The Opinions

Latest Episodes:

Is the Ukraine War the Next Afghanistan? Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

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 why there may not be reason for optimism even in a post-Putin world.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

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, 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 Punk Survival Guide for Gen Z Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

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 theopinions@nytimes.com.

This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Kristina Samulewski. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur, Vishakha Darbha and Jillian Weinberger. Mixing by Sonia Herrero and Carole Sabouraud. Original music by Carole Sabouraud, Isaac Jones and Pat McCusker. 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.

Why Politics Feels So Cruel Right Now Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

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 theopinions@nytimes.com.

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, 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.

Tom Friedman: Will Israel’s War Ever End? May 29, 2025

Show notes

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 theopinions@nytimes.com.

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 Isaac Jones. Original music by Pat McCusker. 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.

How to Turn the Middle Against Trump May 28, 2025

Show notes

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 theopinions@nytimes.com.

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 Sonia Herrero. Original music by Carole Sabouraud, Sonia Herrero and Pat McCusker. 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 Good News About a Bad G.P.A. May 23, 2025

Show notes

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 theopinions@nytimes.com.

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 Pat McCusker. Original music by Carole Sabouraud, Sonia Herrero and Pat McCusker. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. Our executive producer 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.

Are We in a New Era of Presidential Regalism? May 22, 2025

Show notes

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 where the beleaguered party goes from here.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. The rest of the show's production team includes Derek Arthur, Kristina Samulewski and Jillian Weinberger. 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. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. 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.

Michelle Goldberg: ‘More Democrats Need to Be Doing This’ May 20, 2025

Show notes

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 theopinions@nytimes.com.

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. 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.

Trump’s Era of International Bullying May 15, 2025

Show notes

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 theopinions@nytimes.com.

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 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.

Four Legal Immigrants Offer a Warning for America May 14, 2025

Show notes

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 like a place to come to anymore, which might just change the very idea that America has of itself.”

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