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Por Matt Egan, CNN

Los amantes del chocolate están experimentando un impacto en los precios en esta celebración del Día de San Valentín.

Los precios al consumidor del chocolate han subido un 14,4 % interanual durante el período del 1 de enero a principios de febrero, según la firma de inteligencia de mercado Datasembly.

Eso representa una aceleración significativa respecto al aumento de precios del 7,8 % durante el mismo periodo el año pasado y del 10,5 % en 2024, según la firma de investigación, que rastreó los mejores precios para más de 4.000 productos de chocolate en 57.000 tiendas en todo Estados Unidos.

Los precios más altos del chocolate reflejan los efectos persistentes de una escasez mundial en el ingrediente principal: los granos de cacao. Esa escasez, provocada en parte por cosechas deficientes debido a fenómenos meteorológicos extremos en África Occidental, hizo que los precios del cacao se dispararan a niveles impensables.

“La oferta cayó repentinamente incluso cuando la demanda se mantuvo en gran medida igual. Los precios se dispararon”, dijo David Branch, gerente de sector en el Instituto Agroalimentario Wells Fargo, en una entrevista.

África Occidental, que produce alrededor del 70 % del cacao mundial, sufrió una pérdida de suministro tal que los futuros del grano de cacao pasaron de alrededor de US$ 2.500 por tonelada métrica a mediados de 2022 a más de US$ 12.600 a fines de 2024.

“Vimos una inflación del cacao sin precedentes”, dijo Stacy Taffet, directora de crecimiento de The Hershey Company, a Kate Bolduan de CNN esta semana.

La ejecutiva de Hershey dijo que la empresa se enfoca en mantener los productos “lo más asequibles posible”, señalando que alrededor del 75 % de los productos de la empresa tienen un precio inferior a US$ 4.

La buena noticia para los consumidores (y las empresas de chocolate) es que desde entonces los precios del cacao han vuelto a la normalidad, bajando recientemente de US$ 4.000 la tonelada métrica por primera vez en años.

La mala noticia: los productos de chocolate que hay hoy en las estanterías se fabricaron con granos comprados a precios cercanos o iguales a esos niveles críticos.

“Los precios minoristas se mantienen altos porque los fabricantes de dulces compran el cacao con meses de anticipación y trabajan con inventario existente”, escribió Branch en un informe.

Los compradores del Día de San Valentín en ciertas ciudades están enfrentando aumentos de precios aún mayores en el chocolate.

Según datos de Datasembly compartidos con CNN, los precios del chocolate han subido un 17 % en Denver y Los Ángeles, mientras que en la región de Dallas-Ft. Worth se han elevado un 19 %.

Sin embargo, para los estadounidenses en general, Branch dijo que los aumentos de precios del chocolate podrían disminuir para la Pascua. Para Halloween, sospecha que los precios del chocolate comenzarán a caer debido a la reciente caída de los precios del cacao.

“El alivio minorista será lento y desigual para los consumidores”, dijo.

Branch detalló que no considera que los altos aranceles a las importaciones de Estados Unidos sean un factor principal detrás del aumento de precios del chocolate.

Después de que la asequibilidad resurgiera como un gran desafío político en noviembre pasado, el presidente Donald Trump firmó un decreto que protegía al cacao y a otros productos agrícolas no producidos en Estados Unidos de sus histó

By Kaanita Iyer, CNN

(CNN) — A British dinosaur convention is banning some paleontologists named in the Jeffrey Epstein files from attending DinoCon – as the global scientific community becomes the latest to grapple with the convicted sex offender’s connections to prominent people in the worlds of business, politics and academia.

“As a result of the release of half of the Epstein files, it has come to light that a select number of scientists, authors and researchers relevant to the field of palaeontology allegedly engaged in correspondence with members of the Epstein organisation after the conviction of Jeffrey Epstein,” DinoCon said in a statement posted on X. “We want to state that all respective individuals are banned from all of our events.”

DinoCon, which is set to take place in late July in Birmingham, also called on other paleontology organizations to take “firm action” with their membership, saying: “We do not tolerate those who allow this behaviour to go unchallenged within our community.”

The convention’s stand comes after the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology acknowledged in a Facebook post this month that the names of some of its members have appeared in the Epstein files, prompting “questions and concern within the broader community.” The society’s executive committee emphasized, however, that “the appearance of a name, or even an email, in released documents does not, in itself, establish wrongdoing.”

“Should credible information emerge that warrants action under our existing policies, we will address it promptly and appropriately,” President Stuart Sumida said. “Until then, we ask that members rely on verified sources and refrain from speculating and demanding action without due process.”

DinoCon’s co-director Nathan Barling said in a statement to CNN, “There are many hundreds of scientists” whose names happen to be mentioned in the millions of documents related to Epstein released by the Justice Department – and that the only those who had direct contact with Epstein after his conviction are banned from the convention.

Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, had long been interested in science and evolution. He frequently hosted dinners and meetings that brought together high-profile scientists and intellectuals, several of whom pitched the financier on funding their research.

Among Epstein’s donations: He gave $6.5 million to Harvard University in 2003 to fund its Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, a now-defunct project to understand evolution using mathematics.

Epstein’s search for fossils

Some scientists have sought to disavow their previous ties to Epstein. Among them, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Seth Lloyd, who apologized to Epstein’s victims in 2020 and was placed on administrative leave several years after accepting research donations and a personal financial gift.

Last week, Jack Horner, who served as a technical advisor for the “Jurassic Park” movies and went fossil hunting with Epstein, addressed his associations with the disgraced financier in a statement cited by media outlets and reported in full by KTVQ.

“I was aware that (Epstein) had previously been charged with soliciting a prostitute and had served a sentence, but I was not aware of any additional allegations or misconduct,” Horner said. “I want to make it perfectly clear that

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SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (KEYT) – A 40-year-old Simi Valley man was taken into custody after leading officers responding to a domestic violence call on a freeway pursuit Thursday evening.

On Feb. 12, around 7:44 p.m., officers were dispatched to a possible domestic violence incident in progress in the 5300 block of Cochran Street after a person reported they heard screaming and believed a female neighbor was being assaulted by her boyfriend stated a press release Friday from the Simi Valley Police Department.

Arriving officers attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle associated with the call, but the suspected vehicle did not stop and instead, entered westbound State Route 118 detailed the Simi Valley Police Department.

According to Simi Valley Police, officers lost sight of the vehicle, but later located it in a Vons parking lot at 1855 Cochran Street.

Officers stopped the suspected driver, a 40-year-old Simi Valley man, as he attempted to leave the area on foot and it was later discovered that the man's vehicle had collided with a signal pole while exiting State Route 118 which prompted a response from the California Highway Patrol shared the Simi Valley Police Department.

The 40-year-old was booked into the Ventura County Main Jail on the following charges:

• PC 273.5(a)-Corporal Injury to a Spouse of Cohabitant
• PC 148(a)(1)-Resisting, Delaying, or Obstructing a Peace Officer
• VC 2800.2-Felony Evading
• VC 14601.2(a)-Driving on a Suspended License (DUI-related)
• VC 23247(e)-Ignition Interlock Device Violation
• VC 23152(a)-Driving Under the Influence

Domestic violence is a crime that can have lasting impacts on people, families, and the community.

In the event of a domestic violence emergency, call 911.

Those in need of support services can dial 211 to be connected to local programs and community resources.

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