Longform

A city torn apart

By Helen O’Neill · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 3:08 a.m.

As night fell, the city moved past the nightmarish scenes of people on fire jumping from buildings and braced itself for more pain: picking through the rubble for the dead and the injured.

In the most devastating terrorist onslaught ever waged against the United States, hijackers crashed two airliners into the World Trade Center on Tuesday, toppling its twin towers. The world watched on television as another plane slammed into the Pentagon and a fourth crashed outside Pittsburgh.

Indiana goes into state of alert

Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 2:16 a.m.

The state of Indiana went on alert following Tuesday's apparent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, tightening security at courts and government offices as residents watched in disbelief the surreal television coverage of the disasters. The assault on national landmarks shocked many Hoosiers.

World reacts to U.S. attacks

By Beth Gardiner · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 1:46 a.m.

LONDON -- Governments around the world offered condolences to an America that looked more vulnerable than ever after Tuesday's terror attacks, but thousands of Palestinians celebrated in the West Bank and in Lebanese refugee camps.

After attacks, U.S. embassies authorized to close; several in Mideast shut down

By George Gedda · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 1:21 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- In response to the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, several U.S. embassies shut down Tuesday. The State Department urged embassies worldwide to take necessary security precautions. Several U.S. embassies in the Middle East decided to close indefinitely. The American Embassy in Japan opted not to open Wednesday, and the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela shut down at least through Wednesday and built concrete security barriers.

Government probe focuses on bin Laden, intel intercept

Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 1:18 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. officials began piecing together a case linking Osama bin Laden to the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history, aided by an intercept of communications between his supporters and harrowing cell phone calls from victims aboard the jetliners before they crashed on Tuesday.

Attacks could push teetering economy into recession, economists say; Fed to pump in cash

By Martin Crutsinger · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 1:16 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The terror attacks in the nation\'s business and government capitals may push the teetering economy into recession, analysts suggested. The Federal Reserve said it stood ready to pump extra money into the economy if needed to try to avert such a development.

Taliban condemn attacks in U.S., deny bin Laden\'s involvement

By Kathy Gannon · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 1:13 a.m.

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghanistan's hardline Taliban rulers rejected suggestions that Osama bin Laden, whom they are sheltering, could be behind the devastating terrorist attacks in the United States Tuesday. "We have tried our best in the past, and we are willing in the future to assure the United States in any kind of way we can that Osama is not involved in these kinds of activities," the Taliban's foreign minister, Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil, told reporters.

Bush puts government on highest alert, says terrorists will be brought to justice

By Tom Raum · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 1:11 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- President Bush and congressional leaders sought to calm a shaken nation and show the government was functioning and determined after Tuesday\'s deadly terrorist attacks. From the Oval Office, Bush pledged to \"find those responsible and bring them to justice.\"

Consumers line up for gasoline amid fears supplies will be disrupted in wake of terrorist attacks

By Brad Foss · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 1:08 a.m.

NEW YORK--Anxious consumers in various parts of the country lined up for an hour or more to fuel up on gasoline costing as much as $5 a gallon amid fears supplies would be disrupted following Tuesday\'s terrorist attacks. As gasoline wholesalers and retailers quickly raised prices, the nation\'s largest oil companies immediately tried to allay consumers' worries by freezing their prices and pledging to keep distribution steady.

Sports comes to standstill following terrorist attacks

By Ronald Blum · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 1:05 a.m.

Sports came to a standstill Tuesday in the wake of terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, with major league baseball postponing a full schedule of regular-season games for the first time since D-Day in 1944. The daily grind of professional and college practices halted as athletes and their coaches tried to come to grips with the tragedy.

Golfers react to terrorist attacks

By Doug Ferguson · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 1:03 a.m.

ST. LOUIS -- Tiger Woods teed off at dawn, when the world was at peace. First reports of terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and then the Pentagon were relayed to him by Joe Corless, a retired FBI agent who heads security for the PGA Tour and walked the practice round with him at Bellerive Country Club.

NASCAR cancels qualifying, practice

By Jenna Fryer · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 1 a.m.

NASCAR on Tuesday canceled qualifying for the New Hampshire 300 following terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, but the sanctioning body made no decision concerning the race itself.

Nation's armed forces on worldwide alert following terrorist attacks

By Susanne M. Schafer · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 12:57 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Air Force F-16s patrolled the skies over Washington, Navy warships were sent to Manhattan, and military commanders ordered forces on highest alert after Tuesday's terrorist attacks.

Olympic officials evaluate security

By Rich Vosepka · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 12:56 a.m.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Stunned Olympic officials said Tuesday that security for the 2002 Winter Olympics will be completely re-evaluated in the wake of terrorist attacks on America. But they vowed the games will go on as planned five months from now.

Newspapers cover attacks with extra editions, expanded papers

By Douglas J. Rowe · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 12:54 a.m.

"TERROR." The word screamed in banner headlines across the country Tuesday, as newspapers put out extras, added pages and dropped ads to report the boldest terrorist attacks ever on U.S. soil. One of the many papers that used that single word was the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel with a subhead saying: 'Attacks rip Trade Center, Pentagon, America's Soul.'

PGA postpones tournaments

Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 12:52 a.m.

ST. LOUIS -- The PGA Tour canceled Thursday's starts of the World Golf Championship and two other tournaments because of terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

Major League put on hold

By Nancy Armour · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 12:46 a.m.

MILWAUKEE -- Baseball commissioner Bud Selig and his wife were in New York last Thursday night, and decided to take a drive through the city after dinner.

Internet slow after terrorist attacks

Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 12:39 a.m.

NEW YORK -- Internet traffic slowed and major news Web sites were jammed Tuesday as people craving details on the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks flooded online.

Jet crashes in Pa., passenger reported hijacking in phone call

By Todd Spangler · Wednesday, Sept. 12,2001 12:39 a.m.

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. - A passenger on United Airlines Flight 93 called on his cell phone from a locked bathroom and delivered a chilling message. "We are being hijacked, we are being hijacked!" Minutes later the jetliner crashed in western Pennsylvania with 45 people aboard, the last of four closely timed terror attacks across the country.