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Why Biden should abandon the great power competition narrative

By Sharon Squassoni | Jan 12, 2021

Aside from a quick extension of the New START treaty, one important step the Biden administration should consider in the realm of nuclear policy is to jettison the “great power competition” narrative that Trump officials and supporters have popularized.

people on street marching with climate change signs

Sierra Club sues SEC, seeking information about alleged collusion with big oil

By Dan Drollette Jr | Nov 4, 2019

A leading environmental organization pushes back against efforts to keep shareholders in the dark about fossil fuel companies’ greenhouse gas emissions. Even resolutions by shareholders to keep track of and report emissions are verboten, says Trump’s SEC.

A small Chinese flag placed in front of an empty chair.

“What about China?” and the threat to US–Russian nuclear arms control

By David M. Allison, Stephen Herzog | Jul 1, 2020

Sinophobia triggered by China’s economic and military growth—as well as allegations surrounding Beijing’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic—threatens to upend decades of consensus on bilateral nuclear arms control. This could continue beyond the Trump presidency and spur arms races that ultimately undermine US national security and global stability. If this scenario occurs, it will be imperative for future leaders to consider new approaches to nuclear risk reduction.

Biden to Putin in Geneva: There’s a new sheriff in town.

By Steven E. Miller | Jun 17, 2021

No great breakthroughs or dramatic developments were expected at the Biden-Putin summit, and none was achieved. But the message was clear: There is a new sheriff in town. Putin noticed, describing Biden as very different from Trump—experienced, balanced, and professional.

Can the nuclear nonproliferation regime be saved when arms control is collapsing?

By John Mecklin | Mar 1, 2020

When limits on nuclear weapons get public attention nowadays, the discussion generally focuses on the disintegration of this or that arms control agreement, and whether its diminishment or disappearance should or shouldn’t be lamented. So far, the Trump administration has lamented little, as many arms control and disarmament experts expressed alarm.

A short presidency, perhaps

By Hugh Gusterson | Nov 11, 2016

If he is not indicted for crimes (sexual assault? fraud?)from his murky past, if he is not felled by the heart attack typical for men of his age, work hours, and dietary habits, I expect President Trump to be deposed in a Republican house coup. He will then have been a vehicle for the election of President Pence.

An undated aerial shot of the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, where US nuclear weapons are assembled and taken apart. Credit: US Government.

Under siege: Safety in the nuclear weapons complex

By Robert Alvarez | Aug 30, 2018

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board faces difficulties that include the actions of some if its own members, who either don’t want or can’t seem to execute its mission. Last year, Sean Sullivan, the acting chairman, tried to secretly convince the Trump White House to get rid of the board entirely, claiming it was “a relic of the Cold-War era defense-establishment.” Sullivan failed and was compelled to resign, but the board has adopted a backup plan that imposes large budget and staffing cuts on the safety agency.

B-2 Stealth bomber at air base in Iceland

Why President Biden needs to revisit—and reduce—his defense budget

By Lawrence J. Korb | Sep 7, 2021

With the timing and substance of its fiscal 2022 defense budget, the Biden administration has made several poor choices that do not enhance US security in a cost-effective manner. In effect, the Biden budget ratifies a massive unnecessary defense buildup that was undertaken by President Trump.

Overview: nuclear scientists as assassination targets

By William Tobey | Nov 27, 2020

The disadvantages of assassinating nuclear scientists are many, including the possibility that assassinations will inspire retaliation, reduce the likelihood of a diplomatic solution, and increase the difficulties international regulators face in monitoring a covert nuclear program. In the abstract, moral and legal strictures also weigh against such assassination efforts. As a practical matter, however, if an existential imperative is present, it will likely trump legal and ethical considerations when a nation contemplates assassinating nuclear scientists.

Cyber Report: Right-wing social media

By Matt Field, Thomas Gaulkin | Sep 25, 2019

A lot of people are watching Facebook and other social media networks to see how well they do at tamping down dangerous hate speech and disinformation. The far-right social media platform Gab, on the other hand, is actively welcoming the haters and conspiracists that have been kicked off elsewhere. Despite Gab's reputation as being a prominent platform for racists and neo-Nazis, could the Trump era potentially give it a chance to revive its fortunes?

VIDEO – Zelensky’s journey: A standup comic stands up to Putin

By Thomas Gaulkin | Jun 9, 2022

How did Ukraine's president go from captain of regional sketch comedy to national war hero, drawing comparisons to larger-than-life figures like Winston Churchill?

The A1 Verse: Iran is not a verb

By Thomas Gaulkin | Nov 17, 2020

Something more than journalism, something that approaches … poetry.

The Soleimani killing and 5 things to know about drones in Iraq

By Dan Gettinger | Jan 7, 2020

A US drone strike killed a top Iranian military leader last week, another chapter in the long story of how drones have been used in conflict in Iraq.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump couldn't agree to a broad deal on sanctions and nuclear weapons in Hanoi. Credit: The White House.

North Korea: What next?

By Matt Field | Mar 4, 2019

President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shocked audiences around the world last week when they hastily ended a much-hyped second meeting in Vietnam. Many had been expecting the pair to declare the end of the Korean War, announce diplomatic liaison offices, and agree to concrete steps towards North Korean denuclearization. Trump sought … Continued

While the world watched US-North Korean negotiations, two nuclear powers squared off

By Matt Field | Feb 28, 2019

While audiences around the world watched the breathless media coverage of US President Donald Trump’s follow-up summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the proud owner of perhaps 10-20 nuclear weapons, they may have missed escalating military tensions between India and Pakistan, two countries with almost 300 nuclear warheads between them. The recent crisis … Continued

Illustration by Matt Field. Based in part on photo by Alias 0591 CC BY 2.0.

Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula begins with a peace declaration

By David Kim | Feb 14, 2019

The central question moving forward isn’t whether Kim is willing to give up his nuclear weapons; rather it’s whether the United States and North Korea can transform their relationship to a point where Kim and his elites begin to believe their regime can survive without nuclear weapons. More than any other measure, an end-of-war declaration between the two countries would represent the beginning of this transformation.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump meet in Singapore in 2018. Credit: White House photo via Twitter.

North Korean concessions the United States might want

By David Kim | Feb 14, 2019

In exchange for a peace declaration and even sanctions relief, the United States could ask North Korea for a number of concessions, including an indefinite moratorium on all nuclear and missile tests, a verifiable freeze (cap) on weapons-grade fissile material, a demonstrable reduction of nuclear-armed delivery systems (i.e., the Hwasong-12 or ICBMs) and nuclear-tipped missiles and launchers (Pukguksong), and steps toward the verifiable dismantlement of Yongbyon nuclear facility.

Now it’s murder

By Elisabeth Eaves | Jul 11, 2018

On Sunday a 44-year-old British woman died from exposure to one of the nerve agents known as novichok, a class of chemical weapons made only by the Soviet Union and Russia. The victim, Dawn Sturgess, was a mother of three living in a facility for the homeless, not an obvious target of the Russian government, Russian … Continued

No cats or dogs were killed during the completion of this debate scorecard

By John Mecklin, Thomas Gaulkin | Sep 11, 2024

Like the missing live audience, there were few existential threats to be found at a debate to help viewers decide the next president of the United States.

The A1 Verse: Speaking “truth” to power

By Thomas Gaulkin | Jan 11, 2021