thad allen saying progress reports every six hours. as for the concerns, much of them centered on the piping inside that blown-out well, that extends 13,000 feet into the sea floor. some scientists asking, once capped, can it withstand all of that pressure, or will the trapped oil blow through any weak spots in that well? >> they have to be careful when they close it down to make sure that pressure doesn't come up quickly and cause any of the pipes to rupture. >> reporter: meantime, halted during the testing process is the digging of the relief well, the permanent solution, which is now so close, just four feet from the side of the troubled well. another 150 feet down to go. late today, we asked louisiana's governor about the delayed decision. he told us, the stakes are very high. >> we are at a point where we cannot afford for them to make this worse. we cannot afford for them to do damage to this well. >> well, david, good news that the tests, at least, are under way. but we keep hearing about the pressure. give us a number so when w

so far, no announcement from either thad allen or b.p. on any possible leaks. >> mitchell: kelly cobiella in grand isle, louisiana, thank you very much. in iraq, a suicide bomber attacked a group of sunni awakening council fighters who were waiting to get paid west of baghdad. officials say the bomber killed at least 45 of the anti-al qaeda fighters and wounded dozens more. and a suicide bomber struck in afghanistan today as well, one day ahead of an international conference to be attended by secretary of state clinton. mandy clark has the latest tonight from the afghan capital of kabul. >> reporter: kabul is getting ready. this week delegates from 44 nations will arrive here for an aid conference in, and the afghan president wants to show that he's in control. but the insurgents sent a message of their own. a suicide bomber killed at least two afghans and injured 20 on this busy street. the leader of the taliban ordered his followers to kill any afghan who works with foreigners. security is still the urgent need here, and increasingly it

thad allen says officials are now very closely watching some storms that are forming over puerto rico to see if they could actually move into the gulf and impact the work there. rob? >> emily schmidt in washington. thanks. >>> prime minister cameron is also having to answer questions about the release of the convicted lockerbie bomber. there are mounting criticisms that bp pressured the government to release him from jail to gain access to oil. senators from new york and new jersey met with the prime minister and asked him to order an investigation. >> the best news that we came out with was that the prime minister said that our request for an independent investigation, not just to look at the documents, was still on the table. >> cameron said he believes the libyan was released by the scottish government on humanitarian grounds because he was seriously ill. >>> and one more note from the prime minister's visit to washington. he extended an invitation to the president, from the queen, for an official state visit to britain. the timing still has to be worked out. >>> democratic lawmake

and diane, plans to kill the well are ahead of schedule, thad allen says. the static kill could happen this weekend. >> so, this weekend could be it. thank you, jeffrey. that is the news from the gulf tonight. >>> and next, the u.s. army pushed to the brink. that's the conclusion of the army's own report, released today. it is a portrait of drug use, suicide and crime among soldiers, all soaring. the report actually says, quote, we are often more dangerous to ourselves than the enemy. martha raddatz has the human cost of what the army found. >> reporter: the toll of the wars has never been made more clear. with an army sometimes unprepared for the devastating impact on the health of the troops. just look at these figures. one-third of soldiers are now taking prescription drugs, antidepressants, anxiety medications and pain pills. amphetamine use has doubled since 2006. sexual offenses have tripled since 2003. domestic abuse is up 177% in the past six years. and the most stunning, more soldiers died in 2009 from non-combat injuries than at war, with the vast

admiral thad allen said so far it's generally good news, no oil leaking up from the sea floor but the pressure readings under the cap are not as good as the experts were hoping for. president obama said today the job won't be done until the well is completely killed and he reminded americans there is still an enormous cleanup job. with the oil that's already spilled spreading and a lot of the gulf closed to fishing, b.p.'s damaged payments reached $201 million today, a quarter of that going to fishermen and shrimpers. kelly cobiella is in grand aisle, louisiana tonight. kelly, some good news but not all good news. >> reporter: that's right, katie. engineers were hoping for answers, instead they got uncertainty, and now the clock is ticking on this test. later tonight, the government will have to decide whether to keep going or reopen the valve. after 24 hours of watching and testing, engineers and scientists are not sure if b.p.'s well is in good shape and the man in charge warned we may see oil flowing into the gulf again soon. >> the well is shut in, but if there's any indication th

incident commander thad allen ordered b.p. to report back faster, within four hours of finding something unusual. >> we made significant progress over the last 24 hours, that's the reason we're proceeding with the next 24. >> reporter: scientists are still trying to figure out why the pressure in the well is lower than they had hoped. is the oil reservoir itself low, as b.p. believes? or is the well leaking deep in the rock? if it is, the buildup of pressure could make the leak worse, especially close to the source. here in grand isle, they're not waiting for answers. this boom, which has protected the beach from oil for months, is now being taken apart, stacked up, and cleared away for tourists. tar-stained sand is being scrubbed clean, and the town's fire chief is fighting to save the tourist season instead of fending off oil. >> it's not over but we are moving forward, you know? there is daylight at the end of the tunnel. >> reporter: what if that oil starts flowing again? >> i guess we start all over. >> reporter: if there

just a short time ago, thad allen said the pressure stands at 6,700 psi. that's pounds per square inch. to the left of the dial, you can see the red area, that's trouble. that could mean more leaks in the well. to the right would be ideal. tonight, allen says the pressure continues to rise, but slowly being the key word, and matt gutman starts us off in louisiana. matt, how is the coast guard feeling about all of this? >> reporter: those numbers are a bit ambiguous, david. on the one hand, they say, well, the weld is holding, sealing in all of that oil, but those numbers aren't quite as high as they would like to see them. on the other hand, bp and the coast guard do have a plan b, and that's to siphon the oil back to the surface to ships waiting there. tonight, this colossal cork called a stacking cap has shut in the torrent of oil for more than 24 hours. but the key pressure readings remain too low, indicating a possible problem. >> enough uncertainty regarding what the meaning of the pressure is that we're seeing that we need to have due diligence movin

>> reporter: b.p., thad allen and the engineers and scientists like what they have seen and not seen so far. we are 65 hours in the testing period with no new oil gulfing in the gulf of mexico -- oil gushing in the gulf of mexico. they have not seen or detected any new oil over the integrity test. a small fleet of remotely operated vehicles and multiple seismic and sonar readings conducted from the service. it indicates that the well's integrity appears to be sound. but instead of leaving it cork and waiting for the relief well, the plan remains to open the riser and have collect service on the surface. the deep relief well should connect with the relief well at the end of the month, the ultimate fix. >> it may take seven days or a week. they want to go real slow to make sure it doesn't go wrong. >> reporter: one thing, they want the two wells to intercept and b.p. can pump down the mud and cement the gusher shut once and for all. by the time it happens, it will be three-and-a-half months since the major disaster began. once the oil flow is stopped in the gulf, it still leaves everyo

but after days of growing government concern and an explosive letter from admiral thad allen publicly flogged bp for not taking seriously enough that potential leak and for apparently keeping vital information from the government. the cap shutting in that oil may not have been. for days a mysterious gas has gurgled out past bp's underwater cameras. now government scientists believe they reveal a leak deep inside the well explaining the troubling lower than expected pressure readings. and late last night, a blistering letter to bp's managing director from the federal official in charge of the response, jammed with commands like, you must provide, you are required, and i direct you. the letter ordered bp to inform the government of any new leaks within four hours. admiral thad allen wrote, "i direct to you provide me a written procedure for opening the choke valve as quickly as possible without damaging the well, should hydrocarbon seepage near the wellhead be confirmed." opening the choke valve would relieve pressure on the well and allow bp to siphon the oil to ships on the surface. b

. >> reporter: thad allen said engineers will continue studying pressure levels at the well for signs of leaking. in a statement he said we must ensure no damage is done which could cause uncontrolled leaks from several points along the sea floor. news that the cap is holding appears to becoming hand in hand with a sense of optimism across the gulf coast. >> we are optimistic. we see light at the end of the tunnel. it's a very long tunnel. >> reporter: while others hope bp doesn't face anymore set backs. >> i guess after five or six times you should get it right. i guess everybody around here as far as business is concerned, we are all looking forward to -- what bp does and hopefully get things cleaned up. >> reporter: the pressure test being done underneath the test shows that the pressure is rising which is good but not as fast or as high as sciencists had expected and because of that it's still a possibility that thad allen will order the oil to once again flow up to the ships on the surface. phil keating. >> a reported neonazi leading rogue immigration patrols on the border. offic

late yesterday in a statement, admiral thad allen the u.s. government and bp allowed for the integrity test to continue another 24 hours. bp has hinted it could keep it sealed for weeks. >> there is no evidence that we lack integrity in the well. >> scientists had feared the pressure of shutting that oil in could rupture the cement casing. that is not happening. >> as long as its holding the pressure that is building inside of it, that is a very good sign. >> yet the government may ask bp to open the valve in the stacking cap to begin capturing the oil and siphoning up to ships on the surface getting one very important piece of information, the amount of oil that has been leaking. >> they can get a good number on what the flow rate was. >> the sum total could be up to 22 bye. there is visibly oil around the well though millions lurk in the gulf. then there are two relief wells, first, this one five feet away from the target but it could take two weeks to close the distance once they intercept the well, force feed a con cubs of mud and cement

thad allen the weather could force crews to abandon the watch over the experiment tell that has been bottling up the well. scientists have be examining cameras for days trying to determine if that cap is displacing pressure and causing leaks under ground. >> n.t.s.b. is investigating an incident that left 30 peoe injured after severe turbulence hit a jetliner. the flight originated out of dulles near washinon, d.c. and was heed to los angeles. it was diverted to denver where it landed safely last night. many of e injured were treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital. >> the plane dropped properly, 20, 30 feet. i saw two people hit the ceiling. girl in front of me two rose, i saw her hit the ceiling come back down. >> airline officis say it's a grim reminder of the importanc of seat belts. this picture shows the damage done, slammed against the wall of the plane. >> ouch. >> kristine hanson is in for mike nicco. >> on a overst and look at the overcast, will we see theun today? >> still ahead, it's commiserate bizarre journey. >> and new fallout as questions continue t

retired admiral thad allen said they may by able to kill the well in a week. >> the opt -- optimum outcome is to proceed with. >> the archbishop urging parishioners not to lose hope. >> the future is uncertain but god it your 0, -- rock, and he will never abandon you. >> reporter: that faith and forgiveness for a man who needed it most, hayward. >> all of us say things we regret saying later. and i feel sorry for him. >> reporter: if hayward is ousted, he will probably leave with both his sal psychiatry -- salary and pension, believedded to be in the millions. >> carolyn: treasury secretary guide anywhere says it's time to end the bush tax cuts. >> we need to show the world we're making progress. >> carolyn: the bush tax cuts were meant to benefit families making more than $250,000 a year. he says they want to keep tax cuts in place for 95% of working americans, as well as tax breaks for small businesses. >> alan: coming up, the u.s. government is condemning the leak involving thousands of military documents. what the documents are revealing about the war in afghanistan. >> carolyn: the le

thad allen the weather could force crews to abandon the watch over the experiment tell that has been bottling up the well. scientists have been examining cameras for days trying to determine if that cap is displacing pressure and causing leaks under ground. >> n.t.s.b. is investigating an incident that left 30 people injured after severe turbulence hit a jetliner. the flight originated out of dulles near washington, d.c. and was headed to los angeles. it was diverted to denver where it landed safely last night. many of the injured were treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital. >> the plane dropped properly, 20, 30 feet. i saw two people hit the ceiling. girl in front of me two rose, i saw her hit the ceiling come back down. >> airline officials say it's a grim reminder of the importance of seat belts. this picture shows the damage done, slammed against the wall of the plane. >> ouch. >> kristine hanson is in for mike nicco. >> on a overcast and look at the overcast, will we see the sun today? >> still ahead, it's commiserate bizarre journey. >> and new fallout as que

the oil spill chief, admiral thad allen, says they have countermeasures if ships have to be evacuated. we have more. this is good news? >> this is absolutely good news for all the fishermen in the gulf to the been so badly affected by the oil spill. they say that because there has been no oil for the past 30 days in 26,388 square miles of federal waters, which had been closed, they are going to reopen those to be recreational and commercial fishing as well. that is very good news. >> as a gun this way because the borders of the gulf are warmer -- has it gone this way because the waters of the gulf are warmer than the waters in alaska? as the oil broken up in a different way than in the exxon valdez situation? >> beckham 8. the size of the league under the ocean as well. it is controversial for different reasons. some say dispersants are more toxic than the oil itself. you are right. they are also using this person. >> they are moving the surface ships away from the cap, but the capping device is so far down, we assume it will be ok? >> that is also very good news. the concern was that

thad allen wants to resume piping oil to the surface. that would mean days of oil gushing back into the gulf during the transition. >> we are hopeful that we will be able to continue the test all the way to the point we can get the well killed. >> reporter: bp has announced that it has made more than 67,000 payments, more than $207 million so far. cleanup crews are also pumping some of their newly earned bp money back into the gulf economy. >> i just said how much is that one? i will be here tomorrow with a check. >> reporter: sales are up 25% at his harley davidson dealership. >> the younger kids are coming in here and spending. >> reporter: when it's anxiously needed as bp permanently seals the source of the disaster. >>> is light erskine better? one company seems to think so. we have a look at a new facebook app. >>> big changes could be in store for your favorite nail salon. three things that some say have to go. >>> 520 acres with a million dollar view. the newest park. >>> we have two cities, we have san jose and san francisco, the

this morning, bp's technical team cancelled their daily briefing but this afternoon, admiral thad allen addressed this. they are looking for a leak around the capping stack but none of them are serious enough to prevent another 24-hour testing period. >> it's the collective opinion of the folks talking about this that the small seepages we're finding do not presenting with at least at this point, any indication that there's a threat. >> reporter: as the testing continues so does the recovery effort on the surface. >> this is a very dynamic process. >> reporter: since june, the coast guard has way drquadruple number of skimmers. clean-up teams continue to gather tar from stained white beaches, work that will continue for a while here. >> we have planned to maintain our level of commitment through tend of the calendar year. >> reporter: but those who live and work on these waters say, that's only the start. until we're sure and 100% positive no new oil will come up from the ground, you can't shut this operation down. >> reporter: and shutting down the well is still, at best, several weeks

white house, the government et cetera, and we have the shareholders of bp on the other hand and thad allen is in the middle trying to figure out what is the best thing sneed for now, allen seems to think the right thing is keeping the cap over the leaking riser, despite new evidence at the small leak at the base of the containment stack. bubbles around the blow-out preventer and possible seepage from the ocean floor, nearly two miles from the driphead. >> we don't consider them kweshl to involve the integrity of the wellhead. >> bp continues to move forward with plans to permanently seal the well and that process could begin by the end of the month. from the marsh and wetlands to the white, sand beaches on the gulf coast, the damage from three months of soaking in thick, dark, crude will surely take much longer to repair. this week the coast guard acknowledged plans to be a part of the clean-up and recovery effort through at least the end of the year. in venice, louisiana, jay gray, bay area news. >>> in hills first visit to the white house, britain's prime minister politely refused to ord

might is still the operative word here but admiral thad allen saying things are significantly moving in the right direction. bp says they are pleased with the way things are moving and we know that that containment cap is now in place. there is still oil that is leaking from that cap. that's because there's a valve on top of it that they will begin to shut down. testing begins on this containment cap tomorrow morning, on tuesday morning. it is expected to take anywhere between 6 and 48 hours. after that, we will really get a sense of whether or not this is going to be effective. so, very critical moments here and obviously given everything that we have been through over the last three months, many people hoping that this is perhaps the first sign of a major breakthrough in this oil disaster. soledad? >> everybody has their fingers crossed. ed lavandera for us. thanks for the update. >>> let's get right to the earthquake aftermath. anderson cooper and dr. sanjay gupta are in port-au-prince tonight. they have seen a lot over the past six months and they join us for their perspectives.

thad allen said bp be back to work within 48 hours. he said it is an uncertain as demand. >> our priority is safety of our personnel. that dictate movement of the vessels and preservation of the equipment. >> well work is suspended, there is a danger that strong winds may force the oil of against the delicate shorelines of the gulf states. so far, most have remained clear of oil. >> things have stopped. it is a huge concern to residents. experts say they are confident that it can withhold the pressure in the absence of engineers. work in the gulf could be stopped for days. forecasters say this will be a busy of potentially dangerous hurricane season. any delay now could be costly. >> this is bbc news. overhead, saving no. this prisoners plant to stay at home to fight for democracy. a trading company has been fined more than $1 million for exporting hazardous waste to south africa. thousands of people were made ill by toxic waste in 2006. trafigura may appeal. >> the cargo ships transported a cocktail of foul and a corrosive chemicals f

. >> reporter: but sunday incident commander thad allen says there's an unidentified seep detected a distance from the well. he wants bp to provide more seabed testing the and the testing scheduled to wrap up will now continue in 24-hour increments. the associated press quotes a government course say there may be leaking methane. scientists are worried. it's one reason the government wants to reopen the cap and siphon oil to the surface. >> once and for all they can get a good number on the flow rate. >> reporter: people who live in the gulf want to make sure it's only the beginning of the company commitment. >> and i guess everyone around here, as far as business is now looking forward to what bp does. and hopefully get things cleaned up. >> reporter: and we have some new numbers this morning. bp is now saying it has spent just under $4 billion in its oil spill response efforts. of that, it says, $207 million have gone in emergency claims to victims. vinita and rob, back to you. >>> ae has wildfire has wdy destroyed homes in central washington and evacuations are a under way. flames

to date admiral thad allen keeps the effort going. >> we could lose 10 days to two weeks. we will do everything we can at to shorten that. it is possible we can lose that much time. >> how disappointing will that be? >> it is hard. we have been at this for a long time. the people of the gulf coast have been waiting a long time. >> is an agonizing dilemma. the goal of intercepting the leaking well is closed. engineers are prepared to insert the finals deals section in the relief well, and essential step before breaking through. the evacuation could delay this by up to two weeks. yesterday, they installed a fail-safe devices inside the well to get ready for the storm. crucially, the cap installed a week ago will stay in place and it will state shot. at storms are nothing new for the gulf, but this time it matters more than most. this is one of the robots back from the seabed, stained with oil from the leak. here is the propeller that has been controlling it and the camera giving as those live images. none of these robots can operate its peak ships controlling them are not st

that tiny bubbles of oil and gas did begin seeping out of the well sometime on sunday, but admiral thad allen, the incident commander saying he doesn't think it's consequential. meantime the seepage we talked about yesterday two miles from the well site, they also say that is not related to this well. for now, as you mentioned, they are going to keep the cap on, keep it closed and continue to monitor, the testing process. there is some thought, perhaps, they will be able to keep the cap on until this well is finally killed. bp yesterday talking about a new method to do that. they called it a static call, kind of like the top kill pumping med and cement. they think they may have more success because the cap is on, the pressure is low. it's still in the infancy, but admiralalen still insists relief wells are the answer to the problem. >> thank you. >>> well, meanwhile, the judge who threw out the obama administration's deepwater drilling ban has refused to step aside over an alleged conflict of interest. several environmental groups have asked u.s. district judge martin feldman to withdraw due

. >> thad allen says five small leaks are seepage from a nearby well.couraging development in an oil spill that now extended three months. >> a louisiana meeting tuesday night, people avoided their frustration with no money coming in. in an exclusive interview british prime minister david ram con says he is frustrated, too. >> when you see those pictures of the oil pouring out of the well and doing the damage to the beaches and livelihood, i want bp to sort it out. >> they say they are selling $7 billion in assets to help cover the oil spill costs. >> there is a potential new concern, that had allen are closely watching storms around puerto rico to see if they will impact the gulf. >> bp acknowledges an altered photo that exaggerates the activity at the command center in houston. this picture posted over the weekend showed workers monitoring a bank of ten video screens. but a bp spokesman admitted yesterday that two of the screens were actually blank in the original photo. a photographer used photo software to alter the images. there was no ill intent.

>> the latest is commander thad allen is given bp the go-ahead tool and test the new cap. what bp wanted to do was slowly shut off the valve to see if this is no cap could handle the pressure, but the key phrase from the commander is "and overabundance of caution." what the obama administration was saying is they want to make sure as this final process goes on, that there would be no more damage done to the well. if the cap can handle the pressure, and let's say it could -- the worry was there could be weeks from the ocean floor or the well itself -- there could be leaks from the ocean floor or the well itself. it is going ahead very slowly. they will be carrying out more tests use these -- to see if the cap can handle the pressure. and it will do more six hours later and six hours later. they are doing the operation in a slow and careful way. >> so, looking at this on an optimistic basis, which could be getting close to a final shot off? but it could have been much worse? >> it could have been much worse. bp is being very more -- very much cautious. if the government is b

. >> admiral thad allen join in as from -- there. joining us from miami, our correspondent. is this a storm system? >> this is what the authorities and bp hoped would not happen. we are in hurricane season. that tropical storm just making its way over southwest florida at the moment. when it's on the other side of florida, it could pick up speed over the warm waters of the bill. engineers are pulling out and stop and operations. that means operations on the relief well will be halted for as long as 12 days. the admiral in charge says it may be that bp can get back to work within 48 hours, but that is a difficult thing to say with a tropical storm like this. nobody knows quite what hath it will take. apart from work on the site, there is also the possibility winds could push the remaining oil onto the shores of the gulf states, places like the florida panhandle, alabama, in mississippi. that is something people will be watching very closely. >> just in terms of moving the ships away from where the cap is, that in itself is a huge operation? >> it is. a couple weeks ago, i fle

. >> reporter: admiral thad allen ordered dozens of vessels to retreat. the ships that control the underwater robots will be the last ones out. if they go, it means no more video of what's happening under water. engineers determined it's okay to leave the cap on. >> we hope it will reduce the chance of oil going into the environment while the storm passes. >> reporter: aftersome parts of the gulf are already seeing choppy seas. smaller boats helping with skimming are already back in port. tony rogers helped develop this large conveyor belt skimmer designed to pick up oil in shallow waters. >> drops into the hopper here, goes into the containment hole. >> reporter: he is bracing for a big clean-up job once the storm passes. >> this is going to push this oil around. where it goes, i don't know. >> reporter: bonnie has the potential to worsen the environmental damage from the spill forces oil deeper into wetlands and back on to the beaches. whit johnson, cbs news, gulfport, mississippi. >>> you knew this might happen. three city administrators in southern ca

on day 101, the government's point man, admiral thad allen said the next attempt to plug the well, first through a new cap and then a relief well, could begin this weekend. meanwhile, a spill in michigan's kalamazoo river is worse than first thought. the e.p.a. now says more than a million gallons of oil leaked from a broken pipe. it's killed fish and left birds covered in oil. today, residents of 50 homes were advised to leave until the impact can be investigating. in montana, a deadly attack by grizzly bears. a mother bear and two cubs were captured today outside yellowstone national park. it's believed they're behind a rampage that left one camper dead and two injured. cbs' priya david spoke with one of the survivors. >> sheer, absolute terror. >> reporter: the attack came without warning in the pitch dark before dawn. deb freele awoke to find her arm pinned in the jaws of a 300- pound grizzly bar. >> just shaking me like a rag doll, and that's when i started to hear bones cracking. >> reporter: about 4:00 a.m. tuesday morning, montana wildlife authorities say a female bear tore throu

we heard from thad allen today that is a good thing, helps to mix up and break up the oil. the bad news, according to the noaa forecast, the dark blue area you see surrounded by the hatch blue area where the heaviest concentrations of oil is and that means bretton sound and the chandelier islands will deal with this. about 150 miles of coastline are expected to be impacted, lester. that could be less by the time all is said and done than we had with alex. >> thanks, jim cantore. >>> while the gulf coast battens down the hatches for bonnie, a storm system 900 miles to the north left milwaukee soaked and shocked. behind it came extreme heat that was making for miserable conditions outside. that is where nbc's kevin tibbles is tonight. kevin, tell us about it. >> reporter: hey, lester. with all the talk of tropical storms in the gulf it is hard to believe it is monsoon season here in milwaukee, just as another wave of heat crosses through much of the country. it didn't just pour. milwaukee was pounded. a record 5.6 inches of rain from one massive storm. >> i'm very amazed at t

thad allen say they may be able to kill the damaged well within a week. >> with an optimum outcome ispipe do the static kill and proceed. >> that static kill could shut the well down for good. they plan to clog it with mud and cement. then they would go with the relief well ending the ordeal. >> our time is 4:50. the atmosphere is tense this morning on the korean peninsula as they present fair for joint exercises, they are conducting anti-submarine exercises. they believe a north korea submarine is responsible for sink ago vessel in march killing 46 sailors. north korea has vowed to retaliate with nuclear weapons. it chris 20 ships, 200 aircraft and about 8,000 u.s. and south korean sailors. >> looks like we're not the only ones getting below average temperatures. southern california, too? >> yes it continues. temperatures below the average. few records and cold low temperatures in oakland and concord. we are flirting with those again this morning as this cloudy air mass and cool air mass is keeping temperatures below average. that is where we all sit this morning down around the mont

the federal official overseeing the spill admiral thad allen said the well would remain capped while the ships evacuated the gulf. forecasters say the edge of the tropical storm could reach the spill area by early saturday. >>> the bbc has obtained a copy of a contract offered by bp to scientists working the oil spill in the gulf. bp is facing more than three her lawsuits seeking billions of dollars of potential claims of damage. their lawyers are securing experts, for the defense team, but some academics in the u.s. are accusing the company of trying to buy the best scientists and control what they say. our correspondent told me what the contract said. >> i have one in front of me, three pages long. the section that is worrying some academics is the confidentiality section. it basically says scientists cannot publish the research they do for bp or speak about the data they gather for at least three years or until the government gives the final approval to the company's restoration plans for the gulf, which we are not sure how long that will take. it also says the scientists have to

thad allen the leak is not a major concern.ntent content to leaving the cap on now. >>> mill yontsz of americans who have been out of work for an extended period are expected to get help from capitol hill. unemployment benefits could flow later. >> marilyn green is a missouri lawyer that lost her job and now she is losing her unemployment benefits. $3420 she has received each week. >> you can't even get a job in a retail store. >> 2.35 million americans will lose their check unless congress extends payment. >> time to hold them hostage to washington politics. >> he blames the republicans for blocking it three times. >> each time a partisan minority has used moors to block a vote denying millions of people out of work much needed relief. >> republicans say they have a $34 billion plan funded by two other programs. >> how is it paid for? >> with stimulus money. >> i object. >> this afternoon, president is likely to get his wish when a new senator is sworn in. it takes 60 votes to pass the bill and gives marilyn greenpeace of mind

yesterday the government's point man in the gulf, retired admiral thad allen, brushed aside talk about a leadership shift at bp. >> i have no knowledge of any personnel changes that are going on. we'll continue to work as the national incident commander and focus on what i do. >> reporter: that focus squarely on sealing the fractured well. now that a weekend storm has passed, crews and equipment are back at the spill site. >> generally the next week will be preps, making sure everything is ready to go and then the week of the first of august is when we will attempt to do the static kill and move back and finish the top kill. >> reporter: and perhaps finally end the disaster. jay gray, nbc news. >>> well, the u.s. military says hundreds of american troops are searching for two navy sailors who disappeared in a taliban stronghold in eastern afghanistan friday. yesterday the taliban claimed they killed one of the sailors and took the other as a prisoner after both were forced from their armored support utility vehicle. nato officials have not confirmed the reports and so characterize the

. >> reporter: tonight, admiral thad allen said in a statement, we're encouraged, by this isn't over. said they will return to si siphoning oil from that well, means we will likely see oil again, reminding everyone the ultimate solution is the relief wells. eventually piercing the blown-out well, injecting mud and cement. this is what they call a mixing pit where they mix together the mud that will be used in the kill. and look at how they do it. it's a giant mixer where they put the ingredients together, and when we asked what the ingredients were, we were surprised to learn that you'd find them in your medicine cabinet. you mix it with what? >> a chemical used in toothpaste and then a chemical used this makeup and for contrast x-rays. >> reporter: you get the mud for the kill with that? >> that's correct. >> reporter: the coast guard won't say when that will happen. right now, the closest relief well is on hold. they don't want to damage it during this test. a test tonight that bp is so far passing. now three months in. i'm david muir for "nightline" in new orleans. >> some good new

. >> reporter: admiral thad allen says the relief well is still the permanent solution.ulf coast residents are cautiously optimistic about the progress they are seeing miles offshore and they are already noticing some improvement in the bays and on the beaches. in grand isle, louisiana, the boom is going away. and the sand is being scrubbed clean. the town's fire chief hopes all this will bring tourists back. >> it's not over but we are moving forward, you know? there is day late at the end of the tunnel. >> reporter: and fishermen could head back to the mississippi sound today. the state has opened the waters for recreational fishing. commercial fishing is still at a standstill. whit johnson, cbs news, long beach, mississippi. >>> elena kagan is on the way to becoming the fourth women to sit on the u.s. supreme court. today the senate judiciary committee approved her nomination. one republican south carolina's lindsey graham voted yes. now the full senate will vote on her. president obama says that he hopes kagan is confirmed before congress goes on its summer recess. >

on the newshour tonight, the federal government's pointman thad allen said the cap will stay in place for now. we get the latest from carol browner, the president's top advisor on energy policy and climate change. >> woodruff: then we look at president obama's call to extend long-term jobless benefit force millions of americans. >> lehrer: hari sreenivasan talks to author about the growth of the lending industry aimed at the poorest americans. >> woodruff: paul solman has the first in a series of reports on greece's economic woes. tonight how the problem began. >> when we got the euro it was like, you know, a teenager getting a credit card with no limit and their debt just exploded. >> brown: and margaret warner interviews reporter dana priest about "the washington post" investigation into the ballooning intelligence community. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. >> major funding for the pbs fust hour has been provided by: . >> chevron, this is the power of human energy.jú sf railway. and by the bill and melinda gates foundation, dedicated to the idea that all people

in new orleans, retired coast guard admiral thad allen said engineers will watch for the two days to see if the well withstands the increased pressure without springing new leaks. >> once we are satisfied that and once we're convinced we've done no pressure to the wellbore, and it can withstand the pressure after another seismic run, after that 48 hours, we can certainly consider shutting in the well. that's always a possibility and of course we would like to do that. >> reporter: even if all goes perfectly, the massive cap is not considered a permanent solution. b.p. still plans to complete drilling a pair of relief wells to shoot mud and cement into the leaking well and block it off for good. thad allen said nay written statement that he was encouraged by this development but this isn't over. and now to joel achenbach of the "washington post", he's been covering this oil spill story for several weeks. joel, welcome. >> great to be here. >> lehrer: so as we speak right now, there finally is no oil going out into the water of the gulf of mexico? >> something went right. you know, thi

i headed out to the disaster site with the government's point man, admiral thad allen, and interior secretary kennal salazar. we landed on the helix producer. unlike a rig, it's not moored to anything on the ocean floor, it's a ship and a g.p.s. keeps it in place. it's a dramatic sight, oil is pumped in through a riser then after it's separated the natural gas is burned off. ever since the "h.p.-1" which is called a floating production unit, arrived here on june 19 it's been ramping up its capacity toy collect oil. its target o s to collect some 30,000 barrels or 1.26 million gallons of oil every single day and then pipe it into that tanker right nearby. the "helix producer" will get an assist from three other vessels. ultimately, four vessels will be charged with really siphoning up the total amount of gas or oil coming up? >> and we believe that will give us 60,000 to 80,000 barrels a day, which is above our current flow rate estimate. >> couric: so that will at least stop it, right? >> it will contain all the oil. >> couric: but then obviously the relief wells will actually stop it for goo

now the tests have shown a methane gas leak is not related thad allen has okayed b.p. to continue testing for another 24 hours. meanwhile costed tied to the spill are nearing $4 billion including over $200 million to settle individual claims. and ken feinberg, the man overseeing b.p.'s huge compensation fund, says fishermen and others with claims would be, in his words, crazy to by-pass the fund and sue. feinberg says he'll be more generous than any court, and claimants won't face court delays. >> susie: coming up on the program, stocks too volatile? treasury yields got you down? how about lending money to your favorite company instead? we look at why corporate debt offerings are jumping. >> tom: more now on the debate over extending unemployment benefits. if kwong congress he kays this this week, it would be the sixth time since the recession began that unemployment payments have been extended. over the past two years, looking at everyone without a job, the percent of people who have been jobless for six months or more has jumped from under 20% to almost half. jeff mi