Vol. 29, No. 3 Wright DOE nomination advances 15-5; Cortez Masto votes no, Heinrich votes yes
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Budget & Policy
Trump orders hiring freeze; nixes remote work
Among the flurry of executive orders President Donald Trump signed Monday after being sworn in are measures to implement a federal hiring freeze and telling government staff to return to in-person work. “Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate […]
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Naval Nuclear Propulsion
Sen. Kaine says AUKUS ‘probably’ in ‘good position’ under Trump
WASHINGTON — While unclear how President Donald Trump (R) will approach AUKUS, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) says there are ‘positive bits of evidence’ that it will be sustained in the new administration. “The president is very focused on shipbuilding, okay?” Kaine told the Monitor at the Capitol on Wednesday. “So that’s good. And I think […]
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Naval Nuclear Propulsion
Australia announces another $164 million for AUKUS sub industry
The Australian defense minister on Tuesday announced another $164 million investment in domestic industry to support the supply chain for the future AUKUS nuclear-powered attack submarine. The Albanese government, the federal executive branch of Australia, specified this covers funding various initiatives focused on about 125 businesses across Australia that will help build and sustain AUKUS […]
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National Laboratories
Wind and solar won’t work for lab; controversial powerline needed, LANL says
Thom Mason, director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, said Tuesday that the lab cannot rely on wind and solar power for its capabilities or to power its supercomputers. “That was part of a pretty extensive analysis on how to get more power on site,” Mason said in response to a question about the Electric Power […]
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National Laboratories
LANL director says Trump return to office order doesn’t affect the lab
President Donald Trump’s (R) return-to-office mandate for federal workers did not affect Los Alamos National Laboratory personnel, who already work mainly on site, the lab’s director said on a virtual town hall Tuesday. “Nobody’s making pits in their garage,” Thom Mason, director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, said on the zoom call. “Everything has to […]
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Budget & Policy
Departing chair talks safety board nominations, challenges
Joyce Connery, who is departing as a nuclear safety watchdog after nearly a decade, would not be shocked to see the President Donald Trump (R) administration revive then-President Joe Biden’s (D) nomination of a former Department of Energy cleanup boss to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board —only this time paired with one or more […]
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Contracts & Procurement
Acting secretary pauses DOE RFPs, reports pending review
The Department of Energy is putting the breaks on most contract solicitations, reports and personnel moves, Acting Secretary of Energy Ingrid Kolb said this week. In a Monday memo, viewed by Exchange Monitor, Kolb said most contract procurements of $100,000 or more were to be put on hold as were most loan guarantees, hiring, promotions […]
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Budget & Policy
Ex-administrator advises successors to look at NNSA enterprise blueprint
WASHINGTON — Ahead of President Donald Trump’s (R) swearing-in, Jill Hruby, now former administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, advised the Trump administration to look at the agency’s enterprise blueprint. “I want to be clear that the blueprint is not a wish list,” Hruby said last week at a tell-all at Washington think tank […]
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International
IAEA director advises Trump admin to work with Iran on nuclear
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Tuesday that President Donald Trump must return to the table and reach “an understanding” with Iran on its nuclear program. “There was an agreement that existed before President Trump decided that it was not the path he wanted to follow,” Grossi said, referring to […]
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Uranium Enrichment & Fuel Cycle
Trump executive order seeks to freeze funds for domestic uranium contracts
President Donald Trump (R) on Monday ordered federal agencies to pause distribution of funds appropriated by his predecessor’s signature stimulus bills, including funds intended to jumpstart a domestic uranium refining industry. “All agencies shall immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) or the Infrastructure Investment […]
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Wrap up: B61-12s ‘forward deployed;’ Hegseth advances despite allegations; changes underway at small biz office; acting Air Force and Naval secretary news
WASHINGTON — Jill Hruby, ex-administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said last week the B61-12 gravity bombs have been “fully forward deployed,” meaning stationed by a potential conflict area to respond to threats. “The new B61-12 gravity bombs are fully forward deployed, and we have increased NATO’s visibility to our nuclear capabilities through visits […]