Commonwealth Club Of California Podcast

Nicholas Kristof has worked almost nonstop for The New York Times as a reporter, foreign correspondent, bureau chief, and now columnist. Join us as he returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs and recounts the event-filled path from a small-town farm in Oregon to every corner of the world. Kristof, a Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author, has reported from Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, as well as India, Africa and Europe. In the process, he has witnessed and written about century-defining events such as the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, the Yemeni civil war, the Darfur genocide in Sudan, and the wave of addiction and despair that swept through his hometown and a broad swath of working-class America. Kristof will introduce us to some of the extraordinary people he has met, such as the dissident whom he helped escape from China and a Catholic nun who browbeat a warlord into releasing schoolgirls he had kidnapped. These are the people, the heroes, who have allowed Kristof to remain optimistic eve

Small acts of courage matter—and sometimes they change the world. Our history books are filled with the stories of those who fought for democracy and freedom against all odds, from Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. These iconic struggles for social change illustrate the importance of engagement and activism and offer a template for the battles we are fighting today. But using the right words is often easier than taking action; action can be hard, and costly. More than a century ago, MSNBC host Ali Velshi’s great-grandfather sent his seven-year-old son to live at Tolstoy Farm, Gandhi’s ashram in South Africa. This difficult decision would change the trajectory of his family history forever. From childhood, Velshi’s grandfather was imbued with an ethos of public service and social justice, and a belief in absolute equality among all people―ideals that his children carried forward as they escaped apartheid, emigrating to Kenya and ultimately Canada and the United States. In Small

As countries around the world become more serious about reducing carbon emissions to meet international targets, many are still approving new oil and gas projects, committing us to increased global warming. Yet an increasing number of countries are taking a stand to leave those future emissions in the ground, even at the expense of their own profits.  Last year, Ecuadorians voted to halt the development of new oil wells in the Yasuní National Park in the Amazon, keeping around 726 million barrels of oil underground. Meanwhile, Costa Rica and Denmark have created the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance to facilitate the managed phase-out of oil and gas production. And a group of at least 13 countries — including many island nations — but also notable oil and gas-rich countries like Colombia — are calling for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty as a complement to the Paris Agreement. Can more nations set aside valuable profits from fossil fuel resources in favor of our collective desire for a livable climate? This

Join Commonwealth Club World Affairs and Council for Korean Americans for an inspirational and thought-provoking fireside conversation with James Rhee, the acclaimed CEO, investor and national bestselling author of red helicopter – a parable for our times. Rhee is one of the top thought leaders and innovators in leadership, change, and entrepreneurship—his TED Talk and interview with Brené Brown about his shocking and transformative tenure as the CEO of Ashley Stewart, a business with deep roots in the African American community, have captured the imagination of millions. Rhee is changing hearts and minds about the role of kindness and math in our society, including the workplace. For his efforts, he earned an unprecedented appointment at Howard University, where he serves as the Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship. Rhee also holds appointments at MIT Sloan School of Management and Duke Law School. He was elected to serve in the inaugural class of Ashoka E-to-E Fellows and was recently honored as the recipient

Join us live for an informative, inspiring and uplifting special event! Juneteenth (June 19) is the federal holiday (beginning in 2021) commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Honoring Juneteenth, join us for “Standing Tall": A Celebration of Black Resilience Through Solo Performances presented by The AfroSolo Theatre Company. "Standing Tall” is an evening of performances with theater, dance, music and historical-based content that delve into the extraordinary resilience of Black men, navigating the challenges and triumphs unique to the Black male experience. Hosted by Mistress of Ceremony Monetta White, executive director and CEO of the Museum of the African Diaspora (MOAD). AfroSolo Theatre Company is committed to amplifying Black voices and narratives through solo performances, creating transformative experiences that resonate across diverse audiences. Featured PerformancesAlgerion "KTG" Bryant II premieres "Standing Tall," a dance work reflecting the communal power of art and personal resi

Despite his many alleged improprieties, no group has been more intensely and closely aligned with Donald Trump than white evangelical Christians—some even going so far as to elevate him to the status of "savior." Yet, just as Trump fractured political norms, his presidency has splintered white evangelical families with a reactionary movement of people leaving the church: EXvangelicals. Drawing on her own personal religious journey, NPR reporter Sarah McCammon is a guide to understanding the immense support for Trump among white evangelical Christians, the backlash among former believers, and what this tells us about a divided America and the culture wars. After spending her early adult life striving to make sense of an unraveling worldview, by her 30s, she found herself face-to-face with it once again as she covered the Trump campaign for NPR, where she witnessed first-hand the power and influence that evangelical Christian beliefs held on the political right. Growing up in a deeply evangelical family in the

Just what is the machinery that powers hugely influential propaganda? How does it work? Who’s behind it? And what can people do about it? Renée DiResta, a writer and former researcher with Stanford’s Internet Observatory, comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to share her research into the way power and influence have been profoundly transformed, how a virtual rumor mill of niche propagandists increasingly shapes public opinion. She says that while propagandists position themselves as trustworthy Davids, their reach, influence, and economics make them classic Goliaths—invisible rulers who create bespoke realities to revolutionize politics, culture, and society. Their work is driven by a simple maxim: if you make it trend, you make it true. By revealing the machinery and dynamics of the interplay between influencers, algorithms, and online crowds, DiResta vividly illustrates the way propagandists deliberately undermine belief in the fundamental legitimacy of institutions that make society work. This alterna

Adam Met is a behind-the-scenes climate policy powerhouse. He also happens to be the bass player in the award winning indie pop group AJR. During Met’s time away from touring the world and rocking the bass in front of thousands of fans, he and the team at Planet Reimagined, the thought and action tank Met founded, set out on a cross country listening tour in order to better understand how to create bipartisan climate policy. What they came up with is a plan to help renewable energy projects get built on land that has already been approved for fossil fuel projects, thus cutting down on the time and red tape required to get the projects up and running. Met also works with organizations like REVERB to help decarbonize the concert experience.  Guests:  Adam Met, Founder, Planet Reimagined, Bass Player, AJR Lara Seaver, Director of Projects, REVERB For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2022, India surpassed the United Kingdom as the fifth largest economy in the world. Since the 1990s, a series of U.S. presidents and secretaries of state have acclaimed India as a rising major power that deserves to be recognized as a lead actor in the international arena. T.V. Paul, an international relations professor at McGill University, explores in his new book The Unfinished Quest the key motivations driving Indian leaders to enhance India's global status and power, but also on the many constraints that have hindered its progress. Paul's analysis of India's quest for status also sheds important light for understanding the China-India rivalry, as well as India's relative position in the broader Indo-Pacific theater. Join us for a special online-only program to hear Paul’s sweeping account of India's uneven rise in the global system. Whether India can be a "swing power" able to mitigate China's aggressive rise depends on its relative power position in that theater and its own evolution as an inclusive,

Is hustling and grinding to “do it all” doing you in? Are you feeling fried and frayed, with a short fuse, low energy, and troubled sleep? Can't remember what you used to enjoy? But quitting your job doesn't feel like an option, and who has the energy and time to learn new coping skills or plan an escape? You’re not alone. Burnout is the modern epidemic, with an estimated 82 percent of American employees at risk in 2024. That's why the Club chose Cara Houser, who was a high-performing executive running major real estate development projects while raising two kids, to talk about real burnout solutions for real people. In her first career, Houser spent 20 years learning how to thrive in the 24/7, always-on real estate development business. Her teams produced more than 3,000 homes in the San Francisco Bay Area, creating over $1.5 billion in value. Trying to be everything to everyone (except herself), she hit the wall and burned out, badly. Houser has now spent years focusing on what can be done to help people in

Join us for an afternoon focused on automation and innovation for public good. Autonomous vehicles have the potential to revolutionize transportation in our cities, offering increased accessibility and efficiency in our urban transport systems. The 8th Autonomous Vehicles and the City symposium at The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California will feature global discussions from senior executives and experts across the AV industry and the public sector. From integrating automation and AI within public transit systems to optimizing resources like curbs and city rights-of-way for autonomous vehicle operations to reduce vehicle miles traveled, the conference will touch on the variety of ways AV platforms are being used to serve diverse populations and help global cities meet climate goals. Speakers and Moderators Dr. William (Billy) Riggs, Professor, University of San Francisco; Director, Autonomous Vehicles & the City Initiative Dr. Otgontsetseg Erhemjamts, Dean, School of Management, University of San Fran

Acting like a responsible adult can be challenging at the best of times. Add dealing with climate chaos to the mix, and keeping it all together can feel like an outright miracle.  Let’s start by acknowledging that all does not feel fine in the world at the present moment. But living through extreme intensity isn’t a completely unique experience. Generations before us have endured existential crises of unimaginable magnitudes.  So how do we navigate this period of uncertainty — regardless of our age? And what tools can we use to build resilience in the midst of what feels like a lot? Guests:  Emily Raboteau, Author, “Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against ‘The Apocalypse’” Ana Alanis, Founder, Hungry for Climate Action Andrew Bryant, Co-Director, North Seattle Therapy & Counseling Join Climate One and Project Drawdown's Matt Scott live in San Francisco on June 25! Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads,

It is an enduring mystery whether Frank Morris, and brothers John and Clarence Anglin, escaped from Alcatraz prison on June 11, 1962. It is widely believed that they succumbed to the waters of San Francisco Bay, though no trace of the men has ever been found―only their makeshift raft. In this reexamination of the escape and its aftermath, Ken Widner presents compelling evidence that his two Anglin uncles did in fact survive and eventually made their way to Brazil, where they married and had children―evidence which corroborates the stories he heard about his uncles while growing up. Widner and Mike Lynch make a strong case for the Anglin brothers’ survival using official government documents showing how mobster Mickey Cohen may have been involved in their escape, revealing letters from fellow inmate Whitey Bulger, and recorded testimony from the person who facilitated their escape to Brazil. In addition, there is a 1975 photograph of the brothers in Brazil which has overcome all challenges to its authenticity

Francis Ford Coppola is one of American films’ most dramatic director-dreamers, and his most transformative dream has been American Zoetrope, the production company he founded in San Francisco when he was only 30 years old―years before his gargantuan successes. Through Zoetrope’s experimental, communal utopia, Coppola attempted to reimagine the entire pursuit of moviemaking. Now, more than 50 years later, despite myriad setbacks, Coppola’s dream persists, as demonstrated by the culmination of his utopian ideals: the anticipated release in 2024 of his decades-in-the-making film Megalopolis. As Sam Wasson makes clear, the story of Zoetrope includes the story of Coppola’s wife Eleanor, and of their children, whose personal lives are as inseparable from their artistic passions as Coppola's is. Wasson also charts the divergent paths of Coppola and his cofounder and onetime apprentice, George Lucas, and of their very different visions of art and commerce. And of course Wasson weighs in on the making of one of the g

How did politics become so poisonous in America? Journalist Kenneth Walsh articulates the unique character of the current political moment, and the forces that have created it, by comparing and contrasting the Trump and Biden presidencies with administrations of the past. Walsh also profiles some of the key political “attack dogs” who have shaped the modern landscape: the campaign strategists, activists, and media figures who have played outsized roles in political campaigns. Drawing on his long career as a journalist specializing in presidential coverage, Walsh argues that due to the complex, often conflicting nature of American government, the angriest, most decisive voices can command media, voter, and legislative attention and thereby maintain and consolidate their power. This results in frustration, alienation, and cynicism, and ultimately a diminishment of voter participation that can reinforce this vicious cycle and lead to electoral disaster. MLF ORGANIZER: George Hammond A Humanities Member-led Foru

Summer means peak wildfire season. And recently, we’ve seen some of the most destructive wildfires in recorded history. For years the message around fire has been: no fire is good.  But increasingly, we’re starting to fight fire with fire. Prescribed burns may help prevent large, catastrophic wildfires. While using fire as a tool to manage the forest may be a relatively new concept to some, Indigenous communities have used fire to manage their environment for thousands of years. Is it time to rethink our relationship with wildfire?  Guests:  Susan Prichard, Fire Ecologist, University of Washington School of Environmental and Forest Sciences Ana Alanis, Founder, Hungry for Climate Action Nick Mott, Multimedia journalist  Frank Kanawha Lake, Research Ecologist and Tribal Liaison, USDA Forest Service This episode was supported by the Resources Legacy Fund. Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunit

Evidence indicates that while health-care spending in the United States is the highest in the world, people in the United States experience the worst health outcomes of any high-income nation overall. Americans are more likely to die younger, and from avoidable causes, than residents of peer countries. The U.S health-care system is characterized by fragmented organization and financing, inadequate access to care, rising health-care costs and inefficient use of resources, high utilization of medical technology, inconsistent quality and pervasive inequity, and limited public health infrastructure. The overall emphasis is on providing care during illness rather than developing and maintaining health.  Nursing and public health are working to change this by educating a workforce dedicated to developing and supporting health for individuals, families, communities, and populations, by concentrating on physical, mental, and spiritual health and the environments where people live, work and play. And don't miss our po

Whether we like it or not, the AI revolution is coming to education. The founder of Khan Academy returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs for a first look at how the artificial intelligence revolution will affect education, its implications for parenting, and how we can best harness its power for good. Khan will draw on his work in his new book Brave New Words to explore how artificial intelligence and GPT technology will transform learning, and he’ll offer a road map for teachers, parents, and students to navigate this exciting (and sometimes intimidating) new world. A pioneer in the field of education technology, Khan examines the ins and outs of these cutting-edge tools and how they will revolutionize the way we learn and teach. He says AI can personalize learning by adapting to each student’s individual pace and style, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, and offering tailored support and feedback to complement traditional classroom instruction. Khan emphasizes that embracing AI in education

Globally, one-third of food produced every year is wasted. That’s enough to feed about 2 billion people — twice the number of people who are undernourished. The global food system also accounts for a whopping one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. These two problems — waste and emissions — are intricately linked: Climate disruption exacerbates food insecurity. And industrial food production contributes to the climate crisis. When food is wasted, it’s also a waste of land, water and energy. In this episode, we talk with experts about how to fix the broken system and hear from some of the people on the ground recovering food before it goes to waste. How can we address both climate and food insecurity at the same time?  Guests: Dawn King, Senior Lecturer, Brown University Lisa Moon, CEO, The Global FoodBanking Network Norma Alonso, ABACO, Cooperation Manager  James Leyson, Managing Director for Global Impact and Operations, Scholars of Sustenance This episode also features a news story produced by Ha

Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki knows it’s the follow-up questions that can be the most difficult to handle. When she was asked “Why do wars start?” by one of her children, she carefully explained and then got a follow up: “Have you ever seen a unicorn?” Not many White House press secretaries capture the nation’s interest the way Jen Psaki did. Refreshingly candid and clear, Psaki quickly became known for her ability to break through the noise and successfully deliver her message. Since leaving the White House, Psaki’s star has continued to rise. She launched a highly rated show on MSNBC and was so successful that in just six months she was given an additional primetime Monday slot, ahead of Rachel Maddow. Psaki comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to discuss the issues raised in her new book Say More. In it, Psaki explains her straightforward approach to communication, walking people through difficult conversations as well as moments where humor saves the day—whether it is with preschoolers,