Newsletter XIV 2026
April 5th to ...
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| Current news+ | Background knowledge |
Radioactivity accumulates; this means that radioactive particles continue to accumulate in the living organism and over time similar damage can occur as with a short-term, massive exposure to radiation...
The PDF file "Nuclear Power Accidents" contains a number of other incidents from various areas of the nuclear industry. Some of the events were never published through official channels, so this information could only be made available to the public in a roundabout way. The list of incidents in the PDF file is therefore not 100 % identical with "INES and the disturbances in nuclear facilities", but represents an addition.
April 1, 1960 ("Gerboise blanche", France's 2st atomic bomb test) Reggane, DZA
April 3, 1960 (INES-4) NPP WTR-2, Waltz Mill, Madison, PA, USA
April 6, 1993 (INES-4 NAMS 4,8) Nuclear factory Tomsk 7 Seversk, RUS
April 7, 1989 (Broken Arrow) submarine accidents, K-278 "Komsomolets" sunk southwest of Bear Island
April 9, 2007 (INES-1 Class.?) NPP Dampierre, FRA
April 10, 2003 (INES-3 NAMS 3,9) NPP Paks, HUN
April 10th to May 15st, 1967 (Dust storms) Nuclear factory Mayak, USSR
April 10, 1963 (Nuclear submarine) submarine accidents, SSN-593 "Thresher" sank off Cape Cod, USA
April 11, 1970 (Broken Arrow) submarine accidents, K-8 sank in Bay of Biscay
April 19, 2005 (INES-3) Nuclear factory Windscale/Sellafield, GBR
April 21, 1957 (INES-4) Nuclear factory Mayak, USSR
April 25, 1961 ("Green Gerboise", France's 4st atomic bomb test) Reggane, DZA
April 25, 1954 ("Castle Union" H-bomb with 6.9 MT) Bikini Atoll, MHL
April 26, 1986 (INES-7 NAMS 8) NPP Chernobyl, USSR
April 28, 2011 (INES Class.?) NPP Asco, ESP
We are always looking for up-to-date information. Anyone who can help, please send a message to:
nuclear-world@reaktorpleite.de
11. April
New AI becomes a dream weapon for hackers and terrorists
A new AI agent can cripple power grids, hospitals, or military installations. It has already uncovered critical security vulnerabilities.
Anthropic's new agent, "Claude Mythos Preview," is currently causing quite a stir. Unlike a chatbot that answers a question, an AI agent can pursue a goal independently. It plans, executes, and delivers a result.
The new agent has discovered previously undiscovered security vulnerabilities in the software of security-relevant systems and, in the wrong hands, could become a devastating cyber weapon. Indeed, AI has developed at an exponential rate in recent months, as will be shown below. The conclusions (see box) are disruptive – but there is hope.
Anthropic’s “Claude Mythos Preview”
What the agent "Claude Mythos Preview" is truly capable of can only be verified by the expert teams of the approximately 40 tech companies that received exclusive access to the agent. Anthropic's competitors were also involved in the "Project Glasswing" initiative. The issue at hand concerns national, indeed global, security. As the "New York Times" reported, "Mythos" has already uncovered thousands of dangerous and, in some cases, long-standing vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities affect operating systems that control power grids, water utilities, hospitals, and military systems worldwide.
US tech companies can now use this agent to test their models for security vulnerabilities, hoping to patch them in time. This same agent, however, becomes a dream weapon for hackers to find and exploit weaknesses. The potential for damage is enormous. Hacking critical infrastructure systems was previously only possible with the expert knowledge of large institutions. With the agent "Mythos," this apparently becomes child's play, accessible to criminals, terrorist organizations, and even small states, regardless of their AI expertise.
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Dukovany nuclear power plant is expected to operate for up to 80 years.
Originally, it was designed to last 30 years!
This week, Czech Industry Minister Karel Havlíček and CEZ, the largely state-owned Czech nuclear power company, announced a decision that is as far-reaching as it is risky: The existing nuclear reactors in Dukovany are to remain in operation for up to 80 years, rather than the previously assumed 60 years.
"Today's announcement, as reported by CTK, shows above all how much the nuclear industry relies on operating life extensions to remain relevant at all. The Dukovany units were commissioned in the mid-1980s and designed for a 30-year operating life. They should therefore have been shut down long ago," states Herbert Stoiber, executive director of atomstopp_atomkraftfrei leben!
Modernization programs do nothing to change a central problem: the reactors remain old. The reactor pressure vessel is particularly critical. It is one of the most important safety-related components, is becoming increasingly brittle, and cannot be replaced.
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April 11, 1970 (Broken Arrow) Submarine K-8 sunk in Bay of Biscay
The Soviet nuclear submarine K-8 sank in the Bay of Biscay on April 11, 1970, killing 52 sailors. Since then, two nuclear reactors and several nuclear torpedoes have been lying at a depth of 2 m...
(Costs ?)
Nuclear Power Accidents
Wikipedia de
K-8 (submarine)
The K-8 was a Cold War-era nuclear submarine of the Soviet Navy. It was the second nuclear submarine that the Soviet Union had commissioned to build under the name Project 627A. Its sinking in 1970 was the Soviet nuclear navy's first loss.
[...] Sinking in 1970
On April 8, 1970, the 51st day of this mission, the boat was still on the return journey in the Bay of Biscay. It was at a depth of 120 meters and traveling at 10 knots when cable fires occurred almost simultaneously at the sonar station in Department 3 and a control station in Department 7, presumably due to short circuits. The commander had K-8 show up immediately. In Department 3, the crew was able to quickly extinguish the fire, but had to leave the department because of the toxic fumes released during the fire. In Department 7, the fire was now also fueled by the lubricating oils used there, so it could not be extinguished and the sailors also had to evacuate the department. After the two nuclear reactors were switched off, it took another 40 minutes before the fire in Department 7 was extinguished by the deprivation of oxygen as a result of the isolation.
10. April
Orban is trying to use fake news in the final stretch of the election campaign.
Only two days remain until it's decided who will shape Hungary's future. In the final stretch of the election campaign, Prime Minister Orban and his challenger Magyar are hurling accusations at each other. Donald Trump is also still actively involved.
Shortly before the parliamentary elections in Hungary on Sunday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán drastically escalated his rhetoric against the opposition, which is leading in the polls. In a Facebook post, he accused his opponents of "stopping at nothing to seize power" and conspiring with foreign intelligence agencies. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump once again offered his support, urging Hungarians to vote for the right-wing nationalist. After 16 years in office, Orbán and his Fidesz party could be voted out of office on Sunday.
Orban wrote about the opposition: "They are cooperating with foreign intelligence services. (...) Even now, before your votes have even been counted, they are organizing protests and unrest," he continued in his message "to all Hungarians." "This is an organized attempt to cast doubt on the decision of the Hungarian people through chaos, pressure, and international defamation." He presented no evidence for these claims.
Hungarian security expert and former intelligence officer Peter Buda pointed out in a Substack post that the false claim that the opposition was preparing unrest together with Ukraine had been spread for some time by relevant Russian social media channels.
Buda continued, writing that fake videos were being produced, allegedly showing Ukrainian soldiers preparing for a supposed intervention in Hungary. By adopting these conspiracy theories, the Orban government aims to "prepare the population for a violent provocation" in order to then falsely attribute its perpetration to the opposition.
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Will this new club of nations manage to phase out fossil fuels?
The war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused the biggest energy shock in decades. A long-planned new initiative to phase out coal, oil, and gas could now receive entirely new impetus.
After five weeks of war, the people of the region have narrowly escaped what was likely the worst possible escalation. At the beginning of the week, Donald Trump threatened Iran with massive war crimes if Tehran did not comply with his demands. On Tuesday evening, a spectacular about-face followed: The US president announced a two-week ceasefire. What happens after that, and whether the truce will even last that long, remains to be seen. Negotiations will take place in Islamabad this weekend.
For decades, the world's vulnerability to fossil fuels has not been so starkly illustrated. Because Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil was transported, the global economy recently lost around eleven million barrels of oil per day, according to calculations by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Even if the strait were to reopen to shipping soon, the energy crisis would by no means be over. It will likely take a long time to repair the damage caused by Iranian attacks to liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Qatar.
Countries dependent on fossil fuel imports are drawing somewhat different conclusions from the current situation. Thailand, for example, as reported by the Financial Times, has ramped up coal-fired power plants in the wake of the Iran war to compensate for energy shortages; Japan and South Korea have reportedly relaxed restrictions on coal burning for the same reason; and in Great Britain, the opening of new oil and gas extraction in the North Sea is once again being debated. In contrast, the EU Commission, China, and Taiwan, among others, now want to focus more strongly on the energy transition (read an overview here). What will remain of these short-term reactions to the crisis if oil and gas prices fall again after some time is, of course, unclear.
Clause on phasing out coal, oil and gas prevented
A plan that could have a significantly larger and longer-lasting impact is currently being discussed in more detail at a conference in Colombia: Representatives from more than 40 countries will meet in Santa Marta in two weeks to develop a roadmap for the gradual phase-out of fossil fuels – the first summit of its kind. Important countries such as China, the USA, and India are apparently not among the participants, but several European countries, including Germany, as well as Australia, Canada, and Mexico, are.
The group emerged from the last climate summit in Belém, Brazil, where several oil-producing states, including Saudi Arabia, had managed to prevent a clause on phasing out coal, oil, and gas from being included in the final declaration. Numerous countries subsequently formed their own conference, which will now be jointly hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands in April.
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The Nazi Cartel - Episode 2 - The Narco Empire
In July 1980, the so-called "Cocaine Coup" took place in Bolivia, creating the first narco-state in history. Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie pulled the decisive strings behind the scenes.
Bolivia, 1980. A former Nazi and a drug lord overthrow the government and establish the first narco-state in history. "The Nazi Cartel" reveals previously unknown entanglements.
Drugs, crime and politics
The three-part documentary series focuses on three men: the notorious Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie, the businessman and drug dealer Roberto Suarez, and the DEA undercover agent Michael Levine, who wants to put a stop to the dealers' activities.
The cocaine trade is one of the largest and most powerful criminal enterprises in the world today. South America, and especially Bolivia and Colombia, have played a key role in it from the very beginning. The connections between drugs, crime, and politics are as powerful as they are opaque.
An agent, a drug lord, and a Nazi war criminal
The story begins in 1979, when US DEA agent Mike Levine is transferred to Buenos Aires to stop the drug trade in South America. His undercover plan against Roberto Suarez, the "King of Cocaine," initially seems to be working.
But then events take a dramatic turn: Instead of ending up in prison, the Suarez clan becomes increasingly successful in pulling the strings in the country. In July 1980, the "Cocaine Coup" takes place in Bolivia, leading to the brutal dictatorship under President García Meza.
What role does the Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie play in all this, who works closely with Roberto Suarez under the alias Klaus Altmann? And can Mike Levine still succeed in his mission under these circumstances?
Episode 1 - The King of Cocaine
Episode 2 - The Narco Empire
Episode 3 - The drug war
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Nuclear power plant maintenance shutdown in Belgium also in 2027 and 2028
Belgium will shut down all nuclear power plants for seven months.
Brussels – In Belgium, the last two nuclear power plants were shut down for seven months in early April 2026. The goal is to modernize the two nuclear power plants, Doel 4 and Tihange 3.
As part of the planning by the Belgian grid operator Elia, these reactors will be unavailable between April 1 and November 1, 2026, as well as for the same period in the summers of 2027 and 2028. The shutdown is for extensive modernization and long-term operation (LTO) work as part of the ten-year operating license extension.
The planned modernizations will add up to a total downtime of 21 months for the two reactors – almost two years.
Belgium has already shut down five of its original seven reactors. In 2025 alone, the Doel 1, Doel 2, and Tihange 1 nuclear power plants were decommissioned. Only the two high-capacity reactors, Doel 4 (1.090 MW) and Tihange 3 (1.089 MW), remain, with a combined gross output of approximately 2.200 MW.
The Belgian government decided in December 2023 to extend the operating licenses until 2035. Both power plants were commissioned in 1985 and will thus reach an age of approximately 50 years.
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April 10, 2003 (INES-3 NAMS 3,9) NPP Paks, HUN
During cleaning work in Unit 2 of the Pak nuclear power plant, the cladding of some fuel rods was damaged, resulting in the release of 360 TBq of radioactive gas.
(Cost approx. US$ 43 million)
Nuclear Power Accidents
AtomkraftwerkePlag
Paks (Hungary)
In 2003, a serious INES Level 3 incident occurred at reactor 2, during which several fuel assemblies were damaged during cleaning, and radioactive gas was released. No one was injured, but the reactor could not be restarted until four years later. An IAEA report stated that elevated radiation levels were initially detected in a cleaning pool near the reactor core, prompting the opening of the cleaning system. "It turned out that the majority of the 30 fuel assemblies had overheated due to insufficient cooling and were severely damaged or melted." The damaged fuel assemblies were transported by rail to the Mayak nuclear facility in Russia in August 2014, without the public being informed at the time.
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April 10th to May 15st, 1967 (Dust storms) Nuclear factory Mayak, USSR
Wikipedia de
Mayak Nuclear Facility#1967: Contaminated Dust Storms
A drought in the spring of 1967 led to a drop in the water level of Lake Karachay, which was being used as an interim storage site. Between April 10 and May 15, strong winds carried radioactively contaminated sediment dust from the dry shores across an area of 1.800 to 5.000 km². Its total radioactivity is estimated by various sources to be between 22 TBq and 220 TBq (2,2 to 22 × 1013¹³ Bq).
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April 10, 1963 (Sunken nuclear submarine) SSN-593 "Thresher" sank off Cape Cod
129 sailors lost their lives when the US Navy's nuclear-powered submarine sank.
Wikipedia
Nuclear submarine#Incidents and accidents
The first nuclear submarine ever lost was the Thresher in 1963, which was lost during deep-diving tests with its entire crew of 129 men.
Thresher (submarine, 1961)
The Thresher was a nuclear-powered submarine of the United States Navy and belonged to the Thresher class. Commissioned in 1961, the submarine was lost on April 10, 1963, during diving tests approximately 350 kilometers off Cape Cod on the east coast of the United States, resulting in the deaths of 129 men. The Thresher was thus the first nuclear-powered submarine to be sunk.
An uncontrollable inrush of water is assumed to be the reason for the sinking. Due to a short circuit that occurred as a result, the reactor switched itself off automatically and thus failed the boat's drive, whereupon the Thresher sank below its destruction depth. After a long search, the US Navy was able to locate the wreck and take photos that showed that the pressure hull was still stable when it sank and was only crushed at a great depth by the increasing water pressure.
The wreck still lies on the seabed at a depth of approximately 2500 meters. Nothing is known about any leaking radioactive materials.
9. April
This is how Orbán's "propaganda" system works: "What happened in Hungary can happen elsewhere."
Viktor Orbán's power could end with Sunday's election. He has cemented it for years, also through the media, as a recent book shows.
On Sunday, Hungary elects a new parliament – and for the first time in more than a decade, a defeat for Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party seems more than likely. Polls show challenger Peter Magyar and his Tisza party in the lead. But even if Magyar wins a majority of the votes, he will face difficulties. With the complex electoral system, with Hungarian institutions, and with the media. Because since 2016, Orbán has been systematically reshaping the media to suit his needs.
How this works and where it has led is described by journalist Ákos Toth in his latest book, "After the Conquest" (Wahrheitsperlen Verlag, 31 euros). Toth makes it clear: The issues and mechanisms at stake are entirely different from those being debated in Germany regarding public broadcasting. And Orbán's system won't simply be shelved, even if it were to collapse after a Fidesz defeat—which, in any case, is only one of several conceivable scenarios. Because, as Toth argues, authoritarian forces around the world are watching these patterns with interest. Even US President Donald Trump.
“Agonizing costs”: How Orbán curtailed free media in Hungary
Tóth experienced many parts of the process firsthand: He was a writer and executive at the now-defunct daily newspaper Népszabadság and later editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper 168 Óra – which now focuses on apolitical topics. What is the situation for Hungarian journalists? "While there is no direct threat to their lives, this regime has left a trail of ruined and destroyed lives," Tóth recently told our editorial team in an interview. Standing up for one's principles is "often associated with agonizing costs."
In his book, Tóth describes how inquiries, hints, and "requests" from the Orbán government and its circle bombard editorial offices, sometimes even demanding their removal in cases of unfavorable reporting.
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ID.4
VW is halting production of electric SUVs in the USA
Due to a "difficult market environment" for electric cars, VW will no longer produce the ID.4 electric SUV in the USA. Instead, VW will switch to combustion engine vehicles there.
Volkswagen will end production of its ID.4 electric SUV in the US this month. The Wolfsburg-based automaker cited the challenging market environment for electric vehicles in the US as the reason for the move. The US government eliminated a $7.500 tax credit as a purchase incentive for electric vehicles last fall.
Sales of the ID.4 plummeted by 62 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2024. Volkswagen plans to shift production at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant to its better-selling gasoline-powered SUV models, the Atlas and the Atlas Cross Sport.
VW is planning a future version of the ID.4 for the North American market, but has not yet announced a launch date. Current ID.4 stock is expected to last until 2027.
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Energy transition: How the rich are deceived with false and misleading figures
Over the Easter weekend, Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche published a guest article (+) in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) entitled "Enough with the self-deception in energy policy." She uses the Iran-Iraq War and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a pretext to fundamentally question the energy transition. Several of the central claims in Reiche's article are false and deliberately misleading – she perfidiously distorts the facts to stir up sentiment against renewables. And she uses tricks to twist arguments in favor of the energy transition.
Journalist and energy expert Malte Kreutzfeldt has thoroughly fact-checked the text in a comprehensive article on Table.Media (+) and in a 17-part Bluesky thread; we rely in part on his research. Highly recommended!
In her guest commentary, Katherina Reiche, amidst a massive oil crisis, downplays the success of the energy transition to date and focuses one-sidedly on the costs. She denies that wind and solar power could see us through the crisis. In doing so, she systematically resorts to disinformation: many of the figures she uses are misleading or simply wrong. Thus, the Minister of Economic Affairs manipulates information for her own agenda in her guest commentary:
Fact check 1: What "explosion" in electricity prices?
Reiche writes that electricity prices have "exploded" in Germany. She claims: "German households are paying up to 37 cents per kilowatt hour."
The figures are only correct in one source, but even then, there's certainly no question of an "explosion." In fact, this calculation already shows the lowest electricity prices in five years. And that's only 25% higher than ten years ago.
At Verivox, the average price is even considerably lower – 32 cents. And it shows: at the same level as last seen in December 2025, after a period of steadily declining prices. Exactly ten years ago, the price was 27 cents.
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Israel's government has apparently approved 34 new illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Israel's settlement policy in the West Bank violates international law. Prime Minister Netanyahu's government has now approved 34 new settlements – more than ever before in a single permit.
According to several media reports, the Israeli government has approved the construction of 34 illegal settlements in the West Bank. This is reported by, among others, the Israeli news channel i24news and the online newspaper "Times of Israel".
The Israeli security cabinet reportedly approved the plan two weeks ago. However, since cabinet decisions are confidential, official confirmation from the Israeli government is still pending.
The reports further state that this move brings the total number of new settlements built or subsequently legalized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government since taking office in 2022 to 103. It is said to be the largest single approval of settlements to date.
The new settlements likely represent not only entirely new settlements but also the retroactive legalization of existing outposts, reports the Times of Israel. Israel's settlement policy in the West Bank violates international law. However, the government repeatedly claims that the settlements are legal.
The human rights organization Yesh Din, which advocates for Palestinian rights, complained, according to the Times of Israel, that the approval of the settlements would advance the "ethnic cleansing" of the West Bank. "While we ran for shelter, it was apparently a priority for cabinet members to establish dozens more new settlements in the West Bank, thus advancing the Smotrich plan for the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank," the group stated, referring to Israel's war against Iran and Hezbollah. The far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is a staunch supporter of Israeli settlement policy.
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Anyone who raves about new nuclear power plants should visit these tunnels.
At the world's first nuclear waste repository, 50 kilometers of tunnels are under construction. Highly radioactive waste must be safely stored there for 100,000 years.
The first section of Finland's "new generation" nuclear waste repository is scheduled to go into operation in 2030. It is called "Onkalo," meaning cave. It will be the world's first deep geological repository for highly radioactive waste and will be built 450 meters deep in granite bedrock.
Spent, radioactive fuel rods from nuclear power plants are to be buried and stored for over 100 years. They are to be monitored for another 100 to 200 years and then "sealed" for at least 000 years.
No one assumes liability. The risk will be borne by the next 3000+ generations of people.
That risks exist is demonstrated by a compelling documentary film from Arte. It was first broadcast on March 31, 2026, and is available online until the end of June 2026. The PR department of "Onkalo" invited journalists to visit the first tunnels, final storage containers, and model rooms.
arte - Media Library:
Toxic waste: Groundwater at risk
“The disposal of radioactive waste in deep geological formations is associated with long-term risks and uncertainties,” the scientific services of the German Bundestag stated in 2025.
Nuclear power lobbyists are spreading the hope that the most dangerous nuclear waste can be processed in such a way that its volume is reduced and its radioactivity is significantly shorter. The technical term for this is "nuclear waste transmutation." It involves converting long-lived radioactive isotopes into shorter-lived or stable isotopes.
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April 9, 2007 (INES-1 Class.?) NPP Dampierre, FRA
Wikipedia de
Dampierre nuclear power plant
Failure of the external network including the reserve network as well as an emergency diesel generator with 100% supply capacity. The factory is about 80 km from Paris. The reactor was cooled down with the only remaining diesel (100%). Nevertheless, the French regulatory authority ASN only classified the incident with INES 1. Reason: The redundancy reserves of the self-steam-driven auxiliary turbine (ready for immediate use) and the gas turbine (whose synchronization could take hours) were still available (sources: ASN, IRSN)
AtomkraftwerkePlag
Dampierre (France)
On April 9, 2007, the nuclear power plant was completely cut off from power after a surge protection relay failed and other defects occurred at Dampierre-3, leaving only an emergency diesel generator as the sole power source. The power supply was stabilized by an additional emergency generator and, after various repairs, restored the following morning...
8. April
UN report
326 humanitarian aid workers were killed worldwide last year
The number of aid workers killed remains high. Most died in Gaza and the West Bank in recent years. The UN warns that the protection system for aid workers has collapsed.
According to the United Nations, at least 326 humanitarian aid workers were killed worldwide in 2025 while carrying out their duties. In the past three years, the number has even exceeded 1000, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher reported on Wednesday at a UN Security Council meeting focused on the protection of civilians in conflict.
According to Fletcher, by far the most deaths were recorded in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank – a total of 560 humanitarian aid workers died in these two territories. Sudan followed with 130 aid workers killed, and South Sudan with 60. In the previous year, 2024, 383 aid workers were killed worldwide.
“This is not a random escalation; the protection system has collapsed,” Fletcher criticized. He emphasized that aid workers were killed during their missions, while distributing relief supplies and traveling in clearly marked convoys.
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Measures against fuel prices
SPD "extremely dissatisfied" with Katherina Reiche
Following the ceasefire between the US and Iran, diesel and gasoline prices remain high. The SPD is demanding further measures – and is loudly and clearly criticizing Economics Minister Reiche. She remains inactive, according to the parliamentary group. Federal Finance Minister Klingbeil is taking unilateral action.
Dissatisfaction is growing within the SPD (Social Democratic Party) regarding Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche's handling of the ongoing fuel price crisis. SPD parliamentary group manager Dirk Wiese stated on Wednesday that he was "extremely dissatisfied with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and the lack of action currently being taken." Deputy parliamentary group leader Esra Limbacher, speaking on behalf of the business-friendly Seeheimer Circle wing of the SPD, declared that CDU politician Reiche "must finally take action." With no signs of easing in gasoline and diesel prices even the day after the ceasefire between the US and Iran, the Social Democrats are continuing to call for a fuel price cap and a profit tax for oil companies. Their calls have fallen on deaf ears with Reiche, although fuel prices did ease slightly in the afternoon.
"To be honest, I sometimes get the impression that Katherina Reiche is honestly letting the citizens down and isn't even aware of the crisis situations we might face in the coming days and weeks if the situation worsens further," said Wiese. "I believe we will be affected by this situation, by the war, for a very long time, and I can only reiterate that I believe we now need to switch into crisis mode and make preparations." The SPD considers a temporary increase in the commuter allowance insufficient because the money won't reach consumers until next year at the earliest, and the allowance will have little to no impact on low-income earners.
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Trump and Netanyahu: Two madmen playing God
When mentally disturbed leaders use divine disasters as a political tool, it's not just their enemies who are affected. If they aren't stopped, we will all fall victim to these two psychopaths.
Here is Donald Trump's Easter message to the world:
On Tuesday, Iran will have "Power Plant Day" and "Bridge Day"—all rolled into one. This has never happened before!!! Open the damned strait, you crazy bastards, or you will live in hell—WAIT! Praise be to Allah. President Donald J. Trump
Donald Trump and his accomplice in war crimes, Benjamin Netanyahu, are jointly waging a murderous war of aggression against Iran, a nation of 90 million people. They are gripped by three mutually reinforcing pathologies. The first is personality: both are malignant narcissists. The second is the arrogance of power: men who possess the power to order nuclear annihilation and, as a result, feel no restraint whatsoever. The third and most dangerous of all is religious delusion: two men who believe—and are indoctrinated daily by those around them—that they are messiahs carrying out God's work. Each of these pathologies exacerbates the others, so that together they plunge the world into unprecedented danger.
The result is a glorification of violence unseen since the Nazi leadership. The question is whether the few "adults" in this world—responsible heads of state and government who remain committed to international law and are willing to acknowledge this—can keep it in check. It won't be easy, but they must try.
Let's begin with the underlying psychological disorder. Malignant narcissism is a clinical term, not an insult. Social psychologist Erich Fromm coined the term in 1964 to describe Adolf Hitler as a fusion of pathological grandiosity, psychopathy, paranoia, and antisocial personality into a single character structure. The malignant narcissist is not merely vain. They are structurally incapable of genuine empathy, inherently immune to guilt, and driven by the paranoid conviction that enemies surround them and must be destroyed. As early as 2017, psychologist John Garnter and many other experts warned of Trump's malignant narcissism.
Several respected psychologists and psychiatrists have assessed Trump for psychopathy using the standardized Hare scale and found scores significantly above the diagnostic threshold. See, for example, here. Psychopathy is best characterized as a lack of conscience or empathy for other people.
Both Trump and Netanyahu fit this profile perfectly. Trump's psychopathy was fully on display when US forces destroyed a civilian bridge in Tehran that had no military significance whatsoever, killing at least eight civilians and injuring 95 or more. Trump showed no grief. He triumphed and promised further destruction. Netanyahu's Passover address also contained not a single word for the dead. No pause. Not a hint of doubt. Just the triumphant enumeration of the enemies he had annihilated.
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The EU is considering billions in subsidies for France's nuclear power – are they "proportionate"?
The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation into state support for the construction of new nuclear power plants in France.
Paris & Brussels – The focus is on a major project worth over 70 billion euros, which will see the construction of six new reactors. France states that the aim is to secure energy supplies and reduce CO₂ emissions.
New facilities are planned at existing locations, including Penly, Gravelines and BugeyThe first reactor could start supplying electricity as early as 2038, with the entire project scheduled for completion by the mid-2040s. With a capacity of around 10 gigawatts, it would supplement a significant portion of existing nuclear power plant capacity.
Brussels acknowledges that the project can contribute to security of supply and decarbonization. However, doubts remain as to whether the planned aid is proportionate. France is relying on a comprehensive support package: favorable state loans, long-term price guarantees via contracts for difference, and risk-sharing mechanisms.
This combination in particular is drawing massive criticism. The Commission fears distortions of competition and a potential strengthening of the state-owned energy company EDF.
7. April
Approved: Nuclear waste may be temporarily stored in Grohnde
The Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment has approved the storage of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste in Grohnde. A newly constructed hall on the grounds of the decommissioned nuclear power plant will serve as an interim storage facility.
The nuclear waste comes from the decommissioning of the Grohnde power plant in the Hameln-Pyrmont district, which was permanently shut down in 2021, the ministry announced on Tuesday. The district had previously granted the building permit for the facility. The nuclear waste is to remain in the Interim storage until a final repository becomes available.
Konrad mine is to become a final repository
The Konrad shaft iron ore mine in Salzgitter is currently being converted into a national final repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste. However, the commissioning of the planned final repository has been repeatedly delayed—it was originally scheduled to go into operation as early as 2013. The estimated costs have been revised upward several times in recent years: from 1.6 billion euros at the start of construction in 2002 to 6.3 billion euros in 2023.
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Trump threatens war crimes in Iran: How our media downplays them
If Obama had tweeted "Open the fucking strait, you crazy bastards," especially to threaten war crimes in an illegal war, all hell would have broken loose. But since it was only the fascist Trump who did it, the Tagesschau news program soberly headlines "Trump threatens attacks on power plants on Tuesday."
A criminal fascist, but in the newsrooms it's business as usual?
What Donald Trump wrote on his far-right social media platform Truth Social on Easter Sunday is not just a "threat" or a matter-of-fact "ultimatum." It was the announcement of war crimes in a war that violates international law by the fascist president—phrased in profanity and an undisguised, rabid threat. You wouldn't notice this, however, if you read some German news reports. And therein lies the problem.
Since February 28, the US, together with Israel, has been waging war against Iran. In early March, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed. The war is a violation of international law and was also illegally launched by Trump under US law. Iran responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz to shipping – the waterway through which approximately 20 percent of the world's oil flows.
"Open the fucking strait, you crazy bastards!"
Since then, Trump has repeatedly issued seemingly arbitrary and erratic ultimatums, extending them and issuing new ones. On Easter Sunday, he escalated the situation on Truth Social with a post that reveals what a lawless fascist and warmonger he is:
"On Tuesday, Iran will celebrate both Power Plant Day and Bridge Day. This has never happened before!!! Open the fucking strait, you crazy bastards, or you will live in hell – YOU WILL SEE! Praise be to Allah."
This is the US president who is quite openly threatening war crimes – attacks on infrastructure are war crimes. Since he has already started the war illegally and in violation of international law, additional war crimes are unlikely to concern him much.
*
US visit to Budapest
Vance accuses the EU of interfering in the Hungarian election campaign, while he himself interferes in the Hungarian election campaign.
Hungary will elect a new parliament in a few days, and Prime Minister Orbán is losing ground in the polls. US Vice President Vance is now helping his ally on the ground and criticizing the European Union.
Hungary faces a crucial parliamentary election, and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is fighting for his re-election. Just days before the vote, he has received thinly veiled campaign support from US Vice President JD Vance. Vance landed in Budapest on Tuesday to meet with Orbán. The 41-year-old US Vice President is accompanied by his wife, Usha.
In Budapest, Vance spoke of a "moral" partnership between the US and Hungary. He explicitly praised Orbán's government. Had other European leaders followed his example, the continent would not now be in such a crisis, Vance claimed. At the same time, he emphasized that Hungary had experienced the worst examples of interference in its politics and election campaigns. However, he wasn't referring to himself – but rather to "Brussels' bureaucrats." They, he said, were destroying Hungary's economy. After Vance's arrival, Orbán himself spoke of a "golden age" in US-Hungarian relations.
Even beforehand, both countries had discussed deepening the "fruitful" US-Hungarian relations. Vance had announced before departure that "Europe and Ukraine" would also play a "fairly important" role in the talks.
Orbán has ruled Hungary for 16 years and has increasingly alienated the country from the European Union. Critics accuse him of restricting freedoms and undermining fundamental democratic principles. His pro-Russian approach to refugees and support for Ukraine clearly deviates from the EU's stance. This is to Washington's liking: there, too, the rights of minorities and asylum seekers are being increasingly curtailed under the Trump administration, and interest in the war in Ukraine is waning.
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100.000 sites in Europe contaminated with PFAS – EU plans bans
PFAS are polluting water and soil at 100.000 sites across Europe. We need to move away from these long-lasting chemicals. A guest commentary by EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall.
Pollution from perpetual chemicals (PFAS) comes at a high price – for human health, for the environment, and for our economy. Perpetual chemicals remain in the soil, water, air, animal and plant life, and even in the human body. We owe it to future generations to tackle one of the greatest environmental problems of our time. And we also owe it to our businesses to ensure safety and predictability in the safest possible use of PFAS. This is a political priority for the European Commission – and a personal priority for me.
PFAS chemicals are widely used in industrial production and consumer goods. Their high stability makes them suitable for many critical sectors and industrial applications. However, they are still used even when safer and more economically viable alternatives exist.
Perpetual chemicals released at 100.000 sites
It is estimated that PFAS are released at 100.000 sites in Europe. The costs of remediating already contaminated sites are enormous, but they would be far higher if nothing were done. Many people – myself included – are concerned about PFAS contamination in the water, the environment, and their own bodies.
The good news is that the Commission and the Member States have already taken action in recent years and banned some known sources of PFAS pollution. However, we need a more structured and systematic approach. We can foster innovation while supporting the transition to safer and more sustainable alternatives.
*
Fuel element cooperation in Lingen:
Russia's nuclear deals: Europe trapped
Nuclear power plants in eastern Europe run on fuel elements from Russia. A French company wants to free Europe from this dependence – ironically, with Russian help.
Deep in western Germany, in Lingen in the Emsland region, opponents of nuclear power and the nuclear industry have been engaged in a dispute for four years that extends far beyond the region – to Russia.
The issue concerns the nuclear fuel element factory located outside the city and the planned collaboration between two state-owned companies, the French Framatome and the Russian Rosatom. The state of Lower Saxony must make the decision in the coming weeks.
"Cooperation with Rosatom would further increase dependence on Russia," warns Bettina Ackermann of the anti-nuclear alliance "ausgestrahlt" (radiated). That's why she and a dozen other anti-nuclear activists have brought along "Mr. P. from M.", a giant papier-mâché head, a mock figure. On a warm March day, it's meant to draw attention to the true business partner in Lingen: Vladimir Putin.
[...] Russian nuclear deals: No EU sanctions
Since May 2022, the EU has been trying to reduce Russian energy imports in response to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. It has only made real progress with regard to gas from pipelines. Nuclear deals with Russia, on the other hand, are not subject to any restrictions. "There are countries like France that are dependent on Russia," explains Eastern Europe expert Sebastian Hoppe. These countries have an interest in ensuring that the supply relationship with the Russian state-owned company Rosatom "is not abruptly interrupted."
[...] American competitors are indeed years ahead of Europe when it comes to replacing Russian fuel elements. Frontal is filming – in the midst of war – at the Rivne nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The reactor's water contains fuel elements developed by the Canadian-American corporation Westinghouse. Ukraine awarded the contract in 2008.
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April 7, 1989 (Broken Arrow) submarine accidents K-278 Komsomolets sunk south of Bear Island
42 crew members died, the nuclear reactor including the fuel and two nuclear torpedoes lie at a depth of 1685 meters...
(Costs ?)
Nuclear Power Accidents
Atomwaffen A-Z
Nuclear weapon accidents
North Cape Basin, 1989
On the line between North Cape and Bear Islands, the nuclear-powered Soviet submarine K-278 “Komsomolets” (Mike class) deviated from course on April 7, 1989 and sank after a few hours of surface travel. 42 crew members died from burns, injuries, suffocation and hypothermia. A nuclear reactor and two torpedoes with nuclear warheads lie at a depth of 1685 meters, almost 480 kilometers from Norway's coast.
Wikipedia de
Komsomolets (submarine)
The K-278 Komsomolets was a Soviet nuclear submarine. It entered service in 1984 and sank on April 7, 1989. The sinking claimed the lives of 42 crew members.
6. April
US reactions to Trump's scathing Iran post
"He has gone insane" – "Incoherent statements" – "He is threatening war crimes"
In light of the US president's shrill threats, leading Democrats are urging Congress to intervene. Even a former ally has sharply criticized Donald Trump's tirades.
Numerous politicians have reacted to Donald Trump's inflammatory post in which he threatened Iran with further escalation and attacks on its civilian infrastructure. "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day in Iran," he wrote on his platform "TruthSocial." Referring to the Strait of Hormuz, he demanded in even by his standards: "Open the fucking strait, you crazy bastards, or you will live in hell."
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf subsequently wrote on Platform X that "nothing can be achieved" with "war crimes." The only solution, he said, was "to respect the rights of the Iranian people and end this dangerous game." Ghalibaf threatened that these "reckless moves" could set the entire region ablaze.
Trump's former ally and current critic Marjorie Taylor Greene took to social media to launch a scathing attack on the US president. She urged everyone in his administration who calls themselves a Christian to get on their knees, ask God for forgiveness, stop "god-baiting" the president, and confront Trump's "madness." The former Republican congresswoman, who held staunchly conservative positions for years during her time in Congress, continued: "I know all of you and him, and he's gone insane, and you're all complicit."
[...] Minority leader Chuck Schumer also weighed in. Trump is raging on social media like a "crazy lunatic," the Democrat wrote on X. "He's threatening possible war crimes and alienating allies. That's him, but that's not us. Our country deserves so much better."
Senator Bernie Sanders described Trump's post as "the rambling rant of a dangerous and mentally unstable individual." He further demanded: "Congress must act NOW. End this war."
*
Part 2 of the interview with Wolfgang Renneberg; see Part 1
"80 percent of new nuclear power plants are located in nuclear-weapon states"
New nuclear power plants are supposed to be safe, cheap, small, and "smart." Expert Wolfgang Renneberg disagrees.
Wolfgang Storz: According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), nuclear energy is experiencing a global comeback. More than 40 countries have concrete plans and aim to triple global nuclear power capacity by 2050. There are also efforts in Switzerland to build new nuclear power plants. What explains this renaissance?
Wolfgang Renneberg: The raw figures tell a different story than the IAE claims. The nuclear energy boom, insofar as one can even speak of it, is over. More plants are being decommissioned than new ones are being commissioned. The share of nuclear energy in the global electricity mix is steadily declining: from around 17,5 percent in 1996 to only about 9 percent today. The number of operating nuclear power plants in Europe and North America is also decreasing because they are simply too expensive compared to renewable energies. If anything, nuclear energy is growing primarily in China, Russia, and India. It is also highly doubtful whether the nuclear power plants currently in the planning stages, which the IAE mentions, will ever be built. Neither the money, nor the available infrastructure, nor the technical expertise will be sufficient to realize these plans.
Which countries still rely on nuclear energy?
Approximately 80 percent of new or planned nuclear power plants are located in nuclear-weapon states. These states need their civilian nuclear power plants, the associated technology, and the specialists to maintain their military nuclear capability. This has nothing to do with climate protection.
There is now much talk of new generations of power plants, small reactors, and fusion engines. These are said to be much cheaper and also safer. In 2021, President Macron promised the completion of the first French small reactor (SMR) by the end of the decade. He called it "reinventing the nuclear power plant." How much truth is there to these promises?
It is entirely speculative to predict when a prototype of a French small-scale reactor will be available, representing a viable model for a future nuclear energy program. The French state-owned electricity company EDF is heavily indebted, with debts exceeding 60 billion euros. This is due to massive cost overruns in new construction projects such as the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR), a nuclear power plant developed by France and designed to withstand a meltdown. Added to this were unplanned long-term shutdowns of the aging power plant fleet due to corrosion damage and the politically motivated policy of keeping prices for nuclear power below cost. These factors have brought the company to the brink of financial collapse.
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Climate activist on the last generation
"The state is being corrupted by right-wingers and the rich."
Carla Hinrichs reflects on her time with the Last Generation. A conversation about repression and the feeling of being branded a murderer.
taz: Ms. Hinrichs, you were an activist with the Last Generation for many years, demonstrating for better climate policies. What was the experience that most changed your view of the state?
Hinrichs: In May 2023, I was woken up by about 30 officers who stormed into my apartment with their weapons drawn – on suspicion of being part of a criminal organization. This experience had the most lasting impact on how I feel and how I behave. Recently, there was another intense moment.
taz: Which one?
Hinrichs: When I learned that I was actually being charged under Section 129 as "ringleader of a criminal organization," that the accusation was really going to court, it was one of those moments when the facade of an otherwise glittering rule of law began to crumble for me.
taz: What shocks you so much about this indictment?
Hinrichs: This accusation is intended to suppress our protest. Politicians have compared us to the Taliban and called us terrorists. The police have dragged us off the street using painful holds and detained us preventively. The public prosecutor's office has conducted highly publicized investigations against us and monitored us, for example, by tapping our press phone. All of this has had an enormously intimidating and deterrent effect – yet protest is essential for any democracy. Whether a court acquits us in two, three, or four years is completely irrelevant: the damage has been done. The fact that all of this happened purely through executive action and without separation of powers is a step towards autocratization.
taz: You recently published a book. The subtitle reads: "How the state betrays us all." What do you mean by that?
Hinrichs: With Last Generation, we reminded the government of its constitutional obligation to protect our future. But it has become clear that appealing to the current political system doesn't work. The inaction regarding the climate crisis isn't a problem of knowledge, but of a lack of action: everyone knows what's going on, but nothing is being done. The state is betraying us all – because it has been corrupted by the right wing and the wealthy. So we are dealing with a systemic problem.
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FR-üh dran at the conclusion of the Easter marches: The world is arming itself – and tens of thousands say: No
It's Easter Monday, the Easter marches are ending. This year, the occasion to promote peace was more urgent than ever. Our column "FR-üh dran".
Berlin – FRüh Radar – Today’s Headlines: Today is Easter Monday, April 6, 2026—and thus the final day of this year’s Easter marches. Since Maundy Thursday, tens of thousands of people across Germany have taken to the streets: for peace, against rearmament, against conscription, and against wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Coordinated by the Friedenskooperative network in Bonn, vigils, rallies, and demonstrations took place in around 100 cities nationwide. The main day of action was Holy Saturday, with over 70 events. One of the largest marches, the three-day Rhine-Ruhr Easter March, ends today in Dortmund. And in Büchel—the only location of U.S. nuclear bombs on German soil—a closing rally is taking place today.
What distinguishes these marches from previous ones is that they are taking place at a time when the nuclear arms race debate in Europe has taken on a new, worrying momentum. French President Emmanuel Macron is planning to station nuclear-capable jets in Great Britain and seven other European countries. Sweden and Denmark have agreed to strategic nuclear cooperation with Paris. Finland is discussing lifting its 1987 ban on nuclear weapons. And in the background, Donald Trump continues to undermine NATO. We explain what all this means – and why the demands of the Easter marchers are more uncomfortably relevant today than they have been in decades.
Easter marches in Germany: The initial situation
Let's summarize how it all began: The first Easter March in West Germany took place in 1960 – with around 1000 people marching to a NATO training area in the Lüneburg Heath, where missiles with potential nuclear warheads were stationed. According to the taz newspaper, the movement swelled to as many as 300.000 participants in the late 1960s. A second peak occurred around 1980, when NATO planned to deploy nuclear intermediate-range missiles in Western Europe.
Today, in 2026, the situation feels frighteningly familiar – and yet it is different.
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April 6, 1993 (INES-4 NAMS 4,8)
Tomsk 7 Seversk, RUS
In 1993, a radioactive accident occurred in Seversk when a tank exploded and released large amounts of radioactive particles (3500 TBq) contaminated the environment.
(Costs approx. 51 million US$)
Nuclear Power Accidents
The nuclear chain
Hibakusha Worldwide - Tomsk-7/Seversk, Russia
The explosion at the Tomsk-7 nuclear facility led to the radioactive contamination of an area of approximately 120 km², exposed tens of thousands of people to increased radiation levels, and contaminated air, water, and soil for many generations. This catastrophe is arguably the most devastating Russian nuclear accident after Chernobyl and Mayak.
[...] Consequences for the environment and health
The areas most severely affected were those exposed to radioactive fallout, such as the villages of Georgievka and Nadezhda. These areas became so-called "hotspots" with elevated levels of radioactivity reaching up to 30 µGy/h (approximately 100 times higher than normal background radiation). A significant increase in long-lived radioisotopes such as cesium-137 and strontium-90 was measured in the contaminated soil. Cesium-137, when ingested through food, water, or inhalation, can cause solid tumors and genetic defects in subsequent generations, while strontium-90 can lead to leukemia. As part of the cleanup efforts, approximately 577 grams of plutonium were removed from the site with international assistance. It is noteworthy that the amount of plutonium in the exploded tank was stated to be only 450 g, suggesting that there must have been leaks of plutonium into the environment even before the accident.
5. April
Opposition suspects staged event
Orban links Ukraine to pipeline explosives
Shortly before the parliamentary elections in Hungary, the discovery of explosives at a pipeline in Serbia has caused a stir. Budapest is pointing the finger at Kyiv. The Hungarian opposition suspects it was staged for electoral reasons.
After Serbia reported the discovery of explosives at a gas pipeline to Hungary, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has placed suspicions on Ukraine. Following a special meeting of the National Defense Council in Budapest, Orbán and his foreign minister indicated that they suspect Ukraine of planning an act of sabotage against the pipeline. The Hungarian opposition, however, had previously accused Orbán of fearmongering for election campaign purposes. Orbán faces a tough battle for power in the parliamentary elections this coming Sunday.
According to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, "explosives of devastating power" and the corresponding detonators were found at the Balkan Stream gas pipeline to Hungary. The pipeline carries Russian natural gas from Turkey through Bulgaria and Serbia to Hungary. Vucic and Orban discussed the incident by telephone, as both confirmed. Vucic stated that the discovery was made at a pumping station near the Hungarian border, close to the Serbian village of Velebit.
For months, Orban has been primarily fighting for votes by criticizing Ukraine and EU aid to the country ravaged by Russian aggression. He did not explicitly state that he suspects Kyiv of being behind the pipeline incident, but after the meeting on the topic, he reiterated familiar accusations against Kyiv. His Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto, also declared that the discovery of explosives at the pipeline in Serbia was consistent with other actions Orban has attributed to Ukraine.
[...] The opposition leader and top candidate of the Tisza party, Peter Magyar, accused Orban of wanting to stir up panic about an alleged planned attack on the pipeline for election campaign tactics.
Opposition leader Magyar wrote on Facebook that he had been receiving signals for weeks that false flag operations were being planned in this direction. He said he had repeatedly heard that something would "coincidentally" happen at the pipeline a week before the election, around Easter. "Furthermore, I call on Viktor Orban to stop (at least during the holidays) the fear-mongering and sowing of confusion that Russian advisors have planned," Magyar continued. Should Orban use the incident for election campaign propaganda, it would amount to an admission that this is a false flag operation.
The director of Serbian military intelligence rejected allegations that the Serbian army might be involved in a false flag operation to accuse Ukraine of sabotage. Djuro Jovanic called it disinformation, according to Serbian media reports. He stated there was evidence that the explosives had been manufactured in the United States.
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Sermon on Easter Sunday
Cardinal Marx accuses US Secretary Hegseth of "shameless blasphemy".
Praying that every bullet hits its target? Statements by the American "Secretary of War" are sharply rejected in a German Easter sermon.
Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich has strongly condemned the misuse of religious language to justify war and violence. In his Easter Sunday sermon, the archbishop particularly criticized statements made by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (who refers to himself as a "war minister").
It is a "shameless blasphemy" to pray that every bullet will hit its target in the context of a war – for example, in Iran, Marx said in Munich. Religion must not be instrumentalized to legitimize violence.
Criticism also directed at the Russian Patriarch
At the same time, the cardinal spoke out against corresponding statements from Russia. Marx also sharply criticized the description of the war of aggression against Ukraine as a "holy war" by Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow. The cleric warned that religious convictions should never be misused to justify war.
Resurrection as Christian hope
In his Easter Sunday homily in St. Peter's Square in Rome, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the Resurrection as God's victory over death and as the foundation of Christian hope. He called on the faithful to concretely "carry this hope into the world" by not allowing themselves to be paralyzed by resignation, violence, and injustice, and by actively working for peace.
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No Kings: America rebels against its president
The king wages war, the streets rebel: Could the No Kings movement pose a threat to Trumpism? An analysis.
Populism and rural areas: Two-thirds of the No Kings protests took place outside major US cities. Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana were not previously considered centers of opposition – and yet a serious protest movement is forming there. Away from the metropolitan areas, where protests mobilized hundreds of thousands, rallies took place in almost every state.
Perhaps the biggest problem for the Trump administration: roughly half of these rallies are also taking place in conservative, large states. Multiple media reports indicate up to nine million participants in approximately 3.300 gatherings.
Unlike in the past – the Black Lives Matter movement, trade union rallies or anti-Trump demonstrations – this time the issues also directly affect rural areas.
The basis for the protest seems to be individually selectable: While some protest against deportations – also due to deaths after ICE raids in the countryside – others take to the streets because of rising living costs, lack of promises, the Iran war or a general concern about authoritarian erosion.
Similar to the Generation Z protests of a global youth protest wave in October 2025, the No Kings demonstrations are organized in a decentralized manner and lack a defining leader. Is the end of the Iran war approaching from within the US?
Attack on US DNA
Against the backdrop of a possible third Trump term – which would require a constitutional amendment – the protests first took place in June 2025, coinciding with the US president's military birthday parade. Aside from the biological fact that Trump would have been well over 80 years old by the time of said third term, his critics fear a semi-monarchical transformation of the de facto two-party democracy.
After June, the protests took place again in October 2025, largely without cause – yet they more than doubled their number of participants from an initial three million to seven million.
The chosen historical frame of reference is no coincidence. The "No Kings" slogan connects to a central strand of the DNA of American founding history: In the War of Independence against the British Crown, the rejection of the monarchy was a core idea of the republican self-understanding.
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Offshore Master Plan for the North Sea
"Significantly fewer wind turbines save 50 billion euros, but do not generate less electricity."
The North Sea is the powerhouse of Europe. Theoretically. It boasts excellent wind conditions, good soil, and is relatively shallow. So far, however, every bordering country is pursuing its own offshore wind energy strategy, resulting in a fragmented approach. Germany, for example, is planning too many wind turbines. They're competing for wind power. "That's inefficient," says Tim Meyerjürgens. The engineer heads Germany's largest transmission system operator, TenneT Germany, and is thus responsible for connecting the North Sea wind farms. In ntv's "Climate Lab," Meyerjürgens delivers a surprising message: Fewer turbines don't generate less electricity. According to the TenneT CEO, if the wind farms are interconnected across Europe, they can even operate around the clock: "We first harness a storm front in Great Britain and transmit the electricity to Germany. The next day, we do the reverse."
ntv.de: If you had to give the energy transition a grade, what would it be?
Tim Meyerjürgens: Considering the starting point, a three is certainly fair. We haven't achieved everything we wanted to, but still quite a lot. And looking back: when I started working as an engineer in the grid sector, the experienced colleagues told me that we could technically integrate a maximum of two percent renewables into the electricity grid.
When was it?
In the mid-90s, renewables now make up almost 60 percent of Germany's electricity mix. In our grid area, it's even 85 percent.
[...] In January, ten countries committed at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg to jointly building 100 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2050 – with cross-border power lines connecting them all. Why did we only think of this in 2026?
We already presented the ideas for a European interconnected network in the North Sea in 2015.
It took eleven years to implement it?
We have repeatedly pointed out that we need to think more in this direction. But Europe is still heavily influenced by national regulations and national market models. Nevertheless, a great deal has happened in the meantime. The most obvious solutions have been implemented: radial systems – point-to-point connections from the offshore wind farm to the mainland with the shortest possible link. We at TenneT Germany are responsible for connecting the German North Sea wind farms to the grid. In the past 15 years, we have developed ten gigawatts of offshore wind capacity. This corresponds to the electricity consumption of approximately 10 million households.
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Trump's nightmare is taking shape: Democrats have secretly built a powerful investigative machine.
Should the Democrats win control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the party would be prepared to initiate impeachment proceedings against cabinet members and investigate Trump's finances.
US President Donald Trump's nightmare scenario is taking shape: The Democrats have quietly and secretly built the most comprehensive pre-built investigative infrastructure in the modern history of Congress. Letters ordering the preservation of documents have been sent. Target lists have been compiled. Submission strategies have been devised. The machinery is built and waiting. Trump himself has acknowledged what might be coming. "If we don't win the midterm elections, they're going to find a reason to impeach me," he told Republican lawmakers in January.
With an approval rating below 40 percent, an unemployment rate of 4,3 percent, and gasoline prices that have risen by 36 percent since the start of the Iran-Iraq War, the political landscape has shifted decisively against the Republicans. Prediction markets now estimate an 84 percent chance of a Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives and give Democrats a 51 percent chance of controlling the Senate—marking a startling shift in the race for the upper house.
Trump under pressure: Democrats could become a problem for the US president
But what the Democrats can actually do with power depends entirely on what they win. If they capture only the House of Representatives, they gain the authority to issue subpoenas and hold public hearings—powerful political theater with real consequences. But Republicans in the Senate can acquit any cabinet member. Contempt of court rulings can be challenged indefinitely. If the Democrats win both houses, everything changes. The investigative machinery transforms from preparatory shadow work into an existential threat.
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Current news+
April 5, 2026
Relief from energy prices, the reality of renewable energy, and outrage over solutions
Instead of addressing the root causes of the fossil fuel crises, the government is treating the symptoms with the very tools that created the problems, criticizes Claudia Kemfert, energy economist and member of the editorial board of Klimareporter°. The government must finally focus on technological clarity, smart grids, storage, flexibility, and renewables.
Climate Reporter: Ms. Kemfert, the higher prices for fossil fuels triggered by the Iran war are gradually reaching households, not only at the pump but also through increased costs for food, electricity, and heating. What can really be done about it in the short term?
Claudia Kemfert: In the short term, blanket fuel discounts or tax cuts on fossil fuels will not help because they are expensive, often have an imprecise social impact, and may even prolong dependence on fossil fuels.
More sensible measures include targeted relief for households with low and middle incomes, greater price control and transparency in the energy markets, and measures that immediately reduce consumption: speed limits, more working from home, cheaper public transport such as a discounted Germany ticket, and rapid energy-saving measures in buildings.
The best crisis policy is not to subsidize fossil fuel prices, but to reduce demand for fossil fuels. This energy crisis in particular demonstrates once again: those who remain dependent on oil and gas directly import price shocks.
Because the construction of new gas-fired power plants is also being delayed, Chancellor Friedrich Merz is now questioning the timetable for the legally mandated coal phase-out by 2038 at the latest and wants to keep coal-fired power plants online longer. In fact, the Federal Network Agency already maintains many thousands of megawatts of coal-fired power plants as a reserve for a stable electricity grid. Isn't this already undermining the coal phase-out?
No. The grid reserve is not the same as a regular return to coal-fired power generation, but rather a safeguard against critical grid situations.
The problem is not a lack of power plants, but a lack of flexibility in the system. The real bottlenecks lie not in generation, but in a lack of flexibility due to a massive gap in digitalization and control.
We have an electricity system that is still based on centralized, sluggish logic, even though renewables are decentralized and dynamic. To then reflexively run coal-fired power plants longer when there are shortages is a classic case of energy policy short circuits.
Instead, we need an intelligent system: flexible demand, storage, digital networks, and real-time price signals. This would eliminate many of these bottlenecks and make coal simply unnecessary.
The renewable energy sector is complaining about frontal attacks on its generation capacity and has presented a 26-point plan for an accelerated energy transition. This includes grid expansion, lower redispatch costs during grid congestion, greater planning certainty for investors, and a pragmatic energy transition in the heating sector. What are the chances of such demands actually being met?
The opportunities are definitely there, because real energy-related developments have long been pointing in this direction.
The latest tender for onshore wind power was again oversubscribed. Several German states are pushing for an additional special tender for 5.000 megawatts of onshore wind power as early as 2026. The new climate protection program also includes proposals for more wind power and greater flexibility in the electricity system.
But the political line remains contradictory: On the one hand, it is known that renewables are cheaper, safer and more resilient to crises, on the other hand they continue to be hampered by uncertainty, attacks on expansion instruments and a fossil fuel-dominated debate on heat and power plants.
The crucial question, therefore, is whether the German government will finally focus on technological clarity, i.e., on intelligent grids, storage, digitalization, flexibility and renewables – instead of clinging to old fossil fuel reflexes.
Environmental expert Axel Friedrich is calling for improvements to the German government's climate protection program. He criticizes the fact that energy efficiency is virtually absent from it. What is your opinion of the new program?
The program contains many sensible individual measures and addresses important levers, such as electrification, wind energy expansion, and industrial transformation. What's missing is a clear strategic direction.
In many respects, the program appears to be a compromise between the old and new energy worlds. Instead of consistently focusing on electrification and renewable solutions, fossil fuel pathways are still being kept open, especially in the heating and transportation sectors. This is risky because it delays investments and postpones costs.
This is particularly evident in the transport sector. While individual steps are planned – such as promoting electric cars, the Deutschlandticket (Germany-wide ticket) or charging infrastructure – a truly coherent overall concept is lacking.
Traffic remains structurally at a high emission level because key levers are not being used sufficiently, in particular consistent electrification, which also brings efficiency gains.
Individual measures are no substitute for a transport revolution. A comprehensive system is needed, consisting of fewer incentives for fossil fuels, better public transport, and more efficient mobility.
The direction remains unclear in the heating sector as well. Instead of consistently focusing on renewable solutions and electrification, fossil fuel-based options are still being kept open. At the same time, energy-efficient building renovations are progressing too slowly, even though they are crucial for permanently reducing energy consumption.
This delays investments and can lead to significant additional costs. Those who fail to provide a clear direction today will face higher costs for households and businesses tomorrow.
And finally, the systems perspective is missing. Digitization, smart grids, and flexible electricity use play too small a role. Yet these are precisely the elements that are crucial for reducing costs and making the energy transition efficient.
We need more reliability and clear guidelines: away from fossil fuel heating systems and towards renewable heat, electricity, and efficiency. Without this clarity, the program falls short of what is economically and climatically necessary.
And what was your surprise of the week?
I am surprised by how precisely the pattern I describe in my current book "Short Circuit" is being confirmed: Energy policy is full of short circuits. Instead of eliminating the causes of crises, symptoms are being treated, often with the very means that caused the problems in the first place.
For weeks, a supposed "heating hammer" was politically charged, as if the energy transition itself were the real risk. Now the real cost shock has arrived – but due to fossil fuel prices, "bio-staircases," dependency, and geopolitical crises. And suddenly, the great uproar has subsided.
This is no coincidence, but intentional: The outrage is directed against solutions and not against the actual problem.
Instead of addressing the root causes of the fossil fuel crises, symptoms are being treated with the very methods that created the problems in the first place. This perpetuates our dependence on fossil fuels. And this dependence on fossil fuels is the real shortcut in energy policy. The energy transition is the way out.
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Background knowledge
The map of the nuclear world
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The search engine Ecosia is planting trees!
https://www.ecosia.org/search?q=Energiewende
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https://www.ecosia.org/search?q=Netzreserve
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Federal Agency for Civic Education
Energy transition
(renewable energies)., (EEG levy)
the long-term supply of the economy and society with energy such as electricity and heat from sustainably usable, renewable or regenerative sources (renewable energies). The energy transition is intended to reduce the share of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear energy in the energy mix in Germany in favor of renewable energies. Renewable energies include in particular energies from wind and hydropower (e.g. wind turbines, wave and current energy from the sea), from geothermal energy or from solar radiation (solar energy) as well as from renewable raw materials or biomass (e.g. energy from wood, vegetable oil, biogas). The energy transition is based on increasing energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption and the further expansion of renewable energies in order to meet demand. The federal government's goal is to reduce primary energy consumption by 2020 percent by 2008 compared to 20 and to halve it by 2050.
In June 2011, in light of the nuclear disaster at the Japanese Fukushima nuclear power plant in March 2011, the German federal government decided on a gradual phase-out of nuclear energy by 2022 and regulated the nuclear phase-out by law. After that, the operating licenses for older nuclear power plants will expire; the complete phase-out of nuclear energy is to take place by 2022.
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Wikipedia
Renewable energies
Renewable energies (RE) or regenerative energies, also alternative energies, are energy sources that are available in a practically inexhaustible manner within the human time horizon for a sustainable energy supply or that are renewed relatively quickly. This sets them apart from fossil energy sources that are finite or only regenerate over a period of millions of years.
In addition to the efficient use of energy, renewable energy sources are considered the most important pillar of a sustainable energy policy and the energy transition. They include bioenergy (biomass potential), geothermal energy, hydropower, marine energy, solar energy and wind energy. They get their energy from the sun's nuclear fusion, which is by far the most important source of energy, from the kinetic energy of the earth's rotation and planetary movement, and from the earth's internal heat.
The expansion of renewable energies is being promoted in many countries worldwide. In 2018, renewable energies covered 17,9% of global final energy consumption. Traditional biomass, used for cooking and heating in developing countries, accounted for the largest share at 6,9%, followed by modern biomass and solar and geothermal energy (4,3%), hydropower (3,6%), other modern renewable energies such as wind power and photovoltaics (together 2,1%), and biofuels (1%). The share of renewable energies in global final energy consumption increased only slowly, by an average of 0,8% per year between 2006 and 2016. The share of renewable energies in global electricity consumption is higher. By 2024, approximately 32% of electricity was generated by hydropower, wind power, and photovoltaic plants, with hydropower plants supplying 14%, wind power plants 8%, photovoltaics 7%, and bioenergy and waste 3%. In 2024, nuclear power generated 9% of the world's electricity, meaning that around 40% came from nuclear and renewable sources. In the first half of 2025, renewable energies supplied more electricity worldwide for the first time, with 5027 TWh or 34,3% of the global electricity mix, surpassing coal (4896 TWh or 33,1%).
Capacity reserve, network reserve, security readiness
The terms capacity reserve, grid reserve, and security readiness describe three concepts from the Act on the Further Development of the Electricity Market (Electricity Market Act), which came into force on July 30, 2016. These terms are frequently confused and conflated in the media and occasionally even by official sources.
Network reserve
The grid reserve is regulated in Section 13d of the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG) and in the Grid Reserve Ordinance. Demand for electricity is generally highest in winter. In northern Germany, more energy can be produced by wind turbines due to weather conditions. Occasionally, the existing transmission grid is insufficient to transport all the electricity that can be produced from north to south. In such cases, wind turbines are shut down and/or power plants are ramped down in the north; power plants are ramped up in the south (redispatching).
For this purpose, power plants are also available that the power plant operator had already indicated they would be decommissioned, but which were classified as system-critical by the grid operator and the Federal Network Agency and therefore could not be shut down. These power plants together form the grid reserve. The costs for ensuring the operational readiness of the grid reserve power plants are reimbursed to the operators and passed on to the grid fees. However, the grid operators also utilize any other power plants in Germany and abroad for redispatch, provided they are suitable for the redispatch required in the given situation.
Speed limit
The term speed limit refers to a regulation restricting the maximum speed a motor vehicle may travel on roads. The enactment of such a regulation represents a political decision. It can be considered as a measure for climate protection, to increase road safety, or for noise abatement, and is a recurring subject of public debate in Germany.
Speed limits are considered by numerous scientists, as well as by many representatives of environmental organizations, to be a cost-effective, simple, and quickly implementable, as well as demonstrably effective, means of achieving climate protection goals. Economic considerations also play a role. Critics point to the comparatively small reduction in greenhouse gases and the restriction of individual driver freedom.
In traffic law, the term "permissible maximum speed" is used, which is broader in meaning and less specific compared to "speed limit".
Maximum permitted speed on public roads (Germany)
In the Federal Republic of Germany, according to Section 3 Paragraph 3 of the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO), the maximum permissible speed for all motor vehicles within built-up areas has been 50 km/h since September 1, 1957, as in most European countries. Outside built-up areas, the maximum permissible speed for passenger cars and other motor vehicles with a permissible total mass of up to 3,5 metric tons has been 100 km/h since October 1, 1972.
Furthermore, since 1974, a recommended maximum speed of 130 km/h has applied on federal motorways and all other roads outside built-up areas with a median strip or at least two lanes per direction; this is not a defined, generally permissible maximum speed. However, the applicable permissible speed can be further restricted by the requirement to drive within the range of visibility and other conditions stipulated in Section 3 (vehicle control, road, traffic and weather conditions, personal abilities, vehicle and load characteristics).
[...] Study by the Federal Environment Agency 2023
According to a study published by the German Federal Environment Agency in 2023, a speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour would lead to greater CO2 savings than previously thought. The study assumes that this speed limit would result in increased use of trains and long-distance buses due to longer travel times, as well as shorter, slower routes, or even lead to people foregoing trips altogether. Such a speed limit could save greenhouse gas emissions of 6,7 million tons of CO2 equivalents per year. An additional speed limit of 80 kilometers per hour on roads outside of towns and cities would, according to the study, increase the savings potential to 8 million tons of CO2 equivalents. By combining both speed limits, greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars and commercial vehicles in Germany could be reduced by approximately five percent overall.
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