Push to Reopen Liberty's Crown

Liberty Island staying open during renovation

(NEWSER) - If you want to get inside America's most famous statue, you'll have to do it before Oct. 28—or wait at least a year. The Statue of Liberty will close for a year after the 125th anniversary of its dedication, for a major renovation to improve safety and make the interior more accessible, AP reports. Liberty Island will remain open during the renovation and views of the statue will be largely unobstructed. More»

GOP slams AG's 'dangerous mentality'

(NEWSER) - Republican leaders are sharply criticizing the Obama administration’s decision to prosecute Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in civilian court. John Boehner called the plan to try the confessed planner of the 9/11 attacks in New York "irresponsible” and accused AG Eric Holder of "reverting to a dangerous pre-9/11 mentality." Said the House minority leader: "The possibility that Khalid Sheik Mohammed could be found ‘not guilty’ due to some legal technicality just blocks from Ground Zero should give every American pause." More»

Accused terrorist bomber ordered to face charges in New York

(NEWSER) - Najibullah Zazi may have been planning a bomb attack in New York on the anniversary of September 11th, a federal prosecutor said today. “There is a chilling, disturbing sequence of events showing the suspect was intent on being in New York on Sept. 11,” said Assistant US Attorney Tim Neff. A judge has ordered Zazi to face charges in New York, where he may appear in Brooklyn Federal Court tomorrow. More»

(NEWSER) - The crown of the Statue of Liberty will be open for business again July 4, the first time since 9/11. NPR collected a few facts about Lady Liberty you might not know:

• The 7 spikes: Liberty's crown does not symbolize the 7 continents or seas, as even the National Parks Service reports. They're sun rays, and the circle is a "nimbus."
• She's so heavy: The statute is made of 31 tons of copper, 125 tons of steel, and the base consists of a whopping 27,000 tons of concrete.

Though some are 'disgusted,' witnessing the 'Falling Man' is vital, author says

(NEWSER) - The “Falling Man” photo reproduced worldwide has disappeared from respectable media, Tom Junod writes in Esquire, but to avert our eyes is to pretend the horrific choices made Sept. 11, 2001, don’t exist. “We have somehow taken it upon ourselves to deem their deaths unworthy of witness,” Junod writes of “the jumpers,” “because we have somehow deemed the act of witness, in this one regard, unworthy of us.” More»