Normally we ask experts to give their expert opinions.

I don't think the NYT (or anyone, really) is hurting for news to cover either. It's been an exciting year.

Sure, but so many articles are about some doomsday scenario that experts "aren't sure will happen, but might".

Seems like there is enough stuff happening right now that could fill the pages rather than attempts at predicting the future?

News is highly undifferentiated. If you want to stand out among the copycat news sources you also need to provide long form articles and a distinctive slant, which NYT has spent the last decade building.

Also, this kind of long form investigative journalism is what has died out in most newsrooms in an effort to reduce costs.

We already pretty much killed local news, no need to reduce everything to an AP feed.