Unholy frijoles

Published 7:56 pm Thursday, April 19, 2012

Taco Bell’s bright idea: Taco Bell’s latest menu addition, the Doritos Locos Taco, which uses a taco shell dusted with fluorescent orange Nacho Cheese Doritos powder, has boosted the fast-food chain’s profits 6 percent.

In addition to being a tasty snack, the tacos are also being used by school crossing guards to stop traffic, as night lights for small children and as a substitute for road safety flares.

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One smoothie, please, with extra ketchup: After an online petition gathered 6,000 signatures, Starbucks agreed to discontinue in its strawberry drinks and some baked goods the use of a red dye that is made from crushed bugs. Instead, the coffee giant will use lycopene, a tomato-based extract, for coloring.

Noting Taco Bell’s recent profits, Starbucks is also considering using Doritos Nacho Cheese dust to color its Orange Locos Smoothie.

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Might as well jump: More firings of Secret Service agents are possible in the wake of the prostitution scandal involving a “jump team” that was sent to set up security for the president’s recent trip to Colombia, a Congressman claims.

The teams are so named because when a call girl says “Jump,” a Secret Service agent asks, “How much?”

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