Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Commonwealth Club of California
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Commonwealth Club of California Podcast Podcast

The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's largest public affairs forum. The nonpartisan and nonprofit Club produces and distributes programs featuring diverse viewpoints from thought leaders on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast — the oldest in the U.S., since 1924 — is carried on hundreds of stations. Our website features audio and video of our programs. This podcast feed is usually updated multiple times each week.

  1. Turning Election Anxiety Into Action

    8 HR. AGO

    Turning Election Anxiety Into Action

    The U.S. is gearing up for a presidential election between a climate advocate and a climate denier. Scientists have given humanity a deadline to drastically reduce the use of fossil fuels if we want a habitable Earth. While there has been some progress, it’s not anywhere nearly enough, and the consequences of our failure to address our fossil fuel addiction is becoming more and more obvious. All of which generates lots of anxiety about the election’s outcome.  So what are some ways we can address that anxiety? Can that worry be put to good use?  Guests: Lise Van Susteren, General and forensic psychiatrist; Author Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President & CEO, Hip Hop Caucus David Hogg, Gun control activist; Cofounder, March for Our Lives, Leaders We Deserve Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month. 🎟️ Climate One has three incredible live shows on the horizon! Join us for conversations featuring Jane Goodall, Justin J. Pearson, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Bill McKibben, and Abigail Dillen. Tickets are on sale now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    57 min

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    People Power & Service Transforming the City: What's Good SF! Summer Series

    Join us for our second installment of a new series of lively discussion on the future of San Francisco. Featuring leaders in community, service and volunteerism. "People Power & Service" will explore the opportunities for the people of San Francisco to play an active role in the next chapter of our city and the impact that neighbors leading local change can have. Hear strategy and on-the-ground learnings from Josh Fryday, California’s chief service officer, Jess Blackshaw, founder of the Bay Area’s innovative Y Core young professional service program, and Dean Fealk, author and researcher on changemakers and service. By harnessing the collective energy and dedication of community members, we can breathe new life into urban spaces, foster stronger connections, and address critical social needs. Learn how grassroots efforts are leading sustainable change, driving economic growth, social cohesion, and a renewed sense of pride in San Francisco. Join us in imagining the role of volunteerism in building the vibrant and resilient city of the future. UP NEXT. . . Part 3, coming soon: "A Thriving, Natural City," how should we shape a sustainable San Francisco future? See Part 1: "The Future of Downtown" "What's Good, SF!” is a compelling series delving into the post-pandemic revitalization of San Francisco. Through three insightful programs, the series navigates the city's landscape of opportunity and challenge. Join us as we uncover the stories of resilience, adaptation and transformation that define San Francisco's journey toward a new, vibrant and sustainable future.   This program is generously supported Levi Strauss & Co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 9m

  3. 3 DAYS AGO

    Mary Trump: Family Ties and Lies

    Everyone knows her name. Mary Trump grew up in a family divided by its patriarch’s relentless drive for money and power. The daughter of Freddy Trump—the highly accomplished, dashing eldest son of wealthy real estate developer Fred Trump—and Linda Clapp—a flight attendant from a working-class family—Mary lived in the shadow of Freddy’s humiliation at the hands of his father. Fred Trump embodied the ethos of the zero-sum game and among his five children: there could only be one winner. That was supposed to be Freddy, his namesake, but Fred found him wanting―too sensitive, too kind, too interested in pursuits beyond the realm of the real estate empire he was meant to inherit. In Donald, Fred found a kindred spirit, a “killer,” who would stop at nothing to get his own way. Even after Freddy’s short-lived career as a professional pilot for TWA came to an end, he never stopped trying to gain his father’s approval. Finally, at the age of 42, he succumbed to Fred’s lethal contempt and died alone in an emergency room, with no family by his side. Mary Trump returns to the Club for a special online-only talk about the issues raised in her new memoir Who Could Ever Love You, in which she pulls back the curtains on what she calls the twisted family whose patriarch ignored, froze out, and eventually destroyed his own. Freddy Trump’s decline into alcoholism and illness, along with Linda’s suffering after their divorce, left Mary dangerously vulnerable as a very young girl. Inadequately and only conditionally loved, there were no adults in her life except for the father she loved but lost before she could know him; and a mother abandoned by her ex-husband’s rich and powerful family who demanded her loyalty but left her with nothing. She says that cold, selfish cruelty has come to define the Trump family thanks in large part to her uncle, whose ambition has divided the nation and much of the world. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 10m

  4. 6 DAYS AGO

    H.R. McMaster: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House

    For 13 turbulent and consequential months, H.R. McMaster served as President Donald Trump’s national security advisor. McMaster entered an administration beset by conflict and the hyper partisanship of American politics. Join us as McMaster shares his stories of helping an unpredictable president drive necessary shifts in U.S. foreign policy at a critical moment in history. He says that while all administrations are subject to backstabbing and infighting, some of Trump’s more unscrupulous political advisors were determined to undermine McMaster and others to advance their narrow agendas. Hear about Cabinet officials who, deeply disturbed by Trump’s language and behavior, prioritized controlling the president over collaborating to provide the president with options. McMaster offers a frank and fresh assessment of the achievements and failures of his tenure as national security advisor and the challenging task of maintaining one’s bearings and focus on the mission in a hectic and malicious environment. Determined to transcend the war within the administration and focus on national security priorities, McMaster forged coalitions in Washington and internationally to help Trump advance U.S. interests. Trump’s character and personality helped him make tough decisions, but sometimes prevented him from sticking to them, says McMaster. And now with the 2024 election on the horizon, hear McMaster highlight the crucial importance of competence in foreign policy, and make plain the need for leaders who possess the character and intellect to guide the United States in a tumultuous world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 9m
  5. Cheaper, Faster, Better: Tom Steyer on Winning the Climate War

    SEP 6

    Cheaper, Faster, Better: Tom Steyer on Winning the Climate War

    Tom Steyer rose to public prominence as the billionaire investor and climate organizer who ran for president in the 2020 election on a climate-first platform. While he didn’t secure the Democratic nomination, his dedication to supporting and advancing climate solutions has remained steadfast.  In his new book, “Cheaper, Better, Faster: How We’ll Win the Climate War,” Steyer argues that we are in a defining moment: we face the daunting, existential threat of climate change. And yet, with this great challenge comes a great opportunity for innovation, global leadership and economic growth. But can capitalism, the system that helped create and exacerbate the climate crisis, be the system that fixes climate chaos?  Guests: Tom Steyer, Co-Executive Chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions, Investor, Author  Naomi Oreskes, Professor of the History of Science, Harvard Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month. 🎟️ Climate One has three incredible live shows on the horizon! Join us for conversations featuring Jane Goodall, Justin J. Pearson, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Bill McKibben, and Abigail Dillen. Tickets are on sale now. For show notes and related links, visit our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    58 min
  6. Military Power: Balancing Security and Climate Threats

    AUG 30

    Military Power: Balancing Security and Climate Threats

    The U.S. military is one of the world’s largest consumers of fossil fuels. And its carbon pollution is equally huge. At the same time, climate disruption is already amplifying crises and conflicts around the world — making climate change, in the words of one military expert, “a threat multiplier.” The Department of Defense has been making moves to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. The Air Force has recently invested in electric aircraft, and several bases are tapping into geothermal energy — capturing heat from deep underground. Others are building their own microgrids — islands of electricity that can run on clean sources. This week we explore how the U.S. military is trying to balance global security with climate threats. This episode also features a reported story by NPR’s Quil Lawrence, originally broadcast on NPR’s All Things Considered on October 2, 2023. Guests: Sherri Goodman, Secretary General, International Military Council on Climate & Security  Neta C. Crawford, Montague Burton Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford 📞 With the presidential election just a few months away, many of us are experiencing increased anxiety and uncertainty. If you're finding it challenging to manage your stress or are looking for support during this tense time, we want to hear from you. We’re inviting you to call in with your questions for our expert therapist, who will provide insights and practical advice on how to cope that may be shared in an upcoming episode. Call ‪(650) 382-3869 to leave us a voicemail ‬and let us know what you’re feeling. Thanks for sharing! Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today for just $5/month. 🎟️ Climate One has three incredible live shows on the horizon! Join us for conversations featuring Jane Goodall, Justin J. Pearson, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Bill McKibben, and Abigail Dillen. Tickets are on sale now. For show notes and related links, visit our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    58 min

  7. AUG 28

    Erwin Chemerinsky: No Democracy Lasts Forever

    Has the U.S. Constitution become a threat to American democracy? Does it need to be dramatically changed or replaced if secession is to be avoided? Join us as Erwin Chemerinsky returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to share his deeply troubled thoughts of the Constitution’s inherent flaws. The dean of the UC Berkeley law school came to the sobering conclusion that our nearly 250-year-old founding document is responsible for the crisis now facing American democracy. Chemerinsky points out that just 15 of the 11,848 amendments proposed since 1789 have passed, and he contends that the very nature of our polarization results from the Constitution’s “bad bones,” which have created a government that no longer works or has the confidence of the public. Yet he says political Armageddon can still be avoided if a new constitutional convention is empowered to replace the Constitution of 1787, much as the Founding Fathers replaced the outdated Articles of Confederation. And if that’s not possible? He has an even more radical proposal: That Americans must give serious thought to forms of secession―including a United States structured like the European Union―based on a recognition that what divides us as a country is, in fact, greater than what unites us.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 5m

  8. AUG 26

    Melissa Jacoby with Sen. Elizabeth Warren: How Our Bankruptcy System Makes America More Unequal

    Bankruptcy is the busiest federal court in America. In theory, bankruptcy in America exists to cancel or restructure debts for people and companies that have way too many debts—a safety valve designed to provide a mechanism for restarting lives and businesses when things go wrong financially. Legal scholar Melissa B. Jacoby argues that bankruptcy has also become an escape hatch for powerful individuals, corporations, and governments, contributing in unseen and poorly understood ways to race, gender, and class inequality in America. When cities go bankrupt, for example, police unions enjoy added leverage while police brutality victims are denied a seat at the negotiating table; the system is more forgiving of civil rights abuses than of the parking tickets disproportionately distributed in African American neighborhoods. Across a broad range of crucial issues, Jacoby reveals the hidden mechanisms by which bankruptcy impacts everything from sexual harassment to health care, police violence to employment discrimination, and the opioid crisis to gun violence. Join us for a special online-only program with Professor Jacoby in conversation with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    58 min
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4.6
out of 5
60 Ratings

About

The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's largest public affairs forum. The nonpartisan and nonprofit Club produces and distributes programs featuring diverse viewpoints from thought leaders on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast — the oldest in the U.S., since 1924 — is carried on hundreds of stations. Our website features audio and video of our programs. This podcast feed is usually updated multiple times each week.

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