Feb 02 Watch 9:31 Does Trump’s nuclear plan increase the chance of conflict? By PBS News Hour The Trump administration's blueprint for America's arsenal continues the Obama administration's plans to rebuild all nuclear submarines, aircraft and missiles, but also calls for deploying new capabilities. Critics say the plan will spark a new arms race. Nick Schifrin gets… Continue watching
Feb 02 Trump nuclear doctrine says administration will take more aggressive stance on Russia By Robert Burns, Associated Press The Trump administration on Friday said Russia must be persuaded it would face "unacceptably dire costs" if it were to threaten even limited nuclear attack in Europe. Continue reading
Jan 21 50 years ago, a U.S. military jet crashed in Greenland – with 4 nuclear bombs on board By Timothy J. Jorgensen for The Conversation In what came to be known as the Thule incident, an American bomber crashed in Greenland, spreading radioactive wreckage across 3 square miles. Continue reading
Dec 21 Watch 7:01 ‘Doomsday Machine’ author Daniel Ellsberg says Americans have escaped self-annihilation by luck By PBS News Hour The military analyst turned whistleblower who leaked the Pentagon Papers looks at the existential threat of America’s nuclear capacities in his new memoir, “The Doomsday Machine.” Very little has changed, says author Daniel Ellsberg, when it comes to what he… Continue watching
Nov 29 Watch 6:23 North Korea tested its most powerful missile. Are diplomatic talks more likely now? By PBS News Hour Capable of reaching Washington, D.C., a new missile flew farther than any North Korean rocket had before. The communist nation's most powerful ballistic missile yet drew a vow from President Trump to levy new sanctions. What does the latest test… Continue watching
Nov 14 Watch 4:06 Congress questions commander-in-chief’s sole nuclear authority By PBS News Hour, Nick Schifrin Senators raised concerns about President Trump's power to launch a nuclear war in a hearing on Tuesday. U.S. law has long dictated that only a president should carry the responsibility, but that singular authority is now being questioned. Nick Schifrin… Continue watching
Nov 14 Ex-general says nuclear launch order can be refused By Associated Press A former senior U.S. military officer said an order from the president to launch nuclear weapons can be refused if that command is determined to be illegal. Continue reading
Nov 13 WATCH: Senate committee holds hearing on president’s ability to authorize nuclear weapons By Erica R. Hendry The Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the authority to order the use of nuclear weapons will begin around 10 a.m. ET Tuesday. Watch live here. Continue reading
Nov 08 What Trump said (and didn’t say) in his speech to South Korea By Erica R. Hendry We asked analysts about what Trump’s speech means for North Korea, the U.S. and its relationship with American allies across Asia. Continue reading
Oct 31 Modernizing America’s nuclear arsenal would cost $1.2 trillion, CBO says By Richard Lardner, Associated Press The costs will accumulate over the next 30 years as existing weapons now considered outdated are replaced, according to the budget office, which projected the expenses will crowd out conventional weapons programs unless the Pentagon's budget is increased substantially. Continue reading