NPR 2010-01-13

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Carol Van Dam.

 

Federal regulator sued Bank of America today, accusing the bank of failing to disclose what it calls staggering financial losses at Merrill Lynch before a merger¹ of the company was approved. The suit filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US District Court in Manhattan is seeking an order to force the Bank of America to pay a civil penalty. The bank is accused of failing to inform shareholders² it was losing more than 15 billion dollars in the final quarter of 2008. A Bank of America spokesman calls the charges "totally without merit".

 

The US trade deficit⁴ in November was much larger than expected. The Commerce Department says imports grew faster than exports, a sign consumers and manufactures' demand for foreign goods was on a rise. NPR’s Greg Allen has more.

 

With the slow economy, the US trade deficit, the difference between exports and imports is half of what it was last year. In recent months, as the economy has improved, consumers and manufacturers have spent more on goods and materials from overseas. The Commerce Department reports the trade deficit in November jumped to 9. 7% for a total of 36. 4 billion dollars. Imports rose by 2. 6%, with the rising price of oil as a factor. US exports also grew in November by 0. 9%, the seventh straight gain. That included more than 7 billion dollars in sales to China, the highest totally yet for products ranging from soybeans to semiconductors⁵. It's a trend aided by a weaker US dollar and a sign that economies are improving overseas as well. Greg Allen, NPR News.

 

The State Department denies playing any role in today’s bombing and assassination⁶ of an Iranian nuclear scientist, calling the accusation⁷ "absurd". Iranian pro-government media claims the US and Israel were involved in the attack. Iran’s state-run news agency says Masoud Ali-Mohammadi was killed when a remote-controlled bomb strapped⁸ to a motorcycle exploded outside his home in Tehran.

 

UN human rights officials express concern today about deep-rooted racism⁹ against migrants in Italy after clashes in a southern town between African farm workers, police and local residents. NPR’s Sylvia Poggioli reports from Rome.

 

The UN officials said the violence is extremely worrying since it reveals serious and deep-rooted problems of racism against migrant workers. The statement came after more than 1, 000 African migrants were evacuated¹⁰ from the town of Rosarno in the southern Calabrain region after two days of violence that erupted when white youths shot two migrants with pellet guns. Earlier, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry¹¹ had called on the Italian government to protect migrants and minorities against widespread discrimination. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini replied that police were reacting to ordinary violence, unacceptable violence that has nothing to do with Egypt. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has yet to comment on the Rosarno clashes. Sylvia Poggioli NPR News, Rome.

 

On Wall Street at this hour, the Dow Industrials are down 56 points to 10, 607. The NASDAQ down 32 to 2, 279.

 

This is NPR.

 

Reports of serious bird run-ins with airplanes soared this past year, ever since pilot Sully Sullenberger landed his jet in New York's Hudson River. The government’s tally³ of bird strikes for last year could reach or exceed 10, 000 for the first time ever.

 

Russia and the United States are expected to resume Strategic Arms Reduction Talks soon. More from Jessica Gallaher in Moscow.

 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that discussions will begin again in full force later this month. He says that Moscow and Washington are doing their homework right now, and that negotiations¹² are a working progress. Both sides were expected to agree to a new deal by the end of last year, but negotiations got bogged¹³ down. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin blamed Washington's plans for a missile defense¹⁴ system in Eastern Europe for slowing talks. In September, President Obama agreed to alter former President George W. Bush’s plans for a missile defense in Russia’s backyard in an attempt to reset¹⁵ relations, but the Kremlin has remained wary¹⁶ of Washington’s plans to put land- and sea-based missiles in Eastern Europe. Both countries have agreed to drastically reduce their nuclear stockpiles. Russia and the United States hold some 90% of the world's nuclear weapons. For NPR News, I’m Jessica Gallaher in Moscow.

 

Former CBS television news anchor Dan Rather has lost his 70-million-dollar lawsuit¹⁷ against the network. New York State’s highest court ruled today he has no right to appeal of a lower court’s decision against him. Rather sued CBS and its top executives in 2007, claiming he was wrongfully removed from the anchor desk. The dispute began with a report that doubted the former President George W. Bush’s military service. Rather reported Mr. Bush received preferential treatment during his service in the Texas International Guard.

 

I'm Carol Van Dam, NPR News in Washington.
 

1 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。

2 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

3 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

4 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

5 semiconductors   

n.半导体( semiconductor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Crystals may be insulators, semiconductors, or conductors. 晶体可以是绝缘体，半导体，或导体。 来自辞典例句
• Semiconductors containing such impurities are called p-type semiconductors. 含有这类杂质的半导体叫做P型半导体。 来自辞典例句

6 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

7 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

8 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

10 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

11 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

12 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

13 bogged   

adj.陷于泥沼的v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的过去式和过去分词 )；妨碍，阻碍

参考例句：

• The professor bogged down in the middle of his speech. 教授的演讲只说了一半便讲不下去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The tractor is bogged down in the mud. 拖拉机陷入了泥沼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 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。

15 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

16 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

17 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。