Steve G

The only end-to-end US nuclear test pairing a live warhead with an operational ballistic missile took place on May 6, 1962, over the western North Pacific Ocean:

60 years ago today, China launched a Dong Feng-2 medium-range ballistic missile carrying a live 12-kiloton nuclear warhead from its Shuangchengzi Missile Test Center. The missile flew 556 miles west across China before detonating 1,867 feet above the Lop Nor Nuclear Test Base in Xinjiang Province.

More investment. More opportunities for Scottish businesses. More good jobs coming to Scotland. That’s what stronger links with India will deliver for Scotland. I am working to make the most of these relationships to grow our economy and improve people’s lives.

A South Korean politician has urged the country's President to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 to grasp the potential devastation from a North Korean invasion. https://bit.ly/4iakPal

The UK navy says its carrier-based F-35Cs escorted a USAF B-52 that was operating with Norwegian F-35As, apparently as part of US strategic nuclear exercise Global Thunder. x.com/comukcsg/sta...

USSTRATCOM has indicated that the strategic nuclear exercise Global Thunder currently underway is linked to support for NATO and involves the United Kingdom and Norway. x.com/us_stratcom/...

ah, mon ami, the little gray cells, they are firing erratically

October 27, 1962, was arguably the most dangerous day of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a day when human error, rushed preparations, aggressive tactics, and sky-high tensions could have set off World War III intentionally or by accident at least four separate times. Here’s what happened (a long thread):

Today in 1962 at 4:00 AM PDT, as the Cuban Missile Crisis was entering its most dangerous phase, the Air Force test launched an Atlas D ICBM from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, as US military forces worldwide were at DEFCON 3 and forces under the Strategic Air Command were at DEFCON 2.

What is the BBC's justification for maintaining this level of coverage of Reform now it has slipped into third place?

Tonight in 1962, as the Cuban Missile Crisis escalated toward direct confrontation, a sentry on patrol at Duluth Air Force Base in Minnesota thought he saw someone climbing the perimeter fence. He shot at the intruder and activated the base sabotage alarm, which by design automatically triggered ...

Navigational Warnings have appeared for what could be a #Russian #Bulava #SLBM test launch, Oct 25-31, from a submarine in the Sea of Ochotsk to Chizha, Kanin Peninsula. (HT @russianforces.org, @m514ever.bsky.social) @planet4589.bsky.social, @nukestrat.bsky.social, @wslafoy.bsky.social

The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) has just convened, and the amber warning for wind remains in place in Scotland until 9pm tonight. To stay safe, please keep following the latest advice. My thanks to our emergency services and to everyone for playing their part.

www.cnbc.com/2026/10/23/u... Nokia and satellite maker ICEYE signed a letter of intent with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense to develop new satellite capabilities.

French defense minister says UK (conventional) fighters participated in French nuke air exercise for the first time. x.com/cavautrin/st... This would be similar to when UK (and others) provides conventional air support to NATO nuclear exercise Steadfast Noon that ended earlier this week.

23 October 2026: Metro leads on government warnings for households to prepare for major cyber attacks that could disrupt food supplies, utilities and daily life, after a global web security flaw triggered millions of hacking attempts. #TomorrowsPapersToday

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: MeidasTouch obtained NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN photos and videos revealing devastating damage to U.S. bases from Trump's Iran war. Troops and military families describe being abandoned by their own government. “It’s so much worse than people realize.”

Emmy award-winning actor Tom Skerritt, known for his roles in Picket Fences, Alien, and Top Gun, has died at age 93. https://bit.ly/4i0wg4m

3/ The US and Israel are reportedly making preparations for renewed strikes on Iran after the US midterms. The NYT reported on October 21 that the US and Israeli militaries have developed specific plans for a short and intensive operation against Iran after the US midterm elections on November 3.

Who’s Herding Whom? LambBob chases dog

Tom Nichols about Congress and Ukraine: “What happens after the midterms? Hard to say. But that new Congress doesn’t get sworn in until winter and those weeks from now until then — it’s going to be long, cold weeks in Ukraine.” @radiofreetom.bsky.social

Humiliating and dangerous: Trump has now finally just made America an ally of the Kremlin and is aiding Putin in his war against an American friend and partner. Shameful betrayal of a US friend, and pathetic submission to a US enemy. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/1...

We are all seeing this, right?

Last night I saw an advance screening of a new French film about nuclear weapons, JUPITER. It was great. It does an excellent job of painting a realistic context for a nuclear crisis in Europe re: Russia and Ukraine.

Morning Kitten

This is for all the Boy Cats! 🐈🐈‍⬛

Today in 1964, China proudly conducted its first nuclear weapon test (codenamed Project 596) at Lop Nor in the eastern part of Xinjiang Province in the Gobi Desert. Detonated atop a 334-foot tower, the 22-kiloton implosion device was fueled entirely by highly enriched uranium.

💛Four innocent cats were rescued from a building damaged by a russian attack in Lviv, Ukraine. Terrified, helpless animals caught in a war they will never understand.

Morning Kitten

Yesterday, the @nsarchive.bsky.social published four-part briefing on the Reykjavik Summit, including previously secret US and Soviet documents about each side’s preparations for the meeting, and verbatim transcripts of Reagan and Gorbachev’s detailed discussions during the two-day summit.

🚨 BREAKING: CHAOS AT MOSCOW AIRPORTS🔥🔥 More than 350 flights reportedly delayed as a drone attack continues across the Moscow region. Air raid alerts, airport disruptions, and hundreds of flights affected. Looks like Moscow is having a very interesting day.

The White House Military Office Coast Guard aide was on “Football” duty early this morning for Trump’s return from San Antonio, Texas. The ~45-pound satchel accompanies Trump 24/7, enabling him alone to authorize the use of any of our ~1,770 deployed nuclear weapons—up to 900 on alert—at any time.

I earned the cork on my fork

Nightly funny or is it? 🤣 This one is 100% true!

I have noticed in various offline circles — particularly media and political science — it is still considered rather inappropriate to acknowledge that the US President is evidently quite insane. It's not that these people don't *know* it; they clearly do. You just aren't supposed to *say* it. 🙃

Yes, they do, until you ask them to pay for it ;) Americans think a LOT of things are great, until you add questions about cost and trade-offs. Everyone's great with having a pony, until they learn how much it costs to take care of a pony.

The US is not center-right "because" of anything, it's been part of our political culture for 250 years.

If Ryan Gosling was a swing dancer…

Morning Kitten

Morning Kitten

Once again, we have the inability to distinguish empirical from normative statements. Happy to argue over which is better, but the empirical reality is that this is a centrist country (and that means, to most of you, right of center.) That's the country you have to win elections in, not France.

I regret* to inform you that America is basically a center-right country, and that's the sweet spot of liberal constitutionalism (if we could stop buggering it up) *I do not regret it

Yeah, in Europe, maybe, but this isn't Europe. (It isn't. I fact-checked that.)

Last week I stumbled across a once-classified report from 1971 that listed the actual times for SLBM attacks and warning systems. What hooked me from the onset was that all the times are listed in *seconds*. This week for DOOMSDAY MACHINES, I try to unpack all that a bit...

Nobody is prepared for the world of drone warfare that is coming, in fact is already here www.nytimes.com/2026/10/04/u...

De Niro: The Trump administration knows that their policies are unpopular. They’re not stupid. Well, okay. They are very fucking stupid. I mean, really stupid. They’re stupider than I ever thought. But they recognize what they’re doing is turning away people.