Transcripts For WBAL 20100611

calculation, it's an "exxon valdez" size pill in the gulf every eight to ten days. the cleanup work is tedious. on the outer bar in south pass, 50 workers use shovels and rakes to pick up the globs of oil the tides leave behind. this is why flow rate matters. in order to have an appropriate response, experts say you have to have an accurate measure of how much oil is coming out of that well. it helps determine how many people are needed, how many skimmers are needed, and how much boom must be deployed. but this most recent estimate does not reflect what's happening today. >> at this point, the flow rate after the rise wares cut, which is the current situation, is a big unknown. there may have been only a small change. there may have been a substantial change. >> reporter: bp is moving in more ships to increase its capacity to capture the oil. it is now collecting almost 16,000 barrels a day. >> towards the end of the month of june, we'll be up around 38,000 barrels a day capacity. that will ultimately be replaced by the new containment system. >> reporter: allen says the new system will collect up to 50,000 barrels a day and offer better protection against hurricanes, but there is no system that can undo the damage already done. anne thompson, nbc news, venice, louisiana. >> reporter: this is tom costello, along the gulf coast, many of the tens of thousands of people whose jobs depend on the oil industry say the government's six-month ban on all deep water drilling is like pouring salt into an open wound. >> mr. president, you were looking for someone's butt to kick, you're kicking ours. >> reporter: the moratorium is meant to allow time for a thorough safety and environmental review so nothing like this happens again. the obama administration insists it's only temporary. >> it's not the stop button but the pause button. >> reporter: 33 deep rigs are shut down by the moratorium. the industry claims as many as 150,000 jobs are directly tied to the rigs from rig hands to boaters, warehousemen to service providers. the bigger concern? it costs up to $1 million a day to run a deep water rig. the moratorium may force some operators to pull out all together and move to other countries like brazil where they are not losing money. >> would be another crippling blow to coastal louisiana and mississippi and alabama. >> reporter: already several oil services companies have gone to court to block the ban on deep water drilling. in grand isle, louisiana, $900,000. a fuel bill. rain marine owner butch gaspar fears the moratorium will strangle the region's economy. >> we need fuel and we need the oil. we need it to continue. we don't need anybody to get laid off over this. >> reporter: while many here agree with the need for a thorough review, they worry it will be at the expense of their livelihoods. tom costello, nbc news, venice, louisiana. and there is also this news tonight. last night we reported that busy perdido pass in alabama had been closed during rising tide to make sure oil is stopped from reaching sensitive shorelines. tonight it will be fully shut down. pensacola pass in florida will be shut down during rising tide. pensacola pass leads into pensacola bay, a rouge commercial and recreational port. if it is completely shut down it will have a major impact on tourism and commerce, exactly what panhandle officials have been fearing. and now to a high drama on the high seas. an american teenager on a quest to sail solo around the world has given up that goal, and tonight she is waiting to be rescued after her boat was damaged in rough seas. her parents in california got word late last night 16-year-old abby sunderland was alive and well, and that rescue vessels were on tir way to pick her up. now relief over her survival is mingled with growing criticism of her parents for letting her make the voyage in the first place. here is nbc's george lewis. >> reporter: "i'm all right." that's what abby sunderland told australian rescuers by radio after their plane spotted her. >> i don't regret her being out there. she doesn't regret being out there >> reporter: abby, who set sail from california 2 1/2 months ago was found in the southern indian ocean, halfway between africa and australia. the mast on her boat snapped in high winds. that foul weather complicates efforts to rescue her. now, abby's parents are coming under criticism. the questions, how could any mother or father permit a 16-year-old girl to head off alone across thousands of miles of treacherous ocean? shouldn't she be at home and in school? among the postings on abby's facebook page, "they threw their daughter to the sharks for fame and/or money. not me. i hope they go to jail." "i would never ever let my child do this." >> i understand the reaction of those bloggers and tweeters because my first reaction was a big one, too. how could they do this? >> reporter: abby's father says the critics don't know his daughter. >> how many teenagers die in cars every year? should we let teenagers die cars? it would be silly if we didn't. >> reporter: last year, abby's 17-year-old brother zach successfully circumstance navigated the globe. last month 16-year-old jessica watson was hailed by fellow australians after doing the same thing. 13-year-old jordan romero made it to the top of mount everest. to young adventurers paid with their lives. in 1996, jessica dubroff died trying to become the first person to pilot a plane across the united states. she was 7. so as abby awaits rescue, a family spokesman says she will likely give up her dream of sailing around the world alone. george lewis, nbc news, thousand oaks, california. when "nightly news" continues in a moment. triumph and sudden tragedy on the opening day of the world cup soccer tournament. 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[ female announcer ] why wait? ask about toviaz today. time for our "making a difference" report. at a time when polls, including our own show just a quarter of the american population trust the government to do a right thing, is there a part of washington politics very few outsiders ever see. the young people from both parties who come to washington to learn how things work and how government and they themselves can make a real difference. tom brokaw has our report. >> reporter: founded in 1964, this prestigious program puts the best and brightest physicians, military officers, academics, business leaders and others to work in the highest levels of government. with direct access to the white house, cabinet secretaries and world leaders, many of its alum knew have gone on to greater achievement. colin powell, doris concerns goodwin, sam brownback. this class is winding up a one-year tour of duty. >> an expert on aids, a documentarian, she has been working for the department of veteran affairs on health. how has it helped you, not just as a doctor or citizen but understand your government? >> it's been a wonderful place to see public health in action. i've been blown away by the talent, the dedication. the other thing i would tell people is learn about the military. as civilians we have no connection to that reality and we have two wars. >> reporter: a former reporter who covered those wars after he was a rhodes scholar before he got a yale law degree. >> i'm john finer, i was a reporter at "the washington post" now i work in the white house in the office of chief of staff. he came with a lot of skepticism. >> when you come inside, you recognize a lot of these decisions people are making aren't as easy as they look. maybe he wouldn't question their intentions. you feel as part of a team. >> i'm an active duty air force lieutenant colonel with the department of transportation. >> reporter: lieutenant colonel rob lineman is a get it done kind of guy. used to following orders and asking few questions. a veteran of iraq, on track to become an air force general. is there more dialogue about the wisdom of the decision and sometimes more pushback than you would see in the military? >> i think there's a lot of debate. that's part of our system. that's part of the beauty of our system. >> reporter: as they wind up their insider tours through the quarters of power, these white house fellows have a new appreciation of the challenges and the possibilities of public life. nbc's tom brokaw, of course, on white house fellows making a difference. that is our broadcast for this friday night. thanks for being with us. i'm david gregory. lester holt will be with us tomorrow. i'll see you sunday on "meet the press" when we have an exclusive interview with david axelrod. have a good weekend. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com