it is japan now. i do not know the answer to specifics, but we have watched new party come into power in tokyo and we have watched it have to formulate policy on north korea, which it did in the campaign and election of 2009. they have, in fact, developed a position on inductees, etc. there was purdum with clarity -- pretty much clarity on that issue. and secondly, there was the end of a relationship with south korea. again, the dpj came in with a diplomatic approach to both china and south korea. i think they have been very high successful in reorienting on south korea. the relationship is very close. the relationship with taiwan is not so close. they have had a difficult year. but in 2010, learning how to make pragmatic choices in a moment, you have had two instances that will change throughout the year. these types of questions will matter significantly this next year. south korea will have an election, we will have an election and japan may very well have an election next year. a lot of is that yo

the unthinkable did happen in japan.n earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear accident could occur, truly. we know the plant exist. they discovered the falls less than three miles away, forcing a major resign and pushing the project billions of dollars over budget. 2008 they basically discovered another site. it lies offshore about an hour from the plant. diablo was considered one of the two largest power plants for a high risk area. can this plant, -- can this plant be sustained for a long time? many of us on the coast of central california remain concerned that the nrc has not taken action to address these questions or address these warnings. so much so that the california commission is said and they have directed that peer-reviewed reactor place should be studied. i agree with that. we need to take some time to get all the answers. it's important to note that i'm not talking about diablo. i'm asking that you can be haunted until updated siz mick 303 studies be completed in light of the process and that they be done by a t

the unthinkable did happen in japan. an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear accident could occur, truly. we know the plant exist. they discovered the falls less than three miles away, forcing a major resign and pushing the project billions of dollars over budget. 2008 they basically discovered another site. it lies offshore about an hour from the plant. diablo was considered one of the two largest power plants for a high risk area. can this plant, -- can this plant be sustained for a long time? many of us on the coast of central california remain concerned that the nrc has not taken action to address these questions or address these warnings. so much so that the california commission is said and they have directed that peer-reviewed reactor place should be studied. i agree with that. we need to take some time to get all the answers. it's important to note that i'm not talking about diablo. i'm asking that you can be haunted until updated siz mick 303 studies be completed in light of the process and that they be done by a

we're taking a look at conditions across japan. we will be talking about a lot of sunshine this morning. really sunny skies that will continue to spread across the country. even from hokkaido and then down into the kyushu area. to spread over the course of today and into the afternoon. a little more clouds start gathering, especially in the north. then for hokkaido and parts of the tohoku area, a front will swing through and bring a couple of showers, maybe even flurries for those upper elevations. otherwise, a really dry picture. elsewhere. and it should stay nice into the weekend. current temperatures across northern japan, not too bad. 8.8 in sendai. 6.5 in morioka. up to 5.5 in yamagata. much more milder temperatures this morning compared to the past couple of days. already 10 degrees in onahama and it's just going to get warmer for the most part as we head into the afternoon hours. highs are expected to reach 11 in morioka, 13 in sendai, even 17 in fukushima. really a nice spring-like day. great way to start off april. now win

a 7.4 earthquake has just hit japan.ll bring you the latest developments. >>> how many cups of coffee have you had this morning? what a new study says why some people have bigger caffeine cravings than others. >> plus, the roads you need to watch out for if you plan to travel to the sierras. >>> the dow is down 59. nasdaq down 15. s&p down six. there has been good knew, the latest unemployment report is better than expected as the number of people filing for first time unemployment benefits dropped to 382,000,. that's 10,000 fewer than the week before and claims fell by 9,000, which the drop is to -- which dropped it to 3.72 million, the lowest level since october of 2008 and march retail sales are better than analyst forecasts. a wide range of stores including costco and parent company of victoria secret reported double digit growth. most predicted it would be down because of rising gas prices. even stores like target, that reported a decline in sales said it's not as bad as expected. it's the 18th consecutive month tha

well i think that would get they will clearly become a lot more dynamic in japan by and large japan has been very accepting of nuclear power despite actually not a very good track record of managing safety events i think that that will now change japan has lots of options for meeting its energy needs funnily enough it relied on when pickup when its nuclear reactors shut down during the earthquake its window raters carried on so i think we'll see in japan a lot more when i think we'll see a lot more gas and fortune in the price of gas is falling globally so i think we'll see gas play a bigger role and i think we'll see the sun also begin to play a bigger are already quite a big debate going on in japan about how they really reduce their dependence on nuclear power as much as possible so not just those implications into kapan could you say the same thought the rest of the world many countries nervous now of nuclear energy could you see alternative source is now really being developed. well i think what will really give a lot of governments pause to thought is when the economic consequence

you know this is the second big tragedy for japan japan was the first victim of the nuclear bombs and forty five hundred thousand of people died and now they are the victims of the tragedy of four. and i think the main lesson we have to learn is that we have to get rid of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy because you never can get them under control and when they're free they're destroying not only their environment there are three hundred thousand of people so the mate for me the main point is what are the lessons the international community the scientific community and the human beings has to learn and i think to learn is that we really have to get rid of nuclear energy but bearing in mind chernobyl happened twenty five years ago and now we've got this disaster occurring in japan a nuclear industry seems to be here to stay more and more countries are depending on nuclear energy so what would you say about that. you can energy is the most expensive energy in the when you put all the costs together the cost of developing the energy the cost of the base transport and the base of the e

is trying to learn from japan. >> it's unlikely. that's exactly what they said about japan. to the work. so we have to move beyond talk and get to the serious question of what do we do to do everything in our power to make it safe. >> reporter: the head of the nuclear regulatory commission says u.s. plants have three or four levels of protection. but some lawmakers say that might not be enough. >> the unthinkable did happen in japan. all occurring in sequence. >> reporter: the united nations world health organization said today that its public health assessment of the disaster in japan has not changed. despite japan declaring their crisis a level seven. the agency said at the moment there is very little public health risk outside the evacuation zone. >>> the environment group green peace said the government's reaction to the nuclear crisis has be willfully inadequate. >> looks like they are putting the agenda for nuclear energy ahead of the people. >> green peace representatives said they called for a seven level rating three weeks ago. the group conducted their own test of

did do the people who already got tickets for the championships in japan so you can. also know i mean somebody could walk ticket to japan will they have any preferences to come to moscow and think i already got their ticket calculate change it for russian to get some things from you know if it's own thing since i'm not sure because i'm not involved in taking things but i'm not sure because you know i probably they will have to get good to give their money back from japan and thereby you know i think it's going to be. if they have to get there and. give it here sure it's going to work you hard to realize that it's a short time but i know you're with a sponsor so we're well out of sponsors who will be in japan and working here with eyes you are going to be in moscow ok you know this and. you mentioned how tells moscow does have a lot of luxury as we have the ritz whatever but the problem is the problem has always been that they blame roscoe for not having enough affordable hotels i mean three star four thousand the places where you can where you can get real value for m

for the northeast coast of japan.informational is in as it comes in. >> darya: a quick look at other news president barack obama is confident they can avoid a shutdown even though they have not reached a budget deal. he met late last night and after the meeting last night he said of these talks continue and build on what they said that they can do it. >> mark: closing arguments for the barry bonds perjury trial. they rested the case yesterday without calling a single witness. one of the charges dropped three counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. >> darya: the man accused of kidnapping j.c. to guard for 18 years behind his home in antioch--jaycee dugard--is set to make a guilty plea this morning. philip is expected to plead guilty to the charges against him for jaycee dugard. his wife nancy is expected to go to trial she doesn't get a better plea deal. another big story is the weather with the coal storm. >> james: the good news as you have a break now. get to work. this morning system passed test.

skating legend the head of the upcoming championships in moscow the event was originally to be held in japan but russia stepped in to help one of the last month's earthquake. hello again i walk into a spot like the interview show i'll take and i'll go now and today my guest in the studio is entente see how to live that this here crowd was so close to house the world figure skating championships but after that devastating earthquake and tsunami that caused huge losses to the economy it became clear the country could afford the right russia to house the championship in moscow in just a month everything was ready and the contest is kicking off the mark so what did it take to get us prepared so quickly here's a live picture on top and see how the league's. moscow's used to hosting the sports events including the biggest world championships just six years ago alissa disastrous rebuttal ground for the world's best trigger speeders but this time the situation was different because the city only had a month to get ready for the championship the latest preparations are being done right now but genera

the reconstruction effort will cost the country dearly. >> there are estimates in japan that put the cost somewhere between 210,000,000,200 20 billion euros. -- 210 billion and 220 billion euros. the ambassador said a free-trade agreement would be useful in achieving that. >> the necessary agreements could be made at the european union japanese summit during may. that is what we are hoping for. >> the ambassador said he expected a protracted debate in japan about the future of nuclear power, but not until the process of recovery was well underway. >> onto monday's market action -- european investors sent the markets lower when news crossed of the earthquake in japan treat german stocks were dragged lower by the auto sector with bmw leading the decliners. >> shares in the building company horthy's lost nearly 10% m&a and not because the boss said he would quit his job, but because their australian subsidiary which, for many years have only reported very strong earnings suddenly said they are expecting a loss for the current year. apparently, a totally miscalculated a joint venture in

. >> organizers collected american red cross donations for the japan relief effort. historians say japan gave san francisco $250,000 back in 1906 toward the city's recovery. >>> president obama signed a disaster declaration for california today making federal aid available to the coastal cities hit by the japan tsunami last month.

global in japan? >> in japan, most of them are earthquake-related, where there is damage to buildings or within the properties. and second, behind that is some water damage because of the tsunami. >> tom: are you able to model any longer lasting damage from the radiation problems, from the damaged nuclear power plant? >> no. it is very hard to do that. and right now, as you know, it's the area that is cordoned off is at least 50 miles in diameter, and it is going to take us a while to look at it. the one thing i would say is given from what we know from what's going on, is that, you know, this is a country that is very well-prepared, and has done a lot of good things in derms of disaster preparedness, and so if there is any country that is going to recover well from this, it is probably japan. >> tom: but address, from the industry's perspective, from insurance, shivran, how the unknown impact of the continuation of the nuclear system may impact not only japan but worldwide. >> yes. and there are seve

the earthquake and tsunami occurred in japan sm the emergency response is occurring in japan with the help of the united states. the -- some people want americans to believe that the disaster occurred here, and that's not the case. as ranking member inhofe has pointed out, the current chairman of the nuclear regulatory commission is operating under his emergency powers since the disaster occurred. the reason these emergency powers are in effect and the implications that has for the future doesn't have implications for the united states -- does have implications to the united states nuclear safety response. this is one of the reasons i believe the hearing today is so important. somewhat to want to use this crisis in japan to wipe out nuclear power in the united states. there is an april 6 e.p.a. story entitled quotetivists step up. environmentalists are stepping up their efforts to push e.p.a. to strengthen its oversight of uranium mining and processing operations in the wake of the japanese nuclear disaster targeting the process metal because its extraction marks the first step in the

toward now for more on the continuing crisis of japan's fukushima reactor complex when i'm joined by christopher simons of the international christian university in tokyo so as her japanese officials now say that radiation risks are dissipating they're also expanding the twenty kilometer exclusion zone to thirty thousand as a possible contradiction being seen here. yes it is fair to say the reaction from the government and from tepco has been confused at times on the undershoot turn of what we can say that if chernobyl was the world's worst nuclear disaster then one fukushima certainly the most complex and today chief cabinet secretary did expand zone to tokyo kilometers that's not a required evacuation of people between twenty and fifty kilometers about one month to get out of town and i don't know what their reaction will be but there's certainly has been some confusion in terms of the response so you say to the exclusion zone has now been expanded to fifty kilometers and moment ago you brought in the issue of china mobile world famous disaster at almost almost exactly twenty five

the people in japan going to massive changes.nce showed support for the people of japan. kron4 was there. >> reporter: i think when something bad happens it brings out the worst and the best in people. fortunately, we are spirits in the best. you can just feel it. everyone is here, supporting the cause. >> it's our way of reaching into them, telling them we are here for them. >> or a cure to celebrate and support the community. we as a human race need to come out together and support these events. >> the festival is having fun, it shows are sold. >> i feel really connected with them. i feel we in the bay area should fear connected and how about as much as possible. >> it's a terrible tragedy, we all pull together, there are always in our thoughts. >> just unveiled this is the new volkswagen beetle the company introducing this edgy design that tool unveilings in new york and shanghai. you can see their father roofline, in their windows, the crease at the side. is the first overhaul of the but since 1938. the changes will appeal to

tom, thanks. >>> in japan today, still more unsettling news there. international atomic energy authorities warn that japan's evacuation zone around the nuclear plant may not be an area large enough, and that's something you'll recall experts in this country have been saying from the start. nbc's lee cowan reports again tonight for us from tokyo. >> reporter: just how far away is far enough? that's a question residents living near the stricken nuclear plant ask every day, and the answer seems to keep changing. new tests done by the international atomic energy agency show that high levels of radiation have been found in the soil some 25 miles away from the plant. that's far beyond the area currently under evacuation. >> the situation continue to be very serious. >> reporter: officials say the levels aren't high enough to cause acute radiation illness, they do exceed the standards designed to cut the risk of cancer. japan's government spokesman said today that they are taking the iaea's findings under advisement but have no immediate plans to widen the

taking explores alternatives for japan. >> japan's emphasis nuclear plant stop generating electricityn march 11th. soon people living nearby were warned that there had been a partial meltdown. that touched off a lot of questions about the safety and of nuclear technology in general. they get a quarter of their electricity from the power so what alternatives does japan have? there japan has been a major supporter of nuclear energy coal surprise the biggest attraction. 13 percent comes from while, a present from my chin and his 2% from grenoble's. that might be surprising considering japan has spearheaded much of the green technology. for example, this was the japanese that started solar technology. japan is the world's but alleges user of solar power. is this an opportunity for japan to boost development? what we do know is japan has a very aggressive policy. we do know it's winter wrens survived. they may wear well be that it will be less popular and more expensive. >> many countries depend on new jewish power to reform under 42 nuclear power plant in the world even solar leader in ge

the company known as iasko, it previously had a deal with japan airlines but japan airlines ended theirrations at the end of the airport last month because they were going through bankruptcy proceedings. >>> let's check in with sal. see how everything is going. you said there were some problems earlier. >> yes. westbound 92 we have an accident in san mateo county. overturned gravel truck almost blocking almost all of the lanes. then we have police activity near broadway and el camino real. apparently the end of a high- speed chase where a suspect getting away from police ran into a tree. we'll have it for you on the noon news and perhaps earlier. >>> the cloudy cool outside our door will bring today even a slight, slight chance for maybe a sprinkle. it's a low chance but it's going to be there. clouds for the morning hours. behind that front this afternoon, we will have breezy conditions and our temperatures will be slightly cooler than what we saw yesterday. 62 expected right around freemont for the an afternoon. 62, san jose upper 50s for the coast. we will be dry for tomorrow. anothe

japan. about the festival's connection to the recovering country. >> think when something bad happens, it brings out the worst in people and the best in people. fortunately, right now were experiencing the best of people. you can just feel like. it everybody is here and the supporting the cause. >> catcher teriyaki burger here and donate to earthquake and tsunami relief. >> it's our way of telling them that were here for them. >> we want to celebrate and support the japanese community. we have as as the human race need to come together. it's important. >> it's fun, it shows are sold. >> i feel really connected with them and i feel a special in the bay area we should feel connected and help them out as much as possible. our hearts go out to them it's a terrible tragedy but, we all pull together and there they are always in our thoughts. >>vicki: day the operator of the nuclear plant go blind recovery plan, he hopes it will stop radiation leaks and stabilize damaged reactor's. the plan would t

. >> and there are fresh fears of nuclear contamination in japan after reports of huge levels of radiation in ground water near the fukushima power plant. u.n. troops in the ivory coast have taken control of the airport as the fighting there escalates. the united nations and the u.s. have called on the leader to step down and hand over power to demand -- the man international recognized to have one the last election. they have reached the outskirts of the city. >> cowering behind closed doors, these men in a hotel room in abidjan are in the same situation as many in the city, fearful of being caught in the crossfire. witnesse saidbusinesses are closed and anyone who can has fled. shots have been heard ringing out over the city. for days, forces have been viewed -- losing ground. they have been called on to switch sides. >> to anyone who is still hesitating, whether generals, officers, under officers, or soldiers of other ranks -- whoever you may be, i caca on you to put yourself out the service of your country. >> on wednesday, the unit end security council -- the u.n. security council hit

needs at this here japan was supposed to house the world figure skating championships but after that devastating earthquake and tsunami that caused huge losses to the economy it became clear the country could afford the rent russia out of the house the championship in moscow in just a month everything was ready and the contest is kicking off tomorrow so what did it take to get us prepared so quickly here's a link to champion anton sikharulidze. moscow's used to hosting the sports events including the biggest stage in the world championships just six years ago alissa disaster in swer a battleground for the world's best trigger skaters but this time the situation was different because the city only had a month to get ready for the championship the latest preparations are being done right now but generally it seems moscow has successfully passed this trust asked. on a welcome to the show thank you thank you very much for coming well first of all you said i quote the moscow championship will be an unpredictable and particularly tense competition and what makes you think so how do you do

. >> reporter: some bottled water plants in japan are now running 24/7 and it's still not enough. port officials couldn't give us an exact number, but we do know water like this is filling more and more of those giant containers headed for japan. cargo ships leaving the port of oakland are now carrying more of a precious commodity people in japan can't live without. exporters are scrambling to ship out bottled water of various brands as quickly as possible in response to concerns about contaminated tap water after last month's earthquake and nuclear disasters. >> it's going to be demand for commodities of bottled water increased by 10-fold. it's impacted a large volume in a very short period of time. >> reporter: last year $3.4 billion in u.s. exports passed through the port of oakland on

skating legend i have the upcoming shop in ships in moscow all the event was originally to be held in japan by russia stepped in to help following last month's earthquake that's coming up next. hello again they're walking just felt like the interview show our take i'm now going out and three my guest in the studio is on can't see how to live that this here in japan was supposed to house the world figure skating championships but after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that cult huge losses to the economy it became clear the country couldn't afford the event russia offered to host the championships in moscow in just a month everything was ready and the contest is kicking off tomorrow so what did it take to get us prepared so quickly here's a link to champion untimed secret only to. moscow's used to hosting the sports events including the figure skating world championships just six years ago listed his asterisks were a battleground for the world's best figure skaters but this time the situation was different because the city only had a month to get ready for the championship the latest p

by dr wake up jacobson associate professor at the hiroshima peace institute for opinion on whether japan might be making the same a fateful mistakes that led to china. japan government today announced that it would help to pay compensation for losses in code by the fukushima disaster but in effect now taxpayers are going to have to foot the bill for damages caused by tepco the company that owns the property you know justice happening here. no absolutely not and this is this is the way that this is the situation with the nuclear industry is that nuclear power plants are on insurable and so everywhere around the world nuclear power plants are essentially insured by public money but by private money by taxpayers the same is true in the united states where there's a capital hundred million dollars on the liability part of our company operators of nuclear power plants far below the cost of any tragedy so this is the same sort of thing we've seen with a lot of other things like the wall street crisis in which profits. profits are taken by shareholders but when there's a risk the risk is borne

concord has a sister city in northern japan. organizers accepted donations. >> eric: japanese nuclear agency jez says radiation readings around the plant seem suspiciously high and they ordered a review. one reading called into question showed groundwater at ten thousand times higher than the government standard for radiation. it could eventually drinking water if it were to seep into wells in the area or go into under groundwater ways. no drinking water supplies are affected. meantime, officials at the plant have ordered giant pumps from the u.s. to arrive later this month to spray water on the reactors. >> kristen: pg&e is trying to restore power to people. 6700 customers were without electricity as they woke up. live picture on one of intersections there working on restoring power. it looks like from that apartment building, nothing there. and crews do tell us the lights are out. they don't know when they will be able to get them back on. we'll keep following that developing news for you. >> pg&e also oakland firefighters are

a sign the struggle may last for decades in japan. thank you for watching.

many come from damaged suppliers in japan. so toyota has now given its dealers this list of 233 parts they're not supposed to order unless they absolutely need them. this includes everything from struts to door panels. today, nissan announced parts shortages are forcing it to close five north american plants for several days. american car makers are also getting hit. ford is shutting down this plant in kentucky and g.m. idled this plant in louisiana. both use japanese parts. many u.s. automakers are also running out of some black and red cars. the pigment for the paint is made near japan's troubled nuclear reactor. limited supply means prices are going up. a prius costs $1,200 more than before the quake. >> if you're a consumer looking to buy a car, that's going to make either what you want totally unavailable or only available in a used model and the price of that, frankly, probably will be too much for what you want to pay, so you'll probably have to wait. >> reporter: some vehicles were already in the pipeline before the qu

fukushima japan and i would say. are the citizens of tokyo safe and for that matter what will the consequence of this enormous amount of radiation that not only is going into the atmosphere but in particular into the ocean which is it seems to be the basis of much of our food chain most of what it what is this consequence going to be. will tokyo is one hundred fifty miles from the site the danger zone is out to perhaps fifty miles so the people of tokyo at are at present relatively safe however take a look at the consequence of that accident the workers the workers at the site are like summer i worriers they know that many of them are not going to make it out alive because the radiation fields are lethal but the. managers the utility managers are incompetent i get this mental image of homer simpson operating a nuclear power plant totally overwhelmed by what is happening there we have contamination in the food the vegetable in the milk in the area around the reactor in the water is a million times higher than the lega

we decided for now that my husband is staying in japan.especially having to young children. he is so involved in being part of their life. we are scraping every day. it's not the same as been to get there and being able to read bedtime stories together. it's been tough on my five year-old son being separated suddenly from his friends, neighborhood and father. it's been really stressful for him. he is the really great. dealing with all the stress and uncertainty. i feel at peace with the decision, it was the right thing for us to do. i don't know where we will be for the six months from now as i feel we've made the right decision. the family said they're basing their decision on when to return to japan on the progress of the crippled nuclear plants every stabilization. low clouds and drizzle into the day for tonight around san francisco, light mist falling. here's the golden gate bridge, there is fog on the san loring visibility. it tells the jurors in the '50s and a few '60s inland. oakland 54, san francisco 52 currently. we have what weat

help rebuild that is why today 's event is being dedicated to survivors of japan. here, people have collected and donated millions that are going towards building emergency shelters and schools and day care centers in japan a lot of sentiment, connection between the two countries at this point because no body knows earthquakes better than san francisco and like wise in japan. later on today, we have events here at 5:40 a.m. they will go to the hydrant and paint it that saved all the homes in the mission district. back to you for now. >>> all right kit are you surprised so many people are there at god's hours this morning kit? that is impressive bunch of people. >> reporter: i was here three years ago this is a lot bigger than then i think there is a sense of urgency because they know a lot of earthquake survivors will not be with us for much longer. >> i thick a lot of people -- think a lot of people are feeling for the folks in japan as well. thank you very much. >> sadly a set back for giants fan brian stowe severely injured by rival dodger fans he has been put b

japan has raised the nuclear alert level of the quake hit fukushima plant to the maximum of seven its puts the this puts the disaster on par with the sure noble catastrophe that decision was based on new data showing that more radiation have leaked from the damaged plant than previously thought but officials say the upgrade does not mean the situation has become more critical the operator of the plant appears to be no closer to restoring the cooling systems at the reactors and other powerful aftershock across eastern japan forced the operator to evacuated staff this comes on month after a massive quake and tsunami hit the country leaving more than thirteen thousand people dead for more on this we're joined live by atomic expert christopher silence from the international christian university in tokyo good to have you joining us so high levels of radioactivity have been reported out the plan for several weeks now lies japan waited until now to raise the severity level to the maximum limit. yes said good evening well the international nuclear event scale is a very complex set of regulati

history and by the biggest tsunami in japan's history. so the authorities were always going to be incredibly stretched, even if there hadn't been a nuclear accident. the nuclear accident itself is incredibly complicated because you know, four reactors in a very serious way are involved in it there were three reactors that were operating where there still remains a significant chance of core melting, even more core melting than we've already seen. and spent fuel cores involved in that. so that combination of the cause of the accident plus the nature of four reactors involved into it has turned it into what i believe a quite complicated nuclear accident in history. >> brown: and what do you see happening? early on we were talking a lot about the lack of information coming out. is there more coordination now. is there more information or is it still a lot of confusion necessarily so about what is actually happening inside those plants? >> there is still significant confusion. part of that is because of the stress the authorities are under. p

but my mother say, tokyo and japan is so dangerous.u should go to america. >> mihadu acagi is one of eight japanese students and teachers. they're part of a 20-year-old exchange student. but help year, in addition to sharing their culture, they told stories of the destruction in japan. and the constant threat of a meltdown at a damaged nuclear power plant. >> i felt it's comforting. >> nature is a very powerful force, even to a very strong country. >> shortly after the earthquake and tsunami, the high school in japan called every one of the exchange students and asked them if they still wanted to attend. >> we, including the students have come here to tell the mcdonogh students and the american people, that japan is in a bad situation. >> reporter: so the mcdonogh students decided to help to raise money. as their new friends had backed to their homeland. >> they really good friends. and we're so happy. so we had a chance to meet with them and hang out with them. >> reporter: i'm gigi barnett, wjz eyewitness news. >>> and after weeks of

this weekend the restaurant is looking beyond the views to the people of japan. >> i was not in japan. i was here. so i could not do anything for japan. now i feel like i can help them. >> reporter: the executive chef, who is a native of japan,y showed us one of the special appetizers. >> customers who want to help out can order up this japanese men you including halibut and fill late mignot. >> reporter: this couple ordered from that menu. >> everything they have here is fantastic. so, it was a good excuse to get out here. >> reporter: all proceeds from the menu will help tsunami victims in japan and this will continue tomorrow night. >> reporter: across the bay a different kind of fundraiser. two art galleries on gary street are selling donated art to japan. >> we e-mailed and texted them and people are so nice that they are are sending all of their work and some of the artwork is worth a lot of money. >> reporter: next door they have a drink special for japan. [music] >> reporter: all of that followed another effort in peace plaza. an all day concert drove ravel and t-shirt sales.

in japan town nearby, their struggles for land use. two-thirds of the commercial property had been purchased by venture capital from los angeles. because of the economic downturn, the certainty of where japan town direction is going is really in doubt. when you have one of only three japan towns in the united states and oldest being in san francisco, city needs to regroup to its commitment in making sure that we preserve the culture identity and the uniqueness of japan town just as we would for chinatown or just as we would for any other part of the culture. the same theory returns back in approach to the african-american community and the fillmore, which was really the epicenter of the black community. sunset dealing with quality of life issues, upper haight, gateway from the west side to the east side of the city deals with a montage of issues, dealing from quality of life, dealing from its legacy of the 1960's, and dealing with and trying to reconcile the natural tension between people that like to hang out in haight street versus p

engineers in japan report the problem in japan could last indefinitely and get worse. among the threats reported by the "new york times," the possibility that containment building will rupture as they fill with radioactive cooling water, along with the possibility of new explosions. but engineers were able to stop the leak of radioactive water from the plant into the sea. celia hatton has that part of the story. >> reporter: finally some success at japan's crippled fukushima nuclear complex. since at least saturday, highly radioactive water has been pouring out of this eight inch crack, straight into the pacific ocean, but now, after several failures, a combination of liquid, glass and gravel seems to have stopped the leak, as this japanese media demonstration shows, the mixture acts like the sealant around your bathtub. the next challenge? workers need to store 60 million gallons of radioactive water that's been used to cool the complex's exposed overheating reactors. that's where megafloat comes in. it's an artificial island normally used for fishermen. at 450 long,

india also announced it's halting food imports from japan for three months over here of radiation. here in the bay area, a professor from uc berkeley is testing grass clippings from one neighborhood for radiation fallout from japan. already, professor professor vetter and his students have found trace amounts from an alameda home. he and his students gathered air and water samples from a rooftop in berkeley three weeks ago and found trace amounts of iodine in the air and grass. he says that amount is not harmful even though they can be measured. >> it depends on one hand, on what happens in japan. we have a delay three, four days. whatever happens over there, we will see here a few days later. we expect to see something here, in the atmosphere, in our environment as long as it's happening there. but as soon as it hops -- it stopses, then we should -- it stops, then we should see a decline. >> the professor is also testing mushrooms. >>> tourists from yosemite park could be in for a special treat. the huge snowpack is expected to melt and create spectacular waterfalls. it's the tall

to and from japan but radiation is.rom the fukushima plant have been found in the water and air of 20 american states. and now in the milk frfrom washington state. the particles get carried on the jet stream here to the u.s. where they land on grass that the cows then eat. >> from the time the cow produces the milk and the farmer collects the milk till it gets to your table is not very long. it's a matter of a few days. >> experts say the amounts are very, very small and that the iodine breaks down very quickly. the government is now testing more often and continues to say the radiation poses no threat to american's health. >>> the fda has also issued an alert for food imported from japan, including one of the most popular items, fish. this los angeles wholesaler says his fish comes only from southern japan, which is not affected by the e oubled nuclear plant. he says the fish is tested first in japan and again when it arrives here. he also says he trusts the fish is safe. >>> in other news, the ceo of general electric

we have had some issues with the paint supply, some of the chemicals come from japan. and we first heard about it we were all over it, working with alternative supplies for that component of our pace to get things fixed and into the production system as quickly as possible. >> susie: considering that other auto makers are not in the same position as you are, are you picking up new business because of the problems in japan? >> we really can't, because we already were and already have been basically selling at our capacity. so for us there's going to be no increment al benefit from this. >> susie: let's talk about the insurance program, it was pop with consumers because they could return their hyundai if they lost their job. you ended it. why is that? >> in today's economic climate job loss isn't the primary issue any more. what we've done is replaced it now, which we've announced today at the new york auto show with something we call the hyundai assurance trade-in guarantee. when you come and buy a hyundai, we'll tell you what your car is going to be worth in year two,

>> we turn our attention to the disaster in japan.he interior of a damage reactor at the fukushima plant. smoke is still rising up there. water is being poured on to it constantly to keep reactor cool but that just sends radioactive material into the ground water in northern japan. the world's largest concrete pump is being sent from georgia to japan to pour concrete on the reactors to seal them up. >>> we're celebrating japan here in washington this week with the national cherry blossom festival. >> it is a reminder of our friendship with japan and a chance for people in our area to help out. >> karen caper has more on what's being done on it. >> reporter: springtime blushes in washington. the city's famous cherry blossoms inspiring shades of pink from blooms to beverages to bakeries. the iconic trees were a gift from japan in 1912, a country now dealing with the aftermath of a massive earthquake and tsunami. >> nearly 100 years later, this gift of friendship and peace endures. >> when the quake struck on march 11th, festival organiz

and from japan but radiation is.his after low-levels of radioactive iodine were found in milk from washington state. abby boudreau reports. >> reporter: this is the national air and radiation environmental laboratory in montgomery, alabama. this lab is the front line of defense where the government's been working around the clock to track radiation levels in milk produced all over the united states. that fresh milk could end up on your table within a few days. the levels of radioactive iodine detected in milk in washington and california so far are miniscule. the government says, 5,000 times lower than what the fda considers a public health concern. iodine breaks down quickly. even if a quart of milk in your refrigerator contained trace amounts, it would deplete by half in just eight days. as the nuclear crisis in japan continues, the epa has also increased radiation monitoring in drinking water, rain and snow. but it's the milk that has people in california concerned despite assurances of its safety. >> radiation in

japan and san francisco have a special connection when it comes to earthquakes japan was the most generouscompany donating $260,000 in 1906 to help rebuild san francisco. mayor ed lee talks about the special bond the two countries have. >> thank you to all the people who have come out every single year, 105th anniversary, i met bill, his is 105 all his family, great grand kids out here as well. >> and so back here live at the fountain, typically in any given year you can only see people standing right in that section of concrete right above the curb there, behind the truck there, but this year, people were spilling out into the streets because i think people really felt a connection with this earthquake and japan and the resulting tsunami so you see a lot more people coming out mayor lee did say san francisco has raised $1.7 million to go to build schools and a relief center in japan. definitely a bigger turn out this year than most, people really feeling connected with japan. >> turn out was impressive. kit thank you. >>> it is 6:32 a.m. this morning many people in the south are being tur

its poor early measures are being taken in ukraine prevent future destruction so are officials in japan taking notes plus the process of getting a passport just got even more tedious now the state department requires. to include your residence and employment history could this be a hidden agenda pushed by homeland security and while the banks were getting their bailout from the government they were busy robin the american people out of millions billions of dollars citibank bank of america j.p. morgan chase got away with his sneaky heist and tonight still egypt. the state department wants to make it harder for you to leave the country new questionnaire would require some passport applicants to provide their full history of every place they've ever lived every job they have ever had since they were born in order to qualify for a passport and if you get anything wrong on you can be prosecuted for making a false statement a questionnaire will also require information on the applicant mother's natal care and where she lived for one year prior to giving birth i suppose republicans are calling