NPR 2009-06-01

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Craig Windham.

A senior State Department official says Cuba has agreed to open direct talks with the United States on a range of issues including immigration matters and cooperation on anti-drug trafficking efforts. The official called the opening "a very positive development." The announcement came just as Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was about to depart for Latin America, her third trip to that region this year.

Republican and Democratic senators have different views on the timing¹ of confirmation² hearings for Supreme³ Court nominee⁴ Judge Sonia Sotomayor. President Obama wants her confirmed by early August, but Republicans are resisting that deadline. More from NPR's David Welna.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called on CNN for an open-ended confirmation process. "I don't think we should start with a presumption⁵ of exactly what the end date is gonna be." And on NBC, Jeff Sessions, the Judiciary Committee's top Republican pushed back on finishing Sotomayor's confirmation process by early August. "I think that's rushing it. I believe that she has over 3, 000, maybe 4, 000-plus opinions that need to be examined. And I think there's no need for us to do that." On the same program the Senate Judiciary Committee's Democratic chairman Patrick Leahy indicated he wants the confirmation hearings sooner rather than later. "One thing that, that is going to influence the timing of when I will set this hearing is all these attacks are going out against her. She can't answer them." Still late he said the Senate will set its own timetable. David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol.

One of the nation's only providers of late-term abortions⁶ was shot and killed this morning during a church service in Wichita, Kansas. Doctor George Tiller was 67 years old. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports.

George Tiller was gunned down at his church, Reformation Lutheran, at about 10 o'clock in the morning. Tiller had long been a target for radical⁷ anti-abortion activists⁸, one of whom shot him in both arms about 15 years ago. His clinic in Wichita has been blockaded and bombed. Tiller was also dogged politically by pro-life activists in Kansas who had him investigated twice, to (no) avail, by grand juries. One of his fiercest opponents, Operation Rescue, immediately condemned⁹ Tiller's murder. Earlier this year, Tiller said he continued doing his work because of his family support. He said two of his daughters, now physicians, asked him who else would stand up for these women, if not him, who? Tiller was survived by 4 children, 10 grand-children, and his wife of 45 years. Neda Ulaby, NPR News.

Treasury¹⁰ Secretary Timothy Geithner is in Beijing where he'll hold two days of talks with Chinese leaders. He said the administration is committed to working at a new relationship with China following a series of trade disputes. Critics charged that China's economic policies have contributed to the loss of millions of jobs in the US. But China is also the biggest creditor¹¹ of the United States, and the Obama administration is hoping China will help resolve the increasingly tense dispute with North Korea over that country's nuclear program.

This is NPR News from Washington.

A majority of General Motors bondholders have agreed to a sweetened deal that will have them swap¹² 27 billion dollars in unsecured debt for stock, giving them a 10% ownership stake, with an option to increase that share. The offer was structured by the Treasury Department which has not commented yet on the bondholder response. GM is widely expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy¹³ protection tomorrow. President Obama is expected to make remarks to the nation about the auto-maker's fate tomorrow morning.

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown says he is shocked how far members of Parliament have gone in using taxpayer¹⁴ money to pay for personal expenses. Brown is pledging to make sweeping¹⁵ reforms to prevent a repeat of that scandal. Larry Miller¹⁶ reports from London.

Prime Minister Brown says British lawmakers will be forced to accept a legally binding¹⁷ code of conduct in what he called "a clean-up of Parliament." He said that clean-up will extend to all public institutions, including the BBC. The Prime Minister insisted it's the end for what he termed "a 19th century gentlemen's club with self-regulation." Over the last month, each day brought new revelations about expense claim abuse, big and small. Some lawmakers took public money for mortgages they didn’t have; one tried to claim back 8 dollars he put in a church plate at a memorial service. More than a dozen lawmakers  agreed not to run for re-election, and some may be criminally prosecuted¹⁸ for fraud. Brown said an independent body will review every expense claimed over the last four years. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Rafael Nadal had won 31 straight matches at the French Open tennis tournament over the years, but he was upset today by a 24-year-old Swede. Nadal says he will accept the defeat as he has his victories, with calm.

I'm Craig Windham.

1 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

2 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

3 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。

4 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

5 presumption   

n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定

参考例句：

• Please pardon my presumption in writing to you.请原谅我很冒昧地写信给你。
• I don't think that's a false presumption.我认为那并不是错误的推测。

6 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

7 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

8 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》

9 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

10 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

11 creditor   

n.债仅人，债主，贷方

参考例句：

• The boss assigned his car to his creditor.那工头把自己的小汽车让与了债权人。
• I had to run away from my creditor whom I made a usurious loan.我借了高利贷不得不四处躲债。

12 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

13 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

14 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

15 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

16 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。

17 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

18 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。