Vanderbilt Television News Archive

(Studio: Brian Williams) Day 63 of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico introduced; statistics on controlled burns and response vessels cited.

(Venice, Louisiana: Anne Thompson) The response to the spill updated; scenes shown of helicopters dropping sandbags at Louisiana’s Scofield and Pelican Islands; photo shown of BP CEO Tony Hayward at a yacht race in England and of President Obama at a baseball game; details given of criticism of Obama’s weekend activities. [Louisiana National Guard Lt. James GABLER††- comments on the sandbagging operation and the fishing tradition.] [White House deputy press secretary Bill BURTON†- criticizes Hayward.] [Compensation fund administrator Ken FEINBERG†- says do not underestimate the emotionalism, frustration and anger of people in the Gulf.]

(Gulf of Mexico: Kerry Sanders) The controlled burns in the Gulf featured; scenes shown of the fires and the contraption that ignites the oil. [MAN – talks about the operation.]

(Destin, Florida: Peter Alexander) Preparations in Florida for the arrival of the oil featured; scenes shown of tar balls on the beach in Destin and oil offshore. [Vacationer Blakeley CLARKE†- comments.] [Senator Bill NELSON – says it’s our way of life, our culture, our economy and our environment.] [Restaurant owner Dewey DESTIN††- says it’s like living on death row.]

(Studio: Brian Williams) Report introduced.

(New Orleans: Lisa Myers) The mobilization of attorneys in anticipation of a wave of lawsuits featured; scenes shown of a seminar for potential clients in Miami; details given about the lawsuit against BP filed by lawyer Stuart Smith††. [SMITH - predicts it will be the biggest liability case ever.] [Civil engineer Marco KALTOFEN†- explains the purpose of testing.] [Rig survivor Matthew JACOBS†- comments on pressure from Transocean to sign documents saying he was not injured in the explosion.]