In Today's Times:
- Mitt Romney returned to the issue of his unreleased tax returns Thursday, saying he paid at least 13 percent of his income in taxes over the past 10 years but adding that the interest in his returns is “small-minded,†Michael D. Shear reports.
- While some speculated that the selection of Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin as Mr. Romney's running mate would elevate the level of discourse in the presidential race, the past few days have shown that that's not the case, with strategists now contemplating who has the most to gain from running attack ads, Jim Rutenberg writes.
- Preparing for the possibility that Mr. Romney could be elected president in less than three months, his transition team met in Washington on Tuesday, trying to put together an agenda without looking presumptuous, Ashley Parker reports.
Washington Happenings:
- The Amer ican Petroleum Institute will release its monthly data for July on Friday.
