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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

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Defector

The Defector Crewneck Sweatshirt Is Back In Stock

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Merch v3

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Kelsey McKinney

Starving Palestinians including women and children holding pots wait to receive food distributed by a charity organization as Israel continue to block humanitarian aid from reaching the Gaza Strip on August 10, 2025.

famine in gaza

Politics

The Free Press Reports Gaza’s Starving Children Have Pre-Existing Condition Of Being Bombed By Israel

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Patrick Redford

Screenshot 2025-08-18 at 9.13.48 AM

Michael Porter Jr. Is The Incredibly Dumb Man For An Incredibly Dumb Moment


<p>Corey Atad is a freelancer writer based in Toronto with an unhealthy Air Bud obsession.</p>


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Corey Atad

Zohran Mamdani smiling with a megaphone in the park

New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Campaigns In Brooklyn

Selling Zohran

<p>Tommy Craggs is an editor and writer, late of <i>Game Theory With Bomani Jones</i> on HBO, <i>Mother Jones</i> (no relation), HuffPost, Slate, Gawker Media, and Deadspin. He&#8217;s part of the Flaming Hydra cooperative of independent writers and artists. <a href="https://flaminghydra.com/#/portal/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://flaminghydra.com/%23/portal/signup&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1720555755229000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0dYzV3TRg8TTAptAnFcs6h">Subscribe to the newsletter here</a>.</p>


Tommy Craggs

An orchestra rehearsal, c

Mods Asleep

Are We Playing It All Wrong?

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Lauren Theisen

Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour"

Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour – Toronto, ON

Taylor Swift Turned Me Straight

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Brandy Jensen

Shakira Austin #0 of the Washington Mystics shoots the ball against Maria Kliundikova #77 of the Minnesota Lynx in the first quarter at Target Center on August 08, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Washington Mystics v Minnesota Lynx

WNBA

Why A Bunch Of Real Dicks Keep Throwing Fake Ones

<p>E.Y. Zhao is a writer and editor from St. Louis. Her debut novel, <a href="https://astrapublishinghouse.com/product/underspin-9781662603266/"><i>Underspin</i></a>, set in the world of competitive table tennis, is out now. She holds a BA in history from Harvard College and an MFA from the University of Michigan.</p>


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E.Y. Zhao

Felix Lebrun of France competes in the Men's Singles Semifinal match against Wang Chuqin of China on day 7 of the United States Smash 2025 World Table Tennis at the Orleans Arena on July 12, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

United States Smash 2025 World Table Tennis – Day 7

Table Tennis

Sweating Through The Existential Angst Of A Las Vegas Table Tennis Tournament

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David Roth

A screengrab of Alan Dershowitz on his Dershow podcast's mailbag segment. He is literally saying the words "Jeffrey Epstein" at this moment.

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Life's Rich Pageant

Are You Aware Of The Alan Dershowitz Martha’s Vineyard Pierogi Situation?

<p>Maggie Mertens is a freelance journalist in Seattle, and the author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/better-faster-farther-how-running-changed-everything-we-know-about-women-maggie-mertens/20674936?ean=9781643753355" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/p/books/better-faster-farther-how-running-changed-everything-we-know-about-women-maggie-mertens/20674936?ean%3D9781643753355&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1754022936515000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1qsnDemLKZppvFS2kpVCTH">BETTER FASTER FARTHER: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women</a>. She also sometimes writes and sends the newsletters <a href="https://maggiemertens.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://maggiemertens.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1754022936515000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0lAUeT18_qV95dy9jg9Sg0">My So-Called Feminist Life</a> and <a href="https://gilmorewomen.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://gilmorewomen.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1754022936515000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1hLBDLFWCAWpJsqvPzljRr">Gilmore Women</a>.</p>
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Maggie Mertens

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High School Sports

Minnesota Softball Has A Title IX Problem

<p>Eva Holland is a freelance writer and editor based in Whitehorse, Yukon. She&#8217;s a correspondent for Outside magazine and the author of the books <i>Nerve </i>and <i><a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/no-sleep-til-fairbanks#/">No Sleep &#8216;Til Fairbanks</a>.</i></p>


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Eva Holland

Kluane Up High

Science

Why Did National Geographic Disappear Its Own Documentary About A Queer Climate Scientist?

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


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Sabrina Imbler

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Creaturefector

Behold: A Surprisingly Beautiful Depiction Of Being Swallowed By A Toothy Penis Worm

<p>Former Defector intern, now freelancer.</p>
<p>For professional inquiries or tips please write lucybl00m@protonmail.com or yuck.20 on Signal.</p>
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Lucy Bloom

Aini Anderson (left) and Livi Pappadopoulos rolling for the top prize at the Midwest Open, in Madison, Wisconsin.

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Earth’s Best Logroller Has Created Her Own Greatest Rival


<p>Richard Staff is a <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardStaff" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weapons-grade Twitter goblin</a> and hostage of the Mets. That is his real name.</p>


Richard Staff

Marcus Walden of the Boston Red Sox throws during a summer camp workout before the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season on July 15, 2020 at Boston College in Boston, Massachusetts. The season was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Boston Red Sox Summer Camp Workout

The Secret Brotherhood Of The Phantom Ballplayers


<p>Hallie Lieberman is a historian and journalist. She’s the author of <em>Buzz: A Stimulating History of the Sex Toy</em>, and is currently working on a book on the history of gigolos. Her writing has appeared in <em>The New York Times</em>, <em>Washington Post</em>, Vice, and BuzzFeed News, among other publications.</p>


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Hallie Lieberman

President Donald Trump delivers remarks before signing the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order in the East Room at the White House on February 5, 2025 in Washington, DC. The executive order, which Trump signed on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, prohibits transgender women from competing in women’s sports and is the third order he has signed that targets transgender people.

President Trump Signs No Men In Women’s Sports Executive Order

How Trans Prisoners Are Dealing With The Trump Administration’s Attacks

2019-01-01 00:15:14.989

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever talks to the media during a press conference before the match-up against the Brazil National Team, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 4, 2025 in Iowa City, Iowa.

Brazil National Team v Indiana Fever

Christine Brennan’s Caitlin Clark Book Is More About Gripes Than Greatness

<p>Asher Elbein is <a href="https://www.asherelbein.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.asherelbein.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1712179533443000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2CJ0U-vHMdK0s6sOdzlGGF">a journalist and fiction writer</a> based in Austin, Texas. Among other places, his work has appeared in The New York Times, Scientific American, Undark Magazine, Audubon, and Texas Monthly.</p>


Asher Elbein

alligator

Why Do Fascists Dream Of Alligators?

<p>Alex Tey is a writer, photographer, and birdwatcher living in Queens, New York. Alex is short for Alexandra.</p>


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Alex Tey

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The Anti-Fascist Power Of Trans Women Wrestling In Nacho Cheese

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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 looks up at the new flag on the south lawn of the White House on July 06, 2025 in Washington, DC.

trump looking up

Margin Of Error

Totally Petty

<p>Raphael Orlove is a freelance writer and editor with a few events under his belt as a rally co-driver. You may have seen his work on Robb Report, Road &amp; Track, Jalopnik, or the briefly-aired Car vs America TV show if you have a very extensive cable subscription.</p>
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Raphael Orlove

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Racing

Meet The Crew Whose Job Is To Keep Rally Fans From Getting Themselves Killed

<p>Annie Howard is a journalist and historian based in Chicago. She is currently at work on her debut manuscript, <em>The City Made Me Trans</em><i>.</i></p>


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Annie Howard

Chloe Dzubilo Untitled Crossed the Street

Arts And Culture

Chloe Dzubilo And The Perilous Path Forward For Trans Life

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Samer Kalaf

New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY) (L) is joined by fellow mayoral candidate Brad Lander during an election night gathering

mamdani-lander-nyc

The Politics Of Fear Don’t Work Against A Candidate Who Isn’t Scared


<p>Investigations Editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99</p>


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Diana Moskovitz

A protester holds a backwards American flag outside of Dodger Stadium during a protest against the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and ICE immigration raids on June 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Dodgers/ICE Protests

The Dodgers Are Disappointing The People Who Want To Love Them The Most

<p>Joshua Needelman is a journalist based in New York City who has written for The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Washington Post, The Guardian and more. He has dabbled in yoga and meditation for more than a decade. He enjoys eating (and making) pizza, as well as rooting for the New York Knicks, whom he is available to coach next season.</p>


Joshua Needelman

Yoga Guru Sex Abuse

Yoga

What The Guru Left Behind

<p>Alex Shultz is a journalist based in Brooklyn.</p>


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Alex Shultz

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) speaks to press after voting on the nomination of Michael Duffey to be Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment on June 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. Senators returned to Capitol Hill on Monday after the Memorial Day Holiday recess.

Senators Return To Capitol Hill After Memorial Day Holiday Recess

Nobody Wants To Talk About John Fetterman And Buzz Bissinger’s Pricey Memoir Project

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Albert Burneko

AI-Powered Robot interacts with People during the Italian Tech Week 2024 at OGR Officine Grandi Riparazioni on September 26, 2024 in Turin, Italy.

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Capital

Toward A Theory Of Kevin Roose

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