NPR 2009-10-27

The makers¹ of the vaccine² for swine flu are being taken to task for giving an overly rosy³ assessment⁴ of their ability to produce enough vaccine for everyone who wants it. Making the rounds of the network morning news programs, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said officials now have about 16.5 million doses of vaccine, well below what's needed, but she said it is being produced as quickly as possible. Appearing on NBC Today, she called on people to get vaccinated⁵ once adequate supplies of vaccine are on hand.

"We're hoping that, with an effective vaccine, getting information out to people, we're gonna minimize that harm and that impact on the American public. And that's why the president wanted us to act quickly."

Swine flu has spread rapidly. So far, roughly 1,000 people have died while tens of thousands of others have contracted the virus.

A 19-year-old Jordanian accused of trying to blow up a Dallas skyscraper⁶ with what he thought was a car bomb pleaded not guilty in a Texas federal court today. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports.

A grand jury indicted⁸ Hosam Smadi for allegedly attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against a US target and planning to bomb a public place. Smadi was arrested last month after he allegedly drove what he thought was a car bomb into the basement parking garage of a skyscraper in Dallas. Smadi allegedly thought he was working with some low-ranking al-Qaeda operatives, when in actual fact, they were undercover FBI agents. The FBI says agents found Smadi in an internet chat room where he was allegedly looking for people to help him launch a violent attack against the US. The FBI agents provided the young Jordanian with both the car and what he thought were explosives. When he dialed the cell phone number he thought would detonate the device, he was actually calling a local FBI office. He was arrested a short time later. Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News.

Jury selection is underway in the first trial of 12 men from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 38-year-old Raymond Jessop faces up to 20 years if convicted with sexual assault of a child. From Dallas, NPR's Wade¹⁰ Goodwyn has more.

The sexual assault charges involve a 16-year-old girl who became pregnant and struggled giving birth for several days in 2005. After days of fruitless labor¹¹, the girl's alleged⁹ husband Raymond Jessop approached Warren Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, seeking his advice. Jeffs wrote in his journal if she went to the hospital, they could put Raymond Jessop in jeopardy¹² of prosecution¹³ as the government is looking for any reason to come against us here. Jeffs is in prison after being convicted as an accomplice¹⁴ to rape⁷ in another case in Utah. Wade Goodwyn, NPR News, Dallas.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 104 points to close at 9,867. That was a decline of more than 1%. The NASDAQ lost 12 points. The S&P 500 also fell 12 points today.

This is NPR News.

Hospital officials announced that 24 children were among the dead in that massive suicide bombing in Baghdad over the weekend. An official at the hospital where the children's bodies were taken says they were on a bus leaving a daycare center next to the Justice Ministry¹⁵ when the attack took place. The bus driver was also killed. So far, there has been no claim of responsibility in the attacks which are believed to have involved a minivan and a water tanker¹⁶ loaded with explosives. Totally at least 155 people died in the attacks.

Preparations are underway at Florida's Kennedy Space Center for the first test of the rocket NASA wants to use to send astronauts back to the moon. Weather is the biggest concern for Tuesday's unmanned launch, but the long-term future of NASA's human space flight program is much more uncertain. From member station WMFE, Judith Smelser reports.

NASA says there's a 60% chance the Ares I-X test flight could be delayed because of clouds in the forecast for Kennedy Space Center. Weather officer Kathy Winter says the agency has stricter rules for this flight than for space shuttle missions.

"High clouds would normally not be an issue for a shuttle launch, but for Ares I-X launch, we will not be allowed to punch through those high clouds. The discharging could cause static and communication issues with the vehicle."

In other words, the rocket might not be able to exchange data with technicians on the ground. NASA managers say they'll put protective coatings on the final version of the rocket. That should eliminate that concern. But there are questions about whether that rocket will ever be built. Last week, a presidential commission submitted a report to the White House that was highly critical of the Ares plan. For NPR News, I'm Judith Smelser in Orlando.

Crude oil futures¹⁷ ended the session lower. The near-month contract for benchmark crude was down $1.82 a barrel to end the session at $78.68 a barrel in New York.

1 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

3 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

4 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

5 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

6 skyscraper   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• The skyscraper towers into the clouds.那幢摩天大楼高耸入云。
• The skyscraper was wrapped in fog.摩天楼为雾所笼罩。

7 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

8 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

9 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

10 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

11 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。

12 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

13 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

14 accomplice   

n.从犯，帮凶，同谋

参考例句：

• She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。
• He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。

15 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

16 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。

17 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。