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  • What Gracie Abrams said about Taylor Swift at Billboard Women in Music

    What Gracie Abrams said about Taylor Swift at Billboard Women in Music

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    INGLEWOOD, Calif. − Look up “girl’s girl” in the pop culture dictionary and you’ll find a photo of Gracie Abrams.

    Abrams, who was honored at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music awards Saturday at Inglewood’s YouTube Theater, was the ultimate hype woman to her fellow female artists. After taking the stage to perform her viral TikTok hit “I’m Sorry, I Love You,” she accepted the Songwriter of the Year Award and used her speech time onstage to uplift R&B singer Victoria Monét, who introduced her with the award.

    “First of all, ladies and gentlemen, Victoria Monét,” the 25-year-old singer said onstage, shifting the spotlight to Monét. “This incredible artist is, at a minimum, a quadruple threat. She’s an insane writer, unparalleled vocalist and inventive producer and dancer. I’m just in awe of you.”

    Abrams began her speech saying she felt “gobsmacked” Billboard chose her as Songwriter of the Year, but felt “lucky to learn from and write with some of the most wonderful and talented people, the incomparable, Miss Taylor Swift.”

    “I’ll never stop pinching myself,” Abrams said after the audience went wild at her mention of Swift. “I’ll never stop thanking her for the gift of her pen, which very much raised me.”

    That’s so true, Gracie Abrams is still a fangirl

    Throughout the night, Abrams was seen filming her peers’ speeches and performances like a proud mom, and was often first to her feet to give standing ovations.

    Abrams was seen grooving in her seat to Tyla’s sultry and electrifying performance of “PUSH 2 START” (after the South African artist accepted Billboard’s Impact Award) and kept the energy going as Ángela Aguilar (Breakthrough Award honoree) put her Mexican culture on display with a rendition of “Cielito Lindo” accompanied by a mariachi band.

    She was also dancing along with the rest of the YouTube Theater to Erykah Badu’s performance after accepting the Icon Award.

    After calling out some of the most influential women in her life during her speech earlier in the night, Abrams returned to her seat, where she immediately embraced her best friend and collaborator, Aubrey Hobert, in a long embrace.

    The special moment continued when she turned to her mom, Katie McGrath, to do the same.

    Songwriting is ‘our prose and our poetry,’ says Gracie Abrams

    Last year, Abrams embarked on her 54-city Secret of Us tour promoting her sophomore album of the same name. The record released following a massive year that saw Abrams head out on her third headlining tour, open for Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour, and receive her first Grammy nomination for her debut album.

    “Songwriting is wild, it’s sometimes wildly embarrassing, wildly informative, sometimes it’s like a drug,” Abrams also said during her speech. “It’s our prose and our poetry, it is our most private diary entries and our loudest clarion calls.”

    She continued: “It’s our hiding places and sometimes our very salvation.”

    Contributing: Allison Moses, KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

  • All the best photos from Billboard Women in Music including DoechiiCelebrities

    All the best photos from Billboard Women in Music including DoechiiCelebrities

    All the best photos from Billboard Women in Music including DoechiiCelebrities

  • Crossword Blog & Answers for March 30, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher

    Crossword Blog & Answers for March 30, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher

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

    Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

    Editor: Amanda Rafkin

    What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

    • NINA (12A: “Dog Days” actress Dobrev) Dog Days is a 2018 romcom that centers on the lives of various dogs living in Los Angeles, and the intertwined lives of their owners. NINA Dobrev stars as the host of a morning show. Her character’s dog is a pug named DogDay.
    • TREVOR MACK (16A: Tsilhqot’in filmmaker who directed “Portraits From a Fire”) The Tsilhqot’in are an Athabaskan-speaking Indigenous people in British Columbia, Canada. TREVOR MACK’s debut feature-length film, Portraits from a Fire, was released in 2021. The award-winning film is about an Indigenous teen who vlogs about his community and grandparents.
    • ECON (67A: Emi Nakamura’s subj.) Emi Nakamura is a professor of Economics (ECON.) at the University of California, Berkeley. The abbreviation of the word subject in the clue alerts solvers the answer will be an abbreviation.

    Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

    • TAOS (1A: Art colony northeast of Santa Fe) TAOS, located in TAOS County in New Mexico, is a popular place for artists, and the area is home to many art galleries and museums.
    • TART (5A: Like the taste of kumquats) Kumquats are citrus fruits that resemble tiny oranges. Kumquats, which are the size of large olives, are known for their TART flavor.
    • ALI (22A: “Single Lady” comic Wong) Single Lady is a 2024 Netflix comedy special by ALI Wong. The show won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television.
    • BACH (35A: Johann Sebastian ___) Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) was a German composer. BACH was a prolific composer, and many of his pieces are still played today. For all of his accomplishments, I’m a bit sheepish to admit that what I think of when I consider BACH is the miniature busts of composers that one of my childhood piano teachers gave to students who memorized their recital pieces.
    • SIERRA (44A: ___ Nevada mountains) The SIERRA Nevada mountain range is located in the western part of the United States. The SIERRA Nevada is primarily in California, though part of the range extends into Nevada. The SIERRA Nevada is home to three National Parks: Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon. 
    • BRR (51A: “It’s freezing cold”) and ICE BATHS (15A: Cold soaks for marathoners) These two answers pair well together.
    • FLORID (57A: Excessively ornate) The word FLORID derives from the Latin word for “flowery” or “blooming.” FLORID was originally used to mean “covered with flowers,” but over time it came to be used to refer to something – such as writing or decoration – that is excessively ornate.
    • RCA (7D: Record label for H.E.R.) H.E.R. is an acronym for “Having Everything Revealed.” H.E.R.’s George Floyd protest-inspired song, “I Can’t Breathe,” won a 2021 Grammy Award for Song of the Year. H.E.R. signed with RCA Records in 2016.
    • VERA (10D: Fashion designer Wang) VERA Wang is a fashion designer well-known for designing evening wear and wedding dresses for public figures. She also has a line of ready-to-wear clothing, Simply VERA.
    • SNOW FORT (40D: Frozen playhouse for outdoor fun) Although at the moment I am ready for spring, I do enjoy a good SNOW FORT.
    • DKNY (60D: Big Apple fashion brand) Donna Karan founded her fashion house in 1984. She was inspired by her daughter to launch DKNY in 1989, as a younger, more affordable line alongside her mainline label, Donna Karan New York, which had debuted in 1985.

    Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

    • TREVOR MACK (16A: Tsilhqot’in filmmaker who directed “Portraits From a Fire”)
    • TRAVELER’S CHECK (38A: Tourist’s secure payment option)
    • TOUGH NUT TO CRACK (61A: Baffling problem)

    SIDETRACK: The word TRACK is split and found at the SIDEs of the theme answers: TREVOR MACK, TRAVELER’S CHECK, and TOUGH NUT TO CRACK.

    After discovering today’s theme, my main question was, “Do people still use TRAVELER’S CHECKs?” I remember using them, but it’s been years since I’ve done so. It seems like the use of TRAVELER’S CHECKs has been mainly replaced by credit cards and other means of electronic payment. At any rate, that thought in no way detracts from the enjoyment of this puzzle. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this splendid puzzle.

    For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

  • White House Correspondents’ Dinner cancels plans to host Amber Ruffin

    White House Correspondents’ Dinner cancels plans to host Amber Ruffin

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    The White House Correspondents’ Association is walking back plans to feature comedian Amber Ruffin at its 2025 dinner after criticism from the Trump administration.

    White House Correspondents’ Association president Eugene Daniels announced the change Saturday in a note to press colleagues first shared by CNN’s Brian Stelter. No comedian will be featured this year, Daniels said.

    “As the date nears, I will share more details of the plans in place to honor journalistic excellence and a robust, independent media covering the most powerful office in the world. As a first step, I wanted to share that the WHCA board has unanimously decided we are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year,” Daniels wrote.

    This year’s WHCA dinner is set to take place at The Washington Hilton on April 26 in Washington, D.C.

    Daniels, who left Politico last month to join cable news network MSNBC, is the current president of the WHCA.

    “At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists,” he continued.

    The news broke a day after Trump White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich on X slammed the WHCA’s decision to invite Ruffin to host, which was first announced in February.

    “This year’s @whca dinner will be hosted by a 2nd rate comedian who is previewing the event by calling this administration ‘murderers’ who want to ‘feel like human beings, but they shouldn’t get to feel that way, because you’re not’” Budowich wrote on X.

    “What kind of responsible, sensible journalist would attend something like this? More importantly, what kind of company would sponsor such as hate-filled and violence-inspiring event?” he added.

    After the news broke, Budowich continued criticizing the WHCA, calling their statement a “cop out.”

    (This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

  • King Charles III breaks silence after hospital stay

    King Charles III breaks silence after hospital stay

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    King Charles III is speaking out for the first time since his recent hospitalization.

    The British monarch’s Instagram story on Saturday featured a statement of support for the “people of Myanmar” after a “devastating” earthquake. On Thursday, Buckingham Palace announced the king was hospitalized after experiencing side effects from cancer treatment.

    The King’s statement said he and Queen Camilla “were most dreadfully shocked and saddened to learn of the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, with its tragic loss of life and appalling damage to homes, buildings and livelihoods, not to mention the destruction of sacred pagodas, monasteries and other places of worship.”

    “I know that the people of Myanmar continue to endure so much hardship and tragedy in your lives, and I have long admired your extraordinary resilience and spirit,” the statement said.

    The statement continued: “at this most difficult and heartbreaking of times, my wife and I send our deepest possible sympathy to all those who have suffered the profound tragedy of losing their loved ones, their homes and their precious livelihoods.” The statement was signed “Charles R.”

    The Royal Family’s comments come as the death toll rose drastically on Saturday after a catastrophic 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit Southeast Asia on Friday with reports of 1,600 dead in Myanmar and predictive modeling showing the true toll could reach 10,000.

    The king has been a subject of increased attention surrounding his health over the past year. King Charles has been undergoing treatment since he was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in February last year following tests after a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate.

    The palace said Thursday he had returned to his home, Clarence House, and that — as a precaution — his engagements for Friday would be rescheduled.

    Charles was set to receive credentials from the ambassadors of three different nations Thursday afternoon, and on Friday, he was to attend four public engagements in Birmingham, England.

    Contributing: Staff and wire reports, Jeanine Santucci

  • Chappell Roan courts new backlash for political comments

    Chappell Roan courts new backlash for political comments

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    Chappell Roan is “The Giver,” but she won’t be giving fans her political opinions.

    During a Wednesday appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast with host Alex Cooper, Roan slammed fans who expect her to share her personal political opinions.

    Roan asked why “are you looking to me for some political answer? … I’m a pop star. I wish I had the answers, I wish the president was a pop star, but she’s not” as Cooper added “you’re like, ‘listen to my song” in response to backlash.

    Last year, Roan addressed pressure from fans to discuss politics in two interviews. The first was with Rolling Stone, where she said she doesn’t “have a side because I hate both sides.” Then, she doubled down on this sentiment in an interview with The Guardian.

    “I don’t feel pressured to endorse someone,” Roan said. “There’s problems on both sides. I encourage people to use your critical thinking skills, use your vote – vote small, vote for what’s going on in your city.”

    Taylor Swift also faced political pressure over 2024 vote

    Roan isn’t the only pop star to be plagued by political pressure. In September last year, Taylor Swift endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election after the sole presidential debate between her and now-President Donald Trump. The endorsement followed months of pressure from fans for Swift to voice her opinion on the race.

    In an Instagram post shared after the debate, Swift wrote in a caption of a photo of her with her cat that she “will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.”

    “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades,” she wrote.

    Contributing: Sara Pequeño, USA TODAY

  • Young Scooter dead on 39th birthday after fleeing police: Reports

    Young Scooter dead on 39th birthday after fleeing police: Reports

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    Atlanta rapper Young Scooter is dead at 39, according to reports.

    The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office told Atlanta outlet 11 Alive and entertainment magazine Variety that Kenneth Bailey, 39, died after an incident in Atlanta on Friday night. Bailey, a Future collaborator and Southern rap staple, is better known as Young Scooter.

    In a press conference Friday, Atlanta Police Department homicide commander Lt. Andrew Smith said that officers responded to a dispute with a weapon Friday, which was Young Scooter’s 39th birthday. He said initial reports indicated that shots were fired. 

    USA TODAY has reached out to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office for comment.

    “Once officers arrived they knocked on the door. A male opened the door and immediately shut the door on the officers,” Smith said. Then, APD set up a perimeter at the scene, Smith said.

    “During the process of establishing the perimeter, two males fled out of the rear of the house,” Smith said. “One male returned back into the house. The other male jumped two fences as he was fleeing. When officers located him on the other side of the fence, he appeared to have suffered an injury to his leg.”

    “Officers rendered aid and he was transported to Grady Hospital where he was pronounced deceased,” Smith told reporters, adding that “that male is going to be a 39-year-old male out of Atlanta,” which matches Bailey’s description.

    Atlanta police clarified that the Young Scooter incident was not an officer-involved shooting.

    “Just to be very clear, the injury that was sustained was not via the officers on scene. It was when the male was fleeing,” Smith continued. 

  • Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega break down ending

    Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega break down ending

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    Spoiler alert! We’re discussing important plot points and the ending of “Death of a Unicorn” (in theaters now) so beware if you haven’t seen it yet.

    Paul Rudd has played dead onscreen before but never while laying on top of a unicorn puppet.

    In the climax of the comedic horror film “Death of a Unicorn,” Rudd’s character dies and is placed on top of a magical foal’s corpse, and both are then resurrected by the baby unicorn’s horned parents. After having his eyes closed for most of the time while filming the admittedly “cool” scene, Rudd got a kick out of seeing it come together in the final cut.

    “When the unicorn grabs me by the shoulder and drags me over, the thing that I remember thinking is like, ‘Wow, that really looks good,’ because I was on some sort of cardboard thing that they had to pull with ropes,” Rudd says.

    In “Death of a Unicorn,” recently widowed attorney Elliot (Rudd) and his estranged daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega) take a trip to a nature preserve in the Canadian Rockies, where Elliot hopes to reconnect with his kid and also has a business meeting with a wealthy pharmaceutical clan. On the way, Elliott hits a baby unicorn with his rental SUV, wounding it, and Ridley touches its horn and forms a trippy spiritual connection with the creature.

    They put it in the vehicle to reach the Leopold family’s estate and when it tries to escape, the foal is shot and killed. Elliot and the Leopolds figure out that the unicorn’s blood and shavings from its horn have miraculous medicinal properties, for everything from teen acne to cancer. The Leopolds intend on selling it as a cure-all to the rich and elite but the unicorn parents show up and gruesomely slaughter the Leopolds and their staff one by one.

    Rudd and Ortega break down the movie’s ending and the aftermath for their characters.

    What happens in the ending of ‘Death of a Unicorn’?

    Ridley tries to warn her dad that what’s going on isn’t right, and Elliot finally realizes it late in the game, when the entitled and very bro-y Shepard Leopold (Will Poulter) uses Ridley and the dead foal as bait to capture the other unicorns. After Elliot and Shepard trade stab wounds – Elliot with the baby’s horn, Shepard with a knife – one of the unicorns fatally kicks Shepard in the face and sends him flying, but Elliot succumbs to his injuries. That is, until he’s placed on top of the baby unicorn, the parents lock horns and bring Elliot and the baby back to life, giving Elliot his own magical experience like his daughter’s.

    “I love that the unicorns are a metaphor for our planet and the way that we treat (it) and how disrespectful and ignorant we as a species can be at times,” Ortega says of the film’s ending. “It’s really sweet the way Ridley and Elliot come together at the end and see how much they need each other. And more than anything, I was taken by how impactful the love and vulnerability is and how we all could use a bit more of that.”

    Rudd adds: “They both get to a place that they’ve been desperate to get to and probably wouldn’t have had this insane venture not happened to them.”

    Ortega appreciates how the film tackles the parent-kid dynamic, especially in regard to “a time in a person’s life where they become an adult and the relationship with their parents either gets distant or confused or muddled, and nobody really knows what it means anymore.”

    Does ‘Death of a Unicorn’ have a post-credits scene?

    It doesn’t, but the movie’s final scene is pretty epic: When the cops come and find the gory carnage at the Leopolds’ estate, they stick Elliot and Ridley in the back of a police cruiser after not buying their “unicorns did this” explanation. On the way to the station, Elliot and Ridley see all three unicorns running free right next to them, they get the hint from the creatures that they’re wanting to help, and dad and daughter brace for a collision as the creatures run the vehicle off the road in an apparent rescue attempt.

    While we don’t see what happens next, Ortega imagines that our heroes go on their merry way. “I don’t think they stay close to the unicorns. The unicorns are probably tired of them and want to go back to their cave. And quite frankly, I relate to that,” she says. “I would like to think they did each other solid favors and then kind of just silently agree to never speak or see each other again.”

    The response makes Rudd laugh. “It’s inherent in all of us, isn’t it?” he adds. “From the very get-go of when we first formed as a species, we’re all just really trying to get back to our caves.”

  • 'Death of a Unicorn': Paul Rudd worries about magical beastsMovies

    'Death of a Unicorn': Paul Rudd worries about magical beastsMovies

    ‘Death of a Unicorn’: Paul Rudd worries about magical beastsMovies

  • Full list of episodes, dates, where to watch

    Full list of episodes, dates, where to watch

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    Spoiler alert: This story contains information about the latest episodes of “1923” Season 2.

    Things continue to be bleak for the Dutton family with harsh weather and even harsher adversaries continuing to threaten the Dutton legacy in Season 2 of “Yellowstone” prequel “1923”.

    Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) is still navigating his way back to Montana and the ranch with Sheriff McDowell (Robert Patrick) warning him not to return. Meanwhile, his pregnant wife Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer) disembarked in Chicago from a train out of New York, on which she served as a waitress after her belongings and wealth were stolen in a harrowing encounter that knocked her unconscious.

    “1923” is the second “Yellowstone” prequel, following the events of the limited series “1883” (released in 2021) and before the current day “Yellowstone.”

    As the season enters its final 3-episode stretch, there is plenty of time for drama to unfold. Here’s what to know about catching the rest of “1923” Season 2.

    We’ve got room on the couch! Sign up for USA TODAY’s Watch Party newsletter for more recaps of your favorite shows.

    When do new ‘1923’ episodes come out? Episode 6 release date, time

    New episodes of “1923” Season 2 drop every Sunday on Paramount+ at 12 a.m. ET / 9 p.m. PT (previous day).

    Episode 6 of the series titled “The Mountain Teeth of Monster” will release on Sunday, March 30 at 12 a.m. ET / Saturday, March 29 at 9 p.m. PT.

    Episode 1 of Season 2 premiered on Sunday, Feb. 23.

    Watch 1923 Season 2 on Paramount+

    How to watch new episodes of ‘1923’ Season 2

    Season 2 of “1923” became available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ starting Sunday, Feb. 23 with new episodes dropping weekly on Sundays.

    Season 1 of the series is also available on the streaming service. Unlike “Yellowstone,” this series is only available via streaming on Paramount+.

    ‘1923’: Stream on Paramount+

    ‘1923’ episode schedule: How many episodes does Season 2 have?

    While Paramount+ has not released the full episode schedule for Season 2 of “1923,” the season is expected to have eight episodes, according to reports in Collider and Forbes. Here’s what the upcoming schedule looks like:

    • Episode 6 “The Mountain Teeth of Monster”: March 30
    • Episode 7: April 6
    • Episode 8: April 13

    The first five episodes of the season are available to stream on Paramount+.

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

    Who are the Duttons in ‘1923’?

    “1923” follows the Duttons, led by patriarch Jacob and matriarch Cara, played by Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, respectively.

    Jacob and Cara Dutton are ancestors of the current-day Yellowstone Dutton ranch owner and patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner), while Jacob is the brother of James Dutton, the settler played by Tim McGraw in “1883.”

    The series, meanwhile, is set in the early 20th century, “when pandemics, historic drought and the end of Prohibition all plague the mountain west, and the Duttons who call it home,” according to the series synopsis.

    Dutton family tree

    Here’s a look at the Dutton family tree, as reported by Jennifer Borresen for USA TODAY.

    ‘1923’ Season 2 cast

    Cast members for Season 2 of “1923,” per Paramount+, include:

    • Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton
    • Helen Mirren as Cara Dutton
    • Brandon Sklenar as Spencer Dutton
    • Darren Mann as Jack Dutton
    • Michelle Randolph as Elizabeth Strafford
    • Julia Schlaepfer as Alexandra Dutton
    • Timothy Dalton as Donald Whitfield
    • Jerome Flynn as Banner Creighton
    • Brian Geraghty as Zane
    • Sebastian Roché as Father Renaud
    • Aminah Nieves as Teonna
    • Jennifer Carpenter
    • Robert Patrick as Sheriff McDowell

    Watch the ‘1923’ Season 2 trailer

    Paramount dropped the trailer for Season 2 of “1923” on Jan. 19.

    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.

    Contributing: Jennifer Borresen, Gabe Hauari, Bryan Alexander, 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.