The Common Good Podcast

The head of the Anti-Defamation League Jonathan Greenblatt discusses the rising trend of online hate speech, normalized antisemitism, and supremacist groups - and what we can do to combat it so America doesn't reach the tipping point.

The Common Good Podcast invites you to an intimate dialogue with CEO Patricia Duff and distinguished venture capitalist Alan Patricof. A trailblazer who paved the way in VC, Patricof will discuss his new book, No Red Lights, and what keeps him moving and motivated in a life well-lived.

The secrets of Mar-a-Lago:  What’s at stake with the classified government documents retrieved in the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago?  Has our national security been jeopardized?  Are our assets in the field at risk? Join the Common Good to Find out.  Please join us for an important virtual briefing with two experts from the very top of their agencies, former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and former acting Director of the CIA Mike Morell.  About the 

Speakers:  Jeh Johnson - Jeh Charles Johnson, former Secretary of Homeland Security, is a partner in the Paul, Weiss Litigation Department and a member of the Firm’s Management and Partnership Committees. Secretary Johnson advises clients, including management teams and boards of directors, on crisis management, government and internal investigations, high-stakes litigation and regulatory matters, and legal aspects of cybersecurity and other security matters. He is also an experienced trial lawyer, and a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Secretary Johnson is on the board of directors of Lockheed Martin. Since leaving government in January 2017, Secretary Johnson has been called upon to testify before Congress on cybersecurity matters three times, and is a regular commentator on national and homeland security on ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, MSNBC, CNBC, CNN and numerous other outlets. He was the 2018 recipient of the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award, presented at the Reagan Presidential Library and currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.  

 Morell -  Michael Joseph Morell is the former Acting Director and Deputy Director of the C.I.A. He worked in the C.I.A. for 33 years. Morell has received multiple awards including the CIA’s highest ranking award, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, West Point’s Center on Combating Terrorism, and the Madison Policy Forum. Morell has served as a member of President Obama’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technology, and is currently Senior Counselor and the Global Chairman of the Geo-Political Risk Practice at Beacon Global Strategies LLC.  To RSVP for upcoming events, visit our events page at: thecommongoodus.org

We are thrilled to host Supreme Court expert Jeffrey Toobin of CNN and Washington Post political columnist, Jennifer Rubin, with our moderator, attorney and reporter, Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Recent Supreme Court decisions have upended the legal, political, and cultural landscape - and more dramatic change is certainly ahead. Join our TCG panel as they discuss the vast potential impact of this new court on privacy, personal freedoms, government regulation, reproductive rights, the environment, gun control, access to voting, and other charged issues

The #MeToo movement has been one of the most impactful campaigns, giving accountability for years of sexual harassment and abuse by those in positions of power against women.  There are now many once-powerful men who fell from grace to disgrace as their crimes were exposed -- and perhaps one of the most powerful to fall was the once much-lauded, very talented, and very, very flawed film producer, Harvey Weinstein.

At The Common Good, we work to share with you sharp and informative discussions on the critical issues of the day with the highest caliber thought leaders and experts. For this episode of our TCG podcast we are honored to feature author Ken Auletta. Ken is not just a beloved longtime writer for the New Yorker and bestselling author covering everything from politics to the economy to pop culture and media in 13 books.  He has profiled leading figures and the companies of the Information Age, including Bill Gates, Reed Hastings, Sheryl Sandberg, Rupert Murdoch, John Malone, and the New York Times. He is a great reporter who knows his facts. And now he who has turned his investigative skills towards the culture of silence in Hollywood.

We’ve been honored to host Ken before and we are thrilled to have him again on The Common Good Podcast with this important book, Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence.

What makes a great leader? What qualities does it take for someone to rise up and take charge of others and guide them into a better future? These are questions that have been asked by generations of aspiring politicians, CEOs, and grassroots organizers.

Today we’re diving into what makes or breaks a leader and the journey to get there - With a nation increasingly divided, these qualities are more important than ever.

For this episode of our TCG podcast we are honored to present David Gergen, the distinguished advisor to US presidents and a professor and founder of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School. Mr. Gergen was advisor to no less than three Republican Presidents and one Democratic one. He is senior political analyst at CNN   and we awarded David our American Spirit Award for distinguished public service some years ago and today is discussing insights from his terrific new book, Hearts Touched with Fire: How Great Leaders are Made.

Many in the country were sent into a panic in recent weeks when a draft opinion on the case involving Roe v. Wade, written by conservative Justice Alito, was leaked to the public with the conclusion that the Constitution does not protect the right to abortion. The final decision from the Supreme Court is expected any day now. Will this 49 year old ruling be thrown away? Such a decision will have major consequences for the U.S. What are the many complications and impacts for the women in states if abortion becomes illegal?

Featuring Carol Sanger, Rebecca Tong, Dr. Wendy Chavkin, Brenda Feigen, and moderated by Kimberly Atkins Stohr

In recent years the fragility of our democracy has been exposed. Founded to offer both freedom and rights, this form of governance is precious. But it’s permanence cannot be taken for granted. How do we preserve our democracy in the face of the many threats and challenges before us?     

Join us in a conversation with one of the world’s leading experts on the crisis of liberal democracy, Yascha Mounk. With his brilliant insights, many that run counter to conventional wisdom, Mounk offers an optimistic set of ideas and proposals for how our democracies can endure and thrive in spite of our differences.   

To RSVP for upcoming events, visit our events page at: thecommongoodus.org

Putin’s unprovoked war on Ukraine is unfolding in human tragedy and enormous change to the world order. To help break down how the war may end or drag on - and what the ramifications are to Ukraine, Europe, the US, and the globe, we are honored to host Ambassador John Herbst, US ambassador to Ukraine from 2003 to 2006, Nina Khrushcheva, granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev and expert on Russia at the New School, and our moderator Congresswoman Jane Harman, who served on the House Intelligence Committee.

To RSVP for upcoming events, visit our events page at: https://www.thecommongoodus.org/

We are thrilled to have John Della Volpe, the dynamic Director of Polling at Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics, and a top authority on understanding American youth, together with two young and inspiring leading voices of Gen Z: Santiago Mayer, political strategist and Executive Director of Voters of Tomorrow, and Jing-Jing Shen, a Harvard student studying Chemistry and Government and 2021 Chair of the Harvard Public Opinion Project.  Our discussion will be led by another national expert on youth, David Burstein, the CEO & Co-Founder of Run for America.

The Washington Post has referred to John Della Volpe as one of the world’s leading authorities on global opinion and influence among young people, especially Millennials. We’ll discuss their anger at the serious problems being left them, their aspirations, and how to harness their passions to create the change we need moving forward.

Coming of age at a moment of division and disinformation, these teenagers and college students have organized around issues that impact their daily lives, from gun control to climate change to racial justice.  Our youngest citizens are the most diverse and most educated in history, making them more connected to the world around them then ever before  -  and they are not afraid to disrupt the status quo. How do they engage in our democracy? What are the issues that will drive their actions and their vote?