#ourCOG Daily Brief [December 25, 2025]

Good evening, and welcome to #ourCOG Daily Brief for December 25, 2025.

In today’s top stories, the Trump administration has escalated tensions with Venezuela, instituting a “blockade” against oil tankers that signals U.S. goals extend beyond narcotics to include pressure on the Maduro regime. Domestically, discussions are already heating up for the 2028 presidential election, with Turning Point USA endorsing Vice President JD Vance, though President Trump’s occasional musings about a third term complicate the field. A significant development for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, numbering over 55,000 members, as they’ve finally earned federal recognition after decades of effort, fulfilling a campaign promise by President Trump and opening new government benefits. Law enforcement recently thwarted a New Year’s Eve terror plot in the Los Angeles area, with experts noting that politically-motivated violence often stems from a “mishmash” of beliefs rather than a “pure ideology.” Meanwhile, some lawful permanent residents seeking citizenship are finding their naturalization ceremonies canceled as the Trump administration reviews applicants from 19 countries identified as high-security risks. Shifting to global news, our Arab world correspondent, Taylor Luck, reports signs of hope, healing, and restored hope across the Middle East, even amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the evolving situation in Syria. In Ukraine, despite the pervasive concern over corruption, there’s encouragement as the country’s anti-corruption apparatus has proven strong enough to pursue even powerful figures. And offering a unique form of refuge near Ukraine’s front line, an “Aquarium of Amazing Fishes” in Kramatorsk provides a welcome escape for children and soldiers alike, allowing them to dream of worlds beyond their war-torn city.

Turning our attention to recent video content, we’ve been sharing uplifting messages including “Merry Christmas,” encouraging viewers to “Make Every Room You Enter Feel Different #shorts #hope #christmas,” and inspiring others to “Share the Good News #shorts #christian #jesus.”

On the faith front, we currently have no recent faith-based news updates to report.

In the latest prophecy news, we’re monitoring ongoing tensions as Iran opens a new front in its long-standing conflict with the United States. Closer to home, a second atmospheric river is currently flooding California with a “firehose of rain” into Christmas, bringing a significant risk of flooding, washouts, and mudslides. In a five-year retrospective, Georgia election officials have admitted that 315,000 votes in the 2020 presidential election lacked necessary signatures, validating earlier claims about election irregularities. And regarding the conflict in Ukraine, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff called recent talks in Miami “productive,” as President Trump pushes for a swift resolution, even as Russia seeks to retain seized Ukrainian territory.

Finally, looking back at “This Day in Jewish History” on December 25th, records show it as the earliest possible date for the celebration of Christmas. In the year 496, the baptism of Clovis I, the Frankish ruler, occurred, yet his adoption of Catholicism had little immediate impact on his Jewish subjects, who generally mingled freely. Later, in 800, Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor; notably, he often ignored papal edicts concerning Jews, allowing them to participate in the economic and social life of the Empire within the limits of medieval society.