Commonwealth Club Of California Podcast

Cycles are hard to break. Once you get into the habit of eating badly, not exercising, or procrastinating, finding purpose and success can seem like an insurmountable goal. No matter how many books you read, podcasts you listen to, or YouTube how-to videos you watch, you're still not where you want to be. But maybe there’s still hope. Award-winning Wharton professor and "Choiceology" podcast host Katy Milkman understands the blockages she says are preventing you from making change. She has spent her career studying behavior change, and she offers a new strategy for breaking bad habits to make personal change. In her new book How to Change, Milkman suggests new solutions for getting where you want to be. Backed by case studies, personal narratives and innovative research, Milkman encourages readers to focus on timing, turn temptation into assets, and give others advice to help people achieve more and meet success. Turning an uphill battle into a downhill one is the key to success, and Katy Milkman is here to s

Join us for an in-depth dialogue about race relations and turning words into action. Our panelists will explore changing the narratives about critical issues in the deeper layers of race relations. What does "stand together” mean and what are some of the roadblocks? How can communities preach beyond the choir and impact interactions in our daily lives? This timely deep-dive discussion promises to be thought provoking—don’t miss it. NOTES Presented in association with the APA Heritage Foundation. SPEAKERS Alicia Garza Principal, Black Futures Lab; Strategy & Partnerships Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance; Co-creator, #BlackLivesMatter and the Black Lives Matter Global Network; Co-founder, Supermajority; Twitter @AliciaGarza Hala Hijazi Commissioner, San Francisco Human Rights Commission; Member, Board of Directors, San Francisco Interfaith Council; Co-director, Truman National Security Project San Francisco Chapter Jon Osaki Executive Director, Japanese Community Youth Council; Filmmaker, Alternativ

There’s always a conversation no one wants to have, whether it's about a tricky financial situation, failing relationships or the often-avoided topic of aging. As the host of the WNYC podcast "Death, Sex and Money," Anna Sale invites people to talk precisely and openly about these uncomfortable topics in a larger effort to foster solidarity and connection with one another. In her new book Let’s Talk About Hard Things, Sale highlights five themes to explain how and why we should conduct these fraught conversations: death, sex, money, family and identity. When we shed the expectations of “polite conversation,” she argues, we can have important and life-changing dialogues. At INFORUM, Sale will elaborate on the complexities and advantages of talking, as her book title suggests, about hard things. This conversation will be moderated by Lori Gottlieb, author of the New York Times best-seller Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. SPEAKERS Anna Sale Podcast Host, "Death, Sex & Money"; Author, Let's Talk About Hard Thing

This month, Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration reported a quarter of a million Californians experiencing homelessness requested help in 2020—numbers that skyrocketed from previous estimates in some Bay Area counties. The Golden State is lauded for its job opportunities and diverse population, but it’s also the state with some of the highest housing and transportation costs in the nation. Now, Californians are demanding change, and a cross-sectional group of affordable housing and homelessness advocates created Roadmap Home 2030, a definitive plan to end homelessness and create affordable homes for all over the next 10 years. Housing California, the California Housing Partnership, and dozens of experts and advocates identified 57 policy solutions to create affordable homes, protect low-income renters, end homelessness and ensure racial equity. With their detailed plan of creative solutions, coupled with dedicated leadership, this ambitious group believes a better California is doable. The wealth gap and a

Join us for a special Zoom discussion featuring AAPI women leaders exploring the topic of building coalition and community. About the Speakers Bo Thao-Urabe is a practice-based possibilian who focuses on creating community-centered, asset-based solutions and transforming practices so that there is meaningful change for those most impacted by systemic inequities. Having immigrated to the United States as a refugee child after the Secret War in Laos, Bo’s lived experiences have continuously shaped how she creates to ensure communities can fully participate in, contribute to, and shape our democracy. Her extensive leadership experiences include building and leading local, national, and global efforts. Leanna Louie is born in Toisan China, in February 1972, Immigrated to SF USA in 1979 with family at age 7. Grew up and educated in SFUSD public schools, Spring Valley ES, Marine MS, Mission HS. Joined the US Army at 18 upon graduation from high school. Served 5 years active duty enlisted, trained in general medical

People from BIPOC communities face a myriad of challenges in the entertainment industry, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. From on-screen talent and actors to production crews, publicity teams, talent management, writing and film criticism, marginalized groups often remain underrepresented in all aspects of an industry that has major influence on American culture. Despite evidence that shows addressing these racial inequities could reap an additional $10 billion in annual revenue, efforts by the industry to create parity continue to be inadequate. Join a panel of experts on race in Hollywood at INFORUM, where they will discuss the harsh realities that most people of color face in entertainment, as well as steps toward industry-wide changes meant to increase representation and provide space for a new and diverse generation of creatives. NOTES This program contains EXPLICIT language. This important community program is made free to the public thanks to McKinsey & Co. SPEAKERS Linda Yvette Cháve

Join us for an inside look at The Adachi Project, a first-of-its-kind storytelling initiative that spotlights powerful stories and unseen perspectives of the U.S. criminal legal system via compelling documentary film, video and photojournalism. Following an introduction to The Adachi Project by Mano Raju and Santhosh Daniel, we'll view one of the films from the project and feature a discussion with the people involved. SPEAKERS Santhosh Daniel Founding Partner, The Adachi Project; Founder, Compound; Co-Founder, First Kitchen Media Mohammad Gorjestani Founding Partner, The Adachi Project; Filmmaker and Creative Director Carolyn Ji Jong Goossen San Francisco Policy Director, San Francisco Public Defender’s Office; Leading Member, The Adachi Project William M. Palmer II (Tariq) Criminal Justice Advocate; Committee Member, San Francisco Reentry Sentencing Commission, Direct Services; Co-Leader, Subcommittee on Legislation, Policy & Practices; Communications Fellow, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children; CEO,

"My husband, John McCain, never viewed himself as larger than life—but he was. He had more tenacity and resolve than anybody I ever met. Being with him didn’t hold me back—it gave me flight, a courage I never would have felt on my own." —Cindy McCain John McCain was a respected six-term senator from Arizona, Navy hero, and dedicated family man. No one knew him better than his wife of 38 years, Cindy McCain. She said, “My husband John lived by a code: country first. We are Republicans, yes, but Americans foremost. . . ." Last year she made the bold decision to cross party lines and endorse Joe Biden for president.  In her new book Stronger, she reveals her own successes and challenges and how Sen. McCain inspired her to fight for family, honor and country. Join an inspirational conversation with Cindy McCain about her life and her husband's lasting legacy. NOTES This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s Series on Ethics and Accountability, generously underwritten by The Travers Family Foundation. Thanks

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week. We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events. If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives. Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships. Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Financial interests distort the truths of evidence-based medicine, says Dr. Leemon B. McHenry. By revealing previously confidential documents released in litigation, Dr. McHenry exposes the role that pharmaceutical marketing has in the construction of medical literature, conference presentations and continuing medical education. The marketing spin is designed to be indistinguishable from the genuine science, he says, thus seriously misleading our medical professionals and the public. Leemon B. McHenry, Ph.D. specializes in medical ethics and philosophy of science. He is a legal research consultant, and is a professor emeritus at California State University in Northridge. He is the co-author of The Illusion of Evidence-Based Medicine: Exposing the Crisis of Credibility in Clinical Research. MLF ORGANIZER Adrea Brier NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine SPEAKERS Leemon B. McHenry Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, California State University, Northridge; Co-Author, The Illusion of Evidence-Based Medicine: Exposing the Crisis o

How do our identities and values shape the way we listen to others’ climate experience? Author Nathaniel Rich and journalist Meera Subramanian cover the hopes, fears, and middle-of-the-night concerns affecting the people living closest to climate change.  In Georgia, farmers were convinced that climate is a political issue — until too-warm winters began upending the Peach State’s prized crop. In a wealthy Los Angeles suburb, an invisible methane gas leak caused outrage and hysteria for local residents concerned about personal health and property values — but not the climate. “I think we've all gotten really used to telling our stories, putting them out there in the world, and it sometimes feels like maybe not so many people are actually listening to them,” Subramanian says. “And so I think sometimes showing up as a journalist and just being all ears can feel kind of profound.” Guests: Nathaniel Rich, Author, Losing Earth; Second Nature Meera Subramanian, Environmental Journalist Have you ever had a difficult

Climate change threatens the very existence of many small island nations. Sea-level rise, weather extremes and coral reef destruction caused by warming waters have driven untold destruction and outmigration, with some communities fleeing—literally—to higher ground. Fighting for their collective survival, three small Pacific Island nations and two U.S. territories spanning over 2 million square miles of ocean launched the Micronesia Challenge in the mid-2000s to protect critical land and marine ecosystems by 2020—reducing human impact that imperils reefs, coastlines and mountains. A strategic partner since the Challenge’s founding, The Nature Conservancy is working across Micronesia as this initiative launches bold new 2030 targets for people and nature. SPEAKERS Kate Brown Executive Director, Global Island Partnership Willy Kostka Executive Director, Micronesia Conservation Trust Trina Leberer Director, Pacific Regional Partnerships, The Nature Conservancy Ben Doherty Pacific EditorThe Guardian—Moderator In r

Amid nationwide reckoning with racial justice and calls to reimagine policing in America's cities, Oakland has moved ahead with plans to change its public safety funding and performance. The Defund OPD campaign was launched by the Anti Policy Terror Project five years ago. Join us for a discussion with two leaders in the effort to change the criminal justice system. About the Speakers Cat Brooks is an activist, performer, politician and speaker or who has served as the communications director for Coaching Corps, as executive director of Youth Together and executive director of the National Lawyers Guild. Brooks is the co-founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP) whose mission is to rapidly respond to and ultimately eradicate what it calls state violence in communities of color. With APTP, she shepherded the development of a “first responders” process, which provides resources and training for a rapid community-based response to police violence. She also helped negotiate the passage of AB392, AB 931 and

Elsalameen, a prominent activist, social media analyst, political commentator and public speaker will discuss Arab-Israeli progress toward Middle East peace with Jonathan Curiel, journalist and author. As a known critic of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and of Hamas, Elsalameen will also discuss how President Abbas's "reign has been marred by corruption," etc. (Elsalameen recently accused Fatah’s military wing of sending him death threats for his pro-democracy and anti-corruption work.) Born in Hebron, Elsalameen is an adjunct senior fellow at the American Security Project, which was created to develop an American national security vision and strategy for the 21st century. He is also a successful businessman with working experience in the United States, the Middle East, and Africa, a graduate of Seeds of Peace and of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) program. MLF ORGANIZER Celia Menczel NOTES MLF: Middle East SPEAKERS Fadi Elsalameen MS, International Relations a

This is your Commonwealth Club week in review. Hear what you missed this week, and what we’ve got lined up for you next week. We’re always adding new programs - check out commonwealthclub.org/online for all of our upcoming events. If you haven’t already - please consider becoming a member of the Club. Enjoy exclusive discounts and access to special programs all while knowing your contributions directly support our many public programs and civic initiatives. Visit commonwealthclub.org/special, for special rates on memberships. Thanks for your support and as always - thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I love, love, love this book! The true story of a true heroine for our times—bold, brash and entirely honest about the downs and ups of making dreams come true." —Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit Have you ever had a glimmer of an idea for a new company, project or product but were convinced you didn’t have the tools to get started? Ellen Marie Bennett, CEO of Hedley & Bennett, may have a concise but powerful piece of advice for you: “You got this! Dream first, details later.” At 24, Bennett was a line cook at Providence, a two Michelin-starred Los Angeles restaurant. As she explored the culinary world and sharpened her skills, she also noticed the poorly designed aprons and shirts kitchen staff were required to wear. She decided to use her experience as a chef (in other words, not as a manufacturer but as a person who actually wore these uniforms) and leveraged this into a multi-million dollar apparel company. Her premium chef aprons and kitchen gear are worn by several of the best

The United States is the world’s leader in incarceration. “Tough on crime” attitudes in the 1980s have shaped the policies that criminalize more people in the United States now than ever before. With this carceral approach, the United States must deal with consequences such as overcrowding, prison violence and unnecessary fiscal burdens. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has spent 30 years learning about America’s carceral system as a civil rights and criminal defense lawyer, and his goal is to transform the system from the inside out. When he first launched his campaign for district attorney of Philadelphia, progressive Krasner seemed unlikely to win the seat so long-held by “tough on crime” attorneys who helped turn Philly into a city with one of the highest rates of incarceration in the country. But with perseverance to create a radical reform plan, Krasner won the DA election by a margin of nearly 50 percent. In his new book For the People, Krasner takes readers on his lifelong journey through

In the US, we’ve become accustomed to climate – like nearly everything else – being politicized. Even when potential solutions might benefit everyone, a zero-sum mentality has taken hold where there’s an “us” and a “them” and progress for them comes at the expense of us. “Racism in our politics and policymaking is distorting our ability to respond to big problems and to advance collective solutions,” says political strategist Heather McGhee. But does it have to be this way? Can we look to the UK and elsewhere for a different model? Is it even possible to make the whole planet a winner? Guests: Heather McGhee, Political Strategist & Author, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together  Rebecca Willis, Researcher & Author, Too Hot to Handle? The Democratic Challenge of Climate Change We have been nominated for a Webby! Please give us your vote as the Best Science and Education Limited Series in the 25th Annual People's Voice Award below: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2

The New York Times best-selling Bay Area author Jasmin Darznik returns to The Commonwealth Club to discuss her much-anticipated new novel, The Bohemians, a book that imagines the friendship between photographer Dorothea Lange and her Chinese American assistant in 1920s San Francisco. Darznick's new book captures a glittering and gritty 1920s San Francisco, with a cast of interesting characters, including cameos from such legendary historic figures as Frida Kahlo, Ansel Adams and D.H. Lawrence. The novel is a vivid and absorbing portrait of the past; it also connects with our complicated present, as anti-immigration sentiment, anti-Asian violence, corrupt politicians and a devastating pandemic bring tumult to San Francisco. The book is perfect for anyone who cares about San Francisco history, especially those captivated by Lange's photography. Darznik will be in discussion with Bay Area author Julia Flynn Siler. Jasmin Darznik's debut novel, Song of a Captive Bird, was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Cho

In 2017, Dr. Shanna Swan published an internationally acclaimed landmark study that sparked great concern about declining human fertility. Join us as this award-winning scientist and reproductive epidemiologist outlines steps individuals and society can take to prevent further impairment by everyday chemicals, which she says are severely impacting our reproductive health and imperiling the future of human and planetary health. Shanna H. Swan, Ph.D., is a leading. environmental and reproductive epidemiologist and professor of environmental medicine and public health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has published more than 200 scientific papers, appeared on numerous media outlets, and published a recent book titled, Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race. MLF ORGANIZER Adrea Brier SPEAKERS Shanna H. Swan Ph.D., Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School