What Do Ethicists Say, Dude?

California newspapers haven't usually quoted California ethicists, and their understanding of bioethics is somewhat hampered by the fact that there aren't so many bioethics programs in California that there is a big impact on policy. Until now. UCSD's research ethics program director Michael Kalichman is profiled as part of this big piece on "what an ethicist is."

Whoa Thar Little Stem Cells. Stop Tryin' to Leave the Dang State!

Texas needs stem cell policy, and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, likely candidate for governor of Texas, is pushing to save Texas from stem cell obscurity. It is difficult to imagine that the state - dominated by conservative protestants and Catholics - would ever embrace any serious stem cell research plan that includes embryonic cells. Hey ... they execute lots of disabled people in Texas. If that passes must with the Texas pro-life constituency, maybe they'll go for Hurlbut's "kill a disabled embryo" approach! Or maybe not, pardner. Not in Crawford. [thanks Arthur Caplan]

Bush Science Advisor & the Second Term Critics

Newhouse News Service somehow got John Marburger, the president's science advisor, to comment on the specific allegations of critics of Bush's first (and likely second) term science priorities and alleged allegiances. But his answer is nothing surprising.

Bioethics in New Zealand

Commonwealth Fund has offered Ian Axford Fellowships in Public Policy for quite some time. They provide six months in New Zealand and they have financed some pretty amazing bioethics projects.