The situation in Ukraine continues to generate headlines as international relations are strained. It appears that Putin is moderating his stance and he claims to be withdrawing troops from the Russian - Ukrainian border. Miners and steelworks have chased out the pro-Russian insurgents who occupied government buildings in East Ukraine.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday sought to dispel concerns stirred by a famous Japanese comic which linked radiation exposure from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex to nosebleeds, saying there is not a single case of someone's health known to have been damaged through exposure. mainichi.jp

            Last week, the United States Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee convened a panel of specialists to answer questions about the safety and security of decommissioned nuclear reactors.  Barbara Boxer, the Democratic chairwoman of the committee asked the specialists whether the spent fuel stored on-site at decommissioned reactors was being properly secured.

A new study reveals deaths and mutations ”increased sharply” from exposure to Fukushima contamination, “especially at low doses.” enenews.com

            I have blogged a lot about the decline of the U.S. nuclear industry.  The Fukushima disaster, rising costs, aging reactors, cheap natural gas and other factors have been eroding support and investment for new reactors. Recently a report, Renaissance in Reverse: Competition Pushes Aging U.S. Nuclear Reactors to the Brink of Economic Abandonment, came out and offered some details about the future of the nuclear industry in the United States.