Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

The mission of Dentists Organized for Veterans is to enhance lives by providing free, on-going, high-quality dental services in the first private, stand alone, full-service dental clinic in the United States wholly devoted to veterans who do not qualify for dental services from the Veterans Administration and who cannot afford dental care. a significant portion of veterans, many of whom cannot afford dental insurance, suffer through extremely poor oral health and dental neglect. The dental professionals at DOV, over seen by Clinical Director Angela Bayat, DDS, seek to address this appalling circumstance and provide the same standard of care and variety of services found in any modern, private practice at no cost to the veteran. Dr. Bayat has lived all over the world and brings a global perspective on patient care and health. Beginning her professional career as a Pharmacy student, Dr. Bayat eventually pursued dentistry as a field that would give her more personal contact with patients. Fluent in three languages, she has a natural talent not only as a practitioner but a trusted caregiver who listens to and addresses the specific concerns of her patients. MLF Organizer Name Patrick O'Reilly Notes MLF: Psychology

The Trump administration recently unleashed what's been criticized as another attack on transgender Americans by calling for the Department of Health and Human Services to redefine sex as biological under Title IX, which prevents gender-based discrimination. In response, LGBTQ communities and allies have mobilized community actions calling out the administration for what they're calling a blatant attempt to erase trans and gender nonconforming communities. Join us for an informational discussion with community experts on strategies to address this latest attack and the impact of the upcoming November 6 election. Learn more on what this memo means, what people can do next. See more upcoming Michelle Meow Shows at The Commonwealth Club link below. https://www.commonwealthclub.org/index.php/michelle-meow-show Additional information on the speakers: Honey Mahogany is a social worker, community advocate and known for her role on Season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race. Named San Francisco's Best Drag by the B.A.R. and SF Weekly, Honey performs across the globe. Honey is also co-founder of the Compton's Transgender Cultural District, co-President of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, a member of the San Francisco Democratic Central County Committee, and co-owner of the Stud. Kris Hayashi has over 20 years of movement building, leadership and organizing experience. As a public transgender person of color, Kris has been a leader in movements for justice and rights for transgender and gender nonconforming communities for over 13 years. Kris became Executive Director at Transgender Law Center, one of the largest organizations in the country advancing the rights of transgender and gender nonconforming people, in February 2015. Prior to that, he had served over a year in the role of Deputy Director at the organization. Clair Farley is Senior Advisor to the Mayor and Director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives with the City and County of San Francisco. She is a human rights and transgender rights advocate who has worked across the county and internationally to promote visibility for marginalized communities. She also worked for over a decade at SF LGBT Center leading their economic development and employment programs. She received the Outstanding Voices Award from San Francisco Business Times and was recognized as a “Soldier of Social Change” by the San Francisco Magazine’s annual Women in Power issue. The event is hosted by The Commonwealth Club in partnership with "The Michelle Meow Show," the Office of Transgender Initiative’s Advisory Committee, TransCitySF, and TLC (Transgender Law Center) Have questions? Email [email protected]

Alexander Borodin (1833–87) was a famous Russian chemist who today is better known as one of the greatest Romantic composers of the 19th century. In the 1860s, he joined a group of composers, called "The Five," who were dedicated to promoting a national music that was distinctly Russian, in contrast to the traditions that prevailed in Germany and Italy. The Five did not compose many symphonies or works of chamber music, which they regarded as alien art forms, but Borodin nevertheless wrote two string quartets of great beauty and charm. The San Joaquin Quartet will perform his String Quartet No. 2 in D, which includes as its third movement the famous Nocturne. (In 1954, Borodin was posthumously honored with a Tony Award for the Nocturne and other music that comprised the score for the Broadway musical "Kismet.") The program will conclude with the famous Andante Cantabile from Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No. 1. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

If anyone can make provocative predictions about technology and its impact on business and our everyday lives, it is Tom Siebel. One of Silicon Valley's most successful entrepreneurs for more than four decades, he remains at the forefront of enterprise software, big data, cloud, the Internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning—formerly at Oracle and Siebel Systems and, most recently, as founder and CEO of C3. Siebel explores the far-ranging impact that AI and digital innovation will have on every aspect of life and how this step function change in technology—fueled by AI and IoT—continues to disrupt critical industries from agriculture, health care, manufacturing, defense, financial services and energy. Siebel will discuss the societal and ethical implications of AI, exploring both the dangers and the opportunities where AI can have the greatest impact. Given AI is being rapidly applied to virtually all societal domains, the urgency of working together to mitigate the adverse consequences has never been greater. Leading researchers suggest it is only a matter of time before rival states, criminals and terrorists use AI’s scale and efficiency to launch finely targeted and highly efficient attacks. In this rapidly evolving climate, Siebel argues that the benefits of AI are substantial, but the potential costs are significant. He advocates that the balance between the two lies in regulation, private and public sector collaboration, and a clear focus on issues such as privacy and cybersecurity to protect us—as consumers and citizens. Join one of technology’s most preeminent leaders for a night of insightful conversation on the shaping of society by the exponential—and unstoppable—rise of AI.

Photography has always had a special role in shaping the visual narratives that help us make sense of our world. Not only do we record, share and understand life through images, but these images also galvanize individuals to act. While the impulse for visual storytelling is as old as humanity itself, the tools, storytellers and mechanisms for sharing visual stories are now dramatically different. More than ever, photography has the power to transcend barriers, spark dialogue and promote understanding. But who is telling these stories today, and how can we take action to enable people to tell their own stories, widening the lens of storytellers everywhere? Three extraordinary leaders in photography will discuss their groundbreaking approaches to using the most powerful communications tools of our time, concurrently creating provocative work on their own and exposing diverse artists to opportunities to amplify their visual voices. Join us for a dynamic conversation about the exciting possibilities of a more nuanced and inclusive photographic lens to create a broader societal impact. *Shahidul Alam is currently being held by Dhaka police after criticizing the Bangladeshi government in an interview with Al Jazeera. His attendance at our Nov. 2 event is dependent on his release: https://www.catchlight.io/news-content/2018/10/2/update-shahidul-alam-at-widening-the-lens. In association with CatchLight.

Red states, blue states – when it comes to our environment, are we really two different Americas? New Yorker writer Eliza Griswold spent time in southwestern Pennsylvania to tell the story of a family living on the front lines of the fracking boom. Berkeley professor Arlie Hochschild traveled to Louisiana to escape what she calls the “bubble” of coastal thinking. Both writers emerged with books that paint an honest portrait of a misunderstood America. On today’s program, tales of the people whose lives have been impacted by America’s craving for energy, the choices they’ve made, and their fight to protect their families and their environment.

Twenty-four years after the genocide against the Tutsi, a process of reconciliation and redevelopment has helped Rwandans transcend many of the divisions that tore their nation apart. The process of reconciliation today is embodied by government initiatives intended to erase the old colonial construct of operation along ethnic identities. This event will discuss Rwanda's history and how its people were able to heal the wounds of genocide and harness a shared spirit to challenge the forces that tore the country apart. MLF Organizer Name Linda Calhoun Notes MLF: International Relations

Modern health means metabolic health. The main pathway to chronic diseases today is the breakdown of our finely tuned metabolic machinery inside, due to processed food, lifestyle and – mental health? Stress and depression have potent effects on our behavior and creating imbalance of hormones such as glucose, insulin and inflammation. Poor mental health contributes to the metabolic syndrome, a cluster of common maladies including a large waist, high lipid levels and blood pressure, breakdown of the balance between insulin and glucose, and the most invisible to all, a fatty liver. You will hear from four experts in this area on the important topics of nutrition, optimal daily habits and how to prevent depression and the cascade of dysregulation that manifests as the metabolic syndrome. Elissa Epel, Ph.D, is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSF. Epel studied psychology and psychobiology at Stanford University (BA), and clinical and health psychology at Yale University (Ph.D.). She completed a clinical internship at the Palo Alto Veterans Healthcare System. Her research aims to elucidate mechanisms of healthy aging, and to apply this basic science to scalable interventions that can reach vulnerable populations. She is the Director of the Aging, Metabolism, and Emotions Lab, and the Center for Obesity Assessment, Study, & Treatment, (COAST), and Associate Director of the Center for Health and Community. With her collaborators, she is conducting clinical trials to examine the effect of self-regulation and mindfulness training programs on cellular aging, weight, diet, and glucose control. Wolfram Alderson's career in pursuit of social and environmental change spans across four decades. He currently serves as CEO of the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation. The broad focus of his lifetime of work has been improving human and environmental health–often by developing programs and organizations that accomplish both. In addition to being a social change agent, Wolfram is also a visual artist and writer, and has built two major therapeutic arts programs, one for refugees and one for abused children. Dr. Lustig specializes in the field of neuroendocrinology, with an emphasis on the regulation of energy balance by the central nervous system. His research and clinical practice has focused on childhood obesity and diabetes. Dr. Lustig holds a Bachelor’s in Science from MIT, a Doctorate in Medicine from Cornell University Medical College, and a Master’s of Studies in Law from U.C. Hastings College of the Law. Dr. Lustig is the author of the bestselling books The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains and Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity and Disease. Dr. Rasgon is a professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University’s School of Medicine. She began her distinguished career at Odessa Medical Institute and UCLA School of Medicine, and in 2002, she established the Center for Neuroscience in Women’s Health at Stanford University. Dr. Rasgon is considered a renowned expert in neuroendocrinology and women’s mental health. Dr. Rasgon is the author of more than 165 peer-reviewed publications, 25 book chapters, and is a reviewer for 30 professional journals. Her predominant research focus has been on neuroendocrine correlates in various models of affective and cognitive neuroscience, the treatment of bipolar disorder in women, the use of hormonal interventions during menopause and the effects on mood and cognitive function, and the interplay between endocrine function and aging. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Patty James NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

For over 100 years, Australia and the United States have enjoyed a relationship—military, social and economic—unlike any other. From the World War I battlefields of France 100 years ago to the present time, when the United States remains the largest investor in Australia—the history of the two countries is inexorably linked. The countries are joined not just by common values but also by common challenges so that one wonders: where to for the next century? Over the last three years, Consul-General Chris Oldfield has taken the opportunity to engage and reflect on the issues critical to the ongoing future of this vitally important relationship. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Norma Walden, Lillian Nakagawa NOTES MLF: International Relations, Asia-Pacific Affairs In association with the Australian American Chamber of Commerce

In the last 50 years, there’s a good chance you’ve watched “Sesame Street”—whether as an adult, a child, or both—and that it’s shaped the way you see the world around you. Sherrie Westin heads up Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind "Sesame Street," and touts the show's unique approach to creating learning opportunities: “We're combining the power of popular media with our engaging, nonthreatening Muppets to enlighten young children. That's pretty powerful." With Muppets who talk about everything from autism to incarceration to refugees to personal hygiene, friendly fuzzy faces tackle important subjects for a young audience every single day in 150 countries around the world. In 2018, Sesame Workshop, in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), won the MacArthur Foundation’s first ever $100 million 100&Change grant competition. This enormous grant enables Sesame Workshop and IRC to implement the largest early childhood intervention in the history of humanitarian response, targeting children and families in the Syrian response region, which includes Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. The goal? To improve children's learning outcomes, support their vital intellectual and emotional development, and help them overcome the trauma of war. No mean feat, but the Muppets are up for the task. Join us for a unique look into Sesame Workshop’s innovative approach to supporting children and those who care for them around the world. NOTES This program is generously underwritten by The Canet Foundation