27-02-2025
Afternoon Briefing: Egg prices leave restaurants and bakeries scrambling
Good afternoon, Chicago.
When St. Charles residents Terry Beltran and her husband Scott opened their mom-and-pop diner over 18 years ago, they never envisioned the one-two punch that would come their way nearly two decades into operating Daddio's Diner in Batavia.
'We got hit pretty bad with the last virus a few years ago and still haven't recovered from that,' Scott Beltran said recently about the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Now we have this issue with bird flu and the price of eggs that have gone through the roof. Honestly, we're nearly bankrupt.'
Egg prices in the United States hit an all-time average high of $4.95 per dozen this month, officials have said, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicting the price could soar even higher as the year goes on because of the impact of bird flu. That means restaurants and other businesses that rely on eggs as a staple are scrambling to deal with the skyrocketing prices.
Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
In Midway near-collision, NTSB chair cites business jet crew's apparent 'failure to listen'
The head of a federal agency investigating the near-collision at Midway Airport between a Southwest plane and a business jet has said the business jet pilot appeared to fail to follow instructions. 'We don't believe that this was an air traffic control issue,' said Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, in an appearance on 'Fox & Friends' this morning. Read more here.
To help balance Mayor Brandon Johnson's 2025 budget, Chicago installing 50 new speed cameras to ticket drivers
Ex-sailor pleads guilty to terrorist plot to attack Naval Station Great Lakes in 2022
Chicago tech incubator 1871 leaving the Mart after 13 years
Launched in 2012, the nonprofit 1871 has been an anchor tenant at the Mart and the nexus of the Chicago tech scene for more than a decade, providing space, expertise and funding opportunities for a long roster of startups. Read more here.
More top business stories:
Mundelein school districts warn massive Wirtz family development will overwhelm schools and want developers to soften the blow
Naperville craft brewers worried about potential impact of Trump's aluminum tariffs
Sammy Sosa makes a big impression in his return to the Chicago Cubs as a guest instructor: 'He's an icon'
Back in Cubbie blue for the first time since a turbulent ending with the organization in 2004, Sammy Sosa was soaking in the opportunity to connect with players, whether it was in the dugout at Sloan Park or spending time in the cage. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
Shedd Aquarium receives $10 million donation
Chicago's Shedd Aquarium announced that it has received $10 million from the health care company Abbott, a longtime benefactor of the aquarium. Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
Love baseball movies? 'Play Ball!' is a new 8-inning film series at the Music Box
'Running Point' review: A lot like 'Entourage,' minus the bro-y energy
Oscar-winner Gene Hackman, wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were dead for some time, warrant shows
Gene Hackman, 95, was found dead in a mudroom and his 63-year-old wife, Betsy Arakawa, was found dead in a bathroom next to a space heater, the Santa Fe County sheriff's office wrote in a search warrant. There was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the counter top near Arakawa. Read more here.
