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80 Years After the Trinity Atomic Blast, New Mexico’s Downwinders May Finally See Reparations

Eighty years after the Trinity Test brought nuclear fallout to their communities, New Mexico residents living downstream of the test may finally be eligible for long-sought reparations. In the early hours of July 16, 1945, the U.S. Army detonated the world’s first atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project, near Alamogordo, New Mexico. Radioactive ash soon began to fall over large swaths of the surrounding regions. Since then, survivors of the U.S. federal government’s nuclear testing progra

Nuclear Waste Reprocessing Gains Momentum in the U.S.

The United States’ 90,000-ton stockpile of radioactive nuclear waste has long been a liability, but researchers are increasingly eyeing it as a resource. New techniques in transforming spent fuel, new nuclear fuel cycle directives from the Trump administration, and the doling out of a Biden-era $40 million research program together aim to repurpose nuclear waste on a commercial scale. In a suite of executive orders announced on May 23, U.S. President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Department of

Google bets on fusion power as its greenhouse gas emissions grow

is a senior science reporter covering energy and the environment with more than a decade of experience. She is also the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home , a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals. Google has agreed to purchase electricity from a forthcoming nuclear fusion power plant, the so-called holy grail of clean energy that scientists have been chasing for more than half a century. While the fusion industry reached a significant milestone a few years ago, the tec

Early US Intel assessment suggests strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites

CNN — The US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, according to an early US intelligence assessment that was described by four people briefed on it. The assessment, which has not been previously reported, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s intelligence arm. It is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by US Central Command

Trump's Attack May Instead Spur Iran to Speedrun a Nuclear Weapon It Wasn't Building Previously

Trump's Attack May Instead Spur Iran to Speedrun a Nuclear Weapon It Wasn't Building Previously An extremely ironic outcome. Bomb Squad President Donald Trump is trying to derail Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions by bombing its known nuclear research facilities — but it turns out that's easier said than done. US officials have trumpeted that the recent strikes obliterated Iran's nuclear enrichment sites, but satellite images have cast doubt on that claim. And in any case, Trump's bombing camp

Trump Says U.S. Won’t Respond to Iran’s Retaliatory Strike in Qatar

“Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday afternoon. “There have been 14 missiles fired—13 were knocked down, and 1 was ‘set free,’ because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction. I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done.” The Iranian military launched about a dozen missiles toward Al Udeid Ai

New York’s getting a new nuclear power plant

is a senior science reporter covering energy and the environment with more than a decade of experience. She is also the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home , a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans today to develop a new nuclear power plant, the first to be built in the state in decades. It’s the latest signal that nuclear energy could see a comeback in the US thanks to wide-ranging support from some strange bedfellows: the

New York State wants more nuclear power in a big way

New York governor Kathy Hochul announced Monday that her state will host a large new nuclear power plant designed to generate at least 1 gigawatt of electricity. “If you take nuclear off the table, you have to burn more fossil fuels,” Hochul said at a press conference. “That’s not going to work for us here in New York.” The governor is directing the New York Power Authority (NYPA), which owns and operates two dozen power plants — mostly dams and gas turbines — to develop the new facility. The

International Nuclear Watchdog Issues Stark Warning in Wake of US Iran Strikes

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in an emergency meeting on Monday that the escalating conflict in Iran “risks collapsing the global nuclear nonproliferation regime” and that if diplomacy is not pursued, “violence and destruction could reach unimaginable levels.” The IAEA, the United Nations’ international nuclear watchdog, convened the emergency meeting following US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites this weekend. In remarks delivered to the organization’s boa

Targeting Nuclear Scientists Used to Be Covert Ops. Israel Just Blew It Open

At least 14 nuclear scientists are believed to be among those killed in Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, launched on June 13, 2025, ostensibly to destroy or degrade Iran’s nuclear program and military capabilities. Deliberately targeting scientists in this way aims to disrupt Iran’s knowledge base and continuity in nuclear expertise. Among those assassinated were Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a theoretical physicist and head of Iran’s Islamic Azad University, and Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, a nuclear e

Nvidia wants in on the nuclear renaissance, invests in Bill Gates-backed TerraPower

TerraPower, the nuclear startup founded and backed by Bill Gates, announced a new $650 million funding round this week. The investment will help the company build its first commercial power plant. Like other nuclear startups, TerraPower has been riding a wave of interest from hyperscalers, data center developers, and, now, chip designers. Nvidia’s venture arm, NVentures, participated in the round, marking its first energy investment. Bill Gates and HD Hyundai, both already on the cap table, al

Nvidia wants in on the nuclear renaissance, invests in Bill-Gates backed TerraPower

TerraPower, the nuclear startup founded and backed by Bill Gates, announced a new $650 million funding round this week. The investment will help the company build its first commercial power plant. Like other nuclear startups, TerraPower has been riding a wave of interest from hyperscalers, data center developers, and, now, chip designers. Nvidia’s venture arm, NVentures, participated in the round, marking its first energy investment. Bill Gates and HD Hyundai, both already on the cap table, al

Trump fires commissioner of preeminent nuclear safety institution

Critics warn that the United States may soon be taking on more nuclear safety risks after Donald Trump fired one of five members of an independent commission that monitors the country's nuclear reactors. In a statement Monday, Christopher Hanson confirmed that Trump fired him from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Friday. He alleged that the firing was "without cause" and "contrary to existing law and longstanding precedent regarding removal of independent agency appointees." Accord

Amazon joins the big nuclear party, buying 1.92 GW for AWS

Amazon tapped into an emerging trend this week, one that’s seeing big tech firms buy power from existing nuclear power plants. The tech company will power a chunk of its AWS cloud and AI servers using 1.92 gigawatts of electricity from Talen Energy’s Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. Amazon is the latest hyperscaler to go direct to big nuclear operators, following on the heels of Microsoft and Meta. Amazon’s deal was announced Wednesday, but it’s not entirely new, instead modify

Why uranium mining is having a resurgence in the United States

From about the 1960s to the mid-1980s, the United States was a leader in uranium mining. But domestic production of the mineral, which is primarily used as fuel for nuclear reactors, has since fallen off a cliff. "A lot of this was because it was a government priority. And we strategically used government funding and subsidies to support it. However, what kind of started happening during the 90s is we saw a de-prioritization away from uranium," said Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical M

Pentagon Has Been Pushing Americans to Believe in UFOs for Decades, New Report

UFOs have been back in the news a lot lately, and it may be the case that the government wants it that way. Last week, the Wall Street Journal published the first of a two-part series that probes the ways in which the Defense Department has been responsible for creating and fostering the UFO mythology in America. The article shows that the government has, at various points over the years, purposefully sown disinformation about UFOs, in an effort to make Americans believe in little green men. Th

Pentagon Has Been Pushing Americans to Believe in UFOs for Decades, New Report Finds

UFOs have been back in the news a lot lately, and it may be the case that the government wants it that way. Last week, the Wall Street Journal published the first of a two-part series that probes the ways in which the Defense Department has been responsible for creating and fostering the UFO mythology in America. The article shows that the government has, at various points over the years, purposefully sown disinformation about UFOs, in an effort to make Americans believe in little green men. Th

Putin Dangles a Nuclear Arms Treaty While Accusing Ukraine of ‘Hysteria’

The last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia will expire in February 2026. While answering questions in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin dangled the possibility of extending it. The cost of the nuclear arms control treaty was subtle but clear. Putin wants everyone to ignore Kyiv’s “hysteria” over not being part of the negotiations for the end of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is an Obama-era treaty betwe

Valar Atomics comes out of stealth with $19M and a pilot reactor site

Companies developing small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) have raised more than $1.5 billion in the past year, as tech companies hunger for power to train AI models and governments decide to commit to the industry. For example, X-energy raised $700 million this month, and Paris-based Newcleo raised $151 million last year, and one would be remiss to not mention the $700 million invested into Oklo, NuScale and Nano Nuclear for similar projects in the U.S. While nuclear fusion still looks relati