Another 2 Convictions in the Whitmer Kidnapping Case Overturned

Ken Silva
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Another 2 Convictions in the Whitmer Kidnapping Case Overturned

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) A state appeals court on Monday set aside convictions for two men involved in an FBI-manufactured plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.

As has been widely reported in both liberal and conservative media alike, the 2020 plot to kidnap Whitmer was highly driven by FBI informants and undercover agents. For instance, the FBI gave prepaid credit cards to the kidnap plot “ringleaders,” Adam Fox and Barry Croft (the two never used them). The FBI also created phony “III%er” militia groups around the country, and appointed Fox as the leader of the Michigan chapter.

Of the 12 men arrested, four took plea deals, five were eventually acquitted, and five were found guilty — two of them in federal court and three in state court.

But now, two of the state defendants, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar, have had their convictions overturned. Their co-defendant Joe Morrison also had his conviction tossed last month.

The convictions were overturned on technical grounds. The appeals court said kidnapping is not an underlying violent felony that can support a conviction under Michigan’s terrorism law.

Attorney General Dana Nessel called it “linguistic gymnastics” and said she would ask the Michigan Supreme Court to take up the cases.

Morrison, Musico and Bellar were not charged with having a direct role in the plot to kidnap Whitmer. Bellar had moved out of state weeks before the FBI made arrests in October 2020, and Morrison and Musico said they, too, were no longer in contact with key figures.

But they had been members of a group that earlier trained with the so-called leaders of the plot, Adam Fox and Barry Croft, who are serving 16- and 20-year sentences, respectively—both jailed at the supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.

While the convictions against Musico, Bellar, and Morrison have been overturned, they remain in jail as Michigan prosecutors signal they’ll retry the cases.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

Gold Is Technically Oversold With the Debasement Trade Alive and Well

Money Metals News Service
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Gold Is Technically Oversold With the Debasement Trade Alive and Well

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) When the price of gold peaked at $5,500 in January, it was technically overbought. Now the dynamics have flipped, with gold “massively” oversold.

“Oversold” is a technical term meaning that an asset has declined so rapidly or so far that momentum indicators indicate selling pressure may be exhausted, and a rebound is likely in the near future.

The 200-day moving average currently indicates an oversold market.

Gold tends to find support when the price falls to 90 percent of the 200-day moving average. We are currently well below that level, with the 200 DMA at around $4,559.

In an interview with Kitco News, Sprott managing partner and market strategist Paul Wong noted the 200-day moving average and said the charts look remarkably similar to previous pullbacks.

“The percentage below the 200-day moving average, that’s just a technical measure. Internally, I have five or six other measures that show minus two or minus three standard deviations oversold. I tend to think about things more in terms of probabilities: where are you on the distribution curve probabilities? Are you oversold? Give me a number. According to this measure, it’s minus two standard deviations. According to this measure, it’s minus two and a half, minus three, whatever. Add them all up, and what does it mean? It means that it’s harder and harder to push down the price of gold. That’s what the probability says.”

Wong emphasized that it’s not just one metric signaling an oversold gold market.

“I’ve built up all these indicators over the years, so I fire them all up, and if all of them are saying minus two standard deviations or lower, then chances are it’s oversold. It doesn’t mean it’s the low; it just means the bulk of the selling is probably done. And now you’re switching to look for an entry point, or if you’re a massive fund, you just start buying, and on down-dip days when it drops 1 percent or 2 percent on some news or whatever, you just buy a little bit more.”

However, that doesn’t mean gold will necessarily start to rally tomorrow. Most investors still have a bearish outlook, imagining that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates higher for longer to battle price inflation. With the conflict between the U.S. and Iran heating up again, we will likely see continued selling pressure. Wong said we need a catalyst for gold to break higher.

“What is it going to get to spark it back up? That’s the whole thing.”

Gold is also fighting against seasonal weakness, with the yearly low historically coming in August. Wong said that historic summertime bottom could be viewed as an entry point. Last year, gold hit a low of around $3,300 in late August, coinciding with Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole speech. From there, it rallied to around $4,500 in October.

Wong said he thinks we will see a similar price movement this year.

“Probably sometime in August, whether it’s Jackson Hole or something sooner, or something blows up in the Middle East, or the bond market goes bonkers. There’ll be some sort of event, a catalyst, that all of a sudden sparks gold up again.”

The Debasement Trade: Bonds Are the Battlefield

Wong emphasized that the debasement trade that drove gold to record highs remains in play despite gold’s recent correction and sideways trading. This is reflected in rising bond yields. Wong called it “a grumpy bond market,” and many analysts think we are in the early stages of a secular bond bear market.

“Anywhere in the world, bond markets are not happy,” Wong said.

And why would they be?

Governments keep borrowing money. At some point, debt levels rise too high, and investors stop lending as the risk grows. Wong noted that the U.S. national debt has grown by $3.8 trillion in the last year or so, a nearly 10 percent increase.

“Rates are rising. Your interest expense is now greater than your military. Those are deficit-busting numbers. You can see that there’s absolutely zero desire from any party in the U.S. to address debt.”

Wong pointed out that the debt problems aren’t limited to the United States. On top of that, there seems to be a “de-globalization” scheme that is exacerbating debt growth.

“That means duplication of everything. You’re reshoring everything; that’s duplication of supply chains. It’s duplication of demand for commodities across the board. You’re building inventories because nothing is safe anymore. After this Iran war, everyone’s going to be stockpiling energy. Storage is going to go up. You’re going to build more [nuclear plants], you’re going to build more solar, because those are renewables, and those are secure. Even metals, they’re going to be stockpiling more. Meanwhile, governments around the world are changing. They’re charging more, they’re taxing more, they have more export controls. Everything is going to go up in price.”

For the last couple of years, I’ve argued that the Federal Reserve is in a Catch-22. It needs to simultaneously keep rates higher to fight persistent inflation, and lower rates to stimulate and support the debt-riddled bubble economy. It can’t do both.

Wong recognizes this reality, saying there isn’t a whole lot the central bank can do in this environment.

“What can the Fed do? Not a lot. They can talk a lot. They can try and give confidence, which is what I think Warsh accomplished in June – which sank gold markets – he came out quite forcefully saying sustainable inflation is not going to happen.”

However, Wong emphasized the growing pressure in the bond market, saying that Warsh & Company will have to make a “clear choice” at some point in the not-too-distant future.

 “You’re going to have to give up something. Either you lose control of the bond market – but you can’t because you have to keep financing the debt – or you debase the currency. That’s the heart of the debasement trade. It’s still on, it’s still there, and the pressure’s still building.”

Wong said he’s not bullish on gold because he thinks gold is some kind of hot investment trend. He thinks gold is destined to continue climbing because governments have no choice but to continue debasing their currencies to ensure fiscal stability.

“Inflation is rising, your debt and deficits are rising, yields are going to go up. You’re moving closer and closer to the tipping point in terms of what the bond market will allow. You’re going to get a rebellion in the bond market, and you’ve got to keep the bond market happy. And [currency debasement] is your only release valve. Really, that’s the bottom line.”

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for Money Metals with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Tanzania Announces Significant Expansion of Its Gold Reserves

Money Metals News Service
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Tanzania Announces Significant Expansion of Its Gold Reserves

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) You can add Tanzania to the list of countries expanding their gold reserves.

According to a statement by Bank of Tanzania Governor Emmanuel Tutuba, the country has increased its gold holdings by 28 tonnes over the last 18 months. The newly acquired gold is valued at about $3.68 billion at the current price.

Tanzania currently holds around $6 billion in reserves, equal to around 4.3 months of imports.

Tanzania is one of several African countries buying gold from domestic sources. Under regulations imposed in June 2025, large-scale gold miners operating in Tanzania must sell at least 20 percent of their production locally, and exporters are required to sell 20 percent to the central bank.

According to Business Insider Africa, “The strategy has allowed Tanzania to increase its domestic mining sector while decreasing its reliance on international markets to create reserve assets.”

The country ranks as Africa’s third-largest gold producer, and accounts for about 1.3 percent of the annual global gold production.

Tanzania has also sought to reduce its dependence on the U.S. dollar. A directive issued in the summer of 2025 mandates that all transactions in the country must be advertised and conducted in Tanzanian shillings. The policy took effect on July 1.

Tutuba said the domestic gold-buying program has positive economic impacts that go beyond bolstering the country’s reserves, noting that mineral traders ​and small-scale miners have opened more than 4,000 new bank accounts at Zambian financial institutions.

The Tanzanian government doesn’t plan to just sit on its gold. In January, President Samia Suluhu Hassan directed the Tanzanian central bank to liquidate a portion of its gold reserves.

According to an analysis by the Tanzania Investment and Consultant Group (TICGL), liquidating 15 to 50 percent of the country’s gold reserves could unlock $260 to $650 million in immediate liquidity.

Central Banks Gobbling Up Gold

The growing role of gold in Tanzania’s reserve strategy reflects a global trend. According to a survey by the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF), gold “has moved to the center of reserve management strategy.”

This is evidenced by the fact that central banks have been expanding gold holdings at a rapid pace for the last several years.

Last year was the fourth-largest expansion of central bank gold reserves on record, at 863 tonnes. That was down 21 percent year-on-year, but still well above the 2010-2021 annual average of 473 tonnes.

The all-time high was set in 2022 (1,136 tonnes). It was the highest level of net purchases on record, dating back to 1950, including since the suspension of dollar convertibility into gold in 1971.

Last month, the European Central Bank confirmed that gold had overtaken U.S. Treasuries as the world’s top reserve asset.

According to an OMFIF report, this shift toward gold has been “driven by protection against geopolitical risk and growing doubts about the stability of the international monetary system.”

OMFIF head of research Andrea Correa said she thinks this trend will continue into the foreseeable future.

“Gold is not moving anywhere. Reserve managers of the central banks are still very bullish on gold. Despite the fact that the gold value itself keeps rising, they are still demanding it.”

According to the World Gold Council’s 2026 Central Bank Gold Reserves Survey, a record 45 percent of the 76 respondents indicated they expected their gold holdings to increase over the next year. Only 1 percent of the central bankers surveyed anticipate a decline in gold reserves over the next year.

Correa said gold is the one asset that everybody perceives as “safe” in the midst of increasing geopolitical shocks and growing uncertainty. Protection against geopolitical risk was cited by 51 percent of reserve managers as a reason to own gold, up 11 percentage points from 2024.

“That is not going to change in the short term,” Correa said.

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for Money Metals with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Graham Platner’s Replacement Just Wants to Go to the Bathroom

Luis Cornelio
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Graham Platner’s Replacement Just Wants to Go to the Bathroom

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) One of the Democratic candidates seeking to replace disgraced socialist Graham Platner cited an unusual motivation for the campaign: a desire to use the women’s restroom.

The candidate, self-identified transgender woman Ashley Webb, made the remarks on July 16, during the first debate after Platner exited Maine’s Senate race amid allegations of sexual abuse.

Webb gained viral attention after appearing visibly uncomfortable and stumbling over the remarks while alleging that the transgender community is being “dehumanized.”

“They say that we want to hurt people. I don’t want to hurt anybody,” Webb added. “I just want to use the bathroom. If they want me to use the men’s room I will, but I don’t want to be assaulted.”

On the Maine Democratic Party’s website, Webb does not explicitly outline specific policy proposals, instead using vague language on infrastructure and health care.

Webb pledged to continue showing up in “every town that federal infrastructure investments has bypassed for decades.”

“As an openly trans and intersex woman, I know what it means to be told to wait, to be quieter, to let someone else speak for you,” Webb wrote.

“I won’t do that in this campaign, and I won’t do it in the Senate. No Mainer – rural or urban, Democrat, Republican, or unenrolled – should have to fight this hard just to be heard by the people meant to represent them,” Webb continued.

Webb is one of roughly a dozen candidates scrambling to mount campaigns for the Democratic Senate nomination after Platner was forced out of the race on July 10.

He was set to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the November general election.

Platner was viewed as a darling of the left, with Democrats dismissing the growing scandals surrounding his campaign, including a Nazi-tied tattoo and disturbing Reddit posts about veterans and police.

Most recently, Platner faced accusations from at least one former girlfriend who alleged he sexually abused her over the course of their relationship.

Three other women said he was emotionally abusive. One of the women, Lyndsey Fifield, accused Platner of repeatedly removing condoms while they had sexual intercourse.

Democratic delegates will vote for the new nominee on July 25.

Did Sen. Graham Really Call Israel to Whip His Own Party’s Votes?

Jose Nino
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Did Sen. Graham Really Call Israel to Whip His Own Party’s Votes?

(José Niño, Headline USA) A viral Information Liberation post alleges Senator Lindsey Graham orchestrated a high-pressure floor campaign to secure foreign assistance. The post claims former ambassador Michael Herzog said Graham called him “from the Senate floor” and asked him to obtain Israeli government pressure on three Republican holdouts. According to the unverified account, Graham later called Herzog “very happy” and said “We made it!”

This anecdote surfaced following Graham’s sudden death at age 71 earlier this month. Israeli leaders mourned his passing. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him “a great friend of Israel and a cherished friend of mine” in a statement. President Isaac Herzog said he was “shocked and heartbroken” and described Graham as “a beacon of moral clarity” in an official tribute. Former ambassador Michael Oren told The Algemeiner that Israeli officials routinely called Graham to rally congressional support during periods of tension with Washington.

 The allegation fits the timeline of a difficult 2024 fight over national security funding. On February 7, the Senate rejected cloture by 49 to 50 on a border linked proposal. The chamber then moved forward without those provisions and passed its revised measure 70 to 29 on February 13.

The package then stalled in the House. The House passed its own version in April. A House committee release stated that its Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act totaled $26.38 billion, including support for missile defense, military replenishment, weapons procurement, and United States operations in the region. The Senate agreed to the House amendment 79 to 18 on April 23. President Biden signed the measure into law the next day.

Graham supported the final package. In a statement after the April vote, he called the passage “a great night for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, but for America.”

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

Con Inc. Influencer’s Prediction Market Payday is Drawing Federal Scrutiny

Jose Nino
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Con Inc. Influencer’s Prediction Market Payday is Drawing Federal Scrutiny

(José Niño, Headline USA) MAGA influencer Rogan O’Handley landed at the center of a widening Washington betting scandal this week after a viral Twitter post from Aaron Fritschner, deputy chief of staff to Representative Don Beyer, D-Va., spotlighted fresh reporting from The Wall Street Journal.

Fritschner wrote that “Congresswoman Ann Paulina Luna (R-FL) told people in the summer of 2024 that she tipped off Rogan O’Handley aka ‘DC Draino’ that Trump would pick Vance for VP so that he could make a winning bet on Polymarket, which he did.” 

O’Handley ranks among the most followed conservative voices online.

The WSJ traced the alleged tip to a summer 2024 lunch at the Stovall House, a members only social club in Tampa. A person who heard the conversation told the paper that Anna Paulina Luna said she already knew President Donald Trump would name JD Vance as his running mate. That same source said Luna claimed she passed the information to O’Handley, the commentator who built an enormous following as “DC Draino,” so he could turn it into a winning wager on the prediction platform Polymarket.

Luna even teased the influencer, the source recalled, for not putting more money on the line. 

O’Handley’s own comments deepen the intrigue. He separately told associates that he ran a mostly online campaign nudging Trump to consider Luna herself for the number two slot, according to a second person who heard him describe it to the Journal. Once Luna revealed that Vance would get the nod instead, O’Handley placed his winning Polymarket bet, that person said.

Both figures forcefully reject the story. Reached by the WSJ, O’Handley denied receiving, trading on or even discussing nonpublic details of Trump’s choice. “Any suggestion that I traded on confidential information or discussed doing so is inaccurate,” he said in a statement. Luna proved equally dismissive, telling the paper, “l am honored the WSJ thinks I am telepathic but unfortunately I am not,” while pledging to “continue to champion the fight against insider trading.”

The fallout now reaches past bruised reputations. A third person familiar with the matter told the WSJ that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is examining the allegation, though the outlet stressed that an investigation alone signals no wrongdoing. O’Handley said he knew nothing about any federal probe and again denied misconduct.

Luna has swung back hard. A spokesman said the congresswoman filed her own criminal complaint with the CFTC, arguing that someone knowingly submitted false reports to the agency.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

 

Congressional Staffers Don’t Need Background Checks; Bill Would Change That

Jose Nino
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Congressional Staffers Don’t Need Background Checks; Bill Would Change That

(José Niño, Headline USA) Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, (R-Fla.), set off a wave of concern this week when she posted on X on Saturday that classified records due out soon will implicate a former lawmaker in a foreign infiltration scheme. 

“Some seriously disturbing declassified files will be coming out in the coming weeks about a Former Member Of Congress placing interns in other offices that happen to be agents of foreign governments,” Luna wrote. “Representative Kat Cammack has legislation that would require background checks on staff and it should be brought to the floor immediately. Also, this is a massive security breach.”

Hours later, Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) amplified the warning and spotlighted a gap in Capitol security. 

“You read that right. There are NO background checks for Congressional staff. H.Res 500 would require background checks and full disclosure of dual citizenship and employment of foreign nations for staff. No surprise to anyone that we are being fought every step of the way. You can help us make sure all Capitol Hill staff get background checks by calling your Rep!” she wrote.

Cammack introduced H.Res. 500 in June 2025. The measure would re-write House rules so the U.S. Capitol Police run criminal background checks on every House employee within 30 days of hiring, and it would require staffers holding foreign citizenship to disclose that status publicly through the Clerk of the House. As Cammack’s office emphasizes, the House currently mandates no such vetting and no foreign disclosure whatsoever, leaving each office to set its own standards.

The resolution has attracted bipartisan co-sponsors, among them representatives Nicholas Begich (R-Alaska) and Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Democrat Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), yet it has languished in the House Rules Committee since its introduction with no floor vote scheduled. Cammack, whose office publicly demanded an immediate vote, contends that opponents are stalling on purpose, a frustration she captured when she said the effort has been “fought every step of the way.”

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

Ousted DHS Official Files Defamation Suit Against Ex Over ‘Sugar Baby’ Claims

Luis Cornelio
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Ousted DHS Official Files Defamation Suit Against Ex Over ‘Sugar Baby’ Claims

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A former Trump 2.0 official who was fired after claims that she was involved in a “sugar baby” relationship filed a defamation lawsuit on Monday against her ex-boyfriend, alleging he orchestrated the accusations

Julia Varvaro, who served as deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism in the second Trump administration, filed the 34-page lawsuit against Robert “Bob” Bianchi, alleging he fabricated claims about their relationship and leaked information to the media. Fox News was first to report on the lawsuit.

Varvaro explicitly accused Bianchi of orchestrating a false smear campaign that ultimately destroyed her career, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Varvaro gained viral attention after the Daily Mail published a story apparently relying largely on Bianchi’s account, which, among other things, portrayed their relationship as a “sugar daddy” or “prostitute” arrangement.

He claimed, first in a complaint with the DHS Office of Inspector General, that Varvaro posed a national security risk because she received financial support in exchange for the relationship.

DHS placed Varvaro, who holds a Ph.D., on administrative leave while it investigated the allegations but later fired her.

Her dismissal came even after Bianchi later effectively walked back the “sugar daddy” accusation in an interview with People Magazine.

Among the lawsuit’s most serious allegations is that Bianchi falsely claimed that Varvaro used “sugar daddies” to finance her education.

The lawsuit also accuses him of selectively leaking private text messages to create the impression that her relationship was financially motivated.

Varvaro’s attorneys argue Bianchi launched the campaign after she declined his marriage proposal.

“Instead of respecting Dr. Varvaro’s position, he engaged in a campaign to defame Dr. Varvaro and label her a prostitute,” the complaint states. “But that label is not true.”

The lawsuit concedes that the pair met through an online dating app and that Bianchi offered to pay many of Varvaro’s expenses during the relationship. The lawsuit contends that she was contemplating working as a bartender to support herself at the time.

Bianchi, a millionaire who owns the federal contracting firm SDVO Solutions, LLC, has earned more than $67 million in government contracts, according to the complaint.

Varvaro’s attorneys allege that Bianchi used his government contracting experience to maximize the impact of his allegations.

“His campaign was multi-pronged, based on experience, and designed to ensure that Dr. Varvaro’s reputation would be damaged beyond repair,” the lawsuit states.

“To bolster this falsity, Mr. Bianchi made knowing false statements in the OIG complaint, stating that Dr. Varvaro ‘does not have college debt because sugar daddies paid for her college education’ and the jewelry that Dr. Varvaro owned was ‘all trophies from her sugar daddies.'”

Varvaro is seeking compensatory and damages “including lost profits and lost business opportunities; mental anguish, distress, and humiliation; punitive damages; costs of bringing this action; pre- and post-judgment interest; and such additional relief as this Court deems appropriate.”

Darline Graham Says She Will Run for a Full Term in Lindsey Graham’s Senate Seat

Headline USA Editor
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Darline Graham Says She Will Run for a Full Term in Lindsey Graham’s Senate Seat

(Headline USA) Sen. Darline Graham said Monday she’s running for a full term to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat.

“I’ve made a decision,” Darline Graham told Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity, according to a clip released of an interview set to air later Monday. “I’m in.”

The entrance of Darline Graham — sworn in last week to fulfill the remaining months of her late brother’s term, which expires in January — into the Republican scramble to select a new Senate nominee further complicates an already rushed process following Lindsey Graham ‘s death earlier this month.

A weeklong filing period opens Tuesday for the special Republican primary, which will be Aug. 11. On Friday, President Donald Trump said that Darline Graham had his “Complete and Total Endorsement” to seek the nomination, adding, “RUN, DARLINE, RUN!”

Last week, Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to serve the remainder of her brother’s term, which ends in January. In his announcement, McMaster made no reference to Darline Graham as a placeholder or symbolic appointment, although a person familiar with McMaster’s thinking but unauthorized to speak publicly said the governor, in selecting Darline Graham, had never contemplated that she would run for the seat herself.

Before the emergence of Darline Graham — and their Oval Office meeting after she was sworn in — Trump had previously suggested he could back a potential candidacy from Rep. Russell Fry, who said Monday he would officially enter the special primary.

Several other noteworthy politicians, including Rep. Ralph Norman, have already gotten in, and others like Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette have been eyeing a run. Rep. Nancy Mace announced Monday she would not enter the contest.

Darline Graham told Hannity said she had been “praying a lot” about how to navigate her new role.

“It is a tremendous amount of pressure,” she said.

“I know I’m a hard worker. I learned that from Lindsey,” Darline Graham said. “I feel like I can do it. I feel an inner peace about it. Will it be difficult? Yes.”

Funeral services for Lindsey Graham are scheduled to be held next week in Washington and South Carolina. A preliminary report from the medical examiner said he suffered a tear in his aorta.

The millions in Lindsey Graham’s campaign account aren’t funds that Darline Graham could directly access in a run of her own, according to Bradley A. Smith, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission.

Under federal rules, Lindsey Graham’s campaign would be limited to transferring just $2,000 to a potential Darline Graham candidacy. However, Smith said there is no limit on how much it could transfer to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which could — thanks to a Supreme Court decision last month — “spend an unlimited amount in coordination with Darline’s campaign.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

 

US Soldiers Killed by Iran were from Texas and Hawaii, Military Says

Headline USA Editor
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US Soldiers Killed by Iran were from Texas and Hawaii, Military Says

(Headline USA) Two U.S. Army soldiers killed in Jordan while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks were identified on Monday — the first U.S. troop deaths from direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war.

The Defense Department said in a statement that James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, were killed in Jordan in Friday’s attacks.

Feehan, a first lieutenant, will be posthumously promoted to the rank of captain and awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge medals. The Army did not provide details about his commendations. He was assigned out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to the 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command.

Gonzales was a private with the 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany. She graduated last year from Hebron High School in Carrollton, near Dallas, school officials said.

“She gave her life in that service, and our district is heartbroken by her loss,” the Lewisville Independent School District said in a statement. “Her decision to serve after graduation speaks volumes of her character.”

The military said Gonzales died on Friday and Feehan died the following day. It did not provide details.

The deaths reflect the complicated reality that American soldiers don’t need to be on the ground in Iran for there to be lethal risks in a conflict that involves drones, missiles and airplanes. American forces are arrayed across the Middle East, making other nations targets of Iran and its allies as the fighting has escalated after a breakdown in peace talks.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said the war is necessary to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Trump, a Republican, now faces political pressure to bring the war to a close and avoid the kind of prolonged Middle East conflict he had campaigned against.

An American service member was also killed in northern Iraq on Saturday during a “controlled detonation” of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone, U.S. Central Command said Sunday. A second service member was wounded and was receiving medical treatment for a minor injury.

The military said it was withholding additional information until 24 hours after families had been notified.

Iranian authorities said U.S. strikes in just the past three weeks have killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 500 others, including eight killed in a strike on a bridge Friday.

Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people. Workers on ships, as well as foreign workers and others in Gulf nations, Israel and Lebanon have also died in the conflict.

Shortly after the U.S. and Israel began the war on Feb. 28, an Iranian drone strike at a civilian port in Kuwait killed six American soldiers. The soldiers were part of a supply and logistics unit based in Iowa who were working at a shipping container-style building that had no defenses.

A seventh soldier died more than a week after being wounded during a March 1 attack by Iran on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

Later in March, six service members were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft supporting U.S. military operations against Iran crashed in Iraq. The aircraft was in “friendly” airspace when an unspecified incident involving another aircraft took place, according to U.S. Central Command.

Last week, the U.S. military said a Navy pilot died in a helicopter crash in the Arabian Sea. The Navy initially described the July 1 crash as an emergency landing and said there was “no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action.” The remaining three sailors aboard the helicopter were rescued.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

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