Crash Course: How dead is "dead enough"?

Your loved one checked the box to be an organ donor at the DMV. Now they're dead. What happens? [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0REaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYzZucGtpM2hnaS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2JXA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvN283Mmg0ODFkZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). How dead is "dead enough"? [From Mary Elizabeth Williams](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcjBuc2d3Y2k4cS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo): "Their chest is rising, they're perfused and pink, warm to the touch." Is this what you imagined your death would look like? Roughly 60% of Americans are registered organ donors, and almost all of us are signed up when we got our driver's licenses. But what are we — and our surviving family members — really in for after we check that box? The need for lifesaving organ transplants is acute, but the process of procurement is shrouded in mystery, and debates over how we define death are going from hospital rooms to courtrooms. Now, as a decades-old standard for declaring death faces its biggest challenge yet, Salon spoke with attorneys, ethicists, physicians and theologians to investigate the deeply personal, highly-politicized and frequently misunderstood process of deceased organ donation. We tried to get to the bottom of the question: How dead is "dead enough"? (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) GOP war on the FBI: Republican attacks on Chris Way echo ideology of Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh [From Amanda Marcotte](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNTY5cDJ1dnV1Zy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo): On its surface, these anti-FBI conspiracy theories are further evidence there is nothing too low for Republicans when it comes to running interference for Trump. It's never that Trump is such a massive criminal that he overcomes law enforcement's unwillingness to deal with him. No, it must be an anti-Trump conspiracy! The Epps conspiracy theory is more of the same. They can't admit that Trump is the one who incited the Capitol riot, even though we all saw him do it on national television. Instead, they blame some random dude. Keep Salon independent — [subscribe today](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNGtrdGhldGFwYy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) and unlock more benefits! Up Next ... - ["The Jewel Thief"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvc3oyZTdzeTAwYi8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo): 6 bizarre facts from Hulu's documentary about an "ingenious" criminal mastermind - L.A. County Coroner releases [Lisa Marie Presley's cause of death](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvY215cWNrY3d4NC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - [Hollywood actors are now on strike too](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvNm5pbG03aTEwZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo), joining writers on picket lines - [Jonah Hill's brand of soft boy misogyny](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMnNtOGhneWJpNC8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) is still misogyny - [Celebrate Italian-American ingenuity and the lore of New Orleans](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveWRhM3YyYjV0MS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) with this iconic sandwich - "We beat ourselves up": [Michelle Buteau recognizes our insecurities and reflects our sexiness back](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvZjRzaTV1Z3RqcS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - [Joe Biden says the right things — in Lithuania](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOWNvb3M0bndiOS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). But does that even count? - [Why Republicans are trying to rebrand white nationalism](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOXZ4ZWt0aDAzZy8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) right now Before you go ... FDA approves over-the-counter birth control — but potential cost remains a hurdle to access [From Nicole Karlis](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmk6-_P0RoaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOHo2Z3hlZmxxZS8_bGhfYWlkPTM1NDM5NTImbGhfY2lkPWEzY3c5dW0yM2ImbGhfZW09dHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODUlNDBnbWFpbC5jb21XA3NwY0IKZKXCKrFkuWMoVVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo): In an email statement to Salon, Frédérique Welgryn, Perrigo's global vice president for women's health, said the company is "committed to ensuring that Opill is widely accessible and affordable to most women and people who need it." 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