one day at a time. a small leak from the gulf oil well isn't serious and the containment cap can stay put for now. the road ahead. secretary of state clinton discusses afghanistan's future. and the last act. lindsay lohan is set to begin serving her time behind bars later today. this is the "cbs morning news" later today. this is the "cbs morning news" for tuesday, july 20th, 2010. captioning funded by cbs good morning and thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. the government says a small leak from the containment cap atop bp's broken well in the gulf is no cause for alarm. the containment cap will stay as is at least until this afternoon as bp continues to check for problems.

tara mergener is in washington with the latest on this. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning, betty. well, for now, bp is getting its way, but the company has been told to stay alert and watch for signs of trouble. bp's containment cap is staying put for now. >> we do not believe this is consequential at this time. >> reporter: the government official in charge of the spill insists there is no cause for alarm even though the 75-ton device is leaking oil and gas. two miles away, something is also seeping from the sea floor. >> they do not present at least at this point any indication that there is a threat to the wellbore. >> reporter: bp engineers will continue keeping a close eye on the well, watching for any new leaks. pressure readings are slowly climbing, a good sign, but government scientists are still trying to figure out why they are so low. bp wants to keep the cap in place until relief wells are completed. but the government has asked the company to draw up plans in case the cap needs to be opened.

>> if there's any indication of a precipitous drop in pressure or any reason why we might need to do something about it, we would need to have to vent immediately to relieve the pressure on the well. >> reporter: but that would allow millions more gallons of crude to gush into the gulf for at least a few days. bp is considering another option to shut the oil flow known as static kill. much like the failed top kill method, it would involve pumping heavy drilling mud and cement into the well. company executives believe the plan may have a chance now that the well is capped. still, they stress the idea is only in the planning stages and it will take another couple of days at least before any decision is made. and even if bp does try the static method, the relief well is said to be the ultimate fix. the operation should be completed next week. betty, back to you. >> tara mergener joining us live in washington. thank you. bp will likely be one of the pressing topics when david

cameron meets president obama at the white house this morning. part of today's discussion will center on the british government's decision to return lockerbie bomber to libya and bp's alleged involvement in that. yesterday cameron said he disagreed with the decision. >> i couldn't have been more clear that i thought the decision to release al megrahi was completely and utterly wrong. he was convicted of being the biggest mass murderer in british history. i saw no case whatsoever for releasing him from prison and i said that a year ago, remember, a year ago when we were all told of course he only had three months to live. >> david cameron says he also wants to discuss afghanistan. he says he wants all british troops withdrawn by 2015. secretary of state hillary clinton is in afghanistan this morning. she's meeting with the afghan leaders and is attending an international conference on afghanistan's future. mandy clark is in kabul with more this morning. hi, mandy. >> reporter: hello.

secretary clinton landed here last night and had a private dinner with the afghan president. now, he hasn't always had an easy relationship with the u.s., but clinton went out of her way to show hamid karzai respect. even as she embraced the afghan government's effort to step up and take control of the country, clinton reminded delegates that there's still much work to be done. >> we have no intention of abandoning our long term mission of achieving the kind of afghanistan that president karzai set forth in his speech. >> reporter: afghan president hamid karzai said his government was ready to take more control of the war against insurgents and also the billions of dollars of foreign aid flowing in to afghanistan. but with greater control comes greater responsibility. afghanistan is one of the most corrupt countries in the world and delegates from more than 60 different countries are demanding the afghan government cleans up its act. the secretary of state was delivering a delicately balanced

message. on one hand promising the u.s. has a long term commitment to the afghan cause. on the other, reminding everyone that president obama would like to see u.s. troop numbers here start to fall in a year's time. >> the july 2011 date captures both our sense of urgency and the strength of our resolve. >> reporter: the afghan people will be listening carefully and drawing their own conclusions about the strength of america's resolve. the international gathering will certainly be a boost for the afghan government's standing in the world, but the delegates will really want to see real progress soon. betty? >> no doubt. all right. mandy clark live from kabul. thank you for that. in other news, national guard troops begin arriving along the u.s. border with mexico on august 1st. it's the obama administration's latest move in the contentious debate over illegal immigration. up to 1200 troops will be deployed along the nearly 2,000 mile border.

they'll be armed, but can only use their weapons to protect themselves. arizona's governor says the deployment is, quote, not enough. the senate judiciary committee is scheduled to vote today on elena kagan's nomination to the supreme court. democrats hold a 12-7 advantage on the committee, so her nomination is all but certain to move on to the full senate. kagan was nominated by the president to take the place of retiring justice john paul stevens. democratic leaders hope to confirm kagan before the august recess. on "moneywatch," stocks in asia saw some gains this morning. ashley morrison is here in new york with the latest on that. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. well, asian markets were mostly higher as chinese shares jumped for a second day. the hang seng was up just about 1%. the nikkei, however, bucked the trend losing more than 1%. well, today wall street gets earnings reports from goldman sachs and apple. on monday stocks finished higher. the dow added 56 while the

nasdaq gained 19. 2.5 million long term unemployed americans should get their benefits restored today. republicans have held up the extension for weeks, but democrats will pick up the vote they need from the temporary replacement filling the late robert byrd's seat. the extension applies only to those whose benefits expire beginning of june. the benefits averaging $309 a week will be applied retroactively. more legal trouble for toyota. the "wall street journal" reports the automaker has been ordered by a federal grand jury in new york to hand over documents related to possible problems with steering rods in its vehicles. a toyota spokesperson said the subpoena did not specify which models might be affected. amazon is selling more e-books than actual hard cover books. the retailer says in june alone, digital books outsold hard covers by 80%. sales had been boosted by a drop in the price of the e-reader, the kindle.

paperbacks do still make up the bulk of sales. and the christmas season just seems to be getting started earlier and earlier every year. but july? well, hot or not, several big chains are looking to increase revenue by kicking off their holiday sales promotions this month. target is having a one day online sale on friday offering discounts that you would typically see only on thanksgiving weekend. toys "r" us, sears and k-mart are so holding online specials that offer traditional holiday items and free shipping. and, you know, it could be a really smart move for the retailers, but i just don't think i can get in the christmas spirit right now, not with this heat wave. >> and i guess this kind of rules out procrastination as an excuse when it comes to the holidays. if you can start in july, you know, then you've had plenty of time. all right, ashley, thank you. well, just ahead on the "morning news," actress lindsay lohan gets ready to lose her freedom. plus, a leap of faith for former senator george mcgovern who proves you are never too

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check it out. in florida, former south dakota senator george mcgovern went skydiving monday to celebrate his 88th birthday. the 1972 democratic presidential candidate said he made the tandem jump to increase public awareness of hunger. among the children of the world. well, in health news, a new study found that a gel may be a new weapon in the fight against aids. the gel is mixed with an aids fighting drug and a study in south africa found that it blocked the virus cutting in half a woman's chances of getting hiv from an infected partner.

but researchers say that more studies are needed. the flu vaccine of the future could be a simple pain free solution to that, and you can give it to yourself, in fact. it's a tiny new patch containing micro needles. sandra hughes reports now. >> reporter: it's not just children who don't like those annual flu shots. >> i'm a baby. i just -- i don't like -- i don't like the feeling and then i don't like seeing it. >> reporter: imagine instead of the needle using a vaccine patch. smaller than the size of a penny. it has hundreds of microscopic needles that don't hurt and dissolve into the skin. >> the immune response seems to be stronger than what we observe with the present vaccine. >> reporter: what if you could pick up your vaccine at the local pharmacy or even get it in the mail? >> i think it has a lot of merits because you can save a lot of time, you don't have to go to the doctor. >> reporter: the patch could be

used most effectively during a flu pandemic and would simplify large scale immunizations in developing countries. there is one warning similar to the regular vaccine. >> you might get some swelling locally in the skin. >> reporter: so far, the micro needle patches that would take about 15 minutes to dissolve have been effective in immunizing mice. the next step is a clinical trial to see how they would work on people. if all goes well, it could be available in about five years. sandra hughes, cbs news, los angeles. well, today is the day lindsay lohan is supposed to go to jail. lohan is due back in a beverly hills courtroom to surrender and start serving her 90 day jail sentence for violating her probation in a dui case. last night lohan assistants removed her belongings from the rehab center where she's been staying. according to tmz, lohan's latest lawyer, robert shapiro, has quit the case.

>> i'm not certain that it's going to change the judge's mind. i think it's a pipe dream for lindsay to think that she's not going to go to jail. >> lohan is not likely to serve the full 90 day jail term, but she was also sentenced to 90 days in rehab. straight ahead, your tuesday morning weather. and in sports, a home run barrage powers the first place st. louis cardinals to a win. you don't want to miss this. coffee, or tea. i've got it. ♪ [ female announcer ] introducing crest 3d white toothpaste. the remarkable new toothpaste that removes up to 80% of surface stains in just two weeks. good advice. what did i tell ya. [ female announcer ] for a noticeably whiter smile in just two weeks. new crest 3d white toothpaste. and try crest 3d white rinse. ♪ good morning!

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here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, partly cloudy, 90 degrees. miami, also partly cloudy, and 90, as well. chicago, thunderstorms, 84. partly cloudy in denver, 87 degrees. and l.a., sunny, 82. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows a swirl of clouds over the southwest. clouds and storms over the great lakes region are pressing toward the northeast. it's clear in the northwest and in the southeast, scattered clouds are breaking away. now, later today, the risk of severe weather will be more widespread from the rockies to the east coast. damaging winds and flash flooding could be a problem. in the southwest, there are no storms, just hot, dry air. and the heat and humidity are building again in the central plains. in sports, st. louis has won six games in a row. the cardinals hit a series of home runs in the fifth inning for an 8-4 victory over philadelphia.

st. louis remains a half game in front of cincinnati in the national league central division. in miami, donny murphy of the marlins hit a walkoff two run homer in the bottom of the ninth against colorado. and the marlins beat the rockies 9-8. in the american league, texas won in extra innings to extend its lead in the western division race. nelson cruz homered in the right field corner against detroit and texas held on for an 8-6 win over the tigers. and the white sox's alex rios hit the go-ahead two run homer in a 6-1 win over seattle. chicago now leads the american league central division by 2 1/2 games. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and jobs mystery. corporate profits are up, so why aren't businesses hiring?

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and i'm sydnie kohara. more than 200 drivers failed to show up for work yesterday... and a-c transit says it could happen again today. and it could put a big strain on the system. coming up at five: the issue that has angered so many drivers. bart riders say they don't want a reduction in fares. at least, according to a new survey. the system has a surplus of cash and is deciding what to do with it. how riders think the money should be spent. the america's cup. if it comes to the bay area, business leaders say it could be an economic boon. how much money could come in... and the number of jobs that would be created. and... will they or won't they... bristol and levi... get a reality show? join us for cbs 5 eyewitness on the "cbs morning news,"

here's a look at today's weather. high heat and humidity are covering the country from coast to coast. thunderstorms will be crossings the country from the rockies to the east coast offering very little relief from the excessively warm air. here's another look at this morning's top stories. there is a small leak in the containment cap covering the broken bp well in the gulf of mexico, but u.s. officials say the leak is not consequential and the cap can stay as is at least until this afternoon. and today, the senate is expected to vote on and pass an extension of unemployment benefits for some 2.5 million americans whose benefits have run out. the nation's unemployment rate remains at 9.5%. the jobs picture, though, is improving. but reluctant corporations are still taking their time pulling the employment trigger.

anthony mason reports. >> reporter: after reporting a spike in profits, ibm now has $12 billion in cash. but the tech giant has cut more than 12,000 jobs in the past year and a half. corporate profits are surging. together the top ten u.s. tech companies are sitting on nearly $250 billion in cash. that's enough to pay more than 6 million workers $40,000 a year. but corporate america still isn't hiring. while profits are now nearly 6% higher than before the recession, the number of jobs ij nearly 6% lower. economist ellen zentner says consumer spending is still weak and businesses are worried about higher taxes and the strength of the recovery. >> the picture is getting cloudier and corporate america knows that. so they'll hold off on making capital investments and hiring until they're more sure of what the financial future will bring. >> reporter: but a new nationwide survey of businesses suggest the picture may be improving.

it shows nearly a third of companies hiring in the second quarter. only 6% said the same a year ago. and nearly 40% say they plan to add workers over the next six months. in the wake of the great recession, many companies are still reluctant to take risks, but with corporations now sitting on a mountain of money, they'll be able to hire quickly if the economy starts to pick up speed. anthony mason, cbs news, new york. listen to this story. a woman from mexico can finally say she's proud to be an american. and it was worth the wait. she's 106 years old and took the oath of citizenship in chicago on monday. she's been living here for 40 years and she said she wanted to be a citizen like her three children, 14 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren, and eight great great grandchildren. she's also looking forward to voting in her first u.s. election. well, this morning on the early show, protecting yourself

from bed bugs. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." "cbs morning news." e we've got to capture. my job is to hunt it down. i'm fred lemond, and i'm in charge of bp's efforts to remove oil from these waters. bp has taken full responsibility for the cleanup and that includes keeping you informed. every morning, over 50 spotter planes and helicopters take off and search for the oil. we use satellite images, infrared and thermal photography to map and target the oil. then, the boats go to work. almost 6,000 vessels. these are thousands of local shrimp and fishing boats organized into task forces and strike teams. 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.

a confirmation hearing is set for today for the nominee to be the next director of national intelligence. president obama named retired air force general james clapper more than six weeks ago. he's expected to be grilled by a senate committee over a recent report that an intelligence system aimed at keeping the u.s. safe from terrorism has grown too big and too expensive. now, that report in the "washington post" shines a light on a secret community so massive that its effectiveness is now in question. bob orr reports. >> reporter: just a month after 9/11, president bush created the office of homeland security, pledging to spare no efforts in stopping the next terrorist attack. >> we're going to be ongoing and relentless. >> reporter: in the nine years

since, there has been no major attack. but the government has spent hundreds of billions of dollars creating a sprawling top secret intelligence complex which the "washington post" concludes is bloated and inefficient. >> overlapping agencies doing overlapping things. >> reporter: reporter dana priest led a two year investigation that's revealed mind boggling numbers. there are now 3200 government organizations and private firms working on homeland security. counterterrorism and intelligence. 854,000 people hold top secret security clearances. and analysts publish 50,000 intelligence reports every year. but the newspaper found the effort to be so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many programs exist, or exactly how many agencies do the same work. >> it didn't give me great comfort to hear the government itself saying we really don't have our arms around what we've built. >> so the people in charge of administering this big complex, even they don't know how big it is? >> that's right.

>> reporter: for example, take terrorist financing. cutting off the flow of cash to terror networks like al qaeda is the first line of defense. and the treasury department has historically led that effort. now the "post" analysis reveals there are 51 federal organizations and military commands all tracking terror financing and many are not sharing their information with one another. since 9/11, 33 complexes have been built for top secret intelligence workers. 17 million square feet of space, the size of three new pentagons. despite the broad buildup, terrorists have still slipped through, nidal hasan at ft. hood, and the underwear bomber in detroit. but analysts point out other planned attacks have been covered, an al qaeda plot in 2006 and by najibullah zazi to bomb new york subways.

>> there have been dozens of attacks, plots, terrorist networks that have been not only discovered, but foiled in the post-9/11 world. >> reporter: the government insists some of the redundancies are necessary, but there's also wide agreement the system has gotten too big. the challenge now is to cut the waste without increasing the risk. bob orr, cbs news, washington. and that's the "cbs morning news" for this tuesday. thanks for watching. hope you'll join us later for "the early show." i'm betty nguyen. "the early show." i'm betty nguyen. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. caption colorado, l.l.c. comments@captioncolorado.com hey, good morning! it's tuesday, the 20th of july. a.c. transit sickout. boy, what, 200 of their workers did not show up? >> right. a lot of -- very tough for the passengers who are waiting for buses that never came yesterday. and they say it