Pooling the Blame

Good afternoon. This is the Afternoon Sun newsletter for Sept. 11, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

While former presidents and New York politicians gathered at the World Trade Center to memorialize the 25th anniversary of 9/11, President Donald Trump oversaw the anniversary at the Pentagon this morning. He and Pete Hegseth sought to connect the events to the ongoing Iran war, thanking service members for working to ensure “the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror — the Islamic Republic of Iran” can’t develop a nuclear weapon.

The contractor who renovated the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool told the Trump administration that errors in its own work — not vandalism — had caused the feature’s blue liner to break loose.

THE HILL

Swing district Republicans kept their distance from this week’s midterm convention.

Sen. Jim Justice (R-West Virginia) failed to properly submit an annual report detailing his billion-dollar personal fortune, blowing past a legal deadline despite requesting and receiving two extensions, The Sun’s Mark Alfred found.

THE ADMINISTRATION

The DOJ is investigating the Los Angeles Clippers’ salary cap circumvention scandal.

The EPA is proposing to drastically weaken environmental restrictions on oil and gas wells that produce little energy but release vast amounts of methane, ProPublica reports.

The CIA released dozens of intelligence documents it sent to Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in the months and years before the 9/11 attacks, The New York Times reports.

THE COURTS

A federal appeals court blocked the Trump administration’s effort to keep a Michigan coal plant open past retirement.

The Texas Supreme Court knocked down implementation of a Galveston County redistricting plan officials adopted after the state’s March primaries, saying it cannot be used in November.

THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

James Talarico decried ABC’s decision not to air his interview with Jimmy Kimmel as “the most dangerous form of cancel culture.” The Texas Senate candidate said “government censorship should be a concern to all of us, regardless of our political party.”

THE SUN PERSPECTIVES

Here are five short essays on 9/11 — by people who were born after 9/11, from The Sun’s opinion arm.

THE PEOPLE ARE REAL

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe and Erik Schutz. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at newsletters@washsun.com.