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Restaurants Hit Hard by Power Outages; Starbucks Offers ‘Healthy’ Boxed Lunches

• The power outages caused by thunderstorms earlier in the week have been disastrous for local restaurants; Salutos Italian Restaurant claims to have thrown out about $20,000 worth of spoiled food. [CBS]

• Are boxed lunches making a comeback? Starbucks hopes so, as it just introduced a variety of “bistro boxes,” featuring fruit, cheese, and a “small portion” of dark chocolate. [Trib]

• The number of people in Illinois using food stamps at farmers’ markets has gone up over the past year. Part of that is thanks to the number of markets around that state accepting LINK cards. [Huff Post]

• You don’t know what’s lurking beneath those colored balls: Turns out McDonald’s playgrounds are nasty places infested with gonorrhea and meningitis. [HuffPo]

• The following staples will continue to climb in price, say experts: wheat, corn, meat, dairy, and coffee. So basically everything involved in the American diet. [SF Gate]

• Because of some paperwork issues coupled with the Minnesota government shutdown, MillerCoors beers may soon be barred from liquor stores and bars in that state. That means no Blue Moon either. [HuffPo]

• Nestle has invested in a company that makes kiwi-based constipation cures. How glamorous! [Reuters]

Restaurants Hit Hard by Power Outages; Starbucks Offers ‘Healthy’ Boxed Lunches