News digest: Sept. 18, 2001

The day's events | Losses

THE DAY'S EVENTS

• Attorney General John Ashcroft said the FBI has detained 75 people for questioning in the investigation of last week's terrorist attacks. Four people have been arrested as material witnesses.

• Ashcroft also announced the creation of new rules allowing illegal aliens to be detained for 48 hours, instead of the previous 24 hours.

• Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said the Bush administration is working on a relief package to "ensure the security, the safety, and the stability of the airline industry." Airlines have been in a financial tailspin since last week's terrorist attacks. In recent days, Continental Airlines announced 12,000 layoffs, U.S. Airways announced 11,000 layoffs, and Midway Airlines folded.

• New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani cautioned that the chances of finding anyone alive in the wreckage of the World Trade Center were "very, very small."

• President Bush held a ceremony in the Rose Garden honoring charitable organizations involved in relief efforts. "Our compassion and generous citizens have prevailed in the first phase in the war on terrorism. They have sustained and strengthened the home front," he said.

• U.S. stocks saw modest gains in the second day of trading after last week's terrorist attacks. As of 11:00 a.m., the Dow Jones industrial average was up 38 points and the Nasdaq was up 21 points. On Monday, the Dow Jones industrial average suffered its biggest point loss in history.

• President Bush is scheduled to meet with French President Jacques Chirac this evening. Other officials who will visit Washington include British Prime Minister Tony Blair, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, and Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal.

• Led by President Bush, White House staffers observed a moment of silence at 8:45 a.m. One week ago today the first hijacked plane crashed into the World Trade Center's north tower at 8:46 a.m.

• A group of senior Muslim clerics within Afghanistan's ruling Taliban party will meet to decide whether to extradite Saudi exile Osama bin Laden. The meeting is expected to take several days.