Missing (Again)

Dec. 29, 2014 The Agenda A passenger airliner with 162 aboard has gone missing Mic AsiaAir Flight QZ8501, a passenger jet with 162 people aboard, lost contact with air traffic control at 7:24 a.m. local time Sunday after taking off from Surabaya, Indonesia, en route to Singapore. + Indonesia Transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa told Reuters the plane "had asked for an unusual route" before it lost contact when it was believed to be over the Java Sea, between the Kalimantan and Java islands. The aircraft had reportedly requested a route deviation because of rough weather before communication was lost.  + Indonesia and Singapore briefly paused search and rescue operations for the evening, but efforts will begin again Monday morning. + No, QZ8501 is nothing like Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared earlier this year. + Meet the family that was supposed to be on Flight QZ8501. + CNN's coverage of the missing flight is, well, everything you expected. Pope Francis wants to rally 1.2 billion Catholics to fight climate change Mic The Guardian reports that Pope Francis has a hefty New Year's resolution: Organize a massive push by the Catholic Church to fight climate change. The pontiff will apparently "issue a lengthy message on the subject to the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, give an address to the U.N. General Assembly and call a summit of the world's main religions" in an effort to unify the religious community against climate change.  + Pontifical Academy of Sciences chancellor Bishop Marcelo Sorondo told the Guardian that the pope wants to influence the course of the 2015 U.N. climate meeting in Paris, the culmination of 20 years of emissions negotiations. The war in Afghanistan is officially over Mic After 13 years of conflict, the United States and NATO officially ended their war in Afghanistan on Sunday by way of a symbolic ceremony at their joint military headquarters in Kabul. + The Associated Press reports that Gen. John Campbell, commander of the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force, rolled up the white and green ISAF flag and put in its place the new flag for the upcoming mission, called Resolute Support. + The new mission will focus on a supporting role led by 13,500 troops — roughly 11,000 of which will be American — to begin Jan. 1, 2015, and "serve as the bedrock of an enduring partnership" between NATO and Afghanistan. + Resolute Support will be tasked with training and supporting Afghanistan's military as the country pushes to make the final transition out of the war that's occupied the country for the past 13 years.  Marvels Idris Elba had the perfect response to people who don't want a black James Bond. [Mic] 5,200 days in space: Why America still needs astronauts. [the Atlantic] Dave Barry: There's no reasonable explanation from the total clusterfuck that was 2014. [the Washington Post] This gay couple's response to homophobic graffiti is absolutely fabulous. [Mic] Bill Cosby reportedly hired private investigators to discredit his accusers. [the New York Post] The big problem with black killings isn't police — it's modern-day segregation. [Mic] Read Taylor Branch on the radical paradox of Martin Luther King's devotion to non-violence. [Smithsonian] How modern movies embraced Hinduism without anyone even noticing. [the Guardian] Archaeologists have unearthed a 6,000-year mega-temple built by a matriarchal society. [Mic] Here's how the Internet turned the world into an awful cesspool of terrible. [Deadspin] The country you'd least expect really, really wants to watch The Interview. [Mic] Photo of the Day The 10th anniversary of the Indian ocean tsunami. Ten years ago, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck beneath the Indian Ocean near Indonesia, generating a massive tsunami that claimed more than 230,000 lives in 14 different countries, one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded. Today, many of the communities have recovered, though painful memories and some ruined structures remain in place.  Mic Check is carefully and dutifully assembled each day by Jared Keller. Did we miss something you wanted to read about? Want to see us focus on an under-covered issue? Have a tip for the next edition? Email jared@mic.com. Share Mic Check and help your friends stay informed: http://eepurl.com/of1jj. Follow Mic!      Copyright © 2014 Mic, All rights reserved. You are receiving this because you opted in while creating an account on Mic. Our mailing address is: Mic 325 Hudson Street 1001 New York, NY 10013 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences