NPR 2010-07-09

The AP is reporting all ten people accused of spying for Russia pleaded guilty in a New York courtroom at this hour. The hearing is expected to spur the largest US-Russian spy swap¹ since the Cold War. Officials tell NPR the ten will be swapped² for spies in Russia, including a Russian-born research scientist, who's convicted of spying for the US. He's said to be already in Austria, and the AP is also reporting two administration's sources are now saying Russian government will release four people in the spy swap.

Florida's governor has called a special session of the state legislature to consider putting a proposed constitutional amendment³ before the voters, banning all offshore⁴ drilling in state waters. From Miami, NPR's Greg Allen reports.

The special session would be held later this month and deal with just one issue: whether to put a referendum on the ballot⁵ in November, that will prohibit all oil and gas drilling in state waters between three and 11 miles off the Florida coast. Drilling in state waters is already prohibited under Florida law. But before the massive spill in the Gulf⁶, Republican leaders in the legislature were moving to lift the ban. Florida Governor Charlie Crist, a former Republican, now running as an independent for the US Senate, says that's why he believes a special session is necessary.

"I know it's already barred statutorily, but I also know that just a year ago they tried to change that statute⁷ and drill holes three miles off the coast of Florida."

Republican leaders in the legislature oppose putting the drilling ban on the ballot. So far, Crist hasn't found a sponsor for the amendment in the state House. Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

In Afghanistan, two coalition⁸ soldiers were killed by insurgents⁹. NPR's Quil Lawrence reports an Afghan police official was also assassinated¹⁰ in Kabul.

Gunmen ambushed¹¹ the Afghan police intelligence chief outside his home in a suburb west of Kabul. Mohammad Gul was in charge of tracking insurgents and preventing bombings in the western half of the capital. His driver also died in the attack. US military sources said that at least one of the two foreign soldiers killed today was American, but offered no other details. June was the deadliest month for international forces in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion, and so far July is keeping the same pace. Officials say the increase is partly due to stepped-up operations against Taliban insurgents across the country. American military officials continue to investigate the circumstances, which led to an airstrike yesterday that accidentally targeted Afghan National Army soldiers in Ghazni province. Quil Lawrence, NPR News, Kabul.

New claims for unemployment benefits dropped sharply last week, down by 21,000 to a seasonally¹² adjusted 454,000. The Labor¹³ Department says that's the lowest level since early May.

On Wall Street, the Dow rose more than 1% in late trading today on gains from McDonald's and industrial shares. Just before the close, the Dow was up 92 points at 10,111, the NASDAQ was up by 11 points at 2,171, and the S&P 500 was up seven points at 1,067.

This is NPR News.

The late Senator Robert Byrd's Senate seat can be put on the West Virginia ballot this November. Governor Joe Manchin asks the state attorney general to give a legal opinion on the issue. Manchin says he didn't want voters to have to wait until 2012, when Byrd would have faced reelection. And he says he may run for the seat himself, but he won't let himself be appointed.

The number of high school students who smoke declined in the past decade. But in recent years, it's going down at a slower rate. That's according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NPR's Brenda Wilson has more.

The big drop in the last decade is among high school students who say they've ever tried a cigarette, from 70% to about 60%. But teens who have a cigarette once a month or daily have been slower to give up the habit. For example, a fifth of the teens surveyed by the CDC, who say they smoke once a month, didn't really change. The increase in the once-a-month and daily smoking occurred during the 1990s, at a time the report notes when tobacco companies expanded promotional efforts, offering discount prices, distributing items with product logos and sponsoring musical and sports events. These activities were restricted by laws enacted¹⁴ just last year, but the CDC says they should be combined with prevention strategies, such as mass media campaigns and increased taxes on tobacco. Brenda Wilson, NPR News.

The first red panda cub¹⁵, born at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. in 15 years, has died. Zoo officials say they don't know the cause. The 21-day-old male cub was found yesterday morning. Officials kept a close eye on him because of the heat, but they say the heat didn't kill the animal. They do know there is a 50% mortality rate for red panda cubs

1 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。

2 swapped   

交换（工作）( swap的过去式和过去分词 )； 用…替换，把…换成，掉换（过来）

参考例句：

• I liked her coat and she liked mine, so we swapped. 我喜欢她的外套，她喜欢我的外套，于是我们就交换了。
• At half-time the manager swapped some of the players around. 经理在半场时把几名队员换下了场。

3 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。

4 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

5 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 statute   

n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例

参考例句：

• Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute.保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。
• The next section will consider this environmental statute in detail.下一部分将详细论述环境法令的问题。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

9 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

10 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

11 ambushed   

v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The military vehicles were ambushed. 军车遭到伏击。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 seasonally   

参考例句：

• The price of vegetables fluctuates seasonally. 蔬菜的价格随季节变动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They moved seasonally among various vegetation types to feed on plants that were flourishing. 它们还随着季节的变化而在各种类型植物之间迁移，以便吃那些茂盛的植物。 来自辞典例句

13 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。

14 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

15 cub   

n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人

参考例句：

• The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
• The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。