| Kensington Review |
13 November 2025 |
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Cogito Ergo Non Serviam |
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Latest Commentary: Epstein Files Vote in House Next Week -- The sad case of Jeffrey Epstein and his trafficking of children for sexual purposes is the neverending scandal of the Trump years. As the government shutdown came to an end, Adelita Grajalva finally got sworn in as a Democratic representative from Arizona. Hers was the last signature needed on the discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the entirety of the Epstein Files, the vast amount of evidence held by the Justice Department. In addition, the Epstein estate handed to Congress more evidence that it had, and much of that has made it into the media. It does not look good for President Trump. [13 November] UK Stops Caribbean Intel Sharing with US -- The US and the UK have been joined at the hip in matters of intelligence since at least the 1940s and perhaps back farther than that. Sharing of intel is part of the Western defense system. Not only do the UK and US share intelligence, but they had added Canada, Australia and New Zealand to the mix to create the "Five Eyes" group. By helping one another, resources go a lot farther than if there were no cooperation. Today, CNN is reporting that the UK has stopped giving the US intel on Caribbean drug boats because the America policy of blowing them out of the water without even a warrant violates international law. When the UK ceases to trust the US on intelligence matters, No Eyes seems to be the future. [11 November] Senate Votes to Reopen Government, House Next -- The US government ran out of money 6 weeks ago. In any other democracy, a government that cannot pass a budget must resign. The weakness of the US Constitution is that the politicians who cannot agree on what to fund get to say in office. So, after more than a month of inaction, eight US Senators from the Democratic side (Angus King of Maine is an independent but he caucuses with the Democrats) voted with the Republicans to fund the government. For their votes, they got a promise of a vote on healthcare subsidies. Now, the deal goes to the House where it may well pass. So who won the shut-down? It was not the decisive encounter most believe. [11 November] US Establishing Base in Syria -- During the regime of the al-Assad family, Syria was a Soviet/Russian satellite. Today, the Russians have Hmeimim airbase near Latakia and the Tartus naval base on the Mediterranean coast. A third base is located at Qamishli airport in the northeast. Despite the fall of the Assad government, Russia continues to hold these bases and is reportedly seeking to formalize its presence with the new Syrian leadership. So, it was a bit of a shock to learn that the USA was talking to Damascus about setting up an American base to support a potential Israeli-Syrian security arrangement. This shows the re-alignment in the region is significant and real. It also creates a new theatre of friction between the US and Russia. [7 November] FAA Orders 10% Reduction in US Flights -- The first few days of any government shut down are almost exactly the same as the few days before it. Only when a couple of weeks have passed do things get serious. Once federal employees miss a paycheck, the country starts to pay attention. Air traffic controlers have one of the most important and stressful jobs in the world, and they have not been paid in a month. Many are calling in sick rather than work without pay, and some are taking other jobs to make ends meet. Yesterday, the Secretary of Transportation and the FAA announced a 10% reduction in the number of flights allowed in and out of the 40 busiest airports in the country. As people travel for Thanksgiving, this is going to bite hard. [6 November] © Copyright 2025 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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23 Years Online Volume XXIII, Number 172
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