Social Media & Kids Privacy: TikTok and ByteDance agreed to pay $400M to settle a U.S. DOJ lawsuit over alleged COPPA violations, with $300M paid immediately and $100M tied to vacating an earlier consent decree—another major hit to Big Tech’s kids-data practices. Tariffs & Trade: Trump’s 50% tariffs on $20B in Canadian goods kicked in after talks collapsed, while Canada vowed dollar-for-dollar retaliation and suspended negotiations, escalating a fresh marketing-and-supply-chain headache for U.S. brands. Media Platforms & Ads: The “Reagan” film team says YouTube flagged its ads under election/shocking-content rules, reigniting the debate over ad targeting and “digital gatekeeping.” AI & Defense MarCom: Accrete won a sole-source U.S. Marine Corps contract for Argus to track and analyze narratives across social and broadcast media—showing how marcom-style messaging is becoming a defense tool. Sports Media: Bundesliga is moving toward a free-to-fans U.S. model via Versant/USA Network, testing whether viewers will follow leagues off paywalls. Policy & Privacy Enforcement: DOJ’s TikTok settlement follows broader pressure on platforms as lawmakers push for stronger protections for minors. Geopolitics: Iran media reported “sporadic clashes” with U.S. forces in the Strait of Hormuz, while Trump called the strait “American territory,” fueling uncertainty for global shipping and energy messaging.