The Trump administration's budget request for 2021 is out, and it calls for an eye-popping $75 billion in nuclear weapons spending. William Hartung of the Center for International Policy returns to Press the Button to discuss the exploding nuclear budget: why it's happening, what it means for spending on other things, and why it's so dangerous. Early Warning features our policy director Tom Collina and Erica Fein of Win Without War discussing the winners and losers of the budget request, and recent legislation introduced by Rep. Ilhan Omar that aims to outline a progressive foreign policy vision for the United States.

Read more about the exploding military budget: https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/pentagon-military-spending/

What does a feminist foreign policy look like, and what would it mean for nuclear policy? Joe Cirincione and Michelle Dover sit down for an in-depth interview with Lyric Thompson, the director of policy and advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women, to answer these questions. Thompson’s organization is in the middle of a big project: providing the intellectual framework for a feminist foreign policy. Early Warning features our policy director Tom Collina and Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists discussing the impending collapse of New START, the exploding nuclear weapons budget, the deployment of new weapons on US submarines, and the risks of keeping American nuclear weapons in Europe.

In a special episode of Press The Button, we announce the planned retirement of Ploughshares Fund president Joe Cirincione. Joe Cirincione became only the second president of Ploughshares Fund following the passing of its founding president, Sally Lilienthal. Cirincione's career spans over four decades as a foreign policy analyst, national security staffer in Congress, and a frequent expert commentator in print and on air. He looks back at his time leading Ploughshares Fund and analyzes what lies ahead in a short interview with co-host Michelle Dover.

In a special episode of Press The Button, we announce the planned retirement of Ploughshares Fund president Joe Cirincione. Joe Cirincione became only the second president of Ploughshares Fund following the passing of its founding president, Sally Lilienthal. Cirincione's career spans over four decades as a foreign policy analyst, national security staffer in Congress, and a frequent expert commentator in print and on air. He looks back at his time leading Ploughshares Fund and analyzes what lies ahead in a short interview with co-host Michelle Dover.

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, and Ban Ki-moon, former secretary-general of the United Nations, join Press the Button for a wide-ranging conversation on nuclear weapons and climate change, the twin existential threats facing the world today. Robinson is Chair and Ban is Deputy Chair of The Elders, a group of independent global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights. Early Warning features our Senior Program Officer/Nuclear Field Coordinator John Carl Baker and Mana Mostatabi of the National Iranian American Council analyzing the political and cultural ramifications of US policy toward Iran, and how the anti-war movement has responded to the threat of war.

How close is Iran to obtaining a nuclear weapon? Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, joins Joe Cirincione and Michelle Dover to debunk a few myths surrounding Iran and the bomb, and what 'breakout time' really means. Early Warning features our Roger L. Hale fellow Akshai Vikram and Andrey Baklitskiy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies discussing the future of US-Russia arms control and the role of nuclear weapons policy in the upcoming US presidential elections. Joe answers a question from Ariel in Maryland.

How close is Iran to obtaining a nuclear weapon? Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, joins Joe Cirincione and Michelle Dover to debunk a few myths surrounding Iran and the bomb, and what 'breakout time' really means. Early Warning features our Roger L. Hale fellow Akshai Vikram and Andrey Baklitskiy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies discussing the future of US-Russia arms control and the role of nuclear weapons policy in the upcoming US presidential elections. Joe answers a question from Ariel in Maryland.

Ivo Daalder, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and former ambassador to NATO, joins co-host Joe Cirincione for a discussion on how the next US president should think about nuclear weapons policy, and how the US can begin working toward a nuclear-free world. Early Warning features Ploughshares Fund policy director Tom Collina and Kate Kizer of Win Without War on escalating tensions between US and Iran, and how last week's events have made us less safe.