Ave Maria in the Afternoon Full Hours - July 15, 2026 - Hour 1

Segment 1: Tim Staples made me CatholicToday, Catholic Answers announced that legendary apologist Tim Staples has retired as senior apologist, though he will continue with regular appearances on Catholic Answers Live. Tim’s book Behold your Mother was instrumental in Marcus’ journey to the Catholic Church. Tim announced his retirement today, and Marcus reflects on the impact he has had.Segment 2: Confronting the Anti-Humanity of AI (2 segments)Artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to human freedom. It is already rapidly changing everything from the economy to relationships to attitudes about what it means to be human. Kevin Vallier joins us to look at how the people of the Church can engaged in the governance of AI technologies.Segment 3: How Twitter Broke Public DiscourseTwenty years ago today, a small social media platform called “Twitter” was launched to the public. Nobody could have foreseen the cultural juggernaut it would become. Driven by algorithms that promote the loudest, punchiest, most controversial statements, Twitter and the larger digital revolution have reshaped our public habits. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit avemariapm.substack.com