IN BLANKSTARE NEWS: Talkin’ turkey

The USDA says the average price per pound of an 8- to 16-pound turkey is $1.99, up from $1.15 last year. That's a 73% increase. And the ongoing spread of bird flu will keep prices high over the next few weeks.

Talkin’ turkey … Putting a turkey dinner on your table this Thanksgiving will likely cost you a lot more than last year. The USDA says the average price per pound of an 8- to 16-pound turkey is $1.99, up from $1.15 last year. That's a 73% increase. And the ongoing spread of bird flu will keep prices high over the next few weeks. Bird flu usually spreads during the colder months, but this year a spike in cases happened in July, forcing many commercial turkey producers to euthanize thousands of infected birds. In Iowa it has affected more than 13.3 million birds, while in Minnesota the flu affected more than 3.5 million turkeys.