August 18

636: The Battle of
Yarmuk which led to the Arabs taking control of Syria and Palestine away from
the Byzantine Empire continued for a fourth day.

1201: Founding of Riga,
capital of modern-day Latvia. The first Jews appeared in Riga three ce…

Good evening, and welcome to #ourCOG Daily Brief for August 17, 2026. In U.S. news today, the nation faces a critical challenge as restocking missile interceptors is projected to take years, a situation closely observed by global powers like China and Russia. The government is also actively searching for migrant children who arrived without guardians […]