March 18, 2026

Title: USS MIDWAY

Constructor: Luke Schreiber

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• NERVOUS SYSTEM (20A: Body's communication network)
• MOBIUS STRIP (38A: Twisted figure that only has one side)
• SURPLUS STORES (57A: Shops that sell excess inventory)

USS MIDWAY: The letters USS are found at the MIDWAY point of each theme answer: NERVOUS SYSTEM, MOBIUS STRIP, and SURPLUS STORES.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• HARLOW (25A: "Lovin on Me" rapper Jack) "Lovin on Me" is a 2023 song by rapper Jack HARLOW. The song reached the top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
• SORKIN (46D: "The Social Network" writer Aaron) The Social Network is a 2010 biographical movie about the founding of Facebook. Aaron SORKIN wrote the screenplay, which is based on Ben Mezrich's 2009 book, The Accidental Billionaires. Although the movie was a success, its factual accuracy is contested. A sequel to the movie, titled The Social Reckoning is scheduled to be released in October of this year. Aaron SORKIN is the writer and director for the sequel.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• IDOL (5A: "American ___" (singing competition show) American IDOL premiered in 2002. The 24th season of the show is currently being aired, with the finale scheduled to be aired later this month. The winner of the first season of American IDOL was Kelly Clarkson. She has gone on to have a successful career both in music and on TV as the host of The Kelly Clarkson Show. Last November, my sister and I took a trip to Las Vegas to see Kelly Clarkson in concert. She was incredible, and the concert was amazing.

Kelly Clarkson

• PADME (9A: ___ Amidala ("Star Wars" senator)) When PADMÉ Amidala makes her first appearance in the Star Wars franchise in The Phantom Menace (1999), she is the 14-year-old queen of the planet Naboo. In Attack of the Clones (2002), which is set 10 years later, PADMÉ Amidala is a member of the Galactic Senate, representing Naboo. She secretly married Anakin Skywalker who was a Jedi Knight at the time. Anakin Skywalker later became Darth Vader. (Apologies for the spoiler if you have somehow avoided this knowledge up to this point.) PADMÉ Amidala is the mother of the twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. She died shortly after they were born. Natalie Portman portrays PADMÉ Amidala in the movies.
• TRIOS (30A: The Chicks and the Powerpuff Girls, for two) I have previously written about both of these TRIOS: The Chicks and the Powerpuff Girls.
• MOBIUS STRIP (38A: Twisted figure that only has one side) I find MOBIUS STRIPs fascinating. You can make a model of a MOBIUS STRIP by taking a long, narrow piece of paper and giving one end a half twist before taping the ends together into a loop. To demonstrate that the MOBIUS STRIP only has one side, draw a line down the center of it. Without lifting your pencil or pen, you will meet your starting point. If a MOBIUS STRIP is cut in half (along the line you drew down the center) it will result in a long loop with two twists in it, rather than two loops.
• TRUCK (61A: Word that can follow "monster" or "food") This is a fun clue that has me imagining a monster food TRUCK.
• MERCI (65A: "___ beaucoup") "MERCI beaucoup" is French for "Thank you very much."
• ATONES (1D: Observes Yom Kippur) Yom Kippur is a Jewish holy day known as the Day of Atonement. It is observed by fasting and prayer. This year Yom Kippur will be observed from sunset on September 20 to nightfall on September 21.
• SLAV (4D: Eastern European person) SLAVs are a group of people who speak any of the Slavic languages: Russian, Belarusian, Ukranian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian, and Slovene. The Slavic people are the largest ethnographic-linguistic group in Europe.
• LADY (8D: "___ Marmalade") I wrote about the song "LADY Marmalade" last month.
• RASTA (31D: Worshipper of Jah) RASTA beliefs include monotheism, a belief in one God, referred to as Jah. We saw the reverse of this clue two days ago when we saw JAH clued as [God to a Rastafarian].
• UAE (39D: Dubai's country (Abbr.)) Dubai is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dubai is the most populous city in the UAE.
• KOSHER (47D: Like some delis or kitchens) Food deemed KOSHER follows a set of Jewish dietary laws. As such, it must be prepared in a KOSHER kitchen. Requirements for a KOSHER kitchen include keeping meat and dairy products completely separate, including separate utensils, dishes, sinks and ovens. KOSHER delis operate under the supervision of a rabbi.
• YUCCA (53D: State flower of New Mexico) YUCCA plants have spiky leaves surrounding a central branch bearing multiple white flowers. YUCCA has been the state flower of New Mexico since 1927.
• LOVE (58D: The first "l" of "loml") loml = LOVE of my life
• OP-ED (60D: Opinion article) At first glance, it might seem that the word "opinion" in the clue is a dupe of the OP part of OP-ED. However, OP-ED is short for "opposite the editorial page," a nod to the location of OP-EDs in printed newspapers.

USS stands for United States Ship and is a designation used by the U.S. Navy for its ships and submarines. The USS MIDWAY is a retired aircraft carrier; it is now a museum ship in San Diego, California. Fun fact: The USS MIDWAY was the first U.S. aircraft carrier that was too big to go through the Panama Canal. Today, however, USS MIDWAY functions as the theme for this puzzle. I appreciate that the letters USS are at the exact center of each theme answer. Congratulations to Luke Schreiber making a USA Today crossword debut! Thank you, Luke, for this enjoyable puzzle.