Doctors Face Ethical Dilemma Prescribing GLP-1s to Eating Disorder Patients

By Bethany Brookshire, National Geographic

“With one in eight adults taking drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, doctors face an ethical challenge as emerging evidence shows the medication has potential to both help and harm people with eating disorders, yet no national guidelines require screening before prescribing.

Chevese Turner, CEO of the Body Equity Alliance, was both worried and relieved when her doctor first discussed Ozempic to treat her diabetes. As someone in recovery from binge-eating disorder and atypical anorexia, she knew the drug might trigger old patterns. GLP-1 receptor agonists increase insulin production, reduce appetite, and delay gastric emptying while appearing to reduce food-related responses in the brain. Early evidence suggests these drugs might help reduce binge-eating episodes, but clinicians worry the same appetite-suppressing effects could reignite harmful patterns in people recovering from restrictive disorders like anorexia. The ethical tension is stark: doctors must weigh potential benefits against serious risks for vulnerable patients, with experts fearing some might misuse the drugs to achieve weight loss at any cost.”

Alex Karp says Palantir is ‘highly ethical’ but doesn’t need you to believe him

By Julia Hornstein, Business Insider

“Alex Karp, the chief executive of software company Palantir Technologies, doesn’t need you to think the company he cofounded is ethical.

“We are highly ethical, but don’t believe us on that,” Karp said on Wednesday at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit. Palantir — a company notoriously secretive about its products and customers, and whose flagship tools remain largely mysterious to outsiders — is “obviously not building a database,” the executive said, denouncing the claim that Palantir makes surveillance tech.

Karp did say, “If you’re legally surveilled … Could you put it in our product? Yes.””

Supreme Court to Hear Pregnancy Center’s Challenge to State Investigation

By The Associated Press

“A faith-based pregnancy center brings its battle against a New Jersey investigation to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, challenging a subpoena for donor information in a case that pits First Amendment protections against state efforts to regulate facilities accused of misleading women about abortion services as of December 2025.

Crisis pregnancy centers have proliferated since the Supreme Court overturned nationwide abortion rights in 2022, raising ethical questions about truthfulness and informed consent. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin issued a subpoena to First Choice Women’s Resource Centers for donor information amid investigations into whether such centers deceive women about offering abortion services, a practice critics argue violates medical ethics principles of patient autonomy and transparency. First Choice counters that the investigation threatens their First Amendment rights and organizational privacy, framing the dispute as one of free speech versus government overreach rather than patient protection.”

Trump’s Health Care Plan Stalls as ACA Subsidy Deadline Looms

By Adam Cancryn, CNN

“President Trump’s efforts to develop a health care proposal have stalled amid Republican infighting over extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, leaving 22 million Americans facing the prospect of doubled premiums as political calculations collide with the practical realities of healthcare access as of December 2025.

The White House initially planned to pair subsidy extensions with conservative reforms but scrapped the proposal following sharp backlash from Republican lawmakers blindsided by the framework. If the Biden-era subsidies expire at year’s end, premiums will more than double and an estimated 2 million additional people will lose insurance during a critical midterm election year. Trump continues pushing aides to develop alternatives, concerned about voter backlash over rising costs, yet many conservative Republicans reject any extension of a law they’ve opposed for over a decade, with some calling for the subsidies to simply expire despite the human impact.”

Pope Leo Urges Against US Military Action in Venezuela, Calls for Western Openness to Immigrants

By Christopher Lamb, CNN

“Pope Leo, the first American pontiff, warns against potential US military intervention in Venezuela while calling on Western nations to overcome fear of immigrants from different faiths, addressing tensions between national security concerns and humanitarian principles as of December 2025.

Speaking aboard the papal plane returning from Beirut, Leo urged the United States to pursue dialogue or economic pressure rather than military incursion into Venezuelan territory, noting that church leaders in Venezuela seek ways to calm the situation. The pope’s comments come amid heightened US-Venezuela tensions, with President Trump and Nicolás Maduro having recently spoken by phone. Leo acknowledged the shifting nature of American policy positions, suggesting careful observation is needed given how frequently voices from the US change on the matter.

Leo called for Europe and North America to be less fearful of immigrants from different faiths, saying fears are often generated by those opposed to immigration who want to keep out people from other countries, religions, or races. Drawing from his recent visits to Turkey and Lebanon, the pontiff emphasized that dialogue and friendship between Muslims and Christians remains possible, pointing to Lebanon as a model for interfaith coexistence.”

Federal Vaccine Panel Plans Vote on Ending Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccination

By Lena H. Sun, Washington Post

“Federal vaccine advisers selected by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are planning to vote on ending universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth and examining childhood immunizations’ potential links to allergies and autoimmune disorders, signaling a dramatic shift in decades-old vaccination policy as of December 2025.

Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist and coronavirus vaccination critic chairing the influential panel, announced members will vote on scrapping the recommendation for all babies to receive hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. The proposed change would delay the first dose despite the birth dose being credited for a 99 percent drop in infections among children and teens since 1991. Kennedy and panel members argue most children aren’t at risk for infection and plan to scrutinize aluminum adjuvants used in over a dozen vaccines, ingredients the CDC says have been used safely for more than 70 years.

Public health groups have accused the reformulated committee of botching and misstating science to undermine vaccines, with the American Academy of Pediatrics warning that revisions should not be trusted and could devastate children’s health. The meeting comes amid broader upheaval in the federal vaccination system under Kennedy’s leadership, raising concerns about declining immunization rates and increased disease prevalence. While HHS maintains the panel remains committed to evidence-based decisions, the discussions reflect growing tensions between traditional public health institutions and vaccine skeptics now positioned to reshape childhood immunization policy that has protected generations of American children.”

California Workers Gain New Protections Against AI Discrimination in Hiring

By Danielle Abril, The Washington Post

“California workers now have enhanced legal recourse against artificial intelligence discrimination in employment as new regulations targeting automated hiring systems take effect, with enforcement challenges and rapidly evolving technology testing whether protections can keep pace with AI’s expanding role in workplace decisions as of December 2025.

Derek Mobley, a Black worker over 40 with anxiety and depression, applied for at least 80 jobs over several years but was rejected every time, alleging in a class-action lawsuit that Workday software discriminated against him and others during hiring. His case exemplifies the algorithmic bias concerns driving California’s response. Regulations that took effect October 1, 2025, apply to employers with five or more employees and require risk assessments before using automated decision systems for significant employment decisions, including any computational process using AI, machine learning, or algorithms for hiring, promotion, and personnel matters.”

In Apple TV’s ‘Pluribus,’ the biggest ethical dilemmas ‘are our fault,’ a philosopher says

By Cody Mello-Klein, Northeastern Global News

“In “Pluribus,” Apple TV’s new hit science fiction show, the apocalypse seems downright cheery.

After humanity receives a signal from outer space, they accidentally manufacture an alien virus that infects the world and turns almost everyone into part of a peaceful hive mind. The content collective consciousness seemingly has only one goal: tend to the needs of the few unaffected people on the planet. For one of those people, author Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), that might be even worse than all the death and destruction that came with the birth of the hive mind.

Related: With ‘Stranger Things,’ Netflix turned Hollywood upside down. Now it’s just more of the same
Take away all the mystery, drama and dark humor from “Pluribus” and at its core is the kind of ethical dilemma that defines the best sci-fi stories. Is Carol, and humanity, better off joining the collective or stubbornly clinging to her individuality?”

Alloway School Board Member Sues State Over Speech Restrictions

By Nikita Biryukov, New Jersey Monitor

“Gail Nazarene sued state Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer and members of the School Ethics Commission, alleging they impermissibly limited her freedom of speech by interpreting a state ethics law to bar board members from discussing school matters with constituents.

Nazarene filed the lawsuit after another Alloway school board member complained about her Facebook posts asking constituents’ opinions on school tax increases. The complaint alleged the posts created confusion and conveyed the impression Nazarene was speaking on behalf of the board without authorization. Nazarene, elected in November 2024, said she didn’t join the board to be told to shut up and should be free to communicate with constituents without being censored. The dispute centers on a 2022 School Ethics Commission advisory opinion stating board members who discuss school matters risk ethics violations even with disclaimers, with even posting links to public information potentially exposing members to complaints carrying sanctions from reprimand to removal from office.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​”

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