NPR 2012-06-30

 Congress has cleared three major items off its to-do-list. NPR’s Tamara Keith reports both the House and Senate today passed a measure combining the highway bill, a long-term flood insurance extension and another year of reduced student loan interest rates.

 

“It’s amazing how legislative¹ problems that seem intractable suddenly come together as a deadline approaches. That was the case with what became the combined highway, student, flood bill, which passed both chambers² with overwhelming bipartisan support. California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer³ was deeply involved in the negotiations⁴.

 

“We all know whether we are Republicans or Democrats⁵ that our focus is on boosting this economy. And this bill will do that like no other.”

 

The bill extends the National Flood Insurance Program by five years, continues transportation funding at current levels for another two years and avoids the doubling of interest rates on subsidized federal student loans. Tamara Keith, NPR News, Washington.

 

President Obama’s touring the fire damaging Colorado, one of the nation’s top battleground states this year. Looms⁶ of smoke rose from the mountains as Air Force One made its descent. Earlier today, Mr. Obama declared a major disaster in the state, allowing officials to access federal assistance. In Colorado Springs, the Waldo Canyon⁷ fire has scorched⁸ more than 16,000 acres. Fire Incident Commander Rich Harvey says it is about 15% contained.

 

“The focus for today is to hold what we've got, improve the lines we have in place, use aerial assets as necessary to support the troops on the ground and bring in the heavy equipment wherever we can.”

 

Hundreds of homes have been destroyed. At least one person has died.

 

Eurozone leaders are announcing breakthroughs from marathon talks in Brussels over the debt crisis and the fate of their single currency. NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley reports that France, Italy and Spain joined forces to pressure German Chancellor⁹ Angela Merkel to make some concessions¹⁰.

 

Though the German leader remains¹¹ opposed to the joint¹² pooling of debt, Merkel has agreed to other measures her European partners desperately¹³ want. The continent’s bailout funds will now be able to funnel¹⁴ money directly to struggling banks so as not to further indebted governments. And leaders agree the countries following budget rules will have access to bailout money without stringent¹⁵ conditions. Speaking in Brussels this morning, French President Francois Hollande said the agreement was a breakthrough. “I wanted some rapid decisions taken and there were,” said Hollande, “things are improved.” Hollande cited the rapid recapitalization of banks in the full use of crisis tools for rule abiding¹⁶ countries to give them protection against rising interest rates. This will greatly help Spain, he said. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was up 240 points at 12,842.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Two days after Barclays was heavily fined for manipulating interbank interest rates, there’s more trouble in the British banking¹⁷ sector¹⁸. Larry Miller¹⁹ in London reports a number of banks face big claims for mis-selling complex financial products to small and medium-sized businesses.

 

Around 28,000 British businesses were sold insurance that protected them against interest rates rising on their loans. The Financial Services Authority says four banking groups mis-sold the policy - Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland. In some cases, premiums²⁰ were so high. Companies were forced out of business, describing them as serious failings. The regulator found exit costs were not disclosed, their customers did not understand the risk, and the protection didn't match the loan. The regulator didn’t give a figure for compensation. But one analyst²¹ suggested it could cost the banks more than two billion dollars. For NPR News, I’m Larry Miller in London.

 

The Security and Exchange Commission is charging Bernard Madoff's younger brother Peter with fraud, lying to regulators and falsifying records. Earlier today, Peter Madoff pleaded guilty to charges he helped carry out his older sibling’s Ponzi scheme which bilked investors²² out of billions of dollars. Bernard Madoff is serving a 150-year sentence.

 

The Supreme²³ Court is turning away an appeal for media companies who want to be allowed to own both a newspaper and a TV station in the same market. Today the high court denied the request without comment. The media argue the restrictions²⁴ no long make sense in the Internet era.

 

US stocks gaining ground with Dow up nearly 2% at 12,843, NASDAQ up nearly 3% at 2,928, S&P500 also up more than 2%.

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

3 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

4 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。

5 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》

6 looms   

n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

8 scorched   

烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦

参考例句：

• I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。
• The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

9 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

10 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

11 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。

12 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

13 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

14 funnel   

n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集

参考例句：

• He poured the petrol into the car through a funnel.他用一个漏斗把汽油灌入汽车。
• I like the ship with a yellow funnel.我喜欢那条有黄烟囱的船。

15 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

16 abiding   

adj.永久的，持久的，不变的

参考例句：

• He had an abiding love of the English countryside.他永远热爱英国的乡村。
• He has a genuine and abiding love of the craft.他对这门手艺有着真挚持久的热爱。

17 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

18 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

19 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。

20 premiums   

n.费用( premium的名词复数 )；保险费；额外费用；（商品定价、贷款利息等以外的）加价

参考例句：

• He paid premiums on his life insurance last year. 他去年付了人寿保险费。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Moves are afoot to increase car insurance premiums. 现正在酝酿提高汽车的保险费。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

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

23 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

24 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制