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Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Monday, June 29, 2026
More Information about Our Lives.
The last moments of Aaliyah was filled with excitement and tragedy. Aaliyah appeared on BET's 106 and Park on August 21, 2001. She announced that the shooting of the video for the single Rock the Boat is to be directed by Hype Williams. She said that the filming will start in the following day. Hype Williams was already a legend of filming R&B and hip hop music videos. Nearly sixty people worked on the video in the Bahamas. On August 22, 2001, Aaliyah traveled to Miami, Florida and film dance routines backed by a green screen during the day, with underwater shots for the video in the evening. On August 23, Aaliyah and employees of Virgin Records America flew to the Bahamas on two flights using a Fairchild Metro III, chartered through Sky Limo. She was scheduled to leave the Bahamas on August 26, but chose to leave the day before since she had finished early. Williams recalled, "Aaliyah left mid-production, so we were still shooting when she left." Aaliyah worked with Fatima Robinson, one of the greatest choreographers of our generation. Fatima is a great dancer and music video director too. Fatima and Aaliyah were great friends (they worked together on the Aaliyah music videos of Are You That Somebody?, Try Again, We Need a Resolution, and More than a Woman). The New York Post printed one of the last photographs taken of Aaliyah, with a fan who wanted it as a souvenir, but wrongly labeled it as having been taken just before the crash flight departed. The photo was in fact taken when Aaliyah arrived in the Bahamas on Thursday, August 23. The music video of Rock the boat was filled with massive dances, a tropical environmental, and Robinson's signature, hip hop type of choreography. The first part of the music video was created in Miami with an extensive 9-hour soundstage shoot and underwater sequences in a diving pool. The 2nd part of the production was filled in The Bahamas with the iconic beach and yacht performances. Those performances were some of the greatest performances in R&B history. The song Rock the Boat is self-explanatory about its themes of romance and love making.
On Saturday, August 25, at 6:50 p.m. (EDT), after she had completed her portions of the music video, Aaliyah and Virgin employees boarded a twin-engine Cessna 402B (registration N8097W) at the Marsh Harbour Airport, on the Abaco Islands, for the return trip back to Opa-locka Airport in Florida. The aircraft designated for the return flight was smaller than the one on which they had originally arrived, but it still had room to take on the whole party and all of their equipment. The passengers had grown impatient because the Cessna was supposed to arrive at 4:30 p.m. EDT, but did not arrive until 6:15 p.m. EDT. Charter pilot Lewis Key claimed to have overheard passengers arguing with the pilot, Luis Morales III, prior to take off, adding that Morales warned them that there was too much weight for a "safe flight". Key further stated: "He tried to convince them the plane was overloaded, but they insisted they had chartered the plane and they had to be in Miami Saturday night." Key indicated that Morales gave in to the passengers and that he had trouble starting one of the engines.
The following is what much of the public didn't know until 2021. According to Kathy Iandoli's 2021 biography, Aaliyah was a nervous flier. She had serious reservations about flying on the small, overloaded plane and refused to board. After arguing with the rest of her entourage about it, she retreated into a taxicab to rest, claiming that she had a headache. One of the passengers was sent to check on her and proceeded to give her an unidentified pill and a glass of water. She took the pill, fell back asleep, and was aided into the plane. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, about 200 feet (60 m) from the runway. Aaliyah and five of the eight others on board were killed instantly. Scott Gallin, Aaliyah's security guard and two other people initially survived the crash, but died shortly afterwards. According to the paramedics on scene, Gallin spent his last moments asking about Aaliyah's condition. One witness recalled the condition of the bodies: "It was an awful sight. Some bodies were so badly disfigured, you couldn't identify them. And two guys were alive – one screaming and screaming for help. He was horribly burned all over." A pilot who witnessed the crash saw the Cessna go down as he was working on some machinery "about half a mile" (0.8 km) away. He recalled the aircraft being only "60 to 100 feet" (18 to 30 m) off the ground before it crashed. He went to get a fire truck and was stunned by what he saw upon arriving at the crash site. "It was pretty devastating. The aircraft was broken into pieces and some of the seats were thrown from the aircraft."
With the remaining crew left behind on the island, and too scared to get on a plane to return to the United States following Aaliyah's crash, singer Lenny Kravitz, a personal friend of "Rock the Boat" choreographer Fatima Robinson, sent his private jet to collect her and the dancers. Fans of Aaliyah were reportedly grieving in New York City, where the singer had spent the first five years of her life before relocating to Detroit. Quincy Jones told the Associated Press that he was devastated by her death. The then Bahamian Minister for Tourism O. Tommy Turnquest stated: "We find it devastating and most unfortunate that after having this world-famous star Aaliyah and her crew select the Bahamas as their choice location for her latest video, the project has climaxed on such a tragic note." Two days after she died, on August 27, fans gathered near her former high school to remember her in a candlelight vigil. By August 29, nearly 6,000 people had emailed BBC News "expressing shock and sorrow" at her death.
Gladys Knight said she felt "blessed" to have known Aaliyah and stated: "I watched her grow up, and, with the rest of the world, saw her achieve success with her special and unique talents." She continued: "From an early age, I knew she had enormous talents, an intrinsic gift. When she first performed with me in Las Vegas, she was still quite young, but she already had it – that spark the world would later see and fall in love with." Silbert Mills, an official on Abaco Island, reported the denizens playing her music there and added: "That's the whole tragedy of it. We felt as if we knew her, yet we didn't." Destiny's Child lead singer Beyoncé Knowles praised her good nature and stated: "She was one of the first celebrities we met, she was so nice, we went out, we hung out with her, and it's really sad and we're trying to be strong." Lil' Kim described the crash as "really devastating" and said she "could never find anything bad about her."
Actor Jet Li, Aaliyah's co-star from the film Romeo Must Die, heard of her death and was "deeply saddened that she is no longer with us. She was a wonderful and talented artist who will be missed by everyone whose lives she touched." DMX called her "talented, classy, warm, beautiful, compassionate, humble." Damon Dash said he was "crushed and heartbroken over the loss of such a beautiful and talented woman whom I loved deeply and meant the world to me." Ginuwine referred to her as family, said he would miss her and offered his condolences to her family, while speaking to the New York Daily News from Los Angeles. Brian McKnight complimented Aaliyah as being "really genuine and nice and not jaded about being a star". Jill Scott said she felt numb over Aaliyah's death given her age, talent and beauty and added, "It hurts, and it's sad, and we'll miss her."
According to the findings of an inquest conducted by the coroner's office in the Bahamas, Aaliyah suffered from "severe burns and a blow to the head", in addition to severe shock and a weak heart. The coroner theorized that she went into such a state of shock that even if she had survived the crash, her recovery would have been nearly impossible. The bodies, some of them badly burned, were taken to the morgue at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, where they remained until relatives made positive identification.
The accident was investigated by the Civil Aviation Department. It determined that the aircraft was over its maximum takeoff weight by more than 900 pounds (410 kg) and had one more passenger than it was certified to carry. An informational report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated, "The airplane was seen lifting off the runway, and then nose down, impacting in a marsh on the south side of the departure end of runway 27." It indicated that pilot Morales was not approved to fly the aircraft. Morales had falsely obtained his FAA license by showing logs of hundreds of flight hours he had never flown. He may also have falsified the number of hours he had flown to get the job with his employer, Blackhawk International Airways. Additionally, Morales' toxicology report revealed traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. The NTSB reported that the maximum allowed gross weight of the aircraft was "substantially exceeded" and that the center of gravity was positioned beyond its rear limit. The U.S. joined the investigation on August 27, 2001, as authorities from the NTSB and the FAA arrived in the Bahamas. On August 31, the day of Aaliyah's funeral, an independent expert of the Cessna Pilots Association reported that the aircraft was overloaded
The day of the crash was Morales' first official day with Blackhawk, an FAA Part 135 single-pilot operation. He was not registered with the FAA to fly for Blackhawk and, as a result of the accident, Aaliyah's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company, which was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
The families of Foreman and Dodd filed lawsuits against Virgin Records America, alleging the record company was negligent in chartering the aircraft that crashed, killing all the passengers. The lawsuit noted that Blackhawk had been cited four times in the previous four years. At a news conference, attorney Brian Panish charged that the crash victims died instantly because Virgin Records America "put profits over people." In less than a week, the relatives of Gallin sued Virgin Records America, claiming that the label, and its affiliated music and video production units, were liable for his death because they handled the arrangements for Aaliyah's video shoot in the Bahamas. Gallin's relatives claimed that the label should have hired a "competent" transportation broker and air charter company, and that Blackhawk allowed the pilot to fly the aircraft even though he was unqualified, and took off with it dangerously overloaded. Stuart Grossman represented the Gallin family during the lawsuit and reasoned that even the pilot did not want to take off because of overloading and called it "outrageous." He added: "This is a case of trying to put a size 12 foot in a size 10 shoe."
On August 28, Aaliyah's remains were transported from the Bahamas back to the United States. Over 100 people waited outside the funeral home in Nassau as four men lifted her coffin into a hearse. It was then taken to the Nassau International Airport, where a private jet waited to return the body to Newark International Airport in New Jersey. The other victims' bodies were repatriated on August 29. A U.S. Embassy spokesman reported that Virgin Records America paid the cost of all mortuary services in the Bahamas, the return of the bodies to the U.S., as well as the funerals. Aaliyah's family was staying at the Trump International Hotel in New York when her body was returned. Staff reported flowers and condolences had been sent in steadily since her death. A worker at the reception desk disclosed that at least 500 bouquets, delivered mostly by grieving fans, had arrived for the family in the three days between the crash and the return of her body. Aaliyah's publicist, Jill Fritzo, said the Haughton family was touched by the support they received from fans and reported the condition of the family: "They're hanging in there. It's very tough for them."
In May 2002, Aaliyah's parents filed a lawsuit, similar to those filed by the families of Foreman and Dodd, against Virgin Records America in Los Angeles, alleging negligence. Their lawsuit claimed that a "dangerous and unsafe configuration" of the Cessna was the cause of the crash and that it was the "wrong plane" for the charter flight; the litigation also asserted that Morales was not properly qualified to operate the aircraft. In addition to suing Virgin Records, the lawsuit named Blackhawk, music video director Harold Williams, Instinct Productions, Big Dog House Films, Blackground Records LLC and Skystream. An investigator for the Civil Aviation Department stated neither Blackhawk nor Skystream had a permit to operate commercial charter flights in the Bahamas. In September 2003, the Haughtons' lawyers filed a notice in federal court that the case had been settled with an agreement to keep the monetary details confidential.
Revolutionary describes Aaliyah's life and legacy. She was an artist who broke down barriers and show complex fashion, hybrid music, and a sense of light that made people feel positive about life. From 1979 to 2001, Aaliyah was a massively talented human being. She could dance, sing, act, and write all of the time. Her gift was that she mixed a down-to-Earth personality along with an urban mentality. That is why she was called "sweet but street." Aaliyah had all of the street smarts in the world along with a glorious singing voice that has inspired millions of people in the world. Aaliyah loved to merge hip hop and R&B styles in her music along with soul and pop. Her music increasingly was influenced by the futuristic, techno sounds from Timbaland and Missy Elliot (who were born and raised in the 757 or Hampton Roads, Virginia). She helped to inspire future R&B stars in the 21st century like Ashanti, Rihanna, Ciara, Beyonce, Victoria Monet, and other people in the music industry. She revolutionized R&B music with her unique blending of many different genres. One of the most groundbreaking R&B albums in the 1990s was her One in a Million album. Her song of Are You That Somebody? was a very radical song with fashion, vocal ability, and style that has relevancy in the 21st century (while the song was released in 1998). She worked with legends from Static Major to Fatima Robinson. Aaliyah worked with tons of other people like Nas, Junior M.A.F.I.A, DMX, Slick Rick, Lil' Kim, Da Brat, the group Playa, and Magoo. Aaliayh had many friends like her brother Rashad Haughton, Ginuwine, Kadida Jones, Ananda Lewis, Foxy Brown, etc. Damon Dash said that he dated Aaliyah. Groundbreaking success deals with Aaliyah's legacy too. She sold 8.1 million albums in America and an estimated 24 to 32 million albums worldwide. She has been called the Princess of R&B and Pop Princess. She has been called the Queen of Urban Pope too. At the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, Aaliyah was honored by Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Ginuwine, and her brother Rashad, all of whom paid tribute to her. Also, during 2001, the United States Social Security Administration ranked the name Aaliyah as one of the 100 most popular names for newborn girls. Also in 2003, the Entertainment Industry Foundation created the Aaliyah Memorial Fund in her memory to donate money raised to charities she supported. In September 2023, she was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. Aaliyah's iconic legacy has given hope and power to future generations of people to be themselves in an authentic fashion.
Beyonce Giselle Knowles Carter was born on September 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas. Her mother Tina Knowles (née Beyoncé), was a hairdresser and salon owner, while her father, Mathew Knowles, was a sales manager at Xerox. Mathew is African-American (on her father's side, she has Afro-Bahamian heritage too), while Tina is Louisiana Creole with African, French, Irish, Breton, Norman, and Native American ancestry. Beyoncé's younger sister, Solange, is also a singer and actress. They are descendants of Acadian militia officer Joseph Broussard, who was exiled to French Louisiana after the expulsion of the Acadians. Both sisters also have Belgian ancestry from Hainaut Province, Wallonia. Beyoncé was raised within multiple religious traditions, attending both St. John's United Methodist Church and St. Mary of the Purification Catholic Church in Houston. Her first job was as a child, sweeping hair at her mother's hair salon, where she occasionally performed for customers. Beyoncé began her education at St. Mary's Catholic Montessori School, where she also took dance classes. Her vocals were discovered by her dance instructor, who began humming a song that Beyoncé completed. Beyoncé's interest in music and performing grew after she won a school talent show at the age of seven by singing John Lennon's "Imagine", winning against older competitors aged fifteen and sixteen. In 1990, a nine-year-old Beyoncé enrolled in Parker Elementary School, a music magnet school in Houston, where she performed with the school's choir. She later attended the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and subsequently Alief Elsik High School. Beyoncé was also a member of the choir at St. John's United Methodist Church, where she sang her first solo and was a soloist for two years. In 1990, Beyoncé met singer LaTavia Roberson while at an audition for an all-girl entertainment group. Joined by Kelly Rowland two years later, the trio was placed in Girl's Tyme, a group that performed rap and dance routines on Houston's talent show circuit. In 1993, the group was entered in Star Search, the largest national talent show on television at the time. Competing in the show's singing category, the group lost the competition, which Beyoncé attributed to a poor song choice. After LeToya Luckett joined in 1993, Girl's Tyme continued performing as an opening act for established R&B girl groups. In 1995, Mathew left his job to manage the group, which halved the Knowles family's income, leading to them moving into separate apartments. The group was briefly signed by Elektra Records and later dropped; ensuing tensions led to a six-month separation of Beyoncé's parents. The Knowles family later reunited, and the group secured a contract with Columbia Records, aided by talent scout Teresa LaBarbera Whites.
The group adopted the name Destiny's Child in 1996, based upon a passage in the Book of Isaiah. In 1997, following their inclusion on the soundtrack for the film Men in Black, they released their debut single and first major hit, "No, No, No", which preceded their debut album, Destiny's Child (1998), a moderate success. The group's second album, The Writing's on the Wall, was released in July 1999 and peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200, later achieving multi-platinum status in the country. The record spawned the singles "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Say My Name", and "Jumpin', Jumpin'"; the first two both peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100. "Say My Name" won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best R&B Song at the 2001 Grammy Awards. The Writing's on the Wall became one of the best-selling R&B albums of all time, having sold 13 million copies worldwide. Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Destiny's Child were very popular, and their songs were shown everywhere promoting friendship, love, and women empowerment.
Following several lineup changes, Destiny's Child's final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Rowland, and Michelle Williams. In early 2001, while the group was completing work on their third album, Beyoncé secured a leading role in the MTV made-for-television film Carmen: A Hip Hopera, an interpretation of the 19th-century opera Carmen. Destiny's Child's third studio album, Survivor, was released in May 2001; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 663,000 copies in its first week. The album produced the Billboard Hot 100 number-ones "Independent Woman Part I" and "Bootylicious", as well as the title track, which peaked at number two. "Survivor" earned the group a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Following the release of their holiday album 8 Days of Christmas (2001), Destiny's Child announced a hiatus to allow each member to pursue solo careers.
Photosynthesis is one of the most important natural processes in the Universe. We learned about this in elementary school, middle school, and high school science classrooms for generations. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae, and certain bacteria (or photoautotrophic organisms) convert light energy into chemical energy, produce glucose and oxygen from cardon dioxide and water. This process is very critical for life on Earth, because it forms the base of nearly all food webs, supplies oxygen into the atmosphere, and drives the global carbon cycle. Without photosynthesis, most life forms won't survive, and the Earth's atmosphere would lack enough oxygen. The overall chemical reaction for oxygenic photosynthesis can be summarized as: 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + light energy → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂. This means six molecules of carbon dioxide and six molecules of water are converted into one glucose molecule and six oxygen molecules using light energy captured by chlorophyll. Photosynthesis occurs primarily in chloroplasts, specialized organelles in plant cells that contain chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for absorbing light. The process can be divided into two main stages. The first process is light dependent reactions. These occur in the thylakoid membranes and require sunlight. Chlorophyll absorbs energy from light, which is used to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The energy is stored in molecules of ATP and NADPH. The 2nd process is light independent reactions (Calvin Cycle): These occur in the stroma of the chloroplast and do not require light. ATP and NADPH generated in the light-dependent reactions are used to convert carbon dioxide into glucose. The most common type of photosynthesis is called C3 photosynthesis that produces a three-carbon compound during the Calvin Cycle. C4 photosynthesis produces a four-carbon intermediate, which is later converted into glucose, often found in plants adapted to high light and temperature conditions. Photosynthesis has shaped the world's environment in many ways. The Great Oxidation Event was when photosynthetic cyanobacteria (about 2.4 billion years ago) increased oxygen in the atmosphere. It enabled the existence of complex aerobic life. The energy stored by photosynthesis over millions of years is the source of fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas. So, we human breathe out carbon dioxide and receive oxygen to survive. Plants give out oxygen and take in carbon dioxide to survive too.
As for the early World Trade Center, Yamasaki's design called for a square plan approximately 208 feet (63 m) in dimension on each side. The buildings were designed with narrow office windows 18 inches (46 cm) wide, which reflected Yamasaki's fear of heights as well as his desire to make building occupants feel secure. His design included building facades clad in aluminum-alloy. The World Trade Center was one of the most striking American implementations of the architectural ethic of Le Corbusier and was the seminal expression of Yamasaki's gothic modernist tendencies. He was also inspired by Islamic architecture, elements of which he incorporated in the building's design, having previously designed Saudi Arabia's Dhahran International Airport with the Saudi Binladin Group. The buildings need elevators. The taller the building, the more elevators are needed to service. That means the buildings need more space consuming elevator banks. Yamasaki and the engineers decided to use a new system with two "sky lobbies"—floors where people could switch from a large-capacity express elevator to a local elevator that goes to each floor in a section. This system, inspired by the local-express train operation used in New York City's subway system, allowed the design to stack local elevators within the same elevator shaft. Located on the 44th and 78th floors of each tower, the sky lobbies enabled the elevators to be used efficiently. This increased the amount of usable space on each floor from 62 to 75 percent by reducing the number of elevator shafts. Altogether, the World Trade Center had 95 express and local elevators.
The structural engineering firm Worthington, Skilling, Helle & Jackson worked to implement Yamasaki's design, developing the framed-tube structural system used in the twin towers. The Port Authority's Engineering Department served as foundation engineers, Joseph R. Loring & Associates as electrical engineers, and Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B) as mechanical engineers. Tishman Realty & Construction Company was the general contractor on the World Trade Center project. Guy F. Tozzoli, director of the World Trade Department at the Port Authority, and Rino M. Monti, the Port Authority's Chief Engineer, oversaw the project. As an interstate agency, the Port Authority was not subject to the local laws and regulations of the City of New York, including building codes. Nonetheless, the World Trade Center's structural engineers ended up following draft versions of New York City's new 1968 building codes. The framed-tube design, introduced in the 1960s by Bangladeshi-American structural engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan, was a new approach that allowed more open floor plans than the traditional design that distributed columns throughout the interior to support building loads. Each of the World Trade Center towers had 236 high-strength, load-bearing perimeter steel columns which acted as Vierendeel trusses. The perimeter columns were spaced closely together to form a strong, rigid wall structure, supporting virtually all lateral loads such as wind loads, and sharing the gravity load with the core columns. The perimeter structure containing 59 columns per side was constructed with extensive use of prefabricated modular pieces, each consisting of three columns, three stories tall, connected by spandrel plates. The spandrel plates were welded to the columns to create the modular pieces off-site at the fabrication shop. Adjacent modules were bolted together with the splices occurring at mid-span of the columns and spandrels. The spandrel plates were located at each floor, transmitting shear stress between columns, allowing them to work together in resisting lateral loads. The joints between modules were staggered vertically so that the column splices between adjacent modules were not on the same floor. Below the 7th floor to the foundation, there were fewer, wider-spaced perimeter columns to accommodate doorways. The core of the towers housed the elevator and utility shafts, restrooms, three stairwells, and other support spaces. The core of each tower was a rectangular area 87 by 135 feet (27 by 41 m) and contained 47 steel columns running from the bedrock to the top of the tower. The large, column-free space between the perimeter and core was bridged by prefabricated floor trusses. The floors supported their own weight as well as live loads, providing lateral stability to the exterior walls and distributing wind loads among the exterior walls. The floors consisted of 4-inch (10 cm) thick lightweight concrete slabs laid on a fluted steel deck. A grid of lightweight bridging trusses and main trusses supported the floors. The building had hat trusses and a framed tube design with a steel core and perimeter columns. It has spray on fire resistant material. In March 1965, the Port Authority began acquiring property at the World Trade Center site. Demolition work began on March 21, 1966, to clear thirteen square blocks of low rise buildings in Radio Row for its construction. Groundbreaking for the construction of the World Trade Center took place on August 5, 1966. There was a trench around the area to build the building. The construction work began on the North Tower in August 1968, and construction on the South Tower started by January 1969.
The topping out ceremony of 1 WTC (North Tower) took place on December 23, 1970, while 2 WTC's ceremony (South Tower) occurred on July 19, 1971. Extensive use of prefabricated components helped to speed up the construction process, and the first tenants moved into the North Tower on December 15, 1970, while it was still under construction, while the South Tower began accepting tenants in January 1972. The complex had 111 tenants with a combined 1,800 employees by late 1971. When the Twin Towers were completed, the total costs to the Port Authority had reached $900 million. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on April 4, 1973. In addition to the Twin Towers, the plan for the World Trade Center complex included four other low-rise buildings, which were built in the early 1970s. The 47-story 7 World Trade Center building was added in the 1980s, to the north of the main complex. Altogether, the main World Trade Center complex occupied a 16-acre (65,000 m2) superblock. The World Trade Center complex housed more than 430 companies that were engaged in various commercial activities. The complex hosted 13,400,000 square feet (1,240,000 m2) of office space, which according to a 1970 account was supposed to accommodate 130,000 people. On a typical weekday, an estimated 50,000 people worked in the complex and another 140,000 passed through as visitors. The Twin Towers had more floors (at 110) than any other building before the completion of the Sears Tower in 1973. This number of floors was not surpassed until the construction of the Burj Khalifa, which opened in 2010. The towers were also the world's tallest twin buildings until 1996, when the Petronas Towers opened. Each tower had a total mass of around 500,000 tons. There was the Austin J. Tobin Plaza in the area too.
After the destruction of the World Trade Center during 9/11, there was a reconstruction of a new building to prove to the world that terrorism can never cripple human democracy. Over the following years, plans were created for the reconstruction of the World Trade Center. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC), established in November 2001 to oversee the rebuilding process, organized competitions to select a site plan and memorial design. Memory Foundations, designed by Daniel Libeskind, was selected as the master plan; however, substantial changes were made to the design. The first new building at the site was 7 WTC, which opened on May 23, 2006. The memorial section of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum opened on September 11, 2011, and the museum opened on May 21, 2014. 1 WTC opened on November 3, 2014; 4 WTC opened on November 13, 2013; and 3 WTC opened on June 11, 2018. In November 2013, according to an agreement made with Silverstein Properties Inc., the new 2 WTC would not be built to its full height until sufficient space was leased to make the building financially viable. Above-ground construction of 5 WTC was also suspended due to a lack of tenants as well as disputes between the Port Authority and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. In mid-2015, Silverstein Properties revealed plans for a redesigned 2 WTC, to be designed by Bjarke Ingels and completed by 2020 with News Corp as anchor tenant. Four years later, with no anchor tenant for 2 WTC, Silverstein expressed his intent to resume work on the tower regardless of whether a tenant had signed. The World Trade Center Transportation Hub opened to the public on March 4, 2016. 2 World Trade Center's full construction was placed on hold in 2012 and resumed in 2026.
Sunday, June 28, 2026
Friday, June 26, 2026
The End of the Week Updates.
The World Cup has many people of the world see the diversity and the beauty of America. Also, they have traveled into Mexico and Canada who are nations with a rich, strong cultural heritage too. Many people, who have come to America, have visited American cities for the first time in their lives. Many fans from other nations wants restaurants to pay their workers a living wage. Also, the FIFA World Cup has increased tourism and businesses in the city of Philadelphia. Soccer is the most popular sport on Earth. We Americans call the sport soccer, and people globally call the sport football. Many international fans have gone to American hotels, restaurants, and in rural towns too to eat BBQ, use ranch, enjoy, eat fish, and buy for other items. You have Scottish people singing in Miami too. International fans take the sport of soccer very seriously. This is similar to how us American fans take the sports of American football, baseball, basketball, hockey, track and field, etc. very seriously. World Cup fans have certainly enjoyed their vacations in tons of places in America, Mexico, and Canada. Providentially, this has come near the Fourth of July on the 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation of the United States of America. You have Japanese soccer fans celebrating in Dallas, Texas. There were over 20,000 Danish soccer fans walking in the streets of Kansas City. The lesson here is that we have many things in common among our diversity as human beings. America has tons of problems and imperfections, but America has tons of righteous people who are fighting the good fight too.
Some good news is that the federal judge struck down key parts of the Trump administration plan to restrict mail-in voting. The judge said that the Constitution doesn't grant the executive branch special powers to regulate elections. The Postal Office has no power to regulate in terms of completely restricting mail-in voting too. Trump wants states to send him voter rolls, especially from more progressive states. This is totally fascist and hypocrisy. Trump and the MAGA movement claim to oppose big government, but they want to expand the executive branch of the federal government to be massively involved in elections which has no constitutional basis. Trump wants the SAVE Act to be passed in believing that anyone voting must prove citizenship to vote along with other voting suppression policies. Also, many MAGA people (who claim to be Christian) are hypocrites to claim to promote moral values but they support Trump (when Trump has been a racist, made sexist remarks, made xenophobic remarks, impeached twice, adjudicated as a sexual abuser, an accused adulterer, threatened genocide against Iran, blasphemously depicted himself as Jesus Christ, made perverted comments about his own daughter, and is a habitual liar). Therefore, our eyes must be on the prize.
Like usual, 6 members of the Supreme Court sided with Trump on two major immigration cases. The Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision ruled to end the humanitarian safeguards under the Temporary Protected Status program. The TPS dealt with legal residents of America, and that new decision from the Supreme Court will harm the lives of Haitians and Syrians. Justice Samuel Alito's majority opinion curbed the power of the courts to review government decisions to terminate protections under the TPS program. That majority in the Court said that Haitians and Syrians aren't entitled to orders keeping their protections in place while their litigation proceeds. This also means that thousands of Haitians and Syrians could lose their legal status and work authorization. Racist and xenophobic comments have been made by Donald Trump and Trump's immigration policies have been supported by former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Alito and 5 other justices made the falsehood that their majority decision is race-neutral when the Trump administration has made overtly racist statements. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson and Kagan said that many Haitians and Syrians risk their lives. Another Supreme Court case in a 6-3 decision sided with Trump to turn away asylum seekers if they're still on the Mexican side of the U.S./Mexico border. The majority claims that this decision is following federal law, and the minority decision says that this decision will cause the executive branch to close the door on all people escaping persecution (and America must follow its treaty obligations to people fleeing persecution).
The primary elections took place in Maryland, New York, South Carolina, and Utah. The midterm elections in November 2026 are coming up, and people are ready. Afro-Latina Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated the candidate Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a Democratic primary. The primary has been tough, and many people want something done in dealing with housing affordability. There is the controversy of many racists disrespecting Chevalier by using the term "Haitians" in a racist fashion (like Rusking Pimentel, who is an Espaillat senior adviser saying that Chevalier wants to replace Dominican New Yorkers with Muslims and Haitians. A spokesperson for the Espaillat campaign said that Pimentel's comments are condemned by Espaillat), using Islamophobic smears, and making other anti-black statements. Chevalier has defended her Dominican roots and promotes a multiracial and working-class coalition. Brad Lander defeated Dan Goldman. Both candidates defeated on the issue of Israel as Lander wants restrictions on military aid to Israel while condemning anti-Semitism. Both men are Jewish Americans. Claire Valdez defeated Antonio Reynoso. The Democrats are in a crossroads where issues of Palestine, democratic socialism, and other social issues are on the forefront. We know where the MAGA movement stands on these issues. The important question is whether Democrats will have a united front to defeat MAGA or will they divide to ruin their chances. Time will tell. We can agree to disagree on many issues, but some issues are non-negotiable (like condemning racism, opposing ICE, supporting universal health care, opposing imperialism, believing in investments in medicine, and condemning xenophobia).
Trump recently canceled signing a major housing bill, because he is petty and he wants the bigoted, anti-voting SAVE Act to be passed by Congress. The housing legislation is a rare bipartisan bill that seeks to deal with the housing affordability crisis. Trump said the lie that the affordability issue is a hoax. The reality is that millions of Americans are struggling to own a home, and some are forced to either live in a rent housing situation or make other arrangements. Trump refuses to sign the bill until Congress passes the SAVE American Act (which will overhaul elections in all 50 states and add new proof of citizenship and voter ID requirements). Also, activists believe that the bill may harm the voting rights of wives who have changed their names. Of course, pro-Trump sycophant House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana defended the President's decision. Trump's poll numbers are in record lows in about 30 percent. Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylore Greene said that they are leaving the Republican Party because of the policies of Trump, especially involving the unjust Iranian war. Elizabeth Warren told the truth that Trump doesn't care about the interests of the Americans involving housing, and Trump said that inflation is good. That tells me about the extremism of Donald Trump in plain view.
By Timothy
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Late June 2026 News.
Trump has renewed his threat to the New York Times over the Iran coverage. As we realize, Trump is desperate for a quick Iranian deal, but he has a hostility towards anyone, even journalists, who dissents with his policies. Right now, America and Iran agree to a roadmap for a "final deal" in 60 days. Both American and Iranian negotiators are in Switzerland to continue to discuss a resolution with Qatar and Pakistan acting as arbitrators in trying to conclude the conflict. It seems to me that this war should have never gone on in the first place by costing lives and harming the U.S. in enumerable ways (from grocery prices, oil prices for a time, and other financial metrics). Also, we know that the Trump regime has killed at least 210 people by bombing raids in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean since last September. This was done with no judge or no jury. There is no evidence that all of these boats are trafficking drugs. This is dangerous for all people as Trump claims to have no limitations on his powers. In one incident, two men on a boat initially survived the attack that killed nine other people. The vessel was stuck again killing those 2 people. The White House claimed that it was done in self-defense to make sure that the boat was destroyed in dealing with the laws of armed conflict. Some legal scholars said that a second-strike killing survivors would have been illegal under any circumstance, armed conflict or not. We have to call it as it is. This action in the seas amounts to war crimes and stone-cold murder in my view.
There is the completion of House primaries in New York City that deals with the future of the Democratic Party. Many progressives Democrats are competing against more moderate or mainline Democratic candidates in the New York area. We have historic level spending by AI and pro-Israel super PACs. The elephant in the room is that many of these progressive candidates are supported by the self-admitted democratic socialist Mamdani, and candidates are debating on the issue of Palestine too. Many moderates are aided by the crypto industry and AI special interest groups in order to get their interests promoted. Most voters want regulations in crypto and AI institutions. Jobs and Democracy Pact is pro-AI that funds candidates that supports A.I. with lax regulations. AI companies shouldn't write their own regulations, and most Americans oppose AI data centers in our communities. We know about the research that deals with the environmental risk of having AI data centers in our country. AIPAC has targeted candidates who don't want U.S. military aid to Israel or seek a free Palestine. 60 percent of Americans oppose sending military aid to Israel. Also, these races in New York City are more than about moderates vs. progressives. Many Democrats (who are progressives, centrists, etc.) are split between supporting Adriano Espaillat and Darializa Avila Chevalier. We have a broken campaign finance system, and that is why the midterms in 2026 is important. We have to vote to fix our system and make sure that Big Money doesn't control elections as the people should. Now, we have three Mamdani endorsed candidates winning their primaries who are Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, and Darializa Avila Chevalier. President John F. Kennedy's grandson, Jack Schlossberg lost his primary against Micah Lasher. We certainly shall see what the future will hold.
CNN reported that the Trump administration could cut DHS grants over voting rules. Trump lost many cases over trying to get voting rolls as the executive branch trying to retrieve voting rolls is blatantly unconstitutional. Also, you have negotiations continuing involving the Iranian war. Trump said that Iran agreed to nuclear inspections, and Iran said that it had not approved of sending monitors to inspect damaged nuclear sites. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the U.S. agreement in Iran is separate from securing peace in Lebanon. He spoke of these words in Dubai as part of his trip to meet with Middle Eastern allies. Many ships have traveled in the Strait of Hormuz in the past few days since Iran opened the crucial oil choke point to traffic. The Senate also passed the Iran War powers resolution. This plan is trying to end hostilities between America and Iran. The House already approved of the measure. The Senate passed the measure by a 50-48 vote. Republicans like Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined most of their Democratic colleagues in favor of the plan. Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania joined most Republicans to vote against it. Senators Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania didn't vote. The measure is a concurrent resolution. It doesn't need Trump's signature and has no weight of the law, but it shows how many in Congress oppose the Iranian war.
Christopher Bouzy wrote an excellent article about Jasmine Crockett. Crockett has been the favorite scapegoat of many people after the primary against James Talarico. Many of the same ones who lied about Jasmine's temperament, intelligence, qualifications, and integrity desire her to just automatically support James Talarico's campaign in a graveling fashion. We, as black people, are not anyone's slaves. This has nothing to do with identity politics as fake leftists claim, but they follow their version of identity politics by minimizing the political intelligence of Jasmine Crockett. Jasmine Crockett was lied to by many so-called "progressives" as they claimed that she was explicitly funded directly by AIPAC. When that is found to be a lie, Crockett experienced other racist and sexist attacks by tons of people (including so-called progressives in social media calling her the b word that I have seen recently). Crockett ran for the Senate in an inspirational campaign, but many white leftists used racist stereotypes in calling her "too loud" and unelectable. James Talarico won a large percentage of white and Latino voters including some Trump voters. This same attack against Crockett existed against Kamala Harris when she ran for President too. So, let's present the elephant in the room. When hypocritical so-called leftists want black women to support them, they want them to be in the background or foot soldiers not leaders in the front view fighting for our rights. Black women have organized for millennia, and they are expected to just carry the load after being slandered in a primary campaign. Historically, black women have always been leaders fighting for our democracy and our human rights in general. Many of the same ones who lecture us on Palestine (when us black Americans have been some of the leading defenders of Palestinian liberation for decades) are stone cold silent on the genocides in Sudan, the Congo, Myanmar, etc. Therefore, Jasmine Crockett is not obligated to explain James Talarico's platform. Talarico and his supporters have the responsibility to explain their platform and win the election. This doesn't mean we support the GOP (I will not support Paxton as voters should be encouraged to make sure that Paxton loses the election), but the haters of Jasmine Crockett owe her an apology.
Gretchen Idenifer Church is my paternal 5th cousin. Also, Ancestry.com confirmed that I am related to Gretchen Church too. She was born on June 13, 1966, at Northampton County, Virginia. She married Lincoln Samuel (b. 1954) on February 11, 1985, at Alexandria, Virginia. Later, she married Stulan Ashenine Taylor (b. 1964), and their children are Shannon Alise Taylor (b. 2000) and Skylar G. Taylor (b. 2006). Her current husband is Kenneth Church. Gretchen Church's parents were Clifton Church (1932-1989) and Myrtle M. Mapp (1934-2016). The parents of Myrtle M. Mapp were Samuel Mapp Sr. (1911-2007) and Rebecca Thomas Mapp (1918-1982). The parents of Rebecca Thomas Mapp were James E. Thomas (b. 1891) and Mary Lizzie Downing (b. 1900). The parents of Mary Lizzie Downing were Robert Downing (b. 1879) and Mary Downing (b. 1877). The parents of Robert Downing were Henry Downing (b. 1840) and Emily Perkins (1844-1931). The parents of my 3rd great-grandaunt Emily Perkins were my 4th great-grandparents George Perkins (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816).
By Timothy
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Monday, June 22, 2026
Cultural Information in Late June 2026.
Alot of people don't know that there are Black Palestinians in the Middle East. There are about 11,000 Afro-Palestinians residing in Gaza City's Al Jalla’a district prior to October 2023. In Jerusalem, an estimated population between 200-450 reside in a historic African enclave around Bab al-Majlis, in the Muslim Quarter, as well as communities in other areas of Jerusalem such as Beit Hanina and At-Tur. They are a marginalized group that experience double discrimination, both systemic marginalization from Israeli authorities and racism within Palestinian communities. There are also Bedouin populations who have descent lines linking them to people of African origin such as in the West Bank city of Jericho. Notable Afro-Palestinians include former PLO official Fatima Bernawi and PFLP official Ali Jiddah. Historically Palestine was a province under foreign powers. From the Rashidun Caliphate of the 7th-century onward, African slaves were transported to the area of the Caliphate from Egypt via the Baqt treaty slave tribute. During the middle ages, African slaves were transported to Abbasid Caliphate via the Red Sea slave trade from Africa across the Red Sea. By the 9th century, it is estimated that some three million Africans had been resettled as enslaved people in the Middle East, working as slave soldiers and slave labourers in the riverine plantation economies. There are some Palestinian communities that trace their origins to pilgrims from Sudan and Central Africa (mainly Chad) who are said to have reached Palestine as early as the 12th century. Their initial aim was to take part in the Hajj and reach Mecca, after which they visited Jerusalem to visit the al-Aqsa Mosque. As is illustrated by the life of Mansa Musa, king of the Empire of Mali, pilgrimage by African converts to Islam became an established practice, though regular pilgrimage only became commonplace in the 15th century, as the Islamic faith spread beyond the narrow confines of sultanate courts to the people at large.
Many Afro-Palestinians also hail from ancestors who were brought to Palestine by the Ottoman enslavers via the Trans-Saharan slave trade from Egypt as well as the Red Sea slave trade, that continued up until modern times. The last official slave ship of enslaved Africans arrived to Haifa in Palestine from Egypt in 1876, after which the official slave trade to Ottoman Palestine appeared to have stopped. Slavery in Palestine gradually diminished in the early 20th-century, and in the 1905 census for Palestine only eight individuals were officially registered as slaves; however a report to the Advisory Committee of Experts on Slavery of the League of Nations in 1934 acknowledged that slaves were still kept among the Arab Bedouin shaykhs in Jordan and Palestine, and that slavery was maintained under the guise of clientage. The Jerusalem community of Afro-Palestinians, 50 families now numbering some 350 (or 450) members, reside in two compounds outside the Ḥaram ash-Sharīf (west of the Inspector's Gate): Ribat al-Mansuri and Ribat of Aladdin (Ribat al-Basiri/Ribat Aladdin al-Bassir/Ribat Al'a ad-Deen Busari). Afro-Palestinians lived during World War I, the 1967 Six Day War, and other events. A 2018 story on Mohammad Obaid, a Dabke performer displaced from his ancestral home in Beersheba, described the racism he experienced in Gazan Palestinian communities, saying that he had to be "the best dancer" and work twice as hard to join his dabke team. Obaid noted increasing discrimination from police. At the time, there were an estimated 11,000 Afro-Palestinians living in Gaza City's Al Jalla’a district, in a neighborhood called an anti-black slur in reference to the history of slavery. Many Palestinians and many Israelis have shown racism toward Afro-Palestinian people. The African Community Society or ACS was created in 1983 as an offshoot of the Sudanese Welfare Club. The ACS forms social activities, sports, mutual aid, and other means to empower Afro-Palestinians in Jerusalem. Many Afro-Palestinians are Suleiman Obied, Ghadir Ghrouf, Mohammaed Aukousa, and other people. There are black people in Israel too. It is always important to promote liberation of Palestine and freedom for all in the Middle East, regardless of color, sex, or background.
There are many heroes of 9/11. One such her was Marcy Borders. She was from Bayonne, New Jersey. She ran from her office covered in dust, and cancer took her at the age of 42 years old. She worked as a legal assistant at Bank of America in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. She escaped the building when the attacks came in New York City. She wanted privacy to rebuild her life. Later, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer in August 2014. She passed away on August 24, 2015, in New Jersey. There were many black firefighters who died on 9/11 during the time of saving lives like Leon Smith Jr., Andre Fletcher, Ronnie Henderson, Shawn Powell, Gerald Baptist, Tarel Coleman, Vernon Cherry, William Henry, Keith Clascoe, Keithroy Maynard, Karl Joseph, and Vernon Richard. Lolita Jackson survived by escaping the World Trade Center in both 1993 and in 2001. LeRoy W. Homer J. was a black pilot in the cockpit of Flight 93 who sacrificed his life to fight back against terrorists on Flight 93. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1987 and had a military career reaching the rank of Major. He joined United Airlines in 1995.
He was a father, an Air Force Reserve officer, and a commercial first officer. He was 36 years old on 9/11. Flight 93 had more heroes like passengers Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Jeremy Glick, and Tom Burnett who fought the terrorists back forcing the plane to crash in an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The terrorists wanted to crash the plane into the U.S. Capitol or White House. When American Airlines Flight 77 stuck the Pentagon, Lt. Col. Marilyn Wills saved many lives while her hair was on fire. She was in the U.S. Army. Flight 77 had 30,000 pounds of jet fuel and slammed into the Pentagon's west side at 530 mph (almost directly below the 2nd floor conference room where Wills sat). She saved the life of civilian employee Lois Stevens. For her actions, Lt. Col. Marilyn Willis was awarded the Soldier's Medal for heroism and the Purple Heart for her injury (with burns, smoke inhalation, and traumatic brain injury from the blast). She doesn't consider herself a hero. She lost many of her friends. Moira Smith was an NYPD officer who repeatedly ran back into the burning World Trade Center to guide civilians to safety before she was killed in the collapse. Genelle Buzman-McMillian was the last person pulled alive form the World Trade Center wreckage. She was a Port Authority Worker, who was trapped beneath the debris of the North Tower for 27 hours before being rescued on September 12, 2001. Her story if detailed in her memoir called Angel in the Rubble. FDNY leader Regina Wilson saved many lives on Ground Zero and fights for equity and inclusivity in the department to this day. Rick Rescorla saved nearly 2,700 employees and visitors. He was last seen heading back up the stairs before the tower collapsed in trying to save lives. Frank De Martini and Pablo Ortiz saved at least 77 people in the North Tower before sacrificing their lives. Ladder Company 6 helped a tired officer bookkeeper down the stairs to save her life just as the North Tower fell. 343 FNY firefighters and 71 law enforcement officer including dozens of emergency medical technicians died while actively running into the collapsing buildings to save human lives.
The World Trade has a long history. The original World Trade Center was a complex of seven buildings in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Built primarily between 1966 and 1975, it was dedicated on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed on September 11, 2001, after two hijacked planes were flown into the towers in a coordinated terrorist attack. The complex included the 110-story-tall Twin Towers, at the time of their completion the tallest buildings in the world, with the original 1 World Trade Center (the North Tower) at 1,368 feet (417 m), and 2 World Trade Center (the South Tower) at 1,362 feet (415.1 m). They were also the tallest twin skyscrapers in the world until 1996, when the Petronas Towers opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The other buildings in the complex were the Marriott World Trade Center (3 WTC), 4 WTC, 5 WTC, 6 WTC, and 7 WTC. The complex contained 13,400,000 square feet (1,240,000 m2) of office space and, prior to its completion, was projected to accommodate an estimated 130,000 people. The area of the World Trade Center was near the Hudson River. The Dutch were the first European settlers in Manhattan. Later, the area became New York City's Radio Row, which existed from 1921 to 1966. The neighborhood was a warehouse district in what is now Tribeca and the Financial District. Harry Schneck opened City Radio on Cortlandt Street in 1921, and eventually, the area held several blocks of electronics stores, with Cortlandt Street as its central axis. The used radios, war surplus electronics (e.g., AN/ARC-5 radios), junk, and parts were often piled so high they would spill out onto the street, attracting collectors and scroungers. According to a business writer, it also was the origin of the electronic component distribution business.
The idea of forming the World Trade Center in New York City was first proposed in 1943. The New York State Legislature passed a bill authorizing New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey to start developing plans for the project. They were put on hold in 1949. Plans existed by eminent domain to remove shops in Radio Row bound by Vesey, Church, Liberty, and West Streets by 1961. To help stimulate urban renewal in Lower Manhattan, David Rockefeller suggested that the Port Authority build a World Trade Center there. By 1961, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was deciding to build the world's first world trade center. They had two choices: the east side of Lower Manhattan, near the South Street Seaport; or the west side, near the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad (H&M) station, Hudson Terminal. Initial plans, made public in 1961, identified a site along the East River for the World Trade Center. As a bi-state agency, the Port Authority required approval for new projects from the governors of both New York and New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Robert B. Meyner objected to New York getting a $335 million project. Toward the end of 1961, negotiations with outgoing New Jersey Governor Meyner reached a stalemate.
Approval was also needed from New York City Mayor John Lindsay and the New York City Council. Disagreements with the city centered on tax issues, and the New York City Planning Commission wanted the Port Authority to increase its payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) to the city government. On August 3, 1966, an agreement was reached whereby the Port Authority would make annual PILOTs for the portion of the World Trade Center leased to private tenants. In subsequent years, the payments would rise as the real estate tax rate increased. In May 1967, the New York City Planning Commission approved several changes to the street grid that would allow the Port Authority to begin acquiring land for the complex.
On September 20, 1962, the Port Authority announced the selection of Minoru Yamasaki as lead architect and Emery Roth & Sons as associate architects. Yamasaki devised the plan to incorporate twin towers. His original plan called for the towers to be 80 stories tall, but to meet the Port Authority's requirement for 10,000,000 square feet (930,000 m2) of office space, the buildings would each have to be 110 stories tall. The Port Authority publicly presented a model for the complex on January 18, 1964. The original plans called for two towers rising 1,350 feet (410 m), as well as several six-story buildings surrounding a central plaza (later the Austin J. Tobin Plaza). These buildings were to include office space, restaurants, a hotel, exhibition space, stores, and an information center about world trade. The agency released its final model of the complex in March 1966. Despite public criticism over the height of the 110-story twin towers, Yamasaki & Associates and Emery Roth & Sons made only relatively minor changes to the plans, which were released in May 1966. The revised plans called for the twin towers and four additional low-rise structures to surround the central plaza.
To learn about plants full, people must comprehend about the components of the plant cycle. The plant cycle is a process where a plant grows from a seed, matures, reproduces, and produces new seeds to start the cycle agenda. Therefore, the plant cycle shows a plant's life from birth to reproduction, and to eventual death. This process helps to continue the species. The cycle varies slightly between flowering and non-flowering plants, the fundamental stages are similar. The first stage is the seed stage. A seed contains the embryo of the plant and a food supply called the endosperm, all protected by a seed coat. Seeds can remain dormant until environmental conditions—such as water, oxygen, sunlight, and suitable temperature—are favorable for growth. Seeds are dispersed by wind, water, animals, or humans, allowing plants to colonize new areas. The 2nd stage is about germination. When conditions are right, the seed germinates, and the embryo begins to grow. The root emerges first, anchoring the plant and absorbing nutrients, followed by the shoot and first leaves. This stage transforms the seed into a seedling. Later, you have the seedling stage. The seedling is a young plant that grows toward sunlight and develops roots, stems, and leaves. It relies on photosynthesis, using chlorophyll to convert sunlight into energy, and absorbs water and nutrients from the soil. Then, an adult plant exists. As the plant matures, it becomes an adult plant, capable of reproduction. Flowering plants develop flowers, while non-flowering plants may produce cones or spores. The adult stage is when the plant is fully functional and contributes to the ecosystem. In flowering plants, pollination occurs when pollen from the male anther reaches the female stigma, either through wind, insects, birds, or other animals. Fertilization follows, producing seeds that contain the next generation of plants. This stage completes the cycle and ensures species survival.
Plants also undergo a genetic cycle called alternation of generations, alternating between a haploid gametophyte phase (producing gametes) and a diploid sporophyte phase (producing spores or seeds). In flowering plants, the sporophyte is the dominant, visible stage, while the gametophyte is microscopic and dependent on the sporophyte. Some plants, like ferns and mosses, do not produce seeds but instead reproduce via spores. Despite this difference, they still follow a life cycle that includes growth, reproduction, and the production of new generations. Therefore, the plant cycle goes on with seed growth, germination, seedling, adult plant, reproduction, and new seeds.
I found out that Yolanda Hampton Reeder is my 5th cousin. She is born in February 1977. She is related to my paternal side of my family that originated from North Carolina, migrated to Connecticut, and some have traveled into Florida. How is she related to me? Yolanda Reeder and I share the same ancestors of my 4th great grandparents of George Perkins I (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816). Yolanda Reeder's sister is Clydisha Hampton Vasquez (b. 1980). Their parents are Richard J. Hampton (b. 1955) and Yvette Fountain Drummond (b. 1956). The parents of Yvette Fountain Drummond were the great matriarch Irene Broadnax (1920-2015) and King David Sam William Fountain (1914-1964). The parents of my 3rd cousin Irene Broadnax were Dennis Broadnax (1881-1975) and Cynthia (Lucinda) Broadnax (1885-1931). The parents of my 2nd cousin Cynthia (Lucinda) Broadnax were Dennis Harris (1860-1928) and Gundora (Geneva) Perkins (1868-1927). The parents of Gundora (Geneva) Perkins were George Perkins II (1847-1932) and Fannie Lou Blackstock (1848-1949). The parents of George Perkins II were my 4th great-grandparents George Perkins (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816). So, all things come full circle.
The Bishop Venoal M. Fountain Sr., D.D. is my distant cousin and the uncle to Yolanda Hampton Reeder. Bishop Venoal M. Fountain Sr. 75, was born the 8th child of 15 children, on August 19, 1949, in Eden, North Carolina to the late King David and Irene Broadnax Fountain. Bishop Venoal Fountain Sr. transitioned on Monday, December 23, 2024. His family relocated to Bridgeport, Connecticut where he graduated from Central High School in Bridgeport, CT. He attended Yale Divinity School in New Haven, CT and was given an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Bishop Venoal was known to be very enterprising as a young man. Young Venoal started working at the age of 16 at General Electric in Bridgeport, CT. He became a supervisor working different shifts in the factory. He later worked for Bullard Machine Tool Company, Bridgeport Machines, Trio Industries, and Tie Communications. Upon leaving Tie communications, then known as Mr. Fountain, started a telephone communications company Le Font Electronics. Le Font Electronics at one time had created 150 plus jobs within the Greater Bridgeport area. His company was ranked number 52 in Black Enterprise Magazine's top 100 companies throughout the nation. In his later years, he was able to officially retire but remained consulting and counseling, which he greatly enjoyed.
He began preaching the gospel at the age of 9. His strong faith and preaching lead him to become the Youth Pastor, as well as the Assistant Pastor of the Fountain of Youth Bibleway Church, Bridgeport, CT, under the tutelage of his older brother the late Bishop Franklin D. Fountain. He also was the 5th Sunday Youth President of Bibleway World Wide, Inc. Connecticut Diocese. As an Elder he opened the Fountain of Youth Revival Center church within Connecticut (Bridgeport, Ansonia, and Stratford areas).
Bishop Venoal Fountain married and is survived by his high school sweetheart, Lady Sandra (Crawford) Fountain in 1970. Bishop Venoal and Lady Sandra had two biological children Aurelia Fountain Mushrall (Joseph) of Bristol, CT and Venoal M. Fountain Jr of Shelton, CT. They have three called adopted sons in love Reverend David R. Foreman, Brian Foreman Fountain, Wayne Carter II. Three biological grandchildren are Julian Fountain, Venoal Fountain III, and Alivia Fountain all of Shelton, CT and his step grandchild Isaiah Mushrall of Bristol, CT. He has one biological great grandchild Julian Fountain Jr. His two adopted grandchildren Adrienne Carter (Clovis) of Derby and Wayne Carter III (Athena) of West Haven, with a host of other grands. Additionally, his brothers Robert Fountain (JoAnn) of Ruskin, FL and Donald Fountain (Rita) of Bridgeport, CT. and his sisters Zorene Fountain Meekins, the matriarch of the family, and Yvette Fountain Hampton of Brandon, FL., Erma Fountain Johnson of Ruskin, FL, Sharon Fountain Whitmore and Jacqueline Fountain Campbell of Bridgeport, CT, and Madeira Fountain Walker (Mark) of Mansfield, OH. He also shared a special relationship with his sisters-in-laws as a "Brother" and spiritual mentor to Shirley Sanders, Doreen Dunham, Marjorie Drinks, Corlette Crawford, Theresa Heyward River, Regina Crawford, and Quinella Hardison. One aunt Harriet Sharpe of Bridgeport. Godchild Joel V Hampton of Brandon, FL and David Manderson of Ct, a special niece Clydisha Vasquez (Melvin) of Brandon, FL and his extended family Christopher Samuels, Pastor Anthony Samuels, Laterrius Johnson (Cassandra), Joel Cortes, Richard Rivera, and Myrone Early of New Haven, Ct., and a host nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Bishop Venoal was a father figure to a host of generations of young men and women. Besides his parents, he is predeceased by his brothers, Clyde, Bishop Franklin, Alvestico, and Norman Fountain; his sisters Betty Best and JoAnn Neri; and his daughter in law Janeen L. Fountain; and his sister-in-law Caren Simmons.
John Anthony (Tony) Meekins age 46, a lifelong resident of Bridgeport, suddenly went home to be with the Lord, on Thursday, February 17, 2011 in Bridgeport Hospital; born March 25, 1964 to John C. Meekins of Fostoria, Ohio and Zorene Fountain Meekins of Bridgeport, John was a minister of Open Arms Outreach Int'l Church in Bridgeport, he was a former member of Bethcar Fellowship in Hamden, and former employer of Laidlaw Transit for many years; he worked for A.B.C.D., Inc. Weatherization Department. He was once married to Kelly A. Coleman (b. 1966) on May 12, 1984, at Bridgeport, Fairfield, Connecticut. He leaves to cherish his memory two sons, Jovan Meekins of Bridgeport and Joshua Meekins of Stratford; five daughters, Johnnecia Meekins (her children are Caden, Jaleel, Caleb, and Kelani), Doris Meekins and Madison Meekins all of Bridgeport, Justyce B. Diorio of Ansonia and Tiara Meekins of Texas; a stepmother Eliza M. Meekins of Fostoria, Ohio; maternal grandmother, Irene Broadnax Fountain of Bridgeport; five brothers, King David (Eileen) Meekins of New York, Robert Meekins Sr. of Bridgeport a special sister-in-law- Dyrene Meekins, Demetrius Meekins of Ohio, Jason (Shawan) Williams of New Haven and Larry Tucker of Ohio; three sisters Carolyn M. (Eddie L.) Cox of Kentucky, Johnna Meekins of New Haven and DeNashia Meekins of Ohio; six grandchildren, and host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousin and friends.
The last album of Aaliyah when she was alive was her self-titled album called Aaliyah. She loved to sing and act constantly during her longevity. During the recording stages of the album, Aaliyah's publicist said that the album's released date would most likely be October 2000, but that wasn't the case. Aaliyah finished recording the album in March of 2001. This was after a year of recording tracks that began in March 2000. Aaliyah was the album released on July 17, 2001 (five years after One in a Million). The album sold 187,000 copies in its first week. The first single from the album was We Need a Resolution. It peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100. The week after her death, the album rose from number 19 to number 1 on the Billboard 200. Rock the Boat was released as a posthumous single. The music video premiered on BET's Access Granted, and it became the most viewed and highest rated episode in the history of the show. The song peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The promotional posters for Aaliyah that had been put up in major cities like New York City and Los Angeles became makeshift memorials for grieving fans. By February 2002, the album was certified double platinum by RIAA. The album Aaliyah's songs like More than a Woman and I Care 4 U were released as posthumous singles and peaked within the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100. More than a Woman reached number one the UK singles chart, making her the first woman deceased artist to reach number one on the UK singles chart. The album was released by Blackground Records and Virgin Records. Aaliyah worked on the album as early as 1998. She recorded much of the album in 2000 at Sing Sing Studios in Australia, where she shot her role for the 2002 film Queen of the D_____. She also recorded at the Manhattan Center and Sony Music Studios in New York plus Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles (among other locations). There were many writers and producers involved in the project like Bud'da, J. Dub, Rapture, Eric Seats, and longtime collaborator Timbaland. Aaliyah was an album with R&B, neo soul, dance-pop, funk, alternative rock, Electronica, hip hop, and Latin music. Static Major was involved in the project as a friend of Aaliyah too. Aaliyah was the album that was more mature that evaluated romance in a complex way from infatuation to heartache. It promoted women empowerment. Aaliyah was posthumously awarded the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist, and the American Music Award in 2002 for Favorite R&B/Soul Album. Aaliyah helped to change R&B and inspire future R&B stars like Ciara, Ashanti, and Rihanna. Timbaland reached more success with Aaliyah. Timbaland would never reach that next level without Aaliyah as Timbaland would admit too.
By Timothy
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Friday, June 19, 2026
Happy Juneteenth.
The Obama Presidential Center opening is a major historical event of the history of the United States of America. The Obama Presidency ended almost 10 years ago, and the legacy of Barack Obama has been very inspirational, complex, and diverse. One of the greatest gifts of former President Barack Obama was not only eloquent in his words, but he can explain the big picture of a concept and mixing that with the details of that concept at the same time. I lived through both terms of his Presidency, so people like me are perfectly qualified to analyze his 8-year Presidency. From his speech in 2004 (in the Democratic National Convention) talking about being a united country to him desiring to be President in his Springfield, Illinois 2007 speech, people from my generation (and previous generations) witnessed his political journey in amazing detail. The center is located in the South Side of the great Midwestern city of Chicago, Illinois. It is open to the general public on Juneteenth 2026. Barack Obama and Michelle Obama work as a team and as equals. There is no Presidency of Barack Obama without the intellect, strength, and insights of Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama is a legal scholar, lawyer, and activist in her own right too. Far too often, numerous people omit the contributions of the Obama Presidency like: investments to HBCUs, DACA, the Affordable Care Act, the Paris Climate Agreement, the Iranian nuclear deal, Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform, Credit Card Accountability Act, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. The Obama couple (who expressed emotion about this occasion) desire the younger generation to carry the torch and express courage, leadership, and progressive insights that will improve America during the present and the future. Only God knows the whole future, and it is our responsibility to help our neighbors, defend the poor, stand for righteousness, advocate for racial justice, defend the rights of immigrants, endorse health care for all people, and fight for justice with all legitimate means possible. The Obama Presidential Center reflects his life and personality filled with a library, a basketball court, a group of letters sent to Obama, artifacts, and other places that gives an inspirational experience to people (irrespective of one's political ideology). Like always, we wish the best for the Obama family.
The ceremony to open up the Obama Presidential Center in the South Side of Chicago that took place on June 18, 2026, was very historic. It was a time of jubilation and sense of duty to improve America. Barack Obama gave a speech filled with humbleness, disagreements with Trumpism (without saying Trump's name by calling for an independent judiciary, a robust media, and human rights protected), and a call for the younger generation to continue to improve society in general. The first African American President in the history of the United States of America wanted Americans to reject cynicism and despair to promote voting, citizenship, and activism in witnessing our democracy flourish in the Earth. The festivities were filled with the celebration of music from Chicago artists like Jennifer Hudson and Common. Also, other musicians performed at the location like Bruce Springsteen, U2, Morris Day and the Time, Young M.C., Bret Michaels, The Commodores, Martina McBride, Tems, Marc Anthony, Christina Aguleria, John Legend, the Roots, and Stevie Wonder at the end (showing songs like All I Do, Signed, Sealed and Delivered). Barack Obama wants us to embrace empathy, work for the common good, and display compassion in being part and parcel of our ethos. As Barack Obama said, we desire no kings or lords to rule over us (which was why the Revolutionary War commenced). The government ought to be controlled by the people via an elected representative government. Community and the love of his Chicago roots personified Barack Obama's (he found his identity and purpose in Chicago) and Michelle Obama's mindsets. The First Lady Michelle Obama said the words that we all thought, especially during the recent comments from MAGA bigots.
Michelle Obama praised her roots, opposed nativism, and wanted a multicultural existence for American society. She praised immigrants and said that we have the choice to be a decent human being. She said that it is an honor to be by Barack Obama's side, and her daughters Sasha and Malia Obama were happy on the stage too. Michelle Obama praised Barack Obama's brilliance, compassion, decency, and great work ethic. Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder performed an original song of Better Believe. Jennifer Hudson sang the national anthem. Christian Aguileria sang a rendition of Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World. Valerie Jarett, CEO of the Obama administration said that the Obama Center is tribute to those who made their journey possible from campaign workers, people in American improving America, and to unsung people doing the work in creating the building. Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Bill Clinton, Steven Spielberg, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, David Letterman, George W. Bush, Laura Bush, George Lucas, and other celebrities plus political leaders attended the ceremony. The whole ceremony felt like a concert, a celebration, and an opening of a museum at the same time. The vibe felt similar to the opening ceremony of the National Museum of African American History and Culture back in 2016. The center will have a garden, artwork, a restaurant, a replica of the Oval Office, and other items of joy and inspiration for the human race.
Trump's memorandum of understanding has $300 billion sent for the reconstruction of Iran, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiate a permanent peace treaty within 60 days in Switzerland in a 14-point M.O.U. Many Republicans oppose the deal, because the deal to them is not going far enough to punish Iran. Some Democrats oppose the deal too. Some have gone to say that the Trump deal is worse than Obama's Iranian deal. The difference is that Obama's Iranian deal didn't require America to fire a shot. This reality proves that strong diplomacy is superior to an unjustified military attack in Iran. Trump has talked about his deal in the G7 meeting at Evian, France. America, Japan, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, and Canada have discussed many issues at the G7 meeting. The Iranian war has been a disaster, and Iran has gained strength during this war. Trump has an aggressive foreign policy that threaten to seize Canada and Greenland, promotes large tariffs against the European Union, and promotes war internationally. The European Union wants to increase its military strength in the Middle East and in Europe. Macron also allowed the police to violently disperse the largely peaceful demonstration in Evian using tear gas and water cannons. The Evian summit represents the ruling class oligarchy planning geopolitical events, attacks on social programs, and trying to suppress growing opposition to the monopolistic power of the state.
Some good news is that Georgia Republicans paused gerrymandering of black districts. We have seen the neo-Jim Crow tactic of some GOP members in the South who want gerrymandering tactics to eliminate fair black political representation that strife democracy. This comes after the bad Louisiana v. Callais decision that existed since late April 2026. That decision eliminated part of the Voting Rights Act. Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee redrew congressional maps by fiat to extinguish a preexisting majority black districts. Florida is trying to do a similar partisan gerrymander policy. We know that Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and other states of the South have a high percentage of a black population. Georgia GOP Kemp stopped his gerrymandering plan (not for moral reasons), because he knew full well that such action in Georgia would galvanize more Democratic voters to vote in the midterm elections of 2026. Georgia has general elections for Governor and U.S. Senator. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms might win the governorship of Georgia in November. She is facing the Republican billionaire, Rick Jackson. Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff will face 2020 election denier GOP member Mike Collins. Collins is a notorious bigot and racist by wanting America to throw migrants out of helicopters into the ocean, shared a post from an anti-Semitic account attacking a Washington Post reporter for being Jewish, and shared a video of white college students mocking a black American anti-war protester with openly racist attacks. Collins (who voted for doubling health insurance premiums for more than 1 million Georgians, for the Iran War, and for the Trump tariffs) is under federal investigation for the illegal misuse of tax dollars.
By Timothy
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Defending Our Dignity.
Trump said that he has established a U.S./Iran agreement. This comes after months of war, deaths of thousands of Iranian lives, and the deaths of over a dozen of U.S. servicemen and servicewomen. The war has been a disaster which has damaged tons of infrastructure all over the Middle East (in Iran, in Lebanon, in Qatar, in Bahrain, in the U.A.E., etc.) and caused untold psychological turmoil among many human beings in the region too. Tehran's leadership is more reactionary than before the invasion of Iran (and that regime will definitely suppress dissent in a harsher fashion), and Netanyahu is still a war hawk who has pushed for more military action if things doesn't go his way. Trump wants Netanyahu to not mess up the deal and end its attacks on Lebanon. America also attacked Iranian nuclear facilities in 2025. What appears to take place is a deal that returns to the status quo. This memorandum of understanding (which Congress doesn't know about in its full, transparent details) deals with a 60-day extension of a ceasefire, ending the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, and something done about the Strait of Hormuz (about its possible opening). Back in March of 2026, Trump said that he wants Iran to have unconditional surrender. This is obviously not the case, because Iran is in a stronger geopolitical space than before. Iran survived the attacks from the strongest military in human history, and the specifics of the agreement will be released soon in the days ahead. This is not a Trump victory. It is an unjust war of choice that harmed the American economy, and it has been filled with profound folly. There are many questions about the Iranian peace deal, especially if Iran will receive a $300 billion fund to rebuild their country. Truthfully, we all want peace, but the status quo is just vanity and a mirage.
The UFC match in the White House was filled with a cultic MAGA worship. Many celebrities and corporate leaders were in the event. There is nothing wrong with the sport of mixed martial arts as MMA teaches men and women about self-defense, discipline, courage, athletic skills, endurance, and determination. The vast majority of MMA participants want to do the right thing. Yet, much of the UFC and much of MMA culture has been infiltrated by MAGA and manosphere propaganda (i.e. Andrew Tate is one such manosphere propagandist who said that depression isn't real, no real men live in Canada, and that women are the property of men, which are all lies). We know that the manosphere is wrong, because of its abhorrent philosophies of promoting sexist stereotypes against women, considering feminism inheritably anti-men (when it's not), and it promotes the lie that men are entitled to the bodies of women by default. One example of the expression of this racist, sexist movement of MAGA is how one MMA fighter misgendered former First Lady Michelle Obama after a match. We can't tolerate anyone disrespecting Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama is a wife, a mother, and a black woman who deserves respect. Regardless of your political or religious views, no black woman should be dehumanized or disrespected period. The match on White House grounds has been accused of being illegal because one plaintiff said that the event violated federal parkland regulations and represented a corrupt usage of national monuments. A judge rejected efforts to cancel the White House's UFC event. Therefore, we have to be clear that our humanity shouldn't be manipulated or bashed. Our justice should exist period.
The smear against Michelle Obama is not only racist and sexist. It is part of a long lie being promoted by far-right people who are jealous of successful black women. This is not new. Centuries ago, white racists used slavery to emotionally, physically, and sexually abuse black women in tons of plantations. Also, these same slave owners did unspeakable atrocities against black girls, black boys, and black men too. This caused trauma in our black community, and the anti-black woman misogynistic mentality still exists in our generation unfortunately. The sponsors of the UFC fight have refused to apologize for one person's lying remarks. This attack on Michelle Obama is an attack on all of us black people, because a racist bigot doesn't view black people as human. Therefore, they will use despicable language in order to try to cause chaos, and we will respond by using intelligence, courage, and a defense of our black humanity.
I will mention this point clearly. I believe in body positivity 100%. Body positivity is not a medical framework. It is a pristine moral concept that means that a person's worth, dignity, and access to a full life should not be based on their body size or health status. Also, it is important to comment about people who misinterpret body positivity like Jillian Michaels and others. Michaels falsely believes that body positivity is about glorifying health mismanagement, eating unhealthy foods constantly, and advocating no solutions for people to desire to change from extreme obesity. Body positivity is not about that. Body positivity is about treating all human beings with dignity and with respect, regardless of someone's size or weight. It is about rejecting dehumanization of plus sized people and realizing that beauty and healthy people exist in a diversity of colors, sexes, genders, and sizes too. Body positivity is about embracing human autonomy and recognizing that people should voluntarily make a decision to improve their health and their fitness strength out of their own volition, not as a means to satisfy Eurocentric supremacist faux standards of beauty or physical appearance. If everyone on Earth looked exactly the same, the world would be very bland. Yet, we exist in diversity because diversity is the spice of life, and also femininity is diverse too. Many of the same ones who bash body positivity in many cases will bash women who lift weights also. Serena Williams, Lenda Murray, and other women are known for lifting weights, and they are beautiful black women.
Body positivity focuses on equal treatment, weight neutral healthcare, and dignity regardless of size. You can give a person advice to improve their health in a massive way without dehumanization and demonization. Also, we know that BMI is a myth, and health levels are not just based on body fat percentage but on visceral fat, blood pressure levels, metabolic profiles, genetics, environment, stress, access to care, and body composition. A comprehensive health blueprint is determined by biological, psychological, and sociological factors, not on body size alone. In other words, health exists on a spectrum, is multifactorial, and can't be reduced to body size as the only standalone indicator. Therefore, narrowminded bigotry is interconnected, and we're grown. We have to act grown and realize the body positivity have saved lives literally, and it should always be greatly embraced in our consciousness. In doing that, we can get more people to be healthier and become their best selves more efficiently.
By Timothy
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