NPR 2010-08-23

Even though more than half a billion eggs have been recalled in the salmonella outbreak, some farmers want you to know you don't have to give up omelets or eggs Benedict. Krista Eberle of the United Egg Producers points out only two farms are involved in the current recall.

"Wright County Egg and Hillandale are the two farms that are still under the recall, and we are looking at around 550 million eggs, which is still less than one percent of the eggs that are produced anywhere in the United States."

The two Iowa farms involved in the recall share the same chicken and feed supplier and have tie to a businessman who's been tagged with numerous health and safety infractions. As many as 1,300 cases were reported in the salmonella outbreak.

World Health officials are warning that unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation 1 and lack of shelter in flood-ravaged Pakistan are increasing the risk of communicable disease outbreaks. In Geneva, Lisa Schlein says there is also concern about diseases like measles 2 and polio.

WHO reports the health impact of the floods in Pakistan is enormous because of the destruction of more than 200 health facilities and hospitals. Health crisis chief Daniel Lopez Acuna says it’s urgent to rebuild these facilities.

"It's important to give priority to providing basic health care to more than seven million people in need of emergency aid, in need of humanitarian 3 assistance."

Acuna says daily monitoring of the health situation helps aid workers to detect and curb 4 any potential outbreaks of diarrhea disease. WHO plans to set up 15 diarrhea treatment centers and provide essential drugs and medicines to millions of people. For NPR News, I'm Lisa Schlein in Geneva.

New York's Ground Zero is the site of dueling 5 demonstrations 6 this afternoon. Supporters and opponents of a planned mosque 7 near the site are making their feelings known. Deavor Morris is with the Coalition 8 to Stop Islamophobia.

"There's been a growing movement of racism 9 and intolerance to us Muslims and Arab Americans, and we're not gonna stand for it any more.”

John Green thinks putting a mosque near the site of the 9/11 attacks is inappropriate.

"I think if they, if they move it, they would get the respect of more Americans than if they play hardball or want to keep it here on the spot."

Police have separated the groups, but there have been some confrontations 10.

President Obama is planning to address the nation on Iraq after his vacation in Martha's Vineyard. The last full US combat brigade left Iraq last week. More than 50,000 non-combat troops will remain in Iraq through next year.

War commander General Ray Odierno says Iraqi security forces have been doing so well that it is unlikely that the US would have to resume a combat role.

From Washington, this is NPR.

Israel’s leader is weighing in on plans to resume direct peace talks with the Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's security must be guaranteed and Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state before a deal can be reached. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat immediately rejected Netanyahu's comments.

Stocks closed lower last week as economic data showed the recovery sputtering 11. Danielle Karson says Wall Street will be watching for the latest jobless claims and the housing numbers.

The housing market is likely to stay stuck in the mud for at least several months, say analysts 12, especially now that there is no help from the federal homebuyer tax subsidy 13 to reel in new buyers. Not a promising 14 outlook when July's exiting home sales numbers come out on Tuesday. Forecasters expect they fell last month, but a brighter piece of news could come out Wednesday when new home sales figures are released. They are expected to have gone up slightly. After new claims for unemployment benefits rose three weeks in a row, Wall Street will be watching Thursday's claims numbers to see if they went down as expected. And finally on Friday, the government comes out with its revised estimate for the GDP. The economy grew about 2.5 percent in the second quarter, but given the private sector's reluctance 15 to amp up hiring, analysts expect the revision to dial back the GDP by a percentage point. For NPR News, I'm Danielle Karson.

There's apparently 16 a pinecone shortage and scientists say that means Yellowstone's grizzly 17 bears will be hungry this fall and likely to have more encounters with humans as a result. Wildlife managers say bears are already coming into areas frequented by hikers and hunters.