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Summary

Apple News Today — Episode Summary

Date: June 29, 2026
Episode: The state that made Bible stories mandatory in public schools
Host: Gideon Resnick (for Apple News; with reporting from Shamita Basu, Paul Tenorio, and others)

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Episode Overview

This episode covers three major news stories:

1. The aftermath of devastating earthquakes in Venezuela
2. Texas mandating Bible readings in public schools, igniting a national debate
3. The beginning of the World Cup knockout stage and its major highlights

The central segment emphasizes Texas' controversial move making the Bible required reading for public school students, its broader implications, and voices from both supporters and critics.

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Segment 1 – Venezuelan Earthquake: Rescue Efforts and Political Fallout

(00:45 – 03:45)

• Scale of the Disaster:
  • Over 1,000 confirmed dead with tens of thousands still missing in Venezuela after multiple earthquakes.
  • Aid agencies and UN rescue teams struggle with the enormity of the devastation. Approximately 50,000 reported as unaccounted for.
• Personal Stories of Survival:
  • Notable rescues include an 11-year-old boy found by scanner and a family—including a 4-year-old—rescued after more than 24 hours in rubble.
• On-the-Ground Reporting:
  • NPR's Eder Peralta describes scenes of “massive disaster,” noting that some families dug through rubble alone:

    "No official rescuer was there. It was just the families of the people who lived in that building who were digging through the rubble and it, it’s just with their hands." (02:22)

• Political Context:
  • Tiziano Breda (ACLED) calls it a “make or break moment” for interim President Delsey Rodriguez, warning against politicization of aid.

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Segment 2 – Texas Makes Bible Reading Mandatory in Public Schools

(03:45 – 06:21)

Key Decisions and Details

• Historic Move:
  • Texas becomes the first state to order Bible readings for all public school students.
  • Law impacts 11% of U.S. public school students and will phase-in starting with elementary grades in 2030.
  • Elementary students to read Bible stories alongside classics (e.g., "Winnie the Pooh"). Older students will read biblical passages with canonical literature (like Shakespeare).
• Broader Policy Context:
  • Follows 2025 law requiring Ten Commandments to be displayed in every Texas public classroom.

Debate and Reactions

• State Board Approval:
  • Passed along party lines after prolonged debate and public testimony.
• Teachers’ Viewpoint:
  • Critics warn it blurs the line between education and religious indoctrination:

    "It has no business in our public school in this capacity. It is not being used to teach morals at that point. It is being used to teach the religion..." (04:58)

• Supporters’ Argument:
  • Framed as literary and cultural necessity:

    "The Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities. These teachings provide essential context for literacy and historical and analysis and students." (05:06) "It's impossible to have a complete education as a young Texas student without understanding texts that were very foundational to our culture, and I also believe that they have a ton of literary value for our students." — Brandon Hall, State Board member and Republican pastor (05:47)

• Constitutional Critique:
  • Host Gideon Resnick underscores lack of religious foundation in founding documents:

    "There’s no mention of Christianity or any religion in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence ... This country was not in any sense founded on a religion." (05:17)

• Secular and Civil Liberties Concerns:
  • Critics claim the policy privileges Christianity and erodes church-state separation:

    "This does not represent the diversity of our society. This is an attempt to force the beliefs of a few on everyone." (Paul Tenorio, 06:14)
    "This is Christian nationalism. It is not Christianity." (06:21)

Associated Curriculum Changes

• New History Standards:
  • Increased focus on Christianity’s influence in American history.
  • Reduced instruction on racial, cultural, and geographic diversity (Texas Tribune report).

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Segment 3 – World Cup Knockout Rounds Begin

(06:21 – 09:52)

• Knockout Stage Overview:
  • Begins with Canada defeating South Africa to reach the final 16.
  • Expanded format—more teams, more “underdog” stories.
• Underdogs Shine:
  • Cape Verde’s debut performance against Spain praised as one of the “best stories” of the tournament:

    “What Cape Verde did to get out of the group … I think it allayed some of those concerns.” — Paul Tenorio (07:41)

• African Teams’ Success:
  • Nine of ten African qualifiers through to knockouts.

    “You’re seeing the growth of the sport globally … we should celebrate that as well.” — Paul Tenorio (08:17)

• Star Performers:
  • Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane all playing at high level.

    “We want the big stars delivering, we want these fun performances and then we want the underdog stories and I think the group stage games us all of that.” — Paul Tenorio (08:46)

• Matches to Watch:
  • Netherlands vs. Morocco highlighted as a “fantastic game,” plus Mexico-Ecuador and Brazil-Japan as possible standouts.

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Key Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "No official rescuer was there. It was just the families... digging through the rubble ... with their hands."
  (NPR’s Eder Peralta reflecting on Venezuela, 02:22)
• "It's impossible to have a complete education as a young Texas student without understanding texts that were very foundational to our culture ..."
  (Brandon Hall, Texas SBOE, 05:47)
• "This does not represent the diversity of our society. This is an attempt to force the beliefs of a few on everyone."
  (Public comment, 06:14)
• "Christian nationalism. It is not Christianity."
  (Public comment, 06:21)

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Other Major Headlines

(09:52 – 12:08 – summarized)

• Deadly heatwaves shatter temperature records across Europe; elderly most affected; Pride event canceled in Paris for safety.
• US and Iran resume peace talks after heightened tensions and back-and-forth in the Strait of Hormuz.
• Wimbledon begins; Serena Williams returns to singles, expressing trademark nerves and resolve:

  “I expect to be nervous... But then I just dust them off and... move on.” — Serena Williams (11:46)

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Summary

This episode delves into urgent breaking news (Venezuelan earthquake), explores the legal and cultural complexities of Texas’ new Bible-in-schools policy (with diverse, passionate viewpoints), and provides spirited coverage of an expanding, more inclusive World Cup tournament. Vocal segments from both proponents and opponents of the Texas policy, mixed with real-world stories of disaster response and athletic achievement, made for an episode that is timely, thought-provoking, and wide-ranging.

Transcript

[Gideon Resnick]

Good morning. Earthquake ravaged Venezuela searches for survivors, but tens of thousands remain missing. How Texas became the first state to put the Bible on its mandatory reading list for public schools. And the World cup knockout stage has begun.

[Paul Tenorio]

When you look at the bracket, I think that you see sort of an imbalance where some teams get some really tough matchups and other teams have an easier road.

[Gideon Resnick]

It's Monday, June 29th. I'm Gideon Resnick. In football, Shamita Basu. This is Apple News.

[Various Interviewees]

Today,

[Gideon Resnick]

As search and rescue teams wade through the rubble, the scale of destruction left behind by earthquakes in Venezuela is starting to emerge. The official death toll passed 1,000 over the weekend, but the true figure is likely to be much higher. Around 50,000 people were listed as unaccounted for on a website promoted by the country's political opposition. The odds of finding them alive get slimmer by the day. On Sunday, interim President Delsey Rodriguez spoke in a televised conference.

[Various Interviewees]

La laborez de recate y salvamento continua hoycuperado Persona convida.

[Gideon Resnick]

She said rescue efforts continue and that they would keep hope alive. The teams on the ground have called for quiet as they listen out for signs of life. In the northern coastal region of La Guayra, crews were able to hear a faint cry for help underneath the debris of a building. Video captured the miraculous recovery of an 11 year old boy saved after being located by a scanner. And NBC News reports a four year old boy and his family were pulled from the rubble unharmed after being trapped for more than 24 hours. According to his grandfather, rescuers at the scene worked for hours to get the family out safely, asking them to speak and knock at specific places to determine their best path of access. But these were rare moments of relief as aid agencies say the chances of finding people alive dropped sharply after the first 72 hours. NPR's Eder Peralta was in La Guayra and told the network what he had seen.

[NPR's Eder Peralta]

There's some parts that are totally okay and then there are some parts where it's just completely devastated and it's a massive disaster. There's a lot of aid, but it's just not enough. Today we were in front of a 12 story building and no one was there. No official rescuer was there. It was just the families of the people who lived in that building who were digging through the rubble and it, it's just with their hands.

[Gideon Resnick]

The BBC and AP are among those reporting frustration with the government's response so far. Tiziano Breda is a Latin America expert at ACLED a monitoring group that tracks political violence and protest. He told the BBC that this tragedy is also a crossroads for the country's interim leadership.

[Tiziano Breda]

Well, it's certainly a make or break moment for Rodriguez. She has the opportunity to try and overcome now the political divergencies that have affected the country and driven the political crisis over the past few. But you may also face the temptation of politicizing the humanitarian aid through channeling through the Chavista sort of movements and so prioritizing certain sectors. And of course leans on top of an institution that is affected by widespread corruption and may face a renewed wave of discontent if her government doesn't manage to handle this crisis correctly.

[Gideon Resnick]

According to the U.N. more than 2,000 rescue workers have now arrived, and on Sunday, the U.S. state Department said it was assisting with personnel, equipment and humanitarian aid. For more than 5 million students in the U.S. the Bible will Soon Be Required Reading On Friday, Texas became the first state to make readings from the Bible mandatory for all public schools when it approved a new book list. It will go into effect first for elementary students starting in 2030. In practical terms, it means elementary school students would read books like Winnie the Pooh along with David and Goliath. Middle and high schoolers would read things like the Tragedy of Julius Caesar alongside passages about Jesus and an excerpt from the Book of Job. The decision affects roughly 11% of the total U.S. public school population, and it marks another controversial turn. Just a year after Texas became the largest state in the country to require teachers to hang the Ten Commandments in every classroom. The changes were approved by the Republican controlled State Education Board along party lines. After months of debate and divided public testimony, the board heard from teachers.

[Various Interviewees]

It has no business in our public school in this capacity. It is not being used to teach morals at that point. It is being used to teach the

[Gideon Resnick]

religion and they heard from parents.

[Various Interviewees]

The Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities. These teachings provide essential context for literacy and historical and analysis and students.

[Gideon Resnick]

There is no evidence that this country was founded on any religion. There's no mention of Christianity or any religion in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. And the Treaty of Tripoli explicitly states that this country was not in any sense founded on a religion. Supporters of the change argued that the Bible is an essential piece of literature critical to understanding American history and references that students encounter in literature, art and beyond. Here's Brandon Hall, a Republican pastor who serves on the State Board of Education, speaking with a local CBS affiliate.

[Various Interviewees]

It's impossible to have a complete education

[Gideon Resnick]

as a young Texas student without understanding texts that were very foundational to our

[Various Interviewees]

culture, and I also believe that they

[Gideon Resnick]

have a ton of literary value for our students. Critics, meanwhile, say the move erodes the separation of church and state. They say the new reading list gives teachers less autonomy in their classrooms, and they've argued that Texas is now giving Christianity special treatment. This was called out by a number of people who attended public hearings last week.

[Paul Tenorio]

This does not represent the diversity of our society. This is an attempt to force the beliefs of a few on everyone.

[Gideon Resnick]

This is Christian nationalism. It is not Christianity. The reading list in Texas is not the only thing changing. The State Board of Education also decided last week to change how history will be taught, approving changes to lessons for students K through 8. Social studies classes will now place greater emphasis on Christianity's influence on American history and Texas history, and the Texas Tribune reports that the changes to the social studies curriculum reduce lessons about racial, cultural and geographic diversity. The knockout stage has officially begun at this year's World cup, with Canada defeating South Africa yesterday to reach the final 16 for the first time. Over the course of the week. Another 30 teams will face off, their opponents dictated by where they finished in the group tables. One team has to progress so you can expect to see some games decided by extra time or nail biting penalties. This is the largest World cup ever, with more countries than usual qualifying, but not everyone thought that bigger would mean better.

[Paul Tenorio]

There was some concern that some of the smaller nations would detract from the competitiveness in the group stage, and instead it did what we usually see in tournaments like this. It provided some of the best stories.

[Gideon Resnick]

Paul Tenorio is a senior writer for the Athletic and spoke to us from the Canada South Africa match.

[Paul Tenorio]

What Cape Verde did to get out of the group and finish second in their game against Spain to start things off, I think it allayed some of those concerns.

[Various Interviewees]

It's over.

[Gideon Resnick]

It is a win in every possible way for Cape Verde in their first

[Various Interviewees]

ever World cup game, a zero

[NPR's Eder Peralta]

with

[Paul Tenorio]

the European champion Spain, and it showed that we can enjoy these smaller countries that are making it to these tournaments for the first time that they provide something valuable.

[Gideon Resnick]

Cape Verde isn't the only African success story. Nine out of 10 countries from the continent have made it through to this year's expanded knockout.

[Paul Tenorio]

The whole intention of expanding this World cup is to bring football more places and give more players and more countries opportunities. And you're seeing the growth of the sport globally in how these African teams have continued to perform so well on these big stages. And so I think we should celebrate that as well.

[Gideon Resnick]

But of course, most of the world's best players are in the tournament too, and they've put on a show. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have broken records with their goals, while France's Kylian Mbappe and England's Harry Kane are off to strong starts too.

[Paul Tenorio]

That's what we want in sports. We want the big stars delivering, we want these fun performances and then we want the underdog stories and I think the group stage games us all of that.

[Gideon Resnick]

The US Had a pretty breezy run to the knockouts, even with a loss to Turkey in the last game. Antonorio says they've so far leaned into the squad's attacking strengths. On Wednesday, they play Bosnia and Herzegovina, the lowest ranked European World cup qualifier.

[Paul Tenorio]

But this is a World cup and this is the knockouts round. So let's throw out the idea of ratings, really, because it's going to be about heart to a certain degree. It's going to be about fight and Bosnia's team is going to bring plenty of that.

[Gideon Resnick]

But if you need more soccer in your life, Tenorio gave us some highlights to look out for in this next stage.

[Paul Tenorio]

The first is Netherlands Morocco. I think that's going to be a fantastic game, high level soccer, two very talented teams playing against each other in a round of 32. It almost feels unfair frankly to have to see those two play this early in the tournament. And I actually think Mexico, Ecuador and Brazil Japan are two kind of fun games that maybe people won't be talking about enough. But that could be some of the more entertaining games of the round of 32.

[Gideon Resnick]

The matches get going today from 1pm Eastern. Here are a few other stories we're following today. Temperature records have been shattered across Europe as a deadly heat wave moves east. The French public health agency said the country saw around 1,000 more deaths than normal last week at the height of its heat wave, and that that number could still rise. 85% of those observed deaths involve senior citizens. Events this weekend, including the Paris Pride March, were canceled to avoid placing excess strain on already overwhelmed hospitals. The World Health Organization's director general said that Europe is heating at twice the global average and is now the fastest warming continent on Earth. The organization is urging action plans from countries to prevent death and to limit carbon emissions beyond France. Record high temperatures were set over the weekend in the Czech Republic, Denmark and Switzerland, but cooler weather is returning to Western Europe this week. The US And Iran have agreed to resume peace talks after days of the most serious escalation since a peace deal was signed by the two countries. The Wall Street Journal reports that another summit could be set for this week, yet there still appears to be some key differences to be worked out. Iran's foreign minister said yesterday that the country has the right to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz according to the deal that was signed. That's at odds with American positioning, which has pledged a return to pre war conditions. And it follows days of back and forth strikes with the US that saw traffic in the Strait reportedly fall. And on Saturday, Hezbollah rejected a U S brokered agreement between Lebanon and Israel, characterizing it as a surrender and finally, Wimbledon begins today and with it comes the return of a seven time singles champion. Serena Williams is returning to the tournament for the first time since 2022. She spoke to reporter Sunday about how she was feeling.

[Various Interviewees]

I expect to be nervous. I was also nervous every single match that I've ever played in my life. I think that showed the passion and the love and the care that I cared about my job, whether it was the first round or the second round or the finals. I've always had some nerves. But then I just dust them off and then, you know, I move on. I definitely expect to have those same feelings.

[Gideon Resnick]

The AP reports the All England Club held onto one last wildcard entry in hopes that the 23 time Grand Slam champion would play in the singles event. And Williams admits that she had to give herself a pep talk before accepting Williams first match is tomorrow night on center court. You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening to the News app right now, we've got a narrated article coming up next. Popular Mechanics tells the incredible story of a group of women codebreakers who uncovered a Soviet spy ring during World War II, marking one of the most significant counterespionage accomplishments of the 20th century. If you're listening in the podcast app, you can follow Apple News Narrated to find that story and I'll be back with the news tomorrow.