Commonwealth Club Of California Podcast

Monday Night Philosophy welcomes back Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson to discuss his joint biography of our two most influential Founding Fathers. Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, though divided by a 26-year age gap and vastly different life experiences, underwent a similarly dramatic transformation from loyal British colonists to American nationalists, and Larson makes a persuasive case that neither one could have succeeded without the other's help. Washington's military skills required Franklin's diplomatic skills to win the Revolutionary War. Their partnership was also key to the success of the Constitutional Convention. In an enlightening and dramatic account of these two men’s intertwined lives, Larson covers from the French and Indian War through the Revolution and Constitutional Convention, and he concludes with Franklin's last political maneuver: forcing the issue of slavery before the new republic’s first Congress. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities Learn more about

Personal data is as important to modern digital businesses as finance and human capital. It is used to record customers’ behavior, predict it and even to manipulate it. But as awareness of these practices grows, is increasing concern among consumers influencing data regulation and regulators on both sides of the Atlantic? U.K. Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham gives her perspective on the global trends in data protection and privacy. Denham will discuss the big data cases her office has looked at—including Facebook, WhatsApp and Cambridge Analytica—and reflect on their international influence from her perspective as chair of her global regulatory community. Denham chairs the Global Privacy Assembly, which brings together digital data protection and privacy commissioners from around the world to share knowledge and build stronger cooperation. Denham will reflect on the recently implemented California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the impact of growing regulation around data protection and privacy, pa

After witnessing the biggest protests in its history during the middle months of 2019, Hong Kong remains a subject of intense global interest and global concern. In this talk, Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a professor of modern Chinese history at UC Irvine and longtime scholar of social unrest, will use forays into history and comparison to help audience members make sense of Hong Kong's complex present and uncertain future. Wasserstrom’s new book, Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink, has been described by one reviewer as “. . . essential reading for understanding China’s foreign policies, the legacies of empire and above all the extraordinary politics, society and culture of contemporary Hong Kong.” In addition to his academic writings, Wasserstrom has authored numerous books and articles for the general public. His writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, Financial Times, The Atlantic online edition, The New York Times and other print and online publications. MLF ORGANIZER Lillian

From the first humans to venture out of Africa 60,000 years ago to the displaced refugees of today, migration has always been a part of human life. And in parts of the world where immediate threats include violence and poverty, climate change probably isn't a driving motivation to leave home. But with erratic weather, extended droughts, and resource scarcity fueling political conflict and pressures on vulnerable rural livelihoods, it's impossible to leave climate out of the conversation. How is climate change fueling the mass movement of humans around the world, and what does that mean for national security and economies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ezra Klein doesn’t believe America’s political system is broken. He argues that the truth is scarier: It’s working exactly as designed. Over the past 50 years, our partisan identities have merged with our racial, religious, geographic, ideological and cultural identities. According to Klein, this merging has created a toxic system that is tearing at the bonds that hold this country together. In his new book, Why We’re Polarized, Klein shows how and why American politics polarized around identity in the 20th century and what that polarization did to the way we see the world and each other. The book provides a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. Join us for a conversation around how American politics became a gridlocked system, why we participate in it and what it means for our future. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. implored us to fight racism, poverty and militarism with disciplined nonviolence and radical love. “The choice today is no longer between violence and nonviolence,” he said. “It is either nonviolence or nonexistence.” Tragically, more than a half century after Dr. King’s assassination, we face a resurgence of racist hatred, ubiquitous gun violence, extreme inequality, pervasive homelessness and threats to the human species from global warming and nuclear weapons. How can we rediscover the power of nonviolence to effectively address these grave problems and urgent threats? What role do colleges and universities play to further Dr. King’s legacy of nonviolence? Join the Rev. Paul Fitzgerald and Clarence Jones in a dialogue on nonviolence, social justice, moral vision and higher education today. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Huang, a preeminent Harvard Business School professor, says that success is about gaining an edge: that elusive quality that gives you an upper hand and attracts attention and support. Some people seem to naturally have it. She says the rest of us can create our own successes from the challenges and biases we think hold us back, turning them to work in our favor. Huang argues that success is rarely just about the quality of our ideas, credentials and skills, or our effort. Instead, she says achieving success hinges on how well we shape others' perceptions—of our strengths, certainly, but also of our flaws. It's about creating our own edge by confronting the factors that seem like shortcomings and turning them into assets that make others take notice. Come for a fascinating conversation about how to find your unique edge and keep it sharp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As American society continues to have a growing older population, understanding all aspects of aging is a critical national priority. Perhaps no subject is more important than understanding what happens to our brains as they age and what people can do to enhance cognition as they get older. And there is, perhaps, no better person to explain this all than best-selling neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin, author of the iconic best sellers This Is Your Brain on Music and The Organized Mind. In his latest book, Successful Aging, Levitin turns his keen insights to what happens in our brains as people get older and, based on a rigorous analysis of neuroscientific evidence, what people can do to make the most of their 70s, 80s and 90s. Successful Aging uses research from developmental neuroscience and the psychology of individual differences to show that 60+ years is a unique developmental stage that, like infancy or adolescence, has its own demands and distinct advantages. Levitin looks at the science behind what we a

Acclaimed New York Times op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof and entrepreneur Sheryl WuDunn are the Pulitzer Prize-winning authors behind countless best-selling books. In their newest work, Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope, Kristof and WuDunn turn their focus inward to the crisis in working-class America. Kristof, who grew up in rural Oregon, discovered one-quarter of the kids on his school bus growing up died in adulthood from drugs, alcohol, suicide or reckless accidents. While shocking to many, Kristof and WuDunn argue stories like this are representative of everyone from the Dakotas and Oklahoma to New York and Virginia. But along with tragedy, they tell stories of resurgence: recovery from opioid addiction, adults devoting their lives to helping teenagers navigate the reality of poverty and other inspiring journeys. According to Kristof and WuDunn, these accounts provide a picture of working-class families needlessly but profoundly damaged as a result of decades of policy mistakes. Join us for an upli

The construction of the 1,776 mile long Transcontinental Railroad is one of the most impressive civil engineering achievements of the 19th century. Begun in 1863 during the Civil War, its construction required the efforts of thousands of workers who conquered demanding terrain and survived harsh construction and weather conditions. Giroux sheds new light on the civil engineers who designed and constructed that marvel, and commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike. On May 10, 1869, it was hammered into place, completing the Transcontinental Railroad, which helped knit together the then recently restored Union from its Atlantic coast to its Pacific coast. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you can't be in Madrid this month to see the exhibit of Sofonisba Anguissola's paintings at the Prado, come to The Commonwealth Club instead to hear all about this fascinating female Renaissance artist. Donna DiGiuseppe will describe why she turned Anguissola's biographical details into a novel, Anguissola's artistic apprenticeship with Bernardino Campi and the difficult process of cataloguing her work, which wasn't always signed. But Anguissola's legacy lives on in Italy, and her direct descendant, Count Ferrante Anguissola D'Altoe, recently wrote that Lady in Ermine captures Anguissola's 16th century, from lavish court life to its treatment of women. The reader roots for Anguissola to achieve her dream to paint the king and overcome the challenges of being a Renaissance woman painter. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels has led to climate disruption and inequality. Underserved communities are the ones most harmed by pollution, lack of green space and heat-related illness. Transitioning to clean energy would seem to be the obvious answer. But in the process of trying to right old wrongs, do we risk leaving some communities behind? What does a just transition to a cleaner, greener economy look like? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2020, the United States will conduct its 24th census. Will LGBTQI+ people be counted? Will they even bother to fill out the census forms? The results of the country's every-10-years census are used in everything from apportioning representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives to the provision of social services. Join us for a timely discussion about why the census is important to LGBTQI+ people and how it impacts resources for members of our community. El Censo del 2020 y la Comunidad LGBTQ+ En el 2020, los Estados Unidos llevará a cabo el censo por vigésimocuarta vez. ¿Se contará a las personas LGBTQI+? ¿Se molestarán siquiera en rellenar los formularios del censo? El censo ocurre cada 10 años y los resultados se usan para tomar decisiones importantes, desde cuántos representantes del Congreso recibe cada estado hasta la provisión de servicios sociales. Únete a una conversación oportuna sobre por qué el censo es importante para las personas LGBTQI+ y cómo afecta los recursos disponibles para miembro

Can we live forever? Science journalist, Chip Walter reveals the ground-breaking research and visionaries who are trying to answer that very question. Find out more from Walter and leading rejuvenation, stem cell research and genetic experts who are redefining our understanding of life, aging and mortality. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language ** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American musical theater conjures images of bright lights and big cities, but its lifeblood courses through local and amateur productions around the country. In Beyond Broadway, Stacy Wolf examines the widespread presence and persistence of musical theater in U.S. culture as a live, pleasurable, participatory experience. Wolf traveled from Maine to Hawaii, visiting schools, performance festivals, summer camps, outdoor theaters, community theaters and dinner theaters, where she interviewed over 200 practitioners and spectators, licensors and administrators. Wolf’s talk illuminates musical theater’s enduring power as a joyful activity that touches millions of lives. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker are two of The Washington Post’s leading reporters. Their Pulitzer Prize-winning work covered NSA spying, Secret Service misconduct and Donald Trump’s unprecedented 2016 campaign. Now, Leonnig and Rucker are focusing on the unorthodox Trump presidency. Their new book, A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America, is a fresh report on the Trump presidency. A Very Stable Genius argues that rather than being an accidental creature of chaos, Trump’s first term is a careful and purposeful pattern of disorder. Drawing on in-depth interviews, firsthand witnesses and previously never before seen material, Leonnig and Rucker explored how Trump has shaken up alliances, reinvented the presidency and compromised the integrity of American institutions such as the FBI. Join us for an important conversation as Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker tackle the unique case of the Trump presidency. 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. Spouses Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell write about death but lead a most interesting life. They are the New York Times best-selling co-authors of the memoir Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and The Making of a Medical Examiner as well as the novel First Cut. Melinek studied at Harvard and UCLA, was a medical examiner in San Francisco for nine years, and today works as a forensic pathologist in Oakland and as CEO of PathologyExpert Inc. T.J. Mitchell is a writer with an English degree from Harvard, and he worked in the film industry before becoming a full-time stay-at-home dad to their children. First Cut is the debut novel in their Jessie Teska detective series, centering on San Francisco’s newest medical examiner who uncovers a constellation of deaths that point to an elaborate plot involving nefarious opioid traffickers and flashy tech titans who got rich off Bitcoin. Autopsy means “see for yourself,” and in Meli

Shouting and shaming, lying and trolling: How did we ever learn to speak to one another the way we do now? In matters political and cultural, public and private, on social media and in major newsrooms, it seems as though over the past few years a bizarre and frightening irrationality has taken hold of our discourse. But what is irrationality, and what is that thing—reason—with which we oppose it? The historical period known as the Enlightenment represented a triumph of reason over the dark forces of irrationality and superstition. And yet some of today's most ardent defenders of the Enlightenment’s legacy—from scientists to artists, from atheists to political theorists—express themselves in ways that often seem suited to zealots and dogmatists. Reasoned political debate has been supplanted by trolling, with the occupants of some of the highest offices in the world reflecting and at times encouraging such discourse. In this conversation at the very beginning of the century’s third decade, on the eve of Brexit

Join John O'Grady in a lively and enlightening session where he will address essential questions such as: protecting property rights; planning for care without giving up control of your affairs; passing your values on to the next generation; providing for your loved ones and your favorite causes; documenting your intentions to prevent misunderstandings; and how you can save on tax dollars, professional fees and court costs. John O'Grady is an estate planning attorney who can help you navigate family conflicts about aging, death, taxes, inheritance and property rights while addressing the true underlying conflicts. He leads O'Grady Law Group, a full-service estate planning law firm in San Francisco. MLF Organizer: Denise Michaud MLF: Grownups Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Wong is an award-winning director and cinematographer. His newest feature, Come as You Are, premiered at SXSW and will be released by Samuel Goldwyn. His first feature was the critically acclaimed Colma: The Musical, which premiered at Sundance and garnered him nominations for a Spirit Award and a Gotham Award. Wong started his career in production and segued to being a cinematographer, lensing films such as the upcoming immigration drama Saint Judy for director Sean Hanish, starring Michelle Monaghan and Common, Girlfriend's Day with Bob Odenkirk, Spare Parts with George Lopez, Sundance favorite To the Bone for director Marti Noxon, starring Lily Collins and Keanu Reeves, and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan for acclaimed director Wayne Wang. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices