1. CONSUMER

Controversial online
gambling regulations get delayed until mid-2010.

CEI Expert Available
to Comment: Policy Analyst Michelle
Minton on gambling reform
legislation put forward by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA):

“Barney Frank’s proposals have
picked up a lot of steam, but it is unlikely, considering that congress has
bigger financial fish to fry, that any major new regulatory regime will be
decided upon in the next half year. Additionally, there are big potential
problems with the proposed legislation that such a ‘rush to regulate,’ might
gloss over, potentially creating bigger problems than the past ambiguity of
Internet gambling’s legal status that has been the long-running state of the
US’s oversight on online wagering.”

2. HEALTH

Senators prepare for a long and
possibly bitter debate over major health care legislation.

CEI Expert Available
to Comment: Senior Fellow Gregory
Conko on the dubious cost-cutting
proposals under consideration:

“Research
on the next generation of treatments for cancer, heart disease, and countless
other serious conditions would slow to a snail’s pace if every new medicine
were required, immediately upon gaining regulatory approval, to be effective
and cheap enough to get the support of bureaucratic bean counters. Adopting
comparative effectiveness as a cost-cutting tool would, in effect, freeze medical
science in its current form. But, with countless billions of dollars spent on
existing treatments of little or no value, taxpayers would continue to pay
sizeable bills.”

3. ENVIRONMENT

The Leader of the Liberal Party in Australia is
voted out over opposition to cap and trade global warming legislation.

CEI Expert Available
to Comment: Director of Energy and Global Warming Policy Myron Ebell on the fight over cap and trade down
under:

“A number of Liberal Members have
risked their careers to stop cap-and-trade, including Cory Bernardi and Nick
Minchin as well as Tony Abbott.  They should all be honored for their
courageous stand. Toppling [former Liberal Party Leader Malcolm] Turnbull was a
necessary step, but it isn’t the end of the story.   It is likely
that the Senate will now defeat the cap-and-trade bill for the second
time.  However, a few disgruntled Turnbullite Liberal Senators could
provide the votes needed to pass it.  If it is defeated, Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd could then call a general election of both the House and
Senate.  So the fight is still to be won or lost.”

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