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

Our top stories today are about: The star witness in the Trump hush money trial doing livestreams on TikTok, a teacher tracking her stolen car with her phone because the police weren’t helping in a timely manner, a look at eight unexpected and inspirational coming-of-age films, and an influencer going viral for sharing how an afterparty that split up guests was giving off “Black Mirror vibes.”

After that, our Senior Politics and Technology Editor David has a “Deplatformed” column for you. 

See you tomorrow! 

— A.W. 

⚡ Today’s top stories

🤳 POLITICS
‘Smash the likes’: Michael Cohen vows to continue using TikTok live to discuss Trump trial despite interference concerns

Michael Cohen has been going live on TikTok to discuss Trump’s trial, chat with Trump impersonators, and accept donations from viewers. Despite concerns he might interfere with the trial, he has vowed to continue using TikTok. 

➤READ MORE

🚗 WTF
‘Began my morning in a police chase’: Teacher tracks stolen Kia from her phone after police can’t help

A woman has gone viral after detailing how she tracked down her stolen car after the police did not help in a timely manner. 

➤READ MORE

📺 STREAMING
8 unexpected and inspirational coming-of-age films

From Napoleon Dynamite to Boyz N The Hood, there’s something on this list for everyone.

➤READ MORE

👀 VIRAL
‘Black Mirror vibes’: Exclusive after-party splits up those with 1 million-plus followers and those below 1 million

An influencer went viral on TikTok after sharing why she left a Stagecoach afterparty hosted by Revolve, a high-end online retailer known for its selection of boutique brands. The incident has jump-started a viral firestorm.

➤READ MORE

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🚉 Deplatformed

By David Covucci
Politics & Technology Editor

Deplatformed: Is everyone on far-right sites a fed? 

Deplatformed is a weekly column that looks into the nether reaches of the internet—outside the big few that everyone already covers—to tell you the political discourse online. It runs on Thursdays in the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter. If you want to get this column a day before we publish it, subscribe to web_crawlr, where you’ll get the daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.

🕸️ Crawling the web

Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.

🍴 A mystery shopper for Outback Steakhouse says she went in for lunch one day and her request to sit at a table as a single-person party was met with derision and dismissal.

🍔 This McDonald’s expert explained in a viral video why you might not want to get hooked on its app.

📷 Most folks aren’t happy with their passport photos—it’s a gripe that can usually be attributed to poor lighting setups and the “let’s just get this over with” nature of the often unflattering results of an ID picture.

🏡 An Airbnb customer posted a viral TikTok warning against the company after her weeklong stay in Houston that included a nightmare experience.

🥤 Sonic has always had workers deliver customers’ food on skates, but viewers of this viral video are beginning to question Sonic skates after a worker spilled an order on a customer’s car.

🥚 In the United States, it’s often the small differences in everyday life that surprise foreign visitors. But one thing has particularly astonished German tourists: Peeled boiled eggs, readily available in supermarkets.

🔊 From the Daily Dot archive: Distorted TikTok sounds hurt marginalized creators—and AI is making it worse.

📝 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. 

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👋 Before you go

A woman on TikTok revealed that she recently bought a house, but also says that the decision ruined her financially.

Sam Barker (@samantha.barker8) shared the details of how the many hidden costs of buying a house left her in dire financial straits.

“So buying a house has ruined me financially,” Barker says, while filming from her car. “And for the sake of transparency and accountability, I’m gonna share what those numbers look like.”