Opinion
Voices, analysis and commentary
Covid Politics Don’t Have to Be Toxic
Nirav Shah is something that would seem anathema in contemporary politics: a public health technocrat who became a household name during Covid.
A super El Niño threatens disaster. Trump is handling it recklessly | Terry Garcia
<p>The administration interrupted data streams that are key to forecasting. These systems should not be vulnerable to political whims</p><p>In 1877, North Americans experienced an unusually mild winter – it was known as the “year without a
Look at Keir Starmer’s tenure as prime minister. This is no ‘decent man’ who got unlucky | Owen Jones
<p>From Gaza to the Peter Mandelson row, his abandoned pledges to the ‘island of strangers’ claim, Starmer’s time at No 10 was truly dismal</p><p>Good riddance, Keir Starmer. No sooner had the toppled prime minister wiped away his tears tha
Air pollution is a fixable problem – just look at how London and New York have cleaned up their acts | Sadiq Khan and Michael Bloomberg
<p>We’ve shown that rapid, measurable progress is achievable in our cities. Here’s how that can now be replicated worldwide</p><ul><li><p>Sadiq Khan is the mayor of London. Michael Bloomberg is a former mayor of New York City</p></li></ul><
I stand by what I said 10 years ago. We were right to leave the European Union | Larry Elliott
<p>The Brexit vote showed that class still matters in British politics – and the changes needed are ones the EU would never have allowed</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/series/brexit-vote-10-years-on">Read more fr
In Iran, Trump’s victory claims only deepened a self-made catastrophe | Sidney Blumenthal
<p>What the US president succeeded in obliterating was any rationale he offered for going to war</p><p>Before Donald Trump finally surrendered in his Iran war, he declared victory several dozen times, including on day eight– “<a href="https
What’s the Matter With Congress?
A debate between old friends about whether it is fear or polarization that is making Congress weak.
Social Security Is Running Out of Money, Fast
To save the program, we need to eliminate the payroll tax cap.
RIP Alan Greenspan: you were charming, powerful, and wrong | Robert Reich
<p>The former Federal Reserve chair was a smart guy – but he had a huge blind spot. Here’s what I wish I’d said to him</p><p>Alan Greenspan <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/22/alan-greenspan-dies-aged-100">has died</a>
Is This the Year Florida Turns Blue?
David Jolly must persuade voters who have been increasingly hostile to Democrats that he’s a different kind of Democrat.
Fit with just five minutes’ exercise a day? I don’t believe it | Devi Sridhar
<p>Everyone these days wants to optimise their workouts, but when a study seems too good to be true, it usually is</p><ul><li><p>Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh</p></li></ul><p>We live in an
In Colombia, a Right-Wing Wildcard Rises
A right-wing victory in Latin America’s third-largest country could ripple across the region.
Trump’s Iran Debacle Could Be a Gift for America
There is at least a chance that America will not return to war with Iran, but find a way to turn the page on 47 years of animosity and confrontation.
The Radical Act of Enjoying This Life
On “The Ezra Klein Show,” the Times Opinion columnist Ezra Klein asks the novelist Gary Shteyngart about his philosophy of enjoyment and why it can feel like such a radical act to simply be present.
Why Democrats Need a Politics of Joy
The joylessness of metrics-obsessed, achievement-oriented elite culture is eroding the simple joys of living, the novelist Gary Shteyngart argues on “The Ezra Klein Show.” And, he says, this antipathy toward pleasure is a problem for Democr
Taking Trump to Task Over the Iran War
Readers react to President Trump’s threats against Iran, and other aspects of the war. Also: A memory of Dad; the New York-New Jersey tussle.
The Secret Reason Bosses Want Everyone Back in the Office, Every Day of the Week
It’s all about them.
The Moment Alan Greenspan Should Be Remembered For
A crucial episode in the famous Fed chair’s legacy.
Cracks are showing in Trump’s blue-collar base | Steven Greenhouse
<p>Voters are upset that Trump has failed to deliver on his economic promises. That’s bad news for Republicans in November</p><p>If any demographic group was key to Donald Trump’s election victories in 2016 and 2024, it was white, blue-coll
We are witnessing the slow death of the prestige career | Alice Lassman
<p>White-collar work is at risk across the board, including at elite consulting firms that used to be a pathway to the 1%</p><p>Consulting is a delicate contract: endure two challenging, formative years – and in return, get a golden ticket
Hollywood Needs Regular Jolts of Creativity. It Just Got One.
The runaway success of horror films made by internet-bred creators shouldn’t scare Hollywood. It should inspire us.
Four million Americans will turn 18 this year. Why aren’t we registering them to vote? | Laura W Brill
<p>Less than a third are likely to be registered in November. We must work to ensure they have a voice</p><p>About 4 million Americans will turn 18 in 2026, but if past trends continue, under a third of them will be registered to vote in th
I always take my Dad’s advice – and do the opposite | Jillian Pretzel
<p>My dad gives smart advice, but it always leads me down paths that didn’t feel like ‘me’. When, and how, can we stop listening to our dads?</p><p>When I was a kid, my dad told me to pick a sport, practice a lot and stick with it. That way
Trump may survive the humiliation of the Iran deal. Netanyahu will not | Simon Tisdall
<p>What has the Israeli PM’s whirlwind of violence achieved? His closest ally now turning against him – and an emboldened Iran</p><p>Benjamin Netanyahu, the biggest loser in last week’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/17
