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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2:35pm

Mon May 20, 2013
The Two-Way

Turnabout Is Fair Play: Senators Have Many Questions For IRS

Credit Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images

The Internal Revenue Service is under fire for improperly singling out some conservative groups for extra scrutiny — putting them through months (or longer) of questions that delayed or derailed the organizations' requests for tax-exempt status.

Well, now the chairman and ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee have some questions and requests — actually dozens of them — for the IRS.

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1:46pm

Mon May 20, 2013
The Two-Way

ABC's Karl Expresses Regret, But Stands By Benghazi Story

Credit ABCNews.go.com

ABC News White House correspondent Jonathan Karl now says he regrets that some key parts of a major story he reported on May 10 were wrong.

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11:56am

Mon May 20, 2013

11:00am

Mon May 20, 2013
The Two-Way

Supreme Court Takes Case On Prayer At Government Meetings

Credit Jonathan Ernst / Reuters /Landov

A challenge to the way a western New York State town board has had prayers read before its public meetings has made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The justices announced Monday morning that they will hear oral arguments in the case of Greece, N.Y. v. Galloway, Susan.

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9:06am

Mon May 20, 2013
The Two-Way

Pledging Not To 'Screw It Up,' Yahoo Seals Deal For Tumblr

Credit Fred Dufour / AFP/Getty Images

The news that broke Sunday is now official.

Yahoo confirmed early Monday morning that it is buying Tumblr in a deal worth about $1.1 billion. "Per the agreement and our promise not to screw it up, Tumblr will be independently operated as a separate business," Yahoo added.

In its statement announcing the deal, Yahoo says that:

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9:01am

Mon May 20, 2013

8:08am

Mon May 20, 2013

6:52am

Mon May 20, 2013
The Two-Way

Nation's Midsection Braces For More Severe Storms

Originally published on Mon May 20, 2013 11:14 am

There's no relief today for folks in the nation's midsection.

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2:05pm

Fri May 17, 2013
The Two-Way

Aw-Inspiring Video: Sea Lion Worries When Little Girl Falls

Originally published on Sun May 19, 2013 7:28 am

Credit Live Leak

Take a break from the scandal du jour for something that's just darn nice.

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12:41pm

Fri May 17, 2013
The Two-Way

Washington Green? State Creates Logo For Legal Pot

T-shirts will surely be made:

Along with draft rules for how to become a licensed grower or seller of marijuana, the Washington State Liquor Control Board this week released the official "icon logo" that will need to be put on packages of pot and "marijuana-infused products sold at retail."

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10:52am

Fri May 17, 2013
Sports

Famed Race Driver Dick Trickle Dies, Suicide Suspected

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 12:36 pm

Credit Bill Hall / Getty Images

Dick Trickle, a "short-track hero" in the '70s and '80s who moved to the NASCAR circuit later in his career, died Thursday.

According to The Charlotte Observer, the 71-year-old was killed by "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Lincoln County [N.C.] deputies said."

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8:54am

Fri May 17, 2013
The Two-Way

Gingrich Cautions GOP About 'Overreach' On Scandals

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 11:36 am

Credit Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post-Dispatch / MCT /Landov

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who was front-and-center during the Republican-led impeachment of President Clinton in 1998, is cautioning his GOP colleagues about the risk of appearing to be too eager as they dig into the scandals now dogging the Obama administration.

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8:02am

Fri May 17, 2013
The Two-Way

Kai The 'Hatchet Hitchhiker' Is Accused Of Murder

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 11:10 am

Credit Union County (N.J.) Prosecutor's Office / AP

7:08am

Fri May 17, 2013
The Two-Way

Reports: Russia Sends More Missiles, Has Ships Near Syria

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 11:03 am

Friday's major news about the conflict in Syria:

-- "Russia Sends More Advanced Missiles to Aid Assad in Syria."

According to The New York Times, "Russia has sent advanced antiship cruise missiles to Syria, a move that illustrates the depth of its support for the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad, American officials said Thursday."

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6:34am

Fri May 17, 2013
The Two-Way

Congress Due To Grill Ousted IRS Chief

Originally published on Fri May 17, 2013 12:53 pm

Credit Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images

(Most recent update: 12:50 p.m. ET.)

Saying that "foolish mistakes were made by people trying to be more efficient in their workload selection," the outgoing head of the Internal Revenue Service told Congress on Friday that he and the agency want to apologize for the targeting of some conservative groups during the 2012 campaign cycle.

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1:27pm

Thu May 16, 2013
News

Obama: 'I Certainly Did Not Know' What The IRS Was Doing

Originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 7:39 pm

Credit Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images

Update at 5:38 p.m. ET. One More IRS Official To Leave

Another official is out at the embattled agency.

The Associated Press reports that Joseph Grant, commissioner of the IRS' tax exempt and government entities division, will retire June 3. The division scrutinized Tea Party groups when the applied for tax-exempt status.

Update at 4:45 p.m. ET. Obama Names New IRS Acting Chief

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11:48am

Thu May 16, 2013
The Two-Way

Almost Nerd Wars: 'Doctor Who' & 'Star Wars' Fans Have Spat

Originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 4:20 pm

Credit Lewis Whyld/Andrew Matthews / PA Photos/Landov

Some stories are indeed too good to be true.

This BBC headline had us punching the Two-Way control board to go to light speed in pursuit of appropriate puns:

"Star Wars and Doctor Who fans clash at Norwich convention"

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10:53am

Thu May 16, 2013
The Two-Way

Berkshire Hathaway's Credit Rating Knocked Down A Notch

Credit Donald Bowers / Getty Images for Fortune

Billionaire investment legend Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has had its credit rating lowered from AA+ to AA by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services.

In a statement, S&P says that even though Berkshire Hathaway has an "excellent business profile," the lower credit rating "better reflects our view of BRK's dependence on its core insurance operations for most of its dividend income." (S&P's statement is posted on its website, but you have to register to view it.)

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9:47am

Thu May 16, 2013
The Two-Way

Reports: Note Found In Boat Where Boston Suspect Hid

Originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 12:10 pm

Credit Darren McCollester / Getty Images

In a message written on a wall of the boat where he was found hiding, Boston bombings suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was motivated by anger over the Afghan and Iraq wars, sources familiar with what was found have told CBS News correspondent John Miller.

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8:52am

Thu May 16, 2013
The Two-Way

Conflicting Signals From Latest Economic Indicators

Originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 8:57 am

Thursday morning's economic news:

-- There were 360,000 first-time claims for unemployment insurance last week, up 32,000 from the week before, the Employment and Training Administration says. At 360,000, the pace was the fastest since the last week of March. But it remained well below the 400,000-and-higher rate that lasted from mid-2008 into 2011.

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