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:
New York Times:
Radiation Leaks Said to Recede After Blast at Japan Nuclear Plant — TOKYO — An explosion at a nuclear power plant in northern Japan on Saturday blew the roof off one building and destroyed the exterior walls of a crippled reactor, but officials said radiation leaks from the plant were receding …
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.
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, 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
Kyodo News:
Damage from mega quake increasing, death toll feared to top 1,700
Damage from mega quake increasing, death toll feared to top 1,700
Discussion:
Guardian, CNN, Scared Monkeys, NPR Topics and Obsidian Wings
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
Scott Conroy / Real Clear Politics:
Bachmann Mangles Revolutionary History In N.H. — MANCHESTER, N.H. — Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann's visit to the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire got off to a rocky start on Saturday morning when she misstated a key fact about the American Revolution in a speech to a group …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, FrumForum and Talk Radio Sucks
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
Mark Kleiman / The Reality-Based Community:
A weak President — Asked about the extraordinary conditions imposed on Bradley Manning and the even more extraordinary remarks of the State Department spokesman dumping on DoD for that mistreatment, Barack Obama sounds completely clueless. Clueless at the Bush level:
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and Philippa Thomas Online
RELATED:
Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy:
Crowley deleted tweet comparing Middle East ‘tsunami’ to Japan crisis
Crowley deleted tweet comparing Middle East ‘tsunami’ to Japan crisis
Discussion:
A Chequer-Board of Nights …, New Deal 2.0, Emptywheel, Weasel Zippers and The Political Carnival
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, ThinkProgress and ...My heart's in Accra
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, Booman Tribune, Daily Kos and Talk Radio Sucks
Jaime Lalinde / Vanity Fair:
Larry Kudlow Devalues Human Life With Japan Earthquake Freudian Slip — In these tough economic times, isn't it nice to know that calamitous natural disasters needn't have an adverse affect on your investment portfolio? After the 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan failed to induce a market nosedive …
Discussion:
Booman Tribune
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
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, Daily Kos, Hatewatch, Crooks and Liars and Little Green Footballs