6.30.25 Justices affirm parental rights, NYC’s mayoral candidate, and Eric Liddell’s ministry in China

Summary

The World and Everything In It | Episode 6.30.25
Released June 30, 2025
Host: WORLD Radio

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1. Supreme Court Upholds Parental Rights in Education

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court affirmed the rights of parents to direct the religious upbringing of their children within public education. The case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, centered on Montgomery County Public Schools' introduction of storybooks with LGBTQ themes into the elementary curriculum. Parents objected on religious grounds, seeking the ability to opt their children out of these lessons.

Key Points:

• Majority Opinion: Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and others, emphasized that the First Amendment protects parental rights to raise their children according to their religious beliefs (13:04).
• Dissenting Opinion: Justice Sonia Sotomayor, along with Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, argued that allowing opt-outs could undermine the educational objectives of diversity and inclusion (19:50).

Notable Quotes:

• Justice Alito: “The First Amendment protects religious freedom, and it's hard to imagine an expression of religious freedom that's greater than a parent's commitment to raise their children in their own religion.” (18:03)
• Mark Eckstein (Parent): “The court’s decision really reinforces parental rights and religious freedom. It’s rooted in our human dignity and that’s for all of us.” (23:33)

The ruling allows parents to shield their children from exposure to certain themes, citing irreparable harm similar to the precedent set in Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972). However, Justice Sotomayor raised concerns about the practicality and potential chilling effects of such opt-outs (22:18).

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2. The Hotly Contested NYC Mayoral Race

The race for New York City's mayor has captured national attention, particularly with the rise of Zoran Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist, who emerged as the Democratic nominee after defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a surprising primary upset.

Key Points:

• Policy Proposals: Mamdani advocates for expansive rent control, city-run grocery stores, free public transit, a $30 minimum wage, and increased corporate taxes (05:07).
• Incumbent Challenge: Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams presents himself as a pragmatic alternative, aiming to attract centrist and moderate Republican voters wary of Mamdani's progressive agenda (05:07).
• Republican Strategy: GOP Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis urges Republicans and moderates to support a different candidate to avoid vote splitting, while independent candidate Curtis Sliwa aims to become the first Republican mayor in two decades (35:22).

Notable Quotes:

• David Bonson (Financial Analyst): “These policies stem from the economic fallacy that a disinterested third party should set prices in the name of social justice. History shows that price controls distort the market and exacerbate the very problems they aim to solve.” (26:10)
• Zoran Mamdani: “We live in the most expensive city in the United States of America. It's also the wealthiest city and the wealthiest country in the history of the world. Yet one in four New Yorkers are living in poverty.” (05:03)

The episode delves into the economic implications of Mamdani's proposals, particularly focusing on rent control and the feasibility of city-run grocery stores. Bonson argues that such policies could deter new housing developments and lead to inefficiencies in public services (29:30).

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3. Economic Analysis: Rent Control and Municipal Grocery Stores

In the Monday Money Beat, financial analyst David Bonson provides a critical examination of Zoran Mamdani’s economic policies for New York City, highlighting the potential pitfalls of extensive rent control and government-run grocery stores.

Key Points:

• Rent Control: Bonson explains that imposing rent control on new constructions would likely inhibit the development of new housing, exacerbating affordability issues rather than alleviating them (28:50). He cites historical and international examples where price controls have led to market distortions and reduced supply.
• City-Run Grocery Stores: The proposal to eliminate taxes for city-run stores is criticized as unrealistic. Bonson questions how the city would offset the lost revenue from sales taxes and points out the inefficiencies inherent in government-managed enterprises (33:15).

Notable Quotes:

• David Bonson: “The greatest argument against city-run grocery stores is that the city has very few things it's supposed to do. Most of us don’t believe they always do those things well, like the subways or the MTA.” (34:43)
• Bonson: “Price controls distort the market and you end up making worse the very problem you say you're there to solve.” (26:10)

Bonson emphasizes the importance of supply and demand in resolving affordability issues, arguing that increasing the supply of housing is a more effective solution than controlling prices.

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4. Tragic Firefighter Incident in Idaho

The episode briefly covers a tragic incident in Idaho where two firefighters were killed and another wounded by sniper fire while responding to a blaze in a northern mountain community. Authorities suspect a lone shooter responsible for the attack, which has left the community shaken.

Key Points:

• Incident Details: Firefighters were ambushed during their response, enduring hours of gunfire. The governor condemned the act as a heinous assault (11:34).
• Aftermath: A lockdown was lifted after the discovery of a firearm and a deceased individual near the scene, presumed to be the shooter.

While this segment is brief, it underscores the ongoing issues of violence and safety faced by first responders across the nation.

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5. Global Political Tensions: US-Iran, Israel-Palestine, and Russia-Ukraine

The podcast addresses several critical international issues:

• US and Iran: President Trump expressed confidence in the effectiveness of recent US and Israeli airstrikes against Iran's nuclear program, though UN officials remain skeptical, calling for independent inspections (02:52).
• Israel-Palestine Conflict: Efforts toward a ceasefire in Gaza are underway, with debates over the likelihood of success amidst ongoing military operations. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to engage in discussions in Washington (03:33).
• Russia-Ukraine War: Tensions remain high as Russia continues its aggressive military actions in Ukraine, with significant aerial assaults reported. Democratic Senator Chris Coons criticized Vladimir Putin's unwillingness to seek peace (04:10).

Notable Quotes:

• President Trump: “What we did and what we did was amazing.” (02:01)
• Senator Chris Coons: “It's clear that Vladimir Putin does not want peace.” (05:07)

These segments provide listeners with a comprehensive overview of the current geopolitical climate, emphasizing the complexities and ongoing nature of these international conflicts.

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6. Honoring Eric Liddell’s Legacy in China

In a poignant historical segment, the podcast commemorates the centennial of Eric Liddell's missionary work in China, expanding beyond his famous athletic achievements showcased in Chariots of Fire.

Key Points:

• Early Life and Mission: Eric Liddell, after his Olympic gold medal win in 1924, dedicated his life to missionary work in China, serving faithfully until his untimely death in 1945 (35:58).
• Life in China: Liddell was deeply committed to teaching and evangelism, utilizing his athletic fame to draw crowds and foster community spirit even in the harsh conditions of internment during the Japanese occupation (40:27).
• Legacy: Remembered for his humility and steadfast faith, Liddell's legacy continues to inspire, with his daughter Patricia Russell reflecting on his profound impact and unwavering commitment to others (41:13).

Notable Quotes:

• Lyle Weinberger (Law Professor): “That line about an imperial executive doesn't justify an imperial judiciary. That is going to be a memorable encapsulation of this disagreement.” (11:03)
• John Hoyt (Former Interned Child): “When I run, I feel His pleasure. It was more to live for God's pleasure and show Christ's love to other people.” (40:31)

The segment highlights Liddell's dual legacy as both an Olympic hero and a dedicated missionary, illustrating his enduring influence on both sports and spiritual communities.

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Conclusion

In this episode of The World and Everything In It, WORLD Radio delivers a rich and comprehensive exploration of pivotal issues ranging from Supreme Court decisions affirming parental rights to the intricate dynamics of New York City's mayoral race. Financial insights from David Bonson provide a critical lens on proposed economic policies, while historical reflections honor the lasting legacy of Eric Liddell’s mission work in China. Coupled with coverage of significant global political tensions and local tragedies, the episode offers listeners a nuanced and engaging analysis of events shaping our world today.

Supporting Quotes:

• Jenny Ruff: “This notion that, like in elementary school, some parents don't want these themes until they graduate from college is just wrong.” (14:39)
• David Bonson: “Nobody should fool themselves into saying that this is just the crazy ideas of a 33-year-old socialist candidate. This is becoming bipartisan.” (26:10)

For more in-depth discussions and expert analyses, tune into this episode of The World and Everything In It on Apple Podcasts.

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Note: Timestamps refer to the podcast transcript sections for contextual reference.

Transcript

[Jenny Ruff]

Good morning.

[Nick Iker]

Today on legal docket, the first of four days of deep dive coverage of the Supreme Court's biggest decisions. We begin with a major win for parents over gender ideology disguised as tolerance.

[Kent Covington]

Also today, the Monday money beat economist David Bonson standing by to discuss the socialist who may soon lead America's biggest city and the world history book. A famous athlete makes good on a promise to God.

[Jenny Ruff]

He was always very modest about his gold medal. It didn't affect his commitment to Christ and his commitment to a life of serving.

[Nick Iker]

It's Monday, June 30th. This is the world and everything in it. From listener supported World Radio, I'm Jenny Ruff.

[Kent Covington]

And I'm Nick Iker. Good morning.

[Nick Iker]

Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.

[Jenny Ruff]

On Capitol Hill. The Senate could hold a final floor vote as soon as today on President Trump's so called one big beautiful bill. The massive reconciliation bill cleared a procedural vote over the weekend.

[David Bonson]

The yeas are 51, the nays are 49.

[Jenny Ruff]

The motion is agreed to. Legislation would address the president's top priorities, including locking in 2017 tax cuts and more funding for border security. Republicans also say the bill would grow the economy. GOP Senator Mike rounds We're reducing the expenditures at the federal level, but even more importantly, we're providing economic opportunity that will drive the economy for the next 10 years. But at least two Senate Republicans say it does not reduce expenditures nearly enough. Rand Paul and Thom Tillis voted not to proceed with the bill. GOP leaders can afford no more than three defections on the measure. Democrats call it a reckless giveaway to corporations. Senator BERNIE sanders this is not a.

[Kent Covington]

Gift to the billionaire class. They paid for it.

[Jenny Ruff]

Senate Democrats also claim it will strip funding from health care and other programs. They tried to delay debate by forcing clerks to read all 940 pages of the bill out loud. But in the end, Republicans secured enough votes to keep the process moving forward. President Trump says he is confident that recent US And Israeli airstrikes destroyed Iran's nuclear program. He also said he does not believe that Iran's government was able to relocate enriched uranium ahead of US Strikes on fortified nuclear facilities. Just over a week ago, you know, they moved themselves. They were all trying to live. They didn't move anything. They didn't think it was going to be actually doable. What we did and what we did was amazing. But Rafael Grassi, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog agency, is still calling for independent inspectors to be given access to Iranian nuclear sites to verify that Iran did not manage to move its uranium to safety.

[David Bonson]

If we don't get that clarification, this will continue to be hanging, you know.

[Jenny Ruff]

Over our heads as a potential problem. Retired U.S. general Joseph O' Tel says it will take time before U.S. intelligence can assess the damage to Iran's nuclear program with any high degree of confidence. The battle damage assessment process is both art and science, meaning that there are things that we know, but there are also things where we have to apply judgment and we have to apply intuition and we have to make assumptions about things that we that might have occurred. US Diplomats are expected to hold talks this week with Iranian officials. But according to the latest White House report that has not yet been scheduled, the White House is urging a ceasefire deal to halt the war in Gaza. An Israeli official says plans are underway for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to travel to Washington in the coming weeks, and a top advisor is already heading there for discussions. Many weary Palestinians are skeptical about the chances of a ceasefire, as are many Israelis. After nearly two years of war that started with the Hamas terror attack, Israel on Sunday ordered evacuations in northern areas of Gaza during intensifying military operations. Meanwhile, farther north, Russia and Ukraine appear to be no closer to a ceasefire. Democratic Senator Chris Coons says it is clear that Vladimir Putin does not want peace. President Trump's called for a ceasefire. President Zelensky has agreed. President Putin is not agreeing. He's continuing to strike deep into Ukraine. Russia launched its biggest aerial attack against Ukraine over the weekend. Ukraine's air force says the assault involved more than 500 aerial weapons, including drones and missiles. Defense systems intercepted or jammed most of the incoming threats, but not all. Officials confirmed three deaths and said another two died in Russian shelling. The race for mayor of New York City continues to draw national attention. Self described Democratic socialist Zoran Mamdani is set to be the Democratic nominee after an upset win over former governor Andrew Cuomo in the primary. Though Cuomo is staying in the race as an independent, Mamdani told NBC's Meet the Press, we live in the most expensive city in the United States of America. It's also the wealthiest city and the.

[Kent Covington]

Wealthiest country in the history of the world. And yet one in four New Yorkers.

[Jenny Ruff]

Are living in poverty. Some national Democratic leaders have offered praise for his successful campaign. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries he outworked, he out communicated and he out organized the opposition. But they have stopped short of endorsing Mamdani, keeping a distance from his candidacy that is due partly to his positions on policing and on Israel Mamdani says he plans to cap rent and open city owned grocery stores. And he also wants to boost the minimum wage to $30 per hour and raise corporate taxes. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is running as a pragmatic alternative and is courting centrist Republican voters wary of Mamdani. But GOP New York Congresswoman Nicole Maliotakis says Republicans and moderates should unite behind a different candidate. Right now, looking at this field, it would kind of make sense that that would be the Republican nominee simply because you have three Democrats in there that would be splitting the vote. Curtis Sliwa is hoping that a divided field will help him become the first Republican mayor of the Big Apple in two decades. In Idaho, two firefighters were killed Sunday and another was wounded when they were ambushed by sniper fire while responding to a blaze in a northern Idaho mountain community. Crews endured a barrage of gunfire over several hours that the governor called a heinous assault. Authorities lifted a lockdown order last night at the scene after they found the body of a man with a firearm nearby, presumed to be the shooter. I'm Kent Covington. And straight ahead, digging into the Supreme Court decision regarding parental rights. Plus the Monday Money beat with David Bonson. This is the WORLD and everything in it.

[Nick Iker]

It's Monday, the 30th of June. Glad to along for today's edition of the World and Everything in It. Good morning. I'm Jenny Ruff.

[Kent Covington]

And I'm Nick Iker. Well, it's the final day of our June giving drive. If you've given already, thank you very much. And if you're like a journalist and you take it right down to the deadline, well, it is very close. We are down to the wire.

[Nick Iker]

We are. And whether it's deadlines or finish lines, I can say as a runner, the finish line matters. That last stride can make a big difference. Every Supreme Court opinion we dissect, every report we bring in from the field, they depend on three time, skill and tools. And those things cost money, travel miles, legal research, sound equipment, microphones, editors who polish a script. Thank you, Nick. And technicians who make sure it's clear in your earbuds at 5am hey, it's my pleasure.

[Kent Covington]

So if the world and everything in it has helped you to think well about the news, today is the last chance to say, keep going, do more of that. Every gift matters. As Jenny put it, that last stride, it pushes high quality, fact based Christ honoring journalism into the year ahead.

[Nick Iker]

WNG.org JuneLivingDrive Final Day. We'd love to count you in. So let's power through that finish line.

[Kent Covington]

All right, first up on the world and everything in it. Legal docket. There is so much to cover. The final week of the Supreme Court term last week produced an enormous caseload. So many of these cases are of particular interest that we simply didn't want to cram everything into a single day or even just two days and wind up giving you a superficial read on these cases that. Well, that you can get anywhere. So what we did was divide the work between our two main legal journalists, Jenny and Mary, and over the next four days, we'll get everything covered without that fatiguing single day or two. So with that in mind, I've asked Mary Reichard to step in as well. And good morning to you.

[Jenny Ruff]

Good morning to both of you. And I like being called a legal journalist. I mean, it's so much better than being an illegal one.

[Kent Covington]

You know, hey, tell a bit about what's on your plate.

[Jenny Ruff]

Yeah, I'm glad that you divvied these cases up. There were a lot of opinions to read, and not just in the number of cases, but the dissents and the concurrences. There's a whole lot of reading between the lines, too, which I'll say more about in just a moment. For me, I'm working on five decisions, including the birthright citizenship case, which really wasn't about birthright citizenship, but about the separation of powers, which may in itself be of equal importance. And then there's the inmate on death row who wants his DNA tested. He won his case, but why he won is really interesting. Also a decision about the non delegation doctrine that'll make your eyes glaze over.

[Kent Covington]

Yeah. But I noticed it is about those taxes you pay on your phone bill. So that did catch my attention.

[Jenny Ruff]

Yeah. Bingo. And the two others, one on sentencing criminal defendants and then another on illegal aliens who overstay their visas. But staying on immigration related issues, the big birthright citizenship case that I mentioned Trump vacasa interpersonal sparks flew the relationships among the justices. And the fourth of July fireworks flew early between Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Barrett utterly dismissed Justice Jackson's bitter dissent as hypocritical, saying, here's a justice saying no one is above the law and she ought to look in the mirror in effect.

[Kent Covington]

Yeah, you know it's going to be a zinger when it begins this way. Justice Jackson's argument is quoting here as at odds with more than two centuries worth of precedent, not to mention the Constitution itself. And she went on Justice Jackson decries an imperial executive while embracing an imperial judiciary. And continuing the quote, Justice Jackson would do well to heed her own admonition. Everyone from the president on down is bound by law. That goes for judges, too.

[Jenny Ruff]

Oh, boy. So I called up a friend who's a former clerk to Justice Neil Gorsuch, somebody who's been at the court from the inside. We've had him on before. Lyle Weinberger. He's now a law professor at George Mason at the Scalia Law School. Just real quickly, here's what he had to say about those sparks. And that line about an imperial executive doesn't justify an imperial judiciary. That is going to be a memorable encapsulation of this disagreement. That's tomorrow.

[Kent Covington]

All right, Mary, thanks. I'll let you get back to it.

[Jenny Ruff]

Thanks so much.

[Kent Covington]

Now, Jenny, what's on your plate today is the hugely significant Mahmoud case, and that deals with parental rights in public education. That one turned on the First Amendment freedoms for parents to direct the religious upbringing of their children. But quickly, what else are you working on?

[Nick Iker]

Okay, well, a Texas law that requires porn websites to verify the ages of users, a case that asks if a state can block Medicaid payments to planned par, and a case brought by Christian businesses who don't want to pay for drugs that encourage high risk sex. So, you know, nothing big.

[Kent Covington]

Yeah, nothing. No, that's exactly what I was going to say. These are huge cases, and that's why we're spending the four days. So with that, Jenny, let's jump into Mahmoud versus Taylor, and we begin in a children's storybook. Mira was Magnificent.

[Nick Iker]

The book, Love Violet, is about a little girl who wants to give a valentine to her crush. Another little girl classmate named.

[Kent Covington]

Suddenly, Violet's heart thundered like a hundred galloping horses. Thumpity, thumpity, thumpity. All day long, Violet's stomach lurched. What if they never adventured?

[Nick Iker]

The book is written for kids between the ages four and eight, and it's one of five such books at issue in the case the Supreme Court ruled on last Friday.

[Kent Covington]

Back in 2022, Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland introduced storybooks with gay and transgender themes into its elementary curriculum. But a group of parents raised religious objections. In a 6 to 3 decision, the court ruled in favor of them. It will allow parents to opt out their kids from the LGBTQ lessons. Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, as well as Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote The dissent, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown.

[Nick Iker]

Jackson Sahar Smith was standing outside the court the day of the decision.

[Jenny Ruff]

And I absolutely believe that parents are the first and foremost responsible for their children's education and not government. And so I'm grateful for the opinion. I listened to oral arguments and the type of books that was being pushed on the children robs children from their innocence. Parents have a right to protect them from that.

[Nick Iker]

Others feel they've been robbed. Mark Eckstein is a gay parent with kids in the Montgomery county school system.

[Jenny Ruff]

You know, I wasn't surprised, but I was really disappointed. I get religious freedom, and I get this idea that parents want to control and have a say in the education of their child. I mean, that swings both ways. You know, like, I want my parental rights.

[Nick Iker]

Montgomery county is the most religiously diverse in the nation, and it's culturally diverse, too.

[Jenny Ruff]

We have gay principals here. We have a council member that's openly gay. He comes with his husband to the. I go in. Me and my husband come in, in third grade and fourth grade, and, you know, so the kids talk about it. So this. This notion that, like in elementary school, some of these parents don't want these themes until they graduate from college or go to college. It's just wrong.

[Kent Covington]

Now, before analyzing the opinion, let's recap the facts. After Montgomery county schools introduced the storybook, some parents got active. They wanted to instill different beliefs in their kids, namely, that marriage is between a man and a woman, that biological sex reflects divine creation, that sex and gender are inseparable, and it doesn't change.

[Jenny Ruff]

This fundamental right of raising your children obviously is dear to the heart of those of us who are Christians. But it was the Muslim community that first, you know, raised the alarm on this.

[Nick Iker]

David Trimble is an attorney and the president of the Religious Freedom Institute in Washington. His organization's been involved in this case from its early days.

[Kent Covington]

Before there ever was a legal case.

[Jenny Ruff]

We were on the ground working with parents.

[Nick Iker]

In addition to the Muslim parents, many other parents wanted to protect their kids from class classroom instruction using the books. At first, the school board said, okay, you can opt out. But with so many parents making the request, it didn't about face.

[Jenny Ruff]

Students were required and not given. Parents were not given the option of opting their children out of exposure to these materials. And, you know, the school made the claim, well, you know, these books really aren't about sex education. They're introducing real facets of life and culture, et cetera.

[Nick Iker]

The school board said the Books were intended to teach respect and civility.

[Jenny Ruff]

Those are certainly, you know, social behaviors we want to teach our children. But it doesn't have to be within the fabric of progressive ideology and sex related ideology. There's different ways to teach toleration and kindness and things of that nature. And I think it's disingenuous to say that there was not an ulterior aim by the school board to advance a progressive agenda.

[Kent Covington]

More than 1,000 parents signed a petition asking the school to restore the opt outs, but the school dug in. The Muslim parents sued, and Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox parents joined with them. What they sought was a preliminary injunction.

[Jenny Ruff]

An injunction is where people come to the court and they and basically you say, make them stop.

[Kent Covington]

Mary Hasson is a lawyer with the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

[Jenny Ruff]

Make them stop forcing our kids to be instructed in this material. And usually in a question of a preliminary injunction, the court is supposed to look and weigh certain things. It's supposed to ask, what's the likelihood that they're going to succeed?

[Kent Covington]

In other words, the court has to ask, are the parents likely to prevail? In their argument that the school policy burdens their right to freely exercise their religion? The court thought they would.

[Jenny Ruff]

In the majority opinion, Justice Alito said, you know, the First Amendment protects religious freedom, and it's hard to imagine an expression of religious freedom that's greater than a parent's commitment to raise their children in their own religion. So the state needs to respect that.

[Nick Iker]

The court also weighed another significant aspect.

[Jenny Ruff]

Is the person who's seeking the injunction in this case, the parents, Are they going to suffer irreparable harm if they don't get it?

[Nick Iker]

For this, the court relied heavily on a case from 1972, Wisconsin vs Yoder. Back then, the court said a law requiring school attendance until age 16 violated the religious beliefs of Amish parents. It said a high school environment would expose their kids to pressures and influences and attitudes hostile to Amish beliefs. The court applied similar principles here.

[Jenny Ruff]

One of the things that Justice Alito kind of honed in on is that when you look at these books, you can see again, it has a normative purpose. It's designed to help kids think a certain way, and that happens to be in direct conflict with their religious beliefs. When the state is promoting and instructing kids using materials and the discussion guides, et cetera, that are designed to shape the child's beliefs and values and at the same time to minimize, reject, or tell them that the beliefs that they're learning at home are wrong, the Damage.

[Kent Covington]

That does rises to a level the law calls irreparable harm. Here is Justice Alito at oral argument talking about the message in the book Uncle Bobby's Wedding, in which the uncle marries a man.

[Jenny Ruff]

Yeah, the book has a clear message and a lot of people think it's a good message and maybe it is a good message, but it's a message that a lot of people who hold on to traditional religious beliefs don't agree with. I don't think anybody can read that and say, well, this is just telling children that there are occasions when men marry other men. Uncle Bobby gets married to his boyfriend Jamie, and everybody's happy.

[Kent Covington]

But the school board argued the storybooks didn't force kids to change beliefs. They simply exposed them to different beliefs. Justice Sotomayor made that point in her dissent and also at oral argument.

[Nick Iker]

I'm looking at the books.

[Jenny Ruff]

I've looked through all of them. They have two men, Little Bob's, Bobby's wedding, where they're getting married is looking at the pictures. Is there any affidavit from any parent.

[Nick Iker]

That merely looking at people getting married, holding hands?

[Jenny Ruff]

None of them are even kissing in any of these books. The most they're doing is holding hands. That mere exposure to that is coercion.

[Nick Iker]

But in his opinion, Justice Alito pointed out that younger kids are impressionable. They don't tend to question authority figures like teachers who take up specific viewpoints.

[Jenny Ruff]

The court finally recognized what a burden that is when your kids are in a classroom with a teacher they love who's teaching them something deliberately that is intended, not just accidentally, but intended to undermine their beliefs because the school district has taken the viewpoint that these things are right, good, and should be celebrated.

[Nick Iker]

Unlike high schoolers, elementary kids haven't yet learned how to challenge widespread approval of certain beliefs.

[Kent Covington]

The court didn't buy the school board's argument that parents can simply put their kids in private school or homeschool them. Here's what the court did conclude that subjecting kids to lessons that go against parents religious beliefs does burden their First Amendment rights. But that's not the end of the analysis. The burden might be constitutional if it can survive strict scrutiny. It's not easy, but not impossible either. The school will have to show the no opt out policy advances a compelling interest that was narrowly tailored to achieve that interest. Alito and the majority didn't think so. And by 6 to 3, the court granted that preliminary injunction.

[Nick Iker]

Justice Sotomayor's dissent raised the point that opt outs don't work well in practice.

[Jenny Ruff]

One of the concerns of the dissent was it's unworkable. So this is going to have a chilling effect.

[Nick Iker]

Instead of allowing opt outs, they're going.

[Jenny Ruff]

To pull these books.

[Nick Iker]

The opt outs apply to the books in question and similar books. Mark Eckstein, the dad with kids in the schools, says the school has already adopted a new curriculum.

[Jenny Ruff]

We don't use those books anymore. They're not banned, but they're not used in the curriculum. So we have a brand new curriculum. It's different types of inclusion. It's not these polarizing books. There's a section on Sally Ride, who is an LGBTQ American.

[Nick Iker]

And so what happens next? Unless the school district settles, the case will go back down to a lower court for trial to determine whether the preliminary injunction should become permanent. But for this case, the writing is on the wall. Here's David Trimble again.

[Jenny Ruff]

It really reinforces parental rights and religious freedom. Their right to raise their children within their own faith tradition, teaching them their fundamental traditional values is protected by the Constitution.

[Nick Iker]

He adds this look, if one group.

[Jenny Ruff]

Loses religious freedom, it affects us all. And religious freedom is something that is a precious inalienable right granted to us by God. And we want to protect it for every person. It's rooted in our human dignity and that's for all of us.

[Nick Iker]

And that's today's legal docket. More tomorrow.

[Jenny Ruff]

Additional support comes from Ambassadors Impact Network, inviting entrepreneurs with a mission to connect with faith based investors who share their vision. [e-mail] from Dort University, whose online MBA and MPA programs prepare leaders for lasting impact Dort University until all is Made.

[Kent Covington]

New and from the issues Etc.

[Jenny Ruff]

Podcast expert guests, expansive topics extolling christ. [e-mail].

[Nick Iker]

Coming up next on the world and everything in it, the Monday Money beat.

[Kent Covington]

Time now to talk business, markets and the economy with financial analyst and advisor David Bonson. David heads up the wealth management firm the Bonson Group, and he is here now. Good morning to you, David.

[David Bonson]

Well, good morning, Nick. Good to be with you.

[Kent Covington]

Well, let's begin with something we've never discussed before. The likely next mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani is his name. You know the city well, David. And what we're seeing here is a candidate who's not only openly socialist, he's also promoting a suite of policies that would have been considered fringe not long ago. Things like expanding rent control, things like government run grocery stores, free public transit, things like that. The theory being that the wealthy, of course, will foot the bill And I don't mean to be glib about this, but I do think the moment creates a good opportunity for us to talk about the economic implications of these kind of ideas, particularly the idea of rent control. David, so wherever you want to begin with this, I'd love to hear your perspective.

[David Bonson]

Well, look on the political side, it will be interesting to see what does happen. There's a pretty massive movement to try to avoid this disaster. And mathematically, if there were only one other candidate running against this gentleman, he would have no chance of winning. But there's also now something that there wasn't in the time of the primary, which is a lot of time and a lot of seriousness to actually draw attention to the very things you're talking about. His policies and his record, things he believes which would be totally unelectable in normal circumstances. But nobody in the primary, Governor Cuomo in his campaign foolishly didn't take him seriously and that's what happened. So I don't know that it's a political fait accompli, but I think that the odds are that he could end up being the candidate. And I think that the opportunity to talk about the economic side of it is very helpful. You know, a lot of the things you mentioned are not things he as mayor would have the authority to do. Some of them are in the gubernatorial jurisdiction, some would require a whole city council vote, but nevertheless, just the basic idea of price controls. I didn't support it when President Trump said he wanted to do it with prescription drugs. I didn't support it when Joe Biden, Kamala Harris said they wanted to do it with mortgages. And I don't support it with Josh Hawley and Bernie Sanders saying they want to do it with credit card interest. And I don't support the mayor of New York saying he wants to do it with chicken and rice from a streetcar. So all of these things come from the same economic fallacy, which is the belief that a disinterested third party should set prices in the name of some sort of social justice. And that will work better than buyers and sellers freely transacting who do have what we call skin in the game. And Nick, I'm very sorry to say this. Nobody should fool themselves into saying that this is just the crazy ideas of a 33 year old socialist candidate. This is becoming bipartisan, that the government saying what groceries should cost is a good idea. And I'm against it at every level of government because I believe that time and time and time again history has shown even things like rent Control. We're in desperate need of new housing product. And you disincentivize the construction of new product when you regulate price controls before a hammer has ever even been pulled out of the toolbox. So that's the issue at play, is that you distort the market and you end up making worse the very problem you say you're there to solve.

[Kent Covington]

All right, so let's dig into rent control, specifically. Housing affordability, of course, is a huge issue in New York. Everyone knows how punishing the market is. Their prices just sky high, and the city already has a rent control regime in place. And as I understand it, Mamdani wants to go even further with it, not scale it back. So could you walk us through how rent control actually functions economically? What happens just in layman's terms, whenever government steps in and caps what landlords can charge? What are the downstream effects?

[David Bonson]

So to take what could be a very complicated question and try to make it as simple as possible. The issue in New York is there's actually two different things. There's rent control and there's rent stabilizations. And the problem with that is it fails to understand the economics of supply and demand, which is a basic law of economics. The thing that pushes prices down is either lower demand or higher supply. Well, contrary to what a lot of people believe about New York City, it is an incredibly desirable place to live. Jobs, the culture, the history. There's just a lot that brings people to a city like New York. And Media, Technology, Finance have chosen to make New York a significant hub for a reason. There's literally millions of people that work there. So the question, Nick, is what is going to drive prices lower when demand is not going to come down? It's obviously supply. There are two curves, and there is a great step in the right direction because they're overbuilt in a lot of office and hospitality. So there's been a big movement to convert certain hotel properties and offices to housing. And then things like this. Where what he's suggesting this would be, Mayor, is not just maintaining the rent controls that are in place on legacy properties, but forcing rent control on all new property construction, which would kill new property construction. It would kill new conversions. That's why the real estate sector is up in arms about this gentleman, because you really would hurt the cause of lower rent. Now, ironically, he may end up being able to help the cause by hurting demand, but eroding demand as a way of getting rents down has not been a very successful strategy in Portland, Oregon, as of late. Or In Detroit, Michigan, you know, over 10 years ago, I think that the basic economics, apart from the New York example of rent controls which were tried nationally, wage controls, price controls, the Nixon administration caused it. It was a disaster in the 1970s. European countries have tried it. There's no credible economist that believes this works economically for the very fact that it manipulates the supply. And when there is incentive, what is the reason we want to bring prices down? Because they're high. Well, what also happens when there's high prices? It attracts a lot of people that want to swim in that pool. You mean if I have apartment buildings, there's good prices there. So it incentivizes more production. And similarly, when you go, well, eggs are too high or certain grocery items. He wants the city to actually run grocery stores. City owned and managed grocery stores. This is Soviet style, Cuba style economics. Why do we not believe in the city running a grocery store? Because the city isn't any good at it. And when you don't have a profit motive, you end up with very bad delivery of goods and services and ultimately set taxpayer money on fire.

[Kent Covington]

Well, let me bring up one detail. I did hear about Mamdani's grocery store plan. He's proposed that these city run stores wouldn't have to pay taxes, which he frames as a cost saving measure that would allow them to undercut private competitors. So is there any economic case to be made for that? In other words, if the city were to eliminate some of its own costs, could it actually deliver cheaper food to people? Or is that just wishful thinking?

[David Bonson]

Well, first of all, let's say it did work. Where's the city going to replace that revenue? The city's running major deficits anyways. You're talking about sales tax 7, 8, 9% on certain products. So where are they going to replace the revenue? But then if the margins are super tight and you now have these two competing forces, on one hand there's lower sales tax. On the other side, there is substantially worse experience going to the store. Worse employees, worse service, worse innovation. Why not do that in every sector if the city was qualified to do it? The reason that we don't want city run grocery stores is because the city has a very few things it's supposed to do. Most of us don't believe they always do those things. Great. The subways are not run well, the mta, the transportation function. So whenever, like in California, they would talk about let's have the state run banks and get in the mortgage business. Why do I want a group that is running tens of billions of dollars of deficits and messed up the delivery of unemployment checks to millions of people and has more cybersecurity fraud done against it than any private business I've ever seen. Why do I want them running a bank? So it would be very similar. Like I run a financial services firm and I do not run an art gallery. And the greatest argument against me running an art gallery would be if I ever tried to do it.

[Kent Covington]

All right. David Bonson, not head of an art gallery, but rather founder, managing partner and chief investment officer at the Bonson Group. He writes regularly for us at World opinions [e-mail] David, thank you. We will see you next week.

[David Bonson]

Thanks so much.

[Jenny Ruff]

Nick.

[Kent Covington]

Today is Monday, June 30th. Good morning. This is the WORLD and everything in it from listener supported World Radio.

[Jenny Ruff]

Now.

[Kent Covington]

I'm Nick Eicher.

[Nick Iker]

And I'm Jenny Ruff. Last July we marked the 100th anniversary of Eric Liddell's gold medal performance in the 1924 Olympic Summer Games. This remarkable moment was memorialized in the Oscar winning film Chariots of Fire.

[Kent Covington]

Today we revisit his remarkable life to mark another centennial, this one not on the track, but on the mission field. In 1925, Eric Liddell left behind athletic fame and set off for China as a missionary. He would serve there faithfully until his death in 1945. Here is World's Paul Butler.

[Jenny Ruff]

On June 29, 1925, Eric Liddell was heading back to China. He'd been born there the son of missionaries, but left the country for boarding school at age 6. Eric spent nearly all his youth separated from his parents, seeing them only occasionally when they'd return home on furlough. Little loved athletics and made a name for himself on the rugby field and on the track. He was fast, one of Scotland's fastest. He earned a spot on the 1924 Olympic team where he won a gold medal in an event that was not his best as he refused to run his preferred race on a Sunday. About a year earlier, Little had quietly prayed telling God that he wanted to serve him but lacked a clear idea of how or where. He became a Christian campaigner or traveling evangelist and his athletic reputation was good for drawing a crowd after the Olympic Games. He continued speaking but started to contemplate returning to China as a teacher. He went with the London Missionary Society. So he was went out on a four year contract, I guess to teach science and mathematics. Patricia Russell is Eric Liddell's eldest daughter. It was sort of to see if he was a good person to be a missionary. I mean, everybody's not missionary stuff. It turned out that Eric Liddell was indeed missionary stuff. An excellent teacher and preacher, still using athletics for outreach. And then at the end of six years, he went back to Edinburgh on furlough and he became the Reverend Eric Liddell. When that was finished, he went back as a missionary. Little married another missionary and they served together in northern China. They lived in the city of Tencent with Eric making frequent trips into the countryside for weeks at a time. They enjoyed their life in the city and soon expanded their family with the arrival of two daughters. Then war broke out between China and Japan in 1937. Shanghai has fallen to Japan. As the war dragged on, the Littles returned home for furlough and struggled with what to do next. Eric decided to send his pregnant wife and children to Canada while he returned to China where things progressively got worse. He and his brother Rob worked in a missionary hospital in the rural countryside. In 1943, the Japanese took over the mission station. Little was sent back to Tin Sin and placed under house arrest. Eventually he was interned at the Weishin internment camp, joining many other missionaries, businessmen and other expats, 1800 in total. The former Olympian science teacher and evangelistic campaigner soon jumped into a new role, helping with the children. 92 year old John Hoyt was one of those kids. We kids loved him very much because he was so involved with us, with our activities, sports activities in particular. He was committed to redeeming the time that he was always keeping people's morale up and particularly with the kids because we were basically orphans, we didn't have our mums and dads with us. Eric Little had had the world on a string after his 1924 gold medal victory. Yet he offered a simple prayer asking God to use him. Little's daughter Patricia takes great comfort in knowing how God answered that prayer. And we say why wasn't he with us? Why wasn't he there? And then you hear their story and how he help them and made such a difference to them. He was, he was there for those children that had nobody. He was supposed to be there. So many of his various life experiences suddenly came into focus in the cramped Japanese prisoner camp. John Hoyt, once again, he was always very modest about his gold medal. He really didn't want to push that. I mean it was by the grace of God he did what he did. It didn't affect his spiritual life, his commitment to Christ and his commitment basically to others. Life in the camp was hard, though not Unbearable, like the military prisoner of war camps to the south. But death was common, from exposure, illness and malnutrition. In the winter of 1944, Eric Liddell got sick, very sick, and he succumbed to his illness on February 21, 1945. It affected everyone because people loved him and just was amazed at his life.

[Nick Iker]

And his modesty about what he had.

[Jenny Ruff]

Done in his athletics and his commitment for the people.

[Kent Covington]

He loved the Chinese. But I think the whole camp mourned.

[Jenny Ruff]

For him when he died because he had left such an amarch. Patricia Russell still remembers the day she learned of her father's death. I was at school. I was in grade four. I was nine, nearly 10. And we had a race and I came first light up. And Daddy would be so pleased with me. So I came rushing home and I came and I thought, gee, the house is quiet. And there was mother sitting on the edge of bed and Maureen and Heather weeping. But there's a daddy's towel.

[Nick Iker]

I don't know.

[Jenny Ruff]

Yeah, it's funny, all these years, you know, it's 80 years since then. But, you know, for my mother, that was terrible. When asked how he would sum up Eric Liddell's life, John Hoyt returns to one of his favorite scenes from Chariots of Fire. I believe that God made me for a purpose, for China, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure. And I think that was sort of the way he lived to feel God's pleasure in all that he did. And so the running was sort of incidental in a way. But his life was much more than that. It was more to live for God's pleasure and show Christ's love to other people. Eric Liddell was buried in the garden behind a Japanese officer's quarters. A small wooden cross marked his grave. In 1991, the University of Edinburgh erected a memorial headstone at the former site of the internment camp. The inscription reads, from Isaiah, they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. That's this week's world history book. I'm Paul Butler.

[Kent Covington]

Tomorrow, Mary Reichard is back with more analysis of last week's Supreme Court decisions and a conversation with members of of Crosspoint Community Church, where a security team stopped a gunman before he could harm anyone in the congregation. That and more tomorrow. I'm Nick Iger.

[Nick Iker]

And I'm Jenny Ruff. The world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires the Book of Revelation says. Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters, and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder crying out Hallelujah for the Lord our God, the almighty reigns. Verse 6 of Revelation, chapter 19 Go now in grace and peace.