David Dayen
ddayen.bsky.social
David Dayen
@ddayen.bsky.social
Executive editor, The American Prospect. Author, Chain of Title and Monopolized. Tips at ddayen-at-prospect-dot-org or Signal at ddayen.90
Pinned
You can see our entire series on The Business of Sports at
prospect.org/sports. More to come in the days ahead!
Sports - The American Prospect
prospect.org
I don't agree with that specifically, but it is true that AIPAC wants to stay under the radar, and going with a candidate who may be just as reliable but doesn't have a record on I/P is attractive.
February 10, 2026 at 6:46 PM
There's now some chatter that Friedman might drop out, which is crazy. He has raised 3x as much as anyone else in the race!
AIPAC had planned to back a candidate named Jason Friedman in an IL House race but in a move that can only be called flagrantly antisemitic, they have rejected him as "too obviously aligned." So they are throwing their money behind a Black woman who doesn't have a history of commenting on Israel...
February 10, 2026 at 6:15 PM
This is interesting, the House has been routinely blocking votes to negate individual tariffs, which Democrats have the right to call, through procedural trickery. But some Republicans have had enough, and the extension of the trickery may now end, with tariff votes sure to follow.
Rule vote postponed amid tariff backlash
Live updates and analysis from POLITICO’s Congress team.
www.politico.com
February 10, 2026 at 6:13 PM
That doubled in a year. The trajectory is essentially the same as men's leagues. The idea that this is an impoverished league is BS.
February 10, 2026 at 6:11 PM
2022 is totally outdated. The Golden State team alone has a $500 million valuation. The 13 teams are worth $3.5 billion collectively.
www.sportico.com/feature/wnba...
WNBA Franchise Valuations Ranking List: From Golden State to Atlanta
Sportico has calculated every WNBA team’s valuation for 2025, leading with the Golden State Valkyries, the New York Liberty and Indiana Fever.
www.sportico.com
February 10, 2026 at 6:10 PM
The entire conceit of "reforming" ICE, ensuring only targeted operations, nothing without a warrant, etc., is incongruous with the $75 billion cash infusion for the agency. They're going to spend that money on *something*. Like a network of local offices.
In Philadelphia, ICE will share office space with a DMV. A proposed ICE office in Portland, Maine is within walking distance of 8 places of worship. Today WIRED is publishing the locations of dozens of planned ICE offices across the US, part of a major expansion. from @leahfeiger.bsky.social
ICE Is Expanding Across the US at Breakneck Speed. Here’s Where It’s Going Next
ICE plans to lease offices throughout the US as part of a secret, months-long expansion campaign. WIRED is publishing dozens of these locations.
www.wired.com
February 10, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Reposted by David Dayen
Amazing a whole story about Eddie Bauer filing for bankruptcy can leave out the fact that it was owned by private equity from 2009 to 2021 www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/b...
Eddie Bauer Files for Bankruptcy
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:39 PM
The NBA owns 42% of the league and there's a clear cross-subsidy, it's not hard to make things look like a loss
February 10, 2026 at 4:46 PM
As ICE and CBP testify in Congress, we have updated our tracker of deaths at the hands of immigration enforcers. 25 have been killed with another 18 seriously injured, and there have also been 44 deaths in ICE/CBP custody.
Wondering if this will come up at the hearing.
prospect.org/2026/01/29/i...
A Running Count of How Many People ICE Has Killed and Injured - The American Prospect
ICE is not required to report any use-of-force incidents against the public. So The American Prospect created our own running tally.
prospect.org
February 10, 2026 at 3:53 PM
Between crypto, private credit, and AI, risks of another financial crash are prominent. Having a Trump sycophant at the Fed likely means that crash will lead to rewarding friends and punishing enemies. From Bob Kuttner.
prospect.org/2026/02/10/t...
The Next Financial Collapse - The American Prospect
In the coming crisis, the Fed is not likely to be in good hands.
prospect.org
February 10, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Utah's packing its court.
Virginia posted new maps in defiance of a judicial order.
Maryland's Senate is resisting a redraw while the House embraces it.
Trump's gerrymandering demand will be largely a wash but it has opened a Pandora's box, @gurleygg.bsky.social writes.
prospect.org/2026/02/10/r...
America Sinks Into the Quicksand of Mid-Decade Redistricting - The American Prospect
After the Texas-California stalemate, predicting an outcome to this debacle is futile.
prospect.org
February 10, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Illinois
February 10, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Lots more in here how Marvin Miller reshaped sports unions at the MLBPA, how the average player and not the star needs a union and why that harms solidarity, the insane saga of the NFL players union, and more. Great piece.
prospect.org/2026/02/10/f...
Baselines and Picket Lines - The American Prospect
Superstar athletes are close to American royalty, but they still have to fight like other workers for fair pay.
prospect.org
February 10, 2026 at 2:27 PM
The average WNBA salary is $102,000/year; a max salary is $250,000. No health insurance after retirement.
Yet attendance is way up, ticket prices nearly doubled in 2024, & media contracts quadrupled.
The economics of women's basketball literally puts players in danger. prospect.org/2026/02/10/f...
February 10, 2026 at 2:27 PM
NBA, NFL, MLB, & NHL players make around 50% of total league revenues. WNBA players make 9%. Their demand for 30%, still a bargain, has been rebuffed by owners, who offered 15%.
As Harold Meyerson writes, sports unions have always struggled for a fair share of the enormous profits they generate.
Baselines and Picket Lines - The American Prospect
Superstar athletes are close to American royalty, but they still have to fight like other workers for fair pay.
prospect.org
February 10, 2026 at 2:19 PM
AIPAC was initially looking at a different candidate in IL07, Jason Friedman. He was seen as "too obviously aligned." Conyears Ervin has less defined views for the electorate. The UDP spots are all positive bio spots.
February 10, 2026 at 3:29 AM
No
February 10, 2026 at 2:55 AM
This is in Illinois' 7th congressional district.
Already AIPAC (through shell PACs and past donors) is in IL08 (supporting Melissa Bean), IL09 (supporting Laura Fine) and IL02 (supporting Donna Miller)
February 10, 2026 at 2:45 AM
Just learned that AIPAC has now jumped into a fourth open seat House race in Illinois, backing Melissa Conyears Ervin with what has been described as a $2.8 million buy (around $500k a week).
This is straight up AIPAC, not a shell PAC, through United Democracy Project.
February 10, 2026 at 2:43 AM
MAGA lobbyists are demanding that Trump's antitrust division settle the monopolization case against Live Nation/Ticketmaster. The top lawyers in the department don't want to do it. So now the #2 at DOJ Antitrust just quit.
February 10, 2026 at 12:01 AM
Reposted by David Dayen
No Kings includes Draft Kings
February 8, 2026 at 11:49 PM
We got the pitch deck that public-private partnership Freedom 250 is using to sell access to corporations to Trump in conjunction with the semiquincentennial. $1 million and up gets you a private reception with the president. Read the deck here:
prospect.org/2026/02/09/r...
Read Trump’s Pitch Deck for Selling America’s Birthday - The American Prospect
Freedom 250 is urging donors to repeat far-right Christian nationalist and anti-abortion talking points.
prospect.org
February 9, 2026 at 11:02 PM
Look at this cute new milkshake duck, trying to save Democrats from their excesses.
Update: we regret to inform you that the milkshake duck is a registered lobbyist for OpenAI.
lda.gov/filings/publ...
February 9, 2026 at 10:29 PM
The trade of "reforms" to ICE for funding for the Department of Homeland Security looks more and more like it's off the table, Bob Kuttner reports.
prospect.org/2026/02/09/r...
Republican Frostbite - The American Prospect
Defense of ICE has become a political loser, and the deal to trade reforms for continued funding is off the table.
prospect.org
February 9, 2026 at 10:24 PM
Reposted by David Dayen
A federal worker at the CFPB found out in December that she had a brain tumor that needed to be removed.

The next month, Russ Vought unilaterally ended her agency's short-term disability plan.
www.huffpost.com/entry/russel...
A Federal Worker Developed A Brain Tumor. The Trump Admin's Next Move Was Unspeakably Cruel.
Russell Vought is seizing every opportunity he can to dismantle a crucial watchdog agency.
www.huffpost.com
February 9, 2026 at 8:09 PM