Top Stories: Gridlock Again In Congress, Olympus Takes $1 Billion Hit

By Mark Memmott

Published December 14, 2011 at 8:27 AM CST

Good morning.

Our early headlines:

-- Fate Of Payroll Tax Cut, Jobless Benefits Uncertain As Lawmakers Haggle.

-- 'The Protester' Is 'Time' Magazine's Person Of The Year.

-- Terrorism Not Thought To Have Been Motivation Of Attacker In Belgium.

Other stories making headlines:

-- "Euro Falls Below $1.30 For First Time Since January." (BBC News)

-- "Attorney General Holder Takes Aim At New State Voting Laws." (Los Angeles Times)

-- "Olympus Reveals $1 Billion Balance Sheet Hit, Stirs Merger Talk." (Reuters)

-- "Gingrich Iowa Political Director Steps Down After 'Cult Of Mormon' Comment." (It's All Politics)

Mark Memmott

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.

See stories by Mark Memmott