This is the first time I’ve seen Japanese officials admit that any radiation existed above recommended levels, if only for infants. Older children and adults are supposedly OK. In fact, they’re still trying to say that any water consumed prior to this point by babies is fine. But they are cautioning against it now because of the presence of cancer-causing radioactive iodine. And that’s in Tokyo – 150 miles from Fukushima.

I’m surprised it took three whole days for Senate Republicans to break their earmark pledge.

The world Eric Lotke has created in 2044 is a progressive’s nightmare. Almost every exasperating trend we see today has been extrapolated to its logical extreme: Mindless fear of terrorism is used to manipulate the populace. Giant conglomerates control the economy, the news media, the government, and even the cops. Small businesses and entrepreneurs are ruthlessly crushed by cutthroat pricing, lawsuits, and police brutality. There are no unions in sight, and employees have no rights or recourse. The class divide has grown and calcified, with the poor living in near-shantytown squalor while the rich live in lavish mini-skyscrapers and never interact with commoners.