Category: BUSINESS

“The Last of Us” fans are still reeling from that episode, but the new season is just reaching the halfway point.

Season 2 of HBO’s Emmy-winning apocalypse series premiered last month and has already emotionally battered viewers with the jarring death of Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal).

Last week’s episode showcased the aftermath of Joel’s death and the epic infected battle. Ellie (Bella Ramsey) is now consumed with untethered rage after losing her chosen father figure and is determined to seek vengeance against Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).

When Coogler announced his fifth feature film, I was ecstatic.

As someone who loves the horror genre and specifically Southern gothic horror, as my favorite Ayo Edebiri quote says, “I’m seated. The theater employees are scared and asking me to leave … but I’m simply too seated.” 

I was already excited to see a vampire movie focusing on Black characters in the South, but what shocked me was the subplot of the complicated relationship between African Americans and Christianity.  

Religion, not the Blues, was forced upon Black people

Growing up in a Baptist community in New York City, Sunday school, choir practices and lengthy Sunday services were part of my regular routine. While I enjoyed it thoroughly as a child, as I got older, it felt more like a chore. 

After Carol and her kids had seen me give a talk at a local library, she wanted to make an animated TV show based on my books to inspire reading. What a great idea! Nearly 30 years after the broadcast debut of “Arthur,” it is still beloved and one of the longest-running animated children’s programs ever.

Kids programming is the beating heart of PBS – 90% of parents believe PBS Kids content is a trusted and safe source for children to watch television, play digital games and mobile apps. And PBS Kids channels are available to 98% of U.S. TV households.  

The Trump administration on May 1 signed an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and all federal executive departments and agencies to stop funding PBS (and NPR), threatening not just “Arthur” but educational programming for kids everywhere.

This Saturday’s episode will be hosted by Quinta Brunson, according to NBC. The actress, comedian and writer will return to the late-night comedy show for the second time.

Brunson will be joined by Benson Boone as the night’s musical guest. Brunson made her debut on SNL back on April 1, 2023. Boone, on the other hand, will make his SNL debut on Saturday ahead of the release of his upcoming album, American Heart.

Here’s what to know about the Saturday, May 3 show, including what time it airs and how to watch.

Constructor: Amanda Rafkin

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• MINORITY REPORT (34A: 2002 cyberpunk Spielberg film) Steven Spielberg’s movie Minority Report is based on a 1956 novella by Philip K. Dick. The movie is set in the year 2054 in the Washington metropolitan area. Tom Cruise stars as the chief of a specialized police department known as Precrime, which apprehends criminals based on knowledge learned from psychics. Several of the futuristic technologies in the movie – such iris scanners, personalized advertising, and autonomous cars – now exist.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• OMW (14A: “Heading over now,” for short) OMW = on my way
• BILLY PORTER (15A: Actor and singer who starred in “Kinky Boots” and “Pose”) In 2013, BILLY PORTER originated the role of Lola in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots. For that role he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. In the TV series Pose (2018-2021), BILLY PORTER portrays Pray Tell, an emcee of New York City’s balls and a fashion designer. For this role, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
• FUTON (19A: Foldable couch) and COTS (21A: Foldable beds) This is a fun duo of foldable furniture clues.
• RAT (31A: Remy, Rizzo or Templeton) Remy is a RAT in Disney’s 2007 animated movie Ratatouille. Rizzo the RAT is a Muppet character who often appears with Gonzo the Great. Templeton is a RAT in Charlotte’s Web. This is a nice trio of RAT characters. Solvers only need to be familiar with one RAT in order to be successful.
• LEIS (33A: Garlands that might be made using hala fruit) LEIS made using hala fruit – the fruit of the Pandanus pectorius tree – are traditionally used for special occasions, particularly the celebration of the end of an era (graduation, e.g.) or the transition to a new era (celebrating a New Year, e.g.).
• ORA (40A: “The Masked Singer” judge Rita) The Masked Singer is a reality singing competition that features celebrities vying to be the favorite singer. Contestants perform in costumes and masks that conceal their identities. Rita ORA has been on the show’s panel of judges since its eleventh season.
• KERI (50A: “The Diplomat” actress Russell) On the Netflix TV series The Diplomat, KERI Russell stars as Kate Wyler, U.S. ambassador to the U.K.
• TED TALK (54A: Lecture that’s around 18 minutes long) TED TALKs originated at the TED Conference in 1984. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. TED TALKs present an idea in 18 minutes or less. Since 2006, TED TALKs have been available to view online, with the tagline “Discover ideas worth spreading.” TED TALKs cover a variety of topics, such as “The power of vulnerability” (Brené Brown), “Magic and wonder in the age of AI,” (David Kwong), and “The Black history of twerking — and how it taught me self-love” (Lizzo).
• EMU (64A: LiMu ___ (rhyming insurance mascot)) LiMu EMU has been a mascot for Liberty Mutual insurance since 2019.
• REPUTATION (4D: Taylor Swift album with a snake aesthetic) and NAME (53D: “Say my ___ and everything just stops”) REPUTATION is Taylor Swift’s sixth studio album, released in 2017. The imagery of snakes associated with REPUTATION was inspired by (and a response to) online criticism of Taylor Swift that referred to her as a snake. REPUTATION includes the song, “Look What You Made Me Do.” The album also includes the song “Dress,” which includes the lyric “Say my NAME and everything just stops.”
• ACT (6D: Perform in “Redwood”) The musical Redwood opened on Broadway earlier this year. Idina Menzel portrays Jesse, a mother grieving the death of her son. She impulsively starts driving away from her east coast home, and ultimately finds herself in a redwood forest on the west coast. I was excited to see this clue, as my husband and I were fortunate enough to see Redwood on Broadway last month. The show has received mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it. Getting to see Idina Menzel ACT and sing (sometimes suspended in the air while climbing a “redwood”) was incredible. The set was amazing, using projection to make you feel as if you’re in a redwood forest. I did cry through much of the show (it’s an emotional topic), but there were also a few funny moments. One of my favorite moments was when one of the other characters said to Idina Menzel’s character, “Just a minute ago you were a Disney princess.”

• DRUM (13D: Djembe or conga, e.g.) A djembe is a goblet-shaped DRUM, and a conga is a tall barrel-shaped DRUM. Both of these DRUMs are played with bare hands. 
• TAILOR (20D: Make alterations to) My first thought here (before I looked at the letter count) was “edit.” After all, we see EDIT in the puzzle on a regular basis. “Aha!” These are different kinds of alterations. That’s fun.
• SHAPES (45D: The Tetris tetrominoes come in seven different ones) Tetris is the second-best-selling video game franchise. (The Mario franchise is the first.) There’s just something about those falling SHAPES that makes this game a classic. As the clue informs us, the Tetris tetrominoes come in seven different SHAPES. It occurs to me that this fact could also be used to clue the word “seven.” (I’m tucking that thought away for future use.)
• DESK (55D: Tiny ___ Concert) A Tiny DESK Concert is exactly what it sounds like, performers give a concert behind a desk in the NPR offices. Recent Tiny DESK Concerts feature performances by Madison McFerrin and Grupo Frontera.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
  • ERR ( Play an F♯ in a C major scale =, say)
  • I’M INTO IT (9D: “Love that, love that!”)
  • AT MY AGE (23D: “When you get to be this old…”)

CBS revealed Friday that the Latifah-led series, a staple of the network’s Sunday night lineup, will not be renewed for Season 6. The May 4 Season 5 finale (10 EDT/PDT), titled “Decisions,” will now be the series finale for the procedural.

In the reimagining of the 1980s CBS series, Latifah stars as former CIA operative McCall, who uses her particular set of skills to help people in need. The reboot has passionate fans who pushed “The Equalizer” to the top of USA TODAY’s exclusive “Save Our Shows” readers’ poll.

Save Our Shows 2025: See how your TV favorites fared in USA TODAY’s exclusive poll

In the poll results announced Friday, 47% of “SOS” voters said they wanted the show to return for a sixth season, the highest percentage of any show.

Each week we profile an independent bookstore, sharing what makes each one special and getting their expert and unique book recommendations.

This week we have Jeanne Snowdon, owner of The Country Bookseller in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.

What’s your store’s story?

The store started in 1994 from one woman’s dream and dedication. A teenager she later hired stayed for 22 years and helped elevate the store to what it is today. I will soon be the third owner, making my own dream come true while feeling humbled and aspiring to build on the legacy of the two remarkable women before me.

What makes your independent bookstore unique?

Our shop has proudly served our community for more than 30 years, earning the affection of both local residents and the many tourists who visit each year. One of the most prosperous years in the store’s long history was the year of lockdown during the pandemic, proving the dedication of the town residents in helping it remain a constant even through difficult times. We are a small-town store with a big-town selection.

The fourth and final season of HBO’s “The Righteous Gemstones” will come to an end on May 4, as the series finale is set to close the Gemstone saga.

The show starring Danny McBride (Jesse Gemstone), Walton Goggins (Baby Billy Freeman) and John Goodman (Eli Gemstone) “tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work,” according to Warner Bros. 

Ahead of the final episode, Danny McBride told the Associated Press that he hoped “religious people” would watch the series.

“A lot of people who come up to me, honestly, their first thing will be like, ‘I go to church and I think it’s funny,’” he told the Associated Press. “My hope honestly, with creating the show was that people who were religious would watch it. That, ultimately, they would understand that this isn’t making fun of them, but it’s probably making fun of people that they identify and are annoyed by.”