New Yorkers scramble for free eggs

NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of people lined up Friday morning at three sites in New York City, some arriving more than an hour early, for the opportunity to snag one of the nation's hottest commodities: a dozen free eggs.

People were bundled up against the windy cold as they stood outside a Harlem restaurant, patiently waiting to be handed a carton. Less than 10 minutes later, the 100 cartons were gone, leaving many empty-handed.

“I heard from the news that they will be giving around, like, 1,500 eggs, or something like that. OK? And I just came because I needed some eggs, and then I’m waiting here in the line, and I don’t see anything,” said Jackeline Tejava, who was in a line that stretched around the block. “They say that the eggs are gone, but it hasn’t been not even more than 20 people, so I don’t know what happened.”

Egg prices hit a record high last month as the U.S. contends with a bird flu outbreak, which has forced poultry farms to slaughter more than 168 million birds since 2022.

Trying to find eggs on grocery store shelves in New York City can be hit or miss. When they are in stock, they can be pricey.

Friday’s giveaway was organized by FarmerJawn, a 128-acre (52-hectare) Pennsylvania farm that’s focused on providing organic food to underserved communities. FarmerJawn held other egg giveaways Friday in Brooklyn and Queens. The group also handed out free cartons in New York last month.

“We’re doing this egg giveaway because, as food producers, we believe it’s our responsibility to support the communities that support us,” the group said in a written statement. It partnered with a local butchery and a upstate New York farm to organize Friday’s events.

“Food is medicine, and everyone - especially the often-forgotten middle class - deserves access to it,” Farmerjawn said.

Other organizations, including churches, have recently held egg giveaways in New York and elsewhere around the country, including Las Vegas, Chicago, Philadelphia and Richland County, South Carolina.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects egg prices to rise 41% this year over last year’s average of $3.17 per dozen. A carton of eggs in New York City can often run twice or three times that amount, depending on the store.

Marion Johnson, who waited more than two hours at the Harlem giveaway but didn't get a free carton, said she can't afford eggs.

“They're so expensive,” she said. “This is not fair. ... They know everybody gonna be on line like this.”

Abou Sow hands out cartons of eggs to people waiting in line to receive free eggs from FarmerJawn Agriculture, Friday, March 21, 2025, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Abou Sow hands out cartons of eggs to people waiting in line to receive free eggs from FarmerJawn Agriculture, Friday, March 21, 2025, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Abou Sow hands a free carton of eggs to a person , Friday, March 21, 2025, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

People continue waiting in line after FarmerJawn Agriculture ran out of free eggs at an egg giveaway, Friday, March 21, 2025, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Abou Sow hands out cartons of eggs to people waiting in line to receive free eggs from FarmerJawn Agriculture, Friday, March 21, 2025, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Abou Sow hands out cartons of eggs to people waiting in line to receive free eggs from FarmerJawn Agriculture, Friday, March 21, 2025, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Abou Sow hands out cartons of eggs to people waiting in line to receive free eggs from FarmerJawn Agriculture, Friday, March 21, 2025, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

People wait in line to receive free eggs from FarmerJawn Agriculture, Friday, March 21, 2025, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Abou Sow hands out cartons of eggs to people waiting in line to receive free eggs from FarmerJawn Agriculture, Friday, March 21, 2025, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.

Government officials survey the damage of a home caused by a gas cylinder explosion hours after a wedding reception, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)