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
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
Reposted by David Dayen
The Trump admin made a pitch deck for corporate sponsors to take over America's 250th birthday.
s3.documentcloud.org
February 9, 2026 at 8:06 PM
Reposted by David Dayen
Very annoyed at the people who decided to open the floodgates to online sports betting, it is absolutely a scourge. Great piece from Gabrielle Gurley on people spending hours a day on these predatory apps.
The Scourge of Online Sports Betting - The American Prospect
States and leagues must face up to the damage from app-based gambling for the next generation of bettors, most of them young men.
prospect.org
February 9, 2026 at 4:52 PM
I am pretty used to corporate self-interest, but even I'm shocked by what Ellen Ioanes dug up about the Board of Peace and its designs in Gaza.
prospect.org/2026/02/09/b...
Board of Peace Is a Board of Profits - The American Prospect
Corporate interests dominate the organization planning the reconstruction of Gaza.
prospect.org
February 9, 2026 at 3:50 PM
There's way too much nonchalance about the fact that California is hurtling toward electing a MAGA governor, even if 65% of its voters vote for a Democrat in the primary. Harold Meyerson reports on the top-two primary setting conditions for an election at odds with voter preference.
The Nation’s Most Democratic State Might Elect a Trump-Friendly Governor - The American Prospect
California’s nonpartisan primary pits eight Democrats against two Republicans; only the top two finishers advance. Do the math.
prospect.org
February 9, 2026 at 2:46 PM
There's lots more in the story. It's an example of a rare labor success, ending a grossly inequitable work imbalance—and the demands of the beneficiaries of that work imbalance to restore the status quo.
Read it!
prospect.org/2026/02/09/f...
How Congress Refused to Save the NCAA From Itself - The American Prospect
Colleges want exemptions from antitrust and labor laws, so they can continue to hoard billions in cash from sports and deny the players their rights. So far, they’ve failed.
prospect.org
February 9, 2026 at 2:27 PM
It's good that this failed. But the latest concept for the NCAA to "innovate" their way out of reining in their own profligacy is selling off to private equity. prospect.org/2026/02/09/f...
February 9, 2026 at 2:27 PM
The SCORE Act, which was stymied this winter, would have given the NCAA immunity from antitrust laws. The NCAA could have this power if they agreed to respect their players' labor rights, but they won't do that, either.
prospect.org/2026/02/09/f...
February 9, 2026 at 2:27 PM
During college football season you may have endured endless ads telling you the game is in crisis. The crisis is this: players are getting paid. Katie Van Dyck explains how schools appealed to Congress to once again hoard the money players generate, and lost (for now):
prospect.org/2026/02/09/f...
How Congress Refused to Save the NCAA From Itself - The American Prospect
Colleges want exemptions from antitrust and labor laws, so they can continue to hoard billions in cash from sports and deny the players their rights. So far, they’ve failed.
prospect.org
February 9, 2026 at 2:19 PM
bump
February 9, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Reposted by David Dayen
Just a few weeks ago, the administration cancelled all remaining department of energy grid resilience projects in Puerto Rico. All of them. www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-end...
The end of DOE’s grid work in Puerto Rico
The Trump administration has canceled all eight of the remaining awards devoted to distributed energy on the island.
www.latitudemedia.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:00 AM
February 9, 2026 at 2:24 AM
"What he may not understand is that Bad Bunny is inherently political"
prospect.org/2026/02/06/b...
Bad Bunny Bowl - The American Prospect
Fresh off Grammy glory, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny is set to perform on America’s biggest stage. It’s shaping up to be Puerto Rico’s moon-landing moment.
prospect.org
February 9, 2026 at 1:57 AM
Every copywriter who produced these ads after that halftime show is calling NBC right now going "Spike it! Spike it!"
February 9, 2026 at 1:35 AM
8
February 9, 2026 at 1:24 AM
Four dead of heart attacks in The Villages from this show so far
February 9, 2026 at 1:21 AM