Recurring series

The New York Times Opinion Writers Unpack the 2026 Midterm Elections

BPL Presents welcomes New York Times Opinion writers to Central Library to unpack the 2026 mid-term election results. This live taping of "The Opinions" podcast will feature Michelle Cottle, David French and Jamelle Bouie in a broad conversation about what the results augur for the next two years and for the 2028 presidential elections. Past conversations with the New York Times Opinion writers have examined President Trump’s First 100 Days and the administration's healthcare policies, Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA. BPL audience members will have a chance to weigh in with their questions. PARTICIPANTS Michelle Cottle joined The Times in 2018 as the editorial board’s national political writer. She has lived in and covered the nation's capital since 1996, working at publications including The Atlantic, National Journal, Newsweek, The Daily Beast, The New Republic, and The Washington Monthly. Her writing appeared in “The Best American Political Writing of 2009.” Over the years, she has been a frequent commentator for CNN, ABC, MSNBC/MSNow, PBS and other networks. Born and raised in the South, she has a B.A. from Vanderbilt University. David French is a columnist for The New York Times. A graduate of Harvard Law School, David was previously a senior editor at The Dispatch and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. He is a former constitutional litigator and a past president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. David is a New York Times bestselling author, and his most recent book is “Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.” David is a former major in the United States Army Reserve and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was awarded the Bronze Star. Jamelle Bouie is a columnist for the New York Times. He covers history and politics. In 2021, Jamelle received the Hillman Prize for Opinion & Analysis Journalism and in 2024 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Science. In 2025, he received the Carey McWilliams Award for a major journalistic contribution to the public's understanding of politics from the American Political Science Association. He also received the Tikkun Olam Prize for Promoting Public Historical Literacy from the American Historical Association. Jamelle attended the University of Virginia, where he graduated in 2009 with degrees in political and social thought, and government. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.