Aurelia Butler

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    NYT Crossword Answers for May 6, 2025

    The air is sweet in Enrique Henestroza Anguiano’s crossword.Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky CluesTUESDAY PUZZLE — Some puns roll right off the tongue, light as air and witty as anything. Others feel so heavy-handed and strained that you almost resent yourself for understanding them. Today’s carnival-themed crossword, constructed by Enrique Henestroza Anguiano, walks the tightrope between these two extremes. The wordplay that solves the puzzle is certainly silly — I might even call it pure fluff — but the grid is well worth the groan.Today’s ThemeThe circled letters represent a certain [Carnival confection … or, when re-parsed, a hint to what appears three times in this puzzle]. We’ve got to solve a few regular clues in order to fill those letters in (emphasized in bold here). 18A’s [Orange-colored fruit pastry] is an APRICOT TART, and a [Mistake in logical reasoning] at 21A is called a FALLACY. Solve another pair of stacked clues, like 49A and 52A, and you’ll see that the pattern repeats itself. A [Dairy product with curds] is COTTAGE CHEESE and [Looks that might send a chill down one’s spine] are ICY STARES.What could these strange little cones of COTT/CY mean? Get this: The carnival confection at 62A is COTTON CANDY. When re-parsed, it explains how the letters C-O-T-T can be found ON top of the letters C AND Y.I prefer to call this treat “candy floss” because the second part of the term reads as a dentist’s caveat for the first.Tricky Clues58A. Since when is a [Disposable coaster at a bar] not called a coaster? Today I’m learning that it can also be called a BEER MAT. I’ve heard of a bar mat. Are we sure we’re not talking about that?We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat and Others Go Pants-Less at Met Gala

    Stars at the Met Gala, including Sabrina Carpenter, took an opportunity to show some leg. A lot of leg, actually.On Monday night, celebrities and stars descended on the Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” a history-making look at the Black dandy.While plenty of guests took the theme as a moment for sharply constructed pantsuits, a few attendees opted for a little less fabric on their legs. Almost no fabric, in a few cases.Perhaps most notable was Sabrina Carpenter, the “Espresso” singer whose maroon ensemble consisted of a bodysuit underneath a skimpy topcoat with tails designed by Louis Vuitton. The musical artist Doja Cat sported a similarly scant ensemble, donning a pinstriped suit-inspired one piece complete with sharp shoulder pads. The blazer and bodysuit hybrid, designed by Marc Jacobs, featured a leopard print bustier. Lisa, the K-pop star of Black Pink who recently appeared on the latest season of “The White Lotus,” also appeared in a pants-less Louis Vuitton look, complete with monogrammed sheer black tights. (Helen Lasichanh, a designer and the wife of Pharrell Williams, one of the event’s co-chairs, stepped out in the same stockings.) Arriving later in the evening, the actor Taraji P. Henson opted for an ivory fit without, well, you know.While not technically fully forgoing bottoms, the “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo’s voluminous black tulle overskirt featured an open panel in the front revealing tiny shorts beneath. The model Hailey Bieber wore a thigh-grazing black blazer as a minidress over pantyhose.The no-pants look is, of course, nothing new. Edie Sedgwick perfected it way back in the Warhol-era. And much more recently, in 2022, bare legs appeared in runway shows by Bottega Veneta and Miu Miu.Consider the evening’s minimal leg wear a step away from the more skin-revealing trend that took over red carpets earlier this year: naked dressing. More

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    AOC Won’t Seek House Oversight Committee Role

    Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Democrats’ emphasis on seniority led her not to seek a leadership role on the powerful Oversight Committee.Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said on Monday that she would not pursue becoming the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, citing her party’s emphasis on seniority as an obstacle.“It’s actually clear to me that the underlying dynamics in the caucus have not shifted with respect to seniority as much as I think would be necessary,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, told reporters.Ms. Ocasio-Cortez initially sought the position last year but lost in an internal contest to Representative Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia, 75. Mr. Connolly announced last week that he would step back from his duties as he faces cancer, leading younger, more progressive lawmakers to start pitching themselves for the position.Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, who was elected in 2018, is one of the most prominent young Democrats. Her decision not to pursue the position would seem to clear the way for others in her mold to jockey for it. The Oversight Committee’s top Democrat is one of the party’s most visible opponents to the Trump administration.But her remarks cast doubt on whether House Democrats might buck their long adherence to the seniority system, even as many members of their party clamor for generational change.Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s failed bid last year was seen as a setback for those in her party eager to break a long-established but unwritten rule that seniority should determine who gets prominent leadership roles, even as other younger members replaced older colleagues on some lower-profile committees.Weeks after the internal vote, she left the Oversight Committee for a spot on the influential Energy and Commerce Committee. That move would have complicated any effort that she might have made to succeed Mr. Connolly: House Democrats’ rules allow lawmakers to lead only committees they sit on.But Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, who has been speaking before big crowds on a tour with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, is one of her party’s brightest stars. Several Democrats on the Oversight Committee said last week that they were waiting to see whether she was interested, saying that she was a skilled messenger who would make a good foil to the Trump administration.Mr. Connolly’s position is not vacant. At a recent hearing, Representative Stephen F. Lynch of Massachusetts fulfilled his duties. Mr. Lynch, 70, has said he is interested in succeeding Mr. Connolly. More

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    With His Met Gala Look, Ryan Coogler Fulfills Lifelong Fashion Dream

    At his first Met Gala, the director fulfills a lifelong fashion dream.Ryan Coogler has always wanted to wear a cummerbund and tonight, he finally gets the chance to do so.“Today is the first day I actually put one on my body,” Mr. Coogler said about the shark colored waist sash, in a video interview from his fitting. “I’ve been to countless weddings and I never got a chance to pull one off.” Mr. Coogler was chatting from Jerry Lorenzo’s office, sitting next to Mr. Lorenzo, the founder and designer of Fear of God, who designed Gala looks for Mr. Coogler and his wife, Zinzi Coogler.This is Mr. Coogler’s first Met Gala. Many of the actors he is known for collaborating with have been guests at the yearly fete — from Michael B. Jordan to Chadwick Boseman to Letitia Wright. Still, he never quite felt like it was the place for him, he said.“I always enjoy seeing what they put on,” Mr. Coogler said. After the release of the first “Black Panther” movie, Mr. Coogler got a peek inside the exclusive event. “I think I had maybe like five or six cast members there. Somebody snuck a cellphone in and took a video. I remember getting that from Tish and, it made me smile.”The most important thing to Mr. Coogler is the community he gets to build through his films, and collaborating with Mr. Lorenzo felt like home — as far as fashion designers go. Before the fitting, the duo discussed spirituality, organized religion, the entertainment business and fatherhood.“The power of being around people who understand you, believe in you, value you, when you’re in a space with a lot of people like that, it kind of doesn’t matter where you are,” Mr. Coogler said.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Kamala Harris Is the Surprise Guest at the Met Gala

    The former vice president skipped the carpet, but slipped into the gala in a black silk gown in one of her first major public appearances since the 2024 election.That’s one way to make a (re-)entrance.Just days after delivering her first major speech since conceding the 2024 election, in which she condemned the actions of President Trump and warned of a constitutional crisis, former Vice President Kamala Harris was the surprise guest at the Met Gala.Though a tip sheet of all of the attendees had been distributed beforehand, her name had not been on it, and she sneaked into the gala without posing on the red carpet, according to a spokeswoman.However, even without the photo ops, the message sent by her asymmetric black silk gown with a choker neckline and one flowing white sleeve was pretty clear: “I’m back. Ish.”Unlike the Chloé pantsuits that Ms. Harris seemed to have adopted as a semi-uniform by the end of her presidential run, the dress — an Off-White look designed by Ib Kamara, who took on the brand after the untimely death of founder Virgil Abloh — was dramatic. It told the story of two sides. It was a return to the more inclusive dressing strategy Ms. Harris demonstrated during the 2021 inauguration events, when she wore work by all Black designers. And it will probably be controversial.“To me, the true core of dandyism is rooted in confidence and strength,” Mr. Kamara said. “There is no person who exemplifies these characteristics more than Kamala D. Harris, someone who has overcome adversity and continues to be a beacon for so many.”Still, political figures are relative rarities at the Met Gala, which tends to over-index on celebrities of all kinds — from Hollywood, in sports, from the art world — and the fashion brands that love them.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    As Backlash to Trump’s Tariffs Grows, Europe Boycotts American Brands

    A shifting perception of the United States amid President Trump’s trade war is prompting Europeans to pivot decisively away from U.S. goods and services.For motorcycle lovers in Sweden, Harley-Davidson is the hottest brand on the road. Jack Daniels whiskey beckons from the bar at British pubs. In France, Levis jeans are all about chic.But in the tumult of President Trump’s trade war with Europe, many European consumers are starting to avoid U.S. products and services in what appears to be a decisive and potentially long-term shift away from buying American, according to a new assessment by the European Central Bank.In April, Mr. Trump imposed a 10 percent blanket tariff on America’s trading partners, and threatened “reciprocal tariffs” on many of those, including the European Union. Companies like Tesla and McDonald’s are seeing customers in Europe put off by “Made in America.”“The newly imposed U.S. trade tariffs on European products are causing European consumers to think twice about what’s in their shopping cart,” the E.C.B. wrote in a blog post about its research on consumer behavior. “Consumers are very willing to actively move away from U.S. products and services.”Europeans had already begun testing grass-roots boycotts on American products, including Heinz ketchup and Lay’s potato chips, shortly after Mr. Trump took office. His threats to take over Greenland, part of Denmark, energized Danes to organize no-buy campaigns on Facebook. Tesla owners in Sweden slapped “shame” bumper stickers on their cars to distance themselves from Elon Musk, the Tesla chief executive who is one of Mr. Trump’s top advisers.Motorcycles in a Harley-Davidson dealership in Paris. The E.C.B. study said that even households that could bear the brunt of higher prices were moving away from U.S. goods.Gonzalo Fuentes/ReutersWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    UnitedHealth’s Move to End Cyberattack Loan Lifeline Upsets Medical Providers

    The company lent roughly $9 billion to practices affected by a vast cyberattack on its payment systems last year. Medical practices are now suing the health care colossus, saying it is pressuring them to repay funds.Two independent medical practices in Minnesota once hoped to expand operations but have spent the past year struggling to recover from the cyberattack on a vast UnitedHealth Group payment system.Odom Health & Wellness, a sports medicine and rehabilitation outfit, and the Dillman Clinic & Lab, a family medicine practice, are among the thousands of medical offices that experienced sudden financial turmoil last year. The cyberattack against Change Healthcare, a division of United, paralyzed much of the nation’s health-care payment system for months.Change lent billions of dollars to medical practices that were short on cash but has begun demanding repayments.Dillman and Odom are suing United in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, accusing the corporation of negligence related to the cyberattack and claiming they sustained excessive expenses because of the attack’s fallout.In addition, Odom and Dillman asserted in court filings that the company’s insurance arm, UnitedHealthcare, has in turn been denying claims to cover patient care for being submitted late.Lawmakers viewed the chaos caused by the cyberattack as a result of United’s seemingly insatiable desire to buy up companies like Change, alongside doctors’ practices and pharmacy businesses. The widespread disruption was a reminder of how deeply United’s sprawling subsidiaries had become embedded in the nation’s health care system.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Bessent Pitches Skittish Investors to Bet on Trump’s Economic Plan

    The Treasury secretary urged executives and entrepreneurs to look beyond the Trump administration’s trade agenda.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged skittish global business leaders on Monday to ignore President Trump’s economic naysayers and ramp up investment in the United States, defending an economic agenda that economists warn will slow economic growth and exacerbate inflation.Speaking to executives, entrepreneurs and policymakers, Mr. Bessent argued that the Trump administration’s economic plans go beyond trade policy and will pay off in the long run. He urged them to also focus on Mr. Trump’s plans to cut taxes and regulation, which he said would spur job creation and output.“Tariffs are engineered to encourage companies like yours to invest directly in the United States,” Mr. Bessent said in remarks at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles. “You’ll be glad you did — not only because we have the most productive work force in the world. But because we will soon have the most favorable tax and regulatory environment as well.”His comments came just hours after Mr. Trump ordered up new tariffs on foreign film producers, a decision that left many in Hollywood puzzled about how such a tax would work.The Treasury Secretary has been working to ease concerns among investors that Mr. Trump’s trade plans will destabilize the global economy. Mr. Trump last month levied tariffs on countries around the world and escalated a trade fight with China, which sent financial markets plunging.Since then, Mr. Bessent has been racing to negotiate trade deals with dozens of countries. He has also signaled that the China tariffs are not sustainable, offering hope that Mr. Trump would soon begin negotiations to lower them.”Our goal with trade policy is to level the playing field for our great American workers and companies,” Mr. Bessent said.The Trump administration is working closely with congressional Republicans ]on tax legislation that would extend the 2017 tax cuts and offer new tax breaks for overtime pay, tips and Social Security benefits. Mr. Bessent made the case on Monday that investors need to consider the broader agenda when thinking about where to park their money.Describing Mr. Trump’s policies as “mutually reinforcing,” Mr. Bessent said, “acting in concert, they push toward the same goal — to solidify our position as the home of global capital.”Investors have grown increasingly wary of Mr. Trump’s policies in recent months, with stocks, bonds and the dollar all showing signs of weakness as fund managers fret over the uncertainty surrounding Mr. Trump’s policymaking approach.The International Monetary Fund projected last month that global output will slow to 2.8 percent this year from 3.3 percent in 2024 and sharply downgraded its outlook for the U.S. economy.On Monday, Mr. Bessent said that Mr. Trump would prove “critics in establishment circles” wrong.“We have the world’s reserve currency, the deepest and most liquid markets, and the strongest property rights,” Mr. Bessent said. “For these reasons, the United States is the premier destination for international capital.” More