by Richard Morrison
September 4, 2008

1. HEALTH

Scientists hail a new breakthrough in stem cell research.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Adjunct Fellow Sigrid Fry-Revere on why public funding for stem cell research might become counterproductive:

“…the politicized nature of the public debate over stem cell research threatens to spill over into and disrupt the research itself. The prospect of public funding so angers some Americans that it has spurred movements to restrict private stem cell research efforts. Under such circumstances, government funding for stem cell research is more hindrance than help to the advancement of science.”

2. LEGAL

A federal Appeals Court rules that the U.S. Department of Agriculture can forbid private meat packers from testing their own animals for mad cow disease.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Special Projects Counsel Hans Bader on the impact this ruling could have on American workers:

“…a small number of Americans won’t eat beef because of their mad cow fears, however irrational such fears may be. The market for beef would thus increase slightly if a meatpacker were allowed to cater to such idiosyncratic people by carrying out voluntary mad cow testing. Moreover, the image of the government blocking mad cow testing looks bad. It could be seized on by foreign countries as a pretext to restrict imports of American beef, thus eliminating American jobs.”

3. POLITICS

Cuban officials decide against jailing musician and dissident Gorki Carrasco.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Editorial Director Ivan Osorio on what this may tell us about the future of Cuba:

“Cuba punk rock musician Gorki Aguila Carrasco was spared jail this week, after the Cuban government arrested him on the ridiculous charge of ‘pre-crime social dangerousness’ — thanks most likely to the considerable media attention which Aguila’s arrest received around the world. Aguila’s sentence was reduced to a $30 fine for playing music too loud. Despite his brush with the government, reports the BBC, Aguila’s not about to keep quiet.”

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

To contact a CEI expert for comment or interviews, please call the CEI communications department at 202-331-2273 or email to pr@cei.org.