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• On Tuesday, Steve Carell surprised hundreds of California high school students, promising free prom tickets, paid for by Virginia charity Alice’s Kids.
• Alice’s Kids provides anonymous financial assistance to children, K-12, across the country.
• Alice’s Kids will pay for the prom tickets of about 800 seniors at six Altadena high schools.

Steve Carell surprised hundreds of high schoolers this week by promising free prom tickets to those affected by the California wildfires.

“Attention all seniors. This is Steve Carell with a very special announcement,” the actor said in a video projected in six high school auditoriums throughout Altadena, California on Tuesday.

“I work with a wonderful charity … Alice’s Kids, and Alice’s Kids wanted me to let you know that they will be paying for all of your prom tickets, and if you’ve already paid for your prom tickets, they will reimburse you,” the actor said.

Alice’s Kids will pay for the prom tickets of about 800 seniors at six high schools in Altadena, according to Alice’s Kids founder and executive director Ronald “Ron” Fitzsimmons. He estimated that Alice’s Kids will donate about $175,000 in total.

Watch as students get the news:

Based in Virginia, Alice’s Kids is a nonprofit that provides anonymous financial assistance to children in need across the country. Teachers, social workers, guidance counselors, police officers and other officials may request a grant through Alice’s Kids for the needs, or even the wants, of a child. Alice’s Kids has funded new glasses, sporting equipment and GED exam fees, Fitzsimmons told USA TODAY.

Alice’s Kids most often works with one student at a time, but over the years, the nonprofit has given group donations. For example, after the EF4 tornado that hit western Kentucky in 2021, Alice’s Kids donated 100 Walmart gift cards to graduating seniors at an affected high school.

Following the wildfires that raged through California earlier this year, Fitzsimmons knew he wanted to help in some way. The Eaton Fire, specifically, tore through more than 14,000 acres in Los Angeles County. The six schools Alice’s Kids is working with remain standing, but students who attend the schools may have lost their homes.

Fitzsimmons said he made phone calls to schools in the affected areas and was told they were overwhelmed with charitable donations.

“That’s when I thought, ‘Well, let’s do something later on. Later on, all the charities will be gone. The kids who are seniors will be going off somewhere,’” Fitzsimmons said. “So that’s when I thought, ‘What can we do to lift them a little bit in a few months from now?’”

“That’s when the idea of prom tickets came up.”

Steve Carell’s connection to Alice’s Kids

About seven years ago, Alice’s Kids received a “very generous donation” from Nancy Carell, Steve’s wife, Fitzsimmons said.

“I looked at it and it just didn’t register to me. I passed it along to my finance person and she called back and she’s like, ‘Ron, do you know who that donation’s from?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, Nancy Carell?’ And before she said it I went, ‘Oh my god.’ She said, ‘That’s Steve’s wife,’” Fitzsimmons recalled.

About two years after the initial donation, Fitzsimmons was planning a trip to Los Angeles and asked Nancy if she and Steve would be available to meet for lunch, to finally meet in person. They made it happen.

Over the years, Fitzsimmons has kept in regular contact with Nancy.

Fitzsimmons said he doesn’t like to ask a lot of Steve, as he knows he’s a busy guy, but after learning that high school students are fans of “The Office,” in which Carell plays the lead, Michael Scott, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask if he’d be interested in helping share the news.

Within 10 minutes of asking Nancy if Steve would be interested, she responded with a yes. And the next day, Fitzsimmons had the video.

Funding coming soon, director says

Details on how the high schools will receive the funding will be ironed out the coming weeks, Fitzsimmons said.

High schools receiving funding include John Muir High School, Aveson Global Leadership Academy, Blair High School, Marshall Fundamental Secondary School, Pasadena High School and Rose City High School.

How does Alice’s Kids work?

Alice’s Kids serves children grades kindergarten through 12th grade and only receives grant requests from professionals who work directly with children, not requests from the general public.

In 2024, Alice’s Kids helped more than 10,000 children in need, Fitzsimmons said.

When the nonprofit receives a completed request form, available on the Alice’s Kids website, a team member then reviews the request. If the request is for a gift card donation, Fitzsimmons said a gift card is typically sent out within 48 hours or less of the request coming in. On average, Alice’s Kids receives about 800 requests per month, he added.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].

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The GoFundMe page reportedly obtained more than $12,000 in donations before being taken down.

A fake GoFundMe created following Grammy-nominated singer Angie Stone’s death has been taken down and its organizer has been banned from any future fundraising, the for-profit crowdfunding platform confirmed.

The GoFundMe claiming to “Support Angie Stone’s Legacy After Tragic Loss” was taken down, but not before it fraudulently obtained more than $12,000 in donations, TMZ reported. Stone died in a car crash early Saturday near Montgomery, Alabama at the age of 63.

In a statement emailed to USA TODAY on Thursday, a GoFundMe spokesperson said, “The fundraiser has been removed from the platform, all donations have been refunded, and the organizer has been banned from any future fundraising.

“At no point did the organizer have access to any of the donations. GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and takes swift action against those who seek to take advantage of the generosity of our community,” the statement continued.

According to the GoFundMe spokesperson, “cases of misuse are rare,” nonetheless, donors and beneficiaries are fully protected by the platform’s “Giving Guarantee.” GoFundMe is also closely monitoring its platform for any other fundraisers related to Stone’s death and will subsequently remove them if they violate terms of service, the statement reads.

More entertainment news: ‘Hamilton’ producers cancel shows at Kennedy Center after Trump administration takeover

What happened to Angie Stone?

While traveling from Mobile, Alabama to Atlanta on Saturday, the van Stone and her band members were in collided with a semi-truck on Interstate 65 five miles south of Montgomery, Lt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency told USA TODAY.

The Mercedes Benz Sprinter flipped over on the road before it collided with the truck, Burkett said. Stone, who was a passenger in the van, was declared dead at the scene, he added.

The other eight passengers of the van were injured and taken to hospitals for treatment, according to Burkett.

“Never in a million years did we ever expect to get this horrible news. Our mom is and will always be our everything. We are still trying to process and are completely heartbroken,” Stone’s children, Diamond Stone and Michael Archer, said in a statement shared by her label, the SRG-ILS Group.

Stone had performed at a Mardi Gras event in Mobile, Alabama on Friday night, the Mobile-Area Mardi Gras Association said on Facebook.

Angie Stone honored by Beyoncé, Tyler Perry and more

Stone’s death left a lot of people mourning, including her close friends, family and her peers. One of them, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, paid tribute to Stone with a message on her website.

“Thank you for your voice, your strength, and your artistry. Your incredible legacy will live on forever. Rest in peace, Angie Stone,” Beyoncé’s official site now reads.

In addition to being musical peers, Stone and Beyoncé were co-stars in the 2003 film “The Fighting Temptations.”

Other high-profile celebrities, singers, entertainers and figures honored Stone following her death, including Tyler Perry, Jennifer Hudson, Sherri Shepherd, Rev. Bernice King, Rickey Smiley and Patrice Lovely.

“When I write a movie, I usually choose an artist to listen to that helps me see the world I’m creating,” Perry said in a Facebook post. “I’ve always loved Angie and her music… I don’t know what’s going on with so many people leaving this planet, but what I do know is that death is a door that we all will face one day. And I pray that my life has touched folks the way she touched so many.”

Contributing: Jay Cannon and Caché McClay/ USA TODAY & Shannon Heupel/ Montgomery Advertiser

Spring has come early in Barcelona. Perched on a balcony overlooking Passeig de Gràcia, I watch as Casa Batlló, Gaudí’s 1904 organic Art Nouveau masterpiece, comes alive with green shoots, bright blossoms and blooms. All digital, algorithmic, new growth. Quayola, an Italian contemporary artist who works with new technology, has mapped “Arborescent” — which he describes as a “digital tribute to nature” — on to the facade. It’s an artwork on an artwork that was once a family home. “I wanted to use the facade as a gate to somewhere else,” says Quayola. The 10-minute projection features various tree species spread across Gaudí’s skeletal framework of stone balconies and mosaics, to a pounding soundtrack. Waves of smartphones sparkle on the street below.  

A number of curators, custodians and communities have recently been reminding us of the multi-faceted value of turning houses into canvases. But how does it change the tenor of the building? And the area? And what do residents make of it? Especially if the art is here today and gone tomorrow. 

In Barcelona, the Batllós are long gone. But in 1993, when this Unesco World Heritage site was bought by its current owners, the Bernat family, two elderly sitting tenants were still living on the third floor (the last one passed away in 2019). They were profoundly unimpressed by the transformation of the building into a museum — and tourist attraction drawing more than a million visitors a year. “Living at Casa Batlló is noisy,” acknowledges Gary Gautier, chief executive of the cultural institution. “You’re going through a gate with a flood of people. It’s not comfortable to live in a place that has become a museum or a monument.” 

Gautier says that since the museum’s most recent renovations, which began in 2018, it has collaborated with artists from different disciplines, both popular and avant-garde, who “share Gaudí’s innovative, humanistic and visionary mindset” to create interactive and immersive experiences.

This external projection takes those experiences to a broader audience: over two evenings, it draws 110,000 visitors. Previous editions have seen the building mapped by Refik Anadol in 2022 and 2023, and Sofia Crespo in 2024. In 2022, an NFT (non-fungible token) work of Anadol’s mapping “Living Architecture: Casa Batlló” sold at Christie’s for $1.38mn. Regular annual projects are planned.

Iconic murals and graffiti are to millennials what the blue plaque was to boomers

The scale and prominence of a house is increasingly alluring for artists as the popularity of public art — and outdoor murals — grows. Banksy, the pseudonymous icon of British graffiti who has been celebrating (or exploiting) buildings as canvases since the 1990s, “rarely paints on a private home, but when he does, he goes big. It is as though he has seen a ‘canvas’ so tempting he just can’t resist,” says Will Ellsworth-Jones, author of Banksy’s Lost Works, a new survey of the artist’s works that have been destroyed or removed. 

Banksy’s work presents a curious conundrum for the art world: “First, the wall of a house is an enormous piece of art for anyone to want to buy,” says Ellsworth-Jones. “Second, Banksy will not authenticate it, because he thinks his pieces should stay in context, where he painted them.” The latter speaks to the power of a house as a canvas — in situ. Out of context, what are they? “The two biggest walls which have been taken down, a ‘battered wife’ in Margate and a ‘hungry seagull’ in Lowestoft, are still for sale,” says Ellsworth-Jones — “the Margate piece [“Valentine’s Day Mascara”] for an ambitious £6mn and Lowestoft with an asking price of £3.5mn.”

Paintings on properties are often caught in a push-pull between capitalism and altruism, but “a well-placed, well-loved mural can shift perceptions of an entire neighbourhood”, says Lee Bofkin, chief executive of advertising agency Global Street Art, which organises the London Mural Festival. The event launched in 2020 and this September presents some 100 artworks on buildings across the city. “The main challenge is getting buy-in from the people who live there. If the landlords aren’t on board, it’s a non-starter. And even if the landlords are on board in principle, they still need to be comfortable with the artist and artwork.”

Often, there are more stakeholders, such as residents’ associations and local councils. “The overall level of consultation can vary widely,” says Bofkin. “But trusted local champions can streamline the process.” Councils and housing associations are increasingly open to murals as a way of shifting perceptions of neighbourhoods, Bofkin notes. 

In west London, a street art initiative called Acton Unframed is turning the walls of homes into features that foster social and commercial regeneration. One such is a bold, geometric piece created by abstract painter Remi Rough on a block of flats at the end of Goldsmith Avenue. “We often see people taking selfies, pictures or just looking at it,” says Fidel Angueira, a resident. “It is a dynamic splash of colour in the community.” The avenue was recently chosen by a national newspaper as one of the 50 best streets to live on in Britain. 

On the other side of London, the Hackney Peace Carnival Mural on Dalston Lane celebrates 40 years. Designed by muralist Ray Walker in 1983, and unveiled in 1985, the artwork features Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela marching for peace alongside local workers and landmarks. Restored around a decade ago, it celebrates the Greater London Council’s (GLC) Peace Year and was funded by Hackney Council, the GLC and Tony Banks MP. Like many long-standing, much-loved public murals, its message is one of unity and togetherness. 

“Iconic murals and graffiti are to millennials what the blue plaque was to boomers,” says Becky Fatemi, executive partner at Sotheby’s International Realty. They add cultural kudos and value, symbols of not just the artistic vibrancy of a community, but its street level, publicly shared beating heart. 

Many murals such as this are preserved and protected. But many aren’t. In Berlin — that lodestar of graffiti — works can disappear overnight. But the erasure of an artwork can be an expression in itself. Ellsworth-Jones notes that Banksy is uncertain whether his art is “the graffiti or the events that unfold around it”.

Last year, The Banksy Museum opened in New York, the city where murals have long become a celebrated part of the urban landscape. Other British street artists are also generating buzz: Stik has created several monumental works, the most high profile of which was “Migrant”, a figure standing seven stories tall on the corner of Allen and Delancey Streets on an apartment block on the Lower East Side; a collaboration with the city’s Tenement Museum — now since painted over.

Conversely, London-based French artist Camille Walala’s 40-metre-high graphic mural, titled “Pop City”, on an early 20th-century building in Brooklyn, was commissioned for the 2018 NYC Design festival — and has stayed.

For developers, murals can be a way of engaging community support for a project. US company WXLLSPACE connects organisations, communities and property developers with mural artists. In Queens, it orchestrated the transformation of the side of an apartment block in Rego Park into “Lionheart”, a vast mural by Sonny “Sundancer” Behan. The work was the result of a partnership with the non-profit housing developer Westhab. 

In London, as part of the 8-acre Camden Goods Yard development, adjacent to Camden Market — a project that will bring 644 new homes to the area — St George (part of Berkeley Group) commissioned a mural by Mr Doodle, an artist known for his “graffiti spaghetti” style, for the Regent’s Park Road footbridge. The 2024 mural — a composition of doodled characters, objects and patterns — was completed in partnership with Camden Council and Network Rail. “This new mural will bring joy to the residents of Camden Goods Yard and all who pass the bridge each day,” says Marcus Blake, managing director of St George. 

Joy is often the MO. Another figure who embraced the creative potential of walls was Tove Jansson, the Finnish creator of the Moomins. A new exhibition, In Tove Jansson: Paradise, currently showing at Helsinki Art Museum, brings the artist’s fantastical murals to the fore. A 1934 snapshot of 19-year-old Jansson pictures her painting a mural on the outside of her uncle’s apartment in Velbert, West Germany.

In a letter to a friend, the artist describes how she added details according to the wishes of family members: “If they want a parrot, voilà, they get a parrot. If they ask for a pond, or a rosebush — ha! I conjure it all like magic!” The mural’s fate is unknown. It might have been demolished or painted over, or perhaps someone in Velbert enjoys their breakfast under a forgotten 20th-century masterpiece. 

Artworks on buildings are tantalising, ephemeral. Gautier at Casa Batlló suggests that the transient quality of digital mappings only adds to their mystique. But a more permanent work that resonates will be embraced and protected, says Bofkin. “That is what makes murals on residential buildings special: they are not just for the city; they are for the people who wake up and see them every day.”

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Pamela Bach, an actress who appeared on “Baywatch” and was married to its star David Hasselhoff for almost 20 years, has died. She was 62.

Bach was found dead in a home on Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed. The manner of death was ruled a suicide.

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Bach, Hasselhoff and the Los Angeles Police Department.

Bach starred as Kaye Morgan on “Baywatch” throughout the series’ run and appeared in an episode of Hasselhoff’s show “Knight Rider” in 1985, according to IMDb. The actress also had roles on shows like “The Young and the Restless,” “Cheers,” “The Fall Guy” and “Sirens.”

According to Hasselhoff’s 2007 autobiography “Don’t Hassel the Hoff,” Bach grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with two sisters, and began performing at age 9. She got her start in plays in Los Angeles before she was approached by an agent and decided to pursue acting as a career.

David Hasselhoff marries model Hayley Roberts

Hasselhoff married Bach in 1989 after he split from his first wife, Catherine Hickland. He and Bach shared two children, Taylor and Hayley.

During their divorce in 2006, Bach leveled allegations of domestic violence against Hasselhoff. The actor went on to marry his current wife, Hayley Roberts, in 2018.

In a statement posted to social media, Hasselhoff wrote: “Our family is deeply saddened by the recent passing of Pamela Hasselhoff. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult period but kindly request privacy as we grieve and navigate through this challenging time.”

In his autobiography, Hasselhoff recalled meeting Bach, a “beautiful blonde with green eyes,” when she was a guest star in an episode of his show “Knight Rider.”

‘After Baywatch’ docuseries reveals secret life, home videos of lifeguard megastars

“We didn’t have any scenes together, but I had seen her on the set and, as a joke, a crew member had sent her an invitation to join me in my trailer,” he wrote. “Pamela, however, had a boyfriend, a well-known comedian, and she politely ignored the invitation.”

Hasselhoff said he and Bach met again in 1988 at the opening of a club, by which point he was no longer with his first wife, and she was no longer dating the comedian. The two quickly hit it off, he said.

“That night, we talked and talked,” Hasselhoff wrote. “I rang Pamela early next morning and we talked some more. We talked every day for a week. On Friday night I asked her out for a date. We decided to hang out. We jogged together and became friends. The last thing I wanted was to get into another long-term relationship but she was beautiful and, as she liked to say, ‘all girl.”

Suicide Lifeline: If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.

Celebrities like Halle Berry, Timothée Chalamet, Miley Cyrus and Chris Rock attended Sunday’s glamour-defining Vanity Fair Oscars Party. But Selma Blair’s tawny-haired Labrador – her service dog – is the star that shone brightest.

Patricia Clarkson lay on the floor in her gown gleefully cuddling Scout. The “Legally Blonde” actress says she “didn’t get one word” from acquaintance Michael Keaton. “He’s just like, ‘Hey, can I get a picture with Scout?’ The next thing I know, they’re kissing, and Batman’s gone in the night. And all I have is my dog to prove that he kissed Batman.”

Scout, who Blair jokes is “the best boyfriend, strictly platonic,” helps her manage symptoms of her Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system. Symptoms can manifest differently in each person, and there are multiple types. Blair has relapsing-remitting, which can result in a flare-up of symptoms for a period of time. Those with relapsing-remitting MS can experience trouble with their vision, extreme fatigue and numbness, according to Johns Hopkins.

Blair, 52, has partnered with pharmaceutical company EMD Serono on Express4MS, an effort from the pharmaceutical company to build a community where those with MS can share their experiences.

Christina Applegate, Selma Blair and John King have it. MS is more common than you think.

Connecting with others who have MS has proved ‘really cathartic’

Scout assists with Blair’s balance and eases her nerves about being in public. “When I have to kneel down to be able to talk more clearly or to just kind of get my circulation on track, it made a lot more sense to have a dog by my side than constantly just dropping and squatting and talking to people,” she says. “He helps me just move forward, past it because once I start getting nervous or self-conscious, it all kind of devolves.”

In the early days of Blair’s diagnosis, she’d research her symptoms online or attempt to connect with others who have the disease to no avail.

“It was actually really cathartic for me to hear other people’s stories and to make sense of my own because I wasn’t even connecting some dots,” she says.

Once when Blair had difficulty swallowing, she panicked. “It started snowballing, like, ‘Oh, God, I’ll never swallow again. It’s just going to get worse,’” she says. Hearing that others experienced the same symptom for a period helped quell her frenzy. “I couldn’t understand why (being in) the sun would take away my speech and give me the dystonia,” Blair says. “And it was through other people that I had found that.”

Moving from ‘a crisis space’ to being ‘relapse-free’: ‘I have really built stamina’

Blair talked to USA TODAY in 2021 for her documentary “Introducing, Selma Blair” that chronicled a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation performed in the summer of 2019. By removing and replacing stem cells and providing chemotherapy in between, the process aims to reset one’s immune system.

“Before I had gone in for that aggressive treatment in Chicago, I was really in a crisis space,” Blair says. But “that treatment didn’t work as well as I had hoped. It definitely slowed the progression and allowed me to catch my breath,” but when Blair switched doctors her new physician told her she’d relapsed.

Today she’s “doing really well,” she says, “and I’ve had so much time relapse-free that now I have really built stamina.”

With a judge’s latest ruling, The New York Times is moving closer to a dismissal from Justin Baldoni’s $250 million defamation lawsuit over the newspaper’s coverage of Blake Lively’s sexual harassment and smear campaign accusations.

In an order issued Tuesday and obtained by USA TODAY Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman approved the Times’ motion for a stay of discovery — evidence-gathering among the case’s parties — pending his review of the company’s motion to be dismissed as a defendant in the case.

“The NY Times’s motion presents ‘substantial grounds for dismissal’ and the NY Times has made a strong showing that its motion to dismiss is likely to succeed on the merits,” Liman wrote.

“We appreciate the court’s decision today, which recognizes the important First Amendment values at stake,” Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha said in a statement to Reuters. “The court has stopped Mr. Baldoni from burdening The Times with discovery requests in a case that should never have been brought.”

USA TODAY has reached out to Baldoni’s attorney for comment.

In its dismissal motion last week, the Times said it merely engaged in newsgathering with its publication of the viral article, adding that plaintiffs did not show the outlet acted with malice. The newspaper also said the sole alleged defamatory statement in the article — that the plaintiffs orchestrated a “smear campaign” in retaliation for Lively complaining about sexual harassment — was protected opinion.

In December 2024, Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios — which produced the movie “It Ends with Us” — and the company’s producers and public relations personnel sued the Times for libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud and breach of implied-in-fact contract.

The reporting at the center of the case is the Dec. 21, 2024, article “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” which detailed Lively’s allegations outlined in a legal complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department. Lively went on to sue Baldoni in New York federal court on the same day as Baldoni’s lawsuit. The cases have since been consolidated into one case in the Southern District of New York.

While Lively claims Baldoni — along with Wayfarer Studios CEO Jamey Heath — engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct during the filming of “It Ends with Us” as well as retaliation, her director and co-star has denied all of her allegations. Baldoni and his production company have also accused Lively of launching her own “smear campaign” against him.

Contributing: Jonathan Stempel, Reuters

The 17 remaining castaways on “Survivor” Season 48 began to let their personalities shine during the second episode.

The first half of the second episode of the season, titled “Humble Traits,” focused heavily on relationships and clashes of personality within the three tribes: Vula, Lagi and Civa.

While some players began to feel more comfortable with each other as the first part of the 26-day game passed, others felt the paranoia that often comes hand-in-hand with “Survivor” begin to set in, searching for hidden immunity idols to preserve their spot in the game.

Season 48 of the long-running reality competition show hosted by Jeff Probst is in full swing, and players will compete in challenges, look for clues and advantages, and eventually, have a hand in voting each other out with the winning player crowned “sole Survivor” and winning the coveted $1 million prize.

Here’s what to know about the Episode 2 of “Survivor” Season 48.

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Who went home on ‘Survivor’ Season 48, Episode 2?

The immunity challenge saw the three tribes – Vula, Lagi and Civa – competing in a water-based obstacle course where they had to work together to balance a buoy with poles over a balance beam, jump and swim through the ocean and shoot balls into a floating basket.

The Civa and Lagi tribes were guaranteed immunity and the reward of fishing gear to bring back to camp. Already a member down, the Vula tribe lost the immunity challenge for the second episode in a row, did not win their flint back and made another appearance at tribal council.

At first, Cedrek McFadden thought he might be on the chopping block due to his poor performance during the challenge, but tide swiftly shifted to either Kevin Leung, who other players identified as a strategic gamer. The majority alliance also schemed to have Sai Hughley play her immunity idol, therefore flushing it from the game.

In the end, Kevin was blindsided by the majority alliance, save Mary Zheng who had lost her vote, and the 34-year-old finance manager from California became the second person voted out of the game.

‘Survivor’ Season 48 cast: Meet the 18 new castaways hoping to win $1 million in Fiji

Who went home last week on ‘Survivor’ Season 48?

After the first challenge on the beach saw the Lagi tribe victorious, the losing Vula and Civa tribes had to send to tribe members to compete for a chance to win those materials.

In the end, Kyle Fraser broke a glass jar, taking himself out of the challenge, and Kevin Leung was able to bring back both the basic necessities and bragging rights to his tribe.

At the immunity challenge, the three tribes had to work together over a long and complicated obstacle course that involved pulling a sled full of puzzle pieces, moving heavy sandbags, pulling the sled up a steep incline and solving a giant puzzle. In the end, the Lagi tribe was once again the first to finish, winning the consequential immunity. Second was Civa, barely scraping by and clinching the second, and final immunity.

That left the Vula tribal nothing but a date with Probst at the first tribal council of the season.

Heading into the tribal council, players grappled with either sending Sai Hughley or Stephanie Berger home. But Sai had found a hidden immunity idol earlier, and worked her already strong alliance to keep her place in the game.

Stephanie played her shot in the dark (a 1 in 6 chance at safety in exchange for a vote), but was unsuccessful and the 38-year-old tech product lead living in Brooklyn was the first person to be voted out of Season 48.

How to watch ‘Survivor’ Season 48

Season 48 of “Survivor” will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and stream on Paramount+ for subscribers of the Paramount+ with Showtime plan.

Episodes can be streamed the next day for subscribers of any Paramount+ plan.

The previous 47 seasons of the show are all available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.

Watch every season of Survivor with Paramount_+

Who is the host of ‘Survivor’?

Jeff Probst has hosted all 48 seasons of the show, which has been on the air since 2000. He also serves as an executive producer.

‘Survivor’ 50: Jeff Probst talks casting all-stars season, whether he’d play ‘Traitors’

Who won ‘Survivor’ Season 47?

Rachel Lamont won Season 47 of “Survivor,” in a 7-1-0 vote against Sam Phalen, who got one vote, and Sue Smey.

Lamont, a 34-year-old graphic designer from Southfield, Michigan, was originally on the Gata tribe and became the fifth woman ever to win four individual Immunity Challenges in a season.

Where is ‘Survivor’ filmed?

While “Survivor” previously took contestants to remote locations around the world, from the Pearl Islands to the Philippines and Guatemala, the show has been filmed in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji for the past 15 seasons.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Roy Ayers, the jazz and R&B musician known as the “godfather of neo-soul” music, has died following a “long illness.” He was 84.

The news was shared Wednesday night to Ayers’ social media accounts, including his official Facebook page.

“It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred on March 4th, 2025 in New York City after a long illness,” the statement read. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. His family ask that you respect their privacy at this time, a celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.”

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Ayers for comment.

Born on Sept. 10, 1940, in Los Angeles, Ayers grew up in a musical family; his schoolteacher mother was also a piano instructor while his father, Roy Sr., played trombone. Ayers, a choir boy, formed his first musical group while a student at Thomas Jefferson High School. Several years later, he released his debut album “West Coast Vibes” in 1963.

The following decade saw him form Roy Ayers Ubiquity, which resulted in one of his best-known tracks, “Everybody Loves the Sunshine.” He collaborated with Erykah Badu; Tyler, The Creator and The Roots, and is also credited with works including the soundtrack to the 1973 blaxploitation film “Coffy” starring Pam Grier.

His music also inspired other musicians such as Kanye “Ye” West, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige, the latter of whom sampled his 1976 song “Searching.”

Ayers described neo-soul as “a sound that encompasses all these different sounds” in an interview with the Washington Post in 2013.

“I like it because it’s better than saying I just play jazz, or I just play funk, or I just play blues, or whatever,” he added. “I play neo-soul.”

As for the genre’s origin, he pointed to one of his most recent releases at the time, “Neo Soul Groove.”

“Erykah Badu was on it, and at the recording sessions, she told me, ‘Roy, you’re the king of neo-soul. It’s your music because you’re the one who started all of us doing it,’” he told the Post. “I’m really thinking about calling the next album ‘Neo Soul.’ I’m stuck on that name. It’s got me going.”

Roy Ayers canceled 2023 concerts due to ‘health complications’ but hoped to ‘get back to work’

Ayers was still performing into his 80s, with his last live shows seemingly taking place in 2023. Months after opening in May 2023 as part of a “farewell tour,” he updated his fans on his health issues and shared he would be unable to get back on stage that year.

“Hello to all my fans, unfortunately, due to health complications stemming from a recent bout with Covid-19, I will be cancelling upcoming performances for 2023,” he wrote in a July 2023 Facebook post.

The announcement, however, ended on a positive note: “We had high hopes I would recover in time, but all parties involved believe this is the best course of action for now. Once I have had proper time to heal and move past this, I will be looking to get back to work.”

This story was updated with new information.

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! Party Leader

Constructor: Max Schlenker

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• TAPES (66A: Face ___ (certain anti-aging products)) Face TAPES are pretty much what they sound like – TAPE you apply to your skin to smooth wrinkles. While the use of face TAPES can reduce fine lines, the effect is temporary. It probably says something about me that I was unaware face TAPES exist. And … I’m okay with that. I’m sure now that I’ve done a search for them I’m going to begin seeing targeted ad for face TAPES.
• THEY’RE (7D: “___ the same picture” (“The Office” quote)) This quote is from a scene on the mockumentary The Office, in which the character Pam says, “Corporate needs you to find the differences between this picture and this picture.” Off-camera, she then says, “THEY’RE the same picture.” The image of Pam saying, “THEY’RE the same picture,” became a meme, often used with photos that are completely different (unlike in the original scene). I was not familiar with this quote, not having watched The Office, but the answer was fairly inferable.
• ANGIE (50D: “Unstoppable” singer ___ Rose) ANGIE Rose originally released “Unstoppable” in 2015. In 2021, she released “Unstoppable (Do It Again)” as a track on her debut EP.
• ZIP (60D: ___ Zap Zop (theater game)) When I read this clue, I was able to guess the answer with the help of crossing letters I already had filled in, but I had no idea what ZIP Zap Zop was. I was envisioning a game you might play when going to see a movie and couldn’t figure out how that might work. Now that I’ve looked up ZIP Zap Zop, I realize I have heard of this game before. By theater game here, what is actually meant is that ZIP Zap Zop is used by actors as a warm up or prep exercise. Essentially, players stand in a circle while pretending to pass a ball of energy to each other while taking turns saying “ZIP,” “Zap,” or “Zop.”

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• MACHO (14A: “___ Man” (disco hit)) “MACHO Man” is the title track of the Village People’s second studio album, released in 1978. The song has been parodied a number of times, including by Donald Duck (“Macho Duck”) and Homer Simpson (“Nacho Man”).
• SOUR (15A: Like the taste of calamansi) Calamansi is a citrus fruit cultivated predominantly in the Philippines. Calamansi is a hybrid between a kumquat and a mandarin orange. The tart, SOUR fruit is frequently used in Filipino cuisine.
• ALLIES (19A: Canada and Latvia, e.g., through NATO) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949. Canada (in North America) and Latvia (in Northern Europe) are two of the 32 member states who are ALLIES through NATO.
• RASTA (22A: Follower of Jah) I have previously written about the religion known as Rastafari, or Rastafarianism, which developed in Jamaica in the 1930s. RASTA beliefs include monotheism, a belief in one God, who is referred to as Jah. 
• ART (33A: Earth is just “eh” without it, they say) I have always liked the saying “Earth without ART is just eh,” so I thoroughly enjoyed this clue.
• ORA (36A: “Grateful” singer Rita) “Grateful” is a 2014 song by Rita ORA. The song was part of the soundtrack for the 2014 romantic movie Beyond the Lights.
• GAS (39A: Water vapor, e.g.) and STEAM (40A: Water vapor) This is a delightful pair of consecutive clues. Water vapor, or STEAM, is indeed a GAS.
• FONT (42A: Wingdings or Garamond) Wingdings is a dingbat FONT developed by Microsoft in 1990. Dingbats, in typography, are special ornaments or characters, such as checkmarks, stars, boxes, etc. Garamond is a group of FONTs named for Parisian engraver Claude Garamond (c. 1510-1561).

• LENT (44A: Observance that starts on Ash Wednesday) In Christianity, LENT is the 40-day period (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter. As the clue states, LENT begins each year on Ash Wednesday. This clue is timely, as yesterday was Ash Wednesday.
• HOUSE OF GUCCI (45A: 2021 Lady Gaga/Adam Driver crime drama) HOUSE OF GUCCI is a 2021 biographical movie based on Sara Gay Forden’s 2001 book, The HOUSE OF GUCCI: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed. Lady Gaga portrays Patrizia Reggiani, and Adam Driver portrays Maurizio GUCCI.
• TRENTA (56A: Largest Starbucks size) I cannot keep Starbucks sizes straight in my head, so I relied on crossing answers to point me in the right direction here. Starbucks currently has five different sizes, though not all drinks are available in all sizes. From smallest to largest, the Starbucks sizes are short, tall, grande, venti, and TRENTA.
• SOHLA (2D: Chef El-Waylly) SOHLA El-Waylly is a chef, author, and YouTube personality. She has created videos for the History channel, the New York Times Cooking YouTube channel, and the Babish Culinary Universe YouTube channel. Her first cookbook, Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook, was released in 2023.
• BRAT (11D: Charli XCX album with a light-green cover) BRAT is Charli XCX’s 2024 album that inspired the BRAT summer vibe in all its lime greenness.
• GIRAFFE (23D: Long-necked mammal) The neck of a GIRAFFE makes up nearly half of its height, and can reach seven feet in length. Amazingly, GIRAFFEs have the same number of cervical vertebrae (neck bones) as humans and other mammals.
• IRAN (28D: Shiraz’s country) Shiraz is a city in southwestern IRAN. Shiraz is the home of the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, also known as the “Pink Mosque” due to an abundance of pink-colored tiles on its ceiling. The mosque, built between 1876-1888 during the Qatar Dynasty, features many stained glass windows. 
• AUTO (31D: “___bots, roll out!” (“Transformers” line)) The AUTObots are sentient robots in the Transformers multimedia franchise. The AUTObots are the protagonists of the series, and are often engaged in fighting the Decepticons. Optimus Prime is the leader of the AUTObots, and gives the order, “AUTObots, roll out!”
• OMEGA (36D: Final Greek letter) Just yesterday I reviewed the end of the 24-letter Greek alphabet, whose final letter is OMEGA.
• OGS (43D: Old-school legends) OG stands for Original Gangster.
• SALTS (52D: Umeboshi seasonings) Umeboshi are pickled ume fruits common in Japan. Ume is a fruit related to the apricot. The Japanese word umeboshi is sometimes translated into English as “salted Japanese plums.” In addition to tasting salty, umeboshi – like calamansi – are also extremely SOUR.
• ZOE (61D: “The Batman” actress Kravitz) The 2022 movie The Batman is, as one might guess from the name, based on the DC Comics character Batman. ZOË Kravitz portrays Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• THIRD WHEEL (16A: Single friend who tags along)
• OFFICE GOSSIP (25A: Tea that co-workers spill)
• HOUSE OF GUCCI (45A: 2021 Lady Gaga/Adam Driver crime drama)
• PIZZA BAGEL (58A: Fusion food sometimes topped with pepperoni)

PARTY LEADER: The first word – that is, the LEADER – of each theme answer can be paired with the word PARTY to create a new phrase: THIRD PARTY, OFFICE PARTY, HOUSE PARTY, and PIZZA PARTY.

One of the mottos my family tends to live by is “Any excuse for a PARTY.” A PARTY-themed crossword seems like a decent excuse to have a PARTY. Perhaps a PIZZA PARTY? I never turn down an opportunity to eat PIZZA. Thank you, Max, for this festive puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

From getting engaged without seeing each other in the pods to getting to know each other through “countless hours of personal revelations,” “multiple breakthroughs” and a romantic retreat in Honduras, it has been a bumpy ride for the couples in “Love in Blind” Season 8. The good news, however, is that they are inching closer to the altar and are just days away from being tied in holy matrimony, according to Netflix.

Of the 32 singles from Minnesota who entered the reality dating show’s first Midwest pod squad, we gotfour engaged couples and two couples who liked each other but were ultimately unable to find common ground. One couple was even formed outside of the pods after the participants were eliminated from the show.

With the couples now heading towards the altar and preparing for their upcoming nuptials, here’s everything you need to know about when the last episode of “Love Is Blind” Season 8 will drop and what to expect in the finale.

Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY’s movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox

‘Why is everyone white:’ ‘Love Is Blind’ creator says casting choices weren’t deliberate

Which couples are still together in ‘Love is Blind’ Season 8?

Here’s a list of all the couples who are together, going into the finale of Season 8:

• Monica and Joey
• Ben and Sara
• Devin and Virginia
• Daniel and Taylor

‘We can do our own thing’: ‘Love Is Blind’ couple engaged after Season 8 elimination

Which couples broke up in ‘Love is Blind’ Season 8?

The couples who got engaged in the pods and are no longer together include:

• David and Lauren
• Madison and Alex

Can a relationship survive that? She was his second choice on ‘Love is Blind’

When is the ‘Love Is Blind’ Season 8 finale? Date, time

The final episode of “Love is Blind” Season 8 will release on Netflix on Friday, March 7 at 3 a.m. ET.

Season 8 premiered on Feb. 14 and twelve of the thirteen episodes of the season are now available to stream on Netflix.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

When is ‘Love is Blind’ Season 8 reunion episode?

The “pod squad” will get back together on camera for the first time since the season stopped filming in a reunion episode set for Sunday, March 9 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Netflix.

The reunion episode runs just two days after Episode 13 airs.

“There’s nothing quite like the ‘a-ha’ moments a ‘Love Is Blind’ reunion provides,” Netflix said about the upcoming reunion. “And, throughout the reunion, co-hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey will be celebrating the ‘Love Is Blind’ five-year anniversary of the show and announcing the most memorable ‘Love Is Blind’ moments of all time, voted on by fans.”

How to watch ‘Love Is Blind’ Season 8

“Love is Blind” Season 8 streams on Netflix.

Previous seasons of “Love is Blind” are also available on the streaming platform.

Where does ‘Love is Blind’ Season 8 take place?

Season 8 of “Love is Blind” follows singles from Minneapolis, Minnesota as they “cut through the static of modern dating” and develop deep relationships without seeing each other.

Previously, Season 7 of the show was set in Washington, D.C., while Season 6 was set in Charlotte, North Carolina. Season 5 of the show was set in Houston, Season 4 in Seattle and Season 3 in Dallas.

‘Love Is Blind’ hosts

The show is hosted by real-life couple Vanessa and Nick Lachey.

Vote for your favorite ‘Love is Blind’ moment

Netflix is celebrating the five-year anniversary of the global dating experiment and inviting fans to cast their vote for the “most iconic ‘Love Is Blind’ moments of all time.” Viewers can vote for as many moments as they want in six categories such as “Into the Pods” and “Break Ups that Broke the Internet.”

Results of the poll will be announced during the reunion episode of Season 8, says Netflix.

Contributing: Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.