The Colin McEnroe Show

The number of people being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is rising in 48 states. We're testing more, but the rate of positive tests, hospitalizations, and in some states, deaths, is also rising. On Sunday, Florida recorded 15,300 new cases, the highest single-day total to date. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 60,000 new cases in the U.S. on Monday. And we're seeing the same delays in test results and shortages of protective gear that we experienced in the spring. Should we be more focused on what's happening now instead of reopening bars and schools?  Also this hour: Election law scholar Richard Hasen says we need a 28th amendment to secure voting rights in this country. The U.S. Constitution contains no affirmative right to vote. Social policy and responsive representation should reflect everyone’s needs, not just those most likely to turn out with their votes and dollars. GUESTS: Saskia Popescu is an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Arizona (@SaskiaPopescu)   Richard Hasen is a professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine. He is a founding co-editor of Election Law Journal and runs The Election Blog. His new book is Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat To American Democracy. (@rickhasen) 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.

"Dante's Inferno" is the most famous section of Dante Aligheri's 14,000 line epic poem, The Divine Comedy. But it's only the first part of Dante's long pilgrimage through the afterlife. He first enters the circles of hell, filled with beasts and sinners doomed to the Inferno for crimes like gluttony, lust, and treason.  Dante slowly recognizes a glimmer of each sinner's fault in his own character as he makes his way through hell. His recognition of his humanity led him up the steep mountain of purgatory and ultimately toward a paradise opened by his enlightenment.  The story of The Divine Comedy is an adventure story based on Dante's real life in 14th century Italy. He was deeply wrapped up in the politics of his time. He was a city official, diplomatic negotiator, poet, and a man who dared to cross the pope. He was exiled from his city, never to return under threat of death. He left all behind, except his unrequited love for Beatrice.  Nearly broken and in a "dark wood" of grief in midlife, Dante wrote a masterpiece that is remarkably relevant today for all of us who have ever been in the dark wood of loss. This hour, we talk to three people who walked with Dante through the dark wood. GUESTS:Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sand is the most abundant material on Earth. And, other than water and air, sand is the natural resource we consume more than any other -- more, even, than oil. The pyramids are made of sand. Our roads and driveways and sidewalks are made of sand. Concrete buildings and their concrete foundations are made of sand. From computer chips to computer screens, window panes to lightbulbs, breast implants to the Hubble telescope, sand is basically the essential building block of civilization. Humans are estimated to consume almost 50 billion tons of sand and gravel every year. Oh, and, by the way: We're running out of it. For a look at Sue McGrew's crazy impressive sand sculptures, check out her website. GUESTS: Vince Beiser - Author of The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization Sarah Page Kyrcz - A reporter who covers Guilford and Madison for the Shoreline Times Sue McGrew - Professional sand sculptor Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired August 9, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past weeks, cities across the country have implemented curfews in response to George Floyd protests and to enforce stay-at-home orders during COVID-19. This hour, we discuss whether emergency curfews really keep people safer or become another way to intimidate and discriminate. Also, the history and wisdom of juvenile curfews and what it's like to protest after curfew. And we learn about early curfews across the pond during the British Empire. GUESTS: Roger Ekirch - The author of five books including At Day's Close: Night in Times Past Dennis Keeney - Former police officer and current professor in the John Jay Department of Criminal Justice at City University of New York Mike Males - An American sociologist and senior researcher at the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco Kalfani Ture - Assistant professor of criminology at Quinnipiac University and a former police officer Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Betsy Kaplan, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it safe to say that we're not yet ready to kiss and make up with the banks whose reckless behavior led to the 2008 financial crisis? A little contrition would go a long way to helping us forgive and forget. That's not happening, at least not with Deutsche Bank, the preferred bank of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Deutsche Bank lent money to rogue states that funded terrorist activities that hurt U.S. soldiers. They laundered money for Russian oligarchs, sold securities they knew were bad, gave out multimillion-dollar bonuses, and fired whistleblowers who tried to tell. They lent money to Donald Trump, despite his repeated defaults on his loans, and Jeffrey Epstein long after he was shunned for molesting young girls. You may wonder how this could happen. Basically, a massive lack of accountability on behalf of the Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, shareholders, board members, and the federal government. That's a lot of people. No wonder Elizabeth Warren threatened to take on the big banks. GUESTS: David Enrich - Business investigations editor at The New York Times and the author of Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and An Epic Trail of Destruction 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 Argus Pheasant is a lifelong bachelor. He mates with multiple females but has no further contact with his mates or the baby pheasants he sires. By human terms, not much of a feminist. Yet, he stages a chivalrous courtship on moonlit nights on a forest stage he clears with meticulous care. He sings and dances and pecks. He encompasses his 'date' in a cape of intricately-colored four-foot-long feathers. He ends with a bow.   Evolutionarily, there's no purpose for the spectacular feathers on the Argus Pheasant - unless you consider they may have evolved to satisfy the sexual preferences of the female Argus. Darwin, while famous for his theory on evolution through battle for the fittest, also promoted a second, less popular theory of evolution through female sexual preference.  This theory may also shed light on evolved human traits and behaviors we don't need to survive - like female orgasm and same-sex preferences.  GUESTS: Richard Prum - Evolutionary Ornithologist, Professor of Ornithology at Yale and the curator of Ornithology at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. He’s the author of The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin’s Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World - and Us.  Patricia Brennan - Evolutionary Biologist, Behavioral Ecologist and visiting lecturer at Mount Holyoke College. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're Not Dying. But Panic Attacks Can Make You Think You Are." width="100%">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.  GUESTS:   Geraldine DeRuiter - Writer, public speaker and the author of All Over the Place: Adventures in Travel, True Love, and Petty Theft. Her blog is titled, The "Everywhereist."  Jacques Lamarre - Connecticut-based playwright and director of client services at BuzzEngine Cara McDonough - Freelance writer who writes for several publications, including the Washington Post. Her blog is titled, “Caramcduna.” David Tolin - Director, Anxiety Disorders Center & Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Institute of Living 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 raft of renaming going on right now obviously hasn't spared popular culture. The Dixie Chicks and Lady Antebellum are now The Chicks and Lady A, respectively. Björk's record label changed its name. Democrats want to rename John Wayne Airport. FedEx has formally asked the Washington Redskins to change their name, and Guilford's board of education voted to drop the town's "Indians" nickname. And, while Splash Mountain is going to keep being called Splash Mountain, it won't be based on Song of the South anymore. And: The King of Staten Island is the sixth feature film directed by Judd Apatow. It stars Pete Davidson (who also co-wrote the movie with Apatow and Dave Sirus) as a 24-year-old high school dropout who lives with his mother on Staten Island. It's available for rental on digital platforms. Some other stuff that happened over the last month, give or take: Carl Reiner, Comedy Legend and 'Dick Van Dyke Show' Creator, Dies at 98 Joel Schumacher, Director of Batman Films and 'Lost Boys,' Dies at 80 Hugh Downs, Perennial Small-Screen Fixture, Is Dead at 99A longtime host of both "Today" and "20/20," for many years he held the Guinness-certified record for most total hours on commercial network television. Legendary Batman writer, Denny O'Neil dies at age 81 Benny Mardones, 'Into the Night' Singer-Songwriter, Dead at 73 At 99, Al Jaffee Says Goodbye to Mad MagazineAs a send-off for the cartoonist, the satirical publication has prepared an all-Jaffee issue that includes his final Fold-In. Olivia de Havilland, the Last Remaining Star of Old Hollywood, Turns 104 The Long Battle Over 'Gone With the Wind'The 1939 blockbuster once symbolized the ultimate in mass entertainment. But African-Americans have protested against it from the start, even if white America didn't want to hear it. The Gentlemanly Hater's Guide to Gone With the WindThe Hollywood classic is a soap opera and a war movie smashed together. It’s also really, really racist. 'Jaws' Is Still Devouring Us. SOS!In 1975, this thriller freaked out the world, scaring us out of the water and creating the summer-blockbuster template. It was also a warning. 'Back To The Future' At 35: Looking Back On The Movie That Made America Great Again Heads Up, Hollywood: Agents Can Vote For Oscars Now Academy delays 2021 Oscars ceremony because of coronavirus Broadway Will Remain Closed Through the Rest of the YearThe industry has not yet set a reopening date, but said it would now refund tickets through Jan. 3. Chuck E. Cheese Files for Bankruptcy Walmart Will Convert Parking Lots Into Drive-Ins This Summer, Teams with Tribeca For Touring Screening Series 'The Trip to Greece' tops New Zealand box office as cinemas return to full capacity Unsubscribe: The $0-budget movie that 'topped the US box office' Bob Dylan Has a Lot on His MindIn a rare interview, the Nobel Prize winner discusses mortality, drawing inspiration from the past, and his new album, "Rough and Rowdy Ways." Jon Stewart Is Back to Weigh In The end of credits: why doesn't Netflix want us to watch them?The end credits are an unsexy but important part of the experience -- but streaming platforms seem to be interested only in getting us to the next piece of content A Redditor Revealed He Left His Wife Over His Funko Pops Collection And People On Twitter Had Thoughts"$500 a month?! How many Funko Pops is that? Where do you put all the Funkos?!" Batman Returns! Michael Keaton in Talks to Play Bruce Wayne in 'The Flash' MovieThat plot will introduce general audiences to the idea of the multiverse, one of the of core concepts underpinning DC Comics Producer Effie Brown: "People Didn't Want to Work With Me" After Calling Out Matt Damon on 'Project Greenlight' Diversity Issues Black Performers and Other Minority Alums of The Second City and The UCB Join Forces, Asking Their Theaters To Do better Many newsrooms are now capitalizing the B in Black. Here are some of the people who made that happenIt took years of work behind the scenes, both with the Associated Press and despite seemingly sacred style rules. NFL To Play Black National Anthem Before Week One Games, Considers Placing Police Violence Victims' Names on Jerseys, Helmets Jeremy Piven Is Available For A Zoom Call If You Have A Spare... $15,000?! A 'Reimagined' Beavis and Butt-Head Is Coming to Comedy Central GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani - A music writer for the Red Hook Star Revue 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.

Maria Konnikova, best-selling New York Times author and a regular contributor to The New Yorker, has long been interested in understanding the balance between skill and luck. How much of her life could she take credit for and how much was the luck of her draw? So, she took a year away from work to become a professional poker player.  What better way to learn how skill and luck play out in life than by learning the game that best balances these two competing forces? Unlike the pure chance of roulette or the mathematical precision of chess, poker finely balances chance and skill, particularly the game of no limit Texas Hold'em. How can we use poker to help us strengthen our hand against Covid-19 and the economic downturn? How do we make the best of a bad hand? GUEST: Maria Konnikova is a New York Times best-selling author, journalist, and professional poker player. Her newest book is The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned To Pay Attention, Master Myself, And Win. She is a regularly contributing writer for The New Yorker (@mkonnikova) 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.

Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, John Belushi, John Candy, Rick Moranis. Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Beverly Hills Cop, Caddyshack, The Jerk, Ghost Busters, ¡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. GUESTS: Nick de Semlyen - Features editor for Empire and the author of Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood Forever Daniel Kalwhite - A standup comedian based in New Haven Carolyn Paine - A standup comedian, an actress, and a dancer Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired July 11, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.