'Idol' covers Elton John: The studio recordings

This week's American Idol performances were a remarkably consistent bunch. Nobody did a bad job of covering Elton John, at least not from the perspective of what they were trying to accomplish.


Similarly, the studio recordings have a similarly high level of quality. In fact, I don't think any of them are worse than what we saw from the finalists Wednesday.


BETTER THAN THE SHOW


Haley Reinhart, Bennie and the Jets. Haley's cabaret-pop take on John's 1974 glam-fan tribute works even better here. If people who don't generally like Haley wonder why this performance seems to work so much better than her usual fare, it's because the song gives her an appropriate place for all her vocal idiosyncrasies: That woozy slide she likes so much works great on the verses, the melody lets her leap around to her heart's content, and that growl of hers sounds just perfect whenever she exclaims, "Bennie! Bennie!" Sure, she exaggerates the sibilant syllables and the stuttering "B-b-b-bennie" -- but since when is exaggeration in the name of Elton John considered a musical crime?


Paul McDonald, Rocket Man. I don't remember much about the instrumentation on Paul's performance Wednesday, but it's a big part of what makes this track work: a steady tap of drumsticks on hi-hat; a chiming sound that seems like part electric piano, part pedal steel; an eerie, spacious distortion that lurks, shadow-like, throughout the track. At one point, everything drops away, leaving only the echo of Paul's whispery rasp, floating weightless.

Lindsay Betty Ford Clash -- Violent 911 Confrontation

Lindsay Lohan during the nuclear argument she had with Betty Ford staffer Dawn Holland -- an argument Holland says turned violent.

It all went down on December 12, when the staffer -- Dawn Holland -- claims she busted Lindsay and two other girls jumping a wall at Betty Ford at around 1 AM. -- after curfew. During the 911 call, Lindsay and Dawn were both on the line on separate phones. Lindsay says, "She's freaking me out!"


When Dawn tried to make Lindsay take a breathalyzer, she says "Lindsay Lohan pushed me and hit me with the phone." Dawn claims she knows the other two girls Lindsay was with were drunk, "reeking of alcohol."


During the call, Dawn claims she grabbed the phone to talk to the dispatcher ... but Lindsay ripped the phone from her hand ... spraining Dawn's wrist in the process.


As we first reported, the Riverside County District Attorney declined to prosecute Lindsay over the incident.

Blackwater founder questions FBI work

The founder of the security firm once known as Blackwater questions how federal authorities handled their investigation of an infamous Baghdad shooting that left 17 Iraqis dead.


Erik Prince says in a sworn deposition reviewed by The Associated Press this week that he didn't think the FBI fully investigated the sources of all the used bullets. He says it seemed the ballistics analysis was done to try and prove the guilt of the Americans instead.


An FBI spokeswoman declined to comment on Prince's statements.


Five of the men involved were initially charged with manslaughter over the shooting, but a judge dismissed those charges.


Prince was deposed last year as part of a lawsuit alleging that his company had a pattern of using excessive force.

Japanese, US military search for tsunami victims

Japanese and U.S. military ships and helicopters trolled Japan's tsunami-ravaged coastline looking for bodies Friday, part of an all-out search that could be the last chance to find those swept out to sea nearly three weeks ago.


More than 16,000 are still missing after the disaster, which officials fear may have killed some 25,000 people. The 9.0-earthquake and tsunami also ravaged a nuclear plant that continues to leak radiation despite frantic efforts to control it.


Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan sounded a resolute note Friday, promising to win the battle against the overheating plant even as atomic safety officials raised questions about the accuracy of radiation measurements there. Residents have been evacuated from around the plant.


On the outskirts of Sendai, near the Japanese military's Kasuminome air base, a constant stream of helicopters roared overhead throughout the afternoon, shuttling to and from the more remote coastal regions. Planes and boats were dispatched from other bases near the city.


Altogether, 25,000 soldiers, 120 helicopters, and 65 ships will continue searching through Sunday. If U.S. forces spot bodies, they will point them out to the Japanese military rather than trying to retrieve them. So far, more than 11,700 deaths have been confirmed.

6 Israeli lawmakers to study US Jewish community

Six Israeli lawmakers are headed to the United States this weekend to learn more about the American Jewish community.


The visit to Brandeis University and New York City, starting Sunday, comes amid concerns about a growing gap between American and Israeli Jews.


The six-day Ruderman Fellows Program aims to give the legislators a detailed understanding of the structure and history of the American Jewish community.


The packed schedule includes meetings with American Jewish leaders in areas such as academics, business and philanthropy.


Program officials say Israeli Jews sometimes don't understand the communities' differences, such as the diversity in American Jewish life and practice.


Program founder Jay Ruderman says more understanding among Israeli leaders can ensure differences don't harden into divides. He says that would severely damage the small global Jewish community.