TERRORIST attack in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001 (Wikipedia).

It’s been 21 years since a terrorist attack on the United States killed thousands of Americans and triggered a global response that included the invasion of Afghanistan and other military action, including the killing  of Al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden.

That anniversary of “9/11” was observed across the nation, including ceremonies in Orange County such as a “Patriot Day” at City Hall and another in the Westminster Civic Center.

President Joe Biden, speaking at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., urged Americans to rally in support of “the very democracy that guarantees the right to freedom that those terrorists sought to bury in the burning fire, smoke and ash.”

Ukraine continues its offensive

After driving Russians from the strategic city of Izium, Ukrainian forces are continuing to push back the invaders from eastern parts of the country they seized earlier.

FLAG OF UKRAINE

According to The New York Times, Ukrainian forces on Sunday are continuing to push back Russian troops and their way to liberating the city of Kharkiv, a major city in the Donbas region.

In what was called “retaliation,” Russians attacks were made on electrical power facilities in Kharkiv, knocking out electricity in much of the area.

Sports: Bulldogs reclaim top spot

The Georgia Bulldogs, defending national college football champs, reclaimed their top spot in the AP Top 25 rankings released on Sunday. Alabama is second, Ohio State is third.

Filling out the top five are Michigan and Clemson.

USC is seventh and Oregon 25th. UCLA received no votes despite a 2-0 record and a big win this Saturday over Alabama State.

Major League Baseball: The Los Angeles Angels (61-79) lost 12-4 to the Astros in Houston despite taking an early 3-0 lead. Shohei Ohtani his his 34th homer of the season.  The Halos had 11 hits but batted 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

The Los Angeles Dodgers (96-43) hammered the San Diego Padres  11-2, breaking open a close game with six runs in the seventh inning. The Blue Crew hit four home runs. Andrew Heaney (3-2) worked five innings, giving up three hits and two runs. He struck out six batters and walked two.

NFL: The Los Angeles Chargers opened the 2022 season with a 24-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at home. Justin Hebert passed for 279 yards and three touchdowns.

Weather: A slight cooling trend

The West Orange County area should see the continuance of a mild trend toward cooler temperatures over the coming week. The National Weather Service calls for a daytime high of 82 (overnight low of 68) on Monday with clouds and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Tuesday should bring patchy fog, turning to mostly sunny with a daytime high of 81 (68). Wednesday should be similar, but slightly cooler at 80 (66).