Issues in the News
1. ENERGY & AGRICULTURE
The "UN warns of unrest as food price inflation hits developing countries,"
pointing the finger at demand from developing countries, a rising global
population, floods and droughts, and competition from the biofuel industry,
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Energy Policy Analyst
on the all-pain,no-gain infatuation with biofuels:
"The biofuel fad hurts the poorest of the world and does little, if
anything, to mitigate climate change."
2. LEGAL/CONSTITUTIONAL
The New Jersey Supreme Court has rejected a nationwide
over its drug Vioxx, recognizing that it would be
inappropriate to apply New Jersey's consumer protection law to claims all
across the country. CEI Experts Available to Comment: Legal Counsel
"That [decision] was correct. State consumer-protection laws vary widely
from state to state, meaning that a nationwide consumer class action cannot
apply a uniform law. State consumer-protection laws vary widely in their
language, and even similarly phrased consumer-protection laws have been
interpreted very differently from state to state by different state
judiciaries."
3. INSURANCE
returned to work yesterday, which means the debate over
of insurance will heat up. Johnson's would likely improve the insurance markets around the country. CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow :
"It's pretty simple to describe: Let insurance companies do what banks have
done since the Civil War and subject themselves to federal rather than state
regulation while simultaneously getting rid of confusing and unnecessary
rate regulatory regimes."
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