Why McDonald's is charging $18 for a Big Mac meal — and why there's no relief in sight

Is the $18 Big Mac combo what finally broke America?Low-income customers making less than $45,000 per year have largely stopped ordering from McDonald’s, the fast-food giant’s chief executive Chris Kempczinski admitted Monday on an earnings call with Wall Street analysts.A Big Mac, fries and drink has risen to nearly $18 at a handful of locations while hash browns are up to $6.And it’s driven away customers fed up with inflation. Global same-store sales in the latest quarter had grown just 3.4%, falling sh ...