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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The Two-Way
1:35 pm
Wed November 9, 2011

Co-Author Of Accused Penn State Coach's Book Calls News 'Disheartening'

The fact that former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky's 2001 biography was called Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story, is generating some pretty pointed commentary on Amazon.com this week.

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The Two-Way
12:49 pm
Wed November 9, 2011

Man's Video Shows Oakland Officer Shooting Him With Rubber Bullet

Credit Scott Campbell video
That flash in the middle is from the weapon that fired the rubber bullet at Scott Campbell in Oakland last week.
The Two-Way
11:27 am
Wed November 9, 2011

'This Is Only A Test;' National Alert System Gets Trial Run Today

Don't be alarmed at 2 p.m. ET today when broadcasters across the U.S., including NPR stations, take part in the first-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System.

After all, as NPR's Brian Naylor reports for our Newscast Desk, "remember, this is only a test."

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The Two-Way
10:25 am
Wed November 9, 2011

Son Says Penn State Coach Paterno Will Retire At End Of Season

Credit Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
Penn State football coach Joe Paterno.

Originally published on Wed November 9, 2011 10:43 am

Saying "I wish I had done more" about accusations that one of his former assistants had been sexually abusing young boys for more than a decade, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno just confirmed that he will retire at the end of this season.

The 84-year-old Paterno, who holds the record for most wins by a Division I coach, released this statement moments ago:

"I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief.

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The Two-Way
9:09 am
Wed November 9, 2011

Cain Accuser Says She Didn't Want Controversy

Credit Miami Herald / Getty Images
Cain accuser and longtime government employee Karen Kraushaar once worked as a spokesperson for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. She offered a statement after meeting with the Miami family of Elian Gonzalez in March of 2000.

A few of the developments since our last post about the sexual harassment allegations against Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain — who calls them "false, anonymous, incorrect accusations":

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The Two-Way
8:15 am
Wed November 9, 2011

Penn State Scandal: Trustees' Support For Paterno Said To Be 'Eroding'

Credit Matt Rourke / AP
Scott Paterno, left, greeted his father — Penn State football coach Joe Paterno — as the coach arrived at his home, Tuesday evening in State College, Pa. Hundreds of students had gathered to show support for the coach.

Originally published on Wed November 9, 2011 8:27 am

Catching up on some of the latest developments in the scandal at Penn State University — where former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has been charged with sexually abusing young boys, two university officials have been charged with lying to a grand jury and not alerting police, and there have been calls for legendary coach Joe Paterno to step down because of concern that he didn't do enough to alert authorities to what was allegedly happening:

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The Two-Way
7:40 am
Wed November 9, 2011

2011 Election Results: Mixed Messages

Credit Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Voter stickers at a polling station Tuesday in San Francisco.

As news outlets try to decipher what Tuesday's election results tell us about what voters are thinking, they're reaching various conclusions.

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The Two-Way
2:29 pm
Tue November 8, 2011

Coming Up: Herman Cain Interview

"I can categorically say I have never acted inappropriately with anyone, period," Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain just told ABC News' Jonathan Karl on a live ABC/Yahoo webcast.

Responding to the latest accusation by a woman — Sharon Bialek of Chicago — who says he sexually harassed her in the late 1990s, Cain said the charge is "baseless, bogus and false" and that Bialek is lying.

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The Two-Way
2:04 pm
Tue November 8, 2011

'Superstar Conservative' Judge Writes Opinion Upholding Health Care Law

"An appeals court judge appointed by President Ronald Reagan just wrote an opinion affirming the constitutionality of the federal law overhauling health care," our colleague Scott Hensley writes over at the Shots blog.

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