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A colossal elevated highway begins to shudder and collapse high above the ground. Concrete cracks thunder through the air as entire sections tilt and break apart. An evacuation team in orange vests and helmets scrambles for their lives—some sprinting across the lower roadway, others dangling from scaffolding and rescue baskets as cranes swing frantically into position. Dust clouds rise, steel bends, and the atmosphere turns chaotic as the towering structure threatens to come crashing down. The scene is filled with panic, urgency, and cinematic disaster intensity.
A major highway under construction shows alarming structural failure. Large cracks appear in the elevated roadway while dust and debris begin to fall. The evacuation team, dressed in orange vests and helmets, immediately begins escaping—workers on the ground run toward safety while those on scaffolding and lifts descend quickly. Cranes and construction equipment stand by as the highway shakes. The scene captures the tense, real-life urgency of trained workers evacuating before a catastrophic collapse.
In this Aug. 5, 2007 photo, vehicles are strewn amongst the wreckage of Interstate 35W bridge which collapsed over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017 marks the ten-year anniversary of the disaster killed 13 people and injured 145. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File) (Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
MINNEAPOLIS – Ten years ago Tuesday, a bridge carrying a busy stretch of freeway collapsed without warning into the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis during the evening rush hour. Many leaders saw the disaster, which killed 13 people and injured 145, as a wake-up call about the country’s deteriorating infrastructure.
Here’s a look at what happened, what’s changed since then, and how Minnesota is marking the anniversary:
THE COLLAPSE
The Interstate 35W bridge was one of the busiest in Minnesota before it fell Aug. 1, 2007.
First responders scrambled to rescue survivors from the debris, including a school bus carrying 52 students and several adults. Navy divers spent two weeks recovering bodies from dark waters full of sharp steel. Federal investigators stayed for months. A fast-tracked replacement opened less than 14 months later.
The state and two contractors ultimately paid out more than $100 million to survivors and families of the dead. Most used the money to cover medical bills and get on with their lives. One young survivor from the bus used much of his money in 2014 to travel to Turkey and Syria to join the Islamic State group. He’s still believed to be in Syria.
THE CAUSE
While the collapse drew attention to the condition of America’s aging infrastructure, federal investigators said poor maintenance wasn’t the chief cause. They ruled it was a design defect in the bridge, which was built in the 1960s.
The National Transportation Safety Board said that crucial gusset plates that held the bridge’s beams together were only half as thick as they should have been. A contributing factor was the nearly 300 tons of construction materials stockpiled on the deck for renovations.
The 35W bridge had been rated “structurally deficient,” a term that means in need of repair or replacement, before it fell. It was also “fracture critical,” which means bridges at risk of collapse if a single, vital component fails. While neither category means there is an immediate safety threat, they are red flags.
Emergency personnel work at the scene where the Interstate 35W bridge collapses over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. (AP)
WHAT CHANGED
The American Society of Civil Engineers says the number of structurally deficient bridges nationwide declined from 12 percent in 2007 to 9 percent today. Minnesota improved from 8 percent to 6 percent, according to the group’s latest report card on the country’s infrastructure. The figures ranged from 2 percent in Nevada to 25 percent in Rhode Island. The report card still estimates it would take $123 billion to address the nation’s backlog of bridge rehabilitation needs.
The improvements happened because states stepped up, said Andy Hermann, a former president of the society and one of its experts on bridges. He said federal funding has been “pretty stagnant,” but about 20 states raised taxes to increase their bridge spending.
Minnesota launched a 10-year, $2.5 billion improvement program in 2008 that targeted 172 structurally deficient or fracture-critical bridges. About 120 of them have been replaced or repaired, or will be soon. Another 32 need only routine maintenance. Most of the rest will be repaired or replaced by late 2018. And the state now requires a formal independent peer review during the design phase for major bridges to minimize the risk of critical errors.
The collapse gave added impetus to a nationwide trend of design improvements, Hermann said. Most bridges built in the 1950s and 60s were designed to last around 50 years, he said. Newer bridges are typically designed to last 75 to 100 years, he said. Engineers are also choosing improved materials, he said, such as better steel and concrete.
The collapse also turned a new focus on inspection. Bridges typically are inspected every two years, but Congress has mandated a more data-driven approach that will mean more frequent inspections for some, and longer intervals for others, to focus resources on the biggest risks. That plan is still in rulemaking.
THE FUTURE
It’s unclear whether anything will come from President Donald Trump’s proposal for a $1 trillion overhaul of the country’s roads and bridges. While he held a week of events last month to tout the idea, he has yet to flesh out the details and it hasn’t gained much traction in Congress. His budget proposal calls for $200 billion in tax breaks over nine years that theoretically would leverage $1 trillion worth of construction.
This file photo shows one of the failed gusset plates blamed for the Aug. 1, 2007 collapse of the Interstate 35W Bridge in downtown Minneapolis. (AP)
THE ANNIVERSARY
Minneapolis is taking a low-key approach. Leaders will hold a ceremony for survivors, families and first responders at the city’s Emergency Operations Training Facility, several miles upstream from the collapse site, where a piece of the bridge will be installed permanently outside.
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, which led much of the response, held a wreath-laying ceremony earlier in July on the river with Navy divers who participated in the recovery.
And the Mill City Museum, just a few blocks upstream from the site, opened a display July 28 of one of the failed gusset plates.
The Trump administration has drawn a clear line between responsible journalism and political espionage. On Friday, President Donald Trump’s White House officially barred reporters from accessing a key section of the West Wing—known as the Upper Press—without prior approval.
The move follows mounting evidence that members of the mainstream media had been eavesdropping on private cabinet discussions and secretly recording sensitive material.
For years, the so-called “press freedom” crowd has used their credentials as a license to invade privacy, twist quotes, and undermine the President’s agenda. But under Trump’s leadership, that era of unchecked access and deep-state leaks appears to be ending.
The new order, issued by the National Security Council and enforced by White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, states that no reporter may enter the Upper Press without an appointment. The memo cited “the protection of sensitive material from unauthorized disclosure,” an objective most Americans would find not only reasonable but essential.
Cheung, known for his no-nonsense defense of the administration, revealed that this decision wasn’t made lightly. “Cabinet secretaries were being ambushed and secretly recorded by reporters lurking outside private offices,” he said. “It’s an unacceptable breach of trust.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, one of the most dynamic figures in the administration, has become a target for left-leaning journalists desperate to manufacture controversy. Sources confirm that several mainstream reporters were caught “hovering” near her office door—listening in during confidential cabinet meetings.
Cheung posted on X, formerly Twitter, that some of these reporters had even taken unauthorized photos of classified briefing materials. “We’ve had to chase reporters down who started strolling into restricted areas towards the Oval. Total absence of boundaries,” he wrote.
This isn’t a crackdown on the free press—it’s a defense against a press that’s gone rogue. For too long, major outlets like CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times have blurred the line between journalism and sabotage. Trump’s team is drawing that line again.
The new restrictions apply only to the Upper Press, the area adjacent to the Oval Office and Press Secretary Leavitt’s workspace. Journalists will still have full access to the Lower Press section near the briefing room. That means legitimate reporting isn’t being silenced—it’s being held to professional standards.
The decision follows other necessary reforms implemented by the Trump administration to restore order and discipline in government communication. Earlier this month, several outlets—including AFP—refused to comply with updated Pentagon press guidelines designed to protect classified material.
Rather than adapt, these same outlets are now crying “censorship.” But the reality is simpler: President Trump is putting national security above media theatrics.
For years, legacy media have operated like a political class of their own—waltzing through restricted areas, pestering staff, and mining private conversations for clickbait. When Trump first took office in 2017, he promised to expose the rot in Washington. Now, with his return to the White House, he’s making good on that promise once again.
Insiders say that the National Security Council’s new structure, which Trump placed under the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has increased the sensitivity of information handled in the West Wing. The need for tighter access is both logical and overdue.
The incident that triggered this move reportedly occurred after reporters were caught eavesdropping during a closed-door meeting with Leavitt and a visiting cabinet member. Witnesses claim the individuals were literally pressing their ears to the door—an act that would be unthinkable under any prior administration.
“This isn’t journalism; it’s espionage,” one senior official remarked privately. “If any conservative reporter had pulled something like that during the Obama years, they’d have been escorted out in handcuffs.”
The media’s meltdown over the new rule only exposes their arrogance. For decades, they’ve acted as though the White House was their playground. But under Trump, the people’s house is once again being protected for the people—not the pundits.
Leavitt herself has taken the attacks in stride. A rising star within Trump’s circle, she has faced relentless harassment from leftist journalists since stepping into the role. Despite that, she continues to deliver sharp, confident briefings that highlight the administration’s achievements—from freeing American hostages to restoring order on the southern border.
Many conservatives have applauded the move, saying it’s about time the White House stopped rewarding bad behavior. “If you can’t respect basic security rules, you don’t belong anywhere near the President’s staff,” one commentator said on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, liberal reporters are crying foul, framing their restriction as an “attack on democracy.” But Americans aren’t buying it. Polls show record-low trust in mainstream media, with many citizens agreeing that the press has become little more than a propaganda arm for the left.
Trump supporters see this as another victory in the fight to drain the swamp—not just in government, but in journalism. As one viral post put it: “They spied, they lied, and now they’ve been denied.”
BREAKING: Anna Paulina Luna Claims The Biden DOJ DESTROYED…
Representative Anna Paulina Luna has leveled explosive information against the Biden Department of Justice, claiming that critical materials related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation have been deliberately destroyed.
This assertion, if proven true, would represent one of the most damning instances of governmental obstruction and cover-up in recent history.
Luna, who chairs a congressional task force focused on federal transparency, has stated unequivocally that she possesses evidence implicating high-ranking officials in the DOJ.
According to her, these officials not only failed to disclose materials related to Epstein but actively destroyed them to conceal the extent of powerful individuals’ involvement in Epstein’s criminal network.
She introduced legislation titled the SHRED Act, aimed at imposing severe penalties on government agents who destroy or conceal federal records. The proposed bill calls for 20 years to life in prison for anyone caught eliminating evidence in cases of national significance.
“Even if they are conducting a criminal investigation, you should probably pick up the phone and call us,” Luna told Fox News. “We have been more than patient.”
These developments come amid growing conservative suspicion that the Biden administration has no interest in unmasking Epstein’s full network. The notion that key records could be gone forever only intensifies fears that justice is being buried under a bureaucratic rug.
Luna’s office has reportedly sent multiple requests to the Department of Justice demanding clarity on the handling of Epstein-related materials. So far, those inquiries have been met with either vague responses or complete silence.
The congresswoman did not mince words in her public statements, suggesting that the DOJ’s behavior constitutes a deliberate act of obstruction. If true, such actions could violate federal law and trigger an entirely new legal battle.
“The Biden DOJ has obstructed Congress, ignored subpoenas, and now appears to have destroyed critical evidence,” Luna said. “This is corruption at the highest level.”
Critics argue that this is yet another example of double standards in Washington. “Had this been a Republican-led DOJ accused of destroying documents in a child sex trafficking case, the media would be apoplectic,” one conservative commentator noted.
For years, the Epstein case has symbolized the deep rot within America’s elite circles. The financier’s suspicious death in prison and the subsequent lack of high-profile indictments have fueled accusations of a widespread cover-up.
Now, Luna’s allegations breathe new life into those concerns. If records were indeed destroyed, the implications are profound. It would mean that the DOJ, under Biden, actively shielded criminals from justice.
What’s more troubling is that these destroyed materials could have named prominent individuals—politicians, celebrities, and global financiers—who participated in or enabled Epstein’s crimes.
In this context, Luna’s SHRED Act isn’t just legislative symbolism. It is a clarion call for accountability in an era marked by elite impunity. Her bill seeks to ensure that future officials think twice before erasing truth from the historical record.
Despite Luna’s repeated calls for transparency, there has been no formal response from Attorney General Merrick Garland. The silence speaks volumes to many who believe the DOJ is stonewalling on purpose.
Meanwhile, conservative lawmakers have rallied behind Luna. A growing number of Republicans in the House and Senate are voicing support for investigations into the DOJ’s handling of Epstein evidence.
Some have even floated the idea of appointing a special counsel to probe the matter independently. Given the stakes, such a move may be the only path forward to restore public confidence.
This latest scandal further erodes the credibility of an already battered Department of Justice. From the Hunter Biden laptop fiasco to the political targeting of conservatives, the agency has been repeatedly accused of partisanship.
Now, with Epstein documents allegedly destroyed, the DOJ’s credibility is in tatters. Public trust, once broken, is hard to rebuild.
The American people deserve the truth. And if Luna’s allegations are accurate, they deserve justice, no matter how high the guilty parties sit.