Dylan Spaulding
@dkspaulding.bsky.social
Senior Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists, Global Security Program. Views are my own.
Blog: blog.ucsusa.org/author/dylan-spaulding/
Blog: blog.ucsusa.org/author/dylan-spaulding/
Pinned
Dylan Spaulding
@dkspaulding.bsky.social
· May 28
Plutonium Pit Production
The US plan to build new plutonium pits for nuclear weapons is unnecessary, risky, and dangerous to the health of workers and communities.
www.ucs.org
I've written a comprehensive report on plutonium pit production - including a critical look at the history, the risks and costs, and the science of Pu aging. Short story: new pits are unnecessary, dangerous, and expensive and alternatives provide a safer future. Please read and circulate! #NukeSky
Stay warm, Minneapolis.
Minnesotans strike to protest ICE surge in state: ‘No work, no school, no shopping’
Organizers demand ICE leave state and agency be investigated for constitutional violations
www.theguardian.com
January 23, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Stay warm, Minneapolis.
The Trump team is dropping the ball on New START, which limits deployments of nuclear weapons. Russia has offered an off ramp without negotations but the US isn't responding. This is a no-brainer, but Trump's ignorance and machismo are likely to result in the shredding of this important treaty.
Russia says it has no specific contacts with US on expiring nuclear treaty
Russia and the United States currently have no specific contacts regarding the imminent expiry of the New START nuclear arms control treaty, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.
www.reuters.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:21 PM
The Trump team is dropping the ball on New START, which limits deployments of nuclear weapons. Russia has offered an off ramp without negotations but the US isn't responding. This is a no-brainer, but Trump's ignorance and machismo are likely to result in the shredding of this important treaty.
Listen to me discuss American nuclear modernization, plutonium pit production, and whether deterrence is a question of faith this evening at 5pm PT on Sustainability Now! on KSQD out of Santa Cruz, CA. Thanks to host, Ronnie Lipschutz for the invite.
Sustainability Now!
Sustainability Now!
ksqd.org
January 18, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Listen to me discuss American nuclear modernization, plutonium pit production, and whether deterrence is a question of faith this evening at 5pm PT on Sustainability Now! on KSQD out of Santa Cruz, CA. Thanks to host, Ronnie Lipschutz for the invite.
CNN wrote a story today based on my recent musings on nuclear testing. We passed a fragile milestone this week, setting a record for the longest period without a nuclear test since Trinity. Will it hold?
The blog: blog.ucs.org/dylan-spauld...
CNN's take on all of this:
The blog: blog.ucs.org/dylan-spauld...
CNN's take on all of this:
Good news: World records longest ever lull in nuclear tests. Bad news: It’s on shaky ground | CNN
The world passed a nuclear milestone this week. And, perhaps surprisingly given the recent run of saber-rattling from the likes of Russia and the United States, it’s a positive one.
www.cnn.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:54 PM
CNN wrote a story today based on my recent musings on nuclear testing. We passed a fragile milestone this week, setting a record for the longest period without a nuclear test since Trinity. Will it hold?
The blog: blog.ucs.org/dylan-spauld...
CNN's take on all of this:
The blog: blog.ucs.org/dylan-spauld...
CNN's take on all of this:
Reposted by Dylan Spaulding
My colleague @dkspaulding.bsky.social inspired this excellent @cnn.com piece on #nuclear testing with this compelling story: blog.ucs.org/dylan-spauld...
January 16, 2026 at 3:04 PM
My colleague @dkspaulding.bsky.social inspired this excellent @cnn.com piece on #nuclear testing with this compelling story: blog.ucs.org/dylan-spauld...
Reposted by Dylan Spaulding
Todd Harrison of AEI: "We already have unfettered access to what we need for Golden Dome in Greenland”
Sidebar: Golden Dome will not work and should not be built. www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Sidebar: Golden Dome will not work and should not be built. www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Why Trump doesn’t need to own Greenland to build Golden Dome
Much of the president’s signature defense shield isn’t even supposed to be based on land.
www.politico.com
January 15, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Todd Harrison of AEI: "We already have unfettered access to what we need for Golden Dome in Greenland”
Sidebar: Golden Dome will not work and should not be built. www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Sidebar: Golden Dome will not work and should not be built. www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Here's my latest piece for the @ucs.org blog. Today marks the longest period without a nuclear explosion since Trinity. I explore why as well as the reasons that it would be so counterproductive for the US to shatter this moratorium.
The Nuclear Testing Moratorium Passes a Milestone
The world has now gone the longest period of time since 1945 without an explosive nuclear test. Breaking this streak would be not only unnecessary but also unwise.
blog.ucs.org
January 14, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Here's my latest piece for the @ucs.org blog. Today marks the longest period without a nuclear explosion since Trinity. I explore why as well as the reasons that it would be so counterproductive for the US to shatter this moratorium.
On Feb. 5th, the last remaining arms control treaty that limits US and Russian nuclear deployments will expire without a follow-on agreement. Russia has offered an off ramp that Trump is ignoring.
My colleague, Jennifer Knox, has a new report out on what could happen when those limits are gone:
My colleague, Jennifer Knox, has a new report out on what could happen when those limits are gone:
Nuclear Weapons Without Limits?
Once the New START treaty between the United States and Russia expires in February 2026, there will be no limits on the number of strategic nuclear weapons the two nations can deploy.
www.ucs.org
January 13, 2026 at 7:21 PM
On Feb. 5th, the last remaining arms control treaty that limits US and Russian nuclear deployments will expire without a follow-on agreement. Russia has offered an off ramp that Trump is ignoring.
My colleague, Jennifer Knox, has a new report out on what could happen when those limits are gone:
My colleague, Jennifer Knox, has a new report out on what could happen when those limits are gone:
And what of those killed in the streets of the US and the sanctity of US institutions? This is perhaps the most tragic and absurd case ever of "do as I say, and not as I do".
January 13, 2026 at 5:17 PM
And what of those killed in the streets of the US and the sanctity of US institutions? This is perhaps the most tragic and absurd case ever of "do as I say, and not as I do".
I'm proud to work for an organization that's fighting back. We won't back down. Join us.
@ucs.org
#ScienceRising
@ucs.org
#ScienceRising
The authoritarian, violent, and anti-science actions of the Trump admin over the past week show clear contempt for democracy and the public good, endangering people in the US and around the world.
Congress must uphold its constitutional responsibility and hold the administration accountable.
Congress must uphold its constitutional responsibility and hold the administration accountable.
January 9, 2026 at 7:43 PM
I'm proud to work for an organization that's fighting back. We won't back down. Join us.
@ucs.org
#ScienceRising
@ucs.org
#ScienceRising
@usatoday.com, has launched a 5 part series on the risks and costs of the US land-based ICBM force. For so many reasons, it simply makes sense to get rid of them, one being the "launch it or lose it" instability that gives POTUS only minutes to react. Uncontrolled cost being another.
Fallout maps show how an attack on nuclear silos would impact US cities
USA TODAY mapped the far-reaching potential consequences of a nuclear strike against America's 450 nuclear missile silos.
www.usatoday.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:53 PM
@usatoday.com, has launched a 5 part series on the risks and costs of the US land-based ICBM force. For so many reasons, it simply makes sense to get rid of them, one being the "launch it or lose it" instability that gives POTUS only minutes to react. Uncontrolled cost being another.
Worker exposure to plutonium at Los Alamos is, unfortunately, a much more frequent occurence than it should be. This is not the first, nor will it be the last instance. This is one of the unwritten costs of US nuclear modernization and the troubled plutonium pit production program.
2 more skin contaminations investigated at Los Alamos plutonium facility
The LANL workers followed safety protocols and were successfully decontaminated, according to the safety board report.
www.santafenewmexican.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Worker exposure to plutonium at Los Alamos is, unfortunately, a much more frequent occurence than it should be. This is not the first, nor will it be the last instance. This is one of the unwritten costs of US nuclear modernization and the troubled plutonium pit production program.
The Nobel Laureate Declaration, calls for a recommitment to a moratorium on nuclear explosive testing, enhancement and expansion of nuclear diplomacy, and for scientists, academics, communities of faith, and civil society to create pressure on global leaders to take nuclear risk reduction measures.
Scientists Say Public Engagement and Pressure Are Key to Reducing Nuclear Risks
Nuclear experts are urging the public to demand concrete steps to reduce the risk of devastation due to nuclear weapons.
truthout.org
January 1, 2026 at 6:45 PM
The Nobel Laureate Declaration, calls for a recommitment to a moratorium on nuclear explosive testing, enhancement and expansion of nuclear diplomacy, and for scientists, academics, communities of faith, and civil society to create pressure on global leaders to take nuclear risk reduction measures.
"the resurgence of threat may be the catalyst for renewed recognition and resistance.. There is hope, perhaps, that a new anti-nuclear movement can borrow from climate action and nonviolent social justice movements that are gaining traction with younger activists.” Call me naive, but one must hope.
Christians Ended the Arms Race Once; Let’s Do It Again
Trump is calling for renewed nuclear testing. We know how to stop it.
sojo.net
December 19, 2025 at 5:51 PM
"the resurgence of threat may be the catalyst for renewed recognition and resistance.. There is hope, perhaps, that a new anti-nuclear movement can borrow from climate action and nonviolent social justice movements that are gaining traction with younger activists.” Call me naive, but one must hope.
"Mounting risks from other states" have absolutely nothing to do with US confidence in its nuclear stockpile. Explosive testing remains unncessary. Comments from this administration suggest they view tests as nothing more than barbaric chest thumping (that, ironically, would be to US detriment)
US official defends Trump’s nuclear test comments by citing mounting risks from other states
The United States has announced it will resume nuclear testing if other countries do the same. The U.S.
apnews.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:13 PM
"Mounting risks from other states" have absolutely nothing to do with US confidence in its nuclear stockpile. Explosive testing remains unncessary. Comments from this administration suggest they view tests as nothing more than barbaric chest thumping (that, ironically, would be to US detriment)
Et tu, ProPublica?!
1/ At bargaining yesterday, @propublica.org management said that they should have 100% discretion to replace workers with AI and would not commit to labeling future AI-generated content.
December 17, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Et tu, ProPublica?!
I'm extremely pleased to see that Sen. Warren and Rep. Garamendi have issued a letter to the DOE questioning the current plan for plutonium pit production. The letter draws on my @ucs.org report from earlier this year that proposes several alternatives that could reduce or eliminate the demand.
Warren, Garamendi Press Energy Secretary on Mismanagement and Taxpayer Waste in Plutonium Pit Production Program | U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts
The Official U.S. Senate website of Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts
www.warren.senate.gov
December 17, 2025 at 6:09 PM
I'm extremely pleased to see that Sen. Warren and Rep. Garamendi have issued a letter to the DOE questioning the current plan for plutonium pit production. The letter draws on my @ucs.org report from earlier this year that proposes several alternatives that could reduce or eliminate the demand.
Our talented Scoville fellow, Sean Manning is following the money behind US defense. He writes "It’s up to all Americans interested in a more peaceful world to question why we have a system of increasing investments and decreasing returns.." Please check out his first blog for @ucs.org:
The Exploding Scope of the Military-Industrial Complex
Members of both major political parties have begun to question ballooning defense expenditures, which have almost tripled since the 1990s.
blog.ucs.org
December 16, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Our talented Scoville fellow, Sean Manning is following the money behind US defense. He writes "It’s up to all Americans interested in a more peaceful world to question why we have a system of increasing investments and decreasing returns.." Please check out his first blog for @ucs.org:
“Nuclear arms offend our shared humanity and also betray the dignity of creation, whose harmony we are called to safeguard.” - Pope Leo XIV
Catholic bishops remind political leaders that nuclear weapons are immoral
Eighty years later, American Catholic bishops visited Japan to demand nuclear disarmament—and called for political leaders to do the same.
thebulletin.org
December 15, 2025 at 10:54 PM
“Nuclear arms offend our shared humanity and also betray the dignity of creation, whose harmony we are called to safeguard.” - Pope Leo XIV
Reposted by Dylan Spaulding
If you’d like coverage of the arms industry and endless war to not be funded by Boeing, that’s the newsroom we’re building at @inkstickmedia.com.
We’re in Newsmatch season for nonprofit outlets and any donation you make to us is doubled:
inkstick.substack.com/p/our-journa...
We’re in Newsmatch season for nonprofit outlets and any donation you make to us is doubled:
inkstick.substack.com/p/our-journa...
December 15, 2025 at 6:43 PM
If you’d like coverage of the arms industry and endless war to not be funded by Boeing, that’s the newsroom we’re building at @inkstickmedia.com.
We’re in Newsmatch season for nonprofit outlets and any donation you make to us is doubled:
inkstick.substack.com/p/our-journa...
We’re in Newsmatch season for nonprofit outlets and any donation you make to us is doubled:
inkstick.substack.com/p/our-journa...
This one hits close to home. This apparently took place in the building where I spent almost all of my undergrad. Its hard to imagine this in hallways one knows so well, but given the number of mass shootings in the US, how long until that's true for nearly everyone?
Live Updates: 2 Killed and Eight Others Shot at Brown University
www.nytimes.com
December 14, 2025 at 1:40 AM
This one hits close to home. This apparently took place in the building where I spent almost all of my undergrad. Its hard to imagine this in hallways one knows so well, but given the number of mass shootings in the US, how long until that's true for nearly everyone?
"The defense industry has consolidated from 51 major players in the early 1990s to five today: Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon), General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Boeing" and they are not delivering.
The same big 5 have made big promises for nuclear modernization (ahem, Sentinel...)
The same big 5 have made big promises for nuclear modernization (ahem, Sentinel...)
Opinion | America Can’t Make What the Military Needs
The U.S. defense industry has lost the ability to build quickly and effectively.
www.nytimes.com
December 12, 2025 at 3:20 AM
"The defense industry has consolidated from 51 major players in the early 1990s to five today: Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon), General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Boeing" and they are not delivering.
The same big 5 have made big promises for nuclear modernization (ahem, Sentinel...)
The same big 5 have made big promises for nuclear modernization (ahem, Sentinel...)
It’s just unreal that they had to ask the US to kindly not blow up the Nobel Peace Prize winner as she fled Venezuela. Also, her flight embodies my worst anxiety dreams in which I’m a hemisphere away from a really important engagement and running hopelessly late. The whole thing is beyond belief
When the winner of the Nobel peace prize smuggled herself over the water and out of Venezuela to attend the ceremony in Oslo this week, her allies called the Pentagon to ask them not to arbitrarily murder her. www.wsj.com/world/americ...
December 11, 2025 at 7:56 PM
It’s just unreal that they had to ask the US to kindly not blow up the Nobel Peace Prize winner as she fled Venezuela. Also, her flight embodies my worst anxiety dreams in which I’m a hemisphere away from a really important engagement and running hopelessly late. The whole thing is beyond belief
My colleague, @rrucs.bsky.social untangles China’s recent paper on nuclear posture and arms
control. Many interpret China’s buildup as a threatening change in tactic but, in fact, this report may be more of a mirror held to face of the US rather than a departure from previous thinking.
control. Many interpret China’s buildup as a threatening change in tactic but, in fact, this report may be more of a mirror held to face of the US rather than a departure from previous thinking.
How Should We Read China’s First White Paper on Arms Control in 20 Years?
China's government says it remains open to arms control, characterizing the expansion of its nuclear arsenal as consistent with a defensive military posture.
blog.ucs.org
December 11, 2025 at 4:57 PM
My colleague, @rrucs.bsky.social untangles China’s recent paper on nuclear posture and arms
control. Many interpret China’s buildup as a threatening change in tactic but, in fact, this report may be more of a mirror held to face of the US rather than a departure from previous thinking.
control. Many interpret China’s buildup as a threatening change in tactic but, in fact, this report may be more of a mirror held to face of the US rather than a departure from previous thinking.
Lavrov has made clear: "this proposal is our unilateral gesture of goodwill. For the U.S. to support our approach, no negotiations or consultations are necessary…. All that’s required is for Washington to simply state that it won’t increase the quantitative levels set by [New START] for one year”
Less than two months until New START expires and the Trump regime still hasn’t responded to Russia - so much for their supposed concern about the risk of nuclear war www.reuters.com/world/china/...
Russia says it awaits an answer from the US on New START as nuclear treaty ticks down
Russia on Wednesday said it was still awaiting a formal answer from Washington on President Vladimir Putin's proposal to jointly stick to the last remaining Russian-U.S. arms control treaty, which exp...
www.reuters.com
December 10, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Lavrov has made clear: "this proposal is our unilateral gesture of goodwill. For the U.S. to support our approach, no negotiations or consultations are necessary…. All that’s required is for Washington to simply state that it won’t increase the quantitative levels set by [New START] for one year”