When Nuclear Danger Becomes Background Noise: A Conversation with W.J. (“Bill”) Hennigan and Amy J. Nelson

Join us for a virtual public conversation examining how nuclear danger is understood, reported, and too often normalized in the current moment. The discussion will center on a newly released report by the Future Security Scenarios Lab, Threat Complacency and Nuclear Risk: Addressing Old Threats in a New Era, which explores how constant exposure to warnings, close calls, and persistent nuclear threats can paradoxically dull urgency rather than sharpen it.

The conversation, introduced by New America CEO Anne-Marie Slaughter, will feature the Director of the Future Security Scenarios Lab Amy J. Nelson in dialogue with New York Times reporter W.J. (“Bill”) Hennigan. Drawing on the report’s analysis and Hennigan’s reporting, the discussion will examine how nuclear risks surface within government and defense institutions—often without generating sustained political or policy response. Together, Nelson and Hennigan will explore where warning succeeds, where it falls short, and what this gap reveals about the role of journalism, policymaking, and public understanding today.