There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solvetoday's puzzlebefore reading further!Candy Wrapper Constructor:Zhouqin Burnikel Editor:Amanda Rafkin SEA LICE (50A: Tiny marine pests that can cause itchy rashes) I knew about LICE (the pests that occasionally result in outbreak notifications in preschool and elementary classrooms), but SEA LICE are a new thing for me to worry about. The ocean pests referred to as SEA LICE are actually the tiny larvae of jellyfish. These pests can get trapped under clothing and cause a rash known as sea bather's eruption. (There are also organisms known as SEA LICE that prey on fish and don't affect humans.) MACS (10A: Computers used for Final Cut Pro editing) Final Cut Pro is a video-editing application released by Apple for use on MACS. ALANA (18A: "Licorice Pizza" star Haim) The 2021 movieLicorice Pizzais set in 1973, and is a coming-of-age story starring ALANA Haim and Cooper Hoffman. The movie's title was inspired by a former Los Angeles record store chain. The record store's name was meant to describe vinyl records as being the color of licorice and the shape of pizza. CANDLEMAS DAY (20A: Christian festival celebrated on February 2nd) CANDLEMAS DAY, celebrated on February 2, as the clue informs us, is a Christian feast day commemorating the presentation of the baby Jesus at the Temple by Joseph and Mary. Some Christians observe the holiday by having candles blessed to represent Jesus as the Light of the World. In some countries, it's thought that the weather on CANDLEMAS DAY predicts the weather for the year to come. Good weather on CANDLEMAS DAY predicts good weather, and vice versa. These beliefs eventually gave rise to the tradition known as Groundhog Day, also observed on February 2. CIA (27A: Spy org. in "Spy Game")Spy Gameis a 2001 movie in which Robert Redford and Brad Pitt star as CIA operatives. The movie is set during the final days of the Cold War in 1991. TILDE (28A: Mark missing from Sao Paulo) São Paulo is the most populous city in Brazil. Its name is written using a TILDE, a diacritical mark that is often omitted in crossword clues. DES (40A: ___ Moines River) DES Moines, the capital of Iowa, is located on the DES Moines River. The DES Moines River is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It originates in Minnesota and flows from northwest Iowa to southeast Iowa before joining the Mississippi. SARA (42A: Tegan's twin sister) The members of the pop duoTegan and SARAare identical twin sisters, SARA Keirsten Quin and Tegan Rain Quin. THOR (45A: Hammer-wielding Norse god) THOR is the Norse god associated with storms, thunder, and lightning. Mjölnir is THOR's hammer, depicted in Norse mythology as one of the most powerful weapons in existence. ORGS (57A: NAACP and CARE (Abbr.)) TheNational Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)has been fighting for racial equality since 1909. Their vision is "an inclusive community rooted in liberation where all persons can exercise their civil and human rights without discrimination." TheCooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE)is a humanitarian agency that provides emergency relief and funds long-term development projects. Both of these ORGS (short for organizations) are worth highlighting. BLINI (58A: Eastern European pancake) BLINI are thin pancakes made using wheat flour. They are popular in Eastern European cuisine, and are considered a traditional Russian dish. OHIO (65A: Midwestern state where Rita Dove grew up) Rita Dove was the United States Poet Laureate from 1993-1995. She has also served as the Poet Laureate of Virginia (2004-2006). Rita Dove won a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1987. She currently teaches at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Rita Dove was born in Akron, OHIO. NAME (68A: "Say My ___" (Destiny's Child hit))"Say My NAME"is a single from Destiny's Child's 1999 album,The Writing's on the Wall. LAW (3D: "The Practice" practice)The Practiceis a legal drama TV series that originally aired on ABC from 1997-2004. The show focuses on a Boston LAW firm. The TV seriesBoston Legal(2004-2008) was a spin-off ofThe Practice. DISCO (4D: "We Are Family" genre) The DISCO hit"We Are Family"was released in 1979 and became Sister Sledge's signature song. Thank you to this clue for the "We Are Family" earworm. "We are family / I got all my sisters with me / We are family / Get up everybody and sing..." DENCH (30D: "Skyfall" actress Judi) The 2012 movieSkyfallis the 23rd film in theJames Bondfranchise. Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in the movie, and Judi DENCH portrays Bond's boss, M. HUE (38D: Bun bo ___ (Vietnamese noodle dish)) Bun bo HUE is a Vietnamese soup of rice vermicelli noodles and beef, flavored with lemongrass. The soup originated in HUE, a city (and former capital) in Vietnam. HANGRY (46D: Cranky due to a grumbling stomach) HANGRY is a portmanteau of the words "hungry" and "angry." RINA (55D: "This Hell" singer Sawayama) RINA Sawayama is a singer-songwriter and a model. She was born in Japan, and currently lives in England."This Hell"is a song from her second studio album,Hold the Girl(2022). CANDLEMAS DAY (20A: Christian festival celebrated on February 2nd) COME IN HANDY (36A: Turn out to be useful) CAN IT ALREADY (54A: "That's enough out of you!") CANDY WRAPPER: Each theme answer is "wrapped" in the word CANDY:CANDLEMAS DAY,COME IN HANDY, andCANIT ALREADY. Phrases-nested-in-a-word is a classicUSA Todaytheme type, and today's title allowed me to accurately predict how this theme would be executed today. I don't mind feeling smart once in a while, so no complaints about that. I appreciate that we have three different word breaks of CANDY represented: CAND/Y, C/ANDY, and CAN/DY. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this splendid puzzle. USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Crossword Blog & Answers for July 8, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher