“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw
Feb 27, 2025
(See the article below for image description and photo credits. ~llaw)
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY with the RISKS and CONSEQUENCES of TOMORROW
In My Opinion:
In today’s succinct and well-described article, a MUST READ posted below, from the “Center for American Progress” has put together the frightening highlights of Trump’s incredibly poor judgement over the first month of his unwelcome presidency that may eventually add to the destruction, not only of America, but the entire world as we know it. Sadly, he appears to be far from finished ripping our country apart unless he is restrained, impeached, removed from office, and sent to prison where he belongs.
Trump is not only unravelling our government, he is blindly putting us at risk with other nuclear armed countries— as well as terrorist organizations — possibly making us defenseless to protect ourselves long before the “iron dome” useless multi-trillion dollar missile defense system can be built and perhaps, even worse, having access to the nuclear football codes and button in case he takes a notion to start WWIII, creating the worst catastrophe of all.
But regardless of the future, he is already rapidly turning our federal government into a shambles of potential incompetence that will take years to restore to the efficiency it had functioned at right up until the day he was sworn in. And then all hell broke loose. He is a serious threat to his own country, and he must be stopped . . . ~llaw
Article Feb 27, 2025
Trump’s War on America Risks a Wave of Catastrophes
President Trump’s reckless dismantling of government agencies and safeguards exposes America to a wave of preventable disasters.
Restoring Social Trust in Democracy, Consumer Protections, Economy, +4 More
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Not every disaster movie ends badly. We blew up the asteroid in “Armageddon” before it hit; the deadly diseases threatened in “Outbreak,” “Contagion,” and “The Andromeda Strain” were contained; and, in “Independence Day,” the world’s militaries beat back the alien invasion.
A common thread ran through these successes: Scientific expertise, well-funded federal agencies, and synchronized emergency responses—exactly the safeguards President Donald Trump is recklessly attempting to dismantle. Some examples of this recklessness were on quick display: firing the people who oversee our nuclear arsenal, protect us from bird flu, and directly support air traffic controllers and critical safety technologies. Some of the other mistakes will only be exposed or felt when a critical function of government fails to protect us from a terrorist attack or bank collapse.
Trump and his partner Elon Musk are indiscriminately bringing a wrecking ball to the government, following the Silicon Valley ethos of “move fast and break things.” But even Musk acknowledges his strategy means “some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected … Nobody’s going to bat a thousand.”
Most Americans agree that government can work better and can be more efficient. But Trump and Musk’s moves are doing the opposite—and will, in time, make us far less safe.
Movies usually feature just one catastrophe apiece, but Trump’s actions are hurtling America toward all of these simultaneously. When these disasters next strike, it likely won’t be in a theater, and we’ll know whose actions to blame:
- Planes crash when there are fewer air‐traffic controllers on the job and less oversight of aircraft maintenance. The Trump administration has cut FAA regulatory oversight and fired the safety‐focused people who keep the FAA’s radar, landing, and navigational aids running. The day before America’s first deadly plane crash in 16 years, Trump and Musk invited every air traffic controller in the country to resign. Even after the crash, the slashing has continued.
- Nuclear materials get stolen when critical nuclear staff are fired and oversight of weapons labs is gutted. The Trump administration’s random layoffs at the National Nuclear Security Administration have left America’s nuclear arsenal dangerously exposed, risking theft, sabotage, and accidental detonation.
- Terrorists attack the United States when our intelligence and law enforcement agencies are hobbled. The Trump administration’s mass firings and program shutdowns at the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and other national security agencies weaken their ability to see threats, leaving the nation vulnerable to coordinated and deadly terrorist strikes.
- Pandemics spiral out of control when America’s public-health experts are taken off the job and our scientists are cut off from colleagues around the world. Through funding freezes and mass firings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health—and pulling the United States out of the World Health Organization—the Trump administration has severely undermined the nation’s ability to detect, contain, and respond to emerging infectious diseases. On Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first day on the job, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services fired half of the CDC staff who provide America with early warning of emerging epidemics. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture fired plant protection and quarantine staff working to combat bird flu. We may not have to wait long for this disaster to unfold: The Trump administration has fired people serving as the “boots on the ground” in the current fight to keep bird flu contained.
- The electric grid fails when not enough people are on hand to keep it running. The Trump administration is firing the linemen, engineers, and dispatchers who maintain America’s power systems.
- Identities get stolen and bank accounts empty when unvetted amateurs are allowed to rummage through sensitive databases. Trump and Elon Musk have sent a small army of unqualified amateurs—some in their teens—to illegally access America’s most sensitive financial, health, and personal data, including highly restricted payment and Social Security
- Roads and bridges collapse when funding for maintenance and new construction is slashed and there’s no one on hand to keep everyone honest. The Trump administration has gutted a host of infrastructure projects and fired the government watchdogs who make sure large-scale building projects are done right.
- The world falls apart when companies aren’t held responsible or accountable for complying with environmental laws—think pipeline ruptures, chemical and natural gas explosions, and oil spills. Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency has demoted career staff with the expertise required to enforce pollution laws and oversee safe hazardous waste cleanup and has fired hundreds of workers who respond to environmental disasters and ensure a healthy and safe environment for all Americans.
- Emergency responses fail when centralized disaster management is thrown into chaos. Trump’s spending freezes and random firings significantly threaten America’s ability to handle disasters. Even worse: Trump says he wants to get rid of the Federal Emergency Management Agency altogether and let states take care of themselves.
- People lose their life’s savings in bank failures caused by risky practices, poor management, and fraud. And lots of banks fail when the mechanisms set up to keep bank failures from spreading are dismantled. The Trump administration is looking to cut the banking regulations that keep Americans’ savings safe and firing the people who work to stop bank failures from spreading like wildfire. These policy changes from the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 playbook “would foster financial market risk-taking while kneecapping regulators’ ability to quell instability,” CAP warned last year.
- Markets collapse when investors’ confidence in the stability of the U.S. government is shattered. Trump’s moves to seize control of the Federal Reserve’s regulatory and supervisory responsibilities are unprecedented and are rattling the financial sector. “The Fed’s independence from the White House has historically been seen as crucial to the stability of the economy and the global financial system,” writes The New York Times. Trump’s firings, stop-work orders, and litigation pauses at America’s financial watchdogs and general erratic moves risk grinding America’s and the world’s economies to a halt. Just suspending congressionally authorized payments, alone, is “a breach of trust and ultimately, a form of default.”
Conclusion
One of America’s great strengths—on-screen and in real life—has been the reliability of its institutions, grounded in expertise, robust oversight, and the rule of law. President Trump and Elon Musk’s lawless and erratic actions are weakening, not strengthening, these pillars of strength, so much so that they risk pulling catastrophic Hollywood nightmares off the screen and into real life.
The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.
Author
Tom Moore
Senior Fellow, Democracy
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TODAY’s NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Thursday, (02/27/2025)
All Things Nuclear
NEWS
After layoffs – and re-hirings – at nuclear agency, some want more transparency about those cuts
Nevada Public Radio
A Nevada senator is calling on the Trump administration to be more transparent regarding potential cuts to some agencies, citing national security …
After layoffs – and re-hirings – at nuclear agency, some want more transparency about those cuts
KUNR
… about recent cuts at the National Nuclear Security Administration … All Things Considered · Arts on the Airwaves · BBC World Service · Fresh Air …
Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Panel committee hears updates on nuclear waste policy
WAMC
All Things Considered · Arts & Culture · Capital Region News · Commentary … about federal efforts to store spent nuclear fuel. Listen • 4:16.
Nuclear Power
NEWS
Startup builds nuclear power plants with new method that reduces cost and time – YouTube
YouTube
CNBC’s Diana Olick joins ‘Power Lunch’ to discuss how one company is transforming nuclear power constructio
Palisades power plant will restart. Here’s where on the Great Lakes nuclear plants operate
freep.com
Owners of Michigan’s Palisades nuclear energy plant this week announced a new five-year program aimed at restarting the power station while adding …
Nuclear Companies Sign Manifesto As Momentum Grows For Spain To Reconsider … – NucNet
NucNet
The manifesto, signed by 32 companies, calls for “dialogue and renegotiation” of the 2019 agreement on the phased shutdown of nuclear power plants.
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEWS
Senate to Weigh Opposing Resolutions Targeting Trump and Biden Energy Policies
Broadband Breakfast
One seeks to overturn Trump’s emergency energy declaration, the other targets Biden’s methane gas fee.
Sen. Kaine Excoriates Trump for Declaring a Bogus Energy Emergency
Inside Climate News
“President Trump is calling for a national emergency and bypassing all of these laws, if you want to produce using oil or gas or coal or nuclear or …
AUKUS ‘impact assessment’ report ignores nuclear sub risks in SA – Pearls and Irritations
Pearls and Irritations
Federal emergency provisions apply in event of a nuclear sub reactor accident at Port Adelaide. The civilian Australian Radiation Protection and …
Nuclear War Threats
NEWS
Nuclear Threats and Political Games: Russia’s Strike on Chernobyl Sparks Global Concerns
The Media Line
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as a “terrorist threat … This is not the first time Russia has weaponized nuclear threats …
Israeli FM repeats alarmist war threats in interview with Politico – Tehran Times
Tehran Times
… nuclear program to a “dangerous” threshold, hinting that “military action … Israeli FM repeats alarmist war threats in interview with Politico.
Nobel peace prize winner warns students about nuclear war – The Miscellany News
The Miscellany News
Helfand represented Back From The Brink, an organization that educates on the growing threat of nuclear weapons and the dangers they pose to public …
Nuclear War
NEWS
Ukraine war: Which countries could Putin go for next? Is Europe vulnerable to a nuclear …
Sky News
Our security and defence analyst Michael Clarke answered your questions on the war in Ukraine … Currently, nuclear weapons in a time of war would be …
The threat of nuclear war is greater than ever, but does anyone care? – Substack
Substack
NATO’s strategic doctrine was Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), which stated that America’s nuclear weapons would be used if there was an attack by …
Nobel peace prize winner warns students about nuclear war – The Miscellany News
The Miscellany News
Helfand said that while the end of the Cold War drastically reduced the chance of nuclear conflict, it did not effectively deal with existing weapons.
Yellowstone Caldera
NEWS
Lava spews more than 200 feet high in Kilauea’s 11th episode – MSN
MSN
Borrow Against Your Home Equity Without Touching Your Mortgage · Ad. Yellowstone’s Supervolcano Magma Movement Fuels Fears of Catastrophic Eruption …
Top 11 Wyoming Towns To Visit In 2025 – WorldAtlas
World Atlas
… Yellowstone National Park. All the explorations in Jackson you can … Yellowstone Caldera. Hot Springs State Park, home of the “World’s …