The US plans to purchase and own up to 10 nuclear reactors using Japan’s $550 billion funding commitment, part of a $332 billion investment in US energy projects. The initiative, driven by rising electricity demand for AI and manufacturing, is part of a broader strategy to accelerate the development of energy infrastructure. US to Own Nuclear Reactors Stemming From Japan’s $550 Billion Pledge – Bloomberg
Westinghouse plans to build 10 large nuclear reactors in the U.S. with construction to begin by 2030. Westinghouse’s big AP1000 reactor generates enough electricity to power more than 750,000 homes, according to the company. Building 10 of these reactors would drive $75 billion of economic value across the U.S. and $6 billion in Pennsylvania. Trump issued four executive orders in May that aim to quadruple nuclear power in the U.S. by 2050. The U.S. has built only two new nuclear reactors over the past 30 years, both of which were Westinghouse AP1000s at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia. Westinghouse emerged from bankruptcy in 2018 and is now owned by Canadian uranium miner Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management. Westinghouse plans to build 10 large nuclear reactors in U.S., interim CEO tells Trump
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the start of a new pilot program to expedite the testing of advanced nuclear reactor designs under DOE authority outside of the national laboratories. In accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order, Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy. This action represents an important step toward streamlining nuclear reactor testing and ensuring at least three reactors achieve criticality by July 4, 2026. DOE Announces New Pathway to Test Advanced Reactors – electrifiED
Remembering the Solemn Purpose of Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday in May to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The holiday traces its roots to the years immediately following the American Civil War (1861–1865), which caused massive casualties—roughly 620,000 soldiers dead, about 2% of the U.S. population at the time. Communities across the North and South began spontaneously decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, a practice that gave rise to the original name: Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a powerful Union veterans’ organization—issued General Order No. 11. This proclaimed May 30, 1868, as a nationwide “Decoration Day” to honor those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American service members who died in any war, not just the Civil War. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for federal employees. This moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, when it was also officially named “Memorial Day.” As one 1868 quote put it: “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”
