Here's how President Donald Trump – who sources say was already frustrated by the Saudi nuclear deal's rollout – blew it up less than 24 hours later. https://cnn.it/3RUniLE
Davis Winkie
@winkie.bsky.social
Defense, nukes and natsec @ CNN || mostly part-time Guard guy || priors: Military Times, USA TODAY, Army Guard officer || views mine || DM for Signal || davis.winkie[at]pm.me
NEW (w/my White House colleagues): Our behind-the-scenes look at the confusion within the Trump administration on the US-Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement, which the president may have sunk with a 7:52 a.m. post yesterday. www.cnn.com/2026/07/23/p...
How Trump upended the Saudi nuclear deal less than 24 hours after its signing | CNN Politics
Trump abruptly announced Thursday that the deal was subject to a new condition: Saudi Arabia would have to join the Abraham Accords.
cnn.com
The Trump administration has tentatively agreed to allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium without enacting international safeguards intended to prevent nuclear weapons development, according to sources familiar with the matter and documents reviewed by CNN. https://cnn.it/4fhCFWc
Here's some of my @cnn.com appearance this afternoon discussing a tentative nuclear deal between the US and Saudi Arabia that will allow the Saudis to enrich uranium without adopting enhanced international safeguards. Experts are concerned that this could provide the KSA a path to nuclear weapons.
Marked a small professional milestone last weekend — I made my CNN on-air debut to discuss stockpile levels for key U.S. missiles.
EXCLUSIVE: In recent weeks, Iran has dramatically escalated efforts to seal off its cache of near bomb-grade uranium, deliberately collapsing tunnels and booby-trapping entrances with explosive mines, according to five sources familiar with US intelligence. www.cnn.com/2026/06/13/p...
Exclusive: Iran sealed uranium cache and placed mines amid fears of US operation to seize material | CNN Politics
In recent weeks, Iran has dramatically escalated efforts to seal off its cache of near bomb-grade uranium, deliberately collapsing tunnels and booby-trapping entrances with explosive mines, according ...
cnn.com
We are delighted to announce a new Outrider fellow this week: @winkie.bsky.social, who will cover national security and nuclear threats for @cnn.com. outrider.org/news/davis-w...
Davis Winkie Named Outrider Fellow at CNN
Winkie joins CNN as a Reporter and Senior Fellow covering national security and nuclear threats.
outrider.org
NEW (w/ @marshall-cohen.bsky.social): A provision in the House's draft defense policy bill would bar troops and Pentagon civilians from betting on prediction markets where they "could reasonably obtain" nonpublic info. Part of a growing backlash against insider trading. www.cnn.com/2026/06/02/p...
Restrictions on prediction market bets by US troops part of draft defense bill | CNN Politics
Members of the US military may soon be barred from using prediction markets to bet on global events if a draft defense policy bill passes Congress and becomes law. The proposal comes after a high-prof...
cnn.com
Davis news: Monday was my first day covering nukes and defense for @CNN.com’s national security team! I’m excited to get to work alongside incredible colleagues (& my dear pal @halbritz.bsky.social). Let’s chat — davis.winkie@cnn.com or Winkie.11 on Signal.
NEW for @usatoday.com: The long shadow of DOGE cuts left a remote Army base in Alaska scrambling to feed its soldiers as temperatures slipped to 50 below zero. The base, Fort Greely, is responsible for shooting down nuclear and other missiles targeting the US. www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Exclusive: DOGE cuts prompt scramble to feed troops at remote US base
The remote Army base is responsible for shooting down nuclear missiles targeting the US.
usatoday.com
Curious about America’s nuclear missile silos? Join our reporter @winkie.bsky.social and nuclear weapons historian @wellerstein.bsky.social for a Reddit AMA in r/Military, where they’ll answer your questions about their project “The Nuclear Sponge. Ask them anything here: bit.ly/3Z3w6Pi
I had a really fun time working on the code that was used to make these fallout visualizations for this USA Today article. I will soon be incorporating some of it into the NUKEMAP and probably making a version of this "mass attack fallout mapper" for public use. www.usatoday.com/graphics/int...
Fallout maps show how an attack on nuclear silos would impact US cities
USA TODAY mapped the far-reaching potential consequences of a nuclear strike against America's 450 nuclear missile silos.
usatoday.com
What could happen if the U.S.'s nuclear missile silos were attacked? An interactive map in @usatoday.com paints a bleak picture. Feat. expertise from grantees @wellerstein.bsky.social, Sébastien Philippe, @armscontrolnow.bsky.social, w/ support from @outrider.org www.usatoday.com/graphics/int...
Fallout maps show how an attack on nuclear silos would impact US cities
USA TODAY mapped the far-reaching potential consequences of a nuclear strike against America's 450 nuclear missile silos.
usatoday.com
But please do read all four parts of this excellent new series of articles in @usatoday.com by @winkie.bsky.social (supported by @outrider.org) about the deeply troubled Sentinel ICBM program: www.usatoday.com/story/news/p... www.usatoday.com/story/news/p... www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
What could happen if America's nuclear missile silos were attacked? See the fallout maps.
Fallout maps show how an attack on nuclear silos would impact US cities
USA TODAY mapped the far-reaching potential consequences of a nuclear strike against America's 450 nuclear missile silos.
bit.ly
NEW @usatoday.com PROJECT: The U.S. has 450 nuclear missile silos. And they exist, in part, to be destroyed. What would happen if they were? The Nuclear Sponge is a five-part project informing readers about the strategic debate and costs of modernizing the land leg of America’s nuclear triad.
The military has long struggled to keep its part-time troops fit. Can the Army crack the code?
Hegseth wants a fitter military, but significant barriers hold back part-time troops
The military has long struggled to keep its part-time troops fit. Can the Army crack the code?
bit.ly
75% of nuclear weapons agency staff is furloughed. Under 400 remain on the job without pay in order to ensure the safety and security of the nuclear stockpile. Read more from Outrider fellow @winkie.bsky.social @usatoday.com: www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Was in a decommissioned nuclear silo when @winkie.bsky.social turned to me and said: "Hey, have you read this report about the guy who uploaded 30 years worth of porn to a government computer?"
Man Stores AI-Generated Robot Porn on His Government Computer, Loses Access to Nuclear Secrets
A man who works for the people overseeing America’s nuclear stockpile has lost his security clearance after he uploaded 187,000 pornographic images to a Department of Energy (DOE) network. As part of ...
404media.co
NEW DEEP DIVE — DOGE has put the National Nuclear Security Administration’s nuclear weapons modernization efforts at risk, we found after digging into decades of watchdog reports and interviewing current/former officials and experts. www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Nuclear weapons woes: Understaffed nuke agency hit by DOGE and safety worries
The consequences of DOGE's disruptions at the National Nuclear Security Administration could be far-reaching, experts say.
usatoday.com
The consequences of DOGE's disruptions at the National Nuclear Security Administration could be far-reaching, according to experts. I discussed the issues on today's edition of @usatoday.com’s The Excerpt. art19.com/shows/5-thin...
Former President Joe Biden diagnosed with 'aggressive form' of prostate cancer
Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. President Donald Trump's tax bill passed in a key House committee vote. USA TODAY White House Reporter Davis Winkie talks about an...
art19.com
Maintaining and modernizing the U.S. nuclear arsenal will cost nearly $1 trillion over the next decade, according to the CBO. That’s $190 billion more than the previous estimate. Read @winkie.bsky.social report in @usatoday.com
Price of US nuclear weapons jumps 25% to nearly $1 trillion by 2034, budget office says
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office's estimate does not include recently discovered cost overruns in the Sentinel missile project.
buff.ly
Introducing @winkie.bsky.social, Outrider's newest reporting Fellow! Davis will cover the White House for @usatoday.com, focusing on nuclear threats and national security. Learn more about him, and read his latest stories:
Outrider Foundation Announces Fellowship in Partnership with USA TODAY and Journalism Funding Partners.
Davis Winkie will cover the White House for USA TODAY, focusing on nuclear threats and national security.
buff.ly
My latest overnight for @usatoday.com alongside colleagues Tom Vanden Brook & Zac Anderson. www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Trump removes Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. CQ Brown in purge of military leaders
Brown is among the senior military officials the Trump administration has linked to Biden-era diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
usatoday.com
WRITERS: I am launching a movie column at @militarydotcom.bsky.social, tentatively titled 'Theater of War.' I am looking for compelling analyses of war movies new and old, whether it's of a specific scene or a broader theme. Send pitches to jared.keller [at] monster dot com
President Trump's Jan. 27 order – “The Iron Dome for America” – directs the Pentagon to plan a “next generation missile defense shield” to guard against any threat from any foe. Will it make the USA safe? The latest from Outrider fellow @winkie.bsky.social of @usatoday.com:
Will Trump’s ‘Iron Dome’ missile defense make Americans safer? It’s complicated
Space-based interceptors and "particle beams" are part of a new multi-billion-dollar Trump order to build a new U.S. missile defense system.
buff.ly
My old Army unit called me today — two years after my interservice transfer — looking for OCIE gear that I returned in June 2022 🤠 ~~~ A wild FLIPL appeared! DAVIS used OCIE CLEARANCE MEMO! It’s super effective!
I received two cards for #VeteransDay2024 Who do we think did it better? My Kindergartener's class (Only two students had family that served and got cards) or @winkie.bsky.social
