Houthis appear to target Mecca as House votes to end Trump’s war on Iran | First Thing

Good morning. Saudi Arabia’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ⁠Houthi drone south of Mecca yesterday before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city. A spokesperson for the kingdom, which is fighting the Iran-aligned group in Yemen, said the security of Islam’s two holiest sites and of pilgrims was a “red line”. Mecca, home to shrines sacred to Muslims worldwide, is Islam’s holiest ​city and the focal point ‌of the annual ‌hajj pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, in Washington, the US House of Representatives has voted for a third time to end the war in Iran, approving a war powers resolution a few hours after a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report showed the conflict had cost at least $۳۸bn and left the US stockpile of defensive missiles so depleted it could take five years to rebuild.

• Why is Pete Hegseth being targeted by lawmakers? Republican congressman Thomas Massie has proposed impeaching Pete Hegseth, saying the defense secretary had repeatedly violated the constitution through his handling of war with Iran and the deaths of civilians in conflicts worldwide.

• How is the Trump administration reversing decisions over arming Israel? Congress has been informally notified about a pending deal, with the US planning to deliver powerful ۲,۰۰۰lb bombs to Israel. The weapons prompted such concerns about the possibility of mass casualties in Gaza that the Biden administration paused their delivery two years ago.

All supporting acts withdraw from Ed Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore

All four supporting acts for upcoming dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour of the US and Latin America have withdrawn in solidarity with fellow opening act Macklemore, as backlash grows against his removal from the tour over onstage comments in support of Palestine.

Grammy-winning Macklemore had said on stage he wanted the people of Gaza and “the occupied West Bank” to know “we have not forgotten about them”, along with the words “free Palestine”. The remark prompted a petition calling for Macklemore’s removal from the tour from the Israeli-American Council and the opposition of some venue owners – including Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and a prominent donor to Israel.

• How has Ed Sheeran responded? In a lengthy Instagram post, the British singer said: “I have always used my platform and music to bring people from all backgrounds and cultures together … I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean that I don’t care. Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine.”

NBC helicopter crash in LA kills at least three people, with others injured

A news helicopter crash in a Los Angeles neighborhood has killed at least three people, after it hit the ground and burst into flames near the site of a bus crash that occurred hours earlier.

The helicopter crashed near a one-storey commercial building in the neighborhood of Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley, as news crews were covering the bus crash that left at least two people dead and six others injured, according the Los Angeles Fire Department.

New report reveals prevalence of physical and sexual violence in US

In their lifetime, more than half of US adults have experienced physical violence – and nearly half have experienced sexual violence, according to a new national study. The study, led by researchers from Tulane University’s Newcomb Institute and the University of California, San Diego, examined experiences of physical, sexual and intimate partner violence.

The study found that ۵۲% of US adults have experienced physical violence during their lifetime, including cases involving a gun or knife. The rate was the same among women and men: ۵۲% for each.

In other news …

Stat of the day: US surgeon general nominee made $۲۷۰,۰۰۰ from supplement company

Donald Trump’s nominee for US surgeon general, Dr Nicole Saphier, reported more than $۲۰۰,۰۰۰ in business income from a company she owns that sells dietary supplements, which some critics allege are akin to “snake oil”.

Well Actually: Not glamorous, but common – how to manage dandruff

Experts don’t know exactly what causes dandruff, but if you’re seeing light flakes on your scalp, over-the-counter products can help. Keren Landman explains how.

Don’t miss this: ICE lost count of miscarriages, while detaining a record number of pregnant women

ICE is arresting a record number of pregnant women and teenagers – placing them in detention centers where they say it can be exceedingly difficult to access medical care. At the same time, the agency appears to have lost count of how many suffered a miscarriage.

… or this: AI ghosts and deathslop are changing the way we mourn

The rise of AI-generated tributes and bots for “talking” to the dead has experts concerned more people will grieve in isolation.

Climate check: Firefighters say US government is failing them amid intense wildfire season

Firefighters battling enormous wildfires in the US say the federal government is failing them at a time when supercharged blazes have made their jobs exponentially more dangerous.

Last Thing: Catnapped bodega cat in Brooklyn reunited with owner

The owner of a New York City bodega was reunited with the store’s cat after a couple passing by the establishment five days earlier appeared to abduct the feline in plain view of a surveillance camera and ignited an intense grassroots search effort.

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