New York
A New York City detective became the first police rescuer to die from an illness traced to long hours sifting through the wreckage of the World Trade Center. James Zadroga, who was 34 when he died, spent a month digging for human remains at ground zero when it was still a smoldering, toxic ruin. By the first anniversary of the attacks, Zadroga had a constant cough and sore throat. The Police Department recently recognized that his respiratory illness was caused by his work at ground zero. His wife died two years ago from a heart ailment relatives say was aggravated by stress. At Zadroga’s funeral, the couple’s young daughter held tightly to her grandfather, Joseph Zadroga. “She thinks her dad and mom are stars in heaven,” Zadroga said. “And she gets mad when there are no stars out.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Instagram rolls out teen accounts with new limitsSpeed Read After facing pushback over child safety, Meta announced that all users under 18 will have their Instagram accounts modified
-
Arizona official sues to bar 100K from local votingSpeed Read A large number of residents who have not submitted citizenship documents might be prevented from voting in the battleground state's elections
-
Why is Laura Loomer making Republicans worried?Today's Big Question Donald Trump says the MAGA influencer is a 'free spirit'
