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Friday, July 13, 2012

Jennifer Lopez follows Tyler off 'American Idol'

FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2012 photo, "American Idol" judge Jennifer Lopez, center, reacts as fellow judge Steven Tyler, left, of Aerosmith makes a joke about wearing Lopez's pants as Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest are seen at right during the "American Idol" panel at the Fox Broadcasting Company Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif. "American Idol" is on the brink of a crisis, Thursday, July 12, 2012, as judge Steven Tyler is leaving, and fellow judge Jennifer Lopez is dithering about staying put. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok, File)

FILE - This March 28, 2012 file photo shows Steven Tyler speaking at the Aerosmith news conference announcing the 2012 Global Warming Tour in Los Angeles. Tyler announced Thursday, July 12, 2012 that he will not be returning as a judge on the singing competition series "American Idol." Tyler served as a judge with singer/actress Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson on the 10th and 11th season of the series. (AP Photo/Katy Winn, file)

In this Feb. 28, 2012 photo released by Fox, judges, from left, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson are shown on the set of the singing competition series, "American Idol," in Los Angeles. Tyler announced Thursday, July 12, 2012 that he will not be returning as a judge on the singing competition series "American Idol." Tyler served as a judge with singer/actress Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson on the 10th and 11th season of the series. (AP Photo/Fox, Michael Becker, file)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Jennifer Lopez followed Steven Tyler's lead off "American Idol" on Friday, a one-two punch for a show on the brink of an adolescent identity crisis.

Lopez will not be back for a third year on television's top-rated but struggling show, her representative, Mark Young, said Friday. Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler announced Thursday he was exiting.

That means the "Idol" panel is down to one, original judge Randy Jackson, and there are reports that he may take a different role when the Fox show returns next January.

Lopez broke the news to "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest on his radio show.

"I really was dreading this phone call with you," she told him. "I honestly feel like the time has come that I have to get back to doing the other things that I do that I've put kind of on hold because I love 'Idol' so much."

"American Idol" has been TV's most popular program for nearly a decade, but its ratings have declined as TV's talent show field has grown more competitive.

When it returns for its 12th season next January, "Idol" will have to be a reengineered version of the once-powerhouse series that turned hopefuls such as Jennifer Hudson into stars and gave network rivals fits.

Speculation about potential new panelists has focused on Mariah Carey, with former "Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert getting a shout-out from his fans. Much is at stake for the show and for its judges: Lopez's contract reportedly was worth $12 million and the stint proved a career-booster for her.

Fox and Jackson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Tyler started the exodus with his announcement Thursday that he was putting rock 'n' roll ahead of the show that he said had been "over-the-top fun."

"I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I'm back ? but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I'm kicking the door open with my band," Tyler said in a statement. Aerosmith is on a nationwide tour with Tyler and has an album due out in the fall.

In a phone interview Thursday with The Associated Press as the news about Tyler broke, Lopez had said she was saddened to hear that Tyler was leaving and that his departure would play a role in her decision.

"I can't even imagine anyone else there right now because I've just spent two years sitting next to him," she said. "I love Steven, and we became close during that time. We were a great support for each other, on an adventure that neither one of us knew what it was going to be. So it's hard to hear that he won't be doing it."

Jackson and his "dawg!" exclamations have been a stalwart part of "Idol." But the show's multi-year contracts, such as the one Jackson signed, typically include an escape clause that the network can choose to exercise or not.

In a statement Thursday, one Fox executive expressed measured regret over Tyler's decision.

"We are very sad that Steven has chosen to focus more on his music, but we always knew when we hired a rock 'n' roll legend, he would go back to his music," said Mike Darnell, the network's president of alternative entertainment.

Seacrest, the other original cast member, will provide a stable center. He signed a two-year contract with "American Idol" producers this spring to continue as host.

The Fox series, which began with Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul as judges, has made changes on the panel over the years. Ellen DeGeneres joined one season, and songwriter Kara DioGuardi was added as a fourth judge to work with Jackson, Cowell and Abdul.

The addition of Tyler and Lopez two years ago added fresh star power, and the pair and Jackson clicked on-camera.

But "American Idol" ended up in a vulnerable position, coming off a May finale that drew 21.5 million viewers as Phillip Phillips was crowned the newest winner.

It was a record low finish and followed a pattern of declining viewership for the once-inevitably top-rated series, not to mention a pattern of "white guys with guitars," as fans describe the show's recent string of similar winners.

The series ended the 2011-12 season as No. 2 with an average 20 million viewers for the Wednesday performance episodes, just edging third-place "CSI" on CBS (19.7 million) and NBC's top-rated "Sunday Night Football" (20.7 million).

"Idol" still rules among the most-watched talent shows, topping ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" and NBC's "The Voice." But the Fox show is fighting to keep advertiser-favored young viewers, with "The Voice" nearly equaling its audience among adults 18 to 49.

Fox, which from the start has protected "Idol" by programming it just once a year, has now diluted its uniqueness with a family competitor, Cowell's "The X Factor," which debuted last fall. After a disappointing start, the show underwent its own judges' shakeup to add Demi Lovato and Britney Spears.

"American Idol" hasn't been helped by a run of champions who have failed to achieve the career sizzle of Hudson, Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson.

The winner, however, ultimately is up to the audience. The judges are in the network's and producers' control, and their next moves are critical ones.

___

AP Television Writer David Bauder and AP Music Editor Nekesa Mumbi Moody in New York contributed to this report.

___

Online: http://www.americanidol.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-07-13-TV-American%20Idol-Crisis/id-9b86a9ee3db34837bc0f59cbfde9b205

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Disappointment for Liu as Merritt shines

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/disappointment-liu-merritt-shines-190420497.html

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Thursday, July 12, 2012

PC sales fall by 6 pct to 11 pct in US during 2Q

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pc-sales-fall-6-pct-11-pct-us-225244937--finance.html

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Australia: ABB Bags USD 80 Million Order for ... - LNG World News

ABB Bags USD 80 Million Order for Ichthys LNG Project

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won orders worth around $80 million to supply power technologies and medium-voltage drive systems for the new Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) project?s processing plant near Darwin, Australia.

The equipment will power the plant and control the compressors that liquefy the gas. Approximately half of the order value was booked at the end of the first quarter with follow through orders in the second quarter.

The Ichthys LNG project is a joint venture between INPEX (operator), Total, Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas and Toho Gas and represents the second largest oil and gas development in Australia?s history.

Gas from the Ichthys Field, in the Browse Basin approximately 200 kilometers (km) off the coast of Western Australia, will undergo preliminary processing offshore to remove water and extract condensate. The gas will then be exported to onshore processing facilities in Darwin via an 889 km subsea pipeline. The Ichthys LNG project is expected to produce 8.4 million tonnes of LNG and 1.6 million tonnes of LPG per annum, along with approximately 100,000 barrels of condensate per day at peak.

ABB?s equipment will facilitate the main power supply for the onshore dual train LNG processing facility and control the compressors that liquefy the gas collected from the offshore field. ABB will design and deliver a power supply solution for the LNG processing facility, including supply of key equipment such as power and distribution transformers, medium-voltage switchgear, low-voltage motor control centers (MCC), and a power distribution monitoring and control system.

?ABB technologies will facilitate reliable and efficient power supply for this new and significant LNG facility,? said Bernhard Jucker Head of ABB?s Power Products division. ?Our domain expertise, comprehensive portfolio and proven track record make ABB a trusted oil and gas sector partner.?

Six medium-voltage variable-speed drive systems, including synchronous 2-pole motors rated at 20 megawatt (MW) and 3,600 revolutions per minute (rpm), and two medium-voltage variable-speed drive systems, including induction motors, rated 3.2 MW will be installed to help process the LNG, together with converter transformers.

?ABB has a strong track record for this type of application in the oil and gas industry, where reliability and safety are of paramount importance. We not only offer reliable products, but also a full range of engineering and support services to meet the demanding requirements of this industry,? said Ulrich Spiesshofer, head of ABB?s Discrete Automation and Motion division.

LNG World News Staff, July 12, 2012

Source: http://www.lngworldnews.com/australia-abb-bags-usd-80-million-order-for-ichthys-lng-project/

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At Kansas Station, E15 Fuel Reaches the Masses

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Ethanol makers want to offer a blend of fuel that is 15 percent ethanol rather than 10 percent. At a Phillips 66 station in Lawrence, Kan., E15 is catching on.

Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=ebad24e8ccacd09392fa80fc3f5be13e

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Who does No. 2 work for? Rating Romney's VP choices

Picking a vice presidential nominee may be the most undemocratic election in this hemisphere since the heyday of Fidel Castro. The electorate consists of exactly one man ? in this case, Mitt Romney who has total freedom to choose virtually any card-carrying Republican who opposes abortion (the one absolute litmus test in the GOP.) Convention delegates, for all their theoretical veto power, exercise all the independence of Politburo members celebrating May Day.

As a result, handicapping the veepstakes is inevitably an exercise in frustration. What are you supposed to do ? conduct an exit poll on the sidewalk in front of Romney headquarters in Boston? Romney himself has not offered much help other than repeating the vaporous platitude that he will select a running mate ?who could be president if that were necessary.? Of course, in a technical sense, any natural born citizen over the age of 35 ? even Sarah Palin ? could be president if they are sworn in.

For all the media?s obsession with vice-presidential vetting (a word we only use in reference to sick animals and the heartbeat-away derby), there is almost no discussion about how Romney?s choice might fit into a working White House in 2013. Virtually all the press speculation revolves around compatibility on the campaign trail, the political imagery of the choice and the ability of the VP nominee to attract undecided voters in, say, Colorado who are left-handed bowlers who own PBS tote bags. But almost none of the speculation and scorecards have anything to do with serving as vice president.? Now, for the missing question: How will Romney?s pick measure up to the standards set by recent VPs?

No longer is the modern vice president a Throttlebottom who was dispatched to second-tier international funerals when the secretary of State was busy. Those days of the VP as a supernumerary whose only responsibilities were presiding over the Senate and inquiring about the president?s health are gone. The last three occupants of this ill-defined office have turned it into an independent power center -- whether as national security czar (Dick Cheney), as counselor in chief (Joe Biden) or as re-inventor of government (Al Gore).

?For most of American history, vice presidents were chosen for balance, either geographic or ideological,? says Elaine Kamarck, a former Gore aide who is now a professor at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. ?That built a tension into the relationship ? and that tension kept the vice president in a subservient and unnatural position.? But as Kamarck points out, Bill Clinton?s selection of Gore in 1992 (a similar youthful moderate Democrat from an adjoining state) permanently changed the VP equation from ?a balance model to a partner model.??

So how do the leading contenders to become Romney?s second banana measure up as potential White House partners? How do they fit the profile of someone who could actually make something of the vice presidency rather than just campaign for it?

Knowledge of Washington: The last elected vice president who was sworn in without having served in Congress or the Cabinet was Spiro Agnew in 1969. The former Maryland governor?s tenure in the Nixon White House is remembered for the ferocity of his attacks on the media (?nattering nabobs of negativism?) and his quaint habit of accepting cash in little white envelopes.

With Romney?s own Washington pedigree limited to his failed 1994 Senate race against Ted Kennedy, it would be a bold move to choose a vice president with similar gaps in his or her resume. In fact, you have to go back a century to Woodrow Wilson and his ineffectual vice president Thomas Marshall to find a team equally unacquainted with the ways of Washington. That, of course, did not prevent Wilson from dominating Congress in his first year in office (creating the modern income tax system and the Federal Reserve) or inhibit Marshall from quipping, ?What this country needs is a really good five-cent cigar.?

No one on the Romney list (not that we know precisely who is on the list) can match Ohio Senator Rob Portman in the knows-Washington category. Not only was Portman elected to seven terms in the House, but he also served in the Cabinet as George W. Bush?s trade representative and budget director. Other than Cheney and George H.W. Bush (House member, UN ambassador and CIA director before being tapped by Ronald Reagan), there have been no vice presidents in modern history with this wide-ranging background.

Paul Ryan ? who, for what it?s worth, has been rising in the VP speculation ? does offer seven terms in the House and a creative record as the fiscally conservative chairman of the Budget Committee. But for all of Ryan?s success as a GOP wunderkind (he was elected to the House from Wisconsin in 1998 as a 28-year-old), there is a narrowness to his D.C. background compared to Portman.

Executive ability: A vice president cannot run a Cabinet department or really anything beyond a presidential commission or a White House working group. But as Cheney demonstrated to perhaps a frightening degree during the run-up to the Iraq War, a vice president who understands the levers of power and the inner workings of the bureaucracy can be the most formidable figure in the federal government.

Even though he has never lived or worked outside the Minneapolis metropolitan area, former two-term Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty fits the Romney model as a competent scandal-free conservative administrator without the sharp edges of a fiery ideologue. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal also has run something larger than a Senate office. But Jindal, still in his first term, needs the crash course in national issues that Pawlenty absorbed during his ill-fated presidential run.

Specific expertise: Vice presidents traditionally take on specific tasks such as Biden overseeing stimulus spending during the first two years of the administration. That is why it helps to be identified with a specific issue area before being tapped for the ticket. Of course, for Agnew, it was bribes and for Dan Quayle, it was spelling.

If, say, Romney chose Florida Senator Marco Rubio, whose parents came from Cuba, it seems axiomatic that the VP would be the White House point man on immigration. New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte, who like Rubio was elected in 2010, would probably gravitate to the legal side of the White House and law enforcement based on her service as state attorney general. As vice president, Chris Christie?s portfolio would probably also run to law enforcement (he was a federal prosecutor before being elected New Jersey governor) and to Bruce Springsteen. And, of course, Portman and Ryan can probably recite line items from the federal budget in their sleep.

A sense of deference: This may be the hardest thing for a would-be vice president to learn (see Biden, Joe) since almost all the leading contenders have been captains of their own political fate up to now. A rare exception might be Portman (notice how he keeps popping up on these lists?) based on his tenure in the Bush Cabinet. Needless to say, it defies imagination to picture the exuberant and outspoken Christie as a make-no-waves vice president.

The truth remains that after the polls are digested, the political calculus weighed and all skeletons are exhumed from closets, the vice presidential choice will ultimately come down to what Mitt Romney looks for in a partner. And if the modern definition of a VP holds, it will be a partner in governing ? and not just someone to stand there on stage with Romney, grinning with hands aloft amid the balloons and the confetti at the Tampa Convention.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/who-does-no--2-work-for--rating-romney-s-vp-choices.html

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Biden tells NAACP Obama stands by convictions

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/biden-tells-naacp-obama-stands-convictions-153319328.html

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