Nation pauses to remember September 11 on 25th anniversary | First Thing

An American flag flying near the base of the destroyed World Trade Center in New York in 2001. Photograph: Peter Morgan/REUTERS View image in fullscreen An American flag flying near the base of the destroyed World Trade Center in New York in 2001. Photograph: Peter Morgan/REUTERS First Thing: Nation pauses to remember September 11 on 25th anniversary Commemoration ceremonies to be held around the world for the nearly 3,000 killed in 2001 terror attack on US. Plus, JD Vance sets out his stall as heir to Donald Trump Good morning. It is a sombre day for the nation as people gather to mourn and remember the nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks on September 11 2001, when 19 al-Qaida hijackers seized control of four airliners, slamming two of the planes into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the fourth into a field in western Pennsylvania. We have comprehensive coverage of the anniversary, which will be marked by ceremonies around the world. There are stories of the day from people who were there. Stanley Praimnath and Brian Clark were two of only four individuals known to have survived above the impact zone in the south tower, and they spoke to our Washington bureau chief David Smith. Anna Sweeney Rossman was five when her mother, Amy Sweeney, a flight attendant, was killed onboard American Airlines flight 11, and she spoke to Ramon Antonio Vargas about how the events of that day have cast a shadow on her life. CIA veterans spoke to Robert Tait about the chaos and confusion in the agency as the unprecedented attacks unfolded, and Guardian readers have told us about how September 11 changed their lives. Jason Burke, our international security correspondent, writes that while al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden may have shaken the world on 9/11, it is clear today his wider plans failed. But we also have to acknowledge that the world’s most powerful country responded to the worst terrorist attack in its history by inflicting terror of its own – around the world, and at home. This read from David Smith outlines how the day saw heroes emerge showing the best of America, and then the response of US governments left a dark legacy – Guantánamo Bay, the Abu Ghraib scandal – which continues to unfold to this day. Those who remember September 11 will never forget the haunting images of that day, including the missing people posters that were put up in the confusing aftermath of the collapse of the towers in New York. Captured by the photographer Phil Buehler, they will form part of a new exhibition, and some can be viewed here. As we look back on a day that reshaped our world, our thoughts remain with the victims, their families, and all those whose lives were irrevocably changed 25 years ago. In other news … View image in fullscreen A person at the Republican national committee midterm convention wears decorative Trump-themed faux currency on his hat. Photograph: Kent Nishimura/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump’s promise of a $5,000 “Trump dividend” for every US citizen if Republicans retain control of the US Congress in November’s midterm elections has sparked incredulity and accusations of bribery. With his approval rating at a historic low, Trump brought down the curtain on the Republicans’ first ever midterm convention by pleading with supporters to do him “the biggest favor” and “pretend” they are voting for him in November’s US elections. JD Vance, meanwhile, made a clear pitch that he should be the heir to Trump with a blistering speech that featured exaggerated claims of success, criticism of the Democrats as “lunatics” and an aggressive dismissal of a protester waving a Mexican flag. A US appeals court has rejected Trump’s attempt to impose sweeping restrictions on mail-in voting before November’s high-stakes midterm elections, dealing a fresh blow to the president’s attempted crackdown. Anthropic has detailed efforts by bad actors to misuse its AI for the production of bioweapons. More researchers and staff members at the AI startup have posted their own dire warnings about the safety of the technology, but Elon Musk called the chorus of concerns a “setup” and a “psyop”. California has adopted what Gavin Newsom described as “nation-leading” legislation that bans addictive social media features for young users, regulates companion chatbots and implements new safeguards around AI. Sales of previously occupied US homes declined in August to their slowest annual pace in more than a year as home shoppers grappled with rising mortgage rates and home prices. Stat of the day: $15m fund launched to create ‘unstoppable momentum’ to end FGM worldwide View image in fullscreen Gambian activists Rohey Cham and Sainabou Sey. Photograph: Malick Njie/REUTERS Leaders in the fight against female genital mutilation, which has affected more than 230 million women and girls worldwide, have welcomed an unprecedented $15.5m fund aimed at creating “unstoppable momentum” to finally end the practice. Culture pick: Is Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman’s agelessness the real trick of Practical Magic 2? View image in fullscreen Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in Practical Magic 2. Photograph: Landmark Media/Alamy Katie Edwards asks the awkward question about Practical Magic 2, would Hollywood have brought the franchise back from the dead if the intervening 28 years looked more visible on Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman? Don’t miss this: ‘We can’t stop for a second’ – tracking South Korea’s stalkers in real time View image in fullscreen An alert shows on a computer screen. Photograph: Raphael Rashid/The Guardian Raphael Rashid reports from Seoul on an app that has allowed survivors – who are overwhelmingly women – to see exactly where their stalker is. If they come within a kilometre, an alert is passed to police and probation authorities, who can call and notify the victim. … or this: I turned off my algorithm for 24 hours – is this how social media used to be? View image in fullscreen Caitlin Cassidy restarts her algorithm. Illustration: Guardian Design “There are no more posts from accounts that you follow from the past 30 days” is a message we have long since stopped seeing on Instagram. In the wake of a government decision to insist companies provide algorithm opt-outs, my Australian colleague Caitlin Cassidy tried to turn her social media experience back to 2012. Climate check: English winemakers expect ‘vintage year’ after record-breaking summer heat View image in fullscreen A vineyard in West Chiltington, England. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images While drought in France has been bringing predictions of a fall in wine production, English winemakers are benefiting after record-breaking summer heat quickly ripened grapes. It isn’t all good news for British drinkers though – beer sellers have warned of a potential shortage after the high temperatures caused poor yields of barley. Last Thing: Diana’s ‘revenge dress’, worn when Charles revealed infidelity, up for auction View image in fullscreen Diana wearing her ‘revenge dress’ in 1994. Photograph: Princess Diana Archive/Campbell Addy for Sotheby’s Worn by Diana the same night Charles would reveal his infidelity on TV, the black, fitted, off-the-shoulder, skintight and short Christina Stambolian dress was quickly labelled “the revenge dress” by the media. This month it will go on display at Sotheby’s auction house in London, before travelling to Hong Kong, Geneva and New York, where it will be sold. If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com Explore more on these topics US news First Thing newsletter news Share Reuse this content