Newsletter: Unbelievable hotel room discovery

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

Today’s top stories are about: breaking news about a ‘furry’ hacker breaching Scholastic, a woman who found something strange growing in her hotel room, Mel Gibson appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast while his house burned down, and an expert tip about warming up you car in the winter. 

After that, Mikael has a “Your Password Sucks” column for you.

Until next time, 

— K.D.

Today in Internet Culture

HACKERS
EXCLUSIVE: Scholastic, education giant and ‘Harry Potter’ publisher, breached by ‘furry’ hacker

The data includes a mix of names, email addresses, phone numbers, and home addresses.

➤ READ MORE

HOTEL NIGHTMARE
‘This is what I find’: Hotel guest checks into room. Then she opens the window shades

“In 18 years in the hotel industry, I’ve never witnessed this before,” one commenter wrote. 

➤ READ MORE

CONSPIRACY THEORIES
Mel Gibson’s Malibu home burned down while he promoted ivermectin on Joe Rogan

He said the drug cured three of his friends’ cancers.

➤ READ MORE

THE MORE YOU KNOW
Expert shares the right way to warm up modern cars. It’s not how you think

A TikToker debunked a common myth about warming up your car in the winter. 

➤ READ MORE

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By Mikael Thalen
Staff Reporter

Your cell phone location data is in the hands of data brokers and now hackers. Here’s how to limit your exposure

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.

An expert revealed how you can keep your windshield clean during lovebug season. 

A woman was shocked and upset when she ordered a Dairy Queen Blizzard but the worker didn’t turn it upside down. 

A Home Depot worker claimed her position is the “easiest job ever,“ but not everyone agrees. 

A woman on TikTok discovered her insurance charged her for routine questions at the doctor’s office. 

Here’s a deep dive into the “Dog Closing His Eyes Halfway” meme that’s blowing up on TikTok. 

From the Daily Dot archive: From sponsorships to merch, college athletes can now use their personal brands to monetize the internet.

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 HAVE EXTRA SECURITY MEASURES IN PLACE ON YOUR PHONE? 

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

Today’s Viral Video

Step aside, humans—fur-st class is for VIPaws only.

Now Playing: “Impulse” by Oltrezona