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


Jake Romm

Politics

The Paranoid Fantasies Of ‘October 8’

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


Nicholas Russell

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

Life Lessons

Why I Keep Masking

<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>


Eva Holland

‘North Of North’ Is An Arctic Comedy That Will Warm Your Heart

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


Post-Postdoc

Capital

How I Became Highly Educated Grist For The AI Mill

<div>Rick Paulas is a writer in Brooklyn who made <i><a href="http://www.theladyingreenpoint.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.theladyingreenpoint.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1693673714100000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3mdrn4_mwbI7boyzf49u2G">The Lady in Greenpoint</a></i>, a 3-mile walking audio ghost story starting at the Pulaski Bridge, and <i>The Palmer Hotel</i>, a collection of spooky short stories set over a century in a downtown hotel, which has sold out.</div>
<div></div>


Rick Paulas

Why Is This So Good?

The Best Thing I Own Is My Tiny TV/VCR

Jen Vafidis

Richard Kind poses at a gala celebrating "All In: Comedy About Love" opening night on Broadway at The Hudson Theatre on December 16, 2024 in New York City.

How Meeting Richard Kind Changed The Course Of My Life

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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

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer looks on as US President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on April 9, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Margin Of Error

The Bargain Vs. The Boot

Soraya Roberts

Meghann Fahy as Violet in Drop, directed by Christopher Landon.

Arts And Culture

‘Drop’ Is Not A ’90s Thriller Because The ’90s Are Unfortunately Over

<p>John Semley is a writer and researcher based in Philadelphia.</p>


John Semley

People queue outside indie record store Flashback Records to shop for vinyls on Record Store Day in London on April 20, 2024.

Music

How Record Store Day Became The Stupidest Day In Music

<p>Lindsey Adler is a writer based in Brooklyn. She exclusively covered sports for a decade but has other interests, too.</p>


Lindsey Adler

NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 28: Jesse Lacey of Brand New performs during the 2017 Voodoo Music + Arts Experience at City Park on October 28, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Brand New Tour, Same Old Question

<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400">Dan Brooks writes essays and fiction from Missoula, Montana.</span></i></p>


Dan Brooks

U.S. Vice President JD Vance (L) shoots with U.S. Marines at a gun range during a visit to Marine Corps Base Quantico

American Freedom

<div>Paola Rosa-Aquino is a freelance journalist covering science, space and the environment. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, she now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her canine co-worker Cece.</div>
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Paola Rosa-Aquino

Flames are seen after Starship's Super Heavy Booster splashed down for a water landing off the coast of, Texas, on its sixth flight test on November 19, 2024. SpaceX aborted an attempt to catch the first stage booster of its Starship megarocket in the "chopstick" arms of its launch tower, opting instead for an ocean splashdown, a live feed showed November 19. The hitch came as President-elect Donald Trump joined SpaceX chief Elon Musk at the company's Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas to watch the test flight, the latest sign of the budding bromance between the two billionaires. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Science

We’re Littering The Earth With Space Trash

Mark Asch

In Praise Of ‘The Pitt,’ The Most Normal Show On Television

<p>John Loeppky is a freelance writer and theatre artist currently based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. His work has appeared for outlets such as FiveThirtyEight, CBC, and <em>Maclean’s</em>.</p>


John Loeppky

CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 07: Wheelchair basketball athletes Natalie Schneider of Team USA, Zoie Voris of the Arlington Lady Movin' Mavs, Hayley Nielsen #20 of Arizona and and Josie Aslakson #7 of Team USA compete at halftime during the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament National Championship between the Iowa Hawkeyes and South Carolina Gamecocks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 07, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Parasports

University Parasports Brace For Trump’s Anti-DEI Crusade

‘Ludwig’ Gets Cozy With David Mitchell’s Limits

<p>Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and has written for The Guardian, The Second Serve, The Athletic, and other publications.</p>


Owen Lewis

Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot against Jessica Pegula

Tennis

Aryna Sabalenka Is Thrillingly Imperfect

Veronica de Souza

Drawing of an Interior: Atelier, 1857. Artist Anon. (Photo by Heritage Images via Getty Images)

Make It Nice

Introducing: Make It Nice

‘Moby-Dick’ Is Still Too Big For The Opera

<p>Carly Stern is an independent journalist, writer and editor based in Brooklyn. She has written for publications including The New York Times, Vox, The Guardian and The Washington Post.</p>


Carly Stern

Carlos Watson, co-founder of Ozy Media, speaks with press after his sentencing hearing at Brooklyn Federal Court on December 16, 2024 in New York City. Watson was sentenced to almost 10 years in prison for trying to defraud investors and lenders by lying about the company’s finances after being convicted in July. Samir Rao, the other co-founder of Ozy, and Suzee Han, a former Ozy chief of staff, pleaded guilty last year to fraud charges and both cooperated in the case and testified against Watson.

Journalismism

Looking For Closure At Carlos Watson’s Sentencing Hearing

Yemeni men and children in the rubble of a Sana'a neighborhood leveled by U.S. attacks.

The Human Factor

On a gradient background going from tan-ish to pink-ish, the front cover of the book Trauma Plot by Jamie Hood. The book is black with a statue of a woman with wings in the center. It also identifies Hood as the author of How to Be A Good Girl.

Interviews

“Rape Is Political”: Jamie Hood On Trauma Narratives, Writing The Self, And Ethical Obligation

<p>Leah Finnegan is the former editor-in-chief of Gawker and the Outline. She has written and edited for the <em>New York Times</em>, <em>New York</em> magazine, the <em>New Republic</em>, the <em>Baffler</em>, and others.</p>


Leah Finnegan

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s ‘Dream Count’ Is Stuck In The Past


<p><a href="https://twitter.com/kenpomeroy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ken</a> has been cranking out college basketball statistics at <a href="http://kenpom.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kenpom.com</a> since 2004. He’s written at The Athletic, Slate, the late <em>ESPN The Magazine</em>, and the late Basketball Prospectus. He hopes to live long enough to see the men&#8217;s game start using quarters, like every other basketball league in the world.</p>


Ken Pomeroy

Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John's Red Storm speaks with Deivon Smith #5 of the St. John's Red Storm during the first half of the game against the Connecticut Huskies on February 23, 2025.

College Basketball

Tom Izzo And Rick Pitino Are Up Against One Of March’s Weirdest Curses

What The Beads Can Tell You

<p>Lesley Ryder is a writer and a host covering the Chicago Red Stars. She co-created <a href="https://galpalsports.com/">Gal Pal Sports</a>, a platform that lives to make women’s sports fun for everyone.</p>


Lesley Ryder

Detail of the Bedazzled NWSL ball prior to the NWSL match between Angel City FC and San Diego Wave at BMO Stadium on March 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

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