Well, howdy there internet people? It's Bell again and welcome to The Roads with Bell.

Today is August 18th, 2024 and this is episode 52 of The Roads Not Taken, which is a weekly series where

we go over news that was unreported,

underreported, didn't get the coverage we felt that it should, or we just found

it interesting. This is also one year of the roads not taken.

And at the end, we'll go over a few questions from y'all.

We're going to start with foreign policy.

Iraq has postponed plans for U.S. withdrawal amid recent tensions.

Remember, they started pushing heavily after Trump damaged relations with the country.

There are early indications that Germany may stop approving new funding to Ukraine.

There's also a suggestion that new funding wouldn't come out of Germany's budget,

but instead out of Russian frozen assets.

A U.S. official is saying mediators from multiple countries

are preparing for the implementation of a ceasefire in Gaza.

That's interesting because based on publicly disclosed

information they don't at time of recording have a deal to implement.

Footage circulated online of a Russian Hokum B helicopter firing on a column in the

kursk area. The footage appears to indicate they fired on a Russian column.

Russia is also adding to border defenses.

So at minimum, the Ukrainian advance

was successful in diverting resources.

The Belarusian president, a Putin ally, called for Ukraine and Russia to sit down at the negotiating

...