9/11 ceremony live updates: Families to gather at WTC, Pentagon, Shanksville to mark 25 years

Americans are commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11, remembering the shock, the dead and the sweeping consequences of the al-Qaida attacks on symbols of U.S. might and prosperity.

Friday's milestone anniversary will bring memorial rituals - wreath-laying, flag-flying, moments of silence, vigils and readings of victims' names - and volunteer projects in tribute to a day that about half of U.S. adults remember as the most historic event of their lifetime, according to a new poll.

Traditionally, there are no political speeches at the New York commemoration, where relatives read all the victims' names, punctuated with moments of silence at key points in the attack timeline. For the first time, this year's ceremony will add a silent moment to honor people who were exposed to the clouds of toxic dust released by the twin towers' fiery collapse and have since died of cancer and other illnesses. Questions remain about how many people developed health problems linked to the dust

A massive security operation is underway in Lower Manhattan Friday as New York City marks 25 years since the September 11 attacks.

The NYPD will secure the 9/11 Memorial site with fencing and counterterrorism police as families and others head toward the reflecting pools for the remembrance ceremony.

Starting at 6 a.m., there will be no traffic south of Canal Street to Battery Place, from Broadway to West Street. The Hugh Carey Tunnel will remain open, along with southbound Broadway, but all trucks will be banned.

Intelligence officials say the terrorism landscape has changed in the years since the attacks.

"The threat is quite different from where it was 25 years ago. It's decentralized geographically with the rise of Al-Qaeda and ISIS affiliates globally," NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism Rebecca Weiner said.

Throughout the morning, several moments of silence will mark key moments from Sept. 11, 2001.

The first will be observed at 8:46 a.m., when Flight 11 struck the North Tower, followed by another at 9:03 a.m., when Flight 175 struck the South Tower. Additional moments of silence will mark the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

For the first time since the attacks, an additional bell and moment of silence will honor first responders, recovery workers, survivors and residents who have died from 9/11-related illnesses.

A number of dignitaries are also expected to join victims' families in New York City, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Vice President JD Vance and former Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

President Donald Trump is expected to attend a ceremony at the Pentagon commemorating the lives lost in the attacks.

The quarter-century milestone will bring together those who were in Lower Manhattan that day, families who lost loved ones and a new generation learning about the attacks as the nation continues its vow to never forget.

As New York City prepares to mark 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks, families of victims, first responders and city leaders gathered Thursday to remember those lost while reflecting on the lasting impact of the tragedy.

For Sean Jordan, the anniversary is deeply personal. His father, Andrew Jordan Sr., a firefighter with Engine 280 Ladder 132, died in the attacks. Sean was born 15 days later.

"You know I never was able to meet him," Sean Jordan said, becoming emotional. "And you know I always treasure hearing stories from my brother Andrew, my brother Matthew, my sister Kelsey, everyone in my dad's company."

Anthony Carlo spoke to families of victims, and visitors honoring the fallen.

The passage of time has not eased the loss for many families, who say the consequences of Sept. 11 continue to be felt.

"As time keeps going on - more and more that were there exposed to the cleanup is passing away and more and more people are forgetting," Sean Jordan said. "For us- it's still the same day, every day."

Andrew Jordan Jr. said the attacks also revealed the resilience of New Yorkers.

"We've lived through those events but the one thing I will always hold is how courageous and how strong we all are as New Yorkers," he said.

As we approach 25 years since 9/11, the Paley Museum, in collaboration with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, brought together a distinguished panel of journalists, historians, and photographers who covered the events firsthand, including Eyewitness News reporter Nina Pineda.

Pineda recounted how she found a man with camcorder video of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center.

Eyewitness News reporter Nina Pineda recounted how she found a man with camcorder video of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center.

Getting that video back to the station kept her away from the site when the towers collapsed.

The conversation on Thursday night also explored how reporting has evolved in the decades since the attacks, and why preserving firsthand accounts and reflections remain crucial to informing and teaching future generations.