A false nuclear missile attack alert was recently sent to the phones of residents and visitors in Hawaii. It was sent by a state emergency management worker who believed the drill was a real attack. This has highlighted the disagreement over whose job it should be to warn the public about missile attacks. Federal officials would like the warning to come from local authorities, but there is legislation introduced to make the public warnings the sole responsibility of the federal government. Listen to hear more about this issue and then debate: Who should warn the public of nuclear war?
Story Length: 3:46
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February 14, 2017
4:36
North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile recently that few for about 300 miles and landed in the Sea of Japan. The test increases the nuclear threat posed by North Korea. The Prime Minister of Japan called the test "absolutely intolerable". If a nuclear warhead can be paired with a missile of this power, North Korea would be able to use the threat of nuclear attack to deter the United States from interfering in its affairs. Listen to learn more about North Korean weapon development and the danger it poses for the United States.
Read MoreApril 8, 2016
3:00
World leaders gathered recently in Washington D.C. to ensure terrorists never get access to a nuclear weapon. Unfortunately, Russia has a large stock of nuclear weapons and is not attending this summit. North Korea and Iran have never been invited. There’s concern nuclear materials will fall into the hands of terrorists, and there is concern about the large stockpiles dedicated to military purposes. The past three Nuclear Security Summits have helped more than a dozen countries get rid of nuclear materials, and began steps toward Obama’s goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. Listen to hear how world leaders are working to prevent nuclear terrorism and debate with your students other ways to prevent this.
Read MoreFebruary 1, 2015
2:57
The demand for electricity in India is rising, but India relies on coal for the majority of their power. The hope of a new deal with the United States is to help India transition from dirty coal to cleaner nuclear energy. U.S. companies will sell nuclear technology to Indian power companies so they can transition to a cleaner energy source. This might be good for the earth, but what about for security? Listen to learn about the pros and cons of this international energy deal.
Read MoreSeptember 4, 2014
4:00
Earthquakes cause damage and create fear and uncertainty. But a new early warning system called Shake Alert is working to mitigate both. This phone app can rapidly detect earthquakes once they have begun, giving people time to prepare. The app is in the early testing stage but it successfully gave a warning before the recent earthquake in California. Listen to this public radio story to learn more about the technology and goals behind this early warning system.
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