Newsletter: Why does this hotel wall have holes?

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

Today’s top stories are about: a Philadelphia hotel with mysterious holes in the wall, an old Facebook post that appears to depict JD Vance having his first “official blackout,” 5 Goodwill scams amidst rising prices at the store, and a woman’s explanation for why she canceled Clear after only a few flights.

After that, Mikael’s got a useful ‘Your Password Sucks‘ column for you.

Until next time, 

— K.D. 

⚡ Today in Internet Culture

🏨 HOTEL NIGHTMARE
‘Something tells me there’s a secret entrance behind the mirror’: Woman issues warning against Philadelphia hotel after discovering mysterious holes in the wall

“So I just called down, and they’re like, ‘No, no, no, it’s a part of the rustic vibe,’” the TikToker explained. 

➤ READ MORE

😴 POLITICAL SLEUTHING
A Facebook photo of JD Vance passed out after his first ‘official blackout’ appears to be legit

“JD vance is definitely the first VP nominee to ever have photos of himself passed out on facebook. we millennials have arrived,” an X user quipped. 

➤ READ MORE

🛍️ CONSUMER COMPLAINTS
‘Please go return those’: 5 times Goodwill shoppers got scammed

Rising costs at the secondhand store have frustrated longtime customers. 

➤ READ MORE

✈️ TRAVEL TRIBULATIONS
‘This is a paid service’: Traveler shares why she’s canceling Clear membership after 3 trips

 “Clear is a JOKE!” a traveler wrote in the caption of her video. 

➤ READ MORE

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By Mikael Thalen
Staff Reporter

Elon Musk is using your X data to train his AI. Here’s how to stop it

Y0ur P@ssw0rd S*cks is a bi-weekly column that answers the most pressing internet security questions web_crawlr readers have to make sure they can navigate the ‘net safely. 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.

🌊 What should’ve been a fun day of water sports turned into a costly misadventure for one couple.

🍞 Viewers of this viral video are divided after a woman shared the real reason restaurants serve free bread or chips. 

🚢 A Celebrity Cruises customer took to social media to accuse the travel company of losing her luggage at sea and not even giving her a heads-up about the issue.

🍔 This Burger King customer in Miami was upset following an encounter with a manager who purportedly refused to take her order and was rude in response to her.

📺 What are the 10 best fake news outlets in TV history? 

🚗 A former employee of a luxury car dealership says she was recently let go because of the way she looks and dresses for work.

🦠 From the Daily Dot archive: Here are the viral marketing campaigns that helped shape the internet as we know it.

📝 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. 

IF YOU RAN FOR POLITICAL OFFICE, WOULD YOU HAVE TO WIPE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA HISTORY?

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🤳 Today’s Viral Video

Can Kamala make America laugh again?

🎶 Now Playing: “The Black Page” by Animosity 🎶