NPR 2011-10-07

 President Obama is calling his jobs proposal and insurance policy against the threat of a double-dip recession. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the president used a White House news conference today to press Congress to pass his bill.

 

President Obama says there's no doubt the US economy is weaker now than it was [at] the beginning of the year, and the downturn in Europe could make matters worse. Mr. Obama says the tax breaks and government spending in his jobs plan would help to cushion the blow. He asked why Republicans are lining¹ up to vote for the bill which some private economists² say would support nearly two million jobs.

 

"But I haven't heard them offer alternatives that would have that same kind of impact, and that's what we need right now."

 

Mr. Obama also says he's comfortable with an alternative Senate plan to fund the measure using a tax surcharge on incomes over a million dollars a year. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

 

The Bank of England is taking a dramatic step to stimulate³ Britain's faltering⁴ economy. It says it will inject 115 billion dollars into the economy by buying assets. At the same time, Europe's central bank is offering new emergency loans for about a year to help out as eurozone banks struggle to deal with the debt crisis in Greece. 

 

A Pakistani commission says a doctor who allegedly helped the US track down Osama bin⁵ Ladan should be tried for treason. From Islamabad, NPR's Julie McCarthy reports the recommendation is expected to further strain ties between the two countries.

 

The commission investigating the US raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan said its questioning of Osama bin Laden's wives and daughters was complete, and they were now free to leave Pakistan. But the fate of one doctor, Shakil Afridi, looks far less certain. The commission recommended that a case of conspiracy⁶ and high treason be brought against him. Afridi is said to have helped the Americans run a phony polio vaccine⁷ program in the town where the al-Qaeda leader hid in a bid to obtain a DNA⁸ sample from him at his secrete⁹ compound. The move is likely to aggravate¹⁰ already fraught¹¹ relations between Pakistan and the US, which has pressed Pakistan to release Afridi. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Islamabad.

 

IPhones, iPads and iMacs are lit up the world over transmitting images and tributes to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. He died last night at the age of 56. NPR's Richard Gozalez tells us Jobs is being fondly and admiringly remembered at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California.

 

The people I'd talked to were all the people who remember what life was like before Steve Jobs and his products, and what they talk about basically is how much, you know, his work changed their lives, talk about how much it improved them and how much fun they've had with Apple products. 

 

NPR's Richard Gozalez at Apple headquarters where flags are flying at half-staff.

 

Just before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was up 179 points.

 

This is NPR.

 

Mortgage rates already hit a historic low. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 3.94%. The first time it's falling below 4%.

 

The International Olympic Committee says it's disappointed by today's decision to overturn a controversial IOC rule that banned athletes convicted of doping from competing at the Olympics. NPR's Tom Goldman reports the decision clears the way for a number of athletes to compete in London Summer Games next year.

 

The IOC adopted Rule 45 in 2008. It said athletes who were suspended more than six months for a doping violation¹² could not take part in the next Olympics, even if their suspension was over and they were competing again. Thursday, the International Court of Arbitration¹³ for Sport struck down Rule 45, calling it invalid¹⁴ and unenforceable. Several anti-doping advocates praised the decision. They didn't like the way the IOC unilaterally imposed Rule 45 without going through the widely accepted World Anti-Doping Code. Among those benefiting from Thursday's decision, American track star LaShawn Merritt, the defending Olympic 400-meter champion, was banned from London, even though he completed a doping suspension and was running again this season. Tom Goldman, NPR News.

 

A Muslim American woman is suing Southwest Airlines for being removed from a flight from San Diego in March after crew members said her behavior seemed suspicious. Irum Abbasi, who was wearing a hijab or Islamic headscarf, was talking on her cell phone as the flight was preparing to take off. When a flight attendant became concerned about something, she thought she overheard. Abbasi, who immigrated¹⁵ from Pakistan, was flying to San Jose, where she's a graduate student.

1 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

2 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》

3 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

4 faltering   

犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的

参考例句：

• The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。
• I canfeel my legs faltering. 我感到我的腿在颤抖。

5 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

6 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

7 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

8 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

9 secrete   

vt.分泌；隐匿，使隐秘

参考例句：

• The pores of your body secrete sweat.身上的毛孔分泌汗液。
• Squirrels secrete a supply of nuts for winter.松鼠为准备过冬而藏坚果。

10 aggravate   

vt.加重(剧)，使恶化；激怒，使恼火

参考例句：

• Threats will only aggravate her.恐吓只能激怒她。
• He would only aggravate the injury by rubbing it.他揉擦伤口只会使伤势加重。

11 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

12 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

13 arbitration   

n.调停，仲裁

参考例句：

• The wage disagreement is under arbitration.工资纠纷正在仲裁中。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding.双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

14 invalid   

n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的

参考例句：

• He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。
• A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。

15 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句