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Subscription failed Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! 8 hours ago - Politics & Policy Cracks in nuclear command and control Bryan Walsh, author of Future An atomic bomb test in Nevada in 1957. Photo: (c) CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to members on Friday that she's spoken to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley about preventing President Trump from accessing the nuclear codes. Why it matters: Pelosi's message surfaced an uncomfortable reality about America's nuclear control structure: if the president wants to use nukes, there is no clear way to stop him. What's happening: In her message, Pelosi mentioned discussing "available precautions" around Trump and the nuclear codes.Reality check: Such precautions do not exist. * As Slate's Fred Kaplan -- the author of a recent book on nuclear weapons control -- wrote on Friday, "the nuclear command-control system was designed to allow the president, and only the president, to launch nuclear weapons as quickly as possible." Be smart: For all the destructive power of nuclear weapons, a different factor dictates America's command and control structure: their speed. * Absolute presidential control of the nuclear arsenal was solidified in part out of the realization that the speed of nuclear war would not allow for lengthy debates. * If a U.S. president were alerted that ICBMs were inbound from Russia, there might be as few as 10 minutes to decide whether to retaliate before the missiles reached their destination. * That time pressure doesn't exist in the case of an American first use of nuclear weapons. But as an unprecedented Senate hearing in 2017 made clear, while protocol calls for the president to consult with several officers and officials before launching nuclear weapons, "the president has no obligation to take the officers' advice," Kaplan wrote. Flashback: President Obama reportedly weighed ruling out first use of nuclear weapons in a conflict, but never went through with it. * Sen. Edward Markey drafted a bill in 2019 blocking the president from launching a first strike without congressional consent, but it never went to a vote. The bottom line: The power to use the most devastating weapons ever devised rests in the president's hands. Go deeper Ursula Perano Jan 8, 2021 - Politics & Policy Pelosi urges top U.S. general to block Trump from nuclear codes Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to members on Friday that she's spoken to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley about blocking an "unhinged" President Trump from accessing the nuclear codes. Why it matters: Pelosi's effort underscores the extraordinary nature of discussions among top political civilian and military leaders right now about what threats Trump may pose to national security following Wednesday's attack on the Capitol by his supporters. Go deeper (1 min. read) Mike Allen, author of AM Updated Jan 8, 2021 - Politics & Policy Pelosi threatens second impeachment if Trump does not resign Photo: Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote in a letter to members Friday that Congress will move forward with impeaching President Trump for a second time if he does not leave office "imminently and willingly." Driving the news: House Democrats had a caucus call at noon to discuss the topic of impeachment. Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) told CNN that Democrats could bring articles of impeachment to the House floor as soon as "mid-next week" if Vice President Pence and Cabinet members do not invoke the 25th Amendment. Go deeper (2 min. read) Ursula Perano Jan 8, 2021 - Politics & Policy McCarthy says second Trump impeachment would "divide our country more" House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Photo: Greg Nash - Pool/Getty Images House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is urging Democrats not to impeach President Trump for a second time following Wednesday's assault on the U.S. Capitol building. What he's saying: "Impeaching the President with just 12 days left in his term will only divide our country more," McCarthy wrote in a statement. "I have reached out to President-elect Biden today and plan to speak to him about how we must work together to lower the temperature and unite the country to solve America's challenges." Go deeper (1 min. read) Axios gets you smarter, faster with news & information that matters. Copyright Axios Media, 2021 About About Axios Advertise with us Careers Events Axios on HBO Axios Local Privacy and terms Online tracking choices Contact us Subscribe Axios newsletters Axios app Axios podcasts Courses