Three things for September 11
1. Orange skies cover San Francisco as fires burn
A wildfire northeast of San Francisco has exploded in size, growing 250,000 acres in a day and forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes.
The smoke from the fire mixed with fog, casting San Francisco in an orange glow. At least seven people have died in the fires across California, Oregon and Washington and fierce winds are expected to continue to drive the unprecedented infernos.
"When the smoke and ash get even thicker close to the wildfires, it can cut the sunlight out completely, making it look like the dead of night," said CNN meteorologist Judson Jones.
2. Social distancing guidelines impacting 9/11 memorial
Two ceremonies in New York City mark the 19th anniversary of 9/11 after plans were altered for the ground zero ceremony at Sept. 11 memorial plaza. The combative divide in ceremonies comes after the memorial’s decision to suspend a cherished tradition of relatives reading victims’ names in person. A second, unofficial ceremony will be held at a corner near the World Trade Center.
Tensions over anniversary plans increased when the memorial announced last month it was cancelling the Tribute in Light — a ceremony where the twin blue beams shine into the night sky over lower Manhattan.
The memorial orignially expressed concern over virus risks to the installation crew, but soon announced the ceremony was back on.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted, “I am glad that we can continue this powerful tribute to those we lost on 9/11 and to the heroism of all New Yorkers.”
Vice President Mike Pence is expected at both remembrances in New York, while President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden plan to attend a ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.
The Flight 93 memorial is trimming its usual 90-minute ceremony, partly by eliminating musical interludes. Memorial spokeswoman Katherine Cordek said the names of the 40 people killed there would be read, but by one person instead of multiple family members.
3. Bob Woodward releases audio of Trump admitting to downplaying coronavirus dangers
On Wednesday, investigative journalist Bob Woodward released audio of his interview with President Donald Trump, during which the president admitted he knew the virus was airborne, contagious, and “more deadly than even your strenuous flus” in February — three weeks before the first coronavirus death in the United States.
“Now it’s turning out it’s not just old people, Bob. But just today and, and yesterday, some startling facts came out,” Trump told Woodward on March 19. “It’s not just old, older…young people too, plenty of young people.”
President Trump acknowledged that he intentionally played down the deadly nature of the coronavirus last winter as an attempt to avoid a frenzy amongst the American people.
“I wanted to always play it down,” Trump added. “I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”
Woodward spoke to the president and other White House insiders on the record, and on tape, for a new book called ‘Rage’ that is set to be released on Sept. 15.
