NPR 2009-08-29

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack¹ Speer.

 Senator Edward Kennedy will be remembered tonight by his closest friends and family at the JFK Presidential Library where the Senator has been lying in repose². NPR's Tovia Smith has more.

 They are calling it a celebration of life and many expect the quintessential Irish wake. Since the Senator was diagnosed a year ago, the serious accolades³ have been flowing ever since. Robert Kennedy Jr. says that was something Ted⁴ Kennedy cherished.

 The last year of his life was almost a gift, because he knew that he didn't have much time. But he was able to, kind of, take a victory lap. And he was able to accept, you know, a lot of the tributes that, you know, we offered to him during last year, and I did. That was really touching⁵ him.

 Tonight will bring more tributes, but also singing an old stories for the man known for his love of music and laughter as aides put it. Tovia Smith, NPR News.

 Another American has been killed in Afghanistan, bringing the US death toll⁶ there with its highest level in any months since now eight-year-old war began. Military officials say the US service member was killed in a roadside bombing. The mounting US death toll comes amid increased US involvement in Afghanistan. With the latest incident, the US death toll has now risen to 45 this month. There're currently 60,000 US troops in Afghanistan.

Los Angeles county coroner's office is now making it official, saying that) singer Michael Jackson's death has been ruled a homicide as a result of acute intoxication⁷ from the drug propofol and other factors. The L.A. coroner's office in a statement released today says in addiction⁸ to the powerful anesthetic⁹, other drugs found in the entertainer's system including diazepam, lidocaine and ephedrine. 50-year-old Jackson died August (June) 25th after suffering cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home.

Commerce Department said today personal spending rose two tenths of one percent in July despite the fact incomes are flat. NPR's Yuki Noguchi explains.

The so-called Cash for Clunkers program was responsible for boosting spending. Spending on vehicles and related items helped up spending both in June and July. By comparison, spending on nondurable goods decreased by three tenths of a percent. The increase spending came despite the fact that American's income didn't increase at all in July. Spending drives much of the US economic activity. And there are some mixed signals about where it could be headed. On the one hand, joblessness continues to rise, on the other, gross domestic product is starting to slow its decline and consumer confidence is starting to increase. And that is feeling some optimism that a recovery could be a few months away. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News, Washington.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 36 point to end the week at 9,544. However, for the week the Dow was up four tenths of one percent. The NASDAQ gained a point to close at 2,028. The S&P 500 was down two points today, closing at 1,028.

This is NPR.

Appliance maker¹⁰ Whirlpool is announcing plans to close a refrigerator factory in Evansville, Indiana. The Michigan-based company says it will close the facility next year, shifting some of the production to Mexico. The move is expected to result in the elimination¹¹ of around 1,100 full-time¹² jobs. The world's biggest appliance maker is blaming the closing on continued cost cutting. Its demand for big ticket items like appliances has shrunk due to the ongoing¹³ recession. Whirlpool says it is still trying to determine what to do with 300 employees who work at the Product Development Center at the Evansville plant.

The International Olympic Committee says it will bail¹⁴ out next year's Winter Games in Vancouver, that's as organizers failed to raise enough revenue. Vancouver Olympics has a budget shortfall and raising money has been difficult, given the global recession. NPR's Howard Berkes reports.

The bail-out guarantee is not specific, not open-ended and won't ensure that the 2010 Vancouver Olympics end without a deficit¹⁵, according to Vancouver organizers. But it appears the International Olympic Committee is willing to start writing checks if February's Vancouver Games are short of operating funds. There is a $37 million deficit right now, and that's blamed on the recession, a shortage of corporate¹⁶ sponsors and a decline in television revenue. Olympic deficit is a sensitive issue in Canada, given that 30 years it took to pay the billion-dollar-debt left from the Montreal Olympics in 1976. One top IOC official says the group is willing to help Vancouver, but it remains¹⁷ to be seen how and with how much money. Howard Berkes, NPR News.

NASA is still hoping for late evening lift-off of the space shuttle Discovery after resolving a problem of the fuel valve. The shuttle is expected to lift off at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time this evening.

I'm Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.

1 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。

2 repose   

v.(使)休息；n.安息

参考例句：

• Don't disturb her repose.不要打扰她休息。
• Her mouth seemed always to be smiling,even in repose.她的嘴角似乎总是挂着微笑，即使在睡眠时也是这样。

3 accolades   

n.（连结几行谱表的）连谱号( accolade的名词复数 )；嘉奖；（窗、门上方的）桃尖拱形线脚；册封爵士的仪式（用剑面在肩上轻拍一下）

参考例句：

• Unlike other accolades for literature which tend to value style or experimentation. 有别于其他偏重风格活实验性的文学奖项。 来自互联网
• Build your trophy room while amassing awards and accolades. 建立您的奖杯积累奖项和荣誉。 来自互联网

4 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

5 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

6 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。

7 intoxication   

n.wild excitement;drunkenness；poisoning

参考例句：

• He began to drink, drank himself to intoxication, till he slept obliterated. 他一直喝，喝到他快要迷糊地睡着了。
• Predator: Intoxication-Damage over time effect will now stack with other allies. Predator:Intoxication,持续性伤害的效果将会与队友相加。

8 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

9 anesthetic   

n.麻醉剂，麻药；adj.麻醉的，失去知觉的

参考例句：

• He was given a general anesthetic.他被全身麻醉。
• He was still under the influence of the anesthetic.他仍处在麻醉状态。

10 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

11 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

12 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

13 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。

14 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

15 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。

16 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

17 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。