Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

In January, congestion pricing went into effect in New York City. The policy’s implementation took decades; along the way, multiple moments suggested that it wouldn’t happen at all. Now, drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street during peak hours are required to pay a toll. Meanwhile, other cities like San Francisco are considering a similar initiative. But Trump opposes New York’s plan. Governor Hochul and state policy leaders encountered a political quagmire pushing the plan through. And its future is only certain up until around next fall, when legal proceedings are expected to come to a resolution. So, is congestion pricing making a worthwhile difference? How do New Yorkers — and those traveling into Manhattan — feel about it? Guests: Eric A. Goldstein, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council Sarah M. Kaufman, Director of NYU’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management Ryan Johnson, Co-Founder and CEO, Culdesac On June 4, Climate One is hosting a special screening of the documentary “Good Grief: The 10 Steps” followed by a climate anxiety workshop. Join us for this intimate conversation about the importance of mental health live at The Commonwealth Club. Tickets are available through our website. 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 show notes and related links, visit our website. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Radio and TV journalist Ira Flatow produced his first science stories back in 1970 during the inaugural Earth Day. Since then, he has worked for Emmy Award-winning science programs and covered science for a number of high-profile news organizations, and has hosted the popular public radio program “Science Friday” for more than three decades. In his career, Flatow has interviewed countless scientists, journalists and other experts about the most exciting developments in science. Now the Club welcomes Flatow in conversation with local journalists to speak about the role of science writing in the current cultural climate. About the Speakers Ira Flatow is an award-winning science correspondent, TV journalist, and the host of "Science Friday," heard on public radio stations across the country and distributed by WNYC Studios. He brings radio and podcast listeners worldwide a lively, informative discussion on science, technology, health, space, the environment and more. Flatow describes his work as the challenge “to make science and technology a topic for discussion around the dinner table.” Annalee Newitz writes science fiction and nonfiction. Most recently, as a science journalist, they are the author of Stories Are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind, about the history of psychological warfare, from Sun Tzu to Benjamin Franklin and beyond. They have published in The Washington Post, Slate, Scientific American, Ars Technica, The New Yorker, and Technology Review, among others. Newitz is the co-host of the Hugo Award-winning podcast "Our Opinions Are Correct," and has contributed to the public radio shows "Science Friday," "On the Media," KQED "Forum," and "Here and Now." Ezra David Romero is a climate reporter for KQED News. He covers the absence and excess of water in the Bay Area—think sea level rise, flooding and drought. For 12 years he’s covered how warming temperatures are altering the lives of Californians. He’s reported on farmers worried their pistachio trees aren’t getting enough sleep, families desperate for water, scientists studying dying giant sequoias, and alongside firefighters containing wildfires. His work has appeared on local stations across California and nationally on public radio shows such as "Morning Edition," "Here and Now," "All Things Considered" and "Science Friday." Naveena Sadasivam is a writer and editor at Grist covering the oil and gas industry and climate change. She previously worked at the Texas Observer, Inside Climate News, and ProPublica, and is based in Oakland, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when one of the world’s most powerful companies finds itself caught between two superpowers? And what does it mean for the broader tech industry? Through in-depth reporting and more than 200 interviews with former Apple executives and engineers, journalist Patrick McGee uncovers what he says is the untold story of how Apple’s offshoring strategy helped China rise as the world’s leading electronics manufacturing hub—but also left Apple increasingly vulnerable. Now, as Beijing tightens its grip, demanding greater control over data, production and supply chains, Apple is facing a crisis that could redefine its future. McGee has reported from financial hubs around the world, from Frankfurt to Hong Kong. Now, as the San Francisco correspondent for the Financial Times, he joins Commonwealth Club World Affairs to discuss the issues raised in his new book Apple in China. He’ll unpack the increasingly fraught relationship between Apple and China—a relationship with profound implications not only for the tech giant but for the future of global technology and geopolitics. Join us for this timely and thought-provoking conversation about Apple’s uncertain future, the shifting balance of power in the tech world, and the far-reaching consequences for global innovation and economic stability. This program has 2 types of tickets available: in-person and online-only. Please pre-register to receive a link to the live-stream event. Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming. Commonwealth Club World Affairs is a public forum. Any views expressed in our programs are those of the speakers and not of Commonwealth Club World Affairs. This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Something is deeply rotten at the Supreme Court, says Leah Litman, an attorney and law professor at the University of Michigan. How did we get here and what can we do about it? Litman shines a light on what she calls the unabashed lawlessness embraced by conservative Supreme Court justices and shows people how to fight back. With the gravitas of Joan Biskupic and the irreverence of Elie Mystal, Leah Litman brings her signature wit to the question of what’s gone wrong at One First Street. Drawing on her new book Lawless, she argues that the Supreme Court is no longer practicing law; it’s running on vibes. By “vibes,” Litman means legal-ish claims that repackage the politics of conservative grievance and dress them up in robes. Major decisions adopt the language and posture of the law, while in fact displaying a commitment to protecting a single minority: the religious conservatives and Republican officials whose views are no longer shared by a majority of the country. Litman employs pop culture references and the latest decisions to deliver a funny, zeitgeisty, pulls-no-punches cri de coeur undergirded by impeccable scholarship. Join us for a fascinating and engaging hour, as Litman explains the tools we need to understand the law, the dynamics of courts, and the stakes of this current moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the cusp of the greatest wealth transfer in history—with $124 trillion moving between generations in the next 20 years—we explore how philanthropy can be transformative, and transformed. Nationally recognized philanthropic leader Dimple Abichandani has crafted a blueprint for how wealth can be transformed into a more just and sustainable future in times of rapid change and crisis. Can philanthropy be an anti-racist, feminist, relational, and joyful expression of solidarity? In A New Era of Philanthropy, Dimple argues that yes, philanthropy can be these things—and for the future we seek, and for the sector to achieve its greatest impact, it must be. With fresh answers to the question of how philanthropy can meet this high-stakes moment—from reimagining governance to aligning investments to crisis funding and beyond—she explains how paradigm shifts can move us forward, beyond critique into real transformation, with relatable stories about funders who are forging a new era of philanthropy. About the Speakers Dimple Abichandani is a nationally recognized philanthropic leader, lawyer, and author of A New Era of Philanthropy: Ten Practices to Transform Wealth Into a More Just and Sustainable Future, a book that reimagines how philanthropy can meet this moment. For two decades, she has worked to reshape philanthropy’s purpose and practice while leading innovative funding institutions. As executive director of the General Service Foundation (2015–2022), she aligned the foundation’s grantmaking, investments, and governance with justice values.  A National Center for Family Philanthropy Fellow, Abichandani’s leadership has been recognized with a Scrivener Award for Creative Grantmaking. She serves on the Board of Directors of Solidaire Network and has served on the boards/steering committees of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, Northern California Grantmakers, and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she advises donors and foundations on transforming wealth into a just and sustainable future. Tegan Acton founded Wildcard Giving, a family of philanthropic entities created following the sale of WhatsApp to Facebook in 2014. Acton serves as the principal at each of the sister entities, which work together to further civic values, collective responsibility and our common humanity. Prior to establishing Wildcard Giving, Acton served as the director of communications and strategic initiatives for the vice provost of undergraduate education at Stanford University. She additionally held positions at Yahoo! and the Sundance Institute, and graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a BA in English and Political Science. Acton's personal commitments include serving on the Executive Committee for the Collaborative for Gender and Reproductive Equity, chairing the Board of Trustees of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and investing in independent films through her production company Good Gravy Films. The Commonwealth Club of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming. A Social Impact 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. Commonwealth Club World Affairs is a public forum. Any views expressed in our programs are those of the speakers and not of Commonwealth Club World Affairs. OrganizerVirginia Cheung  This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Commonwealth Club World Affairs presents an important program on the history and current state of HIV/AIDS. Panel 1: 4:30–5:30 "Honoring Our History, Taking Action Now" Youth Scholars of the National AIDS Memorial discuss their plans to confront the needs of the HIV/AIDS movement today. Moderator: Mike ShriverPanelist: Bo James Hwang, Dante "Gray" Gautereaux, Peter Pham, Jesus Aguilar Martinez Panel 2: 6–7 p.m. "Addressing the Impacts of the Administration's Actions." Moderator: Dr. Tyler TerMeerPanel: Cecila Chung, Carl Schmid, Lance Toma   Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming. Commonwealth Club World Affairs is a public forum. Any views expressed in our programs are those of the speakers and not of Commonwealth Club World Affairs. See more  Michelle Meow Show programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for an unexpected history of the rise of American capitalism—and an argument that entrepreneurial leaders in government, not the “free market,” created the most dynamic economy the world has ever known. Economist and writer Chris Hughes takes us on a journey through the modern history of American capitalism, relating the captivating stories of the most effective “marketcrafters” and the ones who bungled the job. Hughes, author of the new book Marketcrafters, says both Republicans and Democrats have consistently attempted to organize markets for social and political reasons, like avoiding gasoline shortages, reducing inflation, fostering the American aviation and semiconductor industries, fighting climate change, and supporting financial innovation. That flies in the face of the widespread belief among policymakers and business leaders alike that free markets, untouched by the soiled hands of government, bring us prosperity and stability. Hughes says that’s wrong. American policy makers, on the right and the left, have spent much of the past century actively shaping our markets for social and political goals. Their work behind the scenes and out of the headlines has served as a kind of “marketcraft,” mirroring the statecraft of international relations. In recent decades, the art of marketcraft has been replaced by the idea that markets work best when they are unfettered and free. Hughes argues that by rediscovering the triumphs and failures of past marketcrafters, we can shape future markets, such as those in artificial intelligence and clean power production, to be innovative, stable and inclusive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The next few years will be extraordinary for major sporting events in California with the Bay Area hosting both Super Bowl 60 and the FIFA World Cup in 2026, and Los Angeles hosting the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2028. These events invite millions of local spectators and international visitors, with the city of Los Angeles expecting 5 million visitors alone for what the mayor hopes will be a transit-first Olympics. How can buses, trains, highways, and the people who keep them running safely facilitate the movement of these crowds while minimizing impact on the community and environment?  The 16th Annual Norman Y. Mineta National Transportation Policy Summit will feature internationally renowned experts and special guests sharing best practices and insights from previous large-scale events, including Super Bowl 50 and the Paris Olympics, and how to apply global lessons—such as traffic management and communications planning—on a regional scale. Don’t miss the exciting 90-minute conversation shaping the future of California! This program is supported by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mayor George Moscone was assassinated in the San Francisco mayor’s office by Dan White, a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, on November 27, 1978. And then White walked down the hall and also shot Supervisor Harvey Milk—in White’s former office. Lincoln Mitchell rescues crucial details about Mayor Moscone from the shadows of this tragedy, and reminds us of Mayor Moscone’s contributions to the development of modern San Francisco. First, George Moscone was a trailblazing progressive and powerful state legislator who was instrumental in passing legislation on issues ranging from LGBT rights to funding for school lunches. Later, Moscone’s 1975 campaign for mayor was historically significant because it was the first time a major race was won by a candidate who campaigned aggressively for expanding civil rights for both African Americans and LGBT people. In addition to being a successful politician, Moscone was a charming and charismatic bon vivant deeply embedded in the fabric and culture of San Francisco. He grew up the only son of a single mother in Cow Hollow when it was a working class, largely Italian American neighborhood, and he became the kind of politician who knows bartenders, playground attendants, small business owners, and neighborhood activists in every corner of the city. Mitchell demonstrates how Moscone—through his work in the State Senate, victory in the very divisive 1975 mayor’s race, and brief tenure as mayor—was a key figure in our city’s evolution. Join us in person to find out why the politics surrounding Moscone’s election as mayor, governance of the city, and tragic death are still relevant today. 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. OrganizerGeorge Hammond  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“In the course of saying no with their bodies, they were met with more violence… including moms who were carrying babies on their backs and were pushed to the edge of the river — and had to choose the river.” That’s Abby Reyes, author of “Truth Demands: A Memoir of Murder, Oil Wars and the Rise of Climate Justice.” In today’s episode, she shares deeply emotional stories of the price paid by environmental defenders. And she also shares her own stories of resilience and joy in the aftermath of grief. In many parts of the world, fossil fuel interests and their political allies have gone so far as to weaponize pollution as policy to push out marginalized communities. Alexis Madrigal, host of KQED’s Forum and author of “The Pacific Circuit,” describes how this happened in West Oakland, beginning as early as the 1930s: “You see them just saying it. We know this is gonna make housing worse. We know this is gonna make people's lives worse, but this is the plan.” And yet here, too, local communities stand up for environmental justice. Guests: Alexis Madrigal, Co-Host, Forum, KQED Margaret Gordon, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project Abby Reyes, Author; Director, Community Resilience Projects, UC Irvine On June 4, Climate One is hosting a special screening of the documentary “Good Grief: The 10 Steps” followed by a climate anxiety workshop. Join us for this intimate conversation about the importance of mental health live at The Commonwealth Club. Tickets are available through our website. 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 show notes and related links, visit our website. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices