Commonwealth Club Of California Podcast

Women’s History Month at The Commonwealth Club kicks off early, with an exciting and multifaceted event What is the state of sports in terms of equity and diversity? What are the most relevant accomplishments, challenges and urgent matters to tackle to make sports equal and accessible? Host and LGBTQ leader Michelle Meow will lead a special discussion featuring prominent local sports leaders. Co-presented with Michelle Meow Show. SPEAKERS Christina Kahrl Sports Editor, San Francisco Chronicle Hannah Gordon Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, San Francisco 49ers (Participating Remotely) Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show" on KBCW/KPIX TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Twitter @msmichellemeow—Co-Host In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad c

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

In January, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Beyer announced his retirement from the high court. This set the stage for the fulfillment of a historic promise President Biden made on the 2020 campaign trail to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Please join us for a candid conversation between Black women political and justice leaders as we deep-dive into what led us to this moment, how this nomination reflects the progress of our community and what it means to the African American community. SPEAKERS Aimee Allison Founder, She the People Diana Becton Contra Costa County District Attorney LaDoris Cordell (Ret) Judge; Author, Her Honor Jotoka Eaddy Founder, #WinWithBlackWomen Carolyn Wysinger Education Coordinator, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your a

For years, abortion advocates have raised alarm bells on the risk of abortion rights being taken away. Today, that possibility has arrived. A tidal wave of anti-abortion bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the country and the fate of Roe v. Wade will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court mid-year. At this pivotal moment, the leaders from Planned Parenthood and NARAL will speak at this special INFORUM virtual event offering their thoughts on how we got here and what the future holds. NOTES Presented by INFORUM. In association with the Psychology MLF. SPEAKERS Alexis McGill Johnson President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund; Twitter @alexismcgill Mini Timmaraju President, NARAL Pro-Choice America; Twitter @mintimm Marisa Lagos Correspondent for California Politics and Government, KQED; Twitter @mlagos—Moderator In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This progra

Are we alone? Avi Loeb, Harvard’s top astronomer, doesn’t seem to think so. He believes that our solar system was recently visited by advanced alien technology from a distant star. In 2017, scientists in Hawaii observed an object soaring through the sky, moving too fast along a strange orbit for Loeb to conclude that it was a regular asteroid. Instead, he suggested the object could be a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilization. In his new book, Extraterrestrial, Loeb takes readers inside the thrilling story of the first interstellar visitor to be spotted in our solar system. He outlines his controversial theory and its profound implications: for science, religion and the future of our species and planet. Loeb challenges readers to aim for the stars—and to think critically about what’s out there, no matter how strange it seems. Join us as Avi Loeb takes us through a sky-bounding and mind-blowing journey of the wonders of space and what could be out there. SPEAKERS Avi Loeb Frank B.

What does racism cost us? Tying together economics and deeply personal stories from across the United States that convey the cost of a broken system, political strategist Heather McGhee roots out the racist policies and politics that she says plague the finances and lives of Americans. In her debut book The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, she makes her case: racism and a flawed zero-sum structure are at the root of all our dysfunctions. Traversing across the country, McGhee shares both the big picture and individual tales of the cost of playing the zero-sum game. McGhee brings people of all races and creeds to share their accounts of lost homes and lost dreams, owing to the mentality that some must lose for others to win. Indeed, in a system where education is a private commodity and incomes for many Americans have remained stagnant, she says winning is not an option. Yet, there is reason for hope. In combat against this system, McGhee has seen sparks of a “Solidarity Di

Fatherhood is far from a one-dimensional experience—often, aspects of our identity such as race and other influential circumstances have influenced how we end up having and raising our children. Shaka Senghor, the New York Times bestselling author of Writing My Wrongs, can attest strongly to this fact: While Senghor's first son was raised during his time in prison, his second was born following his release. These contrasting experiences have not only taught Senghor the nuanced meanings of fatherhood in light of varying tribulations, but lessons that he wished he could’ve known throughout his life’s journey—both as a father and a son. In his new book, Letters to the Sons of Society, Senghor translates wisdom about the meaning of manhood into yet another masterful work of text. He will do the same at INFORUM, conflating his book’s lessons about mental health, healing and masculinity into a must-have conversation designed to leave all men—fathers, sons and beyond—in a much better position to cultivate positive r

In a 20-year time frame, methane is 80 times more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide. Nationally, 37% of methane emissions come from cows. 17% of all US methane emissions come from food waste rotting in landfills. More than 100 countries, including the US, signed The Global Methane Pledge, promising to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030.  In California, a new law went into effect directly addressing the state’s methane emissions from organic waste and dairy farms. The law targets a 40% reduction in the same time frame. That’s ambitious. What effect will this law have on industrial agriculture, and the general population?   Guests: Neil Edgar, Executive Director, California Compost Coalition J Jordan, Policy Coordinator, Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability Michael Boccadoro, Executive Director, Dairy Cares Monique Figueiredo, Chief Executive Officer / Founder / Co-Owner, Compostable LA Allen Williams, Understanding Ag Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we celebrate Black History Month, we honor the leadership of Black women from the Bay Area, including congresswoman Barbara Lee and Vice President Kamala Harris. Today, a historic number of Black women are serving on school boards, transit agencies, and city councils—and blazing the trail for the next generation of diverse civic leaders in this region. What’s more, an impressive cohort of Bay Area Black women are running for local and statewide office in the upcoming midterm elections. Join the San Francisco Foundation and The Commonwealth Club of California to learn about the leadership journeys of Black women from the Bay Area who are either serving in or running for public office. Speakers include BART Board Director Lateefah Simon, Emeryville City Councilmember Courtney Welch, California Assembly District 20 candidate Jennifer Esteen, and Oakland mayoral candidate Allyssa Victory. NOTES This program is made possible by San Francisco Foundation's Bay Area Leads donors.  SPEAKERS Jennifer Esteen Californ

Amy Zegart is one of America’s leading intelligence experts, but she recognizes that few people understand the world of spying, at a time when it has never been more ubiquitous, particularly using technology. She hopes to change this situation. In Spies, Lies, and Algorithms, Zegart separates fact from fiction on spying and offers an account of the past, present and future of American espionage as it faces a revolution driven by digital technology. Zegart explores the history of U.S. espionage, from George Washington’s Revolutionary War spies to today’s spy satellites; examines how fictional spies are influencing real officials; gives an overview of intelligence basics and life inside America’s intelligence agencies; explains the deadly cognitive biases that can mislead analysts; and explores the complicated issues of traitors, covert action and congressional oversight. Zegart also provides an important description of how technology is empowering new enemies and opportunities, and creating powerful new player

Professor Michael Dine is renowned in his field of physics. Dine is widely recognized as having made profound contributions to our understanding of matter, time, the Big Bang, and even what might have come before it, and he wants to share it with people like you. His new book This Way to the Universe touches on many emotional, critical points in his extraordinary career while presenting mind-bending physics, such as his answer to the dark matter and dark energy mysteries, as well as the ideas that explain why our universe consists of something rather than nothing. Dine helps to celebrate the astounding, ongoing scientific investigations that have revealed the nature of reality at its smallest, at its largest, and at the scale of our daily lives. Join us as Professor Michael Dine takes us through the exciting world of physics. SPEAKERS Michael Dine Professor of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz; Author, This Way to the Universe: A Theoretical Physicist's Journey to the Edge of Reality In Conversati

In a new report, McKinsey & Company finds that Latinos increasingly embody the American Dream----from starting more businesses, seeing higher rates of intergenerational mobility, and achieving a larger share of skilled and higher-paid occupations in the past 10 years when compared to previous decades. Yet America’s contribution to that dream is uneven, according to the new McKinsey report, "The Economic State of Latinos in America: The American Dream Deferred." The new McKinsey report finds that Latinos born in the United States enjoy higher wages and intergenerational mobility than foreign-born Latinos—suggesting Latinos may overcome the hurdles to full participation in their adopted country over time. Yet both US- and foreign-born Latinos remain far from equal with non-Latino white Americans. Latino Americans make just 73 cents for every dollar earned by white Americans. They face discrimination when it comes to securing financing to start and scale businesses. Latinos struggle with access to food, housing

Hailed as the “first freedom,” free speech is one of the bedrocks of democracy. But it is a challenging principle, subject to erosion in times of fear and upheaval. Today, both in democracies and in authoritarian states around the world, it appears to be on the retreat. Jacob Mchangama traces the fascinating legal, political and cultural history of this idea by telling stories of free speech’s many defenders—from the ancient Athenian orator Demosthenes and the ninth-century freethinker al-Rāzī, to the anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells and modern-day digital activists. Mchangama describes how the free exchange of ideas underlies all intellectual achievement and has enabled the advancement of both freedom and equality worldwide. Yet the desire to restrict speech is also a constant, and he explores how even its champions can sometimes be led down an authoritarian, restrictive path when the rise of new and contrarian voices challenge power and privilege of all stripes. Mchangama's Free Speech demonstrates how m

For years, scientists, activists, and politicians have tried to warn the world of the potential catastrophic consequences of dumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere: Think of An Inconvenient Truth in 2006. Or NASA scientist James Hansens’ testimony before the U.S. Senate in 1988, in which he said that “the greenhouse effect has been detected and it is changing our climate now.” Or go all the way back to 1856, when Eunice Newton Foote first warned the world that an atmosphere heavy with carbon dioxide could send global temperatures soaring.  Writer and climate campaigner Alice Bell lays out the history of evolving climate science and our forays into different energy technologies in Our Biggest Experiment: An Epic History of the Climate Crisis. Despite our current emissions trajectory, Bell says there’s still reason to hope: “We have been left a lot of opportunities and we still have got some time to seize them.” Guests: Alice Bell, climate campaigner, author, Our Biggest Experiment: An Epic History of the

When our imaginations speculate about the afterlife that most of us believe in, they are probably less effective (as Sir Thomas Browne pointed out) than two infants still in the womb trying to describe our far more mundane adult human reality. But as Catherine Wolff demonstrates in Beyond, that does not stop us from trying. Over and over again. Autobiographical storytelling is a similar act of our imaginations’ desire to understand reality by editing it vigorously. Join us to discuss how we think about the beyond with Catherine Wolff, and with her husband Tobias Wolff, a master of that autobiographical art. We will delve into the overlapping boundaries of our imaginations, our creativity, our dreams, and what comes next. If anything. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities This program is part of The Commonwealth Club's Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. SPEAKERS Catherine Wolff Former Director, the Arrupe Center for Community-Based Learning, Santa Clara University; Auth

Nearly 86 million Americans are immigrants themselves or the children of immigrants. Though many authors have looked at how America changes immigrants, Nancy Foner focuses more on how immigrants have changed America. She reminds us that immigration has long had an important influence on American culture. Today the advantages of immigration continue: rejuvenating our urban centers as well as some rural communities, strengthening the economy, fueling the growth of old industries, spurring the formation of new ones, and refining how Americans perceive race, all while playing a pivotal role in reshaping electoral politics and party alignments. Immigrants affect virtually every facet of American culture, from the music we dance to and the food we eat to the films we watch and the books we read. The impact of immigrants over the past half century has become so much a part of everyday life in America that we sometimes fail to see it. Foner makes sure we don't forget all the positive ways in which immigrants continue

The most famous and most beautiful tomb in the world was born in the broken heart of Shah Jahan, when his wife Mumtaz Mahal died at 38 giving birth to their 14th child. The riches of the Mughal Empire were poured into this testament to his grief and to his love, as thousands of artisans labored between 1632 and 1643 to construct it, along with multiple other projects, including gardens, palaces and mosques. The expenditure was immense, even by today’s standards. The Taj Mahal and these other marble monuments were intended to serve the deceased and the living as well as the future of the Mughal house. Shah Jahan ruled until 1658, when he became seriously ill and was overthrown by his sons, each wishing to succeed him. He spent the last years of his life imprisoned and as disheartened as King Lear. Join Humanities West in person at The Commonwealth Club, or via live stream, to gain a deeper understanding of the Mughal dynasty that created the Taj Mahal and what went into the construction of one of the most visi

What do "Parks and Recreation" and "The Office" have in common with books that explore philosophical theories like deontology, ubuntu, utilitarianism and more? They’ve all been written by Michael Schur, a television producer and character actor whose mind has made way for the creation of some of today’s most popular shows—including "The Good Place," "Parks and Recreation," and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." In his new book, How to Be Perfect, Schur shares yet another one of his masterful creations. He explores some of history’s most influential philosophical concepts and gives them various applications, from matters of conversation-starting to problem-solving. At INFORUM, Schur and Nick Offerman—best known for playing Ron Swanson in “Parks and Recreation”—will enlighten us with a new and relatable framework to learn about philosophy and ethics. They’ll tackle large questions—such as, “Can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people?”—in a manner that can be both wise and refreshing everyone. While Sch

"I lost to Amy Schneider, but now I want her to keep winning. I want her to keep breaking records. I'm rooting for her with my whole heart. And as cheesy as it sounds, being a part of Amy's winning streak—even as someone she defeated—is an honor." —"Jeopardy!" contestant Andrea Asuaje Amy Schneider has been breaking records and earned more than $1 million as a contestant on the brainy quiz show "Jeopardy!" She's an engineering manager based in Oakland, California, as well as a transgender woman who has described her identity as "important, but also relatively minor." There's nothing minor about her historic run on one of the most respected game shows in the country, and she's having a major impact on attitudes about the trans community. Come meet Amy Schneider live, in-person, at The Commonwealth Club or watch online as we ask her a few questions of our own. Before the program, join us in the Hormel Lounge for coffee and treats provided by TransClinique. NOTES Thanks to TransClinique for providing coffee and

The American South has always carved out a unique role in the American civic psyche. Even those who have never lived there can rattle off a list of signifiers from the area: the Civil War, Gone with the Wind, the Ku Klux Klan, plantations, football, barbecue, Jim Crow, slavery. Yet the South is far more complex than much of the country tends to acknowledge, even moreso with an in-migration of people from around the country over the past two decades. In her new book, South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation, Princeton University Professor Imani Perry delves into the true character of the region and shows that the very meaning of America is inextricably linked with the South, and that the country's understanding of its history and culture, particularly as it relates to African-Americans, is the key to understanding the nation as a whole. Perry's book explores a range of personalities and stories from the South, from immigrant communities, contemporary artists, exploit