
Commonwealth Club of California 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.
Latest episodes

Jun 9, 2024 • 1h 8min
The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola Story
Francis Ford Coppola is one of American films’ most dramatic director-dreamers, and his most transformative dream has been American Zoetrope, the production company he founded in San Francisco when he was only 30 years old―years before his gargantuan successes. Through Zoetrope’s experimental, communal utopia, Coppola attempted to reimagine the entire pursuit of moviemaking. Now, more than 50 years later, despite myriad setbacks, Coppola’s dream persists, as demonstrated by the culmination of his utopian ideals: the anticipated release in 2024 of his decades-in-the-making film Megalopolis.As Sam Wasson makes clear, the story of Zoetrope includes the story of Coppola’s wife Eleanor, and of their children, whose personal lives are as inseparable from their artistic passions as Coppola's is. Wasson also charts the divergent paths of Coppola and his cofounder and onetime apprentice, George Lucas, and of their very different visions of art and commerce. And of course Wasson weighs in on the making of one of the greatest quixotic masterpieces ever attempted, Apocalypse Now, and on what Coppola found in the jungles of the Philippines when he walked the razor’s edge.MLF ORGANIZERGeorge 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.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

Jun 8, 2024 • 1h 17min
Kenneth Walsh: The Architects of Toxic Politics in America
How did politics become so poisonous in America? Journalist Kenneth Walsh articulates the unique character of the current political moment, and the forces that have created it, by comparing and contrasting the Trump and Biden presidencies with administrations of the past.Walsh also profiles some of the key political “attack dogs” who have shaped the modern landscape: the campaign strategists, activists, and media figures who have played outsized roles in political campaigns. Drawing on his long career as a journalist specializing in presidential coverage, Walsh argues that due to the complex, often conflicting nature of American government, the angriest, most decisive voices can command media, voter, and legislative attention and thereby maintain and consolidate their power. This results in frustration, alienation, and cynicism, and ultimately a diminishment of voter participation that can reinforce this vicious cycle and lead to electoral disaster.MLF ORGANIZER: George HammondA 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

Jun 7, 2024 • 59min
CLIMATE ONE: Rekindling Our Relationship With Wildfire
Summer means peak wildfire season. And recently, we’ve seen some of the most destructive wildfires in recorded history. For years the message around fire has been: no fire is good. But increasingly, we’re starting to fight fire with fire. Prescribed burns may help prevent large, catastrophic wildfires. While using fire as a tool to manage the forest may be a relatively new concept to some, Indigenous communities have used fire to manage their environment for thousands of years. Is it time to rethink our relationship with wildfire? Guests: Susan Prichard, Fire Ecologist, University of Washington School of Environmental and Forest SciencesAna Alanis, Founder, Hungry for Climate ActionNick Mott, Multimedia journalist Frank Kanawha Lake, Research Ecologist and Tribal Liaison, USDA Forest ServiceThis episode was supported by the Resources Legacy Fund.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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 4, 2024 • 1h 4min
The Future of Health Care Is Unfolding—and Nursing and Public Health Are Leading the Way
Evidence indicates that while health-care spending in the United States is the highest in the world, people in the United States experience the worst health outcomes of any high-income nation overall. Americans are more likely to die younger, and from avoidable causes, than residents of peer countries. The U.S health-care system is characterized by fragmented organization and financing, inadequate access to care, rising health-care costs and inefficient use of resources, high utilization of medical technology, inconsistent quality and pervasive inequity, and limited public health infrastructure. The overall emphasis is on providing care during illness rather than developing and maintaining health. Nursing and public health are working to change this by educating a workforce dedicated to developing and supporting health for individuals, families, communities, and populations, by concentrating on physical, mental, and spiritual health and the environments where people live, work and play.And don't miss our post-program reception.MLF ORGANIZERRobert Lee KilpatrickA Health & Medicine 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.This program is generously supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.Support provided by USF School of Nursing and Health Professions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 3, 2024 • 1h 5min
Sal Khan: How AI Will Revolutionize Education
Whether we like it or not, the AI revolution is coming to education. The founder of Khan Academy returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs for a first look at how the artificial intelligence revolution will affect education, its implications for parenting, and how we can best harness its power for good.Khan will draw on his work in his new book Brave New Words to explore how artificial intelligence and GPT technology will transform learning, and he’ll offer a road map for teachers, parents, and students to navigate this exciting (and sometimes intimidating) new world.A pioneer in the field of education technology, Khan examines the ins and outs of these cutting-edge tools and how they will revolutionize the way we learn and teach. He says AI can personalize learning by adapting to each student’s individual pace and style, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, and offering tailored support and feedback to complement traditional classroom instruction. Khan emphasizes that embracing AI in education is not about replacing human interaction but enhancing it with customized and accessible learning tools that encourage creative problem-solving skills and prepare students for an increasingly digital world.But Khan’s message is not just about technology—it’s about what this technology means for our society, and the practical implications for administrators, guidance counselors, and hiring managers who can harness the power of AI in education and the workplace. Hear about the ethical and social implications of AI and GPT, with thoughtful insights into how we can use these tools to build a more accessible education system for students around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 31, 2024 • 55min
CLIMATE ONE: You Gonna Finish That? Saving Good Food from Going Bad
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? Guests:Dawn King, Senior Lecturer, Brown UniversityLisa Moon, CEO, The Global FoodBanking NetworkNorma Alonso, ABACO, Cooperation Manager James Leyson, Managing Director for Global Impact and Operations, Scholars of SustenanceThis episode also features a news story produced by Harvest Public Media contributor Peter Medlin, a reporter with WNIJ Northern Public Radio.It's time for our annual spring appeal! At Climate One, we believe in the power of open conversations to drive positive change. Through our thought-provoking discussions and interviews, we strive not only to raise awareness of climate issues and solutions, but to also empower individuals — like each of our valued listeners — to take tangible steps toward a more sustainable future. You can show your support for Climate One by contributing to our spring fundraising campaign.For show notes and related links, visit our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 29, 2024 • 1h 2min
Jen Psaki with Dan Pfeiffer: Lessons from the White House
Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki knows it’s the follow-up questions that can be the most difficult to handle. When she was asked “Why do wars start?” by one of her children, she carefully explained and then got a follow up: “Have you ever seen a unicorn?”Not many White House press secretaries capture the nation’s interest the way Jen Psaki did. Refreshingly candid and clear, Psaki quickly became known for her ability to break through the noise and successfully deliver her message. Since leaving the White House, Psaki’s star has continued to rise. She launched a highly rated show on MSNBC and was so successful that in just six months she was given an additional primetime Monday slot, ahead of Rachel Maddow.Psaki comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to discuss the issues raised in her new book Say More. In it, Psaki explains her straightforward approach to communication, walking people through difficult conversations as well as moments where humor saves the day—whether it is with preschoolers, partners or presidents. She addresses the best ways to give and receive feedback, how to connect with your audience, how to listen actively, and much more.She’ll be in conversation with another veteran of the high-stakes world of White House communications, President Obama’s White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer.Don’t miss this chance to hear the lessons learned behind the most famous podium in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 28, 2024 • 59min
'My Octopus Teacher''s Craig Foster: Finding the Wild in a Tame World
“An important book that will transform how we think about being human. . . . that will inspire hope.”—Jane GoodallMany people in today’s world seek to reclaim the soul-deepening wildness that grounds them and energizes them when so much of the modern world seems designed to tame them. In his thrilling memoir of a life spent exploring the most incredible places on Earth—from the Great African Seaforest to the crocodile lairs of the Okavango Delta—Craig Foster reveals how people can attend to the earthly beauty around them and deepen their love for all living things, whether they make their homes in the country, the city or anywhere in between.Foster will draw on the work he put into his new book, Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World. In it, he explores his struggles to remain present to life when a disconnection from nature and the demands of his professional life begin to deaden his senses. And his own reliance on nature’s rejuvenating spiritual power is put to the test when catastrophe strikes close to homeFoster is one of the world’s leading natural history filmmakers and won the 2021 Academy Award for Best Documentary for My Octopus Teacher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 26, 2024 • 1h 1min
Nellie Bowles: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History
When the revolution comes . . . what next?As a Hillary voter, New York Times reporter, and frequenter of her local gay bars, Nellie Bowles fit right in with her San Francisco neighbors and friends—until she started questioning whether the progressive movement she knew and loved was actually helping people. When her colleagues suggested that asking such questions meant she was “on the wrong side of history,” Bowles did what any reporter worth her salt would do: she started investigating for herself. The answers she found were stranger—and funnier—than she expected.In her new book Morning After the Revolution, Bowles gives readers a front-row seat to the absurd drama of a political movement gone mad. With irreverent accounts of attending a multi-day course on “The Toxic Trends of Whiteness,” following the social justice activists who run “Abolitionist Entertainment LLC,” and trying to please The New York Times’s “disinformation czar,” she deftly exposes the more comic excesses of a movement that went from a sideshow to the very center of American life.Join us as Bowles shares her funny and painfully insightful look at “a moment of collective psychosis preserved in amber.”This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 25, 2024 • 1h 23min
15th Annual Mineta National Transportation Policy Summit—Beyond the Pump: Rethinking Transportation Funding Without the Fuel Tax
While the climate benefits from booming electric vehicle sales, the nation’s transportation system faces an unfortunate predicament: less gasoline and diesel purchased means dwindling fuel tax revenue. Fuel tax revenue provides a core funding source for operating, maintaining, and improving transportation systems, so policymakers must find a replacement as soon as possible.This event explores such options as mileage fees, higher annual vehicle fees, or abandoning the user-pay principle and relying on general fund revenue. This program is supported by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices