Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
It’s almost the end of the week and we’ve got some top stories to help you get there about: An Airbnb experience that a customer says “ruined” her birthday, how the popular “Binging With Babish” YouTuber is under fire for his Hogwarts Legacy sponsored content, an exclusive report that shows how some of the most vocal anti-TikTok members of Congress are happy to take money from the company’s executives, and a worker sharing a job interview hack in a viral clip.
After that, our Politics Reporter Claire has her weekly “Dirty Delete” column.
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
🏠 VIRAL
Customer shares Airbnb experience that led her to delete the app
A TikToker’s negative birthday experience with an Airbnb listing has drawn over 1 million views on the platform, where it is resonating with viewers who’ve similarly had unsatisfactory bookings.
📽️ CULTURE
‘Binging with Babish’ YouTuber under fire for ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ sponsored content
Many fans see this as an endorsement of J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans views.
💰 TECH
EXCLUSIVE: Kevin McCarthy took $42,500 from TikTok’s top policy chief—as he calls on Congress to investigate the app
TikTok and ByteDance execs doled out tens of thousands of dollars.
💼 HACKS
‘I’ll be doing this for all interviews’: Worker shares job interview hack after giving the ‘best’ interview of her life
A tech sales career consultant posted a viral clip about the “best” interview she’s ever given for a company.
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🗳️ Dirty Delete
Harriet Hageman turned on an ally to ride Trumpism into Congress
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content. On Thursdays our Politics Reporter Claire Goforth goes deep on the social media history of politicians in her “Dirty Delete” 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.
💤 This worker claims she missed her work shift after she accidentally napped for 12 hours instead of 3.
😡 One woman’s story about a thrift store’s contradictory policy on bra straps has enraged Tiktok users, garnering over 1 million views.
🍴 A restaurant hostess‘s video is going viral on TikTok after blasting customers who don’t understand the concept of a “closed section” in a restaurant.
🍔 This worker is going viral for claiming that she was fired from Culver’s for being an introvert.
🛍️ A TikToker claims there’s a new DoorDash refund policy that’s unfavorable to customers, sparking discussion on the platform.
😻 This low-maintenance stainless steel water fountain will make sure your cat never goes thirsty.*
🍕 An ex-Little Caesars worker says his uniform shirt’s cost was taken out of his paycheck.
⚰️ From the Daily Dot archive: Here are the real-life stakes of faking your death online.
🚗 A woman’s video has gone viral and sparked debate after documenting a microaggression made against her by an Uber driver.
*The Daily Dot may receive a commission in connection with purchases of products or services featured here.
👋 Before you go
A viral TikToker says he experienced ultimate shame when his debit card got declined while shopping at Dollar Tree.
The TikToker, Drew Gunby (@drewgunby), has one million followers, and often posts funny, relatable content about his life. In one of his recent videos, which he records inside the Dollar Tree store, he talks about how it felt to have his card declined.
“Sitting here at 25 years of life, I’ve had my fair share of shame and embarrassment, but having my debit card declined at Dollar Tree and having to put back essentially all of my fucking groceries, that’s a new low,” Gunby says in the video.
🎶 Now Playing: “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes 🎶
