Mariah Carey Leaving Idol

Mariah Carey Leaving Idol, Mariah is ditching the singing competition in favor of a world tour, according to her PR firm.
Another one bites the dust! It was announced May 30 that Mariah Carey will not be returning to American Idol for a second round of judging, instead opting to embark on a world tour.

“W/ global success of “#Beautiful” (#1 in 30+ countries so far) @MariahCarey confirms world tour & says goodbye 2 Idol,” tweeted Mariah’s PR firm @PMK_BNC.

Though Mariah’s feud with fellow judge Nicki Minaj created lots of buzz prior to Idol‘s season 12 premiere, viewers quickly tired of the duo’s on-camera shenanigans once the season began. Nicki is also leaving Idol.

Though Mariah is the newest judge to announce her departure from the show, she certainly isn’t the first.

Randy Jackson announced his decision to leave the show May 9 with the following statement:

Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on American Idol I have decided it is time to leave after this season. I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry. It’s been a life changing opportunity but I am looking forward to focusing on my company Dream Merchant 21 and other business ventures.

As for Nicki and Keith Urban, neither judge has publicly admitted to leaving, but sources confirm we shouldn’t expect to see either of their judgmental faces when the show returns Jan. 2014.

HollywoodLifers, will you miss Mariah on Idol? Drop a comment with your reaction to her departure.

Amelia Earhart Sonar

Amelia Earhart Sonar, – A team of researchers seeking to solve the mystery of aviator Amelia Earhart’s 1937 disappearance say a sonar image taken from just beyond the shore of a remote Pacific island could be a piece of wreckage from her plane.

A forensic imaging specialist for a research team that conducted a $2.2 million expedition to the island of Nikumaroro searching for Earhart’s plane last year said the image could represent a wing or part of the fuselage from Earhart’s aircraft.

Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, departed Papua New Guinea on July 2, 1937, during her quest to circumnavigate the globe along an equatorial route. But they disappeared that day and emergency searches did not locate them.

The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) said it needs to send an expedition back to Nikumaroro, in the Republic of Kiribati, to verify that the image of something apparently lodged below an undersea cliff represents a piece of Earhart’s plane.

TIGHAR released images last year from the July expedition to Nikumaroro, 800 miles southwest of Honolulu, that it said could be a field of man-made debris with remnants of Earhart’s plane.

Quincy Pondexter Miss Tennessee

Quincy Pondexter Miss Tennessee, The unfortunate end of his third NBA season and the onset of summer seem to have conspired to turn Quincy Pondexter’s thoughts to love. The Memphis Grizzlies small forward apparently felt a bit lonely on Wednesday afternoon, and his quest for company led him (as it leads so many of us) to Twitter.

But the 25-year-old Pondexter, it seems, had a very specific companion in mind:

Who won Miss Tennessee this year?

– Quincy Pondexter (@QuincyPondexter) May 29, 2013

That would be Chandler Lawson, Quincy. This is her:

But why do you ask, Q?

Now that season is over I need 2 find a gf “@chrisvernonshow: Offseason…RT @quincypondexterWho won Miss Tennessee this year?” – Quincy Pondexter (@QuincyPondexter) May 29, 2013

As soon as Pondexter let it be known that he was looking for a lady love, Vernon – host of the midday show on 92.9 FM ESPN in Memphis, purveyor of fine Grizzlies-based apparel and go-to context provider on the Grizzlies’ come-up – reached out to offer to set up a dating show for the swingman. Pondexter quickly assented, and it looked like the snowball was about to start rolling downhill.

Radio bits would have to be put on hold, though, when Lawson caught wind of Pondexter’s inquiry:

@quincypondexter hi! Heard you were looking for me? #gogrizz

– Chandler Lawson (@MissTN2012) May 29, 2013

Pondexter seized the opportunity:

Yup!! single? Lol “@misstn2012: @quincypondexter hi! Heard you were looking for me? #gogrizz” – Quincy Pondexter (@QuincyPondexter) May 29, 2013

Lawson volleyed back:

“@jon_roser: Man there is nothing funnier than @quincypondexter mackin on @misstn2012 on twitter” I’m lovin’ it! And yes, totally single!

– Chandler Lawson (@MissTN2012) May 29, 2013

And the game was afoot:

Oh totally single? Ditto … Date? Lol @misstn2012 – Quincy Pondexter (@QuincyPondexter) May 29, 2013

@quincypondexter you got it! We’ve got an audience waiting apparently!

– Chandler Lawson (@MissTN2012) May 29, 2013

Boom.

The interaction between @quincypondexter and @misstn2012 is priceless.Let it fly, QPON!!! – Chris Vernon (@ChrisVernonShow) May 29, 2013

Just a classic case of striking while the iron has been made toasty by coming out of nowhere to become the best offensive performer (well, really the only one capable of making a 3) on a team in the conference finals. A certain ex-ESPN columnist turned Grizzlies vice president of basketball operations recognizes that kind of decision-making when he sees it:

@quincypondexter with the ultimate heat check.

– John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) May 29, 2013

How quickly we’ve forgotten about young Spike Albrecht. I mean, which do you think sounds like a bigger reach – a scrawny college freshman taking a crack at a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model, or a 6-foot-6 pro who’ll make $2.2 million next year hollering at a beauty pageant winner?

Georgia Williams Search

Georgia Williams Search, The body of the missing Shropshire teenager Georgia Williams has not been found, despite the arrest of a man over her murder, police have said.

A 22-year-old Telford man was arrested in Glasgow on Wednesday, originally for the alleged kidnap of 17-year-old Williams, who went missing on Sunday, but he is now being questioned on suspicion of killing her.

Police have been searching woodland and have taped off an area in Brown Moss nature reserve, about 17 miles from Wellington, Press Association reported. Forensics teams have searched a semi-detached house in Wellington.

Superintendent Nav Malik of West Mercia police said: “I make it very clear, folks, that we have not found Georgia Williams I urge the public to support us in trying to find out where she may be.”

He said the arrest on suspicion of murder followed developments in the investigation – which has more than 50 detectives working on it – that could not be shared “for operational reasons and because we have someone in custody”.

Williams, the daughter of a West Mercia police officer, is a former head girl at Ercall Wood technology college in Telford and was due to meet her boyfriend to travel to a music festival on Monday morning.

At a press conference on Wednesday, police made it clear that the man suspected of killing the teenager was not her boyfriend and they were just “friends on social media”.

On Sunday evening Williams, a member of the air cadet force, appeared to be concerned and told friends on Twitter she was struggling to sleep. The tweet, posted at 10.36am on Sunday – nine hours before she disappeared – said: “Worst night’s sleep in ages. #needsleep #stuffonmind now can’t get back to sleep.” Police said the tweet was not believed to be relevant to the investigation.

Police said the last text messages and calls from her mobile phone were made about 8pm on Sunday.

“I would remind people that Georgia, who is white, 1.6 metres (5ft 3in), slim and with long, dyed, red hair, was last seen wearing a waist-length black leather jacket over a white T-shirt, which has a London bus motif on it. She was also wearing black, skinny jeans and flat, black suede slip-on shoes,” he said.

“We also want to hear from anyone who may have seen a silver Toyota Hiace 300 GS panel van, registration CX06 ASV, which took a route from Wellington to Oswestry in Shropshire before moving on to Rhyl, Chester, Kendal and then Glasgow.

Woolwich Murder Charge

Woolwich Murder Charge, Court artist sketch of Michael Adebowale, flanked by two police officers in the dock, during his appearance at Westminster magistrates court in London where he charged with the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby. Photograph: Elizabeth Cook/PA
One of the suspects in the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby has appeared in court yesterday.

Michael Adebowale, 22, appeared at Westminster magistrates court in handcuffs, wearing a grey-green long-sleeved top and white baggy pants. The injured suspect was permitted to sit during the hearing as the charges against him were read out.

Rigby, a soldier with the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was run over and killed in a Woolwich street on the afternoon of Wednesday 22 May.

Adebowale, who was shot by police called to the scene of the attack on the soldier, limped as he first approached his position in the glass dock.

Holding his right arm, which was in a plastic brace close to his body, Adebowale listened without reaction as he was charged with Rigby’s murder and possession of a firearm, a 9.4mm KNIL Model 91 revolver, with intent to cause others to believe that violence would be used.

Asked to confirm his name, address and date of birth, Adebowale calmly replied: “Yes.”

His home, in Greenwich, south-east London, was searched shortly after Rigby was killed.

Bethan David, prosecuting, told the court the charges met the definition of t*rror*sm under section 30 of the Terrorism Act.

The chief magistrate, Howard Riddle, said the matter would be elevated to the crown court. He said Adebowale would face a bail hearing on Monday at the Old Bailey and a trial date had been set for 28 June.

Eight others have been arrested in connection with the murders. Two have been released without charge.

A postmortem examination found that the solider’s cause of death was multiple cut and stab wounds. An inquest will be formally opened on Friday.

A second suspect arrested at the scene, Michael Adebolajo, 28, remains in hospital after he was shot by officers, still too ill to be questioned by detectives.

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