January 13, 2026

Friends -- 

First, challenge coins! We ordered a limited number of commemorative glow-in-the-dark challenge coins, as you see below. They are now en route, arrival date unknown. 

These coins are a small, "solid" way to show your commitment to confronting the nuclear weapons complex and to show your solidarity and support for the Study Group's research, organizing, outreach, and lobbying. 

There have been a lot of successes through the years. We'd love to give them to those of you who have been involved with us during those successes but they do cost money. We therefore need to sell at least most of them. 

For now, we are offering these coins for $30 each, plus shipping costs if that is necessary. (We hope to see many of you at upcoming events, if you can wait.) If you want to order one, be sure and write Trish ASAP. 

If they start to sell out we will need to hike the price, or just stop selling them altogether, so please do let Trish know if you want one. You can pay for them via PayPal at this link. We need your pre-orders by Saturday, Jan. 24. 

We expect to issue other challenge coins in the near future for those taking part in the campaigns "seasons" we are beginning to flesh out for this year. See 3. below.

Second, nuclear movie night! Some of us will be meeting at our offices (2901 Summit Place NE, Albuquerque) a week from tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 21) at 6 pm to watch and discuss the film "The Day After." Wikipedia tells us that "more than 100 million people, in nearly 39 million households, watched the film when it first aired on November 20, 1983, on the ABC television network." The film was important in the evolution of President Reagan's attitudes toward nuclear weapons -- which is to say, in the end of the Cold War. 

Let us know if you want to come, because we only have room for about fifteen people in all. There will be food. In the future, if there is sufficient interest, we will consider larger venues.

On successive, alternate Wednesdays we'd like to discuss current events and actions, followed by watching and discussing iconic nuclear films and their relation to what is happening now, in the new Cold War. 

Third, the winter-spring fellowship program. On Monday, February 2, the President's proposed FY2027 budget is legally required to be presented to Congress. President Trump has declared that he wants a $1.5 trillion military budget, more than $11,100 per U.S. household (in the face of a public debt of more than $38 trillion). 

On February 6, that Friday, the NEW START treaty limiting deployed strategic nuclear weapons will expire if Russia's offer to extend it is not accepted by the U.S. Should New START expire, there will be no treaty limits whatsoever on deployed nuclear weapons among the 9 current nuclear weapons states. 

At the beginning of that same week, on Feb. 2, the Study Group will begin a 3-month intensive training and action program, aimed at building capacity and alliances to resist militarism, empire, and the new nuclear arms race. The program will conclude with a group lobbying trip for participants to Washington, DC in late April. The Study Group will pay for travel, housing, and meals in DC. 

Core activities during the 12-week program will include research and writing, organizing and outreach, education and alliance-building, field trips, and actions. Some of the activity will be regionally focused, and some will focused on Congress, in part preparatory for the April trip. 

We anticipate that participants will work hard and learn a great deal through direct engagement in high‑impact policy work. We will be networking across political camps and geographies. Some of our allies are on the political left; others on the right. Participants will be working with both. This program will quietly emphasize a shift from an “age of rage” to dialogue and constructive engagement. But as you know we will be firm.  

Today's announcement is preliminary to a more formal one to follow, but we wanted to get some of these dates and this general outline out to the people on this list in particular. 

Some people living elsewhere may be able to telework part of the time in this program, but they must plan on coming here for part of the time. We do have some housing space available for visitors. 

Local participants who are working will need to consider how much time they might have available. We aren't sure what the minimum participation intensity should be but are inclined to think that at least 15 hours per week would be necessary, possibly 20. The more participants put into this program, the more they will get out. 

We will be offering stipends to help defray some personal costs, and as stated we will be able to offer housing in some cases. We cannot offer more. This is not an employment situation. 

This program is not for everybody, and we have to be somewhat selective. 

Stay tuned for more details. If you think you might be interested, write Trish. 

At the present time, we anticipate a summer and a fall programs as well. This is the pilot. 

More soonest then, and a wonderful new year to everybody, 

Greg Mello, for the Los Alamos Study Group