Ground Zero at 25 years

The 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks brought renewed attention to two long-running efforts: identifying the roughly 1,000-plus World Trade Center victims (out of nearly 3,000 killed) whose remains have never been matched, and pressing for accountability from Saudi Arabia over alleged ties to the hijackers. New York's medical examiner's office said it had identified 1,654 of 2,753 World Trade Center victims -- about 60% -- using DNA technology that continues to improve, most recently a whole-genome method called forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG) that allows matches to more distant relatives; forensic anthropology director Angela Soler said the office still fields weekly calls from families and has no plans to stop testing. Juliette Scauso, whose firefighter father Dennis died in the South Tower and whose remains were never recovered, said she has chosen not to be notified if his remains are eventually identified, calling it part of how she has 'learned to live and grieve.' At the anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero, attended by Vice President JD Vance and all living former presidents, 9/11 Families United chair Terry Strada -- whose husband Tom died in the North Tower -- accused successive US administrations of 'protecting the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families' and urged Trump to release further unredacted records; the appeal followed a 2025 federal court ruling that allowed related civil claims against Saudi Arabia, which has denied involvement, to proceed toward trial.

The ceremony was also marked by political controversy over New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's attendance, which more than 110,000 people had petitioned him to skip over his past associations and his appointment of an attorney who had represented a Guantanamo detainee linked to al Qaeda; several mourners, including relatives of victims, told reporters they found his presence 'disrespectful,' while others said he had a right to attend as mayor. Separately, a firefighter was filmed confronting a pro-Palestinian protester dressed as Elmo near the memorial, and Mamdani was seen briefly greeting his 9/11-era predecessor, former mayor Rudy Giuliani, during the ceremony.