Died

Author, apologist, and educator Norman L. Geisler died on July 1 at age 86. Geisler, who called himself a “moderate Calvinist” and described his apologetic method as a “cross between Thomas Aquinas and Billy Graham,” wrote or co-authored more than 96 books and papers, taught in higher Biblical education for over 55 years, debated and spoke all over the world, and co-founded Southern Evangelical Seminary and Veritas International University. For fun, Geisler collected the quotes of atheists, collating them into the popular book I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. He and his wife, Barbara Jean Geisler, were married 62 years and had six children, numerous grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.

Ruled

A cross may stay on public land in Maryland after a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Bladensburg Peace Cross, erected as a World War I memorial in 1925, is 40 feet high and stands at a crowded crossroads outside of Washington, D.C. The American Humanist Association filed the original case for its removal. The decision was 7-2 in favor of Maryland’s case for preserving the memorial. Justice Samuel Alito Jr. wrote the main opinion, declaring that the cross, though a Christian symbol, should be preserved because of its significance as a historical monument. However, Alito stated the ruling did not endorse newly created monuments with religious symbols. In her dissent Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg argued that retaining the cross on public land damaged the constitutional principle of government neutrality.

Reported

A new study released by Oxford Economics on the automation of the work force predicted that robots will replace millions of factory jobs by 2030. The analysis firm warned of an impending increase in economic inequality as lower-skilled workers suffer more from the changes. The firm explained that each robot installed in lower-skilled economic regions, such as parts of China, could destroy twice as many jobs as a robot in a higher-skilled region of the same country. Part of the reason appears to be that the best option for workers leaving the factory is a job in the service industry, and Oxford Economics predicts that robots will take these jobs soon as well. The firm is calling for governments to address the needs of these lower-skilled workers while encouraging the boosts in productivity from automation.

Attacked

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called for a Justice Department investigation of Portland, Ore., Mayor Ted Wheeler after claims of police inaction during an attack on journalist Andy Ngo by demonstrators during an antifa rally in the city. Video footage shows demonstrators pelting Ngo with eggs and milkshakes. Portland Police later said some of the shakes may have been laced with quick-drying cement. (Activists disputed that account.) The attack sent Ngo to the emergency room, where he was later released. Robert King, adviser to Mayor Wheeler, said police detectives are investigating the attacks on Ngo.

Declined

On the last day of its 2018-2019 term, the Supreme Court declined to reverse a lower court decision blocking a law protecting babies from dismemberment abortion in Alabama. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a 2016 Alabama law, which would have prevented abortionists from ripping apart living babies and removing them piece by piece from the womb, arguing that the law violated the “undue burden” standard established in the 1992 Supreme Court decision Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The judges ruled that banning the dismemberment procedure would unduly burden abortion access because the practice was so common among abortionists. Hours later, U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker blocked a similar Indiana law.