NPR 2010-10-01

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Barbara Klein.

The Labor¹ Department reports first-time claims for unemployment benefits fell last week by 16,000. Four hundred fifty-three thousand people filed claims. That's fewer than experts expected. But economist² Diane Swonk says it's still too many to suggest growth.

"These claims remain extremely elevated. It's good news they fell again in the most recent week and didn't rise. But at this stage of the game, we should be seeing claims well below the 400,000 threshold to see any kind of major improvement in the labor market."

Meanwhile, the revised reading on second-quarter gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic activity, was raised from 1.6 percent to a still weak 1.7 percent.

JP Morgan Chase is suspending foreclosures in 23 states because of faulty procedures and documentation. The decision affects an estimated 56,000 homeowners.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will resign his position tomorrow. From Chicago, NPR's David Schaper reports Emanuel will return to the Windy City to gear up for a presumed run for mayor.

The former congressman³ from the city's North Side will resign as White House chief of staff Friday. President Barack Obama will announce the resignation at the White House and thank Emanuel for his service and wish him well. Emanuel will return home to Chicago over the weekend and on Monday will begin to hit the pavement in Chicago neighborhoods, meeting with city residents and listening to their concerns as he prepares to run for mayor in the city's February election. There’s been widespread speculation⁴ that Emanuel would run for mayor ever since incumbent⁵ Richard M. Daley shocked the city three weeks ago and announced he would not seek a seventh term after almost 22 years in office. Emanuel said last spring he'd love to be mayor of his hometown, but that he would not run against Daley. David Schaper, NPR News, Chicago.

Congress has adjourned⁶ until after the midterm elections. Lawmakers are breaking a week and a half earlier than planned in order to hit the campaign trail. As Danielle Karson reports, they are leaving behind a full plate of bills to consider when they return.

The unfinished business sets up Congress for what one lawmaker's calling the "mother of all lame⁸ duck sessions". Analysts⁹ expect many of the bills the House passed but not the Senate will die in this session. For example, it's unlikely both chambers¹⁰ will result their differences over a measure that would toughen food inspection¹¹ requirements. For the bills that fail, it's back to the drawing board in January. Congress also fled Washington before voting on a proposal to extend tax cuts that are scheduled to expire at the end of the year. And with one foot out the door, lawmakers signed off on a stopgap spending bill. Even though the new fiscal¹² year starts tomorrow, Congress didn't approve any of the 12 appropriations¹³ bills needed to keep the government running. So, the continuing resolution keeps the doors open until December. For NPR News, I'm Danielle Karson in Washington.

An hour before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was down 33 points at 10,801; the NASDAQ is off five.

This is NPR.

Mortgage rates are at record lows. Freddie Mac, the nation's second largest mortgage finance company, reports today the average rate for 30-year fixed¹⁴ loans is now 4.32 percent, the lowest in decades.

Toy maker⁷ Fisher-Price has announced a major recall. About ten million toys in the US and Canada are being called back because of safety hazards. The Consumer Product Safety Commission Scott Wolfson says the recall covers several products.

"Little People is very popular. There’s wheels on a car that poses a choking hazard. The High Chairs are very popular. These trikes, there are seven million out there."

Injuries including serious lacerations have been reported.

Tony Curtis, the versatile¹⁵ Hollywood star of "The Defiant¹⁶ Ones", "The Great Race" and more than 100 other films, has died. He was 85. NPR's Bob Mondello reports.

If you want to be taken seriously as an actor and Tony Curtis really wanted to be taken seriously as an actor. It helps if you look like Al Pacino. Curtis didn't. He was almost impossibly handsome, had a rep as a playboy and was really good at comedy, so he was sort of expected to skate long on surfaces as when he affected¹⁷ Carrie Grant's accent to romance Marilyn Monroe in "Some Like It Hot".

"Would you mind moving just a little, please? You're blocking my view."

"Your view of what?"

"They run up a red-and-white flag on the yacht when it's time for cocktails¹⁸."

But perhaps because of his rough childhood in the Bronx, Curtis also gravitated to more serious roles, playing outsiders in films like "Sweet Smell of Success", "The Defiant Ones" and "The Boston Strangler", generally garnering¹⁹ terrific reviews even as the Oscar he craved²⁰ eluded²¹ him. Bob Mondello, NPR News, Washington.

And I'm Barbara Klein, NPR News in Washington

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 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。

3 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。

4 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

5 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

6 adjourned   

（使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The court adjourned for lunch. 午餐时间法庭休庭。
• The trial was adjourned following the presentation of new evidence to the court. 新证据呈到庭上后，审讯就宣告暂停。

7 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。

8 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

9 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

10 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

11 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

12 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。

13 appropriations   

n.挪用（appropriation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• More commonly, funding controls are imposed in the annual appropriations process. 更普遍的作法是，拨款控制被规定在年度拨款手续中。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Should the president veto the appropriations bill, it goes back to Congress. 假如总统否决了这项拨款提案，就把它退还给国会。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

14 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

15 versatile   

adj.通用的，万用的；多才多艺的，多方面的

参考例句：

• A versatile person is often good at a number of different things.多才多艺的人通常擅长许多种不同的事情。
• He had been one of the game's most versatile athletes.他是这项运动中技术最全面的运动员之一。

16 defiant   

adj.无礼的，挑战的

参考例句：

• With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
• He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

17 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

18 cocktails   

n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物

参考例句：

• Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来，我们喝鸡尾酒，吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
• Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句

19 garnering   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• And at the forefront was Bryant, garnering nothing but praise from his coaches and teammates. 而站在最前沿的就是科比，他也因此获得了教练和队友的赞美。 来自互联网

20 craved   

渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求

参考例句：

• She has always craved excitement. 她总渴望刺激。
• A spicy, sharp-tasting radish was exactly what her stomach craved. 她正馋着想吃一个香甜可口的红萝卜呢。

21 eluded   

v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到

参考例句：

• The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》