New York Social Diary: For the Common Good

The Common Good Forum 2019 was a phenomenal and inspiring day. Our experts led thought-provoking discussions on the most significant ideas and issues in the news today. Our awardees were moving and uplifting. While many of our speakers warned us of the challenges ahead, our awardees reminded us of the best of the American spirit. New York Social Diary was also present and took note of the day:

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On Friday, May 10th at The Roosevelt Hotel, ​The Common Good, along with founder Patricia Duff, presented ​the fifth annual Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards, New York’s premiere ideas and issues forum, presenting headline issues and the most important, forward-looking ideas affecting public policy.

After a lively discussion on the rule of law, corruption and the abuse of power, Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara received the American Spirit Award for Distinguished Public Service and Magnitsky Act Advocate Bill Browder received the American Spirit Award for Citizen Activism.

NBC News’ Tom Brokaw presented the Courage in Journalism Award to Lesley Stahl and Sir Harry Evans in a moving tribute and discussion featuring the three renowned journalists.

Stephanie Ruhle, MSNBC Host; Former Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO); Senator Doug Jones (D-AL); Former Congresswoman Mia Love (R-UT); Former Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY); Ari Melber, MSNBC Host; Nicole Austin-Hillery, Human Rights Watch Executive Director; Former Deputy Secretary of State Ambassador Bill Burns; Former NATO Ambassador Nicholas Burns; Alan Schwartz, Guggenheim Partners CEO; Michael Waldman, Brennan Center Chief; and Former Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-CA), Woodrow Wilson Center CEO also spoke at the event, along with several other top world leaders.

Teenage climate change activists Alexandria Villasenor and Jamie Margolin were each presented with a $2,500 scholarship, known as the Changemaker Scholarship, for their dedication to the fight for global climate change policies.

- New York Social Diary staff writer, READ MORE

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RealClearPolitics: Laurence Tribe - Impeachment Isn't The Only Way To Unseat A Terrible President

After The Common Good hosted a successful evening of rousing discussion between expert Harvard legal scholar Dr. Laurence Tribe and host of The Circus John Heilemann, the press was quick to take note of Dr. Tribe’s insightful takes on a potential constitutional crisis at bay. RealClearPolitics reported on the preliminary discussion that Dr. Tribe and Heilemann had, and what Dr. Tribe had to say about the necessity, or lack thereof, of impeachment.

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Showtime's "The Circus" host John Heilemann sits with Harvard Law Professor and author, Laurence Tribe, to discuss his views on impeachment, the Justice Department, and whether or not a sitting president can be indicted.

"Imagine, for example, a president who bribed enough members of the House not to be impeached, or enough members of the Senate to ensure he wouldn't be convicted. In that scenario, saying, oh well, the remedy for an out of control president is impeachment and removal and that is all, effectively gives him a blank check to become an autocrat. So there is effectively no good case for saying that president can't possibly be indicted," Tribe explained.

"The reason is that impeachment is not a magic wand, you don't just wave it and then voila, he's not there. You have to worry about the Senate will do, you have to worry about how the nation will react... You can't remove a president when only 40% of the people believe he should be removed. Therefore you have to ask, what do we do in that circumstance? Maybe we take advantage of the uprising of political energy and hope for a result in 2020 that overwhelmingly repudiates him. Impeachment isn't the only way to be rid of a terrible president."

- RealClearPolitics reporter Tim Hanes, READ MORE

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Page Six: Harvard Law professor says Trump won’t be indicted

The Common Good hosted an excellent evening of discussion with Dr. Laurence Tribe, expert Harvard legal scholar, and John Heilemann, host of The Circus, on February 28th, 2019. Dr. Tribe provided insight into the current seeming constitutional crisis and the role of the modern Supreme Court as the audience hung on to every word. New York City media also took note, and Dr. Tribe’s predictions were reported on in Page Six:

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The crowd that gathered in a Fifth Avenue apartment to hear Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe was as deep blue as the ocean.

John Heilemann, who was filming the event for his Showtime program, “The Circus,” asked the audience to raise their hands if they had voted for Hillary Clinton. Nearly everyone raised their hand. ‘Now raise your hand if you voted for Donald Trump.’ One hand went up. ‘For the Upper East Side, this is a very ideologically diverse crowd,’ Heilemann quipped.

Tribe disappointed the faithful at the event, organized by Patricia Duff for the Common Good, when he predicted that President Trump would not be indicted. The lawyer, who has argued 35 cases before the US Supreme Court, also said, ‘The public is obsessed with impeachment.’ He compared the Never Trumpers to children on a long car ride who keep asking, ‘Are we there yet?’

- Page Six reporter Richard Johnson, READ MORE

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The Guardian: Parkland survivor David Hogg aims to 'create the NRA – except for the opposite issues'

The Common Good was honored to recognize the work of student gun reform activist David Hogg with the Changemaker Scholarship for Citizen Activism. Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented him the award at The Common Good Forum 2018. This award is a notable achievement that marks Hogg’s remarkable impact at such a young age, and the press have taken note:

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On Monday, the former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg presented Hogg with an award for citizen activism from The Common Good, a non-profit founded by entertainment industry leaders. Bloomberg, a billionaire gun control advocate who funds the country’s largest gun violence prevention group, Everytown for Gun Safety, was previously one of the NRA’s most reviled opponents. Bloomberg called Hogg “an inspiring young man”. He also presented Hogg with a check for $2,500 to go towards his future college tuition. His advice to the 18-year-old, Bloomberg said, was to “start out by finishing high school and then go to college”. […]

- Loris Beckett for The Guardian US

You can read The Guardian’s entire profile on our Changemaker here.