Commonwealth Club Of California Podcast

Mary-Frances Winters will discuss the ideas in her new book, Black Fatigue, How Racism Erodes Mind, Body and Spirit, which will be published by BK Publishing this fall. The book describes a phenomenon Black people know well: the multifaceted physical and psychological damage wrought by simply living, day by day in a racist society. This is a vital resource for Black and non-Black people looking for ways to heal, learn and have productive and supportive conversations about racial injustice and trauma. NOTES MLF: Technology & Society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us virtually for a conversation with Tamim Ansary about his latest book, The Invention of Yesterday. Ansary boldly looks for patterns in the last 50,000 years of human history. He argues that, since humans are basically narcissistic, for most of recorded history each successful civilization has seen the other civilizations on this planet as merely peripheral players. He also argues that the four major rivers along which large-scale human civilizations began—the Nile, the Tigris–Euphrates, the Indus and the Huang He—each had characteristic traits that contributed to the underlying cultural assumptions our ancestors made about the nature of reality, and so gave rise to the main points of cultural divergence. Ansary's conclusion is clear: we cannot continue to consider other cultures as peripheral if we are going to have any hope of managing those worldwide concerns that require a consensus to solve, like climate change, nuclear weapons and the spread of deadly viruses. As historians often understand, but t

One nation under . . . guns? Is America destined to always be a violent nation? Why are Americans uniquely attached to themes of aggression and firearms that permeate our culture and policies? These are the questions Senator Chris Murphy explores in his new book, The Violence Inside Us: A Brief History of an Ongoing American Tragedy. Searching for answers about why America continues to fall short on issues of safety, Murphy has dedicated his political career to the cause of gun violence and ensuring that all Americans feel safe. Murphy’s state of Connecticut was forever changed by the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, and he believes that in order to change something as horrific as gun violence, we must first understand it. which is why his book investigates our country’s violence-filled history in order to forge a comprehensive plan for our future. In The Violence Inside Us, he explains why the nation is still stuck fighting this battle and how we can forge a comprehensive plan for change. Learn more about you

Since its founding in 1997, Netflix has revolutionized the way we discover and enjoy entertainment. Originally founded as a DVD-by-mail rental service in the United States, Netflix has reinvented itself from DVD rentals to internet streaming, from licensing old shows and films to self-producing them, and from U.S.-based to global—amassing more than 193 million subscribers in more than 190 countries. As the co-founder and co-CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings led the effort to make Netflix the top player in internet entertainment. To achieve this, he developed a corporate philosophy and a set of management principles that rejected conventional wisdom, leading to a business culture that would make Netflix one of the most inventive companies in the world. Hastings’ new book, No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention, chronicles how he built this radical management philosophy through decades of trial and error. His story is designed to be a useful resource for company leaders, entrepreneurs, founders and

Sarah Huckabee Sanders served as White House press secretary for President Donald J. Trump from 2017 to 2019. Her briefings with the press and her battles with the media made her one of the most visible people in Washington and earned her the trust of the president, who called her “irreplaceable,” a “warrior” and “very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job.” During her two and a half years at the White House, she advised the president on everything from press and communication strategy to personnel and policy. In her new book, Speaking for Myself, Sanders takes us behind the scenes and offers her unique perspective on what it was like working alongside the president inside the White House. Join us as she reflects on some of the professional challenges she faced, her relationship with the press and lessons she learned during that time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've heard of an October surprise—when a political campaign drops an unexpected bit of news highlighting (or making up) a scandal about the opponent? This entire campaign has been a surprise, so we certainly expect an early surprise or two or three in September. Join us for a special Election 2020 edition of Week to Week, the political roundtable from The Commonwealth Club. Our panelists will discuss the latest political developments with intelligence, civility and probably quite a bit of humor. We're all in this together—the pandemic, economic crisis, racial justice, campaign 2020, and murder hornets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a world of “fake news,” President Donald Trump has labeled one network as telling his “truth”—Fox News. The president has developed a symbiotic relationship with Fox. Since the day Trump announced his candidacy, its pundits have consistently slandered Trump’s enemies and promoted his vision of America. The president himself has also admitted to watching 6 hours of Fox News a day, even in the face of a disastrous pandemic and national economic crisis. He gets his brash personal and political actions legitimized by the network, and the network makes money off Trump-supporting viewers who willfully follow the network. In Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth, CNN anchor and Chief Media Correspondent Brian Stelter tells the twisted story of the mutually beneficial relationship between President Trump and Fox News and dives into a relationship that he argues comes at the expense of the American people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wildfires are nothing new – they’ve been part of the west’s ecology for millennia. But burning fossil fuels and suppressing the burning of forests over the past century have led to larger, more frequent and ever-more catastrophic wildfires. And burning trees release carbon dioxide. California’s fires now are so big and fierce that they threaten to erase the state’s progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And even for those miles from the flames, the smoke from raging wildfires presents an extra danger in the age of coronavirus. How and when exposure to wildfire smoke increases the likelihood of infection with COVID-19, we’re still trying to figure that out, says Vin Gupta of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. But there is a clear symmetry between exposure and the likelihood of infection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the lead-up to former Vice President Joe Biden selecting California Senator Kamala Harris as his 2020 running mate, there was a lot of armchair prognostication and claims about Harris' past and future. Much was made of her time as San Francisco's district attorney; some used it to defend her as a tough-on-crime prosecutor; others used it to portray her as a far-left DA who was weak on crime. Niki Solis knows what Kamala Harris was really like as a DA, and she made her case for Harris in a recent op ed article in USA Today, "I worked with Kamala Harris. She was the most progressive DA in California." For nearly a quarter century, Solis has worked as a public defender. She is currently a deputy public defender in San Francisco; she was a manager in the public defender's office when Harris was the city's district attorney. Join us for a timely conversation about crime and punishment, mercy and justice, and big-stakes politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Charles Munger advocates good government, representative politics and a strong, responsible two-party system for California and the nation. Viewed by many as a moderate Republican, Dr. Munger campaigned in 2012 for California's current open "top two" primary and was the co-author of 2010's Proposition 20 to keep elected representatives separate from the process of creating congressional districts. He believes both have worked to encourage true representative government. Dr. Munger served as chairman of the Santa Clara County Republican Party from 2012 to 2015. He holds a Ph.D. in atomic physics from U.C. Berkeley and is one of 8 children of Charles Munger, the vice chairman of financial holding company Berkshire Hathaway. As we head toward the election, come hear his unique thoughts on the power of political reform in an era where gridlock and cynicism abound . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Right now, the Doomsday Clock reads “100 seconds to midnight,” according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists—midnight representing the end of humanity as we know it from two simultaneous existential dangers—nuclear war and climate change. This setting is closer than the world has ever been to doomsday before, even during the height of the Cold War. This unnerving development speaks to the urgent relevance of panelist Lesley Blume's book Fallout and the need to reflect on the 75th anniversary of the Bomb. The Hiroshima A-bomb was the single most destructive event of the 20th century, killing more than 100,000 people and decimating an entire city. Knowing this, Ms. Blume points out that the U.S. government embarked on a secret propaganda campaign to hide the true nature of the damage to Hiroshima and Nagasaki for fear that such blatant violence—mostly perpetrated against civilians—would tarnish our reputation at home and abroad. This cover-up included suppression of the Japanese and Western media, press ju

Veteran trial lawyer and author James Bostwick will outline his riveting story about a struggling young attorney who decides to take on the most famous lawyer in the country to get justice for a paralyzed youngster. It is a tale of love, friendship, sex and betrayal that also paints an authentic picture of the risks, dilemmas and tactics involved in high stakes litigation. Bostwick will provide interesting insights into this complex and competitive arena. He will also discuss the genesis and inspiration for his novel, as well as the writing process and how to get published—what works and what doesn’t. The story was inspired by a real trial occurring in San Francisco in the mid-'80s. San Franciscans might recognize some well-known legal icons of the era. James Bostwick has been a San Francisco trial lawyer specializing in catastrophic injuries for more than 40 years. He has obtained the largest medical malpractice verdict in U.S. history. Bostwick has long been listed as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in the

Ambassador John Bolton’s name is synonymous with foreign policy service at the highest levels of government, having served four different presidents. Most recently, Bolton served as assistant to the president for national security affairs from April 9, 2018, until his resignation on September 10, 2019. He chronicled this experience in the recent best-selling book, The Room Where It Happened. From January 2007 until April 2018, John R. Bolton served as a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. He was appointed as United States permanent representative to the United Nations on August 1, 2005 and served until his resignation in December 2006. Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Bolton served as under secretary of state for arms control and international security from May 2001 to May 2005. Throughout his distinguished career, Ambassador Bolton has been a staunch defender of American interests. While under secretary of state, he repeatedly advocated tough measures against the nuclear wea

As America enters the final stretch of the 2020 election, many of the debates and issues that continue to dominate the campaign at the national and local levels stem from a resurgent global right-wing populism that led to the election of Donald Trump in 2016. Four years later, this aggressive form of right-wing populism, infused with xenophobic nationalism, remains a powerful influence in the United States and around the world. Perhaps no one knows these issues better than Lawrence Rosenthal, the founder of the University of California Berkley’s Center for Right-Wing Studies. In his new book Empire of Resentment: Populism’s Toxic Embrace of Nationalism, Rosenthal paints a vivid sociological, political and psychological picture of the transnational quality of this movement, which is now in power in at least a dozen countries. In America and abroad, the current mobilization of right-wing populism has given life to long marginalized threats like white supremacy and anti-immigration fervor. In 2016, renowned UC B

The world is projected to generate 90 zettabytes of data this year and the next. That’s more than all the data produced since the arrival of computers, and if we still used DVD’s, we’d need 19 trillion to store it all. Swimming in this massive sea of information, humans are easily overwhelmed; studies suggest we avoid important information because it might make us miserable, while seeking out information of dubious value to make ourselves happy. What information do we need to know? What role should policymakers play in helping us find data that improves our well-being and filter out information—from calorie counts to credit card fees—that wastes our time or even endangers us? Cass Sunstein explains how we can make information work for us. NOTES Co-Hosted with Zócalo Public Square Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will COVID-19 change our food system for good? Increased coronavirus outbreaks in food markets, food plants and farmworker communities have impacted food access and put a spotlight on food insecurity. Farmers are hurting as supply chains for fresh, perishable foods shrivel. Meanwhile, food banks have seen a surge in demand that has required distribution support from the National Guard. What does COVID-19 mean for agriculture, our food supply systems—and our diets? Join us for a conversation with Lisa Held, senior reporter at Civil Eats, Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and Helene York, professor at the Food Business School of the Culinary Institute of America, on feeding a nation under quarantine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cost and health burdens of electricity production have long been higher for low-income communities of color than for wealthy white ones. But when it comes to public engagement and trust, the oil and gas industry is often ahead of its clean energy competitors, presenting a friendly face to the same areas it supplies with jobs, tax dollars, and cheap energy. Is the industry an example of community leadership, manipulative greenwashing—or something in between? How can the renewable industry transform its model into one of diversity, equity and affordable energy for all? Join us for a conversation with Derrick Hollie, president of Reaching America; Jacqueline Patterson, director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice program; Ivan Penn, alternative energy reporter with The New York Times; and Vien Truong, director of climate justice for Tom Steyer PAC, on hard truths about the energy industry next door. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join San Francisco Pride and The Commonwealth Club for the latest edition of Lavender Talks, a moderated panel discussion emceed by Michelle Meow (host of "The Michelle Meow Show" and a former president of the SF Pride Board of Directors). In this program, we'll look at racism and discrimination in the Castro, San Francisco's world-famous LGBTQ district. In association with San Francisco Pride Made possible by the generous support of Gilead and Comcast And thanks to San Francisco Pride Legacy Partners: Bud Light Hilton San Francisco Union Square KPIX 5 CBS Bay Area Kaiser Permanente Genentech Gilead GLBT Historical Society KBCW TV Parc 55 San Francisco Smirnoff Recology T–Mobile Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George Bernard Shaw once said that there is no love more sincere than the love of food. Pipo, the main character in the new children's book Every Night Is Pizza Night, holds the sincerest love of all… for pizza. Pipo is determined to prove that pizza is, in every aspect, the best food out there. However, by cooking and tasting foods with six new friends, Pipo discovers that what makes a food “the best” transcends taste as only one ingredient in the melting pot of tradition, family and friendship. Written by the Food Lab’s J. Kenji López-Alt and illustrated by artist Gianna Ruggerio, the book highlights the importance of gastronomic diversity for children and adults alike. Join them both at INFORUM where they will discuss how, like Pipo, even the pickiest eaters can grow an expansive palette and grow to appreciate the various cuisines around them. This conversation will be moderated by SF Chronicle food critic Soleil Ho. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you’re pushing for something big like social change or something as small as getting your family to agree on a restaurant choice, success often relies on the ability to communicate and persuade. Trey Gowdy believes the secret to persuasion lies in asking the right questions to the right people. In his new book, Doesn't Hurt to Ask: Using the Power of Questions to Communicate, Connect, and Persuade, Gowdy draws on his own experiences in the courtroom and the halls of Congress to share what he has learned, giving advice that is tried and true. He believes anyone can learn how to identify an objective, understand their audience, and persuade with passion in a way that drives connection and understanding. Join Trey Gowdy as he shows us how to persuade, no matter the jury and no matter the cause. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices