Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Doris Kearns Goodwin is one of America’s best known and most popular historians, having told the stories of great American leaders such as Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon Johnson, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt, and others. Now, she delves into her own life and the time she spent with her late husband, Richard Goodwin, to draw out fresh perspectives on many of the central figures of the 1960s. The Goodwins were married for 42 years. Richard Goodwin helped design LBJ’s Great Society and was a close advisor to Robert Kennedy. Dorris Kearns was a 23-year-old graduate student when she was selected as a White House Fellow; she would work directly for President Johnson and later assisted on his memoir. The couple saw the momentous policies and movements of the 1960s from the inside, and they debated the achievements and failures of the leaders they served, and discussed just how much progress was made and promises left unfulfilled. Drawing on their lives—not to mention more than 300 boxes of letters, diaries, documents and memorabilia Richard Goodwin had saved for more than five decades—Doris Kearns Goodwin produced her latest book, An Unfinished Love Story. The exploration of those boxes and her shared history with her husband gave them both an opportunity to reassess some of the towering figures of the time: John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy and especially LBJ, who greatly impacted both of their lives. Join us as Doris Kearns Goodwin returns to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to share her unexpected discoveries, fresh appraisals, and the hope that the youth of today will carry forward “this unfinished love story with America.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On October 7, 2023, Hamas fighters killed more than 1,100 Israelis and took more than 200 hostages, prompting an Israeli response that has in turn taken tens of thousands of lives and devastated the Gaza Strip. Why did this happen, and can anything be done to grant peace and justice to Israelis and Palestinians alike?In their new book Tomorrow Is Yesterday, veteran negotiators Robert Malley and Hussein Agha offer a personal and bracing perspective on how the hopes of the Oslo Peace Process became the horrors of the present. Drawing on their experience advising U.S. presidents (Clinton, Obama, and Biden) and the Palestinian leadership (Arafat and Abbas),  and their participation in secret talks over decades, Malley and Agha offer candid portraits of leading figures and an interpretation of the conflict that exposes the delusions of all sides. They stress that the two-state solution became a global goal only when it was no longer viable; that U.S. officials preferred technical schemes to a frank reckoning with the past; that Hamas’s onslaught and Israel’s war of destruction were not historical exceptions but historical reenactments; and that the gaps separating Israelis and Palestinians have less to do with territorial allocation than with history and emotions.Join Robert Malley to hear about the issues raised in the book and the latest political developments in the region. *NOTE: This podcast contains explicit language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Italy’s vineyards stretch from Alpine peaks to volcanic islands, from rolling Tuscan hills to sun-drenched coastlines. Each glass of Italian wine carries not only the flavor of its land but also the imprint of centuries of tradition, community and culture. Join us for an exploration of that flavor and soul. Andrea Lonardi, one of Italy’s most respected winemakers and agronomists, and a rare Master of Wine, teamed up with acclaimed wine journalist Jessica Dupuy to create Italianity, a book that traces the cultural thread that united Italy’s native grapes and the people who cultivate them. From the misty hills of Piedmont and the Alpine slopes of Alto Adige to the volcanic soils of Sicily and the olive groves of Tuscany, Lonardi and Dupuy came face-to-face with the landscapes, families, and traditions that make Italian wine unlike anything else on earth. Join us to hear their tales of unforgettable encounters, cultural reflection, and stories of the Italian wine world, and learn why they say Italian wine is more than a beverage: it is history and heritage, innovation and resilience, the rhythm of the seasons, the joy of the table, and a way of seeing beauty in the everyday Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh’s latest film, The Christophers, the children of a once famous artist hire a forger to complete some unfinished, long ago abandoned canvases so they’ll have an inheritance when he dies.  Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) was once a star of London’s 1960s and ‘70s pop art explosion, but he hasn’t painted in decades and has been broke for years. His two estranged children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning), desperate for an inheritance, hire Lori, an art restorer and former forger (Michaela Coel), to pose as a prospective assistant in order to access eight unfinished canvases Julian has buried deep in storage. Her plan is to complete them, then return them to storage, where they are to be “discovered” upon Julian’s death.  Join us for this special screening of Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers. After the film, a panel of experts will explore the past, present and future of art forgery—as well as the creative process in general. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cleo Wade, bestselling poet and artist known for short-form inspiration, shares a 365-day collection of poems, prose, and quotes. She discusses spirituality made inclusive, nature and seasons as emotional guides, mantras and manifestation plus practical discipline, and boundaries as a practice of love. Short, warm reflections on hope, shedding, and balancing personal needs with public care.

Neha Mankani, founder of the Mama Baby Fund and climate advisor, shares frontline midwifery work and community resilience in Pakistan. Dominique Browning, co-founder of Moms Clean Air Force, talks about mobilizing millions of parents for cleaner air and strategic EPA engagement. They trade stories of caregiving, climate risks to pregnancy, low-tech health solutions, and mom-led political power.

Join us at Commonwealth Club World Affairs for an intimate and candid conversation with patients from Osra Medical who are living proof that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to PrEP.  Our panelists—currently on Descovy, Apretude and Yeztugo—will pull back the curtain on their personal journeys: the questions they asked, the factors they weighed, and what ultimately led them to choose the option that was right for them. From the first conversation with their provider to navigating day-to-day life on their medication, they’ll share the unfiltered reality of what it looks like to make an empowered prevention decision.  Whether you’re newly exploring PrEP, considering switching options, or simply want to hear from people who’ve been in your shoes, this panel is designed to inform, inspire and remind you that your prevention journey is yours to shape. This program is made possible by the support of Osra Medical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta says he was surprised that the Trump administration apparently had no plan to deal with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz before launching strikes on Iran in late February. “I think that basically is a failure of planning for what would be an obvious consequence of a war in the Middle East,” Panetta told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.  With hundreds dead, millions more displaced, billions spent, and oil prices surging, many are asking: Was this war avoidable? How might it end? And will America’s traditional allies continue to rebuff President Trump’s calls for help? Panetta, who served as defense secretary and CIA director in the Obama administration, will address those questions—and what it all means for the future of the Middle East and for American politics at home.  Join Commonwealth Club World Affairs for an in-depth conversation with one of America’s most seasoned national security voices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Phillips, bestselling author and democracy advocate, argues we should spotlight the overrepresentation of straight white men in power. He explains the SWAMP concept and audits for white male preference. The conversation covers historical roots, legal strategies, tech exclusion, patriarchy, long-term organizing, and risks of speaking out.

Eyck (Ike) Freymann, Hoover Institution fellow and author on U.S.-China strategic issues, explores Taiwan, deterrence, and his book Defending Taiwan. He discusses why a Taiwan crisis could be catastrophic. He explains Taiwan’s central role in global chip supply, the limits of the Silicon Shield, and coercive gray-zone tactics Beijing might use. He outlines alliances, economic tools, and strategic options to prevent war.