#ourCOG Daily Brief [December 29, 2025]

Good evening, and welcome to #ourCOG Daily Brief for December 29, 2025.

In today’s top stories, President Donald Trump claims a Ukraine-Russia peace deal is “closer than ever,” even as Russia continues its attacks and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visits the U.S. Domestically, journalist Ira Porter found his favorite assignment this year covering the influence of studying abroad on Black men in Japan, amidst broader U.S. college funding debates. Trump has also escalated the Venezuela standoff with a “blockade” against oil tankers, aiming to pressure the Maduro regime beyond narcotics concerns. Looking ahead, Turning Point USA has endorsed Vice President JD Vance for the 2028 presidential election, though President Trump has occasionally hinted at a potential third term. We also saw a historic moment as the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina earned federal recognition after decades of effort, a move that opens more government benefits and fulfills a Trump campaign promise. On the global stage, China demonstrated its innovation prowess in 2025, showing optimism and resilience despite U.S. sanctions, though questions remain about some workers being left behind. And across the Middle East, our correspondent Taylor Luck is finding cause for hope this season, observing a focus on home, healing, and restored hope, particularly following coverage of the war in Gaza and the evolving situation in Syria.

Turning our attention to recent video releases, we’ve seen titles like “Your Life Can Change in ONE Moment #shorts #transformation #jesus,” “Emptied From Vessel to Vessel – Rev. Rick Lairsey,” and “I Heard A Word From The Lord About This | Perry Stone.”

From the FaithNews RSS feed, the latest headlines include “Smith Honored with Spirit of Azusa Award,” “More Americans Embrace ‘Animal Gifting’ This Christmas,” “Foundation Announces Partnership to Support Military Families in Need,” and “Church of God Publications Releases 75th Anniversary Edition “Red Back Hymnal”.”

In prophecy news, Israel has begun deploying its new Iron Beam air-defense laser system, capable of shooting down drones and missiles. Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that European soldiers in Ukraine would be considered Russian targets. Earlier this week, Israel made headlines for recognizing Somaliland as a sovereign state and establishing diplomatic relations, a move described as being in the spirit of the Abraham Accords. There was also news of Christmas passing peacefully in the Middle East, though Israel reported killing a high-ranking Iranian terrorist in Lebanon. And looking ahead to 2026, astronomers are preparing for an amazing year of skywatching with numerous eclipses and occultations.

Finally, in Jewish history, looking back at December 30th, it marks a somber date: the birth of Roman Emperor Titus, who oversaw the destruction of the Second Temple. Fast forward to 987 AD, we remember the coronation of Robert II, who incited violence against Jews. And in 1066, Joseph ibn Nagrela, son of Samuel ibn Nagrela, was tragically murdered in Granada during a massacre, despite his efforts to ease tensions between the region’s Berber and Arab populations.