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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6:55am

Fri December 23, 2011
The Two-Way

Vaclav Havel, Hero Of The 'Velvet Revolution,' Laid To Rest

Credit Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images

6:00am

Fri December 23, 2011
The Two-Way

Arlington Cemetery: Possible Problems With 64,230 Graves Or Records

A review of 259,978 gravesites and more than 510,000 records at Arlington National Cemetery has identified 64,230 cases of potential problems that range from minor mistakes in files to errors on gravestones, according to a U.S. Army report delivered to Congress on Thursday.

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5:15am

Fri December 23, 2011
The Two-Way

Payroll Tax Cut's Last Hurdle: Getting 'Unanimous Consent'

Originally published on Fri December 23, 2011 11:35 am

Credit Evan Vucci / AP
(This post was retopped with the latest news at 1:30 p.m. ET.)

Marking the end of the latest pitched political battle in Washington, President Obama said this afternoon that Congressional approval of measures to extend for another two months a payroll tax cut and benefits for the long-term unemployed is "good news just in the nick of time for the holidays."

"I said it was critical for Congress not to go home without preventing a tax increase" and the expiration of the long-term jobless benefits, Obama said, "and I'm pleased to say they've got it done."

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1:40pm

Thu December 22, 2011

12:05pm

Thu December 22, 2011
The Two-Way

Because Of Somali Pirates, Ocean Racers Are In A 'Stealth Zone'

Originally published on Thu December 22, 2011 12:08 pm

Credit Volvo Ocean Race / Getty Images

11:10am

Thu December 22, 2011
The Two-Way

Obama Puts More Pressure On House GOP Over Payroll Tax Cut

Originally published on Thu December 22, 2011 11:21 am

The political maneuvering continues in Washington as lawmakers debate how to extend about-to-expire payroll tax cuts and jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed.

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10:20am

Thu December 22, 2011
The Two-Way

'Mind The Gap' Indeed: Woman's Fall Beneath Train Captured On Video

Originally published on Thu December 22, 2011 11:38 am

8:00am

Thu December 22, 2011
The Two-Way

Swept Away By '04 Tsunami, Indonesian Girl Reportedly Finds Way Home

Credit Dimas Ardian / Getty Images

Seven years ago, an estimated 230,000 people died after an earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that devastated South Asian coasts from Indonesia to Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.

Wednesday, one of those who was thought to be dead apparently "found her way back to her home," according to the Indonesian state news agency Antara.

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7:05am

Thu December 22, 2011

6:40am

Thu December 22, 2011
The Two-Way

Third Quarter Growth Estimate Revised Down Again, To 1.8 Percent

The nation's economy grew at a 1.8 percent annual rate in the third quarter, the Bureau of Economic Analysis just reported.

The new estimate marks the second time that BEA has revised its third-quarter estimate downward. In its first look, BEA said gross domestic product grew at a 2.5 percent annual rate. Last month, it said the pace was 2 percent.

Still, the third quarter was better than the second — when GDP expanded at a 1.3 percent annual rate.

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