7.2.25 Senate passes President Trump’s bill, Supreme Court rules on religious liberty and child protection, World Tour, and Church of England disciplines chaplain

Summary

The World and Everything In It
Episode: 7.2.26
Release Date: July 2, 2025

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1. Introduction

The episode of "The World and Everything In It" opens with Lindsay Mast and Nick Iker setting the stage for a comprehensive discussion on significant political and social events. The primary focus areas include the Senate's passage of President Trump's bill, pivotal Supreme Court rulings on religious liberty and child protection, a global tour highlighting international developments, and a notable incident involving a Church of England chaplain.

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2. Senate Passes President Trump’s Bill

Host: Kent Covington
Timestamp: [01:02]

President Trump announces that Israel has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, urging Hamas to accept the deal, warning that "it will not get better, it will only get worse" ([01:02]). This announcement follows discussions between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who hints at halting the conflict and securing the release of Israeli hostages ([01:22]).

Key Developments:

• Senate Vote: The Senate narrowly passes Trump's "One Big Beautiful" bill with a 50-50 split, where Vice President J.D. Vance casts the tie-breaking vote ([02:03]). Three Republicans—Senators Rand Paul, Thom Tillis, and Susan Collins—defect over concerns about the bill's fiscal responsibility and new work requirements in Medicaid and food assistance programs ([02:12]).

• Bill Implications: The bill, passed through reconciliation to bypass a Democratic filibuster, significantly increases the national debt, drawing criticism for its lack of fiscal conservatism ([02:17]-[02:28]).

• USAID Reorganization: The Trump administration integrates most USAID programs into the State Department, aiming to reduce charity-based aid by approximately 80% and focusing on trade and private investment instead ([02:46]-[03:32]).

Notable Quote:

"I'm not a big fan of the government forcing someone to purchase something for someone else because of their behavior." — Andy Schlafly, Association of American Physicians and Surgeons ([13:00])

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3. Supreme Court Rulings on Religious Liberty and Child Protection

Reporter: Jenny Ruff
Timestamp: [10:20]

The Supreme Court delivers three major rulings, each decided 6-3, addressing crucial tensions in American law and culture:

1. Task Force Health Mandate: The Court rejects a constitutional challenge against a Health and Human Services task force mandating coverage for HIV-prevention drugs (pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP). Justice Brett Kavanaugh writes the majority opinion, upholding the structure under the Appointments Clause ([13:10]-[14:31]).

2. Texas Age Verification Law: Upholds Texas' law requiring age verification for online pornography to protect children. The Court applies an intermediate scrutiny test, balancing the state's protective intent with free speech considerations. Justice Clarence Thomas authors the majority opinion, while Justice Elena Kagan leads the dissent ([14:59]-[19:35]).

   Notable Quote:

   "Children exposed to pornography between ages 6 to 12 were more likely to struggle with sexual dysfunction as an adult." — Claire Morel, Ethics and Public Policy Center ([15:12])

3. Planned Parenthood Medicaid Exclusion: Rules that individuals do not have a private right to sue states over Planned Parenthood's exclusion from Medicaid, emphasizing that such powers must be explicitly granted by Congress ([19:06]-[20:05]).

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4. World Tour: International Developments

Reporter: Mary Muncie
Timestamp: [20:31]

a. Poland: Presidential Election and Prime Minister's No-Confidence Vote

• Election Outcome: Conservative candidate Carol Novrotsky narrowly wins the presidency by just over one percentage point, pledging to preserve Poland's heritage and uphold Christian values ([21:08]).

• Prime Minister: Donald Tusk survives a no-confidence vote, focusing on cooperation with the EU and judicial reforms despite the new president's stance on aiding Ukraine ([21:22]).

b. Hungary: Budapest Pride Parade and Government Crackdown

• Event: Tens of thousands gather for a Pride parade in Budapest, defying the government's constitutional amendment that bans public LGBTQ events to protect children's rights ([21:08]-[22:44]).

• Government Stance: Prime Minister Victor Orban emphasizes traditional marriage between a man and a woman, with heavy security measures in place ([21:22]-[22:35]).

  Notable Quote:

  "Do you people want the city of Budapest to be destroyed? Then stop doing this." — Nick Iker ([22:29])

c. Hong Kong: Dissolution of Pro Democracy Party

• Political Shift: The Pro Democracy Party announces its disbandment due to intense political pressure and the implementation of Beijing's national security law, which has led to the prosecution and imprisonment of many activists ([22:44]-[24:07]).

d. China: Humanoid Robots in Soccer Exhibition

• Innovation Showcase: Beijing hosts a unique sports event featuring humanoid robots competing in autonomous three-on-three soccer matches, highlighting advancements in AI and robotics ([24:07]-[25:56]).

  Notable Quote:

  "Chen Po hopes to eventually have robots and human players compete, and this weekend's event helped accelerate the robotics systems to someday make that possible." — Mary Muncie ([24:44])

e. Western Pennsylvania: World's Largest Rubber Duck Incident

• Event: An inflatable rubber duck at Idlewild amusement park near Pittsburgh is deflated due to an unexpected storm, disappointing attendees ([25:56]-[26:32]).

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5. Church of England Disciplines Chaplain

Reporter: Jenny Lynn Schmidt
Timestamp: [27:50]

Case of Bernard Randall:

• Incident: Bernard Randall, a Church of England priest, preaches a sermon allowing individuals to respect others' beliefs without endorsing ideologies like LGBT teachings. The school administration reports him for "Religious Extremism" and a safety risk, leading to his indefinite leave and eventual disciplinary action by the Church.

• Consequences: Randall faces scrutiny from church authorities despite no evidence of wrongdoing. He remains stripped of his chaplain duties, highlighting tensions between religious freedom and institutional policies.

  Notable Quote:

  "Jesus said this thing about taking up your cross daily and following him, he didn't say it's going to be a walk in the park, everybody." — Bernard Randall ([31:24])

• Broader Implications: Randall's struggle underscores the erosion of freedoms and raises questions about maintaining classical liberalism in the face of modern ideological pressures.

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6. Historical Insight: Hunter Baker on Cold War Espionage

Contributor: Hunter Baker
Timestamp: [34:05]

Hunter Baker delves into the intertwined lives of Whitaker Chambers and Alger Hiss, two Soviet spies whose actions significantly impacted mid-20th-century American politics. Their espionage activities, eventual exposure, and the subsequent rise of Richard Nixon as a pivotal figure in American politics are explored in detail.

• Chambers' Transformation: From a fervent communist to a devout Christian, Chambers' personal journey reflects a profound shift that influenced his testimony against Hiss.

  Notable Quote:

  "He deserves to be remembered." — Hunter Baker ([38:56])

• Impact on Nixon: Nixon's relentless pursuit of truth in the Hiss case bolstered his political career, demonstrating the intricate ties between personal integrity and national security.

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7. Conclusion

The episode wraps up with reflections on classical liberalism, emphasizing the importance of maintaining foundational freedoms such as religious liberty and free speech. The discussions highlight the ongoing struggles and pivotal moments shaping both national and international landscapes.

Final Quote:

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked... But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night." — Psalm 1:1-2 ([33:52])

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Stay Tuned:
Next week's episode will cover the final Supreme Court decisions of the term, challenges to grandparenting rights in Colorado, and a visit to one of America's iconic Western monuments.

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Thank You for Listening!
The World and Everything In It is a product of listener-supported WORLD Radio, dedicated to delivering biblically grounded journalism that informs, educates, and inspires.

Transcript

[Lindsay Mast]

Good morning. A Texas law shielding kids from explicit online porn survives. We'll tell you why.

[Nick Iker]

Supreme Court analysis of that coming up. And two other cases. Plus an update from Washington on the big beautiful Senate debate. Also today, world tour and later, an Anglican priest stands up for marriage and finds himself at odds with church and state.

[Bernard Randall]

Jesus said this thing about taking up your cross daily and following him, he didn't say is going to be a walk in the park, everybody.

[Nick Iker]

And World Opinion's Hunter Baker tells of an ex Soviet spy who risked all to warn the West.

[Lindsay Mast]

It's Wednesday, July 2nd. This is the world and everything in it. From listener supported World Radio. I'm Lindsay Mast.

[Nick Iker]

And I'm Nick Icar. Good morning.

[Lindsay Mast]

Up next, Kent Covington has today's news.

[Kent Covington]

President Trump says Israel has agreed on terms for a 60 day ceasefire in Gaza and he is warning Hamas to accept the deal, saying it will not get better, it will only get worse. That came just hours after the president told reporters he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to halt the fighting and bring Israeli hostages home.

[Nick Iker]

He wants to.

[Kent Covington]

I can tell you he wants to. And I think we'll have it.

[Hunter Baker]

I think we'll have a deal next week.

[Kent Covington]

That's what I think. Netanyahu will meet with the president at the White House next week. Trump said U.S. and Israeli officials held a long and productive meeting Tuesday about halting the war in Gaza. Netanyahu, though, made no mention of a ceasefire deal when he discussed the upcoming visit with his cabinet yesterday. He told Israeli leaders that he is heading to Washington to hash out a new trade agreement, among other things. The fate of what President Trump calls his one big beautiful bill is now in the hands of the House. That after the Senate narrowly passed it with Vice President J.D. vance casting the tie breaking vote.

[Nick Iker]

The yeas are 50, the nays are 50.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

The Senate being evenly divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative. The bill as amended, is passed.

[Kent Covington]

A total of three Republicans defected, including Senator Rand Paul.

[Hunter Baker]

It's going to add much more to the debt.

[Claire Morel]

And so I think without question, this.

[Hunter Baker]

Is not a fiscally conservative bill.

[Nick Iker]

And if you're someone who thinks the debt is a problem, I don't see how you can go for this.

[Kent Covington]

Senator Thom Tillis shared those concerns. The third Republican to defect, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, objected to, among other things, new work requirements in the bill for Medicaid and food assistance programs. But GOP Senator John Thune said, we're fulfilling the mandate we were entrusted with.

[Nick Iker]

Last November and setting our country and the American people up to be safer, stronger and more prosperous.

[Kent Covington]

It cleared the Senate after an all night marathon of debate and amendments. It passed by a process known as reconciliation, allowing a budget bill to succeed on a simple majority vote, preventing a Democratic filibuster. The Trump administration is officially folding most USAID foreign aid programs into the State Department. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the agency has burned through billions of dollars with little to show for it. And he remarked earlier this year, these.

[Barry McDonald]

Are taxpayer dollars and we owe the.

[Nick Iker]

American people the assurances that every dollar.

[Barry McDonald]

We are spending abroad is being spent on something that furthers our national interest.

[Kent Covington]

He announced that the government will cut about 80% of the agency's programs and what remains will now run directly through the State Department. Critics blasted the move, including former USAID Administrator Andrew Nuncios.

[Hunter Baker]

I think we've lost the humanitarian instinct, the humanitarian imperative and the U.S. government.

[Kent Covington]

By shutting aid down, Secretary Rubio says the U.S. is not halting all foreign aid, but it is scrapping the heavily charity based model. He says the administration plans to focus on bolstering trade and private investment with needy nations rather than what he called endless humanitarian aid that breeds dependence. President Trump toured a large new immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades on Tuesday, which state officials have dubbed Alligator Alcatraz.

[Hunter Baker]

Very soon this facility will house some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet. We're surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland and the only way out is really deportation.

[Kent Covington]

In addition to holding illegal immigrants deemed dangerous, officials say it will also house those considered to be higher flight risks and some with prior deportation orders. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis what we have.

[Hunter Baker]

Here can hold 3,000. Now we have 2,000 facility up at Camp Blanding the that we're going to be open which is our National Guard site.

[Kent Covington]

The complex sits on an old airstrip and features hundreds of security cameras, miles of fencing and heavy patrols. Protesters gathered nearby, raising questions about environmental impacts on the Everglades and the conditions of the facility for the migrants held there. Pentecostal televangelist and gospel singer Jimmy Swaggart has died at the age of 90. World's Benjamin Eicher has more.

[Benjamin Eicher]

My Lord is able, swaggart's family wrote on Facebook. Today was the day he sung about for decades, adding today he met Jesus. His family described him as a worshipper, a warrior and a witness to the grace and mercy of God. In 1988, Jimmy Swaggart was embroiled in a very high profile scandal involving a prostitute, after which he gave a tearful public confession. I have sinned against you, my Lord. The Assemblies of God ruled that he should take one year away from ministry, but he returned after just three months. Then in 1991, Swaggart was involved in another prostitution scandal. This time he resigned as the denomination was moving to revoke his credentials. But he continued in ministry as an independent Pentecostal pastor and later founded the Sun Life Broadcasting Network. Swaggart authored dozens of books and study guides and sold millions of recordings over six decades for A World. I'm Benjamin Eicher.

[Kent Covington]

And I'm Kent Covington. Still to come, more on the path ahead for the so called Big Beautiful bill in Congress. Plus protecting minors from harmful material online. This is the World and Everything in it.

[Nick Iker]

It's Wednesday 2nd July. Glad to have you along for today's edition of the World and Everything In It. Good morning, I'm Nick Iker.

[Lindsay Mast]

And I'm Lindsay Mast. Time now for a special edition of Washington Wednesday. Today we continue our coverage of Supreme Court court decisions with a case on protecting kids from online pornography. But first, more on the Senate's marathon session to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill from World's Washington bureau. Here is reporter Leo Braceno.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Getting President Trump's legislative agenda over the Senate's finish line after a 26 hour marathon vote session required some creativity. Majority leader John Thune.

[Nick Iker]

Mr. President, it's been a long road.

[Benjamin Eicher]

To get to Today, lawmakers ironed out changes that would win over holding. One sticking point was a 10 year moratorium on state regulations for artificial intelligence. Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn worked with Texas Senator Ted Cruz to change that to a five year block on state AI laws. But in the early hours of Tuesday, Blackburn changed course.

[Nick Iker]

This body has proven that they cannot legislate on emerging technology.

[Lindsay Mast]

There are all of these pieces of.

[Hunter Baker]

Legislation dealing with AI that we haven't.

[Nick Iker]

Passed, but you know who has passed is our state.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Blackburn then introduced an amendment to strip out the AI provisions altogether and it passed 99 to 1. Only Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted against it. Another change pushed back the deadline for phasing out clean energy subsidies passed under President Biden, a key concession made to win over the support of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. Renewable energy construction projects would still be eligible to receive government help if their construction begins before the end of 2027. But the farthest reaching change affects Medicaid policy by limiting how much states can tax their own health care providers to raise funds under current law, the federal government matches at least $1 for every dollar states raise on their own. And by taxing their own hospitals and clinics, states can raise money, get their federal match and send resources back to the providers. Right now, states can tax individual providers up to 6% of their individual revenues to finance Medicaid. The bill would lower that to 3.5% by 2027.

[Nick Iker]

The question occurs on passage of the bill as amended.

[Benjamin Eicher]

In the end, Vice President J.D. vance cast a tie breaking vote. Three Republicans voted against the bill's Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives, where its fate is uncertain. Texas Congressman Chip Roy is one of the handful of House Republicans dissatisfied with the Senate's version of the bill. On Friday, I asked roy about the July 4 deadline. Do you think Republicans should consider pushing back their self imposed deadline to take some of the pressure off and getting these negotiations right?

[Kent Covington]

I've talked to somebody who's established the deadline.

[Nick Iker]

I have not.

[Kent Covington]

I mean, to me the deadline is.

[Nick Iker]

Getting the policy right.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Speaker Johnson has said he wants to bring the bill to a vote on Wednesday afternoon. With all Democrats planning to vote against the bill, Johnson can only afford to lose three Republican votes. Reporting for world, I'm Leo Bruceno in Washington.

[Lindsay Mast]

Coming up next on THE WORLD and Everything in IT World legal correspondent Ginny Ruff continues our coverage of the U.S. supreme Court's final week of the term. Today, three major rulings, all of them decided six to three. They highlight some of the biggest tensions in American law and culture.

[Nick Iker]

The court rejected a constitutional challenge to the task force behind a controversial health mandate. It upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for online porn, siding with a state effort to protect children. And it ruled that South Carolina can exclude Planned Parenthood from the state Medicaid program, finding no individual private right to sue. Under federal law, children don't have to.

[Claire Morel]

Go looking for it. It finds them. And so children then quickly get sucked down very dangerous rabbit holes.

[Barry McDonald]

Protecting Kids from Pornography I'll get to that pivotal case in just a moment, but I'll start with Kennedy versus Braidwood. This one involved Christian business owners and they pursued a creative but ultimately unsuccessful strategy. Back in 2019, a task force within the Department of Health and Human Services mandated that health insurers cover so called prep drugs. These are pills or shots individuals take to help prevent hiv. Christian businesses in Texas filed a lawsuit. They said the structure of the task force violates the appointments clause of the Constitution and its mandates should be scrapped but before unpacking the legal issue, I wanted more context from a medical perspective. So I called up a doctor. Barry Perkins went to medical school in Houston from 1992 to 1996, when the AIDS crisis was still at its peak. I saw a lot of HIV positive patients, saw a lot of patients with aids, with aids defining illnesses all the way from these days. Perkins says he can't remember the last time he saw a patient with AIDS and rarely sees one with hiv. The reason it's at stage right now, because of medical research and advancements with pharmaceuticals that suppress the virus. Even though the drugs encourage promiscuity, he says the advancements are good. They save lives and reduce spread. As Christians, we should want people to flourish. What if you have someone who's living a sinful life and they take this medication to keep themselves from getting sick, but then let's say they turn their life around and they come to know Jesus and they become a Christian and they want to get married and have children. Well, because of this medication, they can go on and live their life in a healthy way. Still, he says individuals should be responsible for covering prep drugs. I mean, people have to be responsible for their own actions, don't they?

[Hunter Baker]

I'm not a big fan of the.

[Barry McDonald]

Government forcing someone to purchase something for someone else because of their behavior. That's the position Braidwood took in this case.

[Kent Covington]

We're talking about medication costs more than $20,000 a year per person.

[Barry McDonald]

Andy Schlafly is general counsel for the association of American Physicians and Surgeons. He filed a friend of the court brief in support of Braidwood.

[Nick Iker]

So if there are five people in a company who decide they want to try this lifestyle medication, that's $100,000, that company has to shell out for that.

[Barry McDonald]

He says there's no such thing as free care.

[Nick Iker]

It just gets fed back into the costs of the system. And by forcing employers to cover this and insurance companies to cover this with no cost to the patients, the costs go up for everybody. Businesses should not be subjected to these costly mandates, which, in the position of.

[Kent Covington]

Braidwood management, are unconstitutional.

[Barry McDonald]

Unconstitutional because Braidwood claims the task force members were improperly appointed under the Appointments Clause. But the Supreme Court disagreed. It held that the task force members are inferior officers, consistent with the Appointments Clause. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the opinion. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the dissent, joined by Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch. The pharmaceutical business is a powerful lobbying industry in Washington. And even though Braidwood lost, Schlafly says, perhaps we'll see some changes.

[Nick Iker]

It is sort of RFK Jr. S issue in a sense in that he stood up against Big Pharma and he could put people in his task force who are not going to be influenced by Big Pharma.

[Barry McDonald]

Next Protecting Kids from Pornography Free Speech Coalition vs. Paxton In 2023, Texas passed a law requiring porn websites to verify the ages of their users. Adults must enter identifying information to show they're 18 or older.

[Claire Morel]

It actually does change the brain.

[Barry McDonald]

Claire Morel of the Ethics and Public Policy center works on helping states pass these age verification laws. She says pornographic pornography websites harm kids in several ways.

[Claire Morel]

So there's brain science that shows that it is extremely addictive, actually changes a child's brain and desensitizes them to pleasures in the real world. A study I was just recently looking over said that children exposed to pornography between ages 6 to 12 were more likely to struggle with sexual dysfunction as an adult. The rates of child on child sexual abuse have increased and nurses and doctors in ER say that the they are seeing 11 to 12 year old boys who have sexually assaulted 4 to 8 year old girls.

[Barry McDonald]

So psychologically, emotionally, spiritually dangerous. But representatives of the porn industry filed a lawsuit. They claim the law violates their First Amendment right to free speech. But why is a porn debate about free speech? Well, the court has long held that almost every form of meaningful expression counts.

[Benjamin Eicher]

That includes porn, it includes video games.

[Nick Iker]

It includes things like parades.

[Barry McDonald]

Barry McDonald teaches First Amendment law at Pepperdine University.

[Benjamin Eicher]

You know art, of course, movies.

[Nick Iker]

And the court has said, you know, the government has no business in terms of policing people's tastes.

[Benjamin Eicher]

So the fact that it's a porn.

[Nick Iker]

Movie rather than an Academy Award winner doesn't really matter to the constitutional analysis.

[Barry McDonald]

The court has also long said that free speech has two sides, the right to speak it and the right to hear it.

[Nick Iker]

And that's why adults that want to consume porn without entering their age information are able to claim that this unduly impedes their ability to receive the speech that they want to consume.

[Barry McDonald]

Now, the court typically applies strict scrutiny in cases touching on fundamental rights. A law that restricts speech is unconstitutional unless it overcomes three high hurdles. The Free Speech Coalition argues the law doesn't clear one of them because it's too broad. There are alternative ways to keep kids.

[Nick Iker]

Away, namely by encouraging the use of content filters to protect minors. But that just hasn't worked.

[Barry McDonald]

It's impractical. Parents don't know how to use them or can't.

[Claire Morel]

Claire Morel Again, apps like Snapchat, TikTok they will not grant access to third party parental controls or filters. And so when a child can click through to pornhub inside of the Snapchat app without ever leaving the app, a parent would never know in just five clicks they can get to pornhub and they actually never leave the app.

[Barry McDonald]

Justice Amy Coney Barrett is the mother of seven kids. She mentioned this at oral argument.

[Claire Morel]

Let me just say that content filtering for all those different devices I can.

[Hunter Baker]

Say from personal experience is difficult to keep up with.

[Barry McDonald]

Texas argued the court should apply an easier test for the state to satisfy rational basis. But here the court took a middle ground, the intermediate scrutiny test. It said the law is okay because its main objective is to protect kids and it doesn't burden more speech than necessary. It only incidentally burdens it. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion. Justice Elena Kagan wrote the dissent, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson. They said the court should stick with strict scrutiny and suggested this might be an instance where the law could still survive. MacDonald says this case is long overdue, that prior cases did not strike the right balance because they tipped the scales in favor of protecting adults over kids. Here that changed.

[Nick Iker]

You know, I'm glad they they did this. They at least cited on behalf of kids rather than porn seeking adults.

[Barry McDonald]

You know, even so, he says the First Amendment precedents applying different tests in similar cases might cause confusion in the lower courts. Morrell notes up to 24 states have adopted similar laws.

[Claire Morel]

Texas's law passed in 2023, but then really it felt like it just spread like wildfire in a good way after that because it's very feasible now for states, not just Texas, but any other states that want to pass these laws and even Congress to pass a nationwide age verification law. And I hope that that is the next step. That is personally what I'm advocating for because we want all of America's children to be protected, you know, not just these 24 states.

[Barry McDonald]

Finally, one last case. The Court ruled that an an individual has no right to sue a state for prohibiting Planned Parenthood from participating in the state's Medicaid program. In this case, S.C. planned Parenthood can't sue either. If Congress wants to allow lawsuits like this, it has to say so clearly. And in this case, it didn't. Reporting for World, I'm Jenny Ruff.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from the Issues Etc Podcast Expert guests Expansive topics extolling christ [e-mail] from Ambassadors Impact Network Inviting entrepreneurs with a mission to connect with faith based investors who share their vision. More at Ambassadors Impact.

[Nick Iker]

And from Dort.

[Kent Covington]

University, whose online MBA and MPA programs prepare leaders for lasting impact. Dort University until all is made new.

[Lindsay Mast]

Next Up World Tour we begin with some world news of our own from Nigeria. Onise Aduwa is going to be out for the next three months as she is on maternity leave. She and her husband have welcomed a baby girl into their family. So today, here's World's Mary Muncie with our international rundown.

[Claire Morel]

We begin today in Poland, where citizens elected a new president and the prime minister survived a no confidence vote. Presidential candidate Carol Novrotsky won by just a little more than a percentage point. Zabronsky promised to preserve the nation's heritage and remain true to its Christian values. The president elect is part of the more conservative Law and Justice Party, while Prime Minister Donald Tusk is part of the liberal Civic Platform. After Navronsky's win, Tusk called for a no confidence vote to see if he could hold a coalition together and he survived. Nevrotsky is expected to be friendly to the United States and possibly put conditions on helping Ukraine. Tusk will likely focus on promoting cooperation with the European Union and reforming the nation's judicial system. Next to Hungary, tens of thousands gathered for a Budapest Pride parade last Saturday in open defiance of the Hungarian government. In April, officials passed a constitutional amendment to secure children's rights to physical, spiritual and moral development. The law included shutting down all public LGBTQ events.

[Nick Iker]

Do you people want the city of Budapest to be destroyed? Then stop doing this.

[Claire Morel]

As part of a counter protest at Pride, one Christian prince preacher walked through the crowds holding a cross and speaking out against the celebration.

[Nick Iker]

You need to repent, people. This is what the real Christian looks like. Repent from your sin.

[Claire Morel]

Prime Minister Victor Orban and his government already effectively recognize marriage as only between one man and one woman, and the country protects children from adoption by two adults of the same sex. The country's constitution recognizes only two sexes, a man and a woman. Aniko Soltez is Hungarian and attended the parade. She says here that she objects to Orban's government because she believes it's restricting her right to peaceably assemble. Authorities are expected to use security camera footage and facial recognition technology to identify those who attended. Under Hungarian law, authorities could impose fines up to US$586 for participating in a public LGBTQ event in East Asia. Members of the League of Social Democrats held a rally Sunday in Hong Kong. The purpose? The Pro Democracy Party announced that it's disbanding. Party chairwoman Chan Poying said said political pressure forced the party leadership's hand.

[Nick Iker]

And we need to consider a lot of.

[Claire Morel]

She says they need to consider the consequences for their comrades and friends. The party made headlines in 2019 when it led massive anti government demonstrations. Since then, authorities have prosecuted and jailed many activists under a national security law that Beijing imposed in 2020. The party's platform advocated nonviolent forms of resistance, but added that members would not avoid physical confrontations if they were deemed necessary. And finally, 1,400 miles to the north, Beijing is holding a first of its kind sporting exhibition in China. Four teams of humanoid robots competed in fully autonomous three on three soccer matches. Robots operated by artificial intelligence without human intervention. Except for the occasional need to remove a malfunctioning robot off the field, the players featured advanced visual sensors allowing them to identify the ball and navigate the field. While not fast moving games, the event seemed to entertain spectators. Chen Po is founder and CEO of Booster Robotics, the company that supplied the robots. He hopes to eventually have robots and human players compete, and this weekend's event helped accelerate the robotics systems to someday make that possible. That's this week's world tour. I'm Mary Muncie.

[Nick Iker]

Plans in Western PA got a little quacked up last weekend. Crowds had flocked to a little amusement park near Pittsburgh called Idlewild in part to see a six story, 700 pound inflatable build as the world's largest rubber duck. Jace, we are, told us he's hauled that duck coast to coast for four years now. We bring people in from all over.

[Claire Morel]

And everybody's, you know, they see it.

[Nick Iker]

And it's their instant smiles. Everybody's always really happy. But not everybody and not all the time. A storm rolled in and for safety reasons, the duck had to, well, let's just say the duck had to duck.

[Claire Morel]

So we have to take it down.

[Nick Iker]

Before the wind gets too high. Otherwise it's unsafe to everybody around. Yeah, not popped, just deflated like a few disappointed fans because in the case of foul weather, this foul's not going to float. It's the world and everything in it. Today is Wednesday, July 2nd. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning, I'm Nick Iger.

[Lindsay Mast]

And I'm Lindsay Mast. Coming next on the world and everything in it. Holding fast to first principles, religious liberty, free speech, the rule of law. These ideas helped build the west and protect human dignity. Together, they form what we call classical liberalism.

[Nick Iker]

But over time, modern liberalism began to distort those bedrock ideas. Cracks began to appear in the foundation and. And now even some conservatives are asking whether classical liberalism is still worth defending. World's Jenny Lynn Schmidt brings us the story of one man who says yes and shows why those basic freedoms are more vital and more vulnerable than ever.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

In 2019, Bernard Randall preached what he thought was a fairly straightforward sermon for a Church of England priest.

[Bernard Randall]

No one should be told they must accept an ideology, love the person, even when you profoundly dislike the ideas. Don't denigrate a person simply for having opinions and beliefs which you don't share.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

At the time, Randall was serving as chaplain at Trent College, a church of England K12 School near Nottingham. A few months earlier, school administrators had invited an LGBT group to implement an inclusivity curriculum at the school. Its lessons were more about revolution than inclusion. At a staff day, training group leaders encouraged school staff to join in a chant to smash heteronormativity. A student asked Randall if he could preach a sermon about whether students must accept pro LGBT teaching in a Christian school.

[Bernard Randall]

So I thought that was a really good question, so I gave a sermon in the chapel, basically saying, you don't have to. You make up your own mind on ideologies, on belief systems. Loving your neighbour as yourself doesn't mean you agree, but it does mean you respect their sincerity and so on, and there's no excuse for personal attacks or anything like that.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

Randall explained that while not everyone agrees, the Church of England teaches that marriage is between one man and one woman. In other words, he was a Church of England chaplain in a Church of England school, explaining the teaching of the Church of England, you should be no.

[Bernard Randall]

More told you have to accept LGBT ideology. Then you should be told you must be in favour of Brexit or must be Muslim. To both of which I'm sure you would quite rightly object.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

It was a moderate sermon, but Trent College didn't think so. The school put him on indefinite leave. And without informing him, school administrators reported Randall to the UK government's terrorist watchdog agency for Religious Extremism. The school also reported him to the UK equivalent of Child Protective Services as a safety risk. Both agencies investigated and determined there was no case against Randall. But the school would not apologize, and the hearings related to the case revealed part of the reason why.

[Bernard Randall]

And at the tribunal, interestingly, amongst various staff, the head teacher said it had never occurred to him until all this happened, to think what it means to be head of a Christian school. He just had no concept of it being a Christian school. In Any meaningful way.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

School administrators finally agreed to let Randall return under certain conditions, including the review and possible censor of his sermons. But the church's reaction was much worse.

[Bernard Randall]

My bishop apologized to the school for my behaviour before she even knew what I'd said. Pretty disappointing. I mean, absolutely no support from the church.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

The Church of England got its own local safeguarding office involved. They interrogated Randall and eventually concluded his biblical teaching on marriage and his expression of his own beliefs was a safety risk. When he refused to back down, Bishop Libby Lane stripped Randall of the power to officiate church services. When Randall filed an official complaint about the Bishop's decision, then Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby blocked it. Randall decided enough was enough.

[Bernard Randall]

It just mind blowing. So not only was I suing the Christian School for anti Christian discrimination, I'm actually suing my bishop for anti Christian discrimination, which shouldn't be possible. But that's where it's come to.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

Randall's case has now dragged on for over six years. Church officials have never explained their safeguarding concern, despite repeated requests. Until the Church reinstates him, Randall cannot work as a chaplain. While he waits. He's had to find other work and the legal process has taken a toll.

[Bernard Randall]

Jesus said this thing about taking up your cross daily and following him. He didn't say it's going to be a walk in the park, everybody at first.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

As he told his story at events around England, Randall encountered disbelief. But people in the UK are slowly realizing their freedoms are eroding before their eyes.

[Bernard Randall]

So in response to a sermon saying respect people you disagree with. The message they all got was, well, if the chaplain, whose job it is to talk about these things, isn't allowed to talk about it, you'd better not.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

Randall fears his case is an example of what could happen to others down the road. And that points to an even bigger question of whether a society can remain free without freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

[Bernard Randall]

It's the religious people who tend to get cancelled first because religion will tend to have people say, this is how I view the world. I'm not going to bow to the secular authority. And religious people will do that as a matter of eternal consequence. So you're more likely to find religious people saying, I cannot cross this line.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

Reporting for World, I'm Jenny Lynn Schmidt in London.

[Lindsay Mast]

Jenny gathered that story at a conference in London this year put on by the alliance for Responsible Citizenship. The group's goal is to find a way to renew Western civilization and its ideals. She explores in depth the debate over classical liberalism in the COVID story of the current issue of World magazine. Today is Wednesday, July 2nd. Good morning, this is the World and everything in it. From Listener supported World Radio. I'm Lindsay Mast.

[Nick Iker]

And I'm Nick Icker. Next up, World Opinions contributor Hunter Baker returns to the mid 20th century, to the Cold War, political intrigue and a change of heart.

[Hunter Baker]

Once upon a time in America, there were two young men born near the turn of the 20th century. Both men had troubled family backgrounds, but both young men were brilliant. One attended Columbia, the other Johns Hopkins and Harvard Law. One went on to become a senior editor of Time magazine, making the modern equivalent of $300,000 a year. Because of his unusual talent as a writer, the other rose rapidly through the ranks of the federal government and was at FDR's side at the ALTA conference. Both men were secret communists and active agents of the Soviet Union. The writer was Whitaker Chambers. His collaborator in Soviet espionage was Alger Hiss, a leading light of FDR's new deal. The collision of their lives in mid century America made the reputation of the man who would become one of the most consequential and tragic politicians of the 20th century, Richard Nixon. After making a splash as a literary communist, writing plays and working for the New Masses and the Daily Worker, Chambers was recruited to enter the communist underground. He interacted with American Communists who had infiltrated the federal government. He mastered the techniques necessary to remain undetected and was able to obtain information for his spymasters regularly. Alger Hiss was one of his major sources within the U.S. government. Chambers became increasingly aware of the terrifying and murderous nature of Stalin's totalitarian leadership in the Soviet Union. Reflecting upon the disheartening revelations, Chambers wrote of his state of mind. I heard screams. Chambers escaped the communist underground and fed his family through freelance literary work, including being the English translator of Bambi. His circumstances improved considerably when he was hired by Time and became one of the major contributors to the magazine. Ironically, capitalism saved the fugitive Communist during World War II. He tried to make American leaders aware of the extent of communist infiltration. But the Soviets were officially allies and New Deal officials looked askance at such warnings. He was ignored. Where the testimony you're about to give.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

Will be the truth, the whole truth.

[Benjamin Eicher]

Nothing but the truth.

[Hunter Baker]

The help of God, I do sit.

[Nick Iker]

Right down there, Mr. Chambers, and talk in the microphone.

[Hunter Baker]

Toward the end of the 1940s, Chambers willingly appeared before the much criticized House Committee on UN American Activities to corroborate charges regarding communist infiltrators. Chambers did so at a great personal cost. He would end up losing his job at Time and would earn the lasting enmity of American elites for exposing a New Deal star. I certainly urge this committee not to follow any hit and run tactics. When his denied Chambers charges, it was a one day media rout. His and the liberal establishment was triumphantly indignant. The portly rumpled Chambers appeared to be a disgrace. But the junior congressman Richard Nixon heard things in Hiss's answers that raised his suspicions. In the end, Nixon's dogged pursuit of the truth helped turn the tide in the case. Hiss friends pushed him to go after Chambers for slander. Chambers played his trump card. The so called pumpkin papers, documents he'd gathered before leaving the underground. The evidence led to perjury charges against Hiss and a conviction 75 years ago. Alger Hiss, one time high government official, will lose all civil rights. After a year in prison, Alger Hiss went to federal prison and became a persecuted celebrity for the American left. Richard Nixon ascended to the U.S. senate, becoming Eisenhower's running mate in 1952 and 1956 and later had both a triumphant and tragic presidency. Whitaker Chambers went on to write one of the finest memoirs ever produced. It was titled Witness. It explained the legal case, but went much further by delving into his testimony of faith. Chambers described how one day he looked at his baby daughter's ears and was shaken by the unmistakable fact of design. It made him not only question his materialism but his communism as well. So Chambers, the atheist converted to Christianity, was baptized and became a witness, a witness for man's need for God and for faith in God as the foundation for freedom. He deserves to be remembered. I'm Hunter Baker.

[Nick Iker]

Tomorrow, the last of the big decisions. From the Supreme Court term just finished and to Colorado, where grandparenting is getting much more difficult. Also a trip to one of America's great Western monuments. That and more tomorrow. I'm Nick Iker.

[Lindsay Mast]

And I'm Lindsay Mast. 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 psalmist writes, blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night. Verses 1 and 2 of Psalm 1. Go now in grace and peace.