“My editors and writers always hated it when I told them they were in sales (We are all in sales, July 28, 2026). ‘But,’ I would tell them, ‘it's your work that sells the publication — every good word, every catchy headline — or every bad word and every dud headline. So, make them count.’ ” - Brad

Some people think they get paid the same no matter what they do. And, sometimes, that’s true — for a while. - Shane

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.

FROM KCCI: Legal expert weighs in on new Kristin Ramsey court documents. Kristin Ramsey's defense team says it has two massive hard drives containing case information and evidence from the last 15 years but claims key evidence remains undisclosed. The missing evidence includes a video interview with another potential suspect, video of multiple witness interviews, and a written confession from someone in 2018. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Johnston man dies after vehicle strikes bridge pillar on I-35. Authorities say a Johnston man was killed after his car became airborne and struck a bridge pillar in Warren County. The Iowa State Patrol says the crash occurred around 1 p.m. Thursday when a 2010 Ford Focus that was southbound on Interstate 35 near the Highway 92 interchange left the roadway to the median and continued southbound in the median towards the northbound lanes. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Farm Bill flounders in Senate committee vote, Iowa leaders show frustration. Senate Republicans were unable to pass a farm bill out of committee on Thursday after no Democrat would support it, but also in part due to Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) recent absence due to health, the Associated Press notes.
The bill is something Iowa farmers were hoping received successful passage, especially due to a year-round E15 provision. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Student gunman kills at least 7 people at a high school and a home outside Bangkok, officials say. A student shot several people at a high school outside Bangkok on Friday morning, killing at least five and wounding several others, according to authorities, who said the gunman also appeared to have separately killed his two grandparents. The gunman took his own life, officials said. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Court orders Instagram and Facebook’s Meta to pay $567M to address kids’ mental health online. A New Mexico court has ordered Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta to pay $567 million to address harms to young people from its platforms in the second phase of a landmark trial. Judge Bryan Biedscheid said in a ruling late Thursday that the bulk of the money — $420 million — will be used for treatment services for young people. The rest will go toward awareness and prevention, screening services and other costs over the next five years. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: UNI-Dome naming rights up for grabs for first time. The University of Northern Iowa is putting naming rights for the UNI-Dome up for sale for the first time in the building's 50-year history. UNI Athletics and Learfield's Panther Sports Properties announced the expanded sponsorship initiative. The UNI-Dome is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Iowa and has been the longtime home of UNI football and indoor track and field. ... READ MORE

"Health" news
The American Heart Association (AHA), those experts that told us trans fats were better for you than butter and cream, now proclaim that up to five cups of coffee a day are safe and may have benefits for heart health. Three to five 8-ounce cups daily, or around 400 milligrams of caffeine, is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, heart failure, stroke and Type 2 diabetes, according to the AHA. AHA also noted that energy drinks often contain much higher amounts of caffeine than coffee but that consuming them can lead to irregular heartbeats and high blood pressure.  

Iowa's nitrate drinking water violations doubled in 2025 in comparison to the previous year, according to a report by the Iowa DNR.
 
Weekend deals
• Frosty Trete in Bedford celebrates its 75th anniversary Saturday with several super discounts of 75 cents and $1.75.
 
• Exile offers half-priced kids meals on Fridays. 
 
• Fresh Thyme (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) has $6 buckets of eight pieces of baked chicken on Fridays. 
 
• Desi Bites (1475 S.E. Bishop Drive, Waukee) has weekend specials on nine biryanis and five pulavs. 
 
• Marianna's (1305 University Ave., Des Moines) offers green enchiladas combos for $10 Fridays and Saturdays and four shrimp tacos for $12 Sundays.
 
• Talk Shop Lounge (3357 St. Charles Road, St. Charles) has a steak dinner deal Friday $16. 
 
• The False Nine Social Club (206 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has wings on sale Fridays for $8.
 
• Waveland Cafe (4708 University Ave., Des Moines) offers fried chickenspecials today.  
 
• Friday lunch special is $12 Italian beef with fries and soda, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Striking Sparrow (1930 S.E. Sixth St., Des Moines).
 
• Most Hy-Vees offer $5 fish and chips Fridays, $14 ribs Saturdays and eight-piece chicken buckets for $10 on Sundays.
 
• Sale Barn Cafe (Lamoni) is offering beef gyros specials today.
 
• Machine Shed (11151 Hickman, Urbandale) offers smoked prime rib on Saturday only. Whatcha Smokin? (Luther) offers smoked Dino beef ribs on Saturday only. 
 
• Pulled pork is today's special at Crouse Cafe (115 E. Salem, Indianola). Saturday's will be catfish and Sunday's is fried chicken.
 
• Saturday is wine sampling day at Graziano Brothers.
 
• ShortE's BBQ (8805 Chambery Blvd., Johnston) offers  "kids eat free" deals on Friday and Saturday.
 
• Amruth (9974 Swanson Blvd., Clive) has 20 dishes on their Saturday and Sunday buffet, noon to 4 p.m. Of course, there will be dosas.
 
• Waterfront stores' Saturday special includes cocktail shrimp or raw oysters on the half shell for half price until 4 p.m.
 
• Guesthouse Tavern and Oyster (9500 University, West Des Moines) offers Surf & Turf specials Fridays and $33 prime rib dinners Saturdays.
 
• Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) does Saturday and Sunday brunch buffets for $24.99 for adults. Kids 6 and younger eat free.
 
• Rube's steakhouses offer a prime sirloin special on Sundays only, $29.
 
• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $9 Philly cheesesteaks or hot honey chicken plus $8 biscuit and gravy breakfasts on Fridays.
 
• 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. 
 
•  Jethro's Sunday special is burger baskets with fries for $9.95. Fridays they have Texas Dip - chopped Texas brisket with sauteed onions, Swiss cheese on a hoagie with fries and BBQJus. $13.95. 
 
• Paula's (Elm at Sixth, Valley Junction) has a Friday special Rachel (turkey Reuben) with fries for $14.
 
• 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.
 
• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a $40 prime rib dinner special Friday and Saturday. 
 
• Court Avenue Brewing Company (309 Court Ave., Des Moines) hosts Saturday and Sunday breakfast buffets for $23.99.
 
• It's French dip Friday at Club 2000 (420 Indianola Road, Des Moines).
 
• Price Choppers have sales through Monday on cucumbers for 88 cents, Kandy melons at $1.99 and frozen swai fillets at $3.49/pound.

• Aldi stores have sales through Tuesday on red grapes at $1.29/6 pounds, avocados at $.59, and chicken wings at $1.69/pound.

• Fresh Thyme (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) is running a sale through Sunday on lobster tails at $5.99/pound and through Tuesday on chicken wings at $1.99/pound and deli bacon at $3.99/pound.

• Fareways have specials through Saturday including free 24 packs of purified water with $25 of produce, USDA choice T-bones at $12.99/pound and AE yogurts for $.78

Dinner with a show
Jake Schrodt and Taylor King play Kelly's Little Nipper at 7 p.m. Friday... El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill on EP True has live music from The Juan and Only on Friday from 6 p.m... Willie Shay plays Simon’s at 7 p.m. Friday... Taylor King plays Exile Brewing Sunday at 5 p.m.... Fred Gazzo Quintet  plays at Anna Dolce at 6:30 p.m. Saturday... Gone 2 Paradise - The Ultimate Jimmy Buffett Experience plays at The Ingersoll at 5:30 p.m.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1782: George Washington creates the Purple Heart. On August 7, 1782, in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington, the commander in chief of the Continental Army, creates the “Badge for Military Merit,” a decoration consisting of a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk, edged with a narrow binding of silver, with the word Merit stitched across the face in silver. It would come to be widely known as the Purple Heart. … READ MORE

1959: The first U.S. satellite to photograph the Earth is launched. From the Atlantic Missile Range in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the U.S. unmanned spacecraft Explorer 6 is launched into an orbit around the earth. The spacecraft, commonly known as the “Paddlewheel” satellite, features a photocell scanner that transmitted a crude picture of the earth’s surface and cloud cover from a distance of 17,000 miles. The photo, received in Hawaii, takes nearly 40 minutes to transmit. … READ MORE

1987: Lynne Cox swims into communist territory. On August 7, 1987, Lynne Cox braves the freezing waters of the Bering Strait to make the first recorded swim from the United States to the Soviet Union. … READ MORE

www.history.com