Wonkbook: Critics say they're selling 'baby body parts.' They say they're saving lives.

Sponsored by Qualcomm | By Danielle Paquette PLACERVILLE, CALIF. — StemExpress, a tiny biomedical company in this foothill town east of Sacramento, has emerged at the heart of the contentious national debate over abortion and the scientific use of human fetal tissue. FBI agents say its floor-to-ceiling windows are security hazards, a potential line of sight for snipers. The …   The latest economic and domestic policy from Wonkblog   A lab technician separates cells from umbilical cord blood at StemExpress in Placerville, California, May 5, 2016. (Max Whittaker / For The Washington Post) By Danielle Paquette PLACERVILLE, CALIF. — StemExpress, a tiny biomedical company in this foothill town east of Sacramento, has emerged at the heart of the contentious national debate over abortion and the scientific use of human fetal tissue. FBI agents say its floor-to-ceiling windows are security hazards, a potential line of sight for snipers. The backdrop of pine trees and hills provides cover, employees say, to strangers who crouch with cameras. Inside, Melanie Rose, a laboratory technician, knows anyone could be watching. One recent May morning, she opened a foam box with fetal tissue packed in ice — a donation for medical research. Rose, who is working toward a master's degree in stem cell treatment, is one of 24 employees here thrust into view after antiabortion activists released a series of videos last year. The videos shed light on an uncomfortable aspect of a little-known industry. They targeted Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions and for a time sold fetal tissue to StemExpress. The tissue, which is in limited supply, is a vital component in stem cell research — a great hope for medical breakthroughs. StemExpress collects the tissue and extracts the stem cells to sell to researchers worldwide. Most of it is from adult sources — drawn from blood and bone marrow — but a small amount is from fetal tissue. That work, with fetal tissue, has catapulted the small biotech firm out from under the radar. It is now the target of loiterers, protesters and death threats and the subject of a congressional inquiry. At the heart of the issue is whether the work is done for profit. The exchange of fetal tissue for research is legal, so long as neither party makes money in the deal. ADVERTISEMENT   House Republicans and antiabortion advocates assert that firms such as StemExpress do profit illegally and that that profit fuels a demand for abortions. StemExpress chief executive Cate Dyer says profit is not a factor. "We lose money doing this," Dyer said about working with fetal tissue. "We don't have to do this, and we won't stop doing this." Read the rest on Wonkblog.   Chart of the day Thoughts of death seem to make Donald Trump more appealing, recent psychological research suggests. Max Ehrenfreund has more. Top policy tweets "Brutal @philipaklein column on how Rubio's character has been exposed by his Trump cravenness https://t.co/Sp0kXSkFFL" -- @jonathanchait "Rubio's career to date has blended idealism and opportunism. Now he's choosing between them rather decisively https://t.co/EA8lmpJZrc" -- @DouthatNYT "This exciting new welfare reform bill is premised on the breakthrough idea that aid recipients are lazy. https://t.co/wyf6a3uaQB" -- @jeffspross Most Recent Posts from Wonkblog This might be the darkest theory yet about why Donald Trump keeps winning You probably shouldn't read this one at night or even on a cloudy day. By Max Ehrenfreund  •  Read more »   Critics say they’re selling ‘baby body parts.’ They say they’re saving lives. As a little known biotech company is ensnared in the national abortion debate, scientists across the U.S. say the fetal tissue supply is drying up, stalling lifesaving work. By Danielle Paquette  •  Read more »   There’s a mathematical reason you’re less popular than your friends It's not your imagination: Your friends really do have more friends than you do. By Ana Swanson  •  Read more »   What happened when an already-crazed city charged people to reserve space at a public park "There's no such thing as truly free." By Emily Badger  •  Read more »   Cancer deaths rose during the recession. But why? The link between unemployment and cancer fatalities. By Carolyn Y. Johnson  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   Federal Insider Federal news and policy update, in your inbox daily. Sign Up »         Share Wonkbook:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for a Wonkblog newsletter. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2016 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071