Press Release 
The Commonwealth Club of California
595 Market Street San Francisco, CA 94105
Contacts: Riki Rafner, 415.597.6712
or Catilin Browne 415-597-6734
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Commonwealth Club Launches New Current Affairs Review Program
“Week to Week” Fridays 12 Noon
featuring News Gurus Debra Saunders, Larry Gerston and John Zipperer

SAN FRANCISCO (Feb.13, 2012) – On Friday, February 24, 2012, The Commonwealth Club will host the first in an ongoing series of current events news programs called “Week to Week.” The inaugural panel will feature Dr. Larry Gerston, Ph.D., emeritus professor at San Jose State University and a political analyst at NBC 11; Debra Saunders, columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle and occasional commentator on CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” and moderator John Zipperer, vice president of media & editorial for The Commonwealth Club of California. The three will engage the audience in a lively, informative, and fun review of the week’s news events, exploring issues from their unique and at times opposing perspectives; the program will also feature another guest to go in-depth on a topic in the news, plus a news quiz and a quick look at the week ahead.

Says the program’s creator and moderator Zipperer, “We are going to offer a fresh experience from The Commonwealth Club, a recurring program offering timely insight and commentary on the news of the world, the nation, and the Bay Area.” He says that topics will include politics, the economy, cultural news, and other hot topics of the week.

“Week to Week” is launching with a semi-monthly (twice a month) frequency, but it will soon increase to weekly frequency.

Dr. Larry Gerston is a political science professor emeritus at San Jose State University, where he examines the public policy making process at the national and state levels. His book Recall! California’s Political Earthquake (with Terry Christensen), was selected as “outstanding academic book of 2004” by the American Library Association. His other books include American Federalism: A Concise Introduction and Retreat from Reality: Ten Problems Threatening to Implode American Society (and How We Can Fix It). His eleventh book, Not So Golden After All: The Rise and Fall of California, will be published by Taylor & Francis in April 2012. Dr. Gerston is the political analyst at NBC11 (the Bay Area NBC station) and is a frequent commentator in print and broadcast programs.

Debra Saunders is a popular columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and the author of SFGate’s “Token Conservative” blog. Her pieces, which have been syndicated by Creators Syndicate, appear three times a week and are carried by newspapers throughout the country and on townhall.com. Between 1987 and 1992, Saunders was a columnist and editorial writer for the Los Angeles Daily News. Her articles have been printed in The Wall Street Journal, National Review and Readers Digest, and her book The World According to Gore was released in 2000.

John Zipperer manages The Commonwealth Club’s media and editorial departments, including editing its members magazine The Commonwealth. He is a frequent contributor to Northside San Francisco and The Marina Times.

Attendees are invited to suggest topics for the panel to discuss at the W2W page: http://www.commonwealthclub.org/w2w

The “Week to Week” programs will take place at the SF Club Office Blue Room, located at 595 Market St, 2nd floor in downtown San Francisco. They will be free to Commonwealth Club members, $10 for nonmembers; premium tickets (including lunch) will be available for $12 for members and $22 for nonmembers.

Founded in 1903, The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation’s premier public affairs forum, with more than 16,000 members. Based in San Francisco and San Jose, the Club hosts more than 400 speeches, debates and discussions each year on issues of regional, national and international significance. The Club sponsors public policy projects on issues including structural reform of state government, social innovation and climate change. At least half a million people hear The Commonwealth Club’s weekly radio broadcasts on more than 200 stations across the country. The Club also podcasts its programs, with more than 1 million of its podcasts being downloaded every year. The Club’s programs are now also televised on Comcast Premium Digital Cable, FORATV and ABC7, and The Club hosts live interactive broadcasts of its programs on its own its own Internet channel. For more information, visit www.commonwealthclub.org.