Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Middle Management

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Middle Management

Constructor: Margi Stevenson

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• DMV (1D: Patty and Selma's workplace on "The Simpsons") On the animated TV series The Simpsons, Patty (Patricia Malficent Bouvier) and Selma (Selma Bouvier-Terwilliger-Hutz-McClure-Discotheque-Simpson) are identical twin sisters of Marge Simpson. All three of the characters are voiced by Julie Kavner. Patty and Selma both work at the DMV. They also share a dislike for their brother-in-law Homer. Since I don't watch The Simpsons, my knowledge of the characters isn't extensive, and I needed the help of crossing answers to figure this out.
• ESTER (9D: "Sun Mad" artist Hernandez) ESTER Hernandez is a Chicana artist in the Bay Area of California. (Chicana is a chosen identity for people of Mexican descent born in the United States.) She is known for her work that focuses on social, political, ecological, and spiritual themes. "Sun Mad" is a color screen print by ESTER Hernandez that reimagines the female figure on a Sun-Maid raisins box as a skeleton. The 1982 painting is a visual protest of the use of insecticides. An installation of "Sun Mad" at the National Mexican Museum of Art in Chicago honors ESTER Hernandez's father, who was a farm worker in California. A related 2021 work, "Sun Raid," protests workplace raids.
• SON (63D: O'Shea Jackson Jr., to Ice Cube) O'Shea Jackson Jr., who also uses the stage name OMG, is a rap artist, actor, and songwriter. As the clue informs us, he is the SON of rapper Ice Cube. O'Shea Jackson Jr.'s feature film debut was portraying his father in the 2015 biographical movie Straight Outta Compton.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• OSLO (20A: Capital City that gives out the Nobel Peace Prize each year) OSLO is the capital of Norway. OSLO has been the home of the Norwegian Nobel Institute – which assists the Nobel Committee in selecting the Nobel Peace Prize recipient – since 1904. (At that time, OSLO was known as Kristianaia.) The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in OSLO in December of each year.
• ANDES (30A: Chilean mountain range) Yesterday I mentioned that the ANDES mountains run along the western edge of South America. The country of Chile also stretches along the western coast of South America, in the southern part of the continent. Chile is located between the ANDES mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
• IAN (37A: Singer Janis) Two of Janis Ian's hits were "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" (1966/67) and "At Seventeen" (1975). Her 2008 autobiography is titled Society's Child.
• PRINCE OF POP (39A: Title shared by folks like Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber) In addition to Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber, the nickname "PRINCE OF POP" has also been used to describe Bruno Mars, Shawn Mendes, and Harry Styles, just to name a few. Some POP fans enjoy debating who is most deserving of this title.
• ANAHEIM (52A: California home to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure) ANAHEIM is a city in southern California that is part of the Greater Los Angeles area. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are the two theme parks that are a part of ANAHEIM's Disneyland Resort. Disneyland, which opened in 1955, was the Walt Disney Company's first theme park. Disneyland California Adventure – a California-themed park – opened in 2001.
• UMA (54A: Actress Thurman) Thanks to UMA Thurman's crossword-friendly three-letter name, we see her frequently in crosswords. She has an extensive filmography, and is certainly worthy of recognition. Today I want to highlight something I learned about her that ties in with another of today's answers. In 2007, UMA Thurman co-hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, which is held annually in OSLO to honor the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The Nobel Peace Prize winners in 2007 were Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
• CNN (56A: Anderson Cooper's channel) Anderson Cooper is the anchor of the CCN news show, Anderson Cooper 360°. He has been with CNN since 2001. Anderson Cooper is also a co-host of the CBS news show 60 Minutes (since 2006).
• ISLE (60A: ___ of Man) The ISLE of Man is an island nation in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ISLE of Man is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, and its capital is Douglas.
• DANCE OFFS (64A: Competitions in "Step Up" and "You Got Served") Step Up is a 2006 movie that is the first in the Step Up franchise of romantic dance movies. You Got Served is a 2004 movie about a street dancing competition.
• RIO (2D: Christ the Redeemer's city) One of the famous landmarks of RIO de Janeiro, Brazil is "Christ the Redeemer," an Art Deco statue that is 98 feet high and sits on top of a 26 foot pedestal. The statue is located at the peak of Corcovado mountain, and overlooks RIO. "Christ the Redeemer" is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
• NPR (10D: "Fresh Air" airer) Fresh Air is an NPR (National Public Radio) talk show. Terry Gross has been the host of the show since 1975. Tonya Mosley joined as a co-host in 2023. According to NPR, Fresh Air "features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries."
• UNO (25D: Card game similar to Mau-Mau) Mau-Mau is a card game played with a standard deck of cards. In both UNO and Mau-Mau, the object is to be the first player to get rid of all one's cards. In UNO, a player must declare, "UNO" when they only have one card left. In Mau-Mau, when a player gets rid of all their cards, they say "Mau," unless their last card is a Jack, in which case they say, "Mau Mau."
• RENOIR (29D: French impressionist of note) Pierre-Auguste RENOIR (1841-1919) was a French painter who was instrumental in the development of Impressionism. The 19th-century art movement of Impressionism is characterized by thin, visible brush strokes, the use of light, airy colors, and light-infused subjects. Impressionist paintings often depict ordinary scenes, such as RENOIR's "Luncheon of the Boating Party," and "Two Sisters (On the Terrace)."
• OAHU (40D: Island northwest of Molokai) OAHU and Molokai are two of the eight major islands of the state of Hawaii. OAHU is the third-largest and Molokai is the fifth-largest of the Hawaiian islands.
• NATO (59D: Org. that Sweden joined in 2024) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949. Including Sweden, which joined NATO on March 7 of this year, NATO is comprised of 32 member states.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• VOICE-OVER (17A: Documentary narration)
• PRINCE OF POP (39A: Title shared by folks like Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber)
• DANCE OFFS (64A: Competitions in "Step Up" and "You Got Served")

MIDDLE MANAGEMENT: The MANAGEMENT title CEO is found in the MIDDLE of each theme answer: VOICE-OVER, PRINCE OF POP, and DANCE OFFS.

I had a nice "Aha!" moment today when I filled in VOICE-OVER and noticed the CEO in the MIDDLE. With themes that use the word MIDDLE, it's a nice touch when the theme element is in the exact MIDDLE of each theme answer, as it is here. Thank you, Margi, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

• USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles
• Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers