Woebegone Wednesday Modern warfare? Sen. Joni Ernst reported to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that USAID, for U.S. security in Ukraine, gave a “trade mission for a condiment manufacturer” approximately $94,000, a “pickle maker” around $148,000, an organic coffee and tea producer approximately $255,000, a vineyard pulled in $89,000, and an “artisanal fruit tea company” collected $104,000. USAID also awarded a “specialty biscuit and confectionery company” around $678,000 — nearly the same number of taxpayer dollars as the aforementioned food grants combined — and a meatpacking plant approximately $319,000. USAID “failed to provide any of these documents” to Ernst’s staff beyond an “in-camera review.” USAID also claimed national security exemptions to avoid disclosing controversial charges on its public “foreign assistance” tracker. (WSJ)
McDonald's was the worst performing stock on the Dow in June. It made up about half its June losses so far in July after trying to adjust to customers' eating healthier, according to analysts.
Deals today • Hy-Vee Market Grilles are running a breakfast special Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. of three choices of two eggs, two strips bacon, two sausage links, two pancakes or two slices toast for $5 through Aug. 3.
• Exile (1514 Walnut St., Des Moines) offers a $12 burger basket with fries and a beer on Wednesdays.
• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $8 French toast or pancake breakfasts and $2 tacos, $9 wraps and $10 half pounds of wings on Wednesdays.
• Johnny's Italian Steakhouses have a chicken Madeira special on Wednesdays before 4 p.m., $15 including beverage.
• Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) has a $10 classic burger and beer all day.
• Felix & Oscar's is celebrating its 50th anniversary with buffets all July. $18 or two for $30. Kids $10, under 4 free. Wednesday is a pasta, salad and bread bar. • Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) has all you can eat fried chicken dinners on Wednesdays $21.99 after 5 p.m. Damon Dotson will play on the patio there from 6 p.m. tonight.
• Haiku (1315 31st St. , Des Moines) lets kids 11 and under eat free with adults on Wednesdays. Hot sour soup and eggrolls are comped today with lunch entrees.
• Wednesdays bring steak night to Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines). Steaks are cooked to order with salad, potato and bread, $14.99.
• Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) offers hot beef sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy for $11.50 on Wednesday.
• Curbin' Cuisine (1325 S.W. Oralabor Road, Ankeny) offers traditional gyros for $7 Wednesdays.
• Wine bottles are half price on Wednesdays at Trostel's Greenbriar (5910 Merle Hay Road, Johnston). The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines) also has half priced bottles on Wednesdays.
• G Mig's (128 Fifth St., Valley Junction) offers a special chicken Parmesano dinner today with salad and garlic bread for $19.25.
• Barntown's (9500 S.E. University Ave., West Des Moines) Wednesday specials are a pound of chicken tenders with fries and two sauces for $11.99, plus $13 core pitchers of beer.
• Wednesday is Biryani Festival at Chowrastha (5910 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines). Buy two and a third is free.
• Tacos Mariana's (1305 University Ave. , Des Moines) and The Station (3124 Ingersoll) have specials on tacos today.
• Village Inns offer free pie with entrees on Wednesdays.
• It's lasagna day at Maxie's Supper Club (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines), breaded pork tenderloin day at Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines), and barbecue ribs evening at G Migg's (128 Fifth St., Valley Junction).
• Panka Peruvian (2708 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has live jazz Wednesday.
• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) offers $5 off pizza on Wednesdays.
• Bordanaro's (6108 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has a Wednesday-Thursday only special on carryout pizza. They start at $6.50 for a 10-inch cheese pie. Each ingredient added is an extra charge, but this pretty much adds up to half-price pies.
• Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) has fried chicken specials tonight.
• Kwik Stars' Wednesday special is eight pieces of fried chicken for $10. Their fried chicken is ridiculously good for a convenience store.
• On Wednesdays you can get any burger with fries for $10.99 at Tito's Lounge (3916 N.W. Urbandale Dr, Urbandale).
• Jethro's have $9.95 BPT sandwiches, including a side of choice, on Wednesdays. Because tonight is an Indiana WNBA game night, the West Des Moines Jethro's has a "Fever Reliever" special of any two appetizers on the Happy Hour menu and two pints of domestic beer for $22. • Hy-Vee Market Grilles are offering a cheeseburger and fries Wednesday special for $8. • Price Choppers have sales on Colorado peaches at $1.99/pound, red or white grapes at $1.99/pound and Tide Simply at $2.99/32-ounce bottle through Monday.
• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) begins a week-long sale on Atlantic salmon fillets at $6.99/pound and King salmon fillets at $21.99/pound plus BOGO offers on 300 items.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |