None of their sting all these years later. [ Bell Ringing ] 20 years feels like an eternity, yet it still feels like yesterday. Until we meet again, my love, rest in peace. [ Bell Ringing ] gather round the River Bend, for death is not the End Cause ill see you in my dreams the most moving and most terrifying, perhaps most meaningful accounts of what happened on 9 11 are of course told by the people who were there, the people who survived. One of those survivors, joe ditmarr, is with me now. Joe, thanks so much for being with us. You were on the 105th Floor of the South Tower World Trade Center 20 years ago today. Unfortunately very few people on floors as high as you were on are with us today. Take us back to that moment that the tower was struck. It was the tower beside you that was struck. What did it sound like, what did it feel like . Did you realize what had happened . What was going through your mind . Thats the incredible part for us, jim. We were in an enclosed Conference Room on 105 with four walls and no windows and a door. And so when that building was struck, our lights flickered. We didnt see, feel, or hear anything, just that flicker of lights. But as good fortune would have it, a gentleman from the company we were visiting came in and conversed us, all 54 of us, to leave that Conference Room and head to the closest fire stairwell, which is what we all did. And i know everybody got out of that room because i was the last guy out. Wow. And 17 minutes later, your tower was hit. What was that moment like . Oh, my gosh. You know, youre in this fire stairwell, which is nothing more than a concrete bunker. This thing all of a sudden starts to shake back and forget so violently. The concrete spidering out, the handrails breaking away from the walls. The steps were like waves in the ocean, undulating underneath our feet. We feel this Heat Ball going by us, we smell jet fuel. This thing just keeps rocking back and forth, back and forth. It felt like forever. Maybe it was seconds, maybe a minute. You would think we would have responded with pandemonium but we all responded with basically a stunned silence. And you said, quote, The Sound of hundreds, thousands, maybe Tens Of Thousands of people on the streets of New York all screaming the same bloodcurdling screaming all at the same time, its the first thing i hear in the morning, its the last thing i hear at night, every day, it doesnt go away. Does this anniversary, 20 years later, feel different . I wish i could say yes. But this is no different than the day after, september 12th, 2001. It is a circumstance that weve lived through, weve seen things. Its always going to be with us. The whole experience, whole horror, the whole terror. But survivors like myself, we have to be able to manage that circumstance. And thats what we choose to do. I choose to do it by talking, like im talking with you tonight about this and about the experience. And when were you able to contact your family that day . Yeah, it was it was quite wild, because the main Cell Tower for all of Southern Manhattan was out with the North Tower being struck and landlines were overmatched. It took almost 5, 5 1 2 hours, to finally get ahold of someone. Landlines were just really tough to get and Cell Service was bad. The first person i got was my mom. And i always kid and say, calling your mom is like calling cnn, because everybodys going to know, okay . And it was great that she was able to start communicating. The most important call i wanted to make was to my wife. I didnt get her until about the seventh hour. I know that she knew i was out, but i dont think she believed it until she got that Phone Call from me. The last hour, i spoke with a widow, terry stradda, who lost her husband in the attacks. She said she would like to see this country go back to september 12th, meaning how close people were, how united this country was. Do you remember it that way . Do you long for that . I do. I certainly long for that. Weve heard it a Lot Today from the president , from the Vice President , from lots of other speakers. You know, our strength is in our unity. And its really, really true. We saw in the building, when that building was struck and we were in that fire stairwell, there were people in there that were in real need, coming off of crutches or canes or out of a wheelchair. And guys just like you and me were helping these people down the steps, both physically and emotionally. And that right there, that togetherness, there was no black or white, there was no jew or christian, there was no red or blue. It was just Human Beings. And thats what we need to strive for every day. How do we get back to that . Im not sure. Keep doing good things, is what i keep talking about doing. Keep telling the story about that unity, about that togetherness, about the way the country was able to gel together. And the more i can talk about it, the more i have the opportunity to. I can only hope one person hears me and passes it on to somebody else. I think weve just got to understand, like we said, that our strength is in that unity. We dont have to be uniform, like the Vice President said, we just have to unify. And thats what we have to do. Thats what we have to do, no question about it. Joe ditmarr, thanks for joining us, and thanks for telling your story tonight. I appreciate you having me. Thanks a lot. Thanks so much. Many americans who survived Ground Zero talked to me about what they saw that week. Each individual story is different but there is commonality. 9 11 for them wasnt just one day. Its been a lifelong experience. Reporter 20 years later, at Ground Zero. The grief is still palpable. Here in lower manhattan, where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood. The lives lost are never forgotten, thanks to a community of survivors keeping the memories of the fallen alive. Now retired new York City firefighter Brian Maguire was working as a paramedic that day as he watched the second Plane Slam into the towers before rushing to the scene. Within hours, Friends He considered family were gone, along with the nearly 3,000 people who died on 9 11, in New York, at the pentagon, and in shanksville, pennsylvania. 11 members from rescue 5 were killed the morning of september 11th. Mike was driving. Lieutenant harvey harold. All these members here worked the night into the day or the day tour. And they killed all 11. There was only one survivor from that firehouse that day, billy spade. And i was honored to see him last week. Still with us, yes. Billys my hero. They were all great guys. Lieutenant harvey harrell, jeff palazzo. He was a younger member of the company. He was actually also in the coast guard. Nicky rasamundo. His nickname was nicky love. He had the biggest smile on his face, youll never see a man with a bigger smile. John bergen. Big Football Player for the fire department team. He was getting ready to open up a bar. A few weeks before the World Trade Center happened. All great guys. Reporter heroes. Absolutely. Never forget. Its like yesterday. We miss our friends. Reporter maguire now works with other first responders to help access the federal funds available to treat the 9 11related illnesses like cancer plaguing Tens Of Thousands of Police Officers, firefighters, and other survivors to this day. It must still affect you, to think about the people who were lost here. What comes to mind . Its every day. Were the lucky ones. A lot of our friends that died from 9 11, from cancer. It affectis every firefighter, every first responder, every day. Reporter then there are the office workers who happened to be caught up in the chaos of the Crashing Towers and the aftermath. Some of them are still showing up at Health Fairs to learn how they can get help too. This man has kidney cancer, diagnosed years after he walked home covered with dust. My wife said i was covered with dust everywhere. By the time i left, around 5 00 or 6 00 that day, Water Street was six inches of it looked like snow, six inches of ash down Water Street. Thats pretty far from the World Trade Center site itself. Reporter Attorney Michael Barish works with survivors battling the lingering health fallout. I was down there, even after the epa told me us the air was safe, i knew it wasnt, but they told us it was, i wanted to do my part and reopen my office. Since then, my secretary died, five other people in my office got cancer. Were a microcosm of every other office, and at least we know about these programs. The vast majority dont. Reporter so many of these stories are also told at the 9 11 museum where columns from the Trade Center and a mutilated Fire Engine Stand silently as vivid reminders of the violence unleashed on 9 11. But Museum President Alice greenwald says theres a message for visitors that towers over anything. That there once was a time when americans stood united. This attitude that we can help one another, that we can be of service to our community and our nation, thats a lesson i want people to come away from this museum thinking about, particularly at a moment when we are so polarized and so fragmented as a society. We know how to do that. The question we want people to ask themselves is, does it take an event like 9 11 to remind us how to be the Human Beings we have the capability of being . This past year We Saw a little bit of the same thing in response to covid. Those people standing on their balconies, Clapping And Cheering at 7 00 every night in New York for the front line responders. That was 9 12. That was that moment. And when you come reporter it was fleeting, though. It was fleeting, again. Our task as Human Beings is to ask ourselves what is it that gets us to be what we have the capability of being, good Human Beings . Reporter the lessons of 9 11 are also being passed from parents to their children. As Brian Maguire told us, his teenage son is preparing to become a firefighter just like his dad. My son is 18 years old. Wasnt born. But seeing what im going through, i think he understands how its still affecting people today. And im glad hes taking my footsteps to be a fireman. He just graduated the fire academy. Hes going to be a firefighter. Im proud to see hes going to carry the Firefighting Tradition on in our family. Reporter maguire also remembers the sense of Unity And Patriotism that rose from The Ashes in the days following 9 11. Hundreds of people. Hundreds of people were waving american flags. Reporter 20 years later, the survivors of 9 11 are fighting to keep that memory alive too. And our thanks to everybody down there for telling their story. We appreciate it. He was a Ground Zero rescue worker. Next well talk to Congressman Carlos Jimenez about the 20year anniversary, the first without troops on the ground from the u. S. In afghanistan. He has a unique story to tell as well. Youre live in the cnn newsroom. I was drowning in student loan debt. I was in the process of deferring them, paying them. Then i discovered sofi. Completely changed my life. Lower interest rate. My principal is going down. Sofi is a place where you can start to tackle those money goals today. Compared to where i was three years ago, im kinda killing it. Wet dishes . Residue . Spots . Its not your dishwashers fault. Simply add Finish Jetdry 3in1 to rinse, dry and shine your dishes. Solve 3 problems at once with Finish Jetdry 3in1. Tempurpedics mission is to give you truly transformative sleep. So, no more tossing and turning. Because only tempurpedic uses a proprietary material. That adapts and responds to your body. So you get deep, uninterrupted sleep. And now save up to 700 on adjustable mattress sets. Why Bother Mastering something . Why handtune an Audio System . Why include the most advanced active Safety System in its class. Standard . Because when you want to create an entirely new feeling, the difference between Excellence And Mastery is all the difference in the world. The lexus es. Every curve, every innovation, every feeling. A product of mastery. Get 1. 9 Apr Financing on the 2021 es 350. Experience amazing at your lexus dealer. vo at tmobile for business, unconventional thinking means we see things differently, so you can focus on what matters most. Whether its ensuring food arrives as fresh as when it departs. Being first on the scene, when every second counts. Or teaching biology without a lab. We are the leader in 5g. 1 in customer satisfaction. And a partner who includes 5g in every plan, so you get it all. Without tradeoffs. Unconventional thinking. Its better for business. As new York City Buildings K disintegrated on 9 11, it was clear the Recovery Effort would be unprecedented. It took 3 Million hours of labor to clean up 2 Million tons of debris. I want to bring in florida republican congressman jimenez. He worked Search And Rescue operations at Ground Zero with the Florida Emergency Task force that rushed to new York City after the attacks. Congressman, im so glad youre able to talk with us about your experience, because people may forget or may not know all of these firefighters, all of these rescuers who came from across the country to help out. Yeah, there was a number of, there was hundreds of firefighters from all around the country that came. My florida Task Force 2, which is a team i created, was called upon by fema to go up with florida Task Force 1. All of the Task Forces from fema were called to search for the victims, initially search and then recover afterwards. It was my honor to be with them on september 21, ten days after the attack, we were on the pile, and they were working. I was there at the time, i was the city manager, the city of miami, there with my Fire Chief to sphow my support, to work wih them and make sure they had everything they needed to get the job done. Were looking at pictures you sent along of your crew there at the scene. What was that work like . What do people need to understand about what that work was like . The work was incredibly dangerous. You dont get the scale of the site and the disaster unless you were actually there. There were voids that if you took a wrong step, you would fall 60 feet and seriously injure yourself if not kill yourself. It was incredibly dangerous. I also recall telling the Fire Chief, my friend, i said, hey, theres really some bad stuff in the air here and we need to make sure our people are protected as much as possible. Little did we know that years later, they have over 250 new York City firefighters that were working on that site that died subsequent to it because of all the things they breathed in, all the different cancers that have sprung from all those people that were actually trying to work on that site. And so, you know, theres more than just 343 firefighters that died. Theres another 250 firefighters that died subsequent to that, that are also victims of 9 11. We can never forget the sacrifices they made also. And tell me why. Why did you go . Why did you and the men that you worked with Pick Up and just go to help . Well, thats what firefighters do. You know, firefighters go in when people are running out, firefighters go in. And as i was watching the events unfold and i was watching those towers fall, you know, i turned over to, again, my Fire Chief who was there with me and i said, theres a lot of firefighters who just lost their lives. All those firefighters knew what they were getting into. They all knew what the chances were that there was a good chance they would not come out alive, yet they all went in. So when we were called upon to help those firefighters find some of them, find the people that are caught in the rubble and then later recover them, thats what firefighters do, not just in New York. Theyll do it, all firefighters across the nation, were about the same breed. Its a brotherhood, a sisterhood, and thats what we do. We respond to, when people are running out, we run in and we do our duty. When i was down at Ground Zero this week, i ran into a big, tall firefighter named dennis who he was up there helping pay tribute to the firefighters and the other first responders who lost their lives that day. Can we talk about this issue of unity in the united states . This is something that several of our Guests Today have talked about, congressman. How do we get back and i know you know this because you were there. How do we get back to that day, maybe we wont get back, but how can we recapture that spirit of a country coming together like we did in the days after 9 11, or is that too is that too naive to think that that could happen, that that only occurs after a catastrophic event . What do you think . Look, what happened on 9 11, 9 12, we were all americans. We were all united as one. And thats the difference between then and now. Right now, we have too many forces trying to accentuate the differences among us. Instead of saying, hey, these are some of the shared values that we have as americans, and theres more that unites us than pulls us apart. But unfortunately we have way too many people and too many entities that really want to accentuate the negatives, not so much the negatives but just the differences, instead of what unites us as a nation. This nation always comes together in times like 9 11, just like the day after pearl harbor. 80 of people did not want to enter World War ii on december 6. On december 7, we all united and had a common cause. Thats the same thing that happened on september 11th. I hope we dont need such an event to become a more unified country. Well never be completely unified, but a more unified country. But unfortunately there are folks and forces trying to separate us. Former President George W. Bush made some comments that jumped out to a lot of folks today. He was comparing domestic extremists with foreign extremists. Lets play a little bit of that and ill just get your quick thought on that on the other side. And we have seen growing evidence that the dangers to our country can come not only across borders but from violence that gathers within. There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home. But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit and it is our continuing duty to confront them. And i know you are greatly concerned about what you saw and experienced on january 6. Your thoughts on what the former president had to say today, that message that he chose to put into that speech. Well, i think, look, we have extremists on both sides, and extremism on either side should be condemned. All acts of violence need to be condemned. So i think the president is right. We have extremists that are inside our country right now. What their ideology is, is really to me not that important as to what theyre trying to do to this country. And again, what theyre trying to do to this country is trying to tear us apart, which is what i spoke to, you know, before. We have to remember, as a nation, that we are one nation, that were all americans, and that we have a shared, you know, set of values. And thats what we need to focus in on and then reject those extremes from the right or the left that are trying to tear us apart. Congressman carlos giminez, thank you for your time, thank you for sharing your experiences from 9 11. Its important for americans to see at this time. President george w. Bush equating the u. S. Capitol rioters to foreign terrorists. This as more insurrectionists plead guilty. A live report, next. With our unique tub over Tub Installation in just a day, Bath Fitter doesnt just fit your bath, it fits your busy schedule. Why have over Two Million people welcomed Bath Fitter into their homes . It just fits. Bath fitter. Call now or visit bathfitter. Com to book your free consultation. Ok everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. Whoo hoo ensure, with 27 vitamins and minerals, now introducing ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. In 2016, i was working at the Amazon Warehouse when my brother passed away. And a couple of years later, my mother passed away. After taking care of them, i knew that i really wanted to become a nurse. Amazon helped me with training and tuition. Today, im a medical assistant and im studying to become a registered nurse. In filipino youll always be in my heart. You founded your Kayak Company because you love the ocean not spreadsheets. You need to hire. I need indeed. Indeed you do. Indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. Visit indeed. Com hire thanks for coming. Now when it comes to a financial plan this broker is your man. Lets open your binders to page 188. Uh carl, are there different Planning Options in here . Options . Plans we can build on our own, or with help from a financial consultant . Like schwab does. Uhhh. Could we adjust our plan. Yeah, like if we buy a new house . Mmmm. And our son just started working. Oh do you offer a complimentary Retirement Plan for him . As in free . Just like schwab. Schwab look forward to planning with schwab. Subway® has so much new it didnt fit in our last ad. Like the new artisan italian and hearty multigrain bread. Its the eat fresh refresh™ at subway®. Its so much new theres no time for serena wait, what . sorry, we dont even have time to say they were created by World Class bakers oh, guess we did seriously . my bad. Another day, another chance. Make the most of it with the network that can deliver Gig Speeds to the most businesses. And get the advanced Cybersecurity Solutions you need with Comcast Business Securityedge. Ask how to get Comcast Business Securityedge to help protect all your connected devices. And get started with a great offer on fast and reliable Internet And Voice for just 64. 99 a month. Plus, ask how to get a prepaid card up to 500. Call or go online today to learn more. Comcast business. Powering possibilities. As we mentioned before the break, former President George W. Bush used the Memorials Today to call out domestic terrorists. A man pled guilty today to threatening to shoot nancy pelosi, saying he would, quote, put a bullet in her noggin on live tv. Cnns Marshall Cohen joins us now. Marshall, what kind of sentence is this Man Facing . Jim, he could get as much as five years in prison but it will probably be less. His name is Cleveland Meredith Jr. , he pled guilty to one count, so one crime of making threats against speaker pelosi. They werent empty words, jim. He came to washington, d. C. From colorado in his truck. He had guns, he had ammunition, and he sent these threats. It could be five years based on the law. Prosecutors with the justice department, as part of the plea deal, they said they wont ask for more than two years. When sentencing comes, with the judge, i should point out, he has been in jail all year so hes probably going to argue he should get credit for time served. So well see. Where do things stand with the other defendants right now . So theres about 600 of them, more than 600 of them, about 10 have pleaded guilty already. Look, some of the most serious cases, the really severe stuff, assaulting police, bear spray, using a Flag Pole to beat the daylights out of Police Officers, those folks havent really made it to the end of the process. Theyre still waiting. We wont expect to see heavy sentences get handed out quite yet. But we have seen about a few dozen guilty pleas so far. And look, people are taking responsibility, some of them. And others are still sticking to their story that this was a setup, that it was the fbi, that it was antifa. So were really seeing the two different types of rioters, ones that are ready to accept Responsibility And Move on, and others that are still sticking to this Extremist Narrative thats causing so much Danger And Chaos in our society. Yeah, those conspiracy theories, alternative facts, thats not going to work in a courtroom. Marshall cohen, thanks so much for that report, we appreciate it. Right now the nation is marking the first 9 11 anniversary without u. S. Troops on the ground in afghanistan. Tomorrow night, cnns Jake Tapper takes a closer look at americas longest war and asks the tough questions about what went wrong. Heres a preview. 2 trillion. Thousands of lives lost. Was the war worth it . Before i go to my grave, ill ask that question answered. What went wrong in afghanistan . I dont think we had a good definition of winning. Corruption was one of the reasons of how things turned out. Was pakistan our enemy . No. But pakistan was not our friend. The tough questions that still need answers. If everybody gets an a but the overall effort is still an f, who do we hold accountable . Every day can be extraordinary with rich, creamy, Delicious Fage total yogurt. Mm. [ clicks tongue ] i dont know. I think they look good, man. Mm, smooth. Uh, they are a little tight. Like, too tight . Might just need to break em in a little bit. You dont want em too loose. For those who were born to ride theres progressive. With 24 7 roadside assistance. Okay. Think im gonna wear these home. Excellent choice. Oh my, with Chase Freedom unlimited, i earn all this cash back . Oh, i gotta tell everyone. Hey rita, you can earn 3 on dining, including takeout bon appetit. Hey kim, you earn 5 on travel purchased through chase way ahead of you. Hey neal, you can earn 3 at drug stores buddy, im right here. Why are you yelling . Because thats what i do youre always earning with 5 cash back on travel purchased through chase, 3 at drugstores, 3 on dining including takeout, and 1. 5 on everything else you buy. Chase. Make more of whats yours. When i get a migraine, i shut out the world. But with nurtec odt thats all behind me now. Nurtec can now treat and prevent migraines. Dont take if allergic to nurtec. The most common Side Effects were nausea, stomach pain, and indigestion. Ask your doctor about nurtec today. We are the next. The next generation of visionaries. Rule breakers. Game changers. And world beaters. We were built to perform on the biggest stages. But we certainly arent here to do whats been done before. And neither are we. At Palo Alto networks, we are ready to secure our digital future. As companies innovate to transform, we innovate to outpace cyberthreats. So you can embrace technology with confidence and make the next day safer than the one before. Weve got next. Breyers is always so delicious. I can tell that they used your milk, matilda. Great Job Moo youre welcome. Breyers natural vanilla is made with 100 grade a Milk And Cream and only sustainably farmed vanilla. Better starts with breyers. man so when in doubt, just say, let me talk to my manager. Next, carvanas 100 online shopping experience. Oh, man. Carvana lets people buy a car get this from their couch. Oh, how disruptive. No salesman there to help me pick out the car i need. How does anyone find a car on this site without someone like us Checking In . Shes a beauty, huh . Oh, golly laughter i can help you find the color you want. That sounds nice. Let me talk to my manager. vo buy your next car 100 online. With carvana. Its been 20 years to the day now since the terror attacks of 9 11, a day that paralyzed our nation. But it was the world of sports that in many ways helped america get back on its feet. This afternoon i spoke to the man who led the new York Yankees to four World Series victories. Former manager joe tory. I asked him about that unforgettable moment when thenPresident George W. Bush threw out the first pitch a few weeks after the attacks. I remember everything. You know, pretty much everything. You know, there were rumors that he was going to be there. We had just come in from arizona. We had lost the first two games of the World Series. And, you know, whats interesting, jim, is, you know, both managers and both general managers always meet in the umpires Dressing Room before the first game in that particular ballpark. We did it in arizona. We were doing it here at yankee stadium. And you walk in, and you do the ritual, you shake hands with everybody, the six umpires who have the game. And all of a sudden there was an umpire i didnt recognize. Come to find out later on, well, actually i saw it there, was the Secret Service man. He was dressed as an umpire. And i think i mentioned something about, obviously he was armed, and, you know, tried to bring some levity to the thing, i said, its about time they armed you guys, meaning the umpires. But it was powerful. And i was at the end of the runway coming from the clubhouse to the dugout. And i welcomed President Bush. He comes, i mean, charging out, and says to me, he says, joe, he says, youre going to kick their Butts Tonight . I said, well, i hope so. And with that he went passed me and went brinkskly up to the sts and up the mound. Found out later, obviously, he went to the top of the mound and pitched from the pitchers rubber. He had warmed up with Derek Jeter in the Batting Cage underneath the stands. And of course, only jeters dry wit, said to the president , he says, where are you going to throw the first pitch from . If you dont throw from the top of the mound, theyre going to boo you, this is yankee stadium. And another thing, dont bounce it. So the president had a little bit of pressure put on him by our captain. But he went out there and threw a strike, and again, came off the mound, everybody cheered him. It was a great moment for everybody, because it was sort of a security blanket, after, you know, 9 11, and not too far after 9 11, that the president of the united states chose coming to throw out the first pitch in New York instead of arizona, because of, you know, what had happened. Our thanks to joe torre. Coming up, 9 11 taught us about unity. Why 20 years later do we seem more divided than ever . Some thoughts ahead. First, the man who was president on that day 20 years ago on the heroic passengers of united Airlines Flight 93. 20 years ago, terrorists chose a random group of americans on a routine flight to be Collateral Damage in a spectacular act of terror. The 33 passengers and seven crew of flight 93 could have been any group of citizens selected by fate. In a sense, they stood in for us all. The terrorists soon discovered that a random group of americans is an exceptional group of people. Facing an impossible circumstance, they comforted their Loved Ones by phone, braced Each Other for action, and defeated the designs of evil. These americans were brave, strong, and united in ways that shocked the terrorists but should not surprise any of us. This is the nation we know. You sure you want to leave that all behind . Yeah. Stay restless with the rx. Crafted by lexus. Experience amazing at your lexus dealer. What happens when we Welcome Change . We can make Emergency Medicine possible at 40,000 feet. Instead of burning our past for power, we can harness the energy of the tiny electron. We can create new ways to connect. Rethinking how we communicate to be more inclusive than ever. With app, cloud and anywhere workspace solutions, vmware helps companies navigate change. Faster. Vmware. Welcome change. Much has been said about how this country came together in the days after 9 11. Forgive me for a few moments as i offer my own reflections. Ill never forget the moment when i saw the second plane hit the World Trade Center. I was working as a reporter in chicago at the time. But for days after september 11th, 2001, i would wake up in the morning and ask myself, did that really happen . Maybe you did that too. I remember President George W. Bush with his bullbullhorn, vow the u. S. Would respond. I can hear you. [ cheering ] i can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people [ cheering ] and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear All Of Us soon. [ cheering ] in the weeks following 9 11, i covered the heroic efforts at Ground Zero and saw the workers standing on the pile. I cannot erase the images in my mind of the photos of missing people taped to atm machines. I also remember the country coming together. Firefighters and Police Officers across the country traveled firefighters and Police Officers traveled together to lend a hand. Lawmakers stood on the steps of the capitol and sang god bless america, brave soldiers went to afghanistan to hunt down the terrorists who attacked this country. Our allies joined us. We were united. It was a remarkable time because for a while there werent two realities or two americas. Generally we knew what happened that day. We knew what needed to be done. There was talk of a post 9 11 world, our lives had changed. There were small sacrifices for most of us. We had to accept additional security at airports. Other americans like the rescuers from 9 11 and our men and women in the Armed Forces sacrificed so much more. But somewhere and its hard to pinpoint exactly when, we lost our way. We turned away from afghanistan and invaded iraq, a costly distraction that prolonged the war. Our Service Members and their families had to deal with multiple deployments to wars that felt endless. We had a financial crisis that almost triggered another great depression and laid bare the vast inequities in our society. Yes, there were historic moments that made so many americans proud. America elected the first black president. The u. S. Did hunt down osama bin laden, but something else happened to us, we didnt just become divided. We let hate into our hearts for Each Other. There was an expression used after 9 11, all gave some, some gave all. We dont really do that anymore. Some of us dont want to give anything at all. We live in separate worlds now. We dont agree on the same facts anymore. We cant even agree on wearing masks or getting vaccinated to end this pandemic. Our children our choice. My Kids Cant be vaccinated. Mask up. You dont hit me in the mouth. You spit on me. I didnt spit on you. You did so. In the last two days, more people died from covid than on 9 11. Maybe we should put the virus on the list of most wanted terrorists in this country. Its a war. Lets win it. We dont hold hands and sing in unison on the capitol steps anymore, far from it. Our divisions have exposed a different vulnerability than the one exploited on 9 11. We appear to be capable of destroying ourselves. Its a dark reality that sadly we all share. Tonight i have a thought. Instead of focusing on what divides us, the masks, the vaccines and the rest, spend some time on one thing that hopefully unites All Of Us. This hallowed ground. And our love for the people who died there, the lights at Ground Zero, rising from the darkness and into the heavens in memory of those who gave all. May we also remember how we came together in the days after 9 11. Never forget. Never forget. We can be this country again. As those lights soar into the sky tonight, lets hope. Thats the News Reporting from washington, im jim acosta. Ill see you back here tomorrow at 4 00 p. M. Eastern. Up next, dont Mess Victor blackwells special report, Front Row to history, talking to the class President Bush was visiting when he first learned of the attacks. In the meantime, never forget, have hope, and good night. Ill see you in my dreams when all our summers have come to an end ill see you in my dreams well meet and live and laugh again ill see you in my dreams yeah up around the River Bend for death is not the end because ill see you in my dreams walter, twelve o clock. Get Em Boy [cows mooing] that is incredible. Its the multiflex tailgate. It can be a step, it can even become a workspace. I meant the cat. Whats so great about him . He doesnt have a workspace. The Chevy Silverado with the available multiflex tailgate. Find new adventures. Find new roads. Chevrolet. Subway® has so much new it didnt fit in our last ad. Like the new app with customization, curbside pickup and delivery. Theres so much new, we dont even have time to show you whos holding this phone. Bet you dont treat brady this way. Come on, man you clearly havent seen the other ads. Its the eat fresh refresh™ at subway®. People with moderate to severe psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis, are rethinking the choices they make like the splash they create the way they exaggerate the surprises they initiate. Otezla. Its a choice you can make. Otezla is not an injection or a cream its a pill that treats differently. For psoriasis, 75 clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. For psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. And the otezla Prescribing Information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. Dont use if youre allergic to otezla. It may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. Tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. Some people taking otezla reported weight loss. Your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. Upper respiratory Tract Infection and headache may occur. Tell your doctor about your medicines and if youre pregnant or planning to be. Otezla. Show more of you. You have the best pizza in town and the worst wait times. You need to hire. I need indeed. Indeed you do. Indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. Visit indeed. Com hire the following is a cnn special report. 16 kids. My mom, she took a little bit of extra time getting me prepared for the day. The children were facing President Bush and myself. School kids with a Front Row to history. Good morning. When he walked in the room, i was like, oh, my gosh. Thats him. This is actually the president , i could touch him if i wanted to reach out. Until the unimaginable happened. A plane has crashed into one of the towers