Last night’s talk shows: Chicken prices, marriage health tests, and the sentencing of Mortada Mansour were all given prominent coverage by the nation’s talking heads last night.

Poultry takes center stage amid soaring prices + Brazilian chicken controversy: Most of the nation’s talk shows gave special attention to the price of chicken as the government ups poultry imports from Brazil to calm soaring prices ahead of Ramadan. Official inflation data out earlier this month showed that the price of chicken has almost doubled over the past year and surged almost 33% in January alone following the devaluation of the EGP.

The main message from the talk shows: Things are getting better. The price of chicken has fallen by around EGP 10 in the past three days due to increased imports, Kelma Akhira’s Lamis El Hadidi said (watch, runtime: 5:55). El Hadidi said she became a “trend” on social media after users criticized her for encouraging citizens to opt for the cheaper imported poultry (watch, runtime: 3:37). Meanwhile, Egyptian Poultry Association (EPA) vice chairman Tharwat El Zeiny told Amr Adib that the imports will bring in some “balance to the market” and said that the price of chicks had fallen by 30% in recent days. In an interview on Al Hayah Al Youm, Abdel Aziz Al Sayed, head of the Poultry Division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, said that imported frozen chickens pushed prices down to EGP 69 per chicken yesterday from EGP 78 earlier. Ala Mas’ouleety also featured an interview with El Zeiny (watch, runtime: 4:52).

Gov’t denies importing expired chicken: The cabinet yesterday denied rumors on social media that Brazilian chicken imported by the government was spoiled and expired. The National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) has confirmed that all food imports, including frozen poultry, comply with food safety standards, it said.

Don’t like Brazilian chicken? That’s racist, says Amr Adib: The El Hekaya host sought to defend imports from the accusations by criticizing the detractors as engaging in “poultry racism” (watch, runtime: 2:19).

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Mandatory pre-marriage examinations for future spouses are in effect as of today: The Health Ministry will introduce starting today new mandatory pre-marriage examinations under a presidential initiative to screen future spouses, according to a statement by the ministry.

The new tests got special attention on the airwaves, with Health Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar telling Masa’a DMC that spouses to-be will have to go through new tests to obtain the necessary health certificate (watch, runtime: 10:38). Those include tests for hepatitis C, hepatitis B, hereditary diseases, and non-communicable diseases including diabetes and hypertension. Newly-weds will now have to pay EGP 220 each for the tests and examination, with the certificate set to be obtained within 14 days. El Hekaya’s Adib stressed the importance of the new examinations, saying that they ensure that the newly-weds are medically fit for marriage and do not suffer genetic diseases (watch, runtime: 3:04 | 1:38).

You won’t tie the knot without it: Religious officiants (maazoun) will not be allowed to document the marriage contracts without the new health certificate, Ibrahim Ali Sleem, who heads the Maazoun Association, told Kelma Akhira (watch, runtime: 7:40).

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Also getting coverage last night:

Mortada Mansour behind bars: Amr Adib covered yesterday’s jailing of Zamalek FC president Mortada Mansour, telling his audience that the sentence demonstrates that no one is untouchable, and highlighting Mansour’s alleged insults aimed at various officials, public figures and footballers (watch, runtime: 12:55).

Mortada’s reaction? “Finally, the president of Al Ahly imprisoned the president of Zamalek club … Do not worry about me, lions are not afraid of death, and they are not afraid of prison,” a typically bullish Mansour wrote in a Facebook post following the decision.

AND- Cancer vaccine breakthrough? Masa’a DMC noted Moderna’s success last week in getting its experimental skin cancer vaccine designated a breakthrough therapy from US regulators (watch, runtime: 12:20).