Nukes of Hazard

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
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All things nukes and the threats they pose to humanity.

  1. 3d ago

    A Costly Silence: The Choice is Ours

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

    A Costly Silence: The Choice is Ours

  2. 3d ago

    A Costly Silence: Eisenhower's Warning

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

    A Costly Silence: Eisenhower's Warning

  3. Oct 16

    BONUS Episode: The True Costs of War – Moderated Question and Answer Session

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

    BONUS Episode: The True Costs of War – Moderated Question and Answer Session

  4. Oct 8

    The True Costs of War: Iran Following the Pattern

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

    The True Costs of War: Iran Following the Pattern

  5. Sep 30

    BONUS Episode: The Costs of False Security – Live Audience Question & Answer Session

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

    BONUS Episode: The Costs of False Security – Live Audience Question & Answer Session

  6. Sep 28

    The Costs of False Security: The Fallacy of National Missile Defense and Weapons in Space

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

    The Costs of False Security: The Fallacy of National Missile Defense and Weapons in Space

  7. Sep 11

    25 Years Later: Reflecting on the Human and Financial Costs of September 11

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

    25 Years Later: Reflecting on the Human and Financial Costs of September 11

  8. Sep 8

    $1 Trillion and Counting: A Deep Dive Into the Pentagon Budget

    This year, the Trump administration asked Congress for nearly $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon and nuclear weapons in its annual President's Budget Request — a huge increase over last year's already massive request. This is a number that 59% of people believe is too high, according to recent polling from ReThink Media and the Costs of War project. But is the request warranted? Or are people right to believe this is too much to spend? Can Congress bring down the costs? And, most importantly, how does this affect Americans like you? We talked to our own Connor Murray, Research Analyst here at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, and Xiaodon Liang, Senior Policy Analyst at the Arms Control Association, to break down how the massive budget request makes its way through Congress, what the administration wants to spend our money on and what Congress should fund to keep us safe and protect American national security interests. Show Notes: Most Voters Say the Proposed $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Budget is Too High, by ReThink Media and the Costs of War project | https://rethinkmedia.org/blog/most-voters-say-the-proposed-1-5-trillion-pentagon-budget-is-too-high/ Reconciliation Breaks Decades of Bipartisanship, by Greg Williams at the Project on Government Oversight | https://www.pogo.org/commentaries/reconciliation-breaks-decades-of-bipartisanship The Employment Impacts of Cuts to Federal Spending: Not All Cuts Are Created Equal, by Heidi Peltier with the Costs of War project | https://costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/employment-impacts-cuts-federal-spending-not-all-cuts-are-created-equal Music by Ben Sound

    $1 Trillion and Counting: A Deep Dive Into the Pentagon Budget
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About

All things nukes and the threats they pose to humanity.

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  • Creator
    Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Nukes of Hazard

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