#ourCOG Daily Brief [October 31, 2025]

Good evening, and welcome to #ourCOG Daily Brief for October 31, 2025.

In today’s headlines, the U.S. is escalating its military presence in the Caribbean with the USS Gerald R. Ford’s deployment, potentially signaling more than just counternarcotics operations. Domestically, Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood has seen a federal immigration enforcement campaign, “Operation Midway Blitz,” sparking mixed reactions from residents. California is proactively putting a congressional redistricting plan on the ballot to counter Texas’ efforts to gain Republican seats. In New York, Zohran Mamdani’s campaign, focusing on the high cost of living, is highlighting a shift for democratic socialists and could influence the Democratic Party. Internationally, NATO nations are preparing to play offense against rising cyberattacks from China and Russia, while France has updated its rape laws to include consent, largely thanks to Gisèle Pelicot. Ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, there are growing calls for an overhaul of the annual climate conference. And in sports, the World Series offers Toronto Blue Jays fans and Canada a symbolic opportunity, especially after a year of U.S.-Canadian diplomatic tensions.

Turning to our video segment, we’ve had a look at “Proximity to God,” an “Update on Jamaica” with “Communication is DOWN” in a recent short, and a powerful message titled “2 Powerful VISIONS – What The Lord Told Me To Reveal” from Episode 1308 with Perry Stone.

From our FaithNews RSS feed, we’ve learned about the ‘Lone Soldier Program’ seeking to welcome one of the hostages through the Ministry to Israel, a new book examining the generational shift in leadership and discipleship, VPN.com honoring TPUSA Founder Charlie Kirk, and Intercultural Ministries hosting their ‘Seat at the Table’ Conference.

In prophecy news, a group of U.S. lawmakers and pro-Israel activists recently toured the biblical heartland of Israel, visiting significant sites in Judea and Samaria. Meanwhile, there’s a major play for the Middle East’s future as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey seek closer ties, with Iran actively reaching out to Ankara. We also saw a curious new Gaza ceasefire with 20 conditions, though the key ones remain the return of Israeli hostages and the disarmament of Hamas. Lastly, panic erupted in Tehran after one of Iran’s largest private financial institutions, Ayandeh Bank, declared bankruptcy.

Finally, in Jewish history, looking back at November 1st, we remember some challenging times. In 1179, Philip II was crowned King of France and would soon order the arrest of all Jews in his realm based on false charges of ritual murder. Just two years later, he confiscated their property and banished them from his kingdom, forcing them to seek refuge in Champagne. Then, in 1210, King John, Richard the Lionhearted’s brother, began imprisoning England’s Jews. As conditions worsened and many tried to flee, King John, unwilling to lose an exploitable economic commodity, simply jailed them. By the end of that century, English monarchs would have stripped the Jewish community of nearly everything.