This Week: Ethics in the News

Highlights from some of the week's top ethics news stories.


Prenatal Testing Technology
Researchers at the University of Washington have recently devised a technique to predict the genetic code of fetuses. The test is done with blood samples from the mother and saliva samples from the father. This new technology would enable doctors to screen unborn infants for up to 3,500 genetic disorders. This technological breakthrough comes with ethical questions and conflicts over abortion.     
read an op-ed......NYT - Before Birth-Dad's ID
watch the video on CNN with Toby Schonfeld......CNN - New Test for Gauging a Baby's DNA Code

White House Leak
The White House is being investigated this week under allegations that Obama administration officials leaked classified information to the press about anti-terrorism strategies. Obama has been called the "executioner-in-chief" and has been criticized for unethical killing of terrorists by drones. Critics also claim that the Obama administration is intentionally leaking information for what might become an advantage in November's elections. 
read more....CNN - FBI Looks Into Possible White House Leaks
read more..... Huffington Post - White House Leaks: Eric Holder Appoints 2 Prosecutors to Lead Investigations

Religious Conflict in Myanmar
This week in Myanmar clashes between religious groups turned deadly. A twenty-seven year old Buddhist woman was believed to have been raped and killed by a Muslim man. A group of Rakhine Buddhists retaliated by dragging ten Rohingya Muslim men off a bus and killing them. This sparked riots across the country. Many people along the western coast have left their homes. The Rohingya Muslim group is a minority group whose members are regarded as illegal immigrants in Myanmar.  
read more......NYT - Myanmar Conflict Spurs Hatred for Asia's Outcasts
read an op-ed.....CNN - Conflicts Between Rakhine Communities and Rohingya in Western Myanmar

Zimmerman's Wife is Charged 
Georgia Zimmerman is back behind bars. A new chapter has opened in the case that has been in the national spotlight since the shooting of Trayvon Martin in February. Zimmerman and his wife told the court they were indigent which influenced the verdict and the conditions of the sentence. Zimmerman's bond was set and he posted to get out of jail. Prosecutors are now using phone calls between the couple to prove that they were speaking in code about their finances and in fact had received tens of thousands dollar in donations for his bond. They are both awaiting trial on perjury charges. 
read more......CNN - Prosecutors: Jail Phone Transcripts Show Zimmerman, Wife Talking Finances in Code

read more about the aftermath......Boston Herald - George Zimmerman's Wife Had $57,000 in Account, Records Show

Source: USA Today