Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

The Bay Area is typically known as an incubator of left-of-center ideas. But in recent years, it has become known as the source of an ideology influencing the Trump administration, a belief system journalist Gil Duran describes as “tech fascism.” In his newsletter “The Nerd Reich,” Duran looks at how controversial writers such as Curtis Yarvin—who has argued that the United States should be a “mon...

There are no midsummer doldrums in politics, so get ready for a lively and timely look at the people, topics and trends driving the political conversation in 2025.  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 w...

Three years ago, Congress passed President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action in U.S. history. The IRA set in motion a sweeping set of investments in nearly every aspect of energy and climate, mostly in the form of subsidies and tax credits, to boost domestic production of electric vehicles, batteries and carbon-free energy. Those investments have flowed to e...

Research funded by the federal government has been crucial in many of the defining technologies of our time: the internet, A.I., crispr, Ozempic, and the mRNA vaccines first used widely in the COVID pandemic. Between 2010 and 2019, more than 350 drugs were approved in the United States, and virtually all of them could trace their roots to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Now this administr...

Fresh off its award-winning run in Europe, Democracy Noir arrives in the United States as a very timely documentary film about how Viktor Orbán politically reshaped Hungary. It paints an incisive portrait of how Orbán used a free and democratic election to install authoritarian rule, enjoying widespread approval from Hungarian nationalists as well as from conservatives around the world inclined to...

Nature can feel distant from our everyday lives. Maybe it’s a place we visit on the weekends, a getaway from the hustle and bustle, something “out there,” just beyond the edges of our neighborhoods. But we are part of it, and as more and more people consider their impact on the Earth, sustainable practices are extending even to death, where green and natural burials are gaining popularity.  Within...

In America, body weight has become a pain point shrouded in self-recrimination and shame, not to mention bias from the medical community. For many, this battle not only takes a mental toll but also becomes a physical threat: three-quarters of American adults struggle with weight-related health conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. We know that diets don’t work, and...

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  Segment. 5 At the Intersection of Immigrants, Trans, and People with DisabilitiesAddressing the mounting attacks on immigrants, trans people, and people with disabilities. The intersections of these communities—and the compounding impacts of policy a...

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  SF Community Health Center PanelModerator: Human Rights Commission Board President Leah Pimentel Speakers: Lance Toma, Jahnell Butler See more  ⁠Michelle Meow Show⁠ programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. This program contains EXPL...

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  Segment. 2: Global Pride Organizers Rise in Right wing extremists and anti-LGBT rights advocates Moderator: Michelle Meow, Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show"Speakers: Carmen Prins (South Africa), Julia Maciocha (Budapest), Koko Tiamsai (Thai...

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  Segment. 3: LGBTQIA & Tech Luncheon + ProgramDonna Sachet, Emcee Addressing AI and Tech for the LGBTQIA+ MovementModerator: Celso DulaySpeakers: Sister Roma, Susan Gonzalez, Amp Somers See more  ⁠Michelle Meow Show⁠ programs at Commonwealth Club Worl...

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  Segment. 4 KeynoteCity Attorney David Chiu Plenary: LGBTQIA in Politics Moderator: Evan Low of Victory FundSpeakers: Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Melissa Hernandez (Harvey Milk Democratic Club), Khilynn Fowler See more  ⁠Michelle Meow Show⁠ programs...

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  Segment. 7 Closing PlenaryHarper Steele and Suzanne Ford See more  Michelle Meow Show programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. This program contains EXPLICIT language.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  Breakout session 2:Our Family Coalition & LGBTQIA+ FamiliesMimi Demissew and Robin Lowey See more  ⁠Michelle Meow Show⁠ programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choic...

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  Segment. 6 “I Feel That Way Too” live podcast taping with activist Michelle Mijung Kim Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 26, join us for the third annual Human Rights Summit from San Francisco Pride and The Michelle Meow Show at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.  Breakout:LGBTQIA Elder SSID & MEDICAIDModerator: Sandra Riva, Openhouse + On Lok Community Day ServicesSpeakers: Paul Aguilar, Vince Cristostomo, Ms. Billie Cooper, Dr. Jessica Eng (On Lok PACE) See more  ⁠Michelle Meow Show⁠ programs at Commonwealth...

The beginning of 2025 saw significant cuts to US foreign aid, most notably with the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Since its establishment in 1961, USAID has implemented programs in global health, disaster relief, socioeconomic development, environmental protection, democratic governance and education. What are the implications of the sharp funding c...

When individuals want to take action on climate, it’s often in the form of electrifying a home, voting, or maybe even traditional activism. Those are very important, but we often overlook how individual skills and talents can also make a difference.  This week we’re highlighting creative forms of climate action. Pattie Gonia is a drag queen, environmentalist and advocate for inclusivity and divers...

“When I die, how will I be measured?” For Stanley McChrystal, the answer could be obvious. As a retired four-star general, McChrystal might be measured by his stars (four), commands held, wars fought, or awards and medals received (numerous). But when McChrystal looked back on his life and his current status, he focused on the importance of character, a topic he explores in his new book aptly titl...

Join us for a conversation with author and new media artist Scott Snibbe. Snibbe will introduce us to the history of his pioneering use of new technology and his exploration of traditional art forms. His artwork has been featured in leading institutions, from MoMA, SFMOMA, and The Whitney Museum of American Art to London’s Institute of Contemporary Art, Tokyo’s Intercommunications Center, and beyo...

Since she started Moms Demand Action in 2012 following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Shannon Watts has drawn thousands of women from the sidelines and gotten them involved, helping them realize the power they had. Now she brings that approach to helping people more broadly stand up and achieve their potential. Whether it’s launching your dream business, leaving a bad relationship, or...

Matt LaBrot was the Tesla sales manager who got so fed up with how Elon Musk’s public persona affected the brand that he published a website called “Tesla Employees Against Elon.” He was subsequently fired, allegedly for "using company resources to build a website that did not align with the company’s perspective." For our pod audience, we’re dropping this extended version of Greg Dalton’s convers...

The prevailing scientific view of the fundamental nature of homosexuality has undergone a significant evolution in the last several decades. Where once the scientific and medical establishment maintained an unqualified belief that homosexuality was a form of psychological deviance, today a solid majority of psychiatrists and psychologists themselves believe that biological factors (genes, brain, p...

In 2024, BloombergNEF predicted electric vehicles would make up nearly half of U.S. new car sales by 2030. Now, they’ve revised their projection down to less than 30%, just one year later.  In a time when we need to be speeding up the energy transition, EV sales in the U.S. are stagnating. Sales of Teslas, once the king of electric vehicles, are collapsing. What’s behind the slowing demand? And wi...

Since Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office in late January, he has let loose with a flurry of executive orders, purges of government workers, takeovers of semi-independent organizations, and defunding of numerous organizations and causes. The administration has faced setbacks in courts, with judges challenging and contradicting its actions. But what happens if Trump openly defies a judge? What...