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Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
We’ve got a lot of stories on tap for you today including: a look at why cybersecurity experts are standing up for the Twitter whistleblower, a creator sharing a Hinge horror story, an analysis of the first episode of House of the Dragon, and break down of a major digital privacy rights win.
After that, our Senior Culture Reporter Audra looks into The Rehearsal in her “Now Streaming” column.
Let’s get to it all. See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
Why cybersecurity experts are standing up for the Twitter whistleblower
The cybersecurity community is coming to the defense of Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, the former Twitter executive turned whistleblower who has accused the platform of serious security issues.
Creator shares her Hinge dating horror story with ‘Brandon,’ who FaceTimed her before they met
A woman went viral on TikTok after recounting her Hinge horror story with a man named “Brandon.”
‘House of the Dragon’ kicks off with a visceral—and polarizing—birth scene
The parallels to our world aren’t difficult to discern.
Court rules digital room scans of college students violate Fourth Amendment rights
The case could set a precedent for digital monitoring of students.
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📺 Now Streaming
‘The Rehearsal’ is Nathan for Nathan
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Wednesdays our Culture Reporters Audra Schroeder and Michelle Jaworski review or analyze the latest streaming content in their “Now Streaming” column. If you want to read columns like this before everyone else, subscribe to web_crawlr to get your daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to you inbox.
🕸️ Crawling the web
Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.
📚 A school librarian has gone viral after claiming that her school’s administration asked her take down a display on banned books at the request of one parent.
💼 Should you talk negatively about your past employers during interviews? One career coach says you shouldn’t, and that opinion has sparked a considerable debate.
☕ A woman is going viral for issuing a PSA to Target shoppers who get Starbucks there.
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🛒 Here’s a grocery store hack: A Kroger worker is attracting a ton of attention after sharing that he still uses his old landline number to get reward points.
🎵 In a viral video, a Walmart employee called out a manager in a different department who told her to remove her AirPods.
🔍 Telegram is supercharging conspiracy theories across the planet.
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👋 Before you go
A woman’s experience with a “Karen” in a coffee chain drive-thru has drawn a ton of interest online, where viewers have been quick to criticize the other woman’s pushy behavior.
🎶 Now Playing: “Her” by Megan Thee Stallion 🎶