Newsletter: 🤌 Alleged UHC shooter sparks Italian meme frenzy

Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.

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

Our top stories today are about: The meme frenzy that erupted online after the United Healthcare CEO’s alleged shooter’s name was made public, more drama (and jokes) regarding the Hawk Tuah girl’s cryptocurrency, 12 DIY Christmas decoration ideas inspired by pop culture, and a Whataburger customer reminding you that you should always check your receipt. 

After that, our Assistant Newsletter Editor Kira has a “Decoding Fandom” column for you. 

“Anyhoo” see you tomorrow! (Scroll down below to get the reference). 

— A.W. 

⚡ Today in Internet Culture

🤌 MEMES
The internet can’t handle the United Healthcare CEO’s alleged shooter being Italian

Given his Italian-sounding name, memes have exploded across social media. Memes included the Nintendo character Luigi and scenes from The Sopranos. 

➤READ MORE

😴 ‘ANYHOO I’M GOING TO GO TO BED’
‘Hawk Tuah Girl’ Haliey Welch abrupty left a crypto Q&A to “go to bed,” and a new catchphrase was born

Hawk Tuah Girl’s scandal plot thickened when she bowed out of an X Spaces session held by YouTuber Voidzilla as she was being questioned over the details of her cryptocurrency.

➤READ MORE

🎄 POP CULTURE
12 creative Christmas decoration ideas inspired by the best of pop culture

Whether you’re a diehard Swiftie or a Nancy Meyers rom-com aficionado, read ahead for fun and festive DIY project ideas inspired by your favorite fandom.

➤READ MORE

🍔 WTF
‘They clearly were trying to cover it up’: Whataburger customer thinks her order total is suspicious. Then she asks for a receipt

Buyer beware: You should always check your receipt or risk getting overcharged, says this Whataburger customer.

➤READ MORE

We crawl the web so you don’t have to. Sign up to receive web_crawlr, a daily newsletter from the Daily Dot, in your inbox each day.

Do you want to know more about what happens behind-the-scenes? Do you want to know where our writers find stories? Do you have any questions about the Daily Dot you want answered? Well, now is your chance to ask them! 

The Daily Dot’s Executive Editor Whitney Jefferson will answer questions from web_crawlr readers like you in an upcoming newsletter. 

If we pick your question to get answered, we’ll send you a web_crawlr mug!

To enter to win a mug, sign up for web_crawlr here.

By Kira Deshler
Assistant Newsletter Editor

Upcoming ‘Harry Potter’ series sparks backlash from all sides

In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Wednesdays our Assistant Newsletter Editor Kira Deshler dives deep into the world of fan culture in her “Decoding Fandom” 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 your inbox.

🕸️ Crawling the Web

Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.

🌮 A woman claiming to be a former Taco Bell employee recently went viral on TikTok after issuing a stark warning about eating at the popular fast-food chain.

📱 There’s no getting around it. Everyone has to pick a phone company, and for many, it feels like choosing between a rock and a hard place—confusing contracts, high prices, and spotty service.

👖 “Fake pockets” might not be as fake as you think. That’s according to one popular TikToker.

🛒 An Aldi customer was left frustrated and seeking a change in policy after she says the store charged her for groceries but refused to let her leave with them.

📝 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. 

WILL YOU DIY ANY CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS THIS YEAR? 

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

🤳 Today’s Viral Video

Has Drew Barrymore found her touchy kindred spirit in Cynthia Erivo?