NPR 2012-04-12

 Attorney General Eric Holder¹ says the Justice Department is conducting a thorough investigation² into the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida. NPR's Craig Windham reports no charges have been filed so far against George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who says he shot Martin in self-defense.

 

Holder called Martin a young man whose future has been lost to the ages, and he said the department is intent on preventing such killings³.

 

“We will examine the facts and the law. If we find evidence of a potential federal criminal civil rights crime, we will take appropriate action.”

 

One of Zimmerman's former lawyers Hal Uhrig tells NBC that Zimmerman is suffering from high levels of stress because he’s under intense public scrutiny⁴.  

 

“He is not a bad guy. He may just be an emotionally beat down guy by this process.”

 

The special prosecutor⁵ looking into Martin's death is expected to have an announcement about the case shortly. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

 

A news conference is scheduled for 6 p.m. today in Jacksonville, Florida. A new study finds the number of people living with dementia worldwide will triple by 2050 from nearly 36 million to more than 115 million. Lisa Schlein reports the World Health Organization says most of these cases will be in low- and middle-income countries.

 

Dementia is increasing because people are living longer. Alzheimer accounts for 70% of the cases. Expert Mark Waltman calls the statistics frightening.

 

“There is a new case now in every four seconds, a new case of dementia in the world. Only ten years ago, it was calculated at one in seven seconds, so it's speeding up.”

 

Waltman says action must be taken to stop this epidemic⁶, and yet WHO reports only eight nations have programs to address dementia. The United States is currently developing a plan. WHO reports more than 600 billion dollars a year is spent in treating and caring for people with dementia. For NPR News, I'm Lisa Schlein in Geneva.

 

There’s some encouraging news about US business conditions from the Federal Reserve. A survey indicates that each of the Fed's 12 bank districts grew at a modest to moderate pace from mid-February through the beginning of this month, noting that hiring was steady or increased in most of the country. While businesses express concerns about rising gas prices, retail⁷ sales were up almost uniformly and job gains occurred in manufacturing, shipping⁸, information technology and professional business services.

 

Bargain hunters lifted European stock prices today, with Italian banks leading gainers across the region. On Wall Street, traders are making up for ground lost in previous days, sending stocks to major gains. A good earnings⁹ report from Alcoa boosted optimism. At this hour, the Dow was up 107 at 12,821.

 

This is NPR News. 

 

North Korea has fueled its long-range rocket in preparation for what appears to be an imminent¹⁰ launch. The US, Japan, Britain and others warned the launch would violate UN resolutions. NPR's Louisa Lim reports this comes as the country's young leader has been named to a top Communist Party post.

 

North Korea's new young leader Kim Jong-un has been named the first secretary of the ruling Workers' Party. This formalizes as he’s sent to the top post. It comes as the country prepares for a long-range rocket launch despite international condemnation¹¹. Foreign journalists were today taken to the satellite command center outside Pyongyang. There, an official told them that fuel has already been injected into the three-stage rocket, which is due to be launched sometime between Thursday and Monday. North Korea insists that carrying a satellite is for peaceful purposes only. The US believes the launch violates UN Security Council resolutions, and it's vowed¹² to take appropriate action at the UN if North Korea goes ahead. Louisa Lim, NPR News, Seoul.

 

There’s been no recall, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expanding an investigation into fires in Jeep Wrangler¹³ models from the years 2007 to 2012. There have been some injuries and some property damage in 23 documented Wrangler fires.

 

Around the Indian Ocean earlier today, nations were on alert after an 8.6-magnitude earthquake about 270 miles from Indonesia's Aceh province. No deadly waves or serious damage were reported. All alerts have expired. 

 

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

1 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

2 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。

3 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

4 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

5 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

6 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

7 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。

8 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

9 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

10 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

11 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

12 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

13 wrangler   

n.口角者，争论者；牧马者

参考例句：

• When the strangled wrangler dangles the mangled spangles on the bangle jangle.被绞死的辩论者晃荡时，手镯上撕碎的小金属片发出刺耳的声音。
• A wrangler is a cowboy who works with cattle and horses.牧马者是放牧牛马的牛仔。