Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Treva Lindsey is a rising and vibrant voice on gender and racial issues, particularly the portrayal of Black women in the media, news and popular culture. A professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Ohio State, Lindsey has written prominent and much-discussed pieces after the recent police-involved deaths of Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland and Ma’Khia Bryant. In her new book America, Goddam: Violence, Black Women and the Struggle for Justice, Lindsey takes a deep look into what she considers the violent oppression experienced by Black women and girls in the United States, and that how they are treated is a distinct form of devaluing Black life. Her book touches upon her own sexual assault by a police officer at 17 to underscore and personalize her belief that Black women and girls are subjected to historic abuses and are traditionally told they must suffer silently. Lindsey's book—named after the Nina Simone protest song—is a demand for justice for Black women and girls who are often overlooked in discussions about racial justice. For Lindsey, the discussion on gender and race is one that is essential for true racial justice. Join us for a powerful conversation. Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language SPEAKERS Treva Lindsey Assoc. Professor, Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department, Ohio State University; Founder, Transformative Black Feminism(s) Initiative; Author, America, Goddam: Violence, Black Women, and the Struggle for Justice; Twitter @divafeminist In Conversation with Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman Co Founder, The Sadie Collective; Author, The Black Agenda: Bold Solutions for a Broken System; Twitter @itsafronomics 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 April 13th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hosted our first Twitter Space discussing inclusivity in civics education and how youth can learn more about the power they hold in our democracy. @CWCxEDU Special thanks to Amber Coleman-Mortley - @MomOfAllCapes For joining us for this amazing conversation!!! Make sure to check out her education blog, http://MomOfAllCapes.com and her podcast @LetsK12Better Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for an online talk with environmental journalist Eugene Linden. In his new book, Fire and Flood, Linden examines the role of business interests in muddying messages from scientists and derailing attempts to galvanize the public. He tells a story of big monied interests doing what they do to protect short-term profits against longer-term threats. One of the through-lines of the book is the insurance industry’s response to climate change, which for a long time was painfully slow, but recently has pivoted quite dramatically. Florida and California are seeing the housing insurance sector retreat from entire regions because of the unmanageable risks of fire and flood—some believe that the housing markets in parts of those two states are another bad season or two away from collapse. In a larger sense, big business, which for so long has been a woeful headwind to needed change, is waking up to the need to act very quickly now, as the long term has become the near term with terrifying speed. Eugene Linden is an award-winning journalist and author on science, nature and the environment. He is the author of nine books of non-fiction and one novel. His previous book on climate change, Winds of Change, explored the connection between climate change and the rise and fall of civilizations and was awarded the Grantham Prize Special Award of Merit. For many years, Linden wrote about nature and global environmental issues for Time, where he garnered several awards, including the American Geophysical Union’s Walter Sullivan Award. MLF ORGANIZER Andrew Dudley SPEAKERS Eugene Linden Journalist; Author, Fire and Flood In Conversation with Andrew Dudley President and CEO, Earth; Co-Host and Producer, "Earth Live"; Chair, People & Nature Member-Led Forum 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 April 14th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Roach is back again and witty as ever in the young readers adaption of her best-selling book Packing for Mars. From the awe-inspiring and curiously gross details, Roach unpacks the facts about space. A beloved authority on all things science, Mary Roach provides a humorous, accessible, exciting and perfect resource for students and curious minds alike. SPEAKERS Mary Roach Author, Packing for Mars for Kids In Conversation with Kara Platoni U.S. Science Editor, Wired.com; Twitter @KaraPlatoni 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 April 12th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) took the national spotlight as the lead manager for the second impeachment trial of the former president. As a member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, he has grilled fossil fuel executives on the industry’s long history of intentionally misleading the public. And as a constitutional law professor, he has offered deep insight into the connections between an informed citizenry and a robust democracy. At a time when many Americans doubt Congress’s ability to get anything done, what are the government’s strongest levers for climate action? And what are the connections between climate and democracy? This story is part of ‘Climate & Democracy,’ a series from the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now. Guests: Jamie Raskin, U.S. Representative, Maryland’s 8th Congressional District Heather McGhee, Board Chair, Color of Change; author, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together Rebecca Willis, Professor, Lancaster University; author, Too Hot to Handle? The Democratic Challenge of Climate Change Visit our website for show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few have dominated the podcast arena like Guy Raz. Raz co-created National Public Radio’s "How I Built This," "Wow in the World" and "TED Radio Hour." From program intern to podcast virtuoso, Raz has worked in many capacities at the broadcast media organization with highly successful results—his podcasts garner more than 19 million downloads per month. It’s no surprise why, as his programs welcome thought-provoking guests in a format that combines narrative storytelling with insightful advice. In his new book, How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs, Raz shares highlights and lessons from the more than 100 entrepreneurs he’s interviewed as host for "How I Built This." From planning a timeline for corporate development to making a good idea profitable, Raz has insights galore to share at INFORUM from more than four years’ worth of episodes. We’re pleased that Guy Raz will be joined onstage by Tony Xu. Xu is the CEO and co-founder of DoorDash, a technology company passionate about transforming local businesses and dedicated to enabling new ways of working, earning and living. Born in China, Xu came to America with his parents and grew up working in his mom’s restaurant. Xu was a guest on “How I Built This” in November 2018, and prior to co-founding DoorDash in 2013, he worked in the product department at Square, led special projects for the CEO and CFO at eBay, and began his career at McKinsey & Co. SPEAKERS Guy Raz Host, “How I Built This” and “Wow in the World,” NPR; Host, “Wisdom From the Top” Podcast; Author, How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs; Twitter @guyraz In Conversation with Tony Xu Co-Founder and CEO, DoorDash; Twitter @t_xu 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 in San Francisco on April 11th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for the first in a series looking at the latest in transgender health care. A dynamic panel of doctors and experts in the field of trans and nonbinary medical and health care will explain the latest developments in the field. This first program in the series will address the future of trans health care, current advancements in care and accessibility, and best practices in serving trans and nonbinary community members today and in the future. This launch event will also include a reception following the program. Future programs will cover a wide range of issues facing trans health care, including the ongoing attacks on trans children and families, policy advancements, mental health and wellness, and more. This launch event will also include a special rooftop reception following the program, featuring DJ NICO and local drag superstars Mary Vice, King MeatFlap and Kypper Snacks—plus fabulous local drinks and appetizers. SPEAKERS Dr. Christi Butler M.D., Assistant Professor and Urologic Surgeon, University of California, San Francisco Dr. Ellie Zara Ley M.D., Plastic Surgeon, The Gender Confirmation Center Dr. Alexis Petra M.D., Founder and CEO. TransClinique Dr. Heidi Wittenberg M.D., Medical Director, Gender Institute, and Chief of Surgery, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital; Director of MoZaic Care, Inc. 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—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 live in San Francisco on April 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here is an unparalleled opportunity to hear directly from the White House. Please join Erika Moritsugu, deputy assistant to the president and AANHPI senior liaison in the White House, and Krystal Ka'ai, executive director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, as they share information about resources available to Americans as we recover from the COVID pandemic. Topics to be discussed will include: federal resources to address anti-Asian hate crimes and the AA and NHPI community's feeling of not being safe; and resources from federal, state and local partners. Moritsugu and Ka'ai will offer practical information about what help is available, how to access the resources, and who can help you and your family, your business or your organization. SPEAKERS Krystal Ka'ai Executive Director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Erika Moritsugu Deputy Assistant to the President and AANHPI Senior Liaison in the White House Julian Chang 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 April 8th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The rising incidence of mass shootings confronts the nation with an unrelenting public safety emergency. The assumed responsibility for these devastating attacks falls on failures to address the mental health crisis or enact policy to restrict access to weapons. In addition, critics say media sensationalism exacerbates the social and cultural upheaval surrounding the aftermath. However, redirection of our focus from misguided blame to the emerging field of behavioral threat assessment might provide the remedy to an enduring epidemic. In his new book Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America, San Francisco-based award-winning journalist and editor Mark Follman details the discovery of a breakthrough in threat prevention. He identifies the "warning behaviors" that signal a mass shooter and provides an insider account of the search for a revolutionary method for thwarting deadly attacks. Through interviews with threat assessment practitioners, defendants in insanity cases, and victims of attacks, Follman creates an insightful and comprehensive narrative of the story toward progress. Join us as Follman takes us deeper into his 8-year project and how behavioral threat assessment is forging the race to stop planned acts of violence ahead. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities SPEAKERS Mark Follman National Affairs Editor, Mother Jones; Author, Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America; Twitter @markfollman In Conversation with Monika Bauerlein CEO, Mother Jones 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 April 6th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fossil fuel companies and others have spent decades casting doubt on climate science to allow them to continue to profit. As documented by climate communication expert John Cook and others, these strategies have taken many forms: deny, dismiss, delay, deflect; and they have evolved over time. They’ve also included a concerted effort to recast political speech, banned and regulated in some contexts, as protected free speech, giving corporations more leeway in broadcasting their messages. In a special collaboration with Amy Westervelt of Drilled, we trace the origins of this free speech argument and break down the tactics used to spread misinformation. Guests: Amy Westervelt, journalist, Founder and Executive Producer, Drilled, Critical Frequency Podcast Network John Cook, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Climate Change Communication Research Hub, Monash University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voting has been a hot topic of discussion in election years, as have been the barriers many Americans face when trying to participate in elections. According to E.J. Dionne Jr. and Miles Rapoport, it is time for the United States to take a major leap forward and recognize voting as both a fundamental civil right and a solemn civic duty required of every eligible U.S. citizen. Americans are required to pay taxes, serve on juries, get their kids vaccinated, get driver’s licenses, and sometimes go to war for their country. So why not ask—or require—every American to vote? In 100% Democracy, E.J. Dionne Jr. and Miles Rapoport argue that universal participation in our elections should be a cornerstone of our system. It would be the surest way to protect against voter suppression and the active disenfranchisement of a large share of our citizens. And it would create a system true to the Declaration of Independence’s aspirations by calling for a government based on the consent of all of the governed. Join us as E.J. Dionne Jr. and Miles Rapoport discuss their 100% Democracy along with offering their insight on all things voting in the United States. SPEAKERS E.J. Dionne, Jr. Columnist, The Washington Post; Co-Author, 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting Miles Rapoport Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School; Co-Author, 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting 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 live in San Francisco on April 5th, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The question of how to be happy in mid-life consumes many adults as they age. For Arthur C. Brooks, the former president of the American Enterprise Institute and the author of 11 books, the search for true life success after age 50 became an opportunity for a personal life transformation that he believes others can be inspired by and follow. In his new book, From Strength to Strength, Brooks describes embarking on a seven-year journey to discover how to transform his future from one of disappointment over waning abilities into an opportunity for progress. The result for him? A practical roadmap for the rest of his life. Brooks's journey starts with the somewhat mistaken assumption that the more successful we are, the less susceptible we become to the sense of professional and social irrelevance that often accompanies aging. Brooks soon finds the truth is that the greater our achievements and our attachment to them, the more we notice our decline, and the more painful it is when it occurs. Brooks's unique outlook draws on social science, philosophy, biography, theology, and eastern wisdom, as well as dozens of interviews with everyday men and women. In it, Brooks shows us that true life success is well within our reach. By refocusing on certain priorities and habits that anyone can learn, such as deep wisdom, detachment from empty rewards, connection and service to others, and spiritual progress, we can set ourselves up for increased happiness. Please join us for a discussion about how you, too, can go from strength to strength. MLF ORGANIZER Denise Michaud NOTES MLF: Grownups SPEAKERS Arthur Brooks Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School; Author, From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life In Conversation with Tully Friedman Co-Founder, FFL Partners and Hellman & Friedman 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 in San Francisco on April 4th, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Iverson was a 59-year-old KQED broadcast journalist and filmmaker when he decided to do something he’d never imagined. He moved back into his childhood home when his 95-year-old mom could no longer care for herself. Dave’s new memoir Winter Stars: An Elderly Mother, An Aging Son and Life’s Final Journey is the story of their 10-year caregiving journey, lasting until his mother’s passing at the age of 105. It’s a book Michael J. Fox calls “A gift—a modern classic of frontier literature documenting the uncertain journey into the country of caregiving.” In this special Commonwealth Club presentation, KQED’s Scott Shafer will interview Dave about his new book and our growing eldercare crisis. Someone turns 65 every eight seconds in this country, and the pandemic’s ongoing toll on nursing home residents has prompted more people to consider caring for an aging parent at home. Yet what lies ahead when someone makes that choice? Join Scott Shafer and Dave Iverson for an intimate, unvarnished conversation about the challenges, choices and unexpected rewards of caring for someone during life’s final journey. Our moderator will be award-winning journalist Scott Shafer. Shafer is senior editor of the California Politics and Government Desk at KQED, where he leads the politics team’s coverage of the state. He is also co-host of the weekly radio program and podcast series "Political Breakdown." Shafer has covered stories for National Public Radio programs, including "All Things Considered," "Morning Edition," "Weekend Edition Saturday" and "Weekend Edition Sunday." He collaborated on and hosted "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown," an eight-part series about the life and political career of the former California governor. He previously hosted "The California Report." MLF ORGANIZER Denise Michaud NOTES MLF: Grownups This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Dave Iverson Writer; Documentary Film Producer and Director; Retired Broadcast Journalist; Author, Winter Stars: An Elderly Mother, An Aging Son and Life’s Final Journey In Conversation with Scott Shafer Senior Editor, Politics and Government Desk, KQED; Co-Host, "Political Breakdown" Podcast This program was recorded live in San Francisco on March 31st, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can small nonprofit art organizations afford the cost of living in the Bay Area? Innovators in the field have been working for nearly a decade to solve this problem. Join CounterPulse’s Julie Phelps and CAST’s Moy Eng at The Commonwealth Club for a conversation moderated by Michelle Meow. As CounterPulse poises itself to buy its building in the Tenderloin from CAST later this year, learn how they’ve worked together in piloting a new real estate model that could be applied throughout the city and around the world to keep artists and creatives rooted in their communities amidst economic upheaval. SPEAKERS Moy Eng CEO, Community Arts Stabilization Trust Julie Phelps Artistic and Executive Director, CounterPulse Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—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 Live in San Francisco on March 31st, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the fickle age of COVID-19, it is harder than ever to have assuredness, and confidence. A solution? "Radical imagination"—and with it the power to transform our present and see our future. Game-designer turned author Jane McGonical, wants to give people the key to unlock their imagination potential and in doing so design their own futures with limitless possibilities and creative certainty. In her newest book, Imaginable, McGonigal coaxes audiences to dive into the unimaginable as a way to problem solve, future-plan, and find transformative fulfillment. She uses psychological research to embolden readers and make real the possibilities that are unfathomable—but not for long. At INFORUM, the renowned future forecaster will invite audiences into her mind and lay out the daring vision necessary to give life to a book about imagination. McGonigal answers the age-old question, “How do we learn to feel at peace with the unknown?” and teaches how mental, imagination training can reduce anxiety and boost tenacity. SPEAKERS Jane McGonigal Future Forecaster; Game Designer; Author, Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything—Even Things that Seem Impossible Today; Twitter Twitter @avantgame In Conversation with Roy Bahat Head, Bloomberg Beta; Twitter @roybahat 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 March 30th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Global sales of electric vehicles more than doubled in 2021. Projections for this year are for another huge gain as more automakers introduce more models with increasing range. This is all good news for transitioning to a clean energy economy. But sourcing the materials needed for clean energy might not be so clean. Mining is the leading industrial polluter in the U.S., but the climate crisis demands a transition to technologies that require raw materials to be extracted. How can the world get the minerals it needs to mitigate the climate crisis without creating other ecological disasters in the process? Guests: Morgan Bazilian, Director, Payne Institute, Colorado School of Mines Payal Sampat, Mining Program Director, Earthworks Maureen Penjueli, Coordinator, Pacific Network on Globalisation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and small signs of progress here and there, artists with disabilities still face discrimination and prejudice in the arts arena. Disability culture is still marginalized, and access features are not always offered as standard practice in exhibitions. Join us as we tease out some of these issues and why they matter, with an accessible introduction to disability culture and a dynamic conversation between photographers Nolan Trowe and Anthony Tusler. We’ll consider how representation and visibility is integral to their work, and how their work also advocates for a more radically inclusive and accessible arts and culture landscape. MLF ORGANIZER Robert Melton NOTES MLF: Arts SPEAKERS Nolan Ryan Trowe Photographer; Writer, Focuses on Stories Around Disability Anthony Tusler Writer; Photographer; Consultant; Trainer; Advocate on Disability Issues Fran Osborne Museum Consultant; Specialist in Accessible Exhibitions; Independent Curator and Lecturer, Museum Studies Program at San Francisco State University—Moderator Robert Melton Freelance Curator; Community Events Arts Organizer; Co-Chair, Arts Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—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 March 29th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health justice is one of the most important yet complicated issues facing American society. Environmental factors, policies and even systems create societal disparities that affect a person's ability to achieve their best possible health. To ensure justice and equity in health, advocates say the country needs to address community-specific disparities, dismantle systems, and end policies that drive poor health outcomes. One way to start this important justice work is to dramatically increase access to education and overall literacy. Efforts such as addressing the increasing economic fragmentation of education, divisions of income along racial lines, and providing pathways to financial literacy serve as a foundational element in the overall health justice work ahead. Failure to address this separation and fragmentation could make health justice for our nation an elusive goal. To address this often-overlooked connection between financial literacy and health justice, The Commonwealth Club of California and CommonSpirit Health are pleased to bring together Mellody Hobson, a highly prominent financial executive who is president and co-CEO of Ariel Investments and chair of the board of directors of Starbucks Corporation, and Lloyd Dean, CommonSpirit Health CEO and a nationally recognized leader in health care and and recognized voice for health justice. Please join us for this rare conversation between two leading voices in health care and business about addressing health justice. NOTES This program is part of the Humankindness & Health Justice series, generously underwritten by CommonSpirit Health Foundation. SPEAKERS Mellody Hobson President and co-CEO, Ariel Investments; Chair of the Board of Directors, Starbucks Corporation Lloyd Dean CEO, CommonSpirit Health—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 March 30th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ukrainian people are paying a high price for the massive and costly resistance they are putting up to Russian aggression. Refugees fleeing Ukraine already number in excess of 2 million and counting. Many are Ukrainian Jews. Those who are unable to leave or are engaged in the fight to slow the advance of Russian forces are subject to increasingly indiscriminate bombing and the threat of using more extreme military weaponry. Reports of targeting and killing civilians, including the bombing of hospitals and schools, raise serious questions about human rights violations and war crimes. We invite acclaimed attorney, civil liberties defender and constitutional scholar Alan Dershowitz to discuss the actions of Russian forces in Ukraine and the potential case against Russia’s military leaders and in particular President Vladimir Putin. Are there legal avenues to pursue in the International Criminal Court or other international bodies, and how might such cases be brought? What other avenues might we explore to tackle this human rights tragedy unfolding on multiple fronts? At this critical moment, Ukraine’s President Zelensky is standing up and defending his country and his people. Professor Dershowitz recently has made the case that Zelensky should be recognized immediately on the international stage for his commitment. As an emeritus professor of public law, Dershowitz will be nominating President Zelensky for this year's Nobel Peace Prize and urging the Committee to award it now. As Rabbi Hillel once said: "If not now, when?” Please join Alan Dershowitz, New York Times bestselling author and Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law Emeritus at Harvard Law School, in conversation with Dan Ashley, news anchor at ABC7 KGO Bay Area, about Ukraine as well as other key civil liberties and human rights issues. SPEAKERS Alan Dershowitz Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law Emeritus, Harvard Law School In Conversation with Dan Ashley News Anchor/Reporter, ABC7 News, KGO-TV Bay Area 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 March 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is hard for most of us to even imagine the confidence Socrates had. Or that Alexander or Mozart had. Much less live it. It is much easier, though, for us to imagine a top saleswoman’s confidence, even if we are inclined to blame it all on her over-praising mother. But there are patterns in the emotion we call confidence that make it clear this is not an unsolvable mystery—patterns that explain both the ephemeral confidence that leads to sales success and the seemingly unshakeable confidence that leads to political, military, artistic, scientific and intellectual high-end achievements. But even when the elements of this emotion are parsed (it is caused by perceiving oneself as virtuous), it is still not immediately obvious how to achieve it in daily life, due to the subtleties of both the process of perceiving oneself and the definition of virtue (using the ancient understanding of virtue as strength or skillfulness). George Hammond will clarify those subtleties so that you can shift how you perceive yourself sufficiently to immediately feel more confident. And to understand how to keep that trend going by shedding the habitual thinking patterns that usually undermine confidence—until you have developed more confidence than you can currently imagine. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond SPEAKERS 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 March 30th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Misinformation and disinformation, both domestic and international, have become global issues that are impacting elections and other aspects of geopolitics. These issues have become tremendously important in the United States, and as the country enters another election year, understanding the impact of these issues, and the role of technology and social media, is critical to a functioning democracy. In this election year, with control of Congress at stake, what can be done consistent with the First Amendment to ensure that American voters can make informed election decisions and hold free elections amid a flood of virally spread disinformation and the collapse of local news reporting? How should American society counter the actions of people who use social media to undermine U.S. elections? What can we do to minimize disinformation campaigns aimed at suppressing voter turnout? Elections expert Richard Hasen has some answers. In his new book Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics—and How to Cure It, Hasen provides a practical road map for controlling disinformation, embracing free speech, saving American elections, and protecting democracy. He provides insight into the current debates over free speech, censorship and Big Tech’s responsibilities. Please join us for a discussion about ways to ensure Americans have access to the reliable information on which democracy depends. SPEAKERS Rick Hasen Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science, University of California-Irvine; Author, Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics—and How to Cure It In Conversation with Erwin Chemerinsky Dean, University of California Berkeley 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 March 29th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the fall of Nazi Germany and the onset of the Cold War, gay men in the now-divided Germany underwent a historic change in their status and visibility and influence. George Mason University history professor Samuel Clowes Huneke joins us to talk about this time of momentous transition. It's the subject of his first book, States of Liberation, which traces the paths of gay men in East and West Germany from the violent aftermath of the Second World War to the thundering nightclubs of present-day Berlin. Following a captivating cast of characters, from gay spies and Nazi scientists to queer politicians and secret police bureaucrats, Dr. Huneke tells the remarkable story of how the two German states persecuted gay men—and how those men slowly, over the course of decades, won new rights and created new opportunities for themselves in the heart of Cold War Europe. Relying on untapped archives in Germany and the United States as well as oral histories with witnesses and survivors, Huneke reveals that communist East Germany was in many ways far more progressive on queer issues than democratic West Germany. Join us for an online discussion about the history of gender, sexual history, the law, and politics. SPEAKERS Samuel Clowes Huneke Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Modern German History, George Mason University; Author, States of Liberation: Gay Men between Dictatorship and Democracy in Cold War Germany Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host John Zipperer Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club—Co-Host In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 24th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Commonwealth Club is pleased to welcome Asa Hutchinson, Republican governor of the state of Arkansas, and the current chair of the National Governors Association (NGA). Governor Hutchinson will discuss the critical role he has played in workforce training, infrastructure and new economy jobs not only in his state, but also across the country, leading the bipartisan National Governors Association. The NGA works alongside governors in their efforts to restore public health and continue a robust, sustainable economic recovery. When he became chairman of the NGA last year, Hutchinson pledged “to build on the areas where Republicans and Democrats agree and work to remove the obstacles in Washington where we can.” As chairman, Hutchinson has focused on K–12 computer science education, promoting his state’s best practices, in addition to engaging other governors on their strategies for success, to help increase computer science literacy needed for the jobs of the future. A dedicated public servant, Governor Hutchinson was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. In 1996, he won the first of three successive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his third term in Congress, President George W. Bush appointed him director of the Drug Enforcement Administration and later as an undersecretary in the newly created Department of Homeland Security. His experience has established him as a national resource for his expertise on trade, energy, national security, and education. The governor has been invited to the White House several times to join discussions about health care, Medicaid and education issues. The governor is the former co-chair of the Council of Governors and the former chairman of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, Southern States Energy Board, and the Southern Regional Education Board. SPEAKERS Asa Hutchinson Governor of Arkansas; Chairman, National Governors Association Scott McGrew News Anchor, NBC Bay Area 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 In San Francisco March 28th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this year, California regulators were set to propose significant changes to the incentives that drive rooftop solar installations. After widespread opposition from industry and climate advocates, the California Public Utilities Commission paused the effort. The issue centers on how much rooftop solar customers pay to use the grid and what rewards they get for selling their excess power. But California is far from the only state where net metering is a hotly contested issue. While utility-scale projects may offer more bang for the buck in some contexts, rooftop solar offers distributed generation and a tool for resilience. This week, we explore the debate between rooftop and utility-scale solar. Guests: Adam Browning, Co-Founder and Executive Director Emeritus, Vote Solar Bernadette Del Chiaro, Executive Director, California Solar and Storage Association Tom Beach, Principal Consultant, Crossborder Energy Emily Sanford Fisher, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Sr. Vice President, Clean Energy, Edison Electric Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author AJ Baime returns to The Commonwealth Club to discuss his biography of Walter F. White, a civil rights leader who often passed for white in order to investigate racist murders. White led a double life: one as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance and the NAACP in the early 20th century, the other as a white newspaperman who covered lynching crimes in the Deep South at the height of racial violence. Born mixed race, with very fair skin and straight hair, White was able to “pass” for white. He leveraged this ambiguity as a reporter, bringing to light the darkest crimes in America and helping to plant the seeds of the Civil Rights Movement. He was simultaneously a second-class citizen subject to Jim Crow laws at home and a widely respected professional with full access to the white world at work. His life was fraught with internal and external conflict—much like the story of race in America. Starting out as an obscure activist, White became a prominent civil rights leader, but until now a character study of White’s life and career in all its complexity has never been told. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond SPEAKERS A.J. Baime Author, White Lies: The Double Life of Walter F. White and America’s Darkest Secret In Conversation with Sheryl Davis Executive Director, San Francisco Human Rights Commission 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 March 28th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us to discuss with economist Oded Galor his grand unifying theory to explain human flourishing and economic inequality. In a captivating journey from the dawn of human existence to the present, Galor offers an intriguing solution to two of humanity’s great mysteries. Why are humans the only species to have escaped (quite recently) the subsistence trap, allowing us to enjoy a standard of living that vastly exceeds all others? And why have we progressed so unequally around the world, resulting in the great disparities between nations that exist today? Immense in scope and packed with interesting connections, Galor explains how technology, population size, and adaptation led to a stunning “phase change” in human history a mere 200 years ago. But by tracing that same journey back in time and peeling away the layers of influence—colonialism, political institutions, societal structure, culture—he also arrives at an explanation of inequality's ultimate cause: those ancestral populations that enjoyed fruitful geographical characteristics and rich diversity were set on the path to prosperity, while those that lacked it were disadvantaged in ways still influential today. As we face ecological crises across the globe, Galor concludes that gender equality, investment in education, and balancing diversity with social cohesion are the keys not only to our species’ thriving, but to its survival. NOTES MLF: Humanities SPEAKERS Oded Galor Herbert H. Goldberger Professor of Economics, Brown University; Founder, Unified Growth Theory; Author, The Journey of Humanity: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality 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 March 24th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iconic counterculture icon Stewart Brand has been at the center of many of the social and cultural movements launched and nurtured in the Bay Area. Whether it be early computing, the Merry Pranksters and the hippies, the generation-defining Whole Earth Catalog, or the environmental movement, Brand has been at the center of them all. Yet many outside these movements only know him because Apple founder Steve Jobs quoted Brand's famous mantra—stay hungry, stay foolish—in a famous Stanford University commencement speech. Legendary science and technology writer John Markoff hopes to elevate an understanding of Brand's impact on our world. In his new book, Whole Earth: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand, Markoff provides the first serious biography of Brand, his impact and his many contradictions. A blond-haired WASP with a modest family inheritance, Brand went to Exeter and Stanford and was an army veteran, but in California in the 1960s he became an artist and a photographer in the thick of the LSD revolution. While tripping on acid on the roof of his building, he envisioned how valuable it would be for humans to see a photograph of the planet they shared from space, an image that in the end landed on the cover of his Whole Earth Catalog, the defining publication of the counterculture. He married a Native American woman and was committed to protecting indigenous culture, which connected to a broader environmentalist mission that has been a through line of his life. He also was early to the promise of the computer revolution—nurtured in the pages and community of the Whole Earth Catalog—and helped define it for the wider world. Please join us as Markoff discusses Brand's influential and remarkable California life and the impact he has had on millions of people. NOTES This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS John Markoff Writer-in-Residence, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence; Author, Whole Earth: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand Paul Saffo Futurist; Consulting Associate Professor, 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 March 24th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite controlling two of the three branches of government in Washington, the Democratic Party is struggling with its identity and the policies it should emphasize, particularly when it comes to reducing inequality and poverty at a time of deep divisions in the United States. For decades, the Republican Party has been known as the party of the rich: arguing for "business-friendly" policies like deregulation and tax cuts. But as our national and global economy confronts a crisis of inequality, some, like increasingly visible political historian Lily Geismer, question whether the Democrats are willing or able to take political risks to pursue policies that would help address or reduce poverty. In her powerful new book Left Behind: The Democrats' Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality, Geismer shows how she feels the Democratic Party of the 80s and 90s—particularly during the height of the Clinton Administration years—furthered policy ideas that centered on helping the poor without asking the rich to make any sacrifices: "Doing well by doing good" was a popular theme. Social enterprise and micro-lending became big businesses, and private programs to promote democracy and equality abroad grew trendy. But as social programs in the private sector boomed, the structure of the government in the United States began to weaken, according to Geismer, contributing to a crisis that has now fully arrived. And the Democratic Party is divided about how to respond, leaving the poor without a true champion, and the public unsure where one of the country's two major parties stands on inequality. Please join us for an important discussion about poverty, the Democratic Party politics that make it harder to address, and where we can go from here. SPEAKERS Lily Geismer Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, Claremont McKenna College; Author, Left Behind: The Democrats' Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality In Conversation with Dan Pfeiffer Co-Host, "Pod Save America"; Author, Batting the Big Life: How Fox, Facebook, and the MAGA Media Are Destroying America (forthcoming); Twitter @danpfeiffer 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 March 23rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With war-ravaged Ukraine in the headlines every day, it’s more important than ever to hear from those with firsthand experience and an understanding of the complexities of the battle being waged there. Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch not only served as U.S. ambassador to Kyiv from 2016–2019 but also has intimate family connections to the region as the child of survivors of the Nazi and Soviet regimes. Yovanovitch is a diplomat and author with more than three decades of service in the State Department, having served as ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Ukraine, as well as senior advisor to the under secretary of state for political affairs. She is a diplomat in residence at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and was a target of a 2019 smear campaign from supporters of the former president during the Trump-Ukraine controversy. She would go on to be a key witness during the public hearings of the ensuing impeachment trial. Her life is a testimony to the importance of transparency, accountability and integrity in government. In her new memoir, Lessons From the Edge, Yovanovitch reclaims her own narrative and recounts her childhood, immigration to the United States and journey up the ranks of the State Department. Coming from a family that faced poverty, violence and totalitarianism, she warns of the dangers corruption and democratic backsliding pose to our free society. Join us as Yovanovitch offers her perspective on the current situation unfolding in Ukraine, and tells her inspiring story of strength, bravery and honesty in the face of controversy, reminding us of how precious democracy really is. NOTES This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Marie Yovanovitch Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine; Author Lessons From the Edge: A Memoir In Conversation with Olga Oliker Director, Europe and Central Asia Program, International Crisis Group 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 March 28th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since March 2020, the global community has grappled with an unprecedented pandemic. At first, most people were willing to do what it takes to keep themselves and others safe. Two years in, pretty much everyone feels exhausted by the effort and by the general anxiety of living with COVID. The global community simultaneously faces an even greater existential threat: climate change. For those fighting to stave off this slower-moving catastrophe, fatigue is a familiar feeling. What have we learned from two years of COVID disruption that can inform how we deal with climate fatigue? Guests: David Wallace-Wells, Editor-At-Large, New York Magazine Britt Wray, Human and Planetary Health Fellow, Stanford University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neda Toloui-Semnani is the daughter of Iranian revolutionaries, activists, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Her parents left the United States in 1979 to join the revolution in Iran—a decision that changed the course of Neda’s life. She experienced profound personal loss due to her parents’ choices and conflict over whether these decisions that impacted her life were worthy costs of the revolution that took place. In her new book, They Said They Wanted Revolution, Toloui-Semnani, an Emmy-award-winning writer and producer, looks back at her family’s tragic experience with the Iranian Revolution. She pieces together the past in search of familial identity as the child of two risk-taking political activists. She untangles decades of history to discover her family’s legacy during her journey of self-discovery. Join us for a moving program that explores the costs of righteous activism across generations, and how the Iranian Revolution continues to impact the United States and Iran even decades later. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Neda Toloui-Semnani Senior Writer, Vice News Tonight; Author, They Said They Wanted Revolution: A Memoir of My Parents Sasha Khokha Host, "The California Report," KQED—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 March 23rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women have been sold a mistruth—roll up your sleeves, smash the glass ceiling, and you too can have it all. Critics say the unspoken realities in this agreement are that many women must also do the majority of household work, childcare, and bear the burden of keeping this endless task list running in their minds. However, the inequity in unpaid work isn’t news to anyone. It is well-rooted and widespread, benefiting a system that has always been designed for the benefit of men. Flash to 2021, when women left or were pushed out of the workforce en masse resulting in the lowest proportion of women in the labor force since the late 1980s. This downturn was matched by a decline in women’s mental health and financial independence. Author, activist and lawyer Reshma Saujani is calling on corporations and their leaders to make vital changes to this toxic and worsening situation. Her rallying call: It’s time to pay up. Her forthcoming book Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work outlines her four-step action plan to realize this change and serves as a field guide for women, empowering them to demand what they deserve. Join us at INFORUM welcoming Saujani as she paints a picture of the future she sees for women. This program contains EXPLICIT language SPEAKERS Reshma Saujani Founder, Girls Who Code and the Marshall Plan for Mom; Author, Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It's Different Than You Think) Ina Fried Chief Technology Correspondent, Axios—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 March 22nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Hart-Celler Act passed in 1965, opening up U.S. immigration to non-Europeans, it ushered in a whole new era. But even to the first generation of Asian Americans born in the United States after that milestone, it would have been impossible to imagine that sushi and boba would one day be beloved by millions, that a Korean boy band named BTS would be the biggest musical act in the world, that one of the most acclaimed and popular movies of 2018 would be Crazy Rich Asians, or that we would have an Asian American vice president. And that’s not even mentioning the creators, performers, entrepreneurs, execs and influencers who've been making all this happen, behind the scenes and on the screen; or the activists and representatives continuing to fight for equity, building coalitions and defiantly holding space for our voices and concerns. And still: Asian America is just getting started. Join us for a special program featuring the talented authors of Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now. The timing is great for this intimate, eye-opening and frequently hilarious guided tour through the pop-cultural touchstones and sociopolitical shifts of the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and beyond. Jeff Yang, Phil Yu and Philip Wang chronicle how we arrived at today’s unprecedented diversity of Asian American cultural representation through engaging, interactive infographics (including a step-by-step guide to a night out in K-Town, an atlas that unearths historic Asian American landmarks, a handy “Appreciation or Appropriation?” flowchart, and visual celebrations of both our "founding fathers and mothers" and the nostalgia-inducing personalities of each decade), plus illustrations and graphic essays from major AAPI artists, exclusive roundtables with Asian American cultural icons, and more, anchored by extended insider narratives of each decade by the three co-authors. They provide an informative, lively and inclusive celebration of shared experiences and singular moments, and all the different ways in which we have chosen to come together. This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. This program contains EXPLICIT language SPEAKERS Jeff Yang Writer; Editor; Co-Author, Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now Phil Yu Founder and Editor, Angry Asian Man; ; Co-Author, Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now Philip Wang Co-founder, Wong Fu Productions; Co-Author, Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—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 March 21st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our privacy was not first invaded by J. Edgar Hoover. They’ve been listening in for far longer than that. Wiretapping is nearly as old as electronic communications. Telegraph operators intercepted enemy messages during the Civil War. Law enforcement agencies were listening to private telephone calls as early as 1895. Communications firms have assisted government eavesdropping programs since the early 20th century―and they have spied on their own customers, too. Such breaches of privacy once provoked outrage, but today most Americans have resigned themselves to constant electronic monitoring. How did we get from there to here? Hochman explores the origins of wiretapping in military campaigns and criminal confidence games, and tracks the use of telephone taps in the U.S. government’s wars on alcohol, communism, terrorism, and crime. At the same time that high-profile eavesdropping scandals fueled public debates about national security, crime control, and the rights and liberties of individuals, wiretapping became a routine surveillance tactic for private businesses and police agencies alike. Hochman traces the long and surprising history of wiretapping and electronic eavesdropping in the United States, and also explains how earlier generations of Americans confronted these threats to our privacy―threats that seem more urgent now than ever. NOTES MLF: Humanities SPEAKERS Brian Hochman Director of American Studies and Associate Professor of English, Georgetown University; Author, The Listeners: A History of Wiretapping in the United States 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 March 17th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The IPCC released its latest report the same day as the U.S. Supreme Court heard the most environmentally significant case in a decade, all while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has rattled global energy markets. It’s a lot to take in all at once. Will the disruption of methane gas supplies to Europe give it the extra push it needs to decarbonize, or will some countries always be beholden to untrustworthy partners for the resources they need? What other options exist to power our economies more sustainably in the short and long term? Guests: Amy Myers Jaffe, Managing Director, Climate Policy Lab, Tufts University Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, Berkeley Law Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The distinguished panel of expert participants represent many of the different facets of the chocolate industry. They will discuss where the industry is today and how it can move into the future as a more ecological, labor friendly, and equitable industry. NOTES MLF: International Relations SPEAKERS Bill Guyton Founder and CEO, World Cocoa Foundation; Senior Advisor, Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) Sam Mawutor Senior Advisor on the Cocoa Campaign, Mighty Earth Tim McCollum Founder and CEO of Beyond Good Frank Price Vice Present, Northern California Peace Corps Association; Shriver Circle Member, National Peace Corps Association; Vice Chair, International Relations Member-Led Forum, 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 March 15th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The January 6 attack on Congress as it met to certify Joe Biden's presidential victory is a day that will live on in infamy, yet for Maryland congressman Jamie Raskin, this was just the next in a sequence of tragic events that changed his life forever. Having lost his son to suicide only days before, and days later leading the ensuing impeachment effort against Trump, Rep. Raskin’s 45-day journey at the start of 2021 is an inspiring epic of strength, tragedy and determination. In his new memoir, Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy, Raskin recounts that after the tragic loss of his son Tommy, it was Tommy’s values and vision for the country that provided him inspiration to not only weather the challenges of January 6 but to lead the ensuing impeachment trial of Donald Trump for inciting insurrection. Facing division and the tremors of a nation rocked to its core, Rep. Raskin and his nine-member team were able to lead the most bipartisan impeachment trial ever conducted. Rep. Raskin has served as an elected official in Maryland since 2007 and represented its 8th Congressional District since 2017. A professor of constitutional law at American University Washington College of Law, chair of the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and co-chair of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, Raskin has been a leading voice in Congress for executive accountability and electoral integrity. Please join us as congressman Raskin recounts his moving story of balancing tragic personal loss and appalling political violence simultaneously, and how he found hope to press on in his darkest moment to continue fighting for American democracy. NOTES This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation SPEAKERS Jamie Raskin U.S. Representative (D-MD, 8th District); Author, Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trails of American Democracy; Twitter @RepRaskin Welcome by: Jim Steyer Founder, Common Sense Media Marisa Lagos Correspondent for California Politics and Government, KQED; Twitter @mlagos—Moderator This program was recorded live in San Francisco on March 13th, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, one truth continues to be proven time and time again: the vaccine is saving lives, and to Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla, it was the product of one of the most incredible private sector achievements in history. Mobilizing the corporation amid some of the most strenuous conditions experienced in modern times, he had a front row seat to see the years-long process of developing a vaccine played out in nine months in a riveting story of innovation, determination and ingenuity. Dr. Albert Bourla is chairman and chief executive officer of Pfizer Inc., and was named the top pharmaceutical CEO in America by Institutional Investor in 2020. A Greek immigrant, former veterinarian and child of Holocaust survivors, Dr. Bourla became the head of Pfizer in 2019 and transformed the corporation just before it was put to the test by the COVID-19 pandemic. In his book Moonshot: Inside Pfizer's Nine-Month Race to Make the Impossible Possible, Dr. Bourla describes how the corporation met the unimaginable challenges and pressures to rapidly develop a vaccine using the core values of courage, excellence, equity and joy. Detailing the leadership strategies and innovations he used to guide Pfizer in making unprecedentedly rapid scientific breakthroughs, Dr. Bourla describes the epic journey of their “moonshot.” Facing political, economic and social crises, he explains it wasn’t luck but methodical preparation, strong leadership and a clear vision that brought the vaccine forward, and shares the lessons in management and leadership that he learned. Join us as Dr. Bourla recounts the unimaginable adversity facing the developers of one of the most impactful medical inventions in recent history, and the ingenuity and wisdom that led them to success. SPEAKERS Dr. Albert Bourla Chairman and CEO, Pfizer; Author, Moonshoot: Inside Pfizer's Nine-Month Race to Make the Impossible Possible; Twitter @AlbertBourla In Conversation with Raj Mathai Anchor, NBC Bay Area; Twitter@rajmathai 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 March 9th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How much do we know about the apps that we use daily? In the case of PayPal, relatively few know the early story of the now-behemoth. Its precarious origins—coming about in the limitless, tumultuous late 1990s and early 2000s meant it was far from a shoo-in. It faced staunch competition, never-before-seen levels of internet fraud, and internal friction that could’ve ruined its path to success. Nowadays, PayPal is a household name. Its founders are among the best-known names in the tech industry: Peter Thiel, Elon Musk and Max Levchin, among others. Jimmy Soni’s book The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley, details not only the meteoric rise of the company and its founders, but all that came before and made it possible. With privileged access to the internal materials of the company’s early days, Soni paints a picture of what brought together these tech giants and how they dared to dream of cashless currency when few others dared. Jimmy Soni holds the answer to why this idea, out of the many it rivaled, won against the odds. Soni will bring to life the story of PayPal, highlighting not just the prominent founders but the unsung heroes that built the brick-by-brick success the company now touts. NOTES This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Jimmy Soni Author, The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley In Conversation with Katherine Boyle General Partner, a16z 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 March 9th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been 3 million years since there’s been this much CO2 in the atmosphere. Even if we stop all burning of fossil fuels today, humans have already emitted enough CO2 that we’ll continue experiencing extreme weather events for years to come. Not only do we need to stop emitting greenhouse gasses, but according to the IPCC, we also need to accelerate the removal of CO2. With forests burning faster than we can grow them, nature-based solutions may not be enough. What role might tech-based solutions play? Can they be implemented in a just, equitable way that does not give license for fossil fuel interests to continue business as usual? Guests: Marcius Extavour, VP, Energy & Climate, XPRIZE Angela Anderson, Director of Industrial Innovation and Carbon Removal at World Resources Institute Rachel Glennerster, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Chicago Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, most people are familiar with the fascinating world of cryptocurrency, though some of us are more familiar than others. Many people only hear about it in the news and across social media platforms, while some individuals stake their livelihoods on investments in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. According to crypto journalist Laura Shin, the total value of crypto assets today is just shy of $2 trillion. But that’s far from the most interesting aspect of an increasingly prevalent crypto fever. Shin—"Unchained Podcast" host — will do more than explore the backgrounds of these uniquely decentralized currencies. She’ll hone in on Ethereum, the crypto network whose success has ignited the fire surrounding today’s cryptocurrencies, and the figures who made Ethereum’s success possible. From a child prodigy to a Goldman Sachs exec, the story of Ethereum’s rise is unlike that of any other—and Laura Shin, who previously served as Forbes’ first mainstream reporter of crypto assets, is just the person you’ll want to hear tell it. SPEAKERS Laura Shin Host, "Unchained" Podcast; Author, The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Cryptocurrency Craze; Twitter @laurashin In Conversation with Kate Clark Reporter, The Information This program was recorded live inn San Francisco on March 8th, 2022 at the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us in-person and online for a thought-provoking program with author and activist David Crane, as he walks through the surprising statistics and lesser-known history behind California’s state government and how the public can help to elevate the quality of that government. California’s state government spends more than $300 billion of state and federal funds every year on public education, health, safety, courts, employment security, homelessness and other services that Crane contends rarely produces satisfactory outcomes for residents. He says that spending per pupil more than doubled over the last decade, yet pupil performance barely changed; spending on Medi-Cal doubled, yet hospital profit margins improved more than public health; and millions of desperate residents were kept waiting for unemployment checks during the pandemic. Crane also argues that the state occasionally enacts policies that favor political cronies at the expense of employment, and as such, the state’s current unemployment rate exceeds the national unemployment rate by more than 60 percent. David Crane is an author, activist, professor and president of Govern for California, a network of political action committees that supports California lawmakers who serve the general interest. Formerly a special advisor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and member of the University of California Board of Regents, Crane has written extensively about state governments, political reform, resistance to special interests and recovering the excellence with which California was once governed. NOTES This program is supported by the Ken & Jaclyn Broad Family Fund. David Crane President, Govern for California; Lecturer in Public Policy, Stanford University Bill Whalen Virginia Hobbs Carpenter Distinguished Policy Fellow in Journalism, and Research Fellow; Hoover Institution, Stanford University—Moderator This program was recorded live in San Francisco on February 7th, 2021 at the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Matthew Shilvock, general director of San Francisco Opera, being a part of last year's reemergence of the Opera onstage at the War Memorial Building, was to "experience the world in hyperreality" and reclaim the magic of nightly "emotional synergy with 3,000 strangers." He will present the newly announced centennial roster; 2022 is "a celebratory season full of bold possibility, of new productions, new operas"—including Asian artists' reimagining of Madam Butterfly's notorious stereotypes that "honors the culture it represents and challenges its shortcomings." We will be, Shilvock believes, "part of something quite extraordinary" as we turn the page on a second century and reclaim the bold ideals on which San Francisco Opera was founded.'" MLF ORGANIZER Dr. Anne W. Smith NOTES MLF: Arts SPEAKERS Matthew Shilvock General Director, San Francisco Opera 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 March 2nd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s economy is painted by headlines as hectic, turbulent and uncertain—reports of massive debt, fluctuating interest rates, and widespread money printing abound. Yet to legendary investor and acclaimed financial innovator Ray Dalio, this is all part of a pattern—one that has been occurring repeatedly throughout the past 500 years of global economic history. Ray Dalio is the founder, co-chief investment officer, and chairman for Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund by assets, as well as a leading expert in investment philosophy, corporate management and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Principles. In his latest book, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order, Dalio provides insights from more than half a century of studying the history of the world economy and its ties to the rising and falling of great powers—and how they fit into a “Big Cycle” that has persisted and is at work in the present day. His findings are that the times ahead will be unlike any we've faced in our lifetime, and he gives practical advice on how to prepare for what’s next. Join us as Dalio walks through 5 centuries of economic conditions, political shifts and major shifts in the wealth and power of nations, highlighting hidden patterns and providing insight to safely navigate the times to come. NOTES This program is generously supported by the Jackson Square Partners Foundation. SPEAKERS Ray Dalio Founder, Co-Chief Investment Officer and Chairman, Bridgewater Associates; Author, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail; Twitter @RayDalio In Conversation with Michael Moritz Partner, Sequoia Capital 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 March 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Russian forces advance into Ukraine from the north, south and east and lay siege to Kyiv and other major cities, join The Commonwealth Club for an in-depth briefing on the current situation and what may happen in the coming days or weeks. What led Russian President Putin to resort to a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and will the Ukrainians be able to hold back the forces arrayed against them? What is Putin’s endgame, and what are the risks to the NATO alliance and neighboring states if the conflict were to escalate? The battle currently unfolding within Ukraine’s borders is the largest military action in Europe since the end of World War II, and the ensuing refugee crisis from the growing exodus of Ukrainians into neighboring Poland and Romania threatens to destabilize Europe and the NATO alliance, and draw in other nations. It is not only a threat of conventional war, but there are also increasing risks of cyberwarfare, threats to the global economy and the potential of nuclear escalation. In the midst of this evolving crisis, we turn to the experts. Steven Pifer served as ambassador to Ukraine and is a seasoned policy analyst of Russia and Ukraine. Rose Gottemoeller is an expert on the NATO alliance as well as nuclear threats. Gloria Duffy served as deputy assistant secretary of defense, and is an expert in arms control and U.S.-Russian and U.S.-Ukrainian relations. Moderating the conversation will be Carla Thorson, the new vice president of programs at the Commonwealth Club who worked previously as a Russian and East European analyst at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the RAND Corporation. NOTES In association with World Affairs. SPEAKERS Dr. Gloria Duffy Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense; President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California Rose Gottemoeller Former Deputy Secretary General, NATO; Lecturer, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University Steven Pifer Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine; Fellow, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University Dr. Carla Thorson Former Russian Analyst, RFE/RL and RAND Corporation; Vice President of Programs, 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 March 3rd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humans must dramatically rein in greenhouse gas emissions in order to slow the planetary warming caused by centuries of fossil fuel combustion. But even if we accomplish that through major reforms to our power supply, food systems, industrial industries and more, we still need to remove huge amounts of carbon already in the atmosphere to stave off the worst impacts of climate disruption. This is no easy task. We need to explore every option – both nature-based solutions and tech solutions. In a two-part series, we look at both categories. First up, the natural mechanisms for carbon capture and storage, from forests to peat bogs to kelp beds. Guests: Ugbaad Kosar, Deputy Director of Policy, Carbon180 Edward Struzik, author, Swamplands: Tundra Beavers, Quaking Bogs and the Improbable World of Peat Bren Smith, Co-Executive Director and Owner, Thimble Island Ocean Farm Benjamin Preston, Senior Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elie Mystal is no stranger to telling people the truth and how it is. As a commentator and lawyer, Mystal is familiar with law and the power that comes with knowing how to use your words in a powerful way. In his first book, Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, he does just that. He offers an easily digestible argument primer, offered so that progressives like him can tell the Republicans in their lives why they might be wrong. Mystal brings his trademark humor, snark, and legal expertise to topics as crucial to our politics as gerrymandering and voter suppression, and argues legal concepts such as the right to privacy and substantive due process are under threat from the conservative courts. Join us as Elie Mystal makes his case with humor and a sharp sense of humor. SPEAKERS Elie Mystal Justice Correspondent, The Nation; Author, Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution; Twitter @ElieNYC In Conversation with Melissa Murray Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law, NYU School of Law; Co-host, "Strict Scrutiny" Podcast; Twitter @ProfMMurray 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 March 1st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women’s History Month at The Commonwealth Club kicks off early, with an exciting and multifaceted event What is the state of sports in terms of equity and diversity? What are the most relevant accomplishments, challenges and urgent matters to tackle to make sports equal and accessible? Host and LGBTQ leader Michelle Meow will lead a special discussion featuring prominent local sports leaders. Co-presented with Michelle Meow Show. SPEAKERS Christina Kahrl Sports Editor, San Francisco Chronicle Hannah Gordon Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, San Francisco 49ers (Participating Remotely) Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—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 February 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wajahat Ali is an acclaimed journalist and lawyer whose writings cover the intersection of social justice, politics and race. His first book, Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American, details his Bay Area upbringing, his early career as a lawyer, and how he become one of the foremost and funniest public intellectuals in America as a middle-aged dad. Ali tackles the dangers of Islamophobia, white supremacy and chocolate hummus, peppering personal stories with astute insights into national security, immigration and pop culture. Join him and Krista Tippett, host of the acclaimed “On Being” program, to learn how we can all help cultivate a more compassionate, inclusive and delicious America. NOTES This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Wajahat Ali Columnist, The Daily Beast; Author, Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American In Conversation with Krista Tippett Host, "On Being" 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 February 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In January, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Beyer announced his retirement from the high court. This set the stage for the fulfillment of a historic promise President Biden made on the 2020 campaign trail to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Please join us for a candid conversation between Black women political and justice leaders as we deep-dive into what led us to this moment, how this nomination reflects the progress of our community and what it means to the African American community. SPEAKERS Aimee Allison Founder, She the People Diana Becton Contra Costa County District Attorney LaDoris Cordell (Ret) Judge; Author, Her Honor Jotoka Eaddy Founder, #WinWithBlackWomen Carolyn Wysinger Education Coordinator, 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 February 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices