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The Japanese military dumped seawater from Chinook helicopters onto Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant earlier tonight in a last-ditch attempt to cool fuel rods that were exposed by the tsunami and prevent a worsening of the crisis. (Temperatures reached 183 degrees Fahrenheit at one reactor today.) The helicopters were lined with lead to protect the crew.

The move comes as Gregory Jaczko, the head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, painted a "far bleaker appraisal" of the situation than his Japanese counterparts. "We believe that radiation levels are extremely high, which could possibly impact the ability to take corrective measures," Jaczko told a congressional panel. "We would recommend an evacuation to a much larger radius than has currently been provided by Japan."