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MAGA influencer cope is now Congressional strategy

When it comes to defending Donald Trump from the worst accusations, the MAGA influencer-industrial complex, whether out of loyalty or self-preservation, often defaults to whataboutism, arguing that the Democrats are just as guilty as Trump, or (ideally) worse. This principle has held true with the current Jeffrey Epstein saga, and as their audience’s anger against…

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Itch.io follows Steam in removing adult games

The indie-focused open gaming marketplace Itch.io has abruptly deindexed adult content from its browse and search pages, warning that some games will be permanently removed from the platform. In a blog post on Thursday, Itch.io creator Leaf Corcoran said that the update was due to concerns that the website’s payment processors had “about the nature…

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How dupes turned online shopping upside down

Cassey Ho was getting her roots dyed when she started receiving hundreds of ecstatic messages. In a video clip promoting her song “Fortnight,” Taylor Swift was shown wearing the Pirouette Skort, a flouncy, tutu-style skirt with built-in shorts underneath, that Ho had designed for her athleisure brand Popflex. She knew immediately this exposure — one…

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The frenzied, gamified chase for Labubus

On Thursday night, I toggled endlessly between a TikTok Live stream and a shopping app in anticipation of 9:30PM. For 30 minutes, I hunted for an available listing; many expletives were uttered. I exhibited bot behavior and got iced out of the app multiple times. I tapped so many times my thumbs got sore. This…

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The Verge’s summer ‘in’ and ‘out’ list

Here at this website, my colleagues and I follow our beats closely, from wearable tech and laptops to influencer culture and federal policy. Last year, I asked a bunch of staff at The Verge to pretend to be trend forecasters for a lighthearted collection of what’s hot and what’s not. Some of the predictions really…

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Kamal Haasan’s films will be banned in Karnataka if he does not apologise: Kannada and Culture Minister

Actor Kamal Haasan. | Photo Credit: PTI Kannada and Culture Minister of Karnataka, Shivaraj Tangadagi, said on Friday that actor Kamal Haasan’s films will be “banned” in the state, as decided by the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), if he does not apologise for his remarks about the Kannada language. Meanwhile, KFCC president M…

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