NPR 2012-04-17

 Several additional members of the military may come under investigation¹ for their possible involvement in an alleged² scandal involving Secret Service agents and prostitutes ahead of President Obama’s recent visit to Colombia. General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint³ Chiefs of Staff, says the military is embarrassed.

 

“Several of our members distracted the issue from what was a very important regional engagement for our president, so we let the boss down, ’cause nobody’s talking about what went on in Colombia other than this incident.”

 

The service members served as support for the Secret Service in preparation for the Cartagena gathering⁴. Eleven agents have been prolonged leave after reports of misconduct at a hotel the day before the president’s trip.

 

The General Services Administration is in the hot seat this afternoon for what critics are calling a culture of lavish⁵ spending at the taxpayers’ expense. On Capitol Hill today, a House panel is asking GSA officials about the more than 800,000 dollars the agency spent for one conference in Las Vegas two years ago. The lawmakers say they are also looking at other cases of wasteful⁶ spending at the GSA during several hearings taking place this week.

 

Another long-serving member of Congress is bowing out of what was expected to be a tough reelection campaign. Anna Sale of member station WNYC reports Brooklyn Congressman⁷ Ed Towns is retiring.

 

Democratic Congressman Ed Towns was first elected to represent Brooklyn in 1982, and he said he was going for it again, but his campaign announced today that he changed his mind - would not seek reelection. Towns faced a three-way race in New York’s June Democratic primary, and the latest campaign finance filings show he lost the money advantage. One of his challengers, Democratic state Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, had more cash on hand at the end of the first quarter than the Towns’ campaign. Towns is a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus⁸, and he founded the Social Work Caucus in the House. For NPR News, I’m Anna Sale in New York.

 

The Commerce Department says retail⁹ sales in the US rose last month. NPR’s Dave Mattingly reports a stronger job market is among the factors being cited.

 

Economists¹¹ say consumers spend more when they are not worried about their jobs. Retail sales rose 0.8% in March as the nation’s unemployment rate edged lower. Chief economist¹⁰ Brian Wesbury at First Trust says this follows sales gains in January and a 1% jump in February.

 

“This is a huge number really in the last three months. Retail sales have increased at a 10% annual rate.”

 

Consumers spend more on gasoline, electronics, furniture and clothing. Dave Mattingly, NPR News, Washington.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was up 95 points; NASDAQ off 20. 

 

This is NPR News.

 

Oklahoma emergency authorities are now putting the death toll¹² from this weekend’s tornado¹³ at six. The twister was part of a storm system that generated more than 120 tornados¹⁴ in multiple states.

 

The two men accused of gunning down five people in Tulsa, Oklahoma have been arraigned¹⁵. John Durkee of member station KWGS in Tulsa reports the suspects never left the jail.

 

A not guilty plea is entered by the judge for Tulsa, Oklahoma Good Friday shooting suspects Alvin Watts¹⁶ and Jacob England. Both men took part in a closed circuit video arraignment¹⁷ this morning from the Tulsa County jail, and there was no change in their bond amounts of nine million dollars each. Both are accused of taking part in a shooting spree that left three people dead and two more injured. The victims were African-American. The suspects are white. A preliminary hearing is set for May 30th. Prosecutor¹⁸ Doug Drummond says there’s been no decision as to whether the district attorney’s office will seek the death penalty. For NPR News, John Durkee, Tulsa.

 

Virginia Tech and its alumni are observing the fifth anniversary of the mass shooting on the Blacksburg campus. Thirty-two people were killed in the attack. Unlike previous anniversaries, classes are not suspended in memory of the victims. The school says memorial events are still being held on the campus and across the country.

 

Jury selection has begun in former pitching great Roger Clemens’ retrial. He’s accused of lying to Congress about using performance-enhancing drugs. The Justice Department is adding more prosecutors¹⁹ to the case this time around, determined²⁰ to avoid making another legal mistake that led to last year’s mistrial.

 

I’m Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, Washington.

1 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。

2 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

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

6 wasteful   

adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的

参考例句：

• It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
• Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源，任务已经重新分派。

7 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

8 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

9 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

10 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。

11 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

13 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

14 tornados   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• And the national weather service reports several tornados touch down. 国家气象中心报告预测龙卷风将来袭。 来自互联网
• They had stock footage of lightning, tornados, and hurricanes. 他们存有关于闪电、龙卷风和飓风的电影胶片。 来自互联网

15 arraigned   

v.告发( arraign的过去式和过去分词 )；控告；传讯；指责

参考例句：

• He was arraigned for murder. 他因谋杀罪而被提讯。
• She was arraigned for high treason. 她被控叛国罪。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

16 watts   

（电力计量单位）瓦，瓦特( watt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• My lamp uses 60 watts; my toaster uses 600 watts. 我的灯用60瓦，我的烤面包器用600瓦。
• My lamp uses 40 watts. 我的灯40瓦。

17 arraignment   

n.提问，传讯，责难

参考例句：

• She was remanded to juvenile detention at her arraignment yesterday. 她昨天被送回了对少年拘留在她的传讯。 来自互联网
• Wyatt asks the desk clerk which courthouse he is being transferred to for arraignment. 他向接待警员询问了马宏将在哪个法庭接受传讯。 来自互联网

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 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。