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U.S. Department of Agriculture

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These Foods Expected To See Biggest Price Increases This Year, USDA Says These Foods Expected To See Biggest Price Increases This Year, USDA Says
These Foods Expected To See Biggest Price Increases This Year, USDA Says As consumers navigate the aisles in 2025, the cost of food remains a pressing concern.  The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released its 2025 Food Price Outlook, forecasting trends that will shape grocery store receipts and restaurant bills in the months ahead. What’s Ahead for Food Prices? According to the USDA, overall food prices are expected to rise by 2.2 percent in 2025. While this is comparable to 2024’s rate, it remains slower than the historical average. However, variations in price changes across different food categories could impact consumer spending habits. Groce…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Wegmans Cracks Down On Rising Egg Costs With Super Low Prices Wegmans Cracks Down On Rising Egg Costs With Super Low Prices
Wegmans Cracks Down On Rising Egg Costs With Super Low Prices If you’ve been to the grocery store lately, you might have felt some serious sticker shock in the egg aisle. Prices are climbing fast, but Wegmans is vowing to keep costs from scrambling out of control. The grocery chain, known for its loyal following and high-quality selections, says it’s holding the line on egg prices even as costs soar across the country.  "With supply fluctuating nationwide, prices are rising due to avian bird influenza and strong demand," reads a blurb on the Wegmans website in the "eggs section.  "Our New York state supplier takes every precaution to ensure…

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by Cecilia Levine
Business
Inspectors Found ‘General Filth’ At Boar’s Head Plant Tied To Deadly Listeria Outbreak: USDA Inspectors Found ‘General Filth’ At Boar’s Head Plant Tied To Deadly Listeria Outbreak: USDA
Inspectors Found ‘General Filth’ At Boar’s Head Plant Tied To Deadly Listeria Outbreak: USDA Inspectors found "general filth," poor sanitation practices, and structural issues at Boar’s Head facilities, including the Virginia plant linked to a deadly Listeria outbreak that killed 10 people and hospitalized 60, according to a newly released USDA report. A detailed report by the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has revealed alarming findings at Boar’s Head’s Virginia facility, tied to a 2024 outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes that resulted in 10 deaths and 60 hospitalizations across 19 states.  The outbreak, traced to liverwurst products f…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
NJ Shines In Key Areas For Raising Families In New Study: See The Details NJ Shines In Key Areas For Raising Families In New Study: See The Details
NJ Shines In Key Areas For Raising Families In New Study: See The Details Massachusetts leads the U.S. as a place for raising families and two other Northeast states are among the nation's best, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of best and worst states to raise a family on Monday, Jan. 13. The personal finance website ranked each state on family-friendliness, evaluating factors like housing affordability, healthcare quality, job security, and education. Massachusetts claimed the top spot, excelling in education and healthcare. The state boasts the nation’s best public schools, the highest rate of children with health insurance, and …

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by Chris Spiker
Business
10M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns: Product List 10M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns: Product List
10M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns: Product List The product list has now been released for a nationwide recall of nearly 10 million pounds of meat and poultry products over fears they may be contaminated with Listeria. Click here for a new, updated story: New Update: Products Added To Recall Of 10M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry Due To Listeria Concerns The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)  announced that BrucePac is recalling approximately 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes. The ready-to-eat meat and poultry items were produced…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Mold, Mildew, Insects Found At Boar’s Head Plant Tied To Deadly Listeria Outbreak, Report Says Mold, Mildew, Insects Found At Boar’s Head Plant Tied To Deadly Listeria Outbreak, Report Says
Mold, Mildew, Insects Found At Boar’s Head Plant Tied To Deadly Listeria Outbreak, Report Says Inspectors at the Boar's Head plant tied to a deadly Listeria outbreak discovered mold, mildew and insects among dozens of violations, according to a report by CBS News. Dozens of violations at the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, were outlined in records released by the US Department of Agriculture, the report said. After an initial recall of around 200,000 pounds of deli meat due to possible Listeria contamination, the company expanded it to approximately seven million additional pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products on Tuesday, July 30. Boar's Head's recall includes 71 p…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Deadly Cheeses Prompt Massive Recall Nationwide: CDC, FDA, USDA Deadly Cheeses Prompt Massive Recall Nationwide: CDC, FDA, USDA
Deadly Cheeses Prompt Massive Recall Nationwide: CDC, FDA, USDA Dairy products linked to deaths and serious illness — sold nationwide at many major retailers — are being recalled, the Center for Disease Control, the US Department of Agriculture, and the Food And Drug Administration announced in multiple releases over the first week of February.  Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. is recalling over 50 products after 26 illnesses, 23 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths, according to the CDC.  The California-based company issued the recall following the report of Listeria monocytogenes contamination causing illnesses in 11 states. Listeria monocytogene…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Democratic Senator Bob Menendez Indicted On Federal Bribery Charges Democratic Senator Bob Menendez Indicted On Federal Bribery Charges
Democratic Senator Bob Menendez Indicted On Federal Bribery Charges Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey was indicted Friday on federal corruption charges that include allegations of him secretly supporting the government of Egypt and trying to influence U.S. prosecutors' case against Bergen County real estate magnate Fred Daibes. Mendendez, 69, who's chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made several moves in exchange for bribes, some of which were passed to his wife, Nadine Arsianian, a sweeping indictment unsealed on Sept. 22 alleges. A staggering array of charges were brought by the grand jurors in the Southern District of N…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Cyber-Casanova From NJ Admits Duping Dozens Of Lonely Hearts Out Of $1.14M Cyber-Casanova From NJ Admits Duping Dozens Of Lonely Hearts Out Of $1.14M
Cyber-Casanova From NJ Admits Duping Dozens Of Lonely Hearts Out Of $1.14M A New Jersey man admitted that he orchestrated an online scam that conned dozens of unsuspecting women on dating sites out of more than a million dollars – and led one of them to suicide. Rubbin Sarpong, 37, of Millville pocketed the money and bought property in Ghana, along with luxury cars, expensive jewelry, top-shelf booze, designer clothes and more, federal authorities said. Then he flaunted it on Instagram. Sarpong had catfishing accomplices, several of whom live in Ghana, Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachael Honig said. Posing as American military personnel stationed oversea…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
'Murder Hornets': Media-Created Panic Scaring Some Into Killing Essential Insects, Experts Warn 'Murder Hornets': Media-Created Panic Scaring Some Into Killing Essential Insects, Experts Warn
'Murder Hornets': Media-Created Panic Scaring Some Into Killing Essential Insects, Experts Warn Continuing media reports about “murder hornets” have panicked an ignorant public into needlessly killing already-endangered bees and wasps, experts warn. Native bees, for instance, pollinate 75% of fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports. Yet even government beekeepers have announced plans to set traps that will kill some of these extremely essential insects, Doug Yanega, senior museum scientist for the Department of Entomology at UC Riverside, told the Los Angeles Times. SEE: Traps will be set out soon, KY officials say SEE: Ten…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
South Jersey Grocery Store Owner Admits $260,000 Food Stamp Scam South Jersey Grocery Store Owner Admits $260,000 Food Stamp Scam
South Jersey Grocery Store Owner Admits $260,000 Food Stamp Scam A Camden grocery store owner admitted trading drugs and cash for government-issued debit cards that he and several accomplices used to steal $260,000 in benefits intended for families in need. Luciano Estevez, 50, pleaded guilty on Wednesday via teleconference after federal agents caught him and three of the others in a sting, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, allows users to buy necessary groceries. Although exchanging SNAP cards for cash is illegal, Estevez and his acco…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Newark Grocery Store Father, Son Sentenced In $3.49M Federal SNAP Benefits Fraud Newark Grocery Store Father, Son Sentenced In $3.49M Federal SNAP Benefits Fraud
Newark Grocery Store Father, Son Sentenced In $3.49M Federal SNAP Benefits Fraud A Newark man was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison and his son to 15 months of home detention Thursday for blatantly exchanging federal food benefits for $3.49 million in cash. Juan Perdomo ran M&R Supermarket in Newark, which accepted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments through government-issued debit cards issued to families in need. The federally funded program, formerly known as food stamps, allows users to purchase food, but the benefit cannot be exchanged for cash. Authorities say Perdomo, along with his son, Jose, and wife, Maria Rodrigue…

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by Jerry DeMarco