The preventable tragedy at Gabriel House demonstrates the potential suffering posed to vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly, by the savage cuts to social programs in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” relied upon by millions.

The scene outside Gabriel House, the assisted living facility that saw a deadly fire over the weekend, was solemn Wednesday, as mourners placed flowers and lit candles, some praying, others standing silently, some imagining the scene over the weekend that left nine residents dead.

Investigators are looking into a number of issues including the possibility that the fire was caused by smoking near an oxygen tank.

The 100-unit assisted-living facility that burned Sunday night, killing nine people so far, opened in 1999 in Fall River, Massachusetts. Some photos on its Facebook page show neat rooms but older-looking carpeting and furniture, and before the fire state inspectors had hit the facility with health and safety citations.

The Gabriel House assisted living facility did not perform fire drills or train workers in evacuation procedures and was also understaffed and poorly maintained, according to a current and former employee interviewed in the aftermath of the fatal fire there that killed nine residents.

Por MICHAEL CASEY, KIMBERLEE KRUESI, PATRICK WHITTLE y HOLLY RAMERFALL RIVER, Massachusetts, EE.UU. (AP) — Un incendio en una casa para ancianos en Massachusetts cobró la vida de nueve