NPR 2010-01-01

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Barbara Klein.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for two bomb attacks in Afghanistan Wednesday including the one that killed eight Americans inside a US intelligence base in southeastern Khost province. Seven of the dead were CIA officers; one of them was the chief of the base. President Obama today sent a letter to CIA employees, praising those who he said serve the country in the shadows with courage.

 President Obama has received a preliminary report from officials investigating the attempted bombing of the Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day. As NPR's Don Gonyea reports, he's been holding conferences with the nation's top security advisors² while on vacation with his family in Hawaii.

The president held morning New Year's Eve phone conversations with his top White House Homeland Security and Counter-terrorism Advisor¹ John Brennan and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. He has ordered a complete study of what he calls "human and systemic failures that allowed the attempted act of terrorism on Northwest Flight 253 to take place". In a statement, the president says he was updated on enhanced security measures put in place after the incident. He also says that next Tuesday when he is back in Washington, he'll meet in person with all agency heads involved in the investigation³ and in providing airline and transportation security. Don Gonyea, NPR News, Washington.

The Labor⁴ Department reports job losses continue to moderate last week. The number of people applying for unemployment benefits for the first time fell to the lowest level in nearly a year and a half to 432, 000.

Two media giants have to reach a deal this evening or several major markets won't be able to carry the popular Fox Broadcasting Network. Fox's owner, News Corp., wants Time Warner Cable to pay more money to carry Fox's shows in places like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. NPR's David Folkenflik has more. 

The current contract expires at 12 midnights Eastern Time. If no deal is struck, say sayonara to watching a bunch of college football bowl games and such hit shows as American Idol⁵, Glee and 24 in many parts of the country. Time Warner Cable is the nation's second largest cable operator. It serves about 13 million subscribers. Fox is flexing⁷ its ratings muscles, saying it wants a dollar for every subscriber⁶. That's a new demand for a broadcast network, and Time Warner is offering a lot less, worried about what other networks will demand. A Time Warner Cable spokesman said talks were ongoing⁸ and that a deal would eventually be reached, but News Corp. appears to be girding for an extended brawl⁹. The Los Angeles Times reports it's been buying up an airtime on other local stations to slam Time Warner just in case. David Folkenflik, NPR News, New York.

On Wall Street today, the Dow closed down 120 points at 10,428. The NASDAQ was off 22 at 2,269. 

This is NPR News.

 Disney's decision to buy Marvel¹⁰ Entertainment got the go-ahead from Marvel's shareholders¹¹ who voted today in favor of the proposed merger¹². The deal will give the Walt Disney Company control of Marvel's comics and thousands of its characters including Spider-Man, the Hulk and X-Man. Many Marvel properties have been turned into blockbuster movies.

 In New York City, hundreds of thousands of revelers are expected to welcome in the New Year in Times Square in near-freezing rain and snow. Meanwhile, as NPR's Margot Adler reports, police are on high alert.

Security is already tight. Times Square was briefly¹³ closed on Wednesday, because of an unidentified white van without license¹⁴ plates. Some buildings were evacuated¹⁵. The NYPD Bomb Squad¹⁶ investigated it, but it turned out to be a false alarm. Police are prepared for the evening with radiation and biological detectors¹⁷, bombs sniffing¹⁸ dogs and a fleet of helicopters. Backpacks and alcohol will as usual be forbidden in the Times Square area. Many major streets will be closed and parking will be restricted. Sanitation¹⁹ workers are also getting ready to clean up some 40 tons of confetti with 23 mechanical sweepers, 21 collection trucks and 36 leaf blowers. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.

 The number of states reporting widespread swine flu infections continues to drop. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says only four states are now reporting a high level of flu activity. The CDC warns flu is unpredictable and activity can rise and fall throughout the season. It also says supplies of the H1N1 vaccine²⁰ are increasingly available and that is the best way for people to protect themselves.

 I'm Barbara Klein, NPR News in Washington.
 

1 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

2 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

3 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。

4 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。

5 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

6 subscriber   

n.用户，订户；（慈善机关等的）定期捐款者；预约者；签署者

参考例句：

• The subscriber to a government loan has got higher interest than savings. 公债认购者获得高于储蓄的利息。 来自辞典例句
• Who is the subscriber of that motto? 谁是那条座右铭的签字者？ 来自辞典例句

7 flexing   

n.挠曲，可挠性v.屈曲( flex的现在分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌

参考例句：

• Flexing particular muscles allows snakes to move in several ways. 可弯曲的特殊的肌肉使蛇可以用几种方式移动。 来自电影对白
• China has become an economic superpower and is flexing its muscles. 中国已经成为了一个经济巨人而且在展示他的肌肉。 来自互联网

8 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

9 brawl   

n.大声争吵，喧嚷；v.吵架，对骂

参考例句：

• They had nothing better to do than brawl in the street.他们除了在街上斗殴做不出什么好事。
• I don't want to see our two neighbours engaged in a brawl.我不希望我们两家吵架吵得不可开交。

10 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

11 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

12 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。

13 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

14 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

15 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

16 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

17 detectors   

探测器( detector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors. 报告主张所有的建筑物都应安装烟火探测器。
• This is heady wine for experimenters using these neutrino detectors. 对于使用中微子探测器的实验工作者，这是令人兴奋的美酒。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技

18 sniffing   

n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了，一个劲地抽鼻子，打喷嚏。
• They all had colds and were sniffing and sneezing. 他们都伤风了，呼呼喘气而且打喷嚏。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

19 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

20 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。