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China Acknowledges Sale Of Advanced Missile Technology To Pakistan

Pakistan test fires its new Ababeel surface-to-surface ballistic missile in Pakistan on Jan. 24, 2017. Ababeel has a maximum range of 1,350 miles and is capable of delivering multiple warheads using multiple independent re-entry vehicle technology, according to Pakistani sources. Anadolu Agency/Getty Images hide caption

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Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The Two-Way

China Acknowledges Sale Of Advanced Missile Technology To Pakistan

The technology, described as a "large-scale optical tracking and measurement system," is reportedly for use in testing Pakistani ballistic missiles that can carry multiple warheads.

Buried In Trump's Nuclear Report: A Russian Doomsday Weapon

On March 1, 1954, the U.S. conducted its largest nuclear test with a yield of 15 megatons. The new Russian weapon would be up to 100 megatons, according to reports. USAF Lookout Moutain Laboratory hide caption

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USAF Lookout Moutain Laboratory

Parallels

Buried In Trump's Nuclear Report: A Russian Doomsday Weapon

The administration's Nuclear Posture Review mentions a massive, nuclear-armed torpedo capable of incinerating cities. But is it real?

Buried In Trump's Nuclear Report: A Russian Doomsday Weapon

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North Korea Designed A Nuke. So Did This Truck Driver

John Coster-Mullen Meredith Rizzo/NPR hide caption

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Meredith Rizzo/NPR

National Security

North Korea Designed A Nuke. So Did This Truck Driver

It took decades, but John Coster-Mullen has pieced together specs for America's first nuclear bombs. Some believe his odyssey says something about North Korea's rapid nuclear progress.

North Korea Designed A Nuke. So Did This Truck Driver

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Nuclear Strike Drills Faded Away In The 1980s. It May Be Time To Dust Them Off

A Hawaii Civil Defense Warning Device, which sounds an alert siren during natural disasters, is shown in Honolulu on Nov. 29, 2017. The alert system is tested monthly, but now Hawaii residents will hear a new tone designed to alert people of an impending nuclear attack by North Korea. Caleb Jones/AP hide caption

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Caleb Jones/AP

National

Nuclear Strike Drills Faded Away In The 1980s. It May Be Time To Dust Them Off

Nuclear civil defense fell out of favor in the latter years of the Cold War. But, as North Korea builds its nuclear arsenal, local officials are reluctant to bring it back.

Nuclear Strike Drills Faded Away In The 1980s. It May Be Time To Dust Them Off

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Lawmakers Fear President Trump's Authority To Launch Nuclear Weapons

South Korean and U.S. marine fighter jets fly over the Korean Peninsula during a training on Aug. 31, 2017 in Gangwon-do, South Korea. Handout/South Korean Defense Ministry hide caption

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Handout/South Korean Defense Ministry

Here & Now Compass

Lawmakers Fear President Trump's Authority To Launch Nuclear Weapons

Some lawmakers and experts are raising concerns about the president's unilateral authority to launch nuclear weapons as tensions with North Korea continue to escalate.

U.S. In Direct Contact With North Korea: 'We Do Talk To Them,' Tillerson Says

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Saturday. Tillerson acknowledged the U.S. has direct contact with North Korea over its nuclear program. China is seen as crucial in helping to avert a military confrontation. Lintao Zhang/AP hide caption

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Lintao Zhang/AP

The Two-Way

U.S. In Direct Contact With North Korea: 'We Do Talk To Them,' Tillerson Says

"We have lines of communications to Pyongyang," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. The State Department later said North Korean officials are not "ready for talks regarding denuclearization."

After Trump's U.N. Speech, Some Senators Look To Reinforce War Powers

President Trump told the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday that the U.S. may have no choice but to "totally destroy" North Korea if forced to defend itself and its allies. Richard Drew/AP hide caption

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Richard Drew/AP

The Two-Way

After Trump's U.N. Speech, Some Senators Look To Reinforce War Powers

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker says his committee is considering narrowing the president's ability to launch wars without congressional approval.

Stanislav Petrov, 'The Man Who Saved The World,' Dies At 77

Stanislav Petrov, a former Soviet military officer, poses at his home in 2015 near Moscow. In 1983, he was on duty when the Soviet Union's early warning satellite indicated the U.S. had fired nuclear weapons at his country. He suspected, correctly, it was a false alarm and did not immediately send the report up the chain of command. Petrov died at age 77. Pavel Golovkin/AP hide caption

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Pavel Golovkin/AP

The Two-Way

Stanislav Petrov, 'The Man Who Saved The World,' Dies At 77

Petrov was on overnight duty in 1983 when computers indicated the U.S. had launched a nuclear strike against his country. He had only a few nerve-jangling minutes to act.

NPR/Ipsos Poll: Half Of Americans Don't Trust Trump On North Korea
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Politics

NPR/Ipsos Poll: Half Of Americans Don't Trust Trump On North Korea

In addition, most falsely believe the president needs congressional authorization to launch a nuclear strike. North Korea's renegade program will be a major focus at this week's U.N. General Assembly.

NPR/Ipsos Poll: Half Of Americans Don't Trust Trump On North Korea

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Some Analysts Say Time May Be Right For A Rethink On North Korean Nuclear Crisis

People at the Seoul Railway Station in the South Korean capital watch a TV report on North Korea's missile launch on Friday, days after the U.N. Security Council adopted new sanctions against Pyongyang. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images hide caption

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Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

Parallels

Some Analysts Say Time May Be Right For A Rethink On North Korean Nuclear Crisis

Sanctions and the threat of military action have proven ineffective at stopping North Korea's nuclear program. Some say that a deal with North Korea, with China's involvement, may be the way to go.