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Tag: nuclear

  • Why we don’t know how long until Iran has bomb material

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    As President Donald Trump considers a military strike on Iran, his envoy Steve Witkoff said Iran is on track to quickly have material needed to produce a nuclear bomb.

    “They are probably a week away from having industrial grade bomb making material, and that’s really dangerous,” Witkoff told Fox News’ Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, Feb. 21. 

    Trump said Feb. 19 he was giving Iran 10 days to reach a deal on Iran’s nuclear program. The Trump administration has amassed military power, including ships and aircraft, in the region for potential military action.

    Witkoff and Iranian negotiators met Feb. 26 in Geneva, Switzerland, to continue talks that began earlier in the month. 

    In June 2025, Trump said the U.S. strikes that month had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program when it hit three sites, a comment he repeated during his Feb. 24 State of the Union address. But in November, the White House used softer language, saying Operation Midnight Hammer “significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program.”

    When PolitiFact asked the White House to square Trump’s remarks about obliteration with Witkoff’s comment about Iran being a week away from having bomb making material, the White House referred us to press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s Feb. 24 remarks.

    Leavitt said the June operation “did in fact obliterate Iran’s nuclear facilities,” however, “That does not mean that Iran may never try again to establish a nuclear program.” 

    Witkoff’s comments portray the status of Iran’s nuclear program as settled. It isn’t. There is still a lot of uncertainty, including about the extent of the program’s destruction, its supply of uranium and Iran’s desire to pursue enrichment.

    The International Atomic Energy Agency, which tracks Iran’s nuclear program, has been unable to access the sites the U.S. bombed. In 2018, Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, which had allowed monitoring of the country’s nuclear program. This means experts lack confirmed, independent information about the status of Iran’s efforts.

    What are the obstacles for Iran to produce a nuclear bomb?

    Enriching uranium is the first step in building a nuclear bomb, which also requires a delivery vehicle such as a ballistic missile. Centrifuges are the machines used to enrich uranium.

    Brendan Green, a University of Cincinnati associate professor and expert on nuclear strategy, said Witkoff is operating under the assumption that Iran’s enriched uranium was not destroyed by Operation Midnight Hammer. Iran would also need a sufficient number of centrifuges to enrich uranium.

    “Public information about both of these key premises is totally sparse,” Green said in an email. “I think that a one week estimate is reasonable IF the preconditions of having the uranium and the centrifuges are met. I do not know if those have been met.”

    Before June, Iran had accumulated a significant amount of highly enriched uranium, said Michael Singh, a managing director at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 

    Using the centrifuges Iran operated in the past, it would take just a few days to enrich one bomb’s worth of that highly enriched uranium to “weapons-grade.” 

    “This is likely where Witkoff’s one-week timeline comes from,” Singh said.

    However, experts don’t know how much of that highly enriched uranium Iran has access to because most was likely buried under rubble.

    Singh said as far as he knows, Iran is not currently operating any centrifuges and thus cannot further enrich uranium. 

    “However, we can be relatively sure that Iran has centrifuges hidden somewhere that likely were not struck in the June attacks,” Singh said. The International Atomic Energy Agency has limited visibility into Iran’s centrifuge production activities.

    Joseph Rodgers, an expert on nuclear issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said satellite imagery suggests that two of the three sites the U.S. struck in June have resumed operations. 

    “These strikes, coupled with Israeli targeted assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists and Israeli strikes on the Arak reactor, dealt a significant blow to Iran’s nuclear enterprise,” Rodgers said. The Arak reactor is a heavy water reactor in Iran. 

    Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, said it would take Iran years to fully rebuild the enrichment plants hit in June and “most likely take months — not a week — for Iran to enrich small amounts of uranium to bomb-grade … and to process it into enough metal for a single weapon.”

    David Albright, a former United Nations weapons inspector and president of the Institute for Science and International Security, which analyzes nuclear issues, told The Wall Street Journal Iran’s program has stalled.

    “Viewing the satellite imagery and monitoring the Iranian nuclear sites, we don’t see any evidence that they are trying to reconstitute their nuclear-weapons program,” Albright said. “They are essentially on hold.”

    Politicians and experts have predicted timelines about Iran’s nuclear program for decades 

    In 1992, Benjamin Netanyahu, then a member of Israel’s Knesset, said Iran was three to five years from producing a nuclear weapon.

    In 2022, during the Biden administration, a State Department official estimated that Iran needed as little as one week to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for one nuclear weapon. A May 2025 Defense Intelligence Agency assessment gave a similar timeframe.

    Shawn Rostker, a research analyst at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said he is skeptical of Witkoff’s “week away” statement.

    “While Iran has enriched uranium beyond what is needed for civilian purposes, any precise breakout timeline is murky and highly assumption-based, and we don’t have high confidence in estimates like that right now,” Rostker said. “The more important issue is not arguing over speculative timelines, but urgently pursuing serious diplomacy to reduce risks and keep this crisis from spiraling further.”

    RELATED: Ask PolitiFact: What was the Iran nuclear deal and why did Trump drop out?

    RELATED: Ask PolitiFact: Was Iran ‘weeks away’ from having a nuclear weapon, as Trump said?

     

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  • Brink of war: President Trump demanding Iran abandon its nuclear program or face military action

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    American and Iranian officials are meeting today in Switzerland to discuss U.S. demands for Iran to abandon its nuclear program, amid threats from President Donald Trump and a buildup of American military assets. Trump has warned of using force if a deal is not reached.”I think they want to make a deal. I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal. They want to make a deal,” Trump said.Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are in Geneva for a second round of talks over Iran’s nuclear program. Iran has stated that it will respond with an attack of its own if the U.S. initiates military action. The Trump administration insists that Iran must cease uranium enrichment, a process that could lead to the development of nuclear weapons, while Tehran maintains its program is for peaceful purposes.Trump is increasing American military presence near Iran, having recently announced the deployment of the world’s largest aircraft carrier from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East, where another guided-missile destroyer is stationed.Trump was asked Friday if he wants regime change in Iran. He said it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen, but he did not comment on the specifics of who he wants to take over. Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:

    WASHINGTON —

    American and Iranian officials are meeting today in Switzerland to discuss U.S. demands for Iran to abandon its nuclear program, amid threats from President Donald Trump and a buildup of American military assets. Trump has warned of using force if a deal is not reached.

    “I think they want to make a deal. I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal. They want to make a deal,” Trump said.

    Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are in Geneva for a second round of talks over Iran’s nuclear program.

    Iran has stated that it will respond with an attack of its own if the U.S. initiates military action.

    The Trump administration insists that Iran must cease uranium enrichment, a process that could lead to the development of nuclear weapons, while Tehran maintains its program is for peaceful purposes.

    Trump is increasing American military presence near Iran, having recently announced the deployment of the world’s largest aircraft carrier from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East, where another guided-missile destroyer is stationed.

    Trump was asked Friday if he wants regime change in Iran. He said it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen, but he did not comment on the specifics of who he wants to take over.

    Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:


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  • Going Nuclear Without Blowing Up

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    Adolfo Saracho, a senior diplomat and arms expert, soon created the Department for Nuclear Affairs and Disarmament in the Argentinean Foreign Ministry. “Saracho was a kind of Pied Piper, who was surrounded by young, smart, passionate kids he mentored,” Poneman, a nuclear-security expert who was in Buenos Aires at the time, recalled. Grossi was “a wet-behind-the-ears, newly minted diplomat” in Saracho’s orbit, Poneman said. “Rafa always had a kind of vision, even for a kid at that point, in his tender years, with a lively intellect, already charismatic, and with genuine gravitas. He stood out.”

    Grossi has now spent four decades on the issues outlined in Eisenhower’s speech. In 2023, he addressed the U.N. General Assembly from the same dais where Eisenhower had spoken. “Atoms for Peace is more relevant than ever,” he said. “Every day on every continent, the I.A.E.A. supports nations in overcoming challenges like disease, poverty, hunger, pollution, and climate change by seizing opportunities to improve health care, agriculture, and energy systems through the power of nuclear science and technology.”

    This year, Grossi persuaded the World Bank to end its decades-long ban on funding nuclear-energy projects; the agreement was signed in June, opening the way for the bank to support initiatives in developing countries. Grossi also created the Rays of Hope program, to expand global access to cancer detection and care. As a medical treatment, radiation had saved millions of lives “by turning cancers that were death sentences into curable diseases,” he said, in a speech in Ethiopia launching the initiative. “But these lifesaving advances have passed half the world by.”

    Still, Grossi has generated more headlines in his role as the watchdog checking for cheaters—as Argentina once was. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or N.P.T., which went into effect in 1970, authorizes Grossi’s agency to monitor the nuclear facilities in all countries that have signed it; the I.A.E.A. can deploy cameras, conduct on-site inspections, and investigate suspicious activity. (The treaty currently has a hundred and ninety-one signatories.)

    Iran was one of the original signatories. It is now the I.A.E.A.’s crisis case. A year ago, Grossi visited Fordo, the most advanced nuclear facility in the country. It was “very unassuming,” he told me. “Think about it as an underground parking garage. The difference is, instead of cars, it had labs and centrifuge halls and research-and-development places. It is a major piece of architecture.” Trucks could transport personnel and equipment into the complex; Grossi’s team opted to walk down a circular ramp almost three hundred feet underground. The facility is at the edge of the Alborz Mountains, a range considered in ancient times to be the home of mythical gods and an entrance to the afterlife. In the twenty-first century, it has hidden the centerpiece of Iran’s contentious nuclear program.

    In June, the I.A.E.A. board of governors declared for the first time in two decades that Iran had violated the safeguard provisions outlined in the N.P.T. It cited the Islamic Republic for “many failures to uphold its obligations since 2019” on nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations in Iran. I.A.E.A. declarations are based on reports prepared by Grossi. “That report did not say anything that we had not said before,” Grossi told me. “Of course, it was stern and serious about Iran’s lack of answers and coöperation on many fronts. At the same time, I said in black-and-white that there was no systematic nuclear-weapons program in Iran.” (The board includes representatives from the first five nuclear powers and thirty other rotating members. Nineteen countries supported the Iran resolution, eleven abstained, two declined to vote, and three—China, Russia, and Burkina Faso—opposed it.)

    Shortly after the I.A.E.A. resolution, Israel bombed military, nuclear, and political headquarters across Iran, including Fordo’s surface facilities and access roads. U.S. B-2 stealth warplanes later dropped a dozen bunker-busting bombs, each weighing thirty thousand pounds, directly into Fordo. Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, blamed Grossi personally for what would later be dubbed the Twelve-Day War; he vowed that Iran would “settle” with the I.A.E.A. director-general after it ended. Kayhan, a hard-line newspaper considered the mouthpiece of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called Grossi, who is Catholic, a Mossad agent. It warned that he would be tried and executed if he returned to Iran. There have since been more graphic threats.

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    Robin Wright

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  • Opinion | Dick Cheney and the Fruits of Regime Change

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    He has largely proved right about Iraq and the broader Middle East.

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    Barton Swaim

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  • S&P 500 Nuclear Leader Misses On Earnings. The Stock Reversed Higher.

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    S&P 500 nuclear component Constellation Energy (CEG) on Friday reported worse-than-expected third-quarter profit and narrowed its full-year earnings guidance. CEG stock fell solidly early before advancing in Friday’s market. Constellation Energy reported Q3 earnings growing nearly 11% to $3.04 per share while revenue totaled $6.57 billion, running basically flat vs. a year earlier. Prior to the release, analysts expected Q3…

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  • Fact-checking Trump’s ‘60 Minutes’ interview

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    In his first “60 Minutes” interview in five years, President Donald Trump misled about his administration’s deportation strategy and his record on grocery prices. 

    The nearly 90-minute interview came a year after he successfully sued CBS’ parent company over its editing of a Kamala Harris interview, netting a $16 million settlement. The network broadcast an edited 28-minute version of the Trump interview that covered trade with China, nuclear weapons testing and the federal government shutdown. 

    When asked about his plan to end the shutdown, Trump rejected possible negotiations with Democrats over expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and said Republicans will “keep voting” on continuing resolutions that have failed in the Senate.

    When “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent Norah O’Donnell asked Trump about his administration’s immigration enforcement tactics — referring to agents tackling a mother, releasing tear gas in Chicago neighborhoods and smashing car windows — Trump was unapologetic. He said the raids “haven’t gone far enough.” 

    A former New Yorker, Trump weighed in on the Nov. 4 New York City mayoral race, saying he preferred “bad Democrat” former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, over the frontrunner, state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee.

    CBS released a 1-hour, 13-minute version of the interview on YouTube as well as a full online transcript. We fact-checked Trump’s statements from the network broadcast version of the interview, and noted when relevant portions had been edited out.

    Said he did not instruct the Justice Department “in any way, shape or form” to pursue his political enemies.

    Trump has publicly called on Justice Department officials to prosecute people he perceives as political enemies. 

    In a Sept. 20 Truth Social post, he asked Pam Bondi, his attorney general, to take action against former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff.

    “I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, ‘same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, Leticia??? They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,” Trump wrote. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

    The Wall Street Journal reported the post was intended to be a private message to Bondi.

    Trump doubled down after he was asked about the post later that day.  

    The Justice Department indicted Comey on Sept. 25 on charges of making a false statement and obstruction related to 2020 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee; he has pleaded not guilty. The department indicted James on Oct. 9 on one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution; she has pleaded not guilty. And on Oct. 16, former Trump national security adviser John Bolton was indicted on charges of unlawfully retaining and transmitting classified information, an investigation that was inherited from the Biden administration; Bolton has pleaded not guilty.

    New York City mayoral candidate Mamdani talks to a pedestrian in New York, Oct. 27. (AP)

    Mamdani is a “communist, not a socialist. Communist.” 

    That’s False.

    Mamdani describes himself as a democratic socialist, which in the U.S. generally refers to someone who believes in a political system with generous social insurance programs such as heavily subsidized child care and high tax rates to pay for education and health care.

    Mamdani’s mayoral platform proposes making New York City more affordable, including via free buses and child care, rent controlled apartments and city-owned grocery stores. That is not akin to communism, a system in which the government controls the means of production and takes over private businesses. Mamdani has not called for the elimination of private ownership in his mayoral campaign.

    “Do you know that I could use (the Insurrection Act) immediately and no judge can even challenge you on that? … The Insurrection Act has been used routinely by presidents.”

    This is exaggerated. Legal experts have previously told PolitiFact courts can rule on the legality of invoking the Insurrection Act, although courts have historically deferred to presidents’ use of the act. Invoking the Insurrection Act — a centuries-old set of laws that allow the president to deploy federal military personnel domestically to suppress rebellion and enforce civilian law — isn’t as commonplace as Trump made it out to be. 

    In the full interview, Trump told O’Donnell almost 50% of presidents have used the act and “some of the presidents, recent ones, have used it 28 times.”

    The Insurrection Act has been used on 30 occasions in U.S. history, most more than 100 years ago, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Seventeen of the country’s 45 presidents, about 37%, have officially invoked it.

    No president has invoked the act 28 times. Former President Ulysses S. Grant invoked the law six times in the 1870s — the most of any president — as white supremacist groups violently revolted after the Civil War.

    The most recent invocation came in 1992 after riots broke out in Los Angeles following the acquittal of four white police officers in the beating of Black motorist Rodney King.


    Two National Guardsmen stand guard outside a burning donut shop in Los Angeles April 30, 1992. The National Guard was called in to aid police during the second day of rioting in the city. (AP)

    Asked about his campaign promise to deport the “worst of the worst,” Trump said, “That’s what we’re doing.” 

    This needs context. More than 70% of immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement — nearly 60,000 — as of Sept. 21 had no criminal convictions, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a Syracuse University research organization.

    The federal government doesn’t specify what crimes the 28% of immigrants with criminal convictions committed. The list can include serious felonies, immigration violations such as illegal entry and minor traffic violations.

    O’Donnell pushed back, saying the Trump administration had deported landscapers, nannies, construction workers and farmers who aren’t criminals.

    “No, landscapers who are criminals,” Trump said.

    News organizations have reported numerous cases of immigrants with no criminal records who federal immigration agents have detained including landscapers, the father of three U.S. Marines, day laborers and farmworkers. 

    Speaking about the government shutdown, “The problem is (Democrats) want to give money to prisoners, to drug dealers, to all these millions of people that were allowed to come in with an open border from Biden.”

    That’s False.

    The Democrats’ government funding proposal would not give federally funded health care to immigrants illegally in the U.S., who are already largely ineligible for programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.

    The Democrats’ proposal would not change that. Instead, Democrats want to restore access to certain health care programs for legal immigrants, such as refugees and people granted asylum, who lost access under the Republican tax and spending law that was signed into law in July.

    That law also reduced funding for a Medicaid program that reimburses hospitals for emergency care provided to immigrants who would be eligible for Medicaid if not for their immigration status. The Democrats want to revert to previous funding levels. The program represented less than 1% of total Medicaid spending in fiscal year 2023, according to KFF, a health think tank.

    In the full interview, Trump said, “I don’t want to give $1.5 trillion to prisoners and drug dealers and the people that came into our country from mental institutions.”

    One group estimated that the Democratic proposal would add $1.5 trillion to the national debt over the next decade; that doesn’t mean Democrats are proposing to spend $1.5 trillion on any single program, especially not for immigrants illegally in the U.S. 

    There is no evidence other countries, including Venezuela, sent people from “mental institutions” to the U.S. 

    “We have more nuclear weapons than any other country.”

    By the numbers, Russia is ahead of the U.S. But countries keep exact numbers secret, and there are different ways to count weapons.

    Counting nuclear weapons inventories, including active stockpiles and retired warheads, Russia has 5,459, ahead of the U.S. with 5,177, according to the Federation of American Scientists, a group that tracks nuclear policy.

    Hans M. Kristensen, who works for the organization, said Russia has a wider lead over the U.S. on its active stockpile. The U.S. has more retired warheads than Russia.

    Trump could be citing a separate metric — an estimate that the U.S. has 1,670 deployed strategic weapons and 100 nonstrategic weapons, for a total of 1,770. This outpaces Russia’s estimated 1,718 deployed strategic weapons. Deployed strategic warheads are deployed on intercontinental missiles and at heavy bomber bases, while nonstrategic warheads are deployed with operational short-range delivery systems. 

    A simple weapons count “is deeply ridiculous,” because the size of either the U.S. or the Russian arsenal would create massive devastation, said Richard Nephew, a Columbia University weapons expert.

    “Right now, (grocery prices are) going down, other than beef.”

    Trump’s effort to fact-check O’Donnell, who said grocery prices were up, is mostly inaccurate. A few major grocery items have had price decreases under Trump, but most have not.

    Many grocery items have seen price increases between December 2024, the last full month of Joe Biden’s presidency, and September 2025, the most recent month for which Bureau of Labor Statistics data is available.

    Grocery prices overall have increased by almost 2%. Trump correctly noted beef’s price rise: Ground beef prices are up almost 13%, and steaks are up by more than 15%.

    But the price increases go beyond that. Bacon is up by more than 5%; the combined category of meats, poultry, fish and eggs is up by 4%; fruits and vegetables are up by almost 1%; coffee is up by more than 15%; sugar and sweets are up by more than 4%; and dairy products are up by a fraction of a percent.

    Two notable price declines have come from eggs (down 16%, after the sector recovered from bird flu-related shortages) and bread (down about 2%).

    In a portion of the interview not broadcast, Trump falsely said the U.S. has “no inflation” and “we’re down to 2%, even less than 2%.” In September, the year-over-year inflation rate was 3%, higher than it was during the final six months of Biden’s term.


    Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak after Netanyahu addressed the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, Oct. 13 in Jerusalem. (AP)

    “Before the ninth month (of my presidency) I stopped eight wars.” 

    Trump has helped broker temporary peace deals in conflicts around the world, but his repeated claim that he has “stopped” eight wars is exaggerated.

    The U.S. was involved in recently eased conflicts between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, and Armenia and Azerbaijan — but these were mostly incremental accords, and some leaders dispute the extent of Trump’s role. 

    Peace has not held in other conflicts. The U.S. was involved in a temporary peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, but violence in the region resumed, with hundreds of civilians killed since the deal’s June signing. After Trump helped broker a deal between Cambodia and Thailand, the countries accused each other of ceasefire violations that have led to violent skirmishes.

    A standoff between Egypt and Ethiopia over an Ethiopian dam on the Nile remains unresolved, and it’s closer to a diplomatic dispute than a military clash. In the case of Kosovo and Serbia, we found little evidence of brewing conflict. 

    The Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage agreement involves multiple stages. Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire and ordered strikes in the Gaza Strip that killed over 100 Palestinians before announcing that the ceasefire was back on.

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  • Nuclear testing update: Energy secretary clarifies Trump’s comments

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    Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified comments that were made last week by President Donald Trump on Truth Social about renewed nuclear testing during an appearance on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing.

    Wright told Fox News’ Peter Doocy that people wouldn’t see explosions or anything similar to previous nuclear tests carried out in the United States, saying, “I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests. These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call non-critical explosions.”

    Wright elaborated that such tests involve “all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the appropriate geometry and they set up the nuclear explosion,” but do not include actual atomic detonations.

    Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon and the White House regarding testing nuclear testing Sunday.

    Why It Matters

    U.S. nuclear weapons policy has global ramifications, impacting diplomatic relations and international security.

    The U.S. last conducted a nuclear weapons test in 1992 at the Nevada National Security Site underground. In 1996, the country signed onto the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which “bans all nuclear test explosions, whether for military or civilian purposes.” However, the Senate rejected its ratification in 1999.

    With rivals like Russia, China and Iran accelerating their nuclear programs, the Trump administration’s public signals have drawn close scrutiny from lawmakers, the public, and America’s allies and adversaries.

    The clarification from Wright provides new insights on the administration’s approach to nuclear deterrence and the ongoing debate about how best to maintain the safety and reliability of the U.S. arsenal while avoiding breaches of international bans on nuclear detonations.

    What To Know

    On Truth Social last week, Trump wrote that the U.S. “has more nuclear weapons than any other country,” saying it was “accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons” during his first term.

    The president added: “Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years. Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

    On Wednesday, reporters aboard Air Force One asked Trump about his post, seeking details about what it would look like for the U.S. resuming such tests.

    “We’re going to do some testing,” the president said. “Other countries do it. If they’re going to do it, we’re going to.” He declined to provide further details.

    During his appearance on The Sunday Briefing, Wright was asked by Doocy if residents near the U.S. military’s nuclear testing site in Nevada “should expect to see a mushroom cloud at some point.”

    Wright responded: “No, no worries about that.”

    The Federation of American Scientists estimates that the U.S. has a nuclear stockpile of about 3,700 warheads, with about 1,700 deployed, while the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) puts the total U.S. inventory at 5,177, with Russia at 5,459. SIPRI notes that “Russia and the USA together possess around 90 percent of all nuclear weapons.” The U.S. and the Soviet Union engaged in a nuclear arms race during the Cold War.

    Only North Korea has conducted a nuclear test detonation this century—the last in 2017—though Russia and China have tested delivery systems but not warheads, according to the Associated Press.

    Beijing and Moscow have intensified their nuclear weapons programs in recent years, but neither has confirmed violation of the testing moratorium.

    Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday that the Pentagon is moving “quickly” on Trump’s directive. He said during a meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that the department will work with the Department of Energy on nuclear testing, saying that the “president was clear. We need a credible nuclear deterrent.” 

    What People Are Saying

    Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, wrote on X on Thursday: “New nuclear tests are unnecessary escalation by a President who doesn’t seem to be paying attention. The Chinese and the Russians HAVEN’T conducted a recent test of a nuclear warhead. It’s been decades. If we resume testing our weapons (which we have no reason to do) China will likely begin a test program. This only helps them advance their technology and start an arms race. Read your briefing materials, Mr. President.”

    Corey Hinderstein, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for Nuclear Peace, told NPR: “I think a decision to resume nuclear testing would be extremely dangerous and would do more to benefit our adversaries than the United States.”

    Ernest Moniz, American nuclear physicist, former secretary of energy, and CEO of The Nuclear Threat Initiative, in a statement on Thursday: “If explosive testing were to resume, it would mark the end of a three-decade-long moratorium on U.S. nuclear testing. Testing nuclear weapons is unnecessary for U.S. national security, unwise because it will invite our adversaries to do the same, and unwelcome in communities close to the test site.”

    Vice Admiral Richard Correll, nominee to lead U.S. Strategic Command, said at a Senate hearing last week: “I don’t have insight into the President’s intent. I agree that could be an interpretation.”

    What Happens Next?

    The Trump administration has not announced any timetable for a resumption of explosive tests, and top officials have continued to emphasize the non-nuclear nature of planned activities.

    The situation continues to be closely monitored by lawmakers and international observers, with calls for further transparency and discussion.

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  • 3 Chinese nationals arrested in Georgia for trying to buy $400K worth of black-market uranium

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    Authorities in the country of Georgia say they have disrupted a major nuclear smuggling attempt involving several Chinese nationals accused of trying to buy uranium on the black market, according to the Associated Press (AP).

    The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) announced Saturday that three Chinese citizens were detained in Tbilisi while attempting to illegally purchase roughly 4.4 pounds of uranium for $400,000, according to the outlet.

    Officials said the suspects were planning to traffic the nuclear material to China via Russia, the outlet reported. 

    “Three Chinese citizens have been detained in Tbilisi while attempting to illegally purchase 2 kilograms of nuclear material — uranium,” the agency said, according to the AP. 

    UN NUCLEAR CHIEF SAYS IRAN HAS MATERIAL TO BUILD BOMBS, BUT NO PLAN TO DO SO

    Officials arrest multiple Chinese nationals in Georgia over uranium trafficking plot. (State Security Service of Georgia)

    Video footage released by the agency shows security officers in the Georgian capital seizing bottles containing what was identified as uranium and arresting multiple individuals at the scene.

    IAEA CHIEF CALLS ISRAELI PRESIDENT, REPORTEDLY SAYS IRAN NUCLEAR FACILITY WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED

    two bottles of yellow uranium

    Two bottles identified as uranium were confiscated over the weekend in Georgia’s Tbilisi.  (State Security Service of Georgia)

    According to the SSSG, one of the suspects had overstayed his visa and was living in Georgia illegally, the AP said. He allegedly led efforts to locate and acquire the radioactive substance, even bringing in experts from abroad to assist, the outlet added. Other members of the group reportedly coordinated the operation from China.

    The perpetrators were identified and detained while “negotiating the details of the illegal transaction,” the security service reportedly said.

    The agency did not specify when the arrests occurred or provide the identities of the suspects.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    two officials escort suspect

    Georgian officials escort a suspect after authorities foiled a uranium smuggling plot in Tbilisi. (State Security Service of Georgia)

    The latest arrests follow a similar case in July, when Georgian authorities detained a foreign national and a Georgian citizen accused of planning to sell uranium worth $3 million. Officials said that material could have been used to construct explosive devices or carry out terrorist attacks.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Bonny Chu is a Digital Production Assistant at Fox News Digital.

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  • North Korean Scammers Are Doing Architectural Design Now

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    “The plans are being used and being built,” says Michael “Barni” Barnhart, a leading authority in North Korean hacking and cyber threats, who works for insider threat security firm DTEX. Along with other DPRK researchers, who call themselves a “Misfit” alliance, Barnhart has seen this cluster of workers conducting architectural work and says similar other efforts have been detected. “They will do the CAD renderings, they’ll do the drawings,” he says. “It’s not like a hypothetical—those physical things do exist out there.”

    Barnhart—who previously found North Korean animators appearing to work on Amazon and Max shows—says that he has also seen potential front companies set up to help run the operations and provide a veneer of legitimacy. The findings raise questions about the quality of the structural work and concerns about safety, if structures are created in the physical world. “In some of our investigations, these plans and these products that they’re making for these remodels and renderings, they’re not getting good reviews,” Barnhart says. “We do have indications that also they’re being hired to do critical infrastructure.”

    One 24-minute long screen recording seen by WIRED shows how the freelance operation could work. In the video, a person signs up to a freelance work website and sets up a new profile where they write that they are a “licensed structural engineer/architect in the USA.” They pick a profile image from a folder of potentially downloaded files, translate text between English and Korean, and access a Social Security number generator website during the sign-up process.

    When their account is created, the video shows them start to message online requests for work, with one message saying: “I can provide you [sic] permit drawing plan set for your residential home design within a few days.”

    Other screen recordings show the workers having conversations with potential clients, and in at least one instance there is a recording of an online call discussing possible work. The Kela researcher, who asked not be named for security reasons, says it appeared some prospective customers returned to the scammers after likely having work completed. The researchers say some kinds of work appeared to be priced from a few hundred dollars up to around $1,000 per job.

    “This is an opportunistic nation,” DTEX’s Barnhart says. While many companies have started to figure out that North Korea’s IT workers are often applying for remote tech jobs, using false identities, deepfakes on video calls, and local workers to run their operations, they are consistently changing their approaches. Barnhart says it appears that architectural work has been successful for the alleged DPRK workers and that evidence shows the IT workers program can be more subtle than trying to get hired at companies.

    “They’re moving to places where we’re not looking,” Barnhart says. “They’re also doing things like call centers. They’re doing HR and payroll and accounting. Things that are just remote roles and not necessarily remote hires.”

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    Matt Burgess

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  • 4 Startups Making Money While Helping Mitigate Climate Change

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    Four U.S. companies landed a spot on MIT Technology Review‘s annual list of Climate Tech Companies to Watch. Spanning industries from nuclear and geothermal power to battery recycling and gene editing, these businesses demonstrate resilience and potential to thrive in spite of—or in some cases because of—shifting political and economic forces in the U.S.

    These climate tech companies were selected based on a number of criteria including the likelihood that the technologies can mitigate climate change threats or reduce emissions, and whether they are likely to actually succeed as businesses, according to MIT Technology Review senior editor James Temple.

    This year’s list is also shorter than lists of past years and is much more “geographically diverse,” Temple noted, which reflects the challenges facing these technologies and businesses at large. Alongside U.S. companies, the list includes those from Canada, China, Germany, India, and Sweden.

    Here are the four homegrown climate tech companies featured on MIT’s list:

    Fervo Energy

    Fervo Energy is a Houston-based company applying oil and gas practices to make geothermal energy more cost effective and accessible. Whereas geothermal energy extraction is usually location-specific (think: Iceland), Fervo uses hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling to access the energy source almost anywhere. In June, Fervo landed $206 million, much of it from Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, to continue building out the world’s first enhanced geothermal power plant in Utah (and in September got a big shoutout in Gates’s famous blog). 

    When the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed into law in July, it curtailed or eliminated a number of tax incentives for various industries like solar, wind, and EVs. But key Biden-era tax incentives were largely preserved for geothermal and nuclear. Plus, U.S. energy secretary Chris Wright listed geothermal as a priority alongside advanced nuclear, hydropower, and fossil fuels when expanding on Trump’s early, energy-related executive orders. 

    That said, possible risks to the technology’s viability include lengthy permitting processes, and the seismic risks that fracking more broadly can pose, according to MIT.

    Kairos Power

    Alameda, California-based Kairos Power is developing advanced nuclear reactors that executives say can produce reliable and abundant nuclear power more safely and affordably than today’s fission reactors. Kairos’s reactor design uses a robust fuel form that can remain intact at high temperatures, as well as a molten fluoride salt as a coolant, rather than water. The company has backing from Google, with which it struck a deal that is poised to help develop its small modular reactor technology and inked a historic deal in August with a major U.S. utility. 

    Like Fervo, Kairos Power operates in an industry with which the Trump administration’s has taken a comparatively friendlier stance. Kairos aims to kick off commercial operations as soon as 2030, but risks remain. MIT Technology Review noted Kairos isn’t the first to experiment with molten salt reactors—other such projects have failed—plus Kairos’s unique fuel requires specialized uranium that previously was mostly sourced from Russia. 

    Pairwise

    Pairwise applies Crispr gene editing technology to crops. In partnership with biotech giants Bayer and Corteva, the Durham, North Carolina-based startup aims to produce crops that can withstand the increasingly hostile conditions of a planet with a changing climate, according to MIT.

    The company already introduced a less bitter mustard green, and now it is turning its focus toward sturdier corn, high-yield yams, and disease-resistant cacao trees with various partners including the Gates Foundation and global candy company Mars. Pairwise has not yet successfully introduced to market any of its climate optimized foods, and risks remain about how consumers might receive them, MIT noted.

    Redwood Materials

    Carson City, Nevada-based Redwood Materials has already made a name for itself as a U.S. leader in battery recycling. Now it’s moving into battery upcycling, turning end-of-life EV batteries into microgrids that experts believe could be crucial for shoring up the grid amid rising energy demand.

    As more consumers adopt electric vehicles, there’s increasing domestic and global demand for minerals like lithium and cobalt. Redwood says that recycling batteries reduces the need for mining and boosts the domestic supply chain, all while cutting carbon emissions by 70 percent compared with processing mined materials, MIT Technology Review reported. Plus, this new microgrid technology could help quickly meet power needs as data centers demand ever more energy. But as MIT points out, Redwood still has technical and scaling hurdles to clear for its microgrids, and the viability of the business could be threatened if consumer demand for EVs tumbles.

    Check out the full list of Climate Tech Companies to watch here.

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    Chloe Aiello

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  • Iran to halt cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog

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    Western European nations’ move to reimpose sanctions has derailed a recent monitoring agreement, Tehran has said

    Iran’s top security body has announced the suspension of nuclear cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), citing actions by Western European nations against the Islamic Republic.

    On Friday, the UN Security Council voted to reimpose sanctions on Iran, which had been suspended in return for curbs on its nuclear program in a 2015 deal. The so-called “snapback” mechanism was initiated by Britain, France, and Germany last month.

    “The ill-considered actions of three European countries regarding the Iranian nuclear issue… will effectively suspend the path of cooperation with the Agency,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement cited by state news agency IRNA.

    The European nations took these steps despite the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and “the presentation of plans to resolve the issue,” it said.

    Earlier this month, Tehran and the IAEA reached an agreement that would have allowed the organization to resume inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran had suspended them after Israel and then the US attacked its nuclear sites, accusing it of developing a nuclear bomb – accusations the Islamic Republic has consistently denied.

    Iran had previously agreed to restrict its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which it signed with Russia, China, the US, France, Britain, Germany and the EU. However, the deal effectively collapsed when Washington unilaterally withdrew in 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first term.
    US revokes sanctions waiver on India for key Iran port

    On August 28, Britain, France, and Germany triggered the JCPOA’s 30-day “snapback” mechanism, designed to reimpose sanctions frozen under the accord. Friday’s UNSC vote means the measures will take effect on September 28.

    At the session, the Russian envoy to council, Vassily Nebenzia, stressed that Moscow does not recognize the decision. The E3 has “chronically” violated their JCPOA obligations and failed to follow the dispute mechanism, he said.

    “In our view, no snapback procedure is taking place,” Nebenzia said, adding that “the Russian Federation does not recognize either the alleged steps taken or any further steps in this context.”

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  • IAEA Honors Blue Wave AI Labs, Constellation, and Southern Nuclear With 2025 Global Innovation Award for Pioneering AI in Nuclear Power

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    VIENNA, September 18, 2025 (Newswire.com)
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    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced that Blue Wave AI Labs, Constellation, and Southern Company subsidiary Southern Nuclear won the prestigious 2025 Global ISOP Innovation Award for AI. This recognition celebrates their groundbreaking application of Blue Wave’s ThermalLimits.ai, a state-of-the-art AI solution that delivers unprecedented accuracy in online thermal limit forecasting for Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs).

    At the heart of this innovation is Blue Wave’s Nuclear-Grade AI™ framework, which represents a paradigm shift in reliability for critical nuclear environments. Unlike general-purpose large language models (LLMs) that prioritize broad applicability over precision, Nuclear-Grade AI applications leverage physics-informed machine learning and deep neural networks trained on historical fuel cycle data, core simulator outputs, and real-time instrumentation feedback. This approach achieves unprecedented reliability; reducing prediction biases by up to 75% compared to traditional methods and enabling engineers and operators to maximize electrical output with optimal fuel utilization while preserving the resiliency of nuclear power.

    “This award emphasizes the place of Blue Wave’s Nuclear-Grade AI applications in the future of nuclear energy,” said Gina Pattermann, CEO of Blue Wave AI Labs. “Our collaboration demonstrates how precise, reliable AI can drive safety and operational efficiency, paving the way for more abundant and affordable nuclear energy.”

    “We’re excited to see Blue Wave AI Labs, Constellation and Southern Nuclear recognized in this major international forum for the successful deployment of AI technologies to increase operational efficiency and lower costs for nuclear power plants,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dr. Mike Goff. “This effort was supported in part by a competitive award from the U.S. Department of Energy and technical assistance from two national laboratories, spotlighting the U.S. Government’s ongoing commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in the nuclear energy industry.”

    “The IAEA is committed to fostering innovation that drives nuclear excellence worldwide,” said Aline Des Cloizeaux, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Power. “The ISOP Innovation Awards highlight novel solutions that are already making a difference in the field. By recognizing these achievements, we are contributing to a growing library of real-world use cases in areas such as AI, advanced manufacturing, robotics and drones or advanced instrumentation and control – inspiring collaboration and further innovation across the nuclear sector.”

    “Nuclear energy is essential to support the load growth demands we are seeing across the country and having real-time insights into unit performance positions us to maximize our units at a time when reliable, safe, clean power is more important than ever,” said Southern Nuclear Chairman, President and CEO Pete Sena.” We are proud to be recognized as part of the collaborative work between companies leading the industry in pioneering AI for nuclear power plants.”

    “By leveraging the power of artificial intelligence, we can enhance our ability to deliver more clean, reliable megawatts to American families and businesses. AI can be seamlessly integrated into plant operations to enhance forecasting accuracy, reduce operational risks, and operate our nuclear fleet at the highest levels of safety, efficiency and reliability,” said Constellation Chief Generation Officer Bryan Hanson. “Constellation is not just helping the nation win the AI race, we also are harnessing the technology to meet America’s growing demand for clean, reliable and affordable energy.”

    ThermalLimits.ai addresses longstanding challenges in nuclear reload core design and cycle management by bridging the gap between biased offline approximations and online realities. With an average bias of less than 0.75% for key metrics, the tool prevents unplanned derates, optimizes fuel usage, and minimizes risks like premature coast down. By integrating seamlessly with existing nuclear fuel analysis software, it empowers operators to make data-driven decisions that boost plant performance and reduce reload fuel costs.

    About Blue Wave AI Labs

    Blue Wave AI Labs is an AI company specializing in Nuclear-Grade AI applications, a set of highly-precise and reliable AI-based algorithms designed for critical applications in nuclear energy, defense, and supply chains. Our Nuclear-Grade AI applications ensure unmatched safety and performance in high-stakes environments. Blue Wave integrates advanced neural nets, large language models, and other machine learning techniques to deliver transformative, secure solutions for complex challenges. Follow Blue Wave AI Labs and learn more about Nuclear-Grade AI on LinkedIn and X.

    Contact Information

    Pete Mrvos
    VP, Communications
    pete.mrvos@bwailabs.com

    Source: Blue Wave AI Labs

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  • Radiant First Developer to Sign DOE Contract for HALEU Fuel, on Track for Test Next Spring

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    Radiant scheduled to be the first to test a new reactor design at Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) facility


    EL SEGUNDO, Calif., August 21, 2025 (Newswire.com)
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    Radiant, the company pioneering the world’s first portable, mass-produced nuclear microreactor, announced today it has officially signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel.

    The agreement follows the DOE’s April 9th announcement naming five HALEU awardees. Each awardee still needed to successfully negotiate a contract to receive HALEU. Radiant is the first to finalize such an agreement. Over the past couple of months, Radiant worked closely with DOE and other federal and private partners to negotiate specific terms and conditions.

    “This agreement means the HALEU fuel can now officially be transferred, which keeps us on schedule to begin testing our Kaleidos Demonstration Unit at the DOME facility next year,” said Dr. Rita Baranwal, Chief Nuclear Officer at Radiant. “It also keeps the country on track to deliver on the President’s four executive orders signed in May to unleash America’s energy independence and innovation.”

    Radiant is scheduled to be first to test a new reactor design at the National Reactor Innovation Center DOME facility next spring – marking the first test of a U.S.-designed advanced reactor at Idaho National Laboratory in almost 50 years. With this fuel agreement in place, Radiant continues to lead the field in delivering flexible, advanced nuclear technology to power American energy independence and national security.

    For more information on Radiant, visit www.radiantnuclear.com.

    About Radiant

    Radiant is building the world’s first mass-produced nuclear microreactors that can go anywhere they’re needed, whenever they’re needed and without constant refueling. The company’s first reactor, Kaleidos, is a 1 MW failsafe microreactor that can be transported anywhere power is needed. Founded in 2020, Radiant plans to test its first reactor in 2026, with initial customer deployments beginning in 2028. Radiant’s mission is to mass produce the most economical and reliable portable reactors.

    Source: Radiant Industries, Incorporated

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  • National Museum of Nuclear Science & History Launches Campaign to Preserve Iconic Redstone and Terrier Missiles

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    Crowdfunding Historical Campaign Launches June 2


    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., June 2, 2025 (Newswire.com)
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    The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque, New Mexico, today announced the launch of “Preserving Pillars of American Strength: Restore the Redstone & Terrier,” a crowdfunding campaign to restore two significant artifacts in its collection: the Redstone Missile and the Convair RIM-2 Terrier Surface-to-Air Missile.

    These towering missiles represent pivotal moments in American history, embodying the nation’s ingenuity in rocketry and its commitment to defense during the Cold War. The Redstone, the first large liquid-fueled ballistic missile, paved the way for the U.S. space program and launched the first American astronaut. The Terrier played a crucial role in national defense as a vital surface-to-air missile.

    However, decades of exposure to the harsh desert climate have taken their toll. The vibrant insignia on the Redstone is fading, and the Terrier suffers from weathered paint and surface degradation. To prevent further deterioration and ensure these artifacts continue to educate and inspire, the Museum is undertaking critical restoration efforts.

    “The Redstone and Terrier missiles are more than just static displays; they are tangible links to our nation’s past and powerful tools for inspiring future generations in STEM fields,” said Jennifer Hayden, President and CEO of the Museum. “Preserving these iconic artifacts honors American innovation, reminds us of our nation’s strength, and upholds our responsibility as stewards of history.”

    The restoration plan includes meticulous touch-up of the Redstone’s insignia, gentle buffing of its surface, and comprehensive sanding and repainting of the Terrier. The campaign aims to raise $40,000 between June 2 and July 4 to cover the costs of specialized equipment, museum-grade materials, and the dedicated time and expertise of conservation staff and volunteers.

    The crowdfunding campaign will engage patriotic citizens and history enthusiasts nationwide, offering them the opportunity to directly contribute to preserving these vital pieces of American heritage. The campaign page will provide detailed information about the missiles’ historical significance, showcase their current condition, outline the restoration processes and costs, and offer various levels of engagement and recognition for contributors. Regular updates on the campaign’s progress and the eventual restoration work will also be provided.

    “We invite everyone who values American history and innovation to join us in this important mission,” added Jennifer Galloway, Director of Development. “Your contribution, no matter the size, will play a crucial role in ensuring that these pillars of American strength continue to inspire and educate for generations to come.”

    Visit our Indiegogo campaign page https://igg.me/at/pillarsofstrength/x/38576943#/ between June 2 and July 4 to learn more and become a part of this critical preservation effort. Donations can be made directly to the museum by visiting the website: https://www.nuclearmuseum.org/support/restore-the-redstone-and-terrier.

    Related Video

    https://vimeo.com/1088567303

    Source: National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

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  • General Atomics Completes SiGA Cladded Nuclear Fuel Rod Irradiation Testing

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    Online, December 4, 2024 (Newswire.com)
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    General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that unfueled nuclear fuel rods using the company’s SiGA® fuel cladding successfully survived a 120-day irradiation testing period in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) located at Idaho National Laboratory. Testing was conducted to validate the robustness and integrity of the SiGA cladding after exposure to high neutron flux in a pressurized water reactor environment. Following the test, SiGA cladded rods remained intact and showed no significant mass change, indicating promising performance. More detailed examinations are underway to further evaluate post-test data to validate individual rod integrity to remain gas-tight, with no evidence of degradation, leaking or structural change.

    “The testing results offer critical, quantifiable, and independent validation that our SiC cladding technology is on the right path to provide a safe, suitable, accident tolerant fuel cladding solution for the nuclear fleet,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “This success is a key milestone on SiGA cladding’s development path to enhance the safety of the existing U.S. fleet of light water reactors, particularly during an unlikely event of an accident. It could also do the same for the future generation of advanced nuclear power systems.”

    SiGA is a silicon carbide (SiC) composite material that forms the basis for the development of nuclear reactor fuel rods that can survive temperatures far beyond that of current materials. SiGA’s multi-layered SiC composite cladding structure is sealed with a fully-SiC joining process, enabling exceptional stability during operational temperature cycling. This material provides greater stability and safety at temperatures up to 1900° C, well beyond that of metal fuel rod claddings. SiGA cladding would also enable higher powers and longer fuel lifetimes, thereby enhancing overall reactor performance and economics. GA-EMS has been under contract with the Department of Energy (DOE) to support the Accident Tolerant Fuel Program and advance GA-EMS’s silicon carbide fuel cladding technology for future deployment in U.S. nuclear reactors.

    “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the DOE and the national labs to accelerate the irradiation testing to demonstrate the performance of fueled SiGA cladded rods. The planned test series progressively builds up performance data to show that SiGA cladding can effectively contain the fuel and any gasses that are produced when subjected to irradiation and high temperature,” said Dr. Christina Back, vice president of GA-EMS Nuclear Technologies and Materials. “In parallel, we are scaling up to full-size, 12-foot-long SiGA rods and will then be doing the irradiation testing in actual commercial reactors, with deployment targeted for the mid-2030 timeframe. We remain committed to bringing SiGA’s unique safety and efficiency benefits to the nation’s nuclear fleet.”

    Press release is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (Office of Nuclear Energy); Idaho National Lab; and Oak Ridge National Lab, Award DE-NE0009235, “SiC Cladding Development.” Neither the U.S. Government, nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information disclosed.

    Source: General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems

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  • INTERVIEW: Our Love For Leroy Sanchez Won’t Go ‘NUCLEAR!’

    INTERVIEW: Our Love For Leroy Sanchez Won’t Go ‘NUCLEAR!’

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    The most compelling singer-songwriters can tell a story with not only their lyrics, but the way they unleash the emotions of the song with their voice, and the perfect example is rising superstar Leroy Sanchez. He’s stolen hearts worldwide with his latest viral hit, ‘NUCLEAR,’ and we know this is just the beginning of a whole new chapter for his career! As the culmination of over a decade of experience in music, the song sets the bar high for his upcoming debut album while Leroy effortlessly describes the thrill and threat of a passionate relationship in a perfectly immersive way.

    We got to ask Leroy all about ‘NUCLEAR,’ his creative process, posting covers online, and more! Watch the ‘NUCLEAR’ music video below and keep reading to check out our exclusive Q&A. Side note: we wish real-life trips to the grocery store could be this interesting.

    Hi Leroy, congrats on the release of ‘NUCLEAR!’ How did it feel to finally let the song out into the world and into your fans’ lives?
    Thank you so much!! It was always so exciting to release new music for the fans and for the world to listen! It was also a bit nerve-racking because you never know how people will react, but I was super proud of ‘NUCLEAR.’ I thought fans would get to see a side of me they hadn’t seen before, and I hoped they were excited too.

    What does ‘NUCLEAR’ mean to you, and is there a certain lyric you’re especially proud of?
    ‘NUCLEAR’ means the beginning of an amazing new journey for me. It’s my first single leading up to my debut album! It’s the result of years of hard work and everything I’ve learned as an artist, producer, and songwriter. I’m super proud of it! One lyric that really stands out for me is, “slow down every inch of time before our love goes nuclear.” I love how it captures the contrast between something as tiny as an inch of a second and the vastness of going nuclear. It really shows how the little things can have a really big impact.

    ‘NUCLEAR’ has been popping off on TikTok, which must be so exciting to see! Do you have any favorite videos or trends you’ve seen fans make using the song?
    I’m absolutely obsessed with all the content people are making to ‘NUCLEAR’ on TikTok! I’ve seen so many cool and different trends, but my absolute favorite has to be when fans dance to the original choreography from the music video. First of all, it’s not an easy dance, but everyone is giving it their all, and the best part is seeing how much FUN everyone is having while doing it. To see the joy in their faces as they recreate those fun dance moves makes me SO HAPPY. It’s very refreshing and healing to have a trend like this right now, especially with all the negativity and division around us. 

    If you could have any artist cover ‘NUCLEAR’ or hop on for a remix, who would you choose and why?
    Oh wow, what an exciting question! What about Khalid? His smooth vocals would sound so sick with this song and also give it a whole new vibe. A lot of people have also been wanting to hear Sia or Chris Brown singing it, and I think that’d be so fun to listen to as well!

    Congrats on the success of ‘NUCLEAR!’ What has it been like for you to see how much fans love the song?
    Thank you! Honestly, it’s been quite surreal to see how much love people have shown NUCLEAR and I’m so grateful. Just last week, I was at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, watching all these amazing artists, and I had this thought; “how wild would it be to hear this crowd sing ‘NUCLEAR?’” Out of curiosity, I checked my TikTok to see how the post with ‘NUCLEAR’ was doing, and just a few hours before, the video had about 17k views. At that moment, it had jumped to 150k! I turned to my friend Ryan, who was totally immersed in watching Gwen Stefani, and I said to him, “Something’s happening…” By the next morning, it was close to a million views! Just imagine a fraction of those people singing ‘NUCLEAR’ together! 

    You recently told The Knockturnal that part of what made ’Nuclear’ so special to you is that it reminded you of the songs you’d hear on the radio while growing up in Spain. How has your upbringing shaped how you approach making music? Have any Spanish artists particularly inspired you for this new chapter?
    Growing up in Spain has completely shaped how I approach music. I’m from a very small town in the Basque Country, with barely 3,300 people. I was a very emotional kid and music became my escape and eventually my passion. I was obsessed with how the songs on the radio made me feel, and I wanted to recreate that. So, when I write music, I always try to capture that sense of escape and make sure the songs hit me emotionally.

    One artist who’s inspired me a lot, not so much in style but in spirit, is Rosalía. I find it amazing how she’s stayed true to herself no matter what’s trending in the industry and still managed to succeed. It’s a reminder that I have my own story to tell and that trusting my instincts is key to doing the music that feels real to me.

    Something that stands out about each song you’ve released so far is how emotive your voice is! Do you have a certain ritual or tradition to get into the right headspace for a song before you record?
    It really depends on the situation when I’m recording. For instance, with ‘NUCLEAR,’ the vocals you hear are the original demo vocals, the very first ones I recorded when writing the songs. A lot of times, the purest emotion comes through right in that moment, and it’s hard to recreate that later. When I do have to re-record, I try to go into the booth without listening to the track beforehand, so I can approach it fresh and be as raw as possible. As soon as I start overthinking it, the emotion gets lost, even if the technical side gets better. To me, it doesn’t matter if a song is technically perfect… If it doesn’t make you feel something, it’s not worth it.

    You got your start in music when you started posting covers on YouTube in 2015 – what’s something you learned during that time that you’ve carried with you while working on your original music?
    The biggest thing I learned is to always keep pushing yourself to improve your craft. When I started, all I had was a crappy little digital camera and a low-lit room to film in. But I’d always try to make each video better with what little I had, which forced me to get creative. That really stuck with me, whether it’s with singing, writing, or just being a better artist, I’m always looking for ways to grow and get more creative.

    In addition to your own music, you notably co-wrote Chanel’s ‘SloMo,’ which became a global hit on Eurovision and went to #1 on Billboard’s Spanish Songs chart! Do you approach working on songs for other artists differently than you approach working on your own songs?
    Yeah, the approach is definitely different. When writing for other artists, you have to step into their shoes and imagine you’re living their life for a moment. It’s kind of like writing a song for someone while looking at them through a tiny peephole—you only see a small part of who they are compared to everything they know about themselves. So you take the little bit you know and shape it into what you think their “artist” persona should sound like. If the artist is in the room, you basically become their therapist for the session, trying to pull out what they’re going through, process it, and then turn it into a song.

    But when I write for myself, I have access to everything in my own mind! Which can be both freeing but also overwhelming because there’s so much to pull from. It’s a much deeper, more personal process.

    What can your fans look forward to in the rest of 2024?
    2024 is just a warm-up for what’s coming in 2025, but before the year’s over, fans can expect to hear some more new stuff, and maybe even get into the holiday spirit with me!

    Is there anything else you’d like to mention or say to your fans that the questions didn’t touch on?
    I hope you all enjoyed ‘NUCLEAR’ and that you sang your hearts out to it! Oh! And don’t forget to share those covers! I can’t wait to hear your beautiful voices!

    You already know we’ll be singing our hearts out to ‘NUCLEAR’ until the end of time. Thank you so much to Leroy for answering our questions and giving us such great music to jam out to!

    Now, honeybees, we have some questions for you! What do you think of ‘NUCLEAR?’ Which part of the song is your favorite to sing along with? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

    Check out more sweet interviews!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LEROY SANCHEZ:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

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    Madison Murray

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  • Google strikes a deal with a nuclear startup to power its AI data centers

    Google strikes a deal with a nuclear startup to power its AI data centers

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    Google is turning to nuclear energy to help power its AI drive. On Monday, the company said it will partner with the startup Kairos Power to build seven small nuclear reactors in the US. The deal targets adding 500 megawatts of nuclear power from the small modular reactors (SMRs) by the decade’s end. The first is expected to be up and running by 2030, with the remainder arriving through 2035.

    It’s the first-ever corporate deal to buy nuclear power from SMRs. Small modular reactors are smaller than existing reactors. Their components are built inside a factory rather than on-site, which can help lower construction costs compared to full-scale plants.

    Kairos will need the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to approve design and construction permits for the plans. The startup has already received approval for a demonstration reactor in Tennessee, with an online date targeted for 2027. The company already builds test units (without nuclear-fuel components) at a development facility in Albuquerque, NM, where it assesses components, systems and its supply chain.

    The companies didn’t announce the financial details of the arrangement. Google says the deal’s structure will help to keep costs down and get the energy online sooner.

    “By procuring electricity from multiple reactors — what experts call an ‘orderbook’ of reactors — we will help accelerate the repeated reactor deployments that are needed to lower costs and bring Kairos Power’s technology to market more quickly,” Michael Terrell, Google’s senior director for energy and climate, wrote in a blog post. “This is an important part of our approach to scale the benefits of advanced technologies to more people and communities, and builds on our previous efforts.”

    The AI boom — and the enormous amount of data center power it requires — has led to several deals between Big Tech companies and the nuclear industry. In September, Microsoft forged an agreement with Constellation Energy to bring a unit of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania back online. In March, Amazon bought a nuclear-powered data center from Talen Energy.

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    Will Shanklin

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  • Chinese-backed crypto firm must sell Wyoming land plot and get rid of equipment possibly capable of ‘espionage activities,’ says President Biden

    Chinese-backed crypto firm must sell Wyoming land plot and get rid of equipment possibly capable of ‘espionage activities,’ says President Biden

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    President Joe Biden on Monday issued an order blocking a Chinese-backed cryptocurrency mining firm from owning land near a Wyoming nuclear missile base, calling its proximity to the base a “national security risk.”

    The order forces the divestment of property operated as a crypto mining facility near the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base. MineOne Partners Ltd., a firm partly backed by Chinese nationals, and its affiliates are also required to remove certain equipment on the site.

    This comes as the U.S. is slated on Tuesday to issue major new tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the plan.

    And with election season in full swing, both Biden and his presumptive Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump, have told voters that they’ll be tough on China, the world’s second-largest economy after the United States and an emerging geopolitical rival.

    The Monday divestment order was made in coordination with the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States — a little-known but powerful government committee tasked with investigating corporate deals for national security concerns that holds power to force companies to change ownership structures or divest completely from the U.S.

    A 2018 law granted CFIUS the authority to review real estate transactions near sensitive sites across the U.S., including F.E. Warren Air Force Base.

    MineOne purchased the land that is within one mile of the Air Force base in Cheyenne in 2022, and according to CFIUS, the purchase was not reported to the committee as required until after the panel received a public tip.

    The order was vague about the specific national security concerns, with the Treasury Department saying only that there were issues with “specialized and foreign-sourced equipment potentially capable of facilitating surveillance and espionage activities” that “presented a significant national security risk.”

    A representative from the firm did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment.

    Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who serves as the chairperson of CFIUS, said the role of the committee is “to ensure that foreign investment does not undermine our national security, particularly as it relates to transactions that present risk to sensitive U.S. military installations as well as those involving specialized equipment and technologies.”

    The committee is made up of members from the State, Justice, Energy and Commerce Departments among others, which investigates national security risks from foreign investments in American firms.

    CFIUS directed the sale of the property within 120 days, and that within 90 days the company remove all structures and equipment on the site.

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    Fatima Hussein, Zeke Miller, The Associated Press

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  • The US Buried Nuclear Waste Abroad. Climate Change Could Unearth It

    The US Buried Nuclear Waste Abroad. Climate Change Could Unearth It

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    This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

    Ariana Tibon was in college at the University of Hawaii in 2017 when she saw the photo online: a black-and-white picture of a man holding a baby. The caption said: “Nelson Anjain getting his baby monitored on March 2, 1954, by an AEC RadSafe team member on Rongelap two days after ʻBravo.’”

    Tibon had never seen the man before. But she recognized the name as her great-grandfather’s. At the time, he was living on Rongelap in the Marshall Islands when the US conducted Castle Bravo, the largest of 67 nuclear weapon tests there during the Cold War. The tests displaced and sickened Indigenous people, poisoned fish, upended traditional food practices, and caused cancers and other negative health repercussions that continue to reverberate today.

    A federal report by the Government Accountability Office published last month examines what’s left of that nuclear contamination, not only in the Pacific but also in Greenland and Spain. The authors conclude that climate change could disturb nuclear waste left in Greenland and the Marshall Islands. “Rising sea levels could spread contamination in RMI, and conflicting risk assessments cause residents to distrust radiological information from the US Department of Energy,” the report says.

    In Greenland, chemical pollution and radioactive liquid are frozen in ice sheets, left over from a nuclear power plant on a US military research base where scientists studied the potential to install nuclear missiles. The report didn’t specify how or where nuclear contamination could migrate in the Pacific or Greenland, or what if any health risks that might pose to people living nearby. However, the authors did note that in Greenland, frozen waste could be exposed by 2100.

    “The possibility to influence the environment is there, which could further affect the food chain and further affect the people living in the area as well,” said Hjalmar Dahl, president of Inuit Circumpolar Council Greenland. The country is about 90 percent Inuit. “I think it is important that the Greenland and US governments have to communicate on this worrying issue and prepare what to do about it.”

    The authors of the GAO study wrote that Greenland and Denmark haven’t proposed any cleanup plans, but also cited studies that say much of the nuclear waste has already decayed and will be diluted by melting ice. However, those studies do note that chemical waste such as polychlorinated biphenyls, man-made chemicals better known as PCBs that are carcinogenic, “may be the most consequential waste at Camp Century.”

    The report summarizes disagreements between Marshall Islands officials and the US Department of Energy regarding the risks posed by US nuclear waste. The GAO recommends that the agency adopt a communications strategy for conveying information about the potential for pollution to the Marshallese people.

    Nathan Anderson, a director at the Government Accountability Office, said that the United States’ responsibilities in the Marshall Islands “are defined by specific federal statutes and international agreements.” He noted that the government of the Marshall Islands previously agreed to settle claims related to damages from US nuclear testing.

    “It is the long-standing position of the US government that, pursuant to that agreement, the Republic of the Marshall Islands bears full responsibility for its lands, including those used for the nuclear testing program.”

    To Tibon, who is back home in the Marshall Islands and is currently chair of the National Nuclear Commission, the fact that the report’s only recommendation is a new communications strategy is mystifying. She’s not sure how that would help the Marshallese people.

    “What we need now is action and implementation on environmental remediation. We don’t need a communication strategy,” she said. “If they know that it’s contaminated, why wasn’t the recommendation for next steps on environmental remediation, or what’s possible to return these lands to safe and habitable conditions for these communities?”

    The Biden administration recently agreed to fund a new museum to commemorate those affected by nuclear testing as well as climate change initiatives in the Marshall Islands, but the initiatives have repeatedly failed to garner support from Congress, even though they’re part of an ongoing treaty with the Marshall Islands and a broader national security effort to shore up goodwill in the Pacific to counter China.

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    Anita Hofschneider

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  • SEMPRE Selected as Approved Vendor for AF PEO NC3’s NC3 Advanced Concepts BAA

    SEMPRE Selected as Approved Vendor for AF PEO NC3’s NC3 Advanced Concepts BAA

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    Press Release
    •

    Feb 21, 2024


    ARLINGTON, Va., February 21, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    SEMPRE.ai, the technology company created to secure America’s critical infrastructure, today announced its selection as one of the approved vendors for the Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) Advanced Concepts Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), administered by the Air Force Program Executive Office for Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (AF PEO NC3).

    This achievement follows AF PEO NC3’s approval of the overall acquisition strategy for the NC3 Advanced Concepts BAA, which has been set with a ceiling of $75 million. SEMPRE’s inclusion in this group of approved companies signifies its commitment to enhancing the nation’s critical NC3 capabilities in line with its mission: Ensuring military success through resilient, secure communication. 

    “The selection of SEMPRE as an approved vendor for the NC3 Advanced Concepts BAA is a testament to our unwavering dedication to advancing secure and resilient communication solutions for mission-critical operations,” says SEMPRE CEO, Rob Spalding, USAF Brig Gen (ret).

    The primary objective of the NC3 Advanced Concepts BAA is to establish streamlined contracting processes and facilitate project execution, all while upholding stringent security classification standards. SEMPRE’s selection as a trusted partner by AF PEO NC3 underscores its expertise, dedication, and capabilities in the defense and technology sectors.

    As a chosen participant in this pivotal initiative, SEMPRE is poised to contribute its innovative solutions and expertise towards advancing the capabilities of NC3 technology. The company looks forward to collaborating closely with AF PEO NC3 and fellow approved vendors to support the mission-critical NC3 requirements of the United States Air Force and the nation as a whole.

    Source: SEMPRE.ai

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