Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,095 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• America’s insurance crisis

• College Football Playoff

• Slowest driving cities in the US

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Big Story

Where are the Eggs?

Egg prices have surged by 38% nationwide over the past year.

• Eggs now cost about $3.65 for a dozen on average, much more than last year's $2.14. Some places are seeing even higher prices, like California, where eggs can cost almost $9 per dozen. In some stores, you can't find eggs at all.

• The sky-high prices can be blamed on three things: Bird flu, inflation, and law changes. The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, has spread rapidly across the US since 2022, affecting over 130 million poultry in all 50 states and leading to the culling of millions of laying hens. Fewer chickens means fewer eggs.

• Additionally, inflation has raised the cost of farming, shipping, and labor, making producing and delivering eggs more expensive. At the same time, new laws in states like California require cage-free conditions for hens, which limit production and supply.

• The path to price stabilization requires controlling the bird flu outbreak then farmers can rebuild their flocks without continual culling. But, farmers haven’t found a fix because wild bird populations keep reinfecting domestic operations.

Big Story

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Arrested

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was arrested Thursday after her convoy was attacked by security forces while leaving an anti-government protest in Caracas.

• It was her first public appearance after months in hiding as she rallied against President Nicolás Maduro’s attempt to stay in power. She has been a strong opponent of Maduro, remaining in Venezuela even as many of her allies fled the country.

• Machado organized protests against Maduro a day before he was set to begin a controversial third term, despite evidence showing he lost the election. Protest turnout was smaller than in the past because security forces and armed pro-government groups were heavily deployed to intimidate demonstrators.

• The opposition claims that Edmundo González, their candidate, won the presidential election by a large margin, supported by evidence from voting machine records. However, Venezuela’s government-controlled electoral body declared Maduro the winner without releasing voting data.

Big Story

America’s Insurance Crisis

The Palisades Fire has highlighted a growing insurance crisis in areas prone to natural disasters.

• Private insurers such as State Farm, Allstate, and Farmers Insurance have dropped thousands of policies in Los Angeles, forcing many homeowners to rely on the FAIR Plan, an expensive last-resort fire insurance program. The number of Pacific Palisades homes covered by the FAIR Plan quadrupled between 2020 and 2024, leaving 1 in 7 homeowners dependent on it.

• Insurers are increasingly dropping policies in high-risk areas across the US, including Florida, Louisiana, and New England. This trend threatens property values and could trigger a financial crisis similar to 2008.

• California is trying to address the crisis by introducing new rules that require insurers to cover high-risk areas. The goal is to reduce reliance on the FAIR Plan by mandating insurers expand coverage by 5% every two years until 85% of their market share is in high-risk regions.

• While this could stabilize the market, it allows insurers to pass reinsurance costs to policyholders, potentially raising premiums by 40%.

Quick Stories

US News

• House Democrats are urging the ICC to revoke arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defense minister. They argue that targeting officials from a democratic nation diverts resources from prosecuting true war criminals. (More)

• All living presidents attended Jimmy Carter’s funeral at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday. His casket is headed back to Georgia, where he will be buried in his hometown of Plains. (More)

• Over 15,000 doctors have signed a letter urging senators to oppose the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. The letter argues that Kennedy is unqualified and risks public health due to his controversial views. (More)

World

• Lebanon's parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun as president. Aoun has US backing and pledged to enforce the state's sole right to bear arms, receiving applause while Hezbollah lawmakers remained silent. (More)

• Slovakia is considering withholding aid to Ukraine in response to Kyiv's decision to stop Russian gas transit through its territory, Prime Minister Robert Fico said. (More)

• Chad's government stopped an attempted coup at the presidential palace in N'Djamena. According to Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah, 19 people were killed—18 attackers and one soldier—and six others were injured. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets were closed on Thursday to honor former President Jimmy Carter.

• Kentucky will receive a $110 million settlement from Kroger to resolve a lawsuit accusing the grocery chain of contributing to the opioid crisis. The funds will be used to combat the addiction epidemic in the state. (More)

• Long-haul flights are more affordable than last year, according to Hopper. Flights between the US and Asia are down 11%, averaging $1,087, while flights to Europe dropped 6%, now at $754. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Notre Dame will play for a national title for the first time in 12 years after beating Penn State 27-24 in the Orange Bowl, thanks to Mitch Jeter's last-minute 41-yard field goal. They’ll face the winner of tonight’s Ohio State vs. Texas Cotton Bowl game. (More)

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has rescheduled Oscar nominations to Sunday, Jan. 19, due to the Los Angeles wildfires. Additionally, the Oscars voting period has been extended by two days, now closing at 5 p.m. PT on Jan. 14. (More)

• Georgia quarterback Carson Beck will enter the NCAA transfer portal, reports say. Beck, 23, threw for 3,485 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while completing 64.7% of his passes during an 11–3 season. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Scientists from ETH Zurich and Cal Tech have used a new imaging technique to uncover what appears to be remnants of a "lost world" deep in the Earth's mantle beneath the Pacific Ocean. (More)

• NASA astronaut Nick Hague is set to perform a spacewalk on Jan. 16 to install patches on the NICER X-ray telescope aboard the International Space Station. (More)

• xAI has launched a standalone iOS app for its Grok chatbot in the US. The app is currently in beta and offers features like real-time information retrieval, answering questions, and image generation. (More)

Extra Credit

📸 See Greenland’s rugged landscape in these stunning pictures.

🚗 America’s slowest driving cities.

📜 A Michigan university released its 2025 list of banished words.

🏠️ Airbnb is offering free stays to LA wildfire victims.