Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

The opioid epidemic is ravaging communities nationwide, and the president has announced it's a top priority to take action. Come learn about the problem: the extent of the opioid epidemic nationally as well as the current data in Alameda County; drug trends; the intersection of chronic pain and the intersection of opioid use disorder; and the promises and potential pitfalls of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and its application at Tri-City Health Center. Dr. Nguyen is a licensed clinical psychologist who maintains an active training, consulting and therapy practice. Dr. Nguyen is continuously developing innovative ways to translate science into practice. She is responsible for the dissemination of state-of-the-art knowledge and treatment interventions to integrate behavioral health and substance use services within a primary care setting. She oversees the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program at TCHC and is a member of the East Bay Safe Prescribing Coalition Accelerator Program, sponsored by California Health Care Foundation. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Patrick O'Reilly NOTES MLF: Psychology

Our guests this week: Melanie Nathan, who will be in-studio and will tell us about the cost of criticizing the president. Nathan is a mediator and an equality and human rights activist who advocates, speaks and writes on issues impacting LGBTI communities around the world, with a focus on the United States and Africa. She is the executive director of the African Human Rights Coalition and directs the Peacemaker Museum World Tour. She currently also mediates for Private Courts Inc. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

Join us for a midsummer political review and member social. We will discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! And come early before the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our members social (open to all attendees).

Electric scooters, skateboards and bicycles are popping up all over in cities all over the country. Ride-hailing companies are also moving to two wheels. Uber bought the bike sharing company Jump, and Lyft followed suit by scooping up Motivate, which operates bike sharing services in San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, New York and other cities. Is an electric skateboard company next? As companies jockey to offer a suite of transportation options what is the future of urban mobility? Are these new urban toys really solving the notorious first-mile and last-mile problem?

As national politics swirl and President Trump continues his second year in office, what issues matter most for California’s top cop? Sworn in just days after Trump took office, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is on the front lines. He is committed to environmental justice, access to health care, consumer protection and immigrants’ rights. A native of Sacramento, Becerra has served the people of California for decades during his 12 terms in Congress. Join one of California’s leaders for an important conversation about keeping California safe and fighting for our state’s values.

We've all had those days when everything we were doing worked, things just seemed to fall into place and we were more productive, doing more and better, and yet it felt effortless, that we were completely in tune with what we were doing. This experience has been described as being in the zone, in the flow or on a roll. In this program, Dr. Kriegel will present techniques and a 'zone map' that will enable anyone, at any age, to access that optimal 'zone' more often and for longer periods of time. He will also discuss how to overcome the sabotage thinking that creates stress, anxiety, worry and depression and lands us in the high-stress panic zone or depressed zone so that you can lead a richer, more rewarding and joyful life. MLF ORGANIZER NAME John Milford NOTES MLF: Grownups

Political polarization, accompanied by negative partisanship, are striking features of the current political landscape. Perhaps these trends were originally confined to politicians and the media, but we recently reached the point where the majority of Americans report they would consider it more objectionable if their children married across party lines than if they married someone of another faith. Where did this polarization come from? And what it is doing to American democracy, which is housed in institutions that were framed to encourage open deliberation, compromise and consensus formation? In this talk, Professor David Peritz will examine some of the deeper forces in the American economy, the public sphere and media, political institutions, and even moral psychology that best seem to account for the recent rise in popular polarization. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Bill Grant NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Crisis in Our Country summer series. Monday Night Philosophy investigates Tartakovsky's blend of biography and history, which tells the epic and unexpected story of our Constitution through the eyes of ten extraordinary individuals ― some renowned, like Alexander Hamilton and Woodrow Wilson, and some forgotten, like James Wilson and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Tartakovsky brings to life their struggles over our supreme law from its origins in revolutionary America to the era of Obama and Trump. From Gold Rush California to the halls of Congress, Tartakovsky's vivid Dickensian cast grapples with questions like democracy, racial and sexual equality, free speech, economic liberty, and the role of government. He also chronicles how Daniel Webster sought to avert the Civil War; how Alexis de Tocqueville misunderstood America; how Robert Jackson balanced liberty and order in the battle against Nazism and Communism; and how Antonin Scalia died warning Americans about the ever-growing reach of the Supreme Court. From the 1787 Philadelphia Convention to the clash over gay marriage, this is a grand tour through two centuries of constitutional history and an education in the principles that sustain America in the most astonishing experiment in government ever undertaken. MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

Retired intelligence officer Malcolm Nance knows about Vladimir Putin and the threat he poses to American sovereignty. From the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in our elections to Putin’s persistent presidency, Russia has a looming presence. Nance suggests this presence isn’t benign but part of a greater plan to break down western democracy. His new book, The Plot to Destroy Democracy: How Putin’s Spies Are Winning Control of America and Dismantling the West, exposes how Russia has supported the campaigns of right-wing extremists throughout the United States and Europe. By seeking to create antidemocratic sentiment around the world, Nance argues Putin can leverage his strength to build a Russian-led alliance of nondemocratic autocracies. With the future of democracy hanging in the balance, Nance digs into the plans and goals of its enemies. Join Nance for an important conversation about Russia’s plan to unseat democracy and learn what we can do about it.

When you think of climate activism, Wall Street doesn’t immediately come to mind. But as investors are coming to realize, they do have a voice – and a vote – when it comes to corporate environmental action. Responsible investing is a concept that’s been around for many years, but it’s only recently that companies have begun to take notice. And who’s driving that change? Shareholders. Greg Dalton talks with three experts about the ways that market forces can turn the ship, inspiring awareness, transparency and in some cases, even change, in seemingly immovable corporations.