Beltway Insider: 9/11 Attacks Remembered, COVID/Vaccine Totals, Biden/Vaccine Mandates

President Biden was joined at the World Trade Center Memorial in New York City by three former presidents and their wives along with former Mayor Michael Bloomberg to honor the fallen and remember America's darkest day.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, for the period ending September 12, 2021, decreased by 1.4% to 45.8% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness increased by 1.7% percentage points to 48.6%, Marking the first time in the Biden presidency that his disapproval rating has been higher than his approval rating. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.


Beltway Insider: Biden/Kabul/ISIS Attack, Hochul, COVID/Vaccine Totals, RFK Killer, Charlie Watts


World Trade Center Ceremony

President Biden and First lady Dr. Jill Biden joined former President Barak Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush and former President Bill Clinton, and former Secretary of State and First lady Hillary R. Clinton, at the National September 11 Museum and Memorial on Saturday for the solemn services.

Other dignitaries, including former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who championed The World Trade Center and National September 11 Museum and Memorial site, New York Governor Kathleen Hochel, and former New York Governor George Pataki on Saturday, to commemorate the lives lost twenty years ago when Al-Qaeda terrorists attacked New York City and slammed two planes loaded with 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the twin towers forever changing America.

They joined the families of the fallen, whose names were read during the ceremony as they vowed to never forget those that were lost by senseless acts of violence twenty years ago.

"President Biden paid tribute to 9/11 victims in visits to all three sites where people were killed. Although he did not deliver formal remarks, he recorded a video in which he described "the central lesson" of Sept. 11. "It's that at our most vulnerable, in the push and pull of all that makes us human, in the battle of the soul of America, unity is our greatest strength," he said," The Washington Post reported.

September 11, 2001

On this twentieth year, the recollections of "that day" which shocked the world have filled international media with the most memorable images of impact, of fireballs, of horrifying disasters, and the unseen of ash covered survivors.

Children, now adults, who never met their parents, simple scheduling changes that cost lives, loved ones who never understood the depth of the love they had realized in one moment as they tried to sum up a lifetime of memories lost in the few minutes left. These are the recollections of September 11, 2001, that have circulated over the past week.

Ten years ago, at the ten-year anniversary former Mayor Michael Bloomberg said these words, "Let us remember not only the agony and anguish of the attacks, but how we channeled our pain into something positive and powerful. Let us remember not only how the towers fell, but how we rose up, determined to defend our freedoms. And let us remember that when we unite as Americans, and when we put patriotism ahead of partisanship, there is no challenge that this country can't meet. That — that — is the ultimate lesson of our past decade."

Now, twenty years since the graphic horror, the anguish of those moments, have paused, momentarily while we redirect our thoughts to other days, other times, other seasons, and events. And until every person who ever knew, or had any connection, to any of these 3000 souls has died the memories of the fallen will remain alive, burning as a beacon and remembered.


Twenty Years: 9/11 Attacks – A Date That Will Live in Infamy*


Shanksville, Pennsylvania

As onlookers gathered Shanksville Memorial, some questioned whether Americans are living up to the ideals that stopped a complete triumph for Osama bin Laden's terror network.

"Are we worthy of their sacrifice?" asked Gordon Felt, whose brother, Edward, was a passenger on the doomed flight. "Do we as individuals, communities and as a country conduct ourselves in a manner that would make those that sacrificed so much and fought so hard proud of who we've become?," The Washington Post reported.

This sentiment has been echoed by others, as the Capital siege of January 6, a treasonous uprising by Americans against democracy, and other events facilitated by fringe groups even recently which lead President Biden to vow retribution for the Kabul attack, "To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgive.  We will not forget.  We will hunt you down and make you pay.  I will defend our interests and our people with every measure at my command," he said in a televised speech.

President George Bush

Former President George W. Bush, who was notified America was under attack while sitting in front of a classroom full of children, spoke at Shanksville Memorial, where United Flight 93, crash landed after the passengers decided with limited resources to storm the cabin and stop the terrorists, and essentially take back our freedom.

Addressing the families, dignitaries, leaders and mourners who still ache over the loss, the former President said, "In those fateful hours, we learned other lessons as well. We saw that Americans were vulnerable, but not fragile – that they possess a core of strength that survives the worst that life can bring. We learned that bravery is more common than we imagined, emerging with sudden splendor in the face of death. We vividly felt how every hour with our loved ones is a temporary and holy gift. And we found that even the longest days end."

The story of United Flight 93, on route to the Capital, the last of the four planes hijacked has been remembered especially this week, as we reached this milestone of 20 years since, in an unfathomable twist of fate, lives were lost, others spared, the fateful words were spoken and a wellspring of courage surged from the flight attendants who understood the likelihood of success were slim, to the passengers who joked they had plastic knives, and even knowing the odds were against them, they rose to the task, to fight or die, and became a rallying cry of courage and bravery remembered still, 7,300 days later.


World News: The Taliban Remains Trapped by Association


"Many of us have tried to make spiritual sense of these events. There is no simple explanation for the mix of Providence and human will that sets the direction of our lives. But comfort can come from a different sort of knowledge. After wandering long and lost in the dark, many have found they were actually walking, step by step, toward grace," former President Bush said.

Pentagon Ceremony

The 184 lives lost in the Pentagon Attack were remembered on this 20-year mark, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, spoke in a video recorded message. He offered his deepest condolences to the families of the brave, the fallen. He spoke of leadership of being entrusted with the legacy left behind by the courageous men and women who rose to the occasion.

"American will always lead, and we do know the North star that will guide us it's the core values of our democracy and the principles of our constitution. 20 years later, we still defend the nation from this building," he said.

Former President Trump

Former President Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump did not attend the National September 11 Memorial. He made a surprise visit to both a New York City Police prescient and a New York Fire Station. He hinted that he has made up his mind as to whether he will run again in 2024.

"Trump, who told Fox News's Sean Hannity in July that he had made a decision on whether to run again, explained Saturday that he could not yet reveal his plans, citing restrictions from campaign finance laws," The Hill.com reported.

Saudi's Cleared of Involvement

Another milestone in the 20 years since the September 11, 2001, attacks came with the announcement the CIA would be declassifying documents which prove the Saudi Arabian government played no role in the terrorist attacks.

"Ahead of the declassification, the Saudi embassy in Washington welcomed the release and once again denied any link between the kingdom and the hijackers, describing such claims as "false and malicious," the document was declassified on the 20th anniversary of the deadliest terror attacks on US soil - almost 3,000 people were killed after four planes were hijacked - and is the first of several expected to be released," BBC.com reported.

Taliban Flag Fly's Over Afghan Presidential Palace

On this 20th anniversary, the mission in Afghanistan which begun February 2002, as America moved to send a definitive message to those who attacked our nation. The war in Afghanistan was long and challenging and as the end was near, the Taliban reinforced their ideals, killing 13 American soldiers.

In blitzkrieg style, the Taliban charged across the nation and on this anniversary raised their flag above the Presidential palace. While many would question if the objectives of Afghanistan were met. To do that one would need to question the objectives: The single goal was to kill Osama bin Laden and dismantle the Al-Qaeda network. During that time, the Islamic State rose, with the same terrorism tactics, an eighty-nation coalition moved against the ISIS organization until it was dismantled.

"The Taliban did not issue a formal statement on the anniversary of the al-Qaeda terrorist attacks that preluded them being driven from power 20 years earlier. But the image of the flag served as another reminder of the militant group's stunning return after two decades of fighting U.S.-led forces. The Taliban overwhelmed Afghan troops and stormed back into Kabul last month as the United States was ending its military presence," The Washington Post reported.

Vaccine Totals

Bloomberg.com has built a vaccine tracker which can be seen here. "In the U.S., 380 million doses have been given so far. In the last week, an average of 750,118 doses per day were administered," Bloomberg.com reported.

Coronavirus Totals

While the infection rates of the coronavirus have continued to decline around the world. A new strain, a mutation, has created global concern for leaders around the world are determining the best direction for the protection of the population. The importance of maintaining personal protective practices is imperative to controlling the spread.

For the week ending September 12, 2021, coronavirus cases globally increased by 8,393,033 new confirmed cases, bringing the total of confirmed cases worldwide to 224,353,710 people with a total worldwide death toll of 4,624,747 deaths, a weekly death rate increase of 132,324. (Data from The New York Times).


Medical Science: COVID-19 - Shall We Rush to Get the Biden Jab


COVID US Totals

Infections rates in the United States are also on the rise. For the week ending September 12, 2021, the total confirmed cases rose to 40,988,382 people with new confirmed cases increasing by 2,158,331 with a 14-day average of 154,166 cases per day. The coronavirus has claimed 659,556 total deaths, adding 22,479 more deaths to the total of lives lost due to the coronavirus. (Data from The New York Times).

Vaccine Mandates

As many are comfortable with the new normal, living with the pandemic, the determination of the Biden Administration to enforce vaccination, short of signing an executive order or demanding congress enact a bill, has moved one step forward this week.

Beginning with mandating all federal employees receive a vaccination, employers around the nation have followed his lead and created or slightly modified the mandate. With more than 177 million Americans vaccinated and now adolescents, who unfortunately has seen the highest rise in cases, have begun the vaccination process.

"The President dramatically expanded the reach of vaccination requirements, requiring — through a rule OSHA is developing — that all businesses with 100 or more employees ensure every worker is either fully vaccinated or gets tested at least one time a week; requiring all workers in most healthcare settings that receive Medicaid or Medicare to be fully vaccinated; requiring all federal executive branch employees and all employees of federal contractors to be fully vaccinated; and requiring all Head Start educators and teachers and staff of all federally run schools to be fully vaccinated," said Jeff Zients, the Head of President Biden's Covid-19 team.

For more information on President Joe Biden www.whitehouse.gov.

Sources: Various © Articles covered by Copyright protection.

Haute Tease