The Colin McEnroe Show

Almost nine months after the 2016 election, there still isn’t one generally agreed-upon theory of what happened. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Big Sick , written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani (who you know from "Silicon Valley"), tells the "awkward true story" of their courtship and stars Nanjiani as a version of himself. According to Rotten Tomatoes , the movie proves "the standard romcom formula still has some fresh angles left to explore." The Nose weighs in. And then: What's with all the hating on Ed Sheeran ? No, like:...

Hobby Lobby recently paid a $3 million fee for illegally buying smuggled ancient Iraqi artifacts. This hour: What is the relationship between collecting antiquities and the looting of them in countries that are experiencing violent conflicts and societal breakdown? Do Western museums and collections have a role to play in saving at-risk antiquities? Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See...

Donald Trump is the most ridiculed president in the history of late night comedy. That's not hyperbole, and it's not just common sense either. There's actual data (PDF link) to back it up. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The word bastard hasn't always been meant to offend. Used simply as an indication of illegitimate birth at first, the label  bastard didn't bring with it shame or stigmatization until long after it first appeared in the Middle Ages. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump Jr. thinks it's no big deal that he met with an emissary of the Russian government because the meeting didn't provide him with useful material. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is the sixth American Spider-Man feature film, and it's the 16th title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe . But it's the first movie that's both a Spider-Man feature and part of the MCU all at once. Is that a milestone worth noting? I'm not sure. I barely even understood what all that meant. The Nose weighs in. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/li...

President Trump is in France today, and he plans to hold a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris during the noon eastern hour. NPR will provide live special coverage of the press conference, which is expected to include questions about Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election and the ongoing investigation of Russian contacts with Trump campaign and administrat...

Race is a myth; racism is not. I'm stealing this line from Gene Seymour, one of our guests on our show today.  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rorschach inkblots are ubiquitous throughout culture. They've inspired visual artists from Warhol to Alan Moore, from Gnarls Barkley to Jay Z, to the  Watchmen  comics. The inkblots have also become a perfect metaphor for today's polarized, relativist world.  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump left a trail of confusion  when he left the G-20 Summit this weekend. While the president thinks he gained concessions favorable to the United States, many feel he isolated America from longstanding consensus on issues that define liberal democracy. Instead, he sought consensus with Vladimir Putin, despite the certainty by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in t...

Baby , played by Ansel Elgort, is a reluctant getaway driver in the latest Edgar Wright film, " Baby Driver ." He's a good guy who's had some bad luck, like stealing the cash-filled car of a crime boss while coping with the death of his mom. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Americans like to argue, a lot. In politics, in media, and in society at large, arguing has (arguably) become the default means by which we handle disagreement. But is it the most effective way, and has our readiness to wage a war with words gotten out of hand? Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, President Donald Trump's "Commission on Election Integrity," under the leadership of Vice-President Mike Pence and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach , sent a letter to all 50 states asking them to provide data on citizens that includes personal information like the last four digits of social security numbers and voting history. The request is unprecedented in its scope. As of today, &...

When you "pull a Benedict Arnold," you sell out your side to join the stronger side of a situation out of fear, not honor.  Needless to say, that's not a compliment. More than 230 years after America secured independence from Britain, this skilled warrior and confidante of George Washington is remembered as a traitor and coward for defecting to the British side. But it's not that easy.  ...

We live in a post-"The Gong Show" world. Any TV that you've ever heard anyone use the word "Dada" to describe -- David Letterman's entire career, for instance -- owes something to Chuck Barris's creation. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hannah Arendt's   576-page magnum opus, The Origins of Totalitarianism, is a   densely-written book about the rise of anti-Semitism up to the outbreak of World War I. The book sold out on Amazon within one month of the 2016 election in which America elected Donald Trump as their next president.  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

There is perhaps no figure more emblematic of the paranormal than the psychic. Able to predict the future, see into the past, and even communicate with the dead, the psychic's awesome gifts are matched only by his or her ability to withstand skepticism and ridicule. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colin has been covering politics in Connecticut since... well, since shortly before the development of the steam engine. And one thing he’s never done? Have a long conversation with New Haven’s Congresswoman, Rosa DeLauro. This hour, we fix that. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Obama has been criticized in recent days for his response to Russian intervention in the 2016 election as reported in this big Washington Post article from Friday. The former president and his defenders say he acted in the best interests of the nation in trying to maintain faith in the electoral process and protect state voting rolls. Others think he could have done more. We talk about i...

"What do festivals do?" Whether it's a film festival or Edinburgh or the Venice Biennale or New Haven , we wonder what happens when you get a lot of creative stuff in one place. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My mom would take me and my brothers to the beach on summer days when I was a little kid. I couldn't yet swim but I could stand in Long Island Sound when the tide was low and my brothers were close enough to save me if I fell. I loved it. On the way home, we'd pile into the back of our station wagon, roll down the windows and stop at the donut shop for a dozen sugar-coated jelly donuts.  We'd...

I find great joy in walking in the dead of winter along the river trail near my house. Everything leaves my mind as I watch the Canadian geese take flight, their wings flapping together as they lift and swoop over my head. I'm in awe of their beauty. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a social disability that leaves the autistic isolated and confused in a world in which they can't understand the social cues others take for granted. To compensate, some use the internet as a way to learn about sexuality that non-autistic people learn about through relationships.  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Bill Cosby's trial for alleged sexual assault of Andrea Constand in 2004 ended in a mistrial Saturday due to a hung jury. Despite the judge saying this was not a win for either side, Mr. Cosby's spokesperson declared, "Mr. Cosby's power is back!"  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.