The Competitive Enterprise Institute Daily Update

1. ECONOMICS

Legendary economist Milton Friedman dies at age 94.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: President Fred L. Smith, Jr. on Friedman’s powerful legacy:

“Those of us who survive, who remain in this fight can – and should – take courage from his example. Few of us will live as long; even fewer will be able to match his achievements. Still, we can continue the struggle, do our part to leave the world a bit better, striving always to advance freedom. And, in doing so, we will benefit greatly from the intellectual ammunition and the personal example he leaves us.”

2. ENVIRONMENT

Scientists find that despite predicted global warming, the Arctic is experiencing a trend of cooling ocean currents.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Marlo Lewis, Jr. on climate science and the Arctic:

“The Arctic has not warmed faster than the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, contrary to what we would expect if the polar warming were due to an intensification of the greenhouse effect. Moreover, the Arctic was warmer during the late 1930s and early 1940s, before the rapid rise in CO2 levels, than it is today. For all we know—satellite photography did not exist 65 years ago—the Arctic then looked pretty much as it does now.”

3. HEALTH

A new study suggests a link between consumption of red meat and breast cancer.

CEI Experts Available to Comment: Adjunct Analyst Steven Milloy on why the alleged connection is all hat and no cattle:

“Is this result meaningful? Probably not for many of the usual criticisms that attend such human population studies, including: small study size (only 52 breast cancer cases were among the group of women with the highest red meat intake); poor data quality (no one knows with any certainty how much red meat any of these women actually consumed); weak statistics (despite the apparent magnitude of the reported 100 percent increase in risk, the result borders on statistical noise); and lack of biological plausibility (despite all sorts of speculation, no one knows with any certainty what causes breast cancer).”