About this episode
New York is the latest state to legalize medical aid in dying. Stephen Dubner speaks with the governor who signed the law, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, a death doula — and an ethicist who thinks the very idea is wrong. SOURCES: Kathy Hochul , governor of New York. Suzanne O'Brien , death doula, founder of Doulagivers Institute. Al Roth , economist at Stanford University. Daniel Sulmasy , physician, philosopher, director of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University. RESOURCES: Moral Economics: From Prostitution to Organ Sales, What Controversial Transactions Reveal About How Markets Work , by Al Roth (2026). " New York Moves to Allow Terminally Ill People to Die on Their Own Terms ," by Grace Ashford (New York Times, 2025). The Good Death: A Guide for Supporting Your Loved One through the End of Life , by Suzanne O'Brien (2025). The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia , by Neil Gorsuch (2009). EXTRAS: " Make Me a Match (Update) ," by Freakonomics Radio (2023). Sign up here to pre-screen our new video show. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.