Nukes of Hazard

As December deadline for Congressional action on the proposed U.S.-Saudi Arabia civilian nuclear agreement inches closer, why are non-proliferation experts raising urgent alarms over unprecedented concessions in the agreement, and what do these proposed terms mean for global security? This episode of Nukes of Hazard turns the lens on Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act, the structural intricacies of the proposed framework and the crucial role Congress must play in supervising high-stakes nuclear commerce. Center Senior Policy Director John Erath speaks with two leading nuclear policy experts: Sharon Squassoni, Research Professor of International Affairs at George Washington University and Center Board Member, who breaks down the architecture of the 123 agreement, detailing why transferring dual-use technology breaks with 50 years of U.S. policy and why proposed guardrails like a two-year enrichment study and bilateral safeguards fall short; and Kelsey Davenport, Director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association, who explains why controlling fissile material acts as the ultimate "line in the sand" against nuclear proliferation, why Saudi Arabia’s refusal to adopt the IAEA’s Additional Protocol creates dangerous blind spots, why claims of a U.S. economic boom are overblown and what options lawmakers have to enforce constitutional oversight. Music by Ben Sound

In the fourth and final installment of our special series recorded live at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, we share the conclusion of our public town hall, A Costly Silence: Why Your Policymakers Should Be Talking About the Trillion-Dollar Pentagon Budget. This concluding episode turns the floor over to the audience for a robust and candid Q&A session. Moderator Alex Bell and our panelists — Gabe Murphy, Lindsay Koshgarian, Julia Gledhill, and Joe Cirincione — tackle pressing questions straight from Nebraskans and concerned citizens. From redefining national security beyond military force and fighting corporate influence in politics to confronting the terrifying reality of nuclear overkill right in Omaha's backyard, this episode explores what it takes for everyday citizens to demand real accountability. Read the full event recap: armscontrolcenter.org/why-arent-your-policymakers-talking-about-the-trillion-dollar-pentagon-budget/ Music by Ben Sound.

What happens when military contractors blow past their budgets on taxpayers' dime, and why does Congress keep handing them the check? In the third installment of our four-part series recorded live at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, the discussion turns toward two of the most egregious vulnerabilities in American defense spending: runaway nuclear weapons modernization and what our panelist calls “outright corruption” in the Pentagon budget and spending process. In this episode, you'll hear from our final two panelists: Julia Gledhill, Research Analyst at the Stimson Center's National Security Reform Program, and Joe Cirincione, veteran national security expert and former House congressional investigator. First, Julia pulls back the curtain on the astronomical cost of modernizing the U.S. nuclear triad. Then, Joe offers a candid assessment of how defense spending has transformed into what he calls an institutionalized "slush fund," and delivers five concrete steps everyday citizens and lawmakers can take to force real accountability. Read the full event recap: armscontrolcenter.org/why-arent-your-policymakers-talking-about-the-trillion-dollar-pentagon-budget/ Music by Ben Sound.

In our last Nukes of Hazard episode, we kicked off our special series from Omaha, Nebraska, where the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation partnered with Nebraskans for Peace for an event titled A Costly Silence: Why Your Policymakers Should Be Talking About the Trillion-Dollar Pentagon Budget. Executive Director John Tierney and moderator Alex Bell set the stage by looking at why Washington stays quiet about massive defense spending and how that silence impacts taxpayers nationwide. In this second episode, panelist Gabe Murphy, Policy Analyst at Taxpayers for Common Sense, breaks down the Pentagon's staggering $1.5 trillion budget request, highlighting billions spent on over-budget items like the F-35 fighter jet, unproven technology like the Golden Dome missile defense program, and unnecessary vanity projects like the Trump-class battleships. Then, Lindsay Koshgarian, Program Director of the National Priorities Project, reframes this record-breaking spending not as an inevitability, but as a political choice. She contrasts the Pentagon's annual end-of-year spending sprees and eight consecutive failed audits with deep cuts to essential safety nets like Medicaid and SNAP, showing how exorbitant military spending directly impacts everyday families in Nebraska and across the country. Read the blog post recounting the event here: https://armscontrolcenter.org/why-arent-your-policymakers-talking-about-the-trillion-dollar-pentagon-budget/ Music by Ben Sound.

With proposed U.S. Pentagon and weapons spending zooming past $1 trillion — and proposals on Capitol Hill racing toward $1.5 trillion — why aren't policymakers talking about where this money is going, and what is their silence costing everyday Americans? For this four-part special series, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation traveled to Omaha, Nebraska, to host an event called A Costly Silence: Why Your Policymakers Should Be Talking About the Trillion-Dollar Pentagon Budget. Partnering with Nebraskans for Peace, with funding from the Prospect Hill Foundation, our public town hall examined how the Pentagon budget got to this point, what the broken budget and spending process means for everyday Americans, and how taxpayers can demand a system that works better without compromising national security. In this episode, Center Research Analyst Connor Murray discusses why Omaha — home to U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) — was the vital backdrop for this conversation. You'll also hear remarks from: Former Congressman John Tierney, the Center’s Executive Director, who reflects on the massive trade-offs of defense overspending compared to domestic needs, what weapons buildups truly cost taxpayers and what actually motivates members of Congress to act; and Alex Bell, President and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, who revisits President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s warning about the "military-industrial complex" and breaks down three structural reasons Washington leaders fail to rein in Pentagon spending. Read the blog post recounting the event here: https://armscontrolcenter.org/why-arent-your-policymakers-talking-about-the-trillion-dollar-pentagon-budget/ Music by Ben Sound.

What are the true costs of endless defense spending and how does military expenditure contribute to economic “leakage”? How can reallocating defense resources address urgent challenges like climate security and where can we find sources of hope in the fight for nuclear policy reform? In this BONUS episode of Nukes of Hazard, we return to our live annual conference, “$1 Trillion and Counting: The Pentagon Budget Squeezing Our Real Security,” for the Q&A session following our second panel on the costs of the Iran war, so far. Moderator Dr. Tess Bridgeman leads experts Dr. Heidi Peltier, Dr. Miriam Pemberton and Bill Hartung in a deeper dive into the economic strain of military spending, executive branch mismanagement, climate security and actionable paths toward a safer, more sustainable future.

Has endless post-9/11 military spending on forever wars compromised our domestic security? In this special episode of Nukes of Hazard, recorded at our annual conference themed "$1 Trillion and Counting: The Pentagon Budget Squeezing Our Real Security," experts Dr. Tess Bridgeman, Dr. Heidi Peltier, Dr. Miriam Pemberton and Bill Hartung examine "The True Costs of War: Iran Following the Pattern." Coming on the heels of the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and an expanding conflict with Iran, the panel dives into the pitfalls of massive defense budgets — from job creation disparities in the military compared with other sectors, to the long-term impact on social wellbeing — and makes a case for refocusing our resources to promote true national security. Bonus Alert: Keep an eye on your feed for a special bonus episode featuring the Q&A portion from this discussion!

What challenges do space lasers present? How does a network of Starlink satellites compare to the infrastructure required for Golden Dome? If Golden Dome were to be operational, what would U.S. nuclear policy look like and how could an adversary respond? In this BONUS episode of Nukes of Hazard, we return to our live annual conference, "$1 Trillion and Counting: The Pentagon Budget Squeezing Our Real Security," for the live audience Question & Answer session. Experts Andrew Facini, Joe Cirincione, Dr. Laura Grego and Clayton Swope dive deeper into the technical flaws of space weapons, the soaring costs of national missile defense concepts and practical strategies for prioritizing diplomacy over bottomless defense budgets. Coming up next: Stay tuned to your feed for full coverage of our conference’s second panel examining the true costs of the current war with Iran.

Can national missile defense actually protect us? Can we justify its massive price tag? In this special episode of Nukes of Hazard, recorded live at our annual conference themed "$1 Trillion and Counting: The Pentagon Budget Squeezing Our Real Security," experts Andrew Facini, Joe Cirincione, Dr. Laura Grego, and Clayton Swopes take on misguided ideas about national missile defense. From historic programs to present-day concepts like the "Golden Dome," the panel discusses the financial and technical limits of space weapons — and makes the compelling case for an alternative security solution. Bonus Alert: Keep an eye on your feed for a special bonus episode featuring the live audience Q&A, plus upcoming coverage of our panel on the costs of the war with Iran!

25 years ago, on September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the United States via four hijacked airplanes destined for New York and Washington, D.C., killing 2,977 people and leaving thousands more with lasting physical and mental scars. The United States immediately went to war in Afghanistan, then Iraq, in the name of fighting terrorism. The short-term effects of these attacks were immediate, while many long-term effects are still being felt today. In this episode, Communications Director Anna Schumann sits down with Executive Director John Tierney, who was in his fourth year as a member of the House of Representatives at the time, and Dr. Stephanie Savell, Director of the Costs of War project at Brown University, to discuss Rep. Tierney’s immediate objections to a sweeping use of military force in response to the attacks, the human and financial costs of war and the lessons the United States should have learned in the last 25 years. Show notes: Overview: The True Costs of the Post-9/11 Wars, the Costs of War project at Brown University | https://costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/overview Rep. Tierney’s amendment offered September 14, 2001, that would have required the Bush administration to give reports to Congress on the status of the military effort in Afghanistan, among other things. | https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-147/issue-120/house-section/article/H5681-1