Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Senator Jeff Merkley made headlines earlier this year when live video footage of his attempt to enter and inspect a detention center for child immigrants near the border of Texas and Mexico garnered over 1.1 million views in less than a day. An outspoken critic of the controversial treatment of migrant families across the southern border, Merkley is spearheading legislative efforts to establish nonnegotiable standards for the treatment of detained children and their families. In his new book, America Is Better Than This: Trump’s War Against Migrant Families, Merkley shares the story of how he, a senator with no background as an immigration activist, became a leading advocate for reform of the policies that have generated a humanitarian crisis along the border. His book embodies Merkley’s heartfelt and candid voice, and it includes his call for the American people to take a stand against what he considers calculated mistreatment of migrant families. Join us in welcoming Senator Jeff Merkley to The Commonwealth Club for an insightful conversation about the importance of approaching politics with compassion and reasonability.

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. Ben Hwang from Profusa will discuss the future of continuous, remote monitoring data using implantable biosensor technology and how it is poised to transform wellness, medical intervention, health care delivery and patient outcomes. Mary Lou Jepsen from Openwater has created a device that can enable us to see inside our brains or bodies in great detail. With this comes the promise of new abilities to diagnose and treat disease and well beyond—communicating with thought alone. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Patty James NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

Joe Koret was an immigrant, businessman and philanthropist. He is credited with helping make San Francisco a center for the design and manufacture of popular style and fashion. Join us for a conversation about an innovative businessman and civic leader whose legacy is still very visible in the Bay Area. This was an audio-only program recorded at The Commonwealth Club.

The presentation will address the why, what and how of place-based work. Why addresses how when it comes to your health your zip code is more important than your genetic code. It explores the strength of the relationship between life expectancy and neighborhood. The what focuses on how place gets under the skin and changes our physiology. The presentation also examines the components of the environment that shape health opportunity. Finally, the how discusses the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative framework and how that translates into the investment strategies and policy and systems change approach to place-based work. Examples from the California Endowment's Building Healthy Communities will illustrate the approach and a review of the 10 year, $1 billion, multisite, multidisciplinary, place-conscious initiative, and its achievements will be presented. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Patty James NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

More than 50 years after the establishment of the Public Broadcasting Act, which set the foundation for PBS and NPR, the media landscape has changed in ways that advocates for these services never could have imagined. Yet their vision for a noncommercial broadcasting system that takes risks and addresses the needs of the public has endured. Paula Kerger, PBS CEO and president, joins Michael Isip, KQED president and CEO, and John Boland, KQED president emeritus, to discuss the future of public media amidst great technological, political and environmental upheaval. With much of the traditional local news space shrinking and with trust in news at an all-time low, how are PBS and public media affiliates such as KQED adapting to serve communities? How can stations and audiences respond to attacks on the free press? And how are these organizations changing with their audiences and the ways they consume media? Speaker details: Having joined PBS in March 2006, Kerger is the longest-serving president and CEO in PBS history. Among her accomplishments are the pop culture phenomenon “Downton Abbey” on "Masterpiece"; Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s critically acclaimed The Vietnam War; the documentary Hamilton’s America, about the Broadway smash hit musical, on "Great Performances"; “Freedom Riders” on "American Experience"; and award-winning children’s programs such as “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.” Kerger is regularly included in the Hollywood Reporter’s “Women in Entertainment Power 100,” an annual survey of the nation’s top women executives in media, as well as Washingtonian magazine’s Most Powerful Women in Washington. Isip became KQED’s seventh president on April 10. Isip has almost a quarter century of media experience and has played a critical role in KQED’s growth and transformation into a 21st century multimedia organization. He joined KQED in 2001 as an executive producer in television and has since served in a number of senior level roles, including senior vice president and chief content officer as well as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Isip’s most impactful contributions to KQED was reorganizing the content division away from distribution platforms (TV, radio, online) to a structure of multimedia teams in news, arts, science and education. This restructure facilitated greater collaboration across KQED and increased digital content and services. Boland is president emeritus at KQED. He served as the organization’s president and chief executive officer from March 2010 through March 2019. Before returning to KQED, he served for four years as the first chief content officer of the national PBS. Prior to his tenure at PBS, Boland served in several executive positions at KQED for more than a decade, including executive vice president and chief operating officer; and vice president of marketing, development and communications. He also created the role of chief content officer at KQED in 2002—the first such position in public media. At KQED, he led a strategic transformation from a traditional public broadcasting service to a twenty-first century public media organization that combines mobile, social and online media with robust digital radio and television broadcasting. He has been a newspaper publisher and owner, a senior executive with two major international marketing and communications firms, and publisher of San Francisco Focus (now San Francisco magazine).

Widely recognized as a pragmatic and independent thinker, Democratic presidential candidate and Colorado Senator Michael Bennet is on the forefront of taking on Washington, D.C.’s dysfunction and building more opportunities for the next generation. In the Senate, Bennet has spearheaded legislative efforts to make education, health care, childcare and housing more affordable and accessible for working families. Running for the presidential nomination to restore integrity to our government, Bennet has been twice singled out by former President Barack Obama as someone to watch following the 2016 election. Compelled to reveal the inner workings of Congress in our polarized era, Bennet shares his perspective in his book The Land of Flickering Lights: Restoring America in an Age of Broken Politics. Despite his exposure to the complex issues and extreme polarization rampant in today’s politics, Bennet remains strong in his conviction that patriotism, hard work and belief in the common good can revive a prosperous and powerful democracy for the generation of tomorrow. Join us for an engaging conversation with presidential candidate Michael Bennet as he guides us through his vision to restore ethics in American politics.

Our distinguished panel will discuss the contributions and innovations Israel has made worldwide in solving health, environmental and economic problems. Israel has a history of coming to the rescue of other nations after disasters and emergencies. For example, Israel advised California and other areas with water problems. And it was the second country to arrive with medical help after the Haiti disaster. Come learn more about Israel’s contribution to our well-being. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF Organizer: Celia Menczel MLF: Middle East

Anna Gatmon will share how to experience fulfillment and abundant wellness by stopping the seemingly endless struggle between your spiritual aspirations and daily material consumption. By expanding your awareness to recognize the spiritual essence inherent in the material world around you and by engaging with the material expressions of your spiritual aspirations, you can grow into an expanded, more whole version of yourself and experience profound well-being. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF Organizer: Denise Michaud MLF: Grownups

Tom Steyer doesn’t just want to impeach President Trump, he wants to replace him. Steyer insists that America’s democracy, health-care and climate shortcomings all stem from a warped distribution of money and power. Supporters point to Steyer’s promising rise in early primary state polling, but a crowded Democratic primary has left some Americans asking: Is this the moment for another wealthy, white, male president? With two weeks to go before the Democratic National Committee’s vote in San Francisco on a climate-focused presidential debate, join us with candidate Tom Steyer for a candid discussion of his chances in the race for the presidency—and our chances in the race against climate disruption.

We're talking about LGBTQ representation in business this week, with our special guest Gina Grahame. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily 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.

Matthew Shilvock, general director of the San Francisco Opera, has announced that San Francisco Opera, which has the largest performing arts organization staff in the Bay Area, has created a department of equity, diversity and inclusion to meet an institutional commitment both within the organization and externally. The department will implement strategies to build organizational capacity, structures and policies to help ensure San Francisco Opera is a welcoming, inclusive place to work and experience opera. The San Francisco Opera will continue its Arts Resources in Action (ARIA) residency program, which connects K–8 students and teachers to the process of opera creation across multiple visits, as well as the ARIA dress rehearsal and professional development programs. It will also continue select Community. Understanding. Engagement. (CUE) programs, the company’s suite of programs for the broader community of adults, families and youth, building conversation and engagement around the stories being told on the War Memorial Opera House stage. Charles Chip Mc Neal will lead the new department. Mc Neal is currently senior curriculum and program manager in the San Francisco Opera education department. NOTES MLF: Arts In association with Theatre Bay Area

The World Health Organization states that neurological disorders are one of the greatest threats to public health today. Seventy-six million aging baby boomers, or 29 percent of the population in the United States, are about to push Alzheimer's disease rates sky high. Acupuncture, a form of traditional Chinese medicine, has been proven safe and effective in treating a wide variety of common ailments and problems. Acupuncture can also help treat Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases. This talk will discuss electroacupuncture, where a small electric current is passed between pairs of acupuncture needles. Electroacupuncture targets specific receptors to stimulate neuropeptide release for cerebral rehabilitation and neural synaptic repair. John Nieters will explain how this type of acupuncture works in the treatment of these four top neurological diseases: Alzheimer’s disease/dementia, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Motor Neuron Disease, Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis. Nieters will further explain how electroacupuncture correlates to traditional Chinese medicine. Join us for this opportunity to hear Nieters, an experienced American practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Cynthia Miyashita and Lillian Nakagawa NOTES MLF: Asia-Pacific Affairs

Nearly 25 percent of America’s electricity now comes from renewables, surpassing coal for the first time. Ten states, and Puerto Rico and Washington DC, have policies in place to run on 100 percent clean power in coming decades. But achieving that goal presents a host of challenges, from updating an aging electricity grid to financing energy innovation to figuring out how to transport and store the renewable power. America has always prided itself on “thinking big” – from the railroads to the moon landing. Do we have what it takes to pull off the transition from fossil fuels to renewables?

The Fast Evolution of Gene Editing and Its Implications for Society

This program is generously supported by The James Irvine Foundation. The private, San Francisco-based foundation has $2.3 billion in assets and makes annual grantmaking of nearly $100 million. The Irvine Foundation’s singular goal is a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. Key industries in California, from restaurant to technology to hospitality, touch our lives each day and are central to the state’s economy. Yet hundreds of thousands of workers fueling these industries face daily challenges in making ends meet. Whether working the night shift or behind the kitchen door, many have limited voice or influence on the economic conditions that affect their lives and families. A 2018 survey by the Public Religion Research Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute, found that nearly half of all California workers struggle with poverty, with more than one-third facing a host of difficult financial choices regularly, such as putting off seeing a doctor or purchasing medications, paying the rent or a mortgage, or paying a monthly bill. And one in 10 struggling workers report wages being withheld by an employer without cause. Join us for an opportunity to hear from three extraordinary leaders who will share their perspectives on the challenges facing working Californians today and their efforts to ensure every worker in California is afforded dignity, respect and the opportunity to advance economically.