IN DoD
Defense Secretary Ash Carter this week nominated Adm. John Richardson to be the next Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). Richardson currently serves as Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. “Admiral John Richardson was a clear choice,” Carter said. “He’s a bold thinker, a tremendous leader, and the go-to officer for many of the Navy’s tough issues in recent years, from preparing for the Ohio-class replacement ballistic missile submarine to handling problems of integrity and ethics. He is in high demand. I had to wrestle him away from the Secretary of Energy. But as anyone who has worked with John will tell you, he’s worth the fight.” Pending confirmation by the Senate Armed Services Committee, Richardson would succeed Adm. Jonathan Greenert, who has served since September 2011 in his current post.
IN CONGRESS
The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, a loose collection of activist groups at Department of Energy sites around the United States, is staging its annual “DC Days” next week in Washington to push their agenda and raise their profile among decisionmakers and Congressional staffers. Groups in 10 or more states are represented by the network. The ANA recently published a 20-page report on “The Growing U.S. Nuclear Threat” that looks at issues associated with plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on the nuclear weapons program in coming years. “Profligate spending on nuclear weapons ‘modernization’ increases the nuclear danger for the U.S and the world. Moreover, lack of accountability at DOE wastes billions more while risking public health and safety, including in Livermore,” Marylia Kelley, Tri-Valley CAREs’ Executive Director, said in a statement.
