Top Items:
STRATFOR:
Red Alert: Nuclear Meltdown at Quake-Damaged Japanese Plant — A March 12 explosion at the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Japan, appears to have caused a reactor meltdown. — The key piece of technology in a nuclear reactor is the control rods.
RELATED:
Matthew L. Wald / New York Times:
Explosion Rocks Japan Nuclear Plant After Quake — WASHINGTON — Japanese officials said on Saturday there had been an explosion at a nuclear power plant following Friday's huge earthquake, blowing off the roof of the structure, bringing down walls and causing a radiation leak of unspecified proportions.
BBC:
Japan warns of small radiation leak at nuclear plant — Pressure in one of the six reactors is considerably higher than normal, Japan's nuclear agency says — Japanese authorities have warned there could be a small radiation leak from a nuclear reactor whose cooling system was knocked out by the earthquake.
Kyodo News:
Damage from mega quake increasing, death toll feared to top 1,700 — Damage caused by Friday's catastrophic earthquake in Japan expanded Saturday, with the combined number of people who have died or are unaccounted for is feared to top 1,700, while an explosion occurred at the nuclear reactor building …
Discussion:
Guardian, Scared Monkeys and NPR Topics
Martin Fackler / New York Times:
Japan Pushes to Rescue Survivors as Quake Toll Rises — NAKAMINATO, Japan — Japan on Saturday mobilized a nationwide rescue effort to pluck survivors from collapsed buildings and rush food and water to thousands in an earthquake and tsunami zone under siege, without water, electricity, heat or telephone service.
Discussion:
Gothamist, CNN, This Just In and New York Magazine
Reuters:
Radiation leaking from Japan's quake-hit nuclear — (Reuters) - Radiation leaked from a damaged Japanese nuclear reactor north of Tokyo on Saturday, the government said, after an explosion blew the roof off the facility in the wake of a massive earthquake. — The developments raised fears …
Discussion:
Daily Kos
Reuters:
Factbox: What happens when a reactor loses coolant
Factbox: What happens when a reactor loses coolant
Discussion:
Scientific American and Guardian
Scarecrow / Firedoglake:
Two [Now Five] Japanese Nuclear Units Still at Serious Risk
Two [Now Five] Japanese Nuclear Units Still at Serious Risk
Discussion:
All Things Nuclear, Clean Beta and Hullabaloo
Daniel Hannan / Wall Street Journal:
A European's Warning to America — The perils of following us toward greater regulation, higher taxes and centralized power. — On a U.S. talk-radio show recently, I was asked what I thought about the notion that Barack Obama had been born in Kenya. “Pah!” I replied.
Discussion:
Booman Tribune
RELATED:
Cubachi:
Daniel Hannan to America: “You deserve better, cousins.” — Daniel Hannan, Member of the European Parliament, and the most popular Englishman in conservative and libertarian circles, wrote a marvelous opinion piece extolling the virtues of America, and the dangers of Europeanization.
Discussion:
Sister Toldjah and Liberty Pundits Blog
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
POLITICIANS CAUGHT ACCIDENTALLY TELLING THE TRUTH.... Incidents surrounding live mics are some of my favorites — unexpected candor can be revealing. — Take this gem out of Iowa, for example. (thanks to Blue Girl for the tip) … The conversation was between some of the top leaders of the Iowa State House.
Discussion:
They gave us a republic
RELATED:
Jason Clayworth / Des Moines Register:
House Republican, caught on tape, jokes of ‘give a handgun to a schizophrenic bill’ — A snafu during a legislative debate where a microphone was turned on captured banter between two Iowa GOP leaders, who also joked about a “give-a-handgun-to-a-schizophrenic bill.”
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and Booman Tribune
Sarah Kliff / The Politico:
Murkowski opposes Planned Parenthood, Title X cuts — Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has come out in opposition to the House's attempts to defund Planned Parenthood, making her the first Republican senator to specifically support the beleaguered organization.
Discussion:
Cubachi, Washington Monthly, The Mahablog, Liberty Pundits Blog, Weasel Zippers, FrumForum and RedState
RELATED:
Erik Wasson / The Hill:
GOP spending plan plays better with Dems than conservatives
GOP spending plan plays better with Dems than conservatives
Discussion:
The Politico
Wesley K. Clark / Washington Post:
Gen. Wesley Clark says Libya doesn't meet the test for U.S. military action — In March of 1974, when I was a young Army captain, I was sitting in a conference on civil-military relations at Brown University. Rep. Les Aspin (D-Wis.) was onstage expounding on the lessons from Vietnam about military interventions.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos and Talk Radio Sucks
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Obama promises to continue fight for women's equality — Two days after Senate Democrats demanded that President Obama take a more public stance in the budget fight, Obama devoted his weekly address to honoring Women's History Month. — While Democrats want the president to plunge …
Discussion:
The Politico, JammieWearingFool and Ballot Box
Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy:
Crowley deleted tweet comparing Middle East ‘tsunami’ to Japan crisis — State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley is already the subject of one controversy today due to remarks he made about the treatment of alleged WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning. But Crowley is also in trouble due …
RELATED:
Josh Gerstein / The Politico:
Barack Obama: Bradley Manning's well-being a factor in his treatment
Barack Obama: Bradley Manning's well-being a factor in his treatment
Discussion:
Washington Post, Weasel Zippers, ...My heart's in Accra and ThinkProgress
Amanda Carey / The Daily Caller:
Some respond to Japan earthquake by pointing to global warming — Hours after a massive earthquake rattled Japan, environmental advocates connected the natural disaster to global warming. The president of the European Economic and Social Committee, Staffan Nilsson, issued a statement calling …
Discussion:
theblogprof, The Jawa Report and Pajamas Media
RELATED:
Ken Shepherd / NewsBusters.org:
Chris Matthews Sees Japan Earthquake an ‘Opportunity’ for Obama to Remind People He Was Born in Hawaii — Hundreds if not thousands of people are dead due to a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. But at least it gave Barack Obama an avenue to remind everyone he was born in Hawaii.
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin
David Holthouse / Media Matters for America:
BREAKING: Alaska Militia Members Arrested for Plot to Kidnap or Kill Police — Francis “Schaeffer” Cox Photo from Anchorage Press — Five members and associates of a Fairbanks, Alaska, right-wing militia group were arrested yesterday for allegedly plotting to kidnap or kill Alaska State Troopers and a Fairbanks judge.
Discussion:
Anchorage Daily News, Washington Monthly, KTUU-TV, Booman Tribune and The Raw Story
RELATED:
Casey Grove / Anchorage Daily News:
Five charged in alleged plot to kidnap or kill troopers, judge
Five charged in alleged plot to kidnap or kill troopers, judge
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Hatewatch, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars and Little Green Footballs