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Attacks prompt widespread closings

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington on Tuesday have led authorities across the United States to take emergency precautions.

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In New York, major businesses and stock exchanges were evacuated. Exchange operators called off trading for the day, and the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq and American Stock exchanges also will be closed Wednesday.

All tunnels and bridges into and out of the city were shut down. The United Nations was evacuated as a precaution.

Most universities and schools in the city closed, including Columbia, New York University, Fordham, and Pace.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, just three blocks from the World Trade Center, remained open throughout the day, though it shifted its electronic funds transfer and security transfer system to backup computers at the Federal Reserve Regional Bank in Richmond, Virginia.

Voting in the New York mayoral primary was halted.

District of Columbia Mayor Anthony Williams declared a state of emergency for the city.

"Our first priority is to be able to respond effectively to the emergency situations as they arise," Williams said.

The D.C. National Guard is available, the mayor said, if needed, to enforce the state of emergency. He said he's also been in touch with White House officials.

In Seattle, the Space Needle was closed. The landmark also had been shut down during millennium celebrations in December 1999 amid fears of a terrorist attack.

In Boston, tall buildings, including the Hancock and Prudential buildings were evacuated. All federal and state buildings in the city and the state were closed.

NASA administrator Daniel Goldin ordered all NASA centers to shut down. The order affects seven NASA field centers as well as agency headquarters near Capitol Hill.

Technicians powered down and "safed" four space shuttle orbiters.

The shuttles Discovery, Columbia and Endeavour are in their hangars -- known as Orbital Processing Facilities. Atlantis is in the massive Vehicle Assembly building. Each orbiter is valued at $2 billion.

In Chicago, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade were evacuated.

Coca-Cola closed down its world headquarters in Atlanta, sending personnel home.

In Philadelphia, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell were closed. National monuments in Boston also were closed.

All major league baseball games scheduled for Tuesday night have been suspended.

"In the interest of security and out of a sense of deep mourning for the national tragedy that has occurred today, all Major League Baseball games for today have been canceled," said Commissioner Allan H. "Bud" Selig. "I will continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis and make ongoing decisions accordingly."

Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and all Disneyland parks in Anaheim, California, were closed, but resort hotels remain open for its guests.

Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, shut down and offered refunds to guests.

A spokesman for DaimlerChrysler said the company's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and all of its plants nationwide were closed.


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