BP dealers: Bring back Amoco

UNDATED (AP) - Customer boycotts of BP stations are giving rise to talk of a name change, and it's one a lot of drivers may remember -- Amoco. The Gulf oil spill has cut deeply into profits of BP dealers all around the country, so some dealers are saying it would be a good time to bring back a name a lot of people know and trust. BP merged with Amoco in the 90s, and quickly retired the brand. Even with financial perks from BP to help them out, some dealers say it's the BP label that scares people away. Bob Dudley -- the man who'll soon take over BP -- worked for Amoco for 20 years, so dealers think he might be open to the change. On the other hand, there is Jeff Miller -- whose company owns, operates and supplies roughly 56 BP-branded stations primarily in Virginia. He says if the company makes all the right moves from here on, keeping the BP nameplate could be a smart thing.

Obama to sell auto bailout good news in Michigan

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama travels to the heart of the U.S. auto industry on Friday.

The president will push an important election-year claim: his administration's unpopular auto industry bailout has turned into an economic good-news story. With Americans facing a limping economy and potentially pivotal congressional elections in three months, the White House sees progress in the auto industry. To highlight that progress, which presidential aides believe has received too little attention, Obama will stop at three auto plants over the next several days.

Dudley to outline BP plans to help Gulf recover

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Incoming BP CEO Bob Dudley is set to outline his company's long-term efforts to help the Gulf of Mexico recover from the oil spill and will be getting help from a Clinton administration-era emergency management official. The oil giant says Dudley will be in Biloxi, Miss., Friday to announce that former Federal Emergency Management Agency head James Lee Witt will support its recovery efforts. Local officials, especially in Louisiana, have been clamoring for more long-term commitments in the face of reports that the oil spill is dissipating, at least on the water's surface. The gusher set off by an oil-rig explosion spewed between 94 million gallons and 184 million gallons before a temporary cap stopped the flow July 15. A permanent fix is expected to be weeks away.

Rangel talks about ethics violations

WASHINGTON (AP) - New York Rep. Charles Rangel can expect a September trial before the House ethics committee, the same month he has a primary. House investigators accused the veteran congressman Thursday of 13 violations of congressional ethics standards, including failure to report rental income from vacation property in the Dominican Republic. Rangel says, "Even though they are serious charges, I'm

prepared to prove that the only thing I've ever had in my 50 years of public service is service." Rangel also is accused of violating House standards of conduct by using congressional letterhead to solicit donations for a center for public service to bear Rangel's name on the New York campus of the City College of New York.

The charges came as lawyers for Rangel and the House ethics committee worked out a plea deal, according to people familiar with the talks. But Republicans on the ethics committee indicated it was

too late.

FBI access to e-mail and Web records raises fears

WASHINGTON (AP) - A new controversy surrounding the FBI's surveillance tactics is one for the Internet age.

The bureau wants to clarify federal law to ensure its agents can gather information about a person's e-mail traffic and Web surfing practices without having to go to court where a judge could refuse the request.

A 2008 opinion by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel has cast doubt on whether the FBI can collect the information using so-called national security letters just signed by a bureau official. The Obama administration is seeking an amendment to clarify the FBI's authority. Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont says the administration's request raises privacy concerns. He plans hearings this fall.

In Rhinebeck with Chelsea: Rocky Horror, cows

RHINEBECK, N.Y. (AP) - Guests at Chelsea Clinton's wedding can find plenty of entertainment before and after the nuptials. Rhinebeck, N.Y., is a busy place on summer weekends and isn't shutting down for the much-anticipated wedding between Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky. There is a cow-judging event at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. There is a community theater presentation of "The Rocky Horror Show." And there's an air show complete with $69 rides in a biplane. Wedding guests and gawkers are welcome at all. Antiques and crafts bring in tourists and day-trippers every weekend to Rhinebeck, a town of 8,000 people about 90 miles north of New York City. In addition, ballgames, yard sales and Sunday church services are on as usual. In addition, some roadside vegetable stands will be carrying extra stock for the extra out-of-towners.

Disney sells Miramax to investor for $660 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Walt Disney Co. says it will sell Miramax Films to an investor group for about $660 million, ending a 17-year association with the studio and a six-month bidding process. The New York Times and Los Angeles times report that Disney signed the agreement late Thursday with Filmyard Holding. The

investor group is led by construction magnate Ronald Tutor. Tutor and his partners put down a nonrefundable deposit of $40 million to Disney on Thursday. Disney had been looking to sell Miramax amid a studio overhaul because it no longer resonated with its other family centric studio units such as Pixar and Marvel. Miramax's Oscar-laden film library is full of prestigious films such as "My Left Foot" (1989), "Pulp Fiction" (1994) and "Good Will Hunting" (1997).