Chris Cook
@chriscook.news
ft senior reporter. south london nationalist. articles with my byline get posted automagically on @cook.report
This is terrible news - QEF is a wonderful, important, effective charity. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Leatherhead charity for disabled people to close after 90 years - BBC News
The QEF says it is winding down as it faces a "challenging financial situation".
www.bbc.co.uk
November 12, 2025 at 10:41 PM
This is terrible news - QEF is a wonderful, important, effective charity. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Chris Cook
"everyone knows the project won’t work; it is now just a matter of letting MBS down gently"
Deep dive on Neom focuses on The Line - a building planned at a scale that would run from London to the Norfolk coast but in the desert. Absolutely wild, absolutely doomed ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
Deep dive on Neom focuses on The Line - a building planned at a scale that would run from London to the Norfolk coast but in the desert. Absolutely wild, absolutely doomed ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:28 AM
"everyone knows the project won’t work; it is now just a matter of letting MBS down gently"
Deep dive on Neom focuses on The Line - a building planned at a scale that would run from London to the Norfolk coast but in the desert. Absolutely wild, absolutely doomed ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
Deep dive on Neom focuses on The Line - a building planned at a scale that would run from London to the Norfolk coast but in the desert. Absolutely wild, absolutely doomed ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
A big development: HMEL, the Mittal joint venture that owns the refinery has responded to our story - and disclosed that it is pulling out of buying Russian crude.
October 29, 2025 at 1:18 PM
A big development: HMEL, the Mittal joint venture that owns the refinery has responded to our story - and disclosed that it is pulling out of buying Russian crude.
the latest by me and Polina Ivanova:
October 29, 2025 at 9:00 AM
the latest by me and Polina Ivanova:
Reposted by Chris Cook
FT Investigation: How the Trump companies made $1bn from crypto. Some great work here www.ft.com/content/2ea2...
FT Investigation: How the Trump companies made $1bn from crypto
The president and his family have built a rapidly growing digital assets empire which has been fuelled by the administration’s industry-friendly policies
www.ft.com
October 16, 2025 at 6:19 AM
FT Investigation: How the Trump companies made $1bn from crypto. Some great work here www.ft.com/content/2ea2...
Reposted by Chris Cook
Asked whether the FT’s calculations on his family’s profits were broadly accurate, Eric Trump said the true figure was “probably more”.
www.ft.com/content/2ea2...
www.ft.com/content/2ea2...
FT Investigation: How the Trump companies made $1bn from crypto
The president and his family have built a rapidly growing digital assets empire which has been fuelled by the administration’s industry-friendly policies
www.ft.com
October 16, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Asked whether the FT’s calculations on his family’s profits were broadly accurate, Eric Trump said the true figure was “probably more”.
www.ft.com/content/2ea2...
www.ft.com/content/2ea2...
Reposted by Chris Cook
🚨 New article by @chriscook.news
FT Investigation: How the Trump companies made $1bn from crypto
The president and his family have built a rapidly growing digital assets empire which has been fuelled by the administration’s industry-friendly policies
www.ft.com
October 16, 2025 at 4:04 AM
🚨 New article by @chriscook.news
Reposted by Chris Cook
As Trump pressures the Department of Justice to target his opponents, my colleagues @chriscook.news, Paul Caruana Galizia and I dug deep into a DoJ unit - the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York - which had been known for its independence.
Full story: on.ft.com/42VG5IK
Full story: on.ft.com/42VG5IK
Rule of law in the Trump era: the demoralised prosecutors of SDNY
[FREE TO READ] The Southern District of New York once took pride in its independence. But pressure from the administration is changing the way its lawyers operate
on.ft.com
September 29, 2025 at 11:43 AM
As Trump pressures the Department of Justice to target his opponents, my colleagues @chriscook.news, Paul Caruana Galizia and I dug deep into a DoJ unit - the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York - which had been known for its independence.
Full story: on.ft.com/42VG5IK
Full story: on.ft.com/42VG5IK
We should give Jim Ratcliffe another knighthood for contribution to gaiety of the nation.
September 27, 2025 at 1:35 PM
We should give Jim Ratcliffe another knighthood for contribution to gaiety of the nation.
Reposted by Chris Cook
What is Russia's spy ship Yantar and why has it been loitering in British waters? The FT investigates the threat to undersea cables & the work of Moscow's secret deep-sea research unit, GUGI, as an agent of sabotage. With @chriscook.news Daria Mosolova & David Djambazov
www.ft.com/content/0b35...
www.ft.com/content/0b35...
The Russian spy ship stalking Europe’s subsea cables
Covert operations in waters surrounding the British Isles pose a grave threat to critical infrastructure and a fresh challenge to Nato
www.ft.com
September 26, 2025 at 8:19 AM
What is Russia's spy ship Yantar and why has it been loitering in British waters? The FT investigates the threat to undersea cables & the work of Moscow's secret deep-sea research unit, GUGI, as an agent of sabotage. With @chriscook.news Daria Mosolova & David Djambazov
www.ft.com/content/0b35...
www.ft.com/content/0b35...
The undersea war is a major problem for the UK and Ireland, and one both countries will need to take seriously
September 26, 2025 at 7:36 AM
The undersea war is a major problem for the UK and Ireland, and one both countries will need to take seriously
@davidgerard.co.uk given that your allegations were wrong, can you please delete your posts about us, which are still online for some reason and free for other people to see and share.
September 24, 2025 at 9:20 PM
@davidgerard.co.uk given that your allegations were wrong, can you please delete your posts about us, which are still online for some reason and free for other people to see and share.
This is wrong.
a) The article literally states we did the analysis with AI. We used semantic search to ID paragraphs relating to a topic, then grouped text into categories by their meaning.
b) The model outputs were, as below, boolean indicators about whether something fit a category.
a) The article literally states we did the analysis with AI. We used semantic search to ID paragraphs relating to a topic, then grouped text into categories by their meaning.
b) The model outputs were, as below, boolean indicators about whether something fit a category.
September 24, 2025 at 1:20 PM
This is wrong.
a) The article literally states we did the analysis with AI. We used semantic search to ID paragraphs relating to a topic, then grouped text into categories by their meaning.
b) The model outputs were, as below, boolean indicators about whether something fit a category.
a) The article literally states we did the analysis with AI. We used semantic search to ID paragraphs relating to a topic, then grouped text into categories by their meaning.
b) The model outputs were, as below, boolean indicators about whether something fit a category.
Reposted by Chris Cook
A cool use of AI in newsgathering, this. US companies are talking more and more about the risks rather than the benefits of AI in their SEC filings (while still being super-optimistic in earnings calls). By @melissahei.bsky.social @chriscook.news & @claradoodle.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/e93e...
September 23, 2025 at 11:45 AM
A cool use of AI in newsgathering, this. US companies are talking more and more about the risks rather than the benefits of AI in their SEC filings (while still being super-optimistic in earnings calls). By @melissahei.bsky.social @chriscook.news & @claradoodle.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/e93e...
By me, @christopherjm.ft.com and the irreplaceable @yoruk.bsky.social
September 23, 2025 at 6:32 AM
By me, @christopherjm.ft.com and the irreplaceable @yoruk.bsky.social
Reposted by Chris Cook
A Chinese cargo ship visited the occupied port of Sevastopol in Crimea, under sanctions since 2014 — faking its route and making an unprecedented series of stops by a major foreign vessel to one of the Ukrainian ports seized by Russia.
w/ @chriscook.news @financialtimes.com
on.ft.com/3Ibs2b9
w/ @chriscook.news @financialtimes.com
on.ft.com/3Ibs2b9
September 23, 2025 at 5:02 AM
A Chinese cargo ship visited the occupied port of Sevastopol in Crimea, under sanctions since 2014 — faking its route and making an unprecedented series of stops by a major foreign vessel to one of the Ukrainian ports seized by Russia.
w/ @chriscook.news @financialtimes.com
on.ft.com/3Ibs2b9
w/ @chriscook.news @financialtimes.com
on.ft.com/3Ibs2b9
*terms and conditions apply
Not dunking on Chris here, but my two interests of choice back then (indie music and wargames) were rife with people being pricks. In the latter case it required constant moderation, in the former it led to real-life harassment.
the best social media is the same as it was 25 years ago: football team (and other hobby) forums, where most discussions are civil, not obligatorily political and where you won’t encounter fans of other teams / interests so you won’t get piled on over small things.
September 14, 2025 at 12:01 PM
*terms and conditions apply
the best social media is the same as it was 25 years ago: football team (and other hobby) forums, where most discussions are civil, not obligatorily political and where you won’t encounter fans of other teams / interests so you won’t get piled on over small things.
September 14, 2025 at 11:56 AM
the best social media is the same as it was 25 years ago: football team (and other hobby) forums, where most discussions are civil, not obligatorily political and where you won’t encounter fans of other teams / interests so you won’t get piled on over small things.
did she go for “Saxon” forefathers rather than the usual “Anglo-Saxon”, because it was those bastard East Angles in Cambridgeshire who kicked her out?
So much weird in here, but hard to disagree that the average Saxon would have recognised policies of sinking vessels you don't like the look of, and imprisoning people who look different.
September 8, 2025 at 12:27 PM
did she go for “Saxon” forefathers rather than the usual “Anglo-Saxon”, because it was those bastard East Angles in Cambridgeshire who kicked her out?
really clever to pair this neat story about a terrible product which is a parable for the world today with ads which are more than a full phone screen in length that you have to tap and which continuously crash my browser
The chatbot-enabled Friend necklace eavesdrops on your life and provides a running commentary that’s snarky and unhelpful. Worse, it can also make the people around you uneasy. www.wired.com/story/i-hate...
I Hate My Friend
The chatbot-enabled Friend necklace eavesdrops on your life and provides a running commentary that’s snarky and unhelpful. Worse, it can also make the people around you uneasy.
www.wired.com
September 8, 2025 at 11:42 AM
really clever to pair this neat story about a terrible product which is a parable for the world today with ads which are more than a full phone screen in length that you have to tap and which continuously crash my browser
Reposted by Chris Cook
Black applicants are more than twice as likely to be denied a US mortgage as white counterparts declaring the same incomes, according to a Financial Times analysis of public data. on.ft.com/460f1ZD
September 4, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Black applicants are more than twice as likely to be denied a US mortgage as white counterparts declaring the same incomes, according to a Financial Times analysis of public data. on.ft.com/460f1ZD
Reposted by Chris Cook
Martha Mills was one of my favourite people. She should have had her 18th birthday today. Her parents have campaigned tirelessly to improve healthcare so that others won’t experience what they did. They are heroes.
Martha's rule rolled out to all acute hospitals in England
Hundreds of patients have been helped by rule, which makes it easier to get an urgent second opinion.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 4, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Martha Mills was one of my favourite people. She should have had her 18th birthday today. Her parents have campaigned tirelessly to improve healthcare so that others won’t experience what they did. They are heroes.
our latest: black borrowers are twice as likely to be rejected for a US mortgage as white borrowers - even after you account for income, location etc etc. www.ft.com/content/217c...
Black applicants twice as likely to be rejected for a US mortgage
FT analysis finds all ethnic minorities have lower probability of being granted home loans than white counterparts
www.ft.com
September 4, 2025 at 7:29 AM
our latest: black borrowers are twice as likely to be rejected for a US mortgage as white borrowers - even after you account for income, location etc etc. www.ft.com/content/217c...
My one modest bit of expertise on this story: it is fairly normal for families who have a young adult with learning disabilities (even those of fairly normal means) to be advised to move assets into trust for them -- and it's a use of trusts that's pretty close to the ideal
Here's the thing. If you're buying a house and everything is simple, you can ask your conveyancer how much stamp duty to pay.
If things are complex - e.g. there's a trust - this is a very bad idea.
If Ms Rayner just asked her conveyancer then that was a mistake.
If things are complex - e.g. there's a trust - this is a very bad idea.
If Ms Rayner just asked her conveyancer then that was a mistake.
September 3, 2025 at 12:13 PM
My one modest bit of expertise on this story: it is fairly normal for families who have a young adult with learning disabilities (even those of fairly normal means) to be advised to move assets into trust for them -- and it's a use of trusts that's pretty close to the ideal