NPR 2011-06-01

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

Home prices across the US are at nine-year lows. The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index reveals a steep drop from February to March in 18 of the 20 big metro¹ areas tracked. Patrick Newport, an economist² with IHS Global Insight, says he thinks one key factor is primarily to blame.

"The reason, I think, is related to the foreclosures. And we still have a lot of foreclosures still in the pipeline³, and that's dragging housing prices down."

Meanwhile, a monthly survey reveals an unexpected drop in consumer confidence. The Conference Board's Index fell to 60.8, the lowest point in six months.

Hoping to bolster⁴ US competitiveness in trade and production, President Obama is nominating energy executive John Bryson to be his new Commerce Secretary. NPR's Mara Liasson reports Bryson would succeed Gary Locke, who's going to be the new ambassador to China.

Bryson was the chairman and CEO of Edison International, but he also has environmentalist roots as one of the founders⁵ of the Natural Resources Defense⁶ Council. By picking Bryson, the president gets to add some badly needed business experience to his cabinet.

"By working with companies here at home and representing America's interests abroad, I'm confident that he's gonna help us meet the goal that I set of doubling our nation's exports."

President Obama has promised to double US exports in five years, but before Bryson gets started on that task, he has to get approved by the Senate. And Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, said that won't happen until the president submits trade deals with Panama, South Korea and Colombia. Mara Liasson, NPR News, the White House.

The World Health Organization is adding cell phones to its long list of items that might increase the risk of cancer. We have the latest from NPR's Richard Harris.

Cell phones are now ubiquitous with five billion in a world of seven billion people. So, if they raise the risk of cancer even slightly, that could affect a lot of people. Studies today have not found a clear link between cell phone use and cancer, but one major study published last year found that a small group made up of the heaviest cell phone users seemed to be at slightly higher risk of a type of brain cancer called glioma. That kind of cancer is not on the rise. So, if cell phones are increasing the risk of this cancer, it's not by much, but the World Health Organization now says the finding is enough to put cell phones onto its long list of substances that could possibly cause cancer. Scientists say people can reduce any risk by using hands-free devices rather than holding the phone up to their ears. Richard Harris, NPR News.

Fresh clashes between Yemen's troops and rival tribal⁷ militiamen today. Gunfire rings out in Yemen's capital as violence edges closer to civil war in the country. Members of the country's tribal groups have joined the opposition⁸ to oust⁹ President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Fighting also erupted in Taiz and in the coastal¹⁰ city of Zinjibar.

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was up 128 points at 12,570, NASDAQ gaining 38.

This is NPR News.

Pakistani authorities confirm they have found the body of a local journalist who disappeared two days ago, a case generating mounting criticism about the safety of reporters in the South Asian nation. Police say the remains¹¹ are those of Saleem Shahzad, a journalist who recently wrote about al-Qaeda's infiltration¹² of Pakistan's navy. NPR's Steve Inskeep is in Islamabad, where he says Shahzad's report followed a militant¹³ siege last week of a naval¹⁴ base in Karachi.

This journalist alleged¹⁵ that the attack came after the navy captured a number of al-Qaeda fighters within their own ranks, an extremely sensitive story. And soon afterward¹⁶, the journalist disappeared from, we believe, this neighborhood here in Islamabad.

NPR's Steve Inskeep reporting.

Pakistan's intelligence has denied it had anything to do with Shahzad's death.

Russian officials say the man suspected of pulling the trigger in the 2006 killing¹⁷ of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya has been arrested. Peter Van Dyk reports from Moscow that the man was detained in Russia's restive¹⁸ southern republic of Chechnya.

Russian investigators¹⁹ say Rustam Makhmudov will soon be transferred to Moscow for questioning. He is suspected of being the man who shot Politkovskaya dead in her Moscow apartment building five years ago. The journalist was a harsh critic of the Kremlin, best known for her reporting on human rights abuses in Chechnya. Her murder sparked international condemnation²⁰. Makhmudov's arrest is the first breakthrough in the case since two of his brothers and another man were acquitted²¹ in 2009 of involvement in the killing. For NPR News, I'm Peter Van Dyk in Moscow.

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow had gained 128 points, more than 1%. It's at 12,570.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, Washington.

1 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

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 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

4 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

5 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

10 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

11 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。

12 infiltration   

n.渗透；下渗；渗滤；入渗

参考例句：

• The police tried to prevent infiltration by drug traffickers. 警方尽力阻止毒品走私分子的潜入。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A loss in volume will occur if infiltration takes place. 如果发生了渗润作用，水量就会减少。 来自辞典例句

13 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

14 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

15 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

16 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

17 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

18 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。

19 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》

20 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

21 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。