photographer gerald herbert. >> reporter: this thing has been gushing oil for over a month now and it's been none stop, when & when you think about how much oil must now be in that gulf it's a pretty scary thing. it has everyone on this coast frightened-- frightened and angry. >> lehrer: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: and the william and flora hewlett foundation, working to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> lehrer: this was another make-or-break day in the struggle against the oil spill in the gulf of mexico. b.p. crews launched a long-awaited operation to stop the oil at its source. monitor green lit up with action at b.p.'s command center in houston this afternoon. remote-controlled cameras, a mile deep, displayed multiple views as the top kill operation began.