#ourCOG Daily Brief [October 14, 2025]

Good evening, and welcome to #ourCOG Daily Brief for October 14, 2025.

Today, in U.S. news, the government shutdown continues to dominate headlines. While President Trump announced that funds have been identified to pay U.S. troops on October 15, preventing them from missing a paycheck, military families are still experiencing significant stress due to the uncertainty. Meanwhile, other federal employees are set to miss their paychecks, with mass layoffs already beginning in an attempt to pressure Democratic lawmakers. This latest blow comes after a tough year of previous cuts for federal workers. On the international front, a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal have cleared a significant hurdle for the Trump administration, though much hard work remains to achieve lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Turning to world news, Estonia’s women are volunteering for national defense, eyeing the threat Russia poses. Tanzania’s upcoming election sees the current president running virtually unopposed, a sign of rising authoritarianism in East Africa. And the “euphoric homecomings” of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners have offered a glimpse into the complex challenges still ahead for Donald Trump’s ambitious Gaza peace plan.

We also want to highlight some of our recent multimedia offerings. Our latest videos include “Chapel | Phil Cook | October 14, 2025,” “Praise and Worship – October 12, 2025,” and “A Breakthrough Church.”

From the FaithNews RSS feed, we’ve seen several notable stories: “Ministry to Israel ‘Lone Soldier Program’ to Welcome One of the Hostages,” “New Book Examines Generational Shift in Leadership and Discipleship,” “VPN.com Honors TPUSA Founder Charlie Kirk,” and “Intercultural Ministries Hosts ‘Seat at the Table’ Conference.”

In prophecy news, October 14, 2025, marks President Trump’s announcement of the second phase in the Gaza peace plan, stating that “more money and power are behind us than anyone has seen before,” with Egypt’s President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi co-hosting the meeting. This follows yesterday’s news of Trump thanking the ‘God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob’ in a Knesset speech, as all living hostages returned to Israel after 738 days. Recent discussions have also highlighted that 54% of U.S. adults believe religion should not influence political decisions, alongside ongoing debates about controlling language to frame societal issues.

Finally, let’s look at Jewish history. This day, October 15, historically marks a few significant events. In 586 BCE, King Zedekiah, the last king of Judea, was tragically blinded and taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar after trying to flee Jerusalem. Fast forward to 412 CE, Theophilius passed away, paving the way for Cyril, an anti-Semite who had incited violence against Jews, to become Patriarch of Alexandria. And in 912 CE, Abdullah ibn Muhammad, Emir of Córdoba, passed away, just as Cordoba was on the cusp of becoming a major center for Jewish culture and scholarship.