the vast oil slick from the shattered well on the seabed has coated miles of the mississippi river delta with thick red sludge and it's only going to get worse until the leak is plugged. tara mergener is in washington with more. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning. well, a month after the disaster, there is still no fix. a live video was posted online yesterday and the picture isn't pretty. bp has until today to come up with a safer way to break up the massive oil spill in the gulf of mexico. the epa ordered them to switch to less toxic chemicals thursday because of environmental concerns. so far bp has used more than 650,000 gallons of the dispersants. >> to use the least toxic of those makes the most sense. >> reporter: bp now admits the blown out oil well is spewing more than the 210,000 gallons a day previously estimated. in fact, some scientists think the number could be as high as 3 million. the oil giant released a live video of the leak for the first time thursday, but only after repeated requests by congress. >> it's clear that they have been hiding the actual conseque

there you can see the mississippi delta. that is the extent of the oil and it continues to come out and cause tremendous environmental damage. there are the clouds i continue to come in. tomorrow morning -- that continue to come in. temperatures in the mid 60's. after the clouds we will see more sunshine. temperatures near 80 degrees. were sunshine into the holiday weekend with a weather front coming our way. -- more sunshine into a holiday weekend. the weekend overall will be pretty good. we will have to keep an eye on that area of low pressure, but it will be moving out by late in the weekend. temperatures near average. the traditional beginning of summer. >> 50 characters on your twitter account. >> 50 characters on your twitter account. ♪ ♪ ♪ my country ♪ 'tis of thee ♪ sweet land ♪ of liberty ♪ of thee i sing [ laughs ] ♪ oh, land ♪ where my fathers died ♪ land of the pilgrims' pride ♪ from every mountainside ♪ let freedom ring ♪ how many ways can you be comfortable? an energy efficient infinity air conditioner by carri

the oil slick strikes shore on the tip of the mississippi delta. claiming ever more casualties including this pelican. environmentalists say the leak may be much worse than we thought. >> the holes are growing, so the amount of oil coming out may be growing? >> absolutely. >> reporter: 94 wedge january environmentalist frederick said the oil rig explosion that killed 11 workers probably destroyed the sand filter, leaving coarse sand eroding the leak holes. so the sand would enlarge the holes because it's going to grate at the hole itself and make it larger? >> it's like a sandpaper all the time. so for each hour this flow continues, the holes will be bigger and bigger. >> reporter: that could mean far more oil is pouring out than the already staggering official estimate of 210,000 gallons a day. >> they understate the volume coming out. they understate the impact. they overstate the effectiveness of the response. >> reporter: bp is shipping the first of two 40-foot domes to contain the leak and siphon out the oil. it's a temporary fix that won't be

. >>> the oil spill has reached the mississippi delta. >> bp says they should stop -- start suctioning oil by monday. >> this is the cap bp used to stop one of the leaks. >> it will significantly reduce the flow. >> the ceo insists the combination of containment, the water runs and a relief dome will work, but it could take months. >> we are doing a controlled burn off and disbursing application on the surface. as this moves closer to shore, it will stay dynamic. >> the company is shipping a massive containment dome designed to pump out the oil. this video was taken by an underwater robot. >> we have 400 people. . >> the cost could be off the scale, too. >> bp will get a bill for the damages caused. >> with the spill already leading casualty's with wild life, that could go on for years. >> in recent days stormy seas have prevented controlled burning, but it will begin again today. >> next , j [inaudible] >> doug hill will say how long this great weather will stick around. >> strasburg getting closer to washington. coming up in sports, we have more of the nationals. a lot on the line fo

the slick is now reaching the mississippi delta. and the damage to wildlife is already evident. this man of war struggled barely alive. >> also 35 endangered sea turtles have turned up dead along the gulf coast shoreline, but wildlife investigators say they have no signs of oil. so lesli, what they are trying to determine is whether those turtles were caught in the nets of fishermen who were eager to increase their shrimp catch ahead of the oil spill. >> manuel, you just told us what the crews are trying to do to contain this oil. what's being done to help with all the wildlife? >> reporter: well, that's what they are trying to figure out now. they are looking at turtles, whether they ate fish that were contaminated by oil, whether they were caught in the oil spill, although now they are trying to investigate the fishermen. that's one example. they are trying to keep that oil slick from getting to the marsh areas that are all around us here. these vital wetlands where they feel it can do some real damage. we are talking about wildlife to the food supply, and also to future hurri

oil has reached the mississippi delta. bp is hoping a 100-ton contraption will serve as a temporary fix for this. eight barges hauling the device 50 miles offshore to the site -- a barge is hauling the device 50 miles offshore to the rig and they hope to have it working in less than a week. >> it is meant to funnel and channel the flow of oil from the seabed up to the surface. >> bp capped one of three weeks at the well last night. the move will not come off the flow, but bp says it will make it easier to fix other problems. the bulk of the huge oil slick is not expected to make landfall until the end of the week. >>> the death toll is on the rise in tennessee after severe flooding. a man's body was discovered in a field in gipson county. the death toll now stands at 18. the water is -- in national, 9 -- in nashville, nine of the deaths and most of the flooding occurred. >>> here in our area, a bit of relief to the humidity we have been having. it feels a lot more like a typical spring day. brian van de graaff is here with

the light winds, it may drift it farther to the west towards the mississippi delta.that is way too far away to tell. winds will not be onshore in the northern gulf for the next several days, if at all. but the mississippi delta and certainly the west coast of florida, long term is system not out of the woods so to speak. john and kiran, back to you. >> you mentioned, rob, that people have a lot of questions to ask bp. coming up in ten minutes' time, we'll answer those questions. we'll talk with doug suttles. >>> music facing a long recovery after getting four months of rain. the rivers are receding and revealing the misery in nashville this morning. >>> the gulf oil spill putting thousands of fish and birds at risk. what's being done to prevent more? we'll get together with two experts who will tell us. >>> at 7:52 eastern time. how concerned should you be if you give your kids well-known brands of allergy medicines. numerous violations found at a facility used to make children's medicine. ♪ >>> 14 minutes after the hour. happening now, tensions over greece's growing

. >>> satellite imaging shows oil in the gulf is now reaching the mississippi delta and the chandelier islands. this has capped one of the three under water leaks. now the company doesn't expect this will reduce the amount of oil spewing out, but it will allow bp to drop a single containment box over the breech. >> it will seal over the leak and then we'll engineer piping that goes up to a barge and will be able to funnel that oil that is escaping now. >> right now, the 100 ton dome is on a barge headed for the site of the leak. bp says it will be in place tomorrow and operational by the weekend, they say. >>> investigators are hoping they will be able to get into that deadly west virginia mine in the next few days. 29 miners died in an explosion april 5 at the upper big branch facility. but so far, gas levels have been too high in that mine for the investigators to get in there and figure out what happened. >> the last minute push is on before they head to the polls in england, still, see the weird way some people are tracking the race for prime minister. and how long can this beautif

. >> reporter: the oil slick strikes shore on the tip of the mississippi delta. it's claiming ever-more casualties, including this pelican. environmentalists say the leak may be worse than we thought. >> the oils are growing. the oil coming out may be growing. >> absolutely. >> reporter: norwegian environmentalist says the oil explosion that killed 11 workers, probably destroyed the sand filter. so, the sand would enlarge the hole because it's going to grate at the hole itself and actually make it larger? >> it's like sandpaper all the time. so, for each hour the flow continues, the hole will be bigger and bigger. >> reporter: that could mean more oil could be pouring out than the staggering estimate of 210,000 gallons a day. >> they understate the volume coming out. they understate the impact. and they overstate the effectiveness of their response. >> reporter: b.p. is shipping the first of 2 40-foot domes to contain the leak and siphon out the oil. it's a temporary fix that won't be in place for days. as the band sassafras gives the oil its own soundtrack. from

along the mississippi delta marsh, patience has receded as quickly as the physical oil -- as the oil is beginning to code the wetlands. >> finally, we may be getting a realistic answer to how much oil has entered the gulf of mexico. >> bp said only 5,000 barrels were surfacing. live pictures requested by the u.s. congress clearly shows otherwise. >> we're in the range of 40,000-100,000 barrels a day. >> [inaudible] >> the epa says part of the response must change and fast. they told them to find and use a toxic chemical dispersant by sunday. 25% of all organisms died or the dispersant was used. >> we can see what is on the surface. it hasn't impacted we have done. >> of the oil will stay away from some of the gulf coast states. after 72 hours, things could change dramatically. the government's new task force is expected to release its findings sometime on saturday. >>> the man plead guilty to the elizabeth smart kidnapping will serve at the federal medical center in texas. he pleaded guilty to federal charges of kidnapping and unlawful transportation in exchange for testimony against

satellite shows it is reaching the mississippi delta. and the damage to wildlife is already evident. this portuguese man-of-war struggled to stay alive. >> homeland security scet secretary -- secretary janet napolitano, along with others will tour the region tomorrow. >>> if you're waiting near someone to get home from work, let's check the roads. >> we have three accidents. one of vem involving -- them involving a motorcycle. on the outer loop. and again, it is involving a motorcycle. causing a backup just past 97. meantime nbeckliesville, we have another vehicle involving -- accident involving a motorcycle. that accident at falls road. unfortunately, no real alternate. and as far as getting around that accident scene. >>> now, meantime, there's a crash involving a motorcycle in catonsville on newberg avenue. another accident in sykesville on circle drive. painters mill road, at red runt. in aberdeen, a crash on philadelphia. at old philadelphia. and three accidents in the city, north mlk, at pennsylvania avenue, east lombard at south c

reaching the mississippi delta. eyewitness news at 4:00 continues withth,,,,,,,,,,,,,, welcome to the world of lovaza, where nature meets science. if you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, you may also have very high triglycerides -- too much fat in the blood. it's a serious medical condition. lovaza, along with diet, effectively lowers very high triglycerides in adults but has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or strokes. lovaza starts with omega-3 fish oil that's then purified and concentrated. it's the only omega-3 medication that's fda-approved. you can't get it at a health food store. lovaza isn't right for everyone. tell your doctor if you're allergic to fish, have other medical conditions and about any medications you're taking, especially those that may increase risk of bleeding. blood tests are needed before and during treatment. in some, ldl or bad cholesterol may increase. possible side effects include burping, infection, flu-like symptoms, upset stomach, and change in sense of

. >> satellite images show the oil has reached the mississippi delta. >> the oily film is beginning tosettle, threatening more(d[Ñn four hundred species of animals, fébirds, and marine life that cl this estuary home. >> we already have extensive damage of shore. >> secretary of the interior ken salazar stressed bp must get control of this bill precooks the future of the life of their company hangs right now in in decision -- they must get control of the spill. they are rushing to get a giant dome over the leaking well, hoping to control the oil. bp officials are not certain it will work, and environmentalists are skeptical, too. >> parish leaders push forward with their plan to stop the oil from reaching the shore line. they are employing barges that will provide moveable barricades to try and contain the most dangerous areas of the slate. >> the slick is apparently on the move. models show oil could make its way west of the mississippi. >> this would devastate all of coastal louisiana. >> there is also concerned it could reach currents in the gulf that would carry it along florida's w

satellite images show the slick is now reaching the mississippi delta. and the damage to wildlife is already evident. this portuguese man-of-war struggled, barely alive. >> manuel gallegus, wjz eyewitness news. >> now, the coast guard is once again planning to burn off some of the oil on the surface. >> the water is slowly starting to recede. revealing the true extent of the damage across tennessee. and it is very bad. jessica is following the story from the newsroom. jessica? >> reporter: it's a grim picture in the historic city of nashville. the country music hall of fame and the grand ole opry house both were flooded. rescuers had to pluck stranded residents from their flooded homes. at least 10 people were killed by the flooding waters in nashville alone. and there are fears the death toll could increase. weekend storms dumped more than 13 inches of rain in just two days in the nashville area alone. vic? >> that is incredible, jessica, thank you. they declared 52 of the state's 95 counties as disaster areas. >>> some say speed cameras improve safety.

satellite images are showing the oil reached the mississippi delta and the islands off the louisiananing the crew is close to coming ashore now. there's some progress in efforts to cap the leak. jay gray is monitoring the situation for us and joins us live with the latest. jay? >> reporter: yeah. we are in this marina where, again, for another day most of the shrimp boats have been idle. very frustrating. bp has been able to stop at least one of three leaks on the deep horizon well. good news, you would think, but say it is absolutely done nothing to stop the flow of oil pouring into the gulf right now. an oily fill silver medal beginning to settle over the wetlands that edged south louisiana. threatening the more than 400 species of animals, birds, and marine life that call this estuary home. >> will have extensive damage and already have extensive damage offshore but don't know exactly what. >> reporter: secretary of the interior, ken salazar, touring the region today stressed bp must get control of the spill. >> the future, the life of the company, hangs right now in decision beca

this is the place where the land is thinking on the mississippi delta and so it's thinking about a centimeter through. and that induces a rapid sea level rise. and that's on top of the storms made this island in the following 150 years retreat landward two thirds of a mile, some of the fastest eroding stretches of coast in the world. and it also lost about 75% of the surface area. i was just devastated. it is very strong concerns and this had happened before that these islands eventually will disappear because of the rapid sea level rise and because of extreme storms that come in, the combination of the two have triggered this. >> what sparked your interest in this hurricane in the story? >> i went in the 1980's. a friend of mine took me down there, and another colleague. and i grew up on the outer banks of north carolina and were familiar with very large sand dunes. our house was set back from the beach and we were up 60 feet and went through many hurricanes with no problem. and then they took me to this extraordinarily low place and it didn't even resemble a barrier island to me. and they s

latest on bp's plans to stop the leaking oil that is creeping deep near delicate marshes of the mississippi delta>>> plus, the silver springs second grader who asked michelle obama about immigration has another question for the first lady. >>> and a medical set backe >>> today, the man who oversees america's 16 intelligence agencies are handing in his resignation. dennis blair is stepping down amid pressure from the white house. during his 16 months in that position, blair has dealt with security lapses and spats with the cia. in a statement, president obama said the intelligence community has "performed admirably and effectively under blair despite many challenges to the nation's security." there's still a large plume of oil and gas spewing into the gulf of mexico despite efforts to contain it. bp released more real-time video showing the oil leak and have live webcam of the flow. the company now agrees that what experts have been saying, the daily flow exceeds 5,000 barrels per day. it's siphoning that amount right now from the oil well but more continues to leak into the open ocean. lawmakers

and when it comes to the mississippi delta i would move back east communities. et new orleans out of their and move back east communities on the lower delta that louisiana is so important. well, they are important, but you're not going to save them. we can save them ultimately and were talking about billions of dollars and we should not be spending billions of dollars for small communities in louisiana. i can say more, but -- >> okay, howard, i wanted to go legalistic on this notion of right. now, i think you could make it pretty clear case that a lot of environmental issues ultimately have to do with their survival. and we have a right to survive if we make it comes to shell argument about it life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. at least two out of three. but what i wanted to ask you is beyond survival, because we supposedly have a level of environment in degradation that is not for survival aired and is there an intrinsic, is there an intrinsic right to be saved from any abuse of the environment? >> i'll put it this way, that yes there is. but the problem is th

. >>> a satellite expert says oil has reached the mississippi delta and is close to coming ashore. oil still leaking into the gulf. it's taken nearly two weeks but bp is hopeful it has a plan to contain the huge gulf oil spill. the hundred ton metal and concrete box is designed to plug the massive leak should head to sea shortly. we don't know how effective it will be. it's never been tested at 5,000 feet. another sliver of good news. overnight engineers managed to cap one of three leaks from the damaged well. mike tie waibbtaibbi, what's th situation? >> it's not just biloxi, it's the entire coast knowing what's happening, the slick is getting closer, but favorable weather patterns are continuing to hold the slick and its dangers offshore for at least another couple of day. it appears to be the case. trace amounts of oil have been found along the coast, barrier alands, mississippi coast and off the louisiana coast as well. the weather window has allowed those responding to do two things. basically to deal with the slick itself, the oil already in the water, by using chemical dispe

from the university of miami says images from his satellite facility shows oil has reached the mississippi delta and right off the coast of louisiana. the and the images also show oil is drifting to the south toward a current that could carry oil to florida and the keys. residents and business owners on pensacola beach, florida say people are bracing for what could be the worst. >> we have a lot of news crews here, a lot of government here. unfortunately, i don't think you guys are too interested in fishing. >> right now you'd never even know there are thousands of gallons of oil out there but when it gets here i believe we're ready to just strike back. >> meanwhile bp has capped one of the leaks on the well gushing 200,000 gallons of oil a day. mike taibe joins us live. they capped off one situation but that doesn't mean it is all good news with that, certainly. >> reporter: no. this is really a good news/bad news story, tamron, with the bad news far outweighing the good. take a look at this. i'll use it as a wind indicator and it has now turned in the last hour. the water on that side, waland

we did have some impact, more impact on the shoreline in the mississippi delta area than previously, and so folks are really greefl out there with strategies to protect the marshes. >> reporter: b.p., which leased the sunken rig, also said it was having more success and now capturing 3,000 barrels of oil a day from a tube insert into the busted pipeline to a ship on the surface. but just what proportion of the spill that represents remains a question. federal officials and b.p. originally estimated the rig was gushing at a rate of 5,000 barrels a day, but outside experts say that figure could be 10 times higher. far from the gulf shores, more anger today from members of congress about b.p.'s ability to handle a spill of this magnitude. transportation committee chairman james oberstar. >> almost a month has passed. the response and its proven equipment and technology have failed to stop most of the continuing oil discharge or to contain most of the oil already discharged. >> brown: but in his opening statement, the committee's ranking republican took aim at government oversight in the

i'm going to the mississippi delta. i'm going to write about soil and people and i'm going to write about the richest land. why does the richest land on earth remain after two centuries the poorest region in the united states? i'm going to drink the water, have cold beer and eat a lot of catfish. >> host: thank you for being on booktv with us. >> guest: thank you for a much. >> charles bowden is the author of "down by the river," and "down by the city he quote he's a contributing editor for mother jones and ceq and writes for harbors magazine. to find out more, visit latimes.com/festivalofbooks. from the 2010 virginia festival of look in charlottesville virginia, rebecca sklott reveals her book, the immortal life of henrietta lacks. >> she was a port tobacco farmer who was raised in southern virginia and eventually move to baltimore where she is diagnosed with cervical cancer at 30 and without her knowledge her doctor took a small piece of her tumor and put it into a petri dish and her cells became the first immortal hu

is still gushing from that shattered bp well on the sea floor and sludge is washing into the mississippi deltadoug subtles for his best and worst indication scenarios on capping the well. >> i think the best case is actually late sunday or early monday this top kill procedure works and the flow stops. i think the worst case is it takes us until the relief well gets down which would probably be about early august. >> meanwhile, the epa has ordered bp to use the least toxic disperse ants available to help break up the oil slick. >>> a jet blue pilot is in trouble for sending an e-mail promising to harm himself if they didn't reconcile the relationship. he was taken into custody, admitted he wasn't fit for duty and was taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation. >>> a sad send to the search for kayleah wilson. police say a body that was found in a ditch if greeley, california wednesday has been identified as the missing girl. the death is ruled a homicide. she disappear orded on march 28. dental records were used to identify the body. >>> the senate has approved a sweeping financial reform bi

there are some reports this morning that oil has reached the shores of the mississippi delta.owever, the coast guard said on tuesday that they have no indication that this big slick will hit any coastline until at least friday, and, in fact, it may just stay out at sea entirely. betty, back to you. >> all right, cbs' jeff glor in louisiana. thank you, jeff. >>> now here's dave with the first check of the weather. good morning, dave. >> and good morning to you, betty. good morning, everyone. let's take a check of the weather, see what's happening all across the country, shall we? let's take a look at our headlines. it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. let's go out to the northwest right now and you can take a look at, you know this? that's right. that is snow. and in some areas we're going to see a fair amount of it. upwards of 3 inches in jackson. now, we go for the good stuff. we head to the southeast. look at these temperatures. in the upper 80s, to close to 90 degrees as we head into tomorrow. in sections of georgia, the carolinas, get nothing the 90s as wel

there are some reports this morning that oil has reached the shores of the mississippi delta.owever, the coast guard said on tuesday that they have no indication that this big slick will hit any coastline until at least friday, and, in fact, it may just stay out at sea entirely. betty, back to you. >> all right, cbs' jeff glor in louisiana. thank you, jeff. >>> now here's dave with the first check of the weather. good morning, dave. >> and good morning to you, betty. good morning, everyone. let's take a check of the weather, see what's happening >>> 17 minutes after the hour right now. that's our first check of the weather this morning. harry and maggie? >> see you again soon, dave. thank you. >>> still ahead on "the early show," the stunning admission from a suspect accused of killing a varsity lacrosse player at the university of virginia. >>> and complaints against debt collectors have risen dramatically since the economy went south. we're going to tell you how to get them off your back. this is "the early show" on cbs. bye momma. i love you. i love you. bye-bye. you be car

una mancha apareciÓ en las riberas del delta del rÍo mississippi.ados vamos con lourdes del rÍo en alabama. >> las aguas mÁs calmadas se reciben como buenas noticias. pero esto no elimina la preocupaciÓn los que se sigan preparando para la contaminaciÓn de las costas. el gobernador de la florida asegura que su estado estÁ listo, dice que fue criticado por no hacer demasiado. pero algunos expertos consideran que lo ocurrido es uno de los peores desastres de la historia. >> para nosotros esto es un cataclismo, es un volcÁn de petrÓleo que emana unos 210.000 galones de crudo diariamente. >> mientras continÚan los por -los esfuerzos en el mar, en tierra hay preocupaciÓn. >> vamos a seguir comprando de donde venga y va a ser mÁs caro. Íbamos a tener que seguir vertiendo por el - vamos a seguir vendiendo por el mismo precio de lo que venÍamos haciendo hasta ahora. >> algunos preguntan quiÉn pagarÁ el costo total la ley dice que tendrÍa que pagar un mÁximo de $ 35 millones pero el costo es mayor. >> aquÍ nadie estÁ parado, continÚan los esfuerzos titÁnicos

the latest satellite images indicate the oil has reached the mississippi delta and nearby islands off now, what's not clear right now is whether the oil is on the shore, but one official says it is very close. the images also show the oil drifting south toward the luke current. scientists say the current, well, it could carry it toward florida and the florida keys. boy, what is mess if that happens. officials say that the long-term effects of the spill on wildlife are not even clear yet, but dead and endangered turtles have been washing up on gulf coast beaches, but they have no sign of oil. that's very interesting part of the story. >>> federal officials are checking to see if aggressive shrimpers may have killed them. meantime, the efforts are full speed right now, full speed ahead by the containment effort by volunteers. the coast guard is planning to corral some oil and set on it fire. and local shrimpers are planning to use their boats to put down more boom in that area. in all about 9,700 people are working to protect the shoreline and wildlife and some 170 boats are also helpin

jackson, mississippi, democrats line. there is a need in the delta. they are trying to get grants different states and cities have not received what was sent out. many kids tearing the summer feeding program are not able to get there becauue of lack of transportation. how can this part of mississippi get some of the funding? there is a eed in jackson mississippi. hoo can we get access? guest: your question unddrscores some of the cooplexity with an issue like this such as3 program in place and the families aware, but theekids have to be able to get to these programs. this idea of a race to the top, it is very important if you want to make a difference on an issue like this. i urge you tt be in touch with your representatives. this bill can provide transportation. the idea of a governor saying if transportation is one, let us it is very important. the bill has to work in the state and commuuity level.+ host: republiian line. caller: thanks for bringing this to the attention of the public. %+e nutritional value it bothers me. i have recommended for year

and the forecast models have it bringing it to the west and wrapping around the mississippi river deltalso a greater sense of urgency to get this boat out to sea. it's designed to anchor out near the spill. it was loaded up with special cotton booms made to soak up the oil on top of the water. workers sprayed down oily booms used to hold the underwater contamination in check and readied them to be used again. it was described today as their last line of defense. the boat that you saw was expected to be put in place by sometime this evening. it's one of several they hope to establish out in the gulf over the next several days. >> brandon todd live tonight in venice, louisiana. federal authorities are now trying to find out what's killing endangered sea turtles in the gulf. at least 35 have washed up on shore. investigators are looking into whether the oil or shrimp boaters eager to maximize their catch ahead of the oil spill are to blame. so far no signs of oil have been linked to their deaths. >>> what could the labels you're reading in the supermarket be lying to you? fox 5 uncovers wh

a few sflots at the very tip of the mississippi delta.ahead. talking about the airports, flights should be just fine till later on this afternoon. great conditions this morning. look at this forecast. as good as it gets. low 80s, low humidity and a light breeze. going to be fantastic from pittsburgh to boston, d.c. and everywhere in between. later this afternoon, showers and storms will pop up over detroit, toledo, cleveland, indianapolis. we've got minor problems. everywhere else looks really good today. the northwest maybe a shower in seattle. that's about it. have a fantastic wednesday. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. national car rental? that's my choice. because with national, i roll past the counter... and choose any car in the aisle. oh, buck chooses the blue one! [ male announcer ] go national. go like a pro. choosing your own car? now, that's a good call. even me. just by drivin' smarter routes and making sure our trailers are packed fuller, we save millions of dollars on fuel cost. and when costs go down, pric

it was capable of doing over time to a sensitive area just 40 miles from the gulf and the delta of the mississippimegyn: and yet, juan, i know we're still in the midst of this, but hindsight is 20/20. >> okay. so, i mean, maybe the government should have done more more quickly, but i think, again, i don't know that janet napolitano is to be chided for failing to know the capacities of the defense department in dealing with an oil leak. i don't know where that's coming from. i think the real conversation here, megyn, is about what this does to conversations about offshore drilling. megyn: what does it do? >> and the fact that president obama had come out and said that he was for offshore drilling as part of trying to get his energy deal through which is part of concessions he made to lynn say graham -- lindsey graham. to me i think we should have drilling here domestically, but i don't think it's going to happen after this disaster in the way that it would have been happening before, especially along the atlantic sea board. now you see senators from new jersey and virginia, even republicans saying

partly because the levys on the mississippi river reduceded the amount of silt that was carried downstream and built the deltae first place. as the marshes die off, salt water from the gulf intrudes further and further inland, killing even more of the grass. dave says the spill will just accelerate the process. >> you watch these islands disappear. coastal erosion taking its toll. ultimately now with this oil getting saturated in the marsh, it's going to kill the grass. by killing the grass, the islands disappear. it hits you. i hope they can be saved but it's going fast. i'm 54 years old. i can show you maps when i was 20 years old, areas had marshland. now there's eight feet of water. >> how are you making out. >> reporter: louisiana officials who have been watching all this want to do something to protect their shores. they've long wanted to rebuild some of the eroded barrier islands to provide better protection from storms. in the wake of the bp oil spill, they've asked for federal permission to start dredging sand from off shore to lengthen and add height to the islands that remain. >> the sad part is go