Rome survived for 2,000 years. Edward Watts explores the long history of the Roman state and the lessons it offers for the modern world. From its beginnings as a small Italian city-state to its transformation into a Christian empire centered in Constantinople, Rome maintained a remarkable sense of political continuity across centuries of cultural and religious change. Watts examines how Roman institutions adapted over time and how the Fourth Crusade and capture of Constantinople ultimately destroyed the foundations that sustained the state for generations. Watts highlights the importance of resilient institutions and the dangers of disrupting the systems that preserve political stability and continuity. Series: "Osher UC San Diego Distinguished Lecture Series" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 41602]

In an age obsessed with expertise, certainty, and endless self-optimization, author and journalist Simone Stolzoff invites audiences to rediscover the power of curiosity, humility, and not having all the answers. His new book, How to Not Know, challenges the cultural pressure to define ourselves by what we do or what we know—and instead celebrates the richness of uncertainty as a pathway to creativity, empathy, and authentic connection. [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 41267]

Award-winning historian Jules Gill-Peterson examines transgender identity and politics through the lens of American liberalism, arguing that anti-transgender politics cannot be understood by analyzing conservatism alone. She traces the emergence of transgender identity from middle-class cross-dressing cultures, the development of transgender medicine, and the class tensions surrounding transition. Gill-Peterson connects this history to U.S. v. Skrmetti, the vulnerability of transition-related health care, and what she describes as liberal discomfort with dysphoria and changing sex. She calls for a politics centered on defending transsexual people and a right to transition. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 41447]

Widely regarded as one of the most respected figures in American broadcast journalism, Judy Woodruff is known for her decades-long career covering politics and current events. She is also the author of the book, This Is Judy Woodruff at the White House. Renowned for her calm, balanced reporting and commitment to journalistic integrity, Woodruff has covered every U.S. presidential election since 1976. A former anchor and managing editor of the PBS NewsHour, she now travels the country reporting for America at a Crossroads. Woodruff joins host Dean Nelson for a engaging conversation at Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 41203]

Families with disabled students often face extra out-of-pocket costs—costs they wouldn’t have if their child weren’t disabled—to secure the same education other students receive for free, yet tax relief for those expenses is limited and unclear. Garret Hoff, J.D., argues that Internal Revenue Code Section 213 and its interpretations reflect a time when disabled people were not viewed as worth public money to educate, leaving families with arbitrary distinctions under the medical expense deduction. Hoff recommends the IRS revise Treasury Regulation 1.213-1(e)(1)(v)(a) to recognize a broader reading of Section 213, and he urges Congress to amend Section 529A, created by the ABLE Act, to lift contribution limits and make contributions tax deductible so families can fund qualified disability expenses through ABLE accounts. Hoff adds that lasting access and justice require cultural change, not only tax revisions. Series: "Autism Tree Project Annual Neuroscience Conference" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41178]

Contemporary populism is almost everywhere; a right wing phenomena that focuses on a politics of white working class grievance. A set of grievances that are to be addressed, when in power, with policies of expulsion, exclusion, and domination. Attempts by liberal states to deal with such movements paradoxically rely on a similar politics of exclusion, such as building so-called firewalls against the right, which are themselves deeply anti-democratic. Mark Blyth, professor of international economics at Brown University, says that given that these grievances are based on real social and economic problems that have blighted working class communities across the world, can a liberal polity address such grievances in a more positive way? Or must it, to protect itself, similarly exclude and dominate such parties, movements and such grievances? Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 41069]

The extractive linear economy and policies focused on endless growth have produced unparalleled socioeconomic inequality and the climate crisis. Communities around the world are calling for new economic models that are regenerative towards people, place, and ecosystems. Ancestral ʻŌiwi (indigenous Hawaiian) economic systems were built around people's relationships and understandings of wai (water). Kamanamaikalani Beamer, Director of the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi, explores the lessons that can be drawn from the Hawaiian Ancestral Circular Economy and the resurrection of peoples' ancestral relationships to love and protect water. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 41295]

How are Indigenous communities in the U.S. facing challenges to their ways of life in the current political moment? Focusing on questions concerning repatriation, land access, education, and diverse forms of sovereignty, our panelists explore the intersection of Indigenous religious traditions and law. The discussion begins at the regional level, with specific reference to Chumash contexts, and then expands outward to borderland settings, Oklahoma, the Great Lakes, and the Pacific. The panelists are Greg Johnson, Director, Walter H. Capps Center, Cristina Gonzales, Registrar, Santa Rosa Rancheria, Amrah Salomón, Assistant Professor of English, UCSB, Walter Echo-Hawk, Former President of Pawnee Nation, and Vicente Diaz, Professor of American Indian & Indigenous Studies, UCLA. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 41294]

In an era of rapid political change, shifting global alliances, and deepening partisan divides, the Helen Edison Lecture Series is honored to welcome Ambassador Jeff Flake, former U.S. Senator from Arizona, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, and author of "Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle." Flake explores the challenges and opportunities of democratic governance in today’s volatile political climate. Hi career spanned pivotal moments in recent American history: navigating congressional gridlock, representing U.S. interests abroad amid global uncertainty, and advocating for principled leadership in the public square. His tenure offers a unique vantage point on the pressures within Washington and the larger questions of constitutional balance, institutional resilience, and civic trust. Moderated by Marco Werman, host and executive editor of "The World" and UC San Diego Journalist in Residence, this conversation invites reflection on how conviction, dialogue, and courage can restore civic trust and strengthen democracy. Series: "Helen Edison Lecture Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 40913]

A collaborative effort examines how organizations confront religious intolerance, focusing on antisemitism and Islamophobia. It maps an ecosystem of practices across individual, community, and structural levels. Using surveys, interviews, and existing research, the project documents what people and organizations do and why. Approaches include education and skills training; supports for healing and wellbeing; bridging divisions, leadership, coalitions, safer online spaces, and civic engagement; work on policy and law; research and evaluation that advance evidence-based programs; and storytelling that promotes inclusion while challenging hateful speech. Together, these efforts clarify how combined work builds belonging, trust, understanding, and accountability. Findings are shared to help communities adapt effective practices locally, including on campus and across the region. The goal is to support practical, adaptable strategies that cultivate safer, more inclusive environments. [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 40703]