Editor's Note: Welcome to American Morning's LIVE Blog where you can discuss the "most news in the morning" with us each week day. Join the live chat during the show by adding your comments below. It's your chance to share your thoughts on the day's headlines. You have a better chance of having your comment get past our moderators if you follow our rules: 1) Keep it brief 2) No writing in ALL CAPS 3) Use your real name (first name only is fine) 4) No links 5) Watch your language (that includes $#&*).
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/US/06/29/gulf.oil.disaster/t1main.oily.jpg caption="Vice President Joe Biden is expected to visit the Gulf area on Tuesday, the 71st day of the disaster, to assess efforts to stop the massive oil spill."]
As storm strengthens in Gulf, Biden set to review cleanup effort
(CNN) – Vice President Joe Biden is expected to visit the Gulf Coast Tuesday to assess efforts to stop the massive oil spill.
Biden is expected to visit the command centers in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Florida panhandle, the White House said.
His visit will be on the 71st day of the spill that President Obama has called the nation's worst environmental disaster.
BP said it is on track to reach its August deadline of getting a relief well down to the area where the oil is leaking in the Gulf of Mexico.
The relief well has reached a depth of 16,770 feet, but engineers plan to drill an additional 900 feet vertically before cutting in sideways, said Kent Wells, BP senior vice president of exploration and production.
Meanwhile, efforts continue to increase the containment of leaking oil. The next step is to bring in a third rig called the Helix Producer at the well, which would increase the containment by 20,000 to 25,000 more barrels per day, Wells said.
But powerful Tropical Storm Alex could derail the effort.
The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it churned in the Gulf of Mexico, but was heading away from the oil spill area, the National Hurricane Center said Monday. Read more
Full coverage | LIVE: Undersea view 
Sound off: We want to hear from you this morning. Add your comments to the LIVE Blog below and we'll read some of them on the show.