Why aren’t politicians speaking at the World Trade Center Sept. 11 memorial?
Elected officials won’t speak Tuesday at the World Trade Center site for the first time since two hijacked airplanes crashed into the trade center’s twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum, whose chairman is New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, decided that this year’s ceremony would include only relatives reading victims’ names in a way to honor the victims free of politics in an election year. Politicians may attend. Some victims’ relatives have praised the decision, but others say it smacks of politics as the governors of New York and New Jersey have voiced their displeasure with the memorial foundation over progress on the memorial museum.
How long will Congress be in session?
Congress isn’t expected to be in session more than two weeks — not long at all. Then lawmakers will take a break until after the Nov. 6 presidential election. Afterward, they’ll return for their lame-duck session. During the current session, legislators are expected to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government running, and not much else. Dealing with the “fiscal cliff” will wait until at least the lame-duck session.
Why is Ritz Camera shutting down?
Add Ritz Camera to the list of victims that technology made obsolete. The 94-year-old Beltsville retailer once had the largest chain of specialty camera shops, but it received court permission to liquidate after failing to find a buyer willing to keep its 137 stores open. The news comes as Kodak — another victim of the digital age — said it has cut about 2,700 employees since the beginning of the year and will cut another 1,000 before the end of the year, as it tries to come out of bankruptcy protection.
