U.S. egg prices increased again last month to reach a new record high of $6.23 per dozen despite President Donald Trump’s predictions, a drop in wholesale prices and no egg farms having bird flu outbreaks.

The increase reported Thursday in the consumer price index means consumers and businesses that rely on eggs might not get much immediate relief. Demand for eggs is typically elevated until after Easter, which falls on April 20.

Industry experts were expecting the index to reflect a drop in retail egg prices because wholesale egg prices dropped significantly in March. University of Arkansas agricultural economist Jada Thompson said the wholesale prices did not start dropping until mid-March, so there may not have been enough time for the average price for the month to decline even though prices started to fall at the end of the month. And grocery stores may not have passed on the lower prices.

Bird flu outbreaks were cited as the major cause of price spikes in January and February after more than 30 million egg-laying chickens were killed to prevent the spread of the disease. Only 2.1 million birds were slaughtered in March and none of them was on egg farms.

Egg prices hit $5.90 in February one month after setting a record at $4.95 per dozen, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

More Americans tapping 401(k) accounts

More Americans than average are turning to their retirement accounts for emergency cash in a trend that’s catching the attention of Empower, the nation’s second-largest retirement plan provider by plan participants.

Hardship withdrawals from 401(k)accounts are running about 15-20% above the historical norm, Empower CEO Ed Murphy said Monday. A withdrawal allows Americans to take money out of retirement savings to cover an immediate and heavy expense such as medical or housing debt. However, any withdrawal is taxed and, for those under age 59 ½, can come with a 10% penalty.

“There is a corollary to what you are seeing in the U.S. economy with deferred payments on auto loans and mortgages,” said Murphy, whose company administers 88,000 retirement plans for 19 million people. “That’s something we monitor carefully.”

A report from Vanguard Group also found hardship withdrawals rising, with a record 4.8% of plan participants initiating a withdrawal, up from 3.6% in 2023.

OpenAI sues Musk for allegedly interfering

OpenAI is suing Elon Musk for unfair competition and interfering with its business relationships with investors and customers, escalating a legal battle between the ChatGPT maker and the billionaire who helped bankroll the artificial intelligence startup a decade ago.

The allegations against Musk were filed Wednesday in a federal court in California as a counterclaim to the Tesla CEO’s lawsuit against OpenAI, which is heading to a jury trial next year.

Musk, an early OpenAI investor who now runs his own AI company, xAI, along with Tesla, SpaceX, social media platform X and President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, began a legal offensive against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman more than a year ago.

He first sued for breach of contract over what he said was the betrayal of its founding aims as a nonprofit research laboratory, and later expanded his claims.

Coal mines get EPA exemptions

The dirtiest coal-fired power plant in the U.S. and dozens of others are being exempted from stringent air pollution mandates as part of President Donald Trump’s bid to revitalize the industry.

Talen Energy Corp.’s Colstrip in Montana is among 47 plants receiving two-year waivers from rules to control mercury and other pollutants as part of a White House effort to ease regulation on coal-fired sites, according to a list seen by Bloomberg News.

The exemptions were among actions announced by the White House Tuesday to expand the mining and use of coal.

The Trump administration has argued coal is a vital part of the mix to ensure sufficient energy supply to meet booming demand for AI data centers.

The White House said the exemptions are needed because Environmental Protection Agency rules that were put in place by the Joe Biden administration for the emission of mercury and other toxins raise the “unacceptable risk” of shutdown for many coal-fired power plants.

Compiled from Associated Press and Bloomberg reports.