NPR 2012-07-25

 US tax payers could see a savings¹ of about 48 billion dollars over 11 years as a result of the Supreme² Court ruling on President Obama's health care reform law. The congressional budget office says the savings come through changed Medicaid requirements. Under the ruling, states can limit expansion of their Medicaid health care coverage³ for the poor. The CBO also estimated that repealing⁴ the affordable⁵ care act could increase the deficit⁶ over the next decade by 109 billion dollars. That's because the law includes revenue increases and cost savings. 

 

Attorney General Eric Holder⁷ is said to announce a series of sweeping⁸ reforms of the New Orleans' Police Department. The steps which are spelled out in a federal consent decree are ended cleaning up a police force that has a history of decades of corruption⁹ and mismanagement. NPR's Craig Windham reports the New Orleans' police have been under increasing scrutiny¹⁰ since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina brought the department's deficiencies to light. 

 

The decree will be supervised by a federal judge and will be enforced for at least 4 years. The reforms will reportedly include mandated¹¹ training for all police officers on searches, arrest and the use of force. There will also be changes in an array of department policies including the rules under which officers work off duty will provide security for private interests. The Justice Department last year issued a scathing¹² report on the New Orleans' police, saying they've often used deadly force without justification¹³, engaged in racial profiling and made numerous unconstitutional arrests. Craig Windham, NPR News.

 

Preliminary findings are around the government's investigation¹⁵ of the April 2010 Gulf¹⁶ of Mexico BP oil spill. The report says BP and Transocean lack clear guidelines for an important test to assure the deep water well was properly sealed. 

 

A police chief in western Afghanistan says 18 police officers who defected to the Taliban are in custody¹⁷. NPR's Sean Carberry reports there's an ongoing¹⁸ operation to capture the 2 remaining defectors. 

 

The police chief of Farah Province says the commander named Mirwais had initiated¹⁹ contact with the Taliban and planted defection. Mirwais had served in Farah for more than 2 years before he led his officers to defect yesterday. They took vehicles and an assortment²⁰ of weapons from their check point. Police are still searching for Mirwais and his nephew. The spokesman for provincial²¹ governor says Marwais poisoned 7 officers who would not go along with the defection. The officers are alive in custody. Once largely secure Farah province is seeing a recent growth in Taliban activity. Last month insurgents²² launched an unsuccessful rocket attack on the governor's house. Sean Carberry, NPR News, Kabul.

 

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 177 points.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Roman Catholic Monsignor William Lynn has been sentenced to 3 to 6 years in prison after his conviction for covering up sexual abuse claims against priests in the archdiocese of Philadelphia.

 

The president of Ghana has died. The statement from the presidential law office confirms his passing. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton says John Atta Mills, aged¹⁴ 68, had recently returned to Ghana after a medical attention in the US.

 

President John Evans Atta Mills came to power 4 years ago and was seeking reelection later this year as the candidate of the governing NDC Party. The congenial and respected former university professor was first picked for a political office by former Dhanan President Jerry John Rawlings who made Mills his vice²³ president. A statement said Mills who was 68, died a few hours after being taken ill but gave no further details. He oversaw²⁴ the start 2 years ago of crude oil production in Ghana which is also a top coco exporter. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Dakar. 

 

The air force has determined²⁵ that insufficient²⁶ oxygen supply caused some F22 fighter pilots to get dizzy and disoriented when flying the most advanced US war plane. After a 5 month cessation of F22 flights the Pentagon resumed flights but at limited altitude. The F22 was built by Lockheed Martin.

 

Former England David Beckham is telling the Associated Press that he will have a role in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. The 37 year old Los Angeles midfielder had hoped to play for Britain's team at the games but he was not included in the squad²⁷. 

 

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

1 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

2 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。

3 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

4 repealing   

撤销，废除( repeal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• In addition, repealing the alternative minimum tax would also help. 此外，废除替代性最低税也会有所帮助。
• Repealing the investment tax credit. 取消投资税款扣除。

5 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

6 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

7 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。

8 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

9 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

10 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。

11 mandated   

adj. 委托统治的

参考例句：

• Mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离
• Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa. 英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。

12 scathing   

adj.（言词、文章）严厉的，尖刻的；不留情的adv.严厉地，尖刻地v.伤害，损害（尤指使之枯萎）( scathe的现在分词)

参考例句：

• a scathing attack on the new management 针对新的管理层的猛烈抨击
• Her speech was a scathing indictment of the government's record on crime. 她的演讲强烈指责了政府在犯罪问题上的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

14 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

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 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。

17 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

18 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。

19 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

20 assortment   

n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集

参考例句：

• This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全，任君选择。
• She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。

21 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

22 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

23 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

24 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网

25 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

26 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

27 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。