Syrian President Bashar al-Assad publicly addressed the growing protests against his government for the first time today. The vague speech follows nearly two weeks of protests in which scores have been killed. We’ll discuss the speech and what’s next in Syria. Also, we continue our weeklong series about nuclear energy with a look at Brazil, a regional powerhouse with expanding energy needs. Paulo Sotero, director of the Brazil Institute at the Wilson Center, tells us why, when it comes to nuclear power, the country doesn’t always play by the West’s rules.  And on Global Notes, Jerome and Radio M host Tony Sarabia discuss the growing roster of international groups at South by Southwest with blogger Catalina Maria Johnson.