Mark Memmott

Credit Doby Photography / NPR

Mark Memmott is one of the hosts of NPR's "The Two-Way" news blog.

"The Two-Way," which Memmott helped to launched when he came to NPR in 2009, focuses on breaking news, analysis, and the most compelling stories being reported by NPR News and other news media.

Before joining NPR, Memmott worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor at USA Today. He focused on a range of coverage from politics, foreign affairs, economics, and the media. He's reported from places across the Unites States and the world, including half a dozen trips to Afghanistan in 2002-2003.

During his time at USA Today, Memmott, helped launch and lead three USAToday.com news blogs: "On Deadline;" "The Oval;" and "On Politics," the site's 2008 presidential campaign blog.

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The Two-Way
6:34 am
Fri May 18, 2012

5 Takeaways From Trove Of Evidence Related To Trayvon Martin's Death

Credit Florida State Attorney's Office / AFP/Getty Images
A photograph of George Zimmerman's head taken after the Feb. 26 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. It shows blood from injuries he Zimmerman says he received during their encounter.
  • NPR's Greg Allen reporting on 'Morning Edition'

Among the key things to know about what's in the hundreds of pages of evidence and other materials related to the Feb. 26 shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, which were released Thursday:

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The Two-Way
5:33 am
Fri May 18, 2012

Like It Or Not, It's Facebook's Day On Wall Street

Credit Emmanuel Dunand / AFP/Getty Images

Originally published on Fri May 18, 2012 2:03 pm

  • Steve Henn talks with Steve Inskeep on 'Morning Edition'

Facebook's much-publicized first sale of stock to the public started with a bang late this morning as the price per share jumped. But though the volume of shares sold was a record for an initial public offering, the stock's price gave up its gains as the day continued.

By the end of trading in the U.S., Facebook had settled right at the $38 initial offering price that had been set before shares went on sale.

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The Two-Way
1:09 pm
Thu May 17, 2012

Diplomat: U.S. Has Military Option Ready, If Needed, To Deal With Iran

Originally published on Sun May 20, 2012 6:43 am

President Obama has said "I don't bluff," when it comes to opposing any effort by Iran to develop nuclear weapons (which that nation says it is not trying to do). And, he told The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg in March, "all options are on the table."

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The Two-Way
10:16 am
Thu May 17, 2012

Hot Pants Indeed: Rocks In Pocket Set Woman's Shorts On Fire

Credit Win McNamee / Getty Images
The look so harmless.

A 43-year-old woman in San Clemente, Calif., suffered second- and third-degree burns on her right leg and right arm Saturday after rocks in a pocket set her shorts on fire, The Orange County Register says.

Orange County Fire Authority officials tell the newspaper that the woman collected the rocks on a nearby beach, returned home and "was standing in her kitchen ... when the pocket of her cargo shorts caught fire."

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The Two-Way
9:20 am
Thu May 17, 2012

Good News, Bad News: Japanese Economy Surges, But Likely Will Slow

In a classic example of "on the one hand, on the other hand" economic analysis, the word that Japan's economy grew at a strong 4.1 percent annual rate in the first quarter is being followed by cautionary talk of slower growth for the world's third-largest economy in coming quarters.

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The Two-Way
7:56 am
Thu May 17, 2012

Romney's $40.1 Million Haul In April Nearly Matches Obama's

Credit Edward Linsmier / Getty Images
Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney at a campaign event on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Originally published on Thu May 17, 2012 8:24 am

The campaign for GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney and the Republican Party together raised $40.1 million in April, just shy of the $43.6 million that President Obama and the Democratic Party took in.

This is the first monthly report since Romney effectively wrapped up the Republican presidential nomination. And because money is one way to keep score during a presidential campaign, the news is getting a great deal of attention from the political media this morning.

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The Two-Way
6:47 am
Thu May 17, 2012

Jobless Claims Held Steady Last Week; Back To 4-Year Low

Originally published on Thu May 17, 2012 8:25 am

There were 370,000 first-time claims for unemployment insurance filed last week, the same number as during the week before, according to the Employment and Training Administration.

So, after a spike to a range around 390,000 per week in April, claims have slowed again to a pace that's roughly the lowest since the spring of 2008.

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The Two-Way
6:36 am
Thu May 17, 2012

Activist Chen May Soon Have Passport, Be Able To Leave China

Credit U.S. Embassy Beijing / Getty Images
Chen Guangcheng just before he left the U.S. embassy in Beijing, on May 2.

Legal activist Chen Guangcheng has reportedly finished submitting applications to Chinese authorities and has been told that he and his immediate family could be issued passports within the next two weeks.

That would then allow him to come to the United States.

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The Two-Way
5:56 am
Thu May 17, 2012

Minorities Are Now Majority Of U.S. Births, Census Says

Originally published on Thu May 17, 2012 7:12 am

"For the first time, racial and ethnic minorities make up more than half the children born in the U.S," The Associated Press writes.

As USA Today adds, that news from the Census Bureau is "a sign of how swiftly the USA is becoming a nation of younger minorities and older whites."

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The Two-Way
5:03 am
Thu May 17, 2012

As Feared, JPMorgan's Losses Are Growing; Reportedly At $3 Billion

Credit Timothy A. Clary / AFP/Getty Images

The word on Monday that JPMorgan Chase's losses from risky trades that went wrong could climb from $2 billion to perhaps as high as $4 billion in coming quarters is being bolstered this morning.

There's this report from The New York Times' Deal Book blog:

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The Two-Way
12:29 pm
Wed May 16, 2012

Chipping In To Your Office Lottery Pool? Read This First

Credit Tim Boyle / Getty Images

Here's yet another reminder about why it's important to have somebody write down the rules and keep accurate records if you're pooling money at the office to buy lottery tickets.

After all, for every heart-warming story about "three amigos" who seem to have gotten along swimmingly and deserved the money they won, there are tales such as this:

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The Two-Way
9:23 am
Wed May 16, 2012

Neither John Edwards Nor His Mistress Will Testify At Corruption Trial

Credit Sara D. Davis / Getty Images
John Edwards as he entered the Federal Courthouse in Greensboro, N.C., this morning.

Originally published on Wed May 16, 2012 10:31 am

The campaign corruption trial of former Democratic presidential contender John Edwards will not reach a dramatic climax with testimony from the former senator or the mistress he's accused of trying to hide with 2008 campaign funds.

According to The Associated Press, Edwards' attorneys said in court today that they will not be calling Edwards or Rielle Hunter to the stand and that they expect to rest their case later today.

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The Two-Way
8:36 am
Wed May 16, 2012

9-Year-Old To Westboro Baptist Protesters: 'God Hates No One'

Originally published on Thu May 17, 2012 8:42 am

Patty Akrouche says she's "never been prouder" of her 9-year-old son, Josef Miles, than she was this past weekend.

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The Two-Way
8:20 am
Wed May 16, 2012

Bush Says 'I'm For Mitt Romney,' But He Likely Won't Play Role In Campaign

Credit Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images
Back in 2006: Then-President George W. Bush and then-Gov. Mitt Romney

Originally published on Wed May 16, 2012 8:47 am

"I'm for Mitt Romney."

With four words, said to an ABC News reporter as an elevator's doors closed, former President George W. Bush on Tuesday confirmed what was pretty obvious — he is supporting his fellow Republican's bid for the White House.

But as The Associated Press reports:

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The Two-Way
7:02 am
Wed May 16, 2012

At Trial, Serb Gen. Mladic Taunts Survivors With Throat-Cutting Gesture

Credit Toussaint Kluiters / AFP/Getty Images
Former Bosnian Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague earlier today.

"Bosnian Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic taunted Srebrenica survivors on Wednesday at the start of his trial for genocide, running his hand across his throat in a gesture of defiance to relatives of the worst massacre in Europe since World War II," Reuters writes from The Hague.

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