Last night, Jon Stewart dedicated his final Daily Show of 2010 to the languishing James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. It's believed that the bill, which has passed the House (not without shouting) but was filibustered by the GOP in the Senate, has its last shot this year, because next year the House goes to the Republicans. Last week, Republicans Senators complained that tax cuts needed to take precedence; now that the tax cut plan has passed both houses, Republican Senators have objected to the voting on the bill again because the vote might take place between Christmas and New Year's. So Stewart, like he did earlier this week, took lawmakers—and conservative pundits—to task for seemingly abandoning 9/11 first responders. more ›

Two of the law firms representing 9/11 first responders are in a fight over expenses incurred during the massive lawsuit with the city. Andrew J. Carboy, a lawyer at Sullivan Papain Block McGrath & Cannavo PC, who represent nearly 700 plaintiffs, filed a notice yesterday that he plans to challenge over $400,000 of more than $1.75 million in common benefit costs submitted by Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern LLP, which represents more than 9,000 plaintiffs in the litigation. more ›

Yesterday, a town hall meeting was held for the 9/11 first responders who are currently weighing a settlement from the city. The city is offering $712 million for responders sickened by the toxic conditions at Ground Zero, which the judge called "a very good deal." However, the deal can only go through if 95% of the over 10,0000 plaintiffs agree to it more ›

NY politicians are pushing Congress to pass a bill that would provide Ground Zero workers with health care for life. The $11 billion James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, named after the NYC cop who died of toxic dust from Ground Zero, is a supplement to the $657 million settlement that NYC has offered for the thousands of 9/11 responders who were sickened by the toxic conditions. more ›

You're warned: This Sunday, the Office of Emergency Management is overseeing a drill that will, according to the AP, "simulate a response to an explosion at a PATH commuter rail train in the tunnel between the World Trade Center site and northern New Jersey. Officials say there will be no sound of an explosion, but emergency vehicles will respond with flashing lights and sirens." First responders from the NYPD, FDNY, and Port Authority will be on hand for the exercise; Vesey Street, on the north side of ground zero, will be closed to all but emergency vehicles and PATH rail service will be suspended from 6 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. more ›

An explosion in a Long Island man's basement damaged sheet rock and spread broken glass while shredding a soft cooler Saturday evening, causing Long Island emergency personnel to respond in force. The bomb scare was the result of a show-and-tell gone awry. Francisco Lopes is a researcher at Stony Brook University, who said that he brought home some pieces of dry ice in a sealed glass jar to show his daughter. He left the container in his lunch cooler and left for dinner with family members. Unfortunately, Lopes did not realize what apparently many teenagers are fully aware of: allowing dry ice to warm in a sealed container results in a buildup of gas pressure that ends with a loud bang. more ›