How We Value Life: The 9/11 Victim Fund (with Ken Feinberg)
About this episode
Preet Bharara interviews Ken Feinberg about the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and the moral implications of valuing life.
This week on the Stay Tuned with Preet podcast, renowned mediator Ken Feinberg, known for his role as Special Master of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, joins Preet to discuss the new edition of his book, What is Life Worth? Reflections 25 Years After 9/11. Feinberg breaks down the central question in his new edition, whether the United States could deal with a catastrophe so effectively today, as he compares the country’s political climate in 2001 to today’s. Preet and Feinberg then discuss the moral dilemma that comes with deciding what someone’s life is worth and whether there are other tragedies that merit taxpayer funded victim compensation funds, like gun violence. Throughout their conversation, Feinberg shares some of the stories he heard from victims and why the emotional aspect of his job was the hardest part of it. Finally, they talk about their careers and why Feinberg believes planning ahead doesn’t always work. In the bonus for Insiders, Preet and Feinberg discuss Congress’s response to the 9/11 Fund and who opposed it. Join the Insider community for access to bonus content from Stay Tuned and weekly episodes of the Insider podcast hosted by Preet and Joyce…
People in this episode
Host: Preet Bharara
Guest: Ken Feinberg
Topics covered
- 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund
- moral dilemma
- victim compensation
- political climate
- catastrophe response
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Congress
Books & works: What is Life Worth? Reflections 25 Years After 9/11
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