shepard: live from chicago, thank you. shuttle countdown was for the history books and next, a man who actually specific the countdown. he joins us live. 3q double shift. i need a break.
the half hour right now. general david petraeuses taking command in afghanistan. he ll arrive later today, nine days after his predecessor general stanley mcchrystal was relieved of his duties. petraeus arrival in afghanistan is marked by rivals. nasa extending its shuttle countdown. the space agency making it official the last space shuttle flight is scheduled for february of next year. the flight was originally scheduled for november but pushed back because of technical difficulties. now that former hurricane alex has lost its punch and the waves are calming, crews in the gulf are hoping to get back to the oil spill today. the head of the epa will also be in louisiana for a town hall meeting and to oversee how bp is managing the cleanup. the mother of all skimmers, a converted super tanker named