NPR 2011-03-15

The head of the UN's Atomic Energy Agency has said the threat of an uncontrolled nuclear reaction has passed in Japan, but Japanese authorities are still concerned about the possibility of a meltdown. Reporter Doualy Xaykaothao is in Koriyama City, about 30 miles from the quake-damaged plant.

A second hydrogen explosion injured at least 11 people today and tore part of a building at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Now, the operator of the facility, Tokyo Electric Power, says fuel rods at one of its reactors 2 were once again fully 3 exposed, indicating that reactor 1 and two others could overheat, resulting in a possible meltdown of the reactor. If this happens, there is an increased public health threat, deepening the twin disasters. For NPR News, I'm Doualy Xaykaothao in Koriyama City.

An expert who studied the 2004 Asian tsunami 4 says it will be a miracle if the death toll 5 is below 10,000. The official count now is 1,800 dead.

The nuclear caution light is on in Switzerland. The Swiss government's suspended plans to replace and build three nuclear plants, pending 6 a review of Japan's two hydrogen explosions. One official said safety has absolute priority.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Paris, where she's meeting with representatives of the Libyan opposition 7. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports Clinton will also address the situation in Bahrain.

Among the officials Clinton met on the sidelines of a Group of Eight meeting in Paris was her counterpart from the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin 8 Zayed Al-Nahyan. He told reporters that his country and other Gulf 9 states are sending troops to Bahrain to "calm things down".

"We have already sent roughly around 500 of our police force, who are there. The Saudis are there as well. There are other Gulf countries which are going to participate to support the Bahrain government and to get calm and order in Bahrain."

The White House has urged Gulf countries to show restraint and respect the rights of protesters in Bahrain. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Paris.

President Obama's calling on Congress to redo the No Child Left Behind Act before a new school year begins next fall. He made a picture while visiting a middle school in Arlington, Virginia.

"All of us have a responsibility, not just as parents, but as citizens, for giving our kids the best possible education."

The No Child Left Behind law's been criticized as inflexible 10, and numerous exemptions 11 have been granted to school system since its implementation 12.

Stocks have recovered a bit. Near the close on Wall Street, the Dow was down 53 points; NASDAQ was off 15; and the S&P500 was down nine points.

From Washington, this is NPR.

More than 33 people were killed and more than 40 injured in a suicide bombing in northern Afghanistan today. Afghan officials say the attacker walked up to people lined up outside an army recruiting center in Kunduz province and detonated the bomb. A local doctor says at least four children were killed in that blast.

It's been a rough couple of years in the journalism 13 world, with traditional media outlets 14 shrinking and jobs disappearing, but the way ahead may be a bit clearer. NPR's Paul Brown reports a study by the Pew Project for Excellence 15 in Journalism says news consumers are turning to new media.

The Pew research shows for the first time ever more people say they get news online than from newspapers, but the report also says digital news organizations face a big challenge in controlling their own destinies. That's because aggregators, such as Google, online social networks and mobile device makers 16, more and more often have control of revenue sources and information about consumers. Control traditional media had in their heyday 17. The Pew researchers report newspaper newsrooms are about a third smaller than they were in 2000. It shows lots of experimentation 18 at all news media but often with no clear sense of how the economic models will work out. Paul Brown, NPR News, Washington.

There's a good progress report for the Texas toddler who fell out of a second floor window onto stones below. Police in Texas City say the two-year-old boy apparently 19 landed on his head, but he's expected to recover. The child's being treated at a Houston hospital, and officials say he could be released in just a few days.