Shirking Responsibility

July 20, 2026

On July 17, an Iranian attack on a US base in Jordan killed two soldiers, and left one missing, 17 military personnel have been killed in the Iran War and the Pentagon says 427 have been wounded, Iran is inflicting more damage. They appear to have weaponry and are using it to make the US regional coalition believe that the costs are greater than the security benefits, The Pentagon is not providing much information about the progress of the Iran war, The US has struck bridges and energy infrastructure in Iran, The Houthis in Yemen are imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, If the Bab el-Mandeb strait is closed, the global oil supply will be further cut, and crude oil supplies in the US are the lowest in 45 years, Trump’s speech was not aired live on CNN, ABC, or NBC, perhaps a sign of Trump’s falling popularity, The administration is renewing aggressive immigration policies and arrests in July hit a record high, Democratic senators have demanded investigations of the shooting deaths in Houston and Biddeford, Maine, Trump has announced new tariffs on certain products from Canada, which would upend the economy if they take effect.

Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

You can also find me:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson

Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe