MILWAUKEE — It's the roar that made Milwaukee famous — the distinctive throaty rumble of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. But that much-loved racket could be rumbling away to another state if the company cannot bring down its labor costs.

Harley-Davidson warned employees in April that it will move its Wisconsin manufacturing operations elsewhere if it cannot cut millions of dollars at the factories that build the bikes known as "Milwaukee Iron."

Harley's corporate headquarters would remain here, but that's small consolation to a community that has already endured repeated blows to its civic identity.

"When you think of Milwaukee you think of beer, brats and Harley-Davidson," said Steve Daily, a researcher at the Milwaukee County Historical Society. "Right or wrong, that's what it is."

But that's been changing. For example, beer giant Miller Brewing Co. moved its headquarters to Chicago in 2008 after merging with Molson Coors Brewing Co. Then there was Schlitz, which billed itself as "the beer that made Milwaukee famous" until financial and labor problems forced it to sell out to a Detroit company in the 1980s.

United and Continental airlines this morning announced the senior executive team that will lead the merged company after the two combine later this year.

Four of the executives hail from Houston-based Continental and the other half from Chicago-based United.

The merged company will be named United and headquartered in Chicago. Continental's Jeff Smisek will serve as its president and CEO.

From Continental, Zane Rowe will be chief financial officer, Nene Foxhall will oversee communications and government affairs, Jim Compton will be chief marketing officer and Mike Bonds will be responsible for human resources and labor relations.

From United, Pete McDonald will be chief operations officer, Keith Halbert will be chief information officer, Tom Sabatino will be general counsel and Jeff Foland will lead the combined carrier's loyalty program.

The closely watched cap keeping oil from spilling out of BP's Macondo well will stay closed even as support ships and crews evacuate the Gulf of Mexico in the face of Tropical Storm Bonnie, officials said Thursday.

Government scientists are comfortable enough with the methods BP is using to monitor the well for possible leaks that they no longer will need to approve the shut-in every 24 hours as they have since soon after the flow of oil stopped last week, said retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, commander of the federal spill response.

At a news conference in Mobile, Ala., Allen said the decision was based on recommendations from Energy Secretary Steven Chu and a team of other scientists.

Allen said Thursday evening that many of the vessels will begin leaving the site, including two rigs drilling relief wells that will plug the Macondo permanently.

For more go to http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/deepwaterhorizon/7121174.html

Four of the nation's largest oil companies said Wednesday they immediately will commit $1 billion to set up a rapid oil spill response system to deal with deep-water blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico.

Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips and Shell said the system of underwater capture devices and surface containment vessels, similar to what BP is using now to control its Macondo well spill, will be designed to capture up to 100,000 barrels of oil a day before it spills into the sea from wells sitting in water as deep as 10,000 feet.

Unlike BP's system, much of which was designed and built on the fly to handle the unfolding Gulf disaster, the new equipment will be pre-engineered, constructed, tested and on standby for immediate deployment in case of an emergency. As part of the initiative, the four firms will form a nonprofit company called the Marine Well Containment Co. to operate and maintain the system.