The blatant, unapologetic Jew-hate keeps getting worse and is somehow seen as a sign of the politician's popularity. The voters are just as bad as the Democrats who are running on this obscene platform.
Here's an "activist" who is going even further in her Jew-hatred: attacking Jews who mention the Holocaust, the most traumatic event in Jewish history and in the lives of their families.
And no, a trip to Auschwitz wouldn't change her outlook. She's been thoroughly indoctrinated to the point where the extermination of six million Jews has no meaning for her. People like her are completely unredeemable. All they want is attention and "likes", and they should get nothing but contempt instead,
“Europe’s holocaust has lost its meaning to the point that the whole world is sick of hearing about it,” Abulhawa said in a July 31 statement on X. “These
clowns invoke that genocide with every perceived slight (even as they
are committing or supporting a contemporary genocide).
Activist Susan Abulhawa fired off an unhinged rant about the Holocaust on Friday. IInstagram/@susanabulhawa
“There is an extreme overrepresentation of Jews in every branch of
government, media, and culture, but we have to listen to more holocaust
whining because ONE damn judicial panel didn’t contain enough Jews,” she
added.
"Abulhawa then warned if Jews don’t tone down the criticism of Mamdani something bad could happen.
“Seriously, there’s something terribly wrong with them, and if
moderate Jews don’t effectively reign [sic] in these extremists, it’s
not going to end well for anyone,” she said.
"Duwaji, Mamdani’s wife, created artwork for an essay book compiled by Abulhawa,
who has previously described Jewish people as “vampires,” “demons” and
“ghouls” — and celebrated the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel.
"The city’s first lady drew the lead graphic for “A Trail of Soap,” an
essay Abulhawa published in the Slow Factory’s Everything Is Political
magazine.
Rama Duwaji, first lady of NYC, created artwork for an essay book compiled by Abulhawa. James Keivom for NY Post
Emaciated
survivors of one of the largest Nazi concentration camps, at Ebensee,
Austria, entered by the 80th division, US Third army on May 7, 1945. Bettmann Archive
“Zohran Mamdani’s wife did artwork for Susan just a few months ago,” one X member posted.
"Another responded, “@NYCMayor normal thing for your wife’s best friend to say?”
"Dov Hikind, a former Brooklyn Assembly member and founder of
Americans Against Antisemitism, said Abulhawa was “threatening” Jews
with her rhetoric.
“Mamdani and his wife associate with people who are filled with hate
for the Jewish people. It’s always about the Jews,” Hikind said.
“They befriend haters.”
"Duwaji and Mamdani didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment."
Somehow we’re already in August. I love my kids dearly, but let the countdown to school (and routine) begin!
August
also brings some health news: peak mosquito season, a summer Covid-19
wave, and thankfully, signs that the explosive diarrhea outbreak is
calming down—but not without two deaths, reported yesterday. August also
means midterms are around the corner, and I have a hunch that some
narratives, like Covid-19 pandemic revisionism, are strategic. We
include some tips for your blood pressure.
Here’s
your “disease weather report”, and most importantly, what you can do
other than get into social media fights about Covid-19.
Covid-19 chatter and a summer wave
Whether
it’s mass media or social media, there’s a lot of loud, recent chatter
about the Covid-19 pandemic. I’ve been struck by the timing, as well as
how disciplined much of the messaging has been from politicians. I can’t
help but wonder if this is a strategic distraction ahead of the
midterms. As I’ve said over and over, it’s critically important to talk
about what went wrong and what went right during the pandemic, but only
if it’s in good faith. What I’m seeing instead is the reopening of deep,
traumatic wounds of a complex event that’s already one of the most
polarizing in this country.
What this means for you: Our
social media consumption is controlled through a powerful algorithm.
Attention is the currency being harvested here, so one of the strongest
moves is deciding in advance what you simply will not spend it on. This is called critical ignoring.
If you do engage, which I sometimes think is necessary to tell our own
truths, try to stay earnest. Pushing back without taking the bait is a
hard task, but I gave it my best shot on YLE socials yesterday.
Speaking
of Covid-19, a summer wave continues to brew. We get this every year;
the question is how high it will get, as the severity of each wave has
declined over time.
Right now, rates are still very
low, but all metrics (emergency visits, test positivity rates, and
wastewater) are climbing across the country. There’s not a newly emerged
variant really driving this, but rather a mix of seasonality and waning
immunity, since it’s been a while since many people were last infected.
Source: CDC; Annotated by Hannah at Your Local Epidemiologist.
What this means for you: If you’re 65 or older and didn’t get your spring Covid-19 shot, the time is now.
Cyclospora outbreak hitting the breaks
We’re
now up to more than 17,000 cases across the country, and it looks like
things are slowing down (although the true number of cases and direction
remain nearly impossible to know given our fragmented data
infrastructure in the U.S.). One data point—share of tests coming back
positive—is in a nosedive, which is a great sign.
Source: Biofire; Annotated by Hannah at Your Local Epidemiologist.
While millions of Americans get all different types of foodborne illnesses each year, this outbreak is the third-largest in history. Truly a magnificent size.
What’s causing the slowdown? For Cyclospora,
this usually means the main culprit has been removed from circulation.
That can happen naturally (contaminated salad gradually gets replaced by
clean salad) or through intervention (stores pull it from shelves).
We’re heading into the second week of the recall, so hopefully that’s
helped a lot.
There are still six active investigations:
Shredded lettuce with an epicenter in Michigan and a recall in 27 states. Unfortunately, Michigan reported two deaths
that are likely tied to that. Deaths from cyclosporiasis are extremely
rare, and I was very surprised to hear this. They were high risk (like
immunocompromised after an organ transplant), so extreme dehydration
could have an impact.
Five other active
investigations have no other information. We don’t know what’s causing
them and where. We may never get an answer, though, as this parasite is
hard to trace and find. In the past, there were definitely outbreaks
where the culprit was never found.
What this means for you:
Shredded lettuce is likely in the clear now, but if you’re at higher
risk and live in one of the 27 states under recall, I’d still stay
cautious. Michigan will announce when its outbreak is under control, and
that will be your all-clear signal.
August is the peak mosquito-borne illness season
Welcome
to mosquito-borne illness month. West Nile virus is the most common
mosquito-borne disease in the U.S. (though it’s still very rare compared
to other things trying to kill you).
CDC has warned that
this year is more intense than usual for West Nile virus, with case
counts roughly five times the historical average. This is the earliest
and most aggressive start to the season since 2004, a year that ended
with 2,500 cases and 100 deaths nationally. Interestingly, West Nile
tends to peak in humans on a roughly three-year cycle, driven by shifting immunity levels in birds, the virus’s primary reservoir.
August is peak season, so expect cases and news to continue popping up across the country.
West Nile human disease cases reported by month of illness onset, 1999-2025. Source: CDC.
What this means for you: Overall
risk of mosquito-borne illnesses in the U.S. remains extremely low, and
for most people, mosquitoes are more of a nuisance than a threat.
Prevention is the name of the game. Here are some tips.
Spotlight: Why some people get more mosquito bites than others
Do
you ever wonder why some people (hi, it’s me) end up covered in bites
while the person sitting right next to them has none? That’s not by
accident. The number of bites you get depends on, sure, how much of your
skin is showing, but there’s some fascinating biology at play here,
too:
The bacteria on your skin.
Everyone’s skin is covered in bacteria, and the exact mix depends on
your genes and your diet. Scientists have found that people carrying
certain types of bacteria, especially those with less bacterial
diversity, emit odors that mosquitoes love. People with a wider variety
of bacteria tend to attract fewer bites. Even things like eating garlic
or drinking alcohol have been linked to smellier, more mosquito-friendly
skin.
The carbon dioxide you breathe out.
Mosquitoes can sense CO2 from over 100 feet away using special sensors
near their mouths. This helps them find something to bite. People who
breathe out more CO2, like adults compared to kids, or anyone right
after exercise, are easier for mosquitoes to track down.
Some people really do “smell better” to mosquitoes.
Up close, mosquitoes also detect chemicals in your sweat, such as
lactic acid and uric acid. These amounts are different for everyone.
Studies on twins even suggest this trait can be passed down from your
parents, meaning some people are just born more attractive to mosquitoes
than others.
The same old advice still
holds for these people: use DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 repellents. They
work by blocking the sensors mosquitoes use to detect CO2 and skin odor,
making it harder for them to find you in the first place. Citronella
candles, unfortunately, have only a mild, short-range effect at best.
Good news
The OMB grantmaking rule may be facing a new hurdle. Several weeks ago, we wrote about a proposed OMB rule that could break science. This week, in bipartisan agreement, the Senate Appropriations Committee
included language that would block the rule from taking effect until
the next budget date. Thanks to everyone who submitted comments and
organized around this. This is a critical step that buys more time to
push for the rule’s full withdrawal. (Politico)
Using enzymes to “shred” cancer. Scientists
at the University of Utah have found a CRISPR enzyme with an odd
ability to shred specific RNA. The enzyme can be programmed to recognize
a specific kind of mRNA, so it could be used to eliminate mRNA produced
by a cancer cell. This treatment still has a long way to go before it
can be used, but it could be very beneficial in targeting cancers that
do not respond well to chemotherapy and other treatments. (Nature)
Hi-tech eye implant approved for use in Europe. The
PRIMA implant is a new eye implant designed to help address common
causes of age-related vision loss. It stimulates cells on the retina by
converting light signals using a special pair of glasses. In the study,
the PRIMA implant significantly restored vision in the majority of
participants. (Ophthalmology Times, NEJM)
Bottom line
Happy August! It’s going to keep us on our toes, but the good news is that we can all do something to protect ourselves.
Love, YLE
Your Local Epidemiologist
(YLE) comprises a team of experts, ranging from physicians to
immunologists to epidemiologists to nutritionists, working together with
one goal: to “translate” ever-evolving public health science so that
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Here's another great column by Melanie Phillips on dealing with Iran, and in it she makes the same suggestion that I was thinking about over the weekend: replace Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff as negotiators. Whatever they've been doing is obviously not working. Get someone experienced who's tougher and stronger.
"CENTCOM is soliciting ideas “for new, creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran”.
"It
turns out that this is not satire. After five months of war, America’s
top military brass apparently hasn’t got a clue how to defeat Iran.
They’re stuck, and scratching their heads. And now, thanks to an
internal message that was bound to find its way into the media, the
entire world knows that too.
"CENTCOM’s appeal, made by an officer
in its intelligence branch, was sent to its own troops. But given its
obvious distress, here’s a creative and unconventional response from a
mere observer.
"Dear CENTCOM,
"Your entire strategy is totally
wrong from start to finish. Your aim is to wear down the regime until
it agrees to your terms. This is a foundational error. Your aim should
be instead regime change by destroying the Islamic Revolutionary Guards
Corps (IRGC) that wields power in Iran.
"I would say this to your Commander-in-Chief, but he hasn’t asked.
"This is why America should change its strategy.
Understand
that all negotiation with the regime is worse than pointless. Their
agenda is non-negotiable. You cannot negotiate with fanatics who believe
that producing an apocalypse will bring to earth the Shia messiah. They
never, ever negotiate in good faith. They always lie. Negotiation to
them is merely an opportunity to delay, to obfuscate and to exploit the
weakness of America, which refracts everything through the Western
belief in the overriding impulse of self-interest. This is laughable.
The Iranian regime believes it has a divine command to destroy the west.
America’s attachment to negotiation merely tells the regime it’s on
course to achieve America’s defeat.
End the incoherent
thinking. President Trump talks of forcing the regime to surrender. But
he’s also pushing for a negotiated deal. Surrender is the outcome of
defeat. A negotiated deal is the outcome of concessions on both sides.
So which is it? It can’t be both.
Stop thinking that the
regime has a pain threshold. Trump said last week: “We’ll be hitting
them very hard, and you know, at some point, they’re going to say, ‘We
just can’t take it anymore.’”
"That point will never
arrive. The regime can take infinite pain. It’s prepared to
sacrifice the Iranian people and see the country’s infrastructure
destroyed. As long as the regime survives in some form, it will think
it’s won because it can always regroup and continue with its infernal
agenda, however long it takes. Which it will do. Bombing even more stuff
will therefore have only a limited effect.
Change your war aim to regime change — the only
way to neutralise the unconscionable menace those fanatics represent
for their people, the region and the world. That means empowering the
heroic people of Iran to take their country back. That means in turn
preventing the IRGC from being able to continue to jail and torture
them, hang them and mow them down in the streets. That means destroying
the IRGC.
"How? Ask the Israelis.
Bid
farewell to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. They are hopelessly
compromised by their financial interests in the region. Their
negotiations in both Gaza and Iran have been demonstrably farcical. Many
lives have been needlessly lost as a result. They should be removed
forthwith from all involvement in the war against Iran and its proxies.
Here's more vital information from Dr Ruth Ann Crystal, including news about a new COVID variant PJ.2.1
According to J.P. Weiland on Bluesky, "PJ.2.1 is a brand new, highly mutated variant (from a BA.2.86 Pirola base). It's looking to me like it may have some speed. Will continue to monitor this one. Most interesting variant in a good while."
The summer COVID wave(let) has started. COVID levels are low,
but have started to rise with hot spots noted across the United States.
Since 2024, COVID waves have peaked higher in summer than in winter, but
each summer peak has been lower than the previous summer’s. If you are
immunocompromised or are 65 or older, now would be a good time to get a
COVID booster at your local pharmacy. No new COVID variants are causing
the latest wave so far, so you will be given the same vaccine as was
given last fall.
According to Michael Hoerger using CDC data through 7/18/26, about 1 in 198 people was actively infectious with COVID
nationally with some hot spots noted especially in Alaska (1 in 55
people infectious), Florida (1 in 79), Washington state (1 in 88), Texas
(1 in 94), New Mexico (1 in 94), and Georgia (1 in 125). WastewaterSCAN data from yesterday
shows high levels of COVID in wastewater in Anchorage AK, Pinson AL,
Roswell GA, New Orleans LA, St Petersburg FL, Honolulu HI, and Akron OH.
See the graph below in the references section.
COVID Variants
A new COVID variant PJ.2.1 has been detected in a few places in the U.S. recently, but for now it is just being monitored.
Researchers
at UC San Francisco analyzed more than 10 million people and found that
semaglutide use for diabetes or obesity was associated with a 49% reduction in COVID mortality
risk after statistical adjustment. The study was observational, so a
causal relationship between the drug and the lower death risk has not
yet been established.
Scientists
at the University of Córdoba in Spain examined two human cell lines and
found that the SARS-CoV-2 accessory protein ORF7a activates the enzyme
PDK4, disrupting assembly of mitochondrial complex I and shifting cell
metabolism away from efficient, oxygen based energy production. This
reduces the cells’ capacity to generate energy while raising oxidative
stress.
Investigators from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute studied macrophages
from three mice and one human donor and found that the body’s internal
clock significantly changed how cells responded to SARS-CoV-2 spike
protein depending on the time of exposure. The main shifts involved
metabolism and mitochondrial function rather than the cytokine driven
immune responses conventionally linked to COVID pathology.
A
team at Yeungnam University found that as human brain organoids matured
and neurons and glial cells developed, rising lipid metabolism made the
tissue far more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Treating the
organoids with gemfibrozil plus lovastatin,
two cholesterol lowering drugs, cut viral RNA levels about 12 fold,
pointing to lipid pathway drugs as a possible strategy against
neurological COVID complications.
Researchers at the Versiti Blood Research Institute studied 76 COVID patients and found that antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 gained a positive electrical charge as they matured. That charge strengthened spike binding but also caused the antibodies to cross react with human DNA and platelet factor 4 (PF4). Neutralizing the charge weakened binding to both the virus and these self antigens.
Researchers at LSU Health Sciences Center analyzed 40 pregnancies and detected SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in 29 placentas,
in some cases as long as 221 days after the initial maternal infection.
The recovered viral genes were fragmented and lacked associated viral
proteins, suggesting what persists is residual viral RNA rather than replication competent virus, though it may still contribute to a sustained inflammatory environment at the maternal fetal interface.
Scientists
at Mount Sinai Hospital tracked 142 infants born to mothers infected
with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy. The children appeared developmentally
normal at 12 months, but clinician administered testing at 22 months found that 52% scored below age expectations in at least one domain, most often language development.
A new commentary in Pediatric Research reviewed a study of 84 young patients (61 with Long COVID and 23 healthy pediatric controls) which showed significantly elevated fibrin microclots and markers of blood vessel injury in children and young adults with Long COVID. Lab experiments showed that spike antibody- fibrinogen immune complexes
triggered neutrophils to release DNA nets that directly damaged the
cells lining blood vessel walls. Many of these vascular changes
persisted even without detectable circulating spike protein, pointing to
a self-sustaining, host-driven process rather than ongoing viral
activity. The authors propose spike-fibrinogen interactions as a possible mechanistic link and that coagulation and innate immune pathways may be potential treatment targets.
Fig. 1: SARS-CoV-2 spike-fibrinogen interactions drive microclot formation and [pediatric] Long COVID pathogenesis.
A
team at Stanford and UC Berkeley analyzed 519,980 patient records and
found that receiving two or more COVID vaccine doses before infection
was associated with a 16% reduction in the likelihood of developing Long COVID.
A separate analysis of more than one million vaccinated patients found
the protective effect held steady over seven months of follow up, with
no significant waning.
Investigators at the University of Science and Technology of China identified a nanobody,
derived from an alpaca, that binds a hidden site on the spike protein
shared by all SARS-like coronaviruses. Fused to ACE2, it blocked viral
entry through two distinct mechanisms and was 33 times more potent
against SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus.
Researchers
at the University of Bergen and University of Minnesota ran trials in
144 and 2,983 participants respectively and found that Paxlovid reduced Long COVID symptoms at three months by 40%, while metformin
cut clinician diagnosed cases at six months by about half. Both
treatments now represent the strongest drug evidence yet for preventing
the lasting health burden of acute COVID, though researchers still
debate how Long COVID endpoints should be defined and measured.
I would also like to add that the FDA has approved Xocova (Ensitrelvir)
for post-exposure prophylaxis against COVID infection in
immunosuppressed patients who have a household contact with COVID. If
you don’t get a COVID infection, then you won’t get Long COVID.
Scientists
at Gladstone Institutes and UCSF studied 32 individuals and found that
people with Long COVID have abnormally persistent, granzyme B enriched
CD8+ T cells directed against SARS-CoV-2, CMV, and EBV. These killer T cells
stayed stuck in a terminally differentiated state instead of resolving
after infection as they normally would, and women had the most
chronically persistent cells of this type.
A team at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam studied 105 participants and found that skeletal muscle in people with Long COVID and ME/CFS showed impaired mitochondrial energy production and fewer capillaries relative to muscle size. These changes were distinct
from those seen after 60 days of bed rest, showing that physical
inactivity alone cannot explain the muscle deficits in Long COVID and
ME/CFS.
Investigators
at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam studied 142 participants, 121 with Long
COVID and 21 controls, and found that Long COVID was linked to lower
heart rate variability and delayed autonomic recovery for up to 24 hours
after exertion. Exercise at or above the first ventilatory threshold appeared to mark a higher risk zone for post-exertional malaise.
A
team at Dalhousie University in Halifax studied 42 people with
persistent Long COVID cognitive symptoms and 14 matched healthy controls
using brain MRI and cognitive testing. Clustering identified two
distinct subgroups, one with reduced gray matter in the cerebellum and putamen and one with no structural differences. Gray matter density in the medial frontal cortex
was found to increase over six months in a pattern tied to visuospatial
and executive task performance, suggesting brain fog in Long COVID has
more than one biological root.
Researchers at SUNY Upstate Medical University studied 98 mice and found that by day 30, after the virus had cleared
from the brain, pericyte loss, blood brain barrier damage,
inflammation, and amyloid beta buildup all persisted, along with fewer
hippocampal neurons. The cell death was driven by inflammation
around the pericytes rather than direct viral infection of those cells,
since no viral protein was detected inside them at any stage.
Scientists at the University of Iowa found that brain microglia in mice remained in an inflammatory
state for at least 100 days after SARS-CoV-2 infection, even with no
evidence of active viral replication in brain tissue. Mitochondrial gene
expression fell in these immune cells, pointing to metabolic disruption as a possible driver of neuro Long COVID.
A
team at Goethe University Frankfurt enrolled 279 Long COVID
participants with MRI confirmed heart inflammation in a randomized,
double blind, placebo controlled trial testing losartan plus low dose prednisolone over 16 weeks. The combination produced no statistically significant improvement in the primary heart function outcome, offering no clear benefit for this patient group in the Myoflame-19 trial.
Researchers
at the University of Antwerp followed 355 people for up to 24 months
and measured 54 circulating immune biomarkers across respiratory,
chronic pain, and chronic fatigue like Long COVID presentations. A
persistently elevated IL-17F immune signal emerged as a common thread across these groups, pointing toward ongoing abnormal vascular and tissue repair rather than leftover inflammation from the original infection.
Scientists
at the University of Miami examined blood from 73 Long COVID patients
and 41 controls and found signs of necroptosis, a pro-inflammatory form
of cell death, along with measurable stress in both endothelial and
immune cells. Higher levels of an endothelial stress marker tracked with
reduced vascular function and a greater symptom burden in people with
Long COVID.
BioVie
Pharma is launching a phase 2, triple blind, randomized, placebo
controlled trial enrolling 203 adults in the US to test whether
bezisterim, an oral drug that crosses the blood brain barrier, can
reduce the cognitive impairment and fatigue of Long COVID by targeting
toll-like receptor (TLR) driven neuroinflammation.
“The US has now [as of 7/28/26] reported 2,318 measles cases in 2026, a 35 year record, driven by 35 separate outbreaks with five months still left in the year.
In June 2025, HHS Secretary RFK Jr. announced that the US would halt funding for GAVI,
the vaccine alliance that has immunized more than a billion children in
low income countries since 2000. This week, the Senate Appropriations
Committee announced that the State Department will release the full $600
million Congress appropriated for GAVI, after Chair Susan Collins
pressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to restore the frozen funding.
The
American Red Cross has declared its second ever national blood supply
crisis after donations fell to a four year summer low, and the
organization is now limiting distribution of type O blood to hospitals.
Extreme heat, poor air quality, and foodborne illness may have
contributed to the low donor turnout this summer. The Red Cross urges
eligible donors to give blood immediately.
It
turns out that high protein diets may not be good for longevity. A team
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison reviewed over 350 studies and
concluded that restricting protein or specific amino acids like methionine, isoleucine and valine
can improve metabolic health and extend lifespan in animals. The effect
works partly by raising FGF21, a hormone linked to longevity.
Investigators
at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam built a three-layer human placenta
model, combining placental, umbilical vein and adrenal cells, to trace
plastic particle movement across the placenta rather than relying on
animal studies. Most microplastic polymers tested crossed the in vitro
placental barrier within 72 hours and they altered steroid hormone
production.
Researchers
at the University of Miami identified 19 blood proteins, including
neurofilament light chain, that predict when ALS symptoms will emerge in
people carrying disease linked genes. Using data from 137 study
participants, the model estimated symptom onset within about 18 months
of the actual date.
The
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued draft
guidance recommending two new tests, EndoSure and Endotest, to speed endometriosis
diagnosis in England and Wales. Endometriosis affects about 1 in 10
women worldwide and currently takes 4 to 11 years to diagnose. Endotest looks at miRNAs in saliva to diagnose endometriosis and EndoSure can detect endometriosis by measuring electrical signals in the intestines using ECG-like sensor pads.
Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science found that sildenafil (Viagra) may help stop cancer from spreading by disrupting how cholesterol
is managed in cancer cells. Sildenafil traps cholesterol inside cancer
cell lysosomes by binding cGMP to the transporter NPC1, weakening
membranes and blocking metastasis in mouse and human models. Patient
records showed better survival among sildenafil users, with added
benefit when combined with statins.
A
9-year old autistic boy named Jude Kofie found an old electric keyboard
in his family’s basement, sat down and started playing complete songs
without ever having had a lesson. His natural ability stunned Bill
Magnus who saw a local news story about Jude. Magnus decided to use his
inheritance to buy Jude a piano and pay for piano lessons. Now age 14,
Jude has started performing and has even released an album.
CBS News
I’ll be taking the next 2 weeks off from the newsletter.
This wasn't a hearing, it was a witch hunt. I could only take a few minutes of the grilling and badgering. No wonder Dr Fauci took the Fifth -- nothing he could ever say would satisfied those who hold him somehow personally responsible for a killer pandemic that came from China!
I remember how you couldn't even blame China, because the politically correct would attack you for being a racist. So instead of investigating properly, it seemed easier for these lawmakers to hold Dr. Fauci responsible for everything that happened.
The lockdown was a desperate measure when millions were dying and there was no other way to prevent more millions from catching it. And many Americans refused to protect themselves during COVID by wearing masks and getting vaccinated when the vaccine was introduced in 2021. A lot of them simply didn't want to be told what to do, even if it was for the public good. (We still see this with measles)
The real investigation of COVID-19 ought to be done by scientists and medical experts, and not by politicians at all.
Besides
the illness and death, the disruption and the loneliness, Americans
remember the pandemic for its vitriol. The handling of Covid divided the
parties, the states, families and neighbors and it’s taken years, in
many cases, to repair the damage.
Former Covid czar Anthony Fauci’s appearance on Capitol Hill Wednesday brought it all back.
Rather than an evaluation of what went wrong and right, or how to do better next time, the rage stood out.
“Here I am sitting in front of you six years later, saying: Who the fuck do you think you were for doing that?” Ohio Republican Bernie Moreno
asked Fauci after recounting the story of a family arrested at a
football game for refusing to wear masks. Many states imposed mask
mandates after Fauci and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended them.
Moreno’s
question at a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs Committee was rhetorical and the F bomb the sort of language
almost never heard in Senate proceedings. When Moreno later asked Fauci
if he would apologize, he responded as he did to every question, by
exercising his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination by
declining to answer.
Earlier in the hearing, Fauci vented his own rage, accusing the committee chair, Rand Paul,
of “an obvious obsession” and “repeated slanderous comments.” He
explained that he wasn’t going to talk because the Kentucky Republican
had made it plain he wanted him imprisoned for his role in leading the
nation’s Covid response and was setting a perjury trap for him.
The hearing underscored that, as Moreno
said, six years since the start of the pandemic, the rage over whether
mitigations like lockdowns, school closures and mask and vaccine
mandates were effective and justified, and over whether Fauci misled the public about the virus’ origins, are still simmering below the surface.
Republicans said it was about accountability; Democrats a vendetta.
Republicans joined Moreno in decrying the Covid response, saying the measures Fauci
encouraged had unnecessarily damaged Americans’ mental health and
children’s education, and made families miss funerals and other pivotal
moments in their lives.
“You forced people to watch their loved ones die alone over the phone. It’s disgusting,” said Rick Scott, a Florida Republican who blamed Fauci for hospital restrictions that barred relatives from visiting family members.
Democrats
defended the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases, thanking him for his decades-long service and for
saving lives with the strictures he recommended. They accused
Republicans of calling the hearing to distract from their own health
policies, which they called disastrous.
The
nasty divide, which historians have said tracks that of prior
pandemics, underscores the challenge in hoping to do better when the
next pandemic hits.
Republicans on the panel blamed Fauci,
now 85 and retired for more than three years from a
more-than-half-century career in government. They accused the former
NIAID director of destroying trust in America’s public health
institutions by pushing for measures that were ineffective and that left
Americans deeply scarred.
Moreno
recounted how a mother in his state and her family were dragged out of a
football stadium and arrested because they didn’t wear masks, despite
sitting away from other people.
“Those
policies were put in place because you had moronic politicians that
listened to the words of a megalomaniac who was more interested in
having met a Kardashian than the suffering of the American people, and
that is you,” Moreno told Fauci, referencing passages in Fauci’s diary that showed he reveled in the celebrity attention his role managing the pandemic had brought him.
Paul released that diary last week. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his team found it on Health Department servers. Fauci in his opening statement said the release was “aimed at embarrassing and intimidating me.”
Moreno
said the arrests at the football game were what prompted him to first
run for Senate in 2022. He promised to use Democrats’ defense of Fauci in political ads against them in the upcoming midterm elections.
New Hampshire’s Maggie Hassan was among the Democrats to passionately defend Fauci. She decried Kennedy’s
management of public health, citing the ongoing measles outbreak and
the spread of the foodborne parasite cyclospora, and Republican
lawmakers’ lack of interest in investigating it.
“We are here in an attempt to entrap you because you had a distinguished career trying to put Americans’ public health first,” Hassan told Fauci.
By contrast, she called Kennedy “the most unqualified secretary of Health and Human Services this country has ever seen.”
Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, also criticized the Republicans’ targeting of Fauci, saying it would discourage people who want to work in government in the future.
“There is nothing perfect, no perfect clarity when it comes to pandemics, when it comes to crises,” he said.
Paul, who’s feuded with Fauci since the early days of the pandemic, gave no ground.
He told reporters he expects his committee to approve a resolution holding Fauci in contempt of Congress next week.
If the panel does, the resolution would then proceed to a Senate floor vote. Majority Leader John Thune told reporters on Wednesday he’d consider holding one.
“I think that’s an option that ought to be available to us,” he said.
Here are the stories of some of the 2,977 victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and their still-grieving families. This 25th anniversary commemoration should be all about them, and not about the selfishness of Mamdani.
By Rich Calder, Chris Nesi, Larry Celona, Carl Campanile
The movement to ban Mayor Zohran Mamdani from this year’s 9/11
memorial ceremony at Ground Zero — marking the 25th anniversary of New
York City’s darkest day — is mounting.
In less than three weeks, more than 66,000 people have signed the Change.org petition demanding Hizzoner skip the solemn event.
The mayor’s past remarks and associations with people openly hostile
to the U.S. or scornful of the worst terror attack in American history
has made his planned attendance a lightning rod for criticism, but he’s
so far brushed off the growing chorus and pledges to be there.
Mayor
Zohran Mamdani’s eyebrow-raising associations, including with
unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Siraj
Wahhaj, has some 9/11 families asking him to stay home for the 25th
remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero. X/ZohranKMamdani
The petition lists many reasons for wanting to exclude Mamdani,
including his long reluctance to condemn the phrase “globalize the
intifada,” and his associations with individuals like his chief counsel,
Ramzi Kassem, who previously represented an al-Qaeda tanker-bombing
pilot.
“This anniversary is one of remembrance grounded in shared American
values: respect for the victims, recognition of the gravity of the
attacks, and a clear rejection of the ideologies that contributed to
such violence,” the petition reads.
The Post first reported on the skyrocketing number of signatories last weekend. Organizer Giovanni Galante this week estimated that thousands of family members of the 2,977 innocents killed on Sept. 11, 2001, have signed on.
If Mamdani shows up at the ceremony, he should expect many 9/11
family members to turn their backs on him in protest, warned Galante,
whose 29-year-old wife Grace was killed in the attack.
“They don’t want to look at him,” he said.
Mamdani has so far brushed off the criticism by 9/11 families and says he plans to attend the memorial.
“A lot of people are signing,” said Angie Pesce of Staten Island,
whose 34-year-old brother, Danny, was one of 658 Cantor Fitzgerald
employees who lost their lives in the Twin Towers. “And it’s not only
the family – it’s friends of family, too. . . . It’s getting circulated
and growing every day.”
Charles G. Wolf, whose 40-year-old wife Katherine Wolf was killed
only two weeks into her job at Marsh & McLennan, said the
Ugandan-born socialist mayor has alienated too many family members of
9/11 victims by pushing an anti-American agenda and associating with
terrorist sympathizers like left-wing influencer Hasan Piker — who once said “America deserved” the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
“He doesn’t want the United States to exist as it does today,”
alleged Wolf, whose compensation fight for 9/11 victims’ families was
told in the 2020 Netflix film “Worth”
with Emmy-winner Stanley Tucci playing him. “He wants to turn it into a
third-world government … and continue the work that the 9/11 hijackers
were doing.”
Giovanni
Galante, whose 29-year-old wife Grace Catherine Galante was killed in
the attack, started a Change.org petition urging Mamdani not to attend
the ceremony. Zak Bennett for NY Post
An FDNY captain said the petition is circulating widely in the
department, which suffered the loss of 343 firefighters that day. Tom
Van Essen, the city fire commissioner during and after 9/11,
enthusiastically signed, and said he’d delight in delivering the mayor
an icy surprise.
“Yes I signed it — I can’t wait to hit him with a snowball in his phony face!”
First responders in other agencies also weighed in.
John Ryan, a retired Port Authority chief of department who helmed
the rescue operation for nine months after the attack, wants Mamdani to
stay away.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, in which 2,977 innocent people were killed. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post
“I did sign the petition. Where was the mayor for the previous 9/11s?
I have been there every year, and I’ve seen a steady parade of
politicians come and go, who say they support the families and then you
never hear from them again,” he said. “Words are shallow, actions are
what counts.”
Others did not sign, but shared their discomfort.
Retired NYPD cop Jim Smith, whose wife, Moira Smith, was one of two
female police officers who died on 9/11, said, “I didn’t sign the
petition because Sept. 11 should not be about politicians. It should be
about the people that we lost that day and continue to lose — and their
families.
Firefighters work beneath the collapsed World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001. AP
“Petitions like this just take away from those heroes. The honorable
thing would be for people who are distractions not to show up.”
Mamdani apologists have criticized the petition’s creators and
alleged The Post overestimated the number of victims’ families who don’t
want Hizzoner at the solemn remembrance.
The Post in the last week contacted more than 150 families shattered by 9/11. A handful said they disagree with the petition.
Dozens of relatives said they support the petition but declined to go
on the record. They said they feared reprisals, including those with
city jobs.
The vast majority of the family members said they signed the petititon, or intend to sign. Here are some of their stories:
==================
Maureen Santora’s son Christopher Santora, 23, Engine 54 firefighter — South Tower
Maureen Santora, 81, (left) and her late son Christopher Santora (right), 23 — Engine 54 firefighter, South Tower.
A probie and the youngest firefighter to die on 9/11, Christopher
Santora played stickball and basketball growing up in Long Island City,
Queens, and was a rare Toronto Blue Jays fan living in NYC. After
graduating from Queens College and briefly working as a substitute
teacher, he followed his father, Deputy Chief Al Santora, into the FDNY.
Young Santora’s shift had ended that day, but when the WTC alarm came
in that morning, he didn’t hesitate to jump on the back of a fire truck.
His mother still grieves and is not happy that Mayor Mamdani plans to
be at the 25th anniversary remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero. “He has
never supported the 9/11 community – ever,” Maureen Santora said. “And I
just feel his presence is detrimental to the purpose of why we gather
together: to honor the people who died on September 11th and to remember
them in a respectful, dignified … way. This is not a political day.
He’s a divisive individual as well – and has made comments against many,
many different groups.. . . That is not a person that should be present
at a somber ceremony to remember people who were murdered by
terrorists.”
Charles G. Wolf’s wife Katherine Wolf, 40, Marsh & McLennan executive assistant — 97th floor of the North Tower
Charles
G. Wolf, 72, (left) and his late wife Katherine Wolf (right), 40 —
Marsh & McLennan executive assistant, 97th floor of the North Tower
Katherine — who was born in Swansea, Wales, and was a classical
pianist who graduated from Royal College of Music in London — began
working at the insurance brokerage just two weeks before the terror
attacks. “I kissed her goodbye at 8:06 a.m, and never heard from her
again,” recalled Charles G. Wolf, a licensed pilot, adding he could hear
the roar of the hijacked Boeing 767 airplane flying low over their
Greenwich Village apartment seconds before it slammed into the WTC. Wolf
— whose fight for compensation for 9/11 victims’ families was told in
the 2021 Netflix film “Worth” with Emmy winner Stanley Tucci playing him
— said Mamdani doesn’t belong at the ceremony because “he brings pain”
and has “no respect” for the United States. “He does not have our
interest at heart, and he does not care about the families. The memorial
observation is for 9/11 family members and . . . public officials
who’ve supported us all along the way after 9/11,” including former Gov.
George Pataki.
Louis Massari’s wife Patricia Ann Cimaroli Massari, 25, accounting department at Marsh McLennan — 98th floor North Tower
Patricia Ann Cimaroli Massari, 25 — accounting department at Marsh McLennan, 98th floor North Tower. Courtesy of Louis Massari
The last words Louis Massari, 50, heard his wife Patricia utter were
“Oh my god,” after the first plane struck the Twin Towers. The two had
been on the phone after learning just that morning that Patricia was
pregnant. They had been teenage friends whose friendship slowly turned
into a love story. “She definitely lit up a room any place she went to. .
. . We knew her as somebody that had the most beautiful smile, and it’s
not being biased as her husband,” Massari said. For Mamdani to be at
the memorial services, the widower said after signing the petition,
would stir up additional emotions that already emotional families would
want to avoid. He believes the mayor should bow out to help
“de-escalate.”
Angela Pesce’s brother Danny Pesce, 34, Cantor Fitzgerald ticket worker — 105th floor of the North Tower
Angela
Pesce, 60, (left) and her late brother Danny Pesce (right), 34 — Cantor
Fitzgerald ticket worker, 105th floor of the North Tower.
Danny Pesce was a quiet, hard-working man who had a girlfriend in
Tennessee and planned to move there, said his sister, who spoke to him
at his desk twice after a hijacked plane slammed into the side of the
skyscraper. With his office floor in flames, Danny called Angela to ask
her if she knew what happened. Angela turned on the TV and told him a
plane just hit the building and urged him to leave. Danny screamed to
his co-workers, “A plane just hit the building! Our building.” She
called back soon after, and Danny said the office was starting to fill
with smoke. Angela could hear “desk draws slamming” as Danny and
co-workers were frantically preparing an evacuation. Then the line went
dead. “That conversation will be in my mind forever,” Angela said. After
his death, Danny’s 1988 Mercury Cougar sat in his family’s driveway on
Staten Island for 23 years. Family members are in the process of trying
to fix it. Angela said she signed the petition because Mamdani “doesn’t
care about our families” and is all about scoring political points. “I’m
really afraid for this year,” she said. “What’s gonna happen if he does
show up? Everybody’s angry. It’s a place for mourning, and it’s gonna
be the 25th anniversary. I want to go there and mourn my brother. I
don’t want any . . . craziness. So he should look at that petition and
say, ‘Wow, I’m gonna upset these families. I’m staying home today.’”
Jeannette Puccio-Pick’s father Joseph Pick, 40, vice president of Fiduciary Trust International — 94th Floor South Tower
Jeannette
Puccio-Pick (left) and her late father Joseph Pick, 40 — vice president
of Fiduciary Trust International, 94th Floor South Tower Stefano Giovannini for NY Post
Joseph Pick was a staff sergeant in the Air Force before going to
work for Fiduciary Trust International. His daughter watched the
building where he worked collapse. “I was in school when it happened. I
was 9 years old. I went to school in Hoboken, right across the water,
and I watched my dad’s building go down right in front of me,”
Jeannette, 34, told The Post. Her final memory of her dad was of
watching TV on the couch. “I saw him on September 9th at night. One of
the last things we did was watch the premier of the Cartoon Network show
‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force.’ I still watch that because it reminds me of
him.” She feels the mayor should skip the 25th anniversary ceremony
because of his association with radicals like Twitch streamer Hasan
Piker. He “said in 2019 that America deserved 9/11. Are you kidding me?”
she said, adding this message for Mamdani: “I don’t understand. It’s
like, “Dude we don’t want you there. What don’t you get? The families
just want one day to themselves. Shouldn’t we – the loved ones – get to
choose who we want or don’t want there?'”
Denise Matuza’s husband and Walter P. Matuza’s father Walter Matuza Jr., 39, analyst for Carr Futures — 92nd Floor of North Tower
Denise
Matuza, 59, (left) and her late husband Walter Matuza Jr. (right), 39 —
analyst for Carr Futures, 92nd Floor of North Tower Courtesy of Denise Matuza
When the first plane hit, Walter Matuza Jr. was on the phone with his
wife. He tried to quell her fears and it would be the last time the
two spoke. His death emotionally and physically traumatized the family.
“My oldest son was 10 at the time, and from the stress of losing his
father, he went blind and he lost his eyesight,” Denise said. She sees
no reason why Mamdani should attend the 25th anniversary event. “He
should not be able to speak. It’s all about the families, the names of
the [people] who perished there. . . . This is our gravesite for our
husbands and wives.” Eldest son Walter agreed: “I don’t mind that
[politicians] come as long as they’re respectful. I just think it is
disrespectful if he comes because of the people that he’s associated
with.”
Monica Iken-Murphy’s husband Michael Iken, 37, bond broker for Euro Brokers — 84th floor of the South Tower
Monica
Iken-Murphy, 56, (left) and her late husband Michael Iken (right), 37 —
bond broker for Euro Brokers, 84th floor of the South Tower
The couple had been married for only 11 months and were trying to
have a baby, recalled Monica Iken-Murphy, a leading advocate in the
creation of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. “His dream was to be a dad .
. . . because he was adopted and never knew his father. He got robbed
of being a father.” Iken-Murphy said Mamdani’s politics wasn’t why she
signed the petition. Only politicians involved in the healing “process
from the start” — such as ex-NYC Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Rudy
Giuliani — should join 9/11 family members in attending “this pivotal
25th anniversary ceremony,” she said. “I don’t want families to feel
uncomfortable. Others can come a different day, but let the families
have their time.”
Nicolas Haros Jr.’s mother Frances Haros, 76, receptionist at Keefe Bruyette & Woods — 89th floor of the South Tower
Nicolas
Haros Jr., 72, (left) and his late mother Frances Haros (right), 76 —
receptionist at Keefe Bruyette & Woods, 89th floor of the South
Tower
Even after a grueling recovery from eye surgery, the beloved mother
and grandmother was determined to return to her job, just months before
9/11, at the securities brokerage and investment bank where she was a
beloved figure. After her husband’s death she returned to work as a
receptionist, where she had a front row seat to a hive of activity. “She
saw everyone come and go. The young men shared their stories with her
and got advice. She was the office mom – she loved it,” said son Nic
Haros Jr. “I kept asking my mom to retire. It was a long daily commute,
but she loved her work friends.” But on this solemn anniversary, the
controversial mayor, a “poster child for the DSA,” would be “worse than a
slap on the face” to grieving loved ones, he said. “Ban him — he will
only anger the families. He should skip it as he did the Israel Day
parade.”
Lori Schertzer Brody’s brother Scott Schertzer, 28, human resources at Cantor Fitzgerald — 101st floor of North Tower
Lori
Schertzer Brody, 55, (left) and her late brother Scott Shertzer
(right), 28 — human resources at Cantor Fitzgerald, 101st floor of North
Tower.
Lori Brody was an assistant vice president at Deutsche Bank who had
gotten her little brother Scott a job at Cantor Fitzgerald. They both
worked in the North Tower. “The irony is, I told him to stay [at the
investment firm] because I found out he was going to get a promotion
which he didn’t know about,” Lori Brody said. “I told him, ‘No, no, just
wait, just wait till December. It’s going to be great, I promise you.”
Lori Brody made it out alive, but her brother perished in the collapse.
Mayor Mamdani “just makes things worse,” she said. “I am Jewish, I find
him to be very antisemitic. I find him to incite violence wherever he
goes. He thrives on division. I find that he has proven over and over
again where his loyalty on September 11th stands — his loyalty stands
with the terrorists. He could do the proper thing and bow out. He won’t
because he likes to inflict pain on those he can.”
Cathy Cava’s sister and Giovanni Galante’s wife Grace Catherine Galante, 29, Cantor Fitzgerald — 105th floor of the North Tower
Giovanni
Galante, 55, (left) and his late wife Grace Catherine Galante (right),
29 — Cantor Fitzgerald, 105th floor of the North Tower
Cathy Cava (left) with her sister Grace Catherine Galante (right), 29, in an undated photo. Courtesy of Cathy Cava.
Grace was a “beautiful, kind person” who was great at “reading
people” and was loved by many of her 657 co-workers who perished that
day. Giovanni Galante, who is the lead organizer of the petition drive,
branded Mamdani an apologist for Islamic terror whose presence would be
an insult to the memories of nearly 3,000 people murdered on 9/11. “Our
objection is based on his public record — his failure to meaningfully
acknowledge the horror of that day, and his employment of, support for,
or association with individuals who have minimized 9/11, defended
terrorists, or even suggested America ‘deserved’ the attacks,” he said.
“This day is sacred to us. It is not political, and it is not a platform
for those connected to such views. His presence would be deeply hurtful
and inappropriate.” Grace’s sister Cathy Cava, 60, said, “It would be
totally disrespectful for [Mamdani] to be there. He hasn’t shown any
support” for the 9/11 family community. She described Grace as “smart,
gregarious and loving.” “People gravitated to her,” Cava said. “The
world lost a beautiful person, and it should not have happened.”
Cheri Sparacio’s husband Thomas Sparacio, 35, currency trader for Eurobrokers — 84th floor of the South Tower
Cheri
Sparacio (left) and her late husband Thomas Sparacio (right), 35 —
currency trader for Eurobrokers, 84th floor of the South Tower.
The couple shared twin sons, Eric and Jonathan, who were just 2 years
old when Thomas died. Cheri Sparacio, one of the petition’s organizers,
said there are “so many other examples” why it’s “disrespectful” for
Mamdani to attend the ceremony that “we couldn’t fit them on” the
petition, which cites many examples of what they believe show the mayor
is a longtime terror apologist. If the mayor attends, “it doesn’t show
respect for the families and it doesn’t show any understanding of the
tragedy of that day if you’re going to excuse it in various ways,” she
said.
Patty Coughlin’s husband John Coughlin, 43, NYPD sergeant — South Tower
John Coughlin, 43 — NYPD sergeant, South Tower
Marine Corps veteran and NYPD Sgt. John Coughlin was last seen
entering the South Tower attempting to save others. His last radio
transmission showed that he was on the 20th floor of the building before
communication went dark. But before he perished, he ran into a high
school friend in the burning building and told the person to run; that
person survived. Public service was important to Coughlin, and he was
also a volunteer firefighter in his Rockland County hometown of Pomona.
He left behind three daughters, Erin, Tara, and Kayla. His wife Patty,
67, who signed the petition to keep Mamdani out, said, the “mayor is
anti-American. He doesn’t care about the people who died on 9/11 and
those that have died since. He has never shown his support. . . . He
doesn’t deserve to be there.”
Maggie McDonnell-Tiberio’s husband Brian McDonnell, 38, NYPD sergeant — South Tower
Maggie McDonnell-Tiberio, 62, (left) and her late husband Brian McDonnell (right), 38 — NYPD sergeant, South Tower
McDonnell was a cop’s cop — known for wearing his brass-buttoned
formal uniform and swinging his police baton while out on the beat.
Prior to his 15 years on the force, McDonnell served as an elite Army
paratrooper. On Sept. 11, 2001, he sprung to action as part of Emergency
Service Unit’s Squad 1 and was last seen entering the South Tower in an
heroic attempt to save lives. His widow Maggie McDonnel-Tiberio signed
the petition because she feels Mamdani’s presence would be salt in the
wound. “The mayor stands for everything that made 9/11 happen. He
doesn’t support the victims and their families. He has never said
anything publicly or done anything to show his support,” she said.
Jennifer Nilsen’s husband Troy Nilsen, 33, network engineer for Cantor Fitzgerald — 103rd floor North Tower
Jennifer
Nilsen, 57, (left) and her late husband Troy Nilsen (right), 33 —
network engineer for Cantor Fitzgerald, 103rd floor North Tower Courtesy of Jennifer Nilsen
Jennifer Nilsen was married to Troy for four years and thought they
would grow old together. She loved his humor and how attentive he was to
their oldest son, Scott, who has autism. “My kids miss him daily . . .
my older son, he understands. . . . [He] was 5 and the youngest one was
almost 3” on that dark day. Her signing the petition had nothing to do
with politics or religion, she said, but a way to keep the day focused
on the families who lost loved ones. “We don’t want it to turn into a
circus and people getting arrested or whatever. We don’t want that. We
want it nice and calm. Let us remember our loved ones that day.”
Patricia Martin Nilsen’s sister Anne Marie Martino-Cramer, 47, Fiduciary Trust tax specialist — 90th floor of the South Tower
Anne Marie Martino-Cramer, 47 — Fiduciary Trust tax specialist, 90th floor of the South Tower
Anne Marie Martino-Cramer worked at Fiduciary Trust for nearly her
entire adult life, having joined the firm soon after graduating high
school and only leaving for a brief stint at Bank of New York. She was
famous for her work ethic, and in fact, had a vacation scheduled for
September 11, 2001, but decided to push it back to October. She was
already hard at work early that morning when Flight 11 knifed into the
North Tower. Anne Marie calmly explained on the phone to her mom, with
whom she lived on Staten Island, that she was alright. A modest leader,
it was her character to calm and comfort others before herself. “She
just picked up and would just keep going. That’s just the way she was,”
her sister Patricia, 79, said in Anne Marie’s obituary. Even though she
was seven years older than Anne Marie, Patricia looked up to her younger
sister, and she’s taken offense to the idea of Mamdani attending this
year’s memorial. She is one of the original organizers of the petition.
“His association alone with Hasan Piker, the man who said ‘we deserved’
[9/11’ – I think that’s what put me over the edge to get a petition
started,” she told The Post. Her sister’s remains were never recovered,
and the thought of people like Mamdani attending the 25th anniversary,
she said, “turns my stomach.”
Richard York’s brother Raymond R. York, 45, Engine 285 firefighter — Ground Zero command post
Richard York, 65, (left) and his late brother Raymond R. York (right), 45 — Engine 285 firefighter, Ground Zero command post Courtesy of RIchard York
The oldest of eight siblings, Raymond R. York was a born leader who
served valiantly with the FDNY for nearly 20 years until a shoulder
injury put him on light duty. Then he taught fire safety at Rockefeller
Center’s The Fire Zone, where children affectionately called him
“Fireman Ray.” When he learned of the 9/11 attacks from a TV crew
covering The Fire Zone, he refused to leave his brothers behind. He
hopped on the closest firetruck heading downtown and then transferred to
an ambulance when it got stuck in traffic, ultimately reaching the FDNY
command post at Ground Zero. His brother Richard, then a construction
worker in Times Square, hoped Raymond had gone home, but knew in his
heart that nothing would stop him from trying to help. “I’m praying to
myself. I went to bed [that night] . . . saying he probably did make it
down there [but] I’m saying to myself I hope he’s in the hospital,” he
told The Post. Raymond’s widow, Joan, was notified the following morning
that he didn’t make it. Richard said his brother would be disgusted by
the idea of Mamdani attending the 25th anniversary memorial. Richard,
who retired and lives in Florida, said he and his wife are so distraught
by Mamdani’s attendance that they may skip the event altogether. “The
way the city is, it feels like we’re not welcome,” he said.
Karen Ciaccio, 58, (left) and her late brother Jeffrey Walz (right), 37 — FDNY lieutenant, North Tower Coutretsy of Karen Ciaccio
Waltz was among 10 firefighters at Ladder 9 in the East Village who
responded to the terror attacks and perished (another four weren’t
inside the North Tower and survived). The Staten Island native was the
son of a retired firefighter and left behind a wife, Rani Walz, and a
3-year-old son, Bradley. “He loved his job,” said Ciaccio. “He was known
as a gentle giant. He was not a man of many words, but he always
listened to what you were saying. When he was taken away from us, my
family was never the same again. It’s been 25 years, but it still feels
like it happened yesterday.” Ciaccio also said she signed the petition
because she doesn’t believe any politicians should be attending the
memorial ceremony. “It’s a day for the families, for us to mourn our
loved ones who were innocently murdered,” she said.
Morton Weinberg’s son Michael Thomas Weinberg, 34, Engine 1 firefighter — Ground Zero
Michael Thomas Weinberg, 34 — Engine 1 firefighter, Ground Zero
Professional baseball player, boxer, golfer, model, actor, Michael
Thomas Weinberg did it all, but his highest calling was helping others
as an FDNY firefighter. He was on vacation on 9/11 waiting for his tee
time at Forest Park Golf Course in Queens when he heard the World Trade
Center was attacked. He rushed to the scene to rescue his sister
Patricia, who worked for Morgan Stanley on the 72nd floor of Two World
Trade Center. She managed to escape, but when the towers collapsed,
Michael was killed instantly as he sheltered behind a fire truck.
“Michael was the best of the best. . . . He used to help people he was
very, very good with people. . . . To this day, my heart is broken,
that’s all I can say,” said his father, Morton, 89, a retired
firefighter. Too infirm to sign the petition, he added, “I don’t like
Mamdani, he’s screwing up the city.”
Dennis Warchola’s brother Michael Warchola, 51, firefighter with Ladder 5 — North Tower
Michael Warchola, 51 — firefighter with Ladder 5, North Tower NYFD
“Mike was a student of history, now he’s part of it,” said his
brother Dennis, a retired firefighter. His brother was a beloved father,
world traveler and amateur artist, and just two days from retiring when
the terrorists struck NYC. He planned to go to Australia to scuba dive
in the Great Barrier Reef. He rushed with ladder company into the North
Tower. The building collapsed on them as they frantically tried to carry
a wheelchair bound woman down the stairs. “I was there when they found
his body, I got to put my hand on his arm,” Dennis said. Though he
originally liked Mamdani’s economic policies, Dennis was disgusted to
learn of Mamdani’s radical statements and associations. “I got no use
for someone who supports terrorism, forget him.” But he will not sign
the petition because he doesn’t believe in silencing people.
Suzanne Oelsclager‘s husband Douglas Oelschlager, 36, firefighter Ladder 15 — South Tower
Suzanne Oelsclager, 63, (left) and her late husband Douglas Oelschlager, 36 — firefighter Ladder 15, South Tower Courtesy of Suzanne Oelsclager
Suzanne Oelsclager, 63, called her husband Douglas her soulmate. She
recalled how hands-on he was with his two young daughters, even filling
in as a Girl Scout leader for their troop. Suzanne told The Post that
becoming a firefighter was a calling for her husband, who was a
volunteer firefighter for nearly 20 years before joining the FDNY. “He
always wanted to be a New York City fireman. So he set out to do that
journey, and unfortunately, it was one of his last journeys in his
life,” Suzanne said. She said she signed the petition because Mamdani’s
presence would “take away” from the day. “He is just being a political
figure. And it’s not a day about political figures.”
Meryl Mayo-Marshall‘s husband Robert J. Mayo, 46, deputy fire safety director at the WTC — North Tower
Robert J. Mayo, 46 — deputy fire safety director at the WTC, North Tower Courtesy of Mertyl Mayo-Marshall
Robert J. Mayo could easily have escaped the 9/11 attacks with his
life but he was determined to save as many other people as possible. As
deputy fire safety director in WTC’s building 4, it was his job to
evacuate people in an emergency. “I called him twice that day begging
him to leave. He could have easily run out to the boats that were
waiting by the West Side Highway the way a lot of other people did, but
he said, ‘This is what I’m trained to do. I need to save as many people
as I can,’” his widow Meryl, 67, recalled. She said her husband would be
livid if he knew Mayor Mamdani would be at the memorial. “It’s so
distasteful. He surrounds himself with people who make inflammatory
statements about 9/11, he disparages law enforcement and the NYPD and
supports terrorists,” she said. Meryl will stay home if he attends. “The
idea of reading names and looking over and seeing him is nauseating.”
Sari Weatherwax’s friends and co-workers of United Airlines Flight 175 crew — South Tower
Amy King and Michael Tarrou, flight attendants on United Airlines Flight 175.
Weatherwax, 82, a retired United Airlines flight attendant, lost 16
friends — some of whom she had worked with for 35 years — on Flights 175
and 93 on 9/11. Five Islamic terrorists took control of Flight 175 out
of Logan Airport in Boston between 8:42 a.m. and 8:46 a.m., using
knives, pepper spray and the threat of a bomb. “We weren’t ready for
that when it happened,” she said. “We didn’t know what an Islamist was.”
When the hijackers flew the screeching jet into the South Tower at 9:03
a.m. some of the first to die would be her friends — Capt. Victor
Saracini, 51, First Officer Michael Horrocks, 38, and flight attendants
Amy King, 29; Michael Tarrou, 38; Robert Fangman, 33; Amy Jarret, 28;
Kathryn LaBorie, 42, and Alicia Titus, 28. She recalled “Amy and Michael
were from Connecticut and they were just darling and they were engaged
to be married. “Dying together, for their parents it was just awful.”
Weatherwax, who now serves as a docent and artifacts specialist at the
National September 11 Memorial & Museum, signed the petition against
Mamdani. “We’re just furious that he’s going to be there,” she said. “I
don’t want him to be there. If Mamdani didn’t come nothing would
happen. Especially on the 25th Anniversary. I don’t want him to be
there.”
Jennifer Eppolito’s father Robert Crawford, 63, chief’s aide Battalion 1 – 4th floor South Tower
Jennifer Eppolito and Robert Crawford Courtesy of Jennifer Eppolito
Robert Crawford was a firefighter for 32 years and was planning to
retire. “He had just bought his first brand new car ever, and he got to
enjoy it for about a month,” recalled his daughter Jennifer Eppolito,
56. Her parents had also bought a house up in Maine in preparation for
their new life. As a child her father would go sailing up north and
loved the Pine Tree State. “There’s not enough time,” Eppolito told The
Post when asked what type of man her father was. “It didn’t matter who
you were, if you needed help he would help you. He was just the friend
that everyone would have wanted to have. I was just very fortunate to
have him in my life for 31 years.” He was a man of faith, involved in
charitable work, and a wonderful grandfather. Eppolito signed the
petition. “That might sound harsh, but he’s not welcome
at Ground Zero. He shouldn’t even come there. . . His policies and
everything he is talking about [would be] disgraceful to people who were
killed during September 11th.”
Jamie Gartenberg Pila, 24, daughter of James Gartenberg, 35,
commercial real estate investor at Julien J. Studley – 86th floor,
North Tower
Jamie Pila. She lost her father Jim Gartenberg on 9/11. She wears a locket with his photo. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post
Sept. 11, 2001 was supposed to be James Gartenberg’s last day on the
job, as he had taken another role at the firm. The married dad already
had a 2-year-old daughter, Nicole, and was expecting another daughter,
Jamie, in six months. Though she never had a chance to meet him, Jamie
feels a deep connection to her dad. The tragedy inspired her to move to
Israel six years ago where she would become a lone soldier in the Israel
Defense Forces fighting the “same” ideology that struck the US on 9/11.
“The loss of my father on 9/11 has motivated me to work towards
building a better world than the one I was born into,” she told The
Post. “It has taught me to educate myself and listen to people on all
sides in order to collectively build a better, safer future.” She
believes the mayor should stay home. “Mamdani has downplayed the fact
that this was an act of terrorism against the United States and
democracy,” she said, noting his 2017 rap song glorifying the “Holy Land
5” who were convicted of providing material support to Hamas. “This is
one occurrence that makes me feel his presence at the ceremony would be
disrespectful to the victims and their families.”
Family vignettes were reported and written by Rich
Calder, Caitlin Nolan, Shane Galvin, David Spector, Doree Lewak, Trista
Panagakos, Nick Labbat, Larry Celona, Carl Campanile and Chris Nesi.
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