China makes it harder for its Muslim citizens to go to Mecca, or anywhere else Chinese Muslims take roundabout trips for their Hajj pilgrimage, trying to circumvent China’s tightened surveillance at every turn — and possible arrest on their return, pilgrims and tour leaders say. Read more on NPR

Up First briefing: Mifepristone ruling; summer COVID tips; Rainn Wilson gets spiritual A federal appeals court backs abortion pill restrictions. COVID numbers are ticking up this summer. Why The Office’s Rainn Wilson wants a spiritual revolution. Read more on NPR

Hawaii governor vows to block land grabs as fire-ravaged Maui rebuilds Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said he had instructed the state attorney general to work toward a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina. He acknowledged the move will likely face legal challenges. Read more on NPR

Corruption in Afghanistan offers lessons for billions going to Ukraine John Sopko has long been a U.S. government-appointed watchdog for how money was distributed in Afghanistan. He believes there are lessons that apply to aiding Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Read more on NPR

Tuohy family calls Michael Oher’s petition ‘hurtful’ and an attempt at a ‘shakedown’ The family says that Oher’s claims against them in the petition filed Monday are essentially a “shakedown effort” in order to get nearly $15 million from them. Read more on NPR

People are freaking out over a question mark seen in space. Scientists can explain A stunning new image from the James Webb Space Telescope shows a pair of actively forming stars. But many people are more curious about the tiny question mark visible toward the bottom of the frame. Read more on NPR

NYC officials are trying to stop the deadly social media trend of ‘subway surfing’ Four teens have died, another two critically injured, from riding atop moving subway cars between Jan. 1 and July 5. Police say they’ve arrested over 70 people for subway surfing. Read more on NPR