NPR 2010-07-13

BP is close to putting a new cap on the damaged well that's been spewing millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf¹ since April's rig explosion. NPR's Richard Harris tells us the new cap has valves that might be able to stop the flow.

The new cap could be a big leap forward in efforts to stop the flow of oil from the blown-out well. The best-case scenario² was that BP will be able to close the valves on the cap. That would put an end to the gusher³, while BP continues to drill a relief well to seal it off permanently⁴. BP plans two days of pressure testing to see whether the valves can be shut safely. If the undersea well is badly damaged though, it may not be able to take the added pressure that would start to build up inside once the valves are closed. And in that case, BP would open the valves again. Then the company would gradually wrap up its ability to capture oil from surface ships. If that's the case, we could still see oil going into the Gulf for as long as two or three weeks. Richard Harris, NPR News.

The Obama administration's new moratorium⁵ on deepwater offshore⁶ oil drilling reportedly will no long be based on water depth. The Associated Press reporting that instead the moratorium will apply to any deepwater floating facility with drilling activities, the initial moratorium applied⁷ to those in waters of more than 500 feet. The moratorium was imposed after the Gulf oil spill, and we're expecting more details on this issue later this hour.

Veterans coping with post-traumatic stress disorder⁸ are expected to have an easier time claiming federal benefits under new rules made public this morning. The changes include no longer requiring veterans to prove what caused their illness.

Apple's latest iPhone, millions of which have already sold, is getting a thumbs-down from Consumer Reports magazine. NPR's Brett Neely reports Apple's fielding a slew⁹ of complaints about poor reception and dropped calls.

Apple has blamed faulty software for the reception issues and promised to fix. But in a video posted online, Consumer Reports editor Mike Gikas said a series of tests conducted by the magazine proved it was the phone's antenna¹⁰, not a software that was defective¹¹.

"We can't recommend the iPhone 4 until Apple fixes this design flaw."

The non-profit Consumer Reports rates thousands of products every year. This is the first time the magazine hasn't recommended the new iPhone. For those who already own one of the phones, which have a starting price of $199, Gikas had this to offer.

"We have our own solution for dealing¹² with the problem."

He said a small piece of duct tape applied to the bottom left side of the phone improves its reception. Brett Neely, NPR News, Washington.

Seeing slight gains in US stocks today, at last check, Dow Jones Industrial Average up 18 points at 10,216, NASDAQ Composite Index up slightly two points at 2,198.

You're listening to NPR News.

At least 74 people are confirmed dead, about as many injured after twin bombings in the Ugandan capital yesterday. Explosions in Kampala leveled two bars where fans had gathered to watch the World Cup final on television. The Somali Islamist group known as al-Shabaab is claiming responsibility for the two bombings, and the FBI says it has joined the investigation¹³ in Uganda.

A federal judge is ordering the Obama administration to release pictures of terror suspects held at the US prison in Guantanamo Bay. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports.

Federal Judge John Bates says the government should release nearly 50 photos of detainees from Kuwait. Lawyers sue to get the pictures, using the Federal Freedom of Information Act. The judge says that photos of the four Guantanamo Bay detainees are of significant public interest. But he delayed the decision on whether to release hundreds of hours of videotapes of the men. The images of the Kuwaiti men are less controversial than pictures of alleged¹⁴ detainee abuse at the Abu Ghraib facility in Baghdad. Defense¹⁵ Secretary Robert Gates said last year the release of the Abu Ghraib pictures would hurt national security, and Congress passed a law that would keep those pictures secret. Gates didn't make the same assertion in the Kuwaiti case. The Justice Department says it's reviewing the judge's ruling. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico are confirming six dead in today's shooting rampage at Emcore Corporation, a manufacturer of solar industry products. The dead include the shooter, a former Emcore employee who, authorities say, apparently¹⁶ took his own life. Four people were wounded.

1 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。

2 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

3 gusher   

n.喷油井

参考例句：

• We endeavour to avoid the old,romantic idea of a gusher.我们力图避免那种有关喷油井的陈旧的、不切实际的计划。
• The oil rushes up the tube and spouts up as a gusher.石油会沿着钢管上涌，如同自喷井那样喷射出来。

4 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

5 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

6 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

7 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

8 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

9 slew   

v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多

参考例句：

• He slewed the car against the side of the building.他的车滑到了大楼的一侧，抵住了。
• They dealt with a slew of other issues.他们处理了大量的其他问题。

10 antenna   

n.触角，触须；天线

参考例句：

• The workman fixed the antenna to the roof of the house.工人把天线固定在房顶上。
• In our village, there is an antenna on every roof for receiving TV signals.在我们村里，每家房顶上都有天线接收电视信号。

11 defective   

adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的

参考例句：

• The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
• If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。

12 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。

13 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。

14 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

15 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。

16 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。