The move saves the platform after Congress voted to ban it

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• President Trump signs an executive order to bring TikTok under U.S. control.

• Move aims to address national security concerns over data privacy and foreign influence.

• Users may see changes in ownership, but little immediate impact on daily app use.

Nearly a year and a half after Congress passed a law banning TikTok in the U.S., President Trump has signed an executive order saving the social media platform. The order, worked out with the Chinese government, places the video-sharing platform owned by Chinas ByteDance under U.S. control.

The directive represents one of the most aggressive attempts yet by Washington to rein in foreign-owned technology platforms that operate in the United States.

For years, TikTok has faced scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators who warn that its Chinese ownership could allow the Chinese government to access American user data or influence cultural and political discourse. The administration has positioned the executive order as a necessary safeguard to protect U.S. national security.

By bringing the app under American ownership, officials argue, data collected from millions of U.S. users would remain on domestic soil and subject to stricter privacy and oversight standards.

What this means for TikTok users

For now, TikTok users are unlikely to notice immediate changes. The platforms short-form videos, creators, and content will continue to function as usual.

However, behind the scenes, negotiations are expected to accelerate as U.S. companies weigh bids to acquire or partner with TikToks American operations. If the transition occurs smoothly, users may see new branding, stronger privacy disclosures, and potentially tighter moderation policies aimed at ensuring compliance with U.S. law.

Analysts caution that the deal could still face legal challenges, both from ByteDance and from civil liberties groups concerned about government overreach. Still, the administration insists that ownership transfer is the only way to eliminate the risk of foreign control over such a widely used app.

The executive order shows the growing friction between the U.S. and China over technology, data, and digital influence. Similar steps could be taken against other foreign-owned platforms operating in the U.S. if they are deemed security risks. The move also sets a precedent: governments may increasingly treat digital platforms not just as businesses, but as strategic assets tied to national security.

For American users, the apps future may ultimately depend less on the videos they watch and more on how power struggles between Washington and Beijing play out. Until then, TikTok will remain on millions of phones but under the shadow of political uncertainty.

Window blinds, shades, numbing cream, cooling gel, countertop ovens among the recalls

Sunbeam Products Recalls More than One Million Oster French Door Countertop Ovens Due to Burn Hazard

Hazard:

The ovens doors can unexpectedly close, posing a burn hazard to consumers.

Remedy:

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled countertop ovens and contact Sunbeam Products Inc. to receive a free repair kit. The repair kit will include a clip-on device that provides additional holding force to help keep the doors in the open position when reaching in the oven, along with repair instructions and a QR code link to an installation video. The repair kit does not require any tool to install.

Units:

About 1,290,000 (In addition, about 104,195 were sold in Canada)

Consumer Contact:

Website: https://recall.oster.com

Phone: (800) 334-0759

Persilux Brand Zebra Blinds Sold on Amazon

Hazard:

The recalled blinds have long operating cords that can cause death or serious injury to children due to strangulation and entanglement hazards. The blinds violate the federal rule for window coverings and present a substantial product hazard. In addition, the blinds also violate labeling requirements for window coverings.

Remedy:

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled blinds and contact Persilux for a free repair kit, including shipping. The repair kit consists of a replacement operating cord wand and installation instructions. Consumers should remove the blind, cut and remove the operating cord and send a photograph of the blinds with the operating cord removed to recall@persiluxhome.com.

Units:

About 133,000

Consumer Contact:

Website: https://recall.persiluxhome.com

E-mail: recall@persiluxhome.com

Autoez Brand Bamboo Sold on Walmart.com

Hazard:

The recalled shades have long operating cords and accessible inner cords that can cause death or serious injury to children due to strangulation and entanglement hazards. The shades violate the federal rule for window coverings and present a substantial product hazard. In addition, the shades also violate labeling requirements for window coverings.

Remedy:

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled shades and contact Autoez for a full refund. Consumers should remove the shades, cut the operating cord, write the word Recalled on the shades and dispose of the product in the garbage. Consumers should send a photograph of the destroyed window shades in the garbage to Autoez_recall@163.com.

Units:

About 550

Consumer Contact:

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/recall-autoez

E-mail: Autoez_recall@163.com

Mad Rabbit RELIEVE Lidocaine Numbing Cream

Hazard:

The numbing cream contains lidocaine, which must be in child-resistant packaging as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. The numbing creams packaging is not child-resistant, posing a risk of serious injury or death from poisoning if the contents are swallowed by young children.

Remedy:

Consumers should immediately secure the recalled numbing cream out of the sight and reach of children and contact Mad Rabbit via email or online for a free child-resistant lid to store the products. Once the product is secured, consumers can use the product as directed.

Units:

About 28,000

Consumer Contact:

Website: https://www.madrabbit.com/pages/product-recalls

E-mail: product@madrabbit.com

Hoovy Cooling Gel Insert Pads for Car Seats and Strollers Due to Burn Hazard

Hazard:

The cooling gel pads can become hot if left in the sun or a hot car, posing a burn hazard to young children.

Remedy:

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Cooling Gel Insert Pad and contact AMTRADING for instructions on receiving a full refund. Consumers can go to https://hoovyproducts.com/pages/product-recall for instructions on how to register for the recall and to dispose of the recalled pad.

Units:

About 20,000

Consumer Contact:

Website: https://hoovyproducts.com/

E-mail: info@hoovyproducts.com

Phone: (888) 259-1411

Stay up to date on recalls! Check the Consumer Product Safety Commissionfor more details.

New Stanford-led study finds rising smoke exposure may drive a surge in premature deaths

• Researchers estimate that between 20112020, wildfire smoke exposure contributed to about 41,380 extra deaths per year across the U.S.

• Under a business-as-usual warming scenario, annual excess deaths from smoke could rise by more than 70%, to about 71,420 lives lost per year by 2050.

• Even in a scenario where emissions are sharply reduced, smokerelated mortality would still remain high, and the economic damages alone from these deaths may exceed costs from all other climatedriven harms.

Its easy to think of wildfire smoke as nothing more than an irritant haze in the sky, the smell in your lungs. But a new study suggests it's doing something much more serious: quietly raising the U.S. death toll.

Researchers from Stanford University now estimate that, nationwide, exposure to smoke especially from wildfires has already been linked to tens of thousands of extra deaths annually. And with climate change intensifying fires, the problem is likely to get worse.

While previous research has explored how small particles in the air harm health, the unique mix of chemicals in wildfire smoke and its long reach, sometimes carried across states make this a special concern.

Theres a broad understanding that wildfire activity and wildfire smoke exposure are changing quickly. This is a lived experience, unfortunately, for folks on the West Coast over the last decade and folks on the East Coast in the last few years, senior study author Marshall Burke, said in a news release.

Our paper puts some numbers on what that change in exposure means for health outcomes, both now and in the future as the climate warms.

The study

To pin down how many deaths are tied to wildfire smoke (and what might happen in the future), the team combined multiple strands of data and statistical modeling. Heres how they approached it:

1. Historical death records & smoke measurements. The scientists gathered county-level data on all recorded deaths in the U.S. from 2006 to 2019. They also tracked ground-level smoke emissions, wind patterns, and how particulate matter moves through the air.

2. Machine learning & statistical links. They used machine learning models (alongside more traditional statistical methods) to link changes in smoke concentration with mortality. In other words: if smoke increased in a place, how did death rates respond?

3. Future projections under climate scenarios. Using global climate models, they projected how fire activity and smoke levels might change under different warming pathways. Then, they extended their mortality-smoke relationship forward into those futures, up through 2050.
   

They also allowed for the fact that health impacts of smoke might persist meaning that exposure in one year could lead to excess deaths up to three years later.

The results

Heres a look at the findings:

• In the 20112020 period, wildfire smoke was estimated to cause 41,380 excess deaths per year across the U.S.

• Under a high-warming business-as-usual scenario, that number could jump to 71,420 excess deaths annually by 2050 a ~73% increase.

• Over the next three decades (20262055), the cumulative excess death toll could reach 1.9 million.

• When converted into economic terms, the cost from smoke-driven deaths under warming may outstrip the projected costs from all other climate-related damages combined (storms, heat, agriculture, etc.).

• Perhaps surprisingly, even with aggressive emissions reductions, the researchers expect smoke-related mortality to stay high likely still exceeding 60,000 deaths per year by 2050.
  

On a state-by-state level, the biggest projected increases (beyond baseline) are in California ( 5,060 additional deaths), New York ( 1,810), Washington ( 1,730), Texas ( 1,700), and Pennsylvania ( 1,600).

Our understanding of who is vulnerable to this exposure is much broader than we thought, Burke said. Its pregnant people, its kids in schools, its anyone with asthma, its people with cancer. We look at one specific health outcome in this study mortality and unfortunately find a shared burden of exposure for individuals across the U.S.

Forty of the biggest toys of the season start at just $5

• Target has officially released its Toy Toys List ahead of the 2025 holiday season.

• The retailer is focused on affordability, trendy favorites, and classic brands this holiday season.

• Target has thousands of toys available for $20 or less.

Its never too early to start planning for the holidays!

Target has officially announced its 2025 Bullseyes Top Toys List, highlighting affordability, classics, and trendy favorites ahead of the holiday season.

"Our Bullseye's Top Toys List is a big part of the holiday experience for millions of families, and this year's list has something for everyone," Cassandra Jones, senior vice president of merchandising for Fun101, Target, said in a news release.

"As curators of fun, we've handpicked the hottest new toys from the top brands including hundreds of exclusives and thousands priced under $20 to bring the magic of play to life. We're making it easy for every family to find something special to gift at a great price this season."

Find your favorites

Target has divided its Top Toys List into different categories to make shopping easier for consumers. These include: Game On, Build It, Imagine, Learn & Adventure, Figure of Fun, Future Foodies, FAO Schwarz Finds, Ready, Set, Roll, and Friends & Heroes.

Heres a look at what shoppers can expect to find on this years list:

• Nintendo Switch 2 Console + Mario Kart World Bundle: $499.99

• Barbie Hearth & Hand Townhouse Playset: $149.99

• Target Toy Shopping Cart: $19.99

• Bluey Interactive Siblings Plush - 2pk: $49.99

• PAW Patrol Fire Rescue Deluxe FireTruck Toy Vehicle: $59.99

• Gabbys Dollhouse: The Movie Interactive Dollhouse: $99.99

• LEGO 3 in 1 Record Player with Flowers: $25.49

• Razor A 2 Wheel Kick Scooter: $39.49

• Ms. Rachel Emotions Learning Doll Stuffed Animal: $29.99

• NERF Cobalt Fury Toy Blaster: $17.99

• Kinetic Sand Sanyland Folding Sandbox: $34.99

• Play-Doh Super Slice Cake Playset: $29.99

Target is also touting thousands of toys available for $20 or less, and a selection of toys available for $5.

See the toys in stores

In addition, Target will be hosting in-store demos from November 8 through December 21 to highlight the top toys of the holiday season.These free demonstrations will be held every weekend, with the goal of helping shoppers make their holiday shopping a bit easier.

All of Targets holiday buys are available online, in stores, and on the Target mobile app.