Aaron W. Gordon
@agordon.me
Data reporter at Bloomberg News. Usually writing about transportation and cities. Opinions are my cat's. Clips and contact info at agordon.me. Signal: awgordon dot 89
Newsletter, non-fiction book recommendations: https://buttondown.com/Booktime
Newsletter, non-fiction book recommendations: https://buttondown.com/Booktime
Reposted by Aaron W. Gordon
There's a persistent reflex to assume that projects like this are liberally coded, only popular in progressive enclaves. But the actual evidence goes the other way. Liberals aren't the only ones who like to cross the street safely. Conservatives also ride bikes and like to do so without dying.
November 3, 2025 at 1:51 PM
There's a persistent reflex to assume that projects like this are liberally coded, only popular in progressive enclaves. But the actual evidence goes the other way. Liberals aren't the only ones who like to cross the street safely. Conservatives also ride bikes and like to do so without dying.
There are hundreds of thousands of homeowners in the US who probably don't realize there's a ticking time bomb on their American Dream in the form of a zombie second mortgage. And the agency tasked with policing this—wait for it—has been gutted by the Trump admin. www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
Trump Gutted Agency Investigating Zombie Mortgage Debt Collectors
Many homeowners were blindsided by huge bills from zombie mortgages. A federal investigation of unlawful debt collections has stalled after the Trump administration gutted the Consumer Financial Prote...
www.bloomberg.com
October 30, 2025 at 7:45 PM
There are hundreds of thousands of homeowners in the US who probably don't realize there's a ticking time bomb on their American Dream in the form of a zombie second mortgage. And the agency tasked with policing this—wait for it—has been gutted by the Trump admin. www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
NYC people: @suryamattu.com, @mariepastora.bsky.social and I will be talking about our NJ Transit/NYC commuter rail story on Nov 5. Hope to see some of you there! www.meetup.com/transit-tech...
Transit Techies #35: Aaron Gordon, Surya Mattu, Marie Patino / Elif Ensari, Wed, Nov 5, 2025, 6:30 PM | Meetup
This will be **Transit Techies NYC**'s final session of the year, and we have some amazing speakers to look forward to. Talks will start at 6:30pm, and we'll mingle over li
www.meetup.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:17 PM
NYC people: @suryamattu.com, @mariepastora.bsky.social and I will be talking about our NJ Transit/NYC commuter rail story on Nov 5. Hope to see some of you there! www.meetup.com/transit-tech...
I am continually impressed by Alissa's coverage of LA transportation and also how insane LA's transportation spending is.
LA is building a new $1.5 billion freeway into LAX.
The very same airport where we just spent $2 billion on the people mover — actually, more like $3 billion, plus another $900 million if you count Metro's investment in the LAX station; so let's just say $4 billion — to make cars go away
The very same airport where we just spent $2 billion on the people mover — actually, more like $3 billion, plus another $900 million if you count Metro's investment in the LAX station; so let's just say $4 billion — to make cars go away
Air traffic control
The LAX-pressway must be stopped
www.torched.la
October 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
I am continually impressed by Alissa's coverage of LA transportation and also how insane LA's transportation spending is.
"Don't bother looking for me. I'll be next to my pool with a margarita."
Normality is important in these times.
Thankfully, the Long Island Rail Road is here to help with a new entry in its recurring annual series: Overtime by the pool -- mtaig.ny.gov/Reports/2025...
Thankfully, the Long Island Rail Road is here to help with a new entry in its recurring annual series: Overtime by the pool -- mtaig.ny.gov/Reports/2025...
mtaig.ny.gov
October 23, 2025 at 5:07 PM
"Don't bother looking for me. I'll be next to my pool with a margarita."
Coffee futures hit a new record high. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Coffee Prices Reach Record as Trade and Supply Concerns Mount
Coffee futures rose to a fresh record in New York as crop concerns and US tariffs revived supply worries, risking further price hikes at cafes and supermarkets.
www.bloomberg.com
October 23, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Coffee futures hit a new record high. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Tell 2018 me that in 2025 Andrew Cuomo will be running for mayor and proposing the city take over key parts of the MTA and I might have had an actual stroke www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/n...
Cuomo to Propose That New York City Take Partial Control of Subway
www.nytimes.com
October 21, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Tell 2018 me that in 2025 Andrew Cuomo will be running for mayor and proposing the city take over key parts of the MTA and I might have had an actual stroke www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/n...
Reposted by Aaron W. Gordon
Key stat from @amandamull.bsky.social article "The richest 10% of US households—those making roughly $250,000 or more—now account for almost half the country’s consumer purchases, according to Moody’s Analytics"
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Inside the Credit Card Battle to Win America’s Richest Shoppers
The fierce fight between Amex and Chase is playing out over higher fees, extravagant events and every perk imaginable.
www.bloomberg.com
October 14, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Key stat from @amandamull.bsky.social article "The richest 10% of US households—those making roughly $250,000 or more—now account for almost half the country’s consumer purchases, according to Moody’s Analytics"
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
"Mansion Boy" is also good because Andrew Cuomo owned a $1.8 million, 4,000 sq ft house with its own pond until his divorce. (Reportedly it would have sold for much more but was not maintained well and was "in dire need of considerable work.") nypost.com/2021/03/03/a...
October 10, 2025 at 3:20 PM
"Mansion Boy" is also good because Andrew Cuomo owned a $1.8 million, 4,000 sq ft house with its own pond until his divorce. (Reportedly it would have sold for much more but was not maintained well and was "in dire need of considerable work.") nypost.com/2021/03/03/a...
Fun fact: All of the MTA's rolling stock bought in the last several decades is capable of this too!
Caltrain’s new electric trains are designed to recuperate energy when breaking. The agency made a deal to sell that energy back to the local power supplier, which will net the agency millions of dollars in annual revenues.
Caltrain electrified trains return power to grid, offsetting energy costs
For decades, Caltrain has been known for what it takes off the roads. Now, it's being rewarded for what it puts back into the power grid.
www.cbsnews.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Fun fact: All of the MTA's rolling stock bought in the last several decades is capable of this too!
Reposted by Aaron W. Gordon
For Bessent’s $20 billion bet on Argentina to pay off, a lot of things have to go right.
The problem is that in Argentina -- a nation with a track record of squandering other people’s money and defaulting on its own debts -- those things have tended to go wrong.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
The problem is that in Argentina -- a nation with a track record of squandering other people’s money and defaulting on its own debts -- those things have tended to go wrong.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Bessent’s Big Gamble on Argentina Has a Narrow Road to Pay Off
For Scott Bessent’s $20 billion bet on Argentina to pay off, a lot of things have to go right – things that in the past, in Argentina, have tended to go wrong.
www.bloomberg.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:10 PM
For Bessent’s $20 billion bet on Argentina to pay off, a lot of things have to go right.
The problem is that in Argentina -- a nation with a track record of squandering other people’s money and defaulting on its own debts -- those things have tended to go wrong.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
The problem is that in Argentina -- a nation with a track record of squandering other people’s money and defaulting on its own debts -- those things have tended to go wrong.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Since I've moved to Manhattan it has really sunk in just how useless the non-SBS buses are if you want to get anywhere faster than walking. The north-south routes stop every block or two! The bus literally travels 10-15 bus lengths at a time, up and down Manhattan. It's so stupid.
October 7, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Since I've moved to Manhattan it has really sunk in just how useless the non-SBS buses are if you want to get anywhere faster than walking. The north-south routes stop every block or two! The bus literally travels 10-15 bus lengths at a time, up and down Manhattan. It's so stupid.
Some Personal News:
Bluesky glitches are fun but also not that far off from reality
October 7, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Some Personal News:
True New Yorker quizzes are fun and all but there is only one question in the actual True New Yorker test: Do You Take The Subway?
October 7, 2025 at 12:59 PM
True New Yorker quizzes are fun and all but there is only one question in the actual True New Yorker test: Do You Take The Subway?
Reposted by Aaron W. Gordon
@agordon.me is so right about this buttondown.com/Booktime/arc...
October 5, 2025 at 11:55 AM
@agordon.me is so right about this buttondown.com/Booktime/arc...
A fun game is to ask people what they think "independent" journalism means and/or to rank various sources on a scale of independence. Answers vary wildly! www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/b...
October 6, 2025 at 1:06 PM
A fun game is to ask people what they think "independent" journalism means and/or to rank various sources on a scale of independence. Answers vary wildly! www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/b...
I once did a bunch of archival research on the origins and history of junk mail. This talking point—that not everyone has the same definition of "junk"—was used by the junk mail industry for *decades* to fight anti-junk mail policies. (It's also not true. ) www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/t...
October 2, 2025 at 11:31 PM
I once did a bunch of archival research on the origins and history of junk mail. This talking point—that not everyone has the same definition of "junk"—was used by the junk mail industry for *decades* to fight anti-junk mail policies. (It's also not true. ) www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/t...
Back when I did this kind of thing, the pitch for why more NYC newsrooms should have dedicated MTA reporters—not even "transportation" generally, just MTA—was that the MTA's annual budget was larger than that of 10 states.
You see this particularly in the crime discussion nationally, but folks outside of New York City (and often times in New York City) do not grasp the scale and scope of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
NEW Report: States that voted for Trump got billions from MTA Spending
Companies in red states by U.S. Senate seats received more than $3.5 billion in MTA payments over 14 years. States that voted for Trump in 2024 received nearly $7 billion from the MTA over this period.
buff.ly/Yxt4KZ6
Companies in red states by U.S. Senate seats received more than $3.5 billion in MTA payments over 14 years. States that voted for Trump in 2024 received nearly $7 billion from the MTA over this period.
buff.ly/Yxt4KZ6
October 2, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Back when I did this kind of thing, the pitch for why more NYC newsrooms should have dedicated MTA reporters—not even "transportation" generally, just MTA—was that the MTA's annual budget was larger than that of 10 states.
The amazing thing about the hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on AI development is it doesn't even include all the externalized costs like higher electricity prices for hundreds of millions of people.
AI Data Centers Are Sending Power Bills Soaring
Wholesale electricity costs as much as 267% more than it did five years ago in areas near data centers. That’s being passed on to customers.
www.bloomberg.com
September 30, 2025 at 2:49 PM
The amazing thing about the hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on AI development is it doesn't even include all the externalized costs like higher electricity prices for hundreds of millions of people.
One thing to know about the "Eric Adams Is The Future of the Democratic Party" takes from 2021 is not only were they obviously wrong at the time, not only are they embarrassing to the authors now, but they are objectively among the most wrong takes in the history of political punditry.
September 29, 2025 at 12:55 PM
One thing to know about the "Eric Adams Is The Future of the Democratic Party" takes from 2021 is not only were they obviously wrong at the time, not only are they embarrassing to the authors now, but they are objectively among the most wrong takes in the history of political punditry.
Watched The Odd Couple movie with Lemmon and Matthau (so good) but the biggest laugh of the night came halfway through was finding out Matthau's character, with an 8 room apartment on the top floor of a West End Drive doorman building, was a sports columnist writing about the Mets.
September 26, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Watched The Odd Couple movie with Lemmon and Matthau (so good) but the biggest laugh of the night came halfway through was finding out Matthau's character, with an 8 room apartment on the top floor of a West End Drive doorman building, was a sports columnist writing about the Mets.
Great story. Many similar lessons for buying trains, too.
In the US, even a “cheap” transit bus costs 2-3x more than in Asia or Europe -- and one agency may pay twice as much as another for nearly identical vehicles.
In Bloomberg, I explored a ripe opportunity to improve transportation by applying Abundance-coded, supply-side reforms.
🧵
In Bloomberg, I explored a ripe opportunity to improve transportation by applying Abundance-coded, supply-side reforms.
🧵
Why US Cities Pay Too Much for Transit Buses
A new paper argues that lack of competition, demand for custom features and “Buy America” rules have driven up costs for transit agencies in the US.
www.bloomberg.com
September 26, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Great story. Many similar lessons for buying trains, too.
If you're on a Mac the best way to OCR a page of a PDF or image is take a screenshot of it then open it in preview. You can then highlight and copy/paste. This also works surprisingly well with images/PDFs of spreadsheets.
September 24, 2025 at 2:39 PM
If you're on a Mac the best way to OCR a page of a PDF or image is take a screenshot of it then open it in preview. You can then highlight and copy/paste. This also works surprisingly well with images/PDFs of spreadsheets.
Huh. Hmm. Well. I...ah. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/u...
September 18, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Huh. Hmm. Well. I...ah. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/u...