Newsletter: 🥊 Obama vs Trump 2028?

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Hello fellow web crawlers! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr. 

Our top stories today are about: People onlinefantasizing about a Obama vs Trump 2028 election if Trump gets rid of term limits, why a statue of former NBA star Dwayne Wade has sparked a flurry of memes, a look at why TikTok is entering its “info dump” era, and 13 Taylor Swift puzzles for those well-versed in the Swiftie fandom. 

After that, we’ve got a “One Good Thing” mini-column for you that warns against a scam anyone could fall for. 

See you tomorrow! 

— A.W. 

⚡ Today in Internet Culture

🤔 VIRAL POLITICS
‘Final boss of democracy’: TikTok memes dream of Trump abolishing term limits—and Obama coming back to wax him

Democrats on TikTok are fantasizing about the return of former President Barack Obama to the White House in 2028—despite the fact that he is barred from running again due to term limits.

➤ READ MORE

🏀 MEMES
Dwayne Wade’s statue is a layup for memes

A statue commemorating Dwayne Wade looks nothing like the NBA champion, and (of course) the internet responded by way of many, many memes.

➤ READ MORE

💬 TRENDS
TikTok enters its ‘info dump’ era

If Instagram is the home of photo dumps, then TikTok is the home of info dumps. This is where a person films their face for a few seconds before adding a monumental chunk of text over the page.

➤ READ MORE

🎤 POP CULTURE
13 fun Taylor Swift puzzles that will make you feel like a ‘mastermind’

So what puzzles are out there for those well-versed in the Swiftie standom? Here are 13 Taylor Swift puzzles that will never go out of style.

➤ READ MORE

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✨ One Good Thing ✨

We cover the “best and worst” of internet culture, but sometimes the “best” can get lost in the shuffle. We’ll focus on stories that highlight the “best” in a semi-regular section called “One Good Thing.” 

‘I do this very thing RELIGIOUSLY, when I fuel up’: Man shows how to check for credit card skimmers at the gas pump

A PSA about how to check for credit card skimmers at the gas pump is getting a ton of attention online.

The video has amassed over 591,400 views and was uploaded by TikToker FLM FLIGHT (@flm_flight). In the video, a man demonstrated what gas station customers should do to avoid falling victim to the scam.

“POV: You checking the card reader to make sure you don’t get scammed,” text overlaid on the clip read.

According to the FBI, criminals sometimes illegally install devices on ATMs, fuel pumps, or other point-of-sale terminals that capture the credit card information of any card inserted into the machine. The machine wirelessly sends the stolen data back to criminals, and the information is then used to illegally make credit card purchases.

The Bureau states that skimming scams result in over $1 billion in losses for consumers and banks every year.

In the comments section, many agreed that they take skimmer scams very seriously.

FIND OUT HOW TO SPOT THE SCAM

🕸️ Crawling the Web

Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.

🗳️ From our (fabulous) friends at Passionfruit: Here’s how content creators reacted to the 2024 election results. Sign up for their newsletter here. 

🎄 The Defrosting Has Begun is a satirical meme utilizing Mariah Carey‘s song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” paired with an image of the singer trapped inside a giant block of ice, used to humorously comment on the increasingly early onset of Christmas every year.

🐔 If you recently purchased a chicken-related product from Trader Joe’s, this article needs your full attention.

💻 A Best Buy worker’s head-scratching encounter with a customer who couldn’t tell a computer from a hard drive is hitting home with tech workers online.

⛽ This car expert is going viral after warning viewers about the dangers of driving with a near-empty tank of gas. 

⚰️ From the Daily Dot archive: How a cryptocurrency fortune crippled a deceased billionaire’s estate.

📝 Question of the Day

Everyone’s got opinions, and we want to know yours. Just click a button below to answer the question, and tomorrow we will let you know how fellow web crawlers like you answered. 

DO YOU LOOK FOR CREDIT CARD SKIMMERS WHILE MAKING PURCHASE?

To answer questions like this in the future, sign up for web_crawlr here.

🤳 Today’s Viral Video

Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen got trolled on TikTok, despite his frustrated pleas to stop during his livestream.