The Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of a specific red dye in food products.

Red No. 3, a synthetic dye which gives a cherry hue to candies, sodas, and some medications, has been linked to cancer and ADHD in some studies.

"The FDA cannot authorize a food additive or color additive if it has been found to cause cancer in human or animals," Jim Jones, the FDA's deputy director for human foods, said in a statement.

"Evidence shows cancer in laboratory male rats exposed to high levels of FD&C Red No. 3."

• Americans are flocking to Xiaohongshu as a potential TikTok ban looms in the US.
• Xiaohongshu, known as RedNote, offers similar short-form video content to TikTok.
• The app, founded in 2013, reached over 200 million users by 2019.

Americans are flocking to another China-based social media app as a potential TikTok ban looms.

Xiaohongshu has risen to the top of the App Store in the US as so-called TikTok refugees search for apps that provide similar short-form video content. The name translates to "little red book" in English but it's referred to as RedNote or Red Book by English speakers.

Its format isn't much different from TikTok, and some familiar faces have already started popping up in the "Explore" section. It's unclear if users are posing as celebrities on the platform, but actor Selena Gomez's alleged profile has a verified check mark next to her name. It looks like Gomez has been posting there since as early as 2023.

Most of the app's instructions are set in English once you choose the language, but there are still aspects written in Chinese. Xiaohongshu describes itself as "a lifestyle platform for young people" founded in 2013. The site says it reached over 200 million users in 2019.

"Users can record their daily lives, share their lifestyles, and interact based on their interests through short videos, pictures and texts," it said on its "About" page.

It's still up for debate on where most Americans will go for short-form video content if a TikTok ban goes into effect. Instagram reels, YouTube shorts, and apps like Lemon8 have all been touted as alternatives.

Here's how to get started on RedNote.

First, you'll have to agree to terms of services related to how data is collected and shared. Then, you can create an account using your phone number.

You can decide what sort of content you're interested in viewing, like fashion, food, and reading, and access feeds related to them. Like TikTok, there's a "For You" page to browse videos and "Shop" section that doesn't have much English translation.

From there, it's not much different from TikTok. You can like, share, comment, and favorite videos. Americans have taken the app by storm.

Your profile functions similarly to TikTok, with a bio, profile picture, and a customizable username.

Representatives for Xiaohongshu didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Over on TikTok, users are still unsure which app will prevail, but RedNote has been the Apple App Store's No. 1 download for the last few days.

• I love cruising and have picked up lots of tips to ensure the best possible experience on board.
• To avoid any possible delays, I I highly recommend building ample travel time into your itinerary.
• If your budget permits, it's worth booking a private enclave or treating yourself to other upgrades.

Cruises are a lot of fun but can require some planning to ensure everything goes smoothly. Over the past few years, I've been on cruises to places like the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and the Panama Canal.

However, I used to be cruise-averse, mainly because of the stories I'd heard about overcrowded buffet lines and pool decks, and being trapped on a ship with thousands of people.

I've since come to enjoy most things about this kind of trip, mainly because I've learned there's an itinerary and a ship for every type of cruiser. I've also gleaned tips and hacks during my journeys to avoid the crowds and make the experience feel more special.

Here are nine tips I've learned that have made sailing less stressful and more enjoyable.

Arrive the day before the cruise departs

Although it might be tempting to save money on a hotel by booking a flight for the day you depart, the potential stress isn't worth it.

Delays and cancellations due to weather or mechanical issues might mean that you arrive at the dock after embarkation — and the ship won't wait for you.

I highly recommend building ample travel time into your itinerary — plus, you'll get to start your vacation a day sooner.

Book restaurants as soon as you board

Getting on the ship is exciting, and you'll understandably want to explore the pool deck or hang out on your balcony. Before you do, though, hit up the concierge to make restaurant reservations.

The most popular restaurants and reservation times will likely book up quickly, especially on sea days when everyone is on board.

Getting your preferred times and spots for dining will give you peace of mind — especially if you're cruising with a large group — allowing you to relax and enjoy your sailing.

Consider skipping port to enjoy the ship

Conventional wisdom might lead you to believe that a day at sea is the best time to enjoy all the ship has to offer.

When all the passengers are on board, though, the pool will likely be woefully crowded, spa appointments may be difficult to book, and there will probably be long lines for waterslides and other attractions.

If your cruise is making a port stop at a locale that doesn't really excite you, there's no crime against staying on board and blissfully having the ship practically to yourself.

Book excursions directly through the cruise line

If you do a Google search for tours and things to do at your various port stops, you'll inevitably find lots of operators whose prices are cheaper than similar activities offered through your cruise line.

However, if you book the official excursions, the ship's activities director knows where you are. So, if there's a delay or hold-up getting back to the ship, they'll wait for you.

On the flip side, if you do your own thing and then hit traffic after sunbathing at a local beach in Aruba or going on a taco crawl on Cozumel, you may end up getting left behind.

Spring for breakfast in bed

If waiting in line for pancakes and bacon first thing in the morning isn't your thing, I recommend ordering room service at least once during your trip.

The service may incur a small surcharge, but sipping coffee while enjoying an omelette and fruit platter on your balcony is the perfect, solitary way to start the day.

Check out the back of the ship

My favorite part of the ship is the back, referred to as the "aft."

It's relaxing and borderline mesmerizing to watch the wake the ship leaves behind. However, in talking with my fellow passengers over the years, not everyone heads back there.

Your ship may even have a bar or restaurant overlooking the wake. Even if it doesn't, I recommend grabbing a coffee or a cocktail and heading to the back of the ship, which is arguably the most zen-like area.

Consider staying in a private enclave

If your cruise line offers it and you can afford it, book a cabin in a private enclave, like the Yacht Club on MSC Cruises, The Haven on Norwegian Cruise Line, and the Suite Class on Royal Caribbean.

Each aforementioned experience comes with amenities like a more sumptuous cabin, and a separate pool deck, restaurant, and lounge — all of which feel like an oasis from the crowds.

These VIP passengers also get priority check-in and a butler who can make the best reservations for restaurants and shows.

Although the experience doesn't come cheap, it lends a feeling of exclusivity to the on-board experience.

Bring attire for theme nights

FOMO can be strong on gala night, white night, or for a poolside pajama party if you don't have something fitting to wear.

Check the cruise line's website or app ahead of time to find out if there are theme nights — and pack accordingly.

On cruise lines with dress codes, you may be excluded from certain dining options if it's an elegant night and you show up in shorts and flip-flops.

Treat yourself to one special experience

Even if you're budget-conscious, it's nice to upgrade yourself during your cruise.

This could mean a multi-course tasting menu at one of the upscale dining concepts, an afternoon at the thermal spa or hydrotherapy circuit, a high-end excursion like a private sunset sail, or an expensive bottle of wine that's not included in your drink package.

Sure, part of the allure of a cruise is that many things are already included, but adding something extra can make the trip more memorable.

Owner Ashley Saldana told Newsweek: "Poppy is just a kitten herself, but she has fully stepped up as a foster mom."

Sarah Lauren Semkowski told Newsweek it was "wild to see how many people related to such a small habit of mine."

According to a TikTok user, international travelers need to know this iPhone trick.

As soon as Kristin Giles saw her dad with the pig, she knew he would "fall in love" and they'd have a new member of the family.

Social media users backed the Reddit user in the viral post, with one saying: "you have no moral responsibility."

Politecnico di Milan University teamed up with Maserati for an AI project created to ease traffic in dense cities.

It is mating season for coyotes, which "generally means increased activity in urban areas, including Chicago," according to Chicago Animal Care and Control.

• Donald Trump champions the working class but his policies are bad news for them, Paul Krugman says.
• The Nobel-winning economist says tariffs and deportations will hurt instead of help the poor.
• "A lot of people are going to get brutally scammed," Krugman said.

Donald Trump rode to victory in the US presidential race by pledging to put America first and fight for blue-collar workers. Paul Krugman says he'll only make their lives harder.

The economist, who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2008, criticized the president-elect's plans to raise tariffs and cut taxes during Tuesday's episode of "The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent" podcast.

He told The New Republic show that those and other policies would lead to the working class paying higher prices while high earners keep more of their money.

"Even more than usual for a Republican, he appears to have an extremely regressive economic program in mind, one that really will effectively redistribute income away from working-class voters to the top," Krugman said.

American households are already being pinched by inflation, which spiked to a 40-year high of more than 9% in the summer of 2022 and remains above the Federal Reserve's 2% target.

On top of higher prices for food, fuel, rent, and other basics, many consumers are also paying more toward their credit cards, car loans, and mortgages.

That's because the Fed, in a bid to curb inflation, increased its benchmark rate from zero to north of 5.25% in under 17 months, and has kept it as high as 4.5% for now.

The battle over groceries

Krugman, a former MIT and Princeton University professor and New York Times columnist, zeroed in on grocery prices. Trump said during his campaign that he would reduce them, but he's walked that claim back in recent weeks.

Yet recent surveys show that his supporters still expect him to do so, Krugman said, despite the fact that broader prices are still rising and deflation is almost universally regarded as undesirable for an economy.

A CBS News/YouGov survey, conducted in late December with a nationally representative group of 2,244 US adults, found that 40% of Americans expect Trump to make food and grocery prices go down, exceeding the 36% who expect him to make them increase.

"A lot of people are going to get brutally scammed," Krugman said. Trump isn't just misleading people by saying they'll be better off once he's in office, he also doesn't appear to know how he'll deliver on his promises, Krugman continued. "So the scam is there is no plan."

Trump said last year that lowering grocery prices would be tricky, but improving supply chains and boosting domestic energy production could lower costs for farmers, who could then pass those savings onto consumers.

Tariffs and immigration

Separately, Krugman nodded to the fact that tariffs are a tax on imports, and businesses usually pass on their increased costs by charging higher prices to consumers.

He described their impact as "really bad," and said the fallout from Trump's proposed mass deportations would be "much, much worse." They'd be hugely disruptive and drive up prices in industries like agriculture, food processing, and construction, Krugman said, leaving the US with a shortage of workers for large-scale programs like rebuilding Florida after a hurricane.

The author and blogger also rang the alarm on Trump and his allies' fierce criticism of colleges and skepticism of higher education.

"We've been pulling ahead on technology, but an administration that's extremely hostile to universities and education is going to undermine that source of advantage as well," Krugman said.

"Trump wants to turn the clock back to 1896, and that's not good for the US economy."

• A Stanford law professor dropped Meta as a client in the wake of Mark Zuckerberg's recent changes.
• Mark Lemley represented Meta in a 2023 AI copyright case involving comedian Sarah Silverman and others.
• Zuckerberg's recent changes at Meta more closely align with Elon Musk's opinions and strategies.

Mark Lemley, a Stanford law professor and lawyer who represented Meta in a 2023 AI copyright case, says he has dropped the company as a client because of what he described as CEO Mark Zuckerberg's "descent into toxic masculinity and Neo-Nazi madness."

"I have fired Meta as a client. While I think they are on the right side in the generative AI copyright dispute in which I represented them, and I hope they win, I cannot in good conscience serve as their lawyer any longer," Lemley, a partner at the law firm Lex Lumina, wrote in a LinkedIn post on Monday.

Lemley and Lex Lumina represented Meta when comedian Sarah Silverman and other authors sued the Facebook owner in 2023, saying it violated copyright by training the Llama AI model on books they had written.

At the time, Meta's lawyers argued the claims should fail because the authors could not prove Llama generated text that closely resembled their books. The case is ongoing.

In the LinkedIn post, Lemley also said he was changing how he used some Meta products.

He has deactivated his Threads account as he did not want to "support a Twitter-like site run by a Musk wannabe."

The lawyer also said he will no longer buy anything from ads he encounters on Facebook or Instagram.

"While I have thought about quitting Facebook, I find great value in the connections and friends I have here," Lemley wrote.

Lemley is a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. At Lex Lumina, he works with clients on cases pertaining to intellectual property, antitrust, and internet law.

Lemley, Lex Lumina, Sarah Silverman and Meta did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Changes at Meta

Since the start of the year, Zuckerberg has made sweeping changes to Meta. They include eliminating third-party fact-checking on the platform in the US in favor of community notes.

Meta also planned to reduce diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Zuckerberg recently said Meta needs more "masculine energy."

"Masculine energy, I think, is good, and obviously society has plenty of that, but I think that corporate culture was really trying to get away from it," he told the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast.

Zuckerberg's changes at Meta resemble those made by Tesla and X owner Elon Musk.

Musk has spoken out against DEI and content moderation. Politically, Musk has thrown his support behind right-leaning political parties and figures in Europe and the US.

He's a prominent supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, and is joined lead of a commission called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

In politics and relationship-building with Trump, too, Zuckerberg's actions are starting to mirror Musk's. Meta donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund. Zuckerberg also declined to endorse any candidate during the 2024 election campaign.

These moves mark a distinct change in how Zuckerberg approaches Trump.

In 2020, after Facebook was criticized over the then-president's violent remarks on the platform, Zuckerberg said he was "deeply shaken and disgusted by President Trump's divisive and incendiary rhetoric."

Trump was barred from Facebook and Instagram in 2021 for what Meta called praising "people engaged in violence at the Capitol on January 6." Meta reversed the decision two years later.

"Look at all your bills, and figure out what can be cut down or cut out," Lauren Savalle told Newsweek.

To add one more left-handed starter, the Boston Red Sox may target former No. 9 overall draft pick Andrew Heaney, the top lefty remaining on the market.

Coyote sightings and interactions in Chicago are increasing as the breeding season, lasting from January to March, gets underway.

We Live in Time starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield is heading to streaming.

Boston Red Sox fans surely hope top Red Sox Roman Anthony will become a better player than the one Alex Cora compared him to.

Winnie was small, skinny, in need of a bath and had never had a haircut in her life, but everything changed after she was adopted.

The list of players making it to Team of the Year in EA Sports FC 25 may have been leaked early.

New polling in the U.K. shows Musk with a net approval rating of minus 51, with 71 percent feeling negatively toward the billionaire businessman.