How do newly revealed toxic exposure records explain the raw emotions of first responders at the 25th 9/11 anniversary?

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The raw emotions of first responders at the 25th 9/11 anniversary are rooted not only in grief, but in a renewed sense of betrayal. Newly released city records — more than 170,000 pages of air-quality reports, contamination data and internal correspondence — indicate officials privately recognized serious hazards around Ground Zero, including asbestos and other toxins, while publicly assuring responders and residents that the air was safe. That disclosure lands against a devastating long-term death toll. FDNY’s latest health findings show more than 12,000 FDNY members have been certified with at least one World Trade Center-related condition, nearly a quarter have been diagnosed with cancer, and more than 600 firefighters have died from 9/11-related illnesses. Union leaders said the number of FDNY members lost to post-9/11 illnesses has surpassed the 343 firefighters killed on the day of the attacks. Nationally, more than 9,000 people have died from illnesses linked to the attacks’ aftermath, and roughly 400,000 people are estimated to have been exposed. The records matter emotionally because they appear to confirm what many responders long believed: that they were sent into a toxic environment without full warning, and that Lower Manhattan’s reopening was prioritized over health risks. Advocates and medical experts have long tied the dust cloud to cancers, respiratory disease and other chronic illnesses that continue to emerge decades later. So when tensions flare near Grou…

FDNY Says 9/11 Firefighter in Elmo Protest Clash Was Not Its Member on 25th Anniversary

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FDNY Says 9/11 Firefighter in Elmo Protest Clash Was Not Its Member on 25th Anniversary

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