In a time of accident like we are seeing at the Daiichi Nuclear Power Stations facts are a very good thing. So let me provide you with some facts, then we can talk about what is known at this point about the accident there.

Overnight there was an explosion at one unit of one of the two Fukushima nuclear stations that have been slowly failing since the earthquake and tsunami. Earlier reports had said that in one unit, the still hot fuel rods had been exposed by falling cooling water while problems continued at Unit 2 and three other units at a nuclear station about 15 km away. There have also been reports of releases of cesium with seriously high radioactivity being reported in the vicinity.

After a devastating 8.9 earthquake, damage to the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant led to some sort of explosion.

A brief look at what’s happening in the news on Thanksgiving morning, 2010.

The new Economist/YouGov poll is out (previous polls here), and it includes several questions on the disaster in the Gulf and offshore drilling.

Of particular interest, 48% of those who are familiar with the spill think BP knowingly violated oil drilling regulations in advance of the disaster. Just 20% disagreed and 32% were not sure. As the DOJ’s investigation unfolds, we can expect a good portion of those who were not sure to move over to the ‘knowingly violated regulations’ camp.