“They were definitively selective in picking background vocalists for this season. You have

“They were definitively selective in picking background vocalists for this season. You have to be able to sing every genre of music, from Stevie Wonder to Billy Joel.”

Shaneka L. Brown, a 2002 Hubbard High School graduate, is one of the three backup singers on the popular Fox competition show “American Idol” this season. The trio assists contestants in their performances.

“This campaign has been long. It has been difficult, and it has been costly. There have been setbacks; to be sure, we’re experiencing them now, and there will be more setbacks ahead.”

Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander for the war in Afghanistan, telling Congress that the U.S. must stick to its strategy, including the planned withdrawal calendar, over the next several months despite recent setbacks that have tested America’s relations with the Afghans.