Dr. Tara Drozdenko

A black-and-white photo shows a technician standing beside a large spherical metal object being assembled in a lab, representing a nuclear weapon core. Overlaid text reads: "The US plans to spend $38 billion on new explosive cores for nuclear weapons." The logo of the Union of Concerned Scientists appears in the bottom left corner. Photo credit: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons.

As the US prepares to spend as much as $38 billion to produce hundreds of new explosive cores, called plutonium pits, to arm new nuclear weapons, our new analysis argues new pits aren’t necessary to maintain the existing US nuclear arsenal.

Read our report: act.ucsusa.org/4kZ4X9p

YouTube video by Union of Concerned Scientists You Need Science. Now Science Needs You.

The last 100 days have been an unprecedented assault on American science. Our scientists. Our institutions. And the people around the world who rely on it. We must stand united and speak up. Our collective future depends on it. #ScienceMatters www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPlu... savesciencenow.org

Not sure why this took years to publish but I am happy it finally saw the light of day. My contribution makes the case against extending US nuclear deterrence guarantees to cover first use in a conventional war with China over Taiwan.

YouTube video by KBLA 1580 Tavis Smiley LIVE 10am

My colleague Dr. Chanese Forté appeared on the Travis Smiley show discussing her work on the impacts of nuclear weapons production, testing & development all too easily lead to exposure to harmful radiation, which happens all to often to indigenous communities. Listen here: youtu.be/zH3DWGv2D9s?...

Justice for Downwinder Communities in Washington The Hanford nuclear site closed decades ago, but community members are still waiting for recognition of its costs to their health.

We have some great work being done here @ucsusa.bsky.social by Kendall Fellow @lmcclure.bsky.social (now faculty at UNC). Check out her work on community engaged research around the Hanford Facility, which remains one of the most contaminated and complex legacies of US nuclear weapons production.

Air Force weighs keeping 1970s-era missiles until 2050 Current plan is to remove all 400 Minuteman III ICBMs made by Boeing from silos by 2039

"Shocking" (not) news of the day: the US Air Force, after completely mismanaging a massive, unneeded effort to build high-priced, destabilizing, vulnerable land-based, nuclear-armed missiles, is looking to extend the life of the ones they already have until 2050: gulfnews.com/world/americ...

Why Federal Radiation Regulations Can No Longer Ignore Women and Girls UCS interviewed the co-authors of a UN report on how certain groups are harmed by radiation more than others.

Important new piece from my colleague Dr. Chanese Forté, who interviews Dr. Amanda Nichols & Mary Olson on why federal radiation regulations can no longer ignore women & girls. TL/DR: Women & girls are more radiosensitive - more likely to face harm from radiation: blog.ucsusa.org/chanese-fort...

🚨The Trump administration has illegally seized power not granted to it by the US Constitution and is actively disregarding the rule of law.

ComputationLock Welcome to opm.gov

I thought there was still a pension component with FERS. www.opm.gov/retirement-c...

I am wondering what happens to retired government employee pensions if millions of government workers are laid off and are no longer paying into the pension system? Anybody know?

Democratic US lawmakers ask Energy Department about any DOGE access to nuclear data Two U.S. Democratic lawmakers pressed the secretary of energy on Wednesday whether members of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency have access to classified information on nuclear weapons, saying nuclear secrets need to be tightly safeguarded.

Will the DOGE, which is willy-nilly ignoring laws, regulations, guidelines, codes and any other normal procedure, gain access to US nuclear weapons secrets? Two members of Congress wrote to the Department of Energy, responsible for the nuclear stockpile, appropriately worried about the possibility.

Share Your Experiences at Los Alamos National Laboratory The New York Times would like to hear from you about workplace protocols and safety measures at LANL.

THRILLED to see the Times supporting @aliciaguzman.bsky.social's great reporting in New Mexico.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/u...

Critics at hearing speak out against expansion plan, pit production at LANL A public hearing Tuesday in Santa Fe is one of several opportunities for people to weigh in on a draft environmental assessment.

Yesterday the NNSA held a hearing on the future of Los Alamos National Lab, where the government plans to resume bulk production of plutonium pits for use in new nuclear weapons for the 1st time since the end of the Cold War. The hearing got a little rowdy: www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_n...

🚨 The Trump administration is attempting to seize power beyond what the Constitution allows—giving Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire, unchecked influence.

As a federal scientist, expert, or civil servant, you have rights. Don’t let them bully you.

These resources can help: act.ucsusa.org/4hqSJoz

YouTube video by Union of Concerned Scientists Space-based Missile Defense: Not a Good Idea

If you're thinking Trump's space-based missile defense proposal is a good idea, think again. youtu.be/fEkXTV69yo4?...

China is Willing to Negotiate on Nuclear Arms, But Not on Trump’s Terms Here are four steps that might bring Beijing to the table.

If President Trump is serious about negotiating with China on nuclear arms control, @gkucs.bsky.social has some advice to bring China to the negotiating table:

Today the Senate Armed Services Committee held a quite disturbing confirmation hearing on the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be secretary of defense. Hegseth refused to meet with Democratic senators on the committee before the hearing, a breach of long-held protocol, but is sadly not surprising.

There's still time to apply for the Science for Public Good Fund! We're looking to fund projects that aim to advance equitable, science-based policy and/or emphasize local and community impacts. Applications are open now through January 6.

➡️Apply here: act.ucsusa.org/41DXmXm

We Need to Prevent a New Era of Nuclear Weapons Testing The second Trump administration is likely to resume explosive nuclear weapons tests, but they are unnecessary and can have dire consequences that last for generations.

Under Trump, the US may return to full-scale explosive testing of nuclear weapons. It would be a lose-lose-lose for the US, the budding nuclear arms race, and humanity itself. My colleague Jenn Knox explains exactly why here: blog.ucsusa.org/jknox/we-nee...

Why the World Needs a New UN Study on the Effects of Nuclear War It has been 36 years since the UN last studied the effects of nuclear war. Given changes in our world and our scientific abilities, it is time for the UN to update these findings and fill in important...

My colleague @lauraegrego.bsky.social has this insightful piece in support of a proposed new UN study on the effects of nuclear war. It has been 36 years since the last such study, and the science has improved. The US should vote in favor and ask it allies to as well. blog.ucsusa.org/lgrego/why-t...

An Activist's Guide to Radiation and Human Health Essential readings for understanding the world of radiation, radioactive materials, and the threats they pose to human health

What is radiation? Where does it come from? What are the health impacts of radiation exposure? Check out UCS’s activist guide for understanding radiation, radioactive materials, and the threats they pose to human health.

After the Election, Congress Must Help Victims of Radiation Exposure by Passing RECA House Speaker Mike Johnson appears to be standing in the way of a desire among members of his own party to pass amendments to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which have already been passed by...

My colleague Lilly Adams explains how House Speaker Mike Johnson is opposing a clear majority of Congress, including many Republicans, who want to expand & extend benefits to the many people in the US harmed by US efforts to develop, test & produce nuclear weapons. blog.ucsusa.org/lilly-adams/...

Nobel Peace Prize Highlights Current-Day Risks of Nuclear Weapons The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing survivors, for working towards international nuclear disarmament

UCS statement on the inspiring news that Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing survivors, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, from my @ucsusa.bsky.social colleague @gkucs.bsky.social. A thoughtful call by the Nobel committee
www.ucsusa.org/about/news/n...

An Activist's Guide to Radiation and Human Health Essential readings for understanding the world of radiation, radioactive materials, and the threats they pose to human health

My amazing @ucsusa.bsky.social colleague @drchanese.bsky.social published an incredibly helpful set of guides and a glossary to provide an introduction to radiation and its health impacts. It starts with An Activist's Guide to Radiation and Human Health: www.ucsusa.org/resources/ac...

The Energy Department just made one plutonium pit. Making more is uncertain The Energy Department says it is closing in on mass producing warhead-ready plutonium pits—the explosive core of nuclear weapons. But a federal court ruling suggests otherwise.

My colleague @dkspaulding.bsky.social has this excellent piece in @bulletinatomic.bsky.social on the NNSA's first new "diamond-stamped" plutonium pit in a decade and the court decision that NNSA must do a full environmental assessment of its pit production plans: thebulletin.org/2024/10/the-...

First Plutonium Pit For Nuclear Warhead Produced In The U.S. In 35 Years Is Now "Weapon-Ready" Production of plutonium pits is one step in a long process to produce the new W87-1 thermonuclear warhead for the future Sentinel ICBM.

My colleague @dkspaulding.bsky.social as well as @nukestrat.bsky.social cast some very reasonable doubt about the feasibility of the NNSA's plan to produce in bulk new plutonium pits, following the agency's announcement of the first new pit in over 10 years: www.twz.com/nuclear/firs...

A new court decision will require NNSA to finally consider the cumulative environmental and health impacts of their biggest efforts since the Manhattan Project: plutonium pit production. NNSA skirted the rules and now they are being held accountable - this is a victory for transparency. (1/2)

NNSA completes and diamond-stamps first plutonium pit for W87-1 warhead NNSA verified completion of the First Production Unit (FPU) of a plutonium pit for the W87-1 Modification Program. A plutonium pit is a necessary component in America’s nuclear warheads.

NNSA announced production of the first warhead-ready plutonium pit. A milestone? Yes, it's the first important step in a long process, but meeting the dangerous and unnecessary goal of 80 pits/year by 2030 is still unattainable - this doesn't change that.