Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, February 23rd, 2026

Posted: 26th February 2026

February 23, 2026

President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin prepare to announce the rescission of the 2009 Endangerment Finding. (White House)

The reckless repeal of the Endangerment Finding

The repeal of the Endangerment Finding (the EPA’s 2009 finding that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health) is scientifically unfounded, almost certainly illegal, and unbelievably unwise, writes John P. Holdren. Read more.

Europe’s desire for strategic autonomy is a ‘fait accompli.’ It just needs to decide what that means

Whatever form European strategic autonomy may take, it will be Europeans who must decide how much they want their deterrence posture to rely on nuclear weapons, writes Bulletin nuclear affairs editor François Diaz-Maurin. Read more.

Russia calls it the ‘nonsense with a frog.’ The Navalny assassination is actually another chemical weapons violation

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a toxin naturally found on the skin of South American frogs. His assassination was yet another violation of the international ban on chemical weapons, writes Gemma Bowsher. Read more.

The Hard Problem

Two rogue scientists decided to destroy their equipment and do away with themselves so that their disturbing experiments are never repeated. Or did they? Read more in Beston Barnett’s short story, a winner of the Bulletin’s recent short story contest. This magazine story is available to all readers for a limited time.

Who were Richard Garwin and Hans Bethe? A response to the recent attack on their integrity in the Bulletin by Benjamin Wilson

A response by prominent physicist Frank von Hippel criticizing a recent essayin the Bulletin about Hans Bethe and Richard “Dick” Garwin, both of whom were major figures in US science and policy making. Read more.

VIRTUAL EVENT VIDEO

Decision Time: AI and our Nuclear Arsenal

If you missed it, last week the Bulletin and the Outrider Foundation hosted an expert roundtable on the future of AI in nuclear command and control. The recording is now available. Watch here.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“There is evidence that climate change will lead to sharper, more intense precipitation followed by long periods without. [...] However, since many factors control avalanche risk and precipitation is only one controlling influence, it is difficult to conclude how risks may evolve with future climate change.“

— Simon Mason, senior scientist at Stockholm Environment Institute US, “More than 90 deaths this season: Are we seeing more avalanches?,” BBC

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