The Back from the Brink Podcast

Ryann Blackshere Vargas, Back from the Brink
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  • Documentary
  • Updated Weekly

Hosted by journalist Ryann Blackshere Vargas, the Back from the Brink Podcast is a limited series designed for anyone who hopes a nuclear weapon is never used, but struggles to imagine a world without them. The first few episodes cover the "why" of abolition by exposing the flaws and harms of nuclear weapons policy and testing through the powerful personal stories of our guests. The last four episodes are dedicated to the "how" and explore treaties, verification, and the power of everyday people who are tired of the status quo. Through conversations with people from all walks of life who are working to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons, we learn what a world free of nuclear weapons looks like and how we can build it together. The podcast was made possible by generous funding from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, formerly Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Episodes

  1. Jul 23

    People, protest, and possibilities

    Addressing the threat of nuclear weapons can feel like a big task, but history is full of examples of people coming together to create impactful change: the civil rights movement, women gaining the right to vote, and marriage equality. Mayor Barbara Lee and Professor Marshall Ganz join host Ryann Blackshere Vargas to reflect on their experiences in organizing and explain what makes movements successful.   Guest bios: Dr. Marshall Ganz is the Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in Leadership, Organizing, and Civil Society at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is a professor and practitioner of grassroots movements, having organized for the American civil rights movement, the United Farm Workers, and President Barack Obama's campaign for the White House.   Barbara Lee has served as the mayor of Oakland, California, since 2025. Previously, she served as a U.S. representative from California from 1998 to 2025 and is widely known for her anti-war and nuclear abolition work. In 2001, after the September 11 attacks, she was notably the only member of Congress who voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force.   Resources mentioned in this episode: Professor Ganz's book People, Power, Change: Organizing for Democratic Renewal: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/people-power-change-9780197569009?cc=us&lang=en& From the Harvard Gazette, "How Marshall Ganz Found His Calling as Activist, Scholar, and Mentor": https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/09/how-marshall-ganz-found-his-calling-as-activist-scholar-mentor/ From Politico, "How Barbara Lee Became An Army of One": https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/07/30/how-barbara-lee-became-an-army-of-one-215434/ From Outrider, "Rep. Barbara Lee: on 40 years of Seeking Justice": https://outrider.org/nuclear-weapons/articles/rep-barbara-lee-40-years-seeking-justice

    People, protest, and possibilities

  2. Jul 16

    Trust but verify

    When countries agree to get rid of their nuclear weapons, verification tools can confirm that they actually did it. But how does it work? Arms control expert Mike Edinger talks to host Ryann Blackshere Vargas not only about the details of verification, but also how the work is constantly evolving to address changing global politics.   Guest bios: Mike Edinger is an independent arms control consultant who previously served as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the State Department's Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance. In that role he was the US government lead for the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV) from its inception in 2015. Prior to that he served as a Minuteman ICBM Crew Commander in the U.S. Air Force.   Resources mentioned in this episode: The International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV): https://www.ipndv.org/ Mike's recent report, "Negotiating Nuclear Verification: Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation": https://vcdnp.org/negotiating-nuclear-verification-arms-control-disarmament-and-non-proliferation/

    Trust but verify

  3. Jul 9

    Twin threats: Climate change and nukes

    Climate change and nuclear weapons have a lot in common: they are existential threats, their impacts don't respect geographical boundaries, and no country can solve them alone. Dr. Rachel Cleetus and Dr. John Burroughs join host Ryann Blackshere Vargas to discuss how treaties, international law, and the voices of everyday people can work in tandem to confront both threats.   Guest bios: Dr. Rachel Cleetus is the Senior Policy Director of the Climate and Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. She conducts research on climate impacts and clean energy, and advocates for science-based policies to advance climate action. She is an expert on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and has been attending international climate negotiations since 2009.   Dr. John Burroughs is Senior Analyst at the Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy (LCNP). He has represented LCNP in Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review proceedings and in negotiations on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Dr. Burroughs was also a member of the legal team for the Marshall Islands in its nuclear disarmament cases in the International Court of Justice.   Resources mentioned in this episode: John's article "The Inadmissibility of Nuclear Threats": https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2024-04/features/inadmissibility-nuclear-threats John's work representing the Marshall Islands in the International Court of Justice: https://www.lcnp.org/marshall-islands Information from John's organization about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons: https://www.lcnp.org/tpnw   Rachel's blog: https://blog.ucs.org/author/rachel-cleetus/ Rachel's recent report "Colliding Crises: The Dangers of Extreme Heat in Affordable Housing": https://www.ucs.org/resources/colliding-crises Rachel's recent report "Science and Democracy Under Siege: Documenting Six Months of the Trump Administration's Destructive Actions": https://www.ucs.org/resources/science-and-democracy-under-siege

    Twin threats: Climate change and nukes

  4. Jul 2

    Proof it can be done

    With treaties expiring and traditional diplomatic routes breaking down, it may be hard to imagine how countries could come together to confront an existential challenge like nuclear weapons. But international cooperation is not uncharted territory. Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins talks to host Ryann Blackshere Vargas about how nations have come together in the past to reduce the nuclear arsenal and eliminate entire classes of weapons, and what it will take to continue that work. Guest bios: Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins served as the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security in the Biden Administration. During the Obama administration, she was the U.S. Department of State's coordinator for threat reduction programs in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation. Ambassador Jenkins is the Founder and Executive Director of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS), as well as the Shapiro Visiting Professor of International Affairs at George Washington University. Resources mentioned in this episode: Ambassador Jenkins' organization, Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation (WCAPS): https://www.wcaps.org/   Ambassador Jenkins' Substack: https://abjen.substack.com/profile/posts

    Proof it can be done

  5. Jun 25

    The nuclear house of cards

    U.S. nuclear weapons policies are based on many faulty assumptions, creating a lot of unnecessary risk. In fact, we've already had numerous close calls with nuclear war. Guest Dr. Lisbeth Gronlund and host Ryann Blackshere Vargas discuss who has the authority to launch nuclear weapons, whether missile defense could protect us from incoming attacks, and whether nuclear war is really a possibility today.   Guest bio: Dr. Lisbeth Gronlund is a physicist working with the Laboratory for Nuclear Security and Policy in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT. Previously, she spent nearly three decades with the Union of Concerned Scientists' Global Security Program, including serving as co-director. Resources mentioned in this episode: Lisbeth's writing for The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists: https://thebulletin.org/biography/lisbeth-gronlund/ Lisbeth's writing for The Union of Concerned Scientists: https://blog.ucs.org/author/lisbeth-gronlund/

    The nuclear house of cards

  6. Jun 17

    Is this what safety looks like?

    For as long as nuclear weapons have been around, we've been told that they keep us safe by deterring other countries from attacking us. This theory is known as nuclear deterrence. But is it actually keeping us safe? Guests Dr. Chuck Powell and Dr. Rebecca Gibbons have seen firsthand the impact of thinking this way, and they share what they learned with Ryann Blackshere Vargas.   Guest bios: Dr. Chuck Powell serves on the Board of Directors at Daisy Alliance, a non-profit focused on broadening education and awareness on the risks posed by nuclear weapons. He is also a Professional Certified Coach, a former U.S. Air Force missile launch officer, and a retired Healthcare Executive. His new book, Unicursal, a speculative novel about nuclear war, comes out July 14.   Dr. Rebecca Gibbons is an associate professor of political science at the University of Southern Maine and the author of The Hegemon's Toolkit. She was an academic co-chair of the Beyond Nuclear Deterrence Working Group, an initiative of the MacArthur Foundation and Harvard University's Project on Managing the Atom. Resources mentioned in this episode: Rebecca's book The Hegemon's Tool Kit: US Leadership and the Politics of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime:  https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501764851/the-hegemons-tool-kit/ Rebecca's article "Getting beyond nuclear deterrence: a research agenda": https://doi.org/10.1080/10736700.2025.2575524 Rebecca's article "After nuclear deterrence: insights and uncharted frontiers": https://doi.org/10.1080/10736700.2025.2588472 Rebecca's article "The humanitarian turn in nuclear disarmament and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons": https://doi.org/10.1080/10736700.2018.1486960 Daisy Alliance, where Chuck is a board member: https://www.daisyalliance.org/ Chuck's book Unicursal: Redemption in the Age of Nuclear Annihilation:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unicursal-chuck-powell/1149852073 Chuck's coaching services at Encompassing Leadership Associates: https://www.allcanlead.com/

    Is this what safety looks like?

  7. Jun 11

    Nuclear abolition: There's no other option

    The threat of nuclear war has loomed over us since the first nuclear explosion in 1945, known as the Trinity Test. Decades later, communities are still contending with the impacts of that test and all the nuclear weapons that have been built since then. As Tina Cordova and Molly McGinty work to address these harms and build a safer world, Ryann Blackshere Vargas explores why this issue matters so much to them. Guest information: Molly McGinty: Program Director at the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). She highlights the humanitarian and environmental impacts of nuclear weapons and advocates for their total abolition.   Tina Cordova: Co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium. She is a seventh-generation native New Mexican seeking justice for the unknowing, unwilling and uncompensated, innocent victims of the Trinity Test.   Resources mentioned in this episode: Molly McGinty's organization, IPPNW: https://www.ippnw.org/ Molly's work with medical students: https://www.ippnw.org/home/medical-students Tina Cordova's group, Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium: https://www.trinitydownwinders.com/ The documentary "First We Bombed New Mexico:" https://www.firstwebombednewmexico.com/

    Nuclear abolition: There's no other option

  8. Season 1 Trailer

    TEASER! The Back from the Brink Podcast

    COMING SOON! A new limited-series Back from the Brink podcast that invites listeners to imagine something different: a brighter, safer future where people from all walks of life are helping move us beyond the threat of nuclear weapons. Over the course of seven episodes, we'll talk to scientists, diplomats, lawyers, policy experts, activists, and teachers — all of whom are united in two shared beliefs: We must get rid of nuclear weapons We can get rid of nuclear weapons Guided by host Ryann Blackshere Vargas, an experienced journalist and media consultant for our campaign, we'll hear stories from people who are most passionate about this issue and illuminate what abolition would look like and how we can achieve it: through domestic policy change, international diplomacy, and changing how we talk about nuclear weapons. This isn't a podcast that just tells you what's wrong with the world, leaving you overwhelmed or hopeless. Our series highlights how everyday people have created meaningful change in the past — and what each of us can do now to continue making a difference. So stay tuned! The first episode, featuring Molly McGinty from IPPNW and Tina Cordova from the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, launches Friday, June 12.

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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About

Hosted by journalist Ryann Blackshere Vargas, the Back from the Brink Podcast is a limited series designed for anyone who hopes a nuclear weapon is never used, but struggles to imagine a world without them. The first few episodes cover the "why" of abolition by exposing the flaws and harms of nuclear weapons policy and testing through the powerful personal stories of our guests. The last four episodes are dedicated to the "how" and explore treaties, verification, and the power of everyday people who are tired of the status quo. Through conversations with people from all walks of life who are working to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons, we learn what a world free of nuclear weapons looks like and how we can build it together. The podcast was made possible by generous funding from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, formerly Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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