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Google is shaking up its two-factor authentication system in Gmail.

In an exchange with Forbes, a Google spokesperson confirmed that the company is working on ditching SMS text messages as a form of account authentication in Gmail. For years, this has been one of the main ways to gain access to a Gmail account; you just enter your phone number, and then enter the six-digit code Google sends as a text message.

But, as Google puts it, the company will work to replace those with QR codes "over the next few months."

SEE ALSO: Apple Intelligence with Google Gemini integration looks to be coming soon

Google's stated reasons for doing this are understandable. SMS authentication is subject to phishing scams, and receiving a text message necessarily puts the end user's service carrier in the mix as a middleman. Carriers all have different security practices, and more importantly, are fallible. In other words, there are clear and obvious security risks to having users input codes received as text messages for account authentication, and QR codes would eliminate some of those risks.

There's no firm date for when this change will happen, but look out for it as we roll through 2025.

GET $149.96 OFF: As of Feb. 24th, the Hisense HP100 Party Rocker Bluetooth Speaker is on sale for $149.99 at Woot!, saving you 50%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense HP100 Party Rocker Bluetooth Speaker $149.99 at Woot!
$299.95 Save $149.96 Get Deal

Sometimes turning up the volume ain't enough, the party needs a lightshow too! The Hisense HP100 Party Rocker Bluetooth Speaker is brings both volume and lights. Connect this powerful speaker to your phone and go all night (or day).

Right now, you can get the Hisense HP100 Party Rocker Bluetooth Speaker from Woot! for $149.99 and save 50%.

SEE ALSO: The 7 best Bluetooth speakers for any situation

Whether you're poolside, pool-table side, or keeping the neighbors up all night in your third floor walkup, parties benefit from good sound. The Party Rocker delivers a powerful 300 watts.

With 15 hours of battery life, the speaker won't tire out after just one evening entertaining the campsite. When your phone battery begins to drag the speaker will help it along, with wireless charging from the top splash guarded panel.

The speaker sports five pulsing LED color options, making this speaker a visual focal point as well as the source of the beat.

As of Feb. 24th, the Hisense HP100 Party Rocker Bluetooth Speaker is on sale at Woot! for $149.99, for a savings of 50%, or $149.96 off.

For 50% off, the Hisense Party Rocker is an investment in good times. Don't miss this opportunity.

There's a terrifying new doll on the horror scene, and her name is Jenny Pen.

This bald, eyeless children's puppet is one half of the twisted pair at the heart of The Rule of Jenny Pen, directed by James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark). The other half is retirement home resident Dave Crealy (John Lithgow, Conclave), who wanders the home's halls at night and forces his fellow residents to succumb to Jenny's "rule."

But Crealy finds resistance in one of the home's newest residents, the arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush). As Mortensen struggles to recover from a near-fatal stroke, he'll also endeavor to end Crealy and Jenny's reign of tower, since none of the home's oblivious orderlies seem to care. Based on the film's trailer, the resulting conflict is a bloody one, with residents around Crealy and Mortensen meeting bloody ends, and Jenny looming large over it all.

Watch the full trailer above to see Jenny Pen in action, and to see why Stephen King calledThe Rule of Jenny Pen "one of the best movies I've seen [in 2024]."

The Rule of Jenny Pen hits theaters March 7.

SAVE 49%: A 20-pack of Duracell AA batteries is on sale at Amazon for just $9.70, down from the normal price of $18.99. That's a savings of $9.29.

Opens in a new window Credit: Duracell Duracell AA batteries (20 pack) $9.70 at Amazon
$18.99 Save $9.29 Get Deal

A few things in life pose quite an issue when your household runs dry. Think of daily essentials like toilet paper, dishwasher pods, and toothpaste. These are all items that are much better put on the shopping list far in advance, avoiding the inconvenience of running out. Batteries should also be included on that list and if your stash is running low, stock up with this deal at Amazon.

As of Feb. 24, a 20-pack of Duracell AA batteries is on sale at Amazon for just $9.70, down from the ordinary list price of $18.99. That's a 49% discount that shaves $9.29 off the usual price.

Every weekday at Mashable, our shopping team scours the internet for the best deals. We search for tech that makes life more enjoyable or easier. We're looking for deals to replace those earbuds you accidentally left on the train or a laptop that'll be perfect for taking to college. But we also look for less sexy deals, which includes this one.

SEE ALSO: The best laptops for students: MacBooks, Microsoft Surface, and more

Every home, apartment, studio, tiny house, RV, and office could use some extra batteries. Never in the history of the world has anyone said, "I have too many batteries." That's because batteries are always a handy thing to keep around. When the TV remote dies or the flashlight doesn't work or the wall clock quits, you'll want replacement batteries on hand.

With today's deal at Amazon each Duracell AA batteries costs just 49 cents which means it's worth grabbing a 20-pack (or two or three) to keep around. Duracell touts that these are made with Power Boost ingredients, which are long-lasting. And in terms of stocking up, the brand says these are guaranteed to work for 12 years in storage.

Instead of running out, stock up on AA batteries at Amazon while the Duracell 20-pack is discounted to just $9.70. You'll thank yourself later for stocking up now.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Nvidia have developed a system called ASAP, which helps humanoid robots move more like real humans by bridging the gap between simulation and real-world physics. By first learning movements in a virtual environment and then refining them with real-world data, robots can replicate the agility and coordination of legendary athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo and Kobe Bryant. This breakthrough could lead to more capable robots that assist in workplaces, homes, and even high-risk environments, bringing us closer to a future where machines move as naturally as we do.

SAVE OVER $50: As of Feb. 24, the Sennheiser HD 599 open back headphones are on sale at Amazon for $139.99. That's 30% off their list price of $199.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sennheiser Sennheiser HD 599 Open Back Headphones $139.99 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $59.96 Get Deal

For those who like to spend a lot of time listening to music, diving deep into a podcast, or enjoying a new audiobook, it's important to have high-quality headphones that can keep up with your listening habits. High-quality headphones can often come with a hefty price tag, though. But every once in a while a deal comes around that's worth jumping on to upgrade your audio game. That's certainly the case with the Sennheiser HD 599 open back headphones, which have had a very nice discount at Amazon.

Sennheiser's HD 599 open back headphones are on sale for $139.99 right now. That's 30% off their list price of $199.95, which is a nice deal to jump on while it's still available. These are worth the investment as well, both for their audio quality and comfortable design.

SEE ALSO: For gym rats and picky audiophiles alike, these are the 7 best headphones of 2025

The HD 599s offer excellent sound quality that's improved with their open-back design. In our roundup of the most comfortable headphones, where we rank these as the best for sound quality, Mashable's Dylan Haas says, "The HD 599s have an open-back design that allows for some ambient noise to come through while listening, giving everything a more natural sound that's great for deep, critical listening, especially if you plug them into a vinyl record player. If you want your music presented in the best way possible, these headphones provide the soundstage to make that happen."

This deal won't stick around for long, so don't miss out on 30% off the Sennheiser HD 599 open back headphones at Amazon.

If you're looking for even more headphone deals, there are a couple more worth checking out right now. Best Buy's currently offering $50 off the AirPods Max (USB-C) and Sony's WH-1000XM5s have gotten an over $100 discount at Walmart.

Elon Musk sent government employees into something of a frenzy over the weekend after posting an ultimatum on X: Federal employees have to send an email saying "what they got done last week" or risk losing their jobs.

"Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump ’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week," wrote Musk. "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."

Tweet may have been deleted

Although Musk frequently shares disinformation on X, this was apparently no joke. An email went out to federal employees on Saturday, and was confirmed to be authentic (per the BBC) by the government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Of course, sending a mass email out that requests a response was only ever going to end one way: Swift leaking and inevitable trolling. It wasn't long before the apparent response address was leaked on X.

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The responses themselves weren't far behind.

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

Will any of these emails actually be read by Elon Musk? We can't say for sure, but it seems unlikely he'll be going through them himself. That may not matter to some of the senders, though, some of whom just want to flood the address with as many messages as possible in the hope of making life trickier for Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Mashable has reached out to the email address posted on X. We've yet to receive any response, but the email itself didn't bounce back, which suggests the address itself is real.

SAVE $50: As of Feb. 24, the Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) headphones are on sale at Best Buy for $499.99. That's $50 off their list price of $549.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) $499.99 at Best Buy
$549.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal

If you're an Apple user looking to upgrade your headphones or earbuds, now's a great time to do it with some excellent discounts floating around. If you're in the market for over-ear options, the Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) are currently enjoying a nice $50 discount at Best Buy.

This has dropped their price from $549.99 to $499.99. Not to mention, purchasing these headphones comes with a couple of bonus offers: up to three months of Apple Music for free if you're a new or returning subscriber and three months of Apple Fitness+ for free if you're a new subscriber. These are great for kickstarting your AirPods Max journey, but the headphones themselves have plenty to offer that make them worth every cent, too.

SEE ALSO: For gym rats and picky audiophiles alike, these are the 7 best headphones of 2025

Alongside a comfortable fit, the AirPods Max are powered by the H1 chip and feature excellent audio quality, no matter if you're jamming out to your favorite songs or getting lost in an audiobook. They also offer Active Noise Cancelation that gets rid of any outside noise to keep you fully immersed in what you're listening to. Or, if you like to be more aware of your surroundings, Transparency mode keeps you in the know without sacrificing the sounds coming from the headphones.

We had a lot of praise for these headphones in our review. Writer Brenda Stolyar said, "the AirPods Max check off almost all the boxes for what makes an excellent pair of headphones: great sound quality, ideal battery life, easy controls, and a stylish design (sans Smart Case)."

If you've had your eyes on the AirPods Max (USB-C), this deal is well worth jumping on at Best Buy.

There are a couple more Apple deals that are worth taking advantage of right now. Over at Amazon, the Apple Watch SE 2 is on sale for under $200 and the AirPods Pro 2 are enjoying a $50 discount there as well.

With Meta having recently made the decision to overhaul its Hateful Content policy on Facebook and Instagram — essentially allowing more discriminatory content in the name of free speech — John Oliver decided to take a deep dive.

In the latest Last Week Tonight episode above the host goes through Facebook's problematic history of content moderation, ending with some takeaways on what users can do about it.

"There is one small way you can actually fuck with Meta, and that is by making yourselves a bit less valuable to them. Remember, advertising makes up 98 percent of Meta's revenue, and a key component is them being able to offer companies the ability to micro-target you," says Oliver. "Meta can do that because they track massive amounts of data about not just what you do on their sites, but all across the internet. Which is why they would probably not want me to tell you that you can change your settings so that Facebook and Instagram cannot profit as much from your data anymore.

"If you'd be interested in a step-by-step guide on how to do that, simply visit johnoliverwantsyourraterotica.com."

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Agility competition categories

• Green: In need of warming up

• Blue: Important reception notes

• Purple: To catch a wave

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Gymnastics apparatuses

• Green: Out of practice

• Blue: Stats for a wide receiver

• Purple: A surfer's needs

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #154 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Gymnastics apparatuses - BEAM, FLOOR, POMMEL, VAULT

• Out of practice - COLD, DEFICIENT, RUSTY, SLUGGISH

• Stats for a wide receiver - CATCH, TARGET, TOUCHDOWN, YARD

• A surfer's needs - BOARD, OCEAN, WAX, WETSUIT

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Monday, February 24, 2025:

Across"Over here!"

• The answer is Hey.

Words after a defeat

• The answer is Ilost.

Dwarf planet that's only about half the width of the United States

• The answer is Pluto.

1995 thriller whose title is stylized with a digit

• The answer is Seven.

"This just in ..." program

• The answer is News.

DownJoints at the meeting of the thigh bone and pelvis

• The answer is Hips.

Astronaut Ochoa

• The answer is Ellen.

"___ got mail"

• The answer is Youve.

Gumbo or goulash

• The answer is Stew.

Lots and lots

• The answer is Tons.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.

SAVE $150: As of Feb. 24, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ is on sale at Amazon for $449.99. That's 25% off its list price of $599.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ $449.99 at Amazon
$599.99 Save $150.00 Get Deal

If you've been looking for a new tablet but don't want to make a massive dent in your wallet, Amazon has some great discounts available that are worth checking out. One deal that caught our eye is on the sleek Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+, which we consider "a great tablet for casual users who still want a high-quality, reliable device," per our review. If you've been looking for an upgrade, this tablet deal is worth a look.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ has been discounted from its list price of $599.99 to $449.99, saving you $150 overall. That's a great discount. Amazon has it listed as a limited-time deal, so you'll want to act fast to scoop it up at this price.

SEE ALSO: The best tablets in 2025

This tablet is well worth investing in. Boasting a large 12.4-inch display, you'll have plenty of screen space to work with. This model also comes with 128GB of storage space, up to 20 hours of battery life, and includes the S Pen for more detailed note taking or drawing. In our review, writer RJ Andersen said, "If you’re a casual user who is looking to invest in a tablet for things like note-taking, reading, watching movies, or light gaming, then the S9 FE+ might be a great option for you."

Don't miss out on this limited-time deal on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ at Amazon.

This isn't the only tablet deal floating around right now, though. At the moment, you can also save on the standard Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE at Amazon if you want something a bit more simple in comparison to the FE+.

At the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, host Kristen Bell channelled her Frozen finesse into a song all about the nominees' early careers.

In a snowman-inspired number titled "Do You Want to Be an Actor?", the Nobody Wants This star ran through the starting out screen roles of nominees including "Patient In ICU" Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown), "Unnamed Man" Colin Farrell (The Penguin), and Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building, Emilia Pérez) who got her start "hugging a purple dinosaur."

It's a pitch-perfect run through some iconic starts, including Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) going not so easy on the Pepsi.

For the full list of winners at this year's SAG Awards, Mashable's got you covered.

SAVE OVER $1,000: As of Feb. 24, the Sony Bravia XR X93L 75-inch 4K Mini LED TV is on sale for $1,298 at Walmart, down from its regular $2,498 price. That’s a massive $1,200 discount on one of Sony’s best high-end TVs.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony Bravia XR X93L 75-inch 4K Mini LED TV $1,298.00 at Walmart
$2,498.00 Save $1,200.00 Get Deal

Sony’s Bravia XR TVs have a reputation for delivering some of the best picture quality in the business, and the X93L is no exception. This 75-inch Mini LED beauty packs Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR, which means you get incredible brightness, deep blacks, and some of the most accurate colors I’ve ever seen on a consumer display. This TV makes movies, games, and sports look absolutely stunning.

Mini LED technology is the real star here. Unlike regular LED TVs, Mini LEDs allow for precise backlight control, meaning you get high contrast, deeper blacks, and less blooming around bright objects. The XR Backlight Master Drive takes this even further by adjusting thousands of tiny LEDs in real time for a more dynamic and lifelike picture. Pair that with XR Triluminos Pro, and the result is a screen that pops with billions of vivid colors.

SEE ALSO: Live your Kawaii gamer dreams with this discounted Logitech POP ICON keyboard and mouse combo

Gaming on this TV is next-level. It’s PlayStation 5 optimized, with Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode, ensuring your games always look their best. With HDMI 2.1, 4K at 120Hz, VRR, and ALLM, you’re getting the best motion clarity and low input lag for competitive gaming. Plus, the Game Menu puts all your gaming settings in one easy-to-access place.

Sony didn’t skimp on audio, either. Acoustic Multi-Audio uses sound positioning tweeters to create a more immersive experience, while Dolby Atmos support brings that cinematic surround sound straight to your living room. If you pair it with a Sony soundbar, Acoustic Center Sync guarantees clear dialogue.

At its usual $2,498 price, this is a premium TV meant for high-end home theaters. But at $1,298 at Walmart, it’s an absolute steal. If you’ve been waiting for a big-screen upgrade, this is the kind of deal that’s hard to pass up.

SAVE $117: As of Feb. 24, Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless noise-canceling headphones are on sale for $282.90 at Walmart, down from their usual $399.99. That’s a $117 discount on some of the best noise-canceling headphones on the market.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM5 $282.90 at Walmart
$399.99 Save $117.09 Get Deal

I’ve tested a lot of noise-canceling headphones, and I always come back to Sony’s WH-1000X series. The WH-1000XM5 takes everything great about its predecessors and refines it with industry-leading noise cancellation, plush comfort, and ridiculously good battery life. If you fly often or want to zone out in a crowded coffee shop, these headphones do the job better than anything else I’ve used.

Sony’s active noise cancellation blocks out everything from engine hum to chatty coworkers. The multipoint connection is also a lifesavSonter, letting you switch between your phone and laptop without the usual Bluetooth headache. The 30-hour battery life is another huge win, with a three-minute charge putting out three hours of playback. Pretty convenient when you forget to juice them up before a flight.

SEE ALSO: Live your Kawaii gamer dreams with this discounted Logitech POP ICON keyboard and mouse combo

Comfort is another area where WH-1000XM5 shines. The lightweight design and soft-fit leather earcups make them easy to wear for hours, which is key when you’re trapped in an airport for half the day. Sony’s Adaptive Sound Control also automatically adjusts the noise cancellation based on your environment, so you don’t have to keep fiddling with settings.

These headphones usually sit at a premium price point, so seeing them drop $117 to $282.90 at Walmart is a solid deal. If you’ve been holding out on upgrading your old headphones, now’s a great time to pull the trigger. Just don’t be surprised when you can’t go back to using anything else.

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to DeskSense AI for $109 — automate emails, create content, generate images, and more.

Some days, it feels like your to-do list multiplies faster than you can cross things off. Between answering emails, cranking out content, and trying to remember Excel formulas, there’s barely time to focus on what matters most. That’s where DeskSense AI steps in — your digital sidekick that handles the busywork so you can get more done.

Think of DeskSense as the ultimate multitasker. It analyzes text from any webpage, writes professional emails in a snap, and even creates social media posts that actually sound human. Need to whip up a blog post intro or outline? No problem. Want catchy ad copy or a polished landing page? DeskSense has you covered. And for all the coders out there — this AI can generate CSS, HTML, Python, and more with just a prompt.

It doesn’t stop at writing, either. DeskSense’s AI image generator lets you create custom graphics based on text prompts, perfect for social media or presentations. Plus, you can use the image analyzer to get insights from visuals or the editor to tweak them just right.

Best of all, everything happens fast. Summarize lengthy content, generate YouTube video scripts, or find the right Excel formula — all in a few clicks. With 144 million credits each month and 80 AI image generations, you’ll have more than enough power to tackle daily tasks and big projects alike.

Get a lifetime Pro subscription to DeskSense AI for just $109 and start checking off your to-do list faster than ever.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: DeskSense DeskSense AI Assistant - Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription $109.00
$719.00 Save $610.00 Get Deal

The debate over banning TikTok has grown increasingly complex. While politicians have voiced concerns about national security risks posed by the app’s Chinese ownership, activists suggest a deeper agenda may be aimed at curbing pro-Palestinian content on the platform.

What does the TikTok ban have to do with Palestine?

The push to ban TikTok started in 2019 with a barrage of bills attempting to limit TikTok's reach. Politicians argue that under Chinese law, TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, could be forced to share user data with the Chinese government, posing a hypothetical security risk to U.S. interests.

However, legislators haven't kept their comments to China alone. Some have also raised concerns about the spread of pro-Palestinian views on TikTok. This challenges the First Amendment, with activists arguing that Americans should be free to consume information, even if it includes propaganda. The Supreme Court upheld this viewpoint in the 1965 case Lamont v. Postmaster General, which affirmed that Americans have the right to receive information and then decide for themselves what to believe, even if it comes from abroad. This hasn't stopped legislators from arguing that an app that spreads this kind of content should be banned.

At the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, former U.S. congressman Mike Gallagher, who introduced a TikTok ban bill in 2023, claimed the issue gained traction after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. "People started to see a bunch of antisemitic content on the platform, and our bill had legs again," Gallagher said, implying that the content in response to the attack was a driving factor behind renewed efforts to ban the app.

Tweet may have been deleted

And this isn't something the lawmakers have been hiding.

"There have been multiple different instances where high-ranking U.S. officials or former-U.S. officials, like former-Governor Mitt Romney, made very explicit comments saying that the TikTok problem is closely related to the Palestine problem," Eric Sype, a national organizer for 7amleh, or the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, told Mashable.

Romney connected the TikTok ban to pro-Palestinian content in May 2024, saying: "Some wonder why there was such overwhelming support for us to shut down potentially TikTok or other entities of that nature. If you look at the postings on TikTok and the number of mentions of Palestinians, relative to other social media sites — it’s overwhelmingly so among TikTok broadcasts."

And Romney isn’t alone in linking the TikTok ban to pro-Palestinian content.

Rep. Mike Lawler, who co-sponsored the TikTok ban legislation, said on a call with university trustees in May 2024 that lawmakers included the TikTok ban in the foreign supplemental aid package "because you're seeing how these kids are being manipulated by certain groups or entities or countries to foment hate on their behalf and really create a hostile environment here in the U.S."

As the Intercept reported, Gallagher also argued in an op-ed in the Free Press that the Chinese Communist Party, pro-Palestinian content, and the TikTok ban are inherently interconnected. "How did we reach a point where a majority of young Americans hold such a morally bankrupt view of the world? Where many young Americans were rooting for terrorists who had kidnapped American citizens — and against a key American ally? Where were they getting the raw news to inform this upside-down worldview? The short answer is, increasingly, via social media and predominantly TikTok," he wrote.

Senator Josh Hawley took this a step further in October 2023, calling TikTok a "Chinese spy engine and purveyor of virulent antisemitic lies."

Tweet may have been deleted

Lawmakers might not have come to this conclusion themselves, either. Ken Klippenstein, an independent journalist, obtained a memo from the State Department for its Near East Affairs diplomats that details how Israel's deputy director general for public diplomacy at the foreign ministry, Emmanuel Nahshon, blamed TikTok’s algorithm for fostering pro-Palestinian views among U.S. youth. Nahshon said young people were more likely to support Palestine because "the Tik-Tok algorithm favours pro-Palestinian content."

It’s a stretch to claim that TikTok is inherently pro-Palestinian. According to a report from The Washington Post, TikTok doesn't have significantly more pro-Palestinian content than other social media platforms, like those owned by Meta. However, TikTok is a platform used predominantly by young people, and young people tend to have more pro-Palestinian sentiment than older generations. 

This demographic dynamic, combined with the spread of pro-Palestinian content on the platform, has raised alarms among U.S. lawmakers. Their growing frustration with the spread of views they oppose is likely a key factor behind the call for tighter regulation of TikTok.

As Sype from 7amleh told Mashable, "It’s quite clearly showing that the original stated rationale for trying to ban it was really fairly disingenuous."

Do legislators' motivations matter when it comes to the TikTok ban?

In short: probably not. Regardless of legislators' motivations, the app will likely be banned or sold, driven by the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the TikTok ban.

Under the First Amendment, the government can't simply ban speech it doesn't like unless it meets an extremely high constitutional standard. In this case, the government couldn't meet that standard. Instead, the Supreme Court focused on data protection concerns.

"The Supreme Court upheld the ban not because it found it constitutional to discriminate against TikTok on the basis of TikTok's viewpoint or the viewpoints of anybody using TikTok's services. Instead, the Supreme Court said, we don't have to think about any of that because there is a content-neutral justification for this law, and it is protecting American's data from access by the Chinese government," Kate Ruane, the director of the Center for Democracy and Technology's Free Expression Project, told Mashable. 

Ruane suggested that the argument about slowing the spread of pro-Palestinian sentiment would likely not have impacted the Court’s decision.

"The fact that we're now [discussing] some other viewpoint that Congress was set on restricting or preventing, I don't think that would've mattered for the case because the Supreme Court just kind of ignored the viewpoint-based justifications for enacting the ban," Ruane said.

That said, the record is clear: Many legislators were motivated to ban TikTok due to concerns about the content it hosts — particularly pro-Palestinian views and Chinese propaganda.

What happens next with the TikTok ban?

Right now, we're in a bit of a holding pattern. The app is back on app stores, the date the ban goes into effect has been extended thanks to President Donald Trump's administration, and plenty of individuals and organizations are making their bids to buy it, including the notoriously anti-Palestine tech company Oracle. 

There are rumors that Trump might extend the ban deadline even further — multi-billion dollar deals tend to take time. But as of this writing, TikTok either needs to divest or it will be banned again on April 5, when Trump's 75-day extension ends.

TL;DR: Get a 1-year subscription to Autobiographer for $69 (reg. $199) and finally tell your story with AI-led, conversational style memoir crafting.

You have a life story to tell. But writing a memoir from scratch is intimidating. If only you had a personal biographer ... or maybe just an AI-powered, conversation-based program that can help you record the important parts of your story and turn them into essays or letters to share your story. That's Autobiographer, a DIY memoir program that uses AI to guide users through the storytelling process. Spend the next year sharing your history with this lowest on-the-web price of $69 (reg. $199) for a 1-year subscription.

If you can chat, you can write your memoir with Autobiographer. This is an ideal gift for even the least tech-savvy. Prompted by individualized questions, record your story in the Autobiographer program. These will generate as written documents you can shape into a standard, book-style autobiography, letters to loved ones, or the epic tale of your sports journey in days gone by just like the memoir-writing stars. When you're ready to share or print, you'll have up to 250 pages of your life's story.

Have unlimited conversations with the program's AI bot to tease out the most important parts of your tale over your year's subscription. Don't worry about saying too much — there's unlimited storage — or your privacy — encryption protects your data and recordings. Exclude unwanted or irrelevant topics. Organize your memories by category in the secure Memory Vault so only you have access while drafting your autobiography. You can maintain your full conversation history here so you don't lose a second of the wisdom, trials, and even recipes future generations may want to hear.

You've got a story to tell — and a smart tool to help you tell it with a 1-year subscription to Autobiographer at the current low price of $69 (reg. $199). 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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TL;DR: Live stream San Jose Sharks vs. Winnipeg Jets for free with a 30-day trial of Prime Video. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Stream NHL games for free on Prime Video every Monday, including San Jose Sharks vs. Winnipeg Jets.

The Sharks sit at the bottom of the Pacific Division at 13-24 while the Jets are atop the Central Division at 28-12. Based on their record, the Jets should have the advantage for this game.

If you want to watch the San Jose Sharks vs. Winnipeg Jets for free from anywhere in the world, here is all of the information you need.

When is San Jose Sharks vs. Winnipeg Jets?

San Jose Sharks vs. Winnipeg Jets takes place at 7:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 24. This fixture will be played at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.

How to watch San Jose Sharks vs. Winnipeg Jets for free

San Jose Sharks vs. Winnipeg Jets is available to live stream on Prime Video in Canada, but you don't need to be subscribed to Amazon Prime to watch this game. Fans in Canada can watch San Jose Sharks vs. Winnipeg Jets (plus more Monday Night Hockey fixtures) for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to watch the NHL for free on Prime Video. This process is straightforward:

1. Sign up for a 30-day Amazon Prime trial (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

3. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

4. Open up the app and connect to a server in Canada

5. Watch San Jose Sharks vs. Winnipeg Jets for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but top VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams of the NHL without actually spending anything. This is obviously only a short-term solution, but this gives you enough time to watch select NHL fixtures before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free live streams from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for the NHL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NHL, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95, saving you 49% on list price. This deal includes a bonus of three months of coverage, a year of unlimited cloud backup, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the San Jose Sharks vs. Winnipeg Jets for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

AVAILABLE TODAY: As of Feb. 24, Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet — Surging Sparks Booster Bundle is available for $26.94 at Best Buy. This set has been one of the hardest to find thanks to massive demand for its chase cards, including Special Illustration Rare Pikachu ex and Latias ex.

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Trying to get your hands on Scarlet & Violet – Surging Sparks? This set sells out constantly, and resellers are making sure it never stays in stock for long. Best Buy’s Pokémon Day deal is giving us a rare shot at picking up Surging Sparks Booster Bundle for $26.94. Honestly? I wouldn’t wait.

This set has been in insanely high demand because of how stacked the chase cards are. Special Illustration Rare Pikachu ex already looks like one of the most expensive Pokémon cards of the year. Latias ex and Latios ex have that perfectly connected artwork that makes collectors desperate to complete the pair. Then there’s Hydreigon ex, which looks like it came straight out of a fantasy RPG and hits like a truck in competitive play.

SEE ALSO: Pokemon Go players are actually training a giant AI model

If you’re into Trainer cards, Jasmine’s Gaze and Lisia’s Appeal are already driving up prices thanks to the usual waifu tax. Alolan Exeggutor ex is proving to be just as popular with players as it is with collectors. It’s one of the best-looking cards in the set, and if you manage to pull one, you’re sitting on a win.

Surging Sparks is one of those sets where every pack has the potential for something huge, but the problem has always been finding packs in the first place. Best Buy’s Pokémon Day deal is one of the few times you can actually grab this bundle without paying resale prices, and it’s only available through the Best Buy app. If you don’t want to miss out, make sure you’ve got the app ready before it disappears again.