Category: BUSINESS

Crossword Blog & Answers for April 13, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! Under the Weather
Constructors: Olivia Mitra Framke & Sally Hoelscher

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructor

Olivia: I’m always on the lookout for good crossword titles/revealers, and when a friend said they were feeling “Under the Weather” I quickly whipped together a theme based on it! What a great opportunity to represent one of my favorite gaming genres, with the farming sim SUN HAVEN. Also, I think RAIN CHECK is especially fun for this, since you might need to take one if you’re feeling “Under the Weather”! Happy to have Sally on board for this collab, as always. 💖

Sally: Olivia sent me this theme almost fully-formed. I’m grateful to her for looping me in, as it’s always a joy to collaborate with her.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

ADHD (1A: “___ Is Awesome” (Penn and Kim Holderness book)) Penn and Kim Holderness are internet personalities known for their family-centered parodies and skits. They were also competitors on the 33rd season of The Amazing Race. (Spoiler alert: They won.) Penn Holderness has been open about having ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), often mentioning it in their videos. In 2024 Penn and Kim Holderness published the book ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD.

INNING (18A: Seventh-___ stretch) This clue feels timely for baseball season. Anybody stop and sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” when you came to this clue?

AKA (29A: Kamala Khan ___ Ms. Marvel) In the Marvel Universe, Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel, is a Pakistani American teenager from New Jersey with shapeshifting abilities. She took over as Ms. Marvel when Carol Danvers became Captain Marvel. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kamala Khan is portrayed by Iman Vellani.

GIRLS (33A: “This One’s for the ___” (Martina McBride hit)) This One’s for the GIRLS” is a 2003 song by Martina McBride. The song’s lyrics salute women of various ages, with the overarching message, “You’re beautiful the way you are.”

ENYA (40A: Singer for whom an Orinoco River fish was named) The fish named after ENYA is Leporinus enyae, which was discovered in the Orinoco River drainage area in 2017. One of ENYA’s hits is “Orinoco Flow” (1988).

SPORCLE (54A: Trivia quiz website) SPORCLE is a trivia website on which users can take quizzes on a range of subjects.

PAW (57A: Feline foot) My cat, Willow, is showing off both of her front PAWs in this photo.

PADDLE (67A: Dog ___ (simple swimming style)) I am not a strong swimmer, but I can dog PADDLE. Happy to get some dog representation in the puzzle for Olivia’s dog, Charlie.

ECHO (68A: Marvel character portrayed by Alaqua Cox) The Marvel character ECHO, AKA Maya Lopez, has the ability to perfectly copy other people’s movements. Alaqua Cox portrays ECHO in the Disney+ miniseries Hawkeye (2021) and in the spin-off miniseries ECHO (2024).

SKIP (71A: Bypass, like a speedrunner to a cutscene) A speedrunner is one who plays a video game with the goal of completing it as quickly as possible. To help achieve this goal, a speedrunner will SKIP a cutscene (a non-interactive sequence in a video game).

AGO (1D: “A long time ___ in a galaxy far, far away…”) It’s an official Olivia and Sally collaboration: we worked in a Star Wars clue and a cat clue. Fun fact: In all but one of the Star Wars movies (Return of the Jedi), the opening crawl of the movie ends with a four-dot ellipsis (technically an ellipsis plus a period): “A long time AGO in a galaxy far, far away….”

SPIDER (5D: Shelob or Charlotte) Shelob is the fictional giant SPIDER in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Shelob appears in The Two Towers (1954). Charlotte is the title SPIDER in E. B. White’s book, Charlotte’s Web (1952).

IDIOM (8D: It’s raining cats and dogs,” e.g.) We thought this IDIOM paired nicely with the “Under the Weather” theme.

SUN HAVEN (9D: Video game where players grow shimmeroot) SUN HAVEN is a farm sim video game. Players arrive in the town of SUN HAVEN, where they can farm, fish, and mine. Shimmeroot is a SUN HAVEN crop that players can plant. Shimmeroot can be harvested 14 days after planting, and the crop may be sold.

MPG (10D: Irrelevant stat for EVs)The abbreviation EVs, standing for electric vehicles, alerts solvers that the answer will be an abbreviation, MPG for miles per gallon. Since EVs don’t use gas, MPG is an irrelevant stat.

HEALS (11D: Drinks a red potion, in a Zelda game) This is a reference to The Legend of Zelda video game franchise. The original Legend of Zelda was released by Nintendo in 1986. In the games, a red potion HEALS and replenishes the Life Gauge.

POLISH (47D: Language spoken by Iga Swiatek) IGA Świątek is a professional tennis player from Poland (where POLISH is the official language). She won the French Open in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and the U.S. Open in 2022.

ROSES (55D: Flowers used in some parade floats) The ROSE Parade is held annually in Pasadena, California in conjunction with the ROSE Bowl college football game. Fun fact: The parade came first! The ROSE Parade began in 1890, and the football game was added in 1902 to help fund the parade. All of the floats in the parade are covered in natural materials; in addition to ROSES, seaweed, seeds, bark, vegetables, and nuts are used.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

HAIL MARY (3D: Desperation-mode football pass)

SUN HAVEN (9D: Video game where players grow shimmeroot)

RAIN CHECK (37D: “May I take a ___?” (“Another time?”))

SNOW PEAS (41D: Veggies with edible pods)

UNDER THE WEATHER: The top word of each vertical theme answer is a WEATHER-related term. Therefore, the rest of each theme answer is UNDER THE WEATHER.

I hope you are not feeling UNDER THE WEATHER today! Because all four theme answers are relatively short (8 or 9 letters long), we took care while building this grid to make sure that the rest of the Down answers were shorter than 8 letters. We wanted to make sure it would (hopefully) be obvious which answers were theme answers. Thank you to Olivia for collaborating on this puzzle, and thanks to Amanda for great editing. Most importantly, thank you for solving!

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles
April 13, 2025
‘White Lotus’ speech is wrong about women and friendship

Women now have the freedom to do anything we want to do, but many of us still find ourselves unhappy and are baffled as to why.

The Season 3 finale of “The White Lotus” included a powerful monologue by a character named Laurie, played brilliantly by Carrie Coon. Fans loved what she had to say about women’s roles and expectations in our modern world.

During a final dinner at the White Lotus resort in Thailand, Laurie tells two of her childhood friends that she’s sad and feeling lost.

“I have no belief system,” she says. “Well, I mean, I’ve had a lot of them. I mean, work was my religion for forever, but I definitely lost my belief there. And then, and then I tried love and that was just a painful religion − just made everything worse. And then even for me, just like being a mother, that didn’t save me either. But I had this epiphany today: I don’t need religion or God to give my life meaning, because time gives it meaning. We started this life together. I mean, we’re going through it apart, but we’re still together. … I’m just happy to be at the table.”

Laurie’s point about female friendships was beautiful. But as much as I adore my girlfriends, and have long-standing friendships as far back as second grade, Laurie’s conclusion about friendship wasn’t the best part to me. It was instead her observations about the modern woman’s dilemma that fascinated me most. It tapped into something a lot of women feel but can’t or won’t express.

Women have achieved so much but are still unhappy

Women in the United States are doing better than ever before.

According to the Pew Research Center, the gender gap in pay has narrowed in the past 20 years. Last year, women earned an average of 85% of what men earned, up 4 percentage points from 2023.

Women earn more college degrees than men. Single women own more homes than single men. Strong majorities of both women and men say women are now doing much or somewhat better in careers and education than 20 years ago.

Yet, research also shows that women are more unhappy than ever before, just like Laurie in “The White Lotus.”

A 2024 study, “The female happiness paradox” by researchers with Dartmouth College and University College London, found that women have worse mental health than men, including problems with anxiety, depression, fearfulness, sadness, loneliness and anger. Women also “have more days with bad mental health and more restless sleep.”

The researchers found that women are “less satisfied in the moment in terms of peace and calm, cheerfulness, feeling active, vigorous, fresh, and rested.”

Opinion: ‘White Lotus’ reflects new reality. We voted for Trump − and we’re not weird.

Laurie’s monologue isn’t popular just because she concluded that friendship is the key to happiness. I think fans applauded the scene because she found words to describe a common female experience, especially for women in midlife.

Laurie asked something so many American women find themselves wondering. We have more now than ever before. More equality, more pay, more education and more rights. Why are we still unhappy?

Feminism hasn’t brought us happiness

Perhaps that’s because the things we thought would bring happiness − career success, money, status and material goods − aren’t able to deliver.

Women have been told that equality at work and in society as a whole would bring satisfaction and fulfillment. Yet, the feminist movement has pushed women so far in the direction of pursuing career and self interests that it has backfired. Because self-centeredness goes against many women’s God-given desires.

Laurie describes this angst so well: Work was her religion, then love was, but both failed. Being a mother didn’t satisfy her ache for something more, and even God didn’t fulfill her needs. She can’t figure out why she’s so unhappy.

Like Laurie, women now have the freedom to do anything we want to do, but many of us still find ourselves unhappy and are baffled as to why.

In the name of equality, many feminists declared that they didn’t need men or children. They needed only their work, girlfriends and a glass of wine. Some women have even knowingly copied the toxic habits of angry and isolated men as a declaration of independence.

Opinion: I’m tired of being mocked and hated because I’m a conservative woman

The modern feminist movement has sold women a yarn of lies, and many of us listened. Women now delay or forgo marriage, have no interest in children, find passion in careers and gave up God for yoga. They also seek purpose not in traditional values like faith and family but in politics. Abortion rights and women’s marches have become rallying cries not just on specific issues but also on what it means to be a woman.

Gen Z, millennial women push back with tradwife movement

Some younger women have pushed back. A small number of millennial and Generation Z women have embraced the “tradwives movement,” which promotes a stereotypical, romanticized view of stay-at-home motherhood and marriage.

Tradwives make a lot of people angry for a lot of reasons. The women often seem like they are cosplaying at being wives and mothers.

But I think the tradwives movement also angers women because it taps into a desire that’s hardly progressive but still innate. Many women would love to be happily married to a healthy, masculine man, raise kids and work from home while they keep an eye on their sourdough bread baking in the oven. It’s not for everyone, of course, and that’s OK. Still, some women have those desires but feel like our society tells them they shouldn’t.

Opinion newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter on conservative values, family and religion from columnist Nicole Russell. Get it delivered to your inbox.

I don’t want to go back to the 19th century, when women had few rights and were forced to accept marriage and children as their only purpose. I don’t want to go back even to the 1970s, when women still had to have a male cosigner to get a credit card. Women fought hard for a long time to achieve equal rights, and I celebrate those women who sacrificed so much for women like me. I can write a column like this only because I stand on their shoulders.

Women do need friendships, and I thank God for the women in my life. But Laurie in “The White Lotus” wrote off everything else that makes us happy. Married women on average are happier than single women. (Laurie is divorced; I am as well.) Married women with children tend to be happier than those without children. Women in equal partnerships − where their partner or spouse helps carry household responsibilities and the mental load of modern life − tend to be happier. Women who seek community and religion also tend to be happier than those who are nonreligious.

Conservative women in general tend to pursue most of these things. Yet, as a conservative woman I’m often excoriated for talking positively about marriage, children and faith. I adhere to a belief system that is the opposite of Laurie’s − conservative politics, kids, God. I am hated for this. And every time I object to abusive comments from angry progressives, I am met with more disdain. It’s almost like progressives fear that I’m right.

Laurie was right to be sad. Friendship is vital, but it was never intended to replace those deeper relationships that give life meaning and deliver true happiness and joy.

Nicole Russell is a columnist at USA TODAY and a mother of four who lives in Texas. Contact her at [email protected] and follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @russell_nm. Sign up for her weekly newsletter, The Right Track, here.

April 13, 2025
Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni pose together in new photo

Hargitay and Meloni’s friendship stretches back to 1999 when they started working together on “SVU.”

“Law & Order: SVU” co-stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni are BFFs.

The former co-stars sat court-side together for the New York Knicks’ home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

Hargitay and Meloni, who portrayed Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler together on the long running NBC crime show, held hands in a photo posted by the Knicks official social media accounts.

“DUN DUN,” a caption shared by the Knicks’ social team read, in reference to the legendary sound of all “Law & Order”shows. USA TODAY reached out to reps for Hargitay and Meloni for comment.

The duo donned casual looks as Hargitay wore a gray long-sleeve “L.A. Strong” crewneck sweatshirt while Meloni wore a black jacket and matching black t-shirt with blue jeans.

Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay tease ‘Law and Order’ fans with steamy near-kiss pic

Hargitay and Meloni’s friendship stretches back to 1999 when they started working together on “SVU.” The pair starred as detective partners Stabler and Benson for 12 seasons on “SVU” before Meloni left the show in 2011.

Meloni’s character Stabler, whose wife and five children became part of the show’s storyline, retired from the force as a way of writing the character off the series at the start of Season 13.

Since “SVU,” Stabler and Benson have reunited briefly for the “SVU” spinoff series “Organized Crime,” in which Meloni returns as Stabler to head up an organized crime unit in the New York Police Department.

Are Mariska Hargitay, Chris Meloni dating?

While some fans have long speculated about a romance between the former co-stars, Hargitay and Meloni have respective spouses. Meloni, 64, has been married to Doris Sherman Williams since 1995. Hargitay, 61, is also married – to “SVU” co-star Peter Hermann since 2004.

But in 2021, Meloni tweeted a steamy photo of himself and Hargitay coming in for a near-kiss teasing fans and sparking a playful social media exchange between the actors.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Contributing: Bill Keveney and Amy Haneline, USA TODAY

April 13, 2025
Prince Harry addresses being stripped of royal security detailCelebrities

Prince Harry addresses being stripped of royal security detailCelebrities

April 13, 2025
Benson Boone brings out Brian May

Benson Boone did a few “Beautiful Things” during his Coachella set Friday.

The up-and-coming pop superstar, with his signature dark mustache and flamboyant stage presence, is frequently compared to Freddie Mercury online. But on Friday evening at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, the Grammy nominee really leaned into the comparison during his set.

Performing in front of a crowd of more than 50,000 fans with the backdrop of the California desert, Boone wore an all-white jumpsuit with light blue straps on his pants and shirt, which was without sleeves.

“Do you like it?” Boone asked the crowd with a smile.

Who is Benson Boone? The backflipping Grammys best new artist nominee

Early in the set he backflipped off a platform on the stage, similar to his stunt at the 2025 Grammy Awards in February. Then, Boone made an obvious ode to the late Queen frontman: he asked the crowd to repeat after him as he briefly sang Queen’s “Ay-Oh,” as Mercury did at the legendary Live Aid concert in 1985.

Boone later brought out Queen guitarist Brian May onstage to help him perform one of Queen’s most popular songs, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The crowd erupted, then collectively sang along.

Boone, 22, patrolled the stage like a seasoned pro. May stayed on and played guitar as Boone closed with his biggest hit, “Beautiful Things,” as pyrotechnics shot into the sky.

May also took to his Instagram on Friday to post a picture with Boone, writing “Do we look happy ? !!! Gonna treasure this moment on the plane with @bensonboone – a truly golden 22 year old prodigy. I’m proud and happy to say we are now officially pals.”

Brian May’s Coachella appearance comes after ‘minor stroke’

May’s appearance comes after he revealed harrowing health news in September. In the fall, the beloved British musician revealed on his website that he suffered a “minor stroke,” calling the incident a “health hiccup.”

But at the time, he had a happy update for fans, too.

‘The pain is relentless’: Queen’s Brian May hospitalized after tearing buttocks while gardening

“The good news is that I can play guitar after the events of the last few days and I say this because it was in some doubt because that little health hiccup that I mentioned happened about a week ago,” May said, while also addressing his recently aired BBC documentary “Brian May: The Badgers, the Farmers and Me.”

April 13, 2025
See the list of releases, stores

Music lovers who swear by vinyl LPs always want to add another disc to the stack and Record Store Day on April 12 is a day to get some coveted special releases.

About 330 new and limited-edition vinyl releases featuring artists ranging from Gracie Abrams to Waxahatchee are planned to hit nearly 1,600 record shops across the U.S. on Saturday. And, yes, there’s something from Taylor Swift, too.

Vinyl remains a special format for many music lovers. Even though the century old-LP was expected to be replaced by compact discs, digital downloads and streaming music, spending on vinyl records has increased each of the last 18 years, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

Vinyl sales rose 7% in 2024 to $1.4 billion, surpassing CDs, which sold $541.1 million, RIAA said. Paid music subscriptions ($11.7 billion) rose 5% and made up 79% of music spending.

AC/DC: Hard rockers storm back on Power Up tour, the band’s first US trek in nearly a decade

For many, vinyl makes music special. “We get a lot of younger people coming in that show interest in it and there’s a lot of big pop stars that have started taking over the vinyl market,” said Sam Reiman, assistant manager at Shuga Records in Chicago’s Logan Square. “Taylor Swift is definitely a big example of that. She kind of dominated that over the past couple years. People have definitely shown a bigger interest in it than ever before these past several years.”

Record Store Day is usually one of the busiest days of the year at Shuga Records, he said. Local artists and bands will perform all day at the company’s main location in Wicker Park. Customers can buy special Record Store Day T-shirts, too.

“We always have people lining up at the door in the morning,” Reiman said. “But, you know, people always like, shuffle in throughout the day to look for anything that’s left over.”

Record Store Day 2025 highlights

Here’s a snapshot of a dozen Record Store Day releases. For the full list of releases and stores, go to the Record Store Day website. Happy hunting!

Post Malone: ‘Tribute to Nirvana’ yellow vinyl Record Store Day LP

Post Malone, who’s serving as this year’s Record Store Day’s Ambassador, has a yellow vinyl release of his April 24, 2000 livestream tribute to Nirvana — songs include “Come As You Are” and “In Bloom” – his supporting band included blink-182’s Travis Barker on drums. All net proceeds from the sale will be donated to Musicares’ Addiction Recovery and Mental Health division.

“Record Store Day is so important and I really hope to do my part to keep it alive,” he said in a Record Store Day statement. “We love hitting local shops when we’re on the road, seeing all the crazy artwork, the whole energy in a record store is just super inspiring. … Keep supporting y’all and let’s keep records and these local shops going strong. Happy Record Store Day everybody!”

Taylor Swift: ‘Fortnight’ (featuring Post Malone) 7-inch RSD release

This special 7-inch white vinyl disc has the single “Fortnight,” Swift’s collaboration with Post Malone from “The Tortured Poets Department,” and the “Fortnight (BLOND:ISH Remix)”.

Charli XCX: ‘Number 1 Angel’ Record Store Day release

Now on red vinyl, a collection of ten tracks recorded in L.A. and the U.K., originally released in 2017 by Charli XCX as a mixtape.

Rage Against the Machine: ‘Live on Tour 1993’

Rage Against The Machine apparently won’t tour again. But you can get get this two-disc ‘Live On Tour 1993’ of live recordings from the band’s first world tour. You get music on three sides and an etching on the fourth, plus “explosive renditions of such Rage anthems as ‘Bombtrack,’ ‘Killing in the Name’ and ‘Freedom’,” writes Ron Hart on Billboard.com.

Fleetwood Mac: ‘Fleetwood Mac’ Record Store Day picture disc

The pop-rock classic that spawned singles “Rhiannon,” “Say You Love Me,” and “Over My Head,” gets a picture disc release on its 50th anniversary.

MJ Lenderman And the Wind: ‘Live and Loose!’

A 15-song live recording from the rising singer-songwriter and his band recorded in 2022 and released in 2023, but now available on vinyl.

Grateful Dead: ‘On A Back Porch’ Record Store Day collection

Rhino Records and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery collaborated on this vinyl LP collection of Grateful Dead classics including “Eyes Of The World,” “Here Comes Sunshine,” plus more rare tracks such as “Easy Wind,” and “Big Railroad Blues.”

Grateful Dead fans may want to look out for these other Record Store Day releases: the five-LP set Grateful Dead, “Beacon Theatre, New York, NY 6/14/76,”; the 4-LP set Jerry Garcia Band, “Don’t Let Go: Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco – May 21, 1976,” and Robert Hunter, “Tiger Rose Rarities.”

David Bowie: ‘Ready, Set, Go! (Live, Riverside Studios ‘03)’

Record Store Day marks the first physical release of Bowie’s live Sept. 8, 2003 concert in London transmitted via satellite to movie theaters across the globe. This two-LP set on 180-gram black vinyl (17,400 available worldwide) comes with a replica poster of the original event. Also available: 3,600 CD copies.

Pharoah Sanders: ‘Izipho Zam (My Gifts)’

This 1973 release from the tenor saxophonist, who passed away in 2022, finally comes to CD and digital platforms – and a special Record Store Day 180-gram vinyl release, with new liner notes and photos. If you are into spiritual jazz – à la John Coltrane and Kamasi Washington – “this is the real deal,” writes Morgan Enos on Tracking Angle, an audio news site.

Emmylou Harris: ‘Spyboy’ returns for Record Store Day

Released on CD in 1998, this live album comes to vinyl for the first time with written reflections from Harris and Buddy Miller, who was part of her backing band Spyboy. There’s also five previously unreleased tracks.

‘Brittany Howard: Live from Austin City Limits’

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter’s performance recorded on April 29, 2024 at the Moody Theater and broadcast October 26, 2024 is captured on electric blue vinyl.

‘Wicked: The Soundtrack’ – Record Store Day glitter vinyl LPs

This double-LP set will be popular with fans of the movie, thanks to its green glitter and pink glitter vinyl, special Record Store Day cover art, enclosed poster and bonus track “Ozdust Duet.”

Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY’s Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & [email protected]

What’s everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day

April 13, 2025
Coachella 2025: See Lady Gaga, Benson Boone, more starsMusic

Coachella 2025: See Lady Gaga, Benson Boone, more starsMusic

April 13, 2025
These feel as eerie as watching Season 2

Two years have felt too long to be without a new season of “The Last of Us,” and fans of the post-apocalyptic drama are ready to find out what’s next for Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey’s characters in Season 2.

Plus, if you’re one of the fans who loves the video game as much as the show adaptation, you’re likely curious to see what cast newcomers like Kaitlyn Dever, Jeffrey Wright (who voiced Isaac in the game’s “Part II”) and Catherine O’Hara bring to the show.

Expect this season to be “gory and gorgeous, viciously violent and vividly brought to life,” our reviewer writes.

Books like ‘The Last of Us’

Even though the unlikely duo will be back on our screens Sundays, the week between each episode will probably still feel as long as Joel and Ellie’s journey to Wyoming. Luckily, we’ve got plenty of stories to keep the post-apocalyptic energy going.

These eight novels have similar tales of survival, finding community at the end of the world and zombielike creatures like the “infected.” Or, if you’re looking to deep dive into your fungi fascination, try something like “Entangled Life” by Merlin Sheldrake, which explores the mysterious role these organisms play in our lives.

‘Station Eleven’ by Emily St. John Mandel

Set 15 years after a pandemic decimated most of the world’s population, “Station Eleven” follows a troupe of traveling Shakespeare performers who bring their art to the few remote survivor communities. But everything changes when they arrive at an outpost carrying a violent prophet who threatens anyone who tries to leave. This dystopian story is immersive and unputdownable, shifting back and forth in time to paint a picture of both the lead-up and the aftermath of society’s destruction.

‘The Girl With All the Gifts’ by M.R. Carey

This 2014 sci-fi thriller is perfect for “The Last of Us” fans who love Ellie. Set after the apocalypse, “The Girl With All the Gifts” opens on a classroom filled with closely guarded infected children – zombies who have retained human intelligence. Every day, Melanie, a student heralded as a “little genius,” is strapped to a chair with a gun held to her head. She’s wheeled into a classroom with other kids like her are taught lessons for a world they’ll never inhabit.

‘Parable of the Sower’ by Octavia E. Butler

If you liked following Joel and Ellie’s journey across America in “The Last of Us,” you should check out Butler’s classic dystopian “Parable of the Sower.” Often heralded as prophetic, this novel centers on a young girl with a debilitating form of hyperempathy. She lives with her family in a gated community, sheltered from the chaos and violence of a society collapsing from climate and economic crises. But she’ll soon be on her own, fighting for survival with a new vision for humanity.

‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy

McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel captures a parent-child dynamic like the one between Joel and Ellie. It follows a father and son on a journey across a ravaged, post-apocalyptic America on their way to the coast. Defending themselves from bandits and scavenging what little food they can find, “The Road” interrogates how far love can travel in a world without hope.

‘How High We Go in the Dark’ by Sequoia Nagamatsu

If the post-apocalyptic world-building and backstory of “The Last of Us” is what gets you, try “How High We Go in the Dark.” This novel follows a cast of interwoven characters over hundreds of years during and in the aftermath of a climate plague unleashed after researchers in the Arctic Circle study the preserved remains of a girl who died of an ancient virus.

‘Hell Followed With Us’ by Andrew Joseph White

Ellie fans will also like the protagonist in this young adult novel. In a destroyed future, a 16-year-old trans boy runs from a fundamentalist cult that’s infected him with a bioweapon. He finds community in a ragtag group of teens who rescue him when he’s attacked. Can he hide his biggest secret from them – that the bioweapon is mutating him into a potentially world-destroying monster?

‘Annihilation’ by Jeff VanderMeer

If you love the danger and discovery of the unknown in “The Last of Us,” try “Annihilation” and the “Southern Reach” trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer. This sci-fi follows a group of four women – an anthropologist, a surveyor, a psychologist and a biologist – on an expedition to map and observe Area X. All other journeys into the overgrown, desolate island have ended in disaster or death. The researchers will have to make it out alive and uncontaminated.

‘Zone One’ by Colson Whitehead

This dystopian novel from the author of “The Nickel Boys” follows the aftermath of a deadly plague, where armed forces have reclaimed parts of Manhattan and civilian sweeper units clear the city of feral zombies. “Zone One” is the aftermath of the downfall, as one sweeper deals with “Post Apocalyptic Stress Disorder” and comes to terms with a new world.

Want more dystopian?: 10 books similar to ‘1984’ by George Orwell

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].

April 13, 2025
Crossword Blog & Answers for April 12, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! Put That Down
Constructor: Robbie Cottom

Editor: Anna Gundlach

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

PERFECT HAT TRICK (9D: Soccer term for scoring with one’s right foot, left foot and head in a single game) I was familiar with the term HAT TRICK as it is used in hockey to refer to a player scoring three goals in one game. Today I learned that HAT TRICK also has this meaning in soccer (known as football in many countries). A PERFECT HAT TRICK is a special type of HAT TRICK that is scored as described in the clue. Add this to the sports knowledge I have gained from crosswords.

TASTE (32D: 2024 Sabrina Carpenter hit) I am familiar with singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter, but needed the help of crossing answers to discover “TASTE” as the name of her 2024 hit. The song is from Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet.

PODS (51D: Where dates happen on “Love is Blind”) The premise of the reality TV show Love Is Blind is that the participants date and get engaged, all without meeting in person. Dates take place in specially-designed PODS where couples can talk to each other by speaker, but can only see each other through a blue translucent barrier that doesn’t show detail.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

ADIDAS (1A: Nike competitor) and AVIA (37A: Nike competitor) This is a nice clue echo.

HATED IT (13A: “Zero stars!”) and GENERAL (15A: Four-star officer) I liked the fact that we went from zero to four stars in the same row of the puzzle.

OZONE (24A: Gas in a layer of the atmosphere) The OZONE layer is a part of the Earth’s stratosphere. One important role of the OZONE layer is that it absorbs most of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation, which would otherwise cause damage to plants and animals.

BATMAN (36A: The Dark Knight) The Dark Knight is a nickname for the DC Comics superhero BATMAN. The nickname was first used in the comic book BATMAN #1 in 1940.

DOMINO’S (61A: Fast-food chain with a pizza tracker) DOMINO’S introduced the Pizza Tracker in 2008. The app allows customers to view the status of their order in real time.

NECKTIE (67A: It might be knotted with a full Windsor) The full Windsor (the word “full” distinguishes it from a half-Windsor) is one of many knots that may be used to tie a NECKTIE. The full Windsor is named after the Duke of Windsor, who is sometimes incorrectly credited with its invention.

DANE (2D: Copenhagen resident) Copenhagen is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, making its residents DANEs.

DEATH AT A FUNERAL (4D: 2010 black comedy starring Chris Rock) The 2010 movie DEATH AT A FUNERAL is a remake of a 2007 movie of the same name. As you might guess from the title, the setting for the movie is a family FUNERAL. The FUNERAL doesn’t quite go as planned…

SISSY (6D: “3 Women” actress Spacek) The 1977 movie 3 Women stars SISSY Spacek, Shelley Duvall, and Janice Rule. The psychological drama focuses on the relationships between the title characters. The movie is based on a dream that Robert Altman had; he produced, wrote, and directed the film.

ERIE (10D: Cleveland’s lake) Cleveland, Ohio is the largest city located on Lake ERIE. This is the first appearance of Lake ERIE this month, and its fifth appearance this year.

KERI (53D: “The Diplomat” actress Russell) The Diplomat is a Netflix TV series that premiered in 2023 and is beginning its third season this year. KERI Russell stars as Kate Wyler, U.S. ambassador to the U.K.

ABE (60D: Sixteenth prez) Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the sixteenth president of the United States. The use of prez – the shortened form of president – in the clue alerts solvers that the answer will be a shortened form of his name, ABE.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

DEATH AT A FUNERAL (4D: 2010 black comedy starring Chris Rock)

PERFECT HAT TRICK (9D: Soccer term for scoring with one’s right foot, left foot and head in a single game)

WORTH A TRY (20D: “What have we got to lose?”)

PUT THAT DOWN: The word THAT is found going DOWN in each vertical theme answer: DEATH AT A FUNERAL, PERFECT HAT TRICK, and WORTH A TRY.

This is a classic USA TODAY theme type, so when I read the title, I knew just what to expect. That’s not a bad thing at all. This is a great set of theme answers, and I felt extra smart when I discovered my guess about the theme was correct. Congratulations to Robbie Cottom making a USA TODAY crossword debut! Thank you, Robbie, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles
April 13, 2025
NBC’s cult favorite is a love letter to Broadway

NEW YORK — Like a peanut-laced smoothie or an airborne martini, “Smash” is back with a vengeance.

NBC’s soapy backstage drama was a pricey misfire when it premiered in 2012, hoofing along for two critically derided seasons before the network pulled the plug. But the cultishly beloved series has now found new life as a gleefully bonkers Broadway musical, which opened April 10 at the Imperial Theatre.

Exuberantly directed by Susan Stroman (“The Producers”), the ultra-meta comedy combines incisive showbiz satire with song-and-dance razzle dazzle, courtesy of the TV series’ original choreographer, Joshua Bergasse. The show follows an eager-to-please actress named Ivy Lynn (Robyn Hurder) as she goes outlandishly Method for the role of Marilyn Monroe, alienating everyone she knows and bringing the (fictional) bio-musical “Bombshell” to the brink of implosion.

Join USA TODAY’s resident “Smash” fans, Patrick Ryan and Anna Kaufman, as they unpack this wildly chaotic yet clever theatrical iteration, from its myriad scarves to the “Let Me Be Your Stars”:

Patrick Ryan: So Anna, when did you first watch “Smash?”

Anna Kaufman: I watched it as a preteen and was immediately hooked. We didn’t have cable TV, so I found it in bits and pieces on YouTube. I was just enraptured by the dance numbers, the glamour of New York, and the idea of the musical theater world as a rat’s nest of broken relationships and grudges. At that age, I was too young to detect camp and therefore engaged in it in a really earnest sense. Years later, I can see that the show wreaked of cringe in the best way, but my love for the music remains earnest. What about you?

Ryan: I initially watched “Smash” during a delirious weeklong binge with my partner in the early days of COVID lockdown, and then again this year in anticipation of the musical. Granted, there’s way too much time wasted on Debra Messing’s family (enough, Leo!), and Season 2 gets very bogged down with Pasek and Paul doing Jonathan Larson cosplay. And yet, I still love its nonsense. What other major network show had both Nikki Blonsky and Cole Escola? Or Megan Hilty leading a Rihanna singalong in Times Square while high out of her mind in an angel costume? I mean, how could any stage version match that lunacy?

Kaufman: I went into the musical with so few expectations, which was kind of freeing. I was hopeful those big power ballads that grounded the series would feel even more stunning on stage and was not at all disappointed. The same goes for the dance numbers, which were costumed to the gods by Alejo Vietti. I will say, as a “Don’t Forget Me” fangirl, I wanted to see at least two Marilyns perform it, maybe even all three. That may have been a lot to ask, though.

Ryan: I still can’t fathom how with nearly two dozen songs, they couldn’t make any room for “History is Made at Night,” which is Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman at their best. But alas, enough of my soapbox.

I had read and heard so much negative buzz going into the Broadway show that my expectations were on the floor, which is maybe why it’s the biggest surprise of the season for me. I loved that writers Bob Martin and Rick Elice didn’t just hit copy-paste from the TV series, but actually gave us a book that – while convoluted – is such a deeply weird and often hilarious twist on everything we love about “Smash.” The digs at Broadway TikTokers? “I never liked you, Jerry?” Kristine Nielsen essentially playing a witch? It’s genuinely the most I’ve laughed at any musical this past year, and I say that with all reverence to Hilty and Jennifer Simard, who both carry “Death Becomes Her.”

Kaufman: The comedic timing of Brooks Ashmanskas, who played “Bombshell” director Nigel, was so delightful. I don’t remember the TV show being as intentionally funny as the musical was, and I really found myself reveling in his exasperation and subtle breaking of the fourth wall. Beowulf Boritt’s scenic design was also stunning. Taking the expansiveness of a TV series and shrinking it for the stage is a challenge, and “Smash” really rose to it.

Ryan: It also can’t be overstated what a star Hurder is. She’s one of the few legitimate triple threats that we have on Broadway right now, and I felt exhausted on her behalf just watching the opening number and “I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn’t Love to Howl.” I will admit, I wish we had more Bella Coppola, who is such a powerhouse as Chloe, “Bombshell’s” unassuming associate director. One of my favorite things about the “Smash” TV series was the tension of who will and should play Marilyn. Sure, Ivy was perfect on paper, but in the moments when Karen really locked in and you could see the vision, it was thrilling. Yes, I know the musical is telling a mostly different story, but it never truly lets you sit in the suspense of whether Chloe or Karen (or someone else entirely) could usurp the part of Marilyn from Ivy.

Kaufman: The music and comedy of the show were a real high point, but the details of the plot disappointed a bit. It felt as though there were a lot of loose ends and ill-thought-out subplots that didn’t jive together in a meaningful way. I was also disappointed by the way Karen (Caroline Bowman), who was integral to the TV show, was written. She felt a bit one-dimensional in the musical; confined to the role of the production’s punching bag and easily walked over. Some of the unnecessary side-plots could have been axed to make more time for the audience to get to know her story (and hear her belt!).

Ryan: Agreed. The show loses a touch of momentum in the overlong second act, and spins its wheels with how far exactly to take Ivy’s Marilyn-consumed delusion. But part of the appeal of “Smash” has always been how perfectly imperfect it was, and I love that we have an unbridled musical comedy that captures some of that insane energy. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it immensely.

Kaufman: It’s a soft recommend for me. I think you can definitely enjoy it without having seen the TV series, but I think it’s more theater-for-a-theater-person. In many ways, it was a love letter to Broadway, so for fans of the industry and people who grew up loving it, this show will hit the spot.

“Smash” is now playing at the Imperial Theatre (249 W. 45th Street).

April 12, 2025