Romney Up, S&P Down, Cheetah Not Dead? PM Links

Another half-day, another poll: CNN/Time/ORC International Poll has Romney at 25 percent, Paul at 22 percent, Santorum surging (!) to third place with 16 percent.

Putin: No more Mr. Nice Guy. After making noise about reform following the Russia United party's disputed near-win, interim Russian president Dmitri Medvedev promotes former KGB agents and other Vladimir Putin loyalists to top administration spots.

Stock market decline leaves Standard & Poor's 500 average negative for the year. Official story: drag on confidence as investors park $590 billion in European Central Bank.

A-Rod ready to play after "plasma-rich platelet injections" in knee and shoulder.

Monkey business: They said Cheetah's dead, but has the chimp made them look like chumps?

Ron Paul's most dangerous idea! Called by its true name without prevarication or pusillanimity! Self-described "International Relations Graduate Student" Kyle Victor says ending the Fed is "not a principled libertarian stand" and "would harm America's export-oriented manufacturing sector" while enriching "the usual darlings of the Republican Party: Wall Street and Wal-Mart." (Anglicism alert: LSE "Debate Mate Mentor" Victor also refers to Americans "on holiday abroad.")