The list of candidates to run with presumptive Democratic US presidential nominee Kamala Harris has narrowed, with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer both out. Watch in for more details!

US: Kamala Harris' VP options narrow down after Cooper & Whitmer drop out

Three men were acquitted by the jury on Friday (September 15) in the last trial related to the plan of kidnapping Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a plot which was seen as homegrown terrorism before the 2020 presidential election of the United States. 
 
The court did not find Eric Molitor, twin brothers William Null and Michael Null guilty of supporting a terrorist act and a weapon charge. The three were the last of the 14 men who were tried in state or federal court. The court has convicted nine others. 
 
The Nulls and Molitor were facing an accusation of supporting the leaders in the plan by taking part in military-style drills and travelling to visit the vacation home of Whitmer in northern Michigan. Different courts convicted the key players Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. of a kidnapping conspiracy last year.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-seeks-disqualification-of-obama-appointed-judge-from-election-subversion-case-635062">Trump seeks disqualification of Obama-appointed judge from election subversion case</a>

The jury in the latest trial heard 14 days of testimony in Antrim County, where the lakeside property of Whitmer is located, 185 miles (297 kilometres) north of the state Capitol. 
 
The authorities stated that the plan of attack Whitmer began to be sketched at a regional summit of anti-government extremists hosted by Dublin, a city in Ohio, in the summer of 2020. 
 
The summit was attended by Fox, Croft and William Null while an FBI informant was also present in the gathering and had secretly recorded profanity-laced screeds which threatened violence against public officials. 
 
The restrictions imposed by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic had also fueled the disgust, as per the text messages, social media posts and recordings submitted as evidence at trial.

WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Why is impeaching Biden America's priority?

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<h2>Fox 'incredibly dumb' to pull off kidnapping: Molitor</h2>

Molitor and William Null testified in their own defence and agreed to have attended the gun drills and taken tours to check the property of Whitmer. 
 
However, William Null stated that he and his brother broke away when discussions turned towards acquiring explosives. Molitor said Fox was “incredibly dumb” and it was not possible for him to pull off a kidnapping. 
 
Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin appealed to jurors to not be swayed. 
 
“If you help in whole or even in part you’ve satisfied that element” of the crime, said Rollstin in his closing argument on Wednesday. “Was he helping him to plan? Was he helping him prepare? The answer is absolutely,” he added. 
 
After the kidnapping plan was thwarted, then-President Donald Trump was blamed by Whitmer, who said he had given “comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division.” After he was out of office, Trump stated that the kidnapping plan was a “fake deal” in 2022.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Three men were acquitted by the jury on Friday (September 15) in the last trial related to the plan of kidnapping Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a plot which was seen as homegrown terrorism before the 2020 presidential election of the United States.

Three men were acquitted by the jury on Friday (September 15) in the last trial related to the plan of kidnapping Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a plot which was seen as homegrown terrorism before the 2020 presidential election of the United States. The court did not find Eric Molitor, twin brothers William Null and Michael Null guilty of supporting a terrorist act and a weapon charge. The three were the last of the 14 men who were tried in state or federal court. The court has convicted nine others. The Nulls and Molitor were facing an accusation of supporting the leaders in the plan by taking part in military-style drills and travelling to visit the vacation home of Whitmer in northern Michigan. Different courts convicted the key players Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. of a kidnapping conspiracy last year. ALSO READ | Trump seeks disqualification of Obama-appointed judge from election subversion case The jury in the latest trial heard 14 days of testimony in Antrim County, where the lakeside property of Whitmer is located, 185 miles (297 kilometres) north of the state Capitol. The authorities stated that the plan of attack Whitmer began to be sketched at a regional summit of anti-government extremists hosted by Dublin, a city in Ohio, in the summer of 2020. The summit was attended by Fox, Croft and William Null while an FBI informant was also present in the gathering and had secretly recorded profanity-laced screeds which threatened violence against public officials. The restrictions imposed by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic had also fueled the disgust, as per the text messages, social media posts and recordings submitted as evidence at trial. WATCH | Gravitas: Why is impeaching Biden America's priority? Fox 'incredibly dumb' to pull off kidnapping: Molitor Molitor and William Null testified in their own defence and agreed to have attended the gun drills and taken tours to check the property of Whitmer. However, William Null stated that he and his brother broke away when discussions turned towards acquiring explosives. Molitor said Fox was “incredibly dumb” and it was not possible for him to pull off a kidnapping. Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin appealed to jurors to not be swayed. “If you help in whole or even in part you’ve satisfied that element” of the crime, said Rollstin in his closing argument on Wednesday. “Was he helping him to plan? Was he helping him prepare? The answer is absolutely,” he added. After the kidnapping plan was thwarted, then-President Donald Trump was blamed by Whitmer, who said he had given “comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division.” After he was out of office, Trump stated that the kidnapping plan was a “fake deal” in 2022. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US: Jury acquits three accused of plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer

The mastermind of the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was sentenced to 16 years in prison. The federal court found Adam Fox guilty of conspiring to abduct the Democrat&nbsp;and blow up a bridge to ease an escape.

Adam Fox’s sentence is the longest of anyone convicted in the plot so far. It comes from four months after Fox and his aide Barry Croft Jr were convicted of conspiracy charges at a second trial in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Croft Jr is due to be sentenced on Wednesday.

Both of them targeted the Democratic governor in 2020 because they were opposed to the Covid rules she imposed during the pandemic. Additionally, they were trying to ferment a wild plot to incite anti-government extremists just before the presidential election that year.

The prosecutors argued that the mastermind behind the plan, Fox, plotted to enter Gretchen’s vacation home, capture her at gunpoint and then force her to stand “trial” on fake treason charges – and face the death penalty.

They said that these convicted men wanted to trigger a “second American revolution”.

“They had no real plan for what to do with the governor if they actually seized her,” Nils Kessler, a prosecutor on the case, wrote in a court filing.

“Paradoxically, this made them more dangerous, not less.”

The government said that while Croft offered bomb-making skills and ideology, Fox was the real “driving force urging their recruits to take up arms, kidnap the governor and kill those who stood in their way.”

Prosecutors wanted life sentences for the men, but Judge Jonker said that would not be necessary to act as a deterrent. He, however, added that a "significant sentence" was required.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The mastermind of the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was sentenced to 16 years in prison. The federal court found Adam Fox guilty of conspiring to abduct the Democrat and blow up a bridge to ease an escape.

The mastermind of the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was sentenced to 16 years in prison. The federal court found Adam Fox guilty of conspiring to abduct the Democrat and blow up a bridge to ease an escape. Adam Fox’s sentence is the longest of anyone convicted in the plot so far. It comes from four months after Fox and his aide Barry Croft Jr were convicted of conspiracy charges at a second trial in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Croft Jr is due to be sentenced on Wednesday. Both of them targeted the Democratic governor in 2020 because they were opposed to the Covid rules she imposed during the pandemic. Additionally, they were trying to ferment a wild plot to incite anti-government extremists just before the presidential election that year. The prosecutors argued that the mastermind behind the plan, Fox, plotted to enter Gretchen’s vacation home, capture her at gunpoint and then force her to stand “trial” on fake treason charges – and face the death penalty. They said that these convicted men wanted to trigger a “second American revolution”. “They had no real plan for what to do with the governor if they actually seized her,” Nils Kessler, a prosecutor on the case, wrote in a court filing. “Paradoxically, this made them more dangerous, not less.” The government said that while Croft offered bomb-making skills and ideology, Fox was the real “driving force urging their recruits to take up arms, kidnap the governor and kill those who stood in their way.” Prosecutors wanted life sentences for the men, but Judge Jonker said that would not be necessary to act as a deterrent. He, however, added that a "significant sentence" was required. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping mastermind jailed for 16 years

A US jury has found three men guilty under domestic terrorism charges for taking part in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer over anger about restrictions imposed during the spread of COVID-19 in 2020.

The three accused—who are members of far-right militia group “Wolverine Watchmen”—were charged with gang membership, firearm violations and providing material support for terrorism. All of them could face jail for up to 20 years.

They were among six people arrested in October 2020 following an FBI sting operation that uncovered the plot.

The prosecutors argued the accused— Morrison, Musico and Bellar—had planned to break into the governor’s vacation home, kidnap her at gunpoint and give her a sham trial for treason.

They said that the group hoped that the kidnapping would instigate mass violence.

The defence, on the other hand, informed the court that the three men had severed their ties with the plot’s main by late summer 2020 and did not participate in the kidnap.

Reacting to the verdict, Whitmer took to Twitter shortly after the convictions were announced by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

"Today, three defendants were found guilty of material support for terrorism, gang membership, and possession of a weapon while committing a felony in support of the plot to kidnap and kill me," Whitmer said.

"No threat, no plot, no rhetoric will break my belief in the goodness and decency of our people. And these verdicts are further proof that violence and threats have no place in our politics," Whitmer added.

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A US jury has found three men guilty under domestic terrorism charges for taking part in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer over anger about restrictions imposed during the spread of COVID-19 in 2020.

A US jury has found three men guilty under domestic terrorism charges for taking part in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer over anger about restrictions imposed during the spread of COVID-19 in 2020. The three accused—who are members of far-right militia group “Wolverine Watchmen”—were charged with gang membership, firearm violations and providing material support for terrorism. All of them could face jail for up to 20 years. They were among six people arrested in October 2020 following an FBI sting operation that uncovered the plot. The prosecutors argued the accused— Morrison, Musico and Bellar—had planned to break into the governor’s vacation home, kidnap her at gunpoint and give her a sham trial for treason. They said that the group hoped that the kidnapping would instigate mass violence. The defence, on the other hand, informed the court that the three men had severed their ties with the plot’s main by late summer 2020 and did not participate in the kidnap. Reacting to the verdict, Whitmer took to Twitter shortly after the convictions were announced by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. "Today, three defendants were found guilty of material support for terrorism, gang membership, and possession of a weapon while committing a felony in support of the plot to kidnap and kill me," Whitmer said. "No threat, no plot, no rhetoric will break my belief in the goodness and decency of our people. And these verdicts are further proof that violence and threats have no place in our politics," Whitmer added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Three men convicted on terror charges for plotting to kidnap Michigan governor

Two men were convicted of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, in 2020, by a jury on Tuesday. Prosecutors had described the entire plot as a rallying cry for a US civil war by anti-government extremists which was broken up by the FBI. Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. had appeared for their second trial as a jury in April had failed to reach a verdict. However, two other men were acquitted in the same trial.

The result is being touted as a big victory for the US Justice Department. Fox and Croft were convicted of two counts of conspiracy related to the kidnapping scheme and attempts to obtain a weapon of mass destruction, Associated Press reported. The two were also planning to blow up a bridge to disrupt police if the abduction had swiftly went through at Whitmer’s vacation home.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/michigan-governor-links-trump-to-foiled-kidnapping-plot-333729">Michigan governor links Trump to foiled kidnapping plot</a>

Croft is a 46-year-old trucker and was also convicted of another explosives charge.&nbsp;

Assistant US attorney Nils Kessler told jurors that the kidnapping was not the defendants' ultimate goal. “They wanted to set off a second American civil war, a second American Revolution, something that they call the boogaloo. And they wanted to do it for a long time before they settled on Governor Whitmer," he said.

Kessler urged jurors to focus on what Fox and Croft had done. "These defendants were outside a woman’s house in the middle of the night with night-vision goggles and guns and a plan to kidnap her and they made a real bomb. That's far enough, isn't it?" Kessler said.

Meanwhile, Fox's attorney Christopher Gibbons called the verdict disappointing. “We were hoping for a different outcome,” he told reporters.

The entire episode began when Army veteran Dan Chappel heard talk of killing police after joining a paramilitary group. He then became an FBI informant and got close to Fox and others, recording their conversations. Two more informants and two undercover agents were placed in the group by FBI over a period of time. The group was reportedly unhappy with the COVID-19 restrictions placed by Whitmer.

Two men were convicted of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, in 2020, by a jury on Tuesday. Prosecutors had described the entire plot as a rallying cry for a US civil war by anti-government extremists which was broken up by the FBI.

Two men were convicted of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, in 2020, by a jury on Tuesday. Prosecutors had described the entire plot as a rallying cry for a US civil war by anti-government extremists which was broken up by the FBI. Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. had appeared for their second trial as a jury in April had failed to reach a verdict. However, two other men were acquitted in the same trial. The result is being touted as a big victory for the US Justice Department. Fox and Croft were convicted of two counts of conspiracy related to the kidnapping scheme and attempts to obtain a weapon of mass destruction, Associated Press reported. The two were also planning to blow up a bridge to disrupt police if the abduction had swiftly went through at Whitmer’s vacation home. Also Read | Michigan governor links Trump to foiled kidnapping plot Croft is a 46-year-old trucker and was also convicted of another explosives charge. Assistant US attorney Nils Kessler told jurors that the kidnapping was not the defendants' ultimate goal. “They wanted to set off a second American civil war, a second American Revolution, something that they call the boogaloo. And they wanted to do it for a long time before they settled on Governor Whitmer," he said. Kessler urged jurors to focus on what Fox and Croft had done. "These defendants were outside a woman’s house in the middle of the night with night-vision goggles and guns and a plan to kidnap her and they made a real bomb. That's far enough, isn't it?" Kessler said. Meanwhile, Fox's attorney Christopher Gibbons called the verdict disappointing. “We were hoping for a different outcome,” he told reporters. The entire episode began when Army veteran Dan Chappel heard talk of killing police after joining a paramilitary group. He then became an FBI informant and got close to Fox and others, recording their conversations. Two more informants and two undercover agents were placed in the group by FBI over a period of time. The group was reportedly unhappy with the COVID-19 restrictions placed by Whitmer.

Two men convicted of conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Even as vaccination drives are in full swing, the possibility of another wave of the deadly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> is not far away in the US Midwest.

The rate of hospitalisations is alarmingly increasing in Michigan, and the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are running out of space for coronavirus patients.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/greta-thunberg-to-skip-cop26-over-unfair-vaccine-rollouts-376397" hreflang="en">Greta Thunberg to skip COP26 over unfair vaccine rollouts</a>

As per Johns Hopkins University data, nearly 7,226 cases have been reported on a daily basis in the past week.

Michigan’s public health system is struggling to meet the demand as the system has been overwhelmed, Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s top medical official warned.

Following the surge of coronavirus cases in the state, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has had to re-impose strict restrictions on people and he has urged people to start wearing masks and step out of the houses only in cases of emergency.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-at-risk-of-facing-another-wave-of-coronavirus-despite-vaccines-who-376198" hreflang="en">UK at risk of facing another wave of coronavirus despite vaccines: WHO</a>

"A year in, we all know what works and this has to be a team effort," Whitmer said. "We have to do this together. Lives depend on it."

The state has also decided to temporarily suspend in-person classes and return to virtual learning till the cases decrease.

It is not just Michigan, Minnesota, too, is observing a surge in the cases as the state reported 2,659 new infections on Friday.

However, Governor Tim Walz has not yet called for stricter restrictions but has asked the federal government to speed up the vaccine delivery.

"We are seeing hospitalisations going up. It’s very challenging," he said. "I watch the numbers every day and I’m hypersensitive to what direction the state is going and what we need to do next."

Even as vaccination drives are in full swing, the possibility of another wave of the deadly coronavirus is not far away in the US Midwest. The rate of hospitalisations is alarmingly increasing in Michigan, and the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are running out of space for coronavirus patients.

Even as vaccination drives are in full swing, the possibility of another wave of the deadly coronavirus is not far away in the US Midwest. The rate of hospitalisations is alarmingly increasing in Michigan, and the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are running out of space for coronavirus patients. Also read | Greta Thunberg to skip COP26 over unfair vaccine rollouts As per Johns Hopkins University data, nearly 7,226 cases have been reported on a daily basis in the past week. Michigan’s public health system is struggling to meet the demand as the system has been overwhelmed, Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s top medical official warned. Following the surge of coronavirus cases in the state, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has had to re-impose strict restrictions on people and he has urged people to start wearing masks and step out of the houses only in cases of emergency. Also read | UK at risk of facing another wave of coronavirus despite vaccines: WHO "A year in, we all know what works and this has to be a team effort," Whitmer said. "We have to do this together. Lives depend on it." The state has also decided to temporarily suspend in-person classes and return to virtual learning till the cases decrease. It is not just Michigan, Minnesota, too, is observing a surge in the cases as the state reported 2,659 new infections on Friday. However, Governor Tim Walz has not yet called for stricter restrictions but has asked the federal government to speed up the vaccine delivery. "We are seeing hospitalisations going up. It’s very challenging," he said. "I watch the numbers every day and I’m hypersensitive to what direction the state is going and what we need to do next."

Gretchen Whitmer calls for stricter restrictions as coronavirus cases surge in US Midwest

Thirteen men, seven of them associated with an anti-government militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen, have been arrested on charges of conspiring to kidnap the Michigan governor, attack the state legislature and threaten law enforcement.

13 held in plot to kidnap Michigan Governor | World News

The FBI said on Thursday it thwarted a plot to overthrow the Michigan state government and kidnap its governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and had probable cause to charge six men with a failed operation that involved reaching out to a militia group.

The operation will be announced at a press conference of law enforcement officials at 1 pm&nbsp;in Grand Rapids, which will be attended by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the state`s leading federal prosecutors.

The FBI first got wind that a group of individuals "were discussing the violent overthrow of certain government and law-enforcement components" in early 2020, according to an affidavit by special agent Richard Trask released by the FBI on Thursday.

The alleged plot included reaching out to a militia group, which was not named in the affidavit.

Trask said there was probable cause to charge six men - Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta - with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer, a Democrat and frequent critic of Republican President Donald Trump.

In September, Fox posted in an encrypted chat that he did not want a final training exercise to be held in the last week of October because it would not leave enough time to execute the kidnapping before the national election on Nov. 3, Trask said.

"The group agreed to use the time until the final training exercise to raise money for explosives and other supplies," Trask wrote in the affidavit.

The FBI said on Thursday it thwarted a plot to overthrow the Michigan state government and kidnap its governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and had probable cause to charge six men with a failed operation that involved reaching out to a militia group.

The FBI said on Thursday it thwarted a plot to overthrow the Michigan state government and kidnap its governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and had probable cause to charge six men with a failed operation that involved reaching out to a militia group. The operation will be announced at a press conference of law enforcement officials at 1 pm in Grand Rapids, which will be attended by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the state`s leading federal prosecutors. The FBI first got wind that a group of individuals "were discussing the violent overthrow of certain government and law-enforcement components" in early 2020, according to an affidavit by special agent Richard Trask released by the FBI on Thursday. The alleged plot included reaching out to a militia group, which was not named in the affidavit. Trask said there was probable cause to charge six men - Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta - with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer, a Democrat and frequent critic of Republican President Donald Trump. In September, Fox posted in an encrypted chat that he did not want a final training exercise to be held in the last week of October because it would not leave enough time to execute the kidnapping before the national election on Nov. 3, Trask said. "The group agreed to use the time until the final training exercise to raise money for explosives and other supplies," Trask wrote in the affidavit.

FBI says thwarted plot to kidnap Michigan governor

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