Rhode Island Tip Sheet: All eyes on Rupert

STATE OF THE MEGA-MOGUL: Back in the early 1980s, Rupert Murdoch was cast in the unlikely role of heroic savior when he bought what became known as the Boston Herald from the Hearst Corporation. This was remarkable since it came after layoff notices had gone out — prompting the headline “You Bet We’re Alive! — and preserved Boston’s unusual status as a two-paper town. (Political footnote: Eric Fehrnstrom, media guru for Mitt Romney, was a scribe at the Herald back in the day.) Now, though, the worm has taken a decided turn for the ultra-powerful Murdoch, due to the phone-hacking scandal shaking his empire. As Politico reports, Murdoch told the British Parliament today it was the most humble day of his life. TPM offers a bit a more acerbic note, along with details on some guy trying to get Murdoch with shaving cream.

DEBT DEAL?: NYT: President Obama backs a bipartisan push for an agreement.

CENTRAL FALLS: Ted Nesi details how the receiver proposes chopping some pensions in half.

STATE HOUSE: Travis Rowley gets his satire on, using an e-mail to call for donations, via the RI Young Republicans, to further boost the compensation for Ruggerio aide Stephen Iannazzi . . . . But Iannazzi, reports the ProJo, says he’s not taking the 3 percent raise offered most other state employees as of July 1.

NEW MEDIA INNOVATORS: New York mag on the latest crop.

BYE BYE BORDERS: Greater City: Providence asked its readers what should take the place of the departing Borders at Providence Place. The suggestions range from Trader Joe’s to the Buddy Cianci Toupee Museum.

ONE GOES, ONE STAYS: NPR on why Borders failed while Barnes & Noble survived.

ELSEWHERE IN COMMERCE: NPR on the war against lemonade stands.

MEDIA: As PBN reported last week, Irene Mahoney-Paige is the new news director at Channel 6. She’s most recently worked at a Hartford TV station.

BIRTHDAY: George Zainyeh; Amy Martin Quinn; Guy Dufault; Talia Policelli.