The rot in our organ transplant system goes way beyond donors waking up on operating tables

Published August 11, 2026 11:45am ET



Welcome to Tuesday’s edition of Washington Secrets. Last week, RFK Jr. took decisive action against an organ procurement organization, detailing cases in which potential donors woke up or showed signs of consciousness on the operating table. Yet, as we show, concerns about the 55 nonprofit groups that procure organs run much deeper than that. Plus, we have some extra details on the president’s secret flight from Turkey and a new Anthropic hire.

It is five years since an unconscious Kentucky man began to wake up just as he was being prepared for organ donation.

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