Politico's Keach Hagey is reporting that the columnist and senior editor is out at Newsweek after 23 years. Hagey says Alter's future plans are unknown. In 2010, Slate's Jack Shafer deemed Alter, along with then-staffers Howard Fineman, Michael Isikoff, Jon Meacham, Evan Thomas, and Fareed Zakaria, the "Newsweek Six," a reference to their apparent willingness to represent the magazine on any and all political talk shows. Alter was the last of the group at the magazine: Meacham is at Random House, Zakaria is at Time, Thomas is teaching at Princeton, Fineman joined the Huffington Post and Isikoff is now at NBC News. Like the rest, Alter should have no problem finding a nice new gig.

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Ray Gustini