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CULTURE

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SPORTS

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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

Kelsey McKinney

nathan fielder and elizabeth holmes sit on either side of a couch, staring into each other's eyes

Arts And Culture

Good Art Is Worth Waiting For

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Gabby Williams #1 of the Golden State Valkyries attempts a lay up against Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream during the second quarter in game one of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center on October 17, 2026 in San Francisco, California.

WNBA

In Game 1, The Dream And The Valkyries Tried To See How Gross They Could Get

Lauren Theisen

BYU fans watch with anticipation on the last play of the game to see an incomplete pass from Notre Dame

College Football

What’s The Point Of All These Reviews?

Luis Paez-Pumar

Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, participates in a discussion on “Technology, Piracy, and Artificial Intelligence in Sports” during the ISDE Sports Convention at the Official College of Architects of Madrid on May 21, 2026, in Madrid, Spain.

Soccer

La Liga President Says Real Madrid Is Moving Like Joseph Goebbels

Culture Writer

Israel Daramola

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 31: A detailed view of the National Championship trophy prior to a game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 2025 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&amp;T Stadium on December 31, 2025 in Arlington, Texas.

Death To The NCAA

The CFP Is Expanding For The Same Reason The PCSA Is Gaining Momentum

Ray Ratto

Mike Elko of the Texas A&amp;M Aggies prepare to lead his team onto the field before an SEC football game between the Texas A&amp;M Aggies and Missouri Tigers on Oct 10, 2026 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, MO.

Do Not Rage At Your Most Online Fans

page

David Roth

President Donald Trump speaks on stage at the Butler-Vandalia Student Activity Center during a campaign rally on October 3, 2026.

This Is So Stupid

What Is The Mob Movie Donald Trump Saw With A Gangster Named “Alan Jones” In It?

Albert Burneko

Making A Great Fantasy Map Is An Art, And Ross Douthat Sucks At It

Politics

Only One Michigan Senate Candidate Knows Puck

Mathias Fuelling

Books

Francis Fukuyama Is The Last Grandpa

Sally Rooney Stands By Her Principles

Patrick Redford

Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro holds a picture of his father, convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro, during a motorcade with supporters in Goiania, Brazil, on September 27, 2026. Brazil will hold presidential election on October 4, 2026. (Photo by Sergio Lima / AFP)

Brazil’s Presidential Election Is One Piece Of A Larger, More Depressing Story

Samer Kalaf

The Machines

Is This Guy Who Uses AI To Run His Fantasy Football Team The Biggest Loser In The World?

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

LeBron James dressed in Philly gear at a preseason NBA game.

LeBron James Is Commuting In A Fanatics Helicopter

David Ellison at the "Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)" Los Angeles Premiere held at Village Theatre on May 06, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

Capital

States Roll Over And Show Bellies To Paramount, Will Allow Warner Bros. Merger

Tom Ley

Gambling

There’s Always More Angry Problem Gamblers Where Those Came From

See The Algorithm’s Dark Gleam In The Hunter Biden-Andrew Callaghan Crypto Scam Email Whoopsie

An AI-generated map of the united states that has incorrect borders and puts Detroit in Canada.

The Jets May Want To Reconsider Being “AI-First”

The author can be reached at postpostdoc@protonmail.com.

Post-Postdoc

A visual representation of the Navier Stokes proof

What Gets Left Out Of Math’s New Era?

Filming at the BBC Ealing studios for Dr Who story call "Moonbase" which sees the return of the Cybermen. Our picture shows: The Cybermen building a weapon on the moons surface, 19th January 1967.

What If We Could Have A Future?

Studious robot on an ocean liner cruising the North Sea.

With The Power Of AI, Information Can Pour Straight Through Your Skull And Onto The Ground Without Ever Slowing

Mychal Denzel Smith is the author of Stakes Is High, winner of the Kirkus Prize for Non-Fiction.

Mychal Denzel Smith

The Crazy Thing About “Woke 1” Was How It Was Exploited

Sohini Desai

A huge crowd of protesters marching in support of Black families. As the Black Lives Matter and Defund The Police movements are gaining momentum, activists are pushing to get rid of institutions that police and oppress black people. Activist in Brooklyn gathered at MetroTech plaza for a march to defund the Administration for Children's Services (ACS)

New York’s Use Of AI For Family Policing Summarizes The Last 30 Years Of City Politics

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller (L) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio before addressing the audience

Eventually Everyone Will Be Called A Terrorist

Charlotte Rosen

How Cops Consolidated So Much Power Over Local Governments

Christine Brennan during an interview with Katie Couric

Journalismism

Christine Brennan Has Not Fully Lost It, According To Christine Brennan In Two Baffling Phone Calls

Media Meltdowns

Arch Manning, Room Full Of Dipshits, Snicker About AI Video Of Steve Sarkisian Slapping Holly Rowe

US Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks during the second day of the Republican National Committee midterm convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on September 10, 2026. US Republicans are betting that putting President Donald Trump at the center of their campaign can rescue a party facing grim election forecasts, despite the president's negative approval ratings. A day earlier, on the first day of the midterm convention, he promised $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans retain control of Congress in November. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP)

The Protect College Sports Act Finally Has Its Suitably Off-Putting Mascot

Dave McKenna

Famously Undiplomatic Britt McHenry Handed State Department Gig

POLITICS

Capital

The Machines

Policing

Journalismism