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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]

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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
What time does Charli XCX perform at Coachella 2025? How to watch live

Charli XCX is back at Coachella, returning to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, on Saturday night.

Charli XCX will make her first appearance at the famous music festival for the first time since 2023, when she performed on the main stage.

Coachella’s first weekend events will run from April 11-13, while the second weekend spans April 18-20.

Here is what you need to know about Charli XCX’s performance at Coachella 2025, including her set time, how to watch from home and more.

When is Charli XCX performing at Coachella?

Charli XCX is set to make two performances at Coachella 2025. The first will be on Saturday, April 12, and the second one scheduled for Saturday, April 19.

She is scheduled to kick off her performance on the main Coachella stage at 7:15 p.m. local time for both this Saturday and next Saturday’s performance.

How to watch Charli XCX’s Coachella performance live

Coachella performances are available on YouTube, according to the company, and streams started on Friday, April 11. People will be able to watch multiple stages from their couch simultaneously, while a vertical livestream option featuring DJ sets will also be available.

YouTube is also allowing viewers to watch the show with content creators on their respective channels.

“New to the desert this year, Watch With allows creators to react to live events with commentary and real-time reactions, giving you the experience of watching Coachella alongside your favorite creator,” the video platform shared.

Coachella 2025 set times

A complete list of day-by-day set times can be found on Coachella’s website or in an Instagram post below:

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

April 12, 2025
What time does Travis Scott perform at Coachella 2025? How to watch

Travis Scott is back at Coachella, performing at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, on Saturday night and again on April 19

Travis Scott is finally returning to Coachella, coming back to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, on Saturday night.

Travis Scott will make his first appearance at the famous music festival for the first time since 2017, when he played the Outdoor Theatre. He also made a guest appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s headlining performance that year.

Coachella’s first weekend events runs from April 11 to 13, while the second weekend is April 18-20.

Here is what you need to know about Travis Scott’s performance at Coachella 2025, including his set time, how to watch from home and more.

When is Travis Scott performing at Coachella?

Travis Scott is set to make two performances at Coachella 2025. The first will be on Saturday, April 12, and the second one scheduled for Saturday, April 19.

He is scheduled to kick off his performance on the main Coachella stage at 11:40 p.m. local time for both this Saturday and next Saturday’s performance.

How to watch Travis Scott’s Coachella performance live

Coachella performances are available on YouTube, according to the company, and streams started on Friday, April 11. People will be able to watch multiple stages from their couch simultaneously, while a vertical livestream option featuring DJ sets will also be available.

YouTube is also allowing viewers to watch the show with content creators on their respective channels.

“New to the desert this year, Watch With allows creators to react to live events with commentary and real-time reactions, giving you the experience of watching Coachella alongside your favorite creator,” the video platform shared.

Coachella 2025 set times

A complete list of day-by-day set times can be found on Coachella’s website or in an Instagram post below:

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

April 12, 2025
JK Rowling never misses a chance to be transphobic

I grew up on ‘Harry Potter’ and the world J.K. Rowling built. It’s sad to see her transphobia in action.

It’s no secret that “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling has spent the past few years spewing transphobic hate any chance she gets. Now, her hatred of other members of the LGBTQ+ community is making headlines. She just can’t stop.

April 6 was International Asexuality Day, celebrating members of the LGBTQ+ community who do not experience sexual attraction. Rowling had a problem with that, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to go on a bigoted rant about people whose lives she refuses to understand: “Happy International Fake Oppression Day to everyone who wants complete strangers to know they don’t fancy a shag.”

She continued her barrage of hate in the replies, adding: “Sure, people are still killed for being gay in a lot of countries, but straight people who don’t fancy a quickie are being literally ignored to death.” She was also confused about how people can identify as gay and be asexual.

Sure, she could do a little research and quickly discover that sexual attraction is different than romantic attraction, but why would she do that when it’s even easier to continue dunking on vulnerable groups? Why learn anything when you can just punch down for social media clout?

J.K. Rowling is transphobic every chance she gets

Lest we forget that she also hates transgender people, Rowling also got into it with “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver when the comedian aired an episode about the panic over trans women competing in sports.

The author claimed Oliver was a sellout, alleged that standing up for transgender people “was the cost of doing business” and told him to “read the f—— room.”

Opinion: I can’t stop thinking about the interview Elon Musk’s trans daughter gave

If we’re reading the room, surely Rowling knows that her views alienate people and add to the intense hate trans people face daily. Instead of trying to understand trans people, she’d rather hide behind her hateful comments.

Surely, she could be doing something better with her time: writing, volunteering or getting a hobby. Instead, she has decided that she’s willing to die on her hill of transphobia, tarnishing her reputation and hurting her fans in the process.

‘Harry Potter’ was part of my childhood. Rowling’s politics ruined it.

Like millions of people around the world, I grew up reading the Potter series. My mother took my younger sister and me to the midnight release of the “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” book in 2005. I held on to my ticket stub from the 2011 midnight premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” for years.

Like many of the people who read those books, I was heartbroken when Rowling began using her platform to disparage the transgender community.

It’s ironic that a woman who created a series about witchcraft and fantastical things is unable to comprehend things as simple as people not experiencing sexual attraction or identifying with genders that don’t match the sex they were assigned at birth.

Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don’t have the app? Download it for free from your app store.

According to The Sunday Times Rich List 2024, Rowling is worth £945 million – the equivalent of more than $1.23 billion. She has so much money that she could live a life of seclusion for the rest of her days, or at least enough money that she doesn’t need to be bothered by what is happening politically.

Instead, she is using her massive platform and hordes of wealth to put down vulnerable communities. In the process, she has soiled her reputation and harmed people who were once fans of hers.

Imagine being so hateful that you relish in it.

I wish Rowling and other billionaires would use their money and time to advocate for the betterment of society instead of villainizing people who have done nothing wrong. But maybe I’m more imaginative than she is.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno

April 12, 2025
Host, time, how to watch Jon Hamm
“Saturday Night Live” is set to air the 18th episode of Season 50 this weekend, with its host making his fourth appearance on the iconic late-night show.
This Saturday’s episode will be hosted by Jon Hamm, according to NBC. The actor will return to the late-night comedy show for the fourth time.

Hamm will be joined by Lizzo as the night’s musical guest. Hamm made his debut on SNL in 2008. This is also Lizzo’s fourth appearance on the show, with the singer making her debut in late 2019.

Here’s what to know about the Saturday, April 12 show, including what time it airs and where to watch.

How to watch ‘SNL’ on April 12

The April 12 “SNL” episode will be available to watch live on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT.

Viewers can also stream it the next day on Peacock.

Who is the ‘SNL’ musical guest on April 12?

Lizzo is the April 12 musical guest.

Her performance comes at the heels of the release of “Still Bad,” the newest single from her upcoming album, “Love in Real Life.”

Who’s in the Season 50 ‘SNL’ cast?

James Austin Johnson reprised his role as President Donald Trump. Bowen Yang has played the role of Vice President JD Vance.

Former cast member Maya Rudolph played the role of Vice President Kamala Harris in the lead-up to the November presidential election.

Season 50 returning cast members include:

Michael Che

Mikey Day

Andrew Dismukes

Chloe Fineman

Heidi Gardner

Marcello Hernández

James Austin Johnson

Colin Jost

Michael Longfellow

Ego Nwodim

Ashley Padilla

Sarah Sherman

Kenan Thompson

Devon Walker

Emil Wakim

Jane Wickline

Bowen Yang

‘Lorne gonna be mad’: Ego Nwodim’s ‘SNL’ bit prompts crowd to curse

New cast members this season are:

Ashley Padilla

Emil Wakim

Jane Wickline

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Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
April 12, 2025
Bill Maher’s monologue on Donald Trump meeting: Full transcript

In the opening monologue for the April 11 episode of “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Maher gave a highly anticipated report on how his dinner with Pres. Donald Trump at the White House went.

“What I’m gonna do is report exactly what happened. You decide what you think about it,” the longtime host told his audience.

Maher conceded the Trump he met on March 31 was different from the persona he sees on TV. But he also acknowledged, “It doesn’t matter who he is at a private dinner with a comedian; it matters who he is on the world stage.”

He later added, “Why can’t we get the guy I met to be the public guy?”

Though the meeting, which was also attended by Kid Rock and UFC CEO Dana White, went well, Maher maintained he will continue to hold the Trump administration to account in his political commentary.

Read on for a transcript of Maher’s monologue.

‘No, I didn’t go MAGA’: Bill Maher breaks silence on Trump dinner

Watch Bill Maher’s full monologue about his Trump meeting

Bill Maher discusses dinner with Donald Trump: full transcript

For what I know you’ve all been waiting for, I’d like to give you my book report on my visit to the White House. As you know, 12 days ago, I had dinner with President Trump — a dinner that was set up by my friend Kid Rock, because we share a belief that there’s got to be something better than hurling insults from 3,000 miles away.

And let me first say that to all the people who treated this like it was some kind of summit meeting, you are ridiculous. Like I was going to sign a treaty or something. I have no power. I’m a … comedian and he’s the most powerful leader in the world. I’m not the leader of anything, except maybe a contingent of centrist-minded people who think there’s got to be a better way of running this country than hating each other every minute.

OK, so meet up in person, maybe it’ll be different. Spoiler alert, it was. First good sign, before I left for the capital, I had my staff collect and print out this list of almost 60 different insulting epithets that the president said about me. Things like: stupid, dummy, low-life dummy, sleazebag, sick, sad, stone-cold crazy. Really a dumb guy, fired like a dog, his show is dead.

I brought this to the White House because I wanted him to sign it, which he did. Which he did, with good humor, and I know as I say that, millions of liberal sphincters just tightened. Oh my god, Bill, are you gonna say something nice about him? What I’m gonna do is report exactly what happened. You decide what you think about it. And if that’s not enough pure Trump hate for you, I don’t give a (expletive).

‘One of the most effective politicians’: Bill Maher clarifies he doesn’t hate Trump

So no, I didn’t go MAGA. And to the president’s credit, there was no pressure to. After we left the Oval Office, he showed me the little room off the office, you know, the one where Clinton used to … the (expletive) room, OK? Well, not anymore. That’s where they keep the merch now.

And he gave me a bunch of hats, but he didn’t ask me to take a picture in one, which I appreciated. The guy I met is not the person who the night before the dinner … tweeted a bunch of nasty crap about how he thought this dinner was a bad idea and what a deranged (expletive) I was. I read it and thought, oh, what a lovely way to welcome someone to your house.

But when I got there, that guy wasn’t living there. Now, does Trump want respect? Of course, who doesn’t? My friend said to me, what are you going to wear to the White House? I said, I don’t know, but I’m not going to dress like Zelenskyy, I’ll tell you that. Just for starters, he laughs! I’ve never seen him laugh in public. But he does, including at himself. And it’s not fake. Believe me, as a comedian of 40 years, I know a fake laugh when I hear it. And I thank you for them.

Example: In the Oval Office he was showing me the portraits of presidents and he pointed to Reagan and said in all seriousness, ‘You know the best thing about him? His hair.’ I said, ‘Well, there was also that whole bringing down Communism thing.’ (I was) waiting for the button next to the Diet Coke button to get pushed and I go through the trap door. But no, he laughed; he got it.

I said to him at one point, ‘Mr. President, you know, the dog. That’s unusual in the White House.’ He said, ‘Well, a lot of the presidents, they had a dog for political reasons.’ I said, ‘No, people love dogs! That’s what that is.’ (Trump said) ‘Oh yeah, OK, that true.’ I’m telling you, it happened!

At one point we were walking through his amazing — it is an amazing tour of the whole house. And I don’t remember exactly what we were talking about but it must have been something with the 2020 election because I know he used the word ‘lost’, and I distinctly remember saying, ‘Wow, I never thought I’d hear you say that.’ He didn’t get mad. He’s much more self-aware than he lets on in public.

Look, I get it. It doesn’t matter who he is at a private dinner with a comedian; it matters who he is on the world stage. I’m just taking it as a positive that this person exists, because everything I’ve ever not liked about him was, I swear to God, absent, at least on this night with this guy. Bob — Kid Rock —told me the night before, he said, ‘If you want to get a word in edgewise, you’re going to have to cut him off, (or) he’ll just go on.’ Not at all.

I’ve had so many conversations with prominent people who are much less connected, people who don’t look you in the eye, people who really don’t listen because they just want to get to their next thing, people whose response to things you say just doesn’t track. Like, what? None of that with him. And he mostly steered the conversations: ‘So what do you think about this?’ I know. Your mind is blown. So is mine.

There were so many moments when I hit him with a joke or contradicted something and no problem. At dinner, he was asking me about the nuclear situation in Iran in a very genuine, ‘Hey, I think you’re a smart guy. I want your opinion’ sort of way. And I said, ‘Well, obviously you’re privy to things about it (that) I’m not, but for what it’s worth, I thought the Obama deal was worth letting play out because we made Iran destroy 98% of the uranium, and they were 15 years away from a bomb.’

And then I said to him, ‘Well, we got rid of that. You got rid of that.’ He didn’t get mad or call me a left-wing lunatic. He took it in. I told him I thought parts of his plan for Gaza were wacky but that I had supported him in the idea that Gaza could be Dubai instead of hell. I told him he was wrong when he tweeted the night before that I was critical of all things Trump. Not true — check the tapes.

Moving Israel’s embassy to Jerusalem? Loved it. The border did need to be controlled. I’m glad the cops are getting their morale back. DEI had gone too far. Biological men shouldn’t be playing women’s sports. Europe should pay for their defense. And of course, it makes sense that Arab countries should take in Arab refugees, like the million Syrians who wound up in Germany when Saudi Arabia took none. He said to me, ‘You’re right, they took none.’ I said, ‘Well you should remind your boyfriend in Saudi Arabia that the next time you see him.’ He laughed.

I never felt I had to walk on eggshells around him, and honestly? I voted for Clinton and Obama but I would never feel comfortable talking to them the way I was able to talk with Donald Trump. That’s just how it went down. Make of it what you will. Me? I feel it’s emblematic of why the Democrats are so unpopular these days. He was even OK when I checked him on the orangutan lawsuit. He was. I know.

He said to Dana White, you know, ‘Bill said my father was an orangutan, and I said, I really love my father.’ And I said, ‘Well, Mr. President, I did that because I didn’t like what you were doing regarding Obama’s birth origins. I thought that was low.’ Again, no anger, just a little smile, as if to say, yeah, I get it.

The most surreal part of the whole night was when I got home. I flew back right after the dinner, and I’m in bed watching ’60 Minutes’ from the night before. And there’s Trump in one of their stories, standing at a podium in a room that looked to me like one of the rooms and places we’d just been in. And he’s ranting, ‘Disgusting, you’re a terrible person.’ And I’m like, who’s that guy? What happened to Glinda the Good Witch? And why can’t we get the guy I met to be the public guy?

And I’m not saying it’s our responsibility to do that. It’s not. I’m just reporting exactly what I saw over two and a half hours. I went into the mine, and that’s what’s down there. A crazy person doesn’t live in the White House. A person who plays a crazy person on TV a lot lives there, which I know is (expletive) up. It’s just not as (expletive) up as I thought it was. And I have no illusions now that I’m back to work at my job that he might start a new list.

Because I don’t have a good feeling and will be critical about a lot of what he’s doing: the trade war and disappearing people, ruling by decree, threatening judges, gutting the government with glee. But I also think he now understands I have a job to do, or at least he did on this night because he said to me early on that he’d seen our last episode, which was the Friday before this dinner And he said, ‘I thought maybe you’d be nice, but you’d hit me really hard.’ I did, because I’m not going to pull my punches that presidents get to propose a third term for themselves. He understood that, and without animus. That doesn’t mean he’s not going try to do it.

At one point I said to him, ‘You’re scaring people. Do you really want to be scaring your own citizens so much?’ And I know now you’re all saying, and what did he say to that? Honestly, I don’t remember. But it wasn’t ‘OK, I’ll stop.’

So MAGA fans, don’t worry, your boy gave me nothing. Just hats. Hats and a very generous amount of time and a willingness to listen and accept me as a possible friend, even though I’m not MAGA, which was the point of the dinner. My favorite part of the whole night was we were standing in the (room off the Oval Office) and he said, ‘You know I’ve heard from a lot of people who really like that we’re having this dinner. Not all, but a lot.’ And I said, ‘Same, a lot of people told me they loved it, but not all.’

And we agreed the people who don’t even want us to talk? We don’t like you. Don’t talk as opposed to what? Writing the same editorial for the millionth time and making 25-hour speeches into the wind. Really, that’s what liberals have? He takes the piss out of everybody else, and we can hold ours?

OK, that’s my report. You can hate me for it, but I’m not a liar. Trump was gracious and measured, and why he isn’t that in other settings, I don’t know. And I can’t answer, and it’s not my place to answer. I’m just telling you what I saw, and I wasn’t high.

Damn, missed opportunity.

April 12, 2025