The Opinions

The Winter Olympics are underway, and all eyes are on Milan. In a round-table discussion, the Opinion editor Steve Stromberg speaks with the contributing writer Esau McCaulley, the writer and podcaster Kelly Corrigan and the Olympian Sasha Cohen on the joys, awe, escapism of the Games — as well as the inescapable politics surrounding them. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur, with help from Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin and Jillian Weinberger. Mixing by Efim Shapiro. Original music by Isaac Jones. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The deputy director of Opinion Shows is Alison Bruzek. The director of Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s combative testimony before the House Judiciary Committee this week offered a glimpse of what’s happening inside the Republican Party: a full-scale meltdown. In this round table episode of “The Opinions,” the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French join the national politics writer Michelle Cottle to unpack the intraparty wars now fracturing not only the right but also the left — and discuss why President Trump’s second term is proving to be a “great illuminator of the true core of people.”Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Daniel Ramirez. Video editing by Lisa Angell. The postproduction manager is Mike Puretz. Original music by Pat McCusker and Isaac Jones. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Video is Jonah M. Kessel. The deputy director of Opinion Shows is Alison Bruzek. The director of Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Aaron Retica. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The columnist David Brooks’s 22-year tenure at The New York Times is coming to an end, and so the Conversation trio of Robert Siegel, E.J. Dionne Jr. and Brooks gather one last time to discuss President Trump’s latest upsets and reflect on the departing columnist’s lengthy career and evolving views.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Sonia Herrero. Video editing by Arpita Aneja. The postproduction manager is Mike Puretz. Original music by Carole Sabouraud and Pat McCusker. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Video is Jonah M. Kessel. The deputy director of Opinion Shows is Alison Bruzek. The director of Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More than a decade ago, The New York Times editorial board argued that the United States should legalize recreational marijuana. This week, the board modified its stance. Yes, it should be legalized — but it must be better regulated. Marijuana is causing more harm than predicted by many during the fight to legalize it. In this conversation, David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Times Opinion, and Emily Bazelon and German Lopez, Opinion writers who work with the editorial board, explore what smarter regulation could look like and why it’s sorely needed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Can President Trump really nationalize elections? This week at the round table for “The Opinions,” the Times Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle is joined by the columnists David French and Jamelle Bouie to debate what’s behind Trump’s latest fixation and whether MAGA actually wants elections nationalized.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Video editing by Tony Palmerio. The post-production manager is Mike Puretz. Original music by Pat McCusker, Carole Sabouraud and Aman Sahota. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Video is Jonah M. Kessel. The deputy director of Opinion Shows is Alison Bruzek. The director of Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Aaron Retica. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amazon’s documentary “Melania” has been panned by many as a $40 million piece of propaganda. But who, exactly, is it meant to persuade? The culture editor Nadja Spiegelman and the Opinion columnists Maureen Dowd and Carlos Lozada break down what the film is trying to say and what it reveals about the first lady’s life and inner world. “She wanted to look gorgeous in every frame and not reveal anything,” Dowd says. “And that’s what happened.”Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin and Jillian Weinberger. Mixing by Sonia Herrero and Efim Shapiro. Video editing by Tony Palmerio. The postproduction manager is Mike Puretz. Original music by Pat McCusker. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Video is Jonah M. Kessel. The deputy director of Opinion Shows is Alison Bruzek. The director of Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The elderly population is on the rise, bringing the United States' caregiving crisis into sharp focus. On this episode of “The Opinions,” the producer Vishakha Darbha talks with the Times Opinion politics writer Michelle Cottle about the overwhelming audience response to her recent essay about caring for her ailing father, the political challenges of long-term care and the burdens faced by caregivers.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Daniel Ramirez. Original music by Isaac Jones and Sonia Herrero. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The deputy director of Opinion Shows is Alison Bruzek. The director of Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump’s call to de-escalate tensions in Minneapolis was short lived, but anger over the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti continues to grow. At this week’s round table, the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists David French and Jamelle Bouie look at how bipartisan criticism of ICE’s aggression could fuel the demand for accountability and debate the best path forward for the Democratic Party.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Video editing by Benjamin Wright. The postproduction manager is Mike Puretz. Original music by Pat McCusker and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Video is Jonah M. Kessel. The deputy director of Opinion Shows is Alison Bruzek. The director of Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Aaron Retica. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To love is to be human. Or is it? As human-chatbot relationships become more common, the Times Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman talks to the psychotherapist Esther Perel about what really defines human connection, and what we’re seeking when we look to satisfy our emotional needs on our phones.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Times Opinion columnist Thomas L. Friedman grew up in Minnesota and spent much of his career traveling to the Middle East. In the aftermath of the shooting death of Alex Pretti, and as the Trump administration continues its crackdown in the Twin Cities, Friedman speaks with the editor Stephen Stromberg about the parallels he sees between his hometown and Gaza today.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Sonia Herrero. Original music by Carole Sabouraud and Pat McCusker. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The deputy director of Opinion Shows is Alison Bruzek. The director of Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump’s vision of executive power is reshaping America and the world. For “The Opinions,” Aaron Retica, an editor in Opinion, sits down with the Opinion writers and lawyers Emily Bazelon and David French to discuss Trump’s record so far, and what it portends for the next three years.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump has changed America — and the world — in ways both large and small in the first year of his second term. In a live event recorded at the Library Foundation of Los Angeles on Tuesday, the Opinion editor Kathleen Kingsbury was joined by the columnists Jamelle Bouie and Ross Douthat to discuss those changes and what the year ahead might bring.Thoughts Email us at [email protected] the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/22/opinion/trump-second-term-one-year-in-analysis.htmlThis episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing and original music by Isaac Jones. Engineered by Daniel Ramirez. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to the team at the Library Foundation of Los Angeles. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The midterms are coming, and President Trump is already sounding the alarm. For this week’s round table, the columnists David French and Jamelle Bouie and the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle try to prepare listeners — and themselves — for how each party will frame Trump’s second term and falling approval rating.See Jamelle Bouie, Ross Douthat and Kathleen Kingsbury of Times Opinion live at the Library Foundation of Los Angeles on Jan. 20 for “Trump: The First Year of His Second Term.” Get tickets here.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/17/opinion/2026-midterms-trump.htmlThis episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Daniel Ramirez. Original music by Pat McCusker, Isaac Jones and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nicolás Maduro may be out, but Venezuela’s Chavista regime still holds power. Meanwhile, the opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner María Corina Machado is fighting to remain relevant. She’s scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White House on Thursday.Francisco Rodríguez, a senior research fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, joins the Opinion editor Dan Wakin to assess the state of the opposition, Machado’s prospects and how Donald Trump factors into Venezuela’s uncertain future.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/14/opinion/venezuela-oil-power-trump.htmlThis episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Original music by Sonia Herrero, Pat McCusker and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A.I. slop is taking over the internet. As the line between human-made and machine-made art blurs — and real and fake images collapse into one another — how should we think about culture now? On “The Opinions,” the Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman sits down with the columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom and the creative consultant Emily Keegin to discuss what A.I. slop is for, who benefits from it and what comes next.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/13/opinion/ai-slop-internet-trust.htmlThis episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Pat McCusker. Original music by Issac Jones and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump began 2026 by invading an autonomous nation and capturing its leader. The Opinion politics writer Michelle Cottle talks to the columnists David French and Carlos Lozada about the ICE shooting in Minneapolis and what the “Donroe Doctrine” portends for the president’s foreign policy over the next three years.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/10/opinion/trump-donroe-doctrine-ice-minneapolis-venezuela.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2023, there were over 34.9 million cosmetic procedures performed globally, a 40 percent increase from four years ago. As these procedures have become more common, the taboos against talking about them have weakened. The New York Times Opinion editor Meher Ahmad speaks to the columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom and the writer Jessica Grose on whether the growing affordability of Botox and fillers has driven this shift, and how an aging face is the new punk rock.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/08/opinion/body-modification-gender.htmlThis episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Original music by Pat McCusker and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump’s operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, the ousted president of Venezuela, and his wife, seems to have been a military success. What is far less clear is what happens next. Stephen Stromberg, an editor in Opinion covering politics and economics, joins the columnists M. Gessen and David French to discuss the legality of America’s attack on Venezuela, the state of the global order and what “America first” means for MAGA now.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/05/opinion/trump-maduro-capture-venezuela.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Changing your mind can be a difficult thing to do, especially when it also means reconsidering the foundation of your faith. That’s what happened for the evangelical pastor Bill White when his 15-year-old son Timothy came out as gay to him at Starbucks. On this episode of “The Opinions,” Bill reads from his journal documenting the personal transformation that led him to thank God for making his son gay.This episode originally aired on August 6, 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump’s attacks on the Smithsonian Museum for being too “woke” in its exhibits are part of a broader effort to control America’s story. Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer and the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, has created institutions that confront the nation’s painful past to preserve an honest vision of history. In this conversation with Jeffrey Toobin, he argues that while America has much to celebrate, whitewashing its history lets its mistakes — and their consequences — live on.This episode originally aired on September 10, 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Joe Biden’s immigration policies may have contributed to Donald Trump’s winning a second term, but a year later, Americans are increasingly unhappy with the president’s aggressive deportation tactics. For the final installment of the America’s Next Story series, the columnist Michelle Goldberg joins David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Times Opinion, to discuss her strongly held belief that America is, at its best, a nation of immigrants and that should inform how the country moves forward.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2025/12/22/opinion/next-american-story-michelle-goldberg-immigration.htmlThis episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Efim Shapiro. Original music by Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As a tumultuous year comes to an end, the New York Times Opinion politics writer Michelle Cottle talks to the columnists David French and Jamelle Bouie about the year that was — the damage done by the Trump administration, including his most recent speech, any silver linings and what to take into 2026.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Original music by Pat McCusker, Isaac Jones and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Conversation convenes this week with the Opinion columnist David Brooks, the contributing Opinion writer E.J. Dionne Jr. and the former host of NPR’s “All Things Considered” Robert Siegel to unpack a week of turbulent news across the globe, including the state of the Trump presidency, economic anxiety in America and the president’s approach to national security.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Pat McCusker. Original music by Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Republican Party’s wholesale embrace of Donald Trump has left traditional conservatives like the Times Opinion columnist Bret Stephens without a political home. But what happens after Trump leaves office? Will the party return to its Reaganite roots? In this conversation, Stephens and David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Times Opinion, imagine what the G.O.P.’s next story might be.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Efim Shapiro. Original music by Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Republican Party has a misogyny problem. Congressional members like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace have been pushing past their party’s patriarchal views and fighting back. On this episode of “The Opinions,” the columnist David French is joined by the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle and fellow columnist Jamelle Bouie to discuss how Republican women are standing up to their party and whether President Trump’s view of women will leave a lasting mark on conservative politics.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Original music by Pat McCusker, Carole Sabouraud and Aman Sahota. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re living in a strange moment. According to the columnist Thomas L. Friedman, it’s a completely new era, called the Polycene — one in which everything moves faster and science, technology and politics are more connected than ever. The columnist David Brooks sits down with Friedman to make sense of what the modern world’s cascading crises mean for the future.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Original music by Sonia Herrero and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So you disagree with the direction in which your country is headed. What’s a moral person to do? That’s the question the columnists M. Gessen and Michelle Goldberg recently set out to answer in their reporting in different countries. In this conversation with the editor Ariel Kaminer, they discuss recent tactics by Israeli dissidents, Americans organizing against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other ways to protest unethical policies.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Sonia Herrero. Original music by Pat McCusker and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump’s popularity appears to be slipping in the Republican Party and with the American people. This week Republicans eked out a victory in a Tennessee special election, but only after national groups spent millions of dollars shoring up their chosen candidate. Meanwhile, G.O.P. lawmakers seem skeptical of the Trump administration’s justification for boat strikes in the Caribbean. On this episode, the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle discusses the ramifications for the president with the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Opinion columnist Bret Stephens and the contributing Opinion writer Frank Bruni return for another edition of The Conversation. This week, they are joined by the Opinion editor Aaron Retica, who fields questions from readers about the gap between President Trump’s interests and voters’ priorities, the future of Trumpism without Trump and whether centrism can be charismatic.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing and original music by Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rural aesthetics are in — from cowboy boots, to country albums by popstars, to pastoral idealism peddled by influencers. New York Times Opinion editor Meher Ahmad speaks to columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom and contributor Emily Keegin about what these cultural touch points mean for our politics, and society at large. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Democrats can tackle affordability and confront the damage President Trump is doing to American democracy — but only if they get the leadership right, Senator Cory Booker, Democrat of New Jersey, argues. Booker sat down with the Times Opinion editorial director David Leonhardt in late October to discuss his vision for the party, the stakes for the country and why he still believes in America — urging Americans to “hold tight,” because, he says, “the best chapter in a century is upon us.”Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur, Vishakha Darbha and Kristina Samulewski. Mixing by Pat McCusker. Original music by Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Much of the national discussion around the Epstein case has focused on the political drama. But as the Opinion columnist Lydia Polgreen and the contributing Opinion writer Molly Jong-Fast remind listeners, this is a case about the “conspiracy of silence” that perpetuates sexual violence against women. In this episode, the two writers explore the intertwining paths of the Epstein saga and the #MeToo movement, the challenges of accountability and whether this moment could mark a change for American culture and politics.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest of the production team includes Vishakha Darbha, Kristina Samulewski and Jillian Weinberger. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Original music by Sonia Herrero, Pat McCusker and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, was instrumental in pressuring President Trump to reverse course on a bill he sponsored, with the Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky, to direct the Justice Department to release files related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In this conversation, Mr. Khanna tells David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Times Opinion, why his advocacy for Americans left behind by the global economy pushed him to spotlight the Epstein case.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin and Alison Bruzek. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur, Vishakha Darbha and Kristina Samulewski. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Original music by Pat McCusker and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Kate Sinclair and Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Now that Donald Trump will never be on a ballot again, some conservatives are starting to imagine a future beyond him. In the latest installment of America’s Next Story, David Leonhardt, an editorial director at Opinion, talks with the conservative Sarah Isgur, an editor at The Dispatch and the author of a forthcoming book about the Supreme Court, “Last Branch Standing.” She lays out her dream for a return to a small-government ethos and constrained presidential power — no matter who holds the White House.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur, Vishakha Darbha and Kristina Samulewski. Mixing by Efim Shapiro. Original music by Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The release of thousands of pages of emails from Jeffrey Epstein has cast a spotlight back on President Trump and his relationship with Epstein. This week, the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French argue that MAGA’s engagement with figures like Epstein and the prominent white nationalist Nick Fuentes is causing cracks on the political right and gradual losses for Trump’s base. But will these incremental steps away from Trump eventually look more like a stampede?Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Africa is expected to see a massive population boom in the next several decades. At the same time, the United States, China and European nations are pulling back their presence there in terms of aid, trade and investment. In this episode, the Opinion columnist Lydia Polgreen speaks with the former Times correspondent and bureau chief Howard French about the challenges facing Africa, the risk for global powers if they disengage from the continent and one 20th-century African leader’s vision for Black self-reliance that feels especially relevant today.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Immigration has always been central to the American story, yet many Americans remain dissatisfied with the Trump administration’s aggressive approach. So how does the country move forward on this issue?In this “America’s Next Story” series episode of “The Opinions,” David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Times Opinion, speaks with Cecilia Muñoz, who helped shape immigration policy under President Barack Obama. Ms. Muñoz explains that the openness of Mr. Biden’s immigration policy was an opportunity for Trump, and one he fully exploited. She urges the Democratic Party to find inspiration in her Obama-era immigration policy, to balance avenues for legal immigration with enforcement at the border.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur, Vishkaha Darbha and Kristina Samulewski. Mixing by Pat McCusker and Isaac Jones. Original music by Carole Sabouruad. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tuesday’s election results have big implications for Democrats — and also for Republicans who have yoked their fortunes to President Trump. The Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle, along with the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French, discuss whether the results indicate a new dawn or a predictable political swing in an unstable year.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur, Kristina Samulewski and Jillian Weinberger. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Original music by Pat McCusker, Carole Sabouraud and Aman Sahota. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump’s recent meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, led to a de-escalation of the tense trade war between the superpowers. But what could this truce mean for the United States in the long term, especially as China continues to demonstrate dominance?In this episode, the Opinion editor Ariel Kaminer speaks with Oren Cass, the founder and chief economist of the conservative think tank American Compass, and Jason Furman, an economist at Harvard and a former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, about the possible ways to engage with Beijing and the merits of blowing up a world built on free trade.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest of the show's production team includes Vishakha Darbha, Kristina Samulewski and Jillian Weinberger. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Original music by Sonia Herrero, Isaac Jones and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bernie Sanders is not a fan of billionaires. His laser focus on economic inequality has made him one of the most influential politicians in the country. In this conversation with David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Times Opinion, Sanders explains why America’s next story must include economic justice for the country’s working class, and why progressives shouldn’t shun voters who disagree with them on social issues.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur, Vishakha Darbha and Kristina Samulewski. Mixing by Efim Shapiro and Isaac Jones. Original music by Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The legislative branch of the government is in crisis. The shutdown is entering a second month. Millions of Americans were given a reprieve on Friday after a judge ordered the Trump administration to continue paying for food stamps. The Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle discusses the repercussions of a weakening Congress with the Opinion columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French, and what the future could hold for this institution.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters, “This is the savagery that we only remember from the Nazi crimes in the Holocaust. Hamas are the new Nazis.” Many Israeli politicians echoed that, invoking the Holocaust to describe the terrorist attacks. In an interview with the Times Opinion columnist M. Gessen, the Columbia University professor Marianne Hirsch argues that the trauma and memory of the Holocaust are being misused and makes a case for how it should be taught going forward.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What’s the problem with marriage? That depends on whom you ask. The Times Opinion editor Meher Ahmad is joined by the Opinion writer Jessica Grose and the author Glynnis MacNicol to discuss the current shift away from marriage and romantic relationships, and what these cultural changes mean for our society at large.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Harvard historian Jill Lepore worries that citizens have become too passive, waiting for change to happen to them. She is on a mission to revive what has become a lost art in American politics: amending the Constitution. In this conversation with David Leonhardt, an editorial director for York Times Opinion, Lepore argues that demonizing Donald Trump inevitably backfires for the left and says that turning the page on the Trump era will require not just hope but determination.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Pat McCusker. Original music by Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Conversation convenes this week with the Opinion columnist David Brooks, the contributing Opinion writer E.J. Dionne Jr. and the former host of NPR’s “All Things Considered” Robert Siegel to discuss and debate Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral run, gerrymandering and what the No Kings protests achieved.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur, Kristina Samulewski and Jillian Weinberger. Mixing and original music by Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Senator Ruben Gallego won election in Arizona in 2024 by emphasizing prosperity over equity. Now, he wants the rest of the Democratic Party to follow suit. In this interview with David Leonhardt, an editorial director in New York Times Opinion, Senator Gallego gives the Democrats some tough love on border security and affordability and explains what he appreciates about the story New York’s mayoral front-runner, Zohran Mamdani, is telling.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The South isn’t just a wellspring for American culture; it offers a blueprint for America’s future. For this week’s round table on “The Opinions,” three Southerners — the columnists Jamelle Bouie, David French and Tressie McMillan Cottom — explore how the nation’s fascination with Southern culture reveals deeper truths about race, class, belonging and the power of Trumpism.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Ptkin. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur, Vishakha Darbha and Kristina Samulewski. Mixing by Isaac Jones. Original music by Carole Sabouruad. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does President Trump’s peace deal between Israel and Hamas mean for Palestinians in the region? On this episode, the Opinion editor Dan Wakin interviews Diana Buttu, a former adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization, about her concerns over the agreement and what it really means for Palestinians. “My fear is that in this agreement, we’re just going to go back to the way it was before,” she says. “It’s just going to be yet another papering over the harm that has been caused by these decades of occupation.”Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Pete Buttigieg has a clear vision of where his party lost its way. Now Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary, wants to use those lessons to shape the Democratic Party of the future and America’s next story.“Sooner or later, one day Donald Trump will not be active in American politics. And the sooner we spend our energy thinking about what to do next, I actually think the sooner that day will come,” he tells David Leonhardt, an editorial director in Times Opinion. In this conversation, Buttigieg explains why DOGE’s destruction of government institutions may be an opportunity for Democrats and what working to revive his hometown taught him about the threats we face from artificial intelligence.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2025/10/14/opinion/next-american-story-pete-buttigieg.htmlThis episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur, Vishakha Darbha and Kristina Samulewski. Mixing by Sonia Herrero. Original music by Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Kate Sinclair. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump has deployed the National Guard to Memphis and Chicago and has his sights on Portland, Ore. It’s his latest effort to punish his enemies and provoke a response. In this episode, the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle, the Opinion columnist David French and the contributing Opinion writer E.J. Dionne Jr. discuss the state of a divided America and what history can tell us about this moment.Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.