BP Abandons 'Top Kill'

Bad news from the Gulf this afternoon: BP is calling off its "top kill" operation after it failed to plug the oil leak in several attempts. "We have made the decision to move onto the next option," said chief operating officer Doug Suttles. President Obama called the failure "as enraging as it is heartbreaking" and said "we will not relent until this leak is contained." More complete comments from him here.

BP will now try anew by cutting the pipe that lies deep underwater and fitting a containment valve over the leak, an effort expected to take four to seven days. This time, it will be easier to follow progress on the live feed. "We're confident the job will work but obviously we can't guarantee success," Suttles said. The permanent solution of a relief well won't be ready until August. (More Gulf oil spill stories.)