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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

NYC: Come To Our WNBA Comedy Show On May 16

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Live Event

VictorPortraitWClaw

David Roth

Anthony Santander of the Toronto Blue Jays rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Angels.

Toronto Blue Jays v. Los Angeles Angels

Politics

A Dumb New Way To Think About The Dismantling Of The Federal Government

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Samer Kalaf

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Journalismism

The New York Times Really Asked Ms. Rachel If She’s Paid By Hamas

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Albert Burneko

The obnoxious Grok logo, on a phone screen, in a hand silhouetted against a neon green background.

Grok logo ugh so corny fuck off Elon

The Machines

Elon Musk’s Idiot Chatbot Goes Full Boer

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


Typing

Sabrina Imbler

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Interviews

An Interview With A Fired Contract Specialist At The Office Of Personnel Management

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Kelsey McKinney

John Fetterman

What Is My Senator Good For?

Donald Trump looking like a saggy orange bag of shit on his way onto Air Force 1 for a trip to the Middle East.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-DIPLOMACY

NYT Reporter: It’s Not Corruption Unless The Envelope Says “Bribe” On It

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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

New York City police arrested dozens of Pro-Palestinian protesters on Columbia University on Wednesday evening after they took over part of a central library in New York, USA on May 7, 2025.

Columbia Gaza protest arrests May 7

Margin Of Error

Teachable Moment

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Ray Ratto

Cardinal Robert Prevost, newly elected as Pope Leo XIV is seen on the Saint Peter's Basilica balcony, at Saint Peter's Square in Vatican on April 8, 2025.

Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected As Pope Leo XIV

Life's Rich Pageant

Well, They Made A Cubs Fan The Pope [UPDATE]

a photo of Chuck Sebian-Lander, a fired CFPB web manager. He is wearing a a shirt from my union, NTEU 335, and b) a lapel pin with the CFPB seal that he was given as part of a Director's award

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An Interview With A Fired Web Content Manager At The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

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


DFM New Headshot

Diana Moskovitz

U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) (L) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) (R) speak about an alleged screenshot from the Instagram of USA Fencing board director Damien Lehfeldt during the hearing on “Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports" held by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee at the U.S. Capitol on May 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. Green is holding a photo that makes it look like Lehfeldt is pointing at himself with his middle finger. Stansbury is holding up a larger capture of the same photo that shows him making a peace sign with the same hand.

House Oversight DOGE Subcommittee Holds Hearing On Protecting Women’s Sports

The DOGE Fencing Hearing Was Stupid And Pointless Even By Congressional Standards

display of flight board inside Newark airport

Newark Airport as travelers are facing eight straight days of massive delay

The Mess At Newark Airport Is Only The Beginning

A photo of fired EPA program analyst Amanda Cronin holding the text of Executive Order 14096

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An Interview With A Fired EPA Environmental Justice Program Analyst

a headshot for Charla Burnett, a fired science for development fellow at USAID

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An Interview With A Fired Science For Development Fellow At USAID

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Brandy Jensen

LouisTheroux

Arts And Culture

‘The Settlers’ Makes Louis Theroux Say What He Thinks

Donald Trump and Terry Moran in conversation in the extremely cluttered Oval Office during an ABC News interview.

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Talking To The President

Claire Sneed, a recently fired US Forest Service hydrologic technician

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An Interview With A Fired U.S. Forest Service Hydrologic Technician

A headshot of Madyson Miller, a fired NOAA program analyst, in a blue sweater and golden light

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An Interview With A Fired NOAA Program Analyst

A photo of Florida Gators basketball coach Todd Golden speaking to reporters at a press conference during the Final Four. Golden is sitting at a table with a nameplate.

Todd Golden Presser

College Basketball

Florida Built A Black Box And Put The Todd Golden Case Inside It

President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton attend the White House State Dinner for the President of Ukraine on November 22, 1994 in Washington, D.C.

bill and hillary clinton

The Era Of Meek Government Is Over

a photo of matt o'malley, a fired USDA agricultural engineer, smiling in front of mountains

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An Interview With A Fired USDA Agricultural Engineer

<p>Jake Romm is a New York City-based writer and the Associate Editor of Protean Magazine.</p>


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Jake Romm

October8

The Paranoid Fantasies Of ‘October 8’


<p>Visual Editor. Runs <a href="http://defectorstore.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defectorstore.com</a>. Philadelphia-based, if you couldn’t tell.</p>


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Dan McQuade

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 21: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a collectors card depicting the assassination attempt during the Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. The White House is expecting thousands of children and adults to participate in the annual tradition of rolling colored eggs down the White House lawn, a tradition started by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878.

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Trump Shows Kids Collectible Card With Photo Of Him Being Shot

a headshot of fired CDC health communications manager Sarah Boim

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An Interview With A Fired CDC Health Communications Manager

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


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Nicholas Russell

: A COVID face mask dangles from the rear-view mirror of a car

As the omicron variant’s stunning infectiousness¬†sends case counts soaring, some glass-half-full experts opine it may push us more swiftly from pandemic to endemic