NPR 2008-08-29

Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson singing the national anthem¹ at Invesco Field in Denver as tens of thousands of the Democratic Party faithful and uncounted millions of others watching from home, are kicking in the grand finale of the Democratic National Convention. One day after becoming the first African-American to ever win a major presidential party nomination², Barack Obama is preparing to deliver his official acceptance speech tonight. NPR's Mara Liasson reports from Denver.

Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe says Obama has four goals tonight. He wants to tell people where he comes from, who he is going to fight for, what his change really means and he wants to make a clear contrast with John McCain. Obama himself has said that his speech will be more workman-like and less lofty rhetoric³ than people are used to hearing from him. He wants to say in very concrete terms how he's going to help middle class families who are struggling economically. Obama has already gotten a bounce in the polls from his convention. Today's Gallop⁴ Tracking Poll shows him 48%-42% above McCain. He came into Denver essentially⁵ tied with McCain in the polls. Mara Liasson, NPR News at Invesco Field in Denver. 

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain has reportedly now decided⁶ on his running mate but he is not saying who it is yet. Announcement is expected tomorrow in Dayton, Ohio. Without explanation today, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty among those whose names have been bandied about abruptly⁷ canceled scheduled media interviews, others whose names have been mentioned include ex-GOP presidential hopeful Mitt⁸ Romney and former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge⁹, both of whom are expected to appear in Pennsylvania with McCain on Saturday. Another name on the list is independent Senator Joseph Lieberman.

US Military investigators¹⁰ are telling Afghan leaders they have no evidence. Large numbers of civilians¹¹ were killed in an attack on the suspected Taliban site in western Afghanistan last week. But Afghan and UN official say 90 civilians were killed. NPR's Tom Bowman has more.

American military officials are presenting their findings to the Afghan government, including video from an aircraft surveillance camera. One Defense¹² official says the evidence doesn't show anywhere near the death toll¹³ reported by UN and Afghan reports. The American say 25 Taliban fighters were killed in the joint¹⁴ US-Afghan army raid along with 5 civilians. A mother and child were evacuated¹⁵ from the site by US aircraft. The Defense official says multiple intelligence reports show the compound was a Taliban hideout. There was at least one US special operator on the ground eyeing the target. But Afghan officials told NPR the raid was based on bad intelligence and those killed were gathered for a memorial ceremony. Tom Bowman, NPR News, the Pentagon.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 212 points today to end the session at 11, 017. The NASDAQ was up 29 points.

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Reputed mob figure John Gotti Junior has pleaded not guilty to federal racketeering charges in Tampa. The 44-year-old son of the former Gambino crime family was arraigned¹⁶ in federal court today on charges of conspiracy¹⁷, that link him to three mob slayings, cocaine¹⁸ distribution and other crimes. Dressed in a blue jail jumpsuit and in shackles¹⁹, Gotti appeared with his lawyers but did not speak during a five-minute hearing. Prosecutors²⁰ contend Gotti was chief in the arm of the crime family that operated in Florida and other states going back to 1983. Gotti has denied the charges saying he has long been retired²¹ from organize crime.

Justice Department has new rules for how it charges companies that may have broken the law. The new rules say companies will no longer get favorable treatment for waiving²² attorney-client privilege. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports.

A diverse coalition²³ of legal and business groups has complained for the last five years about what they called the Justice Department's assault on attorney-client privilege. Department prosecutors used to go easier on companies that handed over private documents during an investigation²⁴. Critics said those policies were unconstitutional and a bipartisan group in Congress agreed. Congress is now considering a law that supporters say would restore attorney-client privilege. The Justice Department does not like that bill. So Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip has announced a new set of rules. He had a midday press conference on Wall Street where he said from now on prosecutors can not reward companies for waiving attorney-client privilege or punish/ companies for paying employees legal fees. The group said far from these changes, say they still want Congress to put the rules into law. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, Washington.

Crude Oil Futures²⁵ fell $2. 56 a barrel to settle at $115. 59 a barrel in New York.

1 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

2 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

3 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

4 gallop   

v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展

参考例句：

• They are coming at a gallop towards us.他们正朝着我们飞跑过来。
• The horse slowed to a walk after its long gallop.那匹马跑了一大阵后慢下来缓步而行。

5 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

8 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

9 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

10 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

12 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

13 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

14 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

15 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

16 arraigned   

v.告发( arraign的过去式和过去分词 )；控告；传讯；指责

参考例句：

• He was arraigned for murder. 他因谋杀罪而被提讯。
• She was arraigned for high treason. 她被控叛国罪。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

17 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

18 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

19 shackles   

手铐( shackle的名词复数 )； 脚镣； 束缚； 羁绊

参考例句：

• a country struggling to free itself from the shackles of colonialism 为摆脱殖民主义的枷锁而斗争的国家
• The cars of the train are coupled together by shackles. 火车的车厢是用钩链连接起来的。

20 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。

21 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

22 waiving   

v.宣布放弃( waive的现在分词 )；搁置；推迟；放弃（权利、要求等）

参考例句：

• Other steps suggested included waiving late payment charges, making quicker loan decisions and easing loan terms. 其他测试还包括免去滞纳金，尽快做出贷款决定和放宽贷款条件。 来自互联网
• Stuyvesant Town offers the same perk on some apartments, along waiving the broker's fee. StuyvesantTown对于他们出租的某些房子也提供同样的好处，顺带还省略了中介费。 来自互联网

23 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

24 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。

25 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。