President Donald Trump honored the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks during an event at the Ellipse near the White House. He pledged to "never forget" the attacks and recognized heroes and victims, including issuing the Presidential Medal of Freedom to a rescuer known as the "man in the red bandanna."
Key Facts
The event was hosted by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation on September 8, 2026, near the White House.
A 21-foot steel beam from the South Tower of the World Trade Center was displayed and is part of a national Steel Across America tour.
The beam will move through New York City on September 11, retracing the route of firefighter Stephen Siller, who died in the attacks.
President Trump honored Jeffrey Palazzo, a New York City firefighter and Coast Guard reservist, by announcing a new Coast Guard cutter named after him.
Welles Crowther, known as the "man in the red bandanna" for rescuing people during 9/11, was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Crowther’s family accepted the award at the event.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who lost family and employees in the attack, was praised for rebuilding Cantor Fitzgerald and supporting victims’ families.
About 150 first responders from New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania attended the event.
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President Donald Trump posthumously gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther, who died saving lives during the 9/11 attacks. The award was presented to Crowther’s family at an event marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
Key Facts
Welles Crowther was an equities trader and volunteer firefighter.
He died during the 9/11 attacks while saving others.
President Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom after his death.
The award ceremony took place ahead of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Crowther’s mother and sister received the Medal of Freedom on his behalf.
The event was called Steel Across America, which remembers the 9/11 anniversary.
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Newly released documents reveal that toxic air, including asbestos, was present in Manhattan soon after the 9/11 attacks. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and TV host Jon Stewart shared these findings, highlighting that officials had downplayed the health dangers for years.
Key Facts
About 170,000 documents were released about air quality near Ground Zero after 9/11.
Tests showed asbestos was found almost everywhere around the collapse site.
The air was toxic and posed health risks to people in Manhattan after the attacks.
Officials had previously minimized or ignored warnings about these health dangers.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Jon Stewart revealed the documents in a public event.
Mamdani promised his administration will seek transparency and answers about the 9/11 health risks.
Jon Stewart is a 9/11 survivor advocate who has spoken out on this issue before.
The documents provide new information about the dangers faced by rescue workers and residents.
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Lonnie Bunch, the head of the Smithsonian Institution for seven years and founder of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, has announced he is resigning. He said that pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration was not the reason for his decision.
Key Facts
Lonnie Bunch has been the Smithsonian Secretary for seven years.
He also founded the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Bunch announced he is stepping down from his role at the Smithsonian.
He denied that pressure from the White House caused his resignation.
The Smithsonian Institution made the announcement public on September 8, 2026.
No further reasons or details about his departure were provided in the article.
The story is still developing and may include additional information later.
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A federal appeals court has confirmed a decision that stops the IRS from giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the address information of millions of people. The court ruled against ICE’s broad request for these addresses.
Key Facts
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld a lower court’s ruling.
The ruling prevents the IRS from sharing address data with ICE.
ICE requested the last known addresses of millions of people.
The court considered ICE’s request to be too broad and not justified.
The decision protects the privacy of the individuals whose data was requested.
The case focuses on the limits of government agencies sharing personal information.
The ruling is related to how immigration enforcement gathers data.
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The White House removed a game called "Build the Wall" from its website after The Tetris Company said it did not approve the game and called it copyright infringement. The game was a version of Tetris with an anti-immigration theme, where players built a wall to stop “zombie” invaders, differing from the original Tetris rules.
Key Facts
"Build the Wall" was an anti-immigration game that used Tetris-like bricks to build a barrier.
The game did not have the typical Tetris feature where completed lines disappear; bricks stayed to form a barrier.
The Tetris Company said it was not involved in making the game and took copyright infringement seriously.
The White House removed the game shortly after the company’s statement.
The game was one of five simple games added to a new "Arcade" section on the White House website.
Other games inspired by Flappy Bird and Snake were still available on the site.
The Tetris Company protects its games and style through legal actions against unauthorized copies.
The White House has previously used video game imagery for political messaging.
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President Donald Trump shared a video on his social media platform that misleadingly shows King Charles walking away from a man who fainted during a visit. The original video shows King Charles staying close and helping the man, but Trump's edited version removes that part and combines it with clips to highlight himself positively.
Key Facts
President Trump posted an edited video on his Truth Social platform.
The video suggests King Charles ignored a fainting man during a 2020 visit to a supermarket center.
The full original footage shows King Charles reaching out and staying with the man receiving medical help.
Buckingham Palace did not comment on the video, and the White House has not responded.
The video mixes clips of other world leaders with Trump’s own moments honoring US troops and veterans.
Captions in the video describe Trump as "the people's president" and show praise for him.
Trump has previously expressed a positive opinion of King Charles, calling him "the greatest king in my book."
The video was posted on the US Labor Day holiday.
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New York City officials have made public thousands of documents about air quality at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks. These files show that toxic air concerns lasted for months, even though officials told the public the air was safe.
Key Facts
The city launched an online portal with over 170,000 documents from government agencies about post-9/11 air quality and health risks.
The records include 68 boxes of documents, the Harding Memo, and files about World Trade Center 7.
Asbestos was still found around Ground Zero at least 10 months after the attacks.
Officials previously assured the public the air was safe, despite evidence to the contrary.
The Harding Memo, written weeks after 9/11, warned about possible lawsuits from toxic air exposure.
Lawsuits by 9/11 Health Watch over access to information were recently settled.
Some reports showed asbestos levels below safety limits; others showed higher levels but lacked full explanations.
The city will add more documents over time and hire staff to help people prove their exposure to get compensation.
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Reading scores for American students are near their lowest level in 25 years. Students in the United States scored lower than those in Canada, Singapore, and parts of China on an international reading test.
Key Facts
The test is called the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).
American students scored more than 30 points below the average score on reading.
The PISA test compares reading skills among students worldwide.
Scores for U.S. students are close to the lowest in the past 25 years.
Students from Canada, Singapore, and parts of China scored higher in reading.
The results were released on a Tuesday, but the exact date was not given.
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Lonnie Bunch, the leader of the Smithsonian Institution, said he will retire later this year. His decision follows several months of disagreements with the White House under President Donald Trump's administration about how American history is shown at the Smithsonian.
Key Facts
Lonnie Bunch is the Secretary (head) of the Smithsonian Institution.
He plans to retire later in 2024.
Bunch had clashes with the White House led by President Donald Trump.
The disagreements were about how American history should be presented at the Smithsonian.
The Smithsonian will face a leadership change because of his retirement.
The Trump administration has been pushing to change the way the Smithsonian tells America's story.
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President Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to limit the use of mail-in ballots in elections. An election law expert, David Becker, explained that the President’s legal authority to change mail voting rules is limited by current laws.
Key Facts
President Trump requested the Supreme Court to restrict mail-in voting.
The request is part of his ongoing legal battles about election rules.
David Becker, an election law expert, provided analysis on the case.
Becker said the President does not have broad power to change mail voting rules on his own.
Mail-in voting allows people to vote by mail instead of going to polling places.
Election laws set the rules for how voting, including mail-in ballots, is handled.
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A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll shows more Americans consider domestic terrorism a bigger threat than foreign terrorism. About one-third of people said domestic terrorism is the main danger to their safety, while fewer said foreign terrorism.
Key Facts
33% of Americans see domestic terrorism as the biggest safety threat.
20% of Americans view foreign terrorism as the main threat.
The poll was conducted by Reuters and Ipsos.
42% of respondents identified random violent acts as a threat.
The survey reflects public opinion about safety and terrorism in the U.S.
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The Department of Homeland Security, under President Donald Trump's administration, asked the Supreme Court to reinstate a changed immigration verification system. They want it back before the midterm elections because they believe its removal could affect election fairness.
Key Facts
The request was made to the Supreme Court on a Tuesday.
The system in question is called SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements).
SAVE helps check immigration status for various government benefits.
DHS claims the lower court’s order to stop SAVE is harmful to election integrity.
The Trump administration made these changes to SAVE before the midterms.
The DHS wants the system restored quickly for use in the upcoming elections.
The Solicitor General, D. John Sauer, spoke against the district court’s decision.
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Republican strategist Doug Heye criticized President Donald Trump for not using more money from his super PAC to support Republican candidates in the upcoming congressional elections. Heye said the GOP needs stronger financial backing to keep control of Congress.
Key Facts
Doug Heye is a Republican strategist and former communications director for the Republican National Committee.
Heye criticized President Trump on Monday for not directing enough super PAC money to GOP candidates.
The Republican Party is trying to keep control of the U.S. Congress in the fall elections.
Heye spoke about this issue during an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
Super PACs are political committees that can raise and spend unlimited money to support candidates but cannot coordinate directly with campaigns.
The financial support from Trump’s super PAC could impact the success of Republican candidates.
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The article compares the behavior and conflicts in President Donald Trump’s Republican Party to the drama seen in the Reality TV show "The Real Housewives." It shows how loyalty, public feuds, and social status in Trump’s GOP resemble the personal and public disputes played out on the TV series.
Key Facts
"The Real Housewives of New York City" TV show returned to Bravo with Carole Radziwill rejoining the cast.
The show focuses on loyalty, betrayal, and social rank among its cast members, which the article compares to politics in Washington, D.C.
President Donald Trump, a former reality TV star, is said to understand these personal and public conflicts well.
GOP members’ loyalty and status shifts can be public and intense, similar to the show’s drama.
Examples include politicians like Liz Cheney losing her leadership role after opposing Trump, and Marjorie Taylor Greene losing Trump’s support after disagreeing with him.
Social media and “receipts” (proof like texts and screenshots) play a big role in both Housewives drama and GOP disputes.
Politicians can be exiled, return, or switch sides just like reality TV cast members.
While the comparison is not perfect, the article suggests reality TV offers a useful lens to understand political conflicts today.
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Amy Acton, who is running for governor in Ohio as a Democrat, thanked first responders after a man tried to attack her. The attack also injured several other people.
Key Facts
Amy Acton is a Democratic candidate for Ohio governor.
A man attempted to attack Amy Acton during a public event.
Several other people were hurt in the attack.
Acton publicly thanked first responders who helped after the incident.
The event was reported by CBS News journalist Ash-har Quraishi.
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Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, survivors and first responders continue to face health problems. Many struggle with ongoing physical illnesses and mental health issues related to the events of that day.
Key Facts
The 9/11 terror attacks occurred on September 11, 2001.
Survivors and first responders were exposed to harmful dust and trauma during the attacks.
Many have long-term physical health problems, such as respiratory diseases.
Mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and PTSD affect many survivors and responders.
Health struggles continue even 25 years after the attacks.
Programs exist to provide medical care and support for these individuals.
The health effects are a lasting consequence of the 9/11 tragedy.
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The Trump administration claimed that economic growth could balance out the $40 trillion federal debt. However, a government report shows the debt is expected to grow more than twice as fast as the economy in the next ten years.
Key Facts
The federal debt is about $40 trillion.
The Trump administration said economic growth could handle this debt.
A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) disagrees with this claim.
The GAO forecasts the debt will grow more than twice as fast as the economy over the next decade.
This means economic growth alone will not stop the debt from increasing.
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Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee is running for a second full term but faces a strong challenge in the Democratic primary from Helena Buonanno Foulkes. Voters in Rhode Island are also selecting candidates for many other federal, state, and local offices.
Key Facts
Dan McKee became governor in March 2021 after Gina Raimondo left to join the U.S. government.
McKee won a wide victory in the 2022 election for governor.
He is now at risk of losing his party’s nomination, which has not happened to an elected governor since 2014 in the US and since 1994 in Rhode Island.
His main challenger is Helena Buonanno Foulkes, a former top executive at CVS, a Rhode Island-based company.
In the 2022 Democratic primary, Foulkes came in a close second to McKee in a race with five candidates.
Foulkes is related to Chris Dodd, a former Democratic senator from Connecticut.
Rhode Island voters are also choosing nominees for many other government positions this election cycle.
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A trial for Lindsay Clancy, accused of killing her three children in Massachusetts, ended with a deadlocked jury and a mistrial. Clancy’s lawyer asked President Donald Trump to consider giving her a pardon, though the case is under state law where the president does not have direct pardon power.
Key Facts
Lindsay Clancy was charged with killing her three young children in January 2023.
The trial ended in a mistrial because the jury could not agree on a verdict.
Clancy’s lawyer asked President Trump to consider pardoning her.
President Trump described the case as a “tragedy” and “a shame.”
Clancy’s defense said she suffered from postpartum psychosis, a severe mental illness after childbirth.
A forensic psychiatrist testified that Clancy was psychotic at the time of the killings.
Jurors were mostly in favor of a not guilty verdict, but couldn’t reach a unanimous decision.
The judge’s mistrial ruling means Clancy could face another trial.
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