Shows
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatWhat 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 led her down a path to unravel the connections between religion, extraterrestrial encounters and government secrecy.01:53 - How Pasulka’s religious studies led to the U.F.O. debate06:08 - Modern U.F.O. encounters and telepathic communication13:29 - What are the actual beliefs of the U.F.O. community?19:28 - Whistleblowers and government contradictions31:35 - Angels, demons and “actual things in the sky”45:38 - Disclosure52:51 - “Amazing.”(A full trans...2025-07-2459 min
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatShe Exposed Epstein, and Shares MAGA’s AngerJulie K. Brown thinks Jeffrey Epstein didn’t act alone. On this episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross talks to Brown, the investigative reporter whose work ultimately led to Epstein’s re-arrest, about what the government could release that it hasn’t and how the story is bigger than Epstein.2:32 - Brown's initial interest in the Epstein case5:26 - Discovering Epstein's crimes and the plea deal13:13 - Epstein's victims and the impact of Brown's reporting18:20 - Epstein's wealth and connections25:20 - Epstein's social circles35:01 - Certainty and unsolved mysteries45:25 - The role of government in the case51:04 - Trump and the po...2025-07-1958 min
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatIs ‘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 politics, whether evangelical Christians have a red line President Trump could cross and why her commentary has echoes of Phyllis Schlafly.01:26 “The New Phyllis Schlafly”9:46 Untangling the web of Evangelical Protestants15:50 Female authority in the church22:12 What is “toxic empathy”?30:55 Toxic empathy and cruelty in American politics40:19 Do conservative christians have a red line?57:24 “The mushy middle”(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes...2025-07-171h 03
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatIsrael’s Moral Balance BeamHow has the war in Gaza reverberated throughout American politics? Opinion columnist Bret Stephens and Ross Douthat debate the implications of the Israel-Gaza conflict on antisemitism, the morality of war, and why “Monday morning quarterbacking” is not productive when taking stock of military actions in the Middle East.01:56 Israel actions in Gaza04:39 The moral baseline13:31 What is the end game?15:52 The role of Israel in American politics23:44 Can you criticize Israel without becoming antisemetic? 36:05 Does Israel have obligations to the Jewish diaspora?(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)Thoughts? Email...2025-07-1046 min
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatWhy Trump’s Blood-and-Guts Strategy WorkedHappy 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.” Ross Douthat talks to Reihan Salam, the president of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Together they wrote the book “Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream.”They review their George W. Bush-era prescriptions for the Republican Party to reclaim the working-class vote and the ways they were right (and wrong) about building a new Republican majority.03:47 George W. Bush era12:0...2025-07-0355 min
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatA Mind-Bending Conversation with Peter ThielThe billionaire Peter Thiel is unimpressed with our pace of innovation. In this episode, he critiques artificial intelligence, longevity science and space travel — and warns that our lack of progress could lead to catastrophic outcomes, including the emergence of the Antichrist.01:19 - What does stagnation mean in 2025?06:30 - Peter Thiel's case for more progress and innovation11:30 - Does taking more scientific risk include life extension?15:14 - Peter Thiel's political history18:34 - Did Trump live up to Thiel's expectations?25:10 - Does Elon Musk still want to go to Mars?28:09 - How Thiel defines A.I.33:20 - Is A.I. To...2025-06-261h 00
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatThe Progressive Regulator Winning Over the Populist RightIs 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 power has limited choice in our day-to-day lives, and how her fight against Big Tech unites left and right.02:41 - What’s wrong with big business?09:27 - The political costs of corporate consolidation11:39 - How the 2008 financial crisis shaped Lina Khan's philosophy17:49 - The antitrust consensus from Reagan to Obama21:54 - How the left and right align against big business 26:12 - Khan's wins and losses at the FTC 36:53 - Is the Trum...2025-06-191h 00
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatTrump’s Future Depends on His Immigration CrackdownHas immigration become the new litmus test for the Republican Party? In this episode, Ross talks to Matthew Continetti, the author of “The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism,” about the party’s shifting coalition, the defining role of immigration and how today’s right echoes its past.01:50 - What the Elon experiment (and fallout) tells us about the Republican Party06:55 - Is there a tech right beyond DOGE?10:09 - Is the “new right” really all that new?18:16 - Where Trump’s agenda fits within the larger conservative story25:16 - “Immigration is the biggest issue of our time”28:39 - How...2025-06-1243 min
The Podcast BrowserHow the iPhone Drove Men and Women Apart Podcast: Interesting Times with Ross Douthat (LS 69 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: How the iPhone Drove Men and Women ApartPub date: 2025-05-29Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationWhat 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 concerned about the global decline in fertility as he is. The two discuss why this isn’t just a gender issue — it’s “a solitude issue” – and whether there’s a way to br...2025-06-0854 min
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatWhat 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 showrunner Tony Gilroy, whose “Star Wars” spinoff “Andor” has, according to Ross, succeeded in being both original and smartly political in a Hollywood that is often neither.03:04 - The political world of ”Andor”08:36 - Tony Gilroy's syllabus for “Andor”10:40 - Is “Andor” a left-wing show?17:07 - What makes Hollywood progressive or liberal?24:22 - Debating the politics of “Michael Clayton”29:42 - Why aren't there more movies for grown-ups?32:56 - “There are no movie stars anymore.”35:55 - How...2025-06-0542 min
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatHow the iPhone Drove Men and Women ApartWhat 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 concerned about the global decline in fertility as he is. The two discuss why this isn’t just a gender issue — it’s “a solitude issue” – and whether there’s a way to bring relationships back.02:03 - What are the stakes of declining fertility?06:41 - Alice's master theory for why birth rates are falling09:04 - There are too many single people10:27 - We can thank technology for the coupling crisis12:58 - The digital segreg...2025-05-2954 min
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatJD Vance on His Faith and Trump’s Most Controversial PoliciesOn this episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross Douthat interviews Vice President JD Vance about the Trump administration’s deportations, the tariff backlash and how Vance’s faith influences his politics.01:49 - How faith shapes JD Vance’s politics04:26 - ‘Papal interventions in politics’14:44 - How will the Trump administration measure success on immigration?21:22 - ‘The courts are trying to overturn the will of the American people’23:55 - Are migrants really at war against the US?28:48 - The parallels between the War on Terror and Trump's deportation policies40:29 - What does a successful trade policy look like?48:10 - The "big, beautiful bil...2025-05-211h 06
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatAn Interview With the Herald of the ApocalypseIs 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 of your worries. Kokotajlo was once a researcher for OpenAI, but left after losing confidence in the company’s commitment to A.I. safety. This week, he joins Ross to talk about “AI 2027,” a series of predictions and warnings about the risks A.I. poses to humanity in the coming years, from radically transforming the economy to developing armies of robots.03:59 - What effect could AI have on jobs?06:45 - But wait, how do...2025-05-1558 min
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatThe Democratic Senator Taking Cues From TrumpismDemocrats are stumbling — badly. While the Trump administration redefines the limits of executive overreach, the Democratic party remains at odds over how to — even whether to — respond. But Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut has a plan for beating Republicans in 2026, and it involves taking a cue from President Trump. He shares it with Ross Douthat on this episode of Interesting Times. 02:07 - The First 100 Days for Trump and the Democrats04:06 - The Threat to Democracy Wasn’t Enough Then or Now.06:49 - How Dems Fight Trump13:41 - Where Chris Murphy Can Agree With the Populist Right16:38 - Is Connectic...2025-05-081h 03
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatThe New Culture of the Right: Vital, Masculine and Intentionally OffensiveThe 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 speaks with Jonathan Keeperman, the founder of Passage Press, about the influence of an edgy, reactionary, right-wing “vibe shift” on American politics and culture.2:09 - Jonathan Keeperman’s Lomez days5:25 - 2014: An inflection point in American culture?7:40 - The emergence of a “conservative counter elite”9:41 - The creation of a right wing counterweight to the dominant left12:32 - What makes something “conservative art”?15:18 - Are David Lynch films right wing art? Is Girls?18:11...2025-05-011h 12
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatCan 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 legacy of Pope Francis and the challenges facing the next papacy.02:20 The First Jesuit Pope05:23 Google Translate and Exchanging Emails 06:05 The Visual Element of Francis’s Legacy07:48 The Concrete Changes Made16:19 Christian Sexual Ethics25:22 The Church in the Modern World27:14 What Kind of Leader Will the Next Pope Be?31:57 The Latin Mass Controversy34:54 What Draws People to Christianity?39:21 What Holds Such a Diverse Church Together?43:09 The Influence of the Pope and the...2025-04-2457 min
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatWhat 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 House’s Office of Legal Counsel under President George W. Bush, discuss which cases are most likely to win in the courts and permanently expand the executive branch — for better or worse.00:02:03 Donald Trump’s “moonshot on executive power”00:04:16 What has surprised Goldsmith the most00:06:57 Are we in a constitutional crisis?00:08:59 Alien Enemies Act00:14:02 The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia00:25:23 Godel’s loophole and Supreme Court enforcement30:10 Trump’s firings of federal employees and rest...2025-04-171h 05
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatThis 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 appears to think so, and so does Oren Cass — sort of. On the first episode of “Interesting Times,” the founder and chief economist of the think tank American Compass joins Ross Douthat to discuss and debate the Trump administration’s drastic trade war.(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.
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Interesting Times with Ross DouthatIntroducing ‘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 Times With Ross Douthat” is a new weekly podcast from New York Times Opinion. Every Thursday, he will map the new world order through interviews and conversations. Answering questions like: What does our new political era really look like? What is the future of democracy around the world, with American empire in retreat? What happens to movies and books — all of culture — in our digital and A.I.-dominat...2025-04-0603 min
Interesting Times with Ross DouthatHow Democrats Drove Silicon Valley Into Trump’s ArmsThe 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, Ross asks Andreessen, a founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, about what led to Silicon Valley’s rightward shift and the new agenda of the tech-right faction. Editors’ note: This episode originally aired on the “Matter of Opinion” podcast on Jan. 17, 2025.(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.
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Interesting Times with Ross DouthatSteve Bannon on ‘Broligarchs’ vs. PopulismIn 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 clashes with new factions emerging in the Republican Party, Bannon argues that Trump is still central to advancing a populist agenda.Editors’ note: This episode originally aired on the “Matter of Opinion” podcast on Jan. 31, 2025.(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.
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Interesting Times with Ross DouthatThe Anti-D.E.I. Crusader Who Wants to Dismantle the Department of EducationChristopher Rufo brought the term "critical race theory" into mainstream conversation. Now, the anti-DEI activist is bringing his critiques of education to the White House. In this episode, Ross explores Rufo's mission to make universities feel "existential terror."Editors’ note: This episode originally aired on the “Matter of Opinion” podcast on Mar. 7, 2025.(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com.
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