#ourCOG Daily Brief [October 29, 2025]

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

Today in U.S. news, California is taking steps to counteract Texas’s bid for more Republican House seats by putting its own redistricting plan on the November 4th ballot. Meanwhile, democratic socialists, led by Zohran Mamdani in New York, are finding their voice by shifting focus to the high cost of living, a move that could reshape the Democratic Party. On the international cybersecurity front, NATO nations are preparing to go on the offensive, coordinating counterattack plans in response to rising cyber threats from Russia and China. In a positive local story, Detroit is celebrating a remarkable drop in violent crime to historic lows, alongside rising property values and a slight population increase, largely attributed to strong community bonds. Finally, in California, Connie Bell faces daunting yet exhilarating choices as she rebuilds her future after losing her husband and then her Malibu home to the recent LA wildfires. Globally, a fragile ceasefire in Gaza is being tested by violations, highlighting the ongoing challenges for Hamas until a new Palestinian administration and security force can be established. South Korea continues to leverage K-pop as a significant cultural export, boosting its soft power, with the popular Netflix film “KPop Demon Hunters” being the latest example. And surprisingly, Iran has quietly backed the Gaza truce, with analysts suggesting Tehran is attempting to reframe its regional image, portraying Israel as the primary threat.

For our video content, we’ve recently featured “Don’t Underestimate Small Beginnings,” a “Strange Dream Involving Walmart” shared by Perry Stone, and a message titled “My Help.”

From our FaithNews RSS feed, we’re following stories including the ‘Lone Soldier Program’ by Ministry to Israel, which hopes to welcome one of the hostages, a new book examining the generational shift in leadership and discipleship, VPN.com’s honor of TPUSA Founder Charlie Kirk, and Intercultural Ministries hosting their ‘Seat at the Table’ Conference.

In prophecy news today, we’re closely watching the new Gaza ceasefire, which, despite its twenty conditions, hinges primarily on two critical points: the return of all Israeli hostages, both living and deceased, and the complete disarmament and removal of Hamas from Gaza. We also learned that Amazon has announced layoffs affecting 14,000 corporate workers. Further abroad, panic erupted in Tehran after one of Iran’s largest private financial institutions declared bankruptcy. And on the border, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem took aim at Minnesota Democrats, addressing the issue of undocumented immigrants accused of various crimes. Finally, in an emotional moment, Captain (Res.) Maxim Herkin returned to the IDF, addressing his fellow soldiers for the first time since his nearly two-year captivity by Hamas.

And finally, in Jewish history, looking back at October 30th, we note a fascinating astronomical event. According to scientists from Beersheba’s Ben Gurion University using NASA data, today marks the date in 1207 BCE of the eclipse described in the Book of Joshua, where God made the sun stand still, allowing the Israelites to defeat the Amorites. Additionally, in 1270, the Eighth Crusade met an ignominious end. Initiated by France’s anti-Semitic King Louis IX, who died in August, effective leadership fell to Charles, King of Naples. The crusaders only reached Tunis, where they agreed to lift their siege of the Arab capital in exchange for commercial advantages before heading home.