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An explosion that collapsed a residential building in France’s port city of Marseille early Sunday has rescuers racing to find any victims trapped under the debris as a fire burns beneath the rubble. 

The five-story building collapsed just before 1 a.m., and six victims have been hospitalized with injuries, Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan said at a televised briefing. 

"I would like us to prepare for a difficult situation - we could have victims today," Payan said.

Hours after the collapse in France's second-largest city, it was still unclear whether anyone was killed or what caused the explosion.

FRENCH PROTESTS REIGNITE IN EFFORT TO GET PRESIDENT EMMANUAL MACRON TO SCRAP PENSION REFORM PLANS

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin arrived at the scene later Sunday morning and told reporters that between four and 10 people were believed to be trapped under the rubble.

But the fire burning underneath the rubble complicated rescue efforts, with more than 100 firefighters working to put out blazes under the huge piles of debris while trying not to harm any potentially trapped victims.

"We’re trying to drown the fire while preserving the lives of eventual victims under the rubble," said Lionel Mathieu, commander of the Marseille fire brigade, adding that the intense heat made it impossible to send in dog teams to search.

FRENCH GOVERNMENT APPROVES BIGGEST MILITARY SPENDING SPREE IN OVER 50 YEARS AS WAR IN UKRAINE CONTINUES

Residents were evacuated from two neighboring buildings that partially collapsed during the incident. Payan said one of the buildings was in danger of collapsing.

The mayor said the explosion was the "probable" cause of the building collapse, although he stressed that an investigation would ultimately determine the cause.

The explosion could be heard throughout the old quarter in the center of France’s second-largest city and resounded in other neighborhoods.

Nearby streets were blocked off as rescue efforts continued.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The George Soros-bankrolled prosecutor in St. Louis who's facing an effort by Missouri's attorney general to compel her to resign for allegedly neglecting her duties is now being hit with new complaints of negligence and potential misconduct in doing her job.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner has a history riddled with allegations of misconduct and mishandled cases in her current job, facing admonishment for bungled prosecutions and what critics have deemed soft-on-crime policies.

Such outcry continued into this past week, with Gardner's office being hit with a wave of bad headlines and criticism that won't help the embattled prosecutor, who's already in a legal fight to hold onto her position.

Earlier this week, a St. Louis judge sanctioned Gardner's office for withholding evidence in a double homicide case and allowing the suspect out on bond.

SOROS-BACKED PROSECUTOR PUSHED BY MISSOURI AG TO RESIGN HAS HISTORY OF SCANDALS, ALLEGED MISCONDUCT

Alex Heflin, 23, had been held without bond in jail since January, initially charged with two counts of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, according to local NBC affiliate KSDK. However, those charges have been reduced to involuntary and voluntary manslaughter. Heflin was supposed to go to trial on April 17, but the trial has now been postponed until June 12, with a pretrial conference scheduled for May 17.

This week, Judge Theresa Counts Burke ruled in favor of Heflin's attorneys, who filed a motion accusing one of Gardner's assistant circuit attorneys of violating discovery rules that required prosecutors to turn over evidence, including DNA reports and a recording of a 911 call.

"The court finds that there have been repeated delays by the state in obtaining discovery and providing it to the defense," Burke wrote. "There has been a lack of diligence on the part of the state in following up and providing discovery to the defendant in a timely fashion. As a result of the state's actions and lack of diligence, the court grants defendant's second motion for sanctions."

The Circuit Attorney's Office provided Fox News Digital with a statement, saying it's working diligently to pursue justice in the case. 

"In this case as in every case, the Circuit Attorney's Office works together with the police to bring justice on behalf of the people of the City of St. Louis, victims and their families," a spokesperson said. "The CAO is dedicated to doing everything in its power to hold the defendant accountable. The CAO has spoken to the family and will continue to work to ensure justice is served.

ST. LOUIS HOMICIDE DETECTIVE BLOWS WHISTLE ON SOROS-BACKED DA'S 'CONCERTED EFFORT TO BREAK DOWN THE SYSTEM'

"In every case, the Circuit Attorney’s Office is dedicated to ensuring that the office carries out its duty to prosecute criminal cases in a manner that seeks justice on behalf of the residents of the City of St. Louis," the spokesperson added.

In a separate case, however, Gardner's office is facing scrutiny for doing exactly the opposite.

On Wednesday, St. Louis prosecutors dismissed and refiled charges against two men accused of killing a father and his 7-year-old daughter, likely pushing back the trial by months. According to an investigation by local CBS affiliate KMOV, the reason for the dismissal and refiling is that "the prosecutors weren't ready for trial," which was set to take place in a matter of days.

In July, prosecutors did the same thing in the case, days before the alleged killers were set to stand trial then, delaying the prosecution and angering both the victims' families who want justice and the defense attorneys who want their clients to have their day in court.

Dismissing and refiling cases has become increasingly common as Gardner's understaffed office, which has lost several lawyers in recent years, has struggled to prepare for trials. Last year alone, prosecutors dismissed and refiled at least a dozen murder cases, according to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch analysis.

ST. LOUIS DA SHOVED 'AGGRESSIVE' RACIAL EQUITY AGENDAS INTO DAILY PROSECUTION DECISIONS USING SOROS-LINKED ORG

The effect of the high turnover in Gardner's office has been "a state of dysfunction, low morale and dearth of legal wisdom necessary to safeguard the public from potentially dangerous criminals," the Post-Dispatch previously reported.

On Thursday, Gardner's office seemed to blame police for having to dismiss and refile the double murder case.

"In this case, the CAO was not provided evidence in a timely manner due to acknowledged staffing challenges at the police department," Gardner spokeswoman Allison Hawk said in a statement. 

The St. Louis Police Officers' Association responded by lambasting Gardner's office for trying to shift the blame.

"Police officers shouldn't be made scapegoats for an overworked, backlogged and mismanaged Circuit Attorney's Office," the union said in a statement.

DEM ATTORNEY KIM GARDNER HIT WITH SUBPOENA AMID LEGAL BATTLE TO REMOVE HER FROM OFFICE

Gardner's office provided to KMOV an identical statement on this case to the one that it provided Fox News Digital on the Heflin case.

On Friday, meanwhile, the attorney for a man accused of striking teenage volleyball player Janae Edmonson with his car and causing her to lose her legs entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client, but a judge had to print a copy of the indictment for him in court. That's because Daniel Riley's attorney, Dan Diemer, told the presiding judge that he never got a copy of the indictment for his client from Gardner's Office, so the judge printed one for him while he was in the courtroom, according to local reports.

To make matters worse, the assistant circuit attorney of record on the case didn't appear at the hearing, but his wife — Jamie Myers, the chief misdemeanor officer for Gardner's office — did appear but never addressed the court.

"As the head of the misdemeanor division for the office, Assistant Circuit Attorney Jamie Myers leads up associate court for the CAO [Circuit Attorney's Office]," Gardner spokeswoman Allison Hawk said in a statement. "She handles these arraignment and was there this morning as she does routinely as part of her job responsibilities."

Edmonson lost her legs in the incident while visiting St. Louis with her volleyball team. Riley, the man charged with assault, armed criminal action and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, was out on bail awaiting trial for an armed robbery from 2020 and had violated the terms of his bond at least 50 times, according to local reports.

SOROS-BACKED KIM GARDNER NEEDS TO BE IMPEACHED 'YESTERDAY': LEO TERRELL

There's no record of Gardner's office, which is responsible for monitoring compliance with bond conditions and revoking them when those terms are violated, asking for Riley's bond to be revoked.

Such incidents couldn't come at a worse time for Gardner, who's facing a legal effort by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to fire her. In February, following the tragedy with Edmonson, Bailey filed a petition quo warranto, the legal mechanism under state statute that allows the attorney general to remove a prosecutor who neglects her duties. 

"This is about a quantum of evidence that demonstrates her failure to prosecute cases, failure to inform and confer with victims in cases and failure to file new cases that are referred by law enforcement agencies," Bailey told Fox News Digital at the time of the filing.

He separately said in a statement that Gardner is "creating" victims instead of "protecting" them.

On Thursday, Bailey subpoenaed the St. Louis city Comptroller's Office and Budget Division, indicating that, as part of his multi-pronged effort to remove Gardner, he's trying to investigate the finances of her office.

MISSOURI AG SUBPOENAS ST. LOUIS MAYOR AMID QUEST TO REMOVE DEMOCRAT PROSECUTOR KIM GARDNER FROM OFFICE

Gardner is one of the first prosecutors whom Soros, a liberal billionaire and Democrat megadonor, bankrolled in 2016 and again for her re-election in 2020.

Her campaign website boasts that she's "made jail and prison a last resort, reserved for those who pose a true public safety risk," while limiting "the arrest and detention of people accused of misdemeanors and low-level felonies."

During Gardner's tenure, crime spiked in St. Louis, with the city experiencing near-record murder rates. The last two years were among the city's deadliest in decades, despite murders being down from 2020. Last year, WalletHub calculated that St. Louis had the highest homicide cases per 100,000 residents from July through September of any U.S. city, ranking it the most dangerous city in the country because of high rates of crime and other dangers like car accidents.

Amid high homicide figures, Gardner has declined more cases, issued fewer arrest warrants, charged fewer felonies and prosecuted thousands of fewer cases overall than her predecessor. She has also deferred prison sentences for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies as part of her reform initiatives.

Gardner says all this is part of her "platform to reduce the number of cases unnecessarily charged in order to focus on the more difficult cases for trial."

In 2021, though, Gardner came under fire after three murder cases under her purview were dismissed in one week due to prosecutors in her office not showing up for hearings or being unprepared.

Gardner has refused to leave office amid Bailey's probe, calling it a political witch hunt and suggesting racism was behind some of the criticism against her.

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Will Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina become the next high-profile Republican to launch a 2024 presidential campaign?

Scott’s upcoming travel itinerary is surely sparking more speculation that the rising GOP star and the only Black Republican in the Senate is moving closer to declaring his candidacy.

In the week ahead, the senator will head to Iowa and New Hampshire, the two states that kick off the Republican presidential nominating calendar, and will hold a two-day donor summit in his home state.

Scott will travel to Iowa April 12 for his second trip to the state this year. The itinerary includes teaming up with GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson for a roundtable discussion with homeschool families, followed by an address in Cedar Rapids at the Five Seasons Republican Women’s Group dinner.

TIM SCOTT SENDS NEW 2024 SIGNALS

Scott last month made a jam-packed stop in the Hawkeye State, teaming up with popular Iowa GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds, speaking to students at Drake University and headlining a Polk County GOP fundraising dinner. 

On April 13, the senator will make his first visit this year to New Hampshire for a round of retail politicking as he greets voters at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, which for decades has been a must stop in the Granite State for White House hopefuls. Later in the day, he’s scheduled to meet with local pastors and Republican leaders.

The Iowa and New Hampshire stops will be immediately followed by a two-day donor summit in his home state of South Carolina, which votes third in the GOP presidential primary schedule. Invitations for the April 14-15 event, which will include a reception and dinner on Friday evening and a breakfast, policy discussion and "political update" Saturday, were sent to donors across the country.

2024 WATCH: TIM SCOTT SAY HE'S GETTING ‘TREMENDOUS FEEDBACK’ SO FAR

"This next week will provide clarity to how he’s thinking about 2024," a Republican operative in Scott’s political orbit, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News.

Scott is on what he calls his "Faith in America" listening tour, which he says will help him decide whether to launch a presidential campaign. Word of the tour was first reported by Fox News earlier this year. 

"As I continue my Faith in America tour, I'm hearing from families across the country about the need for new leaders who have faith in the American people," the senator said a few days ago in a release advertising the upcoming stops.

Last month, while headlining the closing dinner in a three-day Club for Growth donor retreat in upscale Palm Beach, Florida, Scott said "so far, so good," when asked about his listening tour. 

"We’re getting tremendous feedback," he added.

Scott received a warm response from the crowd at the exclusive dinner, which included some of the top donors in the GOP. The upcoming meeting with more top contributors — as well as the early state travel — are more clear signals the senator’s revving up for a likely White House run.

"All this is further indication that Tim Scott’s Faith in America message is resonating as he travels the country. Republicans are being introduced to Scott, and so far they like his optimistic message," a source with knowledge of the senator’s thinking recently told Fox News.

WHO'S IN AND WHO'S ON THE SIDELINES — YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE

Scott, who cruised to re-election in November to what he has said will be his final six-year term in the Senate, frequently spotlights being raised by a single mother and highlights his faith. If he moves ahead with a White House run, he plans to court evangelical Christian voters, who play an outsized role in GOP politics in Iowa and his home state. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who also appears to be moving toward a 2024 campaign, has long been a champion to social conservatives and is also expected to heavily court evangelicals in Iowa and South Carolina.

Scott would also face serious competition from Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations and former two-term South Carolina governor who launched a 2024 presidential campaign two months ago. Scott and Haley, who’s spending plenty of time on the campaign trail in Iowa and New Hampshire, share many of the same allies and donors. 

Former President Trump, who announced his third White House run in November, remains the clear front-runner in the GOP nomination race. 

Polls indicate that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who remains on the 2024 sidelines but is expected to launch a campaign later this spring or summer, would be Trump’s top rival.

While Scott doesn’t have the same national standing with conservatives that Trump and DeSantis enjoy, he’s known as a ferocious fundraiser who boasted more than $20 million in his campaign coffers at the beginning of the year, which could be transferred to a presidential campaign. The fundraising war chest could give Scott a head start over some of his potential rivals and affords him some extra breathing room to make his decision.

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Twitter removed the "state-affiliated media" label it placed on National Public Radio's account and replaced it with a label that reads, "government funded media."

NPR was initially slapped with the "state-affiliated media" designation on Tuesday before Twitter faced public pressure to pull the label. Other media outlets with the label include Russian state-owned TASS, Russian state-controlled RT and China's official state news agency Xinhua. 

No tweets have been shared from NPR's official account since Twitter added the "state-affiliated media" label, but the news organization's President and CEO John Lansing released a statement condemning the initial designation.

"We were disturbed to see last night that Twitter has labeled NPR as ‘state-affiliated media,’ a description that, per Twitter’s own guidelines, does not apply to NPR," Lansing wrote on Wednesday. "NPR and our member stations are supported by millions of listeners who depend on us for the independent, fact-based journalism we provide. It is unacceptable for Twitter to label us this way. A vigorous, vibrant free press is essential to the health of our democracy."

NPR LABELED 'STATE-AFFILIATED MEDIA' ON TWITTER, SAME AS RUSSIA'S RT AND CHINA'S XINHUA

After receiving the label, NPR updated its Twitter bio to read, "NPR is an independent news organization committed to informing the public about the world around us. You can find us every other place you read the news."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also defended NPR against Twitter's designation after a reporter asked her about it in the briefing room on Wednesday.

"Social media companies make their own independent decisions about content rules, so I won't comment on Twitter's rules, but what I will say, more broadly, I'll say there's no doubt of the independence of NPR's journalists," Jean-Pierre said.

"If you've ever been on the receiving end of their questions you know that they have their independence in journalism. NPR journalists work digitally to hold public officials accountable and inform the American people." She continued. "The hard-hitting independence nature of their coverage speaks for itself. And so, I'll leave it there."

WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS NPR AFTER ‘STATE-AFFILIATED MEDIA’ DESIGNATION BY TWITTER: ‘NO DOUBT OF INDEPENDENCE’

Twitter CEO Elon Musk appeared to endorse the "state-affiliated media" designation for NPR, writing "Seems accurate" in a tweet on Wednesday in response to the label.

The platform's policy defines "state-affiliated media" as outlets where "the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution."

But Twitter's Help Center explained that "[s]tate-financed media organizations with editorial independence, like the BBC in the UK for example, are not defined as state-affiliated media for the purposes of this policy."

NPR correspondent David Gura tweeted on Wednesday that Twitter's policy was changed to remove any mention of the news outlet.

The Help Center's information has since been updated to again include NPR as a "[s]tate-financed" media organization along with the BBC.

Musk acknowledged on Thursday in an exchange with an NPR reporter that the NPR's label may not have been accurate.

"The operating principle at new Twitter is simply fair and equal treatment, so if we label non-US accounts as govt, then we should do the same for US, but it sounds like that might not be accurate here," Musk said in an email, according to NPR.

The "government funded media" label now also appears on the Twitter account of PBS.

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Shakina Rajendram and Kevin Nadarajah were "in complete shock" after Shakina went into premature labor at just 21 weeks in March of last year and doctors said there was nothing that could be done to save their twin babies.

The Toronto-area couple was recovering from losing another pregnancy when faced with the devastating news about their rainbow twins, Adiah and Adrial. Since the babies were only 21 weeks, or over four months early, doctors at their local hospital could only offer comfort care and let them pass naturally. 

"We just felt like…this isn't happening," Kevin said. 

While the news seemed insurmountable, the pair immediately started praying for a miracle. 

TEXAS FATHER GOES VIRAL FOR SINGING ‘WORSHIP SONG’ TO PREMATURE SON IN NICU: ‘PROOF THAT GOD IS FAITHFUL’

"I was talking to God overnight and just telling him, ‘we need a sign of hope that things are going to turn around,’" Kevin recalled.

A friend then sent him a social media post from the group "22 Matters," an advocacy group for parents of premature children. After seeing posts of children born at 21 and 22 weeks now thriving, the couple convinced their doctors to let them transfer to a hospital that would treat the babies if they were born a few days later at 22 weeks. 

Shakina recalled the anxious waiting period leading up to their birth. 

"We knew that if they were born even just a few minutes early it would be a matter of life and death," she said.

According to 22 Matters, "only 1 in 4 equipped hospitals in the US will treat a 22-weeker, and only 1 in 3 will treat a 23-weeker. This is also true in Canada, Australia, and the UK." 

While still in labor, Shakina was transferred and admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital, about an hour-and-a-half drive away, one day later at 21 weeks and six days. Miraculously, the twins were born just one hour after they turned 22 weeks gestation.

Both Adiah and Adrial weighed less than a pound each and were successfully resuscitated. Along the way, the children had several complications from brain bleeds, bowel perforations and lung disease from prematurity. Several near-death experiences terrified Shakina and Kevin and left their twins' medical team uneasy.

NICK JONAS' WIFE PRIYANKA CHOPRA DESCRIBES PREMATURE DAUGHTER'S TIME IN NICU

"We had many difficult conversations with doctors… Doctors would come to us and say, ‘Maybe it’s time to withdraw medical care,'" Shakina said.

Despite doctors' grim outlook at the beginning, the parents saw how strong their babies were and fought for them every step of the way.

"But we saw what doctors maybe didn't see, which was our babies' fighting spirit. We saw that the babies' had a will to survive… They never gave up on themselves even though they had all these complications. They were pushing through," Shakina said. "[It] reassured we as us parents had to fight for them [too]. Even though the odds were stacked against us, it felt like sometimes we were the only ones advocating for the babies to be given life-sustaining measures," she added.

The pair emphasized how their trust in God "anchored" them during the tough period.

MICRO-PREEMIE BORN ‘ON THE EDGE OF VIABILITY’ IN TEXAS CELEBRATES 1ST BIRTHDAY: ‘QUITE THE SURVIVOR’

They were encouraged by friends who set up prayer meetings over Zoom and people from all over the world who were praying for their babies. 

"We had a group that kept expanding," Shakina said. "So every time we would receive difficult news or we would watch the babies almost die in front of our eyes, we would send out a really quick message saying, ‘Please pray'… We didn't even have time to get into the details. And people would start praying right away. While they were praying we would see amazing things happen," she recalled.

The mother remembered one occasion where their daughter Adiah's breathing tube became disconnected, and they panicked as her oxygen and heartbeat plummeted to nearly zero as the medical team rushed in. 

"Right as we told people to please pray, miraculously we saw her numbers going up again and just in time the doctors and respiratory therapists were able to get it back in," she recalled.

"The medical care team played an important, really significant role, but they weren't the only [ones] keeping the babies alive," the mother said.

PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS DECRY ‘UNHINGED’ ATTAACK BY PROTESTERS AT VCU EVENT, HANDLING BY POLICE

"Ultimately," Kevin said, they believed God "was in control of the babies' lives and would sustain them."

"That helped give us faith and hope to keep going on even when we saw really difficult, [and] scary things," Shakina added.

As the babies grew stronger, the parents said the medical team's outlook shifted to become more hopeful. After a tumultuous six months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ("NICU"), the twins finally were able to come home. 

Despite some frightening infections that required additional hospital stays, the two are thriving and meeting their milestones, the parents say. 

"Adiah came home breathing and eating on her own… he's rolling over… learning how to sit independently. She's very feisty," Shakina said with a smile. "She likes chatting and babbling all day long… also very loving and gentle towards her twin brother."

Adrial had more of a difficult road than his twin sister but has made great progress, the parents said. After a temporary course with some breathing assistance, Adrial has been completely off oxygen for the past month. The parents described him as intelligent, introspective and observant.

Adiah and Adrial now hold the world record for the most premature and lightest twins born, Guinness World Records says. The siblings celebrated their first birthday last month.

The parents hope their story makes an impact on how medical professionals view the viability of severely premature infants.

While many hospitals do not treat babies born before 24 weeks to 27 weeks, Shakina said, medical advances have made stories like theirs possible for other children born very early.

"There's no denying the fact that babies born at this gestation statistically have a high risk of morbidity," Kevin admitted. 

However, they argued the conversation about premature babies' viability within the medical community needs to consider the variety of factors that can impact a baby's survival.

The CDC said 1 in 10 children in the U.S. were born prematurely, or before 37 weeks of pregnancy, in 2021. A recent study found there has been a significant increase in survival rates over the past decade for children born between 22 and 23 weeks.

"Could there be more that could be done in terms of policy, management, care offered to parents, conversations with parents in a more balanced [approach] as opposed to just risk of death and disability?" he asked.

Critics who argue these babies shouldn't be saved because they may have a hard life aren't considering that with the proper support and therapy, these kids can still thrive, Shakina said, even if they do end up having disabilities.

"[The risks] are only half the story… We want to shed light on the whole story, so people focus not just on the risk but the potential of babies thriving at that age," she said.

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Two Wisconsin police officers were killed Saturday during a traffic stop after exchanging gunfire with the driver.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, a Chetek Police officer conducted a traffic stop just before 3:40 p.m. local time in the village of Cameron, Wisconsin.

During the traffic stop, gunfire was exchanged, striking the Chetek Police officer and a Cameron Police officer. Both officers were pronounced dead at the scene.

The other person involved in the shooting was transported to a hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries.

WISCONSIN MAN KILLED BY SUSPECT FLEEING IN STOLEN CAR

The Wisconsin DOJ said in a press release that there was no threat to the public following the shooting.

According to the release, the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation into the shooting with the assistance of the Barron County Sheriff’s Office, Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin State Crime Lab and a DCI Crime Response Specialist.

When the probe is concluded, investigative reports will be turned over to the Barron County District Attorney.

WISCONSIN POLICE CHARGE TWO SUSPECTS AFTER FLEEING TRAFFIC STOP IN 90 MPH CHASE WITH BABY IN THE CAR

Other law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin have expressed their condolences following the deaths of the two police officers. The Hudson Police Department, Oconto County Sheriff's Office, Milwaukee Fire Honor Guard and Village of East Troy Police Department all posted messages of support on social media.

"It is with heavy hearts, we send our thoughts and prayers to the Village of Cameron Police Department, the City of Chetek Police Department, the Barron County community, and the families of two officers lost in the line of duty today. Rest easy, we have the watch from here," the Hudson Police Department wrote in a tweet.
 

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Grocery Shoppers in New Jersey weighed in on the push toward decorating potatoes instead of eggs this Easter and agreed Americans should "stick with eggs."

"Potatoes instead of eggs? It’s weird," Mike told Fox News. "Just pay up."

One shopper, Maria, said, "Oh, buy a dozen eggs for the kids. Come on." 

WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE

The idea of painting potatoes this Easter began circulating on social media this winter as egg prices soared. Egg prices have stabilized from their January high but were still up 55% in February compared to the same time last year, while potato prices only increased 14% year over year, according to the Consumer Price Index.

"If you have to buy less eggs, I would still take the eggs," Darius told Fox News.

"Or just go Easter egg hunting," his friend Leroy chimed in. 

One woman, Lydia, said the idea was "nuts."

"Just get some plastic eggs and put candy in them," she said.

WHITE HOUSE EASTER EGG ROLL 2023 BRINGS PRIDE TO AMERICA’S FARMERS AS COMMEMORATIVE EGG IS REVEALED

Mike said eggs were not costly enough to make the sacrifice.

"Maybe steak and meat right now, sure," he said. "Not eggs. The kids need eggs."

The potato industry has taken advantage of the money-saving idea circulating the internet. Potatoes USA, the marketing board representing U.S. growers and importers, is offering decorating tips on their website and said potatoes are less fragile and more kid-friendly than eggs. 

The group also writes if you don’t find every potato during an Easter scavenger hunt you are spared the smell of rotting eggs.

People in New Jersey remain committed to their Easter egg tradition, however. 

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"That's the problem in society today," Leroy told Fox News. "We're losing our tradition."

"Tradition is tradition," another man, John, said. "Everything's expensive – potatoes are expensive too. So, stick with the egg."

"I had a lot of fun doing it with the kids and grandkids, you know?" Carol said. "It wouldn’t be the same."

To watch the full video, click here. 

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