NPR 2008-08-13

Georgia's president now says he agrees with the European Union plan that would call for a ceasefire with Russia. The plan brokered¹ by France calls for both Russian and Georgian troops to return to their original positions. Speaking to reporters after talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Georgia's leader Mikheil Saakashvili said while a few sticking points remain, he agrees with the basic document. "This is a political document, but we mean it, if general principles are there. We need legal details, we need Security Council resolution, we need also, we need more presence on the ground of international observers, and the whole internationalization of the process. " The Kremlin for its part also agreed to the ceasefire, saying the aggressor has been punished. Moscow launched a devastating² assault on the former Soviet³ republic after it moved into South Ossetia last week. Hundreds, perhaps thousands are believed to have died in five days of fighting.

The oil pipeline⁴ that runs through the center of Georgia has been shut. Larry Miller⁵ has more from London.

BP says its pipeline which carries 90, 000 barrels a day of Caspian Sea oil has not suffered any damage, but that until the fighting between Georgia and Russia stops, there are no plans to reopen it. BP describes the closure as a precautionary measure, and says it will not affect production. According to a spokesman, there are sufficient storage facilities, and some of the oil can be transported by trucks and trains. Another oil pipeline, the world's second largest that runs through southern Georgia into Turkey, were shut prior to the fighting after an explosion on the Turkish section. BP says the temporary loss of a pipeline should not affect the price of oil. However the International Energy Agency warns an extended conflict poses a threat to key oil and gas supplies. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Federal budget deficit⁶ has ballooned to almost triple what it was last year. The Treasury⁷ Department says in July the deficit was more than 102 billion dollars. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports.

Government spending dipped far more into the red this year. The deficit grew as the government spent money on economic stimulus⁸ checks and 15 billion dollars to cover receipts at failed financial institutions. The Treasury Department's report also said that for the 10 months of this fiscal⁹ year, the budget deficit stands at more than 371 billion dollars, or more than twice what it was for the full year last year. Meanwhile the Commerce Department said the trade deficit narrowed in June. A boom in exports narrowed the trade gap about 4%. That's the biggest gain in exports in more than four years. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News Washington.

A Japanese bank is offering three billion dollars to buy the remaining 35% of California's UnionBanCal Corp as it looks for growth. San Francisco-based UnionBanCal said it's evaluating the offer from Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.

On Wall Street, the Dow fell 139 points.

This is NPR.

US men's gymnastics team has won a bronze medal, despite losing two team members ahead of the Olympics. Jessica Gallaher has details from Beijing.

Many speculated whether the US would medal at all. This after Olympic veterans and twin brothers Paul and Morgan Hamm withdrew from the team due to injuries before the Games even began. Despite the lack of faith from some, US coach Kevin Mazeika says he was confident they would win. When the final scores were presented, US gymnast Johnason Horton was a little more blunt. He screamed "Nobody believed in us. Nobody believed in us. " Meanwhile China took home the gold, finishing first in five of the six apparatuses¹⁰, leaving the silver to the Japanese. For NPR News, I'm Jessica Gallaher in Beijing.

After months of higher food prices brought on by record prices for corn and soybeans, some relief may be coming for consumers. There is word from the government farmers this year are on track to produce the second biggest corn crop in history and the fourth largest soybean crop. Ephraim Leibthe is an Agriculture Department economist¹¹. He says the increase in crop level should start to show up at the supermarket, bringing down prices for some things in the months ahead. "I think that we are still gonna have higher meat prices in the near term, six to twelve months, because, as I said, feed prices are still a lot higher than they were in the past and it takes a while for the industry to react. " Still economists¹² say don't expect a drop in prices to happen overnight. They say prices for many crops are double what they were a year ago.

Crude oil futures¹³ ended the session lower. The near-month contract for benchmark crude fell $ 1. 44 a barrel to end the session at just over 113 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

1 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

2 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

3 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

4 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

5 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

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 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

8 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

9 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

10 apparatuses   

n.器械； 装置； 设备； 仪器

参考例句：

• That magazine covers all kinds of heating apparatuses. 那本杂志论及所有暖气装置。 来自辞典例句
• Apparatuses and methods for preparing sol-gel solutions are provided. 提供制备溶胶-凝胶溶液的装置和方法。 来自互联网

11 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

12 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》

13 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。