The Bottom Line

By Al JazeeraNews

The Bottom Line episodes

June 22, 2023 Cornel West is running for president to dismantle the US empire | The Bottom Line
Philosopher and activist Cornel West has a question: Why do so many Americans languish in prison, put up with indecent housing, or cope with decrepit schools and without proper healthcare when they live in the richest empire in the history of the world?

The United States presidential candidate is running on a third-party ticket, which historically gives him no chance of winning the White House in 2024.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Bottom Line, West tells host Steve Clemons that the country’s political elites are not interested in a robust conversation on wealth and justice, and that he aims to force that conversation onto the national stage.

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24 min
June 15, 2023 What's the connection between Special Olympics and social change?
From humble beginnings in Chicago more than 50 years ago, the Special Olympics has grown into a major sports event.

This year the Games will be held in Berlin from June 17 to 25, with thousands of athletes competing from almost all participating countries.

Host Steve Clemons talks with Special Olympics Chairman, Tim Shriver, and Germany's ambassador to the United States, Emily Haber, about the impact that inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities is having on communities worldwide.
25 min
June 08, 2023 The US drug epidemic is killing 300 Americans a day | The Bottom Line
Purdue Pharma introduced the opioid painkiller OxyContin in the 1990s and promoted it aggressively as non-addictive.

United States government lawyers argued that the company’s owners, the Sacklers, knew how their medication was being abused widely, but doubled down on production – and profits. Recently a lawsuit was settled for $6bn.

Barry Meier, the author of Pain Killer (soon to be a Netflix series), started writing about the opioid epidemic 20 years ago when it was killing about 20,000 people yearly. He tells host Steve Clemons how corporate greed and government dithering have led that number to exceed 100,000 deaths last year alone.

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25 min
June 01, 2023 How corrupt is the United States Supreme Court? | The Bottom Line
Americans’ trust in all levels of their government – including the presidency and Congress, and now the Supreme Court – is falling rapidly.

One of the top court’s justices, Clarence Thomas, was found to have been showered in pricey gifts from a billionaire businessman for years. The case has put the court’s ethics under scrutiny.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse tells host Steve Clemons that “dark money” – unlimited amounts of cash from undisclosed sources – has poisoned Americans’ faith in all pillars of US democracy.

So what are the consequences? And is there any way to restore faith in public institutions?

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25 min
May 25, 2023 On China and Ukraine, does the G7 have the world’s support? | The Bottom Line
Three months ago, United States President Joe Biden insisted that Ukraine does not need F-16 fighter jets, but last week in Japan, he joined the F-16 coalition.

The reason? Political risk analyst Ian Bremmer says the US and its allies are trying to put Ukraine in a stronger position for an eventual negotiated settlement with Russia, even if it means escalating the war over time.

In this episode, Steve Clemons asks Bremmer whether the G7 will soon matter less than BRICS, how the US and China will share global power, and why Biden cannot backtrack on many Trump-era trade wars.

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25 min
May 18, 2023 What will the next race to the White House look like?
Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump claim they are fighting for the soul of the United States. And, as president, both were equally unpopular by their second year in office, hovering at about 40 percent approval ratings.

On The Bottom Line, host Steve Clemons asks Democratic and Republican campaign managers to weigh in on their candidates’ chances in the race for the White House next year.

Jason Miller, senior adviser to the Trump campaign, says his candidate’s anti-establishment message connects with millions of Americans - not only Republicans. Faiz Shakir, former campaign manager for Senator Bernie Sanders, says Trump’s candidacy ironically fuels support for the presumptive Democratic candidate, President Biden.
25 min
May 11, 2023 Can the media regain people's trust? | The Bottom Line
In their desperate attempt to “go viral”, digital media succeeded in disrupting and modernising traditional media outlets. But what has the price been?

Has the quality of information been sacrificed for content that will bring clicks and views? Is the drive for outrageous content that will drive comments and debate (“engagement”) tearing societies apart? In opinion polls, why do most Americans feel that the media do not care about people's best interests?

Host Steve Clemons talks with Ben Smith, former editor of Buzzfeed and current editor of Semafor, about his new book Traffic, chronicling the Age of Disinformation.

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25 min
May 04, 2023 How much influence has France lost in Africa? | The Bottom Line
Despite the declarations by French President Emmanuel Macron that the era of his country’s interference in Africa was “well over”, France - and the West in general - have been losing influence on the continent year after year.

Meanwhile, Russia, China, Turkey and other players have been ascendant.

Next month France will host the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, which aims to reset relations between the Global North and the Global South. But is it too little, too late?

Host Steve Clemons speaks with France’s minister of development, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, about his country's efforts to rethink its relationship with Africa.

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25 min
April 27, 2023 How much debt can the US government handle? | The Bottom Line
Both the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States agree that the government should borrow more money, but they disagree on spending priorities.

Is ballooning debt a problem? Is it a necessary evil? Can’t the US just print more money whenever it needs?

These are the issues on the table as negotiations start between Congress and the White House on raising the legally mandated limit on government borrowing, known as the debt ceiling. Currently the ceiling is set at $31.4 trillion.

On The Bottom Line, host Steve Clemons asks federal budget analysts Bobby Kogan and Gordon Gray about the next steps in the debate over runaway government spending.

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25 min
April 20, 2023 What do the leaked Pentagon papers tell us about the Ukraine war?
What does the United States want from the war in Ukraine?

Mainly, to put Ukraine in a good position when the time comes to negotiate. But there is “still a lot of fighting left” on both sides, according to Kevin Baron, executive editor at Defense One, a publication covering national security issues.

And Americans should consider their spending in Ukraine to be a “grand bargain” as Russia is being severely weakened without the loss of any American lives, according to Matt Dimmick, former director of Russia at the National Security Council.

On this episode of The Bottom Line, host Steve Clemons and his panel have a wide-ranging discussion about the future of the Ukraine war.
25 min