It’s been nice and lively on the political news front this morning, for once. And there’s more to share for your midday nourishment, which you might need since Twitter’s been down for a while:

* Union-Leader forcefully joins chorus of those demanding that Romney release his tax returns.

* Details begin to emerge about three Obama-Romney debates; one will have a town hall format.

* Long, very positive Deseret News retrospective on Romney’s Olympics tenure allows as how some Utah folk don’t recognize the guy who’s running for president.

* New England Journal of Medicine study shows Medicaid expansion would likely lower death rates among poor people. Kinda figures, doesn’t it?

* Salon‘s Alex Seitz-Wald reports Tea Folk are expressing anger at Republican critics of Michele Bachmann. That kinda figures, too, doesn’t it?

And in non-political news:

* SI’s Cazaneuve projects Olympic results.

Back after an actual lunch break.

Independent since 1969.

The Washington Monthly is nonprofit and reader-supported. Your tax-deductible gift pays for the reporting you just read.

Ed Kilgore, a contributing editor of the Washington Monthly, is a columnist for New York.