Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Welcome to the first Week to Week political roundtable of the Impeachment Era. It’s been far too long since we gathered together for a discussion of the latest political events. We might have been on vacation, but the politicos have not, so we have a lot to discuss. We will discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! And come early before the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our members social (open to all attendees). ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly half of all Americans are dealing with a new mental stressor: climate anxiety. Whether we get it from the news, the trauma of a natural disaster, or fear of a warming planet, it’s undermining our health and well-being, according to the American Psychological Association. So what’s the solution to preventing stress, fear, and helplessness from taking a toll on your well-being? Can we simultaneously enjoy a beautiful day in nature and worry about the future of human civilization? Join us for a conversation about cultivating awareness and resilience in an age of unprecedented disruption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climate change is turning one of Miami’s poorest neighborhoods into some of the most desirable real estate around. But there’s only so much Little Haiti to go around. And as hurricanes pummel the coast and rising seas lap at Florida’s shoreline, Midwestern cities like Detroit look more and more appealing. Is the Motor City ready for a Sunshine State invasion? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If we build homeless housing, won't that just attract more homeless people? I read an article about this cool thing they're doing in Utah; why don't we do that? What about tiny homes? We know the causes of and solutions to homelessness, but public opinion is based on anecdotes and personal observation rather than facts. This talk will look at some of the most common misconceptions and provide a nuanced, evidence-based response on one of the country's most pressing issues. MLF Organizer: Patrick O'Reilly MLF: Psychology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How biased are you? According to Jennifer Eberhardt, we live in a world where unconscious bias and innate prejudices affect our visual perception, attention, memory and behavior. These stereotypes can dramatically influence and impact our education, employment, housing and our criminal justice system. Eberhardt has worked extensively as a psychologist and consultant with numerous companies and law enforcement agencies. She shares her groundbreaking research, covering courtrooms, boardrooms, classrooms and prisons, to better understand and invoke change at all levels in society. Eberhardt is the co-founder and co-director of SPARQ (Social Psychological Answers to Real-World Questions), a university initiative that uses social psychological research to address significant social problems. She was also the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur Genius Grant. In association with Wonderfest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Crossfire Hurricane: Inside Donald Trump’s War on the FBI, CNN analyst and former FBI agent Josh Campbell takes his readers behind the scenes of the FBI during the historic investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. Campbell argues that President Trump’s unprecedented attacks on the FBI undermine the democratic integrity of the bureau and the men and women who work to uphold the law. Compelled to take action, Campbell provides a narrative that urges readers to discover the truth of what happened in 2016. Campbell served as a career special agent and special assistant to former FBI Director James Comey for over a decade before resigning in February 2018. As a national security expert for CNN, he analyzed developments in Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. Campbell also regularly contributes to The Washington Post, USA Today and The New York Times. His Times piece, “Why I Am Leaving the F.B.I.,” went viral after publication in early 2018. Come join us for a conversation with Josh Campbell, who will discuss the dangers of President Trump’s relentless attacks on the FBI and what it means for the future of national security. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a discussion of "Chosen Fam," a new web series telling stores of queer people of color in the Bay Area. Kyle Casey Chu (aka Panda Dulce) is a Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) core queen who writes about race, power and desire. Her work has appeared on NPR, Vice, HuffPost, Fusion, MTV, NBC, and them. She has spoken and performed at SFMOMA, RuPaul's Drag Con, and universities across the United States. Most recently, she is the co-writer, lead actress and songwriter of the forthcoming QTPOC web series "Chosen Fam." Come for a free midday program, as Michelle Meow brings her long-running radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year’s Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh were dominated by allegations of sexual misconduct during Kavanaugh’s past, including during his prep school and college years. While Kavanaugh was ultimately sworn in for a lifetime position on the Supreme Court, many questions about his past remained unanswered. In the new book, The Education of Brett Kavanaugh, New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly—two journalists who broke many critical stories about Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing—take a deeper look at the formative years of the Supreme Court justice and his confirmation. Their research fills in some of the blanks and explores the essential question: Who is Brett Kavanaugh? By offering commentary from key players from his confirmation process who haven't yet spoken publicly and pursuing lines of inquiry that were left hanging, the new book will be essential reading for anyone who wants to understand our political system and Kavanaugh's unexpectedly emblematic role in it. The authors are the perfect people to tell this story: Kate Kelly was in the same Washington, D.C. high school circuit as Kavanaugh, while Robin Pogrebin was one of his former classmates at Yale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shaili Jain will share nuanced cartography of PTSD, a widely misunderstood yet crushing condition that afflicts millions of Americans. Jain's new book, The Unspeakable Mind, is the definitive guide for a trauma-burdened age. With profound empathy and meticulous research, Jain—a practicing psychiatrist and PTSD specialist at one of America’s top VA hospitals; trauma scientist at the National Center for PTSD; and a Stanford professor—shines a long overdue light on the PTSD epidemic affecting today’s fractured world. Post-traumatic stress disorder goes far beyond the horrors of war, and it is an inescapable part of all our lives. At any given moment, more than six million Americans are suffering with PTSD. Jain’s groundbreaking work demonstrates the ways this disorder cuts to the heart of life, interfering with one’s capacity to love, create and work—incapacity brought on by a complex interplay between biology, genetics and environment. Beyond the struggles of individuals, PTSD has a tangible imprint on cultures and societies around the world. MLF Organizer: Patty James MLF: Health & Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With an acting career spanning six decades, George Takei is known around the world for his founding role in the acclaimed television series “Star Trek,” in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise. But Takei's story goes where few stories have gone before. From a childhood spent with his family wrongfully imprisoned in Japanese American internment camps during World War II to becoming one of the country's leading figures in the fight for social justice, LGBTQ rights and marriage equality, Takei remains a powerful voice on issues ranging from politics to pop culture. Mashable.com named him the no. 1 most influential person on Facebook, currently with 10.4 million likes and 2.8 million followers on Twitter. Takei hosts the AARP-produced YouTube series “Takei's Take,” and is the subject of To Be Takei, a Jennifer M. Kroot documentary on his life and career. "Takei's Take" explores the world of technology, trends, current events and pop culture. On his own YouTube channel, Takei and his husband Brad Takei bring viewers into their personal life in the heightened reality web series, “It Takeis Two.” Takei made his Broadway debut in the musical, Allegiance, inspired by his true-life experience in American internment camps. Allegiance ran in New York in 2015 and 2016 and had its Los Angeles premiere in 2018. In his new graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, Takei revisits his haunted childhood in American concentration camps as one of 120,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned by the U.S. government during World War II. He details the forces that shaped him—and America itself—in a tale of courage, country, loyalty and love. Come for a rare visit with an American icon about his life, his activism and his ongoing mission to ensure that, at least on Earth, very few frontiers are final. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Daniel Handler, best-selling author known for his adult novels and children’s books under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket, returns with a new dark comedy about his hometown of San Francisco. As Handler knows, San Francisco is a one-of-a-kind place, but it's leaving its residents behind. The city is flooded with tech money and innovation, but skyrocketing rents, income inequality, homelessness and other issues in the city have never been more urgent. Handler’s new novel, Bottle Grove, addresses love, greed and the precipice of change as two couples living in San Francisco deal with the effects of the tech boom looming over its citizens. Join us in welcoming Daniel Handler back to INFORUM and San Francisco this fall! NOTES Handler photo by Meredith Heuer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Come for an intergenerational conversation on Native American representation in film and media from experienced Apache actress Sacheen Littlefeather to breakout Apache actress Sivan Alyra Rose. Sacheen is known for the protest at the Oscars, in which she represented Marlon Brando and raised attention about the Wounded Knee standoff, and Sivan for her role as the first Native American actress to lead a TV series—"Chambers" on Netflix. Both are known for utilizing their platforms for tribal rights and issues. This conversation will be moderated by Sarah Eagle Heart and Michelle Meow. This program made possible by support from New York Life Greater San Francisco General Office and One Bowl Productions ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For 30 years, Lynn Novick has been directing and producing landmark documentary films about American culture, history, politics, sports, art and music. With co-director Ken Burns, she has created more than 80 hours of acclaimed programming for PBS, including The Vietnam War, Baseball, Jazz, Frank Lloyd Wright, The War and Prohibition. This duPont–Columbia and Peabody-Award winning filmmaker’s new documentary series, College Behind Bars, reveals the transformative power of higher education through the experiences of men and women trying to earn college degrees while incarcerated. Executive produced by Ken Burns and produced by Sarah Botstein, College Behind Bars is Novick’s solo directorial debut and will air November 25 and 26 on PBS stations. The four-hour series, distilled from nearly 400 hours of cinéma vérité footage, explores the lives of a dozen incarcerated men and women as they struggle to earn degrees in the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), one of the most rigorous and effective prison education programs in the country. In this era of mass incarceration, America is the world’s largest jailer, with more than 2 million men and women behind bars; 630,000 are released annually, and nearly 50 percent end up back in prison within five years, trapped in a cycle of imprisonment, release and reincarceration. Once commonplace in American prisons, higher education declined precipitously after 1994, when Congress ended federal Pell Grants for inmates as part of the Clinton crime bill. In the nearly 20 years since BPI began, more than 500 alumni have been released, and fewer than four percent have gone back. The program currently enrolls 300 men and women in six prisons and costs $6,000 per student per year, most of it privately funded. Here’s a chance to get a preview of the series and hear a discussion with the filmmakers and formerly incarcerated BPI students featured in the film about the power of education to transform lives and benefit society at large. NOTES In association with KQED For a sneak peak of the series, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8ec3QpnaiU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2018, health care became the United States’ largest industry, but some would say that its success came at the expense of the American people. Coverage is unaffordable for many, 20 percent of Americans have faced debt collection for medical bills, and care increasingly feels rushed and impersonal. How did we get here, and how can we recover? Professor, surgeon, patient advocate and New York Times best-selling author Marty Makary reports on the root causes of the cost crisis—inappropriate care, middlemen and pricing failures—and highlights the innovators that are disrupting the bloated $3.5 trillion health care business. Makary breaks down a complex industry riddled with opaque pricing and clinical and administrative waste and untangles the medical bills that are so confusing most doctors can’t interpret them. In his role as executive director of Improving Wisely, a national physician collaboration to reduce unnecessary medical care and lower health care costs, Makary sees both the devastation medical bills can cause and the vast opportunity to improve the system. He argues that by working together, we can cut through the money games and restore medicine to its mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year, Bruce Bochy announced that he would retire at the end of the season. As the 38th San Francisco Giants’ manager, serving in the role since 2006, Bochy has accumulated three World Series championships (2010, 2012 and 2014) and served as manager of four All-Star teams. His 975 wins are the second-most by a Giants manager in team history. His 24 seasons as a major league manager also include 12 with the San Diego Padres. Prior to his managing career, Bochy spent nearly a decade as a catcher with the Houston Astros, New York Mets and the Padres. He is also the subject of the new book Bochy Ball! The Chemistry of Winning and Losing in Baseball, Business, and Life. Come for a special salute to Bochy and a rare conversation with one of baseball’s most beloved and respected figures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Samantha Power, former President Barack Obama’s U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is widely known as a leading moral voice of her generation. Power has been described by President Obama as one of America’s “foremost thinkers on foreign policy” and is revered as a Pulitzer Prize winner and a relentless advocate for promoting human rights. In her memoir, The Education of an Idealist, Power traces her extraordinary career and her change from an outspoken war correspondent and vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy to working with Obama in the Senate, on the campaign trail and throughout his presidency. Power takes us across the world from the streets of war-torn Bosnia to the White House Situation Room and delves into the complex networks of high-stakes diplomacy through her humorous, stirring and ultimately unforgettable account of the striking power of idealism. Join us for an invigorating and honest conversation with a world leader and human rights activist as she empowers us to approach global politics with a clearer eye and a kinder heart. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Bernardino native Kevin Bard earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in political science from San Francisco State University with a focus on American politics and political theory. His thesis is a biography of his former local supervisor Ed Jew. He began his journey in local politics in college with the SF State Young Democrats, then joining the San Francisco Young Democrats. He worked for the California Democratic Party as the volunteer coordinator during the 2008 coordinated campaign with the Obama Campaign. Kevin then joined the Harvey Milk Club‚a decade ag0—and worked his way up to the organization's president in 2019. Just prior to that, he worked as a campaign organizer at the Nancy Pelosi Red To Blue office, which helped flip the House of Representatives and then convened the California AD 17 delegate election in January a few days before winning the Milk Club presidency. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. See more upcoming Michelle Meow Shows at The Commonwealth Club here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can we beat the traffic by taking to the skies? Sailing over freeways in a flying car, getting to work in minutes instead of hours, has long been the stuff of science fiction. But ambitious startups are on their way to making three-dimensional commutes a reality. For now, there are still many challenges to getting those flying cars off the ground, from mechanics and design to infrastructure, regulatory issues, air traffic and zoning. What does our flying car future look like? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quantum mechanics is the most accurate and far-reaching theory in physics, yet physicists themselves readily admit that they don't understand it. But Caltech physicist and New York Times best-selling author Sean Carroll suggests that we do have a very promising way of understanding the mysteries of the quantum world. Previously featured on “The Colbert Report” and PBS’s “Nova,” theoretical physicist Carroll will explore quantum discoveries throughout history, unveiling how the atomic and subatomic worlds impact our daily lives and giving us a whole new way of comprehending the cosmos. In association with Wonderfest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This program is generously supported by First Republic Bank San Francisco’s 2019 IPO (initial public offering) wave has made national headlines, but little has been said to equip employees for the major cultural shifts they will face as their companies consider liquidity strategies. What does the lead-up entail, and what does life after liquidity look like for executive leadership and employees alike? Join a panel of experts as they share their own post-liquidity insights—from inception to successfully navigating initial public offering, acquisition or mergers and many of the other stages of a company’s life. Learn how companies can make these informed decisions and should prepare their employees for these life-changing transitions as well as how these business decisions impact the community at large. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this age of clickbait, pseudoscience and celebrity-endorsed products, it’s hard to know what’s best for our bodies. Jen Gunter, ob-gyn and the Internet’s go-to doctor, is dedicated to debunking the myths, marketing and misinformation surrounding reproductive health. While much of the dialogue surrounding women’s health targets the shame or inexperience of women and girls, Gunter aims to educate and empower with both humor and evidence. Join Gunter in conversation with Mary Roach, author and popular scientist, to answer your burning questions about women’s health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone knows someone who’s survived cancer. But no one knows anyone who’s survived Alzheimer’s—until now. Alzheimer’s disease is a global pandemic and the third leading cause of death in the United States. Of the 326 million Americans currently living, approximately 45 million will develop Alzheimer's disease during their lifetimes unless effective prevention programs are instituted. The 99 percent failure rate of Alzheimer’s drug trials underscores both the area of greatest biomedical failure and the need for a more complete understanding of the drivers (i.e., the root causes) of the disease. Despite these alarming statistics, it has now been demonstrated that early stage Alzheimer's and its precursors, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), can be prevented and in some cases reversed. Join Dale Bredesen as he presents a novel programmatic approach that identifies and targets the multiple contributors to cognitive decline. Based on his findings from over 30 years of research into the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, this approach led to the first published reports of the reversal of cognitive decline. Currently, over 3,000 patients use the protocol described in these initial reports, with success that has not been described previously. MLF Organizer: Adrea Brier MLF: Health & Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As most long-standing news outlets have shuttered their foreign bureaus and print operations, the role of Global News Networks (GNNs) as information collectors and policy influencers has changed. Western GNNs are both untethered to government entities and able to produce accurate yet critical situational analyses. But due to the emergence of other GNNs owned or directed by national governments, the global news cycle has become thoroughly manipulatable. Kounalakis' interviews with a diverse set of GNN professionals vividly depicts the momentous sea change that has occurred in global news production. He also traces the evolution of GNNs from the 20th century to now, revealing today's drastically altered global news business model. Find out why countries such as Russia and China invest heavily in their news media, and how some GNNs operate in tandem with state strategies and diplomatic sensitivities. Get a firsthand look at how the global media is shaping policy and morphing the public's consumption of information. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The struggle for racial justice is far from over. Inequality is built on many aspects ingrained in our society—history, law and culture. How do we confront this inequality embedded in American life? How can we play an active role in building an anti-racist society? National Book Award winner Ibram X. Kendi returns to INFORUM to deliver an honest critique of modern America and our own role in perpetuating inequality. In his new book, How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi holds up both a magnifying glass and a mirror to examine how to uproot racism from society—starting with ourselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since its launch in 2009, ride-hailing service Uber has undergone major shifts to become a worldwide transportation network despite severe setbacks. Harassment allegations that led to the firing of 20 employees and the resignation of former CEO Travis Kalanick publicly embarrassed the company, yet Uber has grown to become the highest valued private tech company in Silicon Valley. In his new book, Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, New York Times tech reporter Mike Isaac delves into the ambition, excess and massive loss of Uber and Kalanick over the last few years. Isaac has nearly a decade of experience writing about technology industry in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has spent the past few years covering the controversial ascent of Uber and the company’s issues of workplace harassment, sexism and allegations of misconduct that reveal the problematic work culture of Silicon Valley tech companies. Join us as he narrates the deception and bad behavior of Uber that culminated in one of the most controversial periods in American corporate history. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the end of the Carter administration and throughout the Reagan Revolution, belief in the power of markets became America's preferred economic policy doctrine. President Bill Clinton all but announced the triumph of free markets when he declared that “the era of big government is over.” President Barack Obama faced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and pushed a recovery plan that was more limited than many had hoped, seeming to protect the very sectors that had created it. By 2016, the economy was still uneven enough to play a role in Donald Trump’s election. Over the past decade, free-market economics (also known as neoliberalism) has been challenged and questioned on multiple fronts, particularly by the Democratic Party. With the Left making its voice heard as the primaries approach, many former Clinton and Obama officials are openly questioning a governing approach dominated by free-market economics. In his new book, A Crisis Wasted, Reed Hundt, chair of the Federal Communications Commission under Clinton and a member of Obama’s transition team, makes the argument that Obama missed an opportunity to push for a new progressive era of governance, a miscalculation that ultimately hobbled his administration. Hundt is not alone on this score. Former Clinton administration economist Brad DeLong, who is one of the market friendly neoliberal Democrats who has dominated the party for the last 20 years, believes that the time of people like himself running the Democratic Party has passed. “The baton rightly passes to our colleagues on our left,” DeLong wrote in a much-discussed Vox piece earlier this year. Please join us for a very special conversation between Hundt and DeLong about the limits of, and challenges to, free-market economics. These two former Clinton administration officials will be in conversation with Joshua Cohen, co-editor of Boston Review. Notes In association with Boston Review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Though it’s not apparent in the media, there is support among conservatives for universal health care coverage. The preferred approach involves the use of market forces to control costs and activation of consumers to bring the benefits of competition to the health care industry. Avik Roy is a leading conservative thinker, writer and adviser to senior Republican politicians. Yet his views surprise many progressives. A fierce proponent of the use of market forces in health care, Roy is equally vocal about the need for health care to better serve disadvantaged Americans. His innovative views have earned praise from both the Right and the Left. Conservative voices such as the National Review and Hugh Hewitt have noted his insights and influence on health care policy, while more liberal voices such as The New York Times’ Paul Krugman and MSNBC’s Chris Hayes have praised his moral courage and creative thinking. Roy was profiled in The Atlantic in 2016, and his writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and the National Review. A graduate of MIT and Yale Medical School, he is a frequent guest on Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, CBS, PBS and HBO. Roy is the author of the book How Medicaid Fails the Poor. MLF Organizer: Mark Zitter MLF: Health & Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Longevity Project explores the drivers of the length of life. It also examines the quality of life in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Lebanon, Israel and Tunisia. A goal is to explain how the Mediterranean diet is a transnational, intangible asset that can prolong life when combined with biodiversity, healthy lifestyles, beauty and art. Eating together is the basis of the cultural identity and continuity of the communities in the Mediterranean Basin. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes the values of hospitality, neighborhood, intercultural dialogue and creativity, and it represents a way of life guided by respect for diversity. The Longevity Project features expert scientists, chefs, authors, researchers, celebrities and locals to discover the secrets of longevity. Recent film clips from Mediterranean locations will be screened and discussed. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF Organizer: Robert Kilpatrick MLF: Health & Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As national politics face a pivotal transformation in the buildup to the 2020 presidential election, a human rights crisis at the border and multiple environmental issues, how are political leaders responding to the nation’s most pressing issues? Representative Ted Lieu from California is an outspoken leader of the Democratic Party and is on the front lines of tackling climate change, spearheading legislation on cybersecurity, and advocating for the rights of veterans, ethnic and racial minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community. As a former active duty officer in the U.S. Air Force and a first-generation immigrant, Lieu has become a national spokesperson on national security and foreign affairs as well as contemporary civil rights. Join Lieu for an important conversation about democratic accountability and American privacy in the age of social media, Trump and political polarization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans spend $56 billion attending sporting events each year — but at what cost to the climate? From stadiums packed with energetic fans to food, beer, and waste, athletics can have a big carbon footprint. But sports franchises are learning that culture can have a bigger impact than carbon, with many embracing sustainability in venue design, waste, water, energy and food operations. Could the core values of athletics — integrity, teamwork, and commitment — be the same values we need to tackle the climate challenge? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zero for Zeros is a new campaign that seeks to convince companies that have declared themselves LGBT allies to end their donations to anti-LGBT members of Congress. Are corporations caught between conflicting needs to curry favor with lawmakers and to attract customers? How can businesses have consistent social policies? Lane Hudson is an activist whose exposure of Rep. Mark Foley's behavior helped lead to the congressman's resignation. Now he manages the Zero for Zeros campaign. Come learn about the campaign, and bring your questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Highly respected, frequently provocative, always challenging, Harvey Rose has survived the drama and intrigues of San Francisco City Hall politics for many years as San Francisco's most highly respected, independent budget and legislative analyst. As part of a valued San Francisco institution, no financial or legislative detail escaped Rose’s attention. In his straightforward talk, Rose will discuss work and the critical need for independent view of San Francisco's money, politics and the work of city hall, supervisors, commissioners, legislators and mayors. MLF Organizer:Ann Clark MLF: Environment & Natural Resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's in our food and how it's grown has a profound impact on the health of our communities. Schools and hospitals are an increasingly critical intervention point for food access and long-term food systems shifts. Food and health issues are set against a seemingly paradoxical backdrop: One in eight Californians face hunger because of distribution and incentive problems. At the same time, one in four Californians suffer from diet-related diseases, directly related to social inequality, poverty and food availability. Learn more from California leaders who are improving lives and working to ensure the success of ecological farming through the food reaches the forks of families. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF Organizer: Cathy Curtis MLF: Food Matters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every breath you take has the power to heal, but learning how to breathe takes practice. In her book Breathwork, established yoga and breathwork teacher Valerie Moselle leads you through a practical program to boost your energy and physical health. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF: Health & Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One young scholar noted his peers weren't represented in his university, and he set out to do something about it. As a queer Latinx person from Kerman, CA, Michael Pina understands the homophobic and racial bias that students can face when applying to different universities and scholarships. So he created Central Valley Scholars as a way to help minority students from his own communities with their college, student aid and Dream Act applications. Keeping everyone in mind, Michael has created a safe space for the undocumented community, the disabled community, the queer community, people of color, and more. As part of his work in Central Valley Scholars, Michael has created the first-ever LGBTQ+ scholarship in the Central Valley. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Talbot is a fifth-generation San Franciscan who began developing The Last Black Man in San Francisco with his childhood friend and star Jimmie Fails after leaving high school early to pursue film. Talbot, a Sundance Institute fellow, wrote and directed the acclaimed short American Paradise, which was shown at Sundance and SXSW. His feature-length debut was The Last Black Man in San Francisco, a movie that captures the past and present of this fast-changing city through the tale of Jimmie and his best friend Mont, who set out to reclaim the house Jimmie grew up in. And just added to our program: Star Jimmie Fails. Fails most recently starred in A24's The Last Black Man in San Francisco, which made its debut at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Joe Talbot, Fails' best friend and longtime collaborator, directed the film with Plan B producing. It is a fable-like story based on Fails' life and the gentrification of San Francisco. It is his feature-length acting debut. **This program contains some explicit language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carbon offsets have been called everything from a band-aid solution to “the best thing a consumer can do right now.” A new service even offers customers a monthly subscription to offset their carbon footprint. Meanwhile, offset providers are scrutinized for transparency, and purchasers are criticized for using them as a get-out-of-jail-free card. In the race to bring carbon emissions to zero, are offsets a legitimate tool, or a delusion that allows heavy emitters a way out of taking real action? What impact does purchasing offsets have on poorer communities? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senator Jeff Merkley made headlines earlier this year when live video footage of his attempt to enter and inspect a detention center for child immigrants near the border of Texas and Mexico garnered over 1.1 million views in less than a day. An outspoken critic of the controversial treatment of migrant families across the southern border, Merkley is spearheading legislative efforts to establish nonnegotiable standards for the treatment of detained children and their families. In his new book, America Is Better Than This: Trump’s War Against Migrant Families, Merkley shares the story of how he, a senator with no background as an immigration activist, became a leading advocate for reform of the policies that have generated a humanitarian crisis along the border. His book embodies Merkley’s heartfelt and candid voice, and it includes his call for the American people to take a stand against what he considers calculated mistreatment of migrant families. Join us in welcoming Senator Jeff Merkley to The Commonwealth Club for an insightful conversation about the importance of approaching politics with compassion and reasonability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. Ben Hwang from Profusa will discuss the future of continuous, remote monitoring data using implantable biosensor technology and how it is poised to transform wellness, medical intervention, health care delivery and patient outcomes. Mary Lou Jepsen from Openwater has created a device that can enable us to see inside our brains or bodies in great detail. With this comes the promise of new abilities to diagnose and treat disease and well beyond—communicating with thought alone. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Patty James NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Koret was an immigrant, businessman and philanthropist. He is credited with helping make San Francisco a center for the design and manufacture of popular style and fashion. Join us for a conversation about an innovative businessman and civic leader whose legacy is still very visible in the Bay Area. This was an audio-only program recorded at The Commonwealth Club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The presentation will address the why, what and how of place-based work. Why addresses how when it comes to your health your zip code is more important than your genetic code. It explores the strength of the relationship between life expectancy and neighborhood. The what focuses on how place gets under the skin and changes our physiology. The presentation also examines the components of the environment that shape health opportunity. Finally, the how discusses the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative framework and how that translates into the investment strategies and policy and systems change approach to place-based work. Examples from the California Endowment's Building Healthy Communities will illustrate the approach and a review of the 10 year, $1 billion, multisite, multidisciplinary, place-conscious initiative, and its achievements will be presented. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Patty James NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 50 years after the establishment of the Public Broadcasting Act, which set the foundation for PBS and NPR, the media landscape has changed in ways that advocates for these services never could have imagined. Yet their vision for a noncommercial broadcasting system that takes risks and addresses the needs of the public has endured. Paula Kerger, PBS CEO and president, joins Michael Isip, KQED president and CEO, and John Boland, KQED president emeritus, to discuss the future of public media amidst great technological, political and environmental upheaval. With much of the traditional local news space shrinking and with trust in news at an all-time low, how are PBS and public media affiliates such as KQED adapting to serve communities? How can stations and audiences respond to attacks on the free press? And how are these organizations changing with their audiences and the ways they consume media? Speaker details: Having joined PBS in March 2006, Kerger is the longest-serving president and CEO in PBS history. Among her accomplishments are the pop culture phenomenon “Downton Abbey” on "Masterpiece"; Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s critically acclaimed The Vietnam War; the documentary Hamilton’s America, about the Broadway smash hit musical, on "Great Performances"; “Freedom Riders” on "American Experience"; and award-winning children’s programs such as “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.” Kerger is regularly included in the Hollywood Reporter’s “Women in Entertainment Power 100,” an annual survey of the nation’s top women executives in media, as well as Washingtonian magazine’s Most Powerful Women in Washington. Isip became KQED’s seventh president on April 10. Isip has almost a quarter century of media experience and has played a critical role in KQED’s growth and transformation into a 21st century multimedia organization. He joined KQED in 2001 as an executive producer in television and has since served in a number of senior level roles, including senior vice president and chief content officer as well as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Isip’s most impactful contributions to KQED was reorganizing the content division away from distribution platforms (TV, radio, online) to a structure of multimedia teams in news, arts, science and education. This restructure facilitated greater collaboration across KQED and increased digital content and services. Boland is president emeritus at KQED. He served as the organization’s president and chief executive officer from March 2010 through March 2019. Before returning to KQED, he served for four years as the first chief content officer of the national PBS. Prior to his tenure at PBS, Boland served in several executive positions at KQED for more than a decade, including executive vice president and chief operating officer; and vice president of marketing, development and communications. He also created the role of chief content officer at KQED in 2002—the first such position in public media. At KQED, he led a strategic transformation from a traditional public broadcasting service to a twenty-first century public media organization that combines mobile, social and online media with robust digital radio and television broadcasting. He has been a newspaper publisher and owner, a senior executive with two major international marketing and communications firms, and publisher of San Francisco Focus (now San Francisco magazine). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Widely recognized as a pragmatic and independent thinker, Democratic presidential candidate and Colorado Senator Michael Bennet is on the forefront of taking on Washington, D.C.’s dysfunction and building more opportunities for the next generation. In the Senate, Bennet has spearheaded legislative efforts to make education, health care, childcare and housing more affordable and accessible for working families. Running for the presidential nomination to restore integrity to our government, Bennet has been twice singled out by former President Barack Obama as someone to watch following the 2016 election. Compelled to reveal the inner workings of Congress in our polarized era, Bennet shares his perspective in his book The Land of Flickering Lights: Restoring America in an Age of Broken Politics. Despite his exposure to the complex issues and extreme polarization rampant in today’s politics, Bennet remains strong in his conviction that patriotism, hard work and belief in the common good can revive a prosperous and powerful democracy for the generation of tomorrow. Join us for an engaging conversation with presidential candidate Michael Bennet as he guides us through his vision to restore ethics in American politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our distinguished panel will discuss the contributions and innovations Israel has made worldwide in solving health, environmental and economic problems. Israel has a history of coming to the rescue of other nations after disasters and emergencies. For example, Israel advised California and other areas with water problems. And it was the second country to arrive with medical help after the Haiti disaster. Come learn more about Israel’s contribution to our well-being. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF Organizer: Celia Menczel MLF: Middle East Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anna Gatmon will share how to experience fulfillment and abundant wellness by stopping the seemingly endless struggle between your spiritual aspirations and daily material consumption. By expanding your awareness to recognize the spiritual essence inherent in the material world around you and by engaging with the material expressions of your spiritual aspirations, you can grow into an expanded, more whole version of yourself and experience profound well-being. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF Organizer: Denise Michaud MLF: Grownups Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Steyer doesn’t just want to impeach President Trump, he wants to replace him. Steyer insists that America’s democracy, health-care and climate shortcomings all stem from a warped distribution of money and power. Supporters point to Steyer’s promising rise in early primary state polling, but a crowded Democratic primary has left some Americans asking: Is this the moment for another wealthy, white, male president? With two weeks to go before the Democratic National Committee’s vote in San Francisco on a climate-focused presidential debate, join us with candidate Tom Steyer for a candid discussion of his chances in the race for the presidency—and our chances in the race against climate disruption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're talking about LGBTQ representation in business this week, with our special guest Gina Grahame. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Shilvock, general director of the San Francisco Opera, has announced that San Francisco Opera, which has the largest performing arts organization staff in the Bay Area, has created a department of equity, diversity and inclusion to meet an institutional commitment both within the organization and externally. The department will implement strategies to build organizational capacity, structures and policies to help ensure San Francisco Opera is a welcoming, inclusive place to work and experience opera. The San Francisco Opera will continue its Arts Resources in Action (ARIA) residency program, which connects K–8 students and teachers to the process of opera creation across multiple visits, as well as the ARIA dress rehearsal and professional development programs. It will also continue select Community. Understanding. Engagement. (CUE) programs, the company’s suite of programs for the broader community of adults, families and youth, building conversation and engagement around the stories being told on the War Memorial Opera House stage. Charles Chip Mc Neal will lead the new department. Mc Neal is currently senior curriculum and program manager in the San Francisco Opera education department. NOTES MLF: Arts In association with Theatre Bay Area Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Health Organization states that neurological disorders are one of the greatest threats to public health today. Seventy-six million aging baby boomers, or 29 percent of the population in the United States, are about to push Alzheimer's disease rates sky high. Acupuncture, a form of traditional Chinese medicine, has been proven safe and effective in treating a wide variety of common ailments and problems. Acupuncture can also help treat Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases. This talk will discuss electroacupuncture, where a small electric current is passed between pairs of acupuncture needles. Electroacupuncture targets specific receptors to stimulate neuropeptide release for cerebral rehabilitation and neural synaptic repair. John Nieters will explain how this type of acupuncture works in the treatment of these four top neurological diseases: Alzheimer’s disease/dementia, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Motor Neuron Disease, Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis. Nieters will further explain how electroacupuncture correlates to traditional Chinese medicine. Join us for this opportunity to hear Nieters, an experienced American practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Cynthia Miyashita and Lillian Nakagawa NOTES MLF: Asia-Pacific Affairs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 25 percent of America’s electricity now comes from renewables, surpassing coal for the first time. Ten states, and Puerto Rico and Washington DC, have policies in place to run on 100 percent clean power in coming decades. But achieving that goal presents a host of challenges, from updating an aging electricity grid to financing energy innovation to figuring out how to transport and store the renewable power. America has always prided itself on “thinking big” – from the railroads to the moon landing. Do we have what it takes to pull off the transition from fossil fuels to renewables? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices