Here and Now

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency are praising Japan for making progress to stabilize the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, which was crippled by an earthquake and tsunami nearly three years ago.

This week, the IAEA inspectors wrapped up a 10-day inspection of the plant, where the decommissioning process started a few weeks ago.

Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson gets the latest from BBC Tokyo correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes.

Congressional budget committee leaders are working to pull together a budget deal by the end of next week. Republic Congressman Paul Ryan and Democratic Senator Patty Murray are reportedly discussing how to increase revenue without raising taxes.

A main provision of the agreement would be a partial easing of the next two spending sequesters. It was only in October that a deadlock over federal spending led to the first government shutdown in 17 years.

On Monday, NBC’s a cappella competition “The Sing-Off” returns for a fourth season on Monday, Dec. 9.

Ten teams (list below) will compete for a recording contract and a $100,000 prize.

Update 3:20 p.m.: Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has signed the pension reform bill.

Now that lawmakers have passed an overhaul of Illinois’s government worker pension systems, the fight is expected to move to the courts.

Provisions of the overhaul include raising the retirement age for many state workers and cutting some benefits. The overhaul is estimated to save the state $160 billion over 30 years.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is expected to sign the bill by the end of the week.