There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solvetoday's puzzlebefore reading further!Nesting Birds Constructor:Beth Rubin Editor:Amanda Rafkin OLIVES (2D: Black or green ingredients in chivito) Chivito is a sandwich of grilled beef (known as churrasco), mozzarella, ham, tomatoes, and black or green OLIVES. Chivito is a national dish of Uruguay. MAR (18D: National Soup It Forward Day mo.) Since 2018,National Soup It Forward Dayhas been celebrated each year on MAR. 3. The focus of this day is to spread love and practice generosity, specifically by sharing soup with others. LAO (66D: Khao piak sen cuisine) Speaking of soup, khao pak sen is a rice noodle soup that is a traditional dish in LAO cuisine. Fresh rice noodles are cooked in pork or chicken broth, along with galangal (similar to ginger and turmeric), lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves. ANGIE (9A: Bette and Tina's daughter on "The L Word")The L Wordwas a Showtime TV drama that aired from 2004-2009. Two of the main characters, Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman), had an on again, off again relationship throughout the series. Their daughter Angelica Porter-Kennard aka ANGIE was born during the season two season finale. She appeared in the remaining seasons ofThe L Wordas a baby and then toddler. On the sequel series,The L Word: Generation Q(2019-2023), ANGIE is portrayed by Jordan Hull. ANKA (15A: "Puppy Love" singer Paul) "And they called it puppy love / Oh I guess they'll never know / How a young heart really feels / And why I love her so..." Paul ANKA recorded"Puppy Love"– a song that he wrote – in 1960. Donny Osmond recorded a version of"Puppy Love"in 1972. Both versions of the song were hits. THE MUPPET SHOW (40A: Variety sketch program starring Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, etc.) "It's time to play the music / It's time to light the lights / It's time to meet the MUPPETs on THE MUPPET SHOW tonight..." As a tremendous fan ofTHE MUPPET SHOW, I was delighted to uncover this central theme answer.THE MUPPET SHOW, which was hosted by Kermit the Frog, originally aired from 1976-1981. HENS (47A: Coop residents) This feels like a bonus in a "Nesting Birds" puzzle. NIA (60A: Actress Vardalos) NIA Vardalos starred as Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos inMy Big Fat Greek Wedding(2002),My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2(2016), andMy Big Fat Greek Wedding 3(2023). She also wrote the movies, and directed the most recent one. COFFEE MUG (67A: Container for a cup of joe) Have I mentioned that I collect COFFEE MUGs? (Though mine usually contain tea or ice cream.) My husband built a MUG rack for me several years ago. It brings me great joy to pick a MUG each day that matches my mood. MANTA (69A: Type of ray with the largest brain-to-body ratio of all fish) Here's a fun ANIMAL fact served up with your daily crossword.MANTA raysare intelligent and known for their curiosity and ability to learn and solve problems. Some studies suggest that MANTA rays may also be self-aware (some studies suggest they are able to recognize themselves in mirrors). MALALA (1D: Youngest Nobel Prize winner Yousafzai) MALALA Yousafzai is a human rights activist known especially for her work advocating for the education of women and children in Pakistan. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 at the age of 17. If you haven't read it, I recommend checking out her autobiography,I Am MALALA(2013). Parts of it are hard to read (or listen to if you choose the audiobook as my husband and I did). After all, at the age of 15, MALALA Yousafzai was the target of an assassination attempt by the Taliban. Ultimately, it's a story of perseverance and the importance of standing up for the things you believe in. NAE NAE (10D: 2010s dance craze) The NAE NAE is a dance move that involves holding one arm in the air and swaying side to side. In the 2010s, the NAE NAE became popular on social media along with the song that gave it its name,"Drop That NAENAE"by We are Toonz. MEOW (27D: Sound from a tabby) My cat, Willow, is a calico rather than a tabby, but nonetheless, in response to this cat content she says, "MEOW!" PHI (42D: Letter after upsilon) PHI is the 21st letter in the 24-letter Greek alphabet. PHI is preceded by upsilon and followed by chi, psi, and omega. CHO (44D: Stand-up comic Margaret)Margaret CHOis described on her website as "Comedian. Actor. Musician. Advocate. Entrepreneur. Artist." Her comedy often addresses social and political issues. She has dubbed herself the "Patron Saint of Outsiders." ANIMAL (52D: Panda or penguin) I enjoy seeing the examples constructors choose for clues such as this when there are a myriad of choices. I applaud the choice to go with alliteration here, and it's also fun that both of these ANIMALs are black and white. A few other clues and answers I especially enjoyed: SLED (74A: Calvin and Hobbes' wintertime conveyance) GUESS WHO (11D: Playful question asked while covering someone's eyes) THEN (40D: "That was ___, this is now") LIVE MUSIC (17A: What concertgoers get to enjoy) THE MUPPET SHOW (40A: Variety sketch program starring Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, etc.) COFFEE MUG (67A: Container for a cup of joe) NESTING BIRDS: Each theme answer contains the word EMU: LIVE MUSIC, THE MUPPET SHOW, and COFFEE MUG. As a three-lettered word with two vowels, the word EMU is helpful in crossword construction. This means the EMU is one of our crossword friends that frequently shows up in the puzzle. It's fun, therefore, to see the EMU as today's theme, NESTING in each of the theme answers. Thank you, Beth, for this enjoyable puzzle. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Crossword Blog & Answers for July 2, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher