A senior government official in Japan apologized Tuesday, dramatically bowing to the public before a television camera, for the creation of a “mascot” meant to endear the public to tritium, a radioactive waste product. Japan has been dealing with an abundance of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, for over a decade following the 2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Japanese officials used over 1 million tons of water to cool the melting reactor cores of the plant, a process that, due to hydrogen’s presence in water, created significant amounts of tritium. Japan approved a plan last week to release the water from the plant into the Pacific Ocean, insisting Tokyo would “treat” the water first and no tritium would be released in at least two years due to the time-consuming nature of processing the material. The cleaning treatment would notably not remove tritium from the water supply. Nearly every neighboring … [Read more...] about Japan Apologizes for ‘Cuddly’ Nuclear Waste Mascot
Japan
Japan needs to stand stronger with the US to defend Taiwan — and itself
China constantly seeks out ways to complain about perceived slights and provocations as pretexts for its own aggressive behavior. It is both victimization paranoia and a form of information warfare that keeps the West on the defensive. True to form, it objected even to the innocuous reference to Taiwan at last week’s summit meeting between President Biden Joe Biden Obama, Clinton reflect on Mondale's legacy Biden, Harris commend Mondale in paving the way for female VP Mondale in last message to staff: 'Joe in the White House certainly helps' MORE and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Neither leader’s prepared remarks even mentioned Taiwan, out of deference to the Japanese side. Biden’s opening statement was modest: “Prime Minister Suga and I affirmed our ironclad support for U.S.-Japanese alliance and for our shared security. We committed to working together to take on the challenges from China, and on issues like the East China Sea, the South China … [Read more...] about Japan needs to stand stronger with the US to defend Taiwan — and itself
Japan prepares to reimplement state of emergency declaration for Tokyo
Japan is preparing to reimplement its state of emergency declaration for Tokyo due to the increase in coronavirus cases as the country is getting ready to host the Olympics this summer. “We should not fall behind the speed at which variants of the virus are spreading infection,” Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said, The Wall Street Journal reported . Koike said on Tuesday she would be asking Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to declare another state of emergency due to the difficulty in containing the coronavirus in the city. ADVERTISEMENT Suga suggested he would grant the request, making it the city’s third state of emergency declaration during the pandemic. Suga said the declaration would not affect the Olympics, which are slated to start July 23. Osaka’s governor also asked the central government to declare a state of emergency for the area. Osaka is seeing the British variant of the virus spreading quickly and is running out of beds for the sick, according … [Read more...] about Japan prepares to reimplement state of emergency declaration for Tokyo
Blinken to participate in G-7 foreign minister meeting in London next month
The U.S. is invited to attend an in-person meeting with the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G-7) countries in London next month, the first such meeting in two years. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Antony Blinken Overnight Energy: Treasury creates hub to fight climate change through finance | Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez introduce 'Green New Deal for Public Housing' | Blinken says US falling behind China as global leader on climate change White House defends 'aspirational' goal of 62,500 refugees MORE is expected to take part, although the State Department did not confirm if the secretary will attend virtually or in person. The announcement was made by the British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab during a meeting of Parliament. ADVERTISEMENT The G-7 summit will focus on ensuring equitable access to vaccines, reviving the economy from the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting education for girls in developing countries and tackling climate change. Blinken … [Read more...] about Blinken to participate in G-7 foreign minister meeting in London next month
Fritz Mondale, Public Servant
Walter F. Mondale, 1928-2021. Photo: Everett/Shutterstock Some career politicians who achieve national fame are known as policy innovators or political insurgents, while others flame out and return to obscurity thanks to bad luck or bad behavior. Walter F. “Fritz” Mondale was another type altogether: a reliable public servant in all of the many jobs he held and a steady steward of the Minnesota political traditions he inherited. He was also, by all accounts, a decent man, and it was characteristic of him that just before his death this week at the age of 93, he sent a grateful email to former staffers, saying “Never has a public servant had a better group of people working at their side! Together we have accomplished so much, and I know you will keep up the good fight.” Mondale was fated to spend much of his career in the shadow of other leaders. A protégé of Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party legends Hubert Humphrey and Orville Freeman, he was appointed state attorney … [Read more...] about Fritz Mondale, Public Servant
