Inside Edition for Friday Sep 11, 2026

0:00The moment at the solemn ceremony that froze everyone. For 25 years, leaders in front of us here today chose to protect the Saudis, instead of standing with a 9-11 family. It started as a beautiful morning 25 years ago. Good morning. 64 degrees. It's Tuesday. September 11th. Then this. We have a breaking news story to tell you about a plane has crashed through the World Trade Center New York. The next time we took a commercial break was three weeks later. And the last calls home. The heartbreaking final messages from inside the World Trade Center, from those who knew it was the end. Three funds. No, you can't be just one in here to know about it. And honoring the fallen by sharing their most treasured home movie memories. 25 years later, you've been looking at old home videos. What has that meant to you?

1:04A special inside edition. September 11th. 25 years later. Hello and thanks for joining us as we broadcast today from Ground Zero. 25 years have passed since the attacks of 9-11 today. A moving ceremony as all of America paid their respects. It was a day people across the country stopped to remember the day that changed the world forever. A day of raw emotion at the 9-11 remembered ceremony in New York. 25 years after that terrible day, many of those reading the names of the fallen are too young to have known their lost loved ones. My father, Elvin Romero. Although I don't remember you, I try to live my life in the way that I was told that you did. Grandma, I didn't get to meet you, but you've been with me my entire life. My uncle that I never met and the best brother that my mom could ever have asked for.

2:08We all miss you very much and every waking day is painful without you. There was a moment of drama as a 9-11 widow made a passionate plea. How can it be 25 years and still we have no justice for the role that Saudi Arabia played in your murder? There were cheers as Terry Strata spoke out. For 25 years, administration, after administration, including leaders in front of us here today, chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9-11 families. Former President Clinton, Obama, Biden, Bush, and Vice President Vance were all watching. Vice President Vance, please carry that message back. Stand with the families. Political foes former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and current mayor Zoran Mandami shook hands. Although Giuliani had publicly called on Mandami to stay away. In keeping with tradition, a bell told for a moment of silence.

3:10It usually rings six times, but today, a seventh was added as a recognition of the thousands who have died from 9-11 related illnesses. A huge American flag was unfurled at the spot at the Pentagon where a hijacked plane struck 25 years ago. President Trump and First Lady Melania attended the Pentagon Memorial, recalling the heroism and sacrifice of that day. September 11th reminded us of the terrible power of hate. The 25 years since have shown us the even greater power of the American spirit to endure and prevail and to win. Another ceremony was held in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a hijacked plane headed for DC went down. A day to renew the promise never to forget.

4:12The morning of the 9-11 attack was an exceptionally quiet day here in New York City. Commuters and tourists enjoyed a brilliant, cloudless blue sky. Then, at 8.46 am, the first plane hit the North Tower and the world would never be the same. Here's Anne Mercogliano. It began as a beautiful September morning. Good morning. 64 degrees at 8 o'clock. It's Tuesday, September 11th. The news was pretty routine, nothing much happening. At the today's show, Matt Lauer was interviewing an author about his book on the reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. He dated all those beautiful women. Fans waved to the camera just a regular, uneventful day. At New York One, the local news channel, the big story, was the local election. It is the primary and dozens of races to city wider at stake today. Then came the first sign that a national calamity was unfolding. This has just come into us word of this incident at the World Trade Center, the fire department responding with a large number of crews.

5:18We have a breaking news story to tell you about. Apparently, a plane has just crashed into the World Trade Center. It's 8.52 here in New York. I'm Brian Thumbel. We understand that there has been a plane crash on the southern tip of Manhattan. Within minutes of those first troubling reports, it became tragically apparent that September 11th would go down as one of the darkest days in American history. We were thrown with a minute notice into the biggest story that we had ever seen. Pat Kearnin was anchoring New York One that morning. We went live. We got a couple of eyewitnesses who were close by. I called in, told us what they were seeing. And the next time we took a commercial break was three weeks later. You were delivering this tragic news to people. What is today like for you? The memories rush back so quickly because as much as it seems like 25 years have passed, there's such a vivid recollection of what was happening every minute that morning.

6:19It's hard not to get emotional at times. The planes hit the twin towers on 9.11. It took a little less than two hours for them to collapse. And during that time, those trapped high up in their offices knew the end might be near. So they reached out and made their last calls home. Now, a quarter of a century later, those calls are heart wrenching to here. They are the haunting calls from inside the twin towers, people reaching out to their loved ones when they feared all was lost. Bonbroker Kenneth Van Aachen left this haunting message for his wife, Laurie. I love you. I've been in the World Trade Center and the building was destroyed something. I don't know if I'm going to get out, but I love you very much. I don't want to get mad at you. James Gartenberg called his wife Jill. I love you, I love you so much.

7:21I love you so much. Melissa Hughes had a final message of love for her husband, Sean. Sean and me are just looking to my window. I love you. I'm stuck at this building in New York. I'm playing this building for a moment. I'll be out now. The three-shot smoke can be just fine. It's just a no, but I love you. September 11 was Michael Aforz, 39th birthday. His wife, Fran, was pregnant with their third child. He was trapped on the 105th floor. I love you. I love you. I'm trying to read. I love you very much. Playing at the building. I don't know what's going on. I'll talk to you. I love you by you. It was a horrifying morning for the 911 dispatchers who took calls like this from a desperate Melissa Doi, who was on the 83rd floor of the South Tower. We're on the floor and we can't breathe. And it's very, very, very hot. Everybody stay calm. Can you, can you, can you, can you, can you please, please? Yes, ma'am, I want to say hi.

8:22She was remembered today at Ground Zero. Melissa Candido Doi. Lloyd Mosquis was a chief 911 dispatcher at the time and took many of the calls. These were frantic calls for help. I was absolutely trapped on the 80th floor, the 90th floor, I'm on the 95th floor. What should I do? The smoke is getting worse. Part of the problem is a lot of these people wanted you to stay on the phone with them. But it just, it was not possible to do that knowing that you had hundreds of more people trying to call. Then there were the harrowing calls from passengers on hijacked United Flight 93 that went down in Scheng'sville, Pennsylvania. 38 year old Lauren Grand Colas called her husband Jack from the plane at 939 AM. She was three months pregnant with their first child. How many are you there? Jack, get up sweetie. Okay, why I just wanted to tell you I love you, having a real problem on the plane. I'm so refined.

9:22Jack paid tribute to his wife today, Nathan Memorial in Scheng'sville. Lauren Coutuzzi Grand Colas and our onboard child. I have often thought about how I picked up the phone and how different the outcome would have been. I'm almost glad I didn't have the message instead. Another passenger, Linda Groanland, knew she was doomed. She made one last call to her sister Elsa. Hopefully I just wanted to say I love you. And I'm gonna miss you. Just so moving. Incredibly, more than 30% of all Americans alive today were born after the 9-11 attacks, making it even more important to tell the stories of those lost. To ensure we never forget. That's why today, family members are sharing home movies on social media. So the memories live on. Here's Allison Hall. Their heart-wrenching home videos just posted by the children of those who perished on 9-11.

10:25A daughter shared touching videos of her with her dad, a stalk broker who died in the South Tower. Another video shows a dad who lost his life due to 9-11 related cancer, dancing with his little daughter out of wedding. Another daughter shared this video of her hero firefighter dad goofing around. This is my dad. Austin Schnacky is also sharing her home movies. Is that your favorite? What happens when you go to work? She was 3 when her beloved father, firefighter Kenneth Moreno, was killed in the terror attacks. This morning, Kristen read her father's name at the nationally televised 9-11 ceremony. And as I used to say as a little girl, daddy number 1, I love you dad. About 25 years later, you've been looking at old home videos. What has that meant to you? To see how he interacted with us means the world so many years later. When Kristen got married last year, waiting for her outside the plaza hotel in Manhattan,

11:27were firefighters standing in for her dad. Some of them served alongside her father. Now, all these years later, she's sharing her moving home videos like so many others. The most incredible thing to watch them and like see him again. All cherished memories. And social media isn't the only place we're seeing tributes. All the major TV networks are airing specials, remembering one of the darkest days in our nation's history. Debbie St. John was the very first victim of September 11th to be admitted to a hospital that faithful day, after she was struck by debris from the twin towers. We all worked together to put her on a stretcher. Now we're seeing her meet the good Samaritan who saved her life for the first time. Oh my goodness. Hi. Their emotional reunion is chronicled in a Nat Geodoccio series 9-11 Reunited. CBS News and Paramount Plus look back on the terror attacks with the Primetime Special 9-11

12:31we remember hosted by Tony DeCopo. It will feature the first 60-minute story about 9-11 as reported by the late Ed Bradley. Families are mourning the loss of loved ones who are still missing. On NBC, facing ground zero, a date line special will air with never-before-seen footage. 9-11. On ABC, 9-11 Tribute in Light will feature performances by Country Singer, Laney Wilson, followed by 9-11 United We Stand, which tells the inside story of former President George Bush throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium 49 days after the attack. An event credited with bringing the nation back to normalcy after the trauma of 9-11. No more unity in the world right now than right here at Yankee Stadium. And I saw Mr. President. We'll be back with much more Inside Edition from Ground Zero after this.

13:31Next, Save the Puppy. It's trapped on the railroad tracks. Or is it outrage over the low-life sewer deliberately placing puppies and kittens in jeopardy? And September 11th, 25 years later. In the next edition with Eva Pilgrim, we'll be right back. They're all over social media heartwarming videos of people rescuing seemingly helpless animals. But are they real? A new documentary is bringing to light a sinister new scam featuring people pretending to save our four-legged friends just to go viral. Justin Finch explains. It's a race against time. To save an abandoned puppy tied to these railroad tracks. Thankfully, the helpless pup is rescued before a train comes. In this video, there is something buried alive under all that rubble.

14:33It's a kitten. But these heartwarming rescues have a dark twist. Experts say that those videos were staged. So who would do such a thing? Scam artists who deliberately place the cute little animals in dangerous situations for the purpose of getting online views. A new documentary cruelty for clicks exposes the scam. We have a truck to circle meta showing videos from Facebook of animals being tortured. Nina Jackal is one of the producers. They're put into these dangerous precarious situations on purpose so that somebody can then pretend to come in and save the day. Nina says the staged animal rescues have racked up over five billion views on social media platforms. Bringing in an estimated $15 million in revenue. In this staged video, an unidentified man rescues two dogs left on a busy highway with their jaws and paws taped shut.

15:35Here another unidentifiable rescuer stumbles upon this white bag inside three puppies. None of us want to think that there are people out there harming animals just to get clicks. So how can you tell if a video is fake? Experts say if you can't actually see the rescuer's face, it's probably a scam. When we come back 25 years later, how those lost on 9-11 are being remembered around the world. Earlier, we showed you how America is remembering 9-11 25 years later, but there are also tributes happening around the world. This was the scene today outside Buckingham Palace as the King's Guard Band paid tribute playing stars and stripes forever. Meanwhile, down under at the NFL's first ever regular season game in Australia, jets from the Royal Australian Air Force and the US Marine Corps flew above the stadium.

16:42When we come back, some final thoughts from ground zero as we remember 9-11 25 years later. We leave you today with images from today's 9-11 Remembrance 25 years later. We'll see you next time. Sunday, the NFL on CBS is back with an electrifying week one double-header. The early slate features Josh Schallon in the bills, taking on CJ Stroud in the Texans in Houston.

17:42Then, it's a classic NFC North Battle as Jordan Love and the Packers visit the Vikings. It all kicks off at noon Eastern with the NFL today live in Minnesota. See you Sunday with the NFL on CBS and streaming on Paramount Plus.