The Opinions - The New York Times Opinion

Robert Kennedy Jr. Revealed What Is Missing in Public Health Messaging Nov 14, 2024

In a recent interview, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he expected that the Trump administration would recommend against putting fluoride in drinking water, which was met with public outrage and confusion. The economist Emily Oster argues the public deserves more nuanced analysis and explanation on public health issues like fluoridation to build trust. Public health is complex, she says, but experts need to believe that the public can understand the context in which decisions are made — and explain that context accordingly. “I think that the right way to move forward is with nuance,” Oster explains. “That is how we will get to a greater good overall.”

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

David Brooks: Maybe Bernie Sanders Is Right Nov 13, 2024

The biggest divide in America today is not about race or gender, the Times Opinion columnist David Brooks argues. In this episode, he explains how the “diploma divide” can help us understand Donald Trump’s overwhelming support from working-class Americans and what Democrats can do to win them back.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

‘People Are In for a Really Rude Shock’ on Trump’s Economy Nov 12, 2024

Voters chose Donald Trump, in part, in response to inflation under President Biden. And yet, the columnist Paul Krugman argues, the new president-elect’s economic plan “is the most inflationary program probably that any American president has ever tried to implement.” In this episode, Krugman outlines four reasons Trump’s economic plans will hurt Americans’ wallets.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Stop Pretending Trump Is Not Who We Are Nov 11, 2024

For those caught off guard, Trump’s victory has been a shock. In this episode of “The Opinions,” the columnist and “Matter of Opinion” co-host Carlos Lozada encourages his fellow Americans to ask a sobering question: If Trump is our preferred leader, what does that mean for who we are as a nation?

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com

The Hubris That Cost Democrats the Election Nov 07, 2024

The New York Times Opinion columnists Lydia Polgreen and Tressie McMillan Cottom discuss what was revealed about America on Tuesday, why the Democrats failed and what individuals can do about the future.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

David French: It’s Time to Admit America Has Changed Nov 06, 2024

Donald Trump’s enduring hold over the Republican Party may send him back to the White House. On this episode of The Opinions, the columnist David French joins deputy Opinion Editor Patrick Healy to discuss the future of the G.O.P. and what a second Trump term might mean for America.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Have Election Anxiety? These 5 Minutes Can Help. Nov 05, 2024

Today, many of us are ruminating on an unknowable future. Eliza Barclay, a climate editor for New York Times Opinion and a certified mindfulness instructor, is here to help with that. In this 5-minute mindfulness meditation, she aims to help listeners ease their fears and anxieties about the election by drawing their attention to the present moment.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Why Trump's Conduct Hasn’t Tanked His Chances Nov 04, 2024

The Deputy Opinion Editor Patrick Healy on one of the voter insights that has stayed with him from Donald Trump's former campaign manager.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Ricky Martin, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Rita Moreno on Puerto Ricans’ Votes Nov 02, 2024

After Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, three Puerto Rican icons — Ricky Martin, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Rita Moreno — shared a collective message in a Times Opinion essay: “Our vote won’t be a reaction to racist jokes. We’ll be voting for the future of a country that could be majority-minority by midcentury,” they wrote. In this episode, Miranda reads the trio’s essay.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Has Trump Lost His Crucial Latino Support? Nov 01, 2024

Republicans’ growing support among Latinos is no longer guaranteed after a comedian made a racist joke at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. But could it cost Trump the election? Isvett Verde, a Times Opinion editor, speaks with Mike Madrid, a Republican and an expert on Latino voting trends and behaviors, about why the election may hinge on each candidate’s ability to sway Latino voters.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Embrace Unstructured Naughtiness. Ditch the Switch Witch. Oct 31, 2024

Some parents don't let their children keep their halloween candy, and instead have a "switch witch" come in the night and replace the sweets with a toy. But the Opinion writer Jessica Grose believes the spooky day doesn’t have to be so complicated. In this audio essay, she offers another approach to micromanaging holidays by letting kids’ imaginations run wild.

A Second Trump Term Could Lead to a ‘Backdoor Federal Abortion Ban’ Oct 30, 2024

With less than a week to go until the most contested election in generations, law professor Mary Ziegler considers what a second term for Donald Trump would mean for abortion rights. In this audio essay, she argues that while the former president may seem indifferent on the campaign trail to tightening abortion laws, there is a real possibility that if re-elected he will seek to appease his base by using his executive power to ban abortions nationwide.

This episode originally aired on Feb. 6, 2024.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Why This Senate Candidate Is a Potential ‘Shock to the System’ Oct 29, 2024

Much of the country is laser focused on the presidential election, but control of the Senate is also up for grabs in November. One of the seats in contention is, surprisingly, in deep-red Nebraska, where the independent Dan Osborn is running against the Trump-endorsed Republican Deb Fischer. In the episode of “The Opinions,” the columnist Michelle Goldberg travels to Nebraska to report on Osborn’s appeal and argues that his decision to run lays the groundwork for a “potential new avenue for a left-wing style of populist politics.”

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

The Real Reasons Why the G.O.P. Is Spending Millions on Anti-Trans Ads Oct 28, 2024

The Republican Party has been investing millions of dollars in anti-trans advertisements in a play to reach moderates and voters on the left who feel uncomfortable with or confused by transgender rights. In this episode of “The Opinions,” the New York Times Opinion deputy editor, Patrick Healy, and the columnist M. Gessen discuss these ads and the fear they’re tapping into in American society.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

I Went Viral For Crying Over Hurricane Milton. I Couldn’t Help It. Oct 24, 2024

The meteorologist John Morales has been a hurricane specialist in Miami for decades, but he never found himself close to tears until he witnessed the intensification of Hurricane Milton while live on the air earlier this month. In the weeks since, the clip of Morales choking up has been viewed millions of times online. In this episode of The Opinions, Morales reflects on his emotional response to the Hurricane and urges Americans who share his climate anxiety to talk about how they feel — and vote accordingly.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

More Babies Aren’t the Only Solution to Falling Birthrates Oct 23, 2024

Despite growing concerns, the Opinion writer Jessica Grose doesn’t want you to panic about the falling birthrate. In this episode of “The Opinions,” she argues there’s a positive picture behind the decline in births and suggests there are creative solutions that could help us embrace a future below replacement rate.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Why Trump Is Doing Better Than Polls Suggest Oct 22, 2024

Many undecided voters aren’t undecided; they’re just uncomfortable, Patrick Healy, the deputy Opinion editor, argues. In this episode of “The Opinions,” he says that “uncomfortable Trump voters” — people who don’t want to admit that they’re going to vote for Donald Trump — could end up costing Kamala Harris the election.

Sorry, Trump: ‘There Is No American Race or Blood That Outsiders Can Pollute’ Oct 21, 2024

Since coming down the escalator to announce his bid for president in 2015, Donald Trump has disparaged and dehumanized immigrants. In this episode of “The Opinions,” the Opinion columnist Carlos Lozada, an immigrant from Peru, reflects on what it means to not just discuss the issue but to be at the center of it.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

My Patients Are Children. Dobbs Forced Me to Leave Them Behind. Oct 17, 2024

In the wake of the Dobbs decision, South Carolina banned abortion after around six weeks of pregnancy. The law does have a few exceptions, including rape and incest. Dr. Kristl Tomlin, a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist, saw what those exceptions look like in practice for young victims of rape — and she decided to leave the state. In this episode, Dr. Tomlin describes how having to involve the sheriff’s department and lawyers in her work hurt her patients, and pushed her to leave the community she loved.

We Need a ‘Managed Retreat’ In Florida Oct 16, 2024

Florida’s two major hurricanes in the past month highlight how decades of deregulation and overdevelopment under Republican leadership have made the state increasingly vulnerable to climate change. After more than 30 years of living through Florida hurricanes, the writer Jeff VanderMeer believes a “managed retreat” is a necessary response to the growing frequency and intensity of storms.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Two Opinion Columnists on Melania Trump’s Memoir Oct 15, 2024

Melania Trump promoted her recent memoir, “Melania,” with a series of glossy and cryptic promotional videos stating the desire “to share my perspective: the truth.” But what does the self-titled memoir reveal to us about the often inscrutable former first lady? The bookish Opinion columnists Carlos Lozada and Pamela Paul discuss what they learned — and often, what they did not — from her work.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

America Needs More Children. JD Vance’s Shame Game Won’t Get Us There. Oct 14, 2024

Despite concerns over the falling birthrate, especially on the right, the Times Opinion columnist David French recognizes that the push to have more families — and bigger ones — has become problematic. In this audio essay, French explains why he thinks the recent political conversation on the topic reveals “the worst form of natalism.”

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Hiroshima Survivors Were Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Hear Their Warning. Oct 12, 2024

This week, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese group of atomic bombing survivors, “for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.” Over the summer, in an effort to bring light to this new and terrifying nuclear era, Opinion’s editor, Kathleen Kingsbury, and the writer W.J. Hennigan interviewed Japanese survivors of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In this audio essay, they share stories from two of the survivors they met, Chieko Kiriake and Keiko Ogura, who were just 15 and 8 years old on Aug. 6, 1945.

To see more photographs and read more stories from them and other survivors, click here.

This piece originally appeared on nytimes.com on Aug. 6, 2024.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Why I Don’t Regret Paying My Kid $100 to Read a Book Oct 10, 2024

Mirielle Silcoff received backlash when she wrote a guest essay for Times Opinion about paying her 12-year-old daughter $100 to read a novel. In this audio essay, Ms. Silcoff explains why she doesn’t regret her decision, and why she felt like the experience for her daughter was worth the cost.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Why Kamala Harris's 'Call Her Daddy' Strategy Might Not be Enough Oct 09, 2024

Donald Trump has been on a tour of the Gen Z influencer ecosystem, from Theo Von to Adin Ross. In this episode of “The Opinions,” Daniel Pfeiffer, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, argues that Trump is trying to win the support of young men, a once loyal Democratic constituency. Mr. Pfeiffer says Democrats ignore these voters at their peril, for the 2024 election and beyond: “There is no post-Trump era if Gen Z men become firmly adherents of MAGA philosophy,” he explains.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

I Was a Teacher in Gaza. This Is What Haunts Me Now. Oct 08, 2024

The last time Mosab Abu Toha, a poet and teacher, was in a classroom in Gaza, it was to shelter with his students and their families, all seeking refuge from Israeli airstrikes. Since then, he and his family have fled Gaza, and they temporarily reside in the United States. In this audio essay, he shares what it means when classrooms cease being places of learning and become a family’s only hope for survival.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

I Live in Israel. I Never Hear About What My Country Is Doing to Gaza. Oct 07, 2024

Israeli anger toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been building in the year since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. Mairav Zonszein, an Israeli-American journalist and analyst, argues that this anger does not extend to the plight of the Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank. More than 41,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and yet, she says, Israelis are stuck in a cycle of “apathy” and “indifference,” unable to fully realize the devastation befalling their neighbors.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

The Real Loser of the V.P. Debate Oct 03, 2024

M. Gessen, an Opinion columnist, watched Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate with a sense of dread. In their mind, the question was not who would win the debate but, rather: How much did we lose? In this audio essay, Gessen argues that when we put Trump and his acolytes on the same platform as regular politicians and treat them equally, “that normalization degrades our political life and degrades our understanding of politics.”

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Thomas Friedman: ‘This Is Code Red Time in the Middle East’ Oct 01, 2024

Thomas Friedman, an Opinion columnist and Middle East correspondent, is keenly aware of the many red lines that have been crossed in the growing conflict between Israel and Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas. He says, after Iran’s latest attack on Israel, anything is possible — from symbolic retaliation to the bombing of a nuclear facility. Hear why he believes that “this really is the most dangerous moment in the modern Middle East.”

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com

Luxury Turkish Travel Is the Least of Our Worries Oct 01, 2024

Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, was indicted last week for soliciting foreign funds for his campaign and for personal use. Casey Michel, director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program at the Human Rights Foundation, argues that to prevent the further degradation of our democracy, officials need to be more aggressive about enforcing existing foreign interference laws.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

The Only Patriotic Choice for President Sep 30, 2024

Listen to Times Opinion Editor Kathleen Kingsbury make the case for Kamala Harris.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

A Fix for Trump’s Stop the Steal Strategy Sep 26, 2024

Jesse Wegman, a member of the Times editorial board, has argued that to make the American election process more straightforward and just, the United States should elect its president based on the outcome of the popular vote rather than the Electoral College. But in this episode of “The Opinions” he goes a step further, arguing that the Electoral College renders elections more vulnerable to legal manipulation for political ends.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com

‘I Knew I Should Leave, I Couldn’t Leave’ Sep 25, 2024

Flash floods plagued Utah and much of the Colorado Plateau this summer. Climate change has made them more frequent and more intense. In this audio essay, Terry Tempest Williams, a writer and conservationist, describes the terrible beauty of witnessing one such flood alone in her home.

Nicholas Kristof: Readers Respond to My Column on Trump Voters Sep 24, 2024

In this episode, the columnist Nicholas Kristof argues that Democrats should focus their criticism on Donald Trump instead of Trump voters.

JD Vance Is Wrong — Kamala Harris Isn’t Changing Her Accent Sep 23, 2024

Recently, Republicans have taken to accusing Kamala Harris of using fake accents while on the campaign trail. In this episode of “The Opinions,” John McWhorter, an Opinion writer and linguist, argues the vice president is simply revealing a piece of herself by slipping into “Black English,” a form of code switching that is actually quite presidential.

Questions? Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

What Liberals Miss About the MAGA Movement Sep 19, 2024

David French, a Times columnist, believes that to understand MAGA, we have to understand the joy and sense of belonging that the movement bestows upon its adherents. In this episode, he explains why Donald Trump’s most outrageous statements — such as the lie that Haitian immigrants are eating pets — appeal to his followers’ “sense of gleeful transgression.”

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com

Paul Krugman on the Interest Rate Cut and What’s Next Sep 18, 2024

The economist and New York Times Opinion Columnist Paul Krugman makes the case for aggressive rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and argues that now is not the time for caution.

It’s Time We Start Naming America’s Deadliest Climate Disasters Sep 17, 2024

Heat waves kill more Americans than hurricanes, tornadoes and floods combined. But despite their deadly toll, we rarely treat them with the urgency they demand. Eric Klinenberg, a sociologist, has spent the better part of his career studying the effects of heat waves. In this episode, he argues that to take heat waves more seriously, we need to start naming them like we do hurricanes — a simple, zero-cost action that could end up saving lives.

Questions? Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Why Have Kids? A Liberal Case for Natalism Sep 16, 2024

With Anastasia Berg. Having children has become increasingly “coded as conservative and reactionary,” philosopher Anastasia Berg argues. She makes the case for why young liberals and progressives should take the decision back — and stop delaying it. Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com

Trump, Tariffs and the Truth About His Economic Plans Sep 12, 2024

For voters whose top issue is the economy, the choice is clear, argues Binyamin Appelbaum, a member of the Times Editorial Board. Though Vice President Kamala Harris’s plans may be ill-defined, he says, Donald Trump’s plans — curbing immigration, raising tariffs and cutting taxes — would actually leave consumers worse off than they are today.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com

'I Feel Like She Humiliated Him': How Trump Lost the Debate Sep 11, 2024

Michelle Goldberg, the Times Opinion columnist, and Patrick Healy, the deputy Opinion editor, discuss the best and worst moments of the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Will Harris’s apparent debate night victory matter to the swing state voters who can make the difference?

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Charging Parents for School Shootings Protects Weak Gun Laws Sep 10, 2024

After school shootings in Michigan, southern Virginia, and now Georgia, parents have been charged in connection to their children’s actions. Megan Stack, a Times contributing opinion writer, argues that states should turn their attention to gun storage and access laws instead of criminalizing parents.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Trump Picks His Own Rally Music. What Is He Trying to Say? Sep 09, 2024

Songs from Luciano Pavarotti, Sinead O’Connor and “Cats” may not strike you as typical campaign music, but they’re on repeat at Donald Trump’s political rallies. The staff editor Katherine Miller has spent a lot of time at Trump rallies, and in this episode, she takes listeners on a tour of the unusual — and often subversive — soundtrack the former president curates for his campaign events.

Thoughts? Questions? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Netanyahu Is Trying to Save Himself. Will He Sink Harris? Sep 05, 2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s drive to stay in power is harming Israel’s global reputation and complicating the U.S. presidential election for Democrats, the Opinion columnist Thomas L. Friedman argues. In this audio essay, Friedman offers a new name for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and explains why Netanyahu might be rooting for Donald Trump this November.

Thoughts? Questions? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

These Chemicals Are Hurting Us. Why Aren’t We Regulating Them? Sep 04, 2024

They’ve been found in our milk, our eggs, our water supply and our bodies.

In this audio essay, the environmental activist Erin Brockovich makes the case for better regulation of the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, contaminating our world. PFAS exposure has been associated with fertility issues and developmental delays in children. And while lawsuits have been filed against some of the biggest manufacturers of PFAS, Ms. Brockovich says those suits aren’t the only — or even the best — solution.

These Young Voters Offer a Road Map For Kamala Harris Sep 03, 2024

Listen in on this focus group with young undecided voters — a group that could determine the outcome of the upcoming presidential election. The New York Times deputy Opinion editor, Patrick Healy, spoke with some Gen Z voters to better understand the issues they’re focused on and how they’re feeling about Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

In this episode, he argues that while many young undecided voters don’t trust Harris, there are clear ways for her to win their support.

Uninspired by Plant-Based Foods? Add Some Anchovies. Sep 02, 2024

Anchovies can help make plant-forward eating more delicious and appealing, argues Christopher Beckman, an archaeologist-turned-anchovy-lover. He is the author of “A Twist in the Tail: How the Humble Anchovy Flavored Western Cuisine,” and he makes the case for why we should all embrace the small, oily fish.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Kamala Harris Wrote Two Books. They Paint Different Pictures. Aug 29, 2024

Kamala Harris has made her time as a prosecutor central to her presidential pitch. In this audio essay, Carlos Lozada, a Times Opinion columnist and host of “Matter of Opinion,” examines Harris’s two memoirs, reflects on how her criminal justice message has changed and explores what that may reveal about her candidacy.

Can You Tell Which Short Story ChatGPT Wrote? Aug 28, 2024

In this era of artificial intelligence, who can compose a better beach read for the vacationing masses? The beloved fiction writer Curtis Sittenfeld … or ChatGPT?

Listen as Sittenfeld sits down with the Opinion editor Susannah Meadows to talk about what they learned after pitting her writing against artificial intelligence, and hear excerpts from both stories to decide for yourself which is the more compelling read.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

The ‘Sad Missed Opportunity’ of the Democratic Convention Aug 27, 2024

The Democratic Party’s recent position — or lack of position — on Gaza “feels like gaslighting to a lot of Democratic voters,” Farah Stockman of the editorial board argues in this audio essay. The party claims to value social justice and human rights, but when it comes to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, she says, Kamala Harris “needs to do more, and she can do more, to assure people she’s going to have a more evenhanded approach when she becomes president.”

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

The Democrats’ Joyfest is Over. Now Comes The Slugfest. Aug 26, 2024

Kamala Harris was flying high last week, but Donald Trump is poised to bring her back down to earth.

Tressie McMillan Cottom on Why Trump Is Struggling to Box Harris In Aug 22, 2024

Should voters care about Kamala Harris’s identity? In this audio essay, the sociologist and New York Times Opinion columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom argues that while we shouldn’t ignore the unprecedented nature of Harris’s campaign, the Democrats need to balance that newness against the electorate’s desire to return to a time of political normalcy.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

I’m a Doctor. I Was Unprepared When I Got This Disease. Aug 21, 2024

Dr. Deborah Heaney was enjoying a vacation in the Caribbean when she was struck with a sudden, debilitating illness. It took her days, a flight home and some luck before she was finally diagnosed with dengue fever.

As temperatures rise globally, mosquito-borne tropical illnesses are spreading, and our medical systems are failing to keep up. In this episode, Dr. Heaney argues that the medical community must do a better job of incorporating education on diseases like dengue into their practice.

James Carville on How Democrats Can Win on the Economy Aug 20, 2024

In 1992, James Carville, the longtime political strategist, coined the phrase that helped win Bill Clinton the presidency: “The economy, stupid.” In this episode of “The Opinions,” he shares what he thinks Vice President Kamala Harris should do to capture American voters on the issue that he says is “first and foremost on people’s minds”: the cost of living.

David French on the Pro-Life Case for Kamala Harris Aug 19, 2024

David French, an Opinion columnist, is an evangelical, pro-life conservative. For the first time in his life, he plans to vote for a Democratic presidential candidate: Kamala Harris.

He says he will vote against Donald Trump “precisely because I’m conservative.” In this audio essay, David explains how he arrived at his decision and argues for other conservatives to join him.

Nicholas Kristof on the Failure of West Coast Liberalism Aug 16, 2024

Nicholas Kristof is an Oregonian and, he is quick to point out, a liberal. But in this audio essay, Kristof takes liberals to task for their governing of cities on the West Coast. It’s an election year, and so he asks the question he believes many Americans are thinking: “Why put liberals in charge nationally when the places around the country where liberals have the greatest control are plagued by homelessness, crime and dysfunction?”

Thoughts? Questions? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Charles Blow on Coming Out Late in Life Aug 16, 2024

For Pride Month, the Opinion columnist Charles Blow dove into the stories of people who embraced fluid sexual identities later in life. He argues that despite the increasing number of people who come out as queer during adolescence, some don’t recognize or reveal an attraction to the same sex until their 40s or 50s. In this audio essay he shares their stories and his own.

Thoughts? Questions? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Farah Stockman on How Democrats Can Win Rural America Aug 16, 2024

Democrats tend to do well in cities; Republicans tend to do well in rural areas. But winning back at least some rural voters is essential for Democrats to succeed in statewide elections. Farah Stockman, a member of the New York Times editorial board, found one Democrat who is trying out a new message in rural Ohio.

Thoughts? Questions? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Michelle Goldberg on the Kamala Harris Sugar High Aug 16, 2024

With Democratic enthusiasm for Kamala Harris at a fever pitch, the New York Times Opinion columnist Michelle Goldberg spent a day in Atlanta at one of her rallies speaking with voters. In this audio essay, Goldberg argues that the energy among voters she met there is real, and more importantly, will last.

Thoughts? Questions? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

David French on Being Canceled by His Former Church Aug 16, 2024

A few months ago, the Opinion columnist David French and his family were canceled by their former church. In response, French wrote about the painful experience of being abandoned by his faith community. The column led to an outpouring from readers sharing their own thoughts and similar experiences. In this audio essay, French sits down with his editor, Aaron Retica, to discuss the fallout and listen to some of the responses he received from readers.

Thoughts? Questions? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

David Brooks on Ending America's 'Social and Emotional Breakdown' Aug 16, 2024

When David Brooks was growing up, he was emotionally detached, he says. Over the past several years, he’s worked to change that. In this audio essay, Brooks shares what he learned opening up with others on his journey to become a fuller human being: that better conversation could help save America from its “social and emotional breakdown.”

Thoughts? Questions? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.