• Youth Talk: Reclaiming Civic Power
    Jun 21 2025
    Democracy is more than a single moment at the ballot box—it’s a continuous, dynamic process shaped by the collective actions of engaged individuals. "Reclaiming Civic Power" is a program designed to inspire and equip participants with the tools to stay civically active, especially in the critical periods between elections. This program emphasizes that while legislative agendas are one pathway to change, there are numerous other pathways—grassroots organizations, advocacy campaigns, cultural movements, and community-led initiatives—that hold immense power in shaping our political future. The program will delve into essential questions for anyone seeking to make a difference: What does meaningful engagement look like after an election? How do we continue working toward our goals, even when we disagree with those in power? Through thought-provoking conversations and practical strategies, audience members will gain insight into how young people are driving change through organizing, coalition building, and challenging the status quo. This is a call to action for individuals of all generations to reclaim their role in shaping democracy. Together, we will uncover strategies for sustaining motivation, reclaiming civic power, and shaping a political landscape that reflects our collective values. No matter your experiences, "Reclaiming Civic Power" will motivate and empower you to stay engaged in shaping a brighter, more inclusive future. We look forward to welcoming community members and students from around the Bay Area to participate in this riveting conversation and to join us for future programs. This event is part of the Creating Citizens Speaker Series at UC Berkeley, a partnership between Commonwealth Club World Affairs and the Associated Students of the University of California Vote Coalition; it is proudly co-sponsored by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies, Institute of International Studies, and Mario Savio Social Justice Program. The Creating Citizens Speaker Series gives UC Berkeley students, faculty, and community members opportunities to listen to and ask questions of leading minds in politics, media, and education as they learn how to become better, more involved citizens. We look forward to welcoming community members and students from around the Bay Area to participate in this riveting conversation and to join us for future programs in the series. This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s civics education initiative, Creating Citizens. Produced in partnership with UC Berkeley Mario Savio Social Justice Program, UC Berkeley Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, and UC Berkeley Vote Coalition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 Std. und 15 Min.
  • CLIMATE ONE: Dead Heat: The Danger Of Home Power Shutoffs
    Jun 20 2025
    Summer is here, temperatures are rising — and so are electric bills. That also means many people are facing a severely overlooked issue: power shutoffs. In 2024, over 600,000 households in the United States had their power shut off due to an inability to pay. When that happens, people cannot turn on their lights, keep food refrigerated, or cool down the home. And regulations preventing shutoffs during extreme heat events are woefully inadequate. But when utilities help pay the upfront costs of efficiency upgrades, the customers and utilities can both save energy — and money. How do we protect the most vulnerable populations from the dangers of home power shutoffs? 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
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    59 Min.
  • AfroSolo Arts Festival: We Come This Far by Music
    Jun 19 2025
    Now in its 31st year, the AfroSolo Arts Festival is thrilled to return to Commonwealth Club World Affairs with "We Come This Far by Music—Let Freedom Ring! Part 2," featuring African American artists and music. The AfroSolo Arts Festival, directed by Thomas R. Simpson, is showcasing a cast of classically trained artists. This program is led by Dr. Carl Blake, pianist and director, and features Bradley Kynard, baritone; Shawnette Sulker, soprano; William Underwood, flutist. It's a joyful, soul-stirring program of music based on African American experiences, as part of San Francisco's Juneteenth Celebration—a national celebration that commemorates the freeing of enslaved people in Texas two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. AfroSolo Arts Festival is made possible through the support of the California Arts Council, Grants for the Arts, Dream Keeper Initiative, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, SF Arts Commission, and The Friends of AfroSolo. About the Performers Dr. Carl Blake, piano and program director. Carnegie Recital Wigmore Hall (London) and L’Hermitage St. Petersburg, Russia Toured in France, England, Central and South America, Caribbean as artistic ambassador for the U.S. Department of State. Currently, director of music, Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples, San Francisco, and a board member, Noontime Concerts. Bradley Kynard, baritone. This season: The Emissary by Oh/Rourke and Prospero's Island by Shearer/Stevens, Zebul in Jeptha by Handel, Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet (BWV 212) by J.S. Bach, A Little Girl Dreams of Taking the Veil by Wold, Sophia's Forest by Beecher/Moscovitch, and Harriet's Spirit by Shelby/Olvera with Opera Parallèle, Moby Dick, Heggie/Scheer with San Francisco Opera. Brooke. In Little Women, by Adamo. Shawnette Sulker, soprano. Featured artist with San Francisco Opera; Die Königin der Nacht, Cleopatra, Porgy and Bess, Jake Heggie’s Intelligence, Allen Shearer’s Prospero’s Island. Soloist, Carmina Burana, Messiah, and Mahler’s symphonies concert performances at Teatro di San Carlo, Lincoln Center, and Leipzig’s Gewandhaus. William Underwood III, flutist. Performs in traditional, avant-garde, social and sacred arenas as a solo, collaborative and recording flutist. A veteran of AfroSolo Festivals in San Francisco. Toured Japan extensively with Kyodo Tokyo Incorporated . An Arts 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. Organizer: Anne W Smith and Thomas R. Simpson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    48 Min.
  • Week to Week Politics Roundtable: June 11, 2025
    Jun 16 2025
    Kick off the summer with our latest political roundtable. Join us for the Week to Week political roundtable. Learn more about the people, trends and topics driving the political news of the day. See other upcoming Week to Week political roundtables, as well as audio and video of past Week to Week programs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 Std.
  • Town Hall Discussion: Immigration Crisis
    Jun 15 2025
    For the past 4 weeks, people have been planning and discussing how they can bring together communities to address constitutional and human rights violations impacting the immigrant community. Join us on May 20, 6 p.m., at Commonwealth Club World Affairs headquarters in downtown San Francisco. This emergency town hall discussion on the immigration crisis will feature a coalition of community leaders working on this issue, including Immigrant Defenders Law Center—the attorneys of Andry Jose Hernández Romero. Following welcome remarks by Mawuli Tugbenyoh, acting executive director of the Human Rights Commission, and Maceo Persson, SF Pride Board member, you'll hear from our lineup of speakers for our town hall discussion. See more Michelle Meow Show programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. This program made possible by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 Std. und 13 Min.
  • CLIMATE ONE: Super Pollutants: The Hidden Half of Global Warming
    Jun 13 2025
    Carbon dioxide is a big deal. It’s responsible for more than half of global heating. But what about the other half? There’s actually good news here: Nearly half of the temperature increases driving climate disasters come from super pollutants that don’t stay in the atmosphere for nearly as long as carbon dioxide. Methane, for example, is about 80 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over 20 years. But it only stays in the atmosphere for a fraction of the time. So if we can put the brakes on methane and other super pollutants, we can put the brakes on warming. Guests: Ilissa Ocko, Senior Climate Scientist, Spark Climate Solutions David Kanter, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, New York University Millie Chu Baird, Vice President, Office of the Chief Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund 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
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    1 Std. und 5 Min.
  • Jonathan Capehart: Finding My Voice
    Jun 8 2025
    Jonathan Capehart is a fixture of the American media scene. You find him hosting weekends on MSNBC. He talks politics with David Brooks on “PBS Newshour.” He is a columnist for The Washington Post. But long before he reached this level of visibility, he spent years trying to find his place in a world that didn’t seem to know what he was. He grew up without his father, dealt with issues of race and identity even as they changed around him, was told he was either too smart or not smart enough, and even that he was either too Black or not Black enough. It was an internship at "The Today Show" that changed his fortunes and set him on the path to achieving his dreams. In his new memoir, Yet Here I Am, Capehart relates his journey to find his place as a gay, Black man, dealing with family, facing his fears, failing and succeeding along the way. Join us for an in-depth talk with a leading media voice and learn about how he found his voice and his place in modern America. * Note: This podcast may contain explicit language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 Std. und 9 Min.
  • Bonnie Tsui, Paige Bethmann, and Ku Stevens: Muscle, The Stuff that Moves Us and Why It Matters
    Jun 7 2025
    Join us for an intriguing look at muscle power—and the surprising ways muscle can reveal what we’re capable of. Bonnie Tsui, author of On Muscle, will be joined by filmmaker Paige Bethmann and the subject of Bethmann’s documentary, Ku Stevens. Her film, Remaining Native, tells the story of 17-year-old runner Stevens who made a 50-mile run through the Nevada desert to remember the route his great-grandfather took to escape from a boarding school. Tsui will draw on a blend of science, culture, immersive reporting, and personal narrative to examine not just what muscles are but what they mean to humans. Muscles allow our heart to beat, food to move through our bodies, blood to circulate, even babies to leave the womb. We might not think of our muscles unless they are sore or we are working out. But they connect us with just about everything we do. A Grownups 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. OrganizerDenise Michaud Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 Std. und 12 Min.