Rebuilding: Latest Developments

By Stephen M. Silverman

Thursday September 20, 2001 08:43 AM EDT

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• Despite heavy rainfall, New York on Thursday took its biggest step toward returning to normalcy, with the partial reopening of the historic Brooklyn Bridge and sending thousands of schoolchildren back to class.

• Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, whose popularity has soared in light of his stalwart leadership of his city in this time of crisis, said in a CNBC-TV interview on Thursday that it would require "hundreds of billions" of dollars to rebuild New York. That's far more than the $20 billion of federal funds already allotted for the immediate recovery effort.

• In other morning TV appearances, including the "Today" show, Giuliani also said that he had not entirely abandoned hope of finding alive any of the 5,422 reported missing at the World Trade Center site. But he conceded that some victims' remains may never be recovered.

• About 5,800 people are dead or missing as a result of last week's attacks, which leveled the twin towers of the World Trade Center and destroyed one section of the Pentagon. Another hijacked plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania, killing all 45 people on board.

• The U.S. Justice Department expects to have 50 new "sky marshals" trained this week, to provide security on the nation's commercial airlines, officials said Wednesday. The goal is to have 100 more trained every three to four days. The department will be dealing with the 35,000 federal law enforcement agents who travel as part of their job, and possibly stationing them in first class to protect the cockpit.

• The FBI investigation continues to expand, with law enforcement agents seeking 190 people for questioning about the hijackings, which they think were carried out by 19 men. Government and law enforcement sources say that additional terrorist actions may have been planned and that some of the 37 people on an FBI "watch list" who have had flight training had airline reservations this weekend.