Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

In the wake of the Parkland shooting in 2018, David Hogg and his classmates' rallying cry, #NeverAgain, echoed across the nation. Unfortunately, since that tragic event, countless other locations—the Tree of Life Synagogue, El Paso, Uvalde, Half Moon Bay and many more—have joined the heartbreaking list of mass shootings. For each of the past five years, the number of mass shootings in the United States has exceeded the number of days in the year. These tragic events have upended workplaces, schools, places of worship, communities and daily life nationwide, resulting in thousands of lives lost. In response to this epidemic, many politicians have provided little more than clichéd thoughts and prayers. In August 2023, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a report on gun violence that revealed the stunning statistic that 140,000 gun deaths in the United States could have been prevented over the last 10 years had the rest of the country matched California’s firearm death rate. Leading the California Department of Justice for the last three years, Bonta has pioneered the "California model of gun violence prevention." Building on his work as a state legislator, he has defended California’s leading firearms safety laws, championed robust use of the wide array of gun-prevention tools available to Californians, and established the first-of-its-kind Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Join Parkland shooting survivor and March for Our Lives co-founder David Hogg, along with other prominent gun violence prevention leaders, for a discussion on the future of gun safety in California and the nation, moderated by Attorney General Bonta. How has the California model succeeded, and can it be replicated across the country? Can we hold the firearm industry accountable for putting profits over people? How should we address different types of firearm violence—including community violence, mass shootings, domestic violence and suicide? What do the twin crises of violence and political gridlock reveal about our society? And where can we find hope? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for an end-of-summer discussion of politics and politicians.  Join us in-person or online for the Week to Week political roundtable. Learn more about the people, trends and topics driving the political news of the day.  Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our online programming. See other upcoming Week to Week political roundtables, as well as audio and video of past Week to Week programs. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are we living in the Matrix? Rizwan Virk—an MIT computer scientist, leading video game pioneer, entrepreneur, film producer, venture capitalist, professor, and a founder of Play Labs @ MIT—is a leading authority on simulation theory. Now he comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to discuss the issues raised in his new book The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientist Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics, and Eastern Mystics All Agree We Are in a Video Game.  Virk says the evolution of our video games, including virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, will lead us to a technological singularity. We will reach the simulation point, he argues, where we can develop all-encompassing virtual worlds like the OASIS in Ready Player One or The Matrix—and in fact we are already likely inside such a simulation. Though that sounds like science fiction, many scientists, engineers, and professors have given the simulation hypothesis serious consideration, including Elon Musk, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Nick Bostrom. But philosophers of many traditions have long contended that we are living in some kind of “illusion” and that there are other realities that we can access with our minds. Virk's work in Silicon Valley as a video game designer caused him to wonder where our technology would take us and how long it would take us to create something like the world of The Matrix—and why he’s now 70 percent certain that we’re already inside a simulation.  Whether you are a computer scientist, a fan of science fiction like the Matrix movies, a video game enthusiast, a spiritual seeker, or simply a fan of mind-bending thought experiments, come hear Virk for yourself and you might never look at the world the same way again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2013, 9-year-old Ella Roberta died from a severe asthma attack. She became the first person in the United Kingdom (and possibly the world) to have “air pollution” listed as the cause of death on her death certificate. Her mother, Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, founded the Ella Roberta Foundation and has become a global voice for clean air. Globally, the World Health Organization says that air pollution is associated with 6 to 7 million premature deaths every year. Addressing the cause of these deaths would also go a long way to addressing climate disruption. And since talking about climate has become so politically fraught, should we reframe the conversation to focus on taking care of our air? Highlights: (00:00) Intro (03:00) Rosamund shares details of Ella’s young life and her early asthma attacks (08:00) Ella becomes first person to have “air pollution” listed as cause of death (13:00) Rosamund’s work sharing Ella’s story and raising awareness about air pollution (20:30) How poisonous transportation emissions are and policy tools to reduce them (26:00) Economic development does not need to sit contrary to healthy air  (27:00) Dieselgate and the work of the True Real Urban Emissions initiative  (31:00) Extreme heat can make air pollution more deadly (37:00) Why we shouldn’t use the term "climate change”  (43:00) Finding ways to connect with people on climate based on their priorities (49:00) How to convey the seriousness of climate threats while also empowering people to feel that they can make a difference (52:30) Climate One More Thing Guests: Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, Founder, Ella Roberta Foundation Sheila Watson, Deputy Director, FIA Foundation Susan Joy Hassol, Director, Climate Communication  For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts *** 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. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for an unforgettable evening of insight, rhythm and discussion. Hip-Hop Meditative Mindfulness blends two worlds that would seem to be at odds—the stillness of meditation and the vitality of hip-hop. Together, they invite you into a fascinating new space for powerful spiritual practice. Coupled with a discussion of how these practices can reach people immersed in popular culture and help them find the wisdom of mindfulness and Buddhism, this will be a memorable event. Led by Born I—a renowned meditation teacher on the Balance app, an author praised by Alice Walker, and a hip-hop artist with more than 20 million streams—our event will open with a grounding guided meditation and crystal singing bowl sound bath, followed by a discussion of healing, impermanence and street culture, drawing from Born I's experiences as a Buddhist, a father, a musician, and an author. Born I will also discuss his new book, Lyrical Dharma: Hip-Hop as Mindfulness, and his journey from the street to spirituality. "hell is behind uspresence and kindnessended my blindness" — Born I Although available on live stream, this event will be best in-person. So come to the Club for this experiential event, meet Born I and your peers, and maybe even have dinner afterward at a nearby restaurant! About the Speaker Born I (Ofosu Jones-Quartey) is a Ghanaian-American based in Washington, D.C. He is the male voice on the popular Balance meditation app and creator of the new book Lyrical Dharma: Hip-Hop as Mindfulness (Parallax Press) and companion album Komorebi. A Personal Growth 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. OrganizerEric Siegel  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re all feeling the effects of the fossil-fueled climate crisis, but young people will not let this threat to their future go unchallenged. They’re taking it to the courts. In the last year, youth plaintiffs have had notable legal successes in Montana and Hawaiʻi, challenging that those states were violating their constitutional rights in continuing to burn fossil fuels. In Hawaiʻi, the ruling compels the state department of transportation to quickly move to a zero-emission system.  But the biggest victory may have been outside of the U.S. The small island nation of Vanuatu led the charge to ask the International Court for Justice to grant a judgement on the legal obligation of countries to fight climate change. The judgment, released in late July, stated that countries do have a responsibility to address the climate crisis. Beyond their specific claims and remedies, these numerous cases ask: What do we owe our future generations, and how will we make good on those promises? Guests:  Vishal Prasad, Director, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change Julia Olson, Co-Executive Director & Chief Legal Counsel, Our Children’s Trust Rylee Brooke Kamahele, Youth Plaintiff, Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation 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

While much of the focus in Washington is on fiscal debates, there’s another growing challenge with far-reaching implications for the United States and the global economy: the “youth deficit.”  A recent report by the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) finds that declining birth rates and aging populations could undermine productivity and living standards around the world. Unless leaders take action, “younger people will inherit lower economic growth and shoulder the cost of more retirees, while the traditional flow of wealth between generations erodes,” the report warns.  MGI director and report co-author Chris Bradley will discuss the challenge and what the public and private sectors can do to prepare for these changing demographics. Join us for this timely conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for a lively discussion of Christina Hillsberg's book Agents of Change: The Women Who Transformed the CIA. Hillsberg is a former intelligence operative who has written a narrative exploration of the agency’s history, told through exclusive interviews with current and former female CIA officers, many of whom have never spoken publicly until now. The book fills a necessary gap in the agency’s history and takes a critical view of the agency’s indisputable record of suppressing the women who would become its most valued trailblazers—and its most vocal troublemakers.  These were women who sacrificed their personal lives, risked their safety, defied expectations, and boldly navigated the male-dominated spy organization, routinely passed over for promotions, recruiting assets, and managing clandestine operations.  Terry Shames, who worked at the CIA and is an acclaimed, award winning mystery writer, will provide additional energy and knowledge of both the CIA and writing.  You won't want to miss this program and a chance to ask questions to both writers. About the Speakers Christina Hillsberg of Chicago is a former CIA intelligence officer and writer. While at the CIA, she wrote analytic assessments for the president, his cabinet, and other senior-level policymakers. Hillsberg specialized in African politics and leaders and was one of the intelligence community's few Swahili and Zulu linguists. She later worked in the CIA's Directorate of Operations, clandestinely collecting intelligence from the field. She is the recipient of multiple CIA Exceptional Performance Awards. After leaving the CIA, Hillsberg worked in information security at Amazon, where she stood up the company’s first insider threat program, created a new global framework to analyze cyber risks, and established new processes to utilize intelligence tradecraft to analyze information security threats. Terry Shames is the award-winning, best-selling author of 11 Samuel Craddock mysteries. As well as winning the Macavity Award for Best First Novel, her first book, A Killing at Cotton Hill, was also shortlisted for the Strand Critics Award. She has been short-listed for the Left Coast Crime Lefty Award, and in 2016 won the RWA Editor’s Choice award for The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake. The eleventh in the series, The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson, October 2024, was an Amazon Editor's Pick. In April 2024, she debuted the Jessie Madison thriller series with Perilous Waters. In March she published Out of Control, her first domestic suspense novel. After graduating from The University of Texas, Shames worked for the CIA for three years in the China division. After she left the CIA she went into computer programming and analysis for 10 years, during which she began writing fiction. Shames lives in Southern California with her husband, her dog Monty and her cat Max. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers and the Texas Institute of Letters. An International Relations 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. Photos courtesy the speakers; main image DALLE commons, Scott Snibbe, Hugh Leeman, Gerald Harris. ORGANIZER Frank Price Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Due to major cuts to Medicare, wildfire season, looming earthquakes, public health needs, and the increasing number of Californians without health insurance, now is the time to strengthen local health ecosystems statewide.  Join us to hear from leaders of social impact organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area about how they are building partnerships to address these challenges by working together and leveraging technology to build creative solutions to improve lives. About the Speakers  Isabel Navarrete is a sustainability analyst at UCSF Health; she has a deep passion for advancing sustainability in healthcare. Navarrete oversees the organization’s municipal waste program and has led impactful diversion initiatives, including launching a blue wrap recycling program, expanding medical donation efforts, and enhancing the collection of reprocessed materials. Navarrete received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, San Diego. She currently co-chairs the UC Health Zero-Waste Working group. Katelyn McMeekin-Jackson is the new executive director of Clinic by the Bay, a free volunteer-powered health clinic serving the medically underserved in the San Francisco Bay Area. She brings over a decade of nonprofit leadership across healthcare, education, and faith-based organizations. Currently pursuing her MBA at UC Berkeley and serving as a resource family for children in foster care, she is dedicated to creating nurturing, safe spaces where all of our neighbors can receive the care they deserve. Jiwon Min is the chief technology officer at Every.org, a nonprofit platform that allows all nonprofits to accept all donations. She previously served as an engineering leader at a supply chain technology company focused on humanitarian aid logistics. She spent a summer consulting with the Private Sector Humanitarian Alliance (PSHA), supporting cross-sector efforts to improve coordination in humanitarian response through technology and innovation. Min recently earned her Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) from NYU Wagner, where she focused on the intersection of technology and social impact. Eric Talbert, CEO & co-founder of MedCycle Network, has over 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience as a philanthropic advisor, board member, and co-founder. He has worked with hundreds of organizations globally and locally to increase access to health and to protect our planet by addressing old problems in new ways that often involve new technology. In addition to philanthropic, development, and nonprofit governance acumen, Talbert has also been interviewed by international, national, and local news media as well as podcasts. Moderator: Lila LaHood is executive director of San Francisco Public Press and has worked as a nonprofit consultant, freelance writer and editor. LaHood has an M.S. from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and a B.A. in international relations from Stanford University. She is a current member and past-president of the board of directors of the Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. 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. OrganizerIan McCuaig  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are activists in Thailand, Hong Kong and Burma willing to court danger to help one another? Historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom met dozens of dissidents, including Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, known for his protests against compulsory Thai military service; Agnes Chow, co-founder of a political party now banned in Hong Kong; and Ye Myint Win (aka Nickey Diamond), who fled to Germany from Burma in the early 2020s, fearing reprisal from the junta for his human rights work. Activists like these three express solidarity with one another online and in the streets, and sometimes refer to themselves as belonging to the “Milk Tea Alliance,” a nod to their shared opposition to nationalistic Beijing loyalists and the fact that their cultures’ iconic drinks contain dairy, unlike mainland China’s traditional tea. The political situation in Burma, Thailand and Hong Kong are radically different. Only Burma is in a state of civil war. Only Hong Kong has changed in just a few years from a place with virtually no political prisoners to one with many. Only Thailand is a monarchy with lese-majeste laws. How do these activists, each facing their unique situations, find common ground and sustain one another? Wasserstrom traveled globally to interview members of this loosely constituted alliance, meeting some in Asia and others in exile, finding them united by democratic values, shared concerns over autocrats, and the rising influence of a common adversary—the Chinese Communist Party. An Asia-Pacific Affairs 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. In association with Dissent. OrganizerLillian Nakagawa  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices