Episodes
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While we take a quick summer break, we wanted to recommend a new show: âThe Opinions.â Four times a week, in ten minutes or less, youâll hear one of our columnists â Matter of Opinion hosts included â walk you through their take on an issue or idea you might not have considered. Itâs like the Opinion pages come to life.
In this episode, our very own Carlos shares what he learned reading Kamala Harrisâs two memoirs. He reflects on how her criminal justice message has changed over time, and considers what that may reveal about her candidacy. Listen and subscribe to "The Opinions" on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thoughts about Matter of Opinion? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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The hosts react to Kamala Harrisâs convention speech in this special late-night edition of âMatter of Opinionâ. Lydia, Ross and Carlos unpack how Harris had a âdeft threading of a number of tricky needlesâ as she accepted her partyâs nomination, and look at what the entire week revealed about the Democratic Party.
(A full transcript of this episode will be available on the Times website.)
Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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Missing episodes?
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If you believe JD Vance, the American family is in crisis. But are attacks on âchildless cat ladiesâ and pitches for enfranchising kids actual policy platforms or merely culture war cudgels?
This week on âMatter of Opinion,â Jessica Grose joins Michelle, Ross and Carlos to debate the weird ways gender and family are showing up in the election and share their own roads to parenthood.
Plus, Jessica suggests a deep dive into a culture of âtin pot dictators wearing LoveShackFancy.â
(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
Recommended in this episode:
âRed Families vs. Blue Families: Legal Polarization and the Creation of the Cultureâ by Naomi Cahn and June CarboneâThe Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behindâ by Melissa S. KearneyâThe Party of Juliaâ by Ross DouthatâWelcome to Bama Confidential,â Anne Helen Petersonâs essay series on her Culture Study newsletterThoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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This week on the show, Michelle Goldberg joins Michelle and Ross to debate the gambles or gains Kamala Harris has made by picking Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate. They also discuss the ways the Trump-Vance ticket could recalibrate to regain their lead. Plus, Goldberg is sunny on a new show you probably havenât heard of.
(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
Recommended in this episode:
Donât Listen to the Right. The Kamalanomenon Is Real. by Michelle GoldbergThe Focus Group Podcast episode âKamala Needs a DEI Pick (Straight White Dude)â with Sarah LongwellSunny from Apple TV+Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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The 2024 presidential race is officially in its identity politics stage. From âWhite Dudes for Harris,â to âD.E.I. candidateâ accusations, the hosts debate how race and racism are being deployed in the second week of the Harris v. Trump election.
(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
Mentioned in this episode:
âDreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritanceâ by Barack ObamaâRising Stare: The Making of Obamaâ by David J. GarrowâBarack Obama: The Storyâ by David MaranissâThe Olympic Flame Isnât a Flame at Allâ by Andrew KehThoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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Vice President Kamala Harris has gone from being one of President Bidenâs many problems to the hope of the Democratic Party. This week Ross, Lydia and Carlos dissect the seismic campaign vibe shift in both parties. Plus, Ross criticizes another self-indulgent addition to the modern eraâs Western canon.
(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
Mentioned in this episode:
Ross Douthat, David French, Michelle Goldberg, and Lydia Polgreen: Is It a Mistake for Democrats to Go All In on Harris? Four Columnists on the Partyâs Moves.Harrisâs Michigan event on abortionHarrisâs first presidential rally in Milwaukee speechThoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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The former president was expected to offer âunityâ in his convention acceptance speech. But, after a wild week, the speech revealed the same old Donald Trump. In this episode, the hosts debate: Is Trump a âman of destinyâ?
(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
Recommended in this episode:
Donald Trump, Man of DestinyThoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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âThe dam is breaking!â Have the Democrats reached their âbreak glass in case of emergencyâ moment? This week, Michelle, Ross and Lydia dig into the Democratic Party fissures, consider what could happen if President Biden refuses to bow out, and debate just how much this moment mirrors the Republican scramble against Trump in 2016.
(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
Mentioned in this episode:
George Clooney: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.The Case for Joe Biden by Ross DouthatEzra Klein: A Path to Defeat from âThe Bulwark PodcastâThoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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Matter of Opinion is off this week, but the news hasnât stopped. So this week weâre bringing you something from columnists across New York Times Opinion. With President Bidenâs candidacy in question, we asked them: Who would you like to see as the Democratic nominee? These are their answers.
Lydia Polgreen on the case for Vice President Kamala HarrisNicholas Kristof on the case for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of MichiganRoss Douthat on the case for Senator Joe ManchinPamela Paul on the case for Gov. Wes Moore of MarylandDavid French on the case for Gov. Josh Shapiro of PennsylvaniaCharles Blow on the case for President Biden(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
If your opinion has changed on President Biden since the debate, we want to hear from you, too. What do you hope to see happen before the Democratic convention? Leave us a voice mail at 212-556-7440 or email us at [email protected]
This audio essay was originally made for the NYT Audio App, free for Times subscribers in the Apple App Store.
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Ezra Klein joins Ross and Michelle to dissect the first presidential debate of 2024: âAt some point Democrats have to decide if they want to try to win this election, or it is simply too uncomfortable for them to do anything but be on this train as it derails.â
(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)
Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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Weâre getting ready for this weekâs presidential debate. In the meantime, we wanted to share an audio essay from Michelle Cottle on a make-or-break vote for the MAGA warrior Lauren Boebert. The controversial lawmaker is facing a primary in Colorado that will determine her political future. Michelle visited a biker bar in Douglas County, Colo., to understand the ways Boebert is tweaking her image in a new district in hopes of winning over more traditional conservatives. Can she do it without losing hard-core Trump fans?
This audio essay was originally made for the NYT Audio app, free for Times subscribers in the Apple App Store.
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Populism, offered as a solution to economic and cultural woes, has gained ground in Europe following a slew of recent elections. Across the pond, the Ohio senator and potential Trump running mate J.D. Vance is championing an American version of populist politics that is also gaining traction. On this weekâs episode, the hosts discuss Vanceâs embrace of the ideology and consider why many voters find it so appealing.
Plus, Ross shares a literary deep cut that not even Carlos has heard of.
(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
Recommended in this episode:
âWhat J.D. Vance Believesâ by Ross Douthat in The TimesâLone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans,â âFire and Blood: A History of Mexicoâ and âComanches: The History of a Peopleâ by T.R. FehrenbachâWhat Will Become of American Civilization?â by George Packer in The AtlanticThoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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Amid politically charged flag flying, secret recordings, and eyebrow-raising financial disclosures, thereâs something fishy about the behavior of the nationâs top judges. Are they ruining faith in the Supreme Court? Or is that the partisan reaction to the decisions coming from on high?
Michelle, Carlos and Lydia are joined by the Times editorial board member Jesse Wegman to discuss just how low the bar has gotten for the justices, and what could be done to restore Americaâs faith in the court.
Plus, Michelle weighs in on the beef of the summer.
(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
Recommended in this episode:
âNot Like Usâ by Kendrick LamarEmail us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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Former President Donald J. Trumpâs appearance at a U.F.C. match this week seems to be part of a larger strategy to attract men â especially young men â to his cause. But what can President Biden do to change the narrative that âthe left doesnât like menâ?
This week, Michelle Cottle and Carlos Lozada are joined by their (male) Opinion colleagues Jamelle Bouie and David French to debate why men are becoming more conservative and whether Trumpâs masculine appeal is about policy or his âmanliness.â
(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
âAudience of One: Trump, Television and the Fracturing of Americaâ by James PoniewozikâAmerican Sniperâ directed by Clint EastwoodMay 2024 Times/Siena poll of the presidential battlegroundsThoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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In a special intercontinental episode, Lydia Polgreen reports from South Africa as the country challenges Israel for its attack on Rafah in southern Gaza.
The post-apartheid nation has emerged as a critical leader and a moral voice in some (but not all) superpower struggles. Yet back at home, South Africaâs 30 years of multiracial democracy is undergoing major political upheaval. What does the nationâs recent election offer young nations hoping for postcolonialist democracy? Lydia opens her reporterâs notebook and explores these questions with the South African journalist William Shoki and her editor, Max Strasser.
A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website
Mentioned in this episode:
âMany voters are hooked on their abusive rulersâ by William Gumede in the Sunday TimesâSouth African election turns populist as parties play anti-foreigner cardâ by David Pilling and Monica Mark in the Financial TimesâNeither Settler Nor Nativeâ by Mahmoud MamdaniThoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440
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With Lydia in South Africa covering their election, Ross out on parental leave and Michelle reporting from a saloon in Colorado, Carlos turns the mic over to his Times Opinion colleagues to respond to the news about Donald Trumpâs guilty verdict in the New York hush-money trial.
The columnists Michelle Goldberg and David French â who calls himself âa recovering litigatorâ â join the deputy Opinion editor, Patrick Healy, to discuss Trumpâs 34 guilty counts and debate what they mean for the former president, whether heâll face jail time and how it will affect the 2024 presidential race.
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Weâre taking a break to enjoy the Memorial Day weekend and will be back next week. Until then, enjoy an audio essay from NYT Opinionâs other Michelle â Michelle Goldberg â on what Robert F. Kennedy Jr.âs campaign could mean for President Biden and Donald Trump.
Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voice mail at (212) 556-7440.
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This week, the hosts debate what the latest Times/Siena poll reveals about Joe Bidenâs weaknesses and mull over the question of whether Vice President Kamala Harris is one of them. Plus, Carlos on some advice thatâs gold, Jerry, gold.
(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
Mentioned in this episode:
âBidenâs Polling Denial: Why He Doesnât Believe Heâs Behindâ by Hans Nichols and Alex Thompson in AxiosâAn Interview With Kamala Harris on Whatâs at Stake in 2024â from âThe Run-UpââKamala Harris Should Try to Be Really Popularâ by Matthew Yglesias on his blog, Slow BoringâWhat Happenedâ by Hillary Rodham ClintonâDid the President Call?â mash-up from HBOâs television series âVeepââThe Last Politician: Inside Joe Bidenâs White House and the Struggle for Americaâs Futureâ by Franklin FoerâDemocrats Have a Better Option Than Bidenâ from âThe Ezra Klein ShowââThis New Book About âSeinfeldâ Is Worth Double-Dippingâ by Carlos Lozada in The Washington PostJerry Seinfeldâs 2024 Commencement Address at Duke UniversityâWhy Conservatives Give Better Commencement Speeches Than Liberalsâ by Carlos Lozada in The Washington PostThoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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Donald Trump is searching for a running mate, and his list of potential candidates is getting smaller and smaller. This week, the hosts discuss whether Trump is considering other qualities beyond loyalty, and they debate what his eventual choice could mean for the future of Trumpism in the Republican Party.
Plus, Michelle wants to worm her way into candidate medical records.
(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
Recommended in this episode:
âHow Trump Plans to Wield Power in 2025: What We Knowâ by Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman and Charlie Savage in The TimesThoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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On this episode, the hosts get heated about the political divisions and contradictions revealed by the recent campus protests and ask why some in Washington seem so invested in perpetuating the demonstrations.
(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)
Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.
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