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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2:05pm

Fri May 17, 2013
The Two-Way

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

Credit Live Leak

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

A little girl was running in circles at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., this week. On the other side of a window, a sea lion was mimicking her moves — playing something of a game of tag without the tagging part.

Until, that is, the little miss tripped and fell. We think you'll enjoy the sea lion's reaction.

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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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10:41am

Fri May 17, 2013
The Two-Way

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
The Two-Way

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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12:37pm

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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10:27am

Thu May 16, 2013
The Two-Way

Berkshire Hathaway's Credit Rating Knocked Down A Notch

Originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 10:53 am

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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8:57am

Thu May 16, 2013
The Two-Way

Conflicting Signals From Latest Economic Indicators

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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8:35am

Thu May 16, 2013
The Two-Way

Twitter Users Risk Damnation, Say Saudi Religious Police

Originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 9:57 am

Credit Fayez Nureldine / AFP/Getty Images

"The head of Saudi Arabia's religious police has warned citizens against using Twitter, which is rising in popularity among Saudis," the BBC reports. "Sheikh Abdul Latif Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh said anyone using social media sites — and especially Twitter — 'has lost this world and his afterlife.' "

International Digital Times notes that:

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8:08am

Thu May 16, 2013
The Two-Way

Suspect Apprehended In New Orleans Second-Line Shooting

Originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 4:30 pm

Credit New Orleans Police Department / EPA /LANDOV

"CAPTURED!"

That's how the New Orleans Police Department spread the word on Facebook early Thursday that its officers had "arrested 19-year-old Akein Scott in connection with the shooting of 19 people on Mother's Day."

Update at 4:05 p.m. ET. Second Suspect Arrested:

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7:27am

Thu May 16, 2013
The Two-Way

At Least 13 Dead, Including Americans, After Attack In Kabul

Originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 8:46 am

Credit Zhao Yishen / Xinhua /Landov

Early casualty reports indicate that a powerful suicide car bombing Thursday in Kabul killed at least seven Afghan civilians, four foreign civilian contractors who were working for international forces and two members of the international military force.

Dozens more people were reportedly injured by the blast in Afghanistan's capital city.

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