NPR 2011-02-09

The numbers calling for President Hosni Mubarak to resign in Egypt keep growing in central Cairo. More than a quarter million people now estimated to be overflowing¹ from Tahrir Square. Thousands more are rallying outside Cairo. NPR's Corey Flintoff made the track to the Suez Canal zone where there were reports of a large labor² strike. He says before he and his team actually got to Suez, the group was detained for hours.

After about three hours after they interrogated³ everyone within our party, they let us go, but they told us that we must leave Suez and we must not return unless we have press credentials⁴ that are issued by the Egyptian government. So far it's been rather difficult to get those credentials. We've applied⁵ for them, but we don't have them yet.

NPR's Corey Flintoff reporting.

Egypt's state news agency says that the government has released 34 political prisoners as President Mubarak's allies attempt to quell⁶ the two-week-old uprising. However, human rights groups estimate thousands more remain in jail for political activities.

In the US, four more hedge fund officials are charged in connection with a massive insider-trading scheme. NPR's Jim Zarroli says authorities are accusing two of the men trying to destroy evidence of their crimes that were stored on a computer disk.

Among those charged were Samir Barai and Donald Longueuil who worked as portfolio⁷ managers at hedge funds. They were charged with conspiracy⁸ to commit securities and wire fraud. Two other men, Jason Pflaum and Noah Freeman, were charged with securities fraud. They have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with investigators⁹. US officials have been looking into the use of so-called "expert-network" firms. These firms would hire existing employees at major companies to act as consultants¹⁰, advising investors¹¹ about industry trends. But US officials say they were often doing little more than passing on inside information to hedge funds. Jim Zarroli, NPR News.

And a federal probe into reports of Toyota vehicles experiencing sudden acceleration¹² turned up no electronic flaws that might explain that issue or any other safety problems. The Department of Transportation announced today that the only cause that they have been able to find so far were mechanical defects that were cited in previous recalls of the company. Toyota's recalled more than 12 million vehicles worldwide since late 2009 to address sticking gas pedals and other issues.

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average up more than 50 points for nearly 0.5% at 12,213 in trading of more than two billion shares; NASDAQ Composite Index up six at 2,790; S&P 500 up three at 1,322.

This is NPR News.

Keith Olbermann has a new home and a new job as the signature host and chief news officer at Current TV, a cable channel founded in 2005 by former Vice¹³ President Al Gore¹⁴. NPR's David Folkenflik reports the lowly rated channel is pinning a lot of its hopes on their new big name.

Keith Olbermann told reporters he'll be putting on a newer, stronger and amplified¹⁵ version of his old show on MSNBC. Countdown blended firebrand commentaries and comedic touches. It led MSNBC to a left-of-center prime-time sensibility and the first profits in its history. Current promised both viewer-generated videos and original reporting and programming. It's won some critical praise but few viewers with an estimated audience in the low tens of thousands. Countdown often drew more than one million. But Current is already available in 60 million American homes. Executives say Olbermann's distinctive¹⁶ presents and his editorial guidance on other news shows will lead more viewers to them. He'll first appear on the air in late spring. David Folkenflik, NPR News, New York.

Job openings are down for a second straight month. The Labor Department reports today that employers posted 140,000 fewer positions in December than the month before, yielding just over three million jobs posted at the end of 2010.

There are reports of a fire at a petroleum¹⁷ plant east of Houston. The Associated Press cites a Mont Belvieu police dispatcher, saying there were no immediate¹⁸ reports of injuries or evacuations.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing guidelines intended to protect birds from energy generating windmills. However, bird advocates say the standards should be mandatory¹⁹.

1 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

2 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。

3 interrogated   

v.询问( interrogate的过去式和过去分词 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询

参考例句：

• He was interrogated by the police for over 12 hours. 他被警察审问了12个多小时。
• Two suspects are now being interrogated in connection with the killing. 与杀人案有关的两名嫌疑犯正在接受审讯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。

5 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。

6 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

7 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。

8 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

9 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 consultants   

顾问( consultant的名词复数 )； 高级顾问医生，会诊医生

参考例句：

• a firm of management consultants 管理咨询公司
• There're many consultants in hospital. 医院里有很多会诊医生。

11 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

12 acceleration   

n.加速，加速度

参考例句：

• All spacemen must be able to bear acceleration.所有太空人都应能承受加速度。
• He has also called for an acceleration of political reforms.他同时呼吁加快政治改革的步伐。

13 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

14 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

15 amplified   

放大，扩大( amplify的过去式和过去分词 )； 增强； 详述

参考例句：

• He amplified on his remarks with drawings and figures. 他用图表详细地解释了他的话。
• He amplified the whole course of the incident. 他详述了事件的全过程。

16 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

17 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

18 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

19 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。