NPR 2009-08-12

President Obama today took his health care proposal to a town hall style meeting in New Hampshire where the President told a mostly supportive crowd he will not sign any health care initiative that adds to the deficit¹. The President also said the proposal would contain strict guidelines to prohibit insurers from dropping coverage².

"Insurance companies will be prohibited from denying coverage because of a person's medical history. Period. They will not be able to drop your coverage if you get sick. They will not...they will not be able to water down your coverage when you need it."

Taking aim at his GOP critics, the President said his proposed health care overhaul³, unlike the prescription⁴ drug law passed several years ago, would be paid for. Mr. Obama did not say how he plans to fund the plan expected to cost more than a trillion dollars over ten years, saying he intends to work with Congress on that.

The Pentagon is dismissing claims the head of Pakistan's Taliban fighters is still alive. Baitullah Mehsud is believed to have been killed by US missile strike last week. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly has more.

US and Pakistani officials have grown increasingly confident these past few days that Baitullah Mehsud is dead, but Taliban commanders have insisted their leader is still alive. At the Pentagon, Spokesman Geoff Morrell called the credibility of these Taliban sources "probably very much lacking." "If they really wanted to convince anybody that Baitullah Mehsud was still alive, they would probably do as many people do which is offer some sort of proof of life. But I don't think they are in a position to do so." Without forensic⁵ evidence, there is still no definitive⁶ proof one way or the other. But the Pentagon's Morrell says the US has "intelligence that would lead us to believe there is a 90% certainty Mehsud is no longer living." Mary Louise Kelly, NPR News, Washington.

Federal Reserve officials held the first of two days of discussions today in Washington. Steve Beckner of Market News International has more.

Since the Fed's policy making Federal Open Market Committee last met in late June, financial markets have shown increasing signs of stabilization⁷ and the recession has diminished in intensity⁸. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said last month that modest economic growth is apt to resume in the second half of this year, although, he said the unemployment rate is unlikely to peak until early next year. Against that backdrop, he and his fellow FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) members must decide whether and for how long it remains⁹ appropriate for the Fed to hold short-term interest rates near zero and to pump money into the financial system to stimulate¹⁰ the economy. When the Fed issues its policy statement tomorrow afternoon, it is expected to keep its easy credit strategy in place for a while longer. For NPR News, I'm Steve Beckner.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 96 points to end the session at 9,241. The S&P 500 closed down 12 points today.

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Tributes are pouring in today for Eunice Kennedy Shriver. The Special Olympics founder¹¹ and sister of John F. Kennedy and Senator Edward Kennedy died early today. Senator Kennedy said his sister through her work with the mentally disabled "touched the lives of millions". President Obama in a statement says Shriver's lesson to the nation was that no physical or mental barrier can restrain the power of the human spirit. Eunice Shriver was with her husband, five children and all of her 19 grandchildren when she died. She was 88 years old.

Kuwait has arrested an Al-Qaeda leader linked to group or Al-Qaeda-linked group planning to attack US military base in that country. Dale Gavlak reports.

Kuwait's Interior Ministry¹² said it had arrested a six-member Kuwaiti terrorist cell plotting to attack Camp Arifjan and the country's Internal Security Headquarters. Kuwait is a strong US ally, but Islamic militants¹³ in the country oppose the US military presence there. There have been several attacks on US troops and contract workers in recent years. Militants shot dead a contract worker and wounded another when they pumped 24 bullets in an SUV in 2003. A year earlier, two Al-Qaeda-linked gunmen attacked US troops on Kuwait's Failaka Island, killing¹⁴ one marine¹⁵ and injuring another. For NPR News, I'm Dale Gavlak in Amman.

The annual sky show known as the Perseid meteor shower will be taking place this week with the early morning hours providing the best viewing opportunity. But how many meteors will be visible would depend on the weather conditions in the town or city where you live. The Perseids which can result in dozens of sightings an hour are expected to reach their peak tonight and into Wednesday night. Forecasters say the best time to watch is likely from 4 to 5 AM Eastern Standard Time.

1 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

2 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

3 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

4 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

5 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

6 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。

7 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

8 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

9 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。

10 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

11 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

12 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。

13 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

14 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。

15 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。