Will the war with Iran further degrade America?s already strained relationships with its allies? This week, Mona Charen, the policy editor at The Bulwark, joins the contributing Opinion writer E.J. Dionne Jr. and the former ?All Things Considered? host Robert Siegel to unpack what the war portends for NATO, for Israel?s image in the United States and for American politics going forward. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Did President Trump fall for the myth of surgical warfare? Gen. Stanley McChrystal joins the columnist David French, both veterans of the Iraq War, to discuss what may have been overlooked in the planning of Operation Epic Fury. McChrystal, who retired from the Army in 2010, argues that the United States often overestimates the decisive power of aerial bombing while underestimating the weight of historical grievance. And the general weighs in on the current culture of bravado coming from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

This conversation was recorded on Friday, March 20. 

Thoughts? Questions? Email us at [email protected]

This episode of ?The Opinions? was produced by Derek Arthur and Victoria Chamberlin. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin and Alison Bruzek. Mixing by Isaac Jones and Pat McCusker. Fact-checking by Kate Sinclair, Mary Marge Locker and Michelle Harris. 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 has his own ideas about American power, American voters, and American enemies. On ?The Opinions,? the writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French argue that unfortunately Trump misunderstands all three.

This episode of ?The Opinions? was produced by Derek Arthur and Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Jillian Weinberger and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Efim Shapiro. Video editing by Arpita Aneja. The postproduction manager is Mike Puretz. Original music by Pat McCusker and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker and Michelle Harris. 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.

Thoughts? Questions? 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 does a relatively unknown candidate for governor of Florida reveal about antisemitism in American politics? In this episode, the columnist Michelle Goldberg discusses the Republican primary candidate James Fishback, his trollish antisemitic views and his appeal to young male voters.

This episode of ?The Opinions? was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Jillian Weinberger and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Original music by Pat McCusker and Carole Sabouraud. 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.

Thoughts? Questions? 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.

Voters are not happy about President Trump?s war in Iran ? and the polls are starting to show it. The Conversation convenes this week with the contributing writer and Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson, the contributing writer E.J. Dionne Jr. and the former ?All Things Considered? host Robert Siegel to unpack the war and what it could mean for gas prices and the midterm elections.

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 war in Iran is setting off a global economic shock wave. In this episode, the Opinion editor Steve Stormberg speaks with the Bulwark economics editor and MS NOW anchor Catherine Rampell on how the Trump-made war is likely to affect global trade and the cost of living for Americans.

Thoughts? Email us at [email protected].

This episode of ?The Opinions? was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin and Jillian Weinberger. Mixing by Pat McCusker. Original music by Isaac Jones, Carole Sabouraud and Pat McCusker. 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.

As millennials march into middle age, many are reconsidering the culture of their youth. A new Netflix documentary, ?Reality Check: Inside America?s Next Top Model,? is doing just that: exploring how a reality show set out to change the modeling industry, but often wound up humiliating contestants along the way.

The culture editor Nadja Spiegelman sits down with the former modeling agent and brand strategist Kendall Werts and the Opinion writer Jessica Grose to reflect on their relationships to the original show. ?I saw these girls being treated so ugly at the time, and I enjoyed it,? Grose says. ?And now, with the hindsight of 20 years, I don?t think I would even rewatch the show.?

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. Mixing and 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.

Early last Saturday, President Trump announced that the United States had begun a major military operation against Iran. What followed has been a week of confusion, mixed messaging and rising casualties in a widening conflict that is causing calamity in the Gulf region. On this week?s round table, the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French discuss the dangers of another ?forever war,? the challenge of defining success and viable exit strategies.

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 Texas Senate primary is three days away, and it?s a high-stakes race. With President Trump slumping in the polls and voters disenchanted with his handling of the economy, Democrats could have a shot at this traditionally Republican state. For this week?s round table, Opinion?s national politics writer Michelle Cottle joins the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French to discuss Trump?s ineffective State of the Union address, what to expect on Tuesday and what the races reveal about the challenges facing both parties.

Thoughts? Email us at [email protected].

This episode of ?The Opinions? was produced by Derek Arthur. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin, Alison Bruzek and Jillian Weinberger. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Video editing by Lisa Angell. The postproduction manager is Mike Puretz. Original music by Pat McCusker, Carole Sabouraud and Aman Sahota. Fact-checking by 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.

The Supreme Court?s decision striking down the Trump administration?s tariffs left the President fuming and with fewer weapons in his trade war arsenal. Opinion writers Binyamin Appelbaum and Emily Bazelon, and editor Steve Stromberg, discuss how the Court?s ruling constrains the President, what Trump has done in response, and where trade policy should go from here, as automation and A.I. continue to threaten American workers.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Power ? and the abuse of it ? is defining the current news cycle. On this week?s round table of ?The Opinions,? the Times Opinion politics writer Michelle Cottle is joined by the columnists Nicholas Kristof and David French to discuss President Trump?s aggressive foreign policy, including the buildup of ships in the Middle East, and what the fallout from the Epstein files misses.

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. Mixing by Carole Sabouraud. Video editing by Lisa Angell. The postproduction manager is Mike Puretz. Original music by Carole Sabouraud and Pat McCusker. 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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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].

This 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].

This 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].

This 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].

This 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].

This 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].

This 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].

This 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].

Read the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/22/opinion/trump-second-term-one-year-in-analysis.html

This 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].

Read the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/17/opinion/2026-midterms-trump.html

This 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].

Read the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/14/opinion/venezuela-oil-power-trump.html

This 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].

Read the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/13/opinion/ai-slop-internet-trust.html

This 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]

Read 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].

Read the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/08/opinion/body-modification-gender.html

This 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]

Read 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.

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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].

Read the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2025/12/22/opinion/next-american-story-michelle-goldberg-immigration.html

This 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.

 

 

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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].

This 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].

This 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].

This 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].

This 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].

This 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].

This 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].

This 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].

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 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].

This 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].

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, 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].

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 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].

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, 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].

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 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].

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 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.