2020-02-07 12:57:49

Risk of Nuclear War Rises as U.S. Deploys a New Nuclear Weapon for the First Time Since the Cold War

The Federation of American Scientists revealed in late January that the U.S. Navy had deployed for the first time a submarine armed with a low-yield Trident nuclear warhead.

The USS Tennessee deployed from Kings Bay Submarine Base in Georgia in late 2019. The W76-2 warhead, which is facing criticism at home and abroad, is estimated to have about a third of the explosive power of the atomic bomb the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima.

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) called the news “an alarming development that heightens the risk of nuclear war.”

Democracy Now! is joined by William Arkin, longtime reporter focused on military and nuclear policy, author of numerous books, including Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State.

He broke the story about the deployment of the new low-yield nuclear weapon in an article he co-wrote for the Federation of American Scientists. He also recently wrote a cover piece for Newsweek titled With a New Weapon in Donald Trump’s Hands, the Iran Crisis Risks Going Nuclear.

“What surprised me in my reporting … was a story that was just as important, if not more important, than what was going on in the political world,” Arkin says.

Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. Our reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues. On DN!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.

Missed an episode?  Check out DN on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.

#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change. 

#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling and online at freespeech.org.

Amy Goodman Democracy Now! Federation of American Scientists Free Speech TV Nuclear War Nuclear Weapons US Navy USS Tennessee William Arkin

War and Peace

BreakThrough News

BreakThrough News | Arab Americans Deserve Respect and Safety

BreakThrough News | Arab Americans Deserve Respect and Safety

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | The Death Toll In Gaza Continues To Grow

Democracy Now! | The Death Toll In Gaza Continues To Grow

Rising Up With Sonali

Rising Up With Sonali | In Solidarity, Black Americans Stand

Rising Up With Sonali | In Solidarity, Black Americans Stand

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | Is Biden Putting His Possible Second Term At Risk?

Democracy Now! | Is Biden Putting His Possible Second Term At Risk?

Related

The Stephanie Miller Show

The Stephanie Miller Show | House Speaker Mike Johnson's Dangerous Beliefs

The Stephanie Miller Show | House Speaker Mike Johnson's Dangerous Beliefs

FSTV Speaks

FSTV Speaks | Calling For An Immediate Cease-Fire

FSTV Speaks | Calling For An Immediate Cease-Fire

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | President Biden Strikes with UAW and Writers Guild Reach A Tentative Agreement

Democracy Now! | President Biden Strikes with UAW and Writers Guild Reach A Tentative Agreement

Democracy Now!

Inmate P01135809: Trump Surrenders to Jail in Georgia, Booked on 13 Felony Counts

Inmate P01135809: Trump Surrenders to Jail in Georgia, Booked on 13 Felony Counts

Proud Partners