Middle East
7:16 am
Mon June 18, 2012

Main Syrian Opposition Group Tries To Unify Factions

The main opposition group in Syria is making a renewed push to unify various strands of the anti-regime movement. The new head of the Syrian National Council wants to broaden the group's appeal, and combat fears that it is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Two-Way
7:09 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 1:19 pm

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
7:05 am
Mon June 18, 2012

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

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 8:24 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.

NPR Story
6:51 am
Mon June 18, 2012

Markets React To Greek Election Results

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 8:20 am

Markets in Asia and Europe initially responded positively to the results of the Greek election. Of greatest concern, is another rise in Spanish interest rates to another euro-era record.

Around the Nation
6:45 am
Mon June 18, 2012

Re-Enactors Take On Elvis' Parents' Wedding

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 8:50 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.

Around the Nation
6:42 am
Mon June 18, 2012

Taco Bell Hoax Upsets Small Alaska Town

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 7:56 am

The small Alaska town of Bethel has a population of 6,000, and the area can only be reached by boat or plane. Fliers posted throughout the town last week promised a Taco Bell. Sadly, it was what the Anchorage Daily News called "an evil hoax."

Latin America
3:09 am
Mon June 18, 2012

G-20 Leaders In Mexico Concentrate On Euro Crisis

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 10:39 am

President Obama and other world leaders are gathering in Los Cabos, Mexico, on Monday for the G-20 summit. They're hoping to get some assurances that European governments are getting control of their financial problems before they become a further drag on the global economy.

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Revolutionary Road Trip
3:07 am
Mon June 18, 2012

And Now For The Lighter Side Of Egypt's Revolution

Credit John W. Poole / NPR
One of the founders of Egypt's satirical online magazine El Koshary Today, Taha Belal, 28, at the Freedom Bar in downtown Cairo. Since Egypt's revolution last year, political parody has become popular on the Internet.

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 9:48 am

NPR Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep is wrapping up his Revolutionary Road Trip, a journey of more than 2,700 miles across North Africa to see how the countries that staged revolutions last year are remaking themselves. Steve and his team have traveled from Tunisia's ancient city of Carthage, across the deserts of Libya, and filed this report from the third and final country, Egypt.

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Europe
3:05 am
Mon June 18, 2012

Locals Fear Venice Becoming 'A Big Shopping Center'

Credit Marco Secchi / Getty Images
A gondola sails in front of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, which has been sold to Benetton Group. The clothing company plans to convert the Venice landmark into a shopping mall.

Originally published on Wed June 20, 2012 3:45 pm

As Italy tries to fight its way out of a full-blown recession, the state and local governments are coming up with creative — and some say questionable — sources of revenue.

The latest example comes from Venice, where Benetton, the trendy Italian clothing-maker, is poised to put the city's first shopping mall right on the Grand Canal. Residents are up in arms, but officials say deals like these keep the lagoon city afloat.

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Money & Politics
3:04 am
Mon June 18, 2012

'Citizens United' Gets Renewed Scrutiny

Credit Paul J. Richards / AFP/Getty Images
Critics say U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, shown in 2010, backtracked on previous pledges to give high priority to precedent in the Citizens United campaign finance case.

Originally published on Mon June 18, 2012 9:50 am

As early as Monday, the Supreme Court could decide to revisit its landmark Citizens United ruling of two and a half years ago.

That case gave corporations the green light to spend unlimited amounts in political campaigns. Now, a Montana case could lead the high court to take a second look at Citizens United.

Meanwhile, the role of Chief Justice John Roberts in the case is also raising questions in Congress.

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