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Padma Lakshmi was “freaking out” when she got the invitation to appear in Sports Illustrated‘s swimsuit issue.

“I would have killed for it when I was in my 20s and a model because it is the holy grail and they never even called me for anything like this. And I really thought that ship had passed, to be honest,” the Top Chef host explained on Monday’s pre-writers strike episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. “So when I got the call now a few months ago, I was like, ‘You’re f*cking sh*tting me, really?’ I did not believe the news on the phone. And then I started freaking out.”

Lakshmi’s first thought? “I gotta go to the gym. Oh my god!” Luckily, she continued, “I was already hitting the gym pretty hard because it had been just a month since I got home from filming Top Chef.” Exercise is an essential part of the gig, considering how much the hosts have to eat every episode.

As for how many calories a day the Top Chef host consumes during filming, it’s likely more than fans think.”First half of the season when we have a lot of contestants, eight or nine thousand calories a day, easily,” Lakshmi shared.

The Rock weeps.

Lakshmi previously estimated that her daily calorie count while filming Top Chef was in the 7,000-8,000 range. How to explain the extra 1,000 calories? Sounds like someone is sneaking in a Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich between breakfast and lunch. No? Just me? Well, she should try it.

You can watch the Lakshmi’s Kimmel interview above.

(Via ET Online)

Meghan Trainor isn’t afraid to overshare parts of her life during interviews. Just last week, the “Mother” singer divulged that she sometimes has to use ice after what she called “nightmare” sex with her “big boy” husband Daryl Sabara due to a medical condition. Now, during her appearance on Bravo’s late-night show Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, the musician let split a bit of tea from her past that could have remained a secret.

When a fan video conferencing into the show asked if the singer’s viral on-stage moment with “Marvin Gaye” collaborator Charlie Puth ended there, Trainor confessed that it started before then.

“Yeah, I’ll give you tea,” she said. “The day we recorded ‘Marvin Gaye,’ the very romantic song, there was booze, and we made out that night in the studio.”

The songwriter quickly added, “And then never again.” As the host chimed in to say it must have been the heat of the moment. Trainer agreed, adding, “We were in the moment. The song got to me. The liquor! It was great.”

The pair played up on the whimsy nature of the song in its official music video. So maybe, their steamy kiss at the 2015 American Music Awards was just a part of the bit.

Watch the full clip above.

Charlie Puth is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Each new season of The Boys has managed to push the envelope in wild and unpredictable ways, and according to Antony Starr, Season 4 is no different. While attending the LA premiere for his latest role in Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, Starr teased the highly anticipated season by admitting that even he’s surprised by how The Boys manages to mine new depths of depravity.

“[The series] somehow gets weirder and weirder and weirder,” Starr told Variety. “There has to be a ceiling, but we can’t seem to find it.”

According to the Homelander actor, Season 4 involves a moment that literally made him question what he’s doing with his life:

Starr can’t reveal spoilers about the season, but did recall shooting one scene: “I was looking at the person I was opposite, and I said, ‘What are we doing? I can’t believe this! I could have done anything else with my life, but here I am doing this?’ It was truly the most bizarre thing I’ve ever done.”

This exchange isn’t the first time that Starr joked about the craziness that Season 4 has in store. After revealing that filming had wrapped for the season, a fan joked on Twitter that he might need therapy when it drops, prompting Starr to reply, “Me too.”

As for when fans can finally watch the new season of The Boys, a release date hasn’t been set yet. Given production just wrapped in mid-April, Season 4 is most likely looking at a late 2023/early 2024 premiere.

The Boys Seasons 1-3 are available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

(Via Variety)

The Writer’s Guild of America officially went on strike Tuesday morning after negotiations between the group and major studios like Netflix broke down over the weekend. What this means for the industry as a whole depends on how long it takes the two sides to come to an agreement. For now, late-night talk shows and sketch comedy series like Saturday Night Live are set to go dark, while weekly network offerings might need to cut their seasons short. There could also be a pause in production on the streaming side of things as well as on the big screen, with in-the-works movies and shows grinding to a halt now that writers won’t be on-hand to make needed improvements to scripts while filming continues.

Hollywood hasn’t seen a writer’s strike in 15 years and, in that time, its business model has changed drastically. With the invention of streaming and on-demand services, a pivot to shorter theatrical windows, and the recent introduction of artificial intelligence, we’re still not sure when this strike might be resolved or what the consequences for film and television might be. What we do know is this: the WGA has been transparent about its demands for better pay and guaranteed work for its members while the major studios have been slow in coming to the negotiating table on some basic asks.

Chief among them, better pay.

As with the last strike, writers are seeking an increase in pay now that the streaming model has gutted residuals — money writers used to receive when a show was re-aired on TV — across the board. According to the WGA, thanks to platforms like HBO Max and Disney+, median writer pay has dropped 4% (23% when adjusted for inflation) with most writers “working at a minimum, regardless of experience” while top studio execs continue to grow their million dollar salaries.

“The companies have used the transition to streaming to cut writer pay and separate writing from production, worsening working conditions for series writers at all levels,” the WGA said in a bulletin sent to members. Not only has streaming lessened the number of episodes for a show per season making it difficult for writers to maintain a sustainable source of income, but streaming has also made it impossible for writers to make money from shows and episodes that used to be part of a network’s re-run schedule.

The WGA is also hoping to curb the trend of “mini-rooms” or shows that operate with just one or two writers/producers who script out multiple episodes, sometimes before a series is officially picked up or in between seasons in order to save on costs. These writers put huge amounts of effort and time into “breaking” a show — plotting its characters, storylines, etc — only to make minimum pay. It’s notoriously difficult for newer writers to make it into these “mini-rooms” too, which has led to fewer and fewer new voices entering the streaming space.

The last writer’s strike lasted months and cost Hollywood millions in lost scripts, production freezes, and more. Here’s hoping the two sides can come back to the negotiating table before that happens again.

(Via NBC News)

The Denver Nuggets are two wins away from making the Western Conference Finals. On Monday night, Denver played host to the Phoenix Suns and managed to take care of business, 97-87, to take a 2-0 series lead before things shift to Phoenix on Friday night.

As is oftentimes the case when things are going well for the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic has been outrageous to start the series. Jokic is averaging 31.5 points on 51 percent shooting from the field with 17.5 rebounds and five assists through the first two games, and unlike the last time these two teams played in the postseason and Deandre Ayton was able to hold his own against the two-time NBA MVP, Jokic has been in total control of things when he’s been on the floor.

After his performance in Game 2, Charles Barkley made it a point to praise Jokic and implore everyone to appreciate what he’s able to do on the basketball court.

“In Game 1, it was [Christian] Braun and Jamal Murray, and today, it was [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope],” Barkley said. “But I just gotta tell people, man, let’s enjoy greatness watching this Joker play. I mean, he ain’t flashy, he seems like a great person — I don’t know him, I don’t think I’ve ever met him in person before. But man, just appreciate greatness like we appreciated Steph yesterday and things like that. I just wanna say, man, I love this kid, watching him play basketball.”

The Inside the NBA guys have never been shy about praising the players they especially like, and it’s always cool to see them take a step back and show love to the guys that leave them in awe.

Living with an anxiety disorder can feel like a constant battle against an invisible enemy. People with anxiety disorders feel constant, excessive worry, restlessness and irrational fears, often accompanied by physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing.

These overwhelming feelings cast a shadow over daily life and make it difficult to focus or enjoy simple pleasures. Anxiety disorders can also feel isolating, as the sufferer may struggle to communicate their feelings, making it hard to receive support and understanding.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common forms of mental illness and studies show that an estimated 31.1% of U.S. adults experience an anxiety disorder at some time in their lives. Around half of all people who suffer from anxiety disorders go into remission at some point.

The interesting thing about such a common mental health problem is that the cause of anxiety disorders is currently unknown. But they’re believed to stem from a combination of factors that are developmental, psychological, environmental and genetic in nature.

u201cGenetic Driver of Anxiety DiscoverednnAn international team of scientists has identified a gene in the brain responsible for anxiety symptoms and found that modifying the gene can reduce anxiety levels, offering a novel drug target for anxiety disorders. The discovery highlightsu2026u201d

— Neuroscience News (@Neuroscience News)
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However, all of that may soon change. Researchers at the University of Bristol have identified a gene responsible for driving anxiety symptoms in mice and learned how it can be suppressed. The research was first published in Nature Communications.

To gain deeper insight into the underlying causes of anxiety, scientists restrained the mice for 6 hours to elicit a stress response and then examined their brains at a molecular level.

The researchers realized that the stress response resulted in elevated levels of 5 microRNAs (miRNAs) in the amygdala, determining which genes in a cell are expressed and which are not. The amygdala is the brain’s integrative center for motivation, emotions and emotional behavior.

Most importantly, the researchers noted that the gene Pgap2 caused behavior associated with anxiety and miR483-5p worked as a molecular “brake” to prevent the feelings of anxiety.

u201cAnti- anxiety gene found. u2764ufe0fu201d

— Pepper (@Pepper)
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To put it simply, researchers have determined the gene that creates anxiety symptoms and the gene that puts a stop to them. This revelation could lead to new medications that target and suppress the specific cause of anxiety in the human brain. It may also completely change the current trial-and-error approach that doctors use to treat anxiety through medications.

“miRNAs are strategically poised to control complex neuropsychiatric conditions such as anxiety. But the molecular and cellular mechanisms they use to regulate stress resilience and susceptibility were until now, largely unknown,” Dr. Valentina Mosienko, one of the study’s lead authors said, according to Neuroscience News.

“The miR483-5p/Pgap2 pathway we identified in this study, activation of which exerts anxiety-reducing effects, offers a huge potential for the development of anti-anxiety therapies for complex psychiatric conditions in humans.”

The findings are exciting to many people who wouldn’t mind having their anxiety gene turned off right about now.

Omg yay they found the anxiety gene. Poke it till it turns off.

— Johanna M.🧚🏼‍♀️ (@JM_Luna) May 1, 2023

Scientists in the UK think they have located the gene that causes anxiety. I’m gonna need them to delete mine immediately

— Yagoobian (@GnosticGnocchi) April 25, 2023

The next step for researchers is to see if further research can be validated in humans.

This important development comes at a time when anxiety and depression are on the rise across the globe. According to the World Health Organization, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 25% rise in anxiety and depression worldwide.

Rappin’ Shaq is back!

The NBA’s first successful rap star got back on the mic to celebrate one of the league’s most successful players’ historical season with “King Talk.” Alongside Blackway, who you might remember from his Spider-Man: Enter The Spider-Verse theme song “What’s Up Danger,” and producer Koko, Shaq commemorates LeBron James reaching his 20th season, breaking the all-time scoring record, and leading the Los Angeles Lakers once again to the playoffs.

Shaq explained how the track came to life in a statement. “KoKo and I have been sending beats back and forth for a minute now and after he played me this one, I knew I had to jump on it,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment for a collab with Blackway and this was it. This is the type of record that gets me hyped like I’m walking out for game seven of the finals. The lyrics and vibe of this track was so perfect for the moment when LeBron James set the NBA scoring record and I knew I had to share it with the world—a king recognizes a king. It was crazy to see so many people connect with the song when they heard the teaser, just like I did when we created it.”

“King Talk” arrives just days after Shaq teamed up with a few more rising rappers, Lex Bratcher, Scarlip, and Ihearcanvas for the “Bodies” freestyle. Check out “King Talk” above and “Bodies” below.

Going into his 2024 presidential run, Donald Trump‘s team has boasted that he will have a more “disciplined campaign” after having an infamously combative relationship with the press over the years. However, the former president apparently didn’t receive that memo. On top of insulting potential primary opponent Ron DeSantis, Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Fox News in recent weeks, and he is reportedly been acting as aggressive as ever with reporters, if not more so.

According to a new recording obtained by Vanity Fair, Trump threw a tantrum on his plane shortly before he was indicted in New York for allegedly paying hush money to Stormy Daniels. NBC News reporter Vaughn Hillyard attempted to ask Trump about the possible charges following the former president’s awkward campaign stop in Waco, and Trump immediately got testy:

Hillyard’s questions revolved around Trump’s posts on Truth Social at the time; the former president had warned that there could be “potential death and destruction” if he was indicted. When Hillyard again tried to clarify Trump’s “version of events” around the DA’s investigation, the ex-president said, “I don’t want to talk to you.” Hillyard tried to ask another question. “Do you hear me? You’re not a nice guy,” Trump said, turning to take a question from another reporter. When Hillyard tried a third time to get a response, Trump lost it. “Alright, let’s go, get him out of here,” Trump said. “Outta here. Outta here,” Trump said.

According to the Vanity Fair recording, Trump then picked up phones that were recording the press gaggle and asked who they belong to. When Hillyard responded that the phones were his, Trump threw them and “the thud of one of the phones hitting a surface can be heard.” At that point, the former president’s team shut down the gaggle because of all the discipline. It’s a super tight ship now.

(Via Vanity Fair)

Lauren Boebert went back to her home state of Colorado, apparently to spread a little bit of Internet chaos. That’s what happened after she visited a gun range, and everyone knows how much Boebert loves her guns and feels triggered when she believes that someone will try to take them away.

Still, it’s been relatively quiet on the Boebert front since her Rosa Parks fiasco, but she did recently inspire her constituents to defy her warning about drag story times, so there’s that. Over the weekend, Boebert also visited Montrose and popped into the San Juan Shooting Range and subsequently tweeted photos (not to be confused with the above photo, taken at her now-defunct Shooter’s Grill restaurant) on Saturday.

Of particular interest is the shirt that takes a swing at pronouns while declaring, “Since we’re redefining everything, this is a cordless hole puncher.” This is, of course, not going well considering that we have multiple mass shootings each week in the U.S. This past Friday this also included a Texas massacre after a suspect allegedly grew enraged when asked to stop disturbing a sleeping baby. The shooter attacked the family “execution style,” and let’s just say that people came for Boebert and asked why she couldn’t let the “love affair with guns” (and a hole-punch joke) rest for a few days.

(Via People)

First popularized in the 1930s and 40s when the likes of Donn Beach (owner of Don the Beachcomber) and “Trader” Vic Bergeron (owner of Trader Vic’s) opened Polynesian-style bars, Tiki drinks, while not nearly as popular as they once were, have never really gone away. There are conflicting stories but it’s believed by many that the mai tai (created in 1944) was the first Tiki-style cocktail. Like the mai tai, other Tiki-style drinks are known for their sweet, fruity, tropical flavor profiles that usually feature rum as the main ingredient. Pineapples, coconut, and other tropical fruits are also common.

In recent years, the romanticization of cocktails with over-the-top ingredients, decorations, and Tiki-style, elaborately decorated drinking vessels has come into question (and with good reason). But this hasn’t stopped Tiki bars from continuing to flourish. Fans of the style will point out that it’s a love letter to a tropical paradise and sort of its own fantasyland, rather than a representation of actual Polynesian culture. If that tracks for you, well, they are some good drinks — and can potentially be enjoyed without the colonial hangover aspect.

All that aside, you can’t talk about Tiki drinks without rum. White rum, dark rum, and even spiced rum — the sugarcane-based spirit is at the center of this style. To find some of the best options for Tiki-style cocktails, we turned to the professionals who bide their time behind the bar for some help. We asked a handful of bartenders to tell us the best rums to mix into Tiki drinks. Keep scrolling to see them all.

Smith & Cross Rum

Tom Muscolino, director of beverage innovation at Landmark Hospitality in Plainfield, New Jersey

ABV: 57%

Average Price: $32

The Rum:

Smith & Cross. It is a funky Jamaican pot still rum, coming in at 114 proof. Created in collaboration with cocktail historian David Wondrich, it’s a great base for your favorite rum cocktails, Tiki or otherwise. It’s the kind of rum you’ll always want on hand.

Tasting Notes:

It has notes of overripe banana, dark chocolate, tobacco, vanilla, and spice. It’s much more flavorful than you’d expect from such a high-proof rum.

Bumbu Rum

Sawyer Platt, bar lead at Publico Street Bistro & Garden in South Boston

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $38

The Rum:

I’ve been experimenting with Bumbu Rum a lot this season and it’s shown to be a great addition to Tiki, coffee-centered, and twists on sour-like cocktails. The first sips of it reminded me of Basil Hayden’s infamous Caribbean Reserve Rye. A versatile rum, it would pair wonderfully in a Tiki drink or even in a Manhattan with Antica Formula Carpano Vermouth and chocolate bitters.

Tasting Notes:

Its flavor profile is dominated by bold notes of chocolate, molasses, and banana, with an oaky, whiskey-resembling finish.

Blackwell Fine Jamaican Rum

Jared Bailey, bar manager at Soho Cigar Bar in New York City

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $26

The Rum:

I prefer a darker rum like Blackwell Fine Jamaican Rum, both for its cost-effectiveness, as well as the rum’s ability to mix very well and provide that signature rum flavor, but not add too much sweetness to the drink.

Tasting Notes:

Sweet and nutty, this Jamaican-produced rum is known for its nutty, vanilla, caramel, candied orange, dried fruits, and sugar cookie flavors.

Hamilton Demerara 86 Rum

Brandon Ristaino, co-founder and beverage director at Good Lion Hospitality in Santa Barbara, California

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $25

The Rum:

Tiki-style drinks are unique in that a lot of classics call for a ‘layering’ of rums. These rum blends can add complexity and depth to a cocktail while drawing out the best of each individual expression of rum. While there is a myriad of options for every component of these layered rum blends, we feel as though Hamilton Demerara 86 rum is a perfect ‘base’ for most tiki-style cocktails.

Tasting Notes:

This Guyanese rum is rich, slightly smoky, and has tasting notes of tobacco, oak, nuts, and tropical fruit that converge to anchor most fruit juice-laden cocktails. We like to layer a funky Jamaican pot still rum on top of the Hamilton, but that’s a discussion for another day.

El Dorado 3-Year Rum

Alicia Perry, beverage director at Consortium Holdings in San Diego

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $20

The Rum:

El Dorado 3-Year-Old Rum is a great choice for Tiki drinks. Matured for at least three years in charred oak casks, this crystal clear, flavorful rum is filtered through charcoal. The result is a complex, versatile rum well-suited for mixing.

Tasting Notes:

El Dorado 3-Year-Old Rum Offers tropical notes. Rich yet complex flavor profile. El Dorado 3 Year is crisp, with notes of cacao, cane sugar, and grassy.

Plantation Barbados 5 Year

Bijan Ghiai, beverage manager at Urban Hill in Salt Lake City

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $25

The Rum:

The Plantation Barbados 5-year Dark Rum. I feel that it has the strongest personality, but it isn’t going to overwhelm the cocktail either. My favorite tiki-style cocktail is either a mai tai — I think I am drawn to it by its simplicity– or a classic pina colada, but you have to use real coconut cream for that one.

Tasting Notes:

It has a deep layer of molasses, some baking spices, star anise, vanilla, and some citrus peel. It’s a great choice for Tiki drinks.

Paranubes Oaxacan Rum

Michael J. Neff, bartender at Bar Loretta in San Antonio, Texas

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $45 for a 1-liter bottle

The Rum:

Paranubes Oaxacan Rum is a fantastic choice for Tiki-style drinks. I like a hurricane with Paranubes Oaxacan Rum, especially if it’s spring and I can get Cocktail & Sons Fassionola.

Tasting Notes:

A few words on the rum: Funky pot still rums are great in tiki cocktails—their inherent earthiness plays well with all the different sugar most tiki specs call for.

Malibu Rum

Lee Moore, bartender at The Ballantyne Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina

ABV: 21%

Average Price: $20

The Rum:

Malibu Rum. This might not seem like the most popular choice. But if you’re looking for a sweet, coconut-filled rum liqueur to use in a Tiki-style drink, you have to consider Malibu. Maybe it won’t be the main rum used, but it definitely fits as a complimentary rum.

Tasting Notes:

The light mellow flavors of pineapple or coconut are the perfect tropical flavors for Tiki-style drinks.

The Real McCoy 12

Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $54

The Rum:

I’m a purist, so I tend to use these spirits in completely different fashions; however, the Real McCoy 12-Year Aged is one rum that I’ve used in a variety of traditionally stirred Tiki-style cocktails.

Tasting Notes:

Its earthiness and oak lend themselves well. There’s also a ton of caramel, vanilla, orange peel, and light spices. All of these work well in Tiki-style drinks.

Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple Rum

Erica Dimmig, lead mixologist at Bar Pendry in Chicago

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $30

The Rum:

The world of Tiki is vast and full of many big opinions. I’m sure some will disagree that a flavored rum should be left out of classic Tiki drinks, but Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple is absolutely crushable in so many Tiki cocktails.

Tasting Notes:

The sweet, spiced, and overripe fruit notes are killer in a pina colada but hold up just as well in a mai tai, or one of my favorites: the painkiller.