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Constructor: Jake Halperin

Editor: Anna Gundlach

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• GERALD (65A: Arnold’s best friend in “Hey Arnold!”) Hey Arnold! is an animated TV series about a fourth grader named Arnold who lives with his grandparents. Although I’ve written about this show before, both times were mentions of the character of Helga, so I wasn’t familiar with GERALD. As the clue mentions, GERALD (voiced by Jamil Walker Smith) is the 9-year-old best friend of the title character.
• ORTEGA (47D: “Stuck in the Middle” star Jenna) Stuck in the Middle is a Disney TV series that originally aired from 2016-2018. Jenna ORTEGA portrays Harley Diaz, the middle child in a family of seven children.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• ISSA (1A: Hoorae Media founder Rae) ISSA Rae founded Hoorae Media (pronounced “hooray”) in 2020. Hoorae’s productions include the TV shows Insecure, A Black Lady Sketch Show and Rap Sh!t. 
• CVS (11A: Chain with famously long receipts) This clue made me laugh. A few years ago when we saw CVS clued as [Largest pharmacy chain in the U.S.], I wrote, “As I filled in this answer, I had the thought that an alternative clue could be [Pharmacy chain with the longest receipts].”
• LEA (16A: “The French Dispatch” actress Seydoux) The French Dispatch is the abbreviated title of the 2021 movie The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun. The movie follows three different storylines surrounding the publication of the final issue of a fictional newspaper. LÉA Seydoux stars as a prison guard and the muse for an imprisoned painter in the storyline, “The Concrete Masterpiece.”
• SEA (23A: With 25-Across, novelty “pet” that is actually a shrimp) and MONKEY (25A: See 23-Across) It was a fun choice to pair these two answers together, since they are in the same row of the puzzle. When I was a kid, the SEA MONKEY was marketed extensively on TV and in comic books. I was curious, but my parents never gave in and purchased a SEA MONKEY kit. SEA MONKEYs are brine shrimp sold as novelty pets. They were given the name of SEA MONKEY because their tail vaguely resembles that of a MONKEY. They are sold as eggs, which hatch when added to water and augmented with yeast, borax, soda, salt, and some food (also included in the kit). The SEA MONKEY slogan is “The World’s Only Instant Pets.” I haven’t thought about SEA MONKEYs in a long time!
• CANOED (33A: Paddled in a lake) and DROVE (41A: Went for a spin) Whether you’re on a lake or the road, this puzzle has you covered.
• DENCH (38A: “J. Edgar” actress Judi) J. Edgar is a 2011 biographical movie about the career of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. The movie was produced and directed by Clint Eastwood. Leonardo DiCaprio portrays the title character, and Judi DENCH portrays Annie Hoover, J. Edgar Hoover’s mother.
• YEN (45A: Currency in Hokkaido) Hokkaido is the second-largest island of Japan. The currency in Japan is the Japanese YEN.
• RABAT (57A: Capital of Morocco) Morocco is a country in North Africa. RABAT is its capital.
• PROPER FRACTIONS (61A: Ratios like 2/3 and 3/4, but not 4/3 and 3/2) Who put math in this word puzzle?! (Just kidding; I like it.) Here’s a little math review. PROPER FRACTIONS are those with a numerator (the top number) that is less than the denominator (the bottom number). The value of a PROPER FRACTION is less than one.
• ART (64A: Mary Cassatt’s field) Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was an impressionist painter. Her ART includes “The Child’s Bath,” on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.
• ADOPTS (68A: Takes home a furry friend) My furry friend, Willow, is a fan of this clue.

• ENOLA (29D: ___ Holmes (Sherlock’s sister)) I have previously written about ENOLA Holmes.
• HARRY (50D: “Call Me” singer Debbie) Debbie HARRY is the lead singer of the band Blondie. “Call Me” is a 1980 song by Blondie, which Debbie HARRY wrote the lyrics to as well as sang. “Call Me” is the theme song for the movie American Gigolo.
• ELOTE (51D: Cotija-covered corn) ELOTE is the term used in Central America and Mexico for an ear of corn. ELOTE is sold as street food in some regions of Mexico. The corn is charred on the grill, and served in a spicy and creamy cotija cheese sauce.
• TRAP (55D: “Home Alone” hazard) Let’s all just take a moment to let it sink in that the movie Home Alone was released in 1990, meaning it will be 35 years old in November… Macaulay Culkin stars as eight-year-old Kevin McCallister, who sets a number of TRAPs for the burglars attempting to break into his family’s home.
• RED (62D: Color of light with the longest wavelength) Here’s a fun fact for you to share with your friends. Hooray for science in the crossword!
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
  • EYES (34A: Body parts visible in the dark, in cartoons)
  • AHA (24D: “Mystery solved!”)
  • YO-YO (35D: Toy that might go “around the world”)

During this Saturday’s episode of the long-time comedy show, Lady Gaga will pull double duty as both emcee and musical guest.

It will mark the second time Lady Gaga has played the role of host and musical guest. She first performed on the show Nov. 16, 2013.

Her latest studio album, “Mayhem” dropped Friday. The 14-track album will be her seventh studio album, which she’s calling a return to her pop roots, USA TODAY previously reported.

The actress, who reprises her role of duplicitous fashionista Emily opposite Anna Kendrick in the upcoming sequel “Another Simple Favor,” stepped out for the film’s world premiere at SXSW in Austin, Texas, on Friday night.

She and co-star Kendrick, dressed in all black, donned outfits featuring strapless, structured corset-style tops with plunging necklines.

Lively’s appearance was one of her few public outings since her relationship with Justin Baldoni, her director and co-star on “It Ends with Us,” soured and turned into multiple competing court battles.

Blake Lively jokes SXSW premiere is her ‘own personal torture’

Inside Austin’s Paramount Theatre, Lively’s arrival created quite the commotion. Attendees flocked to the actress to snap photos and document her presence. She graciously took pictures with fans bold enough to ask for one and then took her seat behind Kendrick.

The show starring Danny McBride, Walton Goggins and John Goodman “tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work,” according to Warner Bros. “Despite constant bickering, Gemstone family ties run deep, and this season, the family’s codependence is tested as they attempt to move forward without letting go of their storied past.”

Here’s what to know about Season 4 of “The Righteous Gemstones,” including the release date, episode schedule and cast.

When is ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Season 4 premiere?

The first episode of Season 4 of “The Righteous Gemstones” will premiere on HBO March 9 at 10 p.m. ET / PT. The show will also be available for stream on Max.

The 94-year-old died of heart disease and complications caused by Alzheimer’s disease, according to the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator.

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks, according to the National Institute on Aging.

The Mayo Clinic says it’s the most common cause of dementia and impacts nearly 7 million people 65 and older living in the U.S.

Early symptoms can include forgetting recent events or conversations. However, in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, patients may lose their ability to respond to their environment, carry on a conversation and control movement, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

The two-time Oscar winner likely died of heart disease and not from a hantavirus infection, Dr. Heather Jarrell, chief medical examiner at New Mexico’s Office of the Medical Investigator, said Friday during a press conference. Hackman also had advanced Alzheimer’s disease, she said.

“It is reasonable to conclude that Mr. Hackman probably died around February 18,” Jarrell said. “Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Miss Hackman (Arakawa) passed away first, with February 11 being the last time that she was known to be alive.”

An autopsy on Arakawa found laboratory evidence of hantavirus infection and findings, she said, “consistent with Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome,” or HPS, an often-fatal disease.

Netflix has renewed the show through Season 10, which means that “Love is Blind” will be returning for at least 2 more seasons, if not more given the show’s popularity.

Now in its fifth year, the social experiment follows groups of singles who sign up “for a less conventional approach to modern dating” and “choose someone to marry without ever meeting them.”

Over the course of the show, the newly engaged couples move in together, plan their wedding and “find out if their physical connection matches their strong emotion bond developed in the pods,” according to the show’s synopsis.

Patina Miller earned her respect as a fierce drug lord in the gritty streets of 90s-era Southside Jamaica, Queens, in STARZ’s crime drama “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” and as an acclaimed actress and singer in real life.

Throughout her decades-long career, Miller won a Tony Award for her role in the musical “Pippin” and took on roles on CBS’ “Madam Secretary” and the blockbuster “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” installments. Additionally, the veteran snagged a Grammy for her work in the Broadway revival of “Into The Woods.” She’s also a mother, fashionista, and podcast star.

“I’m walking in my destiny,” Miller told USA TODAY. “I’m in my boss woman era.”

“I’m in the era of just having fun, trusting myself even more, and standing up for the things and going for the things that I want in my life, and not apologizing for that.”

That boss mentality translates in her role as Raquel “Raq” Thomas in “Raising Kanan,” a spinoff in the “Power” Universe. Miller portrays the complicated mother of protagonist Kanan Stark (Mekai Curtis) − played by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in the original series −as he tries to stand on his own in the drug game.

When Miller first got the script, her character’s authentic realness attracted her to this project. From South Carolina, she took inspiration from 50 Cent, YouTube videos and worked with a dialect coach to capture the New York accent and aura.

“All my theater training has prepared me for this,” she said. “I love the whole aspect of this character being a mother, being the matriarch of a family, and the pressure of what that feels like. Raq had so many colors and so many layers, and that’s something that I wanted to explore.”

Saying goodbye to ‘Power Book II’: How it went from spinoff to ‘legendary’ status

It costs to be the boss in a world where you can’t put your guard down

The characters in “Raising Kanan” abide by a code: keep your mouth shut, handle business, and collect the dough. Expectedly, bodies might drop in the process. The family structure appears solid with her siblings, the suave assassin Lou-Lou (Malcolm Mays) and the short-tempered but devoted Marvin (London Brown). But building a criminal empire is expensive, and not just monetarily.

Raq knows this firsthand, as it has cost her relationships personally and professionally. Her unapologetic parenting style and relentless approach to the drug world has repeatedly landed her in hot water, especially in the dynamic with her son Kanan, who naturally became enamored with the lifestyle.

The genesis of their crumbling relationship happened in Season 1 when Raq ordered the teen to gun down dirty detective Howard (Omar Epps), who he later learns is his biological father. “No matter if it was his dad or not, sending your son to go and take a life was 100% the turning point for the relationship,” Miller said.

Although she calls the shots in her organization (literally), her shortcomings continue throughout the series.

“Raq has this big dream. She has dreams of leaving behind a legacy,” the actress continued. “Now she goes about it in some twisted ways, but I think that’s her circumstances.”

In Season 2, Raq shoots loyal foot soldier Scrappy (Ade Chike Torbert) for snitching after getting the wrong intel from Howard, complicating her relationship with Lou-Lou. In the finale, it erupts when the sister-brother duo have a heated confrontation about how, unbeknownst to Lou, Raq owns a piece of his record label − his investment outside of the game. She also admits that the Scrappy hit was a mistake because he wasn’t an informant, after all, but she still chastises him for not having the guts to pull the trigger.

In the scene, hailed as iconic to fans, Raq didn’t hold back, uttering to her blood, “I own you.”

Raq, Lou Lou square off in season 2 of ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’

Raq and Lou Lou get into a heated standoff, hailed by fans as one of the best scenes in the series. Season 4 premieres on STARZ on March 7.

“She meant every single word of it, and that’s when you saw her viciousness come out,” Miller said. “I think people talk about that moment because it’s something she can’t take back.”

The scene “was so magical,” Miller recalled her time shooting on set with Mays. “There were a couple of takes where I didn’t put my hand on his face, but there was one take where we were just like feeling it, and I just gently grabbed his face and said, ‘I own you,’ and walked off. It was powerful. We knew we had gotten it at that point. It will go down as one of my favorite scenes. The dialogue was great. It was truly remarkable, and I’m so happy people loved it.”

Mother, sister, aunt, boss

Miller stated that Raq is a “refreshing” addition to the criminal television landscape, where men are the head honchos. Through her character, she proves that women can be at the center of these kinds of stories.

“I think men get the opportunity to play these roles,” she said. “It’s a very powerful message to send to an audience. You know what I mean? Put out there that women can be strong and complicated. I love that Raq is not a perfect mother. I love that she makes mistakes. I love how vicious she is, but at the same time, how she’s really devoted to family. She’s a mother, a sister, an aunt, but she’s a boss.”

In addition to her villainous ways, fans adore the 90s high-fashion couture yet street-inspired ensembles she rocks during her perilous escapades: “There’s something classy about Raq, classy about her fashion, but then there’s also something that’s so dope and swagged out.”

“You can really tell that Raq had a pulse on what was in, what was current at that time,” Miller added.

‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ Season 4 Release date, trailer, how to watch

Raq ‘loves deeply’ despite cold-hearted tendencies, Miller says

Although lethal, Raq lets her guard down with her rival-turned-love interest, Unique (Joey Bada$$). Her soft side particularly shines during interactions with her niece, Jukebox (Hailey Kilgore), who we see throughout the series tackle her sexuality, her complicated relationship with Marvin, the death of her first love, and finding her footing in a local all-girl singing group.

“I think people love that she’s dangerous, and they say she’s cold-hearted, but not really. She was there as a mother figure for Juke. I think that’s a big thing to take on the responsibility of another person’s child and a role model for her.” Miller said. “I think people don’t see that she is actually a good person that she loves deeply.”

The actress continued, “She’s hard on the family, but that’s because they don’t listen.”

Fans can see more of Miller’s character evolution in the fourth season of Raising Kanan, which debuts on STARZ on Friday, March 7. It will continue to explore the internal tug-of-war struggle between Raq and Kanan after eliminating Unique’s brother Ronnie (Grantham Coleman) and Howard at the end of Season 3.

“At the beginning of the [new] season, she and Kanan are not in the same place as they used to be, but they found a way to be in each other’s orbit as business partners,” Miller explained. “Kanan and Raq are on their own paths this season of trying to build up their businesses separately. And you know, once you have power, you want to hold on to that power, and power makes people act a certain way.”

“And Raquel, we all know, to keep the power, she might do whatever she has to do.”

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].

The Duttons are facing a terribly cruel winter in Season 2 of “Yellowstone” prequel “1923”.

The harsh weather along with external and internal threats present new challenges for the ancestors of the Duttons from “Yellowstone,” Cara and Jacob Dutton (Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford). As Jacob departs for Bozeman to help with a case, the women Cara Dutton and Elizabeth “Liz” Dutton deal with a deadly threat. On the other hand, Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) is finding his way back home with his return crucial for the family.

“With harsh conditions and adversaries threatening to end the Dutton legacy, Spencer embarks on an arduous journey home, racing against time to save his family in Montana,” the series synopsis says. “Meanwhile, Alexandra sets off on her own harrowing trans-Atlantic journey to find Spencer and reclaim their love.”