<
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/04/02/doge-goes-nuclear-how-trump-invited-silicon-valley-into-americas-nuclear-power-regulator/>
"Last summer, a group of officials from the Department of Energy gathered at
the Idaho National Laboratory, a sprawling 890-square-mile complex in the
eastern desert of Idaho where the U.S. government built its first rudimentary
nuclear power plant in 1951 and continues to test cutting-edge technology.
On the agenda that day: the future of nuclear energy in the Trump era. The
meeting was convened by 31-year-old lawyer Seth Cohen. Just five years out of
law school, Cohen brought no significant experience in nuclear law or policy;
he had just entered government through Elon Musk’s Department of Government
Efficiency team.
As Cohen led the group through a technical conversation about licensing nuclear
reactor designs, he repeatedly downplayed health and safety concerns. When
staff brought up the topic of radiation exposure from nuclear test sites, Cohen
broke in.
“They are testing in Utah. … I don’t know, like 70 people live there,” he said.
“But … there’s lots of babies,” one staffer pushed back. Babies, pregnant women
and other vulnerable groups are thought to be potentially more susceptible to
cancers brought on by low-level radiation exposure, and they are usually
afforded greater protections.
“They’ve been downwind before,” another staffer joked.
“This is why we don’t use AI transcription in meetings,” another added."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
