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1. President Bush has signed a bill overhauling² rules on government eavesdropping⁴. The new law also grants immunity⁵ to companies that helped the government spy on Americans. The ceremony ended a year-long debate over privacy and civil liberties concerns and the effort to prevent terrorism.

2. Iran fired the second round of test missiles that could reach Israel. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice says the US will not back down in the face of Iranian threats against the Jewish state. The White House is counting heavily on diplomacy⁶ to persuade Iran to not build nuclear weapons.

3. Jesse Jackson has spent much of the day continuing to apologize to Barack Obama. Meanwhile, Jackson's son says he is disappointed in his dad's reckless statements about the presumed Democratic presidential nominee⁷. Obama says he accepts Jackson's apology.

4. A woman is suing police at Reagan Washington National Airport following her arrest that was caught on video. The woman says police handled her roughly. Airport officials say the woman did not follow security procedures.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. overhaul¹: v.

If you overhaul a system or method, you examine it carefully and make many changes in it in order to improve it.

2. eavesdrop³: v.

to deliberately⁸ listen secretly to other people's conversations.

3. immunity: n.

the state or right of being protected from particular laws or from unpleasant things.

4. spy on: v.

to watch someone secretly in order to find out what they are doing.

5. civil liberties:

A person's civil liberties are the rights they have to say, think, and do what they want as long as they respect other people's rights.

= human rights

6. back down: v.

If you back down, you withdraw a claim, demand, or commitment that you made earlier, because other people are strongly opposed to it.

7. count on: v.

If you count on something or count upon it, you expect it to happen and include it in your plans.