The reasons why your groceries are still so expensive

Good morning. It's Tuesday, February 6th. I'm Yasmeen Khan, in for Shumita Basu. This is "Apple News Today." Coming up, what's up with high grocery costs, the surprising role of radio in the Gaza war, and the spicy breakup story behind the Sriracha shortage.

But first, let's take a quick look at some major stories in the news. At least three people are dead in California, and there's more dangerous rain and wind in store for the state. Power's been knocked out to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses. And the severe weather is threatening to spread to other states as it moves east toward Arizona and Nevada. Tens of millions of people have been under flood warnings.

I know that this is hard, but Angelenos, we will get through this. We anticipate the rains for a couple of more days, but know that we are not standing alone in our city.

While she was briefing the public, President Biden called in to offer more federal assistance. Bass put him on speaker so people could hear it.

We'll get any help on the way as soon as you guys request it. So just let me know. That's why I'm calling.

Downtown L.A. saw historic levels of rain, breaking a record that stood for more than a century. The excess water is too much to handle for soil in the region, leading to dozens of mudslides. In politics, the Democratic and Republican primaries are in Nevada today. Confusingly, there's also a Republican caucus in Nevada on Thursday, and the top GOP candidates won't face off in the contests. Nikki Haley's competing in today's primary. Former President Trump is running in Thursday's caucus.

Also, Tracy Chapman returned to the top of the charts. "Fast Car" hit number one on iTunes. Her Grammys duet with country singer Luke Combs had people wanting to hear her 1988 original again. In many ways, the U.S. economy is doing great. Job growth is solid. Overall inflation is dropping. But try telling that to somebody who's staring at a fat grocery receipt and wondering why they got so little food for the money.

The cost of groceries is one place where consumers are still feeling a pinch. Food costs have climbed 25% over the last four years, outpacing inflation. And according to "Washington Post" economics correspondent Abha Bhattarai, there's no easy policy fix here because many factors are keeping food costs high.

You know, a lot of things related to climate change, droughts, dry weather, you know, just excess rain, flooding in different parts of the world. We also have Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has impacted a bunch of commodities, avian flu, and then labor shortages and higher wages just across the spectrum of the food process.

Economic policy experts say another issue is consolidation in the food business. Less competition means large chains can keep prices higher without losing customers. President Biden has accused some large-scale grocers of price gouging Americans, and his administration has taken legal action.

I think it has become a big priority of the administration to figure out whether companies are jacking up prices beyond what is necessary and sort of… taking advantage of this moment where consumers are resigned to the fact that they may have to pay a little bit more at the supermarket.

For those of you wondering, "Will prices ever come down at the grocery store?" The answer is yes and no. One agricultural economist told Bhattarai they likely will not return to pre-pandemic levels, but things are at least stabilizing with several items dropping in price last year, like eggs, lettuce, and tomatoes. And the Agriculture Department predicts a very slight drop in overall grocery prices this year.

For Israelis and Palestinians who've been separated from their loved ones by war, it's been a difficult four months.

But some have been figuring out ways to talk to their loved ones through the radio. NPR has a story on how Palestinian and Israeli radio stations are trying to reconnect families. Yarden Roman-Gat was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th, but has since been released. She said her captors allowed her to listen to the radio. That's how she found out that some of her relatives died, but that her husband and child were alive. She also learned that her family was aware she was being held hostage.

She said that that was one of the most important things for her while she was in captivity, keeping her strong, knowing that her husband and child are still alive, and that we fight for her.

That gave the country's biggest broadcaster, Israeli Army Radio, an idea. The radio station started airing messages for the remaining hostages in Gaza from their relatives and loved ones. Every hour, a song is dedicated to a hostage by name, like this song called "We Will Meet."

Meanwhile, Palestinians are using the power of radio, too. There are thousands of Palestinians being held in Israeli jails. Most are being held without charge or are awaiting sentencing. And Israel has all but cut off communication. There are no more family visits. Lawyers have minimal access to their clients, and even some mail delivery services have been severed.

We have no connection to reach to him or to speak with him. Where's the human rights? Where's the prisoner rights? Even the lawyer can't reach to him.

Technically, Palestinians aren't allowed to listen to radios in Israeli detention centers, but some who've been released say that occasionally one gets smuggled in and a message can get around. As NPR notes, desperate families feel there's nothing to lose in recording a message. You never know who, by chance, may be listening.

Lovers of hot sauce, specifically the iconic Sriracha from Huy Fong Foods, are a passionate group.

They go crazy for that bottle, the one with the bright green cap and rooster on the label. This particular brand of Sriracha has attracted legions of fans. It even inspired a whole documentary.

I just love that bold flavor.

It's yummy.

But those folks have been out of luck lately. The hot sauce has been in short supply in grocery stores, and online sellers have sometimes jacked up prices to nearly $70 a bottle. The company has blamed the shortage on climate change and drought in Mexico. But some experts said that didn't quite add up. Now, "Fortune Magazine" reports on what it says is the real origin of this shortage. The problem goes back to a dispute in 2016.

It's an epic tale that turned two men into direct competitors and left millions of people without their favorite hot sauce. You can read the whole thing, along with all the stories we talked about, in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the News app, we've got a narrated article coming up next from the "Atavist Magazine" about an incredible story of survival. Last year, four children went missing in the Colombian Amazon after surviving a plane crash.