How politics has changed since 9/11

Plus: Biden's vaccine mandates, and Justice Stephen Breyer's future [View this email online]( [NPR]( Mark Lennihan/AP The Big Picture: How The Country’s Politics Has Changed Over The Last 20 Years Since 9/11, U.S. foreign policy has been shaped by terrorism. Trillions of dollars have been spent seeking to avenge the deadly attacks that seared a country that was in the midst of peace, prosperity and complacency, and transformed it. The U.S. has now wound down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it's come at a steep cost. And the [forever wars are not really over]( but more spread out and with fewer boots on the ground. Meantime, domestic policy has become more populist, and 9/11 shaped an entire cohort of younger Americans, who barely remember the days prior to 9/11, if they do at all. They have lived through years marked and marred by only war, troubled economies and student loan debt. They don’t have the perspective of those who lived through the end of the Cold War and saw the U.S. as the sole economic and military superpower. Today, the country faces long-term challenges, from the pandemic and a changing climate, to a resurgent Russia and China, to [a continued terrorist threat]( and rising [global right-wing nationalism]( including in the U.S. Domestic politics has [become more polarized]( and Americans themselves have become more politically isolated. As the country's demographics have diversified and the U.S. elected its first Black president, [white grievance has been mined and politically weaponized](. The advent of social media in the past 20 years has meant [confirmation bias has become endemic]( — if you believe something, there's probably a link that you think proves you're right. The way forward — and [what it means to be American]( — aren’t clear. Major questions loom for the rest of the 21st century, and on this Sept. 11, it's worth reflecting on how the Sept. 11 of 20 years ago changed America dramatically. — Domenico Montanaro, NPR’s senior political editor/correspondent --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Elizabeth Gillis/NPR ICYMI: Top Stories Breyer interview: NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg spoke with Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer this week. Here are some highlights from the interview: • Breyer [said he would retire on his own terms]( a response likely to anger progressives calling on the 83-year-old to retire so President Biden can name a younger liberal to take his place while Democrats control the Senate. • He criticized the court’s recent ruling to uphold a Texas law banning abortion after about six weeks, [saying it was “very, very, very wrong.”]( • Breyer [issued a warning to those calling for radical changes to be made to the court]( "What goes around comes around. And if the Democrats can do it, the Republicans can do it." Biden’s new COVID efforts: President Biden announced [a series of new efforts to tame the surging spread of the coronavirus]( including a new federal rule that would require businesses with at least 100 employees to ensure their employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly for the virus. Biden also announced that federal workers and contractors will be required to be vaccinated, eliminating an option laid out in July for unvaccinated employees to be regularly tested instead. Legal defense for voting officials: In the wake of the 2020 election, election officials across the country are facing death threats, conspiracy theories and legal penalties for making what are often regarded as minor mistakes. This week, [a new legal defense fund was launched to provide pro bono legal help]( and advice for election officials who up until a year ago did not really need it. DOJ sues Texas: The [Justice Department sued the state of Texas this week]( over its new law that bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, which is before most people realize they’re pregnant. The lawsuit says the state enacted the law "in open defiance of the Constitution." Biden pulls ATF nominee: President Biden [withdrew David Chipman's nomination to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives](. The move came after Chipman’s nomination faced unified opposition from Republicans and gun rights groups — as well as some Senate Democrats. — Brandon Carter, NPR Politics social media producer --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- Tim Lambert The Shot: Flight 93 This photo is of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service badge that belonged to Richard Guadagno, a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93. The location where it was found at the crash site in Shanksville, Pa., holds particular significance about where Guadagno was at the time of impact. [Find out what it meant to his family and especially his sister Lori](. The story is part of a special [NPR Politics podcast]( episode about some of the lives forever changed by Flight 93. The coverage also includes [a remarkable essay from WITF’s Tim Lambert, who revisits the grove of hemlock trees where part of the plane crashed]( as well as a look at [how those who lost loved ones on that flight cope with memories]( — both vivid and hazy — of what happened that day. — Heidi Glenn, NPR digital editor --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [nprpolitics@npr.org](mailto:nprpolitics@npr.org?subject=Saturday%20Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Daily News, Code Switch, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Politics emails. 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