Last week, we established that this year is indeed the all-time worst allergy season ever in the history of dander, pollen and dust—don't blame us, science says so! But it still left the question of why this year has been so much worse than years past. It can't all be the trees' fault, right? And why has our asthma been so much worse? Now, we have one other possible answer: maybe you've been spending too much time with cockroaches? more ›

A federal judge approved the latest offer from the city to settle 9/11 first responders' health claims. Judge Alvin Hellerstein said the $712 million settlement "is fair... This has been a long and difficult process and I'm very happy it's resolved," but added that it wasn't "perfect... I wish there was enough money so that anybody that had any kind of injury got compensated just because he was a hero on 9/11." more ›

Facing some 9,000 lawsuits from ground zero responders who say they became ill after working at the 9/11 site, the city wants a judge to toss 17 "baseless" suits. According to 1010WINS, city attorneys urged a judge to dismiss cases involving a firefighter who blames breathing problems on 9/11 dust despite being put on disability for the same ailments in 1999, and a Staten Island construction worker who blames 9/11 for a medical condition despite filing a malpractice suit linking some of the ailments to a gastrointestinal disease in the 1990s. Prosecutors—who insist the cases are valid—and city attorneys are expected to take several cases to court, and use those verdicts to determine settlements for the rest of the suits. more ›

Months after residents of a Turtle Bay building found their apartments coated in a layer of dust, an environmental testing firm found "highly elevated levels" of a carcinogen inside the E. 47th Street condo tower. A toxic substance found in mortar called crystalline silica got into apartments while laborers did facade work at the L'Ecole building at 212 E. 47th Street, according to an attorney for tenants who have filed suit over the incident. "It was like there had been a snowfall," said Steven Rosenhaus, who suffered breathing trouble and eye irritation after his 20th-floor apartment was blanketed in the the powder. According to the Post, building management has denied any wrongdoing in court documents. more ›

Last week we told you about NY's filthiest hotel, Times Square's New York Inn. Based on user-reviews from TripAdvisor.com, it was ranked sixth skeeziest guest house in the nation and our city’s very worst. The Post took us on a tour of the rickety old building, some highlights—which you can see after the break—include “stained sheets, a mysterious blood stain, a dangerous looking radiator, holes in the bedspread, a shower curtain suspended by twine and a general appalling level of filth in the bathroom.” more ›

Decades back, few — if any — would oppose a plan to open a concrete plant in industrial Red Hook. But today, it's a different story. Residents of the quickly gentrifying neighborhood have petitioned and picketed in attempts to stop U.S. Concrete from opening a factory this month that they fear will scatter airborne particles "to the yellow-and-blue Ikea next door, heavily used baseball fields across the street, and a 2.75-acre farm nearby on a former playground," according to the Times. Community activist John McGettrick laid it out for the paper of record: “There’s a certain irony that we have a mayor talking about no smoking in parks, but he has no problem allowing the construction of a concrete plant that would shower cement dust on children in the park,” he said. more ›

Dr. Charles S. Hirsch is the chief medical examiner of New York City and has overseen the autopsies on more than 100,000 people. He would probably remain a mystery to most New Yorkers, if it weren't for his ruling on the death of Det. James Zadroga, who worked clean-up at Ground Zero after September 11, 2001. Hirsch said that Zadroga's death wasn't related to Ground Zero dust, but ground-up pills the detective was allegedly injecting.... more ›