BP’s “Top Kill” method may have worked to stop the oil spill devastating the Gulf of Mexico. Incident Commander Thad Allen said today that the spill has stopped, while BP reps cautioned it will be another 48 hours before it’s certain that it’s only mud pumping into the Gulf and not ecologically damaging oil.
The hopeful news comes at a time the Obama Administration is drawing fire for the catastrophe—especially after the head of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) quit Thursday, in response to scandal within the agency that oversees offshore drilling. Among the allegations are that MMS regulators had sex with oil company employees and accessed porn sites while they should’ve been keeping an eye on the drilling.
In other hopeful news, House lawmakers voted to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, just in time for Memorial Day. A panel also approved the repeal for a vote in the Senate, and military officials have begun re-organizing policies to accommodate the change. A survey will be soon sent to 70,000 troops and their families to solicit their views on the policy particulars.
After the vote, Rep. Jared Polis (D), an openly gay congressman from Colorado, said, "I'm excited. I can now join the military." We’re excited, too.