Flaws in US nuclear blast equation

 A nuclear blast equation used by the US military for decades to guide the construction of bombproof shelters is not always accurate, according to a new study by Chinese researchers.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3115360/china-research-finds-flaws-us-nuclear-blast-equation-protect

Jennifer Granholm and the awesome Department of Energy

 By L. King, White House Chronicle 

December 19, 2020

President-elect Joe Biden’s decision to nominate Jennifer Granholm — former governor of Michigan, lawyer, politician and television host — to be the next secretary of energy is curious.

The idea circulating is that her primary assignment, in Biden’s mind, will be to speed Detroit’s development of electric vehicles.

FULL ARTICLE

More on Biden and Nuc spending

 WSJ: Biden to Review U.S. Nuclear-Weapons Programs, With Eye Toward Cuts

https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-to-review-u-s-nuclear-weapons-programs-with-eye-toward-cuts-11608805800

WASHINGTON—The incoming Biden administration is planning a review of the nation’s $1.2 trillion nuclear-modernization program with an eye toward trimming funding for nuclear weapons and reducing their role in Pentagon strategy.
President-elect Joe Biden promised during the campaign to reduce the U.S.’s “excessive expenditure” on nuclear arms and criticized President Trump’s decision to develop new sea-based weapons, including a submarine-launched cruise missile.

The new administration is also likely to review the Pentagon’s decision to develop a new land-based intercontinental ballistic missile, which is estimated to cost more than $100 billion when its warhead is included, some former officials said.
“We have to modernize our deterrent,” said one former official. “But we cannot spend the amount of money that is currently being allocated.”
The expectation that Mr. Biden will take a fresh look at the modernization programs has spurred a debate over the future of the U.S. nuclear deterrent.

The debate has also been driven by Mr. Biden’s campaign pledge to narrow the role that nuclear weapons play in the U.S. military doctrine, stating that their “sole purpose” should be to deter or respond to a nuclear attack.

Biden to review excessive Nuc spending

https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-to-review-u-s-nuclear-weapons-programs-with-eye-toward-cuts-11608805800 

 

Prediction: NW spending will double every 2-3 years nonetheless leaving us with reductions in conventional forces. Hiring will increase by 20% every year. NNSA will become a third rail immune to cuts because of its job program nature.

COVID relief and LANL and LLNL

Does LLNL or LANL get any money from the Covid relief package. I mean they have stuff in there for transgendered restrooms in Pakistan and miss, tax deductions for three martini lunches, funding for a women's museum, money to stop doping in horse racing, tax breaks for NASCAR. I figures the NNSA labs have to be in there somewhere, maybe some money for computer security? Perhaps not.

More about the scandal

The hackers have been able to do more damage at FERC than the other agencies, and officials there have evidence of highly malicious activity, the officials said, but did not elaborate. The officials said that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which has been helping to manage the federal response to the broad hacking campaign, indicated to FERC this week that CISA was overwhelmed and might not be able to allocate the necessary resources to respond. DOE will therefore be allocating extra resources to FERC to help investigate the hack, even though FERC is a semi-autonomous agency, the officials said. Several top officials from CISA, including its former director Christopher Krebs, have either been pushed out by the Trump administration or resigned in recent weeks. "Federal investigators have been combing through networks in recent days to determine what hackers had been able to access and/or steal, and officials at DOE still don’t know whether the attackers were able to access anything, the people said, noting that the investigation is ongoing and they may not know the full extent of the damage “for weeks.” Shaylyn Hynes, a DOE spokesperson, said that an ongoing investigation into the hack has found that the perpetrators did not get into critical defense systems. "At this point, the investigation has found that the malware has been isolated to business networks only, and has not impacted the mission essential national security functions of the department, including the National Nuclear Security Administration," Hynes said in a statement. " ------------------------------------------------- So basically 90% of Sandia and Los Alamos have been compromised? Ok that was a bit of exaggeration but 50% if more of the labs is this weird overhead stuff that does nothing from anyone can tell. Maybe an upside is that it will be seen that much of the excess non technical junk at the labs will be trimmed since it will be seen as a vulnerability. I have been in this system for some time and since the since the late 80s and 90s there has been an explosion of "businesses" "massive site offices", "HR" "Diversity", "procurement, "bizarre job titles" "outreach", and just endless weird jobs that no one understands. Just a massive bloat of crap to dissipate money. So that point is that all this extra stuff is what was vulnerable to attack. Who what of thought of that? Oh yea like very computer vulnerability person at the labs but they just get in the way.

MICROSOFT hacked! Sad!

There is a sad part to the massive Los Alamos hacking. It is that Microsoft products that where hacked. The LANL scientists have been fighting Microsoft for some time but as more and more non-scientists started to dominate LANL there was more push to make everything Microsoft. I think LANL now down to 17% technical workforce so that is what 80% Microsoft with a big push that everything should just be Microsoft. Just something to think about.

Russian hackers!

 New scandal.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9064709/Russian-hack-federal-government-hard-overstate-says-ex-homeland-security-adviser.html

Russian hackers breached Microsoft as part of their campaign that infiltrated the US nuclear weapon stockpile network, the Los Alamos lab and the Energy Department, officials reveal


What the hell is going on?

Ex- Michigan Gov as SECDOE.

Hazel O'Leary redux.

Question

 Is there an effective way to put the kibosh on a Tech Associate promotional review on a 500 series tech?

Towards "An artificial sun"

 https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/towards-artificial-sun-will-china-win-nuclear-fusion-race

Beijing has a lot of irons in the global energy market fire, facing off against Russia for nuclear energy dominance in Africa, ramping up coal-fired capacity abroad while simultaneously touting its lofty decarbonization plans back at home, and now, powering up a brand new, cutting-edge “artificial sun.”

The so-called sun is a nuclear fusion reactor which came online for the first time last week, “marking a great advance in the country's nuclear power research capabilities,” according to a report by Science X Network’s Phys.org.

Trump order to dismantle 'deep state'

 The Department of Energy is advancing an executive order from  Trump that could make it easier to fire agency workers. 

What would he do a thing like this? 

https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063719123

llnlthetruestory is 13 years old today

 December 11th 2007, the start of this blog. It was intended to replace the short-lived llnlthefinalstory blog and as a step up from llnltherealstory one. 

As llnltherealstory sank into a period of virulent insults among LANL employees and inflammatory remarks towards LLNL's,  it was time to begin a new blog that encourages intelligent debate. 

The torch was lit and LANL readers saw it and hopped on fast.  Participation shot up and moderation was challenging despite clear blog rules. 

On the 1st anniversary, I asked for a volunteer to take it over.  I heard the echo of my own voice. 

Since then, I had brief help from "Doobydew" whose nickname I still use today. Thanks Doobydew! whoever you are.  I also hard help from a tech-savvy guy named "TheEvil Eye". Thank you. 

With some exceptions, LANL dominated this blog negatively and disregarded civility and the call for  intelligent debate. That made moderation that much difficult. 

13 years later, many have questioned the relevance of this platform.  I believe there is a need to have a place where issues are brought up, abuse is reported, important information is passed.

What does everyone think? 

Julian/Scooby/Doobydew

COVID cases at LANL

 https://losalamosreporter.com/2020/12/06/los-alamos-national-laboratory-has-370-confirmed-covid-19-cases-as-of-friday/

370 cases for employees LANL so far, 238 fully recovered. Los Alamos county has only 176 cases.

I am guessing the people are catching it elsewhere than at work.

Sandia under Investigation

 Sandia under investigation for violating COVID-19 restrictions:

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-mexico/articles/2020-10-20/lab-under-investigation-as-new-mexico-deals-with-virus-surge?fbclid=IwAR3Fxt0ZG_poeg350g1EFUIRXEs6ThswFvajD56O75GNEgmuY8aKaNkBWBY

The state’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau has opened an investigation of Sandia National Laboratories after receiving a complaint about alleged violations of the state public health order.

A letter sent Monday by the bureau and obtained by The Associated Press alleges that the national laboratory failed to comply with the health order by not limiting operations to remote work to the greatest extent practicable to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The state claims employees were ordered to cease telework and report to work in-person.

If the lab doesn't comply, the state says it's authorized to post a notice of imminent danger on lab property and assess civil penalties up to $134,904 per violation.

No violations?

 Has “Chief Ethics Officer” Paul T. Schafer been a stooge for LLNS since 2007? Has he ever found significant ethics violations with LLNS?

LLNL tackles COVID with big memory

 “The ability of large-memory systems to integrate genomic analysis with large-scale machine learning for predictive modeling of therapeutic response will be important for accelerating the development of effective new therapeutics,” said Jim Brase, the lab’s deputy associate director for computing...

https://www.independentnews.com/community/llnl-tackles-covid-19-research-with-big-memory-computing/article_2a319ee8-253d-11eb-85d5-633373ed497a.html

DOE choses INL to host the versatile test reactor

 The Department of Energy won’t publish its draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) until mid-December...

https://www.ans.org/news/article-2401/doe-tags-inl-as-preferred-alternative-to-host-the-versatile-test-reactor/

Critical Race Theory is Coming Back to the Labs!

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/11/08/donald-trump-diversity-executive-order-joe-biden/6180668002/

A Joe Biden administration would likely scrap an executive order from the Trump administration that restricts the federal government and its contractors from offering diversity training that President Donald Trump labeled "divisive" and "un-American."

“I think it’s highly probable that this executive order will be rescinded in fairly short order,” Franklin Turner, a partner with law firm McCarter & English who represents multinational contractors and small and medium-sized companies, told USA TODAY.


https://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/what-a-biden-presidency-will-mean-for-your-workplace.html

While Trump never mentioned the term "critical race theory" in his recent executive order regarding diversity training for federal employees and contractors, it was a clear removal of this controversial method of talking about diversity, in which existing institutions are racist and White people maintain power at the expense of people of color. This will probably be one of the first things undone by Biden when he takes office in January. But expect to see lawsuits as many people, including U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner Peter Kirsanow, say that critical race theory training violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Code.


Get ready for this folks the ride is going to be good.

Next DOE Sec. Choices

 Candidates for DOE Secretary in a President Biden Administration may include Arun Majumdar, Ernest Moniz, and Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/07/joe-biden-cabinet-picks-possible-choices-433431

Lisa Gordon-Hagerty resigns

 https://thehill.com/policy/defense/524865-lisa-e-gordon-hagerty-resigns-as-nnsa-administrator

Well, she knew what she was getting into.

(Bob Harvard's decision in 2017 seems ever more prescient.)

Godspeed Bill Bookless.

Hope for a better blog

 I hope that after the election (or at least, after the election result is known), the craziness and vitriol here will subside and we can get back to the purpose of this blog. But right now the country is collectively losing its mind.

Little doubt about Biden plan

 https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-nuclear-weapons-elections-joe-biden-russia-1299ae16f3f21db12e4a41ce2392a0f7

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Joe Biden leaves little doubt that if elected he would try to scale back President Donald Trump’s buildup in nuclear weapons spending. And although the former vice president has not fully detailed his nuclear priorities, he says he would make the U.S. less reliant on the world’s deadliest weapons.

Biden's plan

 Does anyone know what Biden's plans might be for NNSA, or DOE in general? 

The only thing I can find is this

https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-nuclear-weapons-elections-joe-biden-russia-1299ae16f3f21db12e4a41ce2392a0f7

The Biden campaign has made few pronouncements on U.S. nuclear weapons policy or strategy and it declined to make an adviser available for an interview. The campaign website says Biden believes “the sole purpose of the U.S. nuclear arsenal should be deterring — and if necessary, retaliating against — a nuclear attack. As president, he will work to put that belief into practice, in consultation with our allies and military.”

He has said, for example, that he opposes the Trump administration’s decision to develop and deploy two types of missiles armed with less-powerful “low-yield” nuclear warheads. One is a sea-launched cruise missile that is some years from being fielded; the other is a long-range ballistic missile that the Navy began deploying aboard submarines nearly a year ago.

Does Biden have a plan for DOE/NNSA?

 Ok, so does Biden have any plan for NNSA or DOE?

NNSA administrators on fixed term?

 This is behind a paywall unfortunately but I get the point:

https://www.exchangemonitor.com/national-academies-panel-recommends-fixed-term-nnsa-administration-removal-senate-confirmation-nuke-officials/

I think some of the current NNSA administrators would like to keep their jobs after Trump loses. Nice try.

DOE/GOOGLE deal

 With Google being scrutinized , can they deliver what the DOE want? 

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/us-department-energy-signs-five-year-google-cloud-deal/

Is Los Alamos next?

Anyone who works at Los Alamos and a number of people from Livermore or Sandia who have visited Los Alamos
are all very familiar withe the Obelisk monument in the center of the Santa Fe Plaza. It is usually mandatory viewing for visitors from LLNL when they are in town. Well no longer. In a mostly peaceful protest in Santa Fe in which two officers where assaulted the protestors tore down the Obelisk.

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/protesters-tear-down-plaza-obelisk/article_36f53abe-0cc8-11eb-91ac-4bf72f2f32dc.html

"Erected in 1866, the Plaza centerpiece, sometimes called the Soldiers Monument and constructed to honor to Civil War Union soldiers, has spurred several demonstrations in Santa Fe this year amid a nationwide call for racial justice."

Now I will remind of the irony in this. This stood since the last civil war. Are you starting to see where this is headed?
Since Los Alamos is seen by many in a bad light a symbol of oppression one has to ask when people are going to demand when it gets torn down for racial justice. I know no one knows anything about history but you might want to look at what happened to the nations that went through the whole tear down the statues and symbols things in the last 100 years, it actually happened in a number of counties, during their "social revolutions", hint it never ends well...ever.

Hopefully once Trump is gone we get CRT back in the labs.

Hey it is all good, It is now 10:24pm time to watch tonights riots live-streamed on youtube and facebook. For our features tonight we have Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Louisville, and San Diego, at least these are the ones on the screen. Sounds like things are headed in the right direction.

COVID a nuclear security risk?

 COVID a nuclear security risk??

“Traditionally, presidents have temporarily conveyed authority — including nuclear launch authority — to the vice president when they anticipated being under anesthesia. Ronald Reagan took that step in 1985, and George W. Bush did so in 2002 and 2007. There was no indication that Mr. Trump was unconscious, but there was reason to be concerned that the cocktail of drugs he was given could impair his judgment to make the most critical decisions entrusted to a president.

Last week in telephone interviews with Fox News and Fox Business Network, Mr. Trump said he was no longer taking experimental medications but was still on dexamethasone”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/11/us/politics/trump-nuclear-weapons-coronavirus.html

Defund nuclear weapons

 We need to defund nuclear weapons and slash defense spending.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8825277/Hillary-Clinton-calls-Pentagon-slash-spending-F-35s-aircraft-carriers-nuclear-weapons.html

The truth about CRT

 At the Sandia National Laboratories, which develops technology for America’s nuclear arsenal, executives held a racially segregated training session for white male employees. The three-day event, which was led by a company called White Men as Full Diversity Partners, set the goal of examining “white male culture” and making the employees take responsibility for their “white privilege,” “male privilege” and “heterosexual privilege.” In one of the opening exercises, the instructors wrote on a whiteboard that “white male culture” can be associated with “white supremacists,” “KKK,” “Aryan Nation,” “MAGA hat” and “mass killings.” On the final day, the trainers asked employees to write letters to women and people of color. One participant apologized for his privilege and another pledged to “be a better ally.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-truth-about-critical-race-theory-11601841968

DOE investigates National Labs

 DOE Secretary has launched an investigation of the national laboratories for "potential unlawful use of taxpayer funds" regarding "critical race theory"

https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1313595090141552640

Everyone gets the cough med at LLNL!

A LLNS manager clearly but secretly steps out of line with pre-bias or prejudice actions, and instead of strongly addressing such behavior by focused punitive measures, everyone gets the cough medicine? Really? That will never work, and surely local NNSA Field Offices know they are part of the problem and not the solution.

Manufacturing at LLNL

https://www.independentnews.com/labs_link/llnlrss/manufacturing-at-lawrence-livermore-national-laboratory/video_ef9f30f9-2bfc-55dd-906d-b5636810877d.html

Bill Richardson

What? Bill Richardson is corrupt? https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8768695/Former-NM-Governor-Bill-Richardson-accused-using-bribes-fund-sexual-services-favors.html

Trump is expanding on fight against Critical Race Theory

" shall be the policy of the United States not to promote race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating in the Federal workforce or in the Uniformed Services, and not to allow grant funds to be used for these purposes. In addition, Federal contractors will not be permitted to inculcate such views in their employees,” the order says.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/09/22/trump-expands-fight-against-critical-race-theory-to-private-contractors/

Sandia "pauses' diversiy training

https://www.abqjournal.com/1497451/sandia-labs-pauses-all-diversity-and-inclusion-training-ex-an-employees-argument-that-it-overexaggerated-systemic-racism-and-white-privilege-caught-the-white-houses-attention-leading-to-the-p.html

Civil war at Sandia continues...

On Monday, all Sandia employees received the following e-mail to cease all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training:

https://twitter.com/NotHF/status/1305540086965178370

However, some Sandia employees are pointing out that Sandia management is a hypocrite for caving in because they have pushed back on other DOE orders but refuse to push back for DEI:

https://twitter.com/NotHF/status/1305541348444041221

LLNL is not in compliance

September 2020 DOE IG Report on "The Department of Energy's Management of Explosive Materials at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory".

Procedural issues again a concern as cited in the September 2013 DOE IG Report on HEAF. (Listed under "Prior Reports" on page 11)

"We interviewed eight officials responsible for the explosives management at HEAF and Site 300, and upon our request none provided us with detailed inventory procedures..."By not requiring custodians to follow property management regulations and without the custodian knowing the requirements, LLNL is not in compliance with 41 CFR, Subpart 109".

https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2020/09/f78/DOE-OIG-20-53.pdf

Race training cancelled

Sandia Cancelled Sept. 16 race training and critical race theory programs.



https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1304938747939569664

9/13/2020 4:52 PM

Inclusion training

On Wednesday, the Lab received formal direction from DOE to preserve, collect and produce to the agency certain materials relating to “diversity, equity and inclusion trainings” and to suspend such training until further notice.

This was predicted here on this Blog as I now proclaim the great Liberal social experiment at LLNL is now over with SJW SF liberal Director going, going GONE! ADIOS!
Fun to watch the Liberal Managers now jumping ship. FUN! See you propaganda forcing Liberals in November, not to worry Joe is a great candidate:)

Greater authority over NNSA

H.R. 8159 proposed to create greater DOE authority over the NNSA

"The bill clarifies that NNSA officers and employees shall be responsible to and subject to the authority, direction and control of the Secretary of Energy. It further strikes a provision from Section 3220 barring DOE personnel other than the Secretary from exercising authority, direction, or control over personnel employed by or contracting with NNSA."

https://energycommerce.house.gov/sites/democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/files/documents/FC%20Markup%20Memo_2020.09.09_0.pdf

Black Sandia engineer supports Casey Petersen

Black Sandia engineer supports Casey Petersen and hosts him on podcast denouncing Sandia race seminars:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1282660192068599&extid=ePIdsqG7JjtTLHkO

LANL expects to hire 1000/yr

LANL expects to hire 1000/yr for the next 2 years.

https://losalamosreporter.com/2020/09/05/lanl-expects-to-hire-1000-a-year-for-the-next-two-years/amp/

Trump orders end of racial sensitivity training

White House Orders End Of ‘Un-American’ Racial Sensitivity Training At Federal Agencies

I heard that this order actually came about due the recent events at Sandia. The issue that I am puzzled about is if this actually would still effect Sandia since I do not thing they are actually a Federally run facility.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/racial-sensitivity-training-un-american_n_5f52e600c5b6578026ce23f1

Another Sandia employee speaks out

Another Sandia Labs employee speaks out against critical race theory at Sandia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAi20Le6qAs&feature=youtu.be

DOE and South Carolina settle

DOE and South Carolina Reach a $600 Million Settlement

https://www.energy.gov/articles/secretary-brouillette-and-south-carolina-officials-announce-historic-agreement-between

Incident at Ashley Pond

LAPD requests criminal summons for alleged battery In Sunday incident at Black Lives Matter event at Ashley Pond

https://losalamosreporter.com/2020/08/31/lapd-requests-criminal-summons-for-alleged-battery-in-sunday-incident-at-black-lives-matter-event-at-ashley-pond/

African American Director at LLNL?

Bothwell: LLNL Should Seize Opportunity To Appoint African American Director Following Retirement Of William Goldstein

https://ladailypost.com/bothwell-llnl-should-seize-opportunity-to-appoint-african-american-director-following-retirement-of-william-goldstein/

Sandia Labs Goes Nuclear On Employee

Starting to get around

Sandia Labs Goes Nuclear On Employee Who Sparked Internal Revolt Over Critical Race Theory

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/sandia-labs-goes-nuclear-employee-who-sparked-internal-revolt-over-critical-race-theory

Civil war at Sandia.

A civil war has erupted at Sandia Labs:

https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1299008750729097216

A dissident electrical engineer named Casey Peterson emailed all 16,000 employees denouncing critical race theory in the lab and hoping to spark a rebellion against Sandia executives.

Partnerships for battery technology

Where are LANL and LLNL?

https://cleantechnica.com/2020/08/25/us-energy-dept-selects-national-laboratories-to-establish-industry-partnerships-for-battery-manufacturing-innovation/amp/

Argonne to lead national quantum center

https://www.anl.gov/article/department-of-energy-selects-argonne-to-lead-national-quantum-center

Will Trump use a nuke to stop the asteroid?

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/22/us/asteroid-earth-november-2020-scn-trnd/index.html

Maybe Trump will say we need to blow up the asteroid with a nuke, the Dems will be against this. Sounds crazy but hey it is 2020 anything can happen. Are the labs up to the challenge!

Closed ranking sessions

Do closed ranking sessions enable or shelter inappropriate conduct?

If you look at the many public cases where the inappropriate conduct of a city mayor, city council member, or other city official are exposed through a video or tweet, the conduct is usually promptly addressed. There is far less incentive to flush out inappropriate conduct from the participants of closed meetings.

DOE Secretary did not approve of Sandia seminars!

DOE Secretary did not approve of Sandia seminars and DOE Inspector General is conducting expedited investigation into the matter:

https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1296531254389571584?fbclid=IwAR0PV9feUQIf-PP6LM-0jOG2iIuhXxxFY7v04TToosxmrNayzH7UTYYRu3E

LANL water monitoring halted due to EPA

https://www.circleofblue.org/2020/world/los-alamos-national-labs-shut-down-water-monitoring-for-months-due-to-epa-policy/

Sandia executives and white male culture

National Nuclear Lab's Employees Sent to Seminar That Claimed 'Rugged Individualism' and 'Hard Work' Are 'White Male Culture'

https://reason.com/2020/08/13/sandia-laboratory-nuclear-white-male-privilege-training/?fbclid=IwAR2NxsY0nzzwzR5pw3pcfaYP5coaIn9VCzEclaqyRFBmuIhdNo-kotHZoxU&amp

Our Lord will return some day!

I have talked with more than a few coworkers about how Liberals are taking over the Main Portal with constant Liberal messages. As we know the great silent majority is silent for a good reasons.
One reason is outside of the Lab the term Inclusive means one is included only if you agree and kneel at the Alter of the false religion of Liberalism and Abortion.
For example the Inclusive Woman's march does not allow serious Christians, Pro-Life women nor Conservative Women's Groups but is Inclusive. Funny, haha.
I would say (I predict) with LLNL becoming more like Google and Twitter with Liberal Management that at some point they will turn on Christians as it is inevitable because our Creator values life which is not a tenant of Liberalism/Socialism as their Ideology in every facet comes before a persons or family's life.
I would say two things.
If you doubt the silent majority at LLNL or in our Country, then let's talk on Nov. 5th. But more importantly our Lord will return some day and every thing that has breathe will kneel before His Majesty as this all will end.

Are accidental explosions possible at LLNL?

In light of the recent explosion in Beirut, I've been worried if some sort of explosive accident could take place at LLNL that would be devastating to the nearby community of Livermore or further. Is such an event possible with materials they have? 

Environmental Impact Statement for LLNL

NNSA to prepare new Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/articles/nnsa-prepare-new-site-wide-environmental-impact-statement-lawrence-livermore-national

LLNL retiree settlement

Documents explaining the settlement are available on the LLNL Retirees  Association website:

https://www.livermorelabretirees.org/uc-settlement-updates

The Court Documents are available at:

http://www.llnlretireesettlement.com/documents.php

What if elections are delayed?

So Trump is talking about delaying the election. Should the NNSA labs stop working in Nov if this is the case?

LLNL Retiree Settlement

Where are the actual details of how the LLNL Retiree Settlement will be implemented? This surely must be a public document currently available now or in the very near future. I want to see the formulas used to calculate the payments I and whoever else wants to see what they are eligible for. Trust but verify.

LLNL retirees currently receive $2450/year to draw from to cover the cost of medical premiums. That is not enough to fully cover Kaiser Senior Advantage premiums and there is a shortfall every November or December. Who knows how much a current vested UC retiree who worked on one of the UC campuses gets to draw against? Surely this number is greater than $2450/year. If current vested UC retirees receive much more than $2450/year how will this be addressed?

Invitation to clean debates

Dear blog visitor,

I am inviting you to keep your comments on topic. You don't need to win an argument. What every sane person wants are informative and interesting comments. Having seen this blog evolve negatively, I can confirm that you will never win an argument in an anonymous fashion. I renew my call for improving our blog and making it a friendly place where educated people come to inform and debate, instead of regurgitate and denigrate.

I am obligated and committed to delete any useless, hateful,  off-topic,  obscene comment. Not to mention complains about said deletions! 

Cordially,
Scooby

How many are working?

How many people are actually working at the NNSA labs during Covid? I know that some manufacturing people are still working and many others but a large amount are working from home, but the question is how many of these people at home are actually working? I have heard some estimates from managers and well I guess there is not much we can do about it.

Assessment of Safety Culture

Assessment of Safety Culture Sustainment Processes at U.S. Department of Energy Sites" June 2020

https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2020/06/f76/Safety%20Culture%20Sustainment%20Assessment%20Report.pdf

7/26/2020 9:07 AM

UFO are reeaal!

The NYT just dropped the biggest story ever. UFOs are real and we are working on them? Could LLNL be secretly involved? What could it mean for the next contract change? If turned out to be true would LLNL be the best place or would say Stanford. Wild stuff.

LLNL wrongful termination lawsuit

https://www.newsbreak.com/california/livermore/news/0O8B6dUJ/court-activity-on-feb-11-pratik-patel-vs-lawrence-livermore-national-security

COVID-19 at NNSA

There were 23 new active cases of COVID-19 this week at National Nuclear Security Administration sites, marking a second consecutive week of double-digit increases across the civilian nuclear security enterprise.
https://www.exchangemonitor.com/twenty-three-new-covid-19-cases-reported-nnsa/?printmode=1

Bill Goldstein retiring

Livermore Lab Director Bill Goldstein announces retirement

https://www.pleasantonweekly.com/news/2020/07/07/livermore-lab-director-bill-goldstein-announces-retirement

NNSA and DOE dodged a Bullet

Senate Kills NDAA Language To ‘Usurp’ Civilian Control Of Nuke Budget

NNSA and DOE dodged a Bullet...

"A provision in the SASC’s 2021 defense policy bill that could have caused great friction between two powerful committees has been quashed. The provision would have handed DoD budgetary control of nuclear weapons development in the wake of strong opposition — including from Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette and leaders of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Energy Committee Chair Lisa Murkowski and Ranking Member Joe Manchin threatened to block the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on the Senate floor if the provision was not removed, according to one opponent.

The language in Section 3111 of the SASC bill would have given the Pentagon’s Nuclear Weapons Council power to set the annual budget of the development of warheads by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which develops and builds nuclear warheads for the Pentagon’s ICBMs, bombers and submarines.

The provision was overturned, as first reported by colleague John Donnelly, via an amendment cosponsored by Manchin and Sen. Maria Cantwell that the Senate approved on July 2, along with a larger package of changes. The amendment was approved unanimously, according to a July 2 press release by Cantwell.

Cantwell had been vociferous in her opposition to the bill, arguing that it not only would have usurped Brouillette’s power over his own department’s budget, but also could have resulted in the shifting of funds from other important DoE missions such as nuclear waste cleanup. (Brouillette made similar objections in a letter he sent to the SASC on June 29, further arguing that it would overturn civilian control of the nation’s nuclear weapons.)

While leaving budgetary control to DoE, the Cantwell-Manchin amendment does give DoD an opportunity to make its views on the annual NNSA budget proposal known. According to Cantwell’s release, the provision will “promote transparency by attaching the NWC’s recommendation for the NNSA’s budget as an appendix to the final budget request submitted by the Secretary of Energy.”

https://breakingdefense.com/2020/07/senate-kills-ndaa-language-to-usurp-civilian-control-of-nuke-budget/

LANL plutonium-238 exposure

Los Alamos National Laboratory is investigating the possible exposure of Laboratory employees to plutonium-238 after a breach in a glovebox glove at the Plutonium Facility on June 8.

https://losalamosreporter.com/2020/07/06/fifteen-lanl-workers-being-evaluated-for-possible-exposure-to-plutonium-238-following-june-8-glovebox-glove-breach/amp/

Honestly wondering...

I am just honestly asking the question as I am not sure if what I am feeling is correct?

1) I am honestly cringing to open the Lab Intranet as what new Social Justice post will we see?

2) I remember one of the Stem Protest comments was a lady caught up in the moment going to "make" her underlings watch Social Justice videos? Did I get that correct?

3) Our Director only portrays one side of H1 visa pause as 13m Americans are out of work, I think he is a Globalist and again I am asking?
As I notice 2 things about Liberalism, they (like our Director) really, really believe that everyone agrees with them and two their Ideology comes before safety of us and our families (like releasing Illegal Felons without notifying ICE or pooping on SF streets or removing the Police, Ideology over safety)?

4) I have never met WCI head and I am sure she is a good sincere person, but I did not care for her emails on this subject?

5) I honestly wonder how Lisa Haggerty would feel about this push?

6) It is distracting me, similar how the NFL kneelers "maybe" distract from their teammates and actually playing the game?

Any thoughts, feelings?

Sincerely.

Credential Inflation In The Federal Workforce?

New Executive Order Fights Credential Inflation In The Federal Workforce"

"On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to fill job vacancies based on merit, rather than require a minimum level of education for candidates seeking open positions. The order rightly recognizes that a job candidate with several years of relevant experience may be just as qualified, if not more so, than one who has collected a stack of advanced degrees."


https://www.forbes.com/sites/prestoncooper2/2020/06/29/new-executive-order-fights-credential-inflation-in-the-federal-civil-service/#6a382a085759

An unusual lawsuit at LLNL

Don’t know what to say to this somewhat bizarre lawsuit:

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/06/lawsuit-alleges-scientific-misconduct-us-nuclear-weapons-lab

Dealing With Life Transitions in an Ever-Changing COVID-19 World

Dealing With Life Transitions in an Ever-Changing COVID-19 World  

ByJennifer Scott

Nothing’s for certain when it comes to COVID-19, except for the fact that everyone is working through some sort of change right now. Whether that change is as small as giving themselves an at-home haircut or as big as graduating from high school, people are dealing with all sorts of life transitions during these unprecedented times. Let’s explore some of those changes, as well as a few helpful tips for adjusting to and sorting through them. 

Trying to Sell a Home 

The full influence of COVID-19 on the US housing market has yet to be seen. Still, real estate experts speculate that with fewer folks out searching for new homes due to pandemic-related restrictions and concerns about the virus, home prices may end up falling this year. 

If you do want to sell your home during the pandemic, you can take extra precautions to give buyers peace of mind and hopefully sell before the market declines further. Some safe ways to show and sell your home could include virtual tours, 3D walkthroughs and video conferencing showings. As things open back up, you may also be able to arrange for in-person tours but if you do, make sure that your entire home is properly cleaned and sanitized before and after appointments. 

Finding or Starting a New Job 

Were you furloughed from your current job? If so, The Balance notes this may be the perfect time to reevaluate your career goals and begin searching for a position better-suited to your needs. You can spend the free time you have reworking your resume and combing through potential openings, to see if something catches your eye. 

If you do get called in for an interview, remember that there is no need to mention your furloughed status unless a prospective employer asks. Volunteering this information without being asked could end up complicating or even jeopardizing your job search. 

If you will be starting a new job during the pandemic, keep in mind that the onboarding and training process is bound to be different, and many of those steps may be completed virtually. 

Anticipating a Big Move 

Whether you plan on selling a home or starting a new job, these two major life changes may also require you to relocate while the COVID-10 crisis is ongoing. United Van Lines explains that planning a move in the middle of a global pandemic can be a little more challenging, but it’s certainly not impossible. 

You mainly need to be careful of restrictions and closings that could impact your travel, especially if you will be moving to a new state. If you are traveling through states, you may also want to check current COVID-19 hot zones, so you will know which locations may require added precautions. If you are merely moving to a new home in your current city, check out the COVID-19 cleaning tips mentioned above, so that you can ensure that your new home is safe for your family. 

Filing for Federal Benefits 

As mentioned above, there are quite a few people transitioning into new career fields due to COVID-19 closures. While the unemployment rate has fallen since the onset of the pandemic, millions of Americans are still desperately in need of financial support. As of June, the federal government has not decided whether to extend the CARES Act benefits currently providing assistance to these people. Still, you may end up needing to file for unemployment before the coronavirus crisis is over. 

Of course, accepting financial help can be difficult and emotional, but know that getting the help you need is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. So whether it’s unemployment or other financial aid, do what you need to keep yourself afloat. 

The coronavirus pandemic will likely continue to shape our lives in the coming months and even years. Since you cannot predict what changes this future will bring, all that you can do is focus on making the most of the changes in front of you. So whether that’s buying a new home or building a new career, or something else, try to find the information and resources you need to work through transitions in a positive way.

Jennifer Scott

Y-12 and Pantex M&O fired.

Y-12 and Pantex M&O fired. UC-tied underperformers next?

 Anonymous said...

Y-12 and Pantex M&O fired. UC-tied underperformers next?

6/23/2020 4:39 PM

I think the poster is saying some group or subcontractor associated with managing Pantex and Y-12 is out for underperforming. I have heard nothing of it or know which groups they are. I also don't think UC had any involvement with either theses places. Maybe it is a different UC than the University of California.