Well, howdy there, internet people, it's Bell again. And welcome to the Roads with Bell.

Today is November 16th, 2025. And this is episode 117 of The Roads Not Taken, which is a weekly

series where we go over the news that was unreported, underreported,

didn't get the coverage we thought it deserved, or we just found it interesting.

And then we go through a few questions from y'all.

Today is November 16th, and today is National Party with Your Bear Day.

That's referencing teddy bears. This does not apply in Japan. And today is National Party with Your Bear Day.

That's referencing teddy bears.

This does not apply in Japan.

And on this date in 1959,

the sound of music opened on Broadway.

And starting with foreign policy.

Maduro is warning Trump against starting another forever war in Venezuela.

Only 29% of Americans support Trump strikes on boats the government says are drug boats.

Troops are also questioning the orders and seeking legal opinions from outside groups.

Germany is boosting troop numbers, and they currently plan on doing this via a voluntary system.

But if that fails, conscription seems to still be on the table with some factions of the government.

Iran has seized a boat moving through the Straits of Hormuz.

A corruption scandal is rocking Ukraine, and multiple high-ranking officials are submitting

their resignations.

Trump's Gaza plan requires an international stabilization force, and that force seems to be running into resistance from, well, pretty much everybody he was counting on supporting it.

Two veto holding members of the Security Council currently seem opposed.

...