Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Gun violence. #BlackLivesMatter. Climate change. Voting rights. Despite a sense of alienation from civic engagement in today’s political atmosphere, young leaders continue to take up the charge across these and other critical issues, demanding a better future, wielding their votes and pushing the country forward to create change. In his book Generation Citizen: The Power of Youth in Our Politics, Scott Warren, co-founder and CEO of Generation Citizen, recounts his personal political awakening and the long and inspiring history of young people enacting significant political change in the United States, ranging from the civil rights movement to the Parkland students’ stance against gun violence. Since its founding in 2010 when Warren was a senior at Brown University, Generation Citizen has worked with more than 50,000 students across the country to engage them in politics as the next generation of future leaders through an innovative curriculum and hands-on opportunities to dig into the civic process, creating new channels for learning and capacity building to make a difference locally and nationally. Join Warren at INFORUM, alongside other rising voices in youth leadership and civic engagement, for an inspiring conversation about the political potential of youth and students and the future of American social change. Notes In association with YR Media, a national network of young journalists and artists Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the best-kept secrets in combating the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity and agricultural productivity is a return to an agriculture model that sustained people and the planet prior to the age of industrial agriculture. The answer to the future of farming is to look to the past. Beginning from the modern sustainable agricultural and slow food movement, California's early pioneers in organic farming have redefined the meaning of sustainability. The new models for an earth-friendly, food-healthy system have drawn from the teachings of Rudolf Steiner—noted scientist, philosopher and founder of the Waldorf School. Interestingly, he was instrumental in helping European farmers combat the rapid decline in seed fertility, crop vitality and animal health on their farms. Join fourth-generation winemaker Paul Dolan, former chairman of the Wine Institute and former president of Fetzer Vineyards, who led a transformation that put the company at the forefront of organic viticulture and sustainable business. Today, besides growing and making biodynamic wines, Dolan is a leader in redefining the farming system, with a focus on regenerative agriculture and biodynamic farming. Joining Dolan is Roots of Change (ROC) president Michael Dimock, an organizer and thought leader on food and farming systems. ROC develops and campaigns for smart, incentive-based food and farm policies that position agriculture and food enterprises as solutions to critical challenges of the 21st century. He is the host of the new podcast “Flipping the Table,” featuring honest conversations about food, farms and the future. Dimock serves on the boards of the UCLA Law School’s Resnick food law and policy program, Farm to Pantry, the Wild Farm Alliance and Sonoma Academy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nora Bateson’s cinematic vision will help you to see the world in a different way. At the bottom of the climate crisis is the problem of how we think and how we encounter the world. In conversation with Gil Friend, they will have a conversation about new forms of leadership. In today’s complex world, the tools they are offering can be applied to problem solving the pressing dilemmas of our time. Join Friend and Bateson as they explore warm data, the patterns that connect, the dilemma of purpose and the ways our words shape the worlds we inhabit. It is about the possibilities we generate, in each other and in ourselves. As Gregory Bateson said, "The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think." MLF Organizer: Elizabeth Carney MLF: Business & Leadership In partnership with Presidio Graduate School Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we think of the people behind the most influential technological advances of our day, we usually imagine the leaders of the industry but forget the armies behind them: coders. Dedicated to the pursuit of higher efficiency, these lovers of logic and puzzles are able to withstand unbelievable amounts of frustration; they are arguably the most quietly influential people on the planet. In his new book, Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World, Clive Thompson argues just that. Through increasingly pervasive artificial intelligence, coders have a larger and larger role to play. Thompson analyzes how embedded this industry is in our lives, questioning the lack of geographic and demographic diversity in the sector while outlining his optimistic view on the opportunities that this age of code can unlock. Join us for a conversation about this frequently misunderstood industry culture and a refreshingly enthusiastic take on its future. Thompson is a freelance journalist and one of the most prominent technology writers. He is a longtime contributor to The New York Times Magazine and a columnist for Wired. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Retired Vice Admiral Charles W. Martoglio of the U.S. Navy will discuss America’s greatest security challenge of the 21st century, the increasingly competitive rivalry posed by China and Russia teaming against American interests at home and around the world. He’ll discuss the global security environment, how China and Russia are challenging America, internal challenges faced by Russia and China, and America’s way ahead to ensure its global position in this increasingly dynamic and competitive world. MLF Organizer: Linda Calhoun MLF: International Relations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her book Sacred Voices: Stories from the Caravan of Women, Mariam Baker shows how we are all connected, and how women can lead the way. Finding herself strongly connected to Islam and Sufism since she was 20 years old, Baker, who grew up Catholic in the United States, conducts workshops all over the world, bridging the divide between Islam and the West. Believing it’s about time the greatness of women’s wisdom is spoken and heard, her lifelong work is devoted to empowering us all, especially women, with the goal of freeing women’s voices throughout the world and amongst all religions. Baker has led a rich and varied life that has helped launch her career as a spiritual teacher, conducting workshops all over the world. A specialist in women's and religious studies, she has spoken throughout the United States and in Canada, Brazil, Germany, Ireland, Russia, Tunisia and Australia. A leader in women’s spirituality since the 1970s, Baker has dedicated herself to uncovering the voices that have been forgotten, shunted aside or deliberately silenced. MLF Organizer: Denise Michaud MLF: Grownups Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Department of Homeland Security seems to appear in the headlines and in the media more and more often. Covering everything from terrorism prevention, law enforcement, disaster recovery and public safety, the department’s goals can often seem self-contradictory and overly politicized, especially today. Few people understand this better than Janet Napolitano, who served as the Secretary of Homeland Security from 2009-2013. In her new book, How Safe Are We? Homeland Security Since 9/11, Napolitano unabashedly acknowledges the shortcomings and challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security today, especially the politicization of border security and our lagging cybersecurity sector. But she also makes a pragmatic and honest case for its successes and explains the ways in which Homeland Security does indeed make us safer. Join us for a discussion that chronicles the evolution of our national security and cuts through the political noise that too often dominates these conversations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The issues facing black communities are often complicated, nuanced and heavily weighted by centuries of historical injustice. Black Futures Lab, founded by Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza, works to make black people powerful in politics by transforming black communities into constituencies that build power in cities and states. The Black Futures Lab recently completed the largest survey of black people since Reconstruction, with nearly 40,000 respondents from diverse communities across the nation. The survey included questions regarding many defining characteristics, including gender, sexuality, age and other categories, and it dug into several key issues rooted in inequality and to understand better what black communities desire for their futures. Join Garza and other cultural leaders, scholars and experts for a conversation about the inaugural data results and how to use this data to create solutions with lasting impact. 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. Guy Kawasaki has been a fixture in Silicon Valley and the tech world since he was part of Apple's original Macintosh team in the 1980s. He's widely respected as a source of wisdom about entrepreneurship, venture capital, marketing and business evangelism. But before all that, he was just a middle-class kid in Hawaii, a grandson of Japanese immigrants. Kawaski's new book, Wise Guy, is this unique tech icon's opportunity to share what he has learned throughout his life. In his more than 10 previous best-selling books, Kawasaki has shared business insights that have been taught at business schools across the country and inspired innovators. In this most recent book, Kawsaki takes readers through his surprising journey and focuses on the experiences that have enlightened and inspired him. Guy covers everything from moral values to business skills to parenting. At a time when the tech world is under a microscope and wide swaths of the public are looking for more from their business leaders, Kawasaki's latest book comes at a perfect time, for him and the general public. Please join for a conversation with one of the top tech leaders of our time. Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online graphic design tool. He is a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz and an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. He was the chief evangelist of Apple and a trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. He is also the author of The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment and nine other books. ***This Program Contains Explicit Language*** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celebrate the lunch hour on April Fools’ Day by sitting at the feet of cosmic comic Swami Beyondananda, whose favorite yoga pose is tongue in cheek. Swami will help you laugh lovingly at our human foolishness till the sacred cows come home. And at least one lucky person in the audience will achieve “fool realization" as to why author Marianne Williamson has called Swami the Mark Twain of our times. Come in darkness (to get a good seat), but expect to be enlightened. And BYOF (bring your own friends), because when it comes to laughter, the more the merrier. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of America's top doctors reveals how artificial intelligence (AI) will empower physicians and revolutionize patient care. Medicine has become inhuman to disastrous effect. The doctor–patient relationship—the heart of medicine—is broken: Doctors are too distracted and overwhelmed to truly connect with their patients, and medical errors and misdiagnoses abound. In his latest book, Deep Medicine, Topol reveals how AI can help. AI has the potential to transform everything doctors do, from note-taking and medical scans to diagnosis and treatment, greatly cutting down the cost of medicine and reducing human mortality. By freeing physicians from the tasks that interfere with human connection, AI will create space for the real healing that takes place between a doctor who can listen and a patient who needs to be heard. MLF Organizer Name: Bill Grant MLF: Health & Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many Americans are horrified about the dysfunction and abysmal results from Washington, D.C., say Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter, and they argue that they have a realistic approach to changing this. They say our political problems are not due to a single cause but rather to a failure of the nature of the political competition that has been created—a systems problem. Come for a rare visit with two of America’s top business thinkers as they turn their focus to realigning America’s political system through the Gehl Porter politics industry theory. Katherine M. Gehl is a business leader, author and speaker. She was president and CEO of Gehl Foods, a $250 million high-tech food manufacturing company in Wisconsin, where she led a transformational growth strategy and received multiple awards before selling the company in 2015—in part to dedicate more time to political reform. Her career includes roles in the private and public sectors including at Oracle Corporation, Bernstein Investment Research and Management, Mayor Richard M. Daley’s office at the city of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools. In 2018, she co-founded Democracy Found, a Wisconsin-based initiative mobilizing a bipartisan group of leaders to implement electoral innovations in Wisconsin. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame and holds an MA from Catholic University and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Michael E. Porter is an economist, researcher, author, advisor, speaker and teacher. Throughout his lifetime career at Harvard Business School, he has brought economic theory and strategy concepts to bear on many of the most challenging problems facing corporations, economies and societies, including market competition and company strategy, economic development, the environment and health care. He is the author of 19 books and over 130 articles and is the most-cited scholar today in economics and business. Porter graduated from Princeton University and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a doctorate from Harvard’s department of economics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite having the top-selling luxury car in 2018, and a loyal if not rabid customer base, Tesla has been facing major challenges. In August, maverick CEO Elon Musk was slapped with SEC charges over some rather misleading tweets. That move cost him and the company millions in fines and forced Musk to step down as chairman. Other skid-marks for Tesla include production delays, shareholder skittishness and some well-publicized workplace complaints. Host Greg Dalton invites three journalists and Tesla-watchers to assess the health of Tesla, its overall impact on the auto industry and its future as a leader in the green economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some would say that the magic of artificial intelligence, or AI, is that its users are its primary source of power. As we navigate a Facebook page or ask Alexa a question, we provide data inputs at virtually no cost. Others, such as Amy Webb, would argue that this is AI’s most dangerous characteristic. This is because our data contributions are subject to such limited oversight. Webb is the founder of the Future Today Institute, a leading foresight and strategy firm that advises Fortune 500 companies, international nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and government agencies. A clear lover of new experiences, reporting and data, today she is a self-described quantitative futurist. Since future trends are usually present on the fringe of society before they appear in the mainstream, Webb’s line of work uses data-driven models to report on the probabilities of the future. Her latest predictions, as laid out in her book The Big Nine: How Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity, give three scenarios for the future of artificial intelligence—optimistic, pragmatic and catastrophic. For each scenario, she provides practical measures that can be taken to address the most pressing issues. Her lesson in foresight is an important one as AI becomes more powerful and embedded within our everyday lives. Join us for a compelling discussion on the future of artificial intelligence—and what we can do about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for the first joint public appearance by the former governor and first lady since leaving office. Here’s a rare opportunity to hear their views on issues impacting the state, the United States and the world, in addition to learning about their unique relationship. Come for an engaging, unabashed and lively conversation, and bring your questions. Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown Jr. served four terms as California’s governor in addition to being the state’s attorney general and mayor of Oakland. He graduated from UC Berkeley and attended Yale Law School. His achievements include: eliminating the state’s multibillion dollar budget deficit, cutting the state’s unemployment rate to a record low, adding nearly three million new jobs, expanding health coverage, and enacting sweeping reforms in the areas of public safety, immigration, workers’ compensation, water, pension, education, housing and economic development. Under Brown, California also established nation-leading targets to protect the environment and fight climate change. Anne Gust Brown married Governor Brown in 2005 and served as unpaid special counsel to the governor. Gust Brown grew up in Michigan and graduated from Stanford University and the University of Michigan Law School. She previously served as general counsel and chief administrative officer at Gap Inc. and helped run a number of Governor Brown’s successful campaigns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson, director Robin Bissell and producer Dominique Telson for a powerful conversation about the civil rights era and their new film, The Best of Enemies. While the 1960s in the United States were rife with violent racial tensions, Durham, North Carolina is a crucial anchor in the history of the civil rights movement. From hosting the country’s first sit-in to various visits from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, the city is the birthplace of many unsung heroes in the movement, including Ann Atwater. In 1971, civil rights activist Ann Atwater teamed up with an unlikely ally, KKK member C.P. Ellis, after a decade-long feud. Together, they shared a goal to reduce school violence and ensure peaceful desegregation. Atwater’s story and her friendship with Ellis is finally being told for audiences around the world in the upcoming film The Best of Enemies, starring Taraji P. Henson. Henson rose to fame with powerful roles in the television show “Empire” and the films Hidden Figures and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Join Henson, Bissell and Telson at INFORUM as they all discuss the making of the film, Atwater’s incredible life and the immense power of finding a common ground with everyone. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 37 years old, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg already has a few firsts under his belt. In 2011 and at the age of 29, he was elected mayor of South Bend, IN, making him the youngest mayor of a U.S. city with at least 100,000 residents, and the first openly gay municipal executive in Indiana. In December 2018, he announced his 2020 campaign for the presidency and is now the first millennial and the first openly gay presidential candidate. With fellow politicians like President Barack Obama touting him as the future of the Democratic Party, Buttigieg is seemingly in for an incredible year. Join INFORUM for a conversation with the presidential hopeful, moderated by Mother Jones Editor-in-Chief Clara Jeffery, as they discuss Buttigieg’s quickly rising star, the importance of representation in American politics, and his desire to be the “fresh start” he feels our country needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A 100+ years ago, no one might have imagined putting a dam in a national park. But San Francisco did just that after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Building the O'Shaughnessy Dam was not easy. Some fought the process; others still want to see the dam dismantled. Yet, for more than a 100 years, the dam has been the water center for San Francisco and millions of Californians who rely on pure water and clean energy. But can our Hetch Hetchy water and energy systems survive a changing climate? Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jim Yager will share his new documentary film, Water from the Wilderness, about the past, present and changing climates and times. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Ann Clark NOTES MLF: Environment & Natural Resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is not news that UC Berkeley is under continual financial pressure due to a challenging mix of increased enrollment, insufficient state funding and a tuition freeze. But by July 2019 Berkeley is expected to return to a balanced budget and financial health, and Chancellor Carol Christ is already looking to the future. Hear her discuss a new vision for undergraduate education that goes beyond the completion of assignments to immersion in the discovery and the creation of knowledge. Christ’s signature Initiatives include: translating UCB’s research into inventions, governmental policies and services that advance the greater good; emphasizing research initiatives like Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, which span the old dividing lines between disciplines, departments and even institutions; supporting the exploding interest in data science across the full range of academic disciplines; implementing a new free speech policy that sustains a commitment to the First Amendment while supporting the campus community’s values and protecting Berkeley’s actual operations from unnecessary disruption; and promoting diversity as an essential element for a campus that seeks to embody and represent California and that needs to prepare students to succeed in a multicultural world. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bumpy Road to Two Percent Ten years into a historic economic expansion, inflation remains surprisingly subdued. Is this a problem or a benefit? San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly will talk about navigating this debate and finding clarity as a policymaker. Daly became president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco on October 1, 2018. In this role, she participates on the Federal Open Market Committee, bringing the 12th district’s perspective to monetary policy discussions in Washington, D.C. Daly is a widely respected expert on labor markets with an unusual breadth of personal experience. She dropped out of high school at the age of 15, working in a doughnut shop and at Target before a friend persuaded her to earn a general education diploma. She worked her way through college at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, then earned a doctorate from Syracuse University before joining the Fed in 1996. Prior to her appointment to president, Daly served as the bank’s executive vice president and director of research. Daly has become a strong voice for increasing diversity among the leadership ranks of the Federal Reserve System by building the pipeline of women and minorities entering the economics profession. Come hear a unique perspective from an official responsible for supporting a safe, sound and stable American financial system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A fable: A man is seen riding a horse galloping at top speed, careening through the main street of town. His friend shouts to him as he goes by, “Where are you going?” “I don’t know,” the man yells back. “Ask the horse.” If this story seems familiar, if you're scrambling to find your path, or if you have the sinking feeling that you're doing a great job on what is probably the wrong path, then consider taking a contemplative, spiritual pause—a chance to reflect and reorient—with Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian. O’Brian—ordained in the path of Kriya Yoga by Roy Eugene Davis, direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda—will lead a discussion of how to find one's life's purpose from a spiritual perspective. We'll look at how to find that purpose, and how to move towards its realization. O’Brian will show us a way to meditate and will share some surprisingly useful, millennia-tested methods for staying focused on one's goals even when tired, overwhelmed, doubtful or resistant. MLF Organizer Name: Eric Siegel MLF: Personal Growth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Representative Joe Kennedy III, at just 38, has already made a name for himself in Democratic politics. Elected in 2012 to his first term representing Massachusetts, he quickly rose to prominence as one of the younger voices in Congress. He gained new national recognition when he was chosen to give the Democratic response to the 2018 State of the Union and recently introduced Senator Elizabeth Warren (D–MA) when she made her public announcement to run for president of the United States in the 2020 election. Since he took office, Kennedy has leveraged his role to champion economic and social issues locally and nationally, including American manufacturing, workforce development, a livable minimum wage, affordable health care, mental health and addiction care, civil rights, immigration, and energy costs, with a focus on bipartisan efforts. He is a member of the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee and chairs Congress’ Transgender Equality Task Force. Locally, Kennedy remains closely in touch with his constituents by committing to his ongoing Tour 34, an initiative where he holds constituent office hours in all 34 Fourth District municipalities. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation with a rising star of the Democratic Party about the future of a new generation of politicians and the key challenges facing the American people today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now appearing on stage in an international drama of cultural identity, global politics and an intergenerational clash of cultures, Tony Award-winning actor BD Wong stars as the coach of a Chinese basketball team facing his former mentor, the coach of an American team. Tim Liu and Arye Gross co-star in this acclaimed play from Bay Area playwright Lauren Yee. Join us for a lively discussion with Wong, Liu and Gross about their careers, this play, and more. Gross, Liu and Wong are appearing in "The Great Leap" at American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in San Francisco from March 6–31. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following President Trump’s second summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, what does the future hold for relations between South and North Korea as well as between both Koreas and the United States? Here is a chance for a rare visit with the U.S. and South Korean Ambassadors who are closely involved with these issues. They will discuss the economic and political relationship between the United States and South Korea and the outlook for diplomacy with North Korea and the entire region. On August 30, 2017, Cho Yoon-je was nominated as the Republic of Korea’s ambassador to the United States by President Moon Jae-in. Cho was part of the emeritus faculty at Sogang University’s Graduate School of International Studies. He completed both a master’s and doctorate in economics at Stanford University. Harry B. Harris Jr. was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Korea on June 29, 2018. Prior to his nomination, Harris was an admiral in the U.S. Navy, serving as commander. U.S. Pacific Commander Harris graduated from the Naval Academy and went on to receive an MPA from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and an MA from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. From January 2017 until April 2018, he was the U.S. Navy’s longest-serving Naval Academy graduate still on active duty. In association with the Korea Economic Institute of America Ambassadors’ Dialogue program Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to get people off their phones and into the outdoors? Research has shown the deleterious effects of electronics on weight, sleep, and cognitive development in children. Other barriers like income and proximity to nature make access to the outdoors extremely challenging for some families. Meanwhile, doctors have started prescribing hikes over medications, and terms like “forest schools” and “unstructured playtime” are new buzzwords. So how do we encourage outdoor curiosity and conservation in a generation raised on screen time? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Education Week magazine reported in 2017 that among all states, California’s K–12 public education ranked 41st in conditions that help children succeed, 39th in school finance and 30th in achievement. So what can we expect in 2019? In a major upset against his opponent Marshall Tuck, Tony Thurmond was elected California State Superintendent of Public Instruction this past November. He was the endorsed candidate of the California Democratic Party and all five 2018 California Teachers of the Year. He previously represented the 15th Assembly District, which encompasses the northern East Bay. Thurmond became the second African-American to hold the office and fourth African-American to win statewide office in California following Wilson Riles. Prior to being elected to the Assembly in 2014, he was a member of the Richmond City Council, a board member of the West Contra Costa Unified School District and social services administrator. Come hear his plans for improving California’s schools. In association with CALMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you are approaching the Medicare qualifying age of 65 and Medicare seems like one big alphabetical maze to you, you are not alone. For most, a true understanding of how Medicare works, what options are best for you, and when or how to sign up is not clear at all. Learn the ABC and Ds of Medicare as well as the realities of what to expect and what not to expect. Here’s what every boomer needs to know before they turn 65. MLF Organizer: Denise Michaud MLF: Grownups Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a special edition of The Michelle Meow Show at The Commonwealth Club, as we welcome the director and the choreographer of "Falsettos," the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical now running at SHN Golden Gate Theatre from March 19–April 14. "Falsettos" tells the story of a charming, intelligent, neurotic gay man named Marvin, his wife, lover, son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbians next door. James Lapine wrote the book and directed the Broadway musical Falsettos in 1992. His extensive experience on stage and film includes directing the films Impromptu (written by his wife, Sarah Kernochan), Earthly Possessions, and Custody. His decades of work on and off Broadway have earned him many honors, including the Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the 2015 Mr. Abbott Award from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation "in recognition of a lifetime of exceptional achievement in the theatre." Spencer Liff has been a resident choreographer for the past nine seasons of "So You Think You Can Dance" on the Fox network, where he was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding choreography. His other TV credits include the "One Day at a Time" revival, "Dancing With the Stars," "2 Broke Girls," "Parks and Recreation," and many other programs. His stage credits include serving as choreographer for the critically acclaimed Broadway revival of "Spring Awakening," and providing the musical staging for the Tony Award-winning revival of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," starring Neil Patrick Harris. He won the 2008 Fred Astaire Award as best male dancer on Broadway for his role in "Crybaby." Last minute adds: Special guests William Finn and Jordan Roth! ** This Podcast May Contain Explicit Language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jackie Speier was 28 when she joined congressman Leo Ryan’s delegation to rescue defectors from cult leader Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana. Ryan was killed on the airstrip tarmac, and Speier was shot five times at point-blank range. While recovering from what would become one of the most harrowing tragedies in recent history, Speier had to choose: Would she become a victim or a fighter? The choice to survive against unfathomable odds empowered her with a resolve to become a vocal proponent for human rights. From the formative nightmare that radically molded her perspective and instincts to the devastating personal and professional challenges that would follow, her memoir, Undaunted, reveals the perseverance of a determined force in American politics. Deeply rooted in Speier’s experiences as a widow, a mother, a congresswoman and a fighter, hers is a story of true resilience, one that will inspire other women to draw strength from adversity in order to do what is right—no matter the challenges ahead. 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

Twenty years after Written in Stone was first published, the questions it asked are more relevant than ever. Is it Stalinist for a formerly communist country to tear down a statue of Stalin? Should the Confederate flag be allowed to fly over the South Carolina state capitol? Is it possible for America to honor General Custer and also the Sioux Nation, both Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln? Indeed, can a liberal, multicultural society memorialize anyone at all, or is it committed to a strict neutrality about the quality of the lives led by its citizens? Levinson considers the tangled responses of ever-changing societies to their monuments, drawing on examples from Albania to Zimbabwe, Moscow to Managua. He looks at social and legal arguments regarding the display, construction, modification and destruction of public monuments. And he asks what kinds of claims the past has on the present, particularly if the present is defined in dramatic opposition to its past values. He also addresses how a culture might memorialize its historical figures and events in ways that are beneficial to all its members, adding a thoughtful and crucial voice into debates surrounding historical accuracy and representation. MLF Organizer Name: George Hammond MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us as we 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). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This program was originally recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on February 27, 2018. John Hope Bryant is an entrepreneur, author, advisor and one of the nation’s most recognized empowerment leaders. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of Operation Hope and the Bryant Group Companies and The Promise Homes Company, the largest for-profit minority-controlled owners of institutional-quality, single-family residential rental homes in the United States. He is also one of the top-selling African-American business authors in America. Along with Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland, Bryant is also a co-founder of Global Dignity. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum. In his new book, The Memo, Bryant argues that true power in this world comes from economic independence, but too many people don’t have enough money left at the end of the month. His message is simple: The supermajority of people who live in poverty, whom Bryant calls the invisible class, as well as millions in the struggling middle class, haven’t gotten “the memo”—until now. Come for an engaging discussion on achieving financial literacy and approaching wealth with a completely new attitude … and about how the path to liberation is hiding in plain sight. Notes: Special thanks to Bank of the West for their support of programming and commitment to community. 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. Even with just a two-word title, John Lanchester’s newest novel, The Wall, evokes the political divisiveness our time. In this dystopian future, current political issues are taken to their logical extremes: issues of mass immigration (and populist reactions against it) are cast as symptoms of the ultimate problem of climate change. Lanchester’s ability to merge reality with metaphor make the novel a poignant wake-up call in the context of global politics, which are often too shortsighted. Join us with moderator Michael Lewis, best-selling author of Moneyball and The Big Short, for a witty back-and-forth between two authors who both have a knack for understanding some of the largest political issues of our time—and more importantly, know how to communicate them in an effective and engaging way. **This Program Contains Explicit Language** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The free market, limited government development model has been an ecological and social disaster for the developing world. Sustainable and equitable development is possible only with the active involvement of a strong central state that can guide the economy, protect the environment and prioritize meeting its people's basic needs. In his latest book, The Sustainable State, Chandran Nair shows that the market-dominated model followed by the industrialized West is simply not scalable. The United States alone, with less than 5 percent of the world's population, consumes nearly a quarter of its resources. If countries in Asia, where 60 percent of the world's population lives, try to follow the western lead, the results will be calamitous. Instead, Nair argues that development must be directed by a state that is willing and able to intervene in the economy. Corporations, which demand ever-expanding consumption, need to be directed toward meeting societal needs or otherwise restrained, not unleashed. Development needs to be oriented toward the greatest good—clean drinking water for the many has to take precedence over swimming pools for the few. Nair provides three compelling case studies demonstrating the benefits of such strong state governance and the failings of weak state governance. This will mean rethinking the meaning of concepts such as prosperity, freedom, and rights and whether democracy is always the best way to ensure responsive government. As Nair writes, "A democracy that cannot work to improve the life of its citizens is not better than a non-democracy that can actually improve quality of life." Many people will find these to be challenging ideas, but what Nair offers is a model suited to the realities of the developing world, not the assumptions of the dominant culture. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Gerald Harris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up as an American-born daughter of immigrant parents, Dr. Sunita Puri always tried to live up to her parents’ expectations and the examples they set. While completing medical school at UCSF, a troubling issue seemed to arise. Between her mother’s experiences as an anesthesiologist and her own conversations with her family about their faith, the disconnect between the traditional medical objective of lengthening life at any cost and her family’s spiritual teachings became more and more apparent. It was this tension that ultimately drew her to palliative medicine, a practice that aims not to simply extend life, but to improve its quality, especially in patients living with fatal illnesses. In her new book, Dr. Puri recounts the most instructive—and often heart-wrenching—stories she has experienced in this line of medicine, intertwining them with the childhood memories of her family that have shaped who she is today. The lessons are not black and white but nuanced in ways that medicine often isn’t. When the only remaining treatment options have the possibility to extend life, but come with severe side effects, how does a physician have an honest conversation with the patient and their family about the "pros" and "cons" of their choices? In a field where physicians come face to face with mortality daily, there can be a surprising lack of fluency in discussing the hard truths of death. Through her years of experience in the field of palliative medicine, Dr. Puri has strived to change this by normalizing conversations about what kind of life matters most to patients at the end of their days. She is also a living testament to the power of storytelling, and how it can help us make better sense of our own mortality. Join us for an emotionally honest discussion on what kinds of life are worth living, and how even in the hardest and most difficult moments, these decisions can help bring peace to patients and their families. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Dalton sits down for a rare interview with newly-confirmed U.S. EPA Chief Andrew Wheeler on cars, coal, and climate. Mary Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board, responds to Wheeler’s position on vehicle standards, and discusses her agency’s role leading a group of states in contesting the Trump administration’s revised auto emissions rules. Also featuring Albert Cheung of Bloomberg New Energy Finance on the future of personal mobility, and Helen Clarkson of The Climate Group on getting some of the world’s biggest companies to commit to 100% renewable energy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. This week's in-studio guest is singer and songwriter Matt Alber. Portland-based singer/songwriter Matt Alber is currently touring his fourth self-produced studio album entitled Wind Sand Stars. The album features original pop/folk art songs rooted in melody with vocals reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright, Iron & Wine and John Grant. In 2014, Lincoln Center in New York invited Matt to perform on its esteemed American Songbook series, which garnered a review by The New York Times. In 2015, he was selected by the U.S. State Department as a musical ambassador to Russia, Hungary, Kosovo and to Sudan, where he taught recording arts and sciences to young artists in Khartoum. Matt's music has been featured on ABC Family's series "The Fosters" and "Bones" and he appears on two Grammy Award-winning classical albums recorded at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch with the acapella men's ensemble Chanticleer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2018, Emily Chang’s Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley made national headlines, further opening up the conversation around discrimination, sexual harassment and toxic work environments taking place across industries and in Silicon Valley. One year later, join Chang and moderator Aileen Lee, partner at Cowboy VC and founder of All Raise, the new nonprofit dedicated to strategically engaging more women and minorities in the founding and funding of technology-driven companies. In this powerful expose, Chang reveals how Silicon Valley got so sexist despite its utopian ideals. Drawing on her deep network of tech insiders, Chang sheds light on how hard it is for women to crack the Silicon ceiling and offers insight on what companies and employees need to do to bring down the “brotopia” culture once and for all. This program was generously supported by Ernst & Young. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grain by Grain tells the story of Bob Quinn, an organic farmer from Big Sandy, Montana. Quinn was raised with traditional farming methods but learned that organic farming could create better, healthier food and bring economic opportunity to his small town. He is the founder of the international company Kamut International and the leader in reviving that ancient grain. Ultimately, Quinn’s story shows the way to a better future for American agriculture, proving that rural America can lead sustainability. MLF Organizer Name: Cathy Curtis Notes, MLF: Food Matters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Caro will describe the Longevity Explorers’ most recent explorations. The explorers are a unique sharing, evaluation and ideation community made up of older adults (in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s) and their friends, families and caregivers. The presentation will include promising products the explorers have tried, ideas the explorers have been discussing related to improving the quality of life for older adults and some ideas for products we wish someone would develop. The Longevity Explorers program is an initiative enabled by Tech-enhanced Life. MLF Organizer Name: John Milford MLF: Grownups Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On March 16, 2018, just 26 hours before his scheduled retirement, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was fired by then Attorney General Jeff Sessions. President Donald Trump celebrated on Twitter, saying: "Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy." Now McCabe is telling his side of one of the most intriguing political episodes of 2018. In The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump, Andrew G. McCabe offers a dramatic and candid account of his career and an impassioned defense of the FBI's agents and of the institution's integrity and independence in protecting America and upholding our Constitution. Under FBI Directors Robert Mueller and James Comey, McCabe led the investigations of major attacks such as the Boston Marathon bombing, a plot to bomb the New York subways, the Benghazi attack and Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. According to McCabe, the greatest threat to the United States right now comes from within, as he claims that President Trump and his administration ignore the law, attack democratic institutions, degrade human rights and undermine the U.S. Constitution that protects every citizen. Join us for an important and compelling conversation. 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

Is Silicon Valley at a breaking point? The power of technology has been called into question amid the growing number of data breaches, disinformation and lack of privacy. Kara Swisher reflects on what has brought Silicon Valley to this point, the ethical challenges facing tech companies and prognosis for the future. Notes: In association with the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Businesses Can Restore the State’s Middle Class California’s powerhouse economy, the fifth largest in the world, relies on a skilled, healthy and available workforce. Yet employers say that job candidates often lack the skills they need—and they cannot grow as a result. Meanwhile, many workers make low wages that are stagnant, despite ever higher living costs. Often workers lack access to quality job training and are increasingly shut out of California’s middle class. As one of the state’s largest philanthropic funders, with $2.3 billion in assets and annual grantmaking of nearly $100 million, The James Irvine Foundation envisions a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. The foundation recently commissioned a survey of California workers, finding that nearly half are struggling with poverty. Join business and community leaders for a discussion of the California workforce and how to increase the skills, qualifications and well-being of employees in ways to benefit individuals, their families, their employers and the California economy—ultimately restoring the state’s vibrant middle class. NOTES This program is generously supported by the James Irvine Foundation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monday Night Philosophy analyzes the biblical roots of philosophical inquiry. Accepting your divinely ordained lot in life, as Job did (but ironically Lot did not), is often lauded in the Bible. A few dared negotiate with Jehovah (Abraham, Lot and Moses), and quite a few even tried to outsmart omniscience. But Jeremiah makes it clear he has a problem with the whole prophetic game, even as he was fulfilling his role as the messenger of dire and accurate prophecies. One element of his argument with Jehovah involves his passionate complaints about the uselessness of delivering precise but unpatriotic predictions. Even more fundamentally, Jeremiah's hope for a future where organized religion disappears, along with its crucial concepts of sin and punishment, expresses his emotional frustration with the ineffectiveness of Jehovah's ancient plan for instilling virtue. A god and his prophet might disagree on tactics, but it is something else to disagree about goals. Come hear why that is exactly the kind of fundamental disagreement that can lead to philosophical insights. MLF Organizer Name: George Hammond Notes: MLF, Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. This week's in-studio guests, from St. James Infirmary in San Francisco, will discuss the decriminalization of sex work. James Burch is St. James Infirmary’s policy and advocacy officer. He began his work at the Southern Center for Human Rights where he investigated human rights conditions in Georgia and Alabama’s prisons, jails, and court systems. He studied civil rights law at the Georgetown University Law Center. Burch clerked briefly at the ACLU of Southern California before moving to the Bay Area. In the Bay, Burch organized with the Frisco 500 before joining APTP and assuming the role of policy coordinator. He joined St. James Infirmary in January of 2019. Toni Newman is the executive director of St. James Infirmary in San Francisco. St. James Infirmary is a peer-based occupational health and safety clinic located in San Francisco, CA, offering free, compassionate, and non-judgmental health care and social services for former and current sex industry workers. Newman is a 1985 graduate of Wake Forest University and current candidate for her Juris of Doctorate (JD). Additionally, she is a best selling author, noted for I Rise—The Transformation of Toni Newman, released in 2011. The memoir has been produced into a short film titled Heart of a Woman, by Alton Demore and Keith Holland; the film has been and continues to be screened in film festivals across the globe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monday Night Philosophy features author Benn Steil, winner of the 2018 American Academy of Diplomacy Douglas Dillon Prize for best book. Steil will discuss the gripping history behind the Marshall Plan. In the wake of World War II, with Britain’s empire collapsing and Stalin's on the rise, U.S. officials under new Secretary of State George C. Marshall set out to reconstruct Western Europe as a bulwark against Communist authoritarianism. Their massive, costly and ambitious undertaking would confront Europeans and Americans alike with a vision at odds with their history and self-conceptions. In the process, they would drive the creation of NATO, the European Union and a Western identity that continues to shape world events. Focusing on the critical years 1947 to 1949, Steil’s account brings to life the Prague Coup, the Berlin Blockade, the division of Germany, and Stalin’s determination to crush the Marshall Plan and undermine American power in Europe. As Putin’s Russia is again rattling the world order, the tenuous balance of power and uncertain order of the late 1940s is as relevant as ever. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last five years have been the hottest on record globally. But this past winter, plunging temperatures, snowstorms and torrential rains throughout the country have a lot of people questioning the reality of climate change. If the planet is warming up, why is the Midwest suffering record cold temperatures? Climate scientists, communicators and educators join us to talk about about why, after one of the hottest years on record, the country has suddenly gone into deep freeze. On today’s Climate One: climate science explained, and climate myths debunked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Come for a gathering of San Francisco business leaders and philanthropists. They will discuss the importance of and need to give youth a voice, enabling them to make change happen in their own communities. The conversation will focus on the disparities that exist for our youth and families and how local entities are working to close the gap in health, education and access to the outdoors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day with an intimate conversation with San Francisco Mayor London Breed. Following her election in 2018, Mayor Breed is the city’s first African-American female mayor and just the second woman to ever hold the office, elected during a historic year for women’s representation in local and national politics. The mayor has lived a life of public service. Prior to her election as District 5 supervisor in 2012 and her service as Board president from 2015–2018, she served as executive director of the African American Art and Culture Complex in the Western Addition for 10 years. She also served as a San Francisco Redevelopment Agency commissioner for five years and in 2010 was appointed by the then Mayor Gavin Newsom to be a San Francisco fire commissioner. Join INFORUM as we hear from Mayor Breed on the priorities for her administration, with a lens of economic justice, on the biggest issues of our day, including housing, criminal justice reform, education and public safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This program is part of our Marin Conversation Series, which is supported in part by the Marin Community Foundation and Relevant Wealth Advisors. Art is good for you: It nourishes your spirit and feeds your mind. Home to a diverse, vibrant and rapidly-expanding art scene, the Bay Area is a hive of creativity, brimming with artists, gallerists and curators who labor tirelessly to make, collect and present art for our enjoyment and contemplation. And yet they face ever-mounting challenges: lack of space and skyrocketing rents; market pressures and cautious patronage; competition for private funding and institutional support. These challenges threaten the very health of Bay Area art and culture. Please join three of the Bay Area art scene’s leading lights—Wendi Norris, sharon maidenberg and Natasha Boas—at The Commonwealth Club’s Marin Conversations series. They will provide a “report from the field of aesthetics,” discussing the challenges and opportunities of making, collecting and curating art in the Bay Area and beyond. This conversation is part of an extended series of discussions that The Commonwealth Club will present in Marin over the course of 2019 on an expanded notion of health. Future conversations will address political and democratic health, China and trade health, as well as youth, creativity and physical health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices