
AP Photo/LM Otero
Phoenix residents are struggling to afford the rising cost of food, with the price of beef surging by nearly 15% over the past year in the metro area. You might think meat companies increased prices solely to cover rising costs due to the pandemic, but one look at their bottom lines suggests otherwise.
Meat packers’ profits increased by an astonishing 300% during the pandemic, according to a recent analysis from the White House. This corporate cash-grab directly hit Arizonans’ pocketbooks: In November, for example, meat prices were the single largest contributor to the rising cost of groceries.
In December, President Biden ordered his administration to investigate the price increases and corporate consolidation in the meat industry—the top four corporations now supply over 80% of the nation’s beef. Biden also introduced an effort to provide $1 billion in financial support to smaller, independent meat processors to increase competition.
Looking for the latest Arizona news? Sign up for our FREE daily newsletter.

He said what? 10 things to know about RFK Jr.
The Kennedy family has long been considered “Democratic royalty.” But Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—son of Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated while...

Here’s everything you need to know about this month’s Mercury retrograde
Does everything in your life feel a little more chaotic than usual? Or do you feel like misunderstandings are cropping up more frequently than they...

Arizona expects to be back at the center of election attacks. Its officials are going on offense
Republican Richer and Democrat Fontes are taking more aggressive steps than ever to rebuild trust with voters, knock down disinformation, and...

George Santos’ former treasurer running attack ads in Arizona with Dem-sounding PAC name
An unregistered, Republican-run political action committee from Texas with a deceptively Democratic name and ties to disgraced US Rep. George Santos...