CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

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

<div><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/mattribel.bsky.social">Matt Ribel</a> writes about the intersection of science, technology, and politics. His features have appeared in WIRED, Washingtonian, and elsewhere.</div>


Matt Ribel

An illustration of a hand taking a circuitous route to a mailbox to send in a tax return, while a number of other hands try to block it.

Politics

Free, Easy, Dead: The Difficult Birth And Predictable Death Of IRS Direct File

<p>David Gardner is a writer based in New York. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, GQ, The Ringer, and other outlets.</p>


David Gardner


<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

Taylor Swift performs onstage for night one of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on July 07, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Capital

How Public Stadiums Keep Some Profits Private

<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.

SPORTS

CULTURE

OTHER

government

Free, Easy, Dead: The Difficult Birth And Predictable Death Of IRS Direct File

How Public Stadiums Keep Some Profits Private

The Home-Sized Hole In The Safety Net

Tito Ortiz’s Term As City Council Member Is Off To A Comical Start