Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Dr. Larry Gerston: Overcoming Trumpism and Saving American Democracy May 04, 2026

Show notes

What is Trumpism and how long will it last? A new book by political scientist and author Dr. Larry N. Gerston defines Trumpism as an ideology that preceded Trump’s election and will outlast his political career. He says we need to explore solutions to problems that have long plagued contemporary American democracy.

Gerston says deep-rooted pain points in U.S. governance gave rise to and were exacerbated by Trumpism—discrimination, voter disenfranchisement, and corruption—as well as key areas of government and society that he says Trumpism endangers: political institutions, civic culture and community, law and order, and public education.

These are all issues he explores in his newest book, Overcoming Trumpism: How to Save American Democracy, in which Gerston offers a combination of solutions to preserve American democracy: repair its battered institutions, assure a free and responsible press, and restore public participation in democratic society. He says an invested and attentive public will be necessary to restore a strong democratic tradition in this country.

Gerston, who taught at San Jose State University and was a long-time on-air political analyst for NBC Bay Area, has also been a popular speaker on the stage of Commonwealth Club World Affairs numerous times. Now join us as he returns to the Club to launch his latest book with a call for rebuilding our political infrastructure.

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CLIMATE ONE: John Doerr and Ryan Panchadsaram: Speed & Scale’s Reality Check May 01, 2026

Show notes

In 2021, legendary investor John Doerr⁠ outlined his plan to solve climate change⁠ in his bestseller “Speed & Scale.” The plan outlines 10 objectives, each with their own set of key results, to cut emissions to net zero. And in true John Doerr style, the results are to be measurable and trackable.

Now, five years later, Doerr and co-author Ryan Panchadsaram unveil their 2026 update, revealing where the world is winning, where it's falling behind, and what it will take to close the gap.

Guests:

John Doerr, Venture capitalist; Chair, Kleiner Perkins

Ryan Panchadsaram, Advisor to the Chairman, Kleiner Perkins

Aliya Haq, President, Clean Economy Project (CleanEcon)

Robinson Meyer, Founding Executive Editor, Heatmap News

Nancy E. Pfund, Founder and Managing Partner, DBL Partners

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

Highlights:

00:00 – Intro

01:00 – John Doerr on how his plan differs from others

05:30 – Ryan Panchadsaram: updated plan focuses on what needs to be built, rather than cut

08:30 – Bright spot: deployment of solar and wind

10:00 – Big challenges: methane leaks

15:30 – Keeping accountable with shifting deadlines

19:00 – Where government succeeds and fails in addressing climate

21:30 – Where tech industry/VC succeeds and fails in addressing climate

29:00 – Reframing the climate narrative around the good news

33:20 – Aliya Haq: load growth is an incredible opportunity for us to advance clean

37:00 – Coalition uniting to fix the grid and make policy work for clean energy

39:00 – Robinson Meyer on geopolitical energy shocks and reconsideration of fuel sources

44:15 – Race for clean tech is a “frenemy” competition

48:00 – Nancy Pfund: Clean energy remains a very “investable” area

52:00 – Cost curves for EVs, solar are inexorable – we just need to build policy to support it

54:00 – Climate One More Thing

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Bay Area Holocaust Survivor Shares Her Family’s Dramatic Story in ‘A Time to Hide’ Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

When Grete and Julius fled Nazi Germany, they never imagined they’d be forced into hiding in a Dutch attic. While in hiding, their daughter Marion was born—a moment of light amid the darkest of times. Years later, Marion Seidemann Fredman shares her family’s courageous story of love, loss, and resilience in this visually rich, nonfiction picture book.

A Time to Hide is suitable for readers as young as 9 or 10 but appropriate for all ages to learn about World War II and the Holocaust. Through a blend of historical documents, family photos, a collage of paintings and illustrations, including newly commissioned illustrations by acclaimed artist Elisa Kleven, Fredman makes history accessible to young readers while preserving the emotional truth of one family’s courage and humanity.

Fredman, a longtime Berkeley resident, joins Commonwealth Club World Affairs to talk about the book—and her family’s remarkable story of survival.

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The Race for Governor 2026: Matt Mahan Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has a lot in common with his Democratic opponents in the race for California governor. Like them, he is making affordability and cutting red tape centerpieces of his campaign. But he has been more outspoken in his criticism of Governor Gavin Newsom, and he’s often described as the moderate Democrat in the race.
Still, Mahan has pushed back on the moderate label. “I think we should want great things for everyone, but I worry that our state often embraces policies that are idealistic, that sound good, are performative and aren’t working in practice,” Mahan told the Orange County Register in February. “And that’s why I consider myself a pragmatist more than anything.”
To address the homelessness crisis, Mahan would expand the use of tiny homes, among other initiatives. He also supports “requiring treatment for the drug, alcohol and mental health conditions that lead to repeated arrests and trap people on the streets.”
A former tech entrepreneur, Mahan grew up in Watsonville and was elected to the San José City Council in 2020. He narrowly won the race for mayor two years later, and was reelected in a landslide in 2024.
Mahan 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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The Invisible Water: How Culture Shapes Mental Illness and Healing Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

“I don’t know who discovered water, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a fish.”

Like a fish in water, we rarely notice the cultural forces that surround us every day—especially when it comes to our mental health. Join UCSF psychiatrist Dr. Descartes Li as he dives into the invisible cultural currents that shape the human mind. From the American emphasis on “talking it out” and finding your “true self,” to the physical experience of distress in other parts of the world, this fascinating lecture will reveal how deeply our beliefs and cultural norms construct our understanding of illness, suffering and healing.

About the Speakers

Our speaker today is Dr. Descartes Li, a professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Li has spent his career at the intersection of clinical care, medical education and cultural psychiatry. Recognizing the unique mental-health needs of diverse populations, he founded and directed the UCSF Asia America Clinic to provide specialized care to the Bay Area's Asian American community.

In addition to his focus on cultural psychiatry, Dr. Li is a highly respected clinical leader, serving as the director of both the UCSF Bipolar Disorder Program and the Electroconvulsive Therapy Service. He recently completed a five-year tenure as UCSF's vice chair for education in psychiatry, and his impact on global medical education includes serving as a distinguished professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. A returning speaker to Commonwealth Club World Affairs, Dr. Li brings decades of frontline clinical experience, a passion for understanding the human mind, and a commitment to humanistic care.

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.

Organizer: Veronica Ortega & Patrik O'Reilly

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CLIMATE ONE: Nancy Pelosi’s Seat is Open. Meet Two Candidates Vying to Succeed Her. Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

This year, one of the most powerful politicians in the country decided not to seek re-election. For nearly 38 years, Nancy Pelosi has represented the people of San Francisco in the US House of Representatives. As one of the most powerful House Speakers in U.S. history, Pelosi played a central role in advancing landmark environmental and climate laws, and bringing energy and climate policy to the forefront of the national agenda.

Her retirement opens up a space for a new person to take up her mantle as an advocate for climate and energy policies, as well as the other priorities of the people of California’s 11th District. Saikat Chakrabarti and Scott Wiener are both vying to represent the district in congress. How does each candidate plan to balance serious climate action with the everyday economic pressures facing Bay Area communities? Can they refocus Congress on climate solutions? And what, specifically, is their plan?

Guests:

Saikat Chakrabarti, President, New Consensus

Scott Wiener, California State Senator

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

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From American Dream to Uncertainty: The Refugee Experience and Who Defines Who Is American Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

Join us for a special Songkran program celebrating the Southeast Asian New Year. We’ll bring together Lao American community members who will offer perspectives on the human consequences of the current U.S. immigration policy.

Raised in the United States, many Lao American refugees are vulnerable to current immigration policy changes, with some facing deportation back to a country unfamiliar to them. Through storytelling of their own lives, we’ll explore issues of belonging and the impact of families currently being separated.

The discussion will conclude with a special musical performance by Tookta and Morlam SF, followed by a reception featuring a traditional blessing and Southeast Asian flavors.

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Jennifer Doleac: The Science of Second Chances in Criminal Justice Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

Jennifer Doleac studies the economics of crime and discrimination. And when she considers criminal justice reform, she’s not only hopeful but actually optimistic that things can improve for the entire system as a whole. In her new book The Science of Second Chances, Doleac lays out her view of how to reduce both crime and incarceration. She draws on cutting-edge economic research and experiments to offer a reform blueprint. She says shifting the incentives that people face can produce dramatic changes in the decisions they make, which can result in significantly fewer people going through the criminal justice system.

From DNA databases that increase the likelihood of catching repeat offenders to leniency programs for first-time defendants, she reveals a series of surprising interventions that she says actually work, along with cautionary tales about great ideas that never panned out. Doleac says we can have both public safety and a smaller, “less intrusive” justice system without waiting for big structural reforms that might never happen.

Can small changes result in big results? Come with your questions and find out when Jennifer Doleac joins us in San Francisco.

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Jim Collins: What to Make of a Life Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

It is a question just about everyone confronts in their life, and it centers on how we find our way in the world. How do we deal with challenges that can radically change a life? And what comes next?

Author Jim Collins returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to share his lessons on constructing—and reconstructing—a life through those “cliff moment” challenges and transitions that come up repeatedly in our lives. Collins devoted a decade to studying these questions and to minutely analyzing those moments when life flips from clarity to confusion and casts us into a befuddling fog.

He followed people in side-by-side positions who shared “cliffs,” and he analyzes the different decisions people made and the divergent paths taken. Such as two rock musicians facing a future without the group that brought them success. Or two public figures who endured scandal and then had to figure out how to rebuild their lives. Two suffragists achieved their big goal—and then had to decide out what to do next. Then there are two figure skaters scoping out a new life’s purpose for their post-Olympic careers.

From Collins’ studies, he developed a framework for figuring out how a life can be rebuilt and constantly renewed. Come hear him for yourself and hear his deeply researched prescription for discovering deeply fulfilling roles in life, enduring tough times and even pivotal events, and building personal momentum, decade after decade, throughout life.

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Maya Shankar: The Other Side of Change Apr 25, 2026

Show notes

Change can come from out of nowhere. A relationship ends, a doctor gives an unwelcome diagnosis, a business closes, a loved one passes away. At times like those, it can feel as if we’re in free-fall into the unknown.

Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist, has spent decades studying the human mind. When she experienced an unwanted change in her own life that left her reeling, she sought out people who had navigated major disruptions in their lives, and she tells what she learned in her new book The Other Side of Change. She shares their stories, along with insights from science to shine a light on universal lessons.

She says we can rethink how we engage with change altogether. When something big happens to us, she says, it can lead to profound change within us. That can lead to uncovering new abilities, perspectives, and values; the process can transform us in extraordinary ways.

Can moments of upheaval be seen as opportunities for positive change? What potentials lie within people waiting to be unlocked?

Join us to hear a scientist’s take on finding meaning in the turmoil of changes.

The program contains EXPLICIT language.

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