NPR 2011-07-20

There's a new reason for hope in the talks over raising the debt ceiling. As NPR's Ari Shapiro reports, a bipartisan group of senators has revived the proposal that now has President Obama's blessing¹.

The president says this Senate plan puts lawmakers from both parties on the same playing field as the White House. Both have proposed a series of cuts and revenue increases to eliminate trillions of dollars in deficits² over the next decade, but the president warns there are still tough negotiations³ ahead.

"Just because we might agree in principle with a range of issues with six senators, or seven senators, that doesn't get us out of the House of Representatives, that doesn't get us out of the Senate. There's going to have to be a broader agreement on the part of all the leadership that we're going to get this done in a serious way, and we've got a tight deadline to do it."

That tight deadline is two weeks away. After August 2nd, the US could go into default. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, the White House.

House Republicans are forging ahead, with their bill calling for a constitutional amendment⁴ of balanced federal budget in exchange for raising the debt limit. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says this plan will get the nation's fiscal⁵ house in order.

"House Republicans were voted into office to change the culture in Washington, and we will not support the other side's request or the president's request to increase the debt limit without meaningful reforms to the system."

Debate is under way in the GOP-led House. The bill is expected to stall in the Senate, where Democrats⁶ have the majority.

A protester lunges at Rupert Murdoch with a full plate of foam⁷ today as the media tycoon⁸ and his son James testify before members of the British parliament about allegations that Murdoch's UK newspapers engage in phone hacking⁹ and police bribery¹⁰ to get stories. The protester was quickly whisked away. Murdoch's former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks¹¹ later faced questions as Larry Miller¹² reports.

Brooks testified it wasn't until 2009 that she learned the extent of phone hacking at the News of the World despite being its editor seven years earlier when it was happening. Brooks, who was arrested Sunday, was asked if she bribed¹³ police for information.

"I have never paid a policeman myself. I have never sanctioned or knowingly sanctioned a payment to a police officer."

Also testifying, Rupert Murdoch denied responsibility for News of the World activities and claimed he was lied to by those he trusted.

"The behavior that occurred went against everything that I stand for."

Murdoch says he's not considering resigning. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

French investigators¹⁴ reportedly have questioned one of the daughters of former IMF chief accused of raping¹⁵ a French writer. Camille Strauss-Kahn, a Columbia University graduate student, is said to be a friend of the writer who filed a legal complaint earlier this month.

Before the close on Wall Street, Dow was up more than 200 points.

This is NPR News.

The world's largest scientific conference on HIV/AIDS underway in Rome today launched an appeal to authorities in Tehran to release an Iranian doctor from prison. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports the doctor is a leading AIDS activist¹⁶ in a country with a large number of drug users.

The Alaei brothers Arash and Kamiar were arrested in 2008 and convicted on charges of communicating with an enemy government. Their apparent crime was traveling to international AIDS conferences and meeting with health workers to find solutions to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Kamiar Alaei was sentenced to three years and released after nearly 900 days in jail. Arash Alaei was sentenced to six years in prison and remains¹⁷ detained in Tehran. Kamiar Alaei told the Rome Conference how he and his brother helped educate Iranians on HIV/AIDS prevention in a country where 70% of the population is under the age of 30. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Rome.

The Israeli navy is in control of a French ship that attempted to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. This was the latest in a series of confrontations¹⁸ at sea between commandos and pro-Palestinian activists¹⁹. Israeli officials say no resistance was reported in the latest incident.

Well, US stock markets have been making gains today, buoyed²⁰ by strong earnings²¹ reports out this week, as well as strong home construction data and investors²² increasingly optimistic about a resolution in the debt talks in Washington. At last check before the close, the Dow was up more than 200 points, 1.6% higher, at 12,587, and the NASDAQ was up more than 2% at 2,827.

1 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

2 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

3 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。

4 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

5 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

6 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》

7 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

8 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

9 hacking   

n.非法访问计算机系统和数据库的活动

参考例句：

• The patient with emphysema is hacking all day. 这个肺气肿病人整天不断地干咳。
• We undertook the task of hacking our way through the jungle. 我们负责在丛林中开路。

10 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

11 brooks   

n.小溪( brook的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks gave the business when Haas caught him with his watch. 哈斯抓到偷他的手表的布鲁克斯时，狠狠地揍了他一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ade and Brooks exchanged blows yesterday and they were severely punished today. 艾德和布鲁克斯昨天打起来了，今天他们受到严厉的惩罚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

13 bribed   

v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• They bribed him with costly presents. 他们用贵重的礼物贿赂他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He bribed himself onto the committee. 他暗通关节，钻营投机挤进了委员会。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 raping   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的现在分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复，查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼，奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠，无所不做。 来自互联网

16 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

17 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

18 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

19 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 buoyed   

v.使浮起( buoy的过去式和过去分词 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神

参考例句：

• Buoyed by their win yesterday the team feel confident of further success. 在昨天胜利的鼓舞下，该队有信心再次获胜。
• His encouragement buoyed her up during that difficult period. 他的鼓励使她在那段困难时期恢复了乐观的情绪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

22 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会