CNN 2010-11-22

It's Friday -- which is always awesome¹ -- and you're tuned² in to CNN Student News! Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Joyce Joseph. Today, we're going to start with START.

We're talking about the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, also known as START. This involves the U.S. and Russia. These 2 countries have more nuclear weapons than any other nation. A new treaty would limit how many weapons they can have. That's if it gets signed. President Obama wants that to happen; he had a meeting about it yesterday. But it's not his call. The U.S. Senate has to approve a new treaty. The president is pushing the Senate to do that. Other experts think it should happen, too. But some Republicans argue that national security is a serious issue, and they don't think this should be rushed. They want more time to consider a new START. Jill Dougherty has more on this debate.

Here at the Senate, the START Treaty has become the perfect storm for policy and politics. On track for passage just a couple of months ago, then blown off course by the midterm elections. Key Senate Republican Jon Kyl is hanging tough. Kyl says he wants more money to keep the nuclear stockpile well maintained. I catch up with him as he barrels through a capital hallway with Senator Kerry.

What's going to happen?

We're talking.

Still?

In good faith.

The administration met Kyl's demand for an additional $4 billion, but now he wants the treaty postponed³ until next year. That's when the Democratic majority in the Senate shrinks, meaning it will take even more Republican support to pass. From the Kremlin, all eyes are on the tug⁴ of war on Capitol Hill. Russia's deputy foreign minister telling CNN "we are very hopeful that domestic U.S. policy considerations won't prevail." The White House believes it can work through all the questions in time. Spokesman Robert Gibbs predicting they will win passage this year.

I'm extremely concerned...

But the military's top officer doesn't sound so sure.

The military leadership across the board in the United States military supports moving forward with this treaty. And I hope we can do it as rapidly as possible.

It looks like President Obama has the American people, Democrats⁵ and Republicans, on his side on this one. A new CNN/Opinion Research Cooperation poll shows nearly three-quarters of Americans think the Senate should vote for the treaty; only a quarter say no. Jill Dougherty, CNN, Washington.
 

1 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

2 tuned   

adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味，老少皆宜。
• The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

4 tug   

v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船

参考例句：

• We need to tug the car round to the front.我们需要把那辆车拉到前面。
• The tug is towing three barges.那只拖船正拖着三只驳船。

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》