It’s Your Week. 20 years ago, history changed forever. – USA TODAY
Twenty years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001, life in the United States changed.
Where were you? It’s something Americans remember deeply. Many were at work or at school. Perhaps you were at the park or, if on the West Coast, still sleeping.
I was at a doctor’s appointment with my sister and mom in Fort Belvoir, an Army base located outside of Washington D.C.
My dad was at the Pentagon. On the television in his supervisor’s office, he watched as tragedy unfolded at the World Trade Center in New York City. Then, there was a huge thud and rush to get outside. He was on the side opposite of where Flight 77 crashed, killing 184 people.
My dad came home. For 2,000 kids, their parent never did. In all, nearly 3,000 people died.
I’m Alex, and this is Your Week, an email you can count on every Monday to round up the top stories from USA TODAY. Our journalism is powered by your subscription.
The USA TODAY Network has extensive coverage planned for the 20-year anniversary of 9/11. Our reporters explore how that day defined a generation and how a vision for New York’s memorial blossomed into a piece of the city’s everyday fabric.
USA TODAY’s reporters were there for it all, writing the first draft of history. From our archives:
- Delay meant death on 9/11: How survivors’ quick decisions saved their lives
- Inches decided life, death on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center
- Disaster within disaster: World Trade Center elevators created more tragedy
- 20 people miraculously survived the collapse of the twin towers. These are their stories
- ‘Clear the skies’: Behind the unprecedented call to stop air travel on 9/11
Flash forward to today
The nation’s longest war, inextricably tied to 9/11, has ended in chaos and criticism. And the work isn’t nearly over, writes Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page. Thousands of Afghan refugees need to be resettled around the world. It’s likely to take years. Many see a moral obligation to protect Afghan women and girls from Taliban rule.
And stateside, New York City is facing a different, history-altering catastrophe — the COVID-19 pandemic. We ask: Can it recover?
More must-read news coverage
- Secret vaxxers? Some Americans are getting COVID-19 vaccinations but not telling anyone.
- Scam calls are selling student loan forgiveness. Don’t fall for it.
- Is that a deal breaker? The most common relationship-ending conflicts.
- Southern hospitals have lost thousands of workers. Those who remain are exhausted.
- Ready for football? One pressing quarterback question for each of the 32 NFL teams entering the 2021 season.
- The Texas abortion ruling has renewed criticism of the Supreme Court’s ‘shadow docket.’
Spotlight on climate change
It’s not just your imagination. Experts say a warming Earth has supersized weather events like snowstorms, heat waves, wildfires and hurricanes.
Last year the U.S. logged 22 billion-dollar disasters, the most in history, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. This year, there have been eight through June.
Hurricane Ida, which struck Louisiana with 150 mph winds and more than a foot of rain, deluged every state in its path as it swept Northeast — killing more than 60 people. But the storm is just the latest in a series of extreme weather events across the country.
Dive even deeper
Super vaxxed | The Biden administration has promised that come Sept. 20, anyone who wants a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine will be able to get one, as long as they are at least eight months past their second shot. But pulling that off may be challenging, and experts have raised questions about whether it’s a good idea at all.
Beyoncé is 40 | When she was a child, Beyoncé said she dreamed. As a teenager, she hustled. In her 20s, she built a formidable career. In her 30s, she started a family. On the eve of 40, Beyoncé says all those years of digging, healing and growth have brought her to this moment. In some ways, she feels she’s just begun. Experts say we need a new cultural narrative around turning 40, especially for women.
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Thank you for reading! Until next week,
Alex