Also, an update on the national election scene, and Ithaca and Rochester are among top cities for college students.
From the Los Angeles Times:
BP blamed a series of mechanical and human failures by its own crews and its contractors for the April 20 oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, escalating a blame game that is likely headed to the courts.The oil company, releasing its long-awaited internal investigation into the gulf disaster Wednesday, accepted a share of the responsibility but also took aim at failures on the part of contractors Transocean and Halliburton for shortcomings such as a "bad cement job" and a failure to spot problems.
BP’s investigative team cited eight problems, including a pressure test "that was accepted when it should not have been ... weaknesses in the cement design and testing’’ and the failure of the blowout preventer to operate "probably because critical components were not working."
» Read the story: Gulf oil spill: BP report spreads blame for Deepwater Horizon disaster [Los Angeles Times]
» BP Oil Spill: Company Report Probes Cause of Gulf of Mexico Disaster [ABC News]
» BP clears the bar by spreading the blame [MarketWatch]
» Halliburton Says Errors in BP Report [Barron's]
» Transocean Slams BP’s “Self-Serving” Report [Barron's]
National campaign update:
» Obama: GOP trying to ride 'fear and anger' to Election Day [USA Today]
» 'Dirty Tricks' More Common This Election Season [AOL News]
» POLITICAL INSIDER: GOP voters outnumber Dems [The Associated Press]
In other news:
» Scan ballot system mandatory for upcoming elections [centralny.ynn.com]
» Safety record of Gulfstream International Airlines worried the FAA [Watertown Daily Times]
» Ithaca, Rochester among best cities for college students [CNYcentral.com]
» Despite unsolved shooting, surveillance cameras come in handy for Binghamton police [pressconnects.com]
» DeWitt woman turns 106 [centralny.ynn.com]
&raqyo; Niagara River dive nets bottle of whiskey that may be from Prohibition [The Buffalo News]