NPR 2009-08-19

President Obama met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the White House today to discuss the possibility of restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. After their meeting, Mr. Obama expressed cautious optimism. "There has been movement in the right direction." The President said Egypt is in a unique position in the process because it has strong relationships with Israel, the Palestinians and other Arab states. Mubarak said Arab countries will support a peace process if Israelis and Palestinians return to the negotiating table.

 The Labor¹ Department reports producer prices in the US dropped last month. NPR's Elizabeth Shogren has details.

 This dip of nearly one percent in wholesale² prices reverses a trend from the previous few months when prices had been gradually increasing. Leading the downturn were prices for energy, especially gasoline and heating oil. Food prices were down as well, primarily due to a big drop in fresh vegetable prices. Falling prices for beef, chicken and eggs also contributed. Prices for cars and light trucks also slid. These producer prices could mean lower prices at the pump and grocery store in coming days and weeks. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported a record from July 08 to July 09, producer prices fell 6.8%. That's the biggest year-to-year price dip since the index was created in 1947. Prices peaked last July after a long inflationary trend. Elizabeth Shogren, NPR News, Washington.

 The world's largest home improvement retailer³ reports a slide in profits a day after its rival reported an even steeper decline. Edgar Treiguts of Georgia Public Broadcasting reports.

 Home Depot⁴ says its earnings⁵ fell 7% across the fiscal⁶ second quarter. Over one year's time earnings slid from 71 cents to 66 cents a share. In a statement, Home Depot CEO Frank Blake pointed⁷ to continued concerns over the soft economy and its effect on the housing market pressuring consumers. But the Atlanta-based company says when adjusted for the recent closure of its Expo design stores, results beat Wall Street expectations by about eight cents a share, and Home Depot's results were better than that of rival Lowe's, which reported its profit fell 19% on weaker than expected sales. Home Depot has more than 300,000 workers and 2,200 stores across the country. For NPR News, I'm Edgar Treiguts in Atlanta.

 General Motors says it will increase production this year by 60,000 vehicles thanks in part to higher demand from the government's "Cash for Clunkers" program. The automaker says the move will bring more than 1,300 laid-off workers back to its North American assembly lines.

 On Wall Street today, the Dow gained 82 points to close at 9,217. The NASDAQ rose 25 points to close at 1,955. The S&P picked up nine.

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 Two days before Afghanistan's presidential election, insurgents⁸ carried out several attacks in Kabul today. The Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing, targeting a convoy⁹ of Western troops in the capital. At least seven people were killed and dozens wounded. Earlier today, rockets struck the presidential palace and the police headquarters. Violence elsewhere in the country left two American soldiers dead from a roadside bomb.

The US embassy in Kuwait is warning Americans there to be vigilant¹⁰ against possible terror attacks following last week's arrest of members of an Al-Qaeda linked network in the gulf¹¹ state. Dale Gavlak reports.

The warning message advised US citizens living in or traveling to Kuwait to register with the embassy and to maintain a high level of vigilance against possible attacks by terrorist groups. It said potential targets may include US contractors¹², particularly those working with the military. Kuwait recently arrested six Al-Qaeda linked militants¹³ who were planning to attack a major US military camp and oil facilities during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Ramadan is expected to start at the end of the week. There have been a number of Al-Qaeda inspired attacks in Kuwait including a raid that killed one US Marine¹⁴ and wounded another seven years ago. For NPR News, I'm Dale Gavlak in Amman.

Star Quarterback Brett Favre is making a comeback again. The Minnesota Vikings say they've reached a deal with the three-time National Football League's MVP. The 39-year-old Favre will begin his 19th year in the NFL after starring for the Green Bay Packers and then last year ending a short retirement¹⁵ to join the New York Jets.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

3 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

4 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

5 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%。

6 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。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

8 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

9 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

10 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

11 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。

12 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

14 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

15 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。