#ourCOG Daily Brief [November 3, 2025]

Good evening, and welcome to #ourCOG Daily Brief for November 3, 2025.

In today’s top stories, Zohran Mamdani is favored to win New York’s mayoral race, though the hard work of implementing big changes will begin after Election Day, potentially without an outright majority. In New Jersey, the closely contested governor’s race is heating up, with the Trump administration’s stalled funding for the massive Gateway tunnel project becoming a significant issue. Meanwhile, the ongoing government shutdown might soon test public patience, with rising disruptions expected from airports to national parks and essential programs like SNAP. Internationally, the U.S. is flexing its military power, deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford to the Caribbean, a move that suggests more than just counternarcotics operations in Venezuela. Back in Chicago, “Operation Midway Blitz,” an aggressive federal immigration enforcement campaign, especially a major apartment raid in the historically Black South Shore, has sparked both empathy and lingering resentment over city support for migrants. On the world stage, Israel is grappling with the notion of an international force in Gaza to preserve a fragile ceasefire, a significant shift for a nation that has long prided itself on “going it alone.” Along the coast of Senegal, rising sea levels are sweeping homes into the sea, leaving communities and the government scrambling to cope. And in a heartening conservation effort, a Libyan biologist, Sara Almabruk, is collaborating with fishing communities to protect the Mediterranean angel sharks, vital indicators of a healthy ecosystem.

Turning to our video lineup, we feature a call to spiritual revival with “Called to Spiritual Revival and Victory #shorts,” a deep dive into “The Power of Your Choices and Prayers” with Jentezen Franklin, and a fascinating look at a “1973 Warning from a CIA Agent – Now Happening!” by Perry Stone.

In Faith News, we’re following the ‘Lone Soldier Program’ as it looks to welcome one of the Israeli hostages, a new book examining generational shifts in leadership and discipleship, VPN.com honoring TPUSA Founder Charlie Kirk, and Intercultural Ministries hosting their ‘Seat at the Table’ Conference.

On the prophecy front, tensions in the Middle East remain high as Israel’s Defense Minister Katz warns that “Hezbollah plays with fire and Lebanon’s president is dragging his feet,” following a series of IDF targeted eliminations of terror leaders. In the United Kingdom, Christian leaders are fighting back against government policies they say threaten biblical truth and the nation’s Christian foundation, specifically a proposed ban on “conversion therapy.” Meanwhile, concerns are growing over an “ideological virus” infecting young Evangelicals, where anti-Zionism is being equated with being anti-Christ, suggesting a dangerous shift in perspective. Finally, a group of U.S. lawmakers and pro-Israel activists recently toured Israel’s biblical heartland, visiting sites in Judea and Samaria.

And finally, in Jewish history, looking back to November 4th, 1053, we learn of Infanta D. Fronilda purchasing a vineyard from the Jew Joseph b. Joab Escapat for 50 dineros. Then, in 1310, King Jaime II issued a royal decree exempting Judah Bonseynor, who served as Notary General of Aragon, from all taxes, ensuring he and his children would not be bothered by unpaid dues and had free movement within the “Juderia.”