Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

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Planet Money's Jacob Goldstein: The True (and Wild) Story of Money Nov 12, 2020

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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