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Jon B. Wolfsthal

@jonatomic.bsky.social
5K followers 471 following 2K posts

Nuclear Fellow @ Pax Sapiens, former Bulletin of Atomic Scientists and State Department International Sec Advisory Board, CNAS Sr. Fellow, former National Security Council. No #manels, Yankees/Gunners.

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Reposted by Jon B. Wolfsthal
Gregory Koblentz @gregkoblentz.bsky.social · 4h
Shot: At White House, Trump Asks A.I. Titans to Police Themselves www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/u... Chaser: OpenAI Ignored Employees Who Warned It Wasn’t Doing Enough About Security www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/t...
nytimes.com
At A.I. Event, Trump Asks Meta, OpenAI and Microsoft to Make Safety Decisions Themselves
President Trump’s meetings with tech leaders produced some voluntary safeguards and a commitment to rebrand artificial intelligence as “super intelligence,” the term that Mr. Trump prefers.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 8h
After Two Decades, U.S. Forces Leave Iraq to an Uncertain Future www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/w... This is George W Bush’s only real legacy. It should be mentioned every time his name comes up. This was the previous war of choice before Trump launched the Iran war.
nytimes.com
After Two Decades, U.S. Forces Leave Iraq to an Uncertain Future
Some Iraqis are celebrating the end of an American military presence that unleashed waves of bloodshed. Others fear what happens next for their country, trapped between Washington and Tehran.
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Reposted by Jon B. Wolfsthal
Pavel Podvig @russianforces.org · 20h
"Is the Dead Hand back? Well, it never went away" - My take on the story about Kosvinsky Kamen/The Dead Hand/Perimeter. Website: russianforces.org/blog/2026/09... Substack: russianforces.substack.com/p/is-the-dea...
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 18h
Hard for Astros to win when they no longer have their most valuable player.
static.klipy.com
Funny Dancing Trash Cans Animation
ALT: Funny Dancing Trash Cans Animation
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 23h
Supreme Court Allows Rapid Third-Country Deportations, for Now www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/u...
nytimes.com
Supreme Court Allows Rapid Third-Country Deportations, for Now
The court also announced it would hear arguments in December on the legality of the Trump administration policy to swiftly deport immigrants to countries not their own.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
think for just one second which two industries benefit the most by this Trump move? 1) Car companies - save money on fuel efficiency tech 2) Gas and oil producers
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
this is an outrage. an absolute, avoidable outrage and Trump, Hegseth and Cao are responsible. www.npr.org/2026/09/29/n...
npr.org
Family seeks 'semblance of justice' after sailor on long deployment dies by suicide
Sailors have been on long deployments this year. The focus has been on carriers, but those on smaller ships also feel the strain.
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Reposted by Jon B. Wolfsthal
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 29/09/2026
OpenAI said it would not release its newest artificial intelligence model over safety concerns raised by its researchers.
nyti.ms
OpenAI Says It Will Not Release Newest Astra A.I. Model Over Safety Concerns
The company’s researchers raised questions about the security of the model, known as GPT-6.1 Astra.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
MAGA candidate in Calif. town convicted on 9 counts of election fraud www.sfgate.com/politics/art...
sfgate.com
MAGA candidate in small Calif. town convicted on 9 counts of election fraud
It turns out this conservative candidate wasn't following election laws herself.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
so, this is amazing www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/m... @minjinlee.bsky.social what a wonderful interview. Thank you.
nytimes.com
Min Jin Lee Was Underestimated for Half Her Life. Then She Started to Write.
A torch bearer for the great 19th-century tradition of social realism, she’s become one of the most important novelists of her generation.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
It is quite common for the scientists who create the world’s most dangerous double edged swords to warn about their dangers. Nuclear fears led to controls and regulation. Bio the same. Time for AI is short it seems.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
‘I Write This to Frighten You’: How Scientists Took On Existential Risk Once Before www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/b... @noamscheiber.bsky.social thanks for this. You should check out the work still being done by @thebulletin.org and @nukestrat.bsky.social @mattkorda.bsky.social at groups they started
nytimes.com
How Scientists Can Shape Public Opinion Over A.I. Risks
Artificial intelligence workers may have leverage to make the world safer.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Trump Offered to Sell Arms to China, U.S. Ambassador Says www.nytimes.com/2026/09/27/u...
nytimes.com
Trump Offered to Sell Arms to China, U.S. Ambassador Says
President Trump made the offer to Xi Jinping, China’s leader, said David Perdue, the ambassador to China. The White House later said the U.S. had no plans for such a sale.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Some Republicans Issue a New Call on Trump’s War With Iran: End It Now www.nytimes.com/2026/09/27/u... They are not objecting because it was unwise, launched without Congressional consent, or undermined US security. They finally object because it is unpopular. That is not leadership.
nytimes.com
Trump’s War With Iran Drags Down Republicans in Midterm Elections
As their midterm picture darkens, and gas and diesel prices soar, some Republicans who backed the war for months are now changing their tune.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Tell me more about how the markets can self regulate and governments should not get involved in regulating components of the economy. #OpenAI #lossofcontrol
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
As Americans, we want to look for solutions. In Iran, it is hard to find one. Priorities remain secure nuclear program, open straits and end hostilities against US partners and interests. Only US leverage is sanctions and frozen assets. Not clear Iran gives US/Trump what we want for what we have.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
How can you not be romantic about baseball. @coreyah.bsky.social www.mlb.com/news/justin-...
mlb.com
Verlander caps iconic career with emotional start and incredible father-daughter moment
DETROIT -- For one last time, the Tigers got Vintage Verlander. With six strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball, Justin Verlander capped his incredible career with a glimpse of greatness and an...
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Just imagine what Chinese models are doing as they break containment. What are the odds that Chinese labs even know what their models are doing? 
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Reposted by Jon B. Wolfsthal
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 26/09/2026
A man who was pardoned by President Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 riot was arrested on Thursday on charges that he recorded himself touching a woman’s hair on a Metro train in suburban Washington in March, the authorities said.
nyti.ms
Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter Is Accused of Touching Woman’s Hair on D.C. Metro
Bryan Betancur, 29, was taken into custody on Thursday in Arlington, Va., two days after he completed a sentence for the same offense in the District of Columbia.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
These companies have already lost containment and control of their models. They do not know or do nor care enough to create secure sand boxes. If they cannot operate safely, they should not be allowed to operate. If they were a chemical or nuclear plant, they would be shut down.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Odds Trump turns his offensive arch into an ICBM launcher? Not zero, right?
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
My dear friend and mentor Jack Mendelsohn died in August. He was like a second father to me. His career touched hundreds of people, and he helped enhance US and global security. I miss him every day. @matthew-bunn.bsky.social and I drafted tribute. www.armscontrol.org/act/2026-09/...
armscontrol.org
Reducing Nuclear Dangers Through Diplomacy: Jack Mendelsohn (1934-2026) | Arms Control Association
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I was away when this excellent piece came out. The authors do an excellent job explaining how Trump moves are making allies and US homeland less safe. www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state... Abandoning allies in Europe encourages aggression there, in Asia, and at home.
foreignaffairs.com
The Crumbling Defense of Europe
Trump has already undermined NATO and allied deterrence.
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Reposted by Jon B. Wolfsthal
Ami Fields-Meyer @fieldsmeyer.com · 25/09/2026
Dr. Oz is on my flight right now. He is sitting in the very first seat, front row. I saw him get on the plane. So when I stepped off the jetway onto the plane I approached him and put my hand out. What the man in charge of healthcare for the people on the very margins of society said…was revealing
Dr. Oz on flight
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Are there more important things going on than a substack tournament on submarine movies? Absolutely. Should you read anyway? You already know the answer to that. Check out the first head to head match up. Das Boot vs. Torpedo Run thinkingnuclear.substack.com/p/and-were-o...
thinkingnuclear.substack.com
And We’re Off - Sub Movie Match Up #1
Das Boot vs. Torpedo Run
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Reposted by Jon B. Wolfsthal
François Diaz-Maurin @francoisdm.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Read the full analysis by AnnaJulia Yates, Allison Macfarlane, and Alexander Wimmers in @thebulletin.org:
thebulletin.org
Why the world's top nuclear nation is sitting out the hype on small reactors
Unlike the US and UK, where start-ups and governments are betting heavily on small modular reactors, France’s state-led nuclear sector is prioritizing large-scale builds. With SMRs facing operational ...
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Is Xi supposed to believe that Donald Trump might use a nuclear weapon against Chinese forces to protect Taiwan? After what we’ve just witnessed this seems implausible to me. Deterrence is more about behavior, not capabilities. 
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I’ve worked on nuclear dangers all my life. People are not “predicting” the end, but focusing in human-made dangers that demand oversight and greater attention or they will lead to our demise. Should we just ignore these? Why We Can’t Stop Predicting the Apocalypse www.nytimes.com/2026/09/25/m...
nytimes.com
What Can Climate Change and Covid Teach Us About A.I. Doom?
From climate to Covid to A.I., we face a terrifying feeling of exponential growth spinning out of our control. Are we right?
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Picot lives!!!
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Unused Tents and Uneaten Food: Watchdog Finds ‘Waste’ in Immigration Crackdown www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/u...
nytimes.com
Unused Tents and Uneaten Food: Watchdog Finds ‘Waste’ in Immigration Crackdown
In a report Thursday, the Government Accountability Office said the Trump administration squandered millions of dollars to expand detention.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
NYT Under the conditions that Iran has set . . . the seven days all hostilities would end; the U.S. would release Iran’s frozen assets — estimated at least $12 billion — waive sanctions on Iranian oil and lift the naval blockade on Iran. Then, on the last day, the Strait of Hormuz would be opened.
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Reposted by Jon B. Wolfsthal
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 24/09/2026
More than 167,000 pounds of raw pork, beef and goat products are being recalled nationwide because they were produced without proper inspection, federal safety regulators said.
nyti.ms
More Than 167,000 Pounds of Meat With False Inspection Mark Are Recalled
The raw pork, beef and goat products from Star Meat Delivery Inc. of North Carolina were distributed across the United States.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 24/09/2026
Breaking News: A sheriff in California was ordered by the state Supreme Court to return about 650,000 ballots to election officials after he confiscated them for an investigation into voter fraud that state officials said had no basis in fact. nyti.ms/4hejTBu
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco walking between SUVs parked in the street. A headline reads: "Republican Sheriff Illegally Seized California Ballots, Court Rules." Photo by Noah Berger/Associated Press
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The first rule of comedy is that if you have to explain the joke, it’s not funny 
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Reposted by Jon B. Wolfsthal
Senator Andy Kim @kim.senate.gov · 24/09/2026
Innovation without control just leads to chaos. We've heard the doomsday scenarios about AI. This is our moment to reassert control. 1/2
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paxsapiens.bsky.social @paxsapiens.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
One hundred and ninety Americans die daily from overdose. TONIGHT, Lives Interrupted moves beyond statistics by putting a human face on the crisis, with stories of fentanyl victims told by the loved ones they left behind. 9/24, 6-8 PM Washington, DC 🔗 FREE Registration: lnkd.in/ecU3i6Jq
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Reposted by Jon B. Wolfsthal
Mr. Dan Zak @mrdanzak.com · 24/09/2026
The godfather of AI says we need an FDA for artificial intelligence, in the same way that prescription drugs are vetted before going to market. www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/202...
theatlantic.com
The ‘Godfather of AI’ on the Best Chance Humanity Has to Survive
Geoffrey Hinton still believes the potential benefits of artificial intelligence outweigh its potential for destruction.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
AI frontier labs insist that AI cannot be regulated and that we are in a race with China, so cannot allow ourselves to slow down. Neither of these statements is true. We should not run a race where the finish line is global catastrophe, and we know how to control and regulate.
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Adam Klasfeld @klasfeldreports.com · 24/09/2026
The Trump admin has "already repeatedly violated the Court’s Order" blocking the press ban, the media coalition tells the judge. CNN, MSNOW, and POLITICO ask for an emergency hearing "as soon as possible this morning." buff.ly/w43JPvR
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Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The contempt order kind of writes itself, no?
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Just Security @justsecurity.org · 24/09/2026
A string of Supreme Court rulings has made durable, expert, democratically authorized AI regulation much harder to build, writes @jackthorlin.bsky.social. "If we do not start working toward a solution soon," he writes, "we will not be ready for the dangers of powerful open-weight models."
justsecurity.org
The Supreme Court’s Open-Weight AI Regulation Gauntlet
A series of Supreme Court rulings have left the federal government with a narrow path to regulating open-weight AI models.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The public and governments are increasingly concerned about AI risks. Much attention is being paid to whether the nuclear experience can be useful in addressing AI dangers. I led a 2 year project looking at these issues. Learn more at: fas.org/initiative/a...
fas.org
AI x Global Risk Nexus Project
The AI x Global Risk Nexus Project assesses the risks associated with integrating and Artificial Intelligence into existing areas of global risk.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
OpenAI’s A.I. Tried Breaching 4 Other Targets, Without Prompting www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/t...
nytimes.com
OpenAI’s A.I. Tried Breaching Four Other Targets, With No Prompting
In each incident, the technology appeared to be conducting mundane data collection and resorted to hacking techniques to get it, researchers said.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 24/09/2026
Officials said that 62 natural gas-powered generators, each the size of a tractor-trailer, were operating without permits. On Tuesday, New Jersey fined the data center’s operator $1.07 million for violating the state’s Air Pollution Control Act.
nyti.ms
Data Center Is Fined $1.1 Million for Operating 62 Power Generators
New Jersey officials said that the natural gas-powered generators, each the size of a tractor-trailer, were operating without permits.
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Steven Mazie @stevenmazie.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
It’s short and sweet. TLDR: asked and answered. No lower court can abrogate an order of the Supreme Court
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
We kept Iran from having a nuclear weapon AND kept gas prices low.
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Scott Nover @scottnover.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
SCOOP: Justifying its ban of Politico, the White House said the news outlet used anonymous quotes from a "senior administration official." But those quotes were provided to Politico and other outlets by the White House during a background briefing. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
washingtonpost.com
The White House cited anonymous quotes in Politico ban. It was the source.
In a letter defending its ban of Politico, the White House critiqued a report based on a press call it conducted, where reporters were told not to name the speaker
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Ankit Panda @nktpnd.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
OpenAI ‘agent’ hacked Australia’s health service www.ft.com/content/5613... via @FT
ft.com
OpenAI ‘agent’ hacked Australia’s health service
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says breach is ‘obviously unacceptable’
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Jon B. Wolfsthal @jonatomic.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
If a White House can ban reporters for publishing things that are not true, a lot of “news” reporters and outlets are going to be in trouble. The 1st Amendment is 1st for a reason.
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Christopher Swartout @chrisswartout.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Happy 77th to the GOAT. Nobody looks cooler playing a guitar than this man.
Bruce Springsteen playing in Albany in 2024Bruce Springsteen playing a telecaster
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