Trump has undermined the one agency tasked with making sure America never has another nuclear meltdown | CNN

The federal regulatory agency tasked with keeping America’s nuclear power plants safe and running smoothly is set to make huge cuts to the amount of time its staffers spend on safety and emergency inspections, opening the door to more self-policing from the industry. As it embarks on a reorganization to fulfill executive orders from President Donald Trump, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to dramatically reduce its inspection hours for existing nuclear power plants, cutting back on the amount of time independent inspectors look for plants’ security procedures, radiation protection for staff, maintenance and safety. The NRC has been a crucial part of keeping America’s nuclear energy operating for the past 40 years — and experts say its authority is only more necessary than ever as the Trump administration seeks to usher in a new golden age of nuclear energy. But Trump wants to streamline the agency, and staff cuts combined with executive orders are troubling signs that Trump is undoing the NRC’s independence, experts said. That is “an issue of national security,” according to former NRC commission chair Allison Macfarlane, now the director of the School o

Mar 10, 2026 → Mar 10, 2026