It was previously estimated that 12,000 to 19,000 barrels of oil a day were leaking into the Gulf of Mexico; now a government panel says that about twice that amount is gushing out, approximately 25,000 to 30,000 barrels of oil a day. That means that the broken oil well is unleashing the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez spill every 8-10 days. It also means we'll be spending the weekend with a big handful of pills and a nice, hot bath. Oh, and the new high estimate is actually already too low! Because BP had to cut a pipe last week to install the top hat, some experts believe the flow has increased at least 20%. The panel is working on a new catastrophic estimate reflecting that increase, the Times reports, in yet another thoroughly appalling article.