MEL GURTOV – China’s President Xi Jinping’s sixth visit to the US has come and gone. Expectations were low for any kind of breakthrough on longstanding issues such as Taiwan’s status, human rights, the South China Sea (SCS), and especially tariffs. The emphasis was on pomp and circumstance, which Trump provided in abundance.
Category: September 2026
AI Is Moving Into Nuclear Weapons Systems. Fail-Safe Reviews Are Critical.
ISABELLE WILLIAMS – The integration of AI into nuclear systems is underway. The guardrails, safety, and security frameworks needed to understand and manage the consequences are not. A new generation of AI-informed nuclear fail-safe reviews is urgently needed in all countries with nuclear weapons.
Public Service Update from Oregon’s Secretary of State
TOBIAS READ – New week, new round of updates from the Secretary of State’s office.
Trump Mismanages US-China Relations Around AI
MEL GURTOV – A major incident in OpenAI’s lab suggests the urgency of a US-China agreement to slow down AI’s development while there is still time. Major AI company heads, including Elon Musk, believe a slowdown is essential. But those who, like Trump, are only concerned with winning the AI race and have no sense of urgency about its unrestrained development are unlikely to change course.
Don’t Look Away from What the US is Helping Do in Israel
KATHY KELLY – The latest U.S. weapon sale to Israel further confirms U.S. complicity with Israel’s genocidal war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. We must heed an urgent call issued by those most impacted by the war crimes: “Don’t look away.”
Insiders are betting on war: How prediction markets are becoming a national security threat
DAVID SZAKONYI, MICHELLE KENDLER-KRETSCH, MICHAEL HORNSBY – It is not enough just to ban insider trading or even require more robust identification of bettors. Collectively, people need to decide whether there are certain topics that should not be wagered on. National security must come before personal profit.
Real History: After 9/11, the “War on Terror” Was a War of Terror
NORMAN SOLOMON – The crusade that George W. Bush launched to “rid the world of evil” only compounded it. Now, as the nation’s military juggernaut advances, the mindsets that propel it are in dire need of direct challenge.
Introduction: What went wrong with the internet—and how do we fix it
DAN DROLLETTE JR – The premise of the September 9, 2026, issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is straightforward: What went wrong with the internet, and how do we fix it—particularly in an era when data centers and artificial intelligence seem about to overrun the Earth.
25 years after 9/11, how do we build a movement to stop endless wars?
MARK ENGLER – As Trump wages an unpopular war with Iran, historian Jeremy Varon discusses what we can learn from the movement that turned the tide against the Iraq War.
Torture as a US Option Did Not Start with Trump
NORMAN SOLOMON – There are repeated torture practices from the aftermath of 9/11 to Trump and his administration’s acceptance of uses of torture.
US communities are organizing to end complicity with genocide in their backyards
VICTORIA VALENZUELA – Having a community-based coalition has empowered residents by giving them a platform for action. “Having a coalition has really been a space for community members to be able to feel empowered to be involved in shaping their community,” Hua said. “We want to continue to strengthen the community power and not let this get swept under the rug, and so we are continuing to show up to city council meetings and continuing to build that power.”
What the 1960s can teach us about cross-racial solidarity
ALEXANDRIA SHANER – Alice Echols’ new history of the Panthers and SNCC, “Black Power, White Heat,” emphasizes the possibility — and power — of solidarity across real differences. Solidarity is something we build. In an age increasingly defined by attempts to divide us, building solidarity may be one of the most important forms of power we have.
It’s Possible to Salvage Canadian-American Friendship―and Much More
LAWRENCE WITTNER – These international institutions — United Nations, International Court of Justice, and International Criminal Court — remain relatively weak, largely because the rulers of powerful nations prefer to bypass them so that they can keep the reins of power in their own hands. Nevertheless, with public effort, these institutions can be strengthened so that they can more effectively perform their vital role of safeguarding the human community. The current crisis in U.S.-Canadian relations is the latest indication that it’s time to get on with that job.
Europe’s Experience Shows that Nuke Plants are NOT Reliable
LINDA PENTZ GUNTER – Fires and droughts could not spell out more clearly why nuclear power is the worst kind of risk under climate crisis conditions.