WASHINGTON IN BRIEF

White House Says It Destroyed Hard Drives

Older White House computer hard drives have been destroyed, the White House told a federal court yesterday, and some, but not necessarily all, of the data on those hard drives was moved to new ones.

The White House revealed the information about how it handles its computers in an effort to convince a federal magistrate that it would be fruitless to undertake a plan proposed by the court to recover millions of possibly missing e-mails from 2003 to 2005.

It would be costly and time-consuming for the White House to institute an e-mail retrieval program that entails pulling data off each individual workstation, the White House said in a sworn declaration filed with U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola.

Heparin's U.S. Recall Begins

A manufacturer of the blood thinner heparin initiated a nationwide recall because some products may contain a potentially dangerous contaminant. Contaminated heparin from a different manufacturer has been associated with 19 deaths and hundreds of allergic reactions.

B. Braun Medical said it is recalling 23 lots of heparin as a precaution. No adverse events have been reported in connection with their product, company officials said.

The company issued the recall after one of its suppliers, Wisconsin-based Scientific Protein Laboratories, disclosed that an ingredient it provided contained oversulfated chondroitin sulfate, a chemical that does not occur naturally. Federal officials are investigating how the contaminant got into the drug.

Scientific Protein Laboratories also supplies Baxter International, which recalled nearly all its U.S.-sold heparin injections.

Senators Urge HUD Chief to Quit

Two Democratic senators called for Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson's resignation, saying he is unfit to run the top U.S. housing agency at a time of crisis. Sens. Christopher J. Dodd (Conn.) and Patty Murray (Wash.) wrote in a letter to President Bush that allegations of cronyism and improprieties in the awarding of contracts have created a "worsening distraction" for Jackson when he should be dealing with the problems in the housing and mortgage markets.

Fallon Won't Testify on Iraq

The Pentagon has ruled out including Adm. William J. Fallon as a witness before Congress when the top U.S. military and diplomatic officials in Baghdad testify next month on Iraq. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said the decision has nothing to do with Fallon's views on Iran -- he has publicly opposed launching a war -- or the reasons for his unexpected resignation this month.

-- From News Services