NPR 2012-04-06

 President Obama surrounded by a bipartisan congressional group has signed the JOBS Act. 

 

“Because of this bill, startups and small business will now have access to a big new pool of potential investors¹ — namely the American people.”

 

This was the second major bill signed at the White House in as many days.

 

The bills bipartisan supporters say they are confident of job growth under the new law adding to optimism about the jobs market in the US. The Labor² Department says new applications for unemployment insurance are down to the lowest level in nearly four years. NPR's Craig Windham has more on the latest indication of a strengthening of this market.

 

The number of new jobless benefit claims has been dropping steadily³ since last fall. The four-week moving average of claims, which is a less volatile⁴ measure, is at the lowest level since April, 2008. Sam Stovall is chief equity⁵ strategist for S&P Capital IQ.

 

“Now that we are seeing an improvement in economic growth, employers are now responding.”

 

Responding he says by adding jobs instead of just working current employees harder. A separate report out today shows the number of planned layoffs⁶ by businesses fell in March to the lowest level in ten months. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington. 

 

A British TV news broadcaster that's part of Rupert Murdoch's media empire is admitting it has twice authorized⁷ a journalist to hack⁸ into email. NPR's Philip Reeves reports it happened at Sky News.

 

Sky News says its executives authorized a journalist to hack into emails on two occasions. It says both cases were in the public interest as they involved suspected criminals. One was a man accused of faking his own death. Sky says the resulting material helped the police secure a successful prosecution⁹. Sky News is part of the TV satellite giant, BSkyB, in which Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. has a controlling stake. An independent regulator is investigating whether News Corp. is a fit and proper proprietor¹⁰. On Tuesday, Murdoch's son James resigned as BSkyB's chairman, indicating he wanted to prevent the company being damaged by scandals in Gulf¹¹ and other parts of the Murdoch media empire. Philip Reeves, NPR News, London.

 

A wealthy Egyptian businessman is formally the Muslim Brotherhood¹²'s candidate for president of Egypt. Today Khairat el Shater registered to run in an election, whereas main rivals will be other Islamists and those who served under ousted¹³ leader Hosni Mubarak. Meanwhile, members of the Muslim Brotherhood have been making the rounds in Washington this week to reassure¹⁴ the US they’re committed to democracy. Egyptian lawmaker Abdul Mawgoud Dardery explains why his group reversed its decision and he entered the race.  

 

“People are demanding. We would like to see the result of the revolution. We would like to see different fruits of revolution.”

 

Dardery speaking to NPR's “All Things Considered.”

 

Dow was down more than 20 points.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Two years ago today, an explosion ripped through Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch coal mine in West Virginia. NPR's Howard Berkes reports 29 workers were killed in a tragedy blamed on company practices and failed regulation.

 

Two years after the nation's worst mine disaster in four decades, multiple investigations¹⁶ blamed mine owner Massey Energy for putting production before safety. The Mine Safety and Health Administration is also blamed for failing to use its toughest enforcement tools despite repeated and persistent¹⁷ safety violations¹⁸. The mine safety agency has since targeted troublesome minds with surprise inspections¹⁹. But Congress has failed to enact²⁰ tougher mine safety laws. Federal prosecutors²¹ have one criminal conviction and two guilty pleas so far, but not for anything directly related to the explosion. They say their investigation¹⁵ is ongoing²². Howard Berkes, NPR News.

 

A health care think tank founded by Newt Gingrich has filed for bankruptcy²³. The Center for Health Transformation's debt is reported to be as much as ten million dollars. Gingrich's attorney says the Republican candidate divested²⁴ his interest in the think tank as he prepared to run for the president. 

 

In Greece, more protests expected tonight against the country's austerity measures. The public was moved to rally yesterday just hours after an elderly retiree killed himself out of an apparent despair that he would not be able to survive on his pension. He left behind a suicide note in which he rails against the country's political leaders for their handling of the financial crisis. But the prime minister is offering a glimmer²⁵ hope today. He says the economy could grow as much as 3% in the next two years.

1 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

2 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。

3 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

4 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。

5 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

6 layoffs   

临时解雇( layoff的名词复数 )； 停工，停止活动

参考例句：

• Textile companies announced 2000 fresh layoffs last week. 各纺织公司上周宣布再次裁员两千人。
• Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs. 当公司突然宣布裁员时，股票价格便大跌

7 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

8 hack   

n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳

参考例句：

• He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。
• Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

9 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

10 proprietor   

n.所有人；业主；经营者

参考例句：

• The proprietor was an old acquaintance of his.业主是他的一位旧相识。
• The proprietor of the corner grocery was a strange thing in my life.拐角杂货店店主是我生活中的一个怪物。

11 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。

12 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

13 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

14 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

15 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

16 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

17 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

18 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

19 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

21 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

22 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

23 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。

24 divested   

v.剥夺( divest的过去式和过去分词 )；脱去（衣服）；2。从…取去…；1。（给某人）脱衣服

参考例句：

• He divested himself of his jacket. 他脱去了短上衣。
• He swiftly divested himself of his clothes. 他迅速脱掉衣服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。