The World and Everything in It: April 2, 2025

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Good morning!

The president clings to a tiny majority in the US House, even at the cost of a key nomination.

TRUMP: We cannot take a chance – we have a slim margin we don’t want to take any chances; we don’t want to experiment.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Also today, Russia, Ukraine, and the US attempt to find common ground. That’s ahead on Washington Wednesday.

And WORLD Tour.

Later a fight over so-called inclusive language in a support group for mothers.

LEWIS: I was obliged to use what LLL calls a variety of terms, … but I kind of gritted my teeth and did as minimally as possible.

MAST: It’s Wednesday, April 2nd. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Lindsay Mast.

EICHER: And I’m Nick Eicher. Good morning!

MAST: Up next, Kent Covington with today’s news.

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: New U.S. tariffs »  President Trump will unveil a major new tariff plan today. He’s been hyping an announcement for weeks, calling April 2nd “Liberation Day.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: 

LEAVITT: Too many foreign countries have their markets closed to our exports. This is fundamentally unfair. 

The president has long promised reciprocal tariffs on countries that currently place import taxes on U.S. goods. 

New 25% tariffs on many imports from Canada and Mexico also take effect today. 

Democrats say it’s bad news for Americans. Congressman Pete Augilar said of the Trump administration: 

AGUILAR:  They have not taken a single step toward bringing down the high cost of living. Now the stock market is crashing and inflation is rising.

Analysts say Wall Street has been jittery, but far from being in freefall. 

The Trump administration says any short term strain that tariffs could cause will be more than offset by upcoming tax cuts, major regulation rollbacks, and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.  

Wisconsin Supreme Court election » Voters in Wisconsin just decided the balance of power in the state Supreme Court in an election with national implications. 

Liberal judge Susan Crawford defeated conservative judge Brad Shimmel, giving liberals a 4-3 majority. 

Leading up to the vote, Schimmel supporter Elon Musk argued the election was critical because, he said a Crawford win would likely mean redrawn district lines that could allow Democrats to capture critical U.S. House seats in Wisconsin. 

MUSK:  If you lose control of the house, there'll be nonstop impeachment hearings and subpoenas. They're gonna do everything possible to stop the agenda that the American people voted for.

Wisconsin’s high court could also hear cases involving abortion and voter ID. 

Republicans win Florida elections » Meanwhile, in Florida, Republicans won a pair of critical votes to help protect their slim House majority in the U.S. House. 

Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine won special elections Tuesday in two congressional districts. They were bolstered by President Trump’s endorsement to fill vacant seats in reliably Republican strongholds. 

House Judiciary hearing on power of judges »  On Capitol Hill … 

AUDIO (Hearing gavel in and intro): [gavel] The subcommittee will come to order. We welcome everyone here today for a joint hearing on judicial overreach in the federal courts. 

House Republicans on Tuesday took aim at a wave of nationwide injunctions from federal district court judges blocking President Trump’s agenda. They say judges are abusing their power and flouting the separation of powers. 

Congressman Tom Emmer:

EMMER:  District courts issued more universal injections, injunctions, and restraining orders during February, 2025 alone than in the first three years of the Biden administration.

But Democratic Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon said that’s more of a reflection on the president than on the courts. 

SCANLON: When the president attempts illegal or unconstitutional actions. United States judges guided by the letter of the law must rule against him.

But Republicans insist it is clear that district courts are claiming more power than ever before. Congressman Derek Schmidt said of nationwide injunctions:

SCHMIDT:  It is an extraordinary remedy that is being abused. And so it's time for Congress to step in if the courts won't do it, and restore balance, uh, so that this rare tool is in fact used rarely. And that's exactly what this bill does.

The House is expected to vote this week to limit the scope of district court injunctions. 

Israel latest » In Lebanon:

SOUND: [Beirut attack aftermath]

Crews pick through the rubble of a building near Beirut today after local authorities say an Israeli airstrike killed at least three people.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar says Israeli forces took out a Hezbollah terrorist named Hassan Ali Mohmoud Bdeir. 

SAAR: The terrorist posed an immediate threat, what we called 'ticking bomb'. Therefore, we had to eliminate the threat. 

He says Bdeir was in the process of directing Hamas terrorists to mount a major imminent attack against Israeli citizens. 

Idaho fetal development education » Kids in Idaho will soon learn about how babies grow in the womb as part of their school curriculum. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more. 

KRISTEN FLAVIN: Beginning in the next school year, students in the fifth through 12th grades will learn about how children develop in the womb.

The curriculum will explain everything from fertilization to how vital organs develop early in pregnancy. 

Students will also watch ultrasounds and animated videos showing how babies grow before birth. 

Republican Governor Brad Little recently signed a bill into law mandating the instruction in public schools. 

Idaho is the third state to adopt such legislation … along with North Dakota and Tennessee. 

Pro-life advocates cheered the bill, which overwhelmingly passed in both the state Senate and House. 

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin. 

DOJ to seek death penalty against Mangione » Attorney General Pam Bondi says the Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione. 

He is the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel in December. 

The 26-year-old faces separate federal and state murder charges for the killing. 

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: changing priorities on Washington Wednesday. Plus, one woman’s call to help new moms care for their babies.

This is The World and Everything in It..

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: It’s Wednesday, the 2nd of April.

Thanks for listening to WORLD Radio. Good morning, I’m Lindsay Mast.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

Time now for Washington Wednesday. Today, obstacles to peace negotiations over the war in Ukraine. But first, the rise and fall of a nomination.

Here’s Washington Bureau reporter Leo Briceno.

LEO BRICENO: Just days after winning his election, President Donald Trump announced his pick for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations: New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.

As a key supporter of Trump with a proven track record—the pick came as little surprise on the Hill. Since her nomination, Stefanik has been saying goodbye to Congress and the district she’s represented for 10 years.

Here she is on a farewell tour back in February.

ELISE STEFANIK : I have to say, I am truly overwhelmed by this unbelievable outpouring of love and support as we begin to close this incredible chapter and embark on a new one.

But on Thursday, Trump made a surprise announcement.

DONALD TRUMP: I said ‘Elise, would you do me a favor? We cannot take a chance – we have a slim margin we don’t want to take any chances; we don’t want to experiment.

Trump retracted his nomination for Stefanik to represent the U.S. at the UN. He said he couldn’t afford to lose Stefanik’s seat in the House of Representatives where Republicans hold a two-seat majority—one of the smallest in the history of the chamber.

He also cited a pair of upcoming special elections to fill two empty seats in Florida.

TRUMP: You have two races and they seem to be good it’s a Trump+ 32 area the one thing is that they’re spending like 12 million dollars and our candidate doesn’t have that kind of money, spending much less than that, like one-twelth, about a million dollars so the airwaves are blanketed. And you never know what happens in a case like that.

It’s a stark reversal. Stefanik has been one of Trump’s most loyal advocates in Congress and one of the most accomplished Republicans in the Conference.

STEFANIK: I am humbled to have made history as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress at the time, to serve as the highest-ranking woman in House-elected leadership from either party, and the highest ranking New York Republican in Congress in over 100 years.

The move also says a lot about Trump’s feelings towards the tight margins in the House of Representatives. a situation he contributed to.

JOE POSTELL: I think that this was entirely foreseeable.

That’s Joe Postell, Associate Professor of politics at Hillsdale College.

POSTELL: Speaker Johnson was very clear about this well before this Congress got under way, that the more people Trump appointed from the House into his administration the harder it would be to get major legislation which Trump expects to get through the House.

Postell doesn’t think keeping Stefanik around is really about potentially losing that seat to a Democratic challenger. Instead, it’s more about the timing of how long that seat would have been empty—and how that could get in the way of other legislation.

POSTELL: I think the mindset here is less ‘we’re concerned about the current climate in the country’ and more ‘that’s just in an area where you have a really narrow majority like this and you just need every vote you can get.

But is one more vote really all that important? I asked Steve Scalise, the House Majority Leader, what adding those two Florida seats and keeping Stefanik around does for leadership.

SCALISE: They enable us to double our majority from two to four. Very significant—you’re doubling your majority. Four doesn’t sound like a large majority but when you only have a two-seat majority, it’s a big improvement.

For now, Stefanik returns to being a rank-and-file member. Here’s Michigan Congresswoman Lisa McClain, the New GOP House Conference Chair who has taken over the role Stefanik used to hold.

MCCLAIN: Listen, we welcome Elise back with open arms. I feel horrible for the position that she’s in but trust me we are glad to have her back.

Speaker Johnson has said the conference will carve out a role for Stefanik on the chamber’s leadership but hasn’t said what that role will look like.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Leo Briceno in Washington.

EICHER: Turning now to peace talks for Ukraine.

American negotiators left Saudi Arabia last week with an announcement between Russia and Ukraine. The two warring nations agreed to a 30-day ceasefire and a deal to free up shipping lanes in the Black Sea.

MAST: The Trump administration says that it’s never been closer to peace, but the parties appear to have different ideas about what that word means.

Washington Bureau reporter Carolina Lumetta has the story.

BRUCE: There is one north star for everyone involved in this and it is the ceasefire and stopping the carnage.

CAROLINA LUMETTA: State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce discussed the negotiations in a news conference this week.

BRUCE: President Trump of course um he knows and he understands and we operate with the realization that negotiations are going to require both Russia and Ukraine to make tough decisions and compromises.

The Kremlin added some conditions after the Saudi Arabia talks: Block Ukraine from joining NATO, and revoke U.S. sanctions on Russian banks. Meanwhile, Ukraine wants a guarantee that other nations will help defend them against Russian aggression.

For months, White House negotiators have met separately with Ukrainian and Russian delegations. After weeks of pressuring Ukraine to sign a minerals deal and agree to a ceasefire, Trump is now turning the heat on Putin by threatening more sanctions.

TRUMP: I want to make sure that he follows through and I think he will. I don't want to go secondary tariffs on his oil, but I I think you know it's something I I would do if I thought he wasn't doing the job.

Foreign policy analysts say the seesaw effect is typical of Russia. Daniel Kochis is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center on Europe and Eurasia.

KOCHIS: I think that the Russians are probably going to go through with some kind of theater of negotiations, try to drag them out. Maybe the U.S. is able to get a temporary ceasefire, but I think getting that final point, I'm pretty dubious about that. And the reason is I don’t think the Russians want to settle the conflict right now.

President Trump said throughout his campaign that he would end the Russia-Ukraine war on day one. Now, he says that stopping the bloodshed is the top priority. Here’s Kochis again.

KOCHIS: I think for many people in Washington it would be very uncomfortable to essentially bring the Russians back in from the cold and to start negotiations with them. I think that this administration has sort of put those qualms aside in their interest of pursuing a quick ceasefire and negotiations with the Russians.

Trump’s willingness to send envoys to Russia and hold hours-long phone calls with Putin also worries some in the national security community. At the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, political commentator Gordon Chang told WORLD it’s important to remember Russia is the aggressor.

CHANG: We didn’t negotiate with the Third Reich. We did not negotiate with Imperial Japan. Russia is an aggressive state. It's committing genocide. It's engaged in acts of brutality. We shouldn't be talking to it. We should be defeating it. And we can do that with tough sanctions… We can starve the Russians. If they don't have money, they are not going to be able to fight the war.

But sanctions take time. Other analysts argue that the U.S. is too involved in Ukraine’s war. Sumantra Maitra is a senior fellow at the Center for Renewing America, a conservative think tank.

MAITRA: Trump's worldview can be boiled down to some basic instincts when it comes to one foreign policy and to mercantilism. The man likes to have good trade deals. The man likes to have good relations with other great powers which could do us a lot of harm.

Along with stopping the fighting, Trump is focused on recouping some or all of the money the Biden administration dedicated to Ukraine. Since 2022, Congress has appropriated nearly $200 billion to responding to the war, nearly $120 billion of which flows directly to Ukraine’s government. Trump now says that’s a loan, not a gift. Maitra says Trump’s strategy speaks to his business background…and unwillingness to keep sending what amounts to blank checks to Ukraine.

MAITRA: We essentially kind of like kept giving them money. They were the ones who are deciding it and Trump kind of put a stop to that. So now it's kind of like in an old school way like we are the ones giving money. We're the ones giving, and so we're telling you what to do.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he’s open to working with the U.S., but he’s also holding out for security guarantees. Without the threat of American might, he is concerned Russia will violate any ceasefire.

ZELENSKYY: [SPEAKING UKRAINIAN]

In a video posted to social media earlier this week, Zelenskyy thanked European leaders for increasing their aid contributions. He also touted a recent summit in Bucha, Ukraine where leaders agreed that Russia should be held responsible for war crimes.

But Maitra says that as long as Ukraine stays out of NATO, the U.S. should not be so involved in the war. He argues that instead of pushing Russia away towards other enemies like China, Trump is right to start thawing relations.

MAITRA: At the end of the day, you cannot turn Russia to Switzerland. It's never going to be a Madisonian democracy, but we can have kind of like a negative equilibrium with this country. And that is what he aspires to achieve.

Meanwhile, Trump’s ceasefire deal appears to be fracturing before it’s even been drafted. On Tuesday, the Kremlin told Russian state media that it takes the U.S. proposals seriously but cannot sign the ceasefire as it currently stands.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Carolina Lumetta.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: WORLD Tour with our reporter in Africa, Onize Oduah.

AUDIO: [Islamic prayer]

ONIZE ODUAH, REPORTER: A somber end to the Islamic Ramadan season in Myanmar, also known as Burma, after last week’s deadly earthquake.

The 7.7-magnitude quake centered mostly across the middle of the military-led country and has killed more than 2,700 people. At least 20 also died in neighboring Thailand.

The earthquake struck during the regular Friday Islamic prayers. Authorities said some 700 people died when mosques collapsed.

Sandar Aung lost her son. She ran to the mosque after the quake to look for him … but her husband later found him.

SANDAR AUNG: [BURMESE] There were so many patients at the hospital. They tried their best, but he passed away at night around 7:00 pm.

She says the doctors tried their best, but her son passed away that evening.

In the city of Mandalay, some 270 Buddhist monks were taking a religious exam when their building crumpled.

Authorities expect the toll to rise, since many areas still lack necessary rescue equipment and access.

AUDIO: [Government session]

Syria transitional government — Over in Syria, a transitional government assumed office over the weekend.

The swearing-in ceremony comes nearly four months after the ouster of longtime leader Bashar Assad and replaces the caretaker government led by Interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

AHMAD AL-SHARAA [ARABIC]: This moment, in which we announce the formation of the first government, is a declaration of our shared will to build a new, strong, and stable state, one that places the interests of the nation and its citizens at the forefront of its priorities and works to restore life to every corner of our beloved country.

He says the leaders are committed to building a new, stable nation that prioritizes the people.

The 23-member Cabinet includes Sharaa’s close associates and some minority representation, like veteran Assad critic Hind Kabawat: a Christian minority and the new government’s first female appointment. Three other ministers also came from the Druze, Kurdish, and Alawite minority groups.

Clashes in Syria’s coastal region last month left more than 1,000 people dead. The violence targeted mostly Alawites and also included Christian victims.

AUDIO: [Protest]

Argentina protest — In Argentina, thousands of people crowded the streets of the capital, Buenos Aires on Saturday to protest elective abortions.

Demonstrators called on the government to abolish a 2021 law that allows abortions up to 14 weeks and later in some cases of sexual assault or when the mother’s life is at risk.

Amparo Medina leads a pro-life foundation in Ecuador.

AMPARO MEDINA: [SPANISH] Latin American children have the right to live, and women who are currently going through difficult times need help, not abortion. And we demand that President Milei keep his word. We are here to support him.

She says Latin American children have the right to live, while women in difficult situations need more help and not abortions.

Argentine President Javier Milei had pledged to review the legislation during his campaign before assuming office in 2023. But he has yet to act on it.

AUDIO: [Singing]

Bosnian pilgrim — We end today in the Balkan nation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, where one pilgrim is praying across 620 miles for peace between the country’s three major communities.

The Bosnian War began in 1992 and lasted three years, leaving behind ethnically-fueled rifts among the Muslims, Orthodox Serbs, and Catholic Croats.

32-year-old Josip Jelinic hoists a nearly 18-pound cross on his shoulder as he walks across different towns and war memorials, praying for reconciliation.

His efforts have drawn reactions from locals, with some stopping to offer a hug or invite him into their home for a meal.

Jelinic says many families are still hurt by the effects of the war.

JOSIP JELINIC: [CROATIAN] I hope that these people will forgive their enemies and that peace will return to their hearts. Because unforgiveness is a poison that devours human beings.

He says he hopes they will forgive their enemies, and he called unforgiveness a poison that devours people.

Some Bosnian Serb leaders are increasing calls for secession. In February, the region passed a set of laws that bar the state judiciary and police from operating there.

Jelinic will end his pilgrimage on April 18th—Good Friday, two days before Easter Sunday.

That’s it for this week’s World Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Oduah in Abuja, Nigeria.

AUDIO: [From It's a Wonderful Life] To my big brother George, the richest man in town!

NICK EICHER, HOST: It is a wonderful life, and CBS News recently found a man wealthier than even the fictional George Bailey.

Dr. Z to his neighbors, Baltimore’s Dr. Michael Zollicoffer.

ZOLLICOFFER: Just love people!

He’s treated countless poor patients for free.

He gives out his personal cell number.

He’s available 24/7.

PATIENT: You’ll never meet a person like him.

But then came a double cancer diagnosis—and a paperwork foul-up that left him with no insurance and no way to pay for the treatment he desperately needed.

So his patients stepped up.

PATIENT 2: Whatever needs to be done to save Dr. Z, we’re going to do it.

They crowdfunded more than $100,000 and cleared up the insurance problems.

His treatments began.

And as for Dr. Z?

ZOLLICOFFER: I’m thankful that I got cancer—because I am the happiest man on the planet, no matter what the outcome.

A doctor with a gift for giving—now receiving what he’s freely given away.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Wednesday, April 2nd.

Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: And I’m Lindsay Mast.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: fighting a losing battle.

Over the past few years, transgender ideology has allowed men into women’s bathrooms, sports, prisons, and now, support groups for nursing mothers. For almost 70 years, the organization La Leche League has supported breastfeeding moms and now breastfeeding “parents.”

EICHER: The cultural and policy changes came gradually, then all at once. WORLD’s Mary Muncy talked to a woman who saw all this from the inside.

MARY MUNCY: More than 20 years ago, Ruth Lewis was sitting in the backroom of a library full of breastfeeding moms snuggling her three-month-old. It was a place that felt safe to talk about aches and pains, a lack of sleep, or just needing space.

RUTH LEWIS: And you can have a moan about those things without being told, ‘Oh, well, maybe you should stop breastfeeding and give them a bottle.’

Lewis quickly became a leader with La Leche League or LLL. She led support groups and in 2019 she started editing the organization's newsletter for members.

LEWIS: I wanted to give back.

But as she got more involved, she started to notice a shift.

In 2016, a Canadian woman who identified as a man named Trevor became an LLL leader.

LEWIS: That was kind of a Trojan horse.

The organization started sprinkling in terms like “chestfeeding,” instead of “breastfeeding,” and the role of “parents” and “families” in breastfeeding to replace “mothers.”

Lewis says at first it was manageable.

LEWIS: I was obliged to use what LLL calls a variety of terms, which I wasn't happy to do it, but I kind of gritted my teeth and did as minimally as possible.

But she had a hard line. She would stick to the guidelines with her own articles, but she wouldn’t ask contributors to change their language and no one asked her to for almost five years.

LEWIS: And then there was an instance where one of the leaders had written a lovely piece and she'd written it using all sex-based, mother-based language.

Her supervisor wanted to change it to include language about mothers and parents or families.

LEWIS: Which is just ridiculous.

The writer agreed to change one of the instances on a technicality, but Lewis’ supervisors pulled the article at the last minute in favor of a different one—one with more ‘inclusive’ language.

LEWIS: It didn't talk about breastfeeding, and it didn't talk about mothers. And I, for me, that was the last straw.

She resigned as editor shortly after that, but stayed on as a support group leader.

She thought maybe she could still help from the inside.

She started talking to her supervisors and posting in LLL Facebook groups about the dangers of inducing lactation in men through hormones and medications. One leader told her that there’s plenty of research on inducing lactation in adoptive mothers.

LEWIS: And when I pointed out that those medications were being used on a completely different physiology, male, rather than female. She just didn't seem to think this was an issue at all.

Lewis also points out a man wanting to breastfeed may not be about what’s best for the baby. It may be about confirming his identity as a woman or worse.

LEWIS: A male wanting to breastfeed a baby is a safeguarding issue.

Plus, she says many women wouldn’t feel as comfortable in a support group with a man present.

LEWIS: Whether that's for religious or cultural reasons, whether it's because they've been subjected to male violence or sexual abuse.

It wouldn’t be that safe place anymore.

LEWIS: It's not the same. And there are women who would not be comfortable doing that, a lot of women.

She wrote about these problems and talked to her supervisors, but all of Lewis’s Facebook posts criticizing transgender ideology were censored or taken down.

By late 2023, Lewis and a few other leaders who shared her views decided to run for election to the board of trustees for the Great Britain branch and they won about half the seats.

One of the first things they did was get a legal opinion confirming that it’s illegal for the branch to serve anyone but “mothers,” which is defined in law as excluding males. Meaning, if Lewis and her team did start serving men identifying as women, like LLL wanted, they could be prosecuted.

But it didn’t matter. By the end of the summer, LLL suspended Lewis and those who agreed with her and by October of last year, the organization removed Lewis’ breastfeeding leader accreditation.

LEWIS: I was the only active leader in Nottingham, where I live. I had to tell them that, basically the group was shutting so I did. And I had some beautiful emails and messages from mums I've supported, and I spent probably about two days crying.

The mothers expressed how helpful the group had been to them and what it would mean not to have one anymore.

LEWIS: That really made it hit home, just what LLL had done to me, personally, and the utter betrayal of what LLL should be became crystal clear.

Shortly after that, one of the founders of LLL stepped down, along with a few other leaders because they saw the same issues Lewis did. They took their stories to the media. But LLL stuck to its guns.

LEWIS: It became clear that we were fighting a losing battle.

In November of last year, Lewis and the others who agreed with her decided to step down from the board and stand for reelection. They figured that if they were elected again, it would show LLL that it was in the wrong. But Lewis says between the organization revoking their accreditation and a media smear campaign, they lost.

LEWIS: So that was the end of our association with La Leche League.

As much as the separation hurts, Lewis says it’s a relief. It gives her time for other things—like starting her own mother-to-mother breastfeeding support group with some other former LLL leaders.

LEWIS: It's something that matters deeply to a lot of mums, and that's why it's important to keep fighting it.

She’s not sure when the organization will be up and running, but she knows that when it is, she’ll be back where she wants to be: helping moms and babies.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Mary Muncy.

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Wednesday, April 2nd. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: And I’m Lindsay Mast. WORLD commentator Janie B. Cheaney is here now says that when it comes to physical intimacy, God’s design is best. Even unbelievers are coming around to the idea, speaking in characteristically frank terms.

JANIE B. CHEANEY: Suppose, while browsing shelves at the local bookstore, you picked up a book in the Young Adult section titled, A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century. Suppose you flip to the Table of Contents and read such chapter titles as “Sex Must Be Taken Seriously.” “Men and Women Are Different.” “Marriage Is Good,” and finally “Conclusion: Listen to Your Mother.”

A new guide? Sounds like old-fashioned advice from a Christian publisher. But no: the author is Louise Perry, a British journalist, author, and secular feminist.

Perry introduces this thing called The Sexual Revolution to her young readers as though they’d never heard of it. And they probably haven’t. Like a fish who never thinks about water, today’s teens swim in the assumptions of accessible porn and recreational sex. Perry writes, “[T]he most popular story told about this revolution—the one told by liberals and progressives—does not recognize its complexity. It sees the sexual revolution as a story only of progress. I know this because I used to believe it.”

Life experience changed her mind. Now 33, she’s following a traditional path of marriage and motherhood, but for most of her contemporaries, such healthy relationships have become difficult to form. In a podcast interview with Bari Weiss, Perry explained how she’s come to appreciate Christianity, even though she’s not a Christian. When it broke upon a ruthless pagan world 2000 years ago, Christianity offered a radical reinterpretation of sex that proved beneficial for both men and women.

But a curious thing happened on the way to sexual liberation, namely disillusion with sex. After decades of celebrating casual coupling as something the kids are just gonna do, it seems kids are doing it less and less. Fewer than 50% of high school students have ever been on a date, and the term “aromantic” has entered the lexicon as an “identity” for those resistant to romance.

It’s a phenomenon with many causes, such as teens moving their social lives from in-person to online. But the social anxieties of young people are chasing them into maturity. Whereas in previous generations most would be settling into marriage by age 25, the median age now is 32—if they marry at all.

The decline is especially steep among young women who are, in the words of a recent Wall Street Journal article, “Giving Up” on marriage. The widening gender gap in education and income is one big factor. As family researcher Lyman Stone bluntly puts it, “Women do not typically invest in long-term relationships with men who have nothing to contribute economically.” That shrinks the suitable-husband pool—and widens the happiness gap, for numerous studies indicate that good marriages are the strongest indicator of human happiness.

In the Bari Weiss interview, Louise Perry anticipated that love and marriage will eventually come back in style. Love is not a style choice; it’s a foundational principle. Steadfast love and faithfulness created and sustains this world and everything in it. This love revolutionized the pagan world and is fully capable of repairing our post-Christians ruins, if he’s willing. And if his people are willing, too.

I’m Janie B. Cheaney

NICK EICHER, HOST: Tomorrow: The Supreme Court arguments from later today over funding for Planned Parenthood, we’ll have a report. And, preserving the language of an ancient form of Christianity. That and more tomorrow.

I’m Nick Eicher.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: And I’m Lindsay Mast.

The World and Everything in It comes to you from WORLD Radio. WORLD’s mission is Biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires.

The Bible says: “Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.” —Deuteronomy 8:5-6.

Go now in grace and peace.

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