How worried should we really be about the threat of political violence? On this week’s episode of “Matter of Opinion,” columnist Jamelle Bouie joins the hosts to set the record straight on whether we’re actually living through an unusually violent era, and they discuss whether the new movie, “Civil War,” could come true.

Plus, Keanu Reeves in his most beautiful form yet.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Recommended in this episode:

• “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning” by Liz Cheney
• “Johnny Mnemonic: In Black & White,” a 2022 rerelease of Robert Longo’s 1995 film

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Will Israel and Iran’s unprecedented attacks escalate into a wider mideast conflict? A “forever war”? This week, columnist Tom Friedman joins the hosts to unpack the latest developments, what it means for Gaza, and the implications for the region writ large.

A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.

Mentioned in this episode:

• “How to Be Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Israeli and Pro-Iranian” by Thomas L. Friedman
• “Iran Just Made a Big Mistake. Israel Shouldn’t Follow.” by Thomas L. Friedman
• “A Biden Doctrine for the Middle East Is Forming. And It’s Big.” by Thomas L. Friedman
• “Netanyahu Must Go” by Bret Stephens

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

This week, the hosts debate how religious voters will react to Donald Trump’s betrayal of anti-abortion positions, the evolution of Christianity as the domain of the right and whether religion is actually as powerful as it seems in modern U.S. politics.

Plus, Ross finds aliens, again.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode: 

• “This Is Probably Not the Deal the Pro-Life Movement Bargained for With Trump” by Ross Douthat
• “Can the Left Be Happy?” by Ross Douthat

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

It’s not just bad vibes — America’s kids are not OK. As study after study shows worsening youth mental health, a popular theory has emerged: The rise of smartphones and the addictive nature of social media is making young people miserable. But can it really be that simple?

This week, the hosts debate the myriad possible factors contributing to teenagers’ unhappiness, and discuss how parents, schools and the government can protect kids without doing further harm. Plus, a sui generis Lozada family vacation.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Recommended in this episode:

• “The Anxious Generation,” by Jonathan Haidt
• “Reclaiming Conversation,” by Sherry Turkle
• “A Canticle for Leibowitz,” by Walter M. Miller Jr.

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

The sociologist and New York Times columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom joins the hosts this week to discuss the role of celebrity in politics. Could Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, with their tens of millions of fans, sway the presidential election? And beyond brand-name pop stars, what role does celebrity play within the political system?

Plus, Tressie goes a little “Dr. Oz” on us.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication in the audio player above.)

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

It can often feel as if politicians use a lot of words without saying much of anything. So how do journalists and citizens make sense of what’s said (and unsaid) in the many congressional reports, court decisions and campaign memoirs that pour out of Washington?

This week, Carlos makes the case for reading the Capitol, and uses insights from his new book, “The Washington Book,” to help his co-hosts decode everyone from Donald Trump to Mike Pence to Barack Obama.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 48 hours of publication in the audio player above.)

Recommended in this episode:

• “The Washington Book” by Carlos Lozada
• “What Were We Thinking” by Carlos Lozada
• “The Woman at the Washington Zoo” by Marjorie Williams
• “Postwar” by Tony Judt
• “The Emerging Republican Majority” by Kevin Phillips
• “The Emerging Democratic Majority” by John Judis and Ruy Teixeira
• “Chain Reaction” by Thomas B. Edsall and Mary D. Edsall
• “Dead Right” by David Frum
• “The Grand New Party” by Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam
• “The Speechwriter” by Barton Swaim

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

We’re working on this week's episode. While you wait, listen to this audio essay from one of our hosts, Lydia Polgreen, on the situation unfolding in Haiti. 

This audio essay was originally made for the NYT Audio App, free for Times subscribers in the Apple App Store.

Many voters from both parties are less than enthusiastic about their likely options this November.

This week the Opinion writer and editor Katherine Miller joins Michelle, Lydia and Carlos to talk about uncommitted voters, double haters and how they could affect the election, whether they turn out or not.

Plus, Lydia makes a plea against the tyranny of clean lines and interior design monoculture.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Black Pastors Pressure Biden to Call for a Cease-Fire in Gaza,” by Maya King for The Times
• “Joe Biden’s Last Campaign,” by Evan Osnos in The New Yorker

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Could Donald Trump’s promise to be a dictator on day one come true?

On this episode of “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts debate which policies could be most consequential in a potential second Trump term and whether a proposal set out by conservative allies could provide the tools to execute his vision.

And Michelle Cottle shares her passion for a trend that can only be achieved with lots of volume.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• February 2024 Times/Siena Poll of Registered Voters Nationwide
• “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise,” edited by Paul Dans and Steven Groves
• “What I Learned When I Read 887 Pages of Plans for Trump’s Second Term,” by Carlos Lozada in The Times
• “Border Wars: Inside Trump’s Assault on Immigration,” by Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Michael D. Shear
• “The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021,” by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser
• “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America,” by Maggie Haberman
• “Trump Can’t Be Dictator on ‘Day One’ — Or in a Second Term. Here’s Why,” by Asli Aydintasbas in Politico

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the Republican Party declared victory.

But the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision last month that frozen embryos are considered “extrauterine children,” which prompted hospitals to suspend I.V.F. procedures, has complicated that victory. Given Americans’ overwhelming support for in vitro fertilization, conservative politicians have tried to distance themselves from the ruling.

The hosts discuss that political scramble and ask whether the Republicans have made up their minds over what it means to be “pro-life.” The hosts also consider how much public opinion should influence the decisions of lawmakers and judges, and where the debate over reproductive rights is headed.

Plus, listeners weigh in on how much the economy is going to affect their vote.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling that frozen embryos should be considered children

Thoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected]. And tell us your thoughts on where you think the abortion debate is headed by leaving a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Why does the economy look so good to economists but feel so bad to voters? The Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman joins the hosts to discuss why inflation, interest rates and wages aren’t in line with voters’ perception of the economy. Then, they debate with Paul how big of an influence the economy will be on the 2024 presidential election, and which of the two presumed candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, it could benefit. Plus, Ross's lessons on aging, through Michael Caine impressions.

Mentioned in this episode:

• “Believing Is Seeing,” from Paul Krugman’s newsletter
• “The Age of Diminished Expectations,” by Paul Krugman
• “The Trip” scene: “This Is How Michael Caine Speaks”

(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]. And tell us how the state of the economy will – or won’t – affect your 2024 vote and why in a voice mail message by calling (212) 556-7440.