The Colin McEnroe Show

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.