NPR 2011-09-11

 The Flight 93 National Memorial was dedicated today near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the United 93 plane crashed on September 11th, 2001. It’s believed the men who hijacked the plane planned to crash in Washington, but they were stopped by some of the passengers and crew. At today’s ceremony, former President Bill Clinton said those who interfered were ordinary people given no time at all to decide and they did the right thing.

 
“They saved the Capitol from attack, they saved God knows how many lives, they saved the terrorists from claiming the symbolic victory of smashing the center of American government.”’
 
Former President George W. Bush also spoke. He said those aboard Flight 93 performed one of the most courageous acts in US history.
 
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama visited Arlington National Cemetery today to pay tribute to the military personnel killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. NPR’s David Schaper reports the First Family then helped prepare meals for the homeless in Washington DC to commemorate the September 11th, a National Day of Service and Remembrance.
 
Mr. Obama and the first lady walked hand in hand through section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery. It’s where members of the military killed in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. Those two conflicts have killed more than 6,200 American military personnel. The Obamas stopped to talk with members of a couple of families who appeared to be visiting grave sites. They chatted a few minutes, posed for pictures and shook hands and hugged. The Obamas and their daughters later went to DC Central Kitchen to help prepare meals that are delivered to homeless shelters, halfway houses and senior citizen centers. While scooping chicken sausage gumbo into serving pans, the president said outstanding programs like this and the volunteers are part of the spirit of what remembering 9/11 is all about - the country being unified and people looking out for one another. David Schaper, NPR News.
 
The swollen Susquehanna River is falling today after flooding low-lying areas of Pennsylvania’s capital Harrisburg. Craig Layne from member station WITF has more on how people are cleaning up.
 
People who live in and work in some of the city’s riverfront neighborhoods have been able to start pumping water out of their homes and businesses. Chris Fantons, a partner with a financial advisory firm that saw its building almost surrounded by river water.
 
“Fortunately, we didn’t get any water on the first floor, but the basement was filled to the ceiling. So we’re pumping out now, about 1,000 gallons a minute coming out of it, and they could add it for a couple hours now.”
 
The Susquehanna crested early yesterday morning at more than eight feet above flood stage. A state of emergency and nighttime curfew are expected to remain in effect through tomorrow. For NPR News, I’m Craig Layne in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country is committed to peace with Egypt despite violent protests outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo. A riot involving hundreds of Egyptians began last night and continued into this morning. 
 
This is NPR News.
 
A ship sank off the coast of Tanzania early this morning. Officials say at least 192 people were killed; about 570 people were rescued. Witnesses say several survivors clung to a single life jacket for hours before being picked up. It’s not clear how many were aboard, but officials believe there were hundreds more than the ship was allowed to have. The ship sank in deep water between mainland Tanzania and Pemba Island, a popular tourist destination.
 
NASA is monitoring a 20-year-old research satellite that will fall back to Earth sometime in the next few weeks. NPR’s Nell Greenfieldboyce reports pieces of the old satellite are expected to survive a fire reentry.
 
The big satellite weighs around six tons. Nick Johnson is a space junk expert at NASA.
 
“This is the largest NASA satellite to come back and control for quite a while.”
 
He expects about two dozen pieces of the satellite to plummet to the ground. The biggest will weigh around 300 pounds, but he says it is very unlikely the debris will hit anyone or damage property. NASA will be able to provide better information on the timing of the reentry as it gets closer. Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR News.
 
Two US space probes are on their way to the moon. NASA launched a Delta II rocket carrying the probes from Cape Canaveral, Florida this morning.
 
“3, 2, 1, 0. And lift off, of the Delta II with GRAIL, journey to the center of the moon.”
 
It will take nearly four months for the unmanned spacecraft to reach its destination. It won’t land, but it will orbit the moon about 35 miles above the surface to conduct research.
 
I’m Nora Raum, NPR News in Washington.