September 11 News Blog @newzblogz.com

Suncoast Communities Blood Bank's second annual Boots and Badges Blood Drive Campaign will take place July 1 through September 11 in DeSoto and Sarasota counties. Boots and Badges is a friendly competition among local fire departments (Boots) and law enforcement agencies (Badges), their friends and supporters, to boost blood donations when the supply often runs low during the summer months. The team that donates the most units of blood wins a large a traveling trophy and bragging rights.

Last year, more than 250 blood donations were raised by the participants and the law enforcement team claimed the prize. The goal of the 2007 campaign is to include the community at large to become involved and support first responders. By giving blood, the community is recognized as honorary first responders -- responding every day, just like fire and police personnel, to medical emergencies by helping out the hospitals in need of blood for lifesaving medical care.

Blood donors are critical to the operation of DeSoto Memorial Hospital, Doctors Hospital and Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Boots and Badges will be linked to 350 community-based blood drives and is expected to result in more than 3000 units of blood.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The former chief of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fought off fierce criticism Monday that the agency did not do enough to protect September 11, 2001, rescue workers from toxic pollutants.

"I fully appreciate that the events of 9/11 touched raw emotions, but I am disappointed at the misinformation, innuendo and outright falsehoods that have characterized the public discussion," Christie Todd Whitman told the U.S. House Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee.

Rep. Anthony D. Weiner, a Democrat from New York, at Monday's hearing read aloud from a September 13, 2001, EPA-issued press release that said air quality near the still-burning pile of rubble at Ground Zero was "unlikely to cause significant health effects."

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HAVANA (Reuters) - When Jose Luis Cabrera had coronary

by-pass surgery after a heart attack five years ago, his wife

had to bring food and clean sheets to him in the hospital. The

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June 26, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - Facing an onslaught from House Democrats over air quality around Ground Zero, former EPA boss Christie Todd Whitman fired back yesterday that "the terrorists that attacked the United States" were to blame - not the government.

In a politically charged and sometimes circus-like congressional hearing into contaminants in downtown Manhattan in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, Whitman blasted lawmakers who accused her of misleading the public that the air was safe - while she was hit with hisses, boos and catcalls from the crowd.

"There are indeed people to blame. They are the terrorists that attacked the United States, not the men and women of all levels of government who worked heroically to protect and defend this country," she said.

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CHICAGO (Reuters) - Muslim Americans must meld into U.S.

society before suspicion and mistrust lingering since the

attacks on New York and Washington isolates them and sparks

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