Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Former S.F. Mayor Willie Brown Talks Politics . . . and His Iconic Career Feb 15, 2026

Show notes

Join former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown as he returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to talk national, state and local politics. As CalMatters observed last year in an article marking his 90th birthday, Brown is “one of the most flamboyant and powerful politicians California has ever known,” who “still dominates every room he enters with his smarts and swagger.”

The first African American speaker of the California State Assembly, Brown served a record 14 years in that role. He then served two terms as San Francisco mayor.

Brown will address a range of political topics, including Trump versus California, the state of American democracy, and the future of the Democratic Party. He’ll also weigh in on San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s track record so far, the city’s economic recovery, and how City Hall is dealing with problems like homelessness, affordability, and crime. And as the California governor’s race heats up, we’ll get his take on that contest and Gavin Newsom’s political future.

Don’t miss this conversation with Mayor Brown and KQED political reporter and editor Scott Shafer.

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“A Voice for the People,” Featuring San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

Prosecutors wield extraordinary influence over how justice is carried out—from decisions about charging and diversion to how victims are supported and public safety is defined. Yet too often, their on-the-ground expertise is missing from legislative conversations about criminal justice reform.

“A Voice for the People” brings San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and formerly incarcerated community members into that conversation. This timely program elevates the role of modern prosecutors as essential leaders in building a smarter, more equitable, and community-centered justice system. Sitting at the intersection of law, public safety, and community trust, prosecutors are uniquely positioned to translate reform ideals into policies that work in practice.

Together, the speakers will discuss what meaningful reform looks like on the ground, how accountability and compassion can coexist, and why inclusive leadership is critical to restoring trust and improving outcomes.

About the Speakers

Brooke Jenkins is the 31st district attorney of San Francisco, first appointed in 2022 and elected by voters in 2022 and again in 2024. She leads the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office with a focus on public safety, victim advocacy, and the responsible implementation of criminal justice reform.

Vincent O’Bannon is a justice-impacted advocate and reentry professional whose work centers on prosecutor-led criminal justice reform, community safety, and pathways to accountability. Following his release from incarceration in 2025, Vincent committed himself to rebuilding his life through consistent employment, civic engagement, and collaboration with justice system stakeholders. He has worked with the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), where he gained firsthand experience with evidence-based reentry practices that reduce recidivism and strengthen public safety through employment, structure and accountability. His perspective is shaped by lived experience and reinforced by professional discipline, allowing him to bridge the gap between impacted communities and institutional leadership.

Dante D. Jones is a 43 year old Black man from South Central Los Angeles who was just released from San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. After serving 17 years of a 39-years-to-life sentence, he was released by way of P.C. 1170(d)—the resentencing law. While incarcerated, he used his time wisely by taking full advantage of the programs available to him. Specifically, while serving nearly three of his 17 years at San Quentin, he found his purpose as an advocate for the incarcerated. He exercised that advocacy through the power of video, photo and written journalism while working for the award-winning San Quentin News. As a staff writer and head of its video department, he created over 35 videos, photographed more than 20 events and wrote more than 20 articles that focused on challenging the status quo and changing the narrative of who incarcerated citizens are and can be. He also produced, directed and edited a documentary (Unhoused and Unseen) that was nominated top three in the “Documentary Short” section of the 2024 San Quentin Film Festival and was also shown during a special screening at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

Our moderator, Emily Hoeven, is an opinion columnist and editorial writer at the Chronicle. In 2025, she won first place in the San Francisco Press Club's contest for political commentary and second for feature columns. In 2024 and 2025, she placed third and second in the Best of the West contest for general interest column writing, and in 2024 she won the Sacramento Press Club’s award for best commentary and placed second in the California News Publishers Association’s contest for best editorial comment. Her columns have also sparked changes to San Francisco and California law.

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CLIMATE ONE: Figure It Out…Or Else: Feds to Colorado River States Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

It’s been an unusually warm and dry winter across the west, and that’s bad news for the seven states and 40 million people that rely on water from the Colorado River. The water flowing into the river from snowmelt and rain is dwindling, partly because of climate change. The basin's two major reservoirs are at historic lows, and without a sudden influx of snowstorms, streamflow forecasts for the coming year aren’t looking good. That adds stress to an already drought-stricken region where negotiations on how to share the river’s water in the future are tense and stalled out.

“We’re at a point where we have to make some serious long-term adjustment of expectations. In other words, people need to agree to take a lot less water than they've been counting on. And that is always really hard when water is scarce,” says Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University.

The federal government has given states a deadline of Feb. 14th to reach an agreement, after which the Bureau of Reclamation commissioner could divvy up the water between states as it deems fit. It’s already released its ⁠draft environmental impact statement⁠ with possible alternatives.

What’s led to this point of crisis? What is keeping states from reaching agreement? And what will the cities, farmers and industries that depend on the river do as climate change leads to a lower volume of water in an increasingly hotter and drier future?

Episode Guests:

Sarah Porter, Director, Kyl Center for Water Policy, Arizona State University

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/podcasts

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The Race for Governor 2026: Xavier Becerra Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

Former California attorney general and U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra says this is a “break-glass moment” for state residents who are struggling economically. That’s why, he says, he’s making economic opportunity the centerpiece of his campaign to succeed Gavin Newsom in the governor’s office.

Raised in Sacramento by immigrant parents—his father worked in construction, his mother was a clerical worker—Becerra was the first in his family to earn a college degree. He attended Stanford for both undergraduate and law school, thanks in part to opportunities he says were once more widely available in California.

If elected, Becerra says he would be the “health-care governor,” an issue he has emphasized throughout his career, from his 24 years in Congress to his time in the Biden administration. He also points to his track record as attorney general standing up to the Trump administration on issues such as immigration and the environment.

Becerra joins Commonwealth Club World Affairs as part of our "Race for Governor 2026" series of candidate forums. Come meet the candidate, hear his vision for California, and ask your questions before you cast your vote for California's next governor.

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Traditions That Nourish: Fermented Foods & Health; A Panel Discussion + Fermented Food Sampling Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

Fermented foods have been part of traditional diets around the world for centuries—and for good reason. From improved digestion and gut health to enhanced nutrient absorption and immune support, fermentation offers both flavor and function.

This event brings together local business owners who specialize in fermented foods to share their knowledge, craft, and passion. Panelists will discuss the fermentation process, the unique health benefits of their products, and how to incorporate fermented foods into everyday life.

Whether you’re new to fermentation or already a fan, this event offers insight, inspiration and a deeper appreciation for foods that truly support well-being.

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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Frontier & Field: Black Cowboys from Gold Rush to Superbowl LX Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

Frontier & Field is a Black History Month program presented during Super Bowl Week. It centers on a multidisciplinary panel exploring the historical, cultural, and therapeutic significance of Black equestrians in American history and contemporary life.

Together, the panel re-centers Black equestrian history within frontier narratives while examining its contemporary relevance to sports culture, mental health, and youth development.

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

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Live Longer, Live Better: Technology Advances and Aging Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

Join Prof. Ronjon Nag (of Stanford University and R42 Group) for an accessible, fast-moving tour of the most important technology approaches in longevity today. We’ll also explore the companies investing heavily to turn these ideas into real-world therapies and tools. Prof. Nag works at the intersection of AI and biology and teaches on topics that include longevity science and venture capital.

This program is designed for a broad audience: the curious public, students, technologists, investors, clinicians, and anyone trying to understand what’s real, what’s hype, and what breakthroughs could plausibly shift how we age over the next decade.

About the Speakers

Professor Ronjon Nag is an inventor, educator and entrepreneur. He is an adjunct professor in genetics at Stanford School of Medicine and teaches topics including AI, genes, ethics, longevity science, and venture capital. He is also president of the R42 Group, which invests in and creates AI and longevity companies.

Ronald Petty is the chair of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapters of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Internet Society, focused on the societal impact of emerging technologies. He is a technology consultant at RX-M and a member of Commonwealth Club World Affairs.

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.

Organizer: Gerald Anthony Harris

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Emily Feng: Identity and Belonging In Xi Jingping's China Feb 08, 2026

Show notes

China’s president, Xi Jinping, has become the most all-powerful leader of the communist state since Mao, and his grip on the country has been strengthened by technology and China’s growing economic and military might. The United States might have belatedly realized it was in a great-powers competition with the People’s Republic, but we might still be failing to understand how Chinese people themselves are dealing with—and resisting—their authoritarian government.

Award-winning journalist Emily Feng, author of the new book Let Only Red Flowers Bloom, has documented China’s state oppression of those who fail to conform to Xi Jinping’s definition of who is “Chinese.” She has profiled nearly two dozen people who are pushing back. They include a Uyghur family, separated as China detains hundreds of thousands of their fellow Uyghurs in camps; human rights lawyers fighting to defend civil liberties in the face of incredible odds; a teacher from Inner Mongolia forced to make hard choices because of his support of his mother tongue; and a Hong Kong fugitive trying to find a new home and live in freedom.

Join us as Feng reveals dramatic human stories of resistance and survival in a country that is increasingly closing itself off to the world—even as it flexes its muscles on the world stage. Feng illustrates what it is like to run against the grain in China, and the myriad ways people are trying to survive, with dignity.

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Shadi Hamid: The Case for American Power Feb 07, 2026

Show notes

Is the United States still the “indispensable nation,” former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s term to describe America’s leading role in the world? Or is the world better off as the country turns inward and downplays its historic alliances?

Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid has made his own journey, moving from opposition to America’s role in the world to reluctantly embracing it. He says the alternative to American leadership isn’t a morally perfect superpower—it’s the brutal authoritarianism of countries like China and Russia. He explores this topic in his new book The Case for American Power, and he comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to make the case for America to embrace its power as the only moral option in a world beset by tragedy.

Drawing on his unique perspective as both an American and a Muslim who came of age in the shadow of the September 11 attacks, Hamid contends with the contradictions of American power: how a nation founded on moral purpose so often does not live up to its ideals. He also deals with America’s failures, from the war in Iraq to support for authoritarian regimes across the Middle East. But he says that because America is a democracy, it has the ability to correct past mistakes and change for the better—and that part is up to all of us.

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CLIMATE ONE: Crude Behavior: Venezuela and the Global Politics of Oil Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

On January 3, U.S. forces captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, and flew them to New York to stand trial for drug trafficking and narco-terrorisim. At the same time, President Trump has not been shy about stating his other motivation for intervening in the country: Back in December, he said, “We had a lot of oil there. As you know they threw our companies out, and we want it back." So what are the geopolitical ramifications of these actions? And in a world increasingly powered by renewable energy, could fossil-fueled conflicts become a thing of the past?

Episode Guests:

Luisa Palacios, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University

Amy Myers Jaffe, Director, Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab, NYU

Bill McKibben, Founder, Third Act and 350.org For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit ⁠climateone.org/podcasts⁠.

Highlights:

00:00 Intro

04:54 Luisa Palacios on growing up in Venezuela

08:59 Luisa Palacios on the risks in Venezuela's oil industry

15:15 Luisa Palacios on the climate impact of increasing Venezuela’s oil output

18:01 Amy Myers Jaffe on her reaction to the Maduro’s forced removal

21:08 Amy Myers Jaffe on what the military action is really about

28:32 Amy Myers Jaffe on the importance of the action in Venezuela