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Defector

Tom Ley

FBI and Border Patrol officers arrest Sean Charles Dunn, after he allegedly assaulted law enforcement with a sandwich, along the U Street corridor during a federal law enforcement deployment to the nation's capital on August 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an increased presence of federal law enforcement to Washington, DC in an effort to curb crime.

Life's Rich Pageant

If The Sub Didn’t Split, You Must Acquit


<p>Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99</p>


Diana Moskovitz

Marshawn Kneeland #94 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on from the sideline during the national anthem prior to an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. He is wearing his Cowboys jersey and his helmet is off.

Cowboys Defensive End Marshawn Kneeland Dies By Suicide At Age 24

Patrick Redford

No! Don't even think about setting a screen

Podcasts

A Deep Dive Into The Architect Of The Miami Heat’s Weird New Offense, With Rohan Nadkarni

<p>Columnist. Author of many <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drew-Magary/e/B001JS8R52/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1">fine works of literature</a>, including <em>Point B</em>. Handsomest man in the world.</p>


Drew Magary

Kareem Hunt #29 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs with the ball against Cole Bishop #24 of the Buffalo Bills during the game at Highmark Stadium on November 2, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York.

Jamboroo

And Now, Rude Midseason Notes For Every NFL Team

Luis Paez-Pumar

Carlos Forbs of Club Brugge celebrates after scoring the team's first goal against Wojciech Szczesny of FC Barcelona and Alejandro Balde of FC Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between Club Brugge KV and FC Barcelona at Jan Breydelstadion on November 5, 2025 in Bruges, Belgium.

Soccer

Barcelona Is Falling Into Its Own Offside Trap

<p>Staff Writer</p>
<p>Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19</p>


Chris Thompson

Gambling

ESPN Will Not Let Failure Push It Out Of The Gambling Business

Dave McKenna

Arts And Culture

Don’t Watch ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere’ Unless You Want To Cry About Your Dad

Israel Daramola

Music

The Zohran Mamdani Mayoral Rap Playlist

<p><a href="https://josh-levin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://josh-levin.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762023504534000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2tqysV4T7Gh0gV7M0_bz7p">Josh Levin</a> is the creator and host of the sports history podcast “<a href="http://www.replaybooth.show/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.replaybooth.show&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762023504534000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1-rpGWGr1dKP0HBTa_zohZ">Replay Booth</a>.” He’s also the author of <em><a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/josh-levin/the-queen/9780316513272//?lens=little-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/josh-levin/the-queen/9780316513272//?lens%3Dlittle-brown&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762023504534000&amp;usg=AOvVaw357vGVOyJU7dDVIkjqFQxu">The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth</a></em>, the creator of the podcast “<a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/one-year/s6/1990" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://slate.com/podcasts/one-year/s6/1990&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762023504534000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1LJrco6Xq1YK3vAueOtmRC">One Year</a>,” the host of two seasons of “Slow Burn” (on <a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s4/david-duke" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s4/david-duke&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762023504534000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PiV8w71WaqaTvzDwNTrOS">David Duke</a> and <a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s10/rise-of-fox-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s10/rise-of-fox-news&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762023504534000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3LTehX3p4ZiFY9vhna8azk">Fox News</a>), and the former cohost of “Hang Up and Listen.”</p>


Josh Levin

Illustration of Mr. Met wearing a deerstalker cap investigating some buttons reading "Huckle."

Stories

Wilbur Huckle For President: Solving A 61-Year-Old Mets Mystery

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<div>Abigail Segel is a contributing writer at Defector. She is also an editor for The IX Soccer and the Equalizer. Her work has been published in the Guardian and the Montreal Gazette.</div>
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Abigail Segel

Chicago Stars FC fans chant Trans Rights are Human Rights while holding up a Transgender flag behind Alyssa Naeher #1 of Chicago Stars FC during the first half during a game between San Diego Wave FC and Chicago Stars FC at Seatgeek Stadium on April 26, 2025, in Bridgeview, Illinois.

The Anti-Trans Grifters Are Coming For The NWSL

Kelsey McKinney

Paul's finished framboisier, looking gorgeous.

Food

The Not-So-Great Defector Bake Off Gives Hell To Pâtisserie Week

<p>Cat Fitzpatrick is the Editrix at <a href="http://www.littlepuss.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.littlepuss.net&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762370146099000&amp;usg=AOvVaw32JizYx318M3PPu4pk8ywT">LittlePuss Press</a> and teaches at Rutgers University—Newark. Her novel-in-rhyme<i> <a href="https://www.sevenstories.com/books/4458-the-call-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.sevenstories.com/books/4458-the-call-out&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762370146099000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0x1xQpV0dOeP9rAfMJufQ_">The Call-Out</a> </i>won the 2023 Lambda Literary Award in Transgender Fiction. Her next book <i>The Dinner Party: A Book About Love</i> is due out in May 2026 and you can pre-order it <a href="https://www.sevenstories.com/books/4817-the-dinner-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.sevenstories.com/books/4817-the-dinner-party&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762370146099000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2GA0SB3SAFIWLj_EdeVhey">here</a>.</p>


Cat Fitzpatrick

Unearthing The Hidden History Of A Singular Trans Punk Zine

New York Mayor Eric Adams sits with Independent candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo after Cuomo participated in the second debate for the upcoming mayoral election on Wednesday evening during the game between the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on October 22, 2025 in New York City.

Politics

Defeat Isn’t Enough For Andrew Cuomo And His Pack Of Lunatics

Barry Petchesky

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 26: Tom Brady looks on from the field during warmups prior to an NFL football game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 26, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

Animals

Tom Brady Cloned His Dead Dog As A Brand Activation

Tech leaders, including Sam Altman (C), CEO of OpenAI, and Tim Cook (2nd L), CEO of Apple, attend a dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump with tech leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 4, 2025. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

Capital

An Evening With Sam Altman And Steve Kerr

Kathryn Xu

A genreal view of the ball as Filip Misolic of Austria serves against Camilo Ugo Carabelli of Argentina (not picture) in their first round match during day four of the Erste Bank Open 2025 at Wiener Stadthalle on October 21, 2025 in Vienna, Austria.

Tennis

Tennis Deserves Better Than These Worthless Metrics

Giri Nathan

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 03: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies reacts during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at FedExForum on November 03, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Ja Morant’s Melodrama Tips Into Tedium


<p>Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.</p>


Dan McQuade

Hawaii Pacific celebrates in a game screenshot

College Basketball

Boise State Lost Its Gimme Game

A man is seen using the OpenAI ChatGPT artificial intelligence chat website in this illustration photo on 18 July, 2023.

Funbag

Am I A Shitty Person For Using AI At Work?

US Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann speaks to the press in the run-up to the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk Aan Zee, on January 11, 2024. Niemann was previously accused of cheating by former world champion Norway's Magnus Carlsen, but the two have now ended their feud. (Photo by Olaf KRAAK / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT

Why Did The Magnus Vs. Hans Cheating Scandal Shake The Chess World So Much?

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<p>Robert Rubsam writes fiction and nonfiction. His work has appeared in the NYT Magazine, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Baffler, and Liberties. He is a contributing writer for Commonweal Magazine.</p>
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Robert Rubsam

Kelly Reichardt’s Labors Of Love

Aaron Timms

Javier Tebas, President of LaLiga, during the conference about 'Present and Future of the Football Industry' by ISDE Sports Convention at ISDE Madrid on March 27, 2025, in Madrid, Spain.

In The Fight For Soccer’s Soul, Europe Wins A Battle But Is Still Losing The War

Albert Burneko

Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, father of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), listens to daughter's remarks during a primary night event August 16, 2022 in Jackson, Wyoming.

Dick Cheney Departs The World He Made

David Roth

Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers turns a game-ending double play to beat the Toronto Blue Jays in Game Seven of the 2025 World Series.

The Dodgers Never Had It Made

Zion Williamson and Jeremiah Fears of the New Orleans Pelicans