Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

The 14th annual Lundberg Institute Lecture features Robert Wachter of UCSF and his predictions about what advances artificial intelligence will make, and will not make, in health care.Why has health care not undergone the kind of digital transformation that has completely remade industries ranging from retail to entertainment to travel? Wachter will discuss health care’s bumpy road to digital nirvana, and why, to paraphrase Hemingway, generative AI may lead to medicine’s “gradually, then suddenly” moment.Join us for a preview of the ideas Dr. Wachter discusses in his latest book on AI and health care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“American values over autocracy. Benevolence over bigotry.”—So begins the rousing finale of the first floor speech delivered by Congressman Hakeem Jeffries upon his historic elevation as House Democratic Leader, affirming the values of our great country one letter of the alphabet at a time.His words provide a reminder of what will keep the United States the greatest democracy in the history of the world. In his new illustrated book for all ages, Jeffries employs clever and memorable turns of phrase to paint an alphabetic road map for a brighter American future and warn of the perils of taking a different path.Jeffries (D-NY) has served as the House minority leader since 2023, when he succeeded San Francisco’s Rep. Nancy Pelosi as leader of House Democrats. He is the first Black party leader in either chamber of the U.S. Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the surface, climate policy couldn’t face a worse future than under a second Trump administration. As a candidate, Trump said on his first day back in office: “I want to drill, drill, drill.” So, what are environmental organizations, including those aligned with the Republican party, doing to keep making progress on addressing climate change? And what do Trump’s cabinet picks say about the incoming administration’s attitude toward energy policy?Guests: Abigail Dillen, President, EarthjusticeHeather Reams, President, Citizens for Responsible Energy SolutionsFor show notes and related links, visit our website.A brief correction was made to this episode on 29 December 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the intersection of art, artificial intelligence, and new technology. Through the diverse perspectives of three incredible artists, we will delve into unique opportunities that new technology presents for creative expression, activism, and the artists' evolving role in the 21st century. This event will offer exciting opportunities to interact with the artists and a realistic portrait-drawing robot built on 60,000 lines of code. Together, we will gain insight into the future of art and AI by fostering a deeper understanding of how technology is reshaping the art world, culture, and humanity's creative landscape.Learn more: Read this New York Times article "Visions of A.I. Art From OpenAI's First Artist in Residence," including comments from speaker Hugh Leeman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Regardless of who won the presidential election on November 5, one thing remains on the calendar: Former President Donald Trump heads back to court on November 26 for sentencing.Bestselling author and presidential historian Jonathan Alter had a front-row seat to Trump’s felony trial, one of just a handful of journalists allowed in the courtroom. For 23 days, he sat just feet away from Trump, watching the spectacle of the century. In his new book American Reckoning, Alter shares everything he witnessed—from eviscerating takes on the colorful characters to the chilling legal ups and downs—to offer a barbed account of the trial and its aftermath, including fresh reporting about the historic events of the summer of 2024.While experiencing a crisis of faith in the good sense of the American people, Alter chronicles the shaping of his political consciousness and his bracing, unpredictable relationships with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain, and Joe Biden, whose decision to stand down in favor of former prosecutor Kamala Harris put the criminal trial front and center as Americans render their own verdict at the polls.Join us for a special online-only program as we hear from someone with a front-row seat to history.This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Each generation of classical music lovers may wonder if their generation will be the last to truly enjoy the fusion of beautiful sound and emotional depth expressed by the master composers and performers of this centuries-old artistic tradition. Changing economic and social pressures in the early 21st century dented the interest in classical music in the West, a trend exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. But other forces of change are also at work, including a rapidly increasing interest in Asia following upon the worldwide success, among other performers, of Lang Lang and Yuja Wang (both of whom were discovered and whose early careers were managed for several years by Earl Blackburn).Blackburn will explore what it means to make a career work in today’s classical music industry and will discuss the principles that help thousands of great artists continue to grow both artistically and commercially. Decades ago careers in classical music necessitated getting a powerful agent. Now the tables have flipped somewhat. The creation of classical music has become much more of a collaboration among artist, agent, concert presenter and the audiences who enjoy this art form. Everyone involved is given a chance to test what it means to exercise their imaginations, creating beauty out of sound.Blackburn will be joined in this discussion by one of his artists, the prize-winning violinist Nancy Zhou, who will also perform.Organizer: George Hammond A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is possible that the only news we hear about more than politics is the climate crisis, and sometimes it is politics about the climate crisis? But what are we hearing and saying about climate change, and is it what we think we’re hearing and saying? Genevieve Guenther, founder of the nonprofit organization End Climate Silence, has engaged journalists in efforts to improve coverage of environmental crises in their reporting. Publishers Weekly called her new book, The Language of Climate Politics: Fossil Fuel Propaganda and How to Fight It, a “revelatory study.” In it, she puts forth powerful new ways to talk about the climate crisis that she says will help create transformative change. Guenther argues that the climate debate is not neatly polarized, with Republicans obstructing climate action and Democrats advancing climate solutions. Partisans on the right and the left often repeat the same fossil-fuel talking points, and she says this repetition produces a consensus upholding the status quo, even as global heating accelerates. Guenther says big energy interests weaponize the discourses of science, economics, and activism, co-opting and twisting climate language to help “greenwash” their plans for ongoing extraction. But all too often climate scientists, economists, and even advocates will unwittingly echo the assumptions of their supposed political opponents. This apparent agreement between foes, filtered through the news media, not only influences views about the climate crisis but also enables powerful decision makers to justify the policy actions that threaten us all. Guenther says she knows how to transform it and equip people with powerful new terms that will enable them to fight more effectively for a livable future.Organizer: Andrew Dudley A People & Nature Member-led Forum program. Forums and chapters at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of Commonwealth Club World Affairs, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Globally, one-third of food produced every year is wasted. That’s enough to feed about 2 billion people — twice the number of people who are undernourished. The global food system also accounts for a whopping one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. These two problems — waste and emissions — are intricately linked: Climate disruption exacerbates food insecurity. And industrial food production contributes to the climate crisis. When food is wasted, it’s also a waste of land, water and energy.In this episode, we talk with experts about how to fix the broken system and hear from some of the people on the ground recovering food before it goes to waste. How can we address both climate and food insecurity at the same time? This episode also features a news story produced by Harvest Public Media contributor Peter Medlin, a reporter with WNIJ Northern Public Radio.Guests:Dawn King, Senior Lecturer, Brown UniversityLisa Moon, CEO, The Global Food Banking NetworkNorma Alonso, ABACO, Cooperation Manager James Leyson, Managing Director for Global Impact and Operations, Scholars of Sustenance🎟️ Join Climate One live in San Francisco on December 9 for our celebration of 2024 Schneider Award Winner Leah Stokes! Tickets are on sale now.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.For show notes and related links, visit our website.🦃 Happy Thanksgiving! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalism can be a powerful force for change, especially in helping people understand the complex causes and impacts of domestic violence. Reporting that includes the diverse experiences of survivors can help shine a light on solutions.This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, join us for a special event, "From Silence to Solutions: Changing the Conversation about Domestic Violence." Come together with a community of journalists, survivors, and advocates who want to change the conversation about domestic violence so that we can end it. The program will feature an interactive discussion with survivors and journalists, introduce a Journalists’ Playbook on covering domestic violence, and be followed by a networking reception.For more info about the toolkit for journalists, by journalists and survivors of domestic violence: https://journalists.letsenddv.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The national results of the recent general election caused a wave of shock through many progressive organizations in the country and here in the Bay Area.Join us for a live town hall with speakers from leading LGBTQ organizations, including SF AIDS Foundation, LYRIC, NCLR, SF Pride, El/La Para Translatina, SF HRC, EQCA, SF Office Transgender Initiative and more to come. They'll discuss the election results, its impact on various LGBTQ communities, and plans to respond.Fireside Chats:ImmigrationNicole Santamaria, executive director, El/La Para Translatina—ModeratorJennicet Gutierrez, co-founder and co-executive director, Familia TQLMOkan Sengun, co-founder, Center for Immigrant ProtectionYuan Wang, executive director, Lavender PhoenixState of LGBTQIA+Honey Mahogany–ModeratorImani Rupert-Gordon, NCLRTyler TerMeer, SF AIDS FoundationSuzanne Ford, SF PrideLance Toma, executive director, San Francisco Community Health CenterTGNC Youth, Families, and Gender Affirming CareGael Lala-Chavez, executive director, LYRIC—ModeratorDr. Alexis Petra, founder, Transclinique Lizette Trujillo, proud mother to a transgender son, volunteer for the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance/FluxxShay Franco-Clausen, political director EQCAIndigo Jensen, youth speaker, advocateSpecial Guests:Dr. Marcy AdelmanRoma GuyAni Rivera, commissioner, San Francisco Department on the Status of WomenSee more  Michelle Meow Show programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California.Thanks to our sponsors:SF PrideAlaska AirlinesSF Human Rights CommissionRobert HolgatePartners:NCLRSF AIDS FoundationLYRICSF Community Health CenterEl/La Para TranslatinaCIP- Center for Immigration ProtectionLGBT AsylumOffice of Transgender Initiatives Parivar Bay AreaLavender Phoenix Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices