25 Years After 9/11, America Still Comes Together

Tomorrow marks twenty-five years since the September 11 attacks. That morning, 2,977 people were killed at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and aboard Flight 93. But the loss did not end that day. In the years since, countless first responders, recovery workers, and survivors have died from 9/11-related illnesses.

Each year, families come together at the 9/11 Memorial in New York to read the victims' names aloud. Moments of silence mark when the planes struck, when the towers fell, the attack on the Pentagon, and the crash of Flight 93. For a few hours, the country pauses not only to remember the fallen, but also how people across America responded.

Firefighters climbed the towers while thousands tried to escape. Police officers, paramedics, nurses, construction workers, chaplains, and volunteers rushed toward danger. On Flight 93, passengers and crew worked together to prevent an even greater tragedy.

In the days that followed, people lined up to give blood, brought food to first responders, filled houses of worship, and checked on their neighbors. Strangers helped strangers because someone needed them. Americans understood that whatever differences existed between them were less important than what had happened to all of them. Simply put, Americans were helping Americans.

That same spirit is still part of America, even if it is not always in the spotlight.

We see it after storms, fires, and floods, when people open their homes and strangers arrive ready to help. We see it in food drives, school fundraisers, volunteer fire departments, and communities rallying around a family going through a difficult time.

The country is not as divided as it sometimes seems. Americans may disagree on many things, but most still want the same basics: strong families, safe communities, honest work, and a better future for their children. There is more common ground than the headlines show.

Coming together does not mean ignoring our differences. It means remembering that those differences do not take away from what we share.

Sometimes, it starts with something small, like talking to a neighbor, calling an old friend, or just listening to someone with a different view. The loudest arguments get the most attention, but these quieter actions show who Americans really are. As Ronald Reagan once said, "Let me speak plainly: The United States of America is and must remain a nation of openness to people of all beliefs. Our very unity has been strengthened by this pluralism. That's how we began; this is how we must always be."

September 11 is observed as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Tomorrow, take a few minutes in silence to honor the fallen. Thank a first responder. Check on a neighbor or call someone you have not spoken to in a while. Be proud to be American.

We cannot relive the weeks after September 11, and no one would wish for the tragedy that caused them. But the spirit Americans showed then is still with us.

Let tomorrow be a day to show that spirit again.

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Five months ago, Nick Shirley walked into a Los Angeles office plaza packed with hospice companies. In his original 40-minute California investigation, he found locked doors and mostly quiet offices that had billed taxpayers millions for hospice care. The clearest sign of money was outside: a parking lot filled with luxury cars.

This week, Nick went back.

“All the hospices are gone. Not a single hospice remains,” Nick said in his latest video.

Alpha and Omega Hospice, Miracle Healing Hospice, Holly Angels Hospice, and Angels of Valley Hospice were all gone. Other offices were empty, even during the middle of the workday.

That plaza was just one part of Nick’s investigation. He visited hospice companies, home health agencies, and taxpayer-funded daycare centers all over Califraudia. His reporting found more than $170 million in questionable billing, with millions tied to businesses working out of just a few Los Angeles office buildings.

Nick showed them on camera for everyone to see: businesses sharing the same addresses, offices with no activity, unanswered doors, and people who could not or would not explain what was going on. Six days after the video came out, the House Oversight Committee started a formal investigation into California’s hospice programs. Federal and state enforcement actions followed soon after.

By May, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had stopped payments to about 800 Los Angeles hospices and home health agencies suspected of fraud. These providers had made up around $1.4 billion in Medicare spending over the past year. CMS also put a six-month nationwide pause on new hospice and home health agency enrollments.

Nick estimates that the hospices linked to this one plaza put over $30 million in taxpayer money at risk.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about Nick taking down these fraudulent hospice centers in California. Reply to this email.

This week, Nick opened up about a part of his work he wishes he could avoid. As more people see his investigations, the threats he faces have grown, and the cost of keeping himself and his team safe is now too high to manage alone.

Nick says it now costs between $30,000 and $50,000 each month for security.

These costs have gone up as Nick ramps up his presence at public events and takes California to federal court over a law he believes could silence journalists who investigate immigration-related groups.

Nick also mentioned a recent public comment from a university lecturer that seemed to joke about assassinating him. This came on top of the death threats Nick says he often gets from people who disagree with his work. There’s a big difference between criticism and intimidation. It’s fine to disagree with Nick’s reporting. But threatening violence just because he asks questions, shares public information, or visits a college campus goes too far.

“I will not cower,” he wrote when he announced the fundraiser. Nick says he makes enough to support himself and his team, but the extra cost of keeping everyone safe brings in no income and can’t be managed alone. Security isn’t something most people want to pay for in independent journalism. But without it, some investigations could be too risky to continue.

That’s why Nick is asking for help.

Donations made through Nick’s support page help pay for security and the costs needed to keep reporting. Donations are tax-deductible, and Nick says the money raised will help keep the work going safely.

If you can give, any amount helps. If you can’t donate, forwarding this email might reach someone who can. Thank you for your generosity.