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  • Release date, time, how to watch

    Release date, time, how to watch

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    Editor’s note: This post contains spoilers about Season 6 of “The Handmaid’s Tale.

    Season 6 of “The Handmaid’s Tale” just delivered a shocking twist no one saw coming.

    As June (Elisabeth Moss), Luke (O-T Fagbenle), and Moira’s (Samira Wiley) set their plans to take down Gilead into action, an unanticipated betrayal completely blindsides June.

    While the trio were able to successfully infiltrate Jezebel, meet up with Janine (Madeline Brewer), whose help they need to destroy Gilead, and get ahold of the intel needed, things take a turn for the worse as June discovers Nick (Max Minghella) ousted their plans to Commander Wharton (Josh Charles), who has now shut down Jezebel’s. It is not yet known what will happen to the women there, but given history, it can’t be very good.

    In the final season of the Emmy-winning drama series, June will fight to take down Gilead with Luke and Moira joining the resistance, per Hulu. Serena, meanwhile, “tries to reform Gilead while Commander Lawrence and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) reckon with what they have wrought, and Nick (Max Minghella) faces challenging tests of character.”

    “This final chapter of June’s journey highlights the importance of hope, courage, solidarity, and resilience in the pursuit of justice and freedom,” this season’s synopsis says.

    Adapted from Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name, “The Handmaid’s Tale” is about “the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States,” according to the series synopsis.

    June/Offred, one of the few fertile women in the oppressive Republic of Gilead, known as Handmaids, “struggles to survive as a reproductive surrogate for a powerful Commander and his resentful wife.”

    Here’s what to know about Season 6 of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” including full episode schedule and cast.

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

    When do new episodes of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ come out?

    New episodes of “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 6 drop every Tuesday on Hulu at midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT (previous day).

    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: Stream on Hulu | Watch on Sling

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

    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6 episode schedule

    The final season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” will have 10 episodes. With four episodes remaining, here’s what the upcoming schedule looks like:

    • Episode 7 “Shattered”: May 6
    • Episode 8 “Exodus”: May 13
    • Episode 9 “Execution”: May 20
    • Episode 10 “The Handmaid’s Tale”: May 27

    How to watch ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6

    “The Handmaid’s Tale” is available to stream on Hulu.

    Hulu offers membership options ranging from $9.99 a month to $18.99 a month for normal streaming services, and $82.99 a month to $95.99 a month for plans with streaming and live TV. New users can also sign up for a free trial.

    Watch every season of The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu

    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6 cast

    Cast members for “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 6, as per Hulu, include:

    • Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne / Offred
    • Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford
    • Bradley Whitford as Commander Joseph Lawrence
    • Max Minghella as Commander Nick Blaine
    • Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia Clements
    • O-T Fagbenle as Luke Bankole
    • Samira Wiley as Moira Strand
    • Madeline Brewer as Janine Lindo / Ofwarren / Ofdaniel / Ofhoward
    • Amanda Brugel as Rita Blue
    • Ever Carradine as Naomi Putnam
    • Sam Jaeger as Mark Tuello
    • Josh Charles as High Commander Wharton

    Watch ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6 trailer

    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.

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

  • Crossword Blog & Answers for May 5, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher

    Crossword Blog & Answers for May 5, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher

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

    Constructor: Dan Kammann & Zhouqin Burnikel

    Editor: Amanda Rafkin

    What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

    • PIN (60D: Target for a bowler or a golfer) I filled in this answer immediately, because I knew that a PIN (or ten PINS initially) is a target for a bowler. At the same time I thought, “What is a PIN in golf?” Well, add this to the sports knowledge I have gained from solving crosswords. In golf, PIN is another name for the flagstick, which marks the location of the cup or hole. I also learned, in searching for information on the meaning of PIN in golf, that it’s not always wise to aim for the PIN.

    Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

    • OCTOBER (14A: Thanksgiving Day month in Canada) In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in OCTOBER.
    • CHINESE (16A: From Xi’an or Xining) Xi’an and Xining are CHINESE cities. Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi province in north central China. It is the home of the Terracotta Army, a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Chi Huang, the first emperor of China. Xining is the capital of Qinghai province in western China. It is home to Qinghai University.
    • FBI (26A: Org. in “White Collar”) White Collar is a TV series that originally aired from 2009-2014. Matt Bomer stars as Neal Caffrey, a con artist and forger who makes a deal with the FBI to work as a consultant for them in exchange for being released from prison. I know I often comment about not having seen a show because I don’t watch much TV. White Collar, however, is a TV show I have seen! I really enjoyed Matt Bomer’s character, as well as the character of Mozzie, Neal’s best friend portrayed by Willie Garson.
    • ALI (31A: Boxer nicknamed “The Greatest”) This clue about boxer Muhammad ALI (1942-2016) made me think of the acronym GOAT – greatest of all time. It turns out that’s appropriate, as the use of the term GOAT traces back to Muhammad ALI. As the clue informs us, Muhammad ALI was widely known by the nickname, “The Greatest.” In 1992, Muhammad ALI’s (fourth) wife, Lonnie Williams, played on that nickname and incorporated Greatest of All Time, Inc. (G.O.A.T. Inc) for promotional and licensing purposes. The acronym caught on, and the rest, as they say, is history.
    • EMUS (40A: Outback birds that can sprint up to 31 mph) This is a fun animal fact. If you need a SMILE (47D: “Say cheese!”) today, check out this video of an EMU with the zoomies.
    • HOOKS (42A: Crochet tools that look like J’s) This is fun! I’ve always thought crochet HOOKS resembled miniature shepherd’s crooks. They do, but turn them the other way around, and they also resemble J’s.
    • MRI SCAN (54A: Hospital procedure in a tube) An MRI SCAN (magnetic resonance imaging scan) utilizes strong magnetic fields and radio waves to generate pictures of the inside of the body. Most MRI SCANs are done inside of a capsule-like long tube. Open MRI machines have been developed that utilize magnets on the top and bottom of the machine, but the sides are open. Although open MRIs may result in images with a lower resolution, they are helpful for patients who may struggle with the enclosed space (and the noise) of a traditional MRI SCAN.
    • ABE (5D: Homer Simpson’s father) On the animated TV series The Simpsons, Abraham Jedediah “ABE” Simpson II aka Grampa Simpson, is Homer Simpson’s father. Dan Castellaneta voices both Homer Simpson and his father. Unlike White Collar, my knowledge of The Simpsons has been gained from the show’s many mentions in crosswords.
    • SPEEDO (9D: Fastskin swimwear) SPEEDO’s Fastskin swimwear line is made using high tech fabric designed to decrease water resistance. The fabric used in the Fastskin suits is inspired by the skin texture of sharks.
    • TRAP MUSIC (20D: Genre that originated in Atlanta) TRAP MUSIC is a subgenre of hip hop that uses synthesized drums and is characterized by complicated drum patterns. TRAP MUSIC originated in Atlanta, Georgia in the early 1990s.
    • SIS (22D: Violet, to Dash Parr, for short) This clue is a reference to the 2004 animated movie The Incredibles.The movie is centered on a couple of superheroes, Mr. Incredible aka Bob Parr and Elastigirl aka Helen Parr, and their family. Their family consists of daughter Violet and sons Dash and Jack-Jack. This makes Violet the sister – SIS for short – of Dash (and Jack-Jack). The superhero family also featured in a sequel, Incredibles 2 (2018).
    • HEN (42D: Female bird or lobster) A nice reminder that female lobsters are referred to as HENs. Female crabs are also HENs, as are female salmon.
    • O’NEAL (50D: Oscar winner Tatum) Tatum O’NEAL is the youngest person to have won an Oscar (aka Academy Award). She was ten years old when she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Paper Moon (1973), in which she co-starred alongside her father, Ryan O’NEAL.
    • CRETE (52D: Greek island known for its olive oil and raki) CRETE is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands. There are many olive groves on CRETE (as there are in many regions of Greece), and Cretan olive oil is noted for its unique taste and quality. Raki is a fruit-based spirit that some consider the national drink of Crete.

    Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

    • STICK FIGURE (3D: Simple drawing of a person)
    • TRAP MUSIC (20D: Genre that originated in Atlanta)
    • DATE OF BIRTH (24D: Driver’s license information)

    TOP SPEED: The TOP word of each vertical theme answer can be paired with the word SPEED to form a new phrase: SPEED STICK, SPEED TRAP, and SPEED DATE.

    Did you figure out today’s theme at TOP SPEED? The “word with” theme is a classic USA Today theme type. In this theme, a word in the title is paired with a word from each theme answer to form new phrases. Ideally the word is “transformed” when moving from the theme answer to the new phrase. For example, the word TRAP has a different meaning in the phrase TRAP MUSIC than it does in SPEED TRAP. Thank you, Dan and Zhouqin, for this enjoyable puzzle.

    For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

  • Henry Golding, Amaarae stun at Met Gala parties: PhotosCelebrities

    Henry Golding, Amaarae stun at Met Gala parties: PhotosCelebrities

    Henry Golding, Amaarae stun at Met Gala parties: PhotosCelebrities

  • Photos of Lady Gaga’s historic Rio de Janeiro concertMusic

    Photos of Lady Gaga’s historic Rio de Janeiro concertMusic

    Photos of Lady Gaga’s historic Rio de Janeiro concertMusic

  • Diddy at the Met Gala: Sean Combs was a Met mainstay, now on trial for sex crimesCelebrities

    Diddy at the Met Gala: Sean Combs was a Met mainstay, now on trial for sex crimesCelebrities

    Diddy at the Met Gala: Sean Combs was a Met mainstay, now on trial for sex crimesCelebrities

  • Sean Combs ruled red carpet, but now sits in jail

    Sean Combs ruled red carpet, but now sits in jail

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    NEW YORK – Screams erupted from Fifth Avenue: Sean “Diddy” Combs had arrived.

    At around 8 p.m. on the first Monday in May, Diddy ascended the famed steps of the Met Gala red carpet, draped in a black puffer cape atop a black motorcycle suit jacket embroidered with black pearls. The custom Sean Jean cape, adorned with black camellias, was a nod to fellow controversial fashion figure Karl Lagerfeld, to whom the year’s event paid tribute.

    He was arm-in-arm with then-girlfriend Yung Miami, excitedly saying “What’s up, yo?” to journalists at the top of the cream-colored carpet before heading inside the festivities, which celebrate and fund the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and annual exhibit. The two exited fashion’s biggest night early as they prepared to host an afterparty.

    This was in 2023, the same year he received lifetime achievement honors and the key to New York City. It’s also when his world – one defined by success and excess – began to crumble.

    On Met Gala Monday, May 5, Combs will be five miles away from the glamorous festivities in a downtown Manhattan courtroom, where jury selection will begin on the first day of his sex-crimes trial. Instead of posing on the Met steps, as in years past, he’ll be transported from a jail cell at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center to face five counts on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.

    It’s a stunning downfall for power player Combs, 55, who spent years surrounded by his entertainment and fashion industry peers, now reduced to being evaluated by a jury of his peers instead.

    The trial’s timing with one of the most exclusive events in his hometown of New York City is jarring – especially considering 2025’s theme and dress code.

    Diddy as a dandy: The 2025 Met Gala theme

    Combs – also known by the monikers Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy and Diddy – regularly attended the annual event, benefiting the Met’s Costume Institute with a lavish fundraising gala that has only increased in scale over the years.

    Combs’ rise alongside the Met Gala directly relates to the 2025 theme highlighting “the importance of style to the formation of Black identities.” With the Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibit, the “Black dandy” and the importance of Black styling to the cultural zeitgeist is on full display.

    The rapper, producer and record executive’s Sean John clothing brand brought him international acclaim and industry accolades, and he was the first Black man to win a Council of Fashion Designers of America Award in 2004. “Who’s the original luxury street brand?” Combs asked Vogue in 2023. “It’s Sean John.”

    Combs’ place in the fashion realm only grew as he continued elevating his ensembles, often switching between luxe street style with his own logo and impeccably tailored suiting, even touting his own umbrella-holding butler, stylist and certified aughts dandy Fonzworth Bentley. (“He had a very respectable job, and when he held up an umbrella for me, that was his idea, because it’s entertainment,” Combs once told New York Times Magazine of Bentley.)

    At its core, the Black dandy figure prioritizes fashion and aesthetics to engage in power dynamics through personal style. This year’s Met Gala, and its “Tailored for You” dress code, would likely have been Diddy’s playground.

    It’s not difficult to envision him as one of the co-chairs for the evening, helping to set the tone and curate one of the biggest nights in fashion and entertainment for the top-tier A-listers on the invite list. With co-chairs this year including rapper A$AP Rocky, actor Colman Domingo, race car driver Lewis Hamilton, producer and designer Pharrell – and honorary co-chair LeBron James – Combs before the fall might have tailored his presence to fit just so.

    Now, Diddy’s courtroom fashion – a judge-approved mix of shirts, sweaters, slacks and laceless shoes – will be what onlookers assess as prosecutors charge that Combs ran a “criminal enterprise” in which he and associates engaged in kidnapping, arson, physical violence and sex trafficking.

    Diddy’s Met Gala appearances with Cassie viewed through new lens

    Diddy and ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura Fine attended multiple Met Galas together in the years of their relationship. That was before her bombshell civil suit against Combs in November 2023, in which she alleged rape, physical abuse and sex trafficking at the hands of the music mogul.

    Though the suit was quickly settled the day after it was filed, it’s been seen as the catalyst for dozens of other civil suits filed against Combs also alleging three decades of abuse and sexual misconduct.

    Combs and Cassie began dating in 2007 and had an on-and-off relationship for more than a decade. In 2005, 19-year-old Cassie met Combs, then 37, when he expressed interest in signing her to his Bad Boy Records label.

    What looked like a romantic relationship to the outside world is now being viewed from a new vantage point – including their multiple trips to the Met Ball.

    They were arm in arm at the exclusive event in 2015 for China: Through the Looking Glass, 2017 for Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between and 2018 for Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, their last before splitting later that year. Cassie claimed in her lawsuit that Combs raped her in September 2018.

    Their appearance at the 2015 fête, captured in a Vogue interview video clip with late Vogue creative director André Leon Talley, is notorious among Diddy trial onlookers. Internet sleuths have latched onto Diddy’s perceived demeanor when Talley greets Cassie first, with a flicker of anger in Combs’ eyes as he pulls her closer to him.

    In 2018 for the Heavenly Bodies theme, he told The Hollywood Reporter: “This is how we would be dressed when we arrive at heaven’s gate.” Flanked by Cassie at the top of the Met steps, he later told Vogue on the red carpet, “I just wanted to keep it simple and plain. Angelic.” In perhaps a prescient moment, red carpet correspondent Liza Koshy asked Cassie if she had anything to confess; Combs stared intently. “I keep everything right here,” Cassie says as she lifts her hands to her heart in prayer, before quickly pointing to Diddy, “Or right here.”

    Diddy’s final Met Gala appearance was that fateful day in 2023. He’s now graying, in a tan prison uniform and far from his kingdom at the top of the Met staircase. Where the first Monday in May will take him is anybody’s guess.

    Contributing: Jay Stahl and Taijuan Moorman

  • Julien Baker of Boygenius cancels tour with Torres for health reasons

    Julien Baker of Boygenius cancels tour with Torres for health reasons

    Julien Baker is putting her health first.

    The “Boygenius” singer has canceled the rest of her Send a Prayer My Way Tour with Torres (whose real name is Mackenzie Ruth Scott), which began on April 23, for health reasons, according to a statement shared May 4 on both musicians’ Instagram pages.

    The country duo announced that “due to recent events,” Baker, 29, is “prioritizing her well-being and taking time to focus on her health,” adding, “This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the disappointment this may cause for fans. We deeply appreciate your understanding.”

    USA TODAY has reached out to representatives of Baker for more information.

    Further details were not made available. However, the news came after Baker and Torres canceled a March 27 speaking engagement and performance at Ohio University because “one of our key members sustained a concussion and will need to take the next few weeks to recover.” They also canceled an appearance at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, in late March.

    Baker and Torres’s tour had stops planned throughout the summer for cities including New Orleans, Dallas and Philadelphia. The two musicians released their country album “Send a Prayer My Way,” which received four out of five stars from Rolling Stone, on April 18.

    During a joint interview with Baker on “The Daily Show” in March, Torres explained the record was in the works for five years and came together after she texted Baker about collaborating on a country album during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “Julien was the first person I thought of because she’s from Tennessee, I’m from Georgia,” Torres said. “It just made sense.”

    Baker released her debut studio album, “Sprained Ankle,” in 2015, and since 2018 has performed as part of the trio Boygenius alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. The group snagged three Grammy wins in 2024 for best rock performance, best rock song and best alternative music album.

    In February 2024, Boygenius confirmed during a secret show in Los Angeles that they would be going on hiatus. Dacus said at the time, “This is our last show, and we’re feeling it.”

  • Carrie Underwood dishes on her first date at 16: 'It did not go well'TV

    Carrie Underwood dishes on her first date at 16: 'It did not go well'TV

    Carrie Underwood dishes on her first date at 16: ‘It did not go well’TV

  • Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper are Instagram official: See the pic

    Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper are Instagram official: See the pic

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    Gigi Hadid is ringing in her 30s with help from boyfriend Bradley Cooper.

    On May 3, the model shared a series of photos on Instagram from her 30th birthday celebrations, one of which showed her sharing a kiss with the Oscar-nominated “Maestro” and “A Star Is Born” actor.

    In the snapshot, Hadid, 30, and Cooper, 50, embrace in front of a birthday cake, making their relationship Instagram official. Other photos in the carousel showed Hadid blowing out her birthday candles and celebrating with famous pals like Zoë Kravitz.

    “I feel so lucky to be 30!” Hadid, whose birthday was April 23, wrote in the Instagram caption. “I feel so lucky for every high and low − for all the lessons and gifts both have brought me. To get to feel it all! I’m so lucky to be a mom, friend, partner, sister, daughter, colleague to some of the most unbelievable humans!!”

    She added, “So lucky for the support and encouragement from all of YOU around the world, every day and on my birthday last week. I had the best time celebrating, and it’s a blessing to feel so loved!! I am grateful and honored to take on a new decade.”

    Hadid and Cooper have been romantically linked since 2023, though both have been private about the relationship. She confirmed that she and Cooper were dating in a March interview with Vogue, and the outlet reported that the two met at a birthday party for a mutual friend’s child.

    Though Hadid told Vogue that it’s “just not part of our relationship to share for whatever reason,” she described the relationship as “very romantic and happy.” She also reflected that “getting to the point where knowing what you want and deserve in a relationship is essential,” adding, “I respect him so much as a creative, and I feel that he gives so much to me: encouragement and, just, belief.”

    Cooper was previously in a relationship with model Irina Shayk, with whom he shares an 8-year-old daughter, Lea De Seine. Hadid, meanwhile, shares 4-year-old daughter Khai with her ex Zayn Malik.

  • Grace Potter’s Kentucky Derby national anthem gets mixed reaction

    Grace Potter’s Kentucky Derby national anthem gets mixed reaction

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    On a gloomy Kentucky Derby Day, Grace Potter wowed the Churchill Downs crowd with a slow but showy version of the national anthem.

    The Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter wore a cream cowboy hat she customized with feathers and a gold, waist-cinched dress with gold accessories for her performance at the 151st race in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 3. Potter kept her performance measured until the very end, when she did some showboating on the final word “brave.”

    The performance came ahead of the release of her “lost” album, “Medicine,” recorded in 2008 with T Bone Burnett and out May 30. She’ll support the album on tour with Chris Stapleton in July.

    What did people think? Many loved Grace Potter’s version of the national anthem at the Kentucky Derby.

    Many fans praised Potter as a “powerhouse” vocalist, and one shared quite the compliment: “My grandma said that it gave her goosebumps.”

    One brave fan called Grace Potter’s a cappella performance the best since Whitney Houston.

    But “before you lose your minds,” the fan noted, “I did not say better than.”

    “Very nice job,” another said. “Never heard her before. I was impressed.”

    Others thought Grace Potter’s rendition of the national anthem was too slow or not to their liking.

    One viewer called it a “miserably slow” and “selfish” version.

    “Don’t they have try outs for the national anthem anymore?” another wondered. “Wince, wince.”

    “You let me down,” one fan tweeted. “Zero Inspiration. Darn.”