FROM KCCI: Iowa public media faces historic funding cuts. Iowa's public media are bracing for historic funding cutbacks as Congress considers a bill that could cut $9 billion in taxpayer dollars to foreign aid and public broadcasting. The Senate passed the bill with a narrow margin of 51 to 48, with two Republicans voting against it. At the Iowa Radio Reading Information Service (IRIS) in Des Moines, volunteers read news to visually impaired Iowans through a statewide radio system. However, potential funding cutbacks could impact this vital service. "I'm profoundly disappointed. I think that public broadcasting and NPR and those services are crucial," said Rachel Mithelman, an IRIS reader. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Safris family hopes for justice as those named in Urbandale schools lawsuit remain employed. During a trial last fall a jury found Urbandale Community School District at fault for failing to protect a female student from bullying and sexual assault at school. The student’s parents are happy about the verdict, but angry that the district is doing nothing in response. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Des Moines woman faces animal neglect charges after 18 animals recovered from home. A local woman is facing numerous animal neglect charges after over a dozen animals were seized from her north Des Moines residence. The Polk County Sheriff's Office served an animal neglect search warrant at a mobile home in the 800 block of N.E. 46th Avenue Wednesday afternoon. Deputies and Animal Rescue League of Iowa staff members recovered 18 animals from the property, according to a press release. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Disruptions of cellphone internet links in Russia are spreading. A snappy tune by a blogger that mockingly laments his poor internet connection in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don has gotten over a half-million views on Instagram in two weeks. “How to say you’re from Rostov without saying a word? Show one bar of cellphone service,” Pavel Osipyan raps while walking around the city, smartphone in hand. “We have internet until 12 o’clock, and recently there’s been no connection at all. No need to be angry, just get used to it already.” ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: House passes Trump’s $9 billion DOGE cuts package in another legislative win for president. House Republicans gave the final stamp of approval early Friday morning to a package of $9 billion in spending cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting, handing a win to President Donald Trump. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Funeral director fined for practicing without an Iowa license for 12 years. A Minnesota funeral home operator has been fined $1,000 for doing business in Iowa without a license for 12 years. According to the Iowa Board of Mortuary Science, Daniel Dingmann, who operates a funeral home in southern Minnesota, became an Iowa-licensed funeral director in 1998. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Warmth starts to return today, with scattered storm chances on tap late Friday night through Monday.

For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage.

The junk food empire fights back, part IV
Coca Cola announced Wednesday that it will bring back real sugar to U.S. Coke. Real sugar was removed from the recipe in 1984 and replaced with high fructose corn syrup. Coincidentally, that was the same year that U.S. diabetes and obesity incidents began climbing. Corn farmers won't like this but MAHA moms will.

The junk food empire is fighting back. 

Oreo has teamed with Selena Gomez to introduce horchata and chocolate and cinnamon cookies. 

Cheba Hut introduced its newest limited-time offer: the Lemon Blueberry Cookie. 

Lay's announced the results of its "Do Us A Flavor" contest, which called on fans to submit their "$1 million potato chip flavor idea" and vote for their favorite finalist. The 2025 champion is Bacon Grilled Cheese flavored potato chips submitted by Paula George from Sapulpa, Oklahoma.

Weekend deals
• Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) offers walleye or steak dinner specials tonight and karaoke after 9 p.m. They have a 10 for $10 wings deal on Sundays. 

• Irina's Steak & Seafood (650 S. Prairie View Drive, Unit 100, West Des Moines) has a three-course Sunday dinner for two featuring filet and shrimp for $85 all summer. 

• IHMVCU hosts Food Truck Frenzy with the first 50 people in line at 3990 Merle Hay Road eating free. This Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. will be catered by Pho Wheels. 

• Friday is Soul Food day at Joppa Experience (1829 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) with fried chicken and oxtail stew joining the usual menu. 

•  Jethro's Sunday special is papa cheeseburgers and side for $9.95. Today they have BBQ melt and side deal for $9.95. 

• G Mig's has Friday prime rib dinners for $29.50 or walleye with asparagus for $25.95. 

• Django (1420 Locust St., Des Moines) offers a Sunday supper with a roasted half chicken as the main course. The meal includes house salad with red onion, apple, Roquefort, and candied walnuts; fresh baguette with whipped butter; roasted fingerling potatoes with fresh herbs; and sautéed haricot verts with caramelized onions and lardons. $30.  

• Table 128 (220 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) features a Saturday tasting menu for $58.

• Heavenly Asian (225 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has an all-day Friday sale on orange chicken served with soup, crab Rangoon, egg roll and rice. $14, available for dine-in and phone carry-out.

• Fish Fry Friday specials can be found at Machine Shed (11151 Hickman Road, Urbandale), Johnny's Italian Steakhouses, Red Lobster (3838 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines), Cracker Barrel (11701 University, Clive), Hy-Vee stores and Bevy’s Tavern (1300 50th St., West Des Moines).  

• Bawarchi (6630 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines) has Friday-Sunday specials on paneer kebabs, chicken curry and goat curry.

• Mickey's in Yale (217 Main St., Yale) has hot beef sandwich lunches and all you can eat fish dinner specials today.

• Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) offers BBQ beef and marinated roast beef sandwiches on special for Friday lunch.

• The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines) offers BOGO flatbreads Fridays and a blackened chicken sandwich and fries for just $12 on Saturdays. 

• 801 Chophouse (801 Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers Sunday supper specials that deliver deep discounts on filet, prime rib and red king salmon dinners.

• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a $40 prime rib dinner special Friday and Saturday. 

• Tito’s Lounge (3916 N.W. Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) has brunch on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. 

• Court Avenue Brewing Company (309 Court Ave., Des Moines) hosts Saturday and Sunday breakfast buffets for $23.99.

• Friday night is paella time at Purveyor (505 E. Grand, Des Moines, officially, but really on E. Fifth), real Valenciana paella.

• Haiku (1350 31st St., Des Moines) offers free tom ka kai and fried won tons with lunch entrees today.

• Maxie's Supper Club's (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines) Friday special is chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes - $16.95 all day. They also have prime rib dinners on Friday and Saturday for dinner only, $30-38.   

• Price Choppers have sales on cherries at $1.99/pound, Kandy melons at $1.99 each and catfish nuggets at $2.29/pound through Monday.

• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) has sales on jumbo shrimp at $4.99/pound, grass fed NY strip steaks at $16.99/pound and Romaine lettuce at $1.49 each through Tuesday. 

•  Fareways have specials through Saturday on Iowa chops $2.38/pound plus eggplant, green beans or zucchini, all at 99 cents/pound.

• Aldi stores have specials through Saturday on peaches and nectarines at $1.49/pound, baby bella mushrooms at $1.49/8-ounce pack and chicken wings at $2.19/pound. That last one is the lowest price of the year in local markets.

•  Westown Tap (3530 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines) offers $12 flatbreads on Fridays.

• Music: El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill on EP True has live music from The Juan and Only on Friday from 6 p.m. Willie James Shay plays Sonny’s Pizza Bistro Friday at 5:30 p.m. Brittany Sword plays Kelly's Little Nipper at 7 p.m. Friday. Get Off My Lawn plays Truman’s Pizza Tavern at 5 p.m. Friday.  Fred Gazzo Quintet plays Anna Dolce Ristorante, WDM at 6 p.m. Saturday. Steve Grismore/Jason Danielson Duo at Louie’s Wine Dive at 5 Sunday.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1969: Senator Ted Kennedy drives car off bridge at Chappaquiddick Island. Shortly after leaving a party on Chappaquiddick Island, Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy of Massachusetts drives an Oldsmobile off a wooden bridge into a tide-swept pond. Kennedy escaped the submerged car, but his passenger, 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne, did not. The senator did not report the fatal car accident for 10 hours.    ... READ MORE

1976: Gymnast Nadia Comăneci scores first perfect “10” in Olympic history. In her Olympic debut at the tender age of 14, Nadia Comăneci becomes the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 in Olympic history. The young Romanian's performance at the Montreal Olympic Games launches her into the international spotlight. ... READ MORE

1984: Twenty-one people are shot to death at McDonald’s. James Oliver Huberty opens fire in a crowded McDonald’s restaurant in San Ysidro, California, killing 21 people and wounding 19 others with several semi-automatic weapons. Minutes earlier, Huberty had left home, telling his wife, “I’m going hunting…hunting for humans.”   ... READ MORE

 www.history.com