Dan Joseph

September 11th, 2001 dawned bright and beautiful in Washington. Alas, it was a weekday, a work day. Employees of the Voice of America’s Central News division reported for their shifts, but the contrast between their cluttered, dusty newsroom and conditions outside could not be greater. Writer Jeff Custer remembers: “It was a gorgeous, gorgeous day, it was 70-something degrees outside, no humidity.

September 11th, 2001 dawned bright and beautiful in Washington. Alas, it was a weekday, a work day. Employees of the Voice of America’s Central News division reported for their shifts, but the contrast between their cluttered, dusty newsroom and conditions outside could not be greater. Writer Jeff Custer remembers: “It was a gorgeous, gorgeous day, it was 70-something degrees outside, no humidity.

A suspected U.S. drone strike overnight Monday is reported to have hit Islamic extremist group al-Shabab positions in southern Somalia. Details are unclear, but local officials say the airstrike killed a number of militants — perhaps even a senior commander. Some reports say the drone strike was aimed at an al-Shabab convoy while others say an al-Shabab training camp in Lower Shabelle was the target.