PODCAST · news
The Opinions
by The New York Times Opinion
You've heard the news, here's what to make of it. New episodes twice per week.
Episodes
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Is This Economy Trump’s Fault?
One of the biggest issue driving the midterm elections? The economy. On “The Opinions,” the economist Natasha Sarin and the Bulwark editor Catherine Rampell examine the strange disconnect between how the economy is doing and how Americans feel about it. How much of the blame belongs to President...
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The Cringiest and Craftiest 2026 Midterm Ads
Advertisers are projected to spend more money on political ads in the 2026 midterms than in any previous election cycle. What are campaigns selling — and what do they think voters want? The Opinion editor Steve Stromberg examines the ads shaping these elections with the Opinion columnist Carlos...
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‘The United States Is Abdicating’
Many of President Trump’s policies have brought changes to the international order that will last long after his second term ends. On this episode of “The Opinions,” the columnist Lydia Polgreen speaks with the political scientist Rahmane Idrissa and the “Sinica Podcast” host Kaiser Kuo about how...
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B | How Democrats Beat the Republican Money Machine
From the midterm elections to advances in artificial intelligence, there’s no dearth of political news this week. The Opinion contributor Robert Siegel joins the contributing writer E.J. Dionne Jr. and the columnist Carlos Lozada to discuss the role money plays in political campaigns, how the...
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The Problem With Hegseth’s Pentagon
What impact has the Iran war had on the U.S. military? As the conflict drags on, the Times Opinion columnist and Iraq war veteran David French speaks with the former Special Forces officer Mike Nelson about the way Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, has tried to remake the military in the...
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Cornell and the Age of Impunity
Disturbing details from an investigation of a rape allegation at Cornell University continue to be revealed. In this week’s episode, the Times Opinion politics correspondent Michelle Cottle joins the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French to talk about the cultural implications and the legal...
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America Used to Be Cool. What Happened?
Has America lost its monopoly on cool? The Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman joins the American expats and authors W. David Marx and Euny Hong to discuss how the world views U.S. culture and whether its cultural exports still have the lasting impact they used to. Thoughts? Email us at...
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'The MAGA Flag Is in Tatters'
The midterm elections are still six weeks away, but Republicans are already looking ahead to 2028. In this episode, the Opinion contributor Robert Siegel and the contributing writer E.J. Dionne Jr. are joined by Timothy P. Carney, a columnist for The Washington Examiner and a senior fellow at the...
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The Wild West of A.I. Needs to End. Here’s How.
It isn’t normal to see the people developing new technology “running around shouting that the sky is falling,” Binyamin Appelbaum argues. So how do we make A.I. safe? By regulating it. Appelbaum, the lead writer on economics and business for The Times’s editorial board, joins the Opinion science...
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Trump’s Political Instincts ‘Are Clearly Fading’
Three Opinion writers unpack the week in A.I. news and what President Trump's response means for the midterms. Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Jillian Weinberger. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Gautam Srikishan. Video editing...
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Why We Can’t Stop Arguing About S.S.R.I.s
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the MAHA movement are hoping to curtail the use of S.S.R.I.s — a class of drugs commonly prescribed for anxiety, depression and a host of other psychiatric issues. How should patients think about starting and staying on S.S.R.I.s today? In this episode, the Opinion…
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His Act Is Getting Old
From the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 to “Trumpapalooza,” on this week’s round table, the Opinion contributor Robert Siegel is joined by the contributing writer E.J. Dionne Jr. and the columnist Carlos Lozada to draw a direct line from the catastrophic terror attack that changed America forever…
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Roy Cohn: ‘The Evil Forrest Gump of the 20th Century’
Before Donald Trump, there was the lawyer Roy Cohn. In “American Scoundrel,” the couathors Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark examine the life and legacy of Mr. Cohn, a driving force behind McCarthyism, a pop culture villain and a key influence in Mr. Trump’s approach to power and politics. The Opinion...
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Best Of: Our Health Care System Isn’t Built for You to Get Old
It’s the thing no one prepares you for: becoming a caregiver for your aging parents. This episode is one that still gets people talking. Earlier this year, the producer Vishakha Darbha spoke with the Times Opinion politics writer Michelle Cottle about the overwhelming audience response to her…
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Best Of: The Aesthetic That Explains American Identity Now
With the recent passing of Dolly Parton, we’re revisiting an episode from our archives that explores an aesthetic the legendary country singer knew well: rural. Last year, the New York Times Opinion editor Meher Ahmad spoke with the columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom and the contributor Emily…
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The Right Is Rethinking MAGA. The Left Is Rethinking ‘Woke.’
What will the Republican Party become after President Trump? And how can the Democrats rehabilitate their toxic brand? On this episode of “The Opinions,” the Opinion political writer Michelle Cottle teams up with the columnists David French and Jamelle Bouie to dissect party strategy ahead of —…
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How Are the Democrats’ Midterm Dreams Shaping Up?
With the midterm elections less than three months away, surprising primary results and polling misses are raising questions about the direction of American politics. Are Democrats moving left or becoming more focused on winning? Are both parties growing more extreme? The conservative pollster and...
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A.I. Hype Is Running Into Reality
Billions of dollars are flooding into — and out of — artificial intelligence, sparking concerns of a 2008-style economic bubble. The Opinion writer David Wallace-Wells is joined by the Yale economics professor and contributing Opinion writer Natasha Sarin to talk about whether the A.I. hype is...
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Hello, Democrats? Are You Listening?
Based on the Democratic primary results in Michigan, a big question looms over the party: Can it turn this enthusiasm into a midterm win? The national politics writer Michelle Cottle joins the columnist Jamelle Bouie and the Opinion politics editor Michael Duffy to debrief what happened in...
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Have We Turned Personality Into Diagnosis?
Influencers on social media are sharing content that claims to help followers self-diagnose complex medical conditions ranging from A.D.H.D. to autism. And the data reveals that the effect of self-diagnosis is far-reaching. But what happens when large portions of the population believe they have…
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The Working Class Is Fleeing Trump
What have Democrats learned from this season of primaries so far? “Their voters are so much angrier than I think they realized,” says the Opinion columnist Jamelle Bouie in this week’s politics round table. He joins the Opinion contributors E.J. Dionne Jr. and Robert Siegel to discuss what the...
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The Silicon Valley Health Trend Making Doctors Nervous
Americans have spent billions of dollars tracking themselves: their steps, their blood oxygen saturation, their sleep cycles, their glucose levels. Is any of this data making us healthier? That’s the question the Opinion writer David Wallace-Wells poses to Dr. Rachael Bedard, an Opinion…
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The New Tactic Trump Thinks Will Rally Voters
The Iran war isn’t going well for President Trump. The midterms are approaching. What’s a desperate president to do? Turn to Communism. This week the Opinion national politics correspondent Michelle Cottle speaks to the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French on how conservatives — especially...
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Gen Z-ers Are Ditching Sex. They Might Be On to Something.
Data shows that Gen Z is in a sex recession. Technology, #MeToo and a growing emphasis on platonic relationships are reshaping how many people think about sex. As anxiety grows over falling birthrates and changing behaviors, Nadja Spiegelman, a Times Opinion culture editor, speaks with the...
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The ‘Devil’s Bargain’ at the Heart of American Politics Now
This week, “The Opinions” politics round table wrestles with the art of political compromise. Did Lindsey Graham ingratiate himself with Donald Trump to protect Ukraine — and was it worth it? Should the Senate confirm Todd Blanche to safeguard the attorney general’s office against someone like…
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Is This the Fastest Opinion Shift in American Politics?
Seventy-one percent of Americans say they don’t want an A.I. data center built close to where they live. Why? In this conversation, the Opinion writer David Wallace-Wells and the contributing writer Robinson Meyer parse the backlash and explore whether the Democratic Party can capitalize on it in...
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‘Platner Is Vile.’ McConnell Is Missing. Welcome to American Politics.
The word of the week for politics is “humiliation.” At least according to the Opinion contributing writer David Wallace-Wells, who joins the Opinion columnist David French and the national politics writer Michelle Cottle on “The Opinions.” This week the trio takes a look at how humiliation…
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The American Economy Isn’t as Bad as You Might Think
Despite all its problems, the U.S. economy is actually outperforming its competitors, China and the European Union, two Opinion contributing writers argue in this episode. Natasha Sarin, an economist and law professor, and Dan Wang, an expert on China and manufacturing, are friends in addition to...
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Best of: Jill Lepore: ‘Most Forms of Tyranny Do Come to an End’
As America’s 250th birthday approaches, we wanted to revisit this conversation with the Harvard historian Jill Lepore. Lepore worries that Americans have become too passive, waiting for change to happen to them rather than shaping it themselves. She is on a mission to revive what has become a…
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Three Opinion Writers on Trump’s Latest Faceplant
As America heads toward its 250th anniversary, many of its citizens and residents are not feeling particularly celebratory. This week on “The Opinions,” the national politics writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists David French and Jamelle Bouie discuss what it means to mark the nation’s...
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Thomas Friedman on the Clash at the Core of the Iran Deal
The divide between Iran and America is, the Opinion columnist Thomas L. Friedman argues, ultimately about the difference between “Kushnerism” (named for the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner) and “Khomeiniism” (named for the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran). In conversation with the...
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‘A Deeply Anxious Personality’: Three Opinion Writers on JD Vance’s New Book
In JD Vance’s second memoir, “Communion,” the vice president reveals himself to be a deeply anxious person searching for certainty, the Opinion national politics correspondent Michelle Cottle argues. In this conversation with the contributor E.J. Dionne Jr. and the columnist Carlos Lozada, the...
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The Spectacle of Trump at 80
What does it say about President Trump — and America — that the soon-to-be octogenarian plans to celebrate his 80th birthday with a series of U.F.C. matches on the White House lawn? On “The Opinions,” the Times contributor Robert Siegel and fellow contributors E.J. Dionne Jr. and Peter Wehner...
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The A.I. Bubble Is Coming for Your Retirement Account
SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket, satellite and A.I. company, is about to go public at a record-breaking $1.77 trillion. This summer, Anthropic and Open A.I. will follow suit, also with sky-high valuations. Are they worth it? The Opinion writer David Wallace-Wells and the contributing writer Natasha...
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Graham Platner and the Rise of the ‘Dirtbag’ Democrat
On Tuesday, Graham Platner could become the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine. That has many in his party worried. This week on “The Opinions,” the political writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists David French and Jamelle Bouie discuss the controversial Platner, what his rise can tell us…
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Why No Kings Isn’t Working
The American dream is dying — or dead — and many Americans, especially young people, are struggling to imagine what comes next. Between political instability, wars, inflation and artificial intelligence disrupting the job market, there’s a lot that is uncertain about the future. In this episode,...
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Sorry, Republicans, Trump Doesn’t Love You Back
This week, the YOLO Republican caucus takes center stage — YOLO, of course, standing for “you only live once.” On “The Opinions,” the Times contributor Robert Siegel argues that senators like Thom Tillis and Bill Cassidy, freed from certain electoral pressures, can now vote in accordance with…
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America Has a Masculinity Crisis
Young men are in crisis. While the left tells men to stay in their lane, members of the manosphere and the far right are welcoming them with open arms. In a conversation about masculinity in a post-#MeToo world, the Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman talks to the authors Ruth Whippman and...
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Has Trump Gone Full ‘Mob Boss’?
President Trump’s proposed political slush fund is getting pushback — including from his own party. This week on “The Opinions,” the national politics writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French discuss how the president’s “reparations for rioters” settlement fund may...
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MAHA Is No Longer Useful to Trump
Is the MAHA movement’s political influence waning? On “The Opinions,” the Times Opinion science editor Alexandra Sifferlin, the columnist and sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom and the Opinion science writer David Wallace-Wells explored this question in a live event at the Brooklyn Public…
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What Silicon Valley Is Coming for Next
Silicon Valley wants to be the best tastemaker in town. Artificial intelligence is changing how we decide what to wear and read and how we interact with pop culture. The Times Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman talks to the New Yorker writer Kyle Chayka and the journalist and critic Sophie...
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The Great Political Realignment of 2026
The Supreme Court’s recent decision on the Voting Rights Act has supercharged a redistricting frenzy in states across the country. The Times Opinion contributors Robert Siegel and E.J. Dionne and the SCOTUSblog editor Sarah Isgur discuss the ruling’s implications for future elections. Ms. Isgur...
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How Strongmen Like Trump Get in Your Head
The columnist M. Gessen has spent most of their career reporting on and writing about authoritarianism in Russia. They now cover President Trump and the MAGA movement in the United States. In this conversation with Rachel Louise Snyder, a Times Opinion contributing writer and an expert on…
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High Gas Prices Are Just the Beginning
On this episode of “The Opinions,” the Opinion writers David Wallace-Wells and Michelle Cottle join the columnist David French to discuss why this “especially messy” war of choice could reshape the global economy and why the biggest effects may still be ahead. “I don’t think that anyone in the...
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Justice Neil Gorsuch on the ‘Miracle’ of Agreement on the Court
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the columnist David French sits down with a fellow originalist, the Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch. The two discuss the radical nature of the country’s founding, its continuing influence on the court and why David sees the justice’s...
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In a Small Iowa Town, a Solution to a National Crisis
As a new flood season approaches, many Americans remain haunted by the last. Families across the country are still in mourning months after the waters receded from places like the Texas Hill Country, where a flash flood on the Guadalupe River in July left at least 135 people dead, many of them...
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Trump’s True Deal-Making Abilities, Revealed
President Trump, the self-proclaimed master of deal making, is struggling to end his war with Iran. This week, the contributing Opinion writers E.J. Dionne Jr. and Robert Siegel reunite with the Opinion columnist Carlos Lozada to discuss the confusion caused by Trump’s foreign and domestic...
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‘The Rich Don’t Play by the Rules. So Why Should I?’
When does shoplifting become an act of political protest? The Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman is calling this microlooting, and it describes the phenomenon of people stealing small things from big corporations like Whole Foods. The New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino and the political...
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From Hungary to the Pope, the Right’s Very Bad Week
Despite Vice President JD Vance’s best efforts, Hungary ousted the illiberal authoritarian Viktor Orban this week. As the columnist David French argues, Orbanism was “intellectual Trumpism,” and the prime minister’s defeat could signal trouble for the MAGA movement in the United States. In this...
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Older Women Are in Demand By Younger Men
Younger men are increasingly seeking out older women — and it’s not just a dating trend. It’s a shift in power, desire and modern masculinity. In this episode of “The Opinions,” the Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman talks with the writer and psychoanalyst Jamieson Webster and Emily Leibert…
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How many episodes does The Opinions have?
The Opinions currently has 322 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
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You've heard the news, here's what to make of it. New episodes twice per week.
How often does The Opinions release new episodes?
The Opinions publishes regularly with 322 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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The Opinions is created and hosted by The New York Times Opinion.
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