japan

People Now Charging for Pictures of a Box of Justin Bieber's Hair

Adrian Chen · 03/23/11 04:10PM

Justin Bieber's hair sold for a staggering $40,668 on eBay when Ellen DeGeneres auctioned it off for charity. Now, it's traveling the country on its own mini US tour. Would you like your picture taken next to a little plastic box of Bieber's hair? Head on down to the Lucky Strikes Lanes & Lounge in Miami Beach next Tuesday. But it will cost you.

Earthquake Death Toll Estimated at 18,000

Max Read · 03/20/11 09:46PM

It's now been ten days since Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami, and police are estimating that an incomprehensible 18,000 people were killed in the disaster. Meanwhile, the worst may be over at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, though higher levels of radioactivity have been detected in spinach and milk at nearby farms. Here's the latest news from Japan:

Watch an Entire Harbor Disappear Under the Tsunami

Richard Blakeley · 03/20/11 03:25PM

Whoever shot this epic nine minute video definitely has nerves of steel. Watch as a large wave in the distance quickly comes in and over a large harbor filled with boats until nearly everything around is underwater.

80-Year-Old Woman Pulled from Rubble in Japan

Jeff Neumann · 03/20/11 08:28AM

Nine days after the earthquake and tsunami devastated northern Japan, a 16-year-old boy and his 80-year-old grandmother were pulled alive from the rubble of their home in Ishinomaki City.

Japan Considers Burying Nuclear Plant

Jeff Neumann · 03/18/11 04:16AM

The effort to cool Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant by dropping seawater from helicopters and repairing water pumps is not going well, and engineers suggested today that the entire site might need to be buried under sand and concrete, as was done at Chernobyl 25 years ago. A plant official told reporters today, "It is not impossible to encase the reactors in concrete. But our priority right now is to try and cool them down first."

Ann Coulter to Bill O'Reilly: 'Radiation Is Actually Good for You'

Matt Cherette · 03/17/11 08:29PM

On tonight's Factor, Bill O'Reilly welcomed controversial conservative talking head Ann Coulter on to discuss the nuclear crisis currently unfolding in Japan. For some reason, Coulter—pretty adamantly—wanted to let us know that radiation is good for us!

The Latest from Japan: March 17

Max Read · 03/17/11 12:38AM

The Japanese attempt to cool the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant entered a new stage on Thursday morning, as military helicopters dumped sea water on two reactors, hoping to control the temperatures and avoid the release of radioactive steam. But the U.S. government remained pessimistic, and offered to assist any American citizen looking to leave Japan.

Helicopter Drops Sea Water On Japan's Stricken Nuclear Reactor

Adrian Chen · 03/16/11 08:24PM

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.

Rush Limbaugh Seizes Opportunity to Mock Japan

Jim Newell · 03/16/11 05:15PM

The Rush Limbaugh show is a sick affair, always and forever, but this is something special. Tens of thousands are already dead in the country, which is still facing the possibility of catastrophic meltdown in multiple nuclear reactors at any minute. Here's how Limbaugh, the same man who has the power to make or break any Republican politician on a whim, handled a dumb caller's question:

The Latest News from Japan: March 16

Jim Newell · 03/16/11 03:55PM

There aren't many options left for the nuclear crisis at Japan's Fukushima plant. There may be no more water to cool the no. 4 reactor, leaving the rods indefinitely exposed and certain to melt down. The Japanese emperor, who is "deeply concerned," has made a rare address to the public. Meanwhile, bankers are hogging all the planes out of the country. Here are the latest updates from the Japanese earthquake/tsunami/nuclear meltdown disaster.

The Latest News from Japan

Max Read · 03/15/11 11:26PM

Japan's ongoing nuclear crisis escalated on Wednesday, as authorities acknowledged that a second reactor at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant may have been compromised. All but 50 workers have been evacuated from the complex as radiation levels surged and emergency workers struggle to deal with a fire at yet another reactor.

Gays Discuss the News: Tsunami and Sheen Edition

Brian Moylan · 03/15/11 03:16PM

It's been quite some time since we checked in with Dustin and Jayden, Manhattan's most obnoxious homosexuals. We bumped into them last night at a bar in Hells Kitchen and they were talking about Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, and the tsunami. Here's what they had to say.

The Latest News from Japan

Jim Newell · 03/15/11 12:33PM

The good news, which is not really "good" news much at all, is that Japan's Fukushima nuclear reactors didn't all fully melt down in the last 12 hours. That may sound cynical, but if you were following the fast developments in last night's news, a total nuclear catastrophe really did seem imminent. It's still unclear, though, how much radiation is leaking into the air, and another mid-size (6.1 magnitude) earthquake did strike southwest of Tokyo overnight. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasuries are soaring! Here's the latest news.