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[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/05/13/bp.oil.leak.art.jpg caption="Oil and gas stream from the riser of the Deepwater Horizon well May 11, 2010. "]
BP releases video of spewing oil & gas
(CNN) – We are getting our first look today at the source of the oil leak now menacing the Gulf coast. BP is finally releasing a 30-second clip that puts a face on the enemy. More than 4.5 million gallons of crude have spilled so far. The president is now calling on Congress for $58 million in new emergency funding to fight this looming catastrophe.
In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi requesting congressional approval of the package, Obama said oil giant BP – which owns the leaking well at the source of the Gulf of Mexico spill – was responsible for all clean-up costs. In addition, Obama said, the government would seek full compensation for all damages from BP.
"We cannot allow the potentially protracted pursuit of claims to prevent us from swift action to help those harmed by this spill," Obama said in the letter.
Jeff Liebman, the acting deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the package called for an additional $118 million in spending. Read more
Arizona bans ethnic studies in public schools
Fresh on the heels of a new immigration law that has led to calls to boycott her state, Arizona's governor has signed a bill banning ethnic studies classes that "promote resentment" of other racial groups.
Gov. Jan Brewer approved the measure without public statement Tuesday, according to state legislative records. The new law forbids elementary or secondary schools to teach classes that are "designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group" and advocate "the overthrow of the United States government" or "resentment toward a race or class of people."
The bill was pushed by state school Superintendent Tom Horne, who has spent two years trying to get Tucson schools to drop a Mexican-American studies program he said teaches Latino students they are an oppressed minority. There was no immediate response from the Tucson Unified School District, the law's main target. 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.
Oil slick threatens oyster business
(CNN) – In the next three minutes, about the time it will take for you to watch this report, nearly 500 more gallons of fresh crude oil will have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, making the massive oil slick that much more of a menace.
The growing environmental threat has been well-documented, but now we're beginning to see the economic fallout. Our Reynolds Wolf reports from the Mississippi coast where an oyster processing plant has suddenly become a shell of its former self.
What caused Beau Biden's health scare?
(CNN) – Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden is alert and stable after suffering a mild stroke yesterday. The vice president's eldest son is talking and has all of his motor skills. Although he's expected to recover, he's staying under the watchful eye of doctors at a Philadelphia hospital.
Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joined us on Wednesday's American Morning to discuss Biden's condition and what may have caused his symptoms.
Read more: Beau Biden suffers apparent mild stroke, doctors say
Senator Inhofe discusses opposition to Kagan
(CNN) – Just hours after the president announced Elena Kagan as his pick for the Supreme Court, Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Inhofe made his opposition clear.
He says Kagan has a "lack of impartiality" with those who disagree with her, has demonstrated "poor judgment" as the head of Harvard's law school, and he's concerned that she's never been a judge.
Sen. Inhofe joined us from Capitol Hill on Wednesday's American Morning to discuss his stance against Kagan.
Read more: Kagan to meet with senators amid Republican criticism
Man claims product could 'eat' Gulf oil spill
(CNN) – The "top hat" oil containment device has reached the sea floor in the Gulf of Mexico and should be in position over a leaking well head and operational by the end of the week, BP said Wednesday. Meanwhile, one man says while all that's going on, he's sitting on a potential solution to saving the wetlands, if they're over-run with oil.
Frank Pajaujis is a partner at Aabaco and says he has a product that could actually "eat" away at the oil and turn it into dirt. He showed us a demonstration of his product on Wednesday's American Morning.
Read more: 'Top hat' reaches Gulf oil leak site
What does Britain's power shift mean for U.S.?
(CNN) – It's the first full day on the job for Britain's new prime minister, David Cameron. The torch was passed yesterday after Gordon Brown resigned, ending more than a decade of rule by his Labour Party.
Cameron said he wants to form a coalition government with the liberal Democrats. So what does the changing of the guard mean here at home? Former Asst. Secretary of State James Rubin and Time International editor Michael Elliott gave us their thoughts on Wednesday's American Morning.
Read more: Britain's new PM starts work
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