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Germany, ‘Stresstest’

As climate change raises temperatures to intolerable levels, how can cities adapt to become resilient to extreme heat? Curators of the German pavilion have created a sensory experience that addresses this urgent question. Their aptly titled Stresstest seeks to raise awareness by first immersing visitors in uncomfortably warm conditions. A second, more accommodating setting then presents architectural solutions to these challenges. The stakes couldn’t be higher — a recent study warned that global warming could lead to an additional 2.3mn temperature-related deaths in European cities by 2099.
stresstest.world/de

Latvia, ‘Landscape of Defence’

Latvia’s pavilion focuses on another existential threat: war. A recent push to fortify the country’s border with Russia in the event of an invasion has prompted curators Liene Jākobsone and Ilka Ruby and architecture firms Sampling and Nomad to consider how geopolitical conflict shapes the environment. Landscape of Defence looks at the effects of defence architecture such as fences and anti-tank trenches, highlighting not only the physical impact of these structures on areas already vulnerable to attack, but also “the emotional impact on its population”. The curators say the broader aim is to encourage military strategists to take civilian perspectives into account in their national defence planning.
latvianpavilion.lv

Iceland, ‘Lavaforming’

Flowing lava might conjure visions of disaster and destruction, but what if molten rock could actually be used to forge new cities? Taking inspiration from the lava fields of Iceland, mother-and-son team Arnhildur Pálmadóttir and Arnar Skarphéðinsson of s.ap architects have imagined a speculative future set in 2150 where humans have harnessed the power of lava to create sustainable building material. According to Pálmadóttir, a lava flow “can contain enough building material for the foundations of an entire city to rise in a matter of weeks without harmful mining and non-renewable energy generation”.
honnunarmidstod.is

Qatar, ‘Beyti Beytak. My home is your home. La mia casa è la tua casa’

It was recently announced that Qatar’s pavilion in the Giardini — the first permanent structure to be added to the historic venue in almost three decades — will be designed by the Beirut-born, Paris-based architect Lina Ghotmeh. As its multilingual title suggests, the inaugural presentation explores how hospitality and traditions of welcome are translated throughout the architecture of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. It includes more than 20 architects, bringing modernist pioneers such as Sri Lanka’s Minnette de Silva into dialogue with Islamic architecture specialists such as Egypt’s Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil. Among the contemporary innovators is Dhaka-based Marina Tabassum, who won the Soane medal in 2021 and has gained international recognition for the temporary homes she designed to help Bangladesh’s flood victims in recent years.
qm.org.qa

Luxembourg, ‘Sonic Investigations’

Architects Valentin Bansac and Mike Fritsch and architect and cartographer Alice Loumeau shift our focus from the visual to the auditory in Sonic Investigations. Inspired by John Cage’s seminal composition 4’33’’, their project invites visitors to engage in the act of “deep listening” to consider how hidden forces shape our built and natural environments. At its core is a commissioned work by sound artist Ludwig Berger, who has collected field recordings from different locations around Luxembourg. Ultimately the presentation seeks to reveal the joy of discovery when we pause and tune into our surroundings.
kulturlx.lu

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NEW YORK — Rapper Kendrick Lamar earned a leading 10 nominations for the American Music Awards on April 23, including nods for artist of the year and song of the year for his Grammy-winning diss track “Not Like Us.”

The song is part of a longstanding feud between Lamar and fellow hip-hop star Drake, who has sued Universal Music Group for defamation over its release.

Post Malone landed eight nominations including favorite male country artist and favorite country album for “F-1 Trillion.” He previously won AMAs in rap/hip hop and pop/rock categories.

Next on the list were Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Shaboozey, who earned seven nominations each. Taylor Swift, who has picked up more AMAs than any other artist over her career, received six nominations in 2025.

Taylor Swift hits high note with AMAs, nominated for 6 awards

Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter,” which took the top award at this year’s Grammys, was nominated for album of the year and favorite country album at the AMAs. She also is in the running for favorite female country artist.

Fans will vote on the winners, which will be announced at a May 26 ceremony hosted by actress and pop singer Jennifer Lopez. The show will be broadcast live on CBS and also stream on Paramount+ for select subscribers.

Nominations were based on performances on the Billboard music charts, streaming and album sales, radio play and social media engagement.

‘Cowboy Carter’ shines at AMAs: Beyoncé receives more country music nominations

American Music Awards 2025 nominees:

Artist of the Year

New Artist of the Year

• Benson Boone
• Chappell Roan
• Gracie Abrams
• Shaboozey
• Teddy Swims
• Tommy Richman

Album of the Year

• Beyoncé “COWBOY CARTER”
• Billie Eilish “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT”
• Chappell Roan “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”
• Charli XCX “BRAT”
• Gracie Abrams “The Secret of Us”
• Future & Metro Boomin “WE DON’T TRUST YOU”
• Kendrick Lamar “GNX”
• Post Malone “F-1 Trillion”
• Sabrina Carpenter “Short n’ Sweet”
• Taylor Swift “The Tortured Poets Department”

Song of the Year

• Benson Boone “Beautiful Things”
• Billie Eilish “Birds of a Feather”
• Chappell Roan “Good Luck, Babe!”
• Hozier “Too Sweet”
• Kendrick Lamar “Not Like Us”
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars “Die With A Smile”
• Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen “I Had Some Help”
• Sabrina Carpenter “Espresso”
• Shaboozey “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
• Teddy Swims “Lose Control”

Collaboration of the Year

• Kendrick Lamar & SZA “Luther”
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars “Die With A Smile”
• Marshmello & Kane Brown “Miles on It”
• Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen “I Had Some Help”
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars “APT.”
• Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone “Fortnight”

Social Song of the Year

• Chappell Roan “HOT TO GO!”
• Djo “End of Beginning”
• Doechii “Anxiety”
• Lola Young “Messy”
• Shaboozey “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
• Tommy Richman “Million Dollar Baby”

Favorite Touring Artist

• Billie Eilish
• Luke Combs
• Morgan Wallen
• Taylor Swift
• Zach Bryan

Favorite Music Video

• Benson Boone “Beautiful Things”
• KAROL G “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”
• Kendrick Lamar “Not Like Us”
• Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars “Die With A Smile”
• Shaboozey “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”

Favorite Male Pop Artist

• Benson Boone
• Bruno Mars
• Hozier
• Teddy Swims
• The Weeknd

Favorite Female Pop Artist

• Billie Eilish
• Chappell Roan
• Lady Gaga
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Taylor Swift

Favorite Pop Album

• Billie Eilish “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT”
• Chappell Roan “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”
• Charli XCX “BRAT”
• Sabrina Carpenter “Short n’ Sweet”
• Taylor Swift “The Tortured Poets Department”

Favorite Pop Song

• Benson Boone “Beautiful Things”
• Billie Eilish “Birds of a Feather”
• Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars “Die With A Smile”
• Sabrina Carpenter “Espresso”
• Teddy Swims “Lose Control”

Favorite Male Country Artist

• Jelly Roll
• Luke Combs
• Morgan Wallen
• Post Malone
• Shaboozey

Favorite Female Country Artist

• Beyoncé
• Ella Langley
• Kacey Musgraves
• Lainey Wilson
• Megan Moroney

Favorite Country Duo or Group

• Dan + Shay
• Old Dominion
• Parmalee
• The Red Clay Strays
• Zac Brown Band

Favorite Country Album

• Beyoncé “COWBOY CARTER”
• Jelly Roll “BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN”
• Megan Moroney “AM I OKAY?”
• Post Malone “F-1 Trillion”
• Shaboozey “Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going”

Favorite Country Song

• Jelly Roll “I Am Not Okay”
• Koe Wetzel and Jessie Murph “High Road”
• Luke Combs “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma”
• Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen “I Had Some Help”
• Shaboozey “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”

Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist

• Drake
• Eminem
• Future
• Kendrick Lamar
• Tyler, The Creator

Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist

• Doechii
• GloRilla
• Latto
• Megan Thee Stallion
• Sexyy Red

Favorite Hip-Hop Album

• Eminem “The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)”
• Future & Metro Boomin “WE DON’T TRUST YOU”
• Gunna “one of wun”
• Kendrick Lamar “GNX”
• Tyler, The Creator “CHROMAKOPIA”

Favorite Hip-Hop Song

• Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar “Like That”
• GloRilla “TGIF”
• GloRilla & Sexyy Red “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME”
• Kendrick Lamar “Not Like Us”
• Kendrick Lamar and SZA “Luther”

Favorite Male R&B Artist

• Bryson Tiller
• Chris Brown
• PARTYNEXTDOOR
• The Weeknd
• Usher

Favorite Female R&B Artist

• Kehlani
• Muni Long
• Summer Walker
• SZA
• Tyla

Favorite R&B Album

• Bryson Tiller “Bryson Tiller”
• PARTYNEXTDOOR “PARTYNEXTDOOR 4 (P4)”
• PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U”
• SZA “SOS Deluxe: LANA”
• The Weeknd “Hurry Up Tomorrow”

Favorite R&B Song

• Chris Brown “Residuals”
• Muni Long “Made For Me”
• SZA “Saturn”
• The Weeknd and Playboi Carti “Timeless”
• Tommy Richman “Million Dollar Baby”

Favorite Male Latin Artist

• Bad Bunny
• Feid
• Peso Pluma
• Rauw Alejandro
• Tito Double P

Favorite Female Latin Artist

• Becky G
• KAROL G
• Natti Natasha
• Shakira
• Young Miko

Favorite Latin Duo or Group

• Calibre 50
• Fuerza Regida
• Grupo Firme
• Grupo Frontera
• Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda

Favorite Latin Album

• Bad Bunny “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS”
• Fuerza Regida “Dolido Pero No Arrepentido”
• Peso Pluma “ÉXODO”
• Rauw Alejandro “Cosa Nuestra”
• Tito Double P “INCÓMODO”

Favorite Latin Song

• Bad Bunny “DtMF”
• FloyyMenor X Cris Mj “Gata Only”
• KAROL G “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”
• Oscar Maydon and Fuerza Regida “Tu Boda”
• Shakira “Soltera”

Favorite Rock Artist

• Hozier
• Linkin Park
• Pearl Jam
• Twenty One Pilots
• Zach Bryan

Favorite Rock Album

• Hozier “Unreal Unearth: Unending”
• Koe Wetzel “9 lives”
• The Marías “Submarine”
• Twenty One Pilots “Clancy”
• Zach Bryan “The Great American Bar Scene”

Favorite Rock Song

• Green Day “Dilemma”
• Hozier “Too Sweet”
• Linkin Park “The Emptiness Machine”
• Myles Smith “Stargazing”
• Zach Bryan “Pink Skies”

Favorite Dance/Electronic Artist

• Charli XCX
• David Guetta
• John Summit
• Lady Gaga
• Marshmello

Favorite Soundtrack

• Arcane League of Legends: Season 2
• Hazbin Hotel (Original Soundtrack)
• Moana 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Auliʻi Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson and cast
• Twisters: The Album
• Wicked: The Soundtrack – Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and cast

Favorite Afrobeats Artist

Favorite K-pop Artist

• ATEEZ
• Jimin
• RM
• ROSÉ
• Stray Kids

Contributing: Lisa Richwine, Reuters; Edward Segarra, USA TODAY

After almost three years, the second season of the “Star Wars” spin-off series “Andor,” is back on Disney+.

Set before “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Andor” follows Cassian Andor, who works with a band of rebels to steal the Empire’s plans for the Death Star, all setting the stage for the 1977 release of “Star Wars: Episode IV − A New Hope.” 

Season 2 of “Andor” explores how the rebels’ relationships intensify as war draws near and Cassian becomes a key player in the Rebel Alliance, Disney+ shared in a news release.

The series enjoyed large success during its first season, released in September 2022, as it was nominated for eight Primetime Emmys in 2023.

Here’s what to know about Season 2 and when new episodes are set to come out.

How to watch ‘Andor’ Season 2

After the first three episodes of were released April 22, three more rounds of releases are scheduled over the next three weeks for the remaining nine episodes of Season 2.

You can watch episodes exclusively on Disney+ every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

A standard plan with ads has a price point of $8.99/month, while the standard plan without ads is $12.99 per month. Consumers can save money with the standard plan by purchasing an annual plan at $129.99/year ($10.83 per month).

The top option available on Disney+ is the premium plan at $15.99/month or $159.99/year. That includes streaming in 4K UHD and HDR and the ability to download content and ad-free viewing.

‘Andor’ Season 2 episode schedule

Here’s the full list of release dates for Season 2 episodes of “Andor”:

• Episode 1, “One Year Later”: April 22
• Episode 2, “Sagrona Teema”: April 22
• Episode 3, “Harvest”: April 22
• Episode 4, episode title not yet released: April 29
• Episode 5, episode title not yet released: April 29
• Episode 6, episode title not yet released: April 29
• Episode 7, episode title not yet released: May 6 
• Episode 8, episode title not yet released: May 6
• Episode 9, episode title not yet released: May 6
• Episode 10, episode title not yet released: May 13
• Episode 11, episode title not yet released: May 13
• Episode 12, episode title not yet released: May 13

Watch the ‘Andor’ Season 2 trailer

Contributing: David Hoffman and Greta Cross, USA TODAY

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“We now understand that plants shape the environment more than it shapes them,” Bas Smets tells me. “So the question I wanted to ask was, ‘how can we use that plant intelligence to produce new types of landscape?’”

The result is Building Biospheres, this year’s Belgian pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, which is populated by hundreds of plants and trees, rather than the usual models or photographs of buildings. It is a striking display, the white-painted interior occupied by a verdant miniature forest supported by an armature of high-tech gizmos, monitors, lighting and sensors.

“Every time you and I breathe,” says Smets, “we’re breathing air made by plants. But we’re cut off from the environment in buildings. In the 19th century, trees were planted in cities as embellishment; now we’re going to need them to provide oxygen, to filter out particles and absorb excess water and to cool down the city.”

Plants cannot move on the ground, so they need to be able to manipulate the environment around them

Trees and plants, suggest Smets and his main collaborator Stefano Mancuso, pioneer of plant neurobiology, have an intelligence that we are only now beginning to understand. “Plants cannot move on the ground,” Smets says, “so they need to be able to manipulate the environment around them. They need to be able to manipulate birds and bees to come to them. They have intelligence but also an extreme sensibility.”

The aim in this pavilion, commissioned by the Flanders Architecture Institute, is to create what Smets refers to as “a symbiosis” between the plants and the people, the architecture and the organic. Intriguingly, this symbiosis is one in which the plants are in charge, manipulating the environment so it suits them better. Fortunately, as Smets says, “what is good for them is also good for us”.

“What trees want is to grow . . . They want more photosynthesis and that is good for us, lowering the temperature, producing more oxygen. What we’re proposing is a new symbiosis between what the plants need . . . what the building can handle and what we humans like. And we think that in that new symbiosis lies the future of architecture; architecture not as something that is dissociated from nature but a new collective intelligence between humans, plants and buildings.”

Smets, who trained as an architect and engineer before he switched to landscape design, might sound like a dreamer, with his rhetoric about intelligent plants controlling the building’s services, but he is anything but. This is a project engaging scientists and philosophers as well as a technical team including plant ecophysiologist Kathy Steppe of Ghent University and software developer Dirk De Pauw of Plant AnalytiX. It is predicated on an emerging understanding of plant intelligence (something that has, of course, been appreciated by different cultures in myriad ways and eras).

Philosopher Emanuele Coccia has been instrumental in outlining this concept, particularly in his wonderful 2018 book The Life of Plants. And Smets himself is a fascinating though always modest figure who is currently working on the landscape around the newly restored Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, making it greener, friendlier and more resilient, as well as the huge Astridplein outside Antwerp’s central station.

A prototype of the biosphere pavilion was already set up on the Ghent campus in a greenhouse; photos show a hybrid of high-tech and organic, galvanised steel and odd-looking gear wired up to tree trunks. “The trees will be cyborgs,” Smets grins, “as are we all now, with our phones and headphones, on Zoom calls.” Machines measure sap flow (the movement of fluid around a plant) and soil humidity, while data processors and AI help with calculations around light and irrigation. Smets suggests this is a lab as well as an artwork, an opportunity to monitor the plants over the six-month duration of the Biennale in real time. 

Measuring the plants’ responses helps to accommodate them better, and the better they are accommodated the better the internal conditions get, for us and for them. The trees and plants have been mostly selected as those from a subtropical environment, that climate best suited (or at least most comfortable) to us as well. 

“In a way, we have to rethink how we live on this planet,” says Smets, “and by bringing the most important living organisms that have allowed life on the planet into the building we change the status of that building.”

It’s a curious thing but the Belgian pavilion is very often the best. Belgium had the first national pavilion on the Giardini site (1907) and perhaps that extra experience has made them better at it. Seeings Smets’s plans, I mention that the best pavilion I ever saw in an Architecture Biennale was After the Party by architects Kersten Geers and David Van Severen in 2008, in which the architects built a wall to enclose a garden and then covered the floors of the interior and the garden in confetti while a few cheap café chairs were strewn around. It was a wonderful relief from the cacophony around, a pure, simple idea of a hedonistic moment that had somehow passed, but still utterly beautiful. “Ah, yes,” Smets says, “in a way this is a similar idea, about creating a place in the shade of trees.” The designers worked together recently in, of all places, Bahrain, where their Pearling Path lays out a trail of intimate public spaces. 

In recent years, architects have been reassessing the role of plants in building but the danger has been a certain superficiality. Plants are green, literally, symbolically and environmentally, and the suspicion is that designers have been using them to cover up the less sustainable processes involved in architecture. If anyone can begin to ensure that plants are taken more seriously as real actors in a warming world, it is Smets. “I hope,” he says, “that architects see that plants are not just decoration but an active agent of our climate.”

vai.be

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A new “Predator” is here and this time, it’s not the vile humanoid creature fans expect him to be.

A teaser trailer for “Predator: Badlands” dropped April 23, revealing what’s to next to come in the longtime sci-fi horror franchise. Slated to release this fall, the movie marks the sixth installment and the first since 2022’s prequel film “Prey.”

The new film stars “The Great” actor Elle Fanning and New Zealand performer Dimitrius Koloamatangi, who plays a young Predator.

“You’re hunting something that can’t be killed,” Fanning’s character Thia says in the trailer.

Director Dan Trachtenberg and screenwriter Patrick Aison returned to create “Badlands” after their work on “Prey” that went on to receive four Emmy nominations as the film released exclusively on Hulu on July 21, 2022.

Here’s what to know about the new film.

When does ‘Predator: Badlands’ come out?

20th Century Studios’ “Predator: Badlands” premieres in theaters nationwide on Nov. 7, 2025.

Watch the ‘Predator: Badlands’ trailer

What is ‘Predator: Badlands’ about?

“Predator: Badlands” follows a woman named Thia, played by Elle Fanning, who partners with an outcast Predator, played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, to defeat a much larger adversary.

‘Predator: Badlands’ cast

The new “Predator: Badlands” film stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi.

When did the first ‘Predator’ come out?

The original “Predator” released in theaters on June 12, 1987.

The sci-fi horror film was directed by John McTiernan and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.

How many ‘Predator’ movies are there?

There are a total of six “Predator” movies, including the upcoming “Badlands” sequel.

• Predator (1987)
• Predator 2 (1990)
• Predators (2010)
• The Predator (2018)
• Prey (2022)
• “Predator: Badlands” (2025)

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• Beyoncé’s album “Cowboy Carter” earned three American Music Award nominations, including favorite female country artist, favorite country album and album of the year.
• The album has already won Grammy Awards for best country album and album of the year.
• Despite Grammy success, “Cowboy Carter” was overlooked by the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is racking up more country music nominations for her eighth studio album, “Cowboy Carter,” as the megastar garnered three nods at the American Music Awards (AMAs).

The 35-time Grammy winning singer received two country music nods at this year’s AMAs, including favorite female country artist and favorite country album for her genre-bending project “Cowboy Carter.” She is also up for album of the year.

Hosted by Jennifer Lopez, the awards show will make its return on Memorial Day after a two-year hiatus. It is set to broadcast live from Las Vegas.

As fans know, Beyoncé first announced the album during a surprise Super Bowl commercial in 2024 when she released singles “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em.” The 27-track project became a huge catalyst for the recent spotlight on Black country artists and the genre’s roots, while breaking multiple records along the way.

With this album, Beyoncé became the leading nominee at the 2025 Grammy Awards, where she scored nominations in the country and American roots categories for the first time.

She would go on to win best country album and the top prize of the evening — album of the year — despite being snubbed at the Country Music Association Awards (CMAs) and later the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMs).

The winners at the AMAs will be chosen by fans. This year, Kendrick Lamar is the leading nominee with a total of 10 total nominations in eight categories.

CBS and Paramount+ will carry the show on May 26 starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.

Teddi Mellencamp can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The TV personality and daughter of rock singer John Mellencamp, who revealed in February that several tumors were found on her brain, shared an encouraging update on her cancer recovery in an emotional post on social media April 23.

Mellencamp, 43, announced she has about six more weeks of immunotherapy treatment after it was discovered that all her tumors have “shrunk or disappeared.”

“Doctors believe I will be healed if everything stays on course,” Mellencamp wrote on Instagram. “Thank you to everyone who has sent their love, prayers, and positivity ❤️❤️❤️”

 “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum also shared her excitement about her nearly cancer-free status in an accompanying video.

“Honestly, the crying is already done, but I just finished with all of my scans and my tumors have significantly shrunk,” Mellencamp said, “which doctors believe means that this all will work and that I will be back to myself and feeling good.”

Mellencamp underwent emergency surgery in February after being hospitalized for a series of “severe and debilitating headaches,” she revealed in an Instagram post at the time, which turned out to be “multiple tumors” that her doctors believed had “been growing for at least 6 months.”

The former Bravo star said two of her tumors would be surgically removed during the Feb. 12 procedure, while the “remaining smaller tumors will be dealt with via radiation at a later date.”

Teddi Mellencamp health: TV personality reveals stage 4 cancer spread with new tumors

Mellencamp’s health journey seemed to take a turn for the worse in late March, after four additional brain tumors were discovered, she told Us Weekly in an interview published April 2. She also shared that she was battling stage 4 melanoma, a type of skin cancer she has long struggled with, that later metastasized to her lungs and brain.

“There are some days (where) I think you’re allowed to say, ‘I don’t feel confident right now,” Mellencamp said in the interview. “And there are some days that I’m like, ‘It is what it is.’ Some days, I’m really sad and really scared, and some days, I’m like, ‘I got this; I’m not worried.’”

John Mellencamp planning burial amid daughter Teddi’s cancer battle

Mellencamp also opened up about how her cancer diagnosis has impacted her father John, formerly known as John Cougar. On an April 9 episode of her “Two Ts In A Pod” podcast, Mellencamp told co-host Tamra Judge that “the Cougs makes me talk to him more than he’s ever made me talk to him,” including about her funeral planning.

“Yesterday my dad calls 11 times in a row. Finally, I answer, I’m like, ‘I’m in the bath. Let me live a little.’ He goes, ‘I just want to make sure you’re going to be in our group family mausoleum,’” Mellencamp recalled, to which Judge replied, “John, no!”

Contributing: Jay Stahl, USA TODAY

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

Season 6 of “The Handmaid’s Tale” is halfway through, and things are getting intense as June (Elisabeth Moss), her husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle), and best friend Moira (Samira Wiley) attempt to take down Gilead.

Though the trio successfully managed to infiltrate Jezebel and meet up with Janine (Madeline Brewer), whose help they need to destroy Gilead, it is not yet known if they managed to make it out safely, with Episode 5 ending on a cliffhanger. Meanwhile, Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) and Commander Wharton (Josh Charles) get engaged after he proposes to her.

According to Hulu, June will fight to take down Gilead with Luke and Moira joining the resistance in the final season of the Emmy-winning drama series. 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,” the season’s synopsis says.

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

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.”

While the curtain drops on the “The Handmaid’s Tale,” here’s what to know about the series future, including details on a spinoff.

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Will ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ return for Season 7?

No. After a successful six season run, “The Handmaid’s Tale” which premiered on April 26, 2017, is scheduled to end May 27 with the series finale.

In September 2022, ahead of Season 5’s premiere, Hulu, while renewing the series for another season, announced that Season 6 would be its last.

“It’s been a very, very, very luxurious time that I’ve had to think about what happens at the end of this story and exactly how we’d like to get there as a company,” creator, showrunner and executive producer Bruce Miller told The Hollywood Reporter at the time. “I’m very glad we’re being able to do it on our own terms because I know how lucky that makes us — all the actors and creative people who put their hearts and souls into it — to close up the play the way you want. Dropping the curtain the way you want is such a huge privilege.”

‘The Testaments’: A ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ sequel

“The Handmaid’s Tale” may be coming to an end, but the world of Gilead is not with a “Handmaid’s Tale” sequel “The Testaments” in production at Hulu, The Hollywood Reporter reported. The upcoming series is also being helmed by Miller.

“The Testaments” will pick up more than 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale and will follow the story of Agnes / Hannah, June’s daughter and a new generation of young women in the dystopian Gilead.

“For these young women, growing up in Gilead is all they have ever known, having no tangible memories of the outside world prior to their indoctrination into this life,” the series description says, Variety reported. “Facing the prospect of being married off and living a life of servitude, they will be forced to search for allies, both new and old, to help in their fight for freedom and the life they deserve.”

A release date for “The Testaments” is not yet known. The series is currently in production, Hulu announced on Instagram. While it is not yet known if Elisabeth Moss will be reprising her role as June in the upcoming series, she will be an executive producer on it, Hulu said.

Book review: Sequel to ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Testaments,’ well worth the wait

‘The Testaments’ cast

The upcoming series will see Ann Dowd reprise her “Handmaid’s Tale” role of Aunt Lydia. Other cast members, according to reports in Deadline and TV Insider, include:

• Chase Infiniti as Agnes
• Lucy Halliday as Daisy
• Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite
• Mattea Conforti as Becka
• Mabel Li as Aunt Vidala
• Amy Seimetz as Paula
• Brad Alexander as Garth
• Zarrin Darnell-Martin as Aunt Gabbana
• Eva Foote as Aunt Estee
• Isolde Ardies as Hulda
• Shechinah Mpumlwana as Jehosheba
• Birva Pandya as Miriam
• Kira Guloien as Rosa

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ cast

While “The Handmaid’s Tale” is not expected to return for another season, cast members for Season 6 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
• Josh Charles as High Commander Wharton
• 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

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 $7.99 a month to $17.99 a month for normal streaming services, and $75.99 a month to $89.99 a month for plans with streaming and live television. New users can also sign up for a free trial.

Watch every season of The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu

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

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‘Babygirl’ was released in theaters on Dec. 25, 2024.

Nicole Kidman’s erotic thriller “Babygirl,” a tantalizing ode to female desire and liberation, is dropping soon on Max.

The R-rated psychosexual drama follows a high-powered CEO named Romy (Nicole Kidman), who embarks on a torrid affair with her much younger intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson) and features a smorgasbord of kinky foreplay. While the affair gives Romy a new sense of freedom, the secretive games and shifting power dynamics between them put her career and family at risk, according to the film’s synopsis.

“Babygirl” was released in theaters on Christmas and earned Kidman several awards, including the Volpi Cup for best actress at the Venice Film Festival, the international star award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and a Golden Globe nomination.

Here’s how to watch “Babygirl” on streaming.

‘They are both the daddy’: ‘Babygirl’ director talks Nicole Kidman’s ‘taboo’ sex scenes

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When will ‘Babygirl’ be available to stream?

“Babygirl” will be available to stream on Max, starting Friday, April 25 at 3 a.m. ET/midnight PT.

The film will also air on HBO on Saturday, April 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, according to Max.

Watch ‘Babygirl’ with Sling + Max

“Babygirl” is already available to buy and rent on digital platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

The movie was released in theaters on Dec. 25, 2024.

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Where to watch ‘Babygirl’? Streaming platform, date

“Babygirl” will be available to stream on Max, starting Friday, April 25 at 3 a.m. ET/midnight PT.

Max subscription plans begin at $9.99 a month with ads, while ad-free subscriptions cost $16.99 a month.

The highest tier, which is $20.99 a month, includes the ability to stream on four devices and offers 4K Ultra HD video quality and 100 downloads. HBO also offers bundles with Hulu and Disney+.

Watch ‘Babygirl’ with Sling + Max

Harris Dickinson interview: ‘Babygirl’ star had Marine ambitions. Now he’s in 2024’s kinkiest film.

‘Babygirl’ cast

The cast of “Babygirl” includes:

• Nicole Kidman as Romy Mathis
• Harris Dickinson as Samuel
• Sophie Wilde as Esme Smith
• Antonio Banderas as Jacob Mathis
• Esther McGregor as Isabel Mathis
• Vaughan Reilly as Nora Mathis

Watch ‘Babygirl’ trailer

‘Babygirl’ trailer: Nicole Kidman’s erotic new Christmas thriller

Nicole Kidman gets kinky with a young intern (Harris Dickinson) in Halina Reijn’s titillating Christmas drama “Babygirl.”

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: Patrick Ryan, 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.