Podcast · 32 episodes
Interesting Times
by New York Times Opinion · English
The first draft of our future. Mapping the new world order through interviews and conversations. Every Thursday, from New York Times Opinion. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Latest episodes
How Worried Should We Be About the Midterm Elections?The episode examines how worried people should be about the 2026 midterm elections, separating election-law facts from “voter fraud/rigging” claims.24 Sep 2026 · 45 min
Trump Is Getting Even Richer. Is That a Crime?Whether Donald Trump’s second-term wealth growth—especially via foreign-linked business dealings—amounts to corruption, violates the Constitution (Foreign Emoluments Clause), or constitutes a crime;…10 Sep 2026 · 43 min
Ross Douthat and Ezra Klein on the Art of PersuasionRoss Douthat and Ezra Klein discuss how persuasion works in opinion journalism, how early blogging changed political argument after 9/11, and how right-wing politics has shifted from evangelical…27 Aug 2026 · 1 h 14 min
All episodes
How Worried Should We Be About the Midterm Elections?The episode examines how worried people should be about the 2026 midterm elections, separating election-law facts from “voter fraud/rigging” claims.24 Sep 2026 · 45 min · 17 chapters
Trump Is Getting Even Richer. Is That a Crime?Whether Donald Trump’s second-term wealth growth—especially via foreign-linked business dealings—amounts to corruption, violates the Constitution (Foreign Emoluments Clause), or constitutes a crime;…10 Sep 2026 · 43 min · 20 chapters
Ross Douthat and Ezra Klein on the Art of PersuasionRoss Douthat and Ezra Klein discuss how persuasion works in opinion journalism, how early blogging changed political argument after 9/11, and how right-wing politics has shifted from evangelical…27 Aug 2026 · 1 h 14 min · 27 chapters
Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint for a 150-Year Life: Is It Worth It?Brian Johnson (Project Blueprint) argues for “don’t die” life extension as a near-term lifestyle and measurement project, enabled by AI, aiming to slow or reverse aging while reframing ethics and…13 Aug 2026 · 1 h 5 min · 27 chapters
Scott Galloway: America Abandoned Its ‘Unremarkable’ Young MenScott Galloway argues that America abandoned “unremarkable” young men, contributing to declining mental health, education participation, and social connection.6 Aug 2026 · 43 min · 13 chapters
How Older Americans Hoard the FutureThe episode argues that America’s “gerontocracy” (older voters and leaders holding power) is a major, under-discussed threat to democracy and fairness, shaping policy toward stability and protecting…30 Jul 2026 · 53 min · 19 chapters
Iran, China, Canada? A Defense of Trump’s Grand StrategyElbridge Colby, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, defends the Trump administration’s “flexible realism” grand strategy: modernize U.S.23 Jul 2026 · 1 h 3 min · 23 chapters
A Vision of a ‘Society Without Capitalism’Bhaskar Sunkara (Jacobin/The Nation) argues that the U.S. left is stronger than it seems and that “democratic socialism” is a winning, largely economic program aimed at “doses of socialism within…16 Jul 2026 · 58 min · 25 chapters
‘ I'm Worried About Weimar America’Rod Dreher and Ross Douthat discuss “Weimar America” and the broader crisis they see in the West: de-Christianization, a loss of transcendence and meaning, consumerist misery, fertility decline, and…9 Jul 2026 · 1 h 2 min · 23 chapters
The Unifying Speech We Won’t Get This Independence DayA “unifying” Independence Day address arguing America’s shared identity is built on repeated “new beginnings” across generations, not on one single ancestry or political stance.2 Jul 2026 · 7 min · 2 chapters
Is it Time for a New Sexual Revolution?Whether the “sexual revolution” should be replaced by a new sexual culture amid rising male-female alienation, hookup culture fallout, Me Too backlash, and “tradwife” internet trends.25 Jun 2026 · 55 min · 18 chapters
JD Vance on the Morality of the Trump AdministrationWhether the Iran nuclear deal will hold, and how religion and politics intersect in America (plus JD Vance’s memoir on faith).18 Jun 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 23 chapters
Better Sex, Better Hair, Better Sleep: ‘Humanmaxxing’ Is Here“Humanmaxxing” and “the next human agenda”—using medically supervised enhancements (TRT, GLP-1s, sleep drugs, supplements) plus AI/robotics, longevity biotech, and psychedelics to improve physical…11 Jun 2026 · 1 h 12 min · 30 chapters
Anna Paulina Luna Wants Everything DisclosedRep. Ana Paulina Luna argues that U.S. government and Congress are too secretive and too protected by party leadership, enabling corruption, sexual misconduct, and insider enrichment.5 Jun 2026 · 1 h 21 min · 27 chapters
Our Military Is Built for the Wrong CenturyHow drones, robotics, and autonomy are reshaping warfare, and why the U.S.28 May 2026 · 1 h · 23 chapters
A Defense of a Liberal Arts Education in the Age of A.I.A defense of liberal arts education against claims that AI and workforce change make humanities unnecessary.21 May 2026 · 1 h 3 min · 25 chapters
China's Not the Problem. We Are.U.S.-China AI “race” and why China’s strategy differs from the U.S., focusing on diffusion, efficiency, open source, and robotics rather than AGI/superintelligence.14 May 2026 · 53 min · 25 chapters
A Legendary Investor on How to Prevent America’s Coming ‘Heart Attack’Ray Dalio argues the U.S. is approaching a “heart attack” moment driven by repeating historical cycles: a monetary/debt cycle, a domestic political/social conflict cycle, and an international…7 May 2026 · 51 min · 24 chapters
Why Are We Still Driving?The episode argues that self-driving cars (especially robotaxis) will eventually replace human driving, mainly to reduce crashes and return drivers’ attention/time, while discussing obstacles like…30 Apr 2026 · 57 min · 28 chapters
A Bitcoin Evangelist Tries to Convert MeRoss Douthat asks Anthony Pompliano what cryptocurrency/Bitcoin is actually good for—beyond hype—covering inflation hedging, volatility, geopolitical use, ETFs, and how governments should regulate it.23 Apr 2026 · 1 h 6 min · 26 chapters
Trump Is the End of a 100-Year ExperimentThe episode argues that President Trump’s “100-year experiment” of expanding executive power has largely failed, with the Supreme Court acting as the real check on an “imperial presidency.” It also…16 Apr 2026 · 1 h · 23 chapters
How Ben Sasse Is Living Now That He Is DyingBen Sasse discusses living with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and how he’s using time, family, and faith; he also connects mortality to his views on American politics, civic culture, and institutional…9 Apr 2026 · 1 h 8 min · 22 chapters
Did Jesus Rise From the Dead? A Debate.Whether the New Testament can be trusted historically, and how Jesus’ moral teachings shaped Western ethics.2 Apr 2026 · 1 h 24 min · 29 chapters
How Far Will Trump Go in Iran?Whether the U.S. is “winning” its war against Iran after Trump postponed strikes on Iranian power plants, amid reports of possible U.S.-Iran talks.26 Mar 2026 · 51 min · 21 chapters