Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Adam Hochschild returns to The Commonwealth Club with his revelatory new account of a pivotal but neglected period in American history: World War I and its stormy aftermath, when bloodshed and repression on the home front nearly doomed American democracy. The nation was on the brink. Angry mobs burned Black churches to the ground and chased down pacifists and immigrants. Well over a thousand men and women were jailed solely for what they had written or said, even in private. An astonishing 250,000 people joined a nationwide vigilante group—sponsored by the Department of Justice. This was America during and after the Great War: a brief but appalling era blighted by torture, censorship, and killings. Hochschild brings to life this troubled period, which stretched from 1917 to 1921, through the interwoven tales of some well-known characters, like the sphinxlike Woodrow Wilson and the ambitious young bureaucrat J. Edgar Hoover, and of other less-familiar characters, like the fiery antiwar advocate Kate Richards O’Hare and the outspoken Leo Wendell, a labor radical who was frequently arrested and wholly trusted by his comrades—but who was in fact Hoover’s star undercover agent. A groundbreaking work of narrative history, American Midnight recalls these horrifying yet inspiring four years, when some brave Americans strove to keep their fractured country democratic, while ruthless others stimulated toxic currents of racism, nativism, red-baiting and contempt for the rule of law—poisons that all feel ominously familiar today. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond SPEAKERS Adam Hochschild Historian; Lecturer, Graduate School of Journalism, University of California Berkeley; Author, American Midnight: The Great War, A Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis In Conversation with George Hammond Author, Conversations With Socrates 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 October 13th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, drug-related overdoses killed more people than COVID-19 in San Francisco, and Mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency in the Tenderloin. Fentanyl and COVID-19 have only fueled our overdose crisis. While addressing this might seem overwhelming, we can respond in practical and evidence-based ways. Come learn how we can address this crisis with solutions that might surprise you from San Francisco General Hospital's Addiction Care Team director. How can M&Ms help stem the crisis? What is a patient navigator? How do we change the experience of people who use drugs in the hospital? Dr. Marlene Martin will address these issues. Our speaker, Dr. Marlene Martin, M.D., is an associate professor of clinical medicine at UCSF and a hospitalist at San Francisco General Hospital. Dr. Martin is the director of addiction initiatives for the UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence and founded and directs the Addiction Care Team (ACT), an interprofessional consultation service that provides compassionate person-centered care focused on harm reduction, evidence-based treatment, and linkage to care for emergency department and hospitalized patients with unhealthy substance use. Dr. Martin is passionate about improving health-care systems and reducing inequities for people with substance use disorders and Latinx individuals through innovation and interprofessional collaborations, including community partnerships. MLF ORGANIZER Patrick O'Reilly SPEAKERS Marlene Martin Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, UCSF; Hospitalist, San Francisco General Hospital; Director of Addiction Initiatives, UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence; Founder and Director, Addiction Care Team (ACT) Patrick O'Reilly Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist; Assistant Clinical Professor, UC San Francisco; Chair, Member-Led Psychology 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 Live on October 11th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women are breaking through the tired and hurtful stereotypes of aging to better reflect who they are, how they live, and what they want as they age. Who hasn't heard the stereotypes about women of a "certain age?" That's the age when women become invisible, irrelevant, undesirable, asexual, unhinged, dried-up, hormonal messes. It's when women quickly slide into fragility and become forgetful, passive, weak, feeble, debilitated, disabled, dependent and depressed. Or so the story goes. Not only are those outdated narratives sexist and ageist, they are also damaging to women's physical, emotional, financial, romantic and sexual health. It's time to change them. In Not too Old for That, Vicki Larson helps change the narrative about being a woman at midlife and older. She questions what we've been told aging would be like and encourages us to instead ask ourselves, What do we want it to be like? And how can we get there? She says the key is to be curious, open-minded, and intentional about the ways we are becoming our future selves. We have an opportunity to create new narratives of aging as a woman, ones that value women at all stages of life, not just youth, and it starts with us. Once the stereotypes that have held women back are broken down, she says women can move past them and rather than feel helpless as the years add up, they can discover and tap into just how much agency they have. She believes that not only will her approach help to create a less ageist, less sexist, more-inclusive future, it will release our daughters and all young women from a similar future. About the SpeakerVicki Larson is a longtime award-winning editor, writer and columnist at the Marin Independent Journal. She is author of Not Too Old for That: How Women are Changing the Story of Aging and co-author of The New I Do: Reshaping Marriage for Skeptics, Realists and Rebels, named a Best Book of 2014 by PopSugar. A resident of Marin County, her writing can be found in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Aeon and AARP's The Ethel, among other publications. MLF ORGANIZER Denise Michaud NOTES A Grownups Member-Led Forum (MLF) 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. SPEAKERS Vicki Larson Journalist; Author Eric Siegel Chair, Personal Growth Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—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 live on October11th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for an online conversation with the author of a striking and remarkable literary memoir about one family’s transformation, with almost all of them embracing their queer identities. It might sound like a sitcom plot, but for Jessi Hempel, it's a true story. Jessi Hempel was raised in a picture-perfect, middle-class American family. But the truth was far from perfect. Her lawyer-father was constantly away from home, traveling for work, while her stay-at-home mother became increasingly lonely and erratic. Growing up, Jessi and her two siblings struggled to make sense of their family, their world, their changing bodies, and the emotional turmoil each was experiencing. By the time Jessi reached adulthood, everyone in her family had come out: Jessi as gay, her sister as bisexual, her father as gay, her brother as transgender, and her mother as a survivor of a traumatic experience with an alleged serial killer. Yet coming out was just the beginning, starting a chain reaction of other personal revelations and reckonings that caused each of them to question their place in the world in new and ultimately liberating ways. Don't miss this timely talk. About the SpeakerJessi Hempel is a senior editor at large at LinkedIn and host of the Webby-nominated podcast "Hello Monday." For almost 20 years, she has been writing and editing features and cover stories about the most important people and companies in technology. Most recently, she was the head of editorial for Backchannel and a senior writer at Wired. Earlier in her career, she was a senior writer for Fortune, where she co-chaired Fortune’s Aspen tech conference. Before that, Hempel wrote for BusinessWeek, and Time Asia. She has appeared on CNN, PBS, MSNBC, Fox, and CNBC, addressing the culture and business of technology. Hempel is a graduate of Brown University and received a Master’s in Journalism from U.C. Berkeley. She lives in Brooklyn. NOTES This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Jessi Hempel Author, The Family Outing; Twitter @jessiwrites Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; 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 of California—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 October 13th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twenty of the world’s richest countries – mostly in the Global North – are responsible for 80 percent of the carbon pollution that’s driving extreme weather and supercharging natural disasters. Yet poorer countries in the Global South are experiencing climate-induced disasters first and worst. Wealthier and whiter countries in the Global North are being hit by climate disruption as well, but they also have more resources to adapt. We talk with two award-winning journalists, one from each hemisphere, about covering climate change in their part of the world and bridging the disconnect that exists between North and South. Guests: Lauren Sommer, Reporter, NPR Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, Reporter for The Guardian, Host of An Impossible Choice. For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From microwaves to missiles, smartphones to the stock market, our world is increasingly dependent on microchip technology. According to Chris Miller, microchips are the new oil, a critical resource that defines the current state of military, economic and geopolitical power. At the heart of the decades-long battle over control of this technology are the United States and China, two superpowers engaging in a war that puts America’s economic prosperity at risk. In Chip War, Miller provides a comprehensive analysis of the semiconductor chip and its impact on national security and international economics. Tracing the global history of microchips, he recounts the fascinating events that enabled the United States to perfect the chip design, and the role that faster chips played in America’s Cold War victory over the Soviet Union. As Miller reveals, the United States once dominated advancements in microchips, but now, China is investing billions into a chip-building initiative to bridge the gap, leading to a power competition that will define the world’s geopolitical future. Join us as Miller explains the high stakes history of the computer chip and ongoing battle between the United States and China that is shaping the modern world. NOTES In association with the Asia Pacific Affairs member-led forum. This program is generously supported by the Jackson Square Partners Foundation. SPEAKERS Chris Miller Author, The Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology In Conversation with Niall Ferguson Milbank Family Senior Fellow, the Hoover Institution, Stanford University; Senior Faculty Fellow, the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University 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 October 16th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 18th century and pre-Constitution America, libraries have been a public space, a central repository where books could be borrowed, read and returned—a long defended democratic ideal of the public library. The nonprofit Internet Archive, founded in 1996, was built to be both the library of the Internet and the library on the Internet—a grand repository of knowledge. Its mission: universal access to all knowledge through the networked reach of the Internet, which allows the Archive to serve as a loc­­­al library for users with a browser anywhere. During the global COVID pandemic closures of public libraries and schools in 2020, the Internet Archive created the National Emergency Library to provide digitized books to students and the public. This changed the one book/one person model of lending. Subsequent lawsuits and responses have led to current federal court cases, led by major publishers, contending that controlled digital lending means “willful mass copyright infringement.” Countersuits filed and championed by the Archive propose that such an argument presents “obstacles to the free flow of information” and the guarantee of pubic library lending access.To explore these issues, join us for a conversation with Brewster Kahle, the founder and digital librarian of the Internet Archive, which now preserves more than 99 unique petabytes of data—the books, web pages, music, television and software of our cultural heritage, working with more than 950 library and university partners to create a digital library accessible to all. Kahle created the Internet's first publishing system, called the Wide Area Information Server, later selling the company to AOL. He also co-founded Alexa Internet, which helps catalog the web; he sold it to Amazon.com. The Archive's Wayback machine is one of the most popular Internet websites. MLF ORGANIZER Anne W. Smith SPEAKERS Brewster Kahle Founder and Digital Librarian, Internet Archive; Twitter @brewster_kahle Anne W. Smith Co-Chair, Arts Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—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 October 6th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new Netflix miniseries Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is one of the streaming service's most popular hits all around the world, telling the horrific story of the serial killer who preyed upon young men from 1978 to 1991. Join us for a discussion of how racism and xenophobia played a role in the Jeffrey Dahmer case. Some of his victims might be alive today if police had listened to Glenda Cleveland, the neighbor who tried to warn police about Dahmer. We'll also explore representation, authenticity, and why it matters in telling traumatic stories. About the SpeakersNicole Childress: Nicole was with her cousin Sandra Smith, who is the daughter of the late Glenda Cleveland, when they found one of Jeffery Dahmer's victims. They called police—who then returned the victim back to Dahmer. Childress, a.k.a. Cola Styles, is the CEO of Beauty Intellect and the author of Cola Styles: The Good, Bad & Ugly. She calls herself a true expert on faith, hair, hair composition, hair maintenance and creativity. She is the proud mother of three kids and grandmother of eight. She says "passions, patience, and knowing GOD, has kept me sane in my journey of good, bad and ugly." Khetphet (KEM-pet) Phagnasay (Pah-YAH-sy) goes by the nickname KP; he is a Lao-American actor, director, producer and stuntman who has a recurring role as Sounthone Sinthasomphone, father of a victim, in the Netflix Dahmer series. He has also worked on God is an Astronaut, Demon Fighter, Street of Hope, Hollywood Road Trip, and many more productions. He has an extensive experience on stage portraying the king in The king and I, Song Liliang in M.Butterfly, Puck in Midsummer Night, Dr. Sun Yet Sen in Sun Yat Sen: The Mouth of a Dragon, and other roles. He has travelled oversea to Japan, Taiwan, and mainland China as a performer. KP was born in Laos in 1971came to the United States as a refugee in 1980s, as the result of the Vietnam War conflict. He grew up in Oswego, Ilinois, and then Waianae, Hawai'i, before settling in Clovis/Fresno, California. He earned his B.A. in Theatre Arts from California State University, Fresno, and continued his higher education in Asian theatre focusing on acting from University of Hawaii, Manoa. SPEAKERS Nicole Childress a.k.a. Cola Styles, CEO, Beauty Intellect; Author, Cola Styles: The Good, Bad & Ugly KP Phagnasay Actor, Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix); Director; Producer; Stuntman Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; 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 of California—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 October 6th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Poland is rapidly becoming the linchpin of the Western effort to defend Ukraine and deter Russia. The Polish-Ukrainian border, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February, is a hub of activity. With refugees from Ukraine flowing back and forth and military equipment being transferred in to help the Ukrainian war effort along with aid for Ukraine's people, Poland has taken a leadership role in Europe and the West, stepping up to both welcome its neighbors and help defend them against Russia's aggression. As the war drags on into fall, The Commonwealth Club of California is honored to welcome His Excellency Marek Magierowski, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to the United States, to discuss the current situation on Poland's border with Ukraine and the strategic considerations for Poland, the EU, and the NATO alliance. Ambassador Magierowski was appointed to Washington, D.C., in November 2021 after previously serving as Poland's ambassador to Israel and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as undersecretary of state for economic cooperation with the Americas and Asia. NOTES Sponsored by Taube Philanthropies. SPEAKERS Marek Magierowski Ambassador of Poland to the United States Abraham D. Sofaer George P. Shultz Distinguished Scholar and Senior Fellow, The Hoover Institution 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 Live on October 6th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humanities West presents a performance, and an elucidation, of Mozart’s String Quintet in G minor, K. 516, composed in Vienna in 1787. It is widely considered to be among Mozart's greatest and most tragic works. But the Quintet is not only “tragic”; it is a “tragedy” in the mode of the ancient Greeks: the enactment of the story of a hero who meets a catastrophic fate. Mozart scholar Steve Machtinger will demonstrate how Mozart imbued the work with musical symbols that convey its tragic narrative. The program will include a live performance by the Hatzfeld Quintet of all four movements of Mozart’s String Quintet in G minor. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond SPEAKERS Steve Machtinger Attorney; Violist; Independent Mozart Scholar Musical performance by the Hatzfeld Quintet: Monika Gruber and Emanuela Nikiforova, Violins; Steve Machtinger and Jennifer Sills, Violas; and Louella Hasbun, Cello George Hammond Author, Conversations With Socrates In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on September 23rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Young people's voices are an integral part of our democracy. Yet Gen Z and Millennial voters consistently turn out at lower rates than older generations. To inspire youth civic engagement, the Associated Students of the University of California Vote Coalition, Berkeley Women in Politics, and The Commonwealth Club have proudly launched a first-of-its kind partnership: the Creating Citizens Speaker Series at UC Berkeley. This speaker series will give UC Berkeley students and community members the opportunity to listen to and ask questions of leading minds in politics, media and education as they learn how to become better, more involved citizens. As the home of decades of activism and civic engagement, Berkeley is the perfect environment for this dialogue to occur. Our inaugural program will feature California Attorney General Rob Bonta, plus a panel of impressive political thinkers discussing the importance of voting and civic engagement, particularly in 2022. Accomplished individuals from across the political spectrum, our speakers will come together to inspire the next generation of voters and citizen leaders. Together, they will take attendees on a journey through our electoral process and provide key takeaways from their experiences in politics. We look forward to welcoming community members and students from around the Bay Area to participate in this riveting conversation and to join us for future programs in the Creating Citizens Speaker Series. SPEAKERS Rob Bonta Attorney General of the State of California Duf Sundheim Member, U.S. Federal Court’s Advance Mediation Practice Group; former Chair, California Republican Party Lisa García Bedolla Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, Dean of the Graduate Division, and Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley Alex Edgar Director, University of California, Berkeley ASUC Vote Coalition In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on October 4th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Paris Agreement requires every country to declare their own nationally determined contributions, or NDCs, for reducing emissions. Last year at COP26 in Glasgow, it became clear that even the updated targets would – at best – limit warming to 2.4°C, almost a full degree above the 1.5° goal. But even more important than goals or promises is how every country turns policy into reality. This year’s COP27, hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt, is being framed as “the implementation COP,” where the stated goal is to move from negotiations to action. In this special episode, Climate One Host Greg Dalton speaks one-on-one with Egyptian Ambassador and Special Representative of the COP27 President, Wael Aboulmagd, about how Egypt plans to close the gap between promises and implementation. Guest: Wael Aboulmagd, Egyptian Ambassador, Special Representative of the COP27 President For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, scientists and activists have called for action to slow the pace of global warming. The political process has struggled and largely failed to keep up with the growing climate crisis. But through annual summits known as the United Nations Conference of the Parties, or COP, countries have finally started to commit to reducing their emissions. At last year’s climate summit, nations that make up about two thirds of the global economy committed to reducing emissions enough to try to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees celsius. At this year’s 27th COP in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, central questions will focus on how to pay for climate adaptation and mitigation. And, since the world’s 20 biggest economies are responsible for 80% of all climate disrupting emissions, how much money do those nations owe poorer countries suffering from a problem they didn’t create? Guests: Jonathan Pershing, Former Special Envoy for Climate Change, U.S. Department of State Omnia El Omrani, COP 27 Youth Envoy Ambassador Wael Aboulmagd, Special Representative of the COP27 President Contributing Producer: Rabiya Jaffery For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For visionary businessman and AOL founder Steve Case, great entrepreneurs can be found anywhere and can thrive with the proper support and investment. At a time when America's economy is undergoing fundamental shifts on several fronts, entrepreneurs are obviously essential to America's future. Back in 2014, Case helped the country prepare for this moment with the launch of Rise of the Rest, an effort to inspire entrepreneurs across the country to build successful startups. Case reviews the impact of his effort, and how communities large and small nationwide are reinventing the American landscape. Case explores entrepreneurial efforts in 43 cities across the country, where individuals from all walks of life are building groundbreaking companies, renewing communities, and creating new jobs. Through these inspirational, close-up stories, Case uncovers a path toward a more innovative and inclusive America. Join us as Case explains how startup communities can bring people together around a shared future and redefine the American dream at this critical moment in the country's history. SPEAKERS Steve Case Chairman and CEO, Revolution; Author, The Rise of the Rest: How Entrepreneurs in Surprising Places are Building the New American Dream; Twitter @SteveCase In Conversation with Lenny Mendonca Former Chief Economic and Business Advisor, State of California; Twitter @Lenny_Mendonca 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 October 4th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women and girls all over the world are using intelligence, creativity, energy, and courage to help stop global warming. Paola Gianturco and her 12-year-old granddaughter Avery Sangster set out to chronicle their stories, interviewing and photographing women politicians, corporate executives, scholars, heads of grassroots groups, and presidents of organizations that are all dedicated to combating global warming. These women leaders are based in 10 countries: the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Tanzania, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, and Hong Kong. Learn more about what women around the world are doing through the book co-authored by this granddaughter-grandmother team, COOL: Women Leaders Reversing Global Warming. Tackling global warming takes all ages. Paola, Avery and the leaders in their book demonstrate that when the generations listen to one another, change is possible. We invite young people and adults to come, learn together, and be inspired to take action in your own communities. SPEAKERS Paola Gianturco Author; Photographer Avery Sangster 6th Grade Student; Co-author Carla Thorson Vice President of Programs, The Commonwealth Club of California 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 September 29th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s students have grown up in a political culture of polarization that has exacerbated public distrust. In this environment, how can educators teach young people to engage with controversial issues in such a way that schools do not become partisan institutions? Diana Hess and Paula McAvoy propose that teachers should not shy away from political controversy. Instead, they should see their job as helping students develop the skills and dispositions of deliberation by practicing speaking and listening with civility, backing up ideas with evidence and information, and considering how one’s own views affect others. Further, because classrooms are “unusual political spaces” in which young people hone their political and social identities, Hess and McAvoy argue that students deserve the opportunity to puzzle about the issues they are inheriting in a way that models good thinking and reasoning. It is these experiences that best prepare future citizens to answer the vital question, “How should we live together?” Teaching these habits of political friendship upholds the civic ideal of our democracy and offers hope that over time, goodwill can transform a distrustful political sphere. This back-to-school event is for everyone who is concerned about democracy and the preservation of open discussion in education; teachers are especially encouraged to attend. It will take place online and in person; we will welcome our speakers virtually and moderator Milton Reynolds will join a live audience in our building on The Embarcadero. NOTES 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 September 27th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just how dangerous are memes? The power of memes has grown and is now a weapon used to push disinformation, spread ideologies, and deepen partisanship. They are fueling a cultural war that continues to accelerate and intensify. Joan Donovan and Emily Dreyfuss recount how “Stop the Steal” went from online to real life. They reveal startling secrets from the digital war rooms and the troubling developments led by conspiracists and extremists to upend our country’s democracy. As the battle continues, learn more about what could be at stake for the future of our country Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language SPEAKERS Joan Donovan Research Director, Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center; Co-author, Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America Emily Dreyfuss Journalist; Co-author, Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America In Conversation with Lauren Goode Senior Editor, Wired In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live on October 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this third part of our series on conspiracy theories and other false narratives, we'll look at actions society can take to defend itself. We'll focus on what journalists and educators can do, what technology companies can do, and what government and individuals can do. Our speaker, Dr. Samuel Woolley, will discuss media literacy, technologies for quick detection and management of false narratives, the role of governmental regulation, and actions we can take as individuals. MLF ORGANIZER Eric Siegel SPEAKERS Dr. Samuel Woolley Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Propaganda Research Lab, University of Texas-Austin; Author, The Reality Game: How the Next Wave of Technology Will Break the Truth, Computational Propaganda, and numerous academic and popular articles Eric Siegel Chair, Personal Growth Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—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 September 29th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California State Senator Brian Dahle is the Republican candidate for governor. He is making his first visit to The Commonwealth Club to discuss his proposals and plans for leading the largest state in the country. A longtime advocate of building a better business climate in California, Brian Dahle was the California Chamber of Commerce’s top-rated senator for pro-business votes in 2021 and has a 100 percent rating from the National Federation of Independent Business. He was chosen by his peers in 2017 to be the Assembly Republican leader, leading the caucus until after the 2018 elections, when he stepped down as leader to run in a special election to fill a vacant seat in the 1st Senate District. Before joining the legislature, Dahle served on the Lassen County Board of Supervisors for 16 years. Please join us as Senator Dahle explains his commitment to California and his plans to address a range of key state issues, including cost of living, crime, homelessness, water, education, energy independence, wildfires, housing, drugs and more. SPEAKERS Brian Dahle State Senator (R-District 1); Republican Candidate for California Governor Melissa Caen Political Journalist; Attorney In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded on September 22nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do you fall in love with some music, and not with other music? And why do those you love sometimes fall in love with music you don't? Susan Rogers, a record-producer–turned–brain-scientist, explains why, taking us on a journey into the science and the soul of music that reveals why your favorite songs move you. Rogers also shares her personal story—she began as an audio tech in Los Angeles, broke through as Prince’s chief engineer for Purple Rain, and then continued to create other number 1 hits to become one of the most successful female record producers ever. Rogers, currently a professor of cognitive neuroscience, raises musical self-awareness. She explains that we each possess a unique “listener profile” based on our brain’s natural response to the seven key dimensions of a song. Are you someone who prefers lyrics or melody? Do you like music “above the neck” (intellectually stimulating), or “below the neck” (instinctual and rhythmic)? Whether your taste is esoteric or mainstream, Rogers will guide you to recognize your own musical personality and to describe your own unique taste. Like most of us, Rogers is not a musician, but demonstrates how all of us can be musical simply by being active, passionate listeners. Rogers also will take us behind the scenes of record-making, using her insider status to illuminate the music of Prince, Frank Sinatra, Kanye West, Lana Del Rey and many other artists. She shares records that changed her life, contrasts them with those that appeal to others, and encourages you to think about the records that define your own identity. Join us and then refresh your playlists, deepen your connection to your favorite artists, and change the way you listen to music. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond and Anne W. Smith NOTES This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Susan Rogers Director, Berklee Music Perception and Cognition Laboratory; Record Producer; Author, This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You In Conversation with John Boland President Emeritus, KQED; Vice 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 live on October 5th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the US midterm elections looming, the window for enacting meaningful climate policy may be closing. November’s elections will determine which party controls Congress, and that will have far reaching implications for the planet. Historically, the midterms have been bad news for the party in control of the White House, but the Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act may have changed that calculus. Where do voters stand going into the midterms, and how does climate factor into their decisions? Guests: Nathaniel Stinnett, Founder & Executive Director, Environmental Voter Project Chelsea Henderson, Director of Editorial Content, RepublicEN Jean Chemnick, Climate Reporter, E&E News For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It would be difficult to overstate the influence on American television of director James Burrows. Co-creator of Cheers, he also directed 237 of the long-running show's 275 episodes. He directed every episode of Will & Grace, the groundbreaking show that turned gay characters and storylines into must-see TV. He also directed 75 episodes of Taxi, 32 episodes of Frasier, 15 episodes of Friends, and multiple episodes of Phyllis, The Bob Newhart Show, NewsRadio, and many others. His sitcom work all began with an episode of another pathbreaking series, The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the early 1970s. Altogether, he has directed more than 1,000 episodes of American comedy television. In his new memoir, Directed by James Burrows, he's sharing stories from his legendary career working on the most successful and influential sitcoms of the past half century. Join us for this online program to hear how James Burrows shaped popular, high-quality comedy TV in America. NOTES This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS James Burrows Director; Co-creator, Cheers; Author, Directed by James Burrows Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; 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 of California—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 September 27th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do we really understand the reach and impact that social media has on our lives? We all have a vague sense that social media can be bad for our minds, for our children, and for our democracies. Yet that doesn't stop us from constantly using it. New York Times investigative reporter Max Fisher looks at how Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social networks drive everyday users to extreme opinions and, increasingly, extreme actions. Fisher tracks the evolution of free speech to hate speech and its spillover into violence—that first festered in far-off locales to their dark culmination in America during the pandemic, the 2020 election, and the Capitol insurrection. He also addresses the cultural shift in which people are polarized not by beliefs based on facts, but by misinformation, outrage and fear. Hear more about the influence that social media has and how it isn’t just changing our lives, but the world. SPEAKERS Max Fisher International Reporter and Columnist, The New York Times; Author, The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World; Twitter @Max_Fisher In conversation with DJ Patil Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist; Member, The Commonwealth Club of California Board of Governors; Twitter @dpatil 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 September 22nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jann Wenner has had an outsized impact on Bay Area history, music, popular culture and the world of magazines. In 1967, with the founding of Rolling Stone magazine in San Francisco, Wenner not only created the "bible of the counterculture," he helped catalyze a generation of young people into a force that would go on to transform the politics and lifestyles of much of the country. In his deeply personal new memoir, Like a Rolling Stone, Wenner vividly describes an epoch of cultural change that swept America and beyond, and the role his magazine played in it. His book goes on to explore not only his own work, but the lives of Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Bono and Bruce Springsteen. He also discusses the role he played in the careers of Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe and Annie Leibovitz. After leaving San Francisco for New York, Wenner's journey took him to the Oval Office with groundbreaking interviews with Bill Clinton and Barak Obama, leaders to whom Wenner's publication gave its historic, full-throated backing. Wenner also had his magazine focus on the Dalai Lama, Greta Thunberg, and others he felt should be seen and heard in the pages of Rolling Stone, because of their potential impact on American culture. It is not surprising that many have called him "the greatest magazine editor of his generation." Please join us as Wenner makes a rare visit to The Commonwealth Club to discuss his life and the impact he has made on America. NOTES This program is generously supported by Relevant Wealth. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Jann Wenner Founder, Rolling Stone Magazine; Member, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Paul Liberatore Music Columnist, Marin Independent Journal In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded on September 21st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Decades of cuts to local government amidst rising concentrations of poverty have wreaked havoc on communities left behind by the modern economy. Some of these discarded places are rural. Others are big cities, small cities, or historic suburbs. Some vote blue, others red. Mostly, their governments are just broke. Stanford Law School Professor Michelle Wilde Anderson says that 40 years after the anti-tax revolution began protecting wealthy taxpayers and their cities, high-poverty cities and counties have run out of services to cut, properties to sell, bills to defer, and risky loans to take. In The Fight to Save the Town, Anderson traveled to four blue-collar communities that are poor, broke, and progressing—Stockton, California; Josephine County, Oregon; Lawrence, Massachusetts; and Detroit, Michigan. She shares how networks of local leaders and residents are coming together to face this crisis head on and working toward innovative solutions to deal with pressing issues, including gun violence, housing and unemployment. Hear more about the fight to save our communities at the local level and create wealth equity for all. SPEAKERS Michelle Wilde Anderson Professor of Property, Local Government, and Environment Justice, Stanford Law School; Author, The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded America In Conversation with Pamela Karlan Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law and a Founder and Co-director of the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, Stanford Law School. 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 September 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From its chaotic beginning to the violent finale, the Trump presidency was filled with moments ranging from the unthinkable to the deadly serious. That has continued until these past several weeks, and the man at the center of all of this could announce he is running for president again. That makes understanding his presidency even more important today. Veteran journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser chart the ambitious and lasting history of the Trump presidency, drawing on unprecedented access to key players from President Trump himself to cabinet officers, military generals, and more. Based on these exclusive interviews, Baker and Glasser reveal moments both tense and comical, from how close the United States got to nuclear war with North Korea to whether Trump asked Japan’s prime minister to nominate him for a Nobel Prize. They also explore the moral choices confronting those around Trump—how they justified working for him and where they drew their lines. Join us as Peter Baker and Susan Glasser return to the Club to discuss Donald Trump's presidency and what a second term could mean for the country. SPEAKERS Peter Baker Chief White House Correspondent, The New York Times; Co-author, The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021; Twitter @peterbakernyt Susan Glasser Staff Writer, The New Yorker; Co-author, The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021; Twitter @sbg1 In Conversation with Adam Lashinsky Journalist; Author; Twitter @adamlashinsky In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on September 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From 41BC to September 2022, the persona of Cleopatra has been modeled as an archetype of female power and beauty. Yet—as with most tellings of history—her story has been mostly written by men who never knew her. Providing another context, in concurrence with John Adams’ Antony and Cleopatra premiere, San Francisco Opera’s Diversity, Equity and Community department presents a panel of women arts leaders to ask and answer: In the struggle for equal rights, who is Cleopatra? [mis]judged, [mis]treated and [mis]portrayed? Join us as our Women in Arts panel forcefully addresses these questions. Moderated by singer and stage director Erin Neff, the panel includes Antony and Cleopatra’s Director Elkhanah Pulitzer, and African-American Shakespeare Company Founder and Executive Director Sherri Young, along with other noted Bay Area female art makers and historians. MLF ORGANIZER Anne W. Smith SPEAKERS Rita Lucarelli Associate Professor of Egyptology, University of California, Berkeley Elkhanah Pulitzer Director, Antony and Cleopatra 2022, San Francisco Opera Sherri Young Founder and Executive Director, African-American Shakespeare Company Erin Neff Speaker; Singer; Stage Director; Voice Instructor—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 September 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, hundreds of thousands of people in high-risk disaster areas across the US have been dropped from their insurance policies, leaving them both physically and financially vulnerable. At the same time, premiums have sky-rocketed, making insuring homes and businesses out of reach for many. And federal insurance and relief programs have come under scrutiny for payouts that contribute to inequality. The insurance industry wasn’t set up to account for climate change, which is increasing the frequency, scale and severity of disaster claims. From flooding in Appalachia to fires in the Pacific Northwest to hurricanes wreaking havoc from Puerto Rico to Nova Scotia, we’ve seen frequent and fierce weather take lives and devastate communities. As more people and property face loss due to extreme weather events, who will pay to protect and rebuild communities? And what policies are being constructed to help the insurance industry stay afloat? Guests: Junia Howell, Urban Sociologist, University of Illinois Chicago Simon Young, Senior Director, Climate and Resilience Hub, Willis Towers Watson Carolyn Kousky, Associate Vice President for Economics and Policy, Environmental Defense Fund; author of Understanding Disaster Insurance: New Tools for a More Resilient Future Umair Irfan, Climate and Covid Reporter, VOX Eric Letvin, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Mitigation, FEMA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Physics offers deep insights into the workings of the universe that many find mysterious, complex and confusing. Theoretical physicist and "Mindscape" podcast host Sean Carroll breaks down some of the most mind-boggling concepts in his newest book The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion. Join us for an online discussion to learn more about the wonders of modern physics and the multidimensional landscape it covers—from black holes to quantum mechanics and more. NOTES In association with Wonderfest. SPEAKERS Sean Carroll Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy, John Hopkins University; Fractal Faculty and External Professor, Santa Fe Institute; Host, "Mindscape" Podcast; Author, The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion; Twitter @seanmcarroll 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 September 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s the last video you watched on YouTube? Across the world, people view more than a billion hours of video on YouTube every day. This digital platform created the attention economy that forever changed how we consume information and entertainment. Everyone knows YouTube. And yet virtually no one knows how it really works. Mark Bergen’s Like, Comment, Subscribe reveals the inside story of YouTube’s revolutionary technology and business model. Bergen offers a deep account of how the company upended media, culture, industry and democracy and unleashed an addiction machine that forever changed the world. SPEAKERS Mark Bergen Technology Journalist; Author, Like, Comment, Subscribe: Inside YouTube's Chaotic Rise to World Domination; Twitter @mhbergen Emily Chang Host, Bloomberg Technology and Studio 1.0; Twitter @emilychangtv Shishir Mehrotra Co-founder and CEO, Coda 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 September 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Iuliia Mendel got the call telling her she had been hired to work for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, she had no idea what was to come. Mendel had a front row seat to many of the key events and meetings between President Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, and other European leaders preceding the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. She saw firsthand President Zelenskyy’s efforts to transform Ukraine into a vibrant and prosperous European democracy. As the war in Ukraine continues, Mendel shares what’s at stake not only for her homeland but the rest of the world. NOTES This is an online-only program; pre-register to receive a link to the live-stream event. Copies of The Fight of Our Lives are available for purchase at checkout (U.S. domestic shipping only). This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Iuliia Mendel Former Press Secretary and Spokesperson for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (2019-2021); Author, The Fight of Our Lives: My Time with Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s Battle for Democracy, and What It Means for the World; Twitter @IuliiaMendel In Conversation with Steven Pifer Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine; Fellow, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University 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 September 17th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In May 2022, an outbreak of monkeypox, a viral disease, was confirmed. It quickly spread from the United Kingdom to many countries around the world. Everyone is able to contract monkeypox, but its most rapid spread so far has been through men who have sex with men with new or multiple partners. How has the LGBTQ community responded? What is the current state of the disease's spread? What treatments are available? What medical or behavioral measures can be taken for prevention of infection? What might happen next—and what's being done to prepare for it? Join us for an important discussion with experts to break down the truth about the community response to monkeypox, as well as preparation for the future. SPEAKERS Dr. Erica Pan M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P., California State Epidemiologist, Deputy Director, Center for Infectious Diseases; Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of California, San Francisco Dr. David Rodriguez M.D., Professor of Emergency Medicine and Associate Chair of Research, Department of Emergency Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine Craig Rouskey MSc., Co-founder and CEO, Renegade.bio Tyler TerMeer CEO, San Francisco AIDS Foundation Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; 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 of California—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 September 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An alarming new reality is emerging in China, where a new kind of political control is being waged through the optimization of technology. Journalists Josh Chin and Liza Lin describe the journey through the new world China is building within its borders, and beyond. They reveal a future that is already underway―a new society engineered around the power of data and digital surveillance. Hear more about what could be at stake for the rest of the world. SPEAKERS Josh Chin Deputy Bureau Chief in China, The Wall Street Journal; Co-Author, Surveillance State: Inside China's Quest to Launch a New Era of Social Control; Twitter @joshchin Liza Lin China Correspondent, The Wall Street Journal; Co-Author, Surveillance State: Inside China's Quest to Launch a New Era of Social Control; Twitter @lizalinwsj In Conversation with Jiayang Fan Staff Writer, The New Yorker; Author, Motherland (forthcoming); Twitter @JiayangFan 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 September 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Katherine Blunt provides what is being called a "revelatory, urgent narrative with national implications," exploring the decline of California’s largest utility company that led to countless wildfires—including the one that destroyed the town of Paradise—and the human cost of infrastructure failure Pacific Gas and Electric was a legacy company built by innovators and visionaries, establishing California as a desirable home and economic powerhouse. In California Burning, Wall Street Journal reporter and Pulitzer finalist Katherine Blunt examines how that legacy fell apart—unraveling a long history of deadly failures in which PG&E endangered millions of Northern Californians, through criminal neglect of its infrastructure. She says that as PG&E prioritized profits and politics, power lines went unchecked—until a rusted hook purchased for 56 cents in 1921 split in two, sparking the deadliest wildfire in California history. Beginning with PG&E’s public reckoning after the Paradise fire, Blunt chronicles the evolution of PG&E’s shareholder base, from innovators who built some of California's first long-distance power lines to aggressive investors keen on reaping dividends. Following key players through pivotal decisions and legal battles, California Burning reveals the forces Blunt says shaped the plight of PG&E: deregulation and market-gaming led by Enron Corp., an unyielding push for renewable energy, and a swift increase in wildfire risk throughout the West, while regulators and lawmakers pushed their own agendas. MLF ORGANIZER Andrew Dudley NOTES SPEAKERS Katherine Blunt Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; Finalist, 2020 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting; Recipient, Gerald Loeb Award Andrew Dudley Co-Host and Producer, Earth Live; Chair, People & Nature Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator We are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live on September 12th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From post-Watergate reforms, to the fall of the Soviet Union, the impeachment of Bill Clinton, 9/11 and the Iraq War, the Great Recession, the two Trump impeachment trials, and the January 6 insurrection, Senator Patrick Leahy has been at the heart of the discussion of the country's politics and direction for nearly half a century. In his memoir, The Road Taken, Senator Leahy gives a first-hand reflection of the historic events during his tenure. Senator Leahy is the longest-serving U.S. senator and was first elected in 1974. He has held numerous committee appointments, including some of the most powerful in the Senate, including chair of Appropriations and a member of the Judiciary and Rules Committees. In the second Trump impeachment, Leahy became the first U.S. senator to preside over an impeachment trial. Leahy gives the full narrative of his historic political career—from meeting Presidents Obama and Biden while they were still freshman legislators, to leading the way on Supreme Court nominations, to his cameos in five Batman movies. He also reflects on his time in Vermont and his passion for photography Please join us for an intimate discussion with one of the country's most tenured lawmakers. NOTES This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), President Pro Tempore, U.S. Senate; Author, The Road Taken: A Memoir; Twitter @SenatorLeahy In Conversation with Melissa Caen Political Analyst; Attorney 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 September 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In August, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. The IRA allocates around $370 billion over ten years to invest in renewable energy, make EVs more affordable, address climate inequities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help mitigate the climate crisis. But like any law, the way the money is doled out matters, and the law’s implementation will ultimately determine its success. Some of the IRA money moves through state governments, including some that are outright hostile to the law. Consumers will have access to a suite of rebates and credits designed to electrify their lives, if they can get the necessary support to take advantage of them. How can government agencies, companies, investors and individuals take the law from words on a page to real functioning programs? Guests: Carla Frisch, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Policy for the U.S. Department of Energy Ryan Panchadsaram, Advisor to the Chairman at Kleiner Perkins Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, Berkeley Law Dan Bowerson, Senior Director, Energy & Environment, Alliance for Automotive Innovation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fake news? Alternative facts? Overly hyped "breakthroughs"? Irreproducible scientific research results? Preprints? Gaslighting the medical literature? What to do? Finding and trusting the best published primary medical literature is the answer. Our speakers for the 12th Annual Lundberg Institute Lecture at The Commonwealth Club, JAMA Editor in Chief Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo and BMJ Editor in Chief Kamran Abbasi, are among the premier guardians of that literature. Hear their advice, and then ask them your own questions about whom and what to trust—especially now when deciding which medical information is trustworthy has become so crucial and so confusing. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond SPEAKERS Kamran Abbasi M.D., Editor in Chief, BMJ (the British Medical Journal); Honorary Visiting Professor, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College, London; Fellow, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and Royal College of Physicians of London Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo M.D., Editor in Chief, JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association); the Lee Goldman, M.D., Endowed Professor of Medicine, and Chair, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCSF School of Medicine George Lundberg M.D., Editor in Chief, Cancer Commons; Editor at Large, Medscape; Executive Adviser, Cureus; Clinical Professor of Pathology, Northwestern University; President and Chair, The Lundberg Institute George Hammond Author, Conversations With Socrates—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 September 12th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author of That Is Not Your Mind: Zen Reflections on the Surangama Sutra, Robert Rosenbaum explores that question by taking forum participants on a magical journey through the Surangama Sutra based in a context of Zen practice. Like the arts world, Surangama sutra is a springboard for exploring sensory experiences—sight, sound ,taste, smell, touch and the Buddhist “sixth sense” of mind or cognition. Rosenbaum presents witty, authentic and refreshing contemporary insights from neuroscience and psychology and anecdotes from his decades of teaching experience. Among arts-related insights shared is an appreciation for “musics of the mind" to intersect with ancient/perennial Buddhist wisdom and everyday human yearning. MLF ORGANIZER Anne W. Smith SPEAKERS Robert Rosenbaum Ph.D., American Zen Teacher; Author, That Is Not Your Mind Anne W. Smith Ph.D., Co-Chair, Arts Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—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 September 8th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a conversation about family, faith and responsibility, with Valerie Biden Owens and Dr. Gloria Duffy. Valerie Biden Owens is Biden Institute chair at the University of Delaware, campaign manager, political strategist, and New York Times best-selling author of Growing Up Biden. Welcome remarks will be delivered by Paul J. Fitzgerald, S. J., president of the University of San Francisco, with introductions by Charles M. Collins, president emeritus of YMCA of San Francisco. NOTES This program is presented in partnership with the University of San Francisco. SPEAKERS Valerie Biden Owens Chair, Biden Institute, University of Delaware Welcome by Paul J. Fitzgerald S. J., President, University of San Francisco Introductions by Charles M. Collins President Emeritus, YMCA of San Francisco Dr. Gloria Duffy President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator We are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded on September 12th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is today’s America really the one the Founding Fathers envisioned? That is the question constitutional scholar Kermit Roosevelt asks, tracing the majority of American political sentiments from the modern day not back as far as the Revolution, but to the Reconstruction era. Kermit Roosevelt is a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the great-great grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt. He is an expert in constitutional law, national security, conflicts of law and civil liberties. His work has been published in the Virginia Law Review, the Michigan Law Review, and the Columbia Law Review and he is the author of two historical novels examining themes of equality and civil liberty. In his latest book, The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America’s Story, Roosevelt argues that America in the modern day is not the ideological descendant of the era of the Founding Fathers but that of Reconstruction and Abraham Lincoln. Examining the writings, history and political thought of America’s first century, he explains that many of the country’s core political beliefs, especially equality, originated in the Reconstruction era not as a return to the Founder’s vision but as a rejection of it. Join us as Roosevelt rethinks how American history is viewed, and how the ideas underpinning the country have shifted in the past two centuries—and along with it, what it means to be American itself. SPEAKERS Kermit Roosevelt III David Berger Professor for the Administration of Justice, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School; Author, The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America’s Story In Conversation with David Spencer Founder, SenSpa; Member, Commonwealth Club of California Board of Governors We are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on September 8th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a 20-year career as a tech reporter for CNET, the New York Times, and the public radio program Marketplace, Molly Wood has come to see the climate crisis as an engineering problem requiring an acceleration of investment. And so, after producing the acclaimed climate podcast “How We Survive” for Marketplace, she recently left that program to begin a new career in venture capital. Now, in conversation with Climate One Host Greg Dalton, Molly Wood explores the limits of media in changing human behavior and the role of capital in addressing the climate crisis, even while considering that capitalism itself may be incompatible with survival. Guests: Molly Wood, Investor, Podcaster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When people talk about the many attacks on Asian and Pacific Islander (API) people, they usually don’t talk about gay or queer people. These attacks have been going on for a long time, and seemingly nobody pays attention to it. This special panel will highlight how these attacks are affecting the queer Asian community and how this silent violence is impacting their lives and the lives of their loved ones. It will also remove the veil of shame and secrecy around queerness that is experienced by many in the Asian diaspora. NOTES Thank you to our promotional partner, Openhouse Leadership Council on Queerness, Race, and Privilege. SPEAKERS Cecilia Chung Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Evaluation, Transgender Law Center; Health Commissioner, San Francisco; Founding Producer, Trans March Anjali Rimi President and Co-founder, Parivar Bay Area; Member, Trans Advisory Committee, Office of Transgender Initiatives, San Francisco Mayor's Office Morningstar Vancil Activist; Artist; Co-founder, ForS/mWoC Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; 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 of California—Co-host We are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on February 8th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oysters are one of humanity’s oldest foods and have great historical significance and current-day importance. For John Finger, founding partner and CEO of Hog Island Oyster Company, the shellfish are not only a vocation but a way of life. Finger is a marine biologist who has helped Hog Island become one of the premier producers of certified sustainable shellfish in the country. And Finger's work at Hog Island has never been more important. Today, health, science, technology and climate change all combine to elevate the importance of the oyster and oyster farming to society. The marine equivalent of the canary in the coal mine, oysters are giving scientists a better understanding of rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification, and signaling the need for new scientific and technological solutions, if these and other shellfish are to thrive into the future. There has never been a better time to return to The Commonwealth Club! Come join this special member-led forum event with John Finger to talk about the importance of oysters in the 21st century. MLF ORGANIZER Robbie Kilpatrick SPEAKERS John Finger Founding Partner and CEO, Hog Island Oyster Company Robbie Kilpatrick Member, Board of Governors, The Commonwealth Club of California; Chair, Health and Medicine Member-Ledw We are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live on September 7th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In March 1938, German soldiers, under Hitler's orders, crossed the border and absorbed Austria into the Third Reich. Anticipating these events, many Jews had fled Austria, but the most famous Austrian Jew remained in Vienna, where he had lived since early childhood. Sigmund Freud was 81 years old, ill with cancer, and still unconvinced that his life was in danger. But those close to Freud thought otherwise and began a coordinated effort to persuade Freud to leave Vienna before it was too late. The persuaders included Freud’s devoted youngest daughter Anna, his personal doctor, a Welsh physician, an American ambassador, and Napoleon’s great-grandniece. Join us as Andrew Nagorski shares how this remarkable collection of people succeeded in coaxing Freud out of his deep state of denial, allowing them both to extricate Freud and his family from Austria and to arrange for Freud to live out the remaining 16 months of his life in freedom in London. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES A Humanities 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. This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Andrew Nagorski Former Bureau Chief (Hong Kong, Moscow, Rome, Bonn, Warsaw, and Berlin), Newsweek; Author, Saving Freud: The Rescuers Who Brought Him to Freedom In Conversation with George Hammond Author, Conversations With Socrates We are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 7th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past two years, Rhode Island congressman David N. Cicilline has become an outspoken voice on some of the most critical issues facing the country and the Bay Area, including regulating and reining in big social media companies, reducing gun violence, and promoting economic development. As chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, Rep. Cicilline is leading efforts to promote equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Thrust into the national spotlight during the second impeachment of President Trump, Cicilline is increasingly concerned about America's democracy and the threats to it from within the country and on Capitol Hill itself. He believes in an extensive response that spans both citizen opposition and potent political reforms, including an end to the Senate filibuster, discarding the Electoral College, expanding the Supreme Court, and requiring that justices adhere to a code of ethics. He outlines some of these thoughts in his new book, House on Fire: Fighting for Democracy in the Age of Political Arson. In it, Cicilline spares no one from criticism as he argues for a politics that produces results and warns that without it, America could slip into being a country we no longer recognize. Please join us to hear a rising force in Democratic politics on fighting for what matters. SPEAKERS Rep. David N. Cicilline (D–RI 1st District), Member, U.S. House of Representatives; Author, House on Fire: Fighting for Democracy in the Age of Political Arson; Twitter @RepCicilline In Conversation with Mark Follman National Affairs Editor, Mother Jones; Twitter @markfollman In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on September 7th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this second part of our series on conspiracy theories and other false narratives, we'll look at practical actions we can take and tools we can use to have fruitful discussions with friends and family who have been misled. There are ways that we can help untangle the snare of a mind-gripping false narrative. They're usually not easy, and they're usually not fast, but they can work in most cases. To help us learn how, Dr. Lee McIntyre, author of How to Talk to a Science Denier, will provide detailed recommendations for countering science denial and other false narratives in one-on-one discussions with friends and family. And be sure to look for the next event in this series, which will discuss actions society can take to defend itself. MLF ORGANIZER Eric Siegel SPEAKERS Lee McIntyre Ph.D., Research Fellow, Center for Philosophy and History of Science, Boston University, Former Executive Director, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University; Author, How To Talk To A Science Denier and Post-Truth Eric Siegel Chair, Personal Growth Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—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 September 6th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the tech world, there’s a common belief that once a new device hits 5% market penetration, it rapidly goes from a niche to mass adoption. According to Bloomberg, the US has just passed that critical 5% tipping point for new EV purchases. Norway, an oil-rich country, was first to hit that 5% mark in 2013 and today boasts a stunning 86% of new cars being fully electric. Now California is driving the US along a similar road away from gasoline and diesel by passing a new law that will only allow emission free vehicles to be sold by 2035. Even with that California law, how confident can we be that all new American cars will be running clean? What does the 5% tipping point mean for other clean tech adoption? Guests: Albert Cheung, Head of Global Analysis, BloombergNEF Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why does a lie travel around the world while the truth is still lacing up its boots? In all areas, not just politics, science, and medicine, outrageous or fascinating false information outpaces truth, which is often more nuanced. False narratives pose a real danger to democracy, to our health, and to society. This series will discuss the reasons for that destructive state of affairs and what we can do about it, as individuals and as a society. In this first part of our series, Dr. Joe Pierre, health sciences clinical professor at UCLA and specialist in delusional thinking and conspiracy theories, will discuss the age-old psychological reasons that conspiracy theories and other false narratives have been successful throughout human history. He will also look at how false narratives have been noticeably empowered and accelerated during the past few years by COVID isolation and modern technologies, among other factors. Also look for the next events in this series, which will use the insights from this event to discuss how we can reach out to a friend who has become ensnared in a conspiracy theory, and actions we can take as individuals and as a society.MLF ORGANIZER Eric Siegel Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language SPEAKERS Joe Pierre M.D., Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. Author; Expert Witness; Legal Consultant Eric Siegel Chair, Personal Growth Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—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 live on September 1st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most Americans support climate action, but you wouldn’t know it from Congress or the courts – or from most of the media. People on both the left and the right experience the same devastating floods, the same life-threatening heatwaves and the same catastrophic wildfires. Yet individuals tend to socialize within insulated political tribes, operate in completely different information bubbles and see the problems and solutions through different lenses. How can we learn to bridge ideological divides, develop trust, and find the common ground needed to rebuild respectful civil discourse? Guests: Chloe Maxmin, Maine State Senator Joan Blades, Co-founder, LivingRoomConversations.org John Gables, Co-founder, AllSides.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us online for a discussion and reading of Gods of Want: Stories, with author K-Ming Chang. Chang's new book features fictional short stories of a Taiwanese American family exploring displacement, queerness and more. Chang is a Kundiman fellow, a Lambda Literary Award finalist, and a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree. She is also the author of the novel Bestiary, which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the PEN/Faulker Award, and the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Chang has taught classes for Kundiman, Catapult, Lambda Literary Writers’ Retreat, Miami Book Fair, Pacific Northwest College of the Arts’ Low-Residency MFA Program, Kweli International Literary Festival, Literary Arts at Featherstone, Sevilla Writers House, Flash Fiction Festival (Literary Cleveland), Ellipses Writing, Vassar College Critical Ethnic Studies Conference, Youth Empowerment Program at MinKwon, and elsewhere. NOTES This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS K-Ming Chang Author, Gods of Want: Stories and Bestiary Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; 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 of California—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 August 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices