CEI Daily Update

Issues in the News

1. CULTURE

Bars and restaurants across the country celebrate the anniversary of the end of Prohibition with “Repeal Day” events.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Crasher-in-Chief Jason Talley on the deeper meaning of Repeal Day:

“Repeal Day isn’t just about the right to drink. We’re using this day to remind people that anytime the government acts, it denies citizens a choice. From smoking to recent attempts to ban bottled water in San Francisco, we believe that individuals, not the government, should decide what is best for themselves.”

2. ENVIRONMENT

Senators prepare for an “historic” vote on global warming legislation.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of Energy & Global Warming Policy Myron Ebell on the difficulty of complying with the proposed rules:

“Even given likely advances in energy technology, the only way to reduce emissions to required levels would be to massively increase energy costs or ration access.”

3. HEALTH

The Food and Drug Administration questions extending the approval of colon and lung cancer drug Avastin for treatment of breast cancer.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Policy Analyst Michelle Minton on who should be making decisions about cancer treatment:

“The FDA hinted that the benefits of Avastin [for breast cancer patients] were not great enough to outweigh the risk [of side effects]. But who is the FDA to make that judgment? Each person values different things for different reasons. While someone at the FDA might find little value in improving the time before you die, for the women and families of women with metastatic breast cancer (who live an average of 24 months) the potential benefit is immeasurable. We should not let the FDA tell us what to value in life.”

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

FOR MORE INFORMATION

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