Former Ambassador Mark Brzezinski: The U.S., Poland and the Heart of Europe

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

#News and Entertainment #Entertainment #Government #Public Radio #Talk Radio #News #Politics #Commonwealth Club Of California

28:24

In our second installment of the Small Business Starter Kit series - we’re tackling a topic that’s sometimes tricky, sometimes confusing, but ever-present: taxes. Hosts Austin and Jannese have an insightful conversation with entrepreneur Isabella Rosal who started 7th Sky Ventures , an exporter and distributor of craft spirits, beer, and wine. Having lived and worked in two different countries and started a company in a heavily-regulated field, Isabella is no stranger to navigating the paperwork-laden and jargon-infused maze of properly understanding taxes for a newly formed small business. Join us as she shares her story and provides valuable insight into how to tackle your business’ taxes - so they don’t tackle you. Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business: QuickBooks.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

hace 14 días 1:00:30

MP3•Episodio en casa

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Brzezinski about Poland, Vladimir Putin, Ukraine, Germany, the European Union and more.

Mark Brzezinski has worked in the private sector and in government positions. He previously was U.S. ambassador to Sweden, served on President Clinton’s National Security Council staff, worked in the law and capital management industries. He will be in conversation with Abraham Sofaer, the George P. Shultz Fellow in Foreign Policy and National Security Affairs, Emeritus.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2583 episodios

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Former Ambassador Mark Brzezinski: The U.S., Poland and the Heart of Europe

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

374 subscribers

published hace 14 días

MP3•Episodio en casa

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Brzezinski about Poland, Vladimir Putin, Ukraine, Germany, the European Union and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2583 episodios

#News and Entertainment #Entertainment #Government #Public Radio #Talk Radio #News #Politics #Commonwealth Club Of California

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Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
What’s for Dinner? How Food Policy Affects What Is on Your Plate. Appetizers Provided by Michelin Star Chef Richard Crocker. 1:08:34

hace 7 hours1:08:34

1:08:34

This evening, Vince Hall will give an overview of food policy, his work with Feeding America navigating the complexities of solving hunger in America with healthy, nutritious foods, while explaining how policy affects the quality and quantity of food on your plate. Mr. Hall will be joined by Jennifer Steele, who will tell us how food policy affects her work with Meals on Wheels. They will work together explaining how food policy affects the ingredients used to make the appetizers you will be sampling this evening. About the Speakers As chief government relations officer at Feeding America, the largest charity working to end hunger in the United States, Vince Hall leads the development and execution of Feeding America’s public policy, legislative, and advocacy strategies to empower communities and improve food security. He helps lead efforts to end hunger by advocating for policy changes, supporting advocacy capacity across the network, increasing neighbor enrollment in public benefits, and building partnerships that amplify our collective voice. Jennifer Steele is the CEO of Meals on Wheels of San Francisco. This organization ensures that older adults in the region have home-delivered meals and services that help them live with grace and independence in their homes. Steele has dedicated her professional career to advocating for those who can’t advocate for themselves. Before joining Meals on Wheels, she worked in food insecurity and hunger relief both domestically and internationally. Organizer: Patty James A Nutrition, Food & Wellness 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 . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
CLIMATE ONE: Trump Breaks Wind? 57:40

hace 1 day57:40

57:40

It’s no secret that President Trump is not a fan of wind energy. As a matter of fact, he signed an executive order on his first day back in office that paused leasing for any new or renewed offshore wind energy projects and required the re-evaluation of all wind projects. This has thrown uncertainty into the entire industry, which already had supply chain and local opposition issues even before the new administration took office. Meanwhile, wind projects — especially offshore — have seen a decade-long boom in Europe, where the U.S. is already 15 years behind. Will the hostile policy from the Trump administration end the wind industry in this country? This episode features reporting from Ben Berke of The Public’s Radio . Guests: Clare Fieseler , Reporter, Canary Media Jed Welder, Owner, Trinity Farms Barbara Kates-Garnick, Professor of Practice, The Fletcher School, Tufts University Climate One is once again hosting a series of live conversations as part of SF Climate Week 2025! Tickets for all four of our events, featuring leaders such as Jenny Odell , San José Mayor Matt Mahan , Rep. Jared Huffman , Abby Reyes , Margaret Gordon and two of this year's Goldman Prize winners are on sale now through the official SF Climate Week event calendar . 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…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
Women Empowering Women 1:06:04

hace 3 días1:06:04

1:06:04

March is International Women’s Month! Celebrate with the Arts Member-led Forum of Commonwealth Club World Affairs and the Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art (NCWCA) panel of women leaders in the arts. When women empower women, a cycle of support and inspiration is created that leads to personal growth, societal progress—and a better future for humanity. Moderated by Debra Reabock, arts leaders Debbie Chinn, Vera Maslova, Sawyer Rose and Anne W. Smith share their unique, often bold "just do it” adventures and achievements. By sharing their varied “womanly ways” to lift each other up, break barriers, transform communities and industries, and challenge stereotypes, women empowering women paves the way for future generations to make our fractious world a better place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
Gary Krist: Love, Murder, and Madness in Gilded-Age San Francisco 1:10:27

hace 4 días1:10:27

1:10:27

Gold turned a sleepy Mexican outpost into what we now know as San Francisco. In just a few short years, thousands of migrants from every part of the globe made the treacherous journey to California, seeking not just wealth but a chance to begin anew. Alexander P. Crittenden was one such pioneer who saw in San Francisco limitless opportunities for reinvention. Ever in debt and with a wife and 14 children to support, A.P. found that the city’s laissez faire attitudes suited him just fine—particularly when it came to his relationship with Laura Fair. Laura too had come to San Francisco seeking a clean slate, but A.P. and Laura soon began a years-long adulterous affair, with most San Franciscans happy to turn a blind eye. But as the city began to shed its rough-and-tumble past, and embrace the dictates of Victorian respectability, so too did Laura Fair. When A.P. once again broke his oft-repeated promise to divorce his wife and marry Laura, she decided to take fate into her own hands. Shortly before dusk on November 3, 1870, just as the ferryboat El Capitan was pulling away from its slip into San Francisco Bay, Laura Fair shot A.P. Crittenden point-blank in the chest. “I did it and I don’t deny it,” she said when arrested shortly thereafter. “He ruined both myself and my daughter.” Fair’s murder trial was covered by every news outlet in the country. One of the first to involve an insanity defense, the trial shone an early spotlight on controversial social issues like the role of women, the sanctity of the family, and the range of acceptable expressions of gender—all topics of burning interest to Americans still searching for moral consensus after the Civil War. Trespassers at the Golden Gate author Gary Krist introduces us to a full cast of characters—including a secretly wealthy Black housekeeper, an enterprising Chinese brothel madam, and a French rabble-rouser who refused to dress in sufficiently “feminine” clothing. Their stories, along with those of familiar figures like Mark Twain and Susan B. Anthony, bring to life San Francisco’s Gilded-Age society. Organizer: George Hammond A Humanities 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 . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
Paul Hawken: Carbon, Climate, and Humanity 1:11:03

hace 5 días1:11:03

1:11:03

Join us live for a journey into the world of carbon, the most versatile element on the planet. Your tour guide is New York Times bestselling author Paul Hawken. Carbon is the only element that animates the entirety of the living world. Though comprising a tiny fraction of Earth’s composition, our planet is lifeless without it. Yet it is maligned as the driver of climate change, scorned as an errant element blamed for the possible demise of civilization. In his new book Carbon , Paul Hawken looks at the flow of life through the lens of carbon. Embracing a panoramic view of carbon’s omnipresence, he explores how this ubiquitous and essential element extends into every aperture of existence and shapes the entire fabric of life. Hawken charts a course across our planetary history, guiding us into the realms of plants, animals, insects, fungi, food and farms to offer a new narrative for embracing carbon’s life-giving power and its possibilities for the future of human endeavor. Hawken will illuminate the subtle connections between carbon and our collective human experience and ask us to see nature, carbon and ourselves as exquisitely intertwined—inseparably connected. This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine 1:06:33

hace 6 días1:06:33

1:06:33

Joan Didion opened The White Album (1979) with what would become an iconic line: “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” Today this phrase is deployed inspirationally, printed on T-shirts and posters, and used as a battle cry for artists and writers. But Didion had something much less rosy in mind: our tendency to manufacture delusions to ward away our anxieties whenever society seems to be spinning off its axis. And nowhere was this collective hallucination more effectively crafted than in Hollywood. Alissa Wilkinson examines Joan Didion’s influence through the lens of American myth-making. As a young girl, Didion was infatuated with John Wayne and his on-screen bravado, and was fascinated by her California pioneer ancestry and the infamous Donner Party. The mythos that preoccupied her early years continued to influence her work as a magazine writer and film critic in New York, offering glimmers of the many stories Didion told herself that would eventually unravel. Wilkinson traces Didion’s journey from New York to her arrival in Hollywood as a screenwriter at the twilight of the old studio system. Didion became embroiled in the glitz and glamor of the Los Angeles elite, where she acutely observed―and denounced―how the nation’s fears and dreams were sensationalized on screen. Meanwhile, she paid the bills writing movie scripts like A Star Is Born , while her books propelled her to personal fame. Join us to hear Wilkinson dissect the cinematic motifs and machinations that informed Didion’s writing, detail Hollywood’s addictive grasp on the American imagination, and delve into Didion’s legacy, whose impact will be felt for generations. Organizer: George Hammond A Humanities 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 . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
CLIMATE ONE: Justice and Faith: Catherine Coleman Flowers and Justin J. Pearson 54:57

hace 8 días54:57

54:57

Catherine Coleman Flowers has dedicated her life to fighting for the most vulnerable communities — people who have been deprived of the basic civil right to a clean, safe and sustainable environment. When she was first on Climate One in 2021, Flowers talked about growing up in Lowndes County, Alabama, and working to stem the raw sewage contaminating homes and drinking water in her county and beyond. In recognition of this work she was granted a MacArthur “Genius Award.” Now, she picks up the story, discussing her awareness of racialized disinvestment in the South, the work of the inaugural White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council and the impact of unfettered fossil fuel production nationwide. Guests: Catherine Coleman Flowers , Founder, Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice (CREEJ) Justin J. Pearson , State Representative, Tennessee General Assembly On Monday, Google’s Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt and Irina Raicu , Director of the Internet Ethics Program at the Markkula Center, will speak with Climate One about the development of sustainably powered artificial intelligence. Tickets are on sale through our website . And on April 22 and 24, Climate One will once again be hosting a series of SF Climate Week events at The Commonwealth Club! Join us for conversations with environmental luminaries such as Margaret Gordon , Jenny Odell , Project Drawdown , Grist , and Abby Reyes . Tickets are on sale now . 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…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
Art of Survival: A Vibrant Celebration of Black Culture and Resilience 1:30:16

hace 9 días1:30:16

1:30:16

Join us for "Art of Survival," a vibrant celebration of Black culture and resilience—an evening of music, art and culture. This program acknowledges and honors the rich history of perseverance within the Black community through a captivating blend of poetry, song, visual arts and engaging discussions. Experience the powerful expressions of survival as talented artists and performers share their work, highlighting themes of strength, hope, and cultural identity. The session will feature stirring poetry that reflects personal and collective narratives, soul-stirring songs that uplift the spirit, and visual arts that document the diversity of the Black experience. A panel discussion will follow, bringing together thought leaders and creators to explore the artistic representation of survival in Black culture and the ongoing journey toward empowerment and equity. Join us in celebrating the artistry and resilience that has defined Black history, and discover how creativity serves as a vital tool for connection, healing and survival. This event promises to inspire and uplift, inviting everyone to reflect on the indomitable spirit of the Black community throughout history and beyond. Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming. See more Michelle Meow Show programs at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California. Community partner: Commonwealth Club World Affairs is a public forum. Any views expressed in our programs are those of the speakers and not of Commonwealth Club World Affairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
March 11, "Week to Week Politics Roundtable: March 11, 2025 1:02:03

hace 12 días1:02:03

1:02:03

Join us for the latest edition of our Week to Week political roundtable. We're two months into the new administration in Washington, new leadership in San Francisco and elsewhere. Join us for some insight into the people, trends and topics driving the political news of the day. Enjoy and learn as our panel of political experts explains what happened and what to expect, and answers your questions. 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…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
False Beliefs in a Post-Truth World: Psychological Causes and Antidotes 1:10:06

hace 13 días1:10:06

1:10:06

Why is the human brain so vulnerable to false beliefs and conspiracy theories despite evidence to the contrary? And what can be done to protect ourselves, our families, and society from our collective propensity to fall into these seductive traps? Dr. Joe Pierre, health sciences clinical professor at UCSF and a specialist in delusions and delusion-like beliefs, will be returning to the Club to discuss these issues with us. His first talk on the topic, a few years ago, was a sold-out, extremely informative success, so we asked him to return for a deeper look into the personal and societal effects of mistrust, misinformation, and motivated reasoning. Equally important, he is going to outline how we can avoid the pitfalls of acting on false beliefs, both as individuals and as a society. So if you've been puzzled by how "otherwise-intelligent" friends and relatives have fallen into the trap of a false belief, or if you're searching for a way to reach out to someone who has fallen for one, or if you're wondering how society can defend itself, join us for this event and discussion. We'll learn why "just the facts" doesn't usually work, and we'll learn how to view our ideological opponents with compassion while still vigorously defending society. Organizer: Eric Siegel A Personal Growth 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 . This program contains EXPLICIT language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
Former Ambassador Mark Brzezinski: The U.S., Poland and the Heart of Europe 1:00:30

hace 14 días1:00:30

1:00:30

In 1991–93, Mark Brzezinski was a Fulbright Scholar in newly post-communist Poland. Thirty years later he returned as the U.S. ambassador to Poland, a country embedded in the EU and NATO, and an ally deeply involved in providing support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of that country. Join us for an in-depth conversation with Brzezinski about Poland, Vladimir Putin, Ukraine, Germany, the European Union and more. Mark Brzezinski has worked in the private sector and in government positions. He previously was U.S. ambassador to Sweden, served on President Clinton’s National Security Council staff, worked in the law and capital management industries. He will be in conversation with Abraham Sofaer, the George P. Shultz Fellow in Foreign Policy and National Security Affairs, Emeritus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
CLIMATE ONE: Making Cents Out of Watts: What’s Driving Up Your Energy Bills? 58:55

hace 15 días58:55

58:55

A third of Americans say that they've skipped food, medicine, or something else to be able to afford their energy bills. Much of the increase in the cost of electricity is driven by rising demand from artificial intelligence and data centers, industrial onshoring and hotter temperatures. How does your electricity bill get calculated, and who’s in charge of setting those rates? Does public power serve consumers better than investor-owned utilities? And will rising electricity prices dampen the transition to cleaner sources of energy? Guests: Shelley Welton , Professor of Law and Energy Policy, University of Pennsylvania Severin Borenstein , Professor, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley Kevin Miller , Reporter, Maine Public Radio On March 24, Google’s Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt and Irina Raicu , Director of the Internet Ethics Program at the Markkula Center, will speak with Climate One about the development of sustainably powered artificial intelligence. Tickets are on sale through our website . And on April 22 and 24, Climate One will once again be hosting a series of SF Climate Week events at The Commonwealth Club! Join us for conversations with environmental luminaries such as Margaret Gordon , Jenny Odell , Project Drawdown , Grist , and Abby Reyes . Tickets are on sale now . 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…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
Amanda Nguyen: Saving Five, A Memoir of Hope 1:08:19

hace 15 días1:08:19

1:08:19

In 2013, the trajectory of Amanda Nguyen’s life was changed forever when she was raped at Harvard. Determined to not let her assault derail her goal of joining NASA after graduation, Nguyen opted for her rape kit to be filed under “Jane Doe.” But she was shocked to learn her choice to stay anonymous gave her only six months to take action before the state destroyed her kit, rendering any future legal action impossible. Nguyen knew then that she had two options: surrender to a law that effectively denied her justice, or fight for a change―not only for herself but for survivors everywhere. She comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to discuss the issues raised in her memoir of survival and hope, Saving Five, which braids the story of Nguyen’s activism―which resulted in Congress’s unanimous passage of the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act in 2016―with a second imagined adventure, of Nguyen's younger selves as they―at ages 5, 15, 22, and 30―navigate through dramatic incarnations of the emotional stages of her path toward healing, not only from her rape but from the violent turmoil of her childhood. Nguyen did go on to work at NASA and other scientific institutions, and in 2024, private space company Blue Origin announced that Nguyen would be the first Vietnamese woman to fly into space on one of its upcoming missions. Additionally, Nguyen ignited the Stop Asian Hate movement and continues to help others through Rise, her civil rights accelerator. For her groundbreaking contributions she was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize and is a 2022 Time Woman of the Year. Our program will begin with an introduction by Rowena Chiu, a former assistant to Harvey Weinstein. In 1998, she was sexually assaulted by him at the Venice Film Festival, and was coerced into signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which silenced her for over 20 years. In 2017, a New York Times journalist came to her home and doorstepped her husband of over a decade, revealing information about the assault and NDA. Rowena was featured in the subsequent Times investigation, but she insisted on remaining anonymous. In 2019, she finally broke her story on the NBC "Today" Show, live in front of 3 million viewers. Rowena's story has featured in both the book and the movie, She Said . She has given over 1,000 media interviews across four continents, for international news outlets such as: ABC, BBC, CBS, and NBC. She has testified at the House of Commons, the Massachusetts State House, and attended the State of the Union. She is writing a memoir, a novel, and a screenplay, in addition to working as a global #MeToo activist, advocating for the rights of those who are oppressed or voiceless, in churches, schools, universities and workplaces around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
Yoni Appelbaum: How the Privileged and Propertied Broke America 1:08:10

hace 16 días1:08:10

1:08:10

Has America ceased to be the land of opportunity? Many people here take it for granted that good neighborhoods—with good schools and good housing—are only accessible to the wealthy. But in America, this wasn’t always the case. Though for most of world history, your prospects were tied to where you were born, Americans came up with a revolutionary idea: If you didn’t like your lot in life, you could find a better location and reinvent yourself there. Americans moved to new places with unprecedented frequency, and, for 200 years, that remarkable mobility was the linchpin of American economic and social opportunity. Join us as Yoni Appelbaum, historian and journalist for The Atlantic , argues that this idea has been under attack since reformers first developed zoning laws to ghettoize Chinese Americans in 19th-century Modesto, California. The century of legal segregation that ensued—from the zoning laws enacted to force Jewish workers back into New York’s Lower East Side to the private-sector discrimination and racist public policy that trapped Black families in Flint, Michigan, to Jane Jacobs’ efforts to protect her vision of the West Village—has raised housing prices, deepened political divides, emboldened bigots, and trapped generations of people in poverty. Appelbaum says these problems have a common explanation: people can’t move as readily as they used to. They are, in a word, stuck. Applebaum will cut through more than a century of mythmaking, sharing the surprising story of the people and ideas that caused our economic and social sclerosis and laying out commonsense ways to get Americans moving again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

1
Edward Fishman: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare 1:06:01

hace 17 días1:06:01