The Competitive Enterprise Institute Daily Update

Issues in the News

1. LEGAL

A federal court in Texas charges three British bankers yesterday with fraud related to the Enron collapse.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Journalism Fellow Tim Carney, author of the new book, The Big Ripoff: How Big Business and Big Government Steal Your Money, on how Enron used government favors and lobbied aggressively for more federal regulation:

“Why have the big-government programs complicit in Enron’s fraud been given a free pass? From supporting Al Gore’s beloved Kyoto Protocol, to pushing strict regulations on California’s electricity market, to begging Congress for handouts, government was a partner to Enron every step of the way.”

2. TECHNOLOGY

Amnesty International criticizes U.S. tech companies for doing business in China.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Vice President for Policy Clyde Wayne Crews and Technology Analyst Peter Suderman on why U.S. tech companies shouldn’t run from investment in China:

“…the recent attack by human-rights activists and some legislators on U.S. technology firms like Google, Microsoft and Yahoo isn’t just misguided— it’s a direct threat to the spread of freedom. Ban-happy Chinese censors, not U.S. companies, should be the target of the activists’ ire.”

3. HEALTH

Japan prepares to lift its ban on imports of U.S. beef, originally put in place amid fears over “mad cow” disease.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Iain Murray assesses the potential threat from infected beef:

“Given the small number of infected cattle being detected in the United States and Canada, it should be clear from the evidence outlined above that BSE does not

pose an appreciable risk to human health in either country.”

Blog feature: For more news and analysis, updated throughout the day, visit CEI Open Market.

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