A gun smuggling plot that resulted in more than 150 firearms being flown on commercial airliners from Atlanta to New York City is being called one of the worst airline security breaches since 9/11. Also, how does Europe's recent ruling on obesity being considered a disability impact U.S. policy? Then, film critics review this week's theater and DVD releases.
Delta security breach raises questions about the state of airport security
It’s being called one of the worst airline security breaches since September 11, 2001. A total of five people were arrested earlier this month on charges of conspiracy, trafficking, and illegally selling firearms after authorities uncovered a gun smuggling plot that resulted in more than 150 firearms being flown on commercial airliners from Atlanta to New York City. The guns that were smuggled included 9mm handguns and AK-47 assault weapons and were taken from Georgia to New York between May and December of this year.
Eugene Henry, a baggage handler with Delta who has been fired since his arrest, is accused of using his employee status to smuggle guns through airport security, where he would hand them off to a former Delta employee, Mark Quentin Henry. According to an FBI affidavit, the exchange took place in an airport bathroom. Henry would then take the guns on a flight from Atlanta to New York, where he then sold the guns. The undercover NYPD officer who bought the firearms allegedly purchased 129 guns in total over the seven month period. Brooklyn’s district attorney says that Henry boarded 20 domestic flights with guns during that time.
What does an incident like this say about the state of airport security in the post 9/11 world? How can we continue to feel safe while flying when it’s not terrorists we have to worry about, but airline employees? What should be changed about security measures for airline employees to prevent this from happening in the future?
Guest:
Jeff Price, Professor of Aviation, Metropolitan State University in Denver and aviation security expert.
The emotional impact of end-of-life care on those who receive and those who give
You’d be hard pressed to find someone who truly wants to die lying in a hospital bed in an ICU hooked up to a bunch of machines. Most who reach the stage of their life where they require round-the-clock care would rather die peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, in the comfort of their homes. For those who choose to receive home hospice care instead of being hospitalized, it is a struggle with the complete loss of independence and being able to allow someone else to care for you completely. For the caregiver, it is a struggle with watching a fellow human, who may be a friend or family member, wither away, and also taking care of that person while not completely depriving him or her of a sense of independence.
L.A. Times staff photographer Francine Orr wanted to document the emotional impact of caregiving on families. She had been a caregiver for her father, Frank, for three decades while he suffered from chronic illnesses. Through her work, she met a woman named Evelyn Corsini, who had been paralyzed on her left side from a stroke and removal of a brain tumor. In a recent article published in the L.A. Times, Orr shares the lessons she learned as a caregiver to her father and from Evelyn Corsini’s caregivers.
View slideshow: Caregivers
Have you ever had to care for a friend or family member receiving home hospice care? What impact did it have on you? How did you cope with some of the more emotionally-draining aspects of home hospice care?
For more information and help on this topic, you may use this free resources: the Alzheimer's Association Helpline 1-800-272-3900
Guests:
Francine Orr, staff photographer at the L.A. Times; she wrote the recent piece, “Nearing death, two people offer a journalist and caregiver life lessons”
Patty Watson-Wood, BSN, RN, Supervisor of Community Nursing at the Huntington Hospital Senior Care Network
Should obesity be considered a disability?
Europe’s highest court ruled last week that under certain circumstances, obesity can be considered a disability. The ruling came after a Danish man, Karsten Kaltoft, sued the local authority he was working for when he was fired. He claimed he was a victim of discrimination due to his weight.
How does the EU decision impact US policy -- if at all? In the US, over a third of adults are obese according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Obesity is defined as any adult who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher. There is no federal policy that protects people from discrimination against obesity, although certain types of obesity are considered a disability in the US, and protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Should all types of obesity be considered a disability?
Guest:
Christopher Conover, a Research Scholar in the the Center for Health Policy & Inequalities Research at Duke University
Filmweek: 'Selma,' 'Into the Woods,' 'American Sniper' and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Wade Major and Lael Loewenstein review this week’s releases, including “Selma,” “Into the Woods,” “American Sniper” and more. If you’d rather curl up at home, we have the latest blu-ray and DVD releases. Boutique distributor Twilight Time has put out “Inherit the Wind” (1960), “The Fortune” (1975), “Yentl” (1983) and more.
Warner Bros. has released “Stanley Kubrick: The Masterpiece Collection.” And Criterion has a new disc of “Tootsie” (1982). TGI-Filmweek!
Guests:
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and host for IGN’s DigiGods.com
Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and Variety