Respect and tears silenced Pleasant Plains on a sunny Friday morning as family members, friends and police officers said their final goodbye to Det. Thomas Santoro, who lost his life to a 9/11-related illness on Sunday. Santoro, 53, leaves behind his wife and two sons, 17 and 15, who, for the first time in their lives, will not be with their dad during their annual family trips. More.
For 2nd straight day, a Staten Island 9/11 hero responder is laid to rest
Accused 9/11 Mastermind Signals Cooperation Possible in Saudi Case
Closing the door for now to providing families information to hold Saudi Arabia liable for the 9/11 attacks, the plot’s accused “mastermind” Khalid Shaikh Mohammad told their attorneys that he may be available for a deposition if his life is not on the line. “Today, counsel for Khalid Shaikh Mohammad informed the [9/11 families] that Mr. Mohammad will not consent to a deposition ‘at the present time,’” their attorneys wrote in a 2-page letter Friday. More.
Senate Approves Bill To Prevent Sept. 11 Victims' Fund From Running Out Of Money
The Senate has voted 97-2 to approve a bill that will virtually ensure permanent funding for rescue workers whose work after the Sept. 11 attacks caused health problems. The House passed the bill last month, and Trump is expected to approve it, ending a years-long ordeal for the victims after concerns that the fund was on the verge of running out of money. More.
The Senate steps up: Now it only takes Trump’s signature to fund the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund permanently
The people of Kentucky and Utah should be proud that they have senators representing them in Washington who upheld the honor of their states. Mitch McConnell and Mitt Romney voted with senators from every other state to make to make permanent the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund for first responders and others sickened by the toxic dust breathed in at the World Trade Center. More.
Senate approves bill to extend 9/11 victims fund
The Senate gave final legislative approval Tuesday to a bill ensuring that a victims’ compensation fund related to the Sept. 11 attacks never runs out of money. The 97-2 vote sends the bill to Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it. More.
9/11-related illness takes another WTC hero, Staten Island resident
Like thousands of other emergency responders, NYPD Det. Christopher Cranston dropped everything and rushed to Ground Zero in Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001 after learning of the World Trade Center attacks. For six months after, he sifted through rubble at the former Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island, amid the deadly toxins that have since caused the death of more than 2,000 people years after the national tragedy. More.
Eagle Scout project results in poignant First Responders 9/11 Memorial for Brook Park
Nathan Vrzic was not even alive when the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred, but the 16-year-old nonetheless devoted the past year to creating a First Responders 9/11 Memorial for Brook Park. The Life Scout from American Legion Boy Scout Troop 610 collaborated with former Brook Park mayor Mark Elliott, and many others, to encase two granite pieces recovered from the debris of the World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City. More.
343 NYC firefighters died on 9/11. Since then, 200 have died from Ground Zero-related illnesses
The 200th New York City firefighter has died from ailments stemming from working at the toxic World Trade Center site in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, according to city officials. Richard Driscoll, 73, died one day after the death of fellow firefighter Kevin Nolan. More.