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July 27, 2012 | | TV Guide The 2012 Olympics officially kick off today with a lavish opening ceremony in London. And with 5,500 hours of programming planned over the next two weeks, there will be plenty more fireworks. From swimmer Michael Phelps’s showdown with teammate Ryan Lochte to hurdler Lolo Jones's quest for vengeance and the historic sprint of South African amputee Oscar Pistorius, The Daily Beast singles out the most-anticipated moments—and when to tune in to watch. Plus, see full coverage of the 2012 Games here. PLAY NICE Presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney did not have a good day in London. After Romney described the pre-Olympic logistical and security situation there as “disconcerting,” seemingly half the city fired back at him, from a series of Fleet Street headlines (“Mitt the Twit,” exclaimed the Sun) to a snarky comment from Prime Minister David Cameron himself. “We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world,” he said. “Of course it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere,” Cameron said, referencing Romney’s stewardship of the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City. Romney has since moved on to Israel. MUDDLED DATA The U.S. economy grew at a sluggish 1.5 percent in the second quarter, according to today’s GDP report. The Daily Beast’s Zachary Karabell on why obsessing over that number is only making things worse. HEALTH CARE Several private insurance companies and state officials signed an agreement with the Obama administration this week to work together to prevent healthcare fraud. "Bringing additional health care industry leaders and experts into this work will allow us to act more quickly and effectively in identifying and stopping fraud schemes, seeking justice for victims, and safeguarding our healthcare system," said Attorney General Eric Holder from the White House on Thursday, where he sat surrounded by heads of many of the U.S.'s biggest health insurance providers as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "In the past we've followed a ‘pay-and-chase’ model, paying claims first—then only later tracking down the ones we discovered to be fraudulent. Now we're taking away the crooks' head start," explained Sebelius. SYRIA CONNECTION A clandestine “nerve center” jointly run by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar is coordinating the provision of weapons and communications support to the Syrian rebels trying to topple Bashar al-Assad, sources in the Persian Gulf have told Reuters. The revelation comes at a time when the tide seems to be turning toward the rebels, as leaders in the United States debate ways to aid the rebels more directly. The center, located in the southern Turkish city of Adana, was set up after a visiting Saudi minister requested it. It could explain some of the rebels’ recent success, including a recent bomb attack that killed at least four Assad aides. | | 
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