NPR 2010-07-14

A bill making sweeping¹ changes to the country's financial regulations could move to a final vote in the Senate this week. Democrats² have cobbled together 60 votes with the help of a handful of Republicans to overcome a filibuster³.

Tributes are pouring in for New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who died this morning in Tampa. Fans such as Edward Presley say whatever people thought of Steinbrenner, he always commanded respect when it came to his team.

"I like his character. He was strong, controlled and kept everybody in line. I love that. I love that. That's responsibility."

Steinbrenner reportedly suffered a massive heart attack at his home in Tampa this morning and was rushed to the hospital. He was 80 years old.

BP is making progress in its latest attempt to stop the vast oil leak in the Gulf⁴ of Mexico. From member station WWNO, Eileen Fleming reports hopes are pinned on a new containment⁵ cap now in place.

Retired⁶ Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen says the new cap will take pressure readings. If they're too low, it means there could be other breaks in the well and plugging it from the top could trigger more leaks. If they're high enough, valves on the cap will gradually be shut off. Allen says he's very confident the cap will stay in place. If it's not able to stop oil from flowing out, it will at least be able to funnel⁷ it to surface ships.

"Either through a potential shut-in of the well or being able to produce most if not all of the flow we believe is generated, either way, we will have a way to contain the oil."

Pressure readings starting today could take 48 hours to complete. Energy Secretary Steven Chu is in Houston, overseeing the operation. For NPR News, I'm Eileen Fleming in New Orleans.

An Iranian nuclear scientist who vanished more than a year ago has turned up at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C. Iranian officials accuse the CIA of kidnapping the scientist. But as NPR's Jackie Northam tells us, US officials maintain Shahram Amiri has been free to move around the country.

This is just in the latest twist in the case of Shahram Amiri, a 32-year-old Iranian nuclear scientist, who went missing while on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia last June. Many analysts⁸ dispute Iran's claims that Amiri was kidnapped by the CIA and say that instead he defected to the US, where he was debriefed⁹ by American officials and then allowed to lead his life in Tucson, Arizona. Amiri was going to university for a PhD. State department spokesman PJ Crowley says Amiri has been allowed to move around the country at his own free will, and he's allowed to go back to Teheran. Crowley also disputes any suggestion that the nuclear scientist was mistreated while in the US. Amiri is expected to return to Iran in the near future, where his wife and seven-year-old son remain. Jackie Northam, NPR News, Washington.

Big gains on Wall Street: Dow Jones Industrial Average up nearly 150 points at 10,363.

This is NPR.

A survey of doctors published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that many are hesitant to report colleagues who are incompetent¹⁰ or having problems that might interfere¹¹ with their work. Details from NPR's Alix Spiegel.

Almost 2,000 doctors responded to the survey, which was designed by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. What was clear was that though in theory a great majority of doctors are committed to reporting fellow doctors who might be incompetent, they don't always follow through when faced with the reality of incompetence¹² particularly if they work in a small practice. Only 44% of physicians in a solo or two-person practice, who knew of an incompetent colleague, reported that person. The percentage was better in hospitals, 77% reported incompetent colleagues. The authors write that the finding is troubling and calls them to question the ability of medicine to self-regulate. Alix Spiegel, NPR News, Washington.

A federal appeals court is rejecting a Federal Communications Commission policy that can get a broadcaster fined for allowing even one curse word from getting on the air. The Second US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan finds the policy is unconstitutionally vague. Under the FCC policy, words referring to sex or excrement¹³ is always indecent. The policy took effect after NBC's 2003 broadcast of the Golden Globes Awards during which U2 singer Bono used the F-word.

The youngest detainee at Guantanamo Bay says he plans to boycott¹⁴ his upcoming trial in August. In a hearing of the US war crimes court, Canadian Omar Khadr says he rejected a plea deal that would have got him out of prison for admitting to killing a US soldier

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 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》

3 filibuster   

n.妨碍议事，阻挠；v.阻挠

参考例句：

• A senator dragged the subject in as a filibuster.一个参议员硬把这个题目拉扯进来，作为一种阻碍议事的手法。
• The democrats organized a filibuster in the senate.民主党党员在参议院上组织了阻挠议事。

4 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。

5 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 funnel   

n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集

参考例句：

• He poured the petrol into the car through a funnel.他用一个漏斗把汽油灌入汽车。
• I like the ship with a yellow funnel.我喜欢那条有黄烟囱的船。

8 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

9 debriefed   

v.向（外交人员等）询问执行任务的情况( debrief的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was taken to a US airbase to be debriefed on the mission. 他被带到美国空军基地汇报执行使命情况。
• We debriefed our pilot after he had flown over the enemy's land. 我方飞行员飞越敌境之后，我们向他询问情况。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 incompetent   

adj.无能力的，不能胜任的

参考例句：

• He is utterly incompetent at his job.他完全不能胜任他的工作。
• He is incompetent at working with his hands.他动手能力不行。

11 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

12 incompetence   

n.不胜任，不称职

参考例句：

• He was dismissed for incompetence. 他因不称职而被解雇。
• She felt she had been made a scapegoat for her boss's incompetence. 她觉得，本是老板无能，但她却成了替罪羊。

13 excrement   

n.排泄物，粪便

参考例句：

• The cage smelled of excrement.笼子里粪臭熏人。
• Clothing can also become contaminated with dust,feathers,and excrement.衣着则会受到微尘、羽毛和粪便的污染。

14 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。