President Barack Obama faced tough questions about his administration's handling of the deep sea oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico in a White House news conference Thursday, 27 May. It was the president's first news conference since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank in April.
Watch or listen to President Obama’s news conference:
Mr. Obama says government will extend for six more months a ban on new permits for deepwater oil well drilling
US president says government will hold oil company fully accountable for massive leak
News conference will be the president's first news conference since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank in April
Lack of reliable estimates will affect future cleanup plans
Energy giant says operation is proceeding as planned, but caution there is no guarantee the 'top kill' procedure will work
One of initial hurdles posed by broken well is how to connect tubes that will carry mud from surface vessels into well on sea floor
Method involves attaching a series of tubes to a massive valve that sits atop well on sea floor
Obama administration faces sharp questions
Interior secretary says he does not have confidence in BP's attempts to contain oil and calls situation an 'existential crisis' for them
President criticizes 'cozy relationship' between energy companies and government agencies that regulate them
Eight national parks and 33 wildlife refuges along Gulf of Mexico could be threatened by oil spill
Environmental groups call for time out from offshore exploratory drilling
Researchers race against time to train people to de-oil birds and ask hard questions about containment operation
