Nuclear news (too much) this week

A bit of good news – What is Black Climate Week? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1YQWBoDN_w

Climate. 75 active wildfires rage in Alberta, Canada. Wildfires, heat waves in Canada, Russia, Mongolia Kazakhstan.

Nuclear. Hard to know which issue to tackle. There’s the frenzied pro nuclear propaganda (type “nuclear” into Google News and see what you get). There’s Zaporizhzhia. There’s waste. And there’s Zelensky and Ukraine – where the Washington Post forgot that its job is adulation, and quickly has to correct any suggestion that Zelensky is less than a saintly hero. USA and its lackeys (UK, Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan etc) are not actually at war against Russia. But the Western media must think that we all are, so its infra dig to publish anything other than war-mongering propaganda worthy of the WW1 British style.

AUSTRALIA.

Assange and the Australian government’s persecution of alleged Afghan war crimes whistleblower.
Australian Radioactive Waste Agency a “zombie measure”– no funding left by Morrison government.
‘Dumb idea’: Energy minister fires at Peter Dutton’s nuclear power plan, urging him to ‘come clean’ about the facts . Boring new pro nuclear push in Australia – same old excessively optimistic arguments. Nuclear advocates energised despite economic reality Nuclear power at least 15 years away, says regulator. Peter FitzSimons takes aim at schoolboy campaigning for nuclear energy with scathing Twitter post,
Very bad advice: $368b nuclear submarines and the Federal budget. Weakening of Australia’s nuclear prohibition laws – necessary to develop the submarines. Budget reveals cutbacks on funding for Australia’s military and navy, in order to pay $billions for nuclear submarines. This week’s budget confirms the death of Labor’s nuclear disarmament diplomacy.
A Warrnambool artist recalls the physical and emotional effects of nuclear testing in Maralinga.
Nuclear waste is a $476m problem even before AUKUS.

CLIMATE. How a campaign to keep fossil fuels underground is gaining traction. Weatherwatch: concerns over climate impact on UK nuclear power sites.

CIVIL LIBERTIES. Chris Hedges: Julian Assange – A Fight We Must Not Lose. Threats to journalism posed by UK National Security Bill brushed aside by Parliament.

ECONOMICS.

Sowing Seeds of Plunder: A Lose-Lose Situation in Ukraine.
Putin Still Selling U.S. Nearly $1 Billion in Nuclear Fuel. UK government’s own workplace pension scheme won’t back nuclear projects. Rolls-Royce falls 6% as update lacks oomph and news on small nuclear business.
Counting the rising costs of Scotland’s nuclear testing facility.
Marketing. Bill Gates, Rolls Royce, and others, in the scrum to con the UK government into buying useless nuclear reactor minitrash.

EDUCATION. Nuclear enthusiast Jennifer Granholm ‘hopeful’ about $1B in federal loans to restart Palisades nuclear plant.

ENERGY. Germany’s Nuclear Energy Phase-Out, Explained,

ENVIRONMENT. Campaigners claim permit change at Hinkley Point would kill billions of fish. What to Know About Fukushima’s Exclusion Zone and Nuclear Mutations. Japan’s nuclear contaminated wastewater dump plan a cause of concerns even for New Caledonia.

HEALTH. The terrible toll of A-bomb tests — Beyond Nuclear

INDIGENOUS ISSUES. The Quiet Warrior: Russell Jim’s Struggle Against Nuclear Colonialism.

LEGAL. New Mexico State law and multiple federal court challenges may yet block the Holtec nuclear waste project.

MEDIA. Washington Post censors its own report of interview that showed President Vladimir Zelensky in a poor light. THE NUCLEAR CLUB. Christopher Nolan’s New ‘Oppenheimer’ Trailer Sees U.S. On the Brink of Nuclear War. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CXFpWTxS3M The Women of Three Mile Island. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is3jlNhicFY

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. Microsoft just made a huge, dodgy bet on nuclear fusion. Helion and Microsoft Lead World Down Nuclear Fusion Rabbit Hole, China’s nuclear ambitions get a boost from Russia, but is energy the only goal?.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR. Save our sceptred isle: NFLAs issue appeal to King over Lincolnshire Nuke Dump. UK’s Nuclear Waste Services ignore overwhelming local council opposition to siting plan for waste dump. Pacific leaders remain steadfast against nuclear waste disposal.

POLITICS

Nuclear power and the technocratic system are not compatible with democracy: Franc e’s group in Grenobl e that fights this system.
US nuclear companies urge Congress for $billions, as Russia’s nuclear industry profits from both sides of the Ukraine war . Power alert: Be wary of lifting moratorium on new Illinois nuclear plants. Robert Kennedy Jr: America needs a revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY89a_zXi9s Understanding The Highly Complex World Of Western China Analysis.
Campaigners against UK nuclear waste dump plan claim victory in local elections. How the Greens are conquering the Tory countryside. No more Hibakusha: Nuclear Free Local Authorities urge PM to make peace pledge at Hiroshima Summit.

Jamaica’s government planning for small nuclear reactors – but there’s been no public discussion.
Philippines unprepared for nuclear-related dangers,

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. The success of the Zelensky regime coming unstuck? F rance to host pro-nuclear meet to push for EU recognition of climate benefits. Whitewashing history. Estonia to issue fines for celebrating WW2 victory over Nazis. Five years after Trump’s exit, no return to the Iran nuclear deal. NATO – a great predatory bird – now keen to gobble up Japan, too.

PROTESTS. 8 arrested at nuclear protest on Mother’s Day

SAFETY. Luck is not a safety plan. Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant facing ‘catastrophic’ staff shortage amid Russian evacuation. Russia orders evacuation of civilians around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant amid warnings of ‘severe nuclear accident’. Ukraine war: ‘Mad panic’ as Russia evacuates town near Zaporizhzhia plant. Risks too high at Zaporizhzhia.

Experts urge G7 leaders to discuss nuclear security. Vogtle-3 nuclear reactor flunked cybersecurity inspections, still at 0% power (7 May) French nuclear group Orano (previously Areva) evacuates foreign workers to Niger capital following security threat.

SECRETS and LIES. The US silence on Israeli nuclear weapons and the right-wing Israeli government.

SPINBUSTER. Missteps deliver Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez into the hands of the pro-nuclear propagandists – REPROCESSING IS NOT RECYCLING.

WASTES.

Nuclear’s Dangerous Waste Is ‘Rapidly Catching Up’ With Industry
Canada’s radioactive waste and decommissioning policy is a failure.
Regulator issues permit for New Mexico nuclear waste facility against wishes of local, state, and federal leaders. New Mexico shouldn’t be the nation’s nuclear dump.
Prevent, protect, consult – the NFLA (Nuclear Free Local Authorities)’ three priorities for UK radioactive waste policy. Profitable industry in trying to clean up dead nuclear reactors. The Nuclear Industry Thinks It Can Get Away With Dumping Far Hotter Wastes Because Cumbria Has a Short Memory?
Stanford-led research finds small modular reactors will exacerbate challenges of highly radioactive nuclear waste.
Fukushima greets summer with dread as nuclear-contaminated wastewater dumping approaches.

WAR and CONFLICT. Leak reveals Zelensky privately plots bold attacks inside Russia.(Is his halo slipping?) Zelensky plotted attacks deep inside Russia – Washington Post. As Donetsk civilians live in constant fear of Ukrainian shelling, from on the ground, I detail the terror.

Poland: Pentagon, NATO reach milestone in plans for direct confrontation with Russia. NATO Weapons Go Boom, British Missiles Strike Russia – Ukraine War Escalates Russia’s Nuclear-Capable Tu-95, Tu-160 Bombers Deployed Near NATO Border As Tensions Escalate With Ukraine. NATO holds submarine warfare exercise to block Russia’s entry to Atlantic .

US Politicians Suggest Bombing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in Event of Cross-Strait Conflict. Japanese protesters call for US military to be evicted.

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. Biden is selling weapons to the majority of the world’s autocracies. Britain leads the way in escalating the Ukraine war with long range missiles. US to Provide Ukraine $1.2 Billion in Long-Term Security Aid. Pentagon chief pledges Abrams tanks to Ukraine soon.

US and Taiwan in talks for US$500 million in free weapons after arms deliveries stalled. Pentagon: U.S. deploys warplanes, warships, interceptor missiles to Europe, troops to Mexican border . Links between Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Power. U.S. transfers F-22s from Poland to Estonia to “defend NATO’s eastern flank” . Pentagon wants authority to start work on new technologies without Congressional approval.