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.
ONE OF PATRICK DEMPSEY’S TWIN SONS WAS CALLED “HIS CLONE” AND “THE NEXT MCDREAMY” AFTER THEY WALKED THE RED CARPET WITH HIM.
Recently, the actor Patrick Dempsey, who was once named the sexiest man alive and is now 57 years old, walked the red carpet with his wife and kids. They were all dressed up for the premiere of the movie Ferrari. Everyone looked really stylish, but one of Patrick’s 16-year-old twin sons, Darby, caught everyone’s attention.
What got people talking was how much Darby looks like his dad. Fans couldn’t believe the resemblance. One person said Darby looked like a clone of his dad. Another fan said he could be the next “McDreamy,” referring to a character his dad played on Grey’s Anatomy.
The truth is that good looks run in the Demspey family.
Patrick and his wife Jillian had their first child, a daughter named Talula, in 2002. Then a few years later, they welcomed twin boys, Darby and Sullivan, who are now 16 years old.
Patrick has talked about being a dad to three kids, saying that having a bigger family actually made things easier for him and his wife.
“In 2008, the Grey’s Anatomy actor said, “I love having a big family. I think it’s easier, oddly, in some ways, having three children as opposed to one. And it’s been great for my relationship with my wife and our life and everything.”
As his kids became teenagers, Patrick said things got tougher. Raising teens needs a lot of energy.
“They want their independence, which is normal,” he told People magazine in 2023. “They need to figure out how they fit into the world, make mistakes, and learn from them. As a parent, you need to be there for them through it all.”
After being a runner-up for years, Patrick was finally named “Sexiest Man Alive.”
“I’m glad it’s happening at this point in my life. It’s nice to have the recognition,” the actor said.
Asked how his children would react, McDreamy said they would probably tease him.
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