Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Dr. Choucair will describe the Biden administration's national vaccination campaign to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.The challenges ahead are enormous, but Dr Choucair is known as an innovator, and his previous work has set him up to handle this project. He is used to planning for large numbers of people. Prior to joining the administration, Dr. Choucair served as senior vice president and chief health officer at Kaiser Permanente. He oversaw the organization’s efforts focused on addressing the social health of its 12.2 million members and the 68 million people who live in the communities it serves. This work included the creation of the nation’s largest social health network to meet the housing, food and transportation needs of its members. He also managed Kaiser Permanente’s community health portfolio, including $3.4 billion dedicated to supporting medical financial assistance and charitable care as well as grants and community health initiatives. Before his time at Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Choucair was the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health for five years before serving as senior vice president of Safety Net and Community Health at Trinity Health. He has been named by Modern Healthcare as one of the 50 Most Influential Health Executives in the U.S., one of the Most Influential People in Healthcare and as one of the Top 25 Innovators in Healthcare.MLF ORGANIZERRobert Lee KilpatrickNOTESMLF: Health & MedicineSPEAKERSBechara ChoucairM.D., Vaccinations Coordinator, White House COVID Response TeamRobert Lee KilpatrickPh.D., Chair, Health and Medicine MLF; General Advisor, Berkeley SkyDeck incubator and Accelerator; Advisor, Columbia University Master of Science Program in Bioethics; CEO, Health Innovation for People, Inc. (HIP)—ModeratorIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 17th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a virtual discussion with law professors Michael Heller and James Salzman to discuss the hidden set of rules that reveals how things become "mine"—the favorite word of every two-year-old.As adults, of course, the idea of ownership feels natural, whether we are buying a cup of coffee or a house. But who controls the space behind your airplane seat: your reclining self or the squished laptop user seated behind you? And why is plagiarism wrong, but it's okay to knock-off a recipe or a dress design? After a snowstorm, why does a chair in the street hold your parking space in Chicago, but in New York you lose both the space and the chair?Heller and Salzman explain these puzzles and many more using six simple stories that almost everyone uses to claim almost everything. And although choosing which story to use is often based on our most obvious legal rights, we can always pick a different story to use. This is true not just for airplane seats, but also for battles over digital privacy, climate change and wealth inequality. As Heller and Salzman demonstrate with stories that are eye-opening, mind-bending and sometimes infuriating, ownership is always up for grabs.MLF ORGANIZERGeorge HammondNOTESMLF: HumanitiesSPEAKERSMichael HellerLawrence A. Wien Professor of Real Estate Law, Columbia Law School; Co-Author, Mine!: How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our LivesJames SalzmanDonald Bren Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, with Joint Appointments at the UCLA School of Law and the UCSB Bren School of the Environment; Co-Author, Mine!: How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our LivesIn Conversation with George HammondAttorney; Author, Conversations With SocratesIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his debut novel, renowned China expert Orville Schell delves into the complexities of people whose lives have been historically upended by the tumult of political change, the pain of migration, and the separations of the Cold War that made it impossible to live in both worlds.In moving from non-fiction to fiction, Schell's sweeping historical novel takes us on a journey from the rise of Mao Zedong in 1949 to the Tiananmen Square uprising in 1989, as a classical musician and his son are swept away by a relentless series of devastating events. Through their lives, we follow the fault line between the United States and China—a divide that at times has been narrow and easily crossed, while at other times perilously wide. At a time when the U.S.-China divide is once again widening, Schell’s fictional characters speak volumes about the agonies of separation that may yet again become a reality.Join a unique discussion on U.S.-China relations (focusing on culture, music, religion and art as well as policy) with Schell and his longtime friend Ambassador Winston Lord, who served as Henry Kissinger’s main aide on his game-changing trip to China with President Richard Nixon in 1972 and subsequently became U.S. ambassador to China under President Reagan.Part of our Good Lit Series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.SPEAKERSWinston LordFormer U.S. Ambassador to China; Former President, Council on Foreign RelationsOrville SchellArthur Ross Director, Center on U.S.-China Relations, Asia Society; Former Professor and Dean, University of California, Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism; Author, My Old Home: A Novel of ExileIn conversation with James FallowsNational Correspondent, The AtlanticIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On March 16, 2020, the leaders of the Bay Area announced a regional stay-at-home order that transformed life for millions in the Bay Area. At the time, it was one of the largest and most visible public actions taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Other regions soon followed. Exactly one year later, the Bay Area, California and United States are finally emerging from a public health crisis that has led to over 500,00 deaths and transformed life throughout the country. With vaccine supply increasing, the end of the pandemic is finally in sight.Andy Slavitt, the new White House senior advisor on COVID-19, has been at the center of the fight against the pandemic since early 2020. Last year, he informally advised leading Republicans as well as Democrats across the country on effective strategies against COVOD-19. Early on, Slavitt teamed with former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb to propose a $46.5 billion plan for COVID-19 contact tracing and isolation and was lead author of an early open letter entitled “Stay Home, Save Lives” signed by 16 top Republican and Democratic figures. His impact and influence was felt by millions of people across the county.Today, Slavitt is helping lead the new Biden administration's COVID-19 response efforts. As new variants of the virus continue to spread across the United States and some states reopen as the drop in cases plateaus, the Biden administration is working to increase the production and delivery of vaccines, create new places for people to get vaccinated, and address vaccine hesitancy in diverse communities. Slavitt is at the center of all these discussions.Please join us for a discussion with one of the country’s savviest health professionals as we reflect on what we have learned over the past year and what it will take to finally return life to normal in the Bay Area, California and the United States as a whole.SPEAKERSAndy SlavittSenior Advisor, White House COVID-19 Response TeamMark ZitterChair, The Zetema Project; Member, The Commonwealth Club of California Board of Governors—ModeratorIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 16th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Always Home: A Daughter’s Recipes and Stories, Fanny Singer, daughter of food icon and activist Alice Waters, chronicles her unique world of food, wine and travel. Singer shares the story of her own culinary coming of age and reveals the dynamic relationship between a mother and daughter through connecting, recipes and, cooking.SPEAKERSFanny SingerAuthor, Always Home: A Daughter’s Recipes & StoriesAlice WatersChef, Chez PanisseCarolyn JungFood Writer; Author, East Bay Cooks—ModeratorIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Experts widely report that mental health treatment in Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) communities is severely lacking. Cultural differences and misunderstandings lead to diagnostic problems and hesitancy to seek treatment. The National Alliance on Mental Illness found that Black adults are more likely to report persistent symptoms of emotional distress than white adults, yet only one in three Black Americans who needs support gets it. Latinx, Asian and Indigenous people similarly have poor access to quality mental health services. BIPOC youth are more likely to end up in the criminal justice system, with their needs untreated. And the age of COVID has amplified the depth of these disparities and the ongoing systematic inequities for people of color.How can medical professionals, government and the private sector work together in this challenging time to improve conditions and treatment as well as eliminate stigma for those needing care? UCSF Psychiatry Chief Dr. Lisa Fortuna will moderate and address solutions. San Francisco Human Rights Commission Director Sheryl Davis will focus on the impact of COVID-19 and racism across different populations. Stanford University psychiatrist Dr. Rona Hu will discuss treatment needs in Asian, Black and LGBTQ populations. YMCA President Emeritus Chuck Collins will provide community context based on his work with varied populations over the years. And youth activist Nicole Elmore will discuss her personal experiences.Join this compelling conversation featuring health, community and human rights perspectives.NOTESPart of The Commonwealth Club’s series on mental health, dedicated in memory of Nancy Friend Pritzker, with support from the John Pritzker Family Fund.SPEAKERSChuck CollinsPresident Emeritus, YMCA, San FranciscoSheryl DavisExecutive Director, San Francisco Human Rights Commission.Nicole ElmoreCommunity Youth Activist; Program Assistant, Opportunities for All (Mayor London Breed’s Youth Initiative for Workforce Development, Partnered with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission)Dr. Rona HuAssociate Dean of Academic Affairs and Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine; Founder, Stanford Mental Health for Asians Research and Treatment (SMHART) ClinicDr. Lisa FortunaM.D., Chief of Psychiatry Department, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week.We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events.If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives.Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships.Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

True to his campaign promise, President Biden dove right into the climate crisis on Day One, signing a stack of executive orders that signaled his determination. But how effective are they? “Executive orders, I think, are often very splashy when they're introduced, and they get a lot of attention,” notes Axios reporter Ben Gemen. “I think the better way to look at an executive order is sort of firing a starting gun for an extraordinarily long race.” But while he faces certain blowback from Republicans in Congress, there are signs that when it comes to conservative thought, the wind may be changing.What can the Biden Administration accomplish using existing authority? How much will conservatives and businesses step in and step up on climate?Guests:Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), Chair of House Select Committee on the Climate CrisisRich Powell, Executive Director, ClearPathBen Geman, Energy Reporter, Axios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear the dramatic inside story of the first four historic flights that launched SpaceX—and Elon Musk—from a shaky startup into the world's leading-edge rocket company.In 2006, SpaceX—a brand-new venture with fewer than 200 employees—rolled its first, single-engine rocket onto a launch pad at Kwajalein Atoll. After a groundbreaking launch from the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the Falcon 1 rocket designed by Elon Musk’s engineers rose into the air for approximately 30 seconds. Then its engine flamed out, and the rocket crashed back into the ocean.In 2007, SpaceX undertook a second launch. This time, the rocket rose far into space, but just before reaching orbit it spun out of control. Confident of success in 2008, Musk and his team launched their third rocket with several paying customers. The first stage executed perfectly, but instead of falling away, it thudded into the second stage. Another failure. Elon Musk had only budgeted for three attempts when he founded SpaceX.Out of money and with a single Falcon 1 rocket left in its factory, SpaceX decided to try one last, dramatic launch. Over eight weeks, engineers worked furiously to prepare this final rocket. The fate of Musk’s venture mirrored the trajectory of this slender, single-engine rocket aimed toward the skies. If it crashed and burned, so would SpaceX. In September 2008, SpaceX’s last chance for success lifted off . . . and accelerated like a dream, soaring into orbit flawlessly.That success would launch a miraculous decade for the company, in which SpaceX grew from building a single-engine rocket to one with a staggering 27 engines; created two different spacecraft; and mastered reusable-rocket descents using mobile drone ships on the open seas. It marked a level of production and achievement that has not been seen since the space race of the 1960s.But these achievements would not have been possible without SpaceX’s first four flight tests. Drawing on unparalleled access and exclusive interviews with dozens of former and current employees—engineers, designers, mechanics and executives, including Elon Musk—Eric Berger tells the complete story of this foundational generation that transformed SpaceX into the world’s leading space company.MLF ORGANIZERGerald HarrisNOTESMLF: Technology & SocietySPEAKERSEric BergerAuthor, Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days that Launched SpaceXIn Conversation with Alison van DiggelenHost, “Fresh Dialogues” and Contributor, BBCThis program contains EXPLICIT language.In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 11th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 75, Norma Kamali looks—and acts—nearly half her age. Join us for a conversation with Kamali, who will share her lessons on authentic beauty, timeless style, career-building, fitness and health through personal stories, worldly insight, and actionable advice designed to help women of every age create their happiest, healthiest, most successful and fulfilling lives.The secret, she writes in her first book I Am Invincible, is learning to age with power: Embracing a healthy lifestyle and looking forward to every milestone and the changes they bring, with the realization that reaching one’s potential has no date. Manifesto, memoir and essential guide, her book is informed by 50 years of Kamali’s twists, turns, triumphs and failures experienced while finding the courage and conviction to race after her dreams and never look back.Kamali feels that we are empowered when we are our best selves. Sleep, a healthy diet and exercise are life’s universal solutions for a healthy life. The outcome is a great, authentic you.MLF ORGANIZERDenise M. MichaudNOTESMLF: GrownupsSPEAKERSNorma KamaliFashion Designer; Author, I Am InvincibleDenise MichaudChair, Grownups Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—ModeratorIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on February 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices