betty, back to you. >> tara mergener joining us live in washington. tara, thank you. >>> the united states is imposing new sanctions against north korea. secretary of state hillary clinton announced the measures during a visit to seoul, south korea, this morning. the sanctions include the purchase and sale of arms and freezing the assets of individuals. clinton says the sanctions are aimed at the north korean government, not its people. >>> bp is denying a report that chief executive tony hayward will resign. "the times" of london says he could step down as early as next month. hayward has come under intense criticism for his handling of the gulf oil spill. a bp spokesman says hayward, quote, remains very much in charge. >>> in the gulf, government officials say the containment cap on the leaking well is holding up so far. five leaks have been discovered around the well machinery, but they're described as very small drips. bp has been given another 24 hours to keep the 75-ton cap in place. the company is considering trying to plug the leak with the so-

let's get the latest now from tara mergener in washington. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning, betty. on the surface the oil seems to be vanishing pretty fast. it's what we can't see that's causing the concern. nearly two weeks after bp capped the gushing well, there appears to be less oil floating on the water's surface. but government scientists warn that doesn't mean it isn't still lurking deep below. >> we're currently doing a very careful analysis to better understand where the oil has gone and where the remaining impacts are most likely to occur. >> reporter: federal officials say some of the oil appears to be breaking apart very quickly. but large underwater plumes have some experts worried. they fear much of the crude is still trapped below the surface after more than 700,000 gallons of chemical dispersants were used to break it up. the permanent solution, a relief well, is still several weeks away. the government is still trying to figure out who should be held accountable for the disaster. the fcc and justice department ar

tara mergener is in washington with the latest on this. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning, betty. these files give a very detailed account of the years in question from full military logs to hundreds of key events. the white house is condemning what's being called one of the biggest leaks of intelligence history. sunday whistle-blower website wikileaks posted more than 90,000 classified military records detailing six years of the afghanistan war. the bombshell leak includes unreported incidents of afghan civilian killings and covert operations against taliban figures. "the new york times" was granted early access to the documents and say they also is suggest the u.s. feared that pakistan may have actually helped the taliban. in a statement sunday, national security adviser general james jones called the leak a threat to national security, which could put the lives of americans and our partners at risk. the documents are largely what's called raw intelligence, reports from junior officers in the field that analysts use to advise

tara mergener is in washington with much more on this story. boy, things have changed in a matter of, what, 24 hours, tara? >> reporter: that's right, betty. good morning. after accepting apologies from both the white house and the a agriculture secretary, sherrod weighs her option but the controversy rages on. shirley sherrod is still deciding on whether to go back to the department of agriculture. >> she has a unique set of skills which would lend assisting usda as we deal with trying to turn the page on our civil rights chapter. >> reporter: secretary tom vilsack offered to rehire the 62-year-old wednesday for a new role, just days after firing her over this speech. >> and here i was helping a white person save their land. >> reporter: the edited clip posted online by conservative bloggers appeared to show sherrod making racist remarks, but it soon became clear the comments were taken out of context. and there was actually nothing racist about the speech at all. >> without a doubt, miss sherrod is owed an apology. i would do so, certainly, on

tara mergener is in washington with us for you, joining us live. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning, betty. as you said, this fix is not permanent but there is a big sense of relief this morning, albeit, a cautious one. bp's latest fix appears to be doing its job, at least for now. >> i think everyone feels we've begun to turn a corner. >> reporter: for the first time thursday the company managed to block the flow of oil with a new tighter fitting cap. it's what gulf coast residents have been waiting nearly three months for. >> that is a big relief. at least part of the problem is over. >> reporter: but to one is celebrating just yet. engineers must closely monitor the pressure buildup to make sure the well stays intact and no new leaks erupt. >> once we're convinced it can withstand the pressure after that 48 hours, we can certainly consider shutting in the well. >> reporter: president obama is cautiously optimistic. he called thursday's progress a positive sign, but warned the cap is still in its testing phase. the next two days will be

tara mergener is in washington with the latest on this. if it's not one thing, it's another thing, tara. >> reporter: that's right, betty. good morning. just as bp was making progress, crews are now clearing out of the area. but officials say, safety first. dozens of surface ships are moving out of bonnie's way. >> while this is not a hurricane it's a storm that will have probably significant impacts and we're taking appropriate precautions. >> reporter: admiral thad allen issued the evacuation order thursday night, just hours after the system turned into a tropical storm. by saturday bonnie could be churning in the gulf. the government is allowing bp to keep its cap in place, confident it will hold. but that means the ruptured well will go unwatched for days. >> we have to take action. we have to make sure the people are safe. that's the first priority. >> reporter: even if it's not a direct hit, the rough weather will likely delay efforts to plug the well by at least a week. but there is some good news. the government is allowing commerci

tara mergener is in washington, she joins us now with the latest on this. seems like a lot to deal with today, tara. >> reporter: that's right. good morning, betty. testing of this containment cap was supposed to be over by now but the fate of this temporary fix is now up in the air. possible seepage detected near the ruptured well could mean trouble for bp's containment cap. in a letter to the company sunday, admiral thad allen, the government's point man for the disaster, ordered the company to quickly investigate and report findings to the government and provide a written procedure for opening the choke valve as quickly as possible. since the well was capped last thursday, officials have been worried the pressure buildup would cause oil or methane gas to begin pouring out. earlier sunday, bp's chief operating officer had expressed hope the cap could stay put until a relief well can permanently seal the leak next month. >> we're hopeful if encouraging signs continue we would be able to continue the integrity tests all the way to where we get the well kille

tara mergener is in washington with the latest on this. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning, betty. well, for now, bp is getting its way, but the company has been told to stay alert and watch for signs of trouble. bp's containment cap is staying put for now. >> we do not believe this is consequential at this time. >> reporter: the government official in charge of the spill insists there is no cause for alarm even though the 75-ton device is leaking oil and gas. two miles away, something is also seeping from the sea floor. >> they do not present at least at this point any indication that there is a threat to the wellbore. >> reporter: bp engineers will continue keeping a close eye on the well, watching for any new leaks. pressure readings are slowly climbing, a good sign, but government scientists are still trying to figure out why they are so low. bp wants to keep the cap in place until relief wells are completed. but the government has asked the company to draw up plans in case the cap needs to be opened. >> if there's any indica

. >>> i'm tara mergener in washington.100 days since the start of the oil crisis in the gulf. the government is still trying to figure out who should be held accountable. the latest coming up. >>> and the view behind me is about to change forever. it is an historic morning at the bay bridge. we'll tell you what is planned for today and over the next several weeks coming up. the 28th of july. ,,,,,,,, our real national pastime? saving money. and like baseball people love their stats. i started bringing my lunch to work -- 50 bucks a week in my pocket. here's a good one: state farm insures 40 million drivers. more than geico and progressive combined. i saved because i'm accident-free. of course, with so many ways to save including discounts of up to 40%, having that many customers shouldn't be a surprise. so ask a neighbor about state farm, then call an agent at 1-800-state-farm or go online. appreciation sale for extra savings, now through saturday! save an extra 15% on all regular, sale, and clearance items -- no exclusion

>> i'm tara mergener in washington. a black agriculture department worker who was forced to resign this week has received an apology and a job offer. the latest coming up. ,,,,,, [ cell phone rings ] [ john ] i love these new cell phones. [ wife ] he just got a new phone and he can't stop using it. boom! profile pic. [ cell phone rings ] do you guys needs a moment? since john is always on his phone, we thought he'd like using wells fargo mobile banking. just paid the electric bill. wow. he's able to pay his bills, check his balance. wow. [ banker ] even transfer money between accounts. i can tell you what's playing, if you like. i can tell you, too. see? oh. [ male announcer ] wells fargo. with you when life is mobile. ♪ with blockbuster on demand, this does hit films on a 4.3-inch screen so big, the way you see them will never be the same. introducing the new droid x. pre-loaded with blockbuster. the next generation of does. >>> good morning. it is thursday, the 22nd of july. >> good morning. pretty cool around the bay

. >>> i'm tara mergener in washington. bp's containment cap is leak.hat happens next coming up. >> and when does your sick call to work affect hundreds of people? when it's your job to get people to work. we'll tell you about an a.c. transit sickout that's been alleged and how that might affect the morning commute today coming up. ,,,,,,,,,, da dan: i had a biopsy and i had high-risk prostate cancer. i was depressed. i was shocked. sometimes cancer makes you feel very lonely. the doctors can do their best to cure the cancer, but it takes all of the other stuff to make you a whole person again. i've been given a second chance. announcer: at sutter health, our story is you. for more stories, visit sutterhealth.org. >>> your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. caption colorado, l.l.c. >>> good morning! it's tuesday, the 20th of july. >> good morning, everyone. it is 5:30. get up and at 'em and out the door. we'll take a check of our weather. but first a look at our commute with elizabeth. >>> the marin county commute southbound 101 looks good, so

in washington, tara mergener, cbs 5. >>> it's 5:05. oakland police offering up $1,000 for help in finding the looters who trashed downtown oakland last week. the department's released 15 photos of people they would like to identify. they show rioters looting a foot locker, beauty store and a sears on broadway following the verdict in the killing of oscar grant. >> we need the public to come forward to give us their names so we can follow up and arrest them, to show and send a message out that this is not a playground for criminals to come in and loot and steal items in the city of oakland. >>> dozens of businesses in downtown oakland damaged last thursday night. 78 people were arrested. nine people are charged so far with felonies. we have a link to all the pictures as well as the opd tip line on our website, cbs5.com. >>> there is now a lawsuit in connection with a murder of vallejo city councilman matt garcia. garcia's mother has filed a $16 million wrongful death suit against the two men convicted in the killing. the councilman was

tara mergener on the new problem that appears to have surfaced. >>> reporter: bp has been given anotherp its containment cap on the ruptured well in the gulf. the government's point man for the disaster admiral thad allen gave the go-ahead after the company promised to closely monitor the sea floor for signs of a new leak. in a letter to bp sunday, allen referred to seepage detected near the well and ordered the company to quickly investigate and report findings to the government and provide a written procedure for opening the choke valve as quickly as possible. since the well was capped last thursday, official have been worried the pressure build-up would cause oil or methane gas to begin pouring out. earlier sunday, bp's chief operating officer had expressed hope the cap could stay put until a relief well could permanently seal the leak next month. >> we are hopeful that if the encouraging signs continue we'll be able to continue the integrity test to the point we'll be able to kill the well. >> reporter: federal officials will ultimately decide what to do next. the original plan was

tara mergener in washington thanks. harry? okay erica, now to the latest in the disaster in the gulf, where there is reason for hope this morning that oil has finally stopped gushing from that blown-out well. but the next 36 hours of testing the new containment cap will tell the whole story. cbs news correspondent kelly cobiella is on the gulf coast in grand isle, louisiana. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, harry. this is what gulf coast residents have been both pleading and praying for for nearly three months now, stop the flow of oil. well, that flow has now been stopped for more than 19 hours, and using this new, tighter fitting cap system. if you look at those cameras a mile down on the ocean floor, there is no oil coming from that well this morning. engineers are still checking the pressure. they're checking it every six hours. high pressure means the well is holding. low pressure means there is a leak. now, bp vice president ken wells says that so far it looks like the pressure is good inside that new cap.