9/11 News Items (3/28/26)
Arnold Korotkin
Below are summaries with URLs to news articles that appeared recently about 9/11 Health and Compensation Issues. An archive of past articles year by year can by found on the 911 Health Watch website
WORLD TRADE CENTER HEALTH PROGRAM WILL START HIRING, FEDERAL OFFICIALS TELL LAWMAKERS
Newsday | March 27, 2026
The World Trade Center Health Program, grappling with staffing shortages, is expected to start hiring to fill job vacancies, New York House Republicans were told Thursday by federal health officials.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand | March 27, 2026
This week, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) launched a new effort to press U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to quickly address the staff cuts and administrative delays at the World Trade Center Health Program.
WTC HEALTH ADVOCATES POINT TO DELAYS IN GETTING NEW CONDITIONS COVERED
Newsday | March 27, 2026
Advocates for people who have medical issues related to the 9/11 attacks are raising concerns that staffing shortages at the World Trade Center Health Program and leadership shake-ups at the Centers for Disease Control have made it harder to get new conditions covered.
NYS OFFICIALS SEEK ANSWERS AFTER WORLD TRADE CENTER HEALTH WORKERS ARE REASSIGNED
Newsday | March 27, 2026
New York lawmakers and 9/11 victim advocates are calling on the Trump administration to reverse the reassignment of two top World Trade Center Health Program officials as the program grapples with service delays and staffing shortages.
Rep. Dan Goldman | March 20, 2026
“It is completely unreasonable to temporarily reassign personnel working on a Program that is already facing staffing shortages,” wrote the members.
THE “HARDING MEMO” PAPER CHASE
Council Beat | March 20, 2026
Getting the memo was easy. Carboy called the Briscoe Center for American History, they looked through Wayne’s 300 boxes and found it. $20 later, Carboy had it. But finding it took years.
Federal Register | March 20, 2026
The Administrator of the WTC Health Program is denying this petition for the addition of a health condition as of March 19, 2026.
FUND FOR SEPTEMBER 11 VICTIMS PAID OUT $1.84 BILLION IN 2025
The Broadsheet | March 20, 2026
The VCF awarded nearly $1.84 billion to roughly 9,800 claimants in 2025 (which translates into an average payout of approximately $183,000), and has cumulatively awarded more than $16.8 billion to 71,000-plus claimants since the current version of the program launched in October 2011.
CRITICISM GROWS OVER REPORTS THAT WTC HEALTH STAFF REASSIGNED TO ICE
PIX 11 | March 20, 2026
Gov. Kathy Hochul and other officials from both parties criticize the Trump Administration for risking World Trade Center survivors’ health by reassigning workers from the World Trade Center Health Program to agencies like border protection.
CTIF - The International Association of Fire & Rescue Services | March 20, 2026
Federal reassignments inside the World Trade Center Health Program are worsening already‑severe delays in care for people suffering from 9/11‑related illnesses, according to advocates and members of Congress
9/11 Health Watch
c/o NYS AFL-CIO
100 South Swan Street
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United States