Cheat Sheet - Rise of the Tech Oligarchs

Today: 'Inferno': Dan's Brown's Best Book Yet , Press Grills White House on AP Scandal , Russia Detains American 'CIA Agent' May 14, 2013 Silicon Valley 1. Rise of the Tech Oligarchs Americans love their tech gurus, but the feeling isn't mutual. Joel Kotkin on the new ruling class that's gaming the system—and jerking the rest of us around. Read it at The Daily Beast PAGE TURNER 2. Dan's Brown's Best Book Yet If you loved The Da Vinci Code—admit it, you did—you'll want to pick up Dan Brown's latest, Inferno, which comes out today. The author talks to Malcolm Jones about Dante, gravity boots, and more. Read it at The Daily Beast Revolt! 3. Press Grills White House on AP Scandal AP? IRS? Benghazi? How does it feel to be compared with Nixon? White House spokesman Jay Carney fielded questions from a rowdy group of reporters today on the bevy of controversies facing the administration. For the most part, he tried to bat them down. He refused to answer questions on the Department of Justice's seizure of Associated Press phone records, saying he couldn't comment on an investigation. "The president is a strong defender of the First Amendment," he told reporters. (He used the word "unfettered" an awkward number of times.) Carney also called Benghazi a "political sideshow and a political effort to exploit a tragedy." Anyone comparing Obama with Nixon "needs to check their history," he announced. Read it at Talking Points Memo SECRET OPERATIONS 4. Russia Detains American 'CIA Agent' Russia has reportedly captured a CIA agent who was trying to recruit a Russian Federal Security Service agent. Ryan Christopher Fogle was reportedly acting as a secretary in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Russian news sites ran pictures of Fogle tackled on the ground while wearing a blond wig and baseball hat and later sitting at desk after his capture. Other photos show Fogle's possessions: several wigs, glasses, €500 notes, and an embassy ID. Text of a letter detailing how the Russian recruit should start a Gmail account for the covert communication and an offer of $100,000 (and up to $1 million per year for more cooperation) was also released. Fogle is being held at the American Embassy. Read it at The New York Times SWITCHING TEAMS 5. RNC Outreach Dir. Goes Democrat Nothing like switching political parties to hit 'em where it hurts. In an email Tuesday, Puerto Rico native Pablo Pantoja—appointed by the Republican National Committee to head Hispanic outreach in Florida—announced that he's joined the Democratic Party. "It doesn't take much to see the culture of intolerance surrounding the Republican Party today," he writes. To accurately illustrate what he calls the "racist innuendo" in the GOP, Pantoja cites a recent example of a researcher's dissertation, which focused on the likelihood that Hispanic immigrants' low IQs will lead to more Hispanic children with low IQs. "When the political discourse resorts to intolerance and hate, we all lose."  Read it at Tampa Bay FAST FRIENDS Prince Harry Tours Sandy-Ravaged NJ With Gov. Chris Christie as guide. HEAVENS! 'Downton' to Return in January PBS says fans will "not be disappointed." SUPPORT Brad Pitt: 'This Is a Happy Day for Our Family' After Angelina Jolie bravely opens up about double mastectomy. SPOILER ALERT 'How I Met Your Mother' Mom Revealed Still one more season to go. NEW YORK'S HOTTEST CLUB Bill Hader Leaving 'SNL' Saturday will be his last episode as a cast member. GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET Culture Beast Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. Is Obama Worse Than Nixon? by James C. Goodale Holder's Gotta Go by Michael Tomasky American Spy Nabbed in Russia? by Anna Nemtsova

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