McDonald’s will celebrate America’s 250th birthday with some good old-fashioned nostalgia. The fast food behemoth recently announced it would bring back fried apple pies, but only for a limited time.
“Summer tends to move fast – but the moments worth remembering don’t. And with America’s 250th birthday around the corner, we’re bringing back a fan-favorite and bona fide national treasure made for slowing down and savoring the season: the Fried Apple Pie,” the press release <a href="https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-stories/article/mcdonalds-fried-apple-pie-returns.html">said</a>. 
“If you know, you know. If you don&#8217;t, June 23 is your chance to find out. The OG Fried Apple Pie is back at participating restaurants nationwide for a limited time. The all-day menu item features our signature filling made with 100% American-grown apples, wrapped in the same golden crunch and flaky fried crust fans remember – or soon won’t forget.”
Per <a href="https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/mcdonalds-serving-fried-apple-pie-americas-250th-birthday-133921614">ABC News</a>, McDonald’s introduced both the fried apple pie and the Big Mac in 1968. The outlet noted that the familiar rectangular pie in a paper sleeve was dreamt up by Litton Cochran, who ran a McDonald&#8217;s franchise in Tennessee. 
The fast food restaurant replaced the fried version with a baked apple pie in 1992 as the public started to worry more about healthier diets and limit fried foods. While the fried version was phased out in the United States, it was still available in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Greece, Mexico, Australia, and China, as well as in Hawaii.
There have been petitions over the years to bring back menu favorites, including the popular McRib sandwich that often makes limited-time comebacks and always makes headlines when it does. The fried apple pie is no exception.
“There are certain things that just take you back – and the Fried Apple Pie is one of them. It’s something that people love and remember from growing up,” said Eric Cochran, a McDonald’s franchise owner/operator. “When Ray Kroc was trying to come up with a dessert for McDonald’s, my Grandad, Litton Cochran, suggested a Fried Apple Pie as a classic that people would love. My Grandmom, Jo Cochran, spent months perfecting the recipe. Bringing the Fried Apple Pie back for fans this summer to celebrate America’s 250th just feels right.”

McDonald’s

Discontinued Fast Food Favorite Makes A Comeback For America’s 250th

America 250

Fast-Food

A California McDonald’s employee is in the hospital fighting severe second-degree burns after a co-worker allegedly threw hot oil at him, police said.  
Jacob Smith, 20, suffered burns on the side of his face, neck, right arm, and back, <a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/yuba-city-mcdonalds-assault-jacob-smith-hot-liquid/71510374">according to local outlet KCRA.</a> The alleged assault happened Saturday night in Yuba City, California, which is about 45 minutes north of Sacramento. 
His mother, Amber Smith, said her son was preparing to clock out when his world was turned upside down. 
&#8220;He was in the office getting ready to count the money when he saw out of the corner of his eye something, and he just turned, and the oil was just thrown on him,&#8221; Smith told KCRA. 
Smith is undergoing specialized treatment in the UC Davis ICU burn unit. The family believes the liquid was “hot oil.” 
&#8220;The pain he&#8217;s experiencing is so excruciating that they can&#8217;t give him a level of pain medicine outside of the ICU,” Smith told KCRA. “They&#8217;re just telling me that their goal right now is to decrease the size of the burn on his back and his neck area to try to minimize the amount of skin grafting that they&#8217;re looking at having to do.” 
Police identified the suspect as 23-year-old Jalani Bluett of Yuba City. Deputies arrested Bluett on Monday and booked him into the Sutter County Jail on a charge of battery causing serious bodily injury, according to KCRA.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Yuba City McDonald&#8217;s boss rushed to ICU with horrific injuries after colleague threw scorching hot oil over him <a href="https://t.co/ntHvtjkXLm">https://t.co/ntHvtjkXLm</a> <a href="https://t.co/tLseRsf3eY">pic.twitter.com/tLseRsf3eY</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://x.com/nypost/status/2063695650521321851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;I want justice to be served. I want him to serve the time he needs to serve for what he&#8217;s done to my son. I mean, I don&#8217;t wish bad things towards him. I just want him to understand that what he did—really understand what he did — and the pain that he caused to my son is excruciating,&#8221; Smith told KCRA.
The circumstances leading up to the incident remain unclear. 
Jacob’s family set up a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/dwg486-standing-with-jacob-through-his-recovery">GoFundMe page</a> to help supplement his recovery, which has raised more than $133k. 
“On May 30, my son Jacob was working his shift at McDonald&#8217;s, where he has been a loyal and dedicated employee for several years. What should have been a normal day at work turned into a nightmare when a coworker assaulted him by throwing hot oil on him,” Smith’s family said in the GoFundMe. 
“Jacob suffered severe second-degree burns to his face, arm, and back. He was rushed for medical treatment and will be spending time in the hospital as doctors work to help him heal. He now faces a long and painful recovery process that will include ongoing medical care, treatments, and time away from work.”
McDonald’s didn’t respond to requests for comment, according to the outlet.

GoFundMe

McDonald’s Worker Says He’s Fighting Severe Burns After Hot-Oil Attack

Crime

News

Living on the East Coast has its perks, but one common complaint is the frustrating lack of access to In-N-Out, which is mostly located out west. But now there’s a solution.
In between filling out petitions to open more In-N-Out restaurants, hungry customers can head to McDonald’s and use a very specific hack to mimic the taste of the fast food chain’s uber-popular “Animal Style” burger. It’s about as close as East Coasters can get to In-N-Out without purchasing a plane ticket. 
It all starts with ordering a Double Cheeseburger at McDonald’s. Next, the order should be customized to include Big Mac sauce, extra pickles, and grilled onions on the burger, <a href="https://www.foodrepublic.com/2160907/mcdonalds-burger-in-out-animal-style-trick/">per </a>Food Republic. The outlet notes that this request works best during non-peak hours, as grilled onions are not a standard menu item at McDonald’s.
The customization doesn’t stop there. Hungry customers can also modify their French fries order at McDonald&#8217;s to be Animal Style. To achieve this hack, you’ll need to order an extra two slices of American cheese, grilled or raw onions, and Big Mac Sauce. It’s important to put the cheese on first so it melts, the outlet notes.
Like Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out has always been near and dear to conservative hearts. The fast-food restaurant is known for its conservative corporate culture, inspired by the Christian faith of its founders. In-N-Out, founded in 1948, has largely rejected modernization techniques used by other fast-food chains. It has a limited menu, fresh ingredients, and a commitment to quality. 
Liberals have also criticized the company for donating to Republican political campaigns and for printing Bible verses on its packaging. However, calls for boycotts usually don’t work because their fans are too loyal. 
The company was also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donotcomply-praise-erupts-online-for-in-n-out-burgers-anti-vax-mandate-stand">praised by conservatives</a> in 2021 when it refused to enforce a COVID vaccine mandate for customers in San Francisco, temporarily closing a location and making it clear that it refuses “to become the vaccination police for any government.”

In-N-Out burgers

A Simple Hack Brings In-N-Out To Every Hometown

Food

In-N-Out Burger

Restaurant

McDonald’s customers are annoyed by what the fast food company just pitched as a bargain.
For a limited time, the McDouble will be available on the company&#8217;s &#8220;McValue&#8221; menu for $2.50. But social media commenters are pointing out that this “value” only highlights how much prices have increased in a short period, as the same sandwich once cost $1.
People were further incensed when McDonald’s discontinued its popular “Buy 1, Get 1 for $1” promo in late April. That’s been replaced by the “Under $3” menu that includes the McDouble and other items, many of which were included in the earlier promotion. 
&#8220;Look, it was my go-to lunch for work every single day. Quick, easy and 5 bucks for lunch. That&#8217;s gone, so am I,&#8221; one commenter wrote. &#8220;No reason else to go. Might only be 1 person, but that&#8217;s one customer gone.&#8221; 
“Anyone remember when McDoubles used to be 99 cents? It was only 10 years ago &#8230;&#8221; one Reddit user noted. 
&#8220;All these were 99-cent items, then it [turned] into a &#8216;value&#8217; meal, then we have what we got now,” another commenter observed. 
&#8220;Thing was a dollar, they sell billions of burgers and I&#8217;m supposed to be impressed by 2.50?&#8221; a third agreed.
McDonald’s pushed back against those criticisms, insisting that their offerings remain a great value.
&#8220;Our focus has always been on listening to our customers and meeting their needs,&#8221; McDonald&#8217;s USA said in a statement, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/mcdonalds-2-50-mcdouble-sparks-backlash-americans-say-fast-food-no-longer-cheap">per</a> Fox News Digital.
&#8220;That&#8217;s why McValue was built as a flexible platform designed to evolve with them. The under $3 menu delivers on what they&#8217;ve told us matters most: consistently great prices on their favorite items and the freedom to order what they want, when they want — no bundling required.&#8221;
The fast-food chain is also facing backlash for continuing to phase out its self-serve beverage stations, which many dine-in customers valued for free refills. 
“As confirmed in 2023, McDonald’s will be transitioning away from self-serve beverage stations in dining rooms across the U.S. by 2032,” the company said in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcdonalds-continues-to-phase-out-popular-restaurant-feature-nationwide">statement</a> this week. “The change is being rolled out over 10 years, and is intended to create a consistent experience for both customers and crew across all ordering points, whether that’s McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant.&#8221;

The McDonald’s Menu Change Sparking Nostalgia For The 99-Cent Era

Economy

United States

America is still lovin’ it.
More than a year after President Donald Trump’s viral McDonald’s campaign stop took over the internet during the 2024 election, we are finally learning how the unforgettable fast-food moment actually came together.
Speaking this week about the now-famous campaign event, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles revealed it was the campaign team that pitched the idea of Trump working the fryer at a McDonald’s during the final stretch of the race.
Trump quickly signed off on it for one very simple reason: “He eats it every single day,” Wiles said.
Back on October 20, 2024, Trump stopped at a McDonald’s in battleground Pennsylvania and instantly created one of the defining images of the election cycle.
Wearing an apron and standing behind the fryer, Trump cooked fries, joked with workers, and handed food through the drive-thru window as supporters packed the area outside.
The stop was also widely viewed as a jab at then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who had previously claimed she worked at McDonald’s when she was younger, though the story later became heavily debated during the campaign.
But the event was about more than trolling political opponents.
The campaign reportedly saw the stunt as a way to connect directly with working Americans, especially considering roughly one in eight Americans have worked at McDonald’s at some point in their lives.
The message was simple: Trump wanted to position himself as someone who respected those jobs and the people working them every day.
The unforgettable campaign gimmick exploded into a massive viral moment.
Within hours, photos and videos of Trump behind the fryer flooded social media. Memes spread everywhere. Supporters turned the moment into merchandise. Even critics who mocked the stunt admitted it completely hijacked the news cycle.
Now Wiles is pulling back the curtain on why the campaign believed it would connect so strongly in the first place.
The answer was authenticity.
Trump has spent decades openly talking about his love of McDonald’s and fast food.
Whether aboard Trump Force One or on the campaign trail, stories about his McDonald’s habit have followed him for years.
The campaign apparently understood something many political consultants still do not. Americans can spot a fake photo-op from a mile away.
But Trump standing inside a McDonald’s looked less like a consultant-crafted stunt and more like something he would genuinely be doing on a random night.
More than a year later, people are still talking about it.

Trump McDonalds

We’re Still Lovin’ It! The Story Behind Trump’s Viral McDonald’s Shift

Donald Trump

President Trump

McDonald’s has ticked off many customers as it continues making an unpopular change to its restaurants.
The fast-food behemoth announced in 2023 that it planned to gradually phase out self-serve beverage stations. That was not an idle threat, as many customers are now seeing this change implemented at their local McDonald’s.
&#8220;This change is intended to create a consistent experience for both customers and crew across all ordering points, whether that&#8217;s McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant,&#8221; the company told USA Today in a statement in 2023.
McDonald’s confirmed that the plan was moving forward despite significant backlash.
&#8220;As confirmed in 2023, McDonald’s will be transitioning away from self-serve beverage stations in dining rooms across the U.S. by 2032,” the company <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/fox-news-food-drink/mcdonalds-quietly-ditching-popular-in-store-feature-nationwide">told</a> Fox Business this week, giving a nearly identical statement. “The change is being rolled out over 10 years, and is intended to create a consistent experience for both customers and crew across all ordering points, whether that’s McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant.&#8221;
The change is being seen as a move away from in-store dining in favor of drive-thru, delivery, and digital orders. This <a href="https://www.today.com/food/restaurants/whatever-happened-to-mcdonalds-playplaces-rcna195698">lines up with</a> many restaurants being remodeled and removing play places for kids, plus generally changing the aesthetic to be more muted and modern. 
Beverages, one of the <a href="https://www.mashed.com/190582/the-real-reason-all-mcdonalds-soft-drinks-are-only-1/">biggest sources of profit</a> for the company, remain a focus for McDonald’s. Sodas have a profit margin of up to 90%, with the fast-food restaurant charging $1.50 to $4 for an item that costs 10 to 40 cents per cup, including product, packaging, and labor.
The company told Fox Business in a statement that it would introduce new items to the lineup, including “dirty sodas” that have been going viral online. 
&#8220;Our fans’ love for McDonald’s beverages runs deep … Next month, we’re building on that passion with a new era of beverages, featuring a variety of Refreshers and crafted sodas rolling out nationwide,&#8221; the statement said.

McDonald’s soda

McDonald’s Continues To Phase Out Popular Restaurant Feature Nationwide

President Donald Trump ordered two bags of food from McDonald&#8217;s to the Oval Office via DoorDash for lunch on Monday and allowed the delivery driver to talk about the massive tax return she received thanks to Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221;
Dasher Sharon Simmons, who wore a shirt that read &#8220;DoorDash Grandma,&#8221; walked up to the outside door of the Oval Office as cameras rolled and was greeted by the president.
&#8220;Nice to meet you. I have your DoorDash order for you, Mr. President,&#8221; Simmons said.
&#8220;Look at this. This doesn&#8217;t look staged, does it?&#8221; Trump quipped as reporters gathered to watch the food drop off and ask Trump questions during a quick press conference.
Simmons told Trump that she was surprised to receive a tax refund of over $11,000 this year thanks to the tax cuts passed in Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221; The bill, which was passed the Republican-controlled Congress and signed into law by Trump last summer, allows Americans to deduct federal taxes on tips and overtime. Trump&#8217;s tax cuts gave many waiters, bartenders, and delivery drivers a massive boost in their 2025 refunds.
&#8220;You know, we call it the &#8216;Great, Big, Beautiful Bill&#8217; — we should call it the &#8216;Great, Big, Beautiful Tax Cut Bill&#8217; because it&#8217;s tremendous amounts of money,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;And that&#8217;s on overtime, that&#8217;s also on social security, as you know.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
WATCH IN FULL: <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> receives a <a href="https://twitter.com/DoorDash?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DoorDash</a> delivery to the Oval Office.
&#8220;I have your <a href="https://twitter.com/DoorDash?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DoorDash</a> order for you, Mr. President!&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/lwFHbHmYVk">pic.twitter.com/lwFHbHmYVk</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2043736844144124206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump tipped the dasher $100 for the McDonald&#8217;s delivery. He also invited her into the Oval Office.
<div id="attachment_1077065" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1077065" class="wp-image-1077065 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270730070-865x576.jpg" alt="" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270730070-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270730070-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270730070-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2270730070.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Photographer: Salwan Georges/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
After dropping off the president&#8217;s McDonald&#8217;s order, Simmons told Fox News that Trump&#8217;s no tax on tips has helped her save up money after she and her husband were forced to spend much of their savings on her husband&#8217;s medical bills when he was diagnosed with stage-three cancer.
&#8220;As you know, going through treatments — even with insurance — you kind of break the bank,&#8221; Simmons said. &#8220;And we pretty much went through our savings, so when I found out about the no tax on tips, I was like this is incredible. You know, it&#8217;s not going to replace my life savings, but it&#8217;s going to help, certainly, with future doctor&#8217;s appointments and future things that we have going on. It means a lot.&#8221;
Simmons added that in 2025, half of her total earnings came through tips. Following the passage of the &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8221; many seniors also qualified for an additional $6,000 in deductions on their 2025 tax returns. So far, the average tax refund for all Americans in the 2026 filing season has been over $3,600, up nearly 11% from last year&#8217;s refunds, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/filing-season-statistics-for-week-ending-march-6-2026">according</a> to IRS data.
The Trump administration is highlighting the president&#8217;s economic policies as the 2026 election season ramps up. Earlier this month, the White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-job-growth-surges-past-expectations-in-march">celebrated</a> a jobs report that showed a net gain of 178,000 jobs in March, more than tripling expectations.
On other economic fronts, however, Trump is taking a hit as the Iran war continues. The president faces criticism over rising gas and energy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-report-shows-iran-war-impact-as-a-key-piece-tells-the-story">prices</a> in the wake of his decision to launch &#8220;Operation Epic Fury.&#8221;

President Trump Highlights ‘No Tax On Tips’ Policy

Trump DoorDashes McDonald’s To Oval Office To Prove A Point On Taxes

Taxes

Trump Administration

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
If you’re like me and your body is composed of mostly <a href="https://smartlabel.hersheys.com/034000005024-0052-en-US/index.html?cname=00034000005024-0052#ingredients">Twizzlers Red No. 40</a>, <a href="https://schnucks.com/products/518380/tang-orange-powdered-drink-mix-20-oz">Yellow No. 6</a> from gallons of Tang, and the <a href="https://www.skittles.com/products/skittles-original-fruity-candy-single-pack-217-oz-skittles-chewy">toxic Skittles kaleidoscope</a> of your youth, you might be wondering if there’s life after the feds come for the toxic green syrup in your McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. Well, this St. Patrick’s Day, you are seen and heard, and there’s a pot of <a href="https://www.naturallight.com/">Natty</a>-colored gold at the end of this rainbow.
The Food and Drug Administration aims to phase out <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/color-additives-information-consumers/tracking-food-industry-pledges-remove-petroleum-based-food-dyes">Yellow No. 5 and Blue No. 1 by 2027</a>. It’s the same synthetic coloring that gives <a href="https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/shamrock-shake-small.html#accordion-c921f9207b-item-283bee7dbd">McDonald’s Shamrock Shake</a> its signature hue. But you can skip the petroleum-based junk without sacrificing festive flavor, using natural colorings you can feel good about chugging.
Featuring roughly <a href="https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/shamrock-shake-small.html#accordion-c921f9207b-item-283bee7dbd">20 fewer ingredients</a> than the OG, I’m testing out these healthy Shamrock Shake recipe dupes using highly scientific criteria: They must be naturally green, cold, shake-y, and minty, so we can focus on the real meaning of St. Patty’s Day: chugging green drinks while draped in plastic beads and pinching everyone who forgot the official rules of the holiday. <a href="https://www.theirishroadtrip.com/irish-drinking-toasts/">Sláinte!</a>
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@i_like_tiny_hands/video/7617937793355877662" data-video-id="7617937793355877662">
<section><a title="@i_like_tiny_hands" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@i_like_tiny_hands?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@i_like_tiny_hands</a> Best Healthy Shamrock Shake Dupe On The Internet <a title="mcdonalds" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/mcdonalds?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#mcdonalds</a> <a title="shamrockshake" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/shamrockshake?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#shamrockshake</a> <a title="dupe" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/dupe?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#dupe</a> <a title="♬ original sound - Tiny Hands" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7617937715488656159?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound &#8211; Tiny Hands</a></section>
</blockquote>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
SHAKE #1: Naturally Green Shamrock Shake With Ice Cream
The Naturally Green Shamrock Shake by Chellie at <a href="https://www.artfrommytable.com/all-natural-shamrock-shake-2/#wprm-recipe-container-7245">Art From My Table</a> came in strong with just four ingredients. I loved the fresh-picked flavor of the mint leaves. But while vanilla ice cream served total Mickey D’s vibes, I was hoping for a nutritional boost for my copycat shake.
Ingredients:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">3 cups natural vanilla ice cream</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 cup milk</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 cup fresh mint leaves, stems removed, loosely packed</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract</li>
</ul>
Make it:
<ul>
<li>Blend everything for one minute, or until smooth.</li>
</ul>
SHAKE #2: Healthy Shamrock Shake With Protein
I’ve been following healthy dessert queen Katie from “<a href="https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/healthy-shamrock-shake-milkshake-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-48424">Chocolate Covered Katie</a>” forever. And her take on a nutritious Shamrock Shake doesn’t disappoint. While I would totally recommend this one for the St. Patty’s gym girlies, the flavor felt more like a deliciously smooth protein shake than a minty treat. 
Ingredients:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 cup milk</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 frozen banana</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">¼ teaspoon pure peppermint extract</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 scoop protein powder</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">¼ cup frozen spinach</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Scant 1/8 tsp salt, for flavor</li>
</ul>
Make it:
<ul>
<li>Blend everything for one minute, or until smooth.</li>
</ul>
SHAKE #3: Shamrock Shake Dupe With Greek Yogurt
I would put Greek yogurt in anything, so the Healthy Shamrock Shake by Gina Matsoukas of <a href="https://www.runningtothekitchen.com/shamrock-smoothie/#wprm-recipe-container-24731">Running To The Kitchen</a> immediately called to me. While it’s a totally tasty green smoothie, for me, it wasn’t minty, cold, or Shamrock-y enough for the holiday.
Ingredients:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 cup ice</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Half of a frozen banana</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">2 cups baby spinach</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">4 fresh mint leaves</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">½ teaspoon vanilla extract</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">¾ cup milk </li>
</ul>
Make it:
<ul>
<li>Blend everything for one minute, or until smooth.</li>
</ul>
SHAKE #4: Healthy Shamrock Shake With Avocado
Avocado tags in on the Healthy Shamrock Shake from <a href="https://joyfoodsunshine.com/healthy-shamrock-shake/#wprm-recipe-container-8797">Joy Food Sunshine</a> to create a luxuriously thick and creamy texture. While the vibrant grassy green was deeper than the McD’s OG, the shake tasted a little too much like a garden for me.
Ingredients:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">¾ cup whole milk</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 avocado</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 cup frozen spinach </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">15 fresh mint leaves</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">2 tablespoons honey</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 cup ice</li>
</ul>
Make it:
<ul>
<li>Blend everything for one minute, or until smooth.</li>
</ul>
SHAKE #5: Shamrock Shake Dupe With Dates
A clear favorite of minty shake dupe fans, the Healthy Shamrock Shake from Megan Gilmore of <a href="https://detoxinista.com/healthy-shamrock-shake-vegan-paleo/#wprm-recipe-container-22782">Detoxinista</a> gets all kinds of five-star reviews, with some saying it’s as good as “mint ice cream.” Of the recipes I tried, it tasted the closest to the McDonald’s original, but it needed a little extra mint flavor and sweetener to take it over the top.
Ingredients:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">¾ cup almond milk </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">¼ avocado </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 cup fresh baby spinach</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">¼ teaspoon peppermint extract</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">5 Medjool dates, pitted</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 to 2 large handfuls of ice</li>
</ul>
Make it:
<ul>
<li>Blend everything for one minute, or until smooth.</li>
</ul>
SHAKE #6: The Winner, Aka The Shamrock Shake ShamWow Dupe
Inspired by the great dupes that came before me, I chose my favorite ingredients and sweeteners and put my blending skills to the test. This healthy Shamrock Shake might not be enough to convert hardcore fans, but it makes an excellent swap, packed with way more vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats than McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. While it’s not as cheek-pinchingly sweet as the original, I wouldn’t be mad about sipping this on St. Patty’s Day, or any other day, either.
Ingredients: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1 cup milk </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">¼ cup fresh avocado</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">¼ cup frozen spinach</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">4 fresh mint leaves</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">½ teaspoon peppermint extract</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">½ teaspoon vanilla</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">5 Medjool dates</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Pinch of salt</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Handful of ice</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Liquid stevia, to taste </li>
</ul>
Make it:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Blend everything for one minute, or until smooth.</li>
</ul>
For a little extra luck of the Irish, top any of these healthy Shamrock Shake dupes with a generous serving of <a href="https://sugarspunrun.com/homemade-whipped-cream-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-11571">homemade whipped cream</a>, or make it adults-only with a shot of Baileys Irish Cream.
***
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Cold Refreshing Mint Chocolate Chip MilkShake with a Straw

Shamrock Shake Fans Brace For Dye Crackdown — The Healthy Dupe That Tastes Shockingly Close

recipe

shamrock shake

Upstream

Several fast food chain execs have jumped into the fray, mocking the viral video of McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski awkwardly promoting the new Big Arch burger.
Pete Suerken, president of Wendy’s, shared a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wendys-international_peteknows-activity-7434960151893200896-gMPz">video</a> on Wednesday featuring him trying one of the restaurant’s iconic Baconator burgers. Suerken stepped up to the grill and slapped down the patties, flipped them over, and reiterated the fast food chain’s motto that their burgers were “fresh, never frozen.” 
He also trolled a popular McDonald’s complaint about the soft serve machines always being broken. Suerken portioned out a Frosty and said, “Is this set up today? Oh, wait, our machines are always working.” 
The exec sat down to enjoy a Baconator with a Frosty and some fries. He recorded himself taking a large bite and saying, “This is exactly what a good hamburger should be.” Next, Suerken dipped his fries in his Frosty.
It wasn’t just Wendy’s getting in on the joke. Burger King posted a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@burgerking/video/7612805160967884063?lang=en">video</a> to its official TikTok page on Monday, showing company president Tom Curtis taking a big bite of the chain&#8217;s famous Whopper burger.
“Only one thing missing — a napkin,” he said after chowing down. Burger King wrote in the caption, “Thought we’d replay this.”
The controversy is going worldwide. The North Vancouver–based company A&amp;W Canada also released a video of popular company spokesperson Allen Lulu dressed in an outfit similar to what Kempczinski wore in the original McDonald’s video. 
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVcep2AkQ2U/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
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&nbsp;
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</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
Lulu did a parody of the original, holding up an A&amp;W Teen Burger and jokingly calling it a “burger product” and remarking on the “unique bread some would call a bun” and “lettuce, which is green.” He also noted the “pickles,” which he described as making the burger “taste pickly.”
He also took a huge bite of the burger before inviting Kempczinski to join him for lunch. “Just you, me, and a couple of Teen Burgers,” he says in the clip.
The original McDonald’s video was posted to Kempczinski’s Instagram last month, but <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-mcdonalds-ceo-struggles-through-new-big-arch-burger-goes-viral">went viral </a>only recently. In it, the fast food CEO uses awkward language to describe the new menu offering, calling it a “product” repeatedly before taking a nibble he described as a “big bite.”
Viewers said it appeared Kempczinski was inauthentic and didn’t really care for the food at all. “What’s the opposite of genuine and authentic?” one popular Instagram comment said.
“This man does not like that ‘product,’” another person agreed.

Big Arch fail

Wendy’s, Burger King Pile On After McDonald’s CEO’s Big Arch Taste Test Fail

BURGER WARS: Wendy's, Burger King Roast McDonald's CEO's Big Arch Taste Test Fail

Burger King

viral video

Wendy's

McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski has gone viral on social media after a video of him tasting the new Big Arch burger started circulating online.
Viewers made comments about the fast food chain exec’s awkward demeanor and wording, saying it was clear that he hated the “product” and didn’t really want to eat it.
“I love this product, it is so good. I’m going to do a tasting right now, but I’m going to eat this for my lunch, just so you know,” Kempczinski says in the video, which was shared to drum up interest in the new addition to the McDonald’s menu.
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUTZ_ilDl41/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUTZ_ilDl41/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Chris Kempczinski (@chrisk_mcd)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
He explained how the burger has “two quarter-pound patties, a delicious Big Arch sauce, and of course, some lettuce, along with crispy onions and pickles.”
Kempczinski awkwardly approached the burger, noting that he “didn’t even know how to attack it,” before taking a hesitant bite, which he described as being bigger than it actually was.
“Mmm, that is so good, that’s a big bite for a Big Arch,” the CEO said, showing the camera the tiny nibble he took out of the massive burger.
Social media commenters didn’t hold back with their mockery.
“What’s the opposite of genuine and authentic?” one popular Instagram comment said.
“That was the smallest first bite I’ve ever seen,” another person agreed.
“This man does not like that ‘product,’” another person wrote.
“Watching the McDonald&#8217;s CEO tentatively nibble on the Big Arch like it&#8217;s a radioactive artifact from the dollar menu, calling it &#8216;product&#8217; instead of food, is the most unintentionally hilarious endorsement fail since New Coke,” one X commenter <a href="https://x.com/RoyalMelanite/status/2028020316644249747">added</a>.
The video was posted to Kempczinski’s Instagram last month, but didn’t go viral until now, just days before the Big Arch is set to debut on McDonald’s menus nationwide on Tuesday, March 3. This fact led to some fans wondering if the awkward video and its promotion is nothing more than a way to get attention for the new fast food menu offering.

Big Arch

WATCH: McDonald’s CEO Struggles Through New Big Arch Burger, Goes Viral

General

U.S.

The West is in trouble.
One of the reasons is that the West has fundamentally failed to distinguish between tolerance of one another&#8217;s traditions and lifestyles on the one hand, and the bizarre bend-over-backward celebration that accompanies the undermining of traditions unique to the West.
A perfect example is what&#8217;s happening in Germany now. It seems like a small story, but it is indicative of a broader mindset that has been setting in throughout the West for generations.
In Germany, McDonald&#8217;s decided on an ad campaign. The German population is roughly 6.5% Muslim at this point. Muslims celebrate Ramadan around this time of year, which means they are fasting from sunup to sundown.
Fine. That is the Muslim tradition. There are a lot of Muslims who live in the West who are perfectly fine Western citizens.
McDonald’s is not halal, meaning food that religious Muslims can eat. If you are a Muslim who is celebrating Ramadan or commemorating Ramadan, chances are that you are eating halal in your non-Ramadan hours and in your non-fasting hours, because if you&#8217;re religious enough to actually not eat all day, you probably don&#8217;t go at sunset and find a rasher of bacon and eat it.
But McDonald&#8217;s decided to put up an ad campaign in Germany. The ad campaign removes the food from the billboards during Ramadan hours out of respect for Islam. The food appears on the billboard after sunset, but it disappears during the day, presumably so as not to tempt Muslims to feel hunger pangs.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2376-wth-mc-donald-s-celebrates-ramadan"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
That is Bizarro World. It’s weird and self-defeating, and it bespeaks of something that lies at the heart of the cowardice of a lot of both corporations and people in the West.
It&#8217;s Bizarro World because McDonald&#8217;s is not halal. The people who are presumably going to be very moved by these billboards are not going to head over to McDonald&#8217;s after dusk and start chomping down on their cheeseburgers.
So what is McDonald&#8217;s doing? According to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mcdonalds-new-ad-campaign-empty-boxes-no-food-ramadan-germany-11578866?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Newsweek</a>: 
<blockquote>The campaign was created by the German agency Scholz &amp; Friends, whose concept centers on removing McDonald’s most recognizable visual element—its food—as a gesture of respect for those observing Ramadan.</blockquote>
This is strange. The reality is McDonald’s is a food company that sells food, and the vast majority of the food that you sell is not to the people to whom they’re trying to appeal.
Who exactly is McDonald&#8217;s appealing to? Who&#8217;s the target audience?
The answer is: The dullards in the West who believe that it is a mark of virtue to subsume your own values beneath the values of other cultures.
That is the problematic part. It is a strange form of cultural reparation that somehow the West owes it to other cultures to participate in their religious activities while subsuming its own interests.
I don&#8217;t think McDonald&#8217;s cares all that much in Germany about whether or not Muslims like McDonald&#8217;s. I think what German McDonald&#8217;s cares about is that there are a lot of people in Germany who see this as a form of left-wing social virtue signaling, in the same way that in the United States, you have major corporations that every year decide they&#8217;re going to signal for Black History Month or Gay Pride month.
But the basic idea is not that you are going to earn vast oodles of cash from doing that. The idea is you&#8217;re appealing to left-wing people in the United States who will give you more money because they believe that you share their values.
The reason that you see all these companies doing DEI in the United States is absolutely not because they think it&#8217;s going to be good for their balance sheet. Hiring on the basis of non-merit is always bad for the balance sheet.
The reason these companies do it is because they believe they can appeal to an entire group of consumers who have warm feelings toward them if they take their own corporate business interests, throw those aside, and start signaling their politics.
This is a major problem. It&#8217;s not unique to Germany and is a widespread symptom of a disease that is spread across the West, where you are supposed to be overtly apologetic about not celebrating Ramadan.
This is not a sign of cultural respect.
It&#8217;s a sign of cultural disintegration.
It would be the same thing as if companies in the UK decided that they were suddenly going to take female models and suddenly cover up their faces out of respect for radical Islam.
It&#8217;s saying something, but it&#8217;s not the thing they think they&#8217;re saying.
There is an assumption that in the Trump era, DEI is basically dead, that we&#8217;re never going back to a time when corporations were virtue signaling like this, when policy did not reflect this idea that the dominant American culture ought to be put under the foot of splinter cultures.
But the reality is that it can very easily come back.
It doesn&#8217;t take a lot for it to come back. All it takes is a group of people who see it as a mark of virtue to yell at their own culture and pretend that it is somehow inferior and owes it to other cultures to demonstrate its own inferiority.
There&#8217;s a piece from Time magazine titled “<a href="https://time.com/7377439/donald-trump-cant-kill-dei/">Why Donald Trump Can&#8217;t Kill DEI</a>.” The point the piece makes is that the anti-DEI era, which is a backlash to the Barack Obama/Joe Biden era, will be followed by a backlash to the backlash, and that all this stuff will come back with a vengeance.
The piece states:
<blockquote>Ideas of inclusion and diversity also permeate everyday institutions, including schools, universities, foundations, nonprofits, and corporations. &#8230; Many companies have retreated from DEI under legal and political pressure. What makes fewer headlines is that most companies that have sidled away from the acronym continue to affirm the values of DEI under a different name. &#8230; 
Boeing stated that it maintains “procedures aimed at encouraging an equality of opportunity.” Lowe’s has proclaimed that it remained “committed to fostering an environment where individuals are treated fairly, valued, respected, safe, and inspired to serve customers and the communities where we live and work.” These statements sure sound like diversity, equity, and inclusion to us. &#8230; The education sector is equally if not more committed: a 2025 review of 262 colleges and universities found that 245 of them still maintained DEI offices and programs.</blockquote>
This is only going to continue. What does it mean?
It means this will come back if Republicans lose the forward momentum.
I know that we&#8217;re also riding high on the horse right now because Donald Trump won and because Republicans are in charge of the legislative branches of the government.
But if you think this stuff can&#8217;t come back, you’re wrong.

Germany’s Milder Recession With Stimulus Offsetting Shutdown

WTH?! McDonald’s Celebrates … Ramadan

advertising

Ben Shapiro

Europe

Germany

Islam

Muslims

Opinion

Woke Culture

Nine states allow food stamps to be spent in restaurants, and two more are in the process of allowing it. The fact that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is buying taxpayer-funded meals at establishments like McDonald&#8217;s has triggered one Republican senator to introduce a bill to stop it.
More than half a billion dollars in taxpayer money went to paying for the indigent to dine out through the Restaurant Meals Program between June 2023 and May 2025, a new investigation by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) found.
&#8220;While franchises like McDonald’s are making McMillions off of SNAP RMP, allowing fast food to be purchased with food stamps is an idea that is a few fries short of a Happy Meal,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;The &#8216;N&#8217; in SNAP stands for &#8216;Nutrition,&#8217; and we all know fast food isn’t exactly nutritious,&#8221; she continued, alongside photos of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC locations advertising that they accept government benefit cards.
&#8220;McSCUSE ME?&#8221; Ernst <a href="https://x.com/SenJoniErnst/status/1991604757841203254">added on X</a>. &#8220;The amount of SNAP being spent at fast food should be $0 not McMillions.&#8221;
The Federal Agriculture Department, which funds the food stamp program, <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer/restaurant-meals-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allows</a> states to optionally allow food stamp recipients to spend their money at restaurants if they are 60 years or older, disabled, the spouse of such a person, or homeless.
Ernst has introduced the &#8220;McStopping Chains from Using SNAP EBT to Make Entrees Act,&#8221; or the <a href="https://www.ernst.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/mcscuse_me_act.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McSCUSE ME Act</a>, that would allow the elderly or disabled to get hot, prepared meals from deli counters and hot bars of grocery stores, but not from fast food chains. It would also remove spouses of qualified people from eligibility.
The SNAP program was already under scrutiny for allowing the indigent to purchase nearly anything edible, such as candy and soda, even as poor people are more likely to be obese than starving, leading to expensive medical care that is also paid for by taxpayers. Nearly 5,000 stores with words related to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/food-stamps-accepted-at-thousands-of-liquor-and-tobacco-stores-contributing-to-healthcare-fiasco" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“liquor” or “tobacco”</a> in their names accept food stamps, a Daily Wire review of government data found.
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In the last year, conservative states have initiated bans on the purchase of soda — a move that states like New York have also pursued over the years, only to be blocked by the federal government, which must issue a waiver. Yet liberal states are moving in the opposite direction, with some newly adding fast food to the menu.
Oregon is running a <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/agency/pages/ssp-rmp.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;SNAP Restaurant Meals Program&#8221;</a> pilot based on a bill its legislature passed in 2024. It will apply to anyone 60 or older or who has a disability, as well as the homeless. <a href="https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=136655" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illinois</a> is piloting a restaurant meals program with the same criteria, except that it also extends eligibility to the spouses of people who are disabled or over 60. Restaurants must sign up with the state to accept food stamps.
Other states allowing food stamps at restaurants are Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia, though the vast majority of the spending is in California.
The move to curtail free soda was met with a lobbying campaign by lobbying groups representing soda and candy manufacturers, who rake in billions of dollars from the program. Ernst&#8217;s bill could be met by a similar move from fast food chains.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-maha-wins-12-states-cutting-soda-candy-from-food-stamps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twelve</a> conservative states have announced plans to ban taxpayer-funded soda, while Kansas&#8217;s Democrat governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kansas-governor-laura-kelly-flip-flops-on-snap-soda-ban-vetoes-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vetoed</a> a bill passed by the state legislature to do so.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Why Can Food Stamps Buy Junk Food? How DOGE Could Save Billions And MAHA</a>

The Hamburglar

‘McSCUSE ME?’: 11 States Allow ‘Nutritional’ Food Stamps To Be Spent At Fast Food Restaurants

Food Stamps

Joni Ernst

Welfare