CNN 2009-10-24

Good morning, I'm Melissa Long at the CNN center in Atlanta. It is a Friday morning, the 23rd of October. Here's a look at some of the stories happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

 

A bill more than 10 years in the making is heading to the President's desk today. It makes crimes against a person based on their sexual preference, a federal hate crime. The bill's name for Methew Shepherd, a young gay man who was tied to a fence and beaten to death a decade ago. Some religious groups have argued the law could criminalize conservative speech, but the Attorney General says it would be used only to prosecute¹ violence.

 

New York health workers will no longer have to get the swine flu vaccine² to keep their jobs. The state's suspended a ruling that forced health care workers to get the shot by the end of November,saying the decision was based on a shortage not because groups of nurses, teachers and other employees sued. The governor's office said NY will only be getting about a quarter of its anticipated supply of the vaccine by the end of month and that it should be reserved for those most at risk.

 

Democrates may be ready for an all or nothing gamble on health care reform. Sources say Senate Democratic leaders may be leaning toward a public option, that would allow states to opt³ out. Some moderates don't like the public option. But many Democrats⁴ believe it's the best way to fix the system.

 

California's night stalker killer⁵ may be linked to yet another murder. Detectives are testing the DNA⁶ of Richard Remillers in the 1984 death of a 9-year-old girl from San Francisco. She was sexually assaulted and killed in the basement of her home. Remillers was convicted of 13 murders, police say new information points to him as a possible suspect in that girl's killing⁷.

 

A 7-year-old Florida girl whose body was found in a Georger landfill, got into a fight at school the day she disappeared. According to a police report, Somer Thompson's sister brought up the fight on their way home from school and Somer ran off. That was the last time they saw her.

You are up to date. Those are the headlines making news at this hour. Do stay with CNN and CNN.com for more on these stories or other news thatdevelops today.

 

1 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

2 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

3 opt   

vi.选择，决定做某事

参考例句：

• They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
• Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？

4 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

6 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。