Commonwealth Club of California

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT & CEO: Find Truth and Set It Loose in the World President Joe Biden got to the heart of the matter when he said, in his inaugural address, that there is a difference between truth and lies. Lies, he said, told for power and for profit.... The deep state, the election steal, and the QAnon conspiracy are all lies. We have seen, in the terrible attack at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, how lies can be used to manipulate our citizens and to strike at the very foundation of our democracy. When he wrote in 1903 that the Club would propose to find the truth and set it loose in the world, the Commonwealth Club’s founder Edward F. Adams set out the Club’s nonpartisan mission to present information and perspectives that would help citizens cooperate for the common good, despite inevitable differences over strategy and political affiliation. Those words ring so true today, and the Club recommits itself to our purpose of educating, informing and stimulating dialogue, in the common interest. We are honored to answer President Biden’s call to end this uncivil war, including through the Club’s K12 civics education project, which mentors a new generation of Americans to participate positively in civil society. We are proud to be a progressive organization. Progressivism is the idea that the human condition can be improved by human effort and public policy, based on facts, data, analysis and dialogue. It is a nonpartisan approach, originating in a movement originally led by Republicans like Theodore Roosevelt. To conflate progressivism with socialism or as somehow contrary to liberty and private enterprise is another lie. Today, as never before, the Club seeks to present the truth, from a broad range of political and social perspectives. We will not be a platform for lies, even under the banner of free speech. Too much harm has been done by those who have manipulated lies. The Commonwealth Club is a big tent, with room for many views. But we are a platform for free speech, not hate speech, and that is reflected in our choice of the people and issues we cover. We look forward to an era now, as when the Club was founded 118 years ago, when Republicans and Democrats and those across a range of viewpoints will collaborate for the common good, and we commit to being an active part of the healing and progress our nation needs. Gloria Duffy President and CEO The Commonwealth Club

Yesterday, KQED's Michael Krasny hosted his final radio program, bringing to an end a 28-year career that made him a household name in the Bay Area and beyond. His final "Forum" program can be found at the link below. Two weeks ago, the Club hosted Krasny to discuss his influential career. That program can be viewed at this Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lz5DHLHV7s

Hello Commonwealth Club Fans! We wanted to give you another way to quickly see our programs from the past week - and the programs we’ve got coming up next week. Please support the Club and help us continue to bring you amazing programming every week!

As we head into the Presidents Day weekend, revisit some past presidents who have spoken at The Commonwealth Club of California. In 2013, Jimmy Carter discussed foreign policy, human rights, the death penaltyand a previously untold story involving the Iran hostage crisis. https://youtu.be/yd5I2B3Cp0o

Last night's program has stirred interest in other programs at the Club over the years that have touched on aspects of Islamic art, politics, faith and more. Take a look. https://www.commonwealthclub.org/node/121902

In light of the new attention being paid to attacks on Asian Americans, we look back at our program from spring 2020, "Asian American Voices on Anti-Asian Violence," featuring Dion Lim, Julie Tang and Cyn Wang in conversation with Michelle Meow https://youtu.be/VXn5UEoJcrA

The first vaccination against COVID-19 given in the U.S. occurred earlier today in New York City, launching a historic effort to end the pandemic and return life in America to normal. What does the road ahead look like for the country? We will be discussing these issues and more with two experts to tomorrow at 9AM. To learn more about the FREE program and register, visit COVID-19 Vaccines and Returning to Normalcy.

At times it seemed that 2020 would never end, but here comes December, right on schedule, and we're holding our annual "Michelle Meow Show" year-end special. We'll relive a bit of the past year, we'll have some celebrity video cameos, and our featured speaker for the night is Sarah McBride, whom Delaware voters elected in November as the nation's first transgender state senator. McBride's career is steeped in politics. She worked on campaigns, including Delaware Attorney Gene...ral Beau Biden's 2010 campaign and Governor Jack Markell's 2008 race. In 2012, she interned at the White House, becoming the first transgender woman to work there in any role. In 2016, she became the first openly transgender person to speak at a national party convention when she addressed the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Join us for fun program of looking back and forward, as we celebrate the end of this momentous year and we consider what's in store in 2021. NOTES Main image of Delaware State Senate chamber by Yorksa10. FRI, DEC 11 / 6:00 PM PST SPEAKERS Sarah McBride Member-Elect, Delaware State Senate; National Press Secretary, Human Rights Campaign; Author, Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and Podcast; Member, The Commonwealth Club Board of GovernorsCo-Host John Zipperer Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth ClubCo-Host -www.commonwealthclub.org/covid19support -Subscribe for more Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/commonwealthclub -Upcoming events: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events -Become a Member: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/membership -Donate Now: https://support.commonwealthclub.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=298 -Text DONATE to: 415-329-4231 -Watch & Listen https://www.commonwealthclub.org/watch-listen -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecommonwealthclub/ -Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cwclub/ -Twitter https://twitter.com/cwclub

An excerpt of a statement from The Commonwealth Club and our CEO, Dr. Gloria Duffy, on racial inequality and justice. Please read the full statement at: www.commonwealthclub.org/justsociety

With the FDA indicating today that it will move forward with authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19, the U.S. could finally be on the road to a return to "normalcy" in the country. But when will that be? And how long will it take to get vaccines distributed in 2021? We will be discussing these issues and more on Tuesday, with two leading local experts: Bob Wachter, head of medicine for UCSF and Ken Kelley, advisor to the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). To learn more and register for the free program, visit COVID-19 Vaccines and Returning to Normalcy/

Join us for a panel discussion of ways in which students in special education have been discriminated against, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak, which has dramatically changed the way education is delivered. NOTES THU, OCT 29 / 12:00 PM PDT... SPEAKERS Malhar Shah Attorney, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund; Former Family Law Staff Attorney, National Center for lesbian Rights Janet Sinhbandith Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA); Behavior Specialist, Castro Valley Unified School District; CEO, Positive Support Services, LLC Kristy Woerz Retired Special Education Teacher, Program Specialist, and Trainer to District Staff, Castro Valley Unified School District Michelle Meow Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show," KBCW TV and TuneIn; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of GovernorsCo-Host John Zipperer Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth ClubCo-Host -www.commonwealthclub.org/covid19support -Subscribe for more Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/commonwealthclub -Upcoming events: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events -Become a Member: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/membership -Donate Now: https://support.commonwealthclub.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=298 -Text DONATE to: 415-329-4231 -Watch & Listen https://www.commonwealthclub.org/watch-listen -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecommonwealthclub/ -Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cwclub/ -Twitter https://twitter.com/cwclub

President-Elect Joe Biden has chosen Dr. Vivek Murthy as the once-and-future U.S. surgeon general. See what Murthy said when he spoke with Dr. Lucy Kalanithi at Commonwealth Club of California this past May. Listen now: https://www.commonwealthclub.org//former-us-surgeon-genera... Watch now: https://www.commonwealthclub.org//former-us-surgeon-genera

Join us for a conversation with the director and the stars of the new indie drama Take Out Girl. Writer, director, actor, cinematographer and creator Hisonni Mustafa Johnson is a rising star in the film world, garnering accolades and nominations for his television pilots (Fight Night Legacy, Olympia and Grayson: Earth One). Hedy Wong is an actress and writer known for Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks, Chinatown Squad, and the new Take Out Girl. And Alex Phambetter known by his stage ...name $tupid Youngis a Cambodian-American rapper, lyricist, entrepreneur and actor, who portrays an LAPD officer in Take Out Girl. His YouTube channel has garnered 34 million views; he also runs his own label, Afficials, which he founded in 2017. Johnson, Wong and Young will join us to discuss Asian-American experiences, diaspora, race relations, violence, and poverty. They will be in conversation with "Michelle Meow Show" co-hosts Michelle Meow and John Zipperer. NOTES Main image: Detail from Take Out Girl poster See more Michelle Meow Shows at The Commonwealth Club. THU, DEC 10 / 12:00 PM PST SPEAKERS Hisonni Mustafa Johnson Writer, Director, Actor and Cinematographer, Take Out Girl Hedy Wong Actress and Writer, Take Out Girl, Laff Mob's Laff Tracks, and Chinatown Squad $tupid Young Rapper; Hip Hop Artist; Lyricist; Entrepreneur; Actor, Take Out Girl -www.commonwealthclub.org/covid19support -Subscribe for more Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/commonwealthclub -Upcoming events: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events -Become a Member: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/membership -Donate Now: https://support.commonwealthclub.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=298 -Text DONATE to: 415-329-4231 -Watch & Listen https://www.commonwealthclub.org/watch-listen -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecommonwealthclub/ -Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cwclub/ -Twitter https://twitter.com/cwclub

What will happen on Election Day? What people and propositions will succeed? Join us the day after for our "Election Aftermath" politics roundtable. Wednesday, Nov. 4, noon (PDT) https://www.commonwealthclub.org//election-aftermath-week-

Join us for a virtual conversation with award-winning historian David Reynolds to discuss his new biography of Abraham Lincoln, which also illuminates the riotous tumult of American life in the decades before the Civil War. It was a country growing up and being pulled apart at the same time, with a democratic popular culture that reflected the country's contradictions. From New England Puritan stock on his father's side and Virginia Cavalier gentry on his mother's, Lincoln wa...s linked by blood to the central conflict of the age, and was aided by his genius for striking a balance between opposing forces. Lacking formal schooling but with an unquenchable thirst for self-improvement, Lincoln had a talent for wrestling and bawdy jokes that made him popular with his peers, but also had an appetite for poetry and prodigious gifts for memorization that set him apart throughout his childhood, and in his years as a lawyer and a politician. No one can transcend the limitations of his time, and Lincoln was no exception. But Lincoln did, at each stage of his life, arrive at a broader view of things than all but his most enlightened peers. As a politician, he moved too slowly for some and too swiftly for many, but he always pushed toward justice while keeping the whole nation in mind. MLF ORGANIZER George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation Lincoln photo by Matthew B. Brady THU, OCT 29 / 10:00 AM PDT SPEAKERS David S. Reynolds Distinguished Professor, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York; Author, Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times In Conversation with George Hammond Author, Conversations With Socrates-www.commonwealthclub.org/covid19support -Subscribe for more Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/commonwealthclub -Upcoming events: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events -Become a Member: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/membership -Donate Now: https://support.commonwealthclub.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=298 -Text DONATE to: 415-329-4231 -Watch & Listen https://www.commonwealthclub.org/watch-listen -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecommonwealthclub/ -Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cwclub/ -Twitter https://twitter.com/cwclub

Nicholas Christakis is a physician and sociologist at Yale University who explores the ancient origins and modern implications of human nature. Christakis’ research focuses on the social, mathematical and biological rules that form social networks as well as the implications of human connection that influences thoughts, feelings and behaviors. In his new book Apollo’s Arrow, Christakis explores the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in America and the implications that will f...ollow in the coming years. Christakis uses a range of disciplines to unpack the effects of a modern pandemic, including historical epidemics, contemporary analyses and trailblazing scientific research. The coronavirus pandemic and the epidemics that have come before it, though mostly unknown territory to those alive today, is fundamental to the human biological experience. Join Christakis and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy for a conversation about adaptation, survival and the rapid change we’ve undergone in 2020. NOTES This program is generously supported by: The Ken & Jackie Broad Family Fund Murthy photo by Meredith Nierman WED, OCT 28 / 5:30 PM PDT SPEAKERS Nicholas Christakis Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science, Yale University; Author, Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live; Twitter @NAChristakis In Conversation with Dr. Vivek Murthy Former U.S. Surgeon General; Author, Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World; Twitter @vivek_murthy -www.commonwealthclub.org/covid19support -Subscribe for more Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/commonwealthclub -Upcoming events: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events -Become a Member: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/membership

CEOs from big tech, including Facebook, Google, and Twitter, are being grilled in the Senate today on their content moderation practices. It is the latest example of tech giants being challenged for their increasing power in society. Last week, we explored these very issues with two people at the forefront of this topic:: Barry Lynn of the Open Markets Institute and Silicon Valley investor, Roger McNamee. You can can find this program at this Club link, below https://www.commonwealthclub.org//barry-lynn-people-vs-con

Online today 1 P.M. PDT / Maria Bartiromo and James Freeman: Reviving America's Economy 3:30 P.M. PDT / Paula Ramos: Finding Latinx 5:30 P.M. PDT / Nicholas Christakis with Dr. Vivek Murthy: The Enduring Impact of Coronavirus... Register for online events: http://commonwealthclub.org/events

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Gary Kamiya and artist Paul Madonna are two of the most critically acclaimed contemporary chroniclers of San Francisco. Now, they join forces for a new book, Spirits of San Francisco, marrying image and text in a way no book about the city has done before. Kamiya's captivating narratives accompany Madonna's masterful pen-and-ink drawings, breathing life into San Francisco sites both iconic and obscure. In this COVID era, when San Francisco fa...ces unprecedented challenges, come hear from two of the city's wisest observers about what makes San Francisco special and what the future may hold. NOTES Kamiya photo by Alfred Castino; Madonna photo by Joen Madonna TUE, OCT 27 / 3:30 PM PDT SPEAKERS Gary Kamiya Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle; Author, Spirits of San Francisco: Voyages Through the Unknown City Paul Madonna Artist and Illustrator, Spirits of San Francisco: Voyages Through the Unknown City In Conversation with Rick Evans Owner and Operator, Art + Architecture Virtual Tours