NPR News

As officials in Japan express optimism about containing the nuclear accident there, U.S. officials are advising Americans there is no need to take potassium iodide tablets.

Nevertheless, the State Department has authorized the distribution of potassium iodide to U.S. government personnel in Japan, "out of an abundance of caution." But it's a precautionary step, and State tells personnel there, they should only take the protective iodine if instructed to do so by the U.S. government.

This past weekend, a suburban Philadelphia convention center was crawling with kids wearing dragon wings, pigtails and outrageous neon-colored schoolgirl outfits. Girls in Victorian dresses. Boys in Victorian dresses.

All of them had come to the annual Zenkaikon anime convention because they're among the countless people around the world who feel an intense, visceral connection to Japan through its popular culture — in the U.S. alone, fans spent an estimated $200 million last year just on anime.

Last week's crackdown on protesters in Bahrain has left many in the capital, Manama, angry with the United States.

They say they believe the White House tacitly approved the attacks on demonstrators and put its strategic interests over democratic principles.

On Friday at the Sadiq Mosque in Manama, the preacher recounted the week's extraordinary events. Sheik Issa Qassim criticized Bahrain's royal family for sending in soldiers and police to crush an anti-government rebellion — an assault that left at least seven dead and hundreds wounded.

If you've ever wondered whether Robin — Batman's sidekick, that is — was the victim of child endangerment (maybe) or thought that some superheroes (especially mutants) might be discriminated, there's a blog for you.

And even if superheroes aren't your thing, it still could be both fun and educational.

Where are health insurers looking to make money tomorrow? In some places that have little to do with their current business of covering health care for the masses.