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The Two-Way
7:30 am
Fri March 9, 2012

Deal To Hand Over Prison To Afghans Is Key To Transition, U.S. General Says

Originally published on Fri March 9, 2012 7:34 am

Afghan and American officials today signed an agreement that will hand over control of the main U.S. detention center in that country to the Afghan government.

And the American commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan called the agreement "another example of the progress of transition, and our efforts to ensure that Afghanistan can never again be a safe haven for terrorists."

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Around the Nation
7:20 am
Fri March 9, 2012

Oregon Man Stopped For Speeding 3 Times In 1 Hour

When Oregon police stopped Jose Romeo-Valenzuela the first time, he was driving 105 mph. The second time he was driving 98 mph. And the third time, 92 mph. He faces $2,000 in tickets. He was trying to get to court to face drug possession charges.

Around the Nation
7:10 am
Fri March 9, 2012

Florida City Cracks Down On Illegal Highway Signs

Officials in Hollywood, Fla., don't like signs that people illegally put in highway medians, offering to buy gold or junk cars. The Sun Sentinel reports the city is placing scores of robo-calls to the numbers on the signs, hoping to harass their owners into stopping.

The Two-Way
7:05 am
Fri March 9, 2012

Greece Takes Critical Step Toward Avoiding Bankruptcy

Credit Louisa Gouliamaki / AFP/Getty Images
The European Union flag flies in front of the Parthenon in Athens. Greece's EU partners are about to give it another massive bailout.

The important takeaway from this morning's news about Europe's financial mess:

It seems less likely that Greece will go bankrupt and more likely that it will get another international bailout that hopefully will shore up the nation's economy and prevent a domino-like tumble of other ailing European nations and the unsettling repercussions that could have for the U.S. economy.

As The Associated Press writes:

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NPR Story
4:00 am
Fri March 9, 2012

Labor Department To Release February Jobless Report

The Labor Department today reported the nation's jobless rate remained unchanged at 8.3-percent for the month of February, as businesses added 227,000 jobs to payrolls.

NPR Story
4:00 am
Fri March 9, 2012

Miss. Gov. Bryant Endorses Mitt Romney

Alabama and Mississippi are holding Republican primaries on Tuesday. The contests are vitally important for the candidacies of Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. Mitt Romney arrived in Mississippi Thursday night for a rally, and he has a pair of events in Mississippi and Alabama Friday.

NPR Story
4:00 am
Fri March 9, 2012

Pace Of Iran's Nuclear Program I Overestimated

Iranians have agreed to meet with Western officials to discuss their nuclear program, amid increasing Western concern about its purpose. Steve Inskeep talks to Paul Pillar about his article in The Washington Monthly entitled "We Can Live with a Nuclear Iran." Pillar teaches in the security studies program at Georgetown University.

Business
4:00 am
Fri March 9, 2012

Wal-Mart Ads Targets Regional Grocer Harris Teeter

In North Carolina, Wal-Mart has unveiled a new ad campaign in the Charlotte area. The ads are unusual because they target the small, regional grocery chain Harris Teeter. Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the world. Harris Teeter is 207th. In the commercials, Wal-Mart says it sells the same items as the local chain, but for less.

Business
4:00 am
Fri March 9, 2012

Game Developer Double Fine Works Around Publishers

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

This week, San Francisco is hosting the Game Developers Conference. It's the largest global event for the industry that makes video and online games. Twenty thousand people from one hundred countries are there right now. And a game that hasn't even been created yet is getting lots of attention.

From member station KQED in San Francisco, Aarti Shahani reports.

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Business
4:00 am
Fri March 9, 2012

The Last Word In Business

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Here's one more sales pitch for you. Today's last word in business is your chance to buy a legendary brand.

Fender made guitars held by everyone from Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix to Bruno Mars - and maybe even smashed by a few of them. And now Fender has filed paperwork for an initial public offering. The company is looking to raise some $200 million. This company, based in California, wants to pay down debt, and get into new markets like India and China.

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