Michael Phillips | Chicago Tribune

In “The Royal Hotel,” director Kitty Green’s gripping, grubby Australian Outback noir, the Royal Hotel is a comically unregal place lit by the dead glare of fluorescent lights, dotted with predatory eyes lurking in the shadows.

The eyes belong to the men working for the local mining company. At this remote, two-story dump in the middle of nowhere — part saloon, part boarding house for temporary workers — two American women arrive to make some quick money behind the bar. Sensible and wary Hanna, played by Julia Garner, and her more reckless, up-for-anything friend Liv, played by Jessica Henwick, (both superb) realize very quickly that they’ll be putting up with trash talk, harassment, uncertain pay schedules and worse.

They’re expected by the owner of the Royal, the frequently drunk Billy (Hugo Weaving, a long, shaggy way from “The Matrix”), to perform the usual female paradox while they’re there and the customers are thirsty: Shut up, take it and smile. “You’re driving ‘em all away with that attitude,” he warns the cautious Hanna. “The Royal Hotel” tightens its screws with every scene, taking the premise into ever-darker territory without losing its authentic sense of place and people.

Liv, whose financial duress leads to them taking this gig on a wing and a prayer, at first just wants to see some kangaroos. Hanna goes along for the ride. By the end of the first day and night in the pub, navigating a nasty but never caricatured variety of men, Hanna wants out. But she stays. There’s a harsh kind of beauty here, especially at night, with stars brighter than she’s ever seen. But in daylight or in moonlight, the sounds of fear and knife-edge trouble are everywhere.

Green co-wrote the taciturn screenplay with Oscar Redding; this is her second narrative feature (she’s made two feature-length documentaries as well). Her previous drama, “The Assistant” (2019), drew a remarkable performance from Garner as a film executive’s assistant caught in the crosshairs of a Harvey Weinstein-style predator. See that film if you haven’t; it’s a minimalist marvel of precision and perception.

The simple, sturdy plot of “The Royal Hotel” demands something other than minimalism, but Green’s sophomore triumph is no less precise than “The Assistant” in its staging, editing and perceptiveness about what women put up with most every day of their lives. Kasra Rassoulzadegan served as editor; Michael Latham’s cinematography is spot on, in seductive sunshine as well as the murk of the bar itself. Every supporting performance feels perfectly cast and shrewdly delivered, with standout work from Ursula Yovich’s Carol, the Aboriginal Australian cook whose life with the bar’s owner has plainly been a bleak one.

The film’s reception along the festival circuit has been respectful but the movie deserves more than that. I was with it right to the last line; Garner and Henwick are doing the kind of acting that looks easy but isn’t. It’s a film of flickering doubts and accumulating, justifiable paranoia.

Green has made two very different, extraordinarily efficient and compact movies in a row. That, too, may look easy but is anything but — unless you’re a filmmaker and writer of her particular gifts.

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‘THE ROYAL HOTEL’

3.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for language throughout, sexual content and nudity)

Running time: 1:31

How to watch: Now in theaters and streaming on Prime Video

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©2023 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

If eggs are a regular staple in your household, you’ve probably noticed that the price of a dozen eggs appears to have doubled in the last year or so. An outbreak of avian influenza – also known as bird flu – killed millions of egg-laying chickens nationwide, leading to a serious egg shortage. While grocery stores are no longer out of eggs, the higher prices remain.

The cost of a dozen grade-A eggs at a typical grocery store can range from $3.00 to a whopping $10.00. Considering eggs cost more than ever, are the more expensive eggs worth it? What do the labels on the egg carton even mean? There are common misconceptions about egg labeling, so let’s crack the code to the meaning of common egg carton labels.

Egg Grading

Eggs are graded on a scale of AA, A or B. Eggs are graded on appearance and the firmness of the white with AA being the highest quality. Typically, supermarket eggs are graded A, which is fine for baking and cooking.

Cage-free

While cage-free may sound like an improvement in the treatment of chickens, it simply means that the chickens are not kept in cages. They may still be packed tight in confined hen houses with no access to the outdoors or daylight.

Free-range

Eggs labeled free-range are produced by chickens that must have access to the outdoors at least six hours per day and have two square feet of space per bird. There are no requirements regarding the conditions of the outdoor space.

Pasture-raised

Pasture-raised eggs are produced by chickens that have been raised in a vegetation-covered pasture with 108 square feet per chicken for a minimum of six hours per day. Chickens are fed only grains without animal byproducts and are free to eat the insects and seeds in their natural environment. Pasture-raised eggs are Humane Farm Animal Care certified, a non-profit certification organization.

Due to the superior diet of pasture-raised chickens, the eggs they produce are known to have better flavor and substantially greater nutritional value, including more vitamin D, vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.

Certified organic

Organic certification is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture and means that chickens have access to the outdoors and are fed a feed that does not contain genetically modified organisms, antibiotics or animal byproducts.

Antibiotic-free

As with certified organic eggs, eggs labeled antibiotic-free came from hens that haven’t received antibiotics in their feed or water according to the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. However, these eggs may not qualify for an organic certification due to other factors.

Natural or Farm-fresh

Terms like “natural” and “farm fresh” are unregulated. These terms may be added to food labels, including the packaging of eggs, but do not impart any important meaning or value.

Overall, eggs are a nutrient-dense food; however, omega-3-enriched and lutein-enhanced eggs are likely the best eggs for their extra nutritional value. Nutrient enrichment and enhancement of eggs is a separate label from those related to the treatment of hens.

There are important factors to consider when choosing the best eggs for you and your family. More nutritious eggs from humanely treated hens may have the best taste, but also the highest price. These are all important factors to consider when purchasing eggs. Keep in mind that savings may be achieved when purchasing cartons of 18 eggs instead of a dozen. Shop around and compare prices at different markets and use coupons to get the best price. If any of your neighbors have chickens, you may be able to score a good deal or a barter for fresh, local eggs.

LeeAnn Weintraub, MPH, RD is a registered dietitian, providing nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and organizations. She can be reached by email at RD@halfacup.com.

By BARBARA ORTUTAY (AP Technology Writer)

Dozens of US states, including California and New York, are suing Meta Platforms Inc. for harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.

A lawsuit filed by 33 states in federal court in California, claims that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law. In addition, nine attorneys general are filing lawsuits in their respective states, bringing the total number of states taking action to 41 and Washington, D.C.

“Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its social media platforms,” the complaint says. “It has concealed the ways in which these platforms exploit and manipulate its most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children.”

The suits seek financial damages and restitution and an end to Meta’s practices that are in violation of the law.

“Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement. “Meta has profited from children’s pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem.”

In a statement, Meta said it shares “the attorneys general’s commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families.”

“We’re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path,” the company added.

The broad-ranging federal suit is the result of an investigation led by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont. It follows damning newspaper reports, first by The Wall Street Journal in the fall of 2021, based on the Meta’s own research that found that the company knew about the harms Instagram can cause teenagers — especially teen girls — when it comes to mental health and body image issues. One internal study cited 13.5% of teen girls saying Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17% of teen girls saying it makes eating disorders worse.

Following the first reports, a consortium of news organizations, including The Associated Press, published their own findings based on leaked documents from whistleblower Frances Haugen, who has testified before Congress and a British parliamentary committee about what she found.

“Meta has been harming our children and teens, cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “With today’s lawsuit, we are drawing the line.”

The use of social media among teens is nearly universal in the U.S. and many other parts of the world. Almost all teens ages 13 to 17 in the U.S. report using a social media platform, with about a third saying they use social media “almost constantly,” according to the Pew Research Center.

To comply with federal regulation, social media companies ban kids under 13 from signing up to their platforms — but children have been shown to easily get around the bans, both with and without their parents’ consent, and many younger kids have social media accounts. The states’ complaint says Meta knowingly violated this law, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, by collecting data on children without informing and getting permission from their parents.

Other measures social platforms have taken to address concerns about children’s mental health are also easily circumvented. For instance, TikTok recently introduced a default 60-minute time limit for users under 18. But once the limit is reached, minors can simply enter a passcode to keep watching. TikTok, Snapchat and other social platforms that have also been blamed for contributing to the youth mental health crisis are not part of Tuesday’s lawsuit.

Washington D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb wouldn’t comment on whether they’re also looking at TikTok or Snapchat. For now they’re focusing on the Meta empire of Facebook and Instagram, he said.

“They’re the worst of the worst when it comes to using technology to addict teenagers to social media, all in the furtherance of putting profits over people.”

In May, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take “immediate action to protect kids now” from the harms of social media.

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Associated Press Writers Michael Casey, Michael Goldberg, Susan Haigh, Maysoon Khan and Ashraf Khalil contributed to this story.

By Liz Capo McCormick and Michael Mackenzie, Bloomberg News

A surprisingly strong U.S. economy and mixed signals from the Federal Reserve have fueled some of the wildest swings in Treasuries in recent memory. Add geopolitical angst and a surge in debt supply and you have a recipe for sustained volatility for months to come, market watchers say.

Dubbed the “world’s safest asset,” Treasuries have not lived up to that title lately as dramatic moves in yields become an almost daily occurrence. Just last week, the rate on the 10-year swung in a range of almost 40 basis points, buffeted by crosscurrents including resilient retail sales and jobless figures, a bevy of comments from Fed officials and rising demand for haven assets amid concerns of an escalating conflict in the Middle East.

“It’s going to be a rough ride, so buckle up,” Mike Schumacher, head of macro strategy at Wells Fargo Securities, said on Bloomberg TV. Interest-rate volatility should “remain quite high, at least through the mid-point of next year, perhaps further as the Middle East sorts itself out” and until the market gets more clarity on the Fed.

The ICE BofA MOVE Index, which tracks anticipated swings in Treasury yields priced into one-month options, has risen for five-straight weeks. In fact, by one measure, swings in long-term rates are exceeding those for equities by the most in at least 18 years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

That’s partly because the Fed is struggling to signal a longer-term vision for where interest-rate policy is headed, according to Mohamed El-Erian, the chief economic adviser at Allianz SE and a Bloomberg Opinion columnist.

“We are going to remain in this situation of great uncertainty because there is no vision as to where this economy is going,” El-Erian said on Bloomberg TV Friday. “They need to pivot from excessive data dependence to data dependence that has a greater forward-looking component.”

Amid last week’s ructions, nothing caused more chaos than Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s comments Thursday on the trajectory of monetary policy. He suggested at an event at the Economic Club of New York that the U.S. central bank is inclined to hold interest rates steady at its next meeting, while leaving open the possibility of another hike later if policymakers see further signs of resilient economic growth.

The rates curve aggressively steepened in response, with short-dated yields sliding while longer-maturity ones climbed to fresh multiyear highs.

Geopolitics, supply

Price swings were also fueled by mounting concerns that the war between Israel and Hamas could spread throughout the region, potentially even drawing in the U.S..

Reports of drone attacks in Iraq and Syria, cruise missiles fired toward Israel by Houthi rebels in Yemen and Israel’s strikes against Hamas and Hezbollah prompted a reactionary bid for safety among investors, causing 10-year yields to retrench from their highs just below 5% and end the week around 4.91%

Concerns about the U.S.’s fiscal future are also increasingly affecting investor sentiment.

Growing U.S. debt issuance has help lift the so-called term premium by more than a percentage point over the past three months, fueling a dramatic ascent in long-end rates. Traders are already bracing for the Treasury to announce further increases to auction sizes at its next quarterly refunding on Nov. 1.

“Volatility is begetting more volatility,” said William Marshall, head of U.S. rates strategy at BNP Paribas SA. “There is just a general lack of strong conviction at this stage as to where things ought to be anchored.”

Looking ahead, a pause in Fed speak this week on account of the central bank’s customary blackout period ahead of the Nov. 1 policy meeting may be a welcome reprieve for traders.

Still, the coming days will provide some key readings on price pressures in the economy, including Friday’s personal-consumption expenditures data, the Fed’s preferred inflation measure. The University of Michigan inflation expectations survey will hit the same day.

What to watch

Economic data:

Oct. 23: Chicago Fed national activity index

Oct. 24: Philadelphia fed non-manufacturing activity; S&P Global U.S. manufacturing, services; Richmond Fed manufacturing index/business conditions

Oct. 25: MBA mortgage applications; New home sales

Oct 26: Wholesale inventories; advance goods trade balance; GDP; Personal consumption; retail inventories; GDP price; durable goods; Core PCE price; initial jobless claims; pending home sales; Kansas city Fed manufacturing

Oct 27: Personal income/spending; PCE deflator; U. of Michigan sentiment; Kansas City Fed services activity

No Federal Reserve speakers slated during self-imposed quiet period ahead of Nov. 1 rate decision
Auction calendar:

Oct. 23: 13-, 26-week bills

Oct. 24: 42-day cash management bills; 2-year notes

Oct. 25: 17-week bills; 2-year floating rate notes; 5-year notes

Oct. 26: 4-, 8-week bills; 7-year notes

With assistance from Ye Xie and Elizabeth Stanton.