Senate says: I am a journalist!

Read about the torturous and futile attempt to meaningfully define a journalist. In the old days we considered sacred the act of confession, wherein we'd confess our sins. Now we consider sacred the privilege of tattling about someone else's sins. Ain't we a proud nation.

POW: Debate at Cato Institute

I came across a pretty interesting podcast from the Cato Institute, a debate over whether terminal patients should be permitted to take experimental (and unproven) drugs. The issue seems clear cut at first blush- why shouldn't people be able to take them if they're willing to assume the risks- but the debate highlights some surprising consequences. The topic manages to entwine medical ethics, privacy rights, constitutional law, high level economics and the nitty-gritty economics of pharmaceuticals.

A description of the court case referenced in the podcast is here.