The aftermath of the Iran plane crash

THE BIG STORY
Young newlyweds, college students, and entire families are being remembered after dying in the Iran plane crash

At vigils held at local churches and universities — and with photos and tributes online — friends, family, and colleagues of the passengers are honoring the victims of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752.

It went down hours after Iran fired missiles at military bases in Iraq, immediately sparking outcry and speculation that the jet might have been caught up in the attack.

On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had received evidence indicating that "the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile" and vowed that his government "will not rest" until it gets answers.

Meanwhile a Russian state propagandist is casting blame on Ukraine for the crash near Tehran’s airport — echoing the disinformation after the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. And the specter of that 2014 incident is looming large over Ukraine, which is asking for evidence that the Ukraine International flight was shot down.

A memorial for victims of the plane crash in Iran. Sergei Supinsky / Getty Images

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

How a bad boss remade himself as a climate hero

Federal scientist George Luber alleged in a whistleblower complaint that he fought back against CDC officials trying to stop him from using the words "climate change." In response, he said, he was put under investigation. His story sparked widespread outrage from climate activists and politicians.

But Luber’s powerful narrative, according to about a dozen current and former staffers and people involved in the investigation, was false. His ouster from climate work, they say, was because he was behaving badly in the workplace, particularly toward women.

SNAPSHOTS

The House voted to tell President Donald Trump to end all hostilities with Iran. The resolution is nonbinding but “directs” Trump to cease hostilities against Iran unless there’s an “imminent” attack or Congress declares war.

Facebook said it won't change policies on allowing lies in political ads. The announcement follows intense pressure from lawmakers in the last few months over the policy.

The International Spy Museum is now planning to overhaul its controversial torture exhibit. The museum intends to implement changes to the exhibit by March after it faced widespread criticism for playing down the brutality of the CIA’s torture program.

South Carolina is one of four states without hate crime laws, and politicians are trying to fix that — again. Over four years after a white supremacist opened fire in a historically black church in Charleston, lawmakers are now pointing to attacks on Jews in New York and New Jersey to enact a new law.

UK MPs have finally backed a Brexit withdrawal agreement. After months of failing to get through, it passed on the back of Boris Johnson's crushing general election win. It still must get through the House of Lords.

FOREVER REMEMBERED

People are finding images of their deceased loved ones on Google Maps

Randy Pristas was just washing his car in the front yard as usual when a Google Street View car drove by his house one day in September 2012. "I waved at it, so you better check it one day," his daughter recalled him telling her back then.

He died in March 2017; some time afterward, Andrea Pristas decided to see if the image the passing car had captured of her dad was still there. She searched the address — and there he was, waving.

Now, she and dozens of others are sharing Google Maps photos of deceased loved ones in a heartwarming Twitter thread.

This Sunday, the photo desk's .JPG newsletter is taking a peek inside the bedrooms of Gen Z'ers with photographer Sue Barr and her series My Space. Sign up to see how they're expressing themselves. Sue Barr

WEEKEND LONGREADS

These Are Our Most Highly Anticipated Books Of 2020. We're going to get a little meta to start off with. But what is a book but a reeeeeeeally long read, right? Arianna Rebolini and Tomi Obaro have a bunch of books they're excited about that are coming out this year. If your 2020 goals include Read More Books, this is for you.

Elizabeth Wurtzel Wasn't Sorry About Anything. Elizabeth Wurtzel's untimely death from cancer at 52 this week sparked an outpouring of grief on Twitter. And with good reason: the Prozac Nation memoirist helped set the stage for an entire era of confessional writing, Pier Dominguez writes.

Watching My Cousin’s Death Go Viral. Bilal Anwar’s cousin Salahuddin robbed an ATM. It wasn’t a particularly spectacular heist, but due to his taunting of a surveillance camera, footage of the crime spread, and an example had to be made. Salahuddin died in police custody — a young man let down by a society that still treats mental illness as a kind of crime in itself.

Hoping your Friday flows as fast or slow as you need it to,

Brandon

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