CNN's Tom Foreman describes Japan's battle plan to keep water in damaged nuclear reactors and lower radiation levels.

Anderson Cooper in Tokyo tells Eliot and Will that the Japanese people he has spoken with don't believe what government officials are saying about the progress–or lack of it–at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Nuclear crisis: Japanese lawmaker Taro Kono says his government is famous for releasing information, but does not lie.

CNN's Nic Robertson says Gadhafi's deputy foreign minister "strangely" welcomed U.N. approval of a no-fly zone in Libya.

Gloria Borger, CNN Senior Political Analyst, joined Eliot and Will In the Arena again on Thursday (3-17-11.) She writes:

Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who has been a critic of the administration’s handling of the situation in Libya, told me tonight that he’s guardedly optimistic about a UN Security council resolution on Libya.

He congratulated the President Obama on taking a leadership role in the endeavor, which he told us could include not only a no-fly zone, but also “safe zones” presumably in which Gadhafi could not attack his own people.

Assistance could also include some way to arm the rebels, whether it directly or through funding.

Lieberman, who has consistently called for a no-fly zone, said it is not too late to begin one now—and that “safe zones” could be initiated within a matter of days.

Watch the interview In The Arena at 8pm ET.

UPDATE 6:40 pm ET: The U.N. Security Council approves measures including no-fly zone to try to halt Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's advances.  FULL POST

Joyous Libyan rebels in Benghazi erupted with fireworks and gunfire after the U.N. Security Council voted Thursday evening to impose a no-fly zone and "all necessary measures" to protect civilians.

The opposition, with devoted but largely untrained and underequipped units, has suffered military setbacks this week. It has said such international action was necessary for it to have any chance of thwarting Moammar Gadhafi's imminent assault on the rebel stronghold.

In this interview, Maj. General (Ret.) James A. "Spider" Marks, former Commanding General, U.S. Army Intelligence Center, says the value of a no-fly zone is limited. He says that a "no-drive" zone would also be effective.

He says that the military is ready to take on the Gadhafi regime and probably has 19 or so plans ready.

The Number of the Day is 23.

That’s the number, according to various news reports,  of nuclear reactors in the United States that have the same design—the so-called Mark 1-as the facilities in Fukushima, Japan, that are at the center at this week’s global crisis.

Earthquake-Tsunami-Meltdown: sounds like a horror movie and it may just end up being one for those living within the 50 – 100 mile radius of the nuclear plants, and potentially more if what has so far been only a partial meltdown continues.

Efforts to drown the facilities with water - using everything from helicopters to old-fashioned fire hoses, continue with uncertain results.

Whether or not the U.S. reactors of the same design are susceptible to disasters–natural or manmade—is causing a lot of angst in the communities serviced by these reactors.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is under increasing pressure to provide answers to tough questions–and to inspect these plants.

What all of this means for a nuclear industry that had recently been resurgent remains unclear.

The White House continues to support the nuclear industry–at least as a stop-gap for the next 20 to 30 years until renewable energy sources can pick up more slack.

But the politics of this are dicey, indeed.

I bet rentals for “The China Syndrome” are up this week. FULL POST

Here's what I'm thinking about today (Thursday, 3-17-11):

So now the proposal is for another three-week extension to fund the government that carries $6B in cuts. This follows a two-week extension that carried $4B in cuts. Has anybody added this up? If we keep passing two-week extensions that average $5B in cuts, we’d be at $65B in cuts by October. Death by a thousand cuts!

Last night, at the very end of the show, crammed into about 30 seconds, I said that if history is our judge – the nuclear industry is dead. I sure hope not, but take a look at this graph. Not one nuclear plant has broke ground since 1979. How do you think this fiasco is going to impact the industry?

Suge Knight got in a fight. Again. This time, apparently, a guy half his size said “I can take you.” Whereupon Suge threw mean-looking haymaker after mean-looking haymaker…and landed none.

Must suck to be Suge. One day you’re known as the toughest guy in LA who hangs Vanilla Ice off buildings and is implicated in homicides. Then some little guy knocks you the hell out and now every little guy in the world wants a chance to show what a chump you are.

Let’s be clear about something. Today is not the second round of the NCAA tournament, it is the first. And @$% you for trying to make me think different – NCAA. FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Answering today's OFF-SET questions is Brent Scott,
 an English teacher at Fukushima University. 

A friend emailed our show to say Scott is currently living in his car.

Where were you doing the earthquake and what was it like for you?

I was in my second floor apartment when the quake struck. I have experienced quite 
a few quakes having lived in both Taiwan and the San Francisco Bay area. I was 
living in Rockridge, Oakland during the 89' quake. 

This quake was MUCH larger, comparatively speaking.

Much stronger AND longer. Much of the contents of my apartment ended up 
on the floor. I was in a doorway just try not to fall down. I was preparing
for the building to collapse, but fortunately it didn't.  FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Answering today’s ix OFF-SET questions is James Steward, Headmaster of the Tohoko International School in Sendai. The school is located on the northern section of Japan’s main island of Honshu, and has 100 students in grades K – 12.

What happened at your school when the earthquake struck?

Everybody reacted extremely well under the circumstances. They took cover immediately—they are instructed to take cover under tables, desks and in doorways—anything that’s solid.  And as soon as there was a chance to evacuate the building—which was approx two minutes after the quake had started—students and staff evacuated superbly.

 We had a lot things fall off shelves, but most of the damage was falling glass in the building. Of course, falling glass is quite dangerous, especially from three stories. Amazingly, there were no injuries.

All phone service was cut off. There was no communication available. We have a bus at the school and we tried to get the bus into the city to drop off kids whose parents were able to meet them, but the remainder of the children–about 15–we divided between two homes and we had a sleepover with some teachers and kids who could not find their parents that night.

 I am 100 percent sure that all students are accounted for and safe. FULL POST