Well, I don't know who created this trouble, but when updating the podcasts in iTunes it prompts me for userid and password for Italianpod101 for which I have no acct.
The JapanesePod101 download still works fine in iTunes. As a last resort I installed Juice 2.2 and the FrenchPod101 podcasts downloaded just fine.
Seems to be a rotten Apple in the barrel!