Nuclear Weapons

The threat of nuclear confrontation is growing. But even unused, nuclear weapons have a destructive impact. Read More

Sunken Nuclear Submarines in the Arctic Map

A ‘Chernobyl in Slow Motion’ Under Arctic Seas

by Melissa Rossi

Thousands of radioactive objects — including spent fuel and corroding nuclear reactors — lie at the bottom of several Arctic seas

Secretary William J. Perry

How the U.S. Lost Russia—and How We Can Restore Relations ›

by William J. Perry

n Mushroom Cloud at the Nevada Test Site;

Low-Yield Nukes Are Still Dangerously Destructive ›

by Alex Wellerstein

Melissa Parke, the newly appointed executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

ICAN’s new leader stresses the humanitarian and environmental costs of nuclear weapons ›

by Jon Letman

A U.S. Atomic Energy Commission photograph from July 26, 1957, showing an individual using a Geiger counter to examine a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) for potential radioactivity in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, likely from Enewetak Atoll.

What Radioactive Animals Teach Us About Nuclear Fallout ›

by Rasha Aridi

At the New Employee Training (NET) facility of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), empty waste drums are set up for a “Container Handling for Waste Operators” training session.

TIME Nuclear Security Reporting Fellowship ›

Yoichi Funabashi, Chairman, Asia Pacific Initiative (API), Japan and Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Switzerland during the Nuclear Threats to International Security Session at the Annual Meeting 2018 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 24, 2018.

Nobel Peace Prize-winner and nuclear weapons abolitionist Beatrice Fihn talks about her next act ›

by Terrell J. Starr

Equipment frames the cooling towers of the Temelin nuclear power plant near the town of tyn nad Vitavou, Zcexh Republic, on Thursday, June 25, 2015.

Putin profits off U.S. and European reliance on Russian nuclear fuel ›

by Associated Press

A mushroom column from the Trinity test in 1945.

How Oppenheimer’s Bombs Compare To Today’s Nukes ›

by Rasha Aridi

Portrait of W.J. Hennigan

Outrider Fellow W.J. Hennigan Joins The New York Times ›

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk prior to the Supreme State Council of the Union State Russia-Belarus meeting in Mosco, Russia, April 6, 2023

Bluffing or not, Putin’s declared deployment of nuclear weapons to Belarus raises tensions ›

by Associated Press

At the New Employee Training (NET) facility of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), empty waste drums are set up for a “Container Handling for Waste Operators” training session.

In the Lab Oppenheimer Built, the U.S. Is Building Nuclear Bomb Cores Again ›

by W.J. Hennigan

Revisiting The Nuclear Age With ‘Oppenheimer’ ›

by Rasha Aridi

Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, an ambassador with a lot of experience.

Tactical nukes in Netflix’s ‘The Diplomat’ and pop culture’s impact on politics ›

by Kelsey D. Atherton

A row of US Army 25mm rounds of depleted uranium ammunition,

The U.S. Will Send Depleted Uranium Munitions to Ukraine ›

by Kathryn Higley

Wagner's Revolt in Russia Stirred Fears of a Nuclear Crisis ›

by W.J. Hennigan

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during the annual meeting of the Arms Control Association at the National Press Club on June 2 in Washington. Sullivan spoke on a range of topics, including the Biden administration's willingness to engage with Russia on nuclear arms control after Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to suspend the last nuclear arms control treaty between the two countries.

Fearing 3-Way Arms Race, U.S. Seeks Nuclear Talks With Russia and China ›

by W.J. Hennigan

TIME and Outrider Foundation announce collaboration on fellowship program supporting critical nuclear security reporting ›

An Iranian nuclear facility is so deep underground that U.S. airstrikes likely couldn’t reach it ›

by Jon Gambrell

In this photo released by the U.S. Air Force on May 2, 2023, airmen look at a GBU-57, or the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, at Whiteman Air Base in Missouri. That U.S. bomb, designed to destroy underground sites at the height of concerns a decade ago over Iran's nuclear program, has briefly reappeared amid new tensions with the Islamic Republic.

U.S. bomb designed to hit targets like Iran underground nuclear sites briefly reappears amid tensions ›

by Jon Gambrell

Oregon Road '83

Oregon Road '83 ›

Outrider bomb blast simulator

Nuclear Bomb Blast Simulator ›

Photo by Adam Reynolds and Jeanine Michna-Bales

‘Countdown,’ a new book and photo exhibit, offers a look inside nuclear command centers and bunkers ›

by Robert K. Elder

A photo showing North Korea's missile launch is displayed at the Unification Observation Post in Paju, South Korea, Jan. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Outrider announces nuclear security reporting initiative in collaboration with the Associated Press and the Carnegie Corporation of New York ›

Gas Masks; Getty Images

Could Nuclear Power Plants Become Radioactive Weapons? ›

by Melissa Rossi

Man With Circuit Board Brain

Could a Chatbot Teach You How to Build a Dirty Bomb? ›

by Matt Korda

SNAFU Podcast

‘SNAFU’ Podcast Explores the ‘Able Archer’ NATO Exercise That Nearly Led to Nuclear War ›

by Robert K. Elder

One advantage of former military bases is a wide variety of buildings and spaces, which allows enterprises to expand as they increase. At Brunswick Landing, a shuttered firing range is now a brewery, and a former commissary is now an online furniture store.

How One Cold War Town Reinvented Itself ›

by Taylor Barnes

How a Rural Corner of South Carolina Struggles With Its Cold War Legacy and Modern Economic Reality ›

by Taylor Barnes

The F-35, the most expensive weapons project in U.S. history, is emblematic of a strategy that military contractors use to shore up political support: spreading a weapon’s supply chain and contracts to as many congressional districts as possible.

Why—and How—the U.S. Embraced the Defense Spending and Made It an Industry ›

by Taylor Barnes

Haruka Noishiki

They Survived the Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Haruka Noishiki Is Making Sure Their Stories Are not Forgotten ›

by Daron Murphy

Sunken Nuclear Submarines in the Arctic Map

A ‘Chernobyl in Slow Motion’ Under Arctic Seas ›

by Melissa Rossi

Want to Fix Education, Healthcare, and Climate Change? Let’s Start with the Money We Spend on Nuclear Weapons ›

by Daron Murphy

Tactical nuclear air-to-air rocket Douglas AIR-2A Genie on display in SD Air and Space Museum, Box Elder, South Dakota

What Are Tactical Nuclear Weapons? An International Security Expert Explains And Assesses What They Mean For The War In Ukraine ›

by Nina Srinivasan Rathbun

Putin and Biden

Increased Nuclear Secrecy Makes Us All Less Safe ›

by Matt Korda

House of the Dragon

The Most Important Conversation about Nuclear Weapons is Happening on ‘House of the Dragon’ ›

by Maureen Ryan

Tina Cordova

Nuclear Testing Claimed Lives in New Mexico. Decades Later, Resident Tina Cordova is Still Fighting for Justice. ›

by Daron Murphy

Secretary William J. Perry

How the U.S. Lost Russia—and How We Can Restore Relations ›

by William J. Perry

This picture from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) taken on August 29, 2017 and released on August 30, 2017 shows North Korea's intermediate-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 lifting off from the launching pad at an undisclosed location near Pyongyang.

North Korea will conduct another nuclear test. It's only a matter of when. ›

by Robert K. Elder

Portrait of Togzhan Kassenova, courtesy Elliott O'Donovan

How Kazakhstan gave up nuclear weapons ›

by Jon Letman

Chief Yowell's people were forced from the land now used as the Nevada test site, in the 1940s when the military first laid claim to it

How Native Lands Became a Target for Nuclear Waste ›

by Sanjana Manjeshwar

Why did NYC’s nuclear warning fall on deaf ears? ›

by Matt Korda

Blessing Bombs, Putin’s Altar Boy, and Twisting Russian Orthodoxy to Sanctify Nuclear War ›

by Cathleen Falsani

Statutes;

Deciphering Putin’s Nuclear Doctrine ›

by Elena Chernenko

Demanding Truth Amid the Horrors of War: On Political Language and the Invasion of Ukraine ›

by Lovely Umayam

Coretta Scott King holds a sign at a protest

The Black Community Has Always Sought a World Free From Nuclear Weapons ›

by Mari Faines

protestor with skittles bag taped to his mouth

From Sanford to Hiroshima: Trayvon Martin, Nuclear Weapons, and the Concept of the “Other” ›

by Vincent Intondi

Tavita i vs. Koriate iaon te Boom Ae Mwakaroiroi ›

by Ambassador Teburoro Tito / Christian Ciobanu

group of protestors with "I can't breathe" T-shirts on

What the Nuclear Policy Community Needs to Understand About Intersectionality ›

by Mari Faines

Why is Russia Preparing to Invade Ukraine? ›

by Terrell J. Starr

Nuclear Weapons and Reproductive Justice ›

by Nylah Burton

police in armored vehicle

When All You Have is a Hammer... ›

by Yasmeen Silva

Is Biden Taking Nuclear Policy Seriously? ›

by Jasmine Owens

group of celebrating Afghans

What Does the Fall of Afghanistan Mean for Regional Nuclear Security? ›

by Terrell J. Starr

Afghan reguees stand on tarmack

Afghanistan War Vets Want To End Military-First Foreign Policy ›

by Terrell J. Starr

Let's Not Lose Our Shit About China's Silos ›

by Terrell J. Starr

image of finger pointing at lung xray

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act is About to Expire ›

by Phil Harrison

man walks by building with Black Lives Matter messages in chalk on the walls

Could Person-Centered Security be America’s Future? ›

by Emily Enright

girls gives a peace sign

Less is More: the Feminist Case Against Minimum Deterrence ›

by Laura Rose Brown

man in gas mask

The Rocky Flats Raid ›

by Jasmine Owens

island scene

A Journey Home ›

by Daphne Peter, Marcina Langrine, Joyce Hirose, Neimony Netwan, Trina Marty, Benetick Kabua-Maddison / Edited by Lovely Umayam of the Bombshelltoe Policy x Arts Collective

Film, Advocacy, and Reckoning with the Harm Caused by U.S. Nuclear Weapons ›

by Outrider Staff

officials sit at a table

Iran's Elections Could Complicate a Return to the Iran Deal ›

by Terrell J. Starr

peace activists with Biden and Putin masks

Biden and No First Use: an Opportunity for the Taking ›

by Emily Enright

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the National Security Pipeline ›

by Wardah Amir

pentagon aerial view

Politics of the Defense Budget ›

by Terrell J. Starr

Taking Peace Seriously ›

by Lovely Umayam

woman speaks at podium

Rep. Barbara Lee: on 40 Years of Seeking Justice ›

by Terrell J. Starr

Officials in suits stand in front of their countries' respective flags, in front of a room of reporters.

Can the Iran Deal be Saved? ›

by Jasmine Owens

missile in red square

New START, Explained ›

by Terrell J. Starr

nuclear submarine ballistic missile launch

How to Launch a Nuclear Weapon ›

by Jasmine Owens

woman takes man's temperature

Pandemic Chronicles: Echos of History in the COVID-19 Response for the Navajo Nation ›

by Marina Favaro

Trinity test site

Remembering an Incomplete Nuclear History ›

by Martin Pfeiffer

police officer running

The Problem with Threatening Violence to Keep the Peace ›

by Terrell J. Starr

man dances on missile

Lessons from Dr. Strangelove: The Risks of Deploying Low-Yield Nukes on Submarines ›

by Natasha E. Bajema

painting of statue of liberty with a skull for its face

Is the United States Still a Great Power? ›

by Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins

Resuming Nuclear Testing is a Very Bad Idea ›

by Cheryl Rofer

Q&A: Open Skies Treaty ›

by Jasmine Owens

healthcare workders stand in formation

Pandemic Chronicles: Missiles vs. Medical Masks ›

by Marina Favaro

Pandemic Chronicles: Are We Fighting a War Against COVID-19? ›

by Marina Favaro

Pandemic Chronicles: The Unhealthy Symbiosis of the Military-Industrial Complex ›

by Jasmine Owens

crews fumigate and disinfect

Pandemics, Power Struggles, and Proliferation ›

by Jasmine Owens

troilus-and-cressida-v.viii-peter-paul-rubens-1577-1632-achilles-kills-hector

A Shakespearean Take on Low-yield Nuclear Weapons ›

by Ambassador Tom Loftus

Rocky Flats workers help a skilled trades worker, put on his anti-contamination suit.

Frontline Communities and the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Complex ›

by Nancy Wolfe

sign splashed with blood

Beating Swords into Plowshares ›

by Patrick O'Neill

family photo of Baltimore City Council

Stepping Back from the Brink ›

by Tara Drozdenko

man stares at camera

Nixon's Drunken Run-ins With the Bomb ›

by Laicie Heeley

woman's eye with heads-up display

Can Humans Resist the Allure of Machine Speed for Nuclear Weapons? ›

by Natasha E. Bajema

two women with raised fists

What Does Feminism Have to Do With Nuclear Policy? ›

by Marissa Conway

world leaders look up to the sky

Where Would Europe Stand on a U.S. No First Use Policy? ›

by Maxwell Downman

hand smashes warhead model

How to Dismantle a Nuclear Bomb ›

by Outrider Staff

Group photo in front of protest signs

Uranium Mining and My Family's Story ›

by Tommy Rock, Ph.D.

woman and child walk by missile display

Q&A: No First Use of Nuclear Weapons ›

by Jasmine Owens / Tara Drozdenko

Protestors in Trump and Putin masks

INF Treaty Withdrawal and the U.S.-Europe Alliance ›

by Maxwell Downman

Martin Luther King Jr at the microphone

Nuclear Weapons and the Legacy of Dr. King ›

by Vincent Intondi

What You(th) Can Do About Nuclear Weapons ›

by Erin Connolly / Sara Z. Kutchesfahani

Local Action for Global Change ›

by Jasmine Owens / Tara Drozdenko

Trump in front of a blue background

Q&A: INF Treaty Withdrawal ›

by Tara Drozdenko

NATO Heads of State and Government stand for an official portrait.

Why NATO Matters ›

by Maxwell Downman

Photo of presidential candidate Donald Trump behind a sign calling for the end of the Iran Deal.

The Iran Deal: A Conversation Between Close Allies ›

by Paul Ingram / Tara Drozdenko