Hugo Chavez has returned to his home country of Venezuela just in time for the 200th anniversary of his country’s independence from Spain celebrated with parades and parties today. Chavez had been in Cuba receiving treatment for stomach cancer and his arrival was somewhat unexpected. Yesterday he gave a speech from the balcony of the presidential palace to excited crowds in Caracas. 

This week will mark 100 days since the Deepwater Horizon exploded, sending millions of barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico. BP's second quarter earnings are expected tomorrow, and the results will be telling about the oil company's future. What we do know: BP's future will not include Tony Hayward. The embattled chief executive officer agreed to step down yesterday, and will be replaced by Robert Dudley, BP's most senior American executive, who has been in charge of operations in the Gulf. We'll look ahead to the future of BP with Marcus Mabry, associate national editor for The New York Times; and Fernando Pizarro, a Washington correspondent for Univision.