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.

Pages

9:00am

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.

Read more

8:05am

Thu December 22, 2011

7:40am

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.

Read more

6:50am

Thu December 22, 2011
The Two-Way

U.S. Cites 'Self Defense,' Concedes Poor Coordination In Pakistan Incident

Credit Rizwan Tabassum / AFP/Getty Images

American military forces, "given what information they had available to them at the time, acted in self defense and with appropriate force after being fired upon" when they called for airstrikes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in late November in an incident that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, the Pentagon said this morning.

Read more

6:10am

Thu December 22, 2011
The Two-Way

Dozens Killed, Scores Injured In Wave Of Bombings In Baghdad

It's been a terrible day in Baghdad, where at least 16 explosions in 13 different locations have killed dozens of people and left about 200 wounded, NPR's Sean Carberry reports from the Iraqi capital.

Read more

1:00pm

Wed December 21, 2011
The Two-Way

For First Time, Women Share 'First Kiss' At A Navy Homecoming

When Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta kissed Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlalic Snell today in Virginia Beach, a little bit of history was made.

As The Virginian-Pilot explains:

Read more

12:05pm

Wed December 21, 2011
The Two-Way

FAA Issues New Rules Aimed At Keeping Tired Pilots Out Of Cockpits

Credit David Duprey/pool / Getty Images

Saying that they will help make sure that airline pilots are rested before they fly, the Federal Aviation Administration today unveiled new rules about the amount of time off they must get between flights and how long they can be on the job.

Read more

11:30am

Wed December 21, 2011
The Two-Way

NewtGingrich.com Is Sending Surfers To Sites And Stories He Wouldn't Like

Credit FreddieMac.com

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's official campaign website — at newt.org — is working fine.

But if anyone types "newtgingrich.com" and hits enter right now, they're not going to see things that the former House speaker would find very funny.

In the last few minutes when we've done that we've been directed to:

Read more

10:20am

Wed December 21, 2011
The Two-Way

Criminal Charges For English Soccer Star John Terry Over Alleged Racial Abuse

One of England's biggest soccer stars is going to face criminal charges for allegedly aiming a racial slur at an opponent.

Read more

9:30am

Wed December 21, 2011
The Two-Way

Sales Of Existing Homes Rose In November; Previous Years Revised Down

Credit David McNew / Getty Images

While it says sales of existing homes rose 4 percent in November from October and were 12.2 percent above the level of November 2010, the National Association of Realtors also reported today that revisions to its data show there were about 2.9 million fewer homes sold from the start of 2007 through the end of 2010 than previously thought.

Read more

Pages