Newsletter: ???? ???? Why does MAGA want to jail a grandma?
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Hello fellow web crawlers! Andrew here. Welcome to today's edition of web_crawlr.
Happy Saturday! I hope you've got some fun weekend plans.
Our top stories today are about: Why right-wingers are big mad over a video showing a woman helping her grandma to vote, the backlash to Elon Musk making a change to the block feature on X, an explainer on the "dark academia" TikTok subculture, and a viral video of a McDonald's worker offering free food after the entire night shift walked out.
After that, we've got a spooky version of "Meme History" for you.
Speaking of spooky: Did you take our weekly news quiz in yesterday's newsletter? If not, go do it! If you answer the question correctly, you might win a "Click or Treat" sweatshirt just in time for Halloween.
See you next week!
— A.W.
⚡ Today in Internet Culture
???? VIRAL POLITICS
A TikTok grandma went viral for voting for Harris—now X users want her arrested
A heartwarming video of a woman helping her grandma vote in the 2024 presidential election has transformed into a massive voter fraud conspiracy theory among right-wingers online.
???? TECH
Did Elon Musk change X’s block function just to see his ex-wife’s tweets?
A forthcoming change to the block feature on X is sparking furious backlash—and speculation that the change was rolled out solely so Elon Musk can see his ex-wife’s posts.
???? TRENDS
What is dark academia? Everything you need to know about this moody TikTok aesthetic
Anchored in nostalgia for classic collegiate and prep school culture, dark academia is a TikTok subculture that embraces scholarly pursuits with a gothic, somber flair.
???? LABOR
‘You strong because I would’ve left right along with them’: McDonald’s worker offers food for free after entire night shift walks out
In the fast-paced world of fast food, one wouldn’t expect a whole team to walk out mid-shift.
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By Kyle Calise
Video Producer
Meme History: Halloween Memes
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.
???? Video game prices have increased exponentially over the last couple of years, making it an expensive hobby. So this viral video showing how to get games at Best Buy for $10 is getting a ton of attention online.
???? A former Skechers employee went viral on TikTok for exposing their workplace. The lifestyle and athletic brand, they said, apparently asked associates to wear risqué new work uniforms.
⛽ This driver is warning others to avoid what she describes as “bad gasoline” that can impact performance.
???? Is the Great Value white bread loaf from Walmart even a good deal?
???? From the Daily Dot archive: Here’s how local governments are surveilling their workers.
???? Today's Viral Video
Here's Obama on who really built the economy Trump inherited.
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