Popcorn is one of the essential elements of Constitutional restoration, consumed in vast quantities by those who abjure Cheetos as they would the Devil in an earlier time. But like anything else, you gotta watch yer ass in an day when corporatism owns the food chain:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Labor Department on Tuesday said it was increasing inspections to address potential health hazards to workers at plants that make microwave popcorn with butter flavorings that contain diacetyl.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s program will call for more inspections in places that make butter-flavor popcorn, a spokeswoman for the department said. Diacetyl is an artificial flavoring.

Nobody is saying you have to give up your microwave and go back to Jiffy-Pop (anybody remember that?) or finding one of those metal baskets used to pop it over an open fire. This one is easy—use non-flavored popcorn and add yer own butter!

Or caramel or cheese or whatever heathen alternatives you prefer. I like my ’corn dripping but I’d sooner use a tablespoon of butter than a pound of margarine, an unnatural glop if ever there was one and by some calculations worse for you than concentrated cow squeezins. Just stay away from the diacetyl, if not for yourself then for the workers who are getting lung diseases from having to work around the stuff all day.

We should start compiling a morning list of Today’s Hearings & Investigational Funnies, but I just now thought of this and don’t have time to compile it right now.