the first person to report live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, in 1995, and in 2011 made history once again as the first female journalist to be inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. James Freeman is a former investor advocate at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. On the eve of the presidential election, come for a spirited discussion of the U.S. economy, and bring your questions.

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Claire Saffitz: Dessert Person Oct 30, 2020

Dessert is easy to enjoy but harder to make. Watching Claire Saffitz’s viral videos might not help ease the anxiety of new bakers. While a contributing food editor at Bon Appetit, Saffitz’s claim to fame was "Gourmet Makes"--a web series where the acclaimed chef reverse engineered sweet and savory snacks with an incredible amount of skill. While her expertise in baking might seem unattainable to those who love her show, her new cookbook, Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence, can convince anyone that they can be a “dessert person.” Saffitz has plenty of tips and tricks for the kitchen and beyond to share at INFORUM. Tune in to learn more about her new recipes and about her journey to becoming a baking expert for the masses. NOTES Part of our Food Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

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Gary Kamiya and Paul Madonna: The Unknown San Francisco Oct 29, 2020

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Gary Kamiya and artist Paul Madonna are two of the most critically acclaimed contemporary chroniclers of San Francisco. Now, they join forces for a new book, Spirits of San Francisco, marrying image and text in a way no book about the city has done before. Kamiya's captivating narratives accompany Madonna's masterful pen-and-ink drawings, breathing life into San Francisco sites both iconic and obscure. In this COVID era, when San Francisco faces unprecedented challenges, come hear from two of the city's wisest observers about what makes San Francisco special and what the future may hold.

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Undaunted: Hint CEO Kara Goldin Oct 29, 2020

Many people have the next great idea for a company, but what does it take to make a dream a reality? Kara Goldin decided to start the unsweetened flavored water brand Hint in 2005 after observing how sugary and artificial most drinks were. In her new book Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters, Kara shares her advice for tackling the obstacles that are holding you back from achieving your dreams. Join Kara at INFORUM to learn more about entrepreneurship, female leadership and perseverance. With her award-winning experience in business, Kara has guidance aplenty for people looking to actualize the next big idea.

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Conservatism: The Fight for a Tradition Oct 29, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with Edmund Fawcett to discuss his sharp-eyed history of political conservatism, a tradition as much at war with itself as with its opponents, from its 19th century origins to today’s hard Right. For 200 years conservatism has defied its reputation as a backward-looking creed by confronting and adapting to liberal modernity. By doing so, the Right won long periods of power and became the dominant tradition in politics. Yet, despite their success, conservatives have continued to fight with each other about how far to compromise with liberalism and democracy—or about which values to defend and how. Fawcett provides a gripping account of this conflicted history, clarifies key ideas, and illuminates the policy quarrels within the Right today. Fawcett’s vivid narrative covers thinkers and politicians, including forerunners James Madison, Edmund Burke, and Joseph de Maistre; early friends and foes of capitalism; defenders of religion; and builders of modern parties, such as William McKinley and Lord Salisbury. Fawcett also chronicles the cultural critics and radical disruptors of the 1920s and 1930s, recounts how advocates of laissez-faire economics broke the post-1945 consensus, and describes how Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and their European counterparts are pushing conservatism toward a nation-first, hard Right. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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The Progressive Shift of Vietnamese-American Voters Oct 28, 2020

Is 2020 a year of a tidal shift in loyalties for a key voting block? Vietnamese Americans have long voted for Republican candidates, but this year, many have been shifting their vote toward Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. What is causing the shift? Is it immigration policies that have targeted Vietnamese communities? The president's leadership style? Pandemic mismanagement? Join us for a discussion with three experts and leaders in the Vietnamese-American community.

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Clean Water Oct 28, 2020

Much of the time we take it for granted that we have a safe water. This panel explores the creative ways in which these two organizations provide clean and safe water for those who do not have it. Jon Kaufman is the Director of H2OpenDoors, a project of Rotary International. Kaufman brings together the best-in-class providers of water purification, smart solar nanogrids and satellite internet technologies to create water and power hubs. The most impoverished villages throughout the world are mentored on creating enterprise through these unique approaches, fostering self reliance rather than continual dependence. Averill Strasser of Water Charity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping people access clean drinking water and improved sanitation. In 14 years, Water Charity has done more than 6,000 water, sanitation and public health projects in 78 countries. Averil is an RPCV (returned Peace Corps volunteer) who served in Bolivia. In addition, Water Charity is a proud supporter and partner of the National Peace Corps Association. Frank Price, RPCV Côte d’Ivoire, a Northern California Peace Corps Association East Bay Board representative, will moderate this program. MLF ORGANIZER Frank Price NOTES MLF: International Relations

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HRH The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex: Generation Z—Trailblazers Oct 27, 2020

Join us for a lively discussion on Generation Z and its response to these times. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award engages with more than 1.1 million young people aged 14–24 globally, helping them find their purpose, passion and place in the world. His Royal Highness The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO, chair to the global movement, will engage in a conversation with recent Princeton valedictorian and Award holder Nicholas Johnson on Gen Z. Through the lens of what is occurring globally, and here in the United States, the two will discuss current challenges facing Gen Z and their collective response. Nicholas Johnson, haling from Montreal, Canada, is pursuing Ph.D. studies in operations research at MIT. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science Degree in operations research and financial engineering, with minors in computer science, statistics and machine learning, and applied and computational mathematics from Princeton University. He is the valedictorian of Princeton’s class of 2020 and the first Black valedictorian in the university’s history. His undergraduate thesis focused on developing high-performance, efficient algorithms to solve a network-based optimization problem that models a community-based preventative health intervention designed to curb the prevalence of obesity in Canada. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a flexible and proven youth development program for 14–24 year-olds that complements formal classroom learning and focuses on challenging real-world experiences that build character, resilience and self-confidence. Founded in 1956 by its namesake HRH The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, the Award methodology has stood the test of time. Youth undertaking the Award put a holistic emphasis on community service, skill-building and physical activity. Boasting millions of alumni from more than 130 countries and territories, and more than 8,000 alumni in the United States, the Award opened its national office just 4 years ago. As it continues to resonate worldwide, the Award is the largest global youth achievement program. As today's young people face the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 as well as calls to address racial injustice, the Award is dedicated to ensuring that young people will have what they need for the future . . . to benefit from great non-formal education and learning. This program from The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award USA is supported by: Salesforce (lead sponsor) Hellman & Friedman

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Hong Kong, China and the United States: Live with Joshua Wong Oct 27, 2020

Twenty-three years after Britain's handover of Hong Kong to China, the government in Beijing has begun to deepen its control over the politics of the special administrative region. Despite mass protests and muted criticism from the West, Beijing's communist government has put into place rules constraining democracy and free speech. Joshua Wong was born just one year before the handover. He came onto the political scene in 2011 aged 14, when he founded Scholarism and successfully protested against the enforcement of Chinese National Education in Hong Kong. He has been arrested numerous times for his protesting and activism and has served more than 100 days in jail. He has been named by Time, Fortune, Prospect and Forbes as one of the world’s most influential leaders. In 2018 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his leading role in Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement. He is the former secretary-general of Demosistō. He has been the subject of two documentaries, including the Netflix original, Joshua: Teenager vs Superpower. Wong joins us live from Hong Kong for a discussion of the students hoping to save democracy in Hong Kong and the Thai students who are looking to the Hong Kong activists for tactics in their own protests for reforming their political system.

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The Full Plate with Ayesha Curry Oct 27, 2020

Many of us are cooking at home more often than ever before, but we still struggle to find new, quick recipes. Ayesha Curry knows this better than most—she’s a veteran cookbook author and working mother with limited time to make meals. But she also knows that finding balance between work and family life starts with gathering around the table to enjoy a home-cooked meal. In her new book, The Full Plate: Flavor-Filled, Easy Recipes for Families with No Time and a Lot to Do, Ayesha shares 100 recipes that take less than an hour to complete. Whether you’re looking for delicious pork chops or the perfect spicy margarita, Ayesha has it covered. Join us for a fun program as Ayesha discusses how she developed the recipes, how parents can provide family-friendly meals in a time crunch, and how we can all become better home cooks. This conversation will be moderated by San Francisco Chronicle food writer Justin Phillips. NOTES Co-hosted by INFORUM Part of our Food Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

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The Campus Color Line Oct 27, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with Professor Eddie Cole, whose research has revealed how closely intertwined some of America’s most pressing civil rights issues―desegregation, equal educational and employment opportunities, housing discrimination, and free speech―have been with higher education institutions. Cole supplements the common knowledge about the roles that college students and other activists played in the fight for and against civil rights by covering the roles played by the nation’s college presidents. Based on archival research conducted at universities and colleges across the United States, Cole focuses on the period between 1948 and 1968, during which college presidents strategically, yet often silently, initiated and shaped racial policies inside and outside of the educational sphere. With courage and hope, as well as with malice and cruelty, college presidents positioned themselves―sometimes precariously―amid conflicting interests and demands. Black college presidents challenged racist policies as their students demonstrated in the streets against segregation, while presidents of major universities lobbied for urban renewal programs that displaced black communities near their campuses. Some presidents amended campus speech practices to accommodate white supremacist speakers, even as other academic leaders developed the nation’s first affirmative action programs in higher education. Cole illuminates how the legacy of these academic leaders continues to influence the unfinished struggle for black freedom and racial equity in education and in society.

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CLIMATE ONE: Steve Schmidt and Varshini Prakash on Disrupting Climate Politics Oct 25, 2020

Hard as it is to remember, there was a time when Democrats and Republicans weren’t all that far apart on climate change. As recently as 2008, both presidential candidates Obama and McCain supported a cap and trade system, including mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and oil refineries. Now, pushing a climate plan forward requires reaching out to some disenfranchised, divided, and deeply distrustful Americans. Can real talk on climate and COVID-19 ever reach Trump’s America? With the rise of the youth climate movement demanding bolder action, will legacy Democratic leaders be able to maintain power and influence?

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Sean Spicer, Former White House Press Secretary Oct 23, 2020

Since leaving his role as White House press secretary in 2017, Sean Spicer has launched a successful talk show and written a best-selling book. Now, he’s focusing on the hardened state of politics in America. In his new book, Leading America, Spicer argues that too many look at the world as a zero sum game—either you're with them 100 percent, or you're the enemy. Whether you're in politics, media, academia, or entertainment, he says it's the same story. The former White House press secretary and communications director analyzes our current political moment through the lens of politics and culture and argues that everyone can and should take a stand to uphold their rights and values.

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo: Leadership During An American Crisis Oct 23, 2020

When COVID-19 besieged the United States, New York State emerged as the global “ground zero” for a deadly contagion that threatened the lives and livelihoods of millions. Quickly, Governor Andrew Cuomo provided the leadership to address the threat, becoming a standard-bearer of the organized response the country desperately needed. With infection rates spiking and more people dying every day, the systems and functions necessary to combat the pandemic in New York—and America—did not exist. So Cuomo undertook the impossible. He unified people to rise to the challenge and was relentless in his pursuit of scientific facts and data. He quelled fear while implementing an extraordinary plan for flattening the curve of infection. In his new book, American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic, Gov. Cuomo tells the riveting story of how he took charge in the fight against COVID-19, offering hard-won lessons in leadership and his vision for the path forward as the country continues to face the deadly pandemic. Taking readers beyond his candid daily briefings, Gov. Cuomo’s new book provides a dramatic, day-by-day account of the catastrophe as it unfolded, providing an inside look at an unprecedented historical moment. In his own voice, Gov. Cuomo chronicles the ingenuity and sacrifice required of so many to fight the pandemic, sharing the decision-making that shaped his policy as well as his frank accounting and assessment of his interactions with the federal government, the White House, and other state and local political and health officials. Please join us for an intimate discussion on Gov. Cuomo’s view of what real leadership requires: clear communication, compassion for others, and a commitment to truth-telling—no matter how frightening the facts may be. It is a program you don’t want to miss as the country continues to face a challenging fight against COVID-19.

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Barry Lynn: The People vs. Concentrated Power Oct 22, 2020

Over the past few decades, U.S. corporations have increased their economic and political power. Yet critics say Americans are only now awakening to the grave domestic threat this concentrated private sector power presents to our country. Open Market Institute Executive Director Barry Lynn says that monopolies today control almost every corner of the American economy with a concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the few. The result, says Lynn, is also a stripping away of our liberty and freedoms to work, live and communicate how people want, instead of how companies want. Nowhere is this more clear than in the rise of online monopolists such as Google, Facebook and Amazon―designed to gather our most intimate secrets and use them to manipulate our personal and group actions. Not only have these giant corporations captured the ability to manage how we share news and ideas with one another, Lynn says they increasingly enjoy the power to shape how we move and play, and speak and think. Please join us for an important discussion of monopoly power with two people at the cutting edge of fighting back against it. Barry Lynn, head of the Open Markets Institute and longtime critic of unbounded capitalism, is the author of the new book Liberty from All Masters: The New American Autocracy vs. the Will of the People, a treatise against America’s new monopolies. Roger McNamee has emerged as one of the most articulate critics of social media companies and how their design and business models pose serious dangers to people, our economy and our society. In 2019, McNamee spoke at the Club about these issues.

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Vote by Design: Igniting Voter Agency in Generation Z Oct 22, 2020

Vote by Design is an award-winning voter literacy project incubated at Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school) that reimagines civic education and voter literacy through the lens of design. Vote by Design’s free workshop is nonpartisan, issue-agnostic and designed to provide first-time voters with what one teacher called “the driver’s test of voting” and another said it offered "lifelong skills every student should learn.” To date, Vote by Design has been offered to more than 1,000 students across the United States, from the deep red state of Montana to the deep South of Georgia and across California. One student shared, “I thought it was hopeless, but now I feel like I have a way to productively engage.” Another said, “I used to think what my parents thought, and now I think for myself." Vote by Design partnered with Citizen Film, the celebrated Bay Area documentary studio, to capture the student experience as they develop their capacity to be deliberative, informed, lifelong participants in the democratic process. Join Lisa Kay Solomon of Vote by Design and Sam Ball of Citizen Film as they premiere film clips and share insights from young voters’ dialogues with one another about what they want for their shared future. You can’t help but leave inspired and hopeful from what you learn! MLF ORGANIZER Gerald Harris NOTES MLF: Technology & Society

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Theodore Voorhees: Kennedy and Khrushchev Play the Double Game Over Berlin and Cuba Oct 22, 2020

SPEAKERS

Theodore Voorhees, Jr.
Senior Counsel, Covington & Burling LLP; Author, The Silent Guns of Two Octobers: Kennedy and Khrushchev Play the Double Game

In Conversation With George Hammond
Author, Conversations With Socrates

In response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, this program took place and was recorded live via video conference, for an online audience only, and was live-streamed by The Commonwealth Club of California from San Francisco on October 12th, 2020.

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The Making of Latino Identity: An American Story Oct 21, 2020

As the Latino population grows in every region of the United States, Latinos are increasingly playing an influential role not only in presidential politics, but throughout American culture. Yet the unique racial identity of Latinos is not a new story for the country. Latinos have long influenced everything from electoral politics to popular culture‚ yet many people instinctively regard them as recent immigrants rather than a longstanding racial group. Why is this, and what does it have to do with how Americans view and identify different racial groups in the country? In her new book, Inventing Latinos‚ Laura Gómez, a leading expert on race law‚ and society at UCLA‚ illuminates the making and re-making of Latino identity that has spanned centuries‚ leaving a permanent imprint on how race operates in the United States today. Throughout her career, Professor Gómez has explored how Latinos have become recognizable as a racial group in the United States. She traces the roots of Latino identity to Spanish colonization of the New World, as well as the legacy of American imperialism in Mexico, Central America and the Spanish Caribbean in the 19th and 20th centuries. This complicated history, combined with discrimination, has always positioned Latinos as “perpetual foreigners” in the United States. Latinos, however, are pushing back more than ever on this identification and having their voices heard on these and other issues. Please join us for an important discussion on race and history, just weeks before Latinos are expected to play an influential role in the presidential election.

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Fareed Zakaria: Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World Oct 21, 2020

No one ever could have predicted the global impact of COVID-19. The pandemic is speeding up history, but how? CNN host Fareed Zakaria will help us understand what our post-pandemic world will look like. Beyond the immediate effects, we must be prepared for political, social, technological and economic consequences that might take years to unfold. Hear more as Zakaria offers his insights on how to make sense of our changing world.

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Who Gets to Vote in America? Oct 21, 2020

Going into a pivotal national election, voter suppression threatens to tilt election results in states across the country and drown out the rising influence of both minority and young voters in America. After the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, voting restrictions, predominantly engineered by Republicans, have proliferated in size and scale. Using tactics such as voter ID laws, voting precinct consolidation, gerrymandering and voter purging, the people in charge of voting at the state and federal levels have made it harder for non-white, poor and young voters to cast their ballots. We’re excited to host a discussion with individuals who have dedicated their careers to making sure everyone who wants to vote in America has the right to do so. They’ll discuss the consequences of voter suppression, what everyone can do to advocate, and the fight ahead. Ari Berman is a senior reporter for Mother Jones, covering voting rights. In addition to voting rights, his writing covers American politics and the impact of money on our electoral system. His critically acclaimed book Give Us the Ballot covers the time since the dramatic passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, the turbulent forces it unleashed, and the continuing battles over race, representation and political power. As president and executive director of the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), Kristen Clarke leads one of the country’s most important national civil rights organizations in the pursuit of equal justice for all. In addition to voting rights, the Lawyers’ Committee seeks to promote fair housing and community development, economic justice, equal educational opportunity, criminal justice, judicial diversity and more. Prior to the Lawyers’ Committee, Clarke led the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.’s work in the areas of voting rights and election law across the country. Alex Padilla has served as California’s secretary of state since 2015, and he’s prioritized increasing voter registration and participation and strengthening voting rights. While California has the highest number of registered voters in America at more than 15 million people, the state’s population of almost 40 million means it has the second-lowest percentage of registered voters when compared to population. With initiatives like the Motor Voter Act, Padilla and his office are working to raise that number. As president of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, Michael Waldman leads the center’s initiatives on voting rights, money in politics, criminal justice reform and constitutional law. The Brennan Center is widely regarded as a leading organization on voter rights and election security, and Waldman and his team are on the forefront of the fight to vote. NOTES In partnership with the Brennan Center for Justice

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When Is More Not better? How to Nurture Resilience Oct 20, 2020

Growth in the economic prosperity of the average family in America has slowed to a crawl, especially since the deep economic pain of the COVID-19 pandemic. As corporations wake up to the urgent need for change—as evidenced by the Business Roundtable’s updated purpose of the corporation last year—business executives need tools for contributing positively to society rather than operating in a way that delivers value to some but not all. Join us as Roger Martin shares his thinking and his new book, When More is Not Better. He will discuss how America’s obsessive pursuit of economic efficiency is driving inequality, making our economy more fragile, both socially and environmentally, and damaging American’s faith in capitalism. He will discuss why we must stop viewing our economy as a machine that can be perfected with increasing levels of efficiency and instead understand it as a natural system—complex, adaptive and systemic. It is more like a rainforest than an oil refinery, he says, and it requires a fundamental balance of efficiency with resilience. Martin will explore specific actions business leaders can take to restore balance, changes to how they run their businesses, all of which have been tried and tested in other contexts. He will discuss how meaningful change actually happens in the world and provide concrete lessons and a practical model for businesses, policymakers, academics, civil society organizations and individuals who seek to transform our world for good. MLF ORGANIZER Elizabeth Carney

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Brian Christian: The Future of AI Oct 20, 2020

Time and time again we have created artificial intelligence (AI) systems to help solve our problems, but what happens when the AI systems become the problem? Artificial Intelligence systems have been created to help humans work faster, respond more justly, manage more and make fewer mistakes, but now the solution has become the issue. As these systems progress and become more prevalent, ethical and existential risks have emerged. Brian Christian argues that it turns out there is only so much AI can do before it becomes painfully clear that humans need humans. We need empathy and connection when determining bail amounts. We need doctors who know our names in order to feel cared for, not just machines that have downloaded our health data. Not everything can be outsourced, but so much already is and it now becomes a dilemma how to rein it in. What happens when our machines outsmart us, or an enemy outsmarts our systems? How do we realign? Christian investigates these questions and more in his new book, The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values. Join us for our conversation about what must change culturally and in the world of tech to ensure that humanity remains our north star.

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CLIMATE ONE: Climate Ambition with Gina McCarthy, Annie Leonard and Tamara Toles O’Laughlin Oct 19, 2020

How are the leaders of some of the nation's biggest environmental organizations responding to a year of race and health crises? Groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), 350.org and Greenpeace helped move climate onto the presidential agenda last year, pushing Joe Biden and other Democrats’ stances on bold action. Now, organizers and advocates are backing recovery plans that bolster clean energy jobs, help strengthen communities and dismantle systems that exploit people and the planet. How enthusiastic are they about Joe Biden’s $2 trillion climate plan? Can activism finally bring America’s political ambitions in line with climate science? Join us for a conversation on the state of our climate with Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace, Gina McCarthy, CEO of the NRDC, and Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, North America director of 350.org.

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John Judis: Is There a Socialist Awakening? Oct 16, 2020

In the aftermath the 2007–08 financial collapse, the increasing inequality seen in countries around the world, and the fallout from the global pandemic, there has been an increase in global citizen interest in exploring alternative economic systems.. In the United States, whether it is the presidential candidacy of Bernie Sanders, the popularity on the Left of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or protesters flooding the streets in unprecedented numbers seeking racial and economic equality, you can find something in common among many of those disillusioned with the way things are—and an interest in socialism. How did this happen? Why now? In his new book, longtime political journalist John Judis—himself a veteran of socialist movements—explores how an ideology thought to be long dead has taken hold as a broad movement among younger people dissatisfied with mainstream politics both on the Right and the Left, in America and around the world. From Karl Marx to Eduard Bernstein, Eugene Debs to Victor Berger, Bernie Sanders to Jeremy Corbyn, The Socialist Awakening chronicles the rebirth of an idea driven by a rising anti-capitalist resentment among those looking to assert public power over the direction of private enterprise. Please join us for an important conversation just weeks before the presidential election.

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Transitions and Transformations: The Wonderful Journey of Midlife Women Oct 16, 2020

If you're going through a transition (and who isn’t?)—whether it's an empty nest; a career shift; dealing with ageism, divorce, the loss of a spouse or parents; not to mention hot flashes in the conference room—this event will support you with many survival tips and tricks as well as the power that comes from information. Barbara Mark, Ph.D. has a deeply held passion for working with women in midlife and has enjoyed a decades-long career as an elite leadership, career and life strategies coach and advisor. She has been brought into the confidence of hundreds of professional women seeking to maintain inner balance while facing diverse external demands, personal ambition, and the desire to feel satisfied and fulfilled personally and professionally. As a recognized expert on the stages of adult development and how these stages impact career development and leadership in women, Dr. Mark is a sought-after coach by women who are looking to make appropriate and actionable personal and professional decisions at critical stages of their lives and careers. She is a recipient of the 2010 History Maker—Most Powerful Women of the Bay Award, the 2011 National Association of Women Business Owners Business Woman of the Year Award, The President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of Coaching in 2017 (which has only been given to two recipients in the history of the organization), and the 2019 Bay Area Powerful Women Award. She is a frequent keynote speaker. MLF ORGANIZER Denise Michaud NOTES This program contains EXPLICIT language MLF: Grownups

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Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett: How America Can Come Together Again Oct 16, 2020

Twenty years ago, eminent Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam wrote the nonfiction book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. In it, he lamented the decline of in-person social discourse, which Americans used to enrich the fabric of our lives. He further went on to say that this decline undermined the civic engagement required in a strong democracy. Professor Putnam's new book, The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again, coauthored by social entrepreneur Shaylyn Romney Garrett, comes at a time of deep and accelerating inequality, unprecedented political polarization, vitriolic public discourse and a fraying social fabric. In a sweeping overview of more than a century of history, drawing on a combination of statistical analysis and storytelling, Putnam and Garrett analyze a remarkable confluence of trends that brought us from an “I” society to a “we” society and then back again. They draw inspiring lessons for our time from an earlier era, when a dedicated group of reformers righted the ship, putting us on a path to becoming a society once again based on community. Come for an important conversation that provides optimism in these challenging times.

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Aarti Shahani and DJ Patil: First Gen and Proud Oct 15, 2020

Award-winning NPR journalist and author Aarti Shahani and America's First Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil point out that the immigrant has become an object of distrust, scorn and even hatred. Yet they also say that for many immigrants, including both of them, this identity is a source of profound pride. They further say that immigrants are proud to have crossed borders and built homes (even in places that didn’t want them). Join these prominent first-generation Americans as they celebrate and interrogate the migrant journey. Both have a strong sense of humor, and the evening will also include a few surprise cameos. NOTES Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

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Immigration Is a Public Health Concern Oct 15, 2020

Donald Trump began his campaign for president by making immigration restrictions a centerpiece of his platform. He is ending his (first?) term with his administration dealing with the biggest public health crisis in decades. But there are a lot of connections between public health and our country's immigration policies and practices. Join us for a conversation with New Orleans-based Giuli Alvarenga, an award-winning writer and law student. Alvarenga will share personal accounts as a volunteer at the border, witnessing unsafe conditions, and the conviction that immigration is actually a public health concern. NOTE: This program contains EXPLICIT language

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CLIMATE ONE: A Feminist Climate Renaissance Oct 15, 2020

Pathways for reducing carbon emissions include electrifying transportation, replacing fossil fuels with wind and solar power. But in this time of national reckoning on racial and economic disparities there is growing support for a more holistic approach. This view holds that the climate crisis won’t be resolved until we first address the systemic imbalances that have fueled it - racism, capitalism, white supremacy and patriarchy. In their new book, All We Can Save:Truth, Courage and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, co-editors Katharine Wilkinson and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson bring together the voices of women artists, writers and changemakers who are at the forefront of climate action. “The work that we’re doing is instigating or nurturing a feminist climate renaissance,” says Johnson, “which is what we feel the climate movement so desperately needs right now.”

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Be Antiracist: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi Oct 14, 2020

Ibram X. Kendi is one of America’s foremost authorities on anti-racism, authoring books such as the National Book Award winner Stamped from the Beginning and the number-one New York Times bestseller How to Be an Antiracist. Kendi’s new book, Be Antiracist: A Journal for Awareness, Reflection, and Action, gives the reader a space to reflect on their personal journey in becoming an anti-racist. At INFORUM, Kendi will discuss how changing one’s outlook on race in America is not easy—becoming a true anti-racist requires careful introspection. While progress toward anti-racism does not look the same for everyone, it is a goal that everyone can and should take on.

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CLIMATE ONE: Tech to the Rescue? Oct 14, 2020

Technology has helped the world survive, thrive and stay connected through the COVID-19 lockdown. As countries look toward re-opening in a post-pandemic world, does tech hold the same promise in the fight to solve climate change?

From mapping weather patterns with pinpoint accuracy using artificial intelligence, to engineering algae that gobbles up carbon dioxide, climate tech is ripe with breakthroughs. “The technology is there,” says inventor and entrepreneur Saul Griffith, ”it’s now down to the politics and the financing.”

Guests:

Saul Griffith, Founder & Chief Scientist, Otherlab Valerie Shen, Chief Operating Officer, G2VP

Michael Wilshire, Head of Strategy, Bloomberg NEF

This program was recorded on August 18, 2020.

For full show notes, visit our website.

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99% Invisible's Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt Oct 13, 2020

Curious minds seeking more information on the untold secrets (literally) surrounding them should look no further than "99% Invisible," the podcast hosted by Roman Mars that reports on how our lives are impacted by the architecture, transportation and infrastructure of our cities. "99% Invisible" episodes address a wide variety of issues, from the effects of American car culture on policing to the confusions of print and virtual mapmaking. In their new book The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design, Mars and "99% Invisible" digital director and producer Kurt Kohlstedt share stories from the podcast that will both enlighten readers and encourage them to think more critically about their living environments. Join them both at INFORUM, where they will discuss the small marvels that make up our big world and the role that people played in building them. This conversation will be moderated by The Atlantic’s Alexis Madrigal.

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The UAE and Bahrain Deals With Israel Oct 13, 2020

Our distinguished panel will discuss the U.S.-mediated deal (which President Trump calls "The Abraham Accord") between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and its impact on the Arab world, Iran and Turkey, and neighboring states. Some observers consider that this tentative public declaration of peace was a historic shift legitimizing Israel in the Arab world, which fears Iran and opposes Israeli annexation of the West Bank. Others consider the efforts to be politically motivated by the Trump and Netanyahu administrations. The expert panel will also discuss how a potential formal peace treaty, the first between the Arab world and Israel in 25 years, could lead to greater peace in the region. MLF ORGANIZER Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East

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A Conversation with Jacques Pépin Oct 13, 2020

Master Chef Jacques Pépin has been influencing American tastes and cooking techniques for generations. The winner of 16 James Beard Awards, Chef Pépin has written 29 cookbooks and spent 4 decades on television. In this era when so many of us are confined at home, Chef Pepin says you don’t need a state of the art kitchen or pantry full of expensive ingredients to create a delicious meal. More important, cooking quick and simple dishes doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality and flavor. Come get some kitchen inspiration from this legendary culinary artist. NOTES Part of our Food Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

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Week to Week: California Election 2020 Special Oct 09, 2020

It's October, which means some people in California will have already voted early and others are planning to do it soon. Regardless of where your political sympathies lie, Election 2020 is a watershed election, and the decisions voters make on their November ballots will have far-reaching effects locally, statewide, and nationally. Join us for the latest edition of our Week to Week political roundtable, in which we bring together a panel of politics experts to discuss the latest political news with insight, civility, and humor. This time, we'll be focusing on the fall election from a California perspective—looking at the candidates and propositions voters are being asked to consider. NOTES In partnership with the Silicon Valley Capital Club See other upcoming Week to Week political roundtables

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Critical Thinking and the Psychology of Confidence Oct 09, 2020

Reading the self-help literature could leave you with the impression that the goal in life is to maximize your confidence. On the other hand, research on overconfidence highlights all the ways in which people can get themselves into trouble by being too confident. Expert Don Moore will explore this tension by examining the psychology of confidence. Evidence underscores risks on both sides. Overconfidence leads people to delude themselves with wishful thinking, take too many risks, pursue impossible goals and waste their time on doomed ventures. Under-confidence dissuades people from taking risks that would pay off and scares them away from trying things they would enjoy. The evidence highlights a promising middle way between these twin risks. Don Moore holds the Lorraine Tyson Mitchell Chair in Leadership at the Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley. His research interests include overconfidence, including when people think they are better than they actually are, when people think they are better than others, and when they are too sure they know the truth. He is only occasionally overconfident. MLF ORGANIZER Patrick O'Reilly NOTES MLF: Psychology Co-presented by Wonderfest

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How Technology Is Reshaping Democracy and Our Lives Oct 09, 2020

Over the last several years, and especially since the 2016 election, the extraordinary impact of technology, particularly social media, on our privacy, democracy, economy, kids and families, race and gender roles, climate change and mental health, among other topics, has become an issue of urgent national concern. These are all issues that James P. Steyer, founder & CEO of Common Sense Media, knows well. Since 2003, under Steyer’s leadership, Common Sense Media has helped millions of parents and educators navigate the digital world with their kids and students. And now, in a new book (to be released on October 13, 2020), Which Side of History? How Technology Is Reshaping Democracy and Our Lives, Steyer and some of the country’s leading writers and thinkers take on these issues from an even broader perspective to help shape conversations on how approaches and policies related to technology can be improved. In this program, Steyer and Franklin Foer, a writer for The Atlantic, will discuss big issues related to technology’s impact on society, including Foer’s essay in the book, “The Era of Fake Video Begins.” about the use of “deep fake” videos, particularly in political campaigns. With less than a month until the 2020 election, it is a conversation you won’t want to miss. NOTES In association with Common Sense Media

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Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg Oct 08, 2020

In an America that seems increasingly divided, how can we regain trust in our government and in each other? Pete Buttigieg gained a comprehensive view of American democracy during his time as a candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Now, in his new book Trust: America’s Best Chance, Buttigieg argues that re-building trust as an American ideal is the key to tackling our country’s biggest challenges. Buttigieg returns to INFORUM to share a vision that urges us to reject our divided present in favor of a future that is more inclusive, conciliatory and trusting. Through this path, he states, American democracy can truly live up to its guiding tenets.

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Student Summit on Civics Oct 08, 2020

In these increasingly divisive and unstable times, it is more apparent than ever that the health of our democracy depends on educating and empowering young people to participate. But the barriers to their involvement can seem insurmountable: from the lack of civics in schools, indifferent local legislators, and partisan efforts to suppress voting and spark social unrest. Combined, these numerous factors conspire to deny youth the tools and information they need to become involved. Yet young people have a powerful voice, and they are increasingly using it to challenge all of us to step up, pay attention, and solve pressing social and political issues. In this program, we bring together four youth leaders from across the United States, whose diverse perspectives will provide insights into the experiences of young Americans today. Join us to hear first-hand what it means to grow up during this unique historic moment, to learn about the actions young people are taking to effect meaningful change in their schools and communities, and to consider together what we all must do to empower citizens of all ages, now and for generations to come.

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Rebecca Lissner and Mira Rapp-Hooper: Re-Imagining U.S. Foreign Policy Oct 07, 2020

Foreign policy experts Rebecca Lissner and Mira Rapp-Hooper paint a provocative picture of the United States’ future. As the country prepares for a presidential election of historic significance and charts its course in a post-pandemic world, they say the United States must reject the temptation to embrace nationalistic calls for closure, global disengagement or self-sufficiency, and instead redouble its commitment to international leadership, economic interdependence and alliances in an “open world.” They say that despite considerable foreign threats, the greatest dangers to the United States come from within: decades of underinvestment in the American people, economy and democracy; misalignment of the tech sector with the nation’s vital interests; and acute partisan polarization. Come for an engaging discussion on how the future of American power in a post-COVID world must build on the foundation of 21st century competitiveness.

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John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge: COVID’s Wake-Up Call Oct 07, 2020

COVID-19 has been a startling wake-up call and exposed the medical and economic challenges of dealing with a pandemic. As the death toll continues to rise, what can be done to keep people safe? And why are some countries handling the crisis better than others? Economic journalists Micklethwait and Wooldridge identify the problems that global leaders face and outline a detailed plan to ensure we are better prepared and responsive to any disruptive events in the future.

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A Conversation with Peter Baker and Susan Glasser Oct 06, 2020

The early 1970s were a tumultuous time for the Republican Party—not unlike today. The party was battling national security risks, wrestling with the expansion of civil rights, and dealing with the political fallout of an embattled president. In order to survive, the Republican Party needed someone to guide them. That someone was James A. Baker III. Baker was the right-hand man of presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and a major player in constructing modern conservatism, yet his story has gone largely untold until now. Revered political journalists (and husband and wife) Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker have teamed up to tell the story of the man behind the curtain. In their book The Man Who Ran Washington, they describe that man who pieced the Republican Party back together, leading with vision and a loyalty to the party, but also in service to all Americans. Join us as Baker and Glasser discuss the story of a power broker who influenced America’s future for generations, the current state of politics, and more! NOTES Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by The Bernard Osher Foundation This program contains EXPLICIT language

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JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century Oct 06, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Fredrik Logevall, who has written a revealing biography about our iconic, yet still elusive, 35th president. At the time of his assassination in 1963, John F. Kennedy stood at the helm of the greatest power the world had ever seen, a booming American nation that he had steered through some of the most perilous diplomatic standoffs of the Cold War. Born in 1917 to a wealthy Irish American family, JFK developed political ambition at an early age. His meteoric rise to become the youngest elected president helped mythologize him, as did the many hagiographic portrayals of his dazzling charisma. Reports of his extramarital affairs, and disagreements over his political legacy, have also proliferated since his untimely death, but all these accounts fail to capture the full person. Attracted by this gap in our historical knowledge, Logevall spent the last decade searching for the “real” JFK. The result is a two-volume biography that effectively contextualizes JFK amidst the roiling American Century. We will discuss volume one, which covers the first 39 years of his life—from his birth through his decision to run for president—revealing his early relationships, his formative experiences during World War II, his ideas, his writings and his political aspirations. Logevall shows us a more serious, independent-minded Kennedy than we’ve previously known, especially his distinct international sensibility, which developed amid the tumult of mid-century America and the Second World War, preparing JFK for his crucial role in keeping the Cold War cold. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond

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Climate Justice: Radioactive and Toxic Waste, Racism, and Rising Oceans Oct 06, 2020

At the recent Global Training in July 2020, former Vice President Al Gore and the Climate Reality Project continued their call to prioritize and center the environmental justice work of communities of color and indigenous communities. In this spirit, we invite you to learn about and engage with Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice's "We Can't Breathe" campaign in San Francisco's Bayview and Hunters Point (BVHP) neighborhoods, a low-income community of color (33.7 percent African American, 30.7 percent Asian, and 24.9 percent Latinx per the 2010 Census) where residents suffer from high rates of asthma and cancer and where radioactive waste and toxic contamination at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Superfund site and multiple other contaminated sites are located. As one of the lowest-lying points in San Francisco, BVHP will also be first impacted by rising oceans, which have already risen by almost 8 inches as of 2016 and which threaten to create flooding of hazardous and radioactive waste of neighborhoods, transportation infrastructure, and the entire San Francisco Bay, while several hundred new luxury homes have been built next to and possibly on top of radioactive contamination, and 10,000 more homes are planned at the contaminated Shipyard Superfund Site where critics complain that radioactive and toxic cleanup has been marred by fraud and lax standards. Speakers will also discuss the August 25 Car Caravan Protest to San Francisco City Hall for the Bayview Hunters Point Environmental Justice "We Can't Breathe" Campaign. NOTES Co-presented by The Climate Reality Project Bay Area Chapter

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Novelist Ken Follett with Lee Child Oct 05, 2020

Ken Follett is one of the world's best-loved authors, selling more than 170 million copies of his 31 books. Follett's first bestseller was Eye of the Needle, a spy story set in the Second World War. In 1989, The Pillars of the Earth was published and has since become Follett's most popular novel. It reached number one on bestseller lists around the world and was an Oprah's Book Club pick. Its sequels, World Without End and A Column of Fire, proved equally popular, and the Kingsbridge series has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. Mr. Follett's latest novel, The Evening and the Morning—a prequel to The Pillars of The Earth—takes readers on an epic journey back to the year 997, the end of the Dark Ages. England is facing attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Those in power bend justice according to their will, regardless of ordinary people and often in conflict with the king. Without a clear rule of law, chaos reigns. Join us for a rare and intimate conversation with this renowned author whose work certainly provides historical lessons for today. NOTES Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

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A Conversation with John Lithgow Oct 05, 2020

John Lithgow’s acclaimed acting career has seen him star in shows like "3rd Rock from the Sun" and "The Crown" and films such as Bombshell and The World According to Garp. Now, he’s following up last year’s best-selling book, Dumpty, with a brand-new collection of satirical poems chronicling the age of President Donald Trump. Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown is darker and more hard-hitting than ever. Lithgow writes and draws with wit and fury as he takes readers through another year of shocking events involving Trump and his administration. His uproarious poems and illustrations encompass Trump's impeachment, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter protests, and much more. Join Lithgow as we laugh and pause to remember some of the most defining moments in recent history—as he skewers the reign of “King Dumpty” one stanza at a time.

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Lives of the Stoics, with Ryan Holiday and Kevin Rose Oct 02, 2020

Stoicism has found a new audience among those who seek greatness, from athletes to politicians and everyone in between. Its embrace of self-mastery, virtue and indifference to that which we cannot control is as urgent today as it was in the chaos of the Roman Empire. Join Kevin Rose, founder of Digg, for a conversation with number 1 bestselling author Ryan Holiday to learn more about the fascinating lives of the men and women who strove to live by the timeless Stoic virtues of courage, justice, temperance and wisdom.

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American Health Care: What's Left After COVID-19? Oct 02, 2020

Join us for a virtual medical panel discussion about whether the COVID-19 crisis will end up trimming some of the waste out of America's health-care system or changing it more fundamentally. For this 10th Annual Lundberg Institute Lecture, previous TLI lecturers will join Dr. George Lundberg in a reprise of some of the health-care topics covered in the last 10 years, including medical treatment of the dying, Medicare for All, improving the quality of health care and patient safety, decreasing diagnostic and treatment errors, and removing "business ethics" as a model for health-care management. The TLI panel will also compare the health-care platforms of the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Police, Guns and the Politics of Race Oct 02, 2020

The United States is steeped in guns, gun violence―and gun debates. As arguments rage on, one issue has largely been overlooked―Americans who support gun control turn to the police as enforcers of their preferred policies, but the police themselves disproportionately support gun rights over gun control. Who do the police believe should get gun access? When do they pursue aggressive enforcement of gun laws? And what part does race play in all of this? In her book Policing the Second Amendment, Jennifer Carlson argues that rethinking the terms of the gun debate shows how the politics of guns cannot be understood―or changed―without considering how the racial politics of crime affects police attitudes. Examining how organizations such as the National Rifle Association have influenced police perspectives, she describes a troubling paradox of guns today: While color-blind laws grant civilians unprecedented rights to own, carry and use guns, people of color face an all-too-visible system of gun criminalization. Join us as Carlson unravels the complex relationship between the police, gun violence and race.

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P.J. O’Rourke: A Cry from the Far Middle Oct 02, 2020

Humorist P.J. O’Rourke says Americans have worked ourselves into a state of anger and perplexity, and it’s no surprise, because perplexed and angry is what America has always been about. In his new book, A Cry from the Far Middle, O'Rourke touches on the frustrations of an internet-controlled world in which our refrigerators talk and our phones freeze. He debates the merits of sympathy versus empathy, and makes hilarious observations about the current political environment. Come hear this master satirist's perspective on the absurdity of life.

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Sunny Hostin With Don Lemon: Identity, Race and Justice in America Oct 01, 2020

“What are you?” That’s a question that has followed Sunny Hostin throughout her life as a half Puerto Rican and half African-American woman. "The View" co-host chronicles her journey from growing up in a South Bronx housing project to becoming an assistant U.S. attorney and Emmy Award-winning legal journalist. Hostin was one of the first national reporters to cover Trayvon Martin’s death. Hostin continues to use her platform to advocate for social justice and give a voice to the marginalized. Hear more on how we can address identity, intolerance and injustice during this pivotal time in our country.

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Sen. Jon Tester: How Democrats Can Win in Rural America Oct 01, 2020

In a political system more divided than ever, people like Senator Jon Tester can be the bridge. Jon Tester is a U.S. senator from Montana, a farmer, and . . . a Democrat. Tester was born and raised in Montana and grew up on his grandfather’s homestead—the same land he and his wife farm today. As he grew up he learned the value of hard work, a connection to the place you live, and honesty. The values he learned growing up continue to guide him as he, a Democrat and former public school teacher, serves the red state of Montana as their senior senator. Tester has learned how to connect with his community, moving beyond divisive party titles to instead see his constituents as his neighbors, friends and community members in need of effective leadership. In his new book Grounded: A Senator's Lessons on Winning Back Rural America, Tester shares his early life, his rise in the Democratic party, his vision for helping rural America, and his strategies for reaching red state voters. Join us to hear from Jon Tester as we learn about the values he remains grounded in while governing, and how politics and politicians must adapt in order to heal a divided nation.

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Lynne Cheney: Virginia and the Making of America Sep 30, 2020

Lynne Cheney knows the office of the presidency in a way very few do. As the wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney, she had a front row seat to the stresses, successes and sorrows shouldered by our nation’s top leaders. With her knowledge of the office and passion for American history, she has written a new book, The Virginia Dynasty, about the first four Virginian presidents and the legacy they left behind. She paints a vivid picture of the nation building efforts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe both as individual leaders and as a team. Cheney writes about their strengths and valor but also explicates the many complexities and contradictions of their legacies as slave owners working to create a country built on ideals of “liberty and justice for all.” Join us to hear from bestselling author and former Second Lady of the United States Lynne Cheney about the history of how our nation came to be through presidential leadership and where she believes it is going now.

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Adam Hochschild: Rebel Cinderella Sep 30, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with award-winning author Adam Hochschild about Rebel Cinderella, his new book that draws on Rose Pastor Stokes’s diary, dueling memoirs, letters, newspaper accounts and government surveillance reports to unearth the rich, overlooked life of a social justice campaigner. Stokes played a dramatic role in the struggle for labor equality and women’s rights, but is now forgotten. Rose Pastor arrived in New York City in 1903, a Jewish refugee from Russia who had worked in cigar factories since she was 11. Just two years later she married James Graham Phelps Stokes, scion of a legendary New York high society family. Their union of rich and poor, native-born and immigrant, gentile and Jew, made them America’s most improbable couple, whose Socialist Party friends included Emma Goldman, Eugene V. Debs, John Reed, Margaret Sanger, Jack London, and W.E.B. Du Bois. Stokes became a renowned radical orator, advocating for the rights of labor and in favor of birth control, earning her notoriety as “one of the dangerous influences of the country” from President Woodrow Wilson. But in a way no one foresaw, her too-short life would end in the same abject poverty with which it began. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Lavender Talks: Body Positivity in Kink Culture Sep 29, 2020

Join us for the latest in the Lavender Talks series, presented with San Francisco Pride and exploring a wide range of topics of interest to the LGBTQ world. In this program, we explore the role the "kink" subculture plays in the larger LGBTQ community. Join us for a discussion with some local kink community leaders about body positivity, inclusion and exclusion, and different attitudes toward desire. How do issues of age discrimination, conforming and nonconforming presentation, racism and more get addressed by and within the kink subculture? There might be some surprising answers, as we look at the state of the kink in the age of pandemic, economic crisis, and racial justice. Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language. In association with San Francisco Pride Made possible by the generous support of Gilead and Comcast Gilead Pride Alliance and Comcast And thanks to San Francisco Pride Legacy Partners: Bud Light Hilton San Francisco Union Square KPIX 5 CBS Bay Area Kaiser Permanente Genentech Gilead GLBT Historical Society KBCW TV Parc 55 San Francisco Smirnoff Recology T–Mobile

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H.R. McMaster, Former National Security Advisor Sep 28, 2020

H.R. McMaster is one of the most celebrated modern military leaders in America. His achievements include serving as a captain during the Gulf War, being responsible for fighting the Iraqi insurgency during the war in Iraq, writing the widely-read book Dereliction of Duty, and most recently serving as national security advisor under President Donald Trump. In his new book, Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World, McMaster argues that American foreign policy has been misconceived, inconsistent and poorly implemented since the end of the Cold War. He describes efforts to reassess and fundamentally shift policies while he was national security advisor. And he provides a clear pathway forward to improve strategic competence and prevail in complex competitions against our adversaries. His book draws on McMaster’s long engagement with these issues, including 34 years of service in the U.S. Army with multiple tours of duty in battlegrounds overseas and his 13 months as national security advisor in the Trump White House. Join us for a conversation with Lt. General H.R. McMaster as he calls for Americans and citizens of the free world to transcend the vitriol of partisan political discourse, better educate themselves about the most significant challenges to national and international security and work together to secure peace and prosperity for future generations. Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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Being a Better Man with Michael Ian Black Sep 28, 2020

In his new book A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son, comedian and actor Michael Ian Black shares his personal reflections on what it means to be a man. Equal parts memoir and advice book, A Better Man is a tender letter to Black’s college-bound son, Elijah. In it, he hopes to teach him and other young men what a healthy relationship to masculinity looks like as they enter the many confusing chapters of adulthood. Black returns to INFORUM to discuss the complex nature of gender politics and how teaching men to be compassionate and vulnerable would benefit society as a whole. Tune in to hear Black dissect masculinity, its impact on the world and how men can become better people. Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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CLIMATE ONE: Erin Brockovich: Superman's Not Coming Sep 25, 2020

Erin Brockovich was vaulted into national recognition in 2000, after the eponymous movie starring Julia Roberts made her a water activism icon. Famous for her focus on contamination, Brockovich says there is a larger threat facing water’s very existence: climate change, and the impact it has on dwindling freshwater supplies, longer droughts and hotter weather. Superman isn’t coming to protect our water or environment, writes Brockovich in her latest book — and neither are corporations, politicians or the “gutted” EPA. How can individuals and communities take collective action to safeguard our environment and our resources? What are today’s leading activists doing to create change that lasts? Join us for a conversation on speaking truth to power with Erin Brockovich, author of Superman's Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What We the People Can Do About It.

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NPR’s Maria Hinojosa: Latino USA Sep 25, 2020

Discussions of immigration can feel not just deeply impersonal, particularly at the national level, but even negligent of the human cost of harsh immigration policies. In her new book, Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in America, journalist Maria Hinojosa shares a personal account of America’s greater immigration crisis. Hinojosa discusses her perspective through her upbringing on Chicago’s South Side, her early reporting on immigration detention camps and her varied experiences as the host of NPR’s "Latino USA" radio program. An Emmy award-winning journalist and a leading voice in the Latinx community, Hinojosa brings her more than 30 years of experience in journalism to her crucial perspective on this urgent issue. Join Hinojosa at INFORUM, where she will discuss how the problems facing America’s immigration system are not accidental, but the result of years of broken governance. This conversation will be moderated by Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation. Note: This program contains explicit language.

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Chemerinsky and Gillman: The Religion Clauses Sep 24, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with Erwin Chemerinsky and Howard Gillman, two of America's leading constitutional scholars, about the issues surrounding the freedom of religion clauses in the Bill of Rights. Views on the proper relationship between the state and religion have been deeply divided throughout American history. But with the recent changes in the composition of the United States Supreme Court, First Amendment law concerning religion might shift dramatically if the wall separating church and state continues to be thinned out. Chemerinsky and Gillman defend a robust view of both First Amendment religion clauses and work from the premise that the establishment clause was precisely worded to make the federal government strictly secular, not allowing any special exemptions for religious people from neutral and general laws that others must obey. Chemerinsky and Gillman provide both a pithy primer on the meaning of the religion clauses and a broad-ranging indictment of the Supreme Court's misinterpretation of them in recent years, arguing that a separationist approach is most consistent with the concerns of the founders who drafted the Constitution and with the needs of a religiously pluralistic society in the 21st century. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Guy Raz: How I Built This Sep 23, 2020

Few have dominated the podcast arena like Guy Raz. Raz co-created National Public Radio’s "How I Built This," "Wow in the World" and "TED Radio Hour." From program intern to podcast virtuoso, Raz has worked in many capacities at the broadcast media organization with highly successful results—his podcasts garner more than 19 million downloads per month. It’s no surprise why, as his programs welcome thought-provoking guests in a format that combines narrative storytelling with insightful advice. In his new book, How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs, Raz shares highlights and lessons from the more than 200 entrepreneurs he’s interviewed as host for "How I Built This." From planning a timeline for corporate development to making a good idea profitable, Raz has insights galore to share at INFORUM from more than four years’ worth of episodes. This conversation will be moderated by Aarti Shahani, an NPR contributor in Silicon Valley.

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Accelerating Transformation: Lessons in Business Resiliency Sep 23, 2020

The global pandemic has accelerated digital transformation in all industries and made lasting business and human impact. Silicon Valley and Bay Area companies have, in many ways, been ahead of the curve and the center of attention for continued innovation. Hear from business leaders from leading Bay Area companies, large and small, on how they are building the business resiliency to outmaneuver uncertainty and thrive in the new world that has demanded rapid business changes; the role of technology and the cloud in maximizing employee and customer engagement and productivity; gaining or regaining brand and organizational trust; and more. Join us for an interactive panel discussion and live Q&A. Meet our panelists: Sally Gilligan is the chief information officer and head of strategy for Gap Inc., overseeing the company’s corporate strategy team and technology organization that serves as the engine that drives retail, e-commerce and global enterprise technology for millions of customers. Gilligan has been with Gap Inc. for more than 16 years, serving in a variety of roles in the organization with a focus on process and economic optimization. Prior to serving as CIO, she served as senior vice president of product operations and supply chain strategy, leading a global team responsible for building and deploying capabilities to enable the end-to-end, demand-based operating model. Sally holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago. Everett Harper is the CEO and co-founder of Truss. Truss builds software and infrastructure to help companies and public agencies scale and modernize digital services. They apply expertise in human-centered design, engineering, product, infrastructure, and security to clients such as healthcare.gov, Nuna and DOD-Transcom, enabling them to deliver impactful, sustainable products and services to more than 20 million customers and end users. Harper graduated from Stanford University (MBA, M.Ed) and Duke University (BSEE, Biomedical Engineering), where he was an A.B. Duke Scholar. Karen Mangia is vice president of customer and market insights at Salesforce, engaging current and future customers around the world to discover new ways of creating success and growth together. She serves on the company’s Work from Home Taskforce, where she is helping the company’s 50,000+ worldwide employees to better adapt to a work-from-home environment. She holds a B.S. degree in international business and a Masters in Information and Communication Sciences, both from Ball State University, as well as an Associates Degree in Hospitality Administration from Ivy Tech. Scott Bowden is managing director, software and platforms industry lead for North America, at Accenture. In this role, Bowden is focused on supporting a diverse portfolio of platform companies to innovate and operationalize for long-term success. This includes supporting rapid customer expansion, protecting customer and user communities, and equipping a growing workforce with the technology and process tools to be successful. A key facet of Bowden’s responsibilities is to develop Accenture’s S&P industry thought leadership, build employees’ industry skills and foster collaboration across Accenture’s businesses supporting the S&P industry. Over his career with Accenture, Bowden has worked with U.S. and international clients across industries, including consumer products, publishing, high tech, software and platforms. He has most recently led Accenture’s efforts in enabling new economy hyper growth companies from pre-IPO unicorns to post-IPO profitable enterprises. Bowden received a Bachelor of Science in industrial economics from Union College with a minor in mathematics and philosophy.

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What Do You Know About Combatting COVID-19? An Interactive Program Sep 23, 2020

In mid-March California became the first state to mandate sheltering in place to fight the coronavirus. Since then we’ve been bombarded with information about masks, social distancing, quarantining and infection risks. Some of that information has changed over time, some has stayed constant, and much of what we didn’t understand in March remains a mystery. How much do you know about how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19? You can find out through this interactive quiz-based program that will use anonymous polling to test your knowledge and compare it to the rest of the audience’s. Infectious disease expert and clinical professor emeritus at UC Berkeley Dr. John Swartzberg returns to The Commonwealth Club—exactly 6 months after his first appearance at the Club to discuss COVID-19—to provide answers to the most common questions about COVID-19 transmission. Come ready to test your understanding of how the virus spreads, its symptoms and health impact, how to avoid infection, what to do if you get sick and more. This session will challenge your thinking and leave you with a clear sense of what you can do to stay healthy.

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Conversations with Distinguished Citizens: Recology's Mike Sangiacomo and Dennis Wu Sep 22, 2020

Join us for this special program in The Commonwealth Club's series recognizing recipients of The Club's 2020 Distinguished Citizens Award. This program honors both Recology, the company, and its leadership. Recology's mission represents a fundamental shift from traditional waste management to resource recovery, developing sustainable practices that can be implemented globally. Recology has more than 45 operating companies that provide integrated services to more than 889,000 residential customers and 112,000 commercial customers in California, Oregon and Washington. Farmers across California and Oregon use Recology organic compost for fruit, vegetables, flowers, plants and vineyards. Recology is also 100 percent employee-owned. As Recology's president and CEO since 1980, Mike Sangiacomo has led and inspired many of the company's innovative recycling and diversion programs. Sangiacomo also serves as a director and an executive officer of Recology’s subsidiaries. He holds a B.S. degree in business administration from the University of San Francisco. Dennis Wu, chair of Recology's Board of Directors since 2013, is one of San Francisco's best-known business executives and a long-time leader among Asian Americans in the Bay Area. Born in the Philippines of Chinese ancestry, Mr. Wu is a retired partner of Deloitte and currently the managing partner and co-founder of WuHoover, a CPA advisory firm. Mr. Wu is also a past chair of The Commonwealth Club's Board of Governors. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of California and received his B.S. and M.B.A. in accounting/finance from the University of California Berkeley. Join this unique conversation with two of the Bay Area's most prominent trailblazers.

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Whole Foods CEO John Mackey: Conscious Leadership Sep 22, 2020

John Mackey started a retail and organic food movement when he founded Whole Foods, bringing natural, organic food to the masses and not only changing the market, but breaking the mold. In his new book, Conscious Leadership, Mackey closely explores the vision, virtues and mindset that have informed Mackey’s own leadership journey, providing a roadmap for innovative, value-based leadership—in business and in society. The book is a follow up to groundbreaking bestseller, Conscious Capitalism, which revealed what it takes to lead a purpose-driven, sustainable business. In this book, Mackey demystifies strategies that have helped Mackey shepherd Whole Foods through four decades of incredible growth and innovation, including its recent sale to Amazon. Mackey challenges business leaders to rethink conventional business wisdom, through anecdotes, case studies, profiles of conscious leaders, and innovative techniques for self-development, culminating in an empowering call to action for entrepreneurs and trailblazers—to step up as leaders who see beyond the bottom line. At a transformative time for American business, the informed wisdom of John Mackey could not come at a better time. Please join us for a timely conversation. Note: This Program Contains Explicit Language

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Laura Flanders: A Radically Different Talk Show for These Radically Different Times Sep 21, 2020

Join us for a discussion with journalist Laura Flanders about the state of our country, politics, progressive talk radio, women in radio, and her brand new show on PBS. Laura Flanders is an Izzy-Award winning independent journalist, a New York Times bestselling author and the recipient of the Pat Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women’s Media Center. By 1990 she was co-hosting "CounterSpin," the weekly radio report from the media watch group FAIR and reporting from Central America, the Middle East and Europe for media outlets like In These Times, New Directions For Women, Ms., Outweek, The Nation, and Pacifica Radio. The mega-mergers of the 1990s left the media landscape packed with ads and partisan punditry, but devoid of news from most of the country or the world. Invited to host a daily call-in, Laura launched “Your Call” on San Francisco's public radio station KALW in 2001 and then "The Laura Flanders Show" on Air America Radio to engage listeners in a deep-dive into the issues of the day. Supported by FreeSpeechTV, Laura moved to television in 2008, starting "GRITtv," a daily national news show that covered the financial crisis from the grassroots up. Laura emerged determined to introduce audiences to a wealth of people, places—and policy options—that other media ignored. Her latest endeavor is "The Laura Flanders Show," which launched on public television stations in September 2020. The same year, Flanders received a Cultural Freedom Fellowship from the Lannan Foundation “for her tireless work as an independent journalist, interviewing activists who are creating solutions to economic injustice and catastrophic environmental destruction. Her body of work helps the American public begin to imagine alternatives.” Don't miss this conversation with a pioneering journalist about the issues the media doesn't discuss enough, what it discusses too much, and why it matters.

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PEN America's Suzanne Nossel: Defending Free Speech Sep 21, 2020

As the United States goes through its most seering domestic crisis in decades, navigating and defending free speech and cultivating a more inclusive public culture is critical for the future of the country, according to PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel. Nossel will discuss a way to promote free expression while also addressing online trolls and fascist chat groups, cancel culture, and controversial lectures on campus and elsewhere. In an era in which one tweet can launch—or end—your career, and free speech is often invoked as a principle but rarely understood, learning to maneuver the fast-changing, treacherous landscape of public discourse has never been more urgent. At a time when free speech is often pitted against other progressive axioms—namely diversity and equality—Nossel argues that the drive to create a more inclusive society need not, and must not, compromise robust protections for free speech. Nossel provides concrete guidance on how to reconcile these two often misunderstood sets of core values within universities, on social media and in daily life.

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Sen. Sherrod Brown: Progressive Power in the U.S. Senate Sep 18, 2020

Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2006, Ohio’s Sherrod Brown has enjoyed broad support across the political spectrum as a populist advocate for blue-collar workers, unions and the middle class. When Brown arrived on the Senate floor, he learned that his desk came with a proud history. In Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America, he tells the story of the senators who sat in the same space before him. They range from Hugo Black, who helped to lift millions of American workers out of poverty, to Robert F. Kennedy, who became an advocate for the poor after an eye-opening trip to the Mississippi Delta. Brown uses these stories to highlight the triumphs and failures of progressivism over the past century. By defying his state’s rightward turn while promoting the strength of labor unions and the working class, Brown also serves as a model for how progressive Democrats can win tough races throughout middle America.

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Matthew Yglesias: The Case for Thinking Bigger Sep 18, 2020

Matthew Yglesias, cofounder of trend-setting news site Vox, has become an increasingly visible and provocative digital journalist, with a following that includes policy wonks of all ages, and top economic and political journalists. In his latest book, One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger, Yglesias outlines his belief that, at one of the most critical times in American history, the country has lost the will and the means to lead on some of the most important issues facing Americans. Yglesias believes that if America is to win its own future, the county will need to have more: more ideas, more ambition, more utilization of resources, more people. Quite simply, he thinks the county needs to think bigger, while taking the problems of decline seriously. What really contributes to national prosperity should not be controversial, according to Yglesias: supporting parents and children, welcoming immigrants and their contributions, and exploring creative policies that support growth—like more housing, better transportation, improved education, revitalized welfare, and climate change mitigation. Yet the country seems to have lost its ambition. Please join us for an important conversation about what America must do to regain its verve and stay on top forever.

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CLIMATE ONE: Daniel Yergin: Energy, Markets and the Clash of Nations Sep 18, 2020

From pipelines to clean power, the world’s biggest economies are brokering developments in oil, gas, and renewables that will shape climate and politics for years to come. But COVID, plummeting oil prices, and expectations for diversity and sustainability are changing the way successful industries must do business. “This isn't about supply and demand, this is about the economies being open or closed,” says Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Yergn. Will the pursuit of energy and economic efficiency help solve our global dependence on fossil fuels — or leave many societies behind?

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Community Matters: UCSF and the Bay Area's Fight Against COVID-19 Sep 17, 2020

On the exact 6-month anniversary of San Francisco’s shelter-in-place ordnance, UCSF infectious disease experts look back at what we’ve learned about the strengths and weaknesses of our public health systems and look forward to the next stage of the fight against COVID-19. Panelists will discuss how the pandemic has taken advantage of inequities in our society to continue spreading despite the region’s early response—and the growing understanding that stemming the tide of COVID-19 will require much greater support for low-income essential workers, incarcerated populations, and others least able to protect themselves. They will explore how partnerships between community leaders, UCSF scientists, and public health officials are pointing the way forward to a more just, equitable and effective response to the pandemic. Meet the panelists: Joe DeRisi, Ph.D., is Tomkins Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at UCSF and co-director of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, an independent research institute dedicated to eradicating disease. DeRisi has a long history as a “virus detective” and inventor. During the severe testing backlog at the start of the pandemic, his team built a state-of-the-art COVID-19 testing center in 8 days, which soon became the hub for processing test kits from public health departments across the state. Diane Havlir, M.D., is chief of the UCSF Division of HIV, Infectious Disease and Global Medicine. At the start of the pandemic, Havlir—who is a veteran of the fight against AIDS—joined forces with Latinx community leaders such as Jon Jacobo of the Latino Task Force for COVID-19, to document inequalities in the pandemic’s impact on low-income workers and their families, and to link those infected with the support they need to go into isolation. This “test-to-care” approach has become a model for similar efforts across the country. Jon Jacobo, of the Latino Task Force for COVID-19, helped spearhead the group’s partnership with UCSF, called Unidos En Salud, and has worked for policy changes to support low-income essential workers during the pandemic, in partnership with the City and County of San Francisco Department of Public Health. Jacobo is director of engagement and policy for TODCO Group, a San Francisco affordable housing and advocacy nonprofit, and an appointed commissioner overseeing the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection. Brie Williams, M.D., M.S., is a professor in the UCSF Division of Geriatrics and founding director of UCSF Amend, an initiative dedicated to transforming correctional culture to improve the health of people living and working in America’s prisons. Her research has pushed for changes in how California’s prisons have handled outbreaks during the pandemic, not only to protect prisoners and prison workers, but to prevent spill-over into the community at large. Moderator Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Ph.D., M.D., M.A.S., is vice dean for population health and health equity at the UCSF School of Medicine and director of the UCSF COVID-19 Community Public Health Initiative. She has written about how the pandemic has created “two Californias”—those with the privilege of sheltering in place, and the low-income workers who have been forced to choose between keeping food on the table and protecting their families from the virus In association with UCSF

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Sam Harris: Making Sense Sep 17, 2020

On his wildly popular podcast “Making Sense,” Sam Harris and his guests explore some of the most important questions about the human mind, society and current events. Every week, he dives into some of the most controversial and thought-provoking issues we face in society today. Harris’ new book, Making Sense: Conversations on Consciousness, Morality and the Future of Humanity, shares 12 discussions from “Making Sense” that are meant to push traditional conversations in unconventional directions. For Harris, honest conversation, no matter how difficult or controversial, represents the only path to moral and intellectual progress. Join Harris for a candid conversation as he discusses how we can all “make sense” of our complicated world with honesty, clarity and reason. Note: This program contains Explicit language.

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Compromised: Peter Strzok and the Investigation of Donald Trump Sep 17, 2020

On August 10, 2018, veteran FBI agent Peter Strzok was fired after personal text messages from 2016 disparaging then-candidate Donald Trump were released. President Trump celebrated, writing on Twitter “Fired FBI Agent Peter Strzok is a fraud, as is the rigged investigation he started. There was no Collusion or Obstruction with Russia, and everybody, including the Democrats, know it.” But Strzok’s story is anything but straightforward. He led the FBI’s investigation into both Hillary Clinton’s private email server and Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, drawing the ire of conservative allies of the president. When his text messages were released, they provided ammunition for the conspiracy theory of a “deep state” out to undermine Trump’s presidency. Join Strzok as he tells his side of one of the 21st century’s most explosive stories. He’ll draw on lessons from a long career in law enforcement and explain why he’s convinced that the commander in chief has fallen under the sway of America’s adversary in the Kremlin.

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How Racism Erodes Mind, Body and Spirit, and How to Heal and Learn Sep 16, 2020

Mary-Frances Winters will discuss the ideas in her new book, Black Fatigue, How Racism Erodes Mind, Body and Spirit, which will be published by BK Publishing this fall. The book describes a phenomenon Black people know well: the multifaceted physical and psychological damage wrought by simply living, day by day in a racist society. This is a vital resource for Black and non-Black people looking for ways to heal, learn and have productive and supportive conversations about racial injustice and trauma. NOTES MLF: Technology & Society

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Tamim Ansary: The Invention of Yesterday Sep 16, 2020

Join us virtually for a conversation with Tamim Ansary about his latest book, The Invention of Yesterday. Ansary boldly looks for patterns in the last 50,000 years of human history. He argues that, since humans are basically narcissistic, for most of recorded history each successful civilization has seen the other civilizations on this planet as merely peripheral players. He also argues that the four major rivers along which large-scale human civilizations began—the Nile, the Tigris–Euphrates, the Indus and the Huang He—each had characteristic traits that contributed to the underlying cultural assumptions our ancestors made about the nature of reality, and so gave rise to the main points of cultural divergence. Ansary's conclusion is clear: we cannot continue to consider other cultures as peripheral if we are going to have any hope of managing those worldwide concerns that require a consensus to solve, like climate change, nuclear weapons and the spread of deadly viruses. As historians often understand, but too many politicians conveniently overlook, each human civilization has many points of similarity with every other civilization in our pursuit of happiness. The points of cultural divergence are the ones that are truly peripheral. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Sen. Chris Murphy: A History of American Violence Sep 16, 2020

One nation under . . . guns? Is America destined to always be a violent nation? Why are Americans uniquely attached to themes of aggression and firearms that permeate our culture and policies? These are the questions Senator Chris Murphy explores in his new book, The Violence Inside Us: A Brief History of an Ongoing American Tragedy. Searching for answers about why America continues to fall short on issues of safety, Murphy has dedicated his political career to the cause of gun violence and ensuring that all Americans feel safe. Murphy’s state of Connecticut was forever changed by the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, and he believes that in order to change something as horrific as gun violence, we must first understand it. which is why his book investigates our country’s violence-filled history in order to forge a comprehensive plan for our future. In The Violence Inside Us, he explains why the nation is still stuck fighting this battle and how we can forge a comprehensive plan for change.

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Netflix’s Reed Hastings Sep 15, 2020

Since its founding in 1997, Netflix has revolutionized the way we discover and enjoy entertainment. Originally founded as a DVD-by-mail rental service in the United States, Netflix has reinvented itself from DVD rentals to internet streaming, from licensing old shows and films to self-producing them, and from U.S.-based to global—amassing more than 193 million subscribers in more than 190 countries. As the co-founder and co-CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings led the effort to make Netflix the top player in internet entertainment. To achieve this, he developed a corporate philosophy and a set of management principles that rejected conventional wisdom, leading to a business culture that would make Netflix one of the most inventive companies in the world. Hastings’ new book, No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention, chronicles how he built this radical management philosophy through decades of trial and error. His story is designed to be a useful resource for company leaders, entrepreneurs, founders and anyone looking to create a faster, more nimble and innovative workplace. Join Hastings to learn more about what might be the most inventive company of its time.

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Sarah Huckabee Sanders: Speaking for Myself Sep 15, 2020

Sarah Huckabee Sanders served as White House press secretary for President Donald J. Trump from 2017 to 2019. Her briefings with the press and her battles with the media made her one of the most visible people in Washington and earned her the trust of the president, who called her “irreplaceable,” a “warrior” and “very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job.” During her two and a half years at the White House, she advised the president on everything from press and communication strategy to personnel and policy. In her new book, Speaking for Myself, Sanders takes us behind the scenes and offers her unique perspective on what it was like working alongside the president inside the White House. Join us as she reflects on some of the professional challenges she faced, her relationship with the press and lessons she learned during that time.

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A September Surprise: The Week to Week Political Roundtable Sep 14, 2020

You've heard of an October surprise—when a political campaign drops an unexpected bit of news highlighting (or making up) a scandal about the opponent? This entire campaign has been a surprise, so we certainly expect an early surprise or two or three in September. Join us for a special Election 2020 edition of Week to Week, the political roundtable from The Commonwealth Club. Our panelists will discuss the latest political developments with intelligence, civility and probably quite a bit of humor. We're all in this together—the pandemic, economic crisis, racial justice, campaign 2020, and murder hornets.

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Brian Stelter: Fox News, Trump and the Distortion of Truth Sep 14, 2020

In a world of “fake news,” President Donald Trump has labeled one network as telling his “truth”—Fox News. The president has developed a symbiotic relationship with Fox. Since the day Trump announced his candidacy, its pundits have consistently slandered Trump’s enemies and promoted his vision of America. The president himself has also admitted to watching 6 hours of Fox News a day, even in the face of a disastrous pandemic and national economic crisis. He gets his brash personal and political actions legitimized by the network, and the network makes money off Trump-supporting viewers who willfully follow the network. In Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth, CNN anchor and Chief Media Correspondent Brian Stelter tells the twisted story of the mutually beneficial relationship between President Trump and Fox News and dives into a relationship that he argues comes at the expense of the American people.

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CLIMATE ONE: Living With Fire Sep 12, 2020

Wildfires are nothing new – they’ve been part of the west’s ecology for millennia. But burning fossil fuels and suppressing the burning of forests over the past century have led to larger, more frequent and ever-more catastrophic wildfires. And burning trees release carbon dioxide. California’s fires now are so big and fierce that they threaten to erase the state’s progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And even for those miles from the flames, the smoke from raging wildfires presents an extra danger in the age of coronavirus. How and when exposure to wildfire smoke increases the likelihood of infection with COVID-19, we’re still trying to figure that out, says Vin Gupta of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. But there is a clear symmetry between exposure and the likelihood of infection.

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Niki Solis: The Kamala Harris I Know Sep 11, 2020

In the lead-up to former Vice President Joe Biden selecting California Senator Kamala Harris as his 2020 running mate, there was a lot of armchair prognostication and claims about Harris' past and future. Much was made of her time as San Francisco's district attorney; some used it to defend her as a tough-on-crime prosecutor; others used it to portray her as a far-left DA who was weak on crime. Niki Solis knows what Kamala Harris was really like as a DA, and she made her case for Harris in a recent op ed article in USA Today, "I worked with Kamala Harris. She was the most progressive DA in California." For nearly a quarter century, Solis has worked as a public defender. She is currently a deputy public defender in San Francisco; she was a manager in the public defender's office when Harris was the city's district attorney. Join us for a timely conversation about crime and punishment, mercy and justice, and big-stakes politics.

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Activist Charles Munger, Jr.: Political Reforms That Work Sep 11, 2020

Dr. Charles Munger advocates good government, representative politics and a strong, responsible two-party system for California and the nation. Viewed by many as a moderate Republican, Dr. Munger campaigned in 2012 for California's current open "top two" primary and was the co-author of 2010's Proposition 20 to keep elected representatives separate from the process of creating congressional districts. He believes both have worked to encourage true representative government. Dr. Munger served as chairman of the Santa Clara County Republican Party from 2012 to 2015. He holds a Ph.D. in atomic physics from U.C. Berkeley and is one of 8 children of Charles Munger, the vice chairman of financial holding company Berkshire Hathaway. As we head toward the election, come hear his unique thoughts on the power of political reform in an era where gridlock and cynicism abound .

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Governor Jerry Brown and Lesley Blume: The Nuclear Legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Sep 10, 2020

Right now, the Doomsday Clock reads “100 seconds to midnight,” according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists—midnight representing the end of humanity as we know it from two simultaneous existential dangers—nuclear war and climate change. This setting is closer than the world has ever been to doomsday before, even during the height of the Cold War. This unnerving development speaks to the urgent relevance of panelist Lesley Blume's book Fallout and the need to reflect on the 75th anniversary of the Bomb. The Hiroshima A-bomb was the single most destructive event of the 20th century, killing more than 100,000 people and decimating an entire city. Knowing this, Ms. Blume points out that the U.S. government embarked on a secret propaganda campaign to hide the true nature of the damage to Hiroshima and Nagasaki for fear that such blatant violence—mostly perpetrated against civilians—would tarnish our reputation at home and abroad. This cover-up included suppression of the Japanese and Western media, press junkets that downplayed the bombs’ radioactivity and any mention of sinister “Disease X” plaguing blast survivors, and misleading statements aimed at depicting the bomb as a humane and conventional weapon. This conversation comes as the current administration considers resuming nuclear testing and commits to spending trillions to "modernize" nuclear weapons, and as the the dangers of nuclear miscalculation and blunder grow amid tensions with Russia, North Korea, China and Iran. Join Blume and former California Governor Jerry Brown, executive chair of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and a longtime advocate for dialogue around nuclear issues, for an important discussion about the legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and prospects for reducing the nuclear threat.

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A Legal Thriller: Taking on a San Francisco Icon Sep 09, 2020

Veteran trial lawyer and author James Bostwick will outline his riveting story about a struggling young attorney who decides to take on the most famous lawyer in the country to get justice for a paralyzed youngster. It is a tale of love, friendship, sex and betrayal that also paints an authentic picture of the risks, dilemmas and tactics involved in high stakes litigation. Bostwick will provide interesting insights into this complex and competitive arena. He will also discuss the genesis and inspiration for his novel, as well as the writing process and how to get published—what works and what doesn’t. The story was inspired by a real trial occurring in San Francisco in the mid-'80s. San Franciscans might recognize some well-known legal icons of the era. James Bostwick has been a San Francisco trial lawyer specializing in catastrophic injuries for more than 40 years. He has obtained the largest medical malpractice verdict in U.S. history. Bostwick has long been listed as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in the United States. His first novel, Acts of Omission, was nominated for the 2020 Harper Lee Legal Fiction Award and is under contract to soon be a movie. MLF ORGANIZER Denise Michaud NOTES MLF: Grownups

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A Conversation with Ambassador John Bolton Sep 09, 2020

Ambassador John Bolton’s name is synonymous with foreign policy service at the highest levels of government, having served four different presidents. Most recently, Bolton served as assistant to the president for national security affairs from April 9, 2018, until his resignation on September 10, 2019. He chronicled this experience in the recent best-selling book, The Room Where It Happened. From January 2007 until April 2018, John R. Bolton served as a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. He was appointed as United States permanent representative to the United Nations on August 1, 2005 and served until his resignation in December 2006. Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Bolton served as under secretary of state for arms control and international security from May 2001 to May 2005. Throughout his distinguished career, Ambassador Bolton has been a staunch defender of American interests. While under secretary of state, he repeatedly advocated tough measures against the nuclear weapons programs of both Iran and North Korea, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction worldwide. He led negotiations for America to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty so that the Bush Administration could proceed with a national missile-defense program. Ambassador Bolton has spent many years of his career in public service. Previous positions he has held include assistant secretary for international organization affairs at the Department of State, 1989–1993; assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice, 1985–1989; assistant administrator for program and policy coordination at the U.S. Agency for International Development, 1982–1983; and general counsel at the U.S. Agency for International Development, 1981–1982. Ambassador Bolton is the author of The Room Where it Happened, published by Simon & Schuster (June 2020) , Surrender is Not an Option: Defending America at the U.N. and Abroad, published by Simon & Shuster (November 2007), and How Barack Obama Is Endangering Our National Sovereignty, published by Encounter Books (April 2010). Ambassador Bolton graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Yale College in 1970, and received his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1974. Please join us for this important conversation.

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Populism’s Toxic Embrace of Nationalism Sep 09, 2020

As America enters the final stretch of the 2020 election, many of the debates and issues that continue to dominate the campaign at the national and local levels stem from a resurgent global right-wing populism that led to the election of Donald Trump in 2016. Four years later, this aggressive form of right-wing populism, infused with xenophobic nationalism, remains a powerful influence in the United States and around the world. Perhaps no one knows these issues better than Lawrence Rosenthal, the founder of the University of California Berkley’s Center for Right-Wing Studies. In his new book Empire of Resentment: Populism’s Toxic Embrace of Nationalism, Rosenthal paints a vivid sociological, political and psychological picture of the transnational quality of this movement, which is now in power in at least a dozen countries. In America and abroad, the current mobilization of right-wing populism has given life to long marginalized threats like white supremacy and anti-immigration fervor. In 2016, renowned UC Berkeley professor Arlie Hochschild was among the first major sociologists to help explain Trump’s election. Her award-winning book, Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right, helped readers understand why so many American voters were attracted to Trump’s populist message and its negative undertones. Please join us for a special conversation between two UC Berkeley stars—Rosenthal and Hochschild—as they discuss the how the transformation of the American far right made the Trump presidency possible—and what it portends for the future just two months out from the 2020 election.

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Cass Sunstein: How Much Information Is too Much? Sep 08, 2020

The world is projected to generate 90 zettabytes of data this year and the next. That’s more than all the data produced since the arrival of computers, and if we still used DVD’s, we’d need 19 trillion to store it all. Swimming in this massive sea of information, humans are easily overwhelmed; studies suggest we avoid important information because it might make us miserable, while seeking out information of dubious value to make ourselves happy. What information do we need to know? What role should policymakers play in helping us find data that improves our well-being and filter out information—from calorie counts to credit card fees—that wastes our time or even endangers us? Cass Sunstein explains how we can make information work for us. NOTES Co-Hosted with Zócalo Public Square

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CLIMATE ONE: COVID-19 and Climate: Implications for Our Food System Sep 08, 2020

Will COVID-19 change our food system for good? Increased coronavirus outbreaks in food markets, food plants and farmworker communities have impacted food access and put a spotlight on food insecurity. Farmers are hurting as supply chains for fresh, perishable foods shrivel. Meanwhile, food banks have seen a surge in demand that has required distribution support from the National Guard. What does COVID-19 mean for agriculture, our food supply systems—and our diets? Join us for a conversation with Lisa Held, senior reporter at Civil Eats, Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and Helene York, professor at the Food Business School of the Culinary Institute of America, on feeding a nation under quarantine.

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CLIMATE ONE: Polluting and Providing: The Dirty Energy Dilemma Sep 06, 2020

The cost and health burdens of electricity production have long been higher for low-income communities of color than for wealthy white ones. But when it comes to public engagement and trust, the oil and gas industry is often ahead of its clean energy competitors, presenting a friendly face to the same areas it supplies with jobs, tax dollars, and cheap energy. Is the industry an example of community leadership, manipulative greenwashing—or something in between? How can the renewable industry transform its model into one of diversity, equity and affordable energy for all? Join us for a conversation with Derrick Hollie, president of Reaching America; Jacqueline Patterson, director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice program; Ivan Penn, alternative energy reporter with The New York Times; and Vien Truong, director of climate justice for Tom Steyer PAC, on hard truths about the energy industry next door.

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Lavender Talks: Racism in the Castro Sep 05, 2020

Join San Francisco Pride and The Commonwealth Club for the latest edition of Lavender Talks, a moderated panel discussion emceed by Michelle Meow (host of "The Michelle Meow Show" and a former president of the SF Pride Board of Directors). In this program, we'll look at racism and discrimination in the Castro, San Francisco's world-famous LGBTQ district. In association with San Francisco Pride Made possible by the generous support of Gilead and Comcast And thanks to San Francisco Pride Legacy Partners: Bud Light Hilton San Francisco Union Square KPIX 5 CBS Bay Area Kaiser Permanente Genentech Gilead GLBT Historical Society KBCW TV Parc 55 San Francisco Smirnoff Recology T–Mobile

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Every Night Is Pizza Night: J. Kenji López-Alt and Gianna Ruggiero Sep 05, 2020

George Bernard Shaw once said that there is no love more sincere than the love of food. Pipo, the main character in the new children's book Every Night Is Pizza Night, holds the sincerest love of all… for pizza. Pipo is determined to prove that pizza is, in every aspect, the best food out there. However, by cooking and tasting foods with six new friends, Pipo discovers that what makes a food “the best” transcends taste as only one ingredient in the melting pot of tradition, family and friendship. Written by the Food Lab’s J. Kenji López-Alt and illustrated by artist Gianna Ruggerio, the book highlights the importance of gastronomic diversity for children and adults alike. Join them both at INFORUM where they will discuss how, like Pipo, even the pickiest eaters can grow an expansive palette and grow to appreciate the various cuisines around them. This conversation will be moderated by SF Chronicle food critic Soleil Ho.

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Trey Gowdy: The Power of Persuasion Sep 04, 2020

Whether you’re pushing for something big like social change or something as small as getting your family to agree on a restaurant choice, success often relies on the ability to communicate and persuade. Trey Gowdy believes the secret to persuasion lies in asking the right questions to the right people. In his new book, Doesn't Hurt to Ask: Using the Power of Questions to Communicate, Connect, and Persuade, Gowdy draws on his own experiences in the courtroom and the halls of Congress to share what he has learned, giving advice that is tried and true. He believes anyone can learn how to identify an objective, understand their audience, and persuade with passion in a way that drives connection and understanding. Join Trey Gowdy as he shows us how to persuade, no matter the jury and no matter the cause.

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Mettler and Lieberman: Four Threats to Our Democracy Sep 03, 2020

Join us virtually for a conversation with Professors Mettler and Lieberman about the social trends that have often threatened our democracy. They have identified four major threats: political polarization, racism and nativism, economic inequality, and excessive executive power. And they have drawn lessons from five serious crises: the 1790s, the Civil War, the Gilded Age, the Depression, and Watergate. Each of these crises could have profoundly―even fatally―damaged the American democratic experiment. But what is most alarming now is that all four threats exist simultaneously―in the midst of a viral pandemic. This convergence could be cause for despair, but history provides valuable lessons about how democracy was eventually strengthened―or weakened―in the past. By revisiting how earlier generations of Americans faced similar threats to our constitutional principles, we can see more clearly what led us to today, and then chart a path toward repairing our civic fabric and renewing our democracy. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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CLIMATE ONE: Flooding in America Sep 03, 2020

Miami might be the poster child of rising waters in the United States, but further inland, states are grappling with torrential flooding that is becoming the new norm. Last year, flooding in the southeast killed 12 people and caused $20 billion in damages. This year’s rains have already driven Mississippi into a state emergency, and Missouri is bracing itself with a levee system still in disrepair from last year’s storms. Can infrastructure like floodplains, wetlands, and engineered barriers save riverside states from their new, saturated norm? How are communities adapting to a changing, wetter climate in some of the most conservative parts of the country?

Guests:

Julia Kumari Drapkin, CEO and founder of ISeeChange

Ed Kearns, chief data officer at First Street Foundation

Martha Shulski, director of the Nebraska state climate office

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89th Annual California Book Awards Sep 02, 2020

Since 1931, the California Book Awards have honored the exceptional literary merit of California writers and publishers. Each year a select jury considers hundreds of books from around the state in search of the very best in literary achievement. This year, we will be saluting the winners virtually. The California Book Awards have often been on the vanguard, honoring previously unknown authors who go on to garner national acclaim. John Steinbeck received three gold medals—for Tortilla Flat in 1935, In Dubious Battle in 1936 and The Grapes of Wrath in 1939. Award winners in recent years include Adam Johnson, Jared Diamond, Karen Fowler, Kay Ryan, Bill Vollman, Joyce Maynard, Andrew Sean Greer, Yiyun Li, Adrienne Rich, Chalmers Johnson, Richard Rodriguez, Michael Chabon, Philip Levine, Rebecca Solnit, Galen Rowell, Jonathan Lethem, Peter Orner and Kevin Starr. Join us for this special celebratory event.

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L.S. Dugdale: The Lost Art of Dying Sep 02, 2020

Death—it is the most human experience and yet the topic humans run away from at every opportunity. Why is this? What if we reimagined what death means to each of us personally and collectively as a society? Columbia University physician Dr. L.S. Dugdale sets out to answer these questions and change the approach to death in her new book, The Lost Art of Dying. Dr. Dugdale’s long career in medicine has forced her to become intimate with death in a way very few are, as she is often tasked with guiding her patients through their final phase. Her unique position has gifted her with a new perspective on death that she now hopes to share with the world. She says death is something that we as a culture should celebrate, not be frightened of—but in order to die well, we must first live well. By recovering our sense of finitude, confronting our fears, accepting how our bodies age, and involving our communities in end-of-life care, we can discover what it means to both live and die well. Join us for an honest and soulful conversation with Dr. Dugdale as we run toward the topic of death—freeing ourselves from the fear of the finite.

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Discovering Precision Health: Predict, Prevent, and Cure Sep 02, 2020

Today we are on the brink of a much-needed transformative moment for health care. The U.S. health care system is designed to be reactive instead of preventive. The result can be diagnoses that are too late and outcomes that are far worse than our level of spending should deliver. In recent years, U.S. life expectancy has been declining. Fundamental to realizing better health, and a more effective health-care system, is advancing the disruptive thinking that has spawned innovation in Silicon Valley and throughout the world. That's exactly what Stanford Medicine has done by proposing a new vision for health and health care. In Discovering Precision Health, Lloyd Minor and Matthew Rees describe a holistic approach designed to set health care on the right track: keep people healthy by preventing disease before it starts and personalize the treatment of individuals precisely, based on their specific profile. MLF ORGANIZER Patty James NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

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On the Road to Freedom: Through the Eyes of Young Leaders Sep 02, 2020

Join artist and journalist Dana King as she interviews two scholars who traveled on the Club’s trip, “On the Road to Freedom: Understanding the Civil Rights Movement” in March of 2020. The group spent time in Jackson, Little Rock, Memphis, Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery. Hear about key events and people involved in the movement, and what it means for these young women in terms of what is happening today and their vision for the future. NOTES In partnership with Cinnamongirl Inc.

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CLIMATE ONE: Billion Dollar Burger Sep 01, 2020

Long before the coronavirus began disrupting America’s trillion-dollar meat industry, lab-grown proteins were upending the way we consume chicken, pork and beef. With an environmental footprint far smaller than traditional animal agriculture, are cell-cultured and plant-based meat products—now on the menus of major chains like Burger King—still the future of food? Will food science and tech help us make better-informed decisions for our bodies and the planet, or do we need to get back to basics? Join us for a conversation on the future of food with Sophie Egan, author of How to Be a Conscious Eater: Making Food Choices That Are Good for You, Others, and the Planet, and Chase Purdy, author of Billion Dollar Burger: Inside Big Tech’s Race for the Future of Food.

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Engaging in Democracy at Boys State Aug 31, 2020

Join us to learn about individuality, finding your voice amidst a sea of homogeneity, and the triumph of intellect over the ideologue. Local filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine explore these themes in their new film Boys State, airing on Apple TV+ beginning August 14. Boys State is a political coming-of-age story, examining the health of American democracy through an unusual experiment: a thousand 17-year-old boys from across Texas gather to build a representative government from the ground up. High-minded ideals collide with low-down dirty tricks as four boys of diverse backgrounds and political views navigate the challenges of organizing political parties, shaping consensus, and campaigning for the highest office at Texas Boys State—governor. In a primarily conservative setting, part of what makes the two prominent progressive participants—Steven and René—so extraordinary is their ability to self-advocate, their perseverance and their drive. The Boys State program epitomizes the real-world experience of many Americans and is how many of our leaders first engaged in the world of politics. Alumni of Boys State, such as Senator Cory Booker, President Bill Clinton, Senator Lamar Alexander and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, fall on both sides of the aisle.

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BlueSky: Building a Healthier California Through Youth Resilience in a COVID-19 World Aug 31, 2020

BlueSky initiative supports mental health for middle- and high school students in California by providing additional mental health clinicians in schools, training teachers on the signs of mental health issues, and empowering students with in-person and online mental health support resources. With schools now shuttered and distance learning part of the norm because of COVID-19, educators, mental health specialists ,and others are pivoting to address the need virtually. Join us for a special program to learn more about this important initiative.

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A Conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci Aug 31, 2020

Join us for a rare visit with one of America's most trusted medical figures and leading experts on infectious disease, and take advantage of this unique opportunity to ask your questions directly. Dr. Fauci was appointed director of NIAID in 1984. He oversees an extensive portfolio of basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat established infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, tuberculosis and malaria as well as emerging diseases such as Ebola and Zika....and of course, COVID 19. He has advised six presidents on domestic and global health issues. He was one of the principal architects of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program that has saved millions of lives throughout the developing world. Dr. Fauci is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the highest honor given to a civilian by the president of the United States) and the National Medal of Science.

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CLIMATE ONE: Climate Change Through the Artist’s Eyes with Alonzo King Aug 28, 2020

Images of dancers or sculptures don’t leap to mind with the mention of climate change. But artists are increasingly using the carbon conundrum as a creative lens, using their mediums to design cultural moments that bring people together. Storytellers and artists are reaching people on a deeper and more emotional level than the cerebral facts and charts often used to shape the climate narrative. Can art reach and activate people on climate in new and compelling ways? How can art convey the joy of nature and the grief of how humans are destroying it? Join us for a conversation about art, beauty and humanity in the age of climate disruption with celebrated choreographer Alonzo King, whose new dance is inspired by the beauty and tragedy unfolding in the Arctic. The world premier will be held in San Francisco later this year. Also joining is senior curator Nora Lawrence, whose 2018 exhibition at New York's Storm King Art Center, Indicators: Artists on Climate Change, was one of the first major museum exhibitions to address climate change.

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CLIMATE ONE: The Future Earth: Eric Holthaus and Katharine Wilkinson Aug 28, 2020

Science has given us a realistic picture of what Earth will look like with uninhibited levels of climate change: increased extreme weather events, crippled economies and a world where those with the least are the hardest hit. What would a radically re-envisioned future look like? What solutions do we need to replace tomorrow’s doom-and-gloom projections with thriving cities, renewed political consciousness, equitable societies and carbon-free economies? Join us with climate journalist and The Future Earth author Eric Holthaus and Project Drawdown Vice President Katharine Wikinson for a conversation on reimagining our role in creating climate solutions.

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Sophy Roberts: The Lost Pianos of Siberia Aug 27, 2020

Haven't had the opportunity for adventurous travel recently? Then join us for a virtual conversation with remote travel writer Sophy Roberts, direct from London, about her first book: The Lost Pianos of Siberia. Although Siberia’s story is usually one of exile, penal colonies and unmarked graves, there is another tale to tell about one of our planet's harshest landscapes. Dotted throughout this remote land are many pianos―grand instruments created during the boom years of the 19th century, as well as humble, Soviet-made uprights. These pianos bear witness to the enthusiasm with which Russians have taken to piano music ever since Catherine the Great's westernizing influences introduced it to Russian culture. Follow Roberts as she tracks pianos and their histories through a desolate land inhabited by wild tigers and deeply shaped by its dark history—from the piano that Maria Volkonsky, wife of an exiled Decembrist revolutionary, used to spread music east of the Urals, to those that brought reprieve to the Soviet gulag. That these pianos still exist in such a hostile landscape is remarkable. That they are still capable of making music in far-flung villages is nothing less than miraculous. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Former Congresswoman Katie Hill Aug 27, 2020

Few people can reflect as deeply on the politics of political life like Katie Hill, a former U.S. representative for California’s 25th congressional district. She ran for Congress before turning 30 and won her seat in November 2018 as a Democrat, beating a 26-year Republican incumbent. Her win, along with many others that year, was part of a larger turning of the tides in American politics — one centered around young women who were determined to lead change. Then, a mere 11 months later, Hill experienced a major sex scandal that ultimately resulted in her untimely resignation. In her new book, She Will Rise: Becoming a Warrior in the Battle for True Equality, Hill recounts the complicated details of her story and the extreme sexism and abuse she faced at the hands of the highly invasive media. Join her at INFORUM, where she will share her experience with the longstanding double standard of sex and gender in politics, and how we can all play a part in dismantling these systems.

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Feeling Down or Depressed in the Time of COVID-19? Let's Do Something About This! Aug 27, 2020

It's a stressful time, and it's difficult even for those with a naturally sunny personality to maintain the mood they want. So what about those of us who are coping with unwanted sadness, depression or irritability? And why does stigma still make it difficult to openly discuss these experiences? We have therefore asked Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of California Berkeley and of psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco, to join Dr. Brad Berman, M.D., for an hour of Q&A to discuss your questions about managing the sadder moods at this time of COVID-19. Learn how taking even small steps can help you to improve your mood, outlook and perhaps even help you feel more hopeful. Just write your questions on the chat channel during the talk, and we will forward them to Drs. Hinshaw and Berman anonymously for their answers. Our previous discussion about anxiety with Dr. Michael Tompkins used a similar format, and it was extremely successful. There were great questions that received excellent practical answers, so be sure to attend and ask those questions! Remember, thousands of people will download the podcast afterwards; the answer you get may lighten the day for hundreds of subsequent listeners. MLF ORGANIZER Brad Berman NOTES MLF: Personal Growth

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Sarah Chayes: On Corruption In America Aug 26, 2020

No one doubts that there is some corruption in America, as there is in every other country. But in her latest book, Sarah Chayes contends that the United States is showing symptoms distressingly similar to those of the most corrupt countries in the world. Corruption, as Chayes defines it, is an operating system of sophisticated networks in which government officials, key private-sector interests, and out-and-out criminals interweave. Their main objective: to maximize returns for network members. Chayes shows how corrupt systems are organized, how they enforce the rules so their crimes are rarely punished, how they are overlooked and downplayed—shrugged off with a roll of the eyes—by the richer and better educated, and how they shape our government, affecting all levels of society. Chayes also reviews the historical trends involved, beginning with the titans of America's Gilded Age (Carnegie, Rockefeller, J. P. Morgan), the collapse of the stock market in 1929, the Great Depression and FDR's New Deal, and Joe Kennedy's banking, bootlegging and machine politics financial empire, which led to the Kennedy presidency. She says all of that was soon followed by the deregulation of the Reagan Revolution, which undermined the middle class and the unions, the Clinton policies of political favors and personal enrichment, and most recently Trump's hydra-headed network of corrupt players, systematically undoing the Constitution and our laws. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond

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Rick Perlstein: Ronald Reagan and America’s Right Turn Aug 26, 2020

In late 1976, Ronald Reagan was dismissed as a man without a political future: defeated in his nomination bid against a sitting president of his own party, blamed for President Gerald Ford’s defeat, too old to make another run. Four years later, the former California governor would win the White House and expand a conservative revolution begun with Barry Goldwater that continues to impact the country’s politics today. Reagan’s comeback was fueled by an extraordinary confluence: fundamentalist preachers and former segregationists reinventing themselves as militant crusaders against gay rights and feminism; business executives uniting against regulation in an era of economic decline; a cadre of secretive “New Right” organizers deploying state-of-the-art technology, bending political norms to the breaking point—and Reagan’s own unbending optimism, his ability to convey unshakable confidence in America as the world’s “shining city on a hill.” Backed by a reenergized conservative Republican base, Reagan ran on the campaign slogan “Make America Great Again”—and prevailed. Rick Perlstein’s new book Reaganland is the story of how this all happened, tracing conservatives’ tough strategies to gain power and explaining why they endure four decades later. Over two decades, Rick Perlstein has published three essential works about the emerging dominance of conservatism in modern American politics. Reaganland is the saga’s final installment, and it comes just as the country heads into the final stages of the 2020 election, in which many say the politics embraced and pushed by Reagan and his supporters could meet their final test. Please join us for this timely discussion.

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God’s Shadow: Sultan Selim and His Ottoman Empire Aug 25, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation between Alan Mikhail and Adam Hochschild about Mikhail's new book, God's Shadow. Although long neglected in European-centric world histories, the Ottoman Empire was a hub of intellectual fervor, geopolitical power and enlightened pluralistic rule. At the height of their authority in the 16th century, the Ottomans, with military dominance and monopolies over trade routes, controlled more territory and ruled over more people than any other world power of the time, forcing Europeans out of the Mediterranean and to the New World. Mikhail recasts this Ottoman history by retelling it through the dramatic biography of Sultan Selim I (1470–1520). Born to a concubine, the fourth of his sultan father’s 10 sons, Selim's charisma and military prowess―as well as the guidance of his mother Gülbahar―allowed him to claim power in 1512 and then nearly triple the empire's territory, building a governing structure that lasted into the 20th century. Selim also fostered religious diversity, encouraged learning and philosophy, and penned his own verse. Drawing on previously unexamined sources, Mikhail’s game-changing account adroitly uses Selim’s life to upend prevailing shibboleths about Islamic history, radically reshaping our understanding of the history of the modern world. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Billionaire Wilderness Aug 25, 2020

What happens when wilderness meets wealth in the most iconic parts of the country? Teton County, Wyoming, is famous for pristine outdoors, recreation, ranching and land stewardship. It also leads the country in per capita income, with residents averaging a quarter of a million dollars annually. This massive accrual of wealth comes with far-reaching consequences for income inequality and the environment. How are public and private land interests competing in the American West? Can conservation and recreation coalesce in a way that is inclusive of all communities? Join us for a conversation with Justin Farrell, associate professor of sociology at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and author of Billionaire Wilderness: The Ultra-Wealthy and the Remaking of the American West; Dina Gilio-Whitaker, American Indian studies lecturer at California State University, San Marcos; and Diane Regas, president and CEO of The Trust for Public Land.

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Gen Z and the Future of Democracy Aug 21, 2020

As 2020 continues to challenge our way of life, young people are facing the brunt of this unrest. COVID-19 is quickly defining this era, but issues such as racial inequity, economic disparity, historic unemployment rates and the fast-approaching presidential election are also informing Generation Z’s worldview. How are young people processing the government’s role in this crisis? What is the current state of civics education in the United States and, most important, what can we do to make sure youth are civically engaged during this time of uncertainty and into the future? INFORUM and The Commonwealth Club's education initiative, Creating Citizens, have gathered a panel of experts in civics education and youth engagement to discuss how we can continue to educate young people on the structures that impact their lives, and how we can make sure they are an active part of political decision making. Join Generation Citizen’s Scott Warren, IGNITE National’s Sara Guillermo, Kidizenship's Amanda Little and iCivics’ Amber Coleman-Mortley for a conversation on the future of democracy in our country and how we can prepare our youth to save it. This program is generously supported by Levi Strauss & Co. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Alex Stamos: Social Media and Digital Democracy Aug 21, 2020

Click. Share. Cyberwarfare. More than ever before, people are logging on, sharing posts, updating statuses, and posting picture after picture as social media offers a physically distant form of connection during the COVID-19 pandemic. But how is this rapid shift in media consumption and the information (and disinformation) that we share affecting democracy during an election year? For more than a decade, online platforms have provided people with much-needed virtual alternatives to in-person offices, classrooms, gyms, and now social activism. And yet with every check-in sent, story posted and account made comes a new bank of user information that can be hacked, data mined, and weaponized by both foreign and domestic threats. Alex Stamos has built his career on ensuring that internet users are safe and protected, especially as social media becomes more pervasive. As Facebook’s former chief security officer, Stamos is no stranger to the dangers of cybersecurity breaches and the widespread consequences of these types of breaches. With less than three months before a pivotal election, join us to discuss what tech companies can do to help safeguard democracy, what users can do to protect themselves, and how the cybersecurity industry is adapting to meet the rising calls for user protection in the age of digital democracy.

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How Ike Led Aug 20, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with Susan Eisenhower, who describes in How Ike Led the ways in which her grandfather, President Dwight Eisenhower, led America through a transformational time using strategic, principled leadership. Few people have made major decisions as momentous or varied as Eisenhower did. From D-Day to Little Rock, from the Korean War to Cold War crises, from the Red Scare to the Missile Gap controversies, Ike relied on a core set of principles to give our country 8 years of peace and prosperity. These were informed by his heritage and upbringing, as well as his strong character and personal discipline. But he also avoided making himself the center of things. He was a man of judgment, and steadying force. He sought national unity by pursuing a course he called the "Middle Way" that tried to make winners on both sides of any issue. And he was a strategic leader who relied on a rigorous pursuit of the facts for decision-making. His talent for envisioning a whole, especially in the context of the long game, and his ability to see causes and various consequences, explain his successes both as Allied commander and as president. And after making a decision, he made himself accountable for it, recognizing that personal responsibility is the bedrock of sound principles and is sorely missed whenever leaders lack it. Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Jason Valadão, M.D.: Unlocking Your Best Productivity Aug 20, 2020

Jason Valadão has overcome numerous challenges—serving in the U.S. Navy as a flight officer during Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom and currently as a doctor of family and sports medicine, teaching and mentoring at several universities, including in the Department of Naval Science at the University of California, Berkeley (where he also spent three years as a faculty fellow and volunteer with the football team's coaching staff and earned a master's degree in education), and surviving cancer. Since 2009, he has served as an adjunct professor for Concordia University Irvine's Master's degree program in coaching and athletic administration, and in 2017 he joined the faculty of the American Academy of Family Physicians Chief Resident Leadership Development Program, helping to develop the physician leaders of tomorrow. His passion for leadership and personal growth led Jason to become a certified coach, speaker and trainer, mentoring people on their journeys toward personal growth and development. In his book Exceptional Every Day, Dr. Valadão uses his own and others’ personal anecdotes to enable readers to refocus their priorities and design the life they desire. Come hear his inspirational story and his tips for how we all can unlock our best productivity, incorporate routines that won’t break, and develop an unstoppable mindset.

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National Alliance on Mental Illness Aug 19, 2020

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, it is an association of more than 500 local affiliates who work in communities to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need. Offered in thousands of communities across the United States through NAMI state organizations and NAMI affiliates, its education programs ensure hundreds of thousands of families, individuals and educators get the support and information they need. NAMI shapes national public policy for people impacted by mental illness and their families and provides volunteer leaders with the tools, resources and skills necessary to reduce mental health stigma and discrimination across this country. MLF ORGANIZER Patrick OReilly

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Youth Talks: Students Speak Up About Schools and COVID-19 Aug 17, 2020

Students: This program is for you! What do you want to tell or ask adults who are making the decisions that have changed your lives so dramatically over the past few months? Please join us for this free program to share your thoughts, questions, concerns and suggestions. Ever since the coronavirus shut down schools last spring, the national conversation has swirled around questions of whether and how to reopen. And though the new school year is upon us, we seem to be no closer to a resolution. But amidst all of the controversy, one set of voices has been almost entirely left out of the conversation: that of the students themselves. Developed by and for students, this program will be an interactive conversation about issues that are on young people’s minds, such as: What do students think about going to school—or not—in the middle of a pandemic? How have they been managing remote learning? What thoughts or worries do they have about social distancing? How have protests and social unrest affected them? Adults are encouraged to share this rare opportunity with the students in their lives and to listen in on this important conversation.

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Jim Sciutto: America and the World Today Aug 14, 2020

Is there really a method to the seemingly chaotic behavior of Donald Trump? Are his outbursts calculated distractions or just involuntary tantrums? What does President Trump hold more precious—the integrity of the nation or his own television ratings? CNN’s Jim Sciutto, sets out to answer these questions. According to Sciutto, President Trump’s foreign policy has not only undermined American values and interests but also emboldened our enemies. Hear more about the changing landscape of our national security.

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Immigration Policies under COVID-19 Aug 14, 2020

Immigration has been a hot-button issue for much of the past four years, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, major new restrictions on migration—legal and otherwise—came into force. Attorney Tammy Sumontha will discuss policy changes and their impacts on immigrants and their families. Sumontha, born and raised in Thailand, now practices law in San Diego, focusing on immigrants and U.S. immigration law. She has received several awards for her work, including the Judge Judith Keep Award and the Outstanding Community Service Award. She is the first Thai-born lawyer to be nominated and awarded those honors. Join us for a free program discussing immigration policies and what has changed in this time of global pandemic.

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Dan Pfeiffer: A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again Aug 13, 2020

Few people know politics better than “Pod Save America” co-host and best-selling author Dan Pfeiffer. With the 2020 election fast approaching, Pfeiffer offers a candid look at the current state of our political landscape and explains how Democrats can dismantle Trumpist politics and take back the White House. According to Pfeiffer, conservatives have rigged American politics to drown out the voices of the people in favor of the powerful. He argues that without an aggressive response that recognizes who the Republicans are and what they have done, American democracy as we know it won't survive this moment, and a conservative, shrinking, mostly white minority will govern the country for decades. Pfeiffer was one of President Barack Obama’s longest-serving advisers, working on two presidential campaigns and spending six years as White House communications director and senior advisor to the president. Notes: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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Making Change: Shaun King Aug 13, 2020

Recent years have seen the incredibly rapid rise of Black rights movements that take a stand against police violence, a growing criminal justice system, and a widening racial wealth gap. As a journalist, civil rights activist, and co-founder of the Real Justice PAC, Shaun King is no stranger to activism in the face of opposition. King stands out for his long list of public service with past work in community service as an Oprah Winfrey Scholar and teaching in both Atlanta public schools and Atlanta’s juvenile justice system. More recently, he has focused on mobilizing internet campaigns to spread awareness and fundraising efforts around police brutality and criminal justice reform. He builds on the ideas of these movements in his new book, Make Change: How to Fight Injustice, Dismantle Systemic Oppression, and Own Our Future, by bridging the gap between problems that persist in our modern age with solutions that each one of us can help support. Join INFORUM for a special conversation with Shaun King, where he will share more about his journey as an activist and a unique commentary on how to navigate social justice and movement building among the best and worst of political climates.

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Zephyr Teachout: Break Up Big Power Aug 13, 2020

Over the past couple of decades, corporations have increased their control of nearly aspect of American life. Big technology platform monopolists like Facebook and Google, and life science companies like Bayer have a greater concentration of wealth and power than we've seen in the United States since the Gilded Age. Critics say that massive, multinational companies are evolving into political entities that often have more influence than actual governments, bending state and federal legislatures to their wills and even creating courts that circumvent the U.S. justice system. The big question for many, of course, is: How can we recover our freedom from these giant companies? Anti-corruption scholar and activist Zephyr Teachout has one answer: Break up the monopolies that are increasingly in control of American democratic institutions and public life. In her new book, Break 'Em Up: Recovering Our Freedom from Big Ag, Big Tech, and Big Money, Teachout argues that monopolies are the root cause of many of the issues (economic inequality, the environment, partisanship) that today's progressives care most about, and that anti-trust efforts are critical tools to protecting society. In order to build a better future, Teachout believes we must organize and eliminate monopolies from the private sector and create new safeguards that prevent new ones from seizing power. The moderator for this program, noted Columbia Law School professor Tim Wu, discussed some of these issues in a program at The Commonwealth Club last year. Please join us for an important discussion of the dangers of consolidated private power and how we can develop a new path forward for our country . . . before it is too late.

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The Battle for Portland Aug 12, 2020

The active presence of federal troops in Portland, Oregon sparked an increase in violence and protests just as the mayor said things had been calming down. Now President Donald Trump is promising to send troops to other large cities, ostensibly to put down the violence but critics say it is an election ploy designed to trigger reaction from protestors and increase support from the president's base. Join us for a conversation with journalist Robert Evans for an on-the-scene report from Portland on the ongoing confrontations in that city—and their implications nationwide. Robert Evans has worked as a conflict journalist in Iraq and Ukraine and reported extensively on far-right extremist groups in the United States. He's particularly interested in the ways terrorist groups recruit, radicalize and communicate through the Internet. This program contains some Explicit language.

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Paul Begala: How Democrats Can Win Again Aug 12, 2020

“You’re fired!” was Donald Trump’s iconic catch phrase for years as a reality TV personality. Now, President Trump’s poor approval ratings have led to a 4-year conversation on how to defeat him in November. In his new book You’re Fired, popular political strategist Paul Begala has a reply to this pressing issue for Democrats. Begala picks apart Trump’s politics and outlines how liberals and progressives can unseat the president come November. Begala argues that distraction is President Trump’s superpower. For Democrats to win, Begala says they must make their case to America that President Trump has failed them while also implementing a strong strategy of progressive politics and party unity. Tune in for our conversation with Paul Begala that is sure to be filled with wit and political wisdom.

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Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed Aug 11, 2020

The New York Times bestseller Maybe You Should Talk to Someone takes readers into both Lori Gottlieb’s therapy office where she sees patients and her own therapist's office, where she lands after a crisis. But really the book is about the universal human condition. Gottlieb writes about topics that make people think differently about themselves and the world around them: love and loss, meaning and mortality, gender and culture, parents and children, female appearance, regret and redemption, hope and change. In any given year, 30 million Americans sit on a therapist's couch, but there's still stigma around mental health struggles. Gottlieb will talk about this cultural moment in mental health, which factors are contributing to the anxiety/depression/loneliness, what really goes on in a modern-day therapy room (from both sides—as patient and therapist), and what we can do in our daily lives to take control and feel better. MLF ORGANIZER Patty James NOTES This program contains some explicit language MLF: Health & Medicine

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Is It Over Yet? A Special Week to Week Political Roundtable Aug 08, 2020

With a pandemic raging, an economy in trouble, racial justice galvanizing protestors nationwide, it's not a bad time to have a political roundtable, right? We'll discuss the latest political news with civility and good humor, and we invite you to be a part of this virtual experience.

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Failure to Appear: Resistance, Loss and Identity Aug 07, 2020

In May 1969, Freeman was an anti-war pacifist working in Chicago as a draft counselor for a Quaker social action committee. She and a group of fellow activists broke into a Southside Chicago draft board, dragged 40,000 draft records out into the parking lot, and set them ablaze. Her federal trial began in May 1970, only a few days after four Kent State protestors had been killed by the National Guard. During her trial, the jury was not permitted to hear any testimony about the defendants’ ideals or motivation and it became clear that the judge was seeking unprecedentedly long sentences. So a few days before the trial ended she fled with her friend and co-defendant, a radical Catholic priest. In Failure to Appear, Freeman recounts her precarious life as a fugitive for almost two decades, her struggle to find her true identity amid the lies she told about herself, the pain and confusion of being "hidden in a closet within a closet," and how she finally found a way back out of both closets with her values intact.

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Sunny Panyanouvong-Rubeck: Looking to Make History Aug 07, 2020

If Republican Sunny Panyanouvong-Rubeck wins her election to be a judge in the North Carolina 26th Judicial District, she would become the first Lao-American judge in U.S. history. Join us for a conversation about politics, identifying with the GOP, and the issues that are impacting immigrants and communities of people of color. In 1981, her family was sponsored by a Baptist church when they arrived as refugees to the United States. Panyanouvong-Rubeck says she dreamed of a judicial system that treated everybody with fairness and equality. She credits her ability to seek election to a judgeship to America’s heartfelt welcoming attitude and its commitment to the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

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India, Israel and Berkeley Aug 06, 2020

Our distinguished panel will discuss the ties between Israel, India and Berkeley, demonstrated in the Berkeley-based Magnes Collection of jewish Art and Life's beautiful collection of Indian Jewish artifacts. Deputy Consul General Zamir, who was previously stationed in Mumbai, will talk about his experiences there. The little known facts that Jews have lived in India for thousands of years and that presently about 80,000 Indian Jews live in Israel, will also be discussed. MLF ORGANIZER Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East

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Establishing a Culture of Intentional Integrity at Work Aug 05, 2020

Robert Chesnut , in his book Intentional Integrity, offers a 6-step process for leaders to foster and manage a culture of integrity at work. He explains the rationale and legal context for ethics and practices, and he presents scenarios to illuminate the nuances of thinking deeply and objectively about workplace culture. His experience is based on his broad experience at Airbnb, EBay and other tech environments. MLF ORGANIZER Elizabeth Carney

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Legacy Letters: Our Responsibility to Document This Time in History Aug 05, 2020

Join us to take on the responsibility to document, communicate and preserve our lives and our times for those who’ll live in tomorrow’s world. Using a legacy letter format, we’ll address our experience, learning and love in this pivotal moment in history. This program is designed for beginning as well as practiced writers. MLF ORGANIZER Denise Michaud NOTES: MLF: Grownups

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Maria Ressa: Independent Journalism Under Attack Aug 05, 2020

Perhaps nowhere is the worldwide erosion of democracy, fueled by social media disinformation campaigns, more starkly evident than in the authoritarian regime of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Journalist Maria Ressa places the tools of the free press—and her freedom—on the line in defense of truth and democracy, and as a result she has faced a series of lawsuits, most recently resulting in a conviction for "cyberlibel" for reporting on Duterte. What makes this outspoken journalist continue her work? What is the situation for independent journalists in The Philippines, where Duterte continues to receive sky-high approval ratings? Join us for an interview with Maria Ressa and Filipino-American documentary filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz. Diaz's new film, A Thousand Cuts, tells Ressa's story and explores the conflicts between the press and Duterte's government.

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Lavender Talks: The Next Generation of LGBTQ+ Leadership Aug 03, 2020

Join San Francisco Pride and The Commonwealth Club for the latest edition of Lavender Talks, a moderated panel discussion emceed by Michelle Meow (host of "The Michelle Meow Show" and a former president of the SF Pride Board of Directors). On Thursday, July 30, panelists Imani Rupert-Gordon (executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights), Masen Davis (interim executive director of Transgender Europe), Tony Hoang (managing director of Equality California), and Fausto Cardenas (the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Queering Democracy community organizer) will discuss the challenges faced by LGBTQ-centered nonprofits as the fight for equal rights enters its sixth decade. NOTES In association with San Francisco Pride Made possible by the generous support of Gilead and Comcast And thanks to San Francisco Pride Legacy Partners: Bud Light Hilton San Francisco Union Square KPIX 5 CBS Bay Area Kaiser Permanente Genentech Gilead GLBT Historical Society KBCW TV Parc 55 San Francisco Smirnoff Recology T–Mobile

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Robert Reich: Dismantling a Rigged System Jul 31, 2020

Robert Reich is at the forefront of the progressive fight for higher worker wages, expanded health care and stronger unions. He argues that years of stagnant wages and volatile job markets show that the financial system is fixed and serving only a select few with enough money to control it. Reich shows how wealth and power have eviscerated the middle class and undermined democracy to its core. He exposes how people at the top propagate myths about meritocracy, corporate social responsibility and the “free market” to accumulate extraordinary capital and influence. How can we restore confidence back in our political and economic system? Join us for a conversation with Robert Reich as he calls upon Americans to instill fundamental change and demand that democracy works for the majority once again.

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Jennifer Palmieri: She Proclaims Jul 31, 2020

From sports to politics, women are taught to conform themselves to the rules and dictates of a male-dominated world. Jennifer Palmieri, former White House communications director and the communications director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, reflects on her career to call out a societal infrastructure that not only subordinates women to men but also pits women against women. In her new book, She Proclaims: Our Declaration of Independence from a Man’s World, Palmieri challenges us to imagine a world in which a female-oriented workplace and life is no challenge. In fully rejecting our traditional systems, Palmieri argues, women can build a world that allows them to advance as equals. Join Palmieri at INFORUM for a discussion on politics, feminism and dismantling the patriarchal values that continue to stymie female success. This program will be moderated by Aimee Alison, founder and president of She The People.

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Dr. William Perry & Tom Collina: The New Nuclear Arms Race And Presidential Power Jul 31, 2020

The U.S. president has the power to end the world in minutes. Right now, no one can stop him. Since the Truman administration, America has been one “push of a button” away from nuclear war—a decision that rests solely in the hands of the president. Without waiting for approval from Congress or even the secretary of defense, the president can unleash America’s entire nuclear arsenal. Almost every governmental process is subject to institutional checks and balances. Our guests ask, Why is potential nuclear annihilation the exception to the rule? They say that for decades, glitches and slip-ups have threatened to trigger nuclear winter: misinformation, false alarms, hacked warning systems, or even an unstable president. And a new nuclear arms race has begun, threatening us all. At the height of the Cold War, Russia and the United States each built up arsenals exceeding 30,000 nuclear weapons, armed and ready to destroy each other—despite the fact that just a few hundred are necessary to end life on earth. As we approach the anniversaries of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, join an important discussion on the terrifying history of nuclear launch authority, from the faulty 46-cent microchip that nearly caused World War III to President Trump’s tweet about his “much bigger & more powerful” button.

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Marin Recovers: Looking Ahead in the North Bay Jul 30, 2020

Just north of San Francisco lies Marin County, which like many California counties is facing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases just as the county was following its careful re-opening plan. Hospitalizations and deaths are up, and some aspects of the county’s re-opening have been halted, including the restarting of many businesses. Marin now finds itself on the state's watch list for additional protection measures. What do all of these changes mean for the county and its residents, particularly its business, cultural arts and nonprofit sectors? Please join us for an important discussion with key Marin County community leaders who will discuss the road ahead for one of the Bay Area’s most unique areas. NOTES Part of the Club’s Marin Conversations series, supported by the Marin Community Foundation and Relevant Wealth Advisors

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U.S. Digital Response: Tech’s Fight Against COVID Jul 29, 2020

As state and local governments continue to provide assistance to millions of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, the transition to a purely digital interface has been difficult to navigate. In response, a few of the country’s leading technology experts founded the U.S. Digital Response, a nonprofit that connects governments with experienced pro bono technologists to quickly solve problems during the COVID-19 crisis, and deliver important resources to the people who need them. Members of USDR include Jen Pahlka (formerly with Code for America), Raylene Yung (formerly with Stripe), and Raphael Lee (formerly with Lob and Airbnb) They all join INFORUM to discuss bottom-up solutions to help government leaders and solve critical issues, like how to deliver the biggest uptick in unemployment insurance we've seen in our time, or helping states develop tools to help their residents determine if they're eligible for stimulus funds. They will also lay out USDR’s progress and goals, the role of technology in optimizing government services, and their takes on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This conversation will be moderated by data scientist DJ Patil. NOTES:This program is generously supported by Postmates. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Trauma and Resiliency: The Opioid Crisis in Communities of Color Jul 29, 2020

While much of the social and political attention surrounding the nationwide opioid epidemic has focused on the dramatic increase in overdose deaths among white, middle-class, suburban and rural users, the impact of the epidemic in communities of color has received less attention. It is important to recognize and be responsive to historical and ongoing trauma, particularly trauma experienced in health systems and through the criminalization of the war on drugs. This trauma is often perpetuated by the lack of community-based prevention, intervention and access to treatment, especially culturally competent care, as well as the lack of addressing cultural stigma related to seeking treatment in communities of color. Join this important discussion about the wide ranging impact of the opioid epidemic. NOTES Supported by Bay Area Community Health

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Insights Radio Program Episode 3: Our Earth and our moon—What have we learned? Jul 29, 2020

Two exceptional scientists share their perspectives about the earth and our moon. Are we doing enough to protect our planet, and what have we really learned about the moon since we last visited 50 years ago? In our first segment, we introduce you to world renowned British scientist and Astronomer Royal Martin Rees. According to him, humanity has reached a critical moment, in which there is no plan B for planet Earth. He also says the future of humanity is bound to the future of science and hinges on how successfully we harness technological advances to address our challenges. Next, we set our sights on the moon with Andrew Fraknoi, the esteemed former chair of the astronomy department at Foothill College in Los Altos, California. Known for explaining astronomical developments in everyday language, he shares knowledge and little-known stories about our only natural satellite.

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Insights Radio Program Episode 2: What goes into making a great public leader? Jul 29, 2020

Our first segment follows the powerful story of Congresswoman Jackie Speier finding her courage to get started in politics. Congressman Leo Ryan was killed on the airstrip tarmac in Jonestown, where he and a delegation had gone to learn firsthand about Jim Jones' Peoples Temple cult. As a member of the delegation, Jackie Speier was shot five times at point-blank range. Left for dead, the choice to survive against unfathomable odds eventually empowered her with a resolve to become a vocal proponent for human rights. Hers is a story of true resilience, one that will inspire other people to draw strength from adversity in order to do what is right—no matter the challenges ahead. In the second segment, we take a behind-the-scenes look at the unusual teamwork that took place in the gubernatorial mansion while Jerry Brown served as the state's 39th governor. Join us as we listen in on the first public appearance by the former governor and first lady since he left office. Here’s a rare opportunity to hear their views on issues impacting the state, the United States and the world, in addition to learning about their unique relationship.

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Insights Radio Program Episode 1: What Makes You You? Jul 29, 2020

On this episode of "Insights," we explore the question, What makes you, you? First, we dig into the topic with our guests CNBC news anchor Bill Griffeth and author Paula Williams Madison, who share the surprising results they found while researching their family genetics. Madison’s story takes us on a fascinating trip around the world—from New York to Jamaica to China, while Griffeth’s story ends up uncovering a surprising family secret that one family member hoped would never be discovered. Later, we explore a different approach to what makes you you; Mindfulness, empathy and compassion. Are these characteristics something you’re born with? Or are they something we can train ourselves to achieve? Stanford business school professor Dr. Leah Weiss explores research that shows mindfulness improves all the aspects of emotional intelligence-self awareness, self management, awareness of what is going on with the people around you—and how you manage your relationships, personally and professionally. How do you integrate mindfulness into your daily routine?

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NBC Today's Al Roker Jul 28, 2020

What is the secret to success? For more than 40 years, Al Roker has been the venerable weatherman and beloved anchor on NBC’s “The Today Show.” For the first time, he looks back at his own career and shares valuable “Altruisms” to weather the storm of life. Roker’s savvy advice includes personal anecdotes and life lessons accumulated from his many years in television. Most important, Roker reflects on the keys to embracing and achieving a life of happiness.

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The Future of Police Reform: S.F. DA Chesa Boudin and Rep. Ayanna Pressley Jul 27, 2020

The murder of George Floyd has sparked a momentous, national wave of protests and calls for police reform. Activists across America and around the globe are now asking the same question: How can elected officials effectively respond to this moment? San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin was elected in 2019 on a platform of criminal justice reform, with the goals of ending mass incarceration and eliminating cash bail. He has responded to the social unrest by doubling down on his efforts to reduce racial disparity, as he understands that people of color are disproportionately affected by crime and police brutality. Elected during the historic 2018 midterms, Rep. Ayanna Pressley is a leader of the push for criminal justice reform in Congress. In late 2019, she introduced the People’s Justice Guarantee, a radical reimagining of the American criminal legal system that would center the conversation of reform around the voices of the people most impacted by injustice in America. Join DA Boudin and Rep. Pressley at INFORUM and The Commonwealth Club, where they will discuss police accountability, their roles in the future of police reform and this pivotal time in American culture.

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Tiffany Cross: Black Voters and the 2020 Election Jul 27, 2020

The votes of Black Americans are being blocked by the very nation they built. Despite the fact that Black voters played a huge role in the Democrats’ 2018 success, the political power of the Black vote continues to be suppressed and subverted by policies and media coverage alike. In her new book, Say It Louder!, political analyst Tiffany Cross delivers a sweeping snapshot of American Democracy and the role that Black voices have played in its construction while also diving into the many political forces aligned to silence and undermine black voters. Cross describes the ways in which America’s composition was designed to exclude Black voters, but paradoxically would likely cease to exist without them. Pulling from her own expertise in media, histories of campaign leadership, and Black voter data, Cross describes the enduring efforts endlessly attempting to deny people of color the right to vote—a basic tenet of American democracy. Join us for timely conversation about the Black vote, the future of our nation’s politics and what to pay attention to in the upcoming November election.

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The Socially Responsible Tech Company: Ideals vs. Practice Jul 24, 2020

Gerald Harris, chair of the Technology and Society Forum, will interview Ian Mitroff and Melanie Ensign. Mitroff will lay out the theory and ideals of companies performing in a socially responsible manner, and Ensign will share her experience with those ideals in the real world of firms such as Uber and Facebook. Join us for an engaging discussion about how crises are managed and what the communications challenges are with the public. MLF ORGANIZER Gerald Harris NOTES MLF: Science & Technology

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Dr. James Gordon: Transforming Trauma Jul 24, 2020

Trauma can come at any time in the life span and have significant impact on one's life. Trauma comes early to those who have been abused or neglected as children or arrive in the world facing the challenges of poverty and discrimination. It may come later as people deal with the pain of broken relationships, overwhelming job stress, sexual harassment, the dangers of combat or a life-threatening or serious illness. For those who live long enough, contending with the loss of loved ones, physical frailty and impending death brings still more trauma. How does one heal from trauma whenever it comes? James S. Gordon, an authority on post-traumatic stress and an acclaimed mind–body medicine pioneer, has worked for decades with individuals and communities around the world to address the damage done by trauma. In his new book, The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma, Gordon offers the first comprehensive, evidence-based program for reversing the biological and psychological damage from trauma and for discovering and growing through its challenges to become the people we’re meant to be. Offering eye-opening research, innovative prescriptive support and inspirational stories, The Transformation, for the first time, gives the reading public clear guidance in the methods that Gordon has developed and that he and his team at the Center for Mind-Body Medicine have used to relieve the suffering of hundreds of thousands of children and adults around the world. Come hear from one of world's leading experts on trauma and how to transform the lives of those suffering from it.

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Fergus Bordewich: Congress at War Jul 24, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with Fergus Bordewich, whose new account of the Civil War does not focus on President Lincoln's role, but instead shows how four Republican congressional leaders often led the way, pushing Lincoln to do more and even defying him at times. Thaddeus Stevens, Pitt Fessenden, Ben Wade, and the pro-slavery Clement Vallandigham, all members of the newly empowered Republican party, passed the drastic measures to defeat the Confederacy, planned Reconstruction, created the forerunner of the IRS, laid the foundation for the Federal Reserve system, passed the Pacific Railway Act to link the heartland with California, created the Land Grant Colleges Act—which laid the groundwork for public state university systems nationwide—demanded emancipation of the slaves before Lincoln was ready to consider it, and in the process laid the foundation for a strong central government. Brimming with drama and outsized characters, Congress at War is a timely reconsideration of the conflicts of power between the White House and Congress that will change the way we understand both the Civil War and our own future. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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An Agenda for Elder Justice Jul 23, 2020

In this era of heightened attention to social justice, one voice is not being heard—the voice of older adults. Drawing from her book Elder Justice, Ageism, and Elder Abuse (Springer, 2019) and more than 35 years as an advocate and program developer, Lisa Nerenberg will trace the forces that have given rise to the elder justice movement. These include heightened attention to ageism, the recognition of aging and elder abuse as public health matters, and the global movement to adopt a universal convention for the rights of older people. Her "elder justice agenda" offers a vision for a more just society for older adults and people of all ages who aspire to live long and fulfilling lives. She will be joined for a Q&A by Bill Benson, a thought leader and driving force in health and aging issues for more than four decades. MLF ORGANIZER Denise Michaud NOTES MLF: Grownups

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CNN's David Gergen: America Now and in 2021 Jul 22, 2020

David Gergen is professor of public service and founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, positions he has held for more than a decade. In addition, he serves as a senior political analyst for CNN and works actively with a rising generation of new leaders. In the past, he has served as a White House adviser to four U.S. presidents of both parties: Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton. Professor Gergen's work as director of the Center for Public Leadership has enabled him to work closely with a new generation of younger leaders, especially social entrepreneurs, military veterans and Young Global Leaders chosen by the World Economic Forum. Through the generosity of outside donors, the Center helps to provide scholarships to more than 100 students a year, preparing them to serve as leaders for the common good. The Center also promotes scholarship at the frontiers of leadership studies. In the 1980s, he began a career in journalism. Starting with "The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour" in 1984, Gergen has been a regular commentator on public affairs for about 30 years. Twice he has been a member of election coverage teams that won Peabody awards, and he has contributed to two Emmy award-winning political analysis teams. A native of North Carolina, Gergen is a member of the D.C. Bar, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the U.S. executive committee for the Trilateral Commission. He is an honors graduate of Yale and the Harvard Law School. Join one of America's most respected political observers for a discussion of the country's challenges and opportunities at this crucial time in history.

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CLIMATE ONE: John Kerry: The Global Dynamics of Decarbonization Jul 21, 2020

What will it take to get the world’s major economies off fossil fuels? In late 2019, former US senator and secretary of state John Kerry, declared a World War Zero on carbon pollution. “It’s really putting the nation on a war footing to avoid the next pandemic which will be exacerbated by the climate crisis, and the way to get ahead of it is to prepare and make the decisions now,” says Kerry. “The long-term energy future of America is not going to be written in fossil fuels” The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to cut U.S. carbon emissions by 7.5% in 2020 — exactly the rate needed globally to meet the climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. But can other major emitters like China and Europe make plans to decarbonize at the same rate without throwing their economies over a cliff? “You really can't make any progress on climate without China making an effort,” says Justin Wu, Head of Asia-Pacific, at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “China basically has hit some of the climate goals it announced a few years ago, including the ones that were part of the Paris agreement,” Wu explains, “but so far hasn't announced any new goals yet. So we’re still waiting to see whether it has something more ambitious in store.” Meanwhile, in December 2019 European Union announced a $1 trillion green deal aimed at transforming the 27 member economies to higher quality of life and lower carbon emissions. “In Europe we are only now catching up with China,” says Julia Poliscanova, Senior Director of Vehicles & E-mobility at the Brussels-based advocacy group Transport & Environment, “so we will see. The race is on, that’s for sure and we see Europe catching up.”

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CLIMATE ONE: The 2020 Election with Tiffany Cross, Rick Wilson and Rich Thau Jul 21, 2020

Racism, police and the pandemic are dominating hearts and headlines, but will they translate to votes in national and regional elections? One study found wavering Trump voters rank immigration and climate change as top reasons for a possible vote change, but it’s unclear if that will materialize. Other studies contend climate doesn’t even rank on the minds of swing voters.

Young, liberal Americans are leading the charge on climate, but Bernie Sanders learned they are more likely to protest than vote. What issues are top of mind for Obama-Trump voters in swing states? How will the Coronavirus and racial justice crises of 2020 impact voters this cycle?

Guests:

Tiffany Cross, Co-Founder, The Beat DC; Author, Say It Louder! Black Voters, White Narratives, and Saving Our Democracy

Rich Thau, President & Co-founder, Engagious

Rick Wilson, Republican Political Strategist

This program was recorded via video on June 23, 2020.

For full show notes, visit our website.

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Dewey Defeats Truman Jul 17, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with best-selling author, A. J. Baime, to discuss his latest book, the thrilling story of the 1948 presidential election, during which Truman mounted a remarkable comeback and staked a claim for a new course for America. On the eve of the 1948 election, America was a fractured country. Racism was rampant, foreign relations were fraught, and political parties were more divided than ever. Americans were certain that President Truman's political career was over, his own staff did not believe he could win, nor did his wife Bess. But win he did. Baime sheds light on one of the most action-packed six months in American history, as Truman not only triumphs, but also oversees watershed events: the Marshall Plan, the creation of Israel, the origins of the Cold War, and the first desegregation of the military. Not only did Truman win, he succeeded in guiding his country forward at a critical time with high stakes and haunting parallels to current events. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond

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Zerlina Maxwell: The End of White Politics Jul 17, 2020

Zerlina Maxwell is an expert on the divisions plaguing the liberal left. As an MSNBC political analyst and staffer on both Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton’s presidential campaigns, Maxwell witnessed firsthand the successes and failures of the Democratic party’s attempt to unify voters. Now with the 2020 election boiled down to two older white male candidates, she is asking liberals to take an introspective look at why they have been unable to engage women and people of color for years. Maxwell’s new book, The End of White Politics: How to Heal Our Liberal Divide, asks progressives to hold themselves accountable for their own racist and misogynist blindspots while also challenging them to do better by their constituents. She argues that by leaning into a more diverse landscape in American politics, every single citizen would benefit. Join us at INFORUM, where Maxwell will give us her vision on the future of the Democratic Party and how she thinks there may still be time to save it.

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Responding to the Resurgence: What Does Our Future Look Like? Jul 16, 2020

COVID-19 cases are surging again across the United States. Governors, colleges, sports teams and others are announcing new plans every day. It’s hard to know what to expect, or understand the shifts. Is this part of the first wave of infections, or a second one? While hospitalizations are up, why are death rates are lower? With younger people making up a larger number of positive cases, what should the response be? Will schools open in the fall, and if so, under what circumstances? Will employees be able to go back to work, and even if they can, is it wise? More broadly, should we be easing restrictions or clamping down? Should our government mandate or only recommend mask wearing, social distancing, and business closing? Why does the United States seem out of step from the rest of the developed world? Never have public officials and individuals faced such complex choices and such an uncertain future. Hear two leading public health officials and policy advisors explain where we are in managing the pandemic, what we should do, and what we can expect through the rest of 2020. NOTES In association with the Zetema Project Generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

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Gay Family Building Jul 15, 2020

Advancing technology, changing social attitudes and evolving laws have all combined to make establish this as a time when LGBTQ people are looking to create or expand families. How do they do it? What do they need to know? To answer these and other questions, Michelle Meow talks with fertility experts from the medical and legal realms, as well as proud parents of a new 3-month-old baby.

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Black Cats in Dark Rooms: Conspiracy Theories Jul 15, 2020

As an old adage (mistakenly attributed to Confucius) notes, it’s difficult to find a black cat in a dark room, especially when there is no cat. Conspiracy theories have always been prevalent in the United States, but today they seem to be especially popular, from politics to popular culture, particularly on social media. In the spirit of another adage, even paranoids have enemies: there are real conspiracies, and some of them are important and even dangerous. How do you tell the genuine conspiracies from the tinfoil hat ones? Dr. Eugenie C. Scott is the former executive director of the National Center for Science Education, Inc. Dr. Scott is an internationally known expert on the creationism and evolution controversy and science denialism, and she is called upon by the press and other media to explain science to the general public. The author of Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction and co-editor with Glenn Branch of Not in Our Classrooms: Why Intelligent Design Is Wrong for Our Schools, she is the recipient of numerous awards from scientists and educators, and has been awarded 10 honorary degrees. MLF ORGANIZER Patrick O'Reilly NOTES MLF: Psychology

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Trump and the Middle East 2020 Jul 13, 2020

This event is the Middle East Forum’s fourth annual panel about how the Trump presidency is affecting the Middle East. Our distinguished panel of Middle East experts will continue the conversation and will also discuss why some believe that during the past year, Trump has helped destabilize the region with impulsive rhetoric and inflammatory actions, while others believe that Trump is making America safer. MLF ORGANIZER Celia Menczel

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An Archaeology of Catastrophe: Troy and the Collapse of the Bronze Age Jul 11, 2020

In this discussion, the third in a series on the relation between catastrophe and narrative, Homer scholar Dr. James Porter and poet Gillian Conoley will discuss how disaster and catastrophe have found narrative expression from Ancient Greece to the present day. Unbeknownst to itself, the Western tradition is founded on violent catastrophe, and the wounds of this history are deeply embedded in its cultural memory. Homer's poems, "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," commemorate a war that led to the capture and obliteration of an ancient city called Troy. Looming behind Troy lies a much larger catastrophe, the massive "systems collapse" that swept across the Aegean and Mediterranean East sometime around 1200 BCE and that wiped out Bronze Age palaces on the Greek mainland, on Crete, Cyprus, in the Levant and Asia Minor, and that threw these civilizations back into a prehistoric state, a truly "Dark Age," for half a millennium. How such massive changes could have come about in so many places at once and in so short a time—seemingly in a blink of the eye, though it probably took less than a century—is one of the great mysteries of the ancient world. Warfare was involved, but the evidence points primarily to destruction by natural and not human forces, earthquakes and fires first and foremost, while a host of further factors have been conjectured, from droughts and floods to drastic climate changes. Homer's epics preserve a distorted memory of this collapse: they encode this trauma in their narrative form and substance, which complicates their understanding as celebrations of heroic glory. This presentation will unravel some of the mysteries that haunt Homeric Troy, in addition to rereading the poems as an invitation to deep ethical and aesthetic discomfort and reflection, not glorification. A short excerpt from Smoke, Ashes, Fable, a film montage that formed part of an exhibition from 2002 by the South African multi-media artist William Kentridge, will help us think through the broader question of what it means to live with the present and imminent realities of our own massive systems collapse today. Gillian Conoley received the 2017 Shelley Memorial Award for lifetime achievement from the Poetry Society of America. Her most recent collection is A Little More Red Sun on the Human: New and Selected Poems, published with Nightboat Books. She is the author of seven previous books, including PEACE, an Academy of American Poets Standout Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Conoley’s translations of three books by Henri Michaux, Thousand Times Broken, appeared in 2014 with City Lights. Conoley is poet-in-residence and professor of English at Sonoma State University, where she edits Volt. In association with Townsend Center for the Humanities at the University of California Berkeley

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Latinos and the Coronavirus: The Community Response Jul 10, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on the Latino community in California and throughout the United States. Due to a range of factors, the Latino community has disproportionately high rates of infections from the coronavirus as well as hospitalizations and deaths. These impacts can be seen in the Latino community throughout California—north and south, urban and rural. What are the risk factors, particularly around employment and housing that have made the pandemic such a public health challenge for the Latino community, and what are key Latino-serving organizations in the state doing to address these problems? This program will feature leaders from organizations and experts on the frontlines serving California’s Latino community. Learn how they have been handling these critical issues over the past few months and what they expect now as confirmed coronavirus cases continue to surge locally and nationally. We’ll hear from the head of the Latino Community Foundation and the executive directors of two frontline nonprofits, Nuestra Casa (in East Palo Alto) and 99Rootz (in California’s Central Valley). The moderator for the conversation will be Teresa Alvarado, chief of local impact of SPUR. Alvarado formerly served as deputy administrative officer with the Santa Clara Valley Water District, where she led two departments. Prior to that she served as the first executive director of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley. She is a member of the Silicon Valley Recovery & Resilience Committee, a group of Silicon Valley leaders working to set the path for economic recovery in the region, co-chairing its Inclusive Prosperity subcommittee. She is founder of the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley and serves on its advisory board. Please join us for this important event. NOTES In association with the Latino Community Foundation

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Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson: How the Right Rules Jul 10, 2020

As President Trump seeks a second term in office, the apparent makeover of the GOP from a tax-cutting old guard into a populist new guard is a critical part of the upcoming 2020 election. But how much of this is just an appearance, and how much is a real shift among Republicans? In their new book, Let Them Eat Tweets, best-selling authors and political scientists Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson offer a definitive answer: Trump isn’t a break with the GOP’s recent past. On the contrary, he embodies its tightening embrace of plutocracy and right-wing extremism―a dynamic Hacker and Pierson call “plutocratic populism.” As they argue in this new book and elsewhere, the GOP serves its plutocratic “masters” to a degree without precedent in modern global history. Today’s Republicans have doubled down on a truly radical, elite-benefiting economic agenda while at the same time making increasingly incendiary racial and cultural appeals to their almost entirely white base. Hacker and Pierson’s new book demonstrates that since the early 1980s, when inequality started spiking, extreme tax cutting, union busting, and deregulation have gone hand-in-hand with extreme race-baiting, outrage stoking, and disinformation. Instead of responding to the real challenges facing voters, they say the Republican Party offers division and distraction―most prominently in the "racist, nativist bile" of the president’s Twitter feed. What does it mean for the country and the upcoming election when reactionary plutocrats and right-wing populists have become the two faces of one of the country’s two major parties? Please join us for an important conversation on these topics as America prepare for the 2020 election.

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Marijuana Addiction in the Age of Legal Weed Jul 09, 2020

Generation X writer Neal Pollack thought he had it all: a good writing career, a strong marriage, even a lucrative 3-day run on "Jeopardy"! That brought him national attention. Like many in his generation, he also smoked a lot of marijuana. He had discovered that food, music and even his beloved yoga was much better when he smoked. In 2014, as several states in the country legalized pot, Pollack scored a writing gig for a marijuana site that provided free weed. He saw his drug use as harmless and joked about it often in his writing. But as more states, including California, began to legalize the drug, Pollack’s life began to fall apart, in part because of his drug use. Both of his parents died and he soon found himself spiraling out of control, sometimes in public. By 2018, Pollack admitted publicly he had a marijuana addiction and set about to conquer it, through honesty . . . and humor. Pollack’s new book, Pothead, is about coming to terms with his marijuana problems just as the country increased its recreational availability. The book is a cautionary and timely tale for those who think the drug isn’t dangerous and can’t cause serious addictive problems. Join us for a special evening program as Pollack discusses his story with Los Angeles novelist Bucky Sinister. Note: This program contains Explicit language

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A Healthy Society Series: Unlearn Your Pain. Freeing Your Body From Chronic Pain Jul 08, 2020

Chronic pain is a debilitating and very common condition. Tension headaches, and lower back and neck pain are listed among the top 10 leading causes of disability around the world, with billions of people experiencing pain on a recurring basis. Studies show that up to 50 percent of the population might experience chronic pain conditions during their lifetime. The latest breakthroughs in neuroscience and clinical practice could unlock game-changing approaches to treating chronic pain: a complete elimination of pain instead of “managing” it as a chronic condition. Dr. Howard Schubiner, a medical researcher, clinician and author of Unlearn Your Pain, will review new forms of treatment for various chronic pain conditions including, but not limited to, lower back, neck, arms, legs, or general pain conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

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David Shimer and John Brennan: How Russia Rigged Democracy Jul 08, 2020

Russia’s interference in the 2016 election wasn’t a new problem with our Cold War adversary. Their meddling in 2016 marked only the latest chapter of a hidden and revelatory history. In his new book Rigged, David Shimer tells the sweeping story of covert electoral interference past and present. He exposes decades of secret operations—by the KGB, the CIA and Vladimir Putin's Russia—to shape electoral outcomes. John Brennan, as director of the CIA during the 2016 election, was at the forefront of this issue. In January 2017, Brennan, along with former FBI Director James Comey and others, briefed President-elect Donald Trump on the Russian interference efforts. Following his departure, he became a vocal critic of the Trump administration, culminating in Trump taking the unprecedented step of revoking his security clearance in 2018. Both Shimer and Brennan believe that understanding 2016 as one battle in a much longer war is essential to understanding the critical threat currently posed to America's electoral sovereignty. With less than six months until the 2020 election, join us for a conversation for two leading voices on a critical issue.

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Breaking Ground: From Landmines to Grapevines Jul 07, 2020

Heidi Kuhn, a former CNN reporter and producer, will share her extraordinary journey as a peace activist and how she created Roots of Peace a nonprofit organization that removes landmines and replaces them with vineyards and orchards. Roots of Peace has removed more than 100,000 land mines and unexploded ordinances in Afghanistan, Israel, the West Bank Croatia, and elsewhere, and it has helped more than a million farmers and their families. Kuhn who has received numerous humanitarian awards and praise from Queen Noor of Jordan, Nancy Pelosi and Jane Goodall, among others, will discuss her new book, Breaking Ground: From Landmines to Grapevines: One Woman's Vision to Heal the World.

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True Life Lessons with Loni Love Jul 07, 2020

Comedian Loni Love has always felt like an outsider in Hollywood. Unlike most celebrities who leveraged their connections to catch their big break in the industry, Love grew up in low-income housing in Detroit and worked as an electrical engineer post-college to make ends meet. Even after striking gold as a comedian and host of the popular talk show "The Real," she still found herself at odds with what the entertainment industry expects of women who are on camera. She spent many years changing herself to try to fit in before she realized that she was thriving in her dream job because she didn’t fit a mold . . . and not despite that. Join Love at INFORUM in honor of her hilarious new book, I Tried to Change So You Don't Have To: True Life Lessons, where she chronicles her atypical path to Hollywood and reflects on the many mistakes and unexpected successes she encountered along the way. Tune in to hear her story and why embracing yourself for who you are is a much better plan than “fake it ‘till you make it.”

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CLIMATE ONE: Reimagining Capitalism: Wealth, Power, and Patriarchy Jul 01, 2020

Expanding oil extraction and clean energy, supporting capitalism while fighting climate change: can humans ever really have it all? In their new books, authors Hope Jahren and Rebecca Henderson explore how a healthy climate might coexist with a consumption-driven economy — and what we need to change to get the best of both worlds. Meanwhile, is Norway the perfect example of having it all — or just a walking contradiction? Like “a drug dealer who doesn’t use its own product”, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund is the largest in the world, supported exclusively by petroleum revenues. As they continue to explore new avenues for drilling, the country has also moved away from using the fossil fuels they produce, electrifying their economy and leading in climate friendly technologies.

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Edward Larson: Summer for the Gods Jun 30, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with Edward Larson to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his Pulitzer Prize-winning history Summer for the Gods, the definitive account of the pivotal battle between creationism and evolution. In his new epilogue, Larson assesses the lasting resonance of the Scopes Trial as clashes continue between science and religion, and about free speech and academic freedom. Larson takes us back to the 1920s, when Protestant fundamentalists started a national campaign against the teaching of Darwinism in American schools. Tennessee was the first state to honor the movement by banning Darwinism from its curriculum. But the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the ban and requested that teacher John Scopes reject it outright in his classroom, resulting in a 1925 trial of mythic proportions with a dramatic legal matchup that ignited massive media attention. Represented by Clarence Darrow and the ACLU, John Scopes was pitted against William Jennings Bryan and the anti-Darwinists. The ensuing debate over the respective places of science and religion in public education remains a continuing conflict in cities and states throughout the United States to this day. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Paying for Transportation in California: Does COVID-19 Change Everything? Jun 29, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens every aspect of transportation funding in California. State revenues from federal, state, regional and local taxes and fees are all at risk. Since California’s shelter-in-place order went into effect in March, the state has already faced plummeting revenues from gasoline taxes, tolls, transit fares and sales taxes. These revenue sources will most likely continue to be severely threatened in the coming months and possibly even years. Panelists will discuss the opportunities for every level of government to help recover transportation revenues in our uncertain future. Can we rely on our traditional mix of revenue sources? Will the COVID-19 crisis stimulate innovation in transportation finance? These and other revenue options will be discussed at the 11th Annual Norman Y. Mineta National Transportation Policy Summit. NOTES This program is supported by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University

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BoJack Horseman’s Raphael Bob-Waksberg Jun 27, 2020

"BoJack Horseman" creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s trademark is engaging writing that is equal parts dark comedy and gut wrenching tragedy. His work forces you to examine your place in humanity, while reminding you that none of this actually matters. It’s this mix of absurd hilarity and existential dread that makes Bob-Waksberg one of the most celebrated storytellers working today. Join Bob-Waksberg at INFORUM in honor of his new collection of short stories, Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory. You’ll hear a few (possibly strange) tales about love—something he argues is both “the best and worst thing in the universe.” This conversation will be moderated by entertainment writer Ariane Lange.

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Resiliency With the Warriors' Rick Welts and the 49ers' Hannah Gordon Jun 26, 2020

Join us for a discussion with Rick Welts and Hannah Gordon, two leaders who have made an indelible impact in sports for LGBTQ rights through their courage and resiliency. Ricke Welts became a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. For the past 8 years, he has been president and chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors, overseeing all business-related operations for the team, including the new Chase Center and Thrive City in San Francisco. In 2011, he publicly announced that he was gay—in a front-page New York Times story. For his work on diversity and inclusion in sports, he has been honored with the United States Tennis Association 2011 ICON Award, the GLSEN Respect Award, the GLAAD Davison/Valentini Award, the Anti-Defamation League's Torch of Liberty Award, and he was the celebrity grand marshall of the San Francisco Pride parade in 2015. Hannah Gordon is the chief administrative officer and general counsel for the San Francisco 49ers. She oversees legal, public affairs and strategic communications, risk management, community relations, the 49ers Foundation, fan engagement and the 49ers Museum. She is also the secretary of the Bay Area Host Committee and has been involved with events such as Super Bowl 50, WrestleMania 31, Beyoncé's Formation World Tour, the Copa America Centenario and the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship. She is also active on league-wide matters and has served on multiple intra-league working groups. NOTES This program is produced in partnership with AIDS2020 Made possible by the generous support of Gilead and Comcast

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Stacey Abrams: Our Time Is Now Jun 26, 2020

Since narrowly losing Georgia’s closest gubernatorial race in more than 50 years, Stacey Abrams has been on a crusade to ensure voting access to everyone in America. A recognized expert on fair voting and civic engagement, Abrams provides a chilling account of how the right to vote and the principle of democracy have been and continue to be under attack. In her new book, Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America, Abrams offers her blueprint to end voter suppression, empower citizens and ensure the most popular candidates win. The book also makes a compelling argument for the importance of robust voter protections, an elevation of identity politics, engagement in the census and a return to moral international leadership. Join us for a discussion with one of the Democratic Party’s most popular leaders as she discusses the path ahead and the work she believes needs to be done to ensure a better America for all.

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Rep. Eric Swalwell: Inside the Impeachment of Donald J. Trump Jun 25, 2020

Eric Swalwell has served a lengthy political career in the Bay Area, working as the Alameda County deputy district attorney, as a Dublin city council member and currently as the U.S. representative for California’s 15th congressional district. As a congressional freshman, Rep. Swalwell served on several House committees and was able to get more bills passed in the House and signed into law than any other freshman. Throughout his congressional career, he has taken vocal positions in support of gun control reform, increased funds for education and national tax reform. With this impressive background, Rep. Swalwell gives us an insider look at the events following the foreign interference in the 2016 election and the subsequent impeachment process in his new book, Endgame: Inside the Impeachment of Donald J. Trump. He draws from his time on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Judiciary Committee to fill the gaps in the impeachment timeline—from the executive communications with Ukraine to the Senate hearing following the impeachment. Join us at INFORUM to learn more about Eric Swalwell’s work as a U.S. representative and to gain a unique perspective on the role that he has played in the events leading up to the third presidential impeachment to occur in U.S. history. This conversation will be moderated by NBC Bay Area’s Raj Mathai.

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Jeffrey Sachs: The History of Globalization Jun 25, 2020

Today’s most urgent problems, from food security to global warming, are fundamentally global. They require nothing less than concerted, planet-wide action if we are to secure a long-term future. But humanity’s story has always been on a global scale. In his new book The Ages of Globalization, Jeffrey D. Sachs, renowned economist and expert on sustainable development, turns to world history to shed light on how we can meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Sachs will take us through a series of seven distinct waves of technological and institutional change, from the original settling of the planet by early modern humans to today’s globalization. The dynamics of these past waves offer a fresh perspective on the ongoing processes taking place in our own time. Sachs emphasizes the need for new methods of international governance and cooperation to prevent conflicts and to achieve economic, social and environmental objectives aligned with sustainable development.

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Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel: Who Has the Best Health Care in the World? Jun 25, 2020

Which country has the best health care? The United States spends more than any other nation—an astonishing $4 trillion a year. Yet for all that expense, the United States lags behind other countries. From Taiwan to Switzerland, Dr. Emanuel profiles 11 of the top health-care systems in the world. He showcases how the most inventive health-care providers are tackling global challenges in pursuit of the best health care in the world. Dr. Emanuel is a preeminent doctor and bioethicist. He is the former chief health policy officer to the Obama administration and architect of the Affordable Care Act.

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A Healthy Society Series: Changemaking in Higher Education Jun 24, 2020

What is higher education’s role in a healthy society, and how are we improving it? And what about questions of costs, benefits, access and opportunity? These and related topics will be the focus of this program with three leading educators at UC Berkeley. The wholesale switch to remote learning triggered by the coronavirus is realigning several education fundamentals, paving the way for future higher education disruption. Learn how higher education is challenging convention in the sea-change, and what the implications for society are likely to be. MLF ORGANIZER Robert Lee Kilpatrick NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

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Mental Health at Work Now: Voices from Leading Companies Jun 24, 2020

The importance of workplace mental health in the United States has steadily gained traction in the last few years. And for good reason. Up to 80 percent of Americans will struggle with a mental health issue during their lifetime. The coronavirus pandemic and the protests following the murder of George Floyd have made addressing mental health at work even more imperative. How are leading companies addressing employee mental health? What programs and initiatives did they have in place before these difficult times and how are they adapting them now? What does supporting mental health at work look like in the context of COVID-19, the national conversation about racism, and the shifting between working from home and returning to physical offices? Will this unprecedented year reduce the stigma at work and normalize what it looks like to struggle with mental health? Learn how to support mental health at work right now and be inspired by the personal stories that have shaped some of our panelists. NOTES This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s Mental Health Series, dedicated in memory of Nancy Friend Pritzker, with support from the John Pritzker Family Fund

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Former U.S. Secretaries of Defense Robert Gates and James Mattis Jun 23, 2020

Since the end of the Cold War, the global perception of the United States has progressively morphed from dominant international leader to disorganized entity. Robert Gates, defense secretary under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, asserts that this transformation is the result of the failure of political leaders to understand the complexity of American power, its expansiveness, and its limitations. Sec. Gates makes a clear case that the successful exercise of power is not limited to military action, but should encompass other facets, including diplomacy, economics, strategic communications, intelligence, technology, ideology and cyber. It should also require learning—and abiding by—the lessons of the past, and avoiding the misuse of power. Join Sec. Gates and former Secretary of Defense James Mattis as they discuss the future of U.S. national security.

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Dominique Crenn: Rebel Chef Jun 22, 2020

After an illustrious career and with no formal training, Dominique Crenn was awarded three Michelin Stars in 2018 for her successful restaurant Atelier Crenn. She is the first female chef in the United States to receive this honor, and she credits her unconventional life to her success. At only 20 years old, Dominique Crenn left her home in France for the United States with only one goal—to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a chef. She knew that she was too different for the male-dominated culinary scene she left behind, so she set her sights on San Francisco and chose the legendary Jeremiah Tower as her first mentor. She spent the next 30 years not only disrupting food norms, but also vocally challenging sexism, climate change and systemic injustice. Join Crenn at INFORUM, where she will discuss her new and highly anticipated memoir, Rebel Chef: In Search of What Matters, and hear firsthand about her journey in becoming one of the most important chefs of a generation. NOTES This program is part of our Food Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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Fox News Anchor Chris Wallace Jun 22, 2020

During his 16 years at Fox, veteran journalist Chris Wallace has covered almost every key political event and interviewed numerous U.S. and world leaders. Now, he explores the crucial 116 days and events leading up August 6, 1945—the infamous date that President Harry Truman gave the order to unleash the world’s first atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima, Japan. Hear more of how we got to that pivotal moment as Wallace gives a rare behind-the-scenes account of the secret meetings and iconic figures who changed the course of history forever.

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CLIMATE ONE: Empowering Women: The Climate Solution We Don’t Talk About Jun 21, 2020

As the global population approaches 8 billion, humans continue to test the number of bodies that can fit onto a planet of finite resources. Empowering women through access to education and family planning may be at the core of establishing a healthy population balance, not just for the planet’s sake, but for ours. So why aren’t we talking about it more? How big a role can gender equity play in reducing our global carbon footprint — and who gets to decide? Join us with Ertharin Cousin, former executive director of the World Food Programme, Musimbi Kanyoro, former president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, and Corrine Sanchez, executive director of Tewa Women United for a conversation about the power of gender equity for getting to sustainable growth.

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The Supreme Court and LGBTQ Rights Jun 20, 2020

Monday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling supporting workplace protections for LGBT employees surprised many people—the 6–3 opinion was written by conservative appointee Neal Gorsuch, who was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts as well as the liberal members of the court. Join us for a timely discussion with some real legal eagles. Once again, LGBTQ rights are up for judgment by the U.S. Supreme Court. The SCOTUS is issuing rulings on anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people in employment. The cases involved are Bostock v. Clayton County, Ga., Altitude Express Inc. v. Zarda and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Meet our expert panel: Felicia Medina is a queer, latina attorney and founding partner of Medina Orthwein LLP. Her practice focuses on individual and class action employment discrimination and harassment cases relating to race, gender, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation, as well as wage and hour collective actions. She has been honored as a 2018 San Francisco Business Times OUTstanding Voices, 2017 Daily Journal Leading Labor and Employment Attorneys in California; a 2016 National LGBT Bar Association – Best LGBT Lawyer Under 40; a 2015 National Diversity Council Most Powerful and Influential Woman; and a Law360 2014 Minority Power Broker. Felicia received her law degree from Yale Law School in 2006. Kevin Love Hubbard is a partner at Medina Orthwein LLP. He has dedicated his career to civil rights and brings extensive experience in civil rights litigation to his firm, including individual and class employment discrimination and wage and hour claims, as well as constitutional claims involving police and prison misconduct. Prior to joining Medina Orthwein, Kevin represented nationwide classes and collectives of women with claims of gender discrimination, as well as individuals with cutting-edge employment claims, including claims of LGBTQ+ discrimination. Kevin graduated from Yale Law School in 2012. Imani Rupert-Gordon is the executive director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. NCLR is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, legislation, policy, and public education. Previously, she served as the executive director for Affinity Community Services, a social justice organization that works with the entire LGBTQ community with a focus on Black women. She also served as the director of the Broadway Youth Center, a division of Howard Brown Health in Chicago, which has served more than 1,500 LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability. In 2019, the Illinois Human Rights Commission presented her with its 2019 Activism Award. This year she was recognized by the Chicago Foundation for Women with a 2020 Impact Award. Rupert-Gordon received a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara Rev. Elena Rose Vera, a Filipina-Ashkenazi trans woman originally from rural Oregon, joined Trans Lifeline’s executive team in May 2018. A longtime organizer, educator and performing artist, she holds an M.Div. focused on social justice and community care work and was ordained as a minister by the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples, a historic civil-rights church in San Francisco. Rev. Vera is proud to bring her deep commitment to love, support and liberation for trans people everywhere to her work with Trans Lifeline.

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Parenting in Support of Black Lives: How to Build a Just Future for Kids Jun 19, 2020

In 2020, exploring the harsh complexities of racism and systemic injustice is still a painful task for most adults, but how do our children process these concepts? How should we have these difficult conversations with our children, and how can we make sure that they feel empowered to change society as they grow? Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith join INFORUM to teach us how. Kendi is a New York Times best-selling author, an acclaimed academic and a leading voice on racial justice in America. His newest work is a children’s book titled Antiracist Baby, and in it he uses playful images and straightforward language to introduce complicated topics like power, racial disparity and antiracism for readers of all ages. Briscoe-Smith is a child psychologist and the director of diversity, equity and inclusion with the Wright Institute Clinical Program. Much of her work focuses on trauma and how children understand race. This conversation will be moderated by Julie Lythcott-Haims, the author behind the critically-acclaimed and award-winning memoir Real American, a book about growing up Black and biracial in white spaces. Together, these experts will explain how we can help future generations understand the true meaning of equality and also give them the tools necessary to fight for it. NOTES Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation This program is in partnership with Common Sense Media Common Sense The Commonwealth Club’s work continues to value equity, tolerance and the achievement of a prosperous, supportive and just society. In honor of this conversation, please consider donating to the Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research.

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Ian Clark Devine: Fighting Elder Financial Abuse Jun 18, 2020

The exploitation of their Aunt Huguette by her professional advisors and caregivers horrified the Clark family. By the time she passed away in 2011 at age 104, Huguette’s attorney, accountant and medical caretakers had manipulated her out of nearly $40 million. The 2013 book, Empty Mansions, told some of the story. Determined to bring good from a terrible situation, the Clark family resolved to protect vulnerable elders across the country. In 2018, multiple generations of the Clark family—descendants of Huguette’s father, Senator William A. Clark—established the Huguette Clark Foundation to protect vulnerable seniors and hold accountable those who abuse them. Ian Clark Devine is a long-time leader in nonprofit and foundation management. He is a great-grand-nephew of the late Huguette Clark, whose financial exploitation sparked his interest in the protection of elders. Elder abuse affects millions of people across all socioeconomic levels. Isolation, mental illness and dementia exacerbate the problem by making elders even more susceptible to those who would exploit them. With some 10,000 Americans reaching age 65 every day and life expectancies lengthening, elder abuse is a societal concern that could be on the rise for decades. Recognizing this concern, the United Nations has designated June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. What are the signs of elder abuse? What can be done to stop it? How are legal protections, established in California more than a decade ago, performing to protect seniors and their assets? Join an important conversation about what we can do to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our society

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Joan Ryan: Team Chemistry and the Secret to Success Jun 18, 2020

For decades, beloved Bay Area sportswriter Joan Ryan has written about winning (and losing) sports teams. In her groundbreaking new book, Intangibles, Ryan explores the importance of team chemistry and the mystery of why some teams "click," foster trust and respect, and push players to exceed their own potential. In sports, team chemistry is often overlooked, in part because it is assumed that it can’t be scientifically measured. But after interviewing more than 100 players, coaches, managers and statisticians in addition to reviewing the thousands of games she has covered as a journalist, Ryan shows that the social and emotional state of a team does affect performance and should not be underestimated. Hear Ryan discuss the importance of team chemistry, and how some of our favorite teams have the intangible “it” factor and some, too often, don’t.

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Jonathan Karl: Front Row at the Trump Show Jun 17, 2020

Veteran journalist Jonathan Karl has known and covered Donald Trump longer than any other White House reporter. And during this time he has been praised, has fought, and been branded an enemy of the people by President Trump himself. Karl says we have never seen a president like this—norm-breaking, rule-busting, dangerously reckless to some and an overdue force for change to others. He goes on to argue that we are witnessing the reshaping of the presidency. Get an extraordinary look at the president, the person and those closest to him. Karl will discuss the key moments defining the Trump presidency and offers his personal insights to what it is like being front row at the "Trump Show."

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Krista Tippett: Mindfulness in Uncertain Times Jun 16, 2020

In the midst of one of modern history’s most uncertain moments, how can we all work to keep mindful of ourselves and those who matter most to us? Krista Tippett’s podcast, "On Being," aims to shine a light on people whose insights illuminate the best aspects of the human spirit. Every week, Tippett talks to writers, scientists, poets, activists and theologians from an array of faiths who have all opened themselves up to her compassionate yet searching conversations. In times like these, it’s easy to lose track of what keeps us grounded in the human experience. Join us for an enlightening conversation with one of America’s luminaries as she discusses her fiercely hopeful vision for humanity in these uncertain times.

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An Iconic Treasure: The AIDS Memorial Quilt Comes Home Jun 16, 2020

Join us to learn the story behind the AIDS Memorial Quilt, as the Quilt's caretakers share their personal stories reflecting on 40 years of the pandemic. We'll discuss the Quilt's deep roots in San Francisco; meet the "Mother of the AIDS Quilt, who has been there since the beginning and is still there today to "take care of her boys"; learn about the Quilt's move to the care of the National AIDS memorial and how it is a powerful tool to teach—and reach—today's generation about HIV/AIDS; and hear personal stories behind the panels of the Quilt. While the United States and the world are reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, learn about the parallels and differences between this pandemic and the AIDS pandemic, and how the Quilt provided healing and became a source of support to today's first-responders via mask-making. NOTES This program contains some explicit language This program is produced in partnership with AIDS2020 Made possible by the generous support of Gilead and Comcast

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Marc Morial and Michael Tubbs: What's Next for America? Jun 15, 2020

As Americans continue to grieve, protest and cry out over the death of George Floyd and the recent deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, many wonder if this will be the tipping point for permanent change to the American justice system. And if not, what does the future hold for civil rights and American democracy? As leader of the National Urban League, the nation’s largest historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization, Marc Morial is a leading voice in the battle for jobs, education, housing and voting rights equity. He previously served as the highly successful mayor of New Orleans as well as the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. On November 8, 2016, Michael Tubbs was elected to serve as the mayor of the city of Stockton, California. Upon taking office in January 2017, Mr. Tubbs became both Stockton’s youngest mayor and the city’s first African-American mayor. Michael Tubbs is also the youngest mayor in the history of the country representing a city with a population of more than 100,000 residents. Join an important intergenerational conversation about the next steps Americans can and must take. NOTES Co-Presented by INFORUM

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Divergent Minds Thriving in Adulthood Jun 15, 2020

While topics such as ADHD, autism, bipolar and dyslexia are often discussed in the context of children, what happens after these children grow up, and what happens when they don’t receive such diagnoses until their 50s, 60s or later? Jenara Nerenberg offers practical takeaways and surprising scientific discoveries on how families, society and medicine can better meet the needs of those with mental and sensory processing differences. Nerenberg, an award-winning reporter with the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center and the Garrison Institute, is the founder of The Neurodiversity Project. Her work appears in CNN, Fast Company, KQED, Healthline and Time. She is a graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health and UC Berkeley. Nerenberg was named a brave new idea speaker by the Aspen Institute for her work in destigmatizing and celebrating mental differences among adults later in life. Her new book is: Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn't Designed For You. MLF ORGANIZER Denise Michaud NOTES MLF: Grownups

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CLIMATE ONE: Will Climate Matter in the Election? Jun 14, 2020

After a fleeting moment atop the national political agenda last year, climate change has been eclipsed by the global pandemic. A recent poll from Yale found that public engagement on climate change is at or near historic levels. But will that matter when people vote? The Environmental Voter Project asserts that many people who say they care about climate and the environment don’t actually cast ballots. Further, when talking to pollsters they lie and say they did vote. How will mainstream media cover climate in national and regional elections? Will President Trump’s stance on climate hurt Republicans in down-ballot races? Do Joe Biden’s policy positions on climate really matter? Join us with Vannessa Hauc, journalist and senior correspondent at Noticias Telemundo, Jeff Nesbit, executive director at Climate Nexus, and Nathaniel Stinnett, founder and executive director of the Environmental Voter Project, for a conversation on climate coverage in the race for the presidency.

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Lavender Talks: LGBTQ Immigrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers Jun 12, 2020

Immigration has been a flash point in U.S. politics for years, but for the past several years, it has been one of the defining dividing lines in American life. When you add LGBTQ status to the normal challenges facing immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, even more hurdles come up. What are the problems new arrivals to this country are struggling with? What is being done to help them? What can be done? Join us for the third in our new series of Lavender Talks—produced in partnership with San Francisco Pride, which is celebrating 50 years in 2020. Our panel will feature immigration and human rights advocates and legal experts. NOTES In association with San Francisco Pride Made possible by the generous support of Gilead and Comcast And thanks to San Francisco Pride Legacy Partners: Bud Light Hilton San Francisco Union Square KPIX 5 CBS Bay Area Kaiser Permanente Genentech Gilead GLBT Historical Society KBCW TV Parc 55 San Francisco Smirnoff Recology T–Mobile

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Meena Harris: Raising Changemakers Jun 12, 2020

Meena Harris’ story is shaped by the many strong women who raised her. She is now honoring their legacy with a new children’s book, Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea, a picture book about two sisters who work together to change their community. The book is inspired by a true story Meena heard from childhood about her aunt, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, and her mother, lawyer and policy expert Maya Harris. Join Meena at INFORUM to learn about the power of raising children who are engaged in their community and how generations to come can enact lasting change. This program will be moderated by author and artist Jessica Hische. NOTES This program contains some explicit language Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

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Masha Gessen: Surviving Autocracy Jun 12, 2020

In the run-up to the 2016 election, The New Yorker's Masha Gessen stood out from other journalists for calling out the significance of Donald Trump’s speech and behavior, unprecedented in a national candidate. Within 48 hours of his victory, Gessen's essay “Autocracy: Rules for Survival” had gone viral, and Gessen’s coverage of Trump’s norm-breaking presidency became important reading for a citizenry struggling to wrap their heads around the unimaginable. Thanks to the unique perspective from a childhood in the Soviet Union and two decades covering the resurgence of totalitarianism in Russia, Gessen has a sixth sense for signs of autocracy—and the unique cross-cultural fluency to delineate its emergence to Americans. Now, as the 2020 race takes shape, their new book Surviving Autocracy provides an indispensable overview of what Gessen views as the calamitous trajectory of the past few years. Join us for a conversation with one of our leading journalists as they highlight the dangers of complacency and how America can forge a new path forward.

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Barton Gellman: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State Jun 11, 2020

While a reporter at The Washington Post, Barton Gellman was one of three journalists Edward Snowden picked to review the vast and explosive archive of highly classified files revealing the extent of the American government's access to our every communication. Those three shared the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for their work. But that was only the beginning for Gellman. He went on to dig deeper into both the U.S. surveillance state and Snowden’s own complicated history. As he sought the truth, Barton was harassed with legal threats, government investigations and foreign intelligence agencies intent on stealing his files. Come for a detailed look at Edward Snowden, America's surveillance state now and post-COVID, as well as Mr. Gellman’s own account of his personal cloak-and-dagger experience of being surveilled by unknown adversaries.

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Pelosi Jun 11, 2020

How did an Italian grandmother in 4-inch heels become the greatest legislator since LBJ? Join us virtually as award-winning political journalist Molly Ball takes you inside the life and times of the speaker of the House. Based on exclusive interviews and deep background reporting, Ball shows Nancy Pelosi through a thoroughly modern lens, explaining how this extraordinary woman has met her moment by taking on a president and defending democracy. Ever since the Democrats took back the House in the 2018 midterm elections, Nancy Pelosi has led the opposition with strategic mastery and inimitable elan. It's a remarkable comeback for the veteran politician who for years was demonized by the Right and taken for granted by many in her own party even though, as speaker under President Barack Obama, she deserves credit for epochal liberal accomplishments, from reforming Wall Street to allowing gay people to serve openly in the military, from universal access to health care to saving the U.S. economy from collapse. Perhaps twice. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

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The Autonomous Revolution: William Davidow, Michael Malone Jun 11, 2020

Civilizations around the globe have been transformed over the past three centuries through the agricultural and industrial revolutions, eras that impacted all aspects of human society. According to two of savviest Silicon Valley experts in business and society, we are now at the dawn of a third revolution that will similarly change human history: the autonomous revolution in artificial intelligence (AI) that is ushering in an epic cultural transformation across the globe. In their latest book, The Autonomous Revolution, Silicon Valley leaders William Davidow and Michael Malone explore the impact on society of having machines that are capable of learning and adapting faster than humans and doing so entirely on their own. And for the first time in human history we no longer require physical locations to work, play, shop, socialize or be entertained. The same institutions that help society operate will remain—schools, banks, churches and corporations—but they will radically change form, obey new rules and use new tools. Davidow and Malone, authors of the seminal book The Virtual Corporation, explore the enormous implications of these developments, how we might adapt our values to these massive changes and how people can prepare to not only survive but thrive in this new era. Please join Davidow and Malone as they visit The Commonwealth Club to discuss the coming revolution and how we can deal with these emerging challenges before the autonomous revolution overcomes us.

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Bakari Sellers: A Vanishing Country Jun 11, 2020

Bakari Sellers became the youngest elected official in the country at the age of 22 when he won a seat in South Carolina’s House of Representatives. He argues, however, that his journey began long before he was born. His family faced many struggles as a part of the South's dwindling rural, black working class—losing access to health care as rural hospitals disappeared; attempting to make ends meet as the factories people relied on shut down and moved overseas; attempting to hold on to precious traditions as towns eroded; and forging a path forward without succumbing to despair—these are all facets of not only his life, but of an entire community’s. In My Vanishing Country, Bakari Sellers tells the story of his father’s rise to become a civil rights hero, a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and a role model for his own developing identity as a father to newborn twins. Join Sellers at INFORUM, where he will tell his deeply personal story of hope in the face of adversity and a history that is reflective of countless families in the American south. This conversation will be moderated by PolicyLink President and CEO Dr. Michael McAfee. NOTES: Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

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George Packer: The End of the American Century Jun 09, 2020

Richard Holbrooke is one of the most important diplomats of the last 50 years. Equally admired and detested, he was the force behind the Dayton Accords that ended the Balkan wars, considered by some to be America's greatest diplomatic achievement in the post-Cold War era. From his days as a young adviser in Vietnam to his last efforts to end the war in Afghanistan, Holbrooke embodied the postwar American impulse to take the lead on the global stage. But his sharp elbows and tireless self-promotion ensured that he never rose to the highest levels in government that he so desperately coveted. Holbrooke’s story is thus the story of America during its era of supremacy: its strength, drive and sense of possibility, as well as its penchant for overreach and heedless self-confidence. In Our Man, drawn from Holbrooke's diaries and papers, journalist George Packer gives us a nonfiction narrative that is both intimate and epic in its revelatory portrait of this extraordinary and deeply flawed man and the elite spheres of society and government he inhabited. NOTES This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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A Healthy Society Series: Healthier Rural America—Toward a Better Future Jun 09, 2020

Moving America forward will take more than a vaccine. As we are finding today, many parts of our nation have been left behind and are not able to share in the great American dream. Rural America is at the focus of attention now because it is our food production center, our water supply center, and our energy enter—and now becoming a COVID-19 center. How can we move from the present to a new well-being in rural America? What do rural communities really look like today? What are the myths? What are the opportunities? Rural communities share much in common with urban and suburban communities, but there are differences too. What does a transformational model look like that has the power to revitalize rural communities by creating opportunities in alignment with 21st century needs. How can the decline of rural America be turned around to create a better future for all Americans. MLF ORGANIZER Robert Lee Kilpatrick NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

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Jennifer Steinhauer: The Women Reshaping Congress Jun 09, 2020

In her career as a reporter at The New York Times, Jennifer Steinhauer has worked a wide range of beats, including the metro, bureau and national desks, the Los Angeles bureau chief, and the United States Congress. She has covered pressing issues spanning across the country, including health care, veterans’ rights, and disaster relief during Hurricane Katrina. Now, Steinhauer divulges a fresh perspective on a shifting political landscape in her book The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress. Steinhauer documents the incredible story of the women who were newly elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and follows their pursuit of groundbreaking change. Tune in as Steinhauer shares her unique perspective of a congressional reporter to give insight into the campaigns of these strong freshman congresswomen and how their victory in November 2018 has translated to change on the Hill.

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A Discussion on Racial Inequality and Pride Month Jun 08, 2020

As the country is convulsed by widespread protests over the killing of a black man, George Floyd, by Minneapolis police officers, we will discuss the impact it has had on our community, especially the LGBTQI community this month. Join us for an in-depth conversation about racial inequality and Pride Month

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CLIMATE ONE: A Decade of Oil: From Deepwater Horizon to Deflation Jun 08, 2020

Ten years ago, a very different crisis was gripping the country as 500 million gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico, taking lives and threatening fishing, tourism and more. The nation’s worst oil disaster cost BP an estimated $145 billion in cleanup costs and penalties. Now the industry is experiencing another crisis within a pandemic, as oil prices collapsed to historic lows in April and are expected to remain volatile. What’s next in the industry’s uncertain future? How will the collapse of oil prices impact gradual efforts to shift away from fossil fuels? Join us for a conversation on the past, present and future of oil with Bill Reilly, former EPA administrator and co-chair of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Heather Richards, energy reporter at E&E News, and John Hofmeister, former president of Shell Oil Company.

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Arlan Hamilton: About Damn Time Jun 05, 2020

Arlan Hamilton’s story is one made for the movies. In 2015, she was homeless, sleeping on the floors of the San Francisco airport, and dreaming of making it big in the venture capital world. As a gay black woman, she knew she didn’t fit the typical mold of a VC superstar, but she also knew that there were countless other founders and funders whose potential remained underestimated and untapped because they were different. With zero connections in Silicon Valley and a single laptop, she founded Backstage Capital—a seed-stage investment fund that has since garnered national recognition and invested $5 million in more than 100 start-ups founded by minorities. Join Hamilton at INFORUM, where she will share her incredible story of triumph in the face of systematic adversity, and how she defied expectations in hopes of inspiring an entire industry to change for the better. This conversation will be moderated by Megan Rose Dickey, senior reporter at TechCrunch. NOTES Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

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Destination Health: Addressing Societal Trauma Jun 05, 2020

How do we navigate the impact of a pandemic on our mental health and wellness? The health fears, social isolation and economic insecurity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic will likely lead to rising incidents of trauma in the United States and across the world. Just as we know that childhood trauma leads to poor health outcomes later in life, experts are concerned about the long-term effects on those who experience this event as a trauma. How significant is this risk, and what steps can we take to mitigate the impact? A panel of experts will outline how uncertainty and extended periods of stress affect the brain and how becoming more aware of your stress while learning how to manage your mental health can mitigate the impact of that trauma. They will also share resources and tools that help people get through a pandemic and discuss what is needed to support communities when it’s over, addressing the impacts of social isolation, including depression, suicidal ideation and substance abuse. NOTES This event is the third in The Commonwealth Club’s Thought Leadership series, Destination Health, which is focusing on the future of health, featuring in-depth conversations on the challenges driving physical, mental and social health

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David Frum: Restoring American Democracy Jun 04, 2020

The “Trump effect” on our democracy reaches far beyond 4-year presidential terms. President Trump has highlighted a chasm among the American people, revealing a fierce “us vs. them” mentality that might not be amended depending on who is elected in 2020. Many Americans feel the rest of the country is building a future that doesn’t have a place for them. Why would they want to participate in the systems that have led to their disenfranchisement? Popular political commentator David Frum believes there is a way for those excluded from Trump’s America to reclaim their democracy and reshape the political landscape. In his new book, Trumpocalypse: Restoring American Democracy, Frum outlines a map for the reinvention of American democracy and world leadership in the wake of Trump’s historic presidency. Frum argues that the United States is experiencing great trauma, and we need to do better—for ourselves, for our neighbors, for our nation. Join us for a virtual conversation as David Frum makes the case for believing in the possibilities of a united America once again.

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Vivian Lee: Solving America's Health-Care Crisis Jun 03, 2020

According to Dr. Vivian Lee, health care is killing our economy and, in many cases, killing us. Beyond the outrageous expense, the quality of care varies wildly, and millions of Americans can’t get care when they need it. This is bad for patients, bad for doctors, and bad for business. Dr. Lee cuts to the heart of the health-care crisis and offers a blueprint that is both realistic and optimistic. She warns it may not be a quick fix, but she says her concrete action plan for reform―for employers and other payers, patients, clinicians, and policy makers―can reinvent health care, and create a less costly, more efficient, and healthier system for all. NOTES This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ+ COVID-19 Relief Coalition Jun 03, 2020

SPEAKERS

Clair Farley
Senior Advisor, Trans Initiatives at the City and County of San Francisco

Anjali Rimi
Parivar SF Bay Area

Jack Beck
Turnout

Akira Jackson
Director, TAJA's Coalition

Nicole Santamaria
Executive Director, EL/LA Para Translatina

Michelle Meow
Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Progressive Voices Radio; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Host

In response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, this program took place and was recorded live via video conference, for an online audience only, and was live-streamed from The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on May 28th, 2020.

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Celebrating API Month and Successful Lao-American Women Jun 03, 2020

Celebrating API month and recognizing successful Lao-American women. NOTES This program was part of the Club's presentation of "The Michelle Meow Show" at The Commonwealth Club.

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Lavender Talks: The State of San Francisco's LGBTQ Cultural Districts Jun 02, 2020

Join us for the second in our new series of Lavender Talks—produced in partnership with San Francisco Pride, which is celebrating 50 years in 2020. In this program, we'll explore the status of San Francisco's LGBTQ cultural districts. How and why did they come into being? How are they used today? What's next? Our panel will feature leaders from the LGBTQ Cultural District, the Transgender District, the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District, and the mayor's manager of cultural districts. NOTES In association with San Francisco Pride Made possible by the generous support of Comcast And thanks to San Francisco Pride Legacy Partners: Bud Light Hilton San Francisco Union Square KPIX 5 CBS Bay Area Kaiser Permanente Genentech Gilead GLBT Historical Society KBCW TV Parc 55 San Francisco Smirnoff Recology T–Mobile This is a free program; please consider making a donation to support our online program production.

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Supporting Girls' and Women's Empowerment Around the World Jun 02, 2020

Empowering girls and women around the world is increasingly seen as an essential aspect of social justice and development. To help to break the cycle of poverty, education in many forms is a critical feature of programs that transform the lives of girls and women. Confidence and believing in oneself can help young girls and women realize their dreams and build sustainable economic growth. Building on the success and increasing the skills of students can enable young women to become successes in the future and make the world a better place. Our panelists represent significant organizations that will impact the lives of individual women and change the world. MLF ORGANIZER Frank Price NOTES MLF: International Relations This is an online-only event; register to receive a link to the live stream This program is free; please consider making a donation during registration to support production of our online programs

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The Importance of Interfaith Understanding Jun 02, 2020

Our distinguished panel—led by Michael Pappas and which includes Mahjabeen Dhala, a religious motivational speaker, who is pursuing a doctorate at the Graduate Theological Union; the Rt. Reverend William Swing, president and founding trustee of the United Religions Initiative (URI), and Sam Berrin Shonkoff, Ph.D. assistant professor of Jewish studies at GTU—will discuss the connections among the the Abrahamic faiths, the unfortunate general lack of knowledge of the others' histories, cultures, and beliefs, and how increased understanding, tolerance, acceptance, respect, etc. among all faiths could help bring about a more peaceful world. They will also share expressions of faith and how Interfaith communities interact in the midst of the horrendous COVID-19 crises. MLF ORGANIZER Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East

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Women’s Stories About Passion, Purpose and Transformation in Midlife Jun 01, 2020

We are experiencing a moment of profound global transformation, a moment that is causing many of us to deeply examine core aspects of our lives that we once took for granted. What is it like to initiate personal transformation in midlife, whether by choice or through crisis? Three women will share their stories of how they are making midlife one of the most profound and powerful times in their lives. Join us for an intimate conversation and discussion. And learn how to find your purpose and passion in the midst of all the external noise; how to overcome the roadblocks to personal change; and discover the gems of wisdom that can help carry you through it. Barbara Mark, Ph.D., has a deeply held passion for working with women in midlife and has enjoyed a decades-long career as an elite leadership, career and life strategies coach and advisor. She has been brought into the confidence of hundreds of professional women seeking to maintain inner balance while facing diverse external demands, personal ambition, and the desire to feel satisfied and fulfilled personally and professionally. As a recognized expert on the stages of adult development and how these stages impact career development and leadership in women, Dr. Mark is a sought-after coach by women who are looking to make appropriate and actionable personal and professional decisions at critical stages of their lives and careers. She is a recipient of the 2010 History Maker–Most Powerful Women of the Bay Award, the 2011 NAWBO-SFBA Business Woman of the Year Award, and the 2019 Bay Area Powerful Women Award, and is a frequent keynote speaker. Stephanie O'Dell is a personal stylist with 10 years of experience at Athleta, Stitch Fix and her own styling business helping dress more than 6,000 women. In 2016, she launched "Celebrate the Gray" blog to interview 100 women aged 50 and over with the goal of determining the need for an age-specific fashion line. "Celebrate the Gray" has grown into a full service agency for and about the 50+ woman. O'Dell now represents more than 30 gray-haired models and consults with companies to use real faces and genuine stories to help market and promote positive aging for the 50+ woman. She is involved locally and nationally promoting and speaking about positive aging for women. O'Dell was recently featured in the Marin Independent Journal and AARP Disrupt Aging movement. Julia Lucia Raina, CPCC, is a transformational coach who guides women and men in midlife to reconnect with their passion, power and purpose, and helps teams and organizations experience greater meaning, increased connection and more effective communication in their work environments. Her coaching style combines formal methodology and brain science with intuition and body awareness, and is infused with creativity and playfulness, elements from her education (B.A. in architecture from U.C. Berkeley) and early professional background in design. Raina is also honored to be an executive coach for Women Leaders for the World, a program of How Women Lead that provides training and support to help women develop the skills and confidence to solve some of the world’s most intractable problems. She works with clients in the San Francisco Bay Area, nationally and abroad. MLF ORGANIZER Denise Michaud NOTES MLF: Grownups

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Youth Talk: MsAfropolitan's Minna Salami Jun 01, 2020

Renowned writer Minna Salami’s work is dedicated to the many complex facets of feminism. She founded the award-winning blog MsAfropolitan to connect the dots between intersectional feminism, African diaspora and contemporary culture. She explores these themes and more in her new book Sensuous Knowledge, a collection of essays that also challenges us to rethink our history with power, beauty and knowledge. Join Salami at INFORUM for a youth-centered conversation on what it means to be a feminist, how youth can navigate gender politics, and how young women can build an empowered future for themselves. This conversation will be moderated by Lena Jennings, Equity Strategist at Google and Cinnamongirl, Inc. mentor. This conversation is a part of the Commonwealth Club’s new focus on civics education and is in partnership with Cinnamongirl Inc., an organization aimed at providing access, experiences and a global mindset, empowering girls to be the visionaries our world needs.

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What Does Politics Demand of Black Women? Jun 01, 2020

Against the backdrop of Senator Kamala Harris’ historic run for president of the United States, The New York Times asked the question “What does this country demand of Black women in politics?” In this discussion, we will dive into the subject with a powerhouse panel of Black women officials and strategists. The conversation will explore the expectations and demands of Black women who take the step into public service. What makes the journey so unique? What makes it challenging and what it will take to clear the final hurdle into the White House? Join San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Emerge California Executive Director Kimberly Ellis, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, and Akonadi Foundation President Lateefah Simon, in conversation with SF Pride President Carolyn Wysinger. NOTES Co-hosted by INFORUM

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Richard Haass: A Guide to the World Today May 30, 2020

Ambassador Richard Haass is a veteran diplomat and a prominent voice on American foreign policy. He is now in his 17th year as president of the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to helping people better understand foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. Ambassador Haass previously served as Principal Advisor to Secretary of State Colin Powell as well as U.S. Coordinator for policy toward the future of Afghanistan and and as U.S envoy to the Northern Ireland peace process. He was also special assistant to President George H.W. Bush and senior director for Near East and South Asian affairs at the National Security Council. In his 14th and newest book, Ambassador Haass seeks to help us all navigate a time in which many of our biggest challenges, including pandemics and terrorism, come from beyond our border. Join an important conversation about what Ambassador Haass calls the new normal of the 21st century and the global literacy we all need to make the most informed choices. NOTES To purchase a copy of Ambassador Haass' book, please visit BarnesAndNoble.com.

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A Healthy Society Series: Ethics and Value in Health Crises May 29, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has forced communities to face issues of ethics and human value in the health-care system. The higher rates of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 complications in communities of color draw focus once again on institutional inequities in access to health care and on hard questions confronting just paths forward. The Northern California Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Foundation’s (NorcalMLK) new Center for Social Impact, Development, and Global Engagement (SIDGE Center) focuses on linking ethics and value as data points to information architectures in health care and IT structures in order to improve equity. Leading ethicists and scholars Dwight Hopkins and Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez will be in conversation with Norcal MLK’s Aaron Grizzell, as they explore thoughts on ethics and value that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused us all to confront. MLF ORGANIZER Robert Lee Kilpatrick NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Alex Kantrowitz: Inside the Tech Titans May 29, 2020

How do tech titans at the top stay on top? According to technology reporter Alex Kantrowitz, it’s by acting like they’re at the bottom. At Amazon, "Day One" is code for inventing like a startup, with little regard for legacy. Day Two is, in Jeff Bezos's words, "stasis, followed by irrelevance . . . then death." Kantrowitz says most companies today are set up for Day Two. They build advantages and defend them fiercely, rather than invent the future. But as he chronicles in his new book, Always Day One: How the Tech Titans Plan to Stay on Top Forever, the tech titans of today remain successful because they are always operating in Day One. Companies like Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft have endured because they prioritize reinvention over tradition and collaboration over ownership. While these values may seem radical to some, they have proven to be immeasurably successful for major tech giants. But what about those actually at the bottom looking to make a name for themselves? Kantrowitz believes that everyone has to start somewhere, and that with the right strategy, hopeful startups can take on the major players and compete at their level. Join us for a conversation with Alex Kantrowitz as he outlines the blueprint for sustainable success in a business world where no advantage is safe. NOTES Please visit Barnes & Noble to purchase his book. This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Moral Leadership in a Time of Crisis: Conversation with Jacqueline Novogratz May 29, 2020

Just as Jacqueline Novogratz’s groundbreaking new book Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World makes its way to readers, an international pandemic has thrown into sharp relief the gaping wounds of our era, from a broken health system to climate change and skyrocketing inequality and growing divisiveness. Our inadequate systems and institutions are slumping beneath a host of modern crises. Most urgently, moral leaders are proving a scarce commodity. In America and across the world, an anxious public is hungry for clear, conscientious guidance. The stakes are higher than ever. Please join Jacqueline Novogratz in conversation with Keith Yamashita about how we might use this moment of extreme uncertainty to reimagine our institutions and enact a moral revolution—a revolution of character, moral imagination, moral courage, and leadership that acts for the benefit of all of us. MLF ORGANIZER Elizabeth Carney NOTES MLF: Business & Leadership

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Alex Filippenko: Astronomer to the Stars May 29, 2020

Despite all the media attention given to black holes, dark matter and dark energy, astronomy is actually all about the light—the decillions of photons careening around the universe. Join us virtually for a conversation with Alex Filippenko, a Berkeley astrophysicist who works on deciphering, from all that photonic information live-streaming to Earth, what is really going on out there. Filippenko will also share some of the spectacular images from deep space that our technology has been able to construct from the clues left behind by billions of those wandering photons. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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I Don't Want to Die with the Lie: Out College Coach Matt Lynch May 29, 2020

"I became very good at what I do. When other coaches on the staff would go home at night to their wife and kids, I would stay at the office. I would keep working, keep learning. This helped my career, but I didn't realize the negative effects it would have on my mental health." That's how Matt Lynch described his life hiding his sexuality during his time coaching at UNC-Wilmington. Currently out of work due to the COVID-related layoffs of the coaching staff, Lynch will join us for an online program to discuss his decision to come out publicly as a gay man in an article he wrote for Outsports.com this winter. How did his family respond? How did his players react? How did his school treat him? And what's next for this young coach? Join us for a conversation about being gay in big-time college sports.

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Cooking in Quarantine with J. Kenji López-Alt May 28, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect health and industry, the food that we eat every day has formed a complicated relationship to the crisis. Has social distancing forced us to think more consciously about what and how we cook? Or has panic and misinformation surrounding food safety spread to the masses? The Food Lab’s J. Kenji López-Alt joins INFORUM to explore all of the complex facets of this conversation—and, of course, he will do it using science. We will cover topics such as safe grocery store practices, food serving and preparation, false information regarding transmission via food (especially when ordering takeout) and much more. Tune in live as we explore all things food while in quarantine from one of the industry’s most trusted experts. This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Man of Tomorrow: The Relentless Life of Jerry Brown May 28, 2020

Governor Jerry Brown is no ordinary politician. Like California, he is eclectic, brilliant, unpredictable, and sometimes weird. Join us virtually as Newton explains how Jerry Brown extended, but still radically altered, the legacy of his father, Governor Pat Brown. In his 16 years as governor (from 1975 to 1983 and from 2011 to 2019), Jerry Brown's blend of compassion, far-sightedness, and pragmatism helped restore the California economy, balance the state budget, combat climate change, and defend immigrants' rights. Newton reveals the blueprint of Jerry Brown's offbeat risk taking: equal parts fiscal conservatism and social progressivism. Newton also reveals other sides of Jerry Brown, whose defeat on the national stage did nothing to diminish the scale of his political, intellectual and spiritual ambitions, and whose legacy demonstrates how politics may once again be effective in the future. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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David Bodanis: Einstein’s Big Mistake and Voltaire’s Brilliant Mistress May 28, 2020

Join us virtually for a conversation with David Bodanis, Zooming in from London, to discuss his ideas about how the COVID-19 pandemic will influence the future of the world economy, how Einstein grappled with having made a major mistake in trying to solve a physics problem, how Madame du Chatelet, the French aristocrat and married translator of Newton’s works, partnered on her intellectual pursuits with her lover Voltaire, how electricity was changed from a mere curiosity to a transformational force for civilization, and how he got interested in his latest book project, The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Gone Mean, which is due out in November. Hear a master storyteller describe the power of ideas that transform civilizations. NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Reopening the Economy: How Fast Is Too Fast? May 27, 2020

Everyone wants the economy to reopen as quickly as possible, but how can we do it while minimizing the risk to our health? The government and independent experts have developed detailed proposals. Many states and localities have eased restrictions without meeting the criteria in these plans. Some see the issue as a tug-of-war between the economy and public health, while others argue that we can’t have one without the other. Two influential health-care leaders from different sides of the political spectrum who have contributed to high-profile re-opening plans will debate how fast we should reopen, what risks are acceptable and how we can minimize them. NOTES In association with The Zetema Project This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Fast Carbs. Slow Carbs. May 27, 2020

In Fast Carbs, Slow Carbs, David Kessler explains how eating refined grains such as wheat, corn and rice leads to a cascade of hormonal and metabolic issues that make it very easy to gain weight and nearly impossible to lose it. Worse still is how excess weight creates a very real link to diabetes, heart disease, cognitive decline and a host of cancers. We can no longer afford to dismiss the consequences of eating food that is designed to be rapidly absorbed as sugar in our bodies. Informed by cutting-edge research as well as Kessler’s own personal quest to manage his weight, Fast Carbs, Slow Carbs reveals in illuminating detail how we got to this critical turning point in our health as a nation—and outlines a plan for eliminating heart disease, allowing us to finally regain control of our health. Dr. Kessler recently joined Joe Biden’s Public Health Advisory Committee and will also discuss how our collective behavior with be the primary determinant in dealing with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. David Kessler served as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He is the author of A Question of Intent and The End of Overeating, a New York Times best seller. He is a pediatrician and has been the dean of the medical schools at Yale and the UC San Francisco. Kessler is a graduate of Amherst College, the University of Chicago Law School and Harvard Medical School. MLF ORGANIZER Patty James NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine Visit BarnesandNoble.com to purchase Dr. Kessler's book. This program was rescheduled from April 28. This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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On the Frontline: Care Workers and the Pandemic May 27, 2020

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, care workers, particularly those who work in homes and long-term care residential facilities, have faced some of the biggest challenges among frontline workers during the 2-month crisis. One the one hand, many of the care workers who work in homes have lost their jobs or had their hours massively reduced. On the other hand, workers who have maintained their jobs often have had to jeopardize their own health and the health of their own families by going to work. Meanwhile, many of these jobs don’t have traditional job benefits in the best of times, let alone during one of the most significant public health and economic crises that U.S. workers have had to face in decades. How are care workers facing these challenges during the current pandemic? How can these workers be protected in future disasters? Please join us as we explore these important questions and issues with key leaders in the field. NOTES This program is generously supported by the Blue Shield of California Foundation and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, as well as a collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Lavender Talks: Celebrating 50 years of San Francisco Pride May 27, 2020

Join a panel of passionate former Pride board members who will share their experiences volunteering for the organization as it celebrates its 50 year anniversary this year. Jacquelene Bishop owns and operates her own CPA firm in the East Bay, serving small businesses and their owners. She sat on the Pride board from 2016–2019, serving as the treasurer the first two years and as president the third. Ken Jones joined the Parade in 1980; and served as its first co-chair of outreach, charged with bringing more “traditionally under/non/mis-represented segments of the lesbian and gay communities” into the movement. Early efforts including giving people of color an opportunity to gather and march together as their own contingent and utilizing the Hot Colors Event at the End-up to bring people of color together the night before Pride. He continued with the organization for more than a decade, serving as co-chair and president. Jones presently hosts small groups in an historical walk through the Castro during the 80s and 90s. Michelle Meow is the former president of SF Pride. She is the producer and host of "The Michelle Meow Show," which airs on KBCW TV and KPIX TV, and online on the Progressive Voices Radio Network. The is a member of The Commonwealth Club's Board of Governors, and she produces about 50 programs a year at the Club, featuring LGBTQI thought leaders. Teddy Witherington currently serves as the deputy director at the Impact Fund. The Impact Fund is dedicated to impact litigation for social justice. Prior to that he served CMO at Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. He was the executive director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (2007–2012), executive director of San Francisco LGBT Pride (1997–2006), and as the festival producer of the London LGBT Pride Festival (1992-1997). ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Chronicle Food Critic Soleil Ho: Foodie with an Agenda May 26, 2020

The San Francisco Chronicle entered a new era of restaurant criticism in 2019 when longtime critic Michael Bauer retired and was succeeded by Soleil Ho. Quick to set herself apart from her predecessor, Ho freely mixes thoughts on racism, cultural appropriation and other hot-button topics into her reviews. Her "Racist Sandwich" podcast was nominated for multiple awards, and in 2018 she received the Southern Foodways Alliance Smith Symposium Fellowship and a UC Berkeley-11th Hour Food and Farming Journalism Fellowship. Join us for a conversation with a young—and controversial—voice in the Bay Area's boisterous food culture.

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Flourishing in a New Normal May 25, 2020

A "blinding flash of the obvious" will be striking The Commonwealth Club. And why do we need it now, so badly? Because, the “new normal” has imprinted itself, on the world, and most people do not know how to adapt successfully. Steven Campbell says that success comes from how we think! He will present an eye-opening look at the latest research on how our brains conform to the messages we give them. When we optimize those messages, he says, our brains will literally rewire themselves, again, to create new, positive ways, of dealing with the challenges we are facing. It's not magic . . . it's science! His key take-aways: First, a practical knowledge of cutting-edge brain research on meeting the challenges of the "new normal," and, second, an understanding of the relationship between your brain and your emotions and how to train them both to your advantage. Campbell acquired his Masters degree—when he was 55—to pursue his greatest love, teaching. He then became a professor, author, and professional speaker. He holds workshops around the world on cognitive psychology. He also hosts a two-hour weekly radio program on Wednesday mornings—named after his successful book Making Your Mind Magnificent—on KOWS 92.5 FM. MLF Organizer: Denise Michaud MLF: Grownups

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History in the Present: The Pandemic and Civic Learning May 25, 2020

Since the early days of the United States, the country’s leaders have understood that the success of our democratic republic depends on a knowledgeable electorate of citizens who are informed about contemporary issues and who understand how government works. The current pandemic comes at a time when that standard is being threatened by deep partisan divisions, disagreements about the role of federal and state government in citizens’ daily lives, and distrust of political leadership. In the past, when the country faced a crisis of such broad magnitude—the Great Depression, World War II—political leaders were able to use the moment to unify the nation and renew faith in America’s civic structures. Despite our current divisions—already on display as the country debates reopening—can the pandemic and the response to it point to new ways of bringing people together to work for a common good? If so, how can we realize this promise, now and in the future? In particular, what role can a comprehensive civics education, balancing civic knowledge and civic engagement, play in engaging K-12 students from all backgrounds in a renewed commitment to American civic life and its democratic principles? Four national leaders from across the United States will discuss the possibility of using this unique moment in American history to forge a new future for the nation and help young people acquire and learn to use the skills, knowledge and attitudes that will prepare them to be competent and responsible citizens throughout their lives. This unique program will help launch the Commonwealth Club’s new focus on civics education.

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Madeleine Albright: Hell and Other Destinations May 25, 2020

In 2001, when Madeleine Albright was leaving office as America’s first female secretary of state, interviewers asked her how she wished to be remembered. “I don’t want to be remembered,” she answered. “I am still here and have much more I intend to do. As difficult as it might seem, I want every stage of my life to be more exciting than the last.” So she has continued to write, teach, travel, give speeches, start a business, fight for democracy, help empower women, campaign for favored political candidates, and spend more time with her grandchildren. For nearly 20 years, Secretary Albright has been in constant motion. Her new memoir is blunt, intimate, funny, and serious. An excellent basis for a rare, candid visit with one of America’s most memorable and revered public figures. Join us to hear Secretary Albright's outlook on the world . . . past, present and post-COVID.

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CLIMATE ONE: COVID-19 and Climate: The Future of Energy May 25, 2020

After decades spent trying to reach 100 million barrels of daily production, the oil industry is devastated from the sudden evaporation of demand. Renewables are also taking a big hit with projections that half of America’s solar workers will lose their jobs. Federal relief packages are bailing out airlines and public transportation, while excluding any help for clean energy. What are the energy impacts of the COVID-19 recession? How will this reshape use of renewables and hydrocarbons in the years to come? Join us for a conversation with Jason Bordoff, founding director of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, Amy Harder, energy and climate change reporter at Axios, Scott Jacobs, CEO & co-founder of Generate Capital, and Julia Pyper, co-host of the Political Climate Podcast.

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Andy Slavitt: A Bipartisan Approach to Fighting the Pandemic May 25, 2020

Andy Slavitt was brought in by the Obama administration to fix Healthcare.gov after a disastrous rollout and then asked to stay on to head Medicare and Medicaid. Since leaving government, he’s been one of the fiercest critics of the current administration’s efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and combat COVID-19. Yet his approach to changing health care and fighting the pandemic has been deliberately bipartisan, and he informally advises leading Republicans as well as Democrats. Slavitt teamed with former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb to propose a $46.5 billion plan for COVID-19 contact tracing and isolation and was lead author of an open letter entitled “Stay Home, Save Lives” signed by 16 top Republican and Democratic figures. Listen to one of our country’s savviest health professionals discuss what’s next for fighting the pandemic in a bipartisan fashion.

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Reducing Nuclear Weapons: Stopping the War That No One Wants May 24, 2020

The ongoing pandemic has shown us what indiscriminate worldwide destruction looks like. A nuclear war would do infinitely more damage in a shorter time and recovery, if possible at all, would take years. Russia says it’s created hypersonic weapons. Kim Jung Un refuses to give up his nuclear program. Iran is enriching uranium. The current START treaty expires in February 2021. Join a seasoned panel to discuss what the United States and others can do at this crucial point in history to reduce weapons and decrease the chances of devastating war.

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Halting Bigotry in Its Tracks May 22, 2020

How can we stop repeating history? Sadly, the United States has had a long history of prejudice and racism against Asians and other marginalized communities in this country, starting before the Chinese Exclusion Act, to the Second World War Japanese-American incarceration, and the McCarthy witch hunting era in the Chinese-American community, through the Civil Rights Movement to the Vincent Chin murder and continuing to xenophobia targeting Muslims and the AMEMSA (Arab Middle Eastern Muslim South Asian) community. Join us for a discussion about how people can stop repeating history and end racism for all.

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David Plouffe: How to Beat Donald Trump May 19, 2020

David Plouffe is one of the leading Democratic political strategists around. He led Barack Obama to victory in 2008 and remains one of his most trusted advisers. Following his public service, he worked for Uber as the senior vice president of policy and strategy before joining the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in 2017. A Citizen’s Guide to Beating Donald Trump is Plouffe’s guide for the 2020 voter on how to make a difference. Plouffe draws on decades' worth of experience to coach voters on what they can do every day, from the comfort of their homes, to ensure Donald Trump’s defeat. His advice is simple: Change will only happen from action and direct dialogue from citizen to citizen. For those invested, Plouffe argues that the time to start is now. Join political strategist David Plouffe as he gives us a pragmatic and motivational guide on how to tackle the electoral road ahead.

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CLIMATE ONE: Storytelling Through the Climate Crisis May 18, 2020

How do we confront the reality of a future that will be hauntingly different from today? Some authors are using fiction to create relatable narratives while sparing us from a deluge of sobering facts that can make audiences feel detached. The dystopian worlds in the films Mad Max and The Hunger Games do the same to both entertain and distance viewers from the realities of an increasingly destabilized climate. Can fiction give access to hopes and fears that we can’t handle in our daily lives? How are authors like Jenny Offill and Roy Scranton using stories that let readers experience climate change, while also keeping it at arms’ length?

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Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue: What Makes a Marriage Last May 16, 2020

What makes a marriage last? Iconic couple Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue crisscrossed the country and conducted intimate conversations with 40 celebrated couples whose marriages they’ve admired. Through these conversations, Marlo and Phil also reveal the rich journey of their own 40-year marriage. Marlo and Phil will share the practical and heartfelt wisdom from couples including like President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, Al Roker and Deborah Roberts, and Sting and Trudie Styler. Marlo Thomas is an award-winning actress and national outreach director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which was founded by her father Danny Thomas. Phil Donahue is a media pioneer who revolutionized the talk show format and won 20 Daytime Emmy Awards.

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Tom Ammiano's Trip Down the Yellow Brick Road May 12, 2020

Tom Ammiano has made his impression on San Francisco since he first arrived and stepped off a Greyhound bus. A stand-up comedian, the first openly gay teacher in the city, activist and politician—he has been in the public eye for decades. Now Ammiano is telling his story in his new book, Kiss My Ass: My Trip Down the Yellow Brick Road Through Activism, Stand-up, and Politics. The book's title comes from his shouted comment to then-Goveror Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the book is filled with the "authenticity, poignant moments, wild tales and laughter" that have been a part of Ammiano's life in the city by the bay. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy: Fighting Loneliness During COVID-19 and Beyond May 11, 2020

Now more than ever, loneliness is a growing public health concern as communities continue to require social distancing and self-isolation to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Because humans are social creatures, at the center of our loneliness is our innate desire to connect, forge lasting bonds, help one another, and share life experiences. In his new book Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, Dr. Murthy warns of the dangers of loneliness and the lasting impact it can have on our health. He will be joined by Dr. Lucy Kalanithi for a poignant conversation on his four key strategies to weather this epidemic during this difficult time and beyond. Dr. Murthy was appointed by President Barack Obama and served as the 19th surgeon general of the United States.

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Let the People Pick the President: The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College May 10, 2020

Join us virtually as we discuss why twice in the last five elections the Electoral College vote has overridden the popular vote, creating a false impression of a country divided into red and blue states, when we are actually purple from coast to coast. In addition, millions of Americans always find that their votes didn't matter anyway, because only a handful of battleground states decide who becomes the next president. In this thoroughly researched and engaging call to arms, Jesse Wegman draws upon the history of the founding era, as well as information gleaned from 21st century Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns, to make a powerful case for abolishing what he calls the antiquated and antidemocratic Electoral College. Wegman argues that we can at long last make every vote in the United States count―and restore belief in our democratic system.

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Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Alexis Madrigal: Racial Disparities During COVID-19 May 09, 2020

As COVID-19 cases top 1 million in America, the emerging data is clear: African Americans are being disproportionately affected by the crisis. Infection rates, hospitalizations and even number of deaths have revealed distinct gaps across lines of race and class. Why do these glaring disparities exist, and how can we use this data to combat systemic racism in the face of a global pandemic? American University’s Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and COVID Tracking Project co-founder Alexis Madrigal have joined forces to try to answer these important questions. Join INFORUM for this virtual event, where Kendi and Madrigal will walk us through their findings and reveal how this growing data can be used to provide a safer future for the African American community.

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Managing Anxiety in the Time of COVID-19 May 09, 2020

It's a stressful time. We’re understandably anxious as we face a dangerous and unprecedented situation, and an uncertain future. Ordinarily, we would reach out to family, friends and co-workers for a supportive hug or gather together to talk things through. These are the natural ways we manage stressful situations. Yet during this time of the coronavirus, we have to be physically distancing from others. We want to make sure that our loved ones are safe, yet our mere presence can endanger them. We need to handle complex, unprecedented situations quickly and competently, yet our impulse may be toward panic, anxiety and therefore avoidance. Dr. Michael Tompkins, co-director of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy and assistant clinical professor at the University of California, Berkeley, specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders. He’ll spend an hour with us and share a few strategies that may help us to manage our anxieties more effectively. He'll lead us in a few exercises and answer questions we may have. MLF Organizer: Brad Berman MLF: Personal Growth

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CLIMATE ONE: Zero-Emission Cities May 08, 2020

With COVID-19 shutting down urban areas, city dwellers from Los Angeles to New Delhi are getting a rare taste of clean air and blue skies. It is a glimpse of what net-zero cities might look like with transformed energy and transportation systems, minus the society-splintering pandemic. However, with a global recession on the horizon, critical programs to improve urban mobility and reduce emissions are on the sidelines. How are major cities like L.A., New York and Amsterdam implementing innovative sustainability projects to become net-zero? Will the recession impact funding for clean energy, infrastructure and bold action to address climate change? Join us with Lauren Faber O’Connor, chief sustainability officer for the city of Los Angeles, and Eva Gladek, founder and CEO of Metabolic, for a conversation on cities reaching for zero in a post-pandemic world.

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Catastrophe: Dialogues on Storytelling and the Present Moment—Part 2, Climate Change and Sacred Groves May 08, 2020

Please join The Commonwealth Club of California and UC Berkeley’s Townsend Center for the Humanities for the second in a series of dialogues on catastrophe, storytelling and the present moment. In “Climate Change and Sacred Groves,” Townsend Center scholar Sugata Ray will meet with visual artist Ranu Mukherjee to investigate the relationship between the natural world and the sacred realm, especially as it has developed in India over the last several centuries of civilization and the rise of the Anthropocene era. In his most recent book, Climate Change and the Art of Devotion, Sugata shows how a site-specific and ecologically grounded theology emerged in northern India in the wake of the Little Ice Age (ca. 1550–1850), an epoch marked by climatic catastrophes across the globe. His interests dovetail in unexpected and compelling ways with Ranu’s visionary and captivating recent work, which positions the banyan tree as a meeting point between ecology and culture. Their conversation will be an opportunity for viewers to contemplate and rethink the role of art as it relates to contemporary concerns around climate, disease, human flourishing and the sacred. Sugata Ray is associate professor of South and Southeast Asian art in the History of Art Department at the University of California, Berkeley. His research and writing focus on climate change and the visual arts from the 1500s onward. Ray is the author of Climate Change and the Art of Devotion: Geoaesthetics in the Land of Krishna, 1550–1850 (2019); Water Histories of South Asia: The Materiality of Liquescence (2019; coedited); and Ecologies, Aesthetics, and Histories of Art (forthcoming; coedited). Ranu Mukherjee is a visual artist who makes paintings, animations and large-scale installations. Her current work focuses on shifting senses of ecology, non-human agency, diaspora, migration and transnational feminist experience. Her most recent installation was presented at the ecologically focused 2019 Karachi Biennale; she has exhibited solo at the San Jose Museum of Art, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the Asian Art Museum, and the de Young Museum. She is an associate professor in graduate fine art at the California College of the Arts. Mukherjee is represented by Gallery Wendi Norris.

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H.P. Mendoza: Going Viral in the Age of the Coronavirus May 07, 2020

Filmmaker H.P Mendoza found himself living in Japan when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He and his partner were given less than a day to uproot themselves and be evacuated to the United States. But Mendoza found himself on "Good Morning America" and on countless social media feeds when a video he made lampooning video conferences went viral. Once he was sheltering-in-place in San Francisco, he made another video, this time a birthday sing-a-long with dozens of his distant sheltering-in-place friends. Join us for this talk with a young filmmaker to learn more about his work, going viral in a good way, and coping with a pandemic.

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The Half of It: Director Alice Wu and Star Leah Lewis May 07, 2020

Alice Wu's new film The Half of It tells the coming-of-age story of smart but cash-strapped teen Ellie Chu, who agrees to write a love letter for a jock to his crush. Chu doesn't expect to become his friend—or fall for his crush. The film, scheduled for a May 1 release on Netflix, is the second film from writer/producer/director Wu. Join us for a conversation with Alice Wu and the film's star, Leah Lewis.

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The Instagram Story with Bloomberg’s Sarah Frier May 06, 2020

In a short 10 years, Instagram has grown from a simple idea for sharing photos to an application with over 1 billion monthly users and company growth that has surpassed many other tech giants. At the same time, this exponential success has been accompanied by a dramatic acquisition by Facebook in 2012 and the Instagram co-founders stepping down in 2018. Award-winning technology reporter Sarah Frier helps bring some clarity to the mysteries surrounding the tech giant in her book No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram. The Bloomberg reporter delivers stories taken from the Instagram influencers and celebrities that have helped drive the app to such rapid growth, the employees and executives who have watched from behind the scenes, and the founders of Instagram themselves who give insight into the growth and change of the service. Join INFORUM as Frier draws from her expertise in technology to navigate through this diverse cast of sources to paint a picture of how Instagram evolved to shape the online experience and fundamentally change how we engage with society.

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The Science of Happiness During COVID-19 May 05, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every facet of human life. Schools, businesses and entire industries have effectively shut down overnight, citizens have been asked to stay at home and limit social interaction as long as they can, and essential workers are risking their health every day on the frontlines of this global crisis. Negative emotions like fear, stress, anxiety and depression are inevitable and can overwhelm even the most optimistic of people. What can we do to nurture our happiness during these unprecedented times? Dr. Dacher Keltner joins INFORUM to answer that question. Dr. Keltner is the professor behind the popular course "The Science of Happiness" at UC Berkeley and is the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center where he blends scientific research with human empathy to create a healthier society. Kelter will share stories, tips and resources to help listeners cope with issues like talking to your children about COVID-19, finding connection while social distancing, managing financial stress and much more. We will learn not only how to survive during this time of unrest, but how, together, we can thrive in it.

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California Health Care's Response to the Pandemic May 05, 2020

California was the first state to shelter in place, and the Bay Area began sheltering even earlier. While this appears to have reduced the rate of growth in COVID-19 cases, the nation’s largest state still is severely challenged by the global pandemic. Many hospitals are overcrowded, the numbers of patients in rural areas are increasing, hundreds of Californians have died, and many have lost both their jobs and their health-care coverage. How is the health-care system in the state responding? What are the health and financial implications for individual Californians? Three California health-care leaders whose organizations collectively impact millions of citizens will share what their organizations are doing to tackle the crisis.

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Linda Sarsour and Alicia Garza: We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders May 05, 2020

One day after the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump, the worldwide Women’s March gathered people from all seven continents to send a bold message that women’s rights are human rights. It was one of the largest single-day protests in U.S. history, advocating for women’s rights, immigration reform, racial equality and more. In her new book, We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders, award-winning activist Linda Sarsour chronicles her intersectional experiences growing up as the daughter of immigrant parents, as a Muslim woman unshaken in her faith in a post 9/11 world, as a co-organizer of the Women’s March, and as a leader in the decades-long fight for justice. Join her, in conversation with internationally recognized organizer Alicia Garza, to learn about the power of mobilization and community when fighting for lasting change.

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Pandemic Health-Care Inequities: How They Put All Americans at Risk May 05, 2020

COVID-19 has been a national disaster. The impact has disproportionately affected minority and lower income Americans, who tend to have jobs that can’t be done from home and are less likely to have health-care coverage or access to medical care. That’s true in most crises, but this one is different. Anyone who fails to get tested or treated for COVID-19 risks getting others sick and delays economic recovery for all, regardless of socioeconomic status. How can safety-net hospitals, Medicaid providers, and health plans ensure that all Americans get the tests and health care they need during the pandemic? Will the current sentiment that "We’re all in this together" finally convince the public of the need for universal coverage? CEOs of two safety-net hospitals and the nation’s largest public option health plan will discuss how they’re handling the crisis, what they’re doing to reduce inequities, and the potential impact of the crisis on health care going forward.

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Democracy and COVID-19: What Happens Next? May 03, 2020

Within weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted almost every fabric of American life. Workplaces have moved to remote or closed, cities have shut down, and the country has largely grounded to a halt. In a pivotal election year, more than a dozen states have postponed their primaries, campaigning has moved to the digital world, and individual civil liberties have been curtailed to prevent community spread. What effects will this have on America and the world’s democratic systems? Join our two experts as they break down our changing world. James Fallows has written for The Atlantic for more than 40 years, and his award-winning reporting has taken him through Asia, Europe and across the United States. Kori Schake is the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, and her distinguished career in government includes working at the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Security Council at the White House.

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CLIMATE ONE: COVID-19 and Climate: Economic Impacts May 02, 2020

The COVID-19 recession is unfolding at historic speed and depth. New jobless claims reached 10 million in just two weeks, a record pace. Wall Street’s fear gauge closed at an all-time high in mid-March. Environmentally, though, the shutdown has come with some temporary benefits—decreased travel, cleaner water and a plunging demand for oil. But crashing the economy isn’t exactly a climate solution. How will the coronavirus recession reshape the economy and prospects for addressing climate in a post-pandemic world? How does this economic crisis compare to others in history? Join us for a conversation with Kathleen Day, finance lecturer at Johns Hopkins University and author of Broken Bargain: Banks, Bailouts, and the Struggle to Tame Wall Street; Amy Jaffe, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; and Matt Rogers, senior partner at McKinsey & Company.

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A Healthy Society Series: The Whole Story May 02, 2020

The root of the word health is whole. Two medical professionals with long careers in medicine, health and science will talk about a new system called HealthMedicine, which is integrative, holistic, preventative and person-centered. What would it look like to put care back into health care? Building communities that support healthy living is the goal of these two professionals. This is the first program in a series led by the Health & Medicine Member-led Forum of The Commonwealth Club.

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Pi Mai: Lao/Thai/Cambodian New Year in the Time of COVID-19 May 01, 2020

Pi Mai is the Laotian New Year (also known as Songkran). It is a time of renewal. But how are Lao, Thai, and Cambodian celebrants dealing with this holiday during a time of sheltering at home, closed businesses, and a raging pandemic? We'll talk with four community activists about New Years in the age of the coronavirus.

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Rep. Adam Schiff: What America Missed About COVID-19 Apr 30, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across America, leaders and citizens alike across the country are asking the same question: How were we so unprepared? And how should we respond as a nation? Representative Adam Schiff, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, is working on getting answers and ensuring we’re better prepared for the next pandemic. In the last few weeks, Schiff and his congressional colleagues proposed a 9/11-style bipartisan commission to investigate the government’s response, determine if the administration ignored key warning signs, and help oversee how they spend the more than $2 trillion in relief funding. Join Schiff and Mother Jones Editor in Chief Clara Jeffery for a virtual conversation about missed warnings, the government’s response and where we go from here.

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Dr. Harvey Fineberg: Ten Weeks to Crush the Curve Apr 29, 2020

The president says we are at war with the coronavirus. It’s a war we should fight to win. The economy is in the tank, and anywhere from thousands to more than a million American lives are in jeopardy. Most analyses assume that both the pandemic and the economic setback must play out over a period of many months. However, there is another option, one that simultaneously limits fatalities and gets the economy cranking again in a sustainable way. Dr. Harvey Fineberg believes if we establish six bold steps to mobilize and organize the nation, we can defeat COVID-19 by early June. The aim is not to flatten the curve—the goal is to crush the curve. Learn more about this forceful and focused campaign to eradicate COVID-19 in the United States. Fineberg has held several prominent positions over the course of his career, including dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, provost of Harvard University and president of the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine).

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Alexis Madrigal: The COVID Tracking Project Apr 29, 2020

As the COVID-19 crisis grips America and the world, the daily counts of confirmed cases and deaths have become ubiquitous. But these two numbers paint an incomplete picture about how widespread the outbreak truly is. To provide a more detailed scope of the crisis, journalist Alexis Madrigal started the COVID Tracking Project. Madrigal and a team of data and science experts have spent hundreds of hours obtaining, organizing and publishing high-quality data breaking down the test numbers. The data report the number of positive and negative tests done at the national and state levels, as well as pending tests and deaths. Madrigal joins us to break down this important work and how data can help us better understand an invisible enemy.

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COVID-19, Santa Clara County and the Future Apr 27, 2020

As California nears 25,000 cases of COVID-19, there have now been more than 1,800 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Santa Clara County, with a death toll of over 60. With a population of nearly 2 million, the number of COVID-19-related deaths per 100,000 residents is the highest rate of any of the Bay Area’s five most populous counties. How are Santa Clara's leaders handling this crisis and what steps will they take to handle pandemics in the future? Hear more from Santa Clara County officials. This program is free, though donations are strongly encouraged and appreciated. This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s virtual series, addressing the myriad impacts of COVID19 on our community and society at large. It is supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Asian American Voices on Anti-Asian Violence Apr 26, 2020

As Americans have grappled with coming to terms with the pandemic and its many effects on their lives—working from home, loss of income or job, homeschooling their children, worries about their own or their loved ones' health—some of them also have to worry about being attacked because of their race. Join us for a timely discussion of the discrimination, verbal abuse and even physical attacks directed at Asian-Americans as the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the country.

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Born This Way Foundation: Building Kinder Communities, Supporting the Well-Being of Students and Improving Mental Health Resources Apr 26, 2020

The Commonwealth Club and Born This Way Foundation Invite you to a conversation focused on the intersection of kindness and mental health during these unprecedented times. In this conversation, moderated by Maya Smith, you'll hear from mental health experts, advocates and young people on the many ways the COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted our normality, how we can find ways to spread kindness while also focusing on our mental health.

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CLIMATE ONE: Fossil Fuels in the Ground and in Your Portfolio Apr 25, 2020

When institutional investors divest from fossil fuel companies does it have more than symbolic impact? Universities, pension funds and other asset managers have hopped on the divest–invest bandwagon. Critics say selling fossil fuel stocks just makes them cheaper for others to buy and doesn’t affect the financial health of oil and gas companies. Supporters say it’s a moral move that also makes financial sense because burning all the carbon on the balance sheets of listed energy companies will destroy human civilization as we know it. What’s the bottom line on divestment? What should you do with your portfolio? Join a conversation about financing the transition to a cleaner economy with Brian Deese, global head of sustainable investing at Black Rock, Lori Keith, portfolio manager at Parnassus Investments, Pratima Rangarajan, CEO of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, and Anne Simpson, director of board governance & strategy at CalPERS.

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Janet Napolitano: COVID-19, California's Universities and National Security Apr 25, 2020

Join us for a rare conversation with Janet Napolitano about the societal impact of COVID-19 on universities and the U.C. system in particular, as well as the implications for national security now and in the aftermath of the COVID crisis. Napolitano is the 20th president of the University of California and the first woman to serve in this role. She leads a university system of 10 campuses, five medical centers, three affiliated national laboratories, and a statewide agriculture and natural resources program. She also served as the U.S. secretary of homeland security from 2009 to 2013, as governor of Arizona from 2003 to 2009, as attorney general of Arizona from 1998 to 2003, and as U.S. attorney for the district of Arizona from 1993 to 1997. Napolitano earned a B.S. degree (summa cum laude in political science) from Santa Clara University, where she was the university’s first female valedictorian. She received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Notes This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Artificial Intelligence and You: The Future of the Mind Apr 24, 2020

It’s 2040, and you stroll into the Center for Mind Design where you can buy a variety of brain enhancements. How far do you want to go? The human calculator promises to give you savant-level mathematical abilities. The Zen garden can make you calmer and more efficient. Or you can buy “merge,” a series of enhancements that allow you to gradually augment and transfer mental functions to the cloud. This might all sound like science fiction, but Susan Schneider, a cognitive scientist and philosopher at the University of Connecticut and the NASA–Blumberg chair of astrobiology at the Library of Congress, says brain microchips and other techniques to integrate humans with artificial intelligence are under development. AI, she says, is revolutionizing the economy and will inevitably go inside the head as corporations attempt to allow us seamless access to our devices. Schneider addresses the implications of AI in our lives and how to ensure the science develops in a way that promotes human flourishing. MLF Organizer: Gerald Harris MLF: Technology & Society

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Edward Frenkel: What's Math Got To Do With It? Apr 21, 2020

Join us virtually for a conversation with the engagingly clear Berkeley mathematics professor Edward Frenkel—a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the American Mathematical Society, the winner of the Hermann Weyl Prize in mathematical physics, and the author of Love & Math, an international bestseller that has been published in 19 languages. As a starting point for this conversation, we will take Pythagoras’s famous maxim “all is number.” Frenkel appears well-qualified to offer his opinion on this philosophical, perhaps even mystical, statement: he is one of the world leaders in the groundbreaking Langlands Program, considered by many as a kind of Grand Unified Theory of math and quantum physics. His work, Frenkel says, can help us find order in apparent chaos and point to something rich and mysterious lurking beneath the surface, glimpses of hidden structures underlying the Universe. Yet, Frenkel also sees limits to math’s ability to explain our lives. There are, of course, those who think math has no limits, that if only we knew all the right equations and algorithms, we could replicate life, or merge into an undying singularity. Frenkel disagrees with that, and moreover says that math itself can prove that it has inherent limitations. Join us as we ponder the big question: “What’s math got to do with it?” MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Hospitals, Doctors and Insurers Face COVID-19: Reports from the Field Apr 21, 2020

COVID-19 is challenging the U.S. health-care system in unprecedented ways. Hospitals are staggering under the burden of treating infected patients, doctors struggle to protect themselves while working overtime, and insurers weigh eliminating co-pays for testing and treatment as their expenses skyrocket. Hear top executives from among the country’s largest hospital systems, physician groups and health insurers describe the situations they’re facing and how they’re coping with our nation’s worst pandemic. Notes In association with The Zetema Project This program is free, though please consider making a donation during registration This program will be online only, and you must pre-register for a link to the program This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors; we are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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CLIMATE ONE: COVID-19 and Climate: Implications for Public Health Apr 21, 2020

What can the spread of the coronavirus teach us about the spread of climate change? Both crises have global reach, invisible perpetrators, and require aggressive, early action for containment. But while an infectious disease is acute and deeply personal, the impacts of a changing climate are systemic and vague. Scientists point out that the coronavirus family—which includes COVID-19 and SARS—originated as an animal disease that can be passed along to humans. With increased human development encroaching into wildlife areas, should communities be preparing for more pandemics? A conversation on climate factors shaping human health with Brian Allan, associate professor of entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Aaron Bernstein, interim director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard School of Public Health, and Barbara Gottlieb, director of environment and health at Physicians for Social Responsibility. This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Science Fiction Author John Scalzi: The Last Emperox Apr 21, 2020

Join us for an online conversation with one of the biggest names in science fiction—bestselling author John Scalzi. He has entertained millions of fans with his hugely popular Old Man's War series of books and other novels, earned himself two Hugo awards, and regularly engages and occasionally enrages the science fiction world with his lively blog on whatever.scalzi.com. Scalzi's newest novel, The Last Emperox, caps off his Interdependency trilogy that began with The Collapsing Empire and The Consuming Fire. In this final volume, Emperox Grayland must pull out all of the stops to save as much of humanity as possible from the collapsing network that ties together the human worlds; she is opposed by forces who want to destroy her and could end up destroying human civilization in the process. Don't miss this discussion with the witty, outspoken and talented John Scalzi. This is an online program, presented free; donations are welcome and may be made during the registration process Purchase a signed copy of The Last Emperox from San Francisco's legendary SF bookstore Borderlands.

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The Gift of Forgiveness, with Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt Apr 21, 2020

We all face difficulty and pain in life, and whether we are the perpetrators or the victims, we must all inevitably learn how to forgive and open up to healing. New York Times best-selling author Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt has experienced the often slow and thorny journey toward forgiveness, and she knows how the power of personal insight can illuminate the path of forgiveness. In her new book, The Gift of Forgiveness, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt helps people navigate the difficult path toward healing with first-hand accounts and experiences from her own life. Join her, in conversation with New York Times best-selling author Kelly Corrigan, to learn the power of forgiveness in finding peace and acceptance. This program is free, though we invite you to make a donation during registration ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Catastrophe: Dialogues on Storytelling and the Present Moment—Part 1: The Book of Exodus Apr 21, 2020

The catastrophic, overwhelming challenges we are facing globally are manifesting locally—week by week, day by day, hour by hour. Cities are besieged. Economies are failing. Friends are dying. As the human toll creeps ever higher, it begins to feel as though our very humanity lies in the balance. How can we preserve it? Although the scale of the COVID-19 disaster is unprecedented, it is worth recalling that this is not the first time that human societies have faced catastrophic collapse. What can we learn from those who have come before us? The Commonwealth Club and UC Berkeley's Townsend Center for the Humanities invite you to take part in Catastrophe: Dialogues on Storytelling and the Present Moment, a series of conversations that will examine catastrophe and the essential role that stories play in helping us to face and survive catastrophe. Bringing together (remotely, of course) internationally known humanities scholars from UC Berkeley and prominent figures from the Bay Area arts community, this series is an opportunity to share knowledge and renew hope by discussing literary accounts of catastrophic change, ranging from Ancient Egypt to Bronze Age Troy and from Imperial Rome to colonial America. Please join Townsend Center scholar Ron Hendel and poet Matthew Zapruder to discuss the Book of Exodus. Ron and Matthew will look at and listen to the poetry at work in the Exodus account of the collapse of pharaoh’s Canaanite empire and the subsequent rise of Israel. Their conversation will bring the power of that poetry and the cultural memories embedded within it to bear on the precarious nature of our present moment. Ronald Hendel is the Norma and Sam Dabby Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of many books and articles on the religion, literature, and history of the Hebrew Bible, including The Book of Genesis: A Biography, and How Old is the Hebrew Bible? He is the general editor of The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition. Matthew Zapruder is the author of five collections of poetry, including Come On All You Ghosts, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and Father’s Day (Copper Canyon, 2019), as well as Why Poetry, a book of prose. He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, a William Carlos Williams Award, a May Sarton Award from the Academy of American Arts and Sciences, and a Lannan Foundation Residency Fellowship in Marfa, TX. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he is an Associate Professor at Saint Mary’s College of California.

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COVID-19: Emerging Tests, Vaccines and Cures Apr 13, 2020

As the coronavirus spreads rapidly through the population, the United States is racing to provide test kits, develop a vaccine and find treatments. Meanwhile, we’re running dangerously low on supplies, ranging from ventilators and test reagents to gowns and N95 masks. When will we have the test kits we need? Can we develop a vaccine and identify treatments in time to contain the pandemic? Will we have enough ventilators to save patients and sufficient equipment to protect our providers? Three leading experts will share where we are today, where we are headed, and what it will take to get us there. In association with The Zetema Project This program is free, though please consider making a donation during registration This program will be online only, and you must pre-register for a link to the program This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors; we are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Robert Hirst: Editing Mark Twain’s Papers Apr 12, 2020

Join us virtually for a conversation with Robert Hirst about the millions of words Mark Twain wrote but left behind for Hirst and his team to organize. The Mark Twain Project at UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library started with a core collection transferred in 1949 to UC Berkeley by Clara, Mark Twain’s sole surviving daughter. For the last four decades, the ever-growing archive of original and photocopied documents, unpublished manuscripts and thousands of letters, as well as the editorial project to create a digital record of everything Mark Twain wrote, have both been under Hirst’s direction. That project included publishing Mark Twain’s complete autobiography in 2010, 100 years after he died—a century’s wait required by Twain’s desire to save his heirs from being lynched. Hear a great storyteller tell great stories about one of America’s greatest authors. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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CLIMATE ONE: What’s the Future of Nuclear Power? Apr 10, 2020

Nuclear power - revive it or allow a slow death? Today, about a hundred nuclear plants provide 20 percent of America’s electricity. Once touted as a modern power source, nuclear fell out of favor after a series of major accidents – most notably those at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima. A handful of the plants that once dotted the landscape have been shuttered because they can’t compete with cheaper sources of power. By the end of the century, the industry was languishing. But the urgency of climate change causes some to advocate giving nuclear a new lease on life. A discussion about the health of the nuclear power industry today, and the 21 st century innovations that could point to a new path forward.

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Relieving Social Isolation Among Seniors Apr 10, 2020

Through the adept facilitation of journalist Katie Hafner, the audience will hear directly from four expert panelists from four key service organizations that are helping to connect older adults at risk of social isolation. Village organizations, assisted living communities, phone line support services and senior centers are facing new challenges to support and connect at-risk older adults and disabled people in this time of social distancing and self-quarantine. Each of the four types of organizations is different. Learning how all four are working from different angles to meet the challenge of social isolation posed by this epidemic will give a sense of what is possible—and hopefully will generate ideas to open even more avenues for socialization. To bring it all together, Commonwealth Club president and CEO Dr. Gloria Duffy will give us her family's firsthand perspective of living with her aging mother who suddenly finds herself separated from the groups and activities that would routinely bring connection and variety to her life. MLF Organizer: John Milford MLF: Grownups

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Prime TV Time: What to Watch While Sheltering in Place Apr 10, 2020

Thanks to the general shut-down and shelter-in-place orders, you're home—now what? We're talking with three TV and media critics about the television shows and movies that are worth your time. What classic movies should you watch? Where can you find them? Which TV series are worth binge viewing? What programs have you overlooked but now have the time to discover and enjoy? Join us for a fun and informative program to help us all get through these tough times. Notes This is a free program, but please consider supporting the Club during these uncertain times by making a donation at registration

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COVID-19 and the LGBTQI Community Apr 09, 2020

The vulnerability of certain populations to the coronavirus COVID-19 has been well publicized—everyone knows seniors and people with asthma, diabetes and certain other conditions are in the most danger from the virus. But less well-known is the virus' impact on LGBTQI communities. Join us for a discussion with experts about how this virulent disease impacts this community, and submit your questions for our speakers on our YouTube livestream. This is a free program, but please consider supporting the Club during these uncertain times by making a donation at registration This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg: Solutions to the COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond Apr 09, 2020

Few individuals are as uniquely qualified to provide insight about the coronavirus pandemic as physician Dr. Margaret Hamburg. She is the past commissioner of Public Health for the city of New York, and also the past commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, having served as the chief U.S. official responsible for approving new drugs. She also sits on the board of the organization Ending Pandemics. Dr. Hamburg will be in conversation from Washington, D.C. with Dr. Gloria Duffy, president and CEO of The Commonwealth Club. They will cover the prospects and timing for drug treatments for the coronavirus, how the virus and policies to stop its spread will affect New York, who predicted a pandemic and what advice they gave, and how the coronavirus spread and lessons to learn to prevent future pandemics. Dr. Hamburg is an internationally recognized leader in public health and medicine, and currently serves as foreign secretary of the National Academy of Medicine and chair of the Nuclear Threat Initiative Bio Advisory Group. She previously served as assistant director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. As foreign secretary of the National Academy of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Hamburg serves as senior adviser on international matters and is the liaison with other Academies of Medicine around the world. She is president-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), as well as an elected member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Hamburg earned her M.D. from Harvard Medical School. Notes This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Kitty Ferguson: Stephen Hawking’s Biographer Hears the Music of the Spheres Apr 09, 2020

Join us virtually for a Monday Night Philosophy conversation with Kitty Ferguson about the life and scientific theories of Stephen Hawking, whom she first met in 1988. That encounter began her mid-life transition from being a professional singer, music teacher and Juilliard graduate to an explainer of difficult scientific concepts and Hawking’s biographer. We will also discuss her nine other books, which she wrote in the clearest possible manner, translating from the “language” of mathematicians, scientists, and other experts into the language of the rest of us, without dumbing down the ideas. There is nothing more Pythagorean than that combination of clarity, theoretical science and music, and Ferguson’s childhood and family life, even more than her formal education, prepared her well for merging all three talents. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Tamim Ansary: Separate Histories with a Common Future Apr 05, 2020

Join us virtually for a conversation with Tamim Ansary about the patterns he sees in ancient civilizations and in current cultures derived from those historical developments. The four major rivers along which large-scale human civilizations began—the Nile, the Tigris–Euphrates, the Indus and the Huang He—each had characteristic traits that contributed to the underlying cultural assumptions our ancestors made about the nature of reality. Being who we are, mainly concerned with the world as seen through our own culture's eyes, for most of recorded history each major civilization has seen the other civilizations as peripheral players on this planet. Ansary shows how we have always been interconnected but that the speed at which that takes place in the 21st century has made many issues worldwide concerns requiring consensus on solutions, including climate change and the spread of deadly viruses. Ansary wants us to understand, in time, that each human civilization we have created mostly has points of similarity with every other civilization in our pursuit of happiness and that it is the points of cultural divergence that are truly peripheral. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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CLIMATE ONE: COVID-19 and Climate: Human Response Apr 03, 2020

Why does an invisible, life-threatening virus prompt a nationwide emergency, but invisible, life-threatening gases don’t? Experts have been emphasizing the dangers of unchecked climate change for years, underscoring the need for rapid, bold action early-on to avoid the worst impacts. Now health experts are pushing the same level of global mobilization to quell the spread of the novel coronavirus. Why are humans wired to respond to some fears and emergencies more than others? Can the reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic teach us anything about how humans respond to other invisible, global threats?

Guests:

Peter Atwater, Adjunct Professor of Economics, College of William & Mary

Susan Clayton, Whitmore-Williams Professor of Psychology, College of Wooster

Robert H. Frank, Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

Additional interviews: Shannon Osaka, Climate Reporter, Grist

This program was recorded at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on March 24, 2020.

For full show notes, visit our website.

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Spring Rain: Author and Comics Artist Andy Warner Apr 03, 2020

In 2005, Andy Warner went to Beirut, Lebanon, for a semester studying literature. Just 21 years old and having recently broken up with his girlfriend, Warner immersed himself in the vibrant and diverse city, quickly befriending a group of LGBT students. Amid their friendships, studying and partying, they also witnessed political assassinations and bombings once again erupting in Beirut. As the city descended into violence, Warner felt his grasp on reality slowly beginning to slip as he dealt with past traumas and anxiety over his future. He recounts his experiences in the new graphic memoir Spring Rain, his third book. He is also author of the New York Times best seller Brief Histories of Everyday Objects and is co-creator of This Land Is My Land. His comics have been published by Slate, Fusion, American Public Media, KQED, UNICEF, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Buzzfeed and other media outlets. He was the recipient of the 2018 Berkeley Civic Arts Grant and the 2019 Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park artist in residency. He lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife and two children. Join us for a conversation with Warner about his experiences in Beirut and his creative life since.

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The Global Humanitarian Picture: Challenges and Opportunities for Humanitarian Action Apr 02, 2020

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) presents a discussion on the most pressing challenges to humanitarian assistance in the 21st century. Globally, 70.8 million people are considered forcibly displaced by armed conflict, and over 160 million people need emergency humanitarian assistance. Conflict has replaced natural disasters as the driver of humanitarian need—aid organizations are faced with navigating complicated security and political environments while meeting growing demand on the ground. In addition, new actors and increasingly urbanized conflict have strained the global acceptance and adherence to international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. The Humanitarian Agenda is an initiative that leverages the expertise of CSIS programs to explore complex humanitarian challenges. Jacob Kurtzer’s primary focus is the Task Force on Humanitarian Access, which will look at challenges in access to aid in complex man-made emergencies. Prior to joining CSIS, Kurtzer spent seven years with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), most recently as head of communications for the ICRC Delegation in Israel and the occupied territories. Previously, he served as head of public and congressional affairs for the Washington delegation of the ICRC, representing the ICRC to a broad spectrum of audiences in the United States and Canada. In addition, he has conducted field missions in South Sudan and Rakhine State, Myanmar and spent nearly three years as a consultant with the ICRC delegation in Pretoria, South Africa. From 2007–2009, he served as the congressional advocate at Refugees International (RI), a humanitarian advocacy organization based in Washington D.C. Kurtzer began his career as a legislative assistant to Representative Robert Wexler (D–FL), covering domestic and foreign policy issues, including managing the Congressional Indonesia Caucus. Kurtzer earned a master’s in peace and conflict studies from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where he studied as a Rotary Foundation World Peace Fellow. He also holds a bachelor’s in philosophy from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a citation in religious studies, and is an alumnus of the College Park Scholars Public Leadership program. MLF Organizer: Linda J. Calhoun MLF: International Relations

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MIinimizing Fear Apr 02, 2020

Monday Night Philosophy understands that we have explained life to ourselves in ways that have scared us silly for so long that it has become an engrained habit. Ironically, it's a habit we rather enjoy because fear often keeps us more alert than we'd otherwise be. But there are other ways to remain intellectually alert to the nuances of life that are not so debilitating. So tonight, join us via live stream, and we'll sort through those fears with the goal of understanding how unlikely it is that these fears are justified, eliminating those that are highly irrational and minimizing those that are merely ridiculous. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Caroline Winterer: Historian of America's Ideas Apr 01, 2020

Join us virtually for a conversation about the pervasive impact Enlightenment ideas had on early American culture and how that changed the ways Americans pursued happiness in their New World. Caroline Winterer specializes in early American reactions to scientific ideas and Enlightenment attitudes, which raised new questions about plants, animals and rocks but also about politics and religion. It is hard to overestimate the influence of Americans' newly conceived relationship between the present and the past as it spurred far-flung conversations about a better future for all of humanity. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Kaiser Family Foundation: U.S. Health Care in the Era of Coronavirus Mar 31, 2020

American health care has seen dramatic changes over the past decade. Obamacare reduced the number of uninsured citizens, but rising prices and deductibles have made care unaffordable for many. Medicaid has become the nation’s largest payer and now pays for half of all long-term care. Now the coronavirus pandemic is challenging the health care system in unprecedented ways. All this is happening within the context of a presidential election within a highly polarized country. How will the health care system—and American voters—respond? Kaiser Family Foundation Senior Vice President Dr. Jennifer Kates will be joined by Dr. Josh Michaud, KFF’s associate director of global health policy. A former infectious disease epidemiologist with both the U.S. Department of Defense and the Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Michaud is an expert on the types of models being used to forecast the arc of COVID-19 cases.They will discuss the current and probable future states of the pandemic and the responses by the government, health-care system and public. Note: Kaiser Family Foundation CEO Drew Altman is unable to participate in this evening’s session due to health reasons (which, fortunately, are unrelated to the coronavirus; he has temporarily lost his voice). We’ll have Drew Altman back on Monday, May 4, at noon, by which time the pandemic may have crested. We’ll discuss how the health-care system has fared, how the public has responded, and what the impact on the 2020 election is likely to be. This program is generously supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and a collaborative of local funders and donors. We are grateful for their support and hope others will follow their example to support the Club during these uncertain times.

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Inside Washington with Debra J. Saunders: A Week to Week Special Mar 27, 2020

Join us for a special edition of our Week to Week political roundtable as we talk with Debra J. Saunders, the White House correspondent for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and a syndicated columnist. For the past several years, Saunders has been reporting from the center of the political world, covering some of the biggest news stories and controversies in politics. Before that, of course, she was a long-time conservative columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle—and one of the first panelists to appear on the Week to Week political roundtable. Don't miss this in-depth talk with Saunders about her career, the current political scene and being a White House correspondent who comes down with symptoms of coronavirus. Because this is a virtual program, we won't have our usual member social hour beforehand, so feel free to pour yourself a glass of wine, put your feet up and enjoy watching the program—unless you're at the office, in which case that might be frowned upon.

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CLIMATE ONE: Me vs We: What Matters Most for Climate Action? Mar 22, 2020

Addressing the climate challenge requires incremental and transformational change on both personal and systemic levels. That means altering our personal habits as citizens, consumers, employees and parents. At the same time, society needs to fundamentally modernize the food, transportation, building and energy systems. That mind-blowing amount of change is so daunting, it’s no wonder people want to skip away into the happy land of denial. How should we think about change — and how do our words shape our behavior? Where does change really begin?

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Week to Week Political Roundtable: Coronavirus, 2020 Primaries and more Mar 20, 2020

Join us for a special online Week to Week political roundtable, in which we'll discuss the political impact of the coronavirus on local, state, and national communities. We'll also tackle other big political news of the moment, including the latest in the heated presidential primaries. How will it work? This program is presented via a video livestream. You will be able to submit questions for our panelists and watch the entire program, all from the comfort of your home or office. Before the program, we will email you a link to the program online. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Week to Week is now in its ninth year, and we're continuing our mission of discussing the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Notes Because this is a virtual program, we won't have our usual member social hour beforehand, so feel free to pour yourself a glass of wine, put your feet up, and enjoy watching the program—unless you're at the office, in which case that might be frowned upon. In response to the Coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak, this program was recorded in an empty auditorium, for an online audience only, broadcasted from The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on March 19th, 2020.

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Determined to Be Dad: A Journey of Faith, Resilience and Love Mar 20, 2020

Steve Disselhorst's life has been consumed with the quest to create a family. As a Catholic boy raised in the Midwest, he grew up thinking he was straight and would marry a woman and have children. When he was confronted with his attraction to men and the eventual realization that he was gay, he gave up that dream of having a family. But the dream wouldn't die. Eventually he resumed his quest for a family and started the arduous journey toward partenthood. Steve Disselhorst is an expert in personal and professional leadership development and consulting for diversity, equity and inclusion. Come hear his story about his determination to become a father.

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Combatting Coronavirus in Our Community—What Works, Why Now Mar 19, 2020

Combatting the coronavirus pandemic has quickly become a global health priority. Communities across the United States, including here in the Bay Area, are using a range of strategies to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. In its first program on the coronavirus crisis, The Commonwealth Club will feature two experts who will discuss why significant community interventions are so important and what must be done now. The program will feature the lead author of the well-publicized Journal of the American Medical Association article on how Taiwan has been so effective at reducing the spread of the coronavirus, and what communities in the United States can learn from this experience. This was a free program. Please consider supporting the Club during these uncertain times by making a donation on the Club website.

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Adam Hochschild: A Humane Life's Work Mar 19, 2020

Join us for a virtual conversation with Adam Hochschild, the award-winning author who has spent his literary life delving into the details of crises inflicted on ourselves by man's inhumanity to man, and our rising above such crises through passionate involvement to bring better ideas to bear upon our culture. We will discuss Hochschild's research into colonialism in the Belgian Congo, the unfounded hopes that World War I would end all wars, the painful outcome of the Spanish Civil War, the horrors of Stalin's follies, the unlikely triumph over legalized slavery, and another triumph over apartheid, plus the unlikely story of Rose Pastor Stokes, a Rebel Cinderella devoted to social justice. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Waging Change: Abby Ginzberg and Saru Jayaraman Mar 17, 2020

Director Abby Ginzberg is a Bay Area original; her films highlight struggles of race and social justice. Her new film Waging Change is having its San Francisco premiere at the Castro Theatre on March 22. It features Saru Jayaraman (Chronicle Visionary of the Year), Lily Tomlin, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, and Jane Fonda, who have been working tirelessly for One Fair Wage, a campaign to end the sub-minimum wage for tip workers (which is currently just $2.13 per hour). A Peabody award winner, Ginzberg's recent work includes And Then They Came for Us, about the connection between the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WW II and the current Muslim travel ban; and Agents of Change, which examines the untold story of racial conditions on college campuses that led to a successful struggle for black studies.

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CLIMATE ONE: What the 2030 Climate Deadline Really Means Mar 14, 2020

For years, scientists and politicians have been saying that the climate battle will be won or lost in the next decade. That narrative was boosted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which contends global emissions must be halved by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 to avoid climate catastrophe. Politicians moved quickly to incorporate the 2030 deadline into their speeches and advocates started using it in their fundraising pleas. After a tepid global response to a decades-long climate saga, urgent action is imperative—but does a 10-year deadline oversimplify the science and overall situation? What is the best way to communicate climate urgency in a way that mobilizes people at home and in the workplace? Join us for a conversation with Chris Field, faculty director at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, David Fenton, founder of Fenton Communications, and Renee Lertzman, climate engagement strategist and author.

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Presidential Leadership in Crisis: Franklin Roosevelt to Donald Trump Mar 12, 2020

Crises pose a challenge to leaders as no other tests they confront can. Veteran journalist Kenneth Walsh offers a probing look at how presidents from FDR to Trump have dealt with the crises they faced. Delving into both domestic conflicts and international conflagrations, Walsh goes in search of lessons we can learn. His findings focus on the presidential attributes and skills that matter most in trying times. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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CLIMATE ONE: Big Ideas with Dan Esty and Andy Karsner Mar 06, 2020

Does solving climate change mean re-thinking old top-down approaches and embracing big change at high speed? A half-century after the first Earth Day, some environmental advocates argue it’s time to challenge some of our basic assumptions about climate action. In the new book A Better Planet: 40 Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future, editor and Yale law professor Dan Esty showcases innovative ideas designed to push the boundaries of possible climate solutions from leaders in industry, government, business, and land management.

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Rahm Emanuel: How Mayors Run the World Mar 06, 2020

At a time of anxiety about the effectiveness of our national government, Rahm Emanuel believes local government offers a clear vision, for both progressives and centrists, of how to get things done in America today. In his new book, The Nation City, Emanuel, the former two-term mayor of Chicago and President Obama’s first White House chief of staff, offers a firsthand account of how cities, rather than the federal government, stand at the center of innovation and effective governance. Drawing on his own experiences in Chicago, and on his relationships with other mayors around America, Emanuel shows how cities are improving education, infrastructure, job conditions and environmental policy at a local level. Emanuel argues that cities are the most ancient political institutions, dating back thousands of years, and have reemerged as the nation-states of our time. Emanuel argues that mayors are accountable to their voters to a greater degree than any other elected officials and that progressives and centrists alike can best accomplish their goals by focusing their energies on local politics. Join us as Rahm Emanuel maps out a new, energizing and hopeful way forward. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Designing Your Work Life Mar 06, 2020

We spend one third of our lives at work, whether it’s at a job we love or one we can’t wait to leave. As the job market shifts with the increase of automation and artificial intelligence, a flexible mindset is more important than ever. Stanford professor Bill Burnett (co-author of the No. 1 New York Times best seller Designing Your Life) believes we can transform our work experience by building and utilizing a designer mindset. He argues that much of our unhappiness and difficulty is caused by “dysfunctional beliefs” that limit our potential. In the forthcoming Designing Your Work Life, Burnett offer strategies on everything work related—from how to quit to how to get the job we want—and everything in between. Join INFORUM as Bill Burnett teaches us how design thinking can transform our experience of work and our outlook on life, without necessarily changing the job we have. NOTES Burnett photo by Michael Lionstar Note: This program contains explicit language

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Conor Dougherty: Inside America's Housing Crisis Mar 06, 2020

Spacious and affordable homes used to be the hallmark of American prosperity. Today, however, punishing rents and the increasingly prohibitive cost of ownership have turned housing into the foremost symbol of inequality and an economy gone wrong. In the San Francisco Bay Area, fleets of private buses ferry software engineers past the tarp-and-plywood shanties where the homeless make their homes; according to New York Times journalist Conor Dougherty, this is ground zero for this crisis. The adage that California is a glimpse of the nation's future has become a cautionary tale. With propulsive storytelling and ground-level reporting, Dougherty chronicles America's housing crisis from its West Coast epicenter, peeling back the decades of history and economic forces that brought us here and taking readers inside the activist uprisings that have risen in tandem with housing costs.

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Discover, Recover, Uncover: Women’s New Roles in the Workplace Mar 05, 2020

Recent feminist movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp have called out sexism. They have empowered women to become more aware and also raise more questions: How do we find common ground in the new world we are building? How do we keep the momentum going with individual power, structural power and the power of movements? How do we handle a real situation at work, which could affect our livelihoods? Join psychotherapist and professor Joanne Bagshaw, author of The Feminist Handbook, and Professor Kellie McElhaney, founder and executive director of the Center for Equity, Gender and Leadership, in a lively, engaging dialogue meant to educate, prompt inner reflection and inspire. Walk away with a plan to help change society for yourself, your community and future generations. MLF Organizer: Elizabeth Carney MLF: Business & Leadership

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Steven Levy: Inside Facebook Mar 05, 2020

In his sophomore year of college, Mark Zuckerberg created a simple website to serve as a campus social network. The site caught on like wildfire, and soon students nationwide were on it. Today, the social network that Zuckerberg created in 2004 has grown far beyond its original iteration, larger and more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Facebook has grown into a tech giant, the largest social media platform and one of the most gargantuan companies in the world, with a valuation of more than $576 billion and almost 3 billion users across the globe. There is no denying the power and omnipresence of Facebook in American daily life. And in light of recent controversies surrounding election-influencing "fake news" accounts, the handling of its users' personal data and growing discontent with the actions of its founder and CEO, never has the company been more central to the national conversation regarding the direction of the county's politics, economy and how individuals communicate with each other. There is no one better to describe how Facebook has evolved and where it might be headed than renowned tech writer Steven Levy. In his new book, Facebook: The Inside Story, Levy provides the definitive history of one of America's most powerful and controversial companies. Based on years of exclusive reporting and interviews with Facebook's key executives and employees, including Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, Levy's sweeping narrative, already named as one of the most anticipated books of the year, digs deep into the whole story of the company that has changed the world and reaped the consequences. With the company in the news daily and just days before Californians get an early opportunity to have their say in the 2020 election, an election in which Facebook undoubtedly will play a critical role, Levy's appearance is not be missed.

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Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump Mar 04, 2020

Joseph S. Nye Jr. provides a concise, penetrating analysis of the role of ethics in U.S. foreign policy after World War II. Nye works through each presidency from FDR to Trump and scores their foreign policy on three ethical dimensions: their intentions, the means they used and the consequences of their decisions. He also evaluates their leadership qualities, elaborating on which approaches worked and which did not. Nye shows that each president was not fully constrained by the structure of the system and actually had choices. He further notes the important ethical consequences of nonactions, such as Truman's willingness to accept stalemate in Korea rather than use nuclear weapons. Most importantly, he points out that presidents need to factor in both the political context and the availability of resources when deciding how to implement an ethical policy and will need to do so even more in a future international system that presents not only great power competition from China and Russia but a host of transnational threats: the illegal drug trade, infectious diseases, terrorism, cybercrime and climate change. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Harvard’s Rosabeth Moss Kanter: How to Be More Innovative and Change the World Mar 04, 2020

Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter is renowned for strategy, innovation and leadership for change. Her insights guide leaders worldwide through teaching, writing and direct consultation to major corporations, governments and startup ventures. She is either the author or co-author of 20 books. Her breakthrough work with hundreds of successful professionals and executives, as well as aspiring young entrepreneurs, identifies the leadership paradigm of the future: the ability to “think outside the building” to overcome establishment paralysis and produce significant innovation for a better world. Kanter is convinced that positive change is possible, and she’ll discuss how that philosophy can have real impact on some of today’s biggest problems—from climate change to gun safety to inequality to racial issues. Come hear Kanter's advice on finding an innovative approach to improving both your life and the world.

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Jerry Mitchell: Reopening Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era Mar 04, 2020

On June 21, 1964, more than 20 Klansmen murdered three civil rights workers. The killings, in what would become known as the Mississippi Burning case, were among the most brazen acts of violence during the civil rights movement. And even though the killers’ identities, including the sheriff’s deputy, were an open secret, no one was charged with murder in the months and years that followed. It took 41 years before the mastermind was brought to trial and finally convicted for the three innocent lives he took. If there is one man who helped pave the way for justice, it is investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell. In his new book, Race Against Time, Mitchell takes readers on the twisting, pulse-racing road that led to the reopening of four of the most infamous killings from the days of the civil rights movement, decades after the fact. His work played a central role in bringing killers to justice for the assassination of Medgar Evers, the firebombing of Vernon Dahmer, the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham and the Mississippi Burning case (the murders of Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner). Mitchell reveals how he unearthed secret documents, found long-lost suspects and witnesses, building up evidence strong enough to take on the Klan. Mitchell's new book is important reading for all Americans who seek to right the wrongs of the past. Please join us for this important event. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Breaking Hate: A Former Extremist's Journey Mar 03, 2020

Is there an answer to the widespread—and increasingly public—rise of racial extremism? Come learn about the white nationalist movement from someone who was a leader in it until he renounced racism and devoted his life to helping others leave it behind. Christian Picciolini went from leading neo-Nazi bands with names such as Final Solution and White American Youth to running a record store that only sold "white power" music. But he left that and led organizations to counter extremism domestically and abroad, and has become an award-winning television producer, speaker, author and peace advocate. Come learn the truth about "white power" movements and the inspiring story about how to leave them behind.

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George Marshall: Defender of the Republic Mar 01, 2020

As a young officer in World War I, George Marshall's sterling reputation started forming when he planned and executed a nighttime movement of more than a half million troops from one battlefield to another, leading to the armistice. Between the world wars, he helped modernize combat training, restaffed the U.S. Army's officer corps with future leaders such as Dwight Eisenhower, Omar Bradley and George Patton, and served as army chief of staff in the run up to Work War II, when his commitment to duty came face-to-face with the realities of Washington politics. Roll sets his biography of Marshall against the backdrop of five major conflicts—the two world wars, Palestine, Korea and the Cold War—and focuses on the nuances and ambiguities of Marshall's education in the use of military, diplomatic and political power while watching America emerge as a global superpower. Roll's conclusion could hardly be clearer: Principled leadership matters. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Uber Whistleblower Susan Fowler Feb 28, 2020

Revelations about misconduct at the biggest startups and tech companies seem to saturate today’s news cycle—but it wasn’t always this way. In 2017, when penning her now famous 2,900-word blog post about the pervasive culture of sexual harassment at Uber, soon-to-be whistleblower Susan Fowler was stepping into uncharted territory. Her decision to share a blog post about her “very, very strange year at Uber” with the public would open the floodgates for women to share similar experiences of systematic sexual harassment in Silicon Valley and beyond. Fowler’s open letter not only led to the CEO’s ouster but it also caused a complete disruption of the status quo of workplaces, culminating in mass movements for women’s empowerment launched worldwide. In her new memoir, Whistleblower: My Journey to Silicon Valley and Fight for Justice at Uber, Fowler details how this courageous act was entirely consistent with her life so far—a life characterized by extraordinary determination, a refusal to accept things as they are, and the desire to do what is good and right. Since taking her leave from Uber, Fowler, along with other “silence breakers,” was named Time’s 2017 Person of the Year and in 2018 was brought on as an opinion editor at The New York Times. Come with your questions and join Susan Fowler as she visits INFORUM to share her riveting story about breaking the silence and speaking truth to power.

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CLIMATE ONE: Oil and Opioids on Trial Feb 28, 2020

Tobacco companies, opioid suppliers, gun manufacturers and the fossil fuel industry -- all have been brought under fire, and into the courts, for knowingly causing public harm, and even death, with their products. Should corporations be held liable for harmful outcomes like mass shootings, the opioid crisis, and climate change? We all benefit from the energy fossil fuels provide, from the lights we turn on to around-the-world airline flights. How much responsibility falls on the product, and how much on the user?

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Proving Ground, with David Maisel Feb 28, 2020

After more than a decade of inquiry, the artist David Maisel was granted access to photograph the terrain and testing facilities of Dugway Proving Ground, a classified military site covering nearly 800,000 acres in a remote region of Utah’s Great Salt Lake Desert. This is a site where chemical and biological weaponry and defense programs were developed, tested and implemented by the U.S. government. Maisel began by photographing at ground level before moving to an overhead and aerial perspective. The result is a remarkable series of photographs that addresses questions of power, secrecy and land use, all collected in a single volume and freighted with an abiding skepticism toward technology and human endeavor. Please join The Commonwealth Club and Maisel in conversation to discuss his work, the site and the larger issues of power and surveillance that his book, Proving Ground, brings to the fore at a very acute time in American democracy. David Maisel was named a Guggenheim Fellow in 2018 for the work he did on Proving Ground. His photographs are included in more than 40 public collections, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Maisel is represented by Haines Gallery (San Francisco) and Houk Gallery (New York). He lives in Mill Valley, California. ** This Podcast May Contain Explicit Language **

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E.J. Dionne and Barbara Boxer: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite America Feb 28, 2020

Renowned Washington Post columnist and author E.J. Dionne Jr. says the 2020 election will be a test for progressives and moderates. Will they feud or unite to defeat President Trump? Dionne postulates that if progressives and moderates are unable―and unwilling―to overcome their differences, they could not only enable Donald Trump to prevail again but also squander an occasion for launching a new era of reform. Dionne will discuss what he calls the politics of remedy: one that solves problems, resolve disputes and moves forward; that sits at the heart of the demands for justice by both long-marginalized and recently displaced groups; and that posits a positive future for Americans with more covered by health insurance, more with decent wages, more with good schools, more security from gun violence, more action to roll back climate change. Join the conversation with one of America’s most respected political analysts.

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Rethinking Homo Sapiens: The Brain Plasticity Revolution Feb 28, 2020

Until recently, it was widely believed that the brain was hardwired from childhood and resistant to any remodeling in adults. Breakthrough research and clinical practice has recently shown that our brains are remarkably plastic across the human life span. Neuroplasticity accounts for functional self-improvement at any age, often remarkable recoveries from brain injury or stroke, demonstrated impacts of brain exercise for sustaining our brain health, and for successful supportive therapies in patients facing age-related dementia. Strategies for employing neuroplasticity science for human benefit are rapidly emerging. One of the pioneers in this field is neuroscientist Michael Merzenich, a professor emeritus at UC San Francisco. MLF ORGANIZER Bill Grant, Tamara Gurin NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

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Brian Greene: Mind, Matter and the Search for Meaning Feb 27, 2020

World-renowned physicist Brian Greene offers a captivating exploration of the cosmos and our ongoing quest to understand it. Greene takes us on a journey across time—from our most refined understanding of the universe’s beginning to the closest science can take us to the very end. He also explains the distinct but interwoven layers of reality—from quantum mechanics to consciousness to black holes. Greene is known for his groundbreaking discoveries in superstring theory. He provides a clearer sense of how we came to be, where we are now and where we are ultimately headed. In association with Wonderfest

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Katy Butler: The Art of Dying Well Feb 25, 2020

Dying is an unavoidable part of life, yet we all seem to find ways to dodge questions about death and how we’d like to die. Katy Butler, author of the new book The Art of Dying Well, wants to inspire us to meet this fear. Butler offers a practical guide for all aspects of life before dying, including: living with a chronic medical condition, choosing the right doctor, and even when not to call 911. Butler’s guide to living and dying is both reassuring and thoroughly researched. It offers both guides and testimonials to help us all cope and succeed in our last act. Katy Butler is one of the leading advocates for medical reform. Her first book, Knocking on Heaven’s Door: The Path to a Better Way of Death, was a heartfelt and personal memoir of her own parents’ experience with dying. Butler believes that whether you have two weeks or two decades, it is never the wrong time to discuss how to forge a better path to the end of life. Join us as Katy Butler visits INFORUM and answers all of your questions about dying. NOTES In association with End Well

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LGBTQI Leaders: Picking the Democratic Presidential Candidate Feb 24, 2020

As California prepares to vote in a presidential primary with huge implications for the 2020 general election, we're assembling a panel of LGBTQI leaders who will share their picks for the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. Some of their choices might surprise you! Join us for a timely, lively and fun evening talking presidential politics and LGBTQI concerns in one of the most momentous elections in modern times. Note: This program contains some Explicit Language.

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Destination Health: Preventing Gun Violence Feb 21, 2020

This event is the second in The Commonwealth Club's Thought Leadership series on the future of health, featuring in-depth conversations on the challenges driving physical, mental and social health. Gun violence is one of the most critical health issues of our time. Every day in the United States, health professionals confront the effects of firearm injury in the clinical arena. In emergency rooms, trauma centers, ambulatory offices, and acute care and rehabilitation facilities, health professionals, and the health systems they work within, attempt to heal the wounds that firearms inflict on individuals, their families and their communities. This critical public health issue requires us to move past the politics around gun ownership and develop nonpolitical solutions to this crisis. What can we do right now to prevent gun violence? Join a diverse panel of experts and advocates as they discuss public–private partnership solutions to this growing public health crisis. Together we will explore new ways to build healthy communities safe from firearm-related injuries and death.

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CLIMATE ONE: Is California’s Climate Progress Going Up in Smoke? Feb 21, 2020

California has been at the forefront of America’s climate fight since Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the country’s first major climate law in 2006. The state’s suite of policies for decarbonizing the economy survived industry-funded attacks in court and at the ballot box, and remained largely consistent under Democratic and Republican governors. But a recent report by Next 10, an independent think tank, indicates the state will meet its 2030 goals 30 years late. Is California really the climate leader it’s purported to be?

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Age Is the New Designer Drug: How to Redefine Age in Our Anti-Age Culture Feb 21, 2020

Barbara Rose Brooker, 83-year-old author, teacher and performer, will talk about her personal experiences with ageism in the Hollywood industry, our anti-age culture and how to promote a generation where age doesn’t count. She will sign copies of her new novel, Love, Sometimes. Join us for this fabulous evening. Brooker, a native San Francisco author of 13 books, is the founder of the first Age March in history. Her new best-selling novel, Love, Sometimes, is about risk, ageism in Hollywood and controversial love and is being made into a TV series, which will air in 2021. Brooker has been on “The Today Show,” Andy Cohen, Sharon Osbourne, and many other local and national shows. She teaches writing to adults over 50 and up at San Francisco State's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). She is at work on a new book about aging and love and staying on the path of your dreams at any age. MLF Organizer: Denise Michaud MLF: Grownups

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Club Birthday Party and Week to Week Political Roundtable Feb 19, 2020

It's our birthday—come celebrate with us! Join us to celebrate the Club’s 117th birthday and attend our 8th anniversary Week to Week political roundtable program. To kick the night off, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. we will have sweet treats to sample, popcorn and hot chocolate, and we'll finish with a champagne toast to the Club and to our wonderful members. Following the Club birthday party, we will have our Week to Week program for all to attend. During the program, we will discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events, culminating in our live news quiz. It's an evening to celebrate, for members and nonmembers alike to enjoy. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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CLIMATE ONE: Building a Resilient Tomorrow Feb 18, 2020

How do we build communities that are more resilient than the ones we were raised in? As severe weather hammers cities and spurs more migration, who will pay to shore up infrastructure and secure the border? Experts at the highest levels of U.S. government are now working to uncover the ways that climate could threaten critical infrastructure and reshape the way communities respond to risk. Meanwhile, as damages increase, so do insurance claims, making homeownership nearly impossible in areas with the greatest risk of fires, floods and hurricanes. Pricing that risk and spreading the costs across society will test American democracy and could further exacerbate the growing wealth gap. Join us for a conversation with Alice Hill, senior fellow for climate change policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of Building a Resilient Tomorrow: How to Prepare for the Coming Climate Disruption, and Janet Ruiz, strategic communication director at the Insurance Information Institute. Joining remotely is Sherri Goodman, senior fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center and former U.S. deputy under secretary of defense for environmental security.

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Rep. Pramila Jayapal: Medicare for All and the Progressive Fight Feb 18, 2020

With a presidential election looming in 2020, what are the progressives in Congress doing to build political power and move their agenda forward? As the elected co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus—representing nearly 40 percent of the House Democratic majority, Representative Pramila Jayapal is on the forefront of the national progressive movement. In February 2019, Jayapal introduced the most comprehensive and progressive Medicare-for-all bill in history and has since secured four hearings on the bill—the first four hearings on Medicare for all in the history of Congress—and the support of more than half of the House Democratic Caucus. Prior to her election to Congress, Jayapal worked for two decades as an advocate for immigrant rights and racial justice and served in the Washington State Senate from 2015–2017. Jayapal serves on the House Judiciary, Budget, and Education and Labor committees and has been an outspoken leader on expanding access to college, fighting for climate justice, taking on corporate greed and holding the administration accountable for its immigration policies. Join us for a conversation with one of the Democratic Party’s rising stars as she discusses the path ahead.

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Age of Coexistence Feb 17, 2020

Ussama Makdisi, who was born in Washington, D.C., spent his early years in Lebanon and earned his Ph.D. at Princeton University. He will discuss his latest book, Age of Coexistence: The Ecumenical Frame and the Making of the Modern Arab World, which has been described as an easily accessible, provocative engagement with existing literature about sectarian, secular, colonialism and Arab nationalists. And, although headlines paint the Middle East as a collection of war-torn countries and extremist groups consumed by sectarian rage, Makdisi shows how people of different faiths have tried to build modern societies that transcend religious and sectarian differences. MLF ORGANIZER Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East

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California and Beyond: Australia, Denmark and Israel Feb 17, 2020

Most recently, Felicia Marcus was chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, responsible for drinking water, water quality and water rights. Importantly, she led the state board through California's worst drought in modern history. As regional administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 9, she was responsible for environmental issues under the EPA's jurisdiction. In the the nonprofit world, Marcus was the western director for the Natural Resources Defense Council and the executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Trust for Public Land. In her prior work, she was a private and nonprofit sector attorney and organizer in Los Angeles. She has a law degree from New York University and an AB in East Asian studies from Harvard University. Marcus is also known as a devoted whale watcher. Join us to discuss her important environmental work and her outstanding commitment and dedication for the planet, the environment, the present and the future. MLF ORGANIZER Ann Clark NOTES MLF: Environment & Natural Resources

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San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin Feb 14, 2020

San Francisco’s newest top prosecutor Chesa Boudin first experienced the criminal justice system as a toddler, when his parents were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. This transformative experience left an indelible mark on Boudin, who has dedicated much of his life to criminal justice reform. After graduating from Yale, becoming a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and earning his J.D. from Yale Law School, Boudin began work at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. While he handled over 300 felony cases, Boudin never prosecuted a single case, instead favoring to work directly with victims of crimes and families of prisoners. After a tightly contested race in 2019, Boudin emerged as DA-elect of San Francisco, where he hopes to make significant changes to a broken criminal justice system. With a focus on reducing mass incarceration and recidivism and increasing opportunities for restorative justice, Boudin is part of a larger trend of progressives appointed to top prosecutorial positions in cities that hope to end policies such as cash bail, the war on drugs and racial disparities in sentencing. Bring your questions as newly confirmed DA Chesa Boudin forges a different path for crime, punishment and justice in the city.

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Believing Women: Jessica Valenti and Jaclyn Friedman Feb 14, 2020

With the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the broader #MeToo movement, the political slogan “believe women” has become a rallying cry for the era. First used as a call to end false accusations of deception against women, agenda-setting feminist editors Jessica Valenti and Jaclyn Friedman go beyond the slogan with their new anthology to ask and answer the crucial question: What would happen if we didn't just believe women but acted as though they matter? Building on the success of the #MeToo movement’s demand for accountability—not just discouraging actions generally but naming names—Believe Me: How Trusting Women Can Change the World is part exposé on misogyny in our culture and part outline for how trusting women creates the foundation for future progress. With essays spanning a call to action by Representative Ayanna Pressley (D–MA) and an interview with #TimesUp activist and Emmy award winner Tatiana Maslany, Valenti and Friedman bring together a powerful group of women whose diverse experiences and thoughtful solutions give us a vision of what a better future could look like. Join Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti at INFORUM this February for an honest discussion on how we might make tomorrow a brighter day in the fight for women’s empowerment. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Zach Norris: Building an Inclusive America Feb 13, 2020

As the effects of aggressive policing and mass incarceration harm historically marginalized communities and tear families apart, how do we define safety? Community leader and lawyer Zach Norris believes in a radical way to shift the conversation about public safety away from fear and punishment and toward growth and support systems for our families and communities. In order to truly be safe, Norris says we have to dismantle the mentality of us versus them and bridge our divides. Norris’s new book, We Keep Us Safe, is a blueprint of how to hold people accountable while still holding them in community. The result reinstates full humanity and agency for everyone who has been dehumanized and traumatized so they can participate fully in life, in society and in the fabric of our democracy. He makes the case that directing resources to stability and well-being, such as health care and housing, education and living-wage jobs, result in real safety. Join us for a powerful conversation with Bay Area leaders Zach Norris and Fred Blackwell NOTES Norris photo by Eurydice Thomas

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Advancing the Science: The Latest in Alzheimer’s Research Feb 13, 2020

Alzheimer’s disease is a global health problem with more than 5.8 million people living with the disease in the United States alone. The only way to solve that problem is through research, and this talk will focus on the scientific advancements and progress in the field. Tremendous gains have been made in the understanding of the science and basic biology underlying Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and these advances are leading to great strides in prevention, detection, diagnostics and therapeutic interventions. MLF Organizer: Patrick O'Reilly MLF: Psychology

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Seeking Asylum at the Southern Border Feb 12, 2020

Border walls and immigration were hot-button issues in the 2016 federal election, and the Trump administration’s evolving policies and practices have been the subject of numerous media stories and segments. Join Julie Small of KQED and Clara Long of Human Rights Watch in a discussion of conditions for asylum seekers on the southern border and what you need to know. MLF ORGANIZER Ian McCuaig NOTES MLF: International Relations

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Franklin and Washington: The Founding Partnership Feb 11, 2020

Monday Night Philosophy welcomes back Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson to discuss his joint biography of our two most influential Founding Fathers. Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, though divided by a 26-year age gap and vastly different life experiences, underwent a similarly dramatic transformation from loyal British colonists to American nationalists, and Larson makes a persuasive case that neither one could have succeeded without the other's help. Washington's military skills required Franklin's diplomatic skills to win the Revolutionary War. Their partnership was also key to the success of the Constitutional Convention. In an enlightening and dramatic account of these two men’s intertwined lives, Larson covers from the French and Indian War through the Revolution and Constitutional Convention, and he concludes with Franklin's last political maneuver: forcing the issue of slavery before the new republic’s first Congress. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Global Convergence in Digital Privacy? With Elizabeth Denham Feb 11, 2020

Personal data is as important to modern digital businesses as finance and human capital. It is used to record customers’ behavior, predict it and even to manipulate it. But as awareness of these practices grows, is increasing concern among consumers influencing data regulation and regulators on both sides of the Atlantic? U.K. Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham gives her perspective on the global trends in data protection and privacy. Denham will discuss the big data cases her office has looked at—including Facebook, WhatsApp and Cambridge Analytica—and reflect on their international influence from her perspective as chair of her global regulatory community. Denham chairs the Global Privacy Assembly, which brings together digital data protection and privacy commissioners from around the world to share knowledge and build stronger cooperation. Denham will reflect on the recently implemented California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the impact of growing regulation around data protection and privacy, particularly in Silicon Valley. And crucially, she will talk about her office’s newly launched "children’s code," which sets out standards that digital services should meet to protect children’s privacy. Denham became the U.K.’s information commissioner in 2016. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the U.K.’s regulator for data protection and information rights. It enforces the law, both civil and criminal, against organizations that have violated data protection rules. Denham brings an international dimension to her U.K. role from her previous work as information and privacy commissioner for British Columbia and Canada and assistant privacy commissioner of Canada. She is recognized as one of the most influential people in her field, most recently in Politico’s list of 28 people shaping, shaking and stirring Europe. She also chairs the International Conference of Information Commissioners, which works globally to improve access to information rights. In association with the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology/UC Berkeley School of Law

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Hong Kong on the Brink Feb 07, 2020

After witnessing the biggest protests in its history during the middle months of 2019, Hong Kong remains a subject of intense global interest and global concern. In this talk, Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a professor of modern Chinese history at UC Irvine and longtime scholar of social unrest, will use forays into history and comparison to help audience members make sense of Hong Kong's complex present and uncertain future. Wasserstrom’s new book, Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink, has been described by one reviewer as “. . . essential reading for understanding China’s foreign policies, the legacies of empire and above all the extraordinary politics, society and culture of contemporary Hong Kong.” In addition to his academic writings, Wasserstrom has authored numerous books and articles for the general public. His writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, Financial Times, The Atlantic online edition, The New York Times and other print and online publications. MLF ORGANIZER Lillian Nakagawa NOTES MLF: Asia-Pacific Affairs

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CLIMATE ONE: Driving Forces: How Climate Fuels Human Migration Feb 07, 2020

From the first humans to venture out of Africa 60,000 years ago to the displaced refugees of today, migration has always been a part of human life. And in parts of the world where immediate threats include violence and poverty, climate change probably isn't a driving motivation to leave home. But with erratic weather, extended droughts, and resource scarcity fueling political conflict and pressures on vulnerable rural livelihoods, it's impossible to leave climate out of the conversation. How is climate change fueling the mass movement of humans around the world, and what does that mean for national security and economies?

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Ezra Klein: Why We're Polarized Feb 07, 2020

Ezra Klein doesn’t believe America’s political system is broken. He argues that the truth is scarier: It’s working exactly as designed. Over the past 50 years, our partisan identities have merged with our racial, religious, geographic, ideological and cultural identities. According to Klein, this merging has created a toxic system that is tearing at the bonds that hold this country together. In his new book, Why We’re Polarized, Klein shows how and why American politics polarized around identity in the 20th century and what that polarization did to the way we see the world and each other. The book provides a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. Join us for a conversation around how American politics became a gridlocked system, why we participate in it and what it means for our future. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Nonviolence: The Fierce Urgency of Now Feb 07, 2020

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. implored us to fight racism, poverty and militarism with disciplined nonviolence and radical love. “The choice today is no longer between violence and nonviolence,” he said. “It is either nonviolence or nonexistence.” Tragically, more than a half century after Dr. King’s assassination, we face a resurgence of racist hatred, ubiquitous gun violence, extreme inequality, pervasive homelessness and threats to the human species from global warming and nuclear weapons. How can we rediscover the power of nonviolence to effectively address these grave problems and urgent threats? What role do colleges and universities play to further Dr. King’s legacy of nonviolence? Join the Rev. Paul Fitzgerald and Clarence Jones in a dialogue on nonviolence, social justice, moral vision and higher education today. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Harvard’s Laura Huang: Turning Adversity into Success Feb 07, 2020

Laura Huang, a preeminent Harvard Business School professor, says that success is about gaining an edge: that elusive quality that gives you an upper hand and attracts attention and support. Some people seem to naturally have it. She says the rest of us can create our own successes from the challenges and biases we think hold us back, turning them to work in our favor. Huang argues that success is rarely just about the quality of our ideas, credentials and skills, or our effort. Instead, she says achieving success hinges on how well we shape others' perceptions—of our strengths, certainly, but also of our flaws. It's about creating our own edge by confronting the factors that seem like shortcomings and turning them into assets that make others take notice. Come for a fascinating conversation about how to find your unique edge and keep it sharp.

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Renaissance Artist Sofonisba Anguissola Feb 07, 2020

If you can't be in Madrid this month to see the exhibit of Sofonisba Anguissola's paintings at the Prado, come to The Commonwealth Club instead to hear all about this fascinating female Renaissance artist. Donna DiGiuseppe will describe why she turned Anguissola's biographical details into a novel, Anguissola's artistic apprenticeship with Bernardino Campi and the difficult process of cataloguing her work, which wasn't always signed. But Anguissola's legacy lives on in Italy, and her direct descendant, Count Ferrante Anguissola D'Altoe, recently wrote that Lady in Ermine captures Anguissola's 16th century, from lavish court life to its treatment of women. The reader roots for Anguissola to achieve her dream to paint the king and overcome the challenges of being a Renaissance woman painter. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Daniel J. Levitin: Successful Aging - Marin Conversations Feb 06, 2020

As American society continues to have a growing older population, understanding all aspects of aging is a critical national priority. Perhaps no subject is more important than understanding what happens to our brains as they age and what people can do to enhance cognition as they get older. And there is, perhaps, no better person to explain this all than best-selling neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin, author of the iconic best sellers This Is Your Brain on Music and The Organized Mind. In his latest book, Successful Aging, Levitin turns his keen insights to what happens in our brains as people get older and, based on a rigorous analysis of neuroscientific evidence, what people can do to make the most of their 70s, 80s and 90s. Successful Aging uses research from developmental neuroscience and the psychology of individual differences to show that 60+ years is a unique developmental stage that, like infancy or adolescence, has its own demands and distinct advantages. Levitin looks at the science behind what we all can learn from those who age joyously as well as how to adapt our culture to take full advantage of older people's wisdom and experience. Successful Aging inspires a powerful new approach to how readers think about our final decades and has the potential to revolutionize the way we plan for old age as individuals, family members and citizens within a society where the average life expectancy continues to rise. This event will be hosted at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, one of the leading research institutions on helping people live longer. In association with the Buck Institute

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An Evening with Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn Feb 05, 2020

Acclaimed New York Times op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof and entrepreneur Sheryl WuDunn are the Pulitzer Prize-winning authors behind countless best-selling books. In their newest work, Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope, Kristof and WuDunn turn their focus inward to the crisis in working-class America. Kristof, who grew up in rural Oregon, discovered one-quarter of the kids on his school bus growing up died in adulthood from drugs, alcohol, suicide or reckless accidents. While shocking to many, Kristof and WuDunn argue stories like this are representative of everyone from the Dakotas and Oklahoma to New York and Virginia. But along with tragedy, they tell stories of resurgence: recovery from opioid addiction, adults devoting their lives to helping teenagers navigate the reality of poverty and other inspiring journeys. According to Kristof and WuDunn, these accounts provide a picture of working-class families needlessly but profoundly damaged as a result of decades of policy mistakes. Join us for an uplifting and profoundly inspiring conversation with two writers who have devoted their lives to amplifying the voices of people who make the world a better place.

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Building the Transcontinental Railroad Feb 05, 2020

The construction of the 1,776 mile long Transcontinental Railroad is one of the most impressive civil engineering achievements of the 19th century. Begun in 1863 during the Civil War, its construction required the efforts of thousands of workers who conquered demanding terrain and survived harsh construction and weather conditions. Giroux sheds new light on the civil engineers who designed and constructed that marvel, and commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike. On May 10, 1869, it was hammered into place, completing the Transcontinental Railroad, which helped knit together the then recently restored Union from its Atlantic coast to its Pacific coast. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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CLIMATE ONE: What Is a Just Transition? Feb 03, 2020

Our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels has led to climate disruption and inequality. Underserved communities are the ones most harmed by pollution, lack of green space and heat-related illness. Transitioning to clean energy would seem to be the obvious answer. But in the process of trying to right old wrongs, do we risk leaving some communities behind? What does a just transition to a cleaner, greener economy look like?

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The 2020 Census and the LGBTQ+ Community Feb 03, 2020

In 2020, the United States will conduct its 24th census. Will LGBTQI+ people be counted? Will they even bother to fill out the census forms? The results of the country's every-10-years census are used in everything from apportioning representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives to the provision of social services. Join us for a timely discussion about why the census is important to LGBTQI+ people and how it impacts resources for members of our community. El Censo del 2020 y la Comunidad LGBTQ+ En el 2020, los Estados Unidos llevará a cabo el censo por vigésimocuarta vez. ¿Se contará a las personas LGBTQI+? ¿Se molestarán siquiera en rellenar los formularios del censo? El censo ocurre cada 10 años y los resultados se usan para tomar decisiones importantes, desde cuántos representantes del Congreso recibe cada estado hasta la provisión de servicios sociales. Únete a una conversación oportuna sobre por qué el censo es importante para las personas LGBTQI+ y cómo afecta los recursos disponibles para miembros de nuestra comunidad. Notes In association with the the Office of Transgender Initiatives, the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs, and the SF LGBT Center; Este evento esta copatrocinado por la Oficina de Iniciativas Transgénero, la Oficina de Participación Cívica y Asuntos de Inmigrantes, y el Centro LGBT de SF como parte de una serie de eventos para la campaña SF Counts. This program is part of a series of events for the SF Counts campaign

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Immortality Inc: The Quest to Live Forever Feb 02, 2020

Can we live forever? Science journalist, Chip Walter reveals the ground-breaking research and visionaries who are trying to answer that very question. Find out more from Walter and leading rejuvenation, stem cell research and genetic experts who are redefining our understanding of life, aging and mortality. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Beyond Broadway: The Pleasure and Promise of Musical Theatre Across America Jan 31, 2020

American musical theater conjures images of bright lights and big cities, but its lifeblood courses through local and amateur productions around the country. In Beyond Broadway, Stacy Wolf examines the widespread presence and persistence of musical theater in U.S. culture as a live, pleasurable, participatory experience. Wolf traveled from Maine to Hawaii, visiting schools, performance festivals, summer camps, outdoor theaters, community theaters and dinner theaters, where she interviewed over 200 practitioners and spectators, licensors and administrators. Wolf’s talk illuminates musical theater’s enduring power as a joyful activity that touches millions of lives. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker: Donald Trump's Testing of America Jan 31, 2020

Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker are two of The Washington Post’s leading reporters. Their Pulitzer Prize-winning work covered NSA spying, Secret Service misconduct and Donald Trump’s unprecedented 2016 campaign. Now, Leonnig and Rucker are focusing on the unorthodox Trump presidency. Their new book, A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America, is a fresh report on the Trump presidency. A Very Stable Genius argues that rather than being an accidental creature of chaos, Trump’s first term is a careful and purposeful pattern of disorder. Drawing on in-depth interviews, firsthand witnesses and previously never before seen material, Leonnig and Rucker explored how Trump has shaken up alliances, reinvented the presidency and compromised the integrity of American institutions such as the FBI. Join us for an important conversation as Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker tackle the unique case of the Trump presidency.

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Authors Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell with Mary Roach Jan 31, 2020

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Spouses Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell write about death but lead a most interesting life. They are the New York Times best-selling co-authors of the memoir Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and The Making of a Medical Examiner as well as the novel First Cut. Melinek studied at Harvard and UCLA, was a medical examiner in San Francisco for nine years, and today works as a forensic pathologist in Oakland and as CEO of PathologyExpert Inc. T.J. Mitchell is a writer with an English degree from Harvard, and he worked in the film industry before becoming a full-time stay-at-home dad to their children. First Cut is the debut novel in their Jessie Teska detective series, centering on San Francisco’s newest medical examiner who uncovers a constellation of deaths that point to an elaborate plot involving nefarious opioid traffickers and flashy tech titans who got rich off Bitcoin. Autopsy means “see for yourself,” and in Melinek and Mitchell's novel, Teska won’t stop until she has seen it all—even if it means the next corpse on the table could be her own. Come for an entertaining conversation with this unique writing team, who are partners in life and work.

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Irrational Politics, Unreasonable Culture: Justin Smith and Jessica Riskin Jan 31, 2020

Shouting and shaming, lying and trolling: How did we ever learn to speak to one another the way we do now? In matters political and cultural, public and private, on social media and in major newsrooms, it seems as though over the past few years a bizarre and frightening irrationality has taken hold of our discourse. But what is irrationality, and what is that thing—reason—with which we oppose it? The historical period known as the Enlightenment represented a triumph of reason over the dark forces of irrationality and superstition. And yet some of today's most ardent defenders of the Enlightenment’s legacy—from scientists to artists, from atheists to political theorists—express themselves in ways that often seem suited to zealots and dogmatists. Reasoned political debate has been supplanted by trolling, with the occupants of some of the highest offices in the world reflecting and at times encouraging such discourse. In this conversation at the very beginning of the century’s third decade, on the eve of Brexit and the first presidential primaries if one of America’s most important presidential elections, two experts in the history of modern science and philosophy will apply their work to the mad cacophony of the present moment. How can the intellectual history of the past few centuries help us in our effort to reinvigorate reasoned political and cultural debate? Join them at The Commonwealth Club for an evening that will celebrate and encourage the life of the mind and the power of thinking.

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How to Navigate Epic Estate Battles Before They Start Jan 31, 2020

Join John O'Grady in a lively and enlightening session where he will address essential questions such as: protecting property rights; planning for care without giving up control of your affairs; passing your values on to the next generation; providing for your loved ones and your favorite causes; documenting your intentions to prevent misunderstandings; and how you can save on tax dollars, professional fees and court costs. John O'Grady is an estate planning attorney who can help you navigate family conflicts about aging, death, taxes, inheritance and property rights while addressing the true underlying conflicts. He leads O'Grady Law Group, a full-service estate planning law firm in San Francisco. MLF Organizer: Denise Michaud MLF: Grownups

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Filmmaker Richard Wong on The Michelle Meow Show at The Commonwealth Club Jan 31, 2020

Richard Wong is an award-winning director and cinematographer. His newest feature, Come as You Are, premiered at SXSW and will be released by Samuel Goldwyn. His first feature was the critically acclaimed Colma: The Musical, which premiered at Sundance and garnered him nominations for a Spirit Award and a Gotham Award. Wong started his career in production and segued to being a cinematographer, lensing films such as the upcoming immigration drama Saint Judy for director Sean Hanish, starring Michelle Monaghan and Common, Girlfriend's Day with Bob Odenkirk, Spare Parts with George Lopez, Sundance favorite To the Bone for director Marti Noxon, starring Lily Collins and Keanu Reeves, and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan for acclaimed director Wayne Wang.

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Andrea Bernstein: The Trumps, The Kushners and American Greed Jan 31, 2020

Andrea Bernstein is a senior editor at WNYC and co-host of the “Trump, Inc.” podcast. A Peabody and duPont-Columbia award-winning journalist, Bernstein’s new work is an exposé on two families at the pinnacle of American power. American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power, is Bernstein’s investigative journey into two emblematic American families—the Kushners and the Trumps. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump enjoy limitless access to the Oval Office, but beyond their marriage, little about the families’ relationship is public knowledge. Throughout American Oligarchs, Bernstein reveals their campaign into the White House by tracing history stretching from the Gilded Age to WWII to the 21st century. Bernstein draws on private interviews, never-before-seen documents and forgotten files in order to expose the families’ accumulated wealth through real estate, manipulation and crime. Bernstein’s American Oligarchs is a serious examination of the half-truths, secrecy and media manipulation weaponized by the Trumps and the Kushners. Join us as she discusses the Trumps, Kushners, and the marriage of money and power.

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Finding the Humanity in AI with Rumman Chowdhury Jan 31, 2020

As technology becomes more embedded in our lives, the fear of a big data takeover is becoming even more tangible. Recent headlines, including those reporting on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in racially biased algorithms, “deepfakes” that are indistinguishable from reality and fatal accidents involving self-driving cars, have only contributed to these fears. Many of these stories, however, do not include ways non-tech people can gain agency over their data. As a practicing data scientist and AI developer since 2013, Rumman Chowdhury is no stranger to the problems with tech. However, her optimism about the good it can do—in identifying cancer cells, for example, or helping you clean your apartment—has led her to focus her career on bringing humanity to data and including everyone in the process. Instead of sitting on the sidelines as bystanders to the techpocalypse, Chowdhury encourages both companies and consumers to take an active role in recognizing the real-world problems that perpetuate bad algorithms, instilling a moral compass in our tech. Chowdhury has been recognized as one of Silicon Valley's 40 under 40, one of the BBC's 100 Women and is a fellow at the Royal Society of the Arts. She is currently the global lead for responsible AI at Accenture Applied Intelligence, where she works with c-suite clients to create cutting-edge technical solutions for ethical, explainable and transparent AI. Come calm your fears about our data-driven future with Rumman Chowdhury as she joins INFORUM to break down how we can all work to shape AI for the better. This conversation will be moderated by Moira Weigel, a postdoctoral researcher at the Harvard Society of Fellows and a founding editor of Logic magazine.

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Violins of Hope: A Journey of Heroism, Healing and Humanity Jan 28, 2020

On International Holocaust Remembrance Day and on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Avshalom Weinstein, the co-founder of Violins of Hope, will discuss the work of Violins of Hope, a collection of over 70 violins played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. Weinstein and his father, who are brilliant violin makers and restorers, have devoted 20 years to locating and restoring the lost violins of the Holocaust, as a tribute to those who were lost, including 400 members of his own family. Weinstein, who assists his father in his Tel Aviv studio and has his own workshop in Istanbul, is sponsored by San Francisco's Violins of Hope, an organization which aims to address the root causes of hatred and bigotry and to promote healing and bridge building in response to contemporary issues. MLF ORGANIZER Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East

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Week to Week Political Roundtable and Social Hour 1/24/20 Jan 27, 2020

Join us for a brand new year of political insight and discussion! We will discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! And come early before the program for our members social (all attendees welcome).

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Keith Hennessey and Christina Romer: Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Walter E. Hoadley Annual Economic Forecast Jan 27, 2020

With an election year looming, trade wars with China and other countries impeding economic progress, health care remaining in flux, housing problems and governmental gridlock continuing on, what does all of this mean for your business, your investments and the overall economy for 2020? Join us for a lively discussion on where the U.S. and global economies are headed and what should be done to keep them on track. NOTES This event is underwritten by Bank of America/Merrill Lynch

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State Senate Candidate Jackie Fielder Jan 27, 2020

Jackie Fielder is challenging State Senator Scott Wiener in this year's November election. She'll sit down with us to talk about what she would do differently if her campaign is successful. Fielder is a Native American, Mexicana, and queer educator and organizer. She has been involved in the battle against the Dakota Access Pipeline, advocated for a public bank in San Francisco, and campaigned against police policies she saw as dangerous. She was handpicked by Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza to be Garza's successor leading a class on "Race, Women, and Class" at San Francisco State University.

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The Crusade for Forgotten Souls: Reforming Minnesota’s Mental Institutions Jan 27, 2020

In 1940, Engla Schey, the daughter of Norwegian immigrants, took a job as a low-paid attendant at Anoka State Hospital, one of Minnesota’s seven asylums. She worked among the 12,000 Minnesotans who were called inmates and shamefully locked away under the label “insane.” Susan Bartlett Foote tells of Schey's campaign to reform the deplorable conditions of mental institutions and of the politicians and other civic leaders who made her crusade for forgotten souls a success, breaking the stigma of shame and silence surrounding mental illness, publicizing the painful truth about asylums and building support among citizens. The result was the first modern mental health system, which catapulted Minnesota to national leadership and empowered families of the mentally ill and disabled. Though their vision met resistance, the accomplishments of these early advocates for compassionate care of the mentally ill hold many lessons that resonate to this day, when debates about what to do about the homeless and the mentally ill are chilling reminders of our shameful past. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Your Body Says “Yes”: How to Easily Activate Your Body–Health–Nature Intelligence to Optimize Your Health and Well-Being Jan 26, 2020

By combining the latest scientific research and more than 20 years of medical practice, Rachel Carlton Abrams will give you a body roadmap for you to easily find greater health and joy within your body and your life. She will explain how to find and listen to your body’s “yes” as a guide to choosing a life your body will love. She will guide you through exercises that help you listen to your own innate body intelligence—the subtle and not-so-subtle signals that your body uses to communicate with you. When we listen to our body intelligence and enter into the right relationship with ourselves, she says, we have the foundation to cultivate the right relationship with others and with the natural world. Research shows that our personal relationships and our connection to nature have an enormous impact on our health. Lack of connection may increase many health risks, including all chronic diseases (heart disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety and even cancer). Abrams will teach you a method to find your way back to the right relationship with the important people in your life—whether finding the connections you crave or setting the boundaries that keep you safe. You will learn about your deep and abiding connection to the natural world and how you can reimmerse yourself in the healing and calming power of nature. She says we are not separate from nature, and its impact on us is physically and emotionally profound. Abrams has written five books on integrative and holistic approaches to health, relationships and sexuality. She is a much sought-after speaker who integrates the latest science with ancient wisdom to help you heal and finally discover true lasting health. MLF Organizer: Adrea Brier MLF: Health & Medicine This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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The College Dropout Scandal Jan 25, 2020

Higher education today faces a host of challenges, from quality to cost. But too little attention gets paid to a startling fact: Four out of ten students who start college drop out. The situation is particularly dire for black and Latino students, those from poor families, and those who are first in their families to attend college. David Kirp outlines the scale of the problem and shows that it's fixable. We already have the tools to boost graduation rates and shrink the achievement gap. Many college administrators know what has to be done, but the dropout rate still hasn't decreased for decades. Ironically, it's schools like City University of New York and Long Beach State that are making the most progress at getting more students a better education and a diploma. Kirp relies on vivid, on-the-ground reporting, conversations with campus leaders, faculty and students as well as cogent overviews of cutting-edge research to identify institutional reforms. These reforms include using big data to quickly identify at-risk students, getting them the support they need, and applying behavioral strategies (from nudges to mindset changes) that have been proven to work. MLF: Humanities

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SV Reads 2020: Women Making It Happen Jan 24, 2020

Julian Guthrie shares the untold story of four dynamic women, Magdalena Yesil, Mary Jane Elmore, Theresia Gouw and Sonja Hoel Perkins, who helped shape the tech landscape of Silicon Valley. Through grit and ingenuity, these trailblazers rewrote the rules and conquered the challenges of working in a male-dominated venture capital industry. Hear more about their personal stories as we celebrate the achievements and relentless perseverance of these extraordinary women. In association with Santa Clara County Library District, Santa Clara County Office of Education, the San Jose Public Library and DeAnza College.

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Rick Wilson: Saving America from Trump (and Democrats from Themselves) Jan 23, 2020

Rick Wilson built his career as a star Republican political strategist. But following Donald Trump’s ascendancy during the 2016 campaign, the lifelong conservative became a vocal critic of the new Republican Party. His Twitter feed and columns for The Daily Beast give his followers a hilarious and refreshing take on national politics. In his new book, Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from Trump, Wilson gives Left-leaning and anti-Trump voters a guidebook to win again in 2020. As a conservative strategist against Trump, Wilson critiques what he sees as Democrats’ inability to run the campaign and candidate needed to beat Trump. Wilson analyzes the damage that Trump has done and predicts the prospective damage Trump could bring in the next four years. Drawing on his plethora of political experience, Wilson exposes the tactics that brought Trump to victory in 2016—and the tactics that he will use again in 2020. Throughout Running Against the Devil, Wilson gives Democrats the tools to avoid the impending catastrophe of Trump’s 2020 victory. In this way, Wilson provides essential and much-needed advice for progressives, conservatives and civic participants to change the course of America’s future. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Daniel J. Levitin: Successful Aging Jan 22, 2020

As American society continues to have a growing older population, understanding all aspects of aging is a critical national priority. Perhaps no subject is more important than understanding what happens to our brains as they age and what people can do to enhance cognition as they get older. And there is, perhaps, no better person to explain this all than best-selling neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin, author of the iconic best sellers This Is Your Brain on Music and The Organized Mind. In his latest book, Successful Aging, Levitin turns his keen insights to what happens in our brains as people get older and, based on a rigorous analysis of neuroscientific evidence, what people can do to make the most of their 70s, 80s and 90s. Successful Aging uses research from developmental neuroscience and the psychology of individual differences to show that 60+ years is a unique developmental stage that, like infancy or adolescence, has its own demands and distinct advantages. Levitin looks at the science behind what we all can learn from those who age joyously as well as how to adapt our culture to take full advantage of older people's wisdom and experience. Successful Aging inspires a powerful new approach to how readers think about our final decades and has the potential to revolutionize the way we plan for old age as individuals, family members and citizens within a society where the average life expectancy continues to rise.

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Ayesha and Stephen Curry: The Commonwealth Club Equality Series Jan 18, 2020

Three-time NBA champion and two-time MVP Stephen Curry and entrepreneur, host and best-selling author Ayesha Curry want to make sure that everyone has a chance to succeed. That's the mission of their new Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, which focuses on youth in underserved communities and works to ensure every child has access to nutritious food, a quality education, and a healthy and active lifestyle. The Currys join us for a unique Equality Series program, in which they discuss their work, their lives, and their efforts to improve the lives of children in the Bay Area and beyond. Ayesha Curry is a renowned restaurateur, chef, New York Times best-selling author, television host and producer. She has been on Forbes' 30 Under 30 List, one of the faces of Covergirl cosmetics, a frequent guest on "The Rachael Ray Show" and "Good Morning America," a columnist for Woman’s Day magazine, and a popular lifestyle expert in the media. This fall, Curry teamed up with Ellen DeGeneres for a new Ellentube digital series, "Fempire," in which she uses her wisdom and business savvy to help female entrepreneurs of any age achieve the goal of building their own “fempire.” Stephen Curry’s on and off court legacy is marked by transformation and innovation. His nine-year career in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors is marked by many firsts. He was the first person to be named Most Valuable Player by unanimous vote in NBA history and one of a select few to win MVP awards two years in a row. He holds five NBA all-star selections and three NBA championships. Off the court, he is an emerging figure in the tech space with direct investments in companies such as Pinterest and TSM, an eSports organization. He is also the founder of the film and television company Unanimous Media, specializing in faith, family and sports content in tandem with Sony Studios. This is the second program in The Commonwealth Club Equality Series, made possible by the support of Salesforce

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Journalist David Talbot: A Life-Changing Year Jan 17, 2020

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Acclaimed writer, best-selling author and founder of Salon magazine, David Talbot has brought us masterful and explosive headline-breaking stories for over 25 years with books such as The New York Times best sellers Brothers and The Devil's Chessboard and nationally recognized Season of the Witch. But, over the past year, all of that took a back seat to Talbot’s own personal health struggle following a stroke. Join this renowned journalist and historian for intimate journey through the life-changing year following his stroke, a year that turned his life upside down and ultimately saved him, changing the way he looks at the world.

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Patrick Kennedy and an Expert Panel: Mental Health, Youth and the Justice System Jan 17, 2020

Part of The Commonwealth Club’s series on mental health, dedicated in memory of Nancy Friend Pritzker, with support from the John Pritzker Family Fund Critics argue that jails and prisons are the most visible evidence of the failing of America’s public mental health system and that the most heartbreaking failures are in the field of juvenile justice. Seventy percent of young people entering the juvenile justice system are said to have a diagnosable mental health need. Advocates argue that detention and correction facilities provide a unique opportunity to intervene and connect children to services and support systems before it is too late. Others argue that community-based, non-incarceration solutions are more effective. With facilities such as San Francisco’s juvenile hall closing by 2021, how can San Francisco and other communities address system-involved youth with mental health issues? What role should and must the justice system play? And how will their decisions impact society at large? Join us for an important panel discussion.

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Exclusion as the American Experience: The Chinese Exclusion Act Jan 17, 2020

Watch the video referenced in the first half of this podcast at: https://vimeo.com/263167752/c555110813 For the 60 years, from 1882–1943, long before Muslim travel bans and family separations at the U.S.–Mexico border, the Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the United States and denied persons of Chinese descent a path to U.S. citizenship. The act grew out of political pressure from labor unions and U.S. cities to which large numbers of immigrants had moved in the decades following the California Gold Rush. The act’s effects on the Chinese immigrant communities across the United States were lasting and dramatic. Join us for a screening of a 49-minute version of The Chinese Exclusion Act, a feature-length documentary made by award-winning documentary filmmakers Ric Burns and Li-Shin Yu and co-produced by the Center for Asian American Media in association with the New-York Historical Society and shown on the acclaimed PBS series “American Experience.” Bay Area entrepreneur and cultural advocate David Lei, who provided much of the inspiration for the documentary, will be present to discuss his perspective and answer questions about the Exclusion Act’s relevance to the immigration debate today. MLF Organizer: Virginia Cheung MLF: Asia Pacific Affairs In association with the Center for Asian American Media

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Designing Babies: How Technology is Changing the Ways We Create Children Jan 17, 2020

Since the first test-tube baby was born over 40 years ago, in vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies have advanced in extraordinary ways, producing millions of babies. An estimated 20 percent of American couples use infertility services to help them conceive, and that number is growing. Prospective parents routinely choose the sex of their future child, whether or not to have twins, or whether or not to pass on certain genes to the next generation, including those for chronic diseases, and probably soon, height and eye color. These rapidly developing technologies will require parents, doctors and policy makers to face critical questions about their use and possible misuse. MLF Organizer: Robert Kilpatrick MLF: Health & Medicine

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Former VA Secretary David Shulkin: It Shouldn’t Be This Hard to Serve Your Country Jan 16, 2020

The Veterans Health Administration is the nation’s largest integrated health care system, yet almost 2 million veterans and 3.8 million of their family members are without health insurance today. David Shulkin was brought in by President Obama to clean up the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) troubled hospital network after a major scandal. His success led President Trump to name him VA secretary, making him the highest ranking official to serve both presidents and the only Trump cabinet secretary to earn unanimous Senate approval. Born on an Army base, Shulkin was the first nonveteran to hold the position. Shulkin introduced substantial changes to the VA system, with bold moves that dramatically reduced wait times, increased transparency, enhanced accountability and tackled veteran suicide rates. His efforts earned early praise from Republicans and Democrats alike. But Shulkin says he ran headlong into Trump associates intent on privatizing the VA and eventually was ousted. In his new book, Shulkin opens up about his time as VA secretary and the ruthless political appointees he says he encountered. Since leaving government in early 2018, Shulkin has continued to shed light on VA privatization and his concerns on how it will impact our ability to ensure health care for those who have fought to protect the nation.

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The Power of Critical Thinking Jan 15, 2020

Monday Night Philosophy initiates the new decade by analyzing the worlds of Wall Street and investing, international relations, sports, and chess, and focuses on the power and the necessity of critical thinking skills in those worlds. Leland Faust and Richard Conn have been influential in those worlds and share an admiration for the ability of critical thinking to affect complex decision-making on the world stage. But they also share a lament about how rarely rational thinking dominates and how wishful thinking is so prevalent. Hear about Boris Yeltsin's transformation of the Soviet Union, Garry Kasparov's continuing influence on world chess, Wall Street's tricks on and treats for the world economy. Plus acquire a clear idea of why the 2020s don't have to repeat the 1920s, although they might be. MLF: Humanities

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Smart Cities, Smart Cars, Smart People: Hope or Hype? Jan 15, 2020

Foresee the near future with panelists Shekar Ayyar, Joxel García, Paul Gupta and Mike Weber. The number of Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices is expected to increase from 20 billion to 55 billion over the next five years. What will that mean, in terms of new opportunities and new risks, in our businesses and our personal lives? Communications service providers are starting to roll out integrated platforms for 5G and IoT uses. Our panel will discuss the technological, social and legal implications, including selected case studies in communications, health care, automotive, smart cities and infrastructure. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Imperfect Union: Jessie and John Frémont Jan 15, 2020

John Frémont was born out of wedlock in 1813 in Charleston, South Carolina and went to work at 13 to help support his family. But, by the time he was 30, he had become a famous wilderness explorer, best-selling writer, gallant army officer and latter-day conquistador, who, in 1846, began the United States’ takeover of California from Mexico. He was a celebrity who personified the country’s westward expansion—mountains, towns, ships and streets were named after him. A vital factor in his success was his wife, Jessie Benton Frémont, the daughter of a U.S. senator. Not allowed to compete directly in a male world, Jessie Frémont threw her skill and passion into promoting her husband. When John Frémont returned from mapping the Oregon Trail for the Army, Jessie Frémont helped him dramatize his adventures in newspapers and books. And in 1856, John Frémont was chosen, in spite of his southern origins, to be the first-ever presidential nominee of the newly established Republican Party, founded in opposition to slavery. Inskeep tells the surprisingly modern story of a couple whose joint ambitions and talents intertwined with those of the nascent United States, linking the Frémonts with not one but three great social movements of the time—westward settlement, women’s rights and the opposition to slavery. MLF Organizer: George Hammond This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State Jan 15, 2020

Secretary Mike Pompeo was sworn in on April 26, 2018. He previously served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency from January 2017 to April 2018. Mr. Pompeo graduated first in his class at the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1986 and served as a cavalry officer patrolling the Iron Curtain before the fall of the Berlin Wall. He also served with the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry in the U.S. Army’s Fourth Infantry Division. After leaving active duty, Secretary Pompeo graduated from Harvard Law School, having been an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Here's a rare chance to hear from Secretary Pompeo about current foreign policy challenges and issues of economic security. In association with Silicon Valley Leadership Group

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CLIMATE ONE: Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You Have Jan 10, 2020

Everyday choices – like deciding which shirt to buy or on which platform to binge-watch shows on – may impact the planet more than you think. Tatiana's Schlossberg's new book Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don’t Know You Have, looks at how seemingly small choices can have a big impact on the climate. We sit down with experts in the fashion and energy sectors, two industries with a big carbon footprint, to see how far individual actions can take us – and when it's up to companies and producers to take the lead.

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Today’s Great Need: Radical Politics, Conservative Culture Jan 10, 2020

How does one react, watching our current political crisis form fissures in our underlying culture, which, according to poet Peter Dale Scott, is undermining even our most valuable cultural strengths? These strengths include living with diversity, tolerating and listening to other viewpoints, and reaching a shared consensus. Unfortunately, at the same time, these cultural strengths are ebbing; righteousness on all sides combined with contempt for others are increasingly destructive forces. This is happening at an inopportune time. Climate change and potentially unsustainable migrations will likely require radical political changes, which are certain to be unpopular yet may only be achievable by restoring our traditional culture of consensus-building. Scott has spent a lifetime commenting on the Vietnam War, JFK's assassination and the deep state. If it is too much to ask us to love our enemies, he wonders whether it is possible to listen to them. Without this civilizing skill, American culture will not be strengthened by this political crisis, as it has by past crises, but wounded by it instead. MLF Organizer: George Hammond

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Henry Puna, Prime Minister, The Cook Islands Jan 10, 2020

The Cook Islands is a 15-island nation in the South Pacific, with political links to New Zealand. The islands were first settled around A.D. 1000 by Polynesian people who are thought to have migrated from Tahiti. Prime Minister Henry Puna assumed office in 2010 and previously served as secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Transport. Prime Minister Puna has led the establishment of the world's largest multipurpose marine reserve, Marae Moana, hailed as a major step forward for marine conservation. Additionally, on January 1, the Cook Islands will become the first South Pacific island nation to officially achieve developed nation status. It was under Prime Minister Puna's premiership that the Cook Islands became, in November 2011, a founding member of the Polynesian Leaders Group, a regional grouping intended to cooperate on a variety of issues, including culture and language, education, responses to climate change, and trade and investment. Come for a rare behind-the-scenes look at this island nation. * In association with World Affairs

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The Power of Parlay, with Anne Devereux-Mills Jan 09, 2020

Do you ever sense that authentic connections have gone missing in your life? Do you feel sometimes as though your unique identity has been swept away by the tides of work and family? Do you hear the call to effect positive change in the world but can’t find a place to start? You are not alone. Just shy of her 50th birthday, former advertising agency CEO Anne Devereux-Mills lost her health to cancer, her last child to college and her job to the recession. Stripped of everything that had comprised her self worth, she set out on a path to rediscover her identity and recreate her life. Realizing that she was missing relationships that were based on what she cared about as a person rather than what she did for a living, Devereux-Mills started a series of salons in 2012 that would gather together diverse groups of women based on topics they all cared about. She called the series Parlay House, and as the gatherings grew and expanded in cities across the world, she saw that they triggered a series of micro-actions among the participants. The result was a cascading wave of connection, support and strength that flowed out from the gatherings and into the wider world. She dubbed that cascade “the Parlay effect.” In her forthcoming book, The Parlay Effect: How Female Connection Can Change the World, Devereux-Mills tells the story of Parlay House and uses her insights as its founder to show how small actions can result in a meaningful boost in self-awareness, confidence and vision. Woven through the book are the findings of research that Devereux-Mills conducted in collaboration with Dr. Serena Chen, a tenured professor of social psychology at UC Berkeley who investigated the social science behind the Parlay effect. The result is a book that offers a vision and a method for anyone who is going through a life transition and who wants to find and create communities that have positive and multiplying effects. Please join Anne Devereux-Mills and The Commonwealth Club at the start of a new year to learn about and experience the Parlay effect for yourself. Devereux-Mills will be joined in conversation by comedian and storyteller Dhaya Lakshminarayanan. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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How to Be a Calm, Effective Changemaker During Troubled Times Jan 08, 2020

Whether we are actively working toward change or we just want to chat with our family and friends, we all need tools to stay centered and calm during these stressful times. How can we be effective, compassionate changemakers—and even find joy and meaning—as we deal with our stress and the negativity in our environment? Our speaker, James Baraz, is a co-founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center, has taught Bill Gates, and was himself taught by Joseph Goldstein and Ram Dass. For decades, he's been showing people how to lead change through the "joyful responsibility" of commitment, love and effective action. He is coming to the Club to teach us how to reawaken our joy and avoid becoming overwhelmed and rendered ineffective by outrage, anxiety or despair. "Action absorbs anxiety," so come to the Club to learn how to lead change effectively, from the heart. MLF Organizer: Shiva Berman MLF: Personal Growth

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CLIMATE ONE: Dr. Robert Bullard: The Father of Environmental Justice Jan 07, 2020

Often described as the father of environmental justice, Dr. Robert Bullard has written several seminal books on the subject and is known for his work highlighting pollution on minority communities and speaking up against environmental racism in the 1970-1980s. Climate One is pleased to honor Robert Bullard with the ninth annual Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication.

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Artistic Creativity and Consciousness: Art as Positive Energy in These Turbulent Times Jan 07, 2020

The renewing energy of art helps to manage the stress of negative events. There is overwhelming research that contemplation, observing and taking in beauty stimulate the brain and create a sense of well-being. In these turbulent times, art can be a vehicle not only for fulfillment but to encourage and expand consciousness through conversation and connection. The panel participants represent a spectrum of viewpoints of nonprofit, artistic and psychotherapeutic perspectives. Each of the panel members will share unique views during the discussion of artistic creativity and consciousness. MLF Organizer: Robert Melton MLF: Arts

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CLIMATE ONE: The Big Climate Stories of 2019 Dec 29, 2019

From the Trump Administration’s rollback of the country’s strongest environmental regulations, California’s frenzied response to wildfires and subsequent blackouts, and the emergence of climate as a top-tier presidential campaign issue, climate broke headlines in new ways in 2019. Vox energy writer David Roberts and New York Times climate reporter Coral Davenport take us through the biggest climate news stories of 2019.

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CLIMATE ONE: Blackout Dec 24, 2019

The 2018 Camp Fire was one of the most destructive in California’s history, resulting in over eighty deaths and destroying the town of Paradise. Dry weather and hot winds fanned the flames - but the spark that started it came from a faulty transmission line. That and other wildfires have been found to be the result of negligence on the part of California’s biggest utility, PG&E. Their solution? Pulling the plug on millions of customers. But who pays the bill? And with PG&E facing bankruptcy, how will California power its future?

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Robyn Crawford: Year-end Michelle Meow Holiday Special Dec 18, 2019

It's our second annual year-end program and party, celebrating the completion of another year of Michelle Meow and LGBTQ programming at the Club. We'll have food and drink, a short program, and lots of good cheer. Joining us as our special guest is Robyn Crawford. In her New York Times bestselling book, A Song for You, Crawford opens up for the first time about her close friendship with superstar Whitney Houston. Whitney Houston was a super-big superstar since she burst on the music scene in the mid-1980s. For two decades she topped the charts and drew millions of fans, and one person was there by her side through it all—her best friend, assistant, and confidante, Robyn Crawford. Join us for an in-depth discussion about that friendship, an exploration of Robyn's own life and family, and the legacy of Whitney Houston. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Lawrence Lessig: The Supreme Court and the Constitution Dec 17, 2019

Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig is a celebrated academic and activist for constitutional theory and reform. A longtime advocate for campaign finance reform, Lessig founded political funding tracker MapLight, Creative Commons and the anti-corruption nonprofit Rootstrikers. With partisan gridlock in Congress, the Supreme Court has emerged in recent times as a new power center in Washington, D.C. But what are the consequences of this change? In his newest book, Fidelity & Constraint: How the Supreme Court Has Read the American Constitution, Lessig explains how our understanding of the U.S. Constitution has changed with each era of judicial interpretation. Lessig argues that with each era of Constitutional translation, the role of our judges has evolved. Join us for an enlightening conversation with Lessig as he teaches us about an often missed but critically important issue.

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How to Ensure Successful Reentry After Prison Dec 17, 2019

It is often said that "reentry begins on the first day of incarceration," but how can we ensure that people leave prison prepared to succeed in the free world? This conversation between Marc Morjé Howard and Stephanie McGencey will highlight recommendations from the Reentry Ready Project, which focuses on the tremendous benefits of education and positive programming for incarcerated people so that they can develop self-worth and critical reasoning skills; the program also focuses on making carceral facilities safer for both residents and staff. Howard will share examples from the innovative and groundbreaking Georgetown programs in Washington, D.C. McGencey will describe efforts planned to improve reentry outcomes nationwide. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Afghanistan After 18 Years of War Dec 16, 2019

Our distinguished panelists will discuss Afghanistan and the longest war in U.S. history. They will present their personal views about prewar Afghanistan, the present tragedy and what policies and reforms might be pursued to find peace and prevent further tragedy. Sandra Miller Ross traveled to Afghanistan in 1970 and will show stunning images of that visit. Atta Arghandiwal is a humanitarian and cultural adviser who was born in Afghanistan to a military family. Lt. Col. Anthony Alfidi of the U.S. Reserve has served throughout the Middle East and Afghanistan. MLF ORGANIZER Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East

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Dr. Arye Carmon: Israel’s Democracy and Its Struggles Dec 16, 2019

More than seven decades after the founding of Israel, the momentum to establish a Jewish state has led to remarkable achievements: stable structures in government, the military and the economy. At the same time, as the country faces a range of issues in how it deals with coexistence, it also faces significant challenges to its democratic processes. Particularly, Israel lacks a constitution to bind its democracy and a bill of rights to safeguard the freedoms of its citizens. No one knows these issues better than Arye Carmon, the founder of the Israel Democracy Institute. In his new book, Building Democracy on Sand: Israel without a Constitution, Carmon diagnoses the critical vulnerabilities at the heart of Israeli democracy and the obstacles to forming a sustainable national consciousness. In the book, the author merges touching narratives about his own life in Israel with insightful ruminations on the Jewish diaspora and the arc of Israel’s history, illuminating the conflicts between Jewish identities, democratic values and the collective body of Jewish religious laws. This struggle between a secular and a religious Jewish identity is especially critical now amid voices promoting ethnocentric nationalism, threatening to sever the ties that strengthen the country's democracy. Carmon’s book and his important views on the state of the country's democracy come at a critical time as Israel emerges from its second national election within a year and the two major parties negotiate how to govern the country.

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An Evening with Michael Eric Dyson Dec 16, 2019

Michael Eric Dyson is known for his many talents. He is an outspoken academic and sociologist, social critic, best-selling author, a popular figure in political news media, an ordained Baptist minister and, in his own words, one of the country’s leading “hip-hop intellectuals.” Often in Dyson’s work, these concepts all intersect to reflect a well-rounded picture of black life in America. Now Dyson has set his analytical sights on someone who, he argues, is one of the greatest American poets of all time: Jay-Z. Join INFORUM and Dyson for an evening of all things Hova—from Jay-Z’s humble beginnings as a hustler in 1980s New York City to his meteoric rise to fame and his eventual recognition as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Dyson will explore how Jay-Z’s 30-year career has changed not just hip-hop but also the music industry, business, politics and social justice. Join us for an exploration of the life of a great literary figure and learn how he provided the blueprint. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Ben Horowitz: Creating Culture Dec 13, 2019

According to leading venture capitalist Ben Horowitz, the crucial question for every organization is: How do you create and sustain the culture you want? To Horowitz, culture is how a company makes decisions. It’s not the values listed on the wall or what’s said in a company-wide meeting. It is who you are and what you do to get you through both good and bad times. Horowitz reflects on some of his own experiences and highlights four models of leadership and purposeful culture building. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Week to Week Political Roundtable and Holiday Party 12/11/19 Dec 12, 2019

It's our annual year-end Week to Week, keeping you up to date with the most recent political events and news. And from 5:30-6:30, we'll have our annual members holiday party (open to all attendees). Come join us for lively conversation and good cheer! We will discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz!

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Star Wars: The Skywalker Journey Returns Home Dec 11, 2019

With the coming release (December 20) of the ninth installment of the Star Wars movie franchise, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, perhaps the most significant element of the series, the lives and legacy of the Skywalker family come to an end. The end of the Skywalker saga brings closure on a 40+ year cinematic saga that has transformed moviemaking, retailing, mythmaking and global popular culture. It is also brings to an end a storyline that has its very roots in Marin County. Lucasfilm, the company founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas in the early 70s, was originally located in San Rafael, and the original Star Wars film was written in San Rafael and San Anselmo. Skywalker Ranch, of course, is located in western Marin. What better way, then, to bring the nine-film mega odyssey to a close than a lively conversation between two Star Wars experts in the very county where it all began? Please join us as Mashable's Chris Taylor, author of How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, sits down with Starwars.com contributor, Bryan Young, as they discuss everything Star Wars: What has the film franchise meant to American culture? What can we expect with episode 9 and beyond? Why did the film franchise have such an impact? And what do the films say about our current political system, religion and technology? Symbolically, the program will be held on the grounds of the Marin County Civic Center, a facility that not only has been featured in a George Lucas film (THX 1138) but has also inspired some of the architecture seen on the planet Naboo in Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace. (The event will be held in the Marin Center's Showcase Theater.) Please join us as Marin Conversations at The Commonwealth Club salutes Star Wars and says goodbye to the Skywalker Saga in the place where it all began. In short, the Force will be strong with this program. Chris Taylor is a journalist from the UK who moved to the Bay Area as soon as he could by becoming Time magazine's San Francisco bureau chief. He introduced Time magazine’s readers to Google, Netflix and the iPod. Currently, Taylor is senior editor at the website Mashable. He has been reporting on Star Wars since 1999 and is the author of How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, the first complete history of Star Wars as an independent franchise. Published in 2014, it has become an international best seller, now available 11 languages. Bryan Young is an award-winning author, filmmaker, journalist and comics writer. He is a frequent contributor to Starwars.com, Star Wars Insider magazine, Syfy, Slashfilm and many more. He is one of the hosts for “Full of Sith,” one of the highest-rated podcasts covering the world of Star Wars.

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Judicial Independence and the Public Good Dec 11, 2019

Americans are generally familiar with the role courts play in protecting the public’s rights and resolving disputes with integrity. In recent years, state judges have been confronted by recalls and other challenges at the ballot box as well as political attacks that some observers believe could create a chilling effect on justice. What is the impact of elections on judicial independence? Do elections threaten justice, or are they a means by which to preserve it? How responsive to the electorate should judges be? What is the impact of judicial elections and retention elections on judicial independence? What is the proper relationship of politics and the judiciary? Join us in an important discussion with high-level panelists who have studied—and experienced—these issues. NOTES In partnership with the California Judges Association, Judicial Fairness Coalition, the Litigation Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco, Bench Bar Committee and the San Francisco Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates

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Microsoft President Brad Smith: The Promise and Peril of the Digital Age Dec 11, 2019

As Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith leads a team of more than 1,400 business, legal and corporate affairs professionals working in 56 countries. He plays a key role in spearheading the company’s work on critical issues involving the intersection of technology and society, including cybersecurity, privacy, artificial intelligence, human rights, immigration, philanthropy and environmental sustainability. The Australian Financial Review has described Smith as “one of the technology industry’s most respected figures,” and The New York Times has called him “a de facto ambassador for the technology industry at large.” Smith operates by a simple core belief: When your technology changes the world, you bear a responsibility to help address the world you have helped create. This might seem uncontroversial, but it flies in the face of a tech sector long obsessed with rapid growth and sometimes on disruption as an end in itself. While sweeping digital transformation holds great promise, Smith says we have reached an inflection point, and the world has turned information technology into both a powerful tool and a formidable weapon. Come hear his view that new approaches are needed to manage an era defined by even more powerful inventions like artificial intelligence. Companies that create technology must accept greater responsibility for the future, he says, and governments will need to regulate technology by moving faster and catching up with the pace of innovation.

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Montaigne on Friendship Dec 10, 2019

Monday Night Philosophy warms you up for the holidays with Michel de Montaigne's essay "On Friendship," one of the most influential and insightful meditations on the topic ever written. Montaigne shows us how our attitudes toward friendship are deeply constitutive of both our emotional life and our moral being. Together we will discuss the themes raised by Montaigne and their implications for thinking about communal life, both during Montaigne's age and in the present moment. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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CLIMATE ONE: High Risk, High Hopes: A Year of Climate Conversations Dec 09, 2019

2019 has been a year of climate rising. Youth activists skipped school and took to the streets, the Green New Deal thrust climate equity into the spotlight, and Democratic presidential candidates were forced to respond. Even a few Republicans dared to suggest climate is a concern that needs to be addressed. Join us for a look back on the big ideas that shaped some of our favorite episodes from 2019.

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The Queenmakers: Women Power Brokers in San Francisco Dec 09, 2019

Much has been written about the groundbreaking number of women who were elected into Congress in the last election. What many people may not know, however, is that women in San Francisco and the Bay Area play a pivotal role in creating a narrative at the national level—influencing who runs, where money should go, and, ultimately, who gets elected. Meet the Bay Area’s ultimate power players: the Queenmakers. Notes: In association with San Francisco magazine

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Such a Pretty Girl: A Story of Struggle, Empowerment and Disability Pride Dec 07, 2019

“Such a pretty girl.” It was a refrain Nadina LaSpina heard frequently in her native Sicily. What was sometimes added, and what was always implied, was that it’s a shame she was disabled. Having contracted polio as a baby, LaSpina was the frequent target of pity by those who dismissed her life as hopeless. She came to the United States at 13 and spent most of her adolescence in hospitals in a fruitless and painful quest for a cure. Against the political tumult of the 1960s, LaSpina rebelled both personally and politically. She refused to accept both the limitations placed on her by others and the dominant narrative surrounding disability. LaSpina also took to the streets with the then fledgling disability rights movement that has changed both law and perception in the United States. As an activist, LaSpina has been arrested numerous times. She was an important figure in some key struggles, including those that led to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. LaSpina discusses why pity has been one of the most hurtful things she’s had to contend with in her life, that the problem was not her disability but the way she was treated because of it, and that the assumption that to be disabled is to be miserable is itself the most miserable part about being disabled. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Index Funds: Launching the Revolution of Modern Investing Dec 06, 2019

Mac McQuown is known as one of the architects of the modern investing system. In the early 1970s, he departed from prevailing Wall Street practices by assembling a team of six future Nobel Laureates to create a new type of investment: the index fund. Join McQuown as he presents an insider’s view of the events that led to the creation of the index fund. Learn what he and his team have created since those early days, other advances that have occurred since and what might be coming next. MLF ORGANIZER Denise Michaud NOTES MLF: Grownups

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The Real Toni Morrison, With Filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders Dec 06, 2019

Toni Morrison, who passed away in August, was one of the most celebrated writers of our time. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Pulitzer, National Book Critics Circle Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and more. Earlier this year, a new documentary film about Morrison, The Pieces I Am, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film covers the life and impact of Morrison, and it includes interviews with Morrison, Angela Davis, Fran Lebowitz, Peter Sellars, Oprah Winfrey and others. Join us for an engaging conversation with the director of The Pieces I Am, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. A Grammy Award-winning filmmaker, Greenfield-Sanders has achieved critical acclaim photographing world leaders and major cultural figures, including presidents, writers, artists, actors, and musicians. He has produced and directed 13 documentary films, including Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart (which was recognized with a Grammy), The Black List (which earned him an NAACP Image Award), The Latino List, and The Trans List.

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Women In The Workplace 2019 Dec 06, 2019

Studies show that we are starting to see real results in the number of women represented in the c-suite, with nearly 45 percent of companies having three or more women in senior roles. While the bright spots are clear, women are still getting stuck, and it is happening even earlier in their careers, at the very first rung along the corporate ladder. The glass ceiling is cracking, but what else needs to be done to move progress forward for a majority of working women? “Women in the Workplace” is an annual report conducted by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org, and with 329 companies, representing 13 million people surveyed, it is the largest data set of its kind for women in corporate America. Now in its fifth year, join Alexis Krivkovich, co-author and senior partner at McKinsey & Company, and other corporate leaders and experts as they discuss the 2019 findings. They’ll offer their insights, share key lessons learned along their journey and discuss what needs to be done to fix the broken rung and accelerate progress for all working women.

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Humanity at a Crossroads: New Insights into Technology Risks for Humans and the Planet Dec 05, 2019

This program will present the biological and health effects of both natural electromagnetic waves innate to the body and man-made electromagnetic waves from wireless technologies, including discussion about 4G/5G antenna densification. It will also address the mental health and relational impacts of tech overuse and addiction. Importantly, new scientific understanding will be shared by a former telecom industry director of research and development about what is driving the biological effects, that relates to our body being mostly comprised of water. We will learn how wireless radiation instantly changes biology, with system-wide effects. Join us for a provocative program about technology risks to humanity. MLF ORGANIZER Bill Grant NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine, Technology & Society Co-organized by ElectromagneticHealth.org; American Academy of Environmental Medicine; Moms Across America; Ecological Options Network; SafeG; the California Brain Tumor Association; UCOT (Unintended Consequences of Technology); Electromagnetic Safety Alliance; EMF Safety Network; My Street, My Choice!; California Health Coalition Advocacy; Electrosensitive Society; Manhattan Neighbors for Safer Telecommunications; International EMF Alliance

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Joel Selvin: Altamont and the End of the 1960s? Dec 05, 2019

As 2019 draws to the close, the media tributes, commemorations, remembrances and explorations related to the 50th anniversary of the 1960s comes to an end. This special program will focus on the 50th anniversary of the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, the traumatic and deadly Rolling Stones concert in the East Bay of San Francisco that is often presented as the symbolic end of the 1960s counterculture. But was it? What is the legacy of Altamont? At the notorious December 6, 1969 concert—held several months after Woodstock took place across the country—one fan was knifed to death, three died in accidents, and many more were beaten and abused before a crowd of well over 300,000. Legendary Bay Area music writer Joel Selvin has written the definitive history of that day. His book Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day explores in-depth that dark day, what led to the mayhem and what that concert means half a century later. Nearly 50 years to the exact day of the Altamont concert, Selvin will sit down with photographer and music journalist Tabitha Soren for a discussion of Altamont and the final event of the 1960s that continues to divide and fascinate the public. Did the counterculture, formed in the Bay Area, end in the chaos of the Altamont concert? Is the mayhem associated with the concert the proper way to remember the 1960s ending? Why was the concert such a disaster and what responsibility did the Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead and others have? Why are we still talking about it? Please join us for a fascinating and timely discussion on a topic and time period that continues to shape the Bay Area's consciousness. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Inside Stonewall: Outloud Dec 05, 2019

In their new documentary, Stonewall: Outloud, filmmakers Fenton Baily and Randy Barbato weave together personal accounts and archival material from the night of the Stonewall riots. Narrated by RuPaul and currently streaming on YouTube, the film is a powerful look back at one of the most significant moments in the history of gay rights in the United States. Join us for a discussion with these two filmmakers about sharing new insight into a pivotal LGBTQ event. Come for a free midday program, as Michelle Meow brings her long-running radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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Christine Pelosi: The Nancy Pelosi Way Dec 03, 2019

Nancy Pelosi (D–CA) is one of the most successful leaders to ever wield the gavel as speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Under her leadership, Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act and are now championing a for the people agenda. People have spent a lifetime studying how Pelosi uses power and negotiation, but no one understands her better than her own daughter Christine Pelosi. In her new book, The Nancy Pelosi Way: Advice on Success, Leadership, and Politics from America’s Most Powerful Woman, Christine Pelosi teaches us the wisdom and advice she learned firsthand from the most powerful woman in American history. She examines how her mother rose through the ranks of government and extracts key lessons in leadership for us to apply to our own lives. Join us for an enlightening conversation with Christine Pelosi as she teaches us important lessons gleaned from an American icon and the woman she knows best.

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California Wildfires: Community and Water Supply Protection Dec 03, 2019

Those of us in Northern California have inhaled a lot of wildfire smoke over the past few years. Fueled by a rapidly warming climate, these catastrophic wildfires are burning down our communities, are hard on our physical and mental health, and can play havoc with our water supply. What are communities doing to protect their homes and their water supply? What are drinking water utilities and the state of California doing to address these terrible problems? During our program, we will discuss the actions a large Bay Area water utility is taking to protect the green and build infrastructure that delivers our water. We will hear from the state's forest health lead on the focus of their work. Finally, we will present examples of steps other communities around the West are taking. MLF: Environment & Natural Resources

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CLIMATE ONE: Shadows to Spotlight: Climate in the Media Dec 01, 2019

Murder, love, and the human experience are the stuff of great stories, as podcasts like Serial and RadioLab have shown us. But climate change? Not so much. The story is overwhelming and the ending is predictable and depressing, say radio producers. Coverage in national newspapers has increased since President Trump took office. It’s also expanded from science and environmental beats to culture, health and finance. And as the conversation shifts further toward companies’ role confronting climate impacts, the story of business and climate is gaining prominence and ramping up pressure on corporations.

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Scott Adams: Loserthink Nov 26, 2019

Scott Adams has drawn nearly 9,000 cartoons since starting "Dilbert" 30 years ago. His cynical take on white-collar office workspaces propelled him to widespread success and acclaim, while his ongoing commentary on politics and President Trump have kept him in national news. In his newest book, Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America, Adams explores the epidemic of mental shortcuts that make us prone to believing in bad ideas. Adams explores how loserthink makes people stereotype all Trump supporters as racists, believe that gun control is equal to full confiscation and avoid personal reflection during a relationship’s end. Through Loserthink, Adams provides the tools for spotting, avoiding and fighting against loserthink. In doing so, Adams argues that logic and rationality, not emotion, is the most important part of any argument, political or not. Join us for a conversation with Scott Adams as he urges us to think deeper and more critically, breaking free from loserthink.

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Journalist Susannah Cahalan: Rethinking Our Understanding of Mental Illness Nov 26, 2019

NPR has called Susannah Cahalan “one of America’s most courageous young journalists.” Known for her memoir Brain on Fire, which details her experience with a rare autoimmune disease, Cahalan’s work has since been made into a feature film on Netflix. In her newest book, The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness, Cahalan explores the centuries-old struggle to define, diagnose and treat mental illness. The Great Pretender details a 1970 experiment, led by Stanford psychologist David Rosenhan, in which he and seven other people went undercover into the asylums of America. Cahalan describes how Rosenhan and the others were forced to remain inside until they could prove they were sane, and as a result, all of those partaking in the experiment emerged with stories of mistreatment and newfound mental health issues. Following the dramatic study, institutions and mental health diagnoses were changed from then on. Cahalan’s research asks us to delve deeper into the Rosenhan experiment and ask important questions relating to what really happened. She argues that this episode’s implications on mental illness and treatment are worth discussing, as the effects of the study are still felt today. Join us for a unique and important conversation with Cahalan as she asks us to delve deeper into our own understanding of mental health, diagnosis and treatment.

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Malcolm Nance: The Plot to Betray America Nov 25, 2019

Malcolm Nance is one of the world’s renowned intelligence experts and a popular guest on NBC News and MSNBC. With over 33 years combating radical extremist terrorism, Nance is known for championing human rights, ethical responsibility and cultural awareness in intelligence practices. In his newest book, The Plot to Betray America: How Team Trump Embraced Our Enemies, Compromised Our Security, and How We Can Fix It, Nance argues that President Trump and his team have conspired to commit the greatest act of treason in the history of the United States: betrayal of the oath of office for personal gain. The Plot to Betray America contains in-depth interviews with insiders, analysis from intelligence experts, and substantial evidence of Trump’s deep financial ties to Russia. It also provides solutions on how to protect America’s compromised security. Join us for an essential conversation with intelligence and counterterrorism expert Malcolm Nance as he explains how we can still save America’s democracy, security and future.

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Lindy West: The Witches Are Coming Nov 25, 2019

In the age of #MeToo, where women are empowered to tell their truth rather than worry about the consequences of speaking out, there is hardly a better role model than best-selling author Lindy West. West first came to prominence as a young blogger with a no-holds-barred approach to topics such as feminism, racism, sexism and fat shaming. Her memoir (which includes her very public fight with her then boss Dan Savage for his fat-phobic articles) is the subject of the Hulu series “Shrill” starring Aidy Bryant. In her newest book, The Witches Are Coming, she flips the language of #MeToo critics on its head. West calls for a witch hunt to examine the chasm between who we are and who we think we are. She pulls no punches calling out the misogyny prevalent in the media and the exclusionary nature of American politics for women and minorities. By extolling the world-changing magic of truth, she shows us the only way out is through: through the uncomfortable reality of today’s polarized politics and through the pressure to stay silent on issues that matter. Join West at INFORUM as she pushes us to mold our culture for ourselves, rather than be molded by it. Note: This program contains explicit language.

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C-Dubb Podcast Live: Facebook and Social Media Racial Bias Nov 25, 2019

Join us for a free live taping of a special edition of "The C-Dubb Show" podcast at The Commonwealth Club with "The Michelle Meow Show." In recent months, a big conversation in the tech community has been about claims that black voices are being censored on social media when speaking on issues of race. Facebook has been a particular focus in this conversation, as black users from across the world have complained about being censored and blocked regularly. One of those users was Carolyn Wysinger, who was featured in a USA Today article about those who have been "Zucked." Note: This program contains some explicit language.

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Alcatraz Occupation at 50: Richard Oakes and Red Power Nov 23, 2019

Fifty years ago this November, a group of Native Americans that came to be known as Indians of All Tribes began a 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island. The takeover and occupation attracted a groundswell of interest from across the United States and the globe. The initial focus of the occupation was a protest against the U.S. government's policies that took aboriginal land away from Native Americans. The Alcatraz occupation is recognized today as one of the most important events in contemporary Native American history and one of the most important public displays of the Red Power movement, a social movement that demanded self-determination for Native Americans in the United States. The occupation helped bring Native American activism to the forefront of the consciousness of the American people. The 50th anniversary of this important event is being recognized throughout the Bay Area in an effort led by the San Francisco Arts Commission. The takeover and occupation was led, in part, by Richard Oakes, a charismatic student from San Francisco State. The first biography of Oakes, A Journey to Freedom, was published late last year. Its author, Kent Blansett, will make a special visit to Marin County to discuss Oakes, the role the occupation played in the Red Power movement of the 1960s and the ongoing legacy of Native activism that was spurred by the 1969 takeover. Kent Blansett is a Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Shawnee and Potawatomi descendant. Blansett will also discuss the role that Marin County residents played in the start of the Alcatraz occupation, including the role of the Sausalito-Indian Navy, which helped Oakes launch the occupation late in the evening of November 20, 1969. Join us for this special event.

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CLIMATE ONE: Letters to The Boss: Help Fix Our Climate Nov 22, 2019

Is the customer always right when it comes to corporate climate action? At Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, employees are the ones demanding bold change. Thousands of tech workers have gone on strike and signed public letters demanding CEO action on climate. Meanwhile, millennials — who are projected to make up three-quarters of the workplace in six years — have said they would take a pay cut to work at an environmentally-responsible company.

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The 2020 Presidential Election: What LGBTQI Voters Should Know Nov 22, 2019

In recent years, LGBT candidates have made major strides in being elected to office across the country. At the same time, protections have been weakened against discrimination in health care coverage, employment, military service, and access to public and private services. Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker—the first openly LGBT mayor of a major American city—will review the results of the recent November 2019 election and look ahead to the 2020 presidential election to highlight the issues of importance to LGBTQI Americans. LGBTQ Victory Fund and Victory Institute President and CEO Annise Parker is the first former elected official to lead the organizations, having served six years as a Houston City Council member, six years as city controller and six years as mayor of the city. She is one of only two women to have been elected mayor and is the only person in Houston history to have held the offices of council member, controller and mayor. In addition to her duties as mayor, Parker was a member of President Obama’s Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, chaired the U.S. Conference of Mayors Criminal and Social Justice Committee, and served on the boards of the Texas Environmental Research Consortium and Houston Galveston Area Council. She is a past Fellow of the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She also co-owned Inklings, a lesbian/feminist bookstore for 10 years.

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City College of San Francisco: Engineering, Architecture, Technology and the Environment Nov 21, 2019

Our panel members will explore the depth of talent, expertise, learning, knowledge and experiences at City College in making important improvements to combat global environmental issues and problems. Environmental flexibility and plans for the college's adjacent 17 acres that were graciously leased to City College by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission for many decades will help students, college and communities learn, address and implement important knowledge and advancements to enhance solar, wind, charging stations and sustainable learning opportunities now and in the future. Join us to discuss City College and the future of our environment. MLF Organizer: Ann Clark MLF: Environment & Natural Resources

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Diversity 2.0: A Modern Guide to Intersectionality and Allyship at Work Nov 21, 2019

To promote women in the workplace, we need to understand how to advance and support working women of all kinds: women of all races; women with disabilities; immigrant women; women of various religions; women of all ages and generations; working moms, queer/trans women; and women who are first, only or different in any way. You are invited to join a vibrant panel discussion featuring experts and intersectional feminists from various angles of the diversity and inclusion world. There will be plenty of time for audience questions. You should attend if you want to get a sense of the first critical things about being a supporter to several key areas of diversity so you can be a better ally to groups that you're not in and so that you can strengthen your feminism and your women/workplace efforts with an understanding of all women. MLF Organizer: Emily Meghan Morrow Howe MLF: Executive Womxn

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Transgender Day of Remembrance: Addressing Violence Against Black Transgender Women Nov 21, 2019

Join us for a memorable program exploring the struggles of African-American transgender women, who are the most frequent victims of anti-trans violence. Toni Newman is the executive director of St. James Infirmary in San Francisco. St. James is a peer-based occupational health and safety clinic, offering free, compassionate and nonjudgmental health care and social services for former and current sex industry workers. With the many challenges facing the aforementioned—including but not limited to political climate, homelessness, violence and the overwhelming intricacies of the legal, public and social systems—St. James Infirmary offers an independent alternative, providing individuals with culturally competent and nonjudgmental services. Monica Roberts is the founding editor of the award-winning TransGriot blog and is an award-winning human rights advocate. She is a sought-after collegiate and conference speaker who has been advocating for the human rights of transgender people for more than 20 years, with a focus on the issues affecting black trans people. Her writing has appeared at Ebony.com, The Advocate, Black Girl Dangerous and OutSmart magazine. Roberts has also received the 2018 GLAAD Media Award, the Robert Coles “Call of Service” award from Harvard University's Phillips Brooks House Association, the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award and the Barbara Jordan breaking barriers award from the Harris County Democratic Party.

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The Hidden Causes of America’s Broken Education System and How We Can Fix It Nov 20, 2019

In her new book, The Knowledge Gap, education journalist Natalie Wexler chronicles what she calls America’s broken education system. She cites the devastating impact, especially on underserved children, of an elementary education where she says comprehension is mistakenly seen as a matter of building generic skills, overlooking the essential need to build actual knowledge. Wexler says not only is school boring as a result, but scores on measures of reading comprehension remain stagnant. Beyond diagnosing the problem, Wexler showcases innovative educators who she says are bringing real learning into the classroom. Wexler challenges all of us to think beyond the typical excuses for failing schools and consider the need for a knowledge-rich curriculum that exposes children to vocabulary and stories that build upon each other. A senior contributor to Forbes.com, Wexler’s writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic and The Washington Post, and she is the co-author with Judith C. Hochman of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades. Kati Haycock is the founder and former CEO of Education Trust, an organization dedicated to high achievement for all students, particularly those of color or living in poverty. Kate Walsh has led the National Council on Teacher Quality for over 15 years, championing greater transparency and higher standards for all institutions that impact teacher effectiveness. Wexler will speak about her findings and then join a conversation with education advocates Kati Haycock and Kate Walsh, moderated by KIPP teacher Josh Martinez. Come for a vital discussion aimed at solving America’s education woes.

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CLIMATE ONE: John Browne: Engineering the Future Nov 16, 2019

Can oil companies reinvent themselves as clean energy providers? John Browne attempted it over more than a decade as CEO of British Petroleum, where he led the company's “Beyond Petroleum” rebranding campaign. In his new book, Make, Think, Imagine: Engineering the Future of Civilization, Browne argues that the solution to reducing emissions and addressing climate change is a mass deployment of engineered technology — and that the tools we need to get there already exist. Join us for a conversation on the potential of energy incumbents to become innovators.

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Rich Lowry: The Case for Nationalism Nov 15, 2019

Rich Lowry, editor of National Review and author of The Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us Powerful, United, and Free, is a leading innovator in national conservative thought circles. A respected conservative commentator, Lowry joined National Review in 1992 and was hand selected by William F. Buckley Jr. to lead the magazine in 1998. He’s been a frequent guest on Fox News and is the best-selling author of Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years and Lincoln Unbound. Lowry has taken his extensive experience and conservative ideology to his new book, The Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us Powerful, United, and Free. In this book, Lowry argues that nationalism is not a dirty word, refuting criticism from the Left and the Right that nationalism means fascism, militancy and racism. Instead, Lowry shows us that nationalism means self-realization and identity, chronicling the history of America and how nationalism was integral to its success. Through The Case for Nationalism, Lowry argues that now, more than ever, is the time to rekindle a healthy sense of American nationalism in our civic life. Join us as we welcome Rich Lowry for a discussion on nationalism and why it matters.

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America's Journey from Slavery to Segregation Nov 14, 2019

Steve Luxenberg presents the myth-shattering story of how our nation embraced separation and the devastating consequences of that decision. Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court case synonymous with "separate but equal," created remarkably little stir when the justices announced their nearly unanimous decision on May 18, 1896. Yet it is at the center of one of the most dramatic stories of the 19th century, and its cultural reverberations are still felt today. Wending his way through a half century of American history, Luxenberg begins at the dawn of the railroad age in the North, home to the nation’s first separate railroad car, and then moves through the Civil War and Reconstruction to its aftermath: separation taking root in nearly every aspect of American life. Luxenberg draws from letters, diaries and archival collections to tell the story of Plessy v. Ferguson through the eyes of the people caught up in the case: resisters from the mixed-race community of French New Orleans, led by Louis Martinet, a lawyer and crusading newspaper editor; Homer Plessy’s lawyer, Albion Tourgée, a best-selling author and the country’s best-known white advocate for civil rights; Justice Henry Billings Brown, from antislavery New England, whose majority ruling endorsed separation; and Justice John Harlan, the southerner from a slaveholding family whose singular dissent cemented his reputation as a steadfast voice for justice. Luxenberg's new book, Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America's Journey from Slavery to Segregation, has been long listed for the 2019 Cundill History Prize, an international award recognizing the best history writing in English. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond

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Jerry Rice: America's Game—The NFL at 100 Nov 14, 2019

Football legend Jerry Rice is regarded as one of the best wide receivers ever to play in the NFL. He is a three-time Super Bowl champion and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame. Rice celebrates some of the most memorable moments in NFL history and reflects on his own love of the game. He offers a comprehensive look at the players and coaches that helped define and transform football to the cultural phenomenon it is today.

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CLIMATE ONE: California’s Story: How Did It Get Here? Nov 13, 2019

California has long led the country in environmental action. It established strong automobile emission standards; it preserved fragile lands from development; it set energy efficiency standards for buildings and appliances. But as climate change fuels megafires across the state and the state’s largest electric utility shuts off power to more than a million residents, can the state’s legacy of environmental leadership save it from climate disaster? In a state already accustomed to swinging wildly between drought and flood, what will become of the California dream?

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Are You Stoic or Epicurean? Ancient Wisdom for Today's World Nov 08, 2019

Freedom. Ambition. Diet. Frustration. Exercise. Anxiety. Grief. These are concerns we recognize as central to the shape and scope of contemporary American life, especially life in the Bay Area. At times they seem so overwhelming as to be unique to our present moment—but they are not. In fact, much of ancient philosophy was committed to addressing and alleviating them. Ancient Athens and imperial Rome were in many ways quite similar to 21st century America. Antiquity was a world that included slaves and immigrants, plutocrats and exiles, political strife and crushing poverty. Beginning in the 4th century B.C., philosophers began to develop teachings and schools that addressed the freedom life promised and the constraints under which it unfolded. The names of two of these schools—the Stoics and the Epicureans—have so endured as to have entered the common lexicon. Along the way, however, they have lost much of their original force: We now tend to equate Stoicism with a kind of John Wayne-inflected, flat-bellied machismo. Epicureanism has become synonymous with an unbridled appetite for food, wine and “the good life.” This is a mistake. There is much we could learn and from which we could benefit by a renewed consideration of ancient thought. Please join us as we host Tony Long and Jim Porter, two of the world’s leading authorities on classical thought, in a conversation that will make relevant to our own time the teachings of ancient philosophy. Their conversation, which will touch on everything from climate crises to religion to gratitude and human dignity, will be moderated by Amanda Goldstein. Do you consider yourself a Stoic or an Epicurean? Or perhaps a Cynic, a skeptic or a Pythagorean? Join us, and experience the strength and relevance of ancient thought.

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The Expat Experience Nov 07, 2019

What happens when you go abroad to live and work in another culture, surrounded by the strange sounds of a different language, different food, music and customs? What does it take to achieve a successful expatriate experience? Come and learn about the diverse experiences of 14 Americans who worked and lived in various countries—from England to Vietnam, Belarus to India. Learn about their challenges and how they finally adjusted and thrived in their foreign environments. Schickel presents the results of her recent qualitative research, conducted years after she herself experienced the expat life during her two years in the U.S. Peace Corps in Morocco, which inspired her continuing interest in these issues and led to her recently successfully defended dissertation. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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CLIMATE ONE: Libation Migration: Beer, Wine and Climate Change Nov 07, 2019

America’s most popular alcoholic beverages are about to take a hit from climate. Mild, sunny growing conditions have made California king of a $62 billion wine industry—from Napa Valley’s prized cabernet sauvignon to the plumy pinot noirs of Sonoma County. And more than 7,000 breweries in the United States rely on barley, a key ingredient in beer that is partial to the cool temperatures of northwestern states and Canada. But both grapes and barley are sensitive to a changing climate. And years of disruptions from drought, fires and rising temperatures have brewers and winemakers wondering: Will business as usual survive into the next generation? Join us for a conversation with Esther Mobley, wine critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, and Dan Petroski, winemaker for Larkmead Vineyards; and Katie Wallace, director of social and environmental impact at New Belgium Brewing, on how climate is reshaping the wine and beer industries—and what that means for consumers and our wallets.

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Ian Haney López and Alicia Garza: How the Left Can Win Again Nov 06, 2019

Law professor Ian Haney López is one of the world’s pioneers of critical race theory. A challenger of the racial status quo, López has worked to emphasize the impact of racial divisions in the United States while also exploring how politicians exploit fractured societal structures to benefit the rich. In his newest book, Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America, López gives progressives the tools to fight politicized racism and build a multicultural future. López describes his last two years of research with union activists, racial justice leaders and statisticians, concluding that the “middle ground” of Americans can be persuaded Right or Left depending on the narrative of America that they are given. Join us for an important conversation with esteemed professor and author Ian Haney López as he gives us the tools to rebuild a better, racially equitable future.

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Monday Night Philosophy's 10th Anniversary Nov 06, 2019

Monday Night Philosophy celebrates its 10th anniversary by making predictions about the future of our common wealth: the ideas and assumptions that underlie all human cultures. The Commonwealth Club is dedicated to finding truth and turning it loose in the world. But what is truth? Whatever it is, that ancient question remains provocative. To come closer to an answer, George Hammond distinguishes between those ideas that describe inherent patterns in life and those cultural ideals that are basically a group consensus on how to live life. Our 21st century cultures are rapidly increasing in cultural communication, competition, discussion and dispute. Could that set the stage for sorting out long-standing but still competing cultural assumptions about justice, virtue, the meaning of life, and the purposes of community, nation and civilization building? If so, which assumptions are headed for the discard pile? And which will prove enduring? Hammond’s predictions about where trends in how we pursue happiness are headed will probably surprise you. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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New Deal to Green New Deal Nov 06, 2019

The Green New Deal has raised hopes for a major push to address climate change and social injustice. Is it just pie in the sky? Not at all. The original New Deal of the 1930s brought a revolution in conservation and public health, worker rights and wages, income and regional equality, and public investment for the common good—all during the worst depression in history. A Green New Deal is possible because we have done it before. Come learn more about this initiative. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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New Laws Protect Tenants, Prevent Homelessness and Create Affordable Housing—Now What? Nov 05, 2019

On October 8, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the nation’s most far-reaching bills, which are designed to prevent homelessness, protect tenants from being evicted and make it possible to create new homes for many thousands of Californians. The work was made possible by a collaboration of diverse allies who are attempting to preserve existing affordable homes, protect the families in them and produce more housing at all income levels. They were joined by a broad coalition of elected officials, including Assemblymember David Chiu, who authored several of the recently passed bills and who has made preventing homelessness and providing affordable homes to all Californians one of his signature issues. While these represent important strides, some say a great deal of work still needs to be done. On November 4, The Commonwealth Club will host a panel discussion about the implications of this new legislation as well as what the future holds for addressing the challenge of homelessness and housing in the Bay Area. The panel will include Chiu; Guillermo Mayer, president and CEO of Public Advocates—a key organization that helped advance the public call for a comprehensive housing package; Denise Pinkston, a partner at TMG Partners—a local developer that has been involved in the housing debate at the local, regional and statewide levels and that has been a strong advocate for more housing; and Gina Dalma, special adviser to the CEO and vice president of government relations at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, where she has brought her leadership into the housing arena. The event will be moderated by Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, which helped lead the coalition to advance the housing legislation. Larry Kramer, president of the Hewlett Foundation, which is providing unrestricted grant support to the San Francisco Foundation, will provide introductory remarks.

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The Year That Was: 1978 and the Making of Contemporary San Francisco Nov 04, 2019

San Francisco is a city of contradictions. It is one of the most socially liberal cities in America, but it also has some of the nation’s worst income inequality. It is a playground for tech millionaires, with an outrageously high cost of living, yet it also supports vibrant alternative and avant-garde scenes. So how did the city get this way? San Francisco native Lincoln Mitchell traces the roots of the current situation back to 1978, when three key events occurred: the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk occurring fewer than two weeks after the massacre of Peoples Temple members in Jonestown, Guyana; the explosion of the city’s punk rock scene; and a breakthrough season for the San Francisco Giants. Through these three strands, Mitchell explores the rifts between the city’s pro-business and progressive-Left politicians, the emergence of Dianne Feinstein as a political powerhouse, the increasing prominence of the city’s LGBT community, punk’s reinvigoration of the Bay Area’s radical cultural politics, and the ways that the Giants helped unify one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in the nation. Join us for a panel discussion of four leaders who influenced this seminal cultural transformation. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Finding Humanity at End of Life: A Provocative Evening with Pastor Corey Kennard and Dr. Jessica Zitter Nov 04, 2019

This event explores faith and inequity among the seriously ill and dying in our healthcare system. What role does spirituality play at end of life and in a health care setting? How can healthcare providers build trust with patients across cultures and faith traditions? How can we address the inequities faced by African Americans when seeking care at the end of life? Join Pastor Corey Kennard, Healthcare Activist and Lead Pastor of Detroit’s Amplify Christian Church, and Dr. Jessica Zitter, author and physician at Oakland’s Highland Hospital, for a rich conversation about improving end of life care. MLF Organizer: Mark Zitter MLF: Health & Medicine This event is part of the Reimagine End of Life, a festival exploring big questions about life and death through creativity and conversation, taking place throughout the Bay Area on Oct. 24-Nov. 3, 2019.

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Breaking Protocol With Diplomats Bob Satawake and James ""Wally"" Brewster Nov 01, 2019

In 2013, Bob Satawake accompanied his husband, Ambassador James "Wally" Brewster, to the Dominican Republic for what would be a historic and controversial tour of duty representing the United States in the island nation. As the first gay diplomatic spouse in the Western Hemisphere, Satawake received little if any guidance from the U.S. State Department on navigating his new role. As a result, he had little choice but to break the sometimes rigid protocols of diplomatic life. Come hear Satawake and Brewster talk about their experience making a new path as openly gay diplomats in a conservative and religious country, overcoming obstacles with kindness and sensitivity.

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A Comprehensive Road Map to Heart Health Nov 01, 2019

In this lecture, Harvard-trained physician Akil Palanisamy will describe the outlines of a comprehensive road map to heart health, sharing research on the optimal heart-healthy diet, cutting-edge nutritional science, key vitamins and supplements, and the evidence-based practices and techniques of integrative medicine. He will share practical tips on what to eat in order to maintain lifelong cardiovascular well-being and vitality, and he will have detailed and practical information about implementing these concepts in our daily lives. MLF Organizer: Patty James MLF: Health & Medicine

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A Working Mom's Guide to Making a Comeback Oct 31, 2019

Ambitious and executive women often wonder how to best mix family ambitions with big, juicy career goals. Should I lean in? Pivot? Freelance? Quit? If I leave my job, will I ever get back in? Whether you’re struggling with the big question of whether to stay or quit or looking to reenter the workforce after time away, this event features insider knowledge from people who have already taken the journey, as well as a step-by-step analysis to ensure you are making the right career decision for you. MLF Organizer: Emily Meghan Morrow Howe MLF: Executive Womxn

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Marc Benioff, Chairman and Co-CEO of Salesforce Oct 30, 2019

When Marc Benioff started Salesforce 20 years ago, he envisioned building a company that would not only change the way the world does business but also change the world at the same time. Benioff believes that businesses are the greatest platforms for change and that they should serve not only shareholders but all stakeholders, including customers, employees, partners, communities and the environment, to make the world a better place. On day one, Benioff created the 1-1-1 model of philanthropy, which leverages the resources of Salesforce to improve communities around the world. And with the core values of trust, customer success, innovation and equality as its foundation, Salesforce has not only been one of the fastest-growing enterprise software companies ever, it’s become one of the world’s most admired companies and is consistently ranked globally as one of the best companies to work for. Benioff is an unapologetically outspoken social advocate and has publicly admonished other business leaders for not doing enough for the local community in San Francisco and beyond. In his new book, Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change, Benioff touches on these values and shares his insights and best practices for anyone, from the CEO to an intern, who wants to make the world a better place. He also discusses his belief that in the future, profits and progress will not be sustainable unless they serve the greater good. Join us for a conversation with a pioneering business leader who wants to challenge us all to be agents of change in a fast-moving world.

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Domestic Violence: A Cross-Sectional Approach to Effecting Change Oct 30, 2019

In cases of domestic violence, what can be done at the local and national levels to prevent future instances of violence against women, families and society at large from occurring? What role can restorative justice and community based approaches have in mitigating harm? As CEO of Safe & Sound, Katie Albright highlights the connection between domestic violence and the compounding pressures of socioeconomic instability, lack of education and childhood abuse. Safe & Sound works to raise awareness about the red flags of abuse, challenge existing laws and ensure that survivors have a voice. With the resulting cost of child abuse estimated to be about $2.2 billion in the Bay Area alone, prioritizing prevention merits attention from not just a moral but an economic standpoint. An expert on domestic violence policy, family law and intimate partner abuse, Julia Weber’s work at Giffords Law Center focuses on restraining order implementation in relation to gun violence. The center's work highlights the relationship between domestic violence and firearms—in the majority of mass shootings, the perpetrator was committing an act of domestic or family violence. Delia Ginorio’s work prompts us to consider the role restorative justice can play in cases of domestic violence and the broader legal framework. Ginorio currently oversees all women’s services for the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department and also serves on the boards of the Insight Prison Project and the Five Keys Charter Schools. All of these programs bring education, accountability and restoration to offenders and survivors of violence. Join us this Domestic Violence Awareness Month for an evening of discussion around policy and community-based approaches we must fight for to end domestic violence and ensure a better future for us all. NOTES This program is generously supported by Blue Shield of California Foundation.

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End of Life Options for People Developing Dementia Oct 30, 2019

Having dementia is the greatest fear shared by most people as they age. One needs to plan for the time when you may no longer have a clear mind and the ability to make decisions about your own medical care. The advance directive (AD) in its usual format is insufficient if you suffer from dementia. In this case, a dementia provision should be added to your AD to describe what kind of medical care you’d like. Various options and strategies will be discussed to help you develop a plan should you develop dementia. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Bill Grant NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine, Grownups (co-sponsor)

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Richard Stengel: The Battle Against Disinformation Oct 30, 2019

During the final three years of the Obama administration, Richard Stengel, the former editor of Time and an under secretary of state, was on the front lines of a new global information war. At the time, he was the single person in the U.S. government tasked with unpacking, disproving and combating both ISIS’s messaging and Russian disinformation. Then, in 2016, as the presidential election unfolded, Stengel watched as Donald Trump rode to victory, in part because of how disinformation was weaponized on social media domestically and internationally. According to Stengel, the battle against weaponized disinformation has only gotten worse since, and democracies such as the United States are proving not to be very good at fighting it. In his new book, Information Wars: How We Lost the Global Battle Against Disinformation and What We Can Do About It, Stengel walks readers through this new war and where the battles are taking place, including Russia and Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. He illustrates how ISIS terrorized the world using social media, and how the Russians launched a tsunami of disinformation around the annexation of Crimea—a scheme that became the model for their interference with the 2016 presidential election. Disinformation, of course, is as old as humanity. But the rise of social media has made disinformation even more pervasive and pernicious in our current era. Perhaps no one has faced this issue more head on than Stengel. With the 2020 election just a year away, come hear firsthand about what citizens can do to combat this ever-growing threat to democracy.

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When POC Is Not Enough: Anti-Blackness in the LGBTQ+ Community Oct 30, 2019

Join us for an in-depth program addressing anti-blackness in the LGBTQ+ community and how it affects the ways its members navigate spaces with community, in addition to the way that people show up for each other. The goal of the program is to spark conversations around how folks in the LGBTQ+ community can work to eliminate anti-blackness in their everyday lives, how the LGBTQ+ community can work together to uplift each other regardless of race, gender identity, gender expression or anything else. The discussion is designed to help people identity anti-blackness and be able to address it. Don't miss this important community program. In association with Compton's Transgender Cultural District, ColorBloq, and "The Michelle Meow Show"

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Wait, Wait… It’s Peter Sagal and Doug Berman Oct 29, 2019

The comedy news quiz “Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me!” is the most popular show on public radio. But it wasn’t always that way. The program didn’t take off until Doug Berman (who also produced the NPR hit “Car Talk”) took a chance on a playwright named Peter Sagal to serve as host. Ever since, the show has drawn enthusiastic audiences both on radio and in person, at its Chicago home and on the road. The program covers current news and is consistently both informative and entertaining. What’s the secret to the show’s success? Peter Sagal, the host of “Wait Wait” since 1998, is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and author, most recently of The Incomplete Book of Running. He has interviewed two U.S. presidents, appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and run a race in his underwear, but he insists that none of this has gone to his head. Peabody Award-winning producer Doug Berman is responsible for NPR's two most successful entertainment programs. He continues to create comedy shows seeded with a modicum of useful information or, as Berman puts it, "not a complete waste of time." Here's a chance to laugh and go behind the scenes of this NPR phenomenon. Come with your own questions to stump Sagal and Berman. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Commonwealth Club Travel: Taking Our Mission on the Road Oct 29, 2019

Have you been curious about Club trips and want to know more? Join us for a presentation and discussion with past travelers and staff about the unique opportunities for learning, dialogue, friendship and adventure on our trips. What is different about Club trips, and what does it mean to travel with a group of Club members? We’ll answer these and other frequently asked questions.

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Leading Ladies of the Renaissance Oct 28, 2019

Discover the lives and legacies of Italy's Renaissance women as well as those of several unheralded Italian women who inspired Botticelli, Raphael and Michelangelo and some of the greatest art of all time. Carla Gambescia will revitalize your amore with Italy and its remarkable art treasures and cultural gifts. Learn about Artemisia Gentileschi and Isabella d’Este, whose lives and accomplishments can still inspire us today, and gain new perspectives on some of the Renaissance’s most beloved paintings. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Envisioning Peace: The United Religions Initiative Oct 28, 2019

Our distinguished panel will discuss the United Religions Initiative (URI), which was begun by Bishop William Swing in 1993 after he was invited by the United Nations (UN) to hold a large interfaith service to mark the UN’s 50th anniversary. The URI envisions a world at peace sustained by a global grassroots interfaith network (known as cooperation circles) that cultivates peace and justice by engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences. MLF Organizer: Celia Menczel MLF: Middle East In association with the San Francisco Interfaith Council

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Charles Schwab: The Secrets to Success Oct 28, 2019

Charles Schwab is one of the world’s most influential financial executives, with, as of 2019, nearly $3.6 trillion worth of assets managed by the eponymous Charles Schwab and Co. He founded the brokerage firm in 1971 with a $100,000 loan and has since grown it into a financial service juggernaut. Schwab’s memoir, Invested: Changing Forever the Way Americans Invest, lays out his passion to change the way we invest and the hard work, ingenuity and entrepreneurship that propelled his vision into one of the leading financial service firms in the world. From studying economics at Stanford University to guiding his company through decades of economic transformations and fluctuations, Schwab recounts the defining moments of his life while providing unique insight into the evolutionary dynamics of entrepreneurial companies. Join us for an insightful conversation with Charles Schwab as he discusses the how-tos of finance management and imparts advice on obtaining a fulfilling career and life. This program is part of our Ethics and Accountability series, underwritten by the Travers Family Foundation, with additional support from the Bernard Osher Foundation for our Good Lit programs.

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Modern Love Oct 28, 2019

The rise of social media has led to an increased appetite for new and more intimate ways of storytelling. The New York Times' column “Modern Love" has documented this movement, publishing over 700 personal narratives over the past 15 years about relationships of all kinds. As editor of the column, Daniel Jones reads over 100 submissions a day that range from euphoric exclamations of love to harrowing experiences of loss. Jones has overseen the broad success of “Modern Love,” which first grew into a popular podcast and is now reaching new heights as an upcoming series on Amazon Prime Video. “Modern Love” moves beyond the stereotypical boy meets girl tropes of the romance genre and looks toward complicating the way we think of love today. The series will bring eight of the most compelling essays to life, one story per episode, with a stellar cast that includes stars Anne Hathaway, Dev Patel and Tina Fey. Join us at INFORUM for an exciting screening of the first episode of the new “Modern Love” series followed by a discussion about the ways in which modern love can keep us together—and drive us apart. In collaboration with The New York Times

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Judith Finlayson: The Secrets of Genetics Oct 28, 2019

The food you eat and the choices you make impact your health and, according to the science of epigenetics, becomes interwoven with the genes you pass on to your children. Thanks to the discovery of epigenetics, we now know that the experiences of your ancestors are at work to influence your health and well-being. Everything from chronic diseases and trauma to how you age and sleep is determined by the epigenetics that turn on and off your DNA sequences. In You Are What Your Grandparents Ate: What You Need to Know About Nutrition, Experience, Epigenetics, and the Origins of Chronic Disease, best-selling author Judith Finlayson charts the steps you can take to making healthy dietary choices that have shown to spark epigenetic adjustments leading to better health, not only for yourself, but for your offspring and their children in the generations to come. Finlayson has dedicated her career to sharing her wide-ranging passions—from women’s history to the joys of cooking—through her best-selling books. Her penchant for cooking translates to her successful cookbooks which have sold over a million copies worldwide. Join us for an exciting conversation about the intergenerational impact of nutrition on long-term health with cooking expert Judith Finlayson.

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NY Times Chief TV Critic James Poniewozik: Donald Trump’s 24-Hour Television Show Oct 25, 2019

James Poniewozik joined The New York Times in 2015 after spending 16 years as a Time magazine columnist and television and media critic. At The Times, he has written about television as a reflection of changing culture and politics. In his new book, Poniewozik says that television has not only entertained us, but, with the election of Donald Trump, it has conquered America. Poniewozik argues that television has morphed from the three-network era of the 20th century, which joined millions of Americans in a shared monoculture, into today’s zillion-channel, Internet-atomized universe, which has sliced and diced us into fractious, alienated subcultures. Against that background, he offers a portrait of Donald Trump as the chameleonic celebrity who courted fame, achieved a mind meld with the media beast, and rode it to ultimate power. Come hear Poniewozik discuss his view that the age of Trump is a 24-hour TV production and that we live in an era where politics has become pop culture and vice versa.

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International Career Opportunities Oct 25, 2019

As events, social media and media coverage bring the world closer together, professionals at all career levels (public sector, nonprofit and for-profit) are interested in international career opportunities to make the world a better place. Come to this event to learn more. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Ian McCuaig NOTES MLF: International Relations

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Michelle Malkin: Inside the Immigration Crisis Oct 25, 2019

Michelle Malkin is a nationally recognized syndicated columnist who made her name through sharp humor to become an unapologetic conservative voice in America’s political discourse. A popular Fox News Channel contributor, Malkin has more than 2 million Twitter followers. Adding to her collection of four no. 1 best sellers, Malkin’s new book, Open Borders, Inc., is her exposé about what happens at America’s borders. Beginning with a thorough reexamination of the southern border’s history of immigration to its current state of crisis, Malkin argues that powerful special interest groups are working behind the scenes to keep America’s borders open for an influx of cheap labor in order to enrich the nation’s elite and create new generations of Democratic voters. Unafraid to challenge the status quo, Malkin offers her insight and confrontational approach on a variety of issues, from identity politics to social matters. Join us for an engaging conversation with one of the most outspoken voices of the American Right, and be sure to bring your questions.

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Taking the Stage with Sean Dorsey and Shawna Virago Oct 25, 2019

Join us for a conversation with a leading trans artistic couple—Shawna Virago and Sean Dorsey—about their lives as transgender activists and successful performing artists. Shawna Virago is a singer and songwriter who is known for her striking lyric-based songs. She was one of the country's first openly transgender women to perform and tour nationally. She is also the artistic director of the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival, which will take place November 7–10 at San Francisco's Roxie Theater. Sean Dorsey founded and leads the Sean Dorsey Dance troupe, which is celebrating its 15th year. He is known as the nation's first critically acclaimed transgender choreographer in modern dance; he has toured 30 cities domestically and abroad. He has been awarded four Isadora Duncan Dance Awards and the Goldie Award for Performance. Come for a free midday program, as Michelle Meow brings her long-running radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. See more upcoming Michelle Meow Shows at The Commonwealth Club here. Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

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Every Outfit on Sex and the City Oct 24, 2019

From Carrie Bradshaw’s newspaper dress to her iconic Manolo Blahniks, the popular Instagram sensation Every Outfit on Sex and the City’s mission is to document every single pump, dress and accessory that became a quintessential part of the hit TV show. The account is a not-so-ironic take on the series, as it blends equal parts adoration and nostalgia for the 90s classic while offering up a hilarious critical lens on some of the show’s less politically correct moments. The page is responsible for the viral meme #WokeCharlotte, rewriting the show’s straight-laced conservative into an intersectional feminist who calls out microaggressions and always makes sure you check your privilege. With nearly 600,000 followers, account creators Lauren Garroni and Chelsea Fairless are now releasing their highly anticipated book We Should All Be Mirandas: Life Lessons From Sex and The City’s Most Underrated Character. Cynthia Nixon’s sarcastic and workaholic portrayal of Miranda Hobbes was a foil to the trendy and romantic Carrie Bradshaw, but Garroni and Fairless argue that her no-nonsense style makes her the best role model for women in today’s world. Everyone can learn important life lessons from Miranda—fashionistas, pop culture mavens and every woman who has dealt with more than her fair share of mansplaining. Join INFORUM for a celebration of an underrated cultural icon and to learn how we can all elevate our inner Miranda. NOTE: This program contains EXPLICIT language

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Roll Red Roll: Changing the "Boys Will Be Boys" Culture Oct 24, 2019

Now available on Netflix, Nancy Schwartzman’s new film, Roll Red Roll, goes behind the headlines to look at the aftermath of the assault of a teenage girl by members of the beloved high school football team in a small Ohio town. It is a searing look at the deep-rooted "boys will be boys" culture of so much high school sexual assault in America. Join us for a discussion with Schwartzman about her film and about the timely topic of sexual violence. Schwartzman is a documentary film director, producer and media strategist who uses storytelling and technology to create safer communities for women and girls. Roll Red Roll is her feature film debut. The film is designed to have a robust impact campaign focusing on engaging men and boys into the solution to end violence against women, as well as engaging communities, schools and parents. She released a companion short film Anonymous Comes to Town in April 2019 on The Guardian. Her first film, The Line (2010), a short documentary examining consent, was used by the White House for a campaign around sexuality, and her follow-up film xoxosms (2013), explored love between two teenagers, bridged by technology. A human rights activist, Schwartzman is a tech founder and created the Obama/Biden’s White House award-winning mobile app Circle of 6 designed to reduce sexual violence among America’s youth and college students.

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The Immigrant Experience with Aarti Shahani Oct 24, 2019

The American political discourse is constantly calibrating its interpretation of what it means to be American. Coming from an undocumented family herself, writer Aarti Shahani has spent her life navigating the shifting tides of anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States. Her book Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares documents Shahani and her father’s disparate versions of the immigrant experience, coexisting as the scholarship kid at one of Manhattan’s most elite prep schools and the shopkeeper who mistakenly sells watches and calculators to the notorious Cali Cartel. In addition to being an author, Shahani is an award-winning correspondent for NPR in Silicon Valley, covering the largest companies on Earth. Shahani remains a resounding voice advocating on behalf of our country’s immigrant community. INFORUM hosts Aarti Shahani to address a question that plagues immigrants and natives alike: Who really belongs in America? In association with American India Foundation This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Waking the Witch: Pam Grossman with Anne Devereux-Mills Oct 23, 2019

Witches in various guises have been with us for centuries, and they are notorious shape-shifters. In both spiritual culture and pop culture, they've changed from diabolical villains to empowered heroines as women and femmes have sought more autonomy in their own lives. In celebration of her spellbinding book Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power, Pam Grossman will delve into why witches matter, how they reflect our fear and love of feminine power, and what they can teach us during this age of profound transformation. Grossman will be joined by CEO, entrepreneur and documentary film executive Anne Devereux-Mills, founder of Parlay House, for this evening of feminist magic and bewitching conversation. In association with Parlay House

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The Secret Behind High Drug Costs Oct 23, 2019

Prescription drug costs keep escalating with no cap in sight. Is it the drug companies that are marking up the prices, or is something else driving these high costs? The increase has been astronomical and affects patients’ ability to pay for drugs and take them as prescribed. This creates a dangerous situation for the patient. Come learn about pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), an industry secret that explains why drug prices are both confusing and expensive. Find out how PBMs control the amount paid for prescription drugs, why discounts don’t get to the patient and what actions we can take to reduce prescription drug costs. MLF Organizer: Judy Chan MLF: Health & Medicine

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What Makes Food Good? with Mark Bittman Oct 23, 2019

Author, editor-in-chief of Heated, and former New York Times columnist Mark Bittman talks about what it means for food to be “good,” how to know it’s good, buy it and cook it. He guides us to think deeply about the food system and how it can be improved. Bittman is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his generation-defining cookbook How to Cook Everything, the definitive guide to simple home cooking. The new edition of the book has been completely revised for today’s cooks while retaining Bittman’s trademark minimalist style: easy-to-follow recipes and variations, and tons of ideas and inspiration. Bittman will celebrate this landmark in American food with a reception. He will be in conversation with author and Real Food Media’s Anna Lappé. This program is part of our Food Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. MLF Organizer: Elizabeth Carney MLF: Business & Leadership, Food Matters

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Anniversary of the Spanish Discovery of San Francisco Bay Oct 23, 2019

Gaspar de Portolá’s discovery of San Francisco Bay on November 4, 1769, was Spain’s most significant discovery in North America during the 18th century. It prompted a new strategy on how it would use its mission system to colonize Alta California. The historical ramifications of these plans have had an impact down to the present day. For the native people, who had successfully managed the California environment for thousands of years, the event marked the beginning of the end of their way of life. This discovery took place on Sweeney Ridge, which stretches between today’s Pacifica and San Bruno. As a result, San Mateo County will celebrate the 250th anniversary of this pivotal moment in western history with the creation of a historical and recreational trail tracing the path of Portola on the San Francisco Peninsula. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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The Cultures of the Bay Area’s Indigenous Peoples Oct 23, 2019

Monday Night Philosophy remembers the complexities of Columbus Day by investigating the various cultures of the Bay Area's indigenous peoples. Richard Schwartz has searched for, found and recorded hundreds of Native American sites in the Bay Area. The difficult and complex interactions among the different indigenous cultures living in the Bay Area multiplied dramatically with the arrival of the Spanish and was further complicated when the Gold Rush brought people from all over the world to their home territory. What survives and what has been lost? Schwartz details this complexity, enhancing our appreciation of the human inhabitation of our small piece of paradise over the millennia. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Proof! How the World Became Geometrical Oct 22, 2019

In Proof!, Amir Alexander argues that Euclidean geometry has been uniquely responsible for how modern societies are structured. Geometry has shaped how our cities are built and has even been used as a rationale to explain political structures, because the proofs in Euclid’s Elements are not just true but are provable by reason alone. Alexander tracks the rediscovery of Euclidean geometry in 15th century Italy and recounts the French royals' centuries-long love affair with geometrical gardening. One night in 1661, Nicolas Fouquet, a superintendent under Louis XIV, was even arrested for the peculiar crime of having dared construct a grand geometrical garden for himself. In doing so, he had violated an irrefutable hierarchy: that geometry, in its perfection, was a testament to the divine right of kings. Elegant, symmetrical garden designs were more than just ornaments; they were proofs of incontestable certainty, and thus the authority to rule. Royal geometrical gardens proved to be a visual symbol of the French king’s consolidation of power during a time of violence and upheaval, with geometrical garden design reaching its apogee in Versailles. Proof! tells the monumental story of how geometry was carved into our world, the beliefs geometry supported and the ways geometry continues to shape our lives to this day. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Normalizing High-Quality Health Care: Looking Back, Moving Forward Oct 22, 2019

In this Ninth Annual Lundberg Institute Lecture, Kenneth Kizer will provide an overview of the state of health care quality in the United States after taking a historical look at improvement strategies over the past 4,000 years. He will especially focus on the forces and strategies driving health care quality improvement in the past 20 years following several landmark events in the late 1990s. Despite these efforts, receiving high-quality health care remains illusory for many Americans. As the co-chair of the National Quality Task Force, he will then discuss the likely strategies to normalize high-quality health care over the next 10 years. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Deepak Chopra: Metahuman and Unleashing Your Infinite Potential Oct 22, 2019

Is it possible to venture beyond our everyday lives and experience heightened states of awareness? Deepak Chopra, a world-renowned advocate for alternative medicine and personal transformation, answers yes. Chopra believes that higher consciousness is available here and now. In his new book, Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential, Chopra explains his secrets to moving beyond our physical limitations and accessing peak experiences that revolutionize our lives. Once you wake up, Chopra writes, life becomes transformed, and through pure consciousness—which is the field of all possibilities—your infinite potential becomes your personal reality. Chopra is the author of more than 85 books including 25 New York Times best sellers. A global force in the field of human empowerment, his books have been published in more than 43 languages. Time magazine has described Chopra as “one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.” Join us for this deeply meaning conversation with Chopra on becoming metahuman.

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CLIMATE ONE: Law and Disorder: Climate Change in the Courts Oct 22, 2019

The jury is out on whether our legal system is equipped to deal with climate change. While some parts of the country are inundated by floods, others are resisting the growth of oil and gas infrastructure — and both are running into the law. Do youth have a constitutional right to a clean environment? At what point should disaster preparedness become disaster law? Does water have legal rights? A discussion on how many facets of the climate challenge are pushing, and changing, the law.

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Eve Rodsky: Playing Fair at Home Oct 21, 2019

There are more women earning college degrees and participating in the workforce than ever before. Even still, women spend far more time on unpaid labor than men. Eve Rodsky, author of the new book Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live), seeks to address this universal imbalance. Rodsky began her journey to address this inequality after reaching a tipping point in her own marriage. After recording all of the unrecognized work she was doing for her busy household, she realized the disparity between her and her partner was striking. Fair Play offers four simple and practical steps to redistribute invisible work, reignite your relationship and reclaim your own time. Join Eve Rodsky and INFORUM on the quest for domestic rebalance. ** This Podcast Contains EXPLICIT Language **

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Shoshana Berger and B.J. Miller: A Beginner's Guide to the End of Life - Silicon Valley Oct 21, 2019

How do we cope with the inevitability of death? How can we make better decisions for ourselves and our families? B.J. Miller and Shoshana Berger offer step-by-step instructions on managing the end of life, including how to navigate a complex system of hidden costs and intense emotions without shame and guilt often associated with this period of life. Miller is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCSF, where he practices and teaches palliative medicine. Berger is a journalist and editorial director at IDEO. Together they offer a lesson on dying—and how to live fully until you do.

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For Sama: A Mother's Tale of Syria's War Oct 18, 2019

For nearly nine years, civil war has raged in Syria. The conflict has created millions of refugees and devastated countless towns and cities. For Sama is a new documentary that tells the story of one woman’s journey through love, motherhood, war and survival during five years of the Syrian conflict. Directed by Emmy award-winning filmmaking duo Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts (Escaping ISIS), the film chronicles the experiences of 26-year-old Syrian filmmaker Waad al-Kateab, who filmed her life in the rebel-held city of Aleppo over five years. Join us for an in-depth discussion with al-Kateab and Watts for a view of the Syrian conflict you've never heard before.

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Tools for Finding and Defeating HIV Oct 18, 2019

Join us for a discussion with experts about PrEP and a new tool designed to identify who might be more at risk of HIV infection. Come for a free midday program, as Michelle Meow brings her long-running radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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New Yorker Cartoonist Liana Finck Oct 17, 2019

Liana Finck’s deeply insightful and delightfully odd work as a cartoonist and illustrator with The New Yorker has earned her a devoted following who look to her columns and cartoons as a refreshing depiction of collective experiences in today’s world. She is also a social media sensation, with almost 300,000 followers on Instagram who visit her page daily for their dose of comedically dark insights on love, dating, self-esteem, mental health and much more. While her cartoons appear simple, they shed light on some of human existence’s most complex themes. Finck’s new book, Excuse Me: Cartoons, Complaints, and Notes to Self, is a collection of her most beloved work from Instagram and The New Yorker, and it combines the personal with the relatable to explore common anxieties, no matter the reader. She joins INFORUM to discuss her trademark mix of absurdity, melancholy and humor and to share her sharply deft views of the world.

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CLIMATE ONE: Scorched Earth: Culture and Climate Under Siege Oct 16, 2019

From the Amazon to the Congo to California, our planet’s forests are being decimated. And along with them, the stability of our climate. Why? Because trees are among our most effective weapons against carbon emissions. The Amazon alone is responsible for removing five percent of the world’s 40 billion tons of CO2 emissions from the air each year. When forests burn, carbon storage is lost -- along with biodiversity, indigenous culture, and more. Join us for a conversation about the climate factors and the global consumerism driving deforestation, as well as the seeds of change being planted by organizations, corporations, governments and individuals.

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Susan Rice: Policy, Diplomacy and Things Worth Fighting For Oct 16, 2019

Susan Rice, President Obama’s former national security adviser and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is heralded as one of the most influential foreign policy voices of our time. Having dedicated her career to public service, Rice is now a distinguished visiting research fellow at American University, a senior fellow at Harvard University, a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and author of the new book Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For. With humor and grace, Rice reflects upon the pivotal moments of her career on the front lines of American diplomacy and foreign policy. With unflinching honesty, Rice navigates her readers through the well-known 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, as well as the untold stories involving a secret channel to Iran and behind-the-scene confrontations with Russia and China. A dedicated public servant, join Susan Rice as she invites us to take a look at some of her biggest triumphs and failures, while teaching some important life lessons for all of us who dream of success and aspire to serve. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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CLIMATE ONE: Jonathan Safran Foer: We Are the Weather Oct 14, 2019

Is clinging to habits and cravings destroying our future? An outspoken critic of factory farming and animal-centric diets, Jonathan Safran Foer writes that stopping climate change begins with a close look at what we eat — and don’t eat — at home for breakfast. At the office, industry leaders like Google are taking steps toward veggie-forward diets by reducing meat, rather than cutting it out entirely. But when it comes to global food habits, are societies up for changing norms — individually and collectively — at a scale ambitious enough to meet the challenge?

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California, Russia and the Future: A Special Event - Segment 3 Oct 14, 2019

Segment #3 of 3, 3–3:30 p.m.: Next Generation Connections - Working Together Join a discussion on how our shared history and the unique legacy of Fort Ross State Historic Park can be a platform for cooperation and exchange between Russians and Americans, even amid severe challenges in relations between Washington, D.C. and Moscow. The final panel looks towards the future by bringing four young Russians and Americans from different disciplines to discuss their bilateral work and ideas for the future. A native Californian, Margo Poda chose to study the Russian language as an undergraduate at Georgetown University—her interest in the language and region stemming from Russia’s unique history and culture. After graduating, Poda headed home to Silicon Valley and worked at a series of tech start-ups as a project marketing manager, focusing on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Now she has returned to school pursuing a joint MBA/MA in international policy and development at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey to further develop key business skills, concentrating on the global entrepreneurial ecosystem. Vladislav Chernavskikh is a graduate student in the dual degree in nonproliferation studies program of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). Angelina Davydova is director of the German–Russian Office of Environmental Information in St. Petersburg, Russia. Davydova received a degree in economics from St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance. Her nonprofit work focuses on developing environmental journalism in Russia and neighboring countries. She teaches at the School of Journalism at St. Petersburg State University and the Saint Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics. Jake Hecla is a graduate student at UC Berkeley in the department of nuclear engineering. He earned an undergraduate degree in nuclear engineering at MIT, where he worked on techniques for zero-knowledge warhead verification and assisted in the development of an intraoperative radiation detector with the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute. In his spare time, he works with Clean Futures Fund, a nonprofit providing support to communities near the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Notes: In partnership with the Fort Ross Conservancy and the Kennan Institute

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California, Russia and the Future: A Special Event - Segment 1 Oct 14, 2019

Segment #1 of 3, How our shared history and the unique legacy of Fort Ross State Historic Park is a platform for cooperation and exchange between Russians and Americans, even amid severe challenges in relations between Washington, D.C. and Moscow. Panel 1—1–2:15 p.m. Panelists will discuss the current state of U.S.–Russia relations and assess whether and how enhanced communication, better crisis management and more fruitful cooperation between our countries may be possible.

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California, Russia and the Future: A Special Event - Segment 2 Oct 14, 2019

Segment #2 of 3, 2—2:30–3 p.m.: Russian America and the Native California Collection at the Kunstkamera This panel will explore historic ties between Native California Indians and Russia by sharing images from a rare collection of Native California artifacts collected during the Fort Ross era. Ksenia Vozdigan, leading coordinator of exhibition department at the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, will describe how the largest collection of Native California artifacts came to reside in Russia. Jerry and Kaylee Pinola, from the Kashaya Pomo and Coast Miwok Tribes, will talk about their 2014 trip to the museum in St. Petersburg to see their ancestral artifacts for the first time, and they will describe how this connection with Russia remains relevant today. Notes: In partnership with the Fort Ross Conservancy and the Kennan Institute

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Dallas Federal Reserve President Robert Kaplan: Monetary Policy and the Economy Oct 14, 2019

Robert Kaplan has served as the 13th president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas since September 8, 2015. He also represents the 11th Federal Reserve District on the Federal Open Market Committee in the formulation of U.S. monetary policy. Prior to joining Harvard in 2006, Kaplan was vice chairman of the Goldman Sachs Group Inc., with global responsibility for the firm's investment banking and investment management divisions. Previously, he served as global co-head of the investment banking division. He serves as chairman of Project ALS and co-chairman of the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, a global venture philanthropy firm that invests in developing nonprofit enterprises dedicated to addressing social issues. Come for a rare conversation with a representative of the Federal Reserve about international and national economies and U.S. monetary policy.

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Lauren Duca: How to Start a Revolution Oct 12, 2019

Award-winning journalist Lauren Duca is an unmistakable voice in the middle of a chaotic post-Trump political arena, famously penning the viral Teen Vogue op-ed “Donald Trump is Gaslighting America” just after Trump's election. Since the piece’s publication, she’s risen as a fresh voice in the millennial consciousness, often unafraid to challenge anyone who crosses her path … or her Twitter feed. In her new book, How to Start a Revolution: Young People and the Future of American Politics, she argues that Trump’s election sparked a political awakening in young people that does not seem to be waning anytime soon, and that it’s up to them to fix our ailing political system. Join Duca at INFORUM where she will discuss her sharp and funny guide to changing the world and empowering society towards real equality. Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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'Daily Show' Co-Creator Lizz Winstead: Vagical Power Oct 11, 2019

"Lizz Winstead is a sharp-witted truth-teller"—that was Ms. magazine's judgment of political satirist Lizz Winstead. From creating some of the most groundbreaking media to leading a reproductive rights organization, Winstead has succeeded in changing the media landscape, as well as fearlessly tackling serious political issues, including leading an abortion activist organization. Her record of accomplishments led Entertainment Weekly to name her one of its 100 Most Creative People. Join us for a conversation with this sharp-witted truth-teller—and probably a bit of political satire to put a smile on your face. This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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NSA’s Jonathan Darby: Spies, Soldiers and Hackers: National Security Threats to the U.S. Oct 11, 2019

The National Security Agency (NSA) is both a member of the Defense Department and an Intelligence Community agency. NSA’s expertise is cryptology—making and breaking codes. The agency’s goal is to discover adversaries' secrets, protect U.S. secrets and outmaneuver adversaries in cyberspace, executing this mission while balancing the privacy rights of the American people. Jonathan Darby has been with the agency since 1983, when he was initially assigned as a Russian language analyst. Darby has served in a variety of field and operations positions at NSA/CSS, including currently as the director of operations. Previously, he served as the signals intelligence directorate deputy director of analysis and production and the deputy chief of cybersecurity operations. Darby will characterize the security threats to our nation, our primary adversaries and their objectives. He will also talk about the role of NSA and what they are doing about these threats, providing some basic guidance for actions the public can take. Join us for a rare public discussion with an individual at the forefront of America’s intelligence capabilities.

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Protecting Wild Salmon Runs of the Pacific Rim Oct 09, 2019

Salmon is the keystone species of the Northern Rim. Their annual migrations support hundreds of species including bears, eagles and whales as well as dozens of indigenous groups and local fishing based economies that provide one of the last healthy sources of wild protein for humankind. Wild salmon runs are declining on both sides of the Pacific Rim, triggering multibillion dollar restoration efforts. Guido Rahr will describe the salmon’s fate and campaign to save critical stronghold rivers, from Japan to the wilds of the Russian Far East to Alaska, British Columbia and the U.S. Pacific Northwest, to focus on the battle to stop a massive open gold pit and copper mine proposed in the headwaters of Alaska's Bristol Bay—home to the greatest wild salmon runs left on Earth. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Ann Clark NOTES MLF: Environment & Natural Resources This program contains some EXPLICIT language.

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Capitalism Reconsidered: What Business Can Do to Lead the Change Oct 09, 2019

Peter Georgescu arrived in this country as a penniless Romanian refugee and rose to prominence as the CEO of Young & Rubicam. It’s an American dream success story that could not play out in today’s economic environment—one that is plagued with disappearing jobs, flat wages and a shrinking middle class. In his latest book, Capitalists, Arise!, Georgescu argues that the stark reality of our current economic malaise and social breakdown can be attributed, in large part, to the short-term thinking spawned by shareholder primacy. With deeply sobering statistics and new research, Georgescu points the way toward a future that will only be possible with enlightened capitalism. The author will offer concrete steps forward. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Elizabeth Carney NOTES MLF: Business & Leadership

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Stephen Kinzer: Mind Control and the CIA Oct 07, 2019

Stephen Kinzer is the author of nine books, including: The True Flag, The Brothers, Overthrow and All the Shah’s Men. He is also an award-winning foreign correspondent and writes a world affairs column for The Boston Globe. His new book tells the astonishing story of the man who oversaw the CIA’s secret medical experiments of the 1950s and ’60s. Drawing on original interviews, survivors’ testimonies and documentary research, Kinzer brings to light this massive hunt for the secret of mind control that spanned several countries, including the work of Nazi scientists, and lead to experimentation on government employees (willing and unwilling), foreign politicians, children, prisoners, sex workers and anyone else the poisoner in chief deemed threatening or expendable. Come hear a startling tale of the most powerful unknown Americans of the 20th century and of government lies and deception. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Chase Jarvis: A Guide to Creativity Oct 03, 2019

In a world where creativity is finally being rewarded, award-winning photographer and visionary entrepreneur Chase Jarvis argues that unleashing your creativity is the first step to rediscovering your personal power in life. Known for his collaborations with major brands such as Apple and Nike, Jarvis is the host of “The Chase Jarvis Live Show,” where he interviews the world’s top creative entrepreneurs and thought leaders, and is the co-founder of CreativeLive, an online learning community that’s produced over 1500 curated classes for over 10 million creators across the world. As the author of three books, Jarvis shares his enthusiasm for innovation and encourages his readers to create a life of fulfillment. In his newest book, Creative Calling: Establish a Daily Practice, Infuse Your World with Meaning, and Succeed in Work + Life, Jarvis urges his readers to establish a creative practice using his IDEA system (Imagine your dream, design a daily exercise, execute your ambitions and amplify your impact). Embracing creativity and implementing creative habits into our everyday lives will change the way we live, and according to Jarvis, deliver vitality to everything we do. Known for embracing failure as life’s greatest teacher, Jarvis lives with a resilient optimism that’s not only inspirational but downright contagious. Join us for a conversation with a self-starter and world-renowned creator as he guides us towards living a fuller life. *This program contains EXPLICIT language*

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Candace Bushnell: Is There Still Sex in the City? Oct 02, 2019

The landscape of sex, love and romance in New York City has undergone dramatic changes in the 20 years since Candace Bushnell published the iconic Sex and the City, which broke down major barriers in cultural representations of single women and reshaped the landscape of pop culture. Now the trailblazing Bushnell is back to ask the vital question: Is there still sex in the city for women 50+? Join Bushnell at INFORUM as she, once again, guides us through a new and entangled dating scene. Her newest book, Is There Still Sex in the City?, follows a whole new cohort of female friends: Sassy, Kitty, Queenie, Tilda Tia, Marilyn and Candace, as they face the modern-day sex arena as middle-aged women, including younger partners, dating apps, divorce, children and the pressure to maintain a youthful appearance. Equal parts hilarious and heart wrenching, and filled with Bushnell’s signature short, sharp social commentary, Is There Still Sex in the City? not only provides a colorful look at love after 50 but also asks audiences to take a more nuanced look into the lives of women.

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An Ecosystem of Hope: Immigrant Entrepreneurs Oct 01, 2019

From the kitchen to the mercado and on the Internet, Bay Area Latinx innovators are leading an inclusive economy with strategies targeting immigrants to increase access to affordable financial services and provide support for immigrant entrepreneurs who in turn strengthen their communities and add jobs. Learn how they developed their award-winning financial inclusion strategies and how they collaborate (with each other and others) to scale and deepen impact in immigrant communities. Understand how a shifting political climate has impacted their clients and outreach strategies. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Elizabeth Carney NOTES MLF: Business & Leadership

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Week to Week Political Roundtable 9/30/19 Oct 01, 2019

Welcome to the first Week to Week political roundtable of the Impeachment Era. It’s been far too long since we gathered together for a discussion of the latest political events. We might have been on vacation, but the politicos have not, so we have a lot to discuss. We will discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! And come early before the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our members social (open to all attendees). ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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CLIMATE ONE: Heavy Weather: Balancing Joy and Despair Oct 01, 2019

Nearly half of all Americans are dealing with a new mental stressor: climate anxiety. Whether we get it from the news, the trauma of a natural disaster, or fear of a warming planet, it’s undermining our health and well-being, according to the American Psychological Association. So what’s the solution to preventing stress, fear, and helplessness from taking a toll on your well-being? Can we simultaneously enjoy a beautiful day in nature and worry about the future of human civilization? Join us for a conversation about cultivating awareness and resilience in an age of unprecedented disruption.

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CLIMATE ONE: A Tale of Two Cities: Miami and Detroit Oct 01, 2019

Climate change is turning one of Miami’s poorest neighborhoods into some of the most desirable real estate around. But there’s only so much Little Haiti to go around. And as hurricanes pummel the coast and rising seas lap at Florida’s shoreline, Midwestern cities like Detroit look more and more appealing. Is the Motor City ready for a Sunshine State invasion?

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Top Myths About Homelessness Sep 30, 2019

If we build homeless housing, won't that just attract more homeless people? I read an article about this cool thing they're doing in Utah; why don't we do that? What about tiny homes? We know the causes of and solutions to homelessness, but public opinion is based on anecdotes and personal observation rather than facts. This talk will look at some of the most common misconceptions and provide a nuanced, evidence-based response on one of the country's most pressing issues. MLF Organizer: Patrick O'Reilly MLF: Psychology

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Jennifer Eberhardt: Understanding Bias Sep 28, 2019

How biased are you? According to Jennifer Eberhardt, we live in a world where unconscious bias and innate prejudices affect our visual perception, attention, memory and behavior. These stereotypes can dramatically influence and impact our education, employment, housing and our criminal justice system. Eberhardt has worked extensively as a psychologist and consultant with numerous companies and law enforcement agencies. She shares her groundbreaking research, covering courtrooms, boardrooms, classrooms and prisons, to better understand and invoke change at all levels in society. Eberhardt is the co-founder and co-director of SPARQ (Social Psychological Answers to Real-World Questions), a university initiative that uses social psychological research to address significant social problems. She was also the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur Genius Grant. In association with Wonderfest

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Josh Campbell: The War Against Intelligence Sep 28, 2019

In Crossfire Hurricane: Inside Donald Trump’s War on the FBI, CNN analyst and former FBI agent Josh Campbell takes his readers behind the scenes of the FBI during the historic investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. Campbell argues that President Trump’s unprecedented attacks on the FBI undermine the democratic integrity of the bureau and the men and women who work to uphold the law. Compelled to take action, Campbell provides a narrative that urges readers to discover the truth of what happened in 2016. Campbell served as a career special agent and special assistant to former FBI Director James Comey for over a decade before resigning in February 2018. As a national security expert for CNN, he analyzed developments in Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. Campbell also regularly contributes to The Washington Post, USA Today and The New York Times. His Times piece, “Why I Am Leaving the F.B.I.,” went viral after publication in early 2018. Come join us for a conversation with Josh Campbell, who will discuss the dangers of President Trump’s relentless attacks on the FBI and what it means for the future of national security.

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'Chosen Fam': Behind the Scenes of Panda Dulce's New Web Series Sep 27, 2019

Join us for a discussion of "Chosen Fam," a new web series telling stores of queer people of color in the Bay Area. Kyle Casey Chu (aka Panda Dulce) is a Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) core queen who writes about race, power and desire. Her work has appeared on NPR, Vice, HuffPost, Fusion, MTV, NBC, and them. She has spoken and performed at SFMOMA, RuPaul's Drag Con, and universities across the United States. Most recently, she is the co-writer, lead actress and songwriter of the forthcoming QTPOC web series "Chosen Fam." Come for a free midday program, as Michelle Meow brings her long-running radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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The Education of Brett Kavanaugh - Marin Conversations Sep 27, 2019

Last year’s Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh were dominated by allegations of sexual misconduct during Kavanaugh’s past, including during his prep school and college years. While Kavanaugh was ultimately sworn in for a lifetime position on the Supreme Court, many questions about his past remained unanswered. In the new book, The Education of Brett Kavanaugh, New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly—two journalists who broke many critical stories about Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing—take a deeper look at the formative years of the Supreme Court justice and his confirmation. Their research fills in some of the blanks and explores the essential question: Who is Brett Kavanaugh? By offering commentary from key players from his confirmation process who haven't yet spoken publicly and pursuing lines of inquiry that were left hanging, the new book will be essential reading for anyone who wants to understand our political system and Kavanaugh's unexpectedly emblematic role in it. The authors are the perfect people to tell this story: Kate Kelly was in the same Washington, D.C. high school circuit as Kavanaugh, while Robin Pogrebin was one of his former classmates at Yale.

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The Unspeakable Mind: Stories of Trauma and Healing from the Frontlines of PTSD Science Sep 27, 2019

Shaili Jain will share nuanced cartography of PTSD, a widely misunderstood yet crushing condition that afflicts millions of Americans. Jain's new book, The Unspeakable Mind, is the definitive guide for a trauma-burdened age. With profound empathy and meticulous research, Jain—a practicing psychiatrist and PTSD specialist at one of America’s top VA hospitals; trauma scientist at the National Center for PTSD; and a Stanford professor—shines a long overdue light on the PTSD epidemic affecting today’s fractured world. Post-traumatic stress disorder goes far beyond the horrors of war, and it is an inescapable part of all our lives. At any given moment, more than six million Americans are suffering with PTSD. Jain’s groundbreaking work demonstrates the ways this disorder cuts to the heart of life, interfering with one’s capacity to love, create and work—incapacity brought on by a complex interplay between biology, genetics and environment. Beyond the struggles of individuals, PTSD has a tangible imprint on cultures and societies around the world. MLF Organizer: Patty James MLF: Health & Medicine

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An Evening with George Takei Sep 25, 2019

With an acting career spanning six decades, George Takei is known around the world for his founding role in the acclaimed television series “Star Trek,” in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise. But Takei's story goes where few stories have gone before. From a childhood spent with his family wrongfully imprisoned in Japanese American internment camps during World War II to becoming one of the country's leading figures in the fight for social justice, LGBTQ rights and marriage equality, Takei remains a powerful voice on issues ranging from politics to pop culture. Mashable.com named him the no. 1 most influential person on Facebook, currently with 10.4 million likes and 2.8 million followers on Twitter. Takei hosts the AARP-produced YouTube series “Takei's Take,” and is the subject of To Be Takei, a Jennifer M. Kroot documentary on his life and career. "Takei's Take" explores the world of technology, trends, current events and pop culture. On his own YouTube channel, Takei and his husband Brad Takei bring viewers into their personal life in the heightened reality web series, “It Takeis Two.” Takei made his Broadway debut in the musical, Allegiance, inspired by his true-life experience in American internment camps. Allegiance ran in New York in 2015 and 2016 and had its Los Angeles premiere in 2018. In his new graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, Takei revisits his haunted childhood in American concentration camps as one of 120,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned by the U.S. government during World War II. He details the forces that shaped him—and America itself—in a tale of courage, country, loyalty and love. Come for a rare visit with an American icon about his life, his activism and his ongoing mission to ensure that, at least on Earth, very few frontiers are final. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Daniel Handler's Bottle Grove Sep 25, 2019

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Daniel Handler, best-selling author known for his adult novels and children’s books under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket, returns with a new dark comedy about his hometown of San Francisco. As Handler knows, San Francisco is a one-of-a-kind place, but it's leaving its residents behind. The city is flooded with tech money and innovation, but skyrocketing rents, income inequality, homelessness and other issues in the city have never been more urgent. Handler’s new novel, Bottle Grove, addresses love, greed and the precipice of change as two couples living in San Francisco deal with the effects of the tech boom looming over its citizens. Join us in welcoming Daniel Handler back to INFORUM and San Francisco this fall! NOTES Handler photo by Meredith Heuer

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Sacheen Littlefeather and Sivan Alyra Rose: Native Americans in Film and Media Sep 25, 2019

Come for an intergenerational conversation on Native American representation in film and media from experienced Apache actress Sacheen Littlefeather to breakout Apache actress Sivan Alyra Rose. Sacheen is known for the protest at the Oscars, in which she represented Marlon Brando and raised attention about the Wounded Knee standoff, and Sivan for her role as the first Native American actress to lead a TV series—"Chambers" on Netflix. Both are known for utilizing their platforms for tribal rights and issues. This conversation will be moderated by Sarah Eagle Heart and Michelle Meow. This program made possible by support from New York Life Greater San Francisco General Office and One Bowl Productions ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Documentary Filmmakers Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein: College Behind Bars Sep 23, 2019

For 30 years, Lynn Novick has been directing and producing landmark documentary films about American culture, history, politics, sports, art and music. With co-director Ken Burns, she has created more than 80 hours of acclaimed programming for PBS, including The Vietnam War, Baseball, Jazz, Frank Lloyd Wright, The War and Prohibition. This duPont–Columbia and Peabody-Award winning filmmaker’s new documentary series, College Behind Bars, reveals the transformative power of higher education through the experiences of men and women trying to earn college degrees while incarcerated. Executive produced by Ken Burns and produced by Sarah Botstein, College Behind Bars is Novick’s solo directorial debut and will air November 25 and 26 on PBS stations. The four-hour series, distilled from nearly 400 hours of cinéma vérité footage, explores the lives of a dozen incarcerated men and women as they struggle to earn degrees in the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), one of the most rigorous and effective prison education programs in the country. In this era of mass incarceration, America is the world’s largest jailer, with more than 2 million men and women behind bars; 630,000 are released annually, and nearly 50 percent end up back in prison within five years, trapped in a cycle of imprisonment, release and reincarceration. Once commonplace in American prisons, higher education declined precipitously after 1994, when Congress ended federal Pell Grants for inmates as part of the Clinton crime bill. In the nearly 20 years since BPI began, more than 500 alumni have been released, and fewer than four percent have gone back. The program currently enrolls 300 men and women in six prisons and costs $6,000 per student per year, most of it privately funded. Here’s a chance to get a preview of the series and hear a discussion with the filmmakers and formerly incarcerated BPI students featured in the film about the power of education to transform lives and benefit society at large. NOTES In association with KQED For a sneak peak of the series, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8ec3QpnaiU

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The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care—and How to Fix It Sep 20, 2019

In 2018, health care became the United States’ largest industry, but some would say that its success came at the expense of the American people. Coverage is unaffordable for many, 20 percent of Americans have faced debt collection for medical bills, and care increasingly feels rushed and impersonal. How did we get here, and how can we recover? Professor, surgeon, patient advocate and New York Times best-selling author Marty Makary reports on the root causes of the cost crisis—inappropriate care, middlemen and pricing failures—and highlights the innovators that are disrupting the bloated $3.5 trillion health care business. Makary breaks down a complex industry riddled with opaque pricing and clinical and administrative waste and untangles the medical bills that are so confusing most doctors can’t interpret them. In his role as executive director of Improving Wisely, a national physician collaboration to reduce unnecessary medical care and lower health care costs, Makary sees both the devastation medical bills can cause and the vast opportunity to improve the system. He argues that by working together, we can cut through the money games and restore medicine to its mission.

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S.F. Giants Manager Bruce Bochy: A Final Season Salute Sep 19, 2019

This year, Bruce Bochy announced that he would retire at the end of the season. As the 38th San Francisco Giants’ manager, serving in the role since 2006, Bochy has accumulated three World Series championships (2010, 2012 and 2014) and served as manager of four All-Star teams. His 975 wins are the second-most by a Giants manager in team history. His 24 seasons as a major league manager also include 12 with the San Diego Padres. Prior to his managing career, Bochy spent nearly a decade as a catcher with the Houston Astros, New York Mets and the Padres. He is also the subject of the new book Bochy Ball! The Chemistry of Winning and Losing in Baseball, Business, and Life. Come for a special salute to Bochy and a rare conversation with one of baseball’s most beloved and respected figures.

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Ambassador Samantha Power Sep 18, 2019

Samantha Power, former President Barack Obama’s U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is widely known as a leading moral voice of her generation. Power has been described by President Obama as one of America’s “foremost thinkers on foreign policy” and is revered as a Pulitzer Prize winner and a relentless advocate for promoting human rights. In her memoir, The Education of an Idealist, Power traces her extraordinary career and her change from an outspoken war correspondent and vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy to working with Obama in the Senate, on the campaign trail and throughout his presidency. Power takes us across the world from the streets of war-torn Bosnia to the White House Situation Room and delves into the complex networks of high-stakes diplomacy through her humorous, stirring and ultimately unforgettable account of the striking power of idealism. Join us for an invigorating and honest conversation with a world leader and human rights activist as she empowers us to approach global politics with a clearer eye and a kinder heart. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Kevin Bard, President of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club Sep 17, 2019

San Bernardino native Kevin Bard earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in political science from San Francisco State University with a focus on American politics and political theory. His thesis is a biography of his former local supervisor Ed Jew. He began his journey in local politics in college with the SF State Young Democrats, then joining the San Francisco Young Democrats. He worked for the California Democratic Party as the volunteer coordinator during the 2008 coordinated campaign with the Obama Campaign. Kevin then joined the Harvey Milk Club‚a decade ag0—and worked his way up to the organization's president in 2019. Just prior to that, he worked as a campaign organizer at the Nancy Pelosi Red To Blue office, which helped flip the House of Representatives and then convened the California AD 17 delegate election in January a few days before winning the Milk Club presidency. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. See more upcoming Michelle Meow Shows at The Commonwealth Club here.

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CLIMATE ONE: From Wheels to Wings: Our Flying Car Future Sep 15, 2019

Can we beat the traffic by taking to the skies? Sailing over freeways in a flying car, getting to work in minutes instead of hours, has long been the stuff of science fiction. But ambitious startups are on their way to making three-dimensional commutes a reality. For now, there are still many challenges to getting those flying cars off the ground, from mechanics and design to infrastructure, regulatory issues, air traffic and zoning. What does our flying car future look like?

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Sean Carroll: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Space-Time Sep 15, 2019

Quantum mechanics is the most accurate and far-reaching theory in physics, yet physicists themselves readily admit that they don't understand it. But Caltech physicist and New York Times best-selling author Sean Carroll suggests that we do have a very promising way of understanding the mysteries of the quantum world. Previously featured on “The Colbert Report” and PBS’s “Nova,” theoretical physicist Carroll will explore quantum discoveries throughout history, unveiling how the atomic and subatomic worlds impact our daily lives and giving us a whole new way of comprehending the cosmos. In association with Wonderfest

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Life After Liquidity Sep 13, 2019

This program is generously supported by First Republic Bank San Francisco’s 2019 IPO (initial public offering) wave has made national headlines, but little has been said to equip employees for the major cultural shifts they will face as their companies consider liquidity strategies. What does the lead-up entail, and what does life after liquidity look like for executive leadership and employees alike? Join a panel of experts as they share their own post-liquidity insights—from inception to successfully navigating initial public offering, acquisition or mergers and many of the other stages of a company’s life. Learn how companies can make these informed decisions and should prepare their employees for these life-changing transitions as well as how these business decisions impact the community at large.

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The Vagina Bible: Dr. Jen Gunter and Mary Roach Sep 13, 2019

In this age of clickbait, pseudoscience and celebrity-endorsed products, it’s hard to know what’s best for our bodies. Jen Gunter, ob-gyn and the Internet’s go-to doctor, is dedicated to debunking the myths, marketing and misinformation surrounding reproductive health. While much of the dialogue surrounding women’s health targets the shame or inexperience of women and girls, Gunter aims to educate and empower with both humor and evidence. Join Gunter in conversation with Mary Roach, author and popular scientist, to answer your burning questions about women’s health.

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Reducing the Global Burden of Dementia: The First Effective Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease Sep 12, 2019

Everyone knows someone who’s survived cancer. But no one knows anyone who’s survived Alzheimer’s—until now. Alzheimer’s disease is a global pandemic and the third leading cause of death in the United States. Of the 326 million Americans currently living, approximately 45 million will develop Alzheimer's disease during their lifetimes unless effective prevention programs are instituted. The 99 percent failure rate of Alzheimer’s drug trials underscores both the area of greatest biomedical failure and the need for a more complete understanding of the drivers (i.e., the root causes) of the disease. Despite these alarming statistics, it has now been demonstrated that early stage Alzheimer's and its precursors, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), can be prevented and in some cases reversed. Join Dale Bredesen as he presents a novel programmatic approach that identifies and targets the multiple contributors to cognitive decline. Based on his findings from over 30 years of research into the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, this approach led to the first published reports of the reversal of cognitive decline. Currently, over 3,000 patients use the protocol described in these initial reports, with success that has not been described previously. MLF Organizer: Adrea Brier MLF: Health & Medicine

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Spin Wars and Spy Games: Global Media and Intelligence Gathering Sep 12, 2019

As most long-standing news outlets have shuttered their foreign bureaus and print operations, the role of Global News Networks (GNNs) as information collectors and policy influencers has changed. Western GNNs are both untethered to government entities and able to produce accurate yet critical situational analyses. But due to the emergence of other GNNs owned or directed by national governments, the global news cycle has become thoroughly manipulatable. Kounalakis' interviews with a diverse set of GNN professionals vividly depicts the momentous sea change that has occurred in global news production. He also traces the evolution of GNNs from the 20th century to now, revealing today's drastically altered global news business model. Find out why countries such as Russia and China invest heavily in their news media, and how some GNNs operate in tandem with state strategies and diplomatic sensitivities. Get a firsthand look at how the global media is shaping policy and morphing the public's consumption of information. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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How to Be an Anti-Racist: Ibram X. Kendi Sep 12, 2019

The struggle for racial justice is far from over. Inequality is built on many aspects ingrained in our society—history, law and culture. How do we confront this inequality embedded in American life? How can we play an active role in building an anti-racist society? National Book Award winner Ibram X. Kendi returns to INFORUM to deliver an honest critique of modern America and our own role in perpetuating inequality. In his new book, How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi holds up both a magnifying glass and a mirror to examine how to uproot racism from society—starting with ourselves.

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Mike Isaac: The Battle for Uber Sep 11, 2019

Since its launch in 2009, ride-hailing service Uber has undergone major shifts to become a worldwide transportation network despite severe setbacks. Harassment allegations that led to the firing of 20 employees and the resignation of former CEO Travis Kalanick publicly embarrassed the company, yet Uber has grown to become the highest valued private tech company in Silicon Valley. In his new book, Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, New York Times tech reporter Mike Isaac delves into the ambition, excess and massive loss of Uber and Kalanick over the last few years. Isaac has nearly a decade of experience writing about technology industry in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has spent the past few years covering the controversial ascent of Uber and the company’s issues of workplace harassment, sexism and allegations of misconduct that reveal the problematic work culture of Silicon Valley tech companies. Join us as he narrates the deception and bad behavior of Uber that culminated in one of the most controversial periods in American corporate history. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Neoliberalism and Its Discontents Sep 10, 2019

At the end of the Carter administration and throughout the Reagan Revolution, belief in the power of markets became America's preferred economic policy doctrine. President Bill Clinton all but announced the triumph of free markets when he declared that “the era of big government is over.” President Barack Obama faced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and pushed a recovery plan that was more limited than many had hoped, seeming to protect the very sectors that had created it. By 2016, the economy was still uneven enough to play a role in Donald Trump’s election. Over the past decade, free-market economics (also known as neoliberalism) has been challenged and questioned on multiple fronts, particularly by the Democratic Party. With the Left making its voice heard as the primaries approach, many former Clinton and Obama officials are openly questioning a governing approach dominated by free-market economics. In his new book, A Crisis Wasted, Reed Hundt, chair of the Federal Communications Commission under Clinton and a member of Obama’s transition team, makes the argument that Obama missed an opportunity to push for a new progressive era of governance, a miscalculation that ultimately hobbled his administration. Hundt is not alone on this score. Former Clinton administration economist Brad DeLong, who is one of the market friendly neoliberal Democrats who has dominated the party for the last 20 years, believes that the time of people like himself running the Democratic Party has passed. “The baton rightly passes to our colleagues on our left,” DeLong wrote in a much-discussed Vox piece earlier this year. Please join us for a very special conversation between Hundt and DeLong about the limits of, and challenges to, free-market economics. These two former Clinton administration officials will be in conversation with Joshua Cohen, co-editor of Boston Review. Notes In association with Boston Review

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The Conservative Case for Universal Coverage Sep 09, 2019

Though it’s not apparent in the media, there is support among conservatives for universal health care coverage. The preferred approach involves the use of market forces to control costs and activation of consumers to bring the benefits of competition to the health care industry. Avik Roy is a leading conservative thinker, writer and adviser to senior Republican politicians. Yet his views surprise many progressives. A fierce proponent of the use of market forces in health care, Roy is equally vocal about the need for health care to better serve disadvantaged Americans. His innovative views have earned praise from both the Right and the Left. Conservative voices such as the National Review and Hugh Hewitt have noted his insights and influence on health care policy, while more liberal voices such as The New York Times’ Paul Krugman and MSNBC’s Chris Hayes have praised his moral courage and creative thinking. Roy was profiled in The Atlantic in 2016, and his writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and the National Review. A graduate of MIT and Yale Medical School, he is a frequent guest on Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, CBS, PBS and HBO. Roy is the author of the book How Medicaid Fails the Poor. MLF Organizer: Mark Zitter MLF: Health & Medicine

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The Longevity Project Sep 07, 2019

The Longevity Project explores the drivers of the length of life. It also examines the quality of life in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Lebanon, Israel and Tunisia. A goal is to explain how the Mediterranean diet is a transnational, intangible asset that can prolong life when combined with biodiversity, healthy lifestyles, beauty and art. Eating together is the basis of the cultural identity and continuity of the communities in the Mediterranean Basin. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes the values of hospitality, neighborhood, intercultural dialogue and creativity, and it represents a way of life guided by respect for diversity. The Longevity Project features expert scientists, chefs, authors, researchers, celebrities and locals to discover the secrets of longevity. Recent film clips from Mediterranean locations will be screened and discussed. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF Organizer: Robert Kilpatrick MLF: Health & Medicine

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Congressman Ted Lieu Sep 07, 2019

As national politics face a pivotal transformation in the buildup to the 2020 presidential election, a human rights crisis at the border and multiple environmental issues, how are political leaders responding to the nation’s most pressing issues? Representative Ted Lieu from California is an outspoken leader of the Democratic Party and is on the front lines of tackling climate change, spearheading legislation on cybersecurity, and advocating for the rights of veterans, ethnic and racial minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community. As a former active duty officer in the U.S. Air Force and a first-generation immigrant, Lieu has become a national spokesperson on national security and foreign affairs as well as contemporary civil rights. Join Lieu for an important conversation about democratic accountability and American privacy in the age of social media, Trump and political polarization.

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CLIMATE ONE: How Pro Sports Can Be a Player in Climate Sep 06, 2019

Americans spend $56 billion attending sporting events each year — but at what cost to the climate? From stadiums packed with energetic fans to food, beer, and waste, athletics can have a big carbon footprint. But sports franchises are learning that culture can have a bigger impact than carbon, with many embracing sustainability in venue design, waste, water, energy and food operations. Could the core values of athletics — integrity, teamwork, and commitment — be the same values we need to tackle the climate challenge?

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Lane Hudson and the Zero for Zeros Campaign Sep 05, 2019

Zero for Zeros is a new campaign that seeks to convince companies that have declared themselves LGBT allies to end their donations to anti-LGBT members of Congress. Are corporations caught between conflicting needs to curry favor with lawmakers and to attract customers? How can businesses have consistent social policies? Lane Hudson is an activist whose exposure of Rep. Mark Foley's behavior helped lead to the congressman's resignation. Now he manages the Zero for Zeros campaign. Come learn about the campaign, and bring your questions.

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How Does an Independent Analyst Survive San Francisco City Hall? Sep 05, 2019

Highly respected, frequently provocative, always challenging, Harvey Rose has survived the drama and intrigues of San Francisco City Hall politics for many years as San Francisco's most highly respected, independent budget and legislative analyst. As part of a valued San Francisco institution, no financial or legislative detail escaped Rose’s attention. In his straightforward talk, Rose will discuss work and the critical need for independent view of San Francisco's money, politics and the work of city hall, supervisors, commissioners, legislators and mayors. MLF Organizer:Ann Clark MLF: Environment & Natural Resources

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Food and Health from the Ground Up Sep 04, 2019

What's in our food and how it's grown has a profound impact on the health of our communities. Schools and hospitals are an increasingly critical intervention point for food access and long-term food systems shifts. Food and health issues are set against a seemingly paradoxical backdrop: One in eight Californians face hunger because of distribution and incentive problems. At the same time, one in four Californians suffer from diet-related diseases, directly related to social inequality, poverty and food availability. Learn more from California leaders who are improving lives and working to ensure the success of ecological farming through the food reaches the forks of families. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF Organizer: Cathy Curtis MLF: Food Matters

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Breathwork: A Three-Week Breathing Program to Gain Clarity, Calm and Better Health Sep 04, 2019

Every breath you take has the power to heal, but learning how to breathe takes practice. In her book Breathwork, established yoga and breathwork teacher Valerie Moselle leads you through a practical program to boost your energy and physical health. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF: Health & Medicine

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Michael Pina: Helping Central Valley Scholars Aug 31, 2019

One young scholar noted his peers weren't represented in his university, and he set out to do something about it. As a queer Latinx person from Kerman, CA, Michael Pina understands the homophobic and racial bias that students can face when applying to different universities and scholarships. So he created Central Valley Scholars as a way to help minority students from his own communities with their college, student aid and Dream Act applications. Keeping everyone in mind, Michael has created a safe space for the undocumented community, the disabled community, the queer community, people of color, and more. As part of his work in Central Valley Scholars, Michael has created the first-ever LGBTQ+ scholarship in the Central Valley. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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Last Black Man in San Francisco Director Joe Talbot and Star Jimmie Fails Aug 30, 2019

Joe Talbot is a fifth-generation San Franciscan who began developing The Last Black Man in San Francisco with his childhood friend and star Jimmie Fails after leaving high school early to pursue film. Talbot, a Sundance Institute fellow, wrote and directed the acclaimed short American Paradise, which was shown at Sundance and SXSW. His feature-length debut was The Last Black Man in San Francisco, a movie that captures the past and present of this fast-changing city through the tale of Jimmie and his best friend Mont, who set out to reclaim the house Jimmie grew up in. And just added to our program: Star Jimmie Fails. Fails most recently starred in A24's The Last Black Man in San Francisco, which made its debut at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Joe Talbot, Fails' best friend and longtime collaborator, directed the film with Plan B producing. It is a fable-like story based on Fails' life and the gentrification of San Francisco. It is his feature-length acting debut. **This program contains some explicit language **

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CLIMATE ONE: Carbon Offsets: Privileged Pollution? Aug 30, 2019

Carbon offsets have been called everything from a band-aid solution to “the best thing a consumer can do right now.” A new service even offers customers a monthly subscription to offset their carbon footprint. Meanwhile, offset providers are scrutinized for transparency, and purchasers are criticized for using them as a get-out-of-jail-free card. In the race to bring carbon emissions to zero, are offsets a legitimate tool, or a delusion that allows heavy emitters a way out of taking real action? What impact does purchasing offsets have on poorer communities?

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Senator Jeff Merkley: Trump's War Against Migrant Families Aug 29, 2019

Senator Jeff Merkley made headlines earlier this year when live video footage of his attempt to enter and inspect a detention center for child immigrants near the border of Texas and Mexico garnered over 1.1 million views in less than a day. An outspoken critic of the controversial treatment of migrant families across the southern border, Merkley is spearheading legislative efforts to establish nonnegotiable standards for the treatment of detained children and their families. In his new book, America Is Better Than This: Trump’s War Against Migrant Families, Merkley shares the story of how he, a senator with no background as an immigration activist, became a leading advocate for reform of the policies that have generated a humanitarian crisis along the border. His book embodies Merkley’s heartfelt and candid voice, and it includes his call for the American people to take a stand against what he considers calculated mistreatment of migrant families. Join us in welcoming Senator Jeff Merkley to The Commonwealth Club for an insightful conversation about the importance of approaching politics with compassion and reasonability.

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Emerging Health Technologies: Diagnosing, Designing and Controlling Our Well-Being Aug 29, 2019

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. Ben Hwang from Profusa will discuss the future of continuous, remote monitoring data using implantable biosensor technology and how it is poised to transform wellness, medical intervention, health care delivery and patient outcomes. Mary Lou Jepsen from Openwater has created a device that can enable us to see inside our brains or bodies in great detail. With this comes the promise of new abilities to diagnose and treat disease and well beyond—communicating with thought alone. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Patty James NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

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The Story of Joe Koret Aug 28, 2019

Joe Koret was an immigrant, businessman and philanthropist. He is credited with helping make San Francisco a center for the design and manufacture of popular style and fashion. Join us for a conversation about an innovative businessman and civic leader whose legacy is still very visible in the Bay Area. This was an audio-only program recorded at The Commonwealth Club.

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An Update from Dr. Anthony Iton: Building Healthy Communities Aug 27, 2019

The presentation will address the why, what and how of place-based work. Why addresses how when it comes to your health your zip code is more important than your genetic code. It explores the strength of the relationship between life expectancy and neighborhood. The what focuses on how place gets under the skin and changes our physiology. The presentation also examines the components of the environment that shape health opportunity. Finally, the how discusses the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative framework and how that translates into the investment strategies and policy and systems change approach to place-based work. Examples from the California Endowment's Building Healthy Communities will illustrate the approach and a review of the 10 year, $1 billion, multisite, multidisciplinary, place-conscious initiative, and its achievements will be presented. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Patty James NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

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Inside PBS and KQED: The Role and Future of Public Media Aug 26, 2019

More than 50 years after the establishment of the Public Broadcasting Act, which set the foundation for PBS and NPR, the media landscape has changed in ways that advocates for these services never could have imagined. Yet their vision for a noncommercial broadcasting system that takes risks and addresses the needs of the public has endured. Paula Kerger, PBS CEO and president, joins Michael Isip, KQED president and CEO, and John Boland, KQED president emeritus, to discuss the future of public media amidst great technological, political and environmental upheaval. With much of the traditional local news space shrinking and with trust in news at an all-time low, how are PBS and public media affiliates such as KQED adapting to serve communities? How can stations and audiences respond to attacks on the free press? And how are these organizations changing with their audiences and the ways they consume media? Speaker details: Having joined PBS in March 2006, Kerger is the longest-serving president and CEO in PBS history. Among her accomplishments are the pop culture phenomenon “Downton Abbey” on "Masterpiece"; Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s critically acclaimed The Vietnam War; the documentary Hamilton’s America, about the Broadway smash hit musical, on "Great Performances"; “Freedom Riders” on "American Experience"; and award-winning children’s programs such as “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.” Kerger is regularly included in the Hollywood Reporter’s “Women in Entertainment Power 100,” an annual survey of the nation’s top women executives in media, as well as Washingtonian magazine’s Most Powerful Women in Washington. Isip became KQED’s seventh president on April 10. Isip has almost a quarter century of media experience and has played a critical role in KQED’s growth and transformation into a 21st century multimedia organization. He joined KQED in 2001 as an executive producer in television and has since served in a number of senior level roles, including senior vice president and chief content officer as well as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Isip’s most impactful contributions to KQED was reorganizing the content division away from distribution platforms (TV, radio, online) to a structure of multimedia teams in news, arts, science and education. This restructure facilitated greater collaboration across KQED and increased digital content and services. Boland is president emeritus at KQED. He served as the organization’s president and chief executive officer from March 2010 through March 2019. Before returning to KQED, he served for four years as the first chief content officer of the national PBS. Prior to his tenure at PBS, Boland served in several executive positions at KQED for more than a decade, including executive vice president and chief operating officer; and vice president of marketing, development and communications. He also created the role of chief content officer at KQED in 2002—the first such position in public media. At KQED, he led a strategic transformation from a traditional public broadcasting service to a twenty-first century public media organization that combines mobile, social and online media with robust digital radio and television broadcasting. He has been a newspaper publisher and owner, a senior executive with two major international marketing and communications firms, and publisher of San Francisco Focus (now San Francisco magazine).

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Senator Michael Bennet, Democratic Presidential Candidate Aug 23, 2019

Widely recognized as a pragmatic and independent thinker, Democratic presidential candidate and Colorado Senator Michael Bennet is on the forefront of taking on Washington, D.C.’s dysfunction and building more opportunities for the next generation. In the Senate, Bennet has spearheaded legislative efforts to make education, health care, childcare and housing more affordable and accessible for working families. Running for the presidential nomination to restore integrity to our government, Bennet has been twice singled out by former President Barack Obama as someone to watch following the 2016 election. Compelled to reveal the inner workings of Congress in our polarized era, Bennet shares his perspective in his book The Land of Flickering Lights: Restoring America in an Age of Broken Politics. Despite his exposure to the complex issues and extreme polarization rampant in today’s politics, Bennet remains strong in his conviction that patriotism, hard work and belief in the common good can revive a prosperous and powerful democracy for the generation of tomorrow. Join us for an engaging conversation with presidential candidate Michael Bennet as he guides us through his vision to restore ethics in American politics.

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Israel's Contributions to Well-Being Aug 23, 2019

Our distinguished panel will discuss the contributions and innovations Israel has made worldwide in solving health, environmental and economic problems. Israel has a history of coming to the rescue of other nations after disasters and emergencies. For example, Israel advised California and other areas with water problems. And it was the second country to arrive with medical help after the Haiti disaster. Come learn more about Israel’s contribution to our well-being. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF Organizer: Celia Menczel MLF: Middle East

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Eat Your Cake and Have Enlightenment Too: Creating Wellness Through Spiritual–Material Balance Aug 23, 2019

Anna Gatmon will share how to experience fulfillment and abundant wellness by stopping the seemingly endless struggle between your spiritual aspirations and daily material consumption. By expanding your awareness to recognize the spiritual essence inherent in the material world around you and by engaging with the material expressions of your spiritual aspirations, you can grow into an expanded, more whole version of yourself and experience profound well-being. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF Organizer: Denise Michaud MLF: Grownups

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CLIMATE ONE: Tom Steyer: Power Disruptor? Aug 23, 2019

Tom Steyer doesn’t just want to impeach President Trump, he wants to replace him. Steyer insists that America’s democracy, health-care and climate shortcomings all stem from a warped distribution of money and power. Supporters point to Steyer’s promising rise in early primary state polling, but a crowded Democratic primary has left some Americans asking: Is this the moment for another wealthy, white, male president? With two weeks to go before the Democratic National Committee’s vote in San Francisco on a climate-focused presidential debate, join us with candidate Tom Steyer for a candid discussion of his chances in the race for the presidency—and our chances in the race against climate disruption.

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LGBTQ and Business: Gina Grahame on The Michelle Meow Show Aug 22, 2019

We're talking about LGBTQ representation in business this week, with our special guest Gina Grahame. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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San Francisco Opera: Equity Diversity and Inclusion Aug 22, 2019

Matthew Shilvock, general director of the San Francisco Opera, has announced that San Francisco Opera, which has the largest performing arts organization staff in the Bay Area, has created a department of equity, diversity and inclusion to meet an institutional commitment both within the organization and externally. The department will implement strategies to build organizational capacity, structures and policies to help ensure San Francisco Opera is a welcoming, inclusive place to work and experience opera. The San Francisco Opera will continue its Arts Resources in Action (ARIA) residency program, which connects K–8 students and teachers to the process of opera creation across multiple visits, as well as the ARIA dress rehearsal and professional development programs. It will also continue select Community. Understanding. Engagement. (CUE) programs, the company’s suite of programs for the broader community of adults, families and youth, building conversation and engagement around the stories being told on the War Memorial Opera House stage. Charles Chip Mc Neal will lead the new department. Mc Neal is currently senior curriculum and program manager in the San Francisco Opera education department. NOTES MLF: Arts In association with Theatre Bay Area

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Electroacupuncture for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases Aug 22, 2019

The World Health Organization states that neurological disorders are one of the greatest threats to public health today. Seventy-six million aging baby boomers, or 29 percent of the population in the United States, are about to push Alzheimer's disease rates sky high. Acupuncture, a form of traditional Chinese medicine, has been proven safe and effective in treating a wide variety of common ailments and problems. Acupuncture can also help treat Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases. This talk will discuss electroacupuncture, where a small electric current is passed between pairs of acupuncture needles. Electroacupuncture targets specific receptors to stimulate neuropeptide release for cerebral rehabilitation and neural synaptic repair. John Nieters will explain how this type of acupuncture works in the treatment of these four top neurological diseases: Alzheimer’s disease/dementia, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Motor Neuron Disease, Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis. Nieters will further explain how electroacupuncture correlates to traditional Chinese medicine. Join us for this opportunity to hear Nieters, an experienced American practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Cynthia Miyashita and Lillian Nakagawa NOTES MLF: Asia-Pacific Affairs

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CLIMATE ONE: Superpower: How Renewables are Transforming America’s Energy Future Aug 20, 2019

Nearly 25 percent of America’s electricity now comes from renewables, surpassing coal for the first time. Ten states, and Puerto Rico and Washington DC, have policies in place to run on 100 percent clean power in coming decades. But achieving that goal presents a host of challenges, from updating an aging electricity grid to financing energy innovation to figuring out how to transport and store the renewable power.

America has always prided itself on “thinking big” – from the railroads to the moon landing. Do we have what it takes to pull off the transition from fossil fuels to renewables?

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The Fast Evolution of Gene Editing and Its Implications for Society Aug 16, 2019

Jennifer Kahn will update attendees on gene editing and gene drive technologies, which are quickly evolving. She will also discuss their implications for society, extending from their use in areas such as human fertility, agriculture and pharmaceuticals. Recent developments in China, where this technology was used on embryos, has raised concerns globally on the use of these technologies. Kahn is returning to the Club after her sold out program on this topic in November to update members on recent developments. Gerald Harris, chair of the Technology & Society member-led forum, will interview her; the discussion will be followed by a question and answer session.

MLF Organizer Gerald Harris

MLF: Technology & Society

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Californians at Work: Advancing Dignity, Respect and Opportunity Aug 16, 2019

This program is generously supported by The James Irvine Foundation. The private, San Francisco-based foundation has $2.3 billion in assets and makes annual grantmaking of nearly $100 million. The Irvine Foundation’s singular goal is a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. Key industries in California, from restaurant to technology to hospitality, touch our lives each day and are central to the state’s economy. Yet hundreds of thousands of workers fueling these industries face daily challenges in making ends meet. Whether working the night shift or behind the kitchen door, many have limited voice or influence on the economic conditions that affect their lives and families. A 2018 survey by the Public Religion Research Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute, found that nearly half of all California workers struggle with poverty, with more than one-third facing a host of difficult financial choices regularly, such as putting off seeing a doctor or purchasing medications, paying the rent or a mortgage, or paying a monthly bill. And one in 10 struggling workers report wages being withheld by an employer without cause. Join us for an opportunity to hear from three extraordinary leaders who will share their perspectives on the challenges facing working Californians today and their efforts to ensure every worker in California is afforded dignity, respect and the opportunity to advance economically.

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Destination Health: Solving Homelessness Aug 15, 2019

This event is the first in The Commonwealth Club's Thought Leadership series on the future of health, featuring in-depth conversations on the challenges driving physical, mental and social health. Homelessness is one of the most critical health issues of our time. Even the best care isn’t enough to keep people healthy if they do not have a roof over their head. A safe, stable home is necessary to thrive. Yet much of America is grappling with some of the highest costs of housing and highest rates of homelessness of our time. What can we do to reverse the trend? What haven’t we thought of? Given the bright minds and wealth of the 21st century, we cannot accept that homelessness is unsolvable. Join a diverse panel of experts and advocates as they discuss this growing public health crisis. Together we will explore new ways to solve homelessness.

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How Public Policy Became War Aug 13, 2019

FDR's New Deal is widely recognized as a turning point in American history, but David Davenport and Gordon Lloyd go even further, calling it “America’s French Revolution.” Refashioning American government and public policy in ways that have grown to epic proportions today, Roosevelt’s decisions reset the balance of power away from Congress and the states toward a strong executive branch. They also shifted the federal government away from the founders’ vision of deliberation and moderation toward war and action. Having learned that a sense of crisis is helpful in moving forward a domestic agenda, post New Deal presidents have seized on the language of war to extend their power dramatically. They have declared war on everything from poverty and drugs to crime and terror. Exploring the consequences of these ill-defined (and never-ending) wars, Davenport calls for a reexamination of this destructive approach to governance and a return to more deliberative and moderate methods. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Motecuzoma Sanchez: How Much Progress Has Stockton's Youngest-Ever Mayor Made? Aug 13, 2019

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs has received a lot of attention for his announcement of innovative approaches to dealing with the California city's problems—such as a universal basic income or the Stockton Scholars program. Has he delivered on his promises? Motecuzoma P. Sanchez (pictured) is an activist and journalist who says he works to hold accountable the leaders in Stockton, where he was born and raised. As the founder of the 209 Times media company, Sanchez has been a persistent critic of Mayor Tubbs. And Sanchez is not without critics of his own, who say he is obsessed with attacking Tubbs and other Stockton political leaders. Come hear a discussion about Sanchez's take on Tubbs's performance in office since he won a landslide victory over an incumbent mayor in 2017.

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CLIMATE ONE: The Land of Dreams and Drought Aug 09, 2019

In his new book The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California, author Mark Arax reveals the tumultuous history behind the myth of abundance in the Golden State. LA Times reporter Diana Marcum and water expert Faith Kearns explore the complex intersections between drought, climate change, and life in rural California. Can a decades-old distribution system meet the water needs of the future? How will climate change affect the California Dream?

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Gov. Terry McAuliffe: Beyond Hate and Charlottesville Aug 09, 2019

In August of 2017, white nationalists marched through the University of Virginia in Charlottesville to protest the removal of Confederate Army leader Robert E. Lee’s statue through a series of racist and anti-Semitic chants. The Unite the Right rally turned deadly when confronted by counter-protesters, in which a self-identified white supremacist drove his car into a crowd of people opposing the nationalists and killed a 32-year-old woman while leaving 19 others in critical care. Former Democratic Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe recounts his experience and perspectives during Charlottesville in his new book, Beyond Charlottesville: Taking a Stand Against White Nationalism. From declaring a state of emergency to condemning President Trump for claiming there were “very fine people on both sides” of the protest, McAuliffe takes a hard look at Virginia’s history of racism and the factors that led to the tragedy in Charlottesville. He lays out the work done afterwards to prevent future Unite the Right rallies and discusses what still needs to be done as America continues to grapple with its racialized history and its long struggle to fight racism, extremism and hate.

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Pod Save America's Dan Pfeiffer Aug 08, 2019

Dan Pfeiffer was one of President Obama’s longest-serving advisers and closest confidantes, working on his historic campaign and spending six years in the White House as communications director and senior adviser to the president. As a co-host of the wildly popular podcast “Pod Save America,” Pfeiffer is one of the most visible progressive voices today. In his best-selling book Yes We (Still) Can, Pfeiffer recounts how Obama navigated the political forces that created Trump and explains why everyone got 2016 wrong. With the start of another marathon election cycle, he’ll talk about what Democrats should and should not be focusing on in 2020. Join us for a fun conversation with a man who has spent the last decade on the frontlines of American politics. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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San Francisco's Shocking Seventies Aug 06, 2019

A prize-winning writer for the San Francisco Chronicle in the tumultuous 1970s, Duffy Jennings covered the Patty Hearst kidnapping, the Zodiac and Zebra serial murders, and the City Hall assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. Jennings also covered major fires, gangland crime, labor union strife, city government news and more. In Reporter’s Note Book, Jennings weaves the political, criminal, public and personal events of the 1970s into a masterful reflection on the heart of a turbulent Bay Area, all bolstered by his uncanny memory and tender wit. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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The Rights of Asylum Seekers: East Bay Sanctuary Covenant Aug 06, 2019

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. While the conditions in Central America produce caravans and others seeking safety, the rights of asylum seekers are continuously under attack. Come learn about the roots of the problem—why people are fleeing, the mental health consequences and the difficult yet lifesaving process of seeking asylum. This presentation will highlight the role the U.S. government has played over the past decades in creating the so-called border crisis and will debunk the Trump administration’s attacks on asylum law. Founded in 1982 in response to civil wars and genocide in Central America, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant has been a leader in the sanctuary movement, providing yearly legal protection, advocacy, support and family reunification to thousands of refugees and undocumented immigrants. MLF Organizer: Patrick O'Reilly MLF: Psychology

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Qi Gong: More Energy and Less Stress Aug 05, 2019

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. Lee Holden is a renowned instructor in Qi Gong, meditation and Tai Chi. He Has worked to bring the ancient Taoist teachings to the West. Lee offers simple techniques to enhance well-being. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Robert Kilpatrick NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

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Reframing Elderhood Aug 05, 2019

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. Louise Aronson has received numerous awards for her medical work, teaching, educational research and writing. In Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life, Aronson urges a large-scale shift in society and medicine’s attitudes toward aging and offers a powerful roadmap for how we all approach old age. She shares anecdotes from her 25 years of caring for patients and her own experiences of getting older and watching her parents age. She also draws from history, science, literature and popular culture to offer hope about aging, medicine and humanity itself. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Denise Michaud NOTES MLF: Grownups

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CLIMATE ONE: Drawdown: Do We Have What It Takes to Solve Climate Change? Aug 04, 2019

Today’s solutions for addressing climate change are doable, but daunting: decrease global meat consumption, improve family planning, shut down coal-fired power plants, or expand solar energy – where to start? How do we best allocate resources, prioritize policies, and design economic tradeoffs as we move forward? What are the most impactful steps we can take individually and collectively to reduce our impact on the planet?

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Let’s Talk About #SexTech Aug 03, 2019

When sex and technology cross paths, we see a combination of curiosity and censorship, sexism and empowerment, but most importantly, knowledge and pleasure. The intersection between sex and technology goes beyond sex toys—from smart vibrators to apps for your phone that allow you to track and learn from your own experiences—sex tech’s innovation plays a major factor in the future of women’s health and pleasure. Despite these groundbreaking improvements being made for user experience, however, the tech industry continues to reject sex tech and the women who are leading these advancements. In 2016, Myisha Battle launched Sex for Life, which boasts an array of sex coaching practices as well as the sex-positive podcast “Down for Whatever.” Liz Klinger is the CEO of Lioness, a company focusing on creating products to enable sexual self-discovery and well-being. Andrea Barrica is the founder and CEO of O.School, an online sex-ed platform that aims to revolutionize how we feel, talk and understand sex. Join these experts for a conversation about the many obstacles faced by leaders in the rapidly growing sex tech industry and their road to recognition. ** This Program Contains Explicit Language **

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Adam Gazzaley and Robert Strong: The Neuroscience of Magic Aug 01, 2019

From ancient conjurers to quick-handed con artists to Las Vegas illusionists, magicians throughout the ages have been expertly manipulating human attention and perception to dazzle and delight us. The phenomena of cognitive and sensory illusions are responsible for the “magic” of a magic trick, but how and why? Come meet neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley and magician Robert Strong as they team up to demonstrate how magicians use our brains as their accomplices in effecting the impossible—and explain what scientists can learn about the brain by studying the methods and techniques of magic. In association with Wonderfest

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Tech Titans of China: The Roots of a U.S.–China Tech Cold War Jul 31, 2019

China’s rise as a technology innovator is challenging the world by working hard, innovating fast and going global. A new book by Rebecca A. Fannin, Tech Titans of China, delves into the Chinese technology sector and its influence and implications worldwide, in tech sectors and beyond. The book is the go-to guide for those seeking to understand China’s grand tech ambitions, who the players are and what their strategy is. Join us for a fireside chat with Fannin and Wei Jiang, venture capitalist, discussing the rise of China's tech giants, China's challenge to the United States for global technology leadership, and the impact of a U.S.–China tech and trade war on Silicon Valley. MLF Organizer: Lotus Fong MLF: Asia Pacific

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Debate Night: Week to Week Political Roundtable 7/30/19 Jul 31, 2019

It's the night of the next Democratic presidential candidates debate, and we're all set to watch and comment on that and other political news. Doors will open at 5 p.m., and we will show the debate on the big screen in our auditorium. Then at 6:30, we'll switch over to our panelists, who will discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz!

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A Beginner's Guide to the End of Life Jul 30, 2019

How do we cope with the inevitability of death? How can we make better decisions for ourselves and our families? B.J. Miller and journalist Shoshana Berger visit INFORUM to answer the questions about death we’re all afraid to ask with their new book: A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death. Berger and Miller offer step-by-step instructions on managing the end of life, including how to navigate a complex system of hidden costs and intense emotions without shame and guilt often associated with this period of life. Miller is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCSF, where he practices and teaches palliative medicine. Berger is a journalist and editorial director at IDEO. Together they join INFORUM for a lesson on dying—and how to live fully until you do. **This program contains EXPLICIT language**

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The Iran Crisis Jul 30, 2019

Dr. Keynoush is the author of the book Saudi Arabia and Iran: Friends or Foes? and the editor of a forthcoming book Iran's Interregional Dynamics in the Near East. She was recently a visiting scholar at Princeton University and a visiting fellow at the King Faisal Center in Saudi Arabia. She has translated at diplomatic meetings, and for United Nations secretary generals, U.S. congressional leaders, Nobel laureates and four Iranian presidents. Dr. Keynoush will discuss Iran's regional ties, including with Saudi Arabia, the consequences of the U.S withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and Iran’s decision to increase its nuclear capabilities. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East

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Bees, Butterflies and Your Well-Being Jul 30, 2019

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. Bees, butterflies, bats, birds and other insects are important actors in maintaining a healthy environment. The health of the environment directly influences human well-being. The quality of the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink profoundly affect how we feel. Research shows that having access to natural places has a significantly positive impact on our mental, physical and spiritual health. But in many parts of the world, pollinators are under siege, from climate change, human disruption of habitat, urbanization and industrial agriculture. Pollinators are the "canary in the coal mine," indicating the rise of present and future threats including food security, biological diversity and environmental degradation. There is hope, and Laurie Davies Adams, the founder and executive director of the Pollinator Partnership (P2) based in San Francisco, will explain the nature of the challenges that pollinators face, share success stories and provide specific ways that individuals, families and communities can become involved in creating sustainable solutions that benefit pollinators and all people. P2’s mission is to promote the hearths of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education and research. MLF Organizer: Robert Kilpatrick MLF: Health & Medicine

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Seduction and Satiety: Under the Hood of the Brain Circuits That Drive Us to Overeat Jul 29, 2019

No one wants to overeat. And certainly no one wants to overeat for years, become overweight, and end up with a high risk of diabetes or heart disease—yet two thirds of Americans do precisely that. Why does our behavior betray our best intentions to eat healthy foods in moderation? The reason is that our appetites and food choices are led astray by ancient, instinctive brain circuits that play by the rules of a survival game that no longer exists. These circuits don’t care about how you look in a bathing suit next summer. Join Stephan J. Guyenet for an exploration of some of these circuits and how they conspire with our modern food environment to expand our waistlines. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Patty James NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

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Carole Migden: Representing the Underrepresented Jul 29, 2019

This week's special guest: Carole Migden. Carole Migden is a former California state senator (and former state assemblymember, and former San Francisco supervisor and much more) who has worked her entire career to assist underrepresented demographics. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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Deborah Lipstadt on Anti-Semitism: Here and Now Jul 26, 2019

Over the past several years, there has been a noticeable uptick in anti-Semitic rhetoric and incidents from college campuses in the United States to terrorist attacks against Jews throughout Europe and, in 2018 and 2019, the tragic hate crimes at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and Poway Synagogue outside San Diego. Marin County has also not been immune, with anti-Semitic symbols found in county schools this past school year. A hatred long thought to be laid to rest, anti-Semitism from both sides of the political spectrum has again become a visible part of American society. No one knows this issue better than Deborah Lipstadt, a professor of modern Jewish history and Holocaust studies at Emory University. Actress Rachel Weisz portrayed Lipstadt in Denial, a film based on her book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier. Lipstadt's new book, Antisemitism: Here and Now, has been hailed as one of the most important works on the issue. Where is this hatred coming from? Is there any significant difference between left-wing and right-wing anti-Semitism? What role has the anti-Zionist movement played? And what can be done to combat this latest manifestation of an ancient hatred? Please join us as Lipstadt makes a special visit to Marin County to discuss these questions and what can be done about the the rise of anti-Semitism locally and nationally.

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CLIMATE ONE: The Art of the Green Deal Jul 26, 2019

With the Green New Deal, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's vision challenges her own party to go further and faster on climate action than ever before. Her co-sponsor, Sen. Ed Markey, has spent 40 years in Congress and has similar experience pushing for bold climate action. Meanwhile, Rep. Matt Gaetz vigorously supports President Trump – except when it comes to climate and extreme weather, which have battered his Florida district. Gaetz’s Green Real Deal is a market-based alternative to the Green New Deal’s regulatory approach. So what is the deal with climate action in Congress?

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An Evening with Dr. Cornel West Jul 25, 2019

Dr. Cornel West says his passion is to keep alive the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.—a legacy of telling the truth and bearing witness to love and justice. In addition to his posts at Harvard and Princeton, West has taught at Union Theological Seminary, Yale and the University of Paris. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard in three years and obtained his master’s and doctorate in philosophy at Princeton. Sheryl Davis is the executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission (HRC), a city agency mandated to address the causes of and problems resulting from prejudice, intolerance, bigotry and discrimination in San Francisco. Davis previously served as commissioner from 2011 to 2016, including a tenure as vice chair of the commission. Prior to her work with the HRC, she was the executive director of Collective Impact, a community-based organization in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco. In a polarized country, with issues of voter disenfranchisement, police shootings of unarmed African-Americans and discussions of reparations at the forefront, our guests will explore the possibilities for improved life outcomes and opportunities for black people, particularly in cities such as San Francisco as the wealth gap continues to swell. In commemoration of the 55th anniversary of the HRC, created in response to anti-black racism in businesses, government services and community investments, join us for a conversation with one of the nation’s most prominent and provocative civil rights champions about America’s (and San Francisco’s) present and future racial equity. ** This Program May Contain Explicit Language **

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Richard Clarke: Cyber Threats in the Digital Age Jul 25, 2019

Cyber warfare is at the intersection of innovation and danger. It can be comical, like the malware which blasted AC/DC’s song “Thunderstruck” at full blast in the middle of the night in Iranian nuclear facilities. It can also be catastrophic, like EternalBlue, the 2017 cyber battle that closed hospitals in Britain and froze shipping crates in Germany in midair. Richard Clarke, former U.S. national coordinator for security, infrastructure protection and counterterrorism, takes us behind the scenes with the scientists, executives and government officials who are on the forefront of cyber technologies. In the new book, The Fifth Domain: Defending Our Country, Our Companies, and Ourselves in the Age of Cyber Threats, Clarke explains that the threat of cyberattacks is manageable and provides concrete steps that can be taken toward cyber resilience, including building more resistant systems, raising the costs for cyber crime and avoiding the trap of overreacting to digital attacks. From the quantum-computing labs racing to develop cyber superweapons to the boardrooms of corporations that have been hacked to the corridors of U.S. intelligence agencies that work to defend against these attacks, Clarke effortlessly guides readers through the complexities of this fifth domain. Join us for a timely discussion with a former White House terrorism czar on this pressing issue.

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David Gergen: Democracy in Turbulent Times Jul 23, 2019

Where is America headed? Veteran political analyst David Gergen offers his insights to the polarized state of politics and what we can expect as we head into our next presidential election. Gergen has the unique perspective of serving as a White House adviser to four U.S. presidents from both parties: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Join us for an engaging conversation on the future of America.

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CLIMATE ONE: The Fate of Food Jul 22, 2019

How do we go about feeding a planet that’s hotter, drier, and more crowded than ever? From a remote-controlled organic farm in Shanghai to famine-stricken parts of Ethiopia, innovators are seeking to reinvent the global food system to be more productive and nutritious. Does this mean the end of animal meat? Can a clean, climate-resilient food system be built to distribute calories in a way that is efficient and equitable? Join us for a conversation on how innovation and agriculture, technology, and traditional knowledge are coming together to sustain a planet of eight billion.

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Memory Problems More Likely to Be Reported by the LGBTQ Community Jul 18, 2019

Dr. Jason Flatt, assistant professor at the UCSF School of Nursing's Institute for Health & Aging, will discuss some of the new research findings he presented at the July 2019 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Los Angeles. Past research has shown an increased likelihood of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease for individuals with self-reported memory problems, including up to three times greater risk for future cognitive decline. Dr. Flatt will highlight his recent research on Alzheimer’s risk in the LGBTQ community and touch on the needs for education of health-care professionals and LGBTQ seniors as well as ensuring cognitive and health screenings for LGBTQ community members at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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Astronomer Andrew Fraknoi: 50 Years Since Our First Step Jul 18, 2019

What Do We Know About the Moon? July 20, 2019 is the 50th anniversary of humanity’s first steps on the surface of the moon. In that time, the Apollo missions, a fleet of robotic probes and observations from Earth have taught us a lot about Earth’s surprising satellite. In this nontechnical talk, Andrew Fraknoi, who is sometimes called the Bay Area’s public astronomer, will look at the past, present and future of the moon, including its violent origins, the mystery of the frozen water we have found at its poles and its long-term future as it moves farther and farther away from us. Illustrated with beautiful images taken from orbit and on the surface, his talk will make the moon come alive as an eerie world next door, as a changing object in our skies, and as a possible future destination for humanity and its ambitions. Come find out how the achievements of the Apollo program fit into the bigger picture of our involvement with our only natural satellite. Fraknoi recently retired as the chair of the astronomy department at Foothill College and now teaches noncredit astronomy courses for seniors at the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Francisco State. He also served as the executive director of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for 14 years and was named the California professor of the year in 2007. Fraknoi appears regularly on local and national radio, explaining astronomical developments in everyday language. The International Astronomical Union has named Asteroid 4859 after Fraknoi in honor of his contributions to the public understanding of science.

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Intergenerational Executive Womxn Talk Success, Age and Empowerment Jul 17, 2019

From millennial "womxn's" happiness to midlife career empowerment, ambitious working women climb succeed professionally not only by mastering their careers but also by simultaneously outsmarting gender bias, ageism and societal expectations that hold us back on the job and in life. Bring your lunch (if you like) and listen to experts discuss the surprising research and insights on how age and generation impact women. Come ready to engage in an intimate, very intergenerational discussion on how we—as ambitious "womxn"—can best build meaningful lives and satisfying careers from our 20s through our 80s and beyond. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Emily Howe NOTES Your Bosslady Forum: The Executive Womxn forum is a discussion series of millennial and Gen X ladybosses, coming together with senior and retired Bay Area businesswomen, to expand our minds, outsmart all workplace "isms," rise together and really (really!) thrive in work and life. MLF: Executive Womxn

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Tom Siebel: Inside the Digital Future Jul 16, 2019

Big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and the internet of things: we have all heard of these innovations individually and their potential impacts. But Tom Siebel is working on how these technologies can work in conjunction with each other to have an even greater impact. In his new book, Digital Transformation: Survive and Thrive in an Era of Mass Extinction, Siebel explains how the power of these innovations can be harnessed to radically change and improve our world on a massive scale. He looks at how large enterprises such as Royal Dutch Shell, Enel, 3M, and even the U.S. Department of Defense are leveraging these technologies to predict functionality problems, decrease fuel usage and find vulnerabilities in these systems. How accurately can these systems predict electrical grid failings? What is the most efficient way to minimize fuel usage? How susceptible are these systems to cyberattacks, and how can we improve their security? What is the role of private enterprise as well as government in these pressing issues? Join us for a conversation with the leader of this field to find the answer to these, and many more, important questions.

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CLIMATE ONE: Cities for the Future: Where Life Meets Design Jul 12, 2019

Cities around the world are bracing for a growth spurt. With over half of the global population living in urban centers, and another 2.5 billion expected to join them by 2050, it’s time to rethink the traditional car-centric cityscape. How do we redesign our cities to withstand the challenges of cars, climate change and rapid population growth? A conversation with three leaders in urban planning and design on building sustainable cities that make public life healthier, more inclusive and more dynamic.

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Cosmological Koans Jul 12, 2019

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. Cosmological Koans invites you to take an intellectual journey through more than 50 koans: pleasingly paradoxical vignettes following the ancient Zen tradition. Anthony Aguirre traverses the world from West to East, and through ideas spanning the age, breadth and depth of the universe. Using beguiling koans and a flair for explaining complex science, Aguirre covers cosmic questions that thinkers from Aristotle to Galileo to Heisenberg have grappled with. A playful and enlightening book, Cosmological Koans explores the strange hinterland between the deep structure of the physical world and our personal experience of it. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Asian Pacific Islander Equality Northern California: Sammie Ablaza Wills Jul 11, 2019

Sammie is a queer, non-binary Pilipinx person with a vivid love for their chosen family, social justice, and grassroots organizing. Currently director of APIENC, a trans and queer Asian and Pacific Islander grassroots organization in the SF Bay Area, Sammie's politics have grown from years of witnessing xenophobia, fighting budget cuts in public schools and learning about trans Pilipinos fighting colonization. It’s from these knowledges that Sammie has worked to train hundreds of young, trans, queer, Asian people to lead from values of abundance and interdependence. Sammie believes that anything can be turned into a chant and brought onto the streets (literally and emotionally). Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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Week to Week Political Roundtable 7/10/19 Jul 11, 2019

Come in out of the fog and let us clear up things for you, at least as far as politics is concerned. Join us as we discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! And come early before the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our members social (open to all attendees).

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Esther Wojcicki: How to Raise Successful People Jul 11, 2019

What does it take to raise successful people? Esther Wojcicki, lovingly referred to as the Godmother of Silicon Valley, has a simple answer to this million-dollar question. It comes in the convenient form of an acronym: TRICK (Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration and Kindness). It also comes in the form of her new book, How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results. Her tried-and-true advice for parents, employers and mentors of all kinds is to trust individuals to follow their passions and to work hard, to be supportive of their achievements and, above all, to relax. Her wisdom applies to the corporate hiring process, to young parents raising children, to teachers trying to be the best advocates for their students they can be. Wojcicki is a revered high school teacher in the media arts program she founded at Palo Alto High School, a role model for Silicon Valley legends such as Steve Jobs (and his daughter Lisa), and the mother of three successful daughters: the CEO of YouTube, a professor of pediatrics at UCSF medical school and one of the co-founders of 23andMe. Come join us for a conversation about mentoring, trust and unlocking human potential with a teacher and parent who has it figured out.

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Why Great Workplaces Are Better for Employees, Investors and Society Jul 10, 2019

These three compelling authors show the value of great places to work and how people are truly an asset to investors and society. Michael C. Bush will explore what makes a company a great place to work. Emilie Aries provides understanding and tips to keep employees from burning out. R. Paul Herman explains how you can invest to pursue higher human impact and profit potential. You will enrich your understanding of how people-focused companies make the world better and how you can benefit. MLF Organizer: Elizabeth Carney MLF: Business & Leadership In partnership with Presidio Graduate School

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Pride and Fatherhood: Celebrating Gay Dads and LGBTQ Families Jul 10, 2019

Join us as we talk with high-profile gay parents about the joys and challenges of raising families. Our guests: James Loduca leads global inclusion and diversity efforts at Twitter. In this new role, he will lead a team responsible for ensuring the company reflects its service and that Twitter remains a place for people to freely express themselves. He has previously held leadership positions in the tech and nonprofit sectors, where his work has focused on advocating for underrepresented communities and driving a more diverse and inclusive future for everyone. He served as an advisor to the Obama White House and proudly serves as a Latinx member of the LGBTQ Advisory Committee to U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Jeff Titterton is chief marketing officer at Zendesk. Prior to Zendesk, Jeff led engagement marketing at Adobe for its flagship Creative Cloud business. He has also served as CMO at 99designs, VP of marketing at Zoosk, and SVP of consumer marketing and services at PlanetOut Inc, among others. Jeff holds a B.A. in English and economics from Cornell University. He lives in San Francisco with his husband and two children. Dr. Eldon Schriock has been at the forefront of assisted reproductive technology since 1981 and was a member of the medical team that performed the first IVF treatment in Northern California. In the past, as director of the UCSF IVF Program, he established its first egg donor program. At Pacific Fertility Clinic, he takes interest in and has expertise with couples whose IVF treatment has been unsuccessful at other clinics. Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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When Republicans Were Progressive Jul 09, 2019

Monday Night Philosophy revives an almost forgotten aspect of 20th century American politics, played out mostly in the Midwest. The progressive Republican Party that came to power in Minnesota with Harold Stassen's election in 1938 had already faded into near obscurity by the 1990s, but Minnesota's modern success story sprang from the ideas and ideals of that dynamic political movement, which emphasized effective government. Issues that are anathema to today's GOP—environmental protection, assistance for vulnerable citizens and economic opportunity for low-wage workers and the middle class—were at the heart of the party's agenda. Minnesota Republicans held that working across the aisle was a mark of strength, not of weakness or disloyalty. Senator Dave Durenberger grew up in and helped build that party and explains how Minnesota's progressive Republicans earned voters' trust and delivered on their promises. Progressive Republican ideas only fell out of favor when an increasingly anti-government, anti-tax national party shifted Republican thinking to the Right. In the ensuing partisan realignment, both the Republican and the Democratic parties have lost public trust. Durenberger argues that the principles and practices of progressive Republicanism are a fitting remedy for what ails American democracy today. MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Giving USA 2019: A National and San Francisco Perspective Jul 02, 2019

Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy is the seminal publication on charitable giving in the United States. For over 60 years, fundraisers, nonprofit leaders, donors and volunteers, scholars, and other individuals who work in or with the charitable sector have counted on Giving USA to provide the most comprehensive charitable giving data available. First published in 1956, Giving USA is the longest-running, most comprehensive report on philanthropy in the United States. At this event, conducted in association with CCS Fundraising and Foundation Center West, local philanthropic and nonprofit leaders will review national and exclusive data pertaining to Bay Area giving. Philanthropic giving—whether to hospitals, universities, the arts or local nonprofits—impacts the lives of all citizens and determines a range of services available in our communities now and in the future.

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The Incredible Slip Madigan Jul 02, 2019

Edward Patrick “Slip” Madigan was a football coach who was far ahead of his time, yet he was also a coach for all time, modernizing of the game in the 1920s and 1930s at Saint Mary’s College of California. He was the first mainland coach to play a game in Hawaii and also to travel coast to coast by train to meet an opponent, Fordham University in New York City, thereby putting the tiny St. Mary’s on the national map. He was foremost in his innovative thinking by playing at night and on Sundays. His teams scored more upsets, dressed more flamboyantly and drew record crowds, even without a campus stadium, while defeating college powerhouses with much larger student bodies. He was a coach who couldn’t be denied. Besides his achievements on the football field, he physically built St. Mary’s campus in Moraga, California with the financial success of his football teams. His Galloping Gaels were the definition of the mouse that roared. Come learn more about this one-of-a-kind coach. MLF Organizer: Linda Calhoun MLF: International Relations

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The War for Kindness Jul 01, 2019

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. Are Americans suffering from an "empathy deficit,” as Barack Obama claimed in 2006? Studies do show that we are less caring than we were even 30 years ago. But Jamil Zaki argues that empathy is not a fixed trait we’re born with. It's a skill we can all strengthen through effort. Drawing on both classic and cutting-edge research, including experiments from his own lab, Zaki shows how we can overcome toxic cultural divisions. He also tells the stories of people who are living these principles—fighting for kindness in the most difficult of circumstances. Written with clarity and passion, The War for Kindness is an inspiring call to action. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Standing Rock, Climate Change and the Green New Deal Jul 01, 2019

In 2015, representatives of 193 nations gathered in Paris, agreed that global climate change is underway and that our use of fossil fuels is a primary cause and set goals to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. President Trump ignored these agreements; overturned environmental protection standards; ordered the commencement of the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone Pipeline; and opened national parks, Indian reservations, and coastal protected areas to the extraction of oil, coal, and natural gas. The dramatic opposition at Standing Rock by the Lakota people, other Native Americans and environmentalists inspired many to call for a Green New Deal. Sheehan, known for his public advocacy on the Pentagon Papers, Watergate, the Karen Silkwood Case, the American Sanctuary movement case, and the Iran–Contra scandal will address this pivotal moment in history. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Tales of the City Producer-Writer Lauren Morelli Jun 29, 2019

Kick off Pride weekend in San Francisco with award-winning producer Lauren Morelli. Lauren Morelli is a television writer, screenwriter and producer. She is executive producer and writer of a reboot of Armistead Maupin’s "Tales of the City" for Netflix, starring Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis and Ellen Page, which was released June 7, 2019. Previously, Lauren had the honor of working on five seasons of "Orange Is the New Black," which received 17 Emmy nominations, six Golden Globe nominations and six Writers Guild nominations. In her spare time, Lauren also writes short stories and personal essays that you can find in various corners of the Internet. Before moving to Los Angeles in 2007, Lauren received a BFA in modern dance from Marymount Manhattan College. Join us for this important program, and share your questions with us ahead of time by using #EqualityForAll.

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CLIMATE ONE: David Wallace-Wells: The Uninhabitable Earth Jun 29, 2019

According to David Wallace-Wells, we’re cooked – literally. In his new book The Uninhabitable Earth, Wallace-Wells explores how climate change will impact not just the planet, but human lives – including how a five degree increase in temperatures would make parts of the planet unsurvivable. But If science and news headlines won’t propel us into climate action, will fear itself do the trick? According to climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, building connection over an existing set of values is critical to communicating the perils of climate change and mobilizing action to address it.

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George Will: The Future of Conservatism Jun 27, 2019

This program is part of our Ethics and Accountability series, underwritten by the Travers Family Foundation. George Will has been a columnist for The Washington Post since 1974 and is one of the most influential political pundits today. He is vocally dissatisfied with the directions that both the American Right and Left have dragged the nation. His new book, The Conservative Sensibility, asks Americans to revisit their history books and remind themselves of the values America was founded upon—values which he sees both sides of the aisle straying dangerously far from. The book covers everything from the natural rights of man and the history of American democracy to the modern capitulation of congressional checks on the power of the executive. He believes the solution to many of the high-profile political issues of today can be found by going back to the founders’ intentions for the nation, and by grounding modern solutions more solidly in a historical context. People of all political affiliations have found themselves in agreement with much of what he has to say. Join us for a conversation with one of the most respected journalists and political commentators in the nation.

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Beyond the Marvel of a Nest: The Survival Challenges of Birds and How We Can Help Them Jun 26, 2019

With the dramatic decline in bird populations and insect species, how can we help birds flourish in our cities and backyards? With the hope of protecting their continued survival, artist Sharon Beals has photographed and documented the intricacies of birds’ nests and their occupants. Beals will cover the feat of migration, a journey of up to 5,000 miles that a fledgling travels without any parental guidance, and how in our own lives we might be affecting their survival, even from a distance. Beals is the author and photographer of Nests, a visual homage to birds, documenting the nest and eggs specimens dating from the 1800s to the present day. Beals’ sources include the California Academy of Sciences, the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology in Berkeley, the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology in Camarillo, Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates and the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian. Select images from Nests are currently on view at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, in the Farmer Gallery on the first floor until June 28. MLF Organizer: Lynn Curtis MLF: Arts

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Mineta Transportation Summit: The Intersection Between Transportation and Housing Jun 26, 2019

Building Blocks to the Future While the San Francisco Bay Area is booming with jobs and (for many) high wages, people are increasingly priced out of the housing market and the region is losing people to fill jobs that are essential to California’s economy. In response to this crisis, we have seen a proliferation of transit-oriented projects (TODs) which place high-density housing above or adjacent to transit centers. TODs provide easy mobility while offering less costly living space. Join us to learn the effective strategies used by planners, policy makers and advocates to implement high quality, equitable transit-oriented station areas. These and other innovations will be discussed at this free, half day summit. Schedule: 9–10:15 a.m. Keynote: Therese McMillan, Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission Moderator: Secretary Norman Mineta, Secretary (Ret.), U.S. Department of Transportation 10:15–10:30 a.m. Break 10:30–11:30 a.m. Panel Asha Agrawal, Ph.D., Director, Mineta Transportation Institute National Transportation Finance Center Carl Guardino, President and CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group Pedro Galvao, Senior Policy Manager, Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California Honorable Cindy Chavez, Santa Clara Supervisor (Invited) Abigail Thorne-Lyman, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Program Manager for the Strategic and Policy Planning Group, BART Moderator: Karen Philbrick, Ph.D., Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute * This Podcast is 223 minutes in length as it contains both morning modules back to back. The segment-break is at 66.18.

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Jonna Mendez: Inside the CIA and the Moscow Rules Jun 26, 2019

The action-packed, technology-filled life of spies can be intoxicating to read about or watch on TV. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine these kinds of scenes playing out in real life—but for Jonna Mendez, a former covert operative in the Soviet Union and former chief of disguise for the CIA, everything from complex disguises to “Spiderman” rappelling technology to high-speed car chases were part of her daily life. Her new book, The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War, recounts the most exciting parts of the job, as well as the moments with the highest stakes for U.S. interests. Together with her co-author and husband Antonio Mendez, she explains the techniques and technologies that helped the Americans get one step ahead of the KGB. Join us for a conversation with a real-life CIA spy about her experiences as a covert operative and her role in the advancement of the American intelligence strategy that helped America win the Cold War. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Jim Sciutto: The Shadow War Against America Jun 25, 2019

What does a country do when it realizes it cannot win an outright war against the United States? It turns to new subversive, clandestine types of modern warfare. This, argues CNN chief national security expert Jim Sciutto, is exactly what China and Russia have been successfully doing—winning a new kind of war that the United States has barely realized it is currently fighting. Sciutto’s new book, The Shadow War: Inside Russia’s and China’s Secret Operations to Defeat America, is filled with a dizzying amount of on-the-ground reporting. From Ukraine to the South China Sea, from the belly of a submarine under the Arctic to the highest levels of America’s Space Command, Sciutto’s experience both as a reporter and as a diplomat give him unprecedented access and a uniquely informed perspective. His words of caution (and sometimes alarm) point to the areas in which Russia and China have successfully undermined America’s reputation and credibility. Join us for a conversation with someone reporting from the front lines of modern shadow warfare. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Elaine Welteroth: More Than Enough Jun 24, 2019

In 2012, after moving up the ranks at Condé Nast, Elaine Welteroth became the first African-American to hold the title of beauty and health director at Teen Vogue. At 29, she was eventually promoted to editor in chief, making her the youngest to hold the title in the company’s 107-year history and the second person of African-American heritage. Her reign at Teen Vogue was undeniably historic as she led the magazine in a new, fresh direction that allowed her young staff to create content centered on not only fashion and beauty, but also politics, social activism, world news and other topics that painted a more realistic, well-rounded picture of teen life. Throughout her wildly successful career, Welteroth has often noted that she consistently found herself alone as the only black woman in the room. Her life is filled with stories of triumph despite the numerous roadblocks put in her way, and in her memoir, More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say), Welteroth offers invaluable advice to young women looking to change the world in their own terms. She joins INFORUM to chronicle her life as a pioneer in media and to inspire a new generation of trailblazers. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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CLIMATE ONE: Can a Circular Economy Salvage the Climate? Jun 22, 2019

Produce, consume, discard; we all know the routine. Raw materials are extracted, produced into goods, and used – sometimes only once – before turning into waste. And maybe we think that recycling that Starbucks cup or Smartwater bottle is the best we can do for the planet. But that’s only one part of the story. Now, innovative companies are “going circular” by transforming how their products are designed, used, and remade. Can a circular economy salvage the climate and save the planet?

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Ed Levine: Serious Eater Jun 21, 2019

This program is part of our Food Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Founded in 2006 by former New York Times food contributor Ed Levine, food blog Serious Eats has combined storytelling and culinary expertise to become one of the most acclaimed food sites in the world. The site provides in-depth recipes and reviews of food products and kitchen equipment carefully tested by culinary professionals in order to provide thorough and trustworthy reviews for its readers. Levine’s forthcoming book, Serious Eater: A Food Lover’s Perilous Quest for Pizza and Redemption, recounts his challenging journey to create a successful online food publication. Levine bought the domain name Serious Eats for $100 and created the blog as a space to connect other like-minded eaters. Over the course of 10 years and with the help of a dedicated team and a supportive family, Levine has made Serious Eats into an established website with a large following. In addition to Serious Eater, Levine is also the author of New York Eats, New York Eats (More), and Pizza: A Slice of Heaven. He also hosts “Special Sauce,” a weekly podcast covering food in conversation with various prominent figures within the culinary landscape and beyond. Join Levine live at INFORUM as he reflects on his transformation from food writer to entrepreneur. This conversation will be moderated by Chef J. Kenji López-Alt, chief culinary adviser for Serious Eater and author of the James Beard Award–nominated column “The Food Lab.” ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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The 22nd Annual Travers Conference on Ethics and Accountability in Government - Segment 1 Jun 21, 2019

Segment 1 - (10:15am - 11:45am) Is America Breaking Apart? The 2019 Travers Conference will bring together experts from around the country to assess the question of whether America is breaking apart politically. There is a sense among some that Americans are more divided than at any time since the Civil War. The conference will consider the nature of these divisions, how deep and genuine they really are, and how they are affecting governance. It will include three panels: "Divisions in the Public, Imagined or Real?"; "Prospects for Governing Amid Polarization"; and "Identity and Politics in a Changing America." 10:15–10:25 a.m.: Introductory Remarks 10:30–11:45 a.m.: Divisions in the Public, Imagined or Real? While there is little doubt that political elites in Washington, D.C. are highly polarized by party, to what extent are ordinary Americans ideologically divided? This panel will consider the extent to which policy preferences, partisanship and geography separate the country into different political camps. Morris P. Fiorina (Stanford) Leah Stokes (UCSB) Jessica Trounstine (UC Merced) 11:45–1 p.m.: Lunch Break Lunch provided for conference participants and attendees 1:15–2:30 p.m.: Identity and Politics in a Changing America? Many attributed Donald Trump’s election to a backlash against growing racial diversity in America. What is the relationship between demographic diversification and political change? What are the prospects for division or unity going forward? Marisa A. Abrajano (UCSD) Patrick Egan (NYU) Vincent Hutchings (University of Michigan) Ashley E. Jardina (Duke) 2:45–4 p.m.: Prospects for Governing Amid Polarization? Does polarization inevitably result in gridlock and paralysis? What are the prospects for finding solutions to pressing policy challenges in today’s divided Washington? Pamela Ban (UCSD) Steven Hayward (UCB) Jack Pitney (Claremont McKenna) Registration must be done through UC Berkeley at http://polisci.berkeley.edu/travers. Notes: Hosted by the Charles and Louise Travers Department of Political Science, UC Berkeley In cooperation with The Commonwealth Club of California

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The 22nd Annual Travers Conference on Ethics and Accountability in Government - Segment 2 Jun 21, 2019

Segment 2 - (1:15pm - 2:30pm): Is America Breaking Apart? The 2019 Travers Conference will bring together experts from around the country to assess the question of whether America is breaking apart politically. There is a sense among some that Americans are more divided than at any time since the Civil War. The conference will consider the nature of these divisions, how deep and genuine they really are, and how they are affecting governance. It will include three panels: "Divisions in the Public, Imagined or Real?"; "Prospects for Governing Amid Polarization"; and "Identity and Politics in a Changing America." 10:15–10:25 a.m.: Introductory Remarks 10:30–11:45 a.m.: Divisions in the Public, Imagined or Real? While there is little doubt that political elites in Washington, D.C. are highly polarized by party, to what extent are ordinary Americans ideologically divided? This panel will consider the extent to which policy preferences, partisanship and geography separate the country into different political camps. Morris P. Fiorina (Stanford) Leah Stokes (UCSB) Jessica Trounstine (UC Merced) 11:45–1 p.m.: Lunch Break Lunch provided for conference participants and attendees 1:15–2:30 p.m.: Identity and Politics in a Changing America? Many attributed Donald Trump’s election to a backlash against growing racial diversity in America. What is the relationship between demographic diversification and political change? What are the prospects for division or unity going forward? Marisa A. Abrajano (UCSD) Patrick Egan (NYU) Vincent Hutchings (University of Michigan) Ashley E. Jardina (Duke) 2:45–4 p.m.: Prospects for Governing Amid Polarization? Does polarization inevitably result in gridlock and paralysis? What are the prospects for finding solutions to pressing policy challenges in today’s divided Washington? Pamela Ban (UCSD) Steven Hayward (UCB) Jack Pitney (Claremont McKenna) Registration must be done through UC Berkeley at http://polisci.berkeley.edu/travers. Notes: Hosted by the Charles and Louise Travers Department of Political Science, UC Berkeley In cooperation with The Commonwealth Club of California

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The 22nd Annual Travers Conference on Ethics and Accountability in Government - Segment 3 Jun 21, 2019

Segment 3 - (2:45pm - 4:00pm): Is America Breaking Apart? The 2019 Travers Conference will bring together experts from around the country to assess the question of whether America is breaking apart politically. There is a sense among some that Americans are more divided than at any time since the Civil War. The conference will consider the nature of these divisions, how deep and genuine they really are, and how they are affecting governance. It will include three panels: "Divisions in the Public, Imagined or Real?"; "Prospects for Governing Amid Polarization"; and "Identity and Politics in a Changing America." 10:15–10:25 a.m.: Introductory Remarks 10:30–11:45 a.m.: Divisions in the Public, Imagined or Real? While there is little doubt that political elites in Washington, D.C. are highly polarized by party, to what extent are ordinary Americans ideologically divided? This panel will consider the extent to which policy preferences, partisanship and geography separate the country into different political camps. Morris P. Fiorina (Stanford) Leah Stokes (UCSB) Jessica Trounstine (UC Merced) 11:45–1 p.m.: Lunch Break Lunch provided for conference participants and attendees 1:15–2:30 p.m.: Identity and Politics in a Changing America? Many attributed Donald Trump’s election to a backlash against growing racial diversity in America. What is the relationship between demographic diversification and political change? What are the prospects for division or unity going forward? Marisa A. Abrajano (UCSD) Patrick Egan (NYU) Vincent Hutchings (University of Michigan) Ashley E. Jardina (Duke) 2:45–4 p.m.: Prospects for Governing Amid Polarization? Does polarization inevitably result in gridlock and paralysis? What are the prospects for finding solutions to pressing policy challenges in today’s divided Washington? Pamela Ban (UCSD) Steven Hayward (UCB) Jack Pitney (Claremont McKenna) Registration must be done through UC Berkeley at http://polisci.berkeley.edu/travers. Notes: Hosted by the Charles and Louise Travers Department of Political Science, UC Berkeley In cooperation with The Commonwealth Club of California

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George Ridgely: The Exit Interview Jun 20, 2019

Since 2014, George F. Ridgely, Jr. has been the executive director of San Francisco Pride. Attracting nearly 1 million attendees and participants annually, San Francisco Pride is one of the largest gatherings of the LGBTQ community and its allies in the world. On June 29 and 30, SF Pride will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots with a 25-block celebration and rally in Civic Center; as well as a massive parade along Market Street, from the Embarcadero to Civic Center, on June 30th. On June 20, we will interview Ridgely and celebrate his years of work as SF Pride's executive director, a position he is leaving this year. Before joining San Francisco Pride, George was the director of operations for another iconic San Francisco event, Bay to Breakers, one of the oldest, largest and most unique footraces in the country. During his 11 years with the 12K race, George served as director of marketing before overseeing operations. For the past 16 years, George has also been involved with the Castro Street Fair; serving as their executive director from 2004–2013, and currently serving as treasurer on its board of directors. Castro Street Fair is a community celebration that was founded by Harvey Milk in 1974 and attracts about 40,000 attendees annually. Born and raised in southern Maryland, George relocated to California in 1988; he has lived and worked in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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NPR’s Frank Langfitt: Inside the Real China Jun 20, 2019

As any traveler knows, some of the best and most honest conversations take place during car rides. So, when a long-time NPR correspondent wanted to learn more about the real China, he started driving a cab and discovered a country amid seismic political and economic change. China—America's most important competitor—is at a turning point. With economic growth slowing, Chinese people face inequality and uncertainty as their leaders tighten control at home and project power abroad. In his adventurous book The Shanghai Free Taxi, Frank Langfitt provides details about his free taxi service and how he got to know a wide range of colorful, compelling characters representative of the new China. They include folks such as Beer, a slippery salesman who tries to sell Langfitt a used car; Rocky, a farm boy turned Shanghai lawyer; and Chen, who runs an underground Christian church and moves his family to America in search of a better, freer life. Langfitt is currently NPR's London correspondent, covering the UK, Ireland and Europe. He previously spent five years covering China for NPR. In China, he reported on the government's infamous black jails—secret detention centers—as well as his own travails taking China's driver's test, which he failed three times. Before coming to NPR, Langfitt spent five years as a correspondent in Beijing for The Baltimore Sun, covering a swath of Asia, from East Timor to the Khyber Pass. He is a graduate of Princeton and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard. Come for a fascinating conversation that will help make sense of the world's other superpower at this extraordinary moment in history. In association with the Asia Society of Northern California

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Aging in Community: Strategies for LGBTQ Seniors and Beyond Jun 20, 2019

The future for LGBTQ seniors could be quite different from the past. Join us for a discussion about the challenges and new opportunities facing LGBTQ seniors. We'll hear about the latest research into what seniors need to age and thrive at home, even if their health worsens or they experience cognitive changes. Our panelists will also discuss how and why LGBTQ seniors experience health disparities and high levels of isolation, while also under-utilizing existing aging services right here in the Bay Area. ** This Program Contains Explicit Language **

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Transgender Health in the Age of Trump: An Attempted Erasure of Trans Americans Jun 19, 2019

When President Trump entered office, his administration immediately began rescinding new federal protections for transgender students in public schools. President Trump later announced, via Twitter, a ban on transgender individuals from serving "in any capacity" in the United States Armed Forces. In Trump’s second year, the administration continued to introduce anti-trans policies. They created a new Health and Human Services (HHS) Conscience and Religious Freedom Division, which is expected to offer greater protections for health care workers who do not wish to treat transgender patients. The year ended with a leaked memo, which considered narrowly defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth, the most drastic move yet in a government-wide effort to roll back recognition and protections of transgender people under federal civil rights law. Yet trans Americans and their allies have fought back, defining their resiliency and ability to personally succeed at historic levels. We will highlight and discuss trans policy under the Trump administration. MLF Organizer: Patrick O'Reilly MLF: Psychology

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We Are La Cocina Jun 19, 2019

La Cocina started in San Francisco, one of the nation’s most competitive food industries, as a grassroots organization in the Mission District. It has grown into the best-known kitchen incubator in the United States. La Cocina provides support and resources to help women, people of color and immigrants formalize and expand their food businesses to create a more diverse and equitable food industry. Caleb Zigas, executive director of La Cocina, built the original infrastructure of the incubator program. This program now supports nearly 40 growing businesses and continues to break down barriers and strengthen communities. For the first time, get a glimpse of this life-changing work with We Are La Cocina, a new cookbook that offers over 40 stories of women pursuing economic freedom and includes over 120 of their recipes, bringing a taste of that success into your own home. Join Zigas and La Cocina graduates live at INFORUM as they share inspiring stories featured in the cookbook and reflect on their journeys to entrepreneurial success as they progress toward increasing diversity and equity in the food industry.

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Rep. Eric Swalwell: Presidential Candidate Jun 19, 2019

Representative Eric Swalwell, an East Bay Democrat and fixture in Bay Area politics, launched his presidential campaign on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in April 2019. Swalwell’s long-awaited announcement is another marker of the generational shift emerging in the 2020 election, and he is sure that millennials are ready to take on the country’s toughest issues. Swalwell was first elected to Congress at the age of 31 after winning an upset primary contest against a 40-year Democratic incumbent. Now 38, he is one of the youngest candidates in the presidential race and, if elected, would be the youngest president in American history. He is a vocal advocate for stricter gun policies and student debt reform, two issues that have earned him national recognition. Swalwell joins INFORUM to chronicle his rise in Congress, discuss his highly anticipated campaign and urge Americans to “go big, be bold, and do good.”

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Niveen Rizkalla: PTSD in Syrian Refugees and Secondary Traumatization in Aid Workers Jun 19, 2019

In the context of the catastrophic Syrian refugee crises, Niveen Rizkalla will discuss her work with refugees struggling with PTSD and how secondary traumatization affects aid workers. Rizkalla, a post doctorate fellow at UC Berkeley’s Mack Center for Mental Health and Social Conflict, has an impressive record of scholarship, research and volunteerism. A Palestinian Israeli, she earned her doctorate at the school of social work at Tel Aviv University and has worked professionally and as a volunteer with survivors of trauma, war and sexual violence. In honor of World Refugee Day on June 20, join us for a program that recognizes the plight of refugees and their aid workers. MLF Organizer: Celia Menczel MLF: Middle East

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Shannon Watts: Fight Like a Mother Jun 19, 2019

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. The United States experiences the highest number of school shootings in the world. Shannon Watts decided to do something about it. In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Watts, a mother of five and former communications executive, started Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, an organization that advocates for gun regulation reform. Moms Demand Action has grown into one of the largest and most far-reaching organizations in American politics with a grassroots network in all 50 states and millions of supporters. Under Watts’ leadership, Moms Demand Action has enjoyed a 93 percent success rate in beating the NRA in state legislatures. In her forthcoming book, Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby, Watts recounts how she and other mothers turned their outrage into action to drive progress in gun safety. The book celebrates the unique strength and power of women and highlights the potential for everyone to engage in everyday activism. In addition to her work with Moms Demand Action, Watts is the founder and board chair of Rise to Run, an organization dedicated to mobilizing young progressive women to run for office, and an active board member of Emerge America. Join Watts live at INFORUM as she shares her inspiring journey of how one woman’s cry for change became a driving force in a national demand for action. Notes This program was generously supported by Levi Strauss & Co.

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Distinguished Citizen Gala 2019 Jun 19, 2019

The Distinguished Citizen Award recognizes those who exemplify the ideals and values that have guided The Commonwealth Club for over a century and whose professional and humanitarian contributions and accomplishments are worthy of admiration. The Gala is the Club's most important annual fundraiser and provides valuable support for the Club's dynamic non-partisan programming. The event cocktail hour and award ceremony will take place in the breathtaking San Francisco Ferry Building nearby. After a quick stroll down the street, the evening will continue with an intimate dinner on each level of The Commonwealth Club’s state-of-the-art new building. Guests on each floor will dine in the company of an honoree and enjoy an engaging civic dialogue featuring the honoree in conversation with a fellow thought-leader. To more easily locate each of the honorees, you may scroll through the audio to these locations; 00.35 Madeleine Albright 21.00 John Hope Bryant 51.10 Suzanne DiBianca 65.33 William and Susan Oberndorf

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Queer Eye's Tan France Jun 19, 2019

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. As fashion designer, Tan France said, “Yes, I know I’m gayer; yes, I know I’ve got a different skin color. Yes, I know I’m a certain religion. Yes, I know I’m an immigrant. But look at all the similarities we have.” France is more than a star of the hit Netflix reboot, “Queer Eye”—he is an unapologetic representative of his many, often marginalized identities, and he leverages his unique ability to connect with others in spite of their differences. As one of the Fab Five, performing makeovers for a diverse array of people, France has played a vital role in transforming the perception of “Queer Eye” from a niche fashion show into an authentic exploration of identity and difference, and it continues to captivate viewers across the country and around the world. In his new memoir, Naturally Tan, France recounts his experience growing up gay in a traditional South Asian Muslim family in South Yorkshire. Alongside fashion advice and humor, he connects his unusual childhood to his rise to stardom and ability to connect across the divide. Experience the style icon’s charisma and compassion as he reflects on the importance of representation and the power of connection. Notes This program is generously supported by Academy SF !! THIS PROGRAM CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE - MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES !!

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Ash Carter, Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Jun 17, 2019

The Department of Defense is the single largest institution in America, managing the most complex information network, carrying out more research and development than Google, Apple and Microsoft combined, owning and operating more real estate and spending more money than any other entity. As such, it has incredible power and immense responsibility. There is no better person to explain the inner workings of such a place than the man who ran it all. In his new book, Inside the Five-Sided Box: Lessons from a Lifetime of Leadership in the Pentagon, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter gives us an inside look into all that happens in one of the most secretive and secure locations in the nation—the obstacles it faces and the innovation taking place there. Unlike many of his colleagues in the Department of Defense, Carter was not always a career bureaucrat. His straightforward explanations of American foreign policy, and the ways in which the private sector and public sector can work together towards greater peace and security, reflect a refreshingly moderate perspective in such a highly-politicized era. Join us for a conversation with America’s 25th secretary of defense about what really goes on inside that mysterious five-sided box, and how people are learning to think outside it.

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CLIMATE ONE: Jay Inslee: The Climate Candidate Jun 17, 2019

Presidential hopeful Jay Inslee is the only candidate who has made stopping climate change his top priority. The Washington state Governor is a notable departure from other Democratic candidates who regularly mention, but rarely prioritize the issue. Yet in a recent poll of public policy priorities, Americans ranked climate change next to last. Could a climate-focused candidate nudge the Democratic platform toward bolder action – let alone become the Climate President? Join us for the first in a series of conversations with the 2020 candidates about their plans for climate action.

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Epigenetics and the Story of Exosomes: The Information Highway Bridging Mind and Body Jun 14, 2019

For over a century, conventional science has attributed illness and disease to mechanistic failures of the body’s systems. Rather than “victims” of dysfunctional cells and genes, the new fields of epigenetics and quantum biophysics reveal that your mind expresses creative mastery over your biology and the character of your life. A radical new insight on how the mind shapes the body was discovered in 2007. A population of exosomes, small submicroscopic vesicles in the blood, were found to be virus particles created by our own cells and designed to infect our own cells. Via the cell’s membrane, consciousness is translated into gene and behavior controlling molecules. These information molecules can be conveyed by exosome viruses to specifically targeted cells. Exosome signaling coordinates the structure and function of the body’s cellular community in shaping overall health and wellbeing, including disease states, especially cancer. Understanding epigenetic and exosome mechanisms offers profound insight on the process of expressing self-empowerment in the unfolding of our lives. Join Bruce H. Lipton for an illustrated and animated presentation that will engage your mind and challenge your creativity as you comprehend the enormous potential for applying this information in your life and practice. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Adrea Brier NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

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SF Pride Lifetime Achievement Honoree: Donna Personna Jun 14, 2019

Meet a pathbreaker and a powerful persona. Donna Personna is an artist and activist for transgender rights who got her start with the Cockettes. She has served on the boards of Trans March and Transgender Day of Remembrance, and on the committees to name streets after Vicki Marlene and Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco’s Transgender Cultural District. In 2018, she raised San Francisco’s first transgender flag at City Hall with Mayor London Breed. Donna was the subject of the Iris Prize-winning 2013 short film My Mother and was featured in the film Beautiful by Night. Donna has been covered in media outlets such as Out, The Advocate, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Daily Beast. The immersive play she co-wrote, The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, recreates San Francisco transgender history and received many accolades, including SF Weekly’s Best of 2018. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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Sportswriter Rick Reilly: How Golf Explains President Trump Jun 14, 2019

For decades, a range of authors have tried to explain who Donald Trump is, what makes him tick, and, since he has become president, what drives his political decision-making. Legendary sportswriter Rick Reilly thinks one of the best ways to understand who the 45th president of the United States really is as a person is to study how he golfs, a sport Reilly reveres. In his new book, Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump, Reilly takes readers on an on-the-ground and behind-the-scenes look at Trump's ethics deficit on and off the course. Reilly has been with Trump on the fairway, the green and in the weeds and has seen firsthand how the president plays—and it's not pretty. Based on his personal experiences and interviews with dozens of golf pros, amateurs, developers, partners, opponents and even caddies who have firsthand experience with Trump on the course, Reilly takes a deep and often hilarious look at how Trump shamelessly cheats at golf, lies about it, sues over it, bullies with it and profits off of it. Reilly, in conversation with beloved Bay Area sportswriter Joan Ryan, will outline a new and amusing way to think about the current president, his administration and one of the country's most popular sports.

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Larry Diamond: Saving American Democracy Jun 14, 2019

In 1974, nearly three quarters of all governments were dictatorships; today, more than half are democracies. Yet, by most measures, there are now 25 fewer democracies than there were at the turn of the millennium. Is democracy in decline? And if so, what has contributed to this regression? Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, founding co-editor of the Journal of Democracy and professor of political science and sociology at Stanford University has dedicated the majority of his life to answering these questions. His newest book, Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency, takes a strong and somewhat controversial stance: The defense of democracy depends upon U.S. global leadership. However, before it can fulfill this role, American democracy itself needs to be reformed from the inside. In the book, Diamond not only shares his wealth of knowledge about democracies across the globe but also provides concrete and deeply informed measures that can be taken to reduce polarization, reduce the influence of money in politics and make elections fairer, both here in the United States as well as globally. Join us for a conversation with one of the most respected scholars of democracy about its apparent decline, the challenges it faces and how we can best protect it.

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The Snow Clown: Cartwheels on Borders from Alaska to Nebraska Jun 14, 2019

The Bay Area's Jeff Raz presents an entertaining, inside view of his life on the road and at home as a clown, actor, teacher and playwright. Raz explores both ridiculous and profound revelations in his second book about a decades-long clowning career, The Snow Clown: Cartwheels on Borders from Alaska to Nebraska. He notes that as a teacher, a consultant and a medical clown, it takes practice and skill to ask good questions and to be quiet and acknowledge the other person in ways that build rapport. In the following excerpt, Raz has just performed a monologue at the University of Nebraska as his father’s ghost, talking about his suicide. He writes: “The theater is silent. It’s Monday morning … [I’m] determined to let the students talk first. A full minute passes. Another minute. Nebraskans are Olympians when it comes to silence. They win. This is a literature class so I say, ‘Have any of you read …’ A short young woman in a red tracksuit sporting a blond bouffant, interrupts, ‘Did your daddy really kill himself?’” Join us for a discussion on Raz’s life as a performer and the connections he’s made thus far. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Anne W. Smith

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Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Driving Change in Food and Agriculture Jun 13, 2019

We face some unprecedented challenges today related to how we grow, produce, distribute and consume food. Changing climatic conditions, population growth and decades of unsustainable growing practices are leading to growing consumer demand for higher quality provenance and production practices and healthier food options. Entrepreneurs are at the forefront of this movement to design a food system that is focused on the health of people and planet. Join Presidio Graduate School for a conversation led by Renske Lynde, CEO of Food System 6, a Bay Area based non-profit organization that supports mission-driven entrepreneurs who are developing innovative solutions to some of our greatest food system challenges. Renske will be joined in conversation with Jordan Schwartz, co-founder and chief grainmaster of ReGrained; Andrew Falcon, CEO of Full Cycle Bioplastics; and Christine Su, CEO of PastureMap. Together they will discuss the ways in which their innovative solutions are remaking the food system as we know it. Come prepared to be inspired by these entrepreneurs and to learn how you too can become part of the good food revolution. MLF Organizer: Elizabeth Carney MLF: Business & Leadership In partnership with Presidio Graduate School

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Eve Ensler: Transforming Abuse with Apology Jun 12, 2019

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. How do you come to terms with the need for an apology that will never come? How can the trauma of a childhood in an abusive household be put into words? And how can recounting the pain of those histories become a process of healing and personal reconciliation? These are the questions that Eve Ensler grapples with in her newest book, The Apology. It is a raw reckoning with a traumatic and unresolved past which has played an important role in Ensler’s artistic and political activist careers, and it shows other survivors of abuse how they may finally envision their own freedom from the past. Ensler’s theatrical career took off when she wrote “The Vagina Monologues,” a work of such originality and power that it ran for over 10 years and has been translated into 140 languages. The performances inspired the creation of V-Day, a global platform to share the stories of survivors and for groups to raise money for the cause through their own yearly performances of “The Vagina Monologues.” Ensler has received numerous awards, including the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship in playwriting, an Obie and Glamour’s Woman of the Year. Come join us for a discussion with a woman renowned for her artistic work and political impact on a topic for which words do not come easily but need to be heard. Audible Segments from The Apology, performed by Edoardo Ballerini. ** This Program May Contain Explicit Language **

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Scott Kupor: Secrets of Sand Hill Road Jun 12, 2019

As a managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz, Scott Kupor has seen it all. He offers firsthand experiences and insider advice for every entrepreneur trying to secure venture capital funding. Kupor has been with Andreessen Horowitz since its inception in 2009 and has overseen the firm’s growth from $300 million in assets to over $7 billion. He is the co-founder and co-director of the Stanford Venture Capital Director’s College and was previously the chairman of the board of the National Venture Capital Association.

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88th Annual California Book Awards Jun 12, 2019

Since 1931, the California Book Awards have honored the exceptional literary merit of California writers and publishers. Each year a select jury considers hundreds of books from around the state in search of the very best in literary achievement. The California Book Awards have often been on the vanguard, honoring previously unknown authors who go on to garner national acclaim. John Steinbeck received three gold medals—for Tortilla Flat in 1935, In Dubious Battle in 1936 and The Grapes of Wrath in 1939. Recent award winners include Adam Johnson, Jared Diamond, Karen Fowler, Kay Ryan, Bill Vollman, Joyce Maynard, Andrew Sean Greer, Yiyun Li, Adrienne Rich, Chalmers Johnson, Richard Rodriguez, Michael Chabon, Philip Levine, Rebecca Solnit, Galen Rowell, Jonathan Lethem, Peter Orner and Kevin Starr.

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Daphne Muse: Documenting Black History Jun 12, 2019

Daphne Muse is a Bay Area writer, social commentator and cultural broker. Her collection of more than 3,700 handwritten and typed letters dating back to 1958 reflects the voices of activists, writers, artists, actors, world leaders and media innovators who shaped movements, created new artistic visions and drove the intellectual and cultural discourse for civil rights and human rights for the 20th and the early years of the 21st century. Award-winning authors Gwendolyn Brooks, Toni Morrison and Alice Walker, along with political prisoners, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, 44th President Barack Obama and architect Sir David Adjaye, are among the hundreds with whom she's corresponded. Fifty-two letters from students at the University of Baltimore were recently added to the collection. In an interview with retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, Muse will discuss and read from the letters in her collection, reflecting the voices of key figures in the civil rights, Pan-African, and black power movements. Come for a unique chance to see history through the words of those who lived it.

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The San Francisco Civic Center Jun 12, 2019

Monday Night Philosophy looks into the local history of how the Civic Center was created. San Francisco is known for its iconic man-made structures such as the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars and the Transamerica Pyramid. Its Civic Center is yet another of its urban planning marvels. Featuring the grandest collection of monumental municipal buildings in the United States, it was originally planned and designed by John Galen Howard in 1912 and is considered one of the finest achievements of the American reformist City Beautiful Movement. James Haas meticulously unravels the story of why the Civic Center was built, of how it became central to the city's urban planning initiatives in the early 20th century, and of how it held onto its founders’ vision despite heated public debates about its function and achievement. Its history is riddled with controversy as well as inspiring leadership, but the Civic Center remains a stunning manifestation of the confident spirit of San Francisco's dynamism and creativity. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Still We Rise: A Conversation with Young Leaders Jun 07, 2019

This event is the latest in the San Francisco Foundation’s series on People, Place and Power. Being a teenager is difficult in the best of times, but the universal work of figuring out your identity, your passions, and your path and place in the world can be even more daunting for some. Youth of color, immigrants, LGBTQ community members, and those with disabilities or in low-income households are just some of the populations who face unique challenges. Place those against the backdrop of a Bay Area where inequality is rising, long-time residents are being displaced and the tech sector (literally) towers above, and you’ve got a whole generation grappling with unprecedented questions. So how are young people surviving and thriving in a changing region? What happens when their identities are intersectional and don’t fit into a simple narrative? How are they raising awareness on critical issues to change perceptions, influence policy and spur civic engagement—and how can we better listen? Bay Area youth will take the stage to tell us just how they’re addressing questions of representation, activism and equity as they grow up in this beautiful region of contradictions. Join us to hear the next generation speak for themselves. NOTES Presented in association with KQED Program made possible by the foundation’s Bay Area Leads Fund

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H.E. Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia Jun 07, 2019

Located in the geopolitically important Caucasus region of Eastern Europe, Georgia serves as a vital U.S. ally and a gateway for American companies to access Eurasian markets. Georgia, the birthplace of wine, is bordered to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, and to the south by Turkey and Armenia. Georgia regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and for more than 25 years, its government has been a representative democracy. Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze will address U.S.–Georgia bilateral relations and further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations, as well as the role Georgia plays as a stable democratic stronghold in its region. He will also discuss Georgia’s championing of sustainable and inclusive economic development and provide a perspective on advancing America’s commercial interests in Eurasia and beyond. Under Bakhtadze’s leadership, Georgia seeks stronger economic ties with Silicon Valley and the United States. Bakhtadze has been prime minister of Georgia since June 2018. He is committed to strengthening democracy and fostering a vibrant and sustainable economy. He has helped advance Georgia’s integration into the European Union and NATO, standing shoulder to shoulder with allies to strengthen global security. Domestically, Bakhtadze introduced a green economy agenda and lean government initiative that reduced the number of ministries and redirected budget expenditures to social programs. He has launched a comprehensive reform program to overhaul the country’s education system and pledged to allocate 6 percent of GDP to boost human capital development and empower sustainable economic growth. Prior to becoming prime minister, Bakhtadze served as minister of finance of Georgia. In this role, he carried out a number of reforms to simplify banking regulations and the country’s tax system. From 2013 to 2017, Bakhtadze worked as a CEO of JSC Georgian Railway, earning a place for Georgian Railway as one of the leaders in the industry. This program was produced in association with World Affairs of Northern California.

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A Vision for Europe, with James K. Galbraith Jun 06, 2019

In late May, millions of Europeans will head to the voting booth for elections that will determine the future of the European Union (EU). As the Brexit controversy deepens and a violent populism rises in several European countries, this year's parliamentary elections will be decisive for the EU’s survival and instrumental in how major powers, including the United States, are affected. Please join renowned economist, academic and author James K. Galbraith in a discussion of economics, politics and the state of the European continent after the critical elections. He will be in conversation with the UC Berkeley philosopher Hans Sluga, an expert in political philosophy, to celebrate the book launch of A Vision for Europe: an international collaboration of writers, theorists, artists, political leaders and activists who have joined forces in one groundbreaking volume of exclusive writing to show how the rising tides of nationalism can be tempered; the migration crisis managed; climate change combatted; and a better, fairer democracy built for all Europeans. The book, with additional contributions from leading political and cultural figures across the globe, including Yanis Varoufakis, Naomi Klein, Slavoj Zizek, Elif Shafak, Ken Loach and Jeffrey Sachs, will be available at the event. Overview of Speakers: James Kenneth Galbraith is a professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and the University of Texas as well as a member of the Executive Committee of the World Economics Association. A prolific writer whose work has been featured in The Nation, The New York Times and The Washington Post, his books include The Predator State (2008), Inequality and Industrial Change (2001), and Created Unequal: The Crisis in American Pay (1998). Hans D. Sluga is an academic specializing in analytic and political philosophy who has taught and lectured for the University of California and University College London. His writing has appeared in numerous academic journals and collections across the world in multiple languages, and his books include Politics and the Search for the Common Good (2014), The Cambridge Companion to Wittgenstein (1996), and Philosophy and Politics in Nazi Germany (1993).

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Secretary George Shultz: Thinking About the Future Jun 05, 2019

In a rich and varied career that has included roles as U.S. secretary of state, secretary of the treasury and secretary of labor, George P. Shultz has aided presidents, confronted national and international crises, and argued passionately that the United States has a vital stake in promoting democratic values and institutions. In speeches, articles, congressional testimony and conversations with world leaders, he has helped shape policy and public opinion on topics such as technology, terrorism, drugs and climate change. The result is a body of work that has influenced the decisions of nations and leaders and impacted the lives of ordinary people. In his newest book, Thinking About the Future, Secretary Shultz has collected and revisited key writings, applying his past thinking to America’s most pressing contemporary problems. In the more than half a century since Shultz entered public life, the world has changed dramatically. But he remains guided by the belief that “you can learn about the future—or at least relate to it—by studying the past and identifying principles that have continuing application to our lives and our world.” Here’s a rare chance to hear from one of America’s most respected statesmen.

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Vignettes & Postcards from Paris Jun 05, 2019

Join us for this voyage spécial to Paris, with three travel writers who share their love of all things Parisian. They will talk about their own adventures and also read excerpts from a new edition of Vignettes & Postcards from Paris, the award-winning anthology originally created at Shakespeare and Company bookstore. Come enjoy a discussion of Parisian literary and creative culture of the past and present. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Secret San Francisco Jun 05, 2019

Have you ever taken an underground sewer tour in San Francisco? Or wandered through a labyrinth where the land meets the sea? Secret San Francisco unlocks these secrets and other little-known stories about our city’s most enduring icons. You’ll find out about the real crookedest street, local windmills and an airport for flying boats. Along the way, you’ll encounter bizarre and often hilarious history, including the origins of Burning Man, Santa Con and the fight to legalize public nudity. And did you know that San Francisco was the site of the last American duel? Carlson takes you places locals would rather keep to themselves—that is, if they even knew about them! MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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CLIMATE ONE: If You Won’t, We Will: Youth Action on Climate Jun 02, 2019

Four years ago, 21 student plaintiffs sued the U.S. government for violating their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property by failing to act on climate change. On the other side of the world, 15-year-old Greta Thunberg initiated a global youth strike for climate, prompting 1.6 million students in over 120 countries to leave school in protest of adult inaction. Will this global surge in youth climate action be enough to influence the decisions of industry and fossil fuel interests, let alone the current presidential administration?

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Peter Shinkle: Discovering Ike's Gay Mystery Man Jun 02, 2019

In 1953, Robert Cutler—the first person appointed to be national security advisor to the president, and one of the closest aides to new President Dwight Eisenhower—helped put into effect an executive order that destroyed the lives of thousands of federal employees just because they were homosexual. What was not known at the time is that Cutler himself was gay. Come hear Cutler's great-nephew, Peter Shinkle, tell what he found out about Cutler, his life, and his impact. Peter Shinkle worked for 19 years as a reporter at various news organizations, including most recently the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He covered the federal court system and wrote investigative stories on subjects ranging from improper disposal of radioactive waste to contamination spread by a lead mining company. Shinkle is the great-nephew of Robert Cutler. It was during a family vacation in 2006 that his mother, Judith Cutler Shinkle, and his aunt told him that their "Uncle Bobby" was gay. That sparked a 12-year endeavor to explore the story of the man who was one of President Eisenhower's closest advisors. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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Scott Pelley: 60 Minutes and the Search for Meaning Jun 02, 2019

What does it mean to be a journalist in 2019? Scott Pelley, a longtime CBS anchor and "60 Minutes" correspondent, knows better than most. In his new book, Truth Worth Telling: A Reporter’s Search for Meaning in the Stories of Our Times, he reflects on his years of experience, what it means to report the truth, and how this era of fake news and free speech controversies is still the best time to be a reporter. Pelley's book is founded upon an eloquently simple premise: “Don’t ask the meaning of life. Life is asking, what’s the meaning of you?” To answer this question, Pelley recounts the most formative moments of his career: standing with firefighters at the collapsing World Trade Center; advancing with American troops into combat in Afghanistan; his conversations with numerous world leaders. In moments as adrenaline inducing or heart wrenching as these, what is the duty of a journalist? How can a reporter navigate the emotional response to their experiences while also providing an unbiased and nuanced view of the situation? Join us for a conversation with the person most fit to answer these questions. This program is part of our Ethics and Accountability series, underwritten by the Travers Family Foundation, with additional support from the Bernard Osher Foundation for our Good Lit programs.

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Rep. Adam Schiff, Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Jun 01, 2019

After eight years of Republican control, the blue wave of 2018 put Democrats back in charge of the U.S. House and made Representative Adam Schiff chair of the House Intelligence Committee. With broad power and jurisdiction, Schiff’s committee oversees the nation’s intelligence agencies, from components of the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, Justice, and the CIA. While his investigations and public comments have made him one of the president’s favorite Twitter targets, Schiff has defended them as vital to American security. As one of the leading Democrats in Congress, Schiff’s voice is one of the most important coming out of Washington, D.C. With their new majority, how will Democrats lead until the 2020 election? How will the completion of the Mueller investigation impact domestic politics? Join us for a timely and important conversation about politics and the integrity of the American political system.

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Working in a Nonprofit: Managing Work, Life and Balance May 31, 2019

This week, our in-studio guests will be Brett Andrews of the Positive Resource Center and Sherilyn Adams of Larkin Street Youth. They will discuss the challenges and rewards of working in the nonprofit sector. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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Adam Savage: My Life as a Maker May 31, 2019

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Adam Savage is a maker. From his elaborate Comic-Con costumes to a 1,000-shot Nerf gun, he has built thousands of projects as a special effects artist and co-host of the hit TV show “MythBusters.” Savage will highlight some of his memorable ideas and shares what inspires him to build, make, invent, explore and above all else create. Savage spent 14 years as the popular co-host of “MythBusters.” He currently stars on Tested.com’s YouTube channel and is the host of “MythBusters Jr.” In association with Wonderfest ** This Program May Contain Explicit Language **

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi May 29, 2019

When Nancy Pelosi first ran for political office at the age of 47, she wasn’t new to politics. From the time she spent helping her father while he served as the mayor of Baltimore, working for Jerry Brown’s presidential campaign or serving as the Democratic Party chair of California, she developed skills that would propel her to the peak of American politics. As the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, she is now the most powerful woman in the political history of the United States. In the first 100 days of the 116th Congress, Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have worked on their “for the people” agenda, passing legislation to clean up corruption and restore ethics to Washington, D.C., a bipartisan background checks bill, and what many Democrats call a landmark paycheck fairness bill. House Democrats are also pursuing a bipartisan infrastructure deal, looking at ways to expand and protect the right to vote, tackling climate change, and lowering health care costs and prescription drug prices for all Americans. This progress comes as Democrats welcome the most diverse caucus in the history of Congress, including more than 100 women in the same Congress that America will mark 100 years since women won the right to vote. Speaker Pelosi says this diversity is a strength that enables Democrats to more fully represent the values and voices of the American people and deliver progress in their lives. How will the Democratic Party try to recreate the success it saw in the 2018 midterm elections? As America heads toward the presidential election in 2020, join us for a conversation with the iconic face of the Democratic Party, and bring your questions.

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Immigrant Day of Visibility May 29, 2019

Join us for an evening to recognize community leaders advocating for immigrant rights. Immigration has become the central social issue of our time. A rise in anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric are creating instability for immigrants, including many here legally. Advocates argue that those most in need are being turned away at the border, detained, and their families separated with no clear path to follow. Yet for centuries, immigrants have come to America expecting a place of refuge, hope and opportunity. During the program, the following organizations and community leaders will be recognized: CAIR SF (Council of American Islamic Relations–S.F. Chapter), Transgender Law Center, African HRC, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Plus live music from three immigrant singers during the program: Flash is a 23-year-old metal-rock artist who hails from Nepal. He was the lead guitarist of the local band named Beside The Coffin. He immigrated to America three years ago to escape religious and political persecution. Flash is a creative, multi-instrumentalist who plays lead guitar, bass, drums and piano. He writes and produces his own music and is currently finishing an EP to be released at the end of 2019. He is one of the subjects of a documentary film currently in production with a working title “In a Flash,” which documents the lives of three music artists who use their music to escape, engage, and dream big while navigating the harsh realities of immigrant life in America. Igor Chudak is 26 years old and originally hails from Russia. Igor moved to the United States when he was 21 years old to escape the Russian persecution against LGBTQ people. In 2014, he released his first mini-album entitled “Inception.” He is currently a member of the San Francisco Gay Man’s Chorus and is about to release his first American EP entitled “Out of Faith.” Igor has developed a drag queen alter ego named "Mila Knockabitch," the supposed sister of Melania Trump, and has a Youtube comedy series called “Russian Concussion.” He is part of the advisory council of the LGBT Asylum Project. Tookta is a Thai Molam (folk, country) singer. She started singing at the tender age of 12 years old. Her sound and genre is specific to the Isaan region of Thailand. She has performed for an audience of more than 100,000 on Mother's Day for Thailand's queen. In addition to a successful career as a Molam singer, Tookta has also performed as a popular stand-up comedian. She immigrated to the United States 2 years ago and is now beginning a new chapter in her life and career.

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A Guide to Retirement Living Alternatives May 29, 2019

The speakers will survey the retirement living options available in the Bay Area, from living at home to choosing a communal living option. Learn the key decision points in comparing rental, equity-based options, entry fee communities and assisted living. A spreadsheet answering frequently asked questions will be provided. Subsidized, low-income housing options will not be included in this program. MLF Organizer: Denise Michaud MLF: Grownups

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CLIMATE ONE: David Gergen on Climate Politics and Public Opinion May 28, 2019

What does a former advisor to Richard Nixon think about the climate crisis? “This is turning out exactly the way scientists predicted, with one exception: it’s happening faster than they thought,” says David Gergen, who served in four presidential administrations. “The question is what can we do rapidly that would alleviate this and be fair to all.” InsideClimate News reporter Marianne Lavelle credits the Green New Deal for moving the debate forward, while Republican pollster Lori Weigel highlights the divergence between GOP voters and the current administration’s environmental policies.

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Week to Week Political Roundtable 5/23/19 May 24, 2019

Join us as we discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! And come early before the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our members social (open to all attendees).

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Alexa Von Tobel: Financially Forward May 23, 2019

Technology has transformed the often-confusing personal finance landscape. From Bitcoin to mobile pay, digitization has fundamentally changed the rules of spending, saving and investing, and financial guru Alexa von Tobel views these changes as incredible opportunities. Von Tobel’s confusion surrounding her own personal finances as a young professional shaped the trajectory of her career. She dropped out of Harvard Business School to found LearnVest.com, a personal finance website with the goal of helping other women take control of their money, before launching her new venture capital firm, Inspired Capital Partners. In her new book, Financially Forward: How to Use Today's Digital Tools to Earn More, Save Better, and Spend Smarter, she demonstrates how to harness the smartphone-accessible tools of the digital age to maximize financial gain, covering everything from financial planning to preparing for the future of digital money. Join von Tobel live at INFORUM as she reflects on how the digital age has created new potential for successful financial planning.

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The Girl Who Said No: A Search in Sicily May 23, 2019

Franca Viola made #MeToo history in 1966. When she was 18, she refused to go along with a centuries-old forcible marriage custom in Sicily. Having endured kidnap and rape, she publicly defied the expectation that she would marry the rapist in order to “restore her broken honor.” A social uproar occurred throughout the island and beyond. Two decades later, with little more than the memory of the article she had read, author Natalie Galli traveled to Palermo to search for Viola. Galli wanted to know: What had become of this courageous girl who had defied an ancient tradition? Galli recounts the riveting events after Viola pressed charges with the police: Franca was publicly taunted whenever she appeared on the street, Mafia-orchestrated bullying threatened her entire family, and her own relatives pleaded with her not to break the Sicilian code of silence. Throughout her search for the enigmatic Viola, Galli shares her own poignant and hilarious observations about a vibrant culture steeped in contradictions and paradoxes. Does Galli succeed in locating the elusive protofeminist? Join us for Galli's odyssey and find out. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Susan Hockfield: The Next Technology Revolution May 23, 2019

Whether it was the invention of the radio at the beginning of the 20th century or the advent of smartphones in the mid-to-late 2000s, technological revolutions have fundamentally shaped the era with which they are associated. Yet, according to Susan Hockfield, technological advances are only the half of it. It is instead the combination of technological innovation with biological research that are producing and will produce the most revolutionary products and technological advances of our time. Her new book, The Age of Living Machines: How Biology Will Build the Next Technology Revolution, describes some of the most exciting developments in this field, including mind-reading bionic limbs, cancer-detecting nanoparticles, virus-built batteries and protein-based water filters. What is even more impressive is the fact that many of these technologies were the result of Hockfield’s own foresight and tenacity. As the first female president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hockfield was a key advocate for interdisciplinary research and breaking down borders between fields. Join us for an optimistic conversation about how these living machines may help us overcome some of the greatest humanitarian, medical and environmental challenges of our time.

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NRDC and India's Clean Energy Future May 23, 2019

For a decade, Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) India program has advanced clean energy and public health solutions while fighting climate change. As India, the world's largest democracy, prepares to vote in its general election, the country’s clean energy future remains a central question. Will India achieve its ambitious climate goals and successfully fight air pollution? What does India's rapid development mean for the rest of the world? What are the business opportunities to engage with India and clean energy? Join our experts for a discussion about India's climate actions, progress on climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Today, India stands at the crossroads of development and the future. At the same time, clean energy and energy efficient solutions are more critical than ever before. With its fast-growing economy, rapid urbanization and employment growth, India is skyrocketing, increasing energy and providing electricity to rural communities and addressing long-time poverty. Join us for this very important program about India at the crossroads as it debates clean energy and energy-efficient demands and solutions. MLF Organizer: Ann Clark MLF: Environment & Natural Resources

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CLIMATE ONE: Republicans and a Democrat on Climate May 21, 2019

The Green New Deal is shaking up climate politics in Washington. The resolution’s ambitious clean energy goals are championed by several leading Democrats — but are criticized by Republicans for being costly and unrealistic. With an increasing number of Green New Deal alternatives being put forward by Democrats, the pressure is on Republicans to propose an actionable climate plan of their own. Is there such a thing as a bipartisan climate solution? Join us for a conversation with two Republicans and a Democrat about the politics of energy leading up to the 2020 campaign.

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Donaldina Cameron and the Occidental Mission Home May 20, 2019

Julia Flynn Siler’s new book, The White Devil’s Daughters: The Fight Against Slavery in San Francisco’s Chinatown, is a revelatory history of the trafficking of young Asian girls—a practice that flourished in San Francisco during the first century of Chinese immigration (1848–1943)—and the "safe house" on the edge of Chinatown that became a refuge for those seeking their freedom. Starting in 1874, the brick house at 920 Sacramento Street in San Francisco’s Chinatown served as a home and gateway to freedom for thousands of enslaved and vulnerable young Chinese women and girls—a pioneering “rescue mission.” Known then as the Occidental Mission Home, it survived earthquakes, fire, bubonic plague and violence directed against its occupants and supporters—a courageous group of female abolitionists who fought the slave trade in Chinese women. Donaldina Cameron was the indomitable leader of the home for over 37 years. In 1942, the home was renamed Cameron House, and it still serves the Asian-American community today, offering a range of social services and youth programs. With compassion and an investigative historian's sharp eyes, Siler relates how the women who ran the house defied contemporary convention and anti-Chinese prejudices. These women occasionally even broke the law by physically rescuing children from the brothels where they worked or snatching them off the ships that were smuggling them in, helping bring the exploiters to justice. Siler has also uncovered the stories of many of the girls and young women who came to the Mission and the lives they later led. Sometimes these women became part of the home's staff themselves, including Tien Wu, who became Donaldina Cameron’s translator and aide. Siler will talk about this remarkable story of an overlooked part of our history—a story that still resonates today. This is the tale of immigrants overcoming great difficulties with the aid of sympathetic Americans. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Lillian Nakagawa

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Annie Jacobsen: Inside the CIA's Secret History May 16, 2019

Annie Jacobsen is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and investigative journalist whose work revolves around government secrets. She has published books on a range of topics, including what really goes on inside Area 51; Operation Paperclip, which brought Nazi scientists to America; and government-funded research projects on extrasensory perception (ESP) and psychokinesis. Her latest book delves into one of the most infamously covert agencies in the country: the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Surprise, Kill, Vanish: The Secret History of CIA Paramilitary Armies, Operators, and Assassins is an unprecedented look inside the Special Activities Division of the CIA, one of the most effective black operations in the world. Through interviews with 42 men and women who served in covert CIA operations, she delivers a shocking exposé of U.S. covert operations with the pace and novelistic skill of a thriller. Join us for an insider’s view on this controversial and understandably obscure component of American foreign policy and the political, ethical and legal quandaries that have come with it.

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What Is Real? The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics May 16, 2019

Monday Night Philosophy and almost all physicists agree that quantum mechanics is among humanity's finest scientific achievements. But ask what it means, and the result will be a not-so-scientific brawl. For a century, most physicists have followed Niels Bohr's Copenhagen interpretation and dismissed questions about the reality underlying quantum physics as meaningless. That is why, even though it is a mishmash of solipsism and poor reasoning, the Copenhagen interpretation has endured, with Bohr's students vigorously protecting his legacy, and the physics community favoring practical experiments over philosophical arguments. As a result, questioning the status quo has almost always meant professional ruin. And yet, from the 1920s to today, physicists such as John Bell, David Bohm and Hugh Everett persisted in seeking the true meaning of quantum mechanics. Join us—first for the gripping story of this battle of ideas and the courageous scientists who dared to stand up for seeking truth, and then for reexamining the littered trail of half-understood research results in the never-discarded quest for answering the fundamental questions that can be summed up as: “What is real?” MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Data for Social Good: Crisis Text Line CEO Nancy Lublin May 15, 2019

Suicide and mental health are hard subjects—so Crisis Text Line leveraged the power of the data it collects to help their counselors determine the best way to talk about the topics with those in need. The nonprofit, founded in 2013 by CEO Nancy Lublin, has provided a free text-based and human-driven service to support those experiencing mental health stress, gathering data points from more than 75 million text messages sent and maximizing the impact of their information to better train counselors and support their community. Its innovative and data-driven methodology for tackling hard conversations can also be applied to more than the mental health space, including to Lublin’s latest venture: Loris.ai. Lublin’s entire career has focused on initiatives addressing social issues, and she founded Dress for Success and Do Something prior to Crisis Text Line. With her technology lens on big challenges, she continues to iterate on innovative mechanisms and creative solutions to sticky problems. At INFORUM, she’ll be joined in conversation by DJ Patil, head of technology at Devoted Health and former U.S. chief data scientist in the Obama administration, to dig into the power of data to effect change. Come curious! ** This Program Contains Explicit Language **

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Sandro Galea: Reframing the Health Care Conversation May 15, 2019

“It’s the social divides that cause health divides.” Sandro Galea, dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, comes to this conclusion in his new book, Well: What We Need to Talk About When We Talk About Health. Americans spend more money on health than people anywhere else in the world, yet they lead shorter, less healthy lives than citizens of other rich countries. Galea's book is a call for a new framing of American health care, in which socioeconomic factors take on a larger role in the conversations about public health. While not obvious at first glance, Galea explains how the American fixation on medicine and symptom-focused health care misses the point—we should be preventing these medical issues in the first place. Join us for a conversation on how socioeconomic factors ultimately decide who gets to be healthy and who does not, and how we can invest in structural changes to build a healthier America for the future.

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Renovating Democracy with Nicolas Berggruen, Reid Hoffman and Nathan Gardels May 15, 2019

Across the globe, democratic governance is under assault. The rise of populism in the West, and the rise of China in the East, have stirred a rethinking of how democratic systems work—and how they failed their citizens by not addressing the dislocation of globalization and the rapid disruption of technological change. Yet, despite the increasing attention paid to the impact of globalism and digital capitalism, few concrete solutions that use technology and apply the realities of globalization have been offered to close the stark divide between the haves and the have-nots. Little has been done to repair the damaged social contract in countries around the world. The Berggruen Institute, the innovative California think tank, is answering this challenge with their new book, Renovating Democracy. Berggruen Institute founders Nicolas Berggruen and Nathan Gardels challenge us to conceive of an alternative framework for governance. To truly renovate our global systems, the authors argue for empowering participation without populism by integrating social networks and direct democracy into the system. They outline steps for harnessing globalization through positive nationalism at home while advocating for global cooperation—specifically with a Chinese partnership—to create a viable rules-based world order. In a special Saturday appearance at The Commonwealth Club, just weeks before critical elections in Europe where populists are pushing for more power, Berggruen, Gardels and Berggruen Institute board member Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, will discuss this new approach to governance and why such a forward-looking approach is so critically needed.

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The Israeli Elections May 15, 2019

Ravit Baer and Alon Sachar will discuss the recent, complex Israeli election and how the results could affect the region, the peace process, Israel and her allies, including the United States. Baer is the deputy consul general and heads the political and public diplomacy departments at the Israeli Consulate in the Pacific Northwest. She has been a career diplomat since 2004. Sachar has worked to advance Middle East peace under two U.S. administrations and served at the State Department Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and at the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem. He co-authored A Path to Peace: A Brief History of Israeli Palestinian Negotiations and a Way Forward in the Middle East with former Senator George Mitchell (D–VT). MLF Organizer: Celia Menczel MLF: Middle East

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The Italian Table: Creating Festive Meals for Family and Friends May 15, 2019

Americans have a love affair with Italy and Italian food and few more so than our speaker, Elizabeth Minchilli, who has written eight books on the joys of Italian life. Her latest book, The Italian Table, delivers both parts of the fantasy and reality of meals as they would be eaten in Italy. Combining menus and recipes with visual experience and inspiration—as well as insight into the traditions of the food and celebrations—it serves as a practical resource that gives home cooks and hosts step-by-step guidance on how to recreate these fabulous meals at their own tables. MLF Organizer: Cathy Curtis MLF: Food Matters

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Do No Harm: Civic Leadership and the Role of Health Care May 15, 2019

Can we design a health-care system that serves all? Rupa Marya thinks we can. Through hard lessons learned, Marya joins Donna LaSala, Presidio Graduate School professor, to discuss aspects of the U.S. health-care system that are aligned with social justice and others that create injustice. They will explore workable solutions for diversity and inclusion with a systems-thinking mindset. The conversation will include engaging stories about the past and a hopeful future, including an account of how Marya served the water protectors at Standing Rock, offering medical support during the encampment. She is now helping to build a clinic to decolonize medicine called the Mni Wiconi Health Clinic and Farm. Based on her experience working for the city of Berkeley, Goodwill Industries and other triple bottom line organizations, LaSala will demonstrate how multisector partnerships can merge health care with social justice. Together, they will share what can help when the community provides wide-spread and equitable benefits. MLF Organizer: Elizabeth Carney MLF: Business & Leadership In partnership with Presidio Graduate School

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Alpha Girls: Women Upstarts in Silicon Valley May 15, 2019

In her new book, Alpha Girls, award-winning journalist Julian Guthrie tells the unforgettable story of four different women who, through grit and ingenuity, became stars in the cutthroat, high-stakes, male-dominated world of venture capital in Silicon Valley, and helped build some of the foremost companies of our time. Guthrie takes readers behind the closed doors of venture capital, an industry that transforms economies and shapes how we live. Through their experiences juggling work and family, the featured leaders and others continued to shape the tech landscape we know today while overcoming unequal pay, actual punches, betrayals, and the sexist attitudes prevalent in Silicon Valley and in male-dominated industries everywhere. Despite the setbacks, they would rise again to rewrite the rules for an industry they love, paving the way for the next generation of women along the way. Join Guthrie for a powerful live conversation featuring Magdalena Yesil, one of the “alpha girls” in the book, and Meaghan Rose, a rising startup founder. The discussion will be led by Will Hearst of Journal of Alta California. They’ll explore the world of tech, startups, venture capital and work culture—and how it has and hasn’t changed.

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Emily Bazelon: Criminal Injustice in America May 14, 2019

There are 2.2 million people in American prisons and jails—a 500 percent increase over the last 40 years. We have heard about the role of government policies and law enforcement practices that factor into the creation of this statistic, but we rarely hear about the individuals who interact most closely with putting these people in jail: prosecutors. Renowned journalist and legal commentator Emily Bazelon investigates the power prosecutors hold in the outcome of a case in her new book, Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration. Prosecutors are some of the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system, as they are virtually unchecked in their power to decide what to charge defendants with, how to set bail and determine the plea bargain. Bazelon shows how prosecution in America is at a crossroads and details both the damage that overzealous prosecutors can do as well as the second chances they can extend, if they choose. Join us for a conversation that investigates the unchecked power in the criminal justice system and identifies a possible solution to this mass incarceration crisis.

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CLIMATE ONE: Sea Changes: Why Oceans Play a Bigger Role in Climate Than You Think May 10, 2019

Global temperatures would be soaring even higher were it not for a powerful heat-trapping ally: oceans. From regulating the temperature of the planet to generating half of the oxygen we breathe, oceans are a vital part of sustaining life on Earth. Increasing their temperature as little as two degrees, however, has an opposite effect, threatening marine biodiversity and turbocharging dangerous hurricanes and typhoons. But there are bright prospects on the horizon for humans and oceans. Join us for a conversation exploring how oceans play a bigger role in climate than you may think.

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The Tubman Command May 10, 2019

The Tubman Command is an impeccably researched historical novel that brings to light the bravery and brilliance of American icon Harriet Tubman. It’s May 1863. Outgeneraled and outgunned, a demoralized Union Army has pulled back with massive losses at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Fort Sumter, hated symbol of the Rebellion, taunts the American Navy with its artillery and underwater mines. In Beaufort, South Carolina, a female spy, code named “Moses,” is hatching a spectacular plan. Hunted by Confederates, revered by slaves, a bounty on her head, Tubman plots an expedition behind enemy lines to liberate hundreds of bondsmen and recruit them as soldiers. Gen. David Hunter places her in charge of a team of black scouts, even though he is skeptical of what one woman can accomplish. The Tubman Command tells the story of Tubman at the height of her powers, when she devises the largest plantation raid of the Civil War. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Dustin Lance Black: Coming of Age in Red and Blue America May 09, 2019

Join Dustin Lance Black, influential LGBTQ+ activist and the Academy Award-winning screenwriter behind Milk, as he reveals his unexpectedly conservative origins in his new memoir, Mama’s Boy: A Story from Our Americas, providing personal and philosophical insight into the complicated divide between red and blue America. Black’s memoir chronicles his coming of age in a military, Mormon household in Texas and moving to more liberal California after his mother’s remarriage. Finding himself at odds with the religious and political atmosphere of his family and his community’s condemnation of his sexuality, Black kept his identity a secret. He ultimately found release and professional success in the arts and reveals that throughout his often difficult childhood, he and his mother always managed to share a powerful bond of support. When Black played an instrumental role in the overturning of California’s antigay marriage Proposition 8, she was next to him despite a lifetime of opposition. Join Dustin Lance Black live at INFORUM as he reflects on his personal journey to self-acceptance and success and shares his unique perspective on bridging the many divides in our country today. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Glenn Close: Bring Change to Mind May 08, 2019

The stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness is deeply rooted in American culture and society. Bring Change to Mind (BC2M) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging dialogue about mental health and to raising awareness, understanding and empathy. Award-winning actor and advocate Glenn Close co-founded Bring Change to Mind in 2010 after her sister Jessie Close was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and her nephew Calen Pick was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Science and evidence-based programs are essential to achieving the work of BC2M. The organization’s seven public service announcements have provided stigma-reducing messaging to more than four billion individuals. By mobilizing deeply engaged change agents, especially youth, to collectively talk about mental health, BC2M is able to encourage healthy help seeking behavior, greater resilience and self-care techniques. It is transforming feelings of isolation and despair into feelings of community and hope. The organization’s peer-led high school clubs, operating in 16 states, are a great example of how youth can, and will, change the perspectives on mental illness in our lifetime. Join Glenn Close and other BC2M leaders for a conversation about the power of advocacy, science and youth leadership to reduce stigma and creative positive change in the world of mental health. Notes Part of our series on mental health, dedicated in memory of Nancy Friend Pritzker, with support from the John Pritzker Family Fund

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Rewilding the American Child: Setting Kids Free in Today's Digital World May 07, 2019

Today’s kids are caught up in one of the largest mass migrations in human history: the movement indoors. The majority of modern Americans now spend much of their lives penned in by walls, staring at screens. Increasingly, we don’t touch, look at or even speak to each other, connecting instead through apps. When we do get together, it’s for a quick coffee or play date, because who has time for anything else? At home, children see Mom and Dad thumbing away nonstop on their devices and follow suit. The result: Our youth are suffering from a rise in health problems, heightened social pressures and a frightening set of new addictions around technology. For the editors of Outside, this dynamic represents a national crisis. Last fall, the 42-year-old magazine’s cover story, “Rewilding the American Child,” called on parents to set their kids free—from screens, from schedules, from the kind of ever-present supervision that hinders full maturation. In a collection of essays and how-to articles that was nominated for a National Magazine Award, Outside argued that today’s children desperately need opportunities to roam without adults around, play games with no winners or rules, and engage the natural world on their own terms. This program, moderated by Outside’s Marin-based executive editor Michael Roberts, will bring these topics and more to life through the experiences of two leading figures in the movement to get children—and their parents—to spend more time outdoors. Award-winning science journalist Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix, will speak about the efforts to restore the kinds of outdoor rites of passage—your first hunt, your fist fish, your first solo walk in the wilderness—that used to mark the steps on the journey to adulthood. Nooshin Razani, a pediatrician and the founder of the of the Center for Nature and Health, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland will talk about the growing trend for physicians to prescribe nature to their patients as well as her own pioneering work in helping lower-income communities access the exceptional public lands in the Bay Area. This conversation is part of an extended series of discussions that The Commonwealth Club will present in Marin over the course of 2019 on an expanded notion of health. Future conversations will address political and democratic health, China and trade health, and creativity and physical health.

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Willie Brown: Annual Commonwealth Club Lecture May 07, 2019

Former San Francisco Mayor Brown will give his annual lecture on national and regional political trends in 2019. A two-term mayor of San Francisco, legendary speaker of the California State Assembly and widely regarded as one of the most influential African-American politicians of the late 20th century, Brown has been at the center of California politics, government and civic life for five decades.

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Brett McGurk: Former U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Overseeing the Global Campaign to Defeat ISIS May 07, 2019

A Conversation About War, Diplomacy and Presidential Decision-Making Brett McGurk has just joined Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute. He resigned from his special envoy post this past December when President Trump announced a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria without any process or deliberation. McGurk had served as President Trump’s envoy to defeat ISIS for the past two years, helping to oversee a global campaign with a coalition of 75 countries and 4 international organizations. He was appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and was retained in this role by the Trump administration. McGurk has had nearly two decades of diplomatic service, particularly in the Middle East, across Democratic and Republican administrations. He was presented the Distinguished Honor Award by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the Distinguished Service Award by Secretary of State John Kerry for exceptional service overseas. From October 2014 to January 2016, McGurk led 14 months of secret negotiations with Iran that led to a prisoner swap and the return home of six Americans, including journalist Jason Rezaian. Before joining the Bush administration’s national security team, McGurk served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and was at the Supreme Court during the September 11, 2001 attacks, an experience that led to his practice of foreign affairs at the highest levels in Washington, D.C. and on the front lines. Come for a rare visit about his experiences as a seasoned diplomat as well as his thoughts on the direction of U.S. foreign policy and the intertwining of policy and politics.

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Week to Week Political Roundtable 5/6/19 May 07, 2019

The Mueller report continues to reverberate throughout the Trump administration and Congress, fueling renewed arguments over impeachment. Meanwhile, the administration is digging in its heels in the face of numerous investigations by House Democrats. And here at home, are things any quieter? Not on the political scene, where local and state officials are grappling with everything from vaccination bills to hot-button housing legislation. What will be the big issues when we gather on May 6 for our next political roundtable? Come find out. Join us as we discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! And come early before the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our members social (open to all attendees).

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The Penelope Poems May 06, 2019

Based on a careful study of Homer's the Odyssey, and her research on women's lives in Bronze Age Greece, Patti Trimble has written a suite of spoken poems on the women of the Odyssey. In this presentation of poetic/musical excerpts, Penelope speaks monologues on her life in the palace, weaving and thinking in her room, responding to Rumor's messages about Odysseus and his return. A poetic chorus, supported by song and music, tells the mythical–historical origins of Homer's female archetypes and monsters. Trimble uses the evolution of her imagined Penelope to weave poetic imagery onto the loom of her research from academic texts and ancient Greek writings MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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A New Faustian Opera: "If I Were You" May 03, 2019

Composer Jake Heggie, conductor Nicole Paiement and dramaturg Clifford Cranna share insights into the creation of Heggie’s "If I Were You,” a Faustian story that delves into issues of identity and a quest for one’s place in the world that are at once timeless and very relevant to the world today. As the hero, Fabian becomes a wealthy older man, a young handsome brute and eventually a young woman. The opera deals with issues of age, power, sexual politics and gender identity. Commissioned by the renowned Merola Opera Program, the world premiere of "If I Were You” is on August 2019 at Herbst Theatre. MLF Organizer: Anne W. Smith MLF: Arts

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Politico's Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman: Power and Politics May 03, 2019

Politico's Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman offer a startling look at President Trump’s first two years in office and all the power struggles happening in Washington, D.C. Taking us behind the scenes to some of the most defining moments of our era, they highlight the gamesmanship, impulsiveness, fighting, backstabbing and dealmaking happening amongst our political leaders. More importantly, they share what’s really at stake for our country and the lasting impact it will have on the American people.

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CLIMATE ONE: How Climate Broke California’s Biggest Utility May 03, 2019

PG&E has had a bad few years. A series of record-breaking wildfires culminating with 2018’s devastating Camp Fire propelled the California utility giant into lawsuits, $30 billion in liabilities and, ultimately, bankruptcy. Under new state laws, regulated utilities will have a hard time avoiding blame in fires where their equipment is involved—so what’s ahead for PG&E’s peers and their shareholders when a deadly blaze could spell bankruptcy? What happens when the California dream of living near nature is in direct conflict with disruptive tragedies fueled by climate change?

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On the Road to Freedom and Home Again May 03, 2019

Join LaDoris Hazzard Cordell and two young civic leaders, Hatim Mansori and David Miles, after they travel on the Club’s trip, “On the Road to Freedom: Understanding the Civil Rights Movement” in early April. The group will have spent time in Jackson, Little Rock, Memphis, Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery. Come hear a discussion on the movement from both a historical perspective and how it impacts young people today.

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David Brooks: The Quest for a Moral Life May 02, 2019

What does it take to lead a meaningful life? Brooks believes we live in a society that celebrates freedom and takes individualism to the extreme. He explains that personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute our commitments. Through his research, he identifies and explores four principal commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose. Brooks is a popular political and social commentator and appears regularly on “PBS NewsHour” and “Meet the Press.” ** This Podcast May Contain Explicit Language **

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State Senator Scott Wiener on The Michelle Meow Show Apr 30, 2019

Senator Scott Wiener represents San Francisco and northern San Mateo County in the California State Senate. Elected in 2016, Senator Wiener focuses extensively on housing, transportation, civil rights, criminal justice reform, clean energy, and alleviating poverty. He chairs the Senate Housing Committee. Before being elected to the Senate, Wiener served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing the district previously represented by Harvey Milk, and chaired the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. Before being elected to office, Wiener practiced law for 15 years, including nearly a decade as a deputy city attorney in the San Francisco city attorney’s office. He also served in a number of community leadership roles, including co-chair of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center and on the national board of directors of the Human Rights Campaign. Wiener has lived in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood since 1997. He received degrees from Duke University and Harvard Law School. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg and Alan Eagle: Leadership in Silicon Valley Apr 30, 2019

Known as the ultimate coach, the legendary Bill Campbell mentored some of the best and brightest tech entrepreneurs, including Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. In honor of Bill Campbell, authors Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg and Alan Eagle wrote Trillion Dollar Coach highlighting some of his most valuable lessons in forward-thinking business and management. The trio all recount their firsthand experiences with “Coach Bill,” giving a unique glimpse into the fast-paced environment of Silicon Valley. Schmidt served as Google CEO from 2001 to 2011, Google executive chairman from 2011 to 2015 and executive chairman of Alphabet from 2015 to 2018. Rosenberg was a senior vice president at Google and is an adviser to the Alphabet management team. Eagle is the director of executive communications at Google. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Adam Rippon: Artist, Athlete, Activist Apr 29, 2019

One of the most dramatic figure skaters on the planet, Adam Rippon won the hearts of America and the world at the 2018 Winter Olympics. With his refreshing candor and wit, he used his place on the global stage to speak out in support of LGBTQ rights and the freedom to be oneself. After the Olympics, Rippon remained in the spotlight, becoming a role model and even an icon. He was named to Time's 100 Most Influential People list, Forbes' 30 Under 30, Out magazine's Power 50: The Most Influential Voices in LGBTQ America, has been recognized with the Human Rights Campaign's Visibility Award and Attitude magazine's 2018 Sports Hero Award and has been honored by the Matthew Shepard Foundation. And Rippon is not slowing down—his memoir Beautiful on the Outside is due out on September 24 and he is launching a YouTube channel this spring. Now Rippon comes to The Commonwealth Club to discuss his life, his sport, and his causes. Join us for a special up-close look at an influential young voice being heard by millions. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Democratic Presidential Candidate John Hickenlooper, Former Colorado Governor Apr 27, 2019

John Hickenlooper is a Democratic candidate for president of the United States. He is a former, two-term governor of Colorado and two-term mayor of Denver. Hickenlooper's background is unique: After being laid off with thousands of other geologists in the mid-1980s, Hickenlooper was out of work for nearly two years before he and a friend decided to scrape together the money to open a brewery in an abandoned part of Denver. Working with a few other business owners, Hickenlooper helped create a new neighborhood that became a national model for urban revitalization. In 2003, Hickenlooper ran and won as a "dark horse" for mayor of Denver. He eliminated a $70 million budget deficit without major service cuts or layoffs—cutting his own salary by 25 percent. Hickenlooper also instituted major police reform, expanded pre-k and created a sweeping mass transit plan. In 2005, with an approval rating of 92 percent, Time magazine rated him one of the five best big city mayors in America. In 2010, Hickenlooper ran successfully for governor. He was reelected in 2014—one of only three Democrats to win a swing state in one of the worst cycles for Democrats in 25 years. In the past eight years, Colorado jumped from 40th in job growth to become one of the fastest growing rural economies in the nation. Hickenlooper also brought oil companies and environmentalists together to pass strict methane regulations in the country—a major contributor to climate change. Hickenlooper led Colorado’s recovery effort through major fires and floods, reopening roads, bridges and communities in record time. Hickenlooper launched his campaign for president in mid-March. Come hear from this aspiring and accomplished political leader.

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Nancy Gwinn: Secrets of The Smithsonian Apr 23, 2019

Variously referred to as the “Nation’s Attic” or “Octopus on the Mall,” the Smithsonian is an institution that is 172 years old and comprised of 19 museums; 9 research centers; 21 libraries; and the National Zoo, which is bound to have secrets. (Well, maybe not secrets, but certainly the uncommon, rare, curious, extraordinary—even perhaps bizarre.) Nancy E. Gwinn will delve into the fascinating history of the Smithsonian, the world’s largest museum complex and America’s national museum, and share some of its intriguing stories. Gwinn has been director of the Smithsonian Libraries since 1997. She oversees a network of 21 libraries and central services units and is a recognized leader in international librarianship, in developing digital libraries, in building cooperative programs and partnerships, and in promoting Smithsonian scholarship to external communities. A former Fulbright Scholar at the University of Oxford in England, Gwinn holds a doctorate in American civilization from George Washington University, a master’s in library science from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s from the University of Wyoming.

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Kate Kendell and 'Pack the Courts' Apr 22, 2019

This week, attorney Kate Kendell talks about her work with Pack the Courts, a new organization aimed at doing exactly what its name says—add additional justices to the U.S. Supreme Court to counter the court's current conservative majority. Is it a good idea? Is it fair? Does it set a good or bad precedent for future political movements in the country? Join us for a discussion of the organization and the movement. Until the end of 2018, Kendell led the National Center for Lesbian Rights, a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. She also serves as co-chair of OutWOMEN, Out Leadership’s talent accelerator engaging and celebrating LGBT+ women in business. Kendell grew up Mormon in Utah and received her J.D. degree from the University of Utah College of Law in 1988. After a few years as a corporate attorney she was named the first staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah. She is a nationally recognized spokesperson for LGBT rights and has an active voice in major media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Advocate, NPR, CNN and many others. Despite the national success of NCLR under her tenure, she says her most rewarding responsibilities still include fostering alliances on the community and organizational levels, and advocating from a grass-roots perspective on issues concerning social justice. This program is part of our weekly series with Michelle Meow, who brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

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Silicon City Apr 18, 2019

San Francisco is changing at warp speed. Famously home to artists and activists, and known as the birthplace of the Beats, the Black Panthers and the LGBTQ movement, in recent decades the Bay Area has been reshaped by Silicon Valley, the engine of the new American economy. The richer the region gets, the more unequal and less diverse it becomes, and cracks in the city’s facade―rapid gentrification, an epidemic of evictions, rising crime, atrophied public institutions―have started to show. Inspired by Studs Terkel’s classic works of oral history, writer and filmmaker Cary McClelland spent several years interviewing people at the epicenter of the recent change, including venture capitalists, coders, politicians, protesters as well as native sons and daughters to the city’s newest arrivals. The crisp and vivid stories of Silicon City’s diverse cast capture San Francisco as never before. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Bret Easton Ellis: Freedom of Speech in a Digital Age Apr 18, 2019

Bret Easton Ellis, the best-selling novelist and screenwriter of the darkly incisive American Psycho and other hugely popular novels, is diving into nonfiction for the first time with his provocatively titled new book White, which blends his personal perspective in the entertainment industry and his sharp cultural insight into our digital age, simultaneously defining and defending the concept of freedom of speech. While Ellis eschews the label provocateur, he remains outspoken in his frustration with identity politics and political correctness. In Ellis’ words, “Everyone feels muzzled now, and it comes down to how much you can take. Can I talk about what I’m feeling and say my opinion? You get to a point where there’s a break, a fissure, and you either decide to go through it and be yourself, or you decide to hide.” Beyond his literary career, Ellis also expounds at length on film, books, music, culture and politics on “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast,” and his Twitter feed is often feisty—agree or disagree with him, Ellis gets you thinking. Join Ellis live at INFORUM as he reflects on the state of political discourse in the United States and shares his unique perspective as an unfiltered and often polarizing cultural commentator. ***This program contains explicit language***

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Ambassador William Burns: The Case For American Diplomacy Apr 18, 2019

William J. Burns is widely acknowledged as a diplomatic legend, with the experience to match. He spearheaded talks that resulted in the elimination of Libya’s illicit weapons program, served as the U.S. ambassador to Russia and, most famously, initiated the opening of back channels that led to the historic Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding Iran’s nuclear program. He is only the second career diplomat to hold the office of deputy secretary of state. After serving under Hillary Clinton, he was widely acknowledged to be on Clinton's short list for secretary of state. Burns is known for being trusted by politicians on both sides of the aisle for his no-nonsense, can-do attitude. In his new book, The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal, Burns tells the story of a lifetime. From the aftermath of 9/11, the Iran nuclear deal and everything in between, Burns gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of the State Department under five separate presidencies. Join us for an insider’s account of the last three decades of American diplomacy—and the lessons to be learned from them. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Health Risks of Plastic Pollutants and How to Solve Them Apr 17, 2019

Plastics are a ubiquitous, inescapable part of daily life. They have many seemingly irreplaceable, inexpensive and convenient uses. But there is a dark side to some of them that goes far beyond the painful photographs of albatross chick tummies stuffed with discarded cigarette lighters or turtle necks strangled by six pack rings. Some of them are exceedingly hazardous to life, even at what appear to be low doses. Much of the hazard arises because they contain chemicals that interfere with hormone signaling: endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). By hacking the hormone signaling systems that control fetal development, they can set in motion physiological processes that can lead to a wide array of diseases and disabilities. Intense study of EDCs began in the 1990s. Since then, millions of dollars have been invested in this scientific field, yielding thousands of research papers. Pete Myers will lay out the core central themes that have emerged in this field over the last two decades: low doses matter a lot; what begins in the womb does not stay in the womb; the tools we have used to test for safety of plastics have been based upon false assumptions and continue to use outdated methods; and exposure is ubiquitous. We now know enough about how EDCs cause damage, however, to help chemists design safer chemicals. This last point positions chemists to grab market share in rising consumer demand for inherently safer materials. As that effort grows, it should be possible to slow if not reverse today’s epidemics of endocrine-related diseases, such as prostate and breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, infertility and brain disorders. MLF Organizer: Patty James MLF: Health & Medicine

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Reza Aslan: A Human History of God Apr 16, 2019

Religion has always been something that both unites and divides us humans. To Reza Aslan, it seems that we focus more and more on the differences. Many people would be surprised to learn how much collaboration there was between the major religions at the time of their development, and how many similarities there are as a result. Aslan, a renowned scholar of religious history, delves into this in his book God: A Human History. He focuses on the remarkably cohesive attempt to understand the divine in human terms—nearly every religious tradition, as Aslan writes, conceives of God as “a divine version of ourselves.” But this projection is not without consequences. As conceptions of God take on those qualities of virtue in human nature—compassion, a desire for justice—the divine also exhibits our greed and inclination toward violence. Having published best-selling books on the future of Islam, the life of Jesus Christ and religious extremism in a globalizing world, Aslan is especially prepared to answer these questions. No matter your religious beliefs, join us for a conversation that is sure to challenge your own conception of the divine and how it has shaped our world today.

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CLIMATE ONE: At Harvard With Obama’s Climate Team Apr 16, 2019

With the Green New Deal in the national spotlight, a vigorous debate is happening: how ambitiously and broadly must the U.S. act on climate? Are issues like economic equity, job security and public health outside the frame of climate action — or fundamental to its success? Greg Dalton welcomes two key members of President Obama’s climate team: former White House Science Advisor John Holdren and former U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, in a special program recorded at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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Putin’s Quest for Greatness Apr 16, 2019

Coming into power in 2000, Vladimir Putin had a message: Russia must be “lifted off its knees.” He spent the next 19 years implementing this vision—removing constraints on presidential power, rolling back civil society and reforging an ideological state that he markets domestically as “great Russia.” Has his strategy to reverse territory losses and status left Russians in a better place—and at what price? As American democracy struggles with encroaching authoritarianism, Russia, the country that has succumbed to it, offers a cautionary tale. Anastasia Edel came of age in the last decades of the Soviet Union and was witness to Gorbachev’s perestroika, collapse of the USSR and Russia’s wild transition to capitalism. A recipient of the British government’s Chevening award, Edel studied in England and moved permanently to the United States in 1997. Edel is a contributor to The New York Times, The New York Review of Books and Project Syndicate. Visit her at: www.anastasiaedel.com. MLF Organizer: Norma Walden In association with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, UC Berkeley

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Trump and the Middle East 2019 Apr 15, 2019

This is the third annual panel about how the Trump presidency is affecting the Middle East. Some experts continue to believe that Trump is destabilizing the region with his impulsive decisions and dangerous rhetoric and actions, while others believe that he is making America safer. Our distinguished panel will continue the conversation. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East

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Valerie Jarrett: Politics, the Obamas and Finding My Voice Apr 13, 2019

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Despite the almost constant streams of media reporting on the White House, very few people know what really goes on in the West Wing. Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to the president in the Obama administration, is one of those people. From the day she interviewed a young Michelle Robinson in July 1991 to the night of January 20, 2017, when the first family departed the White House, Jarrett has been a trusted confidante and a close friend of the Obama family. In her book, Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward, Jarrett shares her story of growing up with American parents in the town of Shiraz, Iran, living in Chicago during the civil rights movement and ultimately finding her voice in public service. She led the Obama administration’s criminal justice reforms, advocated for women’s rights and political empowerment, and fought to improve the lives of working families. Join us for a conversation with the woman The New York Times called the “ultimate Obama insider.” She will share her unique perspective into the inner workings of the White House and the inspiring story of how she got there.

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Foursome: Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O’Keeffe, Paul Strand, Rebecca Salsbury Apr 13, 2019

Foursome is the spirited account of the intense relationship among four artists whose strong personalities, passionate feelings and aesthetic ideals drew them together, pulled them apart and profoundly influenced 20th-century art. In 1921, Alfred Stieglitz, the most influential figure in early 20th-century photography, celebrated the success of his latest New York City exhibition, whose centerpiece was a series of nude portraits of the young Georgia O'Keeffe (soon to be his wife). It was also a turning point for both O'Keeffe and Rebecca Salsbury, the fiancée of Stieglitz's protégé at the time, Paul Strand. In the years that followed, O'Keeffe and Stieglitz became the preeminent couple in American modern art, spurring each other's creativity. Observing that relationship led Salsbury to encourage new artistic possibilities for Strand and to rethink her own potential as an artist. In fact, it was Salsbury, the least known of the four, who was the main thread that wove the two couples' lives together. Carolyn Burke mines this foursome's correspondence to reveal how each inspired, provoked and unsettled the others while pursuing their own artistic innovations. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Max Brooks and ML Cavanaugh: How Game of Thrones Explains Modern Military Strategy Apr 13, 2019

Who will claim the Iron Throne and why? On the eve of the premiere of the final season of “Game of Thrones,” Max Brooks and ML Cavanaugh’s new book brings together 30 expert strategists to answer that question and engage in questions surrounding the most popular television series of our time. As characters battle for power and control, there is magic and witchcraft, fiery dragons, frozen zombies, chaotic combat, swordplay and brutal intrigue, creating one of the most intense worldwide strategy plotlines in contemporary television. By applying the theories of our actual world to the examples in fictional Westeros (including Tyrion Lannister’s unlikely success, Daenerys Targaryen’s fire-strafing dragons and Jon Snow’s abilities as a leader), Brooks and Cavanaugh will discern the fascinating connections between George R. R. Martin's fantasy world and real war and politics.

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Innovate for Good Conference, Segment 1 of 3 Apr 12, 2019

SEGMENT 1 Are you looking to do good and still run a profitable business? Learn from globally recognized CEOs, professors and inspirational business leaders who have already taken action on their passion to change the world. From powerful keynotes to panel discussions and Q&As, you will leave with new ideas to innovate for good at your enterprise. Schedule: 11:45–12:30 p.m.—Check-in and lunch 12:30 p.m.—Opening Remarks: Donald Heller, Provost, University of San Francisco and Elizabeth Davis, Dean of the School of Management, University of San Francisco. 12:40 p.m.—Overview of the Conference: William Riggs, Assistant Professor, School of Management at the University of San Francisco 12:45 p.m.—Innovating Complex Organizations for Good Elizabeth Davis, Dean of the School of Management, University of San Francisco Therese McMillan, Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission 1:30 p.m.—Break 1:40 p.m.—Microtalk: Kelley Nayo-Jahi, Community Resources Lead, Landed 1:45 p.m.—Social Impact and Investing / Finance Nick Hodges, SVP and COO, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors—Moderator Daryl Collins, CFO, Bankable Frontiers Maurice Jones, President and CEO, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Maya Perkins, Strategic Initiatives Manager, Facebook Kim Wright-Violich, Managing Partner, Tideline 2:30 p.m.—Break 2:40 p.m.—Microtalk: Regina Clewlow, CEO and Co-Founder, Populus 2:45 p.m.—Cities & The Environment Molly Wood, Host, Marketplace Tech—Moderator Robert Grant, VP Global Government Affairs, Cruise Stephen Hardy, CEO, mySidewalk Lenny Mendonca, Chief Economic and Business Advisor to Governor Newsom Kevin Peterson, Co-Founder and CEO, Marble Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland 3:30 p.m.–4 p.m.—Presentation of Harari Award Presentation and Concluding Thoughts Hosted by University of San Francisco School of Management, in partnership with Commonwealth Club of California

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Innovate for Good Conference, Segment 2 of 3 Apr 12, 2019

SEGMENT 2 Are you looking to do good and still run a profitable business? Learn from globally recognized CEOs, professors and inspirational business leaders who have already taken action on their passion to change the world. From powerful keynotes to panel discussions and Q&As, you will leave with new ideas to innovate for good at your enterprise. Schedule: 11:45–12:30 p.m.—Check-in and lunch 12:30 p.m.—Opening Remarks: Donald Heller, Provost, University of San Francisco and Elizabeth Davis, Dean of the School of Management, University of San Francisco. 12:40 p.m.—Overview of the Conference: William Riggs, Assistant Professor, School of Management at the University of San Francisco 12:45 p.m.—Innovating Complex Organizations for Good Elizabeth Davis, Dean of the School of Management, University of San Francisco Therese McMillan, Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission 1:30 p.m.—Break 1:40 p.m.—Microtalk: Kelley Nayo-Jahi, Community Resources Lead, Landed 1:45 p.m.—Social Impact and Investing / Finance Nick Hodges, SVP and COO, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors—Moderator Daryl Collins, CFO, Bankable Frontiers Maurice Jones, President and CEO, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Maya Perkins, Strategic Initiatives Manager, Facebook Kim Wright-Violich, Managing Partner, Tideline 2:30 p.m.—Break 2:40 p.m.—Microtalk: Regina Clewlow, CEO and Co-Founder, Populus 2:45 p.m.—Cities & The Environment Molly Wood, Host, Marketplace Tech—Moderator Robert Grant, VP Global Government Affairs, Cruise Stephen Hardy, CEO, mySidewalk Lenny Mendonca, Chief Economic and Business Advisor to Governor Newsom Kevin Peterson, Co-Founder and CEO, Marble Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland 3:30 p.m.–4 p.m.—Presentation of Harari Award Presentation and Concluding Thoughts Hosted by University of San Francisco School of Management, in partnership with Commonwealth Club of California

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Innovate for Good Conference, Segment 3 of 3 Apr 12, 2019

SEGMENT 3 Are you looking to do good and still run a profitable business? Learn from globally recognized CEOs, professors and inspirational business leaders who have already taken action on their passion to change the world. From powerful keynotes to panel discussions and Q&As, you will leave with new ideas to innovate for good at your enterprise. Schedule: 11:45–12:30 p.m.—Check-in and lunch 12:30 p.m.—Opening Remarks: Donald Heller, Provost, University of San Francisco and Elizabeth Davis, Dean of the School of Management, University of San Francisco. 12:40 p.m.—Overview of the Conference: William Riggs, Assistant Professor, School of Management at the University of San Francisco 12:45 p.m.—Innovating Complex Organizations for Good Elizabeth Davis, Dean of the School of Management, University of San Francisco Therese McMillan, Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission 1:30 p.m.—Break 1:40 p.m.—Microtalk: Kelley Nayo-Jahi, Community Resources Lead, Landed 1:45 p.m.—Social Impact and Investing / Finance Nick Hodges, SVP and COO, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors—Moderator Daryl Collins, CFO, Bankable Frontiers Maurice Jones, President and CEO, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Maya Perkins, Strategic Initiatives Manager, Facebook Kim Wright-Violich, Managing Partner, Tideline 2:30 p.m.—Break 2:40 p.m.—Microtalk: Regina Clewlow, CEO and Co-Founder, Populus 2:45 p.m.—Cities & The Environment Molly Wood, Host, Marketplace Tech—Moderator Robert Grant, VP Global Government Affairs, Cruise Stephen Hardy, CEO, mySidewalk Lenny Mendonca, Chief Economic and Business Advisor to Governor Newsom Kevin Peterson, Co-Founder and CEO, Marble Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland 3:30 p.m.–4 p.m.—Presentation of Harari Award Presentation and Concluding Thoughts Hosted by University of San Francisco School of Management, in partnership with Commonwealth Club of California

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New San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju Apr 11, 2019

Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. This week's guest is Manohar Raju. Raju is the newly appointed public defender for San Francisco. Before being chosen by Mayor London Breed to succeed the late Jeff Adachi, Raju worked in the public defender's office for 11 years, some of which he spent as director of training and then as felony manager. Previously he worked at the Contra Costa Public Defender's Office. Raju did his undergraduate studies at Columbia University and earned his Master's in South Asian studies from the University of California Berkeley. He also attended UC Berkeley for law school. He is a founding member of Public Defenders for Racial Justice.

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Week to Week Political Roundtable 4/10/19 Apr 11, 2019

Join us as we discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! And come early before the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our members social (open to all attendees). ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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The Penalty for Success: My Father Was Lynched in Alabama Apr 10, 2019

Monday Night Philosophy investigates the painful reality that succeeding in business is not always an advantage in America. In fact, if you were black in the Jim Crow South, it could get you killed. Elmore Bolling, a successful entrepreneur, was lynched in Lowndes County, Alabama in 1947 when his youngest daughter, Josephine Bolling McCall, was five years old. Over 70 years later, Bolling is now honored in the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which opened in Montgomery last year. In her book, The Penalty for Success, McCall tells the story of her father’s murder and the impact it had—and still has—on her family and her community. She offers a revealing narrative that challenges us to rethink the reality of life for both blacks and whites in the rural South during Jim Crow, where whites used lynching to destroy competition from black business owners as part of a pattern of racial violence that terrorized African-Americans for generations and has yet to be adequately addressed in America. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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The Power of Youth in Our Politics Apr 09, 2019

Gun violence. #BlackLivesMatter. Climate change. Voting rights. Despite a sense of alienation from civic engagement in today’s political atmosphere, young leaders continue to take up the charge across these and other critical issues, demanding a better future, wielding their votes and pushing the country forward to create change. In his book Generation Citizen: The Power of Youth in Our Politics, Scott Warren, co-founder and CEO of Generation Citizen, recounts his personal political awakening and the long and inspiring history of young people enacting significant political change in the United States, ranging from the civil rights movement to the Parkland students’ stance against gun violence. Since its founding in 2010 when Warren was a senior at Brown University, Generation Citizen has worked with more than 50,000 students across the country to engage them in politics as the next generation of future leaders through an innovative curriculum and hands-on opportunities to dig into the civic process, creating new channels for learning and capacity building to make a difference locally and nationally. Join Warren at INFORUM, alongside other rising voices in youth leadership and civic engagement, for an inspiring conversation about the political potential of youth and students and the future of American social change. Notes In association with YR Media, a national network of young journalists and artists

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Farming to Save the Earth Apr 09, 2019

One of the best-kept secrets in combating the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity and agricultural productivity is a return to an agriculture model that sustained people and the planet prior to the age of industrial agriculture. The answer to the future of farming is to look to the past. Beginning from the modern sustainable agricultural and slow food movement, California's early pioneers in organic farming have redefined the meaning of sustainability. The new models for an earth-friendly, food-healthy system have drawn from the teachings of Rudolf Steiner—noted scientist, philosopher and founder of the Waldorf School. Interestingly, he was instrumental in helping European farmers combat the rapid decline in seed fertility, crop vitality and animal health on their farms. Join fourth-generation winemaker Paul Dolan, former chairman of the Wine Institute and former president of Fetzer Vineyards, who led a transformation that put the company at the forefront of organic viticulture and sustainable business. Today, besides growing and making biodynamic wines, Dolan is a leader in redefining the farming system, with a focus on regenerative agriculture and biodynamic farming. Joining Dolan is Roots of Change (ROC) president Michael Dimock, an organizer and thought leader on food and farming systems. ROC develops and campaigns for smart, incentive-based food and farm policies that position agriculture and food enterprises as solutions to critical challenges of the 21st century. He is the host of the new podcast “Flipping the Table,” featuring honest conversations about food, farms and the future. Dimock serves on the boards of the UCLA Law School’s Resnick food law and policy program, Farm to Pantry, the Wild Farm Alliance and Sonoma Academy.

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Our Inner Ecology—It's All About Shifting How We Think Apr 09, 2019

Nora Bateson’s cinematic vision will help you to see the world in a different way. At the bottom of the climate crisis is the problem of how we think and how we encounter the world. In conversation with Gil Friend, they will have a conversation about new forms of leadership. In today’s complex world, the tools they are offering can be applied to problem solving the pressing dilemmas of our time. Join Friend and Bateson as they explore warm data, the patterns that connect, the dilemma of purpose and the ways our words shape the worlds we inhabit. It is about the possibilities we generate, in each other and in ourselves. As Gregory Bateson said, "The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think." MLF Organizer: Elizabeth Carney MLF: Business & Leadership In partnership with Presidio Graduate School

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Clive Thompson: How Tech Remade the World Apr 09, 2019

When we think of the people behind the most influential technological advances of our day, we usually imagine the leaders of the industry but forget the armies behind them: coders. Dedicated to the pursuit of higher efficiency, these lovers of logic and puzzles are able to withstand unbelievable amounts of frustration; they are arguably the most quietly influential people on the planet. In his new book, Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World, Clive Thompson argues just that. Through increasingly pervasive artificial intelligence, coders have a larger and larger role to play. Thompson analyzes how embedded this industry is in our lives, questioning the lack of geographic and demographic diversity in the sector while outlining his optimistic view on the opportunities that this age of code can unlock. Join us for a conversation about this frequently misunderstood industry culture and a refreshingly enthusiastic take on its future. Thompson is a freelance journalist and one of the most prominent technology writers. He is a longtime contributor to The New York Times Magazine and a columnist for Wired. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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America and the Great Power Competition Apr 09, 2019

Retired Vice Admiral Charles W. Martoglio of the U.S. Navy will discuss America’s greatest security challenge of the 21st century, the increasingly competitive rivalry posed by China and Russia teaming against American interests at home and around the world. He’ll discuss the global security environment, how China and Russia are challenging America, internal challenges faced by Russia and China, and America’s way ahead to ensure its global position in this increasingly dynamic and competitive world. MLF Organizer: Linda Calhoun MLF: International Relations

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Invisible Women's Voices Finally Being Heard Apr 09, 2019

In her book Sacred Voices: Stories from the Caravan of Women, Mariam Baker shows how we are all connected, and how women can lead the way. Finding herself strongly connected to Islam and Sufism since she was 20 years old, Baker, who grew up Catholic in the United States, conducts workshops all over the world, bridging the divide between Islam and the West. Believing it’s about time the greatness of women’s wisdom is spoken and heard, her lifelong work is devoted to empowering us all, especially women, with the goal of freeing women’s voices throughout the world and amongst all religions. Baker has led a rich and varied life that has helped launch her career as a spiritual teacher, conducting workshops all over the world. A specialist in women's and religious studies, she has spoken throughout the United States and in Canada, Brazil, Germany, Ireland, Russia, Tunisia and Australia. A leader in women’s spirituality since the 1970s, Baker has dedicated herself to uncovering the voices that have been forgotten, shunted aside or deliberately silenced. MLF Organizer: Denise Michaud MLF: Grownups

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Janet Napolitano: Homeland Security Since 9/11 Apr 04, 2019

The Department of Homeland Security seems to appear in the headlines and in the media more and more often. Covering everything from terrorism prevention, law enforcement, disaster recovery and public safety, the department’s goals can often seem self-contradictory and overly politicized, especially today. Few people understand this better than Janet Napolitano, who served as the Secretary of Homeland Security from 2009-2013. In her new book, How Safe Are We? Homeland Security Since 9/11, Napolitano unabashedly acknowledges the shortcomings and challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security today, especially the politicization of border security and our lagging cybersecurity sector. But she also makes a pragmatic and honest case for its successes and explains the ways in which Homeland Security does indeed make us safer. Join us for a discussion that chronicles the evolution of our national security and cuts through the political noise that too often dominates these conversations.

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Black Futures Lab and the Black Census Project Apr 03, 2019

The issues facing black communities are often complicated, nuanced and heavily weighted by centuries of historical injustice. Black Futures Lab, founded by Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza, works to make black people powerful in politics by transforming black communities into constituencies that build power in cities and states. The Black Futures Lab recently completed the largest survey of black people since Reconstruction, with nearly 40,000 respondents from diverse communities across the nation. The survey included questions regarding many defining characteristics, including gender, sexuality, age and other categories, and it dug into several key issues rooted in inequality and to understand better what black communities desire for their futures. Join Garza and other cultural leaders, scholars and experts for a conversation about the inaugural data results and how to use this data to create solutions with lasting impact.

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Guy Kawasaki: Lessons from Silicon Valley Apr 03, 2019

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Guy Kawasaki has been a fixture in Silicon Valley and the tech world since he was part of Apple's original Macintosh team in the 1980s. He's widely respected as a source of wisdom about entrepreneurship, venture capital, marketing and business evangelism. But before all that, he was just a middle-class kid in Hawaii, a grandson of Japanese immigrants. Kawaski's new book, Wise Guy, is this unique tech icon's opportunity to share what he has learned throughout his life. In his more than 10 previous best-selling books, Kawasaki has shared business insights that have been taught at business schools across the country and inspired innovators. In this most recent book, Kawsaki takes readers through his surprising journey and focuses on the experiences that have enlightened and inspired him. Guy covers everything from moral values to business skills to parenting. At a time when the tech world is under a microscope and wide swaths of the public are looking for more from their business leaders, Kawasaki's latest book comes at a perfect time, for him and the general public. Please join for a conversation with one of the top tech leaders of our time. Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online graphic design tool. He is a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz and an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. He was the chief evangelist of Apple and a trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. He is also the author of The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment and nine other books. ***This Program Contains Explicit Language***

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Achieve Fool Realization on April Fools' Day Apr 03, 2019

Celebrate the lunch hour on April Fools’ Day by sitting at the feet of cosmic comic Swami Beyondananda, whose favorite yoga pose is tongue in cheek. Swami will help you laugh lovingly at our human foolishness till the sacred cows come home. And at least one lucky person in the audience will achieve “fool realization" as to why author Marianne Williamson has called Swami the Mark Twain of our times. Come in darkness (to get a good seat), but expect to be enlightened. And BYOF (bring your own friends), because when it comes to laughter, the more the merrier. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Deep Medicine Apr 02, 2019

One of America's top doctors reveals how artificial intelligence (AI) will empower physicians and revolutionize patient care. Medicine has become inhuman to disastrous effect. The doctor–patient relationship—the heart of medicine—is broken: Doctors are too distracted and overwhelmed to truly connect with their patients, and medical errors and misdiagnoses abound. In his latest book, Deep Medicine, Topol reveals how AI can help. AI has the potential to transform everything doctors do, from note-taking and medical scans to diagnosis and treatment, greatly cutting down the cost of medicine and reducing human mortality. By freeing physicians from the tasks that interfere with human connection, AI will create space for the real healing that takes place between a doctor who can listen and a patient who needs to be heard. MLF Organizer Name: Bill Grant MLF: Health & Medicine

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Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter: Why Competition in the Politics Industry Is Failing America Apr 01, 2019

Many Americans are horrified about the dysfunction and abysmal results from Washington, D.C., say Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter, and they argue that they have a realistic approach to changing this. They say our political problems are not due to a single cause but rather to a failure of the nature of the political competition that has been created—a systems problem. Come for a rare visit with two of America’s top business thinkers as they turn their focus to realigning America’s political system through the Gehl Porter politics industry theory. Katherine M. Gehl is a business leader, author and speaker. She was president and CEO of Gehl Foods, a $250 million high-tech food manufacturing company in Wisconsin, where she led a transformational growth strategy and received multiple awards before selling the company in 2015—in part to dedicate more time to political reform. Her career includes roles in the private and public sectors including at Oracle Corporation, Bernstein Investment Research and Management, Mayor Richard M. Daley’s office at the city of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools. In 2018, she co-founded Democracy Found, a Wisconsin-based initiative mobilizing a bipartisan group of leaders to implement electoral innovations in Wisconsin. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame and holds an MA from Catholic University and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Michael E. Porter is an economist, researcher, author, advisor, speaker and teacher. Throughout his lifetime career at Harvard Business School, he has brought economic theory and strategy concepts to bear on many of the most challenging problems facing corporations, economies and societies, including market competition and company strategy, economic development, the environment and health care. He is the author of 19 books and over 130 articles and is the most-cited scholar today in economics and business. Porter graduated from Princeton University and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a doctorate from Harvard’s department of economics.

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CLIMATE ONE: Insane Mode: Tesla’s Wild Ride Mar 31, 2019

Despite having the top-selling luxury car in 2018, and a loyal if not rabid customer base, Tesla has been facing major challenges. In August, maverick CEO Elon Musk was slapped with SEC charges over some rather misleading tweets. That move cost him and the company millions in fines and forced Musk to step down as chairman. Other skid-marks for Tesla include production delays, shareholder skittishness and some well-publicized workplace complaints. Host Greg Dalton invites three journalists and Tesla-watchers to assess the health of Tesla, its overall impact on the auto industry and its future as a leader in the green economy.

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Amy Webb: The Dangers of AI Mar 31, 2019

Some would say that the magic of artificial intelligence, or AI, is that its users are its primary source of power. As we navigate a Facebook page or ask Alexa a question, we provide data inputs at virtually no cost. Others, such as Amy Webb, would argue that this is AI’s most dangerous characteristic. This is because our data contributions are subject to such limited oversight. Webb is the founder of the Future Today Institute, a leading foresight and strategy firm that advises Fortune 500 companies, international nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and government agencies. A clear lover of new experiences, reporting and data, today she is a self-described quantitative futurist. Since future trends are usually present on the fringe of society before they appear in the mainstream, Webb’s line of work uses data-driven models to report on the probabilities of the future. Her latest predictions, as laid out in her book The Big Nine: How Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity, give three scenarios for the future of artificial intelligence—optimistic, pragmatic and catastrophic. For each scenario, she provides practical measures that can be taken to address the most pressing issues. Her lesson in foresight is an important one as AI becomes more powerful and embedded within our everyday lives. Join us for a compelling discussion on the future of artificial intelligence—and what we can do about it.

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An Evening with Governor Jerry Brown and Anne Gust Brown Mar 30, 2019

Join us for the first joint public appearance by the former governor and first lady since leaving office. Here’s a rare opportunity to hear their views on issues impacting the state, the United States and the world, in addition to learning about their unique relationship. Come for an engaging, unabashed and lively conversation, and bring your questions. Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown Jr. served four terms as California’s governor in addition to being the state’s attorney general and mayor of Oakland. He graduated from UC Berkeley and attended Yale Law School. His achievements include: eliminating the state’s multibillion dollar budget deficit, cutting the state’s unemployment rate to a record low, adding nearly three million new jobs, expanding health coverage, and enacting sweeping reforms in the areas of public safety, immigration, workers’ compensation, water, pension, education, housing and economic development. Under Brown, California also established nation-leading targets to protect the environment and fight climate change. Anne Gust Brown married Governor Brown in 2005 and served as unpaid special counsel to the governor. Gust Brown grew up in Michigan and graduated from Stanford University and the University of Michigan Law School. She previously served as general counsel and chief administrative officer at Gap Inc. and helped run a number of Governor Brown’s successful campaigns.

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Taraji P. Henson: The Best of Enemies Mar 30, 2019

Join Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson, director Robin Bissell and producer Dominique Telson for a powerful conversation about the civil rights era and their new film, The Best of Enemies. While the 1960s in the United States were rife with violent racial tensions, Durham, North Carolina is a crucial anchor in the history of the civil rights movement. From hosting the country’s first sit-in to various visits from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, the city is the birthplace of many unsung heroes in the movement, including Ann Atwater. In 1971, civil rights activist Ann Atwater teamed up with an unlikely ally, KKK member C.P. Ellis, after a decade-long feud. Together, they shared a goal to reduce school violence and ensure peaceful desegregation. Atwater’s story and her friendship with Ellis is finally being told for audiences around the world in the upcoming film The Best of Enemies, starring Taraji P. Henson. Henson rose to fame with powerful roles in the television show “Empire” and the films Hidden Figures and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Join Henson, Bissell and Telson at INFORUM as they all discuss the making of the film, Atwater’s incredible life and the immense power of finding a common ground with everyone. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Mayor Pete Buttigieg: Democratic Presidential Candidate Mar 29, 2019

At 37 years old, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg already has a few firsts under his belt. In 2011 and at the age of 29, he was elected mayor of South Bend, IN, making him the youngest mayor of a U.S. city with at least 100,000 residents, and the first openly gay municipal executive in Indiana. In December 2018, he announced his 2020 campaign for the presidency and is now the first millennial and the first openly gay presidential candidate. With fellow politicians like President Barack Obama touting him as the future of the Democratic Party, Buttigieg is seemingly in for an incredible year. Join INFORUM for a conversation with the presidential hopeful, moderated by Mother Jones Editor-in-Chief Clara Jeffery, as they discuss Buttigieg’s quickly rising star, the importance of representation in American politics, and his desire to be the “fresh start” he feels our country needs.

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Water from the Wilderness: San Francisco's Water Supply Post 1906 and in the Era of Climate Change Mar 28, 2019

A 100+ years ago, no one might have imagined putting a dam in a national park. But San Francisco did just that after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Building the O'Shaughnessy Dam was not easy. Some fought the process; others still want to see the dam dismantled. Yet, for more than a 100 years, the dam has been the water center for San Francisco and millions of Californians who rely on pure water and clean energy. But can our Hetch Hetchy water and energy systems survive a changing climate? Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jim Yager will share his new documentary film, Water from the Wilderness, about the past, present and changing climates and times. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Ann Clark NOTES MLF: Environment & Natural Resources

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Chancellor Carol Christ: The New Initiatives at UC Berkeley Mar 28, 2019

It is not news that UC Berkeley is under continual financial pressure due to a challenging mix of increased enrollment, insufficient state funding and a tuition freeze. But by July 2019 Berkeley is expected to return to a balanced budget and financial health, and Chancellor Carol Christ is already looking to the future. Hear her discuss a new vision for undergraduate education that goes beyond the completion of assignments to immersion in the discovery and the creation of knowledge. Christ’s signature Initiatives include: translating UCB’s research into inventions, governmental policies and services that advance the greater good; emphasizing research initiatives like Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, which span the old dividing lines between disciplines, departments and even institutions; supporting the exploding interest in data science across the full range of academic disciplines; implementing a new free speech policy that sustains a commitment to the First Amendment while supporting the campus community’s values and protecting Berkeley’s actual operations from unnecessary disruption; and promoting diversity as an essential element for a campus that seeks to embody and represent California and that needs to prepare students to succeed in a multicultural world. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly: Managing Inflation in the Current Economy Mar 28, 2019

The Bumpy Road to Two Percent Ten years into a historic economic expansion, inflation remains surprisingly subdued. Is this a problem or a benefit? San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly will talk about navigating this debate and finding clarity as a policymaker. Daly became president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco on October 1, 2018. In this role, she participates on the Federal Open Market Committee, bringing the 12th district’s perspective to monetary policy discussions in Washington, D.C. Daly is a widely respected expert on labor markets with an unusual breadth of personal experience. She dropped out of high school at the age of 15, working in a doughnut shop and at Target before a friend persuaded her to earn a general education diploma. She worked her way through college at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, then earned a doctorate from Syracuse University before joining the Fed in 1996. Prior to her appointment to president, Daly served as the bank’s executive vice president and director of research. Daly has become a strong voice for increasing diversity among the leadership ranks of the Federal Reserve System by building the pipeline of women and minorities entering the economics profession. Come hear a unique perspective from an official responsible for supporting a safe, sound and stable American financial system.

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A Way to Find One's Purpose (and, Coincidentally, Happiness and Contentment) Mar 26, 2019

A fable: A man is seen riding a horse galloping at top speed, careening through the main street of town. His friend shouts to him as he goes by, “Where are you going?” “I don’t know,” the man yells back. “Ask the horse.” If this story seems familiar, if you're scrambling to find your path, or if you have the sinking feeling that you're doing a great job on what is probably the wrong path, then consider taking a contemplative, spiritual pause—a chance to reflect and reorient—with Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian. O’Brian—ordained in the path of Kriya Yoga by Roy Eugene Davis, direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda—will lead a discussion of how to find one's life's purpose from a spiritual perspective. We'll look at how to find that purpose, and how to move towards its realization. O’Brian will show us a way to meditate and will share some surprisingly useful, millennia-tested methods for staying focused on one's goals even when tired, overwhelmed, doubtful or resistant. MLF Organizer Name: Eric Siegel MLF: Personal Growth

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Representative Joe Kennedy III Mar 25, 2019

Representative Joe Kennedy III, at just 38, has already made a name for himself in Democratic politics. Elected in 2012 to his first term representing Massachusetts, he quickly rose to prominence as one of the younger voices in Congress. He gained new national recognition when he was chosen to give the Democratic response to the 2018 State of the Union and recently introduced Senator Elizabeth Warren (D–MA) when she made her public announcement to run for president of the United States in the 2020 election. Since he took office, Kennedy has leveraged his role to champion economic and social issues locally and nationally, including American manufacturing, workforce development, a livable minimum wage, affordable health care, mental health and addiction care, civil rights, immigration, and energy costs, with a focus on bipartisan efforts. He is a member of the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee and chairs Congress’ Transgender Equality Task Force. Locally, Kennedy remains closely in touch with his constituents by committing to his ongoing Tour 34, an initiative where he holds constituent office hours in all 34 Fourth District municipalities. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation with a rising star of the Democratic Party about the future of a new generation of politicians and the key challenges facing the American people today.

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The Great Leap with BD Wong, Arye Gross and Tim Liu Mar 25, 2019

Now appearing on stage in an international drama of cultural identity, global politics and an intergenerational clash of cultures, Tony Award-winning actor BD Wong stars as the coach of a Chinese basketball team facing his former mentor, the coach of an American team. Tim Liu and Arye Gross co-star in this acclaimed play from Bay Area playwright Lauren Yee. Join us for a lively discussion with Wong, Liu and Gross about their careers, this play, and more. Gross, Liu and Wong are appearing in "The Great Leap" at American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in San Francisco from March 6–31.

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Korea: Two Ambassadors, Two Perspectives Mar 25, 2019

Following President Trump’s second summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, what does the future hold for relations between South and North Korea as well as between both Koreas and the United States? Here is a chance for a rare visit with the U.S. and South Korean Ambassadors who are closely involved with these issues. They will discuss the economic and political relationship between the United States and South Korea and the outlook for diplomacy with North Korea and the entire region. On August 30, 2017, Cho Yoon-je was nominated as the Republic of Korea’s ambassador to the United States by President Moon Jae-in. Cho was part of the emeritus faculty at Sogang University’s Graduate School of International Studies. He completed both a master’s and doctorate in economics at Stanford University. Harry B. Harris Jr. was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Korea on June 29, 2018. Prior to his nomination, Harris was an admiral in the U.S. Navy, serving as commander. U.S. Pacific Commander Harris graduated from the Naval Academy and went on to receive an MPA from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and an MA from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. From January 2017 until April 2018, he was the U.S. Navy’s longest-serving Naval Academy graduate still on active duty. In association with the Korea Economic Institute of America Ambassadors’ Dialogue program

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CLIMATE ONE: Naturally Wired: Getting Outside in the Digital Age Mar 22, 2019

What does it take to get people off their phones and into the outdoors? Research has shown the deleterious effects of electronics on weight, sleep, and cognitive development in children. Other barriers like income and proximity to nature make access to the outdoors extremely challenging for some families. Meanwhile, doctors have started prescribing hikes over medications, and terms like “forest schools” and “unstructured playtime” are new buzzwords. So how do we encourage outdoor curiosity and conservation in a generation raised on screen time?

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California Education Chief Tony Thurmond Mar 22, 2019

Education Week magazine reported in 2017 that among all states, California’s K–12 public education ranked 41st in conditions that help children succeed, 39th in school finance and 30th in achievement. So what can we expect in 2019? In a major upset against his opponent Marshall Tuck, Tony Thurmond was elected California State Superintendent of Public Instruction this past November. He was the endorsed candidate of the California Democratic Party and all five 2018 California Teachers of the Year. He previously represented the 15th Assembly District, which encompasses the northern East Bay. Thurmond became the second African-American to hold the office and fourth African-American to win statewide office in California following Wilson Riles. Prior to being elected to the Assembly in 2014, he was a member of the Richmond City Council, a board member of the West Contra Costa Unified School District and social services administrator. Come hear his plans for improving California’s schools. In association with CALMatters

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What You Need to Know Before You’re 65: A Medicare Primer Mar 22, 2019

If you are approaching the Medicare qualifying age of 65 and Medicare seems like one big alphabetical maze to you, you are not alone. For most, a true understanding of how Medicare works, what options are best for you, and when or how to sign up is not clear at all. Learn the ABC and Ds of Medicare as well as the realities of what to expect and what not to expect. Here’s what every boomer needs to know before they turn 65. MLF Organizer: Denise Michaud MLF: Grownups

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James Lapine, William Finn, Spencer Liff and Jordan Roth: Inside 'Falsettos', on The Michelle Meow Show Mar 21, 2019

Join us for a special edition of The Michelle Meow Show at The Commonwealth Club, as we welcome the director and the choreographer of "Falsettos," the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical now running at SHN Golden Gate Theatre from March 19–April 14. "Falsettos" tells the story of a charming, intelligent, neurotic gay man named Marvin, his wife, lover, son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbians next door. James Lapine wrote the book and directed the Broadway musical Falsettos in 1992. His extensive experience on stage and film includes directing the films Impromptu (written by his wife, Sarah Kernochan), Earthly Possessions, and Custody. His decades of work on and off Broadway have earned him many honors, including the Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the 2015 Mr. Abbott Award from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation "in recognition of a lifetime of exceptional achievement in the theatre." Spencer Liff has been a resident choreographer for the past nine seasons of "So You Think You Can Dance" on the Fox network, where he was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding choreography. His other TV credits include the "One Day at a Time" revival, "Dancing With the Stars," "2 Broke Girls," "Parks and Recreation," and many other programs. His stage credits include serving as choreographer for the critically acclaimed Broadway revival of "Spring Awakening," and providing the musical staging for the Tony Award-winning revival of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," starring Neil Patrick Harris. He won the 2008 Fred Astaire Award as best male dancer on Broadway for his role in "Crybaby." Last minute adds: Special guests William Finn and Jordan Roth! ** This Podcast May Contain Explicit Language **

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Congresswoman Jackie Speier Mar 21, 2019

Jackie Speier was 28 when she joined congressman Leo Ryan’s delegation to rescue defectors from cult leader Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana. Ryan was killed on the airstrip tarmac, and Speier was shot five times at point-blank range. While recovering from what would become one of the most harrowing tragedies in recent history, Speier had to choose: Would she become a victim or a fighter? The choice to survive against unfathomable odds empowered her with a resolve to become a vocal proponent for human rights. From the formative nightmare that radically molded her perspective and instincts to the devastating personal and professional challenges that would follow, her memoir, Undaunted, reveals the perseverance of a determined force in American politics. Deeply rooted in Speier’s experiences as a widow, a mother, a congresswoman and a fighter, hers is a story of true resilience, one that will inspire other women to draw strength from adversity in order to do what is right—no matter the challenges ahead. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Written in Stone: Public Monuments in Changing Societies Mar 21, 2019

Twenty years after Written in Stone was first published, the questions it asked are more relevant than ever. Is it Stalinist for a formerly communist country to tear down a statue of Stalin? Should the Confederate flag be allowed to fly over the South Carolina state capitol? Is it possible for America to honor General Custer and also the Sioux Nation, both Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln? Indeed, can a liberal, multicultural society memorialize anyone at all, or is it committed to a strict neutrality about the quality of the lives led by its citizens? Levinson considers the tangled responses of ever-changing societies to their monuments, drawing on examples from Albania to Zimbabwe, Moscow to Managua. He looks at social and legal arguments regarding the display, construction, modification and destruction of public monuments. And he asks what kinds of claims the past has on the present, particularly if the present is defined in dramatic opposition to its past values. He also addresses how a culture might memorialize its historical figures and events in ways that are beneficial to all its members, adding a thoughtful and crucial voice into debates surrounding historical accuracy and representation. MLF Organizer Name: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Week to Week Politics Roundtable 3/20/19 Mar 21, 2019

Join us as we discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! And come early before the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our members social (open to all attendees).

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John Hope Bryant: The Path to Financial Liberation Mar 20, 2019

This program was originally recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on February 27, 2018. John Hope Bryant is an entrepreneur, author, advisor and one of the nation’s most recognized empowerment leaders. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of Operation Hope and the Bryant Group Companies and The Promise Homes Company, the largest for-profit minority-controlled owners of institutional-quality, single-family residential rental homes in the United States. He is also one of the top-selling African-American business authors in America. Along with Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland, Bryant is also a co-founder of Global Dignity. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum. In his new book, The Memo, Bryant argues that true power in this world comes from economic independence, but too many people don’t have enough money left at the end of the month. His message is simple: The supermajority of people who live in poverty, whom Bryant calls the invisible class, as well as millions in the struggling middle class, haven’t gotten “the memo”—until now. Come for an engaging discussion on achieving financial literacy and approaching wealth with a completely new attitude … and about how the path to liberation is hiding in plain sight. Notes: Special thanks to Bank of the West for their support of programming and commitment to community.

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John Lanchester and Michael Lewis in Conversation Mar 19, 2019

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Even with just a two-word title, John Lanchester’s newest novel, The Wall, evokes the political divisiveness our time. In this dystopian future, current political issues are taken to their logical extremes: issues of mass immigration (and populist reactions against it) are cast as symptoms of the ultimate problem of climate change. Lanchester’s ability to merge reality with metaphor make the novel a poignant wake-up call in the context of global politics, which are often too shortsighted. Join us with moderator Michael Lewis, best-selling author of Moneyball and The Big Short, for a witty back-and-forth between two authors who both have a knack for understanding some of the largest political issues of our time—and more importantly, know how to communicate them in an effective and engaging way. **This Program Contains Explicit Language**

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Creating a Global Sustainable Future Mar 19, 2019

The free market, limited government development model has been an ecological and social disaster for the developing world. Sustainable and equitable development is possible only with the active involvement of a strong central state that can guide the economy, protect the environment and prioritize meeting its people's basic needs. In his latest book, The Sustainable State, Chandran Nair shows that the market-dominated model followed by the industrialized West is simply not scalable. The United States alone, with less than 5 percent of the world's population, consumes nearly a quarter of its resources. If countries in Asia, where 60 percent of the world's population lives, try to follow the western lead, the results will be calamitous. Instead, Nair argues that development must be directed by a state that is willing and able to intervene in the economy. Corporations, which demand ever-expanding consumption, need to be directed toward meeting societal needs or otherwise restrained, not unleashed. Development needs to be oriented toward the greatest good—clean drinking water for the many has to take precedence over swimming pools for the few. Nair provides three compelling case studies demonstrating the benefits of such strong state governance and the failings of weak state governance. This will mean rethinking the meaning of concepts such as prosperity, freedom, and rights and whether democracy is always the best way to ensure responsive government. As Nair writes, "A democracy that cannot work to improve the life of its citizens is not better than a non-democracy that can actually improve quality of life." Many people will find these to be challenging ideas, but what Nair offers is a model suited to the realities of the developing world, not the assumptions of the dominant culture. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Gerald Harris

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Dr. Sunita Puri: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour Mar 18, 2019

Growing up as an American-born daughter of immigrant parents, Dr. Sunita Puri always tried to live up to her parents’ expectations and the examples they set. While completing medical school at UCSF, a troubling issue seemed to arise. Between her mother’s experiences as an anesthesiologist and her own conversations with her family about their faith, the disconnect between the traditional medical objective of lengthening life at any cost and her family’s spiritual teachings became more and more apparent. It was this tension that ultimately drew her to palliative medicine, a practice that aims not to simply extend life, but to improve its quality, especially in patients living with fatal illnesses. In her new book, Dr. Puri recounts the most instructive—and often heart-wrenching—stories she has experienced in this line of medicine, intertwining them with the childhood memories of her family that have shaped who she is today. The lessons are not black and white but nuanced in ways that medicine often isn’t. When the only remaining treatment options have the possibility to extend life, but come with severe side effects, how does a physician have an honest conversation with the patient and their family about the "pros" and "cons" of their choices? In a field where physicians come face to face with mortality daily, there can be a surprising lack of fluency in discussing the hard truths of death. Through her years of experience in the field of palliative medicine, Dr. Puri has strived to change this by normalizing conversations about what kind of life matters most to patients at the end of their days. She is also a living testament to the power of storytelling, and how it can help us make better sense of our own mortality. Join us for an emotionally honest discussion on what kinds of life are worth living, and how even in the hardest and most difficult moments, these decisions can help bring peace to patients and their families.

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CLIMATE ONE: EPA Chief Andrew Wheeler on Cars, Coal, and Climate Mar 15, 2019

Greg Dalton sits down for a rare interview with newly-confirmed U.S. EPA Chief Andrew Wheeler on cars, coal, and climate. Mary Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board, responds to Wheeler’s position on vehicle standards, and discusses her agency’s role leading a group of states in contesting the Trump administration’s revised auto emissions rules. Also featuring Albert Cheung of Bloomberg New Energy Finance on the future of personal mobility, and Helen Clarkson of The Climate Group on getting some of the world’s biggest companies to commit to 100% renewable energy.

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Singer-Songwriter Matt Alber on The Michelle Meow Show Mar 15, 2019

Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. This week's in-studio guest is singer and songwriter Matt Alber. Portland-based singer/songwriter Matt Alber is currently touring his fourth self-produced studio album entitled Wind Sand Stars. The album features original pop/folk art songs rooted in melody with vocals reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright, Iron & Wine and John Grant. In 2014, Lincoln Center in New York invited Matt to perform on its esteemed American Songbook series, which garnered a review by The New York Times. In 2015, he was selected by the U.S. State Department as a musical ambassador to Russia, Hungary, Kosovo and to Sudan, where he taught recording arts and sciences to young artists in Khartoum. Matt's music has been featured on ABC Family's series "The Fosters" and "Bones" and he appears on two Grammy Award-winning classical albums recorded at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch with the acapella men's ensemble Chanticleer.

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Emily Chang's Brotopia: One Year Later Mar 15, 2019

In 2018, Emily Chang’s Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley made national headlines, further opening up the conversation around discrimination, sexual harassment and toxic work environments taking place across industries and in Silicon Valley. One year later, join Chang and moderator Aileen Lee, partner at Cowboy VC and founder of All Raise, the new nonprofit dedicated to strategically engaging more women and minorities in the founding and funding of technology-driven companies. In this powerful expose, Chang reveals how Silicon Valley got so sexist despite its utopian ideals. Drawing on her deep network of tech insiders, Chang sheds light on how hard it is for women to crack the Silicon ceiling and offers insight on what companies and employees need to do to bring down the “brotopia” culture once and for all. This program was generously supported by Ernst & Young.

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A Quest to Revive Ancient Wheat, Rural Jobs and Healthy Food Mar 14, 2019

Grain by Grain tells the story of Bob Quinn, an organic farmer from Big Sandy, Montana. Quinn was raised with traditional farming methods but learned that organic farming could create better, healthier food and bring economic opportunity to his small town. He is the founder of the international company Kamut International and the leader in reviving that ancient grain. Ultimately, Quinn’s story shows the way to a better future for American agriculture, proving that rural America can lead sustainability. MLF Organizer Name: Cathy Curtis Notes, MLF: Food Matters

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Longevity Explorers: Exploring the Future of Aging Mar 14, 2019

Richard Caro will describe the Longevity Explorers’ most recent explorations. The explorers are a unique sharing, evaluation and ideation community made up of older adults (in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s) and their friends, families and caregivers. The presentation will include promising products the explorers have tried, ideas the explorers have been discussing related to improving the quality of life for older adults and some ideas for products we wish someone would develop. The Longevity Explorers program is an initiative enabled by Tech-enhanced Life. MLF Organizer Name: John Milford MLF: Grownups

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Andrew McCabe, Former Deputy Director of the FBI Mar 14, 2019

On March 16, 2018, just 26 hours before his scheduled retirement, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was fired by then Attorney General Jeff Sessions. President Donald Trump celebrated on Twitter, saying: "Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy." Now McCabe is telling his side of one of the most intriguing political episodes of 2018. In The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump, Andrew G. McCabe offers a dramatic and candid account of his career and an impassioned defense of the FBI's agents and of the institution's integrity and independence in protecting America and upholding our Constitution. Under FBI Directors Robert Mueller and James Comey, McCabe led the investigations of major attacks such as the Boston Marathon bombing, a plot to bomb the New York subways, the Benghazi attack and Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. According to McCabe, the greatest threat to the United States right now comes from within, as he claims that President Trump and his administration ignore the law, attack democratic institutions, degrade human rights and undermine the U.S. Constitution that protects every citizen. Join us for an important and compelling conversation. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Kara Swisher: Silicon Valley and the Challenge of Ethics Mar 14, 2019

Is Silicon Valley at a breaking point? The power of technology has been called into question amid the growing number of data breaches, disinformation and lack of privacy. Kara Swisher reflects on what has brought Silicon Valley to this point, the ethical challenges facing tech companies and prognosis for the future. Notes: In association with the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

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Is the American Dream Out of Reach for Most Californians? Mar 12, 2019

How Businesses Can Restore the State’s Middle Class California’s powerhouse economy, the fifth largest in the world, relies on a skilled, healthy and available workforce. Yet employers say that job candidates often lack the skills they need—and they cannot grow as a result. Meanwhile, many workers make low wages that are stagnant, despite ever higher living costs. Often workers lack access to quality job training and are increasingly shut out of California’s middle class. As one of the state’s largest philanthropic funders, with $2.3 billion in assets and annual grantmaking of nearly $100 million, The James Irvine Foundation envisions a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. The foundation recently commissioned a survey of California workers, finding that nearly half are struggling with poverty. Join business and community leaders for a discussion of the California workforce and how to increase the skills, qualifications and well-being of employees in ways to benefit individuals, their families, their employers and the California economy—ultimately restoring the state’s vibrant middle class. NOTES This program is generously supported by the James Irvine Foundation

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Jeremiah's Philosophical Argument with Jehovah Mar 12, 2019

Monday Night Philosophy analyzes the biblical roots of philosophical inquiry. Accepting your divinely ordained lot in life, as Job did (but ironically Lot did not), is often lauded in the Bible. A few dared negotiate with Jehovah (Abraham, Lot and Moses), and quite a few even tried to outsmart omniscience. But Jeremiah makes it clear he has a problem with the whole prophetic game, even as he was fulfilling his role as the messenger of dire and accurate prophecies. One element of his argument with Jehovah involves his passionate complaints about the uselessness of delivering precise but unpatriotic predictions. Even more fundamentally, Jeremiah's hope for a future where organized religion disappears, along with its crucial concepts of sin and punishment, expresses his emotional frustration with the ineffectiveness of Jehovah's ancient plan for instilling virtue. A god and his prophet might disagree on tactics, but it is something else to disagree about goals. Come hear why that is exactly the kind of fundamental disagreement that can lead to philosophical insights. MLF Organizer Name: George Hammond Notes: MLF, Humanities

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Decriminalizing Sex Work, on The Michelle Meow Show Mar 11, 2019

Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. This week's in-studio guests, from St. James Infirmary in San Francisco, will discuss the decriminalization of sex work. James Burch is St. James Infirmary’s policy and advocacy officer. He began his work at the Southern Center for Human Rights where he investigated human rights conditions in Georgia and Alabama’s prisons, jails, and court systems. He studied civil rights law at the Georgetown University Law Center. Burch clerked briefly at the ACLU of Southern California before moving to the Bay Area. In the Bay, Burch organized with the Frisco 500 before joining APTP and assuming the role of policy coordinator. He joined St. James Infirmary in January of 2019. Toni Newman is the executive director of St. James Infirmary in San Francisco. St. James Infirmary is a peer-based occupational health and safety clinic located in San Francisco, CA, offering free, compassionate, and non-judgmental health care and social services for former and current sex industry workers. Newman is a 1985 graduate of Wake Forest University and current candidate for her Juris of Doctorate (JD). Additionally, she is a best selling author, noted for I Rise—The Transformation of Toni Newman, released in 2011. The memoir has been produced into a short film titled Heart of a Woman, by Alton Demore and Keith Holland; the film has been and continues to be screened in film festivals across the globe.

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The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War Mar 11, 2019

Monday Night Philosophy features author Benn Steil, winner of the 2018 American Academy of Diplomacy Douglas Dillon Prize for best book. Steil will discuss the gripping history behind the Marshall Plan. In the wake of World War II, with Britain’s empire collapsing and Stalin's on the rise, U.S. officials under new Secretary of State George C. Marshall set out to reconstruct Western Europe as a bulwark against Communist authoritarianism. Their massive, costly and ambitious undertaking would confront Europeans and Americans alike with a vision at odds with their history and self-conceptions. In the process, they would drive the creation of NATO, the European Union and a Western identity that continues to shape world events. Focusing on the critical years 1947 to 1949, Steil’s account brings to life the Prague Coup, the Berlin Blockade, the division of Germany, and Stalin’s determination to crush the Marshall Plan and undermine American power in Europe. As Putin’s Russia is again rattling the world order, the tenuous balance of power and uncertain order of the late 1940s is as relevant as ever. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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CLIMATE ONE: If Global Warming Exists, Why Is It So Cold Outside? Mar 08, 2019

The last five years have been the hottest on record globally. But this past winter, plunging temperatures, snowstorms and torrential rains throughout the country have a lot of people questioning the reality of climate change. If the planet is warming up, why is the Midwest suffering record cold temperatures? Climate scientists, communicators and educators join us to talk about about why, after one of the hottest years on record, the country has suddenly gone into deep freeze. On today’s Climate One: climate science explained, and climate myths debunked.

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Giving Youth a Voice Mar 08, 2019

Come for a gathering of San Francisco business leaders and philanthropists. They will discuss the importance of and need to give youth a voice, enabling them to make change happen in their own communities. The conversation will focus on the disparities that exist for our youth and families and how local entities are working to close the gap in health, education and access to the outdoors.

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San Francisco Mayor London Breed Mar 08, 2019

Celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day with an intimate conversation with San Francisco Mayor London Breed. Following her election in 2018, Mayor Breed is the city’s first African-American female mayor and just the second woman to ever hold the office, elected during a historic year for women’s representation in local and national politics. The mayor has lived a life of public service. Prior to her election as District 5 supervisor in 2012 and her service as Board president from 2015–2018, she served as executive director of the African American Art and Culture Complex in the Western Addition for 10 years. She also served as a San Francisco Redevelopment Agency commissioner for five years and in 2010 was appointed by the then Mayor Gavin Newsom to be a San Francisco fire commissioner. Join INFORUM as we hear from Mayor Breed on the priorities for her administration, with a lens of economic justice, on the biggest issues of our day, including housing, criminal justice reform, education and public safety.

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Cultural Health: Visual Arts in the Bay Area Mar 08, 2019

This program is part of our Marin Conversation Series, which is supported in part by the Marin Community Foundation and Relevant Wealth Advisors. Art is good for you: It nourishes your spirit and feeds your mind. Home to a diverse, vibrant and rapidly-expanding art scene, the Bay Area is a hive of creativity, brimming with artists, gallerists and curators who labor tirelessly to make, collect and present art for our enjoyment and contemplation. And yet they face ever-mounting challenges: lack of space and skyrocketing rents; market pressures and cautious patronage; competition for private funding and institutional support. These challenges threaten the very health of Bay Area art and culture. Please join three of the Bay Area art scene’s leading lights—Wendi Norris, sharon maidenberg and Natasha Boas—at The Commonwealth Club’s Marin Conversations series. They will provide a “report from the field of aesthetics,” discussing the challenges and opportunities of making, collecting and curating art in the Bay Area and beyond. This conversation is part of an extended series of discussions that The Commonwealth Club will present in Marin over the course of 2019 on an expanded notion of health. Future conversations will address political and democratic health, China and trade health, as well as youth, creativity and physical health.

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The Personal Side of Home Care Mar 07, 2019

New technology is constantly being developed for home care. What solutions work best, and how can technology successfully enhance the very personal side of home care? We will explore how to find the right balance between using and not using technology with home care. This technology may allow your aging parents and loved ones to remain safely at home. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Denise Michaud NOTES MLF: Grownups

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The Hacking of the American Child Mar 05, 2019

Everyone is looking down—but especially kids. There is something unnatural about a 15-month-old using an iPad to soothe him or herself. Many assume this is just the natural progression of our high-tech society. But what if this is causing us harm? And what if children are more vulnerable than adults? Numerous politicians are calling for reining in of the Internet. Is this necessary? Robert Lustig will answer five key questions: Is there such a thing as tech addiction? Is it similar to or different than drug addiction? Does technology lead to depression and suicide? Have our minds been hacked? Are children at more risk? The answers to these questions will provide us with a blueprint to harnessing technology for good. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Patrick O'Reilly NOTES MLF: Psychology

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Rimi on The Michelle Meow Show Mar 05, 2019

Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. Today's in-studio guest: Rimi Born in Hyderabad, India, blossomed in Toronto and living in Oakland, Rimi has been on the gender journey proudly with confidence and realness. She has performed at various South Asian queer events through dance forms and poetry, depicting the anguish and eventual liberation of her gender journey, transcending the paths of survival, rejection, isolation and stress. Rimi lives in Oakland, is working in a leadership role at Walmart.com, and leads PRIDE Associate Resource Group as well, driving inclusion for TGNC lives at workplace inclusion. While staying visible and present for TGNC, Rimi finds herself vulnerable and targeted at times. Rimi seeks to have the world to accept transgender identities as equals and as capable individuals for holding jobs, earning degrees, and having relationships and a dignified life. **This program contains explicit language.**

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Ambassador Norman Eisen: Inside Europe's Turbulent Century Mar 05, 2019

When Norman Eisen moved into the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Prague and returned to the land his mother had fled after the Holocaust, he was startled to discover swastikas hidden beneath the furniture in his new home. These symbols of Nazi Germany were remnants of the residence’s forgotten history, and evidence that we never live far from the past. Looking into the building’s history, Eisen discovered a remarkable story stretching back over 100 years. In his new book, The Last Palace, Eisen tells a captivating tale of the upheavals that transformed Europe over the past century and of four remarkable people who have called the ambassador’s residence home. Otto Petschek, an optimistic Jewish financial baron who built the palace, and Shirley Temple Black, famed child star and U.S. ambassador, both lived there. Eisen dives into the personal and political history that shaped both a country and a continent. Join us for a conversation about history, diplomacy and the triumph of liberal democracy in the face of tragedy and dictatorship. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

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Thinking That Gets Results Mar 05, 2019

Steven Campbell's talk is an eye-opening presentation on cognitive psychology, which began in the 1960s. He explores how our brains conform to the messages we give them. When we optimize those messages, our brains literally rewire themselves to create new, positive self-images of who we want to be and how we want to learn and grow even more. However, Campbell's presentation does not stop there. Since we are not thinking people who feel but feeling people who think, we also explore where those feelings are coming from. It turns out that our feelings do not primarily come from how we were raised or what has happened to us. Instead, they come from our beliefs about how we were raised and our beliefs about what has happened to us. By first learning that when we change our beliefs, our feelings follow, we learn how to change those beliefs. It's not magic … it’s science! MLF Organizer Name: Denise Michaud Notes: MLF: Grownups

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What a Decline of Hegemony in the Americas Portends for the U.S. Globally Mar 05, 2019

Authors Julio Moreno and Thomas O’Keefe debate the current state of U.S. hegemony in Latin America and the Caribbean, a region where the United States first made its appearance as a world power in the late 19th century. In his new book, Bush II, Obama, and the Decline of U.S. Hegemony in the Western Hemisphere, O’Keefe assets that U.S. economic dominance and leadership in the Americas has been in noticeable decline since the start of the 21st century. In his recent co-authored book, Beyond the Eagle’s Shadow, Moreno posits that even at its height during the Cold War, U.S. power and influence in the Western Hemisphere was often contested and never complete. MLF Organizer Name: Linda Calhoun Notes: MLF, International Relations

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7th Anniversary: Week to Week Politics Roundtable Mar 01, 2019

We've just completed seven years of Week to Week, and you're invited to join us for the celebration as we kick off our eighth year! As usual, we will discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! Come early before the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our members social (open to all attendees).

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Jill Abramson: The New York Times and the Fight for Facts Feb 28, 2019

The news media is facing unprecedented crises: plummeting public trust and unrelenting attacks from the president of the United States. How do the “merchants of truth” navigate this new world? Jill Abramson worked as executive editor for The New York Times and offers an unparalleled view into the story of the news business, fighting for survival through a series of crises—first the digital revolution and then the president’s unprecedented war on the press. Abramson’s new book, Merchants of Truth, profiles four powerful news organizations as they grapple with upheaval: Buzzfeed and Vice, upstarts that captivated young audiences, and The New York Times and The Washington Post, two legacy papers that were slow to adapt to digital changes. Each struggled with crises in business, technology, resources and credibility. Abramson’s book focuses on the digital revolution and disruption of the news business, but the last sections of the book focus on fight for facts during a presidency whose war against journalists as “enemies of the people” has fueled public distrust of news sources. While the industry changes, the vital question remains: Can an informed press stand its ground?

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The Master Plan Feb 28, 2019

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Chris Wilson offers a fresh perspective on our criminal justice system, on crucial issues of mass incarceration and on the importance of second chances. Growing up in Washington, D.C., Wilson was surrounded by violence and despair. He feared for his life as his family was shattered by trauma, his neighborhood was beset by drugs and his friends died one by one. One night when he was 17, Wilson was cornered by two men. He shot one of them, killing him. A year later, at 18, he was sentenced to life in prison with no hope of parole. Wilson writes, “I just got on this planet. I don’t even have a mustache yet. And my life is over.” But his life wasn’t over. Behind bars, Wilson began reading, working out and learning languages. He even started a business. He wrote a list of things he intended to accomplish. He called it his master plan. He revised it regularly and followed it religiously. And, in his 30s, Wilson did the impossible: He convinced a judge to reduce his sentence. Six years later, he came out of jail determined to teach others about the selflessness, work ethic and professional skills that led to his second chance. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

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Brave, Not Perfect with Reshma Saujani Feb 28, 2019

How many of us go crazy trying to do it all, and do it all perfectly? How many obsess over tiny errors and avoid taking on big opportunities or challenges for fear of failing or embarrassing ourselves? Why is failure, big or small, not seen as a viable option for so many of us? Girls Who Code CEO Reshma Saujani’s popular TED Talk called for the need to teach bravery, not perfection, especially for women constantly finding themselves under enormous amounts of pressure to perform. In her new book, Brave, Not Perfect, Saujani asks us to rethink what our goals are supposed to look like and instead live life boldly, assuring us that it is more powerful to find something unexpected in the mistakes than it is to play it safe. Join us as Saujani offers stories from other brave women, shares best practices for making bravery the new standard for women across the country and details her own journey in getting there. *This program contains explicit language*

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SV Reads 2019: Finding Identity in Family History, With Bill Griffeth and Paula Williams Madison Feb 28, 2019

Everyone has a family history — some of it they know, and some of it they have yet to discover. The surging popularity of genealogy research is encouraging more and more people to find out about their ancestors and how their actions and decisions affected who they are today. Bill Griffeth and Paula Williams Madison will share their own personal stories and the shocking discoveries they made as they learned more about their family histories. Notes: In association with Santa Clara County Library District, Santa Clara County Office of Education, the San Jose Public Library and DeAnza College

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Bernard-Henri Lévy: America’s Withdrawal from World Leadership Feb 26, 2019

The United States was once the hope of the world, a beacon of freedom and the defender of liberal democracy. Nations and peoples on all continents looked to America to stand up for the values that created the western world and to oppose autocracy and repression. Even when America did not live up to its ideals, it still recognized their importance at home and abroad. But as Bernard-Henri Lévy lays bare in his powerful and disturbing analysis of the world today, America is retreating from its traditional leadership role, and in its place have come five ambitious powers, former empires eager to assert their primacy and influence. Lévy shows how these five powers―Russia, China, Turkey, Iran and Sunni radical Islamism―are taking steps to undermine the liberal values that have been a hallmark of western civilization. Please join us for a special talk with Bernard-Henri Lévy, one of the world's leading intellectuals.

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Parag Khanna: Understanding the Asian Century Feb 25, 2019

Parag Khanna says there is no more important region of the world for us to better understand than Asia, and thus, we cannot afford to keep getting Asia so wrong. He says Asia’s complexity has led to common misdiagnoses, namely that western thinking on Asia conflates the entire region with China, predicts imminent World War III around every corner and regularly forecasts debt-driven collapse for the region’s major economies. Khanna says that, in reality, the region is experiencing a confident new wave of growth led by younger societies from India to the Philippines, that nationalist leaders have put aside territorial disputes in favor of integration, and today’s infrastructure investments are the platform for the next generation of digital innovation. Khanna asserts that in the 19th century, the world was Europeanized; in the 20th century, it was Americanized; and now, in the 21st century, the world is being Asianized. He says far greater than just China, the new Asian system taking shape is a multi-civilizational order spanning from Saudi Arabia to Japan, Russia to Australia, Turkey to Indonesia—linking five billion people through trade, finance, infrastructure and diplomatic networks that together represent 40 percent of global GDP. Khanna says Asia is rapidly returning to the centuries-old patterns of commerce, conflict and cultural exchange that thrived long before European colonialism and American dominance. He will detail his view that as Asia determines its own future, it will determine ours as well. Born in India, Khanna is the international best-selling author of six books, has traveled to most of the countries of the world, and holds a doctorate from the London School of Economics and master’s degrees from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is a contributor to CNN, a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and has also been an adviser to the U.S. National Intelligence Council. NOTES In association with the Asia Society of Northern California, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, the McKinsey Global Institute and TiE Silicon Valley

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Singer Breanna Sinclaire on The Michelle Meow Show Feb 25, 2019

Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. This week, we'll have a lively discussion with our in-studio guest, Breanna Sinclaire, who will also perform a song live. Breanna Sinclaire is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and a graduate of CalArts. She received her Masters from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and she was the first transwoman of the opera program, under the pedagogy of Ms. Ruby Pleasure. Operatic performances include Carmen, La Calisto, The Old Maid and The Thief, The Magic Flute, L'enfant et les sortilèges, Platée, and West Side Story, as well as Meredith Monk’s Songs of Ascension at REDCAT, and Zachary Sharrin’s Time Bodies at MOCA. Outside of opera, Sinclaire has enjoyed a variety of performance opportunities with LGBT and other nonprofit organizations throughout the nation — most recently the Gay Men’s Choruses of Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. She made her debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus. Other performances include Americans for the Arts, Washington, D.C. and Toronto Pride Festivals, SF Trans March, Fresh Meat Trans and Queer Arts Festivals, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, LinkedIn’s LGBTQ Employee Resource Group speaker series panel discussion (alongside civil rights leader Cecilia Chung), Janet Mock’s Redefining Realness book tour, and the Transgender Law Center’s SPARK! anniversary celebration. She also made her debut as a guest artist for the Gay Men's Chorus of DC in Durufle's Requiemperforming "Pie Jesu" at Church of the Epiphany. She was among Out magazine’s 2015 "OUT100" list of LGBT heroes. She was the first transwoman to perform the National Anthem at a professional sporting event for the Oakland A's, SF Giants, and San Francisco Deltas. She made her debut with SF Symphony on December 31st, 2018 as the first trans singer to perform with the orchestra.

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Increasing Housing Options for People in the Middle Feb 25, 2019

For the average income earner, obtaining a comfortable place to live seems out of reach. Some people travel great distances to get to their jobs. Others live in a crowded household in order to afford the rent or mortgage. Building more housing seems to be the logical goal, but where and what type? Join the conversation with Kristy Wang from the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) and Laura Foote from YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard), with Shelly Sutherland, a realtor at Compass, who will moderate the discussion. MLF ORGANIZER NAME John Milford NOTES MLF: Grownups

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Donor Power: The Influence of Climate Philanthropy Feb 25, 2019

Fighting climate change isn’t cheap. Where’s the money coming from? Major philanthropic organizations like Hewlett and Bloomberg are at the forefront of addressing climate change, but could smaller funders be more in touch with grassroots needs? Are big donors out of touch – or just stretched too far? Where is the money coming from, where is it going, what are the biggest wins and what missteps are being made along the way? Greg Dalton is joined by donors big and small for a discussion on harnessing the power of the purse in the fight against climate change.

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Salvator Mundi Feb 22, 2019

Salvator Mundi, one of under 20 paintings created by Leonardo da Vinci, was purchased for $10,000 in 2005 at an auction in New Orleans. The painting's unclear provenance and heavy overpainting hid its true value. After restoration, it sold for $75 million in 2013, and for $450 million at Christie's in 2017. As the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's death approaches, join us to hear da Vinci expert Martin Kemp delve into the enduring fascination aroused by da Vinci's artistic achievements and personality. Kemp, whose recent book, Living with Leonardo, recounts his lifelong passion for the genius who has helped define our culture, will focus this lecture around Salvator Mundi (which he is currently co-writing a book about). Kemp will tell of its discovery, elucidate the issues surrounding its attribution, look at the scientific analyses that support experts’ interpretations and examine the role of connoisseurship. MLF Organizer Name: George Hammond Notes, MLF: Humanities In association with the Leonardo Da Vinci Society and Humanities West

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Helping Refugees, Welcoming the Stranger Feb 21, 2019

The Middle East member-led forum presents a distinguished panel, including: Hassan El-Masri, a Palestinian who volunteers to help refugee artists throughout the world; Karaman Mamand, a Kurdish Iraqi educator and human rights activist; Karen Ferguson, executive director of the northern California branch of the International Rescue Committee, which provides comprehensive services for refugees whose lives are shattered by conflict and disaster; and Aisha Wahab, who was recently elected to the Hayward City Council and is one of the first Afghan-American officials elected in the United States. The panel will discuss how we can help refugees and welcome the stranger in the face of war, strife, indifference and travel bans. MLF Organizer Name: Celia Menczel Notes, MLF: Middle East

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Tim Wu: Inside Tech Monopolies Feb 21, 2019

What are the implications of a few massive firms controlling global industry? Tim Wu endeavors to answer this question by linking together big business, inequality and political extremism in his latest book, The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age. Wu argues the failure to curb excessive corporate power has led to greater tolerance of inequality and may even engender extreme populism, nationalism and fascism. Wu’s argument concludes that excessive corporate power poses a great threat to the health of American democracy, just as giant trusts did during the Gilded Age. Wu asserts that we must thus learn from the progressive policies of the past to overcome the consequences of extreme inequality today. Join us and learn from Wu as he discusses the problem of modern massive firms and what America can learn from its past. Notes: This program was generously supported by Jackson Square Partners Foundation

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Howard Schultz, Former CEO of Starbucks Feb 21, 2019

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. From the start of his career, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has always been an unconventional businessman. With health insurance and free college tuition for part-time baristas to controversial initiatives about race and refugees, Schultz and his team challenge old notions about the role of business in society. In his new book, From the Ground Up, Schultz tackles some of America’s most important and divisive issues. Schultz introduces a cross-section of Americans transforming common struggles into shared successes. He discusses inspirational stories about lost youth finding first jobs, post-9/11 warriors replacing lost limbs with indomitable spirit, former coal miners and opioid addicts paving fresh paths, entrepreneurs jump-starting dreams, and better angels emerging from all corners of the country. Come hear an inspiring conversation with one of America’s most successful businessmen. Bring your questions. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Content **

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Gary Snyder, Peter Goin and Dooby Lane Feb 20, 2019

Featuring the lively art and wit of the ever popular activist Gary Snyder and Peter Goin, this program is a conversation, reading and slideshow. It will be followed by a book signing of Dooby Lane: Also Known as Guru Road, A Testament inscribed in Stone Tablets by DeWayne Williams. This their latest collaboration. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Anne W. Smith NOTES MLF: Arts

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CLIMATE ONE: Can California Go Carbon Neutral? Feb 17, 2019

Just ten years ago, an entire state running on 100% renewable electricity seemed fanciful. But this dreamy vision became reality when, with the backing of big utilities, California committed to 100% use of zero-carbon electricity by 2045. A statewide pledge to go carbon-neutral by 2045 raised the stakes even higher. So what will it take for California to achieve such a feat? Will Governor Gavin Newsom embrace climate initiatives started by former Governor Jerry Brown? Join us for a discussion of California’s surprise gambit to take the world’s fifth largest economy to net zero.

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One Paycheck Away: Addressing Homelessness in the Bay Area Feb 17, 2019

This event is the latest in the San Francisco Foundation’s series on People, Place and Power. Every night, more than 130,000 people go to sleep homeless in California. An estimated 25,000 of them are in the San Francisco Bay Area: sleeping on couches, in cars or sometimes in tents on the sidewalk. At this point, people from coast to coast know that the Bay Area is in the midst of a housing crisis. But what is the city doing to address the affordable housing and homelessness crisis? Come hear from some of the Bay Area’s leading experts on issues surrounding homelessness. From working on the service and legal sides to fighting for policy changes to having experienced homelessness themselves, our speakers will discuss the state of the crisis, how we got here and where we’re headed next. This program is generously supported by the San Francisco Foundation's Bay Area Leads Fund.

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Modern Love: Valentine's Day with INFORUM Feb 17, 2019

Join INFORUM for our annual Valentine’s Day event and party, with a multifaceted conversation about love. Guests include Daniel Jones, editor of The New York Times’ famous “Modern Love” column; Dr. Jess Carbino, sociologist for Bumble, the dating, friendship and networking app; and Myisha Battle, a certified sex and dating coach and host of the sex-positive podcast "Down for Whatever." Expect a discussion of love, sex, culture, the complex subjects we navigate in relationships and more. Come early and stay afterwards for drinks, snacks, activities and a chance to keep the conversation flowing. Thanks to Fort Point Beer and Rudd Wines for their support. Notes: In collaboration with The New York Times ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Content **

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The Exit Interview: Jane Kim on The Michelle Meow Show Feb 14, 2019

Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. Our in-studio guest this week: Jane Kim Jane Kim was a former supervisor for San Francisco's District 6, representing South of Market, Mission Bay, the Tenderloin, Civic Center, Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island. She is the first Korean-American elected official in San Francisco and the first Asian-American candidate to win a non-historically Asian district in the city. See more upcoming Michelle Meow Shows at The Commonwealth Club here.

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The Art of Flirting Feb 14, 2019

Don't let shyness prevent you from meeting your Valentine! In today's world of apps and texting, the delightful, seductive art of flirtation has been lost—so much the better for those who know its secrets. And who better to teach us than Rich Gosse? Gosse is the chairperson of the world's largest nonprofit singles organization, author of nine books on dating, guest on hundreds of TV shows (including “Oprah,” CNN, and “The Today Show”), and organizer of thousands of singles parties. Gosse will share three techniques for meeting anyone at any time and at any place. Equally important, we'll learn how to feel attractive without resorting to liquid courage, and how to handle rejection without feeling discouraged. There will also be a flirting contest with prizes, where Gosse will crown Mr. and Ms. San Francisco Flirt. Compete for the title or just sit back and enjoy the fun. (The winner of Gosse’s first San Francisco flirting contest so impressed Oprah that she flew Ms. San Francisco Flirt to Chicago to be on her talk show.) So stop hugging the wall, a drink or the person you don't want. Come get advice from Gosse, and become the man or woman everyone wants to meet. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Eric Siegel NOTES MLF: Personal Growth

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Roger McNamee: Inside the Facebook Catastrophe Feb 14, 2019

If you had told Bay Area technology investor Roger McNamee even three years ago that he would soon be devoting himself to stopping Facebook from destroying our democracy, he would have howled with laughter. He had mentored many tech leaders in his illustrious career, but few things had made him prouder, or had been better for his own bottom line, than helping Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of the world's largest social network. Still a large shareholder in Zuckerberg's creation, McNamee had every good reason to stay on the sidelines as the dark side of Facebook came to light. But he couldn't stay quiet. McNamee's new book, Zucked, is about the outspoken investor's efforts to come to terms with the serious damage Facebook was doing to our society. McNamee set out to try to change the massive social network and other tech companies that use design tools to addict and manipulate its users. With the election of Donald Trump, and the emergence of one horrific piece of news after another about the malign ends to which the Facebook platform has been put, McNamee has dedicated his energies to have people understand the threat of Facebook and other social networks. He will discuss what we can do to hold the companies responsible and to protect our public health and political order. Please join us for this important and timely discussion with one of Silicon Valley's most important and outspoken leaders.

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Printing Abolition: How the Slave Trade Was Abolished in Britain Feb 10, 2019

Michael Suarez is the director of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. A renowned historian, author and worldwide leader of rare book scholarship interests, he co-edited The Oxford Companion to the Book. Suarez will provide us with a compelling, richly illustrated description about how a group of printers were instrumental in making the antislavery movement happen in England. Their broadside engraving with an image diagramming human cargo on the Brookes, a slave ship, became a force for political change in the worldwide abolitionist movement. MLF Organizer: Anne W. Smith Notes: MLF: Arts

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CLIMATE ONE: Katharine Hayhoe: Why We Need to Talk About Climate Change Feb 08, 2019

Many of us find it daunting to talk with our neighbors, colleagues and family members about climate change. But climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe says that having those difficult conversations is the first step towards solving the problem. Hayhoe is known as a “rock star” in the climate world for her ability to talk to just about anyone about global warming. She is joined by Stanford atmospheric scientist Noah Diffenbaugh for a conversation about communicating climate change in transparent, engaging, and accessible ways.

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Gopi Kallayil: The Happy Human Feb 08, 2019

Happiness has become a multimillion dollar industry, catering to our deep desire to live joyfully, with the expectation that we as human beings deserve to be happy. Gopi Kallayil believes in reversing that equation, focusing on the need to be human first. He will explore the qualities that make us human and what happiness means in both his personal life and his professional career. Speaking with candor and humor, his deep compassion, and his love of the absurd, Kallayil will share his story—from his first job as a software programmer in South China to his current role at Google in Silicon Valley. Kallayil will explain why the key to happiness lies in being 100 percent who we are and reveling in our authentic selves, even if that means falling on our face. By embracing not only our own selves but also the entire human experience, Kallayil inspires us to expect miracles daily, to use every fall as a chance to bounce back, to go for what we want on every front and to live our lives fully. Kallayil is the chief evangelist of brand marketing at Google and a self-proclaimed “happy human." In association with the Wharton Club.

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Tina D’Elia on The Michelle Meow Show Feb 07, 2019

Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. This week's in-studio guest: Tina D'Elia Tina D’Elia is a Bay Area award-winning solo performer, SAG-AFTRA actor, casting director, performance coach, co-screenwriter and consultant. Tina’s West Coast premiere of her solo show Overlooked Latinas (premiering in February 2019) has had previews at The Marsh SF, Solo Sunday’s (Stage Werx), and Best of LezWrites (2016, 2018). Tina received the Diversity Casting Award and Best Actress Award from the Equality International Film Festival in 2017. In 2015, Tina’s popular solo show directed by Mary Guzman, The Rita Hayworth of This Generation, won Best of Fringe and won Best of Sold Out Shows at the San Francisco Fringe Festival. Tina is honored to be part of CURVE Magazine’s CURVE Power list of 2017. She is the recipient of the Executive Producer Award and the Trail Blazer Award for diverse casting and her diverse creative solo performance work with the Equality International Film Festival. Tina’s acting credits include The Pursuit of Happyness, Knife Fight, Guitar Man, Miles to Go, Trauma(NBC), Rellik (Pilot), Sense8 (Netflix), Possession (World Equality Television), and Dyke Central(Amazon). Tina and director Maria Breaux won the Audience Award for co-writing the short film Lucha in 2009.

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Week to Week Politics Roundtable 2/6/19 Feb 07, 2019

Join us as we discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news; and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! Come early before the program for our members social hour (open to all attendees).

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Gov. Chris Christie: President Trump and Power Politics Feb 07, 2019

As President Trump enters his third year in office, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie remains one of his closest political allies. The first major elected official to endorse then-candidate Trump, Christie had a ringside seat throughout the hectic 2016 campaign. Christie was even close to becoming Trump’s running mate. Days after Trump’s surprise victory, Trump fired Christie as head of his transition team. Recently, Christie almost became Trump’s White House chief of staff but pulled out, saying now is not the right time for him to join the White House. Now Christie is out to set the record straight about his career and his relationship with the president. In his new book, Let Me Finish, the brash former Republican prosecutor discusses running a Democratic state, his 15-year relationship with Trump, what he saw during the 2016 campaign and how his removal from the transition all but guaranteed chaos at the beginning of the Trump presidency. Christie’s book takes readers into conflicts with Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, Jeff Sessions, Paul Manafort and other critical Trump insiders. Christie also addresses hot-button issues from his own years in power in New Jersey, including what really went down during Bridgegate. And, for the first time, Christie tells the full story of his own Kushner saga: how, as a federal prosecutor, he put Jared Kushner's powerful father behind bars for tax evasion, witness tampering and illegal campaign contributions. Join us for this important conversation with one of the president’s closest allies.

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Republicans in California: Can the GOP Survive? Feb 06, 2019

Republicans in California are at a crossroads. In a historic midterm election, Republicans lost half of their U.S. House delegation while Democrats cemented their supermajorities in both state legislative chambers and swept statewide offices for the third straight election. With the Golden State seemingly slipping from the GOP, what steps should the party take to regain its foothold and expand its appeal? Is a comeback possible in this new era of hyperpolarization? Three prominent Republicans will offer their take on where the party can go from here. Catharine Baker served as assemblywoman for the East Bay’s 16th District from 2014–2018. As the only elected Republican in statewide office from the Bay Area, Baker had to tow a fine line between her party and her constituents. Kevin Faulconer currently serves as the 36th mayor of San Diego, where he uses his platform to advocate for a moderate California Republican Party that supports action on climate change and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Kristin Olsen is the former minority leader of the California State Assembly, where she spearheaded Republican policies during her term. Matt Shupe is a Bay Area political consultant and chairman of the Contra Costa Republican Party. During the 2018 election, Shupe worked as communications director for John Cox’s gubernatorial campaign. Join us for this important conversation about a changing state and the Republican party’s fight for survival.

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