Vol. 29, No. 16 
IAEA head says U.S.-Iran nuclear talks ‘fraught with opportunity,’ IAEA involved ‘sooner or later’
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Advanced Nuclear & SMRs
Sam Altman leaves Oklo board, Jacob DeWitte steps up
Sam Altman, co-founder and chief executive officer of OpenAI, is stepping down as chairman of the board of nuclear power company Oklo, according to a company statement Wednesday. Jacob DeWitte, Oklo CEO and co-founder, will serve as chairman and board member in Altman’s place. “As Oklo explores strategic partnerships to deploy clean energy at scale, […]
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Reactor Licensing & Regulation
NRC Commissioner says doesn’t know the future of NRC under Trump, ‘Does anybody?’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Christopher Hanson, commissioner for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said Monday he does not know where the future of the agency stands under the current Donald Trump administration, the executive order threatening diluting power, and the current lawsuit against the agency. “I don’t know,” Hanson said with a laugh in answer to a […]
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Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad
Northrop takes $397 million B-21 charge to accelerate production rates, prep for program increase
A manufacturing process change that will allow Northrop Grumman to reduce risk, increase production rates, and set the foundation for expanded production numbers of the B-21 stealth bomber beyond current plans helped lead to a $397 million after-tax loss on the Air Force program in the first quarter, the company said on Tuesday. The manufacturing […]
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Budget & Policy
Shaheen seeks info from DoD on tariffs impact, potential for rising acquisition costs
A senior member of the Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committees has raised concerns that the Trump administration’s widespread tariffs policy will lead to a spike in defense acquisition costs and negatively impact the industrial base. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who is also the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to […]
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International
IAEA director calls ZNPP ownership dilemma ‘unprecedented,’ Trump awaits Kyiv’s response
As President Donald Trump proposes designating the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as a neutral zone under Washington’s control, International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said safety assessments will be needed for the “unprecedented” situation. “In whichever scenario that we will have in the near future, there will have to be some status for the […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Various weapons complex officials advance
President Donald Trump has nominated several officials to lead key Department of Energy branches serving nuclear energy and the weapons complex, and some are making progress through the confirmation process. The nominees would report to the already confirmed Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. Exchange Monitor will update the nominees’ progress from time to time. James […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Lacking a quorum, DNFSB could lose another member in 2025
Almost three months into the second Donald Trump administration a safety watchdog panel for Department of Energy nuclear installation still lacks a quorum. The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB), which is set up as a five-member panel, is down to two people and its lone Republican’s current term expires in October. The Trump administration […]
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Budget & Policy
Wrap-up: No. 2 Senate Democrat retiring; Anti-nuclear activist petitions Three Mile Island name change; Los Alamos TRISO fuel; more
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the no. 2 Senate Democrat and a senior defense appropriator, announced Wednesday in a video he will not seek reelection in 2026. Durbin, 80, was elected to the Senate in 1996 and has served as the upper chamber’s Democratic Whip since 2005. He was previously the top Democrat on the Senate […]