TOP NEWS Former Rep. Tauscher, arms negotiator and Wall Street ground-breaker, dies at 67 Politico United States nuclear forces, 2019 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Statement by the United States in General Debate Third Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons – Remarks by Dr. Christopher Ford US Nuclear News United States nuclear forces, 2019 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists4/29/2019 The Nuclear Notebook is researched and written by Hans M. Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project with the Federation of American Scientists, and Matt Korda, a research associate with the project. This issue’s column examines the US nuclear arsenal, which remained roughly unchanged in the last year, with the Department of Defense maintaining an estimated stockpile of nearly 3,800 warheads. Most of these warheads are not deployed; approximately 2,050 warheads are held in reserve and approximately 2,385 retired warheads are awaiting dismantlement, giving a total inventory of approximately 6,185 nuclear warheads. True Size of US Strategic Arsenal Uncovered Despite Pentagon Secrecy Sputnik5/1/2019 Earlier, the Department of Energy formally rejected a request for information on the size of the US nuclear weapons stockpile by the Federation of American Scientists, breaking with nearly a decade of practice. Commenting on the Pentagon’s decision last month not to release the total size of the US nuclear stockpile to the public, the researchers blasted the move as a reversal of the previous nuclear transparency policy and warned that the decision would “if not reversed, create uncertainty and mistrust about the size of the US nuclear arsenal”. Former Rep. Tauscher, arms negotiator and Wall Street ground-breaker, dies at 67 Politico4/30/2019 Former California Rep. Ellen O’Kane Tauscher — a centrist Democrat whose career took her from the New York Stock Exchange to Congress and then to negotiating major international nuclear arms treaties for the Obama administration — died Monday. As the only member of Congress with two national labs in her district — the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the California campus of Sandia National Laboratory — Tauscher chaired the Strategic Forces subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, responsible for oversight of the country’s nuclear weapons stockpile, missile defense program and the national labs. East Asia North Korea warns of ‘undesired consequences’ if no change in U.S. nuclear stance Reuters4/30/2019 North Korea’s vice foreign minister said on Tuesday the United States will face “undesired consequences” if it fails to present a new position in denuclearization talks by the end of the year, state media reported. Opinion/Analysis/Commentary Trump’s Arms Control Plan: Genius or Disingenuous? Breaking Defense – Theresa Hitchens4/30/2019 The Trump Administration’s plans for new nuclear arms reduction talks with Russia and China have elicited puzzlement, praise and condemnation from former administration nuclear officials and experts. Unblocking The North Korea Nuclear Impasse – Analysis Eurasia – Bennett Ramberg5/1/2019 The failure to move North Korea away from its nuclear stance through summitry has left the Trump administration scratching its head in search of options. The challenge is all the more daunting since Pyongyang did not respond positively to classic inducements for nuclear elimination, namely sanctions relief and political normalization. Given two prior failed applications embodied in the 1994 Agreed Framework and the subsequent Six Party Talks, the result is not surprising. A renaissance in disarmament: time for the third great charter of Paris? European Leadership Network – Dan Plesch4/29/2019 The 70th Anniversary of NATO has provided a good opportunity for reflection on grand strategy. Throughout the Alliance’s history the management of armed forces, especially nuclear arms, has been a core issue, not least the question of their retention or abolition. But against what span of history can we expect nuclear weapons to be possessed but not used? Another 70? Special Interest Statement by the United States in General Debate Third Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons – Remarks by Dr. Christopher Ford New York, NY4/29/2019 “Successful preparation for next year’s RevCon is important, because that anniversary will be an occasion for us to look back across the NPT’s existence and review progress in living up to the Treaty’s obligations and ideals, to take stock of the environment we face today, and to find better ways to work together to meet the challenges of the next 50 years.” Why is Westminster Abbey about to hold a bizarre thanksgiving for Britain’s nuclear weapons? The Independent5/1/2019 There is to be a ceremony at Westminster Abbey on 3 May in celebration of 50 years of submarine nuclear weaponry. Two hundred Anglican clerics have publicly condemned the service – in their view it should not go ahead because it is at odds with church policy to “work tirelessly” for a world free of nuclear weapons. This Week, NASA Is Pretending An Asteroid Is On Its Way To Smack The Earth NPR4/29/2019 Asteroid experts will have to make decisions about how to try to deflect the asteroid, whether by pushing it with spacecraft or maybe even by detonating a nuclear weapon.