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Friday, March 18, 2011
The Morning Scoop - Life Under the Nuclear Cloud
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As the plume from Japan's meltdown blows toward the U.S., residents of Alaska's Aleutian Islands are adjusting. The Daily Beast's Alexandra Gutierrez reports on the biggest local worry: the health of the fish. Still, there are people in the main island Unalaska who are taking precautions, despite all the exhortations stating that they're not necessary.
In an acknowledgment of the seriousness of the crisis at the Fukusihima Daiichi nuclear plant, Japan has raised the alert level at its overheating nuclear reactors to five on a seven-point scale, placing it two rungs below Chernobyl and equal with Three Mile Island. Attempts to cool the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors by throwing water at them from helicopters and fire hoses seems to be having little immediate effect. For the past two days, Japanese officials have focused on cooling the spent fuel pool at the No. 3 reactor, but on Friday steam was seen rising form Reactor No. 2, and a senior nuclear industry executive said there appears to be damage and a possible leak at the spent fuel pool at the No. 4 reactor. Meanwhile, the operator of the Fukushima plant said the utility was not ruling out burying the plant in concrete, a last-ditch effort that was used after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The good news is that the World Health Organization believes radiation from the plant has yet to spread far from the plant and remains too low to pose a health risk.
France and England are ready to attack Muammar Gaddafi's forces in Libya, say French officials, and military action may begin "within a few hours." Francois Baroin, a French Government spokesman, specified that the military strikes, led by British and French warplanes, "is not an occupation of Libyan territory." Prime Minister David Cameron spoke specifics: Britain will send Typhoon and Tornado fighter jets "in the coming hours." The decision to approve the military intervention divided U.N. members on Thursday, with Germany refusing to participate, Norway volunteering, and Turkey opposing. In the end, the resolution passed with 10 votes—Russia, China, Germany, Brazil, and India abstained—and put a range of options on the table, including strikes on air-defense systems and missile attacks on ships. It's still unclear what role the United States will play in any action.
Libyan rebels broke out into an impromptu street party in the rebel capital Benghazi after midnight following Thursday's United Nations Security Council vote that will impose a no-fly zone and airstrikes against Col. Muammar Gaddafi. Celebratory gunfire broke out as imams at mosques took to the loudspeakers chanting "God is greatest, God is greatest." Despite promises earlier Thursday to crush the rebels, Gaddafi appeared to have a change of heart after hearing the U.N. decision, as one of his sons announced early Friday that as a "humanitarian gesture," the Libyan army will not invade Benghazi as Instead, Saif Gaddafi said, the army will take up positions around the stronghold, as Saif said they expect a "humanitarian exodus."
In light of the nuclear crisis in Japan, President Obama is asking the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to take a look at U.S. nuclear power plants. "When we see a crisis like the one in Japan, we have a responsibility to learn from this event and to draw from those lessons to ensure the safety and security of our people," Obama said Thursday, calling on the NRC to make a "comprehensive review" of the nation's 104 nuclear reactors. Obama also told the country not to worry about radiation from Japan's stricken reactors reaching the U.S. "I want to be very clear," he said. "We do not expect harmful levels of radiation to reach the United States, whether it's the West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska or U.S. Territories." He did, however, stand by the decision to urge American troops and personnel to stay 50 miles away from the reactor, calling it "a prudent and precautionary measure to take."
Ron Fountain knows what the Japanese nuke plant workers are going through. He's been there. Fountain talks to Tony Dokoupil about how he escaped the Three Mile Island disaster alive.
Rudy Giuliani Plays 2012 Flirt by Shushannah Walshe The former New York City mayor tells Shushannah Walshe he hasn't decided whether to enter the GOP field—but he's making a key trip to a presidential bellwether state he paid the price for ignoring in 2008.
Rebecca Black or Top 40 Hit? by Jaimie Etkin Rebecca Black's "Friday" music video earned more than 12 million views on YouTube this week, and the entire world is seemingly laughing at her. But are Black's lyrics any worse than current Billboard hits? Find out if the following lines are from "Friday," Rihanna, Usher, Pink, or another chart topper!
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