With the country working hard to pull out of one of the most difficult economic climates in the past century, the Obama administration's powerhouse economic team is the focus of much hope and much criticism. Are they taking the right measures? What's really happening with the economy? Just how close did the United States' economy come to going off a cliff two years ago?

On September 30, The Commonwealth Club of California is hosting a program featuring U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. The event will take place at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco.

This is your chance to hear for yourself what the nation's top financial policymaker has to say about the current and future state of the economy.

Tickets are available for advance purchase.

UPDATE: This program was postponed. We'll keep you informed about any rescheduling.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is coming to The Commonwealth Club September 27 to highlight the anniversary of AB32, the state's landmark climate-change legislation.

Schwarzenegger will be heading up a program of The Club's Climate One series, which focuses on bringing together people from across the political spectrum, from business to environmental movements and beyond, to address climate-change issues.

He has spoken at The Club for each of the past few years to mark AB32, but this year the discussion should be most poignant. The climate-change bill is the subject of withering criticism from conservative politicians who are arguing that the state should focus on jobs first, then the environment. But Schwarzenegger has been a vocal proponent of using climate-change initiatives to create green jobs and industries.

What does he think of his party's candidates in the fall election who are campaigning on plans to restrict climate-change legislation? Will they undo his legacy? What about Proposition 23?

This is a don't-miss program.

The Hon. L. W. Lane Jr., the former publisher who built Sunset magazine into one of the country's leading regional publications and a pioneering voice of conservation, passed away July 31, 2010, at the age of 90.

The San Jose Mercury News noted that lane was a Republican "in the Teddy Roosevelt model of conservation," and he gave generously of his time and money to regional conservation efforts. But he was a generous philanthropist for many organizations, including his alma mater, Stanford, where he donated $5 million in 2005 to endow the Bill Lane Center for the American West.

Lane was also a longtime member of The Commonwealth Club's Board of Governors – in fact, he was the longest-serving member of the board, where he provided invaluable help and expertise. For example, when The Club decided The Commonwealth magazine would begin to accept paid third-party advertising, Lane sat down with The Club's publishing staff to discuss pitfalls and potential, which included many of the lessons he and his family had learned through their long stewardship of Sunset.

But that was only one of his contributions to The Club. Lane noted that his involvement with The Commonwealth Club went all the way back to the 1940s, when his naval commanding officer assigned him to attend Club lunch meetings to keep track of what Club speakers were saying about the war and world events. From Commonwealth magazine redesigns to increasing the visibility of The Club's California Book Awards to underwriting radio broadcasts, Bill Lane left a great legacy – and a lot of friends – at The Commonwealth Club.

We will miss him very much.

When you've got a speaker as funny and interesting as political satirist P.J. O'Rourke, you want to team him up with someone who's also a strong figure. Smart, funny, controversial. So we're rather pleased that on September 30 at noon, The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco will be hosting O'Rourke, and moderating duties will be performed by our friend Phil Bronstein, executive vice president at the San Francisco Chronicle.

O'Rourke will be discussing his latest book: Don't Vote, It Just Encourages the Bastards. So come and get into the spirit of the November elections, and be prepared for a great event.