tonight on "world news," mud versus oil. bp ready with a mountain of mud to smother and seal the leak once and for all. a bold new idea. prime minister and president. britain's david cameron. the young political star everyone's talking about, weighing in on bp, lockerbie and obama. race and reaction. a black federal employee resigns, saying the white house misunderstood something that happened 24 years ago. and, the mailman and the moment. one postman, saving lives three times. good evening tonight. a brand new british prime minister arrived at the white house, and you'll meet david cameron in a moment, as we ask

him about everything from afghanistan to the storm surrounding british oil giant bp. it is now three months to the day since the oil spill began, a day on which bp began selling billions of dollars in assets. and, mud has become the latest hope for the end of that broken well. we'll begin with abc's matt gutman in baton rouge, louisiana, tonight, on this new idea. matt? >> reporter: diane, think of it this way. it's an arm wrestling match between this mud and that oil. now, engineers are going to use pumps four times bigger than this to try to jam that mud into the well. now, if the mud wins, it could be game over. the government said it could make a decision on the plan as early as tomorrow, for implementation as early as next week. >> the static kill discussions are ongoing right now and we'll probably have a good idea over the next 24 hours. >> reporter: according to the plan, engineers would force feed a cocktail of over 200,000

gallons of mud and cement 13,000 feet down the well, all of it pumped through these two pipes in the sealing cap. that drilling mud, 4,000 bathtubs worth, could be slowly, methodically pumped in. it's similar to the top kill method that failed in may. the advantage this time, the cap has stopped the powerful flow of oil, making it easier to overwhelm. do you think this is the best chance they have of succeeding and ending this thing quickly? >> well, i think it's a good way to hedge bets. all right, let her rip. >> reporter: and in this static kill demonstration, created by lsu engineers, you can see the mud sinking, the oil no longer surging up against it. at the same time, work continues on the relief wells, one of which could intersect the crippled well as early as next week. but all of that is contingent on the stacking cap holding. as big as a school bus, it may be leaking. apparently not seriously. that little bit of good news today offset by word that bp is selling off $7 billion in assets to help cover its liabilities in

the gulf. at the same time, in hearings in new orleans today, the company also under fire by government panel for ignoring warnings about that critical blowout preventer that caused the disaster in the first place. ronald was a well site leader on the rig. >> suspend further drilling operations until the pod is operable. >> was that done at the deepwater horizon? >> well -- no, it wasn't. >> reporter: now, with those investigations, bp's financial woes and of course that urgent need to kill that well, there is now more trouble, potentially, on the horizon for bp. a possible tropical storm headed right for the gulf coast, maybe this weekend, diane. >> another storm on the way. well, matt, as you know, the high octane british prime minister, david cameron, arrived for his first u.s. visit since taking office in early may. and we had a chance to interview him. cameron and obama, both in their 40s, both with young children. but cameron is a conservative,

and on this day, we learned bp is selling $7 billion in assets to another oil company, the apache corporation, to generate cash for the costs of the oil spill. cameron has been worried that the unrelenting u.s. pressure on the company could affect the stockholders on both sides of the ocean. are you as angry about what happened in the gulf as americans are? >> yes, i was very angry about it, because anyone who cares about the environment, when you see those pictures of oil pouring out of an underground well and doing so much environmental damage, doing so much damage to wildlife, to beaches, to livelihood, that makes you angry. and i want bp to sort it out. i do think it's in britain's interest and also america's interest, and the world's interest, that bp remains a strong and stable company, not only so it's able to make those payouts to those fishermen, to the business owners who have been hit by the spill.

>> reporter: did it trouble how tough the president has been? at one point he called bp reckless, and at another point, he said he was looking for -- >> who's as whose ass to kick. >> reporter: that is a direct quote from the president. >> look, i don't want to get into a war of words over this. the president and i have spoken about this. we agree it's important bp does those things. >> reporter: do you think this was unhelpful? did you have any differences with him on this? >> i don't want to get into a war of words. what matters is dealing with the issue. >> yeah. >> reporter: and abdul al megrahi. the man convicted of killing 270 people in that pan-am bombing 22 years ago. scotland released him as a terminal cancer case. but a group of angry u.s. senators have called for another investigation amid reports bp

somehow influenced this case. cameron said he's long been outraged by megrahi's release. >> he was convicted of the biggest mass murder in british history. in my view, that man should have died in jail, full stop, end all. the second thing is, we should be clear about who was responsible for the decision to release him. it was a decision taken by the scottish government. i don't currently think that a sort of, another full inquiry by the british government is the current right way -- currently necessary -- because i don't need an inquiry to tell me what i think i already know, which, it was a bad decision to release him and even contemplate. i know there's a congressional hearing -- >> reporter: full cooperation? >> absolutely, in whatever way we can. but i would just, you know, i think it's important to sort of straighten our heads. this was not a decision that bp took or this -- the wrong decision, in my view, but a government took that decision, and i think that's quite important. >> reporter: one other request from the senators that there be

a moratorium on any drilling of any kind until this matter has been settled in libya, by bp. >> well, i think that trying to connect these issues up, i don't think, is right. >> reporter: that's not a consideration? >> i'm going to meet with the senators. >> reporter: clearly, the main purpose of the president and the new prime minister was to keep the harmony in the so-called special relationship between the u.s. and great britain, who tied at the world cup and exchanged beers. goose island 312. >> very good. >> reporter: did you have it cold? >> i have. i've been -- as ordered to by the president, i put it in the fridge, and i've been drinking it while watching some of the world cup. it's very good beer. >> reporter: by the way, cameron has said great britain is a junior partner in the special relationship. >> reporter: i know you've met president obama before. but i'm curious what intrigued you the most. >> i was intrigued to find out what this guy was like. he's one of the calmest, coolest

people i've come across. extremely friendly, very easy to get to know. very clear in his mind about what he believes and what he wants. >> reporter: anything about him surprise you? >> yes, his frankness, actually. we had -- the first time we'd met, so, the calmness. he was very frank about the problems he had to overcome. in terms of, you know, people's beliefs about him. >> reporter: but there is a difference. symbolized by the fact that cameron came to the u.s. on a commercial plane. >> you know, we've got a lot of money to save. very big budget deficit. so we can't go spending money on executive planes, sadly. >> reporter: england's percentage deficit is even larger than the u.s., and they've decided to cut back now. cameron drastically cutting government programs, even raising taxes. while obama says the u.s. should continue the stimulus. >> reporter: do you think the united states is just wrong? >> no, i don't. we're different countries. we have different needs. we're going to do things at different speeds.

you guys can run a bigger deficit for longer than we can. but you know, this year, we are borrowing more than virtually any other country in the g-20. we're actually borrowing more this year than greece. so, it's necessary for britain to tighten its belt and prove that we can live within our means. and having won the election on that basis, and formed a coalition government on that basis, i want to demonstrate that that's what we're going to do. >> reporter: you don't look at the united states and in any way say, you are continuing to stimulate yourself into a point of no return? >> well, president obama himself has got plans for quite aggressive budget deficit reduction that i think is going to take your deficit down to 3% of gdp from where it is by 2015. >> reporter: the junior partner is not going to scold the united states? >> certainly not. different countries to do thoefshing inin ining things i ways. we're all heading in the same direction. >> reporter: afghanistan. >> yeah.

>> reporter: is -- are the international forces winning? >> i think we're making progress. i think we need to just be very clear about what we're trying to do in afghanistan. frankly, we're not trying to create the perfect democracy. we're never going to create some ideal society. we are simply there for our own national security, for your that means having an afghan government that is capable of securing its own country. that is the key condition. that's the only condition we that is the key condition. that's the only condition we should really be putting on all talking about startiut cameron has said britain is out in 2015. will you be out in 2015, no matter what? >> what i've said that, 2015, there will not be british combat troops. there will not be large numbers. will we have a relationship with afghanistan, into the future in terms of aid and assistance and maybe some military training, yes, of course. >> reporter: the taliban, one of the taliban leaders said that an enemy talking timetables of withdrawal is an enemy that has failed. >> well, i don't accept that.

because the truth is, the only timetable that i'm talking about is five years away in what has already been a very long conflict. >> reporter: 321, perhaps more, fatalities among british troops and we have seen those incredible scenes of the hearses in the village streets with the veterans saluting them as they go by. what do you do when you're sitting alone at night? >> well, it is, by far, i mean, by a million miles, the biggest responsibility, the biggest challenge that i feel, or that i have personal responsibility for what happens. and also, often we don't read about this, as well as those that die, there are those who lose limbs and who are wounded, sometimes terribly, who have a lifetime of difficulty because of that. i take full responsibility for that and that's one of the reasons i wanted to be here today, talking to the president, because, in the end, it is going to be the british and the americans and other key allies in nato who get it right or don't get it right. and this is the biggest responsibility that i have. make sure they can live a life

and try to help them. get over their grief. but it is -- you never get over your grief. you never forget something that you've lost. and it is incredibly tough and they are bearing an incredible burden for us. >> and we will have a bit more with the prime minister later in the broadcast. you can see the full interview on our website, abcnews.com. moving on now, help is finally on the way for millions of americans whose unemployment checks have stopped. after two months of republican delays, the senate voted 60-40 on party lines to restore benefits to 2.5 million people out of work at least six months. the president could get that bill by tomorrow. also here in washington, a major setback today for a blockbuster cancer drug, avastin. a panel of government advisers, all of them cancer experts said that the drug should no longer be recommended for women with advanced breast cancer. the panel said the risks outweigh the benefits. here's lisa stark.

>> reporter: it was a ray of hope for women who had little. avastin promised to improve the quality of life for those with advanced breast cancer. but now, the experts say the drug should no longer be used for women with the disease. >> it is not saving lives and, in fact, women taking this drug tend to die a little bit sooner than women taking other drugs. >> reporter: avastin aimed to starve tumors by choking off their blood supply. in 2008, when approved, it seemed to be working. while it didn't lengthen lives, it appeared to give women an extra five months before their disease worsened. but the new studies reveal it wasn't so. for pat howard, who has been relying on avastin for three years, it's hard to fathom. >> i've been known to leave the avastin chair, rush to the golf course and play 18 holes of golf. my quality of life is fabulous. >> reporter: 90,000 women have used avastin for breast cancer. avastin will still be used for other cancers, and even if the

fda pulls the plug on it for breast cancer, doctors could offer the drug off-label. but the price tag, $50,000 to $90,000 a year, is one few women could afford. lisa stark, abc news, washington. and still ahead on "world news," the black federal employee out of a job because a comment she made 24 years ago. a controversy about race, racism and these polarized times. and, the balancing act. we've seen the obamas at home. david cameron at home -- doing dishes? how do i know if i'm getting a good deal? you should talk to the specialist. the specialist? he compares rates side by side. you could save hundreds. it's easy. great. okay, pickles! do your thing. [ bell rings ]

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statements she made decades ago. and the white house reacted. jake tapper reports. >> reporter: it was combustible. a conservative website posting a video clip of department of agriculture official shirley sherrod at an naacp event talking about meeting with a white farmer. >> i was struggling with the fact that so many black people have lost their farm land and here i was faced with having to help a white person save their land. so i didn't give him the full force of what i could do. >> reporter: last night, an obama administration official called sherrod in her car and demanded she pull over and type a resignation letter in her blackberry. agriculture secretary tom vilsack said in a statement that there is zero tolerance for discrimination at his agency. none of them bothered to learn that the incident in question happened 24 years ago when sherrod worked for a nonprofit. the question is, why would you

look at the white farmers differently than you looked at the black farmers? >> because i always, up to that point, i felt they had all of the advantages. >> reporter: then, in 1986, she changed her mind, as she said in the speech. >> that's when it was revealed to me that it's about poor versus those who have. >> reporter: in your view, your story was about how race shouldn't matter with people. >> right. and they turned it into saying that i'm a racist. >> reporter: and you're not? >> you better believe i'm not. >> reporter: and the white farmers in sherrod's story agree. and credit her with saving their farm. roger and eloise spooner from iron city, georgia, consider sherrod a friend. >> if it had ntd of been for her, it wasn't a matter of a few months and we would have lost it. >> reporter: and diane, earlier today, the naacp was applauding secretary vilsack's decision, but just a few minutes ago, they reversed course, saying they were snookered by conservative

media. wanted sherrod reinstated. secretary vilsack is standing by his decision. diane? >> quite a tv drama today. thank you, jake tapper. and still ahead, the letter carrier who saves lives while delivering the mail and delivering people to safety. a three-time hero.pe 2 diabetes, you struggle to control your blood sugar. you exercise and eat right, but your blood sugar may still be high, and you need extra help. ask your doctor about onglyza, a once daily medicine used with diet and exercise to control high blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. adding onglyza to your current oral medicine may help reduce after meal blood sugar spikes and may help reduce high morning blood sugar. [ male announcer ] onglyza should not be used to treat type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. tell your doctor if you have a history or risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. onglyza has not been studied with insulin. using onglyza with medicines such as sulfonylureas may cause low blood sugar. some symptoms of low blood sugar are shaking, sweating and rapid heartbeat.

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he nearly drowned in the thick crude before a colleague jumped in to rescue him. other men waited on shore to carry him to safety. these pictures documenting the rescue were released by greenpeace. and, in akron, ohio, one mailman really delivers. keith mcvey was on his route when he found a man unconscious, turning blue. he performed cpr and revived him. and by the way, two years ago, he saved a girl drowning in a lake. after both rescues, he continued on to deliver the day's mail. and one more note, he once saved a man who jumped from a bridge and landed in a snow bank. and mcvey thinks a higher power might be at work. >> after two or three events, you kind of wonder to yourself, hmm. >> hmm, indeed. a hero three times over. and when we return, another high powered young couple at home.the f headlines can be unsettling. but what if there were a different story?

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plus, specialized skimmers from around the world. we've skimmed over 27 million gallons of oil/water mixture and removed millions more with other methods. we've set out more than 8 million feet of boom to protect the shoreline. i grew up on the gulf coast and i love these waters. we can't keep all the oil from coming ashore, but i'm gonna do everything i can to stop it, and we'll be here as long as it takes to clean up the gulf. [meow] desperate for nighttime heartburn relief? for many, nexium helps relieve heartburn symptoms caused by acid reflux disease. and for the majority of patients with prescription coverage for nexium, it can cost $30 or less per month. headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain are possible side effects of nexium. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. ask your doctor if nexium can help relieve your heartburn symptoms. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.

and now a sign of the times. 43-year-old british prime minister david cameron recently gave barack obama a gift. not beethoven, but the alternative rock group radiohead, and lily allen, a british pop star and bad girl. he is a conservative and curious mix of youth and family. there he was with internet videos, shirt sleeves rolled up, biking to work, playing in the snow. moving seamlessly from the podium to the stove. his wife samantha was also born into the upper class, but had a creative director job at a

prestigious stationary goods company. their first born was ivan, born with a rare form of cerebral palsy. cameron called him their "beautiful boy," and when he died last year at the age of 6, a nation grieved. the couple has a daughter, nancy, now age 6 and arthur, age 4. and a new baby due to arrive in september. their dad has even before known to use dr. seuss in front of crowds, as moral instruction. quoting dr. seuss? "unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better?" >> it's not. that's right. >> reporter: we saw incredible campaign videos of you putting dishes in the dishwasher. as we know, in the kitchen -- >> the things we do. >> reporter: making the porridge, stirring the porridge there. you have a new baby on the way. so, what's going to happen with the diapers now, and the dishes now? >> well, there will be the usual family round about who does what. but i'll try and be a good hands-on dad, but september and the arrival of a new one is

going to test that theory. in this job, there are always 1,000 other things you could be doing. and you've got to make sure that you do find time for your family and your children. hopefully one of the reasons you become prime minister is because you've got some balance and some sort of reasonable judgment that you bring to the problems of life. and if you get frazzled and fried and exhausted, and forget who you are, then you're going to be a rubbish dad and probably be a rubbish prime minister, too. >> reporter: i wanted to ask you about being the youngest prime minister in, oh, what is it in england, 200 years. medvedev, sarkozy, obama. a whole new group coming in, post-world war ii generation, post-cold war generation. what does that mean? what is the most important common denominator of being this generation? >> i'm not sure. it may be something that happens and then it changes again. i mean, i'm a great respecter of the old and the wise and the experienced. they've seen it all and done it

all. >> reporter: they might not have given the president radiohead. >> i did. and lily allen, as well. >> reporter: right. >> i met lily allen after that, and said, i gave your record to the president. and she said, yeah, i know, but i'm still not voting for you. so you can't win, can you? >> the new prime minister. and tomorrow night, we'll be in california, an interview with the founder of facebook, mark zuckerberg, right here tomorrow night. see you then. good night. tonight the east bay freeway shootout. where the gunman was headed when he opened fire on police. >> i've known 4 plus i pad one equals major i profits tonight for apple. how long can they sustain the sales? >> and farm workers urge the governor to give them pay equity. near sacramento, they currently get overtime after

10 hours, not eight. >> and there is messages of hate from a san francisco graffiti vandal. an i team report. >> good evening, everyone. we now know a man caught was heading to san francisco. where, police say he intended to kill a lot of people. hd he not been stopped officers say he might have pulled it off. we have two live reports tonight. vic lee has the apparent targets of the attacked we're going to start in oakland where the suspect made a first court appearance. >> there is williams was virtually silent during his court appearance. and today, police said they believe williams was acting