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The Two-Way
6:41 am
Mon June 18, 2012

Rodney King: 'What I Had To Do Was Make It Better'

Credit Matt Sayles / AP
Rodney King. (April 13, 2012 file photo.)

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 7:38 am

The death Sunday of Rodney King, the victim of a 1991 police beating in Los Angeles who became a "reluctant symbol of race relations," as the Los Angeles Times says, is prompting many looks back at what happened to him and the Los Angeles riots that followed the 1992 acquittal of the officers involved.

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The Two-Way
5:24 am
Mon June 18, 2012

Reminder: Supreme Court's Decision On Health Care Law Due

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 7:19 am

Update at 10:20 a.m. ET. No Decision Yet:

The court just finished issuing its opinions and other orders for the day. Neither the health care nor campaign finance cases were among them.

So we'll repeat this process on Thursday.

Our original post; "Reminder: Supreme Court's Decision On Health Care Law Due":

What we said last Monday applies again today:

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Politics
5:11 am
Mon June 18, 2012

Sen. McConnell: Political Donations Are Free Speech

Sunday was the 40th anniversary of the Watergate break-in — the opening act in a wide-ranging, White House scandal that was fueled by secret campaign money. Last week, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said it's time to roll back the Watergate-era requirement for public disclosure of campaign donors. He accused President Obama and liberals of trying to stifle the First Amendment rights of conservative donors.

The Two-Way
5:06 am
Mon June 18, 2012

Webb Simpson Wins U.S. Open; Miami Heat Takes 2-1 Lead In NBA Finals

Credit Don Emmert / AFP/Getty Images
LeBron James of the Miami Heat as he went to the basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Sunday in Miami.

The two sports stories that matter the most this morning:

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Europe
5:03 am
Mon June 18, 2012

In Greece, The Election May Have Been The Easy Part

Credit Andreas Solaro / AFP/Getty Images
Two men read newspaper headlines in Athens on Monday as conservative Greek lawmakers raced to form a government a day after parliamentary elections.

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 5:38 am

European leaders and global markets expressed relief after Greek conservatives' narrow parliamentary election victory over leftists who had vowed to ditch the tough austerity terms of an international bailout.

But the next government will have to deal with a polarized society and with widespread anger at wage and job cutbacks that have targeted the middle class and spared an entrenched political and business elite.

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The Two-Way
4:39 am
Mon June 18, 2012

In Egypt, Generals Will Be In Control 'Until October, At Least'

Credit Patrick Baz / AFP/Getty Images
Supporters of Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi (in portrait) celebrated today in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 5:26 am

  • NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson on 'Morning Edition'

In Egypt, "it's quite confusing at the moment," as NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson said earlier on Morning Edition.

But she says one things seems clear: Based on the decree they issued this weekend the generals who have effectively been running things since Hosni Mubarak's regime was toppled in early 2011 will be "around and in charge until October, at least."

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The Two-Way
4:09 am
Mon June 18, 2012

Market Rally Fades As Investors Turn Attention From Greece To Spain

Credit Daniel Roland / AFP/Getty Images
Frankfurt: A German flag hung today in front of a board displaying the DAX stock index.

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 10:19 am

At midday in New York, Bloomberg News' headline pretty much sums up the story for the markets so far today and their reaction to the news about Sunday's vote in Greece:

"U.S. Stocks Swing Between Gains, Losses Amid Europe Woes."

And this paragraph from Bloomberg's account seems to capture what traders are thinking:

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Around the Nation
3:57 am
Mon June 18, 2012

Will Obama's Immigration Policy Affect Alabama's Law?

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 5:24 am

Friday's announcement by the Obama administration that the U.S. plans to stop deporting some illegal immigrants received mixed reviews in Alabama. That state has one of the most aggressive anti-immigration laws in the country.

Around the Nation
3:45 am
Mon June 18, 2012

Re-Enactors Take On Elvis' Parents' Wedding

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 5:50 am

An Elvis impersonator may be a cliche, but Zac Hutchenson and Chastity Floyd found something original to do. They reenacted the wedding of Elvis Presley's parents over the weekend in Verona, Miss. Back in 1933, Vernon Presley was too young to marry without his parents' permission. So at age 17, he lied about his age, borrowed the cash for a license and wed Gladys Smith.

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