Why We Changed Our Code of Ethics to Address Prediction Markets; ProPublica, June 15, 2026

Diego Sorbara, ProPublica; Why We Changed Our Code of Ethics to Address Prediction Markets

In an era when people can bet on news events, we want readers to know we’re not willing to gamble with their trust.

"What would you think of me, the ProPublica editor responsible for newsroom standards, if I placed a bet on the baseball game I’m currently listening to on the radio? Probably that I’m doing something plenty of others do, and that my wallet will be lighter in a few innings.

What would you think of me if I stood to make a tidy sum based on the outcome of a news event ProPublica has been covering? You’d probably think that’s downright shady, because isn’t the job of a journalist to report the news and not make money off it?

Lest you think I’m an ethically compromised editor, you can rest easy. According to a recent update to ProPublica’s code of ethics, “no employee should wager on the outcome of news events on the prediction markets — regardless of whether or not they are involved in coverage of said event.”

ProPublica has always prohibited employees from profiting off inside information, so you may wonder why we amended our code of ethics to specifically single out prediction markets. We have not encountered any instances of this happening on our staff, but it has become harder and harder to deny the influence and reach of prediction markets beyond sports. In fact, deals between prediction markets and news organizations abound, such as Kalshi with CNN, Fox News and The Associated Press, and Polymarket with Dow Jones. 

But there have also been worrying examples of these markets at play."

Honoring Alex Pretti’s Moral Courage and the Cost of Caring; The Hastings Center for Bioethics, February 17, 2026

 Connie M. Ulrich, Mary D. Naylor and Martha A. Q. Curley , The Hastings Center for Bioethics; Honoring Alex Pretti’s Moral Courage and the Cost of Caring

"The death of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who was killed last month in an anti-immigration protest in Minneapolis, is, first and foremost, a devastating loss for his loved ones. But it has also shaken the nursing profession to the core. 

People often encounter nurses at the bedside when they  are ill or someone close to them is ill. But nurses also have a long history of advocating for social justice in their communities, speaking out against unjust policies, challenging unsafe practices, and advancing public health reforms.

The 2025 Code of Ethics for Nurses reflects this activism. It calls on all nurses to be civically engaged and to work toward policies and systems that have positive ends for the communities in which we live and work. Alex met this call. 

Alex used his ICU training to help someone in need; it was second nature to him and reflected his primary obligation as a registered nurse to protect the rights and well-being of patients, families, and communities. He lost his life because he helped a woman during a protest against federal immigration action in Minneapolis. Pretti stepped in front of the woman, who was on the ground, to protect her from being pepper sprayed by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Agents then pinned Pretti to the ground and shot him.

Nurses are no strangers to conflict and moral turmoil. They take a professional and ethical oath to care for anyone — victim or perpetrator — regardless of their identity or ideological belief. But Alex’s death exposes a stark and troubling reality for every nurse and healthcare provider: Immigration enforcement agents are now occupying spaces that should be protected in hospitals, waiting rooms, lobbies, and clinics. These are places where patients must feel safe and trust that they will receive care without discrimination and be protected from intimidation. 

The presence of immigration enforcement agents in these places is creating profound moral distress and a climate of deep fear for all those who deliver care and for the people who need it most within these buildings. Nurses and other healthcare providers are caught in the age-old dilemma between what is ethical and what is legal: They question what they ought to do when faced with immigration enforcement agents standing outside hospital rooms and observing the care they are ethically and professionally obligated to protect.

When nurses and other healthcare providers cannot meet their ethical duties to protect the rights and welfare of their patients, this distress can intensify into a deeper wound with lingering residue of regret and a searing violation of their sense of integrity. 

For their part, patients may withhold critical health information, become afraid to ask questions, and mistrust health professionals when immigration enforcement agents are present. Patients who are immigrants are most vulnerable to these harms, but other patients may also experience them. The harms – to healthcare providers and patients – can ultimately compromise ethical decision-making, patient-and family-centered care, and the overall quality of care that all patients deserve, and healthcare providers are trained to deliver.

The patients and families cared for by Alex will always remember him. Nurses will remember Alex’s sacrifice – that his caring extended beyond the walls of his hospital to the stranger he protected in his community. 

Nurses can honor Alex’s moral courage through our individual and professional resolve. We must say no more to the infiltration of immigration enforcement into healthcare spaces that were previously off limits to them. We must speak out on re-establishing “safe zones,” hospital-wide policies that limit enforcement access, and confidential reporting mechanisms that reflect the humanity of the nursing profession towards those we took an oath to serve. 

May a better and more humane world prevail, reminding each of us that moral courage carries risk, but it also helps us rise to the occasion when change and moral repair are needed most. We are at that moment.

Connie M. Ulrich, PhD, RN, is a registered nurse and professor of nursing and of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and a Hastings Center Fellow. LinkedIn: connieulrich1, X: @cm_ulrich

Mary D. Naylor, PhD, RN, is a registered nurse and professor of gerontology and nursing at Penn’s School of Nursing. LinkedIn: Mary_Naylor,  X: @MaryDNaylor

Martha A.Q. Curley, PhD, RN, is a registered nurse and professor of pediatric nursing at Penn’s School of Nursing.LinkedIn: Martha-a-q-curley, X: maqcurley, Bluesky: @maqc.bsky.social"

Retouched images of Netanyahu’s wife, distributed by the state, ignite a fiery ethics debate; AP, January 11, 2026

 JULIA FRANKEL, AP; Retouched images of Netanyahu’s wife, distributed by the state, ignite a fiery ethics debate

"Sara Netanyahu’s skin is poreless, her eyes overly defined and her hair perfectly coiffed — a look officials acknowledge is the result of heavy retouching.

Critics say the issue isn’t the use of photo-editing software, which is common on the social media accounts of celebrities and public figures. They say it’s the circulation of the images in official government announcements, which distorts reality, violates ethical codes and risks compromising official archiving and record-keeping efforts...

At least one outlet, the Times of Israel, has said it will no longer carry official state photos that appear to have been manipulated. The Associated Press does not publish images that appear to have been retouched or digitally manipulated."

Alaska judges will soon be bound by tighter ethics rules under a rewrite of court standards; Alaska Beacon, January 8, 2026

 JAMES BROOKS, Alaska Beacon ; Alaska judges will soon be bound by tighter ethics rules under a rewrite of court standards

"The Alaska Court System is preparing to finalize new ethics guidelines that will determine whether state judges must opt out from hearing cases due to personal conflicts.

An extensive new ethics code, modeled on a national standard drafted by the American Bar Association, is open for public comment through Jan. 23. 

The changes, which stretch for dozens of dense, jargon-filled pages, prescribe things like what a judge can ethically do during an election, how to respond if someone’s life might be endangered by secrecy and even what happens if an attorney is drunk in the courtroom...

Alaska’s existing code of ethics dates to 1998 and was based on a model released in 1990 by the American Bar Association.

The association released a new model code in 2007, but Alaska didn’t adopt it. In 2018, as the court system dealt with a rising number of Alaskans representing themselves in court, judges were struggling with what they could and couldn’t do to help, Winfree said."

A code of ethics for AI in education; The Times of Israel, December 29, 2025

 Raz Frohlich, The Times of Israel; A code of ethics for AI in education

"Generative artificial intelligence is transforming every corner of our lives — how we communicate, create, work, and, inevitably, how we teach and learn. As educators, we cannot ignore its power, nor can we embrace it blindly. The rapid pace of AI innovation requires not only technical adaptation, but also deep ethical reflection.

As the largest education provider in Israel, at Israel Sci-Tech Schools (ISTS), we believe that, as AI becomes increasingly present in classrooms, we must ensure that human judgment, accountability, and responsibility remain at the center of education. That is why we are the first in Israel to create a Code of Ethics for Artificial Intelligence in Education. This is not just a policy document but an open invitation for discussion, learning, and shared responsibility across the education system.

This ethical code is not a technical manual, and it does not provide instant answers for daily classroom situations. Instead, it offers a holistic approach — a way of thinking, a framework for educators, students, and policymakers to use AI consciously and responsibly. It asks essential, core-value questions: How do we balance innovation with privacy? How do we ensure equality when access to technology is uneven? How do we maintain transparency when using AI? And when should we pause, reflect, and reconsider how we use AI in the classroom?

To develop the code, we drew from extensive global research and local experience. We consulted with ethicists, educators, technologists, psychologists, and legal experts — and, perhaps most importantly, we listened to students, teachers, and parents. Through roundtable discussions, they shared real concerns and insights about AI’s potential and its pitfalls. Those conversations shaped the code’s seven guiding principles, designed to help schools integrate AI ethically, transparently, and with respect for human dignity."

Why the Supreme Court’s wasted time on ethics may cost it; CNN, November 1, 2023

 Joan Biskupic, CNN; Why the Supreme Court’s wasted time on ethics may cost it

"Supreme Court justices, who have infinite power over American lives, have continually resisted calls for greater accountability in a formal code of conduct.

Some justices recently signaled that they might be ready to adopt a binding ethics code. But their record of inaction reflects the difficulty of compromise among the nine and suggests any real change may not come at their own hand.

The delay has had consequences.

Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats plan to authorize subpoenas for three wealthy conservatives, including real estate magnate Harlan Crow, who has provided luxury travel and other gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas."

Most judges in survey support U.S. Supreme Court having ethics code; Reuters, June 22, 2022

 Reuters; Most judges in survey support U.S. Supreme Court having ethics code

"Hundreds of judges nationwide believe that U.S. Supreme Court justices should be subject to an ethics code, according to a poll released Wednesday, with one saying they should set a "very high bar for the rest of us to emulate."

The National Judicial College, which provides training to judges nationally, said that in a survey of more than 12,000 of its alumni, 97% of the 859 judges who responded agreed Supreme Court justices should be bound by an ethics code."

Audiey Kao, MD, PhD, on what physicians need to know about ethics in 2022; American Medical Association (AMA), January 5, 2022

American Medical Association (AMA); Audiey Kao, MD, PhD, on what physicians need to know about ethics in 2022

"AMA's Moving Medicine video series amplifies physician voices and highlights developments and achievements throughout medicine.

Kicking off 2022 with the AMA's "Look Forward/Look Back” series, AMA Chief Experience Officer Todd Unger talks with Audiey Kao, MD, PhD, the AMA's vice president of ethics, about the AMA's critical work in medical ethics and what to expect in the months ahead.

Speaker

• Audiey Kao, MD, PhD, vice president, ethics, AMA...

Unger: One of the things I've learned, I know over the past year of talking to so many different physicians is, whatever was wrong with health care going into the pandemic certainly became a lot worse, exposed so many issues. When physicians make decisions on things like a prognosis, we have found that the cards are already stacked against patients who've been medically underserved. What ethical guidance did the AMA provide about responding to health inequities that we've seen during the pandemic?

Dr. Kao: Respecting human dignity is one of the core principles underlying the AMA Code of Medical Ethics. And so, the Code, for example, offers guidance to physicians in how to realize their ethical responsibility to address health disparities and inequities. That said, we have also seen how the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected historically marginalized and minoritized populations who have been long oppressed by racist policies and structures.

This past June, the AMA Journal of Ethics published an entire issue on the topic of transgenerational trauma and how clinicians can respond to individuals and communities to address the health inequities created by such trauma.

Unger: Dr. Kao, you have talked to a lot of physicians and other experts throughout the pandemic on ethics-based issues. I'd love to hear about any standout conversations, any meaningful stories that come to mind when you think about those conversations?

Dr. Kao: Yeah. As you know Todd, when the pandemic started, the journal got creative and developed a series COVID-related in interviews, and I had the privilege of interviewing many thoughtful and engaging individuals. Some that come to mind include Doctors Ceasar and Charles, who helped to start White Coats for Black Lives.

The interview I conducted with Professor Ibram Kendi about what it means to be an anti-racist also stands out in my mind. I also had the opportunity to interview physician poet, Rafael Campo and political cartoonist Matt Wuerker, about the pandemic through the lens of their respective art forms.

I'm particularly of our focus on the pandemic's impact on some of the most vulnerable among us, including individuals experiencing homelessness, those who are living in jails and prisons and those working in low wage jobs, who frankly didn't have the luxury working from home."

Metro’s ethics changes are welcome. But they’re only a start.; The Washington Post, September 29, 2019

Editorial Board, The Washington Post; Metro’s ethics changes are welcome. But they’re only a start.

"THE REPUTATION of former Metro chairman Jack Evans wasn’t the only thing that was tarnished amid the swirl of allegations that he used his public office to advance his private interests. Public trust in the Metro board was also badly shaken after it completely botched its handling of the allegations. It’s encouraging, then, that the board has taken a first step in its own rehabilitation by amending its code of ethics.

 

“The reforms will improve transparency, accountability and fairness of all parties,” board chairman Paul C. Smedberg said of revisions to the ethics policy that were approved on Thursday. The changes include a clearer definition of conflicts of interests, putting the transit agency’s inspector general in charge of investigations and opening the process to the public with requirements for written reports and discussions held in public."