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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.

Defector

<p>Libby Watson is a writer, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/libtron">streamer</a> and <a href="https://www.patreon.com/whatsallthisthen">podcaster</a>.</p>


Libby Watson

A single-story ranch house surrounded by a chain link fence. It is pleasant and well-groomed. There is a mailbox in the front of the photo.

Politics

The Home-Sized Hole In The Safety Net

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


Chris Thompson

Alaska Politician Tricks Himself Into Arguing There’s A Taxpayer Benefit To The Murder Of Children

Alex Pareene

View, looking up, at a bunch of balloons released above Christopher Street (between Hudson and Bleeker streets) during the annual New York City Pride March, New York, New York, June 24, 1979. (Photo by Suzanne Poli/Getty Images)

This Is So Stupid

Has Anyone Seen My Balloons?

Laura Wagner

Four tweets from Chargé 'Affaires Karen Decker (@USAmbKabul) As I reflected on his legacy this week, it occurs to me to ask -Who is Afghanistan's MLK? What Afghan person, driven by their faith and a desire for peace, can lead the Afghan people "to the mountaintop?" Are Afghans familiar with #BlackGir|Magic and the movement it inspired? Do Afghan girls need a similar movement? What about Afghan Women? Teach me, ready to learn. #BlackHistoryMonth®® @Beyonce @lizzo @ReginaKing Abe Lincoln born today in 1809. He did some stuff. It's also NAACP Day - home of grassroots activism, inclusive communities and making sure Black voices are heard. What does that look like for Afghans struggling to be heard? #BlackHistoryMonth • @NAACP @LincolnsCottage Super Bowl LVII. 2 elite QBs who happen to be Black made history in epic showdown. Congrats to @Chiefs for thrilling victory! Afghans - what's the most exciting sports match you remember? #BlackHistoryMonth°

Life's Rich Pageant

U.S. Ambassador To Afghanistan Celebrates Black History Month With Deranged Tweets

Lauren Theisen

Michigan State University students evacuate to a safe area

Michigan State Students Learned Who They Can Count On

David Roth

Pre-disgraced Rep. George Santos walking around near the House of Representatives making a silly face while media people say "what about your lies, sir."

The Man Who Invented Himself

Justin Ellis

In this photo illustration, pages are viewed from the government’s released version of the F.B.I. search warrant affidavit for former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on August 27, 2022 in California. The 32-page affidavit was heavily redacted for the protection of witnesses and law enforcement and to ensure the ‘integrity of the ongoing investigation’.

Enough With The Fucking Secret Memos Already

Israel Daramola

ATLANTA, USA - JANUARY 21: Firefighters work to extinguish a fire after an Atlanta police vehicle was set on fire during a "Stop cop city" protest in Atlanta, Georgia, United States on January 21, 2023. Multiple buildings were vandalized and an Atlanta police vehicle was set on fire as multiple arrests were made. (Photo by Benjamin Hendren/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Cop City Is A Step Toward Cop Nation

<div dir="auto"><a href="https://twitter.com/nkulw">Noah Kulwin</a> is a writer and co-host of the podcast <a href="https://blowback.show/">Blowback</a>. He lives in New Jersey.</div>


Noah Kulwin

A photo of Lee Harvey Oswald being taken away by officials. In the corner is the join or die cartoon with the words THE AMERICAN FRIEND on it

Decades Later, The JFK Assassination Still Keeps Some Secrets


<p>Luisa Rollenhagen is a German-Argentinian freelance journalist based in Berlin. She&#8217;s written for publications such as <em>The Guardian</em>, BuzzFeed News, Deutsche Welle, and <em>GQ</em>. </p>


Luisa Rollenhagen

dpatop - 07 December 2022, Hessen, Frankfurt/Main: In a raid against so-called "Reichsbürger" masked police officers, after searching a house Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss (2nd from right) lead to a police vehicle. The Federal Prosecutor's Office had several people from the so-called Reichsbürger scene arrested in the course of a raid on Wednesday morning. Numerous officers were deployed in several federal states, said a spokeswoman for the Karlsruhe authority . Photo: Boris Roessler/dpa (Photo by Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images)

The Prince And QAnon: How Germany’s Far Right Went From Conspiracy To Coup

Patrick Redford

UNITED STATES - JANUARY 5: Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., walks through the House chamber before the start of the 7th failed attempt to elect a speaker in the Capitol on Thursday, January 5, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

George Santos Claimed To Be A Volleyball Star At College He Never Attended

Media Meltdowns

Celebrated Public Intellectual Attempts Math, Falls Down Open Manhole

Do We Suspect, To Our Horror, That There May Well Be Some Frankenstein Coalition Created From This Impasse, An Abhorrent Manifestation Of House Rule That America Has Never Witnessed And The American People Have Never Authorized?


<p>Lam Thuy Vo is a journalist who marries data analysis with on-the-ground reporting to examine how systems and policies affect individuals. She is currently a <a href="https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/soros-justice-fellowships" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Soros Justice Fellow</a>, a <a href="https://www.typeinvestigations.org/blog/2021/06/14/announcing-the-2021-ida-b-wells-fellows/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Type Investigations Ida B. Wells Fellow</a>, and a <a href="https://www.journalism.cuny.edu/2021/03/lam-thuy-vo-named-to-new-role-to-strengthen-data-journalism-curriculum/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data-journalist-in-residence at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism</a>. Previously, she worked for BuzzFeed News, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera America and NPR&#8217;s Planet Money.</p>


Lam Thuy Vo

A copy of Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing at the Brooklyn Public Library. Access to Gyasi's book was recently restricted at a high school in Nixa, Missouri.

When Adults Banned Their Books, These Teens Fought Back By Organizing


<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

AL RAYYAN, QATAR - NOVEMBER 30: General view outside the stadium prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group D match between Tunisia and France at Education City Stadium on November 30, 2022 in Al Rayyan, Qatar. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

A World Cup Of Blood And Gold

“Major Announcement” From Donald Trump Turns Out To Be NFTs Of His Head Photoshopped Onto A Skinny Man In A Tuxedo

Elon Musk wearing his stupid Halloween costume.

The Eternal Mystery Of A Rich Man’s Politics

Brittney Griner in Russian court in Moscow, Russia on July 27, 2022.

WNBA

Brittney Griner Is Free

Hundreds of graduate students gather in Sproul Plaza

48,000 UC Workers Are On Strike Because You Can’t Eat Prestige

Matt Birk exiting porta potty looking upset

Matt Birk Eats Shit Then Compares Himself To Jesus

Aubrey Huff sells weird supplements on YouTube.

Aubrey Huff’s Chapped Buttcheeks Karate-Kicked Off In School Board Election

Kelsey McKinney

I Love That I Finally Have A Senator To Annoy


<p>Jay Willis is a writer who covers law and democracy. His work has appeared in GQ, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. He is the editor-in-chief at Balls &amp; Strikes, an outlet for progressive commentary on the legal system.</p>


Jay Willis

Supreme Court Justice and Philadelphia Phillies fan Samuel Alito seen at the July 2019 swearing-in of Mark Esper as Secretary of Defense.

Spare A Thought For Samuel Alito, America’s Worst Phillies Fan

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<div>Casey Taylor is a writer living and working in Pittsburgh. He is currently writing a book for St. Martin&#8217;s Press about cannabis religions, Haile Selassie I, and the Cold War in the Caribbean. He also writes a free newsletter called <a href="https://weedchurch.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://weedchurch.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1709306863919000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1mVH2xiID6S0zvlyj6yHco">Weed Church</a> covering foolish spiritual things that occur to him. His work has appeared in The New Republic, WIRED, New York Magazine, and a sports blog he can’t currently recall the name of. You can <a href="mailto:caseyt7@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">email</a> him if you’d like.</div>
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Casey Taylor

HUNTINGTON BEACH CA - FEBRUARY 4 : A SWAT team member enacts defense against school violence . SWAT teams from many Police forces throughout America and Canada participate in a realistic training exercises at various High Schools throughout America to help combat the rise in shooting and violence on Campus. April 19, 2001 Huntington Beach High School, Huntington Beach California (Photo By Paul Harris/Getty Images)

Dadfector

How To Train A Lamb For The Slaughter

A still image from the Citizens For Sanity ads that ran during the MLB Playoffs, this one juxtaposing Bernie Sanders and words accusing him of having a love affair with violent criminals.