'Very Grave And Serious': Fukushima Disaster Reaching Chernobyl Levels

As we noted was likely to happen just after posting last night's update on the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, the "calm" over the last day or two that we reported was somewhat broken shortly thereafter. Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan took to the air for a rare press conference to discuss the situation at the crippled nuclear plant, and to mark the two weeks which have passed since an unprecedented, three-prong earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster rocked the country.

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Tracking Our Downward Spiral -- the Ways in Which America Still 'Leads' the World

According to Yes Magazine, amongst 20 of the world's wealthiest countries, America now has...

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"Mitchell Rabin" - Tune in to Tuning In - Mindful Media Choices

By: Progressive Radio Network Host Mitchell Rabin (A Better World - 6pm-EST)

There is a lot of good news out there, such as news to make you smile about the robustness of the human spirit even in "the worst of times" as Dickens would say. There are heroes that show up in daily life, helping those in need, risking their comfort and sometimes their lives.  In so many ways, humans can be so impressive and powerful for the good. And while not reported on at any length, there are some news stories that highlight the heroic.  These people stand as models for us all.

Most news found on commercial TV or radio is filtered through corporate agendas. This is particularly disturbing because some of these corporations own media companies almost like playtoys and more importantly, as a gateway which delimits the news and defines what is news, plus what, per their financial agenda, is newsworthy.  As a result, ABC, NBC and CBS as news gatekeepers, not as impartial reporters, literally mold public opinion about the important issues of our day and even choose what those issues even are.  It’s not just informing, it’s not just influencing: it is molding, and there are important distinctions between these.

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“The Standard” - Never sacrifice journalistic integrity

The Standard

March 24, 2011

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=5&art_id=109421&sid=31766216&con_type=1&d_str=20110324&fc=4

A journalism student from Hong Kong Shue Yan University requested an interview with environmental group Green Sense, and was told he would be granted one under the condition he agreed to work for the group as a volunteer.

Later, Shue Yan authorities accused Green Sense of violating the principles of journalism. The group's chairman, Tam Hoi-pong, countered that the university is "a crooked stick throwing a crooked shadow."

Tam issued a statement saying he will no longer accept interview requests from Shue Yan students.

This has aroused a lot of discussion in the education sector. Recently, a student wrote in the Chinese University Student Press that if the information acquired through the exchange is factual, then there's nothing wrong. The writer said working as a volunteer would allow the reporter to learn more.

I read the latest issue of the student magazine, in which the writer gave an alternative viewpoint, saying many scoops have actually come from conditional exchanges.

Sometimes, they involve personal relationships and even money but, even when they are of an exchange in nature, the integrity of the news is not affected.

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“Dokhi Fassihian” - Is the U.S. Prepared to Win at the UN Human Rights Council? We Just Did

Dokhi Fassihian

March 25, 2011

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dokhi-fassihian/is-the-us-prepared-to-win_b_840760.html

The establishment of a UN special rapporteur on the Islamic Republic of Iran today marks the UN Human Rights Council's most significant achievement to date and represents the crown jewel of the Obama administration's performance on the body since it became a member. The landmark resolution establishes the first new country rapporteur since the creation of the Council in 2006 and affirms its ability to address one of the world's most challenging human rights crises.

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“Chicago Tribune” - Homeopathic medicine

Chicago Tribune

March 14, 2011

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-03-14/news/chi-110314fior_briefs_1_homeopathy-edzard-ernst-studies

Homeopathy is a 200-year-old system of medicine used successfully by more than 200 million people worldwide. It has a laudable and extensively documented clinical record and there are literally hundreds of high quality, peer-reviewed basic science and clinical studies showing its effects. Those studies have been published in journals like "Lancet," "Chest," "Rheumatology," "Pediatrics," "Archives of Internal Medicine" and "Neurotoxicology," to name just a few.

Given these facts, we'd like to offer additional facts to your readers about your March 6 health feature, "Homeopathy prospers even as controversy rages."

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“Tom Trulson” - Homeland Security Should Look to Mexico More Than Middle East

TOM TRULSON

March 25, 2011

http://www.theledger.com/article/20110325/EDIT02/103255009?Title=Homeland-Security-Should-Look-to-Mexico-More-Than-Middle-East

"More than 35,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence since President Felipe Calderon ordered a military offensive against the country's drug gangs shortly after taking office in December 2006." This statement in a recent news brief caused me to again wonder if we're focusing too much of our homeland-security efforts too far from home.

While I agree that al-Qaida and similar extremist groups pose a significant-and-real threat to American security that shouldn't be ignored, what is occurring daily in Mexico is perhaps much more of an immediate and long-term threat.

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“Avery Johnson” - Downside of High-Deductible Plans

Avery Johnson

March 25, 2011

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2011/03/25/downside-of-high-deductible-plans/?mod=google_news_blog

A study out today finds that high-deductible health plans do cut down on health-care spending – but also prompt patients to get less preventative care.

The RAND Corporation, which ran the study, says it is the largest ever of its kind. The group studied more than 800,000 families and found that when they moved to plans with deductibles over $1,000, health spending dropped an average of 14%.

But the study also found that those families cut back on things like childhood immunizations, cancer screenings and diabetes tests. Childhood vaccination rates among families in traditional plans rose, while they dropped among those in the high-deductible plans, for instance. RAND says that drop happened even though high-deductible plans waive the need to pay a deductible when receiving preventative services, suggesting that enrollees did not understand this part of their policy.

High-deductible plans are on the rise. The study looked at families insured through 53 big employers during 2004 and 2005. RAND says by 2009, 20% of Americans with employer-sponsored coverage elected such plans. A 2010 survey found that more than half of large employers offered such a plan.



“Bloomberg Businessweek” - Dark Chocolate May Harbor Benefits for the Heart

Despite possible upside, cocoa carries risks and won't overcome bad health habits, expert says

Bloomberg Businessweek

March 24, 2011

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/651201.html

(HealthDay News) -- If you can handle the fat and calories, there may be a health benefit to enjoying dark chocolate on occasion. New research suggests that the cocoa ingredient may lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels while preventing diabetes and improving the health of blood vessels.

So why not chow down on a candy bar or two every day? Here's the rub: Scientists aren't sure whether the downsides of cocoa consumption -- such as potential obesity -- could outweigh the benefits.

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“Reuters” - US OKs 6th deepwater drill permit since BP spill

Reuters

March 25, 2011

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/25/usa-drilling-permit-idUSN2560433620110325

* Statoil permitted to drill at Alaminos Canyon 810

* New well will be in deep water off Texas

HOUSTON, March 25 (Reuters) - Statoil (STL.OL) has been awarded the sixth new permit to drill in deep waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico since last year's oil spill, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy said on Friday.

Statoil's permit authorizes a new well to be drilled in Alaminos Canyon Block 810 in water 7,134 feet (2,174 meters) deep, about 216 miles (348 km) off the Texas coast south of Texas City, the news release said.

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