Jackson du Pont

80 Years Ago, Nuclear Annihilation Came to Japan

No matter how many times I see these photos, there's just no inuring oneself to the terrible suffering of Hiroshima.

It's always worth connecting our work back to this reality—we carry the risks of this (+ much worse) every day

And dismissing that means embracing a festering analytical blindspot

Acton on the money here. It is deeply troubling that a spat over sanctions could escalate to "nuke threats by tweet" from Medvedev and Trump but there are likely no changes to US posture, force deployments, nor readiness. Nonetheless, this is still something we would all be better off without~

New on the CCS Bookshelf: Climate Change on the Battlefield - The Council on Strategic Risks CCS Director Erin Sikorsky releases new book, Climate Change on the Battlefield: International Military Responses to the Climate Crisis.

So lovely to be among such great company with my fellow Center for Climate and Security authors. If you haven't already, read the books in this post by @busbyj2.bsky.social and all the others who are apparently too cool to have @bsky.app accounts :)

@councilonstrategicrisks.org

“If you don't fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition ultimately." James Mattis

They fired the entire staff working on multilateral nuclear weapons issues connected to the NPT. Utterly disheartening and terribly dangerous.

Don't forget that foundational investments in the #NNSA's nonproliferation capabilities mean we have off-the-shelf tools for out-of-the-ordinary situations. With at least 400 kgs of enriched uranium in the wind, what would a regime collapse mean for global security? 1/5

You should follow my colleague @nicolegrajewski.bsky.social, who specializes in Iran and works with Farsi language sources.

The JCPOA was very good, actually.

Just going to point out that in just the last month we’ve seen the most intense, multi-modal warfare between two nuclear-armed states ever (India & Pakistan) and now possibly the largest-ever attack on nuclear-capable assets in a nuclear state (UA vs Ru, today).

The times they are a-changin’.

ALICE detects the conversion of lead into gold at the Large Hadron Collider In a paper published in Physical Review C, the ALICE collaboration reports measurements that quantify the transmutation of lead into gold in CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

Lab director: Hey so, you guys haven't been doing anything to piss off the gods, right?

Me: no

LD: nothing Forbidden.

Me: no!

LD: because I don't know how often you read the news lately,

Me: *nervous* haha yeah the Chicago Pope

LD: No? I mean the-

*13 solid gold pebbles fall out of my pocket*

They are taking our lunch money

If you are, like me, trying to follow whats happening between India and Pakistan, please look to @nktpnd.bsky.social and his expert analysis in this moment.

With the events occurring in South Asia, this is a full court press moment for the international community. Anyone with levers anywhere should be putting all they got into pulling back from the brink.

I'll just take this moment to point out that the US Institute of Peace, just a few weeks ago, contained one of the finest concentrations of US expertise on India and Pakistan, and crisis management in South Asia.

Context here is key, the "space" that both states have to operate with is razor-thin—and narrowing.

A thought on nuclear escalation as "signaling"

The idea comes up a lot: that Pakistan, say, will reach for a tactical nuclear weapon to demonstrate resolve / draw the final red line.

Look at this map. There's almost nowhere you could slip a 20kt blast without obliterating multiple towns.

So...

At prepcom and will try my best to find!

America Will Regret DOGE’s Cuts to Our Nuclear Security One potential target of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) should alarm Americans across the political spectrum: the CTR Program. Its comprehensive nuclear strategies have guided t...

"This historically bipartisan national security bulwark has quietly prevented nuclear, chemical, and biological weapon risks for three decades. Despite its hefty mission, this program costs the average American only around one dollar annually."

➡️ Jess Rogers on why cutting #CTR is reckless:

As an American, I send my heartfelt thanks to the President and people of Lithuania who dignified and honored our fallen. May we ourselves do better.

Trump Picks Golf Over Dead American Soldiers Because of course he did.

"I understand many of you aren’t familiar with dignified transfers and why what Trump has done here is so disgusting and unbecoming and insulting to the memories of these soldiers... so, I'll explain."

charlotteclymer.substack.com/p/trump-pick...

I disagree here Paul, in conversations with the European security community, I have repeated been told "We cannot trust you anymore." FWIW had not Vance given that speech in Munich, I think I would agree with your premise more. However, since then, its become painfully existential for many allies.

Call for Applications: International Mid-Career Biosecurity Fellowship (2025) - The Council on Strategic Risks CSR is pleased to announce this call for applications for our newest program, the International Mid-Career Biosecurity Fellowship, a month-long program to commence virtually mid-May and conclude with ...

📢 Applications open!

Join CSR's International Mid-Career #Biosecurity Fellowship: a month-long program for a cohort of experts across various professions to deepen understandings of biological risks—and discuss how to reduce these risks.

➡️ Learn more and apply online:

How to (Self-)Destroy a Hegemon in 6 Easy Steps:

1. Wreck academia + science infrastructure
2. Erect massive tariff barriers + supercharge econ inequality
3. Re-segregate your (very) diverse military
4. Destroy elements of soft power (e.g., USAID)
5. Dismantle your democracy
6. Nuke immigration

Civilization VII launches tonight! 🤓 It's exciting bc there's a new game mechanic where civilizations collapse periodically no matter what you do and there's a whole crisis thing. Imagine living through something like that???

The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.

This is beyond stunning
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Wired is showing again and again what is means to meet the moment.

Wired is dropping paywalls for FOIA-based reporting. Others should follow As the administration does its best to hide public records from the public, Wired magazine is stepping up to help stem the secrecy

They're called public records for a reason. Starting today, WIRED will *stop paywalling* articles that are primarily based on public records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, becoming the first publication to partner with @freedom.press to offer this for our new coverage.

For those who are not yet incensed: what is your tipping point? And how will you act then?

This is horrible to post, but I may as well post it. We are essentially shutting down research operations in my group, which is focused on treatments for pediatric brain cancer. I’m a well funded investigator, and there’s no choice. Science can’t function without the stability of NIH

A reminder that any senator voting for the House GOP's bill is also voting to slash $1 billion -- with a B -- from D.C.'s local budget.

This would gut $ for D.C. schools, police, EMS, trash collection. It wouldn't save the federal government any money, either. It's all local tax money.