NPR 2010-07-12

BP says it's making progress today on an undersea operation to install a new containment¹ cap on its blown-out well in the Gulf² of Mexico. Yesterday, the company removed a cap as part of a plan to place a tighter-fitting cover over the well that can capture more oil. While the installation process continues, oil is spewing mostly unchecked. Meanwhile, US Attorney General Eric Holder³ says the Justice Department has started interviewing witnesses as part of its investigation⁴ into the spill. NPR's Kathy Lohr reports the government wants to make sure it has information about any company that could be held responsible for the massive spill.

Holder says the Justice Department has asked BP and Transocean, the company that drilled the well, to preserve documents related to the April 20th explosion and to their activities since. In a Sunday television interview on CBS's "Face The Nation", Holder said officials are accumulating documents and talking to witnesses, and he defended his decision to publicly acknowledge the investigation.

"We thought it was appropriate to let the American people know that the federal government was understood what was going on here, and that we were using the full panoply⁵ of our powers to open both a criminal investigation and a civil inquiry⁶."

Holder says the probe is an effort to make sure no tax dollars pay for the cleanup, and that anyone responsible is held accountable. Kathy Lohr, NPR News, New Orleans.

Also, the Justice Department isn't ruling out a second lawsuit⁷, challenging Arizona's immigration law. Holder says if there's evidence racial profiling is at work, it could happen. The Obama administration sued the state last week, saying it's encroaching on federal responsibilities for dealing⁸ with immigration. The Arizona law requires police to question a person's immigration status if there's reasonable suspicion the person is in the country illegally.

West Virginia Democratic governor is moving closer to sorting out what to do about the late Robert Byrd's Senate seat. As NPR's Giles Snyder reports Joe Manchin's decision is expected this week, and it's likely to be closely watched by Senate Democrats⁹.

Manchin says it's highly likely that he'll run for Byrd's seat. But first he's got to deal with the succession process. There's been a lot of debate over what state law allows. Last week, the state attorney general issued a legal opinion, saying that state law allows Manchin to call for a special election this fall. Others argue that a vote to replace Byrd can't be held earlier than 2012. Now, Manchin's top attorney says he's advised him to put the issue to rest by calling state lawmakers to West Virginia's capital to clarify the process. Senate Democrats are keeping an eye on things. Byrd's death last week at age 92 has complicated their efforts to win final congressional approval of a bill overhauling¹⁰ financial regulations. The bill is a top priority of the Obama administration. Giles Snyder, NPR News, Washington.

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The Voice of Yankee Stadium for more than half a century died today at his home on Long Island. Bob Sheppard started as public address announcer for the team in 1951. His first lineup included Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle¹¹ and Yogi Berra. Yankee's management is expected to release additional details about Sheppard's passing later today.

It may soon cost money to go to summer school in New Jersey¹². NPR's Carrie Kahn reports the state legislature passed a law, okaying a fee plan for summertime classes. But the governor has yet to sign the bill.

The proposed bill would allow school districts to charge for both remedial and enrichment courses during the summer. Prices would vary, depending on a family's income. But lawmakers say they had no choice but to charge for summer school due to the drastic cuts to the state school districts. Local district officials have been trying to charge for summer school tuition for some time. They say their remedial course programs have been running in the red for years. But an insecure part of the education code did not allow fees charged the district's students. The New Jersey School Boards Association endorsed¹³ that fee plan. The governor's office did not return a call seeking comment. But if Governor Christie does sign the bill, the law wouldn't go into effect until next year's summer school session. Carrie Kahn, NPR News.

Photographs on the blogs of a couple of Cuban journalists and a media site show a stooped but smiling Fidel Castro. They're the first to show him in public since he got sick four years ago.

A latest Lundberg Survey finds the average price of a gallon of regular has dropped nearly four cents over the past two weeks. It stands at $2.73 a gallon. The lowest average price among cities surveyed is in Jackson, Mississippi.

Renita Jablonski, NPR News, Washington

1 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

2 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。

3 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

4 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。

5 panoply   

n.全副甲胄，礼服

参考例句：

• But all they had added was the trappings and panoply of applied science.但是他们所增添的一切,不过是实用科学的装饰和甲胄罢了。
• The lakes were surrounded By a panoply of mountains.群湖为壮丽的群山所环抱。

6 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

7 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。

8 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

9 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 overhauling   

n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越

参考例句：

• I had no chance of overhauling him. 我没有赶上他的可能。 来自辞典例句
• Some sites need little alterations but some need total overhauling. 有些网站需要做出细微修改，而有些网站就需要整体改版。 来自互联网

11 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

12 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

13 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；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：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》