| Kensington Review |
30 July 2026 |
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Cogito Ergo Non Serviam |
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Latest Commentary: Blanche AG Confirmation Vote Delayed -- Todd Blanche is the acting Attorney-General of the US, and he was to have a Senate Judiciary Committee vote to send his nomination to the floor of the Senate this morning. That is not going to happen. The votes to confirm him are not there. The Republican Party has a majority in the US Senate, and therefore, they have a majority on the committee; that is how the Senate operates. There is no filibuster in committee, so all he needs to advance his case is a simple majority of the committee members voting. Senators Johyn Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) oppose the nomination without certain guarantees. So, until those are addressed, there is no vote scheduled. [30 July] US, Saudis Attack Iranian Proxies in Iraq -- The US-Iran-Israel-Gulf States War has taken its show on the road to Iraq. After holding their fire over the week-end, the two sides have gone back to shooting missiles and drones at one another. Last night, the Iraqi Popular Mobilzation Forces fired missiles at US bases; the PMF is a state security service that has been infiltrated by Iranian sympathizers. The US claims to have knocked down all the missiles fired, and joint US-Saudi forces attached the PMF, killing at least 20 of the proxies. This demonstrates two things that will affect the future course of the war. First, Iran started this barrage signaling they do not care about retaliation. Second, Saudi cannot stay neutral-ish as it has so far. [29 July] Ukraine Attacks Iranian Ship in Caspian Sea -- For years, Iran has aided Russia in the latter's war against Ukraine. Iran has provided missiles and drones to Moscow that have killed Ukrainian troops and civilians. Of late, Russia has provided Iran with very precise targeting information for the mullahs' fight against the US and its Gulf allies. Over the week-end, the two wars came together. Ukraine attacked an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea, five kilometers from where the Volga empties into the Caspian. The Iranians claim one dead and more wounded. Iran has called it a "criminal act." The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Iran had "no standing to pretend to be a victim" given all the weaponry it has given Russia. This could change both wars. [28 July] US Ammo Supplies Depleted -- The current suspension of the shooting in Iran is the result of neither side really having the stomach for escalation. For the last three nights, the skies in the region were free of missiles and drones. For the Iranians, there is no point is shooting unless shot at. Their strategy is to close the Strait of Hormuz, and now the Bab al-Mandab at the southern tip of the Red Sea, and wait for the economy of the US to seize up. For the US, the halt stems from the fact that there are no good military options, and it has run down its supply of weaponry. Using valuable ordnance when there is a decent strategic plan is one thing. Shooting when there is not one just wastes resources. And the US is at a point where ammunition is not quite as plentiful as one would like. [27 July] Open AI Agent Goes Rogue, Commits Felonies -- people. Yesterday, Open AI announced a new milestone in the creation of artificial intelligence and consciousness. One of its artificial intelligence models stole login credentials independently of human direction and used those to hack into another technology company's system. Had a human being done that, it would have been a felony in most jurisdictions. But because it was just an AI agent, the world is reacting as if this is just an amusing twist on the way to digital nirvana. In fact, it shows the need to change how this is developed.[22 July] © Copyright 2026 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 XXIV, Number 110
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