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Defector

Billy Haisley

Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius (second right) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mates during the UEFA Women's Champions League final at Estadio Jose Alvalade, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Soccer

Arsenal Met The Moment And Became Champions

David Roth

Blueberries are sold at a store in Annapolis, Maryland, on April 4, 2025. These are not the blueberries that Jon Heyman purchased for $15.99 in Manhattan.

This Is So Stupid

Defector Investigates: Is Jon Heyman Paying Too Much For Blueberries?

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Tom Scocca is the editor of <a href="http://indignity.net">Indignity</a>, a subscription-supported newsletter of news, essays, and commentary.</div>
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Tom Scocca

Donald Trump holds up a printed article from "American Thinker" while accusing South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa of state-sanctioned violence against white farmers in South Africa during a press availability in the Oval Office at the White House on May 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Margin Of Error

What Do You Do About A Declining President?

Dave McKenna

Kilkenny players return to the field before the Leinster Senior Camogie final match between Wexford and Kilkenny at Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow.

Hurling

Dumbass Irish Rule Forcing Female Athletes To Wear Skirts Finally Repealed

<p>Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.</p>


Nicholas Russell

Arts And Culture

‘Mission: Impossible’ Must Finally Reckon With Tom Cruise’s Ego


<p>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

Picture of Colossal’s Dire Wolves; Romulus and Remus at age three months. Born 10/1/2024

Creaturefector

Colossal Biosciences Can’t Have It Both Ways

Tom Ley

A dejected Brenton Doyle #9 of the Colorado Rockies sits on the ground after a go-ahead two run home run off the bat of Alec Bohm of the Philadelphia Phillies flew over his glove in the eighth inning at Coors Field on May 19, 2025 in Denver, Colorado.

Rockies Fans’ Best Hope Might Be More Losses

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


Dan McQuade

Jeffrey Lurie, in a suit and tie with Eagles players behind him, points to the sky with his mouth open in celebration after Super Bowl 59.

Substantial Speech Seemingly Saves Sport’s Shove

Ray Ratto

Florida Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice looks on during the Stanley Cup Playoffs 2nd Round game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers on Friday May 9, 2025.

Paul Maurice And The Panthers Do Not Care If You’re Having Fun

Kelsey McKinney

Luis Paez-Pumar

Lauren Theisen

Kathryn Xu

Singer/songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen performs at City Year Los Angeles Spring Break at Sony Studios on April 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California

Defector Music Club

Defector Music Club Really Really Really Really Really Really Likes Carly Rae Jepsen

Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates with teammates after scoring during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on May 22, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Pirates Avoid Historic Humiliation, Suffer Regular Kind Instead

Police officers are seen outside the Supreme Court of the United States is seen on Thursday May 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. The court is hearing arguments about lower courts' ability to block President Donald Trump's policy to end birthright citzenship.

Podcasts

Notes Of Sparkling Authoritarianism, With Jason Steinhauer

Tracy Morgan, Timothee Chalamet and Ben Stiller attend Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden on May 21, 2025 in New York City. 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.

Congratulations, You Are Officially Having A Better Day Than Several Celebrities

Tyler Seguin #91 of the Dallas Stars is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period in Game One of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 21, 2025.

Three Goals, Six Minutes, No Response

Robert Pastore

A protester waves a "Black Lives Matter" flag across the street during a demonstration at Elmira Correctional Facility

Politics

The Earned Time Act Would Bring Freedom To Those Who Need It

Son Heung-Min of Tottenham Hotspur lifts the Europa League trophy after winning the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain.

Tottenham Slogged Its Way To Glory

In a still from A Boy Named Charlie Brown, Snoopy dreams he is a World War I-era fighter pilot fighting against the Red Baron

Rockies: While Other Cartoons Are Zany, Snoopy Reminds Us Of The Horrors Of World War I

Dan Sinykin

Close Reading Is For Everyone

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


Chris Thompson

The Pacers celebrate Tyrese Haliburton's buzzer-beater.

What The Hell Is Going On Here?

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Pitcher Walker Buehler #0 of the Boston Red Sox shouts at home plate umpire Mike Estabrook after a pitch he thought was a strike was called a ball, as Carlos Narváez #75 holds him back during the second inning against the New York Mets at Fenway Park on May 20, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. Buehler was thrown out of the game by Estabrook.

Walker Buehler Gets Tossed Early, Posts Through It Late

<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

Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers during a game between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 29, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Packers Attempt To Get Tush Push Banned, Fail To Convert

Rich Hill #44 of the Boston Red Sox reacts during the seventh inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 29, 2024 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.

It’s Time To Start The “Rich Hill Is BACK” Countdown


<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

Chicago Sun Times newspapers are sold from of a dispenser near their editorial offices on May 15, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The box is yellow and people are walking around and in front of it.

Journalismism

Journalism’s Slop Crisis Started Long Before That AI-Generated Summer Insert

Israel Daramola

Defector At The Movies

Spike Lee’s Malcolm X Still Lives

<p>Jae Towle Vieira [they/them] works as a producer for Normal Gossip. Their fiction has been published in <i data-stringify-type="italic">The Normal School</i>, <i data-stringify-type="italic">New England Review, Carve Magazine, Passages North, Fairy Tale Review</i>, and elsewhere.</p>


Jae Towle Vieira

Normal Gossip logo with cartoon characters gossiping