June 24, 2026

Title: SEA CHANGE

Constructor: Max Schlenker

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• GLOBAL CITIZEN (18A: Person whose identity transcends borders, perhaps)
• DIAL IT BACK (37A; "Chillax a bit")
• PERIODIC TABLE (55A: Reference for someone who's really in their element?)

SEA CHANGE: Each theme answer contains an anagram (a CHANGE) of the word BALTIC, which is a SEA: GLOBAL CITIZEN, DIAL IT BACK, and PERIODIC TABLE.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• ESSEX (21A: English county in which Charli XCX grew up) I have previously written about British singer-songwriter Charli XCX. Today I learned that she grew up in ESSEX, a county in the East of England. Specifically, Charli XCX grew up in the hamlet of Start Hill.
• MEGA (30D: ___ Evolution (mechanic that temporarily increases a Pokemon's power)) My knowledge of Pokémon (like so much of my knowledge) has been gained from crosswords. I have previously learned that Pokémon can evolve, changing into a stronger, more advanced species. Today I learned that some Pokémon can undergo MEGA Evolution. Unlike (non-MEGA) evolution, MEGA Evolution is only a temporary change.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• NEMO (15A: Lost fish nicknamed "Sharkbait") This clue is, of course, a reference to the 2003 animated movie Finding NEMO. When NEMO ends up in an aquarium, his fellow tankmates give him the nickname "Sharkbait." I'd kind of forgotten about this scene (I have seen Finding NEMO!), but the "lost fish" was enough to clue me in to the correct answer.
• KEA (22A: Mauna ___ (Hawaiian peak)) Mauna KEA is one of five volcanoes that form the island of Hawai'i. Mauna KEA is one of a pair of Hawaiian volcanoes with 3-letter names that make frequent crossword appearances. The other volcano of the pair is Mauna Loa. Mauna KEA and Mauna Loa are about 35 miles apart on the island of Hawai'i. This is one of those instances where one simply needs to rely on crossing answers to determine the correct answer.
• DEA (26A: "Breaking Bad" org.) The TV series Breaking Bad originally aired from 2008-2013. The show centers on a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with Stage III lung cancer who begins to  make meth in order to make money to provide for his family. Given the subject of the show, it's not surprising that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was mentioned at times.
• PETER (29A: "Game of Thrones" star Dinklage) In the TV series, Game of Thrones, PETER Dinklage portrays Lord Tyrion Lannister, who is a dwarf and the youngest Lannister sibling. PETER Dinklage has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. He has used his celebrity status to raise awareness of dwarfism.
• AMIGA (40A: Buddy, in Barcelona) I had amigo here at first, but the crossing answer got me to the correct answer of AMIGA.
• DIA (48A: Sabado o domingo) "Sábado o domingo" is Spanish for "Saturday or Sunday," and "DIA" is Spanish for "day."
• PERIODIC TABLE (55A: Reference for someone who's really in their element?) The science nerd in me really enjoyed this clue! The PERIODIC TABLE arranges chemical elements into rows and columns (or groups) according to their atomic numbers. 
• WHALE (59A: Mammal that might have a car-sized heart) This is a fascinating animal fact. Blue WHALEs have the largest hearts of any living creatures. That makes sense, Blue WHALEs are the largest animals on Earth, reaching lengths of 100 feet and weighing as much as 165 tons (330,000 pounds). A WHALE's heart can be five feet tall and weigh 400 pounds. Saying its heart is car-sized might be a slight exaggeration – a VW Beetle weighs 1,600 to 3,000 pounds – but it's still an impressive size. For comparison, a human heart weighs about one pound. Here's another fun fact: the blue WHALE's heartbeat is loud enough to be heard from two miles away. 
• RACE (62A: Critical ___ Theory) Critical RACE Theory is a framework developed to discuss and understand systemic racism in the United States. Critical RACE Theory originated in the 1970s, as landmark civil rights laws were being eroded and schools were being re-segregated. Critical RACE Theory is seen as an interdisciplinary approach to combat race inequity. If you'd like to learn more, the Legal Defense Fund has an FAQ page on Critical RACE Theory.
• TRACK SUIT (5D: What Sue Sylvester wears, on "Glee") This is a fun way to clue TRACK SUIT. On the TV series Glee (2009-2015), TRACK SUIT-wearing cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester is portrayed by Jane Lynch.
• ANITA (7D: Ariana's "West Side Story" role) In the 2021 movie adaptation of the 1957 stage musical West Side Story, the role of ANITA was played by Ariana DeBose.
• BONNAROO (39D: Tennessee music festival) The BONNAROO Music and Arts Festival occurs over four days in June in Manchester, Tennessee. This year's BONNAROO took place earlier this month, June 11-14. This year's performers included Japanese Breakfast, Kesha, Noah Kahan, and many more.
• OBAMA (52D: U.S. president born in Hawai'i) Former president Barack OBAMA was born in Honolulu Hawai'i. 
• TEENS (54D: Many "Sex Education" characters, age-wise) Sex Education (2019-2023) is a Netflix TV series centered on the lives of the students, staff, and parents at Moordale Secondary School. As the show is set in a high school, many of the characters are TEENS. It was fun to see both TEENS and TWEEN (46A: Preadolescent) in today's grid.
• IDOL (57D: Immunity ___ ("Survivor" item)) The reality TV series, Survivor, first aired in 2000. Each season, a group of strangers are placed in an isolated location, and must provide themselves with food and shelter, while competing in challenges. The 50th season of Survivor aired earlier this year. Some seasons of Survivor feature hidden immunity IDOLs.  Once found the players can use the IDOLs to save themselves or others. 

The word CHANGE in the title immediately alerted me to the possibility of a hidden anagram theme. I appreciated that I had to take an extra step to identify that the SEA being CHANGEd was the BALTIC SEA. Thank you, Max, for this enjoyable puzzle.

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