NPR 2011-11-16

 A decision is expected this afternoon from a New York judge who's ruling on whether the overnight evacuation of Occupy Wall Street protesters from Zuccotti Park was legal. Lawyers representing the protesters went to court in an effort to try and get the protesters back into the park. Bob Hennelly from member station WNYC in New York is at the courthouse.

 

New York Supreme¹ Court Justice Michael Stallman, the lawyers for Occupy Wall Street protesters, city lawyers and the lawyer for Brookfield Properties, which owns the park, drew a fast and furious lightening round of questions on the First Amendment². At issue whether the sleeping bags and tents being used by the protesters are constitutionally protected expressions of their free speech. Both the city and the property owner say they would permit the park to reopen to protesters without their sleeping bags and tents. Judge Stallman will issue a written opinion later this afternoon. For NPR News, I'm Bob Hennelly in New York.

 

NPR's Margot Adler is in New York in talk with some of the protesters about the eviction³.

 

When I asked well, wasn't it kind of savvy⁴ for Mayor Bloomberg to come in at one in the morning? I got two answers. Some people said: "Not savvy. It was just a lack of courage. But other people just said: "Well, it's just basic police tactics. We were expecting this. They choose a moment that's the most possible." And remember last time when they tried to clean the park, it was incredibly tense. There were thousands of people there. They were all kinds of craziness that went on, and I think they didn't want to repeat that."

 

NPR's Margot Adler reporting from New York.

 

The fourth quarter is off to a good start. The Commerce Department says Americans were spending more in October, especially in online stores like Amazon and appliance stores like Best Buy. Retail⁵ sales for October rose 0.5%, the second month of increases. And in another positive sign wholesale⁶ prices dropped 0.3%, the biggest drop in more than 1.5 years.

 

While there are positive signs in the US economy, Europe's debt crisis remains⁷ a worry for world markets. NPR's Philip Reeves says there's growing concern it may be spreading to France.

 

This crisis has already toppled a handful of governments and spread gloom across Europe. Now alarm bells are being rung for the French. Without wholesale reform, France could lose its coveted⁸ AAA credit rating, warns a new study of the eurozone nations. Arguments are raging about how to avert⁹ disaster. This is Europe's toughest moment since the last world war, says Germany's Chancellor¹⁰ Angela Merkel. Merkel's calling for Europe to build a political union to underpin¹¹ the euro. That means more Europe not less, she says. What a contrast with David Cameron, prime minister of Britain, which is not in the single currency. Cameron says the crisis is an opportunity for a looser union. Philip Reeves, NPR News, London.

 

On Wall Street, the Dow is up 60; the NASDAQ up 35; the S&P up 11.

 

This is NPR News from Washington.

 

A key trade official from Pakistan is visiting India. NPR's Corey Flintoff reports the two countries are making an effort to boost trade and trust.

 

Zafar Mahmood is the first Pakistani commerce secretary to visit India in 35 years. The two nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three wars, and the distrust between them has kept trade to a minimum. A recent thaw¹² in relations has opened the way for billions of dollars of potential new trade over the next few years. Mahmood talked with his Indian counterpart about needy¹³ greedy details, such as building a bigger border crossing, so that more goods can be shipped back and forth¹⁴. Officials are hoping that stronger economic ties will help reduce tensions that have made the India-Pakistan relationship one of the most volatile¹⁵ in the world. Corey Flintoff, NPR News, New Delhi.

 

Energy Secretary Steven Chu will be testifying this week on Capitol Hill about the Solyndra controversy¹⁶. The California-based solar panel company went barely up shortly after receiving a $535 million loan guarantee from the government. He tells NPR's All Things Considered the Energy Department did due diligence on the company before making the loan.

 

"We certainly were watching this and looking at this very closely, and then eventually, you know, we recognized that they were in deep trouble."

 

Chu refused claims the Energy Department's decision to invest in Solyndra was a partisan¹⁷ move.

 

Syria is passing up suggestions it stop its violent repression¹⁸ of anti-government protests, and Turkey's foreign minister says other countries cannot afford to sit idle. The Arab League has voted to suspend Syria's membership this week.

 

I'm Nancy Lyons, NPR News in Washington.

1 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。

2 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。

3 eviction   

n.租地等的收回

参考例句：

• The family have won a temporary reprieve from eviction.这个家庭暂时免于被逐出。
• He claimed damages for unlawful eviction.他要求对非法驱逐作出赔偿。

4 savvy   

v.知道，了解；n.理解能力，机智，悟性；adj.有见识的，懂实际知识的，通情达理的

参考例句：

• She was a pretty savvy woman.她是个见过世面的漂亮女人。
• Where's your savvy?你的常识到哪里去了？

5 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

6 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

7 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。

8 coveted   

adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图

参考例句：

• He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
• Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

10 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。

11 underpin   

v.加固，支撑

参考例句：

• China needs regional stability to underpin its continued economic growth.中国需要地区稳定来巩固其持续的经济增长。
• These developments are underpinned by solid progress in heavy industry.重工业的稳固发展为这些进展打下了基础。

12 thaw   

v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和

参考例句：

• The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
• The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。

13 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

14 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

15 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

16 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

17 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

18 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。