The Opinions

Three Opinion writers on why Trump’s deportations might be backfiring.

The columnist on what’s at stake in the conflict between Israel and Iran.

The sociologist Arlie Hochschild studies Trump country. She explains why a decade of chaos still hasn’t shaken his base.

Michelle Cottle, David French and Tressie McMillan Cottom dissect Trump’s reach for power.

Hamas held Liat Beinin Atzili hostage for 54 days and killed her husband. In her grief, she explains why all she wants is peace for Israelis and Palestinians.

David Leonhardt sits down with M. Gessen to unpack this new phase of the Trump era.

David French and Megan K. Stack on why Trump’s many promises to end the conflict “in 24 hours” was a fantasy.

As a “punk, queer grandpa,” John Cameron Mitchell thinks so.

Three Opinion writers on the death of empathy in America.

After his latest trip to Israel, the columnist shares how it has changed in the past six months.

Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and David Leonhardt on the fundamental question Democrats need to answer.

A mediocre high school record doesn’t have to define your life.

Carlos Lozada and Aaron Retica on what two damning books on Biden reveal about the American presidency.

Democrats have a lot of problems. But they are getting some things right.

The columnists Lydia Polgreen and Nicholas Kristof discuss why other nations are picking up what the president is punching down.

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.”

A Harvard economist argues that a decline in manufacturing jobs is not what ails the United States.v

In the late 1980s, the Democratic Party was trying to figure out how to how to remake itself after having lost four of the five previous presidential elections. That’s when an upstart group of Democratic strategists decided the party needed to tack to the center, with a young, charismatic leader named Bill Clinton. Today, the party faces similar challenges. Three strategists from Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, Bill Galston, Elaine Kamarck and Will Marshall, join the deputy Opinion editor Patrick Healy to discuss what Democrats can learn from Clinton’s success in 1992, and how the party should move forward. A full transcript of the original round table conversation is here.

Republican women know what they’re doing.

How the columnists Gail Collins and Bret Stephens converse without screaming at each other.

At least one Opinion columnist is confident about that.

“Nothing like this has ever happened in Washington.”

Trump gave Apple a break. What about the lone entrepreneur?

And what happens when your country becomes a place people no longer want to come to.

Three religious thinkers on the state of Catholicism.

“Nice university you got there. Shame if something happened to it.”

Another week, another show of contempt for the rule of law.

The columnist on the value of acknowledging the president’s wins.

The former treasury secretary on the president’s chaotic trade war.

The longtime activist and writer Sarah Schulman on why now is the time to stand up to people you oppose.

Binyamin Appelbaum on the president’s rushed and rash trade war.

What British politics can teach us about enduring the Trump era.

And what business executives are saying behind closed doors.

Poland pulled back from an authoritarian slide. What can the U.S. learn from its nonpartisan approach?

Michelle Cottle and Ben Rhodes on what Democrats misunderstand about authenticity.

Alex Edelman HBO’s comedy special about white nationalism hits different now.

And what will be lost if higher education fails to fight back.

And why the careless secretary of defense should resign.

Understanding the president’s shift from unconstitutional to anti-constitutional actions.

Nearly 60 days in, the president is failing to engage in long-term thinking.

The columnist Nicholas Kristof on his recent trip to South Sudan.

How modern vaccines fell victim to their own success.

Hear from seven of the fired inspectors general who are suing the Trump administration.

Michelle Goldberg and Frank Bruni join Patrick Healy to discuss the issues that have defined Trump’s presidency thus far.

“Until I am dragged away, I’m going to do my job to the utmost of my ability.”

The columnist shares his thoughts on Donald Trump’s second term.

The columnist David French speaks with a fellow fiscal conservative about what the Department of Government Efficiency should actually be doing.

And why Democrats shouldn’t try to “out-cowboy” Donald Trump.

How would my life have been different if I had learned about consent?

The columnist Michelle Goldberg explains how this latest appointment by President Trump could lead to a collapse of the liberal order.

Turning our back on Ukraine would only weaken America.

The president wants to create a revolution abroad. This Opinion columnist would love to see a plan.

While Congress neuters itself, the two men are vying for total control of the American government.

A former U.S.A.I.D. worker talks with the columnist Lydia Polgreen about enduring the second Trump administration.

It’s Valentine’s Day, and if you celebrate, the chances of giving or receiving a bouquet of flowers is high. But have you considered the environmental impact of those flowers? In this audio essay, the contributing Opinion writer Margaret Renkl explains the true cost of bouquets and argues for other, less environmentally harmful ways to express your love.

M. Gessen and Patrick Healy try to reckon with the president’s whiplash authoritarianism.

In June 2020, Manuel Bayo Gisbert, a visual anthropologist and artist, was abducted by members of a drug cartel outside of Mexico City. He was beaten, tortured and ultimately released, making him one of the few survivors of kidnappings in Mexico. A crisis of violence and disappearances has plagued the country for decades. In this episode, hear Gisbert tell his own story and how it led him to collect the memories of those who are still missing.

A federal judge on the legal theory that is often at odds with an authoritarian view of governmental power.

Binyamin Appelbaum and Patrick Healy sit down to discuss President Trump’s reckless approach to trade and the economy.

The actor Hank Azaria on why his “Simpsons” characters need a human touch.

Trump has a long game for immigration. This is just the beginning.

Michelle Cottle and Garrett Graff sit down to discuss one of the “most dangerous” Trump appointees.

The columnist sits down with Patrick Healy to discuss the enduring appeal of President Trump.

Trump, Musk, Zuckerberg and MAGA’s new Gilded Age.

In 1993, Polly Klaas was kidnapped and murdered at the age of 12. Following her death, Polly’s tragic story became a plotline in true crime podcasts, TV shows and books. In this audio essay, Polly’s sister Annie Nichol argues that the popularization of true crime not only re-traumatized victims’ families but also helped create demand for “tough on crime” legislation. “Our legal system actually became more reactionary and more fixated on punishment and fundamentally less just,” she says.

In this first episode of a new series, David Wallace-Wells joins Patrick Healy to examine what President Trump’s position on climate change tells us about how he plans to wield power more broadly.

The president’s executive orders show us where things are headed.

Times columnist Thomas Friedman says this is a rare moment in the Middle East when “everything is in play and everything is possible." In this episode of The Opinions, he speaks to editor Dan Wakin about the forces brewing in the Middle East, what he expects of the relationship between Netanyahu and Trump and the one gig he would give up his column to try to do.

Binyamin Appelbaum argues that immigration is America’s rocket fuel.

A study has shown how one monthly injection can save lives.

In an era of climate catastrophe, the government must take action to save home insurance — and homeownership.

Argentina’s leader is inspiring America’s new right.

The Opinion columnist explains the threat to national security posed by the app’s Chinese ownership.

Sarah Wildman on the conversation that was missing during her daughter’s cancer treatment.

As the world grows increasingly fractured, taking the time to engage with strangers has become even more important. The artist and graphic journalist Wendy MacNaughton has created a simple but powerful way for people to connect in an isolated world. In this episode, she shares how she brings people together by having them draw each other in public spaces. All it takes is 60 seconds, two pieces of paper, two pens and the willingness to look — really look — at someone you’ve never met.

A wine aficionado argues that the surgeon general’s warning misses this type of alcohol’s complex joy.

Biden’s cabinet looked like America, and it made the country more successful.

President-elect Trump’s pick for secretary of health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been critical of ultraprocessed foods. But how bad are they? In this episode, Nicola Guess, a dietitian and researcher at the University of Oxford, explains why we shouldn’t be scared of the label “ultraprocessed.”

Two extremely online people on how the internet became so strange.

As the year comes to an end, Times Opinion staff members — and our listeners — shared the things from 2024 they wanted to take with them into the new year. They range from impromptu hangs to weird A.I. TikToks. Take a listen.

President Jimmy Carter had a rich legacy, often marred by misunderstandings. Despite lasting only one term, his work postpresidency stands tall in its influence around the world. In this audio obituary, the Opinion columnist Nicholas Kristof reminisces on his interactions with the former president, Carter’s social work across countries in Africa and his influence on Kristof’s worldview.

The scent of vanilla is instantly recognizable — it’s also in danger of disappearing. In this ode to the vanilla bean, writer Aimee Nezhukumatathil explains why climate change might lead to the destruction of the beloved plant.

Over the past decade, the Times columnist David Brooks has gone from agnostic to deeply religious. In this episode he explores the evolving role of faith in his life, a force he describes as “a longing.” As he explains, “The joy is not in the satisfaction of the longing, but the joy is in the longing itself. It’s a good feeling to worship generosity itself.”

An epidemiologist on what public health officials can learn from meteorologists.

The columnist on why Trump’s biggest challenge will be weak states, not strong states.

An atheist helps David French understand how religion supports America’s political ideals.

The columnist reflects on a quarter century of contrarian opinions at The Times.

Holidays often mean more work. Here’s how to view that work differently.

Where did you find comfort, joy, fun or just distraction this year?

The shooting of Brian Thompson marks a new era of rage for this country.

Editorial board member Farah Stockman argues ending the sanctions on Syria is the best way for America to help stabilize the country following the collapse of the Assad regime.

Nuclear war in space could have catastrophic consequences for life on Earth. President-elect Trump must do everything in his power to prevent it.

And why the debate over gender-affirming care has far-reaching implications.

Two columnists sit down to discuss two books that crystallize this period in America.

Party small talk doesn’t have to be superficial, thanks to this life-changing hack.

Protecting land and appointing judges could go a long way toward bolstering Biden’s legacy.

These are cruel and challenging times. How did previous generations hold on to their sanity — and humanity — in the face of violence and instability? In this episode, the columnist David Brooks seeks answers in the intellectual and moral traditions of ancient Athens and Jerusalem. The key to thriving, he argues, is to embody behaviors that might at first seem contradictory.

In a nation filled with meat lovers, how can we persuade Americans to stop eating animals and help save the planet? The food writer Bee Wilson believes the answer lies with food preferences — specifically, changing them. “It is possible to learn to love new foods, and it’s something transformative and actually joyous,” she says. In this episode, she makes the case for changing your taste for beans, a humble legume that is packed with extraordinary flavor.

How the president-elect could change the Middle East — for the better.