Hello fellow web crawlers! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories today are about: Verizon customers who say the company sent them a bill for almost half a billion dollars, former Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R) captured on video just after hitting a cop car, a woman’s theory about new Starbucks drinks that is going viral, and another Cybertruck owner documenting issues with their vehicle.
After that we’ve got a “Meme History” column for you—and it’s a personal favorite meme of mine.
Also: If you didn’t take our weekly news quiz yesterday, you’ve still got time! Just open yesterday’s newsletter to answer the question. If you guess correctly, you might win our brand new “Take Me Out To The Blog Game” shirt!
See you next week!
— A.W.
🤑 WTF
Verizon customer says company is trying to bill him $439 million after he changed phone plan
Several former Verizon customers are calling out the company after alleging that it sent them a bill for almost half a billion dollars.
👮 POLITICS
‘I couldn’t believe my eyes’: Madison Cawthorn outed by Swiftie for crashing Mercedes into a Florida cop
Former Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn was captured on video just moments after reportedly crashing into a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser.
☕ VIRAL
‘That is an inside job. They are trying to take Starbucks down’: Woman speculates this is what’s going on with Starbucks’ new, weird concoctions
A woman went viral for her theory on Starbucks’ new drinks, the Oleato coffees and the Spicy Lemonade Refreshers. She thinks the employee responsible for such drinks is out to sabotage the company.
🚘 TECH
Cybertruck owner says touchscreen broke after going to a car wash
Two and a half months in and almost 3,400 miles down the road, a TikToker said that his Cybertruck crapped out after he took it to the beach.
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.
🔒 Surf the ‘net safely
Do you have questions about how to be safe online? If you do, you are in luck. Our “Your Password Sucks” column answers internet security questions from web crawlers like you.
If you ask a question by clicking here or the button below and our Tech Reporter Mikael picks it to be answered in a future column, we’ll send you this pretty sweet web_crawlr desk mat.
💰 From the dept of things that should cost more
💰 SPONSORED
Get 10% off your first order at TEMU
From gadgets to designer clothing, furniture to musical instruments, TEMU has pretty much everything, and they sell it for less than pretty much anywhere else. This week only, web_crawlr readers can get 10% off their first order via this link.
🤓 Meme History
By Kyle Calise
Video Producer
Meme History: Surprised Pikachu
Meme History is a weekly column that dives deep into internet lore to uncover the history of famous memes. It runs on Saturdays 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 Walmart shopper went viral on TikTok after revealing that she had to wait an hour to get nail polish after the store locked the goods behind glass.
🍗 Recently, Chick-fil-A announced that it would be changing its chicken. Customer response to this shift has been largely negative, and now some are speculating that other changes in the menu are being rolled out to disguise the transition to the new chicken.
🏡 An internet user has sparked discussion after claiming that she’s considering staying in her rented property after observing a spike in mortgage payments.
🍵 This Starbucks barista had a breakdown after learning that the chain will now be serving boba.
📦 A frustrated mailman wants people to just take their packages and “shut up” when he brings them a box.
🚗 Which car can best withstand the test of time? In a viral video, mechanics from a Toyota dealership in Massachusetts tried to answer that question, sparking a debate in the comment section.
💼 From the Daily Dot archive: For Gen Z, office culture is both nostalgic and glamorous (sometimes).
👋 Before you go
Twin Peaks is a popular sports bar known for its atmosphere, beer, and “Twin Peaks Girls.” A woman detailed her casting call-like interview experience of having to take four pictures wearing Twin Peaks’ uniform, and it’s more invasive than viewers realized.
While sitting in her car, TikTok user @66lgum revealed her bizarre interview experience with Twin Peaks.
“Tell me why I just applied to Twin Peaks,” she began. “I went for the interview and they made me take audition photos.”
During the interview, the content creator claimed she had to wear the uniform for the photos. “Four [expletive] photos: side profile, full body,” she said.
