When retired FDNY Deputy Chief Richard Alles and Michael Barasch, one of the lead lawyers fighting for the 9/11 community, learned they had cancer they werent surprised.

"It's not a question of if but when you're going to get sick. It's a guarantee. I never had any doubt, Alles told Scripps News Group.

Both Alles and Barasch were at or close to Ground Zero the day of the attacks. Both men now have prostate cancer, a disease that people like them are 25% more likely of being diagnosed with compared to the general population.

My cancer had no symptoms yet was picked up on a simple blood test, Alles said.

That test had been administered through the World Trade Center Health program, a federal program that provides first responders and survivors with free annual health exams and treatment for 9/11-related health conditions.

However, as of February, the program's future remains unclear. Major cuts carried out by Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) threaten to interrupt life-saving care for more than 130,000 people across the country who are enrolled in the program. Advocates like Alles and Barasch, along with other first responders and survivors are fighting to keep the program alive.

The program, which is run by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lost hundreds of employees as part of the cuts, including its administrator, Dr James Howard, who was appointed during President Donald Trumps first term in office. Howard was reinstated after bipartisan backlash, but that reversal did not include other employees.

"This health program saves lives and by reducing and cutting the great doctors and nurses who work for this health program, you're going cause great delays in getting an appointment," Barasch said.

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Barash, whose office is still two blocks from the World Trade Center, has been fighting for programs geared to supporting the 9/11 community. Years after his client James Zadroga, an NYPD officer, died of a respiratory illness that was found linked to the 9/11 attack, the James Zadroga ACT was signed into law, creating the WTC Health Program.

Thousands of people like Zadroga had been exposed to toxins that swirled in the air, Barasch said. Doctors at the WTC Health Program have linked those toxins to at least 69 cancers and other medical conditions. Currently, more people have died from illnesses linked to 9/11 than those who died during the attacks.

"Altogether, there were 500,000 people exposed to the dust, not just on 9/11, but in the eight months that followed when they were still doing the recovery efforts and cleaning up, dust was spewing everywhere," said Barasch, who also has skin cancer.

But both Barasch and Alles told Scripps News Group many civilians are not aware of their potential exposure or treatment they could receive.

"There's a few hundred thousand people that were exposed, may not even be with us anymore and had no idea that this law or these programs exist, Alles said.

While over 85% of 100,000 responders are enrolled in this free nationwide health program, less than 10% of the civilians are enrolled," Barasch added. The most common reasons I hear why people didn't call me earlier is they think the program is just for firefighters and cops. Or they feel guilty, and they don't want to take away from first responders."

The two men travel the country sharing information about the program. They worry that cuts would deter 9/11 survivors from getting the help they may not know they need.

I'm all in favor of cutting waste. I think these budget cuts, when they are deserved, they should be cut. But not on the backs of the 9-11 community," Barasch said.

While the federal health program had one of its biggest breakthroughs in 2015, when former President Barack Obama reauthorized it until 2090, both Barasch and Alles have continued to make countless trips to Washington, urging Congress to approve additional funding. They are pushing for legislation that would ensure long-term funding and a reversal of DOGE cuts.

We have a program that's in effect that took a long time to pass that works, is benefiting Americans. Let's continue the program, Alles said.

After President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on China, Chinese factories on TikTok "seized" an opportunity to reach US consumers directly.

"What these creators are saying now is that they can get even lower prices by going directly to the factories in China. So instead of maybe paying $10 for an item on a platform like Temu or Shein, they would pay $2," Sky Canaves, principal analyst for retail and e-commerce at E-Marketer, told Scripps News Group.

The viral videos gained traction and millions of views after President Trump imposed a 145% tariff on all goods from China, and the country responded by increasing its levies on US imports to 125%.

Content creators urge discount-hungry shoppers to "cut out the middleman" meaning e-commerce sites like Temu, Shein, Alibaba and Amazon and "buy direct" from their warehouses. But experts warn it's not that simple.

"It's questionable how that item would make it to the US. There would still be tariffs on it, but they seem to be suggesting that even with the 145% tariff, it would still be cheaper than what they could get elsewhere," Canaves said.

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While many creators are promoting products that range from laundry pods, makeup, and shoes to furniture, tk and tiny homes, others are pushing luxury brands.

"They're sharing that they're spilling the tea or revealing the secrets of luxury brands and name brands and how much their items actually cost to produce in China," Canaves said.

In one video, which has racked up more than 13 million views, a Chinese factory influencer claims to make and sell Lululemon products for as little as five dollars from China.

"Lululemon does not work with the manufacturers identified in the online videos and we urge consumers to be aware of potentially counterfeit products and misinformation," a company spokesperson told Scripps News Group in an emailed statement.

Some creators outwardly promote dupes of popular brands, receiving positive reactions from TikTok users willing to purchase a luxury look-alike.

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"The dupes have always been out there, and they've been a big part of shopping and online shopping, especially from Chinese e-commerce companies for some time. Even on TikTok shop, there have been a lot of dupe players," Canaves said.

Shopping directly from Chinese warehouses isn't new. Wholesale sites like DHgate are gaining popularity in the US, particularly among GenZ shoppers, according to a 2024 eMarketer survey.

However, some of the sites being promoted by content creators are obscure.

"Some of them encourage you to scan a QR code or join a WhatsApp group to make these purchases and they're all promising unbelievably low prices," Canaves said. "These are websites that might be only in the Chinese language, and they're encouraging users to use Google Translate, for example. They might not be able to take payments from a credit card. And they might not be equipped to send individual items because if they're factories, they're typically in the wholesale business and dependent on large orders."

"There are a lot of other hurdles in terms of product quality, the shipping, the delivery, payments, and customer service," Canaves added. "If there's any problem with the product, it wouldn't be easy to return and get your money back."

Public health advocates on Tuesday warned a House subcommittee against a 'chaotic, rapid retreat' by the U.S. from a flagship global HIV/AIDS initiative a program that has saved over 25 million lives.

We have the opportunity to have not only the legacy of the past 20 years but a tremendous diplomatic, national security, and economic success, said the Center for Global Health Practice and Impacts Mark Dybul, who testified before a House Appropriations Committee subcommittee Tuesday morning.

Dybul and one other witness testified in support of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program that was launched by former President George W. Bush in 2003 to tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic and is currently under review by the Trump administration. While PEPFAR has largely enjoyed bipartisan support, recent controversy and a significant scale back in foreign aid has put the life-saving program in jeopardy for the first time in two decades.

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I think all of us here would agree that PEPFAR was never meant to go forever, Republican Rep. Mario Daz-Balart said during opening statements of Tuesday's hearing.

In addition to concerns about PEPFARs end game, Daz-Balart referred to a recent violation made by one of the programs partner organizations in Mozambique.

Under the Biden administration's watch, the PEPFAR program violated the Helms Amendment and used taxpayers' funds to pay for abortions for the very first time, Daz-Balart said, referring to a federal policy prohibiting the use of federal funding for abortions. I was obviously outraged, to say the least, to learn of this shocking betrayal funds provided by Congress to save lives were instead used to end lives.

The violation had been discovered by U.S. officials last year after PEPFAR-funded nurses performed more than 20 abortions in three years. The nurses hadnt received training in accordance with the Helms Amendment. In reconciliation for the violation, about $4,000 of the nurses salaries were reimbursed to PEPFAR by the Mozambique government.

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It was an isolated incident, Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel said. This represents a tiny, tiny fraction of the PEPFAR $6.5 billion annual budget.

Still, the violation resulted in Congress revoking PEPFARs usual five-year reauthorization and instead reauthorized the program for one year until March 25, 2025. While the Trump administration halted federal aid programs under its 90-day review, PEPFAR received a limited waiver to continue certain services.

Dybul, who led the implementation of PEPFAR, said he agreed with Congressman Daz-Balart that the program would not exist forever.

Africans want a transition; they are not looking for this to continue forever, he said, adding that a proper transition would maintain gains.

We do want to transition from financing over time, but we want to transition to stronger economic national security diplomatic partners, he said. We have an opportunity to have a massive win for the United States.

Dybul offered that tangible, accountable benchmarks" for PEPFAR could make for a smooth transition to domestic funding in as little as two years for countries like South Africa.

PEPFAR currently supports more than 20 million people through HIV prevention and treatment services primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa; has partners in more than 50 countries; and has prevented 7.8 million babies from being born with HIV. The program has cost over $100 billion in funding since 2003.

As the Trump administration cut nearly $60 billion in foreign aid and grants, many critical health programs across the world came to a complete halt. Public health advocates told Scripps News the chaotic pullout from countries has led to disastrous effects.

Catherine Connors, vice president of public policy and advocacy at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the second witness at Tuesdays hearing said that while PEPFAR received a limited waiver to continue its services, many were still disrupted. Connors also referred to a new report about the potential impact of an abrupt end to PEPFAR programs.

According to the analysis from the medical journal Lancet, nearly 500,000 children could die from AIDS-related causes by 2030 without stable PEPFAR programmes.

The authors of the analysis recommend a five-year transition plan to avoid new pediatric HIV infections and deaths that could be prevented.