NPR 2009-07-09

Lawmakers are expressing outrage¹ over a security exercise that showed investigators² had no troubles smuggling³ bomb-making materials past guards at a number of federal buildings. Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman called it "the broadest indictment⁴ of a federal agency he's ever seen."

 

"(I) hear all investigators were able to smuggle⁵ liquid bomb-making materials into all of the federal buildings they tested-that was ten, all of them-past apparently⁶ unsuspecting guards who did not possess the equipment to detect it.  They were then able to build real bombs in those ten cases in restrooms and then move throughout the buildings unbeknownst to guards."

Lieberman's remarks came during a Senate hearing looking at the performance of the Federal Protective Service. The group is responsible for the safety of some 9,000 federal facilities.

Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair who was found shot to death in Nashville this past weekend has been ruled the victim of a murder. His 20-year-old girlfriend then turned the gun on herself. That's according to Nashville police. NPR's Mike Pesca reports.

McNair, the NFL‘s 2003 co-MVP, was found dead alongside the body of Sahel Kazemi, a 20-year-old waitress who police have described as in a dating relationship with McNair. Nashville police chief Ronal Serpas announced that the crime has been ruled a murder suicide.

"The police department has concluded that Steve McNair was murdered by Sahel Kazemi and that in turns, Sahel Kazemi killed herself with a single gunshot wound to her head.”

The police investigation⁷ revealed that Kazemi believed her personal life was in turmoil⁸. She faced financial troubles and had been arrested for driving under the influence. Kazemi's family members have said she was certain that McNair was leaving his wife in order to move in with her. But there are no records of a divorce having been initiated⁹ either by McNair or his wife. Mike Pesca, NPR News.

Authorities in the capital of China's westernmost province are promising¹⁰ the death penalty for those found guilty of being behind the worst of the recent ethnic¹¹ violence. The city meanwhile remains¹² on edge three days after the deadly clashes. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports out Urumchi, China.

At a press conference, local officials said that they now had the situation under control. There were though reports of small-scale violence among ethnic Han and Uigurs today despite a visibly increased security presence. Urumchi's Communist Party Committee Secretary Li Zhi said that the government would deal harshly with those convicted of serious crimes.

As for those elements who killed with great cruelty, he said, we will mete¹³ out the ultimate punishment to them. Li said that the government would deliver condolence payments, totaling around $14 million to the families of those killed and injured in the violence. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Urumchi, China.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 14 points to end the session at 8,178. The NASDAQ was up a point.

This is NPR.

New York Governor David Paterson has named Richard Ravitch as the state's lieutenant¹⁴ governor, part of an effort to help end a five-week standoff in the state's Senate. The appointment will allow Ravitch to preside over the chamber¹⁵ breaking tie votes. In a televised address, the Democratic governor said the state is in crisis. And he called the spectacle of a Senate gridlock in a 31-31 power struggle “embarrassing”.

"Since this conflict began, I and 19 million other New Yorkers have been deeply chagrined¹⁶ that the Senate cannot discharge its constitutional duties. Now New Yorkers are starting to suffer. Cities and counties are running up unanticipated deficits¹⁷ because this Senate has failed to meet crucial deadlines. "

Paterson said today both the Senate and the Assembly need to make serious spending cuts as revenues continued to fall.

Lance Armstrong finished in the main pack of riders to stay second overall in the Tour de France today but Frenchmen Thomas Voeckler has won the 5th stage. Eleanor Beardsley sends this report.

France's Voeckler coasted home after launching a solo attack with about three miles left of the 122-mile ride from Le Cap d'Aged to Perpignan along the Mediterranean¹⁸ coast. Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara is still in the lead and wearing the yellow jersey¹⁹, but he only leads Armstrong who is in second place by two tenths of a second. Thursday's 109-mile 6th stage begins in the French town of Gérone and crosses into Spain to finish in Barcelona. The tour goes through six different countries this year before finishing up on July 26th in Paris. For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Paris.

News that gasoline stockpiles have risen helped send oil prices lower today. Crude oil prices tumbled $2.79 a barrel to close at $60.14 a barrel.

1 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

2 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》

3 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

4 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

5 smuggle   

vt.私运；vi.走私

参考例句：

• Friends managed to smuggle him secretly out of the country.朋友们想方设法将他秘密送出国了。
• She has managed to smuggle out the antiques without getting caught.她成功将古董走私出境，没有被逮捕。

6 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

7 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。

8 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

9 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

10 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

11 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

12 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。

13 mete   

v.分配；给予

参考例句：

• Schools should not mete out physical punishment to children.学校不应该体罚学生。
• Duly mete out rewards and punishments.有赏有罚。

14 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

15 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

16 chagrined   

adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I was most chagrined when I heard that he had got the job instead of me. 当我听说是他而不是我得到了那份工作时懊恼极了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was [felt] chagrined at his failure [at losing his pen]. 他为自己的失败 [遗失钢笔] 而感到懊恼。 来自辞典例句

17 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

18 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

19 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。