Newsletter: 🍰 ‘Cake bandit’ opossum is an internet icon

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

Today’s top stories are about: why the internet is obsessed with a very hungry opossum, a federal employee who begged Trump for her job back, more tipping discourse centered on Starbucks baristas, and why a mom’s TikTok video about her child’s school divided viewers.

After that, Mikael has a “Your Password Sucks” column about how to keep scammers from stealing your data. 

Until next time,

— K.D.

⚡ Today in Internet Culture

🍰 #RELATABLE
‘Same girl, same’: Internet rallies around ‘cake bandit’ opossum who overdosed on a Costco chocolate cake

He’s an icon, he’s a legend, and he IS the moment.

➤ READ MORE

😏 DRINKING HATERADE
‘I voted for you, sir, three times’: Fired federal employee begs Trump for her job back—but people aren’t sympathetic

“Vote better next time” was the response from leftists. 

➤ READ MORE

☕ TIPPING DISCOURSE
‘100% tip is WILD’: Woman goes through Starbucks drive-thru. Then she gets a notification from Wells Fargo

“Why was I charged $10.25 for my $5.25 coffee?” A Starbucks customer wondered. 

➤ READ MORE

🧑‍🏫 PARENTING ONLINE
‘Why did you have to film?’ : Mom visits her daughter’s class after the teacher calls twice. Then she posts the video on TikTok

Is it ever okay to post your kid on TikTok?

➤ READ MORE

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By Mikael Thalen
Staff Reporter

X seems to get less secure everyday. Here’s how to lock down your account

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.

🚙 A young woman claims a TikTok saved her and her family’s lives. Amy Jo was driving on the highway. All of a sudden, Amy Jo’s brakes wouldn’t work. She explains what she did to get her car to safety after recalling the PSA she watched on TikTok years prior.

🍝 Making homemade recipes can be fun, or lead to a horrifying discovery about one of your favorite foods.

👁️ Thinking about getting LASIK? Perhaps you want to hear about these patients’ experiences first. People online are torn between whether LASIK is worth the risk or not.

🚘 An auto detail enthusiast took a strong stance on popular car cleaning products.

🧺 It’s that time of the year when the pipes in your home can freeze, depending on where you live. An expert warns homeowners this can also happen to your washing machine valves if you don’t check and twist them often.

👥 From the Daily Dot archive: Here’s why online anonymity is a thing of the past.

📝 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 RELATE TO THE CAKE-EATING OPOSSUM?

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

🎶 Now Playing: “THIS IS HOW THEY TELL ME THE WORLD ENDS” by Nicole Perlroth 🎶