Like grounded teenagers looking to spite their parents, Americans are prepping for an impending TikTok ban in the US by downloading a similar Chinese video-sharing app, RedNote.

The short-form video and photo platform known in China as Xiaohongshu became the Apple App Store’s most downloaded app last week after the Supreme Court signaled it would allow the TikTok ban to go through on January 19.

Unlike TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance but is unavailable in China, RedNote caters to Chinese users. The scores of self-described “TikTok refugees” from the US hopping over the Great Firewall (China’s system for managing its isolated internet) have created an unusual space for digital exchange between citizens of the two adversarial nations.

Cultural bridge

American newcomers to RedNote have been posting about their desire to learn Mandarin and asking for Chinese memes. Meanwhile, China-based users are offering Americans tutorials for using the app and soliciting help with their English homework.

But…Americans might find that RedNote is missing some of the stuff they’re used to seeing on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. While the app is rich in lifestyle content largely targeted at women, the strictly censored app has a taboo on politics and socially sensitive topics that its moderators might deem inappropriate, including LGBT issues and drugs.

• Analysts say that the app would have to loosen its moderation policy to become a viable TikTok substitute that competes with Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.
• If Chinese apps like RedNote or the similarly surging Lemon8 do catch on stateside, US officials might find themselves playing whack-a-mole with TikTok alternatives that it views as a national security threat, China analyst Daria Impiombato told the Washington Post. 

It might not be over for TikTok…as Bloomberg reported that the Chinese government is weighing allowing Elon Musk to buy the app, though ByteDance denied this. And yesterday, a group of Democratic senators introduced a bill to extend the ban deadline by another 270 days.—SK

Hegseth grilled over excessive drinking, sexual assault allegations. At a Senate confirmation hearing yesterday, the Fox News host, who is President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, faced questions about his checkered past and qualifications for the top military role. Hegseth continued to deny allegations of misconduct while deflecting inquiries about reports of infidelity and drinking on the job. Another point of contention was his views on women in the military—the TV personality and former national guardsman has said women should not serve in combat roles. To be confirmed, Hegseth likely needs 50 of the 53 Senate Republicans to back him in a vote expected as early as next week.

Israel and Hamas reportedly agreed in principle to ceasefire and hostage deal. According to CBS News, both sides agreed to a draft deal that could be finalized by the end of the week. The Israeli government would still need to vote to approve it, though parties have already “begun drafting public statements of success and hopes are high on all sides,” CBS reported. The deal would reportedly initiate a 42-day ceasefire, during which Hamas would release dozens of hostages and Israel would release Palestinians from its prisons. Biden administration officials helped negotiate the deal, though it would be left to the Trump White House to oversee its implementation.

Starbucks reversed its open-door policy. You’ll need to buy a latte or a butter croissant to get the bathroom code at all Starbucks locations, the coffee giant said yesterday, ending a toilet free-for-all policy that had been in place since 2018. Starbucks said the move is part of its strategy to improve the cafe experience, bring back customers, and make things safer for workers. In recent months, new CEO Brian Niccol has announced other changes to boost waning sales, including a simplified menu and the return of condiment bars.—AE

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) may be running on potentially lethal amounts of espresso. The agency has been filing lawsuits and issuing rules nonstop for the past month, and yesterday, it sued Capital One, claiming it cheated customers out of ~$2 billion in interest.

It’s performance-based. The lawsuit alleges that Capital One intentionally confused customers with two separate account options: the “360 Savings” and the “360 Performance Savings” accounts.

The CFPB claims that Capital One forbade employees from telling existing customers about the 360 Performance Savings account—which had a higher interest rate than the standard 360 Savings account—and that it allegedly kept interest rates for the 360 Savings account artificially low (around 0.3% to 0.5%) despite marketing the account as having a high rate. Capital One denies the claims, saying it marketed the account widely and was transparent about its terms.

Before that…the CFPB finalized a rule last week that banned medical debt from being included on credit reports, and in December, it accused the operator of Zelle of failing to protect customers against fraud.

But it might slow down: Despite garnering favor with consumers, the agency has plenty of haters, including Elon Musk and President Trump, who didn’t follow through on threats to scrap the agency during his first term but is expected to appoint a lax regulator to lead it.—CC

With the subtlety of Clark Kent removing his glasses, Walmart introduced its first new logo in years yesterday. The revamped design might look like the brand team went overboard with the “Ctrl + B” shortcut in the asset folder, but it actually pays homage to the company’s past.

It marks Walmart’s first redesign since 2008, when the retailer removed the star from the middle of its name. The company says the heftier logo was inspired by the font on a Walmart trucker hat worn by founder Sam Walton nearly four decades ago.

• The retail giant also traded in its old, more muted blue storefronts and font color for a brighter color it calls True Blue.
• Its signature spark design is also beefier.

Walmart said it started rolling out the new branding and colors last October, starting with its store in Springdale, Arkansas.

Big picture: The refresh comes as Walmart continues to hold its own against in-person and online retailers like Target and Amazon. US stores saw sales jump 5% last quarter, while online sales spiked 22%, with the biggest push coming from Walmart’s growing army of high-income shoppers.—MM

The food that would earn you a meeting with HR if you were to describe its appearance to a coworker is suddenly the hottest item in grocery stores. Cottage cheese—long considered yogurt’s ugly stepsibling—is skyrocketing in popularity. US sales of the curdled snack have jumped by 50% in the last five years, per Circana.

Driving cottage cheese’s ascendancy is the growing obsession with health and wellness, boosted by social media apps like TikTok. The lumpy dairy product offers a rich source of protein without many calories or sugar, and it can be eaten by itself on the go or added to...pretty much anything. What’s next, people, a beets craze? Come on.—AE