—The Louisiana judge who struck down the six-month ban on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico has reported extensive investments in the oil and gas industry, according to financial disclosure reports. U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman overturned the ban Tuesday, saying the government simply assumed that because one rig exploded, the others pose an imminent danger, too. The White House promised an immediate appeal. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement Tuesday he would issue a new order imposing a moratorium that eliminates any doubt it is needed and appropriate.
—Tens of thousands of gallons more oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday after an undersea robot bumped a venting system, forcing BP to remove the cap that had been containing some of the crude. The current worst-case estimate of what’s spewing into the Gulf is about 2.5 million gallons a day. Anywhere from 67 million to 127 million gallons have spilled since the April 20 explosion.
—BP put Mississippi native Bob Dudley in charge of handling the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on Wednesday, an effort to clean up its image and take the spotlight off chief executive Tony Hayward, the Englishman whose gaffes have infuriated Americans.
—British Prime Minister David Cameron’s office says he will press President Barack Obama during a meeting Sunday to offer BP a clear idea of the likely final costs from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
—U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon has asked the chairman of BP to suspend performance bonuses indefinitely for the company’s top executives and use those funds to assist Louisianians affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
—-Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at [email protected].