Amid Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling, what exactly makes a nuclear weapon “tactical” — and is that even the right word to use? This week, Tom Collina talks with Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists. He corrects the many misperceptions of “tactical” nuclear weapons and discusses how Russia could use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

On Early Warning, Lauren Billet sits down with Allen Hester, who leads the Friends Committee on National Legislation’s Nuclear Disarmament and Pentagon spending portfolio. He discusses the Biden Administration’s newly released National Security Strategy and its implications for the long-awaited Nuclear Posture Review.

Sixty years ago this month, the US and Soviet Union came close to the brink of nuclear war during a tense 13-day stand-off known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. So how did we get that close? How did we successfully de-escalate? Tom Collina discusses this historical event with Dr. Tom Vaughan, lecturer at Aberystwyth University and author of “Nuclear war: does it take luck or reasoning to avoid it? Lessons from the Cuban missile crisis, 60 years on”.   On Early Warning, Alex Hall talks with Esther Im, program manager at the National Committee on North Korea. She discusses why we’re seeing an increase in North Korea missile tests how likely it is that a nuclear missile test is forthcoming.

NASA hits a bullseye: this week, Tom Collina sits down with Dr. Laura Grego, senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. She discusses NASA’s recent (and successful) DART mission to hit an asteroid in space and the implications for nuclear policy.

On Early Warning, Angela Kellett talks with Istra Fuhrmann and Alex Toma of The Peace and Security Funders Group. They join the podcast to discuss their recent Chronicles of Philanthropy article: Nuclear Weapons Are an Ever-Present Danger — and Grant Makers Need to Pay Attention.

The war in Ukraine takes another left turn as Russian President Vladimir Putin makes more explicit nuclear threats: this week, Tom Collina sits down with Jon Wolfsthal, senior advisor at Global Zero and author of the sub-stack newsletter BoomBoomBoom. They discuss Putin’s nuclear threats, the fine line the Biden Administration has to walk, and how to avoid further escalation.

On Early Warning, Alex Hall talks with Sara Haghdoosti, executive director of Win Without War. She discusses the nationwide protests in Iran over governmental restrictions on women’s dress, which erupted after Mahsa Amini died in police custody after being arrested by the morality police for allegedly breaking Iran’s policy on hijabs.  

The war in Ukraine may be entering a decisive new phase. On this episode, Tom Collina speaks with Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon at the University of Pennsylvania to discuss Ukraine’s recent counter-offensive, how Russia might respond, and whether the tide of the war has turned.

On Early Warning, Lauren Billet sits down with Barbara Slavin, director of the Future of Iran Initiative and a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. She discusses recent developments in reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the potential progress that could be made at the UN General Assembly in New York.

On the Morning You Wake Part 2: Press the Button re-visits the new virtual reality experience exploring Hawai’i’s 2018 false nuclear alarm. This time, Tom Collina talks with Cynthia Lazaroff, founder and director of Women Transforming Our Nuclear Legacy, and Ray Acheson, director of Disarmament at the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

On Early Warning, Alex Hall sits down with Colleen Moore, advocacy director at Women Cross DMZ. She discusses the recent developments on the Korean peninsula, which includes the resumption of South Korean drills and the Biden Administration’s decision to extend Trump’s ban prohibiting US passport holders from entering North Korea for one year.

Take a look inside Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant: Tom Collina talks with Dr. Cindy Vestergaard, senior fellow and director of the Nuclear Safeguards program at the Stimpon Center. She discusses the UN Inspector’s visit to the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia power plant in Ukraine and why it matters.

On Early Warning, Angela Kellett speaks with Dr. Angela Stent, a senior non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution and the author of Putin’s World: Russia Against the West and With the Rest. She discusses Mikhail Gorbachev’s passing and the legacy he left behind

After four weeks, the NPT Review Conference concluded without consensus, with Russia blocking approval for the final document. Tom Collina sits down with Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova from the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation to discuss what this setback to RevCon means for the future of the NPT and arms control.

On Early Warning, Lauren Billet speaks with Dr. Alan Robock, climate scientist and professor from Rutgers University. His new research paper with Dr. Lili Xia warns us that there is no such thing as a limited nuclear war. He discusses the key findings of the report and the humanitarian and environmental consequences that will result from a nuclear conflict between two states.

In early August, the FBI searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home for classified documents, some of which may be related to nuclear weapons. So what kind of nuclear information could Trump have taken? Tom Collina sits down with Alex Wellerstein, author of Restricted Data: The History of Nuclear Secrecy in the United States. He discusses the FBI’s recent search, what nuclear information may be involved, and whether former President Trump could be prosecuted.

On Early Warning, Alex Hall sits down with Laura Rozen, member of the editorial board of Just Security and writer of the Diplomatic substack newsletter. She discusses the latest developments to revive the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal and the US’s and Iran’s responses to the new EU proposal.

Nuclear risk — what is it and how is it assessed? Ploughshares Fund President Dr. Emma Belcher discusses these questions with Dr. Patricia Lewis, director of the International Security program at Chatham House.

On Early Warning, Lauren Billet is joined by Shannon Bugos, senior policy analyst at the Arms Control Association. She discusses Russia’s decision to suspend inspections under New Start and what it means for future arms control dialogue between the US and Russia.