Lynn Redgrave, BP Assumes Everything But Responsibility For Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill, Lou Engle Calls Uganda Ground Zero In The Pushback Against Gay Equality

Lynn Redgrave has died. She was 67. The younger sister of Vanessa Redgrave succumbing to complications from breast cancer, an illness she had fought since 2002. She became something of sensation in the sixties for an appearance in 1966 film Georgy Girl, a role that earned one of two Academy Award nominations, the other for her brilliant, committed performance in the 1998 film Gods and Monsters.

BP, the international oil and gas company , said Monday that it would assume responsibility for the cleanup cost associated with the grotesque oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward, said that the company would cover all costs concerning the cleanup efforts, as well as compensate legal claims for business losses, personal injuries, and property damage, all while refusing to concede BP was responsible for the initial accident. “We are responsible, not for the accident, but are responsible for the oil and for dealing with it and cleaning the situation up, “said Hayward. He added that “the worst-case scenario is that we would need to contain this for two to three months whilst a relief well is drilled. His comments come a day after American President Obama, on a tour of the devastation, reiterated that the government would not be responsible for covering any of the costs and that BP was wholly answerable for what Obama called a “potentially unprecedented environmental disaster.” The administration is angry with BP for the slow response to the now ecological catastrophe and its apparent inability to stop the leak. “BP is responsible for this leak, “said Obama, “BP will be paying the bill.” The event is potentially damaging to the Obama administration politically, the President announcing early last week that he intended to expand offshore drilling. He now says that those plans are suspended and no new leases will be issued until a post-mortem of the causes of the BP leak is complete.

Lou Engle, a far-right fringe evangelical, who, in 2008 during the Proposition 8 campaign, called homosexuality “a spirit of lawlessness,” appeared at a rally and prayer service in Kampala, Uganda, billed by promoters as an opportunity to discuss homosexuality and witchcraft. Prior to his visit, Engle, who founded the anti-gay group The Call, a quasi-ministry, which has opened a new chapter in Uganda, criticized the country’s proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, but Sunday said that the country was displaying “courage” and righteousness” in promoting the bill which proposes the death penalty in instances of “aggravated homosexuality.” “NGO, the U.N., Unique, they are all coming in here and promoting an agenda,” said Engle, “today, America is losing its religious freedom. We are trying to restrain an agenda that is sweeping through the education system. Uganda has become ground zero.”