Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Join us for an online discussion of LGBTQIA+ spaces and making changes to accommodate diverse and growing communities. We will also cover GAPA Runway—a night of fashion, glamour and entertainment celebrating the artistry, talents and humanity of the QTAPI community—and how iconic LGBTQIA+ events continue to support and provide services to our community. Show editorially warningAbout the SpeakerEmmett Chen-Ran graduated from Yale in 2020, where he did a lot of theatre production and occasionally attended computer science classes. Emmett joined the GBLTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance as its first trans board member in late 2020 and started producing GAPA Runway, and after two years of Covid-induced delays, he's finally seeing his work come to fruition in the first in-person Runway since 2019. He is passionate about building inclusive community spaces that welcome people of all stripes, spearheading GAPA Runway's transformation from a binary gendered competition into a category-less genderqueer bonanza. A man of many pursuits, Emmett has published a Tiny Love Story in the New York Times, recently did his first solo performance in a St. Patrick's Day show at Martuni's, serves on the boards of Frameline and Oaklash, and oil paints recreationally. SPEAKERSEmmett Chen-RanProduction Director, GAPA; Board Member, Frameline; Board Member, OaklashMichelle MeowProducer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors—Co-hostJohn ZippererProducer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Co-hostIn 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 August 4th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Written by one of the world’s most distinguished historians of psychiatry, Psychiatry and Its Discontents provides a wide-ranging and critical perspective on the profession that dominates the treatment of mental illness. Andrew Scull traces the rise of the field, the midcentury hegemony of psychoanalytic methods, and the paradigm’s decline with the ascendance of biological and pharmaceutical approaches to mental illness.Scull's historical sweep is broad, ranging from the age of the asylum to the rise of psychopharmacology and the dubious triumphs of “community care.” The essays in Psychiatry and Its Discontents provide a vivid and compelling portrait of the recurring crises of legitimacy experienced by “mad-doctors,” as psychiatrists were once called, and illustrates the impact of psychiatry’s ideas and interventions on the lives of those afflicted with mental illness.About the SpeakerDr. Andrew Scull was educated at Oxford, Princeton and University College London; he is the author of more than a dozen books on mental illness and is widely regarded as one of the world's leading historians of psychiatry. Currently a distinguished research professor of sociology and science studies, he has also held faculty positions at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania, and has been the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the American Council of Learned Societies, among others. His work has been translated into 200 languages, and his most recent book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in history. A past president of the Society for the Social History of Medicine, he has appeared on television and radio on multiple occasions in North America, Europe and Australia.MLF ORGANIZERPatrick O'ReillySPEAKERSDr. Andrew ScullDistinguished Research Professor of Sociology and Science Studies, University of California San DiegoPatrick O'ReillyPh.D., Chair, Psychology 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 Live on August 2nd, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick Ridgeway estimates he’s spent about five years of his life sleeping in tents, often in the world’s most remote places alongside fellow outdoor adventure luminaries. Ridgeway worked for Patagonia for 15 years and was behind the company’s infamous “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad campaign, which paradoxically advocated sustainability and increased sales. Outdoor companies like Patagonia may push for sustainability, but they largely still present a mostly white, wealthy experience with nature, which can be off-putting for people of color. “You know if you can't see yourself in those spaces then it’s hard to feel invited or welcome in that movement,” says writer and social justice facilitator Amanda Machado.  What is the role of corporations in conservation? And how can the outdoor industry help make nature more safe, accessible and welcoming for all?Guests:Rick Ridgeway, former Vice President of Public Engagement, PatagoniaAmanda Machado, writer and social justice facilitator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COVID-19 illustrated to the nation the need to address disparities that exist in our communities, especially as they relate to mental health. These disparities are chronic, with intergenerational health impacts that also affect employment and create socioeconomic racial inequities. The direct result of all these inequities is that people of color die at a rate 3.6 times higher than that of the overall general population. Eliminating persistent disparities and stigma in mental health will require correcting the systemic barriers created over generations.Join us for a conversation on ways to overcome these barriers at the intersection of mental health and equity with the Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy, former congressman from Rhode Island and one of the world’s leading voices on mental health and addiction, and Paul Rains, system senior vice president for behavioral health for CommonSpirit Health and president at St Joseph’s Behavioral Health Center in Stockton, California. Leading the discussion will be Janet Reilly, co-founder and board president of Clinic by the Bay, a free, volunteer-powered health clinic for the working uninsured in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties.NOTESThis program is part of the Humankindness & Health Justice series, generously underwritten by CommonSpirit Health Foundation.SPEAKERSHon. Patrick KennedyFormer U.S. Representative (D-RI) and Founder of The Kennedy ForumPaul RainsSenior Vice President of Behavioral Health, CommonSpirit Health; President, St. Joseph’s Behavioral Health CenterJanet ReillyCo-founder and Board President, Clinic by the BayIn 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 July 27th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roberto González will discuss the important work the Human Rights Foundation has done since its inception in 2005, including its project Defund Dictators Too. The HRF is a nonprofit that defends and promotes freedom and justice throughout the world. He will likely include the recent Oslo Freedom Forum. Malaak Jamal will concentrate on HRF's 2022 report, "Framing Justice in Syria."Roberto González is an attorney admitted to practice in the State of New York. He graduated cum laude from Rafael Landívar University, where he earned a Bachelor of Laws degree. He also holds a master’s degree in International Law and Justice from Fordham University School of Law. As a part of HRF’s Center for Law and Democracy, González’s research focuses on comparative constitutional law and international law. Malaak Jamal oversees HRF research and analyzes political regimes in countries under authoritarian rule. She received her M.A. in diplomacy and international relations from Seton Hall University, with specializations in human rights, international law, post-conflict state reconstruction and sustainability. Malaak has a minor in Middle Eastern studies at the American University in Dubai. Malaak’s opinions have been featured in Time, The Washington Post ,CNN, and other media outlets.MLF ORGANIZERCelia MenczelSPEAKERSRoberto GonzálezChief Advocacy Officer, Human Rights FoundationMalaak JamalDirector, Policy and Research, Human Rights FoundationIn 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 July 21st 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the San Francisco Giants gear up after the All-Star break, what can we expect from this team in 2022? It is the 140th season for the franchise in Major League Baseball, its 65th year in San Francisco, and its 23rd at Oracle Park. This is also the third season under manager Gabe Kapler, and perhaps more important, the first season since 2008 without longtime catcher Buster Posey, who retired in November. With three World Series titles in the last 12 years, and last year’s all- time franchise record of 107 winning games and the National League West title, can the Giants make another run for the pennant this year? Who better to ask than Larry Baer, president and CEO of the SF Giants franchise?A fourth-generation San Franciscan, Larry Baer has gained a national reputation as one of professional sports’ leading visionaries. Baer joined the team in 1992 as the executive vice president after he and Peter Magowan led the effort to assemble a new ownership group that kept the Giants in San Francisco. A limited partner and board member of the ownership group, Baer was named CEO on January 1, 2012. In his first year as president and CEO, the Giants won their second World Series Championship in three years. In 2014, the Giants won their third World Series title in five years. Baer is responsible for the overall day-to-day operations of the organization and serves as a key strategist and negotiator of the club’s major transactions.Join us at The Commonwealth Club to hear firsthand from Larry Baer on how the Giants are doing this season and what we can hope to see from the team in the second half of the season.SPEAKERSLarry BaerPresident and CEO, San Francisco GiantsRaj MathaiAnchor, NBC Bay Area KNTV—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 July 25th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the CEO of the California utility giant PG&E, Patti Poppe is charged with navigating the company through massive wildfires, disrupted energy markets, and lingering public distrust of the utility. The company is undergrounding 10,000 miles of electric lines, working with GM and Ford on incorporating power from electric vehicles into homes and the grid, deploying batteries at large power plants, and pushing to change net metering rates that pay homeowners for electricity generated on their roofs. How can utilities like PG&E reinvent themselves and modernize the electric grid to deliver renewable power when their own systems are threatened by catastrophic climate change?Guests:Patricia Poppe, CEO, PG&EKatherine Blunt, Reporter, Wall Street Journal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie Hafner is a technology, health care, and society journalist who wrote on staff for The New York Times for 10 years and remains a frequent contributor. She has also worked at Newsweek and BusinessWeek and has written for many major publications, including The Washington Post and Oprah Magazine. She is the author of five previous works of nonfiction covering a range of topics, including the origins of the Internet, computer hackers, German reunification, and the pianist Glenn Gould.Hafner’s first novel, The Boys, writes a charming narrative about love and the yearning for connection. The story follows Ethan Fawcett, an introvert who marries the vivacious Barb. One day Barb brings home two young brothers, Tommy and Sam, for them to foster, and when the pandemic hits, Ethan becomes obsessed with providing a perfect life for the boys. The introduction of the boys into their household drives a wedge between Ethan and Barb. Ethan decides to take the boys on a biking trip in Italy on a misguided quest for love and connection, and expectedly discovers what it will take to repair his marriage.Join us to as Katie Hafner takes us through her reflections on loneliness and community. NOTESThis program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.SPEAKERSKatie HafnerJournalist; Host and Co-Executive Producer, "Lost Women of Science" Podcast; Author, The BoysCarol EdgarianCo Founder, Narrative; Author, Vera—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 July 18th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Republican Party used to stand for individualism, and according to journalist and author Mark Leibovich, it now largely answers to the whims of one man: former president Donald Trump. Tracing Trump’s ascent to the top of a party that in the early months of his candidacy viewed him with contempt, Leibovich brings answers to the massive question of “what happened?”Mark Leibovich is an award-winning journalist and writer for The Atlantic. Called the “reigning master of the political profile” by Washingtonian magazine and named one of “Washington's 25 Most Powerful, Least Famous People” by The New Republic, Leibovich has decades of journalistic experience, including previously writing for The New York Times for 15 years. In his latest book Thank You For Your Servitude, Leibovich retells how figures like Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham went from vocal Trump critics to loyal soldiers. With shocking honesty from some of Trump’s biggest supporters admitting they are “in on the joke,” Leibovich uses interviews, news media and an incisive, brutally honest investigation to tell how Trump remade the GOP in his own image—and how far his politicians are willing to go to stay relevant.Join us, as Leibovich recounts the transformation of the American political right, and how it gave hints of the events we see unfold today.SPEAKERSMark LeibovichStaff Writer, The Atlantic; Former Chief National Correspondent, The New York Times Magazine; Author, Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission; Twitter @MarkLeibovichIn Conversation with Tim MillerWriter-at-large, The Bulwark; Political Analyst, MSNBC; Host, "Not My Party" on Snapchat; Communications Director, Jeb Bush 2016; Author, Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell; Twitter @timodcIn 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 July 20th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the post-2020 world, Americans, having faced the controversies of the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection, may be tempted to do their best to forget these events and move on — yet to bestselling author Malcolm Nance, this is the worst thing they can do. As the country is experiencing a sharp rise in radicalism and hostility toward democracy, Nance argues that it is more important than ever to be actively confronting the rise of a new threat to democracy from within.Malcolm Nance is a leading expert in counter-terrorism studies, as well as an intelligence analyst, cryptologist, former senior chief petty officer in the United States Navy and founding executive director of the New York-based think tank Terror Asymmetrics Project on Strategy, Tactics and Radical Ideologies. Nance has written at length on the dangers posed by major terrorist groups, such as ISIS and al-Qaeda.In his latest book, They Want to Kill Americans, Nance explains how conspiracy theories, white privilege and increasing hostility toward democracy has contributed to the rise of what he calls a “Trump Insurgency in the U.S.,” or TITUS. Having forewarned of divisions in America turning into fractures in our country months before the January 6 insurrection, Nance warns that the rising generational threat may rival the Islamic State or al-Qaeda, and that immediate action is necessary to address this growing unrest before it is too late.Join us as Nance explains how such a destructive force has sprung up in our own backyard, and what can be done to quell its growth.SPEAKERSMalcolm NanceRetired Intelligence Officer; Author, They Want to Kill Americans: The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump InsurgencyIn Conversation with Pat ThurstonHost, “The Pat Thurston Show,” KGO-AMIn 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 July 19th, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices