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As Told To: John Feal & Charles Daly
09/11/2026
As Told To: John Feal & Charles Daly
This episode originally aired on the on Sept. 8, 2026. John Feal is a native New Yorker and Army veteran who worked as a demolition supervisor at Ground Zero until an 8,000-pound beam crushed his left foot during the clean-up. As he struggled with his own post-9/11 trauma, and scrambled to get out from under his also-disabling medical bills, he watched his fellow responders suffer and die from cancer and other ailments caused by the dust in the air they were told was safe to breathe. Forgotten by a broken healthcare system and lawmakers who had promised to #NeverForget, and inspired by the men and women who continued to suffer in the fallout from that fateful day, he resolved to fight. In , he shares his remarkable story of grit and resolve, alongside the accounts of his fellow responders, presenting their shared “recipe” for getting things done—including the passage of the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. Working with ghostwriter, developmental editor, and book coach Charles Daly, himself a maritime first responder on the Atlantic coast of Ireland, John offers a rogue approach to the ground game of representative government, empowering readers in all walks of life to take on the system and win. Join us as John and Charlie commemorate the , and discuss how they worked together on their compelling new book—“A graphic but powerful reminder of the horrors of that day,” according to Booklist, “and the horrors that first responders have faced ever since.” Learn more about our guests: Please support the sponsors who support our show: Daniel Paisner's Daniel Paisner's (PODCAST) | 30% discount (ASTOLDTO) | 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 when you start your membership podcast, hosted by Mark Jordan Legan and Phoef Sutton podcast podcast (WRITERSBONE) | $15 off your first order (PODCAST) | 30% discount (WRITERSBONE) | 20% discount
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