Funny how the critics of regulation only seem to care about regulations of the environment, public health, consumer protection -- the areas that hit business in the pocketbook -- but they don't scream their anti-regulatory screeds when the FCC goes on crusades to protect us all from such ghastly offenses as the baring of Janet Jackson's nipple. Now comes word that some local ABC affiliates are declining to participate in the network's Veterans Day airing of Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg's over-praised mix of treacle and WWII battlefield realism.

FDA approved the "black-box" warning for antidepressants last Friday. The warning will alert doctors and patients to the increased risk of suicidality for children using antidepressants. The "black-box" warning is the highest level of warning FDA uses. In approving the new labeling, FDA followed the recommendations of both its advisory panel and a congressional committee, both of which called for the "black-box" label. The label comes amidst a controversy as to FDA's role in alerting the public to the dangers of child use of antidepressants.

Though studies dating as far back as 2000 pointed to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke for users of Vioxx, FDA has stood quietly on the sidelines while more than 27,000 users of the drug experienced serious side effects. In fact, a top FDA scientist in the Office of Drug Safety alleged yesterday that higher-ups at FDA attempted to suppress his conclusions about the dangers of Vioxx. According to the Washington Post,

You might think that a key component of bio-terrorism preparations would be securing the food supply, in part by letting people know where the food they're eating came from. You might think that, in an administration that seems to believe so devoutly in letting marketplace choices dictate outcomes, regulatory policy would do all that is necessary to give consumers the information they need to make real choices. Yeah, you might think that. Latest example in which you might think that but then would be wrong: country-of-origin labeling of seafood: