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Blanco tequila is tequila in its purest form. It’s simple fermented agave juice that’s distilled (twice) and then cut with water and bottled. There are, of course, more steps to it, but that’s the gist. And yet, as with any spirit there’s a lot of variation that can make or break a good tequila from how the agave is cooked and extracted to the fermentation process, what it’s distilled in, how long it’s rested, what’s getting added to the mix, and who’s running all those processes.

There’s no getting around that there’s a lot of subpar and trash tequila on the shelf right next to great bottles. So how do you tell the difference? Well, you can research every single bottle on the shelf. But, come on… that’d take an eternity. Instead, seek out the advice of experts. In this case, that’s the judges of the famed San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC).

The SFWSC just announced all their medals and eight blanco tequilas snagged a coveted double gold medal (the top tier). Basically, that means that during a double-blind tasting panel, all of the judges at the table unanimously gave the pour of tequila a gold medal. Long story short, any pour that gets double gold is not only good but outstanding and special — it has to be to break through the static.

For this list, I’m taking a deeper dive into all eight double gold medaling blanco tequilas. Where I can, I’m adding my professional tasting notes (and adding the bottlers’ notes where I can’t). The point is to help you sift through all those blanco tequilas on the shelf these days and find something truly special and tasty to add to your bar cart before Cinco de Mayo. Let’s dive in!

• The Absolute Best Tequilas Under $100, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Tequilas Under $50, Ranked
• The Best Tequilas You Can Find For Under $30, Ranked
• Every Bottle From The Core Line Of Don Julio Tequila, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• Can Costco’s Tequila Beat 8 Other Amazing Tequilas Blind? We Found Out

Acre Largo Blanco Tequila

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $46

The Tequila:

This tequila from Hacienda La Esperanza is made from 100% estate-grown agave. The agave hearts are slow-roasted in brick ovens before roller mix extraction of the juices. Those juices are open-air fermented in stainless steel tanks before classic pot still double distillation. Finally, the tequila is rested in stainless steel tanks before proofing with natural spring water and bottling.

Tasting Notes (from the bottler):

“Bright, fresh, and crisp with multiple balanced layers of agave.”

Bottom Line:

This sounds like it does everything right. I’m always a fan of “bright, fresh, and crisp” when it comes to a good blanco.

Baluarte Tequila Blanco

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $44

The Tequila:

Baluarte is a wetland (Ciénega) tequila from Jalisco (compared to the Valley and Highlands). The juice is made from slow-roasted agave from a brick oven and an old roller mill. The spirit is twice-distilled in a stainless steel pot still with a copper coil. The final product is cut with deep well water before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fresh agave mingles with a nice layer of minerality — think of heavy water with plenty of magnesium and iron — next to a nice dash of white pepper and dried green cooking herbs.

Palate: There’s this mild whisper of vanilla on the front end of the palate with green and lush agave juice, more dried green cooking herbs, and a note of sweet butteriness.

Finish: The end is crystal clear with a sense of that minerality but more in the sense of walking through an agave field on a sunny day with the mineral-rich soil mingling with the live plants.

Bottom Line:

This is a clean and crisp blanco that makes a wonderful cocktail. Put it in a white Negroni or tequila martini.

Cava de Oro Tequila Plata Tahona Cosecha 2021

ABV: 42%

Average Price: $61

The Tequila:

This very limited and bespoke tequila is from Tequilera Puerta de Hierro. The agave is slow-roasted in old stone ovens before very old-school tahona stone extraction (basically, they crush the cooked agave under an ancient stone to get the juices out). The juice is then fermented in an open-air vat with wild yeasts. That juice is then distilled in both a copper pot still and a stainless steel pot still. The final product is cut with deep well water before bottling.

Tasting Notes (from the bottler):

“An exquisite drink with an extraordinary flavor and smoky aromas due to its cooking in volcanic stone ovens with wood over direct heat. Bright in color, rich in flavor and texture.”

Bottom Line:

This limited release is going to be hard to find outside of Mexico. That said, the Cava de Oro line is represented in the U.S. market, so you might be able to find one or two of these bottles. If not, give their regular Blanco a try. It’s a nice pour that plays well in your favorite cocktails.

Cierto Tequila Reserve Collection Blanco

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $89

The Tequila:

This tequila from the Valley region of Jalisco is a single-estate expression. The agave is cooked in a low-pressure autoclave before it’s roller milled and open-air fermented in stainless steel tanks. That fermented juice is then double-distilled in copper pot stills. The tequila is aerated before going into the bottle with no additives.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this one is fresh AF with a bright sense of summer wildflowers, orange blossom, and a herb garden in full bloom next to mild sweet notes of agave that’s nearly like pulque (the Indigenous precursor to tequila).

Palate: The palate leans into caramelized roasted agave notes with a lush sense of creamy honeyed florals and citrus (kind of like an orange sherbert) with a crystal clear sense of soft minerality that plays well with that creaminess.

Finish: The caramel agave and creamy citrus drive the end past the minerality toward a final note of soft white pepper with a whisper of tart tropical fruit.

Bottom Line:

This is a very sippable pour of blanco. Add a little ice and a twist of lime or a fresh allspice leaf and you’re set.

Lana Tequila Blanco

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $75

The Tequila:

This is a new “luxury tequila” brand that’s just getting started. Beyond the trendy label, the tequila in the bottle comes from Destileria Leyros (which makes a ton of different brands). The distillery uses quick cooking and a diffuser for juice extraction. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks before column stills turn that into spirit. That distillate is then cut with well water before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

None available.

Bottom Line:

This is so new that there is very little information available about what it actually is out there. Evidently, it’s pretty tasty though since it is on this list.

Próspero Blanco Tequila

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $38

The Tequila:

Próspero Tequila is a female-owned and made brand made at Tequilera Don Roberto. Master distillers Stella Anguiano teamed up with music superstar Rita Ora to create a bespoke brand that goes beyond simple “celebrity” tequila. The actual tequila is made in a factory setting but leans into nuance thanks to Anguiano’s expertise in building a great bottle of tequila.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is super floral with a sense of orange blossom and nasturtium next to soft fresh agave with a hint of minerality and dried citrus rinds.

Palate: The palate is lush and carries more dried florals and citrus toward a dash of white pepper and clove with a soft minerality.

Finish: The end arrives with a mix of dried roses and dried grapefruit rinds next to the faintest hint of sweet agave with a good dash of that white pepper to round things out.

Bottom Line:

This is a solid blanco that works best for cocktails (that’s what it’s made for).

Regalo Ancestral Tequila Blanco

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $35

The Tequila:

This tequila is made at Autentica Tequilera in copper pot stills. It’s a familiar story.

Tasting Notes (from the bottler):

“Predominant notes combined between fresh and cooked agave, slightly herbal with sweet characteristics on the palate… A robust and balanced body with citrus, floral, and mineral notes with a balanced, smooth, and long-lasting finish.”

Bottom Line:

This sounds like a pretty good and straightforward blanco. I’m sure it’ll make a solid cocktail.

Tequila Ocho Plata

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $56

The Tequila:

This tequla from Cía. Tequilera Los Alambiques distillery in the Southern Highlands of Jalisco is an old-school place. The agave hearts are slow-roasted in old stone ovens before roller mill juice extraction. That juice ends up in old wooden fermentation tanks for an open-air ferment. Next, the juice is run through copper pot stills twice before aeration (resting) and bottling without any additives besides natural spring water for proofing.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is so clean yet absolutely brimming with white pepper, herb gardens in full bloom, gallons of rainwater, citrus orchards, and deeply caramelized agave with a hint of fresh allspice leaves and almond skins.

Palate: Those bright and vibrant citrus orchards present on the palate next to dried tart berries, almond shells, and cinnamon bark with a deep sense of slow-roasted agave rolled in white pepper and fresh spearmint.

Finish: That spearmint really amps up the finish with a deep caramel agave juiciness cut with pomelo and savory green herbs just kissed with peppery tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is far and away my favorite blanco on this list (that I’ve tried). I mix with this at home and also love it over ice with a hint of lime or grapefruit or even fresh sage if I’m feeling the savory vibes.

When the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks lost their first round series to the 8-seed Miami Heat in five games, the expectation was that changes were on the horizon for the 2021 champs.

The Bucks’ struggles were not new, as the halfcourt offense bogged down, their defensive strategy yielded a number of threes (which Miami made at an alarming clip), and they twice blew double-digit leads in the fourth quarter of Games 4 and 5. Given those are issues that have popped up in past playoff defeats, there were rumblings that head coach Mike Budenholzer could be on the way out in an effort to bring on a new voice.

On Thursday evening, word broke that was indeed going to be the case, with Budenholzer’s tenure in Milwaukee ending after five seasons. Bucks GM Jon Horst released a statement thanking Bud for his time but noting it was time to “refocus and reenergize.”

“The decision to make this change was very difficult,” said Bucks general manager Jon Horst. “Bud helped lead our team for five incredible seasons, to the Bucks’ first title in 50 years, and into an era of sustained success. We are grateful for the culture of winning and leadership that Bud helped create in Milwaukee.

“This is an opportunity for us to refocus and reenergize our efforts as we continue building toward our next championship season.”

Budenholzer unquestionably unlocked a new level for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, compiling a 271-120 record in his five seasons, alongside a 39-26 playoff record. However, the championship season was their lone trip to the NBA Finals, as they fell short of expectations as a top seed on a few occasions under Budenholzer — which had him on the hot seat entering that 2020-21 season.

What remains to be seen is how many roster changes are on the way for the Bucks alongside a new head coach, as they have a number of players entering free agency or with player options still to be decided this summer. Even with some roster uncertainty, with Giannis on board, the expectations in Milwaukee will be to contend, and while they may be right Budenholzer’s message had run its course, finding a replacement who will be better won’t be an easy task. One would expect the Bucks’ search to include assistant Charles Lee, as well as some of the established and available championship-winning coaches from years past like Nick Nurse and Frank Vogel.

Lauren Boebert wasn’t fooling anyone with her “lipstick” photo earlier this week, but a more tried-and-true theme is now back to rear its head. That would be the world of sketchy campaign finance, and discussions of that variety haven’t been kind to Boebert, given previous allegations (via The Denver Post) that she claimed enough mileage expenses in 2020 to root and toot herself a third of the way around the Earth’s circumference. The Republican lawmaker also allegedly paid rent and bills for her (now-defunct) restaurant with campaign dollars, and now, Boebert is being accused of a relatively astronomic sum for campaign calls and texts.

$60,000 would be the alleged (illegal) figure, according to Newsweek, which adds that Boebert managed to rack up that bill for the 2022 midterm election that she narrowly won (Democrat Adam Frisch has since decided to run against her for 2024). How, exactly, does one rack up $60,000 in calls in texts within one’s own district? That’s a mystery, but Newsweek has the details from an FEC complaint:

End Citizens United has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging the Republican’s political action committee spent tens of thousands of dollars on so-called “get out the vote” contact calls and texts that were not reported accurately.

According to the FEC filing, seen exclusively by Newsweek, Boebert, her campaign Lauren Boebert For Colorado, We The People Leadership PAC and Taylor Moose, her PAC and campaign treasurer, are accused of failing to accurately report communications as independent expenditures or in-kind contributions on their reports filed with the Commission.

It’s not great, given that there’s a $5,000 limit on in-kind contributions to one’s self, if that’s what this actually is, because man, how does one spend twelve times that on phone calls and texts? I realize that I’ve asked that question a few times already, but this is as bizarre as claiming to have trotted out 8,000-ish miles of road-based campaign travel during the Covid shutdown when little in-person campaigning was in the works. Politics!

(Via Newsweek)

The sixth season of The Eric Andre Show is coming soon, and Adult Swim gave fans a sneak peek of the unhinged episodes to come. The show, which has become known for putting musicians through the wringer with its hosts’ deranged pranks, will feature a whole new batch of game rappers, producers, and DJs such as Benny Blanco, Diplo, Lil Yachty, and Rico Nasty.

While it’s hard to make out everything going on in the chaotic trailer, one thing is for sure: Diplo gets kicked right in the nuts. He seems pretty chill about it, though. Meanwhile, Jon Hamm, Natasha Lyonne, and Mia Khalifa seem extremely put off by his antics, so it’s not like he’s going to be doing all this for no payoff after all.

However, it turns out there was at least one guest who got the better of Andre and his merry band of TV trolls. In March, the host recounted how Chet Hanks was the “worst guest” he’s ever had on the show, prompting Hanks to strike back on social media.

Watch the season six trailer for The Eric Andre Show above and watch the sixth season beginning June 4 at midnight.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

On September 18, 2020, Ava Max released her debut album, Heaven & Hell. Around that time, she celebrated the project’s release with a launch party. The event didn’t take place in some personally meaningful place like her hometown, or in a major city among the big lights. Instead, it happened on Roblox.

Some context: Earlier that year, the COVID-19 pandemic (you might be aware of it) forced the world to essentially shut down. This put the live entertainment industry on pause. Concerts and other in-person events were temporarily no more. Oof!

More context: Roblox, an online game creation platform, launched in 2006 and has grown substantially since then. It was reported in 2022 that Roblox had 57 million daily users (and that half of them were under 12 years old).

So, with both of those things in mind, Ava Max and her team decided to launch Heaven & Hell on Roblox. On September 25, the event began. After a countdown, a pre-recorded video message from Ava Max played, in which she spoke about the event, discussed her new album, and answered some questions. She then sang two songs before the video ended.

It was a neat experiment, as IRL events weren’t super possible at the time. So, Ava Max made the best of the situation and came through with something intriguing and different. Different, but also something of a return to normalcy: While the music industry was on hold, Ava Max pressed forward via the means available to her and delivered as close to a familiar experience as was possible.

It was also just the start.

A few weeks later, Lil Nas X got in on the Roblox fun. On November 14 and 15, the rapper put on quite the show. He opened with a performance of “Old Town Road” before a digital costume change and a rendition of “Rodeo” as bats flew above him. The environment allowed for some fantastical elements not possible in a real-life concert. As the Roblox Wiki describes, the show involved tornadoes, a shift to a futuristic setting, Lil Nas X levitating in front of the moon, and a black hole.

Those were the first two concerts experiences on Roblox, and from there, artists like Elton John, Mariah Carey, aespa, Soccer Mommy, Saweetie, and others hosted their own virtual events. Were they worse than in-person shows? Well, that’s hard to say.

Leaving the house, bringing your physical body to a different environment, and seeing artists in front of your face isn’t something that can be replicated on a phone, computer, or game console. It’s a special experience than can really only be felt that specific way. The thing is, though, that virtual concerts don’t need to be that. In terms of what an in-person show offers, virtual shows can’t do it. They just can’t. In other ways, however, they can present much more.

Stage design for major tours can be incredible, but Lil Nas X isn’t getting functional tornadoes and black holes on a real-life stage. Roblox has long been an open forum for imaginative expression for its users and the same has been true when it comes to virtual concerts. It’s an opportunity for artists to put on a concert in ways they could never pull off otherwise. Give the world’s most talented and creative entertainers a limitless environment and special moments are bound to result.

Furthermore, sometimes, committing a few hours to going downtown, finding parking, getting to the venue, watching a concert, and making your way home is a lot. Nights when that seems overwhelming are the perfect occasion to just open an app on your phone/computer and catch some more convenient live entertainment, to still get the feeling that you’re watching something grand unfold in the moment.

Worth noting is that as novel as this whole thing may seem, a Roblox virtual concert isn’t a completely new idea (and not just because Fortnite did it before them, like with the Marshmello event in February 2019). Roblox events represent what the live entertainment business has long been about: meeting people where they are.

Really, performers have been bringing their shows to the people for a long as it’s been possible: Shortly after the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, circuses started traveling to the western half of the US. People were in their hometowns and most of them presumably didn’t have the means for significant travel (especially for leisure), so the entertainers went to them.

From there, music tours eventually became a major business, and some performers went beyond even just showing up in people’s cities. In the ’90s and ’00s, music lovers young and old spent a lot of time at the then-thriving malls. So, artists like Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne got set up between Claire’s and the food court to get a performance in. That’s where the people were, so that’s where the artists were.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought more popularity to remote-friendly practices like working from home and consuming the majority of entertainment online. Folks were in their rooms and on the internet, so that’s where the artists went.

Again, Roblox isn’t the first video game platform to host a virtual concert: Shout out to Duran Duran for performing a Second Life show in 2006. Roblox was, though, a leader in bringing them to the mainstream at the perfect time. It’s where the people were, and it’s where the artists could be whatever they wanted to be.

In 2023, the live entertainment industry is at the point where concert tours have long been back in full swing. This doesn’t mean virtual events should go back and hide in their hole of obscurity, though. Video games and other online products are as popular as they’ve ever been, and musicians are more open-minded and creatively free than ever before when it comes to self-promotional strategies.

So yes, for most artists, in-person events will return to their spot as the live entertainment priority. There’s no reason why virtual concerts can’t be a piece of the puzzle, though. While they had to fill in as the main feature for a little bit, really, they’re a different side of the same coin, one that offers its own unique value. It’s all just meeting people where they are, and as where they are changes, artists, as they always have, adapt and push the industry in exciting new directions.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Writers Guild of America’s ongoing strike against labor conditions could be changing Americans’ viewing habits for the foreseeable future, but that isn’t the only thing it’s affecting. Many peripheral industries will feel the effects in the coming weeks and (potentially) months as the WGA fights for fair wages and job protections from networks and studios amid a changing media landscape and record profits.

For instance, musical guests Foo Fighters, Labrinth, and Lil Uzi Vert have had their upcoming guest appearances on Saturday Night Live canceled along with immediate show episodes. According to Variety, the show, which normally runs through May before the summer hiatus, won’t produce any new episodes until the strike ends. This week would have seen former cast member Pete Davidson return as host with Lil Uzi Vert as the musical guest — a dynamic duo if ever there was one — while Entertainment Weekly reports Foo Fighters’ first appearance since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins was canceled along with Jennifer Coolidge’s hosting debut. Labrinth would have appeared in an episode hosted by Kieran Culkin.

Artists that would have appeared on other late-night variety shows will also need to find alternative promotion, as the only show running through the strike is (of course) Fox News’ Gutfield!, a show I just learned exists five minutes ago. Even so, recording artists are still showing solidarity with their fellow writers, with Snoop Dogg comparing screenwriters’ pay to streaming royalties.

Ari Aster’s Hereditary and Midsommar are two of A24’s highest-grossing films, with box office totals of $81.2 million and $46.7 million, respectively. His third feature, Beau Is Afraid, will be lucky to crack $10 million: the “Jewish Lord of the Rings“ has only made $6 million since coming out in April, despite good reviews and a leading performance from Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix.

Will Beau Is Afraid be a bigger hit on streaming? Yes (the 179 minute runtime likely kept people at home), but no date hasn’t been announced yet. Based on previous A24 films, however, you can except it to premiere on VOD in June or July. If you can’t wait until then, Beau Is Afraid is still in theaters.

“I was told from someone in college that there was this college thread amongst friends, a challenge they were going to take mushrooms and go see this movie,” Phoenix told Fandango about Beau. “And I just wanted to make a public service announcement and say do not take mushrooms and go see this f*cking movie.” Another good reason to watch it at home instead of in public.

Here’s more:

A paranoid man embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother in this bold and ingeniously depraved new film from writer/director Ari Aster.

You can watch the trailer here.

As the Denver Nuggets got ready for this past offseason, they faced the hardest question in professional sports: How do we make the leap from good to great?

They had their core, with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic at the center, paired with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., both returning from injuries. They had a high-level fourth starter in Aaron Gordon, who had embraced his tertiary role and thrived alongside Jokic in the frontcourt. But the rest of the roster was murky, a collection of fine regular season players who weren’t necessarily reliable in a 16-game setting.

General manager Calvin Booth — who ascended to the position after Tim Connelly went to Minnesota — decided to consolidate the roster, stripping a bit of regular season depth away in favor of a stronger playoff rotation. It was a gamble on his stars staying healthy, but then again, there wasn’t a path to a title without that, anyway. His first big move was trading Monte Morris and Will Barton, two longtime cogs in the Denver machine, for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith. The latter was a downgrade at backup point guard, but the former was a proven postseason commodity and the exact sort of two-way wing Denver needed to complete its starting five, a player capable of spacing the floor and knocking down shots while also being a solid perimeter defender. From there, he made one of the best value signings of the summer, bringing in Bruce Brown to reprise his role from two seasons ago in Brooklyn as a jack-of-all trades defender who could, at times, become a small-ball big.

Along with trading Morris and Barton (who started 155 combined games a year ago, including all 10 playoff games), the Nuggets let JaMychal Green, Austin Rivers, Bryn Forbes, DeMarcus Cousins, and Facu Campazzo leave in free agency. All of these players averaged more than 10 minutes per game in the playoffs. Bones Hyland was traded at the deadline for Reggie Jackson, who has barely seen the rotation. In all, Denver entered this postseason without seven players from last year’s 10-man playoff rotation, and have trimmed this year’s postseason rotation down to eight players.

Murray and Porter’s returns were the headliners, and for good reason. Murray showed in Game 1 how he can go toe-to-toe with the best scorers in the world when he’s rolling, while MPJ is capable of becoming a flamethrower at any moment. However, what’s different about this year’s Nuggets squad is that they are not dependent on having their top-3 play at their best to win playoff games. Murray was, for 44 minutes of Game 2, dreadful. Porter was a non-factor, scoring five points. And yet, they beat the Suns by 10 because they finally have “others” capable of filling the gaps.

Jokic’s 39 points carried them, but he got help in the form of KCP scoring 14, including a trio of threes in the fourth quarter to help Denver take control of the game. Brown was able to step in for MPJ and provide a defensive lift, most notably blocking a Kevin Durant jumper with three minutes to play. Jeff Green and Christian Braun fill out the eight-man rotation, but it’s the ability to lean on Caldwell-Pope (33.4 minutes per game) and Brown (26.3 minutes per game) in these playoffs that has made all the difference for this year’s Nuggets team.

For a great example of what happens when you can’t round out your roster beyond your stars, look no farther than Denver’s current opponents. Depth in the playoffs is a wholly different thing than depth in the regular season, and the Suns have been desperate to find anyone who can complement their top-4 guys while praying those dudes stay healthy, which is currently coming back to bite them in a big way. The 82-game schedule is a war of attrition, requiring a team to go 10-12 deep in order to just keep the wear and tear off their stars.

Those players are playable because game plans in the regular season are skeletons compared to what teams face in the postseason, where opponents will hone in on a weakness and exploit it over and over until you make the correct adjustment. We have seen so many teams in these playoffs, like Phoenix and Cleveland, that have the top-end talent but have struggled to find those fifth, sixth, and seventh guys that can be trusted in a rotation. Denver was once one of those teams, but by valuing quality over quantity in terms of depth, there are fewer weaknesses for opponents to exploit.

There is always spacing on offense, in part because Jokic is a freak, but also because five of the other seven in the rotation are shooting above 38 percent from three in the playoffs. Brown and Green are the weak links in the shooting realm, but they almost never share the floor together, are willing to let an open look fly, and are good connectors and passers. Defensively, MPJ is the weak link on the wing, but Caldwell-Pope, Gordon, and Brown are all good enough that they can either leave MPJ on the bench when he’s cold, as they did in Game 2, or keep him paired with at least two strong wing defenders and hide him on a non-threat in the corner. As a unit, they all are active (MPJ aside when he’s not engaged) and have length at each position, which makes up for some of their individual deficiencies.

Their biggest issue is a lack of rim protection, as they don’t have a functional backup center behind Jokic. In this series, that’s a non-factor because the Suns almost never go to the rim, but even against Minnesota’s two-big lineups, they were able to mitigate that issue by putting in work early with their activity and disrupting passing and driving lanes. Squads like the Celtics, Lakers, or Sixers would represent the biggest test of their defense’s weak point, but that’s a bridge to cross if they run into those teams.

In the past, the Nuggets had to make the difficult decisions so many teams face in the playoffs, which is whether to sacrifice defense for offense or vice versa. With the additions of Brown and Caldwell-Pope, Michael Malone has better players at his disposal to run out there for high minute loads, without having to do what Monty Williams is about to in Game 3, which is start throwing things at the wall in hopes they stick. For Booth, their performance is proof positive that his approach this summer in sacrificing some regular season depth in order to gain playoff depth was worthwhile and done with a keen eye for filling the needs of this team in the postseason.

Ed Sheeran left court today with a weight off his shoulders. A jury found Sheeran not guilty of copyright infringement in a lawsuit brought by the estate of Ed Townsend claiming that Sheeran’s 2014 song “Thinking Out Loud” copied parts of Marvin Gaye’s 1973 classic “Let’s Get It On,” which Townsend co-wrote. Sheeran said he was “very happy” by the decision but “absolutely frustrated” by the fact he had to go to court in the first place, especially because he missed his grandmother’s funeral as a result.

Before the trial, he echoed that sentiment in an interview with Apple Music, telling Zane Lowe, “The thing with these cases, it’s not usually songwriters that are suing songwriters. I feel like in the songwriting community, everyone sort of knows that there’s four chords primarily that are used and there’s eight notes. And we work with what we’ve got, with doing that.”

He isn’t wrong; according to copyright expert Naima Cochrane, the rights to “Let’s Get It On” are owned by Structured Asset Sales, which acquired a portion of Townsend’s estate, and when it filed the initial lawsuit in 2018, it was actually stuck down by a judge. SAS then acquired a live recording of “Let’s Get It On” and refiled the suit against that version.

However, as both Cochrane and Sheeran have both pointed out, SAS’s claim was dubious from the beginning; here’s a clip that’s been circulating on TikTok pointing out why many songs can “sound” similar to each other using the “four chords” principle cited by Sheeran above:

The reason such lawsuits have become more commonplace in recent years is partially because of Marvin Gaye as well. In 2013, Gaye’s estate — which is still administered by his family — issued a copyright claim against Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke over their 2013 single “Blurred Lines,” citing its similarity to Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got To Give It Up.” When Pharrell and Thicke sued for a declaratory judgment that it did not infringe on the copyright, the case went to court, and ultimately, they were ordered to pay over $7 million in damages. An appeal upheld the decision in 2018, which many believe opened the door for similar lawsuits based on similar “feel” rather that duplicated compositions.

In Sheeran’s case, the suggestion that he’d copied Gaye and Townsend’s work irked him to the point of saying he’d quit music if found guilty. Fortunately for his fans (and his label, which is releasing his fifth album, – [Subtract], this week), he wasn’t, despite SAS bringing in a musicologist — whose testimony Sheeran refuted by playing his guitar on the stand.

This likely won’t be the end of such cases, but this case does demonstrate how easy it is for rights administrators to bring lawsuits against artists, and shows how better protections are needed on both sides to ensure fairness in future proceedings.

Shortly after Tucker Carlson was fired from Fox News, a report claimed that the conservative news network is reportedly sitting on a massive “oppo file” that will presumably prevent Carlson from doing anything retaliatory. Since then, a steady stream of damaging text messages and video footage has been conveniently “leaked” to the media that sheds the light on the former Fox host’s behavior behind the scenes.

In the latest video obtained by Media Matters, Carlson can be seen asking a makeup artist about “pillow fights” in the “ladies room” and what really goes on in there.

“I’m not speaking of you, but more in general with ladies, when they go to the ladies room and ‘powder their noses,’ is there actually nose-powdering going on?”

The make-up artist replies, “sometimes,” to which Carlson responds, “Oooh, I like the sound of that.”

“Most of the time, it’s lipstick,” she adds.

Carlson then asks, “Do pillow fights ever break out?” quickly adding, “You don’t have to, you don’t have to.” After she says “not in the bathroom,” he replies, “OK. Not in the bathroom. That’d be more [of] a dorm activity.”.

You can watch the video below:

As for whether the leaks are keeping Carlson in line, not so much. According to a new report from The Washington Post, Carlson is itching to get back into the media as soon as possible, even if it includes giving up millions from his Fox contract. Carlson’s ambitions are so lofty that he’s reportedly trying to become a major voice in the 2024 elections by moderating his own GOP presidential debate and has already reached out to Donald Trump to get the ball rolling.

(Via Media Matters)