America Prepares to Mark 15 Years Since 9/11

America is preparing to mark 15 years since one of the most devastating days in its history. Ahead of Sunday's anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the New York Times spoke to Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, who oversaw civil lawsuits filed by the family members of dozens of 9/11 victims. None of the cases ever went to trial and although some families wanted to hold the airlines and others accountable and air information in public instead of reaching a settlement, the judge says he has no regrets about the outcome. In other coverage:

• In his weekly address on Saturday, President Obama praised the country's resilience and vowed that "America will never give in to fear," the Guardian reports. "We’re still the America of heroes who ran into harm’s way, of ordinary folks who took down the hijackers, of families who turned their pain into hope," said the president, who will deliver remarks at a Pentagon memorial service on Sunday.

• NPR speaks to Vaughn Allex, a former American Airlines ticket agent who has been haunted for 15 years by the fact that he checked in two of the hijackers who arrived late for their flight at Dulles International Airport. They crashed the plane into the Pentagon and Allex says he blamed himself for the attack for many years and he has never been able to get over the guilt .
• NBC News looks at New York City's only homicide on 9/11 that was unrelated to the attacks. The NYPD could only spare one officer that day to investigate the shooting death of recent Polish immigrant Henryk Siwiak. Investigators still hope to crack the case someday.
• Time looks at the story behind Falling Man, one of the most haunting photos from 9/11. The man seen falling from the Twin Towers has never been identified.
• The New York Daily News reports that a mattress store in Texas says it will be closed indefinitely amid the backlash from a tasteless 9/11 ad. Miracle Mattress owner Mike Bonanno says there will be "accountability actions" for those behind the ad. He says the company will make a donation to a memorial fund.
• The CBC looks at the "9/11 Truth" conspiracy theories, which are still going strong 15 years after the attacks. Analysts say such movements tend to thrive in times of uncertainty.

(More 9/11 attacks stories.)