To the Point
The Oil Spill and the Obama Presidency
In his first speech from the Oval Office last night, President Obama explained what he called his "battle plan" for the Gulf oil spill. Did he succeed in a broader goal: reassuring Americans that he has the disaster under control? Also, cell-phone radiation. scientists are still debating the health impacts of radiation from cell phones. San Francisco is demanding that customers get a chance to compare. Could that be misleading?
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenIn his first speech from the Oval Office last night, President Obama explained what he called his "battle plan" for the Gulf oil spill. Did he succeed in a broader goal: reassuring Americans that he has the disaster under control? Also, cell-phone radiation. Is the City of San Francisco getting the jump on science?
Banner image: Having just returned from the Gulf, the President gave his first Oval Office address on the BP oil spill and the urgent need to turn towards a clean energy future, June 15, 2010. White House photo: Pete Souza
In this episode
3 storiesObama Meets with BP Executives
As promised in last night’s address to the nation, President Obama met with the top executives of BP today and negotiated a $20 billion escrow fund for Gulf oil claims. It will be handled by veteran attorney Kenneth Feinberg , who oversaw payments to the survivors of the attacks on September 11.
Read the story8 minThe Oil Spill and the Obama Presidency
At the White House today, BP agreed to establish a $20 billion escrow fund to pay claims from the worst oil spill in American history. Last night, in his first address from the Oval Office, President Obama promised to restore the Gulf Coast and to prevent such a disaster from happening again.
Read the story37 minSan Francisco Moves to Show Cell Phone Radiation Levels
San Francisco's about to become the nation's first city to require that retailers post the level of radiation emitted by cell phones. Consumers will also be pointed toward educational materials on the subject. The cell phone industry says that could be misleading.
Read the story6 min