#ourCOG Daily Brief [May 22, 2026]

Good evening, and welcome to #ourCOG Daily Brief for May 22, 2026.

In today’s top stories, we’re seeing some interesting shifts in the U.S. political landscape. Within the Republican party, some in Congress are pushing back against President Trump on issues like a new settlement fund, potentially complicating the path forward for the administration’s priorities. There’s also a clear generational divide emerging among conservatives regarding U.S. aid to Israel and Jewish political influence, even as the GOP officially remains staunchly pro-Israel. Critics, meanwhile, are voicing concerns that the “anti-weaponization fund,” resulting from a unique settlement in a case where the President sued his own government, could be ripe for abuse. On the Democratic side, support for Israel is dramatically eroding, a trend that could lead to significant policy changes if the party gains control of Congress. And in a surprising turn, Iran has proven itself a savvy propaganda player with its viral “Lego” videos, catching the U.S. off guard. Internationally, an unlikely friendship is blossoming between Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, potentially heralding a new era of cooperation despite historical tensions. President Lee also faces a pressing domestic issue, calling Seoul’s soaring property prices an existential threat to South Korea’s future. And in Gaza City, the Phoenix Library, opened just last month, is working to rebuild a culture of reading by salvaging books from two years of conflict and destruction.

For those interested in recent video content, we’ve had a few updates, including “The Return of Jesus Series: Jesus is Returning Soon” from Jentezen Franklin, “Christian, Islamic and Jewish Prophecies That Are MERGING | Episode 1337” with Perry Stone, and “This Week On Jentezen Franklin TV #prayer.”

Unfortunately, we have no recent faith-based news updates to report from our FaithNews RSS feed at this time.

Turning to prophecy news, Czech President Petr Pavel recently addressed the GLOBSEC Forum, emphasizing that supporting Ukraine is not charity, but a strategic investment in Europe’s defense. Separately, an Israeli tech company is moving forward with plans to dim the sun by releasing microscopic particles into the atmosphere, a development that some are linking to ancient prophecies from Joel. Meanwhile, President Trump’s public reading of God’s promise to King Solomon while visiting Jerusalem has been interpreted by some as touching on biblical themes connecting the fate of nations to the holy city. And in a concerning development, Russia and Belarus have conducted joint nuclear weapons drills, with Russia having deployed nuclear-capable missiles to Belarus and bringing the country under its nuclear umbrella.

Finally, in Jewish history, looking back to May 23rd, 142 BCE, Simon the Hasmonean successfully drove the Syrians and their allies out of their last stronghold in Jerusalem. Then, in 1059, Philip I was crowned King of France. Interestingly, his reign overlapped with the life of the renowned Jewish scholar Rashi. While Philip was undoubtedly more powerful in his day, it’s fascinating to consider how many more people study Rashi’s commentaries today than King Philip’s rule. It’s also worth noting that Philip was excommunicated by Pope Urban II, preventing him from participating in the First Crusade, which may have, to some extent, spared the Jews of France the same horrific suffering endured by their Germanic co-religionists during that tumultuous period.