From: slider@anashram.com   
      
   New York City’s emergency management office has come under scrutiny for a   
   decision to air a public service announcement offering residents of the   
   city advice on how to survive a nuclear weapons attack.   
      
   The office defended its decision on Wednesday, stating that the   
   advertisement was meant to spread awareness of how to survive a nuclear   
   attack in the event that a nuclear weapon was aimed at New York.   
      
   “There is no direct threat to the city but we felt it was important that   
   we addressed this topic,” said Allison Pennisi, head of public information   
   for NYC Emergency Management.   
      
   The 90-second advertisement, released online by the department on Monday,   
   opens with a person saying: “So there’s been a nuclear attack. Don’t ask   
   me how or why, just know that the big one has hit.”   
      
   The startling announcement is followed by three pieces of advice: Get   
   inside, stay inside, and stay tuned for more information.   
      
   City residents are also told to avoid hiding near windows, advised to look   
   to officials for updates, and discard all outer clothing “to keep   
   radioactive dust or ash away from your body”.   
      
   The information video ends with the host offering words of encouragement   
   that some may find inadequate for navigating the aftermath of a nuclear   
   attack: “All right? You’ve got this.”   
      
   The website ready.gov, which also offers tips for surviving a nuclear   
   attack and features a menacing image of a nuclear blast as its background,   
   echoes many of those suggestions.   
      
   Residents of New York City offered mixed opinions on the advertisement.   
      
   “I think this message is a little alarming,” said Lauren Hurwitz, a New   
   York realtor.   
      
   Officials have played down suggestions that the timing of the   
   advertisement was related to heightened concerns about the potential for a   
   nuclear war between the United States and Russia over the invasion of   
   Ukraine.   
      
   White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday that   
   the federal government was not involved in the launching of the   
   advertisement.   
      
   New York Council member Joann Ariola told the Reuters news agency that the   
   public service announcement was simply one of many ads that seek to   
   address the concerns of residents.   
      
   The city’s mayor, Eric Adams, also defended the decision at a press   
   conference on Tuesday, denying that the advertisement was “alarmist”.   
      
   As Russia and the US spar over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a debate has   
   ensued about the possibility of a nuclear war between the two superpowers   
   and how much that possibility should influence US thinking about its   
   support for Ukraine.   
      
   Given the destructive capabilities of such weapons, even a slight chance   
   of such a conflict breaking out is seen by some as a reason for serious   
   restraint and caution.   
      
   Nuclear-armed states spent more than $82bn on such weapons in 2021, more   
   than half of which was spent by the US.   
      
   Other nuclear-armed states include the United Kingdom, France, China,   
   Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea, and watchdog groups warn that   
   the global stockpile of nuclear weapons is expected to rise.   
      
   The US dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and   
   Nagasaki in 1945, making it the only country to have used nuclear arms   
   against another nation.   
      
   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/13/new-york-city-ad-offers   
   advice-on-surviving-nuclear-attack   
      
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