No government should ever use nuclear weapons other than as a measure of last resort. In my view, the world and humanity would be much safer without any nuclear weapons. A deliberate choice to use nuclear weapons in a non-existential crisis should be considered a crime against humanity. 1/4

@chrismurphyct.bsky.social, I’m wishing you a speedy recovery. Thanks for all you’ve done to advocate for important issues to our democracy.

The lead story on NYTimes this morning. Comprehensive coverage of “How Trump Is Dismantling America’s Scientific Research Machine”. Gift article link: www.nytimes.com/2026/10/31/c... Gift article.

Gutted to learn of Patrick Stewart’s passing. He was an amazing actor but appeared to be an even better human being. His portrayal of Capt. Picard in #TNG will always be my favorite Star Trek character. He brought dignity, compassion, and gravitas to the role—features I wish more real leaders had.

I had an excellent experience presenting about proliferation financing to the 11th Congress of ASOCUPA down in Panama City, Panama. Amazing to be at a gathering of 1300 compliance professionals all interested in learning about how to better implement controls to prevent proliferation.

The GOP cut funding to the IRS because *audits work* and they fundamentally don't believe rich people should have to play by the rules.

James Medlock@jdcmedlock.bsky.social · 2mo ago

One day I hope to convince conservatives that we should enforce the rule of law, reduce the deficit, and not carelessly tear down the institutions prior generations built, but today is not that day.

I’m happy to share that my new book with @togzhankassenova.bsky.social “Banks and the Bomb: Understanding Proliferation Financing” will be published by Stanford University Press in July 2027. It explores how to prevent international financial transactions that facilitate WMD proliferation. 1/4

My paper with Crystal D. Pryor (UAlbany, Center for Policy Research) in @fpajrnl.bsky.social, "Strategic Trade Controls as Trade-Enabling Institutions" has just been published! /1 doi.org/10.1093/fpa/...

Strategic Trade Controls as Trade-Enabling Institutions

Abstract. Do Strategic Trade Controls (STCs) restrict trade, or can they help countries participate in the trade of sensitive goods? Despite obligations un

doi.org

After Trump gutted the IRS workforce — including the unit tasked with auditing billionaires — the agency's annual audit revenue plunged by 35%. Trump's attacks on the IRS were never about "efficiency." They were about making it easier for the wealthy and powerful to skirt what they owe.

I wrote this because most journalists facing this pressure can’t. The paper we count on to check authoritarianism spiked an investigation into the Democratic Party because the party’s lawyers threatened to sue. Holding authoritarians accountable starts with holding your own side accountable.

With Fear and Favor

Institutions don’t have courage. They have incentives.

data4democracy.substack.com

The fundraising texts you delete are working on someone. It’s infuriating and heartbreaking. An 85yo in Ohio gave more than double the value of his home. A 91yo in an Indianapolis senior facility gave 25K times. The DCCC/DSCC don’t just tolerate the spammers who exploit seniors. They take part.

Hook and Squeeze

How Democratic consultants, committees, and party leaders built a fundraising spam pipeline that funnels money from a captive pool of elderly donors into their own operations.

data4democracy.substack.com

My friend and fellow nuclear-movie nerd @dandrezner.bsky.social has written a great piece here for the @thebulletin.org about THREADS, which is pretty much the bleakest movie ever made about nuclear war. Which is why you should see it. thebulletin.org/premium/2026...

The brutal, powerful legacy of Threads

Mick Jackson’s 1984 film Threads endures as the most devastating depiction of nuclear war in apocalyptic cinema. Its portrayal of societal collapse is unrelenting. Threads depicts nuclear war as a cat...

thebulletin.org

I’m excited to read Keith’s new book. He’s one of the smartest experts out there on the topic of sanctions busting and the quality of his research is top-notch. Definitely pick this one up if you’re interested in economic sanctions.

Keith A. Preble, Ph.D.@poliscikeith.bsky.social · 4mo ago

I finally completed all the revisions to my book, had the index completed, read through it, caught any last minute issues! It should be available in late August/September! /1

I finally completed all the revisions to my book, had the index completed, read through it, caught any last minute issues! It should be available in late August/September! /1

For ISA, I wrote a paper about what sanctions busting tactics reveal about the effectiveness of sanctions The US letting sanctioned Iranian ships sell their oil is relaxing the impact of sanctions when the US is trying to maximize pressure on its regime. The US is facilitating sanctions busting!

My resolution to overturn the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United decision — H.J.Res 122 — has now been co-sponsored by 72 Members of Congress. You can view the full list at: www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c.... I’ll keep fighting to get it across the finish line!

The budget of USAID was $22 billion per year. It was *saving the lives* of 4.1 million men, women, and children per year, all over the world. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

The Washington Post@washingtonpost.com · 8mo ago

Exclusive: The Pentagon asked the White House to approve a more than $200 billion request to Congress to fund the war in Iran, according to an administration official, a new ask that will likely run into resistance from lawmakers opposed to the conflict.

NEW: Preliminary assessment finds U.S. at fault for strike on Iranian girl's school. A source confirmed to @npr.org that U.S. CENTCOM had only one staffer assigned to mitigating civilian casualties. www.npr.org/2026/03/11/n...

Pentagon probe points to U.S. missile hitting Iranian school

A military assessment suggests a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile was responsible for at least 165 deaths at an Iranian girls' school, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly...

npr.org

I fully agree with this statement: “I know that the American people are better than this. We have the good sense to know that what is happening is not entertainment but war, and that Iran is a nation of people, not a video game others play to entertain us.” www.archchicago.org/statement/-/...

if you believe in any form of free enterprise at all, the idea that the Pentagon can not only cut off your contract but designate you a supply chain risk and prevent other companies from buying from you just because you won't build killbots for the government should be terrifying

Terrific piece on how the New York Times and Politico failed to spot pink slime and how it all plays into a reckless smear on AOC and Gov Whitmire. open.substack.com/pub/spinclas...

I Caught POLITICO and the New York Times Laundering Pink Slime "News"

How the sexist backlash to AOC and Gretchen Whitmer at the Munich Security Conference led me to a scammy "local news" outlet pushing a coordinated right-wing narrative

open.substack.com

Quietly, the Trump administration is now ending even the life-saving aid that they had promised would be preserved Reporting from @hana-kiros.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/...

The Trump Administration Is Ending Aid That It Says Saves Lives

The State Department will let lifesaving projects expire because “there is no strong nexus between the humanitarian response and U.S. national interests,” according to an internal email.

theatlantic.com

Tariffs are taxes that specifically target imports. By taxing imports into America, tariffs create higher prices. It is not surprising that research demonstrates that this relationship exists—it’s more surprising that finding is controversial. libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2026/02/who-...

Who Is Paying for the 2025 U.S. Tariffs? - Liberty Street Economics

Over the course of 2025, the average tariff rate on U.S. imports increased from 2.6 to 13 percent. In this blog post, we ask how much of the tariffs were paid by the U.S., using import data through No...

libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org

As someone who has written about how civilian nuclear infrastructure raises countries’ likelihood of being targeted for radiological and nuclear terrorism and public concern over nuclear risks, this is incredibly alarming news. It will raise the risks of using nuclear power and public fear about it.

Geoff Brumfiel@gbrumfiel.bsky.social · 10mo ago

EXCLSUVIE: The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules and shared them with the companies they're meant to regulate, without making the new rules publicly available. We've obtained a copy of the new rules and here's what we found. www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...

The United States should not seek to acquire Greenland. We already have the strategic advantages it provides through our close alliance relationship with Denmark. Any efforts to forcibly acquire it run counter to US interests, international law, and our mutually beneficial relationship with Europe.

My collaborator Keith Preble does an amazing job of keeping our OFAC sanctions enforcement data up-to-date. It’s an excellent scholarly resource.

Keith A. Preble, Ph.D.@poliscikeith.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Happy New Year! Version 6 of the OFAC Enforcement Action Data Set with @brephd.bsky.social has been updated through December 2025. The data set can be accessed from Harvard Dataverse by clicking here: doi.org/10.7910/DVN/...

Having written about why conventional bombings should be considered WMD terrorism, I can attest that there’s no way fentanyl should be treated as one in US policy. It further muddies the already muddled definitions of WMD and makes it harder to stop real proliferation. doi.org/10.1080/1746...

Should conventional terrorist bombings be considered weapons of mass destruction terrorism?

Since weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are typically thought of as chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) weapons, the designation of conventional bombings as WMD terrorism under US...

doi.org

Josh Sternberg@joshsternberg.com · 11mo ago

New WMD just dropped; a different kind of 'forever war'. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

My wonderful co-author Dr. Keith Preble has just updated our economic sanctions enforcement data set (2003-2025). It’s a great resource if you want to track or study how the US government’s #OFAC follows through on US sanctions by penalizing parties that violate them. Public release in Jan. 2026.

Keith A. Preble, Ph.D.@poliscikeith.bsky.social · 11mo ago

🎄 It's that special time of year again when the OFAC Enforcement Data Set gets updated! ☃️ I will publish the updated version of the dataset to Harvard Dataverse on 31 December. Last year, OFAC snuck in an EA on the last day of the year, so I'll wait until then to update the data set. /1

Tomorrow, I’ll be delivering a talk on my co-authored book project with Togzhan Kassenova entitled “Banks and the Bomb” as part of UAlbany’s Pathbreaking Research series at 10 am. The event is open to the public with registration. See: events.albany.edu/event/day-5-....

Four Faculty Members Tapped for 'Pathbreaking Research' Talks

The presentations, covering topics ranging from health communication to the aviation industry's impact on climate, will take place on Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to noon at ETEC as part of Day 5 of Research ...

albany.edu

I just watched “A House of Dynamite.” It was excellent and terrifying. It was a great reminder of why it is crucial to stop the spread of #nuclear weapons and work towards disarmament. I’m grateful to have such great colleagues working with me at PISCES/CPR at UAlbany to prevent WMD proliferation.