Alastair Coote
@alastair.is
British, in Brooklyn. Software engineer making newsy, phone sized things for the @nytimes.com Interactive News team. Infrequently blog about code stuff at https://alastair.is
Important to factor in that many in Silicon Valley have no sense of public service as motivation. To their mind SV is the pinnacle for all software engineers, if you’re not there it’s because you’re not good enough.
If you believe that then, sure, you can arrive and 10x your way out of any problem
If you believe that then, sure, you can arrive and 10x your way out of any problem
The idea that “Big Balls” at DOGE would vibe code America to a balanced budget is in the top 3 of silliest ideas to come out of the union of Silicon Valley and politics.
November 27, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Important to factor in that many in Silicon Valley have no sense of public service as motivation. To their mind SV is the pinnacle for all software engineers, if you’re not there it’s because you’re not good enough.
If you believe that then, sure, you can arrive and 10x your way out of any problem
If you believe that then, sure, you can arrive and 10x your way out of any problem
Reposted by Alastair Coote
Was not expecting this blatant xenophobia on my tv first thing in the morning...
November 27, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Was not expecting this blatant xenophobia on my tv first thing in the morning...
Was just talking yesterday about the dearth of role models for young men in today’s public sphere. Feels like Mamdani is one, less because of his actions than the inactions of almost everyone else
Combatting poverty and hunger in this city will take every single one of us. Myself included.
November 27, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Was just talking yesterday about the dearth of role models for young men in today’s public sphere. Feels like Mamdani is one, less because of his actions than the inactions of almost everyone else
Reposted by Alastair Coote
Reposted by Alastair Coote
this was bad before, but these are the most troubling and serious allegations you can make about a journalist. if they’re true, i genuinely can’t think of a worse scandal in the history of political journalism. devastating to our industry, to public trust as a whole, and to everyone in its orbit
November 26, 2025 at 9:21 PM
this was bad before, but these are the most troubling and serious allegations you can make about a journalist. if they’re true, i genuinely can’t think of a worse scandal in the history of political journalism. devastating to our industry, to public trust as a whole, and to everyone in its orbit
Reposted by Alastair Coote
Also these are people at the heights of the industry, and both Nuzzi and Lizza were almost instantly rehabilitated by top media companies after a first round of scandals that should have made them radioactive. Now lo and behold, much bigger shoes to drop, and we probably haven't seen the last of it.
The reason that we reporters are focused so intensely on the L'affair Nuzzi is that, as Olivia notes, it is a basically apocalyptic scandal in the most literal sense of that term: a dropping of masks. It's acting as confirmation of every hideous story anybody's ever told about political journalists
this was bad before, but these are the most troubling and serious allegations you can make about a journalist. if they’re true, i genuinely can’t think of a worse scandal in the history of political journalism. devastating to our industry, to public trust as a whole, and to everyone in its orbit
November 27, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Also these are people at the heights of the industry, and both Nuzzi and Lizza were almost instantly rehabilitated by top media companies after a first round of scandals that should have made them radioactive. Now lo and behold, much bigger shoes to drop, and we probably haven't seen the last of it.
Reposted by Alastair Coote
One deeply underappreciated aspect of MAHA is how much it's often a fig leaf for domestic abuse. I'm not surprised doctors on the ground belive men are withholding kids' vaccines as a way to control and terrorize their wives. They obviously are!
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/o...
November 27, 2025 at 2:14 AM
One deeply underappreciated aspect of MAHA is how much it's often a fig leaf for domestic abuse. I'm not surprised doctors on the ground belive men are withholding kids' vaccines as a way to control and terrorize their wives. They obviously are!
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/o...
Reposted by Alastair Coote
This is innumerate nonsense. An average of 1.1 million people were watching The Simpsons throughout its entire thirty-minute broadcast according to a third-party data company contracted to measure viewership by Disney. Somebody, no way to know who, hit the play button 1.7 million times on Twitter
November 27, 2025 at 1:54 AM
This is innumerate nonsense. An average of 1.1 million people were watching The Simpsons throughout its entire thirty-minute broadcast according to a third-party data company contracted to measure viewership by Disney. Somebody, no way to know who, hit the play button 1.7 million times on Twitter
Reposted by Alastair Coote
”The thing is this wasn’t really a catch-and-kill operation as described—I don’t even think there’s a term for what this was,” I say as I pour gravy on my fourth slice of pumpkin pie. My wife has filed for divorce and one of my cats is packing her belongings in a suitcase, but I persist.
Do I try to explain the Nuzzi-Lizza situation to my in-laws at Thanksgiving dinner or do I just pass the stuffing and keep screaming in my own brain hmmmmmmm
November 26, 2025 at 11:51 PM
”The thing is this wasn’t really a catch-and-kill operation as described—I don’t even think there’s a term for what this was,” I say as I pour gravy on my fourth slice of pumpkin pie. My wife has filed for divorce and one of my cats is packing her belongings in a suitcase, but I persist.
Reposted by Alastair Coote
truly an incredible bit to have this be on the about page of your website that exclusively consists of weekly videos of you talking to steve schmidt and a serialized recounting of the most humiliating things you can remember about your ex
November 22, 2025 at 7:10 PM
truly an incredible bit to have this be on the about page of your website that exclusively consists of weekly videos of you talking to steve schmidt and a serialized recounting of the most humiliating things you can remember about your ex
Yes but did I tell you that she’s a really, really talented writer
November 27, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Yes but did I tell you that she’s a really, really talented writer
Reposted by Alastair Coote
one of you is going to be tempted to try to explain the Lizza-Nuzzi business during Thanksgiving dinner
you need to resist this urge
nana does not need to know about this
you need to resist this urge
nana does not need to know about this
November 27, 2025 at 12:02 AM
one of you is going to be tempted to try to explain the Lizza-Nuzzi business during Thanksgiving dinner
you need to resist this urge
nana does not need to know about this
you need to resist this urge
nana does not need to know about this
Reposted by Alastair Coote
This is nuts!
Why is WAPO writing up anyone’s speculation about who the suspect might be?
I get that Laura’s statements and actions are at times newsworthy given her influence on Trump, but no one’s speculation — outside of a government official’s — should be written up this way.
Why is WAPO writing up anyone’s speculation about who the suspect might be?
I get that Laura’s statements and actions are at times newsworthy given her influence on Trump, but no one’s speculation — outside of a government official’s — should be written up this way.
November 26, 2025 at 11:51 PM
This is nuts!
Why is WAPO writing up anyone’s speculation about who the suspect might be?
I get that Laura’s statements and actions are at times newsworthy given her influence on Trump, but no one’s speculation — outside of a government official’s — should be written up this way.
Why is WAPO writing up anyone’s speculation about who the suspect might be?
I get that Laura’s statements and actions are at times newsworthy given her influence on Trump, but no one’s speculation — outside of a government official’s — should be written up this way.
It was always this! It was just novel enough when it came out that everyone gave it a pass. Now that’s worn off.
November 26, 2025 at 7:55 PM
It was always this! It was just novel enough when it came out that everyone gave it a pass. Now that’s worn off.
Will make it a strategic priority to clone Bryan Fuller given the number of his cancelled projects I’m going to be reviving
If you were a despotic president, what movie would you force Hollywood to make? I want to see Quentin's Star Trek movie or maybe Kill Bill Vol 3.
November 26, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Will make it a strategic priority to clone Bryan Fuller given the number of his cancelled projects I’m going to be reviving
Reposted by Alastair Coote
A package hasn't "shipped" if you've only "created the label"
November 25, 2025 at 3:02 PM
A package hasn't "shipped" if you've only "created the label"
Reposted by Alastair Coote
Every American should have this in their wallet:
November 25, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Every American should have this in their wallet:
Sigh. The battery for my e-bike has been recalled and RadPowerBikes told the CPSC they can't offer free replacements or even discounts because they'd go out of business if they did. Happy holidays! www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/u...
Serious Fire Risk Warning Is Issued for E-Bike Batteries
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Sigh. The battery for my e-bike has been recalled and RadPowerBikes told the CPSC they can't offer free replacements or even discounts because they'd go out of business if they did. Happy holidays! www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/u...
My not Enron t-shirt etc etc you know the rest
In the memo, “Nvidia also responds to claims that the ‘current situation is analogous to historical accounting frauds (Enron, WorldCom, Lucent) that featured vendor financing and SPVs [special purpose vehicles.)’”
@barrons.com $NVDA
@firstadopter.bsky.social
www.barrons.com/articles/nvi...
@barrons.com $NVDA
@firstadopter.bsky.social
www.barrons.com/articles/nvi...
November 24, 2025 at 7:20 PM
My not Enron t-shirt etc etc you know the rest
Reposted by Alastair Coote
alas, there's a lot of sanewashing in this piece - even as it expresses frustration in RFK, it treats him as a legitimate, good faith actor in a way that's just not true.
Over many interviews, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Michael Scherer about how he plans to remake America’s public-health system. Can he lead the scientific establishment he’s spent much of his life crusading against?
Read more in our new cover story: theatln.tc/q9hXxlbM
Read more in our new cover story: theatln.tc/q9hXxlbM
November 24, 2025 at 4:39 PM
alas, there's a lot of sanewashing in this piece - even as it expresses frustration in RFK, it treats him as a legitimate, good faith actor in a way that's just not true.
Indistinguishable from a conversation between two 14 year olds
Everything about this might be the saddest thing I’ve ever seen
November 24, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Indistinguishable from a conversation between two 14 year olds
Overdiscussed: TikTok
Underdiscussed: YouTube
Underdiscussed: YouTube
UPDATE: Americans who use
YouTube 84%
Facebook 71%
Instagram 50%
TikTok 37%
WhatsApp 32%
Reddit 26%
Snapchat 25%
X (Twitter) 21%
Threads 8%
Bluesky 4%
Truth Social 3%
Full Pew Research Center report: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
YouTube 84%
Facebook 71%
Instagram 50%
TikTok 37%
WhatsApp 32%
Reddit 26%
Snapchat 25%
X (Twitter) 21%
Threads 8%
Bluesky 4%
Truth Social 3%
Full Pew Research Center report: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
November 23, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Overdiscussed: TikTok
Underdiscussed: YouTube
Underdiscussed: YouTube
Reposted by Alastair Coote
there was a lot of “you gotta hand it to ‘em” about musk and rfk jr that you didn’t see about other cabinet members and initiatives and i think it was very class coded
It remains insane to me that DOGE was treated at the time as an impressive shock and awe accomplishment - “you can’t deny he’s getting stuff done!” - and then instantly memory holed by the press once if became clear it was a total failure by every possible standard including Musk’s own
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
November 23, 2025 at 4:03 PM
there was a lot of “you gotta hand it to ‘em” about musk and rfk jr that you didn’t see about other cabinet members and initiatives and i think it was very class coded
Reposted by Alastair Coote
You're not imagining it: New York City's Citi Bike system costs more to ride than any other major bike-share system in the United States, Canada or Europe.
Lyft Hoses Citi Bike Riders Compared to Bike-Share in Other Cities: Report - Streetsblog New York City
New York City's Citi Bike system costs more to ride than any other major bike-share system in the United States, Canada or Europe.
buff.ly
November 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM
You're not imagining it: New York City's Citi Bike system costs more to ride than any other major bike-share system in the United States, Canada or Europe.
Reposted by Alastair Coote
I think it is very unlikely that most of these are Russian influence agents, and considerably more likely that they are people from developing economies who have cottoned on to ways to make relatively large amounts of money for them by being paid-per-view by X.
This week we learned that many of the most active Twitter accounts are foreigners, most likely Russian influence agents, operating in the guise of Red State Americans.
November 23, 2025 at 1:40 AM
I think it is very unlikely that most of these are Russian influence agents, and considerably more likely that they are people from developing economies who have cottoned on to ways to make relatively large amounts of money for them by being paid-per-view by X.