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If you want to get your kitchen, entryway, dining room, or living area organized this summer, having the right storage essentials is crucial. The Homfa 70.9-Inch Tall Pantry Cabinet at Walmart is a stylish and practical way to declutter your space. It has a sleek, multi-tier design with plenty of room to stash appliances, dishware, linens, and more, and it’s now on sale for 30% off.  

Originally $270, the freestanding cabinet is marked down to just $190 for a limited time in all hues. You can shop it in three classic colors: black, natural wood, and white. All three styles blend effortlessly with a range of decor styles, from modern to farmhouse, and come accented with silver metal handles that open and close effortlessly.

Courtesy of Walmart

At 15.6 inches deep, 31.5 inches wide, and 70.9 inches high, the engineered wood cabinet has a tall, roomy frame that’s built to last and offers ample storage space. The dual cupboards are generously sized, featuring five interior shelves and four modern doors to tuck away miscellaneous clutter. It also has two middle drawers, each measuring 12.8 inches long, 13 inches wide, and 5.8 inches deep. 

Courtesy of Walmart

Thanks to its versatile design, the multifunctional cabinet can work in various ways around your home. Use it as a kitchen pantry, an enclosed bookcase, or simply as extra storage in your entryway or office. Assembly is also hassle-free; it comes with a detailed instructional guide, all the necessary hardware, and an anti-tipping kit to enhance stability. 

The Homfa cabinet has earned high praise from Walmart shoppers, who called it “beautiful” and “elegant.” One reviewer said it adds “gorgeous storage” to any room you put it in, while another highlighted its “spacious” size and “modern” look. 

Related: Walmart’s $31 Portable Closet With Drawers Is a Dream for Organizing Dorms, Apartments, and Bedrooms

This stylish and functional four-door cabinet is an excellent way to add some extra storage space to your home — especially while it’s on sale. Pick one up for under $200 before this limited-time deal ends at Walmart.

Don’t miss future deals! Sign up for Parade Picks to receive our commerce team’s curated selection of discounts and sales, twice a week.

Country star Ella Langley has responded to criticism over a viral video showing her turning down a fan who asked her out after her Sept. 24 concert in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The “Choosin’ Texas” singer addressed the backlash herself in the comments of the social media post, explaining that her response was meant as “dark humor.”

The video, posted by TikTok user Tiki, shows the fan speaking to Langley through a fence in a parking lot after her show at the Food City Center. 

“Ella, how many likes to take you on a date?” he asked Langley.

The country star looked at him with a serious expression before saying, “Not enough in the world.” She then frowned and looked away.

Not enough in the world?! 😭 #ellalangley #tiki

The fan responded by crossing his arms, looking toward the camera and saying, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

The exchange quickly spread online, with some viewers questioning the way Langley handled the moment.

After seeing the criticism, Langley joined the conversation in the comments and explained what she meant by her reaction.

Replying to @Ella Langley #tiki #ellalangley

“This was definitely meant as dark humor, and it obviously didn’t land due to my face. I will say, it takes more than likes a on TikTok. I’m still a human.”

Her explanation came after the short video drew different reactions from fans. While some viewers felt that she could have responded more warmly, others defended the country singer and said she was allowed to reject the invitation.

The viral moment came during an especially big stretch in Langley’s career.

Her hit song “Choosin’ Texas” has made chart history, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 23 weeks. According to Billboard, the song surpassed Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which had held the top spot for 22 weeks.

“Choosin’ Texas” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Nov. 1, 2025. It became Langley’s first top 10 hit in January 2026 and first reached No. 1 in February.

For the Sept. 11-17 tracking period, the song recorded 21.8 million official streams, 58.3 million radio audience impressions and 6,000 sales in the United States, according to Billboard.

The song also continued its strong performance on other charts. It held No. 1 on Streaming Songs for a 23rd week and remained No. 1 on Hot Country Songs for a 41st week.

Langley celebrated the historic Hot 100 achievement in an Instagram video, thanking her fans “for loving this song.”

“I’m genuinely trying to find the words to help explain what’s going on in my brain today,” she said. “It feels exactly like a ‘We don’t know! What?’ I don’t know. Thank you so much.”

The success of “Choosin’ Texas” has made Langley one of the biggest names in country music in 2026. The Alabama-born singer also had a major awards season, winning all seven of her nominations at the 2026 ACM Awards, including female artist of the year and song and single of the year for “Choosin’ Texas.”

She later won two American Music Awards for best female country artist and best country song. The hit was also nominated for best country at the 2026 MTV VMAs.

With Langley continuing her Dandelion Tour and “Choosin’ Texas” holding a historic position on the Billboard Hot 100, the singer remains in the spotlight both for her music and for moments shared with fans online.

For now, Langley’s own explanation of the Knoxville exchange is clear: “It was meant to come off as dark humor.”

Related: Country Star Ella Langley’s Live Reaction to Major CMA News

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Refreshing your outdoor space can make a big difference in how it feels day to day. You don’t need to invest in all new furniture to create a cozy setup, though. Sometimes, smaller decorative touches can completely shift the vibe. Solar-powered light-up wind chimes are a great example, adding both soft lighting and a bit of movement to your space.

One especially charming option is the Winzwon Solar Light Outdoor Wind Chimes. Right now, this bestseller is on sale for between $8 and $13 depending on the style. It’s an easy and affordable way to elevate your patio, balcony, or garden without breaking the bank.

Courtesy of Amazon

The chimes measure about 20 inches long and 5 inches wide, making them noticeable without feeling bulky. They come in 10 different designs, including butterflies, hummingbirds, leaves, dragonflies, and moon and stars, so you can pick one that fits your aesthetic. The cheapest option is currently the chic black wind chime.

They’re designed to be low maintenance and easy to use. Just switch them on once, and they’ll charge during the day using sunlight. At night, they automatically light up, creating a soft glow. Charging typically takes 6 to 8 hours, and they’ll stay illuminated for about the same amount of time after dark.

The materials include a mix of metal and durable plastic built to handle outdoor conditions. They’re waterproof and designed to withstand rain and wind, so you can leave them outside without worrying about damage. They also come with two hook styles, making it easy to hang them from trees or fences.

These wind chimes aren’t just decorative. They also make thoughtful gifts for birthdays, graduations, and any other special occasion. They come packaged in a gift-ready box, and there are even non-light-up versions available.

One shopper raved: “They make the yard feel cozy and inviting. The solar feature is a huge plus — no batteries or cords to worry about — and they’ve held up perfectly through rain and wind.” 

Another described the wind chimes as “beautiful,” “magical,” and “absolutely stunning,” writing, “The colors are vibrant and shift smoothly, creating a peaceful glow in my yard.”

Related: Add ‘Cozy Atmosphere’ to Fall Nights With Walmart’s $57 10-Foot Solar Patio Umbrella

Whether you’re updating your own outdoor setup or looking for a small but thoughtful gift, the Winzwon Solar Light Outdoor Wind Chimes are a fun and eye-catching choice. And at as low as $10, it’s a great time to pick one up or grab a few for loved ones.

Don’t miss future deals! Sign up for Parade Picks to receive our commerce team’s curated selection of discounts and sales, twice a week.

Parade aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

If you’ve been spending more time outside throughout summer and early fall, you know how quickly a backyard can turn into your favorite “room” of the house. Between morning coffee on the patio, afternoon garden check-ins, and evenings spent grilling, it’s the small things that make the space feel like a true retreat. A few planters, wind chimes catching the breeze, a string of lights overhead, and your yard starts to feel like more than a patch of grass.

When you want an outdoor accessory that adds both charm and function at once, Walmart has an easy upgrade. The Cocobela Solar Lantern Bird Bath is currently just $27, marked down from $50 with a 46% discount. It brings together a decorative bird bath for visiting wildlife with a built-in solar lantern that charges during the day and casts a warm light at night, making your outdoor space feel alive from after sunset.

Courtesy of Walmart

This bird bath brings a touch of charm and whimsy to any outdoor space, turning a simple garden corner or backyard nook into something more inviting for both you and your feathered visitors. Painted butterfly and hummingbird antennas decorate the basin, and as the sun goes down, the built-in solar light softly illuminates the design, casting a gentle glow that feels warm, welcoming, and just a little magical. 

The built-in solar panels charge throughout the day using sunlight and then automatically power on at night, delivering soft illumination that lasts through the evening. It’s designed to do more than sit in the yard, functioning as a bird bath, a feeder, or even the base for a solar-powered fountain pump (not included) if you want to add a bit more movement and activity to your outdoor setup.

Built for all-season use, it sits securely on durable metal prongs that anchor into the ground, finished with a double layer of anti-rust coating to help it withstand changing weather over time. Standing 42 inches tall with a 12-inch diameter bowl and a 2.4-inch depth, it offers plenty of space for birds to bathe and drink comfortably, while the wide base helps keep the structure steady. The smooth basin and removable bowl make upkeep simple, allowing for quick cleaning and easy refilling so you can keep fresh water or seed readily available with minimal hassle.

While the birds may not be leaving reviews themselves, their gardeners certainly have plenty to tweet about in the reviews section. Shoppers described it as “very cute” and “so pretty,” with many noting that “birds love it” and return to it often. One reviewer also pointed out that it’s “easy to assemble,” with clear instructions and no extra tools or hardware required.

Related: Organize Your Tiny Bathroom With Walmart’s Sleek and Chic Storage Cabinet

Easy to set up and low maintenance once placed, the Cocobela Solar Lantern Bird Bath is an affordable way to bring movement, light, and life into your outdoor space. Take advantage of this 46% off Walmart deal while the warmer days and longer evenings last!

Don’t miss future deals! Sign up for Parade Picks to receive our commerce team’s curated selection of discounts and sales, twice a week.

Where has the King of the Monsters shown up in your life over the years?

Ever since coming to life on film back in 1954, Godzilla has been all over different forms of entertainment media — whether it’s TV shows, comic books, or action figures perhaps enjoyed during your upbringing.

Millennials and similar generations might recall seeing Godzilla (1998) in theaters, the American reboot starring Matthew Broderick. Even Austin Powers in Goldmember made a comedic reference to the giant monster.

Thirty years later came Godzilla Minus One, which won an Academy Award in 2024 for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. Then came news of a sequel, which finally premiered to the world on Saturday, September 26 at this year’s iteration of the New York Film Festival.

Godzilla Minus Zero already holds an impressive 93% average critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which offers the following synopsis:

“War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it into minus. Two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery and finally reclaim its daily life. Just as humanity managed to cling to a hard-won peace, a new threat strikes, crushing hope in an instant. There is no third time. Everything ends here.”

The follow-up to Godzilla Minus One is also making headlines because it’s rated R — marking a first in the film franchise’s 72-year history, per Variety. Returning director Takashi Yamazaki addressed the historic MPAA rating at NYFF on Saturday.

“Logically, as a studio — and even as a director — you want as many people from the general public to be able to see your film,” Yamazaki, 62, told Variety. “So, an R-rating might seem like a barrier to entry, and conversations about, ‘Hey, could we have not gotten this down to PG-13?’ of course are going to happen. In spite of that, though, there were certain scenes that, for me as a director, were so essential to the film. Censoring it or cutting it was just not an option for me.”

To solve today’s NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle, you’ll be exploring postseason baseball, team locations, mile high football and names associated with the Pacific Northwest.

Get excited—there’s another New York Times game to add to your daily routine! Those of us word game addicts who already play Wordle, Connections, Strands and the Mini Crossword now have Connections Sports Edition to add to the mix.

So, if you’re looking for some hints and answers for today’s Connections Sports Edition on Sunday, September 27, 2026, you’ve come to the right place.

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The New York Times

Connections Sports Edition is just like the regular Connections word puzzle, in that it’s a game that resets at 12 a.m. EST each day and has 16 different words listed. It’s up to you to figure out each group of four words that belong to a certain category, with four categories in total.

This new version is sports-specific, however, as a partnership between The New York Times and The Athletic.

As the NYT site instructs, for Connections Sports Edition, you “group sports terms that share a common thread.”

Related: The 26 Funniest NYT Connections Game Memes You’ll Appreciate if You Do This Daily Word Puzzle

Here are some hints about the four categories to help you figure out the word groupings.

• Yellow: Postseason matchups.
• Green: Team locations.
• Blue: Mile high football
• Purple: Pacific Northwest football

OK, time for a second hint…we’ll give you the actual categories now. Spoilers below!

• Yellow: MLB PLAYOFF ROUNDS, WITH “SERIES”
• Green: ACTUAL MLB HOME CITIES
• Blue: DENVER BRONCOS
• Purple: ASSOCIATED WITH OREGON FOOTBALL

If you’re looking for the answers, no worries—we’ve got them below. So, don’t scroll any further if you don’t want to see the solutions!

The answers to today’s Connections Sports Edition #734 are coming up next.

Related: 15 Fun Games Like Connections to Play Every Day

• MLB PLAYOFF ROUNDS, WITH “SERIES”: CHAMPIONSHIP, DIVISION, WILD CARD, WORLD
• ACTUAL MLB HOME CITIES: ANAHEIM, ARLINGTON, SACRAMENTO, ST. PETERSBURG
• DENVER BRONCOS: BONITTO, HARVEY, NIX, WADDLE
• ASSOCIATED WITH OREGON FOOTBALL: AUTZEN, DUCKS, NIKE, SHOUT

Don’t worry if you didn’t get them this time—we’ve all been there.

Up next, catch up on the answers to recent Wordle puzzles.

Related: NYT Connections Sports Edition Today: Hints and Answers for Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Terry Kirkman didn’t need weeks to write the song that would give The Association its first No. 1 hit. In fact, “Cherish” came together in roughly half an hour.

Kirkman wrote the romantic ballad in California during the Association’s early days, inspired by a woman he was interested in at the time. Released in 1966, “Cherish” became one of the year’s biggest singles and helped establish the Los Angeles group as a major force in the harmony-rich pop and soft rock that defined the latter half of the decade.

The Association had only recently scored its first major hit.

Formed out of the Los Angeles folk scene, the group released “Along Comes Mary” earlier in 1966. The song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and introduced the band’s elaborate vocal harmonies to a national audience.

“Cherish” offered something much gentler.

Built around acoustic guitar and lush vocal arrangements, the song captures the uncertainty of wanting a relationship that may never become reality. Its title becomes a recurring declaration as the narrator struggles to find words strong enough to describe his feelings.

Kirkman later recalled writing it extraordinarily quickly, completing the song in about 30 minutes.

“Between 11:00 pm and 11:37 pm on that particular night, which I know because I got home at exactly 11:00 pm and the news had just started, my wife said, ‘Do you wanna watch the news?'” Kirkman recalled in an interview years later. “And I said, ‘No, I think I’m gonna try to write this song.’ And then when I finished it, I was just barely into Johnny Carson’s monologue at 11:37. So in that period of time, that song got written.”

But turning his composition into a record required considerably more work.

Producer Curt Boettcher, who would become an important figure in the era’s sophisticated California pop scene, worked with the Association on the recording. The arrangement placed the group’s layered voices at the center, while session musicians helped create the polished instrumental backing.

There was another complication: “Cherish” was too long for AM radio conventions.

The finished recording ran beyond the three-minute mark, leading the label to list a shorter running time on the single. Even with its unusual length, radio embraced it.

“Cherish” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1966 and remained there for three weeks. It also became one of the Association’s signature recordings, preceding another chart-topper, “Windy,” in 1967.

The group’s run continued with songs including “Never My Love” and “Everything That Touches You,” but “Cherish” retained a special place in its catalog. David Cassidy even returned the song to the charts with his own hit version in 1972.

The Association reunited in 2003 for the band’s induction to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and even took the show back on the road for subsequent tour dates.

“It’s just amazing to see these 70-year-old people turn back into kids when we play those songs,” said lead guitarist, vocalist and co-founder, Jules Alexander in an interview shortly thereafter. “We have a shared body of experience with our audience and it’s so much fun to play for them.”

Sixty years after Kirkman’s half-hour burst of inspiration, “Cherish” remains inseparable from the Association’s soaring harmonies. What began as one young songwriter trying to capture unrequited love became a three-week No. 1 and one of the most recognizable ballads of the 1960s.

Related: 1970 Rock Song, Written by Paul McCartney, Is Still a Powerful Hit 56 Years Later

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is all about self care. Each answer is something you might reach for as part of your daily routine.

Move over, Wordle, Connections, Connections Sports Edition, and Mini Crossword—there’s a new NYT word game in town! The New York Times‘ recent game, “Strands,” is becoming increasingly popular as another daily activity fans can find on the NYT website and app.

With daily themes and “spangrams” to discover, this is the latest addictive game to cross off your to-do list before a new one pops up 24 hours later.

We’ll cover exactly how to play Strands, hints for today’s Spangram, and all of the answers for Strands #938 on Sunday, September 27.

The New York Times

According to the New York Times, here’s exactly how to play Strands:

Find theme words to fill the board.

• Theme words stay highlighted in blue when found.
• Drag or tap letters to create words. If tapping, double-tap the last letter to submit.
• Theme words fill the board entirely. No theme words overlap.

Find the “spangram.”

• The spangram describes the puzzle’s theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. It may be two words.
• The spangram highlights in yellow when found.
• An example spangram with corresponding theme words: PEAR, FRUIT, BANANA, APPLE, etc.

Need a hint?

• Find non-theme words to get hints.
• For every three non-theme words you find, you earn a hint.
• Hints show the letters of a theme word. If there is already an active hint on the board, a hint will show that word’s letter order.

If that doesn’t help, here’s a hint for today’s Strands game: You might buy these at Sephora.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

In today’s puzzle, there are six theme words to find (including the spangram). Here are the first two letters for each word:

• SE
• TO
• CL
• SU
• MO
• BE (SPANGRAM)

Today’s Spangram is mostly diagonal.

Today’s Spangram answer for today’s NYT ‘Strands’ Hints, Spangram, and Answers for Sunday, September 27, 2026, is BEAUTYCARE.

• SERUM
• TONER
• CLEANSER
• SUNSCREEN
• MOISTURIZER
• SPANGRAM: BEAUTYCARE

Related: Today’s NYT ‘Strands’ Hints, Spangram and Answers for Saturday, September 26, 2026

Mariska Hargitay once promised that her Knicks pal Jalen Brunson will soon make an appearance on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Then came the Primetime Emmy Awards, where Hargitay, 62, brought in the 30-year-old NBA champion for an epic sketch to kick off the ceremony.

And now, Brunson is serving as host of Saturday Night Live this weekend to launch the comedy show’s whopping 52nd season.

“Tonight I’m gonna approach hosting in the same way I approach the Knicks finals game,” he told the SNL audience on Saturday, September 26, per The Hollywood Reporter. “So, the first three quarters of the show are gonna be god awful. The last sketch is gonna be amazing.”

The New York superstar continued, “This summer, I helped the Knicks win the NBA championship. By now, you’ve all heard me talk about it, but you haven’t heard me sing about it… And obviously I’m not going to.”

Brunson also acknowledged the pop-culture significance of soon returning to Madison Square Garden for his upcoming NBA season.

“The new season is just a couple of weeks away, and I gotta say, it’s gonna be pretty cool to be back at Madison Square Garden. Looking around like, wow, just a few months ago, this was the exact spot where [Taylor Swift] and [Travis Kelce] got married,” he said, according to THR.

Brunson then opened up his SNL monologue portion to questions from the audience — at which point the camera panned to his NBA-champion Knicks teammates sitting amongst the crowd. Players such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart provided cleverly worded inquiries. Check it all out below.

The Knicks captain is indeed set to guest star on episode five of Law & Order: SVU‘s upcoming 28th season, airing November 5.

Brunson, who has spoken openly about his decades-long love of SVU, found an unlikely kindred spirit in Hargitay, who has been a fixture at Madison Square Garden throughout the Knicks’ historic championship run. The two have been showing up for each other in increasingly public and charming ways ever since. 

Today’s New York Times Connections puzzle covers artist creations, places to sit, parts of a classic form of communication and words that end with historic Chinese rulers.

There’s nothing quite as exhilarating as the feeling of completing the daily New York Times Wordle, Strands, Mini Crossword and Connections Sports Edition word games in one fell swoop. But sometimes that can be easier said than done. If you need help with today’s Connections puzzle, keep reading.

Spoilers ahead! We’ve warned you. We mean it. Read no further until you really want some clues or you’ve completely given up and want the answers ASAP. Get ready for all of today’s NYT ‘Connections’ hints and answers for #1204 on Sunday, September 27, 2026.

The New York Times

If you’ve been having trouble with any of the connections or words in Sunday’s puzzle, you’re not alone, and these hints should definitely help you out. Plus, I’ll reveal the answers further down.

Related: The 26 Funniest NYT Connections Game Memes You’ll Appreciate if You Do This Daily Word Puzzle

1. Artist’s materials.
2. Seat yourself!
3. If you’d like to make a call…
4. There’s a hidden proper noun in the end of each of these four words.

Related: 300 Trivia Questions and Answers to Jumpstart Your Fun Game Night

Ready for the answers? Scroll below this image (the image that represents your very appreciated patience!).

iStock

1. SCULPTURE MEDIA: BRONZE, CLAY, MARBLE, PLASTER
2. RESTAURANT SEATING OPTIONS: BANQUETTE, BOOTH, CHAIR, STOOL
3. TELECOM: CARRIER, NETWORK, OPERATOR, PROVIDER
4. ENDING IN CHINESE DYNASTIES: BBQING, HOMING, LOHAN, WU-TANG

How’d you do?

Up Next:

– 15 Fun Games Like Connections to Play Every Day
– Hints, Clues and Answers to the NYT’s ‘Mini Crossword’ Puzzle

Did You Miss a Few Days? Let’s Catch You Up With Recent Connections Answers

Related: NYT ‘Connections’ Hints, Clues and Answers Today, Saturday, September 26, 2026

The Last of Us is welcoming more alumni from the video game series the HBO show is based on for its third and final season.

Laura Bailey and Ian Alexander, who voiced Abby and Lev, respectively, in The Last of Us Part II, will not be reprising their original roles, but have been added to the cast as two brand new characters, alongside Roseanne star John Goodman, as reported by Deadline.

The TV version of Abby has been portrayed by Kaitlyn Dever since the start of Season 2, while Kyriana Kratter was previously cast to play Lev in Season 3. Instead, Bailey will play Elizabeth, a leader of the Seraphites, or Scars, while Alexander will play Paco, one-half of a duo called the “Heroes of the Highway,” alongside Goodman’s Joey.

Alongside the exciting new additions, Jason Ritter, Clea Duvall, and Patrick Wilson have also joined the cast, alongside Jorge Lendeborg Jr., who replaced Danny Ramirez after he announced his departure from the role of Manny.

And of course, Dever returns alongside Bella Ramsey, Isabella Merced, Gabriel Luna and Jeffrey Wright, while Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle and Spencer Lord will see more screentime as new series regulars.

Sadly missing from the lineup will be the late Catherine O’Hara, who was meant to reprise her role as Jackson’s therapist, Gail. It’s unclear at this time how the show may be reworked to account for her absence.

Production for Season 3 is currently underway. Filming is expected to wrap up on Nov. 27 of this year, while we anticipate a Spring 2027 release date, based upon the last two seasons’ air dates, though nothing has been confirmed by the studio so far.

Related: ‘The Last of Us’ Creators Announce ‘Insane’ Update That Fans Say Is ‘So Cool’

To solve today’s NYT Wordle puzzle, you’ll need to brush up on your sailing terms.

But the day just isn’t complete until I’ve solved all of the free word games from the New York Times, including Connections, Connections Sports Edition, Strands, and Mini Crossword. If you’re stuck on today’s Wordle answer, we’re here to help—but beware of spoilers for Wordle #1926 ahead.

Let’s start with a few hints.

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There are two vowels in today’s Wordle.

Today’s Wordle begins with a consonant.

There are double letters in today’s Wordle.

A hint for today’s Wordle: think of a single-masted sailing vessel.

OK, that’s it for hints—I don’t want to totally give it away before revealing the answer!

Related: 16 Games Like Wordle To Give You Your Word Game Fix More Than Once Every 24 Hours

We’ll have the answer below this friendly reminder of how to play the game.

SPOILERS BELOW—do not scroll any further if you don’t want the answer revealed.

The New York Times

Today’s Wordle answer on Sunday, September 27, 2026, is SLOOP.

-If you missed it, catch up with the answer to yesterday’s Wordle.

Related: Every 5 Letter Word Wordle Hasn’t Used Yet (Updated Daily)

Can you believe that Sabrina the Teenage Witch turns 30 today? While technically it turned 30 in April if you include the movie, the TV series premiered on Sept. 27, 1996, and quickly proved to be a must-see.

The movie was actually a way to test the concept. It aired in April 1996, starring Ryan Reynolds as Seth, the love interest for Melissa Joan Hart’s titular character. As the story moved to the television format for ABC, Nate Richert was cast as Harvey Kinkle, and the universe saw a reset in terms of the story.

However, Hart nearly didn’t star in the role, despite her mother, Paula Hart, being the one to make the entire story happen. Sarah Michelle Gellar was offered the part instead, but she turned it down for a different leading lady: Buffy. Yes, by 1996, the focus was on turning the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie into a TV series, which would premiere six months after Sabrina, in March 1997!

The two shows would actually become integral to the formation of the ‘90s Girl Power era. The two, with Charmed, set the tone for what to expect from women in the lead. With the three shows, network TV proved that female protagonists wielding power were primetime hits.

Hart would go on to play the role of the iconic witch for seven seasons, and it would pave the way for cameos and actors getting guest star roles long before they were household names. Penn & Teller were a no-brainer from as early as the first season, but some actors you may not notice at first include Milo Ventimiglia, Bryan Cranston, and Simon Helberg. Did you also know that Sabrina’s annoying, bratty cousin, Amanda, was actually played by Hart’s younger sister?

ABC Photo Archives / Getty Images

This is one of those shows that is easy to watch today. While the filming and use of some technology date it, much of the development is focused on coming-of-age, fitting in, high school crushes, and dealing with difficult families.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch would completely change the way supernatural comedies were done, modernizing Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie’s beginnings. Rather than focusing on the nuclear family, the series brought three women to the forefront, with Hilda and Zelda co-parenting their niece as she came into her powers.

Magic wasn’t just used as a way to solve household dilemmas. Sure, Hilda and Zelda would use it that way, but Sabrina’s magic would physically manifest, feeding off her emotions. She could melt when embarrassed, struggle with unintended side effects, and deal with turning into a monster when insecure. 

It became the blueprint for shows afterward, including Wizards of Waverly Place and Julie and the Phantoms. Different universes were created to allow the expansion of the use of magic beyond the home, such as with the Other Realm, and it created an immersive experience in a way that the sitcoms of the ‘60s and ‘70s couldn’t.

You can relive the magic. All 163 episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch are available to stream on Hulu and Paramount+.

Decades before Pearl Jam turned it into a chart-topping hit, the heartbreaking 1961 song “Last Kiss” was born from a series of tragic events that took place near the songwriter’s home.

Penned by Wayne Cochran in 1961, “Last Kiss” tells the story of a fictional young couple involved in a fatal car accident. It was inspired by a number of deadly car accidents that took place on a dangerous stretch of highway near his home in Georgia.

“There were two or three accidents a year there and people were always getting killed,” Cochran told MTV News in a 1999 interview. “It was horrible. … So I said, ‘I’m gonna write a song about a car wreck.'”

Cochran recorded “Last Kiss” in 1961, though the song initially didn’t make much of an impact on the charts. It was given a second life a few years later, when it was recorded by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers in 1964. Their cover climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it was Pearl Jam who would introduce the deep cut track to a whole new generation of fans more than three decades later.

During the ’90s, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder reportedly came across an old copy of Wilson’s recording at an antique store. He brought the song to the band and they recorded a version of “Last Kiss” during a soundcheck in Washington, D.C., in 1998—but no one was expecting what happened next.

Pearl Jam originally released “Last Kiss” as a Christmas single for members of its official fan club, so it was clear that the band wasn’t initially trying to create another mainstream hit. But once radio stations began playing their recording, the song’s popularity skyrocketed, and the unexpectedly eventually led to its commercial release.

In 1999, Pearl Jam’s version reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their highest-charting single and matching the peak reached by Wilson and the Cavaliers more than 30 years earlier.

Related: 1979 No. 1 Rock Hit, Covered by Kelly Clarkson, Is Considered One of the ‘Best Eagles Songs’

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Every kitchen needs at least one good deep-dish pie plate, especially when the fall baking season hits. It’s a bakeware essential that gets used way more often than you’d expect. You can absolutely use it to bake classic fruit pies and creamy custards, but it also comes in handy when you want to whip up a quiche, tart, deep-dish pizza, cobbler, and even a fancy layered dessert. A proper pie dish helps whatever you’re baking hold its shape in the oven and brown evenly, but the best ones also look nice enough to go straight from the oven to the table.

That’s exactly what put the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Stoneware Pie Dish on our radar. Made with the elegant appeal and highly useful quality you know and expect from Drew Barrymore’s home goods, the taupe version of this dish is currently marked down to just $10 from the usual $13 price at Walmart. The dish also comes in a hydrangea blue color for $15, but hey, we’re really all about sales, aren’t we?

Courtesy of Walmart

This 9-inch-deep pie plate is made from durable stoneware that’s non-porous, stain-resistant, and designed to handle heat up to 450 degrees. The ceramic material retains heat well, so your dishes should stay warm, even once they’re out of the oven. This pie plate has a soft satin finish with a shiny exterior that’ll look polished on your table. Plus, it’s freezer-safe for meal prep and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning once the meal’s over. 

Walmart shoppers were highly impressed by this pie dish’s “beautifully simple” design, calling it “charming and functional.” One reviewer noted that the glossy exterior had a “sleek” look they were proud to serve straight from the oven to the table. Another customer said that the pie plate brought “extra joy” to their baking experience. “I love this deep dish for pies, quiche, baking, pizza, and so much more,” a shopper shared.

Related: Shoppers Are Racing to Buy Walmart’s 2-in-1 $45 Fire Pit That Doubles As a Grill

Now just $10, the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Stoneware Pie Dish is a gorgeous kitchen essential that you’ll be happy to have on hand as you bake all your fall desserts. Snag it at Walmart before the price goes back up!

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It could be said that one measure of a good song is whether it can be successfully covered in a variety of different styles, and that’s most certainly true of the blues classic “Big Boss Man.” From Elvis Presley to the Grateful Dead to B.B. King, a number of artists have put their own spin on the tune, but it was initially a win for Jimmy Reed.

Written by Luther Dixon and Al Smith, “Big Boss Man” was originally recorded and released by Reed both on his 1960 album Found Love and in 1961 as a single. The track went on to become one of his biggest hits, as well as his most enduring; 30 years later, in 1990, “Big Boss Man” was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame.

“If there ever was a blues theme for the proletariat, it was Jimmy Reed’s 1961 smash, ‘Big Boss Man,'” blues historian Jim O’Neal declared in the song’s induction statement.

“‘You got me workin’, boss man, workin’ ’round the clock, I want me a drink of water but you won’t let Jimmy stop,’ Reed sang, but the refrain asserted ‘You ain’t so big, you’re just tall, that’s all,'” O’Neal added.

A few years later, in 1995, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included Reed’s original “Big Boss Man” among the “500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.” (A well-deserved honor, considering the legendary artists who covered it.)

One of those artists, of course, was Elvis, who recorded the song for the 1967 Clambake soundtrack album. According to the official Elvis: The Music website, in order to get the “jumpy, nervously propelled acoustic sound that Reed had created on his original,” Elvis called country singer-songwriter Jerry Reed (no relation to Jimmy) into the studio to play lead guitar on “Big Boss Man.” This version peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100; Elvis also performed the song as part of a medley during the Elvis 1968 Comeback Special.

“Big Boss Man” was also a live favorite for the Grateful Dead during the band’s early years, sung by founding member Pigpen, according to Dead archivist David Lemieux.

“A staple of the Pigpen-era Grateful Dead, ‘Big Boss Man’ departed the repertoire when Pigpen departed the stage in 1972,” Lemieux explained. “Although it returned in 1981 for 15 performances over the next 15 years, it was sadly never incorporated into the setlist on a full-time basis.”

A live recording was included on the Dead’s 1971 self-titled album. The video above features the penultimate performance of “Big Boss Man,” one of just 15 times the Dead played the song after Pigpen’s death in 1973.

Related: 1970 Rock Classic, Inspired by a Drug Bust, Remains a Beloved Road Trip Anthem 56 Years Later

Jim Croce’s 1973 ballad “Time in a Bottle” remains one of his most iconic songs, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to resonate with generations of listeners today.

Decades after the song was released, the folk and rock singer-songwriter scored his first-ever charting hit in the United Kingdom.

“Time in a Bottle” made its debut on the Official Singles Sales Chart in August 2024, entering at No. 62 on the list of the bestselling songs in the country across all genres and formats.

Croce’s entry was the 11th-highest new entry on the chart, as cited by Forbes.

Interestingly, the song’s sudden resurgence in 2024 was driven by digital purchases, which helped the iconic ballad re-enter the U.K. sales chart.

Long before “Time in a Bottle” experienced a resurgence in popularity, the iconic Jim Croce song had an intriguing story behind its creation.

Jim Croce performing live on 'In Concert' in 1973.

The track was written at a farmhouse table after Croce learned about his wife’s pregnancy.

“When I told Jim… that we were gonna have a baby, all of a sudden his whole attitude changed about things,” Ingrid Croce told Classic Bands, adding, “He came from a very traditional Italian, Catholic background. His family was really heavy into getting good 9-to-5 jobs, pension, and the whole thing. When he found out we were gonna have a child, he realized he was gonna have to do something about it. He sat down that night and wrote ‘Time In A Bottle.’”

Featured on the musician’s 1972 breakthrough studio album, You Don’t Mess Around with Jim, the song was recorded at The Hit Factory in New York City, the birthplace of some of music’s iconic albums, including Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. and Tunnel of Love, as well as Michael Jackson’s 1995 HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I.

As for Croce, he worked closely with guitarist Maury Muehleisen, who became an important musical collaborator during this period.

Although “Time in a Bottle” was not initially released as a single, the public was first exposed to the song when it was featured in the 1973 TV movie She Lives.

The film gave Croce’s song additional exposure while also creating an emotional connection to the track, as the movie was released just days before his death.

Croce, who was 30 years old at the time, died in a plane crash in Louisiana.

Related: 1976 Rock Song, Lasting Nearly 9 Minutes, Recorded in a Munich Basement, Is Still a Generational Hit 50 Years Later

Johnny Cash wrote hundreds of songs, and by most accounts, he wrote them fast, “I Walk the Line” and “Folsom Prison Blues” both came together quickly. “The Man Comes Around” was the exception. The apocalyptic closer to his 2002 album American IV: The Man Comes Around is the only song Cash ever said he “overwrote.”

The track came out of his collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, who signed Cash in 1993, when most labels considered him a relic, and rebuilt his career around a stripped-down, cover-heavy sound across a series of albums titled American Recordings. The pairing introduced Cash to a younger rock and alternative audience who knew him more for his gravitas than his 1950s hits. The Rubin-produced albums also earned Cash several Grammys late in his career.

Cash said the song took him nine months to finish, working through 25 to 30 verses before he landed on the version he wanted. “It’s the first time I’ve ever overwritten a song,” he said, explaining that the subject, the Book of Revelation’s account of Judgment Day, felt too important to rush.

The result is one of the starkest tracks in Cash’s catalog, a dry, half-spoken delivery over a simple acoustic riff that builds a sense of dread. It’s a far cry from the outlaw ballads and prison songs that made him famous, but it fit alongside the covers he was recording with Rubin at the time, from Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage” to Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.”

American IV was the last album Cash released during his lifetime; he died in September 2003, less than a year after it came out. “The Man Comes Around” has since become one of the most talked-about tracks of his later career, in part because of how much thought, and how many drafts, he put into every line.

On November 9, 1975, the Ohio Players released “Love Rollercoaster,” an infectious funk track that would quickly evolve into the absolute biggest hit of their iconic musical career.

However, shortly after the second single from their seventh studio album, Honey, dominated international airwaves, a bone-chilling rumor began circulating through pop culture.

Millions of listeners became deeply convinced that the horrifying, high-pitched scream buried in the middle of the track was completely real. The dark legend claimed that listeners were actively hearing the actual, live murder of Ester Cordet, the famous model featured on the album’s iconic front cover.

According to the most popular version of the urban legend, Cordet severely burned her mouth with the hot honey used during the cover photo shoot. She supposedly marched into the recording studio to threaten a massive lawsuit, at which point she was brutally stabbed to death while the band’s tape machines were actively rolling.

Other variations claimed the victim was a cleaning lady or a disgruntled girlfriend. In reality, the entire morbid story was an absolute fabrication. The legendary myth was tracked back to an eccentric radio disc jockey in Berkeley, California, who casually invented the gruesome call-in game simply to mess with his loyal listeners.

When syndication legend Casey Kasem repeated the story on American Top 40, the band happily leaned into the free publicity. The shocking mystery drove massive curiosity, propelling the single straight to the absolute number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

Furthermore, the spine-tingling shriek wasn’t a dying woman at all; it was actually talented keyboardist Billy Beck attempting to mimic a soaring, diva-style vocal line in the studio booth.

Decades later, with Ester Cordet still alive and well, this unforgettable funk song remains a deeply fascinating, enduring testament to the raw power of strange pop-culture mythology worldwide across the entire mainstream entertainment music industry today.

Dance Dance Revolution got put into Japanese arcades on Sept. 26, 1998 with 11 tracks, a metal platform and four arrows on the floor.

Twenty-eight years later it’s in a hall of fame.

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Arrows scrolled up the screen and you hit the matching pad with your foot, on the beat. The machine graded every single step: Perfect, Great, Good, Boo or Miss. Final scores ran from SS, which meant you hadn’t missed anything, down to E. Difficulty ran from Easy to Maniac.

Every other cabinet in the building asked you to sit down or stand still. This one put you on a lit platform in the middle of the floor and asked you to dance.

You weren’t playing a game so much as doing something in public, and people watched.

The 11 tracks leaned on licensed dance music from Toshiba EMI’s Dancemania compilations, plus originals written in-house at Konami.

Two were already familiar in America. “Kung Fu Fighting” made the list, in a 1998 cover by Bus Stop rather than Carl Douglas’s original, and so did KC & The Sunshine Band’s “That’s the Way (I Like It).”

The rest ran to Eurodance, including “Butterfly,” by the Swedish duo Smile.dk.

Technical players, the ones who called it Perfect Attack, chased 100 percent perfect steps on the hardest setting while moving as little as they possibly could.

Freestyle players did the opposite. They took easier songs and built full dance routines on top of them.

Dance Dance Revolution reached North American and European arcades in 1999, and a PlayStation port landed the same year. The platform became a fold-out plastic mat on a living room carpet.

Konami has put out more than 100 official releases since, including spin-offs built around Disney, Mario and Hello Kitty.

Then it went somewhere games don’t usually go. By 2007, more than 1,500 American high schools were running it in gym class, and Norway had already made it an official sport back in 2004.

A machine that shipped with 11 songs ended up on a curriculum.

The Strong National Museum of Play inducted Dance Dance Revolution into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2022. That’s the same shelf as the games people write books about.

Arcades were full of licensed oddities by then. There was a Michael Jackson cabinet in 1990, and a Journey one as far back as 1983.

In 2011 a player named Alexander Skularek set a Guinness World Record on the pads. He lasted 16 hours, 18 minutes and 9 seconds.