Commonwealth Club Of California Podcast

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 rese

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 informati

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 p

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 Comm

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 Ne

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: H

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

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 langu

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

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