Japan wants 3 reactors closed while seawall built

TOKYO (AP) — Officials at a Japanese power company were finalizing a decision Saturday following a government request that it suspend all three reactors at a coastal nuclear plant while steps are taken to prevent a major earthquake or tsunami from causing another radiation crisis.

A woman strolls in a deserted street in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan on Friday.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Friday that he had asked Chubu Electric Power Co. to halt its three reactors at Hamaoka nuclear power plant in central Japan until the operator can improve safety measures.Though not legally binding, the request is a virtual order.

The government is wrapping up a safety review of Japan's 54 atomic reactors after a March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. The disaster left more than 25,000 people dead or missing on the northeast coast.

The Hamaoka nuclear plant just off the Pacific coast in central Japan is the only one so far where the government has asked that operations be halted over safety reasons.

Chubu Electric president Akihisa Mizuno said in a statement that the company would "swiftly consider" the government's request.

He was expected to hold a news conference later Saturday to announce a decision.

"It was a decision made after thoroughly considering people's safety," Kan said Friday, citing experts' forecast of a 90 percent probability of a quake with magnitude of 8.0 or higher striking central Japan within 30 years.

The government asked Chubu Electric to suspend two running reactors and a third currently shut for a regular inspection at the plant in Shizuoka, which is around 124 miles (200 kilometers) west of Tokyo. Two other reactors are currently being decommissioned.

"If an accident occurs at Hamaoka, it could create serious consequences," Kan said.

Since the March 11 disasters, Chubu Electric has drawn up safety measures that include building a 40-foot-high (12-meter-high) seawall nearly a mile (1.5 kilometers) long over the next two to three years, company official Takanobu Yamada said. The company also promised to install additional emergency backup generators and other equipment and improve water-tightness of the reactor building.

Chubu also plans to erect concrete walls along 18 water pumps at the plant, to protect them from tsunami or quake damage. It will also install additional backup generators and other emergency equipment to secure cooling capacity, and improve water-tightness of reactor buildings. It will take two to three years to complete the sea wall, Yamada said.

The plant does not have a concrete sea barrier now. Sandhills between the ocean and the plant are about 32 to 50 feet (10 to 15 meters) high, the company said.

Chubu Electric has estimated a tsunami reaching around 26 feet (8 meters).

The company recently said it was considering restarting the third reactor in July, triggering harsh local opposition.

Trade Minister Banri Kaieda said Chubu's safety measures were insufficient. "Until the company completes safety steps, it is inevitable that it should stop operating nuclear reactors," he said.

Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the stricken Fukushima plant, has said the waves that wrecked critical power and cooling systems there were at least 46 feet (14 meters) high.

Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu called the government's request "a wise decision" and vowed to secure alternative sources of energy.

Residents in Shizuoka have long demanded suspension of the Hamaoka reactors. About 79,800 people live within a 6-mile (10-kilometer) radius of the plant. Some residents have filed a request to a regional court to suspend the Hamaoka plant.

The Hamaoka plant provides power to around 16 million people in central Japan, including Aichi, home to Toyota Motor Corp.'s headquarters and an auto plant. Faced with a possible power crunch due to the shutdown, Kan sought public understanding.

Automakers and other industries have had troubles with interrupted supply lines, parts shortages and damage to manufacturing plants since the March 11 disasters.

The Fukushima Dai-ichi plant lost its power and cooling systems in the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami, triggering fires, explosions and radiation leaks in the world's second-worst nuclear accident.

Radiation leaks have forced 80,000 people living within a 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius of the plant to leave their homes.

Since the Fukushima crisis unfolded, nuclear safety officials have acknowledged that tsunami safety measures at Japanese nuclear power plants were insufficient.

In 2001, TEPCO told Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency that waves would not exceed 18 feet (5.7 meters) at the Dai-ichi plant, based on an anticipation of a magnitude-8.6 quake. It assumed the backup power generators, which were stored in basement areas, would stay dry in a tsunami triggered by a magnitude-9.0 quake.

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Quiet for a while, Palin's voice is back

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sarah Palin has had a sliding spring.

In this Feb. 4, 2011 file photo, former Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin speaks at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, Calif.

By Spencer Weiner, AP

In this Feb. 4, 2011 file photo, former Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin speaks at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Her support among Republicans has shrunk. She's kept an uncharacteristically low profile. And there's no evidence that she's anywhere close to announcing whether she will run for president.

But it's clear she still wants to be part of the conversation.

After weeks of seemingly staying on the sidelines, the GOP's 2008 vice presidential nominee is back with public appearances, fiery criticism of President Barack Obama and a strong defense of Donald Trump, the reality TV show host who has raised questions about the president's background without offering any proof of his assertions.

"What the heck is wrong with asking the president of the United States to disclose what his college thesis was, what some of the Harvard Law Review papers were that he wrote?" Palin said last week, adding her voice to a Trump-led chorus of critics questioning just how much the country knows about its president.

She added: "Here's a point with Donald Trump, though, which I hope that he will seize this opportunity: Right now, he's got the spotlight, he's got the megaphone. Now is his opportunity to really force a shift in debate and discussion in this country."

Palin used to be able to say that about herself. But she's recently been overshadowed by other Republicans who have taken steps toward the White House or are weighing bids, Trump included.

Privately, people in her informal and fluid circle of advisers say that they have no sense whether Palin will run for the GOP nomination or if she does, when she would begin a campaign. They say she's asking questions about a potential White House run and will decide in her own time. The door to a candidacy, they say, is still open.

Yet, Palin, who abruptly resigned the Alaska governor's office before finishing her first term, doesn't seem to be doing the spadework others are as they consider running.

She hasn't set up campaign organizations in Iowa, New Hampshire or other early nominating states. Her political travel seems haphazard and lacking the pattern of most contenders. For example, she hasn't been to New Hampshire since 2008, but she rallied tea party activists in Wisconsin as Gov. Scott Walker pushed a bill that weakened public unions' bargaining rights.

And recently her standing has dropped in polls.

An Associated Press-GfK survey from late-March found 57 percent of adults holding an unfavorable view of her. And the survey marked her worst rating yet among Republicans. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans view her favorably but that number is down from 79 percent in November 2010.

Her favorability dips to just 38 percent among the four in 10 Republicans who don't support the tea party. Among those Republicans who do support it, 79 percent say they hold a positive view of Palin.

Even so, she's making sure her voice is heard, including in high-profile public appearances.

She was to give a speech Saturday in a Washington suburb at a closed-door, $250-a-plate fundraiser for an anti-abortion organization. And on Monday, she is to appear at a $15-a-person fundraiser for military families at Colorado Christian University. She's speaking at the same event as retired Lt. Gen. William G. "Jerry" Boykin, who has made controversial statements painting the war on terror as a Christian fight against Satan and suggesting that Muslims worship idols.

Palin's also been firing up her conservative base on Fox News Channel, where she is a paid contributor, and in other interviews by scorning Obama. Recently, she:

?Invoked 1960s-era radical William Ayers, a one-time member of the Weather Underground organization, which bombed federal buildings in protest of the Vietnam War, with whom Obama worked on community projects in Chicago decades later. She suggested Ayers wrote Obama's memoirs ? though offered no evidence.

?Tweaked Obama on his off-hours hobbies: "I know, I know, granted you will be even busier very soon. After all, golf season kicks into high gear shortly. NBA and NHL brackets await. Summer vacations and that all-consuming campaign whistle stop tour will no doubt slam you," she posted on Facebook.

?Summarized Obama's energy policy as "outright bonkers."

So, for now at least, she's ensuring she's part of the political discourse. The answer to whether she becomes part of the presidential race, itself, will come later.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more.

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This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Quiet for a while, Palin's voice is back

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sarah Palin has had a sliding spring.

In this Feb. 4, 2011 file photo, former Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin speaks at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, Calif.

By Spencer Weiner, AP

In this Feb. 4, 2011 file photo, former Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin speaks at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Her support among Republicans has shrunk. She's kept an uncharacteristically low profile. And there's no evidence that she's anywhere close to announcing whether she will run for president.

But it's clear she still wants to be part of the conversation.

After weeks of seemingly staying on the sidelines, the GOP's 2008 vice presidential nominee is back with public appearances, fiery criticism of President Barack Obama and a strong defense of Donald Trump, the reality TV show host who has raised questions about the president's background without offering any proof of his assertions.

"What the heck is wrong with asking the president of the United States to disclose what his college thesis was, what some of the Harvard Law Review papers were that he wrote?" Palin said last week, adding her voice to a Trump-led chorus of critics questioning just how much the country knows about its president.

She added: "Here's a point with Donald Trump, though, which I hope that he will seize this opportunity: Right now, he's got the spotlight, he's got the megaphone. Now is his opportunity to really force a shift in debate and discussion in this country."

Palin used to be able to say that about herself. But she's recently been overshadowed by other Republicans who have taken steps toward the White House or are weighing bids, Trump included.

Privately, people in her informal and fluid circle of advisers say that they have no sense whether Palin will run for the GOP nomination or if she does, when she would begin a campaign. They say she's asking questions about a potential White House run and will decide in her own time. The door to a candidacy, they say, is still open.

Yet, Palin, who abruptly resigned the Alaska governor's office before finishing her first term, doesn't seem to be doing the spadework others are as they consider running.

She hasn't set up campaign organizations in Iowa, New Hampshire or other early nominating states. Her political travel seems haphazard and lacking the pattern of most contenders. For example, she hasn't been to New Hampshire since 2008, but she rallied tea party activists in Wisconsin as Gov. Scott Walker pushed a bill that weakened public unions' bargaining rights.

And recently her standing has dropped in polls.

An Associated Press-GfK survey from late-March found 57 percent of adults holding an unfavorable view of her. And the survey marked her worst rating yet among Republicans. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans view her favorably but that number is down from 79 percent in November 2010.

Her favorability dips to just 38 percent among the four in 10 Republicans who don't support the tea party. Among those Republicans who do support it, 79 percent say they hold a positive view of Palin.

Even so, she's making sure her voice is heard, including in high-profile public appearances.

She was to give a speech Saturday in a Washington suburb at a closed-door, $250-a-plate fundraiser for an anti-abortion organization. And on Monday, she is to appear at a $15-a-person fundraiser for military families at Colorado Christian University. She's speaking at the same event as retired Lt. Gen. William G. "Jerry" Boykin, who has made controversial statements painting the war on terror as a Christian fight against Satan and suggesting that Muslims worship idols.

Palin's also been firing up her conservative base on Fox News Channel, where she is a paid contributor, and in other interviews by scorning Obama. Recently, she:

?Invoked 1960s-era radical William Ayers, a one-time member of the Weather Underground organization, which bombed federal buildings in protest of the Vietnam War, with whom Obama worked on community projects in Chicago decades later. She suggested Ayers wrote Obama's memoirs ? though offered no evidence.

?Tweaked Obama on his off-hours hobbies: "I know, I know, granted you will be even busier very soon. After all, golf season kicks into high gear shortly. NBA and NHL brackets await. Summer vacations and that all-consuming campaign whistle stop tour will no doubt slam you," she posted on Facebook.

?Summarized Obama's energy policy as "outright bonkers."

So, for now at least, she's ensuring she's part of the political discourse. The answer to whether she becomes part of the presidential race, itself, will come later.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more.

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This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Jury deliberates Barry Bonds' fate, while reluctant witness is freed

Barry Bonds is charged with lying under oath when he testified about his steroids use in 2003. STORY HIGHLIGHTSBonds' trainer is ordered freed two weeks after he refused to testifyThe jury was given the Bonds perjury case to decide Thursday afternoonThe baseball legend faces three perjury counts and an obstruction of justice chargeThe charges stem from a federal probe of athletes' steroid useRELATED TOPICSBarry BondsDrugs in SportsPerjury San Francisco (CNN) -- Barry Bonds' former trainer was freed Friday from the prison where he's been held since he refused to testify in the baseball legend's perjury trial two weeks ago.

With the jury now deliberating the perjury and obstruction of justice case against Bonds, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ordered Gary Anderson to be released.

Illston found Anderson in contempt of court on the first day of trial testimony when his lawyer informed her that he would not take the stand to answer questions about Bonds' steroid use.

It was the third time Anderson chose jail time over testimony. He was sent to prison for several weeks twice before when he refused to appear before a federal grand jury investigating Bonds.

The absence of the trainer's testimony hampered the government's case against Bonds, who is charged with lying under oath when he testified about his steroids use in 2003 before the grand jury that was investigating an alleged sports doping scandal involving Anderson of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative.

Bonds, 46, allegedly lied about knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs and about being injected by anyone but his doctors.

The jury of eight women and four men are deciding Bonds' fate in a San Francisco federal courthouse less than two miles from the ballpark where Bonds broke Hank Aaron's major league home run record in August 2007.

The three perjury counts and one count of obstruction of justice could each carry a 10-year prison sentence upon conviction. A fourth perjury charge was dropped by prosecutors Wednesday.

A prosecutor argued Thursday that Bonds lied because he knew the truth about his steroids use would "tinge his accomplishments" and hurt his career.

"His secret was so powerful that he couldn't admit it, wouldn't admit it," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Nedrow said in his closing arguments.

Bonds' defense lawyer, during his closing arguments Thursday, asked jurors to acquit him because of a technical oversight by prosecutors -- an argument the government quickly rebutted.

The judge's instructions to the jury say Bonds can found be found guilty only if his lies could have affected the grand jury's decisions and that Bonds knew it, defense lawyer Allen Ruby said.

But none of the 25 prosecution witnesses presented evidence about what decisions the grand jury made or what they might have made, Ruby said. "Who told us about the grand jury at all?"

The Internal Revenue Service agent who started the federal investigation into the distribution of performance-enhancing drugs testified that Bonds' false testimony affected his work, but Agent Jeff Novitzky was not part of the grand jury, Ruby said.

"I know that this is a little technical," Ruby said. "I don't apologize for that. Every word of the law matters."

The judge also instructed jurors to rely only what they heard from witnesses in the trial and not use their prior knowledge of the grand jury process, he said. "The government is trusting you to do what you are forbidden to do, and fill in the gaps," Ruby said.

Prosecutor Matthew Parrella, in his rebuttal, said Novitzky's investigation and the grand jury probe were "one and the same."

The jury can also read the indictments the grand jury issued in 2004 and the grand jury transcript in which "the issues are fleshed out," Parrella said.

Ruby told jurors that Bonds acknowledged to the grand jury that he used the substances known as "the clear and the cream," but at the time of his testimony, even investigators didn't know what was in them.

Bonds told the grand jury he thought Anderson was giving him flaxseed oil, Ruby said.

Nedrow, in his closing, said it was "implausible" that Bonds would take drugs "and really not know what they were."

A urine sample given by Bonds in the summer of 2003, just months before his grand jury testimony, tested positive for anabolic steroids, he said. The defense argued there was another sample taken weeks earlier that tested negative for the drugs.

Defense lawyer Cristina Arguedas, in her part of closing arguments, accused prosecutors of ignoring crimes by witnesses in exchange for their testimony against Bonds. "They will forgive it if that person will say something bad about Barry Bonds," Arguedas said.

Bonds' former girlfriend, Kimberly Bell, testified for the prosecution that she witnessed physical and emotional changes in Bonds that the government argued were indications of steroids use.

Bell testified during the trial that she had committed perjury when she told the same grand jury in 2003 that she had not noticed Bonds' shrunken testicles.

Bell also admitted she had committed mortgage fraud by lying on a home loan application, Arguedas said.

During court testimony last month, Bonds' childhood friend Steve Hoskins, who worked for a decade as his assistant, said he tried to persuade Bonds to stop using anabolic steroids in 2000 and 2003.

Bonds' defense lawyer argued that Hoskins' cooperation with the government was motivated by bitterness over Bonds firing him and by a desire for protection from prosecution for allegedly stealing money from Bonds.

Prosecutors played an audio recording that Hoskins secretly made in the San Francisco Giants locker room of a conversation with Anderson about the hazards of steroid usage.

Bonds' defense attorney suggested that Hoskins made the recording only after Bonds dismissed him in March 2003. Hoskins acknowledged that he leaked the details of the recording to investigative reporter Lance Williams, who included it in his book about the scandal, "Game of Shadows."

While he never witnessed Bonds being injected with anabolic steroids, Hoskins said he saw Bonds and Anderson emerge from a bedroom with a syringe during spring training in 2000.

Bonds complained to him that year that steroid injections "were making his butt sore," Hoskins said.

In his 21-year major league career, Bonds also set the record for most home runs in a single season in 2001, when he hit 73. He did not officially retire after he was indicted, but he never played another game.

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