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That Rep. Paul Ryan was Mitt Romney's choice for a running mate wasn't a complete surprise. Still, it was a closely guarded secret and it took quite a bit of planning to keep it under wraps until the name was unveiled yesterday.

Last night, NPR's Ari Shapiro and other reporters received a briefing from team Romney detailing the lengths they went through to keep their vetting — and Romney's ultimate choice — secret.

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We're keeping our ear on the Sunday talk shows this morning. Obviously the topic of the day is Rep. Paul Ryan, whom the Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has chosen as his running mate.

Both parties have already traded hard shots, but it appears there is agreement that the addition of Ryan, who has led the GOP on matters of budget, focuses this presidential election. It is now focused on a broader narrative about the size and role of government.

We'll update this post with the highlights as the morning progresses:

For a couple of days last month, I ate the same foods as some of the fastest people on the planet — the Kenyans.

I stayed at the same hotel and ate in the same dining room as the Kenya Olympic Marathon team while working on a radio story about how this impoverished nation produces some of the best endurance runners in the world.

At the end of August, the eyes of the political world turn to Tampa, Fla., for the Republican National Convention. It promises to dominate the national and local news in Tampa Bay that week and suck all the political air out of the room.

So if you're the Obama campaign, what do you do? How do you counterprogram Romney-palooza?

Apparently, by buying lots of TV airtime on The Bachelor, Dr. Oz and Rachael Ray.

There are many election-related books you could choose to help you endure the final months of the presidential race, from desk-pounding policy proposals to thick, shelf-crushing biographies.

Or, you could turn to Sneaky Pie.

Now, full disclosure, Sneaky Pie is a cat, and she's usually solving mysteries as the main character in Rita Mae Brown's bestselling Mrs. Murphy series.

Before the summer slips away, we raise a glass to hot August nights — and their perfect wine pairings. A good summer wine will be "light, bright and affordable," Leslie Sbrocco, author of The Simple and Savvy Wine Guide, tells NPR's Linda Wertheimer.

Whether you're on the beach, on the go or at the grill, Sbrocco offers recommendations for affordable reds and whites under $25.

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