Really shelling out for eggs.

I'm David Brancaccio in New York. Before I get to the downer, here's a pick-me-up. The price of

televisions fell 5.6 percent, 2023 to 2024. But you don't need a new TV every week, but you

might need eggs where the price is skyrocketing as producers deal with the avian or bird flu.

In places like California, the price of a dozen eggs is off the charts.

Marketplace's Nova Safo has more from Los Angeles.

Nationally, egg prices spiked dramatically in late December to record highs, as demand increased during the holidays while

supply could not keep up because of the bird flow outbreak, which has left the country with

fewer egg-laying hens. The Agriculture Department says egg prices have since moderated a bit.

Still, shortages persist, and many stores are limiting the number of eggs people can buy per trip and placing

signs about the shortage. Wholesale prices are now hovering at around $6 per dozen for large

eggs, that is everywhere except California. The problem is especially acute in the state where

a carton of eggs is benchmarked at $9. So what's happening in California?

Well, in part, prices are higher because all eggs sold here must be cage-free.

The avian flu also has been especially burdensome in the state, which is declared an emergency.

36 California farm workers have been infected, although at dairy farms, and yes, milk prices have risen too, but not as much as

X prices. I'm Novice Havo for Marketplace.

McDonald's is the latest big firm backing off its work to bring aboard people from a range of

backgrounds. The company cited a shifting legal landscape in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling

outlawing affirmative action in

college admissions. Here's Marketplace's Nancy Marshall-Genser.

McDonald's sent an email yesterday to store owners, employees, and suppliers. It says

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