Pat chats with Haley McNamara, Executive Director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, to discuss the organization's mission to combat abuse and exploitation through corporate advocacy and legislation. She sheds light on the 2026 Dirty Dozen list, which identifies mainstream companies facilitating exploitation, including shocking examples involving Amazon and various social media platforms. The chat highlights both the growing scale of online harm and the significant policy successes achieved by holding major corporations accountable for user safety. https://endsexualexploitation.org/dirty-dozen-list-2026/

Drew Blazsik discusses the bizarre case of a shoe company called "Airbirds" that saw its stock price skyrocket by 1,000% in a single day simply by announcing a pivot to artificial intelligence. He draws a parallel between this modern AI hype and the famous "Tulip Mania" of the 1600s, questioning whether these massive market gains are rooted in real economic productivity or are merely speculative bubbles. He encourages us to look past the hype and focus on the "real economy" of tangible goods and services through the lens of Catholic economic thought. @drewblazsik https://www.logosandmarkets.com/

Debbie Georgianni introduces a powerful mental imagery exercise to help navigate a "broken world" filled with hurtful or unkind interactions. She invites us to imagine that everyone is running the race of life with two broken legs, fostering a sense of radical empathy for others and even for oneself. By adopting this perspective, she explains how we can let go of anger and discouragement while maintaining the joy God intends for us.

Monsignor Michael Billian shares his family-inspired recipe for "Billion Meatballs," which are uniquely sized like baseballs. He explains his "brave" technique of mixing ground chuck, veal, and pork by hand before dropping the raw meatballs directly into a hot tomato sauce to simmer. The result is a hearty, Easter-season meal that Monsignor suggests is best enjoyed with pasta or even plain to savor the intense, mingled flavors. https://www.annunciationradio.com/meals-with-monsignor/the-billian-meatballs

Pat chats with Joan Watson for a Thursday Chat with Pat! Continuing the chat with her book, Making a Pilgrimage: A Companion for Catholics. The chat explores the historical authenticity of religious relics and the significant roles played by St. Helen and Constantine in establishing early pilgrimage sites in the Holy Land. Watson also highlights the fascinating 4th-century travelogue of Egeria and explains why the liturgy is uniquely modified in the Holy Land to reflect the specific locations where biblical events occurred. https://stpaulcenter.com/store/making-a-pilgrimage-a-companion-for-catholics https://integratedcatholiclife.org/

Matthew Archbold explores the complex intersection of religion and politics, arguing that the Church should act as a steady moral conscience rather than a political player. By examining the historical bravery of Sir Thomas Moore, he highlights how personal integrity and the eternal state of the soul outweigh the temporary shifts of societal sociology. https://creativeminorityreport.com/