“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity.”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

MAR 26, 2024

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Global Nuclear Winter (by Achilleas Ambatzidis – Courtesy of Vanity Fair)

LLAW’s COMMENTARY, Tuesday, (03/26/2024)

In an effort to shorten the length and avoid duplication of media stories and images, I will, as of this nightly Post, only reference a link to the story I am discussing or commenting about (whether or not it is listed in my “All Things Nuclear Daily Categories). This will save me copying, cutting, and pasting time, and you will have quicker and easier access to what I consider to be among the more important articles. (And I chose a day to make this change when the importance and quality of the Digest articles are, overall, the best I’ve ever seen in the 581 days this Blog has been operating. So I will probably be up most of the night reading about the world-wide nuclear mess we are in, even about what might happen to us all if Trump & Putin get back together, but that one is way down on the quality list to my mind . . .

So, tonight’s link is: West Reliant on Russian Nuclear Fuel Amid Decarbonization Push – VOA from Cardinal News

As stated in the article, and an issue that I have often posted my concerns about in the the past, tells me that we can foolishly build all the nuclear reactor powered electrical plants we want, but if we have no fuel to run the reactors, they are just white elephants. So it seems to me have the cart way out in front of the horse. The reason is, as VOA states, in their lead-lines, “ Types of nuclear reactors. Courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy. Gov. Glenn Youngkin dropped one bombshell, figuratively speaking, when he announced … “Of those supplying nuclear fuel, Rosatom, Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, “is the biggest supplier of uranium enrichment.”

This is the real reason, not the Ukraine War, that Bill Gates’ TerraPower plant with its new experimental liquid sodium, called a Natrium reactor, instead of the usual water-cooled nuclear power plant reactors, being built at an old coal minesite in Wyoming. So it is that TerraPower is suffering through a two-year wait for the type of fuel the one-of-its kind nuclear plant, because Russia will not provide the fuel — which only Rosatom produces. And who among us who know a bit about the nuclear business world and our relationship with Russia would wonder if TerraPower will ever get that Russian-made fuel?You can’t just have a convention of politicians and presidents of corporations, full of optimism against common sense, get together for a conference, make an irrational determination based on ‘hope’ and ‘hot air’ that we are going to triple the output of nuclear power world-wide by a certain date, and ignore all the roadblocks, mistakes, setbacks, necessary engineering, planning, construction, and governmental approvals that are sure to come. And if none of it ever happens, that would probably be our salvation. Maybe we simply have to learn to live with less.

You may remember that CO2-caused climate change/global warming, if you are old enough to care, and have a good memory, was going to be totally under control and just a few short years away from being behind us not so long ago. However nothing has changed, except the CO2 problem has become more serious. And now we’re expecting uranium powered nuclear power plants to be our savior? Ya gotta be kidding! ~llaw

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in tonight’s Post.)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Tuesday,(03/26/2024):

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Here’s How Nuclear War Could “Destroy Civilization” in Just a Few Hours | Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair

And why Putin and Trump present major danger to the United States’ nuclear paradigm.

The Last Word: enCore Energy’s William Sheriff on Producing Uranium in Texas and …

Dallas Innovates

.…on his company’s producing uranium to help fuel America’s nuclear … For more of who said what about all things North Texas, check out Every Last …

Inside the world’s first reactor that will power Earth using the same nuclear reactions as the Sun

Euronews.com

Euronews Next goes behind the scenes at the world’s largest nuclear fusion device attempting to harness the same reaction that powers the Sun and …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Powering wisely: The future is nuclear power – The Liberty Champion

Liberty University

As National Geographic notes, nuclear energy is the energy in the nucleus, or the core, of an atom. In order to create power, it must first be …

A reality check on a small nuclear reactor in Southwest Virginia (or anywhere else)

Cardinal News

Types of nuclear reactors. Courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy. Gov. Glenn Youngkin dropped one bombshell, figuratively speaking, when he announced …

West Reliant on Russian Nuclear Fuel Amid Decarbonization Push – VOA

VOA

Of those supplying nuclear fuel, Rosatom, Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, “is the biggest supplier of uranium enrichment to the global …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Transformer fires trigger emergency shutdown of Waterford 3 nuclear plant – NOLA.com

NOLA.com

… plant’s emergency director declaring an “unusual event,” the lowest level of emergency events at a nuclear reactor, at 12:09 a.m. Friday. The …

Fermi 2 goes offline for planned refueling, with a little help from emergency systems – Toledo Blade

Toledo Blade

NEWPORT, Mich. — DTE’s Fermi 2 nuclear plant operators experienced unexpected drama over the weekend when they took the plant offline for its 22nd …

Belarus, Russia to set up research and technology council on nuclear, radiation safety

BelTA – News from Belarus

… Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) Olga … nuclear power plant. Methods for oversight … nuclear power plant and about using new approaches.

Nuclear War

NEWS

Here’s How Nuclear War Could “Destroy Civilization” in Just a Few Hours | Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair

And why Putin and Trump present major danger to the United States’ nuclear paradigm.

Russia-Ukraine latest: NATO ‘considering shooting down missiles close to border … – Sky News

Sky News

Russia’s FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov has suggested Britain, the US and Ukraine could have been involved in the Moscow concert hall attack, …

[Column] The nuclear umbrella and the afterlife – The Hankyoreh

The Hankyoreh

We can’t just die because we’re curious about the afterlife, and we can’t just go to war to find out whether extended deterrence works.

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Vladimir Putin is a threat – but he’s not the real risk of nuclear Armageddon, expert predicts

The Mirror

Vladimir Putin may threaten nuclear war with the West in the most tense … threats to use nuclear weapons (. Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images).

A New Nuclear War Scenario – The Cipher Brief

The Cipher Brief

… war with China over Taiwan, nuclear threats from North Korea, and an Iranian nuclear program on the brink. We again awake in the middle of the …

Thank nuclear submariners, not ‘nuclear disarmament consultants,’ for our avoidance of nuclear war

Washington Examiner

First, the various threats or inducements by other powers that they not pursue nuclear weapons. Second, the nuclear umbrella already provided to them …

Vladimir Putin is a threat – but he’s not the real risk of nuclear Armageddon, expert predicts

The Mirror

Vladimir Putin may threaten nuclear war with the West in the most tense … threats to use nuclear weapons (. Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images).

A New Nuclear War Scenario – The Cipher Brief

The Cipher Brief

… war with China over Taiwan, nuclear threats from North Korea, and an Iranian nuclear program on the brink. We again awake in the middle of the …

Thank nuclear submariners, not ‘nuclear disarmament consultants,’ for our avoidance of nuclear war

Washington Examiner

First, the various threats or inducements by other powers that they not pursue nuclear weapons. Second, the nuclear umbrella already provided to them …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity.”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

MAR 25, 2024

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Ukrainians took to the streets to avert a nuclear disaster. Will Americans do the same?

WAGING NONVIOLENCE
PEOPLE POWERED NEWS & ANALYSIS

45 years after Three Mile Island, we need a ‘No Nukes’ comeback

As Biden sinks billions into nuclear energy, members of the historic Clamshell Alliance are reuniting to spark a new wave of anti-nuke resistance.

rnie Alpert March 25, 2024

When a nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania went from a technological miracle to a pile of radioactive rubble in a matter of moments in 1979, the Portsmouth, New Hampshire office of the Clamshell Alliance became a hive of activity. I was working there at the time, fielding calls from activists and journalists from around the world. Everyone wanted our opinion since — over the previous few years — our nonviolent demonstrations to prevent the construction of the Seabrook nuclear power plant put us at the forefront of a growing social movement.

From the arrests of 18 New Hampshire residents in our first act of civil disobedience in 1976 to more than 1,400 arrests the following spring to a permitted rally that drew some 18,000 protesters in 1978, the Clamshell Alliance touched off a grassroots anti-nuclear rebellion that brought the “No Nukes” message to communities across the country and into the popular culture.

With that groundwork in place, Three Mile Island took our message to the next level. The idea that “nuclear power is a bad way to generate electricity” soon became accepted knowledge across the United States. Everyone from Wall Street tycoons to congressional staffers to ordinary voters now understood that the nuclear industry’s promise of safe, clean and affordable power was a fraud.

Unfortunately, in recent years this understanding has slowly eroded, as the industry has worked to tout its product as the answer to climate catastrophe. With the Biden administration now sinking billions into nuclear energy — and Congress on the verge of passing legislation to ease regulatory precautions on new reactors — the nuclear fraudsters are aiming for a comeback.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

• Ukrainians took to the streets to avert a nuclear disaster. Will Americans do the same?

“Whether they call it a ‘nuclear renaissance’ or a ‘nuclear enlightenment,’ nukes aren’t the answer to the climate crisis,” said Paul Gunter, who was one of the first 18 Clamshell members arrested at Seabrook in 1976.

Now the co-director of Beyond Nuclear, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Takoma Park, Maryland, Gunter says “Nukes are just too expensive, take too long to build and feature too many pathways to catastrophic accidents.” What’s more, as he maintains, their continued use — along with building costly new reactors — make climate change worse and the world less safe.

With this in mind, “seasoned Clams,” as we jokingly call ourselves, have been holding regular meetings over Zoom — and occasionally in person — to strategize on how to bring our anti-nuclear message to younger generations, as well as fellow boomers, for whom Three Mile Island has become a faded memory. We ultimately want to refute the nuclear industry’s claims that it has solved the problems posed by the old reactors.

In a statement on our new website, we assert: “A tsunami of nuclear power propaganda is sweeping the globe.” According to Gunter, this propaganda is backed by a multi-billion-dollar nuclear promotion campaign funded by taxpayers via the Biden administration’s Department of Energy. “They even have a plan to convert coal-fired power plants to nuclear generation,” he said.

Billions of dollars in nuclear subsidies were loaded into Biden’s infrastructure bill, with billions more in the Inflation Reduction Act. Meanwhile, the Atomic Energy Advancement Act — which sailed through the U.S. House 365-36 last month — extends nuclear subsidies further by continuing the $16.6 billion cap on liability from nuclear accidents for the next 40 years.

“The still unrealized total damage costs of a severe nuclear accident, as evidenced by ongoing nuclear catastrophes at Fukushima (13 year ago) and Chernobyl (38 years ago), are already running into the hundreds of billions of dollars,” Gunter said, adding that Congress didn’t even hold a public hearing on the liability cap extension.

As the new Clamshell website maintains, new nukes are not needed to avert a climate crisis. “Far better options are being built much faster than nuclear power plants, at a fraction of the cost and without the grave hazards. They include solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, efficiency and conservation.”

The idea for this statement came from Anna Gyorgy, author of the influential 1979 book “No Nukes: Everyone’s Guide to Nuclear Power.” And true to the Clams’ old principles, the statement was drafted by two writers after consultation with a larger group, reviewed by a committee and ultimately approved by consensus. We have also stuck to our belief that nonviolence is the best method for social movements to disrupt unjust systems and promote alternatives.

“Nonviolence, in the tradition of King and Gandhi, is an effective way to challenge institutional injustice,” said Gyorgy, who serves as communications coordinator for the Traprock Center for Peace and Justice in Western Massachusetts. “Nonviolence is also the best way to build the communities we need to get through crises caused by violence, racism, predatory capitalism and climate disruption.” Nuclear power and its evil twin, nuclear weapons, have no role in the future Gyorgy has been trying to build for decades.

“Nukes just cannot compete with zero fuel cost solar and wind, and that means the era of base load plants running on fossil and nuclear fuel is ending,” said Roy Morrison, a former Clamshell staff member who has worked for years as a commercial solar energy developer. “Solar arrays combined with energy storage from home rooftops already are acting as virtual power plants to meet utility demands for peak power.”

According to Morrison, new battery technology and plunging prices for solar will displace fuels that produce carbon dioxide. “The future for our economy and our planet lies with renewables, not nukes, oil, gas or coal,” he said.

Morrison and I first met in 1977, when were among hundreds jailed in a National Guard armory following the mass arrests at Seabrook. In 1979, when Three Mile Island melted down, we were working together in Clamshell’s scruffy second-floor suite in downtown Portsmouth. With little money and a mimeograph machine — the most advanced technology in our possession — we did battle with a complex of utility companies, banks, engineering firms and government agencies that were doing their best to foist nukes on the American public.

When a reporter from a national news agency called for our comment on the unfolding accident in Pennsylvania, I was the one who happened to pick up the phone. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I do remember that, at roughly the same time, Dresser Industries — the company responsible for the valve that malfunctioned at Three Mile Island — was buying pro-nuke display ads featuring Edward Teller, the physicist known as “the father of the H-bomb” and a dedicated advocate for all things nuclear.

When the news story came out, it went something like, “Physicist Edward Teller says nukes are safe, but Arnie Alpert from the Clamshell Alliance says they aren’t.” It’s a good memory, but more than that, it’s a reminder that grassroots movements engaging in what John Lewis called “good trouble” can shake up power structures and bring about change.

In the current moment, when renewable alternatives to fossil and fissile energy are urgently needed, the Clams are trying to figure out how to make it happen again.

Arnie Alpert

Arnie Alpert is a longtime nonviolent action trainer in New Hampshire. He blogs at inzanetimes.wordpress.com.

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LLAW’s CONCERNS & COMMENTS, Monday, (03/25/2024)

We do need to stop this growing nuclear power plant and nuclear weapons of mass destruction created by the dark capital commercial, ignorant political, and fear-based military nuclear industries, who are peddling disgraceful propaganda from capitalists, and politicians at every level, who understand nothing at all about nuclear horrors, anything nuclear, and find world peace, making the world’s militaries, who understands all things nuclear all too well, impotent and useless, before they begin the 6th Extinction in earnest. We have very little time left to reverse our self-destructive direction and remove ‘all things nuclear’ from ourselves forever.

I departed from the nuclear industry in disgust over the industry attitude over the 3-Mile Island near meltdown and the fact that we in the industry (including me) were not sympathetic to the reality of what happened there, all of pretending that it was nothing, and that our rallying cry was “Let the Bastards freeze to death in the dark”, the words that turned me away from an entire industry that I had been mistakenly proud of since the 1960s. I left in May of 1980 and started my own minerals exploration corporation with a mission to evaluate useful metals deposits, including gold and silver.

I never looked back, but I also waited several years to begin speaking out against the nuclear industry in general and nuclear power specifically. But now I will spend the rest of my days speaking out (mainly in writing) against “All Things Nuclear” This nightly Blog Post is a beginning of my mission to help do away with public use of anything and everything nuclear. Tonight’s Post is #580 over a total of 580 days, so you, the reader, ought to be able to understand that I am serious about this project and also creating future projects to alert the world that uranium fuel with their reactors, bombs, and all other things nuclear are the most dangerous products on the face of the earth, especially in the irresponsible hands of us humans.

We are in the process of exterminating all of us, including all other life, with our own preferred uses of ‘all things nuclear’. It would sadly be the 6th Extinction, the 1st one that humans actually existed during such massive destruction of life, and we are solely responsible for the entire threat to all other life as well. ~llaw

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in tonight’s Post.)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Monday,(03/25/2024):

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

U.S. Imperialism’s Depraved and Insane Buildup for Nuclear War:One More Urgent Reason …

revcom.us

… all of humanity. Bob … And of all the powers wielding nuclear weapons … 5. One of the things that scientists have come to understand about nuclear …

45 years after Three Mile Island, we need a ‘No Nukes’ comeback | Waging Nonviolence

Waging Nonviolence

… all things nuclear. When the news story came out, it went something like, “Physicist Edward Teller says nukes are safe, but Arnie Alpert from the …

Shapiro’s alternative to a key climate program needs GOP support – WHYY

WHYY

Listen Live • Weekend All Things Considered. 00 … He did not specify how or where those jobs would be created, but said that increased demand for new …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

UK’s Sunak to unveil $252m investment in nuclear deterrent, nuclear energy – Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera

“And nuclear delivers cheaper, cleaner home-grown energy for consumers.” “That’s why we are investing in Barrow, the home of UK submarines, and in the …

Permit issued for dismantling of Isar 2 : Waste & Recycling – World Nuclear News

World Nuclear News

… nuclear power plant. Isar 1 and 2 (Image: Regine Rabanus / PreussenElektra). The Isar 2 plant – comprising a single 1400 MWe pressurised water reactor …

NATO Nation Shares Nuclear Update – Newsweek

Newsweek

Downing Street said its plan will see some $252 million invested in British nuclear power and in the country’s nuclear–powered ballistic missile …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

(There are Articles today for Nuclear Power Emergencies)

Nuclear War

NEWS

Kyiv’s ‘thousand cuts’ strategy to curb the Russian war machine – Le Monde

Le Monde

After the failure of their counter-offensive in the summer of 2023, and the shift of their troops to a defensive position on almost the entire …

Russia launches 57 airstrikes on Kyiv and Lviv as Ukraine targets Crimea – YouTube

YouTube

Russia has launched further air strikes on Ukraine targeting Kyiv and the western city of Lviv on the border with Poland claiming a missile …

Why the West Should Not Be Afraid of Russian Nuclear Threats – ICDS

International Centre for Defence and Security

A Ukrainian serviceman, crew member of a German-made self-propelled anti-aircraft (SPAAG), better known as the Flakpanzer Gepard, …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Why the West Should Not Be Afraid of Russian Nuclear Threats – ICDS

International Centre for Defence and Security

Excessive cowering in the face of Russian threats will only do us a disservice. First, the war will only come to an end when Moscow ends its …

North Korean leader Kim visits tank unit and touts war preparations in face of tensions with Seoul

Washington Post

… nuclear-capable missiles designed to target South Korea, the United States and Japan, while issuing threats of nuclear conflict against its rivals.

‘Nuclear Deterrance’ is losing all of its meaning – Pipe Dream – Binghamton University

Pipe Dream – Binghamton University

However, this principle that arguably prevented war for so many decades is now under the threat of becoming outright irrelevant. … threats. … nuclear …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

The 1959 Madison Slide, Part 1: A deadly consequence of the Hebgen Lake Earthquake

USGS.gov

The effects of that landslide are still evident today. Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity.”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

MAR 25, 2024

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Ukraine's Russia-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

LLAW’s CONCERNS & COMMENTS, Sunday, (03/24/2024)

And now Russia seems to be attacking the entire power system of Ukraine, keeping the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant as the final point of ending Ukraine’s sovereignty and possibly its existence, or so it seems to me. If that happens, WWIII will begin, and part of that possibility is the U.S. congress that is refusing to aid Ukraine in their defense, and have no chance to win a war against Russia that could easily turn nuclear without even a single bomb, but by virtue of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant being used as a nuclear weapon of mass destruction (WMD).

Russia’ military is attacking the citizenry of Ukraine, and humans cannot exist in today’s world without electrical power. And, I am ashamed to say, the U.S. is politically contributing to the possible deaths of as many as 40 million people.

The following article by the Associated Press must be read to understand the immanent danger the Ukrainian people are so suddenly faced with. We must demand that our U.S. Congress provide the $60 billion that Ukraine has needed to defend itself and has waited for for so long, and had they had the financial aide, the War may not have come to this. Are we, here in America, so selfish as to not help a suffering ‘free’ nation in an dictatorial part of the world? ~llaw

Russia launches sweeping attack on Ukraine’s power sector, a sign of possible escalation

Russian attacks destroyed residential areas in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson on Friday, and widespread outages were reported after electrical stations were hit. (Mar. 22)

BY HANNA ARHIROVA AND JIM HEINTZ

Updated 4:02 AM PDT, March 23, 2024

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia unleashed one of its most devastating attacks against Ukraine’s electric sector on Friday, an aerial assault it said was retaliation for recent strikes inside Russia and which could signal an escalation of the war just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on power in a preordained election.

Many Ukrainians were plunged into darkness across several cities, at least five people were killed, and damage to the country’s largest hydroelectric plant briefly cut off power to a nuclear plant that has been a safety risk throughout the war.

Russia fired off more than 60 exploding drones and 90 missiles in what Ukrainian officials described as the most brutal attack against its energy infrastructure since the full-scale war began in early 2022.

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, sustained the most damage, officials said, and the attack came a day after Russia had fired 31 missiles into the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urging Western allies for weeks to provide it with additional air-defense systems and ammunition, a period in which $60 billion in U.S. aid has been held up by divisions in Congress.

“With Russian missiles, there are no delays, like with aid packages to our state,” Zelenskyy said. “It is important to understand the cost of delays and postponed decisions.”

Russia’s defense ministry called Friday attacks “strikes of retribution.” Ukraine has increased shelling of Russia’s Belgorod region along its northeast border and has launched drone strikes targeting Russian oil refineries and other energy facilities.

Ukraine’s latest strike inside Russia on Friday killed one and injured at least three, according to local officials.

Putin has described Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod and other regions as an effort to frighten residents and derail the highly orchestrated election that ended Sunday. And he vowed to strike back.

The day after he declared victory, Putin said Russia would seek to create a buffer zone inside eastern Ukraine to help protect against long-range strikes and cross-border raids.

Russia has made progress on the battlefield in recent months against exhausted Ukrainian troops struggling with a shortage of manpower and ammunition along the front line that stretches over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).

When Putin invaded in 2022, he called it a “special military operation,” and his officials have mostly eschewed the word “war.” But in a change of rhetoric Friday that may herald a new escalation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a Russian newspaper that “when the collective West became a participant in this on the side of Ukraine, for us it already became a war.”

In the winter of 2022-23, Russia targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing frequent blackouts across the country. Many in Ukraine and the West expected that Russia might repeat this strategy this winter, but Russia instead focused its strikes on Ukraine’s defense industries.

While launching the strikes, Russia has combined sophisticated ballistic and cruise missiles with waves of cheap Iranian-made Shahed drones in a bid to oversaturate and weaken Ukrainian air defenses.

Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, head of the national utility Ukrenergo, described Friday’s barrage as the largest assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the full-scale war began.

“This attack was especially dangerous because the adversary combined different means of attack, kamikaze drones, ballistic and cruise missiles,” he said.

Kudrytskyi said that Russia “tried to destroy every significant energy object powering the city of Kharkiv,” leaving at least 700,000 without electricity. He estimated that several hundred thousand customers in other regions were also left without power.

Oleksiy Kuleba, deputy head of Zelenskyy’s office, said that 31 people were injured in the strikes, that also left 200,000 people without constant access to electricity in the Odesa region. He said that power supplies for most of 400 000 customers in Dnipropetrovsk region was restored.

The huge Dnipro hydroelectric power plant, Ukraine’s largest, halted operation after sustaining at least six missile hits that caused massive damage. Ihor Syrota, the head of Ukrhidroenergo company overseeing the country’s hydroelectric plants, said it lost about a third of its generation capacity in a “significant loss for the Ukrainian energy system.”

Syrota said that the extent of damage to the plant remained unclear because its equipment has been buried under concrete and metal debris from the blasts, noting that the repairs will be a “long process.”

The strikes sparked a fire at the Dnipro plant, which supplies electricity to the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, the largest in Europe. Power to the nuclear plant was lost for several hours before it was restored, International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said early Friday. The Zaporizhzhia plant has been occupied by Russian troops since early days of the invasion, and fighting around it has raised the risk of a nuclear accident.

The dam at the hydroelectric station was not in danger of breaching, the country’s hydroelectric authority said. A dam breach could not only disrupt supplies to the nuclear plant but could potentially cause severe flooding similar to what occurred last year when a major dam at Kakhovka further down the Dnieper River collapsed.

___

Heintz reported from Tallinn, Estonia.

HANNA ARHIROVA

Arhirova is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine. She is based in Kyiv.

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in tonight’s Post.)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Sunday, (03/25/2024):

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Book Review: ‘Nuclear War,’ by Annie Jacobsen; ‘Countdown,’ by Sarah Scoles

The New York Times

When the author Tommy Orange received an impassioned email from a teacher in the Bronx, he dropped everything to visit the students who inspired it. A …

Daily Kos

Putin seems to be very fond of threatening to use nuclear weapons every time he gets his ego dinged by every consequence of his actions.

What would happen to Washington, DC if attacked by a nuclear bomb? – New York Post

New York Post

… nuclear weapon is about to burn it all down. Advertisement. The science behind the bomb is profound. Embedded in the thermonuclear flash of light …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

The West’s Nuclear Power Revival Could Be Slower Than Hoped – Energy Central

Energy Central

— At the COP28 climate summit at the end of last year, the United States and 21 other countries pledged to triple nuclear energy capacities by 2050.

Russia launches sweeping attack on Ukraine’s power sector, a sign of possible escalation

AP News

… electricity to the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, the largest in Europe. Power to the nuclear plant was lost for several hours before it was …

It took 30 years, but world’s largest artificial reef built near San Diego nuclear power plant is …

San Diego Union-Tribune

Scientists knew early on that the nuclear power plant’s cooling system would stir up the ocean and degrade nearby kelp beds. They also knew it would …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

DEMA to test emergency sirens for New Jersey nuclear stations April 2 – Delaware Online

Delaware Online

The Hope Creek nuclear reactor cooling tower. The reactors at Salem 1 and 2 draw. There are 37 sirens in Delaware located within a 10-mile radius …

Nuclear War

NEWS

What would happen to Washington, DC if attacked by a nuclear bomb? – New York Post

New York Post

A new book “Nuclear War: A Scenario,” describes the death and destruction around a fictional nuclear attack on Washington, DC.

Book Review: ‘Nuclear War,’ by Annie Jacobsen; ‘Countdown,’ by Sarah Scoles

The New York Times

In “Nuclear War” and “Countdown,” Annie Jacobsen and Sarah Scoles talk to the people whose job it is to prepare for atomic conflict.

Skipjack-Class: How the U.S. Navy Became a Nuclear Attack Submarine Superpower

The National Interest

… warfare. These submarines not only marked the U.S. Navy’s transition into modern nuclear-powered attack submarines but also demonstrated a forward …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

What would happen to Washington, DC if attacked by a nuclear bomb? – New York Post

New York Post

… threats target Pennsylvania library over Drag … War” which details a fictitious nuclear attack on Washington, DC. Getty Images … nuclear war is as …

Targeting Marwan Issa didn’t break the law; it enforced it – The Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post

An example of such a threat would be a direct Iranian attack on Israel that escalates into an unconventional war. Although Iran is pre-nuclear, any …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

How early humans survived the eruption of Toba supervolcano – Earth.com

Earth.com

Another example is the Yellowstone Caldera, located in the United States. It has experienced three supereruptions over the past 2.1 million years …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity.”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

MAR 24, 2024

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LLAW’s CONCERNS & COMMENTS, Saturday, (03/23/2024)

You only have to read the 1st paragraph of the “Vox/Verge” article below to understand why nuclear energy is not the answer to any problem, especially the strange and most unlikely concept that it can solve the CO2 global-warming/climate change issue. Common sense tells anyone with any sense that such a belief is utterly impossible. There are hundreds if not thousands of reasons that this will never happen. In the 1st place there is not enough uranium fuel left in the ground to allow nuclear power plants to take over for the other fossil fuels that are creating the global atmospheric carbon dioxide problem. We must spend our money for electric power only on advancing renewables like solar, wind, hydro and geo-thermal energy. Doing so is the only way to save ourselves from creating our own (and our other living critters) from extinction.

And then there are the “minor” problems like the time-lag between design, planning, constructing, licensing and operating nuclear power plants that take at best 12 to 15 years to produce power (meanwhile the fossil fuel global warming/climate change continues on unablated), and that is followed by leaking nuclear radiation, nuclear waste disposal, nuclear power plant human and/or AI accidents causing meltdowns, along with already enormous costs that can only grow upward forever, and the constant possibility of nuclear power plants being forcibly converted to stationary nuclear weapons of mass destruction or terrorism (as is happening as we read this nightly post in the Russia/Ukraine war). I could go on and on for hundreds of pages, but this ought to be enough to give you, the reader, a clue that such a dream will turn into a never-ending nightmare. ~llaw

THE VERGE IS A VOX MEDIA NETWORK

More than 30 countries have pledged to pursue nuclear energy as one way to meet global climate goals. Even so, nuclear energy is still a controversial energy source that’s bogged down by concerns about radioactive waste, safety, and high costs.

At a nuclear energy summit in Brussels yesterday, the countries pledged “to work to fully unlock the potential of nuclear energy by taking measures such as enabling conditions to support and competitively finance the lifetime extension of existing nuclear reactors, the construction of new nuclear power plants and the early deployment of advanced reactors,” The Associated Press reports. The US, China, Japan, France, Britain, and Saudi Arabia were among the 34 countries to sign the pledge.

It’s a bold statement to support a source of energy over which many governments and environmental groups are deeply divided. Nuclear energy doesn’t generate the greenhouse gas emissions heating up the planet, but the environmental footprint of its supply chain and waste creates other problems. And after decades of missteps, the technology still has to prove whether it can be an affordable, safe alternative to the fossil fuels causing climate change.

Nuclear energy doesn’t generate the greenhouse gas emissions heating up the planet, but the environmental footprint of its supply chain and waste creates other problems

Nearly every nation on Earth has committed to fighting climate change as part of the Paris agreement. That requires a transition from fossil fuels to clean energy over the next few decades. Fortunately, renewables like solar and wind energy are already cheaper than coal and gas and are forecast to make up a majority of new electricity sources deployed in coming years. The challenge is in finding backup energy sources for times when winds die down and the sun sets.

Proponents of nuclear energy say it’s the perfect complement to renewables since nuclear reactors are able to generate electricity around the clock. “Nuclear energy is indispensable along with renewable energy …  We must devise strategy to attract further investment which is necessary to enhance the use of nuclear energy,” Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Komura Masahiro said during the Nuclear Energy Summit held yesterday by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

It’s a remarkable turnaround from fears stoked more than a decade ago when an earthquake and tsunami triggered a catastrophic meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Japan. In December, Japan was one of more than 20 countries that agreed to triple renewable energy capacity globally by 2050. The country still plans to prioritize renewable energy, Masahiro said, and “at the same time, Japan will continuously reflect upon the lessons from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and ensure that the use of nuclear power places safety as its top priority.”

There’s still skepticism over whether a nuclear renaissance is a good idea. Existing reactors and the radioactive waste they produce still pose risks. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has tried to broker agreements between Russia and Ukraine to prevent a meltdown at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant amid the ongoing war. In the US, tribes and environmental advocates have fought to stop a resurgence of uranium mining that has a legacy of polluting water sources in the past.

At the summit, John Podesta, US senior adviser to the president for clean energy innovation and implementation, touted the construction of the country’s first completely new power plant in decades. The Vogtle Unit 3 reactor in Georgia finally started operating last year, no less than $17 billion over budget after seven years of delays.

Next-generation nuclear reactors are supposed to be easier and cheaper to build. But they haven’t overcome the radioactive waste problem. They’ll require more highly enriched uranium, of which Russia has been the largest supplier. And a key demonstration project using advanced small modular reactors in Utah was canceled in November after costs soared.

Protesters with the environmental group Greenpeace attempted to block roads leading to the Nuclear Energy Summit yesterday, claiming they were able to delay the arrival of some delegates.

“All the evidence shows that nuclear power is too slow to build, too expensive, and it remains highly polluting and dangerous,” Greenpeace EU senior campaigner Lorelei Limousin said. “We are in a climate emergency, so time is precious, and the governments here today are wasting it with nuclear energy fairy tales.

---

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in tonight’s Post.)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS (03/23/2024):

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Filling nuclear power’s $5 trillion hole is beyond the banks – The Portland Press Herald

The Portland Press Herald

Nuclear power could help reduce the use of fossil fuels, but financiers are waiting for a predictable, stable set of options.

International nuclear energy expert questions Michigan’s Palisades restart – Michigan Radio

Michigan Radio

All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:30 PM … about additional nuclear … Nuclear Regulatory Commission about permits to build a small modular nuclear …

Russia attacks Ukrainian electrical power facilities, causing widespread outages

Alabama Public Radio

All Things Acoustic · Bama Bluegrass · Classical … Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power installation. … nuclear accident. The dam at …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Dozens of countries pledge support for nuclear power, despite lingering concerns

The Verge

More than 30 countries pledged to support nuclear energy, a controversial energy source seen as a potential solution to climate change, …

The U.S. could need the equivalent of 40 new nuclear plants over the next 5 years, by one …

Yahoo Finance

In Texas, a popular destination for crypto mining operations, miners have requested the equivalent of 41 new nuclear reactors’ worth of power, …

Filling nuclear power’s $5 trillion hole is beyond the banks – The Portland Press Herald

The Portland Press Herald

Nuclear power could help reduce the use of fossil fuels, but financiers are waiting for a predictable, stable set of options.

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Russian strike severs power line to Ukraine nuclear plant | Macau Business

Macau Business

… emergency situation”, said Ukraine’s atomic energy operator Energoatom. In the event that the final power line is cut, it said the plant will be …

Nuke plant owners defend staff cuts to skeptical public | New Hampshire | eagletribune.com

Eagle-Tribune

All employees at the company’s nuclear facilities play an emergency response role. The company will always ensure its facilities have appropriate …

Fact Check: Hydraulic fluid leak caused United emergency landing in Sydney, not fuel leak

Reuters

A hydraulic fluid leak caused a U.S.-bound United Airlines flight to return to Sydney for an emergency … Nuclear Power Plant near the city of Netishyn.

Nuclear War

NEWS

Nuclear War and Anti-Reason – Modern Diplomacy

Modern Diplomacy

Though Donald J. Trump did not exercise a nuclear war option as president, he did allow Kim Jong Un to upgrade and accelerate North Korea’s military …

Massive Russian attack targets Ukraine energy infrastructure – E&E News by POLITICO

E&E News

The attack put the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on the verge of a blackout, Ukraine’s energy ministry said. The Zaporizhzhia facility, the …

Russia pounds Ukrainian power facilities, Kremlin embraces ‘war‘ rhetoric – Reuters

Reuters

… war, and portrayed by Moscow as revenge for … A general view shows the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant near the city of Netishyn … war, and …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Nuclear War and Anti-Reason – Modern Diplomacy

Modern Diplomacy

Strategic policies will have to deal with a variegated assortment of sub-national threats of WMD terrorism. Until now, insurgent enemies were …

As I See It: How to end the war in Ukraine – Greenfield Recorder

Greenfield Recorder

This action neutralizes Putin’s nuclear threats. With only three warheads, the Kiev government can invalidate Putin’s dangerous nuclear temptations …

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 22, 2024 | Critical Threats

Critical Threats

… threat coming from either Ukraine or NATO … war against Ukraine as a war against the West. … Belarusian authorities may have constructed a nuclear …

Thanks for reading All Things Nuclear!

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity.”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

MAR 22, 2024

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LLAW’s CONCERNS & COMMENTS, Friday, (03/22/2024)

Oh, the depravity of men caught up in their self-importance and the temporary power they have been given during war. This story is typical, rather than unusual, and this woman and her daughter, and the others, fortunately were eventually able to escape into Kyiv, and obviously felt obligated to tell their story as a way to avoid retaliation and worse.

Very likely, in this war, and those that came before throughout human history, other innocent women and even children have suffered such physical and mental abuse, pain, and indignation at the hands of military men who overstepped their bounds. Rape, unthinkable torture, even death in the ravages of war are common to all wars where soldiers have access to the public — especially to those of the feminine way. ~llaw

Ukrainian women tell of beatings and threats under Russian occupation

By Anna Voitenko

March 21, 20241:28 PM PDTUpdated a day ago

KYIV, March 21 (Reuters) – Alla Antonova says she suffered beatings, had a plastic bag thrust over her head and endured many other threats from Russian soldiers in occupied Ukraine who wanted to know where her son-in-law was serving in the Ukrainian army.

Her mother Natalia Kucherova, 73, was made to sit in an adjacent room of their apartment, but says she was generally left alone – the soldiers were only interested in her daughter.

Reuters could not independently verify their accounts. Moscow has denied accusations that its forces have committed atrocities or deliberately attacked civilians during their invasion, which it calls a “special military operation”.

Now in Kyiv, escaping from the ordeal meant fleeing their home in the port of Berdiansk, in the occupied part of the southern Zaporizhzhia region and taking a circuitous five-day journey.

With the help of Ukrainian volunteer workers, the family and their dog travelled into southern Russia and then overland back over the border into Ukrainian-held territory in early February.

Speaking to Reuters in a rented apartment in the Ukrainian capital, Antonova, 53, said the Russian soldiers visited their Berdiansk home three times in the last few months of 2023 and as recently as January this year.

“They took me into the bedroom and mama into the kitchen,” Antonova said.

“Three of them. Interrogating me is the way I would put it. And they beat me. I had bruises on my legs, on my back.”

Antonova showed Reuters several photographs of severe bruises on her arm and legs.

Another soldier, she said, pulled the plastic bag over her head and pressed down to stop her breathing.

“I started to lose consciousness. They removed the bag and I felt ill,” Antonova said. “I told them: ‘Just kill me. It’s the truth, I know nothing’.”

Russia’s diplomatic mission in Geneva did not immediately reply to a request for comment about the women’s account.

Alla Antonova and her daughter Anastasia sit in a rental-apartment in Kyiv after Antonova escaped from her home in Russian-occupied Berdiansk amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, March 20, 2024. REUTERS/Anna Voitenko

A report on conditions in occupied areas released this week by the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine described a “climate of fear” in occupied areas more than two years after the Russian invasion. It reports the widespread use of such tactics that Antonova and her family describe.

Speaking at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Wednesday after the report’s publication, Russian senior diplomat Igor Sergeev accused U.N. human rights bodies of double standards and of turning a blind eye to violations committed by Kyiv.

BEATEN SENSELESS

Antonova said the soldiers beat her senseless during one of the “visits”, in January this year.

She showed Reuters a video she was made to record, sent to her own 29-year-old daughter, Anastasia, in which she says “good, polite people, soldiers” had come and asked the daughter to cooperate if she wanted to see her mother again.

“My daughter understood straight away and deleted it. And they just said ‘just think about it – we’ll come to see you’.”

Kucherova made it plain what she thought of the soldiers.

“‘What is it you want?’ I said, ‘Are you going to throw my daughter in a cellar and rape her?'” she told Reuters of the experience, prompting a soldier to ask where she had heard such things.

“I told him the whole town is talking about it. The whole town, about how you are abusing people there.”

Kucherova, who had lived all her life in Berdiansk, was tearful about leaving, but in the end needed little convincing.

“They said ‘we are here for a long time to come, in Berdiansk’. And that means ‘we will be paying you frequent visits’,” she said. “So, that’s what happened. We quickly got our things together and left. We were told to go quickly.”

The escalating violence made the women fearful for their lives so the three generations of women readied themselves for a long journey – and no notion of leaving behind Sonia, the family dog.

“We couldn’t bear the thought leaving her tied up with no water, nothing,” Kucherova said. “We all went together. No one was abandoned.”

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Writing by Ronald Popeski; Editing by Lucy Marks

---

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in tonight’s Post.)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS (03/22/2024):

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Webcast: The Future of Fire Policy – YouTube

YouTube

At this webcast, we dive into all things “fire” – looking at how past fire policy and management has informed the current state of fire on the …

‘Countdown’ and ‘Nuclear War’ Review: Apocalypse Deferred – WSJ

The Wall Street Journal

Five minutes after the blast, “most of everything south to Alexandria, west to Falls Church, north to Chevy Chase, east to Capitol Heights, and all …

The rising threat of nuclear war – Delaware Public Media

Delaware Public Media

All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:30 PM … The rising threat of nuclear war … The Iran deal restricted the country’s nuclear program in exchange for …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Ukraine says power line to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant fixed after blackout risk – Reuters

Reuters

The International Atomic Energy Agency said earlier the nuclear power plant had lost connection to its main off-site power line, but that a backup …

New nuclear reactor types will not solve waste and safety issues – German agency

Clean Energy Wire

Clean Energy Wire / Reuters. Novel nuclear power plant designs do not resolve the technology’s fundamental challenge of hazardous nuclear waste, a …

Creepy drone footage from Fukushima shows how a nuclear reactor looks after meltdown

Business Insider

A drone and robot are aiding in the inspection of the devastation inside the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant reactor, …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Russian Strike Severs Power Line To Ukraine Nuclear Plant – Barron’s

Barron’s

… emergency situation”, said Ukraine’s atomic energy operator Energoatom. In the event that the final power line is cut, it said the plant will be …

Russian strike severs power line to Ukraine nuclear plant – The Economic Times

The Economic Times

Since the beginning of the war, the Zaporizhzhia power plant has suffered multiple blackouts, falling back on emergency diesel generators and safety …

Officials report emergency power cuts in eight Ukrainian oblasts after devastating Russian attack

Yahoo

… energy infrastructure on March 22. Read also: Critical power line feeding Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant restored, Energoatom reports. The city …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Ukraine war briefing: ‘massive missile attack‘ hits Dnipro hydroelectric dam and affects nuclear plant

The Guardian

The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was on the verge of blackout after a “massive missile attack on Ukraine” on Friday morning …

‘Countdown’ and ‘Nuclear War‘ Review: Apocalypse Deferred – WSJ

The Wall Street Journal

… Nuclear Security Administration monitor the state of the most dangerous weapons in the world. In “Nuclear War: A Scenario,” Annie Jacobsen, the …

Massive Russian attack targets Ukraine energy infrastructure – POLITICO.eu

POLITICO.eu

The Zaporizhzhia facility, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, has been occupied by Russia since 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said …

Nuclear War Threats

NEW

How North Korea Is Building a Nuclear Attack Arsenal – Bloomberg.com

Bloomberg.com

To back up his threats, Kim has been ramping up strike capabilities with a blistering pace of tests for his newest ballistic missiles — making …

One step away from World War III | Column – Daily Sabah

Daily Sabah

Having brought up the threat of nuclear war periodically during the Russo-Ukrainian war, the Russian leader mentioned World War III due to French …

Ukrainian women tell of beatings and threats under Russian occupation – Reuters

Reuters

Alla Antonova says she suffered beatings, had a plastic bag thrust over her head and endured many other threats … nuclear reactors from Bulgaria in …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity.”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

MAR 22, 2024

1

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Metsamor nuclear power plant in Azerbaijan

LLAW’s CONCERNS & COMMENTS, Thursday, (03/21/2024)

The following letter of complaint is not only outrageous to witness and be able to openly read, it is deathly serious, and all countries with nuclear powered power plants must be aware that all things nuclear, especially nuclear power plants, are as dangerous to human life as nuclear war, and, in fact what is supposed to support human comforts may well become weapons of mass destruction both before or during a nuclear war. As an instance of nuclear irresponsibility and neglect this plea for help may be the worst example I have ever seen. The letter is short and to the point, and I beg you to read it with what it could portend in mind! ~llaw

POLITICS

Metsamor nuclear power plant poses huge nuclear threat to the region – OPEN LETTER

Baku, March 21, AZERTAC

Representatives of Azerbaijan’s civil society have addressed an open letter to the leadership of the Nuclear Energy Summit.

The letter shared with AZERTAC says:

“We, representatives of Azerbaijan’s civil society and scientists, are appealing to the co-chairs of the Brussels Nuclear Energy Summit – the Prime Minister of Belgium, Mr. Alexander De Croo, and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Rafael Mariano Grossi – asking them to urge the Armenian government to immediately cease the operation of the country’s Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, which is in an emergency condition, has significantly exceeded its intended service life, and poses a global threat.

The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, built in a 9.5-point seismic zone in 1976, operates using outdated technology and is designed to withstand an earthquake of 8 points in magnitude, poses a huge nuclear threat to Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Armenia and the region as a whole. The irresponsible conduct of the Armenian authorities regarding this nuclear power plant and the circulation of false reports about its operation are intended to mislead the world community and lead the region towards another Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters. This risk is increasing with each passing day. Instead of decommissioning the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant and following the rules and procedures expected by the international community, the Armenian authorities are trying to artificially extend its service life every time.

Liquid waste from the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is ultimately discharged into the Araz, a trans-boundary river. The plant is located in a water-scarce area, drawing water from deep wells to cool its aging reactor. During earthquakes, it is possible to change the level of underground water and the direction of flows, which is a clear evidence of the unreliability of the cooling system.

The illegal trade of some nuclear materials originating from Metsamor is also of great concern. There are more than 200 radioactive sources in the territory of Armenia. These sources include various types of isotopes. There have also been cases of smuggling of radioactive isotopes in Armenia. This increases the possibility of using radionuclides for terrorist purposes.

The fact that the landfills where Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant waste is disposed are already full and the creation of a new nuclear waste landfill show that there are serious problems with the disposal of this waste.

We call on the International Atomic Energy Agency and other relevant international organizations to closely cooperate with the Republic of Azerbaijan as the worst affected country in this regard.

The Armenian authorities, which pay no heed to the nuclear safety of their own people and the peoples living in other regional states, can be forced to stop the operation of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant only with a joint global effort. The Nuclear Energy Summit, which defines as its main direction the achievement of the goals arising from COP28, acts as a convenient platform in this regard. This is the expectation of the Azerbaijani community, which will host COP29.

Signatories:

Fagan Aliyev – International Eco-Energy Academy

Islam Mustafayev – “Ruzgar” Ecological Public Union

Sabit Bagirov – Entrepreneurship Development Foundation

Mirhasan Hasanov – “Union of Chernobyl Disabled People” Public Union

Eyvaz Asgarov – “Chernobyl Disabled People of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic” Public Union

Firuza Sultanzada – “EkoSfera” Social Ecological Center

Gulshan Akhundova – “Women, Development, Future” Public Union

Parvana Valiyeva – “Service to Health” Public Union

Muslim Gurbanov – “Ecoil” Scientific Ecological Public Union

Rovshan Abbasov – “Towards a Healthy Life” Ecological Public Union

Zurab Israfilov – “Azerbaijan Nature Protection Society” Public Union

Maryam Majidova – Youth Gender Equality Center “Gender Hub” Public Union

Zaur Ibrahimli – “Prioritet” Social Economic Research Center Public Union

Umud Mirzayev – International Eurasian Press Foundation

Israyil Iskandarov – “Umid” Social Development Support Public Union

Ramil Iskandarli – Legal Analysis and Research Public Union

Gunel Safarova – “Vatandash” Research and Development Public Union

Khalid Kazimov – Regional Human Rights and Media Center Public Union

Ahmad Abbasbayli – “Center for Community Development” Public Union

Elchin Mukhtarli – “Service to Health” Public Union

Amin Mammadov – Public Union “Experts in the Field of Water Use”

Elman Jafarli – “Green World” Environmental Awareness Public Union

Gorkhmaz Ibrahimli – Biosphere Public Union

Gamza Yusubova – Environmental Awareness and Monitoring Public Union

Rahila Mehtiyeva – “Socioeconomic and Ecological Development” Public Union

Irada Hasanova – “Sema va Eko” Social Economic Development Public Union

Tukazban Aghababayeva – Eco Hub Support for Ecological Initiatives

Sevil Isayeva – “Ekolex” Ecological Legal Center Public Union

Rustam Malikov – “Ana Kur” Public Association for Helping to Study Environmental Problems

Azizagha Hunbataliyev – Environmental Protection Public Union

Yazgul Abdiyeva – “Health Protection” Public Union

Ayyub Karimli – Economic and Social Research Public Union

Tavakkul Iskandarov – “Biological Diversity Center” Public Union

Jasarat Huseynzada – “Support for Information and Social Initiatives” Public Union

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in tonight’s Post.)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS (03/21/2024):

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Can the US Develop A Nuclear Bomb Without Ever Testing It? We’re About to Find Out.

Popular Mechanics

… things all the time.’ And I’m sure that they are incredible simulations.” Yet military programs for things such as new fighter jets are often …

State representatives unveil bipartisan plan to spur nuclear energy generation in Michigan

Michigan House Republicans

“We’re working together across party lines to make Michigan a national leader in all things nuclear energy,” Filler said. “Our plan is designed to …

The state’s first small modular nuclear reactor likely won’t be built in Southwest Virginia after …

Cardinal News

“But as of today, the site work and all of that has really been focused on spots other than in Southwest Virginia. And the primary reason for that is …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Leaders from over 30 countries meet in Brussels to promote nuclear energy | AP News

AP News

Over 30 leaders and delegations from around the world are backing the idea of using nuclear energy to help achieve a climate-neutral globe while …

Nuclear power absolutely needed to reach climate goals, IEA’s Birol says | WTVB

WTVB

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Nuclear power is absolutely needed to reach worldwide climate goals, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih …

Leaders commit to ‘unlock potential’ of nuclear energy at landmark summit

World Nuclear News

Leaders and representatives from 32 countries at the Nuclear Energy Summit backed measures in areas such as financing, technological innovation, …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Seacoast officials ask for more clarity on changes to Seabrook nuclear emergency plan

Concord Monitor

Seacoast officials ask for more clarity on changes to Seabrook nuclear emergency plan. Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant Dan Tuohy—NHPR. Published: …

Safety mechanisms in place at UWI modular reactor – officials | Loop Jamaica

Loop Jamaica – Loop News

… radiation and emergency protection plans. … Gov’t looking to introduce nuclear power in Jamaica’s energy mix … PM: Use of nuclear reactor to solve …

Metsamor nuclear power plant poses huge nuclear threat to the region – OPEN LETTER

azertag.az

… emergency condition, has significantly exceeded its intended service life, and poses a global threat. The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, built in a …

Nuclear War

NEWS

The rising threat of nuclear war | KALW

KALW

Visitors look at a model of a Soviet AN-602 thermonuclear aerial bomb. The reality of a nuclear war probably seems unimaginable to the average …

The rising threat of nuclear war | 1A

1A

Visitors look at a model of a Soviet AN-602 thermonuclear aerial bomb. TATYANA MAKEYEVA/AFP via Getty Images. The reality of a nuclear war probably …

Beating Putin’s Game of Nuclear Chicken – Just Security

Just Security

“One can trace a straight line from the overthrow of Libya’s dictator Muammar Gaddafi to today’s devastating war in Ukraine,” she wrote. Attempts to …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Global Eyes: How seriously should we take Putin’s nuclear threats? – DW

DW

Russia’s war in UkraineIsrael-Hamas warInclusion. Advertisement. PoliticsAsia. Global Eyes: How seriously should we take Putin’s nuclear threats? To …

Beating Putin’s Game of Nuclear Chicken – Just Security

Just Security

It’s not by chance that Russia in 2020 published its revised strategy allowing for a nuclear first use to counter a conventional existential threat.

America’s Strategic Posture Is Slouching – WSJ

The Wall Street Journal

Washington has struggled to modernize its nuclear forces in response to the Russian threat. Worse, the commission found, we have barely begun to …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity.”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

MAR 21, 2024

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Bill Gates’ Terra Power . . .

LLAW’s CONCERNS & COMMENTS, Wednesday, (03/20/2024)

Come June, 2024, with or without a permit from regulators, the startup nuclear power company, Terra Power, wants to start work near a Pacific Corp. coal facility, which is in its waning days. The site is located just south of Kemmerer, Wyoming.

The whole concept of these SMR (Small Modular Reactor) has been fraught with questionable details and problems. For instance, the company has been waiting to begin its Demo Plant for two years because the uranium fuel to operate the plant is only available from Russia, and Russia is not making it available to Terra Power, and given the two nations’ relationships, perhaps never will. SMR’s are thus far of inadequate quality in both safety and durability (there are only two, both state-owned and controlled, operating world-wide thus far. One is in Russia and one is in China and the American largest company producing these start-up unproven power plants, NuScale Power, recently abandoned a project in Utah due to cost overruns and other financial difficulties.

Terra Power, which has already spent 8 years going nowhere beyond their dream, has raised about $1 Billion for a plant that will cost (unless it has the same fate as Nuscale, which is probable) about $4+ billion to engineer and construct. They expect half of that cost to come from the Department of Energy. They also expect the plant to be built and operational in just 6 years, including the NRC’s approval of the plant as safe, secure, functional, and operational, which would of course be an approval time record, but of course that will never happen. How they raised the $1 billion thus far is a mystery to me. Perhaps it all came out of Bill Gates’ pocket, or maybe a handout from General Electric.

If I were a betting man, I would never bet a plug nickel on the success on such an “out of this world” nuclear power plant, its planned reactors, and its ‘very cheap’ Natrium cooling system (a fancy name for liquid (molten) salt that allows a nuclear reactor to operate at much higher temperatures than conventional water cooling). Could anything possibly go wrong with a nuclear reactor operating at hundreds of degrees higher temperatures than conventional water-cooled nuclear reactors, which can and do melt down? That is still to be determined . . . ~llaw

A Bill Gates company is about to start building a nuclear power plant in Wyoming

George Glover

Mar 19, 2024, 6:05 AM PDT

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• TerraPower, which Bill Gates founded, plans to build its first nuclear power plant in the US.
• CEO Chris Levesque told the Financial Times it wants to start work on a site in Wyoming in June.
• TerraPower says its reactor design is cheaper because they’re cooled by liquid sodium, not water.

A company cofounded by Bill Gates is about to start building next-generation nuclear power plants in the US.

Chris Levesque, CEO of TerraPower, told the Financial Times that his firm will start building at a site near a coal plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming in June, even if it hasn’t received a construction permit from regulators by then.

The company plans to bring the nuclear plant online in 2030, he added.

TerraPower, which has raised $1 billion from backers, will use liquid sodium rather than water to cool its Natrium reactors, making them cheaper to run.

Most of the initial work at the Kemmerer site won’t be related to nuclear activity, Levesque said.

“When you use liquid sodium as a coolant instead of water it’s a game changer,” he told the FT.

“Natrium plants will cost half of what light water reactor plants cost … and we are moving our project along pretty aggressively.”

Gates helped found TerraPower in 2006 and has been its chairman since then. The company has said its aim is to provide the world with a more affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy.

Its Natrium reactor is expected to cost $4 billion, with about half the cost being met by the Department of Energy. CRV and Khosla Ventures are among the company’s VC backers, Reuters reported.

While Russian and Chinese state-controlled companies have already managed to launch smaller nuclear reactors, progress in developing similar tech in the US has stalled in recent years.

High interest rates have made it tougher for startups to draw in funding, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent exclusion from financial markets has made it tougher for companies to get the uranium needed for their reactors.

In December 2022, TerraPower pushed back the launch of its flagship project by at least two years, which Levesque attributed to the war in Ukraine hitting supplies of high-assay, low-enriched uranium.

In October last year TerraPower missed out on making the shortlisted for the next round of the UK government’s competition for small nuclear plants. Rolls-Royce is one of the leading contenders with its small modular reactor (SMR) designs and has already secured more than £200m of government funding in Britain.

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in tonight’s Post.)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS (03/20/2024):

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

US Air Force tests third-stage rocket motor for next nuclear missile – Defense News

Defense News

Initially seen as an overseer and expediter of all things data and AI, the CDAO has since evolved into a key player in the realization of CJADC2.

A nuclear plant’s closure was hailed as a green win. Then emissions went up – The Guardian

The Guardian

Should long-held concerns about nuclear be shelved due to the overriding challenge of the climate crisis? … “The hard part for nuclear, aside from all …

Nuclear’s role in a net-zero world – Knowable Magazine

Knowable Magazine

As with everything in the nuclear landscape, debate rages about whether … The grand total of lives lost from all nuclear power generation to date …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

A nuclear plant’s closure was hailed as a green win. Then emissions went up – The Guardian

The Guardian

Shuttering of New York facility raises awkward climate crisis questions as gas – not renewables – fills gap in power generation.

Nuclear Energy – Pros & Cons | Q+A – YouTube

YouTube

The Q+A panel discuss a question from Can we have a reasoned debate on the pros and cons of renewable and nuclear energy?

WWF: Nuclear path to net-zero is a ‘false narrative’ – Panda.org

Panda.org

Ahead of Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, WWF argues that building nuclear power generation is too slow, too expensive and too risky.

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Seacoast officials ask for more clarity on changes to Seabrook nuclear emergency plan

NHPR

Federal nuclear regulators met with NextEra Energy, the company that owns the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, in a public meeting Tuesday to discuss …

NextEra’s emergency plan faces regulatory heat: NRC demands more info

Seacoastonline.com

The Unit 1 reactor at NextEra Energy’s Seabrook Station nuclear power plant. The amendment proposes changes to some of the staffing requirements …

Regulators say proposed emergency response changes at Seabrook Station not justified – WMUR

WMUR

SEABROOK, N.H. —. The owners of New Hampshire’s only nuclear power plant will head back to the drawing board after proposing changes to its emergency …

Nuclear War

NEWS

The Leaked Russian Nuclear Documents and Russian First Use of Nuclear Weapons

RealClearDefense

While Russian nuclear war planning and wargaming against China came as a surprise to many, it should not have. While it is not politically correct in …

How to take Putin’s nuclear threats | Global Eyes – YouTube

YouTube

… nuclear coercion 13:00 What nuclear China is taking from Russia’s war in Ukraine 14:35 What role couldthe Quad play? 15:00 Trump and US nuclear …

Decoder Replay: Putin raises the spectre of nuclear war

News Decoder

Three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revived dormant fears of a catastrophic nuclear war.

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Nuclear threats, isolationism vs interventionism and contemporary villains, The Monocle Daily 2725

Monocle

Panellists Rebecca Tinsley and Charles Hecker discuss the UN’s warnings about nuclear threats, the unintended consequences of the US’s slide …

Decoder Replay: Putin raises the spectre of nuclear war

News Decoder

He subsequently reinforced this none too subtle threat by placing his country’s nuclear arsenal on high alert. To an extent it worked. Large-scale …

Putin threatens French troops in Ukraine as children evacuated from border region | The Independent

The Independent

Sign up to our free breaking news emails · Russia has threatened to attack French troops as a “priority” if they are deployed on the ground in Ukraine, …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity.”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

MAR 19, 2024

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The “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” have added a 5th Horseman to spread the Word

LLAW’s CONCERNS & COMMENTS, Tuesday, (03/19/2024)

We absolutely have to learn the difference between Political and Capitalistic fairy tales and actual facts and truths and how the two opposing concepts of human speech are virtual opposites of human communication necessary in order to survive or face extinction.

“Propaganda” will serve to send us all to early graves if we can’t see the differences. Other than the usual “political” and “cultural” propaganda, even more importantly at the moment, there is the false concept of creating more weapons of mass destruction to enable a world-wide so-called “Deterrence” avoidance of nuclear war through “World Fear” instead of “World Peace” through peaceful common sense and respect for others without prejudice.

Common courtesies of civility and empathy toward all humanity rather than the insane idea threatening nuclear war as well as the also insane industry-fabricated environmental “value” of these potential stationary nuclear weapons of mass destruction, innocently called nuclear power plants, presently being falsely advertised as the savior to the global warming/climate change issue, are both deceitful fairy tales which are on the cusp of destroying humanity as well as all other life on our beautiful and bountiful planet Earth. We are being played for the suckers that we are.

And if you extrapolate what you just read from a small ‘neighborhood gang’ to a global gang of ‘world leaders’ (there are 9 of them at the moment) with huge gangs in every country on nearly every continent, and none of the leaders are representative of the gangs of the other world leaders, and then consider the scale of fear and force attempting to inflict their huge gang’s will and way on all the other worldly gangs.

It is precisely the same thing as the neighborhood gang, only on a global scale with unlimited force. And these world-sized gang leaders all have instant access to the same ultimate use of force, plus they are caught up in their own egotistical self-importance and self-aggrandizement and are dictators or otherwise authoritarian who use a smaller part of the their gang (e.g. the military) to protect them from both their own gang and everyone else’s gangs, too.

They lie and threaten one another every day, and feed their propaganda to not only their own gang, but everyone else’s gang, too. It’s those same four (now five) “Horsemen of the Apocalypse”, and we all know what Apocalypse means.

What do we have then? Utter chaos . . .~llaw

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A comment or two from me and why I do this blog as a nightly Post to anyone who wants to listen:

I was in the army stationed in South Korea when the Cuban missile crisis began in mid-October of 1962. Today’s nuclear crisis is much more serious than the Cuban missile crisis ever was or could have been. Both Kennedy and Kruschev knew there would be no nuclear war, but now it’s not just about nuclear war, which could happen any day now, but also about the plethora of nuclear power plants that could well become also used as nuclear weapons of mass destruction as well as nuclear bombs.

I personally spent a part of three decades in the nuclear industry business, and knew well the propaganda and the lies (it is all about Capitalism), and I left it after the Three Mile Island near-meltdown fiasco, much of which is still being hidden from public knowledge. But nuclear propaganda now is enveloping the entire world.

Also, I have no fear of any of it, and no one should because fear is self-defeating, and because fear is not going to resolve the problem, yet our governmental leaders use ‘fear’ or ‘deterrence’ as defensive protection against nuclear war by constantly building more and more powerful nuclear weapons behind their threats. But if humanity is to survive we need to stop what our so-called “world leaders” are doing in the process of ending it all because if they can’t take it with them, neither can we.

I write and Post this nightly blog or column about what is happening in the nuclear world, and try to educate the public about the dangers of both nuclear war and nuclear power and how uranium fuel is the evil ignition of it all. They are both weapons of mass destruction and certain death.

As Albert Einstein said, the only way to stop it is to first have World Peace. And I have long agreed with him and many other scientists and other humanitarians who have known this since the early 1940s. I was born in 1941, and still remember as a toddler my parents’ grief of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to stop World War II by taking hundreds of thousands of innocent civilian lives with our two atomic bombs.

Today there are some 20,000+ nuclear bombs in evil hands around the world, and every one of them is almost infinitely more powerfully destructive than the atomic bombs that devastated Japan. So, instead of searching for peace, we hunt down our enemies in order to survive, when all we should have to do is find some kind of reasonable multilateral World Peace among all of us. But we never seem to think of peace as a uniter or unifier, but only war as a world divider.

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in tonight’s Post.)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS (03/19/2024):

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Another Trump Presidency Would Demand New Legal Nuclear Controls – Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy

Digital magazines, including the new Winter 2024 issue all about elections; Full digital archive from 1970 to today; iOS & Android app; Comment on …

Nuclear weapons in space are bad news for the entire planet – The Verge

The Verge

Recent reports about Russia’s desires to put a nuclear weapon in space have sparked fears about future access to space — and the violation of …

Starling and Massa quoted in Air and Space Forces Magazine – Atlantic Council

Atlantic Council

… Things · Space. Regions. Africa. Sub-regions; All Africa · Angola … They wrote about the effects that a nuclear … All rights reserved. Privacy Policy …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Constellation issues first US nuclear green bond : Corporate

World Nuclear News

Constellation Energy has issued the first corporate green bond in the USA that can be used to finance nuclear energy projects.

Haiyang 3 containment takes shape – World Nuclear News

World Nuclear News

The walls of the containment building of unit 3 at the Haiyang nuclear power plant in China’s Shandong province are now in place following the …

Constellation offers nation’s first corporate green bond for nuclear energy – Maryland Daily Record

Maryland Daily Record

… nuclear power generation that reduce or avoid carbon emissions or provide other environmental benefits. A green bond is a financial instrument …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Xcel’s Prairie Island nuclear plant returns after lengthy outage drew questions – Star Tribune

Star Tribune

Xcel Energy said its Prairie Island nuclear power plant is now back to full power … powered down briefly in a non-emergency incident during system …

NRC To Hold Online Public Meeting with Seabrook Owners March 19 on Emergency Response Cuts

InDepthNH.org

… emergency response staffing resources at the Seabrook Station nuclear power plant. In response, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is set to …

Past As Prologue: More Than 20 Years Later, California Faces Another Man-Made Electricity Crisis

America First Policy Institute

Unless Californians address these primary drivers of electricity shortages, the state risks perpetually suffering from major energy emergencies. We’ve …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Map Shows US Cities Russia Would Strike First if War Broke Out – Newsweek

Newsweek

For Moscow, the nuclear card has been useful in deterring deeper NATO involvement in the conflict. “Everything is possible in the modern world,” Putin …

Putin warns the West a Russia-NATO conflict is just one step from WW3 – SWI swissinfo.ch

Swissinfo

Putin has often warned of the risks of nuclear war but says he has never felt the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. French President …

Nuclear Warfare Risk at Highest Point in Decades, Secretary-General Warns Security …

Meetings Coverage and Press Releases – the United Nations

With geopolitical tensions escalating the risk of nuclear warfare to its highest point in decades, reducing and abolishing nuclear weapons is the …

Nuclear War Threats

NEW

How to take Putin’s nuclear threats | Global Eyes – YouTube

YouTube

… War, a taboo subject? That the subject of DW’s … War, a taboo subject? That the subject of DW’s … How to take Putin’s nuclear threats | Global Eyes.

Risk of nuclear warfare at its highest point in decades: UN chief – TRT World

TRT World

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons as he warns the West against its support for Ukraine, which …

live: Putin threatens Nato with World War 3 as nuclear risk at ‘highest point in decades’

The Independent

Vladimir Putin has made at least 11 threats of nuclear war against the … Grant Shapps forced to cancel Ukraine port trip due to threat of Russian …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

MAR 18, 2024

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The first and only nuclear weapons ever used killed over 100,000 people and caused long-term health, psychological, economic and environmental damage | National Archive/Newsmakers

LLAW’s CONCERNS & COMMENTS, Monday, (03/18/2024)

The following article from Politico.eu deals with the same topic as I posted about yesterday evening — and that is the problem with our “Leaders”, and though this discussion mentions only 5, there are 9 of them, who could easily begin WWIII, and given enough time there will soon be more. They must all be dethroned before one of them pushes the nuclear button.

As I said yesterday, and I’ll say it again today, there is just one way to get rid of our nuclear armed “leaders”, and that is via protests and demands of you and me and the rest of the subordinate human population around the globe by whatever means are required. I believe that if we unite with a peaceful single intent internationally, we can make it happen, but time is of the essence . . . “The voice and the pen can be mightier than the bomb.” (line borrowed and upgraded from novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton)

However, the remedies suggested in this article, “more diplomacy and resilience-based solutions”, are far too weak to work. We have been trying to do that for nigh on 80 years, and have failed with every attempt. The only solution is to, as I have subtitled all of my 573 Posts in 573 consecutive days, “End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”. That requires removing the insanity of egomaniacal power-crazy “leaders” of every country that has nuclear anything, including nuclear power plants or even visions of grandeur in their envious eyes. ~llaw

POLITICO.eu

As ‘Oppenheimer’ wins big, we should worry about lowering of nuclear thresholds

Just as Oppenheimer challenged Truman on U.S. nuclear strategy, we too must challenge our leaders’ attachment to nukes.

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OPINION

MARCH 18, 2024 4:00 AM CET

BY SOPHIE-JADE TAYLOR AND GRAHAM STACEY

Sophie-Jade Taylor is a senior network development and communications manager at the European Leadership Network nonprofit. Retired Air Marshall Sir Graham Stacey is a senior consulting fellow at the European Leadership Network.

Last summer, director Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” captivated the global public, making history as the highest ever grossing biopic. And having already won big at the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs, the film closed awards season by sweeping the Oscars last weekend.

The film brought fresh awareness of the unique, destructive power that J. Robert Oppenheimer’s creation unleashed. The first and only nuclear weapons ever used — the “Little Boy” dropped on Hiroshima and the “Fat Man” on Nagasaki — packed the equivalent of 15,000 and 21,000 tons of TNT respectively, killing over 100,000 people and causing long-term health, psychological, economic and environmental damage.

By comparison, the world’s most powerful nukes today yield over 1.2 megatons of TNT — 60 times more than Oppenheimer’s bombs.

And much like Oppenheimer, General Leslie Groves and then U.S. President Harry S. Truman, today’s leaders once again find themselves facing huge moral and strategic choices at the dawn of a new technological age. The full weight of nuclear devastation lies in the hands of just a select few. Their decisions have profound implications for humanity — and this shouldn’t be left to chance. 

Recognizing the unimaginable horror a modern nuclear conflict would unleash, as recently as January 2022, all five leaders of the nuclear weapons states reaffirmed that a nuclear war couldn’t be won and must never be fought.

Yet, we have been witnessing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s irresponsible nuclear saber-rattling around Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. There have been worrying reports of rock-bottom thresholds for nuclear use — with enemy incursion into territory, the destruction of strategic weapons delivery systems, and even conventional weapons use deemed as posing an existential threat to Russian statehood.

And though Moscow outwardly rejects the policy, such ambiguity seemingly points toward communicating “first strike” capabilities, which rightly should be condemned and carefully assessed.

On the other hand, China continues to push states for political commitments toward the universalization of a No First Use Policy, while also furthering the development of its own arsenal under a worrying lack of transparency — a dilemma that has added complexity to an already intricate and perilous geopolitical chessboard.

Meanwhile, in the West — seemingly without much public discussion or comment — we’ve seen a worrying trend in declarations that states could use nuclear weapons to deter “non-nuclear threats,” again lowering the so-called nuclear threshold in an attempt to provide a quick fix to nuanced challenges.

At this very critical moment, “Oppenheimer” has brought discussions of nuclear weapons back into the public arena. And while the attention will undoubtedly recede, ongoing public engagement on these issues must not. Civic engagement shapes policymaking, and at a time of rising nuclear risks and growing temptation for states to become more reliant on their nuclear weapons, the public deserves a better understanding of when and why a catastrophic weapon may be deployed.

For example, in 2021, the British government stated that while it wouldn’t use nuclear weapons against any non-nuclear weapon state, it remained open to reviewing its policy should any threat from “emerging technologies” with “comparable impact” make nuclear weapon use necessary. Similarly, in 2022, the U.S. declared that the aim of its nuclear arsenal was to deter both nuclear and non-nuclear “strategic-level attacks.” Problematically, however, neither the U.K. nor the U.S. have detailed what “comparable impact” or “strategic-level attack” may mean.

These policies not only lower the nuclear-use threshold and increase global nuclear risks, but they may not even be feasible, given most contemporary threats against states now sit outside the military realm.

While it’s near impossible for a nuclear strike to go undetected, the same isn’t true for emerging technologies such as AI and autonomous systems. By their very design, these technologies are largely democratized and untied to a single government. For instance, the challenge of attribution in cyber is well-documented, and while cyber-attacks have been linked to state-sponsored hacking groups, these groups couldn’t be easily deterred by the threat of a nuclear strike.

As a 2021 U.K. parliamentary report on risk assessment and mitigation noted, today’s security risks do not respect national borders; rather, they have international impact and require global responses. In this new risk environment, governments must focus on developing their national resilience and preparedness to mitigate threats — not just use the blunt and horrific instrument of nuclear weapons as a cure-all.

Increasing the already harrowing role of nuclear weapons in foreign policy undermines the moral and legal position of nuclear weapons states. The logic and evidence behind the current U.K. and U.S. policies of relying on nuclear weapons as a panacea must be subject to greater public and parliamentary scrutiny — as should be the case with open democracies who say they have transparent nuclear policies.

Amid rising global volatility and technological uncertainty, it’s imperative for states to explore non-nuclear solutions that emphasize international cooperation, diplomacy and societal resilience. And there’s an opportunity here for the U.K. and the U.S. to lead the way in international law and treaties that respond to non-nuclear strategic threats more effectively.

Instead of resorting to old playbooks, both policymakers and the public must appreciate that emerging technologies require a new mindset in their management and new legal constructs to regulate their proliferation, development and control. Recent international efforts like last November’s Bletchley AI Safety Summit and the agreement to begin a dialogue on AI risks by U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are important first steps. But much more needs to be done.

Just as Oppenheimer, haunted by his role in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, challenged Truman on U.S. nuclear strategy, we too must challenge our leaders’ continued attachment to nukes — weapons that can only destroy — and push toward more diplomacy and resilience-based solutions to today’s complex challenges.

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in tonight’s Post.)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS (03/18/2024):

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

US unveils nuclear stealth bomber as tensions with China rise – Yahoo Movies Canada

Yahoo Movies Canada

“The Kingdom has been all a flutter about the seeming disappearance of Kate Middleton,” Colbert said. “Well now, internet sleuths are guessing that …

Seoul says North Korea fires missile toward the North’s eastern waters – The Portland Press Herald

The Portland Press Herald

… Things to Do · All Things to Do · All PPH Events … Many of the tests involved nuclear-capable missiles designed to attack South Korea and the mainland …

Yulia Navalnaya joins ‘Noon against Putin’ protest against sham election – YouTube

YouTube

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was cheered as she arrived at a “Noon against Putin” protest in Berlin.

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Explainer: What is the current state of Europe’s nuclear energy production? | Euronews

Euronews.com

France is holding on to its title as Europe’s top nuclear energy producer. After two decades going back and forth, Germany has finally definitely …

Work under way on Akkuyu decommissioning costs – World Nuclear News

World Nuclear News

TVEL has entered an agreement “to develop cost plans for the decommissioning” of the four units being built at Turkey’s Akkuyu nuclear power plant …

how do we tell future generations about highly radioactive nuclear waste repositories?

The Conversation

Yet nuclear energy production requires managing what is known as “spent” nuclear fuel where major problems arise about how best to safeguard these …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Lithuania holds drills for hypothetical nuclear accident with sirens and emergency alerts

LRT

Lithuania is holding a national civil protection exercise on Monday to simulate an accident at the Astravyets nuclear power plant in Belarus, as …

Aussie kids learn what to pack in an emergency and how to prepare emotionally for disaster

ABC

A young woman is handcuffed by NSW police during her arrest. 4. Chief scientist backs renewables, calls nuclear power ‘expensive’.

Approximate dates for referendum in Kazakhstan on nuclear power plants declared

kaztag.kz

“The referendum on the nuclear power plant could take place in late summer or autumn 2024,” a source familiar with the situation told KazTAG. On May …

Nuclear War

NEWS

As ‘Oppenheimer’ wins big, we should worry about lowering of nuclear thresholds

POLITICO.eu

Just as Oppenheimer challenged Truman on U.S. nuclear strategy, we too must challenge our leaders’ attachment to nukes.

Putin warns the West a Russia-NATO conflict is just one step from World War Three | Reuters

Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Monday that a direct conflict between Russia and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance would …

UN Chief Warns Against ‘Sequel To ‘Oppenheimer” | Barron’s

Barron’s

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoked Oscar-winning film “Oppenheimer” on Monday as he warned that the world faced the highest risk of …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

nuclear war: UN chief warns against ‘sequel to ‘Oppenheimer” – The Economic Times

The Economic Times

… nuclear warfare to its highest point in decades,” he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons …

As ‘Oppenheimer’ wins big, we should worry about lowering of nuclear thresholds

POLITICO.eu

All five leaders of the nuclear weapons states recently reaffirmed that a nuclear war … nuclear strategic threats more effectively. … War War in …

Disarmament Now Only Viable Path to Vanquish Senseless, Suicidal Shadow of Nuclear …

Meetings Coverage and Press Releases – the United Nations

Threats to use nuclear weapons in any capacity are unacceptable. Third — nuclear weapon States must re-affirm moratoria on nuclear testing. This …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

MAR 17, 2024

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LLAW’s CONCERNS & COMMENTS, Sunday, (03/17/2024)

The following article is a summary of an interview of Tom Shanker’s opinion concerning the Director of National Intelligence’s Threat Assessment of nuclear war threats. My thoughts are that Putin, who is a dictator who has indiscriminate power over his country, is an old man who believes if he can’t take his power and idealism with him, no one else can either, including his own people. That means he will do what he decides to do, because as Shanker says, he doesn’t care about public opinion and unless he is assassinated or he dies suddenly, he will due whatever he has a mind to.

But then, too, regardless of what Putin may decide to do, there are “Threats” coming from every nuclear armed country on the planet, so who knows who, when, and why one of them will push the nuclear button that would most likely mark the end for us all, and all other living creatures as well . . . ~llaw

GWU’s Thom Shanker: DNI’s Annual Threat Assessment; Take the Russian Nuclear Threat Seriously

Posted By Tim Hains
On Date March 15, 2024

On Thursday’s edition of the RealClearPolitics radio show (Monday through Friday at 6:00 p.m. EST on Sirius XM’s P.O.T.U.S. Channel 124) Andrew Walworth speaks with Thom Shanker, a former New York Times Pentagon correspondent and former Moscow correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.

Shanker is currently the director of the Project for Media and National Security at George Washington University.

They discuss what the Annual Threat Assessment from the Director of National Intelligence has to say about Russia and the threat of nuclear war, China’s continuing interest in Taiwan, and other threats from North Korea, Gaza, and Iran.

THOM SHANKER: Russia remains one of our most significant threats. It is a nuclear power and has been for a long time, so that has not changed. But this newly belligerent, hostile Putin is taking aim at the United States.

People always ask me if there is a new cold war with Russia. My answer is we’re already at war with Russia, or at least Putin is at war with us. The Director of National Intelligence predicts that Putin will absolutely accelerate his malign attempts to influence our election this year using all sorts of cyber, AI, and all that in ways far greater and perhaps more damaging than last time around. So that is their biggest concern, and that is putting aside Putin’s illegal invasion of the sovereign Ukraine.

ANDREW WALWORTH, REALCLEARPOLITICS: Putin gave an interview yesterday where he talked about nuclear weapons again. He said, “We are ready to use any weapons when talking about the existence of the Russian state, damaging our sovereignty or independence.” That’s being interpreted as saying he might deploy nuclear weapons in Europe. How seriously should we take that?

THOM SHANKER: Very seriously, at our risk do we not believe what Putin says out loud. In 2007, he said he might invade Georgia. That happened in 2008. He talked about Ukraine being a natural part of Russia, he invaded twice in 2014 and 2022. So when Putin talks about the possibility of tactical nuclear weapons, we better listen carefully. That said, there are strong reasons why he says that, not just for battlefield purposes. He wants to scare the American people and all of the NATO citizenry into not supporting Ukraine for fear of a nuclear weapon being dropped in Europe. We should take it seriously, nuclear weapons have always been part of Russia’s warfighting plans, but there is a strategic communications aspect to this as well. Most analysts think Putin would not resort to tactical nukes in Ukraine except as an, “I’m about to lose” scenario. And right now, things on the ground are going relatively well for Russia, so why should he do that?

ANDREW WALWORTH: How much of this do you think is for domestic consumption in Russia? He’s got to keep his people in line and scared, I guess.

THOM SHANKER: Yes and no, which is not a helpful answer. There is a Russian domestic part of this. He goes on television, people are watching, but Putin doesn’t care about Russian public opinion. Russia has lost more men in the battle for Ukraine. It is the highest number since World War Two and Putin is still conscripting, sending men off to fight and die. So he doesn’t really care about public opinion, he is going to win the election. He’s very stable in power right now. So I think he tips his hat to the Russian psyche, saying, “We are strong, we have nukes.” But this is not about him courting some constituency in his population that he thinks he might lose. That is not happening.

The headline here: Putin doesn’t care about you. Putin to Russian people: drop dead.

…

[The DNI’s] assessment of China is very sophisticated. With Putin, Putin is likely to meddle in our election because he has a favorite candidate. He says he doesn’t but it is true. One of the two candidates, buy threatening NATO, by saying we shouldn’t fund Ukraine, serves Russia’s interests more than the other candidates.

China is interesting. They don’t really have a preferred presidential candidate, because on this at least, Trump and Biden are fairly aligned in wanting to stand firm to the rise of China. To me, as the DNI’s report says, China’s interest in election meddling is just to mess with our heads and mess with our domestic politics, to make things even messier. To which I say, “Why bother? It’s already happening, we’re doing it on our own.”

ANDREW WALWORTH: The DNI report did talk about China first, and I think spent more time on that than on Russia. When you look at China right now, what’s your major concern and how worried are you about what they’re doing in the South China Sea, when it comes to Taiwan?

THOM SHANKER: That to me is the real threat. The election meddling came first with China because they’re better at it, and more sophisticated. They have more tools. And because Russia has a clear incentive whereas China is more subtle.

I am deeply worried about potential Chinese aggression against Taiwan. China has interests in a stable global economy, their growth is dependent on it and they’re facing challenges at home. At the same time, China is almost neuralgic about reuniting with Taiwan and making it formally part of China. It is a real challenge for what U.S. policy is. Most of our military platforms are simply outdated. Aircraft carriers can’t operate closely because of Chinese air defenses. There’s a lot of exciting work being done in drone research, where we could flood the Taiwan straits with thousands of cheap drones, some with intelligent gathering abilities, some with weapons, to make China wonder. The whole point of how we deal with Chian is deterrence. We don’t want to get into a shooting war with China. We want to suppress fires, not get to them. We want to have the kinds of new technologies that make China wonder, if we launched an attack on China today, might we not succeed? It’s all about advanced warnings, intelligence, and cheap attritable weapons systems. Not these super expensive big top carriers which are so vulnerable.

…

What I look at is an aggressive China and Russia, that we talked about. Look at North Korea continuing with weapons development, Iran, the situation in Gaza which will upset the entire Mideast for a generation, and the Houthis threatening shipping in the Red Sea. I’m deeply concerned that we’re going to look back on these months and say, we didn’t know it then, but that is when World War Three started.

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in tonight’s Post.)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS (03/17/2024):

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Nuclear Fatalism in ‘Oppenheimer’ Is a Dead End

Foreign Policy

Digital magazines, including the new Winter 2024 issue all about elections … Oppenheimer is many things: a … every nuclear power modernizes its …

Nuclear Weapons and Our Future – Daily Kos

Daily Kos

… award for best actor. In addition to all the praise, Director Chris Nolan’s movie certainly opened a dialog about nuclear weapons in our country…

GWU’s Thom Shanker: DNI’s Annual Threat Assessment; Take the Russian Nuclear Threat Seriously

RealClearPolitics

… all sorts of cyber, AI, and all that in ways far greater and perhaps more damaging than last time around. So that is their biggest concern, and that …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Russia spreading fake news of Ukraine’s “strike” on nuclear power plant – StratCom

Ukrinform

Kremlin propaganda is spinning a fake story about an alleged attack by the Ukrainian forces on one of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant’s …

Japan completes 4th round of Fukushima treated water discharge – Kyodo News

Kyodo News

The release of the fourth batch of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea concluded Sunday …

Fourth discharge of treated Fukushima water completed – The Japan Times

The Japan Times

1 nuclear power plant into the sea concluded Sunday, with the next round possibly starting next month, the plant’s operator said. Tokyo Electric Power …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Russia spreading fake news of Ukraine’s “strike” on nuclear power plant – StratCom

Ukrinform

In fact, it was the Russian troops who repeatedly created emergency situations there. The invaders are unable to operate and fully maintain the …

Nuclear War

NEW

Putin’s Nuclear Weapons, explained | WION Wideangle – YouTube

YouTube

Russia goes to polls on March 17 What 6 years more means for Putin’s military capabilities Putin has warned the west of the risk of a nuclear war.

Did PM Modi help avert Russia’s nuclear attack on Ukraine? Here’s what Jaishankar has to say

Business Today

In 2022, during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, US officials were preparing for a potential nuclear strike by Moscow on Kyiv, according to a CNN …

Is There a Way Out of Nuclear Stalemate? – IDN-InDepthNews

IDN-InDepthNews

While this is a significant decline from the approximately 70,000 warheads owned by the nuclear-armed states during the Cold War, nuclear arsenals are …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

The Observer view on Russia’s election: insecure, weak Putin craves the popular vote, but …

The Guardian

… nuclear weapons to attack Britain … It will be remembered for the accompanying threats to unleash a humanity-obliterating nuclear war upon the world.

Kallas: Putin is afraid of war with NATO countries

censor.net

… nuclear war in words. View news … According to the Estonian prime minister, although Putin is good at “spreading fear”, his threats should also be …

Putin could launch war with West within next two years, chilling new German intelligence warns

The US Sun

He declared weapons “exist in order to use them” in his most chilling World War Three threat yet. … Putin’s nuclear threats. BELOW is a timeline of …