3.31.26 Military force and diplomacy in Iran, social media companies held accountable, Gen Z relationships, and church design for music and preaching.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The World and Everything In It (March 31, 2026)

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Episode Overview

This episode of The World and Everything In It explores critical international and domestic news, cultural analysis, and the intersection of faith and public life. Key topics include U.S. military and diplomatic maneuvering in Iran, legal accountability for social media companies regarding youth harm, changing dating patterns among Generation Z, the impact of church architecture and acoustics on worship, and rising legal pressure against Christian speech in Europe.

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1. Military Force and Diplomacy in Iran

Segment Overview

• Theme: The U.S. seeks leverage to force Iran into negotiation, using increased military presence while holding off on full-scale invasion ([09:00]).
• Guest: Retired Army Lt. Col. Mike Nelson, chief of staff for Penn Washington, former U.S. special forces.

Key Discussion Points

• U.S. and Israeli Military Objectives: Progress in destroying Iran’s navy and missile infrastructure; challenges remain in halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions and support for terrorism ([09:50]).
  • Quote: “CENTCOM has been incredibly effective... at targeting these military capabilities that the Iranians had prior to the beginning of the conflict and have been severely diminished since.”
    — Mike Nelson ([10:09])
• Iran's Response: Iran persists in resistance, not concession—using missile attacks and asymmetrical tactics:
  • “The regime does not want to capitulate... they are using different levers that they have at their disposal to achieve some kind of pressure back towards us.”
    — Mike Nelson ([11:31])
• New Military Options:
  • Targeted seizures (e.g., Carg Island, a major oil hub)
  • Clearing out Iranian naval threats in the Strait of Hormuz
  • Raids to secure and remove enriched uranium ([12:30])
• Strategy Mix: Emphasis on “lethal force and diplomacy. Very Trumpian in its approach,” noting the need for force to make negotiations credible ([14:32]).
• Capitulation and Deterrence: The regime’s priority is survival; any agreement must let Iran rebuild deterrence.
  • “Short of some kind of truly verifiable agreement, I don't think we're going to end up with a regime that is more compliant... probably more resistant.”
    — Mike Nelson ([14:46])

Notable Moment

• Clear breakdown of possible U.S. military levers and the acknowledgement that changing Iranian behavior without regime change is unlikely ([12:30–14:32]).

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2. Social Media Companies Held Accountable

Segment Overview

• Theme: Courts rule social media platforms like Meta can be held liable for youth harm; parental grief and advocacy for change ([16:35]).

Key Discussion Points

• Landmark Court Rulings: California and New Mexico courts penalized Meta $400 million for platform-induced harm—potentially opening floodgates for lawsuits ([16:47]).
• Personal Story: Cheryl McCormick Brown discusses her daughter McKenna’s suicide after online bullying:
  • Quote: “The infinite scroll, the constant notifications, the algorithms pushing that content, it was all designed to be to target kids that were younger than were even allowed to be on the platform.”
    — Cheryl McCormick Brown ([18:40])
• Internal Company Evidence: Meta likened Instagram to a drug, referring to themselves as "pushers" for hooking children ([20:40]).
• Policy Debate: Cato Institute’s Jennifer Huddleston emphasizes parental responsibility over government intervention ([19:21]).
• Advocacy: Brown calls for passage of the Kids Online Safety Act, which passed Senate but stalled in House ([21:23]).
  • Quote: “Parents should be involved and need to be involved, but they can't do it alone.”
    — Cheryl McCormick Brown ([21:14])

Memorable Moment

• Brown’s emotional reaction to a successful verdict: “We know that the risks are real, and now that they've been proven in court, that has a lot to do with feeling seen and feeling validated.” ([20:32])

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3. Gen Z and the Dating Rut

Segment Overview

• Theme: Majority of Gen Z reports little to no dating; possible consequences include fewer marriages ([22:17]).

Key Discussion Points

• Survey Results: 74% of women and 64% of men aged 22–35 reported sporadic or no dating ([23:16]).
• Cultural Shifts: Later marriage ages (now 28 for women, 31 for men) and lack of social expectation to date ([23:59]).
  • Quote: “Dating can be fun, but to what end?” — Lisa Anderson, Focus on the Family ([24:28])
• Social Skills Gap: Only 36% feel confident reading social cues; bad experiences cause many to give up ([24:44]).
• Mixed Signals: Men express uncertainty about dating etiquette in a changing culture.
  • “We don't want to make the wrong move. We don't want to upset.”
    — Josiah Dolan ([25:12])
• Dating App Fatigue: Apps are less popular among Gen Z; AI-assisted features aim to improve conversations ([26:04]).
  • Quote: “Apps... are introducing AI almost like Wingman... Not to replace you, but to... give you prompts or ways to start a conversation.”
    — Ashley Bishop ([26:23])
• Encouragement for Skills Training: Experts recommend “dating boot camps” and clear focus on marriage as the purpose of dating ([27:22]).

Memorable Moment

• Contrast between app success and real-life struggle: “I actually met her through Hinge, believe it or not, which is, I think is funny that all my attempts in person did not work. But somehow the Hinge one is working pretty well.” — Marco Gonzalez ([27:03])

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4. Church Design: Acoustics for Music and Preaching

Segment Overview

• Theme: How intentional architecture and acoustics enhance both worship music and preaching ([28:51]).

Key Discussion Points

• Acoustics as Early Design Priority: Acoustical planning is often overlooked in new church buildings until after construction ([29:21]).
• Balancing Dual Needs: Churches require both reverberant spaces for organ music and “dead rooms” for clear speech and amplified worship bands ([30:56], [31:08]).
  • Quote: “In a church, you've got the music and then you've got spoken word right next to each other, and they both have to sound good. And usually they want pretty opposite things acoustically.”
    — Andy Morgan, acoustics consultant ([32:15])
• Case Study: Redeemer Eastside in Manhattan integrates acoustics from design stage, accommodates flexible worship styles, and maximizes space and intimacy through creative seating ([31:20–33:17]).
• Technical Fixes: Use of sound-absorbing materials, speaker delays, and careful architectural choices to create a “cohesive wave front” ([33:51]).
• Spiritual Dimension: Good acoustics foster deeper connection and community in worship ([34:16]).

Notable Moment

• Design making the congregation “a much more intimate experience” through balcony placement and acoustical adjustments ([33:11]).

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5. Europe’s Criminalization of Christian Speech

Segment Overview

• Theme: Recent European court cases trend toward criminalizing traditional Christian viewpoints, particularly on sexuality ([34:48]).

Key Discussion Points

• Finnish Case: Politician Paivi Rasanen fined for sharing a Bible verse on social media and authorship of a booklet on biblical sexuality ([35:01]).
• Other Cases: Catholic and Protestant pastors in Iceland and Malta facing legal battles for expressing church teachings on sexuality ([35:28], [35:39]).
  • Quote: “This law has caused me and the co accused to go through a lengthy and dragging three year process for a simple conversation.” — Matthew Grex, acquitted Christian in Malta ([36:45])
• Weaponization of Law: Processes are punitive even when defendants prevail; fear and marginalization of traditional Christian positions result ([37:13]).
  • “Even when cases like this end happily, the process is the punishment. The message is clear. Some views may be expressed freely in the public square, others may not.”
    — Bethel McGrew ([37:00])
• Spiritual Resistance: Encouragement for Christians to continue speaking faithfully.
  • “If we don't speak up, no one does.” — Father Roland, Iceland ([38:06])

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6. Other News Segments & Notables

• Airline Security Lines: TSA workers finally paid, lines normalizing after political standoff stalls DHS funding ([04:35]).
• School Shooting: Brief report on a high school shooting near San Antonio ([06:46]).
• Title IX Lawsuit: DOJ sues Minnesota for allowing boys in girls’ sports; debate over fairness, safety, and policy motivations ([07:33]).
• Cheesesteak World Record: Moment of local color as Philadelphia breaks a cheesesteak assembly record, serving TSA agents ([27:53]).

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “We negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up.” — Nick Eicher ([09:30])
• “Parents should be involved and need to be involved, but they can't do it alone.” — Cheryl McCormick Brown ([21:14])
• “Dating can be fun, but to what end?” — Lisa Anderson ([24:28])
• “In a church, you've got the music and then you've got spoken word right next to each other, and they both have to sound good. And usually they want pretty opposite things acoustically.” — Andy Morgan ([32:15])
• “Even when cases like this end happily, the process is the punishment.” — Bethel McGrew ([37:00])

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Recommended Listening Timestamps

• (09:00–15:33): In-depth discussion with Mike Nelson on U.S. military strategy in Iran.
• (16:35–22:03): Interview with Cheryl McCormick Brown and legal/policy analysis of social media harm.
• (22:17–27:53): Gen Z dating trends and expert commentary.
• (28:51–34:25): Church architecture, music, and worship experience.
• (34:48–38:06): Commentary on Christian speech, legal threats, and European culture.

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This episode provides thoughtful perspectives on political, cultural, and spiritual developments—grounded in biblical worldview but relevant to a wide audience. Each segment combines news reporting with human stories, expert insights, and practical implications for listeners.

Transcript

[A]

Good morning. More American troops in the Middle east as the US Looks for its next lever to force Iran to the table short of a full scale invasion. We'll talk with an expert.

[B]

Also today, a mother's warning about the dangers of social media for kids and Gen Z's dating rut will have a report later. How sound shapes the way a congregation worships.

[C]

You've got the music and then you've got spoken word right next to each other. And usually they want pretty opposite things acoustically.

[B]

And world commentator Bethel McGrew on the criminalization of Christian speech in Europe.

[A]

It's Tuesday, March 31st. This is the world and everything in it from Listener supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichert.

[B]

And I'm Nick Eicher.

[C]

Good morning.

[A]

Up next, Mark Mellinger with today's news.

[D]

President Trump is threatening devastating damage to Iran's infrastructure if that Middle Eastern nation does not reach a deal soon to end the US Israeli air campaign Operation Epic Fury. In a social media post, the president said great progress is being made in peace talks with Iran while also threatening that the US Will completely obliterate Iran's power plants, oil wells and possibly even plants that supply drinking water if a deal to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz isn't in place shortly. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt.

[C]

This remains a truly once in a generation opportunity for the regime to make

[E]

a good deal with the United States,

[C]

permanently abandon their nuclear ambitions and stop acting as the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.

[D]

Trump says he's negotiating with the speaker of Iran's parliament, though the speaker denies the talks. A few days ago, the president said he'd hold off on bombing key Iranian infrastructure until April 6, and there's no indication that date has changed. While Trump says negotiations are moving in the right direction, Iran's foreign Ministry spokesman has a different view, calling the peace proposal from the White House excessive, unrealistic and irrational. Meantime, more retaliatory strikes from Iran and its proxies on key infrastructure of Israel and other U.S. middle east allies Monday as the U.S. and Israel blistered Iran with fresh strikes of their own Middle east allies like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait are urging the US to continue epic fury until Iran's leadership or behavior has changed significantly. They say Iran hasn't been weakened enough yet. The US Is preparing to possibly send in ground troops for special targeted missions short of a full ground invasion like seizing Iran's oil facilities or enriched uranium. The gunman who plowed his truck into a synagogue in Michigan earlier this month was inspired by the Islamic terror group Hezbollah. That is the finding of the FBI.

[C]

We assess this attack to be a Hezbollah inspired act of terrorism purposely targeting the Jewish community and the largest Jewish temple in Michigan.

[D]

That is FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyon. The gunman, a Lebanese national who entered the country in 2011 as the spouse of a US citizen, drove his truck into the building while it served as a daycare. He ended up killing himself after exchanging gunshots with security. Investigators have found he planned out the attack beforehand, searching online for where he could find large gatherings of Jews in Michigan and had also posted anti Semitic sentiments online. Children were inside the synagogue at the time of the attack, but they were all okay. 30 officers did need treatment for smoke inhalation. Transportation Security Administration TSA workers finally started getting paid for the first time in a month and a half Monday. And as they did, those long security lines at America's airports got a whole lot shorter. TSA falls under the Department of Homeland Security DHS and is caught up in a political stalemate over DHS funding. TSA officer Aaron Barker says he didn't receive his full back pay yet, but anything coming in right now helps.

[F]

This morning I did receive a deposit into my account, as many of my colleagues have. That money is needed in order to get some sense of normalcy back to officers everyday lives.

[D]

Hundreds of TSA workers quit and large numbers called in sick over the past few weeks, leading to very long lines at airport security checkpoints Monday. Those lines were generally way down at Houston's main airport. The wait went from about four hours over the weekend to roughly 10 minutes Monday. Controversy with other DHS agencies responsible for immigration enforcement and Border Patrol, sparked the standoff after two US Citizens died in confrontations over immigration raids this year. Democrats are refusing to fully fund DHS unless there are reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE and Customs and Border Patrol. The lack of a DHS funding deal isn't keeping lawmakers on Capitol Hill from their Easter recess. The senate met for 31 seconds Monday, giving Republicans the theoretical possibility of passing a House bill via unanimous consent that would have funded DHS for two months. But Democrats squelched such a political maneuver, making sure Senator Chris Coons of Delaware was there as a watchdog, and the Senate recessed without voting just in case

[F]

a Republican member showed up and said, I ask unanimous consent that we fund ICE and Border Patrol or that we adopt the House bill. I was there to object.

[D]

Republicans argue the reforms Democrats want, like barring agents from wearing masks and making them prove their identities would make those agents less safe. Now both chambers are on a two week Easter recession. The White House is still urging the Senate to come back to try to pass key priorities like DHS funding. President Trump says he'll host an Easter dinner for lawmakers if they do. A 15 year old student shot a teacher, then fatally shot himself at a high school near San Antonio Monday morning. Another student at the school, Jesse Garza, described the scene to KSAT tv.

[C]

All I know is that there were three to four gunshots. It sounded like a table slamming down. And then I heard someone scream. Everyone just like ran out the back to the bus area.

[D]

The gunfire rang out at Hill Country College Preparatory High School in the city of Bulverde. Medics took the teacher to a hospital nearby. No official word on the teacher's condition or on what exactly led to the shooting. Afterwards, school officials took students to a middle school nearby to reunite with their parents. Classes at the high school are canceled today, but counselors will be on hand if students or families need to talk. The Trump administration is taking legal action in Minnesota to protect women's sports. World's Travis Kercher reports.

[C]

The Department of Justice's Civil Rights division filed a lawsuit Monday against education and sports officials in Minnesota. The lawsuit accuses the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota State High School League of violating Title IX when they allowed boys who identify as female to compete in girls only sports. The lawsuit also says boys were allowed to invade girls locker rooms and bathrooms. In a statement, Minnesota's Democratic Attorney General, Keith Ellison characterized the lawsuit as a sad attempt to get attention. He also accused the Trump administration of trying to shame and harass children. But the DOJ says those policies create unfair competition, infringe on girls athletic opportunities, and create a hostile environment for girls. For World. I'm Travis Kercher.

[D]

And I'm Mark Mellinger. Straight ahead, a former special forces officer on the balancing act the US Is trying to pull off in Iran and later, why Gen Z appears to be dating less often than previous generations. This is the world and everything in it.

[A]

It's Tuesday, the 31st of March. You're listening to World Radio and we're glad you've joined us today. Good morning. I'm Mary Reichert.

[B]

And I'm Nick Eicher. First up on the World and everything in it, America's new options in Iran. Over the weekend, the US Deployed more troops to the military Middle east, bringing the number of troops near the ground to more than 50,000. This comes as the President threatens more strikes on Iran's energy sector if the country's new leaders do not negotiate the end of its weapons programs.

[D]

We're doing extremely well in that negotiation, but you never know with Iran because

[B]

we negotiate with them and then we

[C]

always have to blow them up.

[A]

Joining us now to talk about the operation is retired Army Lt. Col. Mike Nelson. He's now chief of Staff for the University of Pennsylvan Washington, D.C. office. He previously served in the Middle east with U.S. special Forces. Mike, good morning.

[F]

Good morning. Thanks for having me here.

[A]

Well, let's just start with what the US has accomplished so far. How far have the US And Israel gotten to achieve its four military objectives? And I believe that's destroying Iran's missile program, sinking its navy, ending its nuclear program, and then halting its support for international terror.

[F]

For the purposes of your question, I think it's important to focus on two of those, destroying the Navy and destroying the ballistic missile capability. And at one point in time, the President had kind of expanded that second one to destroying the industrial base that allows them to produce some of these missiles. To answer that, United States Central Command has been incredibly effective as well as the Israelis at targeting these military capabilities that the Iranians had prior to the beginning of the conflict and have been severely diminished since. The key problem I think right now is those last two of the four that you specified that the President enumerated before ending the nuclear program and a lack of support for the regional proxies short of truly removing the regime and the people who would make the decisions to sponsor both of those programs. This is going to require some kind of agreement from the Iranian regime that they are going to end those activities or agree to some kind of negotiation where we have some kind of verification of that. So there's going to be either a changing in what we determine the end state of this operation is or some kind of need to ramp up the pressure both militarily and diplomatically so that the regime eventually capitulates.

[A]

What do we know about Iran's lethality these days? On Friday, 12Americans in Saudi Arabia were wounded in Iranian strike. So what do we know?

[F]

The regime does not want to capitulate. The regime is choosing a path of resistance rather than concession. And to that end, they are using different levers that they have at their disposal to achieve some kind of pressure back towards us. We saw in the initial days that they kind of lashed out with some of their ballistic missiles around the region with not very good effects. They were able to, unfortunately, kill several U.S. service members in Kuwait. And then we've had several casualties since then. We also saw that they've been able to target key capabilities like the E3 aircraft that was destroyed in Saudi Arabia just over the weekend. So the Iranians are trying to be creative, they are trying to resist. I think they may be trying to entertain certain kind of nonstandard and asymmetric attacks to try to achieve some kind of pressure against us.

[A]

Let's talk about options. The Pentagon says sending 2,500 additional Marines and around 2,000 army paratroopers gives the U.S. more options. What are those?

[F]

The first thing I think we should get out of the way is we are not necessarily talking about a repeat of Operation Iraqi freedom from 2003, large scale invasion of Iran. The President may be considering options for specific capabilities that he wants to bring to bear in the campaign. And those are largely, I think, can be binned in three different categories. The first one, right now, through our air and maritime campaigns, we've brought some amount of leverage and pressure against Iran, but not enough to change their calculus. So the President may be looking at the next lever to try to increase that pressure to make them change their decisions. So that would be the kind of thing we've heard talked about with the seizing of Carg Island. This is a significant hub for their oil trade. And removing that seizing, it could increase the pressure and try to make them compelled to agree to some of the things that the President has said he's wanted in the End state. The second option would be something to try to remove some of the Iranian capabilities that they're using to try to fight against us. So we've seen the Iranians try to use missiles, fast moving boats and drones to interdict maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. So potentially using the Marines or other forces to clear out the littoral zone just in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz to push back Iranian capability, project power against maritime traffic. And then the third option, which I think is being discussed, and you can see this from some of the specialty capabilities that are being discussed, deployed is a raid to secure the enriched uranium that we know was left over after Midnight Hammer from last summer. This will require excavation, securing, moving thousands of pounds of this stuff onto aircraft and exfiltrating it. So some kind of multi day or up to a week long raid by specialized forces that would secure that material and remove it. So that the President can say now we've also removed the remaining nuclear material that could be used for additional enrichment or weaponization.

[A]

You know, the strategy here looks to be a mix of lethal force and diplomacy. Very Trumpian in its approach, you might say. What do you think it's going to take to really force Iran to the table?

[F]

The regime now probably believes that they are in a fight for their own survival and whatever conditions they're going to agree to have to be something that allowed them to to very quickly determine a new deterrent capability to replace the ones that were lost. So I don't think that short of some kind of truly verifiable agreement, I don't think we're going to end up with a regime that is more compliant and willing to work with the coalition of nations. I think we're going to end up with a regime that is probably more resistant in the long term and looking for some way to try to ramp up capability, either those that were destroyed to replace those or find some new deterrent.

[A]

Mike Nelson is a retired army lieutenant colonel and chief of staff for Penn Washington. Mike, thanks so much for your time and your expertise. Really appreciate it.

[F]

Thank you for having me again.

[C]

Additional support comes from the evangelistic film How I Got Here with Stephen Baldwin as the thief on the cross in 30 languages. OpenTheBible.org Heaven from the Joshua program at St. Dunstan's Academy in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Work, prayer and adventure for young men. Stdunstansacademy.org and from Dort University, equipping students to serve others with faith, skill and conviction while they complete their Master of Skills social work degree in just four years.

[B]

Coming up next on THE WORLD and Everything in it. Parents keep the pressure on social media companies. This story contains details of a young person's self harm. We will resume in just a moment.

[A]

Last week, courts in California and New Mexico ruled that social media companies harmed young people and showed that social media platforms can be held responsible under certain conditions.

[B]

Combined, the courts hit Meta with penalties and damage awards totaling about $400 million. Of course, that's a drop in the bucket of the company's more than $1 trillion value, but the wins opened the door for thousands of similar lawsuits already in the works. World's Mary Muncie talked with one mother waiting to bring her daughter's case to court.

[G]

In 2022, Cheryl McCormick Brown's 16 year old daughter committed suicide after being bullied online. McKenna shared her family's strong Christian faith. She volunteered at her school in Tampa, Florida, and was a hockey player.

[H]

She traveled just about every weekend for practice and games and played at the highest levels of competitive hockey. She was a goalie, which she was fearless in many ways. She was resilient in many ways, which, you know, I certainly recognize some irony there.

[G]

She also used Snapchat and Instagram, just like her friends.

[H]

We thought the platforms were safe, you know, they came with the phone, you know, and she was of age.

[G]

The summer before McKenna's senior year, Brown says she became more withdrawn. She was constantly tired and constantly on her phone.

[H]

We'd think that we'd go to bed and that she was going to bed up in her room and she's tired the next morning, like she, you know, was on her phone.

[G]

Brown says that summer, McKenna got caught up in some teenage boy drama. People at her school tried to humiliate her online, calling her names and accusing her of stealing a boyfriend, trying, and

[H]

I can quote, trying to leave her without a single friend.

[G]

Brown believes social media algorithms contributed to McKenna's death by pushing content that reinforced her negative thinking. And she says the design of the platforms kept McKenna from coming up for air.

[H]

The infinite scroll, the constant notifications, the algorithms pushing that content, it was all designed to be to target kids that were younger than were even allowed to be on the platform.

[G]

But social media companies and some libertarian policy groups dispute that. When we look at these particular proposals around young people, I think we have to ask two questions. First, would these actually make the situation any better? Jennifer Huddleston is a senior fellow with the Cato Institute. She says parents have always been concerned about what their kids are viewing, whether that's video games or comic books. But different kids have different needs, and parents should be the ones choosing what they use, not the government. The second, though, is what does this mean for all users of the Internet? Any new laws must either affect all of social media or use some kind of age verification. We have to think, not only what does this mean for tech companies, but what does this mean for users? And what does it particularly mean for those users who, in a more traditional media ecosystem might not have had the same opportunities? Brown thinks any harm that might come from these laws is worth it. After McKenna died, Brown filed a lawsuit with the Social Media Victims Law center, the same firm that won a case against Meta and YouTube in Los Angeles. In that landmark case, a 20 year old identified in court records as KGM said social media use as a child harmed her mental health and that social media companies deliberately designed products to target vulnerable children. The jury found that YouTube and Meta were negligent in their platform design features and awarded KGM $3 million. When Brown heard that KGM won her case in California, she cried.

[H]

We know that the risks are real, and now that they've been proven in court, that has a lot to do with feeling seen and feeling validated.

[G]

During the trial, KGM's lawyers pointed to an internal meta document showing the company wanted to hook children young and keep them through their teenage years. In one message, a meta employee called Instagram a drug and the company's role as that of a pusher. It also revealed several internal studies that were not previously made public. One showed millions of users under the minimum age of 13 were on the platform in 2015. Another showed that parental controls often failed to keep children off the platform.

[H]

This case wasn't about one bad person online. It was about systems that connect kids to harm. And yes, parents should be involved and need to be involved, but they can't do it alone.

[G]

Brown hopes this court decision will give Congress and states momentum to regulate social media platforms. Design Brown has been advocating for one bill called the Kids Online Safety Act. It overwhelmingly passed in the Senate in 2024 but stalled in the House. It's being reconsidered this term. For now, Brown's lawyers are waiting to bring her case until a few other bellwether cases are litigated. She says she and her family have learned a lot since McKenna's death.

[H]

That's why we're trying to be transparent with McKenna's story and to help other families and prevent other kids from, you know, turning to the same outcome.

[G]

It's a caution. Brown says she wishes she'd hurt herself and before it was too late for her daughter. Reporting for World I'm Mary Muncie in Tampa, Florida.

[B]

Up next, are Gen Z' ers dating less? Last month, the Institute for Family Studies released the results of a survey about dating. They interviewed more than 5,000 young adults and found that most had either not been on a date in the past year or had only gone on just a couple of them. Researchers say this may mean a future with fewer marriages. World's Juliana Chen Erickson has the story.

[E]

Wish Xiao is a 22 year old graduate student who wants to get married and have kids one day. She says that makes her an outlier among her peers.

[C]

When I brought it up to my cohorts like, oh, you know what? I want to be a mom one day. I really don't mind becoming a housewife. I think it's it's a very honorable job. They all just stare at me like, what?

[I]

How can a PhD student say that?

[E]

But Xiao says it's hard to find someone to date even in her college town.

[C]

And it seems like people don't want to try. They want to put in like, minimal

[G]

effort to give it a shot.

[E]

A survey by the Institute for Family Studies seems to echo Xiao's observations. The institute surveyed 5,275 young adults between the ages of 22 and 35 about their dating habits. It found that 74% of women and 64% of men had never been on a date or only dated sporadically in the last year. Some say Gen Z is putting off dating because Americans are putting off marriage. According to US census data, the average American woman is 28 at her first marriage. Men are nearly 31. Fifty years ago, women were 21 and men 25 at their first wedding. Experts say older Americans likely felt pressure to stay on the same life track as their peers when it came to dating and marriage. Lisa Anderson is director of Young adults for Focus on the Family.

[F]

So you saw this play out in churches where if you weren't finishing college

[D]

and going into the young married group,

[C]

there wasn't really anywhere for you to go.

[E]

But Gen Z, not so much. Anderson says that without the pressure to marry, young adults are left with lots of options but no clear direction.

[C]

Dating can be fun, but to what end?

[F]

So without having like a story arc

[D]

around dating and where's this actually going?

[F]

It just leaves a lot of young

[C]

adults saying, eh, you know, I could

[F]

take it or leave it or maybe it'll hit me.

[E]

Young adults also admitted they don't have dating skills. Only 36% of respondents said they felt confident reading social cues. 45% also said they've passed up dates after too many bad experiences. Josiah Dolan is a 22 year old college student in Colorado Springs. He told World that guys get conflicting signals about how a modern man should behave. That makes it hard to ask a woman out.

[F]

We don't want to make the wrong move.

[C]

We don't want to upset. And I think that sort of resilience

[F]

and that, that confidence and that outgoingness of what a, what a male should

[C]

be in a relationship kind of definitely

[D]

takes a hit in that regard.

[E]

Meanwhile, Xiao says young women like her often set their sights too high.

[I]

All my friends, they are very pretty

[C]

girls and highly achieved, including myself. We have kind of like high expectations that we don't really see day to day around us.

[E]

Several young adults blamed dating apps for taking the joy out of the process. Reports vary, but anywhere from a quarter to a half of young adults use dating apps. But usage is declining among Gen Z

[C]

I mean, dating fatigue is definitely something that's on the minds and the forefronts of many people within the dating sector.

[E]

Ashley Bishop is with the Online Dating and Discovery Association. She admitted that users complain about spending more time swiping than actually going on dates. But she says companies are already coming up with solutions.

[C]

Apps that are introducing AI almost like Wingman. You know, they're coming in, they're partners, they're helping you have better conversations. Not to replace you, but to say, you know, maybe to give you prompts or ways to start a conversation if you're not quite sure.

[E]

Some dating app users say they're skeptical. Marco Gonzalez is a 25 year old engineer in Milwaukee. He uses Hinge, a popular dating app.

[C]

Like, if you went on a date with somebody, like on the date, for example, you're not going to like, whip out your phone and be like, hey, wingman, like, what is, what do I say next?

[E]

Still, that hasn't stopped him from using the dating platform. That's actually how he found the woman he's currently seeing.

[C]

I actually met her through Hinge, believe it or not, which is, I think is funny that all my attempts in person did not work. But somehow the Hinge one is working pretty well.

[E]

I asked Gonzalez what his expectations are and he said he's aiming high.

[C]

Yes, that is my hope. That is my hope to be married.

[E]

Researchers from the Institute for Family Studies say some people just need help learning how to date. They encourage young adults to get training, like through dating boot camps and counseling. They also say it's good to remind everyone about what Gonzalez already knows. The whole point of dating is to find someone to marry. Recording for World, I'm Julianna Chan Erickson.

[B]

At Philadelphia International Airport. Just like everywhere else, travelers are expecting very long lines. But on National Cheesesteak Day in Philly, the longest line was not security. It was lunch. Organizers set out to break a Guinness world record, lining up more than 1200 cheesesteaks and to delicious end inside the terminal.

[C]

So today we accomplished that goal here in Philadelphia.

[B]

Once the record was certified, the sandwiches went to hungry travelers, airport staff and a group that could not be more deserved.

[C]

They're going to TSA agents.

[B]

He definitely could use some lunch. Finally, a long line you don't mind getting into. It's the world and everything in it. Today is Tuesday, March 31st. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I'm Nick Eicher.

[A]

And I'm Mary Reichard. Coming next on the world and everything in it, the art and science of church acoustics. Music in church can spark strong opinions. But before style comes something more basic. How the room actually sounds. World's Jenny Ruff reports on how acoustics shape what we hear and how we worship.

[C]

So we're at the Corner of East 91st street and Lexington Avenue.

[J]

Andy Morgan lives and works in New York City, a place he describes as very, very loud. That's the last thing most people want to hear in church. And although churches do consider acoustics, it's usually too late.

[C]

It's usually after the design is already done that they sort of come back and say, okay, now what do we do about the acoustics and they and the sound system?

[J]

Morgan is an acoustics consultant. He designs indoor spaces to enhance desired sounds and reduce obtrusive ones.

[C]

Every time I tell a Christian what I do, they almost always tell me, oh, I go to this great church, and we just built this new building, and we love it. All except the acoustics are terrible.

[J]

He worked on Redeemer east side, a Presbyterian church on the Upper east side of Manhattan. As soon as we step inside the city, sounds disappeared. He walks toward the sanctuary.

[C]

Well, everything in there has got to be quiet.

[J]

Even the church lobby is quiet.

[C]

One of the main subway lines in the city, you know, is right outside.

[J]

We don't want to hear that, and inside, you can't. Thanks to deliberate design choices, when he planned the sanctuary, he had to keep in mind that this particular church offers a mix of services.

[C]

In the morning, they do a traditional service. So there's an organ, and so they do mostly hymns.

[J]

Organs tend to require large, open spaces. Think of a historic cathedral.

[C]

You want a highly reverberant space where the sound really echoes around, and you feel like you're enveloped in that organ sound.

[J]

But the evening service is totally different.

[C]

How y' all doing? Welcome to worship. This is my prayer in the desert.

[J]

And that required other needs.

[C]

You want a really nice sound system in a really dead room so you just hear exactly what's coming out of the speakers without the. The room changing it.

[J]

Morgan had to consider how to create a space where both those styles sound good.

[C]

The walls in this room are all fabric, but most of them actually are on hard plywood backing, so it looks fuzzy, but actually, acoustically, it's hard. And so some of these panels selectively have different material behind them to absorb sound where we want it to. Insulation, fiberglass insulation, which is very highly sound absorbing.

[J]

Morgan has always liked music. After college, he took a job with a company that specialized in acoustics. For concert halls, theaters, and opera houses. Then, seven years ago, he started his own firm.

[C]

Part of the reason is because I wanted to do a lot more work.

[J]

For churches in concert halls and theaters, the sound has to go only one out from the performer to the listeners. Churches present a unique challenge.

[C]

In a church, it's different, right, because the people in the pews are actively participating. We have to think about the people in the pews hearing each other.

[J]

Another layer of complexity, the emphasis on preaching and liturgy.

[C]

In a church, you've got the music and then you've got spoken word right next to each other, and they both have to sound good. And usually they want pretty opposite things acoustically.

[J]

Morgan has worked with all sorts of denominations. Some have big choirs, others guitars or drums or no instruments at all. Redeemer Eastside purchased what used to be an apartment complex.

[C]

So in New York, it's a vertical city.

[J]

That's Josh Ryder. He's the architect who worked with Morgan.

[C]

So you have to build a church that used to be an apartment building into a vertical rectangle, and so you're really seeing the edges of the property line on each side.

[J]

The two say this project was ideal because they were involved from the start. That enabled them to integrate the acoustics into the design and hide elements behind the walls. Ryder realized he could maximize the seating by turning the pews diagonal and adding a balcony on only the right.

[C]

You can actually see the congregation, the balcony. They're not behind you, and it makes a much more intimate experience.

[J]

But that presented another challenge, because it made the sound asymmetrical. Morgan made adjustments so people would hear the same thing in their right ear as their left ear. Churches that cannot afford to buy a building often rent. Morgan also worked with Exilic, a church that leases space within an office building. Sound travels slowly, so by the time the sound from the stage reached the back of the room, it was mudd. Morgan worked his audio magic to add speakers and delays sound coming from some of them by milliseconds for the perfect fix.

[C]

The sound from here and there move together. They create what you call a cohesive wave front.

[J]

Morgan says historically, church design has always been intentional, Whether it's the altar table for communion, the baptistery, the pulpit, or the cross. Likewise, a thoughtful soundscape brings the space to life. And Ryder adds that in a church, that's especially significant and really that you

[C]

could be here in stillness and serenity. It's about, you know, how can the space support a deeper connection with the being that we are all worshiping?

[J]

Reporting For World, I'm Jenny Ruff in New York City.

[A]

Good morning. This is the world and everything in it. From listener supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichert.

[B]

And I'm Nick Eicher. There's a pattern emerging across Europe with recent court cases putting speech and religious expression to the test. Here is world commentator Bethel McGrew in 2019.

[I]

In 2016, Finnish politician Paivi Rasanen posted a Bible verse on social media questioning her church's support for a pride event. That post triggered a years long legal ordeal. Authorities eventually dropped charges over the tweet, but not before digging up something else.

[J]

There became more and more criminal complaints about my writings, about the booklet that I had written 20 years ago, male and female.

[C]

He created them. It was its title.

[I]

That pamphlet outlining a traditional Christian view of homosexuality and the harmful effects of normalizing it would become the basis for a so called hate speech conviction. A court has now ordered the Christian lawmaker to pay fines along with the conservative Lutheran bishop who helped her publish the pamphlet. They are considering an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. In Europe more broadly, this is not an isolated case as bureaucrats weaponize laws against so called conversion therapy to crack down on the free expression of basic Christian doctrine. In Iceland, a Catholic priest, Father Jacob Roland, is under investigation for explaining church teaching. During a radio interview, he made a careful distinction between same sex attraction and same sex behavior, urging repentance before receiving communion. Even this gentle answer was enough to trigger a complaint. With the possibility of jail time in his future, a member of parliament went so far as to say Icelandic society has nothing to do with the Catholic Church. Meanwhile in Malta, a Christian man named Matthew Grex spent three years in court for sharing his own testimony about leaving the gay lifestyle on a radio program. He was ultimately acquitted, but listen to how he describes the cost.

[C]

We won. The court has decided in our favor. However, it doesn't stop here.

[D]

This law has caused me and the co accused to go through a lengthy

[C]

and dragging three year process for a simple conversation.

[I]

Even in victory, his warning is clear.

[C]

This law is a weapon. It doesn't matter what these laws say. All that matters is that activists will

[D]

use these laws to target any dissenting

[C]

view around sexuality and gender.

[I]

Seventeen court appearances, three years of legal pressure not just for Matthew, but also for the radio presenters who aired his testimony. Even when cases like this end happily, the process is the punishment. The message is clear. Some views may be expressed freely in the public square, others may not. In all of these cases, the conflict is disingenuously framed as protecting the dignity of sexual minorities. But it is traditional Christians who are pushed to the margins in the name of standing for the marginalized. The game is zero sum. One side will be normalized while the other is stigmatized, but not without a fight. As Father Roland in Iceland put it, I must fight for the Lord. If we don't speak up, no one does. For world, I'm the Felmicru.

[A]

Tomorrow, we'll talk about birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court on Washington Wednesday. And helping kids understand the full story of Holy Week. That and more tomorrow. I'm Mary Reichardt.

[B]

And I'm Nick Eicher. 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, did any people ever hear the voice of a God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard and still live? Or has any God ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation? By trials, by signs, by wonders and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the Lord your God did for you in Egypt. Before your eyes. To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord. Lord is God. There is no other besides him. Deuteronomy, chapter 4, verses 33 through 35. Go now in grace and peace.