NPR 2009-08-06

Former Democratic Congressman¹ Bill Jefferson was convicted today on 11 felony counts, including charges of taking bribes³. NPR's Peter Overby has details.

A jury at Federal District Court in Alexandria, Virginia returned a verdict after nearly four days of deliberation. Jefferson was an 18-year Congressman from New Orleans. He'd been videotaped reaching into a car trunk and taking a briefcase⁴ that held $100,000. Ninety thousand of that turned up in his freezer when FBI agents raided his house three days later. Defense⁵ attorneys argued that Jefferson was acting⁶ as a private businessman, not a member of Congress. The case is a big victory for the Justice Department and its Public Integrity Section. They've been under criticism for bringing controversial cases. Earlier this year, DOJ won the conviction of Alaska Senator Ted² Stevens, but the case collapsed⁷ amid charges of prosecutorial⁸ misconduct. Jefferson lost his reelection bid last fall. Peter Overby, NPR news, Washington.

The two American journalists released from prison in North Korea yesterday are back in the United States, arriving in Los Angeles this morning. Euna Lee and Laura Ling have been sentenced to 12 years hard labor⁹ for illegally entering North Korea.  During a visit in Pyongyang yesterday by former President Bill Clinton, they were pardoned and released. Former Vice¹⁰ President Al Gore¹¹, head of Current TV where the reporters work, was among those at the airport this morning, welcoming them home.

A missile strike by a US drone in Pakistan's northern region has reportedly killed one of the wives of Pakistan's top Taliban commander, Baitullah Mehsud. The missile has reportedly struck a house in a Mehsud's stronghold.

Iraq's Prime Minister has pledged to dismantle¹² the blast walls that divide the capital and had contributed to the drop in sectarian violence. The announcement comes a month after US troops withdrew from Iraqi cities. NPR's Deborah Amos has more from Baghdad.

The towering concrete blocks barricade¹³ neighborhoods and protect government buildings but also snarl¹⁴ traffic and anger residents who often wait for hours at checkpoints to get home. A year ago, the government commissioned Baghdad artists to beautify the great slabs¹⁵. Still, most Iraqis hate the wall that makes the city unrecognizable. A decree from the Prime Minister's office pledged to dismantle all the walls in 40 days--a sign of the government's growing confidence in handling security since US troops withdrew from urban areas last month. Opposition¹⁶ politicians charged the Prime Minister's 40-day goal is just politicking¹⁷ ahead of the January elections. They say it's impossible to remove that much concrete. Deborah Amos, NPR News, Baghdad.

On Wall Street today, the Dow closed down 39 points at 9,280. The NASDAQ lost 18 points to close at 1,993. The S&P fell two points.

This is NPR.

The economy lost about 370,000 jobs in July, according to the business services firm ADP. That's the smallest drop in the job market since October, indicating that while the number of jobs isn't growing, its decline is slowing. Still, ADP expects several more months of decline.  And the survey by an outplacement firm found a 30% jump in planned layoffs¹⁸.

The Los Angeles Police Chief announced today he's stepping down. Hettie Lynne Hurtes of member station KPCC has details.

Chief William Bratton says he's leaving the LAPD October 31st after seven years on the job. Bratton will be stepping down from the department with three years left on his second five-year term. The decision comes just weeks after a judge released the department from eight years of oversight¹⁹ by the Department of Justice, which had alleged²⁰ a long pattern of abuse. Under Bratton, Los Angeles has seen a significant drop in crime over the last six years. Bratton was elected the head of the LAPD after serving as chief executive of police in New York. Bill Bratton says he plans to move back east to work for Altegrity, a private global security company. For NPR news, I'm Hettie Lynne Hurtes in Los Angeles.

President Obama visited a part of Indiana, where unemployment has reached nearly 17 percent, telling residents the economy is beginning to turn around. He also said a new 2.4-billion-dollar federal grant program will create new jobs.

With these investments we're planting the seeds of progress for our country and good paying private sector²¹ jobs for the American people.

The President says the grants are aimed at companies developing the next generation of fuel-efficient cars and trucks.

1 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

2 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

3 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

4 briefcase   

n.手提箱，公事皮包

参考例句：

• He packed a briefcase with what might be required.他把所有可能需要的东西都装进公文包。
• He requested the old man to look after the briefcase.他请求那位老人照看这个公事包。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

8 prosecutorial   

公诉人的，原告的； 起诉的

参考例句：

• If prosecutorial misconduct results in a mistrial, a later prosecution may be barred. 如果检察官的不轨行为导致审判无效，再行起诉可能会被除数禁止。 来自口语例句
• Prosecutorial supervision is required according to public power attribution of civil litigation. 民事诉讼的个性和检察监督是对立统一的关系，并不排斥检察监督。

9 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

12 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

13 barricade   

n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住

参考例句：

• The soldiers make a barricade across the road.士兵在路上设路障。
• It is difficult to break through a steel barricade.冲破钢铁障碍很难。

14 snarl   

v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮

参考例句：

• At the seaside we could hear the snarl of the waves.在海边我们可以听见波涛的咆哮。
• The traffic was all in a snarl near the accident.事故发生处附近交通一片混乱。

15 slabs   

n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片

参考例句：

• The patio was made of stone slabs. 这天井是用石板铺砌而成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The slabs of standing stone point roughly toward the invisible notch. 这些矗立的石块，大致指向那个看不见的缺口。 来自辞典例句

16 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

17 politicking   

n.政治活动，竞选活动v.从政( politic的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A lot of politicking preceded the choice of the new director. 在选新领导人之前进行了大量的拉拢活动。 来自辞典例句
• This colleague is always politicking. 这位同僚总是忙于政治活动。 来自互联网

18 layoffs   

临时解雇( layoff的名词复数 )； 停工，停止活动

参考例句：

• Textile companies announced 2000 fresh layoffs last week. 各纺织公司上周宣布再次裁员两千人。
• Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs. 当公司突然宣布裁员时，股票价格便大跌

19 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

20 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

21 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。