NH #785: HOW Many New Nukes?!?!? Los Alamos Plutonium Pit Production Demands & Other Insanities – Greg Mello, Los Alamos Study Group

This Week’s Featured Interview:

Greg Mello, co-founder and Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group

• Greg Mello, Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group, cites recent issues, historic pressures, and insane demands being placed on the site for production of mass quantities of plutonium pits – the core and trigger of nuclear weapons. Why do we “need” so many when we already have 5,000 bombs? And what is the stress doing to those who work on site? Fascinating insights and shared overwhelm in this week’s featured interview.
• Los Alamos Study Group – Sign up for their newsletter.

ICAN Update with Alistair Burnett:

• Report from the headquarters of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and their work to pass the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). This week, the focus is on NATO. ICAN’s Head of Media, Alistair Burnett, reports.
  

Libbe’s Play ATOMIC BILL AND THE PAYMENT DUE – Staged Reading for Hiroshima Commemoration on Long Island!

• Libbe’s play, ATOMIC BILL AND THE PAYMENT DUE, will be presented in a special staged reading on August 8 to commemorate the anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is being produced by the South Country Peace Group and will take place in Bellport on Long Island, New York at the Bellport Community Center, 29 Bellport Lane, Bellport, NY 11713. 6 PM SHARP start time.

What is ATOMIC BILL AND THE PAYMENT DUE about?

• An Oppenheimer-adjacent true story, ATOMIC BILL AND THE PAYMENT DUE follows a woman podcaster whose investigation into the New York Times reporter who chronicled the Manhattan Project becomes an obsession with uncovering the truth behind America’s atomic origin story – an investigative journey forcing her to confront how truth, ambition, journalism, and power shaped the public story of the Atomic Age.
  
• The play asks and answers the question: How do you hide an atomic bomb blast in plain sight?
  It won the 2026 International Uranium Film Festival — Special Script Award.

• For this presentation only, Libbe will perform the role of the podcaster (some stretch, right?), and award-winning environmental journalist Karl Grossman will play the role… of Karl Grossman. Both are doing it to support this staged reading, and want it to be known that neither one has any desire to act the role in future productions.
  
  Admission is free, but space is limited and no reservations will be taken. We hope to see you there! For more information, contact Libbe at: AtomicBillPlay@gmail.com.