Dating in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Why Swiping, Streaming, and AI Companions Are Threatening Our Future

Monday, February 16, 2026

You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for February 13, 2026. 

0:30 If you’re in ICE detention and don’t like the conditions, there’s an option millions of legal immigrants already understand: you’re free to go home. We dismantle claims that immigration detention is “cruel” or comparable to concentration camps, a comparison that is historically ignorant and morally offensive. We explain why deportation is not punishment under Supreme Court precedent, why detention is often a choice when voluntary departure is refused, and how the Department of Homeland Security is now offering illegal immigrants financial assistance and airfare to return home. From border enforcement to national sovereignty, this conversation cuts through the grievance politics to argue a simple principle: a nation without borders is not a nation—and America’s first responsibility is to its citizens.

9:30 Plus, we cover the Top 3 Things You Need to Know. 

• The Federal Government is shutting down again, at least partially.
  The Senate failed to pass the funding for the Department of Homeland Security this week after Democrats objected to continuing to fund ICE and immigration enforcement efforts.
• Inflation continued to drop this past month.That's according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• The Department of Transportation is ordering airlines to hire pilots based solely on merit.

12:30 Get Prodovite Plus from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20.

13:00 Rosie O’Donnell says she “fled” a scary America under Donald Trump—but we aren’t buying it. We dig into the celebrity meltdown narrative, arguing that O’Donnell didn’t escape authoritarianism—she escaped cultural relevance. We take aim at the idea that Trump voters are something to fear, mock the performative outrage of Hollywood elites, and point out the obvious: real exiles don’t keep U.S. passports, Hollywood access, dollar-denominated wealth, and residual checks.

16:00 We got a question in for our American Mamas Teri Netterville and Kimberly Burelson: What did you parents do that would get them canceled today? We dive into old-school parenting habits that once felt normal—but might trigger outrage now.

From wooden spoons peeking out of purses and chain-smoking grandparents in the car, to paddling at school, drinking from the garden hose, roaming until the streetlights came on, and walking home alone with a key around your neck, the stories paint a picture of a very different America. The Mamas debate discipline, personal responsibility, and whether today’s hyper-sensitive culture has lost something important along the way. Equal parts funny and thought-provoking, this segment taps into parenting debates, generational differences, and the question many families are asking: did tough love work better than we’re willing to admit?

If you'd like to ask our American Mamas a question, go to our website, AmericanGroundRadio.com/mamas and click on the Ask the Mamas button.

23:00 Photo ID for voting is suddenly back on the table—and this time, it might actually happen. Webreak down President Donald Trump’s threat to issue an executive order mandating voter ID in federal elections, as Congress inches closer to passing the SAVE Act. The big surprise? Senator Susan Collins is now a yes vote, signaling a major shift even in blue-state politics. We dig into why requiring state-issued photo ID to vote is being framed as “controversial,” despite IDs being required for everything from banking to voting on the U.S. Senate floor itself. And we address the claims that voter ID is racist, question lax ID policies in states like California, and argue this is only the first step toward restoring election integrity—state audits come next.With the 2026 midterms approaching, the message is clear: voter ID isn’t radical—it’s long overdue.

26:00 America’s birth-rate crisis meets peak absurdity in this jaw-dropping Valentine’s Day segment. As lawmakers and economists warn that falling population growth threatens the future of the republic, we react to a surreal new trend out of New York City: a bar hosting Valentine’s Eve “dates” for people in romantic relationships with AI-generated partners. Yes—tables for one human and one phone, courtesy of Eva AI.

The conversation turns darkly comedic and brutally honest as we unpack survey data showing more than one in four adults say they’ve had a romantic relationship with artificial intelligence. This isn’t quirky tech optimism—it’s cultural rot. From porn-driven isolation to the death of courtship, the segment takes aim at a dating culture that rewards avoidance, validation, and zero personal growth.

You can’t build families with a chatbot. You can’t raise future Americans with an algorithm. And you can’t save a country if men won’t shower, take a risk, and ask a real woman out. This is a blunt warning about masculinity, marriage, AI relationships, and why artificial partners are a dead end—for people and for the nation.

32:00 Get Performlyte from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20.

32:30 After Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl spotlight, a very different side of Puerto Rican culture is making national headlines. We react to a major legal shift in Puerto Rico, where the island’s Republican governor—an ally of Donald Trump—has signed a bill amending the criminal code to recognize an unborn child at any stage of gestation as a human being under criminal law. The change reshapes how homicide is defined, allowing the killing of a fetus during a violent crime against a pregnant woman to be prosecuted as the unlawful killing of a human being.

35:30 Plus, it's Fake News Friday! We're putting you to the test with our weekly game of headlines—are they real news, fake news, or really fake news? claims about voter ID and ICE popularity to Olympic scandals, celebrity outrage, and truly ridiculous media narratives, can you spot the fake news? Play along, keep score, and share your results with us on Facebook page: facebook.com/AmericanGroundRadio. 

39:30 Don Lemon plead not guilty after being charged with conspiracy under the FACE Act for his alleged role in a coordinated disruption of a church in Minnesota. We dismantle Lemon’s claim that he was “just doing journalism,” arguing that planning, participating, and referring to activists as “we” crosses the line from reporting into outright political activism—raising serious questions about press ethics, religious freedom, and First Amendment rights during the Donald Trump era.

Articles 

Partial government shutdown imminent as Congress leaves town

January inflation cools to 2.4%, lowest since May

Journalist Don Lemon pleads not guilty to civil rights charges in Minnesota church protest

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