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10:31am

Wed January 11, 2012
Author Interviews

Why America's Spies Struggle To Keep Up

Credit courtesy of the author
Matthew Aid is an intelligence historian. His work has appeared in The New York Times, National Journal and The Financial Times.

Before September 11, 2011, there were 16 intelligence agencies in the United States. But after the terrorist attacks, the 9/11 commission recommended creating a 17th intelligence agency — the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) — to coordinate intelligence operations.

The 16 already-existing agencies didn't react well, says historian and former intelligence analyst Matthew Aid.

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9:55am

Wed January 11, 2012
Shots - Health Blog

A Dozen Cases Of Tuberculosis That Resists All Drugs Found In India

Credit CDC
An image of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria captured with an electron microscope.

Tuberculosis specialists in India have diagnosed infections in a dozen patients in Mumbai that are unfazed by the three first-choice TB drugs and all nine second-line drugs.

The doctors are calling them "totally drug-resistant TB," and the infections are essentially incurable with all available medicines.

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9:45am

Wed January 11, 2012
The Two-Way

Fannie Mae CEO Will Step Down

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Fannie Mae President and CEO Michael Williams testifies before the House Financial Services Committee's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee in December.

Michael J. Williams said he is stepping down as chief executive of the quasi-governmental mortgage giant Fannie Mae. The company made the announcement late last night, saying Williams will wait to step down until the board of directors names a successor.

"I decided the time is right to turn over the reins to a new leader," Williams said in a statement.

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9:10am

Wed January 11, 2012
The Two-Way

Hostess, Maker Of Twinkies, Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

Credit Tim Boyle / Getty Images
A Twinkie shows off its creamy filling in this file photo from 2005. A snack-cake sales slump is one reason Hostess Brands is seeking protection from its creditors.

Twinkies maker Hostess Brands Inc., is again seeking protection from its creditors, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as the company tries to cope with high debt and rising costs of labor and raw materials.

Hostess, which also makes Ho Hos, Sno Balls, and Wonder Bread, is a privately held company based in Irving, Tex. It owes millions to suppliers and labor unions. The company has reportedly found some financing to keep it running during bankruptcy proceedings.

For our Newscast desk, Larry Abramson reports:

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8:56am

Wed January 11, 2012
The Two-Way

U.S. Resumes Drone Strikes In Pakistan

Pakistani officials say the United States launched a drone strike early Wednesday morning for the first time since November. The AP says the drone strike killed four in North Waziristan, which is close to the Afghan border and has been a hot spot for U.S. strikes.

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7:59am

Wed January 11, 2012
The Two-Way

Iran Says A Car Bomb Killed One Of Its Nuclear Scientists

Credit AFP/Getty Images
An image grab taken from footage broadcast by Iran's state-run Arabic-language Al-Alam TV shows blood stains covered by a piece of cloth and debris at the site of the car bomb.

An Iranian nuclear scientists was killed by a car bomb in Tehran this morning, Iran's official news agency said. According to Press TV, Iran's English-language outlet, a magnetic bomb was placed beneath Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan's car by a man in a motorcycle.

Press TV says Roshan and his driver were killed and a bystander was injured. Roshan was a "chemical engineering graduate and served as marketing deputy of Iran's Natanz nuclear facility."

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7:51am

Wed January 11, 2012
It's All Politics

Bain Attacks On Romney Recall Notorious 'Willie Horton' Ads

Credit Emmanuel Dunand / AFP/Getty Images
Mitt Romney greets supporters in Manchester, N.H., after seizing a second victory in his fight to be the party's presidential nominee.

7:38am

Wed January 11, 2012
It's All Politics

'New Hampshire And Beyond': A Special Elections Podcast

  • New Hampshire And Beyond: A Special Elections Podcast

Mitt Romney's convincing win in New Hampshire — and what that might mean for upcoming contests in the Republican presidential race — is the subject of a special podcast prepared fresh this morning from NPR News.

The podcast includes highlights from what the candidates had to say about the outcome in New Hampshire, plus NPR reporting on how Romney put together his victory. It also examines how the focus of the campaign will change as the GOP hopefuls descend on South Carolina ahead of that state's Jan. 21 primary.

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7:34am

Wed January 11, 2012
It's All Politics

'Down And Dirty,' South Carolina Has History Of Quashing Challengers

Originally published on Wed January 11, 2012 5:23 pm

Credit Richard Ellis / Getty Images
Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney laugh during a campaign event on Jan. 5 in Charleston, S.C.

Now it's South Carolina's turn.

If the Palmetto State, the "First in the South" primary, plays its traditional role in the Republican presidential nomination process, it will be where the White House hopes of virtually every candidate except the eventual nominee will go to die in about 10 days.

It's not for nothing that it's called the "South Carolina Firewall." And at this moment, it's looking like it's Romney's firewall.

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7:34am

Wed January 11, 2012
Books News & Features

Hatchet Job Award Honors Bad Writing

There's a new award for brutal book reviews in Britain: the Hatchet Job of the Year Award. A Julian Barnes book is dismissed as "just so... average." A biography of Martin Amis is called "spectacularly bad writing about spectacularly good writing."

7:26am

Wed January 11, 2012
Around the Nation

Is Home-Field Advantage The Real Deal?

Ben Motz of Indiana University looked at NFL games over a 25-year span, and found the home team won 57 percent of the time. Professor Motz did find the home team's winning percentage dropped with the advent of instant replay.

7:06am

Wed January 11, 2012
It's All Politics

Now, It's On To South Carolina

With last night's results part of history, the candidates and press turned very quickly to South Carolina, which the AP says "is shaping up to be a dogfight."

And the stakes are high: After winning New Hampshire, Mitt Romney became the first non-incumbent Republican to win the primary season's first two contests, so as Bloomberg puts it, South Carolina, which votes Jan. 21, may be the last chance opponents have to derail Romney.

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5:21am

Wed January 11, 2012
Election 2012

Romney On Glide Path As Campaign Heads South

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 11:08 am

In politics, success breeds success. That's why Mitt Romney is looking strong as attention turns to the next Republican primary in South Carolina.

Any expectations that Romney's fortunes might fade were overturned Tuesday in New Hampshire. The former Massachusetts governor won a solid plurality with some 39 percent of the vote — more than 15 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival, Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

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4:00am

Wed January 11, 2012
Business

Business News

A growth of 3 percent is not bad, given all the European turmoil. But there's a downside in the report. It shows the German economy shrinking a bit at the end of 2011.

4:00am

Wed January 11, 2012
Election 2012

GOP Focus Moves From New England To Palmetto State

Whatever their disagreements, the presidential candidates agree on their next destination. The GOP presidential nomination fight now turns to South Carolina. The state holds is primary Jan. 21.

4:00am

Wed January 11, 2012
Economy

Fed Pushes To Change Housing Policy

The Federal Reserve usually worries about interest rates and inflation. But lately, Fed officials have been focusing on housing. They've been out in public, pushing measures they think will help the housing market. David Wessel, economics editor at The Wall Street Journal, talks to David Greene about proposed changes to mortgage financing.

4:00am

Wed January 11, 2012
Around the Nation

Payment Determined For N.C. Sterilization Victims

Several decades ago, more than half the states had eugenics laws — measures that allowed governments and others to forcibly sterilize people. It was a difficult chapter for many states and now North Carolina is looking to make amends. A task force says each of the state's 2,000 living victims should receive $50,000.

4:00am

Wed January 11, 2012
Election 2012

Ron Paul Captures 2nd Place In N.H. Primary

As expected, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney won the New Hampshire primary. Texas Rep. Ron Paul clinched second place — ahead of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman. Paul told a crowd of supporters that he was nibbling at the heels of the front-runner.

4:00am

Wed January 11, 2012
Business

Twinkie-Maker Files For Bankruptcy Protection

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And today's last word in business is Twinkies in trouble.

(SOUNDBITE OF COMMERCIAL)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Ever wonder how they get that creamy filling into the middle of a Twinkies cake? Well, these kids have some pretty good ideas.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: First, they put down the creamy filling, then they bake the cake all around.

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4:00am

Wed January 11, 2012
Election 2012

Romney Celebrates Double-Digit N.H. Victory

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. Good morning, I'm Steve Inskeep.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene.

Mitt Romney's double-digit win in New Hampshire plants his feet happily on the path to the Republican nomination heading, now, into South Carolina.

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