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On this day in history, August 3, 2004, Statue of Liberty welcomes visitors for first time since 9/11

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On this day in history, August 3, 2004, Statue of Liberty welcomes visitors for first time since 9/11

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The Statue of Liberty, perhaps the most celebrated symbol of American ideals and exceptionalism, reopened after the 9/11 attacks on this day in history, August 3, 2004. 

The globally recognized landmark had been closed to the public for nearly three years following the destruction of the nearby World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. 

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Lady Liberty stood stoically watching over the horror in Lower Manhattan that day, little more than a mile across New York Harbor. 

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“This beacon of hope and liberty is once again open to the public, sending a reassuring message to the world that freedom is alive in New York and shining brighter than ever before,” said then-Gov. George Pataki, as he reopened the Statue of Liberty along with Michael Bloomberg, NYC’s then-mayor, plus the Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, other officials and members of the public.

The celebration featured pomp and circumstance, including a performance of “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and the national anthem by a military choir. 

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But the event also came amid concerns about terror attacks that loomed over the nation long after 9/11. New York City, nearby Newark, N.J. and Washington, D.C., all faced terror threats in the days before the reopening ceremony. 

Thick smoke billows into the sky from the area behind the Statue of Liberty, lower left, where the World Trade Center was, on Sept. 11, 2001. (AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer)

“I think it shows the world that liberty cannot be intimidated,” Craig Manson, assistant interior secretary, said before the festivities. 

“I think it’s significant that despite the raising of the alert levels, we are still going ahead with the reopening.”

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The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, opened to the public in 1886. French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi conceived of it; he visited the United States in 1871 after serving his nation in the Franco-Prussian War. 

Lady Liberty’s interior metal framework was fabricated by Gustave Eiffel, who immediately afterward began building the iconic tower in Paris that bears his name. 

The Statue of Liberty has stood proudly in New York Harbor since 1886. It attracts about 3.5 million visitors per year, but has been closed for extended periods several times in its history.  (Kerry J. Byrne/Fox News Digital)

The Statue of Liberty has been shuttered for various reasons through its history. 

It was closed for two years from 1984 to 1986 for extensive restoration work before its centennial celebration. 

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The scaffolding around the Statue of Liberty became a pop-culture symbol of the 1980s that appeared in everything from movies to music videos. 

The National Historic Landmark closed for eight months after Superstorm Sandy in Oct. 2012, before reopening on July 4, 2013. 

The Statue of Liberty closed again to the public for four months at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020, before a phased period of reopening began in July. 

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An amazing view of the Statue of Liberty, the skyline and One World Trade Center. (iStock)

Visitors could access the statue’s famous torch for the first 30 years of its existence. 

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But public access to the torch ended following the deadly “Black Tom explosion” of July 30, 1916. 

The Statue of Liberty’s torch was among the structures damaged by explosion fragments. 

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As the U.S. contemplated entry into World War I, German spies sabotaged a barge in New York Harbor filled with an estimated 2 million pounds of arms and munitions destined for Allies in Europe. 

The horrific explosion could be felt as far away as Philadelphia. 

Remarkably, it killed only four people, but it caused an estimated $500 million in damage in New Jersey and New York City. 

The Statue of Liberty’s torch was among the structures damaged by explosion fragments. 

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It has been open only to National Park Service officials in the 106 years since the Black Tom attack. 

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Northeast

Harvard dean removed after anti-White, anti-police social media posts resurfaced

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Harvard dean removed after anti-White, anti-police social media posts resurfaced

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A Harvard University dean has been removed after a student-run news outlet exposed social media posts slamming Whiteness, police and advocating for looting and rioting.

Gregory Davis, the former Dunster House Allston Burr resident dean, found himself in the hot seat after a Harvard student-run news outlet called Yard Report resurfaced the problematic posts. Davis was on leave last semester for reasons unrelated to the controversy.

While Harvard did not confirm that Davis was removed for the inflammatory posts, Fox News Digital obtained the text from an email sent by the faculty deans of Dunster House confirming Davis’ removal.

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“We are writing to confirm that Gregory Davis is no longer serving as the Allston Burr Resident Dean of Dunster House, effective today,” the email said. “We thank Gregory for serving in this role and wish him and his family the best in their future endeavors.”

Dunster House along the Charles River on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.  (Sophie Park/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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The email message also announced that Emilie Raymer, who served as interim dean during Davis’ absence, would take over the role full time.

“We look forward to seeing everyone again in the coming weeks,” the email said. “As always, we welcome hearing from you on any issues affecting the Dunster community.”

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The posts in question were made between 2019 and 2024, mostly on X but also on Instagram. Davis became the dean of the dormitory in 2024.

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“It’s almost like Whiteness is a self-destructive ideology that annihilates everyone around it. By design,” he said on X in 2019.

During 2020, when tensions between police and left-wing rioters reached a fever pitch after George Floyd was killed, Davis slammed police.

An AutoZone store burns as protesters gather outside of the Third Precinct in Minneapolis on Thursday, May 28, 2020, in the days after George Floyd’s death. (Mark Vancleave/Star Tribune via AP)

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“You should ask your cop friends to resign since they’re racist and evil,” he said on X at the time.

As rioters and looters wreaked havoc in major metropolitan areas nationwide, Davis defended the chaos.

“Something to keep in mind: rioting and looting are parts of democracy just like voting and marching,” he said on X. “The people WILL be heard.” 

In the same year, around the time President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19, Davis said on X that he didn’t blame people who wished Trump ill. He followed that post with a second, captioned “But also, f— that guy,” attaching a meme that said “If he dies, he dies.”

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Just before Davis accepted his role as dean of the Dunster House in 2024, he made a post about Pride Month on Instagram.

“Wishing everyone a great Pride. Remember to love each other and hate the police,” the post said.

When confronted with the posts, Davis wrote to Dunster House residents in an email about the scandal, which was obtained by Fox News Digital.

Demonstrators gather on Cambridge Common to protest Harvard’s stance on the war in Gaza and show support for the Palestinian people, outside Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 25, 2025.  (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

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“Recently, some media organizations have inquired regarding comments that I made on my personal social media accounts prior to my start in the Resident Dean role,” he wrote. “These posts do not reflect my current thinking or beliefs. I deeply appreciate the responsibility inherent in the Resident Dean role and I value the trust that individuals have placed in me. I regret if my statements have any negative impact on the Dunster community.” 

“Since becoming the Allston Burr Resident Dean, I have worked hard to ensure that Dunster House is a welcoming, warm and supportive space for all of its members,” the message continued. “That continues to be the guiding force of my work today. As events outside of Harvard have affected our House and me personally, my commitment to each of you, our students, has not wavered. In my role, I have enjoyed the opportunity to work collaboratively with members of HUPD and other colleagues across campus. I respect the work they do to support our community.”

Davis did not return a request for comment. 

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New York

Video: Hochul and Mamdani Announce Plan for Universal Child Care

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Video: Hochul and Mamdani Announce Plan for Universal Child Care

new video loaded: Hochul and Mamdani Announce Plan for Universal Child Care

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Hochul and Mamdani Announce Plan for Universal Child Care

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a plan on Thursday to vastly expand free and low-cost child care for families across the state in the coming years and add programs for 2-year-olds.

“Today, we’re working together with the mayor at this incredible place to announce the first major steps to make child care universal — truly universal — here in New York City, transforming the lives of children and parents all across the state.” “We will build on the city’s existing three-K program, and say, no longer will a family in Flatbush be offered a seat, but have to find out that seat is in Astoria. We will add seats in the neighborhoods where demand has not been met. This will be felt by expanded subsidies for tens of thousands of additional families. It will be felt when parents look at their bank accounts at the end of the year, and see that they have saved more than $20,000 per child.” “And today, I’m proud to announce that New York State is paying the full cost to launch 2-care. For the first time — universal daycare for 2-year-olds, as proposed by Mayor Mamdani. We’re not just paying for one year of the program. We don’t usually go one year out in our budget, but just to let you know how serious we are, we’re taking the unprecedented step to not just commit for the 2027 budget, which I’m working on right now, but also the following year as well to show you we’re in this for the long haul.”

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Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a plan on Thursday to vastly expand free and low-cost child care for families across the state in the coming years and add programs for 2-year-olds.

By Meg Felling

January 8, 2026

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Boston, MA

Boston nightclub where woman suffered medical emergency and died has license reinstated

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Boston nightclub where woman suffered medical emergency and died has license reinstated


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After hearing testimony from club representatives and the loved ones of a woman who died there Dec. 21, regulators found no violations.

ICON, a nightclub in Boston’s Theater District, had its entertainment license reinstated at a hearing Thursday. Lane Turner/The Boston Globe

A Boston nightclub where a woman collapsed on the dance floor and died last month will have its entertainment license reinstated after the Boston Licensing Board found no violations Thursday.

Anastaiya Colon, 27, was at ICON, a nightclub in Boston’s Theater District, in the early hours of Dec. 21 when she suffered a fatal medical episode. Following the incident, her loved ones insisted that the club’s staff did not respond professionally and failed to control crowds.

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City regulators suspended ICON’s entertainment license pending an assessment of any potential violations. During a hearing Tuesday, they heard from attorneys representing the club and people who were with Colon the night she died.

Anastaiya Colon, 27, suffered a fatal medical episode Dec. 21 while at ICON.
Anastaiya Colon, 27, suffered a fatal medical episode Dec. 21 while at ICON. – GoFundMe

As EMTs attempted to respond, crowds inside the club failed to comply with demands to give them space, prompting police to shut down the club, according to a police report of the incident. However, the club and its representatives were adamant that staff handled their response and crowd control efforts properly.

Kevin Montgomery, the club’s head of security, testified that the crowd did not impede police or EMTs and that he waited to evacuate the club because doing so would have created a bottleneck at the entrance. Additionally, a bouncer and a bartender both testified that they interacted with Colon, who ordered one drink before collapsing, and did not see any signs of intoxication.

Angelica Morales, Colon’s sister, submitted a video taken on her phone to the board for them to review. Morales testified Tuesday that the video disproves some of the board’s claims and shows that ICON did not immediately respond to the emergency.

“I ran to the DJ booth, literally bombarded everybody that was in my way to get to the DJ booth, told them to cut the music off,” Morales said. “On my way back, the music was cut off for a minute or two, maybe less, and they cut the music back on.”

Shanice Monteiro, a friend who was with Colon and Morales, said she went outside to flag down police officers. She testified that their response, along with the crowd’s, was inadequate.

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“I struggled to get outside,” Monteiro said. “Once I got outside, everybody was still partying, there was no type of urgency. Nobody stopped.”

These factors, along with video evidence provided by ICON, did not substantiate any violations on the club’s part, prompting the licensing board to reinstate their entertainment license at a subsequent hearing Thursday.

“Based on the evidence presented at the hearing from the licensed premise and the spoken testimony and video evidence shared with us from Ms. Colon’s family, I’m not able to find a violation in this case,” Kathleen Joyce, the board’s chairwoman, said at the hearing.

However, Joyce further stated that she “was not able to resolve certain questions” about exactly when or why the club turned off the music or turned on the lights. As a result, the board will require ICON to submit an emergency management plan to prevent future incidents and put organized safety measures in place.

“This plan should outline detailed operational procedures in the event of a medical or any other emergency, including protocols for police and ambulance notification, crowd control and dispersal, and procedures regarding lighting and music during an emergency response,” Joyce said.

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Though the club will reopen without facing any violations, Joyce noted that there were “lessons left to be learned” from the incident.

“This tragedy has shaken the public confidence in nightlife in this area, and restoring that confidence is a shared obligation,” she said. “People should feel safe going out at night. They should feel safe going to a club in this area, and they should feel safe getting home.”

Keeana Saxon, one of three commissioners on the licensing board, further emphasized the distinction Joyce made between entertainment-related matters and those that pertained to licensing. Essentially, the deciding factor in the board’s decision was the separation of the club’s response from any accountability they may have had by serving Colon liquor.

“I hope that the family does understand that there are separate procedures for both the entertainment and the licensing, just to make sure that on the licensing side, that we understand that she was only served one drink and that it was absolutely unforeseeable for that one drink to then lead to some kind of emergency such as this one,” Saxon said.





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