Up First Newsletter: Flydubai Incident, Supreme Court Climate Case, and Brazil Election Runoff

Investigators have found that the co-pilot who attempted to take control of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv last week aimed to crash it into Israel's Ben Gurion airport, according to a person familiar with the matter but not authorized to speak publicly. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates who are leading the investigation say the incident has been classified as a terrorist attack. They have not identified a clear motive, and the investigation is ongoing.

The co-pilot likely acted alone, according to the source. He carried out the attack with a crash axe, which is an emergency tool meant for breaking through panels or doors in the event of a crash. Israeli officials report that the co-pilot is from Oman. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf tells Up First that the co-pilot's origins have raised concerns about how he was allowed to fly in Israel, as the country prohibits pilots from nations with which it doesn't have diplomatic relations to fly in its airspace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel checks the backgrounds of pilots flying into the country, and this pilot must have gotten through a "loophole." While people in Israel are praising the passengers and the captain as heroes for averting disaster, a broader debate is emerging over government failures that allowed something like this to happen, Lonsdorf says.

A new Supreme Court term starts today with arguments in a significant climate change case. Boulder, Colo., is suing Suncor and Exxon Mobil, arguing that the companies misled the public about the harms of fossil fuels and caused costly disasters that cost the city time and money. This case could impact other states seeking to hold companies accountable for allegedly harming local communities.

The energy companies argue that this case should not be in state court, saying climate change is a global issue best addressed by the federal government, according to NPR's Carrie Johnson. Only eight justices will hear the case after Justice Sam Alito's surprising recusal last week, Johnson says. Alito has no stock in the two companies involved, but he has investments in other energy companies that could be impacted by the court's ruling. His recusal raises the risk of a tie, which would uphold the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling allowing the case to continue in state court.

Brazil's presidential race will go to a runoff later this month between left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. In the tight first round, Bolsonaro, the son of Brazil's former far-right president, led with about 47% of the vote, while Lula followed closely with 45%.

Lula must close the runoff gap by attracting new voters, particularly among the millions who sat out yesterday's election, NPR's Carrie Kahn says. Winning over the 8% who supported other candidates will be challenging, as the people they backed are right and far-right candidates who will align with Bolsonaro. Disillusioned with politics, many Brazilians wanted new, younger candidates. Yasmin Soares, a Lula supporter, told Kahn that Bolsonaro's strong performance is scary and that the right brings hatred. Kahn says she heard similar sentiments from many Lula voters who fear a Bolsonaro conservative back in power.