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Under the Microscope: October 6th, 2011

Rep. Bill White (R., Joplin) is introducing the end-of-life bill.
Rep. Bill White (R., Joplin) is introducing the end-of-life bill.

This week, we look at a bill that could take some of the uncertainty out of end-of-life decisions. Plus, will funding woes doom agricultural research?

Hosted by Kyle Deas

End-of-life decisions can be wrenching for families. Today, 44 states have so-called “family consent laws,” which help determine which family member should make health care decisions. Missouri is one of the six states with no such law, putting families and doctors in legal limbo.

But, as KBIA’s Jacob Fenston reports, a bill headed for the Missouri legislature could change that.

Plus: As the world population grows and natural resources decline, maintaining a productive, reliable food system presents a serious challenge. In recent years, many of the productivity gains in the agricultural world have been the direct result of new research and knowledge.

But in the U.S., the outlook for government funding of that research is hazy at best. Harvest Public Media’s Eric Durban has this story.