While the cost of food is on the decline, breakfast lovers continue to reel from their dented wallets as the price of eggs and orange juice remain up.
Inflation has not been kind to the egg aficionados with prices as high as $7.37 for a dozen in states like California as recently as December and there are currently no signs of reprieve. Elsewhere, prices are cheaper than those in the Golden State but still expensive relative to the area. In December, the average U.S. price of eggs was $4.25
Supply chain disruptions have been identified as at least one of the issues causing prices to remain high but the avian bird flu has really wreaked havoc on the poultry industry. Right now, the market is experiencing the worst cases of bird flu and as a result more than 44 million egg-laying hens have died.
The issue is compounded when chickens that are at risk of contracting bird flu are euthanized in an effort to mitigate the spread. The New York Times reported that the depopulating of healthy birds on top of those that have succumbed to illness has slashed the nation's egg supply by more than 7 percent.
With egg demand peaking in December, customers could see a dropoff in price in the coming months.
While your scrambled eggs might cost a little less in the future, if you want to wash them down with some OJ, it will cost you.
Florida is currently experiencing its smallest citrus crop since the 1936-1937 season and it all started in early 2022. A January deep freeze in the sunshine state stunted growth of fruits, then Hurricane Ian bombarded the state and it was hit with another major hurricane in Nicole two months later in November.
The biggest culprit in the rise in cost of Florida oranges is the ongoing citrus tree disease. The disease, which causes leaves and fruit to drop prematurely, is typically spread via major rain events like hurricanes or through insects.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture anticipates around 20 million boxes of oranges to be produced this year, which is a 51 percent drop off from 2022.
Some of Tiktok's biggest stars have a message for the platform: It is time to pay up! As the platform has skyrocketed in popularity, many content creators have been given the opportunity to garner millions of fans and even sometimes billions of views. In 2020, the company launched a creator fund in order to incentivize the platform's users. However, while the group of creators has grown larger, the pool of money has remained the same, and creators are fed up, they claim as Tiktok becomes more successful. Senior Editor at Engadget, Karissa Bell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
In 2021, QAnon, the community which traffics in conspiracy theories saw a rapid growth in its numbers. As a result of vaccine rollouts, a number of conspiracies surrounding them also began to circulate which then led to the rise of "Anti-Vaxxers". As a result, the QAnon and anti-vax communities have become increasingly intertwined and the results could be costing lives. Senior Researcher at Media Matters Alex Kaplan, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Neil Young gave the streaming service Spotify an ultimatum demanding that his music be removed if the Joe Rogan experience remained on the platform. Joe Rogan's platform has been questioned a number of times as a result of some of his takes on covid treatment strategies and at times downright misinformation. Ultimately, Spotify decided to stick with Joe Rogan's podcast. The Director for the Business and Entertainment Program at American University, John Simson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Nutritional supplement beverage company Athletic Greens has achieved unicorn status. The company announced a new $115 million funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.2 billion. The company's flagship product AG1 combines 75 different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients into one daily serving. Athletic Greens says it is poised to reach the millions of consumers who are currently driving the health and wellness market's exponential growth. Athletic Greens founder and CEO Chris Ashenden joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Michael Mitchell, senior director of brand at Mailchimp, joins Cheddar News to discuss the launch of Bloom Season and what every BIPOC entrepreneur needs to know to succeed.
Janet Jackson shared that she had a conversation with Justin Timberlake who had asked her if he should make a statement during the scandal over her Super Bowl XXXVIII wardrobe malfunction, in her new self-titled Lifetime documentary. The musical icon said that she viewed the incident as an accident and remains "good friends" with Justin Timberlake.
The gaming industry has seen multiple large scales deals this month alone, including Microsoft's megadeal for Activision Blizzard. And, seemingly in response, rival Sony, picked up Bungie for $3.6 billion, a studio once owned by both Microsoft and Activision. The sector is reportedly on track to spend $150 billion on mergers and acquisitions just this year alone, a record-breaking total, according to investment firm Drake Star Partners. Michael Metzger, a partner at the firm specializing in technology, media, and communications, joined Cheddar to discuss the flurry of deals in the gaming space and what might be behind the hot M&A activity.
Ari Redbord, head of legal and government affairs and TRM Labs, joins Cheddar News to discuss why Facebook is ditching its crypto project and what that means for the space.
