#ourCOG Daily Brief [January 20, 2026]

Good evening, and welcome to #ourCOG Daily Brief for January 20, 2026.

Today’s top stories are dominated by the evolving landscape of U.S. foreign policy. President Trump is reportedly taking his boundary-pushing to the world stage, showing a new willingness to invade or attack countries and running roughshod over long-standing international agreements, with his focus on Greenland shaking NATO. This comes as his administration continues to battle universities over alleged antisemitism and DEI policies, leading to federal funding freezes for some, while organizations that honor civil servants are adjusting to staff cuts and criticism. Meanwhile, a tragic high-speed rail crash in Spain has killed at least 40 people, rocking a nation known for its advanced rail transport. Internationally, Europe is grappling with how to dissuade President Trump from acquiring Greenland, aware that their tools are strong but potentially self-damaging. On a positive note, five Central Asian nations, facing shrinking glaciers, have found a way to share their vital water wealth. However, in Ukraine, while investigations into hundreds of thousands of Russian war crimes and crimes against humanity continue, there’s a growing sense of impunity in the international arena.

In our video section, we have three recent titles: “How Jesus Transforms Your Anger Into Love #Faith #Jesus #Spirituality,” “Praise and Worship – January 18, 2026,” and “Chapel | Gloria Scott-Richmond | January 20, 2026.”

From our FaithNews RSS feed, four recent titles include: “General Assembly Website Launches: GA26.org,” “Infinity Concepts Acquires InChrist Communications,” “Prison Fellowship International Graduates One Millionth Prisoner,” and “Smith Honored with Spirit of Azusa Award.”

Shifting to prophecy news, NASA’s Artemis II Moon Rocket and Orion spacecraft, set to carry four astronauts around the Moon, are now on their way to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. Meanwhile, President Trump is making headlines for allegedly outlining a globalist plan to merge the U.S., Canada, and Mexico into a North American Union, reportedly throwing in Greenland and Panama for good measure. This past week also saw the CIA director meeting with Venezuela’s interim President in Caracas, concurrent with President Trump’s meeting with an opposition leader, and the nascent Sanhedrin issued declarations addressing Iran and Syria, invoking Cyrus and biblical covenants.

Finally, in Jewish history, this day, January 21st, recalls events spanning centuries. In 763, the Abbasids defeated the Alids at the Battle of Bakhamra, solidifying their caliphate for 500 years and controlling vast Jewish communities outside Europe. This era saw the rise of Baghdad and a significant shift of power within the Jewish world to this new Muslim center. Later, in 1188, England’s Henry II and France’s Philip II set aside their differences to “take up the cross,” imposing a “Saladin Tax”—one-tenth of earnings—which crusaders could avoid, a measure that had specific implications for the Jewish community.