making news on this friday, july 16th. >> holding steady. hope in the gulf, where the oil has stopped flowing for now. and slipping support. americans turning against the war in afghanistan, just as the conflict gets more dangerous for troops. and apple apology. today, the tech giant confronts the complaints over its newest iphone. and good morning, everyone. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm meg oliver, in for vinita nair. we start this morning with something we haven't shown you in months. >> this is the feed from the bottom of the gulf of mexico. >> the new cap is being closely monitored. and no one is declaring victory yet.

emily schmidt joins us from washington with the latest. good morning, emily. >> reporter: rob and meg, good morning. this is the best news of the ongoing oil spill story. but all of the key players are warning, there's no guarantee yet that this cap is going to be topped for good. this morning, there is no oil gushing into the gulf of mexico. and this picture of nothing means everything for now. >> the oil stopped. like they said, if we can get it to where we can go back to our way of life, that will be the most awesome thing. >> reporter: it is a temporary stop. but the biggest success in containing the oil spill in 88 days. yesterday, bp shut down three valves, one after the other. then, at 2:15 p.m., the company tweeted the well integrity test was starting. 70 minutes later, bp confirmed what the picture showed. >> there is no flow of oil going into the gulf of mexico. >> reporter: now, comes the next step. measures the measure of the oil on the new containment cap, if it olds.

>> we need to be cautious right now. >> reporter: scientists hope the next two days of reading are between 8,000 pounds or 9,000 pounds per square inch. 6,000 pounds or lower means the well is leaking. president obama stopped short of declaring full success. >> i think it ice a positive sign. >> reporter: like so many gulf coast residents, he's waiting to see if there is nothing after today. >> we need closure to clean up the oil. >> reporter: even if the cap holds, bp is likely to release the oil again. and here is why. the coast guard says an improved siphoning system should be able to capture all of the escaping crude. rob and meg, back to you. >> what do we expect the next ow hours of tests will tell us about the well? >> reporter: one of the most important things can be summed up with something you do in your backyard every day. picture a garden hose and put your thumb over the end of it. if you don't have increased pressure when you do that, that means you have a leak somewhere along the system.

that's what bp is going to be looking for. critical information for them, as they work on drilling the relief wells, which we know is considered the final solution to this problem. back to you. >> our emily schmidt in washington. thank you. what are the experts saying? can the new cap withstand the pressure until the well can be killed? one physicist we talked with is very hopeful. even calling it a game-changer. >> there's no guarantees in this business. however, if there are no leaks, no breaks in the pipes for the next 48 hours, i think we can declare a partial victory, that we finally have a grip on this raging -- this raging oil leak. >> the doctor says so much of the capping effort is brand-new science. we'll have more insight later today on "good morning america." congress has handed the president a new victory, passing the major financial overhaul bill. the landmark legislation provides more protection for consumers and tighter restrictions on banks. the president is expected to sign it next week. but already, republicans are calling for the law to be

repealed. you'd think the democrats would be in a celebratory mood after passing that bill. instead, they're involved in an ugly battle at the white house over november's elections. here's jake tapper. >> reporter: president obama posed in an electric car, in at an event in michigan, heralding the stimulus bill. >> i recommend them. >> reporter: but the real electricity this week, has been behind closed doors among democrats. an explosion of anger, building up for months. a fuse lit by spokesman, robert gibbs, saying that democrats could lose the house this november. >> i think there's no doubt, there's enough seats in play. that could cause republicans to gain control, there's no doubt about that. >> reporter: remarks many house democrats thought unappreciative and suspected as an attempt by the white house to distance itself from am impending loss. >> i think the comment was unfortunate. >> i think robert gibbs' statement was completely wrong. we're not going to lose the house of representatives. >> reporter: and it prompted larger gripe sessions among

house democrats this week with the president. what's their beef? one democratic congressman told me that, quote, obama has a general thrust of, we've got to do tough things. and then he says to congress, okay. you guys go do that, without providing us enough cover of guidance. you saw it during health care. you saw it during financial reform. we're doing a lot of heavy lifting for him. and it's almost as if the guys in the white house are saying, you should be saying thank you to us. k you?'s, what the beep? we did all the work. you're taking all the credit. >> there's always room for improvement. and i know our members would like to see the president out there more talking about our accomplishments. >> reporter: and according to one top democrat, president obama in his meeting with house democratic leaders wednesday night wanted to, quote, dise fuse them of any notion he wouldn't want or fight for a democratic house. it's remarkable that fewer than four months before the midterm elections, the president felt the need to convey that to democratic leaders. jake tapper, abc news, the white house. in other news now, secretary of state clinton is condemning deadly, new attacks on mosques

in iran. at least 21 people were killed and 100 wounded in 2 suicide bombings at a prominent shiite muslim mosque. the dead included members of the powerful revolutionary guard. a sunni rebel group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. a wave of gay weddings is expected, now that argentina has become the first country in latin-america to approve same-sex marriage. the law was passed, dit pitt a strong effort from the catholic church and evangelical groups. triple-digit heat in southern california isn't making the battle against wildfire any easier. some evacuations have been ordered. many of the fires were sparked by lightning from severe storms yesterday. erratic winds are also pushing the flames. and now, for this morning's weather from around the country. it will also be very hot today in the northeast, with severe storms bringing 70-mile-per-hour winds, hail and flash flooding

from new york to new england. but the major cities will be spared. also thunderstorms from the carolinas to atlanta. and from memphis to wichita. >> a scorcher out west. phoenix soars to 114. sacramento, salt lake city and boise hit the 100-degree mark. 92 in minneapolis. 94 in omaha. 89 in detroit. mostly 90s from boston to miami. dallas climbs to 100. and new orleans, 93. and still to come today, american cars beating their foreign rivals in the one category that has long eluded them, good looks. plus, will the iphone troubles spawn a recall. today, apple responds. and a new offering from the creator of this 1,400-calorie concoction. are you ready for a 12-inch burger? that story next. stay right there. i was not good to my skin.was sn long summer days, and not enough sleep. what i wouldn't do for a do-over. [ female announcer ] new neutrogena® clinical skincare.

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overseas stocks are mixed this morning. tokyo's nikkei average tumbled nearly 3% today. hong kong's hang seng is slightly higher. in london, the ftse opened higher, as well. on wall street, the dow, though, slid seven points yesterday. the nasdaq ticked down less than a point. and stocks got a late lift yesterday, after word leaked that goldman sachs had settled civil fraud charges with the government. the wall street powerhouse agreed to pay a record $550 million fine to settle charges that it misled investors. that's about two weeks' of profit for goldman. investors were pleased with the

deal. the firm's shares shot up more than 8%. apple is finally expected to address the problems plaguing the iphone 4. the company is holding a news conference today. but published reports say apple will not recall the device. the phone has been hampered by reception problems caused by its redesigned antenna. >> apple would do more harm than good in recalling the iphone. it would make this problem worse, not better. this is not like this is a car that doesn't slow down when you don't apply the brakes. it's a cell phone that has some signal issues. let's be honest. pretty much all cell phones have signal issues at one time or another. >> apple was reportedly aware of the problem as early as a year ago, but went ahead with development because steve jobs like the design so much. more bragging rights for american automakers. for the first time in 13 years, they top imports in j.d. powers vehicle survey. ford was the biggest winner, winning five awards, including its fusion.

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recapping our top story. bp is monitoring the new cap on its oil well at the bottom of the gulf of mexico. no oil has escaped into the water since yesterday afternoon. engineers are keeping an eye on the well's pressure, hoping it stays as high as possible. that means there are no leaks. >> all fingers crossed on that, for sure. and now, to the friday forecast. expect flooded highways across the interior northeast. i-84 and 91 in connecticut. i-87 in new york. and i-70, into pittsburgh. wet on 95, from the carolinas to miami. on i-10, from jacksonville to new orleans. and i-40, across tennessee. >> if you're flying today, expect airport delays in memphis, charlotte, atlanta and miami. and now, to the shrinking support among the american public for the war in afghanistan. the latest evidence of it comes from our just-released abc news poll. nick schifrin covers the war for

us. and joins us this morning from islamabad, pakistan. hi, nick. >> reporter: good morning, rob. that's right. president obama's approval rating for the war is at a new low. it's down to 45%, down from 56% in april. and the approval for the war itself is also at a new low. [ gunfire ] the war in afghanistan is more violent than ever. last month was the deadliest for u.s. troops. and more afghan civilians aredye dying than ever before. and as more americans die in afghanistan, more americans back home are questioning the war. in december, 52% said the war was worth fighting. today, that number is 43%. the increased fighting has a lot to do with it. as fewer troops die in iraq, support for that war has increased. up 8 points to 42%. but right now, americans are deeply concerned about whether both wars are worth it. the u.s. has spent $1 trillion

in iraq and afghanistan. and more than 5,500 men and women have been killed. but still, only about half say the iraq and afghanistan wars have improved long-term american security. the fear for the u.s. in afghanistan, the next few months will only get more violent. and that could further erode u.s. support. >> we're engaged in a contest of wills. our enemies are doing all they can to undermine the confidence of the afghan people. >> reporter: and support in a lot of the skepticism comes from president obama's own party. whereas 57% of republicans say they support the war. the number of democrats who say they support the war is only 36%. rob? >> nick schifrin with those brand-new numbers. thanks, nick. and june marked a grim milestone for the army. a record number of troops killed themselves last month. 21 of the suicides were among active-duty troops. and 11 among national guard or reserve. the army has now produced a new

video, raising awareness about suicide that will be shown to soldiers. more fear and outrage from utah's hispanic community, over a list claiming to have the names of 1,300 illegal immigrants. utah officials say there's evidence the database was breached to get the information. the print-out was mailed to the news media, and police, calling for the people to be deported. >> the immigration debate has reached a new level. that level is, we're going to hunt you. we're going to go after you. we know where you live. >> it looks like everyone on the list sought help from the utah workforce services. intentionally releasing private records could be punishable by fines and jail time. mel gibson's custody battle is playing out behind closed doors. gibson and his ex-girlfriend were not in court yesterday. but their attorney faced off over the highly-publicized

rants. and whether or not the tapes show gibson is a threat to their daughter. and pink is okay after suffering a scary fall during her performance in germany. you see the tape. a mishap with her harness sent the singer crashing into a barricade, forcing the singer to be rushed to the hospital in the middle of the show. pink tweeted an apology to her fans, saying all is well. and she told them she hoped it looked like it was cool. time for sports. and tiger woods enters today's second round of the british open, 4 strokes off the lead. as for last night's baseball, we get the highlights from espn news. >> good morning. i'm steve weissman with your espn news update. and the baseball season is back. could the white sox stay hot? john danks and the sox taking on the twins. bottom of two. bases loaded for joe mauer. his first three rbi game since last august. twins lead 6-4.

we move to the top of the fifth. game now tied at 6-6. runner on for a.j. pierzynski. that's a double to the gap in left. brings home a run. white sox up 7-6. bottom eight, bases loaded. two out. orlando hudson facing bobby danks. white sox win their ninth-straight, 8-7. meanwhile, carlos beltran making a season debut as the mets open up a series against the giants. beltran, four for seven. and gets tim lincecum. welcome back. top six, lincecum gets cora looking. wright sproezen. five ks for timmy. top nine, going for the complete game. ike davis, ground to second. check out freddy sanchez. diving play. lincecum picking up his tenth win of the year. giants get the shutout, 2-0. summer league hoopage. john wall and the wiz, playing the mavericks. second quarter, mavericks up

five. wall misses the runner. he would have seven rebounds. wall would have ten assists, hooking up jevail mcgee. how about some points? wall, on the drive. he had 21 of those. see it again just because it was nice. wizards win it 88-82, the final. that's your look at sports. for espn news, i'm steve weissman. back to you in new york. coming up next, the stories we'll be following today,

now, a look ahead to the stories we'll be watching this friday. the new cap on bp's oil well is holding steady. but no one says the oil crisis is over. engineers will be monitoring the well all day. the hope is that its pressure remains high, which would indicate that the well is leak-free. plus, apple makes a big announcement about its troubled iphone 4. the company has been dealing with criticism about the device's reception problems since its release last month. firefighters in california's riverside county are battling more than a than a dozen wildft have already burned hundreds of acres. most of them were sparked by lightning. some evacuations have been ordered. and a temporary replacement will be named today to fill the seat of the late robert byrd. the west virginia democrat died last month. a permanent successor will be provided by voters. the first family are vacationing in maine. they will be going to arcadia national park. for some of you, your local

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next at 4:30. movers and shakers left moving and shaking. overnight earthquake that is rattling nerves in the nation's capital this morning. guessing games begins today that apple will respond to growing complaints about the iphone 4. new leaks what the company will and won't say today. it's going to be hot. >> heat wave continues and i'll tell you when you can and finally, a buried treasure of sorts, emerging from the dust of ground zero. >> the hull of that 18th century ship has seen the light of day for the first time in a very

long time. now, we're getting more details on its past life. more from wabc's tim fleisher. >> reporter: lost in a hole for centuries. the hull of this ship now surfaces. >> we found the bottom of the ship. >> reporter: it was discovery in the world trade center site. intrigued some at the project. the best theory is that it was buried here as the shore's bulkhead was built out. >> they used a ship, a wooden ship, that was no longer, apparently, functioning as a ship, as part of the landfilling episode. >> reporter: clearly visible are the strong ribs of this working ship, thought to be over 200 years old. to fully appreciate the historical nature of this find, you have to realize is where i'm standing right now, in the tub of the site, 200 years ago, i'd be under the hudson river. so, they pour over the smallest of details.

and they found other items, too. >> we found bottles and dishes in there. that's exciting, too. animal bone. butchered animal bone. >> reporter: the ship's discovery now, comes as the trade center site is being expanded beyond the size of the original site. timber first uncovered. >> we examined it closely. and indeed, found the bottom portion of this boat in the location where they've been excavated. since then, we've been using a concerted effort to expose it. >> reporter: because the ship's been encased in mud for over 100 years, they believe much of the wood is rotten. what they can do at this point, is save some of the pieces and document the site. leaving us only to marvel at its discovery and wonder about its past. at the world trade center, tim fleisher, channel 7 news. >> an amazing discovery there. >> fascinating area of the city for many reasons. that's what's making news in america this morning, everybody. >> get more from abc news, later on "good morning america" or anytime at a