New York Times Opinion
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We amplify voices on the issues that matter to you. Read on: https://www.nytimes.com/section/opinion
“This is the Catch-22 of democratization: Bodies are a status symbol,” our columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom says on “The Opinions” in a discussion about why cosmetic procedures have become more common in recent years.
Opinion | Have We Reached Peak Botox?
Tressie McMillan Cottom, Jessica Grose and Meher Ahmad on why plastic surgery and fillers no longer feel like a secret — or a stigma.
nyti.ms
January 8, 2026 at 8:45 PM
“This is the Catch-22 of democratization: Bodies are a status symbol,” our columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom says on “The Opinions” in a discussion about why cosmetic procedures have become more common in recent years.
“To this police veteran, this was a blatant and tragic use of deadly force,” Len DiSesa writes about the ICE shooting in Minnesota in a letter to The Times.
Opinion | ICE Killing in Minnesota: A ‘Blatant and Tragic Use of Deadly Force’
Readers react to news reports and video of the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman by ICE agents.
nyti.ms
January 8, 2026 at 7:30 PM
“To this police veteran, this was a blatant and tragic use of deadly force,” Len DiSesa writes about the ICE shooting in Minnesota in a letter to The Times.
"The Donroe Doctrine risks turning America into the personification of a tired and aging superpower, sitting on the front porch, shaking his fist at the misbehaving locals, and yelling at them to get off his lawn," our columnist Carlos Lozada writes.
Opinion | Trump Has a New Motto
What happens when America First becomes the Americas first?
nyti.ms
January 8, 2026 at 5:39 PM
"The Donroe Doctrine risks turning America into the personification of a tired and aging superpower, sitting on the front porch, shaking his fist at the misbehaving locals, and yelling at them to get off his lawn," our columnist Carlos Lozada writes.
Amanda Mustard’s grandfather was a serial child sexual abuser. After eight years of documenting his impact on her family, the filmmaker argues that to truly protect children we must focus on prevention.
Opinion | My Grandfather Sexually Abused Countless Children. Could He Have Been Stopped?
We spend billions of dollars on punishing child sexual abusers and far less on prevention. It’s not stopping the problem. We must rethink our approach.
nyti.ms
January 8, 2026 at 4:37 PM
Amanda Mustard’s grandfather was a serial child sexual abuser. After eight years of documenting his impact on her family, the filmmaker argues that to truly protect children we must focus on prevention.
"It is now clear that Trump’s priority in capturing President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela was not to make that country safe for the restoration of democracy but to make it safe for the restoration of American oil companies’ dominance over Venezuelan oil extraction," Thomas L. Friedman writes.
Opinion | If Trump Doesn’t Bring Democracy Into Venezuela, He’ll Never Get Much Oil Out of It
Trump will soon discover that the only way to revive major American oil investments in Venezuela is to revive Venezuela’s democracy.
nyti.ms
January 8, 2026 at 3:24 PM
"It is now clear that Trump’s priority in capturing President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela was not to make that country safe for the restoration of democracy but to make it safe for the restoration of American oil companies’ dominance over Venezuelan oil extraction," Thomas L. Friedman writes.
The U.S.’s new dietary guidelines advise people to eat more protein — which may be counterproductive, Emily Oster writes. “Many Americans will hear this as ‘add protein’ rather than ‘replace other calories with protein.’ This may lead people to simply eat more calorically dense food.”
Opinion | Kennedy Is Telling Americans How to Eat. It’s Not Crazy Advice.
Newly released dietary guidelines emphasize protein and full-fat dairy.
nyti.ms
January 8, 2026 at 2:28 PM
The U.S.’s new dietary guidelines advise people to eat more protein — which may be counterproductive, Emily Oster writes. “Many Americans will hear this as ‘add protein’ rather than ‘replace other calories with protein.’ This may lead people to simply eat more calorically dense food.”
Perhaps what excites people most about the show “Heated Rivalry,” Jim Downs writes, “is not the thrill of naked bodies but the shock of being emotionally known. That is what some of us have been missing.”
Opinion | A Sweet, Sexy, Happy Love Story Between Two Men. Revolutionary.
We need stories that capture how we live — in the touch, the embrace, the everyday if boring intimacies that were never meant to be translated.
nyti.ms
January 8, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Perhaps what excites people most about the show “Heated Rivalry,” Jim Downs writes, “is not the thrill of naked bodies but the shock of being emotionally known. That is what some of us have been missing.”
“If the prompt for sending troops into a country to depose and snatch its corrupt, cruel, incompetent leader is the corruption, cruelty and incompetence of a country’s leader,” writes Frank Bruni, “well, the American military has a very long to-do list ahead of it.”
Opinion | Venezuela Is the Tip of the Iceberg
In the Trump era, there are a lot of contenders for the 51st state.
nyti.ms
January 8, 2026 at 11:46 AM
“If the prompt for sending troops into a country to depose and snatch its corrupt, cruel, incompetent leader is the corruption, cruelty and incompetence of a country’s leader,” writes Frank Bruni, “well, the American military has a very long to-do list ahead of it.”
If Venezuela were a democracy, then María Corina Machado would be its president, Francisco Rodríguez writes. “But Venezuela is not a democracy, nor will it become one overnight simply because Mr. Maduro is no longer around.”
Opinion | How Machado Lost Her Chance to Lead Venezuela
The opposition leader’s uncompromising style explains her political rise. But will that brand of politics work as well when it comes to running a country?
nyti.ms
January 8, 2026 at 6:15 AM
If Venezuela were a democracy, then María Corina Machado would be its president, Francisco Rodríguez writes. “But Venezuela is not a democracy, nor will it become one overnight simply because Mr. Maduro is no longer around.”
Young religious people alienated from Christianity’s Trumpian expressions may not have a rite like confession in their everyday lives, Ross Douthat writes, “but they don’t regard such things as obsolete or unimportant, and they want sacramental possibilities to be there when they really need them."
Opinion | A Future for Confession
The sacrament of penance’s 21st-century allure.
nyti.ms
January 8, 2026 at 1:16 AM
Young religious people alienated from Christianity’s Trumpian expressions may not have a rite like confession in their everyday lives, Ross Douthat writes, “but they don’t regard such things as obsolete or unimportant, and they want sacramental possibilities to be there when they really need them."
President Trump “has never claimed that isolationism is what he means by ‘America first,’” Christopher Caldwell writes.
Opinion | Trump’s Voters Are Discovering What ‘America First’ Really Means
Whether or not the Venezuelan raid was advisable, it was Trumpian.
nyti.ms
January 7, 2026 at 11:11 PM
President Trump “has never claimed that isolationism is what he means by ‘America first,’” Christopher Caldwell writes.
The new year brings major economic developments, writes Jason Furman, but “in a sharp contrast to last year’s rule by fiat, none of the expected changes in these extremely consequential arenas is in the president’s control.”
Opinion | Trump Is About to Lose Control of the Economy
Will anyone be in charge?
nyti.ms
January 7, 2026 at 9:04 PM
The new year brings major economic developments, writes Jason Furman, but “in a sharp contrast to last year’s rule by fiat, none of the expected changes in these extremely consequential arenas is in the president’s control.”
“Apparently we live in a world where might makes right and the powerful take what they want,” Cathy Putnam writes in a letter to The Times. “Just the idea that we can take any leader or country we like is clearly against international law and morally wrong.”
Opinion | U.S. Threats to Take Over Greenland
Readers discuss comments by Stephen Miller about U.S. power and by the Danish prime minister about NATO. Also: Deaths on subway tracks.
nyti.ms
January 7, 2026 at 6:34 PM
“Apparently we live in a world where might makes right and the powerful take what they want,” Cathy Putnam writes in a letter to The Times. “Just the idea that we can take any leader or country we like is clearly against international law and morally wrong.”
“Political pundits love black-and-white answers, but a realistic assessment of President Trump’s actions in Venezuela is a shade of gray,” Don Bacon, a Republican congressman, writes. “How dark or light that gray becomes will depend on Mr. Trump’s future actions.”
Opinion | After Removing Maduro, Trump Needs a New Venezuela Plan
A Republican House member argues that the Maduro raid was good — but the operation’s success still hangs in the balance.
nyti.ms
January 7, 2026 at 4:33 PM
“Political pundits love black-and-white answers, but a realistic assessment of President Trump’s actions in Venezuela is a shade of gray,” Don Bacon, a Republican congressman, writes. “How dark or light that gray becomes will depend on Mr. Trump’s future actions.”
“We are relying on a bunch of criminals to drive themselves from power willingly,” Elliot Abrams, America’s former Venezuela envoy, says of the problem with the Trump administration’s plan for the country.
Opinion | The Case for Real Regime Change in Venezuela
The former envoy Elliott Abrams says the administration should push harder.
nyti.ms
January 7, 2026 at 2:59 PM
“We are relying on a bunch of criminals to drive themselves from power willingly,” Elliot Abrams, America’s former Venezuela envoy, says of the problem with the Trump administration’s plan for the country.
“The first response of Democrats to instances like the Minnesota fraud findings should not be to criticize the other side for attacking them,” Ruy Teixeira writes, “but rather to stress the seriousness of the problem and how it will not be tolerated.”
Opinion | Minnesota’s Fraud Should Be a Wake-Up Call for Democrats
The specter of welfare fraud haunted Democrats under Reagan. It could do so again.
nyti.ms
January 7, 2026 at 12:16 PM
“The first response of Democrats to instances like the Minnesota fraud findings should not be to criticize the other side for attacking them,” Ruy Teixeira writes, “but rather to stress the seriousness of the problem and how it will not be tolerated.”
“Facing death, whether your own or a loved one’s, is a core part of making meaning of one’s life,” Jessica Grose writes. “To struggle through this universal contemplation without a community can be brutal.”
Opinion | My Long Weekend With 700 People Touched by Death
Facing death is a core part of making meaning of one’s life. To struggle through this universal contemplation without a community can be brutal.
nyti.ms
January 7, 2026 at 11:15 AM
“Facing death, whether your own or a loved one’s, is a core part of making meaning of one’s life,” Jessica Grose writes. “To struggle through this universal contemplation without a community can be brutal.”
Belarus is being held hostage by its president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, writes Ales Bialiatski, who was released from his political imprisonment last month. “The continued defiance of the Belarusian people in the face of harsh repression suggests that Mr. Lukashenko is running out of time.”
Opinion | I May Be Free, but the Belarusian People Are Not
The world must not stop supporting dissidents in Belarus despite the release of some from prison.
nyti.ms
January 7, 2026 at 6:15 AM
Belarus is being held hostage by its president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, writes Ales Bialiatski, who was released from his political imprisonment last month. “The continued defiance of the Belarusian people in the face of harsh repression suggests that Mr. Lukashenko is running out of time.”
“There are good reasons to celebrate the downfall of the tyrant Nicolás Maduro,” our columnist Bret Stephens writes. “Not among those reasons: an America that seizes Venezuela’s oil assets while keeping what’s left of Maduro’s odious regime in place.”
Opinion | There Were Good Reasons to Depose Maduro
But taking Venezuela’s oil while leaving the regime in place weren’t among them.
nyti.ms
January 7, 2026 at 2:29 AM
“There are good reasons to celebrate the downfall of the tyrant Nicolás Maduro,” our columnist Bret Stephens writes. “Not among those reasons: an America that seizes Venezuela’s oil assets while keeping what’s left of Maduro’s odious regime in place.”
“For Judge Hellerstein to hang on to the Maduro case when he will be well into his 10th decade would be a disservice to himself, to the parties in court, and to the cause of justice in America,” Jeffrey Toobin writes.
Opinion | The Judge in the Maduro Case Must Step Aside
There is no simple procedural mechanism for lawyers, or the public, to challenge the fitness of judges.
nyti.ms
January 7, 2026 at 1:31 AM
“For Judge Hellerstein to hang on to the Maduro case when he will be well into his 10th decade would be a disservice to himself, to the parties in court, and to the cause of justice in America,” Jeffrey Toobin writes.
“Distressing, startling, unthinkable, frightening, horrifying, terrifying,” Stephen F. Gladstone writes in a letter to The Times. “Representative Raskin’s essay brought back the words my family members exchanged in text messages on that Jan. 6.”
Opinion | Recalling the Horrors of Jan. 6
Readers respond to an essay by Representative Jamie Raskin and to an editorial. Also: Risky changes in vaccine policy; a new Kennedy Center.
nyti.ms
January 6, 2026 at 7:40 PM
“Distressing, startling, unthinkable, frightening, horrifying, terrifying,” Stephen F. Gladstone writes in a letter to The Times. “Representative Raskin’s essay brought back the words my family members exchanged in text messages on that Jan. 6.”
What is America doing in Venezuela? The journalist Jonathan Blitzer explains the interests and factions at play in the Trump administration’s strike against Venezuela on this week’s episode of “The Ezra Klein Show.”
Opinion | What Trump Wants in Venezuela
The journalist Jonathan Blitzer explains the various interests and factions at play in the Trump administration’s strike against Venezuela.
nyti.ms
January 6, 2026 at 6:09 PM
What is America doing in Venezuela? The journalist Jonathan Blitzer explains the interests and factions at play in the Trump administration’s strike against Venezuela on this week’s episode of “The Ezra Klein Show.”
“As states disregard limits on the lawful use of force, this may be just the beginning of a deadly new era of conflict,” writes Oona Hathaway.
Opinion | The Great Unraveling Has Begun
As states disregard limits on the lawful use of force, this may be just the beginning of a slide into frequent war.
nyti.ms
January 6, 2026 at 4:25 PM
“As states disregard limits on the lawful use of force, this may be just the beginning of a deadly new era of conflict,” writes Oona Hathaway.
"Even if the Trump administration somehow manages to muddle through in Venezuela, we seem to be returning to the pre-World War I era of strongmen and spheres of influence," Ben Rhodes writes. "Whether we choose to ignore it or not, history shows us where that leads."
Opinion | Trump Is Falling for a Trap We Can All See Coming
Trump’s increasing belligerence abroad should raise alarm about more than the fate of Venezuela.
nyti.ms
January 6, 2026 at 2:52 PM
"Even if the Trump administration somehow manages to muddle through in Venezuela, we seem to be returning to the pre-World War I era of strongmen and spheres of influence," Ben Rhodes writes. "Whether we choose to ignore it or not, history shows us where that leads."
“Jan. 6 was shocking. That Trump left the scene of the crime to return to power is a little less so,” our columnist Jamelle Bouie writes.
Opinion | There Is a Sickness Eating Away at American Democracy
Jan. 6 is a symptom. Elite impunity is the cause.
nyti.ms
January 6, 2026 at 1:59 PM
“Jan. 6 was shocking. That Trump left the scene of the crime to return to power is a little less so,” our columnist Jamelle Bouie writes.