News Nuggets 1032

DAYLEE PICTURE: Marine catfish in Japan.  From National Geographic.

UP-FRONT LOCAL PUBLIC RADIO NUGGET!!
WESA Shakes Up Programming Lineup from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette  
"Starting Friday, 90.5 WESA will change its programming lineup. The station will add six new programs to its lineup, shift some time slots and eliminate other programs."
The skinny: Losing the Takeaway and On Point: bad.  Gaining Diane Rehm: good.  Fifth hour of Morning Edition: who needs it? 

New Order Emerges: Rebels Carve Out Large Enclave in North Syria from the Associated Press via NBC News
"In recent months, Syria's rebels have extended control over a large swath of territory in the northeastern corner of the country after forcing the army from town after town in a string of bloody street battles."

Iran Seeks to Save Pivotal Syrian Ally, Sees Conflict as Part of Broader Threat from Al Arabia News [of Saudi Arabia in English]
"Iran, dismayed at the plight of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is seeking to shore him up and counter a perceived drive by Western and U.S.-aligned Sunni Muslim nations to roll back its own power in the Middle East."

Crowds in Cairo Praise Morsi's Army Overhaul from Al Jazeera [in English] 
"Thousands gather in Tahrir Square to support move to replace defence minister and army chief by President Mohamed Morsi."
I think this is probably good news out of Egypt!

China Is Running Out Of Money (Gordon Chang) from Forbes Magazine
"In May, Beijing ramped up its support for the economy, and observers had expected activity to pick up by last month. Why has the economy so far failed to respond?  There are various reasons, but perhaps the most important is that the country is running out of money for stimulus."

China's Debt Bomb (Jonathan Kaiman) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Half an hour from Beijing, the potential ground zero of the Chinese real estate meltdown."

The Resurgence of the U.S.- Japan Relationship (Richard Weitz) from The Diplomat
"While some focus on recent tensions, Tokyo and Washington have been quietly strengthening their security alliance."

Pittsburgh Reinvents Itself as the New Hollywood from CNN
"Once known for its steel mills and smog, Pittsburgh is fast becoming the Tinseltown of the East. A generous film tax credit, coupled with the region's diverse landscape and skilled labor unions, have made the city a hot destination for recent productions -- and the firms that cater to them."

For Ryan and Obama, More Than the Usual Rivalry from the New York Times 
"When President Obama was first elected, aides say, he saw Representative Paul D. Ryan, another ambitious Midwestern policy wonk, as someone he could possibly work with to reverse the building federal debt. ... He soon would change his view ..."

Florida Newspapers: Romney is in Big, Big Trouble from Daily Kos
"The Florida papers are destroying Paul Ryan. So much so that a distraught and panicked Village believes "Mitt Romney is in big, big trouble" for selecting the man who wants to pull the plug on Grandma. The very first available headlines from the all important swing state of Florida are devastating."

Paul Ryan and the Triumph of Theory (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post 
"In making Ryan his running mate, Mitt Romney guaranteed that this election will be about big principles, but he also underscored a little-noted transformation in American politics: Liberals and
conservatives have switched sides on the matter of which camp constitutes the party of theory and which is the party of practice. Americans usually reject the party of theory, which is what conservatism has now become."

GOP Again Turns to the Bill Kristol Ball (Dylan Byers) from Politico 
"For two consecutive presidential cycles now, the founding editor of the Weekly Standard has successfully led the conservative media drumbeat for a bold vice presidential pick: In 2008, he fervently supported and promoted Sarah Palin for months before the country even knew her name. In 2012, he urged Mitt Romney to “go for the gold” with Paul Ryan."
And he is someone who is SO CONSISTENTLY WRONG that he got booted as a NYT columnist because his opinions were so filled with false information.

Understanding the Ryan Plan (Matt Miller) from the Washington Post 
"Ryan’s con has succeeded largely because Democrats haven’t sensed the political salience of assailing his plans from the right ; instead, they’ve chosen to slam only Ryan’s regressive priorities and Medicare scheme."

No, Paul Ryan is Not ‘Courageous’ (James Downie) from the Washington Post 
"The past few weeks have made clear that the race is slipping away from him, as President Obama’s lead has widened in state and national polls and the economic outlook has brightened slightly. The right has sensed this — see talk show host Laura Ingraham, among others — and conservatives are convinced that Romney is losing because he’s not assertive or conservative enough. "

How Obama Will Cash In on Paul Ryan: Medicare, Taxes, Education & More (Robert Shrum) from the Daily Beast
"Romney’s choice of running mate accelerates the move away from the 2012 election as a straight-line referendum on the economy. Now it is unmistakably and irretrievably a decision about the future, says Robert Shrum."

Chris Shays’s Last Stand: The GOP Passes On a Connecticut Moderate (John Avlon) from the Daily Beast
"A popular Republican faces a thumping in the Republican primary Tuesday. The Daily Beast’s John Avlon talks to former Rep. Chris Shays about what’s changed."