Vol. 30, No. 3 
NNSA’s Williams: President Trump will make call on nuclear testing
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Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile
Nuclear Deterrence Summit features Sen. Cramer, NNSA’s Williams, STRATCOM Commander
Exchange Monitor’s annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit will feature speeches from big nuclear weapons complex players, including National Nuclear Security Administration head Brandon Williams and the first public appearance by newly sworn-in U.S. Strategic Command commander Adm. Richard Correll. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) whose state houses silos for the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missiles, will also speak. […]
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Innovation & Infrastructure
NNSA explores pilot project with AWS for Genesis, fed spending site says
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) awarded Amazon Web Services (AWS) a contract,worth up to $30.7 million, to complete high-performance computing support and data processing services for the agency. The sole source contract, which has a $10-million floor, is named “AWS Genesis Demonstrator,” and the NNSA Weapons Activities Office provided the funds. The agreement is […]
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Budget & Policy
House passes fiscal 2026 defense spending bill, heads to Senate
The House on Thursday evening voted 341-88 to pass the final $839 billion fiscal year 2026 Defense Appropriations Bill. The measure was part of a three-bill “minibus” spending package, which also included the Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Transportation appropriations bills. It now heads to the Senate. The upper […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Los Alamos Ion Beam demo to start this year
Work crews at the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico will start demolition of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) old Ion Beam Facility this year, a DOE cleanup manager said Wednesday. “We are going to tear down the ion beam and remove the slab” starting in 2026, Jessica Kunkle, who […]
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Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad
HASC seapower chair backs battleship concept
The top lawmaker on the House’s Navy acquisition oversight panel Jan. 14 backed the Donald Trump administration’s plan to build a new fleet of battleships, calling the initiative a “great idea.” Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), chair of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee also offered his support for the Trump administration’s recently […]
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International
IAEA: Chernobyl lost external power due to military activity, more attacks expected
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant lost all off-site power due to “widespread military activity” in Ukraine, United Nations nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on the social media platform X Tuesday. According to IAEA on X, several Ukrainian electrical substations as well as powerlines to other nuclear power plants were affected. Ukrainian […]
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Budget & Policy
DNFSB stayed busy during fiscal 2025, report says
Despite its dwindling number of board members, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) kept busy as a safety watchdog for the Department of Energy during fiscal 2025, according to a recent report. Set up 35 years ago by Congress as a five-member panel, DNFSB is down to a single member, Patricia Lee. Nevertheless, work […]
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Transuranic Waste
WIPP receives 33 waste shipments in December
The Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico received fewer shipments of transuranic waste (TRU) in 2025 than it did during 2024, according to data from the facility’s public website. WIPP took in 33 shipments in December, to cap off the 2025 calendar year with 441 shipments, which is down from […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Ex-NNSA, Army Corps boss appointed Legacy Management deputy director
The Department of Energy’s Office of Legacy Management has hired a longtime federal hand, Lara Beasley, to be its deputy director. Beasley comes to DOE Legacy Management from DOE’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Legacy Management office announced in a December press release. A native of the Chicago area, Beasley has worked with […]
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National Laboratories
SRNL taps Jackson to lead its new directorate
The Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina has hired Roderick Jackson as its associate laboratory director for the science, energy and innovation directorate. The science, energy and innovation directorate focuses on integrating fundamental research, energy reliability and innovation within a cohesive and mission-driven framework, according to a Jan. 14 press release. […]
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Contracts & Procurement
Wrap up: Salas O’Brien purchases TechSource; DoD name change could cost millions; U.S.-Slovakia nuclear agreement; more
Salas O’Brien, an international employee-owned engineering and technical services firm, announced Wednesday it is purchasing Los Alamos-based TechSource, a government contractor that does work with the Department of Energy. “Salas O’Brien has strengthened its ability to deliver solutions for the most complex federal government and infrastructure challenges with the addition of TechSource, a leading scientific […]