Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Politico's Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman offer a startling look at President Trump’s first two years in office and all the power struggles happening in Washington, D.C. Taking us behind the scenes to some of the most defining moments of our era, they highlight the gamesmanship, impulsiveness, fighting, backstabbing and dealmaking happening amongst our political leaders. More importantly, they share what’s really at stake for our country and the lasting impact it will have on the American people.

PG&E has had a bad few years. A series of record-breaking wildfires culminating with 2018’s devastating Camp Fire propelled the California utility giant into lawsuits, $30 billion in liabilities and, ultimately, bankruptcy. Under new state laws, regulated utilities will have a hard time avoiding blame in fires where their equipment is involved—so what’s ahead for PG&E’s peers and their shareholders when a deadly blaze could spell bankruptcy? What happens when the California dream of living near nature is in direct conflict with disruptive tragedies fueled by climate change?

Join LaDoris Hazzard Cordell and two young civic leaders, Hatim Mansori and David Miles, after they travel on the Club’s trip, “On the Road to Freedom: Understanding the Civil Rights Movement” in early April. The group will have spent time in Jackson, Little Rock, Memphis, Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery. Come hear a discussion on the movement from both a historical perspective and how it impacts young people today.

What does it take to lead a meaningful life? Brooks believes we live in a society that celebrates freedom and takes individualism to the extreme. He explains that personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute our commitments. Through his research, he identifies and explores four principal commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose. Brooks is a popular political and social commentator and appears regularly on “PBS NewsHour” and “Meet the Press.” ** This Podcast May Contain Explicit Language **

Senator Scott Wiener represents San Francisco and northern San Mateo County in the California State Senate. Elected in 2016, Senator Wiener focuses extensively on housing, transportation, civil rights, criminal justice reform, clean energy, and alleviating poverty. He chairs the Senate Housing Committee. Before being elected to the Senate, Wiener served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing the district previously represented by Harvey Milk, and chaired the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. Before being elected to office, Wiener practiced law for 15 years, including nearly a decade as a deputy city attorney in the San Francisco city attorney’s office. He also served in a number of community leadership roles, including co-chair of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center and on the national board of directors of the Human Rights Campaign. Wiener has lived in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood since 1997. He received degrees from Duke University and Harvard Law School. 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.

Known as the ultimate coach, the legendary Bill Campbell mentored some of the best and brightest tech entrepreneurs, including Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. In honor of Bill Campbell, authors Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg and Alan Eagle wrote Trillion Dollar Coach highlighting some of his most valuable lessons in forward-thinking business and management. The trio all recount their firsthand experiences with “Coach Bill,” giving a unique glimpse into the fast-paced environment of Silicon Valley. Schmidt served as Google CEO from 2001 to 2011, Google executive chairman from 2011 to 2015 and executive chairman of Alphabet from 2015 to 2018. Rosenberg was a senior vice president at Google and is an adviser to the Alphabet management team. Eagle is the director of executive communications at Google. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

One of the most dramatic figure skaters on the planet, Adam Rippon won the hearts of America and the world at the 2018 Winter Olympics. With his refreshing candor and wit, he used his place on the global stage to speak out in support of LGBTQ rights and the freedom to be oneself. After the Olympics, Rippon remained in the spotlight, becoming a role model and even an icon. He was named to Time's 100 Most Influential People list, Forbes' 30 Under 30, Out magazine's Power 50: The Most Influential Voices in LGBTQ America, has been recognized with the Human Rights Campaign's Visibility Award and Attitude magazine's 2018 Sports Hero Award and has been honored by the Matthew Shepard Foundation. And Rippon is not slowing down—his memoir Beautiful on the Outside is due out on September 24 and he is launching a YouTube channel this spring. Now Rippon comes to The Commonwealth Club to discuss his life, his sport, and his causes. Join us for a special up-close look at an influential young voice being heard by millions. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

John Hickenlooper is a Democratic candidate for president of the United States. He is a former, two-term governor of Colorado and two-term mayor of Denver. Hickenlooper's background is unique: After being laid off with thousands of other geologists in the mid-1980s, Hickenlooper was out of work for nearly two years before he and a friend decided to scrape together the money to open a brewery in an abandoned part of Denver. Working with a few other business owners, Hickenlooper helped create a new neighborhood that became a national model for urban revitalization. In 2003, Hickenlooper ran and won as a "dark horse" for mayor of Denver. He eliminated a $70 million budget deficit without major service cuts or layoffs—cutting his own salary by 25 percent. Hickenlooper also instituted major police reform, expanded pre-k and created a sweeping mass transit plan. In 2005, with an approval rating of 92 percent, Time magazine rated him one of the five best big city mayors in America. In 2010, Hickenlooper ran successfully for governor. He was reelected in 2014—one of only three Democrats to win a swing state in one of the worst cycles for Democrats in 25 years. In the past eight years, Colorado jumped from 40th in job growth to become one of the fastest growing rural economies in the nation. Hickenlooper also brought oil companies and environmentalists together to pass strict methane regulations in the country—a major contributor to climate change. Hickenlooper led Colorado’s recovery effort through major fires and floods, reopening roads, bridges and communities in record time. Hickenlooper launched his campaign for president in mid-March. Come hear from this aspiring and accomplished political leader.

Variously referred to as the “Nation’s Attic” or “Octopus on the Mall,” the Smithsonian is an institution that is 172 years old and comprised of 19 museums; 9 research centers; 21 libraries; and the National Zoo, which is bound to have secrets. (Well, maybe not secrets, but certainly the uncommon, rare, curious, extraordinary—even perhaps bizarre.) Nancy E. Gwinn will delve into the fascinating history of the Smithsonian, the world’s largest museum complex and America’s national museum, and share some of its intriguing stories. Gwinn has been director of the Smithsonian Libraries since 1997. She oversees a network of 21 libraries and central services units and is a recognized leader in international librarianship, in developing digital libraries, in building cooperative programs and partnerships, and in promoting Smithsonian scholarship to external communities. A former Fulbright Scholar at the University of Oxford in England, Gwinn holds a doctorate in American civilization from George Washington University, a master’s in library science from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s from the University of Wyoming.

This week, attorney Kate Kendell talks about her work with Pack the Courts, a new organization aimed at doing exactly what its name says—add additional justices to the U.S. Supreme Court to counter the court's current conservative majority. Is it a good idea? Is it fair? Does it set a good or bad precedent for future political movements in the country? Join us for a discussion of the organization and the movement. Until the end of 2018, Kendell led the National Center for Lesbian Rights, a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. She also serves as co-chair of OutWOMEN, Out Leadership’s talent accelerator engaging and celebrating LGBT+ women in business. Kendell grew up Mormon in Utah and received her J.D. degree from the University of Utah College of Law in 1988. After a few years as a corporate attorney she was named the first staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah. She is a nationally recognized spokesperson for LGBT rights and has an active voice in major media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Advocate, NPR, CNN and many others. Despite the national success of NCLR under her tenure, she says her most rewarding responsibilities still include fostering alliances on the community and organizational levels, and advocating from a grass-roots perspective on issues concerning social justice. This program is part of our weekly series with Michelle Meow, who 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.

San Francisco is changing at warp speed. Famously home to artists and activists, and known as the birthplace of the Beats, the Black Panthers and the LGBTQ movement, in recent decades the Bay Area has been reshaped by Silicon Valley, the engine of the new American economy. The richer the region gets, the more unequal and less diverse it becomes, and cracks in the city’s facade―rapid gentrification, an epidemic of evictions, rising crime, atrophied public institutions―have started to show. Inspired by Studs Terkel’s classic works of oral history, writer and filmmaker Cary McClelland spent several years interviewing people at the epicenter of the recent change, including venture capitalists, coders, politicians, protesters as well as native sons and daughters to the city’s newest arrivals. The crisp and vivid stories of Silicon City’s diverse cast capture San Francisco as never before. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

Bret Easton Ellis, the best-selling novelist and screenwriter of the darkly incisive American Psycho and other hugely popular novels, is diving into nonfiction for the first time with his provocatively titled new book White, which blends his personal perspective in the entertainment industry and his sharp cultural insight into our digital age, simultaneously defining and defending the concept of freedom of speech. While Ellis eschews the label provocateur, he remains outspoken in his frustration with identity politics and political correctness. In Ellis’ words, “Everyone feels muzzled now, and it comes down to how much you can take. Can I talk about what I’m feeling and say my opinion? You get to a point where there’s a break, a fissure, and you either decide to go through it and be yourself, or you decide to hide.” Beyond his literary career, Ellis also expounds at length on film, books, music, culture and politics on “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast,” and his Twitter feed is often feisty—agree or disagree with him, Ellis gets you thinking. Join Ellis live at INFORUM as he reflects on the state of political discourse in the United States and shares his unique perspective as an unfiltered and often polarizing cultural commentator. ***This program contains explicit language***

William J. Burns is widely acknowledged as a diplomatic legend, with the experience to match. He spearheaded talks that resulted in the elimination of Libya’s illicit weapons program, served as the U.S. ambassador to Russia and, most famously, initiated the opening of back channels that led to the historic Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding Iran’s nuclear program. He is only the second career diplomat to hold the office of deputy secretary of state. After serving under Hillary Clinton, he was widely acknowledged to be on Clinton's short list for secretary of state. Burns is known for being trusted by politicians on both sides of the aisle for his no-nonsense, can-do attitude. In his new book, The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal, Burns tells the story of a lifetime. From the aftermath of 9/11, the Iran nuclear deal and everything in between, Burns gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of the State Department under five separate presidencies. Join us for an insider’s account of the last three decades of American diplomacy—and the lessons to be learned from them. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

Plastics are a ubiquitous, inescapable part of daily life. They have many seemingly irreplaceable, inexpensive and convenient uses. But there is a dark side to some of them that goes far beyond the painful photographs of albatross chick tummies stuffed with discarded cigarette lighters or turtle necks strangled by six pack rings. Some of them are exceedingly hazardous to life, even at what appear to be low doses. Much of the hazard arises because they contain chemicals that interfere with hormone signaling: endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). By hacking the hormone signaling systems that control fetal development, they can set in motion physiological processes that can lead to a wide array of diseases and disabilities. Intense study of EDCs began in the 1990s. Since then, millions of dollars have been invested in this scientific field, yielding thousands of research papers. Pete Myers will lay out the core central themes that have emerged in this field over the last two decades: low doses matter a lot; what begins in the womb does not stay in the womb; the tools we have used to test for safety of plastics have been based upon false assumptions and continue to use outdated methods; and exposure is ubiquitous. We now know enough about how EDCs cause damage, however, to help chemists design safer chemicals. This last point positions chemists to grab market share in rising consumer demand for inherently safer materials. As that effort grows, it should be possible to slow if not reverse today’s epidemics of endocrine-related diseases, such as prostate and breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, infertility and brain disorders. MLF Organizer: Patty James MLF: Health & Medicine

Religion has always been something that both unites and divides us humans. To Reza Aslan, it seems that we focus more and more on the differences. Many people would be surprised to learn how much collaboration there was between the major religions at the time of their development, and how many similarities there are as a result. Aslan, a renowned scholar of religious history, delves into this in his book God: A Human History. He focuses on the remarkably cohesive attempt to understand the divine in human terms—nearly every religious tradition, as Aslan writes, conceives of God as “a divine version of ourselves.” But this projection is not without consequences. As conceptions of God take on those qualities of virtue in human nature—compassion, a desire for justice—the divine also exhibits our greed and inclination toward violence. Having published best-selling books on the future of Islam, the life of Jesus Christ and religious extremism in a globalizing world, Aslan is especially prepared to answer these questions. No matter your religious beliefs, join us for a conversation that is sure to challenge your own conception of the divine and how it has shaped our world today.