News Nuggets 1037

DAYEE PICTURE: Descent into a dormant volcano in Iceland.  

From the Daily Mail of the UK.

UP-FRONT "LEGITIMATE RAPE" HISTORY NUGGET!!
'God’s Little Shield’: A Short History Of The False No-Pregnancy-From-Rape Theory from Talking Points Memo
"A search of news archives by TPM shows a short history of Republican politicians espousing the idea of a biological defense against pregnancy in cases of rape, though there’s little consistency in their explanations of how such a mechanism works."

Gu Kailai, Wife Of Bo Xilai, Receives Suspended Death Sentence from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"The wife of a disgraced Chinese politician received a suspended death sentence Monday for the murder of a British businessman, as authorities move to tidy up a huge political scandal ahead of a once-in-a-decade leadership transition this fall. Gu Kailai's sentencing clears the way for the ruling Communist Party to deal with her husband, Bo Xilai..."
Yeah -- her death sentence is suspended -- so long as she keeps her trap shut about what she knows about the REST of the Chinese leadership.  She and her husband know PLENTY!

Myanmar: Government Ends Censorship Of Local Media from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"Myanmar's government said Monday it would no longer censor local media outlets, the most dramatic move yet toward allowing freedom of expression in the long-repressed nation. The Southeast Asian nation's media had long been regarded as among the most restricted in the world. "

Republican Governors Should Want Health Care Exchanges (Elena Marks) from Bloomberg News Service
"All the governors in this group -- including Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Rick Scott of Florida -- are states’ rights advocates. Yet if they don’t create the exchanges, they will bring about precisely what they oppose: a federal takeover of a major part of their states’ insurance systems."

University of Pittsburgh Bomb Threat Suspect Called Publicity Hound from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Adam Busby, the Dublin-based Scotsman charged with emailing 40 bomb threats targeting the University of Pittsburgh, is a publicity-obsessed narcissist who enjoys creating just the kind of fear and disruption that occurred at Pitt, according to a retired journalist in Scotland who has known him for more than two decades."

Exclusive: GOP Scolded After Drinking, Nudity in Israel from Politico 
"The FBI probed a late-night swim in the Sea of Galilee that involved drinking, numerous GOP freshmen lawmakers, top leadership staff - and one nude member of Congress, according to more than a dozen sources, including eyewitnesses."

Chris Cillzza: Why Campaigns Don't Need the Media (Howard Kurtz) from the Daily Beast
"Are journalists capable of elevating the debate?"

Rahm Emanuel, Tim Kaine, Among Convention Speakers from the Washington Post
"The Democratic convention will feature a slate of familiar faces and up-and-comers who will frame the race for the White House ...  The Democratic National Committee is set to release the roster of names early Monday morning, a week before the Republicans kick off their convention in Tampa."

Mitt Romney's Tax Returns: the 'Voter Fraud' Theory (M.S. Bellows) from the Guardian [of the UK]
"There has been much speculation about why Romney refuses to disclose earlier tax returns. Could it be as simple as an address?"

GOP has Good Reason to Worry About Paul Ryan on Presidential Ticket (Juan Williams) from The Hill
"No one wants to say it out loud. But the political professionals are saying quietly that Mitt Romney conceded the presidential race by putting Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on his ticket. The muzzle is on for good reason."

MO-SEN: A Canard That Will Not Die: 'Legitimate Rape' Doesn't Cause Pregnancy (Garance Franke-Ruta) from the Atlantic
"Republicans have been getting in trouble for asserting this since at least 1988 -- but anti-abortion politicians keep hauling out this old idea for a reason."

MO-SEN: Scott Brown Calls on Akin to Drop Out of Missouri Senate Race from the Boston Globe
"In a rare intra-party rebuke, Senator Scott Brown called on Missouri Representative Todd Akin this morning to withdraw from the US Senate race in his state, after Akin made controversial remarks on rape."

MO-SEN: Akin Comments Could Swing Missouri Senate Race (Nate Silver) from the New York Times
"No two controversies are alike, and we’ll have to wait for polling data to see what impact this has on the race. But based on some loose historical precedents, the remarks could be enough to swing the polls to Ms. McCaskill."

MO-SEN: Akin's Abortion View: More Widespread in GOP Than You Think (David Frum) from the Daily Beast
"Akin was attempting to justify his view that abortion should be banned in nearly all cases. And yes, the use of the phrase "legitimate rape" suggests a certain lack of verbal nimbleness. Yet stupidity is not really the problem here. Akin's view of abortion—no exception for rape, incest, and life of the mother—is not his belief alone."

PARKING NUGGET!!
Time’s Up for Nation’s Coin-Operated Parking Meters from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"In small towns and big cities, drop-a-quarter-and-crank meters are being replaced with high-tech units fueled by credit cards or smartphone apps. They’re so sophisticated that drivers can dial from anywhere — from hair salons to concert halls — to add more time to their meters."