Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Gerston, Saunders and Schnur: The Week to Week Political Roundtable May 21, 2021

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

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Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne: Universities in the Post-COVID World May 19, 2021

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

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Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition and Modern Medicine May 14, 2021

Show notes

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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