Trump’s Finger on the Nuclear Button
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19th US Secretary of Defense William J. Perry joins a bonus episode of Press the Button to discuss authority over the US nuclear arsenal in the final days of Donald Trump's presidency, and how there are no safeguards for preventing an unstable president from launching a nuclear strike before leaving office.
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Hacking the Bomb
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Dr. Herbert Lin, senior research scholar for cyber policy and security at the Center for International Security and Cooperation, joins Press the Button for a discussion on cyberattacks and their potential effects on nuclear weapons in the wake of the SolarWinds hack that targeted at least 18,000 government and private networks. Early Warning features Derek Johnson and Patrick Hiller analyzing last week's attack on the US Capitol and how the nuclear chain of command really works.
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Racism and Nuclear Weapons
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Drs. Katlyn Turner, Denia Djokic, and Aditi Verma join Press the Button for an in-depth discussion on how systemic racism in the nuclear field is produced and sustained, and what needs to happen in order to begin combating it. Early Warning features Tom Collina and Mary Kaszynski discuss incoming National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's recent comments on the extension of New START and support for the Iran nuclear agreement.
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2020 Year in Review
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A special episode of Press the Button features co-hosts Michelle Dover and Tom Collina looking back at the highlights (and lowlights) of national security and nuclear policy in 2020, and what we can look forward to in the new year.
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The Ties that Bind Us
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Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party, joins Press the Button for an in-depth discussion on the intersection of the movement for saner nuclear policy and movements for achieving racial justice, protecting the environment and establishing a fairer economy. Early Warning features Liza Arias and Kaleigh Thomas on the recent SolarWinds hack, which targeted the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and various other US government organizations.
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Human Cost of Endless War
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David Vine, professor at American University, talks to Farshad Farahat for a special discussion on the historical consequences of the United States' foreign policy, and its effect on millions of lives across the world. Vine is the author of the new book, The United States of War: A Global History of America's Endless Conflicts, from Columbus to the Islamic State. Early Warning features Danielle Brian on President-elect Joe Biden's nomination of Gen. Lloyd Austin to be US Secretary of Defense.
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Iran's Dilemma
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Dr. Ariane Tabatabai is back on Press the Button to discuss the recent assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, and how this could affect US-Iran relations as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take power. Early Warning features Laura Grego analyzing the recent US missile defense test that successfully intercepted an intercontinental-range ballistic missile (ICBM) target, and what it means for future arms control efforts and US relationships with other countries that possess ICBMs.
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The Bomb and Your Brain
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Neuroscientist Moran Cerf and PopTech president Leetha Filderman, join Press the Button for an illuminating discussion on how behavioral science can be applied to nuclear deterrence theory. Early Warning features our deputy policy director Mary Kaszynski and Andrew Albertson of Foreign Policy for American on President-elect Joe Biden's recent appointments for top national security roles, and the recent assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist.
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Biden's Nuclear Priorities
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Jon Wolfsthal of Global Zero and Alexandra Bell of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation discuss what to expect from President-elect Joe Biden on nuclear policy issues, and what work needs to be done to reduce current nuclear threats. Early Warning features our deputy policy director Mary Kaszynski discussing revelations that President Donald Trump sought options to attack Iran in response to a recent increase in the country’s stockpile of nuclear material.
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Our Common Humanity
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Michael Krepon and Lovely Umayam of the Stimson Center join Press the Button for a unique look at what is possible for future nuclear policy, and how the nuclear policy field should respond in the face of weakened arms control agreements, increased nuclear arsenal modernization, and a new presidential administration in the United States. Early Warning features Steven Pifer of the Brookings Institution on what the incoming Joe Biden administration can do to reduce nuclear threats when in office.
info_outlineSteve Benen, Emmy award-winning producer for The Rachel Maddow Show, joins Press the Button to discuss his new book, The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics, in which he argues that the GOP has become a "post-policy" party. Early Warning features Matt Korda of Federation of American Scientists and Luke Schleusener of Out in National Security on the landmark Supreme Court decision regarding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace, and an emerging congressional fight over the resumption of nuclear testing.