CNN 2009-11-13

Good morning, I'm Melissa Long at the CNN center here in Atlanta. Here's a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

President Obama leaving today for an important visit to Asia, eight days, five cities and four countries. The president's primary objective is to reassure¹ Asian allies that have lent billions to the US that the US is strong, the dollar is still solid. Concerns of regional and  international security including those in North Korea will be discussed. The President's plans for Afghanistan will no doubt be in the mix, plus he will meet several newly elected leaders for the first time.

The president's top diplomat² in Afghanistan is raising some major red flags over possible troop increase. The Washington Post reports the US ambassador Eikenberry sent two classified cables to the White House in the past week. In those he expressed serious reservations about sending more US troops. Afghanistan's government is still unstable³. The White House spokesperson says the president won't discuss classified documents publicly.

There is a sign that the terrible job market may be slowly healing. The number of first-time claims for unemployment fell last week to the lowest  level since January. The Labor⁴ Department says new jobless claims dropped  502,000 for the week, ending  November 7th. Again it dropped TO 502,000.

Tomorrow morning, the parents of Falcon⁵ Heene are expected to enter pleas of guilt(s) in connection with the balloon-boy hoax⁶. In the statement, their attorney says the mother, Mayumi Heene will plead guilty to false reporting to authorities .That is a  misdemeanor. The father, Richard Heene is expected to plead guilty to a felony offense⁷ of attempting to influence a public servant. They could receive jail time, but their attorney is saying the prosecutor⁸ is in fact recommending probation⁹.

Michael Tyson in trouble this morning with the law. The former boxing champ was arrested last night after a scuffle at the LA airport. Police say he punched a paparazzo in the head, sending him to the floor. The photographer went to the hospital with a cut on his forehead. And both men have been charged with misdemeanor battery.

You are up to date. Those are the headlines for your this hour. Do stay with us here at CNN.com online for more on these stories or other news that develops today.

1 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

2 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

3 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

4 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。

5 falcon   

n.隼，猎鹰

参考例句：

• The falcon was twice his size with pouted feathers.鹰张开羽毛比两只鹰还大。
• The boys went hunting with their falcon.男孩子们带着猎鹰出去打猎了。

6 hoax   

v.欺骗，哄骗，愚弄；n.愚弄人，恶作剧

参考例句：

• They were the victims of a cruel hoax.他们是一个残忍恶作剧的受害者。
• They hoax him out of his money.他们骗去他的钱。

7 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

8 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

9 probation   

n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期)

参考例句：

• The judge did not jail the young man,but put him on probation for a year.法官没有把那个年轻人关进监狱，而且将他缓刑察看一年。
• His salary was raised by 800 yuan after his probation.试用期满以后，他的工资增加了800元。