The Colin McEnroe Show

Primary tabs View(active tab)   Edit The Nose Hasn't Happened Yet: 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' And 'Tenet'By JONATHAN MCNICOL • 1 HOUR AGOThe Colin McEnroe ShowShareTweetEmail Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Viola Davis, Michael Potts, and Glynn Turman in 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.'NETFLIX, INC. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is George C. Wolfe's film adaptation of the August Wilson play. It stars Viola Davis in the title role and Chadwick Boseman in his final film performance, and it's available to stream on Netflix. Christopher Nolan's Tenet was the first tentpole movie to be released in theaters during the pandemic. It did okay business (it's currently the third-highest grossing film of 2020), but nothing like what Warner Bros. would've hoped for in a normal time. It's still in theaters, and it's now available to buy on physical disc or from digital platforms. It will be available to rent digitally in January. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: John le Carré, Best-Selling Author of Cold War Thrillers, Dies at 89Breaking from the James Bond mold, he turned the spy novel into high art as he explored the moral compromises of agents on both sides of the Iron curtain. Charley Pride, Country Music's First Black Superstar, Dies at 86He began his career amid the racial unrest of the 1960s and cemented his place in the country pantheon with hits like "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'." Ann Reinking, Tony Winner and Star of Broadway's 'Chicago,' Dies at 71 Pantone Picks Two Colors of the Year for 2021It's all about the messaging. Get ready for a brighter future. Here's a Complete List of Updated Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Disney Animation Release Dates Snoop Dogg Doesn't Agree With Cardi B's "Wap," Encourages Women to Have Privacy and Leave Things to the Imagination Jon Bon Jovi's sappy cover of a Pogues' holiday classic just 'ruined' Christmas, says the Pogues American Master Bedrooms Should Just Split Up Already No, I Am Not Getting Rid of My Thousands of CDsOur chief classical music critic writes in praise of going to a shelf, pulling out a recording and sitting down to listen. Cleveland's Baseball Team Will Drop Its Indians Team NameThe decision comes amid a wider push for sports teams to stop using Native American names and imagery as team names and mascots. MLB Is Finally Recognizing the Negro Leagues as the Major Leagues They Always WereNegro League statistics from 1920 to 1948 will now be officially classified as "major league," marking a long-overdue acknowledgment of the accomplishments of players who didn't have the opportunity to play in the American or National Leagues Every Steven Soderbergh Movie, Ranked Taylor Swift's deeply affecting evermore continues folklore's rich universe-building Christopher Walken Says He's Never Owned a Computer or Cell Phone TOM CURSE: Raging Tom Cruise warns Mission: Impossible crew they're 'f***ing gone' if they break COVID rules on set Tom Cruise rant dubbed into classic 'Rudolph' clip on Twitter Lin-Manuel Miranda Is Hopeful for Broadway's Return 'Heroes' Was Supposed to Be Leonard Roberts' Big Break. Instead, It Nearly Broke Him. Cyberpunk 2077 Was Supposed to Be the Biggest Video Game of the Year. What Happened?Nearly a decade of hype led to a troubled release riddled with glitches, a livid fan base, refunds for potentially millions of players and a possible class-action lawsuit. John Mulaney Checks Into Rehab The Journalist and the Pharma BroWhy did Christie Smythe upend her life and stability for Martin Shkreli, one of the least-liked men in the world? It Took a Global Pandemic, But Generation X is Finally Getting LoveSorry Boomers and Too Bad Millennials -- Only One Generation Stands Out as Social Distancing Pros A Close Reading of Ariana Grande's Engagement AnnouncementIn an extremely 2020 move, Ms. Grande got quarantine-engaged and announced it in an Instagram photo dump. MGM Is Exploring a Sale of Its Studio Trump Sets 'Beautiful' as the New Standard for Federal Buildings Golden Globes Switch 'Promising Young Woman' to Drama, Maria Bakalova Moved to Lead for 'Borat'Other HFPA changes include the men of "One Night in Miami" and "Hamilton" accepted into the film categories. GUESTS: Tom Breen - A film critic and reporter for the New Haven Independent and host of WNHH radio's Deep Focus Mercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media Group Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kurt Andersen's last book, Fantasyland, looks at America's "centuries-old weakness for the untrue and irrational, and its spontaneous and dangerous flowering since the 1960s" and how it got us where we are today. His new book, Evil Geniuses, is a kind of sequel, a companion. It's a parallel history, really, that looks more closely at "the quite deliberate reengineering of our economy and society since the 1960s." This hour, public radio great Kurt Andersen on "the unmaking of America." GUEST: Kurt Andersen - Co-founded Spy magazine and he was the host and co-creator of Studio 360; his newest book is Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America — A Recent History Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired September 23, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It could be months or years before the US government knows the full extent of last week's sophisticated cyberattack that targeted private tech and security companies and federal agencies like the Energy Department and National Nuclear Security Administration. President Trump dismissed the significance of the attack, tweeting that "everything was under control." He refused to criticize Russia for the attack, claimed without evidence that it could be China, and contradicted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's acknowledgement of Russian involvement. Yet, the President continues to fight the election results and has considered declaring martial law to overturn the election.   Also this hour: The FDA says it's time to deregulate the ingredients in French dressing and frozen cherry pies.  GUESTS: Josphine Wolff is assistant professor of cybersecurity policy at The Fletcher School at Tufts University. She's the author of, You'll See This Message When It Is Too Late: The Legal and Economic Aftermath of Cybersecurity Breaches. Lawrence Douglas is the James J. Grosfeld Professor of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought at Amherst College. He’s the author of seven books; his most recent is Will He Go? Trump and the Looming Electoral Meltdown in 2020 Michael Levenson reports for The New York Times, Express Desk. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, we didn't take television seriously. We saw it as ephemeral, as "chewing gum for the eyes," as, literally, furniture. And then, around the turn of the century, things started to change. There was The Sopranos. The Wire. And, at the same time, shows like Big Brother and The Amazing Race. For Emily Nussbaum, it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer that forever changed her take on television. This hour: A serious appraisal of television with The New Yorker's television critic. GUEST: Emily Nussbaum - Television critic for The New Yorker and the author of I Like To Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 15, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Native Americans exerted their political power in the 2020 election. A record-breaking six Native-Americans were elected to Congress and Native American votes tipped the scales in Arizona - which went blue for only the second time in seventy years. And U.S. Representative Deb Haaland (D-NM) is on President-elect Biden's short list to be Secretary of the Interior.  Native Americans made big gains in the 2020 election. Yet, Native Peoples are still largely invisible in American culture. Centuries of "colonialism" that separated Indigenous People from their families, their culture, and their land, led to intergenerational trauma from which they are still recovering. Yet, they remain resilient against continued attacks on their land and a trail of broken promises.  Today, we look at the emerging power of Native Americans in the context of centuries of systemic racism and cultural erasure.  GUESTS:  Sara Sinclair is an oral historian of Cree-Ojibwa descent. She is the editor of the Voice of Witness oral history collection How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America. Sara teaches in the Oral History Masters Program at Columbia University. Robert Ornelas is T/ijua Apache. He worked at the New York City Ballet and as a substance abuse counselor Tara Benally is of Hopi descent. Her family was raised by Navajo. She is a field director at Utah Rural Project Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2001: A Space Odyssey. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. A Clockwork Orange. The Shining. Full Metal Jacket. Spartacus. Eyes Wide Shut. This hour, a careful consideration of the filmmaker Steven Spielberg called "the best in history": Stanley Kubrick. GUESTS: James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College David Mikics - Author of Stanley Kubrick: American Filmmaker Lila Shapiro - Senior reporter at New York magazine and Vulture, where she published "What I Learned After Watching Eyes Wide Shut 100 Times" Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired in a different form September 2, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is yodeling, anyway? Some consider it singing, some say it's an ululation, and still others consider it merely a means to herd animals. Whatever yodeling is, one's thing clear: Yodeling has been around for thousands of years and shows no signs of disappearing. This hour we speak with a musicologist, a DJ, and a professional singer about this age-old vocal practice. We'll trace yodeling's history from its humble, utilitarian roots to its place in modern day pop music and beyond. GUESTS: Bart Plantenga - Amsterdam based writer, radio DJ, and expert on yodeling; author of several books including Yodel in Hi-Fi: From Kitsch Folk to Contemporary Electronica Timothy Wise - Senior lecturer in musicology at the University of Salford, England; author of Yodeling and Meaning in American Music Roger Tincknell - Massachusetts-based cowboy yodeler, musician, and traveling performer Chion Wolf - Host of WNPR's Audacious with Chion Wolf Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired October 10, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each state's slate of electors will cast their votes for president and vice-president today. President Trump won't win today. Nor will he win in the final Congressional certification on January 6, despite talk among some Republican legislators about plans for some type of electoral coup during the final vote count.  Trump and his supporters are retreating deeper and deeper into an alternate reality where they can collectively will things to be the way they want them to be. At some point, Americans will have to start sharing the same reality again or reckon with the outcome.  If we downplay anti-democratic behavior by a sitting president and leaders of a major political party, even if they didn't pull it off, we normalize it and invite future attempts by someone more competent.  Also this hour: the ongoing assault against Voice of America. GUESTS: Dahlia Lithwick writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus. Margaret Sullivan is a media columnist for The Washington Post and the author of Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy @sulliview Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mank is David Fincher's feature film portrayal of the writing of Citizen Kane. Gary Oldman plays the title character and Kane screenwriter, Herman J. Mankiewicz. Mank hit Netflix last Friday, and it's already got lots of Oscar buzz. The Godfather: Part III is a movie that was actually nominated for seven Oscars 30 years ago (it didn't win any), and it's the third film in a series that had already won nine Academy Awards, including two Best Pictures. Part III, though, has always been thought of relatively poorly. And so, for its 30th anniversary this month, Francis Ford Coppola has rejiggered it and rereleased it as The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. This new version is four minutes shorter, starts with a different scene, ends slightly differently ... and is ultimately the same movie. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Stream Taylor Swift's New Album, 'Evermore' Taylor Swift Had A Powerful Message For People Who "Don't Care" About Following COVID Guidelines"If they make it out of this, if they see the other side of it, there's going to be a lot of trauma that comes with that." Bob Dylan Sells His Songwriting Catalog in Blockbuster DealUniversal Music purchased his entire songwriting catalog of more than 600 songs in what may be the biggest acquisition ever of a single act's publishing rights. Harrison Ford to reprise Indiana Jones role for fifth and final movie Disney Just Announced So Much More 'Star Wars'Breaking down the many Force-related developments from Thursday's Investor Day Steven Soderbergh Teases Plans for Limited-Edition Box Set Featuring Seven Remastered FilmsAnd it could be released sooner than you think. GUESTS: Nick Davis - A filmmaker and the author of the forthcoming Competing with Idiots: Herman and Joe Mankiewicz, a Dual Portrait Taneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorks James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are we on the verge of societal collapse? We tend to worry about the big explosive stuff like nuclear war, asteroids, and solar flares when we consider end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it scenarios. The reality is that most "fallen" civilizations gradually decline over many decades with a banality that can barely register.  We often remember the decline of civilizations as the fault of poor leaders or natural disasters but it's more like death from a thousand cuts from conditions like inequality, corruption, and political dysfunction. That's (partly) what happened to the Roman Empire.  And most civilizations don't "collapse." They adapt and transform and take their culture with them. The Maya civilization is the archetype of a “collapsed” civilization, ingrained through popular and scholarly literature. That's not really what happened and millions of Maya descendants are alive to talk about it.  Today, we talk about societal collapse and whether we'll know if we're in it.   GUESTS: Martin Rees is the Astronomer Royal and a member of the House of Lords.  He’s the co-founder of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge. His latest book is On the Future: Prospects for Humanity.  Patrick Wyman is the host of the “Tides of History,” and the former host of “The Fall of Rome,” podcasts. His book, The Verge, will be published in 2021.  Patricia McAnany is a Maya archaeologist and the Keenan eminent professor of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the co-editor with Norman Yoffe, of Questioning Collapse: Human Resilience, Ecological Vulnerability, and the Aftermath of Empire Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seventeen AFC East championships. Nine Super Bowl appearances. Six Lombardi trophies. Twenty seasons pairing maybe the greatest head coach in the history of the NFL with maybe the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL. At the same time, there are words like "spygate." "Deflategate." And even "solicitation in Florida." This hour, a look at one of the all-time great (and all-time most divisive) sports dynasties: the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick/Robert Kraft New England Patriots. GUEST: Jeff Benedict - Special features writer for Sports Illustrated and the author of 16 books; his latest is The Dynasty Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In May, I discovered (along with the rest of the internet) a video on YouTube of a guy in his loft in Surrey, England ... solving a Sudoku puzzle. It was intense, a roller-coaster ride, and, ultimately, sublime. Those are not words you might expect someone to use to describe watching a stranger solve a little number puzzle, but here we are. Since I found that video, I've watched that YouTube channel, Cracking the Cryptic, practically every day. Sometimes the videos are riveting. The rest of the time, they're soothing. The channel's 300,000 subscribers and 50 million cumulative views would seem to indicate that I'm not alone in using it as a way to both exercise and relax my mind during this pandemic period. This hour, a look at Sudoku, specifically, and logic puzzles more generally. GUESTS: Simon Anthony - A former U.K. team member in the World Sudoku and World Puzzle Championships and a host of Cracking the Cryptic Jason Rosenhouse - Professor of mathematics at James Madison University and the author of a number of books about math and related topics, including Games for Your Mind: The History and Future of Logic Puzzles Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 26, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roger Cohen, a former columnist and current Paris bureau chief for The New York Times, longs for a return to decency - a moral shift away from a Trump Presidency characterized by retreat, self-obsession, and a lack of respect for truth or decency. He welcomes the tenor he anticipates President-elect Biden will bring to the White House, but cautions against a return to the status quo. Too much has changed that still threatens liberalism and the Western alliance.  Also this hour: The Trump Administration is not happy that the FDA failed to approve a coronavirus vaccine before the UK did it first. The President's prior interference in FDA decisions led to public resistance against any vaccine they feared was tainted by politics. Are they doing it again?  Lastly, there's a national run on Christmas trees this year akin to the run on toilet paper in the spring. Even people who don't usually purchase a real tree seem to want one this year.  GUESTS:  Roger Cohen runs the Paris bureau for The New York Times. He's also the author of several books, including his family memoir, "The Girl From Human Street: Ghosts of Memory in a Jewish Family." Dan Diamond investigates health care politics and policy for Politico. He co-authors “Politico Pulse,” and hosts Politico’s “Pulse Check” podcast.   Kathy Kogut is president of the Connecticut Christmas Tree Growers Association Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warner Bros. announced Thursday that all of its movies for all of 2021 will be available to stream on HBO Max the same day they debut in cinemas. The movie theater chains see this as "doomsday for the theatrical experience." And: Three strange, metal monoliths having been discovered in recent weeks, one each in Utah, Romania, and California. The ones in Utah and Romania have since disappeared, and the one in Utah had stood undiscovered for at least four years before it was found. Finally: The Undoing is a six-part HBO miniseries starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. Its finale aired Sunday. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: David Prowse, Man Behind the Darth Vader Mask, Dies at 85 'Juno' and 'Umbrella Academy' Actor Elliot Page Comes Out as Transgender in Heartfelt Letter"I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer," Page writes. Elliot Page Will Continue to Star in 'Umbrella Academy,' Netflix Changes Credits on His Past Films John Cleese Sparks Backlash Over Transphobic Tweets in Defense of J.K. Rowling Harry Styles Clapping Back At Candace Owens Is The Content I Needed Today Music Legends Eric Clapton, Van Morrison Team for Anti-Lockdown Single 'Stand and Deliver' Disney+ redesigns Black Panther's opening logo in honor of Chadwick Boseman's birthday I raised my kids on Pixar -- and it has ruined classic cinema for themHaving grown up on Toy Story and Up, this generation has zero tolerance for slow pacing or only mild amusement "Look At What We Love. It's on Fire": Stephen Colbert on Trump Trauma, Leadership, and LossThe late-night host is ready for a little less excitement: "If Joe Biden is a pair of khaki pants inside a manila envelope, that would be great." GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani - Handles social media marketing and event planning for Quiet Corner Communications Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump presidency has exposed many vulnerabilities in the laws and norms that govern presidential behavior. His brazen disrespect demands action to protect against a future president who might build on Trump's playbook.  President Trump has flouted norms against conflicts-of-interest and courting foreign interference, abused his pardon power, threatened nuclear war, used the office to attack political foes, the press, and the judiciary, and refused to concede an election that he lost. He's not the first president to abuse presidential power and he's not the only problem. Congress has abdicated too much of the power they once used to better oversee and constrain presidential power.  The good news is that we now have an opportunity to codify certain norms most vulnerable to abuse. Do we have the political will?   GUEST:  Jack Goldsmith is a professor at Harvard Law School, co-founder of Lawfare, and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He served as the head of the Office of Legal Counsel during the George W. Bush Administration. Administration. He’s the co-author, with Bob Bauer, of After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency (@jacklgoldsmith) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How we define what it means to be a hero depends a lot on the values shared by the group that's in power at any given time. We're seeing it today in the push and pull over the statues of men whose values no longer reflect the values of a changing community. And time tends to wash away the nuance and complexity of heroes that stand as a symbol of a prior generation. Yet, America loves its heroes, even if only for a time. But ​we have a way of using the language of "heroism" to sacrifice the very heroes we admire. Many of the essential workers we deemed heroes of the pandemic had to choose between their health and a paycheck. They didn't choose to be heroes. Some didn't want to be. Others were silenced or shamed for speaking out about unsafe conditions. This hour, we talk about what it means to be a hero, and we consider some Connecticut heroes you may not know about. ​ Also, a look at the unlikely hero driven to heroic acts to avoid being labeled a coward. GUESTS: Dahlia Lithwick - Writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus Chris Walsh - Director of the college of arts and sciences writing program at Boston University and the author of Cowardice: A Brief History Walter Woodward - State historian of Connecticut, the author of Creating Connecticut, and the host of the Grating the Nutmeg podcast Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 28, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost everybody has a favorite donut - even if you don't eat a lot of donuts. It's not so much about the donut as it is about how donuts bring people together - to celebrate, to mourn, to share. Donuts have been part of cultures around the world for more than a thousand years, first as a festival special-occasion food, later as an everyday treat.  Later still, as a "weapon" in World War I. They're in movies, music, and Twin Peaks.  In the words of Homer Simpson, "Mmmm donuts. What's your favorite donut? GUESTS:  Michael Krondl - Food writer, culinary historian, artist, and the author of many books including The Donut: History, Recipes, and Lore from Boston to Berlin Miranda Popkey - Freelance writer whose work appears in numerous publications including The Hairpin, New York Magazine, and The New Yorker Collin Sanford - Dentist at Avon Family Dentistry in Avon and the son of Luke Sanford, former owner of Luke’s Donuts in Avon  Freda Love Smith - Drummer and founding member of the Blake Babies, lecturer at Northwestern University and the author of her food memoir, Red Velvet Underground Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.  Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost everybody has a favorite donut - even if you don't eat a lot of donuts. It's not so much about the donut as it is about how donuts bring people together - to celebrate, to mourn, to share. Donuts have been part of cultures around the world for more than a thousand years, first as a festival special-occasion food, later as an everyday treat.  Later still, as a "weapon" in World War I. They're in movies, music, and Twin Peaks.  In the words of Homer Simpson, "Mmmm donuts. GUESTS:  Michael Krondl - Food writer, culinary historian, artist, and the author of many books including The Donut: History, Recipes, and Lore from Boston to Berlin Miranda Popkey - Freelance writer whose work appears in numerous publications including The Hairpin, New York Magazine, and The New Yorker Collin Sanford - Dentist at Avon Family Dentistry in Avon and the son of Luke Sanford, former owner of Luke’s Donuts in Avon  Freda Love Smith - Drummer and founding member of the Blake Babies, lecturer at Northwestern University and the author of her food memoir, Red Velvet Underground Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.  Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are still living in two different realities. President Trump lost the election but still can't concede or admit it, and a high percentage of Republicans say they doubt the results -  even though courts have found no evidence to support their claims of fraud.  Meanwhile, President-Elect Joe Biden is moving forward with his transition - including talking with foreign leaders, choosing Cabinet members, and planning his first 100 days in office. Can Biden unite us? On a related note: Pope Francis elevated Archbishop Wilton Gregory to be a cardinal for the archdiocese of Washington. He'll be the first African American cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church. The archdiocese of Washington sits the heart of our government and Cardinal Gregory will work with the incoming Biden administration to advance the social justice causes important to both.   Lastly, the virus is wreaking havoc on the NFL.  GUESTS:  Frank Rich is Writer-at-Large for New York magazine and Executive Producer for the HBO series "Succession." (@frankrichny)  Michael Sean Winters is a columnist at National Catholic Reporter and a fellow at the Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life at Trinity College in Hartford. (@MichaelSWinters)   Ken Belson covers the NFL for The New York Times (@el_belson) Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, President Obama twittered a list of "memorable songs" from his administration. The list was, let's just say, not necessarily well received. Vaguely relatedly: Incoming secretary of state nominee Antony Blinken… has his own "wonk rock" tunes up on Spotify? And: The Liberator is a sort of animated, four-part Netflix miniseries that tells the story of the 157th Infantry in World War II. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Fred Hills, Editor of Nabokov and Many Others, Dies at 85A longtime editor at Simon & Schuster, he brought to market both commercial hits and literary prizewinners and edited more than 50 New York Times best sellers. David Maas, Half of 'Quick Change' Magic Act, Dies of COVID-19Mr. Maas and his wife, who performed lightning-fast costume changes, often appeared on television and were a halftime fixture at N.B.A. and college basketball arenas. Conan O'Brien's Nightly Late-Night Show to End Its Run in 2021 Here's The Deal, Folks: A POTUS Impression Is Harder Than It Looks Baby Yoda Canceled Amid Accusations of GenocideLast week's egg-eating episode of The Mandalorian has led to a disturbance in the Force. For real. Howard Stern: If Trump starts a TV network, it'll fail within a year The Art That Defied the Last Four, Terrible YearsMy mind has slipped anxiously off books and movies since 2016. But as the credits roll on 2020, I'm ready to look back. George Clooney When We Need Him MostThe actor, director, and GQ Icon of the Year is the one thing we can all agree on -- at a time when we can’t agree on anything. Jason Isaacs: 'I'd like to apologise to anyone who met me before I was 30 -- I was a drug addict' David Fincher's Impossible EyeWith 'Mank,' America's most famously exacting director tackles the movie he's been waiting his entire career to make. 98 Million TikTok Followers Can't Be WrongHow a 16-year-old from suburban Connecticut became the most famous teen in America Helicopter pilot finds 'strange' monolith in remote part of UtahState employee spotted mysterious metal structure amid red rocks while counting bighorn sheep John Boyega Had A "Transparent, Honest" Phone Call With Kathleen Kennedy After 'Star Wars' Race Comments Columbus-Free Wooster Square Takes Shape Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa Dominate 2021 Grammy NominationsThe major categories include some surprising, lesser-known names and notable absences as a Recording Academy in transition plans its pandemic awards show. 'Chappelle's Show' Removed From Netflix at Dave Chappelle's Request The 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century (So Far)Chameleons or beauties, star turns or character roles -- these are the performers who have outshone all others on the big screen in the last 20 years. GUESTS: Lucy Gellman - Editor of The Arts Paper and host of WNHH radio's Kitchen Sync Rich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of Hartford Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we were preparing for our show on underdogs, I kept saying that we shouldn't overlook the fact that, often, to be an underdog in the first place, you have to be relatively bad at the thing you're an underdog about. The more we talked about it, the more I found myself making the case that losers and losing are fascinating. And they are. There's a whole podcast about political candidates who lost. We romanticize losers in movies and TV and songs and stories. And think just about the phrase "lovable losers." In a culture where we focus seemingly entirely on the positive half of the zero sum, where we endlessly exalt WINNING, it's kind of interesting that we love the losers too, isn't it? This hour, a long look at losers and losing. GUESTS: Jason Cherkis - Political reporter for The Huffington Post and the co-host of Candidate Confessional Josh Keefe - An investigative reporter at the Bangor Daily News; in a piece for Slate's Sports Nut, he claimed that he was the worst high school quarterback ever Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College Brian Slattery - Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radio Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Betsy Kaplan contributed to this show, which originally aired August 1, 2016.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're almost three weeks past Election Day. Yet, President Trump and his evolving legal team continue to spew conspiracy theories intended to delegitimize the voting process, sow confusion, and delay the transition of power to incoming President-elect Joe Biden.  Meanwhile, most Senate Republicans remain silent and Trump's most fervent supporters ignore our post-election reality in favor of conspiracy theories that run unchecked on platforms like Parler.  Lastly, is it too late to cancel Thanksgiving? Many people are already traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday despite CDC pleas to please stay home.  GUESTS: James Surowiecki is a journalist who has written about business and finance for The New Yorker and Slate. He now writes a business column for Marker on Medium. He's the author of The Wisdom of Crowds (@jamessurowiecki) Tina Nguyen reports on the White House for Politico (@tina_nguyen) James Hamblin is a staff writer at The Atlantic. He is preventive medicine physician and a lecturer at Yale School of Public Health. He's the co-host of the podcast "Social Distance," and author of Clean: The New Science of Skin. (@jameshamblin) Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A hard-boiled private eye, a glamorous blond, and a hapless drifter all sit at a bar on the seamy side of town. It's night, the streets are wet, the shadows are long. They each nurse a drink to the notes of a mournful saxophone and a lonely piano. Smoke from the cigarettes swirls in the darkness. We all know classic noir when we see it and hear it and read it; yet, we don't really know how to define the dark plots that expose humanity in all its moral ambiguity and loneliness. Noir arrived in America with German emigres escaping the Nazis and fit well with the bleakness of Americans reeling from a depression, two world wars, and, later, the threat of nuclear annihilation. It continues to resonate and has transposed its style across genres. ​ This hour, a deeper look at noir -- then and now. GUESTS: Amy Bloom - A novelist and the editor of New Haven Noir Colin Harrison - The author, most recently, of You Belong To Me Sheri Chinen Biesen - Professor of film history at Rowan University and the author of Blackout: World War II and the Origins of Film Noir and Music in the Shadows: Noir Musical Films Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Kevin MacDermott, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired January 24, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of the poll results that drove headlines this election season missed the mark, even after pollsters spent the previous four years correcting for the errors of 2016. They shouldn't feel too bad. Even George Gallup got it wrong. But Gallup had it easier. Almost ninety percent of people answered polls in his day. Today, about six percent of people answer polls - and the ones that do tend to have more social trust in other people and institutions. Pollsters will be dissecting the hits and misses in their predictions for some time. Could it be that not enough people participate any longer for them to get a diverse enough sample of viewpoints to reflect our political reality? Should we consider whether polls advance or hinder democracy?  We talk about the history and current state of polling, including how pollsters misread the Latino vote. GUESTS: David Shor is an independent data analyst who formerly worked for the 2012 Obama campaign and Civis Analytics. (@davidshor) David Greenberg is a professor of History, and of Journalism & Media Studies at Rutgers University, and a contributing editor to Politico Magazine. He is currently working on a biography of the late congressman John Lewis. (@republicofspin) Arelis Hernandez covers the U.S. Southern border, immigration, and Texas for The Washington Post (arelisrhdz) Join the conversation on Facebook and TwitterSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeopardy! has been part of the fabric of American TV, in a couple different forms and across a couple different breaks, since 1964. It is the longest-running nationally-televised game show in U.S. television history. At the 2015 Emmys, John Oliver quipped, "The sun could burn out, humanity could flee to another galaxy, time as we know it could cease to exist, but Alex Trebek will still be there scolding librarians from Ames, Iowa, to answer in the form of a question." Except, of course, Alex Trebek died last week. And before that, Jeopardy!'s long-time executive producer and its long-time contestant coordinator both left at the end of last season. So what's in store for this quiz show institution? GUESTS: Sherri Cohen - Former Jeopardy! contestant Claire McNear - Staff writer at The Ringer and the author of Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy! Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer, and founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 is rising in almost every state. America averaged over 100,000 new cases every day over the last seven days and 1,000 deaths every day over the same period. The positivity rate is more than 50 percent in some states, straining hospital systems and front line staff. Have we normalized the pandemic to the point where we're no longer taking it seriously enough?  Also this hour: President Trump will no longer be protected from federal and state prosecution for questionable business and tax dealings when he exits the office of the presidency. There are also several civil lawsuits, including from two women who have filed separate civil suits for defamation after he denied their allegations of sexual assault. How legally vulnerable is President Trump? GUESTS: Dr. Angela Rasmussen is a virologist and an affiliate at the Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security. She’s a contributor to Slate (@angie_rasmussen)  Ross Garber is a lawyer specializing in political investigations and impeachment and a legal analyst for CNN. He teaches at Tulane Law School. (@rossgarber) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

t's been eight days since Election Day. It's been four days since Joe Biden was projected to become President-elect Joe Biden. But we've still got the secretary of state saying, "There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration." We've still got any number of lawsuits flailing their way through the courts in various states. Are we really going to reject democratic elections to soothe Trump's ego? And: The Washington Post's Pulitzer-winning nonfiction book critic takes a look at the Trump years through the lens of all the Trump books. GUESTS: Philip Bump - A correspondent for The Washington Post based in New York Jeannie Suk Gersen - A contributing writer to The New Yorker and a professor at Harvard Law School Carlos Lozada - The nonfiction book critic of The Washington Post and the author of What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Benedict Arnold's reputation as a traitor instead of a skilled warrior and confidante of George Washington has become accepted history in the minds of many Americans living hundreds of years removed from our founding. But that's too simple a story.   The Revolution was a chaotic time. Congress was in constant battle with the military and feelings ran high over whether power should reside in the states or the federal government. The war took a toll on the men who fought this bloody and protracted war. Leadership was often ineffective, greed was rampant, and militias fought without pay, few provisions, and little training. Family farms  were looted and destroyed,  the economy collapsed, and the Native Americans usually fought for the British.  Benedict Arnold was a traitor to his country, fighting against friends and former comrades. He was impetuous and quick to anger. He also fought valiantly for the Revolution, often turning the tide toward America in decisive battles. Yet, he got little respect, less pay, and was a target of a politicized Congress. Is it time to take another look at Benedict Arnold and the Revolution that birthed America?   GUESTS: Nathaniel Philbrick - Author of In the Heart of the Sea; Mayflower; and Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution Eric Lehman - Professor of English and Director of the Creative Writing Program at University of Bridgeport; author of Homegrown Terror: Benedict Arnold and the Burning of New London Brad Meltzer - Author of The Inner Circle; The Book of Fate; and The House of Secrets Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Chion Wolf, and Greg Hill contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world has an Alex Trebek-shaped hole in it. Which raises a question: Who should fill said hole? Billie Eilish has a new single out this week, which got The Nose thinking about her now-in-limbo James Bond theme song, which got The Nose thinking about James Bond theme songs in general. And: Ted Lasso is a half-hour comedy series on AppleTV+. It stars Jason Sudeikis as the title character, and it's based on a character Sudeikis developed in 2013 for a series of promos for NBC Sports's Premier League coverage, of all things. GUESTS: Jim Chapdelaine - An Emmy-winning musician, producer, composer, and recording engineer, and a patient advocate for people with rare cancers Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the surface, a flag is a piece of cloth with pretty colors and designs. That's the thing with flags. They're often judged on their aesthetics, but their power lies in how well their design captures the culture, religion, politics, and history of a place and its people.  We have flags for everything - nations, states, cities, sports teams, schools, micronations - you can even make your own flag with advice on how to do it. Keep it simple with 2-3 basic colors and skip the lettering. How can a flag unite a group around a single identity when people are unique and cultures change?  Today, we talk about flags. Check out the website of the North American Vexillological Association. It's filled with lots of good stuff. GUESTS: Mike Pesca is the host of the Slate daily podcast The Gist and a frequent contributor to NPR Alexandra Petrie is a columnist for the Washington Post and the author of A Field Guide to Awkward Silences Scot Guenter is a laureate of the International Federation of the Vexillological Association  and professor of American Studies at San Jose State University. He’s the author of The American Flag 1777-1924: Cultural Shifts from Creation to Codification and the founder of “Raven: A Journal of Vexillology You can join us on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On most Mondays, we scramble around trying to put together a show reacting to the weekend's news. But being that nothing much happened over this weekend, we decided just to take your calls this hour. 860-275-7266. Call in and talk to Colin about how you're feeling at the start of this new day, this new week -- this new era. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laszlo Ratesic is a nineteen-year veteran of the Speculative Service. He lives in the Golden State, the only place left in what was once America. Laszlo's job is to bring the worst criminals to justice, those who tell lies. In his new novel, Ben Winters creates a world which might sound Eden-esque in our era of misinformation.      It's getting more difficult to distinguish real from fake news, AI-assisted technology allows a bad actor to splice celebrity heads onto the faces of actors in a pornographic video, and major news organizations need to keep track of how often America's president lies.  Yet, we should be careful what we wish for. Philosophers like Derrida have long questioned the nature of truth; can there be one truth? If so, whose truth is it? While few of us want to return to the pre-internet days when everyone got their news from Walter Cronkite, we need to understand how to recognize when information is false and how it is spread. It's too easy to blame ignorance or a willful repudiation of the truth for the spread of misinformation. It's a lot more about who we trust.  For those who fear a Golden State could be our future, there's hope on the horizon if we're willing to pay attention.  GUESTS: Ben Winters - Author of ten novels including Underground Airlines, the award-winning Last Policeman trilogy, and most recently Golden State: A Novel James Owen Weatherall  - Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science at the University of California, Irvine and the author of three books. His most recent is The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread, co-authored with Cailin O’Connor  Aviv Ovadya - Founder of the Thoughtful Technology Project, set to launch soon, and a non-resident fellow at the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democrac (@metaviv) Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this showSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since nothing has really been going on lately, we figured we'd do an hour about the week in pop culture, as usual. The Nose is sad to see Sean Connery go. But it's glad to see John Mulaney on SNL again. And: The Queen's Gambit is Netflix's new limited series adaptation of the Walter Tevis novel of the same name. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Billy Joe Shaver, Seminal Outlaw-Country Songwriter, Dead at 81Best known as the songwriter of Waylon Jennings' 1973 album 'Honky Tonk Heroes,' the colorful Texas raconteur had his songs recorded by Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley The Crock-Pot Facebook group drama, explainedThe admin of the group said she goes into "full mama bear mode" when members are treated unkindly. 50 Best Movie Posters of the 2010s Tyra Banks Lands in Hot Water Over Takeout Order The Most-Watched Streaming Movies of 2020 Include 'Hamilton', 'Borat 2', 'My Spy', and More Robert Zemeckis Helped Revolutionize Visual Effects -- and Then Visual Effects Ruined Robert Zemeckis Why Johnny Depp's career is finished GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani - Handles social media marketing and event planning for Quiet Corner Communications David Edelstein - America's Greatest Living Film Critic Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump campaign threatened legal challenges Wednesday, to force four states to stop counting ballots after Joe Biden's wins in the battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin narrowed the President's path to reelection. How bad must an American president behave before a majority of voters repudiate him for his actions?  We want to hear from you. How are you coping with this current moment? Are you still proud to be an American? What do you want from your government and the next President? Call us at (888) 720-9677 with your questions, comments, concerns. GUEST: Bill Curry was White House counselor to President Bill Clinton and a two-time Democratic nominee for governor of Connecticut. Join us on Facebook and TwitterSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The one thing we knew for sure was that by the time we got to today, yesterday would be over. And it is. And we don't quite know what actually happened yet. This hour, we look at today and start to think about tomorrow... and the rest of the week... and maybe the weeks after that. GUESTS: David Folkenflik - NPR's media correspondent Michael Lynch - Professor of philosophy and director of the Humanities Institute at the University of Connecticut; the author of Know-It-All Society: Truth and Arrogance in Political Culture Chris Murphy - The junior U.S. senator from Connecticut Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Colin McEnroe Show has an Election Day tradition of celebrating voters by inviting "citizen observers" from around the state to share their experience with voting. An ongoing pandemic and tensions stemming from a deeply divided electorate make this a year like no other. People nationwide are working hard to make sure their vote is counted. They're voting early, they're waiting hours in line, and some are flying "home" to vote in-person to ensure their vote is counted.  Election Day still has the power to inspire and make me hopeful that we're more united than some would have us believe.  Call us today at (888) 720-9677 with your Election Day stories. We'll take as many calls as we can.   GUESTS:  Alicia Cobb is a visual artist and art instructor in Bridgeport. Madi Csejka is a 23-year-old voter living in Orange. Susan Clinard is the owner of Clinard Sculpture Studio in Hamden. John Dlugosz works in information  technology services at Trinity College. Ben Freund is the owner and operator of Freund's Farm, and Cow Pots, in East Canaan.  Lara Herscovitch is a singer-songwriter-poet, performer, and a former CT State Troubadour. Her latest album is "Highway Philosophers." Sarah Kaufold is a choral conductor and founder and artistic director of Consonare Choral Community Michael Moschen is a world-renowned juggler, performance artist, and recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant. George Noujaim is the owner of Noujaim's Bistro in Winsted. Kate Rushin is a poet, writer, and educator. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of us are approaching Election Day with a mix of excitement, hope, and fear, as we live with surging numbers of coronavirus cases, threats of civil unrest, and uncertainty over when the election will be decided -- and who will get to decide. We want to hear from you.  Call us at 888-720-9677 or 888-720-WNPR to share your hopes and concerns about Election Day and for a post-election America. GUEST: Alan Greenblatt - Senior staff writer covering politics and policy issues for Governing magazine; his work has been published in the New Republic, Vox, and American Conservative, among other publications (@alangreenblatt) Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (on Amazon Prime) is a sequel to 2006's Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Sacha Baron Cohen returns as the titular character. And: The Trial of the Chicago 7 (on Netflix) is Aaron Sorkin's film depiction of the 1969 trial of Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner, and Bobby Seale. Here, Baron Cohen plays Hoffman. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Pioneering drummer Viola Smith has died, aged 107The original 'hep girl' played a big part in the acceptance of female musicians Jerry Jeff Walker, a Trailblazer of the Cosmic Cowboy Sound, Passes Away at 78The country icon was, as fellow musician Lucinda Williams put it, an "American treasure." Mutiny! Prince Andrew 'could be sacked' as Commodore of Britain's most famous yacht club over his links to Jeffrey Epstein -- and be replaced by Duchess of Cambridge A Glance at Daily Life Among the Caretakers of Britain's Small IslandsStationed off the coast of Britain, island wardens manage preservation of their small speck of land -- while coping with extreme weather and limited access to the mainland 15 Years On, The Lonely Legacy Of 'Shadow Of The Colossus' Time Magazine replaces its name on cover for first time in 100 yearsEditors replaced "TIME" with the word of the moment: "VOTE." This Election, David Duchovny Wants to Go on Record"Sadly, it's a little prophetic at this point," actor-musician says of his new anti-Trump song "Layin' on the Tracks" What was fun?As we adjust to the "new normal," something's missing. Beethoven Has a First NameIt's time to "fullname" all composers in classical music. F*ck Sliders An East Dallas Home's Halloween Decorations Prompt Multiple Police Visits And Now, a Sinkhole Full of Rats Hollywood's Masked Killers Want You to Know How Hard Their Job IsThe actors who played Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Leatherface discuss the misconceptions around playing Hollywood's masked bogeymen. American Accident​: All the Presidents' Movies GUESTS: Jacques Lamarre - A playwright and director of client services at Buzz Engine Mercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media Group Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot of people are wondering if it's time to look at "court packing," and other court reforms, to address judiciary dysfunction that we can see playing out during this election and in the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett.  Look at what's happening with voting rights. The Supreme Court had been asked to intervene in several state decisions that would allow ballots postmarked by Election Day to be accepted in the first days after the election due to the high volume of mail-in ballots cast during a pandemic.  On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin mail-in ballots could not be accepted after Election Day. On Wednesday, they refused to hear a fast-tracked plea from Pennsylvania Republicans looking to block a three-day extension, and refused to block rulings allowing North Carolina to extend their deadlines.  In addition, voter suppression or intimidation tactics are happening in states like Nevada, Texas, and Michigan. And one week before the election, the mail is still slow.  Lastly, states led primarily by Republicans, have been trying to pack their state supreme courts for a decade, mostly for partisan advantage.   Do we need a new amendment to the Constitution that would protect against a minority no longer accountable to the people they serve? GUESTS:  Marin K Levy is a professor of law at Duke University and author of "Packing and Unpacking State Courts," published in the William & Mary Law Review earlier this year. (@marinklevy) Ian Millhiser is a senior correspondent at Vox, where he focuses on the Supreme Court and the Constitution. He’s the author of Injustices: The Supreme Court's History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted. (@imillhiser) Julie Suk is a Florence Rogatz Visiting Professor of Law at Yale Law School and Professor of Sociology, Political Science, and Liberal Studies at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Her new book is We the Women: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment (@JulieCSuk) Join the conversation on Facebook and TwitterSupport the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's our annual Halloween special! For this year, the script kind of wrote itself. We look at the way our current, actual horror is likely to affect our future fictional horror through the lens of the genre's past distinct historical eras. Plus: A new study that seems to say that horror fans were better prepared for the pandemic than the wimpy rest of us were. And: Every year on this show, for no particular reason, we look specifically at some classic horror movie that's celebrating its 40th anniversary. Two years ago, it was Halloween. Last year, it was Alien. This year, it's Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. And finally: The always-spooky staff endorsements. Note: This podcast version of the show is nearly four full minutes longer than the show as it's airing on WNPR. We couldn't fit all the good stuff into the constraints of radio, so we present to you here the show as we really wanted to make it. GUESTS: Carmen Baskauf - A producer for Where We Live on Connecticut Public Radio James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College Betsy Kaplan - Our senior producer Ryan Caron King - Visuals journalist for Connecticut Public Megan McCluskey - A reporter for Time magazine Carlos Mejia - Digital audience manager for Connecticut Public David Mikics - The author of Stanley Kubrick: American Filmmaker Ali Oshinskie - A reporter covering the Naugatuck River Valley for Connecticut Public Radio Coltan Scrivner - A PhD candidate in the Department of Comparative Human Development at The University of Chicago Catie Talarski - Senior director of storytelling and radio programming for Connecticut Public Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We wake up to coffee from a pod, listen to music through our EarPods from our iPods, drive our Smart cars and Fiats and other increasingly pod-shaped vehicles, wash our clothes using Tide pods, and while we wait for the clothes to dry, we listen to our favorite podcast through our AirPods from our HomePod. Sound about right? What is it about pods that we're so drawn to? And why do an increasing number of our products and services all feature the word "pod" in their name? Is it possible the pod's slick, liminal aesthetic or the allure of its Pandorian promise holds some sway over our subconscious? Might Freud have something to say about its curvature or its role in nature as a place of transformation, emergence, and ultimately independence? Perhaps it's the pod's minimalism and symmetry which appeal to us as we negotiate an increasingly chaotic world. Or is it simply an efficient design suited to meet the needs of our busy lives? This hour, we speak with experts and discuss the mystery of the pod in consumer- and pop-culture. We'll also look back over recent history and explore the possibility that we are, and always have been, pod people! GUESTS: Blanka Domagalska - Lecturer at Otis College of Art and Design teaching courses on product design with expertise in art history, media and cultural theory, philosophy, and aesthetic liminality Elvina Beck - Co-founder and CEO of Podshare Kotaro Aoki - Former philosophy major at Wesleyan University Jim Knipfel - A novelist and memoirist; he wrote the feature "The Legacy of Invasion of the Body Snatchers" for Den of Geek Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired December 26, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump Administration continues to downplay the pandemic, Vice-President Mike Pence campaigns even as staff members in his inner circle test positive for SARS-CoV-2, and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," that the Administration is no longer going to control the pandemic. Some Americans are beginning to fear a dark post-election America if the other side wins. Fear of the "other" candidate winning is felt by Biden and Trump supporters. Americans usually fear foreign threats, not each other. Does the pandemic have us on edge or is something deeper going on in America? Also this hour: The Trump Administration is counting on a vaccine by the end of the year. But approval of a vaccine may signal the beginning of a long year tracking the safety of potentially multiple vaccines in the absence of a vaccine safety office dedicated solely to leading the effort.  GUESTS:  Yascha Mounk is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Persuasion, an associate Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, and a contributing editor at The Atlantic. His latest book is "The People Vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is In Danger and How To Save It." @yascha_mounk   Carl Zimmer is the author of thirteen books about science. His next book, “Life’s Edge: The Search For What It Means To Be Alive,” will be published in March 2021. He writes the "Matter" column for The New York Times, and is an adjunct professor at Yale. (@carlzimmer) Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has come to The Nose's attention that you can rent an entire movie theater out for just $99 and have yourself a slightly less pandemic-panicky moviegoing experience. Which got us thinking about, just, going to the movies. Remember going to the movies? And then: "Which of the Hollywood Chrises is the worst Hollywood Chris?" is a question the internet has been grappling with recently. As with all things internet, there's now a bit of a controversy. And: David Byrne's American Utopia is Spike Lee's HBO movie version of Byrne's American Utopia Broadway show, which is a theater version of Byrne's American Utopia tour, which Byrne did in support of his album, American Utopia. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: A Disturbing Twinkie That Has, So Far, Defied Science Alan Arkin on Hollywood success: 'I was miserable pretty much all of the time'In his mid-30s, the actor was living the dream, but was far from happy. As he publishes his memoir Out of My Mind, he talks about turning his life around -- and the disgraced guru he pinned his hopes on Last Week Tonight - The John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant is Here! Mike 'Doc' Emrick retiring from legendary NHL broadcasting career Actor Jeff Bridges Tweets That He Has Been Diagnosed With Lymphoma The Pandemic Lessons From MLB's Surprisingly Successful Season COVID-19 Pauses Production On Joe Rogan's Podcast The Outfield Frontman Tony Lewis Dead at 62 Tom Lehrer Is Releasing His Lyrics and Music Into the Public Domain Apple Launches 'Apple Music TV,' a 24-Hour Music Video Livestream Keith Jarrett Confronts a Future Without the PianoThe pathbreaking musician reveals the health issues that make it unlikely he will ever again perform in public. 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' won't air on ABC this year, moves to Apple TV+The popular Halloween special, which premiered on CBS in 1966, will instead air on demand on AppleTV+ for free from Oct. 30-Nov. 1. NASA To Make Major Announcement Of 'Exciting News' About The MoonFlying observatory that made new discovery is able to 'pick up phenomenon impossible to see with visible light', space agency notes The 50 Best Movie and TV Show Twists of All TimeFrom 'Fight Club' to 'Game of Thrones,' from 'The Sixth Sense' to 'Lost,' nothing hits quite as hard as a shocking reveal Rethinking Appropriation and Wokeness in Pop MusicOver the last decade, the language and aesthetics of social justice have become the social currency of the music industry (and pop culture at large), ultimately yielding the myth that representation solves everything. This is one story of how we got there, and where we carefully go from here. Artist In Residence Creates Portraits Of Reform At The District Attorney's Office AOC's debut Twitch stream is one of the biggest everAnd she's genuinely pretty good at Among Us Scientists have found a rare half-male, half-female songbird GUESTS: Taneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorks Bill Yousman - Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Secession is in the air. Britain withdrew from the European Union, Scotland wants out of the U.K., Catalonia from Spain, and, wait for it, California from the U.S. Yes, the days of our country's states being united may soon come to an end. In fact, not only is California home to active secessionist and separatist movements, but so are Texas, Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, Vermont, and several other states. And with the degree to which our nation seems divided, one wonders if this isn't long overdue. This hour, we speak with legal experts and advocates about the growing calls for secession both here and abroad. Would nations be better off if they allowed their citizens to secede, forming smaller, more like-minded sovereign territories? Would the citizens be better off? And, to be quite frank, would any of this even be legal? GUESTS: Francis H. Buckley - Foundation professor at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, senior editor at The American Spectator, and the author of American Secession: The Looming Threat of a National Breakup Marcus Ruiz Evans - Co-founder of the Yes California movement and author of California's Next Century Erica Frankenberg - Professor of education and demography in the College of Education at Penn State University and co-author of several books including Educational Delusions?: Why Choice Can Deepen Inequality and How to Make Schools Fair Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 27, 2020.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1990's, the Southport Sockmen, otherwise known as Steven Bain and Steven Gawthrop, paid drunk people in Liverpool bars and clubs to give them the socks they were wearing. The Sockmen took photos of each “donor,” before placing each sock and its matching donor photo in a plastic bag. The police found 4,000 pairs of socks piled 18 inches deep when they arrived to arrest the pair for "acts of gross indecency." The socks were also hanging from the furniture and lampshades - and some were in the microwave.  Most of us put on a pair of clean socks every morning. Beyond what color and style we choose, we don't give much thought to the history, craft, or fashion of socks. Nor do we think about the intimacy of the sock. Almost half of sexual fetishes are for feet, shoes, or socks. This seemingly boring object that we wear on our feet every day, is really quite interesting. GUESTS: Kim Adrian is the author of the memoir 'The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet.' Her most recent book, 'Dear Knausgaard,' was published in September. She teaches at Grub Street in downtown Boston. Kara Mavros is a writer based in New York. Chloe Bryan is the deputy editor for Mashable’s shopping section, covering tech and lifestyle products. Previously, she was a culture reporter for Mashable. (@chloebryan) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our ancestors viewed sleep as a highly sensual and transcendent experience. Today, about a third of adults have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or feeling rested. We're becoming a nation of insomniacs. We live in what Rubin Naiman calls, a "wake-centric era,” where sleeping and dreaming are viewed as less important than being awake and on the go. It's hard to come down from the hyperaroused state we whip ourselves into by the end of a day.  It's not surprising that we can't sleep.  Insomnia can be miserable when all we want to do is sleep. But it's more a human condition than a medical condition to be solved by sleeping pills and tech gadgets.  Plus, insomnia can have its upside. Our minds can be more open to insights and new possibilities in the dark quiet of night when our thoughts can wander to unknown places that the conscious mind can’t see.  GUESTS:  Marina Benjamin is a writer and Senior Editor at Aeon magazine. She’s written five books. Her latest memoir is Insomnia. She’s also the author of The Middlepause and Garden Among Fires: A Lockdown Anthology. (@marinab52) Rubin Naiman is a psychologist, clinical assistant professor of medicine and the sleep and dream specialist at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine (@drnaiman) Charlotte Jee is a writer and reporter for MIT Technology Review, where she also writes The Download newsletter (@charlottejee) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump asked journalist Tony Schwartz to ghostwrite his memoir, "The Art of the Deal," because Trump liked the unflattering story Schwartz wrote for New York magazine, about Trump's effort to evict rent-controlled tenants from his Manhattan apartment building. Schwartz agreed and has been atoning for that decision ever since.  Also this hour: The Covid Tracking Project shows the US may be entering a third surge of coronavirus infections that is more widespread than the regional spikes we saw last spring and summer. We still don't have a national plan to manage it and Trump officials continue to downplay the risk and spread misinformation about herd immunity.   GUESTS: Tony Schwartz is a journalist and political commentator. His most recent book is Dealing with the Devil: My Mother, Trump, and Me. He’s also the ghostwriter for Donald Trump’s 1987 memoir, The Art of the Deal. He’s the founder and CEO of The Energy Project (@tonyschwartz) Jeremy Konyndyk is a senior policy fellow and pandemic preparedness expert at the Center for Global Development. He was the director of USAID’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance 2013-2016. (@JeremyKonyndyk) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Burr hosted Saturday Night Live last weekend, and his monologue -- which included bits about wearing masks, cancel culture, white women in the "woke" movement, Pride Month, and more -- has drawn some criticism. It has The Nose thinking about "How President Trump Ruined Political Comedy." And: The West Wing ran for seven seasons and 156 episodes and ended more than 14 years ago. A new reunion special debuted yesterday, and it's got The Nose wondering how the classic show -- with its Capraesque, idealized vision of American politics -- plays against our present reality. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Joe Morgan, driving force of Big Red Machine, dies at 77 NY Philharmonic cancels entire concert season for the first time in its 178-year history 20 Notable UConn Alumni Who Changed the World Kate McKinnon breaks character, addresses viewers during 'SNL': 'Such a crazy time'The fourth-wall busting moment summed up this year pretty well. Woman says Southwest wouldn't let her on plane due to 'inappropriate' outfitKayla Eubanks said Southwest Airlines employees told her that she needed to wear a shirt over her outfit in order to board one of their planes. Inside Gravity's daring mission to make jetpacks a realityInventors like Richard Browning have been trying to build jetpacks for a century. Now they're here, what do we do with them? Dying swan or lame duck? Why 'Fatima' the ballerina's next job was tripping up the governmentA new advert suggesting a ballerina retrain for a job in 'cyber' has faced a backlash. What were they thinking? The rise and fall and rise of Kevin Smith's MallratsThe writer-director recalls making his ribald comedy, whose cast includes Jeremy London, Jason Lee, Shannen Doherty, Claire Forlani, and Ben Affleck. Cardi B Breaks Her Silence After Accidentally Posting Private Pic: 'Lord,Why Did You Make Me So Stupid?' 'Jagged Little Pill' leads Tony Awards nominations with 15 J.J. Abrams, Ava DuVernay, Mariska Hargitay Among 100 Top Hollywood Players Protesting NBC's Trump Town Hall The DC Universe is taking a giant leap into the futureDC Comics' next event, Future State, launches in January Tab, Coca-Cola's Diet-Soda Pioneer and a '70s Icon, Is Going AwayThe beverage maker had held on to the fading brand to appease its loyal fan base, but the coronavirus pandemic prompted a culling of the company's products GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani - Handles social media marketing and event planning for Quiet Corner Communications Theresa Cramer - A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pandemic, coupled with Black Lives Matter protests, and incendiary rhetoric from President Trump, has riled up anti-government militias across the US, most evident in the recent foiled plot by militia groups in Michigan, to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer.  Anti-government movements emerged in the 1990's, in response to the government's deadly siege at Ruby Ridge, the Waco standoff with the Branch Davidians, former President Bill Clinton's passage of  NAFTA, and two new gun control laws, one of which banned assault weapons. The FBI took these groups more seriously after anti-government extremist Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in 1995, that killed 168 people, including 19 children.  It used to be hard for people with extreme ideologies to find one another. Now, groups across the country are networking, posting hate speech, and planning events on Facebook. Hate speech goes against Facebook policy but the posts are rarely removed.    GUESTS: Amy Cooter is a senior lecturer in Sociology at Vanderbilt University (@AmyCooter) Andrew Marantz is a staff writer for The New Yorker. He writes about technology, social media, and the alt-right. He’s the author of Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation (@andrewmarantz) Mark Pitcavage is a historian and senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism. Prior to joining ADL in 2000, Dr. Pitcavage trained law enforcement officers on domestic terrorism in a Justice Department anti-terrorism program created after the Oklahoma City bombing. (@egavactip) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Undoubtedly, the thing that will most be remembered from Wednesday night's vice presidential debate is the fly that landed on Mike Pence's hair... and then stay there for more than two minutes. The Nose isn't sure what to make of that, exactly, but things are definitely being made of it. And: Fargo is an anthology that premiered on FX in 2014. It's inspired by the Coen brothers' 1996 film. The fourth season, which is airing now, stars Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, and Jason Schwartzman, and it's set in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1950. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Eddie Van Halen, Virtuoso of the Rock Guitar, Dies at 65His outpouring of riffs, runs and solos was hyperactive and athletic, making deeper or darker emotions feel irrelevant. The band he led was one of the most popular of all time. Mac Davis, Country Singer and Elvis Presley Songwriter, Dead at 78Singer-songwriter wrote Elvis Presley's indelible "In the Ghetto" alongside solo hits like "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" and "Stop and Smell the Roses" 'GLOW' Canceled By Netflix; Won't Proceed With Fourth & Final Season Due To COVID-19 Why Is Mainstream Media Choosing to Silence Us?An article published by The New York Times discussing the "comeback" of the guitar propels our investigation into the dangers of mainstream narratives. Super-Concierge Doctors, High-Design Home Classrooms, and Catered Backyard Dinners: Lifestyles of the Rich and QuarantinedThis is what a luxe lockdown in Washington looks like. People Are Calling Out Chris Pratt For Making An "Insensitive" Joke About Voting And Yikes"Read the room." Led Zeppelin Emerges Victor in 'Stairway to Heaven' Plagiarism Case Sorry, But The Yankees Are The Good Guys Robert Downey Jr. Is Developing a 'Sherlock Holmes' Cinematic Universe to Follow the Next Sequel Cineworld Closing Theater Venues Following 'No Time to Die' Delay Most of Scottish Wikipedia Written By American in Mangled EnglishScots is an official language of Scotland. An administrator of the Scots Wikipedia page is an American who doesn't speak Scots but simply tries to write in a Scottish accent. Why Are Pandemic Sports Ratings So Terrible? People Are Just Finding Out Chris Evans Is Covered In Tattoos After He Posted A Video Doing A Backflip Into A PoolThis was a major oversight on my part. What Is the Best Adam Sandler Movie?What is an "Adam Sandler movie," for that matter? Danbury City Council passes vote to rename sewage plant after HBO's John Oliver GUESTS: Shawn Murray - A stand up comedian and writer Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.