Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 17th September 2026

Posted: 18th September 2026

September 17, 2026

The WA Parish Generating Station in Texas, which has both natural gas and coal-fired power plants, is the second largest conventional power station in the United States. (RM VM, Wikimedia, CCA Share Alike 4.0 International)

Trump EPA rolls back climate rules for power plants

On the heels of the hottest summer on record, the Trump administration overturned most of a Biden-era rule limiting climate pollution from power plants, the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, writes Liza Gross. Read more.

Here’s why China acknowledged its new missile silos in a documentary

A state media documentary provides the first semi-official acknowledgment of China’s ICBM silo fields. By highlighting the rush to complete the project, Beijing signals that this expansion is driven by a need to secure a second-strike deterrent against US missile defenses, writes Robert Rust. Read more.

Insiders are betting on war: How prediction markets are becoming a national security threat

“Prediction markets are creating new nightmares for operational security,” write David Szakonyi, Michelle Kendler-Kretsch, and Michael Hornsby. “Anyone with insider information and internet access can bet anonymously and make a substantial profit. Moreover, their bets are observable to the whole world, giving both allies and adversaries alike a potential heads-up, even if the underlying information was never shared publicly.” Read more.

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Rogue AI didn’t breach Hugging Face, human decisions did

At the core of the Hugging Face hacking incident were a series of human choices that traded security for speed, writes Eryk Salvaggio. Focusing on that allows for better analysis of what can be done about it. Read more.

Pentagon’s secret plan: Reviving Cold War doctrines to lower the threshold for nuclear war

“A new nuclear policy is taking shape in secret, crafted by a small group of Pentagon officials, that will give President Donald Trump more ways to start a nuclear war,” writes Joe Cirincione. Read more.

IN THE NEWS

NPR Podcast: Who Keeps Winding the Doomsday Clock?

Alexandra Bell, president and CEO of the Bulletin, recently appeared on the NPR podcast Are We Doomed? to discuss the Doomsday Clock and how we got to where we are today. Listen here.

UPCOMING EVENT

Join the Bulletin for Conversations Before Midnight

Existential risks are on the rise. Can our leaders meet the moment? At the Bulletin’s annual gathering, Conversations Before Midnight, on November 12th in downtown Chicago, we’ll take a deep dive into that question with former Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell.

Tickets start at $75 for the Reception and Keynote Discussion. Purchase tickets here.

UPCOMING EVENT

Exclusive pre-sale:  Strathmore and the Bulletin present Kronos Quartet’s A Hard Rain

The Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet, the Bulletin’s Artist-in-Residence, will take the stage at the Strathmore in North Bethesda outside Washington, DC for a concert on the evening of Tuesday January 26, 2027.
 
The concert kicks off next year’s programming honoring 80 years since Martyl Langsdorf created the Doomsday Clock in 1947. The Bulletin’s Arts + Science Initiative carries forward her legacy of bringing together artists and scientists to push for change. Use code BULLETIN for exclusive access to the pre-salefor this exciting show.

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• Defeated by physics: The science behind Golden Dome’s space-based interceptors doesn’t add up

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The Stanton Nuclear Security Fund is launching a new nuclear security grant program. The program is open to researchers at US non-profit organizations conducting nuclear security research on topics such as nuclear war, nuclear terrorism, nuclear proliferation, nuclear weapons, deterrence, nuclear force posture, nuclear use doctrine, and security assurances, and, as it relates to nuclear security, nuclear energy.

For more information on how to apply, email Jessica Coakley at [email protected].

Application deadline is October 1st.

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