#ourCOG Daily Brief [October 1, 2025]

Good evening, and welcome to #ourCOG Daily Brief for October 1, 2025.

In U.S. news, a government shutdown is currently underway, with President Trump reportedly threatening mass layoffs of federal employees as part of partisan spending disputes, signaling a potentially longer-term impact. This comes as two recent deadly attacks have renewed concerns over whether disaffected or radicalized military veterans pose a unique threat to the country. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also made headlines, telling military leaders that the U.S. military is in ‘decay’ and must improve to prevent war, holding service members to the ‘highest male standard.’ Internationally, Russia’s repeated flights of drones and jets over NATO countries are prompting the alliance to review its defensive capabilities against Moscow. In Ukraine, more civilians near the front lines are being forced to flee Russia’s intensified bombing and drone-strike campaigns, which are described as scorched-earth tactics. Meanwhile, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro is attempting to make his resource-rich country greener, grappling with the messy trade-offs where fossil fuels remain key to the economy. And in Haiti, a former businessman is working to curb unrest by fostering dialogue with gang leaders, aiming to unite Haitians through conflict mediation.

Looking at our video section, recent titles include a ‘Special Guest Speaker | Bishop Kip A. Box | REBROADCAST,’ ‘The KEY to Relating with your KIDS,’ and ‘This Week On Jentezen Franklin TV #prayer’.

In news from our FaithNews RSS feed, headlines include the dedication of the International Offices Prayer Center, Upward Sports celebrating 30 years of ministry impact through sports, a group launching an AI Assistant for Women’s Health Centers, and Cook casting his inaugural vision for Lee University.

For the latest in prophecy news, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for all parties to commit to President Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, which is backed by Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, with Trump giving Hamas a deadline of ‘three or four days.’ This comes as Iran has condemned the reinstatement of UN sanctions over its nuclear program, following collapsed talks and strikes on its nuclear sites, even while President Trump expresses optimism about his Gaza plan, claiming ‘all are on board.’ Elsewhere, there’s discussion that Trump’s redistricting gambit could potentially defy history and save the House. And intriguing reports suggest former Prime Minister Tony Blair might be considered to run Gaza, with his plan reportedly having powerful backers including Gulf leaders, Jared Kushner, and President Trump’s blessing.

Finally, in Jewish history, October 2nd marks a couple of significant events. Way back in 825 BCE, King Solomon bid farewell to the Jewish people after the grand 14-day dedication ceremony for the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. This spiritual magnet for the nation took seven years to build and stood for 410 years. Then, in 322 BCE, the Greek philosopher Aristotle reportedly died of indigestion – a figure whose ideas would go on to both influence and, shall we say, ‘bedevil’ many Jewish philosophers and theologians throughout history.