• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seemed to divert some attention from the lavish Ambani wedding in Mumbai.
• Posters bearing the PM's face lined the route to the ceremony for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding.
• Anant Ambani is the son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has seemingly stolen some of the attention away from the lavish Ambani wedding in Mumbai this weekend.

While guests on the star-studded wedding invitation list — which includes names such as Kim Kardashian, Mike Tyson, and John Cena — make their way to the ceremony, they will be greeted by posters bearing the face of the prime minister, who is in the area to kick off a project.

"Heartfelt welcome to India's beloved and respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai," the posters lining the way to the event read, per Reuters.

Keshav Upadhye, the chief spokesperson for Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the state of Maharashtra, said the posters had been put up by some "excited party workers," not the party itself, per Reuters.

After months of headline-making pre-wedding celebrations, Anant Ambani — the son of Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani — and Radhika Merchant were married early Saturday at the Jio World Convention Centre.

While it's not certain whether Modi will attend the wedding celebrations, it is thought he may briefly make an appearance.

Activities are scheduled for July 13, and the reception is set to take place on July 14.

Modi's potential presence at the event, which has drawn criticism from locals, could cause backlash from the opposition and the public, as the 73-year-old leader has previously been accused of being too close to business tycoons like the Ambanis.

Modi, who was recently reelected for a third term in office, has denied such allegations.

Mukesh Ambani is the 11th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $121 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

He's the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, a conglomerate with interests in a variety of sectors, including petrochemicals, telecom, and energy.

The Ambanis made headlines in 2018 for throwing another huge celebration for the wedding of Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal. It included a private Beyoncé concert and high-profile guests such as Nick Jonas and Hillary Clinton.

Earlier this year, the family also hosted an extravagant three-day pre-wedding celebration for Anant's wedding. Tech heavyweights such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg were just two of the 1,200 guests invited.

• Dr. Ruth Westheimer, an internationally renowned sex therapist, has died at age 96.
• Born in Germany to Jewish parents, Westheimer escaped the Holocaust as a child. She never saw her parents again.
• Westheimer became known for her candid sex advice and good-natured attitude on her 1980s radio show "Sexually Speaking."

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a renowned sex therapist, media personality, and Holocaust survivor known for leading entertaining and culture-shifting conversations about sexual health and pleasure, has died at 96, multiple outlets reported.

Westheimer died at her NYC home on Friday, her publicist Pierre Lehu told the Associated Press.

In the 1980s, Westheimer became internationally known and admired for her candid sex talks, first on her New York City radio show "Sexually Speaking" and later, her talk show "Good Sex with Dr. Ruth Westheimer."

At a time when discussing sexual health in mainstream media was considered taboo, Westheimer, a diminutive but unreserved woman, became known for her informative approach to sex education. Westheimer, known to her fans as "Dr. Ruth," extolled the benefits of sex even during the final years of her life. 

"Talking about sex from morning til night! That keeps you young," Westheimer told People magazine during a June 4 interview, which fell on her 95th birthday.

Westheimer, a Jewish orphan, became a psychologist against all odds

Westheimer was born in Germany as Karola Ruth Siegel. She lived in Frankfurt with her parents and grandmother where she grew up baking and attending weekly Jewish services at their local synagogue, Insider previously reported.

But that all ended in 1938 when her family was separated during Nazi raids. She never saw her father, mother, or grandmother again.

Following a riot that killed 91 Jews, Westheimer's parents sent her to an orphanage in Switzerland along with 300 other Jewish German children, through a protection system called Kindertransport.

"They gave me life twice," Westheimer said of her parents to German news outlet BILD am Sonntag. "First when I was born. And the second time when they sent me on the Kindertransport." 

Nazis took Westheimer's family to concentration camps soon after her departure via Kindertransport. Her father and grandmother died due to the inhumane conditions, while her mother was declared missing.

"I don't think of myself as a survivor. I think of myself as an orphan of the Holocaust," Westheimer said in "Ask Dr. Ruth," a 2019 documentary about her life.

With just the contents of a suitcase and a handful of letters and pictures of her family, Westheimer emigrated to British-controlled Mandatory Palestine on September 8, 1945, where she began a career as a sniper in the Israeli military. She never shot anyone during her state-mandated career there, but she did recover from shrapnel wounds on her legs during an explosion on her 20th birthday.

Two years later, Westheimer moved to Paris with her first husband, an Israeli soldier, and began studying psychology at the Sorbonne University. She worked as a kindergarten teacher to pay for her education and because a professor at the University of Paris before moving to the US in 1956.

Once in Manhattan, Westheimer poured her energy into earning her master's degree in sociology from The New School, and then her doctorate in education from Columbia University. She worked at Planned Parenthood and then New York-Presbyterian Hospital, spending her time educating others about sex.

Through it all, Westheimer built upon her personal life too. She divorced her first husband and married and divorced another before finally connecting with her third and final husband, Manfred "Fred" Westheimer, when she was 32. Fred was a fellow Holocaust survivor and lover of skiing, and Westheimer referred to their relationship as her "real marriage." 

Together, they had a son Joel, and Fred adopted Miriam, Westheimer's daughter from a previous marriage.

Westheimer spent her career breaking down sexual taboos

Westheimer was one of the first on-air personalities to talk openly about sex and sexual health, sprinkling words like "erectile dysfunction," "vagina," and "penis" into her shows.

On the 1980s radio show "Sexually Speaking," New York City locals would call in, asking Westheimer to help them solve their sexual conundrums. No matter the topic — clitoral stimulation, masturbation, or a sexual attraction to peanut butter — Westheimer would always respond seriously, with a signature mixture of conviction and good-naturedness that made her known as one of America's most trusted sex educators.

"I think that sexual activity should be fun and should be human," Westheimer told David Letterman during an interview on his talk show in 1982.

Her episodes challenged the time's taboos and stereotypes about pleasure too. Westheimer spoke of the benefits of female masturbation and discussed sex between gay people, something that, at the time, was unheard of in mainstream media.

A champion of fulfilling sex and love at every age

Westheimer led by example, helping others to envision and build fulfilling lives in spite of unimaginable hardship. Even in her final years, she championed the pursuit of sexual pleasure.

During an interview with People magazine on her 94th birthday in June 2022, Westheimer shared words she believed we ought to live by: "To make sure not to put sex life on the sideline, even in older years. But to keep it alive."

The same year, she released a revised edition of her book "The Art of Arousal," a collection of paintings, sculptures, and drawings that depict eroticism throughout history.

In 2019, Westheimer told NPR's Scott Simon she wanted to leave her troubling childhood in the past, and avoided answering questions about it, with the exception of her documentary. She much preferred to focus on what she considered the two greatest achievements of her life: teaching sexual literacy, and being a mother and grandmother.

"And you NPR people, loud and clear, Hitler is dead, and my four grandchildren are fantastic in their lives," she said.

• The 2024 Summer Olympics begin in Paris on July 26.
• The estimated cost of the 2024 Olympic Games is $8.2 billion, according to a WalletHub report.
• An estimated $3.2 billion was spent on infrastructure investments.

A lot has changed since Paris last hosted the Olympics 100 years ago.

In 1924, a then-record 44 countries competed in the Games, which cost an estimated 10 million francs, according to "A Look At Olympic Costs" at The Olympic Studies Centre.

This year, 206 countries are sending athletes to go for gold, and the host nation will spend an estimated $8.2 billion on preparation.

From stadiums to security, here's a breakdown of some of the most eye-popping costs of staging and attending the 2024 Olympics in Paris, according to a new WalletHub report and Olympics data.

Hosting the 2024 Olympic Games will cost an estimated $8.2 billion.

Paris is one of two cities to host the Summer Olympics three times; first in 1900, then 1924, and now 2024. (London has also hosted three times.)

WalletHub reported this year's estimated cost is $8.2 billion, although other outlets have estimated the total cost is as much as $10 billion. Still, that figure is actually less than other recent Summer Games.

After adjusting the figures for inflation, MarketWatch reported in 2021 that Tokyo 2020 was the most expensive Summer Olympics, costing an estimated $20 billion, followed by London 2012 at $17.1 billion and Rio de Janeiro 2016 at $15.6 billion.

An estimated $3.2 billion was dedicated to infrastructure investments.

WalletHub estimates that $3.2 billion was spent on infrastructure, which includes the two new stadiums constructed for the Games: the Olympics Aquatics Centre and the Adidas Arena.

The Olympics Aquatics Centre cost $204 million to build, SwimSwam reported, and can hold 6,000 people. The venue will host diving, synchronized swimming, and some water polo events.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported the Adidas Arena cost $150 million to build and can host up to 9,000 spectators for badminton, rhythmic gymnastics, and weightlifting events.

The Stade de France, which will host several athletics competitions and the closing ceremony, is valued at $705 million.

In 2023, French newspaper Le Monde reported that the French government estimated the stadium was worth 647 million euros in 2021, which is about $705 million today.

Olympics.com reported that the country's largest stadium, The Stade de France, was originally constructed for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and has a capacity of 80,000 spectators.

Since then, it has been the home of several major sporting championships, such as the 2016 Euros and the 2007 and 2023 Rugby World Cups, and concerts by major artists like Beyoncé and Céline Dion.

Now, the stadium is prepared to host track-and-field events and rugby sevens matches, as well as the closing ceremony on August 11.

NBCUniversal spent $7.65 billion to renew its broadcast rights deal from 2021 to 2032.

In 2014, NBCU announced that the International Olympic Committee awarded the network broadcast rights "across all media platforms" from 2021 to 2032 in a deal worth $7.65 billion.

The network has held exclusive broadcast rights for the Summer Olympics since 1988, NBCU reported.

This year, NBC has tapped pop-culture figures like Kelly Clarkson, Alex Cooper, and Snoop Dogg for additional Olympics coverage.

According to WalletHub, the network has already made upwards of $1.2 billion from domestic ad sales for the Olympics.

Spectators can expect to spend between $98 and $2,945 for tickets to the opening ceremony on the Seine.

The outdoor ceremony is the first of its kind, with boats for each national delegation riding down the Seine to kick off the Games.

Per Olympics.com, admission is actually free for many spectators, as people can access "the upper quays" without tickets. Lower quays, however, from the Austerlitz Bridge to the Iéna Bridge will require tickets. Tickets start at 90 euros and reach 2,700 euros, according to the Olympics' ticket-cost guide.

The river is also famously the focus of the city's $1.5 billion clean-up project, completed for both the opening ceremony and to host three open-air swimming events.

Tickets to various athletics events range from about $26 to $1,068.

Almost half of tickets reserved for the general public are priced at 50 euros or less, with more than a million tickets being sold for 24 euros, or about $26, according to Olympics.com.

The most expensive single tickets are listed for 980 euros, or $1,068, per the Olympics.

The French Government spent $348 million on security for the Games, WalletHub reported.

WalletHub reported that more than 100 AI-equipped smart cameras will be present in the city.

The IOC also announced in May that Paris 2024 will be the first Olympic and Paralympic Games to use an AI-powered monitoring service to "protect athletes and officials from online abuse."

• Laurene Powell Jobs has purchased a $70 million home in San Francisco, The Wall Street Journal reported.
• The mansion is the most expensive home ever sold in the city.
• Powell Jobs bought a $94 million property in Malibu in June.

Billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs has purchased a mansion for around $70 million in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Fransisco — a record price for a home in the city, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the transaction.

Powell Jobs, the founder of impact investing and philanthropy firm the Emerson Collective and the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, bought the property in an off-market deal from Sloan Lindemann Barnett and Roger Barnett, the CEO of natural nutrition company Shaklee Corp.

The Barnett couple had bought the Spanish Renaissance Revival-style mansion in 2011 for $33 million, the WSJ report said.

The previous sale price record in San Francisco was $43.5 million, local agents told the outlet.

The house, which dates back to 1916, was restored by architect Peter Marino, according to a 2020 report by Architectural Digest.

The four-story home features views of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz Island.

According to Realtor.com, the median listing price for a home in San Francisco was $1.2 million in June.

Powell Jobs also splashed $94 million on a four-acre Malibu estate last month. The L-shaped home, which was built in the 1950s and covers 3,399 square feet, will likely be razed by the billionaire, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Since Steve Jobs died from cancer in 2011, Powell Jobs has continued to build up her fortune, which was based on Apple and Disney stock she inherited from her husband.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Powell Jobs has a net worth of $11.4 billion. She owns stakes in various organizations, including the NBA's Washington Wizards and the NHL's Washington Capitals, and has invested in media outlets such as Axios and The Atlantic.

• When my son was in his sophomore year of high school, he wanted to drop out and teach himself.
• I supported him, and he went on to make films and win awards. 
• He didn't want to go to college either, but he's still living a successful life.

A few weeks before he turned 16, my older son pitched us a plan to leave high school on his upcoming birthday.

His father (my then-husband) and I took him seriously. Our son had a powerful inner drive, which I'd steadfastly supported. As a biologist trained in animal behavior and ecology — and the person lucky enough to be their stay-at-home parent — I'd been open to mothering both of my sons in unusual ways. From before their births, I'd hoped to help them connect to a wild human lineage we tend to forget in our culture of screens, social media, and intense work expectations. This included co-sleeping and potty training early.

So, I wasn't surprised when my son told me he wanted to drop out of high school to teach himself. It's what I taught him to do all along.

My son always enjoyed different learning techniques

Early on, my sons thrived in an affordable Montessori preschool. But then, after a few years in public school, the boys dimmed.

One day, I took them for a trial run at a K-8 Expeditionary Learning school that had recently formed in our small town. Later, they scrambled into the car, jubilant, rushing to exclaim, "Mom, we loved it! Can we please go to this school?"

From then on, they were so excited they almost never needed help with homework. Meanwhile, they spent summers at a nature-based wilderness school rooted in social learning. Both boys were experienced bow-drill fire-starters, knife makers, trackers, and solo overnight wilderness campers by their tweens.

Perhaps it was inevitable, then, that my older son felt increasingly hemmed in by his year-and-a-half at a public high school. By then, on his own time, he'd been among the first kids we know to build, fly, and race drones. He'd won numerous photography awards. Then, a book I'd shared with him, "The Teenage Liberation Handbook," set him on fire during his sophomore year. So, when he asked to leave school that spring, it didn't take us long to say, "Yes."

He flourished outside of school

Almost immediately, he studied for, practiced, and acquired a professional drone pilot's license. Meanwhile, he used his father's workshop to build out his first camper car. Soon, he began taking short trips near home to film with his drone.

We'd agreed he'd also do online learning through Kahn Academy, but at 23, he recently told me, "Mom, I used that a lot less than you thought."

He eventually moved out of our home and into a yurt in the backyard. For all intents and purposes, he governed his own life. Within reason, we'd approve of his trips and growing independence.

My social life included a close group of friends with similar-aged children who'd grown up together. My son spent a lot of time with that gang across his teen years — often camping, hiking, staging epic Nerf battles, skiing, and road-tripping together.

My son continued to thrive. Between 16 and 18, he began contracting as a filmmaker with the K-8 EL school he'd once attended. He made a few short documentary films spotlighting the school's approach to learning, including teaching students indigenous canoe-making skills. Then, he worked with the tribes of north Idaho to document their ancient stewardship of the lands and rivers.

He then decided to skip college, too

My son did well on his GED and SATs, but that didn't matter much to him. He took a few college courses but ultimately decided college was not for him.

Today, he's backpacking around the world on his bike. And he's using his gear and drone to make self-shot film adventures. So far, this includes last year's hike around the Ring Road in Iceland, a bike ride from Canada to Mexico, and this spring's solo cycle across the length of the United Kingdom in epically rough weather. He's currently on a ferry across the English Channel with new friends, set to ride across northern Europe this summer. He's currently getting paid for the videos he makes of his travels.

It's there, in his recent films, that I've seen the exact kind of joy on my son's face that I saw when he was a small child. As much as I might have safety concerns while he's out there riding thousands of miles across all manner of challenges (and oh, mercy, I do), he's becoming his own true self. And that is all I ever wanted for him.

Rachel Clark is a writer and the author. Her work has appeared in Newsweek, Salon, Psychology Today, and Good Housekeeping. Her memoir, in the works, links her experience as a biologist, wife, and mother to the impacts of coercive control on people and planet. Connect at www.rachelclarkauthor.com.

• Heather Nickens is a conservative Christian who moved from California to Texas in 2022.
• Nickens had grown tired of California's high cost of living and pandemic response.
• But after getting to Texas, she realized she missed California's beautiful weather and sunny beaches.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Heather Nickens, a 52-year-old radiation therapist who moved from Orange County, California, to Dallas in 2022 after growing frustrated by California's pandemic restrictions and high cost of living. But Nickens only stayed in Texas for two years before returning to California because she missed the weather and access to nature.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm a native Californian, raised here my entire life, minus seven years I spent in Houston as a child.

I moved from the Inland Empire to Orange County in 2016 after my daughter graduated from high school. I started being outdoorsy, and the beach became very therapeutic and healing for me. I made a lot of great friends, and I got involved in the community.

I was always proud of California and what it represented. Until 2020.

I'm a Christian conservative, and the last four years have been a struggle. Between wearing a mask, the pandemic, the politics, the decline of our state, and our governor, it was too much.

My daughter couldn't afford to live here. She was going to move with or without me, and my parents, who were nearing retirement, also wanted to leave.

I really didn't want to be left behind.

I felt a connection to Texas because my grandparents were from there. My daughter and I visited Austin, but it was way too liberal.

I knew Dallas had a lot to offer in terms of sporting events and other stuff. It felt like it had a little bit of everything.

I was so nervous to move

I was very hesitant and really dragging my feet. Looking back, if I had listened to my intuition, I probably wouldn't have done it. But at the same time, I think everything happens for a reason.

My daughter and I moved to Dallas in May 2022. We lived together for the first year, renting a place right outside of the city. It was good we had each other.

The first few weeks we were in Texas, we were really excited. We went to a country concert, we went to the stockyard, and we tried a bunch of new restaurants.

I really liked the Texas politics. I'm a big fan of Gov. Abbott.

Obviously, gas was cheaper. But the cost of living has gone up everywhere. When people say Texas is so much cheaper, I think, well, it is to some degree. My rent was cheaper, but my car insurance went up. There are no state taxes, but the property taxes are way higher. I just didn't see a big enough change in the cost of living.

Even so, we were gung ho on trying to get plugged in. But by August, I hit a wall.

I did nothing in Texas because the weather was so brutal. You couldn't even go outside. I didn't realize how much I really loved being outside until I moved to Texas.

I had given up the life I knew. I had major depression the entire time I was there. I started seeing a therapist and trying to work through my feelings.

I really, really missed the beach. In September 2023, I went to Galveston for Labor Day Weekend. Once I saw a mass body of water with waves, I broke down.

That's when I started crumbling. I didn't want to have to make the decision to come home, leave my daughter, and go further from my parents.

There was a lot of back-and-forth, but I thought long and hard about it. I started looking for jobs back in California.

Leaving was bittersweet

I moved back in May of this year, almost two years to the day I left.

My mom and my daughter both wanted me to be happy. But on the day I had to say goodbye to my daughter, I think reality smacked her in the face.

I've been very spoiled because for 52 years, I've lived with my mom, and for 26 years, I've had my daughter with me. So, for the three of us to be in different states is hard.

But my therapist told me the best example I could show my daughter is to choose myself and make myself happy.

It's amazing to be back in California. My mood is one hundred times better than it was in Texas. One hundred times.

I've had a housewarming party, and I'm going to an Angels game later tonight. I've been able to see my friends.

We take the weather for granted here in California. You can smell the salt in the air. You can see the palm trees and the mountains. You can have a connection to nature here.

Obviously, California is still super expensive. My rent is way more. But my mood is a hundred times better, regardless of the price.

These days, I try to keep my head off social media and out of the news. Fortunately, living in Orange County is a bit of a conservative bubble for the most part.

Maybe as I get closer to retirement I would consider going back to Texas where my daughter is. But for the foreseeable future, I see myself staying in California.

• My husband and I are a young couple on a budget who love hosting friends.
• Charcuterie-board ingredients can be pricey in some stores — but not at Aldi.
• These 11 tasty, budget-friendly items from Aldi help me make a gourmet-looking charcuterie board.

As a young couple saving for our first home, my husband and I can't afford to spend a lot of money on groceries. However, we also love hosting friends for parties with wine and a charcuterie board.

Unfortunately, at most grocery stores, these ingredients can sometimes cost upwards of $80. Given the high prices of groceries, I'm always looking for cheaper alternatives when available.

Luckily, Aldi offers great charcuterie-board ingredients that allow me to put together a jaw-dropping spread for under $30. Here are 11 Aldi items I use to create a gourmet-looking board while saving big bucks.

Prices may vary by location.

Pre-sliced Gouda cheese saves me prep time.

A charcuterie board needs a variety of flavors and textures. The Emporium Selection Gouda is creamy with a light, nutty flavor that my guests love.

What I especially like about this brand of Gouda is that the cheese is pre-sliced into perfect cracker portions. I save lots of prep time by taking this cheese out of the package and setting it right onto the board.

The pre-sliced cheese comes out to $2.70.

The Emporium Selection sharp cheddar is tender but has an earthy bite.

For more bite, the block of Emporium Selection sharp cheddar is a perfect choice. While tender, it offers a slightly more crumbly alternative to the Gouda, and its earthy flavor pairs well with rich meats like salami and prosciutto.

A little goes a long way, so I often have some left over to nibble on with a glass of wine at night.

A block of sharp cheddar costs $2.60 at my local Aldi.

The garlic-and-herb goat cheese is perfectly spreadable.

For a cheese that spreads like butter, don't skip the Emporium Selection garlic-and-herb goat cheese. The hints of garlic and herbs elevate the cheese's natural flavor without overpowering it.

It's a new favorite of mine, and I'm not the only one who feels that way — only two logs were left at the store when I went.

The goat cheese costs just $1.90 at Aldi.

Simms’ summer sausage is a versatile meat.

When prosciutto isn't available, I grab Simms' summer sausage. It's fully cooked, easy to slice and has a rich, fatty flavor that stands out by itself and when piled onto a cracker with a subtle cheese.

It also makes a great breakfast sausage. I like to slice it thick, throw it in the pan, and serve it with eggs. Each package of sausage costs $4.

The cold-smoked Atlantic salmon levels up the board.

Smoked salmon adds an elegant flair to a traditional charcuterie spread. It's a departure from the land meats usually served, and its smoky flavor pairs well with both mild and sharp cheeses.

The Specially Selected smoked salmon comes in palm-sized deli slices, so it's easy to stage as the board's centerpiece. These cost me $3.20 a pack.

Aldi’s deli-sliced Genoa salami elevates a charcuterie board classic.

Aldi's fresh, deli-sliced Genoa salami is a step above regular salami, with its delicate seasoning and buttery, tender texture. It also doubles as a tasty addition to a deli-style sandwich.

Each pack of salami comes out to $3.10.

The Savoritz thin-wheat crackers are the ideal size, taste, and texture for boards.

Finding good charcuterie crackers is hard, but these Savoritz thin-wheat ones do the job well. They're thin and soft, making them a perfect foundation for stronger-flavored items on the board.

They also have a subtle sweetness comparable to graham crackers, so my husband likes to eat them with his coffee in the morning.

A box is only $2 at my local Aldi.

The Savoritz pita crackers are a showstopper by themselves.

The Savoritz sea-salt pita crackers are a new household favorite. They're thin and have a delicate toasted flavor, making them perfect for snacking.

When paired with meats and cheeses, they add an extra crunch without detracting from the meat's flavor. Each box costs $2.15.

The Specially Selected premium raspberry fruit spread is delicious and versatile.

Every board needs a sweet element to balance the savory, salty flavors. I like to grab the Specially Selected raspberry fruit spread, which has a vibrant flavor that's a dream to pair with crackers.

It also pairs well with the garlic-and-herb goat cheese. A jar comes out to $2.60.

Grapes are an easy palate cleanser.

Fruit Royals' green seedless grapes add that much-needed pop of color and textural interest to the board. They're tart and easy to pluck off the stem, making them an easy palate cleanser.

The grapes come out to $2.30 a bag.

Great Gherkins' Kosher dill pickles pack a punch.

These Great Gherkins kosher dill baby whole pickles have a punchy acidity to contrast the richness of the meats and cheeses. They also make a fun visual on a charcuterie board.

They're adorably sized and a perfect choice when I'm looking for a quick snack from the fridge. Each jar is only $1.45.

Click to keep reading Aldi diaries like this one.

• Tesla's US market share has fallen below 50% for the first time.
• While Tesla's dominance is waning, overall electric vehicle sales are growing.
• That's a sign Elon Musk made the right bet on electric cars.

Tesla's dominance in the EV market is slipping, but it's not time for CEO Elon Musk to panic just yet.

Tesla's share of US electric vehicle sales in the second quarter fell to 49.7%, marking the first time its share had fallen below 50% in a quarter, according to data from Cox Automotive. The slip followed disappointing sales results and tough first-quarter financial results.

While Tesla is certainly facing its share of challenges right now, losing market share is a sign of something much less threatening to the company's future.

It's proof that Tesla is growing into a somewhat normal car company — a status it has worked hard to achieve — and that the segment it pioneered is finally maturing.

"Despite Tesla's declining sales, with its EV sales share now below 50% for the first time, the overall competitive landscape for electric vehicles is intensifying," Cox Automotive Industry Insights Director Stephanie Valdez-Streaty said in the company's EV sales report. "This increased competition is leading to continued price pressure, gradually boosting EV adoption."

Tesla's chokehold on the US electric vehicle market has been waning for a few years as more companies release their own electric models. Tesla commanded about 55% of the US EV market last year, down from 65.4% in 2022 and a much higher 79.4% share back in 2020, according to data from Experian.

While this share drop looks staggering, it's important to remember that Tesla had previously enjoyed virtually zero competition in the US.

Tesla finally has solid competition

Tesla's success over the last two decades has sent legacy automakers — like GM, Ford, and Volkswagen — scrambling to catch up with Musk.

For the past few years, the US market has seen the release of one "Tesla fighter" after another. Meanwhile, Tesla has continued to grow its fleet of options, while enjoying the benefits of attracting wealthy early EV adopters who initially dominated the segment.

The result today is that EV shoppers simply have more choices. Just in the second quarter, BMW, Cadillac, Honda, and Kia all offered new entries to the market, according to Cox. Many of these models are stealing market share from Tesla simply by existing.

Take Chevrolet for example. The bowtie brand is executing its plan to flood the EV market with new releases this year, and it appears to be paying off so far.

Cox credits new releases like Chevy's electric Blazer, Equinox, and Silverado with adding 21,000 EVs to the market and chipping away at Tesla's dominance.

Musk made the right bet on EVs

Even as its market share diminishes and sales slow, Tesla remains the most dominant EV company in existence.

So far in 2024, Tesla is still the top seller of EVs with 304,451 deliveries through June, according to Cox. There's a seismic gap between Tesla and second-place Ford, which has sold 44,180 EVs so far this year.

Overall growth in the EV segment, regardless of Tesla's decline, also proves Musk right in his bet on electric vehicles more than a decade ago.

The EV market is still increasing in volume and share, just at a slower rate than when the segment first took off in 2020. And Tesla is still in a good position to benefit from that growth.

"The growth will, at times, be very slow, as all-time horizons in the automobile business are vast, but the long-term trajectory suggests that higher volumes of EVs will continue over time," Valdez-Streaty said.

• Kevin Costner's "Horizon" was a flop at the box office, making just $11 million on its opening weekend.
• But Costner is seemingly still moving forward with three planned sequels.
• The second film was pulled from its August release date following the first film's struggles. 

The second installment of Kevin Costner's "Horizon" film series will no longer be coming to theaters next month following the first film's disappointing box office performance — but that doesn't appear to be fazing the star.

"Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2" had been set to land in theaters in August, but it was pulled from the release schedule in the hope of building a bigger audience for the first film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Territory Pictures and New Line Cinema have decided not to release Horizon: Chapter 2 on August 16 in order to give audiences a greater opportunity to discover the first installment of Horizon over the coming weeks, including on PVOD and Max," a New Line Cinema spokesperson said, per THR.

Despite the setback, Costner seems set on proceeding with the remaining two films of the "Horizon" tetralogy.

Production on the third film began earlier this year and is set to continue in August, while the star also has a script ready for the fourth film, Variety reported.

Speaking to the outlet in 2022, the Oscar-winning director indicated that he hoped to see each installment debut around "every three months."

But with the latest news about "Chapter 2," it's clear that Costner will have to overhaul his ambitious release strategy to see the franchise through to a fourth film.

Representatives for Costner, Territory Pictures, and Warner Bros., New Line Cinema's parent company, did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

To bring "Horizon" to audiences, the former "Yellowstone" star mortgaged his property in Santa Barbara and invested $38 million of his own money.

The first film had a $100 million budget, and Costner and his financial backers also paid for the film's marketing, which, according to unnamed sources who spoke to Variety, cost around $30 million.

The film was released in June and made just $11 million on its opening weekend.

It's not the first time Costner has put his own money into a film he's worked on.

For his 1990 film "Dances with Wolves," which he directed, produced, and starred in, Costner used $3 million of his own money.

It turned out to be a wise investment, as the film, which had a budget of $22 million, ended up being a huge success, earning multiple awards and taking home $184 million at the US box office and over $400 million worldwide.

In 2014, he also provided the entire $9 million budget for "Black or White," a drama also starring Octavia Spencer and Bill Burr. It brought back more than double his investment at the box office, taking home over $21.5 million.

However, the star hasn't always backed winners. He reportedly contributed an undisclosed sum to the 1997 action film "The Postman," which was a notable failure at the box office, returning only less than $18 million on a budget of around $80 million.

• My mom, Suzanne, died just before I turned 8 years old. 
• The love she had for me in the years we shared was strong, and it had a great impact on me.
• As I've grown older, I've become more and more like her, and I look like her, too. 

Suzanne had one of those laughs — the loud, sometimes too loud, cackle that would send her into a fit of snorts and wheezes. And her loud laugh matched her larger-than-life personality that lit up a room with her warm heart and personality. She was passionate, in both what she loved and what she argued. She was intelligent and read faster than anyone I have ever known. And that intelligence carved out her witty sense of humor, "quick as a whip," as stated by a childhood friend.

She was my mom, and I can't remember her as well as I would like to. I lost her 10 days before my 8th birthday, and I couldn't quite emotionally deal with her death until I turned 12 or 13. I just couldn't comprehend what it meant when someone died, let alone my own mother.

I only have eight years of memories with her, but I cherish them

She was the woman who would iron my clothes religiously, put matching bows in my hair before school, and always put notes in my lunchbox. I remember how the notes started. I saw another child at lunch who would get notes, and I went home, sheepishly asking if my mom would do the same. I never had to ask again.

I was my mom's miracle baby. She struggled with pregnancies and had fully given up on trying to have a child. That's how it almost always works, right? My mom gave birth to me in January of 2001 and spent the next eight years showering me with so much love, attention, and sheer dedication that even 15 years later, I can still feel her love. When I talk about my mom, I don't cry because I'm sad and I miss her. I cry because it's so moving to physically be able to feel her love after all of this time, and I feel so lucky to experience that.

I'm often told I'm just like her

Her love and impact were so strong that I have grown up to be just like her. Her nephew, 12 years younger than her and over two decades older than me — someone whose fondest memories are with her — has emphasized that I look just like her. We make the same facial expressions, have a very similar laugh (snort and all), and even talk the same way at times. Her nephew laughed when recalling that the way I text reminded him of her. We look alike, we sound alike, we talk alike. I keep her memory alive just by being myself.

My love for books, reading, and writing came from her. She read to me every single night before bed — "Little House on the Prairie" was our favorite — and I found solace in writing after I lost her. It made me feel close to her. I have vivid memories of her gardening and love for flowers; I was even told that I hoard plants the same way she did (I've only just started not killing them, so my green thumb didn't come as naturally as hers did). Her love for dogs must also be genetic because it is a downright obsession for me. She was an incredible cook; quite a few of my memories of her surround food, and one of my favorite parts of my day is making dinner.

I have grown up to be so much like her, but I am also my own person with my own experiences. It's something special to have been so loved that all that love has inherently become part of who I am. Many of her interests, likes, and dislikes have all come naturally to me, and they make me feel closer to her; though I've never taken them on out of desperation, I feel lucky that we're so similar. It's something special to have been so loved that all that love has inherently become part of who I am.