LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest, #948 Wednesday, (05/28/2025)

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

May 28, 2025

Note: Actual Images from NBC News story below not available. Test is Intact. ~lllaw

LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW

In My Opinion:

And so it is, despite this audacious and egotistical promises from Trump, were nothing more than pretentious braggadocio from Trump — as quoted below in this “NBC” Article:

“Trump, who promised on multiple occasions to end the war within 24 hours of taking office, has found the reality much different since beginning his second term, while offering mixed messages about Putin.”

But the Russian/Ukraine war and Putin’s unmerciful accompanying war crimes continue on, so Trump has now apparently blamed his failure totally on Putin, although he tried hard to force Ukraine to give up the war and allow their territory and their dream of democratic future freedom. Ukraine refused to take Trump’s advice, so Trump has evidentially switched his blame from Zelenskyy to Putin, once again making such a poorly considered two-faced switch.

And then there is the unfinished business that Trump has singularly created with talks for a sensible nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Iran, which has been met with Israel’s once-delayed war on Iran by Trump’s demand to stand down that has reappeared, and is now once-again a possibility. And the turmoil goes on . . .

So, my question, rather than just an opinion, is Trump’s own very questionable role as an international world leader for the United States of America creating nothing more than a world of a universally growing insanity-driven turmoil in a world that is threatening the use of nuclear war with weapons of mass destruction all around the globe? ~llaw

Former Russian president raises specter of a World War III as rhetoric ramps up over Ukraine

“I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this,” Dmitry Medvedev wrote on X.

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Russia strikes eastern Ukraine as rhetoric with U.S. ramps up

(Article Video and Other Images Not Available)

May 28, 2025, 2:44 AM PDT

By Astha Rajvanshi

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev raised the specter of a World War III on Tuesday, as the rhetoric between the White House and the Kremlin ramped up over the war in Ukraine.

Medvedev, now a top security official, was responding to President Donald Trump’s post on Truth Social berating his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as Moscow continued to rain strikes down on its neighbor.

“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,” wrote Trump, who appears to be losing patience over the lack of a ceasefire deal, adding, “He’s playing with fire!”

Around three hours later, Medvedev took to X, writing, “I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!”

This in turn drew an almost immediate rebuke from Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who called Medvedev’s remarks “reckless” in a post on X. Cautioning that Russia was stoking fears of another world war, Kellogg wrote that it was “unfitting of a world power.”

Trump, he added, has been working toward brokering a truce in the war that entered its fourth year in February and has claimed tens of thousands of lives on both sides.

While Putin has never raised the specter of a world war, he has broached the use of nuclear weapons on several occasions since he launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

War in Ukraine Russia proposes to hold next talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2

world Tate brothers face rape and trafficking charges in the U.K.

In a speech in Moscow’s Red Square last May, the Russian leader vowed to stand firm against attempts by Ukraine’s Western allies to contain Russia. “We will not let anyone threaten us,” he said. “Our strategic forces are always at combat readiness,” he added referring to Russia’s arsenal of nuclear weapons, the world’s largest.

Trump, who promised on multiple occasions to end the war within 24 hours of taking office, has found the reality much different since beginning his second term, while offering mixed messages about Putin.

Trump has praised Putin as a strong leader with whom he can do business and the pair had a friendly, if fruitless, phone call last week. Shortly afterward, Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately start negotiations towards a ceasefire.”

But as Putin has stalled on the peace talks, Trump’s frustration appears to have grown with the Russian leader, whom he called “crazy” in a post on Truth Social on Sunday after Moscow launched widespread strikes on Ukraine. The Kremlin dismissed his comments as “emotional overload.”

Russia previously said it was working on a memorandum of understanding outlining Moscow’s demands as part of the negotiations with Kyiv. But Tuesday, Kellogg said the United States was still awaiting “receipt of RU Memorandum (Term Sheet) that you promised a week ago.”

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement that the Kremlin was continuing to draft that memorandum and that it would include a timeline for a peace agreement and potential ceasefire scenarios.

She added that this would be sent to Ukraine, which has previously rejected Russian demands that it never join NATO, accept permanent “neutrality” between Moscow and the West, and cede its demand for four territories in the east of the country that Russia illegally annexed months after the war began.

Inside Ukraine, Russian forces continue their slow grind forward on the battlefield. Ukrainian officials said one person was killed and more than two dozen injured by ballistic missile strikes across the country overnight.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday, his office said in a statement.

The two leaders are expected to discuss Kyiv’s readiness to respond to Russian strikes and threats, including increasing the production of drones and missiles, Zelenskyy said in his overnight address Wednesday.

It comes after Merz said Tuesday that his government would lift all range restrictions on weapons it sends to Ukraine, allowing Kyiv to defend itself by attacking military positions deep in Russia.

Peskov called Merz’s decision “extremely dangerous,” adding, “all this in a big way goes against the peace efforts, against the peace process that is beginning and is still in a very fragile state.”

Astha Rajvanshi

Astha Rajvanshi is a reporter for NBC News Digital, based in London. Previously, she worked as a staff writer covering international news for TIME.

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There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is 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. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning 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:

All Things Nuclear
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power Emergencies
Nuclear War Threats
Nuclear War
Yellowstone Caldera & Other Volcanoes (Note: There are two Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in today’s Post.)
IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

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 DIGEST, Wednesday, (05/28/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Oklo nuclear project, US Steel–Nippon deal, AMC record revenue – Yahoo Finance

Yahoo Finance

Oklo (OKLO) is rising as it announces it will collaborate with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power on a nuclear project. … It’s all about a deal with Nvidia.

Nuclear stock rally continues to grow – Yahoo Finance

Yahoo Finance

President Trump seeks new nuclear deal with Iran | WCMU Public Radio

WCMU Public Radio

All Things Considered · Destination Out · Fresh Air · Here and Now · Homespun … President Trump said weekend negotiations for a new nuclear deal with …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Trump signs executive orders meant to resurrect US nuclear power – Ars Technica

Ars Technica

Currently, there are no nuclear power plants scheduled for construction in the US. Everybody with plans to build one hasn’t had a reactor design …

Trump aims for 400 GW of nuclear by 2050, 10 large reactors under construction by 2030

Utility Dive

Shares of small modular reactor developer NuScale and uranium suppliers Centrus Energy and Uranium Energy also rose more than 20% in Friday and early …

Government Initiatives Fueling Nuclear Energy Growth in the United States

White & Case LLP

The latest nuclear energy-related Executive Orders aim to accelerate the development of new nuclear reactor technologies and projects in the …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Constellation Tests Emergency Sirens June 3 – Oswego County

Oswego County

The Nine Mile Point Clean Energy Center is a dual‑unit nuclear power facility that produces enough carbon‑free electricity to power the equivalent of …

Thousands of tons of nuclear waste remain stored at power plants throughout Illinois

CU-CitizenAccess.org

Thus, according to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), most nuclear waste in the state never leaves the power plant where it was produced …

Testing of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant Sirens on June 2nd, 2025

Southern Maryland News Net

Knowing what to do before, during, and after an emergency is a critical part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count. To …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Russia, North Korea blast Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense – USA Today

USA Today

The $175-billion project, proposed by Trump, is aimed at blocking threats from China and Russia. More: Trump pushes $175 billion ‘Golden Dome …

Trump warns Putin he is ‘playing with fire’ after Russian attack on Ukraine – The Guardian

The Guardian

… threats mount · Top Republicans threaten to block Trump’s spending bill if national debt is not reduced · Ron DeSantis’s fall from grace: ‘He’s …

Former Russian president raises specter of a World War III as rhetoric ramps up over Ukraine

NBC News

… nuclear weapons on several occasions since … The two leaders are expected to discuss Kyiv’s readiness to respond to Russian strikes and threats …

Nuclear War

NEWS

As Trump Seeks Iran Deal, Israel Again Raises Possible Strikes on Nuclear Sites

The New York Times

… attack Iran’s nuclear sites, according to two people briefed on the discussions. U.S. intelligence also detected Israel’s preparations for a …

Russia, North Korea blast Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense – USA Today

USA Today

‘Outer space nuclear war‘: Russia, North Korea blast Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense · Trump on May 20 said he had picked a design for the Golden …

After Xi & Putin, Now Kim Jong Un Raises Alarm Over ‘Golden Dome’, Warns Of Nuclear …

YouTube

North Korea is now warning of a nuclear war in space. Why? Because of a U.S. defense plan called the “Golden Dome,” championed by President Donald …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

USGS: New webcam offers online view of Biscuit Basin – Buckrail

Buckrail

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — The site of last summer’s hydrothermal explosion in Yellowstone … Caldera Chronicles. “If any such events are …

Idaho Earthquake Renews Concerns About Yellowstone Supervolcano – Legal Insurrection

Legal Insurrection

A 3.6 magnitude earthquake struck near Soda Springs, Idaho, about 100 miles from the famous Yellowstone supervolcano caldera, renewing some …

May 27, 2025

LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest, #947 Tuesday, (05/27/2025)

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

May 27, 2025

US President Donald Trump announced new details and initial funding for the missile shield system last week

“See image description and photo credits in the “France 24” article below ~llaw”

LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW

In My Opinion:

Why on Earth are we doing this?

We are building our own Trojan Horse”! Why are other nations around the world, including the US, developing more powerful nuclear weapons and more of them? We say it’s for something called “nuclear deterrence” which means constantly expanding fear from one nation to another to avoid nuclear war, which cannot continue because of world-wide financial incapability. and other, mostly political, negative issues.

What is wrong with humanity? Are we so insecure that we are inviting our own demise out of fear, selfishness, jealousy, anger, hatred, racism, religion, occupied land, and absolute humanity’s inane ego and ignorance growing to the point that we inherently want to self-self destruct like lemmings?

Trump says it’s “very important for the success and even survival of our country” .Does he have no idea or comprehension of the fact that no country can survive an outright nuclear war against other world nations? We already know that a nuclear war dubbed WWIII would destroy humanity along with most all other innocent life. ~llaw

North Korea says US missile shield plans risk ‘nuclear war’ in space

Seoul (AFP) – North Korea slammed on Tuesday US President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile shield plan as a “very dangerous” threat that could spark nuclear war in space, state media said.

Issued on: 27/05/2025 – 01:25Modified: 27/05/2025 – 06:53

2 min Reading time

Trump announced new details and initial funding for the missile shield system last week, calling it “very important for the success and even survival of our country”.

The initiative faces significant technical and political challenges, according to analysts, and could come at a hefty price tag.

In a statement shared by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang’s foreign ministry slammed the “very dangerous ‘threatening initiative’ aimed at threatening the strategic security of the nuclear weapons states”.

The United States is “hell-bent on the moves to militarize outer space,” the foreign ministry said.

“The US plan for building a new missile defense system is the root cause of sparking off global nuclear and space arms race by stimulating the security concerns of nuclear weapons states and turning… outer space into a potential nuclear war field,” it added.

Washington — Seoul’s key security ally — has in recent years ramped up joint military exercises and increased the presence of strategic US assets, such as an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine, in the region to deter the North.

Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear weapons state and routinely denounces joint US-South Korea drills as rehearsals for invasion.

Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP that Pyongyang saw Trump’s “Golden Dome” as a threat.

“The North’s strong reaction suggests it views the Golden Dome as capable of significantly weakening the effectiveness of its nuclear arsenal, including its ICBMs,” he said.

“If the US completes its new missile defence programme, the North will be forced to develop alternative means to counter or penetrate it,” he added.

China, Russia modernising weapons

China has also expressed strong concerns about Washington’s Golden Dome plan, accusing the United States of undermining global stability.

Beijing is closing the gap with Washington when it comes to ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, while Moscow is modernising its intercontinental-range missile systems and developing advanced precision strike missiles, according to a 2022 Pentagon review.

The Kremlin has said Trump’s initiative would require consultations with Russia but was otherwise a “sovereign matter” for the United States, softening its tone after also previously slamming the idea as destabilising.

The plan’s Golden Dome name stems from Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system which has intercepted thousands of short-range rockets and other projectiles since it went into operation in 2011.

The United States faces various missile threats from adversaries, but they differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Israel’s Iron Dome is designed to counter.Subscribed

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TODAY’s NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS DIGEST, Tuesday, (05/27/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

The return of the nuclear threat – Vox

Vox

Again, not everything about this new nuclear age is new. During the Cold War, we did have prominent concerns from allies about these very same issues.

President Trump seeks new nuclear deal with Iran – KNAU

KNAU

All Things Considered. Next Up: 0:00 AM BBC World Service. 0:00. 0:00. All … President Trump said weekend negotiations for a new nuclear deal with …

President Trump seeks new nuclear deal with Iran | KNKX Public Radio

KNKX

NPR’s All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:00 PM Fresh Air. 0:00. 0:00. NPR’s … President Trump said weekend negotiations for a new nuclear deal with …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Europe pivots back to nuclear in pursuit of more energy independence – CNBC

CNBC

Why Europe is pivoting back to nuclear — one of its most divisive energy sources · The Cofrentes nuclear power plant, on 17 October, 2024 in Valencia, …

Satellite Images Suggest a Russian Plan to Restart Seized Ukrainian Nuclear Plant

The New York Times

Russia is building power lines in occupied southeastern Ukraine to link to its own grid a major nuclear plant it has captured, according to a new …

OPINION: Trump unleashes US nuclear renaissance with bold executive orders

The White House

In his famed 1953 “Atoms for Peace” speech, President Eisenhower proclaimed that “the United States knows that peaceful power from atomic energy is no …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Warning sirens near nuclear plants in Scriba to be tested soon – CNY Central

CNY Central

Current EAS stations and other important emergency planning information for residents, workers and visitors within 10 miles of a Constellation nuclear …

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission announced on the 27th that it has launched …

mk.co.kr

On the 26th, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power received a report that an emergency diesel generator failed to supply power to a safety bus due to a …

DOE orders 1.6-GW coal-fired power plant to delay shutdown over MISO outage concerns

Utility Dive

… power plants to operate during wars and emergencies. It has been used … Editors’ picks. TVA nuclear plant Image attribution tooltip. “TVA …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

North Korea says US ‘Golden Dome’ risks ‘outer space nuclear war‘ – BBC

BBC

Pyongyang says Washington’s plan to counter aerial threats is “the height of self … North Korea says US ‘Golden Dome’ risks ‘space nuclear war‘. 9 …

The return of the nuclear threat – Vox

Vox

Are leaders too afraid of the dangers of these weapons to actually use them, and maybe the risks of nuclear war aren’t as high as we might think? I …

North Korea Says Trump’s Golden Dome Risks ‘Space Nuclear War‘ – Bloomberg News

Bloomberg News

… threats from rivals including Pyongyang … North Korea Says Trump’s Golden Dome Risks ‘Space Nuclear War‘.

Nuclear War

NEWS

The return of the nuclear threat – Vox

Vox

India-Pakistan’s almost-war revealed something alarming about our political moment.

North Korea says US missile shield plans risk ‘nuclear war‘ in space – France 24

France 24

North Korea slammed on Tuesday US President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile shield plan as a “very dangerous” threat that could spark nuclear …

North Korea says US space shield is ‘nuclear war scenario’ – Reuters

Reuters

North Korea’s foreign ministry has criticised the U.S. Golden Dome missile defense shield project as a “very dangerous threatening initiative”, …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Idaho Earthquake Renews Concerns About Yellowstone Supervolcano – Legal Insurrection

Legal Insurrection

A 3.6 magnitude earthquake struck near Soda Springs, Idaho, about 100 miles from the famous Yellowstone supervolcano caldera, renewing some concerns …

For Sale: You Can Own A Charming Montana Town Right Next To Yellowstone National Park

TheTravel

Octopus Spring in the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park; The northeastern part of Yellowstone Caldera, with the Yellowstone River …

Man Falls Into Yellowstone Hot Spring And Dissolves Within A Day – It’s Gone Viral

It’s Gone Viral

The area where the tragedy took place is on the edge of the famous Yellowstone caldera, also known as a ‘supervolcano’ or ‘hotspot.’ Warning signs …

May 26, 2025

LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest, #946 Monday, (05/26/2025)

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

May 26, 2025

Amy Indira Dio Ramdass, Canadian, author, mother, and knowledgeable mythologist

LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW

In Amy’s Opinion: Note: Since today is a holiday — and one that tends to put us in a more thoughtful, quieter, and perhaps a more somber mood — there is little “nuclear news” of consequence worth spending a lot of time on evaluating today’s stories, but there is something special for today’s Post even far better because my guest’s own opinion piece here can hit home to each and everyone of us . . .

So it is that I’ve decided it’s a good time to publish her very well thought out, but delightfully humorous and yet deathly serious at the same time — as Amy scribes so well so often —always skillfully and pointedly written “memos” designed for all of us to think about and consider. Amy is a long-time friend of mine, so I may be just a tiny bit prejudiced, of course.

She is an independent author, and my co-author of our two-volume Old Western epoch based on a true story titled “The Sweetwater Conspiracy ~ The Legend of Cattle Kate”. But these days we both spend a good deal of time doing our best to understand the psychology of angry threats of nuclear war and other internationalized bickering that seems to be spreading like an epidemic over the entire planet Earth.

Amy Indira Dio Ramdass is a Guyana girl who has become a long-time Canadian citizen and her thoughts about this important and unnecessary plague enveloping our world situation posted here every day of every week might help you, the reader, to understand what she has to say . . . and maybe a little of what we can do about it. ~llaw

Her message, intended for us all, is from May 8th, just a few days ago . . .

“Whole countries are on my mind. My own, Pakistan, Palestine, Ukraine, Mother fucking Russia, India, Israel, USA, etc.

And so your Honor, this post is to clear one thing up in case anyone ever got the idea that I am ever slightly apathetic… which we all are but I try to stay abreast and to be aware of my own hypocrisy most of the time.

SO, here I am, and let me tell you, it’s not exactly easy-peasy-breezy to venture out from under my tranquil rock to voice/word/direct my righteous fury at those who live to rattle my world…er…ok…perhaps I shouldn’t be, (too furious) perhaps this is all for the best but hello universe stop scripting us to do things upside-down! Because how …for example … India bombing Pakistan can ever be ever right? Or Vice-Versa. Innocent people were killed! But I get riled up because deep down I know things have been engineered for the purpose of starting a war is how some powers-that-be like to roll.

In my universe which is under my rock…(and we all have our own such sanctuary even if it’s a space inside our heads) my rule used to be, “do what thou wilt…shall be the whole of the law” but because of what’s going on currently, I have to tweak this rule slightly to, ‘do what thou wilt but STAY in thy own lane.”

Because the former (do what thou wilt) is nature’s law for the animals, the birds, the bees, the ants so they may do what they want, when they want, how they want.

But even this is a half-truth for they are endowed with primal programming, boundaries, fear as in fight and flight, freeze, that old wise survival instinct to keep them in check for the balance of each other. And so this is why they don’t wake up one morning and decide to form bee empires to take over my house or my country. (Okay maybe ants are plotting to dominate my house but that’s a story for another day.)

But us? Ha. We got the deluxe upgrade: free will aka CHOICE, the ability to consciously decide which road to take (a high or low one), to reason things over, to do what’s right, harm to none. And this is great and all until someone uses free-will like a toddler with a razor blade to cut up their mom’s newly bought sofa. (Psst, never tell my mom it was me, yikes). Or as a grown-up, to do harm unto others (sneakily or openly if the Force is with us or we have a whole army at our beck and call).

And so because of that, I cannot go on saying, “do what thou wilt…” because some or most people have no scruples, or brakes and will take that as a license to stomp all over other people’s sacred boundaries. Or the basic decency of ‘maybe we should not colonize or invade other countries just because we can’.

And yes, I know. I sound territorial. Full dinosaur-mode. One tail-swish away from putting up a sign, “No trespassing, I bite” sign. But Your Honor of Supreme Judgment and Epic Eye Rolls, tis not for me, it’s for my cubs and the cubs of other beings.

And though (my own cubs) be full-sized humans with phone bills, I live to ensure they have a place to call their own. A home. A den. A little kingdom of mismatched socks and ample maple-syrup for their favorite breakfast food of pancakes or waffles. Is that too much to ask?

Is why I have to ask YOU this: What would you say if you keep on hearing (over and bloody over) of another country casually threatening to waltz in like, “Hey, this is a pretty pristine palace you got here, mind if we pull a non-hostile takeover…?”

So, this is why I can no longer be neutral AF. This is war. A word war. Yes, I KNOW I said I wouldn’t pick sides. I promised I’d stay out of the political gladiator arena and just sip tea like a background extra in a historical drama. But here I am, sleeves rolled up, opinions half-loaded, and yep… cognitive dissonance in full blast. Because. Neutrality is the hardest when the world’s on fire.

And I am not some enlightened girl-Buddha floating on a lotus…just yet.

Ok, ok, despite it all, I will try and be like a calm clam on a yoga mat, whispering, “harm none, mote it be.” and continue to turn the other cheek, too. Ok, I won’t lie, sometimes I turn it very passive-aggressively.

So, while I’d like to live by “do what thou wilt,” I also reserve the right to say: “NOT ON MY LAWN.” Or other people’s lawn or country. Or under my IKEA-rock. Stay in your own lane, goddamnit, is that too much to ask?

PS: Ok, this might be my last political post…(fb’s algoes for one) But not posting this type of stuff does not mean I am not wide-awake, alert and never going back to sleep. Thanks a lot, world. hmf.”

PPS: No one has to ‘like’ this status. It’s my stance. What’s yours?

~Amy Indira Dio Ramdass

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TODAY’s NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS DIGEST, Monday, (05/26/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

‘GREEN SCAM IS OVER’: Wyoming senator touts Trump’s nuclear energy EO – YouTube

YouTube

… all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as … New details emerge about Biden’s mental decline. Fox News New 41K views.

Trump’s nuclear push marks ‘Manhattan Project’ moment for energy | Investorsobserver

Investorsobserver

“We led post-World War II in all things nuclear, but then we’ve been stagnated,” Burgman said. “We choked it with overregulation.” Even Trump, who …

Pete Ricketts Asks Secretary Rubio About Status Of Iran’s Nuclear Enrichment Efforts

YouTube

During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing last week, Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) spoke about Iran’s nuclear … Secretary, All I’m Looking For …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

The Future Needs Nuclear. Let’s Talk.| IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency

Public and political opinion is shifting in favour of nuclear power. There is a growing acceptance that nuclear energy is needed to provide …

Trump Nuclear Power Plans Target Data Centers And National Security – Forbes

Forbes

President Trump’s executive orders aim to quadruple U.S. nuclear power by 2050. How can the administration balance safety concerns with …

Trump’s Nuclear Revival: Playing Catch Up – Forbes

Forbes

Each of the new executive orders tackles an issue to boost nuclear power generation capacity and cut the red tape that has slowed atomic energy …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Korea investigates power supply failure at Hanul Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 – CHOSUNBIZ

Chosunbiz

… emergency generator was not properly provided due to the plant being halted for maintenance. The Nuclear Safety And Security Commission stated …

Trump Plans to Quadruple U.S. Nuclear Power Capacity by 2050 – Businesskorea

Businesskorea

… energy emergency and signaled his pro-nuclear stance. The four executive orders consist of reforming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) …

Students of Department of Nuclear Energy of KPI visited the Energoatom branch

Енергоатом

… emergency team personnel were demonstrated to them. Moreover, future nuclear employees observed the process of conducting radiation and …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Putin issues chilling one sentence nuclear threat to the UK | World | News – Daily Express

Daily Express

“Increasingly the rhetoric from Russia suggests nuclear threats are a more direct threat to NATO – not only Ukraine – and could refer to longer range, …

Belarus has nuclear weapon delivery systems but no Russian warheads, Ukrainian intel chief says

The Kyiv Independent

The threats have failed to materialize, and Russia continues to wage its all-out war without using its nuclear arsenal. Secret note reveals Russia …

Following leaks of fresh Israeli threats, Iran warns of retaliation to any provocation

Peoples Dispatch

Media reports suggest Israel is preparing to attack Iranian nuclear … “Threats from the rogue Israeli regime are nothing new. But the recent …

Nuclear War

NEWS

WHO Mandated To Update Of 30-Year-Old Review On Health Impacts Of Nuclear War

Health Policy Watch

Duplication or not? India, along with other nuclear powers, abstained from voting to refresh the WHO’s analysis of nuclear war’s health impacts.

‘Astonished by the question’: Jaishankar rejects nuclear war fears over India-Pak clash

The Indian Express

Asked whether the world had the US to thank for the May 10 ceasefire, Jaishankar credited India’s armed forces instead. “The cessation of firing …

Pakistan Is Upgrading Its Nuclear Weapons With Help From China: Report – YouTube

YouTube

Pakistan is upgrading its nuclear weapons with help from China , which provides both military and economic support, while still seeing India as …

May 25, 2025

LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest WEEKEND NEWS, Sunday, (05/25/2025)

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

May 25, 2025

Nuclear Explosion Nuclear Explosion and waves in sky nuclear bomb stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images

A nuclear mushroom cloud: Something we hope we never have to witness. ~llaw

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Taipower defends use of coal, gas plants for emergency backup | Taiwan News

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Analysis: Why Russia Remains the Primary Nuclear Threat to US in 2025?

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North Korea urges US to stop military threats – The Korea Times

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Medical journals of the world unite to demand action on nuclear weapons – MJA InSight

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ABC News foreign correspondent Marcus Moore delivers the World View round up, including developments in the Russia-Ukraine war, Iran nuclear deal …

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LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest WEEKEND NEWS, Saturday, (05/24/2025)

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

May 24, 2025

A very old photo of me: : Lloyd Albert Williams-Pendergraft stationed at the US Army 4th Cavalry division headquarters in 1962, just a few miles south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) with North Korea.

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May 23, 2025

LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest, #945, Friday, (05/23/2025)

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

May 23, 2025

LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW

In My Opinion:

This is my own opinion and key paragraph from following this debacle from the beginning up to today, and soon on to the hoped-for peaceful success or, alas, the dangerous failure of the agreement meetings:

“At this juncture, the key issue is exactly the opposite of the very 1st meeting when Trump contradicted his own emissary, negotiator Steve Witkoff, when he publicly announced shortly after to Iran that they could not enrich any uranium at all. That issue has since been clear, unclear, clear, and unclear again, so Iran has no idea what the end result(s) of the meetings will be, but it sounds more like “war” and the attempted destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities when you consider the noise from both Trump’s USA and Netanyahu’s Israel.”

Iran has also said, after Friday’s meeting in Rome, that the agreement details are too complicated to resolve without more talks, but Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the problem was not “rocket science” — “Zero nuclear weapons = we DO have a deal. Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal.” ~llaw

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the Bushehr nuclear reactor in Iran on May 1. Planet Labs PBC/AP

World Middle East

Iran doesn’t believe a nuclear deal is likely, sources say, as talks with US resume

By Frederik Pleitgen and Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN

7 minute read

Updated 1:58 PM EDT, Fri May 23, 2025

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The Middle EastSee your latest updates

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a news conference in Baghdad, on December 6.

Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images

Tehran, IranCNN —

Iran and the United States concluded a fifth round of high-stakes nuclear talks in Rome on Friday amid growing skepticism in Tehran about the chances of a deal as Washington hardens its position.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday nuclear talks with the US “are too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings.”

Araghchi, however, said Iran and US delegations, “have completed one of the most professional rounds of negotiations,” in a televised interview on Iran state-run IRIB news.

Two Iranian sources have told CNN the talks seem unlikely to lead to an agreement, with the US insisting that Tehran dismantles its uranium enrichment program – a demand Iranian officials say would cause the nuclear negotiations to collapse.

still_21644118_50931.195999999996_still.jpg

video

The sources said Iran’s participation in the Rome talks is solely to gauge Washington’s latest stance rather than pursue a potential breakthrough.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Tehran’s red lines before he departed for Rome on Friday.

“Figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science,” he posted on X before his flight. “Zero nuclear weapons = we DO have a deal. Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal.”

The Trump administration has demanded Iran stop all uranium enrichment activity, which lead US negotiator Steve Witkoff says “enables weaponization.” Uranium, a key nuclear fuel, can be used to build a bomb if enriched to high levels. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and says it is willing to commit not to enrich uranium to weapons-grade as part of an agreement.

Araghchi met on Friday with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi in Rome “during the continuation of this round of talks,” and the two ministers “reviewed the latest status of today’s talks and consulted on how to continue the work,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

“The time and place of the next round of talks will be determined and announced later,” the statement added. US officials have yet to comment publicly on the outcome of Friday’s talks.

Al-Busaidi, who mediated the talks, said, “We hope to clarify the remaining issues in the coming days, to allow us to proceed towards the common goal of reaching a sustainable and honourable agreement,” in a post on X on Friday.

Araghchi also thanked Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani for hosting Friday’s talks in a phone call, hoping that “by creating a clearer understanding of the principled positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the American side, tangible progress can be achieved.”

Speaking Thursday, Araghchi said Iran was open to enhanced monitoring by international inspectors but would not relinquish its right to pursue nuclear energy, including uranium enrichment. Washington is offering to wind back crippling economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for de-nuclearization.

The US had previously sent mixed signals about whether Iran would be allowed to enrich uranium, but in recent weeks it has hardened its stance, insisting that no enrichment will be permitted.

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the Bushehr nuclear reactor in Iran on May 1.

Planet Labs PBC/AP

That shift has prompted officials in Tehran to question Washington’s commitment to a deal, as Iran has repeatedly said enrichment is a red line in negotiations.

The two Iranian sources told CNN that Tehran harbors mounting doubts about the US’ sincerity in talks.

“The media statements and negotiating behavior of the United States has widely disappointed policy-making circles in Tehran,” the sources said in a joint message. “From the perspective of decision-makers in Tehran, when the US knows that accepting zero enrichment in Iran is impossible and yet insists on it, it is a sign that the US is fundamentally not seeking an agreement and is using the negotiations as a tool to intensify pressure.”

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran on Tuesday.

Initially, the sources noted, some Iranian officials believed Washington might seek a “win-win” compromise. However, a consensus has now emerged that the Trump administration is steering discussions toward a deadlock.

The sources said that although neither the US nor Iran wants to leave the negotiating table, the position of the US is making the talks unproductive and formal meetings are unlikely to continue much longer.

They said that Tehran no longer takes seriously US efforts to distance itself from Israel’s hardline stance on Iran, and it sees proposals made by the American side as following the agenda of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has insisted that no enrichment be allowed in Iran.

On Friday, Iranian delegates in Rome aim to probe whether the US has revised its approach. The sources suggested that Tehran will likely take a tougher stance unless the US offers tangible concessions.

US imposes more sanctions before talks

Washington has kept up the pressure on Iran with fresh sanctions and threats of war even as diplomatic talks continue.

On Wednesday, the US State Department announced new measures, identifying Iran’s construction sector as being “controlled directly or indirectly” by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and 10 strategic materials that it said Iran is using in connection with its nuclear, military or ballistic missile programs.

“With these determinations, the United States has broader sanctions authorities to prevent Iran from acquiring strategic materials for its construction sector under IRGC control and its proliferation programs,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson criticized US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the move, calling it “as outrageous as it is unlawful and inhuman.”

“The US’s consecutive rounds of sanctions only reinforce our people’s deeply held belief that the American decision makers are set to make every malign effort to hinder Iran’s development & progress. These sanctions, announced on the eve of the fifth round of Iran-US indirect talks, further put to question the American willingness & seriousness for diplomacy,” Baqaei wrote on X.

A ‘misreading of Iranian psychology’

Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group in Brussels, said there is a misguided perception in Washington that a weakened Iran is more likely to compromise.

“The weaker Iran is, the more reluctant it will be to make major concessions,” he said, adding that it is unlikely that Tehran will agree to a deal that is based solely on US terms.

“That’s a complete misreading of Iranian psychology,” Vaez said. For Iran, capitulation is seen as a worse than an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities, he added.

“Iran would be reluctant to make concessions from a position of weakness, because if it does so, then it will put itself on a slippery slope that could result in regime collapse,” Vaez said.

A view of the capital city of Tehran, Iran, on March 31, at sunrise. The US has obtained intelligence suggesting that Israel is preparing to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, multiple US officials familiar with the latest intelligence told CNN.

Multiple American officials told CNN this week that the US has obtained new intelligence suggesting that Israel is preparing to strike Iranian nuclear facilities even as the Trump administration pursues a diplomatic deal with Tehran.

But threats of war will only lead to Iran “doubling down on its current position,” Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at London’s Chatham House think tank, told CNN. “The best way to invigorate the talks would be through backchannelling and quiet discussions between both sides.”

In an interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto on Thursday, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee signaled potential American support for Israel’s nuclear plans under the right conditions.

“I can’t imagine the US would object to a sovereign nation defending itself against what they perceive as a legitimate threat to their very lives,” Huckabee said.

He acknowledged that the US is aware Israel is making preparations for potential military action.

“We certainly are aware of what the Israelis are at least preparing for. But it’s not that they have made a firm decision. I think they recognize they face an existential threat from Iran.”

Experts say an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would likely spell the end of its negotiations with the US, and could even prompt Tehran to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which promotes nuclear disarmament.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute in Washington, DC, said the Trump administration has “unnecessarily walked themselves into a dead-end by insisting on zero enrichment,” fueling the idea that Israeli strikes will follow if Iran doesn’t back down. Iran, he added, is probably not taking those threats seriously.

But if they do materialize in the midst of nuclear talks with the US, he said, Tehran is likely to respond with massive retaliation. “They won’t play the patience game any longer,” Parsi said.

“If the Israelis were to do anything, it has to be clearly understood that it is not about destroying the program at this point, because they don’t have that capability.” Parsi added. “It is only about destroying diplomacy.”

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim, Angus Watson, Mostafa Salem, Katrina Samaan and Leila Gharagozlou contributed to this report.

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Pakistan’s veiled nuclear threat probes the limits of a theory that atomic weapons deter all-out war but make smaller conflicts more likely.

Iran doesn’t believe a nuclear deal is likely, sources say, as talks with US set to resume

CNN

… nuclear talks in Rome … Washington has kept up the pressure on Iran with fresh sanctions and threats of war even as diplomatic talks continue

US and Iran to hold nuclear talks amid clashing red lines | Reuters

Reuters

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May 22, 2025

LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest, #944, Thursday, (05/22/2025)

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

May 22, 2025

Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, in Bushehr, Iran on November 10, 2019.

LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW

In My Opinion:

Every day this Iran, USA, and now, once again, Israel, situation grows more complicated, more difficult, and more dangerous. The United States seems to be doing a version of “burning Rome” while secretly hoping that the next talks fail, and maybe letting Israel do the dirty work? The next conference is supposed to be tomorrow (Friday) in Rome. I’m wondering if that will happen, and if it does, how long it will last, and whether such an agreement will be put back in order on its original course.

But it seems Iran is critically on top of the entire mess and will, of course, hold the U.S. responsible for any and all variables resulting from Trump, who once upon a time originated the talks by his own invitation to Iran, inviting the two countries to get together and work out an agreement — or a “deal” using Trump’s vernacular —between the two countries, and since\ then it has gone extremely sideways with Trump’s complications. Even Israel, who Trump claimed month’s ago that he had convinced to lay down their arms, is apparently ignoring Trump’s rebuke.

And now it’s also become extremely dangerous with these new war issues on the table. There is only one participant to blame, and that is Donald J. Trump — who has hemmed, hawed, drug his feet, contradicted, and otherwise complicated and confused not only any productive meetings with Iran, but also confused his own emissaries by his constant threats, his twisting, turning, and his verbal demands reversing the playing field rules, obviously irritating both Israel and Iran to the point of conflict. ~llaw

Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, in Bushehr, Iran on November 10, 2019.

Iran warns Israel, US against any attack on its nuclear sites

By Reuters

May 22, 20255:42 AM PDT Updated 8 hours ago

DUBAI, May 22 (Reuters) – The United States will bear legal responsibility in the event of an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday, following a CNN report that Israel might be preparing strikes on Iran.

Iran and the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, will hold a fifth round of nuclear talks on Friday in Rome amid deep disagreement over uranium enrichment in Iran, which Washington says could lead to developing nuclear bombs. Iran denies such intent.

Citing intelligence sources, CNN said on Tuesday it was not clear whether Israel had made a final decision on military action and that U.S. officials disagreed about whether the Israelis would ultimately decide to attack.

“Iran strongly warns against any adventurism by the Zionist regime of Israel and will decisively respond to any threat or unlawful act by this regime,” Araqchi said in a letter addressed to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Araqchi said Iran would view Washington as a “participant” in any such attack, and Tehran would have to adopt “special measures” to protect its nuclear sites and material if threats continued, and the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency would be subsequently informed of such steps.

Although Araqchi did not specify what measures were being considered, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader said in April that Tehran could suspend cooperation with the IAEA or transfer enriched material to safe and undisclosed locations.

In a separate statement released on Thursday, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards warned Israel would receive a “devastating and decisive response” if it attacks Iran.

“They are trying to frighten us with war but are miscalculating as they are unaware of the powerful popular and military support the Islamic Republic can muster in war conditions,” Guards spokesperson Alimohammad Naini said.

A collapse of U.S.-Iran negotiations or a new nuclear deal that does not alleviate Israeli concerns about Iran developing nuclear weapons through enrichment could motivate Israeli strikes on its regional arch-foe, diplomats say.

00:13 Under pressure, Israel lets some bread and baby food reach Gazans

On Tuesday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said U.S. demands that Tehran stop refining uranium were “excessive and outrageous,” and he voiced doubt over whether talks on a new nuclear deal would succeed.

Tehran maintains its nuclear energy programme is exclusively for civilian purposes.

Iran and Israel engaged in direct exchanges of fire last year, in April and October, raising the risk of regional conflict.

Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; editing by Mark HeinrichSubscribed

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The United States would be held responsible in the event of an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites, Iran’s foreign minister has warned, after CNN …

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Caldera · Ocean acidification · Decade Volcanoes · Carbon dioxide · Yellowstone Caldera. Story Source: Materials provided by University of Connecticut …

May 21, 2025

LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest, #943, Wednesday, (05/21/2025)

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

May 21, 2025

LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW

In My Opinion:

Now that there are media rumors of Israel launching its own missiles at Iran’s nuclear facilities despite the fact of Trump’s publicly telling us several weeks ago that he had convinced Netanyahu and his Israeli military to stand down, I have decided to hopefully let that clear the air by tomorrow. However, there are links to articles from CNN and Reuters in today’s collection of “LLAW’s Nuclear World News” available below for interested readers. I intend to recap and add new rumors and innuendos in tomorrow’s “LLAW’s All Nuclear World News” and report in this section as usual.

So, in the meantime I have decided to revive Trump’s “Golden Dome” nuclear war defense against incoming missiles of incoming nations in this report that agrees with my last post on this subject a while back from “The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists” that everything about such a likely useless system including financial billions, perhaps a few trillions, to launch it would be a waste of every dollar. The present “404” article below tells us that $500 billion has already been spent and Trump is expecting a couple hundred billion more.

I will add that even though neither article mentions it, I would suspect that any thoughtful enemy country would likely launch their nuclear arsenal against us and the Trump’s “Golden Dome” sometime during the remaining 3+ years of Trump’s present term that he says will be finished by then, which would make an immanent attack much likely to arrive sooner rather than later. ~llaw

Artistic image of America’s “Golden Dome” nuclear missile defense program ~ llaw

News

Scientists Explain Why Trump’s $175 Billion Golden Dome Is a Fantasy

Matthew Gault

·May 20, 2025 at 4:44 PM

Shooting missiles out of the sky from space could require a constellation of 36,000 satellites.

A golden cascade above a suburban night scene. — A defense company visualized the Golden Dome. IMAGE: Lockheed Martin.

404 Media is an independent website whose work is written, reported, and owned by human journalists. Our intended audience is real people, not AI scrapers, bots, or a search algorithm. Become a paid subscriber here for access to all of our articles ad-free and bonus content.

The U.S. has one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world. Its dream has long been that it could launch these nukes and suffer no repercussions for doing so. Ronald Reagan called it the Strategic Defense Initiative. His critics called it Star Wars. Trump is calling it the “Golden Dome.” Scientists who’ve studied the issue say it’s pure fantasy.

One of Trump’s early executive orders tasked the Pentagon with coming up with an “Iron Dome for America” that could knock nuclear weapons and other missiles out of the sky before they hit U.S. targets. His supporters changed the name to the “Golden Dome” a few weeks later.

The idea—originally pioneered by Reagan—is to launch a bunch of satellites with interceptors that can knock missiles out of the sky before they hit America. Over the past seven decades, the U.S. has spent $400 billion on this dream. Thanks to Trump’s Golden Dome scheme, it’s about to spend $175 billions more.

In a press conference Tuesday, Trump announced that the project would start soon. “It’s something we want. Ronald Reagan wanted it many years ago but they didn’t have the technology,” Trump said during the press conference. He promised it would be “fully operation before the end of my term. So we’ll have it done in about three years.”

Trump claimed the system would be able to deal with all kinds of threats “Including hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles, and advanced cruise missiles. All of them will be knocked out of the air. We will truly be completing the job that Ronald Reagan started 40 years ago, forever eliminating the missile threat to the American homeland,” he said. “The success rate is very close to 100 percent. Which is incredible when you think of it, you’re shooting bullets out of the air.”

Experts think this is bullshit.

In March, a team of volunteer scientists at the American Physical Society’s Panel on Public Affairs published a study that looked at how well missile defense could work. The report makes it clear that, no matter what the specifics, Trump’s plan for a Golden Dome is a fantasy.

The study was written by a “study group” of ten scientists and included Frederick K Lamb, an astrophysics expert at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; William Priedhorsky, a fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory; and Cynthia Nitta, a program director at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

404 Media reached out to the scientists with questions about why it’s hard to shoot nukes out of the sky and why Reagan’s dream of putting lasers in space doesn’t seem to die. Below is a copy of our correspondence, which was written collectively by 8 of the scientists. It’s been edited for length and clarity.

404 Media: What were the questions the team set out to answer when it started this work?

In recent years, the U.S. program to develop defenses against long-range ballistic missiles has focused on systems that would defend the continental United States against relatively unsophisticated intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that would use only a few relatively simple countermeasures and penetration aids. North Korea’s ICBMs and ICBMs that might be deployed by Iran are thought to be of this kind.

Previous reports were cautious or even pessimistic about the technical feasibility of defending against even these relatively unsophisticated ICBMs. The current study sought to determine whether the technological developments that have occurred during the past decade have changed the situation.

💡

Do you know anything else about nukes or missile defense? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at +1 347 762-9212 or send me an email at matthew@404media.co.

What factor does the size of the United States play in building this kind of system?

There are three phases in the flight of an ICBM and its warhead: the boost phase, during which the ICBM is in powered flight, which lasts three to five minutes; the midcourse phase, which begins when the ICBM releases its warhead, which then travels on a ballistic trajectory in space toward its target for about 20 to 30 minutes; and the terminal phase, which begins when the warhead re-enters Earth’s atmosphere and lasts until the warhead strikes its target, which takes about 30 seconds.

The large geographical size of the United States is not especially important for defensive systems designed to intercept a missile or its warhead during the boost or midcourse phases, but it is a crucial factor for defensive systems designed to intercept the warhead during the terminal phase. The reason is that the geographical area that a terminal phase interceptor can defend, even if it works perfectly, is very limited.

Israel’s Iron Dome interceptors can only partially defend small areas against slow, homemade rockets, but this can be useful if the area to be defended is very small, as Israel is. But the lower 48 of the United States alone have an area 375 times the area of Israel.

The interceptors of the Patriot, Aegis, and THAAD systems are much more capable than those of the Iron Dome, but even if they were used, a very large number would be needed to attempt to defend all important potential targets in the United States. This makes defending even this portion of the United States using terminal interceptors impractical.

Why did you decide to narrowly focus on North Korean nukes?

We chose to focus on the threat posed by these ICBMs for several reasons. First, the United States has deployed a system that could only defend against a limited attack by long-range ballistic missiles, which was understood to mean an attack using the smaller number of less sophisticated missiles that a country such as North Korea has, or that Iran might develop and deploy. Developing and deploying a system that might be able to defend against the numerically larger and more sophisticated ICBMs that Russia and China have would be even more challenging.

A key purpose of this report was to explain why a defense against even the limited ICBM threat we considered is so technically challenging, and where the many technical difficulties lie. Our hope was that readers will come away with realistic views of the current capabilities of U.S. system intended to defend against the nuclear-armed ICBMs North Korea may have at present and an improved understanding of the prospects for being able to defend against the ICBMs North Korea might deploy within the next 15 years. In our assessment, the capability of the current U.S. system is low and will likely remain low for the next 15 years.

Why do you think the “dream” of this kind of system has such a strong hold on American leaders?

Ever since nuclear-armed intercontinental-range missiles were deployed in the 1950s, the United States (and its potential adversaries) have been vulnerable to nuclear attack. This is very unnerving, and has caused our leaders to search for some kind of technical fix that would change this situation by making it possible for us to defend ourselves against such an attack. Fixing this situation is also very appealing to the public. As a consequence, new systems for defending against ICBMs have been proposed again and again, and about half a dozen have been built, costing large amounts of money, in the hope that a technical fix could be found that would make us safe. But none of these efforts have been successful, because the difficulty of defending against nuclear-armed ICBMs is so great.

A constellation of about 16,000 interceptors would be needed to counter a rapid salvo of ten solid-propellant ICBMs like North Korea’s Hwasong-18, if they are launched automatically as soon as possible.

What are the issues with shooting down a missile midcourse?

The currently deployed midcourse defense system, the Ground-based Midcourse Defense, consists of ground-based interceptors. Most of them are based in Alaska but a few are in California. They would be fired when space-based infrared detectors and ground-based radars confirm that a hostile ICBM has been launched, using tracking information provided by these sensors. Once it is in space, each interceptor releases a single kill vehicle, which is designed to steer itself to collide with a target which it destroys by striking it. The relatively long, 20 to 30 minute duration of the midcourse phase can potentially provide enough time that more than one intercept attempt may be possible if the first attempt fails.

However, attempting to intercept the warhead during the midcourse phase also has a disadvantage. During this phase the warhead moves in the near-vacuum of space, which provides the attacker with opportunities to confuse or overwhelm the defense. In the absence of air drag, relatively simple, lightweight decoys would follow the same trajectory as the warhead, and the warhead itself might be enclosed within a decoy balloon.

Countermeasures such as these can make it difficult for the defense to pick out the warhead from among the many other objects that may accompany it. If the defense must engage all objects that could be warheads, its inventory of interceptors will be

depleted. Furthermore, the radar and infrared sensors that are required to track, pick out, and home on the warhead are vulnerable to direct attack as well as to high-altitude nuclear detonations. The latter may be preplanned, or caused by “successful” intercept of a previous nuclear warhead.

What about shooting the missile during the boost phase, before it’s in space?

Disabling or destroying a missile’s warhead during the missile’s boost phase would be very, very challenging, so boost-phase intercept systems generally do not attempt this.

Meeting this challenge requires a system with interceptors that can reach the ICBM within about two to four minutes after it has been launched. To do this, the system must have remote sensors that can quickly detect the launch of any threatening ICBM, estimate its trajectory, compute a firing solution for the system’s interceptor, and fire its interceptor, all within a minute or less after the launch of the attacking ICBM has been confirmed.

For a land-, sea-, or air-based interceptor to intercept an ICBM during its boost phase, the interceptor must typically be based within about 500 km of the expected intercept point, have a speed of 5 km/s or more, and be fired less than a minute after the launch of a potentially threatening missile has been detected. To be secure, interceptors must be positioned at least 100 to 200 km from the borders of potentially hostile countries

If instead interceptors were placed in low-Earth orbits, a large number would be needed to make sure that at least one is close enough to reach any attacking ICBM during its boost phase so it could attempt an intercept. The number that would be required is large because each interceptor would circle Earth at high speed while Earth is rotating beneath its orbit. Hence most satellites would not be in position to reach an attacking ICBM in time.

A constellation of about 16,000 interceptors would be needed to counter a rapid salvo of ten solid-propellant ICBMs like North Korea’s Hwasong-18, if they are launched automatically as soon as possible. If the system is designed to use 30 seconds to verify that it is performing correctly and that the reported launch was indeed an ICBM, determine the type of ICBM, and gather more tracking information before firing an interceptor, about 36,000 interceptors would be required.

With this kind of thing, you’re running out the clock, right? By the time you’ve constructed a system your enemies would have advanced their own capabilities.

Yes. Unlike civilian research and development programs, which typically address fixed challenges, a missile defense program confronts intelligent and adaptable human adversaries who can devise approaches to disable, penetrate, or circumvent the defensive system. This can result in a costly arms race. Which side holds the advantage at any particular moment depends on the relative costs of the defensive system and the offensive system adaptations required to evade it, and the resources each side is prepared to devote to the competition.

As the BMD Report says, the open-ended nature of the current U.S. missile defense program has stimulated anxiety in both Moscow and Beijing. President Putin has announced a variety of new nuclear-weapon delivery systems designed to counter U.S. missile defenses. As for China, the U.S. Department of Defense says that China’s People’s Liberation Army justifies developing a range of offensive technologies as necessary to counter U.S. and other countries’ ballistic missile defense systems.

About the author

Matthew Gault is a writer covering weird tech, nuclear war, and video games. He’s worked for Reuters, Motherboard, and the New York Times.

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May 20, 2025

LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest, #942, Tuesday, (05/20/2025)

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

May 20, 2025

(See Newsweek article below for image description and photo credits. ~llaw)

LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW

In My Opinion: THIS IS AN ALERT, and we need straightforward honest answers from Trump, the Trump administration and the U.S. military . . .

Has the USA’s president, Donald Trump, been intentionally interfering with the confusing and sporadically halting talks regarding Iran’s patient intent to continue on with the original planned talks? It seems so, especially when the U.S. military has been and is sending more and more military equipment, including aircraft carriers, jets, and troops to the Middle East appearing to be preparing for war?

Iran, apparently — by the multiplying ramping-up of their own military defenses and their possible rightful failure to trust Trump’s confusing motivations that have constantly interfered with the once agreed upon talks,— seems to be preparing for the worst. That would be war.

This is a truly frightening situation, and when you consider that Iran and both Israel and the citizenry of the United States, not to mention Yemen, have been most likely lied to by Trump throughout this entire disturbing period of doubts on all sides.

I believe, from carefully following this odd and confusing period, that the leadership of Iran has entirely given up on the idea of reaching common ground on the hoped-for agreement, and that at this juncture they are doing more planning for war rather than thinking about agreements, perhaps intentionally calling Trump’s bluff unless it is not a bluff. According to the article below, Iran has announced that they have at least one ballistic missile that can reach the USA mainland, never mind the kind of warhead it might carry . . . ~llaw

Iran Ramps Up Defenses as Risks of U.S. Attack Grow

Published May 20, 2025 at 10:20 AM EDT

00:31

Iran Unveils Underground Drone Facility

By Amira El-Fekki‎

Middle East Reporter

The Iranian’s army chief of staff said the country’s air defense capabilities have significantly increased, in preparedness for any violation of its airspace.

Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for comment.

Why It Matters

Military posturing has continued in parallel with diplomatic efforts to resolve the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening military action if talks fail. The United States and Iran remain at odds over uranium enrichment, making the discussions increasingly fraught and increasing the risk of failure.

What To Know

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major-General Mohammad Baqeri, told an air defense meeting that the country has seen a fivefold increase over the last year in the number of radars, monitoring systems, and detection equipment it has, according to semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

The U.S. Air Force, which has been bolstering military equipment in the remote Diego Garcia airbase with strategic bombers, has meanwhile deployed additional F-15 fighter jets to the Indian Ocean island, bringing the total to six, The War Zone reported, citing a U.S. defense official. Diego Garcia would be within bombing range of Iran.

As the U.S. is pressing Iran to abandon enrichment, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior officials have strongly opposed the demand. “For the Americans to say, ‘We won’t allow Iran to enrich uranium,’ is utter nonsense,” Khamenei posted to his X account, casting doubt on the outcome of ongoing talks.

Baqeri said Iran’s interception and destruction capabilities for aerial threats had increased by as much as three times, adding that Iran’s airspace is under constant surveillance. Tehran has also recently unveiled a new ballistic missile capable of striking U.S. targets.

Iran says that its enrichment of uranium is for a civilian nuclear program, with monitoring from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) but the watchdog, the United States and Israel are concerned that enrichment levels and activities could enable it to make nuclear weapons.

Read more Iran

What People Are Saying

Commander Matthew Comer, Indo-Pacific Command spokesperson, told The War Zone this week: “The F-15s are deployed providing force protection.”

Chief of Staff of the Iranian army Major-General Mohammad Baqeri, as quoted by IRNA News Agency last week: “In case the enemies make a mistake or intend to take action against the establishment and the sacred waters and soil of the Islamic Republic of Iran, our armed forces have the ability and readiness to confront them.”

What Happens Next

Nuclear talks are expected to continue, but the risk of an impasse increases the chances of military action.

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May 19, 2025

LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest, #941, Monday, (05/19/2025)

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

May 19, 2025

Illustration shows Iran's and U.S.' flags

Iran’s and U.S.’ flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW

In My Opinion:

The original Iran/USA nuclear agreement was finalized on July 14, 2015, during the Obama administration and was approved by not only the USA, but also with the approval of China, France, Russia, the U.K., and the U.S. – plus Germany) together with the European Union. Trump withdrew and cancelled the agreement in May of 2018 during his 1st term claiming the agreement was too “one-sided” while also imposing new sanctions on Iran. I guess Trump thought he was smarter than the rest of the world and only he knew best. He was dead wrong, and his mistake has come back to haunt him.

Yes, this has proven to be a serous error made by Trump because Iran has increased their enrichment limits that Obama had set. So now Trump is caught, embarrassingly so, as usual, between a rock and a hard place because the old Obama agreement was reasonable and prevented Iran from increasing their nuclear fuel enrichment program above the level that would only allow them to operate their nuclear power plant(s). So Trump, in order to save face, is now demanding — after previously informing his own negotiators that they could continue enrichment to the nuclear power limits set by Obama, but since then Trump has vacillated between some and none, changing his mind, from one week to the next, so that Iran has no idea what Trump’s demands even are. And that makes preparing for an agreement virtually impossible.

I have followed this story from the beginning until now, and in the meantime Trump has lied and misled the U.S. citizenry and even his own cabinet and administration about restricting Iran’s nuclear fuel from being enriched at all, and that Iran is not to possess their own uranium fuel, which Iran says will kill any deal that Trump suggests. Of course Iran would never agree to be forced to shut down their existing nuclear power plants. Go figure! ~llaw

Iran says nuclear talks will fail if US pushes for zero enrichment

By Reuters

May 19, 20252:34 AM PDTUpdated 6 hours ago

Iran’s and U.S.’ flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

DUBAI, May 19 (Reuters) – Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States “will lead nowhere” if Washington insists that Tehran drop its uranium enrichment activity to zero, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takhtravanchi was quoted by state media on Monday as saying.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff reiterated Washington’s stance on Sunday that any new deal between the U.S. and Iran must include an agreement to refrain from enrichment, a possible pathway to developing nuclear bombs. Tehran says its nuclear energy programme has entirely peaceful purposes.

“Our position on enrichment is clear and we have repeatedly stated that it is a national achievement from which we will not back down,” Takhtravanchi said.

During his visit to the Gulf region last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal was very close but that Iran needed to move quickly to resolve the decades-long dispute.

Washington is complicating negotiations by expressing views in public different from what is discussed privately during talks, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

“Despite hearing contradictory statements from the Americans, we are still participating in negotiations,” Esmail Baghaei added.

A fifth round of talks is expected to take place in Rome this weekend pending confirmation, an Iranian official told Reuters.

During his first, 2017-21 term as president, Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran’s enrichment activities in exchange for relief from international sanctions.

Trump, who branded the 2015 accord one-sided in Iran’s favour, also reimposed sweeping U.S. sanctions on Iran. The Islamic Republic responded by escalating enrichment.Subscribed

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… threats – but the project remains years from completion. NUCLEAR EMP ATTACK MOVES TO BIG SCREEN AS AUTHOR REFLECTS ON ‘INVISIBLE LIFELINE’.

latest: Starmer discusses threat of sanctions with Trump ahead of crucial Putin call – The Independent

The Independent

Ukraine-Russia war – latest: Starmer discusses threat of sanctions with Trump ahead of crucial Putin call. Trump says ‘hopefully … a ceasefire …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Iran says nuclear talks will fail if US pushes for zero enrichment – Reuters

Reuters

… nuclear bombs. Tehran says its nuclear energy programme has … Trump to speak to Putin amid ‘impasse’ on ending war in Ukraine. 13 min …

Nuclear veterans hand ‘evidence dossier’ to police – BBC

BBC

He said he witnessed the testing of four hydrogen bombs as part of Britain’s effort to demonstrate its nuclear capabilities during the Cold War.

Another barrier to nuclear war between India and Pakistan has fallen – The Hill

The Hill

India now believes it can respond militarily to Pakistani-backed attacks without triggering full-scale war. That’s quite a wager. But escalation in …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Volcano Rumbling Near Oregon Won’t Harm Idaho and Washington

News Radio 1310 KLIX

But it wasn’t nearly as catastrophic as the Yellowstone Caldera blowing its stack. You Will Get a Warning. I’m sure there would be warnings before …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW

“Trump, who promised on multiple occasions to end the war within 24 hours of taking office, has found the reality much different since beginning his second term, while offering mixed messages about Putin.”

Former Russian president raises specter of a World War III as rhetoric ramps up over Ukraine

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China, Russia modernising weapons

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Her message, intended for us all, is from May 8th, just a few days ago . . .

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Iran doesn’t believe a nuclear deal is likely, sources say, as talks with US resume

US imposes more sanctions before talks

A ‘misreading of Iranian psychology’

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