American Morning

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August 4th, 2010
08:00 AM ET

Reports: Grenade lobbed at Iranian president's convoy


Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran on June 28, 2010. (Getty Images/File)

By Reza Sayah, CNN

(CNN) – A grenade exploded near the convoy of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his visit to a western Iranian city Wednesday, according to Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency and other outlets.

Ahmadinejad was unhurt, the reports said. However, the media department at Iran's Presidential Office denied he came under attack. Despite the denial, there was an account about the incident on Raja news, Ahmadinejad's official Web site. Watch Video

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Filed under: Iran
August 4th, 2010
07:00 AM ET

So far, so good with 'static kill,' BP says

[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/08/04/acosta.static.kill.cnn.art.jpg caption="CNN's Jim Acosta reports from the Deepwater Horizon site in the Gulf of Mexico."]

(CNN) – It could be the beginning of the end of the 107 day long nightmare for people living and working along the Gulf Coast. BP announced overnight that the static kill operation to seal the leaking oil well for good is working.

According to the New York Times, the government is set to announce that three quarters of the oil from the BP spill has already either evaporated, dispersed, been captured or otherwise eliminated. And the rest is so diluted that it doesn't pose much of a risk.

The Coast Guard took our Jim Acosta out for a bird's eye view of the Deepwater Horizon site just as the static kill was getting under way. There, he met up with the crew of the aptly-named Coast Guard cutter, Decisive. As the crew told him, they can feel that this operation has reached a decisive phase. Watch Video


Filed under: Gulf Oil Spill
August 4th, 2010
06:00 AM ET

LIVE Blog: Chat with us during the show

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/08/04/gulf.oil.spill/t1main.bp.jpg caption= "A long-awaited procedure to permanently seal BP's crippled well in the Gulf of Mexico appears to be working, the oil giant announced early Wednesday"]

'Static kill' appears to be working, BP says

(CNN) – A long-awaited procedure to permanently seal BP's crippled well in the Gulf of Mexico appears to be working and is being monitored, the oil giant announced early Wednesday.

The well-killing procedure, which began Tuesday afternoon, involves pumping heavy drilling mud down from above to push oil back into the well reservoir.

"The well pressure is now being controlled by the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling mud, the desired outcome of the static kill procedure," a BP statement said. "The pumping of heavy drilling mud was stopped after about eight hours of pumping drilling mud down the well. The well is now being monitored, per the procedure, to ensure the well remains static."

BP said it will continue work on a relief well.

The static kill is the biggest development in the long-running saga involving BP's well since a tightly fitting cap was placed on it in mid-July, stopping oil from flowing into the Gulf for the first time in almost three months.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill Wednesday, a joint Senate hearing will focus on the use of dispersants in Gulf.

The Environmental Protection Agency is likely to face questions about its finding that eight dispersants, including one used in combating the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, are no more toxic when mixed with oil than the oil alone. Read more

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.


Filed under: LIVE Blog • Top Stories
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