News Articles on Effort to Ensure that the World Trade Center Health Program is Fully Funded
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Below are URLs to news stories on the effort to have the World Trade Center Health Program fully funded.
May 15, 2025 — Morning Edition (NPR) — RFK Jr. stands by deep cuts to health budget during contentious hearings
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says that Elon Musk’s DOGE effort drew up the blueprint for spending cuts that are reshaping the Department of Health and Human Services — and Kennedy and his team implemented them.
May 15, 2025 — Insider NJ — Kim Calls Out Secretary Kennedy for Gutting Ground Zero Firefighters and 9/11 Survivors’ Healthcare
During his question line, Senator Kim upheld his promise to voice the anger of a fire captain in New Jersey who was diagnosed with cancer and spoke out at a recent town hall in Chatham against cuts to the program.
May 14, 2025 — The Hill — HHS reinstates fired workers responsible for coal miner health protection
U.S. District Judge Irene Berger issued a preliminary injunction halting the firings at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Coal Workers Health Surveillance Program.
May 14, 2025 — Woodworking Network — Some NIOSH workers to be reinstated
Early in the day, the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA), which led a nationwide campaign to defend NIOSH called this a “crucial development after months of uncertainty” that threatened the agency’s workforce and core safety programs.
May 14, 2025 — Spectrum News NY1 — HHS Sec. Kennedy says cuts at 9/11 health program were a ‘mistake’
Advocates have warned that the wave of firings and then re-hirings at the federally funded World Trade Center Health Program have undermined patient health.
May 14, 2025 — CBS News New York — RFK Jr. grilled over cuts to HHS, including World Trade Center Health Program
Local first responders were listening in Wednesday as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was grilled over cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, including the World Trade Center Health Program.
May 14, 2025 — NY Daily News — RFK Jr. admits ‘mistake’ in slashing 9/11 health program
RFK Jr. told Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) that firing many staffers at the World Trade Center Health Program was an error made as the incoming Trump administration sought to make deep across-the-board cuts to spending.
May 14, 2025 — Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act — Statement on Secretary Kennedy’s Testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and His Response to Senator Kim’s Question
Secretary Kennedy needs to ensure that the program staff is brought up to its full strength, as authorized by OMB, of 138, so it can do its job of providing for sick and injured 9/11 responders and survivors.
May 14, 2025 — AFL-CIO — Labor and Workplace Health and Safety Groups Sue to Restore Programs at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Unions across nursing, education, mining and manufacturing industries, along with a manufacturer of personal protective equipment (PPE), today sued the Trump administration to reverse the illegal dismantling of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a component of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
May 14, 2025 — NPR — Under pressure, HHS reinstates hundreds of occupational health workers
After facing considerable pushback from labor organizations and congressional lawmakers, the Trump administration has reversed course on some of its planned layoffs at the federal health agency responsible for overseeing workplace safety.
May 14, 2025 — NBC News — HHS backtracks on firing hundreds of federal health workers
The health secretary said he brought back 328 employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, including those overseeing coal miner and 9/11 screenings.
May 14, 2025 — Reuters — US health department to reverse federal layoffs of coal safety workers, senator says
Over 100 federal employees who screen coal miners for black lung disease and research other respiratory disease who had been terminated as part of sweeping government layoffs have had their jobs restored permanently, West Virginia Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito announced on Tuesday.
May 14, 2025 — New York Post — Survivors, advocates challenge Trump admin to rescue 9/11 health program: ‘We’re starting to feel forgotten’
The plea came as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to testify before a Senate committee on Wednesday, with survivors and advocates calling on the secretary of Health and Human Services to defend the life-saving program.
May 14, 2025 — CBS 6 News Albany — RFK Jr. faces scrutiny and questions in DC over dismantling of department
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to face tough questions from lawmakers today on Capitol Hill regarding President Trump’s proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year.
May 13, 2025 — Newsday — Sens. Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand plan to grill RFK Jr. over state of 9/11 health program
Gillibrand and Schumer, standing alongside a coalition of 9/11 survivors and advocates, said they also want answers about the status of Dr. John Howard, the administrator of the program, and program workers who received layoff notices in April.
May 13, 2025 — CBS News — Head of worker safety agency NIOSH restored, ahead of RFK Jr. hearing
The head of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and a handful of teams at the agency had their layoff notices rescinded Tuesday, multiple officials say, and several worker safety programs that had been eliminated by layoffs last month are being restored.
May 13 2025 — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand — Ahead of Sec. Kennedy Testifying Before the Senate, Gillibrand, Schumer Demand Answers on Chaos at the World Trade Center Health Program After Kennedy and President Trump Broke Promises, Fired Workers, and Gutted the Vital Health Care of 9/11 First Responders
The press conference comes ahead of Secretary Kennedy’s appearance in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), where he is expected to be asked about his plan to honor our promise to 9/11 first responders and survivors and ensure they get the health care they are owed.
May 13, 2025 — Politico — Trump admin cancels layoffs for some health workers ahead of Kennedy hearing
The move reinstates some employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health — which lost more than 90 percent of its workforce.
May 13, 2025 — Rep. Jerry Nadler — Rep. Nadler, Goldman, Lead New York Delegation Letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy Demanding Answers Regarding the Ongoing Instability at the World Trade Center Health Program
In the letter, the Members write, “Since January, the Trump Administration has attempted to fire critical WTCHP staff at least three times. In each instance, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reversed course only after facing intense public backlash.”
May 13, 2025 — Newsday — Hochul talks to us about Trump, Blakeman, NUMC, LIPA — with a pinch of SALT
Gov. Kathy Hochul is traversing New York to boast about the benefits of the new state budget and on Tuesday Long Island was the destination.
May 13, 2025 — WGRZ-TV — Senators Gillibrand & Schumer criticize World Trade Center Health Program moves
Senators Gillibrand & Schumer criticize World Trade Center Health Program moves.
May 12, 2025 — AFSCME — WTC health program firings devastate care for 9/11 first responders
Without the necessary staff to make those determinations and approve treatments and benefits 9/11 responders and survivors are due, the results for the affected responders are likely to be devastating.
May 11, 2025 — NBC News — Federal workplace safety workers say gutting their agency will lead to preventable deaths on the job
In a letter obtained by NBC News, current and former National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health employees say the wide-scale reduction will lead to injuries and deaths.
May 10, 2025 — Weekend Edition (NPR) — Federal judge temporarily halts Trump’s sweeping government overhaul
The ruling from U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, a Clinton appointee, came after a hearing Friday in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions, nonprofits and local governments.
May 9, 2025 — New York Times — Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Plans for Mass Layoffs and Program Closures
An emergency ruling by a federal judge in California amounted to the broadest effort yet to halt the Trump administration’s overhaul of the federal government.
May 9, 2025 — Rockland/Westchester Journal News — 5 state AGs ask Hudson Valley residents: How have Trump cuts and policies hurt you?
On a night that was mostly testimony, some pep rally and that featured one accusation of corruption, five states’ attorneys general heard from medical providers, educators, and others concerned about Trump-era actions.
May 7, 2025 — News12 Long Island — Reinstatement of World Trade Center Health Program leader sparks mixed reactions
Dr. John Howard is to return to his position as WTCHP administrator, but advocates want assurances that his reinstatement will be permanent.
May 7, 2025 — Rep. Mike Lawler — Lawler, Garbarino, LaLota, and Malliotakis Release Joint Statement on Status of World Trade Center Health Program
“After extensive conversations with the Administration, HHS has said that it is reinstating all 15 WTCHP workers and that Dr. Howard is fully empowered as program Administrator. While we appreciate this development, their employment should have never been in question.”
May 7, 2025 — NY Daily News — 9/11 health workers rehired after outcry forced Trump to reverse cuts
Almost all of the estimated 16 fired World Trade Center Health Program workers have been told this week they are being reinstated, following weeks of uncertainty over the draconian cuts by the White House and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
May 7, 2025 — Safety + Health — Unions push Congress to help bring back NIOSH staff
A coalition of 28 labor unions is calling on congressional lawmakers to “fulfill the promise of a safe job” by helping in the effort to reverse staffing cuts at NIOSH.
May 7, 2025 — Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act — Statement On the Apparent Rehiring of the 16 WTCHP Staff That Were Terminated on Friday Night. But What About Dr. Howard?
In the face of this yo-yo of administration actions, firing, rehiring, and firing, and the lack of any information on Dr Howard’s status we have a few questions for Secretary Kennedy.
May 6, 2025 — Sleep & Breathing — Association between obstructive sleep apnea and hearing loss among a cohort of emergency responders
We report a significant association between OSA and HL among emergency responders.
May 6, 2025 — Raw Story — ‘Hereby revoked’: RFK hastily un-fires 9/11 health care workers
The Department of Health and Human Services, under President Donald Trump and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., swiftly un-fired a large number of people dismissed as part of sweeping agency cuts, CBS News reported, including health care workers for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
May 6, 2025 — Axios — HHS to reinstate some specialized workers hit by layoffs
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is bringing back a small fraction of the 10,000 federal health workers he dismissed last month.
May 6, 2025 — Sleep & Breathing — Association between obstructive sleep apnea and hearing loss among a cohort of emergency responders
We report a significant association between OSA and HL among emergency responders.
May 6, 2025 — Fox News — Trump admin reinstates 9/11 survivors program staff following HHS reorganization
The Trump administration’s Health and Human Services Department (HHS) sent out reinstatement notices to staff members who were part of a federal healthcare program for 9/11 survivors, following a reduction in force at HHS.
May 6, 2025 — CBS News HealthWatch — HHS revokes some layoff notices, including to 9/11 program
The Department of Health and Human Services formally revoked some layoff notices on Tuesday, multiple federal health officials told CBS News, restoring some staff at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
May 6, 2025 — Newsday — Some World Trade Center program workers who help those with 9/11 illness rehired, source says, in reversal of Trump administration budget cuts
The Trump administration has rehired the majority of the 16 federal workers in one office that helps those sickened by 9/11 toxins and who were abruptly fired last week, according to a source close to U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
May 6, 2025 — NY Daily News — Betraying 9/11 survivors: WTC Health Program firings undercut promise to restore services
The promise of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore the steep cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program was a worthless lie, betraying the heroes and victims of 9/11.
May 5, 2025 — The Broadsheet — ‘This Is an Outrageous Betrayal’
Chaos and uncertainty surrounding the World Trade Center Health Program resumed last week, when a series of developments cast doubt on the future of the initiative.
May 5, 2025 — Spectrum News NY1 — ‘Chaos’: Latest cuts at World Trade Center Health Program spark new fears patient care will suffer
Cuts are sparking new fears that patient care will suffer, interrupting or delaying the treatments some enrollees desperately need as they battle ailments caused by the toxic chemicals unleashed by the collapse of the Twin Towers.
May 5, 2025 — Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act — Statement on President Trump Responding to a Question Last Night Regarding the Firing of the World Trade Center Health Program Staff
“Mr. President, we would suggest that you speak to your Secretary of Health and Human Services.”
May 5, 2025 — Bloomberg Law — RFK Jr.’s HHS Faces Multi-State Suit for Federal Health Cuts
New York, Michigan, Arizona, and others argue the Trump administration has “systematically deprived HHS of the resources necessary to do its job.”
May 5, 2025 — Fox News — ‘Data Chaos’: Secretary Kennedy defends database on ‘existential disease’
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. weighs in on President Donald Trump banning China’s gain-of-function research and defends ‘dialing back’ health agencies on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’
May 5, 2025 — News10 ABC Albany — NY leads lawsuit over RFK’s HHS cuts
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday filed suit to block the April cuts at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She argued the cuts cripple testing, care, and services that Congress funds by law.
May 5, 2025 — MSNBC — ‘He’s being disingenuous, he’s lying’: 9/11 responder slams Trump
The World Trade Center Health Program says 16 staffers were fired Friday night as part of cuts by the Trump administration. Former Ground Zero demolition worker and President of the FealGood Foundation John Feal joins Chris Jansing to share his reaction to the move.
May 5, 2025 — New York Attorney General Letitia James — Attorney General James Sues to Block Trump Administration’s Dangerous Dismantling of Health and Human Services Department
New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 19 other attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s unconstitutional dismantling of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
May 5, 2025 — Forbes Breaking News — Trump Asked About Recent Layoffs At World Trade Center Health Program For 9/11 First Responders
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, President Trump was asked about recent layoffs at the World Trade Center Health Program.
May 5, 2025 — FireRescue1 — N.Y. advocacy group, senators condemn 9/11 health program firings
Federal lawmakers are calling the move to fire 16 staff members a betrayal of those who risked their lives in the aftermath of 9/11.
May 5, 2025 — BK Reader — Trump Continues to Gut 9/11 Health Fund
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand on Sunday said as the Trump administration keeps gutting the World Trade Center Health Program, their Republican counterparts should leverage their budget vote to end the continuous cuts to the crucial health program for thousands of New Yorkers.
May 5, 2025 — NBC5 Burlington — Federal health program to support 9/11 survivors and first responders at risk
After the Trump administration authorized probationary layoffs and cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, doctors and scientists who help evaluate and treat people through this program have lost their jobs.
May 4, 2025 — New York Post — Schumer, Gillibrand slam Trump and RFK Jr. over cut 9/11 program: ‘Political chaos is jeopardizing healthcare of heroes’
New York Dem Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand on Sunday blasted what they called a “cruel” effort by President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to dismantle the World Trade Center Health Program.
May 4, 2025 — Sen. Chuck Schumer — Schumer, Gillibrand: Trump & RFK Just Fired Another 16 Health Program Docs & Scientists, Stunting World Trade Center Health Program; Senators Demand NY GOP Members of Congress Use Their Budget Vote as Leverage to End the Chaos; Political Games Jeopardizing Healthcare of Heroes
U.S. Senator Schumer alongside U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said the Trump administration is at it again: attacking the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). Yesterday, President Trump and RFK fired an additional 16 medical staff who help keep the WTCHP program alive at NIOSH.
May 4, 2025 — amNY — ‘Outrageous betrayal’: NY senators seethe as Trump admin slashes 9/11 health program staffing
“This is MAGA extremism, pure and simple,” Schumer said, blasting the cuts as a politically motivated assault that harms those who risked everything in the wake of the attacks.
May 4, 2025 — NY Daily News — NY Sens. Schumer, Gillibrand call for GOP lawmakers to step up after Trump layoffs threaten 9/11 health program
Friday’s mass layoffs at NIOSH became the latest blow to the World Trade Center Health Program, which is caught in a back-and-forth funding drama as Trump and Heath and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. take a buzzsaw to key health and research programs.
May 4, 2025 — Newsday — 9/11 health care program: 16 more workers fired by Trump administration, Schumer says
The Trump administration has fired another 16 workers from a health agency that helps people exposed to toxic air during 9/11 and its aftermath, Sen. Chuck Schumer said on Sunday.
May 4, 2025 — Daily Kos — RFK Jr.’s Friday night massacre aims to Give Americans Black Lung Again
The mission to “Make America Healthy Again” may soon be derailed by soaring incidents of cancer, rare diseases, and workplace tragedy.
May 3, 2025 — CBS News — Worker safety agency NIOSH lays off most remaining staff
Nearly all of the remaining staff at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health were laid off Friday, multiple officials and laid-off employees told CBS News, gutting programs ranging from approvals of new safety equipment to firefighter health.
May 3, 2025 — Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act — Statement on the Termination of 16 World Trade Center Health Program Staff
Given all of this and the fact that the HHS press office continually refuses to answer questions about Dr. Howard’s status and continues to lie and say that there are not issues with the World Trade Center Health Program, we have some questions for Secretary Kennedy.
May 2, 2025 — KFF Health News — In Reversal, FDA Rehires Staff Tasked With Releasing Public Records
The FDA has rehired at least some workers tasked with releasing public records generated by the agency’s regulatory activities, two employees said. The recall reverses firings carried out roughly a month ago by the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the agency.
May 2, 2025 — The Week — Sick 9/11 responders are being left behind amid federal spending battle
Services have been cut and restored following outcry, but staffing issues remain.
May 2, 2025 — WUSF (NPR) — Trump cuts demolish agency focused on toxic chemicals and workplace hazards
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH, is expected to lose upwards of 900 employees — the vast majority of its staff — by the end of June as a result of the mass firings carried out by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
May 2, 2025 — Newsday — Promises broken by Trump on health care for 9/11 responders
David Prezant, the director and chief medical officer of the FDNY’s WTC Health Program, reported that on Wednesday alone, he was unable to certify or authorize treatment for three patients — one of whom has life-threatening pancreatic cancer.
May 2, 2025 — Fox 5 New York — Advocates say 9/11 illness care still in crisis despite restored funds
DOGE cut 20% of the staff last year, and advocates say many of those positions have yet to be filled, leaving sick responders facing long delays for appointments.
May 2, 2025 — ABC News — 9/11 health care program restores cancer treatment certifications amid weeks of uncertainty
Certification is the process by which the federal program confirms that a 9/11-related illnesses qualify for treatment or compensation.
May 2, 2025 — The Chief — Transit crews who worked at ground zero still awaiting disability benefit
“Maybe this time around, when the story ends the way it ended — a guy fighting and he lost his life — it’s like, you know, that’s what they’re waiting for here,” Philip Ronnie Jr. said. “Maybe somebody will have a little bit of compassion and listen this time around — hopefully.”
May 1, 2025 — NY Daily News — World Trade Center health program resumes treatments after outcry
A Department of Health and Human Services official informed doctors and administrators in the World Trade Center Health Program that all services could resume, according to an email obtained by the News.
May 1, 2025 — CBS News New York — World Trade Center Health Program’s status remains in the dark, leaving many 9/11 first responders in limbo
Advocates say many 9/11 first responders are currently in limbo, waiting for life-saving care.
May 1, 2025 — WPLG Local 10 — 9/11 victims outraged after program helping them receive medical care is at risk
Victims of the 9/11 terror attacks say the program providing them medical care can no longer accept new patients because its director has yet to be re-instated.
May 1, 2025 — Rockland/Westchester Journal News — 9/11 healthcare: When will World Trade Center program cuts be restored? What we know now
The issue is directly linked to the absence of Dr. John Howard, who had led the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health as well as the 9/11 health program.
May 1, 2025 — ABC News — As health program stalls and certifications stop, some critically ill 9/11 responders are left without care
The World Trade Center Health Program is at a standstill, an FDNY official said.
May 1, 2025 — Fire and Safety Journal Americas — How Many People Died in 9/11?
This article provides a thorough examination of exactly how many people died in 9/11, both during the attacks themselves and in the years that followed.
May 1, 2025 — ABC News — 9/11 health program turning away critically ill first responders
The World Trade Center Health Program can no longer certify illnesses, enroll new members or approve life-saving treatments like chemotherapy or lung transplants.
April 30, 2025 — The Journal-News — World Trade Center Health Program faces cuts
Gary Smiley, a former FDNY paramedic and 9/11 first responder, is concerned about cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program.
April 30, 2025 — PIX 11 — 9/11 community faces challenges accessing WTC Health Program due to cuts
John Feal, of the FealGood Foundation, told PIX11 News, “The lead doctor at the FDNY had to turn away three firefighters with cancer.”
April 30, 2025 — Newsday — Advocates lament status of rehired World Trade Center Health Program leader
Advocates for the World Trade Center Health Program are raising alarms that the agency’s leader — Dr. John Howard — has yet to be reinstated nearly a month after the White House assured lawmakers he would be restored following a blitz of cuts.
April 30, 2025 — Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act — Dr. John Howard was NOT Reinstated as Administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program
While Rep. Garbarino (R-NY) and colleagues were told by HHS that Howard was being restored—and they announced that in good faith—the truth is he was not restored as Director of the WTCHP and has apparently been in limbo since then.
April 30, 2025 — Rockland/Westchester Journal News — World Trade Center Health Program: Do Trump cuts imperil sickened responders? What we know
People who work with the 9/11 community say the program, and the people who need it, have not escaped unscathed.
April 30, 2025 — NY Daily News — 9/11 health program hobbled by cuts despite Trump vow to restore funds
Dr. John Howard, director the World Trade Center Health Program, remains in bureaucratic limbo and has not been formally reinstated to his post as promised.
April 30, 2025 — ABC News — ‘We’re all ticking time bombs’: Budget cuts gut 9/11 health protections as community braces for crisis
Staffing cuts may prevent a 9/11 health care program from providing timely care.
April 29, 2025 — West Virginia Watch — Some NIOSH workers return temporarily amid cuts impacting coal miner health screenings in WV
Those returning to work include some employees from the Coal Worker Health Surveillance Program and the Fire Fighters’ Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program.
April 30, 2025 — Washington Post — CDC reinstates workers who screen coal miners for black lung disease
The Trump administration temporarily rehired as many as 40 employees who screen coal miners for the deadly and incurable disease.
April 29, 2025 — Scripps News — 9/11 heroes demand Congress save WTC Health Program from federal cuts
First responders, survivors, and advocates from the 9/11 community are urging Congress to protect funding to the World Trade Center Health Program.
April 29, 2025 — FireRescue1 — NIOSH firefighter programs to be temporarily restored following ‘misinterpreted executive order’
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) announced Tuesday that some NIOSH programs focused on firefighter health and safety will be restored following a “misinterpreted executive order” that resulted in dozens of layoffs.
April 29, 2025 — Spectrum News 1 — 9/11 first responders visit Sen. Ron Johnson’s office after he embraces debunked conspiracy theory
The conspiracy theory has long been debunked by experts.
April 28, 2025 — Fire and Safety Journal Americas — U.S. federal cuts reduce firefighter health programs and wildfire mitigation efforts
Politico and ProPublica reported that federal workforce cuts have impacted firefighter health and wildfire safety programs across the United States.
April 28, 2025 — NY Daily News — Ron Johnson’s warped 9/11 history: Crazy conspiracy theories should not be part of Senate hearing
We take this particular set of lies a bit personally.
April 26, 2025 — NBC News — Health program for 9/11 illnesses faces uncertain future after federal staffing cuts
The Trump administration fired and rehired program staffers, only to terminate them again last month, lawyers and advocates said.
April 25, 2025 — Politico — ‘A gut punch’: Trump admin cuts wipe out firefighter health and safety programs
People in and out of government told POLITICO that they fear the cuts will lead to major backsliding on understanding firefighters’ health risks.
April 24, 2025 — Rockland/Westchester Journal News — Wisconsin senator wants 9/11 probe, cites conspiracy theories. NY leaders react
Advocates for 9/11 health programs blasted U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s call for yet another congressional probe into the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
April 23, 2025 — Huffington Post — GOP Senator Plans Hearings On 9/11 To Find Out ‘What Actually Happened’
This would be the same public servant who insisted the Jan 6, 2021, Capitol riot has been mired in a cover-up and peddled misinformation that the COVID-19 vaccine caused a spike in athletes “dropping dead on the field.”
April 23, 2025 — NBC News — GOP Sen. Ron Johnson wants to hold hearings on ‘what actually happened on 9/11’
Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, said the Wisconsin senator should “stop peddling conspiracy theories about the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history.”
April 23, 2025 — Raw Story — ‘Silly man’: GOP senator skewered by 9/11 responder for promoting conspiracy theory
9/11 first responder John Feal joined CNN’s Brianna Keilar, where he called Johnson “a silly man.”
April 23, 2025 — The Hill — House Republican: GOP senator ‘peddling conspiracy theories’ about 9/11
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) rebuked Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Tuesday evening for “peddling conspiracy theories” about the 9/11 attacks.
April 22, 2025 — Politico — Senate Republican wants to hold hearings on a 9/11 conspiracy theory
In a podcast interview Tuesday with MAGA personality Benny Johnson, Ron Johnson asserted that one of the buildings around the World Trade Center complex in New York was brought down via “a controlled demolition.”
April 21, 2025 — The Hill — Ron Johnson says he thinks Senate could hold hearings on 9/11 conspiracies
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) suggested in an interview released Monday that Congress could hold additional hearings on the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and indicated he’s been listening to long-festering and debunked conspiracy theories about the government’s alleged involvement.
April 21, 2025 — ProPublica — Trump Laid Off Nearly All the Federal Workers Who Investigate Firefighter Deaths
The cuts, which are part of Trump’s slashing of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, will also halt a first-of-its-kind study of the causes of thousands of firefighters’ cancer cases.
April 21, 2025 — The City — Anxiety Is Side Effect of Staffing Cuts at Sept. 11 Health Program
Mayor Eric Adams has been slow to criticize the moves of the Trump administration, which have 9/11 survivors and first-responders on edge.
April 19, 2025 — International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health — Disparities in Utilization of the World Trade Center Health Program Among World Trade Center Rescue and Recovery Workers and Volunteers
The 11 September 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) rescue and recovery workers included first responders, volunteers, and other workers. Volunteers were often more vulnerable than first responders to adverse health outcomes resulting from the exposure.
April 18, 2025 — Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine — A Longitudinal Assessment of Hearing Loss in the World Trade Center General Responder Cohort
Compared to the lowest exposure level without WTC noise exposure, WTC noise exposure increased hearing loss risk.
April 17, 2025 — Occupational Health & Safety — AIHA Launches National Campaign to Restore NIOSH Amid Deep Federal Cuts
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is mobilizing professionals nationwide in a campaign to restore staffing and funding to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
April 16, 2025 — STAT — The CDC’s critical occupational safety institute has been virtually wiped out
We worry that the loss of occupational health expertise will have irreparable consequences for H5N1 bird flu response, consumers, and communities.
April 16, 2025 — NewsChannel 13 (WNYT) — 9/11 survivor shares personal mission to educate a new generation
Dr. Gordon Huie, a 9/11 survivor, orthopedic surgeon, and former first responder, recently spoke at Siena College and the University at Albany with a message: never forget.
April 14, 2025 — PIX11 — NJ bill looks to reopen filing window for 9/11 responder disability pension
Under a law enacted in 2019, New Jersey 9/11 first responders who suffered permanent and total disability from serving at Ground Zero can apply for an accidental disability retirement allowance. However, the filing window for that ended in 2021.
April 14, 2025 — California Applicants’ Attorneys Association — Dismantling of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Beyond the health and economic impacts, the federal workforce reductions at NIOSH signal a troubling departure from evidence-based policy while eroding workplace safety across the board. This will disproportionally affect vulnerable workers in agriculture, manufacturing and emergency response.
April 14, 2025 — Long Island Press — Editorial: We owe Scott Strauss, other 9/11 heroes
The federal government should provide this needed care to people like Scott Strauss, who risked their lives trying to save those trapped amid the World Trade Center’s rubble.
April 14, 2025 — AFL-CIO — MAKE A CALL: Tell Congress to Stop the Cuts to NIOSH in Washington and beyond!
You’ve probably never heard of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH—but this federal agency plays a critical role in keeping America’s workers safe. And last week, Elon Musk and the DOGE gutted it.
April 13, 2025 — The Guardian — ‘Bureaucratic cruelty’: 9/11 responders and survivors shaken by US health cuts
Following the most recent cuts, groups representing survivors and even Democratic US senators say they have no clarity on how the program will continue to provide benefits.
April 10, 2025 — Newsday — Staff cuts to World Trade Center Health Program bring anger, frustration, anxiety
Tom Wilson, a retired NYPD sergeant from Bellport, said he has watched with anger and frustration as the Trump administration has made deep staffing cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program he credits with saving his life.
April 8, 2025 — MSNBC — RFK Jr.’s HHS cuts include a slap in the face to 9/11 heroes
Recent dismissals leave in doubt the future of a program that administers health care support for those who developed 9/11-related medical issues.
April 8, 2025 — Newsday — White House must restore cuts to World Trade Center health program
Less than two months after the Trump administration first cut World Trade Center Health Program staffing, the survivors of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks again are begging for the basic care they require and deserve.
April 8, 2025 — News12 The Bronx — Sen. Schumer: 16 additional staffers fired from World Trade Center Health Program
The firings were a result of the Trump administration’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce.
April 7, 2025 — The Broadsheet — ‘Threeversal’ at WTC Health Program
On Saturday, the administration of President Donald Trump moved to undo last week’s dismissal of Dr. John Howard. But after Dr. Howard was fired and before the administration moved to rehire him, the Trump administration told 16 staffers at the Health Program that they were scheduled to be laid off.
April 7, 2025 — Albany Times-Union — Administrator of 9/11 health program reinstated, representative says
Following outrage from advocates and members of Congress and widespread news coverage, the Trump administration has reportedly reinstated Dr. John Howard as head of a federal health program for 9/11 first responders days after he was fired.
April 7, 2025 — Fox 5 New York — 9/11 groups protest the Trump administration’s cuts to WTC health program
After the Trump administration’s layoffs at the HHS, many roles at the World Trade Center Health Program are left unstaffed. Chuck Schumer and 9/11 families gather to protest these firings.
April 6, 2025 — PIX11 News — World Trade Center Health Program federal cuts
Lawmakers are demanding that the Trump administration restore funds to 9/11 Health Program.
April 6, 2025 — Newsday — World Trade Center Health program cuts a deep concern, Schumer and Gillibrand say
New York Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer joined advocates and labor leaders on Sunday to condemn the Trump administration’s layoffs at a health program that treats 9/11 survivors, saying the move could threaten care for first responders.
April 6, 2025 — amNY — New York senators demand Trump Administration restore ‘revolting’ cuts made to WTC Health Program for 9/11 first responders
Dozens of 9/11 first responder advocates and New York’s US senators gathered to demand the Trump Administration fully restore staffing cuts to a critical program that provides medical services for those who risked their lives at the World Trade Center during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
April 6, 2025 — CBS New York — Fight continues to preserve the World Trade Center Health Program
Government cuts have led to layoffs at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.
April 6, 2025 — CNN — ‘A huge impact on worker safety’: Protection for miners, firefighters in jeopardy after CDC cuts
Ongoing investigations to ensure the safety of lifesaving breathing equipment known as escape devices used in underground mines, in building fires and on naval ships have abruptly stopped.
April 6, 2025 — Sen. Charles Schumer — Standing With 9/11 Advocates, Schumer & Gillibrand Demand Trump Admin Fully Restore World Trade Center Health Program Staff & Stop Playing Dangerous Games; Recent Firings Jeopardize Healthcare; More Questions Than Answers; Total Chaos in Agencies Is a Dereliction of Duty to New York’s 9/11 Heroes
U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand stood with 9/11 community leaders and demanded the Trump administration fully restore key staff for the World Trade Center Health Program and stop playing dangerous games.
April 5, 2025 — NY Daily News — Feds bow to pressure, reinstate head of WTC Health Program
President Trump and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. have reinstated the head of the World Trade Center Health Program — yet 16 members of the pivotal program for 9/11 first responders and survivors still face the chopping block.
April 5, 2025 — Newsday — World Trade Center Health Program leader John Howard’s firing reversed after uproar, Rep. Andrew Garbarino says
The doctor, John Howard, is director of the World Trade Center Health Program. He was one of an estimated 10,000 employees of the Department of Health and Human Services whose jobs were eliminated by the Trump administration.
April 5, 2025 — Rep. Andrew Garbarino — Garbarino, Lawler, LaLota, Malliotakis Applaud the Restoration of Dr. Howard as WTCHP Administrator
On April 5, 2025, HHS reversed its decision, in consultation with the White House, restoring Dr. Howard as Administrator of the WTCHP.
April 4, 2025 — Newsday — Trump administration cuts claim 16 jobs at World Trade Center Health Program
Sixteen World Trade Center Health Program employees received notices that they could lose their jobs in the Health and Human Services Department’s downsizing, despite promises the program’s staff would not be reduced, a 9/11 health advocate said Friday.
April 4, 2025 — NY Daily News — Lawmakers launch bipartisan push to save 9/11 WTC program from RFK Jr. cuts
Legislators on both sides of the aisle outraged over drastic cuts to the agency that oversees the World Trade Center Health Program have fired off a letter to President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. demanding the pivotal services be restored.
April 4, 2025 — Gothamist — 9/11 responders sound alarm as Trump cuts WTC Health Program staff
Patients with medical conditions linked to the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks are bracing for delays and disruptions to their care after the Trump administration fired hundreds of employees from the agency overseeing the World Trade Center Health Program, including its director.
April 4, 2025 — WSHU Public Radio — 9/11 advocates furious over cuts at WTC health program
Michael Barasch, an attorney who represents survivors of the attacks, said, “More people will die” due to the layoffs.
April 4, 2025 — Albany Times-Union — 9/11 survivors feel ‘erased’ after Trump guts health program
First responders and survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks may lose or receive delayed health care benefits from the World Trade Center Health Program after the Trump administration fired thousands of staff at the nation’s public health agencies this week.
April 4, 2025 — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand — Gillibrand, Garbarino, Schumer, Jeffries, Nadler, Goldman Lead Bipartisan Push Calling On President Trump To Reverse Cuts To World Trade Center Health Program
The cuts include the dismissal of Dr. John Howard, the administrator of the WTCHP, who makes critical decisions regarding covered conditions and ensures the WTCHP complies with statutes enacted by Congress.
April 3, 2025 — Politico — Which jobs were cut at CDC? Here’s a list
The layoffs at CDC this week hit global and environmental health as well as HIV prevention programs especially hard, according to an overview document obtained by POLITICO.
April 3, 2025 — ABC News — RFK Jr. announces HHS reinstating some programs, employees cut by mistake
On the heels of terminating 10,000 jobs from the Department of Health and Human Services this week, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told ABC News some programs would soon be reinstated because they were mistakenly cut.
April 3, 2025 — Rockland/Westchester Journal News — Schumer slams RFK Jr. for laying off employees who worked helping Sept. 11 responders
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer has excoriated Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for laying off hundreds of employees who worked with survivors and first responders who experienced the terror attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
April 3, 2025 — The Broadsheet — World Trade Center Health Program Leader Fired, Along with Staff Who Support Operations
The fired staff include Dr. John Howard, the administrator of the Health Program, along with most of the staff of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
April 3, 2025 — PIX 11 News — Federal cuts to WTC Health Program could impact 9/11 survivors, officials warn
New York City officials are sounding the alarm after the federal government directed staff cuts to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an organization that supports the World Trade Center Health Program.
April 3, 2025 — Sen. Chuck Schumer — Schumer: In Letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy, Demands Answers for Broken Promises to 9/11 Families and Survivors After Again Slashing Key Staff Who Support the World Trade Center Health Program
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer yesterday demanded answers from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for his broken promises made to 9/11 first responders and survivors to protect the program.
April 3, 2025 — New York State Attorney General Letitia James — Attorney General James Denounces Trump Administration’s Latest Cuts to World Trade Center Health Program
“When our country was attacked, thousands of New Yorkers put their lives on the line to save others, and they deserve the care that we’ve fought for over these last 24 years.”
April 3, 2025 — HealthDay — Longtime Head of 9/11 Health Program Let Go Amid Federal Job Cuts
The longtime leader of a federal health program for 9/11 survivors and first responders has been fired, worrying many advocates and lawmakers.
April 3, 2025 — SILive.com — ‘Un-American’: Schumer, Gillibrand bash Trump for more cuts to 9/11 health program
Outraged, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand “blasted” President Donald Trump Wednesday for enacting new cuts to World Trade Center Health Program personnel.
April 3, 2025 — Spectrum News NY1 — ‘Gross incompetence’: 9/11 advocates warn HHS cuts undermine World Trade Center health program
The World Trade Center Health Program could be devastated by this week’s mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 9/11 community advocates say.
April 2, 2025 — American Journal of Industrial Medicine — Exposure to the World Trade Center Disaster, Health, and Health-Related Quality of Life Nearly 20 Years After 9/11
Nearly 20 years after 9/11, WTC-exposed populations experience a high burden of health conditions that affect their wellbeing.
April 2, 2025 — Fox 5 New York — 9/11 health program cuts called ‘A death sentence’ by advocates
Advocates say the federal government is breaking a promise to those exposed to toxic dust after the attacks, and that lives will be lost without urgent intervention.
April 2, 2025 — News12 Connecticut — 9/11 first responders say they’re furious about reported staffing cuts to WTC Health Program
Dr. John Howard, the program’s director, has been fired and nearly all of his staff has been let go. Firefighter Richard Rolle credits Dr. Howard for helping him to get approved for a breathing medication he couldn’t afford.
April 2, 2025 — CBS New York — Outrage as Trump administration lays off staff at World Trade Center Health Program
Senators Kirstin Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer are blasting the cuts, saying they will impact health care for 9/11 survivors.
April 2, 2025 — Washington Post — HHS layoffs include head of the World Trade Center Health Program
John Howard, administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program, lost his job under the sweeping layoffs that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered across U.S. health agencies.
April 2, 2025 — The Center Square — Legislation to extend benefits for 9/11 responders, survivors introduced
The 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2025 would update the program’s “funding formula” to ensure it would be funded through its duration, which is set to expire in 2090.
April 2, 2025 — Healthcare Dive — ‘A cruel April Fool’s joke’: HHS layoffs characterized by confusion, errors
The HHS’ reduction in force, which agency head Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered last week, began on Tuesday. It was a mess, according to many sources who worked across the large federal health department.
April 2, 2025 — Forbes Breaking News — ‘It Is Revolting’: Schumer Torches RFK Jr. After Firings At 9/11 World Trade Center Health Program
During remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke about the Trump Administration overseeing layoffs at the World Trade Center Health Program.
April 2, 2025 — Sen. Chuck Schumer — Schumer, Gillibrand Slam New Trump Cuts That Will Devastate World Trade Center Health Program
“This is the third time in four months that Trump has pulled the rug out from 9/11 survivors and their families in the World Trade Center Health Program. These instances are not ‘mistakes,’—but rather in purpose and it is outrageous and beyond the pale.”
April 2, 2025 — USA Today — ‘Delay and deny care’ to 9/11 survivors. Trump HHS cuts World Trade Center Program staff
The cuts, advocates and New York officials said, will cripple the program’s ability to adequately monitor and provide care to survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
April 2, 2025 — NY Daily News — WTC Health Program must be saved: Firing of leader Dr. John Howard and others must be reversed
Now there’s a health program for the 9/11 responders and survivors without any doctors and with no one in charge. Way to go RFK Jr.!
April 2, 2025 — NY Daily News — Trump, RFK JR. job cuts gut World Trade Center health program, paralyze care
Tens of thousands of responders and survivors rely on the WTC Health Program to get treatment and medication and monitor injuries and illnesses caused by the toxins that swirled around Ground Zero on 9/11 and the weeks that followed.
April 2, 2025 — Newsday — Garbarino: World Trade Center Health Program administrator fired
A spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino confirmed late Tuesday that Dr. John Howard, the administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program, had been let go.
April 1, 2025 — Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act — Statement From Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act on the Trump Administration Firing of Dr. John Howard, Director of NIOSH and Administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program, Along With Nearly All the Staff of NIOSH
Doctor Howard needs to be rehired as NIOSH Director, and these cuts need to be restored.
April 1, 2025 — Washington Post — Widespread layoffs, purge of leadership underway at U.S. health agencies
Senior leaders across the Department of Health and Human Services were put on leave and countless other employees lost their jobs Tuesday.
April 1, 2025 — New York Times — Trump Administration Begins Layoffs at CDC, FDA and Other Health Agencies
The cuts were part of a Trump administration plan announced last week to dismiss thousands of employees and drastically overhaul the Health and Human Services Department under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
April 1, 2025 — Firefighter Close Calls — Layoffs Gut NIOSH Including Firefighter, WTC and Cancer Programs
Around 873 staff are expected to be cut from NIOSH, multiple leaders within the agency were told in recent days.
March 31, 2025 — CBS News — RFK Jr.’s layoffs expected to gut worker safety agency NIOSH, officials say
At least two-thirds of the staff at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH, are expected to be laid off as part of a restructuring ordered by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
March 31, 2025 — Long Island Business News — LI congressional delegation shares what’s new in Washington
DOGE and other topics were part of a wide-ranging discussion featuring all four of the delegates at the Long Island Association’s “What’s New in Washington” breakfast at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury on Friday.
March 31, 2025 — Sen. Tim Kaine — Kaine Cosponsors Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Fix World Trade Center Health Program Funding Shortfall
The 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2025 would update the program’s outdated funding formula to ensure adequate funding until the program’s expiration in 2090.
March 26, 2025 — Homeland Security Today — The Legacy of Special Agent Melissa Morrow and the Continuing Sacrifice of 9/11 First Responders
Morrow’s story is not unique. It is one thread in a tapestry of sacrifice that grows larger with each passing year.
March 25, 2025 — PsyPost — Severe exposure during 9/11 cleanup linked to early-onset dementia in responders
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open has found that responders who were heavily exposed to dust and debris were significantly more likely to develop dementia before the age of 65.
March 25, 2025 — Modern Healthcare — 9/11 cancer patients say Mayo Clinic cut off their treatment
The cancer patients had been getting treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona, for years through the World Trade Center Health Program.
March 14, 2025 — Newsday — Dietitian Amanda Reichardt helps 9/11 responders
A Kings Park woman whose father and uncle were 9/11 first responders has worked to improve the health and wellness of thousands of others impacted by the terrorist attacks.
March 10, 2025 — Newsday — Federal science funding: NIH critical to LI medical research
Attempts to limit NIH funding will throttle discovery, diminish the nation’s global research leadership, and hurt Long Islanders.
March 9, 2025 — Staten Island Advance — Her life was on the line as she cared for others during the worst of times
Compassionate. Smart. Fierce. Elegant. Inspiring. These are just a few words used to describe Dr. Kerry J. Kelly, a 2025 Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement and trailblazer in the field of medicine.
March 6, 2025 — News 12 Brooklyn — Local 9/11 hero selected to lead one of Westchester County’s largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations
Matt McCauley had just retired from the NYPD and was working as a paramedic in Mamaroneck when the first plane struck the World Trade Center.
March 6, 2025 — The Broadsheet — Trying Again: New Appropriations Measure Aims to Fund World Trade Center Health Program Through 2090
The new bill aims aimed to ensure that the WTC Health Program will have funding necessary for the next ten years.
March 6, 2025 — New York Times — Federal Workers Who Were Fired and Rehired by the Trump Administration
Even as the Trump administration continues to slash federal jobs, a number of federal agencies have begun to reverse course — reinstating some workers and pausing plans to dismiss others, sometimes within days of the firings.
March 6, 2025 — 2 News Nevada — Reno Firefighters in Washington D.C.
Reno Fire is looking to discuss key issues including improving the Public Safety Officers’ Benefit, the World Trade Center 9/11 Health Program, C-130s for the Nevada Air National Guard and Washoe County Lands Bill.
March 6, 2025 — New York Post — How DOGE is giving Trump credibility with rebellious House GOP fiscal hawks
Trump has a new ally in the usual Republican intramural sniping: the Department of Government Efficiency, whose bull-in-a-china shop approach to shrinking government is helping GOP fiscal hawks get on board.
March 3, 2025 — PIX11 — Fight for 9/11 health program funding
Advocate John Feal, the founder of the FealGood Foundation, NYPD Sgt. Tom Wilson and FDNY Lt. Michael O’Connell talk about the fight for money on PIX11 Morning News.
February 28, 2025 — Fedscoop — GSA tells agencies to terminate contracts with top-10 consulting firms
GSA acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian issued this week a memo, obtained by FedScoop, calling for the termination of contracts with top-contracted consultants.
February 28, 2025 — International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) — IAFF sets top legislative priorities for 119th Congress
While the union advocates for various bills to advance fire fighters’ interests, these bills will be the primary focus of the IAFF’s Government Affairs division lobbying efforts over the next two years.
February 27, 2025 — U.S. News & World Report — Full Speed, Then Reverse: Trump’s Biggest U-Turns So Far
From a spending freeze memo that sparked confusion to federal layoffs among critical programs, here are the biggest reversals of Trump’s second term so far.
February 26, 2025 — NY Daily News — 9/11 survivors, advocates travel to Washington in push to fully fund embattled responder health program
At the same time, 9/11 survivor John Feal has once again brought a small army of 9/11 survivors and advocates to D.C. to ensure that the bill gets the votes it needs to pass.
February 26, 2025 — Spectrum News NY1 — N.Y. lawmakers relaunch push to permanently fund 9/11 health program, one week after rescinded DOGE cuts
Congressional lawmakers are launching yet another bipartisan push for permanent funding for the health program that helps people sickened by toxic smoke and debris from the World Trade Center’s collapse.
February 26, 2025 — NY Daily News — Never forget the WTC sick: Congress must finally fully fund their health care
Having protected the WTC Health Program from Musk’s chainsaw, much more must be done to fully fund this CDC program, which will soon be facing shortfalls.
February 25, 2025 — News12 Long Island — 9/11 first responders from Long Island going to DC for funding fight
9/11 first responders from Long Island are leading the charge to secure permanent healthcare funding for those who got sick after being at Ground Zero.
February 24, 2025 — The Daily Show — Rupa Bhattacharyya – World Trade Center Health Program & DOGE’s Effect on Gov’t
Jon Stewart joins Rupa Bhattacharyya, former Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, to discuss how Elon Musk’s reckless budget cuts are affecting programs like the one she used to oversee.
February 22, 2025 — The Daily Beast — Trump Admin Agrees to Restore 9/11 Health Program Funding
After overwhelming blowback from both sides of the aisle, President Donald Trump’s administration has agreed that DOGE will keep its hands off the World Trade Center Health Program.
February 21, 2025 — Gothamist — Trump administration ceases 9/11 health program cuts after backlash, NY lawmakers say
The Trump administration is expected to stop its cuts to staff and funding for a federal program that supports 9/11 survivors through medical treatment and research.
February 21, 2025 — Spectrum News NY1 — White House reverses DOGE cuts to 9/11 health program, grants
The Trump administration will reverse the layoffs it ordered at the 9/11 healthcare program for people sickened by toxic smoke and debris from the World Trade Center’s collapse.
February 21, 2025 — Rockland/Westchester Journal News — Trump, CDC fully restore 9/11 health program cuts from DOGE axe
Cuts announced last week by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency were restored Thursday and Friday.
February 21, 2025 — NY Daily News — 9/11 health funding and jobs restored amid outrage over Elon Musk cuts
Funding for 9/11 health research was restored by the federal government on Friday after bipartisan outrage erupted over Elon Musk’s deep cuts.
February 21, 2025 — Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act — Statement From Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act On the Announcement by the CDC, Rescinding the Cuts to the Staff of the World Trade Center Health Program Along With Restoring Research Grants That Had Been Terminated
We appreciate the swift action by President Trump, when he became aware of the impact that these cuts by DOGE would have had on health care of injured and ill 9/11 responders and survivors.
February 21, 2025 — New York Times — Trump, After G.O.P. Criticism, Reverses Cuts to 9/11 Survivors’ Program
About 20 percent of the World Trade Central Health Program’s staff had been terminated amid President Trump’s slashing of the federal work force.
February 21, 2025 — Rockland/Westchester Journal News — Trump restores 9/11 research funding cut by DOGE. Will WTC health program jobs be next?
Key scientific research grants into 9/11 health issues that were cut by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency were restored by President Trump, members of Congress announced.
February 20, 2025 — CBS News New York — CDC restores 9/11-related cancer research funding after DOGE’s cancellation, officials say
The CDC has restored a $257,000 contract for 9/11-related cancer research after the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency tried to cancel it.
February 20, 2025 — Insider NJ — Congresswoman Pou Hammers Trump Admin Slashing 911 Responder Health Support
Pou represents North Arlington, New Jersey, the hometown of James Zadroga, the first NYPD officer whose death was attributed to toxic exposure from working at Ground Zero.
February 20, 2025 — CBS News New York — CDC restores 9/11-related cancer research funding after DOGE’s cancellation, officials say
The CDC has restored a $257,000 contract for 9/11-related cancer research after the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency tried to cancel it, officials say.
February 20, 2025 — FOX 5 New York — Elon Musk’s DOGE slashes 9/11 first responders’ heath program
New York leaders are calling for the immediate reversal of federal cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program, which supports 9/11 first responders.
February 20, 2025 — Newsday — Congress must fight cuts to WTC health program
The Trump administration’s broad employee cuts have slashed World Trade Center Health Program staffing by 20%.
February 20, 2025 — NJ Spotlight News — Kennedy is urged to reverse World Trade Center health cuts
The Trump administration has cut staff and instigated buyouts resulting in a 20% reduction in staff at the World Trade Center Health Program, according to reports.
February 20, 2025 — CBS News — DOGE cuts at 9/11 health program may impact first responders
Advocates for those sickened by toxins from the massive debris of 9/11 are calling on President Trump to immediately reverse cuts he made to the World Trade Center Health Program.
February 20, 2025 — NY Daily News — Elon Musk cuts to 9/11 health fund spark bipartisan outrage
Elon Musk’s deep cuts to the 9/11 health fund have sparked rare bipartisan outrage as Republicans join Democratic lawmakers in demanding they be restored.
February 19, 2025 — Rep. Andrew Garbarino — Garbarino, Northeast Republicans Urge President Trump to Protect 9/11 Health Program
The Members also expressed concerns over reports that statutorily-required WTC research grants will be impacted by recent HHS actions.
February 19, 2025 — New York Times — DOGE Cuts 9/11 Survivors’ Fund, and Republicans Join Democrats in Rebuke
A coalition of congressional Republicans rebuked the president for cuts to a program that administers aid to emergency workers and others suffering from toxins related to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
February 19, 2025 — CNN — Fired government worker: DOGE 9/11 health program cuts endanger lives
Anthony Gardner joins The Lead.
February 19, 2025 — Staten Island Advance — 9/11 Health Program suffers ’rash and counterproductive’ 20% cut in employees
About 20% of the staff was let go due to employee reductions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which runs the WTC Health Program.
February 19, 2025 — PIX 11 — Politicians demand cuts to 9/11 health program be reversed
The 9/11 health program is taking a heavy hit from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
February 19, 2025 — ABC News — Trump administration cuts to CDC will affect 9/11 responders, critics say
The firings and buyouts amount to a 20% reduction in the staff that supervises and administers the World Trade Center Health Program.
February 18, 2025 — Newsday — New York senators Schumer, Gillibrand to press Kennedy to reverse cuts to WTC health program
New York’s senators have asked for a meeting with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to demand he reverse staff cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program.
February 18, 2025 — NY Daily News — 9/11 health program staff cuts are ‘insulting,’ ‘un-American’: Schumer, Gillibrand
New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have already reached out to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., demanding the cuts to the program be rescinded.
February 18, 2025 — Rockland/Westchester Journal News — 9/11 health program cuts to cause ‘life and death’ delays, fired worker says
The impact is exacerbated, elected officials and fired workers say, by DOGE cuts to scientific research and last year’s scrapping of permanent funding for the WTC program by Congress.
February 18, 2025 — Newsday — New York senators Schumer, Gillibrand to press Kennedy to reverse cuts to WTC health program
Schumer and Gillibrand sent a letter Monday to Kennedy reminding him that he committed to ensuring that 9/11 first responders and survivors would continue to get the care they need.
February 18, 2025 — The Broadsheet — ‘A Serious Risk, Particularly to the Most Vulnerable’: Trump and Musk Force Out One-Fifth of Staff at World Trade Center Health Program
The administration of President Donald Trump has downsized of the staff at the World Trade Center Health Program by at least 20 percent, according to a source who is directly familiar with the situation.
February 18, 2025 — The Hill — NY Democrats demand RFK Jr. restore cuts to 9/11 survivor program
The program provides screenings, research and medications to more than 100,000 survivors diagnosed with conditions related to their service on 9/11 at no cost.
February 18, 2025 — Sen. Chuck Schumer — Schumer, Gillibrand Demand HHS Immediately Reverse Brutal Cuts to 9/11 Survivor Health Program
The senators explained the cuts will limit the program’s ability to support approximately 132,000+ 9/11 first responders and survivors and delay care and other services.
February 18, 2025 — Washington Post — Trump’s firings strike the nation’s health agencies
The nation’s health agencies were upended over the weekend by a confusing, slow-motion rollout of terminations that left staff worried about the future of various projects.
February 17, 2025 — Villages-News.com — Letter to the Editor: Trump fires World Trade Center health program staff
These cuts, which are immediate, mean that services to 137,000 9/11 responders and survivors in all 50 States and in 434 out of 435 Congressional Districts will be impacted.
February 17, 2025 — Spectrum News NY1 — ‘It lacks humanity’: 9/11 community advocates warn of staffing cuts at federal health program
As the Trump White House continues to slash the federal government, advocates say the World Trade Center Health Program has seen a staffing reduction of 20% — a combination of layoffs and buyouts.
February 16, 2025 — New York Times — Trump Fired, Then Unfired, National Nuclear Security Administration Employees. What Were Their Jobs?
The move shined a spotlight on the agency, the National Nuclear Security Administration, which few Americans likely think of often, if ever, but has a monumental responsibility.
February 16, 2025 — WUSA 9 — Military spouse who was a probationary employee at the CDC fired over the weekend
Shaw worked in the CDC’s World Trade Center Health Program under the Department of Health and Human Services. She says about 40% of that program’s staff is expected to be cut.
February 16, 2025 — Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act — Statement from Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act on the Trump Administration Cutting 20% of the CDC Staff who work at the World Trade Center Health Program and other Actions Impacting 9/11 Responders and Survivors
We cannot believe that the Trump Administration intends to harm 9/11 responders and survivors in the World Trade Center Health Program, but that will be the outcome of these cuts.
February 16, 2025 — News12 The Bronx — Advocates to fight for 9/11 first responders program targeted by Trump administration’s federal job cuts
John Feal calls the Trump administration’s federal job cuts “inhumane.”
February 15, 2025 — Neurotoxicology — World Trade Center Response Activities and Cognitive Health: A Moderated Mediation Study of the Role of Surgical/Nuisance Dust Mask Usage
Surgical/nuisance dust mask usage provided mild protection against air pollution exposures during WTC response activities when compared to not wearing a mask.
February 15, 2025 — CBS News — Thousands of probationary federal health agency workers fired by letter this weekend
Probationary workers across multiple federal health agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services received virtually identical letters informing them they would be terminated.
February 15, 2025 — Newsday — Tenth of World Trade Center Health Program fired or resigns, advocate says
The World Trade Center Health Program lost about a tenth of its staff after the Trump administration Friday fired all probationary employees at the Department of Health and Human Services.
February 15, 2025 — Senate Democrats — Leader Schumer, Gillibrand Statement On Reports Of CDC Employees, Including World Trade Center Health Program Employees, Being Laid Off By The Trump Administration
We have serious questions and grave concerns regarding potential staff reductions for the essential World Trade Center Health Program.
February 14, 2025 — CBS News — 9/11 changed this New York couple’s lives — and love — forever
Twelve hours had gone by since Sonia had last heard from her husband. Suddenly, Joe appeared at the door covered in soot.
February 14, 2025 — Rockland/Westchester Journal News — CDC cuts: How will the World Trade Center Health Program be impacted?
The cuts are considered a continuation of Thursday’s firing of thousands of people at multiple agencies.
February 14, 2025 — Associated Press — HHS is losing thousands of workers under Trump administration probationary job cuts
Department of Health and Human Services officials expected most of the agency’s roughly 5,200 probationary employees to be fired Friday.
February 14, 2025 — NPR — Staff at CDC and NIH are reeling as Trump administration cuts workforce
The Trump administration is slashing about 1,300 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Staff were notified Friday of the cuts.
February 14, 2025 — The Broadsheet — The Sick List: Survivor Enrollment Outpaced Responders in Trade Center Health Program for 2024
The World Trade Center Health Program has published statistics that paint a sobering portrait of need for medical care among the population of “survivors” of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
February 9, 2025 — Daily Mail — FDNY firefighter miraculously survived both towers falling down on 9/11. After years of health issues, he took his own life
On Saturday, Tommy Dunn took his own life after years of struggling with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a direct consequence of 9/11, which also caused him to develop asthma.
February 3, 2025 — People — 2 More N.Y. Firefighters Die from 9/11-Related Illnesses
Firefighter Thomas Dunn, 53, and Battalion Chief Dennis J. Collopy, 84, died from World Trade Center-related illnesses, the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) said.
February 3, 2025 — New York Post — FDNY loses another member to 9/11-related illness, firefighter orgs say
Thomas Dunn, a former member of Engine Company 234 in Brooklyn, died Saturday of sicknesses born out of the massive response to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
February 1, 2025 — International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health — Mortality in a cohort of WTC-exposed law-enforcement officers compared to non-WTC law-enforcement officers
We found lower overall and cause-specific mortality rates in WTC LEOs compared with both the general population and Buffalo LEOs.
January 29, 2025 — New York Post — NYC ripped over claim that ‘staffing issue’ prevents 9/11 air toxins probe: ‘Can’t believe that it’s that difficult’
DOI Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber testified that her agency is not equipped to do the “deep dive” she believes is required to investigate the potential decades-old mystery surrounding Ground Zero.
January 28, 2025 — Work-Bites — Can New York City’s DOI Pierce the 9/11 WTC Coverup?
Resolution 560 is a binding resolution that relies on an obscure provision in the New York City Charter that would empower the City Department of Investigation to obtain and review all those documents.
January 27, 2025 — The Broadsheet — Indecent Lack of Exposure
If enacted, Ms. Brewer’s proposed “binding resolution” would mark the first time the City Council has invoked the authority granted by the City Charter to direct DOI to conduct an investigation.
January 23, 2025 — Stony Brook University News — Study Provides Evidence of Amyloidosis in the Brains of Some WTC Responders
Amyloid is a protein that can form abnormal deposits in tissues and organs. These deposits can cause a condition called amyloidosis, and are associated with diseases, one of which is Alzheimer’s disease.
January 23, 2025 — CBS News New York — 9/11 first responders may be at higher risk of early-onset dementia, study finds
Researchers at Stony Brook Medicine say they’ve discovered a link between exposure at Ground Zero and the presence of amyloid in the brain.
January 15, 2025 — Newsday — Stony Brook study: Long COVID risk increases with multiple infections, vaccination status in 9/11 essential workers
People who have had multiple bouts of COVID-19 or had it severely, and those who were unvaccinated when first infected had an increased risk of developing long COVID, according to a new study.
January 14, 2025 — NY Daily News — Produce the WTC documents: Decades of hiding the truth must end
The heroes and victims of 9/11 who are suffering terrible and sometimes lethal medical problems have a right to know what City Hall knew decades ago about the environmental risks from Ground Zero.
January 13, 2025 — Good Material (Substack) — LA is Toxic, and We Need to Talk About it
The LA fires are unprecedented in their scope and destruction. The best comparison I can think of – and one I haven’t seen anyone make yet – is 9/11.
January 12, 2025 — NY Daily News — City pushes to dismiss FOIA case over 9/11 Ground Zero toxin studies
The city is trying to quash a lawsuit seeking pivotal data on the toxins that hovered over lower Manhattan following the 9/11 terror attacks, claiming it doesn’t have the important documents.
January 9, 2025 — SILive.com — ‘This is a priority of mine’: Malliotakis to discuss 9/11 health program funding with Trump this weekend
Though the program is authorized to run until 2090, the rate at which those who are contracting illnesses in the wake of the 2001 terror attacks is increasing.
January 7, 2025 — The Broadsheet — Twisting in the Wind: Eleventh-Hour Deal Scuttles Federal Funding for WTC Health Program
The looming budget shortfall means that, if nothing changes, the program will have to begin reducing services and rationing care in approximately 24 months.
January 7, 2025 — Officer.com — N.J. State Police Major Dies from 9/11-Related Cancer
Major Jeffrey A. Burke died on Dec. 31, the New Jersey State Police said in a statement.
January 3, 2025 — MedicalXPress — UK firefighters exposed to toxic smoke at Grenfell Tower fire suffer debilitating health effects, research finds
Research has found that over a quarter of surveyed firefighters who attended the Grenfell Tower fire are now suffering from long-term health disorders.
January 3, 2025 — The Chief-Leader — WTC health care funding left out of budget deal
Earlier this year, advocates warned that, without congressional intervention, the program would have to start making cuts by 2027.
January 1, 2025 — New York Post — Congress must keep the promise America made to the ailing heroes of 9/11
Starting in 2027, responders and survivors who fall ill won’t be able to enroll in the program. Cutbacks in services to those who are being treated, many for cancers, will start soon after that.