Television

Thompson seems less concerned with superstardom than steady, quality work. (The actor is pictured here at a No Kid Hungry event in New York City earlier this year.)

Arts

In His 15th Season At 'SNL,' Kenan Thompson Still Knows How To Play It Funny

6:58am October 16, 2017

by Eric Deggans

Thompson has lasted longer than any other performer in Saturday Night Live history. He's so likeable that the writers sometimes use the action line "Kenan reacts" when they need to get a joke in.

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Aidy Bryant moderates a film panel sketch featuring Leslie Jones as Viola Davis, Cecily Strong as Marion Cotillard, and Kate McKinnon as Debette Goldry, that rips into Weinstein's alleged history of sexual abuse.

'SNL' Goes After 'Well-Dressed Skin Tag' Weinstein, Stages Pence Walkouts

9:23am October 15, 2017

by Emma Bowman

Slammed for last week's silence on Weinstein, the show ripped into sex abuse allegations against the producer. Elsewhere, Kate McKinnon revived Kellyanne Conway as an eerie Pennywise from It.

Friday News Roundup - Domestic

1:45pm October 13, 2017

This week, we saw an executive order on health care, a shift in immigration strategy and a step forward on disaster relief.

Ali Velshi: In An Age Of "Alternative Facts," How Do We Know What's True?

9:29am October 13, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Journalist Ali Velshi began his career to "speak truth to power." Now he worries that fake news has subverted the meaning of truth.

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TV Review: Jay Pharoah In 'White Famous'

8:39am October 13, 2017

by Eric Deggans

White Famous is a new Showtime comedy series premiering Sunday. It's a satire on Hollywood race relations based on the career of Jamie Foxx. It stars Jay Pharoah, who was on Saturday Night Live.

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Jonathan Groff plays a young FBI agent with bold new ideas about how to learn from imprisoned murderers in the Netflix series Mindhunter, which becomes available on Friday.

Arts

FBI Profilers Pursue Serial Killers And Their Motives In 'Mindhunter'

7:16pm October 12, 2017

by David Bianculli

A new Netflix series explores the formation of the FBI serial crime unit and the psychology of mass murder. Critic David Bianculli says Mindhunter's emphasis on motive results in a compelling show.

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"I'm meant to make people happy. That's my job," says Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon.

Books
Arts

Jimmy Fallon On The School Of 'SNL' And His Tendency To Smile Too Much

7:15pm October 12, 2017

by Terry Gross

"There was a report card from kindergarten and the comment from the teacher was, 'Jimmy smiles too much,' " Fallon says. "I think I would smile even when I was getting yelled at."

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Netflix CEO Reed Hastings delivers a keynote address at CES 2016 in Las Vegas. He has admitted facing Amazon in video is a challenge.

Once Dominant, Netflix Faces An Increasing Number Of Video Challengers

3:16pm October 12, 2017

by Laura Sydell

With more than 100 million subscribers around the world, Netflix is the premier video streaming service. But, as competition from Amazon, Hulu and others heats up, can Netflix stay on top?

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A raucous crowd cheers for Team USA during a Tuesday, July 1, 2014 World Cup soccer match between the U.S. and Belgium at a public viewing party in Detroit, Tuesday, July 1, 2014. For many fans during next year's U.S.-free World Cup, it'll be just another

How The U.S. Men Missed The World Cup, And What It Means For Soccer In America

9:47am October 12, 2017

by Tim Webber

U.S. Soccer is likely to lose out on tens of millions in revenue, and more dual-nationals may choose to play elsewhere. Fox Sports' $425-million payout to air the next two World Cups looks rough, too.

More Women Allege Misconduct By Harvey Weinstein, Including Sexual Assault

10:52pm October 10, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

The New Yorker spoke with 13 women who said they were sexually harassed or assaulted by the film executive, who was fired on Sunday. Three women said Weinstein had raped them.