@chrismuphyct concludes: For those determined to not repeat mistakes, this is a moment to double down on highlighting the fecklessness of these actions.

@chrismuphyct says we are seeing limits of our might, especially in Middle East. Was Trump seduced by Bibi? By military planners who mistook capabilities for strategy? Likely just gross incompetence. Trump has “broken” Middle East, global energy markets, US economy.

More consequences via @chrismuphyct: Iran can “toggle” global energy prices at will via control of Strait of Hormuz, closer to China, regime more entrenched after weakening of last year.

More @chrismurphyct War likely to end with Iran being more powerful than it was before it started. Stated objectives of destroying missile capability, regime change, navy and drone forces eliminated, and stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon not met and may be worse.

Senator Chris Murphy @carnegieendowment.org: war in Iran “one of the most significant foreign policy mistakes” of our lifetimes despite Iran being a “consistent and confounding” enemy of the United States.

If there isn't a "The Santa Con" true crime podcast on this within the next year, I will have to have a stern talking-to with someone...

The Artemis II crew splashes down to Earth tonight. But NASA missions aren't the only things getting attention in space. @nktpnd.bsky.social joins Noah Tan to unpack the concept of nuclear weapons in space (and why it's a bad idea).

North Korea Is Getting Serious About Space Weapons The new chapter in defense planning seems like a direct response to Trump’s Golden Dome.

My latest in @foreignpolicy.com: with a war in the Middle East, the world appears to have missed that North Korea is now officially getting into the space weapons game (with strong incentives to put nukes in space). My analysis: foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/09/n...

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Trump Is Strong-Arming the World Out of Climate Action Washington is leveraging its power to intimidate countries that are trying to protect the planet.

The US has become a climate bully.
The sabotage of the IMO shipping levy is the most dramatic example. The pressure on Vanuatu to stop its legal efforts is the most recent.
My new piece for @foreignpolicy.com

foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/18/t...

Many people have no mental imagery. What’s going on in their brains? People with aphantasia are offering a window into consciousness.

It me. I discovered about 10 years ago that when other people said they picture things in their head, they are not being metaphorical. I have never been able to conjure a mental picture of anything, apparently I am on the extreme side. AMA. #aphantasia www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Bluff or Death? How to Assess Nuclear “Threats” In turbulent times, the less precise our nuclear discourse, the more fear nuclear manipulators can elicit.

Happening soon! Register to watch online (or attend in person) at 0900 this morning. carnegieendowment.org/events/2026/...

You crazy for this one, Nick.

prince is wearing a white fur coat and playing a guitar on stage . ALT: prince is wearing a white fur coat and playing a guitar on stage .

My two favorite things from the Twin Cities: Prince and the Revolution.

@joereid.bsky.social @chrisvfeil.bsky.social As your resident nuclear policy Gary who has actually "been there," I volunteer as tribute for the now inevitable The House of Dynamite THOB episode.

a cartoon of two spidermans standing in front of a nypd van ALT: a cartoon of two spidermans standing in front of a nypd van

The right response is not for the United States to be the first to blow up (pun intended) the moratorium that has held since the 1990s, but seek clarification on what they are doing with reciprocal insight into the US program so we don't end up in an escalation based on fear and accusations. 11/11

Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments - United States Department of State Pursuant to statute (22 U.S.C. § 2593a), the Department of State prepares a report providing a detailed assessment of the adherence of the United States and other nations to obligations undertaken in ...

When these happen, the world knows. What if Russia and China were doing small scale experiments, like the US does in NV, but they were going a little critical? It is true that we might not know, and the State Department has raised these questions in the past. www.state.gov/adherence-to... 10/11

The International Monitoring System The International Monitoring System (IMS) is a unique global network that, when complete, will consist of 321 monitoring stations and 16 laboratories hosted by 89 countries around the globe.

The only country to do underground nuclear tests in recent years is North Korea, last in 2017. We know this because the CTBTO International Monitoring System can detect any full scale nuclear weapons tests, anywhere in the world and has proven it. www.ctbto.org/our-work/int... 9/11

Trump said that Russia, China, North Korea, Pakistan are all "testing" and went on to say, "You don't necessarily know where they're testing," and "They [test] underground where people don't know exactly what's happening with the test." Here, he is a little right and a lot wrong. 8/11

China is also testing nuclear delivery vehicles. Spoiler alert: so does the US, including a planned Sentinel ICBM flight test in 2026. When Trump said on 60 Minutes, "I'm saying that we're going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do." This would indicate status quo. 7/11

Putin Announces Test of Tsunami-Making Nuclear Weapon

Trump also said, "Other countries are testing. We're the only country that doesn't test" Well, it depends what he means by testing, and this interview did little to clear up the confusion. Russia last week "tested" two new nuclear delivery vehicles (www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/w...) 6/11

...the fastest measured supercomputer in the world, the DAHRT and Z machines, and more. More includes the PULSE facility at Nevada where we combine nuclear material and high explosives to study nuclear weapons performance WITHOUT creating a chain reaction, consistent with our int'l commitments. 5/11

What is fusion ignition? YouTube video by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

But the main reason is because we have invested billions of dollars in tools and experimental facilities to understand how nuclear weapons work. These facilities include the National Ignition Facility (www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Eh2.... 4/11

Why is that? Because we have the data from more than 1000 nuclear tests (for comparison, USSR/Russia did 715, China <50, North Korea has done 6; see www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/n... for more). 3/11

One answer to the question, "So why do we need to test our nuclear weapons?" was "Well, because you have to see how they work." The good news is that we know more about how nuclear weapons work now than we ever did in the era of nuclear testing. 2/11

President Trump's interview on 60 Minutes did very little to clarify his stance on the United States resuming full-scale nuclear tests for the first time in more than three decades. Let's look at some of his statements. 1/11

Trump says he wants to resume nuclear testing. Here's what that would mean The U.S. has not conducted a nuclear test in over 30 years. Experts say doing one now could make America less safe.

Resuming U.S. nuclear testing, as President Trump has suggested, “would do more to benefit our adversaries than the United States," says @coreyah.bsky.social on @npr.org.

More from Corey on why: www.npr.org/2025/10/30/n...

Trump says he wants to resume nuclear testing. Here's what that would mean The U.S. has not conducted a nuclear test in over 30 years. Experts say doing one now could make America less safe.

NEW: Here's the basics of what a return to nuclear testing would look like for the United States.

www.npr.org/2025/10/30/n...

a scene from schitt 's creek shows a man and woman talking to each other ALT: a scene from schitt 's creek shows a man and woman talking to each other

Gee, I don’t know, Linda. This could really have helped David and Moira.

China should not fuel an arms race, says a close watcher of its nuclear policy Its interests would be better served if it led on crafting nuclear rules, argues Tong Zhao

Beijing’s stunning display of nuclear power at its recent military parade is striking. In @economist.com, I explain why China should resist fueling arms races and instead champion a rules-based nuclear order.
www.economist.com/by-invitatio...