Shows / Interesting Times
Interesting Times
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.
Episodes
Interesting TimesI was set to interview Charlie Kirk. Then he was assassinated.
In moments of political shock and horror, where can we turn? Ross was supposed to interview Charlie Kirk next month for the show and now offers his reflections…
Interesting TimesDoes the Future Belong to China?
Is the United States still a worthy opponent for China? In this episode, Ross Douthat talks to Dan Wang, the author of “Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer…
Interesting TimesThe MAGA Woman Dress Code
While “Interesting Times” is on vacation, we’re sharing a conversation from “The Opinions” between Meher Ahmad, an editor for Times Opinion, and the Opinion…
Interesting TimesRoss and Ezra Klein Discuss Trump, Mysticism and Psychedelics
This week, we’re sharing a great conversation Ross had on “The Ezra Klein Show” this past spring. Ezra asks Ross about his most recent book, “Believe: Why…
Interesting TimesAbolish the Senate. End the Electoral College. Pack the Court.
For Democrats, President Trump’s victories have revealed the antidemocratic flaws at the core of our government. But could it be an opening for a…
Interesting TimesThe Next Parenting Trend Starts Before Conception
Would you use an algorithm to select your embryos? Enter Orchid, a company that promises parents the ability to protect their future children through genetic…
Interesting TimesThe DOGE Alum Asking if Foreign Aid Is America’s Problem
Does America have a moral obligation to the world? The former Department of Government Efficiency staffer Jeremy Lewin, now deputy administrator for the United…
Interesting TimesWhat if the Government Believes in U.F.O.s More Than You Do?
U.F.O.s, fairies and abductions! This week, Ross talks to Diana Walsh Pasulka, a professor of religious studies, about how a deep dive into Catholic archives…
Interesting TimesShe Exposed Epstein, and Shares MAGA’s Anger
Julie K. Brown thinks Jeffrey Epstein didn’t act alone. On this episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross talks to Brown, the investigative reporter whose work…
Interesting TimesIs ‘Toxic Empathy’ Pulling Christians to the Left?
The conservative Christian podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey joins Ross on “Interesting Times” this week to explain why “toxic empathy” has a stranglehold on…
Interesting TimesIsrael’s Moral Balance Beam
How has the war in Gaza reverberated throughout American politics? Opinion columnist Bret Stephens and Ross Douthat debate the implications of the Israel-Gaza…
Interesting TimesWhy Trump’s Blood-and-Guts Strategy Worked
Happy Independence Day! We’ll be back next week with a new episode, but today we’re sharing the episode that started us on the path to “Interesting Times.”…
Interesting TimesA Mind-Bending Conversation with Peter Thiel
The billionaire Peter Thiel is unimpressed with our pace of innovation. In this episode, he critiques artificial intelligence, longevity science and space…
Interesting TimesThe Progressive Regulator Winning Over the Populist Right
Is the key to freedom a life without Amazon? This week, Ross talks to Lina Khan, former Chair of the Federal Trade Commission about how unchecked corporate…
Interesting TimesTrump’s Future Depends on His Immigration Crackdown
Has immigration become the new litmus test for the Republican Party? In this episode, Ross talks to Matthew Continetti, the author of “The Right: The…
Interesting TimesWhat Makes Art ‘Left Wing’?
Does Hollywood have anything interesting left to say? In a world where franchises dominate and grown-up movies have fallen by the wayside, Ross talks to the…
Interesting TimesHow the iPhone Drove Men and Women Apart
What would make you want to have more children? This week on “Interesting Times,” Ross Douthat speaks with Dr. Alice Evans, a social scientist who is as…
Interesting TimesJD Vance on His Faith and Trump’s Most Controversial Policies
On this episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross Douthat interviews Vice President JD Vance about the Trump administration’s deportations, the tariff backlash and…
Interesting TimesAn Interview With the Herald of the Apocalypse
Is artificial intelligence about to take your job? According to Daniel Kokotajlo, the executive director of the A.I. Futures Project, that should be the least…
Interesting TimesThe Democratic Senator Taking Cues From Trumpism
Democrats are stumbling — badly. While the Trump administration redefines the limits of executive overreach, the Democratic party remains at odds over how to —…
Interesting TimesThe New Culture of the Right: Vital, Masculine and Intentionally Offensive
The Trump era is ushering in a new age of right wing counterculture, one defined by masculinity and transgression. In this episode of Interesting Times, Ross…
Interesting TimesCan the Catholic Church Quit the Culture Wars?
On this episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross Douthat is joined by the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and an editor of America Magazine, to reflect on the…
Interesting TimesWhat if There’s No Way to Stop Trump’s Approach to Power?
President Trump may forever reshape the boundaries of executive power. This week on “Interesting Times,” Ross and Jack Goldsmith, who was the head of the White…
Interesting TimesThis Instability May Be Worth It. Here's Why.
Is the short-term economic pain of President Trump’s unpredictable approach to tariffs a reasonable price to pay for a more resilient America? Mr. Trump…
Interesting TimesIntroducing ‘Interesting Times’
There’s a saying that comes to mind these days: May you live in interesting times. It’s understood to be a curse, even though it sounds like a blessing…
Interesting TimesHow Democrats Drove Silicon Valley Into Trump’s Arms
The tech investor Marc Andreessen and his fellow Silicon Valley giant Elon Musk weren’t always the Donald Trump supporters they are today. In this episode…
Interesting TimesSteve Bannon on ‘Broligarchs’ vs. Populism
In this conversation, Ross talks to Steve Bannon, the chief strategist from Donald Trump’s first term and part of the original MAGA movement. Despite his…
Interesting TimesThe Anti-D.E.I. Crusader Who Wants to Dismantle the Department of Education
Christopher Rufo brought the term "critical race theory" into mainstream conversation. Now, the anti-DEI activist is bringing his critiques of education to the…