The Colin McEnroe Show

President Trump leaves chaos in his wake. There is chaos in Syria. Turkish artillery fire is targeting the Kurdish-led militia that has been allied with U.S. Special Forces over the last five years in their war against ISIS. Syrians are fleeing their homes, ISIS prisoners are escaping from prisons no longer guarded by the Kurds, and the last U.S. troops pulled out on Sunday. The developing crisis has heightened criticism of President Trump, who agreed to move American troops out of Turkey’s way in a phone call with Turkey’s president last week, despite strong opposition from U.S. military officials and the State Department.  There is chaos surrounding the impeachment inquiry. The White House is threatening to defy subpoenas of documents and witnesses key to the investigation. The president is defending his personal lawyer whose behavior is being investigated and lashing out on Twitter about those who oppose him.  Today, we have two segments. The first will be with a guest on the unfolding crisis in Syria. The second is your phone calls. What are your predictions for what's going to happen in the House impeachment inquiry? Where will we be on January 1? On March 1?  GUEST: Robin Wright - Correspondent for The New Yorker and the author of seven books on the Mideast, most recently, Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World. She’s a joint fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson Center. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joker is director Todd Phillips's modern take on movies like Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. It stars Joaquin Phoenix in the title role in what happens also to be... a Batman movie. It's been called "a gloriously daring and explosive film" and "a movie that borders on genius" but also "bleak and juvenile" and "a movie of a cynicism so vast and pervasive as to render the viewing experience even emptier than its slapdash aesthetic does." And: Toy Story 4 is out on Blu-ray and iTunes and such this week. In its theatrical run, it became the highest-grossing G-rated movie ever made, the fifth-highest-grossing animated movie ever made, and the third-highest-grossing movie of the year so far. And it is "perhaps the bleakest (and most beautiful)" of all the Toy Story movies. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Le Creuset Announces STAR WARS Line of Cookware Raking leaves again this fall? Stop right now Filming the Show: Pardon the Intrusion? Or Punish It?A seized phone. A stopped concert. A text from Rihanna. All are new fuel for a heated debate about theater etiquette in the digital age. Trustworthy and chill: Alex Trebek, we're rooting for you New Dr Pepper and Cream Soda is Coming Soon GUESTS: James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College Pedro Soto - President and CEO of Hygrade Precision Technologies Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On January 31, 2018, Kristin and Mike Song's 15-year-old son Ethan Song, accidentally shot and killed himself at his friend's house. They were handling a gun they knew was kept in a bedroom closet. The gun was one of three guns owned by the friend's father. They were in a cardboard box inside a tupperware container that was hidden in a bedroom closet. The guns had locks but the keys and ammunition were in the same box.  The son was charged with manslaughter. The dad was not charged. There was a loophole in Connecticut's law. The Song's channeled their grief into political action that led to "Ethan's Law." Today, we talk about how citizens can use their power of self-government to make change happen at a time when so many of us feel powerless. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen Wednesday at 1:00 pm.  Jimmy Webb was possibly the most successful songwriter of the 1960's and 1970's. Classics like "Galveston," "Wichita Lineman," "Up, Up, and Away," and "MacArthur Park," were recorded by hundreds of artists from Glen Campbell to Donna Summer. Webb wrote the songs that others made famous. Colin has wanted to interview Mr. Webb for a very long time, and on September 5, the CMS team made the trek to Glen Cove, New York to meet the musician, and his wife Laura Savini, at a recording studio.  Our adventure was not without adversity. We had to catch a very early ferry from Bridgeport to Port Jefferson and drive across Long Island. A flat tire forced us to miss our ferry back home to Connecticut (and our dinner). It didn't matter though. What we took home from our day were the sweet remains of time spent with friends, great music, and a spectacular sunset.  For the first time in CMS history, we decided to create two shows from our time with Mr. Webb. It was too good to cut. Today, we bring you part two of our two-hour show with Jimmy Webb. Listen to Part One.  GUEST:  Jimmy Webb - Songwriter, pianist, composer, storyteller. He’s won Grammy Awards for his music, lyrics and orchestration. His songs include “Galveston,” “Wichita Lineman,” and “MacArthur Park.” He’s the author of Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting, and his 2017 memoir, The Cake and the Rain. His latest album is Slipcover. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re exploring the world of Barbershop Harmony; from its roots in the African American community to its influence in other genres, Barbershop is an important piece of the puzzle in the American music scene. For many, Barbershop calls to mind old people, singing old songs - but ask any Barbershopper and they’ll tell you nothing can be further from the truth. For them, there is a youthful joy, a sense of family, a love for the music and the performance in a dynamic and empowering setting. And if you let them, they’ll gladly share it with you. So sit back and enjoy the sounds of Barbershop. Hopefully, we’ll ring a few chords along the way.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Supreme Court begins a new session Monday. It will be the first full term since the more conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh replaced the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. It's shaping up to be one of the most significant sessions in a long time with the potential to significantly limit reproductive and LGBTQ rights, put DACA recipients at risk for deportation, and expand gun rights.  Also this hour: An attorney for the whistle-blower concerned that President Trump's July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posed a national security risk, confirms that he's now representing a second whistle-blower who works in the intelligence community and has first-hand knowledge of the president's actions. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Netflix limited series Unbelievable stars Toni Collette, Merritt Wever, and Kaitlyn Dever. It tells the true story of a serial rapist and the investigation that caught him, and it's based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Marshall Project and ProPublica article "An Unbelievable Story of Rape" and the This American Life episode based on that. Other possible topics include: McDreamy, McSteamy, and McConnellCongressional fan fiction is real, it's glorious, and it might be reshaping our political world. Aidy Bryant's SNL Gigglefest Is Chaotic Good Joaquin Phoenix isn't joking around in his awkward Jimmy Kimmel Live interview Joaquin Phoenix and Jimmy Kimmel Play Up the Joker Controversy by Airing Profane "Outtake" Fiona Apple Is Still Calling BullshitThe singer spends most of her time at home, working on a new album. That doesn't mean she's not paying attention. Reese Witherspoon Learning TikTok From Her Son Is The End-All"The Morning Show" star is a hoot as she tries out the short-form video app with her 15-year-old, Deacon Phillippe. No boys allowed: Women-only hotel opens in Spain on dreamy island of Mallorca Snoop Dogg reminds Tekashi 6ix9ine that Martha Stewart didn't snitch on anybody Beer Vendor Accused Of Charging $724 For Two Beers At Dolphins Game A Big Question About Prime Numbers Gets a Partial AnswerThe twin primes conjecture has bedeviled mathematicians for more than a century. Now there's a solution for one version of it. Bill Maher on the perils of political correctness. I Regret To Inform You the Comedians Are Filling Their Big Diapers AgainUh oh, comedians are afraid that woke meanies are censoring all their jokes Curious Kids: Why do old people hate new music? GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani - A writer for The Red Hook Star-Revue Cara McDonough - Freelance writer; you can read her blog at caramcduna.com Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

October is upon us. Pumpkin spice everything is here. Leaf peeping is just around the corner. Your one slightly odd neighbor has put out his 37 hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns. But more than any of that, what October brings with it is October sports. And this year, in Connecticut, that means two things: The Connecticut Sun is in the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2005. The best-of-five series, against the Washington Mystics, is tied at one game apiece. Game Three will be at Mohegan Sun on Sunday. And the New York Yankees won 103 games (they're one of four 100-win teams this year) and the American League East pennant. Their Division Series starts Friday night against the Minnesota Twins. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox are -- [checks notes] -- not playing any more games? Can that be right? Huh. That's too bad. Plus, the rules have changed in Mexico's pro baseball league, and American-born players are now allowed. Their stories ring familiar. GUESTS: Joseph Bien-Kahn - Los Angeles-based writer who covers tech, culture, and odd desert things Lindsay Gibbs - Covers the Washington Mystics for The Athletic; co-host of the feminist sports podcast Burn It All Down Frankie Graziano - Reporter for Connecticut Public Radio Eric Stephen - Baseball writer and writer of other things for SB Nation's news desk Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen Tuesday at 1:00 pm. On September 5, our team traveled to Glen Cove, New York to interview legendary songwriter, Jimmy Webb.  The interview has been on our "to do" list for four years, and it was worth every minute of the wait. For the first time in CMS history, we've decided to create two shows from Webb's stories and music. (Part two will be available next Wednesday, October 9.) The day was not without adversity. We had to catch a very early ferry from Bridgeport to Port Jefferson and drive across Long Island to a recording studio near Mr. Webb's home. A flat tire forced us to miss our ferry back home to Connecticut (and our dinner). We were hungry and tired. Yet, the day was special for us all. We bonded, met kind people, and we reveled in Webb's stories and artistry. To cap it off, the late ferry we caught to Connecticut brought us a sunset we would never have seen if our day had gone as planned.   It's funny how adversity can turn into serendipity.     GUESTS: Jimmy Webb - Songwriter, pianist, composer, storyteller. He’s won Grammy Awards for his music, lyrics and orchestration. His songs include “Galveston,” “Wichita Lineman,” and “MacArthur Park.” He’s the author of Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting, and his 2017 memoir, The Cake and the Rain. His latest album is Slipcover. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's show might get a bit dicey. In fact,  it's almost certainly headed for Trouble. And all we can say is Sorry, that's Life! Okay, fine, let's drop the Charades. Today's show is about board games. Is that a big enough Clue? From classics like Monopoly, Candyland, and Scrabble to current megahits like Magic, Gloomhaven, and Dungeons and Dragons, board games have been bringing people together for ages. And in a time full of polarizing issues and digital divides, maybe that's just what we need. This hour, we'll talk with board-game designers and industry experts about the best new titles on the market, what it takes to make a really great game and where the industry is going next. We'll also explore the ancient Chinese game Go, and hear how Google's new AlphaGo program is squaring off against today's top players.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot has happened since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi initiated an impeachment inquiry against President Trump last week after learning that Trump asked Ukrainian president Volodymyr Velensky to interfere in the 2020 election. Public support for the inquiry is rising after an edited transcript of Trump's conversation was released to the public along with a transcipt of the whistleblower complaint at the center of the scandal. The complaint reads like a novel, alleging the use of pass code protected servers, secret meetings, and the involvement of lawyers in the State and Justice Departments. We try to make sense of all of it with Connecticut senator Chris Murphy, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich, and your calls. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Nose couldn't decide which of last weekend's two big new movies to go see, so it went to both. Downton Abbey, the feature film continuation of the incredibly popular PBS series, is the number one movie in the country. Its $31 million opening was the biggest ever for the studio that made it, Focus Features. Not bad for a PG-rated, special effects-free drama made for grownups. James Gray's Ad Astra is kind of at the opposite end of a number of spectrums. As a huge, expensive space adventure that travels to Neptune and back, its #2 opening is underperforming its budget a bit. But it's also being called, "one of the most ruminative, withdrawn, and curiously optimistic space epics this side of Solaris," and, "also one of the best." Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Hefty launches 'talking trash bags' for millennials, with phrases like 'I'm so trashy' and 'Feed me tacos & tell me I'm pretty' Vox Media Acquires New York Magazine, Chronicler of the Highbrow and Lowbrow Mattel helped define gender norms for decades with Barbie and Ken. Now it’s defying them. Billy Joel Anthology TV Series in the Works (Exclusive) Danny DeVito, Never Retire (Bitch) Glitter Pumpkin Butts Are the NSFW Halloween Trend You Need to See The Hyphen AffairWhy grammar nerds keep getting so furious with the Associated Press -- and why they're wrong. Ashton Kutcher Pushes For Trump Impeachment After Meeting Ukrainian President Eddie Murphy Is Bringing Eddie Murphy BackIn a wide-ranging interview, the star explains why he's returning to stand-up and the big screen, why he regrets leaving and why it's hard to watch himself in "Raw" these days. On Airlines, Window Shades Are the New Reclining Seats Is Donald Trump Really Just Andy Kaufman in Disguise? An Investigation GUESTS: Tom Breen - Film critic and reporter for the New Haven Independent; host of WNHH radio's Deep Focus Lucy Gellman - Editor of The Arts Paper; host of WNHH radio's Kitchen Sync Pedro Soto - An aerospace executive working on a secret project Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been 25 years since Bob Ross's The Joy of Painting went off the air (and 24 years since Ross died). But there are 52 episodes of the show available to stream on Netflix. Bob Ross and Chill is a thing. The 403 full episodes available on YouTube have accumulated something approaching 250 million views. And this summer, The New York Times did a big Bob Ross investigation. This hour: a look at the undying force for permed hair and puffy little clouds and happy little trees that is Bob Ross. Plus: Could we do a show about Bob Ross without also talking Thomas Kinkade? No we could not. And so no we will not. GUESTS: Nathan Badley - Cohost of the Nothing But a Bob Thang podcast Alexis Boylan - Associate professor of art history at UConn and the editor of Thomas Kinkade, The Artist in the Mall Justin Croft - Cohost of the Nothing But a Bob Thang podcast Emily Rhyne - Cinematographer at The New York Times Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An epoch of our own making is one way to describe it. And as the Anthropocene is set to be formally recognized as a chrono-stratigraphic unit in the next couple of years, scientists, philosophers, engineers and many more are exploring unconventional ways of adapting to this new era. From terraforming cities to preserve Holocenic conditions, to collaborating with non-human life forms to "re-wild" our planet, to releasing chemicals into the stratosphere to block sunlight, no experiment, it seems, is  off limits.  On today's show we'll speak with the visionary thinkers behind these ideas. Are they desperate measures meant for desperate times, a means of starting a conversation about change, or are they viable solutions to one of our species' greatest threats?Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women in America die more frequently from complications of childbirth than in any other industrialized nation in the world. In addition, women of color are three to four times more likely to die than white women. And over the last 25 years that the maternal mortality was rising in America, other countries were decreasing their rate.  There are lots of reasons why maternal mortality and morbidity is rising, including  lack of access, the high rate of caesarian sections, racial bias, bias against women's health issues, and a medical model that medicalizes a normal process.   While no one action can explain why maternal mortality rates are lower in European countries, we do know that they utilize one resource that we don't: midwives and doulas. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

House Democrats are moving closer to initiating impeachment proceedings against President Trump after he confirmed that he discussed 2020 presidential candidate and political rival Joe Biden, with the Ukrainian president. The possibility that the president may have subjugated the national interest for personal political gain is a "new chapter of lawlessness," according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Is this the tipping point for impeachment? What are the implications of seeking to impeach -- or not?  Also this hour: Have you ever noticed that President Trump has a habit of quietly stating his alleged offenses out loud?  Beulah, a 54-year-old Asian elephant that belonged to Connecticut-based R.W. Commerford & Sons Zoo, died at the Big E last week, sparking outrage from animal rights activists who have been trying to have elephants removed from traveling zoos for years. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merriam-Webster has added 533 new words to its dictionary. Words like "deep state," "pickleball," "escape room," and "Bechdel test." My favorite is probably "fatberg." But there's a particular new dictionary entry that The Nose is specifically interested in: "dad joke." Also this week: The Nose tackles what we're pretty sure is its first certifiable bomb ever. The new movie adaptation of The Goldfinch opened last weekend on more than 2,500 screens at #8 at the domestic box office. It took in a little over $2.6 million. It is the sixth-worst opening for a release that wide in the history of movies. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: SNL Fires New Cast Member Shane Gillis James Corden Has No Time for Bill Maher's Fat Shaming Piers Morgan Supports Bill Maher's Call For Fat-shaming To Make A Comeback Sean Spicer Appearing on Dancing With the Stars Is a Sign of the End Times They're Coming! Area 51 Joke Spawns Dueling Alien-Themed PartiesThe organizers of one alien-themed party went their separate ways this week, leading to accusations of secrecy and poor planning. The US Navy just confirmed these UFO videos are the real deal I Was Caroline CallowaySeven years after I met the infamous Instagram star, I'm ready to tell my side of the story. Ric Ocasek's Eternal Cool Was Ric Ocasek Actually 75?Some sources said the Cars frontman, who died Sunday, was 70. Here's how The Times figured out the right age. NBCUniversal Announces 'Peacock' As The Name Of Its Streaming Service And Unveils Initial Content Lineup Someone Just Discovered John Milton's Copy of Shakespeare, Which Is Absolutely Bananas After 350 Years, Scholars Have Found Another Hidden Message in Milton's 'Paradise Lost' Whitney Houston Hologram Tour Announces First Dates Amber Heard Defends Herself Against Backlash After Posting Risque Photo on Instagram Friends Is a Gen X Show. Why Don't We Ever Call It That? Inconceivable! Rumour of The Princess Bride remake sends fans into pit of despair Cruel Food Brands Mangle Books For Meme Challenge. Readers Aren't Having It.Books are doused with milk and gummed up with Gushers. Publishers, readers, bookstores and libraries resist. GUESTS: Taneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorks Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Though country music is considered the most popular genre of music in America, its influence is profoundly regional. The style is known for appealing to the white working class, and is largely sequestered in southern and midwestern pockets of the country. Meanwhile, coastal elites tend to regard the genre with disdain. "I like everything but country" is a popular refrain. This hour, we unpack one of the country's most polarizing genres.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if you just don't really enjoy food very much? What if you're totally fine eating the same thing every single day? What if you think food is an inefficient way to get what you need to survive? What if, rather than eating "food," you just mixed a white powder (that is definitely not made of people because it's made of soy protein isolate instead) with water and drank that in food's place? This hour: a look at what you might call the non-foodie movement and the "powdered food" meal replacement product that is Soylent.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ocean Vuong emigrated to Hartford from Vietnam when he was two years old. His family brought with them the trauma of an American-led war that ravaged their people and their culture. How do they retain their culture and assimilate into one that doesn't want them? His family struggled in a Hartford very different from the city that many of us experience. It's a place that still exists in the shadows. Ocean’s family is a snapshot into a bigger and more pervasive picture of the problems in America that many choose to hide -- the toll of low-wage work, poverty, drugs, violence, and the erasure of histories and ways of living life that don't fit neatly into the American myth. Ocean's first novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, is an American story, albeit one about the failure of America. This is an excerpt. GUEST: Ocean Vuong - A poet and the author of the novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 17, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fear of sharks spiked last summer after a great white fatally bit a 26-year-old surfer off the coast of Cape Cod. The fever still runs high as reports of great white sightings coincide with people heading to the beach. Yet, we have a higher risk of getting hit by lightning than killed by a great white shark. The myth of the great white, exacerbated by the 1975 megahit Jaws, is false. Great whites are not the aggressive creatures still perpetuated in popular media. We're more likely to survive a shark bite simply because sharks don't like the way we taste. They spit us out if they accidentally mistake us for a seal.   The convergence of globally warming waters off our east coast and the repopulation of seals and great whites after a previous panic nearly wiped them out, means we'll have to learn to share the ocean.  Instead of pursuing shark repellents like sonar buoys, electric shark shields, and seal contraception, should we consider how we can co-exist with the creatures of the sea? Besides, whose ocean is it anyway?  The fish were there first. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, John Belushi, John Candy, Rick Moranis. Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Beverly Hills Cop, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, ¡Three Amigos!, Funny Farm, Spaceballs, Stripes. We maybe didn't properly appreciate it at the time, but the 1980s were one of the most fertile periods ever for screen comedies and screen comedians. This hour, a look at the mavericks who shaped a whole comedy aesthetic and at some of the most popular movie comedies ever made.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A photo of people inching their way up a snaking line to the peak of Mount Everest last month has drawn attention to a number of problems, one of which was the jostling at the top of the mountain to take social media-ready selfies and photos. That got us wondering if other people were risking their lives for that perfect photo. It turns out that more than 250 people worldwide have died while taking selfies in just over the last decade, according to a study published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. Drowning, transport, and falls are the top reasons for death. Today, we talk about how a social media-driven visual culture is shaping how we work, play, and experience life. Are we willing to die for that perfect photo? Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're shopping for groceries. Out of the blue your heart starts to race, your knees feel week, you feel like you can't breathe, like you might be having a heart attack. You wonder if you're losing your mind -- but you're not. You're having a panic attack.  About 1 in 4 people have had at least one panic attack during their lives, yet few like to admit it. Because panic manifests through physical symptoms that can mimic a heart attack, a lot of people feel shame when they go to the ER and find there's nothing wrong with them. In the absence of a test that defines panic, a lot of people worry they might be losing their mind.   Also this hour: Panic ensued in Times Square in early August when a motorcycle backfired. Fear of being caught in the crossfire of gun shots has led to a collective panic of loud noises in public places. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In early 2017, The New York Times uncovered a program at the Defense Department which investigated unidentified flying objects. Then, at the end of May, the reporters published another article, getting navy pilots to talk on the record about their encounters with unidentified flying objects.  In November 2018, the chair of Harvard's Astronomy Department, Avi Loeb, co-wrote a paper about an interestellar object, 'Oumuamua, writing, "Alternatively, a more exotic scenario is that 'Oumuamua may be a fully operational probe sent intentionally to Earth vicinity by an alien civilization." What does this all mean? And does it matter that these aknowledgements are coming from a paper like The New York Times, or a scientist from Harvard?  This hour, we'll talk to Leslie Kean and Avi Loeb about their research, and we'll hear from people who have believed in extraterrestrial life all along about what it's like to see this news. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We want to hear your thoughts on what it's like to be "living in a Trump salad," on this all-call Monday. (Colin coined the term.) First, there's #sharpiegate. Last week, President Trump unleashed on the media for reporting his error tweeting  a warning about Hurricane Dorian that included the state of Alabama. To prevent mass evacuation, the National Weather Service corrected his error. Alabama was not in danger.  It led to his doctoring of a weather map with a black Sharpie, and two government agencies and a FOX senior White House correspondent backing the president's misinformation. Mocking memes under the hashtag #sharpiegate rose in response to the president's efforts to alter the truth.  His volatility also led to an impetuous decision to break off peace talks with the Taliban, and questionable U.S. Air Force expenditures at an airport that benefits a Trump property in Scotland. Last week, Vice-President Pence stayed at a Trump hotel while on a taxpayer-funded trip to Ireland. It would be funny if these incidents didn't serve to further normalize the president's war on truth, the media, and his ability to divert the country's attention away from trade wars, talk of pending recession and other important news.  What are we to make of all of this? Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's hard to believe, but The Matrix is 20 years old this year. And its influence is all over the culture with bullet time and red pills and the "woah" meme and so much more. We take the question of whether we're living in a simulation much more seriously than we did 20 years ago. We're much more attuned to the allegory for the trans experience that The Matrix might well have been. And with John Wick 3 released this spring, Toy Story 4 out this summer, Cyberpunk 2077 out next year, and Bill & Ted 3 just finalizing production, the Keanussance is upon us.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we've started our second decade on the air. Over the first ten years, we did some number north of 2,000 shows. And every one of those shows was intended, more or less, to be about some... thing. Towels or Trump or toast or television or whatever. This hour we do the opposite thing: a show not about a specific something -- tapirs. Note: Today's show features Chion Wolf's performance of "Let's Not Talk About Tapirs," with lyrics by Colin McEnroe and music by Chion Wolf. Also note: We're idiots. Don't let the fact that we're idiots prevent you from finding tapirs as fascinating as we actually do. If you're able, you might consider supporting the Tapir Specialist Group, which "strives to conserve biological diversity by stimulating, developing, and executing practical programs to study, save, restore, and manage the four species of tapir and their remaining habitats in Central and South America and Southeast Asia." GUESTS: Carmen Baskauf - A producer for Where We Live; occasional host of The Carmen Baskauf Show on WNPR Kimberly Hyde - A keeper at the San Diego Zoo; she handles the zoo's tapirs in its Elephant Odyssey habitat Betsy Kaplan - The Colin McEnroe Show's senior producer Jonathan McNicol - the producer of this very episode of The Colin McEnroe Show Carlos Mejia - WNPR's digital producer Mike Pesca - Host of The Gist Josh Nilaya - Producer, The Colin McEnroe Show Susan Piver - Meditation teacher, speaker, and long-time Buddhist practitioner Patrick Skahill - WNPR's science reporter; producer emeritus of The Colin McEnroe Show Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The American criminal justice system has become less 'just' over recent decades and prosecutors bear much of the responsibility. The tough-on-crime culture of the 1980's and 90's shifted power away from judges and juries and toward prosecutors who embraced their new power to wield mandatory sentencing laws to rack up the convictions demanded by the constituents who elected them.  The problem is they never let go of that power or the culture that rewards it, even as crime rates have plummeted to historic lows that are almost 50% below their peak in the 1990's. They continue use sentencing to extract plea bargains from almost 95% of the people who come before them, even without evidence of guilt. Some impose draconian bail and probation conditions monitored by for-profit companies that extract a premium.  Others run modern day debtors' prisons, jailing people for misdemeanor crimes like shoplifting because they can't afford bail.   Yet, there's cause for hope. A new breed of DA's are using prison as a last resort, focusing instead on "diversion" programs that offer a second chance instead of long prison sentences that research shows make worse criminals.   Is it time to rethink who belongs in prison? GUESTS:  Emily Bazelon - Staff writer at The New York Times Magazine, co-host of Slate’s "Political Gabfest," lecturer at Yale Law School, and the author of two books, most recently, Charged: The New Movement To Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration (@emilybazelon) Tony Messenger - Metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the 2019 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Commentary. (@tonymess) Samara Freemark - Reporter and senior producer of "In the Dark," an investigative podcast from APM Reports, a division of American Public Media. (@sfreemark) Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired on May 22, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've got no guests today. It's you and Colin and whatever is on your mind. There's a lot we could talk about. There's the 2020 election, why President Trump isn't sure what a Category 5 hurricane is, whether gun control measures beyond the introduction of the death penalty will come from this weekend's shootings in Texas, both top seeds are out of the US Open, and why a Tennessee school wants to ban Harry Potter books.  But we're interested in what you want to talk about. It could be very different. To some degree, this is an experiment to see if we're focusing on what's really important to you. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sticks & Stones is Dave Chappelle's fifth standup comedy special for Netflix in three years. All four previous specials won the Grammy for Best Comedy Album, and one of them won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special. The critical response to this latest special, though, has been a bit more muted. The Last Black Man in San Francisco (out this week on DVD/Blu-ray/iTunes/Amazon/etc.) tells the semi-autobiographical story of Jimmie Fails, a man just trying to get his grandfather's house back. It's Joe Talbot's directorial debut, and it's been called the best film of the first half of 2019. Also this hour: an AccuFrankie dispatch live from Nedstock.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year, there was a movie about Charles Manson. This year, there was another movie about Charles Manson. Charles Manson is a character in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and in the second season of David Fincher's Mindhunter. The Manson Family murders were fifty years ago this summer, and Manson still seems to fascinate us and our popular culture. This hour, we wonder why.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Klosterman is a man for all seasons. He's a pop culture icon. He's a sports geek. He's interviewed Jimmy Page. He appears as himself in other people's movies. He was part of a rock band. He's an author of fiction, non-fiction, and fictional nonfiction. Top that! Today, an hour with someone at least one person would call, the smartest man on earth. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Barbie Millicent Roberts -- yes, that's her name -- turns 60 we, as a plastic loving nation, celebrate! For six decades the impossibly proportioned fashion doll has been delighting children and adults around the world. But the road to 60 hasn't always been easy. Critiqued by feminists, diversity advocates, and even child psychologists for her role in perpetuating harmful sterotypes, eating disorders, and body dysmorphic syndrome among young women, Barbie may be just as controversial as she is iconic. In recent years, however, Mattel has made some long overdue changes. The new Barbies are more diverse in their career choices, body shapes, and ethnicities than ever before, and her new ad campaigns focus heavily on issues of women's empowerment and equality. But the question remains: Is it too little, too late for Mattel or are these changes enough to see Barbie into her seventies? We speak with expert guests about the good, the bad and the ugly side of Barbie, as well as about the doll's creator, Ruth Handler. And in case you were wondering, we may even get to Ken along the way!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You responded so enthusiastically to our all-call show last Monday, we decided to try it again this week. What's on your mind? The world is you oyster, at least from 1-2 pm this afternoon. Not sure what you want to talk about? Worried about the economy? Trump's 'loyalty' test for Jewish Democrats? Who's in and who's out of the next Democratic debate? No debate on climate change?  The president taking a toll on our national psyche? How about 29-year-old NFL star Andrew Luck retiring over health concerns?  These are suggestions. We're more interested in what you want to talk about. (We even had a proctologist call in last week to remind people to get their colonoscopy) And we're (still) excited about our new toll-free call-in number. So, give us a call at 888-720-WNPR. That's 888-720-9677.  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Nose has this odd habit of covering basically every new Taylor Swift single/video. And so there's a new Taylor Swift single/video. And so The Nose is covering it. And: As this is the way the world works now, a Facebook post has started a backlash against Frank Pepe Pizzeria over... politics. Sigh. And finally: In the great tradition of A Bug's Life/Antz, Deep Impact/Armageddon, and The Prestige/The Illusionist, this year gives us Yesterday/Blinded by the Light. This week's Nose has seen Blinded by the Light, a coming-of-age story about the music of Bruce Springsteen and a British-Pakistani teenager whose life is forever changed by it.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If there's one thing we know about the public radio audience, it's that you love... sports. You crave sports coverage. You live for sportstalk radio. And so this hour, we talk sports... on the radio. And there's plenty to talk about: There's the fallout over Jay-Z's new partnership with the NFL (and impending ownership within the NFL?). There's the hot take question, "Do running backs even matter?" There're all the interesting players in baseball right now: a trio of the best young players ever to play at the same time playing at the same time as one of the best two-way players ever to play playing at the same time as one of the best players, period, ever to play. Oh, and then there're all the baseball players apparently hopped up on gas-station sexual-enhancement pills. Like I said: plenty to talk about. GUESTS: Des Bieler - Sports reporter for The Washington Post Ben Lindbergh - Staff writer at The Ringer; his most recent book is The MVP Machine: How Baseball's New Nonconformists Are Using Data to Build Better Players Erin Tarver - Associate professor of philosophy at Oxford College of Emory University and the author of The I in Team: Sports Fandom and the Reproduction of Identity Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we speak with actor and human-rights activist George Takei, not about his role as Liutenant Sulu on the original Star Trek, but about a far more troubling chapter in his life. In his new graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy, George writes in detail about his childhood spent in an internment camp for Japanese-American citizens. It's a vivid account of one of the darkest times in America’s history as well as a wake-up call to a country currently detaining tens of thousands of immigrants and their families.  Is there still time to learn from our past mistakes or have the politics of fear and division already caused us, as a nation, to repeat them?Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracking, rewinding, ejecting, collecting - VHS broke ground in home entertainment like never before. The culture of VHS and its enormous best friend, the VCR, were kings of consumer media for decades. Despite the last VCR and VHS being manufactured just three years ago, videotapes are still consumed, collected, and in some cases, sold(!) across the country. But why? With streaming service giants like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and (soon) Disney, giving us on-demand content with the push of a button and with Blu-ray and 4K players displaying movies and TV shows at crystal clear resolutions, videotapes offer a simpler, analog experience that will just not go away. Today, a look inside the impact, history, and legacy of VHS. Plus, video stores! It was the place to get your VHS rental and consume the content you couldn’t get anywhere else. A look at life owning and working at a video store. Betsy Kaplan and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired on May 16, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've got no guests today. So much of the burden of making today's show any good at all rests with, well: you. We can talk about pretty much whatever you want. The economy. Plastic bags. Greenland. The Little League Classic. 2020. Or 2020. Or 2020. Or 2020. Oh! And we've got a brand new (and toll-free) call-in line that we're pretty excited about: 888-720-WNPR. That's 888-720-9677. Call in, today at 1:00 pm.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everything's canceled, more or less. The movie The Hunt was canceled before anybody got to see it. People talked about canceling the movie Adam before anybody got to see it. Sarah Silverman was canceled, from a movie anyway, for something she did -- on television -- 12 years ago. The OA was canceled, but people maybe don't believe that it was canceled? And we're apparently on a path toward canceling... the Dewey decimal system? And: Amazon Prime's new superhero series, The Boys, imagines a world where something like the Marvel Cinematic Universe is real... and something like the Marvel corporation exists too. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: The 25 Most Important Characters of the Past 25 Years What Is the Greatest Movie Quote of All Time? Gwyneth Paltrow excited to find out Samuel L. Jackson was also in all those Marvel movies she did J.D. Salinger, E-Book Holdout, Joins the Digital Revolution Lemon, a 30 Rock Spinoff Was So Close to Happening A Novel Concept: Silent Book Clubs Offer Introverts A Space To Socialize Marvel source claims X-Men character Wolverine will join Avengers in new MCU film Eating At A Pizza Hut Restaurant May Be A Thing of the Past AP: Women accuse opera legend Domingo of sexual harassment Taylor & Kanye: How two superstars, four words, and 15 seconds of TV influenced a decade of pop culture GUESTS: Lucy Gellman - Editor of The Arts Paper and host of WNHH radio's Kitchen Sync Mercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media Group Brian Slattery - Arts editor for the New Haven Independent and a producer at WNHH radio Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shakespeare in the Park starts tonight in New Haven. Shakespeare & Company in the Berkshires has a new workshop production of Coriolanus opening next week. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens didn't think Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare's works. The BBC has a multi-camera, filmed-in-front-of-a-live-studio-audience Shakespeare sitcom. This hour: lots of little looks at this summer's best Shakespeare stuff. GUESTS: Allyn Burrows - Artistic director of Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Mass. Benjamin Curns - Plays Dromio of Syracuse in Elm Shakespeare's production of The Comedy of Errors Tyler Foggatt - An editor of the Talk of the Town section of The New Yorker Rebecca Goodheart - Producing artistic director for Elm Shakespeare Company Tina Packer - Founding artistic director of Shakespeare and Company KP Powell - Plays Antipholus of Syracuse in Elm Shakespeare's production of The Comedy of Errors Rob Weinert-Kendt - An arts journalist and editor of American Theatre magazine Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 18th century Parisian cafe was an incubator for the liberal tradition as it was before liberalism became a politically-loaded and dirty word. The cafe brought people together to exchange ideas, talk, connect, argue, debate, and learn about humanity, empathy, and humility outside the control of the state; a place where civil society trumped tribal impulse.  We are a far more humane people today compared to what we've been, despite the astounding level of cruelty in the headlines every day. Laws still rule the day.  Yet, many question whether liberalism can survive the rise of nationalist leaders from Hungary to the United States and the illiberal ideas they promote; some 2020 presidential candidates are calling for revolution. Can the long history of the liberal tradition teach us something about this current moment?  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Populism is on the rise from Europe to India to the United States. Americans elected Donald Trump on his promise to "Drain the swamp" of a political elite no longer responsive to their needs. Populists almost took control of Germany, France, and the Netherlands in 2017. Former prime minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi regained power seven short years after being ousted from office for corruption.  In America, tension between popular will and the ruling elite has existed since our founding. Yet, we've always believed democracy would persist in this nation that was founded on democratic ideals of individual rights and the rule of law.  Today, we're losing our allegiance to democracy - especially in the minds of young people increasingly open to forms of government outside of democracy.  Is it too late to regain our democratic footing and stem the current tide of populism? If not, how do we do it?Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FBI, the Justice Department's inspector general and the New York City medical examiner will investigate how billionaire and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his jail cell at Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan early Saturday morning.  Conspiracy theories have taken root in the vacuum of unanswered questions and missteps. Many are unsubstantiated, others are based on credible suspicion.  The bigger problem is that the conspiracy theories have gone mainstream. The belief that some kind of conspiracy might exist reflects a growing distrust in government that has been nurtured and encouraged by President Trump.  Also this hour: The president and first lady posed for a photo with Paul Anchando last week on their visit to El Paso, Texas to visit with survivors and families of victims killed in last week's mass shooting. Paul is the orphaned son of two parents who died protecting him. So, why are the president and first lady smiling in the photo?  Lastly, Connecticut's oldest continuously operating independent cinema is for sale. We'll talk about why. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two things arrived this week that the world probably didn't previously know it needed: The Impossible Whopper and "the definitive Nicolas Cage interview." The Nose taste tests one of them live on the air and discusses both. I'll leave it a mystery which is which. Plus, a look at two movies: the Charlize Theron-Seth Rogen rom-com Long Shot (now available on iTunes/Amazon/DVD/Blu-ray/etc.) and the Cambridge Analytica documentary The Great Hack (out now on Netflix).Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you ever drive across the country, you’ll notice there is a surprising amount of World’s Largest attractions. West Virginia has the world’s largest teapot, California has the world’s largest yo-yo and Arkansas, for whatever reason, has the world’s largest Spinach can. This hour we talk to the man who brought the world’s tallest Uncle Sam to Danbury, Connecticut.  We also speak with the only person in history who claims to have built two full-size replicas of Stonehenge, and a cartoonist that is very well-traveled. Lastly, we speak to someone who is the attraction. He's gone viral for knitting sweaters of roadside attractions, then taking selfies in front of them. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Constantin Mutu was four-months-old when he was separated from his father, Vasily. The elder Mutu was arrested while seeking asylum at the southern border. So far, Constantin is the youngest child to be separated from his family. What distinguishes Constantin and Vasily Mutu from the majority of asylum seekers at the southern border is that they are a family of Roma people, two of the roughly 12 million people who make up Europe’s largest, yet hidden minority and one of the world’s most persecuted people.  Caitlin Dickerson's story of the Mutu family is an introduction to a people suffering from centuries of persecution. In a broader sense, it's a story of the power of discriminatory immigration policy to destroy vibrant cultures and opportunities for them to contribute to society. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Joseph Cyr, a surgeon with the Royal Canadian Navy, had to think quick when his ship came upon a rickety boat with mangled and bloody bodies at the height of the Korean War in 1951. As the only doctor on board, he quickly moved to operate on 19 men, all of them his enemies in this war. All survived, making the young doctor a hero. Except he wasn't really a doctor.  His real name was Ferdinando Waldo Demara, and he never graduated high school, let alone medical school. At different times in his life, he was also a prison warden, a teacher for disabled children, and a civil engineer.  We're fascinated by the art of the con, yet few of us think it can happen to us. We imagine psychics, card sharks, and Nigerian princes effortlessly lifting hundreds of thousands of dollars from easy marks. We can spot the scam a mile away. Right? Think again.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marianne Williamson was Googled more than any other candidate after last week's Democratic debate. Voters liked her call for "some deep truth-telling" and a "politics that speaks to the heart." But to understand Williamson's words, we need to first understand A Course in Miracles, the almost 1,300 page spiritual text she has built a career on interpreting.  Williamson has become a self-appointed guru of a text that claims no hierarchy, organizational structure, or leader. Its authority comes directly from Jesus, channeled through a clinical psychologist who heard the words in her dreams. Course hit a cultural nerve in the counterculture of the 1960's, especially among intellectuals and celebrities looking to find more love and empathy in their lives. Williamson promotes love and kindness in a world that feels increasingly hostile. Can she ride it to the presidency? Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.