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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

Sarah Brouillette

Man uses vintage typewriter

Arts And Culture

The Plight Of The White Male Novelist

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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

Masked federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building on June 18, 2025 in New York City. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), NYC Comptroller and Mayoral Candidate Brad Lander and Council Member Alexa Avilés visited immigration courts to watch proceedings a day after NYC Comptroller and Mayoral Candidate Brad Lander was arrested by federal agents while accompanying a person out of a courtroom as people continue to be detained following immigration court hearings.

masked federal agents

Margin Of Error

No Time For Theatrics

<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

Politics

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

<p>Joe Flynn is a writer based in the D.C. area.</p>


Joe Flynn

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks. He looks like a photographic negative and is grimacing. Skin the color of a hot dog.

Agriculture Secretary Rollins Holds Make America Healthy Again Event With HHS Secretary Kennedy

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Will Not Let My Daughter Be

<p>The author can be reached at postpostdoc@protonmail.com.</p>


Post-Postdoc

This photo taken on January 4, 2022 shows a vehicle with Luminar LiDAR based Proactive Safety pre-collision braking crash avoidance technology (R) stopping to avoid a child-sized test dummy as it is demonstrated on a test track, while a Tesla Model Y collides with the test dummy (L) at the Las Vegas Convention Center ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. - As it pursues the goal of fully autonomous driving, Tesla has bet entirely on cameras and artificial intelligence, shunning other commonly used tools such as laser detection.

US-AUTOMOBILE-IT-TESLA

The Machines

When An AI Agent Tries To Kill You, Who Goes To Jail?

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Soraya Roberts

Dept_q

Stick With ‘Dept. Q’

<p>Abigail Segel is a writer based in Montreal.</p>


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Abigail Segel

Michelle Cooper #17 of the Kansas City Current looks on during the first half against NJ/NY Gotham FC at Sports Illustrated Stadium on June 07, 2025 in Harrison, New Jersey.

NJ/NY Gotham FC v Kansas City Current

Soccer

Michelle Cooper Is Always Ready To Pounce


<p>Rose Eveleth is the host of the podcast&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flashforwardpod.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flash Forward</a>, and author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flashforwardpod.com/book/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the book by the same name</a>.&nbsp;<br></p>


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Rose Eveleth

The Orlando Valkyries celebrate winning the 2025 PVF championship

Orlando Trophy WIN-34

Volleyball

The Battle For Professional Volleyball Has Officially Begun

Andrew Cuomo speaks in the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary Debate at NBC Studios on June 4, 2025 in New York City.

andrew cuomo

Andrew Cuomo Is Garbage

<p>Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and co-founded the website <a href="http://popcorntennis.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://popcorntennis.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PFWw6PL-FUqaCMME5TLqP">popcorntennis.com</a>. He wrote 63,000 words about the Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal rivalry that can be accessed for free at <a href="https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2OjAHpo4PVIhkx8Xd21lRJ">thegoldenrivalry.substack.com</a>.</p>


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Owen Lewis

Iga Swiatek of Poland drops her racket as she stretches for a backhand against Aryna Sabalenka in the Women's Singles Semi Final match on Day Twelve of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 05, 2025 in Paris, France.

2025 French Open – Day Twelve

Tennis

Iga Swiatek Abdicates Her Clay Throne

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Veronica de Souza

Grace 1

Make It Nice

Make It Nice: Tile Trouble, Speaker Scenarios, And A Grown-Up Glow Up

<div>Jen Kinney is a journalist and audio producer with a troubling fixation on debris, detritus, and discard.</div>


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Jen Kinney

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Capital

Seven Days At The Bin Store

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<div>Katherine Churchill holds a Ph.D. in English literature. Her writing has appeared in <i>Time</i>, <i>Literary Hub, Electric Literature, Oxford American Magazine</i>, and elsewhere.</div>
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medieval studies photo_Katherine Churchill

Katherine Churchill

RARE BOOKS

The Exclusive Men’s-Only Rare Books Club, And The Woman Who Has A Key

Germany – : Homepage, Website of the search engine lycos

The AI Floodwaters Are Rising Fast

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<p>Sebastian Stockman is a Teaching Professor in English at Northeastern University, a writer whose work has appeared in the <em>Washington Post </em>and the <em>Boston Globe</em> among many other places, and a guy who publishes <a href="https://sebastianstockman.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://sebastianstockman.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1748539688609000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0eIUYaj1h-eA1-XIa8i0L7">A Saturday Letter,</a> a very occasional free thing. Follow him on Bluesky @<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/substockman.bsky.social">substockman.bsky.social</a>.</p>
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Sebastian Stockman

Florida, Miami, Arscht Performing Arts Center, The Miami Herald Spelling Bee, test, competition, stage, overview, contestants, judges, moderator, sit, chair, elimination, opera house,

An overview of contestants at The Miami Herald Spelling Bee.

Life's Rich Pageant

Confessions Of A Spelling Bee Pronouncer

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<div>Victoria Zeller is a trans writer born and raised in Buffalo, New York, where she still proudly resides. Her debut novel, <i><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/one-of-the-boys-victoria-zeller/21775251" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/p/books/one-of-the-boys-victoria-zeller/21775251&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1735306610555000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0sXpgNMmxpIwmIZOFd-Pnw">One of the Boys</a></i>, is out now. Her personal website can be found <a href="http://victoria.monster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://victoria.monster&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1735306610555000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PrZ7PkO1IykxAodWoMLI_">here</a>.</div>
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Victoria Zeller

Goal in sunset, at Gärdet Stockholm Sweden

The Goal

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck

Kicking Practice

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<p>Charles P. Pierce is a writer at <em>Esquire</em> and the author of four books, most recently <em>Idiot America</em>, and has been a working journalist since 1976. He lives near Boston with his wife but no longer his three children.</p>
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Charles P. Pierce

Head coach Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on during the first quarter of a game against the Denver Nuggets in Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 18, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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.

Denver Nuggets v Oklahoma City Thunder – Game Seven

Can The NBA Still Produce Interesting Coaches?

Benny (Benito Skinner), Carmen (Wally Baram), Holmes in OVERCOMPENSATING

Overcompensating – First Look

‘Overcompensating’ Is Not A Joke

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.

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What Do You Do About A Declining President?

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


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Nicholas Russell

MITomCruise

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

Robert Pastore

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

A protester waves a “Black Lives Matter” flag across the

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

profile

Dan Sinykin

County Libraries Book Auto, Cincinnati & Hamilton Ohio

Close Reading Is For Everyone

Amos Barshad

Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur, looks on during a Tottenham Hotspur training session ahead of the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Estadio de San Mames on May 20, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain.

Tottenham Hotspur Training Session And Press Conference – UEFA Europa League Final 2025

Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham’s Lovably Embattled Idealist, Stands On The Brink Of Redemption

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman is seen on the field before a match between Bay FC and Angel City FC in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, May 17, 2025.

Bay FC v Angel City FC

NWSL

Jessica Berman Makes Her Priorities Clear

<p>Emily Bice is a Brooklyn-based writer. Her work centers on explorations of how we navigate love and life in the 21st century. These investigations have taken her to a fishmonger, inspired meditations on dating, and even led to rollerblading a marathon. You can find more on her Substack, <a href="https://129waysto.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://129waysto.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728739707762000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1SlDWyDATtJJ90_yxFN0B1">129 Ways to Get a Life</a>.</p>


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