US remembers 9/11 as pandemic changes tribute traditions

NEW YORK (HRNW) — Americans are commemorating 9/11 with tributes that have been altered by coronavirus precautions and woven into the presidential campaign, drawing both President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden to pay respects at the same memorial without crossing paths. In New York, a dispute over coronavirus-safety precautions is leading to split-screen remembrances Friday, one at the Sept. 11 memorial plaza at the World Trade Center and another on a nearby corner. The Pentagon’s observance will be so restricted that not even victims’ families can attend, though small groups can visit the memorial there later in the day. Trump and Biden are both headed — at different times — to the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Trump is speaking at the morning ceremony, the White House said. Biden plans to pay respects there in the afternoon after attending the observance at the 9/11 memorial in New York. Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence is also due at ground zero — and then at the alternate ceremony a few blocks away.