ABCDE Rain. 74/66 • Tomorrow: Partly sunny. 81/71 • details, B8
Most eggs produced by a few firms
Safety inspections fall through cracks as industry consolidates
by Lyndsey Layton The largest egg recall in U.S.
history comes at a point of great consolidation in the egg industry, when a shrinking number of companies produce most of the eggs found on grocery shelves and a defect in one operation can jeopardize a significant segment of the marketplace. Just 192 large egg companies own about 95 percent of laying hens in this country, down from 2,500 in 1987, according to United Egg Producers, an industry group. Most of those producers are concentrated in five states: Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylva- nia and California. “I don’t think people have any idea when they see all these brand names in the stores that so many are coming from the same place,” said Patty Lovera, assis- tant director of Food and Water Watch, a food safety organiza- tion. “It raises the stakes — if one company is doing something wrong, it affects a lot of food.” That magnified effect is illus-
trated by the current recall: Just two Iowa producers, Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, have been implicated in a nationwide outbreak of Salmo- nella enteritidis, with the compa- nies recalling 500 million eggs sold under 24 brands. “The size of this thing is kind of amazing,” Lovera said. The complexity of the distribu- tion chain means additional re-
eggs continued on A10
Egg production by the numbers
5
states—Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and California — that produce half of all U.S. eggs.
t6.47 billion 192
C13
able eggs produced in the United States in April.
Approximate number of companies with flocks of 75,000 or more. These companies account for about 95 percent of U.S. eggs. In 1987, there were about 2,500 companies.
ompanies with flocks of more than 5 million egg layers.
SOURCE: USDA and American Egg Board via United Egg Producers
Lining up for relief TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2010
MAJOR SETBACK FOR RESEARCH
Administration cannot fund embryonic testing
by Rob Stein and Spencer S. Hsu A federal judge on Monday
blocked the Obama administra- tion from funding human em- bryonic stem cell research, rul- ing that the support violates a federal law barring the use of taxpayer money for experiments that destroy human embryos. U.S. District Judge Royce C.
Lamberth issued a preliminary injunction that prohibits the Na- tional Institutes of Health from funding the research under the administration’s new guidelines, citing an appeals court’s ruling that the researchers who had challenged the less-restrictive policy have the legal standing to pursue their lawsuit. The decision, a setback for one of the administration’s most high-profile scientific policies, was praised by opponents of the research. “We are encouraged that the
TIM WIMBORNE/REUTERS
Boys wait for an evening meal at a roadside center for flood victims near Nowshera, Pakistan. U.S. aid money is flowing into Pakistan, but many Pakistanis have yet to notice an impact in their lives.
U.S. aid buys little goodwill
Pakistanis say they see scant evidence of the billions spent
by Griff Witte
tarbela, pakistan — Every- one here remembers the Amer- icans. They came with their blue- prints, their engineering know- how and their money. By the time they left in the early 1970s, they had helped build a world-class dam that kept parts of Pakistan dry this month while vast stretch- es of the country drowned. “This dam gives great benefit to the nation, and if not for the
Americans it would never have been constructed,” said Syed Nai- mat Shah, a local contractor. But Shah hasn’t seen any new assistance from the Americans in decades, and apparently many Pa- kistanis haven’t, either. The U.S. government has provided about $18 billion in civilian and military aid to Pakistan since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks made this country America’s most essential, and vex- ing, ally. Yet according to a Pew Research Center survey released last month, half of Pakistanis be- lieve the United States gives little to no assistance here. For Obama administration offi- cials, that’s a source of deep anxi- ety — and frustration. Pakistan is at the center of U.S. hopes to turn around the flagging Afghan war,
but persistent anti-American feel- ings limit the extent of Pakistani cooperation. On her visit to Paki- stan last month, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton mused that Americans must won- der “why we’re sending money to a country that doesn’t want it.” Pakistanis insist they are not
ungrateful. They just don’t see any tangible impact from the massive sums the United States spends. Unlike assistance from decades ago, the money from the post-Sept. 11 era, Pakistanis say, tends to vanish without a trace. “Everyone here hates the Amer-
ican government,” said Shah, a spirited 71-year-old with a stark white beard and a sharp tongue.
pakistan continued on A8 Digital diversions leave homes sleep-deprived
Teens’ devices turn parents into police and step up the tug-of-war
by Donna St. George There are nights when Jane
Hopkins feels like a sleep cop. She will climb out of her bed in the wee hours to see whether her teenage sons are really asleep. If she spies them still awake, play- ing on the computer or the Play- Station3 in the basement of their College Park home, she will in- sist: It’s time for bed. It was time
hours ago. “If you find the perfect child
who goes to bed early, will you let me know?” she asks. Pushing teens to get enough rest is an ever-more difficult quest as another school year be- gins and triggers another round of family debates about cell- phones and game consoles, iPods and laptops. What teen wants to drift off when another text is ar- riving, when X-Box friends are still online, when Facebook is 24/7? The abundance of digital di- versions has only amped up the usual tug-of-war between genera- tions about when the lights go
on
washingtonpost.com/ backtoschool
Back to school
Submit your own photos and stories about the first day back. And find school statistics, maps, starting dates and more for the region.
ON THE METRO COVER It’s smooth sailing as Washington area schools resume. B1
out, and worried parents can lose sleep just trying to keep up. “I’m tired,” Hopkins, 47, says one re- cent day, having risen to find her
sons awake at 1 a.m. Experts say 80 percent of ado- lescents don’t get their recom- mended sleep, about nine hours, and the effects are nothing to yawn about. But getting teenagers into bed — despite piles of homework and the lure of socializing through cellphones and cyberspace — can be tough, and Judith Owens, a sleep researcher at Brown Uni- versity’s Alpert Medical School, says many parents “don’t know what time their kids go to bed, because they are not staying up for it.”
sleep continued on A4 INSIDE
BUSINESS A break at the pump? Gasoline hits an eight-month low on U.S. commodities markets, which should translate to lower — though maybe only slightly lower — prices for motorists. A9
BUSINESS NEWS..............A9 CLASSIFIEDS .....................F1 COMICS ..........................C6-7
FOOTBALL 1
Jason Campbell moves on After two preseason starts with the Oakland Raiders, the former Redskins quarterback feels at home in silver and black. D1
STYLE
Gambling on substance In putting Candy Crowley on “State of the Union,” CNN bets viewers will choose facts over flash. C1
EDITORIALS/LETTERS...A14 FED PAGE.........................A13 GOING OUT GUIDE............C8
LOTTERIES.........................B4 MOVIES..............................C4 OBITUARIES...................B6-7
STOCKS............................A12 TELEVISION.......................C5 WORLD NEWS...................A6
BASEBALL
Strasburg heads to disabled list
An MRI exam confirms a strained forearm tendon; the Nationals await more detailed results before deciding whether the rookie will pitch again this season. D1
THE WORLD Pre-election chaos in Afghanistan As the Sept. 18 vote nears, Taliban insurgents, warlords and drug dealers run campaigns of fear. A6
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DAILY CODE Details, B2
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HEALTH & SCIENCE A ‘super bug’ to beware C. diff bacteria, resistant to antibiotics, are a factor in thousands of deaths a year. E1
The Washington Post Year 133, No. 262
CONTENTS© 2010
court has recognized the seri- ousness of the ethics and the funding of embryonic stem cell research,” said David Prentice, senior fellow for life sciences at the Family Research Council. The ruling stunned scientists and other advocates of the re- search, which has been hailed as
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Judge blocks stem cell rules
one of the most important ad- vances in medicine in decades because of its potential to cure many diseases but has been em- broiled in controversy because the cells are obtained by de- stroying days-old embryos. “This is devastating, absolute-
ly devastating,” said Amy Com- stock Rick, immediate past presi- dent of the Coalition for the Ad- vancement of Medical Research, a group of patient organizations that has been lobbying for more federal funding. “We were really looking for- ward to research finally moving forward with the full backing of the NIH. We were really looking forward to the next chapter when human embryonic stem cells could really be explored for their full potential. This really sets us back,” Rick said. “Every day we lose is another day lost for patients waiting for cures.” Tracy Schmaler, a Justice De-
partment spokeswoman, did not discuss how the administration intends to respond to the ruling, saying only that “we’re reviewing the decision.” The NIH had no immediate comment. Steven Aden, a lawyer with the Alliance Defense Fund who filed the suit, said the court will need to clarify whether the injunction affects work using money al- ready issued to researchers un- der the administration’s new guidelines or blocks additional funding. In his 15-page decision, Lam-
berth cited “unambiguous” legis- lation by Congress in 1996, called the Dickey-Wicker Amendment,
stem cells continued on A13
Va. allowed to toughen abortion clinic rules
Opinion from Cuccinelli permits board to require hospital-type standards
by Anita Kumar
richmond — Virginia Attor- ney General Ken Cuccinelli II has concluded that the state can im- pose stricter oversight over clin- ics that perform abortions, a move immediately decried by abortion-rights organizations and others as an attempt to cir- cumvent the General As- sembly, which has re- peatedly rejected similar measures. Cuccinelli’s legal opin- ion empowers the Board of Health, if it chooses, to require the clinics to meet hospital-type stan- dards. Abortion-rights advocates say that could force some clinics to close because they would be un- able to afford to meet the new re- quirements. “It is my opinion that the Com-
in a statement that the regula- tions must comply with Roe. v. Wade. Abortion-rights advocates said
they are not surprised by Cucci- nelli’s decision and predicted that if the Board of Health acts on his opinion, the regulations could prompt the shutdown of 17 of the state’s 21 clinics perform- ing abortions. “We’ve been waiting for the at-
torney general to take on abor- tion providers, and it looks like this is his first pitch,” said Tarina Keene, executive director of NA- RAL Pro-Choice Virginia. “These so-called regulations are only an attempt to shut down abortion clinics in the Common- wealth of Virginia.” It’s unlikely that any
Cuccinelli
changes would occur soon. The 15-member board is appointed by the governor. Eleven board members were named by former gover-
monwealth has the authority to promulgate regulations for facil- ities in which first trimester abortions are performed as well as providers of first trimester abortions, so long as the reg- ulations adhere to constitutional limitations,” Cuccinelli (R) wrote in his opinion, released Monday. Cuccinelli declined to be inter- viewed, but his spokesman said
nor Timothy M. Kaine (D), and there are four vacancies. In his seven months in office, Cuccinelli has sued the federal government over new health- care rules; waded into the na- tional immigration debate, say- ing law enforcement can ask about immigration status; and launched an investigation into whether a former University of Virginia professor and climate scientist manipulated data to
abortion continued on A4
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