June 3, 2026 - Hour 2

Segment 1: Clinging To Gender Ideology Mandates Is A Losing StrategyIn a May 20 settlement that should send shockwaves through every child welfare agency still clinging to gender ideology mandates, the state’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families agreed to a permanent injunction barring officials from denying or restricting foster care licenses based on applicants’ religious beliefs about marriage, gender, or sexual relationships. Andrea Picciotti-Bayer has more.Segment 2: Young People Are Taking their Grief OnlineSocial media has once again managed to do what nearly every modern invention eventually does – it has turned an ancient human reality into a channel for public validation. In this case, it’s grief. “Grief Tok” has become a prominent subject on Tiktok, with influencers sharing stories of unimaginable loss with their followers. Marcus takes a closer look.Segment 3: Re-Americanizing AmericaBefore the “polarization” and the “fractured republic” reality made it impossible to ignore our present condition, Jean Bethke Elshtain was sounding the alarm in the 1990s. She wrote that “If we have lost the sturdiness and patience to sustain our society over the long haul, then our democracy, as a social world and a culture, is in trouble.” Today we are all familiar with this behavior she describes, as for many, America has become “de-Americanized” in recent generations, but Luma Simms thinks there is a remnant that is ready to renew and rebuild. She joins us. 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