Tragedy struck on March 26, 2024, when a container ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, resulting in what the US Coast Guard classified as a major marine casualty. Among the presumed dead is Miguel Luna, a husband and father of three, who left for work on the bridge but never returned home. Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA, expressed grief over the loss of Luna, a longtime member of their community,
María del Carmen Castellón, Luna’s wife, expressed devastation over the uncertainty surrounding his fate. Colleague Jesús Campos echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the human toll of the tragedy.
After more than 14 hours of search and rescue efforts, authorities suspended operations, leaving questions about additional victims unanswered. Two workers were rescued, one in serious condition, shedding light on the magnitude of the disaster. The collision occurred after the container vessel, DALI, experienced a total blackout, hindering its ability to navigate. Despite efforts by the ship’s pilot to avert disaster, the vessel struck the bridge. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) initiated an investigation into the incident, with initial damage estimates exceeding $500,000. As the community mourns the loss of life and grapples with the aftermath, authorities seek to determine the cause of this tragic event.
33 Thomas Street: The Mysterious 29-Story Windowless Skyscraper in New York. What’s it use for?
In the heart of Lower Manhattan, an unusual 29-story skyscraper, devoid of windows, stands tall and mysterious. Its code name is Titanpointe, and it is located at 33 Thomas Street. This building has baffled New Yorkers for years.
The building, constructed in 1974, was designed to withstand atomic blasts and was initially intended to house vital telecommunications equipment. It was envisioned as a communication nerve center, fortified against nuclear threats, by the architectural firm John Carl Warnecke & Associates.
This imposing structure, a gray tower of concrete and granite soaring 550 feet into the New York skyline, remains, unlike any other building in its vicinity. Unlike neighboring residential and office buildings, it does not have a single window and remains unilluminated. At night, it takes on an eerie presence, and by day it casts a giant shadow, its square vents emitting a faint hum, often drowned out by the city’s bustling sounds.
For decades, 33 Thomas Street, also nicknamed the “Long Lines Building,” has captured the imagination of New Yorkers as one of the city’s weirdest and most iconic skyscrapers. But the true purpose of this enigmatic structure has remained largely concealed, shrouded in secrecy.
The Secret Behind 33 Thomas Street
Beyond its enigmatic exterior, 33 Thomas Street conceals a deeper secret. This building appears to be more than just a telecommunications hub. Evidence from documents obtained by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, along with architectural plans and interviews with former AT&T employees, suggests that 33 Thomas Street served as an NSA surveillance site, code-named Titanpointe.
The NSA’s involvement goes beyond mere speculation. Inside the building, there’s a major international gateway switch that routes phone calls between the U.S. and countries worldwide. The NSA is believed to have tapped into these calls from a secure facility within the AT&T building. This covert surveillance program has targeted not only international organizations like the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank but also numerous countries, including U.S. allies.
While AT&T has cooperated with the NSA on surveillance, few details have emerged about the specific role of facilities like 33 Thomas Street in carrying out top-secret programs. The Snowden documents, however, provide unprecedented insight into how NSA equipment has been integrated into AT&T’s network in New York City. This integration reveals the methods and technology employed by the agency to gather communications data from the company’s systems.
The NSA’s presence within this iconic skyscraper raises questions about the boundaries of surveillance in the modern world. As Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the liberty and national security program at the Brennan Center for Justice, points out, “This is yet more proof that our communications service providers have become, whether willingly or unwillingly, an arm of the surveillance state.” The deep integration of the NSA within domestic communications infrastructure challenges the notion that such surveillance can be neatly confined to non-American targets.
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