By NASSER KARIMI and MEHDI FATTAHI, Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Every day, Iranians go to stores and find prices rising. Some post photos on social media of the shrinking contents of their shopping carts as they struggle to buy enough basic staples for their families. The mounting cost of living is an extra weight bearing down as Iranians prepare for a possible war with the U.S. and wrestle with the aftermath of protests that swept the country last month.

“Everybody is under pressure: merchants, civil servants, laborers,” said Ebrahim Momeni, a 52-year-old retired civil servant. “The weaker class of people is being crushed.”

Iran’s economy has struggled for years because of international sanctions and mismanagement.

It experienced some relief under a 2015 nuclear deal that lifted many sanctions, until U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018. Since coming back into office more than a year ago, Trump revived a “maximum pressure” campaign, expanding sanctions that target Iran’s financial sector and energy exports. On Wednesday, his administration imposed new sanctions on 30 people and companies accused of enabling Iran’s production of ballistic missiles and drones, and illicit oil sales.

The pressure has accelerated the devaluation of Iran’s currency, the rial. In 2015, when the nuclear deal was signed, the rial traded at about 32,000 to the dollar. In late December, it was at 1.3 million to the dollar. On Wednesday, it had reached a new low at 1.65 million rials to the dollar — worsened by fears of a U.S. attack.

Women walk past a mural at a girls school at Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution Street in downtown Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Lower classes desperate for relief as prices jump

Inflation has surpassed 46% compared with January of last year. Economists warn that the rial’s accelerating decline risks feeding a vicious cycle of higher prices and reduced purchasing power. They expect double-digit inflation to plague Iran’s economy — which also suffers from high unemployment among younger people — for years to come.

People walk on a sidewalk at Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

The plunging value of the rial was one trigger for protests that began in late December in Tehran’s main bazaar and then spiraled nationwide.

Prices for everyday items, from groceries to toiletries, are soaring.

Related Articles

FIFA’s Infantino has ‘complete confidence’ in Mexico to host World Cup games despite cartel violence

Mexico’s Diving World Cup canceled after violence surge in Jalisco

EU expands funds for abortion access in response to a citizens’ campaign

Iran would be outgunned in any war with the US but could still inflict considerable pain

UN World Food Program head Cindy McCain says she will step down for health reasons

Momeni said he makes about 700 million rials (about $540) a month. Just in the past month, a kilo (2.2 pounds) of red meat increased from 13 million rials ($10) to 22 million rials ($17). In the same period, the price of a liter of milk (a quarter of a gallon) doubled from 520,000 rials to 1.1 million rials, and a box of pasta rose from 340,000 rials to 570,000 rials.

“Those with lower incomes and fixed salaries are suffering because of the price hikes,” said Farhad Panahirad, a 44-year-old taxi driver. Together, he and his wife make about 600 million rials (about $460) a month, he said.

Several people in the markets on Wednesday explained how they try to deal with rising financial pressures — they check social media every day to see news about the latest prices, or go shopping at night, when some produce is marked down to half price to get rid of inventory before it spoils.

Fearing the U.S. could launch strikes at any time, Iranians are also scrambling to purchase emergency supplies. That includes flashlights, small gas ovens, and tape for securing windows against explosions, said the owner of a tool shop in central Iran, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

Some try to purchase bulk amounts of beans, bread, rice and canned food despite the high prices. “I am not happy to buy this much stuff, but my wife said we had to be prepared for uncertainty in the coming days,” said Saeed Ebrahimi, 43, an electrical technician and father of two.

Even items such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and refrigerators have doubled in price, according to Iranian media.

Women walk past an Islamic-themed painting on a wall at Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, street in downtown Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

War fears hang over the economy

Tehran-based economist Farbod Molavi wrote in the independent Dona-e-Eghtesad newspaper that prices are higher because of uncertainty in the market and the rising costs of raw materials. Iran is suffering from both a recession and high unemployment, he added.

Unemployment was officially around 7.8% in October, up from 7.2% for the same period in 2024, and runs as high as 20% among young people. About 24 million Iranians are between 15 and 34 years old, according to official statistics.

Vehicles drive past the Saint Sarkis church and a painting of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini in downtown Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Acknowledging the suffering, the government in January began distributing payments of 10 million rials a month each to some 70 million people, about 75% of the population, to spend on food. It has promised to increase the payments if prices go higher.

But the strain appears likely to continue. Trump has threatened strikes on Iran if it doesn’t agree to a new accord curtailing its nuclear program. He has massed the largest buildup of warships and aircraft in the region in decades. The two sides have held two rounds of negotiations in recent weeks and a third in Geneva on Thursday.

Panahirad, the taxi driver, said he is pessimistic the negotiations will bring any relief for those struggling to buy food. “(Trump) is bullying them, to some extent. After all, he is a superpower and says what he wishes must be done,” he said,

“Wherever you go now people are talking about war. If you go to a bakery to buy bread you see people talking about war,” said Momeni. “This state of limbo is worse than war.”

INDIANAPOLIS — After spending more money than any team in the NFL last offseason, the Vikings find themselves in a pinch heading into this offseason, more than $40 million over the salary cap with free agency starting March 11.

Only the Dallas Cowboys currently have less cap space than the Vikings.

That will be the first order of business for Rob Brzezinski as the acting general manager of the Vikings. Not that he seems too concerned; there aren’t many people better when it comes to manipulating the cap.

“Our goal is going to be to keep our core in place,” Brzezinski told reporters this week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. “That’s going to involve making some difficult decisions.”

Although the Vikings must confront the reality cutting some players, they also have some other levers they can pull to free up cap space, such as restructuring contracts or negotiating extensions with specific players to lower their cap hits.

Some candidates for restructuring include receiver Justin Jefferson, tackle Christian Darrisaw, edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel and safety Byron Murphy Jr. Candidates for extensions include tackle Brian O’Neill, rush end Jonathan Greenard and linebacker Blake Cashman.

It’s likely the Vikings use both of those options. That alone won’t be enough to get them out of the red and into the black, however, so they will also be forced to say a number of hard goodbyes. Free agency officially begins at 3 p.m. CST on March 11. The draft is set for April 23-25.

Here are some players that could be in danger of being released.

Aaron Jones

Age: 31

Position: Running Back

Analysis: There’s virtually no chance that Jones plays out his current contract given the fact that he carries a $14.5 million cap hit in 2026. The Vikings love everything Jones brings on and off the field; they simply can’t afford to commit that much to him. The decision to release Jones would be create $7.7 million in cap space, enough for the Vikings to stomach the resulting $6.8 million in dead cap space.

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson celebrates a 31-0 win against the Washington Commanders following an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)

T.J. Hockenson

Age: 28

Position: Tight End

Analysis: It’s fair to say Hockenson’s recent production hasn’t been enough to justify his $21.3 million cap hit in 2026. If he wants to stick around in his current role, he could try to restructure his contract and agree to take a pay cut. That’s only an option if the Vikings want to keep Hockenson. Simply releasing him would create roughly $8.9 million, but would come with a $12.4 million dead cap hit.

Ryan Kelly

Age: 32

Position: Center

Analysis: There’s a pretty good chance Kelly decides to retire after navigating a series of concussions. If he for some reason decides he wants to keep playing, the Vikings will almost certainly cut him to create roughly $8.3 million in cap space. There isn’t really a drawback in doing so, as his current contract only carries $3.4 million in dead cap.

Javon Hargrave

Age: 33

Position: Defensive Tackle

Analysis: It would be a shock if Hargrave isn’t playing elsewhere this fall given his $21.4 million cap hit in 2026. If the Vikings release him, they would create nearly $11 million in cap space. But If they can find a trade partner, the Vikings would create nearly $15 million in cap space. Will anybody will be willing to acquire Hargrave and his current contract? That remains to be seen. He could still be effective as a rotational pass rusher if he lands in the right situation.

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (93) lunges after a scrambling Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) in the fourth quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Jonathan Allen

Age: 31

Position: Defensive Tackle

Analysis: This is much less likely because the cap savings generated by releasing Allen wouldn’t be nearly as substantial. If the Vikings opt for a youth movement in the trenches, however, they could free up roughly $6.5 million in cap space by releasing Allen. But given the current structure of his contract, they would take on roughly a $17.3 million dead cap hit. That’s probably a large enough number to deter the Vikings from going down this path.

Related Articles

Who’s calling the shots for the Vikings in the short term?

Do the Vikings still believe J.J. McCarthy can be a franchise quarterback?

Vikings receiver Rondale Moore dies at 25

Walters: We’ll learn soon how comfortable the Vikings are with J.J. McCarthy

Frederick: Hopefully, Kevin O’Connell learns from Mike Macdonald

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, Associated Press

Burger King is testing AI-powered headsets that can recite recipes, alert managers when inventories are low and even track how friendly employees are to customers.

Restaurant Brands International – the Miami-based company that owns Burger King, Popeyes and other brands – said Thursday it’s currently testing the OpenAI-powered headsets in 500 U.S. restaurants.

The system collects data on restaurant operations and shares it via “Patty,” a voice that talks to employees through their headsets. If the drink machine is low on Diet Coke, Patty will tell the store’s manager. If a customer uses a QR code to report a messy bathroom, the manager will be alerted.

Related Articles

Weber recalls 3.2 million wire-bristle grill brushes

Walmart to pay $100 million to settle FTC allegations over deceptive practices for delivery drivers

Gas-guzzler revival risks dead-end future for US automakers

What to know about Defense Protection Act and the Pentagon’s Anthropic ultimatum

Ozempic, Wegovy list prices to be slashed by up to 50%

Employees can ask Patty how to make various menu items or tell Patty to remove items from digital menus if they’ve run out of ingredients.

Burger King said it’s also exploring using Patty as a way to improve customer service. The system can track when employees say key words like “welcome,” “please” and “thank you” and share that with managers.

When asked about that capability Thursday by The Associated Press, Burger King said the intent is to use Patty as a coaching tool, not a tracker of individual employees.

“It’s not about scoring individuals or enforcing scripts. It’s about reinforcing great hospitality and giving managers helpful, real-time insights so they can recognize their teams more effectively,” Burger King said in a statement.

Burger King added that the key words are “one of many signals to help managers understand service patterns.”

“We believe hospitality is fundamentally human. The role of this technology is to support our teams so they can stay present with guests,” Burger King said.

Patty is part of a larger app-based BK Assistant platform that will be available to all U.S. restaurants later this year.

Burger King is one of several fast food chains experimenting with artificial intelligence. Yum Brands said last spring it was partnering with Nvidia to develop AI technologies for its brands, which include KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.

McDonald’s ended a partnership with IBM in 2024 that was testing automated orders at its drive-thrus. The company is now working with Google on AI systems.

U.S. Olympics figure-skating stars, including gold medal-winners Alysa Liu and Ilia Malinin, are coming to St. Paul.

The “Stars on Ice” tour will stop at Grand Casino Arena, formerly the Xcel Energy Center, on May 10. The show was announced last fall but has seen renewed interest following Team USA’s performance at the Milan-Cortina games, during which Liu won the first women’s figure skating gold for an American in more than two decades and many skaters became social media stars.

Standard admission tickets are available via Ticketmaster and range from about $43 to $120 a seat. A “stargazer” pass is also available as an add-on, for $28, which comes with pre-show admission to watch warm-ups and attend a Q&A session with some of the skaters.

Meet-and-greet tickets were previously available but have sold out. Standard admission tickets and stargazer passes remain available as of Thursday afternoon.

The full lineup also includes Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito, skaters who alongside Liu gained viral online fame as the “Blade Angels” trio, plus Jason Brown and duos Madison Chock and Evan Bates and Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea.

The 2026 tour is scheduled to stop in 27 cities between April 16 and May 31.

Stars on Ice launched in the 1980s and merged in 2008 with competing tour Champions on Ice, which had been founded in the ‘60s by a Minneapolis entrepreneur.

More information is available at starsonice.com.

Related Articles

Other voices: Team USA showed America at its best

U.S.-Canada ‘grudge match’ ends up being mostly about the hockey

A record-setting Winter Olympics: 6 golds and 17 medals for the US in women’s events set marks

Olympic men’s hockey: U.S. routs Germany, claims No. 2 seed

Olympic women’s hockey: Sweden confident heading into U.S. showdown