Who wants to win a kidney?
The week's news at a glance.
Amsterdam
Millions of Dutch viewers tuned in last week to watch a reality show in which they could choose which of three dying patients was to receive a donor’s healthy kidney. The Big Donor Show wasn’t as tacky as it sounds, though—it turned out to be a hoax. Producers wanted to raise awareness of the dire shortage of organ donors. The ruse worked. TV station BNN, which aired the program, said that 18,000 people downloaded organ–donor forms from their Web site that very night. Education Minister Ronald Plasterk pronounced the show “a fantastic stunt.”
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Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocrat
Feature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
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Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?
Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
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Government shuts down amid partisan deadlock
Feature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo