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Anthony Davis entered this offseason with no more than two years left on his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. By the time the 2023-24 NBA season starts, that will change dramatically, as a bit of news reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN indicates that Davis will remain a Laker through 2028.

Wojnarowski brought word that Davis, who officially became extension eligible earlier in the day on Friday, came to terms on an agreement to extend his contract with the Lakers. The extension will run for three years and cost $186 million on top of the remaining two years of his deal, which will pay him $40.6 million this season and $43.2 million next year. By signing this deal, Davis will decline the Early Termination Option in his contract, and this extension will go into effect at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

It’s a no-brainer decision for the Lakers, as Davis has been one of the most impactful two-way players in the league ever since he made his way to Los Angeles and has struck up quite the partnership alongside LeBron James. This also gives Los Angeles a little more security for whenever James’ time with the team comes to an end, as he openly floated retiring this offseason before deciding to come back for next year.

Davis had one of the most productive seasons of his NBA career last year. While he only appeared in 56 games due to injuries, the 8-time All-Star averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, two blocks, and 1.1 steals in 34 minutes a night while shooting 56.3 percent from the field.

Today, August 4th, is Greta Gerwig‘s birthday. Happy birthday, Greta Gerwig! In honor of the big day, we all chipped in and got you a billion dollar movie.

Barbie will join the $1 billion box office club this weekend, or Monday at the latest. When it does, Gerwig will become the first solo female filmmaker to achieve the feat (Captain Marvel, co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck earned $1.1 billion).

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Barbie “cleared the $400 million mark at the domestic box office on Thursday, its 14th day in release (the fastest ever for a Warner Bros. movie).” It’s also the fastest for any movie this year, beating The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Mario and Luigi are no match for Barbie and Ken.

“Barbie has become a global phenomenon in ways the industry perhaps didn’t see coming as it reignites cultural discussions about femininity,” Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, told CNBC. “It’s launched an iconic brand onto the big screen in a way that fans feel is organic and embraces the right amount of nostalgia to tell a relatable and entertaining story in the modern world.”

Gee, I wonder what color frosting Gerwig’s birthday cake will have.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter and CNBC)

Later in the month, hip-hop will formally celebrate its 50th anniversary. The genre still has so much room to grow, and Eminem, alongside Dr. Dre, are doing the work to usher in the next generation of talent. Shady Records and Aftermath Entertainment’s latest signee Ez Mil is the byproduct of their cultivation.

Ez Mil’s new single, “Realest,” is his bold debut on the label and Eminem lends his masterful lyrical abilities. On the track, both emcees aim at everyone that has ever doubted their standing within rap. Eminem clapped back at naysayers claiming he doesn’t belong on the top rappers’ list, including Melle Mel in his stanza.

“Guess I’ve really no right to complain much hip hop has been good to me huh / But when they say that I’m only top five ’cause I’m white why would I be stunned / My skin color’s still working against me (What) ’cause second I should be to none / Being white ain’t why they put me at five (Nope) it’s why they can’t put me at one (Whoot),” Eminem raps.

In the chorus, Ez turns his attention to anyone jealous of the co-sign he received from Eminem and Dr. Dre, rapping, “Cause I’m the realest in the business and everybody gon’ be envious of my beginnings / Got a circus for the sinners with bodies, so stop tryna be another addition.”

Listen to “Realest” above.

We’re not going to let go of grilling season until an actual rainstorm douses our grills! Or you know, it gets too chilly outside to reasonably want to cook in shorts and shuttle meat from the kitchen to the outdoors. Regardless, while we may be in the last full month of summer, we’re definitely not ready to let our hot dogs go gentle into that good night (the freezer).

So in the name of maximizing grilling season, we decided to run a little blind taste test. Who will be the wiener winner?

As with everything we cover, we want to help you only cook the absolute best. In that case, that begs a crucial question: Do you need to shell out for some high-quality expensive dogs? Or are you just as well off going with a no-frills market brand? At the end of the day aren’t hot dogs just unwanted meat trimmings pureed and pushed into a casing? How much better can expensive brands actually be?

We decided to find out by putting our favorite hot dogs against the major market brands in a blind taste test. My editor ranked a ton of hot dog brands in the past but I had a few problems with that ranking.

1. It wasn’t a blind taste test.
2. My editor boiled the dogs, which is a fine way to cook them but it’s grilling season, grilling imparts flavor so we can’t be sure his number one choice is the best for grilling.
3. My editor’s top choice was Olympia Provisions. Now, I love the guy, but he did once try to convince me that the Wendy’s Frosty was the ultimate milkshake, and… just no. His taste is officially suspect.
4. Also, this same editor is a Portland Oregon boy. Was it just a coincidence that his favorite brand also originates from Portland, Oregon? I’m not so sure.

So I took the #1 brand from our first big ranking and my favorite brand, Teton Grass Fed Beef Franks [LITERALLY THIS BESMIRTCHED EDITOR’S #2 PICK!], and pitted those two against a few dogs from multi-state market chains (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Aldi), grilled them all up, and put them to the blind taste test.

Methodology

For this blind taste test, I had my girlfriend grill up each hot dog and serve each on a plate completely naked. No mustard, ketchup, relish, onions, nothing baby! Since at least one of these hot dogs sticks out like a sore thumb I ate each under the cover of a blindfold, recorded my tasting notes into my phone, and ranked them all.

For the most part, a lot of these hot dogs tasted strikingly similar, so it took a few bites of each to really start to experience the differences. Here are the brands we’re working with.

• Aldi’s Parkview Uncured Angus Beef Franks
• Aldi’s Simply Nature Uncured Beef Hot Dogs
• Olympia Provisions Uncured Pork Frankfurter (My Editor’s #1)
• Teton Waters Ranch Uncured Beef Hot Dogs (Available at most market chains)
• Whole Foods 365 Uncured Grass-Fed Beef Hot Dogs
• Trader Joe’s Uncured Beef Hot Dogs

Part 1: The Hot Dog Taste Test

Taste 1:

Very juicy, my initial bite offered an explosion of zesty meaty flavors. There is a nice floral smokey quality here courtesy of the liberal use of paprika. The casing has a nice snap to it and the meat has texture, rather than tasting totally pureed.

Taste 2:

Wonderfully beefy, the casing isn’t quite as snappy as Taste 1 but the flavor of the meat is way more deep and savory. The paprika smokiness exists only on the aftertaste, unfortunately. It’s great if you’re after a beefy dog, but I like my hot dogs with some zest.

Taste 3:

The casing here is almost plasticky. It’s snappy to the point of being suspicious. It’s significantly less meaty than Tastes 1 and 2 but has a nice earthy paprika presence. Still, this dog left me wanting.

Taste 4:

I can’t with this one. The casing is completely tough and for whatever reason it takes a few seconds for the flavor to really activate the palate. It’s flat and boring, no zest, no savory meat flavors, bad casing, an all-around bad dog.

Taste 5:

Great casing, there is a nice satisfying snap to this one revealing a juicy and salty beef flavor with a really nice texture and pronounced paprika smoke. This one is by far the saltiest of all the dogs, but I don’t hate it. It comes across as indulgent in all of the best ways.

Taste 6:

Goddammit, my editor was right. I don’t need eyes to know that this is the pork frankfurter. It’s sumptuous, deep, a tad sweet, and offers a different sort of smokiness to everything else on this list. It’s hickory, noticeably. There is so much depth and complexity here it’s astounding, and that’s coming from a person who always prefers a beef frank to pork.

Part 2: The Hot Dog Ranking

6. Simply Nature — Uncured Beef Hot Dogs (Taste 4)

Price: $4.99

I don’t know how I knew Simply Nature would be bad, but given the branding on this dog, it doesn’t surprise me. This was by far the worst hot dog we tried today, it’s bordering on inedible. Simply Nature is an Aldi brand and is USDA-certified organic, non-GMO, and made with grass-fed beef. It has a lot of selling points which might lead you to believe it’s good, but it’s not.

Not even kind of good.

The Bottom Line:

The price is nice but avoid this one at all costs.

5. Whole Foods Market 365 —Uncured Grass-Fed Beef Hot Dogs (Taste 3)

Price: $7.49

Rarely do I feel like hot dogs are a rip-off, you get what you pay for, but at Whole Foods I feel like I’m being straight-up scammed. Sure, this dog is organic, uncured, made with grass-fed beef, and certified USDA organic, but… so are a lot of hot dogs in 2023, so why is this one more expensive than so many other brands?

It certainly doesn’t taste better than the cheaper dogs, and it’s a lot thinner and less meaty than any other hot dog we tried today.

The Bottom Line:

This and sort of pathetic. It’s less meaty and less flavorful than the competition, but more expensive.

4. Teton Waters Ranch — Uncured Beef Hot Dogs (Taste 2)

Price: $6.49

This one took me by surprise. This is my go-to hot dog, it is made with Certified Humane Raised 100% grass-fed beef with no hormones or antibiotics, and nitrate and nitrite free. but those selling points are to blame for its slightly more expensive price tag.

From a flavor standpoint, this doesn’t stand far and above the rest. For that, we’re going to have to place this one squarely in the middle.

The Bottom Line:

Great selling points but it feels just a bit overpriced for what you get in terms of flavor.

3. Parkview — Uncured Angus Beef Franks (Taste 5)

Price: $3.99

Parkview is another Aldi brand and the cheapest hot dog we tried today. It punches way above its weight. It doesn’t have added nitrates or nitrites, like every other brand we tried, no by-products and no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, but it’s not certified organic and it’s not made with grass-fed beef. Luckily, it turns out that those things don’t really matter when it comes to flavor.

Parkview’s Angus Beef Franks taste great, they’re wonderfully beefy, the casing is nice, and the paprika is prominent.

The Bottom Line:

Cheap and delicious, the way hot dogs should be.

2. Trader Joe’s — Uncured Beef Hot Dogs (Taste 1)

Price: $7.49

Trader Joe’s has two hot dogs, this one and a grass-fed organic version. Considering my editor already reviewed the grass-fed I figured I’d give these dogs a try, which for whatever reason are a dollar more. I’m paying more for a hot dog that isn’t grass-fed and organic? What the hell is going on here?

Whatever is going on, I’m not willing to complain because this hot dog is nearly perfect. It’s meaty and savory, smokey, a bit sweet, and has a near-perfect snappy casing. I’ve had the grass-fed version and was unimpressed, but in today’s tasting, this Uncured Beef Hot dog was the best beef hot dog we ate, by a considerable amount.

The Bottom Line:

Don’t be tempted by Trader Joe’s grass-fed organic hot dog, this is by far the better choice, and the best beef frank we ate in this tasting.

1. Olympia Provisions — Uncured Pork Frankfurter (Taste 5)

Price: $15

Remember when I said how hot dogs are just unwanted meat trimmings pureed into a casing? Not at Olympia Provisions. This foot-long frankfurter is made with pure pork shoulder with a natural lamb casing and the difference is readily apparent. Yes, this dog is twice the price of what you’ll find at most supermarkets, but it’s so worth it.

Every element is absolutely on point, the snap is perfect, the flavor is complex and takes your taste buds on a journey, and considering each hot dog is a foot long, it’s satisfying in a way that the other hot dogs aren’t. If you would’ve asked me if $15 per pack was a sensible price for a hot dog, I would’ve laughed in your face, but with how good this hot dog is, I’m stunned into silence.

The Bottom Line:

Adding your favorite hot dog toppings will only further elevate this already remarkable flavor. This is a must-eat, and we wouldn’t suggest you close out summer any other way. If you want to have your mind blown by a hot dog (did you even think that was a possibility?) pick up a pack of Olympia Provisions ASAP.

But be warned, you’re never going to want to settle for the cheaper brands after this. You’ll be ruined when it comes to hot dogs.

The number one reason why there is a belief that Slovenia can make some noise at the 2023 FIBA World Cup is Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks star who always seems to find an extra gear when he suits up for his national team. But in a pre-tournament exhibition a mere 22 days before the Slovenians play their first game, Doncic suffered an injury scare.

Slovenia played Greece on Friday, and in the second quarter, Doncic ran into a screen set by Emmanouil Chatzidakis. The two appeared to bump knees, and while Chatzidakis was ok, Doncic came up limp and ended up needing to leave the game.

This would, obviously, be a gigantic problem for both Slovenia and the Dallas Mavericks. But fortunately for everyone involved, Doncic is ok. Marc Stein reported that the plan all along was for Doncic to only play in the first half of the game, and him hurting his knee with just over two minutes left in the second quarter simply expedited the process of getting him out of there.

Doncic played well prior to his leaving the game, as he scored 18 points in the first half. Greece would go on to pick up an 88-77 win.

Slovenia is in a group with Cape Verde, Georgia, and Venezuela at the World Cup, and will begin their tournament on Aug. 26. As of this writing, the team is tied with the third-best odds of winning it all behind the United States and Canada.

Busta Rhymes has undergone a major weight loss, shedding over 100 pounds. He spoke about his body transformation in a recent interview with Men’s Health, and when it comes to what prompted the weight loss, he says it was a asthma attack-like experience after sex.

Busta explained:

“One night I was getting ready to have, make, you know… I was getting ready to have an intimate moment with my ex. I had a breathing issue after the intimate interaction. […] I was having a really difficult time breathing, so I got up and I walked out of the bedroom so she wouldn’t panic seeing me trying to keep myself calm. I was trying to inhale, and it felt like it wasn’t working. I felt like I was having like an asthma attack — but I don’t have asthma. So I walked out of the bedroom and went into the living room, and I was forcing myself to inhale, to relax. That was scaring me so much that it was a mindf*ck, because I had to stay calm and make sure she didn’t hear me panic or hear me struggle to breathe. I’m butt-ass naked in the living room, trying to calm myself down.”

The rapper continued, “When I came back in the room once I got right, I laid back down next to her and she said something to me that really f*cked me up. She was like, ‘Yo, this is not who I fell in love with.’ She didn’t know what had happened outside, but she was looking at my body and the weight. She was like, ‘You gotta lose this weight. This breathing is scaring me. When I met you, you wasn’t like a musclehead, but you, you was slim, you was cut, you had your sh*t right. I need you to get back to who I fell in love with.’”

As for what caused him to gain weight in the first place, Busta explained, “That had to do with me never properly dealing with the loss of my father. My dad died in 2014 and I drowned myself in work. I just kept drinking, smoking, eating bad — the whole nasty — and recording a bunch of songs just to escape the pain.”

Read the full interview here.

What brings you joy? The kindness of strangers? The silliness of your pets? The breathtaking beauty of nature? Spending time with the people you love?

There are so many places to find joy in life, from watching someone nail their talents to listening to a conversation between preschoolers to belly laughing at a joke from someone you didn’t expect to be so funny.

We’ve covered all of those bases and more in this week’s list of 10 things that made us smile. So if you could use a little uplift, take a scroll through our roundup of delights.

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1. Single mom shares her neighbor’s sweet ‘wellness check’ captured on her doorbell camera

@amandakayex

The world needs more Greg’s. Hes always checkin on us 🥹♥️ #fyp #goodneighbors

What a sweetheart. The world does need more Gregs! Read the full story here.

2. Man gets everyone feeling their feelings when he talks about his wife, Paige

See on Instagram

Find someone who makes you feel “infinite” and who tears up just talking about how much they love you.

3. Malala Yousafzai cracks an epic Barbie joke and her husband responds in the best way

— (@)

Malala jumping on the Barbie meme train and Asser hoisting himself right into the boxcar with her is everything. And now “I am Kenough” has become a meme of its own. Epic.

4. Cats not realizing their tails are part of their bodies is hilarious every single time

— (@)

The best part is that this kitten will never learn. In 10 years, it will still be caught off guard by its own tail moving, and it will be equally funny then.

5. Gabriel Henrique hits Whitney Houston’s high notes on AGT and holy moly

It’s impressive enough when a woman nails those notes. Like, how? Absolutely incredible. Read the full story here.

6. Baby eating a tart kiwi and coming back for more is endlessly entertaining

— (@)

Those faces! We feel you, little one. So painful, but so good.

7. Conversation captured between preschoolers is a masterclass in friendship-making

See on Instagram

Can we just have all preschoolers mic’d at all times? This is how all of us should make friends—sharing our daily nap habits, giving and receiving compliments, telling one another to watch out for dog poop. It’s perfection.

8. Bride has 15 men walk her down the aisle for the most moving reason

See on Instagram

Under the most tragic of circumstances, she got the support she needed to overcome. What a beautiful way to acknowledge the men who continually stepped up for her. Read the full story here.

9. Dad accidentally mistakes ‘babies’ for ‘rabies’ and it results in the best misunderstanding ever

@momchats

Maybe we will do better when she asks where babies come from.

Watching them figure out what happened is a heck of a hilarious journey. Moms do go through a lot in labor, but foaming at the mouth? HAHAHA. Read the full story here.

10. May we all take inspiration from this wee one learning to use a spoon

— (@)

Be patient. Keep trying. Never give up. A valuable lesson for us all. Read the full story here.

Hope that brought some joy to your day! (And f you’d like to get these posts in your inbox so you never miss them, sign up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.)

In a notable campaign shift for the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis has finally taken a public stance on Donald Trump‘s election fraud claims that resulted in a federal indictment for his actions leading up to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building.

During a campaign stop in Iowa where DeSantis is hoping to stir up momentum as part of his early states strategy, the Florida governor publicly admitted that Trump was wrong about the 2020 election.

“All those theories that were put out did not prove to be true,” told a group of reporters, according to The New York Times. It was a surprisingly to-the-point response given DeSantis’ prior reluctance to denounce January 6 lest he anger Trump’s MAGA base. The Florida governor may need their support should he somehow. win the Republican nomination. (Trump has continued to hold a commanding lead in the polls despite his mounting number of indictments.)

DeSantis did attempt to thread a needle by criticizing the increased use of mail-in voting because of the COVID pandemic, but overall, he maintained that the 2020 election was not stolen.

“It was not an election that was conducted the way I think that we want to, but that’s different than saying Maduro stole votes or something like that,” DeSantis said via the Times. “Those theories, you know, proved to be unsubstantiated.”

Denouncing Trump is yet another example of DeSantis trying to position himself as a more tough guy candidate. During a recent campaign stop in New Hampshire, he assured Republican voters that he’ll shoot Mexican cartel members “stone cold dead” and “start slitting throats on Day One” when it comes to federal bureaucrats.

Sounds like someone found a knife at the bottom of a pudding cup, and he’s not afraid to use it.

(Via The New York Times)

The New Orleans Saints will be without the services of one of their top offensive weapons to start the 2023 NFL season. In a punishment handed down on Friday afternoon, the league determined that Alvin Kamara will miss the first three games of the year for a violation of its personal conduct policy.

The suspension revolves around an incident in Las Vegas that occurred around the 2022 Pro Bowl. Kamara was arrested on Feb. 6, 2022 by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and charged with battery resulting in substantial bodily harm. While the legal side of the incident was resolved back in July — Kamara pleaded down to a misdemeanor and said he was “completely wrong” — the league made its decision on how it would handle the situation on Friday.

Kamara won’t be the only player suspended for the first three games of the year in connection to this incident, as the league handed down the same penalty to Indianapolis Colts cornerback Chris Lammons.

As a result of the suspension, Kamara will miss New Orleans’ season-opening home game against the Tennessee Titans before back-to-back road tilts against the Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers. Lammons, meanwhile, will miss a home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 before road games against the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens in Weeks 2 and 3.

There’s a popular GIF of Olivia Wilde, Mark Ruffalo, and Michael Moore protesting outside of Trump Tower shortly after the then-president made his “very fine people on both sides” comments about the deadly Unite the Right rally. You’ve probably seen it. There’s even a Know Your Meme page for “Olivia Wilde Nodding” — nodding in disapproval of Trump.

Wilde has once again made her feelings about the wedding crasher known, although this time, it’s without Ruffalo and Moore.

On Thursday, the actress and director shared an Instagram Story where she’s on the beach, dancing in a white bikini top and green shorts. The caption to the short video reads, “Indictment Dance.” Trump, the indicted one (for a record-setting third time), bizarrely claimed he had a “VERY GOOD DAY.” Wilde had an even better day, it seems. You can watch the video below.

Wilde revealed in a 2022 interview with Elle that Trump was the inspiration for Don’t Worry Darling, her (messy) follow-up to Booksmart. “We had a bunch of Trump quotes up on our board when we were writing the script, and there was this gross tendency of Trump’s to be very nostalgic about a better time,” she said. “What these men are referring to is a time that was horrific for anyone who wasn’t a straight white cis man.”

(Via Olivia Wilde/Instagram)