Interesting Times

Hundreds of thousands of migrants, many seeking asylum, have arrived in the United States over the last year, overwhelming already-strained resources in cities and states across the country. Last week, in arguably one of the most immigration-friendly cities in the country, Mayor Eric Adams said that migrants would “destroy New York City.”

This week on “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts discuss how the “border crisis” has come to frustrate Democratic politicians further north, and why the conversation about immigration is always actually about who we are as Americans.

(A  transcript of this episode can be found at the top of the episode page on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Michael Bloomberg: How Biden and Congress Should Fix the Immigration Crisis in Our Cities,” by Michael R. Bloomberg in The New York Times
• “Americans Still Value Immigration, but Have Concerns,” by Lydia Saad in Gallup

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Classrooms have been a key battleground in the so-called woke wars for years now. But could the debate over how schools teach history, race, gender and sexuality be coming to an end?

This week on “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts look at signs that these wedge issues are no longer dividing us, ask whether we have reached “peak woke” and disagree on whether it’s even worth fighting about wokeness at all.

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus,” by Rick Perlstein
• Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series, by Nathan Hale
• The Adventures of Tintin comic series, by Hergé
• The Adventures of Asterix comic series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo
• The American Bicentennial Series, by John Jakes
• “The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels,” by Jon Meacham

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

It’s been 18 months since Russia invaded Ukraine. No true negotiations have happened. As the stalemate continues, what role should the United States play in the fight?

This week on “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts discuss how the war is playing out at home and whether there’s actually more American enthusiasm for invading Mexico.

Plus, a trip back in time to a magical land of sorcerers and “Yo! MTV Raps.”

Mentioned in this episode:

• “An Unwinnable War,” by Samuel Charap in Foreign Affairs
• “The Runaway General,” by Michael Hastings in Rolling Stone
• “First Person: An Astonishingly Frank Self-Portrait by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin,” by Vladimir Putin

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The first Republican primary debate of the 2024 election is over. Chris Christie wiggled his fingers. Nikki Haley took Vivek Ramaswamy to the woodshed. Tim Scott was a “nonentity.” And then there was that elephant decidedly not in the room, Donald Trump, who instead spent his evening raving about water pressure to Tucker Carlson.

As the former president is expected to turn himself in at the Fulton County Jail, the Matter of Opinion hosts discuss what we learned from the first G.O.P. debate — and what it means when everyone in the party is still desperate to both be Trump, and be rid of him.

(A full transcript of the episode will be available midday on the Times website.)

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It happened. A jury in Georgia indicted Donald Trump and 18 of his closest co-defendants. Which can only mean one thing: Michelle is thrilled. So even though Matter of Opinion is taking a break this week, Michelle grabbed Opinion colleague David French, a former litigator, to break down her “favorite” indictment and analyze what’s got Rudy Giuliani into “a world of hurt.”

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available midday on the Times website.)

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Donald Trump was impeached twice. He has been indicted three times. He lost the 2020 election. And yet he’s the clear Republican front-runner for 2024.

Today on “Matter of Opinion,” Michelle Cottle, Ross Douthat and Carlos Lozada explore how Trump has created a winning political strategy and what his potential nomination could mean for Joe Biden, the Republican Party and the future of the country.

Mentioned in this episode:

• “The Normal Paths to Beating Trump Are Closing,” by Ross Douthat for The New York Times
• “The Right Way to Resist Trump,” by Luigi Zingales in The New York Times
• “Rules for Resistance: Advice From Around the Globe for the Age of Trump,” by David Cole and Melanie Wachtell Stinnett
• “Trump and Allies Forge Plans to Increase Presidential Power in 2025,” by Jonathan Swan, Charlie Savage and Maggie Haberman for The New York Times
• “So Help Me God,” by Mike Pence
• “The Imperial Presidency,” by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Elite colleges are facing a reckoning over their admissions practices. But is there a case for upholding policies that give preferential treatment to some students?

On this episode of “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts examine whether it really matters if you go to Harvard and what the upside could be of favoring family connections.

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Diversifying Society’s Leaders? The Determinants and Consequences of Admission to Highly Selective Colleges,” by Raj Chetty, David J. Deming and John N. Friedman in Opportunity Insights.
• “Fast Car,” written and originally performed by Tracy Chapman
• “Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class,” by Ross Douthat

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster hit “Oppenheimer” tells the story of the father of the atomic bomb and the invention he hoped would end all wars. (Spoiler alert: It did not.)

On “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts discuss how history should view J. Robert Oppenheimer — naïve martyr or crybaby? — and whether we have more to fear from nuclear weapons in the age of artificial intelligence.

Mentioned in this episode:

• “‘Cry Baby Scientist’: What Oppenheimer the Film Gets Wrong About Oppenheimer the Man,” by Haydn Belfield in Vox
• “Thank God for the Atom Bomb,” by Paul Fussell in The New Republic
• “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
• “Hiroshima,” by John Hersey

More from Opinion:

• "The Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer," by Kai Bird for The New York Times
• "Our Oppenheimer Moment: The Creation of A.I. Weapons," by Alexander C. Karp for The New York Times
• "How to Stop a Nuclear War," by Ross Douthat for The New York Times
• "A Look Back at Our Future War With China," by Carlos Lozada for The New York Times

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

On this week’s “Matter of Opinion,” Michelle, Ross, Carlos and Lydia offer their recommendations for your summer reading and lay out what they’re excited to dive into themselves. Plus, listener book picks.

Books mentioned in this episode:

From Michelle:

• Thursday Murder Club series, by Richard Osman
• “The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder,” by David Grann

From Lydia:

• “Slow Horses,” Book 1 in the Slough House series, by Mick Herron
• “The Transit of Venus,” by Shirley Hazzard
• “Middlemarch,” by George Eliot
• “Grant,” by Ron Chernow
• “King: A Life,” by Jonathan Eig

From Carlos:

• “Trust,” by Hernan Diaz
• “The Long Secret” and “Harriet the Spy,” by Louise Fitzhugh
• “Conversación en La Catedral,” “Aunt Julia and The Scriptwriter" and “The Feast of the Goat,” by Mario Vargas Llosa
• “Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose” and “Wise Blood,” by Flannery O’Connor
• “Heartburn,” by Nora Ephron, audiobook narrated by Meryl Streep
• “The Sellout,” by Paul Beatty
• “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” “The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon” and “The White Darkness,” by David Grann

From Ross:

• “The Stand,” “The Institute” and “The Shining,” by Stephen King
• “Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey Through Yugoslavia,” by Rebecca West
• “Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli,” by Mark Seal

From Matter of Opinion listeners:

• The Three-Body Problem trilogy, by Liu Cixin
• “The Fisherman and the Dragon: Fear, Greed, and a Fight for Justice on the Gulf Coast,” by Kirk Wallace Johnson
• “The Kingdoms,” by Natasha Pulley
• “The Education of Kendrick Perkins: A Memoir,” by Kendrick Perkins with Seth Rogoff
• “Demon Copperhead,” by Barbara Kingsolver
• “Still Life,” by Jay Hopler
• “The Tempest,” by William Shakespeare
• Maisie Dobbs series, by Jacqueline Winspear

More from the hosts:

• "How 'The Great Brain' Explains America," by Carlos Lozada for The New York Times
• "My Fantasy Bookshelf," by Ross Douthat for The New York Times
• "A Look Back at Our Future War With China," by Carlos Lozada for The New York Times

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

In just one week, more than 100 million people have signed up for Meta’s new Threads app.

On “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts ask why so many people are joining, given how much we love to hate on social media, and whether “social” media is even social anymore.

Mentioned in this episode:

• "Anti-Social Media: How Facebook Has Disconnected Citizens and Undermined Democracy," by Siva Vaidhyanathan
• "Stealing MySpace: The Battle to Control the Most Popular Website in America," by Julia Angwin

More from the hosts:

• “How Twitter Shrank Elon Musk and Ron DeSantis,” by Ross Douthat for The New York Times
• “It’s Not a Good Sign When People Who Don’t Pay for News Have So Little to Choose From,” by Lydia Polgreen for The New York Times
• “The Inside Joke That Became Trump’s Big Lie,” by Carlos Lozada for The New York Times

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.