Solid score from Josh Rogin over at Foreign Policy, who reports that the much anticipated Nuclear Posture Review — a DoD force structuring plan for America’s nuclear weapons — will be delayed an additional month. The Pentagon announcement comes on the same day that the Los Angeles Times reported that the DoD and White House were locking horns over our first-strike policy, the shape of our nuclear force, and how the NPR will affect the upcoming START follow on treaty.

None of this is very surprising. The NPR is torn between military strategists, White House officials, and the Russians. The White House wants aggressive cuts to our nuclear forces, with seemingly no regard to nuclear strategy. The Russians are lecturing us on cutting our ballistic missile submarines and ICBMs, while they pump billions into new ICBMs, supersonic bombers, and a new submarine-launched ballistic missile. The Pentagon appears to be the only even broker in this mess, arguing for pragmatic cuts to our nuclear war reserves and active stockpiles, which should fulfill treaty requirements without compromising national security.