San Francisco has no shortage of restaurants, fine dining or otherwise, with menus boasting crazy high prices. Seven dollar bacon strips anyone?

The city's newly-opened Avery restaurant isn't any different in that sense. The prix-fixe East Asian-infused eatery takes reservations through Tock, the high-dollar restaurant equivalent of OpenTable that allows guests to reserve and pay for meals beforehand. No post-meal payment needed.

The restaurant is currently offering three menus: Cello Player, a smaller course plan for $89 a person, Avery's Room, a reservation for six to eight people featuring a special menu from the kitchen, and the seafood-themed Bouquet of the Sea for $189 a pop.

I took a gander at the latter during a recent visit to Avery and concluded that when it comes to eating in this city, you get what you pay for — which in this case is 10 meticulously-crafted, delicious dishes for $189 a person.

Here's what it was like.

SEE ALSO: San Franciscans are waiting 30 minutes in line for these Japanese cheese tarts — here's what they taste like

In the city's Fillmore neighborhood, Avery's storefront is minimal and could be easy to miss if you aren't looking for it.

The entry way features a black slatted wall. We were seated behind it, in a cozy booth.

My friend helped himself to one of the fleecy knit blankets available by the front door — they're great for keeping guests warm in San Francisco's infamous chilly night air.

• Sony's "The Equalizer 2" won the weekend box office with $35.8 million.
• That's a bigger opening than its 2014 original ($34.1 million).
• Universal's "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" also had a strong opening weekend with $34.3 million.

Sequels continue to work like gangbusters this summer.

In a surprise outcome, Sony's "The Equalizer 2" took in $35.8 million to win the weekend box office over "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again."

The first-ever sequel that Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua made in their careers, the movie surpassed the 2014 original's $34.1 million take. It was an impressive performance for a movie that had a 51% score on Rotten Tomatoes (the original had a 60% score).

But Fuqua did tell Business Insider that the sequel did better in test screenings than the original.

The performance by "Equalizer 2" also proves that sometimes star power can work. In a time when superheroes are more of a box office draw than superstars, Washington playing a vigilante seemed to be a draw.

Also performing better than expected was "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again."

The sequel to the 2008 musical based on the hit Broadway show featuring the songs of ABBA took in an estimated $34.3 million.

That's better than the first "Mamma Mia" ($27.7 million), and turned out to be the perfect movie night for audiences who needed a break from the action-heavy offerings already out, like "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp."

Though time will tell if Denzel's "Equalizer" can match up to the other tough guy movies coming up, Universal may have the rare title this summer that could have legs for weeks to come.

With the movie's big female following, the studio foresees "Here We Go Again" being a big girls night out option with guys' movies like "Mission: Impossible - Fallout," "The Meg," and "Mile 22" opening soon.

But both of these movies doing better than expected is just the latest pleasant surprise this year's summer movie season has given Hollywood.

SEE ALSO: What the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe could look like after Disney buys Fox and all its superheroes

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why the World Cup soccer ball looks so different

• Buc-ee's is a convenience-store chain with a cult following across Texas.
• The chain serves as a supersized highway pit stop complete with "world famous" bathrooms, branded T-shirts, a beef-jerky bar, a wide-ranging home-decor section, and freshly made fudge.
• We visited Texas to see whether Buc-ee's could live up to the hype — and we were shocked by what we found. 

If you're on a road trip traveling through Texas, Buc-ee's looms large as a highway oasis — and not just because of the endless signs along the road telling travelers how many miles until the nearest location appears on the horizon.

Much like Pennsylvanians worship at the altar of Wawa, hungry road trippers across the Lone Star State have their prayers answered at the gas-station chain Buc-ee's.

Need gas? Buc-ee's apparently has it for cheap. Food? Chefs say their breakfast tacos are some of the best. Clothing? Per sources, Buc-ee's T-shirts — featuring its iconic beaver mascot — are a trademark of a cool Texas teen.

Despite Texans' obsession, most of the world has never even heard of Buc-ee's. The chain, founded in 1982, has about 40 locations.

We visited Buc-ee's to see whether it lived up to the hype. What we found was like nothing we'd seen before.

SEE ALSO: We visited convenience-store rivals Wawa and Sheetz to see which does it better — and the winner is clear

We rolled into the Buc-ee's parking lot well aware of the promise that "everything is bigger in Texas." But even the state's self-aggrandizing did not prepare us for what was waiting inside.

Walking into Buc-ee's was like wandering into a mix of a Walmart, a barbecue-centric deli, and the Texas tourism bureau, plus a dash of the Cracker Barrel general store.

The snack aisles carry the classic road-trip rations, like trail mix, dried fruit, and candy — but on a scale unseen anywhere else in the country.

• Some of the most dangerous jobs have a much higher risk of fatal or non-fatal injuries than others.
• Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we found the 34 jobs that had the highest rates of fatal injuries in 2016.

Some jobs have a much higher risk of fatal or non-fatal injuries than others.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics documented how many people died on the job in 2016 for the equivalent of every 100,000 people who held that job.

To find the most dangerous jobs in America, we identified the jobs from the Bureau's list with the highest fatal injury rate. Each of these jobs has a fatal injury rate above the national average for all workers of 3.6 per 100,000 full-time workers.

Overall, the greatest number of fatal work injuries resulted from transportation incidents, followed by violence or other injuries by persons or animals; falls, slips, and trips; and contact with objects and equipment.

Here are the 34 most dangerous jobs in America, along with their 2016 fatal and non-fatal injury rates per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, and a description of what workers in these jobs do from the Department of Labor's O*NET careers database.

SEE ALSO: The 47 jobs that are most damaging to your health

DON'T MISS: Here's how much the typical millennial, Gen X, and baby-boomer worker earns in every US state

34. Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

What they do: Lay out, install, or maintain pipes, plumbing, and sewer systems.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers):  4.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers):  1,629

33. Hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers

What they do: Manually move freight, stock, or other materials or perform other general labor.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 5.2

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 3,068

31 (tie). Firefighters

What they do: Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk.

Fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 6.1

Non-fatal injury rate (per 100,000 workers): 927

• Turo is changing the economics of owning a car in cities like San Francisco.
• Car owners list their vehicles on the platform and lease them by the day.
• The company says the average host in San Francisco makes $672 a month on Turo, more than enough to cover the national average monthly car payment on a new vehicle.
• One "power host" says her new Tesla Model 3 costs her practically nothing because she recovers the cost by renting it to strangers via the Turo app. 

Veronica and her boyfriend were on the fence about buying the Tesla Model 3.

At a base price of $35,000, the electric car is the most affordable on the Tesla dealership lot, but it's not cheap.

The couple lives in San Francisco, one of the most expensive cities in the US, where they mostly zip around in Ubers and on trains.

"We wouldn't be driving it all the time, but we could put it on Turo while it's not being driven," Veronica said. "That's what helped us pull the trigger on the Tesla."

She rents the car to strangers six days a week through the Turo app, a person-to-person car-sharing service most easily described as "Airbnb for cars."

"It's like, being able to rent the Tesla on Turo pays for the garage, pays for the loan we took out to purchase the car, and insurance," Veronica said. "It covers all the cost."

Turo is changing the economics of owning a car in cities like San Francisco. Car owners list their vehicles on the platform and lease them by the day. They can charge $29 to $200 a day, depending on the make and model of their ride.

The company says the average host in San Francisco makes $672 a month on Turo, more than enough to cover the national average monthly car payment on a new vehicle. One local "power host" said he earned $40,000 last year by renting his 2016 Tesla Model X to strangers.

The San Francisco Bay Area is one the largest markets for Turo, which has vehicles in more than 56 countries and 5,500 cities. Given the high cost of living, it's unsurprising that residents would go to such lengths to offset the cost of car ownership.

In a survey of Turo users, the company asked hosts what they do with the money they earn by renting their cars on Turo. More than half of the respondents said they pay down their car loan or lease, while about a third said they added to their savings.

Michael Quinn, the lead content strategist for the hospitality startup Lyric, leased a 2017 Subaru Forester for commuting to Palo Alto but found he was using it much less than he expected. Instead of letting it idle, he decided to start renting it out on Turo.

He averages one or two bookings a week, he said, and it covers all the costs of the SUV.

"It's like having a free car in the city," Quinn said.

Veronica belongs to the group of Turo users — 23% of survey respondents — who said they use their Turo earnings to buy an additional car to list on the service.

The Tesla Model S is the most popular car make and model in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to Turo, followed by the Tesla Model X and the BMW 3 Series. Since its limited-production launch last year, the Tesla Model 3 has also become a local favorite.

"I literally have renters who will take it out for an hour because they want to test drive it," Veronica said of her Model 3, adding that those are her favorite renters because they spend so little time in her car — the chance of an accident is that much smaller.

Like many power hosts, Veronica gives renters the option of paying extra for door-to-door delivery. (She charges $100.) She works as a freelancer, so her schedule allows her to leave in the middle of the day to drop off or pick up the Tesla. Turo doesn't require hosts to offer delivery, though it says it does improve their chance of booking a reservation.

Veronica doesn't offer delivery for her first car, a Toyota Corolla, which she also lists on Turo, because she said its make and model don't justify a big delivery fee.

The biggest inconvenience of using Turo, according to Veronica, is drop-off. Sometimes a person books one of her cars within a few hours of the reservation, and she has to stop what she's doing to meet them. She's excited that Turo just announced a feature designed to let hosts remotely unlock their vehicles instantly through the Turo app.

If a renter makes a mess of her car — like during one ski trip to Tahoe in her Corolla — Veronica has the option of charging them for cleaning. She has to provide Turo with before-and-after photos of the vehicle's interior to make the Veronicasaction.

Quinn said he couldn't think of a bad experience on Turo.

"They have really all been positive experiences," he said. "I think my favorite was renting my car to a family who needed a bigger SUV to visit their extended family in Tahoe."

He added: "They were so thankful and took such great care of the car. And it was touching to help them make that trip happen."

UPDATE: Veronica's last name has been removed to protect her privacy.

SEE ALSO: We tried the 'Airbnb for cars,' and it could upend the car-rental industry

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: An electric car from a startup company could outperform the Tesla Roadster

• A Trader Joe's employee helped coworkers escape from the store during a hostage situation with a gunman on Saturday.
• Sean Gerace found an emergency ladder and helped people evacuate from an upstairs storage area.
• Police took the gunman into custody and rescued the hostages. One woman was killed.

Sean Gerace was working at a Los Angeles-area Trader Joe's on Saturday when a gunman entered the supermarket. Gerace quickly leaped into action and helped several coworkers escape.

Gerace told NBC Los Angeles that he was working in the backroom when the gunman entered the Trader Joe's. He said he heard screaming and gunfire then "ran upstairs, grabbed a couple of coworkers, made my way into a back section of the storage area upstairs."

He and his coworkers couldn't safely enter the main area of the store, he told NBC, so they fled to an the upstairs storage area. Gerace said he "grabbed an emergency ladder, barricaded the hallway, grabbed a weapon, [and] put the ladder out the window."

Once the ladder was hanging out the window, Gerace said he tried to get the attention of a SWAT officer. "Once I got his attention," he said, "I indicated I wanted to go down the ladder, and he gave me a thumbs up."

Others who couldn't escape became hostages. Footage from the scene showed police officers rescuing children and hostages being released from the store during the hours-long standoff.

Authorities said they believe the gunman first shot his grandmother and girlfriend, then opened fire on police officers during a pursuit, crashed his car outside the Trader Joe's, and ran inside.

One woman was killed before police were able to take the suspect into custody, according to the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

SEE ALSO: One woman killed, gunman in custody after hostage standoff inside Los Angeles-area Trader Joe's, police say

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NOW WATCH: North Korean defector: Kim Jong Un 'is a terrorist'

• Americans love their sports, but there are many popular sports that aren't known in the United States.
• They include variations on soccer and basketball, and unusual hybrid sports like sepak takraw.
• Some of these sports are gaining popularity in America, but they have a ways to go.

America has a passion for sports. They entertain us, they teach us lessons, and they form a huge part of our national identity.

Between our five most popular sports— football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, and soccer — we have one for every season and every taste.

But there are plenty of other fascinating sports that we're missing out on in the United States. In many cases, some of the most compelling sports are ones that many Americans haven't even heard of.

Take sepak takraw, for example. It's the volleyball/soccer hybrid that is extremely popular in Southeast Asia, but unlikely to come up on American airwaves.

Read on to learn about 11 popular international sports that most Americans don't know the first thing about.

SEE ALSO: 11 things you'll hardly ever see in the United States

Kabaddi is like high-stakes red rover — you don't want to get caught on the other side of the court.

Where it's popular: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Iran

How it's played: Kabaddi is sort of like a combination of red rover, tag, and wrestling. Teams take turns sending one raider across the court. That player scores one point for each member of the other team he tags, so long as he returns safely to his side of the court. But if the defending team manages to tackle the raider before he cross back to his side, the defense gets a point.

As for the length of each round, Kabaddi players have a unique way of keeping time: The raider must continually chant "kabaddi" without taking a breath — if the referee sees them inhale, their turn is automatically over.

How big is it? Pretty big. There are several professional kabaddi leagues in Asia, and it's been a regular at the Asian Games since 1990.

Sepak takraw is a high-flying sport combining volleyball and soccer.

Where it's popular: Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Myanmar

How it's played: Sepak takraw is like a combination of soccer and volleyball. Like volleyball, players serve a ball over a net and try to ground it on the other team's side of the court. However, there are no hands allowed: You can only use your feet, head, knees, and other body parts. The ball is made out of a hard fiber called rattan.

How big is it? It's been a staple of the Asian Games since 1990.

Futsal is an indoor variation of soccer popular all over the world.

Where it's popular: Every continent

How it's played: Futsal is a variation of soccer played on a small, indoor court with a hard surface and a smaller, heavier ball. Unlike in soccer, futsal teams have five players each and can make unlimited substitutions. 

How big is it? Futsal has a strong international presence, with world championships taking place every four years and continental championships roughly every two. It's becoming increasingly popular in American cities, as futsal courts are often easier to install than soccer fields.

• President Donald Trump told Iran to stop threatening the US or it would suffer historically epic consequences.
• Trump was responding to a statement by Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani.
  
• Rouhani described a potential conflict with the US as "the mother of all wars" but also offered a vision of peace.
• Trump's administration has visibly begun a campaign to undermine Iran's theocratic regime, and it looks as if it could work.

President Donald Trump shot down a veiled vision of peace offered by Iran's president on Sunday to full-on threaten the Islamic Republic with historically epic confrontation — and it looks as if his administration could topple the country.

"To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE," Trump tweeted.

"WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!" he continued.

Trump was responding to statements from Rouhani, Iran's elected political leader who serves at the pleasure of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's religious supreme leader.

In a meeting with Iranian diplomats, Rouhani offered a vision of peace with the US but also said a conflict between the two would be "the mother of all wars."

According to Reuters, he said: "America should know that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars."

Rouhani's statement, though balanced against the threat of massive war, actually represents a shift in Iranian foreign policy.

Iran has strongly opposed the US since its theocratic government took power in 1979, with officials chanting "death to America" in parliament. Iran's navy has the explicit, though lofty, operational goal of destroying the US Navy.

Trump is coming for Iran's leadership

Rouhani, in extending a veiled olive branch, may have been acting in anticipation of an onslaught by Trump.

A new report from Reuters suggests Trump's administration has launched a campaign designed to topple Iran's leaders.

Several officials told Reuters that Trump would pressure Iran's leaders with tough sanctions and an information campaign meant to erode their support.

Recent statements from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo indicate this shift has already taken place, as the US expresses its hope for the Iranian people to install a more moderate, secular government.

It could actually work

Since late 2017, Iran has seen wave after wave of grassroots protests with citizens rejecting the regime's economic, social, and foreign policies.

Iranian women rejecting the forced dress code of headscarves have become emblematic of the movement.

While European countries strongly opposed Trump's withdrawal of the US from the Iran nuclear deal, the threat of US sanctions has successfully made Tehran a pariah in the business world.

After Trump's withdrawal, Iran's currency ballooned and the government imposed a set of strict financial controls on its citizens, capping the amount of foreign currency they can hold and seizing overseas accounts.

As Iran's working class rejects the government's foreign-policy ambitions, the upper class has had its aspirations of foreign travel or education crushed by such financial restrictions. Iran's government has responded to protests with security forces and violence time and time again, but the unrest has continued on a regular basis this year.

At the same time, Israel has proved adept at beating back Iran in its push toward the Mediterranean. In May, after a rocket attack that Israel attributed to Iran, Israeli jets devastated a large swath of Iranian forces in Syria.

Russia, normally a powerful ally of Iran, swiftly turned its back on Tehran, refusing to sell it air defenses even when its forces were coming under heavy fire from Israel and telling Iran's militias to leave Syria.

Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, told Reuters that Trump's strategy could produce one of two outcomes.

"Outcome one is capitulation, forcing Iran to further curtail not only its nuclear program but also its regional ambitions," Sadjadpour said. "Outcome two is the implosion of the Islamic Republic."

The US maintains it does not seek regime change for any country, even those as antagonistic as Iran and North Korea.

But the people of Iran have shown a genuine distaste for the theocracy's policies, and the noted Iran hawks Pompeo and John Bolton, the national security adviser, may see the opportunity as too good to pass up.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I spent a day with Border Patrol agents at the US-Mexico border

Historically, the biggest problem with the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been its villains.

"Black Panther" was praised back in February for having one of the best villains in the universe (and in movie history).

Loki, who fluctuates loyalty so often it's hard to keep up, is another great example. 

Thanos — who many people were unsure about — was recognized for being a well-written, menacing villain in "Avengers: Infinity War." He's played excellently by Josh Brolin despite motion-capture limitations that made villains like Ultron underwhelming and cheesy. 

But most of the other villains aren't compelling, such as the ones featured in Marvel's latest release, "Ant-Man and the Wasp." In fact, the main villain isn't really even a villain.  

There's not much there in terms of the motives, goals, and overall, a lot of them don't feel like a genuine threat to our heroes. But that doesn't mean that all of these MCU villains are bad: they're just forgettable, even in some of the best movies to date including "Iron Man 3," "Ant-Man," and "Captain America: Civil War."

Still, there are a few gems in there, and we took a look at the top 22 to give you a sense of which were the best.

This list doesn't include all villains in the MCU: just major ones with some very special exceptions (Jeff Goldblum). It also excludes Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes and Nebula, who are good now and it was kind of obvious they would be eventually. 

Here's our ranking of the MCU villains, from worst to best:

SEE ALSO: 'Black Panther' had one of the best opening weekends in movie history — here's how it stacks up against the biggest blockbusters of all time

22. Emil Blonsky/Abomination, “The Incredible Hulk”

Remember when Ed Norton was the Hulk? Tim Roth played the Abomination, and it wasn’t bad, but he was pretty much only there to help Hulk destroy as many buildings as possible.

21. Whiplash, "Iron Man 2"

Mickey Rourke was having quite the moment when “Iron Man 2” came out, being nominated for a best actor Oscar for his role in "The Wrestler." In the marketing and trailers, his character, Whiplash, seemed menacing, creepy, and a major threat. But he was just kind of there. The movie is bad, his character is lame, and Rourke’s lack of enthusiasm didn’t help — especially compared to Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer.

20. Malekith, “Thor: The Dark World”

Who is Malekith? Good question. He was the leader of the Dark Elves and the central villain in the second “Thor” movie. His whole thing was bringing “eternal darkness” to the world, so that’s why the movie was called “The Dark World.” Malekith’s backstory and motivation is pretty much that he likes night? Thanks to Thor, the world never actually went dark. Honestly, the entire movie - which is fine, but forgettable - could have been avoided if somebody suggested Malekith just move to Alaska.

• Cardio could be the closest thing to a miracle drug that we have, but doing it shouldn't take a whole day.
• Instead, the available evidence suggests there's an ideal window for exercises like cycling, swimming, or brisk walking— and it's under an hour.
  
• All of these moves raise your heart rate and get you moving and sweating in a way that appears to benefit our moods and muscles more than other workouts focused solely on weight-lifting or stretching.

Cardio could be the closest thing to a miracle drug that we have, but doing it shouldn't take a whole day.

Instead, the available evidence suggests that committing 30 to 45 minutes daily to exercises like cycling, swimming, or brisk walking is the ideal way to reap the maximum health benefits for your body and brain.

These moves raise your heart rate and get you moving and sweating in a way that appears to benefit our moods and muscles more than other workouts focused solely on weight lifting or stretching. To do them correctly, scientists have a few pointers that go beyond simply clocking in at 30 minutes.

Why cardio is so key to wellbeing

A growing body of research suggests that when we commit to regular workouts that raise our heart rates and get us moving and sweating for a sustained period of time, magical things happen to the body and brain.

We think more clearly, feel better overall, and protect our brains against some of the cognitive decline that occurs with age.

"Aerobic exercise ... has a unique capacity to exhilarate and relax, to provide stimulation and calm, to counter depression and dissipate stress," the authors of an article in the Harvard Medical School blog "Mind and Mood" wrote.

In addition to the mental benefits, our muscles get toned, our hearts become stronger and more protected from disease, and we can even become more flexible, depending on the exercise.

Researchers still aren't sure why this type of exercise offers such a significant boost to our brain and body, but some studies suggest it has to do with increased blood flow, which provides our minds with fresh energy and oxygen.

One recent study in older women who displayed potential symptoms of dementia also found that aerobic exercise was linked with an increase in the size of the hippocampus, a brain area involved in learning and memory.

Still another reason may relate to cardio's ability to help reduce levels of the body's natural stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, according to a recent study in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science.

Half an hour is where the magic happens

All it takes to begin to see these benefits is roughly 30 minutes, according to several recent studies.

One recent paper looked at the exercise habits of hundreds of breast cancer survivors who were experiencing symptoms like "chemo brain," which involves memory loss and trouble focusing. The researchers found that as little as 30 minutes of an aerobic exercise like walking was linked with significantly better performance on cognitive quizzes.

Another study published in May provided some additional support for that research — it found that in adults aged 60-88, walking for 30 minutes four days a week for 12 weeks appeared to strengthen connectivity in a region of the brain where weakened connections have been linked to memory loss.

Similarly, a pilot study in people with severe depression found that just 30 minutes of treadmill walking for 10 consecutive days appeared to be "sufficient to produce a clinically relevant and statistically significant reduction in depression."

Other research suggests it might be better to do cardio for a few minutes longer — but nothing over an hour was needed.

A study in the British Medical Journal found that in adults over 50, the best results for the brain appeared to come from a routine that combined aerobic exercises with resistance training (i.e. muscle-building exercises like planks and push-ups) and lasted at least 45 minutes.

That means for the maximum benefits to your body and brain, you don't need to spend hours at the gym. Find a window of time between 30 and 45 minutes that you can do whenever you have the most energy, and commit to it a few times a week.

SEE ALSO: One type of exercise is the closest thing to a miracle drug that we have — and new research suggests intense workouts aren't the only option

DON'T MISS: 12 fitness 'truths' that are doing more harm than good

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What would happen if you could skydive off the International Space Station

• Chick-fil-A says it will start selling meal kits at 150 locations in the Atlanta area in August.
• A chicken-centric "Mealtime Kit" that feeds two people will cost $15.89.
• The meal-kit business has been heating up as grocery chains start selling them and startups begin to burn out amid increased competition. 

Chick-fil-A is making an unprecedented move to dominate its customers' lives: launching a meal-kit service.

On Monday, the chain announced it would begin selling "Mealtime Kits" at 150 restaurants in the Atlanta area in late August, which would make it the first fast-food chain to offer a meal-kit service.

Like more traditional meal kits, such as those from Blue Apron or Home Chef, Chick-fil-A's varieties will include fresh, pre-measured ingredients. But unlike the typical meal kit, Mealtime Kits can be bought at Chick-fil-A drive-thrus or counters, or through the company's app.

Chick-fil-A is selling five meal kits, with rotating availability: chicken parmesan, chicken enchiladas, crispy Dijon chicken, pan-roasted chicken, and chicken flatbread. Each serves two people, costs $15.89, and is intended to be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

"We designed our offering so our guests don't have to order ahead, subscribe to a service, or make an extra stop at the grocery store," Michael Patrick, an innovation program lead at Chick-fil-A, said in a statement. "They simply pick up a Mealtime Kit at their convenience — for example, when they're already at a Chick-fil-A restaurant grabbing a breakfast or lunch, or in the drive-thru on their way home."

The kits will be available only in the Atlanta area until mid-November, though it's possible Chick-fil-A may roll them out more widely in the future.

Competition in the meal-kit business has been heating up recently, with Costco starting to sell Blue Apron kits in stores and the grocery chain Albertsons acquiring Plated.

But some meal-kit companies have struggled amid the increased competition. Chef'd shut down operations last week, following in the footsteps of shuttered startups like Sprig and Din.

SEE ALSO: Meal-kit company Chef'd suddenly shut down and laid off its hundreds of employees

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why this cactus is listed for $250,000

• Sacha Baron Cohen had former vice president Dick Cheney sign a "waterboard kit" on his Showtime series, "Who Is America?" on Sunday.
• The signed water jug was briefly available for sale on eBay following the show, and bids for it reportedly reached as high as $3,801, with all proceeds going to Amnesty International.

The former vice president Dick Cheney appeared in an interview on Sacha Baron Cohen's Showtime series, "Who Is America?," on Sunday.

At the end of the segment, Cohen's character, an Israeli "anti-terror expert," asked Cheney to sign a "waterboard kit" that consisted of a single plastic water jug, and that jug was briefly available for sale on eBay following the show on Sunday. 

"Well, that's a first. That's the first time I've ever signed a water bottle used for waterboarding. Very valuable," Cheney said on the show after signing the kit.

The eBay page for the waterboard kit contained the following description, according to Deadline:

"Boker Tov, my name Colonel Erran Morad.

Here is a rare opportunity to own a WATER BOARD BOTTLE SIGNED BY the Godfather of the sport – American war hero and all-round mensch, VICE-PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY

Unlike the cheap domestic water board kits you can buy on Amazon, this is a professional grade piece of military hardware. Fully functioning, it have seen many hours active use by me, both on the frontline of the War on Terror and also in my own home, where it has proved very effective at keeping my son, Eyal, in line. Indeed, if you too live in a bungalow, water boarding is a great alternative to the 'naughty step'.

The bottle is made from Military Grade High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), meaning that as well as Water Boarding, it can also be used to Dr. Pepper Board, Clorox Board or even Urine Board potential terrorists or annoying neighbors."

Yahoo News notes that bids for the jug went as high as $3,801 before it was sold, with all proceeds going to Amnesty International. 

Cohen's satirical show has duped a number of notable people and politicians, including former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, into appearing as unsuspecting guests on the series, while Cohen wears a variety of disguises. 

Watch the latest episode on Showtime.

SEE ALSO: All the notable people and politicians Sacha Baron Cohen has 'duped' for his new TV series, 'Who Is America?'

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11. GMC Canyon: 32,106 sold in 2017. Down 14% over 2016.

10. Honda Ridgeline: 34,749 sold in 2017. Up 46.8% over 2016.

9. Nissan Titan: 52,929. +141.9%.

Sacha Baron Cohen's new Showtime series, "Who Is America?," caused a stir before its premiere last week, as several Republican politicians felt the need to get ahead of the show in explaining how Cohen "duped" them to appear on it.

The former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the former congressman Joe Walsh, and the former US Senate candidate Roy Moore were among those who preceded the show's premiere with statements explaining their appearances on the series and criticizing Cohen.

In the show's first episode, Cohen, disguised as an Israeli "anti-terror expert," roped several Republican congressmen and former elected officials into voicing their support for a program that would arm toddlers with guns to prevent school shootings.

This week, the former vice president Dick Cheney and broadcast journalist Ted Koppel were among the notable people who appeared on the show as unsuspecting guests.

Before the show's premiere last week, Matt Drudge of The Drudge Report tweeted a list of political and media figures he said Cohen had "finked" for the series, including Palin, Howard Dean, and David Patreus, whom we can expect to see in the show's subsequent five episodes.

Here are the notable people and politicians who have appeared on "Who Is America?" so far:

SEE ALSO: Former congressman Joe Walsh says Sacha Baron Cohen 'duped' him into supporting arming toddlers with guns

Sen. Bernie Sanders

The show's first episode began with Cohen interviewing Sanders, the Vermont senator who was a Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, as a right-wing conspiracy theorist character named Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr.

Sanders, with a perplexed expression, politely dodged and shut down various absurd questions on income inequality and other topics from Cohen's Ruddick.

Larry Pratt, executive director emeritus of Gun Owners of America

In the strongest segment on Sunday's episode, Cohen's Israeli "anti-terror expert" character, Col. Erran Morad, introduced Pratt and several other conservative political figures to a fake program called "Kinderguardians" that would arm children as young as 3.

Pratt endorsed the program and, reading off a teleprompter, said: "Toddlers are pure, uncorrupted by fake news or homosexuality. They don't care if it's politically correct to shoot a mentally deranged gunman. They'll just do it."

Florida congressman Matt Gaetz

Cohen's Morad character interviewed Gaetz for the segment on arming toddlers, but Gaetz wisely sidestepped the topic, saying, "Typically members of Congress don't just hear a story about a program and then indicate whether they support it or not."

Carter Page, a former investment banker and foreign policy adviser for Donald Trump's presidential campaign, is at the center of another partisan fight.

Documents released on Saturday detail the FBI's Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) applications to surveil him in order to investigate whether Page was working with Russia to meddle in the 2016 presidential election.

President Donald Trump has seized on the documents to claim his campaign was illegally spied on. Democrats, and some Congressional Republicans, have said they show investigators did nothing wrong, and actually show that Page was an "agent of a foreign power", as the documents allege.

Page was previously at the center of an intense debate over a classified memo about the FISA applications that Republicans said exposed corruption at the highest levels of the FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The memo accused top officials at the FBI and DOJ of misleading federal judges in seeking the warrants needed to extend secret surveillance of Page during and after the 2016 presidential election.

Here's what you should know about Carter Page:

SEE ALSO: Rubio pushes back on Trump's claims his campaign was spied on illegally: Investigators 'didn't do anything wrong'

DON'T MISS: Carter Page's testimony is filled with bombshells — and supports key portions of the Steele dossier

Carter Page was born in Minneapolis, but raised in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Source: USA Today

In 1993, Page graduated from the US Naval Academy. He served in the Navy for five years before working on arms control at the Pentagon and moving to New York for a fellowship at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Source: Bloomberg

He also has degrees from New York University and SOAS University of London.

Source: Bloomberg

• Costco and BJ's Wholesale are both membership-based warehouse clubs. An annual Costco membership costs $60, while BJ's costs $55 a year. 
• Costco and BJ's are very similar, but BJ's stores have a Dunkin' Donuts kiosk instead of a food court, and stores have a self-checkout lane so that customers can avoid lines.
• But on recent visits, I found that Costco offers a lot more for the price of a membership.

  ---

Costco and BJ's Wholesale are membership-based warehouse stores selling groceries, clothing, furniture, and just about everything else.

Both stores offer eye and ear exams, a pharmacy, photo services, and a food court. Even the return policies are similarly generous, though BJ's stops accepting items after a year, while Costco will accept most items at any time.

Costco's yearly membership costs $60, while BJ's is slightly less at $55. The annual cost of a premium membership is double the cost of the basic membership for both stores. Currently, BJ's has over five million paid memberships with an 86% renewal rate, compared to a 90% renewal rate for Costco members, according to a recent note by Nomura. 

According to a grocery-store ranking from Consumer Reports, the higher membership costs at Costco might be worth it — it ranked higher than BJ's in cleanliness, meat and produce quality, customer service, store-brand quality, and prices of organic items.

In the next few years BJ's, which went public for the second time in June, is planning on opening as many as 20 new clubs, in addition to its existing 215 locations. As of January, Costco had plans to open at least three new stores in 2018, in addition to its existing 752 locations worldwide, 522 of which are in the United States.

To see for myself which store really offered the best deal, I went to a BJ's Wholesale in Jersey City, New Jersey, and a Costco store in Westchester County, New York. Here's what I found:

SEE ALSO: We shopped at Costco and Sam's Club to see which is better — and there's a clear reason why you should join one over the other

The first store I went to was Costco. I was able to walk right into the store without having my membership checked.

The electronics were the first large department of the store, with TVs typically ranging in price from $500 to $2,000. There was an impressive selection of brands and products, ranging from Apple Watches to household appliances. Random tables of clothes surrounded the TVs.

On the wall nearest to the electronics was a one-hour photo station, and nearby was an optical center.

• R Kelly addresses the underage sex and "sex cult" allegations made against him in a new 19-minute song.
• Kelly teased "I Admit" in an Instagram live on Sunday before tweeting the full link to the song on Monday.
• In the song, he says: "I admit it, I admit it I did, I done f***** with a couple of fans."
• He also sings: "I admit I f*** with all the ladies, that's both older and young ladies (ladies, yeah) / But tell me how they call it pedophile because that s*** is crazy (crazy)."

R Kelly released a new track called "I Admit," and in it he addresses the "sex cult" allegations against him and says he sleeps with "younger women."

Throughout his career, Kelly has faced and denied allegations of sex with underage girls.

However, the line between confession and denial are blurred in the new track, which the singer previewed in an Instagram live on Sunday before tweeting a link to the full song on Monday.

In the song, Kelly address the various accusations that have been made against him, says that "the devil" talks to him sometimes, and sings: "I admit it, I admit it I did, I done f***** with a couple of fans."

According to the Chicago Sun Times, in 1998 Kelly settled a case with Tiffany Hawkins, who alleged she'd had a sexual relationship with Kelly for three years starting when she was 15.

Kelly was also found not guilty of child-pornography charges in 2008, after he was accused of filming and photographing sexual encounters with a 14-year-old girl, according to The Guardian, which reported that he had also settled a number of other similar cases.

Most recently, an ex-girlfriend of Kelly, Kitti Jones, accused the singer of sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old girl, who she claimed he was keeping as a "pet."

In "I Admit," Kelly sings: "I admit I f*** with all the ladies, that's both older and young ladies (ladies, yeah) / But tell me how they call it pedophile because that s*** is crazy (crazy)."

"What's the definition of a cult?"

In an interview with Rolling Stone in October, Jones accused Kelly of sexual coercion, physical abuse, and forced starvation.

She was also one of the women cited in a BuzzFeed News report from July the same year, which alleged that Kelly had been manipulating the lives of six women in an abusive "cult" in which they were required to have sex with the singer. Kelly denied the claims.

"What's the definition of a cult?" Kelly asks in the new track. "Whats the definition of a sex slave? Go to the dictionary, look it up / Let me know, I'll be here waiting."

He sings: "Said I'm abusing these women, what the f*** that's some absurd s*** (what?) / They're brainwashed, really? (really) / Kidnapped, really? (really) / Can't eat, really? (really) / Real talk, that s*** sound silly (yeah)."

Kelly goes on to say he has "some girls that love me to pull they hair," and that some girls like to be spanked and branded, singing: "And what some of these girls want, is too much for the radio station."

"So scared to say something"

Elsewhere in the song, Kelly recalls a family member touching him when he was a child up until the age of 14.

"While I laid asleep, took my virginity (sleep, gini') / So scared to say something, so I just put the blame on me," he sings.

He also describes having sex with a friend's girlfriend at The Ritz, as well as his girlfriend's best friend in the back of his Mercedes-Benz.

As part of the BBC documentary in March, Kelly's ex-manager, Rocky Bivens, said he'd attended a "secret wedding ceremony" between Kelly and the now-deceased R&B star Aaliyah, who was 15 at the time, a marriage Kelly has denied in the past. Her name appears on the new track, but the meaning is unclear.

Throughout the song, Kelly repeats the line: "I admit it, admit it, I admit it, I did it."

You can listen to "I Admit" here.

SEE ALSO: R Kelly accused of sexual misconduct with 14-year-old girl he was keeping as a 'pet'

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• R Kelly released a 19-minute song on Monday addressing the allegations that he has held young women captive in an abusive "sex cult." 
• On the song, titled "I Admit," Kelly expresses fear that he'll be sent to prison like Bill Cosby over the series of new allegations that started with a Buzzfeed News report in October 2017. 

R Kelly released a new 19-minute song on Monday morning that addresses the allegations that he has held young women captive in an abusive "sex cult." 

On the song, titled "I Admit," Kelly expresses fear that he'll be sent to prison "like Bill" Cosby — who is facing up to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of sexual assault— because of the sexual misconduct allegations against him.

Kelly specifically addresses and denies the allegations that he kidnapped women and prevented them from eating, as first reported by Buzzfeed News in October 2017.

"What's the definition of a cult? / What's the definition of a sex slave? / Go to the dictionary, look it up / Let me know I’ll be here waiting," Kelly sings on the track. "Said I'm abusing these women, what the f--- that’s some absurd s--- (what?) /  They're brainwashed, really? (really) / Kidnapped, really? (really) / Can’t eat, really? (really) / Real talk, that shit sound silly (yeah)." 

"Take my career and turn it upside down, 'cause you mad I’ve got some girlfriends (girlfriends) / Ain’t seen my kids in years, they tryna lock me up like Bill (in years, like Bill)," he continues, referencing Cosby.

Kelly has not faced criminal charges over the allegations of the past year, and has previously denied the allegations in statements from his attorney.

In 2008, Kelly was found not guilty on child-pornography charges, after he was accused of filming and photographing sexual encounters with a 14-year-old girl.

Listen to the song below:

SEE ALSO: R Kelly's ex-girlfriend accuses the singer of physical abuse, sexual coercion, and punishing her with starvation

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NOW WATCH: Why the World Cup soccer ball looks so different

• Three people have died in a shooting in Toronto's Greektown neighborhood on Sunday evening.
• The suspected shooter, a 29-year-old man, is among the fatalities.
• At least 12 other people are believed to be injured.
• A young girl was reported to be in critical condition.
• The motive remains unclear, and terrorism has not been ruled out.

Three people, including the suspected gunman, died in a shooting in Toronto's Greektown neighborhood on Sunday evening that left at least 12 others injured by gunfire.

The Toronto Police Service, paramedics, and firefighters responded to the shooting near Danforth Avenue and Logan Avenue at about 10 p.m. local time. The shooting took place in Toronto's east end, where several popular restaurants, cafés, and shops are located.

The first person to die in the attack was a woman, while the identity of the second fatality is not known. A young girl, aged eight or nine, was earlier reported to be critically wounded.

Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters on Monday that the suspect was a 29-year-old man, but gave no further details on his identity. Saunders also said he had not ruled out terrorism as a motive.

A reporter from Canada's Global TV wrote on Twitter that victims were "spread across many blocks."

Toronto is grappling with a sharp rise in gun violence this year. Deaths from gun violence in the city so far have risen 53%, to 26, compared with the same period last year, Reuters reported, citing police data released last week showing the number of shootings rising 13%.

Toronto deployed about 200 police officers from July 20 in response to the recent spate of shootings, which city officials have blamed on gang violence.

Reuters contributed to this report.

SEE ALSO: Video appears to show Toronto shooting gunman open fire

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The battle of the brands wages on.

Every quarter, fashion search platform Lyst analyses the behaviour of more than five million online shoppers to determine the hottest brands and products.

The Q2 (April-June) results are in and it's good news for Nike and Versace, who broke the top 10 after climbing 20 or more places.

Lyst takes into account data from its own search engine and Google as well as engagement statistics, conversion rates and sales worldwide to form its quarterly Index.

Rising through the ranks can come down to one great commission — as demonstrated by Givenchy who rose two places after dressing Meghan Markle for the royal wedding in June.

Scroll down to see who took the top spot and who is rising — and falling — through the rankings.

SEE ALSO: These $850 platform crocs are officially one of 2018's 'hottest' trends — and people have a lot of questions

10. Prada.

Up one place since Q1. Lyst says Prada's reinvention of its signature nylon accessories helped push it back into the top 10 this quarter.

9. Nike.

Up a grand 11 places since Q1. The only sportswear brand in the ranking, Nike shares are at an all-time high after the brand saw a major sales rebound in North America.

"They are becoming a halo brand," Jessica Ramirez, retail analyst at Jane Hali & Associates, told Reuters in June.

8. Fendi.

Rising nine places since Q1, Fendi cashed in on the logomania craze by reinventing its FF "Zucca" monogram.