1.15.26 Britain considers assisted-suicide, updated nutrition advice, and the revival of classical architecture

Summary

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The World and Everything In It

Episode Summary: "Britain Considers Assisted-Suicide, Updated Nutrition Advice, and The Revival of Classical Architecture"

Date: January 15, 2026
Hosts: Mary Reichert, Myrna Brown, Kent Covington
Podcast: WORLD Radio

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Overview

This episode examines three major stories: Britain’s heated debate over legalizing assisted suicide, a critical look at the U.S. government's newly updated nutrition guidelines, and the renaissance of classical architecture in American education and civic life. The episode also includes commentary on recent Senate hearings addressing gender and medical realities.

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Key Segments and Discussion Points

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1. Britain Debates Assisted Suicide (06:43–12:05)

Theme:
British Parliament is debating the legalization of assisted suicide for terminally ill adults, a move that divides both lawmakers and the public.

Key Discussion Points:

• The “end of life bill” would allow adults with less than six months to live to request assisted suicide, subject to approval by two doctors and a review panel.
• Supporters frame it as “radical autonomy”—giving individuals control over how and when they die.
• Critics argue the bill is more about autonomy than genuinely addressing suffering and warn of dangerous cultural shifts.

Notable Quotes:

• “For some people, the thought of a painful death or a death that's out of your control and undignified is just absolutely horrendous. It was for my mum.”
  — Katie Fenner, supporter, recounting her mother’s experience (07:27)

• “But you would think that this is a bill about preventing suffering at the end of life, which is a noble goal, even if we don't agree with the methods. But that's not actually what's in the bill.”
  — Alethea Williams, Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (08:48)

• “If it's about autonomy, then why 6 months? Why any restriction at all?”
  — Alethea Williams (09:05)

• “I fear that once assisted suicide becomes available on the principle of radical autonomy, teenagers could choose assisted suicide in defiance of their parents. We end up with a society that becomes indifferent to choices.”
  — Nigel Bigger, House of Lords, ethicist (09:41)

Memorable Moments:

• Margaret Adams, Christian ethicist, casts the bill as an opportunity for Christians to “offer a better vision of end of life care” and address the underlying fear, not just pain (10:53).

Public Sentiment:
A recent poll finds 75% of the UK public support the legislation, but entrenched opposition remains among lawmakers and ethicists.

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2. The New U.S. Dietary Guidelines: Progress or More of the Same? (12:05–18:01)

Theme:
The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture released their 2025–2030 dietary guidelines, igniting debate among nutrition experts.

Key Discussion Points:

• The guidelines now encourage eating more protein and less processed sugar, and for the first time, explicitly recognize metabolic dysfunction and allow low-carb diets for people with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.
• Some experts applaud progress, especially the emphasis on “real food” and departure from the one-size-fits-all approach.
• Others criticize the document for lack of innovation and ongoing influence from the food industry.

Notable Quotes:

• “Focus on real food and whole foods, which shouldn't be all that revolutionary, but kind of is in the guidelines.”
  — Dr. Brett Scher, Coalition for Metabolic Health (13:22)

• “Never before has the agency completely rejected the scientific report put together by the official Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee … That is unprecedented.”
  — Nina Teicholz, nutritionist and researcher (15:00)

• “There's nothing really new about it.”
  — Dr. Joel Kahn, preventive cardiologist, on recommendations to cut added sugar and highly processed foods (16:08)

• “I’ve never in my life … measured exactly how many grams per day of protein. I know I'm not protein deficient … but I do it by beans and peas and lentils and leafy greens and whole grains.”
  — Dr. Joel Kahn (16:34)

Memorable Moments:

• Emma Frayer summarizes universal agreement among experts: Americans eat too much ultra-processed food and would benefit from more home-cooked, real food (17:37–18:01).

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3. Revival of Classical Architecture (20:02–25:50)

Theme:
A growing movement in America seeks to restore classical architecture, particularly in educational and government settings, as an expression of truth, beauty, and cultural heritage.

Key Discussion Points:

• Modernist and brutalist architecture is increasingly criticized for its aesthetics and symbolism; classical styles are resurging, especially after President Trump’s executive order favoring classical federal buildings.
• Classical education advocates believe physical spaces should reflect their commitment to tradition and beauty.
• Significant financial and practical obstacles exist for organizations desiring new classical structures.

Notable Quotes:

• “We wanted to get into a space that kind of reflected what we're doing. Physical space communicates so much.”
  — Jeremy Wayne Tate, founder of the Classic Learning Test (22:04)

• “I find it amazing that all of the great cathedrals, with no exceptions, were built by architects who had received themselves a classical education.”
  — Jeremy Wayne Tate (22:38)

• “A building … must fit a human scale, it has to function for the activities that will happen inside it, and it has to harmonize with its location.”
  — Larry Arne, President, Hillsdale College (24:45)

• “We're here to learn beautiful things, and it's better to do that in a beautiful atmosphere.”
  — Larry Arne (25:39)

Memorable Moments:

• Hillsdale College dedicates its new chapel—built in the English classical style—in a ceremony attended by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who remarks: “The chapel’s enduring beauty highlights the transcendence, the sovereignty and the grace of God. It truly illustrates how architectural design can reflect the character of God and evoke a sense of reverence for his majesty.” (23:35)

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4. Senate Hearings: When Biology Meets Ideology (26:41–31:38)

Theme:
Albert Mohler’s editorial explores a viral exchange in a Senate hearing on reproductive health, where a physician refuses to answer a direct question on whether men can get pregnant, underscoring the collision of medical science and cultural ideology.

Key Discussion Points:

• Senator Josh Hawley asks Dr. Nisha Verma if men can get pregnant; she repeatedly avoids a direct answer, citing diverse identities and the politicization of such questions.
• Mohler interprets this as evidence of the growing tension between scientific reality and identity politics, arguing that willed confusion about biological sex signals cultural and moral decline.

Notable Quotes:

• “Can men get pregnant? Can you believe such a question would ever be asked in a Senate hearing?”
  — Albert Mohler (26:45)

• “No, yes, no questions are about the truth, Doctor. Let's not make a mockery of this proceeding.”
  — Sen. Josh Hawley (28:16)

• “A human baby is never going to pass through a male pelvis. Never. Not a chance. … The Senate hearing yesterday should serve as an alarm that we are now reaching terminal cultural insanity.”
  — Albert Mohler (30:34)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• British Assisted Suicide Bill: 06:43–12:05
• Updated U.S. Dietary Guidelines: 12:05–18:01
• Classical Architecture Revival: 20:02–25:50
• Senate Hearing on Gender & Biology: 26:41–31:38

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Conclusion

This episode of The World and Everything In It weaves together national and cultural debates about life, health, beauty, and truth. From the British quest for “radical autonomy” at the end of life, to American efforts to clarify healthy eating, and pursuits to restore classical beauty in architecture, discussion consistently circles back to fundamental questions about societal values, human dignity, and objective reality.

The commentary on modern confusion in medical and legal arenas closes the episode with a warning about the costs of abandoning clear standards in favor of trendy ideologies.

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Transcript

[Mary Reichert]

Good morning. Today the British Parliament considers legalizing assisted suicide against staunch opposition.

[Benjamin Eicker]

But you would think that this is a bill about preventing suffering at the end of life. But that's not actually what's in the bill.

[Myrna Brown]

Also, new dietary guidelines serve up a fresh round of debate. And why classical architecture is making a comeback.

[Benjamin Eicker]

We want to see beautiful buildings and world opinions.

[Myrna Brown]

Editor Albert Moore.

[Mary Reichert]

It's Thursday, January 15th. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Good morning.

[Mary Reichert]

Up next, Kent Covington has today's news.

[Kent Covington]

Conflicting reports today about a violent crackdown by Iran's government on protesters there. President Trump on Wednesday said he had it on good authority that Iran would not be executing demonstrators.

[Benjamin Eicker]

We were told that the killing in Iran is stopping. It's stopped stopping and there's no plan for executions.

[Kent Covington]

And in an interview with FOX News last night, Iran's foreign Minister Abbas Iraqchi called claims about protester deaths there baseless. He said his country is not executing peaceful protesters.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Call hanging is out of the question.

[Kent Covington]

As I said, Arakchi claimed Israeli intelligence is the real culprit, asserting that Israelis infiltrated the protests to incite violence. But human rights groups say the death toll from Iran's protest crackdown now numbers in the thousands, a scale far too great to be explained by Iran's claims of Israeli involvement. And some observers say the violence against demonstrators there is not slowing down. The United States says the ceasefire it brokered in Gaza is now moving into its second phase. World's Benjamin Eicker has more.

[Benjamin Eicker]

President Trump's Middle east envoy Steve Witkoff made the announcement on Wednesday. Officials say the next steps focus on disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza. It also calls for a group of Palestinian experts to run daily affairs in Gaza under US Oversight. Gaza. But major challenges remain. First and foremost, there's no evidence that Hamas has actually agreed to lay down its weapons. And reconstruction will be a massive project. UN estimates put the price tag at about $50 billion for world. I'm Benjamin Eicher.

[Kent Covington]

The US Senate last night voted down a resolution that sought to limit President Trump's authority to conduct another military strike in Venezuela without express consent from Congress. Vice President J.D. vance cast the tie breaking vote on a measure to dismiss that resolution.

[Benjamin Eicker]

On this vote, the yeas are 50, the nays are 50. The Senate being equally divided. The vice president votes affirmative and the point of order is sustained.

[Kent Covington]

That came after two GOP senators who had voiced support for the resolution reversed course. Senators Todd Young and Josh Hawley changed their minds after Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised a public hearing and and pledged the president would seek congressional approval before any major military action if circumstances allow. But President Trump, for his part, says he does not foresee any further action against Venezuela. He said of the country's new leader, Delsey Rodriguez, we just had a great.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Conversation today and she's a terrific person. I mean, she's somebody that we've worked with very well. Marco Rubio is dealing with her. I dealt with her this morning. We had a call, a long call. We discussed a lot of things and I think we're getting along very well with Venezuela.

[Kent Covington]

Officials say the two countries are now talking about restoring diplomatic ties and reopening embassies, and Venezuela has been releasing some detained US Citizens as a goodwill gesture. Both sides are exploring cooperation on oil trade and security issues. Denmark says it still has a major disagreement with President Trump over Greenland following following talks at the White House on Wednesday, Greenland's Foreign Minister, Vivian Matzfeld, met with Vice President J.D. vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. She said Denmark and Greenland made their limits clear but want continued cooperation.

[Mary Reichert]

That doesn't mean that we want to be owned by United States, but as allies, how we can strengthen our cooperation, it's all our interest.

[Kent Covington]

President Trump was not a part of the meeting, but later repeated his view that the United States needs Greenland green. He said if the US does not take possession of it, Russia or China will. But Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lucke Rasmussen, who was also a part of the meeting, said threats from the likes of Russia or China is why the NATO alliance exists.

[Benjamin Eicker]

We have been pushing for quite a while in NATO for a stronger collective role in Greenland, together with a number of allies, and we are eager to work with the US on advancing this agenda.

[Kent Covington]

Denmark announced that it will increase military activity in the Arctic, working with NATO allies, and the two sides agreed to form a working group to keep talks going. The U.S. state Department says it will pause immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries starting next Wednesday. World's Paul Butler has more.

[Benjamin Eicker]

The State Department says the pause will remain in place while it reviews and updates its vetting procedures. Officials say they want to ensure they're not allowing immigrants in who will rely on taxpayer funds public assistance. The pause applies only to immigrant visas, which are used for permanent residents. It does not affect tourist, student or business visas. Those temporary visas account for most travel to the U.S. the affected countries are mostly located in Africa and Asia, as well as Latin America and the Caribbean region for world I'm Paul Butler.

[Kent Covington]

And I'm Kent Covington. Still ahead, British lawmakers consider legalizing assisted suicide, plus debate surrounding new government dietary guidelines. This is the World and everything in it.

[Myrna Brown]

It's Thursday the 15th of January. Glad to have you along for today's Ed of the World and Everything in It. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichert. First up, a question of life and death. A bill in Britain could allow doctors to assist in ending the lives of people who have terminal illnesses.

[Myrna Brown]

Debated since 2024, the end of life bill has divided Parliament and the public. The outcome is still uncertain. World associate correspondent Claire Wilkerson traveled to England for the story.

[Claire Wilkerson]

In 2022, Alison Fenner was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Soon after, she traveled to Switzerland to find a doctor willing to help end her life. Her daughter Katie found out about her mother's suicide in a text message.

[Mary Reichert]

And for some people, the thought of.

[Benjamin Eicker]

A painful death or a death that's.

[Mary Reichert]

Out of your control and undignified is just absolutely horrendous. It was for my mum.

[Claire Wilkerson]

For her, the terminally ill adults bill, also called the end of life Bill, is personal. Since her mother's death, Katie has become a champion of the bill. She says it would give people the freedom to choose how they die because.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Death is inevitable for all of us.

[Mary Reichert]

We are going to die.

[Claire Wilkerson]

If passed, the bill will allow people over the age of 18 to request assisted suicide with strict conditions. They must have only six months left to live and two doctors must approve them for the procedure. They must also face a panel including a psychiatrist, a senior legal figure and a social worker. For Fenner and the bill's supporters, assisted suicide is about choice. They call it radical autonomy.

[Benjamin Eicker]

That's what they are saying. They are saying this is about autonomy. It's about people giving a choice.

[Claire Wilkerson]

Alethea Williams is the public policy manager at the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children. She says the bill sets a dangerous precedent and that radical autonomy bears close similarities to the pro abortion phrase my body, my choice.

[Benjamin Eicker]

And I suppose what I mean by radical is that it's not describing the world as it really exists.

[Claire Wilkerson]

William sympathizes with stories like Katie's, but she believes the language of the bill won't protect the most vulnerable, like low income families without access to good palliative care.

[Benjamin Eicker]

But you would think that this is a bill about preventing suffering at the end of life, which is a noble goal, even if we don't agree with the methods. But that's not actually what's in the bill.

[Claire Wilkerson]

Williams says ultimately, the bill serves to push radical autonomy rather than actually help people with terminal illnesses.

[Benjamin Eicker]

The bill doesn't have any mention of suffering, it doesn't have any mention of pain. You know, it's just about autonomy, which doesn't really work. Because if it's about Autonomy, then why 6 months? Why any restriction at all?

[Claire Wilkerson]

The bill has widespread support from the public, with one recent poll finding that 75% of respondents support the legislation. Still, it faces strong opposition from members of Britain's upper chamber.

[Benjamin Eicker]

It is a mess.

[Claire Wilkerson]

Nigel Bigger is a member of the House of Lords. He's also a former Christian ethicist at Oxford University. Bigger is a vocal critic of the bill and anticipates that it could turn families against each other.

[Benjamin Eicker]

I fear that once assisted suicide becomes available on the principle of radical autonomy, teenagers could choose assisted suicide in defiance of their parents. We end up with a society that comes indifferent to choices.

[Claire Wilkerson]

Ger fears the bill will corrode social norms, destroying an already unstable public understanding of what it means to be human.

[Benjamin Eicker]

I think the result, long term cultural result, is a gradually devaluing of the lives of afflicted human beings and an increasing carelessness about it. And people who are cling on to their lives in adverse circumstances and require the help of other people then become regarded as burdens. And that seems to me to be a more inhumane society and I don't want it.

[Claire Wilkerson]

Assisted dying for terminally ill people is already legal in nine other European countries. It's also legal in Canada and 12 US states. Margaret Adams is a Christian ethicist at the University of Oxford's St Stephen's House. She disagrees with the premise of the bill, but sees it as an opportunity for Christians to offer a better vision of end of life care, one that discourages people from assisted suicide.

[Myrna Brown]

The primary reason for people wanting to pursue something like assisted dying is not.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Present pain and suffering, but fear of pain and suffering.

[Myrna Brown]

And I think fear is something we can work with. Which is not to say that fears might be wrong, but there are definite ways to care for and be present.

[Claire Wilkerson]

With people who are afraid. The House of Lords will sit for nine more debates to address the record number of proposed amendments from opponents. If the Lords can't reach a resolution by the end of the parliamentary session in the spring, the bill will fail. If that happens, Adams says the discussion likely won't end there.

[Benjamin Eicker]

It's a recognizable idea to most people.

[Myrna Brown]

That it is possible, or should be possible to be able to have control over choice about how you die.

[Benjamin Eicker]

So if this bill doesn't pass, another.

[Claire Wilkerson]

One will before too long, leaving more opportunities for Christians to advance conversations about end of life care in the future. Reporting for world, I'm Claire Wilkerson in Oxford.

[Mary Reichert]

Up next, what to eat. For decades, the federal government told Americans to avoid eating fat, load up on grains and trust the experts. Meanwhile, rates of obesity and chronic disease soared. Type 2 diabetes spiraled up. High blood pressure, fatty liver illnesses linked to what's known as metabolic syndrome became commonplace.

[Myrna Brown]

Last week, the federal government released the new 2025, 2030 U.S. dietary Guidelines, put out by two the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture.

[Mary Reichert]

Depending upon who you ask, it's either overdue progress or the same old same old, with some new mistakes thrown in. And it's important to remember that this is a policy document, not a scientific paper. I spoke to three experts who approach nutrition from different angles. Two think the new guidelines are a real improvement. One sees little meaningful change. Dr. Brett Scher is a cardiologist and medical director for the Coalition for Metabolic Health. He was not involved with creating these guidelines, but says the guidelines do move in a better direction.

[Emma Frayer]

I think the overarching main message is.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Focus on real food and whole foods, which shouldn't be all that revolutionary, but.

[Emma Frayer]

But kind of is in the guidelines.

[Mary Reichert]

The guidelines say to eat fewer refined grains, less added sugar, and most critically, more protein. Past guidelines recommended 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Now a kilogram is roughly two pounds. So for a 150 pound person, that's 55 grams of protein a day, roughly a large chicken breast or a big can of tuna. Shure calls that the very minimum just to prevent deficiency. And that resonates with PhD nutritionist and researcher Nina Teicholz.

[Emma Frayer]

There is quite a lot to celebrate in these guidelines. There has long been a move in.

[Benjamin Eicker]

The scientific community arguing that for optimal health, much more protein is needed.

[Mary Reichert]

Dr. Scher says a bigger shift is the acknowledgment that one size fit all diets just don't work. This is the first time the guidelines explicitly recognize metabolic dysfunction, things like insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and obesity, and state that low carbohydrate diets work for people with those conditions. Older guidelines were for healthy Americans, and there are fewer of those these days. And you know, there are studies showing.

[Benjamin Eicker]

That 93% of Americans have suboptimal metabolic health.

[Mary Reichert]

So if you're are you only making.

[Emma Frayer]

A guideline for that 7% of people.

[Benjamin Eicker]

That, that part really never made a whole lot of sense to me.

[Mary Reichert]

Teichel says past guidelines relied on weak evidence. But this time, she says, something unusual happened.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Never before has the agency completely rejected.

[Emma Frayer]

The scientific report put together by the official Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee.

[Benjamin Eicker]

That's the expert group that is appointed every five years to review the science and make recommendations.

[Emma Frayer]

The recommendations from that report were wholesale rejected by hhs. That is unprecedented.

[Mary Reichert]

Instead, HHS put together a separate group of scientists who conducted fresh systematic reviews. Those reviews helped form the final changes.

[Emma Frayer]

So these were not just picked out of thin air. They were supported by rigorous evidence.

[Mary Reichert]

She also says transparency around conflicts of interest improved this go round. Several members of the panel received money from beef, dairy and other food industry groups. That invites scrutiny, particularly from proponents of plant based nutrition. Dr. Joel Kahn is one of those. He's a preventive cardiologist who sees the guidelines differently. He agrees that Americans eat too much ultra processed food. But he doesn't think the guidelines represent a great breakthrough. He says everybody agrees on the acronym spelled crap.

[Kent Covington]

Stands for calorie rich in process, C R A P. Not at all. New is to cut back added sugar, stop eating so much garbage food, start cooking real food at home. There's nothing really new about it.

[Mary Reichert]

He would like to see more of a focus on plant based proteins. Things like beans, lentils, legumes, whole grains that are associated with lower rates of heart disease, cancer and kidney disease.

[Kent Covington]

I've never in my life as a very nutrition educated cardiologist, measured exactly how many grams per day of protein. I know I'm not protein deficient. I can lift weights, I can exercise, and my lab values are exceptionally good. But I do it by beans and peas and lentils and leafy greens and whole grains.

[Mary Reichert]

Red meat and saturated fat sharply divide nutrition experts, as do the benefits of animal versus plant proteins. But those debates aside, sure, Teichols and Kahn say prior guidelines failed Americans and and are at least partially to blame for increased obesity and chronic disease. So why trust the guidelines now? I think maybe one of the reasons.

[Emma Frayer]

You can trust it is because we sort of saw what happened with the old guideline.

[Benjamin Eicker]

So even if it didn't directly cause.

[Emma Frayer]

It, it certainly led to the environment.

[Benjamin Eicker]

That contributed to it.

[Emma Frayer]

And so how do you fix that? Well, you reverse it, you undo it.

[Benjamin Eicker]

And that's what these new guidelines are doing.

[Mary Reichert]

So where does this leave the average American? All three experts agree we eat way too much ultra processed food. We should reduce added sugar and cook real food at home more often. And in a country where metabolic disease is the norm, maybe it's a good thing the debate is out in the open.

[Kent Covington]

Additional Additional support comes from Ambassadors Impact Network, where investors collaborate on due diligence to fund faith based companies and venture funds. Ambassadorsimpact.com from his words Abiding in you a Bible memorization podcast designed for truck drivers. His words abiding in you on all podcast apps and from Rich Haven Camp in North Carolina and Iowa Summer camp registration open [e-mail].

[Myrna Brown]

You know the phrase monkey, see monkey, do well, the last few days in one St. Louis neighborhood have been more like see monkey, what to do.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Who opened the Jumanji book? What's going on right now?

[Mary Reichert]

Right.

[Myrna Brown]

The city started getting reports last week about small monkeys on the streets, exotic vervet monkeys, originally from Africa. The city swung into action, putting out public calls for help, all to no avail. Compounding the problem, a skeptical public audio from Fox 2 in St. Louis I.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Thought it was a joke, thought it was a viral joke that was going on.

[Myrna Brown]

And some fake AI generated images of the animals didn't help either. Officials say the monkeys are intelligent and unpredictable. In other words, they've outsmarted their pursuers at this point.

[Mary Reichert]

Go monkeys. Yeah.

[Myrna Brown]

It's the world and everything in it. Today is Wednesday, January 15th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichard. Coming next on THE World and Everything In It, a revival of classical architecture. Growing numbers of American parents are sending their children to classical schools in a search for truth, beauty and goodness. In turn, the schools want physical surroundings that reflect those values.

[Myrna Brown]

To them, rolling back the bad ideas of the 1960s and 1970s also means rolling back that era's ugly architecture world. Senior writer Emma Frayer has the story.

[Emma Frayer]

Washington, D.C. is full of modern architecture.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Everything in L' Enfant Plaza is this.

[Kent Covington]

Stacked layering of infrastructure.

[Benjamin Eicker]

So you have buildings on top, but then there's a parking garage, freeway on ramps, and below all of that, the metro system.

[Emma Frayer]

The Cold War ushered in the brutalist style to the city, seen with the FBI headquarters and of course, the entire metro system. But that may start to change.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Well, we want to see beautiful buildings.

[Emma Frayer]

In August, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again. It requires that federal buildings in Washington be built in the classical style when possible.

[Benjamin Eicker]

So, but it's just a standard. We want to have a good standard. We're building standards.

[Emma Frayer]

Many people in the classical education movement agree with him. Jeremy Wayne Tate is one of them. He's the founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test, a classical alternative to the SAT and act. His organization works out of the Pinckney Callahan House in historical downtown Annapolis, Maryland.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Yeah, so this is.

[Emma Frayer]

It's a red brick building in the Georgian architectural style.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Yeah. Built during the American Revolution, early 1780s.

[Emma Frayer]

Classical education has made a comeback in recent years. One study found that between 2019 and 2023, over 260 new classical schools launched nationwide. The Pinckney Callahan House provides a nice work environment for Tate and his staff, but it's more than that.

[Benjamin Eicker]

We wanted to get into a space that kind of reflected what we're doing and. And physical space communicates so much.

[Emma Frayer]

Tate believes our culture's turn away from classical education went hand in hand with rejecting classical architecture.

[Benjamin Eicker]

The turn in architecture really began in the early 1960s. You look at especially churches. Churches built before 1960 tend to be beautiful and done in the old style. Churches built in the 70s. It's like what happened there.

[Emma Frayer]

It's during the same time period that there was a move away from classical education and toward secular, progressive education.

[Benjamin Eicker]

I find it amazing that all of the great cathedrals, with no exceptions, were built by architects who had received themselves a classical education. Our central campus is two quads.

[Emma Frayer]

Larry Arne is the president of Hillsdale College in Michigan. He's making classical architecture on campus a priority.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Everything in it is going to be harmonious with everything else and in the classical style. And that should be finished in two years. Round numbers. The major things are under construction now.

[Emma Frayer]

Under Arne's leadership, Hillsdale opened a chapel designed by architect Duncan Strike and inspired by the English church Saint Martin in the Fields. It was dedicated in 2019 with a large ceremony featuring music from the college choir. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas spoke during the dedication and pointed out why the building itself matters.

[Benjamin Eicker]

The chapel's enduring beauty highlights the transcendence, the sovereignty and the grace of God. It truly illustrates how architectural design can reflect the character of God and evoke a sense of reverence for his majesty.

[Emma Frayer]

Arne also takes his inspiration from Hillsdale's original building, Central hall, which was dedicated in 1853.

[Benjamin Eicker]

It is built in a development on the Federalist style, which is a development on the classical style. And the campus looked like that. Whatever was on the campus was harmonious with that.

[Emma Frayer]

But just like in DC, the 1960s and 70s saw the addition of modern buildings to Hillsdale's campus. Arne is working to get rid of them. He stresses that classical architecture doesn't have to mean white columns and marble buildings. He believes classical architecture has three main components. A building must fit a human scale. It has to function for the activities that will happen inside it. And it has to harmonize with its location.

[Benjamin Eicker]

It actually is a form of obedience. It's not right because I say it's right. It's right because it's right in proportion and function and appearance.

[Emma Frayer]

But it comes at a steep cost. Hillsdale spent $28.5 million on the chapel. And many fledgling K12 classical schools don't have anywhere near that kind of budget. They have to take whatever facility they can afford.

[Benjamin Eicker]

It's a new movement. It is growing very fast. They don't have the dough. I mean, one of the best classical schools is in what used to be a Kroger's. There's shopping malls going broke. I bet there'll be classical schools grow up in those. You do what you can do, right? But they would be improved if they had themselves a classy building.

[Emma Frayer]

Arne is happy to see more people share his passion for classical architecture, and he's hopeful for the future.

[Benjamin Eicker]

You wouldn't sacrifice the ability to continue for it. But we're here to learn beautiful things, and it's better to do that in a beautiful atmosphere.

[Emma Frayer]

Reporting for World, I'm Emma Freire in Annapolis, Maryland.

[Myrna Brown]

Good morning. This is the World and everything in it, from listener support. Welcome back to Supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichert]

And I'm Mary Reichard. Just one day after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments over whether states may reserve women's sports for women, a hearing on Capitol Hill produced a viral moment between a senator and a physician. That moment revealed how difficult it remains, even for experts, maybe especially for experts, to answer basic biological questions.

[Myrna Brown]

Here's World Opinions editor, Albert Mohler.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Can men get pregnant? Can you believe such a question would ever be asked in a Senate hearing? Can you imagine that a doctor would refuse to answer the question? If you've been paying attention to our continuing cultural breakdown, perhaps you can imagine such astounding nonsense. But thanks to a US Senate hearing yesterday, you don't even have to use your imagination. You can just listen or watch as the insanity unfolds. In a hearing held by the Senate's Health, Education, labor and Pensions Committee on the safety of chemical abortion drugs, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri asked Dr. Nisha Verma, an obstetrician, a very simple question. Can men get pregnant? But astoundingly, Dr. Verma would not answer the Senator's question. I'm not really sure what the goal of the question is. The goal is just to establish a biological reality. You just said a moment ago that science and evidence should control, not politics. So let's just test that proposition. Can men get pregnant?

[Claire Wilkerson]

I take care of people with many.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Identities, but can men get pregnant?

[Claire Wilkerson]

Many women that can get pregnant, I do take care of people that don't identify as women.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Can men get pregnant?

[Claire Wilkerson]

Again, as I'm saying, let me just.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Remind you, you testified to a moment ago, science and evidence should control, not politics. So can men get pregnant? You're a doctor.

[Claire Wilkerson]

I think science and evidence should guide medicine.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Do science and evidence tell us that men can get pregnant? Biological men, can they get pregnant?

[Claire Wilkerson]

I also think yes. No questions like this are a political tool.

[Benjamin Eicker]

No, yes, no questions are about the truth, Doctor. Let's not make a mockery of this proceeding. The exchange continued for another three and a half minutes, but it signals nothing less than the fall of a great civilization. Dr. Verma is a physician, a board certified obstetrician, gynecologist, and an adjunct associate professor at Emory University. She is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a practicing physician. She's also an abortionist working with Planned Parenthood, and she appeared before the Senate committee as a fellow of Physicians for Reproductive Health, which is straightforwardly pro abortion. Dr. Verma was determined not to answer Senator Hawley's question, which could easily have been answered by a first grader. The exchange between the senator and the physician reveals the utter corruption of modern medicine that has been driven by two horrifying agendas, abortion rights and the LGBTQ revolution. In this single exchange, both of these agendas, mutually driven by the culture of death, combine into one agonizing lesson in modern insanity. An obstetrician, gynecologist, highly qualified and associated with a major medical school, refused to say whether men can get pregnant. None of this makes the slightest sense until you insert the issues of abortion and transgender ideologies. The entire abortion rights movement wants to insist that an unborn baby isn't a baby. And the transgender revolution now wants to insist that a man can have a baby. When Dr. Verma referred to the complex experiences of my patients and patients that don't identify as women, she's just parroting the transgender and non binary line. We do need to take notice of one interesting dimension to the physician's gynecological and moral insanity. She did not have the courage to come out and answer Senator Hawley's question directly. If Dr. Verma is so committed to the new gender ideologies that she would make herself look like an absolute idiot before a national audience, why didn't she just come out and answer Senator Hawley directly by saying, yes, senator, men can get pregnant? The answer is simple and important. The gender ideologies are absolute insanity, and even those who push them know it. Thus, the doctor made herself appear clueless about basic biology because she is committed to a radical worldview driven by personal autonomy, individual liberation and identity politics, and now by the cowardly corruption of the medical profession. But there's something far more basic than ideology, whatever its form, and that is reality. Biological reality. Here's reality. A human baby is never going to pass through a male pelvis. Never. Not a chance. A man is never going to develop eggs, and a woman is never going to develop sperm. Not a chance. The Senate hearing yesterday should serve as an alarm that we are now reaching terminal cultural insanity. We have now some of the nation's smartest people saying some of the stupidest things ever spoken. We need leaders who will follow the example of Senator Hawley and press the questions unceasingly. We need to reveal the insanity for what it is, a determined effort to subvert creation, order, biological fact and moral sanity. We are a culture on the brink of disaster, and this recent Senate hearing just makes that undeniably clear. If this kind of insanity goes on, America is doomed. For world. I'm Albert Mohler.

[Mary Reichert]

Tomorrow, Maria Baer will be here for culture Friday, and Max Bells will have some film noir recommendations. That and more tomorrow. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. The world and everything in it comes to you from World radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. Matthew records this about Jesus. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said, said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Matthew, chapter 9, verses 36 through 38. Go now in grace and peace.

[Benjamin Eicker]

Sam.