Surely just a coincidence, right?
09.03.2026 19:55
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Rubio's recent invocation of Chiang Kai-shek in reference to Iran come just before a much-anticipated US-Chinese summit and will only further undermine any possibility of constructive dialogue. Careless words from a bungling administration. See my colleague @gkucs.bsky.social's take on it here:
The US has also ignored the IAEA's repeated assertions: "In a March 2 press conference, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that “we don’t see a structured program to manufacture nuclear weapons” in Iran."
"Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that the decision to assassinate the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was taken in November, far predating the breakdown in the nuclear programme negotiations that Donald Trump claimed led to the US launching a preemptive strike on Iran."
You're not wrong.
That's correct and sorry not to make that clear in the original post. It does seem, however, that US/Isreali actions in Iran (without apparent consultations with European allies) have likely deepened Macron's resolve and may have ripple effects elsewhere from American distrust.
This is a significant turning point and potentially just the start of a nuclear snowball that the US has set in motion due to its actions in Iran.
Kick the can down the road, by which time costs will inevitably be higher, there will be new unknowns, and greater incentive for Congress to swallow the sunk-cost fallacy. Delays also mean a costly MMIII refurbishment (which was previously deemed impossible in order to justify Sentinel's approval).
This is the best take I've seen on the recent US allegation of Chinese nuclear tests. There are obvious reasons for concern, but the burden of proof is not yet met. At the same time, the need for transparency around activities at the test sites has never been higher and would be provided by the CTBT
My wonderful @scovillepf.bsky.social @seantmanning.bsky.social has a great story in @inkstickmedia.com about biking alongside interstates during COVID. Those interstates could soon be carrying new plutonium "pits" - the radioactive core used in a new nuclear weapon: inkstickmedia.com/every-day-nu...
The court has found both Yoon Suk-yeol and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun guilty of insurrection.
The New Mexico Environment Department is pushing back on Los Alamos to prioritize remediation of its existing waste. This is good news for neighboring communities who bear the burden of the lab’s past and present impacts and who fear the future ones.
“It’s all a bit mysterious,’’ said Jill Hruby, a longtime nuclear expert who, until last year, ran the National Nuclear Security Agency, a part of the Energy Department that designs, tests and manufactures American nuclear weapons. “It is very confusing what they are doing.”
I'm so grateful for the contributions and insights of artists during times like these. This is a powerful monologue, delivered as only Ian McKellen can:
Official statement from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on New START on their offer to maintain current limits on nuclear weapons without further negotiations, until a new agreement:
"... no formal official response from the United States... has been received through bilateral channels."
A vital read from @gkucs.bsky.social:
“Carney, invoking Vaclav Havel’s characterization of the old Soviet system, described the post-war US-led system as “a lie.” If more US allies come to the same conclusion, a significant change in Chinese foreign and defense priorities could follow.”
“if we told you how many pits we make every year, and you kept track, you would know how many W87-1s there are, and that's a classified thing.” - Thom Mason
But I can tell you how many missiles are ready to carry those shiny W87-1's: ZERO. LANL is working hard to meet an unnecessary objective.
A big win today: a federal court found that the Trump administration’s sham report attacking climate science was created in secret by a hand-picked set of climate policy opponents, violating the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Read our statement here:
As long as the new Sentinel ICBM is delayed, new plutonium pits from Los Alamos aren't going anywhere - this is yet another reason that plutonium pit production is ripe for rescoping and downsizing. Current (unrealistic) quotas are not in sync with the warheads or delivery systems they are for.
“Trump’s Golden Dome space-based interceptor shield is nothing but fool’s gold—shiny, but ultimately worthless—and taxpayers would be left footing the bill to defense contractors,” said Dr. Laura Grego, senior research director in the Global Security program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
"They're taking a wrecking ball to the system of nuclear safety and security regulation oversight that has kept the U.S. from having another Three Mile Island accident," said Edwin Lyman, ... at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "I am absolutely worried about the safety of these reactors."
“We are not producing a product enough people want,” Ms. Weiss told employees... at the network."
You mean like unbiased, objective reporting of facts? Because that's what people want.
Thanks to @joshuakeating.bsky.social at @vox.com for picking up on my latest blog about the fragile pause in nuclear testing.
blog.ucs.org/dylan-spauld...
Also, related: Per ReThink and NTI, "87% of Americans—including the vast majority of Trump voters—think Trump should agree to Russia’s one-year proposal... and 91% want the admin to negotiate a new deal with Russia to either maintain current nuclear limits or further reduce both countries’ arsenals"
Shameless plug for my colleague, Jen Knox's work, on how they would do that:
I don't think this admin recognizes or appreciates anything that was conceieved out of mutual benefit. Zero-sum thinking is simply incompatible with any sort of cooperation or multilateral agreement, hence the "we'll get a better deal" type of rhetoric. His "better deal" might arrive on an ICBM.
The Trump team is dropping the ball on New START, which limits deployments of nuclear weapons. Russia has offered an off ramp without negotations but the US isn't responding. This is a no-brainer, but Trump's ignorance and machismo are likely to result in the shredding of this important treaty.
