Technologies

TikTok Under Pressure as Biden Administration Scrutinizes Chinese Ownership

TikTok could face a push to sell its US operations to eliminate influence from the Chinese government.

The Chinese owners of TikTok may be facing pressure to divest. The security concerns of the popular social media platform have led some Biden administration officials to «push for a sale of the Chinese-owned company’s U.S. operations to ensure Beijing can’t harness the app for espionage and political influence,» according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal citing unnamed sources,

The idea of a forced sale was raised in discussions by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, with representatives from the Pentagon and Department of Justice pushing for the sale. Among the concerns is the idea that the Chinese government could use TikTok to acquire information on US users as well as dictate what content is or isn’t shown on the platform «in a bid to influence US popular opinion.»

TikTok is owned by Chinese conglomerate ByteDance. TikTok did not immediately respond to a CNET request for comment.

National security concerns over TikTok have picked up in recent weeks. A report earlier this month suggested that negotiations between the Biden administration and the app over its US operations would be put on hold because of national security concerns. The app has been banned from being used on government-issued devices or networks in some states including Virginia and Georgia with some universities in Georgia, Oklahoma and Alabama similarly preventing access on campus computers and networks.

Concerns over TikTok’s ownership and national security are not new. The Trump administration previously pushed unsuccessfully for banning the social media platform in the US.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, July 5

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 5.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? 14-Across was a real doozy. I hadn’t ever heard anyone use that word to mean what the NYT says it means, even though I do recognize it as part of a related word. Whether this clue or another one has stumped you today, read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Blasts with unwanted messages
Answer: SPAMS

6A clue: Orderly assortment
Answer: ARRAY

7A clue: Its state mammal is the bison, and its state sport is rodeo
Answer: WYOMING

9A clue: «Let me think …»
Answer: HMM

10A clue: Hawaii’s Mauna ___
Answer: LOA

11A clue: Shanghai-born N.B.A. Hall-of-Famer who stood at 7’6″
Answer: YAOMING

13A clue: Emotionless, as a gaze
Answer: STONY

14A clue: Another name for an earthquake
Answer: SEISM

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Lead a Catholic ceremony
Answer: SAYMASS

2D clue: Hype up
Answer: PROMOTE

3D clue: Place for Popeye’s anchor tattoo
Answer: ARM

4D clue: Ballots cast from home
Answer: MAILINS

5D clue: Thesaurus listing
Answer: SYNONYM

7D clue: Alphabetically last of the «five W’s»
Answer: WHY

8D clue: Silly joke
Answer: GAG

12D clue: «Excusez-___!»
Answer: MOI

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for July 5, #285

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 5, No. 285.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition raised my confidence with a very easy yellow category. Then my guesses kind of fell apart. Need some help? Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: First question?

Green group hint: You win it.

Blue group hint: They call it football.

Purple group hint: Baseball accessories.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Setting for a news conference.

Green group: Starts of trophy names.

Blue group: England women’s soccer players.

Purple group: ____ base.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is setting for a news conference. The four answers are dais, lectern, podium and stage.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is starts of trophy names. The four answers are Ballon, Cy, Heisman and Stanley.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is England women’s soccer players. The four answers are Bronze, Mead, Stanway and Williamson.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ base. The four answers are fan, first, stolen and third.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for July 5, #1477

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for July 5, No. 1,477.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a pretty tough one. I grew up on a farm, so I know the word, but I didn’t put it together right away, even though the letters are common ones. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.