Morning Brief: Warren Backs Mamdani, Texas Redistricting Standoff, Oklahoma’s ‘America First’ Test

Senator Elizabeth Warren embraces a Democratic socialist mayoral candidate in New York, highlighting a growing rift between the Democratic Party’s far-left and establishment wings. The standoff over Texas redistricting continues as blue state governors like Gavin Newsom threaten to gerrymander their own maps in retaliation. Oklahoma will require teachers from blue states to pass an “America First” test to screen out woke ideology before they can teach in the state’s classrooms.

It’s Wednesday, August 6, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.

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Warren Embraces Socialist, Deepening Democrat Divide

Topline: Senator Elizabeth Warren has endorsed self-described Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race, signaling her support for a sharp leftward turn that many in the Democratic party establishment fear will alienate moderate voters ahead of the 2026 midterms.

While senior Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) have remained silent on Mamdani’s candidacy, Warren has come out in strong support of his most controversial policies, including rent control, government-run grocery stores, and massive tax hikes on high earners.

“When someone stands up and says, I will lead this city by making it more affordable… that is the democratic message,” Warren said on the campaign trail. Her stance has drawn criticism, with Obama’s Treasury Secretary Jack Lew warning that Mamdani’s proposed tax hikes will drive businesses out of New York.

The divide highlights a larger struggle within the party. Younger, far-left figures like Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett are gaining prominence with extreme rhetoric, such as calling Donald Trump a “piece of s***” and claiming the Supreme Court is “complicit” in his actions. Mamdani has also courted controversy by refusing to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada,” claiming it reflects a “desperate desire for equality.” This embrace of the far-left comes as the Democratic Party’s popularity has hit a record low, with a recent Wall Street Journal poll finding that many voters view the party as too extreme.

Texas Redistricting Standoff Continues

Topline: The political standoff in Texas continues as Democratic lawmakers remain out of state to block a Republican redistricting plan, while blue state governors are now threatening to gerrymander their own maps in retaliation.

The Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas to break quorum remain in a stalemate with Republicans, who are exploring legal options to compel their return. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said his office is considering trying to have the lawmakers arrested or even removed from office. The lawmakers face a $500-a-day fine for breaking quorum, a measure instituted after a similar walkout in 2021. Paxton defended the need for redistricting, citing the state’s massive population growth of several million people over the last five years.

The fight has escalated to the national level, with Democratic governors threatening to retaliate. California Governor Gavin Newsom promised to “fight fire with fire,” saying any gains Republicans make in Texas “will be neutered in the state of California.” Meanwhile, some Democrats in Texas have resorted to extreme rhetoric, with state congresswoman Jolanda Jones comparing the redistricting effort to the Holocaust.

Oklahoma to Require ‘America First’ Test for Teachers

Topline: Oklahoma will now require teachers moving from liberal states to pass an “America First” test to ensure they do not bring woke ideology into the state’s classrooms.

Starting this school year, teachers who move to Oklahoma from blue states like California, Maine, and New York will be required to pass a test to prove they align with Oklahoma’s curriculum standards. Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ryan Walters, told Morning Wire the test was created in response to “the insanity coming outta California,” such as requirements to teach “27 genders.” “We are absolutely not going to take social justice Warrior, woke indoctrinated into our classrooms,” Walters said.

The pass/fail written test is being developed with PragerU, an organization also in partnership with The Daily Wire. According to Walters, it will cover “the biological differences between men and women” as well as an “understanding of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence… [and] American exceptionalism.”

The move is part of Walters’ broader effort to bring “free market principles to the classroom.” He noted that Oklahoma is actively recruiting the top 10% of teachers in the country and has implemented a merit pay system, with over 1,000 teachers now on track to make $100,000 a year for achieving “exceptional results.”