Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

This event is the first in The Commonwealth Club's Thought Leadership series on the future of health, featuring in-depth conversations on the challenges driving physical, mental and social health. Homelessness is one of the most critical health issues of our time. Even the best care isn’t enough to keep people healthy if they do not have a roof over their head. A safe, stable home is necessary to thrive. Yet much of America is grappling with some of the highest costs of housing and highest rates of homelessness of our time. What can we do to reverse the trend? What haven’t we thought of? Given the bright minds and wealth of the 21st century, we cannot accept that homelessness is unsolvable. Join a diverse panel of experts and advocates as they discuss this growing public health crisis. Together we will explore new ways to solve homelessness.

FDR's New Deal is widely recognized as a turning point in American history, but David Davenport and Gordon Lloyd go even further, calling it “America’s French Revolution.” Refashioning American government and public policy in ways that have grown to epic proportions today, Roosevelt’s decisions reset the balance of power away from Congress and the states toward a strong executive branch. They also shifted the federal government away from the founders’ vision of deliberation and moderation toward war and action. Having learned that a sense of crisis is helpful in moving forward a domestic agenda, post New Deal presidents have seized on the language of war to extend their power dramatically. They have declared war on everything from poverty and drugs to crime and terror. Exploring the consequences of these ill-defined (and never-ending) wars, Davenport calls for a reexamination of this destructive approach to governance and a return to more deliberative and moderate methods. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs has received a lot of attention for his announcement of innovative approaches to dealing with the California city's problems—such as a universal basic income or the Stockton Scholars program. Has he delivered on his promises? Motecuzoma P. Sanchez (pictured) is an activist and journalist who says he works to hold accountable the leaders in Stockton, where he was born and raised. As the founder of the 209 Times media company, Sanchez has been a persistent critic of Mayor Tubbs. And Sanchez is not without critics of his own, who say he is obsessed with attacking Tubbs and other Stockton political leaders. Come hear a discussion about Sanchez's take on Tubbs's performance in office since he won a landslide victory over an incumbent mayor in 2017.

In his new book The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California, author Mark Arax reveals the tumultuous history behind the myth of abundance in the Golden State. LA Times reporter Diana Marcum and water expert Faith Kearns explore the complex intersections between drought, climate change, and life in rural California. Can a decades-old distribution system meet the water needs of the future? How will climate change affect the California Dream?

In August of 2017, white nationalists marched through the University of Virginia in Charlottesville to protest the removal of Confederate Army leader Robert E. Lee’s statue through a series of racist and anti-Semitic chants. The Unite the Right rally turned deadly when confronted by counter-protesters, in which a self-identified white supremacist drove his car into a crowd of people opposing the nationalists and killed a 32-year-old woman while leaving 19 others in critical care. Former Democratic Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe recounts his experience and perspectives during Charlottesville in his new book, Beyond Charlottesville: Taking a Stand Against White Nationalism. From declaring a state of emergency to condemning President Trump for claiming there were “very fine people on both sides” of the protest, McAuliffe takes a hard look at Virginia’s history of racism and the factors that led to the tragedy in Charlottesville. He lays out the work done afterwards to prevent future Unite the Right rallies and discusses what still needs to be done as America continues to grapple with its racialized history and its long struggle to fight racism, extremism and hate.

Dan Pfeiffer was one of President Obama’s longest-serving advisers and closest confidantes, working on his historic campaign and spending six years in the White House as communications director and senior adviser to the president. As a co-host of the wildly popular podcast “Pod Save America,” Pfeiffer is one of the most visible progressive voices today. In his best-selling book Yes We (Still) Can, Pfeiffer recounts how Obama navigated the political forces that created Trump and explains why everyone got 2016 wrong. With the start of another marathon election cycle, he’ll talk about what Democrats should and should not be focusing on in 2020. Join us for a fun conversation with a man who has spent the last decade on the frontlines of American politics. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

A prize-winning writer for the San Francisco Chronicle in the tumultuous 1970s, Duffy Jennings covered the Patty Hearst kidnapping, the Zodiac and Zebra serial murders, and the City Hall assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. Jennings also covered major fires, gangland crime, labor union strife, city government news and more. In Reporter’s Note Book, Jennings weaves the political, criminal, public and personal events of the 1970s into a masterful reflection on the heart of a turbulent Bay Area, all bolstered by his uncanny memory and tender wit. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. While the conditions in Central America produce caravans and others seeking safety, the rights of asylum seekers are continuously under attack. Come learn about the roots of the problem—why people are fleeing, the mental health consequences and the difficult yet lifesaving process of seeking asylum. This presentation will highlight the role the U.S. government has played over the past decades in creating the so-called border crisis and will debunk the Trump administration’s attacks on asylum law. Founded in 1982 in response to civil wars and genocide in Central America, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant has been a leader in the sanctuary movement, providing yearly legal protection, advocacy, support and family reunification to thousands of refugees and undocumented immigrants. MLF Organizer: Patrick O'Reilly MLF: Psychology

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. Lee Holden is a renowned instructor in Qi Gong, meditation and Tai Chi. He Has worked to bring the ancient Taoist teachings to the West. Lee offers simple techniques to enhance well-being. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Robert Kilpatrick NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. Louise Aronson has received numerous awards for her medical work, teaching, educational research and writing. In Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life, Aronson urges a large-scale shift in society and medicine’s attitudes toward aging and offers a powerful roadmap for how we all approach old age. She shares anecdotes from her 25 years of caring for patients and her own experiences of getting older and watching her parents age. She also draws from history, science, literature and popular culture to offer hope about aging, medicine and humanity itself. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Denise Michaud NOTES MLF: Grownups

Today’s solutions for addressing climate change are doable, but daunting: decrease global meat consumption, improve family planning, shut down coal-fired power plants, or expand solar energy – where to start? How do we best allocate resources, prioritize policies, and design economic tradeoffs as we move forward? What are the most impactful steps we can take individually and collectively to reduce our impact on the planet?

When sex and technology cross paths, we see a combination of curiosity and censorship, sexism and empowerment, but most importantly, knowledge and pleasure. The intersection between sex and technology goes beyond sex toys—from smart vibrators to apps for your phone that allow you to track and learn from your own experiences—sex tech’s innovation plays a major factor in the future of women’s health and pleasure. Despite these groundbreaking improvements being made for user experience, however, the tech industry continues to reject sex tech and the women who are leading these advancements. In 2016, Myisha Battle launched Sex for Life, which boasts an array of sex coaching practices as well as the sex-positive podcast “Down for Whatever.” Liz Klinger is the CEO of Lioness, a company focusing on creating products to enable sexual self-discovery and well-being. Andrea Barrica is the founder and CEO of O.School, an online sex-ed platform that aims to revolutionize how we feel, talk and understand sex. Join these experts for a conversation about the many obstacles faced by leaders in the rapidly growing sex tech industry and their road to recognition. ** This Program Contains Explicit Language **

From ancient conjurers to quick-handed con artists to Las Vegas illusionists, magicians throughout the ages have been expertly manipulating human attention and perception to dazzle and delight us. The phenomena of cognitive and sensory illusions are responsible for the “magic” of a magic trick, but how and why? Come meet neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley and magician Robert Strong as they team up to demonstrate how magicians use our brains as their accomplices in effecting the impossible—and explain what scientists can learn about the brain by studying the methods and techniques of magic. In association with Wonderfest

China’s rise as a technology innovator is challenging the world by working hard, innovating fast and going global. A new book by Rebecca A. Fannin, Tech Titans of China, delves into the Chinese technology sector and its influence and implications worldwide, in tech sectors and beyond. The book is the go-to guide for those seeking to understand China’s grand tech ambitions, who the players are and what their strategy is. Join us for a fireside chat with Fannin and Wei Jiang, venture capitalist, discussing the rise of China's tech giants, China's challenge to the United States for global technology leadership, and the impact of a U.S.–China tech and trade war on Silicon Valley. MLF Organizer: Lotus Fong MLF: Asia Pacific

It's the night of the next Democratic presidential candidates debate, and we're all set to watch and comment on that and other political news. Doors will open at 5 p.m., and we will show the debate on the big screen in our auditorium. Then at 6:30, we'll switch over to our panelists, who will discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz!