Humorist P.J. O’Rourke says Americans have worked ourselves into a state of anger and perplexity, and it’s no surprise, because perplexed and angry is what America has always been about. In his new book, A Cry from the Far Middle, O'Rourke touches on the frustrations of an internet-controlled world in which our refrigerators talk and our phones freeze. He debates the merits of sympathy versus empathy, and makes hilarious observations about the current political environment. Come hear this master satirist's perspective on the absurdity of life.
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P.J. O’Rourke: A Cry from the Far Middle

The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's largest public affairs forum. The nonpartisan and nonprofit Club produces and distributes programs featuring diverse viewpoints from thought leaders on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast — the oldest in the U.S., since 1924 — is carried on hundreds of stations. Our website features audio and video of our programs. This podcast feed is usually updated multiple times each week.

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Three decades after the end of the Cold War, the United States finds itself in a volatile rivalry with the other two great nuclear powers—Xi Jinping’s China and Vladimir Putin’s Russia—in a world far more complex and dangerous than that of half a century ago.
New Cold Wars—the latest from the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author David E. Sanger—is a fast-paced account of America’s plunge into simultaneous confrontations with two very different adversaries. For years, the United States was confident that the newly democratic Russia and increasingly wealthy China could be lured into a Western-led order that promised prosperity and relative peace—so long as they agreed to Washington’s terms. By the time America emerged from the age of terrorism, it was clear that this had been a fantasy.
Sanger says now the three powers are engaged in a high stakes struggle for military, economic, political, and technological supremacy, with nations around the world pressured to take sides. Yet all three are discovering that they are maneuvering for influence in a far more turbulent world than they imagined.
Based on an array of interviews with top officials from five presidential administrations, U.S. intelligence agencies, foreign governments, and tech companies, Sanger confronts the era’s critical questions: Will the mistakes Putin made in his invasion of Ukraine prove his undoing and will he reach for his nuclear arsenal—or will the West’s famously short attention span signal Kyiv’s doom? Will Xi invade Taiwan? Will both men deepen their partnership to undercut America’s dominance? And can a politically dysfunctional America still lead the world?
From the battlefields of Ukraine—where trench warfare and cyberwarfare are interwoven—to the Taiwan headquarters where the world’s most advanced computer chips are produced and on to tense debates in the White House Situation Room, Sanger will explain America’s return to superpower conflict, the choices that lie ahead, and what is at stake for the United States and the world.
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David Sanger: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West

In the early 1990s East Palo Alto was referred to as the “murder capital” of the United States. Thirty years later, the city has its youngest-ever mayor and has undergone a complete transformation, with zero homicides recorded in 2023. Mayor Antonio López believes that civics education and the energy of young people are keys to the continued growth of his city.
Mayor López, in conversation with Commonwealth Club World Affairs’ own Issabella Romo, talks about the role of a mayor, his path into politics, and how being a poet has shaped his leadership style. Mayor López talks to students about upcoming elections, the importance of civic discussion, and why young people matter in a democracy.
 
This program is part of the Commonwealth Club World Affairs’ civics education initiative, Creating Citizens.
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Antonio López: Civic Leader, Poet, and Mayor of East Palo Alto

Batteries are a critical part of the transition away from fossil fuels. From electric vehicles to grid scale storage for wind and solar, demand for batteries is expected to grow 500% by 2030. In order to meet that demand, we’re going to need a lot more batteries. 
And while companies like JB Straubel’s Redwood Materials are building capacity for recycling, for now that means a lot more mining. With the battery supply chain only growing more critical as the electric vehicle market matures, we’re revisiting this critical episode from last summer exploring how to build a battery supply chain that meets demand while reducing harm.
Guests: 
JB Straubel, Founder and CEO, Redwood Materials 
Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director, Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance 
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. Support Climate One for just $5/month.
For complete show notes, visit our website.
This episode was underwritten by ClimateWorks.
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CLIMATE ONE: REWIND: Building a Better Battery Supply Chain with JB Straubel and Aimee Boulanger

Scientists have known for decades that climate change is an existential crisis. For just as long, critics say there has been a complete failure of our institutions to rise to the challenge. Governments have struggled to meet even modest goals. Fossil fuel interests maintain a stranglehold on political and economic power. Even though we have seen growing concern from everyday people, civil society has succeeded only in pressuring decisionmakers to adopt watered-down policies. All the while, the climate crisis worsens. Is there any hope of achieving the necessary systemic change?
Dana R. Fisher argues that there is a realistic path forward for climate action―but only through mass mobilization that responds to the growing severity and frequency of disastrous events. Spurred by the lack of progress, climate activism has become increasingly confrontational. Fisher examines the radical flank of the climate movement: its emergence and growth, its use of direct action, and how it might evolve as the climate crisis worsens. She considers when and how activism is most successful, identifying the importance of creating community, capitalizing on shocking moments, and cultivating resilience. Join us as Fisher offers timely insights on how activist social movements can take power back from deeply entrenched interests and create transformative climate action.
About the Speaker
Dana Fisher is director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity and a professor in the School of International Service at American University. Her previous books include Activism Inc.: How the Outsourcing of Grassroots Campaigns Is Strangling Progressive Politics in America and American Resistance: From the Women’s March to the Blue Wave. Her work has been profiled in the Washington Post, New York Magazine, and Wired. She has appeared on ABC Nightline, Morning Joe, PBS Newshour, CNN, and on various programs on NPR, the CBC, and the BBC. She has published works in The American Prospect, The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, The Nation, Business Insider, and at the Brookings Institution.
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Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action

We're honoring Southeast Asian thought leaders this year and will be having conversations with folks about their experiences and contributions as Southeast Asian artist and talent.
This program includes a traditional senior blessing ceremony, performances, and a reception featuring Thai, Cambodian, Lao and Burmese food.
About the Speakers
Neo-soul singer Bochan (Bochan Huy) is a Cambodian American artist based in Oakland, California. Born in Cambodia, her musical stylings and influence is a culmination of her experience as both a refugee and diaspora raised in the melting pot of the Bay Area. Bochan grew up singing in her father’s Cambodian American bands. Honoring traditional style and stepping bravely away, she ushers in a new musical age. 
KP, also known as Khetphet Phagnasay, is a Lao-American actor, director, producer, and stuntman. He has worked on various projects, including the acclaimed Netflix series "Dahmer; Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," where he portrayed Sounthone, the father of a 14-year-old Laotian victim. He also shared a scene opposite Michelle Yeoh in The Brothers Sun.He has also been involved in films such as "God is an Astronaut," "Demon Fighter," "Street of Hope," and "Hollywood Road Trip," among others. He grew up in Oswego, Illinois, then moved to Waianae, Hawaii, before settling in Clovis/Fresno, California. He obtained his B.A. in Theatre Arts from California State University, Fresno, and pursued further education in Asian Theatre, focusing on acting, at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. KP has also traveled to Japan, Taiwan, and mainland China as a performer.
Kevin Tancharoen is a director, writer, producer, and choreographer. His feature directing credits include Glee: The 3D Concert Movie for Fox and Fame for MGM. Tancharoen has directed multiple episodes of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., HBO Max’s Warrior, The Flash, 12 Monkeys, Titans, Amazon’s Prison Break event series and Mortal Kombat: Legacy. He most recently directed on "The Mandalorian" spin-off "The Book of Boba Fett" for Lucasfilm as well as directing and executive producing Thai Cave Rescue, a limited series at Netflix from Jon M. Chu and SKG. Prior to his film and TV directing career, he directed Britney Spears' "Onyx Hotel" tour, choreographing her "Me Against the Music" video; remixed projects for Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, and Tyrese; and contributed creatively to Britney Spears' "Dream Within a Dream Tour" and *NSYNC's "Pop Odyssey Tour.”
Our thanks for the generous support of The Bamboo Organization for making this program possible.
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P.J. O’Rourke: A Cry from the Far Middle

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