Articles written by Eric Talmadge Mari Yamaguchi Associated Press

ERIC TALMADGE MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press

FUKUSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Nuclear plant operators trying to avoid complete reactor meltdowns said Thursday that they were close to completing a new power line that might end Japan's crisis, but several ominous signs have also emerged: a surge in radiation levels, unexplained white smoke and spent fuel rods that U.S. officials said could be on the verge of spewing radioactive material. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko said in Washington on Wednesday that all the water was gone from the spent fuel p...