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WHAT A BIDEN WIN MEANS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AND NUCLEAR ISSUES
Senior Policy Director Alexandra Bell writes on behalf of the Center''s affiliated political organization, Council for a Livable World, that there are four steps President-elect Joe Biden must take to reset the nuclear agenda: address the immediate crises with Russia, Iran and North Korea; build a stronger, more diverse team of experts; clearly communicate with the public and allies; and, finally, ignore the cynics who oppose diplomacy and cooperation. "There is no doubt that Biden will face a slew of arms control and nonproliferation challenges, but few presidents have been better prepared for the task," Bell writes. 

Meanwhile, Senior Fellow John Isaacs writes for the Council that there are many national security-related actions Biden can take without Congressional approval, including extending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia, reentering the Iran nuclear deal, establishing deterrence as the sole purpose of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, and canceling plans to develop needless new weapons.

TRUMP CONTINUES TO TRY TO CAUSE TROUBLE IN IRAN
The New York Times reports that on November 12, President Donald Trump asked about his options to strike Iran’s primary nuclear facility at Natanz. His few remaining advisors, Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a few others, dissuaded him on the grounds that it could spark a military confrontation in the waning days of his presidency. Still, the threat of conflict will remain until January 20, as the Trump administration also works to tie President-elect Biden''s hands on Iran via new sanctions. These bad-faith efforts will heighten concerns in Tehran that any nuclear deal can survive domestic U.S. politics.

However, in his most clear statement yet, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran would fully implement its obligations under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal if Biden lifts sanctions on Tehran. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported last week that Iran continued to accumulate low-enriched uranium but at a slightly lower rate than in previous terms. There remain IAEA queries about samples taken at the atomic warehouse in Tehran, but Iran continues to cooperate with IAEA investigations. Biden has made clear that he would return to the nuclear deal if Iran began to faithfully implement its obligations again. Here''s what Iran would need to do to return to compliance.

DEFENSE SPENDING NEGOTIATIONS UNDERWAY
Negotiations on a nearly $700 billion defense spending package are underway on Capitol Hill. Here''s a look at how the Senate Appropriations Committee hopes to allocate that money and here are select comparisons between the House and Senate authorization bills. The authorization and appropriations bills are separate but work in tandem to finalize annual defense spending.

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WHAT ELSE?
Lessons from the Roosevelt: A Call for Improving the U.S. Navy''s Preparedness for Biological Threats, co-authored by Gregory Koblentz

Nuclear Weapons Will Soon Be Banned Under International Law, with a quote from Alexandra Bell

Trump Should Act Against Russia''s Use of Chemical Weapons, co-authored by Gregory Koblentz

Friend, 

President-elect Joe Biden has started announcing his picks for Cabinet positions and we are very hopeful that these picks will bode well for our nation''s national security and America''s standing abroad.

Secretary of State: Antony Blinken has held many foreign policy leadership roles, including at the Department of State and on Capitol Hill. Diplomacy should be the leading edge of our efforts to keep this country safe and history indicates Tony understands that. I, and our organization, have worked with him over the years, and I trust that he can restore and rebuild a State Department badly damaged by the Trump administration.

National Security Advisor: Jake Sullivan served as Biden''s National Security Advisor when he was Vice President. He has also worked at the State Department and was the top foreign policy advisor to Secretary Hillary Clinton in her 2016 campaign for President. Jake''s policy acumen and sensible demeanor will be an asset in the White House.

Director of National Intelligence: Avril Haines would be the first woman to potentially hold this position. Avril served as the White House Deputy National Security Advisor and Director of the CIA under President Barack Obama. She is widely respected and will help restore faith in the intelligence community.

Ambassador to the United Nations: Linda Thomas-Greenfield has more than three decades of experience with the foreign service, including as Ambassador to Liberia and Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs under President Obama. Linda understands peacekeeping first-hand and will work to spread the message of diplomacy to all U.S. allies worldwide.

Special Presidential Envoy for Climate: In a clear signal that the new administration will make climate change a major priority, Biden has selected former Secretary of State John Kerry for the new position, serving on the National Security Council. We are confident that the United States will now return to the Paris climate agreement.

As we await further announcements, I am both relieved and excited to see the return of intelligent and competent national security leaders to our government. They all bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, and, more importantly, all share our vision for a safer, more secure world.

It is clear that Biden is putting together a team that can restore America''s reputation abroad, reduce nuclear threats, and reshape how we think about national security. We will continue working to be a resource both on Capitol Hill and for this new administration, answering questions and providing our analysis on the many pressing issues they''ll face.

As always, we appreciate any support you feel able to provide to help us continue our work.

Thank you for all you''ve done and continue to do to build a safer world.

Sincerely,

John Tierney
Executive Director
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Member of Congress 1997–2015
 

A NOTE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOHN TIERNEY

Friend,

I hope you and your loved ones are safe and well and finding comfort in these uncertain times. At the Center, we are all working from our respective homes as much as possible, for which we are incredibly thankful. We know that with obvious public health and family concerns paramount, nuclear weapons policy might not be your top priority right now. Still, policy and budgets continue to be debated on and voted on by Congress, and thus we endeavor to continue doing our work as well as we can and sharing it with you when appropriate.

Our meetings with Congressional staff and Members of Congress continue via telephone and video conferences. My policy team is still hard at work ensuring that as and when Congress is ready to address issues of national security and defense spending, they know where to turn for the best analysis and advice. My communications team is still engaging on social media, talking to reporters, working on our new website, and sharing news and analysis about nuclear weapons policy. Our work hasn''t changed, even though how and where we are doing it has.

While the immediate future and our full return to the office are uncertain for now, I know the people of this country will weather this storm, just as we''ve done so many times before. In the meantime, the Center will keep fighting for a smarter, more principled national security framework. Stay safe.

Sincerely,

John Tierney
Executive Director
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Member of Congress 1997-2015
 

$740 BILLION DEFENSE BUDGET UPDATE 
According to recent reporting, Congress still plans to move forward on the Trump Administration''s massive $740 billion defense bill this spring. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that standard hearings and discussion will take place, potentially limiting oversight on one of the largest defense spending bills in history. When we are on the verge of an economic crisis, wasteful defense spending is unacceptable and downright dangerous. Rest assured that we will not let up for one moment. We will continue to make the case to Congress that we can keep this country safe at lower costs. You can learn more about the President''s defense budget request in our briefing book and review of its nuclear-specific requests. 

NEW START EXPIRATION NEARS
The Trump administration is still dragging its feet on plans to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia before it expires Feb. 5, 2021. This treaty has brought the United States and Russia down to the lowest level of deployed nuclear warheads since the 1950s, and continues to provide critical and unprecedented transparency into each other''s nuclear arsenals. Without the treaty, we could be facing a new nuclear arms race.

NORTH KOREA TESTS MORE MISSILES
As if the world wasn''t dealing with enough challenges, North Korea tested two short-range ballistic missiles last week, and two more this weekend, marking the fourth round of tests this month. This is an alarming reminder that Pyongyang is continuing to advance its nuclear and missile programs, while the Trump administration has shown no resolve in moving negotiations forward. The Center will continue to work with Congress to make clear that there is no military solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis.

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: PLANNING FOR NUCLEAR WAR
Since the beginning of the nuclear age, there have been hundreds of serious and well-drilled plans about how the United States would use nuclear weapons in war, with the express purpose of winning. But how is winning defined? The latest episode of our Nukes of Hazard podcast features an interview with author Fred Kaplan discussing his new book, The Bomb: Presidents, Generals and the Secret History of Nuclear War. Listen online now or via iTunes, Google Play or Stitcher.

STAFF PROFILE: MEET ALEXANDRA BELL, SENIOR POLICY DIRECTOR
Senior Policy Director Alexandra Bell, a native of Tuxedo, North Carolina, has traveled all over the world between her service in the Peace Corps and her work at the State Department. But what is on her travel bucket list? Who would she invite to her dream dinner party? Find out!

WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE!
The Center has a new website! It''s now even easier to dive deeper into policy issues like No First Use and missile defense from your computer or mobile device. Right now, we''re building up content on our country profile pages, like this new page on France''s nuclear arsenal and policies.

NATIONAL SECURITY IN THE AGE OF PANDEMICS
Greg Koblentz, a member of the Scientists Working Group on Biological and Chemical Security, co-wrote in Defense One that the government hasn''t treated pandemic threats with the same sense of urgency and focus that it has spent on great power competition with Russia and China. Also important, as Policy Intern James Loftis writes, is that rampant mistrust in the wake of the pandemic underscores the need for accountability and transparency in biodefense programs and the biotech industry.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION STOPS JUST SHORT OF ACCUSING CHINA, IRAN, RUSSIA OF TREATY VIOLATIONS
In the executive summary of its delayed, Congressionally mandated report on compliance with arms control treaties worldwide, the State Department has included new language expressing concern that China, Iran and Russia have been in violation of the Biological Weapons Convention. It also makes several new assessments about compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention. Contrary to some initial news reports, the document does not conclude that China conducted any nuclear testing in 2019, but the full report will need to clarify the summary''s language about testing concerns. The summary also states the report concluded that Russia has been in compliance with the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which is set to expire in February, but can and should be extended into 2026. Finally, the summary alleges that Iran continues to violate the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Senior Policy Director Alexandra Bell, a former State Department senior advisor, explains that the report is intented for facts, not conjecture. "The problem with inserting all these concerns rather than sticking to hard and fast assessments of legal compliance is that you''re taking this away from being a very cut-and-dry document...and turning it into more of a political document."

CLOCK MIGHT BE TICKING ON OPEN SKIES TREATY
The Trump administration seems intent to pull out of the 28-year-old Open Skies Treaty, which allows for planned reconnaissance flights over other countries'' territories between each of the 34 parties. The United States gains concrete security benefits from the agreement. It is also hugely popular with U.S. allies. Bell told The Guardian that the administration "has yet to put forward any proposals on how to fix the two main issues that we''re having with the treaty."

WE CAN''T FORGET ABOUT NORTH KOREA
Unsubstantiated claims have circulated for the past few days that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is gravely ill. We don''t know if that''s true or not. But we do know that North Korea is continuing to advance its nuclear weapons and missile technologies, as Bell told NK News, and socially distant nuclear negotiations need to resume, she wrote in The National Interest.

HOW THE SENATE CAN STRENGTHEN NUCLEAR-WEAPON-FREE ZONES
The United States doesn''t need to reserve the right to nuke Australia or Togo. Our new one-minute video explains how the U.S. Senate can make that U.S. policy. See also our new pages on the nuclear arsenals of Israel, the United Kingdom and China. 

WOMEN HAVE PROTESTED NUCLEAR WEAPONS THROUGHOUT HISTORY
For generations, American women have fostered public support in an effort to reduce nuclear threats and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons, writes Policy Intern Isabel Martinez. Indeed, it was American women who started a national movement that eventually helped push governments to create the first major arms control treaty of the nuclear age.

STAFF PROFILE: MEET RESEARCH ANALYST SAMUEL HICKEY
Research Analyst Samuel Hickey, a Chapel Hill, North Carolina, native, is one of our newest staff members. He studied international relations and physics in college, and was inspired to join the nuclear policy field while watching the Iran nuclear deal negotiations unfold when he was in college. Learn more

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1. Visit smile.amazon.com
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3. Go to the "Select a Charity" menu and search for Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, then select it.
4. Start shopping! Amazon will donate .5% of your purchases to the Center, at no cost to you.

UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO ESCALATE SITUATION WITH IRAN
On Saturday, September 19 at 8 p.m. EST, the United States declared a successful snapback of all UN Security Council resolutions on Iran and two days later threatened to sanction any country that deviated from its world view. This exceptional claim comes in anticipation of the scheduled expiration of a UN arms embargo in October that the United States argues "will now be re-imposed indefinitely." Within hours, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council that he would not take any action because "there would appear to be uncertainty" on the issue. Enforcement of the arms embargo may be challenged by a small Russian or Chinese firm in protest, but most countries will likely go into a holding pattern before the November election.

PENTAGON BUDGET BATTLE WON''T END BEFORE ELECTION
The House and Senate will have to find common ground on several issues when negotiating the final version of the $740.5 billion defense bill. There are myriad policy differences between the two versions of the bill, including funding for explosive nuclear weapons testing, support for continued arms control, and required reports on various countries'' nuclear programs. The final bill is unlikely before late November or December. 

NEW PODCAST EPISODE: THE PRESIDENT AND THE NUCLEAR BUTTON
With the 2020 presidential election looming large, it’s a good time to take a look at the absolute power the President of the United States has over U.S. nuclear weapons. In the latest Nukes of Hazard episode, Policy Analyst and Host Geoff Wilson sat down with Dr. Alex Wellerstein, a historian of science at the Stevens Institute of Technology, to discuss the history of presidential launch authority, how our nuclear launch system actually works, and what steps we could take to make it more democratic. Listen now or subscribe to Nukes of Hazard wherever you get your podcasts. 

YOUR CHANGE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
We know times are hard for many people right now, but if you are able, please consider using the Center''s new fundraising feature that allows you to donate to us your spare change from purchases made with your credit or debit card. You can set a monthly limit for the amount of change you''d like to donate so you never exceed your comfort level. You can also simply make a one-time donation or set up a monthly donation. Your generosity enables us to continue our work of educating Members of Congress, the media and the public about critical nuclear weapons and national security issues so they can act to prevent and eventually eliminate nuclear threats.

WHAT ELSE?
India, China, Pakistan: Three nuclear powers hurtling towards the boiling point, writes Program Coordinator Abby Pokraka. 

2020 Election Could Decide Whether US Pursues Nuclear Escalation or Arms Control, featuring Senior Policy Director Alexandra Bell.

How Putin Borrowed a Page From Assad''s Chemical Weapon Playbook, writes Gregory Koblentz, a member of the Center''s Scientists Working Group on Biological and Chemical Weapons Control.

How the Arms Trade Treaty has influenced the US-China diplomatic chessboard, write Research Analyst Samuel Hickey and former intern Jessica Budlong.

LINK BETWEEN NUCLEAR TESTING AND NEW START AGREEMENT
News broke last month that in a meeting, senior national security officials discussed conducting an explosive nuclear test at a site in Nevada for the first time since 1992. The test would reportedly be a political move to persuade China to join arms control negotiations with the United States and Russia. The Trump Administration has long made clear its desire to create a new trilateral arms control agreement that would replace the bilateral New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the United States and Russia, which is set to expire in February if not extended.

Senior Policy Director and former State Department official Alexandra Bell spoke with The Christian Science Monitor extensively about what happens if the United States and Russia let arms control lapse. America''s NATO allies and partners have been clear, as the Center''s new infographic shows: they want New START extended. You can click on the image below to go to a web page listing each country''s thoughts on New START extension.

As a reminder, while conducting arms control discussions with China and all nuclear powers is a good idea for reducing the global nuclear stockpile and lowering nuclear risks, the United States and Russia have 90% of the world''s nuclear weapons. We cannot afford to gamble with an existing treaty in hopes of getting a better one. Talks between the United States and Russia are scheduled to take place on Monday; China has been invited but it is unclear whether they will attend. 

Meanwhile, conducting an explosive nuclear test is a dangerous and unnecessary idea, but that hasn''t stopped a Senate panel from approving $10 million to prepare for testing "if necessary." Bell told The Santa Fe New Mexican that renewed U.S. testing would likely lead to a testing race. The Salt Lake Tribune quotes Executive Director John Tierney: "It is beyond reckless to provoke a possible widespread return to explosive testing simply to make a political point. No one doubts the nuclear supremacy of the United States — least of all China."  Watch our new 59-second video to learn more, and be sure to share it on Facebook and Twitter.

RELATIONSHIP WITH IRAN LEAVES UNITED STATES INCREASINGLY ISOLATED
On May 27, the Trump Administration announced that it would block efforts by Russia, China and others to continue implementation of the Iran nuclear deal. The administration is essentially daring Iran to work toward nuclear weapons capability, writes Research Analyst Samuel Hickey. This week, European allies said they do not support the Trump Administration''s efforts to collapse the nuclear deal, leaving the United States increasingly isolated on the international stage.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, the International Atomic Energy Agency issued new reports on Iran''s nuclear program and nuclear deal compliance. As Hickey explains, while the nuclear deal had successfully blocked Iran''s path to a nuclear weapon, now two years since the United States'' withdrawal, Iran is clearly breaching the deal. Now, Iran''s "breakout time" — the time needed to accumulate enough materials for one nuclear weapon — has gone from the 12 months achieved under the Iran deal to now, less than four months.

WITHDRAWING FROM OPEN SKIES TREATY HURTS UNITED STATES AND ALLIES
The Trump Administration''s announcement last month that it would withdraw from the 34-country Open Skies Treaty that allows for mutually agreed-upon surveillance overflights proves it is "in the business of devaluing alliances and proving that America First is America alone," Bell told The Nation. The United States takes far more advantage of this treaty than Russia, overflying Russia three times more than Russia overflies the United States. As Bell co-wrote in an op-ed in Responsible Statecraft, this treaty has for decades helped prevent miscalculations and misunderstandings that could have led to conflict. She spoke about this treaty withdrawal, the New START treaty, and other nuclear weapons issues on Australia''s Planet America.

WHAT ELSE?
''Sea change:'' Advanced reactors spur look at recycling waste: Hickey tells E&E News about the proliferation concerns inherent in fuel reprocessing policy conversations.
U.S. seeks to base missiles in the Pacific. Some allies say no.: Bell told The Los Angeles Times that it''s "naive and dangerous" to discuss deploying missiles in the Pacific.

PENTAGON BUDGET BATTLE RAGES ON CAPITOL HILL
The House and Senate are in the process of considering the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), making plans for how to spend roughly $740 billion of your dollars. In the House version of the NDAA, a variety of amendments will be considered, including those that would:

• Prohibit funding for new explosive nuclear tests
• Reduce overall defense spending by 10% (excluding military personnel and defense health program account)
• Establish a policy framework for U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to conclude consideration of its version of the NDAA this week and it is still unclear whether any amendments will be considered. President Trump has already threatened to veto the bill over provisions that would mandate changing the names of U.S. military bases named after Confederate generals.

WHITE HOUSE PULLS BACK FROM DISCUSSION TO TEST NUCLEAR WEAPONS, FOR NOW
After reports that top Presidential advisors discussed conducting the first explosive nuclear weapons test since 1992 came out in May, the White House has now said that it doesn''t plan to conduct an explosive nuclear test "at this time." This shouldn''t be a political issue: 72% of Americans oppose conducting a nuclear test. Further, if the United States conducts a nuclear test, it would almost certainly prompt a cascade of nuclear tests around the world.

IRAN''S NUCLEAR FACILITIES SEE MULTIPLE FIRES, IRAN BACKED FURTHER INTO CORNER
Over the past few weeks, a series of fires and explosions have popped up across Iran with little to no explanation. The sites range from hard military targets like Khojir missile production complex to softer targets like industrial infrastructure. Some attacks appear more sophisticated, specifically the explosion at the Natanz warehouse, which held advanced centrifuges. However, this incident did not affect Iran’s breakout time to a nuclear weapon, which is still estimated to be 2-4 months, a vast reduction since the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal.

Some have posited that Israel may be behind these attacks. Low-level cyber warfare between the two rivals can be traced back to April when Iran attacked an Israeli water system, which threatened to increase the chlorine content to poisonous levels. However, this string of fires and explosions puts Iran on the horns of a dilemma. Either Iran does not respond, and the campaign continues, threatening more loss of lives and empowering its adversaries to sabotage more facilities. Or Iran responds, risking the complete collapse of the Iran nuclear deal and a military confrontation with Israel and the United States just weeks before a UN arms embargo on Iran is set to be lifted.

HOW YOU CAN HONOR NUCLEAR SURVIVORS
The Center is proud to join with other organizations coming together to honor the victims of 75 years of nuclear weapons production, testing, maintenance and use. On August 6 and 9, dozens of artists, speakers, activists and others who feel called to end nuclear threats will host a virtual event. Check out the website to learn more about the national event and smaller local events nationwide, read stories from nuclear survivors and learn about actions you can take to help reduce nuclear threats. The national event schedule is almost finalized, and the Council will be sending out more information as the event gets closer.

FOUNDER SOUGHT TO RID WORLD OF WEAPONS HE HELPED CREATE
Did you know that Leo Szilard, the founder of the Center''s political-action sister organization, Council for a Livable World, was a Manhattan Project nuclear physicist whose work led to the creation of the bomb? On July 17, 1945, the day after the first nuclear test, Szilard drafted a petition signed by 70 scientists urging President Harry Truman not to use the bomb to end the war in Japan without warning Japan first. That petition never made it to the President, who would drop bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki three weeks later. Szilard spent the rest of his life trying to convince the world about the dangers of nuclear weapons, and founded the Council in 1962. The Center separated from the Council in 1980 as a 501(c)(3) non-political, non-profit research organization. We are proud to carry on Szilard''s legacy today.

WHAT ELSE?
MY VIEW: Reflecting on Cape Cod''s Cold War nuclear history, writes Program Coordinator Abby Pokraka in her hometown newspaper.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula underscore the need for new negotiations, writes Policy Intern Zach Glass.

Nuclear testing: Just say no, writes Program Coordinator Abby Pokraka.

REPORTS: TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DISCUSSED CONDUCTING EXPLOSIVE NUCLEAR TESTS
News broke Friday night in The Washington Post that in a meeting last week, senior national security officials discussed conducting an explosive nuclear test for the first time since 1992. The test would reportedly be a political move to persuade China to join arms control negotiations with the United States and Russia. In a statement, Executive Director John Tierney said the reports are "nothing short of appalling."

"It is beyond reckless to provoke a possible widespread return to explosive testing simply to make a political point. No one doubts the nuclear supremacy of the United States — least of all China, whose nuclear arsenal remains roughly 1/20 the size of the U.S. arsenal. The United States is the most powerful country in the world and it does not need to bluff or bully countries to the negotiating table. Nuclear brinkmanship is not a game; nuclear weapons are not toys; and the Americans who live near or downwind of the Nevada National Security Site are not pawns to be blasted across a radioactive chess board."

Our experts warned two years ago that this might happen, writing in War on the Rocks that two Trump administration documents suggest it is "laying the groundwork to resume explosive nuclear testing at its discretion." The consequences would be vast, including environmental and health risks, the abdication of an international norm, and likely a new international testing race. The test would also provide no benefits to the United States — as Senior Policy Director Alexandra Bell explained to AM 740 KTRH in Houston, simulated explosions provide data that render explosive tests unnecessary.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PULLING OUT OF OPEN SKIES TREATY
On Thursday, the Trump administration announced it would withdraw from the 1992 Open Skies Treaty, which allows the 34 participating countries, including the United States and Russia, to conduct mutually agreed-upon military surveillance flights over other participating countries. Bell explained to The Washington Post, the Associated Press, NBC, Newsweek and others, that while the treaty had certain compliance issues, it has helped prevent miscalculations and misunderstandings that could have otherwise led to conflict, and withdrawing simply has no benefits to the United States.

Executive Director Tierney called the move reckless and said the president should reverse the decision. That is likely the only way to save U.S. participation in the treaty — a potential future president who wishes to re-enter the treaty would need 67 votes in the Senate, which, unfortunately, is unlikely.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DELAYS DECISION ON NEW START EXTENSION
The Trump administration said Thursday that it has begun talks with Russia about a trilateral nuclear arms control treaty to include China. Ostensibly, this would replace the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which has successfully limited the number of deployed and strategic nuclear warheads in the world''s two biggest nuclear arsenals for a decade. If not extended, the treaty expires February 5, 2021. As Bell told U.S. News & World Report, New START is "a life preserver, allowing us to have real-time insights into each other''s strategic arsenals. It''s an absolutely reckless thing to gamble away in the hopes of creating something larger."

WHAT THE CORONAVIRUS CAN TEACH US ABOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS
The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the ways the United States has mismanaged its national security priorities, Bell told Responsible Statecraft. "The real problems we''ve faced over the last decade have been natural disaster related to climate change and economic upheaval. It''s been attacks on democracy and the rise of populism, it''s been pandemics. Nothing in the nuclear budget is helping any of those problems...I hope that people see a $750 billion defense budget did nothing to stop the spread of this deadly virus across the country." 

A WORTHLESS WITHDRAWAL: TWO YEARS POST-IRAN DEAL ABANDONMENT, WHERE ARE WE?
May 8 marked two years since the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran nuclear deal. Research Analyst Samuel Hickey writes that since then, the Trump administration has re-imposed crippling sanctions on Iran, bullied our allies, and wasted valuable time trying to further destroy the Iran deal instead of trying to address its concerns. Now, the United States is frantically trying to stop a United Nations arms embargo linked to the deal from being lifted. 

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE 75TH YEAR OF THE NUCLEAR AGE
The Catholic church has long spoken out against the existence and use of nuclear weapons, but recently has become more active, including by creating an office to address the intersections between nuclear weapons, poverty, the environment and migration, writes Policy Intern Isabel Martinez.