NPR 2010-02-19

From NPR News in Washington, I’m Lakshmi Singh.

 

More details are emerging about the man believed to be the pilot in today's plane crash in Austin, Texas. Federal authorities are identifying the pilot as Joseph Stack. They’re investigating whether he intentionally¹ flew his single-engine plane into a building that housed IRS offices. They’re also looking into an anti-government message on a Web site linked to Stack in possible problems he may have had with the IRS. Reporter Mose Buchele of member station KUT is at the scene of the plane crash where he says at least two people have been reported injured and one is still unaccounted for.

 

There’s a huge gaping² hole along one side of its massive damage, windows knocked out, and it's blacked by soot³ and smoke. It's indeed there are only two injuries that come out of this, and then is that one missing person is that if those are the only casualties that end up coming out of this, it would be very surprising judging from the way as it looks right now.

 

Mose Buchele of member station KUT.

 

A United Airlines' flight from Denver to San Francisco was diverted to Salt Lake City this morning because of a bomb threat. Dan Bammes from member station KUER has more.

 

A flight attendant found a threatening note aboard United Flight 741 after it left Denver. Salt Lake City airport spokesperson Barbara Gann says the flight attendant gave it to the pilot, who felt the threat was serious enough to land in Salt Lake. Gann says the passengers and crew got off the plane safely and were taken to the airport's international terminal. There were 193 passengers and six crew members aboard. The FBI says it's investigating the incident but gave no further details. For NPR News, I'm Dan Bammes in Salt Lake City.

 

Eight missionaries⁴ detained in Haiti for nearly three weeks are reuniting with their families today. NPR's Jeff Brady is at the airport in Boise, Idaho where several of the missionaries are expected to arrive within hours.

 

Eight of the ten missionaries were flown on a military plane to Miami Wednesday; two others, organizer Laura Silsby and her assistant Charisa Coulter, remain in Haiti where an investigation⁵ into kidnapping charges continues. Meantime, family members are relieved to have most of the missionaries back on US soil. Selena Riddle⁶ is Drew Culberth's sister-in-law. He is a youth pastor⁷ in Topeka, Kansas. Riddle says Culberth felt a duty to go to Haiti. “He is a servant, he is always jumping to do what needs to be done for people, and so I was thrilled that he was having this opportunity to go, and of course heartbroken when all of this developed.” All eight still face charges in Haiti and could be called back though attorneys for them have expressed hope the charges will be dropped. Jeff Brady, NPR News, Boise.

 

Update from Wall Street, Dow is up 83 points at 10,393.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Former New York City Police Commissioner⁸ Bernard Kerik is getting four years in jail for lying and fraud. NPR's Robert Smith has more on the man who under the Bush administration was once considered for the top job at Homeland Security.

 

Kerik admitted last year that he lied to the White House when he was being considered for a cabinet post. That felony along with tax fraud is gonna send Kerik to prison. Kerik pleaded guilty to not paying all of his taxes. He was also charged with accepting apartment renovations from a company that was seeking work in the city. Kerik led the NYPD during the 9/11 attacks and the judge is saying he had harsh words to say about that legacy⁹. Judge Steven Robinson said that the fact that Kerik would use 9/11 for personal gain and aggrandizement¹⁰ is a dark place in the soul. The judge ended up giving Kerik a sentence of four years. That's more than the federal guidelines recommend. Kerik also has to pay $188,000 in restitution¹¹ in tax penalties. Robert Smith, NPR News, New York.

 

The president of Niger may have been taken prisoner. His aides have not confirmed the whereabouts of President Mamadou Tandja after the presidential palace came under fire today in an apparent coup¹² attempt. Reuters news service reports at least three soldiers may have been killed in the violence. Political tensions escalated¹³ in recent months after Tandja's role was extended. That move triggered international sanctions.

 

In the US, an unexpected jump in wholesale¹⁴ prices in January, the Labor¹⁵ Department’s posting a 1.4% increase. Some economists¹⁶ had predicted under 1%, more like 0.7%. However, the jump is widely viewed as temporary.

 

I’m Lakshmi Singh. NPR News, Washington.
 

1 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

2 gaping   

adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大

参考例句：

• Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。
• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 soot   

n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟

参考例句：

• Soot is the product of the imperfect combustion of fuel.煤烟是燃料不完全燃烧的产物。
• The chimney was choked with soot.烟囱被煤灰堵塞了。

4 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 riddle   

n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜

参考例句：

• The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。
• Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。

7 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

8 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

9 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

10 aggrandizement   

n.增大，强化，扩大

参考例句：

• Her sole aim is personal aggrandizement. 她唯一的目的就是扩大个人权势。
• His sole aim is personal aggrandizement. 他唯一的目标就是要扩充个人的权势。 来自辞典例句

11 restitution   

n.赔偿；恢复原状

参考例句：

• It's only fair that those who do the damage should make restitution.损坏东西的人应负责赔偿，这是再公平不过的了。
• The victims are demanding full restitution.受害人要求全额赔偿。

12 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

13 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

14 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

15 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。

16 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》