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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Nobel winners call on world leaders to step back from nuclear brink
Humanity is "heading in the wrong direction" on the one threat that "could end civilization in an afternoon," warned an assembly of Nobel laureates, nuclear experts, and diplomats gathered at the University of Chicago to mark the 80th anniversary of the planet's first nuclear explosion in 1945 when the U.S. conducted the Trinity test in New Mexico. Although Russia didn't nuke its neighbor, the brutal war of attrition continues in Ukraine. Two nuclear-armed countries, India and Pakistan, attacked each other in May. The U.S. and Israel, which both have nuclear weapons, bombed Iran in June to destroy its nuclear program. Popular support for building nuclear weapons grows in countries like Japan and South Korea. Against this backdrop, more than a dozen Nobel Prize winners and numerous nuclear experts signed a "Declaration for the Prevention of Nuclear War" on July 16 with recommendations for world leaders to reduce the increasing risk of nuclear conflict. More: 80 years later, victims of 'first atom bomb' will soon be eligible for reparations "Despite having avoided nuclear catastrophes in the past, time and the law of probability are not on our side," the declaration says. "Without clear and sustained efforts from world leaders to prevent nuclear war, there can be no doubt that our luck will finally run out." The declaration emerged from days of discussion and debate, said assembly leader David Gross, a University of California, Santa Barbara, physicist and 2004 Nobel Prize winner. "We are calling on our leaders in the world to consider our suggestions and heed our warnings," Gross said. Longtime Vatican diplomat and nuclear advisor Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi argued that faith leaders should embrace a role in providing world leaders with independent moral and ethical assessments of nuclear policy and technology. International agreements key to reducing risk The declaration and speakers at its unveiling spoke extensively of the crucial role diplomacy and treaties played in building trust between countries with nuclear weapons and shrinking their arsenals after the Cold War. Clock ticks on nuke treaties But a key treaty remains unenforced, and the last remaining arms control agreement between the U.S. and Russia expires in February 2026. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, or CTBT, is a 1996 international agreement that aims to ban explosive nuclear tests. Although the CTBT Organization, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, successfully detects even underground nuclear tests (and identifies when suspicious seismic events aren't test explosions), the treaty is not in force. Nine more countries, including the U.S. and Russia (which de-ratified the CTBT in 2023), must formally approve the treaty before it becomes binding international law. At the assembly, CTBTO leader and former Australian diplomat Robert Floyd joined the Nobel winners in calling the international community to formally approve the testing ban. Floyd argued that if countries with nuclear weapons resumed testing to build more destructive nukes, it could lead "other states to develop nuclear weapons and ... a renewed global nuclear arms race." The declaration also highlighted the need for the U.S., Russia, and China to enter arms control discussions. The 2010 New START treaty, which limits American and Russian nuclear weapons deployments and enables the rivals to verify the other's cooperation, expires in February 2026. AI and the atom bomb Artificial intelligence and its role in nuclear weapons matters also weighed heavily. The declaration emphasized the "unprecedented and serious risks posed by artificial intelligence" and implored "all nuclear armed states to ensure meaningful and enhanced human control and oversight over nuclear command and control." Tomasi, the Vatican's representative, said scientists, disarmament experts and faith leaders need to study "the ethical implications of emerging technologies," such as AI, on "nuclear stability." World leaders, including former President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, generally agree that humans - and not AI algorithms - should control nuclear launch buttons. But debate rages over the ideal, and safe, extent of integrating AI into other nuclear functions such as early warning, targeting, and communications. A February 2025 report from the Center for a New American Security think tank on AI nuclear risk warned that "overreliance on untested, unreliable, or biased AI systems for decision support during a crisis" could potentially lead decision-makers down an escalatory path during a nuclear crisis. Ultimately, argued Nobel winner Gross, progress in reducing the risks of nuclear weapons hinges on popular pressure on world leaders. "The main motivation for the advances in reducing the risk of Armageddon was the fear of many ... people throughout the world who demanded (action) from their leaders," Gross said. Davis Winkie's role covering nuclear threats and national security at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Outrider Foundation and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
'Heed our warnings': Nobel laureates plea for diplomacy to prevent nuclear war
Top nuclear experts gathered in Chicago to offer world leaders a playbook for reducing the risk of nuclear war. CHICAGO − In the fall of 2022, U.S. spies said the chances of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine were 50% − a coin flip. Nearly three years later, the risk of nuclear war has only increased, top experts say. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' famed "Doomsday Clock" is the closest it has ever been to midnight. Humanity is 'heading in the wrong direction' on the one threat that 'could end civilization in an afternoon,' warned an assembly of Nobel laureates, nuclear experts, and diplomats gathered at the University of Chicago to mark the 80th anniversary of the planet's first nuclear explosion in 1945 when the U.S. conducted the Trinity test in New Mexico. Although Russia didn't nuke its neighbor, the brutal war of attrition continues in Ukraine. Two nuclear-armed countries, India and Pakistan, attacked each other in May. The U.S. and Israel, which both have nuclear weapons, bombed Iran in June to destroy its nuclear program. Popular support for building nuclear weapons grows in countries like Japan and South Korea. Against this backdrop, more than a dozen Nobel Prize winners and numerous nuclear experts signed a 'Declaration for the Prevention of Nuclear War' on July 16 with recommendations for world leaders to reduce the increasing risk of nuclear conflict. More: 80 years later, victims of 'first atom bomb' will soon be eligible for reparations 'Despite having avoided nuclear catastrophes in the past, time and the law of probability are not on our side,' the declaration says. 'Without clear and sustained efforts from world leaders to prevent nuclear war, there can be no doubt that our luck will finally run out.' The declaration emerged from days of discussion and debate, said assembly leader David Gross, a University of California, Santa Barbara, physicist and 2004 Nobel Prize winner. 'We are calling on our leaders in the world to consider our suggestions and heed our warnings,' Gross said. Longtime Vatican diplomat and nuclear advisor Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi argued that faith leaders should embrace a role in providing world leaders with independent moral and ethical assessments of nuclear policy and technology. International agreements key to reducing risk The declaration and speakers at its unveiling spoke extensively of the crucial role diplomacy and treaties played in building trust between countries with nuclear weapons and shrinking their arsenals after the Cold War. Clock ticks on nuke treaties But a key treaty remains unenforced, and the last remaining arms control agreement between the U.S. and Russia expires in February 2026. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, or CTBT, is a 1996 international agreement that aims to ban explosive nuclear tests. Although the CTBT Organization, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, successfully detects even underground nuclear tests (and identifies when suspicious seismic events aren't test explosions), the treaty is not in force. Nine more countries, including the U.S. and Russia (which de-ratified the CTBT in 2023), must formally approve the treaty before it becomes binding international law. At the assembly, CTBTO leader and former Australian diplomat Robert Floyd joined the Nobel winners in calling the international community to formally approve the testing ban. Floyd argued that if countries with nuclear weapons resumed testing to build more destructive nukes, it could lead 'other states to develop nuclear weapons and … a renewed global nuclear arms race.' The declaration also highlighted the need for the U.S., Russia, and China to enter arms control discussions. The 2010 New START treaty, which limits American and Russian nuclear weapons deployments and enables the rivals to verify the other's cooperation, expires in February 2026. AI and the atom bomb Artificial intelligence and its role in nuclear weapons matters also weighed heavily. The declaration emphasized the 'unprecedented and serious risks posed by artificial intelligence' and implored 'all nuclear armed states to ensure meaningful and enhanced human control and oversight over nuclear command and control.' Tomasi, the Vatican's representative, said scientists, disarmament experts and faith leaders need to study 'the ethical implications of emerging technologies,' such as AI, on 'nuclear stability.' World leaders, including former President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, generally agree that humans − and not AI algorithms − should control nuclear launch buttons. But debate rages over the ideal, and safe, extent of integrating AI into other nuclear functions such as early warning, targeting, and communications. A February 2025 report from the Center for a New American Security think tank on AI nuclear risk warned that 'overreliance on untested, unreliable, or biased AI systems for decision support during a crisis' could potentially lead decision-makers down an escalatory path during a nuclear crisis. Ultimately, argued Nobel winner Gross, progress in reducing the risks of nuclear weapons hinges on popular pressure on world leaders. 'The main motivation for the advances in reducing the risk of Armageddon was the fear of many … people throughout the world who demanded (action) from their leaders,' Gross said. Davis Winkie's role covering nuclear threats and national security at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Outrider Foundation and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Market legend makes surprising stock market bet
Market legend makes surprising stock market bet originally appeared on TheStreet. The stock market has shrugged off the April tariff-driven meltdown, with the S&P 500 delivering a scorching 25% rally since April 9, when President Donald Trump paused reciprocal tariffs proposed on April 2, so-called 'Liberation Day.' The market's gain has happened despite worrisome economic data suggesting slowing activity that leaves the door open to stagflation or recession. The jobs market is shaky and inflation progress appears stalled. GDP estimates are falling, and the Federal Reserve appears boxed in regarding much-wanted interest rate cuts. The "buy-the-dip" mentality and the FOMO it spawned have fueled a market that has defied gravity so far. However, many wonder if stocks may have gotten ahead of themselves, suggesting it may be time to "sell the rip." The market action and potential risks facing the economy have led many on Wall Street to update their stock market predictions, including Bill Gross, who has been tracking markets professionally since 1971. Gross co-founded Pacific Investment Management Co., or PIMCO, a top asset manager with $2 trillion under management. As the portfolio manager for PIMCO's $270 billion Total Return Fund, his market calls earned him the nickname 'Bond King' before he joined Janus Henderson Investors, where he worked from 2014 to 2019. 💵💰💰💵 Gross's 50-year career means he's witnessed many market tops and bottoms. This week, he made a bold stock market prediction that included an update on how he's positioning his own money after the S&P 500's record-setting run higher. Has the Fed fallen behind the curve? The Federal Reserve has a tough job. Its dual mandate is to set the Fed Funds Rate at levels that result in low unemployment and inflation — two often contradictory goals. When the Fed cuts interest rates, it sparks economic activity that boosts employment and causes inflation. When it raises rates — like in 2022 and 2023, when it increased rates by 5% to battle runaway inflation — it caps economic growth, slowing inflation but raising a result, the Fed's monetary policy walks a tightrope. The stakes are high enough that it often hesitates when shifting from hikes to cuts or cuts to hikes for fear of causing more problems than it fixes. That's been the case this year. Amid signs of economic slowing, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has left the Fed Funds Rate unchanged at 4.25% to 4.5%, a significant disappointment following 1% rate cuts into the end of 2024. Powell's is reluctant to reduce rates despite significant jawboning from President Trump's administration, which wants lower rates to help offset risks that tariffs weigh down gross domestic product, or GDP. In 2024, GDP grew at a healthy 2.8%. However, the World Bank estimates the U.S. economy will only grow 1.4% this year. The slower growth may already be causing problems for the job market. According to Challenger, Gray, & Christmas, layoffs totaled over 696,000 through May this year, up 80% year over year. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate, while historically low, has risen to 4.1% from a low of 3.4% in 2023. The Fed's hesitancy in the wake of slower GDP and job losses is based on concern over inflation. The Central Bank's hawkish policy on rates wrestled CPI inflation below 3% from 8% in 2022; however, progress has slowed recently. In June, headline CPI inflation increased 2.7% from one year ago, up from 2.6% in May. Many economists believe that corporations passing higher tariffs to consumers will cause inflation to continue climbing in the second half of the year. More Experts Analyst makes bold call on stocks, bonds, and gold TheStreet Stocks & Markets Podcast #8: Common Sense Investing With David Miller Veteran fund manager sends dire message on stocks If so, adding rate cuts to the mix could further fan inflationary fires, resulting in another inflationary spike. Still, the Fed's unwillingness to lower interest rates may mean that it falls behind the curve, which could make avoiding a recession more difficult. The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Survey fell 11% year-over-year to 60.7 in June due to worry over inflation, potentially signaling that some households may reduce spending. Meanwhile, the ISM Manufacturing PMI, a measure of factory activity, was 49, and its June Services PMI was 50.8, 1.6 percentage points below the 52.4 average over the past 12 months. Those readings aren't bad, but don't indicate robust activity. Bill Gross shifts gears on the stock market Bill Gross's long Wall Street career has given him front-row seats to the rise and fall of the Nifty 50, skyrocketing inflation in the 1970s, the S&L crisis in the late '80s and early '90s, the Internet boom and bust, the Great Recession, Covid, and the 2002 bear market. He previously said on X on June 24 that he expected "a 'little bull market' for stocks."His mood has turned more bearish amid growing White House calls for Fed Chair Jerome Powell's resignation. "Investors wake up!" implored Gross on X. "The timing of the new Fed chair is less significant than the influence he will have on his committee. If he can sway the committee's thinking over time, bond markets will increasingly go curve positive, the dollar will weaken, and inflation will likely move to a 3% center." Gross went on to explain that he thinks that "some aspects of this are stock market positive," but also said that "others are not." Overall, he thinks "uncertainty on Fed policy, tariffs, and the influence of AI will be significant." Historically, uncertainty hasn't been a great recipe for stock market gains. Gross concluded bluntly, "I for one am moving defensively — more cash, buying value with 4-5% dividend yields." What stocks does Gross favor in his defensive portfolio? He mentions master limited partnerships for pipeline companies, which offer above-average yields. "I continue to like MLP pipelines with their high tax-deferred dividends (7-9%) and future infrastructure prospects due to AI, AI information centers, electricity demand, and the natural gas needed to generate it. () , () are my favorites," wrote Gross. He's also looking at high-yielding consumer stocks, including Kraft Heinz () . Consumer goods stocks typically perform best during a recession. "Becoming intrigued with food stocks. They're going nowhere pricewise but a 6.2% yield on KHC (Kraft Heinz) is attractive for income. It's breaking the company into two parts which may push price a little higher," said legend makes surprising stock market bet first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Boston Globe
‘Nonviolence is not for cowards. It's for courageous people.'
While her family stressed the importance of defending yourself, Pina-Warren gravitated toward the role of mediator. 'I wanted peace,' she said. 'I wanted people to get along." Today, Pina-Warren is executive director of the The Nonviolence Institute in Providence, R.I. The Nonviolence Institute The organization formed in response to the murder of Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up The institute teaches the practices and principles of nonviolence, going into schools, businesses, prisons, hospitals, and nonprofits, she said. And it provides 'boots on the ground,' sending street workers into cities such as Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls to mediate gang disputes and head off violence. Advertisement 'Nonviolence is not for cowards. It's for courageous people,' Pina-Warren said. 'It's very easy and cowardly to pull out a knife or a gun or fight someone. To be able to say to another person, 'I don't want this' and to be able to walk away from a situation takes a lot of courage. But the outcome is so much better.' Advertisement Pina-Warren, who recently appeared on 'That really impacted me,' she said. At a candlelight vigil, Gross introduced himself and asked her, 'What can we do? What are we going to do?' Pina-Warren joined the institute in 2009 and rose through the ranks. In July 2024, she replaced interim director Keith Morton, who'd been leading the organization since Pina-Warren spoke about how tragedies involving her family shaped her passion for nonviolence. She said that in 1996 her older brother was involved in a high-speed chase with the police that ended with her brother and his friend dying in a crash. 'That really, really impacted my life,' Pina-Warren said. 'He was my best friend. He taught me how to ride a bike, taught me how to tie my shoes, and taught me how to fight.' In losing her older brother, she said, 'I could have totally gone on the wrong path and given up.' But instead, she said, 'Losing him motivated me to really dig down deep, to help others and also to help myself — just to better my life because I knew that that's what he wanted for me." Advertisement Years later, Pina-Warren heard that a young man she'd worked with had been killed. At first, she was relieved to hear that someone had been charged with the shooting. But then she learned that the person charged with the homicide was her nephew — her brother's son. Pina-Warren said working at the Nonviolence Institute has helped her deal with those tragedies. 'Being able to give back to my community and help others that go through some of the things that I have gone through, or similar, is really healing,' she said. 'There's a passion.' To get the latest episode each week, follow Rhode Island Report podcast , , and other podcasting platforms, or listen in the player above. Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at
Los Angeles Times
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
A passionate storyteller, Claudia Turner uses her voice to advocate for others
As an incoming senior and editor-in-chief of the student newspaper High Tide, 17-year-old Claudia Turner will continue using her platform as a journalist to share people's stories and give everyone a voice. 'Journalism makes people feel special,' Turner said. 'I love making people feel like they matter, and that they are important enough to have an article written about them.' Turner's passion for writing sparked when she took a journalism class as an elective in sixth grade, she said. She wrote her first story about an ant infestation at Paris Middle School, and knew she had discovered something special after the story's publication in the Panther Paw. Turner previously served as an opinion and entertainment editor at Redondo Union High School. She enjoys writing film critiques, movie reviews, and using her writing to inform the community about issues that she has a personal connection to. 'Journalism makes you think harder about things,' Turner said. 'The fact that we're able to reach some people and connect to the community is just so impactful to me.' This summer, Turner plans to write about mental health services available to youth in the South Bay. She said she's incredibly excited to be an intern with L.A. Times High School Insider and hopes to implement all that she learns when she returns to High Tide at Redondo this fall. 'My goal, at least for the High Tide, is to share everyone's story. I also want to be able to give the kids I work with the best chance of winning awards, producing quality material to put on their resume, that sort of stuff,' Turner said. 'Who am I better to learn these techniques from than the L.A. Times?' Turner designed this page layout in High Tide's final issue of the year. She honored the 2025 graduating class by featuring them in the senior issue, and handcrafting clay figures of each graduate. Outside of pursuing her career in journalism, Turner loves watching 'Love Island' and listening to podcasts. She also enjoys art and baking, and spends time with her best friend and co-editor-in-chief, Daniella Gross. 'Claudia is so sweet, and we both match each other's energy,' Gross said. 'She's there with me through all my ups and downs, and she's always the person I want to hug or talk to.' Turner and Gross both joined the journalism program at Redondo during their freshman year in 2022, and they made it their mission to become co-EICs as seniors. Gross said it was incredible to watch Turner transform from a staff writer to a confident editor who plans to pursue a career in this field. 'I just love how you can really hear her voice in her writing,' Gross said. 'Since freshman year, she has completely come out of her shell and it's so beautiful to see the person that she has grown into this year. I'm so excited to see what she's going to do as EIC.' Turner will graduate from Redondo next year and hopes to attend a UC school as a journalism major. In her professional career, she plans to specialize in political and cultural journalism, covering topics from government policy to pop culture. 'I want to do something that matters,' Turner said. 'I want my writing to cause people to change their minds about something. Even if it's just one person, if someone felt more knowledgeable after reading one of my articles, I would be satisfied.' Related
