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Subscribe to USA TODAY Play for crossword puzzles, games

Subscribe to USA TODAY Play for crossword puzzles, games

Yahoo25-05-2025

If your morning starts with a litany of daily puzzles and word games, now is a great time to add USA TODAY Play's games to your roster.
Less stressful than many other crossword puzzles on the market, the USA TODAY daily crossword is a quick, typically less than 10-minute brain break with clues ranging from the traditional fare (Hint: the answer to the cookie clue is nearly always OREO) to pop culture to current events.
P.S. If you're a Taylor Swift fan, there will likely be at least one clue you know nearly every day as our crossword editors seem to be in their ERAS era.
Looking for an even shorter time commitment? Our daily Quick Cross is a four-by-four grid that you should be able to solve in a few minutes. RACE your friends and see who can complete it the fastest!
And if crosswords aren't for you, USA TODAY Play offers a variety of other games, including daily Sudoku, our brand-new game 7 Little Words and more.
While everyone has access to a limited number of puzzles each week for free, adding a USA TODAY Play subscription gives you access to:
Your stats and the ability to track your daily streaks
Unlimited puzzles, hints and reveals across Crossword, Quick Cross and Sudoku
Additional games, like the brand new 7 Little Words
The crossword archive, filled with hundreds of past puzzles for your enjoyment
An ad-free gaming experience
Sign up today at puzzles.usatoday.com and start bragging about your high scores to all your friends.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Subscribe to USA TODAY Play for crossword puzzles, games

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Where is Trump's military parade taking place? See route, map
Where is Trump's military parade taking place? See route, map

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time9 minutes ago

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Where is Trump's military parade taking place? See route, map

President Donald Trump is getting the military parade he's long wanted this year, as the U.S. Army plans to mark its 250th anniversary with a pomp-filled procession through the streets of the nation's capital, a date coinciding with the president's birthday. "The event is designed not only to showcase the Army's modern capabilities but also to inspire a new generation to embrace the spirit of service, resilience, and leadership that defines the United States," according to a May 21 statement on event organizer's website. "The parade will trace the Army's evolution from the Revolutionary War through to the U.S. Army of Tomorrow." Here's what to know about the parade's route and when it takes place. The military parade is slated for Saturday, June 14, in the heart of Washington, D.C., spanning six blocks and bisecting the National Mall. Celebrations and associated events are set to take place throughout the day, starting with a fitness competition at 9:30 a.m. ET, and an assortment of military demonstrations, equipment displays and live music performances throughout the day. Visitors can expect kid zones, more than 50 vendor and experience booths, and meet-and-greats with "Army soldiers, NFL players, influencers and celebrities," according to the U.S. Army event page. Army, Trump love a $40M parade. But nothing is planned for Navy, Marines. On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress voted to establish the Continental Army, organizers say, marking the creation of America's first national military force more than a year before the Declaration of Independence. Trump, US Army throwing military parade: How to get tickets The parade will take place along Constitution Avenue NW, starting at 15th Street alongside the National Mall, near the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The procession will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, cutting through the mall between the Washington Monument and German-American Friendship Garden on one side and the long grassy expanse of President's Park in front of the White House on the other. The parade will cross in front of Trump's viewing stand on Constitution Avenue south of the White House at about 6 p.m. It will continue in the direction of the Lincoln Memorial, passing by Constitution Gardens and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial before ending at 7:30 p.m. ET on Constitution Avenue NW and 23rd Street. A concert at the Ellipse is scheduled to start when the parade ends, and Army officials say a firework display will begin at 9:45 p.m. ET. Contributing: George Petras and Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump military parade route; See map of June 14 festivities

It's finally time to bid farewell to the ‘face of the NBA'
It's finally time to bid farewell to the ‘face of the NBA'

Washington Post

time16 minutes ago

  • Washington Post

It's finally time to bid farewell to the ‘face of the NBA'

The question persists, oblivious to the NBA's new countermovement. Who will be the next face of the league? Everyone wants to know; no one wants to claim it. LeBron James, whose kingly mug has dominated attention for two decades, got in his feelings earlier this season and downplayed the importance of a line of succession. 'Why do you want to be the face of a league when all the people that cover and talk about our game on a day-to-day basis s--- on everybody?' James wondered. 'To have that responsibility is just weird. It's weird energy.' His frustration is reasonable, actually, even though James has benefited from being the superstar of all superstars far more than he has suffered. The league has grown to a point at which the unofficial role should be outdated. It had long come with savior vibes, dating from when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson boosted the NBA's popularity and Michael Jordan took it to a new stratosphere of cultural resonance. Today, the fate of the sport doesn't sit on the shoulders of any single, transcendent star. All 30 franchises are estimated to be worth more than $3 billion. In March, the Boston Celtics' sale came with a record $6.1 billion valuation. The face of the NBA is a title with diminished meaning and murky criteria that punishes candidates as much as it promotes them. There won't be another rivalry as significant as Bird vs. Magic. Changes to marketing and celebrity culture ensure no icon will enjoy a journey as dramatic and intoxicating as Jordan's. There is no template to be like James or Stephen Curry, either. Who's the new face of the NBA? The question is in conflict with where the league is headed. It's a facile concern as the Finals begin with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers — both among the league's 10 smallest markets — providing the most compelling evidence to date that the sport functions like never before. 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Anthony Edwards, the legend-killing young marvel for the Minnesota Timberwolves, lost in the conference finals for the second straight season. Jayson Tatum, the franchise player on a star-studded Celtics roster with multi-championship potential, ruptured his Achilles' tendon trying to defend Boston's 2024 title. That NBA face card keeps declining. 'The years of the super teams and stacking [talent] is not as effective as it once was,' Turner said. 'Since I've been in the league, this NBA is very trendy. It just shifts. But the new trend now is just what we're doing. OKC does the same thing. The young guys get out and run, defend and use the power of friendship.' The power of influence used to control the league. Before the NBA introduced a parity-enforcing business model, it was easier for great players to get what they wanted. And because they usually wanted to play for the most glamorous franchises, it led to a decade — starting with James's infamous decision to join the Miami Heat in 2010 — in which the imbalance became exaggerated. The NBA had always been a league of dynasties because, in five-on-five basketball, one dominant player has an outsize impact on the game. Give a giant a gigantic ally, and it's game over. In 2023, new rules were implemented to tax both the bank accounts and team-building tactics of franchises that hope to stack stars. It's almost impossible to build a complete team through free agency now. And even if you build a great squad through the draft, retention becomes a chore. One consequence, perhaps unintended, is that it will be difficult for one star to stand above the rest. Face of the NBA is a cumbersome aspiration, especially when it means different things to different people. 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If the Thunder wins, Gilgeous-Alexander will be the first MVP since Curry in 2015 to capture the regular season honor and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy in the same season. Ten years is a long drought for MVPs. In the NBA's first 69 seasons, 14 MVPs ended their remarkable runs with a parade. Because several of them did it multiple times, there have been 23 instances in which the MVP winner captured the most coveted prize. In other words, one-third of the time the MVP went home satisfied through 2015. In the decade since, the award has culminated in postseason chatter about that superstar's shortcomings. Even though Jokic (a three-time MVP) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (twice the MVP) eventually won titles, they endured plenty of criticism about their worthiness because they didn't have great playoff results during their MVP seasons. Joel Embiid, the oft-injured 2023 MVP, still hears it. 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Cole Palmer handed Mykhailo Mudryk's No. 10 shirt number at Chelsea
Cole Palmer handed Mykhailo Mudryk's No. 10 shirt number at Chelsea

New York Times

time29 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Cole Palmer handed Mykhailo Mudryk's No. 10 shirt number at Chelsea

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