NPR 2008-09-09

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Carol Van Dam.

The Republican and Democratic presidential candidates agreed on one thing today the government's takeover of giant mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was something that had to be done given the circumstances. Speaking on the campaign trail in Missouri today, John McCain says he'll make sure the conservatorship does not turn into one big piggy bank for Wall Street. "Today we are looking at costly¹ government-led restructuring of our home loan agencies, we need to keep people in their homes, but we can't allow this to turn into a bailout of Wall Street's speculators and irresponsible executives. " Barack Obama agrees the move was needed to stabilize² the housing market, but says the government's outdated³ financial regulatory system did not help matters any. We get more from NPR's Debbie Elliott.

At a campaign stop in Flint, Michigan, Senator Obama said much of the housing crisis could have been prevented with proper regulation. He said he would strengthen federal oversight⁴ of the nation's financial system. "The basic principle is gonna be that if you expect the federal government to step in and to provide support if something goes wrong, then you are gonna have to follow by our rules, and you are not gonna be able to just have a situation which is what happened with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, where, you know, heads I win, tails you lose, and you being the tax payer. " Flanked by three GMC hybrid⁵ SUVs, Obama told the crowd that included laid-off autoworkers that he would help the US auto⁶ industry retool⁷. Debbie Elliott, NPR News, Flint, Michigan.

In the Haitian city of Gonaives, residents have started returning to their homes and a US warship⁸ has arrived to help deliver relief supplies to the storm ravaged⁹ city. NPR's Jason Beaubien has details.

Much of Gonaives remains¹⁰ under water, but the flood waters have receded¹¹ significantly since Sunday. This city of 300, 000 people flooded twice in the last week, first from Tropical Storm Hanna, and then from Hurricane Ike. The only access into Gonaives right now is by helicopter or by boat. USS Kearsarge has eight helicopters and three amphibious landing craft. Officials say the US navy vessel¹² will be used to move tons of clean water, food and relief equipment from the capital Port-au-Prince into Gonaives. Thousands of people streamed back to their homes today, many pushing through waist-deep water, only to find their residence still flooded. With the city cut off by road from the rest of the country, prices of food and fuel on the street have been rising rapidly. Jason Beaubien, NPR News, Gonaives, Haiti. 

Ike continues to swirl¹³ across the Caribbean. Forecasters now warn it could hit Louisiana or Texas sometime this weekend. The National Hurricane Center says the storm, now downgraded to a Category-1, is moving just off the coast of Cuba. It could pick up speed as it moves over the island.

On Wall Street, the Dow Industrials closed up 289 points to 11, 510. The NASDAQ gained 13.

This is NPR.

President Bush plans to retain the current number of American troops in Iraq through the end of the year and proposes that 8, 000 US troops come home by February when he is out of office. President says if security in Iraq keeps improving, additional reductions will be possible in the first half of next year.

A group of liberal ministers in the Midwest has filed a complaint with the IRS, asking it to stop some conservative pastors¹⁴ from preaching politics from the pulpit. The conservatives are hoping for a constitutional showdown with the IRS. NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports.

On September 28th, some 40 conservative ministers are expected to deliver political sermons naming politicians by name. By doing this, they are risking their tax exempt¹⁵ status which bars non-profit organizations from endorsing¹⁶ or condemning¹⁷ candidates in a political season. Erik Stanley is an attorney with the Alliance Defense¹⁸ Fund, which is organizing the so-called pulpit initiative. He told the Christian¹⁹ radio program Wallbuilders Live that they invite an IRS investigation²⁰. "We wanna file a federal lawsuit²¹, and tell the IRS, and have a federal court tell IRS that it's the pastors' job to determine the content of a sermon not the IRS. " Critics say it's inappropriate for the ADF to encourage ministers to break the law. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, NPR News.

A former associate of lobbyist Jack²² Abramoff has been indicted²³ by a federal grand jury. Abramoff last week was sentenced to four years in prison on corruption²⁴ charges. Kevin Ring was a lobbyist in Abramoff's firm and before that worked for Republican Congressman²⁵ John Doolittle of California. Doolittle is also being investigated.

Roger Federer is once again the US Open Men's tennis champion.

1 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

2 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

3 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

4 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

5 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

6 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

7 retool   

v.改组，重新装备

参考例句：

• Each time the product changes,the machines have to be retooled.每次更换产品，就得重新装备机器。
• In the computer industry,engineers have to retool frequently.在电脑业中，工程师必须经常以新知识充实装备自己。

8 warship   

n.军舰，战舰

参考例句：

• He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
• The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。

9 ravaged   

毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
• The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 receded   

v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• The floodwaters have now receded. 洪水现已消退。
• The sound of the truck receded into the distance. 卡车的声音渐渐在远处消失了。

12 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

13 swirl   

v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形

参考例句：

• The car raced roughly along in a swirl of pink dust.汽车在一股粉红色尘土的漩涡中颠簸着快速前进。
• You could lie up there,watching the flakes swirl past.你可以躺在那儿，看着雪花飘飘。

14 pastors   

n.（基督教的）牧师( pastor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Do we show respect to our pastors, missionaries, Sunday school teachers? 我们有没有尊敬牧师、宣教士，以及主日学的老师？ 来自互联网
• Should pastors or elders be paid, or serve as a volunteer? 牧师或长老需要付给酬劳，还是志愿的事奉呢？ 来自互联网

15 exempt   

adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者

参考例句：

• These goods are exempt from customs duties.这些货物免征关税。
• He is exempt from punishment about this thing.关于此事对他已免于处分。

16 endorsing   

v.赞同( endorse的现在分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• Yet Communist leaders are also publicly endorsing religion in an unprecedented way. 不过，共产党领导层对宗教信仰的公开认可也是以前不曾有过的。 来自互联网
• Connecticut Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman is endorsing Republican Senator John McCain. 康涅狄格州独立派参议员约瑟夫。列波曼将会票选共和议员约翰。麦凯恩。 来自互联网

17 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

18 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。

19 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

20 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。

21 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

22 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

23 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

24 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。

25 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。