Politics and World News
White House Waivers May Have Violated Ethics Rules
White House waiver allows all White House aids to communicate with news organizations, even if they involve a “former employer or former client.” Stephen K. Bannon, senior White House strategist, will be able to communicate with editors at Breitbart News.

A Vocal Defender of Ethics Has Fans — and Foes
Walter M. Shaub Jr., director of the Office of Government Ethics, is one of the few people in government willing to second-guess President Trump and his advisers.

New public ethics bill aims to repair France’s battered trust in politicians
French Justice Minister François Bayrou  outlined bill to promote probity in politics, a first major legislative initiative for President Emmanuel Macron’s government at a time where mistrust of elected officials is soaring.

South Korea’s Moon Struggles to Form a Cabinet Meeting His Ethics Standards
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, in an attempt to break with previous corruption and scandal with predecessor Park Geun-hye, is aiming for a “squeaky-clean government” with cabinet candidates.

Bioethics and Medical Ethics

Move over Hippocrates: Harm reduction as the new paradigm for health care
“Doctors routinely cause their patients harm. The oath we should be taking is, “Help others with as little harm as possible.”

Resurrected: A controversial trial to bring the dead back to life plans a restart
Scientists expected to launch a study that will use stem cells in an attempt to reverse brain death. Injection of these cells have been used in clinical trials to treat diabetes, macular degeneration, ALS, etc.

As patients turn to medical crowdfunding, concerns emerge about privacy
Medical crowdfunding has the potential to undermine the medical privacy of users, especially using online platforms.

Tuskegee syphilis study descendants speak about tragedy, seek healing
For 40 years starting in 1932, medical workers in the segregated South withheld treatment for unsuspecting men infected with a sexually transmitted disease simply so doctors could track the ravages of the horrid illness and dissect their bodies afterward. Decades later, descendants continue to gather in memory of their fathers and grandfathers.

Dr. Atul Gawande: “Hope is Not a Plan” When Doctors, Patients Talk Death
Dr. Atul Gawande discusses challenges doctors and patients in the United States have with conversations around death and dying.

Technology and Social Media

Rethinking Ethics Training in Silicon Valley
“If technology can mold us, and technologists are the ones who shape that technology, we should demand some level of ethics training for technologists.”

Facebook and the ethics of moderation
An examination of Facebook’s challenge in moderating content and those who are monitoring and moderating the social web

When Will Robots Deserve Human Rights?
As robotics and AI advance, sophisticated machines or “robots” may match human capacities in intelligence, awareness, and emotions. Should be granted human-equivalent rights, freedoms, and protections?

Is it ethical for these researchers to pay hackers for access to malware before it’s unleashed?
The Shadow Brokers will release malicious software and hacking tools to anyone willing to pay, ones they claim to have stolen from the US National Security Agency (NSA).

Environmental/Ecological Ethics

Why it’s a mistake to compare Trump’s Paris decision to Nicaragua’s
President Trump’s announcement Thursday that the United States would withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement received backlash as the United States joins Syria and Nicaragua in refusing to sign the accord.

What Trump’s Proposed Budget Means for Our Public Lands
Trump’s proposed budget reflects that the environment, wildlife and the “Great Outdoors” are not a priority. 

Philosophy

Is Ethical Philanthropy Effective Philanthropy? A practical guide
A guide to philanthropic practices guided by ethics; addressing the challenges contributing to repeated instances of ‘philanthropy gone wrong’