Bp Oil Spill | featured news

President Barack Obama will meet with the leaders of a panel he created to probe the worst oil spill in U.S. history on Tuesday, as a giant slick from BP's blown-out Gulf of Mexico well poses a new threat to the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama.

Robot submarines carried equipment and cut small pipes at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico on Monday to prepare to place a new containment valve over the blown-out well this week, while BP crews began working on yet another containment plan that could be added after the cut-and-cap effort.

BP's attempt to plug the Gulf oil leak with mud and cement has failed, yet another setback in the company's attempt to stop the crude from further fouling waters, wildlife and marshland.

As crews pump mud in "top kill" maneuver, scientists increase estimate of oil flow; Minerals Management Service director leaves her job.

President Barack Obama will announce on Thursday that a moratorium on deepwater oil drilling will continue for six months while a commission studies the reasons for the Gulf of Mexico spill, a White House aide said.

Engineers prepare 50,000 pounds of mud and a fleet of robotic subs in first maneuver to outright stop the flow of leaking oil a mile below surface.

Federal regulators responsible for oversight of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico allowed industry officials several years ago to fill in their own inspection reports in pencil -- and then turned them over to the regulators, who traced over them in pen before submitting the reports to the agency, according to an inspector general's report to be released this week.

One month in, neither the oil spill or the blame game show any signs of letting up.

She accuses him of a slow response and says it may be linked to companies' campaign support.

A top US official says BP may be "pushed" aside if it fails to perform in the Gulf of Mexico oil clean-up.