Why Am I Telling You This?

In the season finale of “Why Am I Telling You This?,” President Bill Clinton welcomes the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg for a candid conversation with NPR legal affairs correspondent, Nina Totenberg. Justice Ginsburg shares stories from her quarter century on the nation’s highest court, her distinguished career fighting gender discrimination, what it’s like to serve among her fellow “sisters in law,” and her pop culture ascendance. In his special introduction, President Clinton shares what set her apart in his decision to nominate her to the Supreme Court of the United States.This conversation was recorded live in Little Rock as a part of the Clinton Presidential Center’s Frank and Kula Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series. More: https://wjcf.co/2mnDfuK

In this special episode, President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush share their perspectives on leadership and finding common ground throughout their lives in public service. To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, this episode features a prerecorded conversation with President Clinton and President Bush at the 2019 graduation ceremony, moderated by the George W. Bush Institute’s Executive Director Holly Kuzmich. They are joined by two scholars—Lisa Hallett, CEO of wear blue: run to remember, and Jay Bhatt, SVP and CMO of the American Hospital Association—who are applying lessons learned from the program to enhance their own work to improve their communities. With an introduction from 2019 Presidential Leadership Scholar Dilafruz Khonikboyeva, the conversation celebrates the network of doctors, veterans, corporate professionals, attorneys, public servants, educators, and more from across the country who have come together to collaborate and make a difference in the world, strengthened by lessons in leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that, on average, nearly 130 people a day die of opioid overdoses across America — and millions more are in need of treatment. In advance of National Recovery Month, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and Harm Reduction Coalition Board Member and Clinton Foundation partner Julie Stampler join President Bill Clinton to discuss how we can fight this escalating crisis. This episode also features personal stories from members of the Clinton Foundation community who have overcome substance-use disorders and are now helping others recover including Mark Kinzly, who co-founded the Texas Overdose Naloxone Initiative, which helps to increase naloxone access and bring overdose awareness and trainings to the state of Texas; and Clinton Global Initiative University alumna Sarah Gad whose CGI U commitment and work focuses on increasing medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated people struggling to survive and conquer their addiction. The Clinton Foundation has been responding to the opioid crisis since 2012 by working with partners to expand access to life-saving naloxone, engage influential faith leaders in hard-hit communities to reduce stigma, and translate research into practice with institutions such as the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School. Learn more: clintonfoundation.org.

President Bill Clinton and three-time Olympic gold medalist and NCAA women’s basketball championship coach Dawn Staley share stories of perseverance, leadership, and how, given the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s fight for equal pay, women’s sports are about much more than playing a game. In this episode, Coach Staley shares how her experiences from growing up in the Philadelphia projects to winning Olympic Gold and competing on the world’s stage as a woman of color have driven her desire to mentor others and make a positive difference. As a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and one of the most decorated athletes of all time, she reflects upon her first visit to the White House after the 1996 Olympic Games, her work to help young people excel on and off the court, and the state of women’s sports today. From her players, to the fans, to the countless people benefiting from her own philanthropic work and advocacy, Coach Staley’s story reminds us all how sports can lift our common humanity and help people connect across borders, generations, gender, and race.

In the wake of the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, America is reacting as we have come to expect. Thoughts and prayers are offered, as they should be. Communities come together, as they should, in vigils to remember those lost and injured and to remind ourselves that we shouldn’t keep letting this happen. But the tragedies keep happening, while one thing that we know can reduce mass shootings has not been done: reinstating the ban on assault weapons and the limit on high-capacity magazines that were in effect from 1994 to 2004. In a powerful commentary originally published in TIME, President Bill Clinton calls on elected officials to reinstate the assault weapons ban and the ammunition limit, and make improved background checks universal. And at this crucial moment for America, he urges all of us to stand against - not inflame - the racial, religious, and gender-based bigotries that often drive mass killers.

In this episode, pioneering physician, anthropologist, and Partners In Health co-founder Dr. Paul Farmer joins Chelsea Clinton to talk about his life’s work to deliver quality, comprehensive health care and fight devastating diseases in some of the poorest places on Earth. Paul has often found himself on the front lines to contain major public health and humanitarian crises in some of the most at-risk places in the world, helping to stop pandemics before they spread and, most importantly, caring for those affected. Together with co-founders Jim Yong Kim and Ophelia Dahl, Paul has forever changed the field of public health through his revolutionary approach to global health equity by supporting strong community-based health systems and partnering with institutions like Harvard Medical School and the Clinton Health Access Initiative to provide all people with world-class medicine. In this episode, Paul shares stories about what he has learned from combating HIV/AIDS, the 2014 Ebola outbreak, and building clinics in countries like Haiti, Rwanda, and Mexico – and why he is optimistic about the future of public health.

In this special episode for Independence Day, President Bill Clinton traces the evolution of the presidency from America’s founding through the present day and explores how the best presidents used the office to build an America that more closely resembled our highest ideals and aspirations. The episode features President Clinton’s keynote speech from this year’s Presidential Ideas Festival at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center with commentary by David Blight, Pulitzer Prize winning author of “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom,” and professor of American History at Yale University. Professor Blight says the speech is a “rare blend of learned history and lived experience ... This speech is a reminder of what the future of the institution of the presidency can still be.”

In this episode, Chelsea Clinton speaks with Stonewall Inn co-owner, Kurt Kelly, about the history of the Stonewall Inn, the modern LGBTQ+ movement, NYPD’s first formal apology for the raid, and how the Stonewall Gives Back Initiative is mobilizing LGBTQ+ communities in the United States. Plus, meet our Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) alum, Katie Sgarro who is helping LGBTQ+ asylum seekers find safe, immigrant-friendly services though her organization, AsylumConnect. Her CGI U commitment led to the advancement of the first online resource database of its kind in the United States. Fifty years ago, on June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s West Village neighborhood. It was a regular occurrence meant to intimidate and harass, but this time, the patrons decided to fight back. The uprising and subsequent demonstrations that ensued drew hundreds of supporters and jumpstarted a new chapter of activism and advocacy in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality – a fight that’s still going on today, half a century later. While LGBTQ+ rights have made some progress in the United States and around the world, it is still a crime to be LGBTQ+ in 70 countries, and unsafe in countless others. Those that are forced to leave because of emotional or physical violence, seek asylum in the United States for the freedom to lead their authentic lives. CGI U alum, Katie Sgarro, is helping LGBTQ+ asylum seekers with verified LGBTQ+ and immigrant-friendly services through the first and only resource website and app. Copy-written material is featured in this episode with permission from Voices of America

In this episode, Chelsea Clinton sits down with Ralph Smith, managing director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, and Dr. Susan Neuman, New York University Professor of Childhood and Literacy Education, to share stories and strategies on how to help every child reach their full potential. Nearly 60 percent of children in the United States show up to kindergarten unprepared to learn. This problematic truth results in a lifelong burden that no child should bear and can have broader consequences across society. The issue is especially acute for children in low-income families and at-risk communities, as they often start behind in kindergarten and are less likely to catch up. The good news is that strong relationships and simple actions like talking, reading, and singing with children from birth can make a big difference in a child’s future. Chelsea, Ralph, and Susan, along with Patti Miller, CEO of Too Small to Fail, the Clinton Foundation’s early childhood initiative, also highlight the Foundation’s innovative approaches to providing families with language and learning opportunities in the laundromat, grocery store, and other places parents go with their children everyday.

In this preview, Stonewall Inn owner Kurt Kelly shares with Chelsea Clinton his emotional reaction to the New York City Police Department's first formal apology issued this week for the Stonewall raid almost 50 years ago. Listen to our full episode on LGBTQ equality and pride coming later this June.

In recent years, the world has been hit by larger and more frequent natural disasters – the devastating consequence of climate change, with an immense human toll – and scientists predict it will only get worse. In the wake of these crises, responding quickly and understanding the challenges and needs facing people and communities is critical. In this episode, President Bill Clinton sits down with chef, humanitarian, and Clinton Foundation partner José Andrés as he shares stories of working in Haiti, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Mozambique to provide hot meals, human dignity, and hope after catastrophe hits—and how he found his passion in cooking.

Podcast series will debut this summer featuring conversations and stories with Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Clinton Foundation staff, partners and special guests about issues and events shaping our world.