Israel prepares Gaza City offensive, calls up 60,000 reservists
'As part of the next phase of Operation 'Gideon's Chariots', ~60,000 reserve orders were issued this morning, and 20,000 reservists had their service extended. The IDF values its reservists and their vital role in Israel's security,' the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday morning in a post on social platform X.
The IDF will be conducting a 'gradual, precise and targeted' operation in and around Gaza City, 'which currently serves as Hamas's main military and governing stronghold,' said an Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, who briefed the press.
The military official said IDF soldiers will operate in the areas of Gaza City where they have not previously gone. Most of the reservists are not expected to operate in Gaza City.
'All that said, in Gaza, the main forces operating on the next stage of the operation will be our active duty forces. We will have five divisions operating in Gaza in different operations focusing on Gaza City,' the military official said Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greenlighted the plan to escalate the offensive in Gaza, arguing earlier this month that the Jewish state 'has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat' of Hamas.
Israel has received pushback from allies in Europe over the planned offensive, while the prime minister has been under pressure from members of his coalition to keep the conflict going and shoot down the temporary ceasefire proposal.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have protested Israel's military operation in the war-torn enclave, calling for the safe return of hostages.
'The only way to bring (hostages) back is through a deal, all at once, without games,' said former hostage Arbel Yehoud, whose boyfriend, Ariel Cunio, is still in Hamas captivity.
The operation in and around Gaza City will be 'gradual, precise and planned out,' encompassing a 'very large scale humanitarian plan going by at the same time, simultaneously providing everything needed: food, shelter in areas, working on providing new field hospitals,' according to the military official.
The recent 60-day ceasefire proposal brought by Arab intermediaries was accepted by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. The Israeli government is reviewing the proposal.
Israel has said that about 50 hostages remain in Gaza, all of whom the government is pushing to be freed. The Israeli government has said that about 20 20 hostages are still alive.
The latest proposal is similar to the one brought by President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
'The ball is now in Israel's court. We would like a positive response from them as soon as possible in order to deal with the disastrous situation in Gaza, especially the starvation and the killing of civilians,' Egypt's foreign minister told NBC News on Tuesday.
The war, which has been ongoing for nearly two years, started on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 people hostage. Since then, the Israeli military offensive has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. The tally does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Netanyahu has previously said that he is against any deal that would leave Hamas as the ruling faction in Gaza, although many Israelis worry that the new offensive in the enclave could put the rest of the remaining hostages in danger.
'Ahead of approval of the plans for the operation in Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the timetables — for seizing control of the last terrorist strongholds and the defeat of Hamas — be shortened,' Netanyahu's office said in a statement on Thursday.
'The Prime Minister expresses his great appreciation for the reservist fighters who have been mobilized and their families, and all IDF soldiers,' his office added. 'Together we will win.'
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The Hill
20 minutes ago
- The Hill
State Department fires official who drafted Israel, Gaza talking points
A State Department official was fired for being on the wrong side of a debate over the Trump administration's policies toward relocating Palestinians in Gaza and Israel's claims to the West Bank. Shahed Ghoreishi, who served as press officer for Israeli and Palestinian affairs in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, says he was fired after being singled out by political appointees as going against the president's policies, but says he was only following 'established guidelines.' He warned of a chilling effect in a phone interview with The Hill on Thursday. 'I'm concerned for the professionals in the building that are trying to do their job, and in that being seen as being a speed bump for specific idealogues,' he said. 'It's not personal, it's process. There's expertise there.' Ghoreishi said he believes two points are at the crux of his firing. One is that he drafted talking points that the U.S. did not support the forced relocation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. The second is his removal of a reference to 'Judea and Samaria' from a press statement about a high-level visit to the West Bank. As a contractor, Ghoreishi said he's not obligated to be given a reason for his dismissal. The State Department did not directly confirm Ghoreishi's firing or the reasons for it. 'The Department has zero tolerance for employees who commit misconduct by leaking,' State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement. 'Federal employees should never put their personal political ideologies ahead of the duly elected president's agenda,' Pigott said in a statement. The Washington Post first reported Ghoreishi's dismissal, reporting that David Millstein, a senior advisor to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, was a key opponent of the press officer. The Post reported that Millstein drafted a memo commending House Speaker Mike Johnson, who visited Israeli settlements in the West Bank earlier this month, for being the highest-ranking U.S. official and first Speaker of the House 'to ever go to Judea and Samaria.' The Republican-controlled House Foreign Affairs Committee has issued guidance to its staff to use the biblical term, however the State Department has not issued a formal declaration on the name of the territory. Ghoreishi said that he decided to cut that line in favor of a more benign statement that the U.S. supports stability in the West Bank, pointing to previous statements on such issues and citing authority that guidance from Foggy Bottom overrules positions from the embassy. Ghoreishi said he also drafted the talking point responding to media questions reported Israeli efforts to get South Sudan to accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza. Ghoreishi said he crafted language that reflected statements made by President Trump and his special envoy for peace missions, Steve Witkoff, that the U.S. was against forced relocation. International law experts have raised alarm that pressuring Palestinians to leave their homes as part of a political decision runs the risk of a war crime. Trump and Witkoff have suggested Palestinians could voluntarily leave Gaza, with the president suggesting Palestinians want a better life outside the ruins of Gaza, and Witkoff explaining the administration is exploring options to give Gazans a 'better life.' Ghoreishi, who is Iranian-American, has also found himself in the crosshairs of right-wing influence and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who has exercised influence on getting the Trump administration to fire staff she accuses of being disloyal to the president. She took credit for a purge at the National Security Council, and recently cheered the stripping of security clearances of 37 national security professionals. Ghoreishi said it's easy to Google him and find op-eds he's authored that have a progressive slant, but that he wouldn't have gotten the job if he didn't demonstrate a commitment to carrying out the administration's agenda regardless of political party. 'I had good relationships with political [appointees] and with the Civil Service alike. You don't get this portfolio on a whim,' he said. 'It seems like senior officials at Embassy Jerusalem are gaining more and more influence, to the point that now moving forward, they are sending a message to the rest of the press officers to toe the line.' American Foreign Service Association President John Dinkelman, the union for foreign service officers, said he couldn't comment on Ghoreishi's situation specifically, but is concerned about members of the Foreign Service being able to perform their jobs 'in an environment in which the lines of policy are constantly shifting in the political winds.' 'Diplomacy works best when messaging and policy are aligned and diplomats who convey the Department's cleared messages are supported and not undercut,' he said in a statement.
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Trump increasingly gives Bibi a free hand
With help from Maggie Miller and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Eric TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE HERE: We're eager to hear what you think about National Security Daily and how we deliver the news every day to your inbox! Let your NatSec Daily hosts know what's working for you, what isn't and what we're missing. Take the survey here. Now on to today's developments: As Israel calls up some 60,000 reservists for a possible invasion of Gaza City, the Trump administration appears to be giving Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU an increasingly free hand to win the war with Hamas — however he chooses. This could be part of the 'alternative options' the Trump administration hinted at when the U.S. pulled out of ceasefire negotiations in Qatar in July and accused Hamas of bad faith. President DONALD TRUMP has been vocal about wanting to end the war quickly as one of his efforts to notch peace deals around the world. But the blanket support for Israel's actions is an adjustment in tone for the White House from late July, when Trump broke with Netanyahu over the plight of civilians in Gaza. He contradicted the prime minister's denial of starvation, noting he had seen footage of children who looked 'very hungry.' On Tuesday, Trump called Netanyahu a 'war hero,' a day after he declared, 'We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!!' Special envoy STEVE WITKOFF added to the calls for an all-or-nothing deal (rather than an earlier proposal to release some of the hostages) in a conversation with Fox News on Tuesday, saying, 'We want all the hostages back. That conflict should end immediately.' Israel hawks in Congress have also generally been on board with this approach, saying that invading Gaza City may be Netanyahu's only viable option. Netanyahu is preparing for war even as negotiators are making some progress: Hamas said on Monday it accepted a deal proposed by Qatar and Egypt that would see Hamas release about half the hostages it holds in exchange for a 60-day pause in fighting. That's along the same lines of the U.S. framework Trump said Israel accepted in July. Netanyahu said today he's still negotiating. Spokespeople for the White House, State Department and Witkoff did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the current strategy on Israel. Israel is meanwhile continuing its bombardments of Gaza, and Netanyahu was set to meet with top officials to finalize his war plans today. AMIR AVIVI, a retired Israeli brigadier general who heads the hawkish 'Israel's Defense and Security Forum,' said his contacts in the Israeli military brass told him they are not getting pressure from Washington regarding the next steps of their operations in Gaza. 'I think the strategy of the administration is that they want to see a decisive win in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible,' Avivi told NatSec Daily. 'They want to move to a regional peace agreement, they want to move to the next step, I don't think they are particularly excited about the ceasefire. They are giving Israel a lot of room to take decisions.' That said, the military's top commander Lt. Gen. EYAL ZAMIR, has reportedly pushed back against expanding the army's operations in Gaza, saying it could put hostages at risk. The tone in Washington stands in contrast to rising condemnations of Israel from other Western allies. Netanyahu is scrapping with Australia and accusing French President EMMANUEL MACRON of fueling antisemitism over their plans to recognize a Palestinian state. That pressure from European allies on Israel might actually work to Israel's favor in the White House, argued JONATHAN SCHANZER, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. 'Anything that the Europeans do or say is something the U.S. is going to come out against,' he said. The Inbox NO MORE USAGE RESTRICTIONS? Trump seemed to indicate in a social media post today that he'd be up for relaxing usage restrictions that have limited how far Ukraine could strike into Russian territory using American weapons. 'It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders country. It's like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offensive. There is no chance of winning!' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'Crooked and grossly incompetent JOE BIDEN would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND defend. How did that work out?' He added: 'Interesting times ahead!!!' The Biden administration limited Kyiv to using U.S.-donated weapons only within 100 miles of Russia's Kursk region. The Trump administration hasn't announced any changes to those restrictions. The White House is downplaying Trump's statement. 'The president was making a truthful observation,' spokesperson KAROLINE LEAVITT told NatSec Daily when asked about his comments. Of course, the tough talk from the White House comes as other parts of the administration show less eagerness to help Kyiv. As our own Paul McLeary, Jack Detsch, Jacopo Barigazzi and Chris Lunday reported Wednesday night, Pentagon policy chief ELBRIDGE COLBY told European allies that the U.S. plans to play a minimal role in any Ukraine security guarantees, signaling that Europe will need to shoulder the burden of keeping lasting peace in Kyiv. UNPACKING THE CUTS AT DHS: The Department of Homeland Security is growing increasingly important in the Trump administration's national security efforts. But not all parts of DHS are being treated equally. Our colleague Paroma Soni analyzed budget and staffing changes at DHS and found that the largest cuts on both fronts are being experienced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. FEMA has lost about 2,000 permanent employees, while CISA is down 1,083. That's quite the contrast to the ramp-up at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is hiring 10,000 new agents and making the most of a nearly $30 billion infusion of funding for personnel purposes via Trump's megabill earlier this year. Our colleague Myah Ward reported Wednesday that the agency is pulling all the stops to recruit a historic number of applicants to fill the spots. For access to Paroma's full analysis and the rest of the series unpacking changes across government, subscribe to POLITICO Pro or request a demo of our news service, directories and other products. IT'S THURSDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at dcheslow@ and ebazail@ and follow Daniella and Eric on X @DaniellaCheslow and @ebazaileimil While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's global security team on social media at: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @ @PhelimKine, @felschwartz, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130 and @delizanickel Keystrokes NEW NO. 2 AT NSA AND CYBER COMMAND: The White House is turning to a veteran of the first Trump administration to take on the No. 2 role at the National Security Agency and Cyber Command, our own John Sakellariadis and Maggie Miller report (for POLITICO Pro subscribers!). Defense Secretary PETE HEGSETH and Director of National Intelligence TULSI GABBARD said JOE FRANCESCON, a former defense and national security official in the first Trump administration, is being tapped as the next deputy director of the National Security Agency, which also makes him the second-in-command at U.S. Cyber Command. Francescon, who served as an intelligence analyst at NSA for over a decade in addition to a litany of Pentagon and White House roles during the first Trump administration, said in a separate statement that he is 'deeply honored and filled with excitement to return home' to the agency. His joining the agency partly fills a vacuum of permanent leadership that's persisted at the agency since Trump ousted the top two officials at the NSA in April at the recommendation of far-right influencer LAURA LOOMER. The White House, however, has not named a replacement for ousted Cyber Command and NSA chief Gen. TIMOTHY HAUGH. The Complex STOCKPILE SLAMMED: The pro-Israel Jewish Institute for National Security of America think tank is out with a report accounting for the weaponry the U.S. used to help Israel in its 12-day war against Iran earlier this summer. We got a first look at its findings, and they suggest that Israel likely won't be able to defend itself fully against more sophisticated Iranian attacks. Loyal NatSec Daily readers will remember we got a preview of JINSA's preliminary findings in July, which found that based on open-source images and videos of the conflict, the U.S. used a lot of expensive weapons systems to defend Israel from Iranian ballistic missile attacks. The final report confirms those findings and adds that Iran was able to overwhelm air defenses in Israel at various points during the 12 days of fighting. And ad-hoc support from Arab partners in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones was critical, the report argues, in preventing more damage in the region. While Iran was not able to continue such strikes for a sustained period, given Iran's own issues with stockpiles, the damage on Israel could have been worse had Israel not preemptively taken out some of Iran's own assets, the JINSA analysts argue. On the Hill CRYPTO IS ONLY A START: Senate Banking Committee ranking member ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.) is applauding a recent move by the Trump administration to push back on Russian cryptocurrency platforms — and calling on more to be done to support Ukraine. As Maggie writes in, Warren today praised last week's move by the Treasury Department to sanction cryptocurrency exchange Garantex and individuals associated with it over allegations that the platform was used to facilitate cybercrime payments of more than $100 million. The group is viewed by the Treasury Department as part of the financial sector in Russia and was used by Russian-based ransomware groups. Cracking down on organizations like Grantex is something that Warren and Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.) pushed for in a recently released report that argues for the Trump administration to take a number of additional actions to pressure Russia to agree to a 'just peace' in Ukraine. 'Treasury finally cracked down on one of many evasion pathways we highlighted in our investigative report,' Warren said. 'If Trump wants to go beyond summits to a real negotiation that secures a just peace in Ukraine, he should increase pressure on Putin's war machine in Ukraine.' Broadsides LAVROV HARPS ON LEGITIMACY: Russia's top diplomat is reiterating a Kremlin complaint that Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY may not be legitimate enough for Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN to actually sign a peace deal with. Foreign Minister SERGEY LAVROV told reporters today that Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskyy but that Moscow wants that 'when and if — hopefully, when — it comes to signing future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person who signs these agreements from the Ukrainian side will be resolved.' That's a not-so-subtle reiteration of an accusation from Moscow and some critics of Kyiv in the United States that Zelenskyy is illegitimate because his country hasn't held presidential elections since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Zelenskyy argues that because the country is at war and subject to martial law, he is barred by the Ukrainian constitution from holding elections. And it suggests that while Putin may meet with Zelenskyy to mollify Trump, prospects for peace may be limited since Moscow clearly doesn't respect its counterparts in Kyiv. Transitions — Former Sen. LAPHONZA BUTLER (D-Calif.) and former Trump administration USAID chief MARK GREEN are joining the Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service as fall fellows. — Former Hegseth adviser DAN CALDWELL, former Rep. MARY PELTOLA (R-Alaska), former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary DAVID PRESSMAN and former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force ALEX WAGNER are joining the University of Chicago Institute of Politics as fall fellows. — Biden administration deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology ANNE NEUBERGER joined Andreessen Horowitz as a senior adviser. — The Atlantic Council Arsht Latin America Center announced that KEVIN K. SULLIVAN, former U.S. ambassador to Nicaragua and former deputy assistant secretary of State for South America, and ANTONIO ORTIZ-MENA, president and CEO at AOM Advisors and former head of economic affairs at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, are joining the think tank as nonresident senior fellows. — Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense MAUREEN FARRELL joined the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security as a nonresident senior fellow. Farrell remains the vice president for global partnership at Nairobi-based American strategic advisory firm Valar. — DAVID MEALE is now China practice head of the Eurasia Group. He most recently was a senior foreign service officer at the State Department after spending more than 30 years at State. His last overseas assignment as the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. — AUDREY BROOKE HARD is now in the front office of the new undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, our own Daniel Lippman has learned. She most recently was in the White House liaison's office at the Department of Defense. What to Read — Eric Farnsworth, The Washington Post: Bolivia's promising turn to the right — Gabby Deutch, Jewish Insider: Qatar's Washington lobbyist invokes old antisemitic tropes in push for influence — John Noonan, National Review: How the U.S. Can Make the Most of a Defense-Spending Boom Tomorrow Today — National Institute for Deterrence Studies, 10 a.m.: Deterrence in the Balance: Arms Control, Modernization, and Strategic Resolve with Mike Albertson — National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space's International Space Station National Laboratory, 11:30 a.m.: Discussion on 'the next launch to deliver science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.' Thanks to our editors, Heidi Vogt and Emily Lussier, who never give us a free hand to pursue our aims on this newsletter.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Oklahoma's New Teacher Test Isn't About Skills — It's About Politics
For Oklahoma teachers, the next job requirement may not just be about their credentials, but their values. State officials are preparing a teacher certification exam called the 'America First Test,' created in partnership with PragerU, a conservative media nonprofit. The test would apply to applicants from states such as California and New York — jurisdictions that Superintendent Ryan Walters argues have advanced a liberal or 'woke' ideology. To Walters's supporters, it's a way to keep classrooms anchored in values they say are under attack. To his critics, it's a political litmus test that risks pushing even more teachers out of the profession. Either way, the fight over this assessment reflects a broader struggle beyond hiring rules. Here's what you need to know. Walters singles out blue states — and California Gov. Gavin Newsom Oklahoma has recently attracted roughly 500 new teachers through recent initiatives, including a $20,000 signing bonus for out-of-state special education hires. But Walters has made clear his priority isn't just filling classrooms — it's keeping them free from what he calls 'radical leftist ideology.' In a statement, he singled out California Gov. Gavin Newsom as an example of leadership he believes has taken education in the wrong direction, vowing that Oklahoma schools would be 'safeguarded from the radical leftist ideology fostered in places like California and New York.' Supporters say the America First Test will help ensure that new teachers reflect what Walters calls 'traditional American values.' But critics such as American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten reject it as a 'MAGA loyalty test,' contending it prioritizes ideology over ability. The exam was developed by PragerU — short for Prager University — a conservative digital media company. Despite its academic-sounding name, the nonprofit isn't an accredited school, though it has supplied animated videos to public and private classrooms. The clips have drawn controversy for promoting a conservative agenda with distorted information. One portrays Booker T. Washington rejecting racism as a significant barrier to success, while another casts Christopher Columbus in a positive light — calling slavery 'as old as time' and 'better than being killed,' and urging viewers to judge figures by the standards of their era. Critics say such portrayals minimize slavery's brutality. Founder Dennis Prager has also been criticized for defending use of the N-word, while other presenters have sparked outrage with claims such as Karlyn Borysenko's assertions that Jewish people chose to be killed in the Holocaust and that Adolf Hitler went to heaven. For educators, the concern runs deeper: They warn the exam could worsen Oklahoma's teacher shortage. 'Oklahoma students and families are already facing severe teacher shortages, and educators here are among the lowest paid in the nation,' Tina Ellsworth, president of the nonprofit National Council for the Social Studies, tells Katie Couric Media. 'By creating additional barriers for those who want to teach, leaders are ultimately hurting the very students who deserve a high-quality education.' Jena Nelson, a former teacher in the state and Oklahoma's 2020 Teacher of the Year, adds that state leaders are ignoring the education crisis. 'Walters really needs to take a reality check because we have a huge shortage right now,' she says. 'Teachers from New York and California and other places are not going to come to Oklahoma because he has created a statewide hostile work environment.' What's in the new Oklahoma teacher test? State officials haven't released the full 50-question multiple-choice exam. But they have provided a five-question sample focused on civics basics, with questions about the Constitution, Congress, and religious freedom. One question asks for the first three words of the Constitution, while another highlights why freedom of religion is central to America's identity. The rest cover the two chambers of Congress, the number of U.S. senators, and why some states have more representatives than others. PragerU CEO Marissa Streit told CNN that the Oklahoma superintendent had asked for a test 'that is more wholesome and in line with the Oklahoma parent body.' Alongside those civics questions, Walters has signaled a push into more-contentious territory, saying the test will also cover 'biological differences between males and females.' For example, one sample obtained by The New York Post asks applicants which chromosome pairs determine biological sex. Streit defended the inclusion of such material, also telling CNN that the goal of those questions is to 'undo the damage of gender ideology.' Still, state officials caution that the exam remains a work in progress. Oklahoma State Rep. Gabe Woolley stressed that the exam isn't finished yet, so it's too early to know exactly what it will look like. 'This assessment is not complete,' he tells Katie Couric Media. 'Once it is, I hope the legislature can review the full exam, have conversations with people about it, and then we would go from there.' At the same time, Woolley signaled support for the effort, pointing out that Oklahoma is a deeply conservative state — Trump carried all 77 counties in 2024. 'The questions that I've seen for this assessment so far align with those principles and those values of Oklahoma that we're trying to maintain,' he says. But education advocates warn that even a test centered on civics could backfire. 'Oklahoma already has classrooms going unfilled by qualified teachers, and teacher quality is one of the strongest predictors of student success,' says Ellsworth. 'This test risks turning away strong candidates over a single missed question, even though it's unclear how answers will be judged.' Is this test part of a broader push toward conservatism in schools? Oklahoma's ties to PragerU go beyond the new teacher exam — the state has also approved its videos for classroom use. And the Sooner State is not alone: Louisiana, Florida, New Hampshire, Montana, and Arizona were among the first to partner with PragerU, with South Carolina and Idaho joining more recently. The materials have drawn criticism for factual inaccuracies — from promoting climate change denial and anti-LGBTQ content to downplaying slavery. For instance, one animated lesson shows abolitionist Frederick Douglass agreeing that the Founding Fathers were right to 'compromise' over slavery — a portrayal historians say distorts his legacy, since Douglass consistently condemned both the institution and the concessions that sustained it. Supporters, however, describe the videos as a conservative counter-narrative to what they see as liberal dominance in schools. Laura Meckler, a national education writer for The Washington Post, noted that The New York Times' 1619 Project — published on the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans arriving in America — framed slavery as central to the nation's story and became a flashpoint for the right. 'A lot of conservatives objected to that — to the idea of framing American history in such a negative way,' Meckler told Vox. Still, educators and historians have criticized PragerU's videos for presenting ideology as fact, warning they risk misleading students. 'This is completely detrimental to our children's education,' Nelson says, adding that it sets them up to misunderstand history and the diverse world they're living in. Nelson, now running for Congress in Oklahoma's 5th District, says parents she's spoken with aren't on board with the conservative shift in schools. 'They're absolutely appalled,' she tells us. 'They want stronger investments in public education, more affordable higher education, and they're deeply worried about the kind of education kids in this state are getting.' Woolley, a former teacher in the state, emphasizes that the PragerU videos are optional rather than mandatory, so their use has been uneven and limited. Still, he says he used them in his own classroom, arguing they felt safer than YouTube or other platforms, where his students once stumbled across a Victoria's Secret bikini ad. As for criticism that the videos push an ideology, Woolley, a conservative himself, sees them as presenting 'facts and information.' At the same time, PragerU's influence is stretching well beyond state lines. With the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) shutting down after decades of supporting public media, PBS and other outlets face an uncertain future — leaving room for groups like PragerU to expand their reach. Just months before CPB's closure, the Trump administration tapped PragerU for its Founders Museum exhibit, which features A.I.-generated Founding Fathers delivering patriotic histories of the American Revolution. In one, an A.I. John Adams channels conservative pundit Ben Shapiro, stating, 'Facts do not care about our feelings.' Supporters argue that's the point: PragerU is filling a vacuum left by public institutions they believe abandoned traditional values. Critics counter that the expansion only deepens the risk of students receiving ideology instead of education. Whether through certification requirements or classroom videos, the fight in Oklahoma underscores a fiery national debate: In American schools, who gets to define our values? The post Oklahoma's New Teacher Test Isn't About Skills — It's About Politics appeared first on Katie Couric Media. Solve the daily Crossword
