Ground Beef prices at an all time high

disruptions from a flesh-eating pest in Mexico.

Hamburgler Helper

Beef prices are at record highs, and industry experts say could stay that way into 2026 and beyond.

Ground beef averaged $6.12 a pound in June, up nearly 12% from a year ago, according to federal data released this week.

Steak prices jumped 8% year-over-year, per the latest Consumer Price Index.

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— Jon Cooper (@joncooper-us.bsky.social) Jul 19, 2025 at 9:17 AM

Every hero needs a villain — someone to juxtapose against, to present the embodiment of badness to make their goodness stand out all the more. This is true even for fast food advertising characters. Years after establishing Ronald McDonald as its cheerful, kid-friendly mascot and champion of all things hamburger, fries, and shake-related, McDonald's brought out a nemesis for the clown: the Hamburglar. As the same implies, he was a criminal — although more of a thief than a breaking-and-entering practitioner — helping himself to hamburgers (or more commonly, cheeseburgers) that didn't belong to him.

Why did the Hamburglar commit such atrocities? Well, he just loved McDonald's so much that he just couldn't help but swipe the products. The Hamburglar was usually caught in the middle of an act of thievery, or by the end of one of his many in 30-second commercials, but he was never deterred, always returning with another hamburger-snatching scheme.

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