Not sure what the author is bitching about. They’re a one-time series of email messages over 14 days.
They are transactional emails. Maybe the author doesn’t agree with that but they’re welcome to take NYT to court over it.
Is their email provider charging you per email or something?
What is transactional about a daily message for 14 days? Especially when you haven't made a transaction to trigger said message?
And you should have the right to stop them immediately. I don't see how that's controversial.
No they should be explicitly opt-in. With big multi step warning messages. That is least you can do to valued customers.