Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

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Reducing the Global Burden of Dementia: The First Effective Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease Sep 12, 2019

Show notes

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

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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

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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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