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The Two-Way
12:12 pm
Tue February 28, 2012

Report: The Remains Of Some Sept. 11 Victims Were Dumped In Landfill

In a report released by the Pentagon today, the government admits that a contractor dumped some of the remains of Sept. 11 victims in a landfill.

According to the report, the remains "that could neither be tested nor identified" from victims of the attack on the Pentagon and the Shanksville, Pa. crash were first taken to Dover Air Force Base, cremated by a contractor, returned to the base, where they were handed over to a "biomedical waste disposal contractor," which incinerated the remains.

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It's All Politics
12:09 pm
Tue February 28, 2012

Obama Gives Eventual GOP Nominee Taste Of Michigan Campaign To Come

Credit Susan Walsh / AP
President Obama appears to check smartphone as he heads for the Oval Office after speaking to the UAW, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012.
The Two-Way
10:25 am
Tue February 28, 2012

At UAW Conference Obama Defends Auto Bailout

Credit Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images
President Barack Obama alongside UAW President Bob King prior to his speech at the United Auto Workers conference in Washington, D.C.

In a speech to a convention of United Auto Workers, President Obama vigorously defended his administration's bailout of the auto industry.

Without naming his Republican opponents, a combative President Obama took shots at their opposition to the bailout.

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Author Interviews
10:20 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Putin 101: Understanding Russia's 'Strongman'

Russia's presidential election is on Saturday. The projected winner will be the current prime minister — and former president — Vladimir Putin, the subject of a new biography, The Strongman. Author Angus Roxburgh is a longtime journalist who served briefly as a public relations advisor to the Kremlin. He joined Morning Edition's David Greene to discuss the complicated figure who dominates and defines Russian politics.

Interview Highlights

On Putin's ability to manipulate others

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The Salt
8:41 am
Tue February 28, 2012

When Food Truck Horns Meet Wedding Bells

Credit Courtesy of Jack Looney
Many food trucks, like Carpe Donut, are finding new business catering weddings.

Owning a food truck may sound like fun – it's a free wheeling, superhip, and low-cost way to experiment with food service. But increasingly food truckers are finding that they're up against some unfriendly realities of city streets, namely a shortage of parking spots.

That's why many, like Nida Rodriguez, who steers the helm of The Slide Ride, a Chicago truck that dishes out gourmet mini sandwiches, are now focused on catering events from office parties to weddings.

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The Two-Way
8:33 am
Tue February 28, 2012

As Bombardment Continues, Rebels Smuggle Journalist Out Of Syria

Credit Rodrigo Abd / AP
A man burns a portrait of Syrian President Bashar Assad during a demonstration on the outskirts of Idlib, northern Syria, on Sunday.

A British photojournalist hurt during the government shelling of Homs is now safe in Lebanon, his employer told Reuters.

Reuters adds that The Sunday Times said Paul Conroy was in "good shape and good spirits."

Conroy was hurt in the same incident that killed two other journalists, including his colleague Marie Colvin and Frenchman Remi Ochlik. There is no word whether French journalist Edith Bouvier, who is also hurt, is still in Syria.

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It's All Politics
8:31 am
Tue February 28, 2012

A 'New Low'? Romney Has Admitted Voting In Other Party's Primary

Credit Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Following a visit to his Michigan campaign headquarters on Feb. 28, Mitt Romney told reporters that Republican voters should choose the party's nominee.

In a final burst of campaigning in Michigan Tuesday, embattled GOP front-runner Mitt Romney complained that rival Rick Santorum was making automated phone calls to Democrats and urging them to vote against Romney in the Republican race. (Although only declared Republicans can vote in the party primary, voters can change their affiliation to cast a ballot.)

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Shots - Health Blog
8:17 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Coming To A Strip Mall Near You, A Health Insurance Store

Credit iStockphoto.com
Now you can add health coverage to your shopping list.

Soon millions of people will shop for health insurance on their own.

The health care overhaul requires nearly everyone to have health insurance, after all, and employer coverage has been slowly, steadily declining.

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Around the Nation
8:11 am
Tue February 28, 2012

A Nation Divided: Can We Agree On Anything?

Credit Robert F. Bukaty / AP
Chris McDonough, a Republican (left), and Robert O'Brien, a Democrat, argue about political issues outside a caucus in Portland, Maine, in February.

Like baseballs in a batting cage, the controversies that divide us just keep on coming. Fast and unpredictable.

Last month it was the flap over the Susan G. Komen foundation and its move to cut financial support of Planned Parenthood. The resulting imbroglio dredged up deeply held convictions among Americans about women's health issues and "cause marketing" that, in this case, has resulted in profits for companies promoting breast cancer awareness and research through pink and omnipresent product tie-ins.

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It's All Politics
7:57 am
Tue February 28, 2012

As Michigan Heads To Polls, Romney Buoyed By Santorum Stumbles

Credit Rebecca Cook / Reuters /Landov
In a final bit of campaigning before Tuesday's vote, Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, wave to his supporters during a campaign stop in Royal Oak, Mich. on Monday night.

Less than a month ago, it seemed inconceivable that Mitt Romney would have to fight for his political life in his home state of Michigan.

But fast-moving economic changes, the candidate's verbal stumbles and event venue blunders, and the ascent of flamethrower social conservative Rick Santorum have left Romney sweating to eke out a win Tuesday in Michigan's Republican presidential primary, where the latest polls show a tight race.

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The Two-Way
6:49 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Order For Durable Goods Drops 4 Percent

The Commerce Department says a drop in spending on transportation and business equipment contributed to a 4 percent decrease in manufactured durable goods in January.

The decrease follows three consecutive monthly increases, including a 3.2 percent increase in December.

The AP reports:

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The Two-Way
6:35 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Romney Calls Santorum's Robocalls To Democrats A 'Terrible Dirty Trick'

Credit Carlos Osorio / AP
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, addresses supporters at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Michigan on Monday.

With the latest polls showing a dead heat in Michigan, the leading Republican presidential candidates are taking swipes at each other just hours before voters will head to the polls.

The latest spat between former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is over a Santorum "robocall" campaign that targets Democratic voters.

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Japan In Crisis
5:58 am
Tue February 28, 2012

One Year Later, 'Inside Japan's Nuclear Meltdown'

Credit Frontline
After the earthquake, workers were sent inside Reactor 1 to release some of the pressure building up inside of the reactors.

Almost one year ago, the Fukushima nuclear disaster nearly led to a global catastrophe, if not for the efforts of a small group of engineers, soldiers, and firemen, who risked their own lives in the days after the disaster to prevent a complete nuclear meltdown.

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The Two-Way
5:56 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Second Student In Ohio School Shooting Dies

Credit Mark Duncan / AP
Community members attend a a prayer service for victims of a school shooting at Chardon Assembly of God in Chardon, Ohio on Monday.

A second student has died as a result of injuries he received during yesterday's shooting rampage at a Chardon, Ohio school.

Russell King Jr., 17, was pronounced dead early this morning. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

"Russell was described by students as a sociable kid who got along well with people.

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Around the Nation
5:28 am
Tue February 28, 2012

A Touch Of Paris Arrives In Los Angeles

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. A touch of Paris has arrived in L.A. Angelinos, like Parisians, can now enjoy fine dining with their pet dogs. The Health Department has deemed dogs perfectly safe as eating companions. Effective immediately, canines will be welcomed in the outdoor seating areas of restaurants. But pet dogs will be denied some elements of standard restaurant service. For one thing, dining does not include sitting on a chair. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.

The Two-Way
5:22 am
Tue February 28, 2012

After Rain Then Fire, Matt Kenseth Wins Daytona 500

Credit Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images for NASCAR
Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 Best Buy Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane with champagne after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday.
Around the Nation
5:16 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Lost Wallet Turns Up 35 Years Later

Gean Brown Jr. was installing pipes in an attic in Spring Hill, Kan., and somehow he lost his wallet. He never expected to see it again. More than three decades later, Brown received a call last week. The current owner of that house had found the wallet.

It's All Politics
5:00 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Santorum Could Lose Michigan Vote But Still Gain Delegates

Credit Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Polls show Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney in a tight race heading into Tuesday's Michigan primary. Santorum's campaign signs are stuck in the snow before his campaign stop at the The Colonial Valley Suites on Feb. 26 in Davison, Mich.

If primaries and caucus victories are still all about media attention and momentum, then, yes, it's critical who wins Michigan's statewide vote Tuesday. All the more so if that winner is not Mitt Romney, who grew up there and whose dad was governor in the 1960s.

But as to collecting actual delegates for the actual GOP nomination? Tuesday's vote in Michigan probably will not matter much at all.

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Middle East
2:41 am
Tue February 28, 2012

AP Source: Israel Won't Warn U.S. Before Iran Strike

Israeli officials say they won't warn the U.S. if they decide to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, according to one U.S. intelligence official familiar with the discussions. The pronouncement, delivered in a series of private, top-level conversations, sets a tense tone ahead of meetings in the coming days at the White House and Capitol Hill.

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Media
2:00 am
Tue February 28, 2012

2nd Murdoch Tabloid Focus Of Scandal

The senior police official investigating wrongdoing by journalists in London says there was a culture of illegal payments at the Sun tabloid to create a network of paid informants across the British government. The Sun is the second tabloid owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp to be the focus of wrongdoing.

Election 2012
2:00 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Romney Campaigns in Michigan

Arizona and Michigan voters cast their ballots Tuesday in the Republican presidential primary. A month ago, nobody expected these states to be consequential, but it's clear that the results could dramatically change the direction of the race.

Economy
2:00 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Where Does The Economic Recovery Stand?

Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep talks to David Wessel, of "The Wall Street Journal," and Zanny Minton Beddoes, of "The Economist," about how to read the latest economic signs, and whether there are any bright areas for growth.

Election 2012
2:00 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Santorum Campaigns in Michigan

Weeks ago, GOP rival Rick Santorum had caught up to front-runner Mitt Romney in the polls in Michigan. On Monday, he spent the final day before Michigan's primary campaigning in the state.

Business
2:00 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Business News

David Greene has business news.

Technology
2:00 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Google To Ramp Up Online Tracking

Privacy protections on Internet browsers are anything but ironclad. Companies circumvent them routinely. Most people know they are being observed online but figuring out how is complicated.

Business
2:00 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Ford's High-Tech Solutions May Ease Gridlock

Ford is betting technology can help relieve traffic congestion around the world. In a speech Monday, Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. said the company is investing in systems that will bypass traffic jams, locate parking spots and communicate with other vehicles to avoid accidents.

Middle East
2:00 am
Tue February 28, 2012

Israelis Ponder An Attack Against Iran

The heightened tensions between Israel and Iran over its nuclear weapons program have some residents in the Jewish state nervous. Israel's leaders have been talking about a possible conflict.

Business
2:00 am
Tue February 28, 2012

AT&T 'Throttles' Heaviest Data Users

Throttling is a way for the cell phone company to limit its unlimited customers. Bloomberg technology columnist Rich Jaroslovsky talks to David Greene about what AT&T has been doing to customers who use the most data.

It's All Politics
11:46 pm
Mon February 27, 2012

Wyoming's GOP Caucuses: The Process Is Drawn Out And Confusing

Republicans in Wyoming pick delegates for the national convention in a process that stretches from early February to mid-April. Besides being time consuming, the process is also hard to understand.

In Wyoming, precinct caucuses are the first round of the political playoffs. Republicans from throughout the state meet in county caucuses to discuss issues, suggest platform ideas and decide who to endorse.

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Opinion
10:01 pm
Mon February 27, 2012

The New Indian Pariahs: Vegetarians

Credit Indranil Mukherjee / AFP/Getty Images
An Indian butcher chops meat at a mutton market in Mumbai. Indians are consuming more meat than ever before, despite a tradition of vegetarianism.

India has been home to vegetarians for centuries. Many Hindus and most Buddhists do not eat meat, but commentator Sandip Roy says in today's India, meat is what's for dinner.

When my friend Lakshmi, a lifelong vegetarian, went to America as a student more than 20 years ago she knew she was in for a hard time. Vegetarian dorm food meant a lot of cheese pizza, french fries, pasta and if she was lucky, grilled vegetables.

After 10 years in San Francisco's vegetarian mecca, when she returned to live in India a few years ago, she had an unexpected identity crisis.

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