NPR 2010-05-25

The Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen, says the idea having BP step aside in handling the oil spill in the Gulf¹ of Mexico is not going to happen.

"To push BP out of the way would raise a question: replace them with what?"

Allen says BP has to deal with the spill and pay for the impact.

"They're responsible for the cleanup, how that's affected². Ultimately, we are accountable, from the federal government side, to make sure they do it."

But other officials and lawmakers are increasingly critical of BP's response. The Senate's No.2 Democrat³, Dick Durbin, visited with fishermen along the Gulf Coast today.

"While I listened in there to the oystermen, the fishermen, the charter boat operators, some of them were emotional. They're talking about their ways of life. They're talking about their families. They're talking about businesses they've had for generations that are at stake right here now."

BP is pushing back its next attempt to stop the flow of oil into the Gulf, an effort the company says has at best a 70% chance of success.

Relatives of the 29 men who were killed in a coal mine explosion in West Virginia last month are telling a congressional panel there was an atmosphere of intimidation⁴ and fear at the mine. NPR's Howard Berkes reports they were testifying at a hearing in West Virginia before the House Labor⁵ Committee.

Alice Peters lost her son-in-law, Dean Jones, a mine foreman who told his family he was threatened when he complained about danger.

"They told him if he shut down the productions because of ventilation problems, he would lose his job."

Witnesses said adequate ventilation which disperses⁶ volatile⁷ methane⁸ gas and coal dust was a persistent⁹ problem at the mine. They also said company officials warned mine bosses underground when federal inspectors¹⁰ were on the way. Upper Big Branch miner Stanley Stewart said the intimidating¹¹ atmosphere was like working for the Gestapo at times. In a brief response, Massey Energy said it does not place profits over safety. Howard Berkes, NPR News.

President Obama is sending Congress a proposal that makes it easier to cut wasteful¹² costs from spending bills. But NPR's Scott Horsley reports one of the president's top economic advisers¹⁴ is defending deficit¹⁵ spending at least in the short term.

White House economic adviser¹³ Lawrence Summers says overtime¹⁶ bringing down the federal deficit will pay dividends¹⁷ by boosting confidence, lowering borrowing costs and encouraging private investment. But Summers told the School of Advanced International Studies in Washington it would be short-sighted to put the brakes on deficit spending too quickly. Like spending borrowed money now, he says, the government is encouraging jobs and economic growth.

"Spurring growth, if we can achieve it, is by far the best way to improve our fiscal¹⁸ position."

Summers predicted that a growing economy coupled with modest spending cuts would shrink the deficit by half as a share of the overall economy within the next few years. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

Stock prices are sagging¹⁹ just before the closing bell. The Dow industrials down 107 points; the NASDAQ Composite Index is off 12.

This is NPR News from Washington.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the US fully²⁰ supports South Korea's decision to cut nearly all trade with North Korea and to ask the UN Security Council to punish the communist regime for the sinking of a South Korean warship²¹. She's urging China to join in a coordinated²² response to North Korea, one of China's allies.

"Today, we face another serious challenge provoked by the sinking of the South Korean ship, so we must work together again to address this challenge and advance our shared objectives for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."

Clinton speaking in Beijing today.

The space shuttle Atlantis is nearing the end of what's expected to be its last flight. NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce reports the shuttle was racking up miles as it completes a mission to the International Space Station.

Flight director Mike Sarafin says landing is set for Wednesday morning if weather cooperates at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

"Surely before landing, we will achieve a milestone²³ with Atlantis, and she will cross through her 120 million-mile mark on the odometer of the ship."

Atlantis has been flying since 1985. This mission is supposed to be its last. NASA wants to retire its three space shuttles, so it can develop brand new vehicles. The agency currently has no more shuttle flights scheduled after the end of the year. Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR News.

Sales of previously²⁴ owned homes surged more than expected in April, up 7.6%, despite the expiration²⁵ of tax credits for buyers. Walter Molony with the National Association of Realtors says he expects the housing market to begin standing²⁶ on its own soon.

"With job creation, we can maintain the pace we've been seeing. We're looking forth²⁷ the sales market to rebound²⁸ in the second half of the year."

I'm Craig Windham, NPR News in Washington.
 

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

5 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。

6 disperses   

v.（使）分散( disperse的第三人称单数 )；疏散；驱散；散布

参考例句：

• With controlled pace and sequence of construction, excess heat disperses. 在对施工进度和程序加以控制之后，多余的热量就能散掉。 来自辞典例句
• Normally, turbulence disperses such pollutants quickly. 正常情况下，湍流将迅速驱散这类污染物。 来自辞典例句

7 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

8 methane   

n.甲烷，沼气

参考例句：

• The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited.爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。
• Methane may have extraterrestrial significance.甲烷具有星际意义。

9 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

10 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 intimidating   

vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词)

参考例句：

• They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
• This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。

12 wasteful   

adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的

参考例句：

• It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
• Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源，任务已经重新分派。

13 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

14 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser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：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

15 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。

16 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

17 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

18 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

19 sagging   

下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is continuously sagging. 敌军的士气不断低落。
• We are sagging south. 我们的船正离开航线向南漂流。

20 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

21 warship   

n.军舰，战舰

参考例句：

• He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
• The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。

22 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

23 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

24 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

25 expiration   

n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物

参考例句：

• Can I have your credit card number followed by the expiration date?能告诉我你的信用卡号码和它的到期日吗?
• This contract shall be terminated on the expiration date.劳动合同期满，即行终止。

26 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

27 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

28 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。