making news on this monday, may 24th. >> full-court press, the obama administration is putting the pressure on bp to cap the gulf oil leak or get out of the way. >> new tensions overnight the white house wades into the growing hostility between north and south korea over the sinking of a navy ship. and the fergie fiasco. the former royal caught on camera selling access to her ex for hundreds of thousands of dollars. good morning. thanks for joining us on this monday. i'm jeremy hubbard. >> i'm stephanie sy in for vinita nair. there is a showdown brewing over the continued botched attempts to cap the gulf oil leak. >> today the white house is stepping up pressure on bp to do

something to stop the massive spill. now in its 35th day. these are live pictures of the spill provided by bp. a high-level administration delegation is expected in the region today to demand some answers. >> t.j. winick is live in grand isle, louisiana, with the latest. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, jeremy and stephanie. i want to show you some of the oil that washed up on the beach here over the weekend. you can see in my hand i'm holding some sand and it is very clearly covered in black sheen. right now it's estimated the spill is impacting about 150 miles of gulf coastline from doff fin island, alabama, to here on grand isle. after a boat tour along louisiana's coast governor bobby jindal says the state will not wait for federal approval to build sand barriers. >> this shows you why it's so important to keep the oil out of our wetlands. important for louisiana. important for the gulf. it's important for the entire country. >> reporter: oil is pushed into louisiana's marshes affecting

critical breeding grounds. some fishermen believe it may be beyond saving already. >> it's over an inch thick, maybe more. it's like peanut butter or fudge. the marsh is already destroyed. it's here. you know, and look at here. it's already here. this is going to die. in a couple days the grass is gone. >> reporter: secretary of the interior ken salazar and homeland security secretary janet napolitano will lead a delegation to the region to fly over the affected areas and take a look at bp's response. >> if we find they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing we'll push them out of the way. >> reporter: there is already another setback. the straw they inserted into the leaking pipe is only siphoning half as much as it was a few days ago. >> do i have confidence they know what they're doing, no, not completely and that is why we are here providing input and providing oversight to make sure that this problem does not

worsen. >> reporter: in an effort to stop the gusher, bp is preparing for a risky top kill maneuver later this week which entails shooting mud and cement into the blown well but right now the company says they are preparing a number of backup plans. jeremy and stephanie? >> and, t.j., i know governor jindal says 60, 65 miles of shoreline has been touched by the oil. where you are, the sludge you have in your hands is that as far as the eye can see? >> reporter: it is right now, jeremy. it's washed down the shore. there are pelicans here on the louisiana coast that are very susceptible to this oil, i should add. yesterday they were unable to fly. they were hobbled. they're normally white and brown feathers were covered in this oil and they're susceptible to the oil because they could eat this con tan named fish and feed it to their young and also they can die of hypothermia or drowning if they're covered in too much oil. right now wildlife experts say they might just leave those breeding grounds alone because

yesterday when they tried to approach and interscreen the birds became very agitated. >> very sad. all right, t.j., thank you. louisiana governor bobby jindal says his state is working on a chain of sand berms that would skirt the coastline. many residents along the coastline say they are fed up with the efforts of the cleanup. this family made signs critical of bp to put along the highway. >> i don't feel they're doing enough. you know, i think this is important and i think they should be doing everything they can and i don't feel they are. >> adding to the anger word that bp's next attempt to stop the flow won't be made until tomorrow or wednesday. and our coverage from the gulf coast continues on "good morning america" with sam champion and diane sawyer reporting live and diane will have more in-depth reporting tonight on "world news." the white house says south korea can count on full support from the u.s. in demanding an apology for its worst military disaster since the korean war.

the south wants north korea to be accountable for a torpedo attack on a naval ship that killed 46 sailors. the u.s. is also warning the north to stop its "belligerent and threatening behavior against the south." kicking off two days of economic talks hillary clinton urged china to step up the pressure on north korea that as air main ally they have stayed neutral on the attack. they are joining the search for answers after a deadly air india crash in mangalore. they'll be able to get vital clues now that the black boxes have been recovered from the wreckage. the boeing 737 overshot the runway saturday and plunged over a cliff killing 158 people. only eight survived. many of them by jumping from the wreckage just before it burst into flames. back here at home a murdered university of virginia student has been awarded her college degree. yeardley love's cousin accepted the diploma during ceremonies in

charlottesville over the weekend. her body was discovered earlier this month in her apartment. her ex-boyfriend george huguely has been charged in connection. former "survivor" producer bruce beresford-redman who is wanted in mexico for questioning about the death of his wife is back in the u.s. his attorney insists he had no obligation to stay in mexico. the body of beresford-redman's wife was found stuffed in a sewer near a cancun resort where they were vacationing. a plant to build a mosque near ground zero can creating quite an uproar. muslim-americans say the goal is to fight islamic radicalism but critics say they're trouncing on hallowed ground. more from abc's linsey davis. >> reporter: almost a decade after 9/11 they're still arguing about what will be built at ground zero. but two blocks air way, plans are well under way for another building. a mosque. and that has many people outraged. jim riches lost his son in the attack.

>> they can have that mosque, but have it somewhere else. i don't want it overlooking the site where my son was murdered that day by 19 muslim terrorists. >> reporter: a muslim-american group plans to build a 15-story building here, replacing a store that was damaged on 9/11 when part of a plane's landing gear smashed through the roof. the site has been quietly used for friday prayers for months. their hope is to break ground here a year from now, on the 10th anniversary of september 11th, but organizers say it's much more than a place of worship. in fact, they're not even calling it a mosque, but a culture all center. >> we want to each out to those who don't understand us. >> reporter: daisy kahn, who heads the protect, says the building will be open to all faiths and points out the fact that muslims also died on 9/11. >> there would be no better place, because the tragedy of 9/11 affected us all. >> reporter: but there are many critics who don't see it that way. one columnist compared it to building a japanese cultural

center at pearl harbor. >> it's not an olive branch. it is a flag. it's a flag of conquest at ground zero. >> reporter: for now a project intended to bring the community together is instead pulling americans apart. linsey davis, abc news, new york. and it's time now for a look at this morning's weather from around the nation. thunderstorms from the texas panhandle up to the canadian border. tornadoes, large hail and 80-mile-an-hour winds in nebraska and the dakotass today. nearly 2 feet of mountain snow for parts of utah, wyoming and montana. showers from seattle to portland and gusty winds and rain in the carolinas. high near 90 from miami to dallas and all the way up to the twin cities. 70s in boston and new york and 85 in atlanta. much cooler out west. just 50 in billings, 60 in boise and 62 in seattle. and "moneyscope" is next. mortgage rates could be headed to a new low for the year. new surcharges mean air travel will cost you more this summer but there is a way to avoid paying the added costs. plus this --

>> reporter: from london, the duchess of york in disgrace again on the front pages.

new numbers out this morning are expected to show a big home sales boost in april. sales of homes were up by more than 5% compared to the month before. it shows millions of buyers took advantage of an $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit before it expired. there is still uncertainty.

last week mortgage applications fell to the lowest level in 13 years. a surprise dip in mortgage rates could get buyers back into the market. this morning's "wall street journal" reports that mortgage rates could go as low as 4.5% by this summer. that would be the year's lowest level and close to a 50-year low due to international investors putting their money in the u.s. instead of europe. it's a mixed bag for the asian stock markets today. tokyo's nikkei average hit a five-month low. but hong kong's hang seng is up more than 100 points. in london the ftse opened on an up note. the dow opens at 10,139 after dropping 427 points last week. the nasdaq lost 117 points last week. the federal government is preparing to ban those cribs that have drop down sides. the chairperson at the consumer product safety commission is pledging to ban the manufacturer and sale of those this year. they're blamed for the deaths of at least 32 infants and toddlers

since 2000. many big retailers stopped selling them but widely available still online. flying this summer, probably paying extra. airlines have added extra fees for what they call peak travel days. they run from $10 to $30 for each domestic flight. most from june 10th to august 22nd from the surcharges however there are none on the fourth of july when relatively few people fly. before the shrek movie was at the box office, "shrek forever after" was the number one movie. in this the big green guy has a mid-life crisis. it took him in $71.3 million. last week's number one "iron man" was in second place with $26.6 million and "robin hood" was third with $18.7 million. hard to believe shrek is a middle-aged ogre. how the time has passed. >> he has kids and everything. next, royal ruckus. sarah ferguson caught offering

to sell access to her ex-husband. what was she doing last night stateside? a surprising death in hollywood overnight. ♪

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a new wave of rain and severe weather hits the middle of the country today making for a wet ride from texas to minnesota. snow covered on parts of i-15? utah, montana and wyoming. rain on i-15 in the pacific northwest and along i-95 in the carolinas. if you're flying today you can expect airport delays in seattle, minneapolis, chicago, memphis, charlotte and in miami. well, the duchess of york, sarah ferguson is no stranger to tabloid headlines often as the target of unkind attacks. >> this time ferguson may have only herself to blame after she was caught on camera offering up access to her ex-husband for a

price. sonia gallego joins us with more. good morning, sonia. >> reporter: good morning. an excruciating weekend for sarah ferguson as the tabloid papers continue to pore over the details of that story. she's being labeled as an outcast following the publication of those tapes showing her cutting a deal for access to her ex-spouse prince andrew. the duchess pictured in front of $40,000 given to her by a reporter posing as a businessman ostensibly cutting her deal with her for an introduction to her former husband prince andrew. >> yeah, okay, but then if we want to do a big deal with andrew, i do, of course, okay. no, of course. so you need 500,000. >> but that's in wire transfer. >> reporter: words she would come to regret. the fallout has been fierce. in a statement made yesterday, sarah ferguson also known as fergie says her deep regret over

the situation saying she had committed a serious lapse of judgment. her financial woes well publicized and described them as being under stress and friends say that she's once again on the brink of bankruptcy despite having carved a name for herself as a businesswomans who ventures include writing children's books and being a representative for weight watchers. as a special representative for british trade interests these revelations could put prince andrew in a rather awkward position. thousand to the very public embarrassment fergie flew to los angeles to collect an award with her work with underprivileged children and took great pains to avoid the media and barely referring to the scandal during her acceptance speech. stephanie? >> all right. sonia gallego, thank you. some entertainment news out of hollywood. the husband of actress brittany murphy has been found dead in his los angeles home. simon monjack died just five

months after losing his wife. police say they are still investigating the circumstances surrounding monjack's death. murphy died again back in december from a combination of illness and drug use. after a string of major health challenges it's a change of fortune for rocker bret michaels. still recovering from a massive brain hemorrhage, michaels showed up for this season finale of "celebrity apprentice" and donald trump pronounced him the winner. last week he suffered a men nye stroke and learns he needs surgery for a hole in his hear. the baseball world is stunned by the sudden death of former pitching star jose lima. just this past friday night lima visited dodger stadium where he got a standing ovation. the all-star right-hander pitched for five different teams during his 13-year career but best known for his infectious personality always ready with a song or slap on the back, what he dubbed lima time. lima died sunday of an apparent attack at just 37 years old. time now for the latest in

the nba playoffs. here's will selva at espn news. good morning. kobe bryant and the lakers looking to take a commanding three games to none lead on the suns in the western conference finals. kobe bryant ended up with 36 points. eighth 30-point game this post-season. lakers up one. bryant, not afraid to distribute the ball. 23 points for pau gasol. steve nash to amare stoudemire really answering his critics. game tied up 45 and stoudamire again just blowing by the lakers' defense. 42 points, 11 boards. he fights a career playoff high in points. nash, 2 of his 17 points, 15 dimes. suns up, 7. jason richardson, just dropping change in the toll booth. suns up by 10. they end up taking game three, 118-109. on to the ice.

sharks/blackhawk, fans attending game four. in chicago looking for a sweep. second period, hawks down 1-0 on the power play. sharks pressing shorthanded. patrick marleau the goal. sharks lead 2-0. seabrook, nabokov, loose puck in front of the net. eventually it's covered. initially the signal is no goal but would be reviewed. so then blackhawks down 2-1. david bolen comes from behind and scores the wrister. all tied up at 2. under six minutes to go, blackhawks in the power play still tied at 2. dustin byfuglien, eighth goal of the playoffs. blackhawks end up winning this one and they sweep the series from san jose. that will do it for this espn news update. remember, you can always watch espn news on hd. now back to abc's "america this morning." >> and up next the stories we'll be following today including a hi high-profile visit to the gulf coast this morning as we look live at the oil gushing from the

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now a look ahead to the stories we'll be watching on this monday. the white house is stepping up pressure on bp to do something about the oil spill in the gulf. today two cabinet secretaries and a host of senators visit the region and the president will listen in to a daily conference call on containment efforts. the latest effort to plug the leak won't come until tomorrow at the earliest. >> secretary of state hillary clinton is in beijing for two days of talks aimed at closer economic cooperation. clinton kicked off the talks urging china to join the international community to take a stand against north korea. the north is blamed for a torpedo attack on a south korean naval ship in march killing 46 sailors. president obama meets at the white house with the prime minister of lebanon today. investigators in los angeles are looking into what may have caused the death of brittany murphy's husband, simon monjack's body was found last night just five months after murpal dews

is next. for everyone else "america this morning" continues after this. so world's best mom was more than happy to make a cup of delicious starbucks via. she got to the office just in time to save best friend forever from the office coffee. best friend forever bravely shared starbucks via with don't talk to me until my second cup before he even had his first. he shared it with i hate mondays who had three cups because it was, after all, monday. premium starbucks via ready brew. now available wherever you buy groceries. ♪

and finally more questions than answers this morning even after the much anticipated series finale of "lost."

>> it was the conclusion of six seasons and more than 120 episodes of the abc hit. >> the main cast were all stranded on the island were together once again this time in a church and were they dead or alive? >> ended watched by die-hard fans across the country. they had thousands of fans in los angeles. >> reporter: as the final scene faded to white, thousands of die-hard "lost" fans finally learned how it all ended. after six seasons, a satisfying but bittersweet finale. >> the show was great. you know, i mean we spent six seasons watching it and dedicating an hour of every week of our lives to watch it and now that it's over, i don't know what i'll jump on to next. >> reporter: tonight's exclusive party was put together by "lost "fan michael purcell. it took minutes to give away 2,000 free ticks on his friends "lost" podcast. >> for me it was the best show

ever, the way they directed it and sold the story changed television forever. >> reporter: many stars turned out to watch the finale with the crowd. >> i'm a "lost" fan and what i'm going to do is go back to season one knowing what i know now, i need to look at it again, i think. >> reporter: many people traveled thousands of miles to be here tonight. >> i came from rhode island and courtney came from florida just for this. >> it was a buhl day yesterday and i was more excited about the "lost" party than my 30th birthday. >> reporter: now that the mystery of the island has been solved these fans were happy to spend this tv moment together. >> it's just a great way to end the show on a happy note instead of sort of being at home alone being sad. >> sort of makes me wish i had jumped on the lost bandwagon years ago. >> end of an era i missed. >> i tried to play catch-up but it was far too late. >> you'll have to go back like 90 hours. >> rent the dvds. might have to do.