Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

As events, social media and media coverage bring the world closer together, professionals at all career levels (public sector, nonprofit and for-profit) are interested in international career opportunities to make the world a better place. Come to this event to learn more. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Ian McCuaig NOTES MLF: International Relations

Michelle Malkin is a nationally recognized syndicated columnist who made her name through sharp humor to become an unapologetic conservative voice in America’s political discourse. A popular Fox News Channel contributor, Malkin has more than 2 million Twitter followers. Adding to her collection of four no. 1 best sellers, Malkin’s new book, Open Borders, Inc., is her exposé about what happens at America’s borders. Beginning with a thorough reexamination of the southern border’s history of immigration to its current state of crisis, Malkin argues that powerful special interest groups are working behind the scenes to keep America’s borders open for an influx of cheap labor in order to enrich the nation’s elite and create new generations of Democratic voters. Unafraid to challenge the status quo, Malkin offers her insight and confrontational approach on a variety of issues, from identity politics to social matters. Join us for an engaging conversation with one of the most outspoken voices of the American Right, and be sure to bring your questions.

Join us for a conversation with a leading trans artistic couple—Shawna Virago and Sean Dorsey—about their lives as transgender activists and successful performing artists. Shawna Virago is a singer and songwriter who is known for her striking lyric-based songs. She was one of the country's first openly transgender women to perform and tour nationally. She is also the artistic director of the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival, which will take place November 7–10 at San Francisco's Roxie Theater. Sean Dorsey founded and leads the Sean Dorsey Dance troupe, which is celebrating its 15th year. He is known as the nation's first critically acclaimed transgender choreographer in modern dance; he has toured 30 cities domestically and abroad. He has been awarded four Isadora Duncan Dance Awards and the Goldie Award for Performance. Come for a free midday program, as Michelle Meow brings her long-running 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. See more upcoming Michelle Meow Shows at The Commonwealth Club here. Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

From Carrie Bradshaw’s newspaper dress to her iconic Manolo Blahniks, the popular Instagram sensation Every Outfit on Sex and the City’s mission is to document every single pump, dress and accessory that became a quintessential part of the hit TV show. The account is a not-so-ironic take on the series, as it blends equal parts adoration and nostalgia for the 90s classic while offering up a hilarious critical lens on some of the show’s less politically correct moments. The page is responsible for the viral meme #WokeCharlotte, rewriting the show’s straight-laced conservative into an intersectional feminist who calls out microaggressions and always makes sure you check your privilege. With nearly 600,000 followers, account creators Lauren Garroni and Chelsea Fairless are now releasing their highly anticipated book We Should All Be Mirandas: Life Lessons From Sex and The City’s Most Underrated Character. Cynthia Nixon’s sarcastic and workaholic portrayal of Miranda Hobbes was a foil to the trendy and romantic Carrie Bradshaw, but Garroni and Fairless argue that her no-nonsense style makes her the best role model for women in today’s world. Everyone can learn important life lessons from Miranda—fashionistas, pop culture mavens and every woman who has dealt with more than her fair share of mansplaining. Join INFORUM for a celebration of an underrated cultural icon and to learn how we can all elevate our inner Miranda. NOTE: This program contains EXPLICIT language

Now available on Netflix, Nancy Schwartzman’s new film, Roll Red Roll, goes behind the headlines to look at the aftermath of the assault of a teenage girl by members of the beloved high school football team in a small Ohio town. It is a searing look at the deep-rooted "boys will be boys" culture of so much high school sexual assault in America. Join us for a discussion with Schwartzman about her film and about the timely topic of sexual violence. Schwartzman is a documentary film director, producer and media strategist who uses storytelling and technology to create safer communities for women and girls. Roll Red Roll is her feature film debut. The film is designed to have a robust impact campaign focusing on engaging men and boys into the solution to end violence against women, as well as engaging communities, schools and parents. She released a companion short film Anonymous Comes to Town in April 2019 on The Guardian. Her first film, The Line (2010), a short documentary examining consent, was used by the White House for a campaign around sexuality, and her follow-up film xoxosms (2013), explored love between two teenagers, bridged by technology. A human rights activist, Schwartzman is a tech founder and created the Obama/Biden’s White House award-winning mobile app Circle of 6 designed to reduce sexual violence among America’s youth and college students.

The American political discourse is constantly calibrating its interpretation of what it means to be American. Coming from an undocumented family herself, writer Aarti Shahani has spent her life navigating the shifting tides of anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States. Her book Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares documents Shahani and her father’s disparate versions of the immigrant experience, coexisting as the scholarship kid at one of Manhattan’s most elite prep schools and the shopkeeper who mistakenly sells watches and calculators to the notorious Cali Cartel. In addition to being an author, Shahani is an award-winning correspondent for NPR in Silicon Valley, covering the largest companies on Earth. Shahani remains a resounding voice advocating on behalf of our country’s immigrant community. INFORUM hosts Aarti Shahani to address a question that plagues immigrants and natives alike: Who really belongs in America? In association with American India Foundation This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

Witches in various guises have been with us for centuries, and they are notorious shape-shifters. In both spiritual culture and pop culture, they've changed from diabolical villains to empowered heroines as women and femmes have sought more autonomy in their own lives. In celebration of her spellbinding book Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power, Pam Grossman will delve into why witches matter, how they reflect our fear and love of feminine power, and what they can teach us during this age of profound transformation. Grossman will be joined by CEO, entrepreneur and documentary film executive Anne Devereux-Mills, founder of Parlay House, for this evening of feminist magic and bewitching conversation. In association with Parlay House

Prescription drug costs keep escalating with no cap in sight. Is it the drug companies that are marking up the prices, or is something else driving these high costs? The increase has been astronomical and affects patients’ ability to pay for drugs and take them as prescribed. This creates a dangerous situation for the patient. Come learn about pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), an industry secret that explains why drug prices are both confusing and expensive. Find out how PBMs control the amount paid for prescription drugs, why discounts don’t get to the patient and what actions we can take to reduce prescription drug costs. MLF Organizer: Judy Chan MLF: Health & Medicine

Author, editor-in-chief of Heated, and former New York Times columnist Mark Bittman talks about what it means for food to be “good,” how to know it’s good, buy it and cook it. He guides us to think deeply about the food system and how it can be improved. Bittman is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his generation-defining cookbook How to Cook Everything, the definitive guide to simple home cooking. The new edition of the book has been completely revised for today’s cooks while retaining Bittman’s trademark minimalist style: easy-to-follow recipes and variations, and tons of ideas and inspiration. Bittman will celebrate this landmark in American food with a reception. He will be in conversation with author and Real Food Media’s Anna Lappé. This program is part of our Food Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. MLF Organizer: Elizabeth Carney MLF: Business & Leadership, Food Matters

Gaspar de Portolá’s discovery of San Francisco Bay on November 4, 1769, was Spain’s most significant discovery in North America during the 18th century. It prompted a new strategy on how it would use its mission system to colonize Alta California. The historical ramifications of these plans have had an impact down to the present day. For the native people, who had successfully managed the California environment for thousands of years, the event marked the beginning of the end of their way of life. This discovery took place on Sweeney Ridge, which stretches between today’s Pacifica and San Bruno. As a result, San Mateo County will celebrate the 250th anniversary of this pivotal moment in western history with the creation of a historical and recreational trail tracing the path of Portola on the San Francisco Peninsula. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

Monday Night Philosophy remembers the complexities of Columbus Day by investigating the various cultures of the Bay Area's indigenous peoples. Richard Schwartz has searched for, found and recorded hundreds of Native American sites in the Bay Area. The difficult and complex interactions among the different indigenous cultures living in the Bay Area multiplied dramatically with the arrival of the Spanish and was further complicated when the Gold Rush brought people from all over the world to their home territory. What survives and what has been lost? Schwartz details this complexity, enhancing our appreciation of the human inhabitation of our small piece of paradise over the millennia. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

In Proof!, Amir Alexander argues that Euclidean geometry has been uniquely responsible for how modern societies are structured. Geometry has shaped how our cities are built and has even been used as a rationale to explain political structures, because the proofs in Euclid’s Elements are not just true but are provable by reason alone. Alexander tracks the rediscovery of Euclidean geometry in 15th century Italy and recounts the French royals' centuries-long love affair with geometrical gardening. One night in 1661, Nicolas Fouquet, a superintendent under Louis XIV, was even arrested for the peculiar crime of having dared construct a grand geometrical garden for himself. In doing so, he had violated an irrefutable hierarchy: that geometry, in its perfection, was a testament to the divine right of kings. Elegant, symmetrical garden designs were more than just ornaments; they were proofs of incontestable certainty, and thus the authority to rule. Royal geometrical gardens proved to be a visual symbol of the French king’s consolidation of power during a time of violence and upheaval, with geometrical garden design reaching its apogee in Versailles. Proof! tells the monumental story of how geometry was carved into our world, the beliefs geometry supported and the ways geometry continues to shape our lives to this day. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

In this Ninth Annual Lundberg Institute Lecture, Kenneth Kizer will provide an overview of the state of health care quality in the United States after taking a historical look at improvement strategies over the past 4,000 years. He will especially focus on the forces and strategies driving health care quality improvement in the past 20 years following several landmark events in the late 1990s. Despite these efforts, receiving high-quality health care remains illusory for many Americans. As the co-chair of the National Quality Task Force, he will then discuss the likely strategies to normalize high-quality health care over the next 10 years. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

Is it possible to venture beyond our everyday lives and experience heightened states of awareness? Deepak Chopra, a world-renowned advocate for alternative medicine and personal transformation, answers yes. Chopra believes that higher consciousness is available here and now. In his new book, Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential, Chopra explains his secrets to moving beyond our physical limitations and accessing peak experiences that revolutionize our lives. Once you wake up, Chopra writes, life becomes transformed, and through pure consciousness—which is the field of all possibilities—your infinite potential becomes your personal reality. Chopra is the author of more than 85 books including 25 New York Times best sellers. A global force in the field of human empowerment, his books have been published in more than 43 languages. Time magazine has described Chopra as “one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.” Join us for this deeply meaning conversation with Chopra on becoming metahuman.

The jury is out on whether our legal system is equipped to deal with climate change. While some parts of the country are inundated by floods, others are resisting the growth of oil and gas infrastructure — and both are running into the law. Do youth have a constitutional right to a clean environment? At what point should disaster preparedness become disaster law? Does water have legal rights? A discussion on how many facets of the climate challenge are pushing, and changing, the law.