By J.C. Bruce
Today is the 600th day of Donald Trump’s second term and the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Two unforgettable tragedies on the same day.
But let’s not make today about Trump, despite all his efforts to interject himself into the history of that awful day by suggesting he had to be rescued by first responders from Ground Zero.
Remember, he also claimed to have seen thousands of Islamic people celebrating the collapse of the Twin Towers in New Jersey, which was a complete fabrication.
And, in a typical show of his lack of class, he also offered this about his major downtown property:
“40 Wall Street actually was the second-tallest building in downtown Manhattan, and it was actually, before the World Trade Center, was the tallest—and then, when they built the World Trade Center, it became known as the second-tallest. And now it’s the tallest.”
For Trump, it’s always about him.
But about 9/11:
If you are at all like me, you may find it hard to believe it's been 25 years since that shocking day.
It seems like yesterday that I was in the newsroom in Dayton, Ohio, watching the second hijacked jet slam into the Twin Towers, and Tim Gaffney, a reporter who covered the sprawling Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, turned to me and said, “We’re at war.”
And he was right.
And unfortunately, so were the people who said, “This changes everything.”
I remember writing at the time that if that prediction for the future of our country were true, then the terrorists had won.
And to the degree that this disaster ushered in—or at least accelerated—the surveillance state we live in now, and paved the way for xenophobic ICE thuggery, I stand by that prediction.
Our children were teenagers at the time, and for them, 9/11 was a horror that disrupted their childhood and altered their worldview forever, much like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy distorted ours.
It was transformative in other ways, too. At least for a short while.
For a brief time, America felt united.
Nothing like a common enemy to pull a tribe together.
As New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said at the time:
“The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead, we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom.”
Hard to remember that spirit, given the venomous atmosphere of division that clouds our contemporary culture.
I’m in Delaware as I write this, just a mile or so away from former President Joe Biden’s house.
And while we all may wish Biden had played his decision to run for a second term differently, one of his recurring messages still resonates today:
“There is more that unites us than divides us.”
Today is a great time to reflect on that, and how we can use our power as voters to change our country's trajectory for the better.
Update on the news: Federal appeals court upholds ban on Trump’s mail-in voting suppression scheme
A federal appeals court has shot down the Trump administration’s scheme to disrupt mail-in voting for the midterm election.
An appeal before the Supreme Court is still pending, however.
A three-judge panel on the First Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected the White House’s request to reverse a lower court’s block on new Postal Service rules for mail-in ballots, which would have given USPS the authority to reject and return ballot mailings.
The judges’ ruling was direct:
They said there is “no record evidence of past fraud or a likelihood of impending fraud” tied to the November election, and agreed with the district court that the rule may violate the Constitution’s Elections Clause by allowing an executive agency to regulate elections in a way reserved for states and Congress.
Here’s the exact text:
About a week before the States were to begin mailing ballots for the upcoming federal election on November 3, 2026, the United States Postal Service (the "Postal Service" or "USPS") issued a new rule regulating voting by mail that could prevent millions of Americans from obtaining and returning their ballots for that election. See Ballot Mail for Federal Elections, 91 Fed. Reg. 54966 (Aug. 26, 2026) (to be codified at 39 C.F.R. pt. 111) (the "Final Rule"). Litigation ensued that resulted in a preliminary injunction preventing parts of the Final Rule from taking effect. The district court concluded that the Final Rule was likely unconstitutional because the United States Constitution assigns to the States the authority to administer elections subject to alterations imposed by Congress. The court determined that Congress had provided no authority for the Postal Service to promulgate a rule that regulates the manner of elections. It also found that, as a practical matter, it would be impossible for States to comply with the Final Rule's detailed requirements in the time remaining before the November 3 election, thus resulting in the potential disenfranchisement of millions of voters across the country. Appellants, various federal officials and entities as well as Intervenor States, have filed motions to stay the preliminary injunction. The Postal Service also requests an administrative stay. The motions are denied.
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J.C. Bruce
I was working across the bay from the World Trade Center on that clear day. It was a panoramic view of lower Manhattan when the first plane hit we all thought it was a small plane but as the plume of smoke started to rise we all realized it was not so.
I could see stuff falling down but later realized it was people jumping. Then minutes later a second plane hit the other tower it was no accident. One of my coworkers turned white his daughter worked in one of those towers, then I realized that one of my relatives also worked in there. Then there was this large puff of smoke and the tower was gone soon after the same happened to the second tower. I took many pictures during this disaster but could not bring myself to watch them. Soon after I deleted all of them.