From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

The threat to America from our own nuclear weapons.

Hello again, I'm Aronaldi, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International,

a daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

During the Cold War, atomic bombs fell out of the sky over North Carolina.

A missile tipped with a thermonuclear warhead blew up in Arkansas.

Most Americans never knew about 700 significant incidents that could have produced historic catastrophes here in the U.S.

Investigative reporter Eric Schlosser spent five years searching declassified documents

to discover how often dumb luck made the difference.

We'll talk with him.

How much safer are today's weapon systems?

What are the prospects for reducing nuclear arms?

Today's talking point, the Washington

stalemate, and how it happened. First, here's the news.

Listen to KCRW's 24-hour all-news channel. Stream BBC World Service, NPRW programs,

continuous coverage and accessible via our smartphone app or online at

KCRW.com.

Support for To The Point comes from the members of KCRW and from the Public Radio International

Program Fund. Hello again, Warren. I'll only back with To the Point.

America's nuclear arsenal has been subject to a terrifying number of accidents,

miscalculations, and inexplicable blunders without a devastating catastrophe so far.

We'll talk with investigative reporter Eric Schlaucher about how close we've come,

...