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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

<p><a href="https://tomwhyman.com/">Tom Whyman</a> is a British philosopher.</p>


Tom Whyman

Far-right activists hold an 'Enough is Enough' protest on August 02, 2024 in Sunderland, England

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Politics

U.K. Politicians Can’t Fix What They Broke

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Giri Nathan

A picture of US President Donald Trump is seen during a prayer ceremony by the activists of Hindu Sena, a right wing group, for Trump's victory in the US presidential elections in New Delhi on November 3, 2020.

INDIA-US-POLITICS-VOTE

Donald Trump Bumbles His Way Toward A More Perfect “Kamala”

Normal Gossip: portraits

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Republican vice presidential nominee U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) walks out with his wife Usha Vance to speak during a rally with running mate U.S. Republican Presidential nominee former President Donald Trump.

Former President Trump And VP Nominee Sen. JD Vance Hold Rally In St. Cloud, Minnesota

JD Vance, Who Loves His Wife Usha By The Way, Wants To Make Sure You Know He’s Not Racist

<p>Heather Chen is a former Defector intern and the sports editor at the <em>Columbia Daily Spectator</em>. She loves hockey, photography, and the good ol’ state of Michigan.</p>


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Heather Wei-Xi Chen

A surfer in a blue wetsuit carries a light blue surfboard with him as he walks into the ocean. He is holding a Palestinian flag in his right hand and wearing a keffiyeh around his head.

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The Great Outdoors

Surfers Show Solidarity At A Paddle-Out For Palestine

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Barry Petchesky

US Senator from Ohio and 2024 Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance (R) gives a thumbs up as he shakes hands with US former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024. Days after he survived an assassination attempt Donald Trump won formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and picked right-wing loyalist J.D. Vance for running mate, kicking off a triumphalist party convention in the wake of last weekend's failed assassination attempt. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)

TOPSHOT-US-REPUBLICAN-CONVENTION-PARTIES-ELECTION-POLITICS-VOTE

Look At These Fucking Weirdos

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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

A flyer with information about Project 2025's plan to expand oil drilling inside the United States, stapled to a pole on a city street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

2024 Republican National Convention

Margin Of Error

Who Wants To Talk About The Issues

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Albert Burneko

The New York Times building is seen on September 6, 2018 in New York. - A furious Donald Trump called September 5, 2018 for the unmasking of an anonymous senior official who wrote in the New York Times that top members of his administration were undermining the president to curb his "misguided impulses." Trump asked if the unsigned op-ed could be considered treasonous, assailed the newspaper for the "gutless" piece and questioned whether the senior official it was attributed to actually existed. "TREASON?" Trump posted in response to the article entitled "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration," which claimed the president's own staff see him as a danger to the nation."Does the so-called 'Senior Administration Official' really exist, or is (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

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Journalismism

Why Did The New York Times Delete A Notorious Fraudster’s Election Take?

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Kelsey McKinney

Republican Vice Presidential nominee U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) campaigns at the first public rally.

Donald Trump And J.D. Vance Hold First Joint Campaign Rally After The RNC

A List Of Words That Do NOT Appear In ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ So Stop Asking!!

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David Roth

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) exits Manhattan federal court on July 16, 2024 in New York City. Menendez and his wife Nadine are accused of taking bribes of gold bars, a luxury car, and cash in exchange for using Menendez's position to help the government of Egypt.

Sen. Bob Menendez Found Guilty in Corruption Trial

Robert Menendez Is Built Different

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


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Alex Shultz

An illustration of a guy opening his coat to display items for sale

eBay

59 Blu-Rays, A Nazi Trinket, And Everything Else I Found In A Right-Wing Senate Candidate’s Robust eBay Store

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


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Nicholas Russell

Chief Technology Officer of X Elon Musk speaks onstage during the "Exploring the New Frontiers of Innovation: Mark Read in Conversation with Elon Musk" session at the Lumiere Theatre during the Cannes Lions International Festival Of Creativity 2024 - Day Three on June 19, 2024 in Cannes, France.

Cannes Lions International Festival Of Creativity 2024 – Day Three

Elon Musk Keeps Digging In

<p><a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="http://demause.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;http://demause.net/&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]"><em>Neil deMause</em></a><em> has covered sports economics for more publications than even he can shake a stick at. He’s co-author of the book </em><a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="https://www.amazon.com/Field-Schemes-Stadium-Swindle-Private/dp/1567511384?ascsubtag=c9dca64cfbbd6c35085d286f4423ee39b8350b2f&amp;rawdata=%5Br%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F%5Bks%7Cgoogle%5Bt%7Clink%5Bp%7C1800657108%5Ba%7C1567511384%5Bau%7C5722120546910826704%5Bb%7Cdeadspinascsubtag%3D4eba2da0f6cc83fe1f221e8d8ca5894cd93bf2a7ascsubtag%3D33f4f2a16c1eda72859c34ee8aa577410b04a0d8&amp;tag=deadspinamzn-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-ga="[[&quot;Commerce&quot;,&quot;deadspin - Baseball Doesn't Need Collusion To Turn Off The Hot Stove&quot;,&quot;1567511384&quot;]]" data-amazonasin="1567511384" data-amazontag="deadspinamzn-20" data-amazonsubtag="[r|https://www.google.com/[ks|google[t|link[p|1831644811[a|1567511384[au|5722120546910826704[b|deadspin[lt|text" data-commerceready="true">Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money Into Private Profit</a><em>, and runs </em><a class="sc-1out364-0 hMndXN sc-145m8ut-0 kGbjEv js_link" href="http://fieldofschemes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;http://fieldofschemes.com/&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]"><em>the website of the same name</em></a><em>.</em></p>


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Neil deMause

A rendering of the future Willets Point soccer stadium.

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Capital

How NYC Gave Hundreds Of Millions To The Yankees And An Oil Baron Sheikh For The Willets Point Soccer Stadium—No Questions Asked

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Tom Ley

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 15: U.S. President Joe Biden departs the White House on July 15, 2024 in Washington, DC. Biden is traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada to deliver remarks at the NAACP National Convention and the UnidosUS Annual Conference.

President Biden Departs The White House For Las Vegas

It’s Joever!

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 16: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on July 16, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Biden returned to the campaign trail, delivering remarks at the NAACP convention today, and will tomorrow to the UnidosUS Annual Conference during a visit to the battleground state of Nevada.

President Biden Addresses NAACP Convention In Las Vegas

BidenWatch: We’re In The Take Zone [Update]

Republican Vice Presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) attends the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee.

2024 Republican National Convention: Day 1

Wings Week

Donald Trump Selects His Wingman

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Samer Kalaf

Delta Airlines planes sit parked at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

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Who’s Afraid Of A Palestinian Flag Pin?

US President Joe Biden speaks as he hosts a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (out of frame) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 10, 2024.

joe-biden

What’s The Story With Joe Biden?

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Ray Ratto

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrives at a charity polo game at the Ikoyi Polo Club in Lagos on May 12, 2024 as he and Britain's Meghan (unseen), Duchess of Sussex, visit Nigeria as part of celebrations of Invictus Games anniversary. (Photo by Kola Sulaimon / AFP)

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Arts And Culture

Don’t Look Now, But The British Tabloids Have Discovered The ESPY Awards

New Yorkers watch the 2024 Presidential Debate between Trump and Biden in New York City, United States on June 27, 2024.

2024 Presidential Debate Watch Party in New York

Without Fact-Checking, A Presidential Debate Is Just TV

Donald Trump and Joe Biden, looking like a couple of brain-ruined old mummies during their presidential debate.

prezdebate

Debate Losers

Justice Samuel Alito and his wife Martha-Ann stand during a private ceremony for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on September 23, 2020

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Two Bad Neighbors

19th October 1964: A robot designed by Claus Scholz of Vienna answers the phone, unfortunately he can't speak.

Answerphone

Garbage In, Garbage Out

A photo of the west side of the South Lawn in front of Columbia University's Butler Library at the Morningside campus. This picture, taken right before sunset, depicts an encampment set up by protestors on a lawn with turf and a big event tent. Students are scattered throughout, and there are multiple banners and signs depicting pro-Palestine statements.

heatherchen_encampment

Why Did I Sleep On The Turf?

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Patrick Redford

Members of the Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) held a parade through Chinatown to protest against the Communist Party of China in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on August 19, 2023. The Communist Party of China has allegedly tried to wipe out Falun Gong with torture and violence because of their beliefs. Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline that brings together meditation, energy exercises and moral teachings as a means to cultivating the mind and body towards enlightenment. (Photo by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto)

Members Of The Falun Gong Protest Against The Communist Party Of China

Media Meltdowns

Feds Accuse America’s Weirdest Media Company Of Being A Money-Laundering Front For The Falun Gong

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26, 2024 in Concord, North Carolina. He is wearing a make American Great Again hat.