Former Nebraska senator battling cancer warns people have 'stopped making babies'
Former Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse, battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer, expressed concern over declining birth and sex rates in industrialized nations, attributing the trend to smartphone distractions and a cultural shift away from family life. In a '60 Minutes Overtime' interview, he called the drop in fertility a 'natalism crisis' and lamented that people are no longer making 'bets on the future' through childbearing. Sasse contrasted most of the developed world with Mormons and certain Jewish communities, which maintain replacement-level birth rates. He also reflected on how his terminal diagnosis has reshaped his personal values and faith.
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Media Former Nebraska senator battling cancer warns people have 'stopped making babies' Former Republican Sen Ben Sasse says people 'stopped having sex' thanks to phone distractions By Lindsay Kornick Fox News Published April 28, 2026 7:00pm EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Former Sen Ben Sasse warns people have stopped making babies Former Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse expressed shock at the declining birth and sex rates across the industrialized world due to phone distractions. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse lamented how current generations have "stopped having babies" despite living in a richer world.
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