Remember last month, when McDonald's landed itself in some hot water over allegations that their egg supplier horribly mistreated the chickens responsible for Egg McMuffins? The fast-food giant dropped the producer, Sparboe Farms, right quick, but for some celebrities, that just isn't enough. A completely random assortment of celebrities, including Ryan Gosling, Zooey Deschanel, Steve-O and Alicia Silverstone have signed a letter from Mercy for Animals to McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner asking the chain to adopt stricter animal welfare policies, like they already have in place in Europe. The tagline? "I'm Hatin' It." more ›

Just two weeks after the Humane Society filed suit against McDonald's over claims that their pork producer horribly abused the pigs used in the McRib sandwich, another animal rights group is coming forward with a video showing the Mickey D's egg supplier grossly mistreating their chickens, and McDonald's isn't taking it lightly. more ›

Well this was unexpected! The nation's main egg industry group, the United Egg Producers, and the nation's largest animal protection group, the Humane Society of the United States, have teamed up to work on proposed federal regulations on how America's 280 million laying hens are treated. Their proposal still has a long way to go, and will likely face much opposition from livestock farmers worried about the feds stepping on their toes, but for now it offers some interesting (and heartening) concessions from two normally opposed groups [PDF]. more ›

Couple Sajid and Abida Mahmood are suing the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Center for Human Reproduction, claiming the hospital thawed and destroyed Abida's embryos after the couple decided to change physicians. The couple began an in-vitro program last year, but decided to try a new doctor after two failed implants. Abida told the Post, "I feel like they killed my babies. I've been crying for months." more ›

A Fine Blog spotted a demonstration today outside the Dunkin' Donuts on East 14th Street, where protesters were handing out free vegan donuts and literature about the chain's use of factory farm eggs: "When asked if DD would change to a cage free supplier who used humane practices, one protester said 'that would be an improvement, but that would never happen for such a large chain.'" For more on what these people are so upset about, check out Dunkin' Cruelty, which has targeted Michael Foods, the egg supplier for several national restaurant chains, including Dunkin' Donuts. One investigator used a hidden camera to document abuses including "hens immobilized in the wires of their cages, unable to access food or water; and decomposing and 'mummified' corpses left in cages with live birds." Mmmm, mummies. Disturbing video below! more ›

One Park Slope family is fretting after losing one of their chickens. According to the Brooklyn Paper, Rebecca Lax and her two daughters just procured two of the feathered friends to provide them with fresh eggs from their backyard on 6th Avenue and 1st Street—but upon getting them home, one flew the coop! more ›

New York taxpayers will soon become the first in the nation to pay women to donate their eggs for stem cell research. The plan was approved last month by the Empire State Stem Cell Board, which helps administer the state's $600 million allocation for 11 years of stem-cell studies. Starting next year, donors will be paid at least $5,000 and up to $10,000 for their eggs. And even women with health problems which would normally exclude them from egg donation will get a piece of the action because researchers want to study the genetics of various diseases. The process involves hormone injections, producing more eggs per cycle than would be considered normal and retrieval with anesthesia—all of which makes bioethicists like Debra Mathews uncomfortable. Mathews tells AP, "We don't really have good data on the risks. You're asking women to undergo this unknown risk for unknown benefit." But donors like Hanqi Miao know of one nice benefit; she's being paid $5,000 to donate her eggs at a fertility center and asks, "Who doesn't want money in your hand?" more ›

19-year-old David Diaz (pictured here with his former girlfriend) recently moved from Harlem to the Bronx, but on the last night of his life he was palling around with friends in his old neighborhood, tossing eggs off a roof on West 135th Street. When one of their targets headed up on the roof to confront the teens—wielding a knife according to one report—the youths scattered. The Daily News says that Diaz, his right arm in a sling from a football injury, tried to escape by jumping over a brick wall he thought separated one building from another. Instead, he fell six stories to the courtyard below. more ›

The eight towering sludge digester eggs at the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Greenpoint got even more sci-fi looking last night when the DEP flicked the switch on the new dramatic blue lights illuminating the 145 feet high structures. True to form, New York Shitty was there to get total coverage on the lighting ceremony. more ›

Two white Staten Island cops were indicted today for an incident last Halloween in which they allegedly handcuffed a black egg-throwing teen and drove him to a dark, secluded marshland he was stranded (the handcuffs were taken off). Initially, the cops were also accused of stripping him down to his shorts and kicking him. more ›