NPR 2012-03-16

 Iran is largely cut off from global commerce after a banking¹ hub severed² ties. The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication³ or Swift is reinforcing sanctions the EU imposed in a bid to make Iran stop its nuclear development. Swift's action cuts off about 30 Iranian banks and subsidiaries. It could affect the country's oil industry. 

 

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has long complained about civilian⁴ casualties at the hands of the US military, wants his troops to assume the lead for security across the country in 2013, a year ahead of schedule. He spoke⁵ after hosting US Defense⁶ Secretary Leon Panetta, who said that despite the latest problems in Afghanistan, the US mission in Afghanistan will not change.

 

“Make no mistake about it, it is important that we continue these operations that have been extremely important to our ability to go after the terrorist leadership that tried to destabilize this country.”

 

This as the Afghan people say they are outraged⁷ that an American soldier accused of shooting 16 Afghan villagers in cold blood has been flown to Kuwait. Local politicians say if the US is serious about justice, it will ensure the soldier is tried publicly in Afghanistan.

 

Rod Blagojevich says he enters a federal prison today with a clear conscience and high hopes for the future. NPR's David Schaper reports the former Illinois governor is now in Colorado beginning to serve a 14-year prison sentence for corruption⁸.

 

Blagojevich left his Chicago home before dawn but still stopped for the cameras and talked with reporters. Then he glad headed his way through O’Hare Airport, shaking hands and signing autographs before boarding a plane for Denver. All of these after a bizarre news conference outside of his home yesterday, in which he made a campaign-like speech and proclaimed his innocence⁹.

 

“I mean he just needs to tone it down.”

 

Former Chicago city clerk James Laski went to prison for bribery¹⁰, and he advises Blagojevich to check his ego¹¹ at the door.

 

“Because, you know, he can't walk around, glad-handing and talking about. He’s not gonna be able to hold press conferences there obviously. So, you know, the days of showboating are over.”

 

Blagojevich is convicted of trying to sell President Obama's former Senate seat among other corruption charges. David Schaper, NPR News, Chicago.

 

Fewer people putting in for new jobless claims. Here is the latest from NPR's Dave Mattingly.

 

Chief economist¹³ Brian Wesbury at First Trust says the drop in weekly jobless claims is more evidence that the nation's economy is recovering as companies continue adding workers.

 

“We are at the lowest levels of initial claims that we’ve seen in four years. And four years ago, we were beginning the major financial meltdown that we experienced in 2008. So I would say this is a very good sign.”

 

The nation's jobless rate held steady last month at 8.3%. Employers have added more than 700,000 jobs since December. Dave Mattingly, NPR News, Washington.

 

This is NPR.

 

Drivers are still paying more at the gas pump which sent wholesale¹⁴ prices rising last month in the US. Labor¹⁵ Department says the producer price index climbed 0.4%, the most since September. Now exclude the volatile¹⁶ categories of gas and food prices in the core index marks an increase of 0.2%.

 

Investigators¹⁷ say two prosecutors¹⁹ committed misconduct when they failed to turn over evidence that would have helped the defense team for the late Senator Ted¹² Stevens. A special prosecutor¹⁸ finds a material would have helped Stevens undermine the credibility of the Justice Department's corruption case. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports on new details in the long-awaited investigation²⁰ report.

 

The findings by Special Prosecutor Henry Schuelke paint a dark picture of one of the federal government's biggest political corruption cases in decades. Schuelke says the Justice Department team hid evidence that would have backed up the Alaska senator's defense. But he thought he had paid for all of the renovations on his Alaska chalet. The report says prosecutors also failed to turnover²¹ allegations that the lead witness against Ted Stevens, an Alaska oil company president, had engaged in sexual misconduct and tried to get a 15-year-old girl to lie about it. The report singles out conduct by two Alaska prosecutors, Joseph Bottini and James Goeke. But it also paints some of the blame on higher-ups at the Bush Justice Department for failing to supervise the case. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

 

US stocks are making gains today, with the Dow up 42 points at 13,236; NASDAQ gaining 60; it's at 3,056; and the S&P 500 up seven at 1,402.

1 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

2 severed   

v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂

参考例句：

• The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 telecommunication   

n.电信，远距离通信

参考例句：

• Telecommunication is an industry of service.电信业是一个服务型的行业。
• I only care about the telecommunication quality and the charge.我只关心通信质量和资费两个方面。

4 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

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 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

8 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

9 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

10 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

11 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。

12 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

13 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。

14 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

15 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。

16 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

17 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》

18 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

19 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

20 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。

21 turnover   

n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量

参考例句：

• The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
• Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。