TOP NEWS At U.N., Europeans urge North Korea to move toward giving up nuclear weapons, missile programs Reuters Expanding nuclear weapon production is reckless The Hill U.S. Nuclear Policy Dems raise fresh quid-pro-quo questions about Ukraine missile sale POLITICO10/8/19 Democrats pursuing an impeachment inquiry of President Trump want to take a fresh look at whether the sale of anti-tank missiles to Kiev last year was in any way connected to Ukraine’s decision to halt investigations into Trump’s campaign chairman. Russia and Europe At U.N., Europeans urge North Korea to move toward giving up nuclear weapons, missile programs Reuters10/8/19 The five European members of the United Nations Security Council urged North Korea on Tuesday “to take concrete steps” toward giving up its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. EDF Cost Overrun at French Plant Piles Pressure on Nuclear Giant Bloomberg10/9/19 Electricite de France SA said repairs of faulty welds at a nuclear plant under construction in western France will boost the project’s cost by 14% to 12.4 billion euros ($13.6 billion), adding further financial strain to the cash-strapped atomic power giant. Middle East Iran uses advanced centrifuges, threatens higher enrichment Associated Press10/7/19 Iran on Saturday said it now uses arrays of advanced centrifuges prohibited by its 2015 nuclear deal and can enrich uranium “much more beyond” current levels to weapons-grade material, taking a third step away from the accord while warning Europe has little time to offer it new terms. Opinion and Analysis Expanding nuclear weapon production is reckless The HillMarylia Kelley and Joseph Rodger 10/8/19 Plutonium pit production at such a large scale represents a major departure from our post-Cold War nuclear weapons policy. Trump is ignoring arms control. It’s a dangerous mistake. The Washington PostDavid Ignatius 10/8/19 If ever there were a moment for dialogue about how to avoid miscalculation with doomsday weapons, it’s now, argues Ignatius. Why U.S.-North Korea Talks Failed Again Council on Foreign RelationsScott A. Snyder 10/8/19 With the U.S. election a little more than a year away, North Korea hopes that mounting domestic political pressure will lead Trump to make a concession to secure a foreign policy victory for his campaign.