#ourCOG Daily Brief [May 1, 2026]

Good evening, and welcome to #ourCOG Daily Brief for May 1, 2026.

In today’s top stories, U.S. lawmakers managed to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown just before their recess, though high gas prices continue to squeeze voters, deepening concerns for Republicans heading into the midterm elections. A new voting rights ruling is set to amp up redistricting contests across several states, particularly in the South, creating a scramble ahead of November deadlines. Meanwhile, immigrant advocates are challenging the Trump administration’s tightened legal migration pathways, filing a lawsuit in Boston following a decline in naturalizations. On a lighter note, a new kids’ TV show, “Wowsabout,” is set to introduce viewers to America’s national parks through the adventures of a piglet and a hedgehog. Globally, China is reportedly studying Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for potential lessons in uniting Taiwan with the mainland. A new U.S. indictment charging ten current and former Mexican officials with drug trafficking has put President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo in a political predicament, as she insists Mexico will conduct its own investigation. Finally, insights from Nepali fighters captured by Ukraine are providing valuable intelligence for militaries and offering updates for their families back home.

For our latest videos, we have “Born To Prepare A Pre-Apocalyptic Generation” with Perry Stone, “Unleashing the Power of 24 Hours” from Jentezen Franklin, and a special announcement for the International Praise Church Men’s Health Awareness event on June 5-6, 2026, at 5071 Percival Rd. in Elgin, South Carolina.

From the FaithNews RSS feed, we hear that hundreds recently attended the Smoky Mountain Gathering, while the ECFA applauded a House vote on the Clergy Act. The Executive Council has completed its April session, and the First Christian Startup School is now open.

Turning to prophecy news, President Trump made headlines by stating his administration will release “a lot of things” about UFOs to the American public, promising interesting revelations. In other news, David Morens, a senior COVID advisor to Anthony Fauci, has been charged with conspiracy against the United States, facing indictment for allegedly evading Freedom of Information Act requests related to COVID research grants. In a move sparking debate, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced an LGBT festival near the Dead Sea, in a territory traditionally associated with the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And concerning the Middle East, Iran has reportedly offered regional mediators a new proposal to halt its attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, seeking an end to the war and a lifting of U.S. sanctions, a deal which Senator Marco Rubio insists the U.S. “will not tolerate.”

Finally, in Jewish history, we look back at May 2nd. In the year 373, Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria, a notable opponent of Arianism and a polemicist against Judaism, passed away. Later, in 693, the Sixteenth Council of Toledo concluded, marking further, increasingly harsh steps in the suppression of Jews by the Christian Visigoths. Laws from this council transferred tax obligations from Jewish converts to those who had not converted and imposed strict conditions, like reciting creeds and eating non-kosher food, before converts were allowed to trade with Christians. Penalties were also enacted against Christians who engaged in business with unconverted Jews.