Top News: Secret documents show how North Korea launders money through U.S. banks CNBC Biden would push for less U.S. reliance on nukes for defense Associated Press Russia says chances of extending New START nuclear treaty are minimal Reuters United States Biden would push for less U.S. reliance on nukes for defense Associated Press9/19/20 Democrat Joe Biden leaves little doubt that if elected he would try to scale back President Donald Trump’s buildup in nuclear weapons spending. And although the former vice president has not fully detailed his nuclear priorities, he says he would make the U.S. less reliant on the world’s deadliest weapons. NNSA Administrator Lisa Gordon Hagerty to represent U.S. at International Atomic Energy Agency general conference Los Alamos Daily Post9/18/20 NNSA Administrator and Under Secretary for Nuclear Security of the U.S. Department of Energy Lisa E. Gordon Hagerty will travel next week to Vienna, Austria to represent the United States at the 64th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). OPINION: Sole purpose: A policy without a purpose Real Clear DefenseFranklin Miller 9/19/20 Sadly, with a “Sole Purpose” clause having been included in the Democratic Party platform, there is a risk this will become a partisan political issue. East Asia China Air Force video appears to show simulated attack on U.S. base on Guam US News9/21/20 China’s air force has released a video showing nuclear-capable H-6 bombers carrying out a simulated attack on what appears to be Andersen Air Force Base on the U.S. Pacific island of Guam, as regional tensions rise. Secret documents show how North Korea launders money through U.S. banks CNBC9/20/20 The documents cover a period mainly from 2008 to 2017, during which both the Obama and Trump administrations steadily tightened sanctions against North Korea to try to prevent the regime from building up its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile arsenal. Middle East U.S. to slap sanctions on over two dozen targets tied to Iran arms Reuters9/20/20 The United States on Monday will sanction more than two dozen people and entities involved in Iran’s nuclear, missile and conventional arms programs, a senior U.S. official said, putting teeth behind U.N. sanctions on Tehran that Washington argues have resumed despite the opposition of allies and adversaries. Trump administration to impose sweeping sanctions tied to Iran’s weapons programs CNBC9/20/20 As early as Monday, the United States could sanction more than two dozen people and entities involved in Iran’s nuclear, ballistic missile and conventional arms programs, a senior U.S. official told Reuters. Nuclear deal with world powers worth preserving ABC9/21/20 The head of Iran’s nuclear agency says the landmark 2015 deal between Tehran and world powers on his country’s atomic program is struggling since the unilateral American withdrawal, but is still worth preserving. Russia and Europe Russia says chances of extending New START nuclear treaty are minimal Reuters9/21/20 Russia sees the chances of the United States and Russia agreeing to extend the New START nuclear arms control treaty as “minimal”, the RIA news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Monday. ANALYSIS: In search of a clear-eyed U.S. strategy on Russia The StrategistMatthew Sussex 9/21/20 An open letter signed by 103 experts recently called for the US to re-embrace its Cold War strategy for dealing with Russia. Multilateral Arms Control Former world leaders urge ratification of nuclear arms ban treaty New York Times9/20/20 Fifty-six former prime ministers, presidents, foreign ministers and defense ministers from 20 NATO countries, plus Japan and South Korea, released an open letter Sunday imploring their current leaders to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the pact negotiated in 2017 that is now just six ratifications shy of the 50 needed to take effect.