News briefs

Tribune News Service on Sep 2, 2026

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9/11 victims fund gets 25 new applications a day as anniversary looms

NEW YORK — The 9/11 federal victim compensation fund is still receiving an average of 25 new applications a day even as the 25th anniversary of the attacks looms next week.

Special Master Allison Turkel on Wednesday said people who were sickened or died in the aftermath of the terror attacks and their relatives continue to come forward to claim compensation at a brisk pace of about 750 applications a month.

The fund, which vets each claim to weed out potential fraud, has doled out $18.3 billion to settle more than 77,000 claims since its establishment by Congress in 2011 and is legally empowered to continue writing checks until 2090.

More than 6,000 people have now died from illnesses attributed to the aftermath of the attacks, more than double the number killed in the attacks themselves, Turkel told reporters at a virtual briefing ahead of next week’s painful milestone.

—New York Daily News

You can now buy Philly-minted Trump coins with a golden hue

PHILADELPHIA — Gold-hued $1 coins featuring the face of President Donald Trump are now available for purchase online and at the U.S. Mint gift shop on Independence Mall in Old City. But it’ll cost you more than a buck.

Neither Philly’s Mint nor the website has single coins for sale, so early buyers can get no fewer than 25 coins in a roll for $61. A bag of 100 coins for $154.50 is also available. Households are limited to two orders until Thursday at 2 p.m. when the cap will lift.

The commemorative coins, printed in Philadelphia to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, may be used as legal tender.

Early buyers may also find unique coins with their purchases: 250,000 Trump coins with a special-issue “July 4” mark, minted on Independence Day, have been randomly hidden in some rolls and bags, Willy Wonka-style.

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

More rabid bats reported in Idaho this year than 2024, 2025 combined

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho has seen an increase in the number of bats that have tested positive for rabies this year, as well as the number of possible contacts between bats and humans or pets, prompting a warning from the Idaho departments of Health and Welfare and Fish and Game.

In a joint news release Wednesday, the departments said 24 bats across the state have tested positive for rabies so far in 2026 — more than in each of the past three years. In 2025, 2024 and 2023, Health and Welfare confirmed rabies in 11, 10 and 16 bats, respectively, according to infectious disease data.

Officials said it’s not clear why public health districts have seen a spike in interactions between bats and humans or pets, though they said wildfire smoke or Idaho’s growing population could play a role.

Public health officials said reported possible bat exposures to Central District Health — which covers Ada, Boise, Valley and Elmore counties — have more than doubled from last year, though Health and Welfare did not respond to a request for more information.

—The Idaho Statesman

Hamas warns of Gaza ceasefire collapsing after Israeli raid

Israeli forces captured a Hamas security chief in a rare raid deep into the Gaza Strip, prompting the Iran-backed militant group to warn that an already shaky ceasefire could break down completely.

The daylight operation on Tuesday to capture Mouin Mohammed Al-Arabeed near Gaza City was accompanied by multiple Israeli air strikes that killed four Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The move came with hostilities between Iran and the U.S. intensifying this week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Al-Arabeed of having held hostages taken in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu, who is trying to secure support from right-leaning citizens ahead of next month’s general election, said Al-Arabeed “sought to restore Hamas’ governance in Gaza,” carried out attacks against Israeli forces and civilians, and opposed efforts to demilitarize the territory.

—Bloomberg News