First Thing: US launches airstrikes in Syria tied to Iran-backed fighters

Airstrikes on two locations in eastern Syria signal a new willingness in Washington to engage directly in the Middle East crisis. Plus: the search continues for the Maine gunman

Good morning.

The US launched airstrikes on two locations in eastern Syria linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps this morning, as fears grow that the war between Israel and Hamas could escalate into a regional conflict.

Lloyd Austin, the US defense secretary, described thetailored strikes as “self-defense” and said Joe Biden had directed them “to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests”. US facilities in Iraq and Syria have been hit by low-level attacks by drones and rockets over the past 10 days that have been claimed by Iran-backed militia. The attacks injured at least 24 US servicemen and killed one civilian contractor.

Austin said the operation was separate and distinct from Israel’s war against Hamas, but a week ago, a US warship intercepted missiles fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, possibly at Israel.

The Iranian foreign minister said on Thursday that if what he described as a genocide in Gaza did not stop, the US would “not be spared from this fire”.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces carried out another limited ground raid in Gaza, in what appears to be the second such raid in as many days. Ground forces struck dozens of militant targets, the IDF said. There were no injuries reported.

In Lebanon, some are praying to be spared a war with Israel spilling over from Gaza, while others prepare to join the Hezbollah “resistance”.

Newly released satellite images show entire neighborhoods in Gaza reduced to rubble by almost three weeks of Israeli bombardment on the besieged enclave.

Search for suspect in Maine shootings enters second day

Police continued searching on Friday for a US army reservist suspected of carrying out a mass shooting that killed 18 people and wounded 13 others at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine.

Questions are now being asked about how 40-year-old Robert Card, who had threatened violence and was kept under observation this summer for erratic behavior, was allowed to be in possession of a deadly semi-automatic rifle.

A Maine lawmaker who had previously opposed a ban on assault weapons said he was now changing his stance on gun legislation.

Details have started to emerge of the victims of the largest mass shooting of 2023 so far, with bowling alley employees and a beloved bar manager among those killed.

In other news …

Arab Americans in Michigan say they feel betrayed by Biden’s support of Israel, saying they did not know Arab Americans who would vote for Biden in 2024.

Twitter’s business is flailing under Elon Musk, with advertisers spending less, regulators circling, staff numbers at less than 50% of what it used to be and user numbers down over the past year.

The little-known Democratic congressman Dean Phillips has launched a campaign to challenge Biden’s reign, a decision that has led to criticism from many of his colleagues.

Stat of the day: Only 2% of the 8,512 cases of domestic violence registered in Kyrgyzstan this year have gone to trial

Activists believe public indifference is exacerbating the issue of femicide and violence against women in Kyrgyzstan. Campaigners at the Femicide in Kyrgyzstan project have identified at least 300 murders of women at the hands of their husbands, boyfriends or former partners between 2008 and 2020. “Why in Kyrgyzstan should all cases concerning violence against women be resolved only after someone suffers, dies or becomes crippled for life? Does the judicial system even work?” said Asel Nogoibaeva, who was recently viciously attacked and mutilated by her ex-husband.

Don’t miss this: rampant sexual abuse in California’s prison system

One California prison guard is awaiting trial for 96 sexual abuse charges. Guardian interviews with five women who have accused Gregory Rodriguez of abuse, along with an analysis of court records and misconduct data, paint a picture of a system in which the most vulnerable women in California’s prison system are routinely preyed upon – often lured with promises of basic supplies and small privileges and then threatened into silence.

… or this: the undrinkable water of Louisiana’s Gulf coast

Recent state water tests found that the water for a community along Louisiana’s Gulf coast has had a significant increase in the levels of contaminants known as disinfection byproducts. Much of the region’s water was already undrinkable, with drought and rising sea levels dragging salty water from the ocean up the Mississippi River. Public health experts have voiced concerns that the saltwater intrusion could corrode the region’s ageing water infrastructure, leach heavy metals into the drinking water and create other knock-on problems.

Climate check: Greenland’s melting ice cap

One of the biggest contributors to sea level rise is the melting of Greenland’s ice cap, which is 3km thick (just under 2 miles) and has the potential to raise sea levels by 7 meters (23ft) if it all melted. Scientists are trying to work out at what temperature Greenland’s melting would become irreversible.

Last Thing: Melting down Charlottesville’s Robert E Lee statue

The statue of the Confederate general Robert E Lee that sparked the deadly 2017 Charlottesville white nationalist riot was cut into pieces and melted down to liquid brass last week – the culmination of a years-long effort by racial justice advocates to remove celebrations of the US’s racist past. “It felt like an execution,” said Jalane Schmidt, the co-founder of Charlottesville Black Lives Matter and a professor at the University of Virginia. “It was very solemn. Nobody cheering, nothing like that. It was very quiet. People weren’t even talking.”

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