Japan nuclear crisis in a tangle of ominous and hopeful signs

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 | 10:01 p.m. CDT; updated 9:26 p.m. CDT, Thursday, March 17, 2011

FUKUSHIMA, Japan — Nuclear plant operators trying to avoid complete reactor meltdowns said Thursday that they were close to finishing a new power line that could 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 might be on the verge of spewing more radioactive material.

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