LINK BETWEEN NUCLEAR TESTING AND NEW START AGREEMENT News broke last month that in a meeting, senior national security officials discussed conducting an explosive nuclear test at a site in Nevada for the first time since 1992. The test would reportedly be a political move to persuade China to join arms control negotiations with the United […]
Hill recoils at proposed cut to Pentagon anti-pandemic effort
Scientists Working Group member Greg Koblentz was quoted in Roll Call about potential cuts to the Biological Threat Reductions Program budget. Gregory Koblentz, an associate professor at George Mason University and director of the Biodefense Graduate Program at the university’s Schar School of Policy and Government, said the Pentagon’s biological threats program increases America’s warning […]
Nuclear testing: Just say no
By Abby Pokraka Adding to the list of things that make it feel like the world is falling apart, according to reports, the Trump Administration recently discussed conducting an underground nuclear test for the first time since 1992. Policy experts, grassroots organizations and citizens from across the country were quick to condemn this action. Apparently, even the National Nuclear Security Administration thought it was […]
The IAEA’s nuclear reports on Iran are its harshest rebuke yet
By Samuel M. Hickey The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has finalized two reports summarizing Iran’s nuclear program and their compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as of June 5, 2020 for the Board of Governors (BOG) meeting the week of June 15-19. The JCPOA had been effective in blocking Iran’s path […]
Summary of Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Bill Approved by Senate Armed Services Committee
Note: summary based on Senate Armed Services Committee press release. Top Line Funding Totals $740.5 billion: Total funding supported in the bill: $636.4 billion: Department of Defense discretionary base $ 25.9 billion: Department of Energy discretionary base $ 69.0 billion: Overseas Contingency Operations $ 9.1 billion: Defense-related activities outside the bill’s jurisdiction Shipbuilding Authorizes $21.3 billion for […]