Fukushima

Pilgrim Nuclear and Vermont Yankee, both operated by Entergy, are the same age and design as Fukushima.

Fukushima nuclear plant begins risky fuel rod removal --Several engineers, both Japanese and foreign, have warned that any errors during the process could have grave consequences, such as sudden leaks of radioactive material. 18 Nov 2013 The operating company at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan has begun the risky but crucial task of removing radioactive fuel rods from one of the four reactors. In a process due to take over a year, more than 1,500 tubes must be lifted out of a storage pool. A spokesman for Tepco said they started lifting up a first fuel assembly with a crane at 15.18 local time, (06.18 GMT), on Monday afternoon.

Cracks in Tepco's 3/11 narrative 17 Nov 2013 "While I was with Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco), a question was raised internally as to whether or not the measuring pipe installed at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the diameter of which is about the same as that of a human thumb, can withstand an earthquake. But Tepco has yet to make clear whether or not the March 2011 earthquake damaged that pipe," says Toshio Kimura, a former Tepco plant engineer. Kimura, who served the company for 17 years from 1983 to 2000 and worked at Fukushima No. 1 for 12 years, is strongly of the view that pipes in the plant were damaged seriously by the quake before a subsequent tsunami struck the plant. He thus casts doubt on Tepco's position that the tsunami caused loss of all the power sources, thus leading to the disaster.

Photo confirms water leaks from Fukushima reactor containment vessel 14 Nov 2013 A camera installed on a remote-controlled device captured the first direct evidence that [radioactive] water is leaking from a containment vessel at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Tokyo Electric Power Co., the plant operator, said Nov. 13 that the water was leaking from an unidentified source, possibly a broken part in the suppression chamber or elsewhere in the containment vessel that houses one of the three reactors that went into meltdowns. Radiation levels in the area measured between 0.9 and 1.8 sieverts per hour.

 

 

 

 

The rest of CLG's recap:

 

Supreme Court Rejects NSA Surveillance Case Without Explanation 18 Nov 2013 The Supreme Court has rejected a call to challenge the National Security Agency's secret telephone record surveillance program. Without explanation, the high court refused to entertain a suit from the Electronic Privacy Information Center, seeking to stop the intelligence organization's bulk data collection program. Now that hope is lost that the courts could strike down the controversial spy programs, all eyes turn to the most unproductive Congress in history.

U.S. justices won't review intelligence court action on phone records 18 Nov 2013 The U.S. Supreme Court said on Monday it would not review a ruling by the secretive intelligence court that gave the government access to records kept by V*rizon Communications Inc on millions of telephone calls. The long-shot case was brought to the high court by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a public interest research organization. It was the first time the high-profile issue has come before the justices since former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden began in June to leak secret documents detailing American surveillance programs.

Snowden cache reveals diplomats' hotel bookings being tracked by GCHQ --Documents leaked by whistleblower reveal 'Royal Concierge' programme in operation since 2010 at 350 hotels 17 Nov 2013 A programme devised by British intelligence allowed analysts to monitor the bookings of foreign diplomats at 350 top hotels across the world, according to documents leaked by the whistleblower Edward Snowden. The German news magazine Der Spiegel reported on Sunday that the automated system alerted the UK's eavesdropping centre, GCHQ, to the timings and locations of diplomats' travel arrangements. The papers make clear that these details allowed the "technical operations community" to make necessary preparations before the visits, the magazine said, suggesting that the diplomats' rooms would be monitored or bugged.

Assange not under sealed indictment, U.S. officials say - but 'he might be in six months' 18 Nov 2013 Federal prosecutors have not filed a sealed indictment against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, despite persistent rumors that a nearly three-year grand jury investigation into him and his organization had secretly led to charges, according to senior law enforcement sources. "Nothing has occurred so far," said one law enforcement official with knowledge of the case. "If Assange came to the U.S. today, he would not be arrested. But I can't predict what's going to happen. He might be in six months." ...The Justice [sic] Department has unsealed an indictment charging former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden under the Espionage Act.

UN envoy 'shocked' by UK's 'unacceptable' persecution of The Guardian over Snowden leaks 16 Nov 2013 A senior United Nations official responsible for freedom of expression has warned that the UK government's response to revelations of mass surveillance by Edward Snowden is damaging Britain's reputation for press freedom and investigative journalism. The UN special rapporteur, Frank La Rue, has said he is alarmed at the reaction from some British politicians following the Guardian's revelations about the extent of the secret surveillance programs run by the UK's eavesdropping center GCHQ and its US counterpart the NSA (National Security Agency), it was reported in the Guardian. "I have been absolutely shocked about the way the Guardian has been treated, from the idea of prosecution to the fact that some members of parliament even called it treason. I think that is unacceptable in a democratic society," said La Rue.

Afghans protest against security deal with US --Demonstrators said a security treaty between Washington and Kabul will pave the way for a prolonged US military presence in Afghanistan. 17 Nov 2013 Afghan demonstrators have gathered on the streets of Jalalabad, in eastern Afghanistan, to protest against a security deal on the future of the US military involvement in the country. On Sunday, a large number of Afghans staged a massive rally in the eastern city of Jalalabad to show their opposition to the possible security deal with Washington. Local sources say thousands of demonstrators poured into streets of the city, chanting anti-American slogans and torching American flags and effigies of US President Barack Obama.

6 Contractors Found Beheaded in Afghanistan 17 Nov 2013 Afghan villagers discovered on Sunday the beheaded bodies of six government contractors in the country's insurgency-racked south, the apparent victims of Taliban insurgents who regularly target state US corpora-terrorists' projects, officials said. Meanwhile, the death toll from a suicide vehicle bomb attack on the site of a key national council in the capital Kabul has risen to 12, officials said, while NATO said an international service member was killed by a roadside bomb. The Taliban took credit for the Saturday blast outside the huge tent where the Loya Jirga is to be held later this week, during which thousands of prominent Afghans are scheduled to meet to debate a contentious security agreement with the United States.

Terrorists 'R Us: US Soldiers Being Killed by Terror Groups Backed With US M*ney - Senator 11 Nov 2013 The United States has paid more than *150 million to companies in Afghanistan that are accused of helping to fin*nce terrorist attacks on American soldiers and facilities, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. "It's like the United States government subsidizing the Taliban, al Qaeda, the Haqqani network, those groups that are trying to shoot and kill our soldiers," said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a member of the Senate's Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, in an interview for ABC News. A list of 43 companies in Afghanistan was compiled by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) using data from both classified Pentagon investigative reports and Commerce Department lists of terror-connected companies.

Malfunctioning drone hits Navy ship while training off Southern California 17 Nov 2013 The Navy says an aerial target drone malfunctioned and struck a guided missile cruiser during training off Southern California, causing two minor injuries. Lt. Lenaya Rotklein of the U.S. Third Fleet said the accident on the USS Chancellorsville happened Saturday afternoon while the ship was testing its combat weapons system off Point Mugu.

Dozens dead in Russian plane crash 17 Nov 2013 A passenger plane has crashed at an airport in the Russian city of Kazan, killing all 50 people on board. The Boeing 737 had taken off from Moscow and was trying to land but exploded on impact at about 19:20 local time (15:20 GMT), officials said. The Emergencies Ministry said there were 44 passengers and six crew members on the Tatarstan Airlines flight.

Israel blocks witness in U.S. anti-terrorism case 16 Nov 2013 The Israeli government prohibited a former security official from testifying in a landmark anti-terrorism case in the United States, court documents showed Saturday, drawing accusations from victims of Palestinian violence that the country was caving in to political pressure from China. In a petition to an American federal court, the government asked to quash the deposition subpoena issued to the witness, who could have tipped the scales in a case filed by families of victims of suicide bombers who accuse the B*nk of China of facilitating terrorist funding via branches in the United States.

TSA rolls out 'detention pods' that trap passengers inside 18 Nov 2013 Not content with the tight security in place at many of the nations airports, the TSA is now funding the roll-out of exit pods at major airport terminals across the country. The pods temporarily detain passengers before they are allowed to leave. Travelers are forced through the pods as the leave the airport terminal before a robotic voice gives instructions to wait inside the pod until a green light is shown and the door opens.

Release Date for Full Sandy Hook Report 'Not Yet Determined' - Hartford Courant --Only summary of long-awaited state police report on Sandy Hook shootings will be released next week Still Keeping Public In The Dark About Sandy Hook --Investigator continuing the war against the public's right to know (The Hartford Courant) 18 Nov 2013 The lead investigator continues to cheat the public when it comes to releasing information about shootings...at the Sandy Hook Elementary School last December. A report on the criminal investigation should have been completed and released to the public long ago. Delay only heightens suspicions that something might have been amiss in the response to the shootings by public safety and criminal justice officials...The date for release of the full report, said to run thousands of pages, has apparently not yet been determined...Further, the summary, according to sources, will be heavily redacted -- censored, with much detail blacked out.

Sandy Hook families review 'investigation' report 16 Nov 2013 Family members of those slain at Sandy Hook Elementary School got to review a draft copy of the state's attorney's 'investigation' report Thursday to prepare them for the eventual public release of the information, which is expected later this month. According to family members who attended a meeting Thursday with State Police, FBI agents and officials from the Danbury state's attorney's office, relatives were given about 20 minutes to review a draft of the 40-page report.

Sunday Mirror readers raise 20,000 pounds to rescue polar bear Yupi from sweltering Mexican zoo 16 Nov 2013 Generous Sunday Mirror readers have given 20,000 pounds to rescue Yupi the polar bear from her Mexican prison. We reported Yupi's plight three weeks ago, and caring readers responded in their thousands, backing a campaign to raise 150,000 pounds to fly her to the UK. Once red tape delaying her departure has been dealt with Yupi will move in to the Sunday Mirror ­Enclosure, 10 acres of hills, lakes and Arctic flora being prepared at Yorkshire ­Wildlife Park near Doncaster.

Obama Pick for Court Is 3rd in a Row Blocked by Republicans [And, spineless DemocRATs do *nothing* about it.] 19 Nov 2013 Senate Republicans on Monday blocked President Obama's third consecutive nominee to the country’s most powerful and prestigious appeals court and insisted they would not back down, inflaming a bitter debate over a [black] president's right to shape the judiciary. By a vote of 53 to 38, the Senate failed to break a filibuster of Robert L. Wilkins, a federal judge who was nominated to fill one of three vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, falling seven votes short of the 60 needed [due to GOP-imposed rules]. The impasse over Mr. Wilkins followed Republican blockades of two other candidates for the court since Oct. 31.

Obamacare supporter McAllister upsets Riser in Louisiana GOP House runoff --McAllister expressed support for certain planks of Obamacare in a conservative district where Mitt Romney won more than 60 percent of the vote. 16 Nov 2013 Businessman Vance McAllister has won the special runoff election for a vacant northeast Louisiana congressional seat, notching an upset win over fellow Republican Neil Riser, according to the Associated Press. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, McAllister, a political newcomer, led Riser, a state senator who had won the support of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and much of the state’s GOP congressional delegation, 59.7 percent to 40.3 percent.

Health Website Enrollment Is Close to Doubling Pace 19 Nov 2013 The pace of enrollment in health plans through the troubled federal insurance marketplace has nearly doubled since the end of October as software engineers have resolved some 200 of the more than 600 initial defects that had rendered the site all but unusable, according to people familiar with the repair effort. As of mid-November, the number of enrollees, which the Obama administration defines as people who have selected a m*rketplace plan, was more than 50,000 -- up from 27,000 in the entire month of October, but still a fraction of the number the administration once hoped for.

Global warming on steroids: Fast-moving tornadoes, severe thunderstorms kill at least 8 as destruction spreads across Midwest --National Weather Service estimated 53 million people in 10 states were at risk from formidable mixture of tornadoes and rolling thunder. 18 Nov 2013 Dozens of tornadoes and intense thunderstorms swept across the Midwest on Sunday, leaving at least eight people dead and unleashing powerful winds that flattened entire neighborhoods, flipped over cars and uprooted trees. Illinois took the brunt of the fury as the string of unusually powerful late-season tornadoes tore across the state, injuring dozens and even prompting officials at Chicago's Soldier Field to evacuate the stands and delay the Bears game. On Monday, officials confirmed two storm-related deaths in Michigan.

Sinkhole the size of 20 football pitches opens in Louisiana - and it could burst into flames --Louisiana state is suing Texas Brine [terrorists] as it tries to recoup *8 million used to deal with the sinkhole 16 Nov 2013 A Louisiana sinkhole that has sucked in trees and swamps as it spread to the size of 20 football fields is now at risk of exploding. Residents of Bayou Corne were evacuated a year ago when the sinkhole, which is emitting natural gases, opened up. The gas exploration company that has been blamed for causing the problem after a mine collapsed, has resorted to digging relief wells to try to disperse the gas. While no homes have yet been sucked in, officials warn that the gases being emitted could ignite, which would leave the Louisiana swamp looking like 'the gates of Hell'.

Two miners dead in Colorado, 20 others injured after Ouray blast 17 Nov 2013 The two miners who were killed Sunday in Ouray died from carbon monoxide poisoning, authorities said. An explosion was ruled out as the immediate cause of the incident that sent 20 other miners to Western Slope hospitals. The source of the poisonous gas, however, is under investigation. At a press conference Sunday night authorities said they were are looking at whether a small explosion in the mining process on Saturday might have been the source of the carbon monoxide.

George Zimmerman arrested for domestic violence 18 Nov 2013 George Zimmerman was arrested on domestic violence charges Monday after pointing a shotgun at his girlfriend, smashing a glass-topped table and pushing her out of her Seminole County home, deputies said. Zimmerman is being held without bail at the Seminole County Jail, charged with aggravated assault with a weapon -- a felony -- domestic violence battery and criminal mischief. Zimmerman was arrested and booked, said Chief Deputy Dennis Lemma of the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.

George Zimmerman arrested again in Florida 18 Nov 2013 George Zimmerman, acquitted in July in the fatal shooting of black teenager Trayvon Martin, was arrested Monday in Seminole County Fla., authorities said. "He is in custody," officer Green, with the county sheriff's office told USA TODAY. He said the booking officer was still filing his report and he had no information. The Orlando Sentinel reported that Zimmerman was en route to the Seminole County Jail in Sanford, according to Sheriff Don Eslinger.

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