OIL LEAK STOPPED?

The BP oil leak has stopped, according to the Washington Post:

BP said Thursday that it has stopped oil from leaking out of its blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico. The gusher has been throttled for the first time since the April 20 blowout on the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon.

Engineers now have to determine whether the cap can hold. Officials have not yet determined whether this is a permanent fix.

LAT: BP Has Oil Leak Under Control

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that BP has the oil leak under control. Cement to follow. . . .

See details here.

Rand Paul on BP Oil Spill: "Sometimes Accidents Happen"

Rand Paul is working hard to convince the country that he is not ready for primetime (or daytime, for that matter). Yesterday, the media feasted on Paul's admission that he disagreed with laws prohibiting private companies from engaging in racial discrimination. Today, Paul is tackling environmental issues, and the results are equally troubling.

Think Progress reports that during an interview with Good Morning America, Paul said that Obama's criticism of BP for its handling of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill was "un-American." He also contended that "maybe sometimes accidents just happen." Scientists, however, have criticized BP for not misrepresenting the size of the spill, which seems worthy of presidential condemnation as well.

Paul also analogized the oil spill to a recent coal mine tragedy in his home state of Kentucky that killed two workers. Paul said described this as just another "accident." The Dotiki mine, however, received numerous citations for falling debris from the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Although experts say that repeated citations indicate a significant problem, the government failed to characterize the violations as dangerous. Toughness, however, seems highly appropriate when corporate behavior threatens lives and the environment.