jeff. >> glor: our chief white house correspondent chip reid in panama city tonight. chip, thank you. restoring the louisiana coastline tots original beauty would actually require much more than cleaning up after just the b.p. oil leak. tonight mark strassmann reports on an environmental disaster many years in the making. >> reporter: for coastal loses' wetlands, this oil spill is just the latest wound. danny diecidues has fished these waters since he was a kid. >> biggest worrisome change is loss of land. loss of islands, which we used to fish five, six, seven years ago, there's no island left. >> reporter: gone. >> gone. just totally gone. >> reporter: louisiana's fragile coast, 30% of america's wetland, are a labyrinth of marshes, bays, and biexcuse a rich nursery for gulf marine life but generations of engineering projects have starved them and carved them up. navigation channels, dikes and levees, canals and pipelines for oil and gas companies. >> if you were to say what is the most abused landscape in the united states it would be t would be the louisiana wedlan

we'll talk about that coming up next. ,,,,,,,,,,,, to panama city beach. >>> the president is paying visit to the florida panhandle. terrell brown shows us his trip to panama city beach. >> reporter: president obama took a plunge into the waters of the gulf with his daughter sasha. the white house photo was released hours after the president made this promise. >> i'm definitely going to go swimming, but we're not going to let the press pool come because you guys all take a picture of me without my shirt on. >> reporter: the first family headed south as a show of support for the people of the gulf region. tourism on the consider is way down after the oil spill even though the crude has evaporated or been cleaned up. and no oil is showing up on the gulf beaches. >> beaches all along the gulf coast are clean, they are safe, and they are open for business. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: the president and his wife shook hands with coast guard officers who worked on the front lines of the oil spill. the government's point man on the crisis says approval to finish the relief well to sea

. >>> president obama and the first family traveled to panama city florida today.hey are trying to encourage tourism to the gulf coast and reassure the residents who still haven't seen a penny of b.p.'s $20 million compensation fund. we have more. >> reporter: president obama along with the first lady and daughter sasha are in panama city florida. they hope to show the gulf coast is back in business after the massive oil spill. both the president and first lady made separate visits to the pan handle earlier this summer to encourage visitors to come. the area has been struggling to recover from a major drop in summer tourism due to concerns about oil and tar balls that have spilled on the beaches inch meetings mr. obama heard concerns over long-term effects of the spill on the environment and the economy. afterwards mr. obama re-affirmed his support. >> i'm here to tell you that our job is not finished, and we are not going anywhere until it is. >> reporter: the president promised action for frustrated gulf coast residents who have not yet received any money from th

they are spending the weekend in panama city beach. it's not just for vacation. the president met with local siness owners affected by the spill he later said while the oil was stopped flowing in to the gulf the government's job in tackling the disaster is far from done. >> i'm here to tell you that our job is not finished and we are not going anywhere until it is. that's a message i wanted to come here and give directly to the people along the gulf coast. >> reporter: the president also made a pitch for tourists to visit the area. >> result of the clean up effort beaches all long the gulf coast are clean, they are safe, they are open for business. that's one of the reasons we are here. >> reporter: many are hoping the president's visit will boost tourists in the area. >> what we hope as a community is that it shows that the united states as well as the world that panama city beach is still open for business. >> reporter: bp's test on its blown out well continues to make sure it was securely plugged. >> issue an order to bp this afternoon, i have talked to the se

cheap reed, cbs -- chick reed, panama city beach -- chip reid, panama city beach, florida. >>> president obama last night said muslims have the right to build a community center and a mosque near ground zero. >> i will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. i was commenting very specifically on the right that people have that dates back to our founding. >> last night's statement has drawn criticism. the white house says today's statement does not mean the president is backing off from his earlier position. ever. >>> social security turns 75 today and a new poll finds people are more pessimistic about it than ever. according to a cnn poll, 60% of people who don't receive benefit say they never will and 63% say they don't believe the program will last another 75 years. today avid days held a rally in san francisco and kcbs's radio tim ryan shows us why they believe cutting the program would be harmful to millions. >> reporter: tom rankin, the treasurer for the california alliance for retired americans has little faith in the commission the bipartisan commissi

south of the panama city.nisms called phytoplankton and other microscopic bacteria ocean near the foundation of the food chain. >> which feeds and fuel the ecology of the ocean. if those guys are in trouble and the ocean is in trouble. so >> our federal government scientists have downplayed the impact of microscopic oil making its way up the food chain. this is what the head of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration said earlier this month >> the fish will degrade the oil and process said naturally. it doesn't bio accumulate it's not a situation where we need to be concerned about that. over time it will be broken down >> usf scientists tell cnn that is a short-sighted view of the danger. officials haven't responded to these latest scientific findings. the >> the 10 day mission in the gulf of mexico was a rocky voyage the scientists were battered with 12 ft. seas and strong storms taken within 25 mi. of the deepwater horizon fuel site. all along the way they found microscopic droplets of oil on th

and about 400 miles away, the first family will spend the weekend in panama city beach, florida. effort to convince tourists that the coast is clear. but will the president get in the water? >> why don't we all worry about what happens on saturday. >> panama city beach may be clear of oil, but not the rest of the gulf. >> if you take a kid to dig a hole in the beach and try to dig sandcastles and you dig the oil out. >> a couple weeks ago, i went out with professor wang to pensacola beach about 50 miles away from when -- from where the first family would be staying. we dug an inch or so into the sand. we found six inches laying there. just because the oil is not apparent on the surface of the sand doesn't mean it is gone. abc news, louisiana. >>> president obama says he supports the idea of building a mosque near ground zero. speaking at a white house dinner to celebrate the islamic holy month of ramadan, the president said that america's commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. >> i believe muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this co

here in panama city beach business is already coming back. >> i think it scared the guests for a little while. >> reporter: but now it's back? >> uh-huh. we picked up a lot. >> reporter: tourists who called ahead have been rewarded? >> when i made a reservation i made sure there was no tar balls or yuck in the water and she prompted me it would be emerald green and it is. >> reporter: and to assure americans that the water is safe the president took to the surf with daughter sasha. democrats say the first lady still could make a difference in certain races just as she did on the campaign trail in 2008 when her nickname was the closer. chip reid, cbs news, panama city beach, florida. >>> social security turns 75 today and a new poll finds americans are more pest historic about than ever. according to a -- pessimistic about it than ever. according to a cnn poll 60% of those who say they don't receive benefits say they never will. today advocates held a rally in san francisco. tim ryan shows us why they believe cutting the program would be harmful to millions. >> reporter: tom rankin, the

i i know. >> reporter: panama city beach reste clear of water, but not gulf. t of the gulf. thef you take the kids to try o build sand castles, they dig the oil out. the oil out. >> reporter: david, i went out >> reporter: with dr. wang a couple of weeks go in pensacola. a footdown a foot or so into e sand and therere we found six inches of oil just lying there. he says that whether or not see davi the oil, doesn't mean that it's all gone. >> m tonight, again >> matt gutman tonight, again in the gulf. ma rett, thank you. too, with fresh tries to recover, the economy, as a ne rs sho struggling, too, with fresh signs tonight. new retail numbers show sales up .4% last month. largely from car and gasoline gasol take those away, and americans sale actually spent less at the malls actually spentres, a direct domino effect from the ion jpearing jobs. 7 million jobs have yet to return after the recession. and so we asked bianna golodryga go? tonight, where did those jobs il? >> reporter: the weak retail numbers today are yet another ign that the economy is in the midst of a troublin

travelling with the president in panama city beach, florida, mike emanual fox news. >>> new figures show hundreds of soldiers with post traumatic stress disorder may have been misdiagnosed. the army discharged 1,000 soldiers each year between 2005 and 2007 for having personality disorders. but after an article in the nation magazine exposed the practice the defense department changed its policy. it began requiring a top-level review of each case to ensure ptsd or brain injury wasn't the underlying cause. after the change, the annual number of personality disorder cases dropped by 75%. and in contrast the number of ptsd cases doubled in just two years. >>> the commander of u.s. forces in afghanistan speaks out on the likelihood u.s. troops will withdraw next year. will it happen on time? >> marin county investigators are looking for whoever cut down trees. is that story is coming back up. >>> tomorrow we finally have 90- degree temperatures to talk about. an updated forecast coming up in a few minutes. >> you are looking at a pier fully engulfed in flames in alameda. >> live drive-time tr

. >> las playas de panamÁ city son destino para el presidente obmaa y su familia. atraer turismo, luego de las pÉrdidas econÓmicas por el derrame de petrÓleo en el golfo. desde hace tres meses, existe preocupaciÓn por los daÑos que pudiera causar el derrame de petrÓleo en las playas de la regiÓn a largo plazo. >> todavÍa tenemos que limpiar petrÓleo y todavÍa tenemos que monitorear y evaluar los daÑos dijo el vocero de la casa blanca. a cientos 16 dÍas de comenzar del derrame, la compaÑÍa bp podrÍa no requerir la excavaciÓn de un pozo aledaÑo. se espera una prueba para ver si la fuga quedÓ sellada por el cemento aplicado la semana pasada. la prueba podrÍa indicar que bp se despejÓ el Último obstÁculo para poner fin al peor derrame de petrÓleo a nivel mundial. >> es hora de enfocarse en la recuperaciÓn de la región. >> por otra parte, la casa blanca anunciÓ que el presidente viajarÁ a la regiÓn del golfo el prÓximo 29 de agosto, en esa ocasiÓn visitarÁ nueva orleans para conmemorar los cinco aÑos de katrina. >> hablando del mandatario, obama firmÓ la ley que otorga

i know -- >> panama city beach may be clear of oil but not the rest of the gulf. >> if you dig a holethe beach, be a tad careful. >> a couple weeks ago i went out with the professor to pensacola beach about 50 miles from where the first family will be staying. we dug a foot or so into the sand and there we found 6 inches of oil just laying there. professor lang says just because the oil is not apparent on the surface of the sand doesn't mean that it's gone. >> back here in the bay area there's been a break in the investigation into the death of a german tourist in san francisco last weekend. a woman killed in the crossfire of a shotout as she walked with her husband in the city's feeter district. as leslie brinkley explains how acting on a tip, the investigation has taken police to fremont. >> i was fearful because the cops were here with swat teams with their guns drawn. i just put my baby to sleep. >> neighbors described the scene right out of a crime show on this quiet cul-de-sac. over six officers blocking traffic and telling neighbors to take cover. >> they just announced everybo

about 400 miles away, the first family will spend the weekend in panama city beach, florida, in an efforto convince american tourists that the coast is clear. but will the president get in the water. >> something. >> you know, i -- gotta say -- why don't we all worry about what happens -- >> panama city beach may be clear of oil but not the rest of the gulf. >> dig a hole in the beach, sandcastle, you'll get oil out. >> i went out with the professor to pensacola beach about 50 miles away from where the first family will be staying. we dug a foot or so into the sand and there we found 6 inches of oil just laying there. professor lang says just because the oil is not apparent on the surface of the sand doesn't mean that it's gone. matt gutman, abc news. >> back here in the bay area there's been a break in the investigation into the death of a german tourist in san francisco last weekend. a woman killed in the crossfire of a shoot-out as she walked with her husband in the city's theater district. as leslie brinkley explains, acting on a tip the investigation has taken police to fremont. >> i

mike viqueira joins us from panama city beach, florida. mike, good morning. >> good morning, jenna. the obamas are out and about on the gulf coast this weekend, in events designed to show americans that it's safe to come back here to the beach and it's safe to get back in the water. but in between outings, both the president and his aides have had to deal with the aftermath of those controversial comments about that mosque near ground zero. even as the first couple and daughter sasha arrived on the gulf coast for a weekend getaway, it was mr. obama's support for the construction of a mosque close to new york's ground zero that has proven controversial. >> i believe that muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. that includes the right to build a place of worship in a community center on private property in lower manhattan in accordance with local laws and ordinances. >> reporter: his remarks at a white house dinner honoring the start of the mugs limb holy month ramadan came after aides repeatedly declined to take sides calling it a local mat

chip reid, cbs news, panama city beach, florida. >>>> mitchell: whatever the political impact of the president's latest stand, it appears he's already been bumped as his party's most popular headliner. manuel gallegus has more on the growing role of the democrat's real first campaigner. >> reporter: with first lady michelle obama now more popular than the president, some congressional democrats believe she's their secret weapon this fall. >> i think she should be deployed as much as possible and as much as she's willing and able to to help the cause. >> reporter: cbs news has confirmed four democrats have requested the first lady on the campaign trail, first-term congressman gerald connelly, who faces a close race in virginia, calls mrs. obama a political asset. >> it's critical that we make sure our base stays energized. michelle obama has i think enormous power in energizing the base and reenergizing the base where that's necessary. >> reporter: the first lady has won praise for her efforts to curb childhood obesity. he's also known for being a mom in chief and fashion icon. >> eve

. >>> president obama is visiting panama city, florida, with his family this weekend. the trip is intended to encourage tourism after the gulf coast oil spill that has damaged the region over the past few months. the president promised action for frustrated gulf coast residents who haven't received any money from the $20 million b.p. compensation opportunity. >> i want to be clear about this. any delay by b.p. or those managing the new fund are unseasonable and i will keep pushing to get these claims expedite it. >> alan: the gulf coast is trying've from major drop in summer tourism over concerns over oil and tar balls on beaches. the president plans to go swimming but not in front of temperature -- temperature -- tv cameras. >> strong reaction to the president's comments regarding plans to build a mosque near ground zero. >>> the last u.s. combat brigades coming home from iraq. >> leigh: after some sunshine today, mainly inland, we're actually starting to see low clouds and fog moving back in towards the coast and bay. towards the coast and bay. it will be caitlin: i

carson city nevada and panama city in florida round out the top five.ck all the places in this list is our whats on the web section on www.kron4.com. >> a new artistic addition to san francisco waterfront this large sculpture of a rocket ship has drawn quite a crowd its unveiling this afternoon it's called the raid gone gone stands 40 ft. high and weighs 8 t. it's a collective work of dozens of bay area artist and is located along the embarcadero. this will remain on display until october of next year. >> taking a look outside over downtown san francisco if a mix of the low clouds and a few sun breaks out there. the fog will continue to be a big story in a forecast. all level forecast coming up in just a few minutes. to quit this. - well, how about... - that smokers' helpline? yeah, they can give me a plan. - help me through the rough spots. - so you're ready to... quit? everyone wants me to quit-- my doctor, my wife, the dog. - not good for the dog. - anyone else? hmm? what? anyone else want you to quit? me! i want me to quit. tdd# 800-933-4833 - ( rin

we begin with nbc's mike viqueira, who is in panama city beach again tonight. >> reporter: the president is back in washington after spending overnight in the florida panhandle with his family. but the controversy over his support of the mosque near ground zero has followed him here and back. and today it shows little sign of dying down. the obamas closed out their gulf coast getaway this weekend with a boat ride. and caught a glimpse of a porpoise as it breached the calm, bay waters. but overshadowing his gulf trip, a storm over the president's comments in support of a mosque near ground zero. >> the white house, the administration, the president himself seems to be disconnected from the mainstream of america. >> the controversy began friday, at a white house dinner marking the start of the muslim holy month of ramadan. >> i believe that muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. that includes the right to build a place of worship in a community center on private property. in lower manhattan. in accordance with local laws and ordinances. >> the r

andrew's bay near panama city, florida. that's where a dolphin put on a free show for the president. since he is there trying to promote tourism for the reason, following the devastating oil spill. the president promised the gulf residence to continue federal help with those environmental areas and the economic recovery. >>> republicans are warning a political fallout, following the president's remarks last night in support of the new mosque near ground zero. they came in a white house dinner, marking the muslim holy month. and the express support of the right of the muslims to build a mosque on the private property, just blocks the side of the september 11 attacks. today, reaction on the talk show fell along the party lines. >> the mosque is an unfortunate situation for when we do have a right to practice our religion freely, wherever we choose. rights are not subject to the popular vote of the majority vote. >> and actually, the president might be right. but that this is an emotional issue and people who lost kids, brothe

earlier today, he visited panama city, florida, and gave a statement to the press about where bp and local communities go from here. watch his comments tonight here on c-span. >> this week on "communicators," a discussion on the role of homeland security in stopping intellectual property theft. our guest is dr. erik barnett. erik barnett >> -- >> erik barnett what is your responsibility when it comes to counterfeit and piracy? >> i am the assistant deputy director of i.c.e. we aim to protect american businesses from having their products taken, copied, and sold. imitations. or if it is electronic data like a movie being put on the internet, where responsibility is the second-largest the federal law enforcement agency. we are using our agency to enforce criminal laws that protect american companies. >> it is immigration and customs responsibility. this is an international problem? >> it is an international problem. the united states is not alone in having its products taken and sold as counterfeits. we are fortunate because we have 63 offices in 44 countries. we work with our partners

. >> so i went to panama city with her aunt and sister. he has an ak-47 on the property. is that probable cause to execute a search warrant? and it was. >> reporter: by then, wild bill and jane, really william and laura, had fled. law enforcement caught up with them in nicaragua. laura is being held now as an accomplice to murder. armed with a warrant, police searched hacienda cortez. they asked keith to come along. >> they found her camera, credit cards, purse. they wanted me to identify those items. the last thing i thought i'd be identifying her body coming out of a hole in the backyard. >> reporter: my god. >> yeah. horrific. >> reporter: five bodies turned up. cher hughes, bo isler. the entire brown family. in back of the house holbert allegedly bought from the browns. do you sense any remorse? >> i don't know. i tonight think so. i think he's -- he seems to be very calm. >> reporter: pan man yan police chief interviewed wild bill in jail. how did he kill them? >> he used a .38 caliber. he was saying very proudly that he shot them in the back of the neck, all the vic

. >> reporter: they plan a weekend in panama city, florida, when she return.haryl attkisson, cbs news, white house. >>> earlier on "the early show," my interview with wyclef jean on his bid to become haiti's next president. good morning! ♪ [ female announcer ] nutri-grain -- one good decision... ♪ ...can lead to another. ♪ ♪ ...made with real fruit and now with more of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. nutri-grain can help you there's oil out there we've got to capture. my job is to hunt it down. i'm fred lemond, and i'm in charge of bp's efforts to remove oil from these waters. you may have heard that oil is no longer flowing into the gulf, but our spotter planes and helicopters will keep searching. we've still got thousands of vessels ready to clean up any oil we find. we've skimmed over 35 million gallons of oil/water mixture. i grew up on the gulf coast and i love these waters. we'll be here as long as it takes to clean up the gulf. >>> in japan this morning a ceremony to honor those who died in the bombing of h

which is why you saw them in panama city, florida, this weekend. it was both an effort to cast a vote of confidence in the gulf, but also to get back in touch with where ordinary americans are. >> schieffer: to be continued. thank you, both. i'll be back in a moment with some final thoughts. >> schieffer: finally today, i came to washington in 1969, during the nixon administration. my first beat was the pentagon, and the secretary of defense was former republican congressman melvin laird, who i came to believe was, with a possible exception of lyndon johnson, the best politician i ever knew; certainly, one of the wisest. mel and i became life-long friends. he's well into his 80s now, but he's sharp as ever. and he's worried about the all- volunteer army that he helped to create, and worried about where we're going in afghanistan. in a letter last week, he said the volunteer force has far exceeded his expectations, but that we are asking too much of it now and the "multiple deployments and disregard for the personal and family life of our troops and

. >> reporter: the president, first lady, and youngest daughter sasha landed in panama city this morning to begin a short working vacation along the gulf coast. >> the governor and the mayors and others invited us down to enjoy the beach and the water. >> reporter: but first, he sat down to talk recovery with officials and business owners from the region. the mission of this overnight stay clearly to signal that gulf coast waters, beaches, and businesses are open and safe. >> the gulf is open for business. that the beaches look great. and the restaurants are good. >> reporter: it is a message that echoes in south louisiana, where fishing waters have reopened. but commercial fishermen, shrimpers and charter captains are still struggling to convince many that their catch is clean. with no customers, charter captain james wilson spent his morning catching dinner. and says he has no worries about what he'll eat. >> our walleye fisheries, they've done over 1,000 tissue samples and all our fish are fine, safe to eat. the main thing is getting the big misconception that the whole coast is cover

they'll spend the weekend in panama city, florida, katie. >> couric: sharyl attkisson, thank you, sharyl. and coming up next here on >> couric: and coming up next here on the cbs evening news, the dilemma for democratic candidates-- they may not want the president to campaign for them, but they do need him to raise money. and later, bob schieffer has reported on the nation's political battle-- now he's speaking about his own personal fight against cancer. >> couric: president obama is making a campaign blitz from one end of the country to the other in his head dual role as head fund raiser and commander in chief. the candidates want the campaign money but perhaps not a photo with the president, not right now, anyway. >> reporter: well, katie, the president loves escaping this place and getting out on the campaign trail, but this year he has a problem-- a lots of democrats don't want him anywhere near his district >> we are going to keep on moving forward for years and decades to come. thank you, chicago. >> reporter: there's nothing like a day on the campaign trail to get president obama

president making some news at the annual dinner on friday evening and following up on that yesterday in panama city, florida, on the issue of freedom of speech and freedom of religion and that mosque two blocks from ground zero. here's president obama. >> let me be clear. as a citizen and as president, i believe that muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. [applause] >> and that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private party in lower manhattan in accordance with local laws and ordinances. this is america. and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. the principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are. the founders must endure. >> and the president again yesterday saying that he wasn't really weighing in on ground zero but the first amendment. >> i wonder, it was such a politically bold move to weigh in on this in the beginning. i wonder if the truble might be from nuance. it was liz cheney who said

he joins us from panama city beach in florida. mike, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, kate. the first family minus malia who is still away at camp came to florida's panhandle in part to show tourists and americans at large that it's safe to come back to the coast. but as the president's comments last night and the aftermath of those comments, he and his aides have been dealing with this controversial support for building that mosque near ground zero. even as the first couple and daughter sasha arrived this morning on the gulf coast for a weekend getaway, it is mr. obama's support last night for the construction of a mosque close to new york's ground zero that has proven controversial. >> i believe that muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower manhattan in accordance with local laws and ordinances. >> reporter: his remarks at a white house dinner honoring the start of the muslim holy month of ramadan came after white house aides sa

his split from now ex-wife elin nordegren was finalized in a courtroom in panama city, florida. the golf superstar and the former nanny, now the mother of his two children, were both in court as the judge closed the case including a financial settlement -- details not disclosed. the couple married six years ago. they will share custody of those two children. >>> when we come back, remembering the man who wrote what became the theme song of an american generation. ♪ [ female announcer ] this is not a prescription. this is diane. diane, who has diabetes and a daughter who could use a little perspective. diane, who worked with her walgreens pharmacist to keep her blood-sugar numbers in check with a few changes to her diet. ♪ diane, who's showing her daughter the world's a bit bigger than 8th grade. expertise -- find it everywhere there's a walgreens. ♪ now the healing power of touch just got more powerful. introducing precise from the makers of tylenol. precise pain relieving cream works quickly to activate sensory receptors. it helps block pain signals fast for relief you can feel

and david kerley is with him in panama city, florida. david, this visit is not exactly r & r, correct? >> no, it isn't, david. the president is doing a little selling, a little reassuring, telling the country with the well capped now, the gulf of mexico is open for business after the devastating oil spill. they took their own advise, coming to the gulf course for a short vacation with the president becoming tourist director in chief. >> to americans all across the country, come on down and visit. >> billions are at stake. beaches closed today because of strong currents, not oil, certainly aren't crowded. one study suggests up to a quarter off the gulf's business could be lost over the years. nearly $23 billion, but it's not just tourism. >> we also want to keep our focus here and not simply forget it just because the well is capped. >> he said his administration will stay on the job. and on top of bp until the gulf is clean. this beach which saw only a few tar balls, is clean. and angie weaver from virginia is surprised it's so quiet. >>

it is a privilege to be here in panama city beach with the men and women of the united states coast guard. i wanted to come here personally and express my gratitude to you for the effort that you've waged in response to the bp oil spill. and i know michelle wanted to do the same, so we're looking forward to having a chance to shake hands with you and thank you personally for this great work that you've been doing day in, day out. michelle, just last month, was down in mississippi, where she met folks from the coast guard about the spill, and she had the chance to christen the new cutter -- the stratton. the coast guard was the first on the scene, immediately launching a search-and-rescue operation for the missing. and you were the first to recognize that we were potentially looking at a massive spill even before the rig collapsed and the oil began to leak from the seafloor. and a day and a half later, in a meeting with thad allen and others, i instructed the coast guard, the department of homeland security, and other agencies to treat this response as their number-one priority. and that's

and i reiterated this just now when i met with a few small business owners from the panama city area, along with governor charlie crist and not only the mayors of this region, but also some of the business owners who are affected -- folks like captain gary jarvis, a charter boat operator from destin. gary started fishing as a deckhand back in 1978, and he's been captain for the past three decades, making his living on the water. he's lost fully half of his business because of the spill, though he's been able to use his boat as a vessel of opportunity in the past few months. and he's extraordinarily knowledgeable about these waters, being both a charter fisherman and a commercial fisherman. and he had some terrific suggestions about how, working with scientists from noaa and other federal agencies, we can do even more to make sure that we are monitoring and maintaining and improving the fishing off the coast of florida and across the gulf. i also had a chance to speak to lee ann leonard, general manager of by the sea resorts. she's seen a big decline in tourism. june wasn't too bad, bu

for tonight's tool time we're taking you down to the beaches of panama city florida it's where president obama vacationed with the first family and where he took a little dip in the ocean just to prove how safe those gulf waters really are well this motion surely got the press's attention they are remember what president obama looks like the last time he went swimming but this time around it seems like the press got a much more modest picture of obama in the water intensional apparently reports are saying a president requested not to have any pictures taken of himself shirtless because he thought it would draw a little too much attention i think governor it was last time so instead of this photo showing only his head and just a little bit of the shoulders as the only proof of obama's dip in the ocean drop too much attention. i think there's a different reason we think that maybe it's because obama doesn't have that same old physique that he used to these days after all he is a burger addicts don't you remember when he took russian president dmitry medvedev to raise hell burger talk polit

president obama was in panama city florida with his family, trying to encourage people to visit the gulfoast after the oil spill damaged the region. the president promised action for the residents who haven't seen a penny from the compensation fund. >> i want to be clear, any delay by b.p. or those managing the new funds are unacceptable and i will keep pushing to get claims expedite it. >> alan: the gulf coast is trying to recover from a tourism slump. the white house released this picture of the president swimming with his daughter. >>> there's been strong reaction to the president's remarks about a proposed mask. the building is a shos distance from grownt zero. for many it's too short. >> president barack obama may be back-pedaling a bit in his support of the islamic community center two blocks from ground zero. >> i was not commenting, and i will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there i was commenting specifically on the right that people have that dates back to our funding. >> reporter: the president is referring to comments he made friday night at the

avid kerley, abc news, panama city, florida. theredavid mentioned, there are rme potential political we'recations here, so we're going to go to our senior rick klein weeklyton editor rick klein, for his weekly "political insights" segment. ht when republicans right when they say the democrats are going to be hurt by this in november? an, this is: dan, this is taking a local issue and made it national. untry democrat in the country qun now be asked the question, ith theagree or disagree with president obama on this issue? and they and they know in answering that uestion that president is on orityinority side. s st of the public disagrees s alshim. this is also an issue that is controversia particularly controversial among the very inden me dent voters hat democrats need to keep in the fold if they're going to and onto the majority. >> the white house said the president knowingly took an unpopular stance because it's a matter of principle. ciple. you think he felt the eed to clarify his statement? >> reporter: the white house inie

the scientists released video taken three miles south of panama city florida and said it shows dropletsf oil floating in the water. 80% of the oil still lurks beneath the surface. >> the concern is that these are rivers below the water. they are not rivers of oil below the water, they are disbursed droplets of oil. >>> a suspect is in jail tonight after a stand off in sacramento that lasted several hours. oakland police say they got a tip bryan brown was held up in a san francisco apartment this afternoon. after brown refused to surrender, a s.w.a.t. team fired tear gas into the apartment. brown had cut a hole in the wall leading to the next door apartment. that's where they arrested him. brown was wanted for the shooting death of 32-year-old james wilkin late last month. >>> there's new information about a deadly offer shooting. the man killed is identified as 20-year-old edgar erisondo. his mother says she called police for help because he hasn't taken his medication for depression and was drinking. burlingame police say the young man moved toward officers with a knife and one officer

the scientists released video taken three miles south of panama city florida and said it shows droplets of oil floating in the water. 80% of the oil still lurks beneath the surface. >> the concern is that these are rivers below the water. they are not rivers of oil below the water, they are disbursed droplets of oil. >>> a suspect is in jail tonight after a stand off in sacramento that lasted several hours. oakland police say they got a tip bryan brown was held up in a san francisco apartment this afternoon. after brown refused to surrender, a s.w.a.t. team fired tear gas into the apartment. brown had cut a hole in the wall leading to the next door apartment. that's where they arrested him. brown was wanted for the shooting death of 32-year-old james wilkin late last month. >>> there's new information about a deadly offer shooting. the man killed is identified as 20-year-old edgar erisondo. his mother says she called police for help because he hasn't taken his medication for depression and was drinking. burlingame police say the young man moved toward officers with a knife and one offic

gulf coast areas that depend on tourists are happy the first family spend part of the weekend in panama city florida. the president and his daughter sasha having fun in the clear green water brought good publicity. >>> this morning president obama is trying to put out a political wild fire he triggered while on that trip. ktvu scott mcfarlane in washington dc with the latest surrounding plans to build a mosque at ground zero. good morning scott. >> good morning to you. a very hot controversy over this mosque at ground zero, site of the 9/11 terror attack. he said last week he did support plans to build this mosque and tried to soften his position over the weekend by saying he didn't think it was a good idea to do so. they have tried to use this as a wedge issue, the republicans, tries to force a divide. >> i think the president is trying to have it both ways. i don't know anyone saying muslims do not have the right to practice their religion but with rights go responsibility. >> the white house doesn't want this to become a campaign issue. tough luck because the president is about to embark

traveling the president in panama city beach florida. >> the berkeley national lab said the wind power industry is expanding rapidly creating well paying job that are difficult to export. the report said power created by wind increased by a factor of five between 2004 and 2009. the number of turbine companies brew from five to 16 in that time. analysts say many of those jobs will remain in the united states due to the high cost of transporting turbine that can weigh as much as 400-tons each. >> coming up on the news, a new threat to the millions of refuges left homeless by floods in pakistan. >> sciencists gather to look at threat of climate change that may be responsible for the fires and floods all over the world. . and word that the president may not get his wish to withdraw troops afghanistan as soon as next summer. . >>> the commander of united states forces in afghanistan warned a scheduled withdraw of troop there next july may not happen on time. the general said he would advice the president to delay withdrawal in necessary and that his advice would be based on conditions insid

some who worked in panama city beach say tourists are coming back. >> we're able to pick up business here. >> reporter: the will overnight in florida before running home to washington sunday. -- returning home to washington sunday. >>> in california, the race for governor is now in a dead heat. republican meg whitman and jerry brown are virtually tied with 44% of californian supporting wittman, and 43% supporting jerry brown. meanwhile, meg whitman continues to pump millions into her campaign. the republican gop candidate dug into her personal wealth and donated a number $13 million to her campaign. the former ebay executive has contributed $104 million of her own fortune into the political run, and speaking of money, california also needs a lot of t so what are meg whitman and jerry brown's plans to fix the budget problems and the economy? they both released reports this week on that issue. we have john to talk about that. i've read the reports, you've reward the plans for the economic recovery of california. your impression? do either one have anything there that's very specific? >

president will try to boost confidence and promote gulf coast tourism when he takes the first family to panama cityorida this week. >>> and still ahead, people ending up on wanted posters just for doing their job. >>> and take a look at this, see the low clouds and the fog. this is the reason we're experiencing yet another very cool summer here in the bay area. the day that it will hit the 90s. we'll pinpoint that location as well as eyewitness news continues ,,,, ,,,, 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 conditi

they released this video 40 miles south of panama city, florida. it shows droplets of oil floating in the water. they say they believe as much as 80% of the oil still lurks below the surface that contradicts the government's claims half of the leaked oil has either been collected or dissolved. >>> there has been a shake up within the san francisco police department. two high ranking officer have been demoted. the president of the police officers association says assistant chief kevin cashman and investigations commander john loftis were moated by the chief. both have ties to the crime lab where a former technician is accused of stealing drugs. both have more than 20 year, experience with the department. >> 6:15, alameda's fire chief is under fire, accused of gassing up his personal cars and having the city pay for it. david cap already, who earns more than $195,000 a year cass caught on camera filling up his bmw convertic and his honda pickup truck at the so i's gas pump. some firefighters took those photos thenceforwarded them to the mayor, who ca

the first family spent part of the weekend in panama city, florida, businesses in that area are happy about the good publicity after losing the entire tourist season this year. they hope images of the president and the dauger having fun in the green wart will encourage visitors from around the region to make an end of summer beach trip. >>> president obama arrives in southern california this afternoon to help raise money for the democratic national campaign committee with a dinner in los angeles, seats are priced at $2500. >> they have begun a round of military drills today despite threats from north korea. over the next 10 days 30,000 american troops will take part in computer simulated war games, along with 56,000 south korean soldiers. an angry north korea chains this is preparation for attack and warns it will retaliate against south korea. >>> well, the new commander of u.s. forces in afghanistan says it is possible the planned reduction of u.s. troops next summer may not happen as scheduled. some 100 thousand troops are currently on the ground there. president obama has set a ju

david kerley is traveling with the president and joins us from panama city, florida. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, the president has another morning of rest and relaxation. we had a couple of thunderstorms in the past hour or so ago. and the president walked into a storm of criticism over the comments of the mosque. it is the picture so many in the gulf wanted to see. the president swimming in the water that until weeks ago was threatened by the oil spill but the president's efforts to help the gulf recover -- being a tourist. >> oh, nice. >> reporter: -- watching his daughter get a hole in one playing miniature golf -- are being overshadowed by his decision to jump into the debate about a prayer center near ground zero. friday night, he said muslims have a right to build there. saturday, a clarification. >> i was not commenting, and i will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. i was commenting very specifically on the right that people have that dates back to our founding. that's what our country is about. >> reporter: many

it says, "jimmy, i live in panama city, florida.on the beach over here. it's a real bummer. can you sing your protest song about it?" that's a great suggestion, martha. of course, i'll sing the protest song. [ cheers and applause ] testing, one, two. [ laughter ] ♪ ♪ the oil spill by bp has left tar balls all over the sea ♪ ♪ so don't go swimming down in the south unless you want tar balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ balls in your mouth balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ don't swim in the ocean you'll get balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ balls in your mouth balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ don't swim in the ocean you'll get balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ come on ♪ balls in your mouth balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ don't swim in the ocean you'll get balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ balls in your mouth balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ don't swim in the ocean you'll get balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ balls in your mouth balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ don't swim in the ocean you'll get balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ balls in your mouth balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ don't swim in the ocean you'll get balls in your mouth ♪ ♪ come on ♪

this morning the first family is in panama city, florida, president obama trying to encourage peopleo visit the gulf coast after the oil spill that damaged the region. the president has promised action for frustrated residents that haven't seen a penny from the b.p. compensation fund. >> i want to be clear about this. any delay by b.p. or those managing the new fund are unacceptable and i will keep pushing to get these claims expedited. >> as you know, the gulf coast is trying to recover from a major tourist slump because of concerns over oil and tar balls of that washed on to the beaches. the white house released this picture of the president swimming with his daughter sasha but he did not appear in front of the media like he did last year. well, there has been some strong reaction to the president's remarks about a proposed mosque in new york city. that building is a short distance from ground zero. for many that is simply too close. abc's lindsay davis has the latest developments. >> president obama may be backpedalling in support of his $100 million islamic community center from

this morning the first family is in panama city, florida. president obama is trying to encourage people to visit the gulf coast after the oil spill. the president has promised action for frustrated residents who haven't seen a penny from the $20 billion b.p. compensation fund. >> i want to be clear about this. any delay by b.p. or those managing the new funds are unacceptable and i will keep pushing to get these claims expedited. >> as you know, the gulf coast is trying to recover from a major tourist slump because of concerns over all that oil and the tar balls of that washed on to the beaches. the white house released this picture of the president swimming with his daughter sasha but he did not appear in front of the media like he did last year. there has been some strong reaction to the president's remarks about a proposed mosque in new york city. that building is a short distance from ground zero. for many that is too close. abc's lindsay davis has the latest. >> president barack obama may be backpedalling a bit in support of his $100 mi

they spent the weekend in panama city, florida.usinesses there are happy about the publicity after losing most of to tourist season. they hope pictures like this will encourage visitors from around the area and around the country to make an end of the summer trip to the beach. >>> president obama by the way arrives in southern california this afternoon. he will be helping to raise money for the democratic cona campaign committee at a fund- raising disirning los angeles, seats for that dinner are priced at $2500. >> u.s. and south korean troops have just begun a round of military drills today despite threats from north korea. over the next ten days thy thousand u.s. troops along with 56,000 soldiers from south korea will take part in computer simulated war games. an angry north korea claims this is preparation for an attack and warned that it will retaliate against south korea. >> 6:17. back here at home sal it sounds like everyone is behaving on a monday morning. >> that's right, everywhere, even in the south bay. we will start the