{"id":617963,"date":"2026-09-16T15:28:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T15:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/617963\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T15:28:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T15:28:15","slug":"first-thing-houthis-appear-to-target-mecca-as-house-votes-to-end-trumps-war-on-iran-us-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/617963\/","title":{"rendered":"First Thing: Houthis appear to target Mecca as House votes to end Trump\u2019s war on Iran | US news"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Good morning. Saudi Arabia\u2019s air defenses <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/sep\/16\/saudi-arabia-houthi-drone-shot-down-mecca-iran-middle-east\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">intercepted and destroyed a \u2060Houthi drone<\/a> 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\u2019s two holiest sites and of pilgrims was a \u201cred line\u201d. Mecca, home to shrines sacred to Muslims worldwide, is Islam\u2019s holiest \u200bcity and the focal point \u200cof the annual \u200chajj pilgrimage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Meanwhile, in Washington, the US House of Representatives has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/sep\/15\/iran-war-cost-cbo-report\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">voted for a third time<\/a> 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 $38bn and left the US stockpile of defensive missiles so depleted it could take five years to rebuild.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Why is Pete Hegseth being targeted by lawmakers? Republican congressman Thomas Massie has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/sep\/15\/thomas-massie-pete-hegseth-iran-war\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">proposed impeaching Pete Hegseth<\/a>, saying the defense secretary had repeatedly violated the constitution through his handling of war with Iran and the deaths of civilians in conflicts worldwide.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">How is the Trump administration reversing decisions over arming Israel? Congress has been informally notified about a pending deal, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/sep\/15\/trump-administration-bomb-supply-israel-gaza\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the US planning to deliver powerful 2,000lb bombs to Israel<\/a>. The weapons prompted such concerns about the possibility of mass casualties in Gaza that the Biden administration paused their delivery two years ago.<\/p>\n<p>All supporting acts withdraw from Ed Sheeran\u2019s tour in solidarity with MacklemoreEd Sheeran responded to the withdrawals in a lengthy Instagram post.  Photograph: Kylie Cooper\/Reuters<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">All four supporting acts for upcoming dates of Ed Sheeran\u2019s Loop tour of the US and Latin America <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/sep\/15\/ed-sheeran-macklemore-palestine-openers-finneas\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">have withdrawn in solidarity<\/a> with fellow opening act Macklemore, as backlash grows against his removal from the tour over onstage comments in support of Palestine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Grammy-winning Macklemore had said on stage he wanted the people of Gaza and \u201cthe occupied West Bank\u201d to know \u201cwe have not forgotten about them\u201d, along with the words \u201cfree Palestine\u201d. The remark prompted a petition calling for Macklemore\u2019s removal from the tour from the Israeli-American Council and the opposition of some venue owners \u2013 including Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and a prominent donor to Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">How has Ed Sheeran responded? In a lengthy Instagram post, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2026\/sep\/15\/ed-sheeran-response-macklemore-free-palestine-comment\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the British singer said<\/a>: \u201cI have always used my platform and music to bring people from all backgrounds and cultures together \u2026 I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn\u2019t mean I don\u2019t have them, and it doesn\u2019t mean that I don\u2019t care. Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter\u2019s decision, it was not mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NBC helicopter crash in LA kills at least three people, with others injuredEmergency personnel work at the scene of the helicopter crash. Photograph: Chris Torres\/EPA<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/sep\/16\/los-angeles-helicopter-crash\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">A news helicopter crash in a Los Angeles neighborhood<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">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.<\/p>\n<p>New report reveals prevalence of physical and sexual violence in USEqual numbers of US men and women have experienced physical violence.  Photograph: Alexey_M\/Alamy<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In their lifetime, more than half of US adults have experienced physical violence \u2013 and nearly half have experienced sexual violence, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/sep\/16\/physical-sexual-violence-study-us\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">a new national study<\/a>. The study, led by researchers from Tulane University\u2019s Newcomb Institute and the University of California, San Diego, examined experiences of physical, sexual and intimate partner violence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The study found that 52% 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: 52% for each.<\/p>\n<p>In other news \u2026Nick Reiner at his arraignment on murder charges.  Photograph: Chris Torres\/Pool EPA\/APStat of the day: US surgeon general nominee made $270,000 from supplement company<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Donald Trump\u2019s nominee for US surgeon general, Dr Nicole Saphier, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/sep\/15\/nicole-saphier-supplement-sales-surgeon-general-nominee\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reported more than $200,000 in business income<\/a> from a company she owns that sells dietary supplements, which some critics allege are akin to \u201csnake oil\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Well Actually: Not glamorous, but common \u2013 how to manage dandruffExperts aren\u2019t sure what causes it, but a yeast called Malassezia is a leading suspect.  Photograph: Alex RM\/Alamy<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Experts don\u2019t know exactly what causes dandruff, but if you\u2019re seeing light flakes on your scalp, over-the-counter products can help. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/wellness\/2026\/sep\/13\/dandruff-home-treatment-symptoms\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Keren Landman explains how<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t miss this: ICE lost count of miscarriages, while detaining a record number of pregnant womenICE says it has no updated information on the number of miscarriages after 3 October 2025.  Illustration: Guardian Design<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">ICE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/ng-interactive\/2026\/sep\/15\/ice-detention-miscarriages-pregnancy\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">is arresting a record number of pregnant women and teenagers<\/a> \u2013 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.<\/p>\n<p>\u2026 or this: AI ghosts and deathslop are changing the way we mournAn AI Dolly Parton joins the pantheon of  reincarnations including Robin Williams, Elvis Presley and Martin Luther King.  Illustration: Guardian Design<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The rise of AI-generated tributes and bots for \u201ctalking\u201d to the dead has experts concerned <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2026\/sep\/15\/ai-grief-bot-death-isolation\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">more people will grieve in isolation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Climate check: Firefighters say US government is failing them amid intense wildfire seasonWildfire in California.  Photograph: Ethan Swope\/AP<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Firefighters battling enormous wildfires in the US say <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/sep\/16\/wildfires-government-firefighter-shortage\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the federal government is failing them<\/a> at a time when supercharged blazes have made their jobs exponentially more dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>Last Thing: Catnapped bodega cat in Brooklyn reunited with ownerImad \u2018Jimmy\u2019 Innab and his bodega cat, Jabal, are reunited.  Photograph: Dan Janzen<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The owner of a New York City bodega was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/sep\/15\/stolen-new-york-city-bodega-cat\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reunited with the store\u2019s cat<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p>Sign up<\/p>\n<p>Sign up for the US morning briefing<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you\u2019re not already signed up, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/info\/2018\/sep\/17\/guardian-us-morning-briefing-sign-up-to-stay-informed\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">subscribe now<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Get in touch<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/sep\/16\/mailto:newsletters@theguardian.com\" data-link-name=\"in body link \" https:=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">newsletters@theguardian.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Good morning. Saudi Arabia\u2019s air defenses intercepted and destroyed a \u2060Houthi drone south of Mecca yesterday before it&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":617964,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-617963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=617963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/617964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=617963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=617963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=617963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}