. >> reporter: he is jack decoster, owner of wright county egg, which has recalled 380 million eggs. decoster started in the egg business 60 years ago at the age of 15 to support his family after his father's death. but he's had serious run-ins with regulators, paying $10 million in fines and settlements in the past 15 years. >> last year, mercy for animals conducted an undercover investigation at a decoster egg farm in maine. >> reporter: the most recent, this video led to animal cruelty charges in maine last month. $130,000. in 2002, a $1.5 million fine for employment discrimination. in 1997, $2 million for health and safety violations. leading then secretary of labor robert reich to call decoster's operation as dangerous and oppressive as any sweat shop. and the state of iowa labeled decoster ah ha pitch wall violator of environmental laws a decade ago. decoster has invested in several other egg operations and has ties to both companies involved in this recall. hillandale leases land, shares a feed supplier and bought young hens from decoster's company. >> sometimes big companies

decoster's troubles go back to 1997 and a $2 million fine. then labor secretary robert reich said workers were forced to live in rat-infested trailers and handle manure and dead chickens with their bare hands. in 2001, the iowa supreme court called decoster a "repeat violator" of state environmental laws for his hog operations. and in 2002, the company paid a $1.5 million settlement in a sexual harassment case over women who were subjected to sexual assault and rape by supervisors. most recently, the company's main operation was fined after it was secretly filmed by an animal rights group showing workers breaking the necks of sick chickens and kicking the still-living animals into a waste trough. >> clearly this company was cutting corners in lots of areas, including food safety. >> reporter: decoster's company had no comment when reached by cbs news. his critics say his operations treat the millions in fines as just another cost of doing business-- a cost that may now include a lot of sick americans. barry petersen, cbs news, los angeles. >>

and while decoster has avoided reporters so far, he has been invited to testify in front of congressmonth to explain what happened. dean reynolds, cbs news, chicago. >>> former baseball star roger clemens will be in court on month. he'll be arraigned on charges he lied to congress about using performance-enhancing drugs. he denies using human growth hormone or steroids. clemens was indicted by a federal grand jury last week. he could be fined or go to prison if convicted. >>> straight ahead, your friday morning weather forecast. >>> in sports, following his divorce, tiger woods has his best round of the year. while i was building my friendships... my family... while i was building my life... my high cholesterol was contributing to plaque buildup in my arteries. that's why my doctor prescribed crestor. she said plaque buildup in arteries... is a real reason to lower cholesterol... and that, along with diet, crestor does more than lower bad cholesterol... it raises good. crestor is also proven to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. crestor isn't for everyone, like people with liver

in 2003, decoster pleaded guilty to knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. >> this hen gasps for air as she slowly dies. >> reporter: then there is undercover video showing animal cruelty. the company paid a $130,000 fine admitting the behavior was unacceptable. today, wright county egg tells nbc news it continues to fully cooperate with the fda, but food safety advocates are alarmed. >> this is why we need a cop on the beat, a strong fda with tough inspectors and tough enforcement authority in mandatory recalls. >> reporter: the fda doesn't yet have mandatory recall authority. this recall is a voluntary one. new national egg safety rules that went into effect in july are designed to eliminate the risk of salmonella contamination at the farm. today the fda said if the rules had been in place in may, the outbreak may never have happened. brian? >> tom costello with the latest tonight. tom, thanks. >>> the economy is in the news tonight. it's not good. new claims for unemployment benefits up last week to half a million americans. that's the highest level in nine months, a clear sign emplo

decoster supplied chicks and feed to hillandale farms which is also recalling millions of eggs. inspectors aren't sure how the hens themselves became infected, but one sure way to eliminate salmonella is through pasturization, an hour-long bath in which eggs are heated but not cooked. >> we can pass enough heat through the egg to kill bacteria or viruses inside and yet not change the flavor, the performance characteristics of the egg. >> reporter: only about 1% of america's eggs are pasturized adding about 50 cents to the price of a dozen. many people say it does change the taste of an egg. still, the cdc supports pasturization. >> we think this is a good personal food safety and public health food safety approach. >> reporter: this egg recall is just the latest involving salmonella. in recent years peanut butter, spinach and processed foods have also been affected. yet, the fda doesn't have the authority to issue a recall. the senate left town without passing a law that grants that authority and more. >> it will also enable us to really put in place the preventative measures th

the huge seven million chicken facility is owned by jack decoster, no stranger to controversy. was ordered to pay more than $100,000 for ten counts of animal cruelty caught by hidden cameras. in 2000, fined $150,000 and dubbed a habitual violator of iowa's environmental laws. even with tougher new federal rules, researchers say there are too few regulators to oversee today's megaproduction facilities. >> the problem is that f.d.a. doesn't have the muscle to enforce those rules. >> reporter: the strain of salmonella linked to the eggs is showing up three times more than average, 2,000 cases so far. and for every case reported, researchers say 30 go unreported. bill whitaker, cbs news, los angeles. >> smith: and the manhunt for two of america's most-wanted fugitives is over. john mccluskey and his fiance casslyn welch were captured at a campground in arizona. three weeks ago, welch allegedly helped mccluskey escape prison, now they're suspected of murdering a couple while on the run. coming up next, katie in afghanistan has more of her interview with general petraeus. afghanistan

of insects, flies and rodents that just occupied the grounds of this factory farm. >> reporter: decosterorced to pay millions in fines and settlements over the years, due to health violations at his farms. >> this farm clearly had red flags. the real question is, why hasn't fda been expecting? >> reporter: fda officials insist they had no authority to inspect poultry farms until new regulations took effect last month, after this outbreak had started. and even now, the fda cannot compel a recall. the current recalls are voluntary on the part of the companies. for now, the safeguards protecting america's food supply, appear to be not much sturdier than egg shells. david wright, abc news, los angeles. >>> and joining me now from washington is the fda deputy commissioner for foods, michael taylor. good morning. >> good morning. >> well, first of all, you saw the report by david wright here, reporting that the fda really had no authority at all to inspect poultry farms. and now, there's this new regulation that allows you to do so. but it's too late? >> we had authority to inspect. what we ha

this attorney has sued decoster on behalf of a young girl. >> she was hospitalized for a period of three or four days and incurred significant in the tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses. >> brown: a spokesperson for decoster's company said the firm has worked quickly in the past to correct issue raised about its farms and intends to work with the fda in a, quote, forthright manner. and we turn to two people who watch food safety closely. caroline smith dewaal is with the center for science in the public interest, a consumer watchdog group. elizabeth weese covers these issues for "usa today." neither the f.d.a. commissioner, nor a representative from the egg industry, was able to join us tonight. caroline smith, dewaal, the particular farms seem to have been pinpointed but what about the actual source or cause of the contamination? what do we know so far? >> well, the investigation is still ongoing. but salmonella is a strain of salmonella that actually infects the inside of the egg. over the years we've known for a long time that salmonella can get on the outside of the egg

in 2001 the iowa streak called decost terra, quote, repeat vy ray tore of state and federal laws foris violations. in 2002 they paid a $1.5 million settlement in a sexual harassment case over women who were subjected to sexual assault and rape by supervisors. most recently the company's main operation was fined after it was secretly filmed by an animal rights group showing workers breaking the necks of sick chickens and kicking the still-living animals into a waste trough. >> clearly this company was cutting corners in lots of areas including food safety. >> reporter: the company had no comment when reached by cbs news. his critics say his operations treat the millions in fines as just another cost of doing business. a cost that may now include a lot of sick americans. barry peterson, cbs news, los angeles. >>> in a statement released tonight a spokeswoman for wright county eggs said the company is ready to cooperate with the federal investigation and said past food issues were dealt with "quickly and effectively." >>> hundreds of people gathered in new york today to speak out about

just this summer, wright count ye egg owner jack decoster paid fine for animal cruelty after this undercover video was shot in one of his farms s in maine. his iowa farms where 380 million eggs were recalled were never inspected. >> fda said they hadn't even inspected this facility at all. that's not saucepanable. >> reporter: experts tell abc news don't be surprised if this spreads to other brands. that's because so of the eggs produced in iowa may have been co-mingled with brands that haven't been named so far in the recall. david? >> david kerley starting us off, thank you. >>> this evening people along gulf coast getting their look at the rules on victims getting money from bp going forward. in the beginning therl told all legitimate claims will be honored, now the man in charge of the compensation issued his framework and it doesn't include everyone. >> reporter: these are easy, shrimpering, restaurant, hotels directly touched by the spilled oil, they will be compensated. what about a golf club, 20 mills in coast that claims it lost business, does it get compensated? or what about the x

austin jack decoster, the egg producer linked to the outbreak has been cited by food investigators before. still what the fda needs is the funding and resources to institute preventive measures first. >> they don't know what's going on on the farms. it takes a long time to investigate. >> the fda can't even mandate a recall at this point. legislation has been pending for almost a year that would grant the fda more powers. but it's scheduled for a vote next month. united egg producers, who represents the industry says that both egg companies are going to extremes to track down the tainted eggs. in the meantime -- >> we have bacon, sausage. >> customers will have to watch and wait for the sunny side of eggs to return. lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> the next time you swipe your credit card, new rules will be in effect. they started today and are designed to protect you from what some say are abusive practices. by credit card issuers. cnbc's sharon epperson is here with a rundown of the changes. >> the rules that the credit card companies must now follow are going to result in two big c

reporter: the iowa farms >> share business ties with egg baron jack decoster.ple violations ver the years. uding a $2a $25,000 fine after undercover video revealed this nt of heatment of hens at a farm he owns in maine. he own inspectionsections are the serst ever at these farms since new standards took effect in new july. dministration hasation has idered inspectors to all the biggest egg producers in the producersreventing another thererous outbreak. chris bury, abc news. >>> and, now, at the white >>> and, house, vacation is over. vacationstart of a very big s ek. aday, appearing in the rose garden, the president said there actions thatthat will help the economy but are stuck in congress. economy. and the republicans should, quote, end the blockade. jack taper is at the white house tonight. good evening, jake. go >> reporter: good ing,ing, diane. that's right. .uring this week full of presidential events dedicated to presid issues other than the economy, president obama today struggled to convey to the american people that he's on top of the economic crisis,

decoster was labeled an habitual violator for waite pollution and waste violations.ine. his company paid $1.3 million to 11 female employees to settle allegations of sexual assault and intimidation in 2002. then in 2003, decoster pleaded guilty to knowingly hiring illegal immigrants, and just two months ago, the company paid $130,000 fine for animal cruelty, documented in undercover video. >> gasps for air as she slowly dies. >> reporter: phillip is a reporter for the "des moines register." >> jack decoster was very much the poster child in the 1990s for what was wrong or what would be wrong with this large-scale, industrial-scale agriculture. at the same time he was an embarrassment to conventional big agriculture, because he was constantly in the headlines. >> reporter: we have asked decoster's company for comment. they declined. the fda would have much more authority and manpower, both of which it lacks right now, that coming after salmonella outgreat lakebreaks including peanut butter, spinach and processed foods. >> tom costello in washington. thanks for that. >

and spent a lot of time in iowa and ohio and the name of this gentleman who owns these factories decoster, came up over and over again. when you look at his record and his company's record, they have been issued violation after violation and i see this industry wide. in the hog industry. in the dairy industry. we allow these companies to basically run free. they don't have to follow the regulations the way other industries do. and we need a federal crackdown. >> larry: doctor, what makes one egg better than another? i see in the store grade a. large dozen. what's the difference in eggs? >> you know, larry, i have to be honest i'm not sure what makes one egg better than the other other than it sounds like cheaper eggs are ones that are infected. even when we're not having a real outbreak, we always have to be careful about eggs. salmonella unfortunately is present a lot of the time when we're buying things like eggs are raw meat and there are things you can do at home and in the restaurant. first of all, at home, wash your handle when you handle these things and not using the same utensils

owner and supplier austin "jack" decoster, a businessman with a troubled legal history.secretary robert r.b.i. blamed his for some of the most heinous violations he had ever seen the iowa supreme court called him a repeat vy ray tore and workers were caught mistreating chickens at his company in maine. >>> clearly this company was cutting corners in lots of areas including food safety. >> reporter: 1300 people have gotten sick from contaminated eggs and that number is expected to grow. alexis christophorus, cbs news, new york. >>> we have a complete list of the brand included in the recall as well as the identifying numbers on the cartons that contain those tainted eggs all on our web site cbs5.com/health. >>> it is an amazingly majestic site. the how we are of the humpback whale on full display. . >> far out. wrap ,,,, [ woman on tv ] if you won't let me in, you can't really love me. i know about gayle. i don't know what you're talking about. if you just tell me what happened... [ ding ] [ man ] 35th and archer. next stop hamilton. [ brakes hiss ] ♪ [ male announcer ] n

this is exactly what the pattern has been with jack decoster's firms. these farms and other farms related to his work have -- i just -- this is a serial violator. this is a guy who has a mile-long list of violations, you know, some states have a three-strikes you're out kind of penalty system for actual individuals. >> right. >> this company, if there were a three strikes you're out he would not be in business. >> in the time i have left, put him aside for a second and ask the question are there too many cooks in the kitchen, the fda supposedly looking into part of this, the usda, local agriculture agencies in the states involved. do we have a situation here they are not communicating enough and sharing information and that's why these things fall through the cracks? >> certainly, matt, that's part of it. there is no national database in which regulators can say, this particular business violated environmental laws or violated labor laws at the state level, the federal level and there ought to beat. here, also, we have a kind of a chicken and an egg pro

all associated with egg baron jack decoster. one of the top ten producers in the nation.o new disease clusters had been identified and no more recalls are expected. meaning the worst may be over. chris bury, abc news, galt, iowa. >>> doctors are trying to prepare 33 chilean miners for a long ordeal underground. nourishment, water and oxygen have been sent down to the survivors. they've also had a chance to send messages to their loved ones. special machines are now on the way to the mine in central chile. they will be used to dig a hole big enough to bring the men to the surface. >>> police in ohio have released dramatic video of a pursuit and a crash and it's incredible to believe a 19-year-old driver actually survived. police say the driver was going 100 miles an hour when his car literally went airborne and then slammed into a freeway overpass. the explosive force literally split the car into three pieces. the driver was ejected. the driver is now in critical condition. >>> six months after a trainer was killed by a whale, seaworld now faces a steep fine. the governmen

. >> reporter: the owner of the plant, jack decoster, has been sued for water pollution and waste violations at other farms. in 1996 he was fined for what the u.s. labor secretary described as sweatshop conditions. eggs with salmonella look and smell and taste normal. and there were few warning signs for the farmers. >> the birds themselves aren't sick, so the farmer doesn't even know what's going on. >> reporter: 1,000 cartons have been removed from the clearlake fairway store in iowa. >> we throw them in a dumpster. >> reporter: public health officials estimate that for every case that's reported, there may be as many as 30 more that haven't been reported. as more states look closely, they're going to find more cases. and probably a lot of them. but for now, check the numbers on your egg carton. and stay tuned to make sure additional eggs aren't added to the recall. for a complete list of all the key carton numbers, go to twitter at drrichardbesser. or our website abcnews.com/gma, george? >> to be extra safe cook those eggs all the way through. >> all the way through. >> rich besser, thank

it's owned by egg baron, jack decoster, one of the country's top ten producers who has a long, troubled history with regulators. but new federal rules requiring more testing on farms may help prevent future outbreaks. >> it will require egg producers to do some monitoring of their flocks and their environment for salmonella, but you still do need much more to make the egg supply completely safe. >> reporter: the fda now says no new recalls are likely, suggesting that investigators are confident they've zeroed in on the main sources of contamination here in iowa. robin? >> all right, chris. thank you very much. >>> 7:14. and juju chang has the morning's other news for us. good morning, juju. >> good morning, robin and david. and good morning, everyone. >>> we begin though with the death of four americans in the crash of a small plane in nepal. the plane was bound for the mt. everest region when monsoon rains forced it to turn back toward kathmandu. rescuers struggled to reach the crash site in a remote area with no roads. all 14 onboard were killed. >>> another milestone in iraq this mor