James' World 2

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About 170 million people use TikTok in the U.S., but that number could abruptly plummet toward zero if a law signed by President Joe Biden goes into effect on January 19. The law forces a choice for ByteDance, the China-based company that owns TikTok: it must either sell the app to a non-Chinese company or face a ban. ByteDance has repeatedly said the app is not for sale.

Instead, the company sued to keep the TikTok app available in the U.S.—and that case has now made its way before the Supreme Court. In oral arguments on Friday, Noel Francisco, attorney for ByteDance’s U.S. subsidiary TikTok, Inc., argued that the new law violates the First Amendment rights of that subsidiary, likening TikTok’s curation algorithm to editorial discretion. U.S. solicitor general Elizabeth Prelogar, arguing on behalf of the nation’s government, countered that China does not have a First Amendment right to manipulate content in the U.S. And she claimed that “the Chinese government could weaponize TikTok at any time to harm the United States.”

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision within the next nine days.

Why is the clock ticking for TikTok?

Congress, which passed the TikTok law with bipartisan support, says China’s influence over the platform poses a national security threat. The Department of Justice has raised concerns as well, including the potential collection of personal data from the app’s millions of American users and the potential “covert manipulation” of its content. (Although there is evidence that ByteDance shared non-U.S. user data with China, the U.S. government has not provided direct proof that the company or its subsidiary have meddled with American users.)

What might happen?

If TikTok loses its case, “as I understand it, we go dark,” Francisco told the Supreme Court on Friday. Americans would no longer be able to download or update TikTok from Google’s or Apple’s app stores. Internet service providers, too, would face severe penalties if they permitted TikTok access to U.S. users.

Americans may react in similar ways as former TikTok users elsewhere. After India banned the app in 2020, users flocked to other forms of short-form video, such as Instagram reels and YouTube Shorts. It is also possible to access blocked content via virtual private networks, or VPNs, which could disguise traffic to make it appear to originate from a country where TikTok wasn’t banned.

President-elect Donald Trump, meanwhile, has asked the Supreme Court to delay interpreting the law until he takes office. An amicus brief filed on his behalf claims his “consummate dealmaking expertise” could save the platform while addressing the national security concerns. Last September Trump promised to save the app, posting on his social media network Truth Social, “FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT WANT TO SAVE TIK TOK IN AMERICA, VOTE TRUMP!” Legal scholars have criticized Trump’s request for a delay.

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Last month I peeked my head into my son’s bed cave at 9:15 AM and whispered to him that I was off to a meeting, then to a friend’s house. When I squeezed his foot as I zipped him back in, his pre-teen body making the twin bed look tiny, I felt happy. I immediately thought of the word freedom.

And then I thought, as I often do, of a photo from 2021. In the picture, it’s also winter, and I’m hiding under that same son’s bed. We are in our tenth month of no childcare, no school, no daycare. My ear is pressed to my shoulder and my knee is in my armpit. I look like I’m playing 2-dimensional Twister, and losing. I remember the moment my daughter took the picture with her iPad, delighted because she’d found me in our game of hide and seek. In the photo, I look contorted and trapped. I am, of course, smiling.

During those lockdown months, my children were 2, 3, 4, 5. And I don’t know if you have been around any 3-year-olds lately, but there was a physical and emotional intensity to parenting during this time that is beyond any description; if you have ever been furious with a child, imagine being locked in a room with them and unable to leave for a year. Imagine how much you would want to be alone.

And so there is a part of me, emotionally but physically too, that is constantly bracing, as if I’m still alone in the house with my kids. And I can’t stop thinking about that photo because in some ways I’m still in it. I think, I know, it’s the reason that, in the years since, what I always wanted — what I still want, need, more than anything — is space. Time alone so I can breathe; unclench.

My husband, thankfully, works long days out of our house. He takes the kids out to breakfast on weekend mornings so I can have a few hours to myself; they have regular dad and kids dinners at restaurants while I exist alone in our house. A friend described herself as Gollum, the way she guards her time alone, and I felt seen. I guard my girls’ trips, my book club times, my silent baths. I curl around my precious snatches of time like Gollum with his ring, too, hissing at social obligations or even another hour of snuggles (please say I’m not the only one?).

But something has changed, and I’m only just starting to notice it. I don’t feel trapped in the same way. I don’t know if it’s that (for better or worse) social supports are back and running post-pandemic, or if it’s just my kids getting older. I do know any sliver of community care —playdates, shared pickups — still feels extraordinary.

And I know the feeling of freedom can go away at any time — a medical diagnosis, job loss, even relationships. There are many ways mothers can be trapped, and just because I feel some freedom now doesn’t mean I always will.

But still: yesterday I came out of hiding in my bedroom, where I’d holed up to get some writing in, only to find the house was quiet. I had come out into the living room, dreading the immediate dive into the what was for dinner debate, but my kids were off running around the neighborhood. My house was empty, but I was still hiding.

Who, exactly, am I hiding away from?

This possibility, this perspective, that motherhood doesn’t have to mean feeling trapped feels something like a secret. I wonder if I might be alone in this feeling, or if I’m just a selfish mother (another thing to discuss in therapy this week), or if many lockdown parents feel this way.

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CLIMATEWIRE | As historic fires rip through the Los Angeles area, President-elect Donald Trump is demanding Gov. Gavin Newsom “open up the water main” and allow “beautiful, clean, freshwater to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA!”

At first glance, it seems to make sense. Why wouldn’t the leader of a state whose northern regions are currently enjoying above-average winter precipitation redirect water south to quench the burning metropolis as its fire hydrants run dry?

To start, there isn’t some central spigot nestled in the Sierra foothills that Newsom can just use a giant wrench to turn on. Then there’s the fact that firefighters were more hamstrung by the raging Santa Ana winds than empty hydrants due to a lack of water from Northern California.

Read on for a detailed explanation from our resident California water expert of the state’s complex water system and a brief history of Trump’s fixation with the issue.

What’s up with the ‘water restoration declaration?’

On Wednesday, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way.”

Newsom’s communications director shot back: “There is no such document as the water restoration declaration — that is pure fiction.”

Is it? Not quite. Trump was referring to a real document, even if he used an unknown name for it that left even the most astute California water officials scratching their heads. Karoline Leavitt, the president-elect’s press secretary, explained the reference by pointing to a five-year-old legal showdown between Newsom and Trump over how to manage the state and federal systems of pumps, reservoirs, and canals that move water around California.

In short, the two disagree about how much water should be pumped out of the state’s main rivers, which combine in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, to the much drier farms of the Central Valley and cities of Southern California and how much water should be kept in the ecosystem to keep declining fish populations alive, including the Delta smelt, a frequent Trump target. Their separate plans for the pumps make only marginal differences in actual water deliveries but have taken on a political life of their own.

The conflict peaked in 2020 when Trump unveiled the “record of decision” cementing his version of the rules at a rally in the Central Valley — only to be sued by Newsom, citing harm to the environment

“That was the last significant water policy decision made during his first term in which both President Trump and Gov. Newsom took a personal interest,” said Tom Birmingham, the former general manager of Westlands Water District, the largest agricultural irrigation district in the country that sided with Trump in that battle.

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Dressing your child appropriately for winter weather sounds simple, but according to my mom, a former preschool teacher, parents don’t always hit the mark. Between temperature changes throughout the day, your child’s activities, and what your child is actually willing to wear, there are several reasons why it’s easy to miss key details in your kid’s winter attire. As a mom to a preschooler myself, I’m certainly not immune.

I asked for my mom’s input and found 12 preschool-friendly winter clothing items to keep kids warm, dry, and comfortable during cold temperatures and fun snow days in between. From colorful merino wool socks to kids’ snow boots and a classic coat (with a removable hood!), it’s safe to say that my kiddo is ready for winter weather. Is yours? Keep scrolling to find out.

Gloves are essential in the winter, especially during recess. Since gloves can get lost easily, my mom recommends buying inexpensive pairs that come in a pack. This knit set comes in a pack of three with 12 different color combinations and multiple sizes (up to 10 years old). 

One grandma bought these gloves for her 3-year-old granddaughter, who “loves the bright colors and was happy to have gloves instead of mittens.” The gloves also “held up very well when building her snowman, and after washing and drying them,” she added.

You’ll want this Miles the Label Snowsuit on hand each year because it’s so warm and cozy. One of our writers received a sample for her 5-year-old, who couldn’t stop raving about the “extra soft” fleece lining and removable faux fur edge on the hood, which “keeps my face warm.” Our writer says she saves the snowsuit pants for snow days and sends her son to school with the jacket nearly every day when it’s cold.

This kids’ coat is wind-resistant and can withstand temperatures down to -22 degrees Fahrenheit. It also features an elastic waistband and cuffs to trap heat and a Velcro cover over the zipper for extra protection. The pants have even more thoughtful features, like reinforced knees, adjustable and removable suspenders, and more. 

Bonus: The parka includes a sewn-on label to write your child’s name. 

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