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The Opinions

The New York Times Opinionwww.nytimes.com
You've heard the news, here's what to make of it.

Episodes

Trump May Get His ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ but the G.O.P. Will Pay a Price

There will be many short- and long-term consequences if Republicans succeed in passing President Trump’s signature policy bill, as they aim to do before the July 4 holiday, David Leonhardt, the director of the Times editorial board, tells the national politics writer Michelle Cottle in this episode. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This 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 inc...

Jul 01, 202527 min

Trump, Iran and the Slow Creep of Presidential Power

War. Did President Trump get America into one? On this episode of “The Opinions,” the columnists Carlos Lozada, Jamelle Bouie and David French dissect the legality and constitutionality of President Trump’s recent strike on Iran, and the gray areas on who has the power to send out American troops. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This 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 inclu...

Jun 27, 202532 min

Is Iran Really a Threat to the United States? A Debate.

This episode of The Opinions features a debate on recent US strikes against Iran. Columnist Bret Stephens argues the strikes were a necessary and successful action against Iran's nuclear ambitions, while analyst Rosemary Kelanic warns they could be counterproductive, potentially increasing Iran's motivation to build a bomb. The discussion explores the perceived urgency of the threat, the reliability of intelligence, and the long-term implications for the region and US policy.

Jun 25, 202529 min

Are We Headed For Another Endless Middle Eastern War?

The Times Opinion columnist Nick Kristof weighs in on the uncertainties following the United States’ surprise bombing of Iran and Tehran’s retaliation. “President Trump thinks that this is going to be successful and worth it, but the enemy gets a vote as well,” Kristof cautions. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This 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...

Jun 23, 202513 min

Trump Is Vulnerable. Democrats Still Need a Strategy.

Given the recent protests against ICE raids, is President Trump alienating some of his supporters? In this episode, the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists David French and Jamelle Bouie convene to discuss. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This 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 Weinber...

Jun 21, 202534 min

Tom Friedman: ‘This Is One of the Most Remarkable Dramas in the Middle East’

As tensions between Iran and Israel escalate, questions are mounting about America’s role in the conflict and how President Trump should navigate the crisis. In this episode, the deputy international editor for Times Opinion, speaks with the columnist Tom Friedman to discuss Trump’s next moves, Iran’s regime and Israel’s intentions in the Middle East. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and ...

Jun 18, 202517 min

It’s Not Just Trump Voters. Both Parties Are in Denial.

In this episode, the editorial board director David Leonhardt talks to Arlie Russell Hochschild about why voters in Appalachia continue to support the president, despite the broken promises of Trump’s first term and looming cuts to social programs they depend on. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This 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 Da...

Jun 16, 202527 min

Three Opinion Writers on the L.A. Protests and Trump’s Spectacle of Control

This week, President Trump ordered the National Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles to confront protesters. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., he is pushing to advance his policy agenda through a giant spending bill. The Opinion columnists Tressie McMillan Cottom, David French and the national politics writer Michelle Cottle convene to explore how Trump’s attempt to consolidate power is reshaping the American political landscape — possibly for generations to come. Thoughts? Email us at theopinions...

Jun 11, 202534 min

The Israeli Hostage Who Refused to Embrace Revenge

Liat Beinin Atzili was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for 54 days. When she returned to Israel, she learned her husband was murdered on Oct. 7. In this episode of “The Opinions,” the editor Sarah Wildman speaks to Beinin Atzili about her radically different experience from most other hostages and why she doesn’t believe in revenge. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The res...

Jun 10, 202530 min

The Beautiful Danger of Normal Life During an Autocratic Rise

In this episode, the editorial director David Leonhardt and the Opinion columnist M. Gessen discuss the very human inclination to try to return to normal life in the midst of a serious crisis. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This 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...

Jun 09, 202523 min

Is the Ukraine War the Next Afghanistan?

After speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Donald President Trump says Moscow plans to retaliate against Ukraine for the country’s drone strike over the weekend. Despite President Trump’s ambitious campaign promises, an end to the war still seems far away. On this episode of “The Opinions,” the columnist David French joins Megan K. Stack, a contributing Opinion writer and former Moscow bureau chief for The Los Angeles Times, to discuss the state of the conflict today and ...

Jun 05, 202527 min

A Punk Survival Guide for Gen Z

The writer and performer John Cameron Mitchell has a message for members of Generation Z: Stop playing it safe and embrace punk. Mitchell, who wrote “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” sits down with Opinion’s deputy editorial director of culture, Carl Swanson, to talk about what he learned touring around the country and talking with college students about rebellion. Thoughts? Emails us at [email protected]. This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Kristina Samulewski. It was edited by Alis...

Jun 04, 202517 min

Why Politics Feels So Cruel Right Now

In this episode, the Times Opinion politics correspondent Michelle Cottle speaks to the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French about the rise of “toxic empathy” and how the right has turned compassion into weakness. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This 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 Carol...

Jun 02, 202534 min

Tom Friedman: Will Israel’s War Ever End?

The New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman has spent decades covering Israel and the Middle East. For this episode of “The Opinions,” the deputy editor of Opinion, Patrick Healy, speaks to Friedman about his latest trip to the region, what he envisions for the future of Israel and how the ongoing conflict in Gaza is going to affect the country. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari...

May 29, 202523 min

How to Turn the Middle Against Trump

In this episode, David Leonhardt, an Opinion editorial director, asks Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan why the Democratic Party has lost so many voters without four-year college degrees, what Americans should do to stand up for democracy and what she appreciates about Senator Bernie Sanders. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This 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 inc...

May 28, 202529 min

The Good News About a Bad G.P.A.

The Opinion contributing writer Megan Stack has a gift for high school graduates who struggled academically or who feel like life is passing them by. In this audio essay, Stack lays out an optimistic vision for the late bloomers and poor performers, arguing that this stage of life doesn’t have to define a person’s future and that there are many paths to happiness and success. This episode originally aired on June 19, 2024. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This episode of “The Opini...

May 23, 20258 min

Are We in a New Era of Presidential Regalism?

Who knew what when? Two new books paint a damning portrait of the Democratic Party and what some of its members knew about President Joe Biden’s deteriorating health during the 2024 campaign. On “The Opinions,” the Times editor at large Aaron Retica is joined by the columnist Carlos Lozada to discuss “Original Sin” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson and “Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House” by Jonathan Allen and Amy Parnes. Retica and Lozada explore the books’ shared themes and wh...

May 22, 202527 min

Michelle Goldberg: ‘More Democrats Need to Be Doing This’

In this episode, David Leonhardt, the editorial director of the editorial board, asks the Opinion columnist Michelle Goldberg what Democrats are doing right, what they’re doing wrong and what they should consider doing next. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This 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 and Vishakha Darbha. Mixing by Isaac Jones. Origina...

May 20, 202527 min

Trump’s Era of International Bullying

With President Trump meeting with heads of state in the Middle East this week, the Times Opinion senior international editor Krista Mahr sat down with the columnists Lydia Polgreen and Nick Kristof to talk about how the president is emboldening leaders of all kinds worldwide, and what relationships they’re most worried about. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest of the...

May 15, 202528 min

Four Legal Immigrants Offer a Warning for America

The Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration is leading to unexpected scrutiny for those who came to the United States through legal channels. As a result, many green card and long-term visa holders are questioning their place in a country that once welcomed them. In this episode of “The Opinions,” the producer Vishakha Darbha interviews four documented immigrants about their concerns for the future. “What they told me felt like a warning,” Darbha says. “This country doesn’t feel ...

May 14, 202519 min

Are Trump’s Tariffs Trying to Solve a Problem That Doesn’t Exist?

Jason Furman, an economist who was an adviser to President Barack Obama, believes that trade is an unmitigated good — a rarely heard opinion on the right or the left these days. In this episode of “The Opinions,” David Leonhardt, the director of the Times editorial board, pushes Furman on the downsides of trade and asks him to explain its benefits — for both Americans and the rest of the world. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian ...

May 12, 202523 min

How Three Democrats Who Saved the Party Before Would Do It Again

In the late 1980s, the Democratic Party was trying to figure out how to how to remake itself after having lost four of the five previous presidential elections. That’s when an upstart group of Democratic strategists decided the party needed to tack to the center, with a young, charismatic leader named Bill Clinton. Today, the party faces similar challenges. Three strategists from Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, Bill Galston, Elaine Kamarck and Will Marshall, join the deputy Opinion editor ...

May 08, 202516 min

Kristi Noem and the MAGA Beauty Aesthetic

From done-up hair to heavily applied makeup, conservative women — particularly those in President Trump’s orbit — deploy a specific aesthetic to signify their politics. Women like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina are exemplars of this beauty trend, showing off a hyperfeminine look that is at odds with how they wield their power. In this episode,” Meher Ahmad, an editor for Times Opinion, and the Opinion writer Jessica Grose discuss why this ...

May 07, 202519 min

Why a Good Political Argument Is Like Good Sex

The Conversation has been a staple of The Times’s Opinion pages since 2017. But after eight years, the weekly dialogue between the liberal columnist Gail Collins and her conservative colleague Bret Stephens has come to an end. The editor Aaron Retica joins Gail and Bret to answer reader questions and discuss how they’ve managed years of civil conversations — for the first and last time in audio. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek A...

May 05, 202526 min

‘Donald Trump Will Not Be President Four Years Hence’

In a live event recorded at the Brooklyn Public Library on Tuesday, Opinion’s deputy editor, Patrick Healy, was joined by the columnists Michelle Goldberg, M. Gessen and Bret Stephens to discuss how President Trump’s second term has reshaped America in just 100 days. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Alison Bruzek. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin and Alison Bruzek. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur and Vishkaha ...

May 01, 202543 min

Maureen Dowd and Carlos Lozada on 100 Days of Trump’s ‘Fake Reality’

In this episode, the Opinion deputy editor Patrick Healy is joined by the columnists Maureen Dowd and Carlos Lozada to dissect the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term and prepare for what’s to come. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This 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 and Vishkaha Darbha. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud and Sonia Herrero...

Apr 30, 202530 min

Tariffs Could Ruin My Small Business

President Trump’s back and forth on tariffs is causing instability and uncertainty across industries, and some of the hardest hit have been small businesses. On this episode, the entrepreneur Yair Reiner explains what it takes to make his product, the Frywall, and how the trade war with China is increasing his production costs and making it harder to work with his partners overseas. He argues that this is disastrous for family-run businesses and is a blow to entrepreneurship in America. Thoughts...

Apr 28, 202513 min

Lydia Polgreen on What’s Missing in Our Conversation About Immigration

In this episode, the deputy Opinion editor Patrick Healy talks to the columnist Lydia Polgreen about the global panic around migration, and what President Trump’s efforts to curb it mean for the United States and its position in the world. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This 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 and Vishakha Darbha. Mixing by Sonia...

Apr 24, 202530 min

After Pope Francis: A Round Table With David French

In this episode, the Opinion columnist David French speaks with the writers and Catholics David Gibson and Leah Libresco Sargeant about the legacy of Pope Francis’ leadership in an age of sharp social division. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This 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 and Jillian Weinberger. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Original music b...

Apr 23, 202527 min

Welcome to Trump’s Mafia State

In this episode, the columnist M. Gessen argues that when it comes to America’s institutions, President Trump is taking a page out of a Soviet-style playbook. Thoughts? Emails us at [email protected]. This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Annie-Rose Strasser. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur and Jillian Weinberger. Mixing by Pat McCusker. Original music by Carole Sabouraud, Isaac Jones, Sonia Herrero a...

Apr 21, 202513 min
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